LOGINWhen Lucas pulled away from the kiss, both of them were breathless. “I need you, Kate," he rasped, his breath hot against her cheek.The way he said her name, low and husky, made Kate shiver in anticipation. "Then have me."Lucas's eyes burned as they raked over her face. He slid his hand around her neck, tilted her head up, and kissed her hard. Then his lips moved to her neck, leaving a trail of burning kisses on every exposed part of her body.Suddenly, Lucas froze when something occurred to him. He stopped what he was doing and brought out his phone, his fingers tapping on the screen as he sent a message.‘Turn off the cameras and clear the premises. I want everyone out of the estate!’ Immediately he hit send, the phone slipped from his hands and dropped to the floor beside him.Lucas didn't look down; his mind was already clouded with Kate. He turned back to her and aggressively kissed her again, caressing every inch of her he had access to.Kate mirrored his excitement, unable t
“Thank you,” Kate said quietly.She lowered her head and tightened her hold on the teddy in her arms. “I didn't realize how much I wanted this kind of birthday until now. I was so happy that I didn't even think about them.”Lucas didn't have to ask who Kate was talking about. From the sadness that had now appeared in her eyes, he knew she was referring to her parents.He reached out and turned her by the shoulders slowly until her back was pressed against his chest. Then his arms came around her from behind, embracing her as he rested his chin on her shoulder.Lucas just hugged Kate from behind without saying a word. He knew her well enough to know that she needed no words to comfort her.Kate stayed still in his arms, allowing herself to bask in his warmth and the comfortable silence that now surrounded them.They stayed that way for a long moment until Kate broke the silence. “Do you own this place? It is nice,” Kate said, her eyes looking ahead at the garden as she rested her back
A sob escaped Kate before she could stop it. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as her shoulders trembled.Lucas immediately crossed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. His brows knitted together in concern. “What's wrong?" he asked softly. “Don't you like it?"Kate's sob only intensified at his words.Lucas frowned and held her tighter against him. One hand rubbed soothing circles on her back while the other cradled the back of her head. He pressed a kiss to her temple and whispered sweet nothings into her ear.It took a while before Kate finally calmed down. She slowly pulled away from his embrace and looked up at him. “I'm sorry," she said with a small laugh. “I got so emotional that I couldn't stop myself from crying."Lucas chuckled as his fingers brushed her cheeks and wiped away her tears. “I don't like seeing tears in those eyes of yours,” he said, frowning slightly. "So, do me a favor and stop crying.”His words left Kate speechless. Wasn't crying a norm
Lucas looked up at the sky briefly. The sun was slipping away as dusk settled quietly and blue over him.He checked the time on his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. “What is taking them so long?" he muttered, tapping his foot impatiently against the ground as he stood near the entrance of the estate.His gaze drifted toward the garden behind the house, and he let out a soft, satisfied sigh.The entire estate had been transformed over the course of barely a single day. He’d rushed workers in and out from the moment he left the hospital until a few minutes ago, carrying decorations, lights, flowers, and everything else he needed to surprise Kate.For the first time in years, the usually quiet garden looked like something straight out of a fairytale.A soft sigh escaped him once again. ‘Would Kate like it? Would she be happy with what he had prepared for her?’Lucas's thoughts were interrupted when a notification sounded on his phone. 'Vehicle detected.'He immediately looked
“Are we going to the villa?" Kate asked as they rounded the hospital hallway. Her eyes flicked down to the oversized hospital slippers Victor had found for her.He’d told her to wear them for now, until they got to the mall. Victor said they would stop there before he took her to where Lucas was."No,” he replied curtly.Kate frowned slightly at his curt response. “Where then? And don't I need to get discharged before leaving?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as she tried to match Victor’s walking pace.Victor sighed. Lucas hadn't told him Kate was such a question asker. She was asking him too many questions at the same time.He stopped walking and turned to her. "I can't tell you anything about where I'm taking you since it is meant to be a surprise,” he said, looking at her face. "You don't have to worry about the hospital; you’re already discharged. Lucas handled that before leaving.”Kate nodded her head. Then they resumed walking, but she suddenly paused when something oc
“Have you lost your mind?" Victor snapped, looking at Lucas as if he’d suddenly grown two heads.Lucas shook his head. “No, I haven't," he replied curtly. “You’ll take control for me, Lucas, and protect the familia like you would your own. The gangs will answer to you, and nothing about the familia will concern me anymore. You're the only one I trust enough to handle this. Please, you cannot refuse me.”Victor exhaled loudly as he searched Lucas's face. “Why are you doing this?" he asked. Then his eyes narrowed as he immediately put the pieces together. “This is because of Kate, isn't it?"Lucas's silence was enough for Victor to know he’d guessed right. He cursed under his breath and glared at Lucas. “Why are you throwing everything away for the sake of a woman? Is she worth giving up everything for? Uncle Julian wouldn’t be pleased about this. Hell, even I don’t support this madness."The air around Lucas grew heavy, charged. His eyes burned and his whole body tensed as if every wor
Kate struggled in Matteo's arms for a while, and when she saw that he still wouldn't let her go, she lowered her head and bit down hard on his arm, almost drawing blood. He immediately released her, his face scrunched up in pain as he glared at her.She quickly distanced herself from him and looked
“What is she doing here?” Elizabeth muttered, her eyes fixed on a woman’s back.Aiden, who was standing beside her, followed her gaze, and they landed on a familiar figure. He glanced away from the woman, then turned back to Elizabeth. “Her friend is currently being treated in the hospital,” he sa
Matteo lay in the hospital bed as different thoughts crossed his mind. He stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering what had happened to Kate after he was brought to the hospital. ‘Did she get married to him already?’ he thought bitterly, then shook his head as other thoughts made their way into his
Morning sun spilled gently into Lucas's room, and he stirred awake, feeling weight on his hand. He opened his eyes slowly, and there she was: his wife, sleeping peacefully beside him.Kate's head rested on his outstretched hand, and her breaths were soft and even in sleep. A grin spread across his







