"Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Amora! Your fiancé is the dream man for many women. You're truly lucky!"A broad smile curled on Amora Lysander's lips as her best friend, Chelsea Harrison, congratulated her. There was no denying the joy blooming in her heart, as her moment of happiness was just around the corner.In one week, Amora would become the wife of Chris Walden. A year ago, she met her future husband at an annual event for the Lysander company. She fell in love with him, and fortunately, her feelings were reciprocated. Their relationship was blessed by both families.Amora was attending her bachelorette party, organized by her college friends. The party was held in an exclusive, private lounge at a luxurious five-star hotel.The sound of pounding music and singing enlivened the small party in the room. Two young women, already drunk, were dancing on the table, while two others were busy cheering and clapping.Amora Lysander shook her head slightly and laughed at the
"Wh-What?"Amora's forehead furrowed. She couldn't quickly digest his words due to the influence of the alcohol she had consumed, but one thing she knew for certain was that this man would kill her if she didn't obey his words.Before Amora could respond, the man had already pulled her out of the room. To preserve her life and escape this bizarre situation, Amora could only surrender herself to follow the killer's demands.They hurried down the hotel corridor. Faintly, Amora heard several people chasing them from behind. More precisely, they were chasing the killer!'What on earth is this?' Amora screamed in her mind, her face astonished.Despite her head still feeling hazy from the alcohol, she could sense the danger surrounding her. In an instant, fear filled her mind.However, Amora could feel the reassuring strength flowing from the hand that gripped hers tightly, belonging to the man walking in front of her.'What is this strange feeling?' she wondered. Amora's heart raced faster
Amora swallowed hard. Her eyes widened as she saw the muscular back of a stranger lying beside her. Her gaze turned to horror as she noticed the terrifying dragon head tattoo on the person's back.‘What happened to me? Wasn't I with Chelsea and the others last night? How did I end up here?’Amora’s hazel eyes blinked repeatedly, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. She was utterly shocked to find herself naked under a thin blanket.She tried to get up quickly, but an intense pain between her legs stopped her in her tracks.Her head throbbed painfully. She clutched the sides of her head, trying to piece together her memories. Laughter, congratulations, and the sound of her friends’ voices echoed in her mind, followed by images of her drinking continuously.Amora realized she had gotten drunk. Her eyes widened as flashes of the passionate night she spent with the man beside her played rapidly in her head. Instantaneously, she turned to look at him.“I ... with him….”Amora quickly covered
"You're still not going to talk, huh?"An old man's booming voice echoed through the Lysander family's living room. Amora was kneeling on the floor, her head bowed low.Amora stared at the feet of the old man standing before her, holding a cane. He was Charlie Lysander, her grandfather.Slap!Suddenly, a harsh slap from the old man landed on Amora's cheek. The force of the slap knocked her to the floor.Amora's eyes widened in shock. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched her burning cheek. She hadn't expected her grandfather to slap her for her silence."Enough, Charlie! Do you have to hit her like this?"An elderly woman in a wheelchair quickly interrupted Charlie as he prepared to slap Amora again. The woman was Gilda Orlena, Amora's grandmother, and Charlie's wife.Slowly, Charlie lowered his hand and snorted in frustration."A slap isn't enough for her!" He snapped.Charlie’s face was furious. He was enraged by the foolish thing his granddaughter had done the night before
“Seems like everything is over,” Amora thought, slumping weakly.She tried to stifle her sobs by biting her lip hard. The decision just made by the head of the Walden family had left Amora in shock.All she could do was silently mourn Kelvin Walden's words. Tears streamed down her cheeks once more.Even though Kelvin had made his decision, Amora’s grandfather still tried to persuade him. Charlie couldn’t accept the decision just like that.“Mr. Walden, let’s discuss this further. I know you and Mrs. Walden are very angry about this. I’m humiliated as well. However, we have already dispatched the invitations. How can we cancel it just like that?” Charlie Lysander pleaded.As an elder, it was embarrassing for Charlie to bow his head to someone younger. However, he had no other choice because canceling the wedding would damage the family’s reputation.Charlie, on the other hand, didn't want to lose a 'gold mine' like the Walden family. He had once thought of expanding his business by est
Chris' words brought a sense of relief to Amora's heart. At least some affection remained in his heart for her, even if she no longer felt worthy of being by his side.On the other hand, Cassandra's face turned bitter. "Why? Do you still want to marry that filthy woman?" she snapped.Cassandra angrily pointed her finger at Amora, who felt cornered by her harsh words.A long sigh escaped Chris' lips. He tried to answer calmly, "It's not like that, Mom. I don't love Bianca. How could you ask me to marry her?""Love can grow later," Cassandra replied curtly.Chris' eyes widened at his mother's words. "Mom!"Cassandra was shocked for a few seconds as Chris's voice began to rise. However, she quickly resumed her threats, "If you don't want to see me die in front of you, you'd better do as I say."This time Chris seemed at a loss. His jaw tightened. Though he disliked his mother's arrangement, he no longer argued against it.Chris' eyes met Amora's, who looked at him with disappointment. Un
[Seven Years Later]"Hey, bastard!"A small, handsome boy stopped in his tracks as a chubby classmate blocked the entrance to his classroom. He stared directly at the boy with a blank expression.The handsome boy, named Rayden Lysander, sighed softly. It wasn't the first time his friend had called him that crude name. As usual, he decided to ignore his friend's taunt.Rayden started to move forward again, but the round-faced boy spread his arms wide, blocking Rayden's path."Didn't you hear me, bastard?!" shouted Benjamin Brown, the chubby boy."Are you talking to me, Ben?" Rayden asked innocently.Benjamin's face turned red, feeling mocked by Rayden. "Who else would be the bastard here if not you?" he said, jabbing his finger repeatedly into Rayden's chest.Rayden's eyebrows knitted together. He looked at Benjamin with disinterest. He had promised his mother to behave well at school and be someone she could be proud of. However, Benjamin's behavior toward him had become increasingly a
“Amora, please clean the floor in corridor four later!”A middle-aged woman called her subordinate, who was arranging some food in a display case. The young woman, dressed in a store clerk's uniform and named Amora Lysander, turned her head.“A kid spilled their drink earlier,” the woman continued. She was Della Houston, the manager of WW Mart, where Amora worked.“Sure, Mrs. Houston. I’ll head there right after this,” Amora replied.Della then continued to check other areas of the store for product completeness, cleanliness, and operational efficiency.A tired sigh escaped Amora’s lips. She had been working since five in the morning and hadn’t had a chance to take a sip of water. The convenience store she worked at was open 24 hours a day. Located in a busy area, it wasn’t surprising that many customers came to shop there.Despite her exhaustion, Amora couldn’t complain. Her
“Order 210!”A café employee repeatedly called out an order number, but no one came to claim the coffee."Miss, isn't that your order?"The man standing next to Biana in line snapped her out of her daydream. She quickly glanced at the receipt in her hand, which matched the number being called."Oh, my gosh! Thank you, Sir," she said, blushing as she hurried to the counter, embarrassed by the sudden attention from the café patrons.Lost in thought, Biana hadn’t even heard her order being called."Sorry about that," she apologized to the café employee before quickly leaving the pickup line.Her face looked worn out that afternoon. She was still dealing with a hangover from last night’s drinking.In desperate need of coffee to restore her energy and clear her mind, she decided to visit the café. Even though it was a day off for most office workers, that luxury didn’t apply to Biana.There were no breaks for her. She still had to design promotional banners for Eternal Bliss, a task assign
Amora gasped. Flashes of last night’s events—her reckless treatment of Regis—suddenly resurfaced in her mind.She bit her lower lip, shocked at her own audacity to press her finger against his temple."Is that why you're mad at me?" Amora asked anxiously, her eyes flickering to Regis’s lips, which were slightly swollen from her bite the previous night.Reaching out, she gently touched his lips. "I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to bite you. Does it still hurt?"Regis didn’t respond. He simply walked out of the walk-in closet as Amora reached for some ointment to treat his lips.After grabbing the ointment, Amora hurried after him. "Regis, you know I was drunk, right? Surely you’re not taking that seriously?"Still, Regis didn’t answer. He put on his suit and left the bedroom.Amora followed him outside, frowning as she noticed how quiet the penthouse was. Yet, all the mess they had made in the bar and kitchen last night had been cleaned up.She figured Regis had probably asked someone to tidy
The sun shone brightly outside Regis’ residence, its light streaming through the bedroom where Amora lay, slowly rousing her from sleep.“It’s already morning,” Amora murmured, lifting her hand to block the blinding light hitting her eyes.“How did I end up in bed?” Amora muttered, wincing as a sharp pain throbbed in her head.Flashes of last night’s silly games with Estelle and the others darted through her mind. Regret instantly swept over her—she had drunk way too much, and now her body felt completely wrecked.“This is all Estelle’s fault,” she grumbled.Amora tried to sit up, but the pounding in her head forced her to stop.“What the hell happened?”Her eyes widened as she took in the state of her room: complete chaos. What shocked her even more was realizing she wasn’t wearing any clothes.“I-I … last night …?” Amora stammered, struggling to piece together the fragments of her hazy memory.Her gaze roamed around the bed and floor. She spotted Regis’ shirt crumpled nearby, its bu
