The sunlight in the background shone the brightest, casting a golden beam across the blue sea, with schools of fish swimming freely in its warmth.The final destination of that beam was, in fact, a vast carpet of red roses covering the ocean floor.Emerald stood in awe, utterly stunned. She had envisioned countless romantic scenes in her mind, but at this moment, she found herself at a loss for words.The books she had read and the words she had learned over the years seemed inadequate to describe the breathtaking beauty before her.A sea of roses bloomed at the bottom of the ocean, like a divine garden left behind by the gods, or as if someone had laid down a red carpet just for her.It was vibrant and alive, yet only she could see it—a sight that touched Emerald deeply.No one had ever devoted so much time and care to her since she was a child.Although the man's face was hidden by the snorkeling gear, Emerald could still catch a glimpse of his deeply intense eyes through the goggle
The surprise quickly shifted into shock. Initially, Alaric had wanted to create unforgettable memories for Emerald, but now the memory would indeed be unforgettable—though not in the way he had intended. All the positive emotions she had felt were replaced by fear in the end.The tension in her body dissolved in an instant, and her emotions exploded into a chaotic mess.Alaric’s arms trembled as he held her, and Emerald grasped his hand tightly. Her voice shook as she spoke, "Ethan... it has to be him. I saw him last night!"Alaric’s brow furrowed, his protective instincts kicking in as he pulled her into his arms, speaking softly, "Shh, little moon, calm down."Emerald was out of immediate danger, but there were other matters to address. Alaric knew they needed to stay focused, to figure out what to do next.At this moment, Emerald's emotions were a whirlwind of fear and shock. This was the last thing Alaric wanted for her. He had seen her suffer before and didn’t want to relive the
“If we live together, you won’t have to be alone every night. I’ll be with you. And if you want, I’ll hold you in any way you like. After all this time, don’t you miss the warmth of my touch?”The memory of the last time he had stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of a high-rise hotel flashed in Emerald's mind. The polished glass mirrored their intertwined figures.The warmth of her breath fogged up the window, leaving behind swirling circles of mist. Playfully, she whispered for him to slow down.She thought, How desperately I miss him...“If we live together, will we kiss each other?” Emerald’s voice was soft and teasing.“Of course,” he replied, his tone steady.“Will you hug me?”“Always.”“Want to warm the bed?”“Definitely.”“Then it’s settled. Once you’ve agreed, there’s no turning back.”After saying this, Emerald leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers.Alaric’s lips were like sweet candy, irresistibly tempting, much like something a child would crave.His body was
Emerald had two thoughts in her head, but she was certain of one thing — this man was sure that she would feel this way.He made her body react in ways that were all for him, so exaggerated that even a glance or a touch would leave her distracted."I... can you do something else?" Emerald hesitated, unsure of how to call herself.She wanted to have a unique nickname for him, something sweet like Baby, Ember, or Little Moon."What?" he asked, surprised.Emerald leaned closer to his ear, her voice soft, tinged with shyness. "Aric, do you like it?"Their eyes locked, full of affection."I like it."Emerald felt like she had escaped by the skin of her teeth. As she sat back down, her body felt numb, still overwhelmed by the moment.Emerald could feel his strong, cold wood fragrance clinging to her body, almost like a potent drug that had a grip on her.If she wasn’t rushing to the hospital, she would have taken him home right then and there—pulled the curtains shut, and pushed him onto he
Jamilah pointed her finger at Emerald’s face and exclaimed, "Dad, I hate this woman! Tell her to get lost!"Jamilah's words were a challenge, like a twisted version of the famous dilemma: "If your mother and I fall into the water at the same time, who will you save?"Logically, Jamilah was his daughter—heart disease aside, she was a child, and elders were often expected to favor them, even when they were wrong.But that wasn’t fair to Emerald. She was the one being insulted, and it wasn’t right.There is no perfect fairness in the world, and sometimes, things don’t work out as they should.Emerald, not wanting to cause trouble for Alaric, decided to move and said, "It's getting late. You stay with the children for a while. I'll leave first."But the man's large hand grabbed her wrist. Emerald looked at him, confused.Alaric pulled her into his arms, then turned to Jamilah, his expression serious. "Jamilah, I think you owe Teacher Greene an apology. She’s an elder, and she will be your
It was then that Emerald noticed the subtle dark flowers etched on the rings, forming the shape of a heart."Then never leave, Little Moon. Do you hear me? My heart is telling you that I love you..."Emerald clasped his fingers tightly and looked into his loving eyes. "Aric, I want you. I want you so much."Emerald had never experienced being respected by anyone, not even her own mother, who had remained indifferent when she was hurt.Because Emerald had never known what it was like to be defended or cared for, she only knew how to clumsily seek comfort in the man's arms.Like a stray cat or dog finally finding an owner, she expressed her deepest emotions in that way.In Alaric's eyes, she was both precious and heartbreaking. Such a well-behaved little girl had never known a complete childhood, leaving deep scars on her character.I want to heal her from within, slowly filling the emptiness she feels and helping her learn to love herself."Did you receive a call from Greg earlier?" Em
As she bent over, neatly folding her clothes with grace, she appeared like the perfect wife he had always envisioned. Alaric wrapped his arms around her waist from behind."Don't be mad, I’ll give you a surprise tonight."Emerald's eyes brightened. "What surprise?""We'll see when the time comes." He smiled mysteriously, taking away most of her thoughts.She had never felt such anticipation for a man, especially not for something like that. But when Alaric was around, her heart stirred for the first time, and she felt a genuine concern she hadn’t experienced before.They finished packing their things, and just before leaving, Emerald returned to toss the umbrellas they had picked up at the supermarket into the suitcase. Alaric was so intense in bed—how much would he need tonight?The thought made her cheeks flush with embarrassment. In the past, her mind was consumed with disciplined dinners and work, but now her thoughts were filled with desires she hadn’t fully acknowledged before.
