"Oh? You're so strong now, huh? Show your future husband your moves."Eager, I performed a perfect groin kick in front of Colin. When I realized what he just called me, I saw that Colin was staring at me. His dark, bottomless orbs threatened to absorb my entire being. What the heck? Jasmine wasn't a man. Why should I perform a groin kick? I was carried away."Uh, I learned this to fight bad guys.""Right." Colin nodded seriously and smirked. "Train well, but never do that to me. Otherwise, I might not be able to get it up anymore."He wouldn't be able to get it up? I blushed profusely. "Babe, I miss you so much that I'm going crazy. During the day, I see your shy smile everywhere I go. It's worse at night. I see it whether I'm in the bathroom, on the couch, or in bed. I feel empty."I want to hug you and tease you. Baby, do you miss me?"I bit my lip to stop myself from making a noise. Hug me and tease me? Why would he use those words? I was his girlfriend. Shouldn't he dote on m
"Sure," said Nico with a muffled voice as he, too, was chewing on a chunk of meat. "I'll buy something sweet, then. It'll give us energy. Do you want chocolate? It'll keep you full for a while.""I want a lollipop so that I can suck on it and work at the same time.""Let's get some snack bars too. Didn't the ads say that those could keep you full for a long time? I've never had them before. Have you?"As we talked, someone decided to sit next to me without asking for my permission. I was startled and looked up. Then, I saw Jasmine glaring at me. The meat inside my mouth lost its flavor almost immediately.Couldn't she give me a break? Why did she have to appear wherever I went? She should be a policewoman instead because of her exceptional ability to apprehend somebody. My eyes met Nico's teasing eyes. He was enjoying the unfolding drama.What happened to the Nico I looked up to so much? Right now, when he was looking between Jasmine and me, I wanted to punch him in the eyes so ba
An idea came into my mind. Did she just start crushing on Nico? Oh, no. Nico was a decent guy, but he did not owe Jasmine any favor. He had no reason to get involved with her. Dating someone like her would take a few years off his life."What's your name, cutie? You look familiar."I was flabbergasted. Wasn't she supposed to confront me here? Why was she trying to flirt with Nico now? And what a cliché pick-up line. People still used that? Was she going to say "You look like my future boyfriend" next?Nico took another sip of the soup and replied seriously, "We don't need to get acquainted."In other words, he wasn't willing to give her his name. Jasmine gasped, and I chortled out loud. My rudeness was not intentional. The whole situation was just way too funny. A six-foot man just rejected a woman. It was hilarious to me.Jasmine was mortified. Nico did not take her flirtation well, and she wasn't quite sure what he had just said. Wanting to vent all her frustrations, she lashed
I turned in another direction and began jogging while Nico followed behind me with a sly grin. As I ran, I saw Jasmine trying to chase after me too. However, she was far too ambitious for her leg and fell to the floor.Gavin saw the incident and immediately stopped. He looked at me and at Jasmine, who was sitting on the floor with a pale face. He gave up on me and rushed toward Jasmine. Then, he carried her in his arms and left.I let out a sigh of relief. Finally, the nuisance was behind me. But things took another twist. Gavin, worried that Jasmine was injured, left quickly. But Jasmine, like a madwoman, slapped him hard on the face. The smack was so loud that I could hear it clearly from afar.How much force did that slap pack that the sound it produced could be heard by everyone in the restaurant? For a second, my cheek ached. Gavin's cheek must be in a world of pain. A palm print slowly emerged on his face, and he was shocked.Carrying Jasmine, his tall, muscular frame was ste
Then, I went to sleep. I woke up the next day at dawn. Nico told me that he had found a laboratory. Since we had also found the relevant stones, we decided to conduct our experience at the lab. Upon meeting up in the corridor, Nico and I went to have a breakfast buffet at the hotel.We had all the ingredients we needed, and we had made huge progress. Therefore, we were in a good mood. Since it was still early, there weren't a lot of people at the buffet.I got myself a glass of milk, two slices of toast, and a fried egg. To make sure that I wouldn't starve myself like yesterday, I added another egg under the intense gaze of the chef frying the eggs. Meanwhile, Nico went wild. He ordered a burger, two hard-boiled eggs, a plate of bacon, and half a glass of milk."You're eating a lot today. What about the concerns of putting on weight?"I looked at the plate in front and rubbed my tummy, which had been rumbling a lot lately. Then, I picked up my fork and said, "I need to eat a lot to
"Oopsie, I'm so sorry, Madam. Perhaps you should go to a hospital? I would hate to be the reason why you're injured. Did I give you a concussion? Madam? Madam?"I turned around and chuckled. Nico sure had a flair for insulting someone without vulgarity. Jasmine was annoyed. In the south, "Madam" was a respectful term of address one used when meeting a female stranger.But in the north, "Madam" might have another meaning. It could be used to denote female pimps. I stayed at Denville for several years, so I was aware of the cultural differences. Jasmine came from the north, so she knew the implication behind that appellation.Naturally, she knew that Nico was insulting her. As one of the Taylors, it was rude to be called a pimp. Furthermore, Nico was with me yesterday too. He had already insulted her yesterday. Perhaps he intentionally hit her with the bag today.However, even if Nico did it on purpose, Jasmine could not yell back or demand a justification even though she was annoyed
Jasmine was so mad that her expression was as dark as the night sky. It was scary. Her scowling face looked so incongruous against her thick makeup and expensive clothes."Yes, we're having this talk." She gritted her teeth and ordered coldly, "Follow me."I shook my head and refused to cooperate. "Tell me where we're going. Otherwise, I won't come with you."Jasmine seethed as she replied, "I own a restaurant nearby. We'll go there.""That's your territory. It might be dangerous for me to go there alone. What if you drug me? I'm not taking the risk."Then let's go to the coffee shop in front."I shook my head again. "It only opens at ten. There's no one there now.""Can we talk in my car, then? Surely, there's nothing wrong with that!" Jasmine leaned in and bellowed impatiently. She probably had not anticipated that I'd be this obstructive. I did not make a huge fuss, but neither was I cooperating with her, rendering all her tactics useless.However, her patience was running t
While Jasmine pulled dirty tricks to make others' lives difficult, I preferred to do it openly. Even though we were aiming for the same outcome, at least I was brave enough to do it in front of others."I'll cut to the chase, then. You know about the agreement between Colin and me. He promised not to contact you or see you for two years. But that night, you two spent a night together in a room. I can't and don't want to say what you did. I'm just disappointed that he broke his promise."How shameless of her and what the heck? She never mentioned what she did. Instead, she blamed others. How despicable. "Jasmine, why do you think he spent a night with me? Also, is there a section on the agreement that gives you the right to drug him so that you can take advantage of him?" I questioned her in a sarcastically modest way and leaned forward slightly.Jasmine choked on her words for five seconds. She glared at me with contempt and hatred. "Your reaction shows that there's no such sectio
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