Amora's slender finger traced the curve of Regis' lips, once again igniting a burning desire within him."You can't wait to touch me, can you?" Amora teased with a mischievous smile, noticing Regis' nervous gaze.Before Regis could respond, Amora pressed her lips gently against his. Regis' eyes widened in shock, but soon they narrowed with a deep, intense gaze filled with untamed passion.Annoyed by his lack of response, Amora bit his lower lip, forcing him to open up for a wilder, more heated kiss.A sly smile tugged at the corner of Regis' lips. He couldn't help but feel elated that Amora was working hard to satisfy him—something he'd been yearning for.Still holding Amora like a baby koala clinging to him, Regis carried his wife toward their bedroom, which was about to become the stage for their passionate encounter.He let Amora devour his lips greedily and returned her kiss with equal intensity. Their exchange continued until Amora broke the kiss, breathlessly.Regis' chest heave
"Amora, you're drunk," Regis said, turning his face away from his wife.Regis was trying his best to control the wild storm raging inside him, but Amora only tightened her arms around his neck, pulling their bodies even closer.The bar stool Amora was sitting on was tall enough that her height now matched Regis, who was standing in front of her."Amora, you should go wash your face. I think you've had too much to drink," Regis suggested, hoping she wouldn't notice how hard his heart was pounding."I'm not drunk. Who said I was drunk? You're the one who's drunk," Amora muttered, slurring her words. She slapped his shoulder repeatedly, annoyed by his constant accusations.Tilting her head slightly, Amora cupped his face and added, "Why do you have two faces, Regis? Since when did you become two-faced, huh?"Regis sighed, exhausted. "That’s a sign you’re drunk, my love. Come on, let’s go to the room," he urged, trying to lead her away.But Amora shook her head vehemently. "No! I don’t wa
“W-what do you choose, Amora? Truth or dare?” Estelle asked nervously as Amora kept staring daggers at her.“I choose ...,” Amora sighed long before continuing, “truth.”“So ... what's your answer?” Regis pressed eagerly, clearly impatient to hear his wife's response.Amora didn’t really want to answer. Giving an answer felt like admitting something she wasn’t ready to say out loud. But she knew she couldn’t dodge the question forever.“I ... I prefer your kisses,” Amora confessed, her voice barely a whisper.“Wow!”Estelle squealed and jumped up and down in excitement. In her enthusiasm, she accidentally strangled her husband, Gino, who flailed until she quickly let go.“Sorry, Honey! I just got carried away because I'm happy to hear that Amora has really moved on!” Estelle beamed at Gino, clearly thinking Amora was still hung up on Chris Walden.Amora’s face turned bright red like a ripe tomato. “B-but this doesn’t mean I’m giving you the answer you wanted back then, Regis.”Regis's
"Playing? This looks more like getting drunk?" Biana blurted, frowning at the small glasses lined up before her.Estelle wagged her finger. "Nope! This isn't about getting drunk. We're playing truth or dare.""Wait, where are you going? I haven't explained the rules yet," Estelle protested when Xavier stood up and walked away."I'm not playing. I'm going to check on Ray and Kimmy," Xavier said, waving as he walked off. Of course, he was just looking for an excuse to escape the game. He bolted before Estelle could stop him."Coward," Estelle muttered, pouting. She called out to Xavier, "Fine! But take care of the kids, okay?"Xavier gave her a thumbs-up as he walked away."I-I'll go too. I can help him watch the kids," Biana said, standing up.But Estelle grabbed her arm. "Oh no, Bia. You and Mark are the main characters of this game." A sly smile crept across Estelle's face.Amora sighed quietly, already guessing Estelle's true intentions—to dig up information about Biana's relationsh
“What the heck, guys? I-I wasn’t serious about getting married anytime soon. I was just joking. Don’t take it so seriously, okay?”Biana tried to lighten the mood ruined by Xavier's teasing while showing that she was unfazed by the banter from her colleagues. However, she hadn’t expected Xavier to reject the idea before she even got a chance to respond.Biana’s gaze landed on Mark, who was still laughing. She shot him a sharp glare.“And what are you laughing at, Mr. Carter? Have you forgotten you're single too? You should be more worried—you’re not getting any younger. Unlike me, who still has plenty of time to be picky,” Biana retorted, unintentionally taking a jab at Regis's assistant.Biana had tried hard not to lash out at Mark. She hadn't even expected him to be at the dinner tonight. If she'd known, she would have skipped it altogether.Biana couldn't forget how Mark left her stranded in the parking lot last night after they shared a ride.Despite giving him a lift to his desti
"Mom, I'm taking Kimmy for a tour around the place," Rayden said as he approached his mother.The boy had just finished his meal and wanted to show Kimmy Moonstone, his classmate and Estelle’s daughter, around their current residence."Alright. Take good care of Kimmy, okay?" Amora reminded him before her son left the dining room."I can't believe Ray, the boy Kimmy talks about every day, is your son, Amora," Estelle said, smiling after the children were out of sight."I had no idea either! No wonder Kimmy's face looked familiar. Her smile is just like yours," Amora responded as she took a bite of her pasta."I’m shocked too. Turns out my biggest competition is your son, Regis," Gino added with a playful grin.For a long time, Gino had tried to win the heart of his wife’s daughter. But ever since Kimmy started school, she would come home talking about a certain boy, instantly dethroning Gino in her little heart."You're jealous of a little kid? Seriously?" Estelle teased, pinching her