I glanced nervously at Aren while panic rose within me, but then I saw a flash of a smile on Aren's face. He wasn't displeased. On the contrary, his expression showed confidence and satisfaction."We would like you to be at our wedding, Grandfather. Of course, I'll send you an official invitation," Aren stated, slightly nodding toward the still stunned Augustus."You're in quite a rush with the wedding." The old man tried to cover his grimace with a nervous laugh. "I bet you merely know each other. Why marry so soon?"Aren glared at Augustus before turning his eyes my way. "When you meet the right person, you know it the second you meet." He smiled at me warmly, sending pleasant shivers down my spine. "The moment I saw Cora, I knew that I would spend the rest of my life with her."My heart fluttered even though I told myself that it was just his act. Did I want it to be true? Or was it because I had never felt appreciated in my real relationship as much as I did in my fake one?August
The man standing in front of me was my ex-boyfriend, Callan Garrod. He barely changed during those three years I hadn't seen him, but at that moment, I finally saw him without his fake mask of modesty, dressed in an expensive dark navy suit and black shirt. Aside from his rich-boy attire, he had the same sleekly combed pale-blond hair and icy-blue eyes that gave a disturbing stare. One corner of his thin lips was curled into a vicious smirk, as his eyes went through my length. "I have to admit that I'm impressed. You used to swear that you hated money, and now you are here, in the crown of Manhattan's richest… Isn't that a hypocrisy?" He chuckled, his eyes lustfully measuring my curves. I hated his eyes on me. I felt as if my body was being evaluated by him. I could see he enjoyed the view, while I found the view of him nauseating. "I was invited here," I squeezed through my clenched throat. "Oh, really? Now, that's interesting. Care to say who invited you?" Callan's amusement grew
*** TRIGGER WARNING: Dear readers, please be aware that this chapter contains examples and some descriptions of abuse and sexual violence. ***I woke up lying on the floor in the hotel room I had rented the night before. I was still wearing my fabulous golden gown. It took me a few minutes before I could stand up on my wobbly legs and go to the bathroom. I spent some time staring at my reflection, trying to recognize myself underneath my smudged makeup. That was it: I was broken.I spent three years forgetting and then denying everything that had happened in my relationship with Callan, and last night, my past showed up in front of me, making all of my nightmares resurface. The one who made me bleed stood up before me, mocking the anxieties he triggered within me. I prayed that someone would rescue me from this nightmare, but my Prince Charming only rubbed more salt into my reopened wounds. That felt truly pathetic.I untied the corset and took my Cinderella's dress off. The ball was
I did it. I told someone about my relationship with Callan. I had to fight off my embarrassment and guilt, but voicing it out freed me from the poisonous load that had been crushing me for a very long time. Yes, I let him manipulate me. Yes, I was the one who let Callan take control over me. And yes, I'd been struggling to forgive myself. I knew what was going on. I couldn't use the excuse of temporary insanity because everything inside me screamed that this wasn't right. Callan's so-called love was highly toxic. Nonetheless, I ended up blaming myself for letting that man smash me like a bug.When did I become so defenseless? It was the moment I decided that I was in love with him. He used that against me. He cut me off from all the friends I had at the university so that he could be the only person I talked to. He kept telling me that no one could ever love me as he would. He told me that I could only be happy with him and with no one else, and I believed him. I believed in his lie s
I wasn't entirely sure how I ended up in Aren's black Porsche, heading to the private airport. I must have been slightly bewildered after picturing the two of us together, alone in his villa. I felt as if he wasn't planning to have any serious conversation with me at all, but was seducing me instead. But the worst part was that each time his seduction came to my mind, my body desperately shouted, "Let's let him!"I must have been truly desperate since I kept biting my lip while observing his hands on the wheel, gracefully and confidently maneuvering the car. Why did he have to be so sexy while driving?!"Do I turn you on?" he asked suddenly, making me blush.Hysteric laughter left my throat. "W-what?"He smirked. "You squeeze those thighs a bit too much. I can help you relax if you want me to…"My face became blazing red in a second. "No, thank you," I grunted, turning my head to stare the rest of the way through the side window.We weren't even in the air, and I had already managed t
It was a beautiful, sunny, and warm day. As I stepped outside on the terrace, the beach and ocean view instantly placed a smile on my face. The wind waved my loose hair, and I couldn't wait until I tossed the sandals off my feet and stepped on the beach sand, but I needed to fill my stomach first. Aren stepped toward me and grabbed my hand, tangling his fingers with mine."You look astonishing in that dress," he said, his eyes scanning my length."Thank you..." I responded, feeling heat flooding my cheeks, and then squeezed out a comment, "You look good in casual clothes.""Really?" His lips formed a wicked grin. "You don't like me when I wear suits then?""No... You look good in everything," I admitted, flustered like a dumb teenager.He leaned over me, his body close enough for me to feel his warmth. "So you do find me attractive?" he teased.I pushed him away, frowning. "You know damn well that I find you insanely handsome."He raised his eyebrows, looking at me genuinely surprised
I pull in one shallow breath after another. I remembered Neil saying that Aren had a lot of enemies, but I used to think of them as business competitors, not people who literally wanted him dead! "I thought that your mother committed suicide," I said nervously, feeling my body start to tremble. "They made it look that way." A painful grimace surfaced on his face. I raised my eyebrows, processing his words. "They?" He locked his eyes on me. "There were at least a few people involved in it. My father might be one of them." I gasped. The deadliest form of crime that I'd had contact with was hacking and stealing data, but Aren lived in a world full of killing, conspiracy, and true wickedness. Only now did I realize that compared to Aren's, my computer world was angelically safe. "My head starts to spin..." I muttered, my body shivering even more. Aren corrected his grip on my hand and pulled me close, his arms wrapping around my body. "You're trembling. You should have taken a scarf
Aren didn't question my decision. He only smirked and called Marcus. Thirty minutes later, we were in the car on our way to the airport, dressed in hurriedly chosen dry clothes."Here, wear this. Your hair is still damp." Aren handed me a baseball cap."Thank you," I replied with a faint smile.Those little things that proved that he cared made my heart warm. I used to dream about lovers' connection that I read about in romance books; a naïve dream of a freshman taking her first step into the land of relationships. I ended up giving my all and receiving little to nothing in return. I wanted to protect my heart against Aren, but at the same time, I had a feeling that Aren appreciated me more than my asshole ex-boyfriend ever did. I kept wondering whether I could remove the romantic feelings from the equation and accept Aren's offer. Was it a matter of my immaturity to think that I could fall in love and be loved? Perhaps it was time for a calculated compromise. Perhaps it was safer tha
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