Marco's POVThe fat man was taken away, and Elena, with a disgusted look, twisted open a bottle of water and rinsed off her shoes. "Next time, could you give me something with a bit more skill involved? You have no idea how gross that guy's stare was."Of course, I knew. That's why he’d be gone from the company by tomorrow.“What time is it now?”“Five in the morning.”“You guys can head back. I still have something to take care of.”Harper's POV“The flight from Tokyo to Paris is about to land.”I rubbed my sore neck. Since I booked the ticket on a whim, I couldn’t get a seat in business class, so I had to settle for economy. The long flight had left me exhausted.When I turned my phone back on, messages flooded in. With the vibration mode on, it was like my phone had turned into a mini massager.Most of the messages were from Marco. Joseph was probably still asleep, given that he wasn’t feeling well. Marco had sent me the meeting notes along with a few random updates.As I skimmed t
Joseph's POVHe twirled the glass of golden liquid, the ice cubes clinking softly under the dim, amber lighting. The atmosphere was heavy, suffocating almost.“Do you know why I wanted to meet you?” Marco's voice was deceptively calm, but the storm brewing in his eyes was undeniable. He slowly spun his chair around, his gaze piercing through me. The tension that had been building inside me suddenly snapped, loosening just a bit. It wasn't just me—Marco's emotions were just as affected by Harper as mine were.“You found out, didn't you?”Though my words sounded like a question, it was clear from the tone that I already knew the answer.“Bam!” In a flash, Marco kicked the chair aside and punched me square in the face. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, feeling the familiar sting.I flexed my wrists, returning the favor by landing a punch right on his perfect face. "Are you doing this for Harper, or is it just your own selfishness?" I spat, gripping his collar. His knee drove
Harper’s POVI sat in the waiting room, growing more impatient with each passing hour. I had asked the staff multiple times when I could leave, but even when I threatened to file a complaint, no one gave me a straight answer.Biting my lip, I pulled out my phone. "Dad, I’m stuck at the airport in France... No, I don’t know why... Okay."I wasn’t sure if this had anything to do with the strange text message I’d received, but the uncertainty gnawed at me. I waited for what felt like an eternity before a staff member finally arrived."Ms., we apologize for the inconvenience. After our checks, you're free to leave."As they led me through the terminal, I started to notice something strange. The route wasn’t right. My heart pounded harder when I realized the woman in front of me wasn’t wearing an official badge.This isn’t right. Panic surged through me, making my legs weak. Stay calm! I dug my nails into my palm, using the sharp sting to focus.Ahead, there was a corner near the second do
Marco’s POV“So, are you planning to give up?” Elena’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she followed me, suitcase in hand.“If you want to stay in France, I won’t stop you,” she teased. “After all, there are plenty of beauties here.”I wasn’t in the mood for jokes, so I ignored her comment. She sighed dramatically. “Alright, no more jokes. Are you really planning to destroy the Ito family this time?”I thought of Harper’s pale face, the worry etched on her features, and I nodded.“You guys have been too idle lately. I thought I’d give you something to do.”“Bullshit,” Elena muttered. “You think we’re not risking our lives every day?”“You think I’m not?” I shot back, my voice cold as ice.I knew how many so-called mafia bosses met their ends in gruesome ways. Even with the power I wielded, my life was constantly hanging by a thread.“Then why are you so set on bringing Harper back to your side?” Elena’s tone shifted, the playfulness vanishing as she fixed me with a serious gaze.I turned
Harper’s POV“What do you want to say?” I asked, though deep down, I had a hunch. After all, we had no personal connection, and our conversation could only be about Marco.She seemed to read my mind. “I’m not just here to talk about Marco. To be precise, I’m here to tell you something important, something you might already have started to figure out.”Images of the file I had received yesterday flashed through my mind, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “You mean that file? Was this your idea of a joke?”I didn’t truly believe any of it. To me, it seemed like Marco and his friends were just playing games, trying to mess with me.“This isn’t a joke, Harper. That file wasn’t some prank. It was sent to you by a local Yakuza organization in Japan. You’re the stepdaughter of the former boss of the Moretti family. You’re not his biological daughter, and yes, Marco is your brother, but not by blood. You met him years ago, and things didn’t go smoothly between you two. After that, Marco was sent
Harper's POVAfter a day of rest, the pain in my head had subsided quite a bit. When Joseph saw me, he couldn’t resist scolding me, “Why didn’t you call a doctor? You seriously hit your head against the wall?”He sat on the couch, pouting in frustration. I couldn’t help but crawl over and hug him, and after some playful comforting, we both calmed down.“Is your work all done?” he asked.“Yeah, I’m thinking of making some plans over the next couple of days so we can finally relax and have some fun,” I said, my mouth full of bread as I spoke, chewing between words.“Drink some water,” he said, handing me a glass, then sitting beside me. “Have you thought about your future career plans?”I shot him a look. “Why? Are you getting tired of me?”“Of course not,” he chuckled. “But if you’re not planning to pursue further studies, my mother mentioned she wants to arrange a meeting with your parents.”I nearly choked at his words. Joseph had to quickly give me water so I didn’t become the first
Harper’s POVEven though I had mentally prepared myself, seeing Marco at this event only solidified the truth of the information Elena and the documents had revealed. I felt a mix of emotions swirling inside me—confusion, disbelief, and a bit of defiance.Did he really see me as his possession? Who gave him the right to say I couldn’t get engaged?Joseph gently patted my hand, trying to soothe me. “Apologies, but we’ll be taking our leave now,” he said, guiding me past Marco. Just as we were about to walk by, Marco grabbed my wrist, his hand burning hot against my skin, making me instinctively pull away.“Are you sure you want to leave with him?” Marco’s voice was low and intense.I tried to pull my arm free, but his grip was unyielding. “Let go of me.”Joseph stepped in, helping me to break free from Marco’s grasp. The tension between the two of them was palpable. For a long moment, they stared at each other, neither willing to back down.Then Marco smiled—a cold, unsettling smile. “
