Alaric’s gaze was dark and unreadable, like a deep, still lake. The person in front of him was clearly playing dumb despite knowing better.
Lena’s faint smile disappeared. “If you have something to say, just say it. I really don’t know what you’re trying to get at.”
His brows furrowed, as if he had something he wanted to blurt out, but in the end, he pressed his lips together. Seeing his silence, Lena felt her heart sink.
“About the other night—it was mutual. There’s nothing more to talk about. You’re not some love-struck teenager, after all.”
His brow didn’t relax, not even slightly. After some effort, he smoothed his expression and straightened up. “You’re the one who’s acting lik
Elise rested her chin on her hand, analyzing calmly, "This is serious. I mean, come on, your two—uh, I mean, they—can't just call the first time an accident. Having a second time means the first time must've been great. Physically, they're a match. That’s rare. So what's the problem?"Lena sheepishly rubbed her nose. Elise had hit the mark, but Lena couldn't shake the messy, tangled feelings in her chest. "But they work together. Continuing this might not be a good idea, right?""So what? If you like someone, you go for it. Your 'friend' likes him, doesn’t she?" Elise teased, nudging Lena with her elbow.Lena’s ears burned red. "It’s not like that. At most… he’s just… skilled
A week later, on the following Friday, Elise invited Lena to her apartment after work. As the heiress of the Waverly jewelry brand, Elise lived in a prime area of the city, and it took Lena just over ten minutes to get there from her office.“Come over here!” Elise waved Lena over with excitement.Lena approached with a suspicious look. “What are you up to? Weren’t we just grabbing dinner? Why do I need to come to your place first? What’s your plan?”“It is dinner, but we need to look fabulous for it!” Elise grinned mischievously as she tugged on the belt of Lena’s trench coat. Lena had chosen a khaki trench coat that accentuated her slim waist, though it concealed the outfit b
The hallway was dimly lit, but Lena stood out like a dazzling star, impossible to ignore. Beyond her naturally striking features, tonight she looked exceptionally stunning in a silver sequin dress held up by two thin straps. The hem barely reached a third of her thighs, showing off her perfectly toned legs. Her prominent collarbones peeked out above the neckline, and below that, her curves were on full display. The fabric across her chest had deliberate ruching that made the silhouette both modestly suggestive and undeniably alluring. Her hair was half-tied, with a soft curl of bangs framing her face. The look combined a seductive elegance with a touch of wild charm. Alaric felt as though he’d taken a heavy blow to the chest. The four of them froze upon seeing each other, each with a different expression. Next to Alaric, Argo’s eyes widened in surprise, his brows shooting up. “Lena! I can’t believe I’m running into you again tonight!” He had tried to ap
"Alaric, I think I might have had too much to drink. I feel a little dizzy and unsteady," Jade said softly, her watery eyes looking up at him."Argo!" Alaric's voice was cold as he tried to pry Jade's hands off him, which clung to him like an octopus. He called out to the stunned Argo, who had been standing frozen in place.Argo snapped out of his daze and quickly hurried over."Help Jade stand," Alaric commanded.Argo pointed at himself in disbelief, and under Alaric’s impatient glare, hesitantly placed a hand on Jade’s shoulder. But Jade still wouldn’t let go. She closed her eyes and leaned toward Alaric.By then, Lena had already turned away. When Alaric glanced back, Elise had already reached her, taken her hand, and was pulling her along. Elise gave Alaric a sharp look and said curtly, "Take care of your friend, Alaric. We're leaving."Alaric was left speechless.Once they were out of earshot, Elise rolled her eyes again, this time even more dramatic
The girl’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and Alaric froze for a moment without realizing it.“He’s my work partner,” Lena interjected, speaking for him and ignoring Alaric’s startled expression.“Oh, just a coworker? But it’s not work hours now, is it?” Edward’s tone carried a faint hint of mockery.Alaric’s expression darkened, and his grip on Lena’s wrist tightened instinctively. “You’ve only just met her. That’s all the more reason I can’t leave her with you.”Lena winced as his grip became painful, pulling her wrist free. “You’re hurting me.”Alaric froze, his hand lingering mid-air, his gaze softened with regret. “I didn’t mean to.”Rubbing her wrist, Lena replied coolly, “You should leave. I can handle myself. Go take care of your friend.”She couldn’t understand why Alaric was still here at this hour when he should be with Jade.Choosing to reject Alaric and stand with someone else, Lena unknowingly let a flicker of pain cross Alaric’s eyes.
