Lucien stood alone in the room, the air around him drained of all life, leaving only an oppressive silence in the wake of the violent confrontation. Blood trickled steadily from his palm, yet his expression remained vacant and hollow, as if he felt no pain at all.
The door burst open, and Sandy stepped inside. The sight before her made her eyes widen in shock, and she clamped a hand over her mouth, a gasp escaping before she could stop it. "Lucien!"
Without a second thought, she turned and shouted toward the hallway, urgency thick in her voice. "Hurry! Get me some gauze!"
Moments later, the necessary supplies were rushed into the room.
Sandy dropped to her knees beside him, her hands trembling slightly as she carefully cleaned the blood from his palm. Though her movements were gentle, they carried a sense of urgency. She wrapped the gauze around his hand, layer after layer, securing it firmly.
Throughout the process, Lucien remained motionless, as
As soon as Cynthia got home, she felt completely drained, as if all the strength had been sucked out of her.She collapsed onto the bed, her body sinking into the mattress, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her mind kept replaying everything that had happened with Lucien, the exhaustion weighing on her both physically and mentally, leaving her unable to move.She had no idea how long she lay there until a crisp knocking sound echoed from the door.Forcing herself to sit up, Cynthia dragged her weary body to open it.Standing outside was Erica, beaming with a bright smile, holding a large, heavy-looking shopping bag.The moment Erica stepped inside, her smile faltered. She immediately noticed something was off. With a concerned look, she asked, "What's wrong? You look terrible."Reaching out, she tried to feel Cynthia's forehead, checking if she was sick.Cynthia stepped aside to let her in, shaking her head slightly. She forced a weak s
CrossStar Group, commonly known as C. Star, was a rising entertainment company that had made a name for itself in just a few years. With a roster of top-tier celebrities under its management, it had quickly solidified its position in the industry, becoming the hottest topic among major magazines.Then of course F.E Magazine is no exception, this was supposed to be Gina's job, and it looks like she was supposed to be held up by her last job, and that's why she was asked to fill in.Stepping out of the office, Cynthia dialed Gina's number.On the other end, Gina's voice sounded a little weary, yet she still responded with her usual enthusiasm, promising to send over the documents right away.After hanging up, Cynthia quickly gathered her things and left the magazine office in a hurry.Upon arriving at C. Star's headquarters, the receptionist greeted her with a professional smile and politely led her to the waiting room. "Please wait here for a moment
Not long after, the receptionist walked up to Cynthia and said, "Miss, Mr. Brown is waiting for you. Please follow me.""Mr. Brown? I think you've made a mistake. I'm here to interview Mr. Paul Harris," Cynthia said, surprised.As she doubted whether she had mistaken the interviewee, the receptionist smiled gently. "Mr. Harris is busy today, so our CEO, Mr. Brown, will be conducting your interview instead. Please follow me."Hearing "Brown," Cynthia's heart skipped a beat, but then she told herself it was just a coincidence—things couldn't be that unlucky.Cynthia followed the receptionist to the CEO's office, knocked on the door, and a deep voice inside said, "Come in."The door opened, but there was no one in the room. She could vaguely see a figure moving on the balcony outside the office. After the receptionist informed him, she led Cynthia inside.The man sat with his back to her, slouched casually in a pearwood chair. From the silhouette, he appeared to have a good physique. His
Cynthia was instantly overcome with terror. She clutched Lucien's shirt tightly, her voice rising in a sharp scream."What are you doing?! NO! PUT ME DOWN! Lucien, DON'T!"Lucien's lips curved into a chilling smile. "Did you not say you'd rather die? I'll go with you. How about we jump together? I won't let you be alone."With a flick of his hand, Lucien sent Cynthia into a fresh wave of panic. Tears streamed down her face as she finally broke down and begged."No...I don't want to die, Lucien…"She whimpered, her voice fractured with fear.Lucien eventually set her down. Cynthia's legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed into his arms, still trembling. Her fingers remained tightly clenched around his shirt, her body quivering uncontrollably.Lucien ran a hand through her soft hair, his voice as cold as ice."Listen. If you want to die, I'll die with you. If you want me dead alone, I'll take you with me. As long as you live, don't even think about escaping me. And even we die...I'
