In the upscale club, a man slapped Melissa's rear forcefully."...Don't touch me!" Melissa glared at him angrily, wanting nothing more than to go home."Already turning on me? You were just fine a moment ago," the man smirked, unconcerned about her expression."Just take me back."It was already afternoon; what was supposed to end by eleven had dragged on, and she had lost track of time, caught up in his demands.Alex must be looking for her. If she didn't return soon, he would start to worry. She could already imagine him searching anxiously for her."Afraid Alexander will be worried?""You don't get to tell me what to do. Just take me back," Melissa replied, her tone firm. Their relationship was purely transactional—he had no right to dictate her actions."You really think you can go back like this? You don't think he'll be suspicious?" The man chuckled, lighting a cigarette."You don't need to worry about that; I have my own ways.""Care to share your plan?" He scoffed. "Don't unde
Inside the hospital.Alexander frantically summoned all the doctors in the hospital to one patient room.They gathered nervously around Melissa, conducting a thorough examination of her pale face on the hospital bed. "Melissa, I won't let anything happen to you." His gaze lingered on her frail features.Guilt, shame, worry, and heartache overwhelmed him. It was his fault that Melissa was hurt! If only time could rewind, he would never have left her side. It was all his fault!"How is she?" he asked, anxiety etched on his face."Sir, the patient is currently stable, but... she has experienced intense sex and her body is weak. She needs time to recover," the doctor replied.Alexander's body trembled for a moment, then stiffened in rage as he gripped the doctor's collar. "What did you say?"Though he had already sensed it, he couldn't bear to accept the truth. How could he acknowledge such a reality about someone as pure and beautiful as Melissa?"Sir, please calm down... I..." The docto
Evening.Phoebe awoke from a light sleep upon hearing car sounds outside. Her first reaction was to quickly get out of bed. When she saw Alexander carrying Melissa in his arms, she paused, summoning her courage but not daring to approach.Watching Melissa nuzzle against him with a blissful smile, she turned to leave quietly. They probably didn't want anyone to interrupt at that moment. They looked so perfect together, and she felt out of place standing there.Conflicted emotions swirled inside her. Not wanting to witness their sweetness, she turned to sneak away. Just as she did, Alexander's deep gaze fell upon her.Seeing her frail silhouette was heartbreaking—she had lost so much weight."Alex, what are you looking at? I'm so sleepy," Melissa squinted, following his gaze toward the stairs, but she didn't see anything; she assumed it was that woman."Already sleepy?" Alexander replied, his voice tender as he lowered his head toward her."Shall we go to the room and sleep? I'm so tire
The next morning, the commotion outside disturbed Phoebe's peaceful sleep.Now wide awake, she got up.After getting ready, she headed downstairs, only to find that there were suddenly a dozen or so servants in the villa.The villa was usually quiet. Except for Rod, who stayed there 24/7, the cleaning staff would leave immediately after finishing their tasks—they were not allowed to linger.Why were there so many servants all of a sudden?"Good morning, madam," several of the servants greeted Phoebe respectfully from the foot of the stairs. It was their first day working here, and they wanted to make a good impression."Breakfast is ready, and the master is already at the table. Please head over quickly."Phoebe froze, momentarily unable to process what was happening.At that moment, Alexander and Melissa, who were already sitting at the dining table, looked over simultaneously.The atmosphere instantly turned tense."Madam, the breakfast is getting cold. Please, hurry and eat," one o
Phoebe walked towards the bus stop as soon as she left the villa. She had barely covered 500 meters when Alexander's car approached from the opposite direction. Her heart began to race wildly."Get in," he commanded, his tone as authoritative as ever. Phoebe didn't dare hesitate. She quickly opened the door and climbed into the car.They drove for about twenty minutes before the car came to a stop. The location was remote, with almost no cars passing by. She turned to look at him, but before she could react, he kissed her fiercely.His intensity overwhelmed her—he was like a beast, draining all her strength with his kiss.His lips moved urgently, aggressively, as they captured her soft lips. Phoebe's eyes widened, her breath catching, almost suffocating.She hadn't expected Alexander to stop the car just to kiss her. His ravenous behavior made her want to laugh.She tried to push him away—if he kissed her any longer, she might pass out. His strength was astonishing, and he quickly pin
