The day before Fiona's departure, she spent a whole day preparing a feast. Michael had always doted on her and treated her like a princess, saying that he wouldn't let her do a single chore. He had indeed kept his word over the years.That was why, despite being the crown princess, Fiona knew nothing about managing the Eastern Hall's daily affairs or doing housework. There was havoc as she prepared the meal—she accidentally sliced her finger when chopping vegetables and got some hot oil on her arm.She was a mess by the time she was done cooking, but at least she'd gotten a proper meal ready.Michael returned to the palace as the evening sun set. He was surprised when he entered the palace and smelled the aroma of food. His expression shifted when he saw the cut and burn on Fiona's hand and arm."How did this happen? Didn't I tell you to leave this to the chefs? Didn't I forbid you from entering the kitchen?" The heartache in his eyes seemed genuine. He lifted her into his arms anx
Lorraine could immediately tell that Michael wasn't his usual self that day. She peeled a grape and placed it between her teeth before tilting her head and leaning close to him.She was young, pretty, and had a hint of sensuality in her eyes. The sweetness of the grape clung to her lips, complementing the lip gloss she had on. Her lips gleamed with moisture—she looked as alluring as Michael loved her to be.He was still distracted, though. His frown deepened, and he turned away to avoid her seduction. Her expression turned displeased as she harrumphed and broke free of his embrace. Then, she asked coquettishly, "Why are you still here if you don't like being here? Who are you thinking of?"Michael didn't pacify her as he usually would. Instead, he gave her an apologetic look, got up, and hurried to the door. He said, "I have something important to attend to. I'll come see you some other time, Lori."Lorraine clenched her fists tightly, making her perfectly manicured nails bite into
Lorraine was pregnant with Michael's child. He and Fiona didn't yet have a child together. There would be no hope of him regaining Fiona's love if she were to hear of this.He said, "Fine. I'll give you whatever you want as long as you abort the child. Don't let Fi hear about this, and don't appear before her for the rest of your life!"Lorraine smiled after hearing what she wanted to hear. She curtsied with a laugh. "Thank you, Your Highness."Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he watched her sashay away. His eyes gleamed with ruthlessness. Once she was out of sight, he summoned a secret guard. "Get rid of her immediately. Get rid of the baby, too. Feed her to the dogs once she's dead. I don't want her to leave any trace in this world!"Lorraine was nothing but a plaything he'd taken a fancy to because of her good looks. She was courting death, thinking that she could threaten him with a child and even try to kick Fiona out of the picture.Soon, a blood-curdling scream rang out
Fiona didn't dare to go to the counter—the money had appeared out of nowhere, after all. Though she knew the system would have a way to resolve that issue, she still felt diffident.She went to the ATM to check her balance. Her heart raced when she saw all the zeroes, and it took her a while to wrap her mind around the amount.The one thing she wanted to do right then and there was purchase a house of her own. Though the memories had now faded, she could still vaguely remember the feeling of living under someone else's roof when in Michael's world. So, she headed straight to the real estate sales office.The realtor looked at her doubtfully and asked, "Where are your parents, young lady? Are you going to view the houses yourself?"The sales office was for one of the most expensive developments in the city. The residential area had the best security and environment. More importantly, it was close to where Fiona was interning.Though she could now live out the rest of her life witho
Fiona, who had been entranced by Wilson's good looks, finally recalled Eunice. She shot up straight and started looking around. Once she spotted Eunice's familiar figure in the middle of the dance floor, she grumbled with a pout, "She ditched me and went off to have fun by herself!""I'll accompany you for a while then," Wilson said before sliding into the seat next to Fiona. Picking up a bottle of juice, he asked her, "Would you like to have this? It's alcohol-free and affordably priced too. I won't open it if you don't want it."Feeling good about him, Fiona replied, "Sure. I'll drink it. Go ahead and open it. You can open up a more expensive one too. I don't mind."She was good with alcohol in the other world, but she had never consumed alcohol with her own body before, so she dared not go too hard. She asked, "Do you get a commission if I get something alcoholic?""Yeah," Wilson confirmed with a nod. "But it's fine if you don't want to drink any. I can stick to my role as a bou
Eunice eyed Fiona in confusion, reminding her, "If we don't hurry, we're going to be late.""You go on ahead first," Fiona replied as she eyed the nearby figure with a cold expression. "Help me take the day off."Eunice tracked Fiona's gaze and spotted a tall man of uncertain age. He was dressed in a suit that made him look like a successful gentleman, though he looked a little unwell at the same time.She dared not pry for more details, but reacting as if she had just been made privy to some kind of secret, she said sheepishly, "I-I'll tell them you're having menstruation pains."Once Eunice was gone, Fiona finally managed to quell the shock she felt. She thought she had long forgotten that face, abandoned all memory of it in the deepest, darkest recesses of her mind. Alas, she couldn't forget it after all.She also couldn't forget the betrayal and all those sleepless nights.Nonetheless, Fiona knew she couldn't display even the slightest bit of shock or panic."What are you do
