《Sentenced to Marriage》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± I hissed, looking at the document I was given.


    Awyer in a fancy suit corrected his designer-rim sses. ¡°Your contract,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why does it say ¡°marriage¡± on it?¡± I red at him, blood boiling in my veins.


    ¡°This is what my client needs. He needs to get married.¡± Thewyer¡¯s expression remained


    emotionless, making me feel as if I was tossing all my anger into a void.


    I took a long breath out and nced at the papers. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sign it,¡± I said, this time more


    composedly, as I crossed my arms over my chest.


    Thewyer turned his head towards something, which I assumed was a one-way mirror. The second he


    did, the door next to the mirror opened with a m, and a tall, ck-haired man barged inside. It was


    Aren Lan, the only guy in this city whom no one dared to mess with. I looked at him, meeting his cold


    as stone gaze. I flinched but was unable to take my eyes off of him. For certain, he was dangerous, but


    he was also the most handsome man I had ever met in my life.


    He smirked as he saw me shiver, my body submitting to him against my will. He strode across the


    office towards my seat. His broad shoulders and muscled chest could barely stay locked under his


    tailored suit jacket and tight shirt. As he stood in front of me, I could barely resist the urge to lower my


    gaze to his belt. He could have been deadly intimidating, but my lewd thoughts kept challenging my


    self-preservation instinct.


    He leaned over me. His cologne was intoxicating but not as lethal as his onyx irises roaming my face. I


    gulped, indulging his confidence. His full lips were an inch away from mine, nearly touching them. A


    part of me instantly began craving their softness. My heart pounded erratically, turning me into a


    madwoman I had never imagined myself to be. He slightly opened his mouth, and I couldn¡¯t restrain


    myself from looking at the tip of his tongue, slowly teasing the inner side of his upper lip. Unknowingly, I


    opened my mouth as well. He chuckled, sending a cold shower over my head.


    ¡°You can either sign it or go to jail.¡± He leaned back and smiled mischievously, emphasizing his


    impable jawline.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± I choked out.


    ¡°You stuck your nose into my private matters,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t prove that I had anything to do with it aside from being at the same hotel,¡± I said, as a


    confident smirk curved my lips.


    A cold chuckle escaped his throat. ¡°I don¡¯t have to prove it. All I have to do is tell the judge.¡±


    ¡°No one can sentence me without proof,¡± I challenged him.


    He straightened up. Any traces of a smile abruptly disappeared from his face. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do


    you? I own this city. It means that if I say you go to jail, that means you go to jail.¡± He leaned over me


    again, his stare piercing right through me, ¡°And if I say that I want you, that means you are already


    mine.¡±


    My jaw tensed as I resisted an urge to talk back. This wasn¡¯t a battle I could win, and this wasn¡¯t a man


    I could win against¡­ How did I get myself into all that mess?!


    ***


    Three weeks earlier


    ¡°Cora! Hurry up with that espresso!¡± Christine¡¯s nosy-pitched voice certainly didn¡¯t increase my speed.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best. Can¡¯t speed up the machine, can I?¡± I squeezed through my teeth, trying not to


    shout in the customers¡¯ direction.


    Tuesday mornings at the Caf¨¦ Dorado, where I¡¯d worked, were the worst. On Mondays, people were


    still acting zombie-like as the weekend effect couldn¡¯t leave their systems entirely. But on Tuesdays,


    they were all work-mode-on, running on nothing but caffeine. Monique, Marco, and I were probably


    filling our 999th cup, and it wasn¡¯t even 9 AM. I stretched my lips into a thin smile and ced the final


    to-go in a paper cup carrier. As Ipleted the order, I took the carrier back and put it on the counter.


    Christine looked me up and down and rolled her eyes, expressively enough for every customer to see.


    God! Could she at least not fuel customers¡¯ irritation?! I seriously wanted to kill her! I knew that she was


    the owner¡¯s cousin, but there should be a limit to her cockiness, right? She could have helped instead


    of bitching, but she was toozy to move her fat butt around while calling herself ¡°the manager.¡±


    Monique ced the rest of the coffees from the order right beside those I brought. Then she winked at


    me to defuse the fury rising within me. It helped¡­ a little.


    Taking a deep breath, I glued a professional grin to my face and shifted my eyes to an impatient female


    customer. ¡°Threettes: one chocte and two soya-milk, two auit special half-and-half, three


    americanos, two espressos, and one red-eye,¡± I recited on one breath.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The woman shed me a brief smile as she grabbed the paper carrier and then darted out of the caf¨¦.


    Well, at least she had no time to argue about why it took us the whole seven minutes to prepare her


    eleven coffees.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for the morning rush hours to end. If it weren¡¯t for the extremely good money I earned at


    Caf¨¦ Dorado, I would never have decided to work in a coffee shop in Midtown Manhattan. Working


    there was exhausting, not to mention that it forced me out of my introvert¡¯sfort zone and put me in


    front of people. But as aputer freak without a diploma, I had little possibility of getting a job in my


    area of expertise that would actually give me a proper ie. Funny, isn¡¯t it? A former student who


    had once received a schrship at Oxford University¡¯sputer science department became a


    professional barista-sh-waitress. That¡¯s what happens when you don¡¯t have a wealthy family, but


    you have an ill Grandma instead. I had no regrets about abandoning my studies. Grandma¡¯s life was


    more important than anything. Since I needed money to pay her medical bills, I had to quit studying and


    start working. I could say that it wasn¡¯t fair, but life was never fair in general, especially for those who


    weren¡¯t rich.


    I would probably end up in jail for murdering one of the customers¡­ or Christine if it weren¡¯t for


    Monique and Marco, my coworkers and friends. Monique was a half-Spanish, feisty girl with a heart of


    gold. She had a ton of dark-brown curls on her head, brown eyes, a beautiful, tannedplexion, and


    a gorgeous smile. Marco was a 6-foot-tall Italian gay with a Greek god¡¯s body and a deceiving smirk


    that fooled 99% of women. Both of them were like my personal rays of sunshine, getting me through


    even the gloomiest day.


    Finally, it was past ten and the crowd had lessened to the point where I was able to see free spots on


    the caf¨¦¡¯s floor. The take-out orders decreased, and our seven caf¨¦ tables, four on the ground floor and


    three upstairs, were now upied by tourists.


    ¡°We made it through hell today,¡± Marco breathed out, wiping the table counter with a cloth.


    ¡°You will say that again after lunch hours,¡± Monique corrected, shooting him a lopsided smirk.


    I truly hoped that she was wrong about that. I was already barely standing on my feet. It wouldn¡¯t be


    running on fumes if Christine joined us and did something, anything aside from ring and crossing her


    arms over her chest. Unfortunately, the only thing she knew about coffee was how to drink it. She


    couldn¡¯t even clean the tables without breaking anything.


    I pulled my blonde hair into a high ponytail and went to take the dirty cups from the tables by the door. I


    was leaning over the table when I heard a doorbell announcing new customers. As I raised my eyes, I


    saw three men in expensive suits walking in. Two of them were nervously smiling while politely leading


    the third inside. It was easy to guess who had the upper hand in their conversation. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t


    bat a single nce, but my eyes seemed to follow that third guy unknowingly. It was a ck-haired


    man with slight Asian-like features. I had instantly be jealous of his smooth, porcinplexion.


    As my eyes roamed lower, I saw a three-piece dark-grey suit sexily embracing his broad shoulders. I


    smiled faintly, thinking that his muscled arms must have been made to hold a woman. Then I sighed


    inwardly, reminding myself that I had been single and unsatiable for more than three years.


    The two nervous men debated whether to sit near the counter or on the upper floor while the gorgeous


    ck-haired, impatiently stared at his Patek watch. I couldn¡¯t exin why I kept staring at him. He


    wasn¡¯t the first mogul to enter our caf¨¦. Besides, I hated rich and arrogant people more than anything,


    and he looked exactly like one of those. I was about to force myself to shift my gaze when suddenly our


    eyes met¡­


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    His dark irises had the most extraordinary glow I had ever seen. The intensity of his stare made me


    hold my breath. I leaned back, feeling an instinctive need to get away from his dangerous aura. He


    carried an impable,manding posture which made himpletely irresistible. He didn¡¯t say a


    word, and I was more than ready to submit. He took a step toward me, and my body started to shiver. I


    registered a slight curve on his lips as his eyes consciously and slowly scanned down my body, paying


    extra attention to my cleavage. Seriously?! I would yell or p any other guy who would be as


    shameless as he was, but now¡­ my only reaction was an audible gasp. When his eyes went back to


    meet my gaze, I was already flushing in the reddest of red, which earned me his wide grin and a soft


    chuckle as he headed upstairs to take a seat with his twopanions.


    Bemused, I stood by that table for another minute, ineptly collecting dirty dishes and wondering where


    my brain had gone¡­

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Once I collected all the pieces of my lost rationality, my eyes shifted to the counter, and I slowly made


    my way there. As I nced at Marco, I saw his eyes tracing the handsome and shameless guy taking


    his seat at the table upstairs. Monique shot him a look and chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re drooling,¡± she said, smugly pointing at the corner of his lips.


    I smiled awkwardly and hurried to put the dishes into the sink, wishing to erase thest two minutes of


    my memory. I had never been the type of fangirl who would easily let some handsome guy sweep her


    off her feet. That ck-haired man in a suit was bad news, and I could feel it in my gut. After a brief


    inward debate, I decided that my temporal insanity was caused by a shock. My brain had be


    vulnerable due to exhaustion, which allowed me to be affected by the suit¡¯s good looks. As soon as I


    found this exnation, I felt better. With that figured out, I knew that I wouldn¡¯t let it happen again, and I


    had the best possible strategy to keep it that way: I was going to avoid the guy.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Monique grinned teasingly while tangling the strands of her hair around her finger. ¡°What are


    you waiting for? Grab the menu and go upstairs,¡± she said, smirking at me.


    I almost choked on the air I breathed. ¡°Not a chance. I¡¯m not going. Marco should do it,¡± I imed


    decisively.


    ¡°Girl, my radar says it clearly. Guy¡¯s straight. There¡¯s no fun for me going there.¡± He shook his head


    while crossing his arms over his broad chest.


    I wanted to argue more, but before I could open my mouth again, I was holding menus and was pushed


    up to the middle of the stairs. The ck-haired sex-on-the-legs noticed meing their way in an


    instant. I did my best not to look at him directly, but I could feel his gaze on me the entire time I was


    climbing the stairs. I had never needed to concentrate that much on walking.


    ¡°Hello.¡± I activated my professional tone and handed them menus. ¡°What can I get you?¡±


    The two nervous men immediately turned their eyes on the ck-haired. ¡°Mr. Lan?¡± one of them


    muttered.


    My eyes reluctantly shifted from the other two ¡°safe¡± businessmen to my ck-haired trouble just to


    find him looking straight at me. ¡°Espresso,¡± his answer came.


    His deep and smooth voice almost cost me my bnce. I shifted at my feet and focused on writing


    down the order I was highly unlikely to forget¡­ ever.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have two americanos,¡± one of the restless businessmen added.


    I nodded, giving him a polite smile that I was unable to give to Mr. Lan¡­ or whatever my trouble¡¯s


    name was. I excused myself and dashed downstairs just so I could breathe again. I didn¡¯t know why


    this guy made me worked up so badly. I had seen many handsome men in suits before, for God¡¯s sake!


    My hands were shaking to the point where only Marco¡¯s reflexes saved me from breaking a cup.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re OK?¡± he asked, gently patting my shoulder.


    I gave him a wry smile. ¡°I can¡¯t exin, why I act like this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see why,¡± Monique interjected, ¡°the guy is super-hot¡­ and he was checking you out. That¡¯s


    enough to make your panties wet.¡±


    I chuckled and smirked. ¡°Correction. That¡¯s enough to make your panties wet. That¡¯s enough to


    make me awkwardly flustered.¡±


    She waved me off with her hand. ¡°Semantics.¡±


    Somehow I felt a little more confident after knowing I wasn¡¯t the only one finding this Lan guy irresistibly


    attractive. It made my previous reaction more forgivable. Shrugging off my awkwardness, I finished


    preparing coffee and started climbing the stairs again. As I took another cautious step, I noticed that


    Mr. Lan had gone somewhere while the two other guys nervously shifted in their seats, waiting for him


    to return. Once I reached the top, I saw the ck-haired hottie standing in the narrow passage between


    the tables. He was talking on the phone and efficiently blocking my way to his table. The tone of his


    voice seemed harsh and cold,pletely different from the smooth velvet I heard when he ordered


    coffee. His words carried the pitch of authority and an unmistakably dangerous charge. He was facing


    the window, focusing on some distant point, but I could easily imagine that his eyes were pointed at the


    one he was talking to, and I felt sorry for him or her. He was so absorbed by the call that he didn¡¯t


    notice me standing right next to him¡­ or he simply ignored me.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± My weak voice hardly reached his ears. I cleared my throat and repeated. ¡°Excuse me,


    could you let me pass?¡±


    Without sparing me a nce, he shifted on his feet, giving me a tiny space to walk past him with a tray.


    I clenched my teeth, trying to navigate my way while carrying coffee when suddenly he pushed me


    away with a violent stretch of his hand.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed, making an ungraceful swirl on my heels.


    My tray became unbnced, and I could see the hot fluid bouncing inside the coffee cups. I found


    myself inches away from catastrophe! My eyes swiftly roamed the area, and thankfully, there was no


    one upstairs aside from the three businessmen. As myst resort, I chose to throw the tray away from


    their table for a split second before I fell on the floor face forward, sticking out my butt.


    I shut my eyes closed, hissing from pain as more than a few hot dropsnded on my forearm. Yet, I


    took a deep breath and slowly got myself up from the floor. As I turned around, I found the three


    businessmen observing me in silence. I could ignore the two sitting by the table, but what pissed me off


    was the indifferent attitude Mr. Lan showed me. He was at least partially responsible for that mess, and


    he wasn¡¯t going to say anything?!


    The blood in my veins boiled. I was three seconds from exploding. Two. One.


    ¡°Cora?!¡±


    Christine¡¯s squeaky voice made me turn my attention away from the ck-haired arrogant for a


    second. She would have never done anything to help, but at least she might have saved me from


    making this situation even worse. I entered my semi-polite mode by gluing a mask of kindness to my


    face.


    ¡°I apologize,¡± I squeezed through my teeth while faking a smile. ¡°I will clean this up and bring your


    coffees in a minute.¡±


    As I stepped toward Mr. Lan, I noticed a few small coffee drops on his suit jacket. Shit. His eyes


    followed mine to those tiny stains. His lips curved into a cold smile.


    ¡°I¡­ I will pay for the dry cleaning, Sir!¡± I stated nervously.


    His smile widened but still didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. This piece needs a special treatment,


    the one you cannot afford.¡± The mockery perfectly coated his every word.


    I stepped back, looking at him in disbelief. My hands fisted, revealing my white knuckles. The adrenalin


    fueled my blood pressure, instinctively preparing me for an attack. As my muscles tensed, I used every


    ounce of strength I had to prevent myself from pping him or throwing multiple objects in his direction.


    Yes, I had my body under control. Too bad it didn¡¯t work the same way for my mouth¡­


    ¡°Look, I get that you are my customer, and I am an employee here, but I am also a human being! Do


    you think that you inherited some special right to treat people like dirt just because you have money?! I


    was trying to pass you by while holding a heavy tray! Not only that you didn¡¯t make room enough for


    me to put the tray on your table, but you pushed me and didn¡¯t even apologize for that!¡± I spat out in


    fury.


    He leaned his head back, his eyes widened as if he had only now noticed me. He straightened, making


    me painfully realize how easily he towered over my 5.3-foot body. I swallowed hard, watching as his


    lips formed into a smug smirk. I took a cautious step back.


    ¡°Cora! How dare you raise your voice at a customer!¡± Christine yelled, running up to the floor and


    stopping in front of Mr. Smug-face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Lan¡­ I will fire this rude girl right away!¡± She


    nodded, putting on an ass-kisser grin.


    I didn¡¯t know what surprised me more: the fact that Christine knew who that guy was, or that she


    managed to piss me off beyond the level he did. Fine, I acted irrationally, but he crossed the line! Just


    as I was ready to draw my sword and stand up for a battle against those two, something unexpected


    happened¡­


    Mr. Lan raised his hand in a halt gesture towards Christine, then granted her a beaming smile that put


    her mind on reboot. ¡°Just as¡­ Miss Cora said. It was partially my fault.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows at him, trying not to focus on how amazing my name soundeding out of his


    lips.


    His eyes shifted to me. ¡°I¡¯m willing to forget about the whole thing if I hear Miss Cora¡¯s apology.¡±


    I clenched my teeth, feeling my temple vein throb, but at the same time shivers ran down my spine, so


    intensively I squeezed my thighs to control my rising arousal. This guy was making my emotions run


    from one extreme to the other! He took a step closer,pletely ignoring Christine and his business


    partners. His perfume attacked my senses mercilessly, madly increasing the humidity between my legs.


    His eyes were locked on me, scanning my face with the utmost care. My heart pounded erratically as


    my excitement won against my anger. He leaned over my ear.


    ¡°Well? I¡¯m waiting,¡± he whispered, making me gasp.


    Only when he leaned back did I break from bewilderment. His eyes were still on me, but I quickly


    realized that he wasn¡¯t the only one waiting for me to speak¡­ everyone else was! Why did I feel like a


    child being punished for breaking a neighbor¡¯s window?! I sincerely, wholeheartedly hated this


    situation¡­ but I knew I was already standing against the wall.


    I stretched my lips into a thin smile as I locked my unsmiling eyes on Mr. Lan. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t


    have raised my voice like that.¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Christine wanted to add something, but he just waved her off, and she disappeared quicker than I could


    register her going down. I thought that it was a good cue for me toe down to get something to


    clean up the mess I¡¯d made. I turned around ready to dart away, but as I grabbed the stair railing, Mr.


    Lan¡¯s hand gentlynded on mine. I stopped still, sensing him standing an inch from leaning against my


    back.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he breathed against my ear, before stepping back towards his twopanions.


    I ran down the stairs, feeling I might do something even more irrational this time. I needed to get far


    away from this guy. I couldn¡¯t think straight around him¡­ or rather I wasn¡¯t able to think at all!

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Monique and Marco saved my life again, taking care of the cleaning and bringing the order upstairs in a


    brand-new un-messed-up version. Certainly not that any of them would ever let me forget what had


    happened. ncing at the upper floor, I could see that with me gone, Mr. Lan actedposedly-sh-


    indifferently or even politely! What the hell was his problem anyway?!


    I stayed put behind the counter, waiting for all three businessmen to leave. I treated it like my personal


    bunker, keeping me safe from any nuclear reaction that this ck-haired man could induce within me. I


    could breathe again only when the door closed behind him. I crawled out of my hiding ce and started


    wiping the tables, preparing them for another tourist attack.


    Monique walked over to me with a mischievous smirk. ¡°Here,¡± she said, giving me a hundred-dor bill.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Mr. Lan said that I should give you this. He said that you should buy yourself some good ointment for


    the hand you burned.¡±


    That son of a¡­ He was bringing out the worst in me! How dare he trade ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± for a hundred-dor


    bill?! I crushed the bill in my hand and rushed towards the door.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Monique grabbed my hand before I reached the door handle.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find him, and shoved that money deep into his freaking mouth so he can choke!¡± I roared.


    ¡°Are you crazy, or do you have a death wish?¡± Marco cut in, pulling me away from the door. ¡°First of all,


    don¡¯t treat money this way. What has this poor Benjamin Franklin ever done to you? Second, it¡¯s more


    than 5% of your rent, and the hell I¡¯m going to let you throw it away; you deserved it, hon! And third of


    all¡­¡± he paused to take a deep breath, looking straight into my eyes, ¡°you don¡¯t want to mess with a


    guy that owns half of New York.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who he is! Do you think he should be able to get away with anything just because he has


    money?!¡± I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Marco sighed and stroked my head. ¡°Why do you hate money so much?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate money, I just hate people who have a lot of it.¡± I shrugged.


    The truth was that I would love to have money. I loved money; it just didn¡¯t love me in return. Money


    could solve at least 90% of my problems. I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about paying for my Grandma¡¯s next


    medical procedure. I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about paying my rent, and maybe I could even get back to


    Oxford and finish my studies. I used to see those issues differently when I was still on my full


    schrship. The rest of my living expenses were covered by the inheritance I received when my


    Grandpa died. He wanted me to get the best education I could get, and I respected his wishes¡­


    Everything changed when my Grandma was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Her health insurance


    could barely cover the most standard treatment, which was far from enough to improve her condition. I


    had no other choice¡­ I took a semester off to find the best treatment for my Grandma. I found it in New


    York, but it was a private and expensive clinic, and there was no way that the insurance would cover


    the costs.


    I went to every kind of bank, hoping to get a loan, but I was a student without a job or working


    experience. My request was rejected every time. After I had exhausted every other option, I ended up


    asking my boyfriend for financial help. I knew that he was from a wealthy family, and I knew that I could


    pay him back quickly. I believed that as soon as I¡¯d graduated, I¡¯d start earning big money. I was


    confident because I had already gotten a few lucrative job offers. All I needed to do was to get the


    degree. I had only two semesters left¡­


    You can imagine how shocked I was when my boyfriend called me a beggar and a leech once I asked


    him to help my Grandma. It was the most painful p in the face I had ever received from someone I


    loved. I had never been so humiliated in my whole life. His heartless outburst equaled the end of our


    three-year rtionship. Easy to say that he was my greatest reason for developing rich-man-phobia.


    Some would say that I was prejudiced, and I knew I was. I wasn¡¯t an idiot. Inside my head, I created an


    image where every single rich guy was cold, arrogant, and rotten to the bone, but, sadly, after over two


    years of working next to the richest of Manhattan, I was yet to be proven wrong. Mr. Lan sure as hell


    wasn¡¯t the exception to the rule I¡¯d made. And speaking of the devil¡­


    ¡°Marco¡­ do you know this Lan guy?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.


    Marco chuckled and went to get his phone from behind the counter. ¡°This is him.¡± He pointed at his


    iPhone¡¯s screen.


    Monique looked at the post he found, and she read it aloud. ¡°Aren Lan, a 32-year-old billionaire, owner


    of the Lan Diamond Corporation and Lan Industries¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren Lan¡­¡± I repeated softly, ncing at his picture in some article.


    He was hot, and no one could state otherwise. He was wearing a ck suit and a white shirt in that


    picture. The aura of confidence that surrounded him was breathtaking. I could easily imagine a long


    line of beautiful women ready to spread their legs before him. That made me wonder even more why


    he decided toy his eyes on a waitress from a coffee shop. Was he bored and looking for some


    entertainment? I wish I could add pping his face as a part of the show, but that would without a


    doubt cost me my job.


    With a deep exhale, I switched myself back to work mode, making any thoughts about mischievous


    Aren Lan dissolve in the air filled with a coffee scent. I got through the end of the day without any other


    unexpected events. Swaying on my feet, I packed myself into the bus and felt the ind, hoping to get


    myself to bed in my Brooklyn apartment as soon as possible. I crawled inside on autopilot and put the


    tips I hid in my jeans pockets into the box I kept under my bed. The next thing I remember was my face


    meeting the softness of a pillow. Another day of focusing on nothing but earning money was over¡­


    For more than two years, my life consisted of nothing but work. When I wasn¡¯t working at Caf¨¦ Dorado,


    I fixedputers in a little workshop that two geek friends of mine and I created. I loved working with


    computers, but I would never be able to pay Grandma¡¯s hospital bills without my coffee shop job. And


    there I was again, standing behind the counter waiting for the customers.


    Suddenly, I found myself alone. Christine wasn¡¯t working that day, and neither was Marco, who took a


    long-nned day off. Monique was somewhere at the back, checking our supplies, but it strangely took


    her longer than usual. ncing around the empty caf¨¦, I went to clean up the table after the tourists


    that had just left.


    The bell rang, shifting my attention to the door. I froze. Aren Lan closed the door behind him. He stood


    still for a moment, presenting himself to me in a perfectly tailored gray suit, a ck shirt, and a tie. His


    lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile, as he locked his eyes on me.


    ¡°Can I get you anything, Mr. Lan?¡± I breathed out shakily, barely handling his intensive gaze.


    He exhaled a chuckle and loosened up his cor. ¡°You¡¯re all I need.¡± He turned the lock on the door


    and stepped toward me.


    Panic flushed me with a shudder. ¡°Please, don¡¯t joke around like that, and open the door. It¡¯s a broad


    day¡­ and this is a public ce¡­¡± I mumbled as a peal of hystericughter escaped my throat.


    My eyes roamed around, searching for Monique. Where was she? Why was I alone with Aren Lan all of


    a sudden?! I stepped back, squeezing a damp cloth in my hand as a weapon. He nced at it and


    smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not really nning to use it, are you?¡± His deep, breathy voice instantly melted the strength of


    my hand grip.


    The stupid clothnded on the floor. A secondter, Aren¡¯s hands were on my shoulders, and he


    pushed me against the wall.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± I yelled, my hands struggling to push him away.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you what you desire,¡± he whispered, leaning over my ear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I don¡¯t even find you attractive,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    His lips shed with mine. His tongue entered me with lush strokes that made my head spin. His


    hands slid around my waist, pulling me closer. As he pressed my body against his own, I could feel


    every inch of his rigid muscles. Unknowingly, my hands roamed to embrace his neck, my fingers


    stretching tob his thick, ck hair. Suddenly, one of his hands went to the back of my head,


    positioning me so he could deepen our kiss. I moaned against his lips, and the next moment his hands


    were on my buttocks, lifting me before cing me on the table. I surrendered to himpletely. His


    hands were on me, enticing me, making me wet and ready for him. The way he kissed my neck made


    me shiver.


    ¡°God!¡± I groaned as his fingers traveled between my thighs.


    At one moment, I felt a strange wave of cold air that brought an ufortable shiver to my feverish


    skin. I shifted anxiously on the table, then I lost my bnce and hit the floor¡­


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± I hissed, rubbing my poor butt, before opening my eyes wide and finding myself in my


    apartment.


    It took me a second to realize that I had fallen off the bed, and the cold air wasing from the window


    I had forgotten to close before I fell asleep. My heart still hammered and my core throbbed. How could I


    dream about this guy?! How could I dream about him in THIS way?! I rarely had erotic dreams, and I¡¯d


    never had this vivid. Putting my clumsy self back to bed, I started thinking that my off-bnced


    hormones and I needed to have a serious conversation¡­

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    I couldn¡¯t sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Aren¡¯s face and his body sketched by my


    imagination. I had been living a sexless life for three years, but seriously? I wasn¡¯t some starving


    cavewoman, and most of all, I had my dignity. I would never let some arrogant rich boy touch me in real


    life like that.


    The next day, I showed up at work looking as if I had died and resurrected twice. I used half of the


    concealer I had to cover the enormous dark circles under my eyes. It helped just enough so I could


    stop resembling a panda. I managed to fix my face, but it was harder to fix the mess inside me. I was


    anxious. I didn¡¯t know how I would react if I saw Aren Lan again, especially after dreaming of his¡­


    Well, I needed to start acting like a sane person, which was hard considering that I jumped nervously


    each time I heard a bell ringing and customers walking in.


    Luckily, he didn¡¯t show up that day. The same happened the next day and the day after. My life went


    back to normal. Aren Lan¡¯s face faded in my memory, which helped stabilize my emotions. I was almost


    certain that our paths would never cross again. We might have been living in the same city, but,


    considering his wealth, he inhabited a different universe.


    That day, my shift was shorter. I took off my apron and rushed to leave Manhattan for my other,


    computer-rted job. Our workshop was in the basement of an old tenement house in Brooklyn. The


    building was neglected and almostpletely abandoned, with only an olddy and the owner living


    there. Nheless, Norton, n, and I couldn¡¯t even dream of a better ce. Of course, we had put a


    lot of work into adapting this ce, but no one bothered us, and the rent was low. We couldn¡¯t have


    asked for more.


    The three of us met online a few years ago. Two issues brought us close: the fact that we were from


    New York and that we lovedputers. After some time, we learned to have another thing in


    common¡­ None of us had a diploma, although we all had mad skills.


    n Harada was a genius hacker. He could win against any type of security. Unfortunately, he was


    once convicted after drunk hacking one of the banks to impress a girl. After it had happened, he was


    disinherited by his conservative Japanese family. Well, at least he gotid the other night¡­ Like me,


    Norton Edavane could have been an amazing programmer, but he didn¡¯t have money to study.


    Certainly, he could have gotten a schrship, but his social skills were far worse than mine, and his


    agoraphobia hadn¡¯t been helpful either. Now we were working together, fixingputers, and providing


    online advice. We were able to make some nice profit from time to time, but it was a frence job while


    the bills came steadily every month. Nevertheless, we all loved our work in the workshop. It was our


    safe haven, our home, the only ce where we could all breathe¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re getting evicted.¡± n waved a piece of paper in front of my eyes as soon as I walked in.


    I stepped back, blinking in shock. ¡°What do you mean by evicted?¡± Iughed nervously, still hoping it


    was a joke.


    ¡°Mr. Welsh sold the whole building,¡± Norton exined in his usual, emotionless way. ¡°Those who


    bought it n to renovate it and turn it into a hotel.¡±


    I leaned my back against the wall. My knees turned weak, and my head began to spin. I wouldn¡¯t bat


    an eye if something had happened to Caf¨¦ Dorado. It would be bothersome to look for another job, and


    I would miss working with Monique and Marco, but it wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world. THIS was the


    end of the world. Where else in New York would we find a ce to rent for five hundred dors a


    month?!


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This cannot be happening¡­¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Oh, but it is.¡± n nodded agitatedly, looking at me with his narrowed brown eyes.


    ¡°But where would Mr. Welsh live now?¡± My mind was desperate to prove that his choice was absurd.


    ¡°He is moving to New Jersey. He¡¯s buying an apartment next to where his son lives,¡± Norton informed,


    and I could see anger shing through hisposed stare.


    It sounded like a logical move, but I was determined to find ws in Mr. Welsh¡¯s choice. ¡°But what


    about poor Mrs. Gordon? She doesn¡¯t have a family, and she¡¯s like 90 years old or something. Isn¡¯t it


    too cruel to evict a lonely olddy like her?¡±


    n gave me a wry smile. ¡°She died two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I breathed out along with thest ounce of hope I had.


    I swayed my way to the couch before copsing. Norton and n joined me there, sitting on my left


    and right sides.


    ¡°The new owner gives us time until the end of the month. Then we have to move out or pay twenty


    times the rent we paid.¡± n gritted his teeth.


    ¡°We won¡¯t earn a cent if we pay ten thousand dors a month for the rent! Not to mention that this


    ce looks like a den!¡± I snapped.


    Let¡¯s face it, it was a basement that we filled withputers and cables and other equipment. We were


    able to work there, but there were no customers allowed for a reason. It was our restricted area. We


    were meeting with clients outside the workshop, taking their things to fix them at the workshop, and


    then bringing them back to our clients again. It was convenient for us, especially for Norton, who had a


    hard time dealing with other people. I couldn¡¯t believe that it was going to change, and we would have


    to move out.


    ¡°No.¡± I clenched my hand and frowned. ¡°I refuse to give up like that. We should at least find those new


    owners and talk to them.¡±


    ¡°The documents say that the building now belongs to Golden Estate Investments, whoever they are.¡±


    Norton shrugged restlessly.


    ¡°Then I suggest we find them. We need to force them to give us more time at least,¡± I said decisively.


    A wicked grin painted n¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± he said and rushed to hisptop.


    A secondter, his long fingers began to tap the keyboard at a furious speed. I was about to join him


    when I received a message from Doctor William Crawford, the one taking care of my Grandma.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the results. Please meet me at the clinic when you¡¯re able to,¡± the text said.


    I jumped up to my feet before I knew it. My hands were shaking. My heart started to pound anxiously.


    ¡°Guys¡­¡± I barely let out a sound as it squeezed through my throat.


    They looked at me and already knew. I registered a faint,passionate smile on Norton¡¯s face while


    n got up, and walked to me to give me a hug.


    ¡°Gambatte!¡± he cheered for me with a warm grin. Then he pushed me out of the workshop, urging me


    not to waste any time.


    I hated leaving them alone when we had a crisis to deal with, but I had to know everything about my


    Grandma¡¯s condition as soon as possible. I took the bus and texted Doctor Crawford, informing him


    that I was on my way. Half an hourter, I was running to his office on the fifth floor of Crawford¡¯s


    Neurological Clinic, a ce founded by Doctor William¡¯s father. I knocked on the door, heavily panting.


    He opened it and invited me in.


    ¡°Ms. Bell, have a seat please.¡± He greeted me with a smile and gestured to a chair in front of his desk.


    As I sat down, he went back behind his desk. Doctor William was a kind and brilliant man. His hair was


    mostly grey, although he was only in his fifties. I guess that his work was taking a toll on him, no matter


    how much he loved it. He was dedicated, a doctor by vocation, and I would be forever grateful to him


    for taking care of my Grandmother and ignoring the fact that I paid for her treatment irregrly. He


    knew how to handle patients and how to talk to their loved ones. Somehow, he always found the right


    words to say, no matter how hard their meaning was. I would have beenpletely broken if it weren¡¯t


    for him.


    When my Grandmother¡¯s brain aneurysm ruptured and she fell into aa half a year ago, I was an


    absolute mess. I couldn¡¯t eat or sleep. I kept sitting in her room, hopelessly waiting for her to wake up.


    It was Doctor Crawford who forced me out of her room and brought me back to thend of the living.


    He used some harsh but logical arguments, letting me know that I would never save my Grandma by


    sitting by her bed¡­ especially when someone needed to work to pay for her stay in the clinic. Now, I


    visited Grandma three times a week, plus in special circumstances such as to hear about the results of


    her tests¡­


    ¡°I have some good news and¡­ bad news, unfortunately,¡± the doctor said.


    I pulled in a shaky breath. ¡°I want the bad news first.¡±


    ¡°We cannot operate using the method we have discussed before. It¡¯s because of the location of the


    aneurysm¡­¡± He grimaced apologetically.


    My eyes became watery in a second. I put high hopes in that method. It sounded like a chance for


    Grandma to wake up.


    ¡°But the good news is that her results show that we might have a chance if we use a different


    experimental method. The procedure has been performed only once, by a friend of mine, a Chinese


    doctor, Lu Wei Chen. Nheless, the method looks promising. Doctor Chen is going to visit New York


    in a few months, and I think I might talk him into performing his method on your Grandma,¡± he


    exined.


    I gasped. ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°I cannot give you one hundred percent, but I will do my best.¡± The doctor smiled, but then his


    expression turned serious. ¡°And¡­ there¡¯s another problem thates with it¡­¡±


    I gulped, having a feeling about what he was about to say.


    ¡°Even with your Grandma¡¯s insurance¡­ the operation would cost you more than a hundred thousand


    dors.¡±


    I exhaled in a rush, as if someone had just hit my guts. I had already used all the money I had from the


    inheritance my Grandpa left me. How was I supposed to get more than a hundred thousand dors in a


    few months?!

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    I was in Grandma¡¯s room, sitting by her bed, and holding her hand. She was plugged into all sorts of


    equipment that helped her breathe and monitored her. She looked as if she was peacefully asleep. I


    only hoped that she couldn¡¯t feel any pain while being in her motionless state. I talked to her often,


    hoping that she could hear me, or at least know that I loved her, and I wanted her back. I had never


    comined about anything, especially not in her presence. I didn¡¯t want her to think that she could


    have been some kind of a burden to me because she wasn¡¯t. She was the only family I had left, the


    only person I loved in this world, and the anchor that kept me going. But I wished she could tell me


    what to do because I was tired of being on my own, constantly dealing with all kinds of problems. I was


    angry and frustrated, and all kinds of ¡°if only¡± swirled inside my head. If only I had more money¡­ If only


    I had the diploma¡­ If only I could have a well-paid job¡­


    ¡°Help me, Grandma¡­¡± I muttered, trying to smile despite tears drawing lines down my cheeks. ¡°Things


    really gotplicated this time, and you know that I suck at solving problems that require talking to


    other people¡­¡±


    I felt overwhelmed, yet I forced myself to push my problems away for a moment. I wiped my tears and


    took a deep breath to calm down. Then I reached out my hand to stroke Grandma¡¯s beautiful, long,


    white hair. She had to be stunning when she was young. She didn¡¯t want to show me any of her old


    pictures, but I remember Grandpa saying that Grandma used to be the most magnificent woman he


    had ever seen. Even now, I could see her beauty through the lovely wrinkles on her face, stamping


    each tough year of her life. Sophia Bell, at 65, was one hot granny.


    I used to wonder if the women in our family weren¡¯t cursed, certainly Grandma. She had never been


    treated kindly by her fate. She got pregnant when she was 17 years old. The father was her high


    school boyfriend, a local sports star from a wealthy family. He had never acknowledged the baby. He


    used my Grandma of cheating and spread all kinds of gossip about her, turning her image from the


    na?ve and kind girl she was into the vicious slut he used her of being. In the end, even her parents


    believed this bastard¡¯s rumors. As a strong and independent woman, she packed her bags and left her


    small town and family. After she had given birth to my Mother, she applied to college. She was raising a


    child while studying and working. My Grandma was a real-life wonder woman.


    When she was in college, she met Charles Johnstone, aka Grandpa. Of course, he and I weren¡¯t


    blood-rted, but he loved Grandma and treated my Mom as his daughter and me as his


    granddaughter. To me, he was the best Grandpa I could imagine having. I was grateful to him that he


    had found my Grandma and filled over forty years of her life with love and warmth. He was her rock,


    and I know that Grandma couldn¡¯t have broken down long ago if it weren¡¯t for him, especially after my


    Mother died in a ne crash¡­ Sophia Bell had always been resilient. I had seen her devastated and


    crying only once, and that was at my Mother¡¯s funeral. I was five at the time. The next day, she washed


    her beautiful face, took me for a walk, and told me that she would be the one raising me from that day.


    Now¡­ my perfect and strong grandma was lying in bed in aa, and I would have fought the devil if


    that could have brought her back.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, finding new determination within me, ¡°We are not going to get evicted from our


    workshop. Then I¡¯m going to find us a great deal that will bring us a lot of money, and I will get this


    hundred thousand dors for the operation. And you, Grandma, are going to wake up and live for many


    long years.¡±


    Who was I to whine andin? I had Sophia Bell¡¯s blood running in my veins. I had to prove that I


    was worthy of calling myself her Granddaughter. I stood up to lean over her, kissed her forehead, and


    left her room, ready to crush Golden Estate Investments if they weren¡¯t willing to change their minds


    about throwing us out of our workshop. I strode out of the clinic, taking fast, energetic steps. On my


    way to the bus stop, I texted n.


    ¡°Send me theirpany address.¡±


    A minuteter, I received an address, detailed information on thepany itself, and how to get to


    them from the clinic, along with n¡¯s short reply, ¡°Go st those bastards.¡±


    I smirked. n had never failed to impress me. I bet he had all those things prepared for some time


    and simply waited to hear from me. I checked the address and five minutester was already on my


    way there, figuring out the right arguments to use. Sitting on a bus, I opened the file n sent me and


    started reading about thepany. I had to know who I was up against first.


    I started reading, muttering under my breath, ¡°Founded in 2017, Golden Estate Investments is a part of


    the Lan Diamond Corporation¡­¡±


    I gasped and stared at the screen in disbelief for nearly a minute. Someone was obviously ying a


    dirty trick on me. This couldn¡¯t be right, right? Thispany couldn¡¯t be a part of Lan Diamond


    Corporation because that would mean that it belonged to Aren Lan! From what I¡¯d heard, this guy


    owned probably arge percentage of New York City, bute on!


    My stomach squeezed at the thought that I could meet this arrogant asshole again. I hit the online


    search, making a desperate attempt to cast a spell on reality. I prayed for there to be anotherpany


    called Lan Diamond Corporation in New York. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case. Once I clicked on the


    official Aren Lan¡¯s Lan Diamond Corporation site, I easily found a link to Golden Estate Investments¡­ I


    let out a frustrated growl that earned me a wave of frowns and res from other passengers.


    A few deep breathster, I came to realize that I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with Aren Lan anyway. The ¡°big


    boss¡± would never care about some lowly creatures trying to fight against the rules of his huge


    company. Still, the thought that it was Aren Lan who now owned the building with our workshop was


    pissing me off great time!


    The bus stop was a block away from the Lan Diamond Tower, where Golden Estate Investments and


    Lan Diamond Corporation had their headquarters. The building was impossible to miss.


    ¡°That guy has some serious issues¡­¡± I chuckled to myself as I walked in front of a ss and steel


    giant, daringly ascending the lower clouds.


    I exhaled, clenching my fist before stepping through the revolving door, and immediately stopped in


    awe as I walked into the entrance hall. The windows and ss used to construct the ceiling were


    carefully angled to create a diamond-shaped cut, giving the impression of entering a gem. I stood for a


    few seconds with my mouth open, admiring the perfect structure and the glow spread by the smooth


    surfaces reflecting the setting sun. Only after I almost got swallowed by the crowd that left one of the


    elevators did I break from my daze and started looking for the Golden Estate Investments office.


    Fortunately, the information board was right in front of me. I quickly found out that I needed to go to the


    fifteenth floor¡­ and didn¡¯t fail to notice that Lan Diamond Corporation had their offices on floors from


    twenty-seventh to thirty-sixth, with the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor, of course. Suddenly, I started to


    wonder if he was there today, imagining him sitting behind his desk in that sexy grey three-piece suit he


    was wearing when I met him.


    I shook my head violently and pped my cheeks with both hands. ¡°Focus, Cora!¡±


    It was deadly frustrating just how much this guy could mess with my head without any effort. I bet that if


    I let myself picture him a second longer, I would find myself thinking of having sex on that desk with


    him¡­ Oh God¡­ toote.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I got turned on just thinking about that cocky jerk! If it weren¡¯t for the people riding


    in the same elevator with me, I would have banged my head against the wall. Did he spread his


    pheromones everywhere in this building or something?! I clenched my thighs, forcefully containing myProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    increasing for no exinable reason arousal. Somehow, being in that ce suddenly made me


    pathetically horny. Reasoning my insane behavior, I decided to me it on my soon-toe period.


    I regained myposure once I got off the elevator on the fifteenth floor and walked towards the


    Golden Estate Investments¡¯ reception. A red-haired receptionist buzzed me in through the elegant


    ss door, and I stepped in, putting on my professional smile.


    With a polite nod, I started with ¡°Hello. I am renting one of the apartments you currently own, and I


    came to talk about the unfair eviction notice my partners and I have just received.¡±


    The receptionist leaned back, grimacing nervously. Fine, the tone of my voice came out harsher than I


    wanted it to. I guess my anger surfaced despite my good intentions.


    ¡°All of our managers are busy right now¡­ Why don¡¯t youe again tomorrow?¡± She obviously was


    trying to blow me off, but I wasn¡¯t that easy to deal with.


    ¡°That¡¯s OK, I¡¯ll wait,¡± I said, making myselffortable on a sofa right beside her desk.


    ¡°B-but it might take a few hours or even longer than that,¡± she urged, ineptly fighting against my


    relentlessness.


    I stated coldly, ¡°I have a lot of time, and I¡¯m not going anywhere until this case is settled.¡±


    Her irritation sounded clear in her sigh, but I ignored it. With a wicked smirk on my face, I pulled out my


    phone and started browsing online to kill time. If they thought that we would just ept their notice and


    move out, they messed with the wrongputer freaks. Game on.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Two hours had passed since I sat on the sofa in the reception hall of Golden Estate Investments. The


    red-head sitting by her desk kept shing me displeased nces. She must have found my presence


    uniquely bothersome, to say the least. I didn¡¯t care. I was on my mission, and I wasn¡¯t going to back


    off¡­ although I was tired, and my growling stomach reminded me that myst meal was twelve hours


    ago, and that meal was coffee.


    I quickly decided to temporarily fill my stomach with water. I grabbed one of the bottles prepared for the


    guests, standing on the table, even though the receptionist didn¡¯t bother to ask if I wanted something to


    drink. I clicked my tongue, looking at her before taking a sip of water. I could see her jaw clench. I knew


    that she found me annoying, but I couldn¡¯t understand why she looked so nervous. As I began to


    observe her more closely, I registered her glimpsing at the door at the end of the corridor, and realized


    something else¡­ Every corridor was empty, as if there was either no one inside thepany or they


    were all hiding inside their offices. I must admit that it looked peculiar. Could it be that every single


    employee was out of the office? No, the mean red-head wouldn¡¯t look so anxious if that was the case.


    After a few more minutes, I noticed her restlessly shifting in her seat. I chuckled inwardly as I


    understood why. Human physiology could truly be a bitch. Suddenly, she jumped to her feet and looked


    at me.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± she tossed, rushing from her desk to thedy¡¯s room around


    the corner.


    I smirked when she passed me by with her thighs glued together. Well, she deserved decent diarrhea


    for her unprofessional behavior. With her m shutting the toilet door, my curiosity started to itch. I


    nced at the security cameras stupidly pointed at the area where I sat. A wicked grin formed on my


    lips as I realized that ny percent of the space behind the reception desk had been made a blind


    spot. As much as I knew that it was wrong¡­ and illegal, I was bored to death, and I was dying to take


    an eensy-weensy nce at the redhead¡¯sputer. Besides, there was a tiny chance I could get an


    advantage in the negotiations if I found a useful piece of information.


    I sneaked my way behind her desk, and, a secondter, I was staring at her screen. I wasn¡¯t going to


    dig deep. If I was lucky, I would find out how they wanted to renovate our building. I rolled my eyes,


    realizing that theputer wasn¡¯t even password protected. I went through some documents, but I


    couldn¡¯t see anything rted to our case. I was going to walk away from theputer when I suddenly


    saw a barely noticeable icon on the taskbar. I recognized this pesky worm right away¡­


    I leaned back, letting a mischievous chuckle escape my throat. I had dealt with this little one before. It


    was a form of extremely specialized spyware. I was sincerely shocked that their security was weak


    enough to let it mess with their system. Nheless, the problem wasn¡¯t mine to solve, and as I heard


    the sound of a flushing toilet, I knew it was time to get back to my seat on the sofa and act innocent.


    Should I tell someone that theirpany¡¯s sensitive information might have been stolen? Perhaps I


    should. The problem was, how was I going to exin how I knew that?! iming that I ¡°identally¡±


    checked the receptionist¡¯s screen and taskbar didn¡¯t sound convincing¡­


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    The redhead came back with relief painted on her entire face. She nced at me suspiciously and then


    sighed as she got back behind her desk. Did she think I would steal something while she was absent?


    Like what? That sofa? If she wasn¡¯t that hostile, waiting for someone I could talk to would have been so


    much easier.


    All of a sudden, the door at the end of the corridor opened, and a crowd of people started walking out.


    There must have been a meeting going on inside that room, an important meeting judging by the


    stiffness of those walking into the corridor as if they were still holding their breaths. All those employees


    wore elegant suits, making me the only weirdo wearing a shite top shirt and a pair of jeans. The only


    plus was that the top nicely underlined my curves. I stood up, preparing to attack the one whom I


    assumed was the boss. It was a slightly balding man in his fifties. He was the most rxed person


    coming out of the room. I stepped toward him before the red-haired receptionist thought of stopping


    me. I was halfway through the corridor when I noticed that the balding man wasn¡¯t thest to walk out


    of there¡­


    ¡°Oh, shit¡­¡± I cursed uncontrobly, pushing my heels down to a violent halt.


    Aren Lan stepped out of the room surrounded by three other guys who were desperate to read his


    emotionless face. This time, it was a ck suit embracing his magnificent body. His stride was


    confident and elegant. He seemed to be paying utmost attention to those who tried to impress him.


    Nheless, his expression stayed unmoved. Unknowingly, I stepped aside and leaned against the


    wall to let them pass me by, strangely overwhelmed by Lan¡¯s presence. Well, he wouldn¡¯t pay any


    attention to me anyway¡­ right? Wrong!


    Instead of walking past me, he stopped as he lined up with me. Once he set his eyes on me, his lips


    curved into a smug grin. I froze. Did he remember me? No, that¡¯s highly unlikely¡­ right?


    ¡°What brings you here, Miss Cora?¡± His deep voice caressed my ears while his eyes roamed through


    my body length.


    I swallowed, forcing myself to look into his eyes. People around us stopped in undeniable shock,


    watching their poker-faced boss be a hot-blooded predator. I felt as if he emanated force that


    pierced me to that wall, but I wasn¡¯t going to submit to his dominance. I struggled to pull a deep breath


    into my lungs.


    ¡°Golden Estate Investments bought the building where we were renting our workshop spot, giving us


    an unfair eviction notice just because they wanted to turn it into a hotel. It¡¯s a tenement house in


    Brooklyn and¡ª ¡±


    Any traces of a smile left his face as his eyes narrowed, sending me a cold stare. ¡°Do you find buying a


    building an unfair transaction?¡± he asked curtly.


    ¡°No, but we had a five-year contract with the previous owner, and this ce had always been rent-


    stabilized.¡± My words came out sounding much less confident than when I put the sentence in my


    head.


    Aren Lan¡¯s eyes darkened as if he had shoved all of his humanity aside. I wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d


    noticed the change; everyone took a subtle step away from him and me. ¡°If you have any issues, you


    should solve them with your previous owner. I assume that you don¡¯t have a signed contract with


    Golden Estate Investments?¡± he said in a freezingly cold tone.


    I gritted my teeth but kept my eyes locked on Lan. ¡°The conditions proposed in our new contract with


    yourpany are absurd. You cannot expect us to pay ten thousand dors a month for renting a filthy


    basement that we renovated ourselves using our funds at that.¡±


    I registered a faint smirk shing on his face before he turned his eyes to the balding man. ¡°Mr.


    Errington? Is she telling the truth?¡±


    The man cleared his throat and took a step closer to Aren and me. ¡°I¡¯m not certain what property we


    are talking about,¡± he tossed nonchntly.


    ¡°Oh, I bet that you must have bought lots of tenement houses from the 1950s recently. And you are


    nning to turn them all into hotels, am I correct?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Do you know, or you don¡¯t know what she is talking about?¡± Aren Lan urged him, annoyed.


    Mr. Errington red at me, but then shifted his eyes to Aren. ¡°Yes. We made them an offer given the


    cost of the dy in our rebuilding, which would be unavoidable if they nned to stay for a few more


    months,¡± he exined.


    It didn¡¯t sound good. I was losing my arguments way too fast. They had it all covered legally, and I


    could only speak to their conscience, and I couldn¡¯t imagine this could work out well. Still, I tried¡­


    ¡°I ask you to look at it from our perspective. This is our ce to work. This ce is a source of our


    ie.¡± My eyes shifted between them both with a puppy stare.


    A mocking chuckle escaped Aren Lan¡¯s throat. ¡°This isn¡¯t a theatre for you to y a dramatic scene.


    This is business,¡± he stated, harsher than I had ever heard a human voice could sound. ¡°Goodbye,


    Miss.¡±


    He turned towards the exit and strode energetically while ncing at his watch. A few other managers,


    including Mr. Errington, followed him while the rest slowly came back to their workces. I heard


    sneers and mutteringing across the longpany corridor. It seemed that my show turned into a


    highlight of those employees¡¯ day. My blood boiled in my veins. My heart hammered. I let out a growl of


    frustration, unwilling to give up. I had too much to fight for.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted, loud enough for Aren Lan, Mr. Errington, and every other manager to turn around. I


    wasn¡¯t sure what I was doing, but, dumb or not, it was the only idea I had. ¡°What if I told you that you


    have high-ss spying software, most likely on all of theputers in thispany?¡±


    ¡°This is absurd!¡± Mr. Errington scorned, but Aren raised his hand, gesturing to let me speak.


    I took a deep breath and said, ¡°I will fix that problem for you¡ªif you let us stay in the basement of that


    building for at least six more months without increasing our rent.¡±


    Aren Lanughed, his voice piercing me dangerously. ¡°Well¡­ You just got my full attention.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    A brief, hysteric chuckle flew out of my lips. My move was risky. I was practically admitting that I went


    through thepany¡¯s files, viting their confidentiality. No one in their right mind would ever admit to


    committing something like that! The more annoying fact was that I couldn¡¯t y dumb while trying to


    prove I was smart enough to fix their problem.


    Aren Lan went back to the middle of the corridor where I stood. Mr. Errington followed his boss,


    although his reluctance couldn¡¯t possibly be marked on his face more clearly. Aren looked around.


    There were plenty of other people gaping at the three of us in that corridor.


    ¡°Lend me your office,¡± Lan said, his words sounding like an unmistakable order.


    Mr. Errington twitched his lips but didn¡¯t dare to say a word. After a quick nod, he started walking


    through the corridor and stopped as he reached the corner. ¡°This way.¡± He pointed at the door before


    opening it for the big boss to walk in.


    ¡°Miss Cora, after you,¡± Aren Lan tossed nonchntly, urging me to walk inside with a gesture.


    I smiled nervously and entered Mr. Errington¡¯s office first. The two men followed, and Mr. Errington


    closed the door behind us. I stopped in the middle of the room, finding myself in a space between the


    three-piece suite and arge office desk. We entered Mr. Errington¡¯s pce, but it was clear who was


    this kingdom¡¯s ruler. The balding man stood silently a few steps away from the door while Aren Lan


    walked forward and leaned against the desk, facing me with his arms crossed over his chest.


    ¡°Well? I¡¯m all ears.¡± He shot me a sly smirk.


    As I took a deep breath, I started, ¡°I might have seen a sign of very dangerous spying software on the


    receptionist¡¯sputer.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ might have?¡± Arenughed.


    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± Mr. Errington cut in, walking toward me with a re that was probably meant to


    threaten me. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that this girl is talking nonsense?! She is wasting your time!¡± he roared,


    looking at his boss.


    ¡°Sit down and let her talk,¡± Aren said icily. ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of whether she is wasting my time or not.¡±


    My jaw almost dropped when I saw Mr. Errington lowering his head and obediently sitting on the sofa.


    Yet, I couldn¡¯t dare call that man a wuss. The authority overflowing from Aren Lan¡¯s words was


    breathtaking. I flinched as Lan¡¯s dark eyes shifted to me.


    ¡°Talk.¡±


    I pulled in a shaky breath. ¡°First, I need you to give me your word that I will not be charged with


    anything no matter what I say.¡± I trembled inside while saying it, but I ced my hopes in his curiosity.


    Heughed, then stepped closer, leaning down on me. ¡°I give you my word.¡±


    God¡­ His voice sounded as dark and dangerous as it was amazingly sexy. I knew I was ying with


    fire, but somehow I was eager to risk a little burn. I faced his gaze and resisted lowering my eyes to his


    lips. I felt as if my intelligence flew away each time he was close, as if he was turning me into some


    goddamn cavewoman!


    ¡°All right¡­¡± I exhaled and cautiously stepped back away from him. ¡°I was bored after over two hours of


    waiting for someone I could talk to about the eviction notice, and¡­ I took the liberty of glimpsing at the


    receptionist¡¯sputer¡­¡± I paused, noting their reaction to my words.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?! And where was the receptionist at the time?!¡± Mr. Errington snapped.


    Well, I had no intention of putting any me for what I did on the redhead, but I wasn¡¯t feeling too guilty


    about the spot I was about to put her in either.


    I admitted bluntly, ¡°She went for an urgent meeting with the toilet seat, so she wasn¡¯t there at the time.¡±


    Aren raised his eyebrows at me, and I couldn¡¯t miss the faint amusement painting his face. ¡°So¡­ you


    literally broke into one of mypany¡¯sputers,¡± he concluded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t break in. Theputer wasn¡¯t password-protected¡­ I merely used an opportunity to take a


    closer look at the screen,¡± I corrected, skipping the fact that I went through their files a bit.


    He sighed, straightening and towering over me even more than before. ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    I cleared my throat and turned on my geek mode. ¡°I¡¯m aputer specialist, and I¡¯ve encountered a


    specific type of software. It¡¯s made to steal ssified information, but the thing that makes that bug


    special is the fact that it nts a decoy, a small icon, quite easy to find by any well-working security


    software. That¡¯s the icon I¡¯ve seen on the receptionist¡¯s taskbar. The security software acts like a total


    sucker, finding the decoy and deleting it from the system. Once the decoy is erased, the security


    software ignores the real problem, and that is the exact moment when the real part of the worm starts


    to act and steal information. The fact that I¡¯ve seen the icon means that the problem is quite fresh with


    a chance that no damage has been done yet,¡± I exined confidently.


    Lan nced at Mr. Errington, questioningly, and I could see that the older man had started to sweat.


    With his jaw clenched, the director of Golden Estate Investments was determined to undermine


    everything I said, not that I wasn¡¯t ready for that to happen.


    ¡°This is bullshit!¡± he spat. ¡°We have the best security on the market! If there truly is something on the


    receptionist¡¯sputer, then she nted it herself!¡±


    ¡°Wow! Easy with the usations there, OK?!¡± I eximed, ring at him. ¡°I try to help, but if you are


    willing to risk getting all your ns exposed in front of thepetition, then be my guest!¡±


    I got so agitated that I barely registered when Aren Lan stepped beside me and grabbed my wrist. I


    froze and gazed at him hesitantly. Hisposed, calctive stare at me made me hold my breath. I


    couldn¡¯t read him and only prayed that he wasn¡¯t about to kill me. For a few seconds, which felt like an


    eternity, he didn¡¯t say a word, turning that moment into the most terrifying and sadistically exciting


    scene of my life. Of course, my subconscious facepalmed, seeing my inexcusable awkwardness¡­


    Finally, my arrogant Mr. Trouble spun me around while holding my wrist firmly and tossed me on the


    chair by Mr. Errington¡¯s desk. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Show me,¡± hemanded, pointing at theputer on the desktop.


