Lydia was woken by Quincy’s voice, his expression filled with concern. Groggily, she opened her eyes and saw him leaning over her.“Quincy… why are you here? My head hurts so much,” she murmured, pressing a hand to her temple. It felt like her head was about to split open.She tried to recall what had happened before she blacked out, but her memory was a blur. The last thing she remembered was seeing a waiter, and then… nothing. She couldn’t even piece together how Quincy had found her.Lydia asked Quincy about it, but his expression grew complicated. He hesitated, as if he had something on his mind but wasn’t sure whether to say it. Finally, he chose to hold back. "You’re not feeling well, so don’t worry about it too much. It’s almost morning, and the yacht is returning to the harbor. Let’s just get off and head home."Seeing how evasive he was, Lydia instinctively felt that Quincy was hiding something from her. But her headache was too severe to focus on it. For now, she let it
"But I hope this will be the last time," Lydia said firmly. "And please, tell Eugene for me that I don’t want to have anything to do with him anymore."Mrs. Ford seemed like she wanted to say something more, but Lydia had had enough. She was truly afraid of what they were capable of, so she hung up the phone without hesitation.After the call, Lydia paid extra attention over the next couple of days, even asking the receptionist to keep an eye out."No, we haven’t received any suspicious packages in the past two days," the receptionist said, shaking her head."Good. Keep an eye out, and if anything shows up, just throw it away," Lydia instructed, feeling finally at ease as she walked away.With no more mysterious packages arriving and no further contact from the Ford family, Lydia's mood lightened. She truly believed that the Fords had finally stopped causing trouble. But a few days later, she arrived at the office early, as usual, only to find employees gathered and whispering a
"Miss Lydia, are you alright? Maybe you should go to the hospital or call Mr. Quincy.""The stuff online isn’t always true, don’t worry too much about it.""Yeah, don’t let it get to you."The people who were gossiping just moments ago suddenly acted concerned, crowding around Lydia with worried faces. But their concern didn’t warm her, it left her feeling cold.Ignoring their offers to help, Lydia grabbed one of the employees from the planning department and asked, "Where is Quincy?"The planning department was right next to Quincy’s office. The employee informed her that Quincy was inside his office, but the door was locked.Not wasting another second, Lydia rushed over, leaving the group behind. When she arrived, she found the door locked, and even Quincy’s assistant was standing outside, unable to enter."Miss Lydia, you’re here! We can’t get in. Quincy saw something on his phone earlier and then locked us all out," the assistant explained, frustration clear in his voice. "H
"Even without all this, I’d still believe you. You’d never do something like that to me," Quincy said softly."Quincy!" Lydia cried out, throwing herself into his arms.She cried hard, her tears flowing, but deep inside, her heart felt warm and light. As long as Quincy believed her, that was all that mattered.Quincy immediately had the PR team working around the clock to squash the online rumors. They threw tens of thousands at the problem, sending cease-and-desist letters, and the whole company was scrambling to get a handle on the situation. But it seemed like there was a force behind the scenes pushing the rumors to spread even further.Despite all their efforts, the gossip was out of control. A few days later, Lydia’s parents found out.Mrs. Fay called immediately, though it was clear Mr. Fay was the one who wanted answers. She was just the messenger."What’s going on between you and that boy from the Ford family? Didn’t you say you didn’t like him?" Mrs. Fay asked, soundi
Even Quincy was a bit puzzled by the sudden request from his parents to meet Lydia, but he didn’t dwell on it. He assumed they simply wanted to meet their daughter-in-law. He reassured Lydia, “We’ve already gotten married, but my parents haven’t met you yet. This is just a good chance for them to finally see you.”“Alright,” Lydia agreed, though still a little nervous.“Don’t worry, they won’t make things difficult for you.”With Quincy’s constant reassurance, Lydia felt a little more at ease. She reminded herself that meeting the in-laws was inevitable, and they were actually a bit late in doing so, considering they were already married.Quincy didn’t come from a wealthy background. His family was middle-class, living in an older apartment on the outskirts of town. Their office was downtown, so even though it wasn’t far, the traffic made the trip longer than usual.As Lydia watched the older buildings flash by outside the window, she turned to Quincy and asked, “Why didn’t you
Lydia cradled the cup in her hands. The temperature was perfect, not too hot. It was clear that Quincy had clearly checked beforehand.She glanced over at him and saw him peeling roasted chestnuts for her, and her heart instantly felt warm. Lydia was sensitive to both heat and cold, and many people, including her own parents, had called her spoiled. But Quincy never complained. He always took care of her, quietly and willingly, without a word of protest.From the kitchen came the sounds of clattering pots and the rich aroma of stir-fried vegetables. Meanwhile, Lydia and Quincy exchanged light conversation in the living room.The smile on Lydia’s face revealed that it wasn’t so much a conversation as it was Quincy trying to make her laugh and lift her spirits.Watching from the kitchen, Mrs. Perez narrowed her eyes. The more she looked at Lydia, the more displeased she became. "Look at him, fussing over her like that. I can hardly believe that’s our son," she muttered, casting L
Lydia's face turned pale as all the blood seemed to drain from her body. Her hands trembled slightly, and she could feel every muscle in her chest tightening painfully. Quincy clenched his fists, barely containing his frustration."You're being too harsh. This isn’t Lydia’s fault, and you owe her an apology," Quincy demanded, his voice firm.Mrs. Perez scoffed. "Fine, I’ll apologize," she said, though her tone was anything but sincere. "Miss Lydia, I hope you can understand. While we may not be some grand, wealthy family, both Quincy’s father and I have spent our lives in education. We come from a respectable background, and quite frankly, our family can’t accept someone like you."She didn’t mince words, and the effect was immediate.Lydia felt like she had been stripped bare and tossed out into the street, vulnerable and humiliated. A fire of shame burned in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Every part of her body screamed for her to leave this place, to escape the suffocat
The car pulled up in front of a three-story villa. Eugene glanced over at Lydia and suggested she come inside to change out of her wet clothes. Lydia, finally speaking for the first time since getting into his car, shook her head. “I’m not going in. Just drop me off somewhere. I can find my way back.”Eugene raised an eyebrow and pointed outside. “You really want to sit on the side of the road like this?”Lydia looked down at her soaked clothes, clinging tightly to her body, outlining every curve. Panic crossed her face as she realized how exposed she was but couldn’t figure out what to cover first.Without saying anything more, Eugene turned and unlocked the front door, his demeanor calm and unfazed. After hesitating for a moment, Lydia followed him inside. She wasn’t sure about Eugene’s intentions, but she knew it was safer to be indoors than stranded in the middle of the night.The interior of the villa was minimalist, much like Eugene himself—cold, distant, and seemingly un
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
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.