However, Abigail had already seen that Emma's exposed skin was full of various scars. Some of them were red, and some were purple. They were all evidence of Ron's violence!Abigail thought, 'This monster!'She felt so distressed that she almost lost her balance. However, she powered on through and walked past Xander. She then picked up the scattered clothes on the floor. She walked unsteadily toward Emma and said to the crazed Ron, "Let me help Emma put on her clothes."When Ron heard her voice, he suddenly raised his head. "It's you? How dare you come here?!"His eyes were filled with strong killing intent as if he wanted to tear Abigail apart.Abigail repeated her words, "Let me help Emma put on her clothes."Ron suddenly stretched his hand and violently grabbed Abigail's neck. "You witch, what kind of magic did you use on Emma? Why did she rather die than stay with me?"Xander reacted as quickly as lightning, rushing to free Abigail from Ron's grip. In a cold, terrifying voic
Abigail continued thinking to herself, 'Because I took those criticisms to heart, I became afraid, backed down, and couldn't save Emma once more. And she could no longer see the beautiful side of this world again...'Ron coldly laughed. "My feelings for her weren't love? I only have unreasonable possessiveness for her? How long have you known Emma? Who are you to say this about me?"Abigail did not want to argue with him further. "Let go of Emma. She's hurting."All Ron could think about was the words "unreasonable possessiveness". He could not hear every other thing that Abigail said. He responded, "Countless women wanted to sleep with me. I could sleep with many different women every day. But I didn't... I was always loyal to Emma."During the months she had been away from me, I've had needs. And I've taken care of them myself. I didn't touch any other women. If this wasn't love, tell me, what was it?"Abigail coldly and firmly replied, "You're saying that not sleeping with othe
The only well-known "Mr. Blau" in Valtara was Johann from the Blau family. Ron knew this very well. But he simply did not want to believe it.The bodyguard said softly, "Mr. Hagrid, it's the foremost influential family in Valtara, the Blau family."The Blau family was much more than being the foremost influential family in Valtara. In short, ordinary businessmen could not be compared to the Blau family.Although Ron was fearless and daring, he still felt a chill down his spine when he thought about Johann. "Why would he do that? Could this be a mistake?"The bodyguard responded, "This information came directly from your father, Mr. Hagrid. So, it's definitely true."Ron turned his head to look at Abigail. His eyes were filled with various inquiries and disbelief as he asked, "Abigail, what exactly do you have that would make you get so close to Johann?!"Abigail did not know why and when Johann decided to adopt her as his granddaughter too.However, Xander knew how outstanding A
Ron continued saying, "Back then, many people used to call me a lunatic. But only you said I wasn't a lunatic. You also said that everyone was afraid of me, but you weren't and that you'd always be with me. Did you say those things just to please me?"Emma, wake up. Tell me, since when did you start thinking about escaping from me? Are you deaf or mute? I'm asking you a question. Why won't you answer me? Emma, do you think I won't do anything to you just because you don't speak?"As he spoke, he lowered his head to violently kiss Emma's cold lips.After kissing for some time, he finally stopped. He shook her as he said, "Emma, you bitch. Do you think you can escape from me just because you're dead?"He then held her face and caressed it very carefully. "Emma, I've told you that you belong to me even if you died. You can't escape me even after you're dead."He tightly pressed her icy body against his. "Should I bury you at home? Or should I burn you into ashes and swallow you bit b
Xander's silence clearly indicated that he was hiding something from Abigail.She spoke again, "Nathan, if you truly care about me, consider me your wife, and really want to spend your life with me, I hope that now or whenever something happens, you'll tell me about it and let me share the burden with you. You mustn't keep things from me."From Abigail's perspective, she was his wife, so she was willing to face difficulties with Xander rather than just enjoy the wealth and prosperity.Xander suddenly asked, "What if what Nova said was true? That Xander and Nathan are different people?"Abigail panicked. "What nonsense are you talking about?"Xander smiled as he rubbed her head. "I was just saying 'if'. If Nova was telling the truth, how would you choose?"Abigail was sure as she said, "There's no 'if'! Xander is Nathan, and Nathan is Xander. This is an indisputable fact. Please stop talking about this kind of nonsense again!"Xander responded, "I was just teasing you. Why so ser
The letter continued: [After he read the contents of my diary that I was writing, he smirked mockingly and said, "Emma, do you like me?"He suddenly found out that I had a crush on him. And I was completely unprepared for it. I just stared at him with a flushed face. I was unable to confirm or deny it.He then flipped through my diary from the beginning to the end. And after reading it, he chuckled and said, "I thought you were different from the other girls. Turns out, you're just like them, unable to resist my charm."I'll never forget that moment. I was so deeply hurt by his words. I'll never, ever forget it!After that, he suddenly leaned close to me and whispered seductively in my ear, "We're both adults. And our parents have already arranged our engagement. Come to my room tonight. I'll make you my woman officially."I didn't want to go. I didn't want to have physical intimacy with him under that circumstance. But I had no power to refuse him. Because I knew that I was just
