A faint fragrance mingled with the scent of wine filled the air, momentarily disorienting Luana.
Faced with Cline's proximity, she awkwardly shifted towards the car door, but the confined space offered little room for retreat.After a couple of moves, her back was pressed against the door.Cline propped a hand on the window, trapping the petite Luana within the circle of his arms.As an Alpha, he unconsciously exuded a powerful and oppressive aura that enveloped Luana, making her breathing increasingly labored, as if ensnared by an invisible net.His cold, wintry eyes glanced at her before settling on the diamond necklace at her neck.A mocking chuckle reached her ears, "Seems your new sugar daddy treats you well."His rare laughter was more chilling than his usual stern expression, carrying an Alpha's intimidating presence that sent shivers down one's spine.Luana wanted to explain, but the words "new sugar daddy" rendered her silent.FrWhen he raised his eyes, the corners were crimson, like embers under fierce flames, scorching and intense. The glint in his eyes seemed to hold the madness and resentment of a wolf's nature fully unleashed."Sold yourself to Travis, and I'm not allowed to touch you now?"His voice was pleasant, crisp and husky, full of magnetism, but his words were harsh.The word "sold" degraded her dignity to the dirt, and his speech carried the oppressive sense of superiority inherent to an Alpha, making Luana feel tiny and insignificant before him.She had once sold herself to him, thinking that by not spending a cent of his money, she could change his perception of her.Yet, in his eyes, she remained a "call girl" to be bartered at will.Luana felt as if her heart was pricked by needles, aching densely, but a smile rippled across her pale face."Mr. Moriarty," she coiled her hands around his neck, her smile brimming, "He paid me. Naturally, he wouldn't allow y
Luana smiled and said, "I asked you before if I could date, and you said I could do as I please. Now that I'm dating someone, it's natural for him to sleep with me, isn't it?"Cline's expression faltered, his usually indifferent face growing even darker.The suppressed aura of the Alpha around him became more unstable, as if it could erupt at any moment, engulfing everything around.Seeing him speechless, Luana suddenly raised her hand and touched Cline's eyebrows and eyes.She caressed his cheek from top to bottom with a hint of tenderness.This was the man she had loved for five years. How could she bear to hurt him?Yet, she didn't know that, in Cline's eyes, her action was seen as an affront to his Alpha dignity, for he now considered her "unclean".But he didn't love her, not even a bit. Why couldn't she let go?Lost in thought, Cline suddenly grabbed her wrist."Don't touch me!" he coldly uttered, "Dirty!"His voice carried the
Cline ignored him and walked straight past, heading into the villa.The servant waiting at the entrance bowed and greeted, "Mr. Moriarty."Cline removed his suit jacket and tie, handing them to the servant before walking over to the liquor cabinet.He casually picked up two high-end wine glasses, poured some decanted wine into them, and turned to hand one to Gehrmann who had followed him."Anything?" Cline rarely saw Gehrmann at his private villa, and especially not this late. It was clear he had something to discuss.Gehrmann accepted the wine and observed Cline, noting his expression was less gloomy than before. He mustered the courage to speak."Cline, has Luana offended you in the past?" The always gentlemanly Cline pouring wine over a woman's head was something Gehrmann had never witnessed.Cline gave him a cold glance. "Don't ask questions you shouldn't."Undeterred and even smiling, Gehrmann continued, "Is she the one you've been keepin
"Get in the car. I'll take you home," Gehrmann said as he opened the rear door, his gentle voice mixing with the sound of raindrops.Luana snapped back to reality, realizing the person before her was Gehrmann, Cline's cousin.She and Cline had broken up, and logically, she shouldn't have any more entanglements with anyone from the Moriarty family.However, with her phone dead, no taxi in sight, and all nearby shops closed against the rain, she hesitated for a moment before getting into the car.Her clothes were drenched, leaving the back seat wet as well.Luana quickly took out tissues from her bag, trying to wipe the carpet under her feet, blushing as she apologized, "I'm sorry for messing up your car."Gehrmann stopped her humble gesture, "Don't worry about it. It's just a carpet. If it gets dirty, we'll throw it away."Luana's hand, holding the tissues, paused. She almost forgot that the person who kindly offered her a ride had the Moriarty surn
Luana felt uncomfortable by Gehrmann's words and chose not to say more. She put down the umbrella and turned to leave.After walking a few steps in the rain, she felt indignant and turned back to Gehrmann, "Mr. Moriarty, I appreciate your kindness in taking me home, but you don't have to judge me with prejudiced eyes. I just thought the umbrella you gave me was too expensive, and I was afraid I wouldn't have the chance to return it. That's why I refused."Luana spoke her mind in one breath and, without waiting to see Gehrmann's reaction, turned and ran.Gehrmann watched the petite figure disappear into the rain, feeling slightly stunned.He had assumed that women like Luana, who sold themselves, would try to seduce any wealthy man they encountered.Otherwise, she wouldn't have moved on to Travis so quickly after parting ways with Cline.But her words just now made Gehrmann feel a bit embarrassed, as if he had misunderstood her.Running home in the
Luana slowly regained consciousness, her eyes fluttering open to find Cline and Albion vanished, replaced by Clarissa, whose face was etched with worry.She realized she had just had a nightmare, one that traversed the past and people she wished to never see again.Shaking off the lingering images, she swallowed the dryness in her throat and reached for water, only to find her arm hooked up to an IV."You had a high fever, so I brought you to the hospital," Clarissa explained, seeing Luana's delirious state.She then picked up a water cup and helped her take a sip.The sweet water flowed down Luana's throat, bringing her back to life a little."Clarissa..." she whispered."Hmm?" Clarissa responded gently, tucking a strand of hair damp with sweat behind Luana's ear. "Are you hungry?"Luana shook her head weakly and asked, "What did the doctor say to you?"She had been preoccupied with her heart failure and hadn't figured out how to talk to
The young man had always been a taboo in Luana's heart. After all these years, it was the first time Clarissa had heard her call out Albion's name in her sleep.Clarissa wanted to ask if Luana still hadn't forgotten Albion deep down, but she was afraid of reopening old wounds.After much thought, Clarissa chose to keep silent.Albion was a matter of the past, and bringing him up would only cause unnecessary distress.Luana had eaten only a small portion of the soup before feeling full. She put down her spoon and asked Clarissa, "Aren't you supposed to go to work?"Clarissa pointed at her watch and said, "It's so late. There's no work to go to.""Then you..." Luana began."I took two days off to be with you," Clarissa lay down on the empty hospital bed beside her. "It's also a good chance for me to catch up on some rest."Luana smiled and said, "Thank you, Clarissa."Clarissa waved her hand and yawned, "Luana, I'm going to take a nap. Call
In the midst of a deep, unconscious slumber, Luana's phone vibrated incessantly, pulling her back to reality.Weary and disoriented, she forced her eyes open and reached for the phone."Baby," Travis's voice echoed through the line, "I heard you had a high fever yesterday. How are you feeling now?"Hearing his voice, Luana's flagging spirits momentarily surged.She found it odd that Travis, who had always been more interested in sleeping with her than anything else, was suddenly concerned about her health.Was it because he knew she was dying and decided to let her go?Luana's mind raced with possibilities, but she responded, "I'm better now.""Good, that's all that matters," Travis replied before pressing on with his true concern, "You called me earlier. Did you take care of that thing?"Luana understood that Travis's interest in her health was a facade. This was what he really cared about.She sat up straight in bed, p
"Once he finds a heart, take her straight to the transplant surgery. You don't need to tell me anything about her from now on."Cline's cold words snapped Eva out of her thoughts.If he really cared, his attitude wouldn't be like this. It was obvious he was trying to distance himself, throwing in a good deed at the end.Whether Dr. George could find a matching heart or if Luana would survive didn't seem to matter to him at all.Otherwise, he wouldn't have told Eva to stop updating him about Luana.Such indifference could only mean they were done for good. But Cline's efforts might be in vain; Luana's condition was so bad she might not even make it until a suitable heart was found.Eva thought it over. Since Cline clearly didn't care about Luana, she didn't ask further, just replied with a "Sure," and left with the items.After Eva left, Cline's long, knuckle-defined fingers, resting on his laptop, unconsciously clenched tighter.
