“I’m closing early today.” Cordelia wore a blank face. “Please head out. I don’t have what you need here!”Their coworkers looked awkward as they shifted their gazes to Yelena.Yelena snickered and crossed her arms, gesturing for them to sit tight. “Sis, closing this early isn’t beneficial to your rent, is it?”“Rent?” Cordelia arched her brow. “My husband is paying the rent and running the store. My husband says that starting up this cafe is just so I’m happy, so I can close whenever I’m happy. I don’t have to worry about money!“Besides…” She wiped the counter down as she looked at her and said, “This is a place for coffee and desserts, not for you to gossip!”“It’s already an issue maintaining your business, so why are you acting so arrogantly!?” Yelena felt embarrassed for not being able to dominate Cordelia in front of their coworkers.“Fine, we can leave! But you must know that your cafe will close sooner or later with so many bad reviews on the Internet!”“What does closi
“Step on the line again, and I’ll show you ways to die!”“You…”“Get out!” growled Cordelia.Yelena looked at her, dazed and afraid. Her gaze was still hostile, but she didn't dare to make a fuss anymore.Linda, who came in at this time, caught what happened. Just looking at the mess on the floor was good enough an indicator of what had happened.Startled, she was worried that Cordelia would be at a disadvantage and darted over to shove Yelena away immediately. Yelena stumbled from the push and slammed herself against the corner of the table, breaking out in a cold sweat from the pain.“Linda Quimby, are you crazy!?” Yelena was hysterical. “How dare you shove me!?”“Yeah, so?” Linda defended Cordelia. “You’re here with these people to find fault with Cordelia, aren’t you?”“Hah, I’m here to bring her business!” Yelena rolled her eyes at her. “Ungrateful brats… You and Cordelia are the same, blind b*tches!”Linda found it too much of an effort to argue with her and went up to
Yelena bit her lips and did her best to turn away with her hair down to prevent Nicholas from seeing her face.“No need,” she answered. “I’ll consider myself unlucky today to have run into two losers!”“What did you say?” Once Linda raised her voice, Yelena shrunk into herself right away.As she walked out, staying close to the wall, she growled, “Cordelia, just you wait! Watch your pathetic shop every day if you can, or I’ll crash it one day!”Linda was going to dash forward, but Cordelia clutched her hand.“Forget it.” Nicholas picked up a fallen chair to sit down and picked on his sleeves leisurely. He looked at both girls with a small smile. “Are you going to bite the dog back when it bites you?”“None of your business!” Linda vented on him.The yell went straight to Nicholas’ heart. He was dazed, as it was like he went back to his youth. The feisty and willful girl by his side would yell at him like this too—and he liked it. He grinned at her no matter how ridiculous she wa
His underling said with a snicker, “N, it’s said that Ms. Yelena Jenner’s a party animal.”“Is she?” Nicholas chortled as well. “How much of it is she?”“I wouldn’t know. You’ll have to ask the hardworking hunks in the club! Haha…”Nicholas’ gaze darkened. He was smiling, but his gaze was tinged with a hint of ice.…A few days later, Yelena was thrown into a dark room in Euforia.She started off arrogant, screaming and yelling with the liquid courage of the booze.“Who are you? How dare you abduct me!? I’m a VIP patron here! Are you all blind!?”“Of course, I know that you’re our VIP patron,” an icy voice replied out of the blue.The room was slowly lit up. The man seated in the center was intimidating with a sharp gaze. The scar around his eyes was exceptionally eye-catching.Yelena felt her heart drop as she sucked in a cold breath.Nicholas spoke with a smirk. “Ms. Jenner, VIP patrons with higher status than yours wouldn’t dare yell at me like this!”Yelena knew that Ni
“Oops, I sent it to the wrong person.” Nicholas’ sarcastic voice could be heard on the other end of the line. “I should’ve sent such pretty photos to Mr. Jenner!”“Nicholas Thompson!”“Ms. Jenner, you’re absolutely delicious in the club!”Yelena bit her lips and turned pale.“I’ve suffered a lot in prison, Ms. Jenner. The fights, especially, kind of disabled my hand.“If I have a slip of hand one day and accidentally post something… Heh, Ms. Jenner, I wouldn’t mind, but your image as a rich heiress…”“Nicholas… Mr. Thompson!” Yelena’s voice shook. “J-Just tell me what you want! I’ll do it if I’m able to!”“It’s nothing. It just doesn’t seem too sincere how you’re resolving the damage.”Yelena gnashed her teeth. “W-What else do you want?”“You only hired paid posters to give good reviews. I’d have done it myself if it were so simple. Why did I ask you?“You should apologize when you did something wrong, Ms. Jenner!”Nicholas sneered.“You wouldn’t not understand simple logic
Yelena forced herself to tolerate it, letting Cordelia continue to victimize herself.“Sister, a-are you really not going to forgive me?”“There’s no place for you here.” Cordelia’s eyes were cold. “Please leave.”“Cordelia…”“Get out, now!” Cordelia clenched her fists and teeth, glaring at her fiercely.Although Yelena had been bullying her since she was young, she would be scared whenever Cordelia was furious.Moreover, she had a man who was like a devil next to her now…Yelena bit her lip. Since Cordelia chased her out, she could not wait to leave, given that she had already apologized.“C-Cordelia, I’ve apologized. There’s nothing that I can do if you don’t forgive me!”Yelena staggered back while speaking until she got into the courtyard. She even tripped on the cobblestone path.Cordelia took in a deep breath. She tried her best to control herself.Zephyr patted her back softly and hugged her carefully.She told her concern softly, “Hubby, I think something’s wrong wi
