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
Harper’s POV“What are you freaking out about?” Marco turned around, clearly annoyed.“I said stop the car, I need to go back and find him.”Without realizing it, tears were streaming down my face. My cheeks ached from crying.Marco’s expression darkened. We stayed like that for a while, locked in silence. Finally, he cursed under his breath and ordered the driver to stop.The door swung open, and he yanked me out of the car. “Look around, it’s the middle of the night. Do you think I brought a whole team to pick you up for fun? Can you stop being so damn stubborn?”It hit me then that it was late at night. Joseph had probably sent Marco to take me away because he didn’t want to face me. That’s what Joseph meant when he talked about the future. He chose to run instead of talking things through.I swallowed back more tears as my chest tightened. I didn’t want to believe it. Just this morning, everything seemed perfect. Joseph promised we’d be together forever. How could he change his mi