Turning back, Lucien shot Mandy a glare. "What the hell are you doing here?"Mandy eyed him up and down, her gaze landing on the bandages wrapped around his hand."Wow," she mused, "looks like things got intense. You even hurt yourself. Grandpa will definitely worry when he sees that. And you know he'll ask questions...What should I answer him?"Before she could finish, Lucien's hand shot out, wrapping around her throat. Mandy's face turned an alarming shade of green as his devilish features loomed dangerously close."And what if YOU DIE before you get the chance to answer him?" he whispered.A shiver ran down Mandy's spine. Lucien had always been ruthless—even to his own family.Just as she was about to pass out, he suddenly released her. She stumbled back, hitting the table and knocking over a glass, which shattered on the floor.Mandy gasped for air, too shaken to utter another word.Ignoring her entirely, Lucien picked up the folder Cynthia had left behind, flipping through the pa
Surprisingly, Mandy's provocation had calmed Cynthia down.She reminded herself of why she had returned. For that purpose alone, she wouldn't leave so easily.But the interview was certainly ruined.The day passed in a whirlwind of chaos. By the time she returned home, showered, and spoke with Harley on the phone, it was already nine in the evening.Sitting on the indoor balcony, she gazed at the city's twinkling lights. A glass of red wine rested in her hand, which she sipped occasionally.Memories of the past—and of him—surfaced with every sip, burning through her like liquid fire. She took another deep drink, but no amount of alcohol could soothe the wounds in her heart.*Ding-dong...*The sudden chime of the doorbell startled her.Cynthia froze. Who would come at this hour?She slipped off the balcony barefoot and walked to the door. Peering through the peephole, her heart clenched.It was the man who had told her to wait for him earlier.Lucien.Even from behind the door, his tow
Early the next morning, Gina rushed into the magazine office, practically grabbing Cynthia by the shoulders in excitement and she blurted out, "Tell me, you did not interviewed Paul Harris yesterday, didn't you?! Didn't you?!""What's the matter?" Cynthia asked absentmindedly.Her mind was elsewhere, contemplating whether she should actually take Lucien's suggestion seriously—get a gun or hire someone to take him out for good.A permanent solution."I heard you interviewed Lucien Brown! COME ON, that's the Lucien Brown! The number one name in business! My ultimate dream!" Gina groaned in regret. "If I had known it was him, I would never have missed such a golden opportunity! Ugh! I could just die from regret! Tell me, is he even more handsome and imposing in person than in photos?""Didn't notice." Cynthia shrugged off Gina's hands and focused back on her work. Gina looked at her as if she were an alien."Didn't notice? You mean to tell me you felt nothing for Lucien? Are you even a w
The press conference venue was already crowded with journalists and onlookers. Cynthia and Gina stood off to the side, waiting for the event to begin.From the moment they arrived, Gina had been uncharacteristically critical, mercilessly mocking the brand Jacqueline was endorsing.In her opinion, only a no-name company would choose someone like Jacqueline as their ambassador.And as for Jacqueline herself, Gina was convinced she had seduced Lucien purely to boost her fame.Mid-rant, Gina suddenly paused, narrowing her eyes at Cynthia with a thoughtful expression."Sweetie, I just thought of something...Lucien never gives interviews. So why did he agree to yours? What's your relationship with him? Wait—don't tell me he's fallen for your beauty?"Cynthia's heart skipped a beat.She forced herself to remain calm. "It was just a coincidence. Mr. Harris was busy, so they sent him instead. And don't worry, he's not my type. If anything, I think Martin is far more charming.""Martin? Please.
On her way home from work, Cynthia felt her mood gradually settle. Gina's words—"The most important thing in a relationship is forgiveness"—kept echoing in her mind. Technically, her connection with Lucien was just a financial arrangement, but all this fighting was exhausting. With that thought, she made a decision: she'd be the one to break the ice tonight."How was your day?" — Too warm."You're back." — Too cold."Darling…" — She shut that thought down immediately.In the end, she settled on the most natural approach: "You're home? I was just about to cook—what do you feel like eating?"As soon as she stepped inside, she sprang into action. Her ankle still throbbed faintly, but she ignored the pain and rushed into the kitchen, laying out ingredients. On second thought, waiting in the kitchen felt too obvious. So she brought some celery to the living room and scattered a few leaves on the table, trying to make it look like she was mid-prep.Then she paused, stunned by herself—What t
Lucien walked through the door just in time to see Cynthia limping across the living room. He rushed over in three quick strides and steadied her."What happened?""Just twisted it a little," she replied casually, trying to pull her hand away."Why didn't you call me?" His brow furrowed into a knot.Cynthia looked up at him, her eyes—usually bright like starlight—now clouded with confusion."It wasn't a big deal.""Not a big deal? What, do I have to wait until your leg breaks for it to count as one?" His voice spiked in volume, and his grip on her wrist tightened. She was always like this—always keeping him shut out. Five years ago, and still now."What's your problem?" Cynthia yanked her hand free. "I was trying to save you the trouble."Lucien's jaw clenched so hard it seemed carved from stone. She'd never understand—he'd rather she cry and call him in a panic than see her pretending to be strong.When she insisted on walking on her own, he simply scooped her up without a word."Hey
Cynthia glanced around the minimalist yet cozy room. Her eyes landed on several racing photos on the wall."Didn't expect you to be a race car driver," she said."Just a hobby." Martin handed her a glass of water and cut straight to the point. "Actually, I've heard about you long ago.""Oh?" Cynthia's lips curled slightly. "What did you hear?""You're my boss's ex-wife." Martin clasped his hands. "Someone who left a deep mark on him."Cynthia let out a soft laugh. "You're giving me too much credit. A man like Lucien—who could possibly affect him?"Martin neither agreed nor denied. "I want to ask you to go easy on Jacqueline."Cynthia's gaze sharpened, the smile no longer reaching her eyes. "You must be joking. I'm just a regular person. How could I possibly 'go easy' on a top celebrity?""Just don't kick her while she's down," Martin said calmly. "She's already been blacklisted. Her career is over. She's paying the price for her own actions."Suddenly, Cynthia changed the subject. "Do
On Monday morning, when Cynthia walked into the office, the teasing she had braced herself for never came. Gina sat motionless at her desk, staring blankly at the dark computer screen. She hadn't even turned it on.Pearl leaned over and whispered, "What's up with her?"Cynthia suddenly recalled what Lucien had said Friday night—"Gina likes Martin." Thinking back to how Martin had conveniently shown up at the party, things started to click."What's it like kissing your bro?" Cynthia leaned in and murmured into Gina's ear.With a loud thud, Gina toppled over in her chair and crashed to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, her face a furious shade of red. "W-What nonsense are you talking about?!"Pearl and Cynthia exchanged a glance—and then burst out laughing.Pearl pointed to the still-black computer screen. "Our top gun's been zoning out in front of a powered-off monitor all morning.""I was brainstorming!" Gina snapped, though her defense sounded pretty weak.Cynthia feigned shock,
