Chapter 1

In a dimly lit parking lot on a rainy night, Celia White held an umbrella and frantically knocked on the window of a parked car in the corner.

"Help me! Please help me!"

She had been passing through when a drunken man started following her. The instant she saw someone enter the car, she ran over for help.

Thud, thud, thud!

Her knuckles hurt from knocking as her heart raced and her body trembled in fear.

Unfortunately, the car door stayed closed. The drunkard caught up and grabbed her arm.

Just as she was about to give into despair, believing the person inside was not going to help her, there was a soft click.

The car door opened, revealing a shadowy figure inside.

Celia immediately swung her umbrella at the drunkard's face, darting into the car as he yelped in pain.

"Bitch!"

The drunkard screamed in fury.

Celia watched in horror as he grabbed the car door, trying to yank her out...

"Get lost!"

Inside the car, a man's deep and rich voice rang out, causing shivers to run down her spine.

The drunkard instantly recoiled in fear!

Celia held her breath. The man was shrouded in the shadows, so she could not see his face, but that did not conceal the cold aura he exuded.

"Or else, I'll kill you!"

Each word that came out of his mouth was filled with a ruthless certainty. The drunkard was completely intimidated and quickly turned to flee.

Celia watched him run away, still feeling lingering fear. She covered her mouth and sobbed softly. "Thank you. Thank you for saving me."

The next second, the man suddenly slumped against her shoulder.

"Sir!"

Celia helped him sit upright and found that his forehead was burning up. His breaths were also labored.

"Are you feeling unwell? Do you have a fever?"

Julian Hayes' mind was hazy from the fever, and the woman's delicate scent only made it more unbearable and difficult to maintain control...

The next second, he pulled Celia into his arms.

The man's burning chest pressed against hers, enveloping her completely and making her shiver. "Sir..."

She clutched his jacket nervously, feeling the danger radiating from him. His breath was pressed against her ear, heavy and in disarray. His scalding lips brushed the corner of hers, making her freeze in fear.

"Leave!"

Suddenly, the man growled and pushed her away.

Celia flushed red, suppressing her panic. "You saved me. I'll find someone to help you too!"

She wanted to head to a nearby pharmacy, but when she stood up, her legs suddenly gave out, and she collapsed back into his chest.

For an instant, her lips grazed against his cheek, the soft and warm touch sending the man into an uncontrollable state.

His burning chest seemed to hold a fierce energy about to erupt. Celia vaguely understood what was happening, and her mind went blank.

The last traces of Julian's rationality picked up on the softness of the woman in his arms. He suppressed the burning desire, holding her gently like the most tender lover, and restrained himself. "Trust me..."

…

Celia was startled by the ringing in her phone. She turned away from the man who had passed out as she hurriedly put on her coat and dashed out of the car.

What was going on? Was she dreaming?

She answered the phone while she ran, and a sharp and bitter voice snapped her back to reality.

"Celia, where the hell are you?! Why aren't you here yet? Do you not want the money to save your grandma anymore?"

Before she could respond, Ines White's voice, which was filled with malice and threat, continued, "I want to see you in half an hour!"

Celia gripped her phone, feeling a chill in her heart.

Her mother had passed away when she was five, and her father had brought his mistress and illegitimate daughter, Ines, into their home, kicking Celia and her grandmother out.

For years, she and her grandmother had relied on each other. Now that her grandmother was gravely ill, Celia had no choice but to go to the Whites for money, only to be rebuffed.

"Listen up, you pauper! I called you over to entertain a man. Keep him happy in bed and I'll give you the money!"

"Ines!" Celia could not hold back her anger. "I won't do it! If you need to please a man, ask your mom to do it. After all, May is the best in bed. Just send her instead!"

Ines exploded into a string of curses, but Celia hung up first.

Her hands trembled in disgust and anger, but she could not help the fear that crept in.

She was at a dead end. She had to go. Otherwise, where would she get the money for her grandmother's medical bills?

Celia closed her eyes in pain. Then, she suddenly remembered the man's words: "Trust me."

She suddenly ran back.

She had to tell him that she did not need any compensation. She just needed to borrow half a million to save her grandmother. She would repay it with interest and never default on the payment.

It was her final lifeline!

However, the car in the corner was gone!

"Where did you go? You liar! Come out!"

Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. Celia cried out in despair to the pitch-black parking lot.

However, the surroundings were deathly silent. There was no response.

"Celia, oh, Celia. Did you go crazy? How could you have really trusted him?"

Just then, her phone rang again. It was from the hospital.

"The patient is in the ICU. Hurry over..."

Celia's heart sank, and she rushed back to the hospital in a daze.

She leaned against the cold wall of the corridor, opening a video from the nurse. It was of her grandmother before being admitted to the ICU.

In the video, the frail old woman on the bed gasped for breath. When the doctors prepared for emergency treatment, she suddenly began to cry. "Cece... If I die, my dear Cece will be heartbroken, but if I don't die, I'll just keep dragging her down. What will my poor little girl do? She'll be all alone..."

At that moment, Celia felt her heart completely shatter and collapse!

"Ah..."

The dam of her tears suddenly broke. She hugged her phone as she sobbed uncontrollably.

She could not be separated from her grandmother. If her grandmother could live just one more day, she would willingly give up her dignity and let Ines trample all over it!

With trembling hands, she reached for her phone and was just about to call Ines when someone called out to her.

"Cece, here! Half a million!"

Celia's head snapped up to see Zoe Yale walking toward her, handing her a bank card.

Zoe had been her best friend since childhood, and her mother had once been a maid for the Whites.

"Zoe, where did you get so much money?"

"The Jones family found me three days ago and did a DNA test, proving that I'm their long-lost daughter."

The Joneses were a rich and powerful family. Becoming their daughter meant that Zoe's status rose to the top in one step.

"Really?" Celia was so shocked that she did not notice the strange look in Zoe's eyes.

Zoe shoved the bank card into Celia's hands. "This is a gift. My money is your money!"

Celia desperately needed the money. She was so touched that tears welled up in her eyes, but she could not accept it for free. "Thank you, Zoe. I'll pay you back in installments every month!"

"No need!" Zoe suddenly gave her a strange look. "Cece, what's mine is yours, so... what's yours is mine too, right?"

Celia nodded. "Of course. We've shared everything since we were children."

For an instant, Zoe lowered her head, almost unable to hide the guilt in her eyes. 'So, Celia, your identity as the Joneses' daughter can be mine too, right?'

"Cece, there's one more thing. As the daughter of the Joneses, I'll be marrying Julian Hayes in a month."