I was surprised by the sudden change in the professor's demeanor. I couldn't help but turn to look at Colin with puzzlement.Was I seeing this right? Was this our famous stern-looking professor? Was this still my mentor who would scold me before talking properly?It looked so surreal.Colin shrugged helplessly. He pursed his lips before leaning over to whisper in my ear, "The professor has always treated Mrs. King like his first love. He's always been unwaveringly so. They're our role models."The professor turned back and gave Colin a slap, scolding him for not respecting him and for wasting his time and effort in teaching him.Colin straightened his posture and endured the slap. Then, he grabbed my hand and lowered his head respectfully. "Hello, Mrs. King."Mrs. King's name was Chloe Bale. She was a petite and delicate woman. She had that refined and gentle charm of a woman from the Solaria region.Her skin was fair, and her long hair was tied up in a high bun with an emerald
Well, if I had such a beauty by my side, I would dote on her like a maniac too.Mrs. King blushed at the professor's words. Her eyes seemed all misty. "What are you saying? I see Lulu is a well-behaved young woman. Don't scare her. You're not allowed to speak to Lulu like that in the future, or I'll punish you," Mrs. King said softly in a Soralian accent, making my knees go weak."Fine, fine, I got it. You just favor everyone over me. They're more important to you than me," the professor muttered discontentedly. But he was not speaking loudly. He was just grumbling under his breath.When his gaze swept over me, he gave me a fierce glare that nearly made me shiver and fall. His glare was like a missile, bombing me. He was all sweet and gentle toward his wife but came at me with guns blazing. It was really too much."Mrs. King, the professor is so scary. Why did you decide to marry him? Have you ever regretted it in the past 20 years?" Before I finished my sentence, the profess
Xavier saw how quickly I dodged and sat up properly. Then, he burst into laughter. He pressed his hand against his temples and forehead. He laughed so hard that he was out of breath."Luna, are you an elementary school kid? Why are you sitting so upright? And you even hid your hand behind your back. It's hilarious!"I looked at my sitting posture, my back straight and my knees together. My hand was quietly clenched into a fist behind my back. I really did resemble an elementary school student who was being disciplined by the teacher if not for the lack of a backpack, my height, and my age.Because of what he said, I suddenly remembered the time when I was about seven or eight years old. Back then, I was skinny and sitting in the front row of the classroom with this exact same posture, staring at the blackboard with wide eyes.After more than a decade, I was already an adult now. I unexpectedly felt a different kind of nostalgia and joy as I recalled the bits and pieces of my childh
Xavier didn't slow down just because Colin joined us, but I thought he sounded like he was talking with gritted teeth.Oh, I understood it now. He didn't hate me. The one he hated was Colin. It had to be because Colin had caused him more setbacks and scolding.The time we spent at the professor's house was very enjoyable.Xavier escorted us out on behalf of his parents. I stood on the steps to wait for Colin as he went to get the car. Xavier maintained a polite smile the entire time. After we had driven about ten yards, I turned back to look and saw Xavier was still in the same spot. But his clear eyes now seemed like a hawk locking onto its prey. His gaze was extremely sharp, making me shiver involuntarily."What's wrong? Is it too cold?"I was rubbing my arms with my hands, soothing the sudden goosebumps that appeared as I shook my head.After driving for some distance, I turned my head back again.Colin noticed my unease and asked me what was wrong.After thinking for a
During the special training, Andrew was extremely anxious, fearing that Queenie would be angry with him and wouldn't forgive him for his sudden disappearance. And he was even more afraid that during his absence, Flynn would come to stir up trouble and take away what he had built so far.So, he went crazy and completed the training several days in advance. He fought with extreme perseverance, earning the first-ever bonus for finishing the training ahead of schedule.However, the taller one climbed, the more vulnerable one became.Indeed, he stood out among his peers within the Lamberts, impressing the head of the family who had always regarded him as the successor. His name was firmly at the top position in the line of succession.He became the center of attention and was admired by everyone in an instant.And Queenie became the one who pulled him down from his pedestal. No matter how much power he held in the Lamberts, he could only be obedient and behave like a little puppy beggi
Colin seemed particularly insistent on this matter. He had been telling me to keep my distance from this person or that person.It was like that with Xavier, Winston, and especially Felix. It was as if I was a prized possession.There were times that I wanted to ask him, did he ever think that even if I kept my distance from them, it wouldn't stop them from coming to me?If he wanted me to stay with him for the long run, he should provide me with enough sense of security and plenty of love so that I would willingly sink into his tender embrace. The distance between two people was not determined by the physical distance but by how close their hearts were.Take Winston, for example. No matter how far I tried to stay away from him, how far could I really go? We were studying on the same campus. We were bound to see each other. Moreover, we were both art students and were already meeting almost every day at the studio. Currently, we were even working on a project together. It was imp
