Caius didn't feel guilty and instead laughed at the innocent attitude displayed before him.
"Are you really Raven's girlfriend? He usually chooses women who are more mature. A kiss on the hand shouldn't surprise you."
Gia felt warmth rising as she began to grow angry. "I'm not Raven's girlfriend!" she snapped.
"Oh? But..." Caius looked toward the room Gia had pointed out earlier. He misunderstood, assuming the 'boyfriend' Gia mentioned was Raven.
"Lonan? You're Lonan's girlfriend? Hmm... You’re more suited for Lonan. He’s always liked petite, innocent girls."
Whoever Caius was, Gia hated him. She might be petite, but she was a grown woman, 24 years old. Yet Caius had guessed accurately, as Gia could indeed be considered innocent when it came to romance.
At the age of twenty-four, Gia remained a virgin—not by choice, as her commitment to her studies and work left little time for relaxation.
Even with Lonan, things hadn't gone further; they had only kissed and been affectionate. This wasn't entirely Gia's fault, as Lonan was just as busy, often traveling around Europe for work alongside his studies.
"Well, since you’re Lonan's, I'm not interested. Goodbye, sweet girl." Caius attempted to brush Gia’s cheek, but she managed to swat his hand away in time.
"Fiery! You're actually pretty decent," he said with an annoying laugh before leaving Gia.
"Miss Harken, I apologize. Mr. Lindgren is waiting for you."
A servant approached Gia, pointing to the room where Lonan was, just as she was about to exhale in relief.
"Thank you."
After politely nodding, the servant escorted Gia to the door where Lonan was. As they walked, Gia began to wonder what was going on. Lonan had promised he would come out.
"Mr. Lindgren. Miss Harken has arrived."
A faint murmur answered from inside, prompting the servant to open the door. "Please, come in, Miss."
Only two meters from the door, Gia stopped, realizing that the man waiting for her wasn't Lonan—it was Raven.
"Where is Lonan?" Gia asked.
But Raven only responded with a piercing look. He then stepped toward her.
Without realizing it, Gia took two steps back. Raven appeared highly intimidating, even though he was roughly the same size as Lonan.
"How much money do you want?" he asked, his unblinking stare signaling he was serious.
"W-what do you mean?" Gia actually understood what Raven was implying, but she hoped she had misheard him. This was what she had feared ever since Raven had been sizing her up with that judgmental gaze.
"Do you still want to continue playing Cinderella? Or maybe you plan to cling to Lonan for life? Like a bloodsucking leech. Leave Lonan, and I'll give you any amount of money you ask for."
Gia wanted to cry upon hearing Raven's accusation. He had hit her in a vulnerable spot. She did feel like Cinderella today, dressed in this extravagant gown and adorned with fine jewelry, but her fairy tale wouldn’t end happily. The man standing before her was determined to make sure of that.
In a shaky voice, Gia tried to fight back. "I'm not as low as you think! I love Lonan."
"Ha...ha...ha... Love?" Raven’s laugh was hollow and painful. Slowly, Gia's tears began to fall, though she quickly wiped them away.
"No girl approaches a Lindgren with love." Raven’s voice was even colder than before.
"I LOVE LONAN! And I don't need your money! Excuse me," she shouted, her anger flaring as she turned toward the door. Continuing this painful conversation was pointless to her.
"Ahh!" Her body wobbled as she felt a strong grip on her wrist.
Gia was prepared to fall to the floor, but something caught her waist, pulling her back. She collided against a hard chest. Before she could catch her breath, Raven spun her around to face him.
"I haven’t said you can leave."
Raven’s voice was nearly a whisper, given their close proximity. Gia’s entire body tensed upon hearing him speak.
"Let me go!" Gia tried to push Raven away, but her strength barely felt like a breeze to him.
"You’re quite intriguing." Raven tilted Gia’s chin up, bringing their faces closer. Gia wanted to push his hand away, but Raven’s dark gaze seemed to paralyze her.
"You say you love Lonan? Then prove your love now."
Gia's mind went blank as Raven's lips suddenly claimed hers.
