The men sized up Lydia, and upon noticing her beauty, their faces immediately lit up with suggestive smiles."So, this is Miss Fay.""Miss Fay, you're quite young to have secured such a close position with Mr. York. You must be something special."Lydia’s expression remained unchanged. She had heard these kinds of remarks and seen these looks more times than she could count. If she let every one of them get to her, she would have been driven crazy long ago.Quincy’s eyes turned cold as he spoke up. "Lydia earned her role as Mr. York’s secretary through sheer ability. In fact, she’s even more capable than I am, and Mr. York holds her in high regard."Lydia was taken aback, glancing over at Quincy. She hadn’t expected him to stand up for her, let alone praise her at his own expense.The men quickly caught on, with one of the executives still grinning. "You’re right, Mr. Quincy. It seems you’re quite fond of Miss Fay."Lydia’s eyes grew cold. She had no intention of arguing with th
Quincy lifted his head and said, "Since it seems there's no sincere intent to cooperate, let's call it off and head back."The factory manager's expression tightened instantly. He quickly tried to persuade them, "Wait a moment, everything's negotiable. If the offer seems too low, why not stay the night and rest? You must be tired from the journey."Quincy was about to decline when Lydia cleared her throat. He glanced at her and then changed his mind, saying, "Alright, we'll stay the night."As night fell, Quincy turned to Lydia. "Why did you choose to stay?"He doubted it was because she was genuinely tired. Lydia's eyes sparkled with mischief as she replied, "No business is ever entirely clean. I noticed something illegal in this factory earlier, and I need tonight to confirm it. If I’m right, we can report them and shut this place down."She was visibly excited at the prospect. Quincy asked, "Are you sure?""If I’m right, with the right connections, we can shut them down
Sweat started to bead on Quincy’s forehead, and he silently cursed himself for his foolishness. They continued running, but Lydia was quickly running out of steam. Despite pushing herself, her heavy breathing made it clear she couldn't keep up much longer."Quincy, go on without me. Don’t worry about me," she panted."No way. Get on my back," Quincy insisted.Lydia froze for a moment, shaking her head. "N-no, I’m too heavy.""Come on, if we waste any more time, they’ll catch us," he urged.Realizing the urgency, Lydia didn’t argue further. She wrapped her arms around Quincy’s neck. "Am I too heavy?" she asked, feeling guilty for slowing them down and wishing she had trained more.Quincy shifted her on his back with ease. "You’re light as a feather. No problem at all," he said, trying to comfort her.Lydia couldn’t help but laugh at the exaggeration.Quincy glanced at her with a playful smirk. "You know, if we die together like this, does it count as a tragic romance?"The qu
Lydia instinctively grabbed onto Quincy, her fear taking hold. Realizing the situation, she slowly let go and looked around frantically. She picked up a nearby stick, trying to steady herself. "Come on, I’m not afraid of you," she said, her voice trembling slightly.Quincy quickly placed his hand over hers. "Don’t provoke it," he warned.The snake's cold eyes glinted as it hissed and suddenly lunged forward. "Ah!" Lydia screamed, swinging the stick wildly with her eyes squeezed shut. The snake coiled around the stick and struck, sinking its fangs into her leg before slithering away.Lydia gasped and collapsed to the ground, staring in shock at the two puncture marks on her leg. The courage she had forced herself to muster vanished instantly. Panic overtook her, and she began to cry, "Quincy, Quincy, am I going to die?"Quincy grabbed her hand, trying to calm her. "Don’t worry, you’ll be okay. Just stay calm."Without hesitation, he lowered his mouth to the bite on her leg, tryin
This was the first time Quincy had spoken so much at once. He was usually the type to keep his words to a minimum. "Stop crying. We're still here, safe and sound. Isn't that proof enough that we've been really lucky?"He tried to smile, hoping to lift Lydia's spirits. Lydia wiped her eyes with her sleeve and nodded, "You're right."The night air was bitterly cold, and a chill swept through the cave, causing Lydia to shiver involuntarily.Quincy noticed her discomfort and hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat. He then suggested a bit awkwardly, "If we stay closer, it might help us stay warm."His suggestion was subtle, but Lydia immediately understood. Her face flushed, but her body acted on instinct, moving closer to him without hesitation. Quincy, after all, was a strong man, and his body radiated warmth like a small furnace. Lydia instantly felt a wave of comfort and safety wash over her.Without thinking, she gently wrapped her arms around his waist. Quincy tens