Luana knew he was following her and let out a deep sigh, but she didn't turn around. She walked up the stairs alone.She had always known how Albion felt about her.He had doted on her since they were kids, giving in to her every whim. As they grew up, he worked tirelessly to give her a better life, juggling school and part-time jobs since high school.Such a wonderful young man must have loved her to the extreme, willing to sacrifice everything for her.But she had fallen for someone else, and now her life was running out, with less than two months left.She had once asked Albion what he would do if she died before him.He had said he would follow her, committing suicide at her grave so she wouldn't be alone in the afterlife.He was a man of his word. Of course, now that he had found his place, he probably wouldn't do something so reckless.But Luana was still afraid, too afraid to tell him about her impending death.Sh
Luana saw the look on his face and her eyes filled with guilt. "I'm sorry..." she whispered.Calvert looked up, his bloodshot eyes reflecting Luana's remorseful expression."I don't want your apology. I just want you, Luana. Can't you stop loving him? Can't you love me again?"He stepped forward and grabbed her cold hand, holding it gently in his. "I'll treat you right from now on. I'll never let anyone hurt you again. Let's go back to the way things were, like when we were in school, carefree and happy. Can we do that?"Luana shook her head. "Albion, we can't go back."Calvert refused to believe it. "You're lying to me, right? If you really loved Cline, you wouldn't have said those cold words to him. You don't love him. You're just mad at me and trying to trick me...""I said those cold words because he doesn't love me," Luana interrupted calmly. "He bought me because I look like Miss Ortega. I was just a substitute. Now that Miss Ortega is
Calvert and Luana leaned on each other as they walked out of the villa. Outside, several cars were parked—Calvert's.The men in the cars, all bodyguards, had bruises on their faces. Before Calvert went in, his men had already fought with Cline's guards.Outnumbered, Calvert's men had lost, and Calvert had no choice but to call the police.Seeing Calvert emerge unscathed, the bodyguards breathed a sigh of relief. One of them quickly opened the car door for the two.Calvert helped Luana into the car first, then got in himself.Ignoring his own pain, he grabbed a clean towel and gently wiped Luana's rain-soaked hair.His touch was incredibly tender, as if afraid he might hurt her.But when his eyes fell on her exposed skin, his face changed instantly.The woman he had always cherished and protected had been so cruelly hurt by that bastard Cline—over and over again, for five long years.It was enough to make Calv
Calvert didn't want her to go back to Cline, but hearing that she would leave with him made him agree anyway."Okay," he said.Just like in their youth, he trusted and agreed with whatever she said.Luana gave him a gentle smile, then turned to face Cline. "Cline, you must have heard what we were just talking about, right?"Cline's thin lips were pressed tightly together in silence, confirming that he had.Luana continued, "Albion and I did grow up together, knowing and loving each other. We promised to be together forever. But I was spoiled and willful. Once, I got into a childish argument with him on the street, and he got hit by a car. The only thing I could do was sell myself to pay for his surgery. You heard the rest—because of his amnesia and his brother's interference, I misunderstood him and signed that contract with you out of spite..."Cline cut her off coldly, "Are you saying you didn't want to be with me?" Luana nodded.
The resentment that had lingered in her heart for years, something she could never let go of, vanished the moment she learned the truth.Suddenly, she felt no more sadness, and no more resentment—only a sense of acceptance for the past.She let out a deep sigh of relief. When she looked at him again, her eyes were lighter than ever before."It's not your fault. We just weren't meant to be, and that's why all these misunderstandings happened," she said."All of this is in the past now. You don't need to keep apologizing."Her tone of acceptance felt like a knife twisting in Calvert's heart, the pain radiating down to his fingertips.By saying it was in the past, did she mean she was letting go—letting go of their history and of him?"Do you... not want me anymore?"His voice trembled as he asked the question.Luana touched her neck, where Cline's hickeys were still visible. How could she possibly be with Albio
When it was all over, the man pushed her away, got up, and went into the bathroom.She, on the other hand, lay face-down on the bed, staring blankly toward the door, feeling utterly hopeless.This was Cline's bedroom. The door was automatic and couldn't be opened without a remote.While they were... together, the man outside had been pounding on the door frantically.Luana suddenly remembered five years ago when Albion woke up and found out she had sold herself to save him.He had pointed at her and screamed, calling her shameless, accusing her of sleeping with other men while he was on death's door.She had felt wronged back then, but now that she knew the truth, she felt guilty—not toward Calvert, but toward Albion, who had once cherished her like a precious gem.She heard his heart-wrenching cries and let out a deep sigh. Struggling, she threw off the covers, pulled on her clothes, and made her way to the door.Gathering all her courage, she opened it and locked eyes with Calvert,
Luana never expected that after Cline let Calvert in, he would continue to kiss her.It wasn't until she heard Calvert's voice that she understood his intention.Although she had already let go of Calvert, seeing his eyes turn bloodshot with despair still startled her.She couldn't help but feel that the man struggling to rush towards them wasn't Calvert, but Albion.Because only Albion would lose control when he saw her being hurt by another man.Instinctively not wanting to upset Albion, she struggled desperately.But the more she struggled, the harder Cline kissed her, even going so far as to slide his slender fingers inside her clothes right in front of Calvert."Cline, don't touch her!" Calvert roared in a fit of madness, wishing he could rush over and kill Cline.But his body was pinned down by the bodyguard, leaving him helpless as he watched Cline take possession of Luana bit by bit.Luana forcefully pushed Cline
"So you did plan this with him!" Cline's cold, emotionless voice came from above Luana's head, making her pause for a moment."I didn't.""Then how did he know you were here?""I'm not sure, maybe it's because..." Her explanation was cut short by Cline's cold interruption."Stop making excuses. Getting your bag back wasn't just to contact him, was it?"Seeing Cline's stubborn and indifferent expression, Luana fell silent.He had already made up his mind that she had contacted Calvert to pick her up. No amount of explanation would convince him; it was futile."He comes to pick you up as soon as you're recovering. If that's not premeditated, then what is it?" Cline's distrust and relentless questioning left Luana feeling exhausted.She took a deep breath and replied indifferently, "Yes, I did arrange with him. The day I could walk again, I asked him to come and get me."Hearing her admission, Cline's lips curled into a col