It took Aren less than a minute to free me from my tiny bikini bra and shorts. Then he began celebrating every inch of my naked skin, searing it with his lips and tongue. My hands wandered through his perfect slabs of muscle, enjoying the feeling underneath my fingertips. He grinned wickedly, watching me bite my lip as he enticed my arousal with carefully measured caresses. I couldn't help that he knew my body well. He studied my reactions and perfectly directed me toward my climax. I screamed his name aloud enough for the sound to reach the corridor as his thrusting fingers led me to my second orgasm."I told you that I would make you scream," he breathed, lifting himself before pushing the waistband of his boxer shorts down.I looked at his rigid erection and gasped, thinking that my husband was built to perfection. He didn't let me feast my eyes for too long. He jerked his hips, entering me roughly. I whimpered as the size of him heated my insides. He smiled and kissed my lips befo
It wasn't surprising that the grand Lans' mansion had its own ballroom with a stage prepared for the host to step onto the platform and speak to the crowd. While the guests and the other members of the Lan family entered the ballroom through the main door, the event's main character was supposed to greet everyone once he appeared on the stage, and I was supposed to stand on that stage with him.I had to admit that I was terrified of the thought of being in the spotlight. When I came to Shanghai with Aren, all I wanted was to stand by his side and act as a good wife without interfering in business. But according to Lan Jing, that would only prove that I was weak, too weak to be Aren's wife. Lan Jing had a plan, and in that plan, he wanted to convince everyone that I was Aren's greatest asset. I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but I had to trust that he knew what he was doing."It's harder to get rid of someone who has all eyes on him," Lan Jing said. "If you stay in Aren's shadow, n
I had never realized what this freak show with my official introduction was all about until it was after dinner, and all those businessmen came to talk to me. It was all about recognition, and that meant power. My husband was always around, observing my expression and making sure I was safe, but he didn't interfere. I was no longer just Aren Lan's wife—I was Cora Bell Lan, an independent woman with business ideas of her own. I was casually describing details of the security software I'd created, and those people listened to me with interest. I collected the business cards of American, Chinese, and Japanese investors, hearing that they would gladly become my business partners. It felt surreal. Of course, they believed whatever I said mainly because Lan Jing's compliments placed a huge "capable" sign on my forehead, but they weren't completely blinded by that. It was more like they were giving me the benefit of the doubt, but it was more than enough for me. For the first time in my life
A crowd of people surrounded Lan Jing's body. Someone called out to notify Mingyu. Someone who turned out to have medical experience tried to wake him up and then performed CPR. I stood paralyzed for more than a few seconds before realizing that it might have been Max who did something to Lan Jing. I turned around, but, of course, he was no longer there. My phone rang; it was Aren. "H-hello?" I took the call, barely holding the phone with my trembling hand. "Cora, where are you?" he asked, his voice nervous. It sounded as if he was running, panting heavily. "I'm in the ballroom... Lan Jing... He's unconscious," I muttered, covering my ears, trying to hear him through the phone instead of the anxious crowd. "I know, Cora, but you need to get out of there now!" he shouted. "What?!" I yelped. "B-but where are you?" "I went outside to answer the call from Chris, and the next thing I knew, the whole place was surrounded by armed men. Cora, I cannot go back there for you. You need to f
*TRIGGER WARNING* To sensitive readers, please mind that this chapter contains a description of mental abuse, control, and manipulation.I slowly opened my eyes and found myself lying on a soft bed, unrestrained. The clothes I had on me stayed untouched. As I slightly lifted my head, I realized that I was in some kind of room that looked like a dim-lighted palace chamber. My eyes still struggled with distinguishing shapes around me and were naturally drawn to the only source of light in the room—a lamp standing on the desk. Once I looked at it closely, I froze."You're awake." Caishen chuckled as his eyes cautiously scanned my body. He was sitting by the desk, holding my diamond necklace in his hands. He was wearing a loose sweater and a pair of jeans, but his slightly narrowed, intimidating eyes spitefully reminded of how dangerous he was."Where am I?" I breathed, all my senses alarmed."You're in my... home," he said, oddly smiling.Suddenly, he stood up, put my necklace on the des
Fear and anger swirled within me. I stared at Caishen's deadly handsome features, thinking how they could be tainted by such a disgusting interior. His smile became more menacing, vicious excitement flickering in his eyes. "Release me, Caishen," I said, hoping that my voice sounded commanding. "You said it yourself that you are a fugitive. It's only a matter of time before Aren gets here." He chuckled icily. "Have you ever tried locating someone in China? We are far outside Shanghai. This place is a fortress, and most of it is based underground. Finding this place alone could take months, and another few weeks to break all our defenses, and believe me, I need much less time to break you and make you stay with me willingly." "You are sick!" I spat. "You are married to a gorgeous wife, and I have a husband! Why the hell would I ever stay with you?!" Amusement grew on his face. "I don't have a wife—I have a business contract. The Wang family sold their daughter, hoping that it would g
