Novels by Ashdenroth

“What the hell is my penniless husband doing with Enrico Rodriguez?” Felicia fumed with anger, still staring in the direction where the car had driven off. Neither Mrs. Rashford nor Robert had any clue about this most bizarre occurrence. Alex had always been a sore loser, but while he was married to Felicia, he could still use the illustrious Rashford family name to rub shoulders with the elite and get into places where he never belonged. However, now that Felicia had divorced Alex, there was simply no reason for a man like Enrico Rodriguez to give him a ride. Felicia still couldn’t believe her eyes, and her rage quickly spilled over in the form of bitter words. “It must have been that woman’s doing. What was her name again…” Trembling with rage, she racked her brains to try to remember that detestable name that made her blood boil. “Dr. Lucy…her name’s Dr. Lucy,” Robert piped feebly. “Oh yes! That bloody bitch!” Felicia cursed, clutching her limited-edition purse so ti

The judge’s decisive words made Felicia’s blood boil in anger. Even when Alex used to live with her as her husband, she would only allow him a pittance of one hundred dollars per week just to keep him occupied.She couldn’t believe her useless husband deserved even a single penny from her since he was the one who had filed for divorce. With nowhere left to vent her anger, she took it out on her lawyer. “What the hell am I even paying you for? Are you just going to stand there like a mannequin?”The flustered lawyer quickly gathered himself and addressed the judge on Felicia’s behalf.“Your Honor, Mr. Verlaine is of sound mental health and does not have any disabilities that we know of. I am quite certain that he can earn his own living after the divorce without depending on his ex-wife.”“That is not for you to decide,” the judge retorted calmly. “Mr. Verlaine was married to the CEO of Femme Fatale, Felicia Rashford, and he was accustomed to a certain kind of lifestyle during the las

The next day, Alex arrived at the family court early in the afternoon. The receptionist called the office and requested him to wait in the lobby, where Felicia and her mother were already sitting. Seeing Alex enter, Felicia couldn’t control herself any longer and decided to toy with him.“So, you really did show up. I was expecting you to bail out at the last moment,” she said, softening her usually bitter tone. “Are you sure you want to go through with this, Alex?”Felicia mistook Alex’s silence for a sign of weakness and clicked her tongue in mock pity.“I guess you must have realized by now that you are nothing without me. That woman you were prancing with would have shown up at the court if she really cared about you. But all I see is a penniless loser sitting all alone.”Alex remained calm and chose to stay silent instead of responding to her insulting words.But Felicia wasn’t ready to drop the matter so soon.“You know, women like her enjoy playing with a new lover every week.

Dr. Sonya had over thirty years of medical expertise and had served as a distinguished general physician for over two decades.Even before examining Edgar Warrington, she felt confident of treating his condition, regardless of his illness.Catherine Warrington spoke to her son, Josiah, and after a brief discussion, asked everyone else to leave. Only Dr. Sonya was allowed to stay back to check the patient.Alex and Dr. Lucy took off their PPE kits and discarded their gloves before heading outside.As everyone stepped out of the room, Elizabeth felt snubbed and cheated. She couldn’t believe Blake would question her credibility and even go as far as calling out her father in front of the family.Fuming with rage, she locked her eyes on her cousin and frowned. “You crossed a line today, Blake. I don’t know where you found that impostor, but let me tell you, she will not succeed. And when she fails to treat grandpa, I am going to expose your lies and have you thrown out of this family!”Bla

“Have you really lost your damn mind?” Elizabeth cursed in anger, her voice rising to a fever pitch. “Get away from them. They are here to help grandpa.”Blake scoffed at her words. “These two fools have no idea what they are doing. They are only trying to trick you. I can prove it!”Before anyone could stop Blake, he pulled down the isolation pod’s zipper and yelled at Alex and Dr. Lucy. “Get the hell away from him. You are not fooling us anymore!”Dr. Lucy was shocked by his madness. The hospital authorities had informed them that Edgar Warrington was suffering from a highly infectious disease, and by opening the isolation pod without any protection, Blake was endangering everyone else in the room.She immediately rushed over. “You should not be this close. Back off!”But instead of listening to her advice, Blake mocked her. “Why? So you can continue to mistreat him? Your game is up. The real Miracle Maker is waiting outside!”Dr. Lucy was about to fly into a fit of rage when Alex

