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Ch10 - International call
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2024-11-15 21:02:00Lena's apartment wasn’t big, but it had the advantage of tight front desk security, keeping journalists away so she could have a little peace. At least, that’s what she thought—
A call interrupted the quiet. It was from an unknown international number, most likely a scam, so she didn’t answer. But two minutes later, the same number called again. When it almost went to voicemail, curiosity got the better of her, and she answered.“Lena... it’s me, your mom…”Lena’s hand slipped, and the phone tumbled onto the carpet, spinning as her mind went blank, buzzing in shock.After several seconds, her vision slowly focused. With trembling hands, she picked up the phone, put it on speaker, and set it on the floor. She sat down, hugging her knees, dreading what she might hear, yet unable to turn away.“Lena, are you still there?” Her mother’s voice was gentle, “You must be so tired lately; it must have been so hard. Your dad and I didn’t want to le
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"Hey, ladies, interested in joining us?" A young man interrupted right as Lena was about to speak, extending an invitation to their table.Diya’s mood dropped instantly as their conversation was cut short. She shot him a look, and the guy's smile froze. He quickly backpedaled, “Haha, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”Feeling a bit deflated, he scratched his head and returned to his seat.“I warned you, didn’t I? The girl on the right is not to be messed with,” Alaric teased.“No, it was the one on the left,” Argo said, still a bit rattled. “She shot me such a fierce look that I didn't dare say another word. I must’ve interrupted something important… they were talking about virtual currency or something. But seriously, the one on the right is gorgeous—those eyes!”Alaric’s gaze froze, lingering on the swaying figure a short distance away.The other guys, curious, asked, “Hey, is she really that pretty? So, who do you think is pret
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A flash of red sped past, and Lena hesitated about calling for help, but she had just escaped from a car moments ago, and her fear was still fresh. She walked along the main road, trying to get her phone to turn back on, but it was dead. Suddenly, the red car reversed and stopped in front of her. A man stepped out quickly, his expression serious, slamming the car door shut as he asked, “Why didn’t you say anything when you called...?”Alaric stopped mid-sentence.Lena’s hair was a mess, covering half of her face. She had a frown, but in the one visible eye, he saw fear and unease. There was a clear mark on her cheek, left by someone’s tight grip, and her shirt was torn open at the front. She held a phone with a cracked screen in her scratched and bruised hand, and her legs bore cuts of varying sizes. Alaric couldn’t bear to look any longer. He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “Get in the car first.”The warmth of the jacket s
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Lena shook off Daisy’s words with a forceful gesture, taking a deep sniff as she pushed open the revolving door of the building.A blast of cold wind hit her—much chillier than she’d imagined. Snowflakes settled on the tips of her hair and on her scarf, giving the impression that she was draped in a delicate layer of white gauze.When she looked up to snap a photo with her phone, fresh snow landed on her cheeks and melted instantly from her body heat.After sending the photo to Alaric, thinking he should be calling any minute, she decided to wait for his call out on the street.But two minutes passed, then five, and she still hadn’t received any call from him. Alaric was always punctual.
Rivals to Lovers Ch108 - His mother
In Lena’s eyes, Daisy was never the traditional kind of mother.Maybe it was because she’d always been fiercely independent. When Alaric’s grandparents—Daisy’s own parents—transformed their trading company into a real estate business, Daisy poured a lot of effort into Winfield.She and her husband were married through a family alliance, and at the time, the company was just getting started. Daisy needed a husband who could help support her career. In other words, she was willing to sacrifice even her marriage for her career without complaint.That mindset even extended to how she raised her son—as if nurturing a business.In that respect, Lena felt Daisy was somewhat similar t
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Rivals to Lovers Ch106 - How much do you like me?
“You’re so unfair, using your strength against me,” she huffed, glaring at him with puffed cheeks.Alaric braced one hand against the bed, half-lidding his eyes as he looked down at her, his other hand pressing firmly against her waist.The next second, the world flipped. In a swift motion, he reversed their positions.“See? Now I’m not the one overpowering you,” he teased, his voice rich with amusement.Lena was momentarily stunned by his effortless maneuvering. Her ears flushed pink as she sputtered, “You… you could be even more shameless, you know that?”Meant as a retort, but Alaric, ever the troublemaker, smirked. “Oh? Really?”His voice dipped into a low, honeyed rasp. “Then how about you take the lead tonight?”Before he even finished speaking, his hand had already slid down, tracing along the delicate curve of her back. His fingers glided across her skin, leaving behind a trail of tingling warmth.Lena’s breath hitched again. As Alaric’s wicked smirk deepened, she pressed her