I quickly found a towel and handed it to Winston. He took it to dry the water from his hair."I looked around everywhere but didn't see anyone suspicious. Are you sure someone was following you?" His head was wrapped in the towel, muffling his voice.How could I be wrong about the footsteps? It was so clear.I calmed myself and forced out a smile. "Well, maybe."Lunch was delivered about 20 minutes late. The delivery guy wiped the water off his face and sincerely apologized to me. Then, he eagerly asked for feedback on his service.He looked to be around 20 years old and had a young face. His eyes were filled with anxiety and unease, yet he courageously made his request to me."Sorry for being late. It's raining quite heavily…" He knew he was late and tried to explain. But he couldn't find a suitable excuse. Finally, he gave up and pleaded, "I'm not hoping for your praise. Just don't give me a bad review. My salary will be deducted for receiving a bad review. Please, Miss, I be
If Flynn was like Winston, willing to work hard for his own future, how could he possibly drift apart from Queenie?The painting I was working on was called Lonior's Peony. The entire composition was grand and magnificent, with gorgeous bright colors. It was one of my favorite designs in the Dreamlight project. That was why I exerted more effort than the two paintings before.After painting for a long time, my neck started to ache from fatigue. I looked up and saw that it was already pitch-black outside. The heavy rain had turned into a drizzle, streaming down the window glass slowly.The room was very quiet. Besides me, only Winston was still around. He was about seven to eight yards away from me.However, he wasn't painting. Instead, he was sitting in his chair, his arms folded over the back of the chair. He was resting his chin on his arm while staring at me without blinking.He was about six feet tall and had a slender body. He was in a white pants and shirt, which made him lo
Luna furiously scolded me, asserting that I didn't deserve Queenie's love and that Queenie had been blind to my true colors all those years. Driven mad by desperation, I chased after Queenie, determined to tell her I was wrong and plead for another chance to prove myself. However, the young man intervened, delivering a swift and punishing combination of punches and kicks that knocked me to the ground. Humiliated, I struggled to get up and fight back, unwilling to lose to another man.Despite his youthful appearance, the look in his eyes as he glanced at Queenie was undeniable. It was a blend of love, desire, and possessiveness only a man could understand.I was consumed by the thought that he wasn't worthy of my precious Queenie's love.Nevertheless, my body felt heavy and powerless. It was as if the strength had been drained from me. The blows rained down on me, bringing with them a strange sense of relief amidst the pain. Part of me yearned for him to kick me harder, inflict
I wanted nothing more than to run to Queenie, to hold her tightly and tell her how much I missed her during those endless days apart. I wanted to kiss her deeply and feel the warmth of her embrace. I called out, "Queenie, I'm here."Seeing me seemed to jolt Queenie from her joyous state, replacing it with a vacant expression. Mere moments before, she had been smiling brightly, her eyes aglow with happiness. Now, she appeared lost, her initial elation dissipating into a blank, unresponsive gaze.I couldn't understand why she had turned so distant upon seeing me. The love and joy that once shone in her eyes were nowhere to be found. As I observed her, I wondered if our time apart had caused her to forget. Or perhaps the events of the past had wounded her so profoundly that she had stopped waiting for me.The thoughts terrified me, and I dared not ask for fear of confirming my suspicions. All I wanted was to hold her, kiss her, and tell her how much I missed her. Yet, it seemed tha
I had no interest in Daniela's pregnancy, so I kicked her out of the house. My friends came to console me, each expressing their sympathies with a drink because they didn't know how else to comfort me.The money I had sent to Queenie's account was quickly returned as the account had been closed. Her phone number became unreachable, and when I sought her at her parents' home, I found the elderly couple waiting anxiously for their daughter's return. I lost not only Queenie but any connection to her. I grew disinterested in everything, neglecting my company and spending my days in a drunken haze.Then, my uncle came. We drank through the night as he shared tales of his hardships, the painful memories of his mother, and the years he spent alone, suffering.He said, "Everyone has their fate, Flynn. And choosing one thing often means losing another. Just as you've chosen to fight for the family business, you've sacrificed a part of yourself. But you must rise and fight me with all you'v
