"What... what did you say?" Her voice trembled, and her breathing grew uneven."Take it off!" he ordered, his eyes narrowing dangerously. His fingers gripped her pale wrist, his strength threatening to snap it.Laura followed his gaze to her own arm, her heart pounding in panic. "But... this..."Wasn't this a gift from him? Why would he ask her to take it off? And why did his expression look so terrifying? Had she done something wrong?"It hurts!" she whimpered softly as his grip tightened, pain shooting through her wrist. Instinctively, she tried to break free from his hold, but this side of her brother made her shiver uncontrollably.The pain was excruciating. Laura furrowed her brows tightly, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes.With a forceful shove, Gavin pushed her down, his movements rough and unrelenting. He yanked her pajama pants, leapt from the water, and pinned her beneath him."Ugh!" Laura gasped as her head slammed against the hard floor, a sharp crack echoing in t
The next morning, at Phoebe's home."Hello! Is this the residence of Miss Phoebe Garcia?""Yes, it is. And you are?" Anila asked, confused by the unexpected visitor so early in the morning."Mr. Alexander Davis, our boss, assigned me to drive your daughter to school. I've been waiting outside for an hour, but she hasn't come out. Is she not attending school today?" the driver replied politely."Alex? You mean my daughter's boyfriend?" Anila paused for a moment before smiling, seemingly realizing something. He's very considerate of her."That's correct. Is she not ready yet?" the driver asked, his gaze briefly sweeping inside the house."Apologies, but Phoebe rushed out after receiving a phone call yesterday. She said a friend was looking for her and didn't even stay for dinner," Anila explained with a hint of concern.The driver froze for a moment. "She didn't come home last night?""That's right! We were worried all night. She didn't answer any of our calls either. We were just about
"Sir, Miss Laura is here!" The butler said respectfully, standing behind the timid Laura.She kept her head lowered, afraid to raise it because the butler had said she was being brought to see her brother. The memory of his cruelty the night before made her body tremble uncontrollably."Mm, you may leave."The butler bowed and left, leaving Laura alone. She was terrified, and for a moment, she almost ran after him.She truly didn't want to be alone with her brother. The cruel images from last night haunted her, and she could still feel the lingering pain in her wrist."Come here!" His cold voice commanded, filled with authority.Laura's heart skipped a beat, and her feet felt unusually heavy, but she gathered all her courage and slowly walked over."What is it?" she asked in a shaky voice, barely audible."Take good care of her over the next few days, understood?" He didn't even look at Laura, his voice commanding. He seemed to care about her, wanted her here, just so that when she wo
On the white hospital bed, Phoebe lay quietly, having just woken from a nightmare. In her dream, she had seen Gordon lying in a pool of blood. She was terrified, heartbroken.Slowly opening her eyes, she saw the pale ceiling above her, and the sharp scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils. Looking around, she realized she was in a hospital."You're awake?"A male voice above her caught her attention. She squinted, then opened her eyes wider.Gavin?For some reason, the name kept repeating in her mind.Her memory began to piece itself together, and she recalled the bloody scenes before she passed out.Her eyes turned red instantly, and with a trembling voice, she stared at him, "Where... Where's my brother?"The room was silent except for the sound of their breathing.For the first time, Gavin felt as though his voice had been caught in his throat. He didn't know how to answer. He was afraid of what would happen once she knew the truth, afraid of her reaction.The tightness in his ch
At the entrance of the encrypted ward, a group of imposing men stood in front of Alexander."Move aside!" Alexander's knuckles cracked as his fury surged."No one is allowed inside!" one of them shouted."Move aside!""I'm afraid I can't comply!"...Very well, no one had yet managed to block his way.Alexander clenched his fists and threw a punch.The third floor of the hospital descended into chaos. Despite their skillful moves, Alexander quickly took down several of them. For every man he knocked down, more seemed to appear.The corridor quickly filled with people. What started with just seven or eight men soon swelled to dozens, all fighting him at once.Alexander was a trained fighter. Even though he hadn't fought much in recent years, his skills hadn't weakened at all. He was easily handling dozens of men. However, the numbers kept increasing. After ten minutes, he saw even more people flooding in. He narrowed his eyes.These fools had no idea what they were up against. If it wer
On the other side, Laura returned home, clutching her swollen cheek as she crawled into her bed.Her small face was buried deep into the pillow, her body curled into a ball as if only this could give her a sense of safety. It seemed like this was the only place that could bring her warmth.Her eyes were slightly misted, and she sniffled, thinking of Phoebe in the hospital. She wonders how she's doing now... Has she woken up yet?She longed to be by Phoebe's side, to talk to her. If Phoebe knew that the baby was gone, she would be so heartbroken. Laura wanted to comfort her, but Gavin wouldn't let her stay there. He told her to go home.Her pale fingers gently touched her cheek. She frowned and winced. "Ugh—hurts so much..."Earlier, when she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, her cheek was so swollen, nearly unrecognizable—red and purple. When Gavin slapped her, her head went fuzzy. For a moment, it felt like her soul had disconnected from her body.It was easy to imagine how h