From now on, she needs to be more mindful. Alaric clearly loved planning surprises, and it seemed like she hadn’t been as considerate as she should have been.What Emerald didn’t realize was that, to Alaric, she was like the bright moon in the sky—so distant and unattainable.The mere fact that she could lower her gaze to look at him was a blessing he’d earned over centuries of patience. All he wanted from her was one thing: to live.He would take care of everything else.After a while, Emerald was freshened up, and she had almost rubbed her skin raw in the process. She even put on a facial mask, hoping to recover from the tears she shed earlier and ensure her complexion looked better.Through the window, the Penthouse Garden was peaceful, with high natural vegetation surrounding it. The air was filled with the sounds of insects and frogs chirping in the night.In the distance, thousands of lanterns lit up the city, casting an ethereal glow. If this had been the scene from her past, E
Emerald, however, immediately defended him, her voice firm as she explained, "It’s not Aric’s fault. I was just accidently hurt. Brother Griffin, don’t say that. He feels guilty enough already."But Griffin wasn’t deterred. His words were sharp, almost disappointed: "Little fox, look at you. Have you forgotten what I taught you? Don’t always think you’re the one at fault. Think about whether it’s someone else’s fault instead."His words seemed to further highlight the deep history between them, reminding everyone of their closeness in the past.Emerald, a little flustered, mumbled, "Aric is not someone else."Alaric, with a clear sense of triumph, gently took the cotton swab from Griffin’s hands. "See? I’m not someone else."There was a brief, awkward silence as Griffin had no words to counter that claim.Seeing that Griffin was still upset, Emerald tried to ease the tension with a soft smile, "Brother Griffin, let Aric do it. He’s used to doing these kinds of things.""Alright," Grif
When Emerald was a child, she spent a lot of time at her teacher’s house. She had always been very well-behaved, so Griffin often took her with him when he went out into the wild.He used to take Emerald up to the hillside behind the house. He’d climb trees to collect bird eggs, while Emerald would stand beneath, keeping watch.When Emerald found out he was planning to roast the eggs, she began to cry, "I love the little birds so much—how can I eat them?"Despite her protests, Griffin bit into one of the eggs, and as she sobbed, she reluctantly admitted, "The eggs are so delicious... I want to eat two."After a long day of play, when it was time to head home, he would either hold her hand or carry her down the mountain.Teacher Susie would look at the two little clay monkeys and, instead of getting angry, would speak gently, "Your sister is a girl. You need to protect her from now on.""I will, I’ll always protect my sister."The childhood promise still echoed in Emerald’s mind, but s
Emerald walked into the living room, carrying the flowers, and replaced the old ones in the vase. Griffin handed her a pair of scissors, encouraging her to trim the branches.His hands were beautifully delicate, flawless like works of art. His pale skin contrasted with the prominent wrist bones, and each slender knuckle, though delicate, held an underlying strength that made them seem far from fragile.Emerald couldn't help but glance at his hands again.She had seen short videos featuring close-up shots of hands before, but none of them compared to the ones in front of her now.Her gaze lingered a little too long, drawn to the beauty of his hands, just as she often admired her own body. She felt a wave of attraction she couldn’t quite shake—especially noticing the elegance of his hands and imagining the strength beneath them."What are you looking at?" the man asked playfully, picking up a lily of the valley. The white petals and green stems cradled in his palm seemed like a perfect
Greg observed Alaric, who stood by the balcony railing, his frame tense and unmoving. His hands gripped the cold metal tightly, veins standing out on the back of his hands as if betraying the storm raging within.It was rare to see him this way—vulnerable, his emotions so close to the surface. Only Emerald had ever managed to pierce the armor he wore so resolutely.In a low, measured voice, Greg tried to break the silence. "Boss, it’s almost dawn. You should rest for a while."Alaric didn’t turn. His gaze remained fixed on the horizon, where the first light of morning began to bleed through the mist. His jaw tightened, and his voice carried a faint tremor beneath its usual calm."Yes," he murmured, almost to himself. "It’s dawn… but that person is gone now."A cold gust swept across the balcony, carrying with it the remnants of his cigarette. The ash dissolved into the wind, leaving only a faint trail of smoke in its wake.Suddenly, from the room behind him, Emerald’s sharp cry shatte
