By Aren Lan's order, Mr. Errington organized a room for me... and a group of babysitters in the form of IT specialists who were supposed to check if I wasn't a secret spy who merely pretended to help. I expected that to happen. After all, I was given access to their sensitive information, like their tenders and bidding offers. Aren Lan didn't engage in the process. He only instructed Mr. Errington to inform him of the results. I took it as a good thing. I didn't think I could stand him as one of my babysitters, leaning over my head and constantly looking at the screen.
I quickly established that the infection hadn't missed a single computer in their company. It couldn't be a coincidence. It looked like a planned, precise attack aimed at stealing intel, and the bug must have infected their system no more than a few days ago.
Supervised by steadily frowning IT specialists, I called Alan and Norton and told them about the problem. Fortunately, we had already found the best way to fight the pesky worm when we treated our client's computer a month ago. We had even written a simple program to delete each infectious part of the worm.
The IT specialists stood in disbelief while I eliminated the plague spreading across their system. I grinned inwardly, watching how they were ineptly trying to register my moves, but I was too fast for them. I was too good for them; I was way better than most of the specialists hired by big companies. Norton once said that I was a "computer fairy" because I had a sixth sense, getting to the problem faster than anyone else could. Of course, I laughed at the name he had given me, but I was never going to deny my worth. I was confident about my abilities. Period.
It took me six hours to clean up the entire system, and, thank God, I wasn't dealing with the entire Lan Diamond Corporation network. My babysitters decreased hour after hour, and by the time I finished, there was only one of them, sitting next to me. He was looking at the screen with his sleepy eyes. Well, he was forced to take a lot of overtime since it was 2 AM when I could finally say that my work there was done.
"Finally..." he mumbled, struggling to get up from his seat.
I smiled wryly, looking at him. "Thanks for your support... I guess." I was unable to stop the sarcastic tone from surfacing, but he seemed to be too tired to notice.
"Yeah, whatever," he tossed my way before pulling out his phone and sending someone a message.
"So... what now?" I asked, slightly nervously. I did my part of the deal, and I wasn't leaving without a sign of proof that we could stay in our workshop even if I had to chain myself to the desk in this office.
"The security will tell you," he said faintly, walking out of the door and leaving me there.
"Jerk," I muttered under my breath.
He should be thanking me. If that infection worked as it was meant to, he would most likely lose his job... he and the entire department! It pissed me off that I saved their sorry asses and didn't even hear a thank you. Moreover, they all dared to look down on me, first only because I was a woman, and then even more, after I had to give my personal data for the contract, and they had found out that I didn't have a diploma... Surely, I had long acknowledged the fact that this freaking piece of paper could change everything in my life. Nonetheless, I still couldn't stand assholes who felt superior because they had something I didn't.
I grabbed my jacket and purse and left the office soon after. As soon as I walked out into the corridor, I saw two security guards dressed in black suits that made them look like they were Secret Service agents. Both of them stood firm with their chins slightly lifted. Their faces were expressionless to the point where if one of them didn't move, I would take them as wax figures.
"Hello," I greeted them with an awkward smile.
"Mr. Lan told us to take you to him," one of the guards said, gesturing at me to follow them.
"Mr. Lan did..." I mumbled, instantly becoming restless.
Was he really still at work at 2 AM? I wished he wasn't. I would rather not stand before him right now. I had no strength to deal with arrogant guys. Not to mention that after six hours of staring at the computer screen, I probably looked like shit. The guard led me to the elevator and stepped inside it with me. Once the door closed and we moved up, I took a glimpse at the elevator mirror.
"Fuck," I cursed under my breath. I actually looked worse than shit, with most of my makeup gone and my hair completely flat and ruffled. I ignored my company and started combing the messy strands with my fingers and wiping the panda circles below my eyes. It didn't help much, but I tried.
Of course, my inner feminist immediately raised an argument that I wasn't going there to impress him with my looks. I did an awesome job of saving his company. Why should I care how I looked after several hours of work?!
With that in mind, I walked out of that elevator and confidently strode through the empty, dimly lit top-floor corridor. There was only one intense source of light, and it was coming through the opaque windows surrounding the CEO's office. Once we got there, one of the guards knocked on the smart-glass door.
"Come in." Lan's voice sounded.
The guard opened the door, allowing me to enter, and then closed the door, leaving me alone with his boss. Aren Lan was sitting behind his massive desk made of dark wood, working on his laptop. The few seconds of silence that surrounded us doubled my anxiety in an instant. I wasn't even sure why I was always so nervous in front of him. I did my job well, and he could only thank me for dealing with their security breach. Still, shivers ran down my spine when his gaze shifted from the computer screen to me.
He smirked and crooked his finger, gesturing for me to come closer. I breathed in and took a few steps towards the desk, still leaving comfortable space between us. A single chuckle escaped his throat, and he crooked his four fingers, making his gesture more decisive. I let out a soaked with irritation sigh and took another step forward.
His lips curved, forming a mischievous grin. "You don't like me, do you?"
"No, I don't," I replied, too tired to think about the consequences.
