The aloof and dignified man suddenly looked up at her, tightening his grip around her slender waist, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "What do you mean?""I hope you can think it through.""What do I need to think about?" he asked sincerely.His distinct, long fingers forcefully grasped her chin as soon as the words left his mouth. His narrow, deep eyes stared directly into hers, a layer of frost covering his gaze. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that this time, but don't let there be a next time, understand?"Kimberly's brow twitched slightly at his words. Unafraid, she brushed away his forceful hand and gently caressed his face with her slender, fair hand. Looking straight into his eyes, unyielding in her stance, she said, "Have you ever considered that maybe your feelings for me are more about winning a game than genuine liking? Maybe once you have me, you might lose interest."His cold, hard facial contours were highlighted in the flickering light, appearing even more sharply chisel
Ethan went upstairs and saw Steven sitting alone at the corner of the staircase.Steven searched himself and realized he didn't have his cigarettes.He looked up with his proud peach blossom eyes and asked the newcomer, "Got a cigarette?"Ethan waited to respond. He stared at Steven, who seemed outwardly untroubled, and asked with a frown, "Steven, are you okay?"Hearing this, Steven paused momentarily and sneered, "What could be wrong with me?"After speaking, he lowered his gaze, rubbing his throbbing temples, his face turning iron blue as he walked away.Having known Steven for so many years, Ethan had never seen him like this and felt something was off, but he didn't know what to say.Holding back, he asked somewhat incomprehensibly, "Steven, does it have to be Kimberly?"He barely recognized the person in front of him. Was this still the same proud and arrogant Steven he knew?"Yes!" Steven answered without hesitation.Steven coldly stared at him and said sharply, "If you're tryi
The silver sports car came to a steady stop on a dark hilltop. Ethan still felt a sense of unreality.The intense cheers of the racetrack could be heard from the other side of the mountaintop.The energetic atmosphere was thrilling in the night, filled with the excitement and tension of life-and-death stakes.The roar of the car, along with the sharp sound of tires scraping the ground, cut through the night, startling.Steven took a cigarette from the car, opened the door, and stepped out.The cold wind on the mountaintop was like a sharp sword, chilling to the bone as it rushed into the car.With a 'bang,' the car door closed again, blocking the bone-chilling cold.Ethan returned to his senses, his stomach churning, feeling weak as he clambered out of the car and started to hurl beside it.He thought he wouldn't survive the night.Steven ignored him. Leaning against the car, he struck his lighter a few times and lit his cigarette, tilting his head slightly. In the howling cold wind,
The car stopped at the Apartment, and Bill took off his headphones, aware that his words might be inappropriate but still feeling obliged to remind his boss as his chief assistant, "Mr. Garcia, about the old madam..."Before he could finish, his boss's glance made him stop mid-sentence.Samuel exited the car and stood by it, extending his hand to assist her.Kimberly placed her hand in his palm, letting him help her out of the car.Her ears sharply caught Bill's implication. Once steady, she looked up at the tall figure before her and asked sensitively, "Is there something wrong?"Hearing her question, Samuel hesitated for a moment. He hadn't wanted her to know, but since she asked, he answered truthfully, "My grandmother is critically ill; I need to visit the Garcia family."Kimberly froze, looking at the calm and dignified man who had put such a vital matter aside for her.No wonder he was late to Grandpa Smith's birthday party."Samuel, why only tell me now?"Samuel paused, then an
Kimberly had just finished showering when she saw Samuel's elegant and aloof figure, dressed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers, sitting on the edge of the bed. It was unusual for him not to be in the study handling work at night. Instead, he was in the bedroom, seemingly waiting for her.His short black hair reflected the warm indoor light with a faint luster. His figure was tall and straight, his eyes cold yet deliberately softened.Sitting on the bed, he still appeared tall, his long legs slightly apart in a casual yet dignified manner. Upon seeing her come out, his dark eyes fixed on her, and he reached out his hand, “Baby, come here, let’s talk.”Kimberly paused to dry her hair and walked over to him.Without being told, she naturally sat on his lap as if that spot was meant for her. Her obedient demeanor seemed to please him, his cold expression relaxing as he gently took over the task of drying her long hair from her.Up close, he could see the fine fuzz on her face. Her
He chuckled, "So you're afraid of the Garcia family but dared to abandon me?"She seemed to forget who was in charge of the Garcia family now.Kimberly raised her eyebrow and delicately lifted his chin with her slender fingers, looking at him closely.His phoenix eyes were calm and distant, his eyelashes long and lush, his nose high, and his lips thin. He was exceptionally handsome. She cleared her throat, feigned composure, and probed, "What would the Garcia family do to me if I mistreated you?""It would be troublesome," he replied thoughtfully.Kimberly tensed, confused, "What kind of trouble?""You'd cry," he said.Kimberly understood his implication and blushed. She believed his words; indeed, she had cried more than once.Somewhat discontentedly, she pouted, "Can't you be a bit more lenient with me?"His eyes, tranquil and deep like a lake, stirred with an undercurrent. He replied softly, "Okay.""How about you take the initiative tonight? I'll try to keep it from moving randoml
Kimberly was confined in his strong embrace.Completely at his mercy.Eventually, the embarrassing object became something other than what she had helped with. By the time she realized, he had already torn open the package and put it on himself.Before Kimberly could delve into his sudden change, his lips pressed against hers again.For some reason, Samuel was exceptionally gentle that night.He restrained himself, even at the height of passion.It was strange, not at all like Samuel's style.Lost in his soft kisses, Kimberly could only respond instinctively, clinging tightly to him.She was entirely submerged in his tenderness, like the cold winter fading away to the fresh breezes of early spring, beautifully and joyfully surrounding her, oblivious to where she was.After cleaning up and returning to bed, Kimberly cuddled into his warm embrace.She had to admit she particularly enjoyed this embrace; it was warm, smelled good, and provided a strong sense of security.In his arms, she
Samuel's voice was colder than the chilling wind.There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Steven's slightly drunken voice came through."Samuel, come to Merricks. I'm waiting for you."Samuel held the phone, his eyes devoid of emotion.Merricks BarSteven hung up and continued drinking heavily, his crisp white shirt now crumpled.He loathed men who looked pitiable over a woman.Yet now, he had become precisely what he despised.Deep into the night, the streets were almost empty.The city's nights, with their flashy lights and deep shadows, were a dazzling spectacle.The staff quickly attended to his car when Samuel parked at Merricks Bar.The bar's staff was helping out many drunken patrons.Samuel frowned slightly in disgust.At this time, the nightlife was beginning, noisy and lively.Merricks was upscale and noisy but not as foul as other bars so that he could tolerate it.The bar manager, seeing him, hurried over, seemingly relieved, "Mr. Garcia, Smith is
This time was different from before. Kimberly decisively separated the business dealings between the Smith and Wilson families as clearly as possible.Unexpectedly, he encountered Kimberly at Club in the evening.She was followed by another man, who was carrying her coat. The club manager’s obsequious smile and attentiveness made it clear what that man's profession was.Kimberly, behind his back, had actually hired a male escort. Yes, it was such a slick-looking pretty boy. This realization instantly swept away all his rationality.At that moment, he finally realized how much he cared. Just seeing another man standing beside her filled him with unbearable jealousy, let alone a male escort.What if he hadn’t bumped into them? He didn’t even dare to think about it."Kimberly, there's a limit to being willful!" he warned her sternly.Kimberly showed no guilt or panic; instead, she retorted, "What right do you have to question me?""Because I'm your husband," he replied without thinking.
On the night of the wedding, he deliberately alienated Kimberly and didn't go back. Instead, he went out to drink with Ethan.Right now, he didn't want to see her eyes, red and swollen from crying, looking pitiful.Even drunk, he didn't mention to Ethan why he was acting out of character that day. It would remain a secret buried in his heart, never to be spoken of again.During this period, he thought about repairing his relationship with Kimberly, but his pride and ego wouldn't allow him to grovel. He also feared her hatred if she ever discovered the truth about him taking Samuel's place. So, he threw himself into work, completing in two years what he had promised his grandfather to do in three, with outstanding results.He was promoted to the head of the Smith Corporation's technical department, a position he achieved through tremendous effort.As time passed, rumors and gossip about him inevitably spread in the social circles.At first, he thought of explaining to Kimberly, but the
He thought that would be the end of it.After entering university, he and Kimberly were seen as inseparable by others. He looked forward to them making their relationship official.He waited a long time for Kimberly to confess her feelings, tossing and turning every night, unable to sleep. Could it be that she didn't sense his feelings?Impossible. He had been obvious enough. If he didn't like her, why would he accompany her to study sessions on weekends?If he didn't like her, he wouldn't have bothered choosing elective courses in her major.If he didn't like her, he wouldn't have patiently comforted her during her nightmares.Finally, on the eve of graduation, the day came when Kimberly took the initiative to confess. He admitted it was the happiest day of his life. Before she could finish speaking, he wanted to immediately say, 'I want to be your boyfriend.'But his happiness didn't last long. From her confession, he gradually realized something.She talked about the hand he extend
From that day on, he began to subtly observe his friend's actions.More than once, he had seen Samuel's gaze linger on Kimberly.Today was a big basketball game between schools, and Kimberly couldn't come to watch them play. Samuel seemed normal on the surface, but he was caught several times glancing at the audience, seemingly searching for someone's figure.After the game ended, they headed out of the court.Lucas, who often played basketball with them, made a careless joke, "Why didn't we see Kimberly from Class 7 today? Isn't she the one who always likes to hang around us?"Lucas turned to him and said, "Steve, I've noticed that Kimberly not only looks good but also has a great figure. Why doesn't she join the school cheerleading team? She'd look hot in that outfit."After saying this, Lucas laughed at his own joke, but there was silence all around, and everyone instinctively looked his way.Hearing this, his brows furrowed tightly, "What the hell are you saying?"He was about to
Time swiftly passed, and the high school entrance exams arrived in the midst of summer. He ranked first in his school earning a spot in best private school.At the moment the results came out, what concerned him most was not his own score but hers. He immediately sent her a message to ask about her results. He simply wanted to see if her highly praised 'sea of questions' strategy was effective, and he was eager to see her fail.After repeatedly checking his phone with no reply from her, he grew increasingly frustrated. She had promised to get into the same school as him; had she really failed to qualify?During the final tests, she had only fallen out of the top ten once, so she should have been fine, right?The only message in their chat was the one he had just sent. His patience wore thin. He knew that nerd's method was useless, and she should have listened to him.The tall teenager, clutching his phone, rushed downstairs.Grandpa adored Kimberly, and though it was the best school,
Time flew by, and soon they were facing the high school entrance exams. Kimberly was determined to get into the same school as him.He naturally aimed for the best private school.As the most challenging school in the state, it only admitted the top students from each school. Knowing he was applying there didn't matter much; Kimberly's math was so poor, it was still uncertain if she could get in.However, since deciding to apply to the same school as him, she immersed herself in studying. She was no longer seen in various school activities and even used the short ride to school to review vocabulary, drastically reducing the times she spoke to him.She stopped watching him play basketball and quickly returned to the classroom after a hurried lunch.The girl, who always took care to look pretty, lost that meticulousness. Several times, he saw the faint blue under her usually fair skin, knowing she had stayed up studying.He had told her many times that studying overnight was ineffective
Originally thinking she really couldn't speak, things changed during a year-end performance.He told a fairy tale in front of the whole school, titled "Princess Marlin," chosen randomly from a fairy tale book.After the story, there was thunderous applause. He was satisfied as he left the stage, but unexpectedly, he ran into the little mute girl backstage.His good mood was instantly ruined, and he pushed her away fiercely, "Get lost."To his surprise, she spoke to him for the first time, "Was it you?"He was shocked that she could speak, and her voice was soft and sweet, revealing that she wasn't mute after all.After the initial shock, anger welled up in him. She had ignored him so many times when he tried to talk to her; she had been pretending to be mute all along.This realization made him even angrier."What do you mean, was it you?" She's really an idiot; I don't even understand what she's talking about."You promised to tell me the story of Princess Marlin, why didn't you come
This was Steven's first time accompanying his grandfather to visit the granddaughter of his grandfather's good friend in the hospital.The strong smell of disinfectant permeated the hospital as his grandfather and Grandpa Ruan talked in solemn tones."Is Kim being discharged from the hospital today?" Old Smith asked.Old Wilson didn't speak but nodded, his entire demeanor drained of vitality, looking much older.Seeing this, old Smith sighed, "Life must go on, Kim is still young, you'll need to take care of her more from now on."Steven looked at the little girl sitting on the bed, her skin porcelain white and exceptionally delicate, but her most beautiful eyes were dull and empty. Her long lashes drooped as she kept turning her head to look out the window, seemingly unaware of his grandfather greeting her, showing no manners at all."What did the doctor say about Kim's condition? Shouldn't she stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation?" old Smith sighed, seeing the onc
The crowd around them was packed with people watching the fireworks. The tall and stately figure pulled her into his embrace, discreetly protecting her. As a bunch of pink heart-shaped fireworks bloomed in the sky, the crowd erupted in waves of admiration, "It's a pink heart, wow, so spectacular." "Did you get that? Did you get that? So beautiful!!!" "It's so beautiful, today's fireworks show was worth it." Another loud bang followed, and suddenly someone exclaimed, "There are words!" The giant fireworks that exploded in the sky clearly cast several words against the black canvas of the night. ——Kimberly, Happy New Year After the words twinkled away in the night sky, another 'boom' resounded, and more fireworks burst forth. The giant heart-shaped display. The huge screen on the building across the river changed to ——Kimberly, Happy New Year ——Kimberly, I love you. The surrounding crowd started to get noisy and excited. "Wow, look at the riverfront!" "Holy moly, who is Kimb