It was still summer, and the open bar, though breezy, couldn't lighten the tension between the woman and the girl sitting by the pool.Laura gazed at her daughter Isabella, her face lined with worry and anxiety, unsure of how to begin."Mom, why are we here?" Isabella asked, confused after sitting in silence for two minutes.The table held only two bottles of water, and her mother hadn’t spoken since they arrived. They had just relocated to a new city, and Isabella was uneasy because her mother hadn't discussed their accommodations, despite her repeated questions during the journey.Laura took Isabella’s hands, her eyes meeting her daughter's with tension. She finally spoke, "Isabella, I found you a dad."Isabella’s reaction was one of disbelief, her eyes wide as if hearing an unfunny joke."What?" she exclaimed, shocked and incredulous."I'm sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. It’s been just us for the past eighteen years, but I’ve found someone I love. His name is Lorenzo, and he’s a goo
Isabella stopped trying to convince her mother when she realized her words weren’t being taken seriously.“Isabel, your dad is waiting for us. Let’s head to dinner,” Laura called from the doorway. With a sigh, Isabella set the book she had been reading on her bed and followed her mother out of the room.Lorenzo was already seated at the dining table when he spotted Isabella, and a smile spread across his face. "I've prepared dinner for us. My cooking may not be perfect, but I promise you'll enjoy it."Laura returned his smile warmly. "I've tasted your cooking before; you're the best I've ever known. If every man cooked like you, women would fall in love every day," she said, playfully flattering him.Lorenzo chuckled, his gaze lingering on Isabella for a moment before he spoke again. "Enough of the pleasantries; let's eat."They all sat down and enjoyed the meal in comfortable silence.After they finished eating, Laura turned to Isabella and said, "I've finalized the transfer. You can
Isabella's face was a picture of confusion. The unexpected fame left her speechless; she hadn't even completed the necessary formalities to be assigned to a class, yet her name was already known by a group of boys.One of them chuckled and said, "Laura is her surname. Doesn't that mean she doesn't know who her father is?"At this, Isabella felt a tightness in her chest. This had always been her soft spot; she had hoped that moving to a new city would help her escape it, but here it was, haunting her once again.The group of boys erupted in laughter at her expression, their eyes glinting with mockery as they snickered."Her mother must be a bitter single mom," the leader sneered, his laughter booming.Isabella's fists clenched tightly at her sides, anger boiling within her at the disrespectful jab aimed at her mother."Excuse me," she said, her words sharp and laced with fury, her face contorted and her eyes bloodshot.As she tried to move past, the overweight boy who had led the group
Laura's face was etched with distrust and doubt; it was clear she didn’t believe a word Isabella had just said. She suspected that Isabella didn’t like Lorenzo and was trying to convince her to abandon their relationship.Taking Isabella's hands, Laura sat her down and, locking eyes with her, said earnestly, “Isabella, Lorenzo is a good man. He will be a wonderful father to you. Please give him a chance. He even welcomed us into his home—remember, this isn’t just ours.”Hearing her mother's response, Isabella felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. She hadn't expected her mother to doubt her."If you say so," Isabella sighed, resigning herself to the situation."Come on, let’s have dinner," Laura said, offering her daughter a warm smile.They both went out together and had dinner with Lorenzo, who kept stealing glances at Isabella, making her feel uneasy.She avoided his gaze and ate quickly. After stacking the used plates, she took them to the kitchen to wash them.As she was bus
Isabella instinctively covered her breast with her arm and tightly clasped her legs together, her heart racing.Glancing at the slightly ajar bathroom door, she noticed that Lorenzo had stepped back. In a hurry, she finished her bath and swiftly wrapped herself in a towel.After she emerged from the bathroom, Isabella noticed that Lorenzo had left the room. Quickly, she locked the door and exhaled in relief.She didn't dare venture outside, still shaken by the fear that Lorenzo might have barged in while she was bathing.A knock at the door made her heart skip a beat."Isabella, are you in there?" It was her mother, Laura, calling from the other side.Isabella's racing heart calmed, and she hurriedly opened the door. Upon seeing her mother, she fell into her embrace and burst into tears."Mom," she sobbed.Laura's face was filled with confusion, but she gently patted her daughter's back, comforting her with concern. "Sweetheart, what's the matter?"Isabella didn't speak; she just wept
Isabella knew that without tape evidence, her mother wouldn't believe a word she said. When she pushed the door open, the moaning became louder.To her shock, her gaze fell on Lorenzo, who was sitting in a chair, staring intently at the television. The couch he was sitting on backed against the entrance door, so he didn't notice Isabella's arrival.Then Isabella shifted her gaze toward the direction he was looking, and to her shock, she saw a man with a BBC pinning down a young girl while hitting her from behind.The way the girl moaned and how the man handled her roughly filled Isabella with a tingling sensation she had never felt before. Her nipples suddenly hardened, and she clamped her legs together, feeling a rush of heat.Her clumsy gesture caught Lorenzo's attention. He paused the video he was watching and craned his head toward Isabella's direction.He gasped in shock and pretended to turn off the television. "Isabella, you’re back from school?" he asked, stating the obvious.I