The smile stayed on his lips, but his eyes became darker. "Interesting," he commented before pulling some documents from his drawer. "This is your new contract with Golden Estate Investments." He pointed at a few pages.
I looked at him, surprised, as he handed me the document. I might have said that it was my condition for taking care of their computer problem, but somehow I didn't think that they would truly respect it.
I went through the paragraphs, and my jaw almost dropped. Not only did the contract say that we could keep renting our place for five hundred dollars a month, but after the company committed to settling us in a different location with the same amount of monthly rent.
"Where's the catch?" I asked, narrowing my gaze at him.
"There is no catch," he answered in an indifferent tone. "You kept your part of the deal. You did your job exquisitely... This is the company's way of saying thank you." He shrugged.
"The company's way..." I mumbled under my breath, forming a wry smile. I couldn't tell why I felt a little prick in my chest. Was I counting on his motives to be more... private?
"Would you like to change the conditions in the contract?" The firm tone of his voice sobered me in an instant.
"No!" I called out nervously. "T-thank you." I reached into my purse and pulled out a pen to sign before he changed his mind.
Without thinking, I placed the contract on his desktop and leaned over. It wasn't until I saw his eyes flicker in amusement did I realize I exposed every ounce of my cleavage wrapped in a tight white shirt top. I pulled myself up with an audible gasp and glared at him in silent accusation. He raised his hands in surrender.
"You cannot blame a man for appreciating something you lushly present right in front of him," he claimed nonchalantly, leaning back in his perfectly ergonomic office chair.
I clenched my teeth, struggling to keep my composure, yet I couldn't stop the heat that flooded my cheeks. I was visibly blushing while standing in front of him, but the thing that annoyed me the most was the fact that it took him less than a second to look absolutely unmoved, as if he didn't consider me attractive! Well, fine! I wasn't ideally presentable at that moment, but my boobs were as fine as always! How could he just ignore them so quickly?! Most importantly, why did I get so worked up about whether he thinks I'm attractive?! God!
I took a deep breath. Then I turned my back to him and walked over to his coffee table to finish signing the contract. I ignored the fact that I might have exposed my other set of curves this time, deciding to let him briefly enjoy my ass. Screw that, and screw him! I just needed to get out of there as soon as possible.
Once I put my last signature, I walked back to his desk, handing him the documents. He accepted them with a quick nod and placed his signature. My eyes caught on each second of his long fingers handling his silver Cross pen and the way he placed smooth, decisive lines on the paper. There was something mesmerizing in the way he did it.
"Here." He handed me my copy of the contract, looking into my eyes.
"Thank you." I took the documents from him and smiled nervously.
His face became unreadable again. Somehow, I ended up staring at him as if I was awaiting some human-like reaction.
"Is there anything else?" he asked curtly.
"No!" I shook my head violently.
"Then, good night, Ms. Bell. I'd love to walk you out, but I still have work to do."
I couldn't tell why his words felt like a slap. Was it because he didn't call me by my first name? Or was it because he wanted me out of his office? What the hell was I hoping for anyway?!
"Goodnight, Mr. Lan," I tossed, turning back on my heels and leaving his office in a rush.
I basically ran to the elevators. My heart was racing. My breath quickened and my muscles were tense with restless pacing.
"It's all good, Cora. You got the contract. You did your job perfectly, and you will never get to see this arrogant Lan-asshole ever again!" I told myself while going down the elevator.
I forced myself to smile, but the way I felt seemed far from satisfied. What I felt resembled a peculiar kind of sadness, one I was unable to name...
