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