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