Aren wasn't fond of the idea even after an hour of convincing by Jack, but eventually, he gave up as he realized that it truly might have been our only chance. Of course, I suggested that I could also try to hack his email account or his phone, but then I heard a loud and firm "no" coming from Aren and Jack simultaneously. "Even if we are doing it for the right reasons, we are still committing a crime here. We are going to plant a bug in a federal agent's office, and if something goes wrong, we are all going to prison for it," Jack warned. I knew that Aren was prepared to risk his own future for the sake of getting his revenge, but he was also unwilling to risk mine. But I chose to join his war willingly, and if there was a tiny chance that I could help, then I was going to do it. Our entire conversation ended up in planning how to put a tap in Lester Packton's office. We merely mentioned the recording that I had found in the Wintons' mansion, indicating that Aren's father had plann
"Now, let's get started, shall we?" The demonic grin on Aren's face wasn't encouraging at all. I responded with a slight nod. Even though I was the one who suggested learning self-defense from Aren, I was beginning to regret that decision more by the second. "You should warm up first," he said, taking my hand and leading me to the center of the mats. We did a bit of stretching, which I found close to unbearable, and it wasn't because of my stiff body. Every single ounce of my willpower was aimed at restraining myself from looking at Aren's body. It's been two days since we hadn't slept together, and I was starting to behave like a junky at the beginning of rehab. I whimpered inwardly and bit my lip when he wasn't looking, but I could proudly say that I managed to keep my serious face throughout the warm-up. Unfortunately, my struggle had barely begun. "My, let's start with something easy," Aren said, standing some distance in front of me. "I will attack you, and you will try to def
I didn't mishear him, right? He was going to take responsibility for making me fall in love with him. But what kind of responsibility would it be? I knew that I was the one who asked for it, but I had never thought about what this responsibility should be like. Was he going to turn our contractual marriage into a permanent one, even if he didn't love me? No one can force a heart to love, but what if he'd already had feelings for me and kept denying them? My feverish thoughts quickly dissolved in the shower of his kisses, which I returned with equal passion. I wasn't sure what kind of new terms I had just agreed on, but if he was ready to take a risk and walk into the unknown, then so was I. I couldn't tell when I found myself lying on the mat with him on top of me. I bit my lip, watching him take his shirt off, and reveal those rigid chest and stomach muscles carved into perfection. Yet a shudder spread across my body as his hand slid down my sweated skin. I grabbed his hand with an a
I emptied my glass in two big gulps, cursing myself inwardly for even thinking of asking more questions about Lanfen. The sole fact that she was Aren's first girlfriend and he had nightmares in which he called her name should be enough to label her as a serious threat. Nonetheless, when he said that he was the one who proposed, it was a hard hit to take. It felt like a punch in the gut. I guessed that my mask had finally fallen off since Aren looked at me with sudden concern in his eyes while watching me refill my glass with wine."Are you OK, sunshine?" he asked, touching my hand that held the glass.I sighed and shifted my eyes to him. "I wish I could say that I am OK, but no, I am not," I said, irritation more than clear in the tone of my voice.He smirked. "Are you jealous, wife?"I glared at him. "Of course I am!" I exclaimed. "You were her hero. You had a normal, loving relationship that lasted four years, and you proposed to her without offering her a contract! Sure as hell I a
I knew that he said he would risk me falling in love with him, but this was all happening too fast. There was a thunderstorm within my heart, emotions bursting out in every possible way. I couldn't pretend any longer—I was in love with Aren Lan. I felt that the way he touched me had become different. If there had been any boundaries between us before, they were all gone at that moment. I was free-falling down the rabbit hole. I only hoped that at the end of that way down, Aren would be there to catch me...Even though I enjoyed my kissing session with Aren, the more I tried to move, the more I felt that I needed to get some rest. That day was an emotional roller coaster, and I felt that my brain had to put everything in the right order. This time, I was the one who insisted on sleeping separately. I knew that I was going to wake up stiffer than my Grandma had ever been, and I didn't need Aren around to laugh at me. Besides, my level of exhaustion made me almost certain that I would fa
The entire net of endless connections was making my head spin. We all knew that if we gave that evidence to Jack Collins, it could help bring down not only Lester Packton but the entire Marshall clan along with him. It was impossible for all of it to be merely a coincidence. Norton, Alan, and I were ecstatic to present all of those photos and documents, confirming Francis Marshall's and Lester Packton's cooperation, but Aren didn't seem to share our enthusiasm..."These are all assumptions and circumstantial evidence without a real meaning to the case. It might help Jack later, but it will not clear him of all charges," he said grimly. "What we need is Packton's confession, and Jack was also very aware that without something this evident, no one from the higher-ups would even look at the rest of what you've found."I sat back behind my desk and lowered my head. It was clear to me that those guys were corrupted. They covered each other's crimes and gained illegal profit."It would be e
Did he see me placing a bug under his desk? Idiot! I was so focused on reaching the right surface that I could stick the chip to that I stopped paying attention to the one person I should have feared the most!"What are you talking about, Agent Packton?" I covered my inner panic with a smile while sliding my hand into the purse to search for my phone.My back was leaning against his desk and had no chance to escape from the agent standing a few inches away from me. Packton's hand went to my chin. He grabbed it hard, his thumb stroking my cheek. "You're a naughty wife who tries to seduce me with her fine ass." He chuckled and licked his lips. "I met many women like you. Playing innocent and hard to get, but deep down inside, dreaming of a good fuck."I grabbed his wrist and jerked his hand away from my face. "How dare you!" I hissed. "I came here only to bring you the phone, nothing else!" I pushed him away and tried to get to the door."Where do you think you are going?!" he roared, g
A few minutes later, Aren and I were back in the car on our way to meet Jack and a group of military specialists gathered by Aren to help. They were operating from the basement of one of the buildings that belonged to Lan Diamond Corporation. The place wasn't too far away from the Federal Plaza, but since the whole building was locked due to renovation, no one even got near it. Despite the inconspicuous façade, the inside of the building was filled with high-tech security equipment, including a thermal imaging scanner at the door and a row of cameras in every corridor. Once we got down to the basement and entered the temporary center of command, everyone stood up and bowed before Aren as if he was their general. There were six men, including Jack, in the room. Two of them were listening to the live signal with their headphones on. Two others sat by their computers, trying to clear the sound of the previously recorded fragments. Jack and the fifth man, who seemed to be the group's leade
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