PROLOGUE

Reigna

I had a lovely day.

Work was doing fine, my paycheck was given, and my favorite cake was available for our third anniversary to be celebrated this evening. It was cloudy with just the right degrees, and my clothes were perfectly matching my mood and my job as a member of the public relations department—white knitted long sleeves, high waist jeans, and a black trench coat.

But the afternoon wasn’t fine at all.

With tears in my eyes, I stood there, with a fallen cake on the carpeted floor, trembling hands, and the heinous sight of my boyfriend, Axle, fooling around with my older sister, Emma. “Reigna, it’s not what you think-”

“Don’t hide it anymore, Axle.” Emma snickered, boldly showing off as she laid in his chest, both of their bodies were covered with the white blankets, with their clothes scattered all over the room.

I don’t know what to say.

“Babe, look. This is-”

I cut Axle off by laughing, my eyes stinging from tears that are about to fall. “Happy anniversary.” I clenched by fists, trying my best to not cry nor stutter even when my eyes could barely stop the pool of tears from streaming. “Let’s break up, a*shole.” Turning around, I walked out of the room.

“Reigna-”

“Shh. She doesn’t want you anymore, baby. That means you’re mine.”

“But my law school-”

When I heard him worry about his tuition f*e because I was the one who pays for it, I stopped, all limits gone as I turned and angrily rushed back, slapping him hard in the face before pulling Emma’s hair. “You shoulder his f*e, b*tch. Never contact me about a damn thing for money.”

Throwing her away, my entire body is shaking as my tears carelessly streamed down on my face, flushing my skin as I glared at them. “You d*vils. I hope you rot in hell.” With that, I turned, running out of the apartment with my vision blurred by the pain I could only express through my silent cries.

I want to hurt them more. I want to express everything and shout at them…but I can’t. My body felt too numb, my voice was blocked away by the sobs, and my entire system is drowning in emotions I could barely control. I am being defeated by my own emotions—and all I could do in response was to run to where my feet are leading me.

***

Sobbing in a swing, I continuously wipe my tears away with my hand, ignoring the hushed whispers of the passerby who seemed to find my misery amusing.

The sun is setting down, and the children are slowly going home one by one with their parents. For some reason, I found myself claiming a swing, crying my heart out without minding the fact that children were playing around. Playgrounds were…always my comfort place.

As I cried, I felt a small tug on my shirt behind me, causing me to sniffle and turn, finding a little boy who’s innocently looking at me with his blue eyes shining in confusion and worry. “Why are you crying?” asking me, he moved in front of me—upon closer look, he is wearing a hero costume, and his tiny hand has flowers he seemed to pick up somewhere around here.

“Did you call for help and no one answered? Is your hero absent?” he asked, making me temporarily stop crying and laugh on how he worded his question. “Why are you laughing? Did I make you happy?” he tilted his head to the side.

“Yes, sweetie. You are…a wonderful hero who made me laugh.” I picked up my handkerchief from my bag and wiped my face properly. As I did, he offered me the flowers in his muddy hands.

“Today is my birthday, but heroes never rest.” He smiled, making my heart swell in joy as I accepted his flowers. “Do you want to come to my birthday? I have chocolate cake! It’s yummy.”

“Uh,…I don’t think you should just invite strangers to your birthday.” I placed the flowers on my lap and folded my handkerchief, showing the cleaner side so I could take his tiny hand and clean the mud off of him.

“Dada is with me! Heroes like me have a great father. He knows what to do.” He sounded so confident that it made me laugh again.

“Well, if your dada is so great, why are you alone, sweetie? It’s about to get dark, you shouldn’t be alone…” I am starting to get worried for this nosy little one who seemed to be pampered at home—his skin is white, his hair is jett black, and his hair is blue.

“Oh! He’s just there!” without further ado, he tried to pull me, which I found endearing after everything that just happened, so I followed him, listening to his happy little hum as if nothing in this world could ever harm his fragile little soul.

“It’s my fifth birthday! I said no big parties because heroes should roam around, so it’s just dada and me and nanny Lucy.”

“Oh? I’m so happy we have a brave hero like you.” I teased. “But I haven’t heard your name, little one. My name is Reigna. What’s yours?”

“I am Erwin!” he beamed, smiling like a future heartbreaker who will unconsciously make girls cry because of being too kind.

I laughed. “Nice to meet you, Erwin.”