Caishen's peel of laughter told me that I could breathe again. I emptied my lungs in one hectic exhale. The gun's barrel was still touching my temple. My hand was trembling. I blinked my eyes, slowly realizing that there was no bullet in the chamber. Caishen clapped his hands, visibly entertained that I decided to risk my life, playing his sick game. I hated him. I hated him for making me choose between my life and the lives of the criminals standing around me. It would have been easier if I had lost my moral values and had given up on respect for human lives, but it was something I could never do. Certainly, I believed that there were deviants in this world that didn't deserve to live, but if I was their judge, I would rather grant them hell on earth than send them to hell myself."Are you trying to become a saint, my dear?" Caishen laughed as he snatched the gun from my hand. "We are surrounded by meaningless people. Their lives don't matter. They will always be workers, not creator
The alarms went off. I could see the red lights flashing rhythmically as Caishen dragged me through the corridor. This time I didn't even dream of running away. I was circled by Max and the group of guards who watched me closely, tensing each time one of my legs swayed as if it was a signal of me trying to run away. I tried to memorize the route but then decided that it was useless since I didn't even know where the exit was. Nonetheless, I'd noticed something before: there were no windows. My suspicions were confirmed as I was pushed into the elevator. We were on the underground floor—Level -3, and the elevator went down to Level -5.Once we left the elevator, I saw more armed men, running somewhere and securing certain areas. Then I heard very distant gunshots. My heart started to pound with a new beat. Aren might have been getting closer. The sole thought made my body warm."Get in," Caishen hissed, throwing me into a raw, almost unfurnished room. "You will wait here until it's all
I didn't answer Aren right away. I held my poker face still, resisting the urge to smile. I waited until the smug smirk slowly left his mouth, enjoying every second of his uncertainty. "Say it again," I said. He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Will you marry me?" His confusion made my lips gently curve. "Not this, but your words before that." "I love you." He grinned, reaching for my hand. "I love you." He took out the ring from the box and put it on my finger. It fitted perfectly. "I love you," he breathed, leaning closer and placing a gentle kiss on my chin, on my cheek, and my lips. I wish I could say that it was a perfect, romantic moment, but my hormones ruined it all by making me cry again. He chuckled softly, sitting beside me and pulling me onto his lap. He kissed every tear away while gently stroking my hair with his fingers. "I want you forever as my wife. Nod if you agree," he said, giving me the sweetest smile I saw on his face. Of course, I nodded. It was much e
I had been dreaming about this moment for the last five months. No. Scratch that. I had been having nightmares about this moment. From the moment I found out that I was pregnant, there wasn't a single day I didn't think about how I was going to tell Aren. Initially, I wanted to call him immediately. This situation was changing everything between us. I grabbed the phone while tears flooded my eyes. I picked Aren's number... and I froze.The baby I had growing inside my belly would become the future heir of the Lan family. This meant that as soon as I told anyone, I would become the future mother of the future heir... Chills ran down my spine. Would I be forced to live in Shanghai and become nothing more than Aren Lan's wife? I instantly felt nauseous, and not only because I had morning sickness. Something was crushing my chest, and I was scared. I was terrified. And then later, what if someone decided that I wasn't the best mother for my child and would take my child away? I knew that
It'd been over six months since Cora walked out the door of the Lan family mansion. That day was the last time I saw her, the last time I felt her, and the last time I could focus on anything. From that moment, I had been merely existing, surprising myself each time I got up to see another morning. Funny, isn't it? The cold son of the bitch who wasn't supposed to have a heart was suffering from agonizing heartache. If Nanny Mei Lien had seen me like this, she would have called me pathetic.Since my Mother died a little after I was born, Mei Lien was the only parent figure around me. James Winton most likely wanted me to die as well, but Mei Lien did everything she could to keep me safe. She contacted my Grandfather on her own and begged him to grant me and her his protection. He refused. He was soaked with hatred for the daughter who betrayed him, and it was only natural that he would hate that daughter's son as well. It's ironic that right before the daughter whom he hated died wishe
