Natalie answered Dante’s video call while the therapist returned to massaging her feet. She cleared her throat at the sight of Dante’s face on the phone screen. “What’s wrong?” she asked.In the car, Dante frowned at the sight of Natalie lying down, wearing only a towel. Her white skin seemed to glisten with oil. Her narrow cleavage looked plumpy and so tempting.“Where are you?” Dante’s voice sounded less than pleasant.“I’m getting a massage. Don’t you see how I look now?” Natalie replied with a frown.The frown on Dante’s forehead deepened. “Who’s the therapist?” he probed.Natalie stared at her therapist, who remained focused on massaging her feet. She replied, “A woman. Don’t worry.”Dante’s expression showed suspicion and disbelief. Finally, Natalie asked her therapist, “Can I show you to him? He seems very afraid of other men touching my body.”The therapist smiled. “Go ahead, Miss.”Natalie pointed her camera at the therapist massaging her feet. However, Dante’s focus was draw
“W-who?” Natalie’s grandmother’s voice trembled. She couldn’t believe her own ears.“It’s Natalie,” Natalie said as she closed her eyes. She wanted to go home and hug her grandmother. But that was impossible. Maybe she would never even see her grandmother again. Thinking about it made her even sadder.“Oh, dear Natalie, is this really you?” Minerva, Natalie’s grandmother, sounded surprised and excited. Natalie nodded while trying to hold back her sobs. She asked, “Grandma, how are you? I heard you were sick.”Minerva chuckled. “Are you crying? Honey, I heard a lot of people there. You must remember that elegant women should not cry in crowded places. You must be calm.”“Grandma, we’re not talking about that now,” Natalie said, feeling a little frustrated. She wanted to talk about something more serious, but her grandmother was teaching her how to be an elegant lady.“My dear, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m sick of missing you. But now I’m talking to you, so my condition will d
Natalie hugged Dante as if seeking protection from him, and it made Dante feel complicated. Slowly, his hand came up to rub her back.“I’ll look for her if you’re worried,” Dante said, which instantly made Natalie swallow.“And then?” she asked.“Then what do you want? If you want to eliminate her, I can kill her.”Dante just said it casually, but it managed to give Natalie goosebumps. Killing someone seemed so easy to Dante, like it was just a trivial matter. Whether the man would actually follow her will or not, it was still terrifying.“No. Dante, you don’t have to,” Natalie said softly. She looked up and stared into the man’s face.“As long as you’re by my side, I’ll be safe, right?” she asked.Natalie’s puffy eyes looked so weak. She looked like a fragile woman who could break at any moment. However, Dante found it strange that Natalie never looked like that. Was she acting?Dante had been with Natalie for several months. And during that time, she had always been a tough woman wh
At 3 am, Natalie suddenly woke up because of a nightmare. Her throat was thirsty, so she intended to go to the kitchen to get some cold water. However, just as she left the bedroom, she vaguely heard Dante talking to someone downstairs.Her brow furrowed instantly. Who had come to visit at 3 in the morning? Could it be Alex?Carefully, she took off her slippers and stepped down the stairs. Many of the lights had been turned off, so the atmosphere in the penthouse was indeed darker and more dimly lit.Dante was in the living room. The closer Natalie got, the clearer their voices became. She heard a woman whining spoiledly. “Dante, you have to help me. If you don’t-”“What? Are you going to snitch to your father or grandfather?” Dante’s voice was flat and cold. He didn’t seem interested in the conversation.The woman snorted with a frown. “I know you don’t like me, but could you have a little compassion for me?”“Why should I have mercy on you?” asked Dante.“Because our grandfather wan
“Come here.” Dante invited Natalie over. She hesitantly complied.Natalie stood in front of Dante with her head down. She felt a little awkward. “I didn’t mean to kick you out. I was just pretending in front of that woman.”“Why aren’t you in your room?” asked Dante. It was 3 a.m., so it was only natural that he would ask that.“I was going to get some cold water, and then I overheard your voices,” Natalie answered honestly. Dante pulled Natalie down to sit beside him. His hand caressed her cheek where Camilla had slapped her. “Does it still hurt?”Natalie shook her head. Slaps like that were actually common for her when she was still in prison. It was just that she was quite surprised because she did not expect Camilla to do it.“Who is Camilla? Why did she come here?” she asked.Dante snorted. “She’s the granddaughter of my grandfather’s best friend. She and I have known each other for a long time.”Natalie finally understood. Camilla was brave enough to Dante because her grandfath
Natalie fell to the floor like a dazed person. Her whole body felt uncomfortable, as if it were throbbing and burning. She wanted to be touched. She craved a man’s touch.Her face turned bright red. “You’re really cruel,” she hissed as she stared at Dante. The look in her eyes was faint and weak.Dante smirked. “Think carefully, Cavey.”Natalie couldn’t focus. Her eyes traveled up Dante’s well-built body and down to his veiny hands. She wanted his touch again. She wanted his fingers inside her again.She unconsciously bit her lip. Dante’s muscular chest and firm hips teased her. Memories of how his hips repeatedly pounded against hers hard popped into her head. Her breath was getting hotter and hotter thinking about those dirty and wild things.Natalie tried to stand up and then felt the warm liquid melting on her thighs. She was horny, but didn’t dare to approach Dante. The man deliberately wanted to torture her by making her burn with passion and lust. He wanted her to beg to be tou