    Mr. Errington rushed towards me and hisptop, but Aren stopped him, raising his hand and sending


    him a murderous re. I smiled nervously and touched theputer. Certainly, it had password-


    required ess. I hesitated for a second. Aren leaned over me to look at the screen and then red at


    Mr. Errington.


    ¡°Give her your password,¡± he said to him.


    ¡°No need,¡± I smirked, as I had already noted every piece of information I needed from Mr. Errington¡¯s


    desktop.


    There was a picture of his family in a small frame and a bigger picture of him with a bull terrier. There


    was the name ¡°Apollo¡± engraved beneath the picture. I decided it was worth a shot. I typed it in the


    password field and entered the system without any problem. I heard Aren chuckle as he watched me,


    but I didn¡¯t dare to look at him, feeling his burning gaze on me the entire time. Now, I only hoped that


    my assumptions were correct and that the bug had already infected the entirepany¡¯swork. My


    help wouldn¡¯t have any practical value if it was only the receptionist¡¯sputer that had the pesky


    worm¡­


    ¡°Thank God,¡± I muttered under my breath as I saw the little icon on the taskbar on the director¡¯s


    computer. With a smirk, I pointed at the small spot. ¡°This is the decoy that I was talking about,¡± I stated,


    and turned around only to find Aren Lan¡¯s face an inch away from mine.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said with a low, velvet-like voice. ¡°I think I would love to use you then.¡± His curled lips almost


    brushed my own. My heart skipped a beat and my face covered itself with a thick blush.


    ¡°W-what?¡± I mumbled, barely opening my mouth.


    He leaned back as he realized my flusteredness. ¡°Fix the system and get rid of that spying software.


    You can do it, can you?¡± He shed me a sly grin.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, nervouslybing my hair with my fingers.


    He chuckled and stepped back away from the desk, which helped me regain myposure. ¡°You


    wanted to keep renting the ce where you have your workshop for six more months?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded cautiously.


    The smile disappeared from his face as he turned on his previous serious businessman¡¯s face. ¡°Solve


    ourputer problems. If you do, then you¡¯ve got a deal.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    By Aren Lan¡¯s order, Mr. Errington organized a room for me¡­ and a group of babysitters in the form of


    IT specialists who were supposed to check if I wasn¡¯t a secret spy who merely pretended to help. I


    expected that to happen. After all, I was given ess to their sensitive information, like their tenders


    and bidding offers. Aren Lan didn¡¯t engage in the process. He only instructed Mr. Errington to inform


    him of the results. I took it as a good thing. I didn¡¯t think I could stand him as one of my babysitters,


    leaning over my head and constantly looking at the screen.


    I quickly established that the infection hadn¡¯t missed a singleputer in theirpany. It couldn¡¯t be


    a coincidence. It looked like a nned, precise attack aimed at stealing intel, and the bug must have


    infected their system no more than a few days ago.


    Supervised by steadily frowning IT specialists, I called n and Norton and told them about the


    problem. Fortunately, we had already found the best way to fight the pesky worm when we treated our


    client¡¯sputer a month ago. We had even written a simple program to delete each infectious part of


    the worm.


    The IT specialists stood in disbelief while I eliminated the gue spreading across their system. I


    grinned inwardly, watching how they were ineptly trying to register my moves, but I was too fast for


    them. I was too good for them; I was way better than most of the specialists hired by bigpanies.


    Norton once said that I was a puter fairy¡± because I had a sixth sense, getting to the problem


    faster than anyone else could. Of course, Iughed at the name he had given me, but I was never


    going to deny my worth. I was confident about my abilities. Period.


    It took me six hours to clean up the entire system, and, thank God, I wasn¡¯t dealing with the entire Lan


    Diamond Corporationwork. My babysitters decreased hour after hour, and by the time I finished,


    there was only one of them, sitting next to me. He was looking at the screen with his sleepy eyes. Well,


    he was forced to take a lot of overtime since it was 2 AM when I could finally say that my work there


    was done.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± he mumbled, struggling to get up from his seat.


    I smiled wryly, looking at him. ¡°Thanks for your support¡­ I guess.¡± I was unable to stop the sarcastic


    tone from surfacing, but he seemed to be too tired to notice.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± he tossed my way before pulling out his phone and sending someone a message.


    ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± I asked, slightly nervously. I did my part of the deal, and I wasn¡¯t leaving without a


    sign of proof that we could stay in our workshop even if I had to chain myself to the desk in this office.


    ¡°The security will tell you,¡± he said faintly, walking out of the door and leaving me there.


    ¡°Jerk,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    He should be thanking me. If that infection worked as it was meant to, he would most likely lose his


    job¡­ he and the entire department! It pissed me off that I saved their sorry asses and didn¡¯t even hear


    a thank you. Moreover, they all dared to look down on me, first only because I was a woman, and then


    even more, after I had to give my personal data for the contract, and they had found out that I didn¡¯t


    have a diploma¡­ Surely, I had long acknowledged the fact that this freaking piece of paper could


    change everything in my life. Nheless, I still couldn¡¯t stand assholes who felt superior because they


    had something I didn¡¯t.


    I grabbed my jacket and purse and left the office soon after. As soon as I walked out into the corridor, I


    saw two security guards dressed in ck suits that made them look like they were Secret Service


    agents. Both of them stood firm with their chins slightly lifted. Their faces were expressionless to the


    point where if one of them didn¡¯t move, I would take them as wax figures.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted them with an awkward smile.


    ¡°Mr. Lan told us to take you to him,¡± one of the guards said, gesturing at me to follow them.


    ¡°Mr. Lan did¡­¡± I mumbled, instantly bing restless.


    Was he really still at work at 2 AM? I wished he wasn¡¯t. I would rather not stand before him right now. I


    had no strength to deal with arrogant guys. Not to mention that after six hours of staring at the


    computer screen, I probably looked like shit. The guard led me to the elevator and stepped inside it


    with me. Once the door closed and we moved up, I took a glimpse at the elevator mirror.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I cursed under my breath. I actually looked worse than shit, with most of my makeup gone and


    my hairpletely t and ruffled. I ignored mypany and startedbing the messy strands with


    my fingers and wiping the panda circles below my eyes. It didn¡¯t help much, but I tried.


    Of course, my inner feminist immediately raised an argument that I wasn¡¯t going there to impress him


    with my looks. I did an awesome job of saving hispany. Why should I care how I looked after


    several hours of work?!


    With that in mind, I walked out of that elevator and confidently strode through the empty, dimly lit top-


    floor corridor. There was only one intense source of light, and it wasing through the opaque


    windows surrounding the CEO¡¯s office. Once we got there, one of the guards knocked on the smart-


    ss door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Lan¡¯s voice sounded.


    The guard opened the door, allowing me to enter, and then closed the door, leaving me alone with his


    boss. Aren Lan was sitting behind his massive desk made of dark wood, working on hisptop. The few


    seconds of silence that surrounded us doubled my anxiety in an instant. I wasn¡¯t even sure why I was


    always so nervous in front of him. I did my job well, and he could only thank me for dealing with their


    security breach. Still, shivers ran down my spine when his gaze shifted from theputer screen to


    me.


    He smirked and crooked his finger, gesturing for me toe closer. I breathed in and took a few steps


    towards the desk, still leavingfortable space between us. A single chuckle escaped his throat, and


    he crooked his four fingers, making his gesture more decisive. I let out a soaked with irritation sigh and


    took another step forward.


    His lips curved, forming a mischievous grin. ¡°You don¡¯t like me, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I replied, too tired to think about the consequences.


    The smile stayed on his lips, but his eyes became darker. ¡°Interesting,¡± hemented before pulling


    some documents from his drawer. ¡°This is your new contract with Golden Estate Investments.¡± He


    pointed at a few pages.


    I looked at him, surprised, as he handed me the document. I might have said that it was my condition


    for taking care of theirputer problem, but somehow I didn¡¯t think that they would truly respect it.


    I went through the paragraphs, and my jaw almost dropped. Not only did the contract say that we could


    keep renting our ce for five hundred dors a month, but after thepanymitted to settling us


    in a different location with the same amount of monthly rent.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the catch?¡± I asked, narrowing my gaze at him.


    ¡°There is no catch,¡± he answered in an indifferent tone. ¡°You kept your part of the deal. You did your job


    exquisitely¡­ This is thepany¡¯s way of saying thank you.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Thepany¡¯s way¡­¡± I mumbled under my breath, forming a wry smile. I couldn¡¯t tell why I felt a little


    prick in my chest. Was I counting on his motives to be more¡­ private?


    ¡°Would you like to change the conditions in the contract?¡± The firm tone of his voice sobered me in an


    instant.


    ¡°No!¡± I called out nervously. ¡°T-thank you.¡± I reached into my purse and pulled out a pen to sign before


    he changed his mind.


    Without thinking, I ced the contract on his desktop and leaned over. It wasn¡¯t until I saw his eyes


    flicker in amusement did I realize I exposed every ounce of my cleavage wrapped in a tight white shirt


    top. I pulled myself up with an audible gasp and red at him in silent usation. He raised his hands


    in surrender.


    ¡°You cannot me a man for appreciating something you lushly present right in front of him,¡± he


    imed nonchntly, leaning back in his perfectly ergonomic office chair.


    I clenched my teeth, struggling to keep myposure, yet I couldn¡¯t stop the heat that flooded my


    cheeks. I was visibly blushing while standing in front of him, but the thing that annoyed me the most


    was the fact that it took him less than a second to look absolutely unmoved, as if he didn¡¯t consider me


    attractive! Well, fine! I wasn¡¯t ideally presentable at that moment, but my boobs were as fine as always!


    How could he just ignore them so quickly?! Most importantly, why did I get so worked up about whether


    he thinks I¡¯m attractive?! God!


    I took a deep breath. Then I turned my back to him and walked over to his coffee table to finish signing


    the contract. I ignored the fact that I might have exposed my other set of curves this time, deciding to


    let him briefly enjoy my ass. Screw that, and screw him! I just needed to get out of there as soon as


    possible.


    Once I put myst signature, I walked back to his desk, handing him the documents. He epted them


    with a quick nod and ced his signature. My eyes caught on each second of his long fingers handling


    his silver Cross pen and the way he ced smooth, decisive lines on the paper. There was something


    mesmerizing in the way he did it.


    ¡°Here.¡± He handed me my copy of the contract, looking into my eyes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I took the documents from him and smiled nervously.


    His face became unreadable again. Somehow, I ended up staring at him as if I was awaiting some


    human-like reaction.


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± he asked curtly.


    ¡°No!¡± I shook my head violently.


    ¡°Then, good night, Ms. Bell. I¡¯d love to walk you out, but I still have work to do.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell why his words felt like a p. Was it because he didn¡¯t call me by my first name? Or was


    it because he wanted me out of his office? What the hell was I hoping for anyway?!


    ¡°Goodnight, Mr. Lan,¡± I tossed, turning back on my heels and leaving his office in a rush.


    I basically ran to the elevators. My heart was racing. My breath quickened and my muscles were tense


    with restless pacing.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good, Cora. You got the contract. You did your job perfectly, and you will never get to see this


    arrogant Lan-asshole ever again!¡± I told myself while going down the elevator.


    I forced myself to smile, but the way I felt seemed far from satisfied. What I felt resembled a peculiar


    kind of sadness, one I was unable to name¡­Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    An old friend A week has passed since I solved our workshop problem. n and Norton called my


    achievement a victory, but that didn¡¯t mean that everything in our lives went back to so-called normal. We


    didn¡¯t have to move out of our basement, but it didn¡¯t change much in Golden Estate Investments¡¯ ns.


    The renovation work that was supposed to turn the old tenement into a hotel began two days after I had


    signed our rental agreement. In a sh, the whole area became a construction site. They might have


    skipped the basement for now, but even so, they turned our quiet ce of work into a freaking


    madhouse¡­ It took the greatest toll on Norton, whose antisocial nature had been challenged like never


    before. Fortunately, soundproofing headphones saved us from going insane¡­ ormitting mass


    murder.


    Certainly, my work at the coffee shop stayed as it was. There were days when Monique, Marco, and I


    had some fun, but mainly it was energy-draining. Thankfully, the tips made up for the stress, yet itcked


    a few zeros to fit the amount of money I needed for Grandma¡¯s operation. The truth was, I wasn¡¯t making


    any progress with raising that hundred thousand dors. I didn¡¯t even know where to start. Should I


    advertise ourputer workshop somewhere? No. I couldn¡¯t afford an efficient marketing campaign, and


    I couldn¡¯t see how handing out cheap, hand-made leaflets could get us some wealthy clients¡­


    It was nearly six. I handed out three coffees and took a short break. I went outside through the backdoor


    and stretched my back. I could swear this work was making me age twice as fast as I normally should.


    With a sigh, I checked my phone and noticed a missed call from someone I hadn¡¯t heard from in two


    years¡­ Surprised and excited, I called him back.


    ¡°Liam?¡± I said hesitantly when my call was answered.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Cora¡­ I¡¯m so d you called back¡­¡± His voice was unusually emotional, as if he could burst out crying


    any second. ¡°Are you in New York?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Are you?¡± I asked since thest time we talked, he was about to move to London.


    , ¡°Yes!¡± he eximed, sounding sincerely rejoiced. ¡°Can we meet tonight? I¡¯ve got a lot to tell


    you. We¡¯ve got a lot to catch up on. So many things have happened, and¡­ and¡­ I seriously need a


    drink. Please don¡¯t say no.¡± His words were feverish, making me feel like I was talking to a different


    person. I even nced at the caller ID on my screen to confirm to whom I was talking ¡°OK, fine!¡± I


    laughed. ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Grandma after work, so I can meet you at nine, preferably near the Crawford¡¯s


    Clinic.¡±


    He went silent for a while. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I should have asked¡­ How¡¯s your grandma doing?¡±


    I smiled bitterly, then took a deep breath. ¡°Her aneurysm ruptured half a year ago, and she¡¯s in aa¡­


    But she¡¯s been taken care of by Doctor Crawford, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t lose hope.¡±


    ¡°Wow... I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± he breathed out. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Cora¡­ I¡ª¡±. ¡°Don¡¯t. Grandma got to


    that clinic thanks to you, and I will be forever grateful for that,¡± I said, feeling a faint squeeze in my chest.


    The truth was that Liam Halford was one of my fellow students in Oxford. We weren¡¯t


    no coltiind


    especially close, but, unexpectedly, he was the one who helped me a lot when my Grandma got ill. What


    do they say about a friend in need? Well, that was exactly the case. The sad fact was that he was the


    only one willing to help me. My mind was an absolute mess, and he told me what to do. He even pulled


    some strings and found a way for my Grandma to get into the Crawford Neurological Clinic on


    preferential terms. I told him once that I owed him a favor, hoping that someday I would be able to repay


    him for his kindness. Now, I could hear that he was the one in need of help¡­


    Liam cleared his throat. ¡°So¡­ there¡¯s a bar near the clinic called Feu Vert. Can you meet me there at


    nine?¡± he asked faintly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± I smiled.


    When our call ended, I suddenly felt restless. We had never been the kind of friends who leisurely chit-


    chat over a beer. Why now? Furthermore, we were living in different worlds. He was a boy from a


    wealthy family, studying economics and ready to take over the family business. He was handsome,


    intelligent, and cocky at times. He loved to party at nightclubs, always bringing a girl back home. We had


    nothing inmon except for the intelligence¡­ and maybe the fact that I wouldn¡¯t call myself ugly as


    well. Nheless, he was probably the only rich guy I could stand, and the fact that he had never liked


    my ex-boyfriend was a huge plus.


    The next few hours passed in a rush. Once I ended my shift at Caf¨¦ Dorado, I went to the clinic. I guess I


    should be happy that at least my Grandmother¡¯s condition was stable. I told her about my day and my


    ns for the evening. I think she would like Liam. He had that easiness in him


    and was intelligent enough tough at Grandma¡¯s sarcastic remarks.


    Nine o¡¯clock came quickly. I said good night to my Grandma and left the clinic to look for Feu Vert.


    Fortunately, the ce was only a block away. I walked inside and stopped, admiring the view. It was like


    industrial rawness met the magical garden. The bricks and steel elements mixed with green leaves and


    remarkable flowers. The walls were subtly entwined with grapevine, as if the bar had been taken over by


    Mother Nature herself. As I stepped deeper inside, I found Liam sitting in a bar lounge on a green velvet


    crescent sofa. He had a ss of scotch in his hand, and judging by the blush on his cheeks, it wasn¡¯t his


    first ss. He looked ¨C kind of miserable, even though he stood out, and I meant it in a positive way. He


    had brown, thick, slightly ruffled hair and bright amber eyes. He was wearing a V-neck cashmere


    sweater, sexily underlining his broad shoulders, while a pair of blue jeans made him approachable. I


    would be surprised if there weren¡¯t any women who tried to take his number¡­ or him home before I


    walked in. ¡°Hey, old friend.¡± I waved my hand as I walked towards him.


    He got up, put his ss on the table by the sofa, and rushed my way. I smiled awkwardly, and before I


    could realize what was going on, Liam pulled me into a tight hug, leaning his forehead against the crook


    of my neck. I stiffened. Letting a nervous chuckle escape my throat, I patted his back


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± I said, struggling to understand his reaction, but then I heard his weak sob.


    Was he crying?! That shocked me even more than his call. He was a yboy type, although he had


    never aimed to be a heartbreaker. Nheless, emotional had never been the word i¡¯d call him.


    old friend


    ¡°I need your help, Cora,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°OK¡­¡± I said blindly, ¡°I¡¯ll help you, but you need to tell me, what happened first.¡±


    He leaned back and looked at me with the saddest expression I had ever seen on his face. He sniffed


    and nodded. Then he took my hand and led me to the lounge. I observed him, trying to guess what got


    him into this state. He took a few deep breaths to regain hisposure, then he grabbed his whisky and


    finished it in one gulp.


    Suddenly, he grabbed my hands and locked his eyes on me, giving me a pleading stare. ¡°You are my


    only hope, Cora.¡± ¡°Hope?¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh a bit hysterically at that one. ¡°I¡¯m heartbroken!¡± he


    eximed, loud enough for half of the bar to hear. ¡°Hush,¡± I tried to calm him down by stroking his


    cashmere-wrapped arms. ¡°I get that you¡¯re hurting¡­ but can we talk quietly about it?¡± I coaxed. ¡°You are


    the best, Cora¡­¡± he muttered, lowering his head. ¡°I should have known that from the beginning.¡± I


    leaned back. I already knew that some chick broke his heart, but he wasn¡¯t thinking of me as his


    rebound, was he? I nced at him cautiously. I knew I owed him, but there were some limits to what I


    was willing to do for him. I mean, he was attractive, and I hadn¡¯t had sex for a long time, but I would


    never agree to be someone¡¯s recement! ¡°So¡­ What do you want me to do?¡± I asked, shifting


    back to the sofa and mentally preparing to refuse.


    He grabbed me by the shoulders and frowned. ¡°I want you to help me get my revenge.¡± I smiled wryly,


    fearfully imagining myself acting as his girlfriend just to piss off his ex. ¡°Listen ¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure


    that I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°I need you to hack aputer during her engagement party,¡± he stated decisively. I blinked my eyes,


    processing his words. ¡°You want me to¡­ what?!¡±

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    The n


    I stared at Liam for a few seconds, partially d that he didn¡¯t want me to pretend his new girlfriend.


    Nheless, hacking into anything seemed like an even worse idea.


    ¡°Liam¡­ I can imagine that you¡¯re hurting, but don¡¯t you think that messing up your ex¡¯s engagement


    party seems a little low?¡± I gave him a dry smile.


    He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, but don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll change your mind once you


    know the whole story,¡± he said, gesturing to the waiter.


    A minuteter, we were both holding sses of scotch in our hands. It wasn¡¯t my usual choice of alcohol,


    but Liam insisted that it was essential to drink something stronger before I¡¯d hear what he was about to


    say. I didn¡¯t get it, but the drinks were on him anyway. I shrugged and took a sip from the ss, letting


    the liquid bring the heat down my throat.


    Once Liam confirmed that I had drank one-third of my ss, he started to speak, ¡°Her name is Nicole


    Saxon, a beautiful brte with the body of a goddess. I met her in the Hamptons in the summer two


    years ago. We became a couple a month after we met. I fell in love, Cora. For the first time in my life, I¡¯ve


    been head over heels for someone. Hell, I¡¯ve given up my yboy style for her!¡± A sourugh escaped


    his throat.


    Pain coated each of his words, making my heart ache for him. I knew exactly what a broken heart felt


    like, and looking into his eyes I could see his torment. I thought that he was a strong, down-to-earth guy


    whose heart had an iron cover, but now, he was seething with raw emotions, making me wonder how


    much loving someone changed him. I gave him aforting smile, urging him to continue his story and


    let it out of his system. ¡°I thought that she loved me too. I gave up on moving to London and bought an


    apartment on Park Avenue so that we could live together. It was perfect¡­ She was perfect. Her father is


    quite a big yer in the food industry, so I bet our families wouldn¡¯t have any issues if we decided to get


    married¡­¡± he paused before looking at me, teary-eyed. ¡°I wanted to proposest week, but before I


    could, she dropped the bomb on me¡­¡± He tilted his ss and swallowed the rest of his whiskey.


    Unknowingly, I decided to join him in that, finishing the liquid that began to gently hum inside my head.


    He continued the story as soon as our sses were full again. ¡°¡®I booked us a table at one of those


    trendy restaurants and came with the diamond ring prepared. I was amazingly nervous, but the candles


    and wine created the perfect mood for me to pop the question¡­¡± The corners of his lips curled a bit, but


    his eyes remained sad before they shed with pain and anger. ¡°As I was about to gather my courage,


    she went first, saying that it was over between us. Just like that, without any warning signs.¡± My jaw


    dropped. Now that was harsh. There must have been something seriously wrong with that girl.


    ¡°Did she give you a reason?¡± I asked, finishing my second drink. ¡°Like hell she did.¡± Liam chuckled coldly,


    summoning the waiter to get us another round.¡± She said that she is going to marry some rich guy. She


    said that it is going to be an arranged


    marriage, but she met the guy and said that he was super-hot and wealthier than I am!¡± He burst out into


    tears.


    The bitterness of his words was proof of how devastated he was. I reached into my purse and handed


    him a tissue.


    ¡°At first I thought that it was some kind of really bad joke, but she confirmed her previous words without


    even blinking an eye. She asked why she should limit herself if she could have the best that is on the


    market? And I looked into her eyes as if I was looking at apletely different person. That hurt like a


    bitch,¡± he said as he regained hisposure after emptying another ss.


    I had to admit that after hearing the story, I wanted to p this Nicole myself. Liam certainly wasn¡¯t


    perfect, but he was a decent guy. Besides, no one deserved to be treated that way.


    ¡°So¡­ what do you want your revenge to look like?¡± I asked, fisting my hand, more than eager to get


    Liam some justice.


    At my words, his lips formed a wicked grin. He leaned closer, locking his slightly drunken gaze on me. ¡°I


    got it all figured out,¡± he announced with a fierce nod. ¡°When she broke up with me, I wanted to know


    who that jerk is, but there¡¯s no news about him. I¡¯d only learned that the details would be announced at


    thest minute for security reasons. That means that whoever the guy is, he must be some mogul. I was


    angry, jealous, and depressed so¡­ I hired a private investigator.¡± He straightened, putting a proud smile


    on his face.


    I inwardly rolled my eyes at him. When poor people get dumped, they go get drunk, curse at the ex, burn


    their pictures, or cry for a week or two. None of them hires a detective! Yet¡­ he had the means, and that


    was his way of coping. Who was I to judge?


    I sighed, deciding that I needed another ss of scotch, and asked, ¡°So what did this private investigator


    find?¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± He let out a nervousugh. ¡°He found nothing on the guy, as if he was a top-secret agent or


    something, but he found a lot of dirt on Nicole and her family.¡± His mischievous grin became wider as he


    shifted on the sofa, sitting closer to my ear¡­ although speaking at the same volume. ¡°Apparently,


    Nicole¡¯s father betrayed his first business partner and stole his project to build his ownpany. And


    since betrayal runs in Saxon¡¯s veins, Nicole is no different. She has been using men to climb the social


    ladder. She often dated two or three at the same time! It hurt like crazy to realize that I was merely one of


    her many steps to catching the really big fish, but it helped to know that I wasn¡¯t the only one who got


    cheated, and now she is about to do it again! Who knows, this poor guy who is about to marry her might


    even end up dead after their sacramental vows! Who knows what she is capable of?!¡± All right, Liam got


    carried away, and the amount of alcohol, merrily buzzing in his veins, surely helped increase the scale of


    his assumptions. Suddenly, he hit the table with his fist. ¡°We have to save him!¡± he imed, frowning.


    ¡°Save¡­ who?¡± I blinked my eyes at him. ¡°That poor guy! My recement! The one she is about to


    marry!¡± Liam eximed. I leaned back, trying to grasp the whole picture. I didn¡¯t quite follow his mood


    swings, although I liked the agitated Liam far better than the sad and heartbroken Liam.


    ¡°That is why I¡¯m not doing this only for myself! I¡¯m doing this for every guy that was hurt by Nicole, and


    I¡¯m going to prevent this poor mogul from marrying a mantis!¡± he stated, cing his hand on his chest.


    I appreciated his enthusiasm but still saw no n for revenge. ¡°So, are you going to barge into her


    wedding shouting that you object, or something?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The wickedness exploded in his eyes. ¡°The ceremony might be private, and I want the whole world


    to know what a bitch she is. The engagement party of the rich is the event where the press is invited as


    well. And I know when and where it¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re going to crash her engagement party, shouting the truth?¡± I smiled awkwardly, picturing how


    bad something like that could end up for him.


    ¡°No!¡± He burst outughing. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not an idiot¡­¡±


    I seriously hoped that he was not, but I sighed in undeniable relief when he said it.


    ¡°I prepared a slide show, exposing every single rtionship she was in and how it ended. And we¡¯re


    going to y it on the big screen in the Blue Crystal Hotel¡¯s ballroom, where the engagement part is


    going to be held,¡± he said, confidently.


    I emptied another ss. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°No,¡± he replied calmly. ¡°This will work. I¡¯ve seen it happen


    before.¡±


    ¡°Seen¡­ where?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°In Korean dramas.¡± He grinned and crossed his hands over his chest.


    ¡°You watch Korean¡­ never mind. You do understand the difference between the romance script and real


    life, don¡¯t you?¡± I grimaced as I began to question his sanity. ¡°Oh,e on!¡± He prodded my elbow.


    ¡°When was thest time you did something exciting?¡± ¡°I treasure my life more than the shot of adrenalin,


    and I¡¯m not going to jail because you wanted to y a hero,¡± I grunted. ¡°We won¡¯t end up in jail. I¡¯ve got


    everything we need: the hotel ns, the escape route¡­ all I need is you and your talent. I need you to


    hack into their system and y the slide show at a


    certain moment. I promise that I will get us out of there after everything is done,¡± he coaxed. I took a


    deep breath, calcting how many things could go south. ¡°No,¡± my verdict sounded.


    ¡°Cora¡­ please.¡± Liam grabbed both of my hands and stared at me with puppy eyes. ¡°I know I¡¯m asking


    for a lot¡­ but you promised me that you would pay me back¡­ I hate to use that card but¡­¡±


    I clenched my teeth. ¡°Liam¡­ if I was only taking care of myself, I would agree to this insane idea of


    yours. But there¡¯s my Grandma. Who is going to take care of her if something happens to me?¡±


    Not to mention that preparations for his n could take a few days, and I had to work and earn money.


    There was a lot on my mind, plus I needed to figure out how to raise a hundred thousand dors¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you!¡± he burst out suddenly.


    I looked at him, trying to stabilize my vision, ¡°What?¡± I asked faintly.


    ¡°I know your time is precious,¡± he said as if he read my mind, ¡°If you help me, I¡¯ll pay you ten thousand


    dors. How does it sound?¡±


    Iughed nervously, I was unable to tell if it was because he gave me an argument that I could use to


    justify my actions, iming that I was doing it for my Grandma, or simply because I was seriously drunk


    at that time, I smirked with the alcoholic¡®s charm and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    The first stage


    It was the worst hangover I¡¯d ever had, and it wasn¡¯t even about the toxic level of alcohol I¡¯d consumed


    the night before. Sure, ten thousand dors sounded great. It would have been my first real step to


    gathering the amount of money I needed, but at the same time, I felt as if I was getting myself involved in


    a bank robbery!


    I trusted my abilities, but i felt much safer when I used them from myputer at home or in our


    workshop. I had never had to sneak anywhere and plug into some other, off-line system to take control of


    it. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had agreed to something like this!


    I felt like we were engaging in a top-secret operation that required perfect nning, high precision, and


    an incredible amount of luck. Our mission had been divided into two stages. The first stage had to take


    ce two days before the engagement party, and it was meant to get ess to the hotel¡¯sputers


    connected to the ballroom, while the second stage was about the actual engagement party event. Liam


    organized the whole logistical side of the operation, but I was the one responsible for its most crucial


    elements¡­


    It was early Wednesday morning, and with Friday¡¯s engagement partying in two days, it was our


    time to act.


    ¡°I cannot believe that I¡¯m actually doing this,¡± I grunted, putting on the hotel¡¯s uniform. ¡°It¡¯s all good, Cora.


    You have your backdoor pass. All you need to do is go to the first floor, where the ballroom¡¯s sound


    engineer¡¯s room is, walk inside, pretend to clean it and work your magic on theirputer.¡± Liam


    shrugged as if it was the easiest thing to do. I gave him a wry smile. ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that. You¡¯re not the


    one doing it.¡±


    ¡°I know that it¡¯ll be perfect. Trust me. You have nothing to worry about.¡± His beaming grin and his


    carefree words were exactly the reason why I was getting more and more restless.


    Nevertheless, I¡¯d agreed, and I wasn¡¯t going to back out. I put on the navy blue fitted skirt and jacket,


    which made me look like a fancy stewardess and tied my blond hair into a slick ponytail.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± I asked teasingly, turning around in front of Liam. ¡°Crazy hot¡­¡± he murmured. I


    laughed, mocking his remark. ¡°Yeah¡­ I already feel like a sexy little thief.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. The color


    matches your deep blue eyes¡­ You look like most men¡¯s sexual fantasy, ¡± he said, slightly blushing.


    I had to admit that his words ced a blush on my face as well. It wasn¡¯t because I had any problems


    with acknowledging the fact that some guys found me attractive, but I think I just missed that tickling


    feeling in my stomach. Perhaps my healing time was over, and I needed to find myself a decent guy to


    fall in love with¡­ which was hard, considering the men around me were eitherputer freaks or gay.


    Furthermore, the freshly heartbroken and slightly emotionally unstable Liam was a hundred percent out


    of the question. I exhaled my newly discovered source of frustration, clearing my head before I got in the


    car that was supposed to take me to the Blue Crystal Hotel.


    Paris Stapp


    The car parked in front of the backdoor, which was reserved as the hotel¡¯s staff entrance. Fortunately,


    Liam got me a legit pass, giving me the identity of a temporary recement employee. I was recing


    an actual member of the hotel staff, who was paid enough to fake illness. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to


    pretend to know anyone, and I could easily excuse myself by saying that I was there for only one day.


    I passed security without any problems. The good fact was that this hotel was enormous and with people


    working in shifts, it was impossible to memorize all the faces. It was convenient since no one stopped me


    on my way to the first floor, asking if I was new there. Even so, my heart hammered wildly, and I had to


    clench my fists to stop my hands from trembling.


    I memorized the hotel n, which let me find the sound engineering room without any problems. I


    heaved a long sigh of relief, realizing there was no one inside. Well, I guess there was no one eager to


    work there at 7 AM. Fortunately, the faking illness employee had given me her keys. That saved me from


    adding breaking a door lock to my list of crimes. A minuteter, I was already turning on the main


    computer, the one connected to the ballroom¡¯s huge, cinematic screen.


    Whoever worked there was an idiot, because how else could I name someone who had a list of


    passwords stuck to the corner of the screen frame? I chuckled, thinking that I should probably find this


    moron and buy him a coffee. He saved me at least ten minutes of work Certainly, it would have been a


    whole lot easier if their equipment hadn¡¯t been intentionally disconnected from the inte, but my little,


    almost harmless software was about to change that fact¡­


    I downloaded a tiny bug from the sh drive I¡¯d brought. The program had a timer, counting down like a


    little bomb. At the right time, it would turn theputer online and open the system¡¯s back door for me to


    enter and take control of it. But the best ability of that software was its self-deleting mechanism set on a


    timer, which would make the main proof of hacking disappear right after the presentation. If I hadn¡¯t


    written the program myself, I would have said that it was a work of genius. I knew that ¡°humble¡± had


    never been my second name, but why should I be ashamed, or lie about my skills when I was seriously


    good at what I was doing?


    ¡°I finished my job, turned off theputer, and walked out of the room, leaving it exactly as it was before


    I entered. I took a deep breath in and out, feeling morefortable now that the not-so-legal part of


    Liam¡¯s revenge was over. I was walking through the corridor on the first floor when I got the text from


    Liam.


    ¡°We had to move the car. Go to the ground floor and walk to the main hotel entrance. We¡¯ll be waiting


    right outside,¡± the message said. Any traces offort disappeared in less than a second. I didn¡¯t like


    the changes, and I certainly didn¡¯t like the idea of walking into the main hall dressed like a hotel


    employee. Why did I get the feeling that something bad was about to happen?


    I tried to keep my breathing steady, but even my steps became awkward as I entered the most crowded


    part of the hotel. I could tell myself to act naturally, but what exactly did that mean!! I wish that those


    people passing me by could simply ignore me, but somehow I keep attracting their attention. Now I


    started to realize that Liam¡¯sment concerning how good that uniform looked on me might have been


    less exaggerated than I thought. I literally heard some man whistle as I walked by¡­


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    The first stage


    My eyes were locked on the big revolving door in front of me. I needed to walk only a few more meters to


    get out of there. I could no longer hear any other sounds aside from my pounding heart and erratic


    breath. I could see my goal just a couple of steps away. The door spun in front of me, and I was just


    about to step between its ss barriers when a tall, towering man stepped out andpletely blocked


    my way in.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I mumbled, raising my head to meet his gaze.


    As my eyes met his, I saw his lips curve into a smug grin. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Bell.¡±


    His deep, sensual voice made something inside my stomach flutter. I swallowed hard before painting a


    faint smile on my face and replying, ¡°G-good morning, Mr. Lan.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Putting on a show Aren Lan looked absolutely striking in a navy blue suit and a ck shirt and tie. I


    wouldn¡¯t miss the way his perfectly tailored jacket emphasized his broad shoulders, nor how the well


    defined curves of his biceps pressured the fabric with each slight bend of his arm. Why did this arrogant


    douche have to look so mouth-watering? He made my mind go nk again! I should ignore him, walk


    past him, say that he confused me with someone else¡­ anything aside from greeting him! Instead, I was


    now standing before him like a schoolgirl in front of a teacher while trying to find a logical way to exin


    my sudden brain malfunction. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were working in my hotel,¡± he said, his eyes carefully


    scanning my tight uniform.


    A wave of heat rushed through me. Of course, he owned the hotel! He owned nearly half of Manhattan,


    and with my luck, I should have assumed from the beginning that the Blue Crystal Hotel was his.


    Nheless, I proved to be stupid enough to never consider checking who owns that hotel before


    nning to do something illegal there. I should have been more careful. Now I needed to find a way out


    of this situation, and the best solution was to tell the truth¡­ partially¡­ kind of.


    ¡°I¡¯m just here as a recement to help my sick friend. I came here toplete one simple task for her,


    and now I¡¯m leaving,¡± I exined, struggling to keep my voice calm. ¡°Oh.¡± He raised his brows and


    narrowed his eyes a secondter. ¡°What¡¯s your friend¡¯s name?¡± Was he checking to see if I was telling


    the truth? Seriously?! Why did he instantly find my presence in his hotel suspicious?! Well, fortunately,


    memorizing the name of the bribed employee was the first thing I did preparing for ¡°operation revenge.¡± I


    replied confidently, ¡°Her name is Holly Griffin.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he smirked, lowering his gaze to my chest. ¡°If it


    were to happen one more time, tell her to get you a bigger size of the uniform. This one draws attention a


    little too much¡­¡± My mouth opened, but my mind was unable to produce any intelligent reply to his


    words. My embarrassment mixed with rising anger. I wanted to p him, but at the same time, I wanted


    to be invisible. Yes, I was aware that I was slightly too curvy for that uniform, but it wasn¡¯t like I


    could choose the damn size! It took me a few seconds to reboot my system before I could produce aProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He grabbed my hand, stopping me before I stepped into the revolving door. His grip was gentle, his


    thumb stroking the skin on my wrist. Shivers rushed through me, making me throb. I exhaled, forcing


    myself to pretend I wasposed. I turned my eyes on him, putting all the nonchnce I could into my


    gaze. He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s always a pleasure to see you, Ms. Bell,¡± he said as his fingertips slid from my


    wrists through the length of my palm until he released me from touch.


    I gasped and squeezed my thighs, more than aware of my increased humidity. This time my


    1/5


    S


    o


    why, este


    brain demanded a serious recovery, leaving me with no other choice but to act like an idioti stretched my


    lips into a thin smile, preventing myself from making any sound that wouldpromise me more than I


    already was, and dashed through the door


    As I stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the hotel, I realized I was trembling. The mix of extreme


    emotions I felt made me stop and try to remember which way I should go I began to wonder if my


    common sense was allergic to anything Lan rted because I found my intelligence degraded below 00


    IQ each time this man came around. To make it worse, everything about him screamed sex, turning me


    into a freaking cat in heat! God, I hated having so little control over my body!


    I kept standing still with my mind nk for a minute or two. If Liam hadn¡¯t shown up and led me to the


    car, I would probably have stood there looking like a lunatic for much longer than that


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, as we drove off from the hotel. ¡°What took you so long? I thought that you


    were on your way to the exit when I texted you.¡± ¡°I.. met the hotel¡¯s owner,¡± I answered, nervously


    smiling. ¡°Oh my God!¡± he eximed, grabbing my hands. ¡°Were you used of anything?! Are you all


    right?! Did he threaten you?!¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± I muttered, reying the whole situation in my mind, ¡°I¡¯ve met this person before, so he was just


    curious. I told him that I was a temporary recement.¡±


    Liam ced his hand on his chest and leaned against the car¡¯s seat. ¡°Thank God¡­ You scared me, you


    know?¡±


    ¡°I scared you?!¡± I snapped, ¡°You think that I wasn¡¯t terrified myself?! I was the one actuallymitting a


    crime!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± He raised his hands in surrender. ¡°I¡¯m just d that you¡¯re OK and that it will work on


    Friday¡­ because it will work, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it will,¡± I assured him with a wicked smirk.


    My heart kept pounding and my emotions swirled within me. I was hot-tempered, and I often let my


    feelings get the best of me, but I knew I could rely on my abilities. If Liam wanted to expose his ex in


    front of the world, then I was going to send his message in a way that everyone would hear it loud and


    clear.


    As soon as I got home, I became consumed by restlessness. I knew that I had been seen by people that


    could recognize me, and if something was to go south on Friday, I had to make sure I¡¯d minimized the


    damage beforehand. ¡°Fine, Cora¡­ Now you may add hacking into a hotel security system to your list of


    illegal activities,¡± I said before getting my hands on the whole security footage of that day. I had to make


    it look like the cameras were malfunctioning. I had deleted most of the day¡¯s footage from the first floor¡¯s


    cameras. Then I deleted coincidental footage from cameras on the third and fifth floors. I didn¡¯t want to


    erase the proof of my presence entirely, it became useless from the moment Aren Lan saw me. But I had


    to make sure that no one could ever use me of entering that sound engineering room. Once I deleted


    thest film frame with


    Putting on a show


    me walking through the first floor¡¯s corridor, I sighed in relief. My anxious mind could finally rest¡­


    Friday came before I knew it. Initially, I nned to turn on the slide show whilefortably sitting on my


    couch in the living room, but Liam begged me to witness the drama with him at the hotel. I tried to tell


    him that it was an unnecessary risk, but he ended up dropping to his knees and begging me toe


    with him. He imed that his revenge would mean nothing if we both hadn¡¯t witnessed it. Eventually, I


    agreed to drop the bomb while sitting with myptop in the hotel¡¯s caf¨¦, about twenty meters from the


    ballroom¡­


    From the moment I sat there and ordered coffee expensive enough to be made of gold, I started to feel


    like a killer returning to the crime scene. As a crime novel lover, I knew that it was one of the dunhbest


    things to do next to telling your cellmate where you had hidden the body¡­ Yet, I sighed and smiled,


    watching Liam excitedly shift in his seat. I wanted to support him. I wanted to give him some closure,


    even if his way of coping was over the top.


    Honestly, the preparations for the party looked nothing like I expected. There was no red carpet outside,


    nor information about who was going to engage. If it weren¡¯t for Liam¡¯s private investigator, who got him


    the information about where and when this party would ur, we¡¯d probably only realize what had


    happened after it was over. Even the hotel staff acted as if they were absolutely unbothered by the


    numerous guests in their highly expensive evening dresses¡­ I wondered, was it because it looked like


    any other evening event happening in the hotel, or were they asked to keep it highly confidential?


    The engagement party was about to start. Liam and I were sitting in the corner of the caf¨¦, with a good


    view of the corridor leading from the main entrance to the ballroom. The guests were surrounded and


    followed by tight security. At the ballroom¡¯s entrance, they and their invitations were carefully checked,


    making the whole event look like a morous kind of secret organization meeting.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Liam mumbled and turned his head away from the group of guests on their way to the


    ballroom.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, lowering my voice.


    ¡°Nicole¡¯s parents¡­¡± he groaned painfully.


    I looked at the all-smiling middle-aged couple and instantly felt sorry for Liam. Nicole¡¯s mother was


    wearing a long, buttle-green sequin dress, more sparkling than a tree at Christmas, while her father wore


    a ck tuxedo, tightly wrapped around his fat belly. I smiled mischievously, thinking that if I had made


    those two crime novel characters, they would be this unlikable couple, the first to die at the hands of the


    murderer¡­ It surely was a good thing that Liam wasn¡¯t going to have inws like that.


    Finally, with all the guests and the carefully selected press already inside, the ballroom door closed. It


    was time to get to work. I had twoptops prepared on our table. One was for Liam to observe what was


    going on at the party, and the other was for me to turn on the slide show at the right moment. I had


    already hacked the hotel¡¯s surveince system and was wired into the ballroom¡¯s cameras.


    ¡°The show is about to begin,¡± I said, pointing at theptop screen in front of Liam and handing him


    earphones since he was going to be my eyes and ears, letting me know what was


    Puiting on a show


    happening


    We nned to start the slide show the second the engaged appeared on the scene. My eyes now shifted


    to the otherputer on the table. The little worm I nted in the sound engineering room had already


    activated, letting me into the system. My fingers were already itching to take control, but I waited for the


    right moment. ¡°It¡¯s starting. The speaker announces the future bride and groom, asking them toe up


    onto the stage.¡± That was all I needed to hear from Liam. I grinned demonically as I worked my magic. A


    little less than a minuteter, I turned on the ballroom¡¯s main screen and nonchntly hit the key to start


    the show. From that moment, no one could turn it off until the slide show was over.


    ¡°Damn¡­ that fucker looks seriously good,¡± Liam muttered, looking at the screen. ¡°Let me see.¡± As I


    turned theptop to look at the groom-to-be, I froze. ¡°This¡­ this cannot be happening¡­¡± The slide show


    had already started. Nicole¡¯s pictures with different rich men she dated popped on the cinematic screen


    one by one, followed by information about how much she cost them. There were over thirty men she


    dated in thest two years, two or three-timing a few times. The guests appeared to be in deep shock,


    while the press went wild, taking pictures of everyone and everything. I had already known it was going


    to be like this, but there was one thing I hadn¡¯t predicted¡­ Somehow it hadn¡¯t thought of the possibility


    that the host of this engagement party, the groom-to-be, would be none other than Aren freaking Lan! I


    didn¡¯t know much about that man, but I was certain that it wasn¡¯t someone I wanted to mess with, and I


    had just destroyed his rtionship!


    He stood on this stage calmly, as if he was almost enjoying the show. Nicole kept tugging at the rim of his


    tuxedo jacket while shaking her head, most likely trying to im innocence despite the devastating


    evidence of her promiscuous cheater¡¯s life. With my trembling hand, I zoomed in on Aren¡¯s face, and I


    could see his eyes darkened while his lips formed the most terrifying cold smirk I had ever seen. ¡®I


    gasped abruptly, leaning back away from the screen. My head began to spin. My stomach


    twisted, causing a wave of nausea that filled my insides. My hammering heart disturbed all other sounds


    as the fear overshadowed every other emotion I felt. ¡°He¡¯s going to kill me.¡± I muttered through the hand I


    ced on my mouth as the whole life shed before my eyes. In a sudden revtion, I thought of


    running away to some other country, taking my Grandma with me, but then I also realized that I had no


    chance against someone like Aren Lan. Iughed hysterically. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Big mistake While Liam stared at the screen with fire in his eyes, I was bing more and more


    terrified. Liam enjoyed Nicole¡¯s writhe when she tried to cover the wall-size screen with her body and


    raised arm. I couldn¡¯t me him. She got what she deserved, and Liam got what he wanted. He


    obviously knew nothing about Aren Lan, and he didn¡¯t care. I wish I could say something simr¡­


    While Nicole stood in the line of fire on the stage, Aren walked to the side and talked to two of his people.


    A few secondster, those twomanded the security team who led the press out of the ballroom and


    the other team who took care of the disturbed guests. Suddenly, Aren smirked, looking directly at the


    surveince camera¡­ I swallowed. He couldn¡¯t know that we were watching him at that moment, could


    he?


    ¡°Liam¡­ We need to get out of here¡­ the show is over,¡± I said nervously, cleaning the first of the


    computers from any traces of hacking into their system. ¡°Why? Do you think someone will catch us?¡± He


    shot me a lopsided smirk. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Liam!¡± I jerked the secondptop my way and closed the


    surveince footage windows.


    I destroyed any evidence that could link me with hacking during the engagement party and then turned


    off theputer. I did it in a rush. My heart pounded, and my whole body was shivering. I kept thinking if


    I had deleted everything I should. I prayed that I did. I had always been a perfectionist. I liked to act


    rationally and slowly, calcting my moves before making them. That waspletely unlike anything I


    was doing at that moment. I was frantic. I packed theputers, and almost pushed Liam out of his


    seat, feeling a desperate need to get out of there immediately. ¡°Go. Now!¡± I hissed, trying to make him


    realize that I was deadly serious.


    I rushed him through the corridor and could breathe when I stepped outside the hotel. Liam¡¯s chauffeur


    pulled over, and I was just about to get inside the car when I realized¡­ I left without a purse.


    ¡°Shit¡­ I need to go back there,¡± I said, clenching my teeth. Aplete idiot! I couldn¡¯t believe that I was


    able to make such an amateur mistake¡­


    ¡°Leave it! If there¡¯s money you are worried about, I will pay you more,¡± Liam urged.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?! This is like leaving evidence! My phone and all my documents are in there,


    including my Grandmother¡¯s! I cannot just leave it there!¡± I eximed, trembling from agitation and fear.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll wait for you a block from here. Try to go back and behave naturally.¡± Liam tried lecturing me


    with a smile.


    I answered with a weird grimace, too nervous to think straight, not to mention ¡°act naturally. ¡± As I swirled


    back through the revolving door, the feeling of suffocation hit me. The whole corridor became crowded


    with people walking out of the scandalous engagement party. I had


    Ale mistake


    noticed that the reporters were going back without their cameras, which obviously were confiscated. I


    swallowed hard as I observed it all happening.


    I walked in tiny steps, almost leaning against the wall, trying to find a way to get back to the hotel¡¯s caf¨¦.


    The security guards were everywhere, and I felt like a criminal with a neon shing sign over my head.


    Besides, it was easy to spot me since I was the only one walking further inside the hotel while everyone


    else was walking out. God, I seriously could use the invisibility cloak right now¡­


    Finally, the hotel¡¯s caf¨¦ was just around the corner. I sighed in relief when I managed to sneak in without


    anyone stopping me. There was no one inside except for me. I guessed that their working hours were


    over. I darted to the table where Liam and I had been sitting, but I


    couldn¡¯t find my purse anywhere. I looked at the chairs¡¯ seats and then bent down to nce under the


    table.


    ¡°Is this what you are looking for?¡± a harsh, cold voice asked.


    I straightened up violently and turned to face the man standing there. He looked like one of the guards.


    He was a bulky, bald-shaved guy, over six feet tall. He held my purse in his hand while scanning me with


    his cold gaze.


    I gave him a stiff smile. ¡°I was just looking for it. Can I have it back, please?¡± I did all I could to prevent


    my voice from shaking.


    He chuckled but didn¡¯t give me the purse. Instead, he pulled a jacketpel with a microphone up to his


    mouth. ¡°I got her,¡± he said, then automatically nodded his head, responding to the message he heard in


    his earpiece. I gulped and stepped back. I knew that I was already their prime suspect. I should never


    havee back for that purse! I should never havee to this hotel in the first ce! Why had I ever


    agreed to this amazingly stupid revenge?! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± the security guard tossed, grabbing my arm and


    pulling me out of the caf¨¦. ¡°Hey!¡± I yelled, struggling to free myself from his strong grip. ¡°You don¡¯t have


    the right to do ¡®this to me!¡±


    ¡°Shut up or I will knock you out!¡± he roared. ¡°Either way, you areing with me!¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    I gulped and let him drag me through the ¡°employees only¡± door. The corridor was empty with no one to


    see this, no one to ask for help. I kept stumbling to keep up with that man¡¯s pace, but he didn¡¯t slow


    down but kept tightening his grip on my wrist. I told him that he was hurting me and that I could walk by


    myself, but he only reacted withughter. I was on the verge of a panic attack. I was most confident


    sitting in front of myputer, but my body was too weak to fight against physical strength, and the way


    this man overpowered me felt horrifying. Soon I became consumed by the feeling of helplessness.


    I wept softly, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to meet my boss, and I suggest you act docile if you want to keep your life,¡± he growled.


    Was he talking about Aren Lan? I bet he was, and it couldn¡¯t mean anything good for me. The way this


    security guard was treating me was designed to frighten me, and he did a very good


    Hey


    m


    ake


    job of that. But if Lan was the one who ordered this man to act this way towards me, that meant he was


    seriously pissed ofl.


    I had a little knowledge about things that wealthy people were capable of. I knew that my ex boyfriend,


    Can, was once used of causing an ident while drunk driving and then running away from the


    scene of the ident. He had never admitted it, but deep inside i knew that he was guilty. Two days


    later, he suddenly went back to America for two weeks, and when he came back to Oxford, the charges


    had already been dropped. I was more than certain that this ¡°problem¡± had been taken care of by his


    wealthy family. But if Can¡¯s family could easily make his case disappear, then who knows what Aren


    Lan was capable of? I was in his hotel, in his territory, where only his rules existed. All he had to do was


    to pay his employees to keep their mouths shut Oh, God¡­ Did he want me dead?! Was this man taking


    me to one of those industrial rooms all covered with stic foil to kill me and dispose of my body


    afterward?!


    The security guard pushed me inside the elevator, then walked after me and pressed thest floor


    button. I stood in the corner in silence, leaning against the wall and rubbing my arms with my hands as if


    I was freezing. The level of my nervousness went beyond the limits I could bear. I wanted this to be over.


    I wanted to go home. The guard kept ncing at me and my cleavage with an obnoxious smirk, and I


    prayed that this elevator went faster. Being alone with this man was even more terrifying than


    acknowledging being detained by Aren.


    ¡°Move,¡± the guard hissed as the elevator reached the top floor.


    My knees were weak, and I stumbled on my way out. The man clicked his tongue and grabbed me by


    the wrist again before dragging me into the corridor. I groaned painfully, but he didn¡¯t even look at me. I


    heard him chuckle instead as if he enjoyed dragging me around. I hated this situation. I didn¡¯t kill anyone.


    All I did was to help reveal the truth. That truth could also save Aren Lan from marrying a seriously


    messed-up woman. He should be thanking me! I didn¡¯t deserve to be treated this way!


    Suddenly, another man appeared in the corridor. He had a suit like that guard, but the one he was


    wearing didn¡¯t resemble a uniform. It was an elegant, well-tailored grey suit. Judging by his slender body


    form, he definitely wasn¡¯t a security guard, but he didn¡¯t look like a hotel guest either. He had neatly


    combed brown hair and deep-set brown eyes that carried an intelligent gaze. His eyes were locked on


    me as he walked before stopping in front of us.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Cliff,¡± he said curtly, ring at the guard. ¡°I will take care of Ms. Bell from here.¡±


    The guard released my hand in an instant. Then he cleared his throat and bowed down to the man in the


    grey suit.


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Edmond,¡± came his nervous response. The man in the grey suit meaningfully reached


    out his hand and Cliff gave him my purse, before hurriedly walking away. Mr. Edmond narrowed his eyes,


    watching him go, and shifted his eyes on me as Cliff disappeared behind the door, leading to the


    staircase. ¡°Ms. Bell, let me take you to your room, ¡± he said with a sly grin.


    ¡°M-my room?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, ¡°Mr. Lan prepared a ce for you to stay for a while.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to stay?¡±


    Mr. Edmond chuckled. ¡°I believe you don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°But this is kidnapping! This is illegal


    imprisonment!¡± I snapped.


    Mr. Edmond smiled at me,pletely unfazed. ¡°If you like to call it that way¡­ Let me show you the way


    to your cell then.¡±


    I clenched my teeth, but I was left without a choice. There was no escape from my situation. The good


    side was that I didn¡¯t think that this person wanted to harm me, and truthfully, I¡¯d rather deal with Mt.


    Edmond than with any other Cliff-lik¨¨ guard. I followed him through the corridor and suddenly realized


    that we were on the floor where the most expensive apartment suites were. I counted only three doors in


    the entire corridor, and Mr. Edmond stopped in front of one of them.


    ¡°You¡¯ll spend the night here, Ms. Bell,¡± he said as he pulled out a key card from his pocket and opened


    the door. I gazed at him hesitantly before stepping inside my elegant cell. I gasped as I entered the huge,


    spacious hall with a dark wooden floor, a white sofa, armchairs, and a coffee table standing on a fluffy


    carpet, but what struck me the most was the most astonishing view, beautifully exposed by the floor-to-


    ceiling windows. It certainly was the most impressive room I had ever been in. As I walked further, I


    found the bedroom with a huge canopy bed, and a bathroom with a shower and a jacuzzi. There was no


    sense inparing this ce, with all its luxury, to my Brooklyn apartment¡­ ¡°I hope you¡¯ll find this ce


    comfortable. A maid will bring you fresh clothes in the morning, ¡°Mr. Edmond exined. ¡°Have a good


    night, Ms. Bell.¡±


    He shed me a smug grin as he left the room and locked it from the outside. I walked to the king-size


    bed and copsed. I had no idea what was going to happen tomorrow. I had no idea why Aren Lan


    wanted to keep me here or what he wanted from me. All I knew was that this was going to be the most


    nerve-racking night I had ever spent¡­

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    The Contract


    I decided to make use of Aren Lan¡®s hospitality and took a long bath to clear my head. Afterwards, I


    wrapped myself in a hotel bathrobe andy down on the bed. I started analyzing what kind of proof he


    could have against me...


    He didn¡®t have myptops, but even if he had, I made sure there were no traces of evidence that I had


    broken into Blue Crystal Hotel¡®s system. The little worm I had downloaded to theirputer had self¨C


    deleted already, and not even the best specialist could bring it back, let alone connect it with me.


    I needed to shut down the panic within me by building a solid wall of rational arguments. All Aren Lan


    had were assumptions, nothing solid enough to press any charges against me. I needed to rely on the


    fact that this man was a public figure running a legit business. He could make my life harder than it


    already was. He could make me fired from Caf¨¦ Dorado, or even make me move out from New York


    City if he wanted to, but he would use legal means to do it. For God¡®s sake, he wasn¡®t some kind of boss


    of some underworld organization... Was he?


    After tossing and turning the whole night, I decided to stick tomon sense. Aren Lan had no way to


    prove that I had anything to do with devastating his engagement party. I could have been there by


    coincidence, just like a hundred other caf¨¦ guests. Besides, ying a slideshow on the big screen


    wasn¡®t exactly making me a serious criminal.


    As my eyes met the sunrise, I felt confident and ready to face whatever Aren Lan had for me. Like Mr.


    Edmond said, at seven o¡®clock, the hotel maid brought me fresh, or rather new, clothes... and lingerie. I


    was reluctant to wear them, but the smelly condition of my yesterday¡®s clothing could drastically


    decrease my confidence. I had to admit that the fact that everything fit perfectly was quite disturbing. I


    had never worn anything that would make me feel sexier than the creamce set of lingerie I was given,


    while the light blue dress with a medium neckline, fitted waistline, and a red skirt gave me an elegant


    and feminine look. I must admit that the way Aren Lan treated his prisoner was quite peculiar, not that I


    wouldin... so far.


