"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
Harper's POVWhen I started struggling, I realized how much of a disadvantage it was to have my hands tied. Something felt wrong, but I had no time to dwell on it. Seeing my bound state seemed to bring a satisfied expression to his face.His fingers entered me again, the calluses on them rubbing against my most sensitive parts, sometimes deliberately pressing down. The pleasure slowly climbed higher, and I began to tremble uncontrollably, making unfamiliar noises.“Bastard... Marco... please, let me go... no...”He ignored me, continuing to work his fingers. His head was buried between my breasts, licking and sucking. My stomach tightened, and my core contracted rapidly as a wave of sensation took over me. I shivered, my hips arching high.“Ah—”After the c.limax, I felt like I was floating on clouds, weightless and disoriented. He finally withdrew his fingers, not making any further moves.But the emptiness in my core made it worse. His withdrawal left me aching, empty instead of com
Marco's POV“I’ll eat at school.” She avoided looking at me—not the shy kind of avoidance, but cold and distant. I paused, taken aback.She pulled her hand away from mine, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Now that you’re back, you won’t think I’m meeting some other man, will you?”I knew she was angry, but I didn’t fully understand why. I just knew that, for now, the best course of action was to give her space. My throat felt dry, and an unexplainable sense of unease made it impossible for me to let her leave so easily.“You’re not feeling well. Just stay home and rest.”“Are you planning on f.ucking me again?” She exposed the bruises on her wrists.“You’re truly hopeless, Marco.” She turned, shouldering her bag, and walked away. The servants didn’t dare stop her.I sat down on the chair in the bedroom, sending a message to Elena: “Keep an eye on her. Contact me if there’s any issue.”But I couldn’t suppress my anger and ended up smashing every piece of porcelain on the table.Harper'