Alexander glanced at his expensive diamond watch and said, "It's only 8:30. Your class starts at 9, so even if you're late by half an hour, it's no big deal. It only takes twenty minutes to get to your school, which means we still have forty minutes."It had been too long since he last had her, and his body was yearning for hers. He was a normal man, and going without a woman for so long had built up a desire within him that was impossible to ignore. If he didn't release it soon, he'd only be torturing himself.He was never one to suppress his needs. The last time he'd been drugged, he had somehow managed to resist taking her, which even he found hard to believe.It was the first time he had ever considered a woman's feelings over his own, resorting to using his hand to satisfy himself.Phoebe stared at him in shock. He calculated things pretty accurately, didn't he? She understood what he meant, but she knew that she could never agree to it."I don't want to," she said.What touched h
On the other side, just as Phoebe managed to steady her breathing, Alva walked in.Phoebe suddenly remembered that Noah had been trying to get in touch with her, asking for her help to talk to Alva.Phoebe hadn't wanted to get involved, but as a friend, she could sense that Noah meant something special to Alva. Phoebe knew Alva loved him.She didn't want her friend to lose her happiness over a misunderstanding, so she decided to give it a try."Alva, are you really not going to forgive Noah? Actually, he...""Phoebe, don't you dare mention that jerk to me! I never want to see him again!""Alva, he really regrets it. He..."Seeing that Alva wasn't interested in talking about Noah, Phoebe decided to drop the subject. Recently, Alva seemed determined to ignore Noah. Every time he showed up, Alva would angrily tell him to leave without even looking at him."Phoebe, let's stop talking about him. Tonight, we're going shopping. It's been ages since I've been out shopping since I got out of th
Phoebe's pace quickened unconsciously, her heart racing, and even the capillaries in her body seemed to contract."Sid, I think she's onto us.""You two go that way. You and I will take this side. Remember, cover her mouth. Don't let her make a sound.""Got it!"Fear overtook Phoebe, and she broke into a light jog. The path to the bus stop was slightly off course, adding to her anxiety.Suddenly, two figures appeared ahead of her, and Phoebe panicked. She really was in trouble! Alert, she turned to run back, but an arm reached out toward her from behind."Mmm—" Phoebe struggled, trying to shake off the hand covering her mouth. She was too weak to fight off a man, so she bit down hard on his arm."Ah!" The man screamed, loosening his grip in pain.Given a moment to breathe, her survival instincts kicked in. Phoebe gathered all her strength and viciously kicked the other man between his legs."Ugh!" The second man groaned, clutching himself in agony.Phoebe broke free and sprinted towar
The next day, sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, casting soft, fragmented rays on the world. But Hermosa's mood was like the weather—unstable and filled with gloom.With a nervous heart, she walked toward the agreed meeting spot, each step feeling like she was walking on cotton—soft and aimless, filled with hesitation.She arrived on time and had barely sat down when her heart continued to race wildly in her chest, trying to calm her nerves. At that moment, a deep voice came from behind: "You're right on time."Hermosa's body tensed instantly, like a deer sensing danger. She instinctively wanted to turn around and see who was behind her, pulling the strings in this mysterious encounter.But before she could react, the voice continued: "No need to turn around. Just stay as you are."The words cut through the calm in her heart like a sharp knife, and she immediately became more guarded against this mysterious person.Hermos
Gavin slowly raised his hand, the same hand that had once struck her with force.Now, it was as gentle as the willow fluff in spring.He carefully brushed his rough fingers against her soft, yet burning, face—an expression of tenderness as if he were touching the most precious treasure in the world, or soothing a deeply wounded creature.His gaze involuntarily wandered, resting on her trembling body. The guilt inside him flooded like a burst of water, overwhelming him with its intensity.Had he been too harsh with her? Each of her slight trembles felt like a sharp dagger stabbing into his heart, tormenting him.His touch became even softer, his long fingers moving slowly across her face, first brushing over her furrowed brow, trying to smooth away the fear-induced wrinkles.Then, they traced down her small nose, as though sketching a delicate work of art. His fingers lingered on her eyes, gently wiping away the tears that threatened to
Meanwhile, at Wright's home, Laura remained trapped in the terrifying memories of the film, unable to escape...Wright stepped out of the bathroom, ready to go to bed, when the doorbell rang.He was puzzled. Who could be visiting him this late?Not bothering to put on a robe, he wrapped a cloth around his waist and went to answer the door, still naked.As soon as he opened it, a blast of cold air hit him. He looked up and saw a man of striking presence standing there."Can I help you?" Wright asked, his voice cautious.Gavin's cold, dark gaze swept over Wright's half-dressed body, and his face twisted with fury. Without warning, he swung his fist at Wright.Caught off guard, Wright was struck hard. His brain buzzed, and before he could react, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.With a violent kick, Gavin slammed the door open, storming inside.Room by room, he kicked open the doors with force, each one shaking with t
