There was now a wall between me and Felix. No matter what he did, he couldn't bridge the gap. Even if his worry was genuine and he was truly here for Colin's safety, it wouldn't ease my resentment toward him.Sitting next to him would just give me anxiety.I pulled a chair from the side and sat at the edge of the small rectangular table, placing myself between Professor King and Felix."Professor King, Colin has been out of contact for nine days. Do you know anything about his situation?" I sniffled. Tears began streaming down my face again."Don't worry. I'm here to talk to Professor King about Colin as well. "Professor King, we have no direct connections with the Taylor Group or any way to get any information. Besides, the college has been highly secretive. I reached out to them, and they assured me of Colin's safety but wouldn't divulge more. They claimed it was commercial confidentiality. "I've been keeping this from my parents, but they won't be in the dark for long. Colin
In other words, many people were aware of Colin's departure.Given this, no matter how audacious Jasmine might be, she wouldn't dare to harm him. As for Colin's purity, that was not something Jasmine could decide alone. It depended on whether Colin was willing to fight to protect himself.That being said, I still needed to know Colin's current situation."I need to know how Colin is doing. Even if she's the client, she has no right to restrict someone's freedom. Colin is collaborating with her. He's not under her control. She has no authority to limit his freedom.""So, what do you plan to do?" Professor King asked, squinting at me.I looked out the window. The weather had been gloomy when I left, and now, it was even grayer. Tiny ice particles mixed with rain fell from the sky. It was sleeting.Jinovy had never seen much snow in winter. It would usually sleet in December. After New Year's, it would start snowing.New Year's was approaching. Memories of past New Year's celebrati
So, I wasn't disappointed. I only needed to wait three more days. Colin told me to trust him, so I'd wait for him for three days.Should there be no news from him in three days, I'd pack my bags and look for him myself. No matter how difficult it would be, I'd bring him back safely.After leaving Professor King's office, I hurried to the old campus because I wanted to tidy up the painting in Crystal House. Felix left with me, trailing behind me while keeping a small distance. He was quiet, as though he was taking a stroll in a park.Annoyed, I found him irritating for following me around."Don't worry. If someone has to go, it'll be me. You're a girl, and going there alone is too dangerous for you. There's already enough on the plate with Colin's matters. If anything were to happen to you as well, I'm worried that I won't have the attention to spare on you."Although I didn't want to, I had to admit that Felix had a point. I guessed Professor King also had the same idea, but I w
When it came to criticizing jerks, the harsher my words were, the better it would feel. If I didn't have my fill of criticizing Chris, I wouldn't feel satisfied."I don't know what's on Zara's mind. A man like Chris who could cheat on the day they'd be discussing their wedding is inhuman. I can't believe that Zara was so nice that she didn't do anything else besides cry. "If it were me, I'd trample on that scumbag's face. Then, I'd stomp his dick so that it'd become useless. I'd make him a castrated man for the rest of his life."Recalling that day when I saw Chris making out with another woman on the street, I was so furious that my words were extraordinarily harsh. As though I was the one he cheated on, I had the urge to break his icy expression and then his dick.Perhaps I was too harsh with my comments. After hearing them, Winston shivered and clamped his legs together like he was protecting himself.I was speaking about Chris. Why did Winston act so tentatively? Did he have
Sniffling, I rubbed my damp eyes and said, "Thanks, Professor King.""You don't look so well. Take care of yourself. If anything crops up and your help is needed, I'm afraid you can't handle it in your current condition.""I got it. I'll eat well when I get home."Professor King chuckled. "You're a funny one. Don't worry too much. I'll tell you the truth. If it's needed, I'll use my personal authority to ensure Colin's safety."His promise calmed my heart. With his help, Colin would be fine.…When I returned home, Zara wasn't home yet. In the afternoon, she sent me a text saying that the system had a closed training for new joiners, which would begin tomorrow. Today, she would be home later than usual because she had to help the bureau with headcount and stuff. I switched off the screen of my cell phone and paced into the kitchen to prepare dinner. After Andrew's careful training and my own observation, I had made tremendous progress in cooking. Besides scrambled eggs, I c
"One step at a time? You're taking it too lightly. He's alone out there without anyone he can trust by his side. Aren't you afraid that the evil witch will get him when he isn't looking for a second?"Tugging my headphones, Queenie asked me a deep question. It appeared that she wouldn't let me off until I gave her a satisfactory answer.She wasn't forcing me but using her means to make me see the reality. Because of her question, my rather good mood sank into the pits.She was asking the obvious. Of course, I was more afraid than I could put into words!Lifelessly, I dragged my feet to the living room and plopped onto the couch in a daze. My spirits, which had somewhat received comfort from Professor King's plan during the day, plummeted again.Queenie's question was my biggest concern.I had trust in Colin's love for me. He would never do anything to hurt me, but Jasmine was different. Her aim was to make Colin hers and keep him forever. Even though she was aware that Colin ha
My heart shuddered. What did she mean by a special situation? Did she mean drunk, drugged, or hypnotized?I wondered if Queenie was truly my good friend. Why did she put a stake through my heart? I had been assuring myself that Colin would be fine, but here she came, sounding as though Colin would be in trouble. Was she here to comfort me or to make me more anxious?"I believe that Colin can control himself. As long as he's alive, he'll protect himself." Silently, I encouraged myself and also Colin.Whatever it was, I couldn't lose in morale. First, we would need to boost our morale before we had the confidence to take care of things afterward.Seeing how sure I was, Queenie kicked my calf in annoyance. "What makes you so sure?""Colin's love for me."For a moment, Queenie was dumbstruck. "Goodness! Lulu, why did you turn out like this after not seeing you for a mere few days? I don't think you're sure of the situation. Instead, you're just weak and useless!"Yes, she was righ
Andrew, who had been attending to the three of us, spoke to me seriously when he refilled Queenie's bowl, "Luna, if you need my help, I can ask my men to investigate it. Just let me know whenever you need help. I'm always ready."In other words, he promised to use his family's power to help when it was absolutely necessary. Queenie accepted the bowl of soup Andrew had graciously filled for her and smiled gently. She was pleased with Andrew's proposition.His words were the succor that stopped me from spiraling. I had a newfound clarity. Indeed, I was surrounded by good friends who were eager to help me. I was not alone.While Jasmine was powerful, she could not hold a candle to the Lamberts' influence. Andrew, Colin, and Xavier had told me that many times. And since Andrew wanted to marry one of my best friends, he wanted to get on my good side. To achieve that, he was willing to do me a favor.Now, he wasn't doing it just for me. He was doing it so that he could ask for Queenie's
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