I started packing the second I walked into our room. Aren looked at me, shocked. Within a heartbeat, he surged between me and my suitcase. "What are you doing, sunshine?" His steady voice had a rough edge painted with anxiety. "I'm going back to New York. I had already booked a plane on our way to the mansion." I tried to keep my tone composed, but every piece within me was shaking. He huffed nervously. "When are you coming back to Shanghai?" His eyes darkened; he knew what I was going to say. "I'm not coming back," I muttered, lowering my gaze. "Sunshine... don't..." He shook his head, pain and desperation surfacing in his features wildly. I brushed away the tears that had uncontrollably fallen down my cheeks. "Give me a reason why I should stay?" I pushed him away from my suitcase and continued packing. "I know that I'm selfish, but I can't lose you." His voice was soft, nearly cracking. Before I knew it, his arms were wrapped around me, and I surrendered to the warmth of his b
I had trouble eating dinner, and it had nothing to do with my two broken fingers. I couldn't swallow a single piece of food, feeling that every bite got stuck in my throat. Afterward, I went to Lan Jing's office for a private conversation. I was pissed, and with every second that had gone by, I found it more difficult to hide my anger. I had known that Aren would have to be in Shanghai to take over Lan Wang Corporation, but we were going to discuss the details together! I had never even considered moving to Shanghai and staying here permanently!The few friends I had, all lived in New York. My Grandma stayed in the clinic in New York. My life was in New York. I loved Aren, but I had only just begun to truly cherish the place where I lived, and I didn't want to move somewhere else, no matter how beautiful and extraordinary Shanghai was. It wasn't about the language, because I would gladly learn it, but I would do it for myself. I helped Aren with his revenge, and it seemed to me that h
I was not a killer. I'd always considered myself a good person. I had a high set of moral standards, and I had never thought that there would be a day when I would point a gun at someone, thinking that he deserved to die. Still, I couldn't take away his life... But I wanted him to suffer. I aimed at his right shoulder. Adrenaline sharpened my senses, making me more focused than I had ever been in my whole life. The oddly funny fact was that I had problems with hitting the target board, but I knew exactly where the bullet would hit the second I pulled that trigger.Caishen growled in pain, the knife held in his right hand falling to the ground. "You bitch!" he yelled, stomping my way.I shot again, this time aiming at his thigh. The second bullet made him collapse. I watched him fall to the ground, his hands reaching to press the wound on his leg. I smirked coldly. I must have hit an artery since he was bleeding out fast. None of those shots were lethal, but they were enough. He lost.
My husband was two feet away from me. He was covered in blood, but all I cared about was that the blood wasn't his. His eyes carried an explosive mix of emotions. There was fear, guilt, relief, need, longing, pain, anger, and an unrecognizable form of warmth. He stood still, as if he was waiting for my permission to come closer, to touch me, to embrace me. Seeing him near me and not feeling his skin against mine was almost unbearable. My whole body craved him. I could finally breathe because he was close. I spread my arms open, invitingly. It only took a heartbeat for him to encircle me in a tight hug, allowing me to melt into his muscular frame. I breathed in his scent like it was a remedy for all the physical pain."I missed you so much," I mumbled, shedding a wide stream of tears.His hands delicately traced up and down my back as if he was afraid to hurt me. "I'm sorry, sunshine... I'm so sorry." He breathed heavily in between leaving soft kisses on the crown of my head. "I was so
The alarms went off. I could see the red lights flashing rhythmically as Caishen dragged me through the corridor. This time I didn't even dream of running away. I was circled by Max and the group of guards who watched me closely, tensing each time one of my legs swayed as if it was a signal of me trying to run away. I tried to memorize the route but then decided that it was useless since I didn't even know where the exit was. Nonetheless, I'd noticed something before: there were no windows. My suspicions were confirmed as I was pushed into the elevator. We were on the underground floor—Level -3, and the elevator went down to Level -5.Once we left the elevator, I saw more armed men, running somewhere and securing certain areas. Then I heard very distant gunshots. My heart started to pound with a new beat. Aren might have been getting closer. The sole thought made my body warm."Get in," Caishen hissed, throwing me into a raw, almost unfurnished room. "You will wait here until it's all
Caishen's peel of laughter told me that I could breathe again. I emptied my lungs in one hectic exhale. The gun's barrel was still touching my temple. My hand was trembling. I blinked my eyes, slowly realizing that there was no bullet in the chamber. Caishen clapped his hands, visibly entertained that I decided to risk my life, playing his sick game. I hated him. I hated him for making me choose between my life and the lives of the criminals standing around me. It would have been easier if I had lost my moral values and had given up on respect for human lives, but it was something I could never do. Certainly, I believed that there were deviants in this world that didn't deserve to live, but if I was their judge, I would rather grant them hell on earth than send them to hell myself."Are you trying to become a saint, my dear?" Caishen laughed as he snatched the gun from my hand. "We are surrounded by meaningless people. Their lives don't matter. They will always be workers, not creator