    A half¨Chourter, someone brought me breakfast: scrambled eggs, croissants with butter, a vegetable


    sd, a fruit sd for dessert, and well¨Cmade coffee. I started to wonder if eating everything they had


    brought me was even possible, but then again, it could have been myst meal... Of course, I waved


    that thought away, doing my best to keep myposure and positive thinking


    At eight o¡®clock, two security guards came, and I was taken to an office. Somehow, I felt calm and


    confident. I was focused and I thought I was ready for whatever Aren Lan would throw at me, but I


    realized that I wasn¡®t... not when Lan¡®swyer walked into the room and presented me with a contract...


    a marriage agreement! At first, I thought that it was a joke. Isn¡®t it something you can only read about


    in romance books? A sexy billionaire pays an innocent and poor girl to marry him...? Such clich¨¦d things


    don¡®t happen in real life! And of course, it was different than the romance novel situation. I wasn¡®t the


    innocent type of girl, and Aren Lan sure as hell didn¡®t consider paying me any money for being his


    wife. As he walked into the room, I could hear his threat instead.


    The Contract


    ¡°You can either sign it or go to jail,¡± he said harshly.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    I knew that he was positive that I was the one responsible for hacking into the hotel¡®s system, and he


    didn¡®t care that he had no physical evidence to prove it. The logical arguments I had been memorizing


    throughout the night turned out to bepletely useless...


    ¡°You still don¡®t get it, do you? I own this city. It means that if I say you go to jail, that means you go to jail,


    and if I say that I want you, that means you are already mine.¡±


    I swallowed hard. I knew that he meant every word, but somehow I wasn¡®t scared. I was flustered... and


    agitated. Why did his threat arouse me?! This was insane, and I needed to rely on mymon sense,


    even if I struggled to do so. ¡°Why in hell would you want to marry me?¡± I asked, hoping to point out how


    crazy his idea was.


    ¡°Because marrying Nicole Saxon is no longer an option,¡± he answered indifferently. I blinked my eyes as


    if it would help rify what he said. ¡°What?¡±


    Aren gestured at thewyer, and the man nodded and walked out of the room. Then he sighed and sat


    on the sofa in front of the one I was sitting on. ¡°I need to get married, and I need to be a married man


    until the end of this month.¡± Then he leaned forward, glowering at me. ¡°I would have been married by


    then if it weren¡®t for you. It is only natural that you fix what you¡®ve messed up.¡±


    I smiled nervously. ¡°Don¡®t you think you are overreacting? That girl was like the worst bitch ever. I think I


    have saved you from a lot of trouble and losing money,¡± I said, crossing my arms over my chest.


    Heughed coldly and leaned his back on the sofa. ¡°Do you seriously think I didn¡®t know about her? I


    knew everything concerning her before I let her get near me. She wasn¡®t trouble; she was an idiot. She


    wanted to get into my bed so badly that she would have signed even the worst kind of prenup.¡± ,¡°Why did


    you want to marry her then?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    He shrugged. ¡°It was business, plus she had a fine body to fuck.¡± I didn¡®t miss the way he scanned my


    body while mentioning hers. Was he evaluating me?! Was he checking if I was fuckable?! Seriously, I


    wanted to punch his smirking face! The problem was that I was still in his territory, and I wouldn¡®t like to


    meet one of his security guards again. I took a deep breath to calm down.


    ¡°If it¡®s a business deal, then you can marry whoever you want. I¡®m sure there are plenty of women who


    would love to sign whatever contract you would offer.¡± I tried to stay reasonable, despite my internal


    turmoil. He smirked. ¡°They would cost me more than you will.¡± I clenched my teeth trying to ignore the


    bitter meaning of his words. ¡°I¡®m sure there are many women who wouldn¡®t want any money to marry


    you.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Not if I only need to be married for two years. I wouldn¡¯t be paying to get married, but


    to get a divorce. But in your case... the price is your freedom. It¡®s the best deal for


    The contract


    me and the only deal for you.¡±


    My irritation grew. ¡°This is ckmail. Besides, if I were you, I wouldn¡®t be so sure that I would send me to


    jail, not without any evidence,¡± I challenged.


    ¡°Do you really dare test me on that?¡± A wicked grin painted his face, making me flinch. ¡°Are you brave


    enough to risk your life? Are you prepared to risk your grandmother¡®s life as well?¡±


    I jumped to my feet and red at him. ¡°Leave my Grandma out of this!¡± I roared. ¡°If you dare touch her¡­


    I swear 1¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡®m not a monster, Cora.¡± He stopped my outrage with a soothing tone in his voice. ¡°In fact, I¡®m


    considering paying for your grandmother¡®s treatment if you behave well.¡±


    Bemused, I sat back on the sofa and stared at him, processing the sudden change in his expression.


    Beneath his arrogance, I could almost notice warmth... Or perhaps I was just trying to convince myself


    that he was capable of caring for others.


    ¡°Let¡®s not waste more time, shall we?¡± he said, pulling me out of bewilderment. ¡°I will give you ten


    minutes to read the contract.¡±


    He got up and left the room, leaving me alone. The sole idea of marrying him sounded absurd, but my


    calctive brain was able to understand his arguments. If for some reason, he needed to be a


    married man, picking a wife he could control would have been the best option. He was well aware that I


    wouldn¡®t make any demands by the time of our divorce. He had leverage, and we both knew that I had


    no means to fight against him. Nheless, I needed to think of myself in this equation...


    The contract stated that our marriage wouldst exactly 24 months. As Mrs. Lan, I would have to live in


    his penthouse on Park Avenue... which wouldn¡®t be a great sacrifice. I would also


    re were no bad conditions in that contract¡­ That made me check the whole document again, more


    carefully this time. When I couldn¡®t find anything disturbing after reading the contract three times, I slowly


    started to get used to this crazy idea of bing his contracted second half.


    As the ten minutes passed, Aren walked back to the room, followed by thewyer and Mr. Edmond, who


    smiled at me and bowed. I smiled, greeting him, but as soon as Aren noticed it, he red at Mr. Edmond,


    making him step back almost against the door. Was he jealous or something? ¡°Ready to sign?¡± Aren


    asked, sitting in front of me.


    Thewyer stood by his side, ready to assist at any time. He awkwardly resembled a lowly servant


    bowing to the king. I smiled nervously, shifting my eyes from him to Aren.


    ¡°I have a few questions,¡± I started, ¡°Do I need to quit my job?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied immediately. ¡°Our


    marriage would onlyst for two years. I wouldn¡®t miss my job at the caf¨¦, but I want to keep my work


    as aputer specialist and our workshop,¡± I demanded.


    A faint smile shed on his face. ¡°Agreed. As long as you won¡®t drag my name into it. It would be


    best if you worked anonymously from now on.¡±


    ¡°That is fine with me,¡± I replied, slightly surprised that he could be convinced that easily,


    ¡°Is that all?¡± He raised his eyebrows, intensifying his gaze on me.


    I took a deep breath. ¡°Will you... really take care of my Grandma¡®s medical bills?¡± My question came out


    weakly.


    ¡°It is only natural for a husband to take care of a wife¡®s only living member of the family, is it


    not?¡±


    His response made something in my stomach flutter, although I still couldn¡®t get used to this husband¨C


    wife thing. Nheless, I couldn¡®t help but smile.


    ¡°Will you sign it now?¡± he urged.


    ¡°Onest question,¡± I promised, satisfied that I had managed to settle the major issues. ¡°Why do I need


    to go through theplete medical check¨Cup? It¡®s not like I¡®m going to die or be seriously ill during


    those two years... ¡°Iughed awkwardly.


    ¡°If I may,¡± thewyer interjected. ¡°Ma¡®am, the check¨Cup is a must before sexual intercourse.¡±


    The blood drained from my face as I slowly began to realize that I had been ignoring the marriage part of


    this contract. ¡°The... what?¡± I choked out.


    Thewyer repeatedposedly, ¡°You need to be examined before your first sexual intercourse with Mr.


    Lan.¡±

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    A peal of hystericughter escaped my throat as an intense blush painted my cheeks. He didn¡¯t actually


    expect me to have sex with him during our contractual marriage¡­ right? As my eyes slowly shifted to


    Aren, I muttered, ¡°You cannot be serious?¡± He smirked, once again carefully scanning my body. ¡°Why


    not? I need to know if it¡¯s safe to fuck my wife.¡±


    My jaw literally dropped, and I heard Mr. Edmond chuckle. How could Aren talk about such things so


    casually?! And how could he talk about having sex with me in front of some other people?!


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to sleep with you,¡± I squeezed through my teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not turning you into my sex


    ve. I am giving you an option. Besides, you will receive a copy of my medical card as well,¡± he said


    calmly. ¡°An option?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, standing up and sitting next to me. Then he gestured at thewyer and Mr. Edmond.


    ¡°Give us five.¡±


    A secondter, I was in that room alone with him, sitting inches away from me. My whole body tensed as


    his fingers nearly identally brushed my thigh, making my heart hammer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to force you because I would never force a woman¡­¡± he stated before whispering to my


    ear. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to lie. I wanted to fuck you from the first moment I saw you.¡±


    His lips touched my earlobe, sending a wave of shivers down my spine. I leaned back in desperate need


    to escape from him. His voice, his scent, everything about him felt like a deadly weapon turned against


    me. I moved to the edge of the sofa, which earned me a chuckle.


    ¡°I will give you a month,¡± he tossed, leaning back and sitting morefortably.


    ¡°A month¡­ for what?¡± I mumbled, trying to find my lostposure.


    ¡°For you to admit that you want me as much as I want you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in denial. His sole presence could turn me on, but it wasn¡¯t enough for me to jump into his bed. I


    was never a saint, but I was never able to separate sex from emotions. After my dreadful rtionship


    with Can ended, I promised myself two things: never to start a rtionship from physical attraction,


    and never fall for an arrogant rich guy. ¡°Dream on.¡± I scoffed. ¡°I can pretend that I¡¯m in love with you and


    that I am physically attracted to you, ying my part in front of others, but that¡¯s it.¡± I crossed my hands


    over my chest.


    He grinned smugly. ¡°As I said, I won¡¯t force you, but what if we need to get a little physical while ying a


    perfect married couple?¡± I swallowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Confused


    Before I knew it, his arm slid around my waist to my back, and he pulled me into a tight embrace. ¡°Like


    this,¡± he said softly, his other hand cupping my chin and positioning my lips an inch away from his.


    I couldn¡¯t restrain an urge to nce at his full, incredibly kissable lips. I badly wanted him to press them


    against mine, but he just stayed still, observing how I struggled to resist him. His fingers on my back


    drew a line down my spine, making me bite my lip just so I would prevent myself from making strange


    sounds. My whole body pulsed at his simplest touch. I hated myself for craving him the way I did.


    He smiled slyly, releasing my chin and back from his grip. ¡°Your reactions seem honest. Someone could


    truly believe that I turn you on,¡± he said mockingly.


    I clenched my teeth and lowered my gaze. I knew that saying anything or trying to deny what had


    happened would only make things worse. I didn¡¯t know what was more irritating the fact that I was losing


    to him each time he used his charms or that I found his style more and more appealing. Perhaps if I got


    used to his presence, I would stop questioning my sanity around him. I knew that I was strong enough to


    say no to him and that there was a line I would never cross, not after Can.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Fine¡­ let me sing this damn contract,¡± I said arrogantly.


    Heughed and pressed something on his phone. A minuteter, Mr. Edmond and thewyer were back


    in the room, and I was holding a pen in my hand, ready to ce my signature and sell my soul. Aren


    stayed beside me, and his presence wasn¡¯t helping. For the first time in my life, I had to concentrate


    before writing my own name.


    ¡°Done,¡± I announced as I finished my signature.


    Thewyer heaved an audible sigh of relief. He collected the documents and left as if he couldn¡¯t breathe


    inside that office where we were. I had yet to figure out how I felt after signing this contract. At least


    whatever I felt at that moment didn¡¯t make me restless.


    I was about to hide the pen in my purse when Aren suddenly grabbed my hand and ced it ¡®gently on


    top of his own.


    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± he asked, dangerously narrowing his eyes.


    I flinched before looking down at my wrist. Only then did I realize it was covered in dark colored bruises


    with visible round spots the size ofrge fingertips. I began to wonder whether the harsh treatment I had


    received the night before truly came from Aren¡¯s order. At this point¡­ I doubted it. He seemed concerned


    and angry, and I couldn¡¯t sense any lie in his expression. I nced at Mr. Edmond and noticed he


    straightened nervously while tightly sealing his lips. Wasn¡¯t he going to say anything? He had seen me


    dragged through the corridor. Was he trying to cover for his subordinate?! I hated being a snitch, but if


    that guy hurt me because he liked to abuse his strength, then at least his boss should know about it¡­


    ¡°One of the security guards¡­¡± I muttered, hesitantly gazing at Aren. He put my hand down on the sofa,


    treating it as if it was made of delicate porcin. I could see his jaw tense, the darkness of his ck


    irises deepening. ¡°Neil, mind exining this?¡± The firm tone of his voice carried an unmistakable threat,


    Confused


    making Mr. Edmond flinch as Aren¡¯s eyesnded on him.


    ¡°It was Cliff Owen, Sir¡­ He was told to bring Ms. Bell upstairs, and I guess he used an inadequate


    amount of strength,¡± Mr. Edmond exined in a deep apologetic bow.


    An icy smirk formed on Aren¡¯s lips. ¡°I always enjoy the way you add courtesy to every description that


    puts you in a difficult position, Neil.¡±


    Mr. Edmond bowed even lower. ¡°I¡­. I apologize, Sir. He might have misunderstood¡­ that was why¡­


    His attitude towards Ms. Bell-¡°.


    ¡°Call him to your office, and have him waiting for me¡­ And inform HR that Cliff Owen doesn¡¯t work for us


    anymore,¡± Aren said curtly.


    Was he going to fire him because he bruised my wrist? It felt weird that my aching hand would


    cost somebody his job, but I wasn¡¯t going to feel sorry for the guy. ¡°Is bringing him to the office really


    necessary?¡± Mr. Edmond questioned, nervously smiling.


    Aren responded with a murderous re that sent chills down my spine even if his eyes weren¡¯t aimed at


    me.


    ¡°Understood, Sir.¡± A second after these words left Mr. Edmond¡¯s throat, his hand was on the door handle,


    ready to follow his boss¡¯smand.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Aren¡¯s voice instantly made Mr. Edmond freeze. ¡°Order someone to do as I said. I want you to


    take care of my fianc¨¦e personally.¡±


    I felt a tickling sensation in my chest at the word ¡°fianc¨¦e,¡± and I couldn¡¯t understand why hearing Aren


    say it made me inwardly smile. As his eyes shifted to me, I instantly noted the change in his expression.


    He seemed calm, looking at me, and the corners of his lips were gently curved in a faint smile. ¡°I can


    assure you that you will never get hurt again. I apologize for what happened yesterday,¡± he said, his onyx


    irises carefully reading my face.


    ?My heart began to race, and a wave of heat flooded my body. Didn¡¯t we agree to fake our


    rtionship? Why did it seem like he cared? It confused me, messed with me, and I didn¡¯t like being


    yed with. ¡°It¡¯s OK. It¡¯s only a few bruises. They will heal.¡± I tried to make my voice sound as indifferent


    as possible, hoping that he couldn¡¯t hear my hammering heart.


    He smiled, looking at me as if he saw right through me, and then his eyes turned to Mr. Edmond. ¡°Neil,


    you will go with Cora to her apartment and help her pack anything important to her. She needs to move


    into my penthouse by tomorrow. You¡¯re free to tell her whatever you find necessary. I don¡¯t n to hide


    anything from her.¡±


    I had to admit that Aren¡¯s words suddenly made me anxious. I knew that I had already signed the use


    of confidentiality along with the contract so he could feel safe that I wouldn¡¯t reveal his secrets to anyone,


    but I wasn¡¯t sure if knowing too much about him would be safe for me¡­


    A minuteter, my fake fianc¨¦ excused himself, saying that he needed to get back to work, and I left with


    Mr. Edmond, who was supposed to take me to my apartment. As soon as we stepped into the corridor,


    he started texting someone, and when he finished, he heaved a heavy sigh. I


    nced at him curiously, and he caught my gaze.


    ¡°I almost feel sorry for the bastard,¡± he said with a dry chuckle. I quickly processed whom he could mean.


    ¡°For Cliff?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yup. At least his severance pay will cover his hospitalization.¡± He shrugged and observed my reaction to


    his words.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Iughed nervously.


    He smirked coldly. ¡°Why do you think Mr. Lan wanted to meet with him alone even if he was fired


    anyway?¡±


    ¡°W-what do you think he¡¯ll do to Cliff?¡± I asked, swallowing as my mind sent me a few ideas.


    ¡°I would say he¡¯d break his fingers¡­ or his arm¡­ maybe a few ribs as well,¡± he tossed nonchntly.


    ¡°Oh, God¡­¡± I pulled a shaky breath into my lungs. ¡°Is he truly capable of doing things like that?¡±


    Mr. Edmond burst intoughter and then shot me a beaming grin. ¡°Ms. Cora Bell, perhaps it would be


    better if you got to know a thing or two about your future husband, but I guess you¡¯ll need a solid drink


    before hearing the story¡­¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    The first step¡­


    Mr. Edmond enjoyed enticing my curiosity but refused to say anything, more, iming that some facts


    needed to be properly swallowed. I pouted, stating that it wasn¡¯t fair, yet he stayed resilient. As we got


    down the hall, I finally got my purse back, along with my phone and documents


    ¡°Remember, you cannot tell anyone about the contract, and that includes your friends and family,¡± he


    warned, as he saw me checking all the missed calls on my phone.


    I gave him a wry smile, acknowledging how hard it would be to lie to everyone for two years. First, I


    needed toe up with a believable story for Liam, but how could I exin getting married to a guy his


    ex was supposed to marry? As Mr. Edmond drove us to my apartment, I pondered whether or not to call


    Liam. In the end, I came up with an idiotic evasive response that I had sent in a text message.


    ¡°I¡¯m OK, I¡¯m still alive. My purse got lost and I¡¯ve got it back only now.¡± He replied in less than a minute.


    ¡°Thank God! I thought that this guy caught you and now you have to suffer some severe consequences.¡±


    Iughed nervously at the phone. I wished I could tell him how close to the truth he was, except for the


    fact that it didn¡¯t feel like suffering. Of course, there was also a possibility that I was slowly turning into a


    masochist. I couldn¡¯t help it; part of me felt unexinably excited and eager to taste the life of the richest,


    but at the same time, I felt like aplete hypocrite. I felt torn. I wouldn¡¯t lie to say that this contract


    solved my major money problem; my Grandma could get the treatment she needed, and I didn¡¯t need to


    worry about paying the rent and bills on time. All I needed to do in return was to y the character of a


    loving wife. It all looked too good to be true. I kept focusing on things I didn¡¯t know, and that filled me with


    anxiety and made me impatiently wait to find out what the whole mess that I got myself into looked like.


    The sole fact that Aren was able to beat his bulky security guard stated that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary boy


    from a wealthy family. And talking about the family, I found nothing about the Lans. Did Aren actually


    build his empire by himself?


    ¡°Wee to my apartment,¡± I said, opening the door and letting Mr. Edmond in. ¡°I will give you a tour. If


    you take a single step further, you will find yourself in my living-room-sh bedroom-sh-kitchen. And


    the little thing that looks like broom storage is a bathroom.¡± I chuckled a little mockingly.


    ¡°Jeez¡­ how can you even breathe in here?¡± he asked, grimacing as he looked around my tiny space.


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°I open the window and the air gets in.¡± ¡°Oh, so the windows here actually


    open!¡± he eximed, and I couldn¡¯t miss the sarcasm overflowing from that statement.


    sm


    ¡°Are you that surprised to see people living in apartments that have less than two hundred square feet?¡±


    I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m surprised that you call THAT an apartment¡­¡± He sighed as he made his way to my


    The first step


    couch.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    His remarks didn¡¯t insult me, or rather didn¡¯t surprise me. I was well aware that the ce / lived in wasn¡¯t


    exactly livable. I would go insane if our workshop looked like my apartment. I hadn¡¯t gone mad only


    because I merely used a bed to sleep in and a bathroom to shower in. ¡°I would offer a something to


    drink, but I don¡¯t have anything in here,¡± I said, making sure my annoyance surfaced.


    ¡°That¡¯s OK.¡± Mr. Edmond obviously chose to ignore my tone and focused on evaluating things that were


    inside my room. ¡°Do you want to move all of your stuff to Mr. Lan¡¯s penthouse, or do you wish to get rid


    of some right now?¡± He looked at me, demandingly.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡±¡®I smiled nervously, going through the list of objects I possessed.


    It wasn¡¯t much. There were a few worn clothes, mainly jeans and T-shirts, some documents, and old


    photos of Grandma and my Mom when she was a kid. The only expensive thing that I possessed was


    myptop, which was temporarily in Liam¡¯s possession. I remembered that I had been practically starving


    for six months to buy it. The few pieces of furniture that I had to buy when I moved in had cost me less


    than one-third of thatpi


    ost me less than one-third of thatputer. Looking at the ce, I had to admit that for me there was


    nothing aside from photos that held any value. ¡°So¡­ do you have something to pack?¡± Mr. Edmond


    urged. I smiled nervously. ¡°I need the documents and photos from the cab, a few cosmetics from the


    bathroom, and my clothes¡­¡± Mr. Edmond stood up, walked to the closet, and opened it wide.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I frowned at his impertinence and stepped between him and my poor clothes. ¡°What do you think


    you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    He smirked, raising his hands in surrender. ¡°I assure you that you don¡¯t need any of these. You need to


    look like a million dors, not fifty cents.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I would wear jeans to a party, but I still needfortable clothes so I can work in the


    workshop,¡± I hissed.


    Mr. Edmond sighed, ¡°Very well¡­ I will send a team to get the things you¡¯ve mentioned. They will also get


    rid of the rest. I will settle the termination of your rental contract.¡±


    I nodded, slowly realizing that I was probably seeing this ce for thest time. I didn¡¯t think that I would


    miss it, but at the same time, I felt as if I was losing my independence.


    Mr. Edmond pped his hands. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Go¡­ where?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    ¡°To the bar.¡± His response came.


    ¡°It¡¯s 10 AM.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± he said casually, and walked out the door, leaving it open for me to follow him.


    I stared at him in disbelief, but then I figured that perhaps drinking before noon fit the whole crazy


    situation I was currently in¡­

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Half an hourter, I was sitting on a ck leather sofa in the ¡°Lune de Diamant¡± wine bar, holding a ss


    of fine Shiraz. Mr. Edmond was sitting in front of me, watching me drink wine while he enjoyed his


    espresso.


    ¡°Now can I learn more about Mr. Lan?¡± I asked, swirling the red liquid in my ss. He took a deep breath


    and finally started speaking, ¡°First of all, I want to officially introduce myself¡­ I¡¯m Neil Edmond, Mr. Lan¡¯s


    assistant. Since you¡¯ve just be my boss¡¯s fianc¨¦e, you should call me by my first name. It could


    sound awkward otherwise.¡± ¡°All right¡­ Neil.¡± I smiled nervously.


    ¡°Ms. Bell¡­ You need to know that you will marry Mr. Lan in a month. It will be a private ceremony for


    only selected people invited, and no press allowed. There won¡¯t be any official announcements until you


    two are married to avoid potential problems like those you caused us yesterday.¡± He smirked.


    ¡°Seriously?! I¡¯m not some bimbo multi-dating with rich guys!¡± I roared. ¡°Perhaps you are not,¡± he tossed


    with a sigh and quickly added, ¡°but Mr. Lan will not risk something going south. Besides, do you have


    any idea how much it cost to keep everyone¡¯s mouth shut and force all of them to pretend that this


    engagement party has never happened?¡±


    I gulped. All the time I was focused on Liam¡¯s revenge and Nicole as the main viin of the story, and I


    completely forgot how it could affect Aren¡¯s image. I bet that it was Neil who handled all the press, and


    seriously, if I were him and had to deal with this situation, I would have strangled me for yesterday¡¯s


    mess. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I muttered. ¡°I only wanted the bitch who hurt my friend to be punished.¡± Neil


    smiled wryly and let out a deep exhale. ¡°It was impressive though. We couldn¡¯t find any evidence of


    hacking into the hotel¡¯s system. You have some skills.¡± An awkwardugh escaped my throat. ¡°Thank


    you¡­ I guess.¡± ¡°Stick to your talents. They can help you survive this marriage.¡± Somehow, Neil¡¯s voice


    sounded a little too serious for a joke.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked before taking a deep sip of wine.


    ¡°Well¡­ Mr. Lan is in the middle of a war of influence. He is fighting with his father and stepbrother in the


    States, as well as his mother¡¯s family in China. Of course, it is nearly the beginning of the long list of


    people who would love to see Mr. Lan dead¡­¡± Heughed coldly. My lips stretched into a thin, nervous


    smile. ¡°I can imagine that he has a lot of business


    About ¨¤renn


    About Aren Lan¡­


    By the time I finished the third ss of wine, I knew the basic information concerning Aren Lan and his


    family. Truthfully, it sounded like a soap opera script, a story of love, betrayal, and big money, and I would


    have even found the story fascinating if it weren¡¯t for the fact that sooner orter I would have to deal


    with that story¡¯s main characters. Should I feel fortunate that a few of them had died already? Neil was


    right about the necessity of drinking while listening to the story, though; the alcohol had done wonders


    with my ability to process the information.


    I learned that Arents mother, Lan Liling, fell in love with Atnerican student James Winton. James was the


    son of Augustus Winton, the owner of Winton Corporation. Back in the day, Augustus¡¯spany was on


    the verge of bankruptcy and needed huge investments to survive. James knew that Liling was a


    daughter of a wealthy Chinese family and decided to persuade his girlfriend to help him. Unfortunately,


    Liling¡¯s father, Lan Jing, disapproved of her rtionship with the young American and was even more


    unwilling to offer his family any money. Yet, what Lan Jing didn¡¯t know was that Liling was already


    pregnant with James¡¯s baby. The young girl decided to risk everything for love and her baby. She had


    stolen the Lan family¡¯s money and escaped to live with the one she loved. When Lan Jing found out what


    his daughter had done, he disinherited her, forbidding her from going back home ever again.


    With the money Liling invested in Winton Corporation, thepany was revived, making the Wintons


    one of the richest families living in Manhattan. Certainly, James and Liling got married, and when Aren


    was born, it seemed like the couple had found their happy-ever-after. Unfortunately, James Winton


    wasn¡¯t a saint, and poor Liling soon found out that Aren wasn¡¯t James¡¯s only son. A monthter, Liling


    was found dead; it was said that she had strangled herself in her bedroom. Three months after her


    death, James remarried a woman named Vanessa, who moved into the Wintons¡¯ mansion with her son,


    Aren¡¯s stepbrother¡­


    Aren¡¯s childhood must have been far from idyllic. Neil didn¡¯t give me any details, but I could easily


    deduce from his words that Aren had never had a good rtionship with his father and had always


    sought a way to get closer to his mother¡¯s family. He moved out of the Wintons¡¯ mansion when he was


    eighteen and used the money he inherited when his mother died to pay for his education and start his


    firstpany. His business grew fast, and when he was twenty two, he bought one of Lans¡¯panies


    in China. That was what finally gave Aren his grandfather¡¯s recognition¡­


    Lan Jing decided to acknowledge Aren and give him the Lan Wang Corporation¡¯s shares that were


    supposed to belong to his mother. However, he put one condition: he needs to get married. Certainly, the


    old man wanted Aren to marry one of the girls he suggested, but Aren kept refusing. Eventually, Lan Jing


    allowed Aren to make his own choice as long as he would marry before his 80th birthday, and that gave


    Aren only two months to find a proper bride. No wonder he chose a marriage contract instead of building


    an emotional rtionship¡­


    ¡°Summarizing¡­¡± Neil took a final sip of his second espresso. ¡°Mr. Lan¡¯s stepbrother and he are serious


    businesspetitors. It¡¯s easy to say that they hate each other¡¯s guts. His father keeps using Mr. Lan


    of trying to destroy Winton Corporation while his grandfather wishes to reunite with his grandson, but it¡¯s


    most likely to get a little control of Mr. Lan¡¯s business.


    About Aren


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    His rtionships with the Lan family members aren¡¯t simple either. Lan Jing had three sons and a


    daughter, Mr. Lan¡¯s mother. All three uncles and his cousins would like to get their hands on the shares


    Mr. Lan was offered. I bet they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill his bride to get the money.¡± He let out a dry


    chuckle.


    ¡°K-kill the bride?¡± I mumbled breathlessly.


    ¡°Yes. That is one of the reasons you need to move into the penthouse. It will be easier to keep you safe


    in Mr. Lan¡¯s territory,¡± he exined.


    ¡°But this is insane!¡± I eximed as my head began to spin.


    ¡°Mr. Lan initially chose to have a wife that had a family that was able to protect her... As you realize, it¡¯s a


    little different in your case. That is why you need to be extra careful whenever you meet someone new or


    even with people you already know. There¡¯s a lot that people are willing to do for arge sum of money.¡±


    Neil¡¯s words sounded as indifferent as a washing machine instruction manual, but I knew it was meant to


    be a warning.


    I wasn¡¯t an idiot. I had seen many people who tried to be friends with Can even though they


    seriously hated him. I saw people breaking their boundaries and going beyond just so they could get a


    chance to step into his world. I had seen them allowing themselves to be humiliated, wagging their tails


    around Can and waiting for him to drop them a bone. I knew that Can needed to be strong and act


    harshly to refuse them, but he had often abused the power he had over those who wanted his money. I


    was just too blinded with love for him to see that he enjoyed acting this way a bit too much. I still couldn¡¯t


    tell why I thought he would treat me differently when I asked for his help¡­


    I had drunk nearly a whole bottle of wine by myself, but I was as sober as if I had been drinking pure


    caffeine. My brain was busy calcting all the odds and possibly dangerous situations I could encounter.


    The restlessness grew within me as I realized the price I would have to pay for my two years of financial


    stability, but if I could slowly raise the money for Grandma¡¯s operation without needing to pay the rent


    and other bills, then it would be all worth it.


    ¨C After we left the wine bar, Neil drove me to Park Avenue to show me my new home, a magnificent two-


    thousand-square-foot penthouse with wall-size windows and a view to die for. It was a two-story


    apartment with a huge hall and guest rooms on the lower level and the master bedrooms exiting to the


    roof patio upstairs. I was amazed when I saw the room that was prepared for me, but it was the


    swimming pool built on the roof that made me speechless.


    This whole ce was beyond incredible!


    My bedroom was right next to Aren¡¯s. Sleeping a wall away from him didn¡¯t feel like the mostfortable


    solution, but it was still better than sharing the bed. I quickly shook that thought away and decided to


    focus on the delectable privacy the separate bedroom was giving me. I loved that bedroom. It was bright,


    spacious, and cozy. From the ebony flooring and silky velvet rug to arge white bed, a bed cab, a


    desk, and a vanity table all ornamented with white and a touch of silver, I loved every detail of it. There


    was a ss door in my bedroom that led directly to the roof pool¡­ How could I not fall in love with this


    ce?


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Neil handed me a piece of paper with a list of names and phone numbers on it. ¡°Please


    save those on your phone. As you can see, this is Mr. Lan¡¯s business and private number. There is also


    mine and your private driver¡¯s number. He will be there for you twenty


    About Aren.


    four-seven if you need him. His name is Benjamin Morris. Call him if you need to go anywhere; you¡¯ll be


    safe with him.¡±


    I could sense a serious concern in Neil¡¯s voice. That only made me more nervous, but I wasn¡¯t going to


    test whether his concerns were justified. I nodded, acknowledging his words. Neil walked out of the


    penthouse soon after, leaving me a key card and a code to my new home,


    I instantly felt bored as I ended up in this huge ce alone. Aside from a few days off work I took while


    working on Liam¡¯s revenge, I hadn¡¯t had a day off in two years. I was either working at the caf¨¦ or at the


    workshop and breaking that routine suddenly made me feel empty. I needed myptop¡­ preferably now.


    I texted Liam. Fortunately, he was staying all day in his apartment in Lower Manhattan. I could use the


    subway to get there, but then I thought that it would be a good chance to call Benjamin. I was nervous


    when I picked up his number, wondering how much he knew about my situation¡­


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Bell. Do you want me to take you anywhere?¡± Benjamin¡¯s cheerful voice surprised me.


    ¡°Um¡­ Yes¡­¡± I muttered with an awkwardugh. ¡°I need to go to Leonard Street, quickly if possible.¡±


    ¡°I will be waiting for you in front of the building. Please,e down when you¡¯re ready, Ms. Bell.¡± His


    politeness sounded sincere and put an instant smile on my face.


    As soon as I walked out, I saw a ck Bentley and a tall, tanned man in a ck suit and a chauffeur hat.


    Once he saw me, he gave me a little bow and opened the door for me. I thank him with a weirdly


    breathless voice as I got in. The fact that someone was hired to drive me anywhere I wanted gave me a


    foreign feeling.


    ¡°No need to be nervous, Ms. Bell,¡± he said, sitting behind the wheel.


    I smiled wryly. I guess my behavior was more than obvious. ¡°I apologize if I make you feel ufortable.


    It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m not used to this.¡±


    ¡®I knew that adjusting to this new situation would take some time. Only yesterday, I was wearing second-


    hand sneakers, a pair of jeans, and a T-shirt, and I mainly traveled by bus or subway, whereas now I had


    an expensive dress on me with a pair of heels for the price of myptop, and I was driven in a Bentley by


    my personal chauffeur!


    I was tense all the way to Leonard Street, to the point where I forgot to tell Benjamin to park a block


    away. I only realized what a mistake I had made when it was already toote. The Bentley pulled over in


    front of Liam¡¯s building. I sighed heavily at my foolishness but still figured that it would be all right if I


    simply sneaked out of the car and ran into the building. I shifted in my seat to open the door, but


    Benjamin was quicker¡­


    ¡°Let me help you, Ms. Bell,¡± he said, reaching out his hand with a professional smile.


    Well, was there a way to expose me even more?! Perhaps he should honk a few times and shout that


    the Queen had arrived! So much for not getting too much of anyone¡¯s attention¡­ Still, I took a deep


    breath to calm myself, telling myself that no one except Liam knew me here, thus no one could recognize


    me or even care much about my presence. I epted Benjamin¡¯s hand and stepped out to the


    sidewalk¡­


    About Alencan


    ¡°Cora?¡± I heard a surprised voice. I turned around and saw Liam standing in front of the entrance of his


    building with a grocery bag in his hand. He stood in shock, observing how Benjamin nodded his head at


    me before getting back to the car, and then he scanned how I looked. Shit¡­ how the hell was I going to


    exin this to Liam?!

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Adjusting


    A peal of hystericughter escaped my throat. I turned to my new chauffeur, praying that he would


    understand me and y along.


    ¡°Thank you for giving me a ride,¡± I said with an awkwardly wide smile, stopping Benjamin halfway before


    he sat down behind the wheel.


    He stepped out of the car. His eyes shifted from me to Liam and back to me again.


    ¡°No problem, Miss.¡± His fingers slid through the rim of his hat.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I repeated, bowing my head this time.


    I could see a surprise shing through his face, yet he kept hisposed expression. He nodded his


    head, and a few secondster, he was pulling away from the curb. I sighed in relief as I got rid of the first


    part of my problem. I stepped closer to Liam, grinning like an idiot.


    ¡°What happened to you? Did you win a million dors overnight or something?¡± he muttered, widening


    his eyes as he could now examine my clothes up-close. ¡°Of course not.¡± I waved off his assumptions with


    my hand. ¡°I was working at the caf¨¦ today when some rich client spilled coffee all over my clothes¡­ She


    was incredibly sorry, and she gave me this dress as an apology. Can you believe it?¡± I forced augh.


    He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Did she give you her Gi heels as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded my head while


    keeping that stupid grin on my face. ¡°This must be my luckiest day since I moved back to New York!¡± I


    eximed with a wide gesture, as if it could possibly make up for the fact that I was lying.


    ¡°What about the car and chauffeur?¡± he asked, with an unmistakable suspicion in his tone.


    ¡°She insisted to offer me a ride home. I ended up asking the chauffeur to take me to your ce because


    I urgently need myptop,¡± I said quickly and pulled him through the entrance of his building by the rim of


    his sleeve. I could feel his doubtful gaze on me, but I kept walking toward his apartment, pretending I


    didn¡¯t notice. We walked into the elevator, and I saw him frowning.


    ¡°What?¡± I let out an irritated sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s just that your story sounds quite unbelievable. That¡¯s all.¡± He shrugged. I


    chuckled. ¡°You are right. The truth is that I have recently be the contract fianc¨¦e of a very wealthy


    man. He was the one who gave me those clothes and assigned me a private chauffeur and a car.¡±


    He burst intoughter hard enough to shed a tear. ¡°That¡¯s a really good one, Cora!¡± He keptughing


    even when we left the elevator and then entered his apartment. I didn¡¯t know whether or not to feel


    insulted that he chose to believe in the lie I made up in seconds over the fact that some crazy wealthy


    man found me attractive, but I couldn¡¯t me him because I


    Adinolino


    wouldn¡¯t probably believe myself in thetter either.


    After Liam stoppedughing, he no longer asked me any questions. He just handed me myputer,


    smiling beamingly. I thanked him and walked out, feeling as if I had dodged a bullet. I exited the building


    and began walking towards the subway when I noticed a ck Bentley pulling over directly in front of


    me. Benjamin walked out of the car and bowed.


    ¡°I apologize, Ms. Bell. I didn¡¯t mean to put you in a difficult situation,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s OK.¡± I smiled. ¡°He bought my lie, so it¡¯s OK.¡±


    I could see Benjamin sigh in relief as if he could lose his job if I didn¡¯t handle the situation the way I


    wanted. As he opened the door to help me get into the car, I slightly patted his arm.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about what happened. It was my fault for not telling you in advance.¡±


    He nodded, giving me a faint smile, but I guess that he had rxed a bit after my words. As he drove me


    back to the penthouse, he kept ncing at me in the rearview mirror.


    I smirked. ¡°If you want to say something, go ahead.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s just a personal opinion,¡± he stated


    nervously.


    I urged, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Benjamin cleared his throat. ¡°I just think that Ms. Bell is unlike any of Mr. Lan¡¯s girlfriends¡­¡± he muttered.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Oh, really? How am I different?¡±


    I was unable to exin why mentioning Aren¡¯s girlfriends annoyed me. My mind instantly thought of how


    many girlfriends he had¡­ Was he going to date anyone despite our contract?


    ¡°You are¡­ nice,¡± he replied hesitantly. ¡°Not that I would judge Mr. Lan¡¯s girlfriends¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I talk too


    much.¡±


    His words made me even more curious. ¡°Hey, I won¡¯t tell on you, so you can just speak freely.¡±


    He took a deep breath. ¡°Ms. Bell, you are polite and humble, and¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not rich,¡± I exined, letting out a breathless snort. ¡°I don¡¯t think that I am peculiarly polite or humble.


    I was just nervous, and I am still nervous. I ride the subway trains and buses, not limousines¡­¡±


    I could see Benjamin¡¯s bright smile in the mirror¡¯s reflection. ¡°I think that makes you special¡­ and you


    are special to Mr. Lan as well.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea¡­¡± I muttered under my breath.


    Of course, I was special. I had little more than a zero on my ount and he threatened me to sign a


    marriage contract. Benjamin¡¯sment wasn¡¯t truly apliment, even though I knew that he didn¡¯t


    mean it in a bad way. I was about to let it out of my mind, but he continued¡­


    ¡°You know... you are the first to move into his penthouse. Mr. Lan cherishes his private space deeply. I


    have never seen him even invite a woman to his apartment.¡±


    ¡°Never?¡± I gasped while the corners of my lips curled up uncontrobly.


    ¡°Never.¡± Benjamin confirmed. ¡°Even when he intended to meet with Ms. Saxon, they only met in his hotel


    and restaurants.¡±


    For some reason, those words made me feel a little satisfied¡­ before I remembered Neil¡¯s words that it


    was easier to keep me safe in Aren¡¯s territory. I needed to prevent myself from looking at my situation as


    if it was something private. This was nothing but a business transaction¡­ It was merely an unusual and


    complicated one.


    When I was walking back to the building on Park Avenue, the concierge surprised me by greeting me by


    my name. As I walked toward the elevators, a few more people respectfully nodded their heads. I


    responded in the same manner. It felt awkward. I would be stupid not to assume that Aren Lan not only


    owned the penthouse in this building, but he owned the whole building. I also bet that everyone had


    already been informed that I was Aren Lan¡¯s newest fianc¨¦e, and since it was Aren Lan¡¯s kingdom, I was


    now receiving royal treatment¡­


    I didn¡¯t enjoy it, but I also knew that I had to get used to it and stop behaving like an imposter or lunatic. I


    wasn¡¯t going to change into somebody I was not, but Aren Lan needed a representable wife, and I would


    have to improve my act by far to make people believe that he would choose me as his partner without


    using him of suffering from temporary insanity. As I entered the penthouse, I got a message from


    Neil. He informed me that my clothes and documents from my apartment had already been brought to


    the penthouse and ced in my bedroom. He also texted that he had ordered me a dinner that would be


    delivered in half an hour. He must have been reading my mind, or he and my stomach must have been


    communicating since it just started growling. A few minutester, I got another message from him.


    ¡°Mr. Lan won¡¯te back untilte tonight. Feel free to open any wine from the wine fridge in the kitchen


    and enjoy.¡±


    I chuckled. His messages sounded like music to my ears. I thought that there were some parts of this


    weird contract that I might actually like¡­


    The rest of the day passed, making me feel surreal. I had a delicious steak for dinner, then I sat on the


    roof patio by the pool and worked on myptop. Afterwards, I called Benjamin and asked him to take me


    to the clinic. I had to tell Grandma that I had solved most of our problems. If she heard me or sensed my


    emotions, I needed her to know that I was all right and that I was going to get her the best treatment


    possible. After spending some time by Grandma¡¯s bed, I felt more motivated. I was ready to be the


    best contracted girlfriend


    and fianc¨¦e a rich guy could ever find.


    When I came back to my new home, I used Neil¡¯s advice and went to the kitchen to find a good -looking


    bottle and a wine ss. I ended up drinking the best Pinot Noir I¡¯d ever tasted, and I used it as a liquid


    inspiration to work on the security software I¡¯d been developing for the past few months.


    It was a little after midnight when I started to feel sleepy. I went back to the kitchen to get some water


    and realized that I was still alone. I had never felt lonely in my small apartment, but staying here at the


    two-thousand-square-foot penthouse made me cravepany. I went to bed, but I couldn¡¯t sleep. I


    tossed and turned for a long time before finally losing consciousness. Strangely, I woke up at 5:30 AM,


    feeling absolutely refreshed. Dressed in


    nothing aside from a long, white T-shirt I used as a sleeping gown, I went down to the kitchen and


    realized everything looked exactly how I left it before going to bed, including the dirty wine ss I put by


    the sink. Did Aren evene back? Or did he stay up working all night in his office? Well, there was no


    chance in hell that I would knock on his bedroom door to check


    If he didn¡¯t try to contact me, then I wouldn¡¯t seek contact with him either. I washed the wine ss, and


    then made myself a cup of coffee. I had already nned to work with n and Norton in ourputer


    workshop, and I might as well go there a few hours earlier. As I went back to my bedroom, I saw a


    magnificent sunrise. Drawn by the breathtaking view, I walked out through the ss door and observed


    the gentle sun rays reflecting on the smooth surface of the roof pool water. I stood there in awe while


    finishing my coffee when suddenly I heard the sound of a closing door. The sound came from Aren¡¯s


    bedroom. Driven by foolish curiosity, I took a few steps across the patio and suddenly found myself


    standing in front of Aren¡¯s bedroom ss door. I froze. Aren Lan was standing by his bed with nothing


    but a small towel covering his hips and fine ass. Drops of water drew lines down his perfectly chiseled


    shoulders, chest, and abdominal muscles. The view waspletely mouthwatering. At one moment, he


    raised his hands and ran his long fingers through his damp ck hair. I swallowed, getting uncontrobly


    aroused as I watched him. As he slightly turned towards the ss door, our eyes met¡­ I gasped and


    instantly felt like a pervert. I had no exnation for peeping on him. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± I


    mumbled, taking a step back away from his door.


    He snorted and walked out to the roof patio, making my embarrassment even worse. The sunlight


    emphasized his firm, bulging abdominals going down in the ideal V, thoroughly marked by his low-ced


    towel. God, I couldn¡¯t even force myself to look away! I took


    another step back as he moved closer, a smug grin painting his face. I stepped back again and found


    myself on the edge of the pool.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I cursed as I lost my bnce. A secondter, my bodynded deep under the surface of the


    water¡­

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Hodynguage


    Bodynguage Once my head crashed against the water surface, I entered a state of bewilderment. I


    couldn¡¯t breathe. The water was cold, and I nearly panicked, sinking deeper and deeper. My mind


    restarted only after I saw Aren reaching out to grab my arm. He pulled me up, leading my hands to the


    rim of the pool. As I surfaced, i formed the strongest grip I could, and I started coughing up water. I was


    nowhere near drowning, but I wouldn¡¯t call staying in that freezing water a pleasant experience¡­


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Aren¡¯s voice made me raise my head. He was crouching by the pool with nothing


    aside from that towel wrapped around his hips. His freshly showered skin almost sparkled in the sunrise,


    making him absolutely God-like. I would surely appreciate him more if I wasn¡¯t freezing. ¡°i¡¯mc-cold¡­¡± I


    mumbled, searching for a way to get out of this pool more gracefully than by pulling myself up and


    landing like a seal. He chuckled and leaned over me. ¡°Put your arms around my neck.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± I


    blinked, processing his words. ¡°I will get you out. Just do as I say.¡± Since my brain was already turning


    into an ice cube, I decided to use whatever help he offered. I reached out and carefully slid my hand


    around his neck. He smirked as our faces became dangerously close. I lowered my gaze, trying to


    concentrate on anything but his eyes¡­ Unfortunately, looking at his lips wasn¡¯t a good idea either. I


    exhaled deeply, praying that he wouldn¡¯t hear my hammering heart. I ced my other hand on his neck,


    forming a tight grip.


    ¡°Good. Now, hold on,¡± he said as his hands dived to find my waist.


    I barely registered how he pulled me out and stood up with me. I was out of the water in a split second.


    Did he have steel in those leg muscles or something?! What he did, bemused me. Only a few seconds


    later did I realize that I was still embracing him¡­ or actually, it was worse. Aren had his arms wrapped


    around my waist, pressing me against his perfectly firm body, making me feel every inch of him. My shirt-


    sh-nightgown waspletely soaked and became


    translucent, making my hardened by cold water nipples impossible to miss. And speaking of hard¡­


    somerge bulge wrapped in a towel poked my stomach. Perhaps I should take it as apliment or


    feel relieved that I wasn¡¯t the only one of the two of us feeling aroused. But was it even possible to stay


    composed in this situation?!


    ¡°C-could you let me go now, please?¡± I muttered, cautiously taking my arms off his neck.


    ¡°You should take this shirt off or you will get sick,¡± he stated, his hand teasingly reaching for the rim of the


    soaked fabric.


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed, pushing him away and cing my hands on my chest to hide my breasts. ¡°I mean¡­ I


    will go get change now-¡±


    Before I could finish, he scooped me from the ground and carried me bridal style to his bedroom. I


    gasped and stiffened. His touch was making me vulnerable, as if my body trusted


    1/3


    him, something that my mind obviously disagreed with. As he stepped inside the room, he tossed me


    onto his bed. I fell with the elegance of a log of wood. His eyes scanned my length thoroughly, and a sly


    grin formed on his lips,


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. I will get you a towel.¡±


    Hismanding voice instantly made me freeze. I nced at him as he walked to the bathroom. He


    seemedposed. Nheless, I couldn¡¯t miss his slightly tense jaw or ignore the long exhale he took


    the second before he disappeared behind the bathroom door. Knowing that I wasn¡¯t the only one


    struggling, gave me a tiny hint of satisfaction. Of course, that satisfaction disappeared once I realized


    that he had just seen me pretty much naked¡­


    Cursing under my breath, I cocooned myself in his sheets. I figured that my soaked shirt had already


    wettened them anyway the moment he dropped me on his bed. I didn¡¯t feel guilty, and I certainly wouldn¡¯t


    entertain him as Miss Wet Shirt again!


    ¡°Is it some form of invitation? Should I sleep in your bed tonight?¡± He chuckled as he saw me, and then


    tossed me arge towel. I raised my eyebrows and couldn¡¯t resist a sarcastic remark. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that


    you have only one set of sheets inside your enormous home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bothersome to change them,¡± he said,


    sitting beside me on the bed.


    I sighed. ¡°Then let me do it for you. Take it as a thank you for helping me out of the pool.¡± ¡°I enjoyed you


    in my pool. The sight of you wet has been rather¡­ rewarding.¡± He smirked and leaned over me. ¡°I want


    you to be wet for me, but next time I¡¯d like to be more engaged in the process,¡± he said, his gaze


    piercing right through me. I screamed inwardly, fighting hard to hide my flusteredness. A wave of sudden


    heat flooded my body. My mouth became so dry that I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to lick my lips. He leaned


    even closer, letting me inhale his intoxicating scent. This was dangerous. His eyes were locked on me,


    devouring me bit by bit. I needed to stop this. I used every ounce of my inner resilience to stand up to


    him.


    ¡°Engaged in the process?¡± I repeated with a mocking smirk. ¡°Are you going to push me to the pool


    yourself next time? Should I take it as a threat? Is that some kind of a peculiar hobby of yours that I


    should know about?¡± I gazed at him, blinking innocently. His eyes darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t test me.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± The world¡¯s most stupid response slipped through my mouth.


    Why would I ever say something like that?! Why did I suddenly decide to act like a ten-year old?! Before I


    could shout that I take it back, it was toote. A secondter, he grabbed my hands and pinned me down


    on the bed. I gasped as he leaned down with a smug grin. My heart nearly burst out of my chest. My


    breathing rate increased, and everything inside me screamed, craving him. But it felt wrong¡­ It felt as if


    I¡¯d started to follow my old path, the one I¡¯d wished to forget.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°No.¡± My weak voice came out.


    He smiled faintly and released my hands. I nced at him suspiciously, but he moved away, sitting on


    the edge of the bed. I decided not to waste the chance he gave me. I threw the


    bedsheets away and ran out of his bedroom while hurriedly wrapping myself in the towel he gave me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go change now,¡± I mumbled on my way.


    I heard him chuckle. ¡°Come down and eat breakfast with me. I¡¯ll give you twenty minutes,¡± he called out


    before I closed my bedroom door.


    I debated whether I should join him or not. He had a demonic aura around him, and I had yet to develop


    immunity against his spells. Nevertheless, it was rather impossible to avoid him while living with him.


    Besides, I had to learn how to neutralize his charms, and the sooner I would learn how to do it, the more


    chances I would have to survive in this contract marriage. For now, I could barely handle my second day


    as his fianc¨¦e¡­

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Breakfast


    I blow-dried my hair, put on a shirt top and jeans, and was ready toe down to the kitchen. My heart


    rate slowed down a little, but the thought of half-naked Aren made that foolish blood pomp in my chest


    race again. I took many deep breaths as I walked down to the kitchen, trying to mentally prepare myself


    to see him again, and I sincerely hoped that this time he would be dressed.


    I sighed in relief when I saw him wearing a ck shirt and a casual pair of jeans, but I quickly realized


    that it didn¡¯t make him look less disturbing¡­ He was standing by the oven, preparing breakfast. Who


    would have known that this billionaire could actually use a frying pan and an oven? I walked closer and


    swallowed hard. He didn¡¯t make it easier for me. In his ck shirt with rolled sleeves and forearm


    muscles tensing as he swirled vegetables in the pan, he looked insanely hot. He must have sensed me


    gaping at him because he shifted his eyes to me and grinned.


    ¡°Hope you¡¯re not allergic to eggs,¡± he said, turning to the cutting board to chop mushrooms and pepper.


    I could only respond by shaking my head. My brain was too busy processing how to handle this new,


    suit-less, and chef-like version of Aren Lan. I stood like an idiot, admiring Aren¡¯s cooking skills and


    wondering howe every single thing he did seemed perfect.


    ¡°You may either sit down or make us some coffee,¡± he suggested, pouring stirred eggs onto the pan. I


    nodded, again choosing not to talk. I walked over to the coffee machine. I took out the coffee beans from


    the cupboard, grounded them, and started preparing a ck, full of caffeine, liquid. ¡°Espresso?¡± I asked,


    remembering what he ordered at the caf¨¦ the day we met.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± he replied, putting the fried veggies on our tes.


    The moment I put the second cup of coffee on the kitchen table, Aren brought our breakfast. It looked


    absolutely delicious. Every detail had been carved into perfection: the dish he cooked, the basket of


    freshly baked scones, or the small te with butter.


    ¡°Let me.¡± He took one scone and cut it for me.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, taking both halves from his hand.


    I didn¡¯t expect this kind of treatment from him. I had never pictured him serving anyone or making


    someone breakfast. Was it some kind of game for him? Was he bored and decided to y house? Or


    was he enjoying messing up with me? ¡°Delicious coffee,¡± hemented, taking another sip from his cup.


    ¡°I¡¯m d it suits your taste¡­¡± I said, hesitantly.


    He was rxed and smiling, whereas I waspletely stiff. I knew that I was supposed to get used to


    him and learn to cope with him, but this was too new, too different, and too frightening. Honestly, I was


    terrified, terrified that I could actually enjoy living with him. I


    Brandiast


    had to stop this idyllic mood before I would find myself lost in it¡­


    ¡°So¡­ what do you need this marriage for?¡± I blurted.


    His expression changed immediately. His stare at me darkened. His lips no longer curled into a smile. He


    straightened in his seat, cing his elbows on the table and tangling his fingers together. ¡°I need more


    power, and Grandfather¡¯s shares will give me the power I need.¡± He shrugged.


    I could see that there was much more to it. He was hiding something.


    ¡°Why do you need it? You are already one of the richest men in the world. Why would you need more


    than you possess?¡± I inquired. ¡°I have my reasons.¡± He smirked and finished his coffee.


    I felt as if the air around us had be heavier. He no longer looked into my eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± His reply felt like a stab in the gut. ¡°You wanted me in


    your bed, but you don¡¯t trust me?¡± I asked, confused.


    He said coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t need to trust those I fuck¡±


    I leaned back, feeling as if I was looking at a different person. He seemedpletely different from the


    man who carried me to his bed to give me a towel, and then made me breakfast. ¡°I feel like an idiot¡­¡± I


    mumbled under my breath.


    He didn¡¯t necessarily hear me, but he must have noticed the change in my expression because he let out


    an annoyed sigh. ¡°It¡¯s about business. I trust only a few people when ites to business.¡±


    ¡°Even if I¡¯ve signed a full-of-penalty contract?¡± I frowned. ¡°You told Neil to tell me everything¡­ and I


    wanted to do my best to help achieve¡­ whatever it is that you want. I -thought that we were going to be


    -¡±


    ¡°This will never be a real rtionship,¡± he said curtly. The stabbing pain became worse, but I decided to


    fight through it. ¡°I meant partnership. I thought that you were going to treat me as your partner. Were you


    nning to use me as a dumb puppet who would stand next to you whenever you needed to prove that


    you have a wife?¡± I squeezed through my teeth. He cocked his head to one side, a look of amusement


    and surprise on his face. His eyes locked on me again, and this time his gaze seemed more devilish as if


    he was testing how determined I was. It took all I had within me not to flinch or move back, seeing his


    predator gaze, but this time, I wasn¡¯t going to give him that satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t do well as a


    men¡¯s essory,¡± I hissed. ¡°I¡¯m not some boreddy whose most time-consuming hobby is shopping


    and doing nails. You said that you were going to take care of my Grandma, and I felt grateful. I was so


    grateful that I thought of using all of my abilities to help you and actually do something to earn that


    money you¡¯ll spend on her treatment. But if you are too scared to take a risk and trust me, then too bad.¡±


    I stood up,


    pulling back my seat with a meaningful scratch.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why his words hurt me so badly. It wasn¡¯t like I had expected to turn this contractual


    marriage into a loving and caring rtionship. Nheless, I wanted to make sure that he would pay my


    Grandma¡¯s medical bills, and how was I supposed to ask him to use his money when all I would be doing


    is living in his house and using hisst name? I needed to give him something he wanted¡­ and giving


    him my body wasn¡¯t an option. I was confident that if he had a lot of enemies, there would be a lot of


    ways that I could use my skills to help him. I hated the fact that, despite knowing what I was capable of,


    in his eyes, I was no different than those bimbos who merely wanted to crawl into his bed. My annoyance


    grew and I needed to leave this apartment before I found the right-sized object to punch him with.


    ¡°Since I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need me hanging around your shoulder for another month, I¡¯m going to the


    workshop,¡± I grunted.


    He stayed silent, watching me as I went towards the stairs. A part of me hoped that he would stop me. I


    wanted him to realize that I was different. Was I being too na?ve? As I reached the top of the stairs, I


    sighed and went to my bedroom to get myptop and purse. I felt disappointed. I lowered my head and


    turned around, ready to exit the room, when suddenly I crashed against Aren¡¯s firm chest. ¡°Why do you


    need to be so fucking stubborn?¡± he said, standing on my threshold and blocking my way ¡°I¡¯m not


    stubborn. I¡¯m rational,¡± I argued.


    He grabbed my arms and frowned. ¡°Neil told you that you would be in danger just by having my name. I


    don¡¯t want you to risk your life even more by engaging with my enemies directly. ¡°But you could use my


    help, ain¡¯t I right?¡± I coaxed, strangely enjoying his sudden perplexity. He locked his eyes on me. ¡°Fine.


    As you wish¡­¡± he said dangerously. ¡°I¡¯m going to involve you in my ns, but I will tell you only the most


    essential information, and you will do as I say, no questions asked. In return, I will pay for any kind of


    treatment your grandma would ever need, including the operation performed by Doctor Lu Wei Chen.¡±


    ¡°How did you know about the operation?¡± I asked, startled.


    He smirked. ¡°I needed to know everything about my future wife.¡± How could I possibly say no to his


    condition? The truth was that I would do anything to get the money for that surgery, and now, Aren had


    just said that he would pay for it? I wanted to cry tears of joy.


    ¡°I will do whatever you say,¡± I promised.


    ¡°Very well.¡± He chuckled and looked me up and down. ¡°Your first assignment starts today. Tonight, we


    are going out on a date.¡±


    Tirparations


    Preparations I kept wondering what kind of a ¡°date¡± Aren meant, and how was it supposed to be my


    assignment? I sat at the workshop, and for the first time, I couldn¡¯t focus on the job. I did some easy


    tasks automatically, but the parts that needed an individual approach took me longer than ever to fix.


    ¡°What is wrong with you today?¡± Norton frowned. ¡°You¡¯ve never worked so slowly before.¡±


    Hisment pulled me out of my daze. I felt guilty. I had never acted sloppily in my job, and I even let


    someone like Mr. Always Quiet Norton point it out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I mumbled like a scolded schoolgirl.


    ¡°Norton, cut the girl some ck.¡± n came to my rescue, handing me a fresh mug of coffee.¡± Can¡¯t you


    see she¡¯s thinking about a guy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ what?¡± Iughed hysterically. n grinned wickedly, pointing at


    my flushed cheeks. ¡°See, I was right. There is a guy. So¡­ who is he?¡± He blinked his eyes, leaning over


    me.


    ¡°I¡­ He¡­¡±


    I panicked. I wasn¡¯t prepared to tell them anything, but since Aren and I were going out on a date¡­


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I started seeing someone, and it¡¯s getting kind of serious.¡± My awkwardughter couldn¡¯t underline my


    lie more clearly. ¡°Were you two shagging already, deary?¡± A mischievous chuckle escaped n¡¯s throat.


    ¡°What?! Why do you even mention it?!¡± I eximed nervously, a thick blush flooding my face. n put


    his hand on my shoulder in a patronizing gesture. ¡°Honey, I know it¡¯s been a long time since you were


    with a man, but you will do just fine. It¡¯s like riding a bike¡­ or actually, it¡¯s more like riding a¡ª¡± ¡°n¡­¡± I


    red at him. ¡°For your information, I am not worried about my bed performance. My bed skills are just


    as good as always,¡± I stated, teasingly pulling back my hair and making them wave.


    He chuckled and bit his lip. ¡°Well, if you like to practice, you know that I¡¯m always ready to make that


    sacrifice,¡± he imed, theatrically cing his hand on his heart.


    I snorted and reached my hand out to ruffle his hair. ¡°Oh, I know just how much you are eager to make


    that sacrifice.¡±


    n smirked, his eyes dropping to my breasts. ¡°You know that I could do wonders to those two.¡±


    ¡°Keep dreaming.¡± I winked at him and then blew him a kiss. His flirt was adorable, helpless but adorable.


    Nheless, I had to admit that he helped me set my mind on the right track. My mind became less


    upied by my date with Aren, and I


    returned to my usual work speed.


    A few hours had passed in a sh. I left the workshop and instantly noticed a ck Bentley and


    Benjamin, greeting me with a beaming smile and a brief nod. I didn¡¯t think that I could get used to


    someone driving wherever I wanted to go. ¡°Hello, Ms. Bell. Did you have a good day at work?¡± he asked


    as I walked near the car.


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I smiled, but my smile quickly faded as I saw Neil stepping out of the Bentley.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Bell,¡± he said, a slight smirk forming on his lips. ¡°I¡¯m here to prepare you for your date with Mr.


    Lan.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows curiously. ¡°Do I need to be specially prepared to go on a date with him?¡±


    Neil shot me a scrutinized look. ¡°Yes, you definitely do,¡± he replied curtly. My temple vein started to throb,


    but then I remembered that I promised to follow Aren¡¯s instructions without questioning. I inwardly cursed


    at Neil¡¯s audacity while outwardly giving him a forced, thin smile, and then got into the car.


    ¡°Drive,¡± Neil ordered Benjamin as soon as he closed the door.


    Benjamin nodded, and a minuteter, we were heading back to Manhattan. I didn¡¯t bother to ask where


    exactly we were going. I merely figured that whatever the n was, we weren¡¯t going to Aren¡¯s


    penthouse. A few minutester, as we pulled over by one of the high-end, overpriced boutiques, I


    established that my preparations for a date would start with buying a dress.


    ¡°After you, Ms. Bell.¡± Neil gestured while opening the door for me.


    I smiled nervously and walked inside. Three elegantly dresseddies bowed down as Neil and I


    entered¡­ although I could clearly see that their respect was aimed at Neil rather than me. It kind of


    reminded me of that scene from ¡°Pretty Woman.¡± The only difference was that thosedies tried to hide


    their disdain for me behind a professional smile. With my worn-out jeans and white top, I couldn¡¯t be


    more out of ce there. I looked nothing like a rich man¡¯s fianc¨¦e, I was overwhelmed and couldn¡¯t


    possibly feel more ufortable, but then Neil did something unexpected.


    ¡°Ms. Bell, allow me.¡± He nodded, offering his hand.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    All three saleswomen opened their mouths wide, confusion visibly painting their faces. I felt as if most of


    the tension left my body as he made me the boss of him. He led me to the sofa in the middle of the


    luxurious atelier, and then said a few words to one of thedies. I had no idea what he said, but it


    couldn¡®t be anything polite since she bowed apologetically before darting to the back of the boutique.


    Suddenly, some otherdy appeared in front of me, a nervousness shing through her smiling face.


    ¡°Would you like some tea or coffee... Mrs. Lan?¡± she asked.


    My jaw dropped, hearing her call me that. At least, now I was able to guess what Neil had said to that


    otherdy. Nheless, it surprised me. Wasn¡®t my engagement supposed to be a secret? I nced at


    Neil and saw a wicked grin on his face. Suddenly, I understood everything. I was the one who asked for


    this. I was the one who wanted to y a bigger role in Aren¡®s n,


    and my first assignment had already begun... ¡°A green tea would be nice,¡± I said calmly to the agitated


    saleswoman before straightening my back


    As thedy disappeared to prepare my drink, Neil gave me a brief nod of approval and stepped closer


    before leaning over me. ¡°Good job, Ms. Bell. Mr. Lan¡®s future wife needs to have more confidence,¡± he


    said, lowering his voice.


    ¡°This date... Will there be any paparazzi?¡± I asked, matching my voice volume with Neil¡®s.


    ¡°Good guess.¡± He softly chuckled.


    ¡°So... our rtionship will be public...¡± I muttered almost breathlessly.


    ¡°It is essential that everyone realize that Mr. Lan¡®s rtionship is something serious,¡± he confirmed.


    I smiled wryly. ¡°Wow... I suddenly felt like a shooting duck.¡±


    ¡°I, personally, thank you for doing this.¡± He nodded his head with a sincere smile. ¡°Having you fully on


    board can truly help Mr. Lan.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m d to be on board... even though I have no idea where this ship is cruising...¡± Iughed nervously.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡®t worry, Ms. Bell. You will know in time,¡± he replied mysteriously.


    His response didn¡®t help dissolve my anxiety, but I was the one who epted Aren¡®s condition. I


    guessed that I would have to trust him and believe that he had his reasons for not telling me everything A


    minuteter, three boutique saleswomen came back with my green tea and tons of beautiful and insanely


    expensive dresses. Neil was the one who helped me pick the right one. After an hour of trying different


    designs, I walked out of the dressing room in a silky, bottle¨Cgreen, fitted dress on thin straps. I stood in


    awe in front of the mirror, watching how the fabric emphasized my breasts without exposing them too


    much. The cutplimented my waistline, amazingly presenting my hourss figure.


    ¡°That¡®s the one,¡± Neil agreed, grinning. I sighed in relief. I would hate to wear something that would make


    me feel ufortable, and this dress gave me all the confidence I needed. Moreover, I was d that


    this whole preparation part was over... or so I thought. ¡°Great!¡± Neil excitedly pped his hands. ¡°Now for


    the hair and makeup.¡± I should have known that it wasn¡®t the end of torture. After two additional hours, I


    was proven that my dull blond hair could actually shine and fall gracefully inmercial¨Clike smooth


    waves, and with a finished makeover from the makeup artist, I could barely recognize myself in a mirror.


    ¡°Ms. Bell, you are ready to show yourself to the world,¡± Neil announced, offering his hand to lead me out


    to the car.


    I grinned at him. I would never have thought that I could resemble someone I could see in


    Preparations


    tabloids, and moreover, I didn¡®t dislike it. I found it strange to discover that I could actually look like


    one of those rich girls without having stic surgery. Somehow, I started to look forward to my


    date...

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Our date


    Benjamin drove us to the Lan Diamond Tower¡®s underground parking lot. It was after eight, and most of


    the employees were already gone. Of course, Aren was still working in his office, spending his


    fourteenth hour answering calls and emails and dealing with all sorts of problems. I thought of going


    upstairs to meet him, but Neil insisted that I stay in the car until his boss was ready toe down.


    ¡°Your car will be here in five minutes. You will switch cars and wait for Mr. Lan,¡± he informed


    1. me.


    ¡°I thought that Benjamin would be the one to take us there,¡± I said, suddenly feeling anxious.


    ¡°No. Marcus will be the one to take you to your date. He¡®s Mr. Lan¡®s private driver,¡± Neil exined. I


    smiled faintly, feeling that my recently gained confidence was leaving me. I took a deep breath, trying


    to calm down. I wanted to be courageous, but my little inner introvert made me feel awkward around


    new people, and I think I had already exhausted my daily limit of meeting new people.


    ¡°Rx.¡± Neil patted my hand. ¡°You look like the lottery¡®s main prize, and you have the ultimate power to


    bring every man to his knees. Just believe in yourself a little more.¡± He winked at me.


    I tried to smile, but his words couldn¡®t silence my restlessly pounding heart. There was only one person


    who could calm me down, and that was Aren. For some reason, I would believe him if he told me that I


    would do just fine.


    ¡°Your ride is here,¡± Neil said, pointing at the ck limo, parking next to the Bentley I was in.


    All I needed to do was to step out of one car and get into another, but even so, Neil got out first and


    stood in the space between the two doors to cover me from any surveince as I switched the


    vehicles. I couldn¡®t understand why everything had to be so carefully nned. Was all that secrecy


    necessary? We were going on a date, not breaking into a bank... right? Although I had all those


    questions swirling inside my head, I didn¡®t ask any. I bet that even if I asked them, Neil wouldn¡®t give me


    the answer I wanted...


    I stepped inside the car and made myselffortable on the cream leather seat. I could see something


    that could be a satellite phone, an LCD screen, and a minibar with a filled wine fridge. I bet this car had


    many more hidden gadgets prepared for the businessman¡®sfort. I could easily picture Aren working


    while sitting in that seat with hisptop. ¡°Good evening, Ms. Bell. I¡¯m Marcus, Mr. Lan¡®s driver,¡± the man


    behind the wheel greeted me in his deep, bass voice.


    I could only see a glimpse of his face in the mirror¡®s reflection, but I would say that he was more fitted to


    be a bodyguard than a driver¡­ He must have been around 6.5 feet tall since his chauffeur¡®s hat was


    nearly touching the ceiling. As his deep¨Cset eyes and dark brown pupils gave him a piercing gaze, his


    brownplexion, emphasizing his white eyeballs, made that gaze even fiercer.


    nur date


    ¡°Good evening, Marcus. It¡®s lovely to meet you.¡± I smiled nervously, trying to remainposed


    I saw his eyes brighten as I replied, and I heaved a sigh of relief. I was already stressed out. It was good


    to know that Aren¡®s driver wasn¡®t as intimidating as I initially thought... Marcus drove through the parking


    lot and stopped in front of the CEO¡®s private elevator. I almost jumped in my seat when the floor number


    screen turned on, showing that the elevator was on the move. I held my breath, observing the count


    down. My heart nearly burst out of my chest. Why was I so nervous? I had never felt this kind of


    excitement before, not even on my first date with Can. I knew that it was all a part of a show, that it


    wasn¡®t a real date, but was it bad that I enjoyed it? The elevator door opened, and Aren walked out in


    confident strides. He was wearing a ck suit and tie with a dark purple shirt. His thick ck hair was


    sleeklybed. His intense gaze was fully focused on the car door, as if he could already see me


    despite the tinted window. I gulped as he got inside. His intoxicating perfume reached my nostrils in a


    sh, pushing me to follow my most primal instincts. I fisted my hand, letting my nails hurt my palm just


    to regain an ounce of control over my lustful body. I exhaled slowly, hoping to slow down my erratic heart


    rate, and raised my head to meet his eyes. What I saw in his eyes made me lean back Keeping his eyes


    on me, he hit the button, lifting the screen between the driver and our seat.


    ¡°You make me want to forget about the date and rip that dress off of you right now,¡± he said, his eyes


    piercing right through me.


    I couldn¡®t breathe. My mind went nk, formally dering capittion. I could not believe how


    defenseless I had be. His predatory stare at me was a weapon that could shatter every wall I had


    ever built. Usually, in this kind of situation, it was my rationality that yelled at me, waking up my inner


    strength. This time, I was left without my logic. I dropped my guard. I wanted to submit to him. Screw the


    consequences.


    Aren leaned over me, keeping his eyes locked on mine. I thought that he was going to kiss me, but he


    only smirked before whispering, ¡°Just admit that you want it too. It¡¯s getting harder to control myself...¡±


    I didn¡®t say a word, and that was the one foolish thing that saved me. I stayed silent, not because I didn¡®t


    want him, but because I was in a state where I could either moan, groan, or throw myself at him. Only


    when he leaned his back against the seat could I breathe and think again.


    ¡°By the way, you are astonishing tonight,¡± hemented suddenly.


    I blushed and lowered my gaze like a dumb teenager. ¡°Thank you... You also look extremely


    handsome...¡± I muttered, not daring to look into his eyes. He chuckled and gently grabbed my hand.


    ¡°Don¡®t worry. This date is not some kind of test you can fail. If something goes wrong, remember that I¡®ll


    be right there beside you.¡± His words ced an uncontroble smile on my face. I knew that it was a


    pretended date nned to spread rumors and be a basis for our uing engagement. Yet it


    made me feel like a Cindere on the way to the ball. It was already a magical evening.


    Our limousine arrived in front of one of the current hottest restaurants, called Coeur de


    Romarin our presence was instantly noticed by everyone around. There was a long line of people, but,


    as expected of amullibillionaire, Aren Lan needed no reservation. He walked out of the car and lent me


    his hand to support me. As I stepped onto the sidewalk, he ced his hand on the small of my back and


    led me to the entrance. As soon as the concierge saw us, he bowed down, ready to receive us before


    everyone else. I felt awkward getting that privilege, but I did everything I could to stay calm, acting as if I


    had gotten used to this kind of treatment


    As we stepped inside, the host of the restaurant led us to our table upstairs, I could see that he was


    nervous as if he was receiving some huge celebrity or a president. Aren kept a deadly serious


    expression while we were following the host. His sharp eyes looked around the room as if he was


    expecting something bad to happen. Nheless, when he felt my eyes on him, he turned to me with a


    warm, breathtaking smile,


    We were led to a table with the most extraordinary window view. Aren rushed to pull out the chair for me,


    and then made sure that I would sitfortably. I kept asking myself if it was truly happening since it felt


    like a dream, the most romantic date that I had ever been on


    The set of dishes that Aren had chosen for us was made of ingredients that I couldn¡®t even recognize.


    Nheless, it was all amazingly delicious, just like the wine he ordered. I swirled the red liquid while


    looking at the incredible night view. The corners of my lips stayed curled throughout our dinner. For the


    first time in my life, I felt pampered. If it was only a sweet dream, then I wanted to stay in this fantasy a


    little longer.


    ¡°Did you enjoy the dinner?¡± Aren asked in his smooth, velvet voice.


    I grinned. ¡°I loved it.¡±


    ¡°Now I can feel that the meal was worth the money I paid.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Because I said I loved it?¡± I


    raised one eyebrow, amused. ¡°No¡­ because you smiled at me.¡± He smirked. The words sent an electric


    wave through my body. I knew that he was a smooth talker, but his way of teasing started to be


    dangerous. I needed to get an advantage in this game.


    I leaned forward, yfully exposing my cleavage. ¡°So... do you bring all your girlfriends here?¡± He


    grinned, his eyes drawn to my curves. ¡°It¡®s convenient. It is my restaurant after all.¡± ¡°Of course, it is...¡± I


    muttered under my breath. I should have known that the restaurant was his, but his misleading reply


    pissed me off. Now, all I could think of was how many girls had been sitting with him at this table.


    Somehow, the night no longer felt special or magical.


    ¡°I do not date in public ces,¡± he exined suddenly.


    ¡°No?¡± I asked, surprised.


    He leaned forward and reached for my hand lying on the table. ¡°I like my private life to stay private.¡± He


    lifted my hand slightly and started brushing his fingertips across my palm. I swallowed and took a deep


    breath. ¡°So, why did you decide to present our ¡°special¡± rtionship to the world?¡±


    ¡°I need someone to see me in a rtionship, and I need that someone to know how special you are to


    me.¡± He lowered his head to ce a sost kiss on mynd.


    I gasped as his lips stroked my skin. I jerked my hand away from him, which instantly painted an evil


    smirk on his face. It was official: I sucked in this game of his. How could he possibly be so smooth? Still, I


    tried to save at least some shreds of my dignity and pretended to be unmoved.


    ¡°So, this ¡°date¡± is a message, a bait you are sending to someone in your family?¡± I guessed.


    ¡°You are absolutely correct.¡± He gave me a warm smile while slightly narrowing his eyes. ¡°What?¡± I


    leaned back, trying to read him. He shook his head. ¡°I just thought that... big money suits you.¡±


    Thatment quickly wiped the smile off my face.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±


    I took another sip from the ss. I knew that he didn¡®t mean anything bad, but I couldn¡®t change the fact


    that this one wound within me was never healed properly.


    ¡°You don¡®t like rich people, do you? Is that a reason for it?¡± he asked warily, without a shade of


    arrogance. A breathlessugh slipped out of my lips. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± he


    replied.


    I had never talked about my rtionship with Can. Not even those whom I called friends knew what


    had happened between us or what our rtionship looked like. Perhaps it was time to change that and


    tell someone.


    I drank the rest of the wine I had in my ss. ¡°A few years ago, I dated a guy named Can Garrod...¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    The fake and the real


    Aren poured me another ss of wine while I started to tell him the story of my first love. Normally, I


    would find it ufortable and embarrassing, but there was something in Aren¡®s gaze that soothed me


    and made me trust him. Was I making a mistake in telling him? I had never cared about rich people, and


    I had never researched Can and his family, but what if Aren knew him? I observed


    Aren as I mentioned my ex¨Cboyfriend¡®s name, but I couldn¡®t read anything from his expression. Perhaps


    he had never heard of him, or it simply didn¡®t matter to him. After all, it was merely something that had


    happened in his contract fianc¨¦e¡®s past, one of the examples of a fairytale gone bad.


    ¡°I didn¡®t care about who he was, although I heard rumors that he was from some wealthy family. I didn¡®t


    like him at first. He was seriously handsome, but he was also this arrogant type who thought that


    everyone else was beneath him just because he had money. I stood up against him once and called him


    a douchebag. The next day, he asked me out on a date. I thought that he had made a bet with


    someone.¡± Iughed.


    Aren kept his eyes on me while I told my story. I was surprised that he actually listened. It was weird to


    discuss your previous rtionship with someone you are currently dating... Then again, it wasn¡®t a real


    date, and our contracted rtionship was far from a romantic one¡­


    ¡°Was I an idiot to think that Can could be my one and only?¡± I asked with a bitter smile. ¡°I have never


    met anyone from his family. I have never cared about his money, and I would love him just the same if


    he was penniless. I knew that he liked to spend money and use the money to make other people fight for


    his attention. I sometimes wonder if our rtionship was a game for him... Maybe he waited for a


    moment when I would finally break and ask him for money, proving that I was no different from those


    whom he called beggars.¡±


    I finished another ss of wine, and Aren refilled mine and his, then ordered another bottle.


    He drank his wine and his eyes darkened before he squeezed out, ¡°Was he... your first?¡±


    ¡°First... in everything,¡± I responded, tasting the sourness of my own words.


    ¡°Do you still love him?¡± Aren¡¯s eyes roamed restlessly, trying to read my face.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°No,¡± I said confidently, ¡°but he is just a thorn that is stuck in my heart. I just don¡®t know how to take it


    out... yet.¡± Iughed humorlessly.


    I stoppedughing when I met his eyes. They were burning. I could see anger in his eyes, but it wasn¡®t


    aimed at me. Was he angry for me? There was also pain in those eyes of his, the one I couldn¡®t


    comprehend. As he leaned closer, his hand reached out to me and brushed my cheek. He startled me,


    and I almost flinched.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± he said softly. ¡°There is an eysh on your cheek.¡± I felt as if my cheeks started to burn when


    he cupped my face in both hands, positioning me. I thought that he was going to brush off thesh with


    his thumb, but as he got up from his seat, I realized that he had another n...


    He brought his face an inch away from mine and delicately blew the streak of air on my cheek, his lips


    nearly touching my skin. Shivers ran down my spine. His touch, his scent, his closeness, all of it turned


    me on in an instant. I didn¡®t know how it was possible, but every single thing about Aren Lan was making


    me lose my mind. I swear I saw a sh, like a freaking imaginary fireworks disy, the moment he got


    close to me... Was I a lost cause already?


    Our intimate moment didn¡®t stop with that. As I stayed bemused, one of his hands slid from my cheek


    down my neck. The brush of his fingers, running smoothly through my skin, sent another wave of


    shudders through my body. ¡°Your skin is so smooth...¡± he said softly as if in oblivion. Iughed nervously


    and grabbed his hand on my neck, stopping his fingers from exploring my other sensitive spots.


    ¡°Please... don¡®t tease me like that,¡± I said, taking his hand off of my neck.


    He smirked and sat down. ¡°I can¡®t help it. I have the most beautiful partner around here. I merely want to


    appreciate her more.¡± He made me blush again... and speechless. Howe he could get away with all


    those cheap flirt lines, leaving me without a way to talk back? Was it because I hadn¡®t been on a date


    since Can? Or was it because my dumb hormones whimpered within me, begging me to let him do


    whatever he wanted? It scared me that I was slowly losing myself to my physical cravings. The warmth in


    his eyes irresistibly mixed with lust, and it took all the strength within me to pretend that I didn¡®t see it.


    ¡°I can help you heal if you let me.¡± His seductive tone left no room for misinterpretation.


    I stated boldly, ¡°It is my heart that needs healing, and I don¡®t think you are a good remedy for it.¡±


    ¡°You¡®ll never know unless you try.¡± He smirked.


    ¡°I¡®d rather not use experimental therapies,¡± I insisted.


    Heughed. ¡°I¡®ll wait patiently until you change your mind.¡±


    It was hard to breathe. The air around us was saturated with desire, and I sighed in relief only after we


    left. Nheless, that night changed something between us. I felt morefortable around Aren. I didn¡®t


    feel the need to push his hand away when he held mine, gently brushing my palm side. Was I being


    tamed? Was it strange that I didn¡®t feel anything wrong with that?


    ***


    The next morning, I woke up to find Aren had already gone to work. I was partially d he was gone. It


    gave me a chance to focus on that day¡®s task. I need to resign from my work at Caf¨¦ Dorado. I had


    already given a heads¨Cup to the management, and I sent messages to Monique and Marco. All I needed


    to do was to bring the official form with my signature on it. I knew that I would be asked questions


    concerning my sudden resignation, and I had to prepare a rational reason for leaving. I figured that I


    would tell everyone that I had got a new, well¨Cpaid job¡­ That lie wasn¡®t that far from the truth. After all, I


    was currently working in the position of a contractual fianc¨¦e


    it caleand the real


    As I thought about it, the images from yesterday¡®s date shed in my mind i flushed, recalling the way


    Aren looked at me and all the tension between us. Was i naive to think that it might have been something


    more than a desire? I missed being appreciated as a woman, and what Aren did certainly made me feel


    attractive and appreciated.


    I got dressed, put on light makeup, and called Benjamin to take me to Caf¨¦ Dorado I walked out of the


    building, holding a resignation form in my hand, and suddenly felt good about ending that period of my


    life. I surely wasn¡®t born to be the wife of a rich man, but I was positive that I wouldn¡®t miss angry


    crowds yelling, ¡°Where is my coffee?!¡±


    Benjamin parked a block away from the caf¨¦ like I¡®d wanted him to. I didn¡®t want to repeat the mistake I


    made with Liam. On my way there, I kept repeating my perfectly prepared speech


    about the alleged new job. I entered the caf¨¦ and walked towards the counter with a big grin on my face,


    which widened when I saw Monique. I took a deep breath and was about to greet her when she


    screamed, gathering the attention of all of the few customers at the caf¨¦. ¡°You are dating Aren Lan!¡±


    I froze. I felt as if all the blood had left my face, making it paler than ever. ¡°W¨Cwhat are you talking


    about?¡± Iughed nervously, gesturing to calm her down. Fortunately, customers¡® focus was solely on the


    coffee and cakes they¡®d ordered. I rushed to Monique, who stood behind the counter while cing a


    finger on my mouth and frowning Monique giggled, pulling out her phone and showing me a recent


    article on the gossip site. ¡°That¡®s you, right? The one in the silky green dress?¡± she asked, lowering her


    voice this time


    I gulped. There was a whole article about Aren Lan¡®s mysterious girlfriend, filled with spections about


    my identity. None of those photos fully showed my face, but it was enough for Monique to recognize me.


    ¡°Is that why you are quitting the job?¡± She teasingly prodded my elbow.


    There was no sense in denying that it wasn¡®t me in those pictures with Aren. ¡°I¡®ve got a job, and that¡®s


    the reason I¡®m quitting,¡± I insisted. ¡°But... yes, I¡®m dating Aren Lan,¡±


    I said it. I had never thought that voicing those words would bring me such relief. Monique mped her


    hand to her mouth, suppressing her high¨Cpitched snicker. I started to think that it was fortunate that


    Marco was on his break at the time; otherwise, I wouldn¡®t have been able to handle the two of them at


    once.


    ¡°It looks like it¡®s getting serious between you two. Those photos are so romantic,¡± she sang.


    I smiled nervously, processing her words, but then I took her phone and started going through the


    pictures in the article. My heart pounded more and more as I slowly realized the situation behind each


    shot... There was a picture of Aren kissing my hand, a picture of me looking at him with a blush, and


    there was also a moment when Aren leaned over me to blow the eysh off my cheek¡­ Thest picture


    looked exactly as if we had linked our lips in a passionate kiss. I felt as if something had crushed my


    chest from the inside. Aren must have known. He must have nned his every move, knowing what kind


    of shots the paparazzi could get from it... ¡°Son of a bitch...¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Furious girlfriend I kept staring at the photos in disbelief. How could I be such an idiot?! I allowed


    myself to get lost in the moment. I let Aren charm me, and I wanted to trust the warmth I felt from him. In


    each of those pictures, I saw myself looking at Aren like a woman in love, and I hated myself for showing


    him this vulnerable side of me. He manipted me, and I let him.


    ¡°Are you angry?¡± Monique worriedly patted my shoulder.


    I smiled wryly. ¡°It¡®s just... you know... It was our private moment and those photos...¡±


    Monique nodded sympathetically. ¡°I get you. You are not used to being in the spotlight, but since you are


    dating New York¡®s most wanted bachelor, you will get a lot of attention from now on.¡±


    ¡°I guess you are right...¡± I sighed, lowering my head so that my eyes wouldn¡®t betray my inept lie.


    I was pissed, and I could barely keep myposure. The blood was boiling in my veins and holding a


    smiling face became unbearable.


    ¡°So, tell me everything! How did it happen?¡± Monique grinned, leaning on the counter.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    I forced augh. ¡°Girl, I promise that I will tell you everything, but not today. I¡®m here to drop the


    documents and I have to run.¡±


    I excused myself with an abrupt hand wave and a thin smile and then darted toward the office to leave


    my signed resignation form. Thankfully, I managed to run away before Marco came back. Monique was


    certainly too excited about the news to notice all the dishonesty in my words, but Marco had always been


    a walking¨Ctalking lie detector.


    It took me a minute to finish the formalities. Then I rushed out, fury fueling my strides. Even Benjamin


    became pale as he saw my frowning face and zing angry eyes.


    >¡°Where to?¡± he asked quietly, sitting behind the wheel.


    ¡°Lan Diamond Tower,¡± I squeezed through my teeth.


    He nodded and pulled the curb. He didn¡®t say a single word. I guessed he expected that if he did, he


    would be my anger¡®s coteral damage. He wasn¡®t entirely wrong. I was consumed by rage to the


    point where my decisions weren¡®t absolutely rational. Fine, they weren¡®t rational in the slightest!


    I stormed through the revolving door and went straight to the reception. A busty brown haired


    receptionist looked me up and down as I walked closer.


    ¡°Can I help you? Are you lost?¡± She raised one eyebrow. I swear I wanted to punch her, but I decided to


    keep my anger entirely for my discussion with Aren. I took a deep breath and gluedposure to my


    face. ¡°I¡®m here to meet Aren Lan,¡± I said with a grimace¨Clike smile. ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± She


    scanned me again, giving me a judgmental pout.


    Furious girlfriend


    ¡°No, I don¡®t, but I¡®m sure he¡®ll see me. My name is Cora Bell,¡± I imed with confidence.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry, I don¡®t have you on the list. I¡®m afraid that I cannot let you in.¡± The receptionist shot me a


    mocking grin.


    I was about to explode, but fortunately, my logic broke through my rage. I stepped away from the


    receptionist¡®s desk and pulled out my phone. I picked up Neil¡®s number because I thought that he would


    answer quicker than his boss. ¡°Hello, Neil. Is Aren in his office?¡± I asked, trying to fake a smile in my


    voice.


    ¡°Yes, but he¡®s in the middle of a video conference. Shall I pass him a message from you?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡®ve got something to tell him personally. I¡®m standing by the reception desk and


    ¡±


    ¡°Wait there,¡± he said and ended our call...


    I heard the receptionist snicker as she saw me putting down my phone with a confused expression. I bet


    that, from her perspective, I must have looked like a dumb chick who had mistaken a one¨Cnight¨Cstand


    for a marriage proposal. I would also think that my situation was funny... if I weren¡®t so pissed!


    ¡°Ms. Bell!¡± Neil shouted from the length of the hallway, making all the receptionists¡® jaws drop.


    ¡°I apologize for disturbing your work.¡± I gave him a little bow.


    Neil nonchntly waved his hand as he walked closer. ¡°Not at all. But why didn¡®t you just tell the


    receptionist to let you in?¡± he said it loud enough for all threedies behind the desk to hear.


    ¡°Well, I did... but this NICEdy said that my name wasn¡®t on some kind of list...¡± I pointed, innocently


    blinking my eyes.


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± He walked over in front of the reception desk and red at the one I pointed at.¡± I suggest


    you check that list again... or better yet, give that list to me.¡±


    The woman gulped and handed over a document with around ten to fifteen names on it. Neil nced at it


    and smirked.


    ¡°Ms. Bell, can you see your name here?¡± he asked, gesturing at me toe closer.


    I smiled wryly and leaned over the document. There were a few people named Winton and Lan on that


    list. Thest name written on it was mine. Was I truly allowed toe inside Aren¡®s office whenever I


    wanted to?


    ¡°There¡®s my name,¡± I said, cing a finger on the final position in the document. ¡°This must be a new list!


    I remembered the old one and there was no one named Bell on it!¡± the receptionist eximed, pointing


    her finger at me as if it was my fault that she didn¡®t care to check it properly.


    She certainly made my temple vein throb, but she didn¡®t annoy me as much as she infuriated Neil. As I


    saw his expression turn icy cold, I stepped back away from the desk. His lips twitched, forming a freezing


    smirk ¡°You are fired.¡±


    ¡°B¨Cbut Mr. Edmond! You can¡®t do it! Only Mr. Lan can¨C¡±


    ¡°You can call him and discuss the issue of yourplete ipetence with him if you want to. You can


    also save some mere shreds of your dignity and go to the HR department now.¡± Neil¡®s words were


    confident and sharp as the smoothest de.


    I stared at him in awe. What he did was wicked, incredible, and absolutely perfect. At that moment, I


    wanted to drop down to my knees screaming, ¡°Teach me, Master!¡± Stepping away from the reception


    drama, Neil gave me a warm smile and offered his arm.¡± Follow me, Ms. Bell.¡±


    1 grinned and nodded, letting him lead me to the elevator. I had to say that his words and actions had


    almost defused the rage I had for his boss... almost. As soon as the elevator started riding to the top, I


    recalled the events ofst night and the photos of us taken by the reporters. I fisted my hand and slowly


    let out the air, trying not to explode.


    ¡°Are you all right, Ms. Bell?¡± Neil leaned closer, examining my frowning face. ¡°No, I¡®m not,¡± I replied,


    avoiding his gaze. ¡°Is that why you want to talk to Mr. Lan?¡±


    I didn¡®t respond. I treated that question as a rhetorical one. As we exited the elevator on the top floor, I


    started walking toward Aren¡®s office, not caring whether Neil would keep up with me.


    ¡°Wait.¡± He grabbed my hand before I opened the door to Aren¡®s office. ¡°I will check if he finished the


    videoconference first.¡±


    I nodded and stepped away from the door. My fury blinded mepletely. I was so mad that I forgot that


    Aren was in the middle of something important. After less than a minute, Aren asked me to enter his


    office. As I walked inside, he was sitting at his desk, writing something on hisptop


    ¡°I heard that my fianc¨¦e had something to discuss with me,¡± he said with slight amusement in his tone.


    My blood began to boil again, yet I forced myself to hold back my anger and ask questions first. ¡°Those


    photos of us taken in the restaurant... you nned those situations between us, did you not?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± His indifferent answer felt like a p. He didn¡®t even bother to look me in the eye while saying it.


    He just kept working on hisputer.


    ¡°How could you do something like that?¡± I took a step closer to his desk, struggling to pull another breath


    into my lungs. ¡°You could have just told me, but instead¡­ you manipted me! ¡°I burst out.


    He stopped writing and finally shifted his eyes to me. ¡°It had to look natural, and it did,¡± he said coldly.


    ¡°You used me, and you used my emotions!¡± I snapped.


    He stood up and walked over toward me. ¡°You signed a contract. You wanted me to use you.


    You wanted to be involved in my n. It was the best way to achieve what I wanted.¡±


    I read his face and couldn¡®t believe the emotionlessness I received from him. ¡°Are you even human?¡± I


    choked out, barely controlling my swirling emotions.


    Heughed. ¡°I thought that you were more intelligent than that, Cora. I told you before, didn¡®t l? This will


    never be a romantic rtionship.¡±


    If I was standing on the edge before, he had just given me a push. I stepped closer and pped him


    hard. ¡°I agreed to act. I agreed to y the role of a perfect fianc¨¦e, not to be yed!¡± I hissed.


    He red at me, rubbing his cheek, swollen from my hit. ¡°Don¡®t forget that you are not doing this for free,


    and it¡®s not the worst way to get the money for your Grandma¡®s operation.¡±


    I smiled coldly at him. ¡°I would never trade my emotions for money, just like I would never sell my body. I


    promised to follow your n, and I will. I can act however you want me to, and I can be very persuasive.


    However, use me again like that and I promise that you will regret it.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Is that supposed to be a threat?¡±


    ¡°An angry woman is capable of many things. Now you can add my abilities to that and double it.¡± I


    grinned wickedly before turning around to walk out of his office.


    As I was about to exit, his hand mmed the door shut, hitting right above my head and blocking my


    way out. I flinched. He was an inch behind me, his body nearly leaning against my back. I could feel his


    breath brushing the crock of my neck as he lowered his head.


    ¡°The situations were nned, but I didn¡®t predict your reactions... I couldn¡®t even predict my own. This is


    something you cannot fake,¡± he said quietly, breathing against my ear.


    I swallowed hard. I didn¡®t move or breathe. My heart wildly hammered against my chest. He took his


    hand away from the door surface and opened it for me instead.


    He stepped back and added calmly. ¡°I¡®ll see you in the evening. I¡®ll be home around nine.¡± I nodded


    hysterically and darted out into the corridor.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Apology I ran out of the Lan Diamond Tower, wondering what the hell had just happened. I hit Aren, I


    threatened him, and I expected that he would be infuriated by that, but when his body was an inch away


    from mine, it wasn¡®t anger that I felt from him. He seemed frustrated, as if he suddenly felt the need to


    exin himself and didn¡®t know how to do it. He also said that he couldn¡®t predict his own reactions to


    me, as if not all of that had happened during our date had been a part of his n... What did he mean by


    that?


    I was confused and flustered. I wanted to tell him that I would not let him mislead my feelings any


    longer. I thought that he was going to keep acting cold and indifferent, just like when he told me that our


    rtionship would never involve emotions. Why did he change his tone so suddenly? It sounded like he


    wanted to coax me as if he cared... Did he care or was I imagining things?


    I went back to the penthouse to change, and then Benjamin drove me to the workshop. I needed to keep


    my mind busy and prevent myself from wondering if Aren wanted to continue our conversation once he


    came back home. Anticipation made me feel excited and anxious. I didn¡®t want us to fight, and I didn¡®t


    want a silent war between us, but I had to tell him how I felt about what had happened before I started to


    believe the illusion he created. I hoped that he would respect my point of view and learn to trust me


    more.


    ¡°Do you go on a date tonight?¡± n¡®s voice pulled me out of a daze.


    ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡± I turned to him, trying to focus my slightly clouded stare. He pushed himself from his desk


    and slid across the room in his office chair, stopping next to me. ¡°You keep checking the time,¡± he


    exined, smirking.


    ¡°No.¡± I sighed and then let the sour chuckle escape my throat. ¡°It¡®s quite the opposite. My... so ¨Ccalled


    boyfriend and I fought today over something he did...¡±


    ¡°He¡®ll apologize,¡± n said, with the confidence that I wished to have.


    ¡°How can you know that? You don¡®t even know him.¡± Iughed.


    ¡°But you know him, and you let him pass through all those walls you have built around you over the


    years. That means he has to be worth it,¡± he imed, a faint smile painting his face.


    I forced myself to smile at him. If only I could tell him the truth... Nheless, n was right about one


    thing: I let Aren get closer than anyone else. For thest three years, I had rejected every man who tried


    to approach me. I would have pped those who tried to even touch my hand. Of course, it was all due


    to my previous rtionship, which traumatized my sex life. None of the rules I set applied to Aren. He


    could break every singlew I established around my personal space and get away with it. I kept


    wondering what made him different... except for the obvious fact that he was the sexiest man that I


    had ever gotten close to.


    Even if n didn¡®t know the whole truth, his words helped me cool down and focus on my job. I got


    through the day relentlessly tapping theputer keyboard. I was so consumed with my tasks that I


    barely noticed when the evening came. Benjamin drove me to the penthouse just before nine. Aren


    wasn¡®t home yet. I took a quick shower to look more refreshed and waited


    him in the inain hall, watch


    TV on his two hundredi inch screen


    Arendtidn¡®te back for another hour A little after ten o¡®clock, I opened a bottle of wine to Case IV


    NITO Drinking a RenPROHIN NCCond ss gave me the courage to write him a text message, asking if


    he was finallying home lle didn¡®t reply I gave up on waiting for him after midnight Mad and


    disappointed, I finished the bottle and went to bed,


    The next morning. I woke up with a hangover, but my slight headache was nothingpared to the


    stabbing pain in my chest. As I walked out of my bedroom, 1 quickly realized that I was still alone. I was


    more than aware of how busy a man like him could be, but couldn¡®t he at least reply to the damn text I


    sent ! I was angry. I was pissed at myself for trusting that he would actually want to clear the air between


    us


    ¡°What did you expect? You signed the contract. He is paying you. What made you think that he would


    treat you better than his receable employees?¡± I scolded my reflection in the mirror,


    I drank coffee for breakfast and left for work, wishing to leave the ce where everything smelled like


    Aren as soon as possible. At 7 AM, I was already in my full working mode, taking out my frustration on


    mereputer problems. As my anger doubled my efficiency, I had finished everything in the day¡¯s


    schedule before n and Norton joined me around nine.


    ¡°I guess that he didn¡®t apologize?¡± nmented on my state with a lopsided smirk.


    I stretched my lips into a thin smile. ¡°He didn¡®t reply to my message either.¡±


    ¡°Ouch.¡± n patted my back, his lips forming a sympathetic grimace. ¡°Yeah...¡± I sighed and nervously


    rubbed the center of my chest


    ¡°Maybe you should dump him.¡± Norton¡®s sudden statement caught n and me by surprise. We stared


    at him, raising our brows, but as he quickly turned back to his usual self, he shrugged and sat by his


    laptop. At that moment, I wished that I could just ¡°dump¡± him and move out of his penthouse, but I


    painfully realized howplicated my life became the moment I signed that freaking contract. Since I


    had nothing left to do that could upy my brain, I decided to take a walk and fill my growling stomach


    with some sandwiches on the way. I opened the door and almost bumped into the delivery man as he


    was just about to knock.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Cora Bell?¡± he asked, ncing at me from beneath his peaked cap. ¡°Yes?¡± I smiled nervously, trying


    to remember if I had ordered anything online and forgotten about it


    ¡°Sing here.¡± The man put away everything he was carrying, pulled out a signature monitor, and pushed


    the pen into my hand.


    ¡°But I didn¡®t order any¨C¡°. ¡°As you can see, someone sent you flowers and a package,¡± he exined


    curtly, urging me to put my signature.


    I exhaled and ced my name on the screen. He nodded, satisfied, grabbed the bouquet and a


    medium¨Csized box, and handed them to me.


    ¡°Have a nice day,¡± he tossed on his way out.


    I stayed on the threshold for a minute, before I started to process what I was holding. The box wasn¡®t too


    heavy, but it was carefully packed as if it contained something valuable. I put it on the table and looked at


    the flowers. It was a bouquet of the most beautiful red roses.


    ¡°Now that¡®s a fine way to say I¡®m sorry.¡± n grinned mischievously. ¡°Who said it was from him?¡± I said,


    instantly blushing as I hoped that the roses were from Aren.


    Even Norton leaned out from behind hisputer to look at me curiously, as he had immediately chosen


    me and my private life as the most entertaining aspect of the day. After I acknowledged that they


    wouldn¡®t leave me alone unless I told them who the flowers and the package were from, I sighed and dug


    my hand into the bouquet, hoping to find a note. As soon as I reached between the roses, I noticed a


    piece of thin cardboard with engraved ornaments. There was a handwritten message on it.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± n leaned over my shoulder, trying to read it. I put the roses away and hid the


    card from him until I read it myself.


    The message said, ¡°23 red roses. Each for every published photo. A.¡±


    I couldn¡®t help but smile. His indirect apology was romantic in a way. That made me even more curious


    about what was inside that box.


    ¡°Help me open it,¡± I told the boys. ¡°Tell us what the note says first.¡± n pouted. ¡°Not a chance.¡± I


    snorted. There was no way that I could exin to them the meaning of Aren¡®s message anyway. ¡°Then


    tell us if it¡®s from HIM?¡± n raised his eyebrows, awaiting my response. I nodded and grabbed the


    scissors to open the box. In the middle of cutting the tape around the package, all three of us swallowed,


    as the specific protection betrayed that there was aputer inside. I lifted the box lid and gasped. n


    was more literal... ¡°Oh, fuck me...¡± he breathed out, gaping at my wonderful gift. I barely registered when


    myptop left the box andnded in Norton¡®s hands, and then in n¡®s hands.


    ¡°Jeez... this is like customized NASA equipment!¡± n eximed. ¡°If these parameters are for real, then


    this baby should work at the speed of fucking light!¡± I gulped and looked at Norton, who, for the first time,


    was as agitated as n was. They ced my newptop on the table and began to stare at it in pure


    admiration before their eyes


    shifted to me. ¡°If this is this guy¡®s way of apologizing, then you should not only forgive him... you should


    give him a nice blowjob as a thank you,¡± n stated.


    Iughed nervously. ¡°I don¡®t think that¡®s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Norton cut in. ¡°I would say a few mind¨Cblowing blowjobs, to say the least.¡±


    I cocked my head to one side and blinked my eyes. I had never thought that there were such words in


    Norton¡®s dictionary. n was a seriously bad influence on him.


    ¡°Listen, guys... Thatptop is surely amazing, but our rtionship is not on this level of physical ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, Cora.¡± n frowned and pointed at my gift. ¡°This isn¡®t something you go buy in a shop. It takes


    time to create such wonders. Your boyfriend must have ordered thisptop a week or two weeks ago.


    The guy cares and hell, for the gift he¡®s given you, I would have given him that blowjob myself.¡±


    As I erased the image of that final part of n¡®s sentence, his words started to swirl inside my head...


    Never, in a million years, would I take my boys¡® advice. Nheless, if I were to ept Aren¡®s gift, I


    would truly have to find my way to thank him...

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Thanking him It took more than an hour for n and Norton to stop drooling over my newest toy. I had


    to admit that the equipment that Aren gave me was beyond amazing. The number of new possibilities


    this stuff could create for me was astonishing. I couldn¡®t even begin to imagine how much thisputer


    cost... Of course, it was a little bit like giving a full tank of gasoline and matches to an arsonist, but I


    would never release my evil powers upon someone who didn¡®t deserve it.


    Pressured by the boys¡® excitement, the thought of thanking Aren for granting me this extraordinary gift


    engraved deeply in my head. For certain, I couldn¡®t present him with anything that had a simr value,


    and since my freak friends had already seen thisputer, there was no way that they would let me


    reject it. If I were to thank him, I needed to be either creative or practical, or better yet, both.


    There was also another issue that stayed on my mind: when did he order thisptop? Aren was an


    influential man, so I could imagine that he might have gotten equipment like the one he had given me


    way faster than the rest of the mortals would¡®ve needed to wait. Still, an order like that should take at


    least a few days to prepare. I signed a contract with him a few days ago ... Did he order thisputer


    then? If he did, then wouldn¡®t it prove that he wasn¡®t as indifferent as he wanted me to think he was? Of


    course, giving gifts could have been something he usually did. Nheless, I couldn¡®t help but wonder if


    this was special.


    I needed to process it all quietly and alone. I bought myself a sandwich, sat on a bench in a nearby park,


    and called Neil, asking him if he knew anything about the roses or theptop.


    ¡°Um...¡± he paused for a moment, sounding surprised. ¡°I confirm that I¡®m the one who usually fulfills Mr.


    Lan¡®s requests concerning buying gifts or flowers, but... I wasn¡®t the one who ordered it. It must have


    been Mr. Lan himself.¡±


    I gasped. A wave of a strange, electrifying sensation rushed through me, and the heat followed. My lips


    uncontrobly curled into a dumb grin. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Neil...could you tell me... how is Mr. Lan today?¡± I asked, trying to restrain the smile in my voice.


    ¡°Not good,¡± he replied almost immediately. My smile instantly gave way to a concerned frown. ¡°Why? Did


    something happen?¡±


    JI


    ¡°There¡®s a serious crisis in thepany. We have all been trying to deal with it since yesterday. Mr. Lan


    worked all night in his office to solve the recent problems. I don¡®t think he¡®s even eaten the food I brought


    him yesterday.¡± He sighed heavily.


    My stomach knotted. I suddenly felt guilty that I inwardly cursed at Aren for not showing up like he


    promisedst night. While I¡®d been sleeping and whining, he was putting his all into the work, most likely


    trying to handle the problems by himself. He didn¡®t sleep, he didn¡®t eat, and must have been deadly tired.


    As I pictured him glued to the desk in his office, a thought came to my mind.


    ¡°Neil... Is Mr. Lan allergic to something, or maybe there is some kind of food he doesn¡®t like?¡±


    1/4


    Thanking him


    I asked hesitantly He thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Not that I am aware of.¡± ¡°And is there


    something he enjoys eating?¡± I couldn¡®t believe that I asked about it. ¡°He enjoys seafood, but he doesn¡¯t


    have one type of food that he likes,¡± Neil answered, and quickly added, ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡®ll eat anything Ms.


    Bell cooks.¡±


    I blushed. ¡°H-how did you know that I was going to cook for him?¡±


    Neilughed. ¡°I didn¡®t know, but I was hoping you would, Ms. Bell. Mr. Lan tends to overestimate his


    ability to run on fumes. If you show up, you will give him a reasonable excuse to take a break.¡±


    My face only became redder. I wanted to argue with him. I couldn¡®t see how my presence would possibly


    get this workaholic¡®s mind off work. Nheless, if I wanted to find a good way to thank Aren, then this


    was a perfect moment to use my cooking skills.


    Since I had already finished all my tasks at the workshop, I asked Benjamin to take me to buy a few


    things from the supermarket. Thankfully, I had always had a good taste in cooking, and with a few of my


    Grandma¡®s recipes, I felt quite confident in the kitchen. I decided on dishes that could strengthen his


    immune system and wouldn¡®t be too hard to digest. I made a carrot and ginger cream soup and shrimp


    with rice and mango sd. It was almost lunchtime when I finished. I packed it all into thermal


    lunchboxes, dressed in a decent light blue red dress and heels to resemble a woman, and went to the


    Lan Diamond Tower.


    As soon as I walked into the building, carrying lunchboxes with me, I noticed new faces at the reception


    desk. I knew that the rudedy had been fired, yet I wondered if I got the same kind of treatment from the


    other receptionists... I took a few steps forward, and my eyes met one of the receptionists¡® eyes. I could


    hear her audibly gasp as she saw me. A secondter, all threedies were standing and bowing to me. I


    stopped, bemused.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Lan,¡± one of the receptionists with short blond hair greeted me.


    I smiled nervously, stepping towards their desk. ¡°My name is Cora Bell. I¡¯m not¨C¡±


    ¡°We apologize. Mr. Lan informed us that you are his fianc¨¦e, so we assumed that Mrs. Lan...¡± thedy


    with shoulder¨Clong brown hair muttered anxiously.


    All three of them looked amazingly stressed. Were they afraid that they would lose their jobs if they didn¡®t


    greet me properly? I started to wonder what Aren or Neil had done to those poor women¡­


    ¡°Please... Our engagement is yet to be announced publicly... Call me by my name,¡± I suggested,


    awkwardness sounding clearly in the tone of my voice.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the brown¨Chaired receptionist replied, relieved. ¡°Shall I inform Mr. Lan that you are here, Ms.


    Bell?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± As soon as I said it, I started to feel restless.


    What if he told me that he was too busy to see me? Perhaps I had made a mistake and I should just


    hand over those lunchboxes to Neil. I watched the brown¨Chaired receptionist notify the CEO¡®s office,


    feeling more nervous by the second. I was just about to tell the receptionist that I


    had changed my mind, but then she put down the phone and grinned at me. ¡°Mr. Lan awaits you in his


    office. Do you want me to lead you there?¡± she asked politely. ¡°No,¡± I said breathlessly, ¡°I know the way.¡±


    I dashed to the elevators as soon as she buzzed me through the security pass. My hands were shaking,


    and my heart thundered as I was on my way to the top floor. I kept wiping my sweaty palms against my


    dress, afraid that I would drop the lunchboxes on the way. As I walked through the final floor¡®s corridor,


    everyone, from the few people that passed me, bowed down to me as if i had officially be their


    queen. It only multiplied my stress. Finally, I stopped in front of Aren¡®s office. The windows were


    translucent. Aren sat by his desk and talked on the phone. As he saw me, he smirked, lifted his hand,


    and bent his fingers, gesturing at me to enter. I nodded and walked through the door. Once I did, he


    reached for the remote, turning the smart ss surrounding his office opaque. I swallowed and slowly


    walked to his desk, waiting for him to finish his call. He put down the phone less than a minuteter.


    ¡°I heard that you didn¡®t eat. I¡®ve brought you lunch.¡± I hurriedly put the boxes on the side of his desk.


    ¡°Were you worried about me?¡± he asked, his slightly hoarse voice filled with amusement.


    I took a deep breath and looked into his tired eyes. ¡°Yes¡­ and I also wanted to thank you... for the gift...


    and the roses.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± He raised his eyebrows, his lips curling into a wicked grin. ¡°Did you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I smiled. ¡°The roses were beautiful, and theputer... it will be an incredible help. Thank you.¡±


    His grin widened. ¡°Did you cook the food yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded.


    He chuckled and pushed his office chair a bit away from his desk. ¡°Come here.¡± He pointed at the spot


    by his chair. ¡®I hesitated, but still obeyed, and walked to his side of the desk, stopping right beside him.


    ¡°Will you show me what you¡®ve brought?¡± he asked softly, pushing away hisptop to make room for the


    dishes.


    My lips twitched into a nervous smile. Being so close to him only made my heart pound more.


    It took a lot of effort to prevent my hand from shivering while I opened the boxes and presented them in


    front of him.


    I cleared my throat and pointed at the sk. ¡°This is carrot soup with ginger, coconut milk, and coriander.


    I also prepared shrimp with rice¡ª¡±


    ¡°Feed me,¡± he said as a teasing grin popped on his face.


    I snorted. ¡°You¡®re kidding, right? What are you five?¡± His arms inertly dropped on the armrests of his


    office chair. ¡°I¡®m too exhausted to hold the damn spoon. You may as well prove your sincerity and feed


    me.¡± His unreasonable demand made my temple vein throb. I clenched my teeth, but then forced a


    thin smile on my face.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I took a spoon and scooped some soup onto it. He smirked as I blew at it to cool it down before


    bringing the spoon closer to his mouth. He kept his eyes locked on me while tasting it. My heart raced as


    he gazed at me yfully, devouring me instead of food. He licked his lips and said huskily, ¡°More.¡± This


    game was embarrassing, and he seemed to enjoy it more as my perplexity rose. I looked at him in


    disbelief and sighed. Nheless, I spooned the soup again. This time he leaned forward, his mouth


    hungrily reaching for the spoon in my hand, deliberately ying with it. I jerked my hand away, almost


    dropping the spoon in the process. ¡°This is ridiculous. You can eat it yourself,¡± I grunted, putting away the


    spoon and crossing my arms over my chest.


    He chuckled. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I guess I teased you a little too much.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± I hissed.


    He sighed and put on a mischievous smile. ¡°There is one other way you can help me regain my energy.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡± I arched one brow, feeling more and more annoyed. A secondter, he pushed against his


    heels to bring the chair towards me, his arms scooping me right below my buttocks and sitting me astride


    on hisp, facing him. I gasped, barely registering his arms closing around my back, clutching me as he


    leaned close, breathing out a seductivemand, ¡°Kiss me.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Crossing the line Aren¡¯s entire focus was on me, his eyes sending pleasant chills down my spine. His


    onyx irises were piercing right through me with unbearable strength. His body, wrapped in a dark-grey


    suit and white shirt, created a view more dangerous than ever. Our closeness and his scent forced my


    heart into a wild race. Since my instinctive reaction was meant to create space between our bodies, the


    palms of my hands unknowingly froze against his firm chest.


    ¡°If you touch mine, then can I touch yours?¡± he smirked. ¡°No!¡± I eximed, taking my naughty hands off


    of him. His arms were still around me, keeping me on hisp and tightening the grip around me. ¡°Just


    kiss me and I will let you go,¡± he teased..


    I smirked and leaned over his cheek, but he noticed it and turned his head before my lips touched him.


    ¡°I want a kiss that has actual worth,¡± he said daringly.


    I couldn¡¯t say that cing a deeply passionate kiss on those plush lips of his would have been a


    sacrifice. The man whose face was inches away from mine was perfect, and his stare at me raised my


    humidity by a thousand percent. The easiest thing I could do was to let go and surrender, just like my


    entire body did long ago. Yet, I was scared. There were certain emotional issues that I needed to process


    before making a move.


    Aren Lan knew how to be charming, but most of the time he was acting like an arrogant prick. He was


    also domineering and egoistic, and there was no chance in hell that I would fall in love with someone like


    him. So what was there to be afraid of? I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say that I could have a casual sexual


    rtionship with him, but one kiss should have been fine¡­ right?


