“Bang!” “Argh!” A gunshot ripped through the night, followed by a woman’s chilling scream.Kelsey Young’s eyes widened in disbelief as a man stood before her, shielding her from harm. “Tyler, why did you—” Why was he the one who came to save her? Kelsey had always seen Tyler Lang as the enemy. Revenge was the only thing keeping her by his side. She was determined to bring down the Langs. Yet now, Tyler took a bullet for her. “Run!” Gritting through the pain, Tyler hissed.However, another shot rang out. Kelsey watched him take another bullet to the back. The air was thick with the stench of blood. That was when Cooper Lyon surrounded them with a dozen men in black. “I bet you didn’t see this coming, Tyler.” Cooper sneered with a gun pointed at Kelsey and Tyler. Tyler’s emotionless eyes met Cooper’s. “Let Kels go.” Cooper curled his lips mockingly. “You are in no position to make demands.” Kelsey could not believe her eyes. “Um… Cooper. What’s going o
It was Tyler. The heart-stopping face and sculpted physique belonged to Abervale’s most powerful and good-looking man. Tyler was once Kelsey’s fiancé and the man who risked his life to save hers. To think she had a second chance in life, and the person she opened her eyes to was him. Kelsey stared straight at the man before her, emotions sweeping through her. “Fancy another go?” Tyler’s amused voice interrupted her thoughts. His imposing figure loomed close, his gaze drilling into hers. Kelsey then noticed that he was unclothed. She appeared to be in her birthday suit too. “Ah!” She exclaimed. It dawned on her that they just had their first intimacy. She had traveled back in time to when they first slept together. Tight muscles rippled across his bare, sun-kissed chest which now bore traces of last night’s passion. She left those scratches on him last night amid her struggle. “What’s that supposed to mean? Didn’t you see me with nothing on last night?” Lo
With lightning reflexes, Tyler held the elevator door before the closing mechanism clamped shut on Kelsey’s arm. His gesture gave Kelsey renewed hope. She knew he still cared about her. In her last life, Tyler was the devil incarnate to the public, but he always had a soft spot for her. “What do you want, Kelsey?” Pinning her against the elevator wall, Tyler questioned brutally. He had already given her what she wanted and promised to stay away. Apparently, that was not enough. Tyler wondered what it would take to finally please her.Kelsey looked up and took in his furious grimace, his teeth bare and gritted. She asked, “Do you want to marry me?” Tyler was taken aback at first, but his flawless face soon scowled. The damn woman knew exactly what buttons to push. “It’s my birthday next month,” without much explanation to offer, Kelsey merely looked at him and said. “If you want to marry me, pop the question at my birthday party.” Tyler’s eyes lit up, but the sp
“I’ll… kill Cooper!” Bloodthirst fleeted across Tyler’s eyes. To his surprise, Kelsey simply shrugged nonchalantly. “Then kill him.” In her last life, Cooper lied, manipulated, and finally brutally murdered her. Cooper was horrifically heartless. Kelsey could not wait to tear the brutal man apart with her bare hands. Tyler narrowed his eyes in disbelief. “What did you say?” Kelsey replied aloofly, “Go ahead and kill him. Don’t let me be the reason you hold back.” If personal revenge was not the ultimate goal, she would unleash Tyler on Cooper right that instance. Tyler’s gaze fixed on her indifferent face. His thoughts were once again confirmed that Kelsey was different than before. … Tyler’s Rolls Royce pulled up outside the Youngs’ residence. “Bye now.” Kelsey glanced out the car window, ready to get off. As her hand reached for the door handle, Tyler grabbed her by the wrist. Before Kelsey knew it, Tyler held her down on the cushion of the back seat.