“So don’t compare them. It’s disgusting.”Initially, Emerald dismissed her as being jealous, but he had no idea how much fun the two of them were having behind the scenes. Just imagining it made Emerald feel nauseous; he couldn’t even bear to look at Ariza’s face.Fuming, Ariza snapped back, “And how noble do you think you are? You look down on Ethan, but only because you’ve latched onto someone more powerful.”Alaric tightened his grip on Emerald’s waist, his expression icy. “Are you blind? Can’t you see that Little Moon was the one who ultimately rose to the top?”Ariza was at a loss for words.This is madness—absolute madness! All the men in this world must be insane!Sure, Emerald was beautiful, but this one? He exuded an aura so dangerous, it twisted Ariza’s face with jealousy.“Enough, Ariza,” Emerald said coldly. “If you want to walk out of here today, explain everything you’ve done to me. I will find out the truth, one way or another.”Under Greg’s intense pressure, Ariza fina
He paused before continuing, "I had someone investigate their backgrounds and found out that your former colleague and one of the others grew up in the same neighborhood."Emerald lifted her head to meet his gaze. "Did you arrest Ariza?"Alaric nodded. "Yes. The situation was urgent, and there was no time to waste. When she tried to reach him, no one answered."Emerald wrapped her arms around his thick arm. "You must have been worried at that time, right?""It's all in the past now," Alaric said, his voice soft. "When you’re better, I’ll teach you some self-defense techniques.""Good," Emerald replied, her heart warmed by his promise.Alaric finished cleaning her gently and then carefully carried her to the dining table."You must be hungry," he said. "What do you feel like eating?"Emerald lifted her chin and looked at him with a soft smile. "I want to eat the pine mushroom fried rice you made."She was right—it was his cooking that had left her longing for more."Okay, I'll make it
That night at the hotel, Ethan must have been having an affair with Ariza.Ariza had clearly been stewing in her jealousy. When she saw Ethan meeting with Emerald, she must have felt threatened. That’s when she started plotting to hurt Emerald.But Emerald’s decision to resign ruined Ariza’s chance to confront her directly. Left with no other option, Ariza resorted to this desperate, cruel plan.Her twisted logic? If Ethan saw Emerald disgraced and humiliated, he’d lose whatever obsession he had for her.“Yes, it was all for Ethan,” Alaric confirmed grimly.After finishing with the medicine for Emerald’s feet, he pulled out his phone and showed her some photos.The pictures revealed Ariza and Ethan sneaking around together. They had been spotted entering and leaving the same hotel within minutes of each other, several times.The timestamps on the surveillance footage made it clear—Ethan had been having an affair with Ariza long before Samantha ever cheated on him.A shiver ran down Em
The people who had captured her weren’t dead; they were all still breathing. The knife had carefully avoided vital areas, and though they had bled heavily and lost consciousness, they hadn’t been fatally wounded.Without wasting another second, Emerald ran forward, not sparing another thought for them.On the outskirts of the abandoned factory, she could see the dense forest in the distance. The storm raged on as she sprinted barefoot into the night.The area was desolate, the streetlights long extinguished, leaving nothing but darkness in every direction.A flash of lightning tore through the sky.Thunder cracked loudly in Emerald’s ears, making her entire body tremble with fear.She hated thunderstorms more than anything. Usually, when she was at home, she could escape the fear—by wearing headphones or burying herself under a blanket and distracting herself with movies to ease her anxiety.But now, she was out in the wilderness, cut off from the outside world.Her only lifeline was
As she spoke, she heard the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps drawing closer, their echoing rhythm unsettling in the vast emptiness of the space around her.Her throat tightened as she swallowed, the reality of her restraints settling in. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her vision was obscured by the blindfold. In this situation, she had nothing but her sense of touch and hearing to guide her through what was coming next.But she couldn’t even rely fully on her hearing, her left ear deafened to the rest of the world. Despite the panic rising within her, she managed to keep her face calm, though her mind raced in confusion.The footsteps stopped, and she felt the man approach her, then squat down in front of her. In an instant, his hand gripped her chin, forcing her head back, exposing her neck to his control.A wave of nausea hit her, but she fought it down, refusing to let him see her weakness.Emerald’s body instinctively tensed at the touch, a rush of disgust flooding