A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 101: The Emperor’s Shadow

In the middle of a deserted island, a small boy wakes up with two sets of memories: one from his few years of life and the other from a man who lived to adulthood and achieved great things. When he least expected it, a powerful master appeared on the island and took him in as a disciple, revealing a shocking fact: magic exists in that world, and, thanks to it, humanity managed to conquer the galaxy.

Lao Chen was just an old, underpaid security guard in a rundown apartment complex, living a miserable life under a stingy, ungrateful boss.His wife left him, his daughter wanted nothing to do with him, and poverty was his only constant companion.In the end, death came in the form of a drunk driver, leaving him broken and forgotten on the cold pavement.But fate wasn’t done with him. In his final moments, he prayed—desperate, pleading to any deity who would listen.And someone did.The God of Wealth and Love took pity on his wasted life and granted him a second chance.Wake up again as Zhao Yiming, a 25-year-old gambler and alcoholic drowning in debt with nothing but a good face and a strong body to his name, he was given the Affinity Money Maker System—a mysterious power that let him gain wealth and influence by forming relationships, whether as lovers, friends, or even enemies.Before he knew it, he had stumbled his way into unimaginable riches.But things never go as planned. One moment of recklessness—one affair with the wrong woman—led to an unexpected murder.Now, the system has thrown him onto a new path: The Villain Route. With a negative perk that keeps the police off his trail but tightens the noose around his future, Zhao Yiming is faced with an impossible choice.Will he claw his way to the top and become the billionaire he was meant to be? Or will his second life end behind bars, just as tragic as his first?

Lucinda Perry, a social recluse and a workaholic, makes a pledge to herself to go all wild on her twenty-fifth birthday and even score a one night stand if she gets her long deserved promotion at work. Few days to her twenty-fifth birthday, she gets promoted to not just a higher position but to the head office in a different city.

Having to spend her birthday night in a new city, she goes to the club where she meets a very handsome stranger, Thomas Hank, who offers to be her one night stand after catching a glimpse of her dare-to-do list, which included having a one night stand.

Thomas Hank, after having been used by several ladies in the past, is bent on getting the lady of his dreams who would love him for himself and not his wealth. So when he meets the cute and naive Lucinda Perry at the club, he decides to keep his true identity from her and find out if she was worth keeping.

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***Excerpt***

“What are you doing here?” Lucy asked in alarm when she walked into her boss' office and saw Tom standing by the window,

“Who let you in here? Come with me, you should leave now before he comes in and sees you here. He can be really mean.” Lucy said reaching out to grab his hand, but he made no move to reach for her hand, and just kept staring at her with a slightly amused expression.

“I came to fulfill your fantasy.” Tom said looking into her eyes with an unreadable expression.

“Fantasy? What fantasy?” She asked with a frown as she hurried to the door to shut it so her boss wouldn't walk in on them.

“You've forgotten? You said you would love to have sex with me on your boss' table. I want to make it happen.” Tom said making her heart skip a beat.

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” She half yelled as she took his hands and tried to drag him to the door, “I could lose my job if my boss finds you in here.” She snapped at him.

“Nevermind about that. Tell me the thought of this doesn't turn you on? I'm here, you're here, and the table is right here. I could have you on your back in a second and you'd be crying out my name...” Before Tom could finish, the office door was pushed open.

“Sup Tom? Can I talk to you for a sec?” Harry asked as he walked in, his eyes on the documents in his hand. He stopped when he raised his head and realized Lucy was in the office. He almost kicked himself when he saw the frown on Lucy's face, “Shit!” Harry muttered, and gave Tom an apologetic glance when he realized he had just screwed up.

“I thought you were going out?” he asked her with an awkward smile.

“Tom? You know him? I mean... other than him being my driver?” She asked both men, looking from one to the other when she noticed Harry didn't look surprised to see Tom in the office.

What was going on here? What was she missing? Lucy asked herself as her gaze shifted from Harry to Tom who was glaring at Harry. There was no way Tom could be her boss, right? All the pieces of the puzzle was beginning to fit now. It was all beginning to make sense now, she thought as she glanced at Tom one more time before walking out of the office.

Discovering that his wife was cheating on him with his superior, Jonathan Hayes was put on the combat list by his superior, a list that had already been concluded weeks ago.Wanting to survive from the war and come back to get his revenge on his wife and his superior, Jonathan was killed in the battlefield.Instead of going to heaven like every good man should, Jonathan woke up five years back in time, before his country was captured by the enemy, due to the help of his country's corrupt leaders. Jonathan knew his job immediately he realized what had happened to him. To liberate his country from getting captured again, and to get his revenge on his cheating wife and his superior.He had guessed correctly, but there was more to it. He not only went back in time, he woke up in a parallel world where magic was present. His job was not only to rescue his country from getting captured again, his job was to become the first warlord of the world. The first king of the whole world.[Congratulations, you have been rewarded with two unique skills from God]