Harper’s POVI hurried to the door and listened for a moment. It seemed like their conversation wouldn't end anytime soon, which gave me a window of opportunity.Opening the window, I felt the cold wind hit me. I glanced at my thin nightgown and tried searching through the cabinets for other clothes. Luckily, I found a shirt—not mine, but still much better than what I was wearing.I pulled on the oversized men’s shirt, and though the pants were long, I rolled them up until the cold sensation disappeared a little.The curtains were the kind I liked—pure white, long, and draping enough. I pulled down the left curtain and knotted it tightly to secure it. As for the chain on my ankle...My eyes focused on a pair of pliers lying in the corner of the cabinet. I didn't know who had left them there, but I quickly used them to cut the chain.No one outside noticed me, which was good. This was all too chaotic—none of us could face our true feelings. Last night, Marco's words weren’t something I
Harper’s POVFour years later.“Dear Mother, I hope this letter finds you well. I've gotten used to life in France, and Joseph often says I should invite you to come and stay with us. How is Father doing? I’m sending you the bracelet I recently designed along with this letter. If you like it, please wear it and send me a photo. With love, your dearest daughter, Harper.”I folded the letter and sealed it carefully with a wax stamp, taking care to make the moment feel ceremonial."This letter is so beautiful. My talented girlfriend made it perfectly," a kiss landed on my cheek, and Joseph’s soft hair brushed against my neck."Oh, stop it." I laughed, playfully pushing him away. Sometimes, I felt like Joseph wasn't even human—more like a large, golden retriever who had taken on a human form.But I loved him just as he was.Three years ago, when I woke up in the hospital, he was there by my side. There was a comforting familiarity about him, reassuring me that he was indeed my friend.Lat
Marco’s POV"So, Father, what do you think I should do? The more I try to get her, the further she seems from my grasp."I hesitated for a moment before finally bowing my head."Marco, do you believe that everything you've done until now is really of your own will? Or, without my consent, do you think you could have taken over the Moretti family so effortlessly?"Father’s eyes were deep, and they made me remember the events from two years ago.Two years ago."Are you really going to take down your own father, Marco?"David’s face was dimly lit in the darkness. One of his men, who had been with him for a long time, had been injured and had to retreat.Facing my father's elite guard, I wasn't entirely confident. But as we broke through the perimeter, I noticed that no one tried to stop us inside.The quieter it became, the more uneasy I felt. I knew my father too well. So even as I pressed a revolver against his temple, I was terrified that I might meet my end here.Yet, he merely admit
Harper’s POV"Let's go.""Was that guy a delivery man just now? You're still sending letters to your family? What era are we living in?""Actually, compared to electronic communication, this old-fashioned way is safer. That's what my dad says.""Alright, I don't get your family, you guys are always so mysterious. But these flowers are really beautiful! Come on, take a picture of me!"Jasmine, being her usual lively self, immediately squatted down among the flowers."Get out of there first, let's eat and then we can take photos."After we had some lunch, I grabbed my camera from the bedroom and took pictures of her. Before we knew it, the whole afternoon had passed.At night, she brought her blanket and wanted to sleep with me. We turned on a small nightlight, and she lay there, her head on her pillow, then she turned to me and asked, "Harper, what do you think love is?""You've got someone you like?"Jasmine had never really talked about relationships before. To her, love never seemed
Harper’s POVAfter staying with me for a few days, Jasmine finally went back to work. My designs also received praise from my mentor. She had traveled to many countries, and after looking at my work, she said to me:"Harper, your designs are beautiful, but there's something missing—they don’t quite connect with your soul. Like this ruby here, it's cut beautifully, but paired with the diamond, it actually takes away from its shine. You need more experience and growth. I have an opportunity for you: you could work in Japan and take the chance to immerse yourself in a different culture."It just so happened that I didn’t have anything urgent to do, and I really liked the brand she offered me the opportunity with. So after discussing it with Joseph, I started packing for Japan."Oh, babe, don’t be like this. I’m not leaving forever," I said, slightly exasperated, as Joseph hugged me tight, trying to stop me from packing my things. I pushed away his head playfully."You have to promise me
Marco's POVHe tried to use that opportunity to kill me. Too bad for him, I’d never put myself in an unprotected situation—it’s basically suicide for a mafia boss.Elena fired immediately, the bullet going right through his head. After that, I found out who was backing him—it was none other than Ito Hiro, the son of Kenji Ito, the leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi in Japan.He was a spoiled brat in high school, only knowing how to mess around with women and drink. It wasn’t until Kenji Ito threatened him—saying he’d give away leadership of the Yamaguchi-gumi if he didn’t make something of himself—that he tried to prove his worth. So, encouraged by others, he made the foolish decision to come all the way to the States to make a move against me. He was an i.diot.He tried to kill me, so why would I spare him?I wouldn’t.By the time Kenji Ito learned of his son’s death, there wasn’t even a body left for him to bury.After that, I faced waves of mercenaries from all over the world trying to a
Marco's POV“If you still remember my son, you better give me an explanation.” He gave me a terrifying smile, like one of those evil sorcerers from fairy tales that Harper used to love.“Of course, I’ll give you an explanation. What I want to know is, are you grieving because he was your only heir, or because he was your son?”Kenji Ito stared at me—despite my hands being tied behind my back, I showed no fear. Finally, he made his move. He walked up the steps, drawing the blade at his waist.“Do you really think I don’t dare kill you?” The cold steel pressed against my cheek, and I could see his bloodlust climbing.“How could I think that? I’ve heard about your ruthlessness. After all, the Ito family killed a fair number of civilians during World War II. Even though your grandfather ended up on trial, it ironically elevated your family's status among extremists. Your Yamaguchi-gumi even helps the government take care of political dissidents. I’m not wrong, am I?”He didn’t move, but I
Harper's POVI went to the kitchen to make some saltwater. He had been sweating a lot, so he needed some salt to help with recovery.After placing the cup on the coffee table, I checked his temperature again. It had gone down from 102.2°F to 98.6°F, but I still needed to keep an eye on him. He hadn’t woken up yet, and my gaze lingered on the flushed skin of his neck.There, I noticed a small tattoo of an "H." It felt like fate—maybe it wasn't a coincidence that I ended up saving him.“Harper…” he murmured in his delirium.Strange. Did he know me?“Who are you calling?” After waiting for a bit without hearing more, I remembered he was probably just talking nonsense from the fever. Still, I leaned in to listen seriously.But just as I closed the door, his once-closed eyes suddenly opened.Marco's POVI knew perfectly well how dangerous this was. If Harper ignored me or if someone else found me, it would lead to more trouble. But I didn’t care—this was the only reckless way I had left to
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