Gordon's funeral was held three days later—a simple and solemn ceremony.On the day of the funeral, Alexander stood at a distance, watching her grieve in silence. He didn't approach, wanting to give her space to process her pain.A few relatives offered their condolences and left early. Only Phoebe and her parents stayed by Gordon's graveside, unwilling to leave him alone.Phoebe stood in front of Gordon's gravestone, crying until she fainted, waking only to cry again. She couldn't believe he was gone—leaving behind their parents and her, just like that. Memories of their childhood happiness played in her mind. He had been alive and well, and now all that remained was a cold gravestone.She would never forgive herself. She believed Gordon's death was entirely her fault. If he hadn't tried to save her, he would still be here. Even if he had gone astray, at least he would still be alive.Now, with Gordon's death, more responsibilities and guilt weighed heavily on her shoulders. Staring a
Phoebe suddenly felt a wave of frustration. He really was so infuriating. If he kept being cruel to her, maybe leaving him wouldn't feel so hard.But now… now he had transformed into someone else—gentle, caring, and tender. His sudden kindness was disarming, and despite herself, she had to admit that she liked this version of him.Especially recently, he had been quietly taking care of her family. She never asked, but she knew it was his doing. Without him, her family might have fallen apart by now.And yet, she was terrified. Terrified that his kindness would vanish as quickly as it appeared. His unpredictability left her feeling insecure, as though happiness were just a fleeting moment she couldn't hold on to. How she wished this moment could last forever.Her pale arms wrapped around his sturdy waist, and she nuzzled her cheek against his chest, like a lazy cat seeking affection from its owner.Alexander chuckled softly. Her gesture stroked his male ego, sending a surge of warmth t
Time flew by like a fleeting shadow, and before Phoebe knew it, the seasons had changed once again.Winter had arrived quietly, though it wasn't particularly cold this year. Dressed in a simple coat with a thick, cozy scarf wrapped around her neck, Phoebe strolled leisurely down the road on her way home from the office.Her stomach had a slight swell—so subtle that it would be easy for others to miss unless they looked closely.Three months ago, with a heart full of trepidation and resolve, she had lain on the operating table, ready to endure the cold instruments and terminate the life growing inside her. But the doctor's words had struck her like a thunderclap, shattering her resolve.Due to a previous miscarriage, her uterine lining was now dangerously thin. Another abortion would greatly diminish her chances of conceiving in the future.The doctor's tone was calm, seemingly indifferent to her decision, but those words unleashed a storm within Phoebe.Fear surged like a tidal wave,
Hearing his words, Phoebe's anger was instantly replaced by sheer astonishment.She stared at Alexander, searching his eyes for any sign of deception. Yet no matter how long she scrutinized him, she couldn't detect a single crack in his truth.Hermosa? Isn't she supposed to be dead?How could she believe that Hermosa was alive—and perfectly fine?Impossible.Suddenly, it all felt like some absurd, elaborate farce where she was nothing more than a pitiful fool.Phoebe glanced at Hermosa again. This time, she noticed subtle differences between her and Melissa. Despite their identical appearance, there was something distinct about Hermosa—the quiet dignity in her eyes, the sharp, cold aura woven into her very presence. Her voice, unlike Melissa's gentle softness, carried a distant chill.Then, like a bolt of lightning striking her mind, the truth hit Phoebe with terrifying clarity.Hermosa. The very woman Alexander had loved and longed for with every fiber of his being.In an instant, al
Three months later, Phoebe's life had returned to its usual routine. She went to class in the mornings and worked at the company in the afternoons and evenings. Her life was calm, filled with purpose every day. Her parents had returned last month, and seeing them in good health brought her a sense of relief.Her heart finally settled.At home, the place no longer felt cold and empty. With her parents around, everything seemed warmer.It was the weekend, and she decided to go to the hospital by herself. After registering, she was waiting in line when she suddenly felt thirsty and decided to step out to buy a bottle of water.When she returned, she ran into the man she never wanted to see again.She stood frozen, locking eyes with him.In that moment, time seemed to freeze.Both of them were caught off guard.But neither of them showed any expression.It had been three months since the dinner party. She hadn't seen him since, and never expected to run into him here today.Neither of the
Gavin was equally shocked, unable to articulate the feeling swirling in his chest. She was carrying Alexander's child. No man would ever want his woman to bear another man's child.Phoebe came out of the bathroom, her pale and delicate hand tightly gripping the pregnancy test stick. The two prominent red lines made it unmistakably clear—she was pregnant.But Phoebe's emotions were a confusing mix.Why didn't she feel the happiness she had imagined? Instead, the reality of it felt like a heavy burden.Her fingers instinctively pressed against her flat stomach, and a wave of emotion hit her. This pregnancy couldn't have come at a worse time.Alexander was despicable. Even after abandoning her, he wouldn't let her live in peace. He had to leave her with a bond between them—this child.Gavin watched her lost expression, and without a word, he knew what had happened. He felt a heaviness in his chest.He didn't know what to say.More importantly, he didn't know how she planned to handle thi
Gavin parked the car by the side of the road and turned to glance at Phoebe. She was sound asleep, her head resting against the car window.Her delicate white face, long curled lashes, and rosy lips made her look like a crystal doll.She was beautiful, stunning enough to make his heart race. Gavin leaned closer and softly pressed his lips against her pale ones.It was a deep kiss.Perhaps his movement disturbed Phoebe, as she slowly opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with his handsome features.Her eyes widened, realizing he was kissing her.Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't push him away. Instead, she pretended to close her eyes again.Gavin kissed her lips once more, but this time, he didn't deepen it. A light, loving kiss was enough to leave him satisfied.He pulled away and smiled at her, noticing her trembling eyelashes."Awake?"His voice was low and seductive, and Phoebe awkwardly opened her eyes."I'm going back now. Be careful on your way.""Mm." Gavin s
After sending Hermosa back, Alexander quickly drove to the dinner party. By the time he arrived, Phoebe was already gone.He wasn't truly indifferent, or cold-hearted. Perhaps, it was just that with Hermosa by his side, he didn't want her to misinterpret the situation.When he learned that someone had intervened on Phoebe's behalf, he still felt somewhat down. He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking, Her heart must have shattered again after that encounter.What was wrong with him? Why did that woman manage to frustrate him so?Phoebe made up an excuse and got off the car midway, wandering the streets alone. Her phone rang for a while before she finally answered."Hello.""Has the dinner ended?" Gavin's deep voice came through.Phoebe responded, her tone more numb than emotional. "It's over.""I left early," she added."Where are you? I'll come pick you up."She glanced at the street signs nearby, naming the street for him."Wait there. I'll be right there."In just a moment, a he
"Phoebe! Are you trying to scare me to death? Why did you run off without a word? I've been searching everywhere! I thought something happened to you!" Kimberley spotted Phoebe from afar and started scolding her."..."When Phoebe didn't respond, Kimberley shook her stiff, icy body.The motion was too sudden. Phoebe raised her head, her eyes filled with a pitiful sadness that tugged at Kimberley's heart."Phoebe, what's wrong? You were fine just a minute ago. Why are you crying now? Did some jerk do something to you?"Phoebe tilted her head back, determined to keep her tears from falling."I'm fine. My eyes are just a bit uncomfortable.""Uncomfortable?" Kimberley frowned. Like hell I believe that. Her instincts as a woman told her something had definitely happened."Are you sure you're okay? If not, let's just head back. I'll stay for another half hour and then leave too.""I'm fine. Let's go back inside." Phoebe sniffled and forced a smile."Really?""Really."***Back at the banque
The banquet hall sparkled with champagne, fine wine, and dazzling lights, creating a scene of vibrant festivity.When Phoebe and Kimberley entered, they immediately turned heads, causing quite a stir. The gazes of the men at the party, bold with greed and unrestrained desire, fell upon them with blatant admiration.Kimberley remained poised and confident, clearly experienced in handling such grand occasions. In contrast, Phoebe's palms were clammy with nervous sweat. The traumatic memories from her past still haunted her, and it had taken a tremendous amount of courage to convince herself to accompany her director tonight.Their objective was straightforward: to promote their company and capture the attention of elite socialites, celebrities, and influential figures. Their striking entrance was meticulously planned to achieve maximum impact.In the car on the way over, Kimberley had advised Phoebe, "If you can't drink, just say you're unwell or make up any excuse, but don't accept dri
At five in the afternoon, Phoebe accompanied Kimberley, the design director, to the event.Being part of the design department, they were meticulous about their attire.Not only did they need to be fashionable and stunning, but their outfits also had to be creative and unique.Donning the latest exquisitely designed gowns, they headed to an elite styling studio.The stylists worked their magic, crafting flawless makeup and elegant hairstyles. Paired with chic jewelry specifically prepared by the company, the two of them stepped out looking radiant, exuding a charm that rivaled international superstars.The perfect blend of sophistication and elegance, Phoebe, in particular, dazzled. With her natural beauty, even a touch of makeup transformed her into a breathtaking vision.The moment she emerged, she captivated everyone's gaze. There was a collective pause, eyes wide with admiration, as if time itself had stopped.Kimberley, a strikin