Queenie would then jump off the cliff, leaving me to jolt awake in a cold sweat. I endured each twilight in my hopeless vigil, counting down the days.On the 75th day, the door finally unlocked. I stepped outside and realized that this was the neighborhood where Queenie and I lived. All this time, we had been mere yards apart.My mom truly knew how to break a person's spirit. All I had to do was lift my head to see the pomegranate tree planted in our yard.I stumbled toward our home, my wounds screaming as I desperately called for Queenie. But the immaculate house stood eerily silent, echoing my footsteps like thunder.Except for Queenie, every possession remained meticulously in place—the exquisite clothes, expensive jewelry, and designer cosmetics.Queenie was gone, and the thought of losing her drove me into a frenzy.I collapsed in the middle of the room, sobbing uncontrollably. Regret consumed me. I should have never let my family's threats manipulate me and left Queenie to
I clenched my fists, barely resisting the urge to rush over to Queenie's side. All I wanted was to embrace her and whisper assurances that I would protect her, always. But I knew I had no right to do so.My dad's threat hung heavy in my mind, and the stares of Daniela and her mother bore into Queenie like daggers. One wrong move or word and those blades would descend upon Queenie, cutting her to shreds.The pain was unbearable. I felt sorry for Queenie. I was powerless and couldn't help her. With all my heart, I wished for her to stay strong and survive. She deserved better than me. Daniela's mother slapped Queenie, calling her a whore and a homewrecker, accusing her of seducing other people's boyfriends.Queenie stood rigidly, her gaze filled with humiliation. Her lips trembled, and the light in her eyes gradually faded.I winced in agony but held myself together, picking up Daniela and walking away.Countless times afterward, I berated myself for choosing to take Daniela away
We both knew the truth—neither of us could cross the chasm that had formed between our hearts.After that, I went home almost every day. We managed to maintain a semblance of normalcy in our day-to-day lives. We prepared sumptuous dinners and tended to our garden. I even considered adopting a pet to keep Queenie company while I was away.However, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't rekindle the warmth we had once shared. Queenie hardly smiled anymore. No matter what I did to cheer her up, she would only give a half-hearted smile, her eyes remaining cold and distant.I knew something had transpired during our separation, but she refused to discuss it. My attempts to uncover the truth through private investigators were in vain. Any evidence had been meticulously erased.Eventually, I realized Queenie was simply biding her time, waiting for the moment when she would be forced to relinquish all hope and leave.A month later, my mother joyfully told me that Daniela was pregnant an
I grabbed a brush from the bathroom and scrubbed myself furiously, desperate to wash away the overwhelming sense of filth. Even as the rough bristles tore into my skin, drawing blood and causing searing pain, I felt no closer to feeling clean.My mind was consumed with thoughts of Queenie and the nearly five years we had spent together—the happy moments, the arguments, every single memory.At that moment, I realized I was terrified. Never before had I experienced such abject fear. Knowing Queenie's uncompromising stance on love and fidelity, I knew she would never forgive me once she discovered my transgression.She would undoubtedly turn and leave, heedless of any pleas I might make. I probably wouldn't even have the courage to ask for her forgiveness in the face of her justified anger.I regretted everything. If I had listened to my friends and taken Queenie away from all this, none of this would have happened. But I had hesitated. Even now, I couldn't be certain if my hesitati
Yesterday afternoon, my dad called and demanded that I make a decision within two days, or they would take action.I felt cornered because I genuinely didn't know how to talk to Queenie about this. The mere idea of her packing her belongings and leaving, accompanied by the unspeakable anguish it would inflict upon me, was a burden too heavy to bear.I wasn't sure if I could ever have a semblance of normality in my life again after that.So, I gathered some friends to drink with me. I drank heavily because I had made a decision—a disgraceful, heartless decision. The thought of what I would have to face the next day made life seem hopeless, so I drank even more.Before losing consciousness, I handed my car keys to my assistant, using my last bit of clarity to tell him to take me home no matter what state I was in.Even if it meant returning to the Hayes family's residence, he should not leave me out on the streets. Despite the imminent breakup, I wanted to part ways with Queenie in
My mom proved to be even more ruthless than my dad. She found me, dropped to her knees without a word, and begged me. She reminded me of the years they had spent raising me, pleading that I ensure they wouldn't be left without a sense of security in their old age.In essence, they were pressuring me to abandon everything. I was to pursue money and power for their sake, secure the Hayes family's head position, and ensure our grip on wealth and influence. Their priority was maintaining their luxurious, elevated lifestyle. My happiness, my desires—whether I even wanted those things—meant nothing to them. Sometimes, it felt like I was nothing more than a tool for achieving their ambitions.My dad told me bluntly that he would go after Queenie if I didn't comply. He said, "You're right. I'm incapable of outmaneuvering your uncle. But no matter how incompetent I am, I can easily make Queenie's life in Harveyton unbearable."To be honest, that day was the coldest my heart had ever felt