I was convinced that she didn’t believe I could be so confident. Maybe I even seemed a little arrogant to her.But I had no intention of backing down. I continued, saying, "It’s just fate. Take Harmony, for example. Even if she transformed herself to be like me, she would still be Harmony, not me.""Harmony transformed herself to be like you?" Poppy asked incredulously."You probably understand Harmony better than me." I chuckled, throwing the question back at Poppy. Then, I explained, "As the saying goes, know yourself, know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Harmony is your competitor. Don't you understand her?"A moment later, I asked her again, "Was that confusing?" Poppy seemed uneasy. "I envy you for having such confidence."I smirked. "It's not just confidence. If you don’t do anything out of line, nothing will happen to you. Harmony is a tragic example."She also came to me for advice back then, but unfortunately..." I shrugged. I used this example deliberately
Poppy withdrew her hand stiffly, her face turning slightly pale.I offered an apologetic smile. "He's always been reserved. My apologies!"Poppy regained her composure. "No problem."Her smile was dazzling, but I sensed it was only surface-level.Poppy was undeniably beautiful and flawless in every way. Her makeup was impeccable, fitting for a professional actress who effortlessly mastered the art.Desperately maintaining her composed demeanor, she seemed to overlook the recent encounter."I've always wanted to visit your place, but I've been quite busy. You know how it is in our line of work. I have limited freedom, especially for me. It's quite inconvenient for me to step out with those crazy fans," she shared.I chuckled. "I understand. Excessive adoration can be burdensome, even irrational."As I spoke, my gaze remained fixed on her face.With a subtle tone, she added, "I envy your life, having your own career, and getting to enjoy your freedom."I laughed heartily. "Well
He saw me smiling, and his eyes sparkled with delight, becoming even more clingy.I helplessly leaned into his embrace. With a hint of jealousy, I said, "Look at that beauty just now. Her eyes were practically glued to you. Are you not the least bit tempted? Are you pretending to be indifferent in front of me?" Poppy got on my nerves. She dared to flirt with my man right in front of me. Were women nowadays so audacious?"I don't even look at them. They have the right to look, and I have the right to ignore them. My eyes only see one person. The one who has been with me under the same blanket since I was a child."His words made me stare at him in disbelief. What on earth was he talking about? Under the same blanket since he was a child?"Have I shared a blanket with you since we were kids?" I looked at him, incredulous."Of course, always. I've had the habit of sleeping with you since I was a child. I don't feel anything when I hug someone else.""You hugged others?" I caught
"I wanted to kill Matthew, then. Not only did he take away my true love, but he abandoned you in the end and even drove you to jump into the river."The mention of this incident caused him to grit his teeth."I was angry at you and outraged at his heartlessness."I leaned against his chest. "I'm sorry."He embraced me, gently stroking my hair, and continued, "But I also felt relieved. Because, from then on, I would never let go. Even if you didn't want to divorce him, I would disagree. I swore to help you leave him as soon as possible."An indescribable pain spread through my body. I knew how hard he had worked to find me. It took him 18 years. That was 18 sets of 365 days.I hugged him, repeatedly saying, "I'm sorry. I won't leave you again!"He buried his head in my arms, murmuring, "Do you know how terrifying it was without you? Do you know how I felt when you let go of my hand and flew out the car window?"As he spoke, I could feel his body trembling slightly."I searched
His words brought back memories of the New Year. Little did I expect that he saw every moment. My heart ached beyond measure.I held his head against my chest."Do you know I was also thinking of you then? Wondering where you were? What you were doing? Were you okay in Nocturnia? I don't know how your New Year is without your parents. What would it be like?" I spoke, choked with emotion, tears uncontrollably streaming down."I even thought how good it would be if you were here. I went for a walk with Ryan because I missed you so much. The more festive it gets, the more my heart inexplicably aches because I miss you so much!"We passionately kissed. At that moment, even if the sky fell, we didn't want to be apart.He tenderly lifted me and led me to the lounge. I didn't care where we were. I just wanted to be with him, to give him everything and feel each other's needs.It wasn't until the sky was dark that we stopped. I was grateful that no one came in to disturb us. When we go
I still couldn't bring myself to speak. I didn't want to see him, the towering figure that attracted everyone's attention, be cautious around me.I took a deep breath before nodding firmly. "Okay. Let's get married. Let's start a family and have a bunch of kids!"He pulled me into a tight embrace. "Chlo, having you is what makes a home."We both pledged never to be apart. As we left the office, I realized everyone else had already left for the day. Blushing, I smiled, and he laughed while holding me in his arms.We planned to go home together, but my phone rang. It was Ivanna, who had been missing for days.I hesitated for a moment before quickly answering. "Where have you been?" I scolded."I've been holding the fort in Bourdamun for you," Ivanna said loudly. "But now I'm with Lauren. Why did you disappear after picking her up from the hospital?"As Ivanna spoke, I felt a sense of panic. I had completely forgotten about the dinner plans with Lauren tonight.I hurriedly said
“Should I call you Bro, then? Gosh, that sounds so basic. What about just Atlas? That’s what Chloe calls you. Come on, tell me what I should call you,” Ivanna protested, pinching his hands.Atlas smirked and said, “She doesn’t call me Atlas. She calls me her husband.”Lauren and Ivanna erupted into cheers, behaving like excited children and creating a lively atmosphere. Meanwhile, Jared glanced at Atlas with his usual calm demeanor and asked, “Did you propose? Is it time to get registered?”Atlas proudly declared, “Yeah, I proposed, and my sweetheart agreed. We’ll get registered tomorrow.”"Wow! Really?" The other two exclaimed again. The noise felt overwhelming. If the house didn’t have an upper floor, their excitement would’ve lifted the roof.Ivanna quickly asked, “So, does that mean we’ll have a grand feast tomorrow? A marriage registration is a big deal. We should celebrate with a feast, right?”Atlas played along. “Sure thing! Let’s all celebrate at Pleca Park tomorrow. The
Although I hoped Ivanna and Jared could find a resolution, thinking about Trinity made their marriage challenging. Perhaps that was why we chose to have dinner at home tonight.Besides, I was not a friend to both Trinity and Ivanna. Since I was in the middle, I didn’t know how to handle this relationship, especially since I sensed Trinity probably still loved Jared. I knew I needed to find an opportunity to talk to her about Jared.Lauren got everyone to sit down while I regained my focus. Ivanna understood the situation and didn’t continue the topic. It was evident her mood had improved after hearing Jared’s words. Even her gaze toward him was affectionate.I had to admit that women in love could be silly and charming. The three of us, excluding Lauren, were engrossed in our happiness. I noticed Atlas and Jared had much to discuss, too. Despite their contrasting personalities, they were extraordinary men.No one would ever guess Jared’s profession by looking at him. The two differ