Alex remained calm. He had already endured enough humiliation for two years to be bothered by a few rude words from a stranger.Dr. Lucy, however, became furious. She was not going to stand there and let a little fry like Blake insult her mentor.“You are crossing your limits, Blake. Know your place!” she snapped back, snubbing him. “The man standing before you is the one they call the Miracle Maker. He can cure every known disease and even teach a cripple how to walk.”Blake, however, refused to believe a single word. He kept staring at Alex with suspicious eyes.Just then, a beautiful young lady entered the room. Her youthful eyes still had the spark of life in them, unlike the dreary eyes of the others in the room. She was none other than Elizabeth Warrington, the oldest daughter of Josiah Warrington, and Blake was her estranged cousin.Since Josiah Warrington was Edgar Warrington’s only surviving son, he was next in line to get all their estates and factories, but Blake and his f

“I never really thought the boy had it in him to keep going after he lost his home,” someone observed in a calm, benevolent voice. “I must admit his resilience is quite impressive for a mortal. Were it anyone else in his shoes, the ending would have been a lot different.”“I knew there was something about him right from the day he was born. Alas, his mother never got the chance to see him grow up,” a feminine voice stated wistfully. “The question remains, what must we do with him now?” the male voice questioned.“I think it is time to leave the choice in his hands,” a second feminine voice spoke aloud. “Wake up, my dear child. Your mortal troubles cannot touch you here. Wake up and choose.”Groggy and disoriented, Ezra slowly parted his eyelids and immediately squinted as the bright white light flooding the room smarted his eyes. Still dizzy and weak, he somehow rolled over and gasped.“Where am I? What happened?” “You are safe inside the Hall of Wandering Souls,” a measured feminine

“The hour of darkness descends upon this world like a shroud, and the bleeding moon beckons the Lord of Decay to reclaim his lost domain. Come forth and ascend the throne of darkness, my Lord!”Ezra’s heart pounded inside his chest like a caged animal, and his head throbbed in pain as he heard muffled words shouted in the distance. Lying in a bloody puddle on the black marble floor, he parted his droopy eyelids and saw Lord Wilhelm standing behind the altar and Lady Lillian facing him on the other side.Though Tanya’s face was hidden from view, Ezra could see her supple white fingers tingling as her delicate arm dangled from the stone altar. She was still alive, but Lord Wilhelm was already anointing the ceremonial dagger forged from infernal obsidian and preparing to plunge it into her heart.“You…cannot do it. You need the crimson moon to…summon Zepheroth,” Ezra said, fighting the pain.“The hour of our Lord is nigh. And all celestials shall obey his will,” Lord Wilhelm continued cha

The enchanted nock gun vibrated with elemental energy as Jasenki loaded it with enchanted rounds. The glyphs carved into its stock shimmered and dazzled as he aimed at Ezra.“Scream for me, Ezra!” Jasenki yelled, pulling the trigger.Bang! Fwoom!A fiery barrage lit up the dark pavilion as fifteen fireballs erupted from the silver-dusted barrels. The first hit burned Ezra’s left sleeve, setting his tattered leather jacket ablaze, and the rest of the fireballs charred his white shirt, burning his skin.“This gun was forged by the best Gunsmiths in Stonewell, and enchanted with the rarest of ancient glyphs. No one can withstand its power!”Jasenki reloaded his weapon and fired again, unleashing another flaming barrage.But this time, a barrier of flames erupted around Ezra, cocooning him within an elemental shell.All fifteen fireballs exploded into sparks as they collided with the flame barrier, leaving Ezra unharmed.“Damn you, Ezra. Keep trying your tricks and see how long you can su

