The first message was a picture.It was the jacket she bought for Nathan today.Abigail: [Nathan, I bought a jacket for you in Berrybrook today. It matches the jacket I'm wearing. Do you like it?]Xander smiled as he typed: [I like it.]Abigail: [Should I deliver it to your home or give it to you personally when we meet?]Xander pondered before replying: [I'll wait for you to give it to me personally.]Abigail: [Okay.]After a while, Abigail texted again: [Nathan...]Xander: [Yes?]Abigail: [Have you confirmed when you will be back in Florivera? My two best friends want to meet you. And I'm going to visit our grandmothers tomorrow. They'll surely ask about us again. Can I tell them that we haven't met yet?]Abigail expressed herself very politely. But Xander understood that she wanted to see him. He texted back: [Don't worry. I'll surely be back before our second wedding anniversary.]Abigail: [It's a deal then. Don't back out. Whoever backs out is a chicken.]Xander: [Okay
"I'm an emotionless machine?" Xander smiled. He then stretched his hand to take the cigarette Ron offered him. He lit it up and smoked two puffs.He had not smoked for such a long time. He was a little not used to the smoke irritating his throat when he smoked now. He said, "Are you the only one who sees me this way, or the few of you see me this way too?""It's not just us who see you this way. Everyone in the world who knows the name Xander Zane sees you this way." Ron raised his head to look at the sky.There were many tall buildings in this city. He could not see the starry sky. He could only see the light from the streetlamps above him. "Xander, you were sixteen years old that year. Or how old were you? Anyway, you were under eighteen.""Age has nothing to do with whether a person is ruthless or not." Xander knew what Ron wanted to say. It had been many years since that incident. And no one dared to mention it in front of him all these years. They only dared to discuss it behi
Xander said, "Two years ago after I registered my marriage with Abigail, I shouldn't have abandoned her and ignored her. If I were given another chance, I surely wouldn't allow her to suffer such a grievance."Ron was extremely speechless. "What kind of regret is this? If you say you regret not sleeping with her immediately, even that's more convincing than what you just said. By the way, you'll be twenty-nine by the end of this year. I'm very curious if you ever had any intimate experiences."No matter how Ron mocked him, or mentioned that disgusting man in front of him, Xander could still tolerate it. The only thing that he could not tolerate was Ron making this kind of cheap joke about Abigail.His eyes were gloomy instantly. They were filled with killing intent. "Ron, my Abigail isn't someone you can insult.""I'm sorry. I said the wrong thing," Ron apologized. But his facial expression did not show the attitude of someone who genuinely apologized. "You do know how to protect s
"Sure, Abigail and I are good friends. We hang out when we can." Mallory let out a breath of relief. 'Just as I thought, as soon as Abigail comes into the conversation, Xander gets a bit chattier.'Xander adjusted the silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, his gaze still fixed on Mallory's eyes. At first glance, they bore some resemblance to Abigail's, but upon closer inspection, they were completely different. Abigail's eyes were more than just attractive; their clarity and brightness, like a brilliant galaxy contained within, made them utterly captivating.Mallory, misinterpreting Xander's gaze as disbelief in her claim, flustered, then pulled out her phone. "If you don't believe that Abigail and I are friends, I can call her right now so you can talk to her."Xander averted his eyes. "At this hour, she'd be asleep. Don't bother her."Mallory exhaled in relief and obediently responded, "Okay, I'll heed your advice. I won't disturb Abigail." Xander opened the car door, prepari
"Heh..." A chuckle escaped her, but it soon transformed into silent tears that welled up and spilled over.Upon seeing this, Liam could not help but voice his concern, "Ms. Guzman, are you alright?"Wiping away her tears, Mallory shook her head. "I'm fine. Just got some sand in my eyes from the wind."She did not want to elaborate, and Liam did not push. It was one of the basic professional courtesies of a driver.Just as Liam's car pulled away, a red sports car roared toward Xander. In the dead of night, the engine's rumble thundered like a threat to perforate one's eardrums. The car seemed to barrel straight toward him, yet Xander did not flinch, neither his towering figure nor his eyes moved. With a screeching halt, the car stopped mere inches away from him. Ron rolled down the window."Xander, not even scared, are you?"Xander scoffed coldly, "The one capable of scaring me hasn't been born yet. You said you were leaving; why are you still here?" Intimidation had never worked
Abigail lived in an area where the buildings were weathered and old, remnants of the bygone days, but it was undeniably smack-dab in the city center. From this area to the Guzman residence, the distance was quite manageable. With fewer cars in the late hours, one could make the trip in less than half an hour.Once the car came to a smooth stop in front of the Guzman residence, Mallory hesitated to exit. Liam waited for a moment before saying, "Ms. Guzman, we've arrived."Mallory turned her doe-like eyes to him. "Liam, could you please make a U-turn up ahead before I step out?""Sure." Liam drove a few yards further, made the turn at the intersection, and brought the car back to the Guzman residence. "Ms. Guzman, I need to go pick up Xander," he said, his tone gentle, not overtly asking her to hurry up and leave, but the message was clear.Mallory bit her lip and took a deep breath of the crisp air. "Liam, could you please roll down the rear window and wait for a minute after I get
He yanked her forward, into the brightest pool of light within the room, scrutinizing the marks on her neck with a hawk-like intensity. They looked somewhat like a lover's kiss, and yet akin to a bite. "Did Xander do this?"The ploy had worked, and Mallory heaved a sigh of relief. Feigning shyness, she hurriedly tugged at her collar to cover the marks. "Ah, this-this, I-I-I—"Impatient, Max cut her off, "What's with the act of innocence? I'm asking if Xander made these marks."Nodding, Mallory replied, "You once told me, nobody but him could touch me. I didn't dare forget."Her compliance put Max in high spirits. "How far have you two progressed? Has he taken you yet?""No..." Mallory stammered, biting her lip shyly. "He almost did... I was so scared, I struggled, and then he stopped."Max's face turned instantly cold, and he roughly grabbed her hair. "Are you useless? You're scared of that? Look at yourself! He desires you, and you dare reject him?"With her hair pulled taut, M
Mallory was acutely aware that if Max discovered her deceit, her life would be forfeit. But she had no intention of dying, not just yet. Even if every day was a torment, she wanted to keep living, for where there was life, there was hope. She knew life was a one-time offering, and once snuffed out, there were no second chances. Death would leave her with nothing.Drawing in a shaky breath, Mallory hauled herself up from the floor, her body weak and trembling. She needed to win over Xander, and she needed to do it before Max found out the truth. The only person who could help her now was Abigail. With the thought of Abigail in mind, Mallory immediately fished out her phone and sent a message via WhatsApp.Mallory: [I heard you have some time off. I'd love to take you out for lunch, maybe do some shopping in the afternoon. What do you say?] Given the late hour, Mallory did not expect a response. But as soon as she set her phone down, it pinged with a new message.Abigail: [Sorry, I ha
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