After walking for a while, Lydia stumbled upon a small pond. Her heart leaped with relief as she found a tree for Quincy to lean against. She tore a strip of fabric from her skirt and soaked it in the cool water. She then began to gently wipe Quincy's feverish body. As she worked, she murmured to herself, "Quincy, you have to get better. When we get back, I'll agree to whatever you ask."She assumed Quincy was too delirious to hear her. However, he reached out suddenly and grabbed her hand tightly. He asked with his intense gaze. "Do you really mean that?"Lydia was startled. If it weren't for Quincy’s body still burning with fever, she might have thought he was faking it. Blushing, she said, "I didn’t say anything. Let go of me, now."Quincy chuckled weakly. "No way, I heard every word."Lydia looked down, embarrassed, and gave him a light shove. "I think you're just pretending to be sick."Hearing this, Quincy immediately looked hurt. He took Lydia’s hand and placed it on hi
The possibility that the man might have ulterior motives crossed Lydia’s mind, and she became instantly alert. Given their current situation, she knew she was likely no match for him, especially with Quincy still sick and unable to help.Sensing her unease, the man chuckled and said, "Don’t worry, I’m not interested in you. I don’t like skinny women. I prefer women with a bit more curves."Embarrassed that her thoughts had been so transparent, Lydia felt awkward, as if she had been both paranoid and overly self-assured.The man continued, "Just take care of him tonight. His fever should break by morning. I'll help you get out of here then. No need to thank me. Just bring me a couple of bottles of good liquor when you get the chance."Relieved, Lydia smiled, showing her white teeth. "Deal. My family has some great liquor stashed away. You’ll love it."The mention of alcohol seemed to loosen the man's tongue. He grinned and said, "You must come from money if your family has such t
"Thank you."Suddenly, Quincy’s soft, sincere voice echoed in Lydia’s ears as he looked at her with those deep, dark eyes. Lydia could sense his seriousness in that moment."No need to be so formal. You’ve helped me too. Let’s focus on recovering and then get out of here. Maybe we can ask the man if he has a phone?"Lydia felt they had spent enough time in the mountains, and she knew the factory workers likely wouldn’t give up looking for them."Alright, I’ll talk to him."Quincy had already asked the man about borrowing a phone, but the man had declined, saying, "I’ve been out here in the mountains hunting for years. What would I need a phone for?"His small home was simple but well-equipped. Quincy found it hard to believe that the man didn’t have a phone, but there were no signs of any communication devices around.Quincy suggested, "In that case, could you take us to the nearest market? We can pay to use a phone to call for help. We’ll make sure to reward you generously once
Chloe scoffed, “What’s the big deal? When I married your father, I just threw on a simple dress and walked into the house. I still have that dress, you know.”She muttered under her breath, “Marriage is about building a life together. What’s the point of all these fancy extras?”A wedding dress? A suit? That sounded expensive. Their family had barely saved a few thousand dollars over the years. How could they justify spending it all on a wedding? *Vera, taking advantage of the last bit of battery on her phone, quickly pulled up photos of wedding dresses and suits. She handed the phone to Alice. “Your brother would look really handsome in a suit.” Alice gasped in excitement. “Wow! These clothes are so pretty! Vera, you’re already beautiful—if you wear this, you’ll look just like a fairy!” Then she hesitated. “When we get the dress… can I try it on too?” “Of course.” This wasn’t a wedding Vera had agreed to in the first place. She had shown Alice the pictur