***

It was just a short walk, around only a few minutes until we reached a nearby toy store. Pushing the door open for the both of us, the chilly air welcomed us and there is nothing but toys and staff in hero costumes—I bet his father arranged this for him.

“Dada is over here.” We stopped in front of an oak door.

Laughing, I nodded and opened the door, revealing a bar-like arrangement with the exquisite liquor, dim lights, and stacks of nothing but expensive bottles within a room full of intricate details and lavish interior.

“I will go save other people.” He pulled away from me and pushed me inside, making me laugh a little bit. “Bye!” tiptoeing, he grabbed the knob and closed it with a small thud, leaving me in this extra cold place with no one but a man who’s facing the window, leaving me with a view of his broad back and well styled hair.

“Uhm, hello…I’m sorry for coming in. Your son guided me in here and I was too shy to say no to your cute child.” I introduced, but he didn’t turn and just kept his eyes on the window. “P-please don’t worry, I will leave after a few minutes so I won’t disappoint-”

“Your name?” he cut me off.

Nervous, I replied. “R-Reigna Amethyst, sir.”

“Amethyst?” he repeated, making me gulp. “Lock the door and come closer.” His order made me even more anxious. But given that I am nothing but a stranger in this place, I did as I was told before stepping forward, trying to keep my steps as quiet as I can.

Reaching in front of him, my eyes widened and my jaw dropped when I saw who I was talking to. “S-sir Carlisle.” I haven’t met him in person, but I know this man—his firm physique, cold green eyes and jett black hair is always all over the magazines and news.

He is my boss!

“How did you meet my son, Reigna?”

“I-I was…” gulping, I took a step back. “I was crying on the playground and he approached me, sir.”

“Oh?” he lowered his glass beside a few wine bottles and two bottles of whiskey—one empty and one quarter-full, before standing up, walking towards me which made me take my steps back. “What made you cry on the playground?” he asked as soon as he cornered me on between him and the large window beside me.

“I..I saw my boyfriend cheating on me…with my older sister, sir.”

Sir Carlisle chuckled lowly, his fingers went over to hold my chin and have me look up at him. His face is slightly flushed, probably because he had drunk so much liquor. “That’s so bad, huh? I know of your name; you are one of the suggested secretaries for me.”

One of the suggested secretaries? I never heard of that. But what surprised me the most was… “I-I didn’t know you have a son, sir…”

His eyes darkened at the mention of Erwin. “Speak of him in public and I’ll have your career end.”

I gulped, shivers running down my spine as I kept my hazel eyes on him. “I won’t, sir! Erwin is a sweetheart, I won’t do anything to expose him, sir.”

He stared at me for a little while, before his eyes shamelessly raked down my body, giving me goosebumps with how intimidating he is. “I have to keep you in check.” He smirked, leaning down to have his face just a few inches from mine.

“Sir please, I am not playing any kind of game with—”

“Game?” he asked, his voice lowering an octave as if I sparked an idea in his wicked mind.

Chuckling, he took a few strands of my hair, twirling it in his fingers. “…do you know the game, seven minutes in heaven?”

“Yes, I do, sir…” hearing that, he pulled away, only to hook me closer by pulling me by my waist. His big hand is feeling me directly under my white top. “Uhm…I don’t think it is appropriate for me to-”

“Today is my son’s birthday, but it was also the day his mother left us…and it left me lonely, you see.” He cut me off, giving me a bad feeling about this. “Erwin brought you here, didn’t he?”

“Yes, sir.” I can’t look him in the eye, so I averted my gaze. But the moment I did, he guided my chin back and made me look at him once again. “Erwin…Erwin said his father is so great, that he knows what to do to make me happy.”

Sir Carlisle chuckled. “Ah, that boy. He really believed me.”

“Pardon?”

He smirked. “I bring a woman home every night, and I said I can make them happy because I’m a hero who knows how to make women stop crying. But, Reigna,” he pressed my body closer to him. “You do know the real reason why I bring a woman home every night, don’t you?”

My body froze.

“None of them knew about my son except you,” He said, snapping me out of the numbing feeling that’s lowly corrupt my soul. “That’s why...my eyes will be on you.”

“You don’t have to, s-sir…I promise, I won’t tell anyone-”

Instead of letting me finished, he silenced me by crashing his lips against mine.

.

.

.

On that day, my heart was broken…and picked up by yet another man to break me.