    I exhaled slowly and put my arms gently around his neck. A wave of shivers crossed down my body as


    his smirk vanished, giving way to an intense predatory gaze. I swallowed, arousal cutting all of my


    restraints. I leaned over him, cing my lips on his. I wanted to give him a quick peck, but the second I


    was about to pull my head away, Aren took the lead. His hand swiftly reached the back of my head,


    positioning me before I could escape. His other arm pulled me deeper into hisp, pressing me tightly


    against his body. A panic within me mixed with excitement. The situation was out of my control, and yet I


    had no will within me to push him away. He brushed my lips with his own, caressing them. A soft moan


    left my mouth as the tickling wave of pleasure began to consume me. His grip on the back of my head


    tightened as he slid his tongue inside and deepened the kiss with greedy strokes. My hands ran through


    his thick hair, tangling his strands in my fingers. I gave back his kiss with everything I had, feeling the


    bulge in his pants grow harder against the center spot between my thighs. Suddenly, his hand slid down


    from the small of my back to my buttocks as he got up from his chais, carrying me along with him. I


    gasped and tangled my legs around his waist. A secondter, I was lying on his sofa, and he was leaning


    over me with his hands on both sides of my head and his bended knee between my legs. He continued


    our kiss while one of his hands roamed down my neck and cleavage, and I didn¡¯t stop him. I yed with


    his hair and gently caressed the skin on the back of his neck. The sensation he was giving me was


    Crossing the line


    intoxicating, but I was far from enough. I wanted more. I wanted all of him.


    A soft buzzing sound from the inte pulled me to reality. Aren let out an irritated growl, his hand


    reaching out to hit the button. A secondter, Neil¡¯s voice broke through the speaker. ¡°Mr. Lan, your 1:30


    appointment is here. Shall I take him to the conference room, or will you meet him in your office?¡±


    ¡°Let him wait,¡± Aren hissed, turning off the speaker before getting back on the sofa. ¡°Where were we?¡± he


    asked yfully and imed my lips again.


    But this time, my bemusement was gone, and I was highly aware of what was happening. I shuddered


    under his touch. His knee touching the center between my thighs already made me throb. I was insanely


    wet and hungry for him, but I also knew that I was getting closer to the moment of no return¡­


    ¡°Aren¡­¡± I muttered as his lips roamed down, leaving sweet traces on my neck. ¡°Please¡­ stop.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell how I found the will to say it. I only prayed that he would obey because I was too weak to


    repeat it. He lifted his head and looked at me with a faint smile. My heart hammered. I knew that I


    wouldn¡¯t push him away if he continued, and I was forced to rely on his strength to stop since I had none.


    His eyes stayed locked on me for a while before he got up from the sofa. I instantly started to miss his


    warmth. Everything within me screamed. My insides were insanely pulsing, my body craving him. Was I


    the only one who felt this way? Wasn¡¯t it hard for him to stop? I felt his heart thundered against my own


    before, but now he seemedposed, back in his working mode. As I ineptly sat up on the sofa, I saw


    him casually correcting his tie as if nothing had ever happened. My heart squeezed, making me feel


    ufortably confused.


    I crossed that line with him. From that moment, none of us could say that there was nothing more than a


    business rtionship between us, but where would it take us? Would we be friends with benefits?


    The problem was, we weren¡¯t even friends. Would we stay as acquaintances, sharing a strong physical


    attraction? Yet, Aren wasn¡¯t even a bit flustered, even if he clearly wanted me before. Was he over me


    because I stopped it? Or worse¡­ I was the only ¡®one who enjoyed it, and a part of him felt relieved that I


    told him to stop.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I pushed up to my heels and nervously cleared my throat. ¡°Y-your lunch has already gotten cold. Reheat


    it before eating¡­ I have to go,¡± I muttered, correcting my dress. He didn¡¯t say a word. He just looked at


    me with his eyes betraying no emotions. That hurt me even more. I rushed to the exit, feeling that I might


    suffocate if I stayed any longer.


    ¡°Cora,¡± he said softly as I opened the door.


    I turned around a bit, just enough to see him standing by his desk. I waited for him to say something


    else, but he didn¡¯t. I smiled weakly and exited his office. I strode through the corridor, my eyes getting


    heavier and heavier from tears. Idiot. What was I counting on? I was way too fragile and broken to y


    his game. As the elevator reached the ground floor, my pain turned to anger. I was pissed at myself. Why


    was I constantly giving him everything he wanted from me, expecting to get what I wanted in return? I


    should have known that it had never worked that way, especially not with rich, arrogant bastards.


    On the bright side, I had the ¡°thank you¡± part checked, and I had an amazingputer to


    Crossing the line


    work on. Not to mention that I could easily hack into the Lan Diamond Corporation system if Aren


    infuriates me again. Yes¡­ the thought of that improved my mood a lot.


    Once I came back to the penthouse, I decided to test my new gift. I promised myself that I wouldmit


    myself to work. I was going to work relentlessly on my security software project, fiercely iming that


    Aren had no ess to my thoughts¡­


    Certainly, I should have known that this could never work. Aren¡¯s image popped into my head each time I


    closed my eyes. My lips were still swollen from our kiss, and my skin was so sensitive that the light air


    conditioning was able to bring back my arousal. I hated that Aren could mess me up even when he


    wasn¡¯t around!


    As midnight came, I feltpletely drained out. I took a shower and went to bed without checking if Aren


    came back or not. I didn¡¯t care. I figured that I should avoid him as much as possible until I learned how


    to be as indifferent in his presence as he was. I was determined to crash my foolish emotions. I was


    going to have a good night¡¯s sleep and wake up the next day as a strong and resilient woman. The


    problem was¡­ I couldn¡¯t sleep. I tossed and turned, and each time I closed my eyes I saw Aren leaning


    over me, touching me, caressing me, enticing me¡­


    ¡°God!¡± I let out a frustrated growl, kicking the sheet off of me. I needed to calm down. After a short inward


    debate, I decided to go downstairs to the kitchen and satiate my thirst with arge ss of cold water. I


    combed my ruffled hair with my fingers and took a few shaky steps toward the door. I was barefoot,


    wearing nothing but a white silky knee-long nightgown with thin shoulder straps. I briefly thought of


    putting something on top of the nearly see-through fabric, but then decided that meeting Aren at 4 AM


    was unlikely. Besides, I was too exhausted and annoyed to care.


    Certainly, walking out of my bedroom, my anti-Aren sanctuary, only increased my restlessness. His


    mouthwatering scent painfully hit my nostrils as I walked down the stairs. My heart started to pound,


    speeding my breath rate along the way. I didn¡¯t know what was happening to me. Was I having some


    kind of panic attack? I hurried my steps and entered the kitchen only to see Aren standing by the fridge


    and pulling out a bottle of water. He was shirtless with nothing but ck loose pajama pants on. I froze


    as he turned around, a wicked smirk forming on his lips. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± He stepped over to me, a cold


    bottle in his hand. His perfect muscles rippled as he was getting closer. Then he straightened in front of


    me, presenting those beautifully carved bulges. I swallowed hard. I instantly became desperate to get


    something to drink.


    ¡°I wanted to get some water.¡± I walked past him, trying to keep the shreds of myposure. He nodded


    with a weak smile and headed out of the kitchen, only to stop as he stepped into the corridor.


    ¡°Today¡­¡± he started and quickly paused as if he couldn¡¯t find the right words. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± he


    muttered.


    I nced at him, confused. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°For giving me all the energy I needed. I ended the crisis


    because of you,¡± he said, grinning


    Crossing the line


    teasingly I smiled nervously, a soft blush painting my cheeks. He chuckled, observing my reaction. ¡°One


    more thing, Cora¡­¡± He stepped back into the kitchen and locked his eyes on me, the intensity of his


    gaze taking my breath away. ¡°Don¡¯t ever call my name. Not, if you truly want me to stop¡­ The next time


    my namees out of your sexy mouth, I won¡¯t stop even if you beg me.¡± As he left the kitchen, my


    mind went nk.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Doctor¡®s appointment


    I couldn¡®t exin how I felt when Aren admitted that he had almost lost control while kissing me. He


    surely indulged my vanity, making me feel attractive and desirable, but his words also scared me


    because I wanted at least one of us to be sane and rational, and I know I wasn¡®t. It was time to face it:


    the physical attraction between us was mutual.


    After drinking ten sses of cold enough to freeze my brain water, I decided to take a cool shower.


    Aren¡®s words kept spinning inside my head. My heart hammered against my chest no matter how badly I


    tried to regain myposure. This was pure insanity. I had never wanted anyone as much as?l wanted


    this man. Each time he was around, I became overpowered by my primal, most basic instincts. Perhaps


    it would have been easier to cope with this craving if I wasn¡®t so mentally damaged...


    I would love to be able to keep my emotions and physical pleasure separate. I knew many women that


    found it so natural. They could meet someone, sleep with him, and then decide whether or not they want


    to be involved with him romantically. I was their opposite. I wasn¡®t raised in a conservative family, and my


    theoretical sexual education began quite early. Nheless, I created this perfect image inside my head


    that I would lose my virginity to someone I loved... This idealistic vision blinded me and lost me. I had


    mistaken physical attraction for actual feelings and ended up in a rtionship that was nothing but toxic.


    It cost me my dignity, self¨Cesteem, and confidence. The broken heart was a harmless bonus that Can


    added to the list of damages.


    Perhaps it was fortunate that I had no time to suffer from heartache. I put a hundred percent of my


    energy into finding the best possible treatment for Grandma. However, because I hadn¡®t got time to cry


    and feel miserable, my wounds had never truly healed...


    Normal people in my situation look for professional help and spend thousands of dors on hours and


    hours of therapy. The problem was that I had neither money nor time for therapy. I had to find a way to


    process my problems myself and learn to live with them.


    ¡®I was more than aware that I had trust issues. It was a self¨Cdefense mechanism that should have


    protected me from the danger of being irreversibly broken. Yet, for some reason, that mechanism didn¡®t


    work with Aren. My hormones happily paraded with ¡°Screw trust!¡± written on their T¨Cshirts every time I


    could sense him near me. It surely didn¡®t help to see him shirtless before going back to bed. I could


    almost be certain that even if I managed to fall asleep, Aren would forcefully invade every image I dared


    to dream¡­


    ***


    At 8 AM, I received a text from Neil reminding me that I had a medical appointment that day. I was


    supposed to go through a series of tests concerning my health. Thankfully, my examination had nothing


    to do with starting a sexual rtionship with Aren. I needed to get examined for much more mundane


    reasons...


    As I was told, it was one of the conditions that the Lan family set. Aren couldn¡¯t marry a woman who was


    infertile or terminally ill. It sounded reasonable, but, truthfully, it was the first time that I cared whether I


    could have children or not. I had never considered myself a mother material.


    Printment


    Benjamin took me to Lan¡®s private clinic. From the outside, it resembled a top¨Csecret facility with a highly


    guarded gate and vast territory surrounding the modern, about twenty¨Cstory high, steel and ss


    building, I could see that the security cameras were everywhere. As I walked inside, I felt as if I was


    entering a biotechboratory rather than going to see a doctor. I sighed in relief to see Neil standing by


    the reception desk.


    ¡°I thought that you would be with Aren at thepany today,¡± I said slightly suspiciously. ¡°He told me to


    take care of you,¡± Neil exined, grinning before he gestured for me to follow him down the hall.


    ¡°But... what about thepany crisis?¡± I inquired. ¡°It¡®s been handled.¡± A mischievous smirk shed on


    Neil¡®s face, making me even more curious.


    ¡°How?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him, certain that there was a story behind it.


    ¡°Well... let¡®s just say that you¡®vee just in time to help in the process.¡± He chuckled and pulled me to


    the side of the hallway, giving us more privacy, before continuing, ¡°Mr. Lan needed to renegotiate a


    contract with one of our crucial suppliers. The new conditions they were giving us were impossible to


    ept. The supplier thought that there was no one else qualified to fulfill our demand, and they were


    right. It seemed like a lost cause, but then Mr. Lan walked in fiercely and told them that our deal was off


    because we¡®ve found anotherpany to handle our order.¡±


    I nced at him, confused. ¡°So¡­ you found someone else?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Neil snorted. ¡°It was a bluff, but this guy from the supplier¡®spany almost shit his pants. In the


    end, we signed the deal on our terms... better than before.¡±


    I gasped. Was it strange to be proud of my contractual husband¨Cto¨Cbe? I was certain of one thing:


    ying cards with Aren equaled suicide. ¡°But wait... how did I help in any of this?¡± I smiled nervously just


    before the realization hit ¨Cme. ¡°It was that 1:30 appointment...¡±


    Neil nodded, a wicked grin painting his face. ¡°Whatever you fed him with, it helped.¡±


    The embarrassment flooded me, covering my cheeks with a thick blush. I was quite sure that Neil


    assumed that his boss and I had a quickie in the office just before the meeting. What was even worse, I


    couldn¡®t deny it since telling him that we had ¡°only¡± kissed wouldn¡®t change much in his perception. I


    lowered my head and stayed silent the rest of the way through the hall.


    ¡°Doctor Corbyn will guide you from here,¡± Neil said, stopping in front of one of the doors. A sudden


    restlessness filled me, yet I was unable to exin why. I¡®d never been scared of needles or other medical


    procedures, and strangely I found this appointment terrifying. Neil left me by that door, saying that he


    woulde backter, and I hesitantly knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± I heard a female voice calling out from behind the door. I took a deep breath and entered.


    Inside the medical room, I saw an attractive brte in a


    white doctor¡®s coat sitting by the desk and staring at theputer screen. As I closed the door, her eyes


    shifted to me. As she looked me up and down, a subtle smirk appeared on her face.


    ¡°Hello, Cora.¡± She stood up from her chair and walked over to me. ¡°You don¡®t mind if I call you by your


    first name, do you?¡±


    Her straightforwardness startled me. The serious tone of her voice made it impossible to judge whether


    she was friendly toward me or hostile. A nervous smile shed on my face as I replied, ¡°By all means, go


    ahead.¡± ¡°Great!¡± she eximed, excitedly pping her hands. ¡°I¡®m Miranda, by the way, Doctor Miranda


    Corbyn. Aren told me to examine you.¡±


    I didn¡®t miss the hint of intimacy she added to her voice while saying my contracted fianc¨¦¡®s name. That


    raised many questions about Miranda¡®s identity. She called Aren by name, and her directness toward me


    caught me off guard. She knew my name and didn¡®t bother with formalities. She worked in Aren¡®s private


    medical facility, and yet she didn¡®t seem to be an ordinary employee. How well did she know Aren?


    ¡°All right, let¡®s get started with the boring procedures,¡± Miranda said, grabbing a stethoscope from her


    desk. ¡°Cora, I need you to take off your shirt.¡±


    I suddenly felt awkward. She was a doctor, and yet the way she scanned my body made me feel


    ufortable. Nheless, I exhaled and put a thin smile on my face, taking my shirt off. As I stood in


    front of her in my whitece bra, I caught her intensively staring at my boobs.


    ¡°Now I bet that Aren loves to y with these...¡± she muttered, widening her eyes.


    An awkward snort escaped my throat. I wanted to say something, but my mind clearly needed to reboot


    after her words.


    ¡°I am socking in that department.¡± She giggled, pointing at the tiny curves on top of her ribcage. Then


    she stepped closer, cing the stethoscope¡®s bell onto my chest with a bright, humorous sigh. ¡°I can tell


    you a secret about Aren...¡± She let out a high¨Cpitched snicker. ¡°A.... secret about Aren?¡± I repeated,


    hystericughter surfacing in my voice. She leaned over my ear with a mysterious grin and whispered,


    ¡°He¡®s got extremely sensitive ears. He¡®ll go crazy if you bite his earlobe.¡±


    My jaw dropped open. I wasn¡®t sure how to react to her words. A wave of heat covered my entire body,


    and I was certain that my cheeks lit up in fiery red.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry... but may I ask... how do you know Aren?¡± I choked out.


    Miranda raised her eyebrows at me, surprised. ¡°Oh, my bad. I thought that Aren told you.¡± She winked at


    me as her lips curled into a demonic smile. ¡°I¡¯m Aren¡®s ex fianc¨¦e.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Meet Miranda The blood drained from my face, turning it paler than pale. Aren had a fianc¨¦e?! A real,


    uncontracted fianc¨¦e?! If Aren and Miranda had been engaged, then why did they break up?! I was


    confused. I didn¡¯t even know how to behave in front of her right now... ¡°Oh,¡± I voiced out, giving her a


    nk stare. She burst intoughter, slightly pping my shoulder. ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t mean to freak you out;


    I¡¯m just teasing you!¡±


    I guess Miranda found her own words amusing, but I still didn¡¯t get the joke. ¡°So¡­ Were you, or weren¡¯t


    you Aren¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± I asked, both flustered and annoyed.


    ¡°I was¡­ for about six hours¡­ until we sobered up.¡± She chuckled before shooting me a beaming grin.


    ¡°But you¡­ you are in a real rtionship with him. I must admit that it fascinates me.¡±


    I felt even more baffled. ¡°Wait¡­ so what is YOUR rtionship with Aren?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends¡­ nothing more than friends,¡± she stated firmly.


    ¡°So what was it about that thing with Aren¡¯s ear?¡± I frowned.


    She smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what¡­ Let¡¯s get those tests done, and then we will meet for a coffee or a drink I


    will tell you everything you want to know and more.¡±


    I sighed, pretending to be cool about it, even if I wasn¡¯t. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do like you said.¡± She smiled


    before putting on a doctor¡¯s mask. I couldn¡¯t help but admire that professional change. It was as if she


    had turned into a different person. She had done a basic checkup on me, and then she typed it all down


    on herputer form before collecting my blood for further testing.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Now, you need to go upstairs for the ultrasound and MRI. After you¡¯re done, we¡¯ll meet for some coffee


    and chat,¡± she said, in between calling for a nurse toe and take me to the rest of my examinations.


    I nodded yet was still uncertain whether Miranda was a friend or foe. As soon as I left her office, I texted


    Neil, asking him to tell me anything about my new doctor. He called me instead.


    ¡°Did Ms. Corbyn say anything inappropriate?¡± he asked as I answered, concern more than obvious in the


    tone of his voice.


    ¡°She said that Aren and she were engaged once. That knocked me off guard and that¡¯s why I asked¡­¡± I


    replied, lowering my voice as I followed the nurse to the examination room. Neil cleared his throat. ¡°Well,


    she can be a little peculiar sometimes, but she is one of Mr. Lan¡¯s most trusted associates.¡±


    ¡°She said that they are friends,¡± I added. ¡°I suppose that is true. Ms. Corbyn and Mr. Lan have known


    each other for many years. They used to grow up together,¡± he exined.


    wn


    Meet Miranda


    ¡°I see¡­ Thank you, Neil,¡± I muttered before ending the call.


    I couldn¡¯t say that I felt any better after hearing it. I was oddly annoyed by the fact that she might have


    known a lot about Aren. Aren trusted her¡­ and that alone made me feel inferior. Then again, I couldn¡¯t


    exin why I cared so much about being in his inner circle. After all, we would have nothing inmon


    when our contract ended¡­


    Two hourster, all the examinations were over. I was drained out and starving since I came to the clinic


    on an empty stomach. My desires were simple: I needed food and rest in some quiet ce, far away


    from the MRI¡¯s annoying buzz, which had given me a headache. I wobbled down the stairs and headed


    straight to the exit when Miranda suddenly blocked my way.


    ¡°Hungry right?¡± she grinned, hanging her arm around my shoulder and directing me to the corridor on her


    left. ¡°Starving,¡± I admitted, too tired to refuse her offer.


    Sheughed and continued leading me down the corridor. I tried to keep my guard up around her while


    relentlessly looking for the motive she might have had to get close to me. Was she testing me? And if


    she truly was, was she doing it to satisfy her curiosity, or was she doing it because Aren asked her to?


    We walked into something resembling a bistro caf¨¦, which was a part of Lan¡¯s Clinic. The floor -to-ceiling


    windows in the warm wooden frame created a cozy, almost therapeutic atmosphere. I couldn¡¯t wait until I


    would get to sit on one of those wooden chairs with linen covered cushions set by one of the many tables


    inside the room, but Miranda decided to take us to the small patio area, which appeared to be much


    more private. There was one table set in the corner. It was separated from the rest of the bistro spots


    with a hedge fence.


    ¡°This is my favorite ce,¡± Miranda said. ¡°Ie here whenever I want to eat in peace and quiet.¡±


    I had to admit that I liked her choice. A few minutester, we were enjoying the birds¡¯ singing while


    waiting for our order. She kept smiling as she stared at me, and it frustrated me that I couldn¡¯t read


    through her joyful expression. ¡°I¡¯m d, you know?¡± She chortled. ¡°Aren deserved to actually be with


    someone a long time


    ago.¡±


    I smiled nervously at the sincerity in her voice. It instantly made me feel guilty.


    ¡°So¡­ how long have you and Aren known each other?¡± I made a desperate attempt to change the


    subject.


    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since we were kids. My parents and I lived next to Winton¡¯s mansion. I hated


    his stepmother, though, and his half-brother¡­ He was the most hateful kid I¡¯ve ever met. Could you


    believe that Aren was treated like the stepson in the family just because his mother, the real Mrs. Winton,


    died?!¡± I could feel her anger when she told me about Aren¡¯s past, and I had to say that I instantly shared


    her anger. Aren must have suffered a lot when he was a child. As I saw the agitation in Miranda¡¯s eyes, I


    learned that she certainly cared about Aren¡­ but did she care about him as a friend or more as a


    woman?


    More Miranda


    ¡°What about your engagement?¡± I decided to cut to the chase.


    She smiled wryly, waited until the waitress put our sds and coffee on the table, and took a deep breath


    as she walked away. ¡°It was at Harvard. Aren and I studied together. I was after a tough breakup¡­ or


    more like I was dumped, and I made Aren drink with me to drown my sorrows. I was stupid, and I sort of


    used him as my remedy for a broken heart. We werepletely wasted and ended up in bed. When we


    woke up, Aren started to apologize and said that he would take responsibility and marry me. Who does


    that, right?¡± she smirked, observing my reaction.


    My heart fluttered listening to her story. Was Aren some kind of Prince Charming hiding behind that


    arrogant mask?! ¡°I guess that he was guilty because in his mind I was supposed to be that one woman


    that he would never touch¡­ He always acted like an absolute jerk. He¡¯s never been in a rtionship,


    and he¡¯s never chased after a woman. He had many one-night-stands though. Women spread their legs


    before him, and since he made no effort to get them, the more he didn¡¯t care about them afterward. I¡¯ve


    be the only one that he banged and still talk


    Miranda¡¯s further description slightly shattered Aren¡¯s charming image¡­ But if Aren treated Miranda


    differently, then why weren¡¯t they together? ¡°Mind me if I ask, what happened after Aren proposed?¡± I


    muttered hesitantly.


    Miranda shrugged. ¡°A few hourster, my partner came and begged me toe back¡­ So we got back


    together.¡±


    Her words blew my mind. Aren was beyond sexy, deadly intelligent, capable, and rich. Who in their right


    mind rejects a sincere proposal from someone like him?!


    ¡°So you chose someone who previously dumped you over Aren? Was there anything wrong with-¡±


    ¡°No! God, no!¡± she eximed and burst outughing. ¡°He was perfect¡­ the sex was perfect¡­ But I


    couldn¡¯t help it; I loved Agatha too much.¡± She sighed and smiled dreamily.


    I blinked my eyes, confused. ¡°The¡­ who?¡±


    ¡°Agatha, my girlfriend who dumped me,¡± she exined. ¡°I¡¯m bisexual, honey¡­ or more like a lesbian


    nowadays.¡± I instantly felt like an idiot. I could now understand her friendship with Aren a little more. She


    didn¡¯t sound as if she was dishonest about anything she told me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I smiled awkwardly. ¡°When


    you told me about the engagement and Aren¡¯s ears, I


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have teased you like that¡­ And I was only joking


    about the ears. I guess the fact that you are the first woman that Aren chased after made me a little


    jealous. Not that I¡¯ve ever wanted his attention that way, but still,¡± she said, leaning forward on the table


    with an excited grin.


    Iughed nervously. ¡°What do you mean by that he chased after me?¡±


    ¡°Well, he surprised me when we were drinking coffee together a few weeks ago. He said that


    Meet Miranda


    he had met a beautiful blonde at some caf¨¦ and that he would do anything to make her his¡­ Then a few


    days ago, he called me and informed me that he had gotten engaged to that girl.¡± She giggled. I almost


    choked on the sd I was eating. ¡°He said¡­ what?!¡±

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Girl talk


    My heart started to race. A tickling sensation filled me, rushing down my stomach and making me


    squeeze my thighs. A flush that surfaced on my cheeks was impossible to miss, just as much as the


    uncontroble smile that curled my lips,


    ¡°Oh, my!¡± Miranda snickered, yfully covering her mouth with her hand, ¡°You are head over lieels for


    him, aren¡®t you?¡±


    A peal of hystericughter escaped my throat. ¡°What are you talking about?! I¡®m not in,¡±


    ¡°You cannot fooline, honey. I¡®m aware that Aren might have rushed your engagement because of the


    condition his grandfather set for him, but the fact that you didn¡®t refuse him means a lot...¡± She


    grinned, waggling her eyebrows. ¡°L..... had my reasons,¡± I mumbled, avoiding her gaze.


    This was getting truly awkward. I couldn¡®t tell Aren¡®s friend that I was forbidden to have any romantic


    feelings toward him. Exining the reason why Aren and I were engaged was even more


    complicated.


    Miranda sighed. ¡°You signed the contract, didn¡®t you?¡±


    I gasped. My eyes widened in terror as the amounts in penalties from the contract I had signed shed


    in my mind.


    ¡°I¡®m not an idiot, you know? Don¡®t worry. I would find out about it from Aren, one way or another. If you


    fear suffering from any consequences because I¡®ve found out, then you don¡®t have to. I wouldn¡®t tell


    anyone anyway.¡± She winked at me.


    I smiled nervously with my lips sealed. I was scared. I would never afford to pay any penalty for


    breaching the contract, and the one concerning confidentiality had the number of zeros that was making


    my head spin.


    ¡°Cora, let¡®s be real here, shall we?¡± Miranda chuckled. ¡°Aren told me that he is interested in a girl and


    suddenly three weekster announces that he¡®s going to marry. Not to mention that he was just about to


    engage with some Nicole Saxon or whatever. Would anyone be able to change fianc¨¦e in one day if it


    wasn¡®t about a contract?¡± She smirked.


    I smiled wryly. ¡°You are right. It does sound absurd.¡±


    She locked her eyes on me as an evil grin formed on her lips. ¡°Contract or not, I can see that you care


    for him, more than you are willing to admit.¡±


    ¡°As you mentioned, it is going to be a contract marriage, and Aren stated clearly that our rtionship


    would never be more than a business deal.¡± The bitterness of those words twisted my tongue. She


    burst outughing. ¡°You cannot seriously believe that, can you?¡± I blushed as I recalled the way we


    kissed in Aren¡®s office. Our mutual attraction had nothing to do with the contract terms, but it didn¡®t


    change the fact that it wasn¡®t a real rtionship. I smiled bitterly, thinking about it, and then I looked at


    Miranda. She was the first woman that I


    Gurl talk


    could talk to about the contract, and even though we¡®d just met, I had a feeling I could trust her.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡®t really separate physicality from emotions,¡± I admitted beforeughing nervously.¡± Aren


    obviously doesn¡®t have any problems with that... Even if he said that he wanted me¡­ Well, let¡®s just say


    that I¡®m not nning to be his sex toy.¡± Miranda¡®s lips twitched into a sympathetic grimace. ¡°Oh,


    honey... You don¡®t even know what you are missing. Many women would pay him to be his sex


    toys.¡± She teased.


    My imagination worked just fine, and the mere thought of having sex with Aren was enough to make me


    humid. Still, I said confidently, ¡°I¡®m not one of them.¡±


    ¡°If you say so...¡± She snickered, and then her expression changed to a more serious one. ¡°Even though I


    haven¡®t known you for a long time, let me give you a piece of advice; you need to loosen up a bit. It¡®s


    never simply ck or white in Aren¡®s life. You need to learn to see more. That idealistic image you put


    into your brain is restraining you from making your life easier. You need to be more flexible,


    otherwise, you will not survive in his world.¡±


    Her words sent chills down my spine. I knew that she meant more than having issues with casual sex. I


    wasn¡®t an idiot, and because she was Aren¡®s friend, I somehow wanted her to know that I could cope


    even with learning that Aren was some mafia boss that had been eating human flesh every Sunday


    dinner... Of course, I hoped that was not the case.


    ¡°My ex¨Cboyfriend... was¡­ kind of abusive.¡± There, I finally said it out loud.


    Miranda¡®s face became paler. ¡°I¡®m sorry, I didn¡¯t know... I didn¡®t mean to¨C¡± ¡°No, it¡®s ok. It was three years


    ago,¡± I imed, forcing a weak smile on my face.


    ¡°It¡®s not ok. Your hands are shaking¡±


    They truly were. I only noticed it when she said it. The truth was, my whole body was trembling as if I had


    touched something that could easily cause an avnche of emotions. I had identally dug out a tip of


    something that I wanted to keep hidden, for eternity if possible. ¡°I guess it¡®s still a delicate subject.¡± I


    shrugged, praying that she wouldn¡®t push me to say anything else.


    Miranda put her hand on mine. ¡°Just know that whatever dickhead Aren can be, he would never hurt a


    woman.¡±


    A bitter smile formed on my lips as I tried to calm down. ¡°Perhaps I should thank that asshole for


    dumping me. With all my intelligence, I couldn¡®t see the obvious truth. My emotions blinded me, made


    me an idiot¡­¡±


    ¡°And you are afraid that it would be the same with Aren?¡± she asked, trying to end my thought.


    ¡°Yes... and no. I don¡®t know. I guess I need time to find out,¡± I said, feeling lighter as my words came out.


    ¡°I will cheer for you¡­ and Aren.¡± Miranda giggled.


    I felt better after we talked. I knew that she wasn¡®t THAT kind of doctor, but it was the closest


    I¡®d had to therapy, a girl¨Ctalk where I admitted something I couldn¡®t confess, standing in front of the


    mirror. Was it the first step to making my old wound heal? I truly hoped so... I spent the rest of my day in


    a surprisingly good mood. I could focus on work and discover my newptop¡®s possibilities. I finally made


    crucial progress: my software was almost finished, and I was able to enter the beta¨Ctesting phase. I was


    beyond happy and felt like celebrating. I wanted to tell someone about it, someone who could share this


    excitement with me. I grabbed my phone and before I knew it, I was making a call.


    ¡°Hello, Cora.¡± Aren¡®s sexy voice sounded through the phone¡®s speaker. I almost dropped the phone. I


    was unaware when I picked up his number. I did it unconsciously. I swallowed. ¡°Hello¡­ Aren,¡± I said,


    trying to hide my nerves. ¡°I just wanted to ask... At what time will you be home today?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me toe back early?¡± His deep, soaked in yfulness tone made me gasp. ¡°I just... I


    finished the first phase of the project that I had been working on for a few years, and


    14¡±


    ¡°Do you want to celebrate it with me?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± My answer slipped out before I knew it. ¡°I¡®ll be


    home in half an hour,¡± he said and ended the call. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I stood and stared at the phone for another minute, wondering what the hell had just happened. It was a


    little after eight, and he was never back in the penthouse earlier than at midnight. Did he decide that


    there were no more urgent matters for him to handle today? Or did he leave work only because of me?


    That second possibility made my heart skip a beat. I grinned like an idiot, feeling even more rejoicing


    now that I knew Aren would celebrate my achievement with me. I also surprised myself while talking to


    him: I actually called his penthouse home...


    ?Aren walked into the hall exactly half an hourter, looking insanely delectable in his navy


    three¨Cpiece suit. He smiled, seeing me in the salon, and instantly walked toward me, dropping his


    briefcase on the sofa on his way. He stopped right in front of me, his gaze sending an electric wave down


    my spine. ¡°H¨Chave you eaten?¡± I asked in a panic. ¡°I can make you some¡ª¡± He interrupted me by


    iming my lips in a deep, passionate kiss. His hands slid around my waist, pulling me in against his firm


    body, as his tongue lushly caressed mine. Finally, he broke our kiss, allowing me to catch my breath.


    ¡°Congrattions, my sexy wife¨Cto¨Cbe.¡±

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    About his n


    About his n


    His stare at me was an unmistakable order to submit to him. It sent my heart into a wild race. I wanted


    him so badly that my whole body inwardly whimpered, begging him to let me feel his lips on my skin


    again. Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t push any further. He just held me in his embrace with his eyes locked on


    me.


    ¡°T-thank you¡­¡± I mumbled, cing my trembling hands on Aren¡¯s chest and trying to push him away.


    He smirked and stepped back, releasing me before I would lose thest ounce of control I had. I exhaled


    in relief when he walked to the kitchen to get a ss of water.


    ¡°Hope you¡¯re hungry. I ordered steaks and a sd from Coeur de Romarin. As I remembered, you


    enjoyed itst time,¡± he said, shrugging out his suit jacket.


    ¡°Um¡­ yes¡­ I¡¯ll dly eat it again¡­¡± I muttered, still a bit dazed from his kiss.


    He chuckled and took a few steps toward me. ¡°I¡¯m going to change. I¡¯ll be back before the food gets


    here. Pick a wine from the fringe, OK?¡± He ced a soft kiss on my forehead before stepping up the


    stairs. I nodded, painting a superficial mask of serenity even though I was in the middle of panic mode


    inside. It annoyed me that Aren was the one in control while I wasn¡¯t. He acted of his own will and did


    whatever he wanted, and I simply surrendered like some brainless doll. This was beyond frustrating!


    Perhaps I should be grateful that he didn¡¯t try to push it too far. He was well aware of the way my body


    reacted to him. Was he trying to be considerate toward me, taking one step at a time so I wouldn¡¯t feel


    ufortable? I had to admit that, aside from being a calctive bastard, he had his kind and warm


    side, and that one could mess me up the most.


    I took a few deep breaths and went to pick the wine. I chose a nice-looking bottle of Zinfandel, then set


    the table for two. Somehow, preparing to dine with him alone didn¡¯t feel strange. I found myself more


    comfortable in his presence¡­ that is, if he wasn¡¯t too close. As soon as I put the wine sses on the


    table, he walked down to join me. He was wearing casual jeans and a ck, fitted V-neckline T-shirt, and


    he made it look as incredibly hot as when he wore a suit. His T-shirt perfectly embraced his fine-built


    curves of muscles, making them visible even through the fabric. He must have done it on purpose,


    knowing that I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to admire his chest.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± hemented, as he nced at the bottle I¡¯d chosen for our dinner.


    A secondter, the delivery man brought our food. Aren insisted that I sit down and let him serve dinner.


    It surely was an offer I couldn¡¯t reject. I observed Aren¡¯s movements while he ced the perfectly


    prepared tes on our table, mesmerized. He knew how to pamper a woman. He opened the wine with


    the professional sommelier¡¯s elegance and poured a little wine into my ss so I could taste it. He stood


    close to me, too close. His perfume wildly attacked my nostrils, and I couldn¡¯t focus on anything but him.


    I chuckled nervously, raising the ss to my mouth as he waited for me to approve the wine. I took a sip,


    trying to avoid his seductive gaze, and nodded hurriedly in eptance before my tastebuds could even


    feel what


    About his n


    I¡¯d drunk. He snorted, but then mercifully filled our sses and took his seat in front of me. ¡°I hope that


    Miranda didn¡¯t bother you too much. I apologize if she did,¡± he said, suddenly. ¡°No¡­ it was fine.¡± I


    laughed softly, surprised that he cared. ¡°She was very¡­ straightforward, which startled me at first, but


    then we ate lunch and she even told me a bit about you¡­¡±


    He smirked. ¡°She told you good things or bad things about me?¡±


    I took a big gulp of wine and looked straight into his eyes. ¡°She told me that you immediately cut off


    women you slept with and that she was the only exception since you and she are friends.¡±


    His lips formed a mischievous grin. ¡°That is so like Miranda. But you don¡¯t need to worry about what she


    said¡­ it won¡¯t apply to you.¡±


    An instant wave of heat covered my cheeks, yet I couldn¡¯t let him win that easily. ¡°I know it won¡¯t. First,


    I¡¯m not nning to sleep with you, and second, it would be hard to cut me off while I live in your


    penthouse for two years.¡± I smirked.


    He chuckled and stared at me, more intense than before. ¡°Your stubbornness turns me on. It makes me


    want to work harder to break your resistance.¡±


    I swallowed and squeezed my thighs. My body throbbed violently just because of the way he said it. I


    prayed that he didn¡¯t see through me and realize that the resistance he mentioned had be nothing


    but a weak fa?ade. I finished the wine to cool off.


    ¡°I also have something to celebrate,¡± he said, refilling my ss. ¡°The articles from our date caused the


    response I was hoping for.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I gave him a curious stare. ¡°And what kind of response was that?¡± He


    leaned forward on the table. ¡°I caught the old Winton¡¯s attention.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ grandfather?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Yes. The fucker celebrates his eightieth birthday tomorrow and wants to invite us.¡±


    Chills ran down my spine. I knew that I would have to meet his family at some point, but I didn¡¯t expect it


    to be so soon. I barely started to handle Aren alone, and now I was going to meet his family?! Not to


    mention that I was told that they weren¡¯t exactly the nicest kinds of people¡­ ¡°I get that he invited you,


    but why me?¡± I smiled nervously. ¡°Meeting you is the sole reason for his invitation,¡± Aren smirked coldly


    and leaned back on his chair. ¡°He knows that if I marry, I will get the Lan Wang Corporation¡¯s shares, and


    he is getting restless. He knows that with Lans¡¯ support, I will be able to crush him and all the Wintons.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I gulped. ¡°So¡­ he wants to test me and see whether our rtionship is real and estimate your chances


    of getting the inheritance?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°But¡­ you want us to go to his party¡­ Why?¡± My confusion rose


    as I tried toprehend the situation.


    About his n


    ¡°I need us to pretend that we are willing to y nice. If we do, Augustus Winton will surely invite us to


    stay at the Wintons¡¯ mansion, and that is what I am counting on,¡± Aren exined.


    ¡°So¡­ you want me to suck up to him and ask for his blessing?¡± I asked, forcing a thin, soaked in


    annoyance smile.


    Aren shook his head. ¡°I would never allow you to belittle yourself in front of him. You are going to walk


    into that party as a future Mrs. Lan, someone far more powerful than he would ever be. Besides, if he


    tries to do anything that would insult you or make you feel ufortable, you will have me take care of


    it. Remember that.¡± I felt warmth filling my body from the inside. I wanted to smile and cry at the same


    time. The man sitting in front of me wanted to build my confidence. As pathetic as it might sound, no one


    except Grandma did that for me. It caught me off guard. Even if Aren was merely talking about my role in


    our fake rtionship, I felt grateful. Nheless, if I were to y my part well, I needed toprehend


    the aspects of his that didn¡¯t seem to make sense to me. ¡°Let me get this straight¡­ You want me to walk


    there beside you and prove to everyone that we love each other. Then you want me to keep my


    confidence on the verge of arrogance while meeting your grandfather, just to make him curious enough


    to invite us to the mansion where you grew up in?¡± I gazed at him in disbelief. He smiled wryly. ¡°Saying


    that my rtionship with my father and stepmother is bad is like calling a hurricane a light summer


    breeze. I need a reasonable excuse to get back there, and you are going to be my excuse.¡± I narrowed


    my eyes at him. ¡°Why is it so important for you to go back there?¡±


    He chuckled and leaned forward, dangerously locking his eyes on me. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    His words felt like a cold shower. ¡°You still don¡¯t trust me¡­¡± I muttered.


    He grabbed my hand and lowered his head, cing a soft kiss on the back of my palm. Then he raised


    his head and looked at me with a faint smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to put pressure on you. I will tell you once the


    old man invites us.¡±


    I looked back at him but couldn¡¯t hide the fact that it hurt me.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± he said, as his expression became serious and confident. ¡°Please, Cora, just trust me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt that he must have a reason to keep this from me. Maybe he thought that I


    would be more confident without knowing everything? I wasn¡¯tfortable with it, and yet I sighed,


    surrendering. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go to that birthday party.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Prepare to meet his family


    I couldn¡®t sleep that night. My heart raced and I felt restless. The next day was supposed to be my grand


    test of whether or not I would act well as Aren¡®s fianc¨¦e. I could say that I wanted to do my job well


    because Aren was paying for my Grandma¡®s medical treatment, but it was more than that. Fake


    rtionship or not, I wanted to do well in front of his family. Was it weird?


    Yes, I was aware that I cared about him, probably much more than I should. The things he did, aside


    from teasing me, made the little chrysalises in my stomach turn into pesky butterflies. It was terrifying


    how quickly he could win me over. I was starting to treat him as an exception to my stereotypical image


    of a wealthy man. Of course, there was still the matter of mutual trust. Because my previous


    rtionship damaged me, I needed full disclosure even though I knew that it could have been an


    unreasonable demand. Everyone had their own secrets and the right not to talk about things that were


    difficult for them or painful for them. I was no different. So who was I to expect Aren to tell me everything


    from the start? Perhaps I should give it all some time. After all, our situation was far from normal...


    Neil showed up at the penthouse around 8 AM. It looked like Aren had forced his poor assistant to help


    me prepare for the evening¡®s event. As I walked down to the salon where he waited for me, I truly hoped


    that he had some magic wand with him because I got up from the bed looking ten to fifteen years older


    than the day before. My lids were swollen, the dark circles underlined my eyes in the worst possible way,


    and myplexion seemed almost translucent. I couldn¡¯t even imagine the amount of makeup I had to


    put on my face to cover the evidence of my sleepless night. ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Neil¡®sment said it all.


    He carefully looked me up and down, a grimace painting his face, then he pulled out the phone and


    made a call, walking out into the corridor. He came back a minuteter, looking at me with a smirk


    ¡°Ms. Bell, it¡®s time for us to go,¡± he said, gesturing at the door.


    It turned out that Neil had booked me a series of beauty treatments in one of New York¡®s most luxurious


    salons. I didn¡®t believe that any of that could work, but it did. After a few weird and smelly facial masks, I


    started resembling a living person. Once my face had been taken care of, my whole body had been


    scrubbed, massaged, and rubbed with essential oils to the point where I started to think of myself as a


    walking¨Ctalking air freshener. After five¨Chour treatments, I had never felt that rxed in my whole life. I


    becamezy enough to wish to spend the rest of the day by the roof pool with a ss of proso in my


    hand. Unfortunately, Neil had the whole day nned for me already...


    ¡°It¡®s time to get you a dress,¡± he announced, leading me back to the car.


    I sighed and forced my overly rxed mimic muscles to smile. Despite everything, I wanted to look as


    presentable as possible while walking by Aren¡®s side. Two hours and thirty¨Cfour dressester, I


    swayed out of the boutique with a work¨Cof¨Cart¨Clike Elie Saab golden evening gown and Versace


    sandals.


    After all those sweet tortures, Neil generously took me out for lunch. We sat down in a patio


    1/4


    firmare in meet his family


    area of an Italian bistro. Neil ordered ravioli, and I decided on an arug sd. ¡°Are you sure that you


    don¡®t want anything else, Ms. Bell?¡± Neil scanned my te with a wry smile.


    ¡°No, thank you. My stomach is tied with a knot. I¡®m so nervous I can barely swallow anything, ¡± I said,


    sticking my fork in a cherry tomato.


    Neil chuckled. ¡°You don¡®t need to be so nervous. Mr. Lan won¡®t let anything bad happen to you, and as


    far as I know, your rtionship with Mr. Lan looks... sincere.¡± He waggled his eyebrows.


    I blushed and instantly shifted my eyes to the sd. ¡°Neil... can I ask you a question about Aren?¡± I


    muttered hesitantly.


    Neil grinned. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I heard something from Miranda, and I wanted to know¡­ Has Aren ever told


    you to do research on me?¡±


    Neil¡®s smile disappeared in an instant. ¡°I¡®m uncertain if I am allowed to tell you that...¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I urged. ¡°I have to know if he was interested in me before the whole contract thing.¡± Neil


    cleared his throat and leaned forward on the table. ¡°Less than a month ago, he told me to find everything


    I could on a blonde girl named Cora, working in Caf¨¦ Dorado.¡± I gasped. It looked like Miranda was right.


    My head started to spin. I knew that it was ridiculous, but I couldn¡®t help but wonder if any of ourter


    encounters were his doing. ¡°Were you or anyone else working for Aren spying on me?¡± I asked,


    nervously squeezing the fork in my hand.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Neil snorted. ¡°In the report I handed Mr. Lan was information about your family, your


    education, and social status, along with basic information about your address, your work, and your


    sry.¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°And when did you give that report to Aren?¡± I asked, feeling that my body had


    started to tremble with anxiety.


    ¡°Two days before you¡®ve signed the contract,¡± he replied.


    I sighed in relief. Whatever information Aren might have had on me, it couldn¡®t have had any effect on


    what had happened. But he had been interested in me before, and I couldn¡®t forget him from the moment


    we¡®d met at the caf¨¦. Was it destiny that had drawn us together? The thought of that made me giggle


    under my breath.


    After lunch, we returned to the penthouse, where I was allowed to rest ¨C for an hour. Neil called over a


    hairstylist and a makeup artist to take care of me. With my hair tied up in a bun and delicately


    emphasized eyes, I was starting to enjoy looking at my reflection. In the meantime, I heard that ¡®Aren


    came back to prepare so that we could leave for the party together.


    Finally, dressed in a fitted gown made of ornamentedce and golden petals, and with my feet


    slenderized with heels, I walked down the stairs to show up in front of my Prince Charming.


    Prepare to meet his family


    ¡°You surely look like a queen. No one would be able to take their eyes off you.¡± Aren grinned, carefully


    measuring me with his devilish gaze. I smiled and blushed, walking toward my incredible date, who wore


    a ck tailored tuxedo with an equally ck shirt. I swallowed seeing how amazingly hot he looked.


    He reached out his hand. A wave of electricity rushed through me as I ced my palm on top of his. His


    touch was already making me aroused. His eyes on me carefully consumed every inch of my body. The


    tension between us grew by the second. He held my hand all the way to the car, his fingers roaming


    across the sensitive top of my palm.


    The limousine took us in front of the Four Seasons Hotel¡®s entrance, where Augustus Winton¡®s 80th


    birthday party was held. Aren helped me leave the car and then led me through the red carpet


    surrounded by reporters. 1


    ¡°Focus on me, and ignore them,¡± he whispered to my ear, offering his arm,


    I smiled. It was easy to keep my attention solely on the sexy man by my side. He gave me all the


    confidence I needed to elegantly glide in my haute couture gown. ¡°Mr. Lan!¡± one of the reporters called


    out. ¡°Who is thedy apanying you tonight?¡± Aren smirked. His hand immediately slid around my


    waist, possessively pulling me close to him. ¡°This is Cora Bell, my amazing fianc¨¦e,¡± he replied, shifting


    his eyes to me. As soon as his words sounded out, multiple shes lit up the space around us. I smiled


    at Aren, and he smiled back at me. The warmth in his eyes made my heart flutter. It made me want to


    put my arms around him, kiss him, and forget about the world around us... But then suddenly, a stabbing


    pain pierced my chest as the bitter reality hit me. No matter how wonderful that moment felt, it couldn¡®t


    change the fact that it was a contractual, fake rtionship.


    It took me a few deep breaths to get rid of the ufortable squeeze. I put a perfect smile back on my


    face and let Aren lead me inside. As we entered the ballroom, we headed straight to the main table. I


    had never met Augustus Winton, but I recognized him right away. It was an old, dark¨Cgrey¨Chaired man


    with a stern gaze. He was wearing a light¨Cgrey tuxedo, which distinguished him from the guests who


    wore darker colors.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Grandfather,¡± Aren called out, loud enough to stop every conversation at the main


    table.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Augustus Winton widened his eyes and grinned as he saw us standing together before him.¡± Aren! So


    d you could join us!¡± He stiffly pped his hands, which only emphasized his pretended attitude,


    before his eyes turned to me. ¡°Grandson, aren¡®t you going to introduce this lovelydy standing beside


    you?¡±


    Keeping the bright smile on my face became harder the longer Augustus¡®s eyes were on me. I knew that


    I was being tested. That old man in front of me wanted to evaluate whether Aren could finally get the


    packet of shares that was supposed to belong to Lan Liling, Aren¡®s dead mother. Yet, before I entered a


    state of panic, Aren ced a soft kiss on my forehead and pulled me close to him.


    ¡°This is my fianc¨¦e, Cora Bell,¡± he announced, locking his eyes on his grandfather.


    The old man got up from his seat and walked closer. ¡°So, you two are getting married?¡± he

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    asked, a hint of mockery in his voice. His tone and attitude made my temple vein throb. I nced at


    Aren, and I saw his eyes darken. A secondter, his lips formed a cold smirk, more dangerous than a


    death threat.


    I pulled a shaky breath into my lungs and stretched out my hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Winton, and


    happy birthday.¡± My words made the old man lift his eyebrows in surprise. Did he think that I would be


    too intimidated to speak? Unfortunately for him, I was too annoyed by him to be afraid. ¡°Aren and I are


    getting married by the end of the month. We would love you to be present at our ceremony.¡± I shot him


    the most beaming smile my lips could form.


    I


    Both Aren and Augustus looked at me in disbelief. Did I say something wrong? Was I not supposed to


    invite his grandfather to our wedding? Oh, God¡­ I had just screwed up Aren¡¯s n, didn¡®t I?! If I did,


    then it was his fault for not telling me things that I shouldn¡¯t do, but¡­ what now?!


    Between love and hate


    I nced nervously at Aren while panic rose within me, but then I saw a sh of a smile on Aren¡¯s face.


    He wasn¡¯t displeased. On the contrary, his expression showed confidence and satisfaction.


    ¡°We would like you to be at our wedding, Grandfather. Of course, I¡¯ll send you an official invitation,¡± Aren


    stated, slightly nodding toward the still stunned Augustus.


    ¡°You¡¯re in quite a rush with the wedding.¡± The old man tried to cover his grimace with a nervousugh. ¡°I


    bet you merely know each other. Why marry so soon?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Aren red at Augustus before turning his eyes my way. ¡°When you meet the right person, you know it


    the second you meet.¡± He smiled at me warmly, sending pleasant shivers down my spine. ¡°The moment I


    saw Cora, I knew that I would spend the rest of my life with her.¡±


    My heart fluttered even though I told myself that it was just his act. Did I want it to be true? Or was it


    because I had never felt appreciated in my real rtionship as much as I did in my fake one?


    Augustus broke through my moment of daze, clearing his throat. ¡°I have many guests tonight, but¡­ Why


    don¡¯t you and Corae to the mansion for a Sunday dinner? If we¡¯re about to be family soon,


    then we should know each other better¡­¡± he coaxed, forcing a smile.


    ¡°Honey?¡± His deep, seductive voice ced an instant blush on my cheeks.


    I took a deep breath and looked at Aren¡¯s grandfather. ¡°We¡¯d love toe.¡±


    Augustus Winton pped his hands. ¡°Excellent! I will tell the kitchen to prepare Aren¡¯s favorite then.¡±


    Aren chuckled coldly, his arms tightening around my waist as he looked at his grandfather.¡± Do you even


    know what my favorite dish was?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do!¡± Heughed nervously. ¡°You used to love our chef Francesco¡¯s chicken stew.¡±


    ¡°That was my father. I hated it,¡± Aren said curtly, his tone making Augustus step back


    I almost gasped at the iciness of Aren¡¯s words. It was rather awkward to stand in the middle of their fight,


    yet I chose to smile as if I didn¡¯t notice their mutual hostility.


    ¡°Then¡­ maybe I got it wrong,¡± his grandfather muttered, a grim frown painting his forehead. In this fight


    with his grandson, it was Augustus who was at a disadvantage. He was unable to hide how much he


    hated that inferior position. Aren, however, clearly enjoyed every second of this situation.


    ¡°Did you see your gift from us?¡± Aren asked, instantly brightening his tone. Augustus gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Yes¡­ but it¡¯s all in Chinese.¡±


    Aren smirked. ¡°Oh, dear¡­ I thought that a man of the world such as yourself would recognize the best


    quality ginseng tonic and Da Hong Pao tea¡­ I guess I was wrong. I apologize for that.¡±


    Between love and hate


    He bowed in a theatrical gesture.


    i barely stifled augh. Augustus¡¯s face flooded with zing redness. He was like a mad volcano and a


    single push could cause its violent eruption. I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°Mr. Winton¡­ Aren cares about you and wants you to stay in good health.¡± I gave him my best


    professional smile, which I practiced on the most irritating Caf¨¦ Dorado clients. ¡°Drinking ginseng tonic


    every day will certainly keep you healthy for many years toe, so you can y with your great-


    grandchildren when they¡¯ll appear.¡±


    I heard Aren¡¯s soft chuckle, but I didn¡¯t dare look at him, too embarrassed by my own words. I guess that


    my contracted fianc¨¦e liked my bold announcement since he pulled me into an even closer embrace,


    standing behind me, my back pressed against his chest and stomach


    ¡°You heard my wife-to-be, you need to take care of yourself if you want to enjoy your great grandchildren,


    and we are nning a few,¡± he stated, his fingertips teasingly stroking my belly.


    Augustus cleared his throat. ¡°Very well¡­ I will drink that¡­ ginseng. Thank you for the gift,¡± he said with a


    dry smile. ¡°Now, would you excuse me¡­ I have other guests to entertain,¡± he tossed as he was turning


    around to walk away from us. Aren chortled and kissed the top of my head, increasing the blush on my


    cheeks. ¡°You did extremely well, my future wife.¡± I pulled his hands away from my waist, freeing myself


    before facing him. ¡°Stop teasing me like that, or else I might think that you have really fallen in love with


    me from the first sight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never mentioned falling in love.¡± He smirked, leaning over my ear to whisper, ¡°I can only admit that I


    wouldn¡¯t mind fucking you every night for as long as I¡¯m able to.¡± An abrupt, shaky breath left my throat,


    but no words followed. His words caused my brain to malfunction¡­ again! His arrogance should have


    earned him a p, but my body got turned on instead. I felt helpless. I could only see him straightening


    with a satisfactory smirk, as I struggled to contain my flusteredness. ¡°Rx, Cora,¡± he said, taking two


    sses of champagne from the waiter¡¯s tray. ¡°The old bastard invited us, and that was all I wanted. Now


    I only need to talk to a few people, and we can get out of here.¡±


    I sighed. He was right. I had already met his grandfather, and Aren got ess to the mansion.


    Nheless, I couldn¡¯t help but feel restless for some reason¡­


    ¡°Aren, darling!¡± I heard a female nosy voiceing from behind us. Aren clicked his tongue, annoyance


    surfacing in his expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re not trying to avoid us, aren¡¯t you?¡± the woman challenged.


    Aren smirked and grabbed my hand before turning around to face her. She turned out to be a thin, light-


    brown-haired woman in her fifties, dressed in a silk navy blue gown with an Ostrich feather rim adorning


    her off-the-shoulder neckline. She had her hand looped around a tall, middle-aged man with greyish-


    blond hair and light-blue eyes, wearing a dark grey suit, a white shirt, and a navy tie, the color matching


    his partner¡¯s dress.


    Reth eppy love and hate


    ¡°Father, Vanessa.¡± Aren gave a quick nod to both of them.


    After this curt greeting, I realized that I was standing in front of Vanessa and James Winton, Aren¡¯s


    stepmother and father.


    ¡°Vanessa?¡± The woman grimaced. ¡°What happened to ¡°mom¡±?¡± Sheughed nervously while ncing at


    me, ¡°My mother is dead, and I¡¯m no longer a child whom you could manipte,¡± Aren hissed.


    ¡°How dare you talk like that to the woman who raised you!¡± James Winton roared.


    Aren burst out into icyughter, taking a step forward to his father. ¡°Raised me?! A fine joke, father! I


    would die Bf starvation if it wasn¡¯t for nanny Mei Lien!¡± ¡°Aren¡­¡± I said softly, trying to calm him down.


    As he turned his eyes on me, I saw his anger and pain. I couldn¡¯t fully understand what caused his


    hatred, but I already knew that whatever he experienced during his childhood, no child deserved such


    treatment. I smiled faintly at him, showing him that I was there for him. He smiled back at me and took a


    deep breath before his eyes shifted back to his father again.


    ¡°You should thank my precious fianc¨¦e because I don¡¯t want to cause a scene in front of her. If she


    wasn¡¯t here, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to let everyone know how amazing a father you were to me.¡± His words


    were soaked with disdain I had never heard in his voice.


    James Winton frowned and clenched his fist. ¡°I guess you did the right thing choosing your mother¡¯s


    name. You don¡¯t deserve to call yourself Winton.¡±


    Aren chuckled, clearly amused with what he had heard. ¡°Grandpa seems to have a different opinion on


    that matter. He even invited Cora and me to a family dinner. So¡­ see you on Sunday, father.¡± He smiled


    beamingly before turning around and leading us away from the two.


    ¡°You¡­¡± I heard James Winton¡¯s furious hiss behind our backs.


    I looked at Aren. His jaw was tense, and a slight frown on his forehead visibly marked his restrained


    anger. I wanted to say something to make him feel better, but what could I say? I knew close to nothing


    about his family¡­ Yet, I couldn¡¯t bear to see his painful expression. I emptied my ss of champagne


    and then pulled his hand to a halt. He looked at me, startled. I stood on my tiptoes, stretching my chin


    up, and gave him a quick peck on the lips. A bright grin appeared on his face in an instant.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± he asked, surprised.


