For a moment, I wondered why Colin's gait was steady. A drunkard shouldn't even be able to walk straight, no? Then, I was thrown to the bed. Alcohol-scented kisses rained down upon me, not giving me a second to breathe.A slender hand dug under the hem of my lingerie. His fingertips left a trail of electrifying sensation on my body."Babe, I want you so much," moaned Colin hoarsely next to my ears. So seductive was his voice that my very existence shuddered in bliss and nervousness."Say yes, babe. Say you want me too. I want to hear it," Colin growled out the words. His hot breath gave my neck goosebumps. My mind became woozy. There was this emptiness within me that demanded to be filled. It was intoxicating.Did I want it? I asked myself, ignoring the weird sensations his fingers gave my body. Should I say no? But my soul and my body craved something.But two reasons were stopping me from saying yes—embarrassment and fear. My expertise in romance novels taught me everything I ou
I grabbed my phone out of habit to check the time. It was almost 7:30 am. I sure had slept for a long time. And since it was Monday, I had an important lecture in the morning by Professor King. If I was late, he was going to ask me to sub for many of his tutorial classes.The morning lecture would begin at 8:30 am, which left me less than an hour. I opened my eyes brusquely. My hair was uncombed, my body was unwashed, and my breakfast was unprepared. Oh, no! Life became a disaster without Andrew.I turned around and saw that Colin was already awake. He propped his head with his elbow and watched as I let out a scream of pure panic. Other than the joy in his eyes, there was also regret. What was the regret for?I shook my head. There was no time to dilly-dally. I removed his hands on me and scrambled to the bathroom. I showered and only applied moisturizer on my face. I didn't even have the luxury to dry my hair.Then, I gathered whatever books I needed and ran. Colin shouted someth
Staring at my phone's cold, hard screen, dread seized me. I felt like I was being watched by a giant venomous snake. At a quarter past two, I arrived at the conference hall. It was already half occupied when I walked in.Each seat was tagged with the occupant's name and position, as well as their role in the current project. Since I was there to audit, I did not have a seat. I picked somewhere in the back and to the side and sat down.The central desk was a regular, long, rectangular desk. Appearing first on the right was Professor King's tag. Opposite him was another tag emblazoned with a succinct title, director. There was no name, no organization, or even gender. What a mysterious client.Paying it no mind, my eyes looked for Colin. I lifted my head and saw Colin's tag next to Professor King's. It read "Jesselton College's Person in Charge, Colin White." He wasn't there yet.At 2:23 pm, Colin walked in with his team. Donning a black suit and a tight tie, Colin had styled his hai
Inside Jasmine's eyes, I looked disheveled and terrified. I lost. I had never felt this scared in my life. It was as if I was about to lose something. My fingers dug deep into my palms. The pain was the only thing that held me together.Jasmine, who had been gone for more than two weeks, suddenly appeared at the conference Jesselton College placed much emphasis on. Needless to say, she came prepared.Her makeup, her elegant gestures, her confidence, and her mocking grin… All of them were trying to make me feel bad. She did this on purpose.Ever since she told us she'd leave Jinovy, she had been waiting for the day to avenge herself for the humiliation and rejection she had received from Colin and me. She was trying to prove to Colin that turning her away was his biggest mistake.Everyone knelt before the power of money, be it Colin or me. And Jasmine was certainly wealthy enough to toy us around.No wonder Colin, who had only been working for a year at Jesselton College, was appoi
I only had one thing in mind—to walk straight up and confront Jasmine. But as soon as I lifted my leg, Colin seized my wrist. I turned around, confused, only to see Colin suppressing his dissatisfaction and shaking his head.Professor King also appeared behind me from nowhere. Then, he mumbled sternly, "I don't know what got into you today, missy, but you will calm down and not ruin this conference of ours. We can speak afterward."His words were the cold shower I needed. It washed away the fury in my eyes. I then noticed that my unbecoming behavior had already turned the heads of many individuals around me. He was right. Jasmine and I had a personal feud, but that didn't mean I could let it ruin the college's plan.I grabbed Colin's hands for a moment and let go. Then, I left. I didn't return to my original seat, however. I found a seat behind Colin. Professor King glimpsed at me. He seemed to disapprove of what I had done, but he said nothing.Colin hosted the conference calmly a
"Oh?" Professor King raised his brows. "Since it's a fair, open, and equitable collaboration, any project-related concerns can be discussed and codified in the agreement. But if this is your personal request, Ms. Taylor, it might be subject to internal deliberation."But please speak your mind. We'll let you know our decision as soon as possible," he uttered courteously. The smile on his face was slowly disappearing. Those close to him knew that he was not happy at all.The King family was famous in Jinovy. Their influence and wealth far exceeded those of the Taylor family, who fled to the North to avoid the scandal. And in this important meeting, Jasmine, a nobody from the Taylor family, wanted to raise a personal request.This was not only a disrespect toward Jesselton College but also irreverence toward Professor King and his family. It was only normal that he was mad. However, he sat in his seat patiently, waiting for Jasmine to elaborate on her request. Colin remained silent. H
I dug my fingers into my palm. The pain was the thread holding my rationality together, preventing me from screaming at Jasmine. Professor King gazed at her for a few seconds and chuckled. "Who am I to turn it down if this can guarantee the smooth operation of the project?"You know what? I shall bring this up to the college and let them decide." He gave a tactful answer. Deferring the problem to the college extricated himself from the difficult situation. The college would give Jasmine the final answer, not him.Jasmine nodded contentedly and smiled. Her eyes glimmered as she shook hands with Professor King while expressing her wish for a successful partnership. As her entourage escorted her to the door, she turned around and looked at Colin and me with a grin.There was so much behind the grin, most of which was mockery and confidence that she would obtain what she was after.What gave her the confidence? Like a protective girlfriend, I stood in front of Colin and returned her my
Colin said, "She's nothing but a conniving woman. There's nothing to fear."Professor King pointed at me. "You should wise up. Use your brain to think. Otherwise, it might get rusty."I blushed in embarrassment. Then, I asked gingerly, "What do we do, then? We can't let her win."Colin might be seduced if he had to work with a cunning woman like her for two years. While Colin knew to refuse her, who could say that Jasmine wouldn't pull any tricks to set him up? No one could put their guard up 24/7 for two years."The workload of this project is more than twice the workload of Dreamlight. There are a lot of details to take care of, and Colin might not be able to handle it alone.""Therefore?" I asked eagerly. Professor King was giving a cryptic statement. I wanted to pull his sleeves to ask him to hurry up, but he dodged preemptively. Then, he flicked his sleeves to rub my failed attempt on my face.It's not like my hands were dirty! This old geezer sure knew how to rile me up. He
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