Alice looked at Vera and tried to reassure her. “It’s just a little meat. It won’t make you gain weight, I promise. Last Christmas, I ate a whole plate of pork, and look—I didn’t gain a pound!”Vera said nothing. In a place like this, meat was probably a rare luxury, something they only had on holidays or special occasions. Things like snack foods, takeout, or even basic convenience store items were probably unheard of here. How could anyone gain weight in a place like this? But Vera wasn’t refusing to eat because she was worried about that.Still, Alice meant well.Even though Vera resented her in this moment, she knew when to pick her battles.So she picked up her fork and ate the piece of chicken.Chloe finally looked pleased.“You haven’t had a baby yet, so why worry about your weight? Eat more—you’ll need the strength to have a big, healthy boy. After that, you can think about getting your figure back. Tonight, you’ll sleep in Peter’s room. You’re already his,
Vera's expression changed completely as she looked at the family. “What are you talking about? Why would I stay here? I have my own life.” “Vera, didn’t you say you couldn’t find your brother?” Alice’s voice grew anxious. “Then take my brother instead! He’ll protect both of us. This is a good thing for you! Don’t tell me you think my brother isn’t good enough?“His leg isn’t perfect, and he can’t do heavy labor, but he’s not useless. And I can help him with the farm work—we can do it together!” Her words were absurd. If Vera had known this was her real intention, she never would have accepted her help. “Enough, both of you, stop talking.”Gerald had lived long enough to understand that his son and Vera were worlds apart. He also knew that there was no way she would willingly stay. But plenty of women in the village hadn’t wanted to stay either. That didn’t matter. As long as she was here, that was enough. He got straight to the point. “Our village
The young girl suddenly looked torn. In their village, getting a wife was extremely difficult. Families with a little money could sometimes bring a wife in from outside, but for families like hers, who had nothing to offer, it was nearly impossible. To make things worse, her brother had a bad leg. As a child, he had been mocked by other kids. He could still walk, but not quickly—and he couldn’t do the heavy farm work required to support a family. Now that he was getting older and still living alone, she felt incredibly anxious. Today, by some stroke of luck, she had met a woman in the mountains who was as beautiful as a goddess. She was determined to make this woman her sister-in-law. But if she left now, what if the woman ran away or was taken away by someone else in the village? What would happen to her brother then? *“It’s already so late,” Vera said gently. “Even if everyone in the village knows each other, it’s still not safe for a young girl
Up ahead was a village. “Miss, it’s really late today, so I’ll take you home first. My parents and brother will take good care of you, and you can get a good night’s sleep at our place. Once you’ve rested, we’ll take you to town tomorrow.” The young girl tightened her grip on Vera’s hand. “My mom is a great cook! She’ll definitely make a big meal to welcome you.” It really was late. The sky was completely dark, and Vera’s phone battery was nearly dead. The girl was still so young. She had already gone out of her way to bring Vera back from the deep mountains. It wouldn’t be right to ask her to take her all the way to town tonight. Vera still had some cash in her pocket. After covering the cost of transportation, she decided she would leave the rest for the girl’s family. If it weren’t for the girl, who knew how long she would have been wandering in the mountains? “My house is just ahead. It’s not in great shape, so don’t mind it too much. Next year, whe
Vera’s nerves tensed up again. A sudden sound in the middle of nowhere was never a good sign. If it was a snake or some other large animal, she would be in serious trouble. Her ankle was swollen, and she couldn’t run fast. Would this be where it all ended for her? She had to leave quietly. But the ground was covered in thick layers of fallen leaves, with dry branches hidden underneath. Crack. As she stepped back, her foot snapped a twig, the sound piercing through the silence. Only one thought filled her mind—this was it. The rustling nearby grew louder. Vera squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. Then, a voice suddenly spoke beside her. “Miss, why are you here alone? Didn’t your family come with you?” It was a person. Not an animal. Vera’s eyes flew open. A young girl stood in front of her. Fear dissolved in an instant, replaced by relief. She was saved.“I came here alone. Little one, do you know how to get out of here?” Ver
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu