I sat in one of the rooms in the operating center and observed the fierce CEO transform into a secret agent on a mission. It was amusing and fascinating and, above all, absolutely freaking hot. He took off his navy suit and white shirt and put on a pair of dark-grey combat pants and a fitted black shirt. I wouldn't expect any businessman to turn into a fighter and get his hands dirty, but Aren was different. He wasn't afraid to settle things personally, even if it was a very risky move."Have you done with the ogling?" he asked, amused.I grinned teasingly. "Are you forbidding me from admiring my sexy husband?"He walked closer, pulling me up from my seat and kissing me passionately. "Aren't you even a bit concerned about tonight?"I knew that his words were meant to sound playful, but they wiped the smile off my face instead. "I am worried." I slid my arms around his waist, pressing myself against his firm body. "I am crazily anxious, and I don't want you to get involved in the fight
Aren's team shot a few sleep darts at those from Packton's and Mr. C.'s side, but they were quickly discovered. Those who weren't knocked down by the drug responded by firing their guns toward the rooftop. The real battle began. I stood in front of the screen, squeezing my hands together and praying. My heart pounded wildly as I tried to figure out what was happening while looking at the surveillance footage. All I could see were gunshots, briefly lightening the air, and people from all sides running around. I glanced at Damian and Eli, but they were completely composed, only glancing at their watches. “Sixty seconds up, time to make the call,” Eli said to Damian, Damian nodding in response. “What's going on?” I asked, muttering. Eli turned my way with a finger on the mouth gesture and motioned his head, pointing at Damian. A second later, his colleague was on the phone with the police making an anonymous call, informing that there was some kind of fight with gunshots at the Red Ho
Max jerked my hand, throwing me out of the back of the van. I fell to the ground, ripping the skirt of my dress and tearing the skin on my knee. I landed right next to Damian's bloodied corpse and instantly felt sick. The fury that boiled the blood in my veins mixed with the helplessness I felt made me want to scream, but I knew that I couldn't provoke that mad bastard threatening me. "Get up!" he yelled, pointing his gun at me. "Get on your feet, bitch, and move to the front!" He walked closer, stepping his feet right in front of my head. I clenched my teeth and pulled myself up. He smirked as I got up, kneeling before him. I lifted my head and glared at him as he put his gun against my forehead. "As much as I like you on your knees, we have no time for that." He chuckled, motioning with his gun to force me to move. Cursing him inwardly, I stood up and started walking to the front seat of the car. I could feel the cold metal touching the back of my head, making me feel as if every
I stared desperately at the surface of the water, swallowing my tears. I kept glancing at Chris; he was composed at first but became more restless by the second. He held his hand on my shoulder as if he was saying that Aren would be all right, but he couldn't know that. It was unimaginably dark under the surface of the water, and the currents were unpredictable. Down there, Max wasn't Aren's only opponent; he needed to fight the forces of nature as well."Aren…" I wept quietly, my hot and salty tears falling down to the bay waters.Chris cleared his throat. "He'll be all right. He is an excellent swimmer." He didn't sound convinced at all. I guess he wanted to reassure himself just as much as he wished to bring me comfort.A few minutes passed, Jack joined us, and finally, Chris admitted that it was time to call for a rescue mission. I sat in the same place, numbly watching the divers go under the water while the lifeguards swam in boats, flashing lights at every corner."This cannot
A week had passed since Aren had become unconscious. Throughout this time, I basically lived in the clinic, only migrating between my Grandma's room and my husband's room. I quickly found out that frustration and restlessness weren't the only things that I had to struggle with in the meantime. Being Aren's wife came with responsibilities that I hadn't been aware of until the moment my husband fell into a coma, and I was given the authority over... basically everything he owned. Aren's suite within the clinic had strangely become my office; the place where I met Neil, the lawyers, and even Lan Diamond Corporation's executives. I was terrified of every decision I had to make on my own in Aren's name. Neil helped me as much as he could, but at the end of the day, I was the one calling all the shots. I spent endless hours in front of my computer, learning about business terms and definitions that would help me understand what those people were talking to me about. Thank God that I was a
I was still extremely pissed at Jack and Chris for treating me this way, but apparently, my glaring daggers at them only brought them more amusement. Luckily, the tape Chris used wasn't too strong, and I finally managed to glue off the piece that was gagging me."Seriously guys?!" I yelled. "You could have told me what you were planning, not kidnap me!"Chris, who was driving the car, snorted. "Really? Do you want us to believe that you would willingly leave your husband even if you haven't left the clinic for the last eight days?"I wanted to protest, but when I opened my mouth I realized that there was no way I would have left Aren. I already felt anxious, as I had left his room nearly ten minutes ago, wondering if he had started to wake up while I was away from him."I don't want him to see that I'm not there when he wakes up..." I mumbled.Jack, who was sitting in the passenger's front seat, turned around and looked at me with a frown. "Cora, you must be aware that this is insane.
After I had drank three more glasses of wine, I knew a little more about Jack's and Chris's personal lives, not that I was asking about it though... Nonetheless, I found out that Jack got married to his high school sweetheart, and they happily became husband and wife as soon as they graduated. He told me how he decorated a bower that stood at the back of their school with over three hundred red roses just to propose to his girlfriend. It was amazing to discover his romantic soul. He was the guy who had never forgotten his wife's birthday or their anniversaries. I could see the love in his eyes when he talked about his wife... "But we weren't meant to be together…" He shrugged, ending his fairy-tale love story in a sad tone. "What do you mean? What happened?" I asked, feeling emotionally engaged in his story. Jack smiled faintly. "She wanted to have a child, but she didn't want the child's father to have a dangerous job. She tried to force me to change my occupation, but I've always
"Are you worried, Cora?" Jack couldn't hide his amusement. "I can almost smell jealousy coming from you!""It might sound irrational to you, but there's something like a female instinct, and it screams that I shouldn't underestimate the fact that Aren's ex-girlfriend suddenly appeared in the city," I said. "I'm aware that it is quite shallow of me to worry about his ex while he is still unconscious. Nonetheless, it bothers me more now that I've just heard how Aren couldn't cope with her leaving him. What if someone brought her here on purpose? What if it was someone who knew how much she meant to Aren and wanted to mess him up?""Don't you think that you are a little bit paranoid, Cora?" Chris mocked. "Aren seemed to be happy with you. I doubt that he would take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about some chick that double-crossed him."I frowned and clenched my fist. "He already did! He had nightmares the night after someone sent him pictures of her, walking around the streets o
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