“I won’t betray you.” Natalie wrapped her arms around Dante’s neck and pulled him down. Afterward, she kissed him on the lips.Dante didn’t kiss her back. Instead, he gripped Natalie’s jaw until the kiss broke. The woman groaned while closing her eyes.“Don’t you trust me?” Natalie asked.“You want my touch so badly?” Dante asked as he watched Natalie’s sweaty face. Her sexy lips were parted. Her skin was flushed red, as if passion was burning her.Natalie’s closed eyes then opened. She tried to put away her pride and let lust take over her. Let the animalism take over her body. Let her lose control so she could look like she needed Dante.She nodded with a smoldering look in her eyes. Her expression looked so pained. “I want your fingers inside me,” she whispered in a heated breath.“Just my fingers?” Dante smiled seductively.Suddenly, Natalie’s hand reached into Dante’s pants and squeezed his cock. “And this.”Dante growled under his breath. “Fuck!”He pulled Natalie’s hand away an
Dante took Natalie to the bathroom and helped clean her up. She just stood there and let him do it.Natalie watched as Dante focused on bathing her. His naked upper body caught her attention. She noticed several scars on Dante’s chest and stomach. She slowly touched them.“Is your life so dangerous?” she asked softly.“Enough to keep me on my toes,” Dante replied indifferently. He bent down to rub Natalie’s leg with bath gel.His treatment was so gentle that Natalie felt comfortable. She held on to his shoulder and looked at the tattoo on his left shoulder. It was a small tattoo of a vine wrapped around a winged sword. Looking at it made her feel like she was being pulled into a fantasy world.Natalie touched the tattoo. It was her first time seeing Dante’s naked body and her first time seeing his tattoo. The man had always been very private about his body. Even during sex, Dante didn’t take off all his clothes.“So beautiful,” Natalie murmured. Dante caught her hand and stood up. Hi
Alex knocked on Dante’s bedroom door several times, but there was no response from inside. He grew uneasy. “Dante, open the door!” he shouted.“What’s wrong?” James, standing guard in front of the hotel room, became curious because he saw Alex worried. “Is there any urgent business?”“Hurry and ask the hotel staff for a spare key!” Alex ordered seriously.James felt confused but didn’t dare ask more questions. He hurried away and came back with a hotel staff a few moments later. Alex immediately asked the staff to open Dante’s room.Moments later, the door finally opened. “Let me in,” Alex said, as he hurried inside. He closed the door again and saw Dante crouched on the floor, busy doing something.“What are you doing?” Alex asked.“Stay right there! Don’t come any closer!” Dante ordered coldly.Alex was confused. Dante had his back to him, so he could only see his back. Shards of glass were on the floor, along with blood splatters. That worried him.“Are you okay?” Alex asked as he
Natalie finally met the Wentworth family. They didn’t recognize her and quietly asked Britia. “Is she your friend? Why didn’t you say you were coming with a friend?”Britia smiled awkwardly while looking at Natalie. They sat at the dining table with the rest of the Wentworth family, but the atmosphere was awkward and strange. They felt unfamiliar with Natalie’s presence.“Everyone, listen to me!” Britia finally shouted and stood up while holding a wine glass. “She’s not my friend. She’s Natalie, Aunt Minerva’s granddaughter in America. Don’t you all recognize her?”They were surprised to hear that. Minerva’s granddaughter?They all immediately looked at Natalie with appraisal and investigation. The change in her appearance had indeed puzzled them. Meanwhile, the observed person could only smile while putting on a friendly face.“Are you really Minerva’s granddaughter?” Nelson Wentworth, Minerva’s elder brother, the first child of that generation, asked in confusion.Natalie nodded. “I
Britia was still unsure of Natalie’s identity. However, she couldn’t bear to let her faint just like that. Finally, she asked the security guards to help take Natalie to her apartment unit.Natalie fainted for three hours. When she woke up, the sky was already bright. Britia, who had been pacing back and forth waiting for her, immediately sighed and offered her warm water.“Oh, you really confused me. It’s Christmas, you know?!” the beautiful curly-haired and blue-eyed woman grumbled.Natalie tried to sit up even though her body felt weak. Her head was throbbing, but she didn’t care. She took the glass of warm water and looked down. “I’m sorry I bothered you,” she said guiltily.“What exactly happened? Are you really Aunt Minerva’s granddaughter?” Britia asked.“Yes, I’m Natalie. After I got out of prison, I did have plastic surgery to change my identity so that others wouldn’t know who I really am. You know, I don’t want to hold that popularity anymore,” Natalie said weakly.Britia s
Nicolo and his two subordinates hid in front of his bulletproof car, using the car as a shield and hiding place. Meanwhile, Dante’s soldiers advanced closer and closer. They were full of preparations and overwhelmed Nicolo.“Son of a bitch! I don’t think we can survive here, boss!” shouted Nicolo’s driver, who had run out of bullets.“Find a place to hide! This commotion is bound to attract the police. If they come, Dante won’t be able to catch up with us,” Nicolo said as he looked around. He gave the code to his two subordinates. After that, they immediately ran away.Dante, who saw that, immediately told his subordinates to chase Nicolo. That was a good opportunity to catch them. Next time, he probably wouldn’t have the chance.James and some men dressed in black went after Nicolo. Meanwhile, Dante approached Nicolo’s car, which was riddled with gunshot marks. He opened the door and saw Natalie crouched in fear on the floor of the vehicle, crying shakily.“Go! Find a place to hide!”