"I’m heading to the office for a bit. Ivy, our secretary, is getting married, and since I’ll be passing by, I’ll drop off a gift for her," Daisy said as she tidied up and spoke to her husband.Albert was polishing his fishing gear. “Sure, but aren’t you going to tell your son?”“No need. I’m just stopping by to say a quick hello and drop off the gift. There’s no reason to make a big deal of it.”She hesitated briefly in front of the cabinet where she kept her handbags. Since she was meeting an old friend later, she decided to go with a new bag—ostrich leather in a striking combination of dark red and tan.When her car arrived at the Winfield building, Daisy instructed the driver, “I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes.” After exchanging a few words with Ivy, she prepared to leave but happened to run into Lena stepping out of her office.“Good afternoon, Mrs. Winfield,” Lena greeted her warmly.“No need to be so formal; just call me Daisy.”Daisy had been
Jade was nervously biting her nails, sitting in the car that had parked outside the Winfield building. She kept picking up her phone and putting it back down, unable to believe how cold Alaric had been towards her. That day outside the bar, when she was clearly drained and vulnerable, he hadn’t even looked at her before tossing her to his friend, Argo. He had no sense of compassion.It was all Lena’s fault. If she hadn’t shown up and ruined her plans, maybe things would have been different. What bothered her even more was how Daisy, who used to reply to her messages enthusiastically, had been responding less and less lately. Her replies had become brief, almost robotic. If even Alaric’s mother wasn’t replying to her, it felt like she had lost one of the few connections to him.Today, Jade was doing her best to stay calm.——“Ms. Carrington, our miss has something to speak with you.”Not long after Lena stepped out of the building, a bodyguard stopped her. She lo
Not only was Elise freaking out, but Argo—Alaric’s buddy—nearly jumped out of his skin when he opened his social media app. He still hadn’t gotten to the bottom of what happened at the bar last time, and now there was another bombshell.A few days ago, he’d sent Alaric a message, but all he got back was an emoji—no actual answer to his questions. It was driving him nuts!Unable to wait until the next time he saw Alaric, Argo furiously typed a message: “Dude, who was that post aimed at just now?”To his surprise, Alaric replied almost immediately: “To the people spreading rumors.”Argo sprang to his feet, typing back in a frenzy: “Huh? You’re usually the last person to explain yourself!”Alaric’s response came quickly: “It’s gotten too annoying to ignore.”Argo was baffled. This was totally out of character. Last time, Jade had clearly ticked Alaric off at the bar, and he hadn’t done a thing about it. Yet today, he was acting the exact oppo
Lena’s dress was made of pure white satin, its smooth fabric reflecting a delicate sheen under the lights, exuding an aura of elegance and sophistication.The minimalist design featured thin straps and a square neckline, perfectly outlining the graceful curve of her shoulders and collarbones.The highlight of the dress was the double thigh-high slits on both sides, adorned with delicate pearl and metal buttons. Paired with a shimmering silver ankle-tie stiletto, the entire look was effortlessly stunning.This time, Elise didn’t overload her with extravagant jewelry, said that simplicity and elegance suited the occasion best.Elise dragged Lena to a commercial high-rise that looked strikingly similar to the one they had visited months ago. Lena frowned in confusion. "Are you sure he’s here?"The "he" she referred to was Elise’s boyfriend—the owner of the nightclub they had gone to last time."Yes," Elise pointed upward. "One of his bars is on the top floor."Lena was taken aback. If he
A month and a half later, Alaric’s injuries had completely healed.Just in time for Lena’s court case against her adoptive parents. He was by her side through it all.The trial officially began in mid-January. When Lena once again faced her family in court, she felt none of the past longing or hesitation—only a detached sense of calm.Her brother wore his usual arrogant expression, looking down on her even from the defendant’s seat, his gaze filled with disdain. Her father’s face was unreadable.As for her mother… she looked far more haggard than before. The once-radiant woman was nowhere to be seen. When their eyes met, Lena thought she caught a flicker of guilt, perhaps even regret.
Lena stayed at Alaric’s home for a few days, spending a surprisingly pleasant Christmas and New Year with his family.Since Alaric was still recovering from his injuries and couldn’t go out much, they welcomed the last night of the year in his garden—counting down to midnight while setting off fireworks.The garden was adorned with golden string lights wrapped around the trees, gently swaying in the night breeze. The twinkling lights resembled scattered stars, casting a warm glow over the flower beds, where vibrant hellebores were still in full bloom, bringing life to the winter night.As the countdown on the television echoed through the air, Lena clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and silently made a New Year’s wish.She ho
Twelve hours on a plane had taken them from the sweltering heat back to a city blanketed in snow.Alaric had already received a reply from his grandmother, Isla, telling them to head straight to the house."Your house? Won't your mom not want to see me?" Lena asked, skeptical.Alaric shrugged. "No idea. Whatever method Grandma used to convince her, it worked."After landing, the family driver picked them up."But if you don’t feel comfortable going, I can ask the driver to bring Grandma out instead. I booked a restaurant before, and I haven’t canceled it yet.""
On Christmas Eve night, this country, surrounded by the sea, welcomed the festive cheer. The sound of church bells and street carols intertwined as the moist evening breeze drifted in.Before the shops closed, Lena stepped out to buy some essentials nearby. Alaric said he’d take care of dinner, so she didn’t have to worry.But while passing a charming boutique, she decided to get into the holiday spirit and bought some gingerbread along with two treats—a pair of Christmas Santas made from strawberries.Clutching her treats, she headed back to the hospital. Remembering the call with Elise and the report that had just come out, she asked Alaric as she entered his room, "You must be happy now, right?"She didn’t notice the dimmed lights inside.
"Whoa! Lena, you’re crazy—this is true love!" Elise didn’t care that she was in the middle of a date on Christmas Eve; as soon as she saw the trending news, she immediately made an international call to Lena."The whole world knows now—you and Alaric are officially the ‘golden couple’!"Her tone was so exaggerated, as if she had never heard of this before.In reality, when Lena was waiting to board her flight to Singapore, she had a feeling that she might be spotted by reporters. So, to be ahead of the news, she had proactively told Elise that she and Alaric were officially together.Elise had always suspected that there was something going on between them, so back then, her reac
This doubt was resolved in no time.A young woman’s figure emerged from the patient room, and when she looked up, she was surprised to see Lena."This is Emma, the fund financial advisor from Ridley’s investment side," Zayn introduced.He hadn’t realized they’d already met.Though everyone was surprised to see each other here, they quickly resumed their usual expressions. Lena greeted her,"Hi Emma, are you here on a business trip too?""Ah, yes, I arrived a few days ago to handle a merger case, and I’m here to spend Christmas as well—my family is in town," Emma explained after a moment’s thought.Then she added,"Keaton told me that Alaric ended up in the hospital an
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.
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