"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
A sharp, twisting pain shot through her lower abdomen! Biting her lip, Laura whimpered, her brows furrowed tightly as she clutched her stomach."It hurts," she murmured.The sound made Gavin freeze abruptly. He lowered his gaze to see Laura curled up on the bed, her face scrunched in discomfort, though he hadn't done anything to her yet.A metallic scent filled the air. Following his gaze downward, he saw crimson streaks flowing down her pale legs, soaking into the dark bedsheets."Damn it!" he roared, his voice laced with irritation as if he'd seen something repulsive.Disgust flickered across his face, his expression growing icy. His sharp eyes gleamed with rage as he kicked her naked body off the bed."Get out!" he snarled, the venom in his voice making her tremble.Laura's body slammed against the cold, hard floor, the impact jarring her. Pain lanced through her limbs as a soft groan of discomfort escaped her lips.She didn't understand what had happened. She only knew she'd been
Gavin scrubbed her body for what felt like an eternity, as though trying to rid herself of some invisible filth. Especially there. Her emotions were an unnameable tangle as his hands moved over her skin, exploring unabashedly.Shame burned through her. He didn't spare even the parts of her she'd never dared to touch herself. His fingers pressed and kneaded her skin with a rough intensity, as though trying to erase some deep impurity.She wanted to cry but didn't dare.His grip was firm, almost painful, and the heat of his palms seeped into her skin. This strange sensation—it was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Her flesh stung from his coarse touch, but she bit her lip, refusing to voice her discomfort. Only the slight furrow of her brows betrayed her feelings.Before she knew it, he lifted her effortlessly, and she found herself tossed onto a massive bed.The water was gone. So were the harsh hands and the physical sting of pain. Tentatively, she opened her eyes, taking in t
LauraGavin's cold fingers continued their movements, slipping behind her to undo the last piece of fabric shielding her.As her bare skin was fully exposed to his gaze, the chill in the air made Laura's delicate arms instinctively want to wrap around her chest in modesty.However, her arms were pinned, leaving her utterly unable to move.His piercing, icy eyes locked onto her, scrutinizing her flawless, proud form.How many men would be enthralled by this perfection in the future? he wondered.The silky white of her skin stirred something dark within him, awakening the most sinister parts of his soul.Gavin's body grew unusually excited—something that was foreign to him. He had never been a man driven by physical desires. In fact, he had always found such things rather unappealing.Unless it was to fulfill a purely biological need, Gavin avoided women entirely.Even when he did engage, it was limited—hands or mouths only. He never allowed anyone to touch his body, nor did he touch th
The hospital room was unusually quiet, the only sound breaking the stillness was her steady breathing.Alexander stared at the fragile, pale face resting on the hospital bed. His chest felt unbearably heavy, as though a massive stone weighed upon it, making it hard to breathe.She still wouldn't wake up. Perhaps she didn't want to see him. This time, he had gone too far. How could Phoebe ever forgive him?"Don't… don't… my baby… no…" Her faint murmurs interrupted his turbulent thoughts.He glanced at her. She was clearly trapped in a nightmare, her brows furrowed tightly, her sleep restless. Her voice was soft and barely audible, but he heard it nonetheless. Alexander felt his heart clench painfully. He bent down and gently scooped her into his arms. Leaning closer, he noticed her tear-streaked face.She was crying again.The cold trail of her tears stirred something raw within him, making his heart ache deeply, his chest tightening with a pang he couldn't ignore.In her dream, Phoebe
Laura"Laura, someone's here to see you."Lost in thought, Laura felt a gentle nudge from a classmate. She snapped back to reality, blinking in confusion."What are you daydreaming about? Didn't you hear me?""Huh? Wh-what?""Stop spacing out! Someone's waiting for you at the classroom door!""Me?" Laura lowered her head, showing no intention of going outside."Go already! It's rude to keep them waiting. Or do you want a repeat of last time when they walked into the classroom to confess?" The girl pursed her lips, half-joking.Laura's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Reluctantly, she stood up, bracing herself to head outside. Her classmate, wearing an expression of envy, muttered under her breath, "I'm so jealous. Every day, you've got handsome guys confessing to you."Laura's face grew even redder, her steps faltering as she hesitated on what to do."Don't just stand there blushing! Don't make him wait too long
Melissa slipped quietly through the back door, intending to return to her hospital room unnoticed. Unfortunately, she crossed paths with Alexander, who was returning from outside.Panicking, she pressed herself against the corner wall, breathing heavily. She had barely avoided being seen by him!After waiting for a while and hearing the sound of a door closing, she exhaled in relief. Peeking around the corner, she noticed the guards outside Phoebe's room had left.Tiptoeing towards the door, Melissa stood on her toes and peered through the small window. The scene inside made her jealousy burn even deeper.Alexander was doting on Phoebe with tenderness, his gaze full of affection and care. The sight stung Melissa's heart.Just days ago, Melissa had suffered a miscarriage. She had thought Alexander would be more attentive to her after hearing the news, but he had only visited her in the hospital once and then disappeared. Why had he never treated her
"Let me in to see her!""No!" The guards blocked Melissa's way."I'm just checking on her! Why won't you let me in?" Melissa frowned, growing irritated."Apologies, Miss. This is the boss's order. Without his permission, you are not allowed inside!""You—fine! I'll go talk to Alex myself. Let me through.""We'll relay the message for you. Please leave.""You—!""Alex is inside! Let me in!""He isn't seeing anyone right now. Please leave!" The guard's expression remained indifferent, leaving Melissa frustrated and unable to vent her anger.Back in her hospital room, her rage erupted. She began smashing everything within reach, drawing the attention of several nurses."What are you looking at? Get out!" Melissa screamed at the young nurses, throwing a vase in their direction. It narrowly missed, causing them to flee in tears.Once they were gone, Melissa erupted into a fit of uncontrollable scream
"Heh," Phoebe let out a cold laugh, her gaze locked on him. But when Alexander slapped her across the face, it felt like it struck not only her cheek but also her heart.That slap shattered her last thread of composure, leaving her teetering on the edge of madness.Was she truly going insane?"Alex, do you think Phoebe's completely lost it?" Melissa asked mockingly."Shut up!" Alexander snapped, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at her.Startled by his fury, Melissa fell silent, though her gaze toward Phoebe turned venomous. Moments later, a sly, triumphant smile curled her lips.She was gloating—parading her victory for all to see.That smile pierced Phoebe like a thousand needles, deepening her hatred for Melissa. Two lives—two innocent lives—had been lost. How could Phoebe not loathe her?Phoebe turned to Alexander, her eyes filled with cold detachment. This would be the last time she looked at him.
"Do you have to be so ruthless?" Alexander's voice was gritted, his words laced with frustration, and his eyes darkened with a foreboding storm.Phoebe stared at him, her eyes reddened, tears welling up until they spilled down her pale cheeks."Ruthless? Do you even know what she did to me?" Phoebe's voice trembled with bitterness as she pointed an accusing finger at Melissa, her sorrow unmistakable.The sight of Phoebe's tears twisted Alexander's heart painfully. He wanted to reach out, to wipe them away, but his hand froze mid-air. Instead, the words that escaped his lips were colder and harsher.Was this still the Phoebe he once loved?Had he spoiled her too much? Had his care turned her into this unreasonable, cruel, and venomous person?Or had he misjudged her all along? Was this who she truly was?A bitter sneer crept into his thoughts. Women—so unfathomable, so deceitful. And the type of woman Alexander despised the most was one who played mind games with him."She's in this st