Everything that had just happened played out before Alexander's eyes, and he was filled with rage, nearly storming out to kill that man on the spot.She had actually kissed another man! A bloodthirsty glint flickered in his gaze, enraging him further.If she hadn't slapped that guy, he would have marched over and kill them both himself.He was furious. He'd thought about her all night, and she had been off with some other man, whispering sweet nothings?Damn it, was she that desperate for a man?"So, you're already cozying up to someone else?" Alexander's eyes darkened, and he felt an overwhelming urge to rip Phoebe to pieces.He hadn't kept tabs on her for a little while, and here she was, living in another man's home, skipping class... What had they been doing together? Had they... slept together?His eyes took on a deadly glint. This better not be what he suspected, or else that man would disappear without a trace."Alex... Alexander...? Is that you?" Phoebe's voice trembled as she
"You're just that cheap." His rage was uncontrollable.Every word from him was like a stab to her heart, causing a sharp ache deep within."Let go of me!" She struggled to free herself, but his grip on her shoulders only tightened, his fingers digging into her skin.Tears spilled over, unable to be contained any longer. "You can't treat me like this. Let go of me! It doesn't matter what I do with other men; it's none of your business, and I don't want to explain myself to you."His eyes narrowed, his face dangerously menacing. "Do you even know what you're saying?"She let out a small, bitter laugh. Of course she knew—and she knew the consequences of provoking him. His punishment would only become more severe...She took a deep breath, suppressing the sourness welling up inside. "We have nothing to do with each other anymore. That's what you said. Or do you plan to go back on your word?""FUCK!" He looked like he could strangle her. Did she really want to cut ties with him that badly?
He released her wrist, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist, his sharp nose lowering to touch the tip of hers.With one hand free, he traced her lips with his fingers, caressing them softly. The color was beautiful, like a flower, but how many men had stained it? He had seen it twice with his own eyes.How many more times had it happened without his knowledge?His expression darkened like a grim reaper, every bloodthirsty instinct within him flaring to life. His fingers slowly began to wander."You've gained weight," he said, his tone shifting, light but laced with a strange, unsettling edge."Please... don't do this to me." Her eyes filled with tears, her voice fragile, full of vulnerability. His sudden change in demeanor felt like the calm before the storm."Are you scared of me?"She whimpered softly. His wicked voice echoed in her ears.She wasn't just scared of him."What should I do? Your body... I've missed it so much. Even in my dreams, I'm with you in bed." His voice wa
Alexander never imagined he could become so obsessed with this body.He, who prided himself on his self-control, found himself losing it time and again in her presence.He had once thought he could discard her whenever he wanted, but he had clearly overestimated himself.He had unknowingly fallen into her spell, like a drug slowly eating away at him, addicting him to her.But how could he tolerate other men tasting the sweetness of her body?The thought of that man kissing her in the car made his teeth grind with rage. The feeling of having something he cherished stolen from him stirred every bloodthirsty instinct within.He wanted to pull out a gun and shoot that man without hesitation if only he hadn't been so distracted by the scene.If just a kiss could provoke such fury, what would it feel like if another man touched her?Had he ever done those things to her too? Just the thought of her alluring body surrendering to another man filled his eyes with bloodshot rage, his face freezi
"Sir, the doctor has arrived," came the respectful voice of the subordinate outside the door."Mm, let him in," Alexander responded coldly. Clad in a black robe, his commanding presence was powerful and intimidating.Several doctors entered, carrying a collection of clinical instruments."Examine her," he ordered, his eyes dark and unreadable."Wait.""Sir, do you have any further instructions?" one doctor asked, hesitantly."Cover their eyes.""Uh..." the subordinate hesitated. Blocking their vision would make the examination impossible."Sir, if we can't see, we can't perform the examination properly," one of the doctors pointed out."Fine, proceed." After a long pause, Alexander replied in an icy tone.The doctors followed his orders without delay, quickly starting their examination. Alexander watched each instrument in use, his expression becoming increasingly complex. Emotions he rarely showed flashed in his eyes.After half an hour, his hard expression grew even darker. Looking
