"You are loud." I flinched at hearing Aren's hoarse mutter."H-how…?" It was the only part of the question I could mumble in panic.Aren lifted his upper body, supporting his weight with a bent elbow, his eyes narrowed from sleep. "How... what?""How did I end up here... like this?!" I looked at him wide-eyed, my heart pounding.Aren sighed, a faint smirk curving his lips. "You fell asleep."A wave of heat flooded me, a juicy blush surfacing on my cheeks. How could that happen? I wasn't drunk. I had barely drank two glasses of champagne. Fine, I was exhausted, but how could I fall asleep in the middle of… Oh, God…"And… why are you…?""Why am I here with you?" He finished my question. "I also need to sleep." He shrugged, glancing at me with increasing amusement."B-but..." I breathed, desperate to find a way out of this embarrassing situation.A huff of irritation escaped his throat. A second later, he hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me close. I barely registered how I found
Fortunately, there was no one except for Neil when I left Aren's office. He greeted me with a mischievous smile that had painted his lips much too often recently. But since he was the one who brought me fresh clothes, I decided to ignore his teasing. As soon as I walked into my new workspace, the day passed in a flash. Alan, Norton, and I went from one department to another, installing our program using the excuse of checking some security issues. It was the amazingly boring part of the plan, but at least it went smoothly without people complaining that we interrupted their work. It was six o'clock before I knew it—time for me to get dressed up and put on some decent makeup, preparing myself for a dinner at the Wintons' mansion. More than an hour later, dressed in a wine-red long, slandering figure dress, I looked like a brave and confident woman. I wish I could feel like one as well. Unfortunately, my anxieties didn't go away despite Aren's reassuring words. Perhaps if it were only
Callan stood in front of me, his eyes looking at me with an odd sadness and pain. He had no jacket on. His shirt was half-unbuttoned, and its sleeves were rolled up. The sleekly combed hair he had before was now ruffled. As he stepped toward me, I could smell alcohol in his breath. "Why are you with him, Cora?" he asked softly. "W-what?" His painful tone caught me off-guard more than his words. "Is it because I have never told you that I'm a Winton?" He stepped closer, his eyes tightly locked on mine. "What are you talking about?!" I stepped back, desperately trying to keep my distance. He sighed heavily and sat on the bed. "It was my Grandfather's idea. He forced me to use my Mother's name, scared that I would somehow dishonor the Winton name by involving myself in scandals while away from home. Only the professors knew that my name wasn't Garrod." "Why are you telling me this? Why now?" I took another step back and found myself leaning against the wall. "I should have told you
As Aren carried me out of the mansion, Marcus was already waiting for us, standing by the car. I had no idea when Aren called for him to come. Augustus ran after us, asking Aren to remember some business issues they'd discussed before, suddenly exposing the fact that it was the only thing he had ever cared about. Aren ignored his desperate pleading. He just walked to the car and gently put me in the backseat while Marcus went inside to get our suitcases. A minute later, we were driving away from the mansion. I stayed silent until we left Greenwich, heading back to New York City. I wrapped myself in Aren's jacket, finding myself shivering from the cold, even though it was a warm night and Marcus turned on the car heater for me. As we hit the interstate highway, I finally found the strength to break the silence.I choked out, "I'm sorry."Aren frowned. "How can you be sorry for anything?""You lost your chance to get the evidence you wanted… It's because of me…" I said, lowering my head
It was dawning when I opened my eyes after falling asleep in Aren's embrace. His arms were still around me, pulling my back against his chest. I kept blushing at the thought of last night. At some point, the intoxicating pleasure took away my ability to think clearly. Looking at the number of used condoms I saw in the basket bin, I was wondering if I would even be able to move one muscle today, but I didn't regret it. I didn't regret a second of it. I laughed inwardly, realizing how little I knew about sex and how it could feel. In Aren's arms, I felt... appreciated and cherished. It was amazing, but at the same time, it was terrifying since I knew how easily the need to feel this way again could become an addiction. Would this night change anything between us? Would it draw us closer together, or would it build an odd distance between us?The sudden wave of anxiety wiped the smile off my face. I flinched in bed as if a cold wind brushed my skin. A second later, Aren's arms shifted, t
Aren was right about one thing: going to work in this state would have been a huge mistake. With the aching body I had, I could either resemble a stupid rookie who decided to run a marathon without a warm-up or... a woman whose body wasn't prepared for the amount of late-night activities she experienced. Since it was obvious to both Norton and Alan that I would never run in a marathon... then yes, not going to work was an excellent decision. I was certain that I would never be able to handle discussing my sex life with them.As much as I was glad to have some time to recover, I wasn't completely comfortable staying alone with my thoughts. After a sweet moment of bliss, I'd become anxious. Now, I kept wondering whether it was him acting cold and arrogant or me... being completely immature. Perhaps it was supposed to be like this—there's time for work and time for affection, except for the situations when we would make love in his office... Oh, God... Had I just seriously thought about
I ended up meeting with Miranda in an Italian restaurant that she suggested. I texted Aren, informing him about it just in case he decided to come home early, but I never got his reply. I assumed that he had a lot on his mind, so I ignored the silence and decided to enjoy girl-talk and drinks."Let me get this straight… You two cuddled while you slept and then he made you a bath?!" I guessed that Miranda had a hard time processing what I'd told her.I nodded, my lips forming an awkward smile. "Yes... I guess he was worried that he had hurt me or something…"Miranda stared at me, raising one brow. "Are you sure you are still talking about Aren, the sex-on-the-leg but fucking arrogant—Aren Lan?"I released a nervous chuckle. "Well, it's hard to mistake him for anyone else, isn't it?"She grabbed her glass of wine and emptied it before violently putting it back on the table with her hand fisted on the wine glass stem. "This is crazy! Girl, I'm telling you, this guy has never acted that w
I'd never had a need to dress up. I had never even strictly followed any dress code. Yet, today, before going to Lan Diamond Tower, for the first time in my life, I decided to wear something more feminine. I didn't do it because somebody told me to, but because I wanted to. Aren bought me a lot of clothes, all designer brands. I used to see them as overpriced pieces of fabric, but that slowly started to change…I used to look at the women walking into the Café Dorado, slightly mocking their flashy style, making them look as if they escaped from the "Devil Wears Prada" film set. But truthfully, a part of me envied them. It didn't seem like they were wearing costumes, pretending to be someone they weren't. They were confident and proud. It was time for me to embrace the fact that when I was walking into the Lan Diamond Corporation, I was entering as Aren Lan's fiancée, and I wanted to look confident and proud, just like those women at Café Dorado.I searched through the closet in absolu
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