Marco's POVI stood on the balcony. The North American wind was free, even the moonlight felt gentle here. I looked down at his hand. Something in my fingers reflected the moonlight, like a star.It was a diamond necklace. I closed his eyes, imagining how beautiful it would look on Harper's neck. Her slender neck reminded me of a swan from a ballet performance. I thought about how I could wrap my hand around that delicate neck.The necklace matched perfectly with the dress she wore tonight.A gust of wind blew through, rustling the leaves in the garden below, shattering the silence. In my mind, I saw again the scene of the boy kissing the girl that afternoon.Suddenly, an unexplainable irritation welled up inside me.I watched them for a few seconds longer before leaving. I had seen it all very clearly—her flushed cheeks after the kiss, her lips swollen from the kiss, and her swan-like neck, every fine vein beneath her pale skin visible to him.“Damn it!” I kicked over the wooden loun
Harper’s POVAfter showering, my body felt much lighter. The exhaustion was washed away, and even my emotional burden felt less heavy. But I was still so tired today, barely able to keep my eyes open.It was already late, and there was no sound from downstairs. Everyone must have gone to bed.I wanted to go down to the kitchen to grab a glass of water before going back to sleep.The servants had cleaned up and left the villa. The living room was pitch dark and incredibly quiet. I didn’t turn on the lights; I didn’t want to disturb anyone. I knew the house well by now. Yawning, I navigated the dark living room. Sometimes, I’d come down for water in the middle of the night—this route had become muscle memory.But as I passed the couch, my leg bumped into something hard yet warm.Someone was sitting on the couch!My body reacted faster than my mind; I stumbled back, taking two quick steps away. In the moonlight, I saw it was my stepbrother—Marco.I clutched my chest, trying to make my vo
Harper’s POVOur house was still some distance from the party venue. I wanted to sit comfortably, but the person beside me made me feel stiff and uneasy.I kept my breathing shallow, afraid he might talk to me or do something.The atmosphere was tense, but just then, the driver slammed the brakes suddenly, and I lunged forward from the momentum. A hand grabbed me from behind, pulling me back into his chest.“My apologies, a cat just ran across the road,” the driver turned back and apologized to us.I quickly sat up, straightening my messy hair and putting distance between us. “It’s alright, just be careful.”Unlucky. The very thing I dreaded came true.I pressed myself against the car door, holding onto the handle, not wanting to look in his direction at all.After we had driven for a while, my phone in my purse vibrated. It was a message from Matthew.“Dear princess, you haven’t messaged me all day. Do you have some time today? I recently discovered a nice restaurant that I think you
Harper’s POVThe next morning, I was woken up by my mom. I almost overslept again.Yawning as I brushed my hair, I pulled on my shirt and skirt. Parties really weren’t for me, I thought.More precisely, it was the “adults’” kind of party. I felt like a kid sitting there, watching adults talk about things I couldn’t understand at all.Once I finished fixing my hair, I went downstairs, grabbed a few bites of breakfast, and then got in the car for school.In the car, I received a friend request from an unfamiliar number.“Harper, I was a guest at the party yesterday. It was love at first sight for me, so I asked your father for your contact information.”I didn’t know who he was, but since he was someone from the party, I thought it best not to offend him. So I accepted the request.“Hi.”“Hi.”“Let me introduce myself. Yesterday, you met my father, Jack Conti. I am his successor, Angelo. We will have many collaborations with the Moretti family in the future. I know this may seem abrupt,
Marco’s POVThe rain had come without warning, but it wasn't my concern. Someone beside me offered an umbrella.I waved everyone back. David and I strolled in the rain. The sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella made a muffled noise, a constant patter that isolated us from the world.If Harper were here, she’d be surprised. She probably didn’t know that David was the largest shareholder of this school.This school had been established by David and his family, which is why when she came to the U.S., my father sent her here.Only this way could Harper’s safety be ensured. Perhaps it was because David was too busy that he couldn't keep a constant eye on her, so her relationship with that boy hadn’t reached our ears.Today, after finishing a meeting, I came to the school to see David. In truth, there wasn’t anything particularly urgent that I needed to discuss with him. I couldn't quite understand why I felt the need to come—it was as though I simply wanted to see her.David noticed my r
Harper's POVIn the days since breaking up with Matthew, I thought I would feel terrible, but time does heal all wounds. Angelo often invited me out; he was a gentleman and understanding, and many of my uncertainties were quickly resolved. Eventually, I even found the breakup somewhat relieving.I also gave careful consideration to my father’s suggestion. He said that, aside from any idea of an arranged marriage, he thought Angelo was a good person. I agreed and started to consider the possibility of us dating.This morning at school, Matthew came to apologize. Having dated him for a while, I knew very well what kind of person he was.When we were together, I liked his pride and the way he shone; those were good qualities. But when his pride turned into arrogance and started to hurt me, I began to hate it. He was a conceited person, and for him to swallow his pride and apologize was as rare as rain falling upward. But I didn’t care anymore about someone who had betrayed me.As I was s
Angelo’s POVHarper truly was beautiful, but her beauty was different from Sophia's.There was a vitality about her. At first, my approach toward her carried ulterior motives, but now, I couldn’t tell if my feelings for her were about business or my heart.“Angelo, do you really like Harper? Sure, she’s pretty, but she seems boring, huh?”I followed his gaze, seeing the girl floating in the sea.I understood what he meant. Harper was reserved, not like the kind of girl who’d scream for you in bed.I’ve slept with many women, and to be honest, if it wasn’t for the arranged marriage, I wouldn’t have looked at a girl like Harper.But now, I have different thoughts.The smile on my lips froze for a moment. “If you like w.hores, go find one. Who gave you the guts to judge my woman?”Everyone here today was the heir of some family. But being an heir depended on the strength of the family, and the Moretti and Conti families were undoubtedly at the top. Others could only defer to us.This man
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
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