The Next MorningAlexander had lingered on her for a long time, finally releasing her after what felt like hours. He hadn't actually done anything overly intimate, merely kept her close, peppering her with kisses.His lips rested gently on her lower abdomen, his hand softly caressing her, seemingly captivated by the life forming there. There was no way he felt nothing, though he was firm in his decision: he wouldn't keep the child.He cared for Phoebe, that much he could admit, but she wasn't fit, in his mind, to bear his child.With his decision made, he planned to keep Phoebe by his side, while Melissa would receive his name, a title, and the warmth of companionship.His movements startled Phoebe, and she instinctively tensed. She kept her eyes closed, afraid to see his expression, sensing only the danger in his touch.She worried—what if he suspected something? What if, while dreaming, she inadvertently gave herself away?"Phoebe, if you don't open your eyes..." he laughed softly,
Phoebe was eager to know his answer.If he would end up marrying Melissa, Phoebe thought she would eventually have to sever this connection.Loving someone unrequitedly was truly exhausting. She wasn't alone anymore—she now had a tiny life growing inside her, someone who needed her care.She didn't want to put herself through such heartache, nor did she want to become a scorned mistress.Besides, this ongoing entanglement between them wasn't fair to Melissa either.But still, Phoebe wanted to know… did he love Melissa?If he did, why couldn't he just let her go? She could never understand that. If he didn't love Melissa, then why marry her? He didn't seem like the kind of person who would be pressured into anything."..." Alexander froze at her question, parting his lips to answer, but no sound came out. Looking into her clear, beautiful eyes, he hesitated.For once, he found himself speechless.A strange frustration rose in his chest. Would he still marry Melissa? He should have answ
The man in the silver-gray suit stood tall and striking, his perfect features and deep eyes drawing gasps of admiration from passersby.Phoebe snapped back to reality, lowered her gaze, and turned to walk away, pretending she hadn't noticed him.She quickened her steps, eager to leave."Phoebe," a deep voice called from behind her.Hearing his voice, her hurried steps stopped involuntarily. She wanted to keep walking, but her legs felt as heavy as lead. She could hear each step he took as he approached her."Why do you try to run every time you see me?" he asked with a hint of mischief. "Is it because you don't want to see me?"She felt awkward. Her obvious reaction must have shown him how much she wished to avoid him."What a coincidence, running into you here," she said with a forced smile, her gaze dropping."It's not a coincidence. I came here specifically to find you." His intent was clear."What?" She looked at him, shocked.Why was he here? And how did he even know where to fin
"Hermosa, let me explain.""Explain what?" He couldn't even bring himself to say it."Alex, why did you lie to me? You have to explain. I need to know the truth. Tell me!"Hermosa shouted. This was the first time she had gotten angry at Alexander since he regained his memories."Hermosa, calm down first."Seeing how agitated she was, Alexander softly tried to comfort her, wanting to hug her, but Hermosa pulled away."Tell me, where's my sister? Where did you hide her?"Tears immediately flooded her eyes. She wanted to know how else he planned to deceive her."Hermosa, this is something that can't be explained all at once."He tried to soothe her emotions."So, this means it's all true? You were really deceiving me?"Hermosa yelled in anger. Her emotions flared, and the next moment, she fainted.Seeing her collapse, Alexander panicked. "Hermosa! Hermosa!"He quickly scooped her up in his arms, calling
In the afternoon, Laura accompanied Phoebe to the hospital for a routine check-up. After two exhausting hours, they finally emerged.As they stepped out of the hospital, Laura spotted Wright walking towards them. She froze when she saw his bruised face, feeling a pang of guilt deep in her chest.Wright hadn't expected to run into them at the hospital. Due to the injury on his face, he'd been skipping classes the past few days, planning to return once he healed. Seeing the girl he liked in front of him while he looked so disheveled made him feel uneasy.But he quickly masked his discomfort with his usual cocky demeanor, squinting as he approached Laura and greeted her."What are you doing here?""I'm here to accompany Phoebe for a check-up,"Laura answered, biting her lip.Wright flashed a smile at Phoebe, offering a casual greeting. His eyes briefly lingered on her belly, and he thought to himself, Looks like Werner's chances just went
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