Raven kissed Gia deeply, exploring every corner of her small mouth, giving her no chance to breathe. Warmth began to spread through Gia’s body as Raven’s hands wandered down her back, caressing her waist.
Gia struggled to breathe, but Raven’s lips offered no respite. When his tongue slipped in, Gia could no longer hold back a soft moan.
"Love is nonsense. You didn’t even resist me. Or do you believe any Lindgren will suffice?"
Her moan shattered the magical spell surrounding them. Raven’s voice broke the warm bubble enveloping Gia, plunging her into an icy storm.
"You jerk!" Gia raised her hand, but Raven easily caught it and pulled her close again.
"You enjoyed it, sweetheart. I could feel your warmth when you trembled in my arms. And to be honest, I enjoyed it too." Without permission, Raven kissed her again, even more intensely this time.
"GIA?!" Another voice shouted, loud and furious.
"What are you doing? Is it because of Raven that you’ve been acting restless tonight?" Lonan stood in the doorway, glaring.
Raven simply stood there, his face expressionless, releasing Gia’s body. He didn’t bother to explain anything.
Gia, on the other hand, appeared pallid and shook her head as tears poured down her face. "It's not what it looks like...I..."
But Gia then fell silent, guilt gnawing at her. Raven was right; she had enjoyed the kiss. She had surrendered so easily.
"And I actually thought you were different from other women!" Without another glance, Lonan stormed out, slamming the door. Gia collapsed to the floor, covering her tear-streaked face with her hands.
"Would you like to continue?" Raven crouched in front of her, a satisfied smile on his face. He had achieved his goal: separating Gia and Lonan.
SLAP!
This time, Gia’s slap landed squarely on his cheek, leaving it red.
"You rich people are disgusting! Do you really enjoy tormenting others?" Gia rose and grabbed a flower vase from the table.
SPLASH!
She poured the entire contents over Raven, soaking his face as he stood half-risen. Gia then smashed the vase onto the floor.
"You arrogant jerk! You may be used to getting everything you want, but there are things in this world you can’t buy with money. Take all your money to hell!"
Gia ripped off the necklace and all the jewelry she wore, throwing them to the floor. She could feel a stinging sensation and dampness in her ears, likely from the rough yanking off of her earrings.
If she could, she would have torn off the dress Lonan had given her, but that would have been foolish. Instead, she kicked off the beautiful shoes she had admired just this afternoon, throwing them at Raven. One of them bounced away when Raven blocked it.
"Take it all back. I refuse to be Cinderella." Breathing heavily, Gia ran out.
Her dream was over. She should have followed her instincts and turned back when she first saw the grandeur of this mansion. That world wasn’t for her.
From now on, she would no longer gaze upon that world. Gia would rather be the little match girl than Cinderella if all the princes in this world acted like Raven.
FIVE YEARS LATERKing Gustaf held Raven’s hand tightly for a moment. He was aware that their happiness depended on each other.He kept his eyes on Raven as their hands separated.“Well then, I’ll take my leave.” King Gustaf saw no reason for further pleasantries, so he turned around immediately. But before taking a step, he glanced back.His gaze focused on Lonan, who had remained silent and lowered his head after declaring he would be a witness.“I truly wished you had married Willow, but I couldn’t force her. I’m sorry. And please forgive Willow for her mistake this time.” His eyes flickered toward Raven as well, not just Lonan. Then, finally, he stepped out.Two deep sighs of relief filled the room as the door closed—one from Lonan, one from Raven. Raven picked up his phone, checking something. Maybe he was telling Jasper to cancel a plan.“King Gustaf will keep his promise because he will never let Willow’s name be tarnished in the eyes of society. He always avoids scandals so that Willow can live
Gia didn't know who Tilda was, but Raven's intense reaction made her suspect something. Raven clearly cared about whoever Tilda was."Why can't I mention her name? She's Willow's mother!"Gia's suspicion proved correct. King Gustaf disgustingly uttered a name that would surely shake Raven. He mentioned someone Raven loved as dearly as her own family. It was a deceitful move.Raven's face burned with anger, yet the furrow in her brow showed she was thinking. That name had driven her to get engaged and save Willow's life. The inner battle flared up again—this time, it was Raven's turn."For Tilda's sake, I beg you: don't press those charges. And please hand over that recording. You surely don't want to ruin Willow's life, right?""He ruined himself without my interference. You only sped up his plunge into ruin by continually excusing all his misdeeds." Raven stopped using the formal "you" when addressing King Gustaf. Merely mentioning Tilda's name ignited deep emotions within her."You
King Gustaf stared at Al and Frey. "Are they your children?" Gia wanted to answer with a scathing remark with the word idiot, just like she'd used earlier to respond to Lonan's question. It was blatantly obvious who Al and Frey's parents were. "Yes," Gia replied politely. The time when she could curse at the king had long passed. "Then you must understand my feelings. The feelings of a father who must do everything to protect his child." King Gustaf quickly turned to Raven. Unfortunately, his emotionally charged statement was met with a mocking laugh from Raven. "No. I can't understand your feelings. Because I'll make sure these two don't grow up to be manipulators who casually stab others in the back," Raven retorted sharply. King Gustaf's jaw tightened in anger. "What's going on?" Gia demanded. Seeing Raven provoke the king's anger, she felt some satisfaction, but she still didn't grasp the full context. "I'm filing charges against Willow. This time, I'll ensure she
"Oh... My... God...," Lonan muttered as he saw Raven enter carrying Freya. Gia followed behind, with Al playfully twirling around her neck.They had to wrestle a bit while heading to the hospital. Al began teething and fussed whenever things didn't go his way.Freya, who always imitated her older sibling, considered crying together a fun activity. As a result, Gia and Raven had to fight through a torrent of tears before they could leave the house."They…"Lonan shot a disbelieving glance. He rarely saw Raven accompanied by a cute baby; in his opinion, it didn't seem right. In fact, Gia used to feel the same—but that was then. Gia feels something is missing without Freya clinging to Raven's chest.It wasn't Gia's idea to bring them to the hospital; Raven requested it. He wanted to introduce Al and Freya to their uncle. It was a common wish, and Gia simply couldn't refuse."Are they twins?" Lonan asked."You don't eat enough apples. How can you ask such a stupid question? The answer is
Gia peeled the apple on the table and cut it into smaller pieces. That wasn't how she ate apples—she preferred whole ones, eating them with the skin on.The apple wasn't for her. After placing it in a bowl, Gia carried it to the patient's bed and set it on the table. The person sleeping in that bed jumped awake at the sound of movement and footsteps.Gia glanced sideways, and their eyes met. Too late to look away, she could only huff in irritation.Lonan looked toward the bowl of apple. "I thought you'd never do something kind for me again."Gia snorted. "Exactly! I didn't do this for you. I did it for Raven. He'll be upset if he finds out I still despise you."Lonan gave a bitter smile. He had set his hopes too high. Gia always tried her best to be kind to him because she knew that if she kept showing her dislike, Raven would end up sad. Gia understood that feeling well—it reminded her of the time she watched Matteo and Raven argue.Of course, that argument couldn't compare to the ha
Raven felt a little calmer after Gia invited him to sit. Although he still felt anxious, his breathing steadied. He leaned back in his seat while gripping Gia's hand.Doctors had been operating on Lonan for about four hours, and they still hadn't given any news about his progress. Based on her experience, Gia could only guess that the knife must have injured one of his organs—she couldn't tell how severe the damage was.The wait felt like hell to Raven. He no longer displayed any emotion, as if his tears had drained every ounce of feeling. The overwhelming memory of his parents leaving haunted him, and he clung to the hope that Lonan would pull through.All his anger melted away and gave way to hope. He no longer cared about Lonan's mistakes—they now seemed insignificant.Whenever a lousy memory threatened to overwhelm him, Raven squeezed Gia's hand, and Gia stroked Raven's arm gently. Gia reminded him of other parts of his life that still awaited him, assuring him that his world woul