Caraline looked up when her phone rang. Her tired face brightened when she realized that Diego had sent her another message. However, the news came from someone she hated, her cousin.[Come with your husband to the Wattson family gathering on weekends. The rest of your family and I would like to get to know your husband as a new family member. I'll send you the details of the event later.]Caraline reflexively threw her phone as soon as she finished reading the message. She made a scowl on her face with her arms crossed over her chest. This was really bad news. The long-haired woman couldn't imagine what would happen during the meeting, especially if they knew Deric's condition.Caraline rushed to the lakeside as soon as the car pulled up to the residence. She sat on a wooden chair under a tree. The woman vented her frustration by throwing rocks into the water, hoping that it would make her feel better."What should I do?"Caraline massaged her head, which suddenly felt heavy. Her fac
Deric did not immediately respond to Caraline's words. He remained silent for a while before finally saying, "I think that's a good idea."Caraline instantly looked up, studied Deric for a moment, then turned her head toward the lake. "Do you think that's a really good idea?" "Would you mind attending?" Deric moved closer to Caraline. "I can hear the dislike in the way you speak."Caraline adjusted her hair a few times, walking towards the edge of the lake. "What do I have to fear from a family gathering?" "I never said that you were scared."Caraline closed her eyes, letting out a long breath. "You must have heard wrong.""My ears are still functioning properly. It doesn't matter if you're scared. I'm not going to laugh at something that happens to everyone."Caraline instantly twisted her body. "You should look in the mirror first if you want to laugh at me!""Alright," Deric said as he pushed the wheelchair to the edge of the lake. He stopped right beside Caraline. The man obser
Caraline landed on a chair under the tree. Her mood had suddenly gone haywire after receiving a follow-up message from her cousin about the Wattson family meeting. Because of this, she couldn't concentrate on her work at all."That woman pisses me off!" Caraline punched the space on the chair.Caraline let out a long breath, massaging her forehead slowly. Her face looked up to the orange sky. Amid her mounting frustration, time was ticking towards tomorrow. If only she had the power to control time, she would have completely erased tomorrow from the Earth. However, she was simply not ready. "Are you scared?" asked Deric, camera in hand. When he managed to capture two swans mingling, he immediately took a look at his shot.At the sudden sound, Caraline's reverie was instantly broken. She turned her head while holding her heart in shock. She hit the space on the side again when she found Deric not far from where she was sitting."What did you just do?" screeched Caraline, sending two s
At nine in the morning, Caraline was getting ready in a navy blue knee-length dress. Her hair was left down with the ends made slightly wavy. As she descended the stairs, she took a few deep breaths as she closed her eyes.Caraline did not sleep well at all last night. Every few hours, she would wake up sweating. Afterward, she would daydream in bed until sleepiness returned."You lazy bastard!" cursed Caraline when she realized that Deric was not yet at the edge of the lake.Caraline shook her hair when her cell phone rang. Her lips immediately brought a smile when Diego sent a message.[How are you today?]Caraline rolled her eyes. She shook her head a few times because she felt Diego was terrible at opening up a conversation. Nevertheless, she replied to his message.[Am I reading a message from a man who is reportedly very good at attracting women? You found the right topic.]Caraline glanced around. The cool morning air relaxed her mind. When her cell phone rang again and display
An hour later, the car Deric and Caraline were traveling in pulled up to a villa on the beach. The place directly overlooked the blue sea. From where they were, the waves could be heard quite clearly." I'll learn a lot of things after returning from this place," Deric said while observing the scenery outside from the car window.Caraline let out a long breath, closing her eyes for a few moments. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest, trying to stabilize her heartbeat. "Listen to me." Deric instantly turned his head, and at the same time, Caraline buried her face into his interlocking fingers."I hate to say it, but you must cooperate with me in this event. I will push your wheelchair when we both enter the meeting room. Do not speak until I permit you. And whatever words you hear from the people in the room about you, you must not respond to them with your nonsense. Do you understand?""You look scared.""Do you understand?" repeated Caraline in a raised tone."Alrigh
Caraline closed her eyes for a few moments as she smoothed her hair. She didn't answer Deric's question at all, nor did she turn her gaze towards him. She took a few short breaths to get rid of her nerves. Honestly, she was bothered by Deric's current appearance. He had also noticed several women turning their heads toward him.On the other hand, this room had a very strong intimidating aura to Caraline. Although the place was beautifully decorated, she didn't feel any comfort or tranquility at all. The atmosphere of this room was pressing down on her from every direction."Calm down, you'll be fine," Deric said."Keep those words to yourself," Caraline snapped. Catherine and Wilson were already on stage. The room was suddenly silent and attention was immediately drawn to the two. "Some of you may have heard that one of our family members just got married," Catherine said with a big smile, "if you haven't, Wilson will let you know."Caraline's hands instantly clenched into fists o
"I'm sorry, sir." Deric began to loosen his grip on Wilson's hand when he saw Caraline running out of the room. He slowly released the shackles on the man's hands. "I seem to have gone too far.""Damn it!" Wilson quickly withdrew his hand, checking his condition. His eyes bulged as soon as he saw the red mark. "You can't run away from me."Deric laughed. "Of course, I can't run. Is this wheelchair too small for you?"On the other hand, Catherine was hypnotized by Deric's voice and gestures. She was silent for a while with her gaze not leaving the man. Once she realized that her actions were wrong, she quickly pinched her thigh."Consider it my greeting," Deric said as he pressed the forward button on the wheelchair. The spherical object's glide grazed the floor of the room and the stares of the people. With a calm expression, he exited the room to catch up with Caraline. "You picked the wrong enemy!" screeched Wilson. The man winced as the pain spread across his hand. "I will avenge
Deric's touch was like an electric shock that quickly traveled through Caraline's body, especially since they were so close and their gazes met at the same spot."Oh my! What the hell is going on?" Caraline needed time to digest what had just happened to her. When her racing heart realized that this closeness was not supposed to happen, she quickly pulled herself up. Unfortunately, she slipped again and nearly collapsed to the floor."Calm down." Deric held Caraline who was only a few centimeters away from feeling the slippery floor.Caraline's breathing suddenly became rapid. Her gaze slowly lowered as she felt unable to look into Deric's eyes. The woman traced her neck, shoulders, and down to Deric's chest which was clad in a white shirt with one top button undone. Her face burned as she realized what she was doing, especially when both her hands were in Deric's grasp. It felt warm but very thrilling."What are you doing to me!" screamed Caraline as she picked herself back up. She s