"Alright. Thanks," Fiona said to the realtor. Her mood improved after spending a bit of money, and she took a cab home after. As she passed by the bar that seemed completely nondescript in daylight, her eyes glittered for a moment.For some reason, she thought of Wilson again.They hadn't exchanged any new messages since their conversation last night. When she was looking through her social media today, she inadvertently found out that he was a promoter at the bar. Promoters usually earned their commission by convincing customers to book tables and order copious amounts of alcohol.Had the care and gentleness he exhibited last night all been for the sake of getting her to spend money?For some reason, Fiona didn't mind that. No matter how much Wilson wanted to make a killing through her, what did that compare to the fortune she now had?In any case, she had also received adequate compensation in the form of emotional value. She didn't mind using her money in exchange for another's
The applause was rather thunderous, mostly because of Michael's good looks. He nodded politely at everyone before his gaze rested on Fiona."It's nice to meet you all. From now on, let's work together as colleagues," he said gently.…It seemed to be a special day, for the bar wasn't blasting the loud music it was previously.While Eunice flitted from table to table at the bar, Fiona sat in silence. She whirled the glass she was holding with an impassive expression, the ice cubes clinking as she did.She felt the couch dip beside her before the heat of Wilson's leg seemed to transfer through his jeans which pressed against her bare knee. The huskiness of his voice was amplified by the sensuous surroundings, making it sound as rich as chocolate."Is something on your mind?" Wilson asked.Fiona sighed before eyeing Eunice. She was starting to envy Eunice's carefree attitude."Someone I dislike has become my direct superior. It's such a pain, really," Fiona replied.She couldn't
"I'm at Ebony Beach right now," Fiona said as she buried her face behind the high collar of her windbreaker. Her voice was glum as she continued, "When are you coming?"Wilson checked his flight ticket before replying with a smile, "Well, it can't be helped. I need to focus on the renovation work for your house, you know. I don't want to be paid for doing nothing. I might only be able to join you when you move to the next country. Don't be too reliant on me. Enjoy yourself—"Fiona ended the call in a huff.She and Wilson had traveled to about four or five countries together before a problem came up with her house. Wilson had no choice but to fly back, making two transfers before he finally got back to the country.Meanwhile, apart from hiding the plane ticket he already got from Fiona, Wilson was also hiding a ring in his pocket. He had only bought one because he was going to propose to Fiona, and he would be fine no matter what her response was. Either way, this ring was for him.
"After saying that, he said a lot of other things I didn't understand," Fiona said exasperatedly. "It'll be good if he never shows up in front of me again."She had finally freed herself from all those messy things. She didn't want to have to be reminded of them anymore.Wilson knew that Michael was going to die, but he selfishly didn't want to tell Fiona that.His mission wasn't to marry Fiona or anything. There was only one goal he had to complete, and that was to make her happy.Happiness could be achieved in many ways. In the beginning, Wilson wanted to get Fiona to accept his love so that he could shower her with care and affection to keep her happy. But over time, he slowly realized just how wonderful she was. It was from then that he couldn't bear to trick her into feeling happy because of his pretense. He didn't want it to just be a part of a mission.Therefore, he didn't want to force Fiona into anything. He genuinely wanted to treat her well."Now that you've resigned,
Looking rather conflicted, Wilson opened his mouth to speak, but at the very next second, he trembled violently and fell to the floor. He winced in pain as his body kept spasming.Alarmed, Fiona reached out to help him up, but he swiftly rolled away from her. Gasping as if he had been through a great deal of pain, he said with a rueful smile, "Don't touch me. You'll get electrocuted."Instantly, Fiona figured out what was happening, and she was filled with remorse.The system wouldn't allow its operative to mention anything related to its programming. It would electrocute the operative to stop it from happening. Fiona had nearly blurted something out in the past, only to end up getting zapped with electricity. The pain had been unbearable.It took some time before Wilson finally recovered. Once he felt better, he sat on the floor and looked up at Fiona, saying, "I'm sorry."He was sorry he couldn't tell her and for lying to her at the start. Although he couldn't say that aloud, hi