Wright reached out to hug her, but Laura struggled, trying to push him away."No. No.""Laura, what's wrong?"Her reaction puzzled Wright. His brow furrowed in confusion, his expression full of disbelief. But beneath the confusion, a wave of worry surged within him, sending his heart into a frantic turmoil."No, no, I'm your sister!"Whatwas she talking about?A thousand thoughts flashed through Wright's mind, like tangled threads that he couldn't untangle. He instinctively opened his mouth to ask something, but the confusion bottled up inside him, and he couldn't speak."Don't be afraid. I'm Wright."Wright suppressed the growing panic inside and tried to make his voice gentle, comforting, as he cautiously approached her.But the closer he got, the stronger Laura's reaction became. She acted like a frightened animal, desperately fighting back. Her sharp nails scratched his face, leaving a few bloodied marks.Af
"Gavin, why do I never see Laura around lately? Is she busy with her studies?"During dinner, Phoebe set down her fork and gazed at Gavin's handsome and elegant profile, finally unable to hold back her question.The last time she saw Laura was just a brief encounter, and since then, she hadn't seen her once. Something felt off, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was."...?"Gavin fell silent, clearly unaware of Laura's situation."Don't you care about your sister at all?"Phoebe complained, frustrated.What kind of brother was he? Gavin treated her so well, but he seemed so indifferent toward Laura. That really bothered her. She just couldn't understand it.Logically, a brother should care for his sister, so why didn't Gavin seem to care about Laura at all?Especially that day when Laura looked at him with such fear—Phoebe found that really strange.In the past, even though Gavin didn't seem to pay much a
The warm sun shone brightly as Hermosa and Alexander shared lunch in a cozy restaurant. Suddenly, Alexander's company called with an urgent matter, and he quickly drove her back to the X villa before rushing off to his office.Hermosa moved gracefully, the sound of her heels echoing through the empty hall as she opened the villa's front door. At that moment, a servant's voice rang out: "Miss, your letter.""A letter?"Hermosa raised an eyebrow, her voice filled with confusion."It just arrived,"the servant replied respectfully.A hint of suspicion rose in Hermosa's mind. Could it be from my foster parents? But that doesn't seem right. They always call. She extended a slender finger, taking the letter from the servant and examining it closely. The sender's name and address were both blank, leaving her with an unsettling feeling."Who brought this?"she asked, lifting her gaze to the servant."I'm not sure. When I went outside
On the other side, Phoebe found herself unable to decline the task of designing a wedding dress. She had considered resigning, but was told that without her, the project would fall apart entirely. Out of a sense of responsibility, she reluctantly decided to stay.After a few days of deliberation, she resolved to grit her teeth and see it through.The preliminary work was already done, but the latter stages would be more demanding. She needed to take Hermosa's measurements before beginning the actual construction of the dress.Once it was nearly finished, Hermosa would need to try it on again for final adjustments to ensure the gown was flawless.By her estimate, they would only need to meet four or five times in total.All she had to do was treat Hermosa like a stranger.She kept telling herself: "Just get through these days, and it'll all be over."Phoebe comforted herself with this thought.When she met Hermosa again, she exp
The Next Day – Alexander's OfficeMorning light streamed through the blinds, casting slivers of shadow across Alexander's expansive desk. Seated behind it, he worked intently, his pen gliding across the documents, pausing occasionally to annotate or circle key points.The room was silent except for the faint scratching of the pen against paper and the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall.The quiet was broken when the office door creaked open, and Dana stepped inside. His usual nonchalant grin spread across his face as he observed Alexander's focused demeanor.Teasingly, he said, "Boss, so this is how you look when you're working in the office? Quite serious, aren't you?"Alexander paused, setting his pen down deliberately. He raised his eyes slowly, his sharp gaze cutting through the room. "Speak. What is it?"His tone was cold and clipped, like a blade slicing through the air.Unfazed, Dana chuckled. "Boss, you're about to
"Did Alex invite you here?"Hermosa asked softly, breaking the silence as she glanced at Phoebe. The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them, feeling they were too abrupt.Phoebe stood frozen in place, her shocked expression revealing she had no idea about Hermosa's identity. Clearly, she had just found out."Though this comes as a surprise, I still want to thank you,"Hermosa said calmly as she took a seat. "I doubt Alex even knows that you're the designer working on my wedding gown."Phoebe sat beside her, gazing at Hermosa up close. A sudden, inexplicable sadness washed over her. Hermosa was stunningly beautiful.Her elegance was entirely different from Melissa's fiery charm—gentle and serene, like water."May I see your designs?"Hermosa's question broke the awkward silence. Normally reserved, Hermosa found herself speaking more than usual in the face of Phoebe's quiet demeanor.She understood why Phoebe