The knocking resumed at the door—this time accompanied by other voices. Cynthia struggled again, but Lucien easily pinned her down, his lips returning to hers with a possessive urgency. He even bit her, not hard, but enough to force her focus back to him.Only when the knocking finally stopped did Lucien slightly pull away, his voice husky. "When are you going to send them home?"Cynthia was ready to curse at him, but his fingers pressed gently against her lips. He stroked her bitten mouth with his thumb, his tone softening unexpectedly."I know I didn't come back right away, but I've been keeping an eye on everything here. The Jessica thing? Handled the next day. I just got caught up with something else." He leaned his forehead against hers. "Once they're gone, I'll explain everything."By the time Cynthia emerged from the bedroom, the living room was completely empty. The chaos from the night before had vanished—everything was spotless. On the coffee table lay a note from Pearl: "We
All eyes were on the center of the room, where a game had just gone terribly wrong—or right, depending on who you asked. Cynthia and Gina's lips accidentally brushed in the middle of a biscuit game, and time seemed to freeze.From the doorway, two invisible waves of tension rolled in, colliding overhead and silencing the once-boisterous party.It was just a game mishap—really. Not only had they kissed, but two guys nearby had bumped lips too. Still, to Lucien and Martin, the world had narrowed to just one pair of touching lips.The party screeched to a halt. Laughter died mid-sound. The oppressive tension pinned everyone in place as they all instinctively turned toward the door.Cynthia's gaze briefly passed over Lucien's face before she looked away, completely expressionless. "Keep playing. Don't stop."But who could stay relaxed in front of those two? One was a world-famous celebrity with charisma to burn; the other, just standing there, made the air hard to breathe. The living room
Cynthia sat on a cold metal chair, her fingertips tapping lightly on the table. The officer pushed a stack of interrogation notes in front of her—three middle schoolers' statements, their childish handwriting crooked and clumsy, but filled with the phrase "delivering justice.""They thought they were punishing evil and promoting good," the officer sighed. "But they were just being used."Cynthia lowered her gaze, a cold smirk tugging at her lips. "Justice?" she repeated softly, her finger gliding over the line that read: ‘Acting on orders from above.'"Did you find out who that ‘higher-up' was?"The officer nodded. "Got him. Some guy running an online troll farm. He confessed the moment we brought him in." He paused. "Said someone paid him to orchestrate the whole thing."Cynthia didn't ask who. She already knew.—Jacqueline.She pulled out her phone and dialed Hogan's number."I was waiting for your call," Hogan said lazily, as if he'd seen this all coming."I need your help.""How c
After making breakfast, Cynthia invited Simon to eat with her. Once they finished, she handed him a blanket and a pillow."You can get some rest now. I'm not going out at all today."Simon took the bedding and watched as she returned to the table, opened her laptop, and began working with her usual efficiency. There was a quiet, enduring charm about her—a confidence that shimmered beneath her calm exterior.Compared to those dainty women who squealed for help just to open a soda can, Cynthia's independence was refreshing. She didn't need a man to define her or hold her hand through life. And Simon, in his heart, respected that.So, holding the blanket, he watched her for a moment and mumbled, "Thanks."Cynthia, reading the morning's headlines on social media, turned and gave him a brief smile before refocusing on her screen. Simon, clearly exhausted, lay down on the couch and fell asleep within minutes.Cynthia scrolled through the trending posts. In just one night, Jacqueline had tak
With a whirlwind of passion, Cynthia was completely spent. She didn't have the strength to argue anymore, or even resist. All she wanted now was to sleep.But Lucien wouldn't let her.He pulled her into his arms, watching her settle like a stroked cat finally soothed."You were angry the other day because you thought I went to see another woman, weren't you?"Cynthia played dead.Lucien bit her ear. She slapped him. He looked pissed."Cynthia!"She opened her eyes and stared at him. "What have you been doing these past few days?"Her tone was almost that of a wife questioning her husband.Lucien studied her. "You care what I've been doing?"Cynthia turned away and lay back down. But of course Lucien wasn't done. His hands wandered again.Suddenly, Cynthia twisted around and bit his ear hard. That finally shut him up.She stared at his dumbfounded face and the way he was looking at her—it made her skin crawl. She turned her back to him.Lucien pulled her back, face unusually serious."