“N!” Nicholas’ men were worried that he might be hurt and were eager to take action.Nicholas ordered them to back off.The few of them walked far away unwillingly. Watching them disappearing into the dark, Zephyr put down the pistol.“That’s right. I found out that you were not Marcus a long time ago.” Nicholas scoffed. “But so what? I didn’t do anything to you even though I found out, did I?”Zephyr’s face dimmed.He was right. Moreover, when Yelena came to the shop to bully Cordelia, he showed up to chase them away.Though that was the case, Zephyr still had a strong suspicion about him.“You knew that I’m not Marcus.” He looked at him coldly. “Then do you know who I really am?”Nicholas froze. He peeped at him and suddenly smiled.“I only know that your woman is my woman’s best friend!”Zephyr raised his eyebrows.Nicholas reeked of hooliganism. The scar on his face added viciousness to him.Was this person an enemy or an ally? Zephyr was quite confused.“Marcus!” Sudd
“Did I… interrupt?” Cordelia pursed her lips and chuckled.It turned out her husband was more charming than she thought!The three men looked terrible, especially Zephyr. He glared left and right as if he was looking at his enemies.“Go fight outside!” he grumbled. “Don’t you see my wife is here!?”The two of them were stunned at the same time.Looking guilty, Seth smiled at Cordelia and left quickly.Meanwhile, Nicholas had a neutral expression. He gave Zephyr a cryptic look, patted his shoulder, and went to the courtyard.Cordelia finally laughed out loud.“What are you laughing about?” Zephyr held her and glared at her.The intense manliness smothered her.She leaned into him coquettishly and stretched a finger, poking at his chest.“There’s nothing wrong about bromance… Sigh, seems like I got the timing wrong. Did I ruin anything?”Zephyr held his head low and looked at her cheeky face. He suddenly had the desire to eat her up.“I don’t like men.” He got his face close
"Only Morpheus and Sephy aren't like that. They respect and understand me. Sephy told me once, 'One's appearance doesn't indicate anything. A clean heart is what truly matters!'"Rebecca chuckled dismissively."You're a psychologist, yet you fail to grasp this," Wynn said coldly. "Actually, I pity you. You could have stepped out, yet you insist on dwelling on the trivialities."Morpheus has psychological barriers, a consequence of returning from the battlefield. No one has cured his PTSD except Sephy... It shows that a true psychologist is never just a title."What truly heals everything is love!"-One particular morning a year later, sunlight streamed through sheer cream curtains onto the floor.Persephone was sound asleep when she suddenly felt something pressing down on her... Then, Morpheus' strong arms wrapped around her slender waist. She drowsily opened her eyes to find him sealing her lips with heated kisses.Over the year, his kissing skills had improved, and Persepho
With Morpheus' involvement, the police didn't slack off and quickly found Rebecca.That day, Rebecca was preparing to escape from a small port. The boat she had found was an illegally operating one.As she was about to board, piercing sirens sounded nearby.The boat owner, enraged upon hearing the sirens, grabbed Rebecca by her hair and pushed her into the water.Rebecca screamed for help, but he roared, "I didn't expect you to be sent by the cops!""I'm not..." Rebecca choked on water. "Sir, let's leave now. Your boat is fast. As long as we reach the open sea, no one will catch you!""Dream on!" The boat owner wanted to strangle her. "Do you not understand? These sirens are from the royal guards! Who did you bitch provoke?"Rebecca was dumbfounded. Being a foreigner, she naturally didn't understand the local affairs in the Southeast Aciatic region.The police and royal guards quickly caught up, armed, and surrounded them.Rebecca turned pale and trembled all over, her gaze gr
"You had no choice on the battlefield."Persephone looked at him with her crystal eyes. There was a magical power in them. Even if a devil was tearing him apart, her eyes would always bring him back to light.She smiled and caressed his cheek. "Though you killed your father, you saved the country.""Do you really… think so?"She nodded. "You're not at fault. He was the one who made a mistake. You were just fulfilling your job as a general to protect the country."But I also understand that he's your father who brought you up, after all. You guys must have had happy days before that happened, right?"Morpheus held his head low in silence."You did well as the protector of the country," she said softly. "But as a son, you can secretly pay homage to him."Persephone held his hand. "Reconcile with your father, Morpheus. You'll also reconcile with yourself by doing that, okay?"He was stunned for a long time and felt a lump in his throat.-Morpheus stayed with Persephone in the
"No way!" Christopher smirked, glancing at Morpheus. "To him, you're his only princess! I just got lucky for the princess carry, thanks to you!""Yeah, at least you're self-aware!" Persephone nodded, rubbing her chin."We've known each other for so long! What kind of person do you think I am?" Christopher laughed. "I can be a bit shameless at times, but..."But upon learning that the one she loved was the unbeatable god of war, he willingly stepped back, offering his blessings with a smile."Okay, okay. You two stop crowding around me!" Christopher waved his hand. "Sephy needs more rest, and I'd like to get some more sleep, too! Once we heal, let's go out and have some fun together!""You're still thinking about fun?" Morpheus' deep voice intervened with a wry smile. "With the factory explosion incident, the royal family is furious and will thoroughly investigate it. Many people will probably be coming to talk to you both in the next few days. After all, you two are the most direc
"Let's get out first!""Hey, wait..." Persephone pointed to the other side.In moments of life and death, it wasn't appropriate to laugh, but Morpheus still chuckled. The young Prince Christopher was sprawled on the floor in a very ridiculous pose, and they almost forgot about him!"Don't worry," Morpheus whispered. "I won't let anything happen to him."He had Persephone cling to his back and then carried Christopher.Christopher was a tall fellow, so it took some effort to carry them both to a safe place.Fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars rushed in. Their sirens pierced the sky, startling a flock of birds.The fire was soon extinguished, and Persephone and Christopher received timely treatment. Luckily, their burns weren't too severe, and even more fortunately, their faces were unharmed.When Christopher woke up, he felt bandages wrapped around his head, and his skin had a burning sensation. His heart sank, and he was almost on the verge of tears."Tell me the truth! A
There was fire everywhere. Flames rushed toward Persephone like menacing dragons. Her consciousness grew increasingly blurred, but the searing pain coursing through her body became clearer. She struggled to get up, the agony almost unbearable.Despite several attempts, it was futile...Something was pinning her feet down, and stones kept falling on her. She couldn't even muster a shout.Many images flashed through her mind in that fleeting moment, each frame featuring Morpheus' face…She remembered the times they had spent together in Flinge, how he had initially distanced himself from her, then later had exerted every effort to protect her. She recalled how he would gently ruffle her hair and call her "silly goose"..."Morpheus, I'm afraid I might have to go first..."The fire grew fiercer, explosions resonated continuously, and she could no longer hold on.Christopher, who was nearby, wasn't any better.Amidst the roaring flames, he couldn't see anything clearly, only pulling
"No need, you can go back first." Morpheus glanced at him. "I'll wait here for her a little longer.""Prince Christopher wouldn't do anything to Ms. Hamerton...""Alfred, what are you thinking?" Morpheus couldn't help but chuckle. "I know exactly what Christopher is like, but I just want to wait here for Sephy. Christopher mentioned that she'd specifically designed these fireworks for me. Hah! I'm the useless one. I don't even dare to go inside and take a look.""Sir, don't say that.""If I wait here, will it count as accompanying her in her efforts?"Alfred nodded.Morpheus smiled and sent Alfred back. He continued waiting under the tree.The air in Southeast Aciatic was hot and humid. The shade of the banyan tree offered some relief, but it couldn't completely dispel the oppressive heat.Morpheus took a deep breath, about to move elsewhere, when he glimpsed a suspicious figure swiftly darting through the factory's side gate.The security at the side gate was lax, making it e
Christopher struggled to swallow the bite of the sandwich in his mouth for what seemed like ages. He gazed at Persephone, his mind wandering back…He didn't just know Morpheus. He had been close since childhood to the children of the two prominent military families in Southeast Aciatic.Compared to the Harrises, he preferred visiting the Ortons, especially when he got to spend time with Morpheus. He considered Morpheus a friend, a brother even, having engaged in countless mischief together, much to their parents' dismay.In his memory, Morpheus was someone who smiled a lot, radiating warmth and brightness like the Southeast Aciatic sun when he did.However, from the moment Kaiden betrayed the country, Morpheus never smiled again, gradually growing distant from Christopher as well.It wasn't until that evening at the gates of the palace that Christopher felt like it had been a lifetime."I... I don't know him." Christopher forced a smile. "Where would I have met your boyfriend!"
Morpheus wasn't just an ordinary person!Christopher wholeheartedly accepted his defeat to Morpheus."Then... I'd like to invite you to come over to my place for a while as a friend. That's fine, right?"-A few days later, Persephone finally ran into Christopher, who had been missing in action for days, in the classroom."Hey, you finally showed up!" She dashed over, plopping down in the seat beside him and handing him breakfast. "You haven't eaten, right? Let's eat together!"Usually, Christopher would readily accept, but he waved his hands now. "No, no, no!""What's wrong?" Persephone widened her eyes. "This breakfast isn't poisoned!"Christopher awkwardly smiled. "You have a boyfriend, so maybe... we should keep some distance."Persephone burst into laughter. Then she remarked, "Strange... Morpheus was right!""Uh, what?""My boyfriend!" She chuckled. "He made this breakfast. I asked if he could also make a portion for you, and he said sure, just worried you wouldn't tak