Cecilia and Isabella's attention was caught, not out of curiosity, but because the name called was the same as the one who had sent the letter to Isabella."That is the school hunk," Cecilia introduced, sounding a little disinterested.Isabella watched with interest as a young lady walked up to him. They were too far away to hear what they were saying, but she could guess that the girl meeting him was trying to woo him."Stop staring at him. He has never dated anyone, and there is a rumor that he is gay. He is the captain of the basketball team, with so many girls falling over him, but he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Sigh... it would be terrible to look so good and then be impotent," Cecilia lamented, looking like someone who had lost a million dollars.Isabella started laughing."Cecilia, stop saying what you don’t know..." Isabella chuckled in reply.Just then, a shadow fell over them. Looking up, Cecilia was shocked to see that the owner of the shadow was Lewis. He flashed a smile at
The moment Cecilia heard this, her eyes widened, and she gasped audibly.Isabella, feeling uneasy, quickly covered her mouth with her palm and gestured at him, "Sssshhh!"Cecilia shook her head before Isabella let go. When she could finally speak, Cecilia asked, looking curious, "Is it big?"Isabella blushed in embarrassment but still nodded, her face red as a tomato. Cecilia wanted to say more, but the electric bell rang, warning them that lessons were about to start for the day.Cecilia pulled her to class, and when it was break time, both of them walked to the canteen. As they were walking, they heard Lewis calling out to Isabella, "Isabella!"When Cecilia saw her walking toward them, she smiled and muttered under her breath, "Isabella, the school hunk seems to be crazy about you. I’ll grab our lunch."She left the two of them to discuss privately.When Lewis walked over, he stood before Isabella and said, "Hey.""Hey," Isabella replied.Lewis stuck his hand in his pocket, appearing
Isabella stood there, frozen, assuming the worst.Laura, looking very nervous, pulled her arm and led her to the dining table."Take a seat; let's eat," she said, gesturing to an empty chair across from her.Isabella walked toward the chair. Although the meal on the table was her favorite, she had no appetite at all.When Laura noticed that Isabella refused to eat, she urged her, "Isabel, dear, please eat. I prepared it just for you."Isabella replied, "Mom, just tell me what’s the matter. You don't act this way unless you want to make a request."Hearing this, Laura became even more anxious and retorted, "Why don’t we talk after we finish eating? Don’t you think that would be better?"Isabella shook her head and insisted, "Mom, what is so difficult for you to say? I won’t be able to eat until I hear it."Laura sighed heavily, then, in resignation, said, "If you’re not going to eat, I don’t feel like saying it anymore."She began eating with her head lowered. Isabella soon realized he
Lorenzo smiled warmly and then said, "You should take your time; I am not in a hurry, but we are going to carry on with the wedding arrangements, right?""Yes, definitely," Laura agreed.After they had a wonderful date, Lorenzo held her waist and whispered into Laura's ear.Laura blushed and then playfully slapped him, saying, "Naughty boy."Lorenzo merely smiled. They both walked into the hotel room that Lorenzo had booked. The moment they stepped inside, he slammed the door shut and captured Laura's lips hungrily. His kiss was deep and demanding, and Laura reciprocated, her arms moving around his body uncontrollably.They both stripped naked and soon landed on the bed, with Lorenzo lying beneath Laura, who pressed herself against him.Lorenzo stretched his arms and clasped her breasts as she rode him."Yes, aaahh! Umm!! You are so sweet!" Laura moaned as she rode him.She threw her head back, using her hands to support her weight from behind, and then moved her waist faster. Beads o
The beggar snatched the piece of paper from Isabella's palm and then ran off across the road, heading directly into the hospital.Before Isabella could call out to him, he had already passed through the open hospital gate. Isabella helplessly gave up and waited.While Laura was stepping out of the hospital to check on a patient currently in a wheelchair under a tree, the beggar ran up to her, startling her.“Miss, Laura, right?” the beggar asked with a smile that made him appear scary.Laura looked at him, pondering for a moment before nodding. “Yes.”“This is for you,” the beggar forced the piece of paper into Laura's palm and then turned around and ran off.Laura stared at his disappearing back, her face filled with confusion. She then opened the piece of paper; her reaction was one of confusion, and then suddenly black lines appeared on her forehead. Anger creased her face as she read on, her eyes glinting with rage.“Darling,” Lorenzo's voice called out to her, startling her.Laur