Ezra looked at the two Spectral Companions hovering behind Jasenki and Cecilia and realized these spirits weren’t obtained from their ancestral artifacts. “I see you have abandoned your family relics,” he said, carefully analyzing the two specters with his Dragon Eye skill. “These spectral entities are gifts from the Lord of Decay,” Jasenki replied, raising his head with arrogance. “I bet you have never encountered anything so powerful before.”“Go on, Ezra. Call your little Spectral Basilisk, and let us see if it can stand up to our companions,” Cecilia mocked, casting a disdainful glance at Ezra’s tattered brown jacket and muddy black boots. “You still look as beggarly as before. I suppose some things never change. I am so glad I rejected you when I did.”Suddenly, Ezra’s eyes glinted, and his pupils brightened with a bright blue flame that blazed with magic energy. The scar on his chest glowed through his shirt, revealing his true power.Reaching inside his jacket, Ezra pulled out

Following the glowing trail left behind by the Spectral Beholder, Ezra avoided the rot vines squirming in the mire, and the Medallion of Purity hanging over his chest shielded him from the swamp's corrupting influence.Dark geysers erupted around Ezra, spewing molten tar several feet in the air and filling the swamp with a sulfurous haze. The choking odor brought tears to his eyes, but he pushed on through the vaporous veil.The Spectral Beholder led Ezra to a small patch of dry land surrounded by rotting oak trees. As he stepped onto the elevated mound, he spotted a fiery blue orb floating in the distance.Ten more orbs appeared out of thin air, floating through the foggy darkness. At first glance, they looked like glowing power crystals, but as Ezra took a closer look, he realized these orbs weren’t floating crystals or fireflies, but Elven Wisps.The Elven Wisps were unique spectral entities only found in the Violet Everglades. Unlike Banshees and Spectral Wraiths, the Elven Wisps w

A weary traveler lost inside the Violet Everglades was an easy prey for the creatures of the dark, and Ezra had just encountered one such nefarious entity. But instead of fear, his eyes lit up with a strange hopefulness.“You called out to me in Tanya’s voice, so you must have seen her passing through. Point me toward the Fountain of Chaos, and I won’t kill you,” he spoke in a cold, emotionless voice, without even turning to look at the creature creeping toward him.The creature laughed at his words and rushed through the darkness, moving like a shadow to play with his mind. Her voice echoed from different directions as she disappeared like smoke and danced around Ezra.“You are in my home, youngling. The dark ones told me you’d be coming,” she cackled. “But you won’t be walking out alive. So, forget about your friend and save yourself if you can!”As Ezra stood there motionless, a howling shadow rushed past him and gathered on a dry patch of grass overgrown with violet tulips that glo

As Zi Han and his friends left the restaurant, Feng Xiao thanked him for the treat and wished him good luck for this upcoming match. “I am confident that you can pull off another magnificent win, but you must find your edge before the match begins,” he advised, before bidding him good night.Once the boys had left, Bridgette and Daisy cosied up to Zi Han again.“It’s already too late. My house is pretty far from here,” Bridgette said, making a puppy face at him. “You wouldn’t mind if we spent the night at your place, would you?”“I…could just drop you off if you—”“I told you he doesn’t consider us as his friends,” Daisy cut in, pulling Bridgette by her arm. “Zi Han still thinks we are trying to take advantage of his kindness.”“I understand.” Bridgette looked away and turned to go. “Wait. It’s nothing like that!” Zi Han called them back. “You can stay the night. I have plenty of extra rooms at my place.”Bridgette smiled faintly, with her back still toward Zi Han. Her act had foole