    A thick blush covered my cheeks. Still, I formed a confident smirk. ¡°It was a thank you, for not killing any


    member of your family in my presence.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°You are the only reason they¡¯re alive.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°And let it stay that way.¡±


    ¡°It will¡­ for now,¡± he said dangerously, leading me to the bar.


    I felt that I could finally rx and enjoy this party and have a blissful and fun time with Aren. Of course,


    that didn¡¯tst long¡­


    Benicarlove ang haie


    ¡°Mr. Lan! I¡¯m so d to meet you here!¡± one of the men in expensive suits called out. ¡°Could you spare


    me a minute of your time?¡± he asked, ncing at him and me pleadingly.


    Aren sighed and then looked at me questionably.


    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I chuckled, pushing him toward the desperate businessman. Aren smiled wryly,


    then ced a quick kiss on my forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, honey.¡±


    Two secondster, he walked away with that man and disappeared among the crowd of guests. I sighed


    and grabbed another ss of champagne. I took a sip and smiled inwardly, thinking that I could get used


    to Aren¡¯s gentleness. I could still feel the touch of his lips on my forehead, and I realized that I had


    already gotten used to his touch. I trusted him. ¡°Never in a million years had I thought that I would meet


    you here, Cora.¡± The voice of the man standing behind me pierced me like a sword.


    It was the voice I could recognize anywhere, even though I madly tried to forget. It was a voice with a


    deep velvet surface and a venomous interior. My whole body started to shiver. My heart began to race. I


    pulled in a shaky breath while turning around to face the one person I never wanted to see again¡­


    ¡°Can¡­¡±

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Can


    The man standing in front of me was my ex¨Cboyfriend, Can Garrod, He barely changed during those


    three years I hadn¡®t seen him, but at that moment, I finally saw him without his fake mask of modesty,


    dressed in an expensive dark navy suit and ck shirt. Aside from his rich ¨C boy attire, he had the same


    sleeklybed pale¨Cblond hair and icy¨Cblue eyes that gave a disturbing stare. One corner of his thin


    lips was curled into a vicious smirk, as his eyes went through my length. ¡°I have to admit that I¡®m


    impressed. You used to swear that you hated money, and now you are here, in the crown of Manhattan¡®s


    richest... Isn¡®t that a hypocrisy?¡± He chuckled, his eyes lustfully measuring my curves. I hated his eyes


    on me. I felt as if my body was being evaluated by him. I could see he enjoyed the view, while I found the


    view of him nauseating.


    ¡°I was invited here,¡± I squeezed through my clenched throat. ¡°Oh, really? Now, that¡®s interesting. Care to


    say who invited you?¡± Can¡®s amusement grew by the second


    His voice carried a strangemand, one I had known from the time we were together. Chills ran down


    my spine. The love I¡®d had for him turned into hatred a long time ago, but even now I could feel the leash


    he once ced on my neck.


    I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. ¡°I was invited here by Mr. Augustus Winton,¡± I replied


    confidently.


    Can stepped back, looking at me in shock. ¡°That¡®s impossible...¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡®m telling the truth,¡± I


    said, clenching my fist. ¡°Now, would you excuse me, I need to find


    ¡°You¡®re not going anywhere!¡± Callen forcefully grabbed my wrist. ¡°Tell me, how did you get in here?!¡±


    ¡°I came here with my fianc¨¦!¡± I spat. ¡°Now, let go of me, or I won¡®t mind causing a big scene at this party.¡±


    I red at him, struggling to release my wrist.


    ¡°Fianc¨¦?!¡± He burst out into coldughter before looking me up and down again. ¡°Oh... Now I get it. You


    sneaked in here to look for a rich husband, one that could take care of your petty financial problems!¡±


    I stared into his eyes filled with mockery and wondered how I could ever love someone like him. He knew


    everything about my Grandma and my situation, and yet he dared to call it ¡± petty financial problems¡°?!


    ¡°Screw you, Can!¡± I hissed, still fighting against his grip on my hand. He leaned over me. ¡°You belong


    to me, Cora. I don¡®t know how you got here, but since you are here, I have a proposition for you: you still


    look quite fuckable, so entertain me for a month, and if you do well, I will give you the money you


    wanted for your grandmother¡®s treatment.¡±


    Can


    His voice felt like a sword piercing my chest. My blood boiled while my eyes filled with tears. The mix of


    emotions I felt was too hard to contain. He wanted me to sell my body to him as if I was a money¨Clusting


    slut. It might have been the lowest move he made, but then this bastard even mentioned my


    grandmother! That threw me off the edge. I closed my watery eyes, fisted my free hand, and swung it,


    aiming at Can¡®s face. Just when I was expecting to feel a hard impact, I felt someone¡®s palm tightly


    wrapping my fist. I opened my eyes and saw Aren, blocking me an inch away from Can¡®s jaw.


    ¡°Don¡®t hurt yourself, honey,¡± Aren said firmly, forcing me to lower my hand.


    I nced at him, startled as he turned toward Can with zing eyes. ¡°Let her go.¡± His icy words


    carried an undeniable threat. Can clenched his teeth and nonchntly uncurled his fingers from my


    wrist. ¡°Hello, Brother,¡± he said with a thin smile.


    I gasped. What was it he said?! No... this couldn¡®t be right. My ex¨Cboyfriend¡®s name was Garrod. Why


    would he have anything to do with Aren?!


    ¡°B¨Cbrother?¡± I looked at Aren, shaking my head and praying that he would tell me that this was just one


    of Can¡®s sick jokes.


    Aren stood beside me, possessively putting his hand around my waist before shooting Can a


    murderous re. ¡°You weren¡®t supposed to be here, Can.¡±


    My head started to spin. Aren didn¡®t deny it. Still, I looked at him, hoping to get some logical exnation


    while I slowly acknowledged the situation I was in.


    ¡°I couldn¡®t miss my dear Grandpa¡®s birthday, could I?¡± Can replied daringly before forming a wry smile


    as he looked at Aren¡®s hand on my waist. ¡°I told the old man that I would onlye if you were not


    around,¡± Aren hissed, tightening his grip around me.


    That piece of information felt as if someone¡®s hand was crushing my heart. ¡°Can is your step ?¨C


    brother... and you knew...¡± I muttered, pushing Aren away.


    I stepped back, my chest heaving and falling erratically. I felt betrayed, bared of any confidence I had just


    a few minutes ago. ¡°So you really ended up with my brother? Congrattions, Cora!¡± Can sneered,


    looking at my painful expression. ¡°But I need to warn you... I know that you thought that I was cold


    hearted, but it is my dear brother who is the coldest son of a bitch in the family.¡±


    Aren frowned at him but didn¡®t even deny his words. I took another step back, clenching my fists as if I


    was trying to hold onto myself.


    ¡°You yed me... again...¡± I muttered, trembling with pain and anger.


    ¡°Cora... it wasn¡®t like that.¡± Aren reached out his hand to grab mine.


    ¡°Don¡®t touch me!¡± I hissed, taking my hand to my back ¡°There is only one thing I need to know: did you or


    did you not know that when your step¨Cbrother and I used to be together?¡±


    An ufortable grimace painted his face. ¡°Not at first...¡±


    Can


    ¡°But you knew it before we came here tonight, right?¡± I held my breath, waiting for his answer.


    He locked his eyes on me. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    I exhaled in a rush, and as I did, tears started flowing from my eyes. ¡°Bastard.¡± I turned around and


    started walking towards the exit.


    ¡°Cora, wait!¡± I heard him calling after me, his voice mixing with Can¡®s wickedughter.


    I had to leave this ce. I had to get away from this devilish family. I couldn¡®t stand another second


    around any of them. I couldn¡®t breathe. I passed the ballroom door and rushed to the hotel¡®s revolving


    doors. Aren caught my hand as I stepped outside onto the sidewalk


    He pulled me away from the people still crowding outside the hotel, leading me to a more private side


    alley. ¡°I was about to tell you, but I wanted to do itter. He was never supposed to show up in here. That


    was my condition before I epted my grandfather¡®s invitation,¡± he said emphatically as always.


    A bitter chuckle left my throat. ¡°You wanted to make sure that I would grant you ess to the Wintons¡®


    mansion first, isn¡®t that right? Were you afraid that I wouldn¡®t do it, knowing that


    entering that house equaled meeting Can again? Well, you were right.¡± I smiled wryly as tears drew


    lines down my cheeks. ¡°I would never do anything that could make me meet that inhuman asshole ever


    again.¡±


    Aren sighed. ¡°Cora, you are right... I should have told you before, but seriously, I didn¡®t think that meeting


    the guy who dumped you three years ago would be such a big deal for you.¡±


    Iughed humorlessly. ¡°Wow... I didn¡®t think that was possible, but you might even be worse than him!¡±


    Aren let go of my hand, a tiny hint of guilt surfacing in his expression. ¡°Fine, I admit that I could have


    handled it better...¡±


    ¡°I didn¡®t need you to handle anything... If you¡®ve told me before, I would havee here prepared to see


    him, and he wouldn¡®t have...¡± My voice cracked and my body started to shiver. ¡°You didn¡®t even let me hit


    that bastard...¡± I muttered weakly.


    ¡°I prevented you from causing an unnecessary scene,¡± he said curtly.


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°He insulted me.¡±


    He looked at me with his eyes cold and emotionless. ¡°It doesn¡®t matter. You need to learn how to smile at


    your enemies out in the open just so you can attack them when the time and ce are right.¡±


    I rubbed the painful center of my chest. ¡°You said that I could count on you... You said that you would


    protect me¡­¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡®t supposed to be here, and I know nothing about your rtionship that I could truly use against


    him. If you could tell me something, then maybe next time¨C¡±


    ¡°I can¡®t do this¡­¡± I breathed out, my heart hammering against my chest. ¡°You don¡®t understand


    how hard this is for me....¡±


    3/4


    Can


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Aren stepped forward and grabbed my arms. ¡°Then help me understand.¡±


    ¡°I need some time alone,¡± I mumbled, lowering my gaze. ¡°Don¡®t follow me.¡± I yanked his hands off of me


    and stepped closer to the curb to wave for a taxi.


    I registered that Aren stopped right behind me, but I couldn¡®t stand to look him in the eyes. As the cab


    pulled over, I got inside and left Aren behind. I told the taxi driver to get me to one of the nearest hotels


    that I could afford with my own money.


    I surely caught everyone¡®s attention, walking into the 1¨Cstar hotel¡®s reception hall in a golden dress worth


    over $20 000. The male receptionist stared at me with a curious smile as he gave me my key. I couldn¡®t


    care less, even if there was a group of paparazzi shooting pictures around me...


    The adrenalin buzzing in my veins lessened only when I entered the room and closed the door. I


    copsed onto the floor and started crying.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Confession *** TRIGGER WARNING: Dear readers, please be aware that this chapter contains


    examples and some descriptions of abuse and sexual violence. ***


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    *


    *


    *


    I woke up lying on the floor in the hotel room I had rented the night before. I was still wearing my


    fabulous golden gown. It took me a few minutes before I could stand up on my wobbly legs and go to the


    bathroom. I spent some time staring at my reflection


    ne staring at my reflection, trying to recognize myself underneath my smudged makeup. That was it: I


    was broken.


    I spent three years forgetting and then denying everything that had happened in my rtionship with


    Can, andst night, my past showed up in front of me, making all of my nightmares resurface. The


    one who made me bleed stood up before me, mocking the anxieties he triggered within me. I prayed


    that someone would rescue me from this nightmare, but my Prince Charming only rubbed more salt into


    my reopened wounds. That felt truly pathetic.


    I untied the corset and took my Cindere¡®s dress off. The ball was over, and as I looked in the mirror, I


    felt as if I had started to turn into a pumpkin myself. My face had already resembled one a little, swollen


    from oceans of shed tears and evenly pink¨Cred. My mind felt like and devastated by a tornado, so I


    decided to take care of the outer side of myself first. I entered a shower and tried to wash off my


    restlessness with hot water. I stood there nkly, observing the ck smudges from my makeup


    disappear in the shower drain. I wished that the pain I felt disappeared as well, but it didn¡®t.


    I thought that I was strong enough to handle it alone, and I hated the fact that I was turning out to be


    completely weak. For the first time in my life, I was helpless. I didn¡®t know what to do. I had no home, I


    had already quit the job that was giving me most of my money, and I signed a contract with penalties I


    couldn¡®t possibly afford to pay...


    ¡°Take it easy, Cora. You will solve those problems one by one.¡± I tried to calm myself down while drying


    my hair with a towel.


    Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. It startled me. I didn¡®t expect any uncalled¨Cfor room service at 8


    AM. I hurriedly grabbed an oversized bathrobe and cautiously stepped to the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked, my voice still hoarse from crying.


    ¡°It¡®s me, Miranda.¡±


    I told Aren not to follow me, but I should have known that he wouldn¡®t listen. I bet that he was informed


    about my every move from the second I got into the taxi in front of the Four Seasons Hotel.


    My heart started to pound again, and my body shivered. ¡°I-is Aren with you?¡± ¡°No, it¡®s only me. Can I


    come in?¡± I sighed and opened the door. Miranda greeted me with a nervous smile. As she entered, I


    noticed she carried a thick dress cover with her.


    ¡°I brought some clothes for you. Aren packed it... the lingerie as well. He is really worried about you, you


    know?¡± she said as she put the cover on the hotel bed.


    ¡°I seriously doubt that.¡± I smiled sourly.


    ¡°I know that he screwed up big time¡­ He told me everything,¡± she imed, sitting on the chair by the


    bed.


    I chuckled coldly. ¡°Oh? Did he also tell you that he ¨C¡±


    ¡°I punched him in the stomach.¡± She fisted her hands, anger shing in her expression


    My lips uncontrobly formed a warm smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± I muttered. ¡°He deserved it,¡± she stated firmly. I


    couldn¡®t tell when my body stopped trembling, but I guess Miranda¡®s presence had some therapeutic


    effect on me. I sat on the bed and opened the cover she had brought.


    ¡°He doesn¡®t really know what his brother can be like. Nanny Mei Lien separated him from Wintons as


    much as she could, and that probably saved his life.¡± She frowned, recalling the past in her mind, and


    then cleared her throat. ¡°What I¡®m trying to say is that they lived in the same mansion, but they never


    even ate meals together. I¡®ve known Can for a long time, and I¡®ve seen his sociopathic behavior more


    than once, Aren hasn¡®t.¡± ¡°Is that supposed to be an excuse for treating me the way he did?¡± I squeezed


    through my teeth.


    ¡°No...¡± Miranda sighed. ¡°I¡®m just saying that if he had known what happened between you two, he would


    have solved everything differently.¡±


    Iughed bitterly. ¡°How could I tell him about something I had never said out loud in the first ce?!¡±


    Miranda leaned closer and grabbed my hand. ¡°Then maybe you should do it now. You can practice on


    me if you want to.¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t know if I can...¡± I muttered.


    Miranda leaned her back against the chair and looked me up and down. ¡°Do you want to know why I¡®m


    here and why I punched my best friend for you?¡±


    I smiled nervously and shook my head.


    ¡°I¡®m not a therapist, but I can recognize PTSD when I see it. The second you mentioned your ex¨C


    boyfriend, your face turned pale and your whole body tensed. You started to tremble while straining to


    get the words out as if they were too painful to speak. Even now, you are sweating as you listen to it


    because you are well aware that you are suppressing something that is eating you from the inside. I only


    wonder why it is so hard for you to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Because I should never have let this happen...¡± I choked out, my voice cracking, ¡°Because I feel guilty


    for letting him control me like that.¡± Bitterness filled my smile as my eyes released a thin streak of tears.


    ¡°Cora... you cannot possibly me yourself for some crazy fucker¡®s shit.¡± Miranda frowned. ¡°I can


    contact you with a therapist if you don¡®t want to talk¨C¡± ¡°No,¡± I said, brushing off the tears from my cheeks.


    ¡°I would rather talk to you... if you don¡®t mind.¡±


    She nodded, and I felt relief that she agreed. I couldn¡®t believe what I was about to do, but somehow, at


    that moment, it felt right. I felt safe, and I wanted to release a piece of the burden that had been


    poisoning me for three years.


    I pulled in a shaky breath. ¡°The beginning of our rtionship felt wonderful. Can showered me with


    roses and gifts and took me on romantic dates. Being with him felt like any girl¡®s dream. Until we had sex


    for the first time...¡± I paused and swallowed while wiping the sweat off my palms on the bedsheets. ¡°A


    little whileter, he said that I should dye my hair tinum blond. I refused, but then he said that I looked


    unattractive in my natural hair color. We fought about it and made up... but a dayter, he started openly


    flirting with a girl that was tinum blonde right in front of me. He told her that she was sexy, and he


    even asked for her number! I got furious... But I¡®d already fallen in love with the jerk... I dyed my hair the


    day after...¡± Telling Miranda about it felt even more pathetic than dying that stupid hair for him. I was well


    aware that it was the moment he put a leash on my neck. Unfortunately, the further parts of the story had


    an even more sour taste...


    ¡°You know...¡± Iughed nervously. ¡°I used to watch documentaries about abused and manipted


    women and I always thought: how could they be so stupid and stay with the man


    them so bad? And then¡­ I acted like them or worse. Once, Can told me that I was too fat¡­ I yelled in


    his face but then thought that maybe I should work out a bit. I lost ten pounds and gained muscles... but


    Can didn¡®t like it. He wanted a skinny girlfriend...¡±


    ¡°You started starving yourself, didn¡®t you?¡± Miranda interjected, her eyes as watery as my own.


    I nodded. ¡°I didn¡®t even know how he made me do such a thing... I used to like myself the way I was, and


    he made me lose that confidence. I lost an extra twelve pounds and could easily count every rib in my


    ribcage. I developed several health problems, but he didn¡®t notice... He didn¡®t care. But there was


    more¡­¡± I stopped, trying to catch a breath.


    Miranda sat beside me on the bed. ¡°It¡®s ok. That man won¡®t hurt you anymore, and if he tries, I¡®m going to


    cut his balls with a scalpel.¡± She smiled evilly, trying to give me courage. ¡®I breathed in, breathed out, and


    then continued, ¡°Can had liked¡­ more kinky and dark kinds of sex. He made me do some of the


    things that I didn¡®t want and didn¡¯t enjoy at all¡­ When I refused him, he would go mad and disappear for


    the whole night, most likely looking for someone who could give him what he wanted.¡±


    Miranda clenched her fist. ¡°Did that fucker ever hit you?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± I said faintly, ¡°but one night, he came to my room drunk... and forced himself on me. I mean, we


    were in a rtionship but¨C¡± ¡°For fucking Christ¡®s sake! Cora, he raped you! Rtionship or not, that was


    rape!¡± Miranda snapped.


    My tears started falling uncontrobly. I didn¡®t want to say it. I couldn¡®t say it aloud, although it was


    obvious. It just felt so pathetic, so pitiful, and I had never been like that. I didn¡®t want to be called weak or


    helpless. Miranda hugged me close and started to stroke my head.


    ¡°Don¡®t worry, honey... We will build back the confidence that fucker has stolen from you.¡± She leaned


    back to look me in the eyes. ¡°And once we do, we will make that son of a bitch pay.¡±


    3

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Therapy


    1 did it. I told someone about my rtionship with Can. I had to fight off my embarrassment and guilt,


    but voicing it out freed me from the poisonous load that had been crushing me for a very long time. Yes, I


    let him manipte me. Yes, I was the one who let Can take control over me. And yes, I¡¯d been


    struggling to forgive myself. I knew what was going on. I couldn¡¯t use the excuse of temporary insanity


    because everything inside me screamed that this wasn¡¯t right. Can¡¯s so-called love was highly toxic.


    Nheless, I ended up ming myself for letting that man smash me like a bug.


    When did I be so defenseless? It was the moment I decided that I was in love with him. He used


    that against me. He cut me off from all the friends I had at the university so that he could be the only


    person I talked to. He kept telling me that no one could ever love me as he


    told me that I could only be happy with him and with no one else, and I believed him. I believed in his lie


    so deeply that his half-hearted ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± was enough for me to forgive him that he raped me! I did it all


    to save our love, although it was more likely that it was merely my, one-sided feeling. I sacrificed a lot


    because I thought thatpromise was unavoidable. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t realize that I was the only


    one sacrificing anything.


    I was ashamed of what I did and how I behaved around Can. That girl, it wasn¡¯t me. The truth was too


    hard for me to deal with alone and humiliating to tell¡­ or at least that was what I thought for thest


    three years. Something within me decided that it was time to change that, and I chose Miranda, the


    person I barely knew, to listen to my story¡­


    ¡°It is not your fault, Cora. Do you understand me?¡± she said softly, crying along with me.


    I nodded, smiling despite falling tears. It turned out that we had much more inmon than I initially


    thought. We ordered pizza and proso and spent the rest of the day, drinking and talking about our


    past, messed-up rtionships, and guys that had never grown enough to be men.


    ¡°I wonder if I didn¡¯t enjoy sex with Can because he didn¡¯t love me,¡± I said, finishing my third ss of


    fizzy drink.


    Miranda chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, slightly alcoholish. ¡°If he¡¯d loved me, he


    would have cared enough to pleasure me.¡±


    Miranda burst outughing, which made her roll on the bed. ¡°Do you know anything about good sex at


    all?!¡±


    I stated with a lopsided smirk, ¡°Yes and no. I¡¯ve got a lot of theoretical knowledge. My experience


    involves one specimen, remember?¡±


    Miranda sat up, straightening to a teacher-like pose. ¡°My dear Cora, the guy doesn¡¯t have to love you to


    make you feel good in bed. He needs to respect you¡­ and he needs to have some skills or at least


    intuition. If he cares solely about his pleasure, then he shouldn¡¯t call himself a


    man.¡±


    I snorted while refilling our sses. ¡°Then, how do I find such a guy?¡±


    A wicked grin formed on Miranda¡¯s lips. ¡°Fortunately¡­ you don¡¯t need to look far. He is right by your


    side.¡±


    1 rolled my eyes. ¡°Aren doesn¡¯t trust me nor respect me¡±


    Miranda sighed and then looked at me with a serious expression. ¡°He is a guy. If you don¡¯t tell him what


    you need from him, he won¡¯t give it to you. And believe me. Aren has a lot to offer.¡± She giggled. ¡°So¡­


    do you think I should just forgive him for the fact that he didn¡¯t tell me that Can is his step-brother and


    everything he said to meter?¡± I asked, crossing my arms over my chest


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about giving him a chance. That¡¯s all.¡± She shrugged,


    I wasn¡¯t certain if I could forgive Aren for what he did, or rather what he didn¡¯t do, Nheless, I needed


    to face him at some point. No matter how pissed I was at him, I was still his contractual fianc¨¦e.


    ¡°Fine¡­ tell him that I wille back to the penthouse tomorrow,¡± I said reluctantly,


    ¡°Perfect.¡± She pped her hands, but then she nced at me hesitantly. ¡°You know that he is going to


    ask me about you and Can¡­¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Tell him. Spare him the details, but I¡¯m not sure if


    I can repeat that story in front of him.¡±


    Miranda nodded, approving my choice. ¡°Thank you¡­ for trusting me.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you for hearing me out.¡±


    I called a cab for Miranda at about 2 AM. It was right after we¡¯d finished our third bottle of proso.


    Once she left, I started thinking about everything that had happened during thest two days. I wondered


    what kind of consequences it would bring. It terrified me, but it also made me hopeful and excited. I


    couldn¡¯t sleep thinking about how to face Aren and what I should say to him, how to exin my point of


    view. I wanted to trust Miranda that giving Aren a second chance was the right thing to do. At the same


    time, I was scared of being betrayed again. I didn¡¯t think I could handle being hurt by him once more,


    especially after baring my biggest secret to him.


    Neil texted me at 8 AM to say that the car would be waiting for me outside the hotel. I guessed it was


    time to go back. I messaged him that I would be ready in thirty minutes, and glided in swayed steps to


    the bathroom. I had just finished putting on light makeup when I heard a knock on the door.


    I sighed and walked to the door. ¡°Neil, I didn¡¯t have to go up¡­¡± I froze as I opened the door.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Aren said, a faint smile curling his lips.


    I looked him up and down. He wasn¡¯t wearing his usual suit but casual jeans and a ck, fitted T-shirt. I


    was aware that it was Saturday, but wasn¡¯t he working all week long?


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I mumbled, standing on the threshold and processing why he came in person.


    ¡°May Ie in?¡± he asked in an incredibly polite tone.


    Surprised and curious, I replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    He walked past me, his arm slightly brushing mine, his intoxicating perfume viting my calm heart and


    forcing it to race. He sat on the chair and tilted his head, gesturing at me to sit next to him. I rolled my


    eyes but obeyed him anyway


    ¡°What do you want, Aren?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.


    His lips twitched into an ufortable grimace. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that¡­ about Can and you. The


    truth is I was angry¡­¡±


    ¡°Angry for what?¡± I crossed my arms as my annoyance grew.


    He smiled wryly and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You reacted to him as if his presence moved you


    My temple vein throbbed. ¡°You got mad because I saw the man that I¡¯d never wanted to see again in my


    life and felt as if I was going to throw up?¡± I hissed. ¡°Was that how you felt?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I snapped. ¡°I was horrified! The one thing I wanted at that moment was that you would show up


    and take me away!¡± The words that uncontrobly popped out of my throat painted a brief smirk of


    satisfaction on his face.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°Do you want him to pay for what he did to you?¡±


    Honestly, I had never thought of revenge. I was too busy forgetting that my rtionship with Can had


    ever happened. Nheless, I was going to be a part of his family, even if only on paper, and I


    couldn¡¯t stay defenseless against him like before.


    ¡°Yes. I want him to pay,¡± I replied confidently. Aren grinned wickedly as he heard my words. He grabbed


    my hand without saying a word and pulled me up to stand. He entangled his fingers with mine and


    started walking to the door, making me follow him.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I called out, startled.


    ¡°You will see.¡± He chuckled, pulling me out into the corridor. ¡°Neil will take the rest of your things and you


    are going with me.¡± I frowned and jerked off my hand. ¡°No! I¡¯m not going anywhere with you!¡± Aren


    sighed and locked his eyes on me with a smirk. ¡°Do you want to know everything about my n or not?¡±


    I swallowed and looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Is that a trick question?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, I want to know everything,¡± I replied, cautiously reading his face.


    His eyes shed in amusement. ¡°We are leaving New York for the weekend, just the two of us. We are


    going to a very private ce¡ªa perfect spot for a serious conversation.¡±


    Therapy


    A wave of heat flooded me at the mere thought of spending the entire weekend with him alone, but I


    guess, I couldn¡¯t ask for better circumstances to exin to him the way I felt.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said breathlessly. ¡°And where is that perfect spot supposed to be?¡±


    He stepped closer and leaned over me before sending his velvet voice straight to my ear. ¡°I would say...


    on the balcony with an ocean view in my private vi in the Hamptons.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Weekend off


    I wasn¡®t entirely sure how I ended up in Aren¡®s ck Porsche, heading to the private airport. I must have


    been slightly bewildered after picturing the two of us together, alone in his vi. I felt as if he wasn¡®t


    nning to have any serious conversation with me at all, but was seducing me instead. But the worst


    part was that each time his seduction came to my mind, my body desperately shouted, ¡°Let¡®s let him!¡±


    I must have been truly desperate since I kept biting my lip while observing his hands on the wheel,


    gracefully and confidently maneuvering the car. Why did he have to be so sexy while driving?!


    ¡°Do I turn you on?¡± he asked suddenly, making me blush. Hystericughter left my throat. ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡±


    He smirked. ¡°You squeeze those thighs a bit too much. I can help you rx if you want me to...


    My face became zing red in a second. ¡°No, thank you,¡± I grunted, turning my head to stare the rest of


    the way through the side window. We weren¡®t even in the air, and I had already managed to embarrass


    myself in front of him. Every part of Aren¡®s idea for that weekend was making me unimaginably nervous.


    It all started when he told me that we were going straight to the airport, and when I told him that I needed


    to pack some clothes, I heard that it had all been taken care of. I hated losing control of the details,


    especially since I was going for a weekend to a ce where the wealthiest 1% of the poption liked to


    rest...


    When we got to the airport, Aren led me to a helicopter¨Csh¨Cflying¨Chotel¨Csuite with cream leather


    bench¨Cstyle seats, folding coffee tables, retractable TV screens, and, of course, a minibar. Aren seated


    me next to himself, then pulled out a bottle of champagne and two sses.


    ¡°It looks like you¡®re enjoying this weekend a bit too much,¡± Imented, more and more convinced that


    it had nothing to do with him needing privacy to reveal his super¨Cn.


    He chuckled as he popped the champagne¡®s cork. ¡°It¡®s my first day off this year. I think that champagne


    fits the asion.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± I lowered my gaze, embarrassed by my egocentric thoughts. Suddenly, I felt sorry for him. He had


    everything money could buy and absolutely zero time to enjoy it. ¡°When was thest time you¡®ve been in


    your Hamptons vi?¡± I nced at him curiously. He smiled wryly. ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I stared at him in disbelief.


    He shrugged. ¡°I bought itst year at auction since it looked like a good investment. I hired people to


    renew it and redecorate it, but I¡®ve never been there.¡±


    Weekend oft


    ¡°S¨C50¡­ not only did you decide to take two days off and spend it with me, but you chose to go to your


    vi that you haven¡®t even seen yet?!¡± Iughed nervously.


    ¡°Correction,¡± he said, smirking. ¡°I¡®m taking a weekend off because I needed a break, and I¡®ve seen the


    vi in pictures and during a video call when I had to ept the interior concept.¡± ¡°Even so, you needed


    to rest, and you decided to take your fake fianc¨¦e with you?¡± I argued. He smiled alluringly and handed


    me a ss of golden sparkling liquid. ¡°I enjoy beautiful views, and I cannot wait to see you in a nice


    bikini.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows at him and snorted. ¡°For your information, I don¡®t have a bikini.¡± 1


    He leaned over me. ¡°You do now. I told you that everything had been taken care of.¡±


    I gasped. It was time to admit my endless naivety. Aren was clearly nning to enjoy every second of


    that weekend away from New York City, and something was telling me that I was about to be his


    main source of entertainment...


    ¡°Wait.¡± I froze at the sudden realization. ¡°Weren¡®t we supposed to visit your family¡®s mansion this


    Sunday?¡±


    Aren smirked. ¡°I called the old man and told him that my dearest fianc¨¦e got sick after the party, and I¡®d


    be taking care of her all weekend.¡±


    I tilted my head, question marks painting my face. ¡°So you just rejected your chance to get into the


    mansion?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± A wicked grin formed on Aren¡®s lips. ¡°Now my grandfather is going to try even harder to


    get us there. I¡®m expecting him to call on Monday to invite us again.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± I suddenly felt cold chills at the thought of going into the house where I could see Can again.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± Aren¡®s voice startled me. ,¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For not predicting the fact that you might not be ready to face your ex. Truthfully, after hearing about


    your rtionship from Miranda... I¡®m not certain I could face that fucker either. ¡°He shifted his gaze to the


    window, but I could see the fury boiling within him even without looking into his eyes. ¡°It¡®ll take a lot not to


    kill him.¡±


    I gulped. I truly hoped that it was a figure of speech and not actual intent, but the dark hint in Aren¡®s voice


    warned not to test him. Nheless, I couldn¡®t help but inwardly smile at the fact that Aren was angry for


    me... Finally, we flew off andnded at the Hamptons airport less than an hourter. Once we¡®d arrived,


    Marcus was already there to take us to Southampton¡®s ¡°Billionaire Lane,¡± where Aren¡®s vi was. It was a


    huge modern colonial¨Cstyle vi with a beachfront and a privatene leading to the ocean. It was a


    careful mix of majestic architecture with contemporary simplicity that turned this castle¨Clike mansion into


    a bright and cozy billionaire¡®s second home.


    Marcus brought the two suitcases he had in the trunk inside the mansion, and a minuteter,


    Weekend o


    he was gone. I stood on the luxurious porch and stared at the opened door, hesitating whether or not to


    go inside. ¡°After you,¡± Aren urged me with a gesture.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I smiled nervously before stepping through the threshold and entering the grand, spacious hall with


    ebony flooring and bright furnishings. The room, like the entire two¨Cstory building, was beautifully


    lightened by the sun raysing through the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows. The hall opened to arge


    living room elegantly decorated with cream and blue colors.


    ¡°Our bedrooms are upstairs,¡± Aren said, pointing at the stairs.


    I followed Aren, and a minuteter, I was in a grand colonial room with light¨Cbrown wooden furniture


    and flooring and a king¨Csize canopy bed. The whole ce was amazing, but the most captivating part


    of that bedroom was the window view. It drew me closer and closer, and before I knew it, I opened


    the window and breathed in the ocean breeze. I stood there admiring the beach and waves for quite a


    while until something else drew my attention. It was one of the suitcases that Marcus brought. It looked


    like this one was mine. I took a deep breath and opened it. Inside I found myptop, a cosmetic bag,


    and... a lot of newly boughtce lingerie, and two sexy nightgowns. I blushed, instantly wondering who


    was the one that bought those...


    ¡°Where the hell are the rest of the clothes?¡± I muttered to myself, nervously touching the bottom of the


    suitcase.


    I clenched my fists, getting more and more annoyed. I seriously hoped that Aren didn¡®t expect me to


    parade around the house wearing nothing but see¨Cthrough bras and panties. Fortunately, before I


    decided to yell at him, I checked my bedroom closet first.


    ¡°Wow...¡± I gasped, looking at the row of sophisticated dresses and costumes. I picked one dress


    randomly and immediately felt an urge to wear it. It was a white, knee¨Clong dress with shoulder straps, a


    plunging neckline, and a red skirt. I tossed aside my jeans and T¨Cshirt, and a minuteter, I turned into


    a sexy woman on vacation. The dress fit perfectly. I grinned at my reflection in the mirror, turning around


    and watching the skirt spin. Suddenly, my stomach growled. I guessed it was the right time to look for a


    kitchen.


    I went downstairs and wandered around until I found the dining room opening to an L¨Cshaped kitchen


    with a wide ind and a bar space. My eyes targeted the fridge. I walked towards it as if the food


    inside it was calling me. I swallowed and opened the fridge door.


    ¡°Is my fianc¨¦e hungry?¡± Aren whispered behind my ear, sliding his arms around my waist.


    I screamed, and he chuckled, tightening his embrace around me.


    ¡°Are you a ghost or something?! Walk like a normal person! Make a sound!¡± I shouted, struggling to


    release myself from his grip. He kissed the crook of my neck and stepped back, letting me go. ¡°Our


    lunch is already set on the terrace. The entrance is on the left.¡±


    He walked there first, leaving me in the kitchen. I stood still while my heart hammered, and my skin


    shivered in wild excitement. My hand rushed to touch the still tickling spot where Aren¡®s lips kissed.


    This was bad. I realized that I might be actually falling for this guy...

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Getting to know him It was a beautiful, sunny, and warm day. As I stepped outside on the terrace, the


    beach and ocean view instantly ced a smile on my face. The wind waved my loose hair, and I couldn¡¯t


    wait until I tossed the sandals off my feet and stepped on the beach sand, but I needed to fill my stomach


    first. Aren stepped toward me and grabbed my hand, tangling his fingers with mine.


    ¡°You look astonishing in that dress,¡± he said, his eyes scanning my length.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I responded, feeling heat flooding my cheeks, and then squeezed out ament, ¡°You


    look good in casual clothes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± His lips formed a wicked grin. ¡°You don¡¯t like me when I wear suits


    then?¡± ¡°No¡­ You look good in everything,¡± I admitted, flustered like a dumb teenager. He leaned over


    me, his body close enough for me to feel his warmth. ¡°So you do find me attractive?¡± he teased. I pushed


    him away, frowning. ¡°You know damn well that I find you insanely handsome.¡± He raised his eyebrows,


    looking at me genuinely surprised. Well, I couldn¡¯t me him, I surprised myself with how easily I let


    those words out of my throat. ¡°So why don¡¯t you stop resisting me?¡± His words sounded like a dangerous


    demand. I pulled in a shaky breath. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you. You hold all the aces. You know about everything


    that has ever made me bleed, and I know nothing about you.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Fine. Then I will tell you


    everything tonight.¡±


    I nodded and let him lead me to the table set for two. It was impossible to miss the whole romantic aura


    around it. As I walked closer to the terrace railing, I instantly felt the chilly breeze that made me rub my


    naked arms.


    ¡°Here¡­¡± Aren reached for a nket scarf he had prepared by our table and gently covered my shoulders


    before pulling out the chair for me to sit.


    My heart skipped a beat. I felt my guard up around Aren, but I couldn¡¯t find anything fake in his behavior


    while we were alone. He seemed rxed around me. Everything he did, every gesture he made, was


    unforced, and that made him twice as irresistible as he was before.


    ¡°So¡­ why did you decide to buy this ce?¡± I asked, taking a bite of my Caesar sd.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°As I said, it was a good deal, an investment. If I sold it now, I¡¯d double the money I paid for it. ¡± He


    shrugged as if the magnificent surroundings did not affect him at all. I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Is that


    all you care about? Money?¡± ¡°I like money. Everyone likes money. I just have the audacity to say it


    aloud.¡± He smirked. ¡°I like money too, but I wouldn¡¯t trade having it for ny percent of my lifetime,¡± I


    imed daringly.


    to know him


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a ve?¡± He leaned forward on the table, amusement painting his face.


    ¡°What I meant is that I could never make earning money my life purpose.¡± I crossed my arms over my


    chest.


    Heughed before intensifying his gaze at me. ¡°It¡¯s not about increasing the number of zeros on my


    ount. I chase, I fight, and I conquer. That¡¯s pure adrenalin. Besides,¡± ¡ª his eyes ran down my deep


    cleavage-¡°I¡¯m good at what I do.¡±


    I was quite certain that he wasn¡¯t talking about his work in thatst part. ¡°I bet you are¡­¡± I muttered


    under my breath.


    ¡°I like my job,¡± Ar¨¦n continued, ¡°I like watching something being built from a pile of dust to amazing


    heights. Wouldn¡¯t you want the same?¡± he asked, pouring a ss of champagne for me and himself.


    ¡°Like what?¡± I chuckled nervously.


    ¡°Like having your ownpany. You already have a product finished. Isn¡¯t it time to sell it?¡± he coaxed.


    ¡°First, I need funds to do that, and second, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m capable of managing thepany,¡± I


    said.


    He leaned back with a smug smirk ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it alone. You don¡¯t have to know how it all


    works. All you need to do is surround yourself with people who will work on numbers for


    you.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound so easy¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy, it¡¯s hard, but it¡¯s achievable, especially for


    someone as smart as you, Cora.¡±


    I looked deep into his eyes, and I knew that he meant every word. His sincere encouragement sent my


    heart into a wild race. Having my ownpany used to be my dream when I started studying at Oxford.


    It started gradually changing after I fell in love wi doubt my abilities, and I ended up throwing away that


    dream, marking it as something impossible to happen.


    ¡°Would you be my investor?¡± I joked.


    ¡°Why not. Show me how your program works, prepare a presentation, and I will think about it.


    I narrowed my eyes at him and put a half-mocking smile on my face. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Cora. I never joke


    about business proposals.¡± I knew he wasn¡¯t joking. He was opening the door for me. He was giving me


    a chance. I would be aplete idiot if I wasted this kind of opportunity.


    ¡°All right, Mr. Lan, I will prepare a presentation on Monday. How does it sound?¡± I smirked, leaning


    forward on the table. He chuckled and took a sip of his champagne, before leaning toward me. ¡°I cannot


    wait, Ms. Bell.¡±


    2/4


    Fortunately, I had myptop with me. Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t keep my bold statement real. After we¡¯d eaten


    lunch, we both went to our rooms to work, It turned out that Aren¡¯s ¡°day off¡± had nothing to do with taking


    a break from making important decisions in hispany; it was merely changing the environment and


    limiting the time of work¡­


    I concentrated on creating a perfect presentation that would highlight everything my software was


    capable of. It must have been Aren¡¯s words that put me on fire because I¡¯d been working for a few hours


    without stopping. The sun was about to set when Aren knocked on my door.


    ¡°Would you like to take a walk with me?¡± he asked when I opened the door.


    He was standing there, wearing a loose, half-unbuttoned white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and jeans,


    and looking irresistibly sexy. He smiled and reached out his hand to me.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I nodded.


    He swiftly tangled our fingers, gripping my hand tightly, and led me downstairs. We walked out to the


    beach, tossed our shoes away, and stepped on the sand barefoot. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I felt rxed,


    more rxed than I had been in years and years. Aren also seemed serene, as if he genuinely enjoyed


    mypany.


    As the sun went down, the wind turned into a light breeze. The waves became more subtle and quiet,


    creating a perfect background to talk. Aren kept my hand in his, constantly pulling me closer and making


    us resemble a real couple. It felt a bit strange. He didn¡¯t need us to act; there was no one on that part of


    the beach except for us. Wasn¡¯t he denying his own words, making our fake rtionship a slightly more


    realistic one? ¡°I am incapable of loving anyone,¡± he said suddenly as if he had heard my thoughts.


    ¡°W-why do you say that?¡± I shot him a nervous smile.


    ¡°My whole childhood was a struggle. At one point, I needed to shut out most of my emotions to


    survive¡­¡± he said firmly before turning to me with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that to act like a


    coldhearted jerk¡­ I¡¯m saying that because I care about you, and I want to be frank about the one thing I


    cannot give you.¡±


    Something made my chest squeeze from the inside. I didn¡¯t know if I should be upset or happy with his


    words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that what you are saying is true. If you can care for someone, you can also love


    ¡°Cora, you¡¯re wrong. There was a person whom I treated like my family, the one closest to me, nanny


    Mei Lien. She came to the United States with my mother, and she took care of me when my mother died.


    She was the one who raised me, and yet I left her to die. She sacrificed herself to save me, and I left her.


    It was a calcted move. It was a part of the deal that she and I had.¡±


    His eyes were dark and emotionless when he said it. The tone of his voice was even as if the death of


    that person didn¡¯t mean anything to him, even though I knew the truth was different.


    Dvina ranth


    ¡°You cared about her. I heard it in your voice when you shouted her name while ar your father at the


    party. There were a lot of emotions in your tone, so stop bullshitting me with how icy cold your heart is.¡± I


    frowned.


    He pulled my hand to a halt and looked at me with a bitter smile on his face. ¡°From the moment I turned


    six, I survived ten assassination attempts. At least one of them was organized by Vanessa Garrod-


    Winton, my so-called stepmother, although I doubt that she nned it alone.¡±


    Chills ran down my spine. How could he say it so calmly?! My heart began pounding so loudly that I


    could no longer hear the waves.


    ¡°But¡­ why did someone want you dead?¡± I choked out, having a hard timeprehending why


    someone would want to kill an innocent child.


    He chuckled coldly. ¡°Good question. I¡¯m guessing that it has something to do with my mother¡¯s assets,


    the ones she kept hidden from my father, the ones that were supposed to belong to me after she died. I


    learned about their existence from Mei Lien but never found any significant documents saying what it


    was or where I should look for them.¡± I gasped in realization. ¡°Is that the reason you want to get back to


    the Wintons¡¯ mansion?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s one of the reasons,¡± he admitted. ¡°Do you assume that Vanessa


    might have found the inheritance that your mother left you?¡± I inquired. Aren sighed. ¡°No, if she¡¯d found


    it, I would have known right away¡­¡± I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. ¡°Then¡­ why did she try


    to kill you?¡± An icyugh left Aren¡¯s throat. ¡°Why? She wanted to make sure that Can gets all the


    Wintons ¡®wealth. Assassinating me would have been a reasonable second step to do that.¡± I gulped. ¡°A


    second step?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°The first step was killing my mother.¡±

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    His promise


    I pull in one shallow breath after another, I remembered Neil saying that Aren had a lot of enemies, but I


    used to think of them as businesspetitors, not people who literally wanted him dead!


    ¡°I thought that your mothermitted suicide,¡± I said nervously, feeling my body start to tremble.


    ¡°They made it look that way.¡± A painful grimace surfaced on his face.


    I raised my eyebrows, processing his words. ¡°They?¡± He locked his eyes on me. ¡°There were at least a


    few people involved in it. My father might be one of them.¡±


    I gasped. The deadliest form of crime that I¡®d had contact with was hacking and stealing data, but Aren


    lived in a world full of killing, conspiracy, and true wickedness. Only now did I realize thatpared to


    Aren¡®s, myputer world was angelically safe.


    ¡°My head starts to spin...¡± I muttered, my body shivering even more.


    Aren corrected his grip on my hand and pulled me close, his arms wrapping around my body.¡± You¡®re


    trembling. You should have taken a scarf.¡±


    I nodded, smiling nervously. I didn¡®t want to admit that his words terrified me. I stepped into the unknown,


    naively believing that as long as I got along with Aren, I would do just fine...


    We got back inside the mansion. Aren rushed to take the nket scarf and wrap it around my shoulders,


    believing that I was shivering from the cold. Then he gave me something that had a bigger chance to


    help: he brought me a ss of wine. I drank a gulp from the ss and suddenly felt much better. As I


    enjoyed the wine, Aren confirmed our dinner order. The food arrived by the time I finished the ss,


    which was about a few minutester. Again, Aren took care of everything, asking me to wait while he


    prepared our table in the dining room. I felt awkward about being spoiled like that. I didn¡®t think I could


    ever get used to doing nothing. Nheless, since Aren¡®s revtion caused a huge explosion inside my


    brain, I decided to use that time to focus on my current remedy: wine.


    ¡°The dinner is served, Mdy,¡± Aren announced, nonchntly bowing in front of me.


    I stifled augh, covering my mouth with my hand, but as I cleared my throat, I figured I should follow his


    example. ¡°Lead the way then,¡± I said, nobly raising my chin.


    He grinned and gestured widely, inviting me to the table. He ordered shrimp pasta, which was probably


    the best pasta I had eaten in my whole life. Once I cleaned the te and emptied my second ss of


    wine, my courage passed the usual limit of being careful. I grinned happily as if the fact that people


    around Aren were dying didn¡®t matter to me in the slightest.


    ¡°Let¡®s go sit by the pool,¡± Aren suggested, reaching out his hand to lead me.


    ¡°There¡®s a pool here as well?!¡± I gaped at him in undeniable excitement.


    He snorted. ¡°Of course there is. It¡®s on the second terrace.¡±


    Tietlim lead me there, taking the wine and our sses with us. The terrace he mentioned was filled with


    potted nts and flowers, creating the illusion of entering a secret garden. The pool was beautifully


    lighted, giving the water a beautiful inner glow. I walked to the edge and couldn¡®t resist the urge to


    immerse my feet in it,


    ¡°Sit on the edge and put your legs into the water; it¡®s heated,¡± Aren coaxed, grinning as he saw my


    childish excitement


    i blushed but dly epted his idea. A minuteter, Aren pulled up his jeans to his knees, and we both


    sat and soaked our feet in the pool. As Aren refilled my ss of wine, I felt ready to hear the rest of his


    story. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°So¡­ why do you feed to get inside the snakes¡® nest?¡± I asked, curiously locking my eyes on him.


    Aren leaned forward and smirked. ¡°All the Wintons¡® employees sign a confidentiality use with penalties


    much more severe than the one you signed. Even if someone is fired, the former worker is forced to


    keep everything that happened during work a secret. But one of the former bodyguards was diagnosed


    with an inoperable brain tumor. He thought that he had nothing else to lose, so he came to me. The guy


    wasn¡®t stupid. He wanted to get leverage in case the Wintons¡® business went south. He told me that he


    recorded a certain conversation in my father¡®s study fifteen years ago. During that conversation, two


    people were discussing whether they got rid of all evidence of my mother¡®s murder. He had the file


    hidden safely on a sh drive in his room at the mansion, but someone snitched him. In a desperate act,


    he hid the sh drive in my grandfather¡®s office. In the end, they found nothing on him but fired him


    anyway.¡±


    ¡°And you assume that the sh drive is still hidden and waiting for you?¡± I painted a wicked grin on my


    face.


    Heughed ominously. ¡°Yes, I believe it¡®s still there.¡± There was something disturbing in his reaction.


    ¡°You seem to be certain. Why is that?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him.


    ¡°Because they killed the bodyguard a day after he revealed the information. They must have known that


    he would try to tell me about the recording, but they didn¡®t realize that he and I had already met the day


    before,¡± he said, his tone cold and emotionless.


    I could feel that my face was turning pale. I instantly started to wonder if I was one of those disposable


    people for Aren. There was nothing but a contract binding us together. Would he sacrifice me as soon as


    he got the inheritance he wanted?


    ¡°... ra...? Cora... Are you all right?¡± His voice brought me back from a state of daze. He grabbed my


    hand, his eyes carefully scanning my expression. ¡°I scared you, didn¡®t I?¡±


    Was there any sense in denying that I was terrified?


    ¡°Yes... I¡®m sorry, I just.:.¡± My voice cracked as I searched for the right words to describe how I felt.


    He grabbed me by the shoulders, turning me to face him. ¡°I will always keep you safe, Cora. I am loyal to


    those who are loyal to me. What I can promise you is that I will never let you get


    hurt and that I will always protect you.¡±


    His voice captivated me. It made me calm down in an instant. He leaned closer, his hands gently rubbing


    my arms. I locked my eyes on him, his hungry gaze forcing me to submit,


    ¡°Trust me, Cora... I will never betray you,¡± he whispered, bringing his lips closer to my own,


    ¡°I trust you,¡± I breathed out a second before he ced his kiss,


    I put my arms around his neck while one of his hands slid around my waist and another tangled my hair


    at the back of my head. He pulled me close, but I didn¡®t resist. His lips imed mine passionately. His


    tongue moved in swift, delicate strokes that quickly turned into lush caresses. I moaned against his lips,


    feeling the shiver of pleasure increase my arousal. I craved him. I needed to fetel him closer to my body.


    I moved an inch deeper behind the pool rim, but when Aren corrected his grip and stopped supporting


    my weight for a second, I lost my bnce.


    I pushed myself against him, trying to stabilize my awkward body, but my buttocks were already slipping.


    I looked at him with a helpless grimace before I fell into the water. A secondter, he jumped after me,


    pulling my head to the surface. He helped me stand my feet on a small step near the edge of the pool,


    which was enough for me to keep my head and neck over the water, my back leaning against the pool


    rim. He caged me between his arms as he ced his hands on the edge of the pool on both sides of my


    wet body. ¡°You love to fall into water pools, don¡®t you?¡± Aren chuckled whilebing his dripping wet


    hair up with his fingers. ¡°I didn¡®t do it on purpose,¡± I grunted.


    He smirked, leaning over my ear to whisper, ¡°You can fall all you want. I will always catch you.


    God! Did he have a note full of perfect lines for every asion memorized in that brain of his?! ¡°You


    didn¡®t catch me,¡± I corrected, ¡°you pulled me up. There is a difference.¡± He snorted. ¡°Only because I love


    to see you wet. However... I wish you wore less clothing.¡± He smiled wryly, clearly unsatisfied by the


    weak level of my dress¡®s transparency. ¡°Do you have to act like that all the time?¡± I frowned, barely


    resisting an urge to stare at his half¨Cnaked and wet chest.


    ¡°Act like what?¡± He grinned, locking his dangerous gaze on me. ¡°I don¡®t know¡­ smug!¡± I burst out,


    frustrated. Heughed again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? ¡°Everything,¡± I argued. ¡°I won¡®t stop,¡± he


    challenged, bringing his body closer to mine, ¡°because I know that it works on you.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡®t,¡± I said weakly, turning my head away to avoid his devouring gaze. ¡°I want you, Cora. I can¡®t


    give you an emotional bond, but I can give you a partnership,¡± he whispered, his lips gently kissing my


    neck. ¡°I can give you sincerity, and I can give you


    protection...¡±


    I swallowed. His words sank deep into me. One of his hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me


    close, pressing me against his body. His lips roamed restlessly down my neck. I gasped, feeling the


    bulge in his pants rubbing against the lower part of my stomach. Unknowingly, my legs pulled away from


    the step I bnced on and wrapped around his waist. He leaned back, looking at me with his predatory


    eyes.


    ¡°I won¡®t be able to stop this time,¡± he warned, giving me thest chance to escape, but I only smiled at


    him, more than willing to surrender.


    As I was about to kiss those full, delicious lips of his, I heard a distracting buzzing from the


    smartwatch on his hand. Instinctively, I turned my head toward the sound. Aren¡®s focus stayed entirely on


    me, as he leaned his head down, kissing my cleavage. ¡°Ignore it,¡± he grunted, as the buzz continued.


    I couldn¡®t. Fighting against the overwhelming pleasure Aren was giving me, I nced at the screen. ¡°But


    it¡®s Neil... isn¡®t it important if he calls... despite knowing...?¡± I breathed out.


    An angry roar came out of his throat as he straightened and lifted me to sit on the edge of the pool


    before he jumped out himself. Dripping wet, he went inside the mansion to grab his phone, tossing me a


    nket along the way.


    ¡°Talk,¡± he ordered curtly, answering Neil¡®s call.


    He listened to whatever Neil was saying with an angry frown on his face. I found it incredible, how quickly


    he was able to change from a passionate lover, whose touch I could still feel on my soaked skin, to the


    fierce boss firmly managing his globalpany. I was still partially in a daze, my heart hammering


    against my chest and my skin hyper¨Csensitive. I wrapped myself tightly in the nket Aren gave me,


    trying to figure out what might have happened by reading Aren¡®s face. A minuteter, he ended the call


    and walked back to the pool.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry, but I need to get back to thepany now. You may stay here, and Benjamin wille in the


    morning to pick you up,¡± he said, taking off his wet shirt. ¡®I stood up and stepped closer to him. ¡°What


    happened?¡± I asked, partially testing if he truly


    meant what he said about honesty and partnership. He sighed, clenching his fist. ¡°The ns of one of


    our projects have most likely been stolen.¡± ¡°Stolen... how?¡± I enquired. ¡°By a hacker.¡± I took a deep


    breath and looked straight into his eyes. ¡°I¡®ming with you.¡±

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Helping him


    Aren didn¡®t question my decision. He only smirked and called Marcus, Thirty minutester, we were in


    the car on our way to the airport, dressed in hurriedly chosen dry clothes.


    ¡°Here, wear this. Your hair is still damp.¡± Aren handed me a baseball cap.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied with a faint smile.


    Those little things that proved that he cared made my heart warm. I used to dream about lovers¡®


    connection that I read about in romance books; a na?ve dream of a freshman taking her first step into the


    land of rtionships. I ended up giving my all and receiving little to nothing in return. I wanted to protect


    my heart against Aren, but at the same time, I had a feeling that Aren appreciated me more than my


    asshole ex¨Cboyfriend ever did. I kept wondering whether I could remove the romantic feelings from the


    equation and ept Aren¡®s offer. Was it a matter of my immaturity to think that I could fall in love and be


    loved? Perhaps it was time for a calctedpromise. Perhaps it was safer that way. If you don¡®t


    give your heart away, no one will break it, right?


    As we were getting back to New York City, Aren was constantly on the phone. I wondered how many


    people had their Saturday night ruined because of his call. Fortunately for me, n and Norton used to


    spend their free time staring at theputer screens, which made me less guilty about asking for their


    help. I messaged both and they replied almost immediately. I knew that Norton had once written a cute


    little program that helped to analyze all the recently modified or copied files. He called it a ¡°thief marker,¡±


    and that was what the program did. It worked like a special agent that went around the house, checking


    the missing or broken objects and securing the fingerprints. I would also need n¡®s specially designed


    hacker tracker, which could help me find out who decided to mess with my contract fianc¨¦¡­


    I had to say that I loved the idea of helping Aren. My fingers were itching to ce them on the keyboard.


    I knew that Aren¡®s blood was boiling, and he was pissed that someone dared to steal something from


    hispany, but I couldn¡®t help but be crazily excited about this whole situation.


    ¡°Don¡®t worry,¡± I said confidently, cing my hand on top of Aren¡®s. ¡°You¡®ve got a badass hacker on your


    side. Whoever broke into yourpany¡®s system, I already feel sorry for him or her.¡±


    Aren chuckled and then locked his eyes on me. ¡°I¡®ve chosen the perfect woman to be my fianc¨¦e.¡±


    The corners of my lips curled in an uncontrolled smile as I softly admitted, ¡°You surely have.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Thirty minutester, we arrived at the Lan Diamond Tower¡®s parking lot. We got out of the car and walked


    to Aren¡®s private elevator. I was armed with my newestptop and ready to prove my super¨Cskills. As we


    left the elevator on the top floor, a crowd of people surrounded Aren, pushing me against the wall. They


    all bowed to their boss apologetically, shifting the me to each other and hectically exining what had


    happened. The leader of the crowd was the loudest of them all. I guessed he was the director of the IT


    department. He had a well¨Cmade but terribly wrinkled grey suit and blue shirt and kept ncing at


    everyone with a frown


    ses


    through his ck¨Crimmed sses ¡°I don¡®t know how that happened, Mr. Lan; theputer was


    supposed to bepletely cut off,¡± he said before pointing to a man with curly blond hair. ¡°Nicholson


    was responsible ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lan, I swear, I secured that entire area! There was no chance that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Aren roared. ¡°Move out of my way,¡± he ordered, coldly stepping toward me. He grabbed my


    hand and pulled me close, causing a wave of gasps and murmurs. ¡°Don¡®t walk away from me,¡± he


    whispered to my ear.