Megan, no stranger to such things, knew the marks for what they were – hickeys.“I thought you were engaged to Tyler, Kelsey. Why are you still going out with other men?” Megan raised her voice to bring the matter to Charlie’s attention. Sure enough, Charlie grimaced. Kelsey snapped back, “I can say the same thing about you. My mom is alive and kicking, but you and your daughter act like you own the place.” “You!” Megan gave Charlie an embarrassed and hurt look. “I think I should just move out, Charlie.” “Bye now. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!” Kelsey waved her arm crudely. Megan froze. She only said that to tug at Charlie’s heartstrings, not to actually leave. The opportunity to move into the place was hard to come by. Megan could not possibly back out before she could assume the role of the lady of the house. “Shut up!” Charlie yelled at Kelsey. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.” He stared at the red marks along her neck and pressed solemnly, “Tell m
“Kels…” A frantic voice belonging to a man was heard. Before Kelsey knew it, a disheveled man stumbled toward her. It was Cooper. Covered in bloodstains and tattered clothes, he appeared roughened up and distressed. Despite his shoddy appearance, he retained his good looks and forlorn nature. Kelsey had to admit that even at his worst, Cooper had the package to sweep women off their feet.She was once attracted by his rough-hewn appeal. Kelsey sympathized with him, drew close to him, and tried to help him. Cooper, in turn, manipulated, hurt, and even killed her. She would not make the same mistakes again. Kelsey could not shake off the resentment as she stared at the man before her. “What are you doing here?” She asked with a frown. Cooper narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the hickeys along her neck. He clenched his fists. “You have been through a lot for me, Kels.” Kelsey rolled her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. I did it of my free will.” It was
“Don’t you dare!” Charlie yelled furiously. “If you don’t clear the air with Tyler, you can forget ever coming home again.” Kelsey could care less about being part of the family anymore. Still, now that she was given a fresh start in life, she needed to sort out the adversaries in the family. “Alright. I’ll take your advice and meet with Tyler.” Kelsey made a resigned face and shrugged. “But…” She paused. Charlie pressed, “But what?” “But who am I to see Tyler?” Kelsey asked. Charlie replied without hesitation, “You’re the heiress of the Youngs, Tyler’s fiancée.” Kelsey could forget about breaking off the marriage alliance with the Langs on Charlie’s watch. She batted her eyelashes innocently. “The heiress of the Youngs? I thought you wanted to disown me.” “You…” Charlie was rendered speechless. That was talk in the heat of the moment. Charlie’s intention was to make her go through the wedding with Tyler instead of frolicking around with Cooper. Kelsey hung
Josephine shrieked when she found Kelsey trashing her room. “These designer clothes are well over $100,000. Mom and Dad bought these limited-edition accessories from abroad for me too.” Josephine’s heart ached as she gathered her expensive garments and valuables from the floor. If only she could make Kelsey pay. Kelsey glanced at her indifferently. “So what? Dad said I could move back. I have no use for your trash, so it deserves to be dumped.” Josephine glared at her in disbelief. “Trash? Kelsey, you have no idea the value—” Before she could finish, Kelsey grabbed a music box on the table and flung it back. The article somehow struck Josephine in the head. “Ouch…” Josephine furrowed her brows in agony. She reached out to feel her forehead, only to find herself bleeding. The music box dropped to the ground with a thud, shattering to pieces in the fall. “You have gone too far, Kelsey!” Josephine yelled at Kelsey, “Don’t you know that the music box was a gift fro
Steve felt embarrassed. He had been wanting to make Tyler’s acquaintance, but a chance to meet him was hard to come by. Now that he ran into Tyler, Steve was determined to make the most out of it. “Let me be a host to you today, Mr. Lang—” Megan cut Steve off. “Mr. Lang, you might not know this, but Kelsey’s father is facing bankruptcy. He’s deep in debt too. Kelsey and her father are just going to be your burden. Don’t let Kelsey’s seemingly innocence fool you. They are just going to leech off you. My daughter, Josephine, is a nice and sensible girl. She’s a better companion than Kelsey. I’ll be delighted to introduce you to her.” Kelsey was impressed with Megan. Even now, Megan had not given up on pushing Josephine into Tyler’s arms. In Kelsey’s past life, Megan went to lengths to matchmake Josephine and Tyler. Nevertheless, Tyler never took an interest in Josephine. Megan was just as delusional as ever. However, Kelsey had no idea that Charlie owed a lot of mon
“She’s just a bitch.” Megan hissed through clenched teeth, her jealousy showing. She had a hunch. The sudden change in the manager’s attitude toward Kelsey was likely due to Tyler. Megan wished she had Kelsey’s luck to meet a good-looking and rich man. Steve did not believe Megan. If Kelsey was just an ordinary woman, the manager would not take her up to the exclusive top floor. That was a height Steve could never reach despite a lifetime of hard work. However, Kelsey had no plans to accept the manager’s invitation to dine on the top floor. Since Charlie would not be attending or taking Susan out of the nursing home, Kelsey had no reason to dine alone on the top floor. Kelsey was better off getting back to her new office and ordering a takeout. Her discussion with Rosette about the costume design for Adrienne’s new film would continue this afternoon.However, the manager stopped her from leaving and apologized to her frantically. “Please see it in your heart not to
It was upsetting enough for Kelsey since Charlie managed to deceive her once more. However, Megan had to gloat. “What did I tell you? I told you Charlie can’t afford this place. He can’t even show his face because he’s expected to pay the bill.” “Oh, quit it!” Kelsey glared at Megan. To think Kelsey would give her an attitude. Megan had Steve on her side now. She was no longer the other woman who lived off Charlie’s good graces. Surely, Megan earned the right to mock Charlie. “You’re the manager. Has St. Gills lost its exclusivity? It’s a disgrace that you let just about anyone in,” Megan said sarcastically. Kelsey retaliated. “Oh, aren’t you a picture of poise, Megan? With your sugar daddy, you can’t even make it past security.” “You!” Megan looked daggers at Kelsey. Livid, Megan commanded the manager, “Throw the bitch out now before I’ll make sure your establishment ceases to operate.” The manager narrowed his eyes on Kelsey and Megan. Judging by Kelsey’s mod
“Kelsey, what are you doing here?” Megan asked harshly.With Megan and Steve approaching, the manager drew close and welcomed them. It then dawned on Kelsey that Megan and Steve were the VIPs who took the private lounge from Charlie. The manager explained the situation, and Megan sneered. “Charlie is going broke. I doubt he can afford to dine at St. Gill’s. With his mounting debts, he’s embarrassing himself when the time comes to pay the bill.” Kelsey narrowed her eyes. Charlie must be using Susan’s birthday as a pretext to ask for more money from Tyler since the family business was going bust. However, Tyler had given Charlie a large sum of money. It was puzzling how Charlie managed to burn through it. Kelsey snapped back with a smirk. “Even so, Charlie is paying with his own money, unlike some people who can’t live a day without a sugar daddy.” Color drained from Megan’s face. Kelsey was basically calling her a gold digger. Megan would not be in this position in th
Kelsey and Rosette discussed the specifics of auditioning for Adrienne’s new film’s costume design role.As the time neared noon, Kelsey glanced at her phone. Tyler had not replied to her text message. It was nearly time for Susan’s birthday celebration at St. Gill’s. Kelsey decided to go ahead to St. Gill’s. While on the way, she gave Charlie a call to inform that Tyler would not be available for the celebration. Charlie’s voice reflected his disappointment. “What’s this? Why can’t Tyler make it?” Kelsey bit the bullet and explained, “I haven’t been able to reach him.” “I thought Tyler adored you. Why couldn’t you get in touch with him? Did you upset him?” Charlie grilled her. Kelsey refuted, “Things have been going well for us, thanks for asking. He has an emergency today.” Her bond with Tyler could not be stronger. Heck, they nearly went all the way this morning. The nerve of her father to put her down. Charlie was furious. “I knew I couldn’t count on you.” He
Kelsey frowned. “What are you up to now?” She doubted Charlie was so nice to want the family to be together for her grandmother, Susan’s birthday. It was probably an excuse to get close to Tyler. Since Charlie got together with Megan, Kelsey could count on her finger the number of times he had been to the nursing home to visit Susan. Kelsey could not remember the last time Charlie celebrated Susan’s birthday. Charlie could not even remember Susan’s birthdate. Yet, Charlie was so kind to throw her a party. Kelsey could only suspect that Charlie had ulterior motives. “How can you say that about me, Kelsey? I’m your father. Am I wrong to throw your grandmother a birthday party?” Charlie reprimanded. Kelsey was skeptical. “You’re not wrong, but…” It was uncertain whether he had Susan’s interest at heart. “But what?” Charlie asked. He started blaming himself. “I know that I listened to Megan and neglected you and Mom. I’ve gotten rid of her. Now, I just want to be a go
With a predatory glint in his eyes, Tyler pressed his lips against Kelsey’s.“I’ll take your silence as your consent.” “Hang on!” Kelsey pushed him away. She meant business since it was about his sleepwalking last night. “I have a question.” “What is it?” Tyler asked in a raspy voice, his lips still lingering across her skin. His hands eagerly pulled her gown off her. “Do you sleepwalk?” Kelsey asked. Tyler paused, his eyes bearing a weight of emotions. Kelsey knew she was right on the money. Tyler had known about his sleepwalking. “Did you know you were sleepwalking last night?” Kelsey said while fixating earnestly on him. She was more concerned about his health. Tyler seemed healthy. Yet, he wandered off in a sleeping state. Judging by Tyler’s response, it was not his first rodeo. Generally speaking, sleepwalking was associated with trauma or unresolved issues. Kelsey suspected that Tyler had been through some kind of trauma, or something in his past wa
Tyler opened his eyes abruptly. Bare and dominant, he loomed above Kelsey while his penetrating gaze looked deep into her soul.Lost in the heat of his kiss, Kelsey opened her eyes in confusion at his sudden pause. She met his profound gaze. Kelsey’s heart skipped a beat. Her breath hitched. She stared at the man towering over her in disbelief, her eyes bulging. Tyler was awake. He examined her, his eyes scouring every inch of her body. Once he was certain that it was Kelsey, Tyler was relieved. “I’m home, babe,” he uttered with a sigh of relief. Feeling assured, he closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder. He filled his lungs with her familiar scent. Kelsey was taken aback, but her head gradually cleared. She thought that Tyler would not stop their little bed activity. However, Tyler stayed in the same position for a while. His steady breathing came soon after. He fell asleep. Kelsey was in disbelief. Since he wanted her so badly, Kelsey ass
Worried, Kelsey followed Tyler in case he hurt himself or fell off the stairs. He was not in a conscious state after all. Kelsey would not be so abrupt as to wake him from his sleepwalking. She was aware that waking a sleepwalker could lead to shock or other health problems.Kelsey stuck close behind Tyler and made sure he got up the stairs safely. Tyler returned to their bedroom and lay on the bed. Kelsey drew close for a look. The soft moonlight streamed through the French windows, casting a hazy glow over his defined face.Tyler lay there motionlessly, his eyes closed.Kelsey watched him sleep tenderly. For a moment, she drooled over him. However, she quickly frowned at the smell of alcohol on Tyler. Kelsey went to open the window to let in some airflow, dispersing the fumes of liquor. She then picked out a fresh pair of pajamas from the closet for Tyler.Tyler would need a change of briefs too. However, Kelsey’s cheeks burned when she pulled his brief draw