A week has passed since I solved our workshop problem. Alan and Norton called my achievement a victory, but that didn't mean that everything in our lives went back to so-called normal. We didn't have to move out of our basement, but it didn't change much in Golden Estate Investments' plans. The renovation work that was supposed to turn the old tenement into a hotel began two days after I had signed our rental agreement. In a flash, the whole area became a construction site. They might have skipped the basement for now, but even so, they turned our quiet place of work into a freaking madhouse... It took the greatest toll on Norton, whose antisocial nature had been challenged like never before. Fortunately, soundproofing headphones saved us from going insane... or committing mass murder.Certainly, my work at the coffee shop stayed as it was. There were days when Monique, Marco, and I had some fun, but mainly it was energy-draining. Thankfully, the tips made up for the stress, yet it la
I stared at Liam for a few seconds, partially glad that he didn't want me to pretend his new girlfriend. Nonetheless, hacking into anything seemed like an even worse idea."Liam… I can imagine that you're hurting, but don't you think that messing up your ex's engagement party seems a little low?" I gave him a dry smile.He narrowed his eyes at me. "You don't understand, but don't worry. You'll change your mind once you know the whole story," he said, gesturing to the waiter.A minute later, we were both holding glasses of scotch in our hands. It wasn't my usual choice of alcohol, but Liam insisted that it was essential to drink something stronger before I'd hear what he was about to say. I didn't get it, but the drinks were on him anyway. I shrugged and took a sip from the glass, letting the liquid bring the heat down my throat.Once Liam confirmed that I had drank one-third of my glass, he started to speak, "Her name is Nicole Saxon, a beautiful brunette with the body of a goddess. I
It was the worst hangover I'd ever had, and it wasn't even about the toxic level of alcohol I'd consumed the night before. Sure, ten thousand dollars sounded great. It would have been my first real step to gathering the amount of money I needed, but at the same time, I felt as if I was getting myself involved in a bank robbery!I trusted my abilities, but I felt much safer when I used them from my computer at home or in our workshop. I had never had to sneak anywhere and plug into some other, off-line system to take control of it. I couldn't believe that I had agreed to something like this!I felt like we were engaging in a top-secret operation that required perfect planning, high precision, and an incredible amount of luck. Our mission had been divided into two stages. The first stage had to take place two days before the engagement party, and it was meant to get access to the hotel's computers connected to the ballroom, while the second stage was about the actual engagement party ev
Aren Lan looked absolutely striking in a navy blue suit and a black shirt and tie. I wouldn't miss the way his perfectly tailored jacket emphasized his broad shoulders, nor how the well-defined curves of his biceps pressured the fabric with each slight bend of his arm. Why did this arrogant douche have to look so mouth-watering? He made my mind go blank again! I should ignore him, walk past him, say that he confused me with someone else… anything aside from greeting him! Instead, I was now standing before him like a schoolgirl in front of a teacher while trying to find a logical way to explain my sudden brain malfunction. "I didn't know you were working in my hotel," he said, his eyes carefully scanning my tight uniform. A wave of heat rushed through me. Of course, he owned the hotel! He owned nearly half of Manhattan, and with my luck, I should have assumed from the beginning that the Blue Crystal Hotel was his. Nonetheless, I proved to be stupid enough to never consider checking wh
While Liam stared at the screen with fire in his eyes, I was becoming more and more terrified. Liam enjoyed Nicole's writhe when she tried to cover the wall-size screen with her body and raised arm. I couldn't blame him. She got what she deserved, and Liam got what he wanted. He obviously knew nothing about Aren Lan, and he didn't care. I wish I could say something similar...While Nicole stood in the line of fire on the stage, Aren walked to the side and talked to two of his people. A few seconds later, those two commanded the security team who led the press out of the ballroom and the other team who took care of the disturbed guests. Suddenly, Aren smirked, looking directly at the surveillance camera... I swallowed. He couldn't know that we were watching him at that moment, could he?"Liam… we need to get out of here… the show is over," I said nervously, cleaning the first of the computers from any traces of hacking into their system."Why? Do you think someone will catch us?" He sh
I decided to make use of Aren Lan's hospitality and took a long bath to clear my head. Afterwards, I wrapped myself in a hotel bathrobe and lay down on the bed. I started analyzing what kind of proof he could have against me...He didn't have my laptops, but even if he had, I made sure there were no traces of evidence that I had broken into Blue Crystal Hotel's system. The little worm I had downloaded to their computer had self-deleted already, and not even the best specialist could bring it back, let alone connect it with me.I needed to shut down the panic within me by building a solid wall of rational arguments. All Aren Lan had were assumptions, nothing solid enough to press any charges against me. I needed to rely on the fact that this man was a public figure running a legit business. He could make my life harder than it already was. He could make me fired from Café Dorado, or even make me move out from New York City if he wanted to, but he would use legal means to do it. For God
A peal of hysteric laughter escaped my throat as an intense blush painted my cheeks. He didn't actually expect me to have sex with him during our contractual marriage... right? As my eyes slowly shifted to Aren, I muttered, "You cannot be serious?" He smirked, once again carefully scanning my body. "Why not? I need to know if it's safe to fuck my wife." My jaw literally dropped, and I heard Mr. Edmond chuckle. How could Aren talk about such things so casually?! And how could he talk about having sex with me in front of some other people?! "You can't expect me to sleep with you," I squeezed through my teeth. "I'm not turning you into my sex slave. I am giving you an option. Besides, you will receive a copy of my medical card as well," he said calmly. "An option?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "Yes," he replied, standing up and sitting next to me. Then he gestured at the lawyer and Mr. Edmond. "Give us five." A second later, I was in that room alone with him, sitting inches away fro
Mr. Edmond enjoyed enticing my curiosity but refused to say anything more, claiming that some facts needed to be properly swallowed. I pouted, stating that it wasn't fair, yet he stayed resilient. As we got down the hall, I finally got my purse back, along with my phone and documents. "Remember, you cannot tell anyone about the contract, and that includes your friends and family," he warned, as he saw me checking all the missed calls on my phone. I gave him a wry smile, acknowledging how hard it would be to lie to everyone for two years. First, I needed to come up with a believable story for Liam, but how could I explain getting married to a guy his ex was supposed to marry? As Mr. Edmond drove us to my apartment, I pondered whether or not to call Liam. In the end, I came up with an idiotic evasive response that I had sent in a text message. "I'm OK. I'm still alive. My purse got lost and I've got it back only now." He replied in less than a minute. "Thank God! I thought that this
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