Fiona's mind was all fuzzy and jumbled up. She knew it was possible for someone to fall in love with their mission target. She had done it herself after all, so why couldn't she believe Wilson?Perhaps Michael was to blame for that.Still, Wilson looked serious. He confessed his love for her as solemnly as if he were proposing to her or declaring his marriage vows to her."Fiona," Wilson said before pressing his cool lips against the back of her hand. "Don't reject me."Cheeks flushed, Fiona looked away and pulled her hand back, saying, "Give me some time to think. Don't force me."Wilson obligingly stood up, his tall figure looking meek and obedient. He had brought medicine for her and even gave her candy to bribe her with, as if she were a child.Once Fiona took the medication, her head didn't seem to hurt as much. She looked at Wilson and asked, "How did you know I was sick?"Wilson knew where she was staying because he had dropped her off on the motorbike the other night, bu
The rational side of Fiona was telling her that Michael was capable of coming up with any kind of story he wanted, but the emotional side of her couldn't help but recall all the details of her every encounter with Wilson.Had all those coincidental meetings and sweet moments been created on purpose, just like she had once done?Still, regardless of what Wilson was, Fiona wouldn't forgive Michael anyway. She pushed his hands off her and shook her head, saying, "I don't know if you're telling the truth. I'll ask him about it myself. But even so, why should I leave with you? Am I supposed to give you another chance to hurt me, Michael?""Fi, I've really learned from my mistakes," Michael hastily declared. "You're still so young. Just give me another chance, please? I really miss you so much.""What does my youth have to do with you?" Fiona shot back, feeling rather mystified by his behavior. "Was I not young enough back in the world where I met you? Didn't I end up wasting all of my t
No matter how great the weekend was, Fiona still had to head to work and deal with the mess at the office. She knew that she might be subjected to her housemates' inquisitive looks if she went back to the house, so she stayed at a hotel instead.She could hazard a guess as to who had sent that email, but without any evidence to back her up, she had to set her suspicions aside for now.Fiona headed to the office as usual. When she arrived, her colleagues all fell silent mid-conversation. Several probing gazes landed on her, and Eunice quickly ran over, asking, "Where have you been staying the last two days, Fi?""I got myself a hotel room," Fiona replied with a pleasant smile. "Is that answer to your satisfaction?""Why would you say that?" Eunice asked awkwardly.Fiona didn't reply. She wasn't the kind of person who would stir up drama for no reason, but that didn't mean she would take things lying down either. If the matter couldn't be settled properly, she would just see it to t
Fiona was taken aback.The fire was reflected in Wilson's eyes, making them flicker with light. After a while, he chuckled and said, "The experts say there might be a meteor shower tonight, but it's not a guarantee. Will you be mad if it doesn't happen after all?"Fiona shook her head. A warm, fuzzy feeling filled her heart. Wilson was acting like a child who wanted to share everything of interest he could find with her. It made her feel important to him.Wilson didn't need money, so it wasn't as though the sales she brought in for the bar were much of a motivator for him. Why was he treating her so well then?The answer that seemed the most obvious made Fiona's heart pound. She recalled the terrible blunder she had made with her last relationship. There was still a mess at the office that she needed to deal with, but as if eloping, she came running out to the middle of nowhere to see a meteor shower that may not even happen.It was ludicrous yet exciting all the same.Fiona's ph
No matter how cool a motorbike was, there was a limit to its speed. Wilson and Fiona were on the road for half an hour before they arrived at their destination.Fiona was rather stunned by the location they were in.Wilson had taken her to the edge of the city. It was possible that having lived the first two decades of her life in severe hardship led to her never realizing that a concrete city could still be home to a forest.The leaves rustled as the evening breeze caressed the trees. The moonlight lit up the ground, basking everything in a glow of faint light.Wilson looked to the side, his gaze falling on Fiona's gaping mouth. Smiling, he asked, "Do you like it here?"Fiona couldn't speak. All she could do was nod earnestly."There's even more fun to come," he said before taking her hand.While it was beautiful out here, it was still in the middle of nowhere. Fiona fidgeted nervously, to which Wilson responded by tightening his grip on her hand and asking softly, "Do you know
After talking to Geraldine, Fiona found out that the entire company had received that email, and it couldn't be traced back to its sender. Thus, the company management had no choice but to quickly try and resolve the matter instead.Geraldine had been the one who confirmed Fiona's permanent position with the company, so she knew there was little veracity to the claims in that email. Nevertheless, she had to ask, "Those things said in the email are all untrue, right?"Exhaling softly, Fiona said glumly, "Not all. I did go drinking at the bar."She did buy a house too, but she chose not to bring that up. At the end of the day, she believed in not flaunting one's wealth.Geraldine looked a little helpless. "That's your personal life. The company has no say in that. All that matters is the rest are all untrue. You can go back to work now. This isn't a big deal. We'll do our best to get to the bottom of things."Fiona nodded and went back to her desk. She figured the sender of the emai