It was in a dimly lit room where a man's rough palms caressed every inch of a woman's skin. He leaned in and rained kisses down on her. They started from her hairline, descending to her eyes, lips, and ears before he worked his way down her slender neck."Mm…"The woman tilted her head and pressed herself close to the man. But despite their intimacy, she still felt inexplicably empty. What she wanted was to get even closer.Cameron Yorksworth opened her eyes to be greeted by the sight of a ceiling clad in darkness. Her thoughts continued to linger on the less-than-satisfactory love affair. For a moment, she couldn't distinguish between what was a dream and what was reality.It was five in the morning. The silence was deafening. The white gauze curtain behind the floor-to-ceiling window fluttered slightly in the wind.She turned her head to look at Cade lying beside her before rolling over. Then, she began to undo the buttons on his pajamas.The ruckus woke Cade up. Before he co
Nerissa, with her battered and swollen face, cried profusely. "I came here to bring you the clothes you left behind the other day. Cameron must've misunderstood something…"The Carters and Yorksworths lived in the same compound, and the two families shared a close relationship. As Cade was five years older than Nerissa, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that they grew up together. Compared to Cameron, who had only been welcomed into the family much later, they shared a much closer relationship.Cade glanced at the suit jacket in Nerissa's hand and turned to stare at Cameron who hadn't refuted her sister's words. He frowned."I accidentally left this behind at the Luminary Lounge the other day. Just throw it away if you're that unhappy about it. Why hit her?"Cameron sauntered up to him and smiled as she met his gaze. "Would you go savor a few pounds of crap if she told you that feces from the latrine tasted good?"Despite her vulgar words, Cameron remained as classy as ever. She
"I wanted to part on good terms. But since you won't give me that, I'll just have to ask you to leave. I can afford to wait two years." The law permitted divorce after two years of separation.Cameron watched him with half-lidded eyes. There was no hiding the harsh frigidity of her character. Cade said nothing as he silently stared at her.The steam in the bathroom and the sound of running water were lulling her to sleep. Cameron frowned, impatient enough to want to drive him away. However, he suddenly broke into laughter as he leered at her excessively fair complexion. He spoke in a playful tone. "It has only been two years, Cameron. Have you already forgotten everything?"The thought of what happened in the past had Cade looking at her with disdain."You want to part on good terms? You've got some nerve to say that. You went to great lengths to use any means necessary just to marry me. Why should I accommodate your needs now that you want to leave?"Cameron saw anger building
Cameron wore a face of innocence. "How would that be considered a vulgar rumor? You were the one who admitted to it. All I did was paraphrase your words.""You were ignoring me, Cameron. I only said that because I was annoyed. You've gotten the wrong idea."Playing innocent was Nerissa's specialty. After all, it was a skill she had been practicing since her childhood. It was certainly impressive. The then-teenage Cameron had suffered countless losses because of her acting. The reminder of her dark past caused an uncontrollable rage to well up in Cameron's heart. She approached Nerissa with a smirk on her face."Of course, I hate you. So, you should watch your back, my dearest sister. Who knows when I'll be in a bad mood? I might just kill you for fun."She tilted her head slightly. Despite her wide-eyed expression, her words were antagonistic. "One more thing. It's not a crime for me to kill someone."Cameron's erratic behavior had Nerissa trembling with fright. But upon hearing
Cade's brow twitched at the sound of Cameron's gentle voice. His gaze was cold as he stared at her, frowning.The way the woman looked at Cameron went from disdainful to outright hostile. She scrutinized Cameron from head to toe. The woman was so confident in her looks and body that she believed she would climb up the ranks with her appearance alone if she were a part of the entertainment industry. But with Cameron around, her confidence made her seem like a clown who had overestimated her own worth.When she noticed how Cade's only response was to furrow his brows, she relaxed. She reached out to grab his arm."Who are you? Are you crazy? Do you go around calling random strangers 'honey'?"Cameron tilted her head and said incoherently, "Don't dirty that. That's my favorite piece of clothing."The fitted black shirt perfectly outlined Cade's figure, showing off his broad shoulders, slim waist, and slender arms.The woman was confused. What was wrong with Cameron? Was she insa
Cameron instinctively turned to look at Cade upon hearing his voice. In that instant, she shed all pretenses. She was not as charming, proud, or flirty as she usually was. The sparkle in her eyes was gone, leaving only desolation behind. He could see her hatred as clear as day.But it was only for a fleeting moment. It happened so quickly that one could've imagined it.Cameron snapped herself out of her nightmare-induced haze. With how quickly she had turned her head in her panic, her hair obscured her expression. Her voice was hoarse, tinged with a lingering chill."Yes."Cade was taken aback. "Do you hate me?"Cameron closed her eyes. She didn't want to deal with him right now, nor did she have the energy to put on an act."I'm going to sleep. Wake me up once we're home."Her evasive attitude irritated Cade. He narrowed his eyes and grabbed her by her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze."What right do you have to hate me? You forced me to marry you with your schemes. You sh
All the men and women present who harbored any ill intentions toward Cade took offense to Cameron's words. They were filled with rage.The whole room fell silent. Cade took a slow sip of his wine. His expression had turned cold. There was no going along with Cameron's narrative. Her remarks were a blatant attempt to undermine him.If Cameron were so fragile, she wouldn't have come with him. She ignored the hateful gazes directed at her and calmly poured herself a drink. Lucian gave Cade a look that said, "See? I told you so."Cameron was an assertive person who never beat around the bush. Being labeled the Yorksworth's adopted daughter, her non-conformity, lack of desire to please, inability to play pretend, and cutting remarks made her an easy target for exclusion. "I was just worried about you, Cameron. I didn't mean anything by it."Nerissa was not as charismatic as Cameron. Her timidity only served to confirm the rumors of her being constantly pushed around by Cameron. "I
As soon as Cameron came out of the bathroom after washing her hands, she was stopped by several people. The sight of the familiar faces before her had her raising an eyebrow. This same group of people once cornered her at a rundown, dirty alleyway where they mocked her condescendingly. "You're just a country bumpkin. How dare you bully Nerissa? It makes me wonder if Mr. and Mrs. Yorksworth have lost their minds to adopt someone like you.""Come on. Maybe she has something special to offer. Some people don't see their adoptive father as their father."The vile words spewing from their mouths extinguished Cameron's budding expectations for her new life.She leaned against the peeling and mottled wall with her head bowed in silence. Thinking she was afraid, they grew increasingly brazen. When they were no longer satisfied with verbal provocations, they began using physical force.They outnumbered her, leaving her no way to fight them all. So, she singled out the leader and put up