Zi Han read the name again before glancing at the details scribbled under it. Ingrid wasn’t just a smart businesswoman, but a cultivator as well. And shockingly enough, her Sacred Art was also Elemental Manipulation.“Do you know why I asked Bridgette to suggest this restaurant for our celebration?” Feng Xiao asked.Zi Han’s brow furrowed, and his voice turned dead serious as he looked at Feng Xiao. “Why?”Feng Xiao leaned over the table and whispered, “Because your opponent owns Oriental Delights. She uses the restaurant to source rare ingredients required for brewing her most potent potions. It’s an easy way to keep things out of the public eye and conduct business with utmost secrecy.”Zi Han couldn’t believe that Ingrid not only owned a restaurant in Zhuxin but also carried out her secret business deals right under their noses. It was just the perfect front for smuggling rare herbs and spices without causing a stir.All this new information made Zi Han realize that even though the

Lisa’s wild accusation infuriated the manager. He couldn’t believe a mere waitress like her could insult such a high-profile customer.“That's enough! You’re fired! Don’t freaking show your face in this restaurant again!” he shouted, showing her the door.“But I did read them the menu!” Lisa cried out indignantly. “Just listen to her lie. She has been standing here like a mute mannequin for ten minutes now,” Bridgette joined in, taking Zi Han’s side. More than defending her friend, she enjoyed watching the lowly waitress make a fool of herself in front of the manager.Even Yutai and Lefan got in on the game without any invitation.“I don’t think a waitress has been this rude to us before,” Yutai said.“Perhaps she is too lazy to attend tables,” Lefan quipped. “I am surprised more people haven’t complained about her till now.”Seeing all her friends joining the fun, even Daisy got down and dirty.“You should teach your waitress how to behave with customers. She is the most obnoxious an

“Why the hell are you staring at Han like you’ve never seen a good-looking guy in your whole life?” Daisy scoffed, giving Lisa the condescending side-eye.Bridgette noticed Lisa’s shell-shocked expression as well. But she couldn’t tell if she was genuinely astounded by Zi Han’s appearance or if it was something else.“Hello!” She snapped her fingers in front of Lisa. “Aren’t you supposed to greet the guests and guide them to their table?”“I think this one is still under training,” Yutai sneered. “We should ask for another waitress who knows basic etiquette.”Lisa quickly came back to her senses and snapped out of her stupor. “I am so sorry. I just thought your friend looked awfully familiar to someone I used to know.”“Who was this friend of yours?” Zi Han asked, stepping forward. “Tell me about this friend. Did he used to work here with you?”At first, Lisa had thought she was just thinking too much, but hearing Zi Han’s voice, she realized it wasn’t a case of mistaken identity. This

Before the next lecture could start, Zi Han excused himself and walked out of the classroom. Making his way to a quiet corner overlooking the cafeteria, he dialed Chef Roland’s number.“Hello. Who is this?”Since Zi Han had switched to a private number, the chef had no idea who was calling. However, since the name was hidden, he automatically assumed it was someone important.“Hello? Can you hear me?” he repeated. “I am Chef Roland Jenkins from Oriental Delights. How may I help you today?”Zi Han waited a while longer, testing the man’s patience just for fun.“I am going to disconnect if you have nothing to say. It’s the middle of the day. We are awfully busy here, so please—”“Good afternoon, Mr. Roland,” Zi Han spoke at last. “I was hoping to make a reservation at your restaurant. I hear it’s a pretty upscale establishment.”The head chef cleared his throat and put on his best behaviour.“You have heard right, sir. Oriental Delights is among the best fine dining experiences in the ci

The next day, as Zi Han returned to college, the whole campus greeted him with roaring cheers and a loud round of applause. By defeating the cultivator from the School of Lunging Shadows, he had brought honor to the entire college and proved his worth as a martial artist.Even the principal came out to greet him with a friendly smile. “That was some incredible performance. The best I have seen in years,” he said, shaking Zi Han’s hand. “We are honoured to have a cultivator like you study in the Argos College of Commerce. You have already made our hearts swell with pride, but I am confident you are made for even greater things.”“I just did my best,” Zi Han replied politely, showing little emotion.This gesture broadened the principal’s smile, and he patted Zi Han on his shoulder. “I like your confidence. Keep training, and the college promises to support you in every way possible. You can skip your lectures whenever you deem fit, and I will find someone to do your assignments as well.