In a room elegantly adorned with a sophisticated blend of purple, black, and white, two women were engaged in a heated conversation.
One, with disheveled black hair, was sprawled across the bed, occasionally sitting up to speak with her companion. The other, a blonde, had her hair neatly pinned back, allowing her to apply makeup with precision. "So, you just left without saying anything?" Emily, the black-haired woman, exclaimed, her voice sharp with disbelief. Sitting upright on the bed, Emily couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Amelia serious? She stared at her friend, whose irritated expression spoke volumes. "Yes, I had to leave," Amelia replied, her tone laced with frustration. Emily, unable to hold back her exasperation, asked, "Do you even realize who you were with? The CEO of Taylor's Holdings! And everything was going well until…what exactly happened?" Amelia rolled her eyes, shrugging as if dismissing the entire encounter. "Trust me, I wasn't looking for an excuse to run. He was arrogant, sure, being a CEO is a red flag on its own. But I stuck around until he dropped the bomb." "What bomb?" Emily pressed, her voice tinged with annoyance at Amelia 's vague answers. Amelia took a deep breath, her irritation clear as she responded, "He said he wants three kids. Three, Emily! Can you believe that?" Emily's mouth fell open in shock. "He actually said that? Does he think you're just some baby factory? You're only just getting married, for heaven's sake!" "Exactly! I thought the same thing," Amelia replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She turned back to the mirror, carefully applying her eyelashes. "At first, when he mentioned needing a child, I considered it. He's a CEO, after all. But three kids? That's insane!" As Amelia finished her makeup, she turned to emphasize her point. "Babe, my life flashed before my eyes when he said that. I swear he smirked. I'm convinced he did it on purpose." "Maybe it was just a mistake," Emily offered, her tone softening as she realized why Amelia had walked out. "I don't even care anymore. I'll just tell my mom that my boyfriend and I broke up. I'll find someone else and introduce him when the time comes," Amelia said, her tone now more resigned. "You'd better hurry before she gets too ill," Emily said with a small laugh. "At this rate, I don't see you getting married in the next ten years if you keep these preferences." Emily's voice grew serious as she continued, "You know your mom's health isn't great. That's why she's so desperate to see you settled down before she passes. If you don't get married before she dies, she'll feel unfulfilled." "I don't understand why she's so fixated on this," Amelia said, her voice tinged with sadness. "I've told her I don't want to marry. I don't believe in soulmates or sharing my life with someone else. But because of her, I'm forcing myself to find a 'perfect match.'" "Who's going to marry a woman who doesn't believe in love or commitment?" Emily mused. "Even the CEO must be out of his mind." "No, he's not," Amelia muttered, her thoughts drifting back to the date. "He actually shares the same philosophy as me. I found someone who gets it, and I just walked away?" Realization hit Amelia hard as she stared at Emily, trying to convince herself as much as her friend. "What's three kids, anyway? It's not that bad, right?" "Yes, absolutely," Emily nodded, trying to reassure her. But then Amelia 's expression changed again, her face dropping into her hands. "No, I can't do it. It's terrifying," she groaned. "He must be a monster." Emily sighed, seeing the turmoil in Amelia 's eyes. Rising from the bed, she walked over to the wardrobe, rifling through clothes. "Let's just get ready for the club. We need to have some fun and forget about this mess." _________________ "Emily, is my makeup okay? Not too much, right?" Amelia asked as they stepped out of the car, heading toward the red-light district club, nestled within the city. "If you keep obsessing over how you look, you might as well marry the first guy you hook up with tonight," Emily teased, her tone playful as they made their way down the street. "Harsh. I'm not about to marry some stalker or rapist as the father of my child," Amelia shot back, laughing as they reached the club's entrance. After showing their IDs, they pushed through the crowded entrance, bodies moving in rhythm with the pulsating music. Emily navigated through the throng with ease, with Amelia following closely behind. "Let's just have fun tonight and forget about all our worries!" Amelia shouted over the loud music, her voice a blend of excitement and desperation as she swayed to the beat. They made their way to the bar, ordering drinks to loosen up. As they danced, they let the rhythm carry away their anxieties, losing themselves in the music and the moment. A few minutes later, they were back at the bar, their drinks in hand. The ice cubes clinked against the glass as they swirled their cocktails. "You know what?" Emily began, her gaze fixed on Amelia . "I honestly don't think you can handle three kids." "Why?" Amelia laughed, taking a sip of her drink. She paused, a puzzled look crossing her face. "This drink tastes weird," she muttered, glancing around the club suspiciously. "We couldn't even last an hour on the dance floor without getting tired. We're getting old, weak, and stressed out. We're practically growing white hair already," Emily joked, her voice strained with exhaustion. "So?" Amelia responded, her tone contrasting with Emily's words and demeanor. "Seriously, that's all you have to say?" Emily asked, lifting her head to meet Amelia 's gaze. But Amelia 's attention was elsewhere, her eyes locked on something—or perhaps someone—across the club. "Two hot guys," Emily muttered, her eyes following Amelia 's gaze until they landed on two men, one with dark hair and the other blonde with black streaks. "I'll take the blonde," Emily said, her voice sly and playful. But Amelia 's response caught her off guard. "I'll take the CEO." Emily blinked in surprise. "You mean that sexy guy over there is the CEO? The one who wants three kids?" Amelia nodded, her eyes still fixed on him. "Yeah, that's him. The one I walked away from."Two striking men entered the club, their presence commanding attention. One, with a mischievous grin, flicked his tongue over a lip piercing, while the other, his dark hair slicked back, walked with his hands buried in his pockets and a scowl on his face. Suddenly, Alex nudged Lucas on the shoulder, causing his frown to deepen. "What the hell do you want? That hurts," Lucas growled in annoyance. "Look over there," Alex said, excitement evident in his tone as his gaze remained glued to the bar. "What? Where? What are you—" Lucas started, scanning the club before his eyes finally landed on the woman Alex was fixated on. It was the woman he'd recently been on a date with. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly averted his gaze. Grabbing Alex by the arm, he dragged him to a more secluded spot. "What's your problem? Why are you dragging me away from that beauty?" Alex protested, his face a mixture of confusion and frustration, though he soon noticed something off about Lucas's beh
