Catherine answers with a cold glare.The man laughs at it.With smiling eyes, he says the most tender words in the most arrogant way, as if he’s doing her a generous favor: “I’m not marrying you because of Ava, if that’s what you are worried about.”“Not because of Ava” is not the same as love, though.She has asked him that twice now, she won’t be asking again. His love is not on the table, and even if it is, she is not interested in a forced deal.“And not because of someone is the best reason you can find for a marriage?” Catherine snorts, and Damian looks over with a smile that says--[What more are you looking for? Love?]Damn it!She just doesn’t want to marry some random guy who met her for the first time, why does it feel like she’s begging him to love her?!“Damian Moore,”The man puts down the glass, meeting her eyes. She has been mimicking Ava’s style? Damian remembers the mean comments tonight, paying attention to it for the first time. The dull, tame, serene kind? Might s
That man really is bad news. The worst, to her.If only she didn’t meet him again. If only she didn’t go to see Maverick, that night.Actually, if she is wishing for things...if only that car crash didn’t happen. She lost everything that night. Her loving parents, a home she warmed up to after her dark childhood, and now, very likely, her last shred of dignity.“I wonder if Ava would still pay if I tell her the price for her backup is not 50,000$, but with another zero in there...” Lying on the sofa in Cora’s ward, Catherine mumbles to herself, with a bitter chuckle.500,000$ in a day. She doesn’t really have many options.“Miss Catherine...” Victoria hesitates, seeing the slumped girl she has been caring for since she was taken in by the orphanage, “Are you really going to give it to your uncle? Your mom wouldn’t want it...”Victoria can’t go on. She knows how hard it has been on her little Miss Cat these days. Cora might not want it, but if Catherine doesn’t do it, then Cora might n
City skirt, Dawson Villa.Suffering a thunderstorm, the sky pure dark. Except for the glimpses of lightning. The city’s dim glow hides behind the foggy rain, seemingly warmer than usual, especially to someone who is wobbling in front of the cold iron gate of a villa.Like Catherine right now.She has been waiting for hours. Hugging herself tight to stop shivering, Catherine paces around to keep her numb limbs warm. She didn’t know the storm would be this bad, but then again, she would be here even if she did.She has no other to turn to.A sharp honk startles her. She turns, raising her hand to her eyes as the blinding car lights pierce through the water curtain right onto her face. The iron gate opens with a loud shriek and the car starts, as if it only stopped for the gate, not for her.Ten feet. Five feet. One foot. The car moves, and the woman doesn’t.The car stops for the stubborn woman.The driver’s window rolls down, and the man sticks his head out, only a little.“Throwing yo
“Yes, Mr. Moore,” The driver pushes his thin glasses up with two fingers, answering with a flat, swift tone, “That’s Catherine Quinn, her father is Quinn Corp’s former director. The one that died in the car crash this month.”“So that’s the famous Queen C?” Damian Moore curves his lips slightly. His posture relaxed, all but those sharp eyes. They are nailing on the girl, like a predator spotting the perfect prey.“Hero in the hour of need is good timing for making an acquaintance,” The driver observes his boss’s look carefully.“Acquaintance?” With a smirk, Damian mumbles, narrowing his eyes dangerously, “How about take into possession?”“Sir?!” The driver raises his eyebrows in shock. Even when facing an odd order like pulling over in the middle of nowhere, the driver maintained his straight face.Damian meets the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror. An evil smirk crawls onto his face.“The old man says he wants a daughter-in-law, then he threw Ava out of his house because she is il
The ointment is on top of the first aid kit. With skilled moves, Damian dissolves it between his hands before he cups her ankle.Catherine can’t help but shiver. The expected pain doesn’t come though. It’s the hot palms of the man and his gentle touches that tickle her heart.“Does it hurt?” The man frowns, looking up to search for her eyes, “It would get worse if the clot doesn’t dissolve. Bear it with me, kitten.”His bass luring and his touch gentle. Catherine darts her eyes away. How she wishes blushing was a function the body could control.Damian Moore, the most distinguished bachelor in the city, the playboy who always has women around but never tainted with a shred of sour rumor.This is why.He is more deadly than other predator. You can escape harm, but not when you lose your heart.Catherine just pray he rescued her tonight out of pure kindness, and not--“Go take a warm shower,” Damian puts away the kit, holding out a hand in front of her, “you don’t want to wrap up the cu
Ever since the “Ava incident”, Damian’s marriage has been a taboo topic in the family.“As parents, we see women around you in different lights,” Daisy says with a cautious tone, “he is just looking out for you.”“He didn’t need to call her a bastard,” Damian says with a smiley tone, but his eyes get colder.“That’s not what he said,” Daisy sighs, “He was saying that she was brought back to the Knight family when she was older, and that makes a difference. I’m not judging her life at the orphanage, but if she acts like one, then I will call as I see, too.”Damian’s lips curve into a cold, evil smirk in the dark room: “So even if an orphan, so long as she grew up in a rich family, then she’s okay to marry?”“Damian...” Daisy sighs.“Hey, mom, can you hear that?” Damian smirks again, his tone light as if the darkness in his eyes a moment ago was never there.“Hear what?”“The sound of the shower stopped,” Damian says mischievously, “if you want, I can take this one home?”“...Damian!” D
Be his.Catherine hears the sound of her heart blooming.Knowing this man is bad news is one thing, hearing his luring voice forming such a sentence is still nice. Pleasure is pleasure.Twisting his question, Catherine leans into his arms, mimicking his whisper: “Tonight I am all yours, and yours only.”One million just might be the highest price for a night, even in this golden town. Satisfying the customer is her responsibility.“Smart is good,” The man taps her chin up, his half smile not hiding the coldness in his eyes, “but you don’t want to be too smart.”Her rejection upset him.He might extended the offer half-mindedly, but men like him don’t like hearing a no.Instantly a dangerous feeling grips Catherine. Not sure how she got herself on the back of this tiger.She knew she shouldn’t have come back with him.“Our last deal is not done yet, Mr. Moore,” Catherine smiles, brightly though with distance, “why subscribe before the trial expires?”So long as she can get through toni
“I can sweeten the deal,” Catherine strokes her hair to the back of her ear, locking the fear of dealing with a devil deep into her heart, “you take care of my mom’s bill, and I will be at your call, for as long as you want.”“Sweeten the deal...” The man tastes her words slowly on his tongue,“So, to you, being a call girl is better than taking the title of Mrs. Moore?”Coldness shades his voice at the insulting.“Better, for YOU,” Catherine’s eyes sparkle with mischieving, “you get all the fun and none of the responsibility. Isn’t that sweeter?”“Sex is ALL the fun in a marriage?” Damian pulls the girl’s face close to his in a rather rough move.He is too good a predator to miss the well-hidden fear in her watery eyes. But then, restiveness covers the fear altogether--“Why? Is Mr. Moore’s love also on the table?”The man narrows his eyes dangerously. The grin on his face widens, but a shade of evilness infests.“Not too many dares to be this bold in front of me. So I guess conversat