    ¡°I didn¡®t walk away, I was pushed,¡± I corrected, lowering my voice.


    Aren shifted his eyes to the crowd, looking at them with a murderous re. ¡°Who dared to touch my


    fianc¨¦e?¡± The superficiallyposed tone of his voice was one of the scariest sounds I had ever heard


    in my life.


    I couldn¡®t tell whether the guy in ck¨Crimmed sses turned out to be exceptionally brave or stupid, but


    he stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Lan, with all due respect, we are dealing with a crisis here. I don¡®t think that this


    is the right time to pay attention to anyone¡®s private matters,¡± he stated, arrogantly looking me up and


    down. I nced at him curiously and then saw how Aren¡®s lips formed an icy smirk. I gulped. ¡°Mr. Ross,


    how long do you work for me?¡± he asked, his eyes darkening. ¡°Seven years, Mr. Lan,¡± he replied proudly.


    ¡°Have I ever mixed private and business matters during that time?¡± Aren¡®s glower at Mr. Ross brought


    instant chills to my spine. ¡°No...¡± the man replied, weakly.


    ¡°Mr. Ross, you are fired. You may leave.¡± Sharper than a de, his words cut through the hall.


    Themand left no space to raise any argument. Mr. Ross¡®s face turned paler than pale, with his eyes


    getting wider in shock. He opened his mouth but didn¡®t make a sound. Well, if he was dumb enough to


    argue with his boss and disrespect his fianc¨¦e, he didn¡®t deserve that job anyway.


    ¡°Move out of the way, Mr. Ross,¡± Aren hissed, curtly gesturing at him to let us through.


    The man swayed against the wall. We walked past him, and the rest of the crowd followed without a


    word. As we walked through the corridor, I saw Neil. He greeted Aren and me with a nod and pointed at


    the open door of the conference room. Aren walked inside, pulling me after him. As he sat by the table¡®s


    main seat, I was told to sit on his right side. Soon, the room filled with the people from the corridor, and


    Neil entered as thest one and closed the door.


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡°¡ª Neil turned to the people in the room, before shifting his eyes on me ¡ª ¡°and ady¡­


    please put all of your electronic devices on the table. May I also inform you that there are jamming signal


    devices in this room, just in case anyone would like to transmit any information outside...¡±


    The meeting continued after everyone gave away theirptops, phones, and smartwatches. One of the


    IT specialists reported that he discovered a faint anomaly in the system and ran a security check. Once


    he did, he discovered that a fewputers from the nning department


    were turned online even when there was no one working there on a Saturday.


    ¡°Were thoseputers usually connected to the inte?¡± I asked the man who reported.


    Everyone looked at me as if I was talking in Sumerian and then turned their eyes to Aren,


    My contract fianc¨¦ sighed and rolled his eyes. ¡°Just answer the damn question,¡± he said coldly. ¡°No,¡± the


    reporting man replied, ¡°The entire nning department is strictly monitored, and theputer units are


    connected solely to their internalwork.¡± Chills ran down my spine. I knew very well how a hacker


    could turn the force into an inte connection and get ess to it. I had done it myself while helping


    Liam to devastate Aren¡®s engagement party. What if someone used a worm just like the one I created?


    ¡°Do you need special ess to get into the nning department?¡± I asked, smugly crossing my arms


    over my chest. Aren smirked at me, then gestured at the gathered people to give me an answer.


    ¡°Yes. No stranger entered the department throughout the whole week,¡± a tall, bulky, brown skinned guy


    said.


    He didn¡®t look like an IT specialist at all. His fierce posture reminded me of Cliff, the asshole bodyguard


    who got fired because he bruised my wrist. I gazed at Aren, question marks in my eyes.


    Aren chuckled. ¡°That¡®s Mr. Ronald rk, head of the security department,¡± he introduced the man who


    had just replied.


    I nodded nervously and cleared my throat. I suddenly started to think that he and Cliff must have known


    each other. I wondered if Mr. rk knew that one of his subordinates got fired because of me¡­ I took a


    deep breath, shutting my anxieties away. ¡°Are you certain that there were no special guests in the


    nning department and the ones that touched theputers were employees that had ess


    passes?¡± I inquired. ,¡°I¡®m absolutely positive.¡± He nodded.


    As I confirmed what I needed to know, there was no sense in hiding the obvious fact. I smiled wryly and


    looked at Aren. ¡°It looks like you¡®ve got a mole in yourpany.¡±


    Looking for a thief


    Themotion filled the entire room. People looked at me as if I was some kind of witch, casting a spell


    over their innocent souls.


    ¡°I disagree!¡± the IT specialist who reported the situation eximed. ¡°Someone definitely attacked our


    system from the outside! If the files were copied or deleted during work hours, we would have noticed it


    almost immediately! It couldn¡®t be an inside job!¡±


    His sudden agitation startled me. He was all tense, ring at me with his grey deep¨Cset eyes while


    nervouslybing his ginger hair with his fingers. I wondered if I identally stepped on his ego... ¡°Yes,


    Davies is right!¡± A young man sitting next to him patted his shoulder in encouragement. I sighed,


    exhaling my growing annoyance, and nced at Aren. My husband¨Cto¨Cbe looked back at me with a hint


    of a smirk, urging me to prove my point. ¡°I never said that the files were stolen by someone while he or


    she was in thepany, but the hacker needed an aplice, someone who put a bug into the


    system,¡± I exined. ¡°We¡®d checked the system twice and found no spyware. That means no, your


    assumptions are incorrect.¡± That Davies guy was getting on my nerves. I stretched my lips into a thin


    smile. ¡°Do you want to bet?¡± ¡°All right,¡± Aren cut in. ¡°I¡®d like to put Ms. Bell¡®s theory to the test, so give her


    whatever ess she requests.¡±


    The ginger¨Chaired IT specialist clearly wasn¡®t fond of that idea. ¡°Mr. Lan, we are already working on it


    ourselves. There is no need to add another¡ª¡±


    ¡°Show me your results.¡± Aren¡®s strictmand made everyone turn silent. ¡°You haven¡®t found the hacker


    and you have yet to confirm the number of stolen projects. This is a time sensitive issue. I¡®m giving you a


    specialist who can speed up the process. You can either obey or look for another job.¡±


    After Aren¡®s words spread like a dark aura across the room, I didn¡®t expect to make many new friends


    with the people sitting in that room. A few minutester, I was led to the nning department to have a


    look at those allegedly hackedputers. Of course, dear Mr. Davies didn¡®t hide his hostility toward me.


    His attitude was obvious in his every reluctance¨Csoaked gesture. I only wondered if he acted the way he


    did because I was an outsider, or because I was a woman¡­ and an outsider.


    ¡°Ms. Bell, take a look at the units on the left. I¡®ve already checked the main ones, so there¡®s no need to¨C¡±


    ¡°I will start with the main ones,¡± I imed firmly. Davies clenched his teeth. ¡°As I said, there is no need


    to¨C¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lan told you to give me full ess, didn¡®t he?¡± I smirked, quite satisfied with the given authority.


    ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± he grumbled lowly, tossing the password list onto the table in front of me


    ¡°Thank you, that¡®s very kind of you.¡± I deliberately smiled, enticing his irritation.


    He turned out to be wise enough to walk away and didn¡®t bother me as I started to look for any traces of


    the bug. I used Norton¡®s program to make a list of recently modified files. It didn¡®t look good. Several


    projects marked as highly ssified were copied less than three hours ago. There were some hardware


    designs and two gaming apps that had just entered their beta phase. The hacker who broke into the


    system was good; he tried to fake the system¡®s indexes so that no one could guess which files he


    copied. No wonder Davies didn¡®t find anything concrete... The one who broke in turned out every light


    before leaving the system, which forced those poor IT specialists to search blindly in the dark.


    Having theplete list of stolen files, I emailed Neil so they could start handling the crisis and control


    the damage. As soon as I pressed the ¡°send¡± button, I could begin the second phase of my search...


    Once I had already known what was stolen, it was time to find out how it was done. My best thesis was


    still the one that considered cing a worm, but I had already known that the one who had broken into


    the system wouldn¡®t be dumb enough to leave the worm alive in the


    would have deleted it just like I had erased all the traces of the spyware I had installed in Blue Crystal


    Hotel¡®s system. If the intruder was as good as me, I had mere chances of finding anything, but I hoped


    this wasn¡®t the case.


    It took me a few hours of searching using different algorithms until I could finally grin and exim,


    ¡°Gotcha!¡±

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    I was so immersed in my research that I didn¡®t realize there were close to ten people ncing over my


    shoulder. As I shouted, I instantly caused quite a tumult. I turned around and saw a few IT guys


    nervously gaping at the screen of theputer I was working on. ¡°Inform Mr. Lan at once!¡± I heard


    someone shouting behind my back I nced at the side of the room and registered one person that was


    far less agitated with my discovery than the rest of the department: Davies. He stood in the corner with a


    sulky face, his arms tightly crossed over his chest. ¡°It appears that I was correct, Mr. Davies,¡± I smirked


    triumphantly. ¡°Congrattions,¡± he barely squeezed out of his throat. ¡°You will congratte me once I


    find the thief who stole those files,¡± I imed confidently, looking him in the eyes.


    I couldn¡®t tell whether Davies was simply dumb, or wanted to be seen that way. As I could now sense no


    hostilitying from the rest of his team, he seemed to be the only one displeased with what I found.


    Did I really crush his balls that much, or was it something else? A minuteter, Aren strode into the room,


    instantly locking his eyes on me. ¡°You found the evidence, didn¡®t you?¡± he said, ignoring the rest of the IT


    specialists in the room. ¡°Yes,¡± I confirmed, looking around to gather everyone¡¯s attention before I started


    to exin, ¡°I found a weak trace of spyware. I couldn¡®t fully restore it, but with a partial code, I¡®ve found


    I


    can confirm that it was used to turn the entire department¡®swork online at a certain time. The spyware


    could also create a loophole in the system¡®s security, granting the hacker easy ess to files he or she


    wanted to steal.¡±


    ¡°How do you know so much about this... worm?¡± one of the specialists asked.


    I smiled nervously, ncing at Aren. ¡°I know that because... J¡®ve created a worm like that


    myself.¡±


    Audible gasps filled the room while my fianc¨¦ smirked, ¡°You used it to mess with the engagement party,¡±


    he said quietly, his tone seeking my confirmation, I leaned closer to him with a wicked grin. ¡°I will neither


    deny nor confirm it.¡±


    ¡°So, who is the mole?¡± someone inquired.


    Someone else added agitatedly, ¡°It could be anyone who had any contact with the nning department¡®s


    computers! It¡®s impossible to find the mole among so many people!¡± Davies suddenly stepped forward.


    ¡°So... what about the hacker? Is there a way to trace him?¡±


    A wry smile formed on my lips. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡®m not sure. That person is skilled and used all methods


    to erase evidence...¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    For a brief moment, I registered a hint of relief in Davies¡®s expression. Chills ran down my spine. Was I


    right to suspect him? Unfortunately, there was no point in stating my assumptions without any material


    proof. As much as I hated to do this, at that moment, I needed to act as if I saw nothing.


    After I had carefully exined every step of my search, Aren ordered me to get some rest. He took me to


    his office and closed the door.


    ¡°Neil ordered pizza. It should be here in a few minutes,¡± he said, sitting next to me on the sofa.


    ¡°Thank God...¡± I breathed out. ¡°I was starving...¡± ¡°I figured.¡± He chuckled and stroked my head. ¡°You were


    brilliant there. You helped thepany a lot.¡±


    ¡°Not enough,¡± I argued, ¡°but I will find the fucker who dared to steal from you.¡±


    He smirked and looked straight into my eyes. ¡°Now you can tell me.¡±


    ¡°Tell you¡­ what?¡± I blinked my eyes.


    He grinned mischievously. ¡°The information you wanted to hide from the rest of my employees.¡±


    I gasped. Was it that obvious that I didn¡®t tell them everything, or was I just such a bad actress?


    I cleared my throat. ¡°There is a simple way to narrow down the search for the mole...¡±


    He leaned over me. ¡°Yo¡®u have your suspects and I have mine, but is there a way to get prooi!¡± he


    asked.


    ¡°Of course, there is,¡± I said as a smug smile twitched my lips. ¡°The piece of the spyware I restored had


    little information, but it had a date.¡±


    Looking for a thief


    ¡°A date?¡± Aren raised his eyebrows. I leaned toward him with confidence, gazing into his dangerous


    onyx irises. ¡°The spyware was installed four days ago, between 3 and 4 PM.¡±

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Like a detective on the case I had to admit that eating pizza with Aren in his super¨Cfancy office was a


    peculiar experience. If anyone could ever look morous and captivating while shoving a pizza triangle


    in their mouth, it would be Aren. I had no idea how he pulled that off, but I should have expected that


    much. After all, his aura of dominance was as strong as ever, even when he was wearing a pair of


    jeans and a casual shirt instead of his elegant suit.


    He insisted that I go home, but I said that I wanted to stay in thepany and go through the


    surveince footage with him and Mr. rk. I was swaying on my feet, but it was also the most exciting


    and thallenging event I had ever been a part of. There was no way in hell that I would have missed it. Of


    course, I couldn¡®t say it in front of Aren. I bet that he found nothing exciting about dealing with the huge


    number of problems that this hacker attack had caused...


    After I firmly stated that I wasn¡®t going anywhere, Aren finally agreed for me to join the mole tracking


    squad. Unfortunately, it wasn¡®t as exciting as I initially thought. Since I had narrowed down the time


    frame to an hour window, I assumed that we would find the mole quickly. What I didn¡®t assume was that


    there were over twenty cameras around the department¡®s corridor and entrance and that there was no


    camera directed at any of theputers in the nning department. That made everything much more


    complicated.


    An hourter, I was staring nkly at the monitor, trying to make a list of people that had a chance of


    getting closer to one of theputers. Having aplete list of employees from that department along


    with their pictures topare in front of me, I kept making notes, trying to determine a potential mole,


    but truthfully, I didn¡®t feel like it was going anywhere. ¡°Is there anything particr that we should pay


    attention to?¡± Mr. rk asked, taking a short break from watching his part of the footage.


    He and three other security department employees shifted their eyes from the monitors to me, seeking


    my guidance.


    ¨C¡°Well... we could be looking for a sh drive which could look like... anything... But the mole could send


    the software from his phone, for example, through the Bluetooth connection.¡± I smiled wryly, knowing that


    my information wasn¡®t helpful at all.


    ¡°Don¡®t look at the objects. Look at people instead,¡± Aren instructed as he stopped in between writing the


    hundredth email to manage the crisis. ¡°We need to focus on finding the anomaly in human behavior.


    Look for anyone nervous, distracted, or oddly anxious, and put that person on the list,¡± he ordered.


    The five of us going through the footage nodded and got back to observing the screen with the new


    approach in mind. Unfortunately, every single face I saw on my monitor seemed equally normal or dull.


    Not a single out¨Cof¨Cordinary gesture caught my attention until one person popped out on the screen¨C


    Davies. My heart started to pound, although it could have been normal that he was caught in the


    footage. After all, his department cooperated with the nning department rather closely. Nheless,


    I had this feeling in my gut that he wasn¡®t there for any work¨Crted reason. He looked over his


    shoulder several times, and then I saw him calling out for one of the nners


    and stopping him in the middle of the corridor. The guy whom Davies stopped seemed a bit startled


    when Davies walked toward him. He said a few words to the nner and pointed at the nning


    department¡®s open¨Cspace office. A minuteter, they both disappeared inside. A wave of wicked


    excitement rushed through me. I checked the timing mark on the footage¨Cit said twenty past three. It


    wasn¡®t the proof I wanted, but it was odd enough behavior to raise suspicion. I ignored the rest of the


    people I had put on my list before and skipped the footage on fast¨Cforward until I saw Davies again.


    When he walked out into that corridor again, he was alone. It was ten past four. He seemed nervous¨C he


    kept wiping his palms on his pants and turning his head around to nce back at the office he had just


    exited from.


    ¡°I think I¡®ve found something,¡± I announced agitatedly.


    Aren and the others stood up and walked over to my desk to look at my screen. I showed them the parts


    of the footage where Davies entered and then walked out of the open¨Cspace office. As I watched it


    again, I became even more certain that I was looking at the mole. Was I prejudiced because I suspected


    him from the start? I suddenly started to wonder what if I wasn¡®t about to use the wrong person...


    ¡°Has anyone seen Davies in any of the other cameras¡® footage?¡± Aren asked, looking at Mr. rk and


    his subordinates.


    Everyone shook their heads. A sound of frustration left my throat. It was four in the morning, and we


    hadn¡®t found anything solid.


    ¡°Please, Ms. Bell, don¡®t beat yourself up. You¡®ve found enough for us to make use of it,¡± Mr. rk said.


    K Sald.


    ¡°How is that enough?¡± I argued. ¡°You gave us a reasonable suspect, and judging by hisck of


    composure, he would be easy to break during the interrogation,¡± he exined, his eyes dangerously


    darkening. I swallowed and looked at Aren. He smirked and patted my shoulder.


    ¡°Mr. Ronald rk used to be a police detective, and he¡®s highly efficient in cases like this one, ¡®¡± he


    assured me.


    I smiled nervously at both men. They seemed confident about getting Davies to confess. I truly hoped


    that it was possible. Aren told his employees to go home and get some rest. He and Mr. rk nned to


    ambush Davies in the morning, as soon as he showed up at work.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I texted Marcus. He will take you back to the penthouse. You need to go to sleep. I will stay here and


    sleep in the office as soon as I¡®m done sending instructions to the managers who handled the


    intercepted project,¡± Aren said.


    This time I had no strength to argue. I nodded weakly and started packing my equipment. My brain was


    overloaded with information and needed a few hours of sleep to process everything. Nheless, I was


    highly unsatisfied with how little we had found.


    ¡°Can I take the rest of the footage home?¡± I asked. ¡°I just want to check something one more time when I


    wake up...¡±


    Aren smiled and walked over to me to ce a soft kiss on my forehead. ¡°Of course,¡± he replied, and told


    someone to d******d the whole material to my sh drive.


    I couldn¡®t remember the exact moment I fell asleep. It must have been about two seconds after my head


    landed on the pillow. I truly hoped that Aren took some time to sleep as well. He worked relentlessly for


    hours with little regard for his health. I might have been merely his contracted lianc¨¦e, but I felt as if it


    should have been my responsibility to take care of him... or at least to make sure that he would take care


    of himself. Since, at that moment, I could do neither of those things, I decided to go to his office to check


    on himter. There was one thing that I needed to do first¡­


    I made myself a mug of coffee, turned on myputer, and yed the recorded footage that wasn¡®t


    mine to check. There was one camera directed at the open office¡®s ss door. It was the footage from


    that camera that I had to see.


    I wasn¡®t certain what I was hoping for because it wasn¡¯t possible to see any desk orputer from the


    angle of the recording. I was just about to turn it off when two people opened the ss door and kept it


    open for a while by standing on the threshold. As I looked closely, I saw an image reflected by the ss.


    ¡°It looks like Davies...¡± I muttered, zooming the reflection in the recorder frame.


    Once I cleared the picture, my heart started to hammer against my chest. The chances were little to


    none, but I found the footage of Davies sitting by theputer in the nning department¡®s office and


    typing something. As I thought that it couldn¡®t get any better, the next few seconds of the recording


    registered him removing a sh drive from theputer¡¯s USB port and putting it into his pocket.


    A happy scream left my throat. It was the evidence that could be used against him. It wasn¡®t ideal, but it


    was like proving that he was at the crime scene at the exact time the crime took ce! Before I knew it,


    my hand was on the phone, and I was picking Aren¡®s number. ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± he answered


    with a hoarse, slightly sleepy voice. I smiled uncontrobly at the sexiness of his tone. ¡°Good morning,


    handsome. How¡®s the interrogation going?¡± I asked, trying to sound serious, even though the level of


    excitement was almost making me explode.


    ¡°Not so good for now...¡± Aren sighed in frustration. ¡°Ronald is pushing him, but Davies sticks to his


    version. He ims that he visited the nning department only to offer tickets for the next Yankees game


    to a friend he had there. He ims that his friend refused, and he got back to his office.¡±


    ¡°Did you check that so¨Ccalled friend¡®s version?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°We did right away,¡± Aren said. ¡°His name is Jonathan Warwick. He was the person from the footage


    standing with Davies. He confirmed Davies¡®s words. Furthermore, Davies says that he didn¡®t even touch


    any of the nning departmentputers that day. Mycency grew by the second. ¡°He says that


    he didn¡®t touch any of theirputers all day, huh?¡±


    ¡°My fianc¨¦e seems to be in a good mood I hear.¡± I could hear the smile rising in his voice. I chuckled.


    ¡°You need to keep dear Mr. Davies locked up until I get there because your amazing

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Tihetetective on the case


    fianc¨¦e has just found proof that this poor bastard is lying.¡±


    First battle


    First battle


    I couldn¡¯t believe the luck I had! If Davies had used any otherputer, no camera would have been


    able to catch him. Of course, Davies could deny that he had anything to do with the hacker¡¯s attack, but


    the facts spoke for themselves-he was the mole. I was certain that knowing whichputer had gotten


    infected first, I could match the exact second the spyware had been downloaded, and I bet it would


    match the time mark on the video footage. I couldn¡¯t help but be crazily excited. For the first time in my


    life, I was using my skills and my intelligence for something that mattered. I loved that feeling of being


    useful¡­


    I strode through the Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s entrance like a general going home after a victorious


    battle. I was armed with myptop and tablet, and I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use them against the one trying


    to steal from my contract fianc¨¦. Neil greeted me as I passed the sliding ss door and stepped into the


    corridor. He led me to the back of the interrogation room. Aren was inside, along with two technicians,


    recording Davies¡¯s questioning. Aren smiled as I got closer, and then his eyes shifted to the back side of


    the two-way mirror that allowed us to observe the interrogation.


    I took out my tablet and yed the cleared fragment of the footage. ¡°Here, this is what I¡¯ve found.¡± I


    turned the screen to Aren.


    He took the tablet from my hand and watched the part I selected closely. I could see his lips curving into


    a proud grin. ¡°Excellent work, beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, as a blush surfaced on my cheeks.


    Neil¡¯s eyes ping-ponged between Aren and me, our reactions to each other turning his lips into a


    mischievous smirk. He could barely stifle augh, but considering the situation and the fact that I was in


    a good mood, I decided to pretend I didn¡¯t see it.


    Aren passed my tablet onto Neil. ¡°Give it to Ronald. Time to finish this farce.¡± Neil nodded and ran out of


    the room. Once he closed the door, Aren grabbed my hand and ¡®intertwined our fingers. ¡°You must be


    tired, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked, looking into my haggard


    eyes.


    He looked no better than I did. I doubted if he even found time to sleep that night. Yet, my heart fluttered


    at seeing his genuine concern. ¡°You look tired too. Shouldn¡¯t you rest so that you can manage your


    company properly?¡± I raised my eyebrows, giving him a mental nudge. He chuckled. ¡°So you are not


    worried about me, but you are worried about mypany instead?¡±


    My eyes narrowed. ¡°I worry about yourpany because I know that you are more concerned


    about your business than your health.¡±


    He shot me an amused nce. ¡°Guilty as charged.¡±


    A minuteter, we could all observe Mr. Ronald rk in action as he entered the interrogation room with


    my tablet in his hand. He showed the footage to Davies, and our mole finally broke down. He saved us


    all some time and confessed that he was the one who had given the hacker a chance to get into the


    system, but he refused to say who it was. He only said that he got paid


    1/3


    First battle


    twenty thousand dors for the job.


    ¡°Saying the name of the one who hired you won¡¯t save you from losing your position at thepany, but


    it can lower your sentence in jail. Come clean, and it can be good for you, refuse, and you will stay in


    prison longer,¡± Mr. rk persuaded.


    Davies burst out into hystericughter. ¡°Prison?! I can stay in prison! But I will lose my life if I tell you


    anything else!¡± Mr. rk nced at the two-way mirror, a grimace twitching in his mouth before his eyes


    turned back to Davies. ¡°We can grant you protection,¡± he proposed. Davies¡¯sughter became more


    taunting and cold. ¡°Protection?! Are you serious?! I¡¯d rather stay for a year or two in prison than spend a


    lifetime looking over my shoulder!¡± ¡°It¡¯s your choice then,¡± Mr. rk hissed and walked out of the room,


    mming the door shut behind him.


    Aren squeezed my hand, a deep frown forming on his forehead. I knew that it wasn¡¯t the result he was


    hoping for. Davies was about to be taken by the police, but the hacker and those who wanted to steal the


    files were still unknown. Even though I used n¡¯s program to track back the one who broke into the


    system, the traces were too weak to follow.


    ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    Aren shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve already sent announcements considering the stolen project, making sure that if


    anypany on the market used our ideas, they could be instantly changed of giarism. The real


    problem is that the project managers reported that the hacker corrupted some of the files, and it could


    take time to restore them.¡±


    I turned to stand fully in front of him and touched his arm in aforting gesture. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± He smiled faintly. ¡°I am truly grateful for all you did.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to catch that bastard,¡± I muttered, lowering my head.


    He chuckled and pulled me into a tight embrace. ¡°We will catch that fucker and everyone who stood


    behind this attack¡­ just not today.¡±


    I smiled inwardly at the word ¡°we¡± he said. I rested my head on his wide chest while my arms slid around


    his waist. I couldn¡¯t care less whether someone was looking at us or not. I feltfortable with Aren¡¯s


    touch, and I could feel my embrace was what he needed at that moment as well. We were bing a


    team, and I was beginning to like every aspect of it¡­


    After leaving Davies for the police to handle, Aren and I got back to his office. Neil ordered something


    from the restaurant for us to eat. I didn¡¯t realize how tired I was before I ced my butt on the sofa. Aren


    sat beside me, and I knew that he was even more drained than I was. Since the drop in adrenalin


    revealed the true level of our exhaustion, we ate lunch in silence. I hated this half-victory. I had always


    been ambitious, but Aren might have been much more ambitious than I was. He kept smiling at me


    whenever our eyes met, but his mind was elsewhere. I knew that he was trying to find a way to find out


    who jeopardized his business. Of course, I was aware that he had a long list of enemies, but not


    everyone could pull off a frontal attack on him while covering most of the tracks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said suddenly, pulling me out of the daze. ¡°I know that I promised to listen to your


    presentation, but I don¡¯t think I could give the attention your project deserves.¡± with everything that had


    been going on recently, I hadpletely forgotten about the presentation I prepared for him. I smiled


    wryly. ¡°That¡¯s OK.¡±


    Then it hit me. What if I could use my security program to deal with this hacker? Of course, my software


    wasn¡¯t designed to trace back the ones who tried to break into the system, but it was designed to learn


    and apply a type of defense the system needed. If I could add n¡¯s tracker, it would be like giving my


    program a trained watchdog that could bite any hacker in the ass¡­ ¡°I have an idea¡­ We need to make


    some bait for the hacker. We¡¯ll catch him if he tries to steal the files again,¡± 1 imed agitatedly. Aren


    thought for a moment before replying, ¡°That can be done. Tell me about your n.¡± ¡°I will ask n, my


    friend from the workshop, to give me his program so I can turn it into a part of my security software.


    n¡¯s baby has already caught the scent of this hacker and will remember it the next time that jerk tries


    to get it. When that happens, the thief will be caught in the system long enough for n¡¯s program to


    track the exact IP address,¡± I exined. Aren burst outughing. ¡°I love your intelligence and


    wickedness.¡±


    ¡°I thought that you weren¡¯t capable of loving,¡± I teased.


    He leaned over me, a smug smirk forming on his full, sexy lips. My heart thundered as he moved closer


    to me, his lips parting. He took a deep breath as if he was preparing to tell me something when his


    phone rang. He frowned in an instant, but we both were aware that he couldn¡¯t afford to not answer


    phone calls in thepany¡¯s current situation. Nheless, his frown deepened when he saw the


    caller¡¯s ID. He exhaled with a growl of annoyance before taking the call.


    ¡°Hello, Grandfather,¡± he said curtly. I raised my eyebrows. I would say that the old man had chosen the


    worst possible moment to call, but I also knew that he would be ecstatic to find out that Aren¡¯spany


    was in crisis.


    ¡°This Wednesday?¡± Aren nced at me with question marks in his eyes.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what his question was, but I gave him a faint smile and a nod. He smiled back at me before


    replying to his grandfather. ¡°All right, we¡¯lle to dinner. See you at eight o¡¯clock on Wednesday.¡±

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Changing


    The date was set in two days, I was about to meet Can again. I wished I could have had more time to


    prepare for meeting him, but I was also aware that it was going to happen soon.


    ¡°I¡®ll be by your side, and I will make sure nothing bad is going to happen,¡± Aren assured.


    I smiled, trying to fake myposure, but the truth was, I was terrified. Perhaps I should feel more


    comfortable having to hold Aren¡®s hand while facing my dreadful ex. Aren was definitely hotter and


    wealthier than Can, and I was nearly certain that he was a better man in every aspect. Still, my


    anxieties were there, slowly consuming my rationality. Nheless, it was Monday, and I had other


    things to focus on. We had to set a trap for a hacker.


    Mr. rk, Neil, Aren, and I sat together in the office and worked up a n to provoke the one who


    invaded the system into another attack.


    ¡°We have to keep Davies in hiding for some time, whether he likes it or not. Officially, he will be on


    vacation while we prevent him from contacting anyone from outside. Those fuckers cannot know that we


    have found out they entered our system and who was their mole,¡± Mr. rk said.


    ¡°He¡®s been handed over to the police. Can we get him back just like that?¡± I asked, my eyes shifting from


    him to Aren and back to him.


    Mr. rk smirked. ¡°I have my way. Besides, the case has been handled quietly by the NYPD from the


    beginning. There¡®s no need to worry.¡±


    I nodded in acknowledgment. It looked like it was merely one of many crime¨Clike situations in that


    company that he had to deal with over the years. As my eyes turned to Aren, I saw him calmly


    registering Mr. rk¡®s words while nodding in approval. He had to trust him and his judgment a lot. That


    made me curious if there was any particr story behind their acquaintance.


    ¡°I prepared a list of potential products that would attract the thief¡®s attention.¡± Neil gave us all a copy of


    the results of his research. ¡°I would say that the sequel to the game ¡°Golden Dragon City¡± should do the


    trick.¡±


    Aren quickly read the document and put it down on the table. ¡°I agree. The game was supposed to be


    released by the end of next year. If we spread the rumors that theunch would be a whole year earlier,


    the hacker will certainly try to steal it or corrupt our files.¡±


    I remembered that the first part of the game was a big hit, and the yers anticipated the sequel for a


    few years, but Moon World, thepany that originally created the game, hadn¡®t been so lucky with their


    other products. Two years ago, they were on the verge of bankruptcy. That was when Aren bought them


    out, making them a part of the Lan Diamond Corporation. I heard big money was invested to put the


    Golden Dragon City¡®s team back on their feet. If the hacker¡®s goal was to threaten Aren¡®s business, then


    he certainly wouldn¡®t miss the chance to damage the long¨Cawaited game, making all the money invested


    go to waste. ¡°Cora, please exin. What do you think that hacker would do?¡± Aren gestured at me to


    speak. I straightened in my seat and cleared my throat. ¡°The Moon World operates in its own


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Aren grinned at me, pping his hands. ¡°Do you need anything to make this work?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡± I smiled nervously. ¡°I would like Norton and n to help me... I¡®ve already used their programs to


    find the mole, so I think that they would be a great he¡ª¡±


    ¡°Where do they work?¡± Aren asked, his voice firm andmanding.


    ¡°We work together at the workshop. We fixputers and sometimes work for minorpanies,¡± I


    answered.


    ¡°I want to hire them exclusively.¡± ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡± Hearing Aren¡®s words made my mind go nk. ¡°You¡®ve


    already said that you need your colleague¡®s permission to use his software with your program. I¡®ll pay


    them to settle all the legal issues and copyrights. In return, they would have to sign a full use of


    confidentiality, but I¡®ll make sure their payment would be worth it.¡±


    His words sounded surreal. Every one of us dreamed of earning decent money for the work that we


    loved, but we also got used to our independency.


    ¡°That¡®s very generous of you, but I don¡®t think that my friends would agree to work like cogs in a


    corporate machine¡­¡±


    Aren leaned closer, his eyes locked on me. ¡°I will create a department for the three of you only. You will


    be in charge of Lan Diamond Corporation¡®s IT security. You will have the authority to check on every


    other department and you will answer to no one but me.¡±


    My lips formed a nervous smile. I didn¡®t think that anyone in my ce could refuse such an offer. It would


    be highly unreasonable to refuse such an offer... The problem was that¡± reasonable¡± would have been


    thest name I¡®d use when calling Norton or n. Norton had once refused to take an assignment from


    apany because he imed that it had too many R letters in the name...


    ¡°I¡®I... try to convince them,¡± I said, turning my gaze away from Aren¡®s irresistible irises.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± He chuckled and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead.


    The level of my flusteredness went sky¨Chigh as I realized that Neil and Mr. rk were still very present


    in the room, observing every detail of the discussion between their CEO and me. I couldn¡®t possibly miss


    the mischievous grins popping on their faces. Neil had that grin glued to his mouth even when he was


    walking me downstairs so I could go on to meet with n and Norton.


    ¡°What?!¡± I grunted at him, a red re still visible on my cheeks.


    ¡°He¡®s changing, you know?¡± he said, smiling,


    ¡°Aren?¡± I asked as if he could be talking about anyone else.


    He nodded, ¡°You are the cause of that change.¡±


    The fading blush returned two¨Cfold. ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Iughed nervously.


    ¡°I have known him for ten years, and I¡®ve never seen him affectionate toward a woman. Kisses, holding


    hands... that¡®s not what he used to do. I think that you intrigue him in more than one aspect, and that


    makes him do things he has never done. It¡®s fun to watch.¡± He giggled. ¡°Perhaps... but would it make our


    rtionship real?¡± I lowered my head and didn¡®t realize that I said it out loud.


    Neil pulled my hand to stop. ¡°Wait... have you... for my boss...?¡± I stared at him in panic before bursting


    out in awkwardughter. ¡°N¨Cno! I¡®m just kidding!¡±


    Neil stretched his lips into a thin smile. His eyes narrowed. ¡°Ms. Bell... I believe that you are a good and


    emotional person. That is why I wouldn¡®t want to see you hurt. Although I think that my boss can be a


    good person as well, he is a deadly calctive son¨Cof-a¨Cbitch ny percent of the time. What I¡®m


    saying is that some people are just never meant to be in an emotional rtionship, and Aren Lan is the


    best example of one of them.¡±


    I forced myself to smile, ignoring the odd squeeze in my chest, before patting Neil¡®s arm.¡± Don¡®t worry.


    I¡®m not nning to fall in love with your boss. I mean... he is sexy... and he can drive my nuts, but he


    would have to work very hard before I let him into my heart.¡± My voice sounded quite confident. I only


    hoped that I could keep that confidence for the long run.


    I couldn¡®t say how many deep breaths I took before I got rid of Neil¡®s words from my head. I needed to


    focus before I talked to n and Norton. While Benjamin drove me to the workshop, I kept making


    mental notes and improving my sales pitch. When I entered, my geek friends were already waiting for


    me, sitting by the table as if they were the board of examiners. ¡°What¡®s so urgent?¡± n frowned,


    crossing his arms over his chest. Norton mirrored n¡®s expression. ¡°Yeah... What is so urgent? And


    more importantly, did my program work?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Yes, Norton. Your program helped a lot. Thank


    you.¡± I blew him a kiss that instantly painted a sweet blush on his cheeks.


    ¡°So?¡± n impatiently tapped his fingers on his crossed arm. I smiled nervously and sat in front of them.


    ¡°Well... As you know, I have a boyfriend...¡± I started.


    ¡°A rich and generous boyfriend,¡± n added, narrowing his gaze at me. My lips curled even more


    awkwardly than before. ¡°He actually owns a hugepany... When I asked for your help on Saturday, it


    was to deal with the crisis in thatpany...¡±


    ¡°And?¡± n urged.


    I took a deep breath. ¡°I¡®m aware that you both treasure your independence, but he wants to hire you


    and offered to create a special department with only the three of us in it, taking orders from no one


    except for him alone. He promised to treat you fairly, with good pay and ¨C


    ¡°What is the name of thepany?¡± Norton asked, his expression more severe than ever before.


    I choked out, ¡°Lan Diamond Corporation.¡±


    They both looked at each other before shifting their eyes to me, saying simultaneously,¡± Where do we


    sign?¡±

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Their first day ¡°Wee to Lan Diamond Tower,¡± I said, greeting n and Norton as they walked


    through the revolving door. Norton stepped in while tightly clutching hisptop in both hands, his eyes


    carefully roaming around the ce. He was wearing a sage green suit; it looked surprisingly good on


    him. Unlike Norton¡®s, n¡®s strides were more confident, his expression slightly carefree, but even he


    decided to respect some of the dress¨Ccode aspects and added an elegant jacket over his smugly casual


    ripped jeans and T¨Cshirt.


    I led them to our new workce, which was directly one floor below Aren¡®s office. I had no idea how


    they managed to prepare a ce for us in one day, but my guess was that it had to be Neil¡®s work. The


    ce was filled with light, spacious, and furnished perfectly for three unconventional employees. There


    were desks with high¨Cquality equipment on them and super ¨Cergonomic office chairs to increase our


    workfort, but there were also two soft couches and cocoon¨Clike swing chairs... Quite thoughtful,


    considering that I had already seen n working with his feet on the desk and his head hanging an inch


    above the floor. He once said that changing positions helped him concentrate, and now, his eyes were


    brightly glowing as he stared at the swing, grinning like a child.


    I watched the boys getting familiar with their new toys and couldn¡®t help but smile. Who would have


    thought that all those weird things that had happened in my life recently could finally create an


    opportunity those two deserved. Ten minutester, Aren knocked on our door. I hadn¡®t seen him since


    the moment I left thepany the day before to meet with n and Norton. He might have looked neat


    and fresh in the clean, tailored suit he wore, but I knew he had hardly spent any time sleeping while


    working another night in his office, dealing with the crisis.


    My contract boyfriend came with Neil and awyer who brought contracts for the new super


    employees. As they entered, I noticed n and Norton taking a cautious step back. I couldn¡®t ¡®me


    them. Watching Aren alone in his impable business mode was overwhelming


    enough, and as he was nked by two other fiercely looking men, their impression must have been


    highly intimidating. Fortunately, Aren disarmed the tension by reaching out his hand to greet my


    frightened geek friends. ¡°My name is Aren Lan. I¡®m d that you will be working for mypany,¡± he


    said as a courteous smile curved his lips.


    n took his hand in a firm shake while looking his new boss up and down. ¡°n Harada. Don¡®t worry,


    we¡¯ll keep yourpany safe from other cyber¨Cfreaks.¡±


    Norton decided to limit physical contact to a brief brush¨Clike semi¨Cgrip of Aren¡®s hand.¡± Norton Edavane,¡±


    he muttered before stepping back


    Thewyer gave the boys their contracts. Once they started to read them, it became clear that Aren


    wasn¡®t kidding when he said that he would give them a fair sry to cover the restrictions of the


    use of confidentiality. ¡°One question.¡± n raised his hand.


    ¡°Yes, Aren¡®s eyes widened in curiosity


    ¡°Do you coborate with the Triads, Russians, or Italian malia?¡± he asked, crossing his arms over his


    chest


    Iughed nervously and prodded his elbow. ¡°n!¡±


    He moved my hand away and smirked before his eyes shifted back to clearly amused Aren.¡± Don¡®t get


    me wrong. Those conditions in the use are like red gs that someone¡®s trying to protect his not so


    very legal business. Besides, I might have pissed off some of the Triads, Italians... and Russians back in


    the old days, so I want to know who I¡®m siding up with.¡±


    Neil stepped forward, but Aren stopped him, his lips painting a cold smile, ¡°Our business is one hundred


    percent legal, but we collide with those you mentioned quite often. Sometimes getting your hands dirty is


    unavoidable to keep the whole business clean, Is my answer satisfying enough for you, Mr. Harada?¡± I


    swallowed hard while fearfully ncing at the boys,


    A breathy chuckle left n¡®s throat. ¡°All I wanted to hear.¡±


    Surprise painted my expression. I didn¡®t expect him to be so calm in acknowledging Aren¡®s words. While


    n ced the documents on the table to sign them, Norton stepped closer, looking at Aren with a


    frown.


    ¡°Will you protect Cora if anything happens?¡± he asked, his question sounding almost like a threat.


    ¡°With my life,¡± Aren replied without a hint of hesitation.


    Hismitment sent my heart into a wild race. My eyes widened as I stared at Aren, finding nothing but


    honesty in his expression.


    ¡°Good.¡± Norton nodded. ¡°Just keep in mind that we are capable of making your life a living hell, and we


    will use those abilities if you ever dare to hurt her,¡± he said with his usual t tone that truly carried tons


    of his hidden emotions.


    Even though Aren couldn¡®t be any less intimidated by Norton¡®s words, I felt touched. After Aren had


    made another promise to him and n, saying that he would treat me like a queen, they finally signed


    their contracts. Once the formalities were ver, I could finally sigh in relief.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡± Neil grinned mischievously, collecting their contracts. ¡°Wee to our hellish family.¡±


    *****


    Once we were left alone, I introduced the boys to the whole n to catch the hacker. As I predicted, they


    were more than eager to participate in it. Then I showed them the security software I created and


    exined how I would like to improve it, adding the elements they¡®d written. We were running out of time.


    The whole program had to be ready and installed on each one of Lan Diamond Corporation¡®sputers


    in two days.


    We spent the rest of the day working to add the finishing touches on the security software before


    installing it, and that was the less bothersome part. It certainly would have been easier if we could just


    send everyone a link so they could d******d the program themselves, but we


    couldn¡®t risk a mole learning about the new type of software and warning the harker


    Al midnight, we had nearly finished improving my program when I got a message from Aren


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    My stomach growled, reminding me that thest time I swallowed something was twelve hours ago, and


    it was coffee... I even brought dinner for n and Norton, but I was too immersed in my work to eat


    anything myself. ¡°No.¡± I sent my reply


    ¡°Come upstairs.¡±


    My heart started to pound. I couldn¡®t fullyprehend my body¡®s ridiculous reaction. He wasn¡®t asking


    me out on a romantic date, but to quickly consume pizza or sd in his office. What was wrong with


    me?!


    ¡°He texted you, didn¡®t he?¡± n chuckled, smugly pointing at the blush on my cheeks. ¡°He¡®s worried that


    I haven¡®t eaten¡­¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°He¡®d better be,¡± Norton grunted


    I stifled augh, looking at Norton¡®s adorable brother¨Clike concern. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± n


    asked teasingly, raising one eyebrow. ¡°Go and spend some time alone with your man.¡± The way he said


    it made me blush even more. ¡°But there¡®s still some work to do...¡± ¡°Just go already.¡± Norton crossed his


    arms over his chest. ¡°We will take care of the rest.¡± I smiled awkwardly, repeatedlybing my hair with


    my fingers. ¡°All right... just... go home after you finish. We¡®ll start installing the program tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye boss!¡± n saluted, urging me to go. I chuckled. ¡°Fine. I¡®m going.¡± ¡°Good night, honey.¡± n


    waved his hand, chasing me out the door. ¡°Good night, guys,¡± I murmured before dashing out to the


    corridor.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    As soon as I left our office, I realized that my team and Aren were probably the only ones still working,


    and frankly, I had no idea what prevented me from copsing long ago. That adrenalin¨Cdriven marathon


    had to stop at some point, and I could feel that I was reaching the exhaustion limit fast.


    As the elevator door opened, I saw Aren standing in front of it, waiting for me while leaning his back


    against the wall.


    ¡°The food is getting cold,¡± he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward his office. When I walked


    through the door, my lips curved into a blushful smile as I noticed the new furniture¨Ca dining table with


    two seats on opposite sides. The table was set with tes with dome covers, sses, and a bottle of


    chilled champagne, and decorated with candlelight. ¡°I ordered shrimp pasta again. I hope you don¡®t


    mind,¡± he said, pulling the chair out for me.


    I shook my head. If it was half as good as thest time he had ordered it, I was going to lick the damn


    te. After taking the first bite, I nearly moaned as the food had given my tastebuds an orgasm. I wasn¡®t


    certain if it was due to my starvation, or because the food was genuinely that good, but at that moment, I


    didn¡®t care. I was in heaven.


    ¡°I promise that I will make it up to you. I hate to see you that tired,¡± he said, pouring me a ss of


    champagne. I leaned forward on the table and smirked. ¡°I¡®m a tough girl, Aren, and I would never leave


    you alone with this, knowing that I could help.¡±


    Aren locked his eyes on me, slightly biting his lip. ¡°You make me wonder if you were made for


    me.¡±


    I pulled in a shaky breath. The wave of heat fell down with a tickling sensation that made me throb and


    squeeze my thighs. I forced myself to break the tension with a peal of awkwardughter. As his lips


    curved in response, I used it as an opportunity to change the subject. I emptied my ss. ¡°Thank you for


    hiring my friends.¡± ¡°You told me they were good, and I trust your judgment.¡± He shrugged and poured us


    more champagne. ¡°We will catch that thief,¡± I imed confidently.


    He smiled faintly while his hand reached through the table to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear.


    ¡°Just... don¡®t ever do anything that could jeopardize you. Don¡®t risk for me.¡± ¡°I wasn¡®t born a daredevil.


    Trust me on that,¡± I stated seriously and then added with a teasing grin, ¡°I promise that I will scream for


    your help if it gets ugly.¡± A secondter, I was in his arms, lifted from my seat, and scooped in a bridal


    style. I barely registered as Inded on the sofa with my head on a pillow, Aren¡®s lips roughly iming


    mine. His hands roamed restlessly, reaching beneath my shirt to find my naked skin. Pleasure devoured


    me bit by bit, making me tilt my head back as he kissed my neck. He growled roughly, as my fingers


    tangled in his thick ck hair and yfully stroked his skin. I wanted more of him. I closed my eyes,


    breathing in his intoxicating scent... When I opened my eyes again, I was blinded by the merciless


    sunlighting from the window. I blinked for a minute just so I could reset my focus while my brain


    hectically processed my situation. As my vision returned, I found myself lying on the sofa, covered by a


    nket and fully clothed. Aren was lying beside me with his shirt unbuttoned... and all of his buttons


    ripped off. I sat up frantically. ¡°What the hell happenedst night?!¡±

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Sleeping with him ¡°You are loud.¡± i flinched at hearing Aren¡®s hoarse mutter.


    ¡°H¨Chow...?¡± It was the only part of the question I could mumble in panic.


    Aren lifted his upper body, supporting his weight with a bent elbow, his eyes narrowed from sleep.


    ¡°How... what?¡±


    ¡°How did I end up here... like this?!¡± I looked at him wide¨Ceyed, my heart pounding.


    Aren sighed, a faint smirk curving his lips. ¡°You fell asleep.¡±


    A wave of heat flooded me, a juicy blush surfacing on my cheeks. How could that happen? I wasn¡®t


    drunk. I had barely drank two sses of champagne. Fine, I was exhausted, but how could I fall asleep


    in the middle of... Oh, God...


    ¡°And... why are you..?¡±


    ¡°Why am I here with you?¡± He finished my question. ¡°I also need to sleep.¡± He shrugged, ncing at me


    with increasing amusement.


    ¡°B¨Cbut...¡± I breathed, desperate to find a way out of this embarrassing situation.


    A huff of irritation escaped his throat. A secondter, he hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me


    close. I barely registered how I found myself lying with my back against his chest, his arms clutching me


    tightly. ¡°It¡®s five in the morning. Sleep,¡± hemanded, breathing into my ear. Easy for him to say. My


    heart hammered as if a mad heavy¨Cmetal drummer banged on it. His scent overwhelmed me again,


    sending all kinds of lewd thoughts to my mind. My body was tightly wrapped in his, my back pressing


    against the firm wall that was supposed to be called his chest and stomach muscles. His one army on


    my waist while the other went under my neck and down to my shoulder and arm. The slightest


    movement of his fingers sent shivers through my entire body and made my wicked mind print thousands


    of imaginary pictures of him naked each time I tried to close my eyes. No... falling asleep in his arms was


    like a freaking mission impossible!


    ¡°Your shirt...¡± I mumbled. He chuckled softly. ¡°What about my shirt?¡± I swallowed before asking. ¡°What


    happened to your buttons? Did I..?¡±


    He snorted and tightened his grip around me. ¡°When you fell asleep, you tangled your fingers around the


    rim of my shirt¡®s neckline. I was about to wake you up gently, when you moaned and yanked your hand


    away, ripping all of my buttons.¡±


    I gasped in embarrassment. I could almost see my subconscious with a facepalm gesture. Thankfully, I


    had my back turned to him, and he couldn¡®t see my flustered face. ¡°Why didn¡®t you take the shirt off?¡± I


    mumbled.


    I could hear the grin in his tone when he said, ¡°I thought it would be fun.¡± He continued, as he


    leaned over to whisper, ¡°I wanted to have proof of you being savage¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing me,¡± I grunted


    ¡°I can take it off now If you want me to.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± eximed in panic, which camed me his chuckle ¡°Just let me go, and.¡±


    ¡°Cora,¡± he said, his voice firm andmanding, ¡°shut up and sleep¡±


    His hand reached for a nket to cover in both as wey, and then he tangled his legs with mine to


    prevent me from escaping, I gave up, i listened to his steady and calm breathing, and finally drifted away


    in a dream.


    I woke up from the sound of typing on theputer keyboard and opened my eyes to find i was lying on


    Aren¡®s s alone while he was already working behind his desk. His body was fully covered in a freshi,


    Irresistibly sexy navy suit and white shirt, with a full set of buttons this time. I pulled myself up to sit


    frantically,bing my hair with my fingers,


    Aren¡®s eyes shifted from hisputer screen to me, ¡°What would you like for breakfast?¡±


    I pushed up to my heels, correcting my ruffled clothes, my eyes roaming across the floor to search for my


    shoes. ¡°Um... coffee,¡± I replied, not looking him in the eyes,


    I was still flustered after spending the night in his arms. I kept telling myself it wasn¡®t a big deal. We didn¡®t


    have sex ¡ªwe merely slept together... but it felt more intimate than anything I had ever experienced with


    Can. Wasn¡®t I pitiful?


    Aren smiled. ¡°I¡®ll add some toast and scrambled eggs to that coffee. The order should get here in twenty


    minutes. You may use my bathroom; it¡®s on the right. Take a shower. There are some female cosmetics


    in the cab,¡±


    Ome


    ¡°Female cosmetics?¡± I pointed out suspiciously. He smirked. ¡°I told Neil to get it for you, just in case.¡±


    1 nced at him in disbelief. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Two days ago,¡± he tossed, and quickly added, ¡°He will bring you


    some fresh clothes in a few minutes.¡±


    I nodded, figuring that I should probably shower before the stink of yesterday¡®s sweat reached my


    nostrils... or worse, before it reached his nostrils as well!


    As soon as I entered his bathroom, his scent surrounded me. I found myself breathing it for a minute


    before snapping out of this weird daze and taking my clothes off to step into the cabin. My lustful


    imagination didn¡®t disappoint me, making me fantasize about Aren while dr water caressed my overly


    sensitive skin. What did that night in his embrace do to me?!


    I chased those erotic thoughts away with a frustrating groan as I walked out of the shower. I wrapped


    myself in a towel, figuring that I should leave his office quickly to avoid the unpredictable, humiliating


    situations that were likely to ur if I stayed there longer. Suddenly, I heard a knocking sound, and


    Aren¡®s voice followed. ¡°Neil brought your clothes. Please open the door so I can pass them over to you.¡±


    Tightening the towel around my chest, I slid my hand through the small crack, but Aren


    chuckled and pushed the door wide open, his eyes slowly taking in my not¨Cso¨Ccovered body. God! My


    mind freaked out again! A secondter, I found myself biting my lip while imagining Aren yanking that


    towel off of me and then fucking me senseless... Seriously?! Is my perioding tomorrow or


    something?! But the worst of all was that I caught him staring at me with cocky amusement


    ¡°I like it when you do that,¡± he purred seductively.


    ¡°Do¡­ what?¡± I took a cautious step back.


    He snorted. ¡°You¡®ve just imagined me naked.¡±


    ¡°I did not!¡± I protested, bursting into the world¡®s most awkwardughter ever.


    He stepped into the bathroom, urging me back against the wall. His ck irises, soaked with lust, sent a


    silent demand that almost made me unwrap myself and present my full nudity in front of him.


    ¡°Stop denying it. It¡®s fun to watch how you struggle, but it would be easier if you just let it go. ¡°He looked


    me up and down with a smug grin before stepping outside, allowing me to breathe again.


    I felt flustered and angry. I was acting like an absolute idiot. Would it be so shameful to admit how I felt?


    He walked every single day, breaking through the walls I built, and I let him. Why? Maybe I wanted him


    to... Led by a sudden strike of courage, I walked out of the bathroom as I stood covered with the towel.


    ¡°I¡®m scared, OK?!¡± I called out and cringed as the following words appeared in my head. ¡°I feel like...


    there are invisible marks all over my body... He ced it on me, and I cannot get rid of them...¡±


    Aren¡®s eyes locked on me, his gaze filled with concern and restlessness. ¡°He? You mean Can?


    I nodded, lowering my head. ¡°The fact that he will be still present in my life scares the hell out of me. And


    the fact that I will see him tonight...¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡®t tell how I found myself in Aren¡®s embrace, his arms holding me possessively. ¡°He won¡®t be


    present in your life. I will protect you tonight, and once we leave the mansion, I will make sure that this


    fucker doesn¡®t show up within your sight.¡±


    I pulled in a jittery breath, barely restraining my tears from falling. He made it all sound so easy as if I


    could heal all of my wounds with one magic word. My anxieties were still very vivid, swirling inside my


    head and making me broken. But what if he was able to fix me?


    ¡°J¨Cjust, don¡®t leave me alone with him,¡± I muttered, cing my head on his chest. He stroked the back of


    my head and chuckled. ¡°I¡®m a possessive fianc¨¦. I won¡®t let other men get near you, not to mention, stay


    alone with you.¡±


    I nodded, desperately needing his words to be true. ¡°And if he tries to touch you,¡± Aren continued, his


    arm muscles tensing around me, ¡°I¡®m going to cut off his fucking dick, then cut him open and watch him


    bleed out in the most agonizing way possible.¡±


    Dinner


    Fortunately, there was no one except for Neil when I left Aren¡®s office. He greeted me with a mischievous


    smile that had painted his lips much too often recently. But since he was the one who brought me fresh


    clothes, I decided to ignore his teasing.


    As soon as I walked into my new workspace, the day passed in a sh. n, Norton, and I went from


    one department to another, installing our program using the excuse of checking some security issues. It


    was the amazingly boring part of the n, but at least it went smoothly without peopleining that


    we interrupted their work. It was six o¡®clock before I knew it


    ¨Ctime for me to get dressed up and put on some decent makeup, preparing myself for a dinner at the


    Wintons¡® mansion.


    More than an hourter, dressed in a wine-red long, ndering figure dress, I looked like a brave and


    confident woman. I wish I could feel like one as well. Unfortunately, my anxieties didn¡®t go away despite


    Aren¡®s reassuring words. Perhaps if it were only those two or three hours of dinner, I would feel less


    restless, but I wasn¡®t na?ve, I knew that Aren hoped to spend there at least a night. It was obvious even


    by looking at the two small suitcases that Marcus packed into the trunk of our car. Aren needed time to


    find what he was looking for. The whole farce of the family reunion was calcted for that one purpose.


    ¡°You look gorgeous.¡± Aren kissed my hand before helping me get into the car.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled, admiring him in his impable ck tuxedo.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    He held my hand the entire way to Greenwich, and let go only to shift his grip to help me leave the car in


    front of the modern version of the medieval fortress¨Cthe Wintons¡® mansion.


    ¡°I¡®m nervous... I don¡®t know what to say to them. They will ask about us, right?¡± I squeezed Aren¡®s hand,


    hoping for thest words offort.


    ¡°Tell the truth.¡± He smirked. ¡°It¡®s the best way to hide any lie. The more truth they hear, the lower they¡®ll


    lower their guards.¡±


    We walked inside, greeted by the servantdies at the door, before meeting with Augustus Winton,


    Aren¡®s father, and Vanessa. I inwardly sighed in relief when I noticed there was no Can around.


    Nheless, I merely expected him to show upter. All the men were dressed in well¨Ctailored ck


    tuxedos, while Vanessa was wearing a slightly shimmering white¨Csilver gown. The view made me


    wonder if it was a family dinner or a show of wealth and power. There were no hugs and kisses but brief,


    polite nods, and half¨Csmiles while greeting us, which made me feel more like I was about to enter a


    business meeting.


    ¡°So, Cora, how did you and Aren meet?¡± Vanessa asked as soon as we sat down at the table.


    ¡°We met in a caf¨¦ in Midtown Manhattan,¡± I replied, before taking a sip of wine.