The door of Jun's car slammed shut as he helped Amelia settle into the passenger seat. He rounded the car and finally slid into the driver's seat. Starting the car, he drove off into the night. His eyes glanced at Amelia, who seemed to be dozing off, her head nestled comfortably against the seat."Miss… Miss…" he called softly after reaching a red light."Yes?" Amelia woke up, her eyes still heavy with sleep, looking at him with a questioning expression."Ah… yes, the date," she muttered, sitting up straighter as her eyes gradually cleared."If I told you that I wasn't the one who accepted your apology, would you believe me?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion."No," Lucas replied bluntly, restarting the engine as the light turned green."Then forget about having three kids, one is enough. I just need an heir," Lucas added, his voice unsteady."An heir…" Amelia's voice trailed off. "What if the first one isn't a boy?""We'll keep trying," Lucas said, his gaze fixed on the ro
“You… it’s not…” Isabelle’s face contorted with a mixture of shock and fury as she watched Lucas, her supposed love interest, lock lips with another woman right in front of her. Her chest tightened, breath growing shallow as the scene unfolded before her disbelieving eyes.Lucas, still holding Amelia, didn’t even bother to offer Isabelle an explanation. His cold indifference only fanned the flames of her rage. With a sharp stomp of her heel against the marble floor, Isabelle turned on her heel and stormed out of the mansion, the sound of the doors slamming shut echoing through the grand hall.But Lucas's real struggle was only beginning. What appeared to be a heated kiss from the outside was far from passionate on his end. The truth was that when Isabelle had still been in the room, Lucas's lips had barely brushed against Amelia's in a fleeting, accidental moment. But the instant Isabelle had stormed out, Amelia had pulled him closer with surprising strength, her hands locking behi
The kitchen lights flickered on as two figures could be seen working in the dim glow. Lucas had his shirt off, his muscular back glistening under the warm light as he washed the vegetables in the sink. Amelia, on the other hand, was utterly distracted, her eyes feasting on his sculpted body, tracing the contours of his six-pack abs as she waited for the food to be ready.“So, did you learn to cook in college?” Amelia asked, her voice light but her gaze firmly locked on his physique.“No,” Lucas replied, turning to face her with a slight smirk, his hands moving over the cucumber, coating it with salt before rinsing it. He placed a chopping board on the counter and carefully set the vegetables on it, cutting them with precise, measured strokes. Once finished, he retrieved the neatly prepared dough, rolling it into sticks before dropping them into the boiling water.“I studied business administration in college,” he continued, “but cooking... that’s something I learned from my mom and
“Just so you know, I'm not always like that,” Amelia said as she slipped on her dress, her voice carrying a trace of defensiveness.Lucas, pacing the room with his hands in his pockets, responded without missing a beat. “Okay… but actions speak louder than words,” he said, throwing a glance her way before continuing his restless movements.“Are you done?” he asked, stopping in front of her.“Yes,” Amelia replied almost immediately, eager to leave his space after the awkwardness of the morning.Amelia had faced enough embarrassment to last a lifetime, and all she wanted now was to go home and put it behind her. They left the house together after sharing a simple breakfast that Lucas had prepared—this time, thankfully, no one was drunk. Amelia had to admit, once again, that Lucas was an excellent cook, but the lingering awkwardness from the night before overshadowed the meal.Now, they were parked outside Amelia's house as Lucas had driven her home.“Thanks for the ride,” Amelia said,
The rain beat down relentlessly on the pavement, the sun long gone beyond the horizon. If one looked closely, they might notice a woman hurrying through the downpour, dressed in trousers and a jacket that hung over her dress, shielding her from the cold and wet.Her umbrella was her only companion, offering meager protection as she dashed into the restaurant where she had parked her car.That woman was Amelia, and this was the beginning of it all.She stepped into the warmth of the restaurant, quickly folding her umbrella and shaking off the excess water. As she made her way inside, she fumbled with her phone, pressing a few keys."Mr. Taylor, where are you? I'm already in the restaurant, but I'm afraid I can't…" she began, her tone sharper than intended—perhaps a consequence of the miserable weather.Amelia never liked rainy days; they were bad for business. What good was it to arrive drenched before getting anywhere you needed to be?Before she could finish her sentence, she spotted
The light shone brightly in the grand office, casting a sharp contrast against the dark furniture. A figure sat at a large, polished desk, his suit impeccably tailored, his black hair swept neatly back, and his expression marred by a small frown. This was Lucas, and opposite him sat another man, a striking figure with blonde hair streaked with black, blue eyes gleaming under the office lights, and a small piercing on his lip.The blonde-haired man, Alex, suddenly stood up, his movements deliberate as he strode toward a small bar cabinet where an array of fine wines was lined up. He selected a bottle, then moved to the mini-fridge, extracting a handful of ice cubes. He picked up two glasses, returning to Lucas with a casual grace that belied the tension in the room. Lucas remained seated, visibly annoyed, the aftermath of his recent dates hanging over him like a dark cloud."You know," Alex began, his voice low and probing as he poured wine into both glasses, "I'm finding it hard to