After meeting Nicolo, Natalie’s days were filled with fear and worry. She didn’t want to go to Italy, but what if Nicolo forced her to go?Natalie couldn’t eat and slept well. Several times, she went to see Kelsey to make sure she was okay. The longer it went on, the more uneasy she became. She didn’t know when Nicolo would show up again, and that made things uncertain.On Christmas Eve, it snowed more heavily. Natalie was about to go to Betty’s restaurant. However, remembering the last time she met Lucas in the alley made her cancel her intention. She'd better stay in her room.Natalie pulled up the blanket. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. Her feelings were immediately alert. Had the person she feared finally come?She swallowed. What if she didn’t open the door? Would that person break down the door and barge in?Natalie was silent. Then the sound of knocking on the door came back, along with Harper Lawrence’s shout. “Miss Smith, are you in there?!”“Oh, wait!” Natalie felt
Natalie tried to break Nicolo’s embrace and pushed the man’s body away. She sat up and looked at him angrily. “Do you hate me that much? You really have no heart!”They had only met occasionally at nightclubs in the past. Natalie even only knew Nicolo’s name without knowing his true identity, so she never took his proposal seriously. Who would have guessed that it was that rejection that led her into various life-and-death situations?“I do hate you. But if you’ll go with me, I’ll forgive you,” Nicolo said.Natalie was completely speechless. Nicolo had gone mad. He spoke as if everything was her fault and she needed his forgiveness. Shouldn’t he be the one apologizing to her?After he had caused her career to crumble, her life to fall apart, and put her in danger so many times, shouldn’t he be the one apologizing?“I’m fucking innocent!” Natalie stared at the man with reddened eyes. “You’re the one who should be apologizing to me, Nicolo! You’ve ruined everything!”Nicolo gave her a c
In the car, Natalie sat anxiously uncertain. Lucas sat beside her and looked at her with a smirk. “It's only been a few months since we've seen each other. Why are you being so strange to me?”Natalie clenched her fists tightly. She looked at Lucas hatefully. “Back then, I didn't know what your intentions were. After you sold me and put me through those cruel things, why should I be nice to you?”Lucas laughed without feeling guilty. He just thought of Natalie as a toy. Whatever Natalie felt wouldn't make him feel bad.“All this time, you've probably been wondering who the person is who hates you enough to make you suffer like that. I'll take you to see him,” Lucas said. Right after that, the car they were traveling in stopped before a nightclub.Natalie swallowed nervously. She got out of the car without asking many questions and followed Lucas into the nightclub.That was no ordinary nightclub, but an exclusive nightclub. The security staff guarding the entrance looked at Natalie sk
That night, Natalie stayed alone in the flat. The quiet and lonely atmosphere made her claustrophobic. She looked out the window and daydreamed while staring at the snowflakes falling from the sky.Natalie felt like everything was empty. She had no purpose in life anymore, no dreams or desires that could make her endure and try hard. Even if she had to die today, she probably wouldn’t regret it.She rubbed her face tiredly. “Maybe I’d better go out,” she muttered.It wasn’t late, so Natalie decided to go to a small, secluded old restaurant. There were only a few customers there, and there weren’t even any waiters, just an old couple sincerely serving the customers.“Miss, are you a new customer? What makes you interested in coming to this old tavern?” The old woman wearing an apron asked Natalie kindly.“This place is in an alley, but the aroma of the food wafts far away. It’s surprisingly quiet here. I’m not in the mood to meet many people,” Natalie said.The old lady smiled and sat
“Miss, please.” Mr. Lawrence invited Natalie to come in and look around the empty flat. She nodded and went to look around. However, her mind could not focus.Natalie couldn’t ignore someone who might be watching her. There were only two possibilities that popped into her head. If it wasn’t Lucas’s subordinate, it had to be Dante’s. The people who had been ensnaring her were just them.“Sister, why are you daydreaming? Don’t you like this place?” Kelsey asked.“I like it,” Natalie answered immediately. She smiled and asked the landlord a few questions, including about the rent and the safety of the neighborhood.Mr. Lawrence explained kindly. However, Natalie wanted to quickly catch who was stalking her, so she didn’t want to listen too much.“May I rent for one month first? If I feel comfortable, I’ll extend the lease,” Natalie pleaded.“No problem. We are very flexible,” Mr. Lawrence replied.Natalie immediately paid the rent for one month. It was probably the quickest transaction f