    She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. ¡°Really? Were you working somewhere nearby?¡±


    I chuckled and nced at Aren before answering, ¡°I worked at that caf¨¦.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Vanessa eximed,


    her tone mixing disbelief and disdain.


    Aren red at his stepmother and gently ced his hand on top of mine ¡°I saw her there and wanted to


    make her mine. I couldn¡®t care less what kind of job she does,¡± he said curtly


    Aren¡®s father interrupted, clearing his throat. ¡°And do you still work at that cafe, Coral¡±


    ¡°No, I actually started working for Lan Diamond Corporation,¡± I imed proudly,


    Suddenly, a burst of maliciousughter filled the room. The sound wasing from the threshold of the


    dining room. As I turned toward the source, I saw Can entering the room and taking the seat right in


    front of me. He was wearing a dark blue suit, distinguishing him from the rest of the men in the room and


    making him look less formal.


    ¡°What great news, Cora? You¡®ve always wanted to work for a bigpany, but I¡®ve never expected you


    to fuck my brother just to achieve that.¡± Can¡®s venomous words brought my blood to a boil in an


    instant.


    I clenched my fists, and I noticed that I wasn¡®t the only one. Aren straightened up in his seat, looking like


    a predator one second before an attack.


    ¡°Can!¡± Augustus roared, his eyes shifting between him and Aren. ¡°Apologize to your brother¡®s fianc¨¦e


    at once!¡±


    Can, Vanessa, and Aren¡®s father looked at the old man in undeniable shock.


    ¡°Now!¡± Augustus thundered, before indiscreetly checking Aren¡®s reaction.


    Can¡®s lips twitched in anger, but he quickly turned it into a cold smirk. ¡°I apologize, future sister¨Cin¨C


    law.¡±


    Aren leaned forward on the table, sending Can a murderous re. ¡°Watch it, brother. The next time


    you try to insult my Cora, nothing will save you¡°-he nced disdainfully at the old man¨C¡°not even a


    poorly yed outrage that forced you to say this half¨Cassed apology.¡± ¡°Can and Aren, stop this fight.


    This was supposed to be a family dinner.¡± James Winton made a frown as if the murderous look in his


    sons¡® eyes stood for a mere difference of opinion.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Vanessa smiled nervously, shifting her eyes to me. ¡°And how do you know my son?¡±


    ¡°She used to be my precious girlfriend when I studied at Oxford, Mom,¡± Can replied before I could. ¡°Of


    course, she didn¡®t know I was a Winton then,¡± he added with a mocking chuckle.


    ¡°So, you left my son... for Aren?¡± Vanessa¡®s voice became as venomous as Can¡®s.


    I screamed internally in frustration and anger when Aren suddenly lifted my hand to ce a delicate kiss


    on it, and then his eyesnded on Vanessa. ¡°Your son was an idiot for not taking care of Cora properly.


    But perhaps I should thank him. If it wasn¡®t for him being a sickening bastard, I wouldn¡®t have this


    amazing gem by my side.¡± Aren smirked. Can punched the table with his fist. ¡°Don¡®t provoke me,


    brother. You don¡®t want me to spill all the dirt,¡± he hissed, ncing at me.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Augustus bellowed. ¡°Can! If you cannot behave like a civilized person, then leave this table


    at once!¡±


    It was obvious that Augustus was doing it only to please Aren. He couldn¡®t care less about the meaning


    of Can¡®s words. He only wanted to stop the uing catastrophe that could put


    him at a disadvantage when talking with Aren about business,


    ¡°Fine!¡± Can fumed, getting up from his seat and heading toward the door in angry strides.


    I heaved a sigh of relief. 11 would be wonderful if he could just stay out of my sight the entire time we


    were there, but I didn¡®t think that was possible Vanessa seemned clearly displeased with Augustus


    scolding her son. I noticed her prodding James¡®s shoulder, hoping that he would speak for their son, but


    James stayed silent. I could see the disapproval on his face, yet he didn¡®t dare stand up to the old man.


    Augustus Winton was the head of the family, the one in charge of everything and every member of his


    family... except for Aren. It must have been really pissing him off that he needed to suck up to his


    grandson to get a better position on the market. Of course, I couldn¡®t be any less sorry for any of them.


    They were a truly ¡°lovely¡±


    family¨C¨Cthey practically kicked out Aren themselves, and then they med him for doing fine while being


    independent.


    The rest of the dinner passed with a few words said only. Aren barely spared a nce at his family,


    giving his attention solely to me. It was embarrassing at times, like when he tried to feed me while others


    were looking at us grimacing in disgust, but mostly, his attention made my heart flutter. He kept looking at


    me with caring eyes,pletely different from the cold or indifferent gazes he spared his grandfather,


    father, and Vanessa.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal,¡± he said, standing up and taking my hand.


    ¡°W¨Cwait!¡± Augustus eximed nervously. ¡°You¡®re not thinking of leaving now, are you? How about you


    spend a night here? We could drink some more... talk about the recent ventures...¡±


    Aren smirked coldly before looking at me. ¡°What do you say, beautiful?¡±


    I knew he would ask me that question. He knew how ufortable I felt around Can. If I didn¡®t feel


    that I could handle seeing more of him, this was my time to get us out of there. But that would make me


    a coward, and I would also ruin Aren¡®s chances to get proof of his mother¡®s being murdered.


    I patted Aren¡®s shoulder and smiled. ¡°If Grandfather asks us to stay, then we should.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± the old man pped his hands. ¡°I will tell the servants to prepare a room for you upstairs.¡±


    ***


    I was tired. Sitting at that stiff dinner exhausted me more than thest three days of dealing with Lan


    Diamond Corporation¡®s hacker crisis. Aren left to have a drink with his grandfather while I couldn¡®t wait to


    jump under the shower and then hop to bed... The problem was, there was only one bed in that giant


    bedroom we were given. Well, it shouldn¡®t be too awkward to sleep in a king¨Csize bed together when we


    spent the previous night glued together on a narrow sofa, yet thest night sort of happened, and this


    was a deliberate consent. A blush formed on my cheeks while I stared at the bed. I felt anxious and


    excited at the same time... but I freaked out once I opened my suitcase. There was only one wearable


    nightgown packed for me, and it was made of ck, almost see¨Cthrough silk. What had happened to my


    safe oversized T¨Cshirt?! I cursed under my breath, swearing that it was thest time that I allowed


    someone else to choose what to pack into my bag. I washed my irritation under the shower. Then I blow¨C


    dried my hair and got dressed in that


    Dinner


    sexy ck piece of silk with thin shoulder straps. I had to admit that I started to anticipate the


    moment Aren saw me in it... I smiled wickedly, staring at myself in the mirror when I heard the click of


    the door lock. I froze. I closed the door from the inside, and Aren was supposed to knock three times


    for me to open it. Chills ran down my spine. As I slowly stepped out of the bathroom and entered


    the room, I swallowed in fear. ¡°What the hell are you doing here, Can?¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Facing the enemy


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Can stood in front of me, his eyes looking at me with an odd sadness and pain. He had no jacket on.


    His shirt was half¨Cunbuttoned, and its sleeves were rolled up. The sleeklybed hair he had before


    was now ruffled. As he stepped toward me, I could smell alcohol in his breath.


    ¡°Why are you with him, Cora?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡± His painful tone caught me off¨Cguard more than his words. ¡°Is it because I have never told


    you that I¡¯m a Winton?¡± He stepped closer, his eyes tightly locked on mine.


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± I stepped back, desperately trying to keep my distance.


    He sighed heavily and sat on the bed. ¡°It was my Grandfather¡®s idea. He forced me to use my Mother¡®s


    name, scared that I would somehow dishonor the Winton name by involving myself in scandals while


    away from home. Only the professors knew that my name wasn¡®t Garrod.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this? Why now?¡± I took another step back and found myself leaning against the


    wall.


    ¡°I should have told you who I am...¡± he mumbled. ¡°Would it change anything? You dumped me,


    remember?¡± I huffed. He pulled himself back up to his heels and lurched to grab me by my arms. ¡°I had


    to! Grandpa would have disinherited me if I wanted to marry someone who¡­ who...¡±


    ¡°Someone like me?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Someone without money or connections?¡±


    He lowered his head, stroking down my arms¡® length with his fingers, making me flinch.


    ¡°Can, you need to leave,¡± I said, his touch nauseating me more by the second.


    ¡°Come back to me, Cora,¡± he whispered. ¡°My family has already met you... We could get married¡­¡±


    I pushed him away, disgust painting my face. ¡°You¡®re delusional! You cannot possibly think that I would


    come back to you?!¡± How could he talk about getting back together, let alone marrying?! There were


    days when I wished he had proposed, but it was long before I realized how abusive this person might be;


    before he crushed my confidence, making me weak and vulnerable to his venom. He puffed angrily,


    combing his hair with his fingers. ¡°My brother doesn¡®t know you like I do! How long have you known each


    other anyway?!¡±


    ¡°It¡®s not your business. You need to leave,¡± I squeezed through my teeth.


    My heart pounded hectically. I was more than aware of what Can was capable of. He had always been


    unpredictable and cruel, and I could only imagine what coulde to his sick head at the moment he


    was drunk, frustrated, and angry. I was in his territory, in his family house¡­ I wished that he would just


    go away, but I also knew that the chances for that to


    happen were weaker by the second


    He chuckled coldly, his eyes scanning my body wrapped in a silk nightgown. ¡°Does he know what you


    like? Does he know how to satisfy you.¡±


    I shook my head, defensively folding my arms and rubbing them to get rid of the shivering¡± Don¡®t go


    there, Can, please...¡± ¡°Admit it, you loved the way I fucked you. It did feel good, didn¡®t it?¡± He stepped


    closer, his lustful gaze examining my every curve. ¡°I don¡®t want to remember anything about you!¡± I


    screamed, my fists clenched,


    A secondter, hiswarms grabbed me, pulling me into a tight embrace as he tried to kiss me,¡± I¡®ll make


    you remember how good it felt.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed, tilting my head away and trying to p him, but he grabbed my arms.


    ¡°You like to y rough as always.¡± His icyugh brought back the worst memories I had of


    him.


    I groaned, trying to release myself, but his grip only tightened. A momentter, I found myself withering


    and helplessly fighting against his strength. ¡°Let go, you psychopath!¡± ¡°Cora?!¡± I heard Aren¡®s voice


    coming from behind the door.


    My heart started to pound even more frantically. The hope that voice gave me woke up every ounce of


    remaining strength within me. ¡°Aren!¡± I shouted before Can mped my mouth with his hand to silence


    me. I used a moment of his distraction and stomped on his foot. As he loosened his grip on me, I bit his


    hand. ¡°Aren! Help!¡± Aren rattled the door handle violently, but it was locked. Can smirked


    mischievously, his cold, predatory eyes locked on me. ¡°You bastard!¡± I used all of my strength to push


    him away and rushed to the door to open it. He was faster. He stopped me and violently pushed me onto


    the bed.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± I yelled as he threw himself at me, pinning me down.


    As I fought against Can, I heard Aren trying to force the door. The door hinges bounced as he rammed


    it again and again. I screamed and cursed at Can, but he didn¡®t stop. I tried to kick him, but he


    restrained me. My weak body couldn¡®t match his strength and the body weight of an over¨Csix¨Cfoot¨Ctall


    man. His sleazy hands went underneath the silk of my gown, touching my thighs and trying to slide


    between them. Suddenly, the door broke, and Aren barged into the room, his eyes zing in fury. Callen


    jumped away from the bed, a wicked grin curving his lips. ¡°She let me in herself. She was the one who


    seduced me,¡± he said, pointing at me while Iy on the bed trembling.. Aren nced at me, his jaw


    clenched. His icy stare at me sent shivers down my spine. He wouldn¡®t believe Can¡®s words, would


    he? I shook my head, tears flowing from my eyes. ¡°No... he is lying...¡± I mumbled.


    Faring the party


    A secondter, Aren lunged at Can, his fist meeting Can¡®s jaw. The strength of Aren¡®s hit knocked


    Can down to the ground. Can jumped back to his feet with an enraged growl as he lurched at Aren,


    trying to rain him down. Aren punched his ribs, and a split secondter, threw Can over his shoulder. I


    gasped, barely registering his movements. Once Can hit the floor, Aren started punching him again


    and again, turning his face into a bloody pulp. As I observed his rage¨Csoaked movements, a stabbing


    pain pierced my chest. My pain wasn¡®t for Can, but for Aren¨CI didn¡®t want him to dirty his hands


    because of me. ¡°Stop! You¡®re going to kill him!¡± I cried out. ¡°Please, don¡®t do this!¡±


    Aren looked at me, the murderous re fading as his eyes met mine. He stood up, leaving a weakly


    panting Can lying on the floor. I crawled to the edge of the bed, sitting up and cautiously watching Aren


    as he walked toward me. His knuckles were all covered in blood. I rose up to my knees and grabbed


    his hand, gently caressing it and making him loosen his clenched fists.


    He exhaled in a rush and grabbed the back of my head, pressing it to his chest. ¡°I¡®m sorry... I shouldn¡®t


    have left you alone.¡±


    I wrapped my arms around his waist. ¡°You couldn¡®t have known.. I don¡®t even know how he got into this


    bedroom. The door was closed, and I would never¨C¡±


    ¡°I know, Cora. I know.¡± He stroked my head, trying to calm me down. ¡°That fucker probably had a


    universal key. He could get anywhere in the mansion. I should have predicted it.¡± He drew me in closer,


    melting me in his body heat.


    Suddenly, Vanessa and James stormed into the bedroom, and two servants followed her. First, their eyes


    focused on Aren standing by the bed and embracing me, and then their eyes shifted to Can,


    murmuring iprehensible words in pain, lying in the corner of the room. As Vanessa saw her son on


    the floor, covered in blood, she started to scream, ¡°Can!¡±


    ¡°Aren, what did you do?!¡± James Winton roared.


    ¡°What did you do to my son, you monster?!¡± Vanessa¡®s high¨Cpitched voice instantly alerted the entire


    mansion.


    Aren red at her. ¡°He should thank Cora. If it wasn¡®t for her, he would have been dead by now.¡± ¡°Thank


    Cora?!¡± she yelled. ¡°Why should I thank that peasant whore for anything?!¡±


    Aren exhaled through clenched teeth. ¡°Apologize to her at once.¡± His words carried a threat no one


    would dare ignore.


    ¡°Or what?¡± she scoffed daringly.


    Aren turned toward her, his eyes darkening dangerously. ¡°She said too much, but you need to exin


    yourself.¡± James stepped in front of his wife, protecting her from Aren¡®s rising fury. ¡°What¡®s going on in


    here?!¡± Augustus marched into our already crowded bedroom, his eyes narrowing in anger.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Aren shrugged out of his jacket and covered my shoulders before moving away from the bed and facing


    his grandfather. ¡°Your grandson was trying to rape my fianc¨¦e, and he deserved to be punished,¡± he


    commented sternly. ¡°Punished?! I bet that this bitch seduced him! Why else would he be inside that


    room?!¡± Vanessa spat while assisting two servants in getting Can up to his feet. Can looked at me


    with his swollen eyes, and a faint smirk curled the corner of his lips. He had a broken nose and a few


    other injuries. It was unclear what kind of injuries they were because his whole face was covered in


    blood. He was clearly in pain, but his hatred for Aren was strong enough to surface in his expression


    even at that moment. It was terrifying.


    Augustus processed the situation and stepped toward me. ¡°Did Can try to force himself on you?¡± he


    asked, raising his chin in a judgmental gesture as a warning for me to watch my mouth.


    I guessed that he still doubted that Aren and I were in a genuine rtionship. My jaw clenched as I


    red at him. Taking a deep breath to soothe my still trembling body, I said, ¡°He broke into the bedroom


    that I locked and tried to¡­ He tried to...¡±


    ¡°Enough with that questioning!¡± Aren hissed, standing between me and Augustus. ¡°I know what I saw,


    and I should have killed that piece of shit, but he is only slightly injured.¡± He pointed at Can, who was


    tripping over his feet as he was led out of the room by servants, supporting his every inept step.


    James walked to Aren, an ufortable grimace painting his face. ¡°I¡®m sure he didn¡®t mean to


    I burst out in bitterughter. My inner rage rose beyond the point of my control. Why did all those people


    figure out that they needed to coax Aren while ignoring the fact that I was that bastard¡®s victim?!


    ¡°Of course!¡± I snapped. ¡°He didn¡®t mean to break into the bedroom, knowing that I was alone inside! He


    didn¡®t mean to pin me down on the bed and touch me without my consent! He didn¡®t mean anything


    bad... He is just too used to getting whatever he wants!¡± Aren¡®s eyesnded on me in an instant, guilt


    surfacing in his expression before he shifted his gaze to his father and grandfather. ¡°We are leaving. Feel


    free to take that piece of shit to the hospital. Just know that I will kill him the next time he tries to get


    anywhere near Cora.¡±


    A secondter, he scooped me from the bed and carried me out of the room, bridal¨Cstyle. I was barefoot,


    wearing a silk nightgown, and was only covered by his jacket, yet I didn¡®t question him. I wrapped my


    arms around him and ced my head on his chest as he carried me down the stairs.


    ¡°Aren!¡± Augustus yelled angrily while standing at the top of the stairs. ¡°Let¡®s try to be reasonable here!¡±


    Aren turned around, his eyes sending out a terrifying glower. ¡°This is me being reasonable. And I


    suggest you pray that never changes because then I won¡®t hesitate to wipe every single Winton from the


    face of the Earth.¡± He kicked the door open, and we left.


    My choice


    As Aren carried me out of the mansion, Marcus was already waiting for us, standing by the car. I had no


    idea when Aren called for him toe. Augustus ran after us, asking Aren to remember some business


    issues they¡®d discussed before, suddenly exposing the fact that it was the only thing he had ever cared


    about. Aren ignored his desperate pleading. He just walked to the car and gently put me in the backseat


    while Marcus went inside to get our suitcases. A minuteter, we were driving away from the mansion. I


    stayed silent until we left Greenwich, heading back to New York City. I wrapped myself in Aren¡®s jacket,


    finding myself shivering from the cold, even though it was a warm night and Marcus turned on the car


    heater for me. As we hit the interstate highway, I finally found the strength to break the silence. I choked


    out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Aren frowned. ¡°How can you be sorry for anything?¡±


    ¡°You lost your chance to get the evidence you wanted¡­ It¡®s because of me...¡± I said, lowering my head.


    ¡°It happened because of that fucker and only because of him. Don¡®t even try to me yourself for it.¡± He


    smiled faintly and stroked my hair.


    ¡°But maybe if we stayed there and¡±


    ¡°You didn¡®t want to stay, and I couldn¡®t allow us to stay there either. If I¡®d chosen to stay, Augustus might


    have been satisfied, but he would have also be suspicious, and I needed him to lower his guard


    instead of raising it. I just need to figure out another way to get into his office. That¡®s all,¡± he exined.


    It was rational to think that it wasn¡®t my fault. I was the victim, and I did nothing to provoke him... except


    for showing up in his home with Aren. Nheless, I couldn¡®t get rid of the feeling that Aren would have


    had better chances of getting what he wanted if he hade to the mansion with some other contractual


    fianc¨¦e. I was aware that it was my degraded self esteem talking, but I couldn¡®t change the way I felt.


    When we arrived at the underground parking lot, Aren took me in his arms again and carried me to the


    penthouse. It was one of those moments, I was grateful that he had his private


    elevator because I would have been awfully embarrassed if someone had seen me like this. I suggested


    that I could simply take out my shoes from the suitcase and walk by myself, but hearing his curt ¡°no,¡± I


    decided to shut up and let him carry me. His body warmth was soothing. It kept my thoughts away from


    Can. Yet as soon as he put me down in my bedroom, my body started to shiver again.


    Every sound, whether it was the rustling wind or the closing door, made me flinch and put my senses into


    a state of alert. It became even worse when I entered the shower. Once the water stream fell on my skin,


    it felt like Can¡®s nauseating touch. As I saw the bruises he left on my wrists and arms while trying to


    restrain me, it all became unbearable. I turned off the water and curled in the corner of the cabin. I burst


    out into tears, one hand mping my mouth shut to muffle my cry. Every memory of my sick rtionship


    with Can returned to stab me where it hurt the most. I felt as if I had lost to him again. I felt helpless. If


    it wasn¡®t for Aren...


    172


    I cried until my tears stopped falling, and I became numb. I longed for somefort. I needed someone


    to tell me I wasn¡®t worthless, someone to help me silence those demons inflicting fear on me l used to tell


    myself that I could deal with anything. I was smart and intelligent, and I had read a lot of books to know


    how psychology works. I kept repeating to myself that I was sale and that there was nothing wrong with


    me, but this time everything within me screamed otherwise. Fisting my hands, I got out of the bathroom,


    put on my loose T¨Cshirt and panties, andy down on my bed. The second I closed my eyes, I saw


    Can above me, panting andughing viciously. I opened my eyes, sitting up and gasping in fear. I ran


    out of the bed, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of Aren¡®s door. I knocked, and he opened the


    door a secondter, almost as if he expected me toe. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked as he stood before me


    wearing nothing but brief shorts.


    My mouth opened but no words came out. I didn¡®t even know why I came knocking on his door.


    ¡°Come inside.¡± He grabbed my hand and led me inside his bedroom, closing the door behind us.


    Once he sat me on his bed, I managed to choke out, ¡°I don¡®t want to be alone tonight...¡± He sat beside


    me on the bed and stroked the palm side of my hand with his thumb, a hint of a smile curving his lips.


    ¡°How do you want to spend this night?¡± A wave of heat rushed through me, painting my cheeks a bright


    crimson. ¡°It¡®s... selfish of me, ¡°I said softly. ¡°I wanted to get rid of... him, the memory of him... and his


    touch.¡± I couldn¡®t even believe that I made those words leave my mouth. He leaned over my ear and


    whispered, ¡°Use me then.¡±


    ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡± I breathed out as shivers tickled my skin.


    He leaned back, his eyes cautiously looking me up and down. ¡°Allow me to overwrite your painful


    memories of him. I just need your consent.¡±


    ¡°My consent?¡± I asked faintly, my heart hammering stronger by the second.


    ¡°I told you before, didn¡®t I? I will not stop this time. That is why I need to know that you are OK with this.


    Show me that you want it,¡± he said, ncing at my loose T¨Cshirt.


    I swallowed hard. The electrifying tension between us already made me soaking wet, but was I truly up


    for this? He didn¡®t push me. I could leave his room and forget it happened, or I could surrender to his


    temptation. He made me feel safe. He made me trust himpletely.


    I took a deep breath and stood up in front of him. I looked into his eyes, trying to muster my courage. His


    entire focus was on me, his eyes burning with passion. I grabbed the rim of my shirt with my trembling


    hand and lifted it, revealing my naked body inch by inch.


    I¡®d never stripped naked in front of anyone before. I had never even initiated anything intimate. But now, I


    stood before the man I was only beginning to know, uncovering my breasts. I took deep breaths, my


    chest heaving and falling. Aren stared at me hungrily, the corners of his lips curled up in a lustful smirk ¡°Is


    that enough for consent?¡± I asked, ineptly fighting my flusteredness.


    2/3


    His smirk turned into a wicked grin. ¡°Now your panties.¡±


    I gasped in embarrassment. As if baring my breasts in front of him wasn¡®t hard enough! I opened my


    mouth in a silent protest, but my hands went down to thece rim on my hips anyway. It wasn¡®t because


    he told me to, but because Aren¡®s words made me equally nervous as they turned me on. I closed my


    eyes and exhaled, trying to regain control of my wildly pounding heart before sliding my fingers slightly


    underneath thece. I smirked as I started to stretch the band of my panties teasingly, observing him


    bite his lip. He gave me this power that overwhelmed me, but now I was slowly learning how to enjoy


    using it against him.


    I watched the bulge in his briefs grow hard as I slid the delicate fabric down my hips, my thighs, and my


    knees in the most excruciatingly slow way, and I enjoyed every second of it. Finally, I straightened,N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    locking my eyes on him as I kicked my panties off my ankles. A secondter, I was pinned down on his


    bed, his lips iming mine passionately. His hands caressed my naked skin, cherishing every inch of


    it. I shivered as his fingertips reached the sensitive skin on my nipples. He broke our kiss and leaned


    back to smile at me, his gaze making me soaked with arousal. I bit my lip, stifling a moan as he kissed


    down my neck, easily finding my sensitive skin. I wanted him badly. I tangled my fingers in his hair


    while his tongue swiftly yed with my nipple, making it hard. I had never known it could have felt so


    good. As his mouth caressed my other breast, his hand went between my thighs, finding me absolutely


    wet. A wave of shuddering rushed through me when he thrust his fingers into my clit, filling me with an


    insane craving. He took his time to build my climax, paying utmost attention to my slightest reaction,


    adjusting his moves as if he knew my body far better than I did. I cried out his name as I reached beyond


    the peak of pleasure I had ever felt before. He chuckled, satisfied as he imed my lips again before he


    stopped and locked his devouring gaze on me. ¡°Now you are ready for me,¡± he said breathy, pulling


    down his shorts and revealing the heft of his erection


    I gasped, my eyes scanning every inch of him. The very sight made my sex throb in desperate craving.


    A primal growl escaped my throat as he went deep inside me. His every push increased my excitement,


    intoxicating me with pleasure. He kept changing his pace as I got adjusted to it, enticing me with the


    need toe.


    ¡°God!¡± I screamed as I climaxed right before he did.


    He embraced me tightly, letting our breaths mix as we panted heavily andughed breathily. I had never


    felt anything like that in my life. I felt satisfied and wanted. I ced my head on his chest, enjoying the


    sweetness of that moment, and closed my eyes. Aren chuckled. ¡°Don¡®t fall asleep just yet, beautiful.


    We¡®ve only just begun...¡±

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    The morning after


    It was dawning when I opened my eyes after falling asleep in Aren¡®s embrace. His arms were still around


    me, pulling my back against his chest. I kept blushing at the thought ofst night. At some point, the


    intoxicating pleasure took away my ability to think clearly. Looking at the number of used condoms I saw


    in the basket bin, I was wondering if I would even be able to move one muscle today, but I didn¡®t regret it.


    I didn¡®t regret a second of it. Iughed inwardly, realizing how little I knew about sex and how it could


    feel. In Aren¡®s arms, I felt... appreciated and cherished. It was amazing, but at the same time, it was


    terrifying since I knew how easily the need to feel this way again could be an addiction. Would this


    night change anything between us? Would it draw us closer together, or would it build an odd distance


    between us?


    The sudden wave of anxiety wiped the smile off my face. I flinched in bed as if a cold wind brushed my


    skin. A secondter, Aren¡®s arms shifted, turning me around like a puppet and cing my head on his


    chest. ¡°Are you sore, beautiful?¡± he asked with a hoarse, sleepy voice, his hands gently stroking my


    back


    His words must have woken up the ache in every inch of my body. I hissed as I tried to move my legs,


    yet his body seemedpletely unaffected. Was he a robot or something?! Then, as I thought about it,


    those muscles seemed to be made of steel... God... I was getting aroused just recalling what he did to


    mest night. I raised my eyes and caught myself admiring his beautiful face. His thick hair was ruffled, a


    few strands gracefully falling on his face, making it sexier than ever. His eyes, shining like ck


    diamonds, were locked on me, making me bite my lip. His full lips, slightly swollen from the unimaginable


    number of kisses we sharedst night, were curved in a warm smile. The sight of him was mesmerizing


    enough to make me drift into a whole lot of lewd thoughts. It took me a minute to remind myself that he


    had asked me a question...


    ¡°I am... a little sore,¡± I lied. The more I tried to move, the more I felt as if I had been run over by a truck.


    He ced a quick kiss on my forehead before using one arm for support to bounce off the bed, swinging


    his legs over me. The second after his feetnded on the floor, he disappeared behind a bathroom door.


    I cursed at him inwardly. It wasn¡®t fair! How was it possible that he could jump out of the bed as if nothing


    happened while I resembled an emergency care patient?!


    A minuteter, I heard the sound of a wide water stream, and then the clear sound of a running shower.


    Confused but curious, I lifted my head, trying to find out what was going on. Since the door was closed, I


    decided to walk closer, pondering if I should open the door and take a peek.


    Removing my feet from the bed and cing them on the floor was insanely hard and took me forever. It


    felt as if my inner thighs had turned into concrete. I seriously started to regret that I hadn¡®t worked out


    often. By the time I sat up on the bed, wrapping myself in bedsheets, the water stopped running. Less


    than a minuteter, Aren walked out of the bathroom, grinning at me. He was wet from the shower with


    a towel covering him low enough to expose his irresistible V¨Ccut. The drops of water were merrily


    bouncing off his rigid abdominal muscles.


    The morning shoe


    His damp hair wasbed up, fully exposing his mouthwatering features. My body started to throb


    again.


    ¡°Don¡®t try to move, sunshine. I¡®ll get you,¡± he said as he walked my way


    He scooped my body and lifted me in his arms. I gasped as I touched his cool skin. It instantly brought


    more shivers down my stomach. He took me to the bathroom and gently put my feet on the floor while


    supporting me.


    ¡°I made you a warm bath. It will help you with those sore muscles. I¡®ll make us breakfast while you soak.¡±


    He kissed my lips delicately but enticing enough to make me want to repeat everything we didst night.


    Not that I didn¡®t realize that there was no way my body could handle another round in my current state


    He unwrapped me from the sheets, his eyes wandering down my naked body, bringing my inner heat out


    onto the surface of my cheeks. He licked his lip and growled. ¡°You make me want to call Neil and say


    that I¡®m quitting my job. Then I could lock you here with me forever.¡±


    Could his voice be a little less seductive?! I had to lower my head, unable to handle his intense gaze,


    only to find myself staring at the knot of his towel... All of my hormones were happily screaming and


    sending wild thoughts to my head, telling me that I should drop down to my knees and suck him off.


    ¡°Why are you seducing me like that, sunshine?¡± He chuckled low as his fingers roamed down my


    shoulders and arms.


    I jerked my head up in an instant. ¡°I¡®m not doing anything!¡± He raised his eyebrows at me before


    meaningfully dropping his stare to my breasts. I gasped angrily. My hands moved to cover my chest, but


    that only earned me hisugh. A secondter, he scooped me up in his arms and ced me in a hot


    bathtub.


    ¡°You¡®re insanely fuckable, sunshine, and I keep thinking about all the things I want to do to you...¡± He bit


    his lip, leaning over me while Iy in the water. ¡°But you are too fragile right now, and I don¡®t want to hurt


    you.¡± He smirked before leaving me in the bathroom alone.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    My heart nearly burst out of my chest. I couldn¡®t tell how it was possible, but I wanted him more with


    every second. I felt as if some cavewoman took over my body, littering my head with lustful ideas and


    filling me with an agonizing desire. I immersed my head under the water, helplessly looking for my lost


    composure.


    ***


    I finally managed to crawl out of the bathtub when the water was already cold. Fortunately, soaking there


    helped me cure my soreness¡­ enough to walk at least. With my hands glued to the railing, I came down


    to the kitchen. Aren stifled augh, watching me wobble down the stairs. I frowned at him, and he


    instantly responded by raising his hands in surrender, although that didn¡®t wipe the amusement off his


    face.


    My fianc¨¦ was sitting at the kitchen table, working on hisptop and drinking coffee. There was another


    cup along with a covered te next to him. ¡°I made you breakfast, beautiful,¡± he said as he removed the


    cover from the te, presenting a delicious¨Clooking omelet.


    I smiled, easily forgiving him for teasing me. ¡°You¡®re spoiling me.¡± ¡°It¡®s easy to spoil you.¡± He winked at


    me before shifting his eyes back to theputer screen. I nced at the watch on his wrist. It was


    almost eight o¡®clock ¡°I should get myself ready to work as well,¡± I muttered, taking a bite of my omelet.


    ¡°You are not going anywhere today. You need to recover.¡± His words were firm, nheless, he couldn¡®t


    hide his wicked grin while pointing out my state. My gaze narrowed at him. ¡°You think this is funny, don¡®t


    you?¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡®s only that when I look at your beautiful face now, I recall how it looked covered in


    sweat, beautifully blushing, not to mention the way you screamed my name...¡±


    His stare at me definitely turned my face the reddest of red. I wasn¡®t used to this. Can rarely talked


    about sex except for the moments he wanted to fuck me. Thenguage and tone he used disgusted me


    and made me feel degraded to a thing, a sex toy. When Aren talked about it, it was apletely different


    type of embarrassment. He didn¡®t make me feel as if he was using me to pleasure himself. On the


    contrary, his hunger for me had grown along with the satisfaction he¡®d given me. He made me want to


    return the pleasure in ways I had never considered while being with Can. Was it weird? ¡°I¡®m heading to


    the office. I think your friends won¡®t have any problems with monitoring thepany¡®s system without


    you for one day,¡± he said, getting up from his seat and packing hisptop. I nodded, realizing the change


    in his voice. As the firm edges surfaced in his tone, he was already in his boss mode. Even his gaze at


    me cooled down unpleasantly as he was leaving the penthouse. Was this what he meant when he said


    that we would never have an emotional bond? He was able to separate the intimacy we shared when we


    were alone from everything else that concerned his business. Only now did I begin to understand that


    the price of being with him was epting this separation. The question was¡­ Would I be able to adjust


    to it without getting hurt?


    Maturity


    Aren was right about one thing going to work in this state would have been a huge mistake With the


    aching body I had, I could either resemble a stupid rookie who decided to run a marathon without a warm


    up or... a woman whose body wasn¡®t prepared for the amount ofte¨Cnight activities she experienced,


    since I was obvious to both Norton and n that i would never run in a marathon... then yes, not going to


    work was an excellent decision I was certain that I would never be able to handle discussing my sex life


    with them,


    As much as I was d to have some time to recover, I wasn¡®tpletelyfortable staying, alone with


    my thoughts. After a sweet moment of bliss, I¡®d be anxious, Now, I kept wondering whether it was


    him acting cold and arrogant or me, being, cornpletely immature Perhaps it was supposed to be like this


    ¨C there¡®s time for work and time for aflection, except for the situations when we would make love in his


    office... Oh, God... Had I just seriously thought about that?! Fine, let¡®s face it, my desire for him was


    stronger as I had be fully aware of what it meant to be with him. I bet that this guy could have easily


    turned every n¨¢lve and innocent girl into a sex addict! It would have been perfect if I wasn¡®t so terrified of


    developing emotions toward him. I knew that I had sworn to myself that I would never fall in love with an


    arrogant rich guy, but my calctions had never considered meeting someone like Aren. I pondered


    about my situation while applying some strange ointments delivered to me by Aren¡®s order on my sore


    thighs. Then I realized it was time to grow up and stop wearing my heart on my sleeve. I bet that if I had


    told Grandma about my situation, she would have given me a lecture on how to build an emotion¨Cproof


    armor... The thought of that made me realize that I hadn¡®t been to visit her recently.


    Once I was able to more or less walk again, I called Benjamin and asked him to take me to Crawford¡®s


    Neurological Clinic. Absentmindedly, I went to the clinic¡®s fifth floor and walked through the bright


    corridors led by autopilot. I opened the well¨Cknown door ready to greet my silently lying Granny, but as I


    raised my eyes, I found the room empty. My chest squeezed and my whole body started to shiver. I


    walked out into the corridor with tear¨Cheavy eyes and headed straight to Doctor Crawford¡®s office.


    ¡°Ms. Bell?¡± I heard a familiar female voice behind my back.


    I turned around to see Mia, one of the nurses that used to take care of my Grandma.


    ¡°Are you looking for Mrs. Bell?¡± she asked before I gathered a reasonable sentence.


    I nodded, desperately trying to regain myposure.


    ¡°She¡®s no longer on the fifth floor. I thought that you knew...¡± she said as a hesitant smile brightened her


    face.


    ¡°So where is she now?¡± I instantly felt my temple vein throb.


    ¡°Oh, she¡®s on the seventh,¡± she replied, slightly covering her mouth to giggle. I stared at her in disbelief.


    ¡°But... I thought that the seventh floor was VIP¨Conly?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she sang merrily, ¡°Your grandma is in the Rose Room now.¡±


    I tilted my head to one side, my lips twitching in a wry smile. ¡°What¡®s a Rose Room?¡±


    She cackled, ¡°II¡®s the most beautiful and the most expensive roorn in our clinic. A few female actresses


    have stayed there before.¡±


    My confusion only rose. ¡°But what is my Grandmother doing there?¡±


    Her amusement grew by the second. ¡°A nice gentleman in an elegant suit came here and said that his


    employer is going to take care of the finances concerning Mrs. Sophia Bell. Then he asked what the


    nicest room we had in our clinic was, and he told us to move Mrs. Bell there,¡± she exined.


    A nervous chuckle left my throat. ¡°Was this man tall but quite thin with brown eyes and hair?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mia nodded agitatedly.


    ¡°Neil...¡± I muttered under my breath before smiling back at the nurse. ¡°Could you take me to this Rose


    Room then?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡± She grinned and gestured at me to follow her.


    While we were in the elevator, she kept ncing at me, barely restraining herself from snickering. It took


    her a minute before she surrendered to the urge to open her mouth. ¡°Um... if you don¡®t mind me asking...


    is that true?¡± She blinked her big grey eyes. I smiled awkwardly. ¡°What exactly are you asking me


    about?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Aren Lan... Is he Ms. Bell¡®s fianc¨¦?¡± She gaped at me, holding her breath.


    A peal of nervousughter escaped my throat as I nodded.


    ¡°Wow! I saw pictures of him and a mysterious girlfriend in the magazine. The girls and I looked closely at


    those pictures, and in one of the photos, the girl was smiling. Then we knew right away that it was you,


    Ms. Bell! And when Mr. Lan came here himself...¡± She paused to heave a dreamy sigh.


    My eyes widened. ¡°Wait... Aren... Mr. Lan was here?!¡±


    She nodded and grinned. ¡°You are so lucky, Ms. Bell. Your fianc¨¦e came here to talk to Doctor William


    Crawford. I heard that they discussed a very advanced procedure for Mrs. Sophia Bell, and we all heard


    him say that he¡®d pay for everything no matter how expensive it¡®d be. Your future husband must be a


    very caring and generous man. You are such a lucky girl, Ms. Bell.¡±


    My lips stretched into an odd thin line as mixed emotions swirled inside my heart. ¡°Yes, I must be the


    luckiest girl in the world.¡±


    Perhaps I shouldn¡®t be surprised. After all, Aren did what he promised. I guess that the thing I couldn¡®t


    believe was the fact that he handled it personally. I could assume that he would engage poor Neil in that


    matter, but then why would he talk to Doctor William about my Grandma¡®s operation himself?! Hearing


    about it made my heart flutter¡­ again.


    The nurse opened the door of my Grandma¡®s new room using a key card, then she gave one to me. As


    we entered, I realized that the ¡°rose¡± in the room¡¯s name wasn¡®t coincidental. The whole room was bright


    with light pink and white colors on the walls, the flooring, the fluffy carpet by the bed, and the curtains. If


    it weren¡®t for the monitoring equipment, I would have thought that it was a spacious, five¨Cstar hotel suite.


    Once the nurse left, I sat by Grandma¡®s


    new, morefortable bed and stroked her grey hair. She seemed to be serene, with a faint smile


    painting her lips. I sighed in relief, knowing that she had even better care now than before. Would she


    approve of the choice I made? As much as she hated the rich people just as I did, I thought she would


    like Aren. I even thought that she could deal with him much better than I did...

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    I could use her guidance. I bet that she would scold me for thinking like a child. The problem was, I


    considered myself an intelligent person, a genius even in my own field, but when it came to love,


    emotions, and man¨Cwoman rtionships, I was way beyond average. Of course, I knew how the biology


    part worked. I could easily tell which hormones were secreted during an orgasm, but there was nothing


    about an emotional switch in the books I had read, and I could really use one right now.


    I sat by Grandma¡®s bed, struggling not to whine at my weaknesses. I needed a moment where I could be


    selfish and tell someone how I felt, but I didn¡®t want to flood my dearest Grandma with my restless mood.


    As I was about to leave, my phone rang. It was Miranda.


    ¡°Hi, I¡®m just calling to tell you that I¡®ve got your results. I would say that you are absolutely healthy, but as


    your doctor, I need to show you the numbers anyway. If you could just get here for a coffee, I would


    exin the details.¡± ¡°All right... then if you don¡®t mind, I coulde to your office right now,¡± I said, doing


    my best to hide the anxiety that filled every inch of me.


    ¡°Honey, are you OK?¡± I quickly guessed that I didn¡®t sound asposed as I wanted to sound. ¡°Aren told


    me that Can attacked you. If you want to talk, then maybe we should go out and grab some dinner?¡±


    ¡°I slept with Aren,¡± I blurted out. The other side of the phone went silent for a minute. Then I heard


    Miranda taking a deep breath. ¡°Drinks then?¡±


    Hesitation


    I ended up meeting with Miranda in an Italian restaurant that she suggested. I texted Aren, informing him


    about it just in case he decided toe home early, but I never got his reply. I assumed that he had a lot


    on his mind, so I ignored the silence and decided to enjoy girl¨Ctalk and drinks.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Let me get this straight... You two cuddled while you slept and then he made you a bath?!¡± | guessed


    that Miranda had a hard time processing what I¡®d told her.


    I nodded, my lips forming an awkward smile. ¡°Yes... I guess he was worried that he had hurt me or


    something...¡±


    Miranda stared at me, raising one brow. ¡°Are you sure you are still talking about Aren, the sex on¨Cthe¨C


    leg but fucking arrogant¨CAren Lan?¡±


    I released a nervous chuckle. ¡°Well, it¡®s hard to mistake him for anyone else, isn¡®t it?¡± She grabbed her


    ss of wine and emptied it before violently putting it back on the table with her hand fisted on the wine


    ss stem. ¡°This is crazy! Girl, I¡®m telling you, this guy has never acted that way toward anyone!¡±


    Shivers went down my spine to tickle my sensitive center. The annoying butterflies in my stomach had all


    woken up to tease me, speeding up my heart rate mercilessly. ¡°Then, what can it mean? Does it mean


    anything at all?¡± I looked at her, pleading for answers.


    She sighed. ¡°I know that I should be an expert on ¡°Arenology,¡± but I seriously don¡®t know what to tell


    you.¡±


    ¡°He told me that we would never be in a real rtionship, and I get that, but I feel as if he constantly


    teases me... I mean, if any other guy treated me the way he does, I would be head over heels for him


    already.¡± I let the sound of frustration leave my throat before drinking what was left in my ss.


    Miranda smiled wryly. ¡°You are fixated on naming everything, aren¡®t you? Why don¡®t you just enjoy


    whatever it is? Some situations are so unique that we don¡®t even have a name for them yet. You are not


    friends with benefits. You don¡®t meet up for casual sex. You have a solid connection. You are in his life, in


    its business and private part as well. You are partners, and he cares about you. I think that there are a


    whole lot of so¨Ccalled real rtionships in this world that don¡®t have half of what you have.¡±


    She was right. I grew up knowing that my Grandmother¡®s and my Mother¡®s rtionships ended in


    disaster, and I quickly diagnosed the problem as ack of love. In my mind, love was the one thing that


    made the rtionship solid and unbreakable. Childishly, I had never even considered connecting with


    someone without sharing namable emotions. But could I reject or question something I had with Aren


    simply because I didn¡¯t know how to call it? I knew that he wasn¡®t going to hurt me and that he was able


    to save my Grandma¡®s life. Wouldn¡®t it be greedy to ask for more?


    ¡°I know that it¡®s stupid, but those things he does... make my heart race,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Oh, boy...¡± She exhaled and smiled at me as if she felt sorry for me ¡°Aren doesn¡®t like talling about


    emotions. He never needed them at work, and he practically doesn¡®t have a private life, so if anyone was


    to confess to him right now, he would consider it unweed. But this situation with you is new to him,


    and he is not made of stone. I suggest you wait.¡± She shot me an evil viiness smirk and poured us


    another ss of wine.


    I hated waiting. I wished I could have some answers here and now, but I understood that I wasn¡®t left with


    many options. I could either destroy whatever it was with Aren and turn us into strangers living together


    or embrace it... and I had long passed the point where I was able to reject him.


    ¡°Oh... I almost forgot. This is for you.¡± Miranda handed me a file with my medical documentation as we


    were heading out of the restaurant. ¡°I would say that your health condition is perfect to bear children. And


    speaking of which... here.¡± She shoved a box of pills into my purse. ¡°Start using it as soon as you can.¡±


    As we walked outside, I pulled out the box she had just given me. They were birth control pills. I foolishly


    flushed like a nervous teenager. I used them when I was with Can all the time. It was nothing new to


    me. It was the thought of sleeping with Aren regrly that ced heat on my face.


    I came back to the penthouse willing to explore my unique partnership with Aren, but he wasn¡®t there. I


    wavered about whether or not I should text him. Would he consider asking him if he wasing home


    as if I was imposing myself on him?


    I didn¡®t want to sound desperate. As an oue, I slowly started to go insane. I missed him. I missed his


    touch, his scent, his voice... his everything! Then I began to wonder if he thought about me even once


    during the day he spent at the office. Probably not. I bet he shifted into being a workaholic and blocked


    everything unnecessary for him to make new lucrative business deals. I bet he shoved the memories of


    last night deep into the furthesters of his mind, whereas I shuddered and throbbed at the mere


    thought of him. Why did I even take those birth control pills from Miranda? Perhaps that was it for him¨CI


    let him taste what he wanted. What if he didn¡®t enjoy the vor? God! It was so frustrating! I kept sitting in


    the kitchen like an idiot just so I could look him in the eyes, searching for one magical spark that could


    prove that he still wanted me. Unfortunately, he didn¡®te back to the penthouse the whole night...


    A little after five in the morning, I found myself sleeping with my face glued to the kitchen table with a wet


    spot caused by my drooling. That was when I realized I was still alone in this huge apartment. Grumping


    under my breath, I went upstairs to my bedroom to toss and turn in bed for another two hours. I nearly


    screamed when I noticed a text message from Aren.


    It said, ¡°Come to my office, as soon as you can.¡± Certainly, my stupid hormones took it as a reason to


    celebrate, but my brain showered my heated body in cold water, telling me that the message was a


    hundred percent business rted. Forty¨Cfive minutester, I confirmed that my brain was right.


    ¡°There is a contract issue we need to discuss,¡± Aren announced, closing his office door behind


    1. us.


    I looked at him, trying to find a single hint of desire in his expression. I found nothing.


    2/4


    Heaving an irritated sigh, 1 sat down on the chair in front of his desk.


    ¡°What is it you want to talk about?¡± I asked, not caring if my annoyance leaked into the tone of my voice


    Aren sat down behind his desk. It surely didn¡®t help that he was wearing his perfectly tailored dark grey


    suit with an unbuttoned jacket and a shirt that only emphasized his chiseled chest Luckily, I was too


    upset to fully appreciate how good he looked. He put his elbows on the desk for support and put one


    hand on top of the other while observing me with a poker¨Cface expression.


    ¡°Augustus Winton called me,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°And?¡± I crossed my arms over my chest.


    ¡°He has a proposition for us.¡± Aren leaned back in his chair, his eyes still roaming around to read my


    face.


    ¡°For us?¡± I raised my eyebrows. ¡°He suggested that our wedding ceremony should be held in the


    Wintons¡® mansion,¡± he exined.


    Chills ran down my spine. I knew that it could be a perfect opportunity for Aren to get the proof he


    couldn¡®t getst time, but the thought of meeting Can there again felt like a kick in the stomach.


    ¡°I had one condition,¡± Aren continued. ¡°I told him that I would talk to you, and we would make that


    decision together, but we want Can out of the mansion for at least a week before and after the


    ceremony. Augustus agreed right away.¡±


    ¡°He did?¡± My eyes widened in surprise. Aren smirked. ¡°He would send him to the Northern Pool for a


    year just to get what I offered in return.¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°And... what did you offer him?¡±


    Aren sighed, a faint smile twisting his lips. ¡°An investment in the hotel he¡®s trying to build in Connecticut.¡±


    I exhaled nervously. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Eighty.¡± He shrugged. I nearly choked on air. ¡°Eighty¡­ m¨Cmillion


    dors?!¡±


    He nodded.


    I restlessly shifted in my seat. ¡°Is the investment even worth that much?!¡± ¡°No... but yes,¡± he said as the


    corner of his mouth curled into a wicked smirk


    I gasped, realizing what he meant. He wasn¡®t willing to pay money so that Augustus could start an


    investment. He was going to pay him so that he would lower his guard. I guess, ording to Aren, eighty


    million dors was worth it. I cleared my throat. ¡°If Can is not going to be there, and you will get


    another shot to find


    the evidence you wanted, then I agree.¡± He grinned. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I nodded, a wry smile glued to my face, and stood up. ¡°If that¡®s all, then I will go back to my work.¡±


    ¡°Cora, wait,¡± he said, scanning my expression. ¡°Something is bothering you. What is it?¡± I sighed,


    desperately trying to find the right words. ¡°I just... Have I crossed your mind even once while you were at


    work?¡± I muttered hesitantly.


    ¡°What?¡± He nced at me, raising his eyebrows as if I had said something amusing.


    I


    My smile turned into a bitter grimace. ¡°Never mind.¡± I shifted on my heels and headed toward the door.


    ¡°Cora!¡± He rushed to grab my hand, pulling me to a halt. ¡°Talk to me, beautiful.¡± I took a deep breath but


    still couldn¡®t find the courage to look into his eyes. ¡°It¡®s just that... after that night... I can¡®t stop thinking


    about you.¡± ¡°I¡®m at work, Cora. I¡®m dealing with a crisis here,¡± he imed curtly. No matter how rational


    his words sounded, my chest squeezed painfully. ¡°I shouldn¡®t have mentioned it. I¡®m sorry.¡± I jerked my


    hand away from him and grabbed the door handle, ready to leave. ¡°Close the door.¡± His sudden


    command made me flinch. Nheless, I decided to ignore him and pulled the door open. ¡°Close the


    fucking door!¡±


    He didn¡®t wait until I obeyed him. A secondter, he mmed the door shut and imed my lips in a


    passionate kiss.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Our bond


    I¡®d never had a need to dress up. I had never even strictly followed any dress code. Yet, today, before


    going to Lan Diamond Tower, for the first time in my life, I decided to wear something more feminine. I


    didn¡®t do it because somebody told me to, but because I wanted to. Aren bought me a lot of clothes, all


    designer brands. I used to see them as overpriced pieces of fabric, but that slowly started to change...


    I used to look at the women walking into the Caf¨¦ Dorado, slightly mocking their shy style, making


    them look as if they escaped from the ¡°Devil Wears Prada¡± film set. But truthfully, a


    part of me envied them. It didn¡¯t seem like they were wearing costumes, pretending to be someone they


    weren¡®t. They were confident and proud. It was time for me to embrace the fact that when I was


    walking into the Lan Diamond Corporation, I was entering as Aren Lan¡®s fianc¨¦e, and I wanted to look


    confident and proud, just like those women at Caf¨¦ Dorado.


    I searched through the closet in absolute panic, praying to find something that wouldn¡®t make me look


    ridiculous. Finally, I picked a Versace ck skirt and zer suit with a fitted white, buttoned shirt


    underneath. As I looked in the mirror, my lips twisted in a hesitant grimace. Did I resemble those


    confident women from Caf¨¦ Dorado? I had my doubts about that. Nheless, I needed to admit that


    those clothes boosted my self¨Cesteem and, once I added Louboutin heels to my feet, made me feel


    surprisingly sexy.


    I marched into the Lan Diamond Tower, fired up and ready to meet my contract fianc¨¦. I couldn¡®t help but


    inwardly smile as I strode through the entrance hall, collecting men¡®s lustful gazes, silently hoping that


    Aren would look at me the same way. He didn¡®t.


    I felt that all my efforts to look attractive to him came to nothing. I felt as if it was ice that was in his veins.


    It pissed me off. I was mad at him for being this stone¨Chearted, and I was mad at myself for believing


    that I wasn¡®t just a mere snack that he felt a need for, nothing but a one time whim. As I told him that he


    had invaded my mind the entire day and night and stared into his emotionless eyes, my body cringed in


    humiliation. I wanted to leave his office. I didn¡®t want to spend another second near him, but then he


    snapped. His voice as he yelled at me was soaked with frustration. I could feel it once our lips shed in


    a kiss.


    I closed my eyes, slowly losing myself to the taste of him. I barely felt it when he shrugged the zer off


    my shoulders, as his intoxicating closeness was messing up my senses. I heard him locking the door


    before pulling me into his embrace. One of his hands went to the back of my head, his fingers tangling


    into my hair and positioning me to deepen the kiss. As his tongue began stroking mine more


    possessively, I moaned against his lips, my body shivering in response to the passion he was giving me.


    I gasped as his hand went underneath my skirt, his fingers ying with my garter. Suddenly, he grabbed


    my buttocks and lifted me, making me wrap my legs around his waist. A secondter, I was lying on the


    sofa, and he was on top of me with one of his bent knees between my thighs. He devoured me with his


    zing eyes, searing my entire skin. He took off his jacket and threw it away, along with a tie. I licked my


    lips, watching his primal instinct surface. My whole body throbbed as I observed him lose his cold


    composure to be a hot blooded man.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Distand


    ¡°You have no idea what you¡®ve done to me, sunshine,¡± he panted as he kissed down my neck


    ¡°Aren...¡± I breathed out, my skin bing more sensitive by the second.


    It took him two seconds to unbutton my shirt and pull down my bra, exposing my breasts. My fingers


    stroked the back of his neck, teasingly circling the soft, short hair on his nape. He growled against my


    skin while leaving a trail of kisses down my chest. I arched my back as his hands cupped my breasts,


    sending another wave of heat down my stomach. The tip of his tongue began to caress one of my


    nipples before moving to the other one, and I couldn¡®t help but feel the wetness rising between my


    thighs. He was in control of my body and my pleasure. I vaguely registered the moment he lifted my back


    to release me from my shirt and unsp my bra with a few swift movements. As I was flushed with


    ecstasy, he suddenly leaned back, taking off his shirt with a wicked grin. A heartbeatter, his hand


    roarned down, his fingers curling around the hem of myce panties. He ripped thern off viciously,


    revealing my soaking wet sex, unbearably hungry for him. A mischievous chuckle left his lips as he


    pulled down my skirt, leaving me exposed, with nothing but my stockings and garters on. His fiery gaze,


    exploring my nudity, flooded me with embarrassment.


    ¡°Don¡®t look at me like that,¡± I whispered, my hands moving slowly to cover my naked body.


    He smirked, pinning my hands to my sides. ¡°Why are you so shy all of a sudden? Your beautiful body is


    already mine and I want to enjoy it.¡± As he said it, he lowered himself on the sofa and spread my legs,


    positioning himself between them. I gasped as the tip of his tongue stroked the rim of my most sensitive


    skin. He slowly moved from gentle caresses to passionate thrusts of his tongue, making me writhe


    underneath him, letting out all kinds of breathless sounds. As my excitement grew, he used one of his


    fingers to draw small circles around my clit. I was getting closer to insanity. ¡°God, Aren!¡± I screamed


    without fully acknowledging that someone from the outside of his office might have heard me.


    ¡°My shy girl is turning reckless.¡± He chuckled before thrusting his fingers inside me.


    I mped my mouth as I realized that my moans werepletely beyond control. I was quite certain that


    the whole corridor heard mytest cry. As I forced myself to stifle most sounds, I was defenseless


    against his merciless thrusts that made mee with a breathless whimper. As I was lying there,


    trembling and throbbing, he leaned back and jumped off the sofa to take off his pants and briefs. My


    hungry eyes immediately found the rigid length of his erection. I bit my lip. It was the first time that I could


    admire the whole of him in daylight, every chiseled muscle and every emphasized feature crafted to


    perfection. I wanted him, and I wanted him inside me...


    Unknowingly, I arched my back as he leaned over me. He let out a soft chuckle and scooped my naked


    body, lifting me in his arms. Instinctively, I put my arms around his neck as he walked with me to his


    desk. Using one arm, he wiped the pile of papers and office gadgets, making space before he sat me


    down on his desktop. More shivers ran through me as I turned my head to the row of wall¨Csized


    windows. Thank God that no drones were allowed to fly around New York City¡­


    Aren¡®s eyes got darker and more predatory as he stepped in front of me and spread my legs so he could


    reach my wildly pulsing sex.


    ¡°Lie down,¡± he ordered, brushing the tip of his erection against my hot entrance. I swallowed, seeing his


    eyes darkening with lust. As the hot skin of my back touched the cold wood of his desk, I hissed, sizzling


    sparks running down my spine. A secondter, he thrust himself inside me, forcing out my cry as my


    body struggled to fully ept his size.


    ¡°God... you¡®re so tight,¡± he whispered seductively before pushing himself deeper inside me. Each slight


    movement of his hips brought a new wave of pleasure, sending me up to my peak and then beyond. I


    couldn¡®t count how many times I screamed his name in the process. Suddenly, he pulled me up with a


    primal growl, cing my arms around his neck and panting against my skin as he pounded me into


    another orgasm. I came with a long, soft moan while my throbbing inside finally brought him to the very


    edge. He pulled out his cock a second before exploding. We both panted, sticky from sweat, exchanging


    breathlessughs while looking deep into each other¡®s eyes. There was a connection between us.


    Perhaps I wasn¡®t able to name it yet, but I loved the way it felt. ