Harper's POV "Mom, I need to talk to you." As soon as I got home, I went straight to my mother. She was the only one who could make me feel warm and safe."I don’t want to go to school anymore. Can you get me a tutor instead? Exams are coming up soon anyway."I looked at the message Joseph had sent me again. Sophia had gone to Joseph’s mom and his mom hates our relationship. He would be leaving to study abroad soon. If all went well, he would get into Oxford."Harper?" My mom’s voice brought me back. She entered the room, holding a glass of milk."Sweetie, do you have something else to say?""Mom, I want to go study in the UK. I just need some time away, and I want to focus on my studies."I buried myself in her arms, letting her warm, scented hands pat my back gently."My darling, I know you’ve had a lot on your mind since the wedding. If you want to go, then go."She pulled my blanket up. "Don’t worry, I won’t tell your father or your brother."I nodded.Time went by quickly. Months
Marco's POV When I saw her lying on the ground, it felt like all the blood in my body started flowing in reverse. If David hadn't held me back, my first instinct would have been to run over and rescue her, even before taking down those bastards.Sophia had always been foolish, and this time was no different. If it weren't for the trouble caused by the person with her, I would've arrived even faster. The transfer amount was fake, and she didn’t even notice. I had hired some experts in hacking, and when I tracked Harper's location, I informed my father and mother.That's when I learned she had been planning to go to the UK to study behind my back. But all of that didn't matter compared to her safety. I only hated myself for not being the one she could trust.I shot Sophia dead, but the man by her side managed to escape. David and his men went after him. I picked up Harper, her skin scorching hot and her back soaked in cold sweat.The accompanying doctor checked her briefly and said she'
"You're awake?"When I opened my eyes again, a face was right in front of me, close enough that I could feel his breath against my ear. My mind started to clear, and I remembered what had happened yesterday. I pulled the blanket around me and tried to inch away.He reached out and pulled me back closer, "What's this? Regret after making love with me?"I buried my head in the pillow without making a sound, but deep down, I was full of regret.Ah, Harper, how could you make those sounds last night?But... just thinking about what happened last night made my body start to react. My core felt wet again. So this is what s.ex feels like... but the fact that it was my stepbrother who brought me this pleasure—that made it all the more frustrating. This wasn't how things were supposed to be.I mustered the strength to sit up. "Just pretend that nothing happened last night, okay? You didn't lose anything."The smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a serious expression that scared me
"Harper, I want to apologize for what happened this time." He lowered his head, making me feel uncomfortable.“You… you don’t need to do that.”He placed his hand on top of mine, giving it a few comforting pats."I know you value a peaceful life. Without your permission, I brought you into our family affairs, and you’ve suffered a lot because of it. But I hope you understand—I’ve always wanted a daughter. Marco became distant after his mother died; it’s something he’s never let go of."“He… he mentioned it to me.” I thought about how I had run off that day and felt my face flush with embarrassment.“He really likes you. As a father, I’ve failed in not noticing his feelings for you sooner. I always thought you two disliked each other. But Marco has always cared for you. When you were betrayed by your ex-boyfriend, it was Marco who found someone to teach that boy a lesson. And as for Angelo…”He suddenly sighed, and I realized how distant that name felt.“Has Marco told you about the fe
The next morning, I had my things packed and ready to go. When I opened the door, I found breakfast already laid out on the table."Did the maid get here this early?"He turned around, and that’s when I realized he was wearing a shirt and an apron. The apron was a bit too small for him, making it look oddly funny.“You made breakfast? Thanks.” I sat down at the dining table, where a white porcelain plate held crispy toast brushed with honey, and the delicious aroma made my mouth water.“Eat more. I’ll take you to the dorm afterward.” He took off the apron and sat right next to me.“There’s a whole table; do you really need to sit right here?” I gave him a look, though I spoke with my mouth full, making my words a bit unclear.He reached over and wiped something off my face, and the unfamiliar touch made me feel awkward.“You had crumbs on your face.” He showed me the crumbs on his fingers.“Oh.”I stuffed the last bite of toast into my mouth and slung my bag over my shoulder.“Let’s g
The atmosphere quickly grew cold.I turned my head to look out the window, avoiding Marco’s stern face. It was strange—Patrick always said Marco was emotionless. Yet, I had seen so many different sides of him. An odd feeling slowly bubbled up inside me again.My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen. It was a message from Joseph. He must have seen my latest picture on Instagram."Harper! You’re in the UK? When can I come see you at school?"I had almost forgotten that Joseph came to study in the UK last year. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea, as I hadn’t come here for him. Besides, now I am married.But I did feel responsible for dragging him into my mess. If it weren’t for me, Sophia wouldn’t have gotten to his mother and caused him to miss the tournament. Even if we couldn't be lovers, we could still be good friends."Maybe in a bit. I need to go home for the next few days.""Alright, let me know!"I smiled at the sticker he sent of a cat spinning around, acting cute. It
"What are you doing?" The backseat of this sports car was quite cramped, and when Marco pulled me in, my elbow got painfully wedged in the door's gap.He was clearly angry but forced a smile that was more terrifying than comforting."Harper, I think I’ve been too lenient with you. David, inform them that the meeting is postponed to tomorrow. Drive us back to the villa now."David threw me a subtle wink, but it did little to help; any hope I had was gone. Just earlier, Joseph had been left standing outside, and I wondered if he was alright. I reached into my pocket, wanting to send him a message explaining things.Before I could, Marco grabbed my wrist. "I'm right here, and you're already itching to message someone else?"Whether it was his grip or his chilling gaze, I couldn’t say—I withdrew my hand silently, turning my head away to avoid looking at him.Would avoiding eye contact work?As soon as the car stopped, Marco opened the door without saying a word to David and lifted me out.
Marco's POVShe probably doesn’t realize how much her tear-streaked face, when she sat up earlier, hurt me.I know there’s nothing going on between her and Joseph, but just knowing that Joseph likes her is enough to drive me insane.David texted me in the afternoon, telling me not to push Harper away. But what could I do? I’m the eldest son of the Moretti family, poised to become the king of the underworld, yet I can't seem to win the one woman I want.As she focused on drying my hair, she had no idea I could see her reflection in the side mirror. Most of the time, I’ve received looks of expectation, fear, hatred, and disgust, but never one like this—gentle and attentive.She'll never know how her cool fingertips, carrying warm air as they brushed against my scalp, sent shivers down my spine.I could feel my breathing getting heavier.Marco, you can’t scare her again.So I got up and placed a blanket in the middle of the bed. “You should go wash up.”“Are you seriously going to sleep
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