Harper’s POVBang!The explosion echoed, and fireworks lit up the sky above the beach. My sense of reason snapped back into place, and I quickly pushed Marco away, putting some distance between us.“Surprise!”Cheering voices rang out from afar.I suddenly understood. Turning around, I saw a group of people approaching, led by Angelo. He walked through the crowd, holding a bouquet of bright red roses, a big smile on his face.But something felt surreal, as if the situation with Marco just now had shattered some kind of boundary.Did I love Angelo? I wasn’t sure. We were dating, but did that mean we had to get married?A strange feeling stirred within me, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint it. My mind wandered until I heard Angelo call my name: “Harper.” I realized I had been lost in thought.I quickly pulled myself back, returning his smile. Seeing my expression, he visibly relaxed.“Harper, from the moment I first saw you, I was captivated. You probably didn’t even notice me back then. Yo
"Do you really want to marry him?" He finally asked, his teeth clenched, after I could feel the strain in my neck."Isn’t that what you wanted? When Angelo proposed to me, wasn’t your frustration because I hesitated? I said yes, and now you’re unhappy—what’s your problem? Isn’t this what serves your purpose?"He let out a cold laugh, his hands sliding down from where they had been pressing against the seat beside my ears. We were now almost touching, and the proximity was unbearable.His breath was too close, too warm—strangely warm for someone like him."Do you love him?"That question was impossible for me to answer. My rational mind was useless when dealing with Marco. To fight back against him, I blurted out, "I don’t know if I love him, but I certainly don’t love you."Only after the words left my mouth did I realize I had provoked him, and so I went silent.He grabbed my face, and I could feel that if he applied any more force, he could easily break my neck."I’ll ask you one mo
Harper's POVThe next day, I went to school as usual, and everything seemed to have returned to normal. I hadn't even graduated yet, and I thought the wedding would be a long way off, but I underestimated the enthusiasm of the elders for the ceremony. My mom and Angelo's mother were busy every day preparing for it, as if they couldn't wait to hold the wedding tomorrow.This morning at six, my mom woke me up."Honey, I made plans with Angelo's mother. We're going to visit the venue for your engagement party today. The holiday is coming soon, so you'll get engaged first, and then after graduation, we'll have the wedding ceremony.""Mom, just let me sleep a little longer...""Sweetheart," Mom gently kissed my forehead. "Angelo's mother likes you a lot, and she’s never really had the chance to meet you."With no choice, I got out of bed, letting my mother dress me up like a doll, before we drove to an estate in the suburbs.From the exterior of the house, I couldn’t imagine it belonged to
Harper's POVThe next day, Angelo came over to my house. Despite his polished look, he seemed exhausted.I didn't know what he had said to my parents, but my mother's gloomy expression from the past few days had brightened considerably.I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. After all, wasn't I supposed to be her favorite daughter?When I playfully shook her arm and acted spoiled, she just smiled and hugged me tighter, "Sweetheart, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be so kind to him."Though Angelo made an appearance, Marco was nowhere to be found. I pouted a little. He wouldn’t actually skip my engagement, right?Suddenly, the image of Marco kissing me flashed in my mind. I quickly shook myself back to reality. Get a grip, Harper. I shouldn’t be worried about him.Seeing me dazing off, Mom picked up her phone and opened some photos to show me some jewelry she had picked out. She said she'd take me to collect some custom pieces tomorrow morning.As we were discussing which one loo
The driver felt deeply guilty, blaming himself for failing my father's expectations.I kept reassuring him. This wasn’t his fault—it was my lack of caution.The guy who had helped me didn’t interrupt our conversation, but I definitely wouldn’t forget my savior.“Thank you for saving me, Spider-Man,” I said, extending my hand. He was wearing a polo shirt with a Spider-Man logo.“No problem. Just drop me off at the next corner. My mom will worry if I’m home too late.” He rubbed his messy curls and smiled.I couldn’t help but smile too. He was a laid-back guy. I took out my phone, added his WhatsApp, and promised I’d get him an identical skateboard.He waved goodbye as he got off the car.My parents found out about what happened with the thugs, especially my mom, who was nearly in tears.I had to swear to God I’d never go out alone again and would always bring bodyguards. Only then did she relax.The next morning, I went with my mother to the jewelry shop for my custom pieces that would
Marco's POVIt had been months since I last saw Harper, and I assumed she would still be afraid of me, especially after our last unpleasant encounter. But when I saw her today, and she met my gaze with such calmness, I realized she was more mature than I’d imagined.Of course, she still disliked me—I could feel it.She was like a wild, untamed horse, rebellious, stubborn, beautiful, full of life. From the moment I first laid eyes on her, I wanted to conquer her.During these past months, I went through hellish experiences. Every day was the same: shooting, smoking cigars, and having s.ex. Yet, d.amn it, the sound of gunfire, the smell of cigars, and the moans of women all reminded me of her. Time after time, I would imagine that the woman beneath me was her. I’d ravish her, I told myself, I’d conquer her completely.Each night, a carefully chosen woman would be delivered to me. My men had gradually learned my preferences, and the women they selected looked more and more like Harper. T
Since the engagement, Marco and Angelo have disappeared again. But I don’t really care anymore. Mom's busy planning the wedding, and I spend my days reading at home.Reading has become my new hobby—it helps me calm down. I even sent a new skateboard to the guy who saved me that one night, through our housekeeper. We haven't contacted each other since.Days passed by, just like that.Tonight, the maid made my favorite barbecue. Even though I was trying to diet, the smell was just too tempting, and I ended up eating more than I planned.My stomach felt a little bloated, so I changed into some loose clothes and decided to take a walk around the garden. I wanted to check out the fresh green plants, and honestly, it made me feel really good.I’d never really taken a close look at the flowers planted in the garden. Now that I had some free time, I started examining their textures and colors carefully. By the time the bloated feeling had finally gone away, the moon was already high in the sk
I hadn’t closed the window, and the gentle breeze was a good way to get rid of the bloody smell in the room. I turned the bedside lamp down to the lowest setting, moved the clothes rack to the window, and lit two scented candles from the bathroom.The clothes hanging on the rack could prevent my shadow from being seen on the curtain—something Elena had taught me.I checked on him. Though he had cuts on his arms and back, the worst injury was the one on his abdomen. Blood kept seeping out, soaking his shirt in that area.I climbed on a chair to grab the first-aid kit from my dad's study, then found some scissors in my room. The next step was to cut his clothes open.He was half-unconscious by now, the blood and his pale face giving him a strangely fragile beauty. A mix of strength and vulnerability showed on his face.I cut along the edge of the bloodstains, opening up his shirt. His defined abs and V-line came into view.The hem of his white shirt was a mess after I cut it open, but i
Lydia did not sleep comfortably. In her dream, she felt that she was being watched by eyes all the time.Whether she was walking, eating or bathing, there was a pair of eyes watching her all the time, making her feel a hint of shame. Especially when she was taking a shower, those eyes were like big hands, their gaze caressing her body to the last detail, not sparing a single skin.Lydia couldn't keep her eyes open. In her dreams, she was naked, lying on the bed, feeling the gaze of those eyes. Slowly, a man came to the bed, hugged her from behind, and then caressed her while kissing her.This feeling ......Lydia squirmed restlessly, unable to tell if she was enjoying it or resisting it, as the man's body behind her grew hotter and hotter, and she knew what would happen next ......The clips of her lovemaking with Vince kept flashing into her mind: Vince's hot breath, the p.ennis stained with her bodily fluids, the shameful lovemaking positions, the shivering p.ussy, the ambiguous moa
The smell of alcohol from the hospital, the faint scent of jasmine in the room, mixed with Vince's hot breath and Lydia's scent, everything became misty.Vince's throat twitched, and he licked his lips, which were dry from the heat, and then kissed the lips of Lydia, whom he had been longing for.Lydia squirmed at first out of unease, and slowly, as Vince kissed her deeper and deeper, her breathing became unsteady, even whimpering like a cat.The two of them kissed passionately, and Lydia put both hands on Vince's shoulders, lying softly on the bed, close to him.Vince pushed her away slightly, leaving a palm's length, and quickly stripped her of her clothes.Vince reached out and pressed the curtain button. The curtains blocked out the light, and the room was dark, with only a few small lights emitting a dim, ambiguous glow. The "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door was lit up. No one would break in, and it was their time.Vince came out of the indulgent kiss in a ragged breath, looking
Lydia's eyes moistened as she recalled the events of the past on campus.God still favored her by allowing her to meet Vince again instead of letting her marry those hypocritical and lustful rich men.Although Vince is now a bit changed, tainted with some billionaire habits, such as arrogance and dominance, but his feelings for Lydia have not changed, nor has he become the kind of womanizer who indulges in one-night stands.More importantly, Lydia has always had feelings for him as well.Never mind, as long as they can live happily together, even if their second encounter is somewhat unhappy, so what?Lydia doesn't even care about that right now, she just prays that Vince will wake up.She took Vince's hand and put his hand on her face."Vince, you're a bad man. You said you'd be safe, and you broke your word.""Vince, you need to stop sleeping. I'll forgive you for what you did before if you wake up now.""If you wake up, I promise you. I will be your girlfriend, get married to you,
With Vince's handsome appearance and intelligence, even though he hid his family background, he was a hit on campus and was often courted by girls.He never wanted to fall in love because he thought women were a pain in the ass. And his mother was too strong a person, and he had a long way to go to pass the test to inherit the family fortune. During his college years, Vince was so full of how to become a stronger man that he didn't think about falling in love.Falling in love is a very troublesome thing, like a chewing gum which is being stuck on clothes. You remember what it tastes like, but it becomes a piece of junk that sticks to you.Vince is a cool guy. How can he be trapped by such a ridiculous thing?He didn't think that he would fall for this damn couple's activity. What pisses him off even more is that he was rejected!Vince, the heir of a famous American luxury hotel, a handsome man who was in the top 10 of the nation's golden bachelors at the age of 18, was rejected by a w
Lydia stayed in the room and did nothing but clean Vince's body and speak to him.Lydia wasn't sure if Vince could hear her. She was the only one in the room except Vince, and she either read Vince some interesting news or drew some strange patterns on his face to tease him. After all, Vince is at his best now. She won't have that opportunity when he wakes up."What are we talking about today?" Lydia sat next to Vince and held his hand to reminisce, "Do you remember when we were in college and you always liked to scare me when we were walking at night. You were such a badass sometimes, hiding behind big trees on purpose, waiting until I was so scared and about to cry before you showed up, or waiting for me to scream and jump into your arms."Lydia's voice is soft. The warm spring breeze blows the clean white curtains, and her thoughts are lost in the old days.Lydia and Vince's encounter was quite dramatic. When they first started college, they were at their most rebellious. In order
Lydia boarded a private plane arranged by Cecil in the early hours of the morning and finally arrived at Vince's hospital room just as the sun was rising.At the first sight of Vince, Lydia's heart skipped a beat from worry.Vince was lying in bed. His sleeping face was like an ancient Greek sculpture through time, calm and heavy. He was wearing these light gray pajamas, his lips were white and bloodless, adding a sense of brokenness to his cold face.He had various metal sensors strapped to his hands and arms, connected to different instruments through colorful tubes.In Lydia's memory, only those who were dying in the movie were connected to so many instruments."Why is this happening?" How is Vince doing?" Lydia tried desperately to control her trembling voice and turned to ask Cecil and Ulric.Cecil's attention was still on probing Lydia. He was very curious as to what kind of woman could make Vince go against the grain and turn from a love insulator to an infatuated man.Ulric ga
On the way to the hospital, Vince went about his business as usual, and even had a phone call with Vivian to handle some US work remotely. But when arriving at the hospital, Vince's body started to heat up and his will was a little unclear."How did this happen?" Ulric stood outside the emergency room with a frown and a serious expression.Cecil, meanwhile, paced back and forth in the hallway in a hurry. "If something bad had happened to Vince, I would have killed Derrick myself!"The incident today was indeed a surprise beyond their expectations. They had thought that the worst thing that could happen was a breakdown in negotiations, not realizing that the new mafia leader had abandoned the traditions that the mafia had upheld for years and started going rogue.Early in the morning, Cecil is just out at a cafe drinking coffee and flirting with a French beauty. He is not a shareholder in the business, so he has no intention of getting involved in the affair, nor does he want to expose
A conference room with a baroque style.Thick velvet curtains blocked the light from the windows. A long table made of precious wood is in the middle of the room, and several wide and comfortable black boss chairs are placed on each side of the table.Frescoes, candelabras and other decorations make this room look even less like a modern room and more like the council chambers of aristocrats centuries ago.Soft lighting adds a touch of mystery and obscurity to the room. Two groups of senior bodyguards with sunglasses stood on either side of the room.In the middle of the room, there are some men sitting in the boss's chair with their faces hidden in the shadows of the light, making the atmosphere more elusive."I have always appreciated some of the principles of your mafia, such as keeping your promises and treating your partners well, and that is why I chose to work with you. But I don't know why you, as the new mafia leader, would break these rules. I think we need an explanation."
In the Rolls-Royce car, Lydia leaned back in her seat with her head resting on the window.The car was running smoothly, the shock absorption design made it almost impossible to feel any shaking. The street lights reflected in the car windows, flashing Lydia's face as the car moved.The colorful lights lit up Lydia's face, and then the darkness swallowed her expression again.Vince sat quietly next to her and did not disturb her.Lydia felt more comfortable than ever. Her hand still hurt from hitting Bernice's face so hard.So this is the feeling of fighting back. In the old days, grievance, sadness, and powerlessness wrapped around her like an invisible thick cloth, leaving her with a feeling of suffocation. Her parents didn't care about her, forcing her to be a woman that rich men would like: meek, obedient, and easy to control. No one told Lydia she could say no to injustice, and no one stood behind her to help her fight back against her bullies. Tolerance was her only recourse bef