Marco's POV“What exactly are you thinking right now?”“You know Harper is my wife. You saw how von’s family doesn’t respect her at all. Don’t you understand what would happen to her if she actually married into that family?”I couldn’t believe my father wasn’t aware of what was going on. He’s always cared too much about Harper, never wanting to go against her wishes, but sometimes, doing what she wants isn’t what’s best for her. His overindulgence might just end up hurting her.“I know that, Marco. But if you keep going against her will, you won’t win her love,” my father said, looking at me with an expression that made me feel like I was missing something important.Why? Why couldn’t I just take what I wanted?As I walked downstairs, I saw Harper coming up, looking down at her phone. Joseph wasn’t with her. She noticed my footsteps and glanced up at me. I couldn’t help but study her closely, realizing how much I had taken her for granted. She had always been the sweet, lively girl I
"I don't know.""You don't know? Then how did you have a baby?"In Lydia's world, having a baby is something that requires two people to engage in. A man and a woman have s.ex, then the woman is conceived, and eventually gives birth to a baby. Only in mythology are there stories of young girls getting pregnant without having s.ex, which are usually miracles.So Gwen ......"Wait!" Gwen reached out and knocked Lydia on the head. She knew that Lydia, as a designer, had a rich imagination. "Don't fantasize too much. We live in the real world, not the supernatural world, OK? As a healthy adult woman, if I want to get pregnant, there are only two ways. Making love to a man or artificial insemination.""So Pearl is a Test Tube Baby?" Lydia had learned about IVF at a college orientation. While it's a technology that brings hope to many couples, it also puts women through a lot of pain. The size of the follicles is tested, ovulation is facilitated, eggs are retrieved with long syringes, and t
Countless questions filled Lydia's head.Gwen had never had a boyfriend since her parents died. She had to fight like a warrior woman every day against her uncle who tried to steal her property. As the first female CEO, many men approached Gwen with various intentions, but Gwen kept her head clear and never fell for men's rhetoric.Why is Gwen pregnant?Who is the father of the baby?Why did she choose to give birth to the baby alone in secret?There is no doubt that Gwen's disappearance was related to her pregnancy. She disappeared when she was pregnant, isolating all news related to her pregnancy, and only returned like a victorious queen when the baby was born.Gwen saw these doubts in Lydia's expression and she smiled faintly. "I'll explain to you slowly when I get back, it's complicated. Now can you please introduce these men?""Hello, beauty. Oh, if you don't mind me calling you that. I'm Cecil, the owner of Denve's Bar." Cecil held out a hand, didn't wait for Lydia to react bef
The two of them were so involved in making love that it seemed to meld their souls together and then break them up in half.Lydia was so tired that she closed her eyes and passed out. Vince also closed his eyes and enjoyed the afterglow of his o.rgasm, but he wasn't sleepy at all and his spirits were high.Vince held Lydia in his arms and kissed her. Reason told him that one lovemaking session was enough for her, but his body refused to let her go. He went along with the position of holding her from behind and thrust in, buried deep inside, moving tenderly and slowly. She woke up, half asleep in a thin, delicate hum. "Baby ......," Vince kissed her ear heavily, "come again ......, okay?"Lydia softly "mmm", with a strong nasal sound.Vince’s heart skipped a beat, his p.enis against her moving desperately, and finally in her long, soft cries to reach the climax ......The third time.Vince coaxed her to do it again, and how could Lydia refuse him? She slowly turned her face to kiss hi
Lydia almost jumped into the car that Vince had given her and shouted to the driver anxiously, "Please drive fast, I want to go back."When the driver saw Lydia's anxious look, he didn't delay anymore and drove in the direction of the hospital right away. But when she arrived at the hospital, Vince was not there."Vince went to inspect his property. Oh, that's a luxury hotel. Now that the mafia's leader has gone nowhere, those enemies have naturally retreated. As the CEO, Vince went to inspect the hotel to make sure everything was in order." Cecil answered Lydia while playing with his golden retriever on the hospital lawn, enjoying his last vacation in Europe.When he goes back home, what awaits him is a fiancée and a marriage that gives him a headache. Although Cecil hadn't thought of a way to cope with this, he decided to ditch these worries for now and enjoy the French sunshine."The driver knows the address of the hotel, so you can take a car and go straight there. Please remember
Over the next few days, Lydia moved to the lounge to sleep at night because she was worried about the wounds on Vince's body, but she found herself waking up in Vince's arms every morning.Apparently, Vince carried a sleeping Lydia to his bed every night, like a child obsessed with some kind of game. Lydia tried to protest, but Vince always said in a supplicating and sad tone, "I just want to hold you to sleep, or I'll lose sleep in the hospital. I won't do anything else, just hold you, okay?"Vince really didn't do anything excessive in bed, and Lydia felt a little impersonal if she had refused him. Besides, Vince is a sick man, and Lydia has always had an intolerance for him.Well, Vince is not really just holding Lydia.Every time Lydia woke up in the middle of the night or in the morning, Vince's hands were on her breasts.Vince's hands were so big that he could cover her breast with one hand and then rubbed it in her sleep, intentionally or unintentionally.Lydia took it as an un
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