When Lewis heard Isabella's response, he fell silent. The phone in his grasp slipped from his hand, and he looked like someone who had seen a ghost.Jake frowned when he saw Lewis's pale face. Isabella's worried voice came from the phone's speaker. "But Lewis, I only love you. I can't explain why I can't stop myself from falling for his traps. I don't want this either; I prefer you..."Lewis picked up the phone from the ground and hurled it at a nearby tree, shattering it into pieces. Jake, by his side, was dumbfounded by his friend's intense reaction."Aaaahhh!" Lewis howled toward the sky, his voice filled with pain and heartbreak.Jake, watching, felt the corners of his lips twitch. He didn't understand what was going on with his friend or why he was acting so irrationally."Lewis, what is wrong with you?" Jake stood up and walked over to him, asking worriedly.He was afraid Lewis might lose control and jump off the hill, potentially injuring himself. Lewis sat on the grass, all hi
Jake became nervous, fearing he couldn't understand what Lewis was trying to do."Dude, don't do this. Listen to me; hurting yourself isn't the solution," Jake advised fearfully.But Lewis looked on coldly, with pursed lips and eyes filled with madness.While Jake struggled to make a choice, Lewis's father darted forward and shouted, "Let him commit suicide! The girl won't live to mourn him!" he threatened immediately.When Jake heard the familiar voice, he exhaled in relief. Lewis looked at his father in surprise."If I lose my only son because of a little girl, she doesn't deserve to live. Go ahead and get yourself killed; just know that I am going to send her over to you." After saying this, Lewis's father turned around, returned to the army jeep he came in, and drove off.Jake's lips twitched. He thought he had seen a solution; who would have thought the so-called solution wasn't reliable at all?To his surprise, Lewis turned off the engine of his car. All of Jake's tense muscles
Isabella's lips trembled at the possibility. She thought about when she revealed that Lorenzo was sleeping with her and how her mother reacted. She tensed up and clenched her fists in hesitation.Lorenzo smiled knowingly, then walked gallantly toward her bed and sat down. He looked at Isabella and urged, "You can use the door."A powerless expression creased Isabella's face. She looked at Lorenzo, her face filled with reluctance, but in the end, she couldn't make a decision."Isabella, I will be on my way back to work," Laura's voice came from behind the door, and soon her receding footsteps could be heard.Isabella made a quick decision and dashed for the door, but before she could grab the doorknob, Lorenzo's palm was already pressed against it.He looked down at Isabella coldly, his eyes filled with hostility."Where the hell are you running off to, Isabel?" Lorenzo asked coldly.Isabella tensed up at the ferocious expression on his face. She clenched her jaw tightly, her heart tig
Laura stared at him coldly, her eyes filled with madness as she retorted emotionally, "It is a big mistake, and the worst mistake I ever made was trusting you with my love and feelings. You are a monster, Lorenzo! A devil!"She pushed him angrily. Although Lorenzo was furious, he clenched his fists tightly and did not react."I regret the day I ever loved a monster like you." Having said that, Laura quickly dressed and dashed for the door.This time, Lorenzo did not stop her from leaving. He looked on as she opened the door and walked out.After Laura left the hotel, she stopped a taxi and took it home. When she arrived at her rented apartment, she got out of the taxi and paid the fare.As she walked toward the entrance, she saw Lewis emerging from the house, their gazes locking.They stared at each other briefly before Lewis stepped forward. "Ma'am, I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you yesterday."Laura looked at him and replied, "It's fine."She didn’t really want to discuss yesterd
Lewis made a comical sleeping posture and then replied with a smile, "Yeah."Isabella shook her head and suggested, "Why don't you sleep on my bed? It's big enough for both of us."Lewis thought about it and then readily agreed. He climbed onto the bed and lay down beside Isabella. Isabella then turned her back to him and requested, "I’m feeling cold; can you cuddle me?"Lewis's face creased with nervousness. He lay there still, not knowing where he was supposed to place his hands.Isabella tilted her head toward him and called out softly, "Lewis."Lewis snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Isabella. He placed his shaky hand on her waist, but Isabella grabbed his arm and pulled it to her chest while pushing her behind into his groin. She sighed ruefully, "It feels much better."She shut her eyes, but Lewis, who was stunned, didn't know whether to move or not. He had never slept on the same bed with a girl; in fact, his first sexual experience was with Isabella.At that moment, he
The men were surprised by Lorenzo's reaction, thinking he had become silly from fear; they all laughed loudly.They couldn't believe their ears. A man who was outmatched in numbers and strength was making such a blatant threat.If it wasn't comical, what other description could they give it?The burly man folded his arms with a smile and then sneered, "I really want to see how you intend to play superhero or Superman."Lorenzo lost his patience with them. He spat out with rage, "So be it."Before the men could figure out what was going on, several men in black suits surrounded them. They were all holding guns, and the gun muzzles were directed at them."Kill them all," Lorenzo ordered coldly, then turned around and used the backdoor to leave the bar. With every step he took, gunshots rang out, and screams filled the air with fear.Lorenzo's face remained expressionless. He got into his car and sped off. While he was driving quietly, the car radio immediately reported:"There is an act