The letter continued on: [I spent those days in a haze. I tried to strengthen myself psychologically and just considered myself a completely undignified pet. I tried not to think too much about it.But when I was lucid, I was aware that I was a human. I wanted to be respected and to live with dignity. So, from that moment on, I had the idea of escaping from him.I told my mother about this. She told me, "The Hagrid family is currently in a powerful position. They can help our family get back on our feet. Ron was willing to marry you when our family was having a very difficult time. You should be grateful."I then told my mother that I didn't want to marry him at all. She responded, "Silly girl, even if you didn't want to, you did. You're his wife now. You two are a married couple. You should adapt yourself to his lifestyle. No matter how difficult life may be after marriage, you should just endure it. It'll pass."My mother wanted me to endure it, so I tried. However, after that, I
However, Abigail insisted on finishing reading the letter Emma had written to her. "I must finish reading it now. Emma might still have something that she needed my help with. This time, no matter what, I won't abandon her."Since Abigail was so determined, Xander just allowed her to continue reading. He simply accompanied her in silence and occasionally wiped her tears away.Emma's letter continued: [Later, in Neese, Francovia, when I found out that Ron had located me so quickly, I felt hopeless. I wanted to just die and end it all. However, fate had other plans. It wasn't my time to die then. I was saved by Mr. Zane who had come to find you.He asked me why I wanted to die. I told him that no one would want to die if they could live. There'd be limitless hope as long as one stayed alive. However, I couldn't see the future. I told him that if I was captured by Ron, I could only continue living a hopeless life without dignity. I'd rather die.However, I felt that life was precious.
Emma turned and dashed into the bathroom. She cranked the faucet on and splashed water on her face, aiming to soothe her nerves.Although they were engaged, they were still too young, with countless uncertainties looming over their future. The possibility of actually walking down the aisle was up in the air.Decisions made in a rush of happiness could eventually become sources of regret. And Emma knew all too well that she couldn't afford any regrets.She thought that fortunately, Ron hadn't pushed things further, which gave her time to cool off.After freshening up, Emma stepped out to find Ron on the balcony, a cigarette in hand.She couldn't resist chiding him, "I've told you to cut down on smoking. Why can't you seem to remember?"This time, Ron complied, snuffing out the cigarette. "We should get some sleep. We've got to put our best foot forward when we meet your family tomorrow.""Okay, I'll sleep on the couch. You take the bed," Emma responded.Ron simply replied, "As y
Ron looked at her dawdling pace with disdain. "If you, a lady, can handle it, why can't I, a grown man, stay?"His words sounded noble, but Ron regretted them the moment they arrived at the hotel.Despite now earning a decent income, Emma was still reluctant to spend money.This place was hardly a hotel; it was clearly a budget inn charging only a few dozen bucks a night. The hygiene was questionable at best, and safety seemed like a gamble.Ron turned on his heel, dragging her suitcase behind him. "We're leaving, now.""It's too late, and we can't get a refund for the room.""Are you trying to get us killed?"Emma fell silent, her thoughts a whirlwind of frustration. 'I told him he wouldn't be used to cheap places. He insisted on coming with me, and now he won't even let me stay here alone. Why is he so annoying?'However, considering Ron had rushed over in the middle of the night to help her, Emma decided not to hold it against him.Ron picked the best hotel in the area—the
Rebekah glanced over at Ron; she exchanged a knowing look with him before saying, "I'll have someone tidy up the rooms. Why don't you two stay here tonight and keep me company?"Ron replied simply, "Sure."Emma had purchased a midnight flight back to South Florivera, necessitating a rush to the airport, which made staying over after dinner impossible.Yet, she found herself at a loss for words, struggling to decline Rebekah's kind offer.As she hesitated, Ron stepped in to clear the air. "Mom, I've got something on tonight. After dinner, I'll drive Emma back to her dorm."Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "What's so important?" she wondered aloud, thinking, 'Wasn't he the one insisting Emma stay over? What's he up to now?'Ron kept it mysterious. "Life stuff."Rebekah could not help but chide him lightly, "You, always the joker."Right after dinner, Ron insisted on leaving to take Emma back to her dormitory. But as soon as they were out of the gated community, he asked, "So, you reall
Ron chuckled. "I didn't know you were aware that even a cornered rat will fight."Emma shot him a glare. "Are we going or not?"Ron quickly said, "Of course. When Miss Blue commands, how can I dare not obey?"Fearing another of his notorious driving escapades, Emma hastily buckled her seatbelt as she settled into the car.Thankfully, this time Ron kept it smooth, driving steadily.As they neared their destination, Ron finally spoke up, "You know, that Tucker guy is a married man. Don't let his kindness fool you into being the other woman."Emma's gaze on Ron was fiery, seething with anger. "Do you even hear yourself? Is that what you think of me? For the last time: Tucker and I share nothing more than a mentor-mentee relationship. There's nothing else between us.""I'm just looking out for you, worried you might get deceived," Ron said, witnessing Emma's fury for the first time. Yet, he could not help but find her anger not at all intimidating, but rather endearingly foolish.R
The two sisters had a pact: no cell phones at home to keep their secrets from the prying eyes of the Blue family. Thus, Emma could call only at prearranged times, the sole window for Rihanna to catch up.Rihanna's voice bubbled with excitement over the phone, as she chattered away about her life's minutiae.Knowing Rihanna was doing well eased Emma's mind.Just as Emma was about to end the call, she heard Rihanna's voice, soft and wistful. "You're really not coming home for the holidays? If you don't, I'll be all alone."Emma's heart clenched at those words, and she made up her mind in an instant. "I'll come back the day before New Year's Eve."The Blue family had their hands full with festivities that day, too busy to notice Rihanna's absence. Emma figured slipping back unnoticed then would be her best shot.After hanging up, Emma immediately booked a flight from Valtara to South Florivera. With her ticket secured and her last bit of work finished, Emma prepared to leave her off
Emma had no interest in romance, let alone the audacity to dream that Ron might fancy her.This time, she did not pick up the thread of conversation.After dinner, Ron, as usual, drove Emma back to the university.Before parting, Ron said, "Winter break is almost upon us, and the dorms might be off-limits. Are you sure you don't want to stay at my place for a couple of months?"Emma offered a smile in response. "Thanks for the offer. I've spoken with the dorm supervisor and submitted an application in advance. I'll be able to stay over the holiday period."Ron paused before saying, "Well, if you need anything, just let me know. I'll text you my number in a bit; make sure you save it."Emma nodded. "Sure."Without further ado, Ron drove off.Upon returning to her dorm, Emma saw Evelyn and Cassie, busy packing their bags, surrounded by gifts for their parents bought from Valtara.Evelyn asked Emma, "Are you really not going home for the winter break?"Emma replied, "No, I won't
Emma did not have the guts to risk failure because she did not have a safe haven to fall back on.Lucas kicked Ron in the shin. "Come on, if you fancy her, out with it. No Hagrid heir dithers like this."Ron glared at him. "Mind your own business." In his head, Emma was already his. The thought of losing her was unimaginable.Lucas said, "Without my meddling, she'd never be yours."Ron changed the subject. "I called you here for a serious discussion."Lucas replied, "No matter how serious, it can't outweigh the matter of your lifetime happiness."Ron was exasperated. "Lucas!"Lucas relented. "Alright, alright, you talk, I'm all ears."Ron spelled out Emma's music venture with Tucker. After hearing it all, Lucas could not help but see Emma in a new light."Never pegged Emma as such a dark horse," Lucas said.Silently listening to their conversation, Emma was thrilled to have her work recognized.Lucas said, "But, getting back to it, whether a song makes money, and how much, d
Ron barked, "Lucas!"With a chuckle, Lucas responded, "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing Emma. I'm starving. Let's grab some food and talk business while we eat."Ron snapped, "Get lost!"Lucas could not help but revel in Ron's frustration. "Ron, have you fallen so quickly? Who was it that told me they would never accept an arranged marriage?"Emma was increasingly confused by their banter. "If it's inconvenient for me to be here, I can just take a cab and leave."Ron said, "Call you dumb and you won't admit it!"Emma thought to herself, 'I didn't want to be a third wheel, cramping their style. Was that really so wrong? No good deed goes unpunished, apparently.'Suddenly, Ron grabbed Emma's hand and led her inside. "It's cold out; let's go inside."Emma had to quicken her pace, practically being dragged along.Seeing them together, Lucas laughed heartily from behind. "Ron, oh Ron, never thought I'd see the day.""Don't laugh too soon. Your day is coming," Ron shot back.Th
Emma said, "Okay."Ron asked, "Have you won over your crush?"Lucas responded, "Secret."Ron replied, "Looks like you haven't won her over."Lucas said, "As long as I make a move, there's no girl I can't win over. But I haven't made a move yet because the timing isn't right."Ron asked, "Is it because of the Sandow family?"Lucas answered, "The Sandow family wants to marry their daughter to me, and my family wants me to marry her too. But I've told them long ago that I'm not willing to do that. Nobody can make me marry a girl I don't like."Emma remained silent. 'I didn't expect that Lucas would also have the same problem as me and Ron.'It seems like the wealthier the family, the more they'll arrange marriages based on social status without considering personal preferences.'Lucas seemed to sense Emma's thoughts. "Emma, my situation with the Sandow girl is different from yours and Ron's. Don't lump us together."Ron looked at Emma and suddenly said, "There isn't any other gi