The kiss was scorching and chaotic as if he intended to melt her completely. Under such an assault, Aveline's resistance gradually weakened. Sensing her relaxation, Lucas loosened his grip and turned her around to face him."Slap!" A crisp sound echoed in the darkness, neither of them able to see each other's faces clearly.Aveline's breath was rapid and uneven, her voice hoarse. "Lucas, I could charge you with harassment."Lucas let out a low laugh. "Then maybe I should go all the way and make it a case of marital rape instead?""You..." Aveline was momentarily at a loss for words. Though she couldn’t see his expression, the atmosphere around them was cold and threatening. She knew she couldn't provoke him any further.She pressed her lips together, still feeling the lingering warmth from his lips. "Could you not do this, please?"Lucas responded, "If I don’t do this, will you let me kiss you?"Silence fell over Aveline again.Lucas reached out, his fingers caressing her face. "I wa
Aveline froze for a moment. It was true—she no longer had the same reaction around him. But that didn’t justify his behavior.She turned away from his breath, trying to calm herself down. "That’s because I was ill before. I have recovered since then."Lucas gazed deeply at her. "So, are you willing to accept me now?""No." Aveline's answer was immediate.Lucas’ breath hitched, his eyes darkening further, like an impenetrable night. "Aveline, do you know? Many times, I don’t want to care about what you think or how you feel. I just want to take you, keep you trapped by my side."His low, magnetic voice broke the silence after a long pause."You..." A hint of anger flashed in Aveline's eyes, but it was mixed with a sense of helpless frustration. If he really did that, there seemed to be nothing she could do. Even resisting would be futile."But I’m afraid you’ll hate me," Lucas said, his hand gently caressing her face. He leaned in and kissed her lips again, a quick movement that caught
“Alright,” Zachary agreed.Aveline didn’t waste a second. She set off immediately.The night was thick and dark as she drove away from Maple Garden. The bodyguards who had been discreetly watching over her quickly relayed the news to Lucas.Sitting in his study, Lucas listened to the report, his expression momentarily still. "Send more men to follow her," he ordered.The bodyguard responded, "Yes, Mr. Tudor. And what about you?"A faint smile tugged at the corners of Lucas' lips. "I’ll be attending the court session, of course."The bodyguard was speechless.What a strategist.The drive from Cloudflare City to Arthur Town took nearly seven hours. Aveline had driven through the night, barely getting a wink of sleep. By the time she reached the orphanage, dawn had broken.She knocked on the door, and a moment later, Zachary appeared, concern etched across his face. "You look exhausted. Come inside."Aveline’s head was pounding, and she felt terrible, but there was no time to waste. She
"What did you say?" Aveline frowned, staring at her.Out of desperation, Hilda continued, "I know so much—so much! Just help me get out of here, and I’ll tell you everything. Aveline, all those beautiful things, that life—it was supposed to be yours! Someone else has taken your place!"Aveline felt her mind whirl, her gaze shifting to Zachary.Someone had taken her identity?"It seems you really can't hand her over," Zachary said. "It's not that you can't find your biological parents—someone has stolen them from you, Aveline. You need to find out the truth."Aveline blinked, realization dawning. She could have found her real parents. She was supposed to find them. But someone else had known about it first and taken her place?"Who? Who is this person?"A surge of anger coursed through her.She wasn’t an orphan after all!Hilda had always known this and never told her. She had even tried to ruin her completely!Why? Why did Hilda treat her like this?Seeing Aveline's emotions shift, Hil
Zachary opened the door again and saw that all the dozens of bodyguards, who had been so imposing earlier, were now sprawled on the ground. Only two men remained standing, looking down at the others with disdain. "Is that all?" one of them sneered.Aveline saw them too and was a bit surprised. These two men had such ordinary appearances—faces you could lose in a crowd. They wore plain clothes and had an unremarkable demeanor.When they noticed Aveline, they bowed their heads slightly in respect. "Hello, Mrs. Tudor"Aveline pressed her lips together. "And who might you be?"The man in the black hoodie replied, "I’m Baron, and this is my brother, Braden."Aveline paused for a moment, then asked, " As Lucas's men, why do all of your names sound so similar?”First Brian, and now Baron and Braden. Were there more, like Bryan or Byron?Baron chuckled, a pair of sharp canine teeth flashing as he smiled. "We're all orphans. Mr. Tudor thought it was too much trouble to come up with different n
The judge and lawyers present were all at a loss. How could they proceed with the hearing if the plaintiff wasn’t there? Everyone had assumed the defendant wouldn’t show up, but the reality turned out to be quite the opposite. …Lucas climbed into his car in a cheerful mood. Desmond asked, “Mr. Tudor, where are we heading?”“Arthur Town,” Lucas replied.“Understood.” Desmond immediately realized that Lucas was planning to find Aveline. Tsk, tsk, tsk… The court session had failed, and Lucas seemed to be in high spirits, clearly eager to gloat in front of Aveline.The weather was clear that day, and even the stray dogs on the roadside looked pleasing to Lucas.…Juliet received a call from her subordinates, and her face darkened when she heard their report—they hadn’t been able to enter the orphanage at all.“How is it possible that so many of you couldn’t get in? What’s going on?” One of the men replied, “Just as we were about to enter, two men showed up. They were incredibl
"Alright, I'll go with you," Zachary said, accompanying Aveline to the storage room door. He took out the key and unlocked the door, and as it swung open, a beam of light flooded in, stirring a layer of dust that danced in the air.Hilda had been anxiously watching the door. When she saw that it was just them, she let out a huge sigh of relief."They... they're gone?" Hilda asked cautiously.Zachary nodded. "Yes, thanks to the people Aveline brought with her. Otherwise, you would have been taken away. Madam Hilda, who did you offend? They seemed like a dangerous bunch."Hilda's eyes flickered with unease.Aveline's gaze was cool as she asked, "Did the person who took my identity send them?"Hilda avoided her eyes and quickly changed the subject. "When will you take me away from here?"Aveline's tone remained cold. "Answer my question first."Hilda sat down on the edge of the bed. "You have to get me out of here before I tell you anything."Aveline didn't respond immediately.Zachary, h
“It’s fine,” Aveline said. “I can reschedule the court hearing when I get back.”Zachary gave her a complicated look. There wasn’t much else they could do at this point.“I want to go out for a walk,” Aveline continued. “Is there anything you need? I could pick it up for you.”Zachary shook his head with a smile. “No, nothing for me. Just come back soon.”“Alright.” Aveline nodded.After leaving the orphanage, she got into her car and drove towards the town center. By the time she arrived, night had fallen. She parked by the roadside and began walking along the bustling streets.It was dinner time, and the streets were crowded with people out for a meal or a stroll. The air was filled with the enticing aroma of food, and Aveline glanced around, taking in the scene.In the few months since she’d last visited, Arthur Town had changed quite a bit. Everywhere she looked, there was new development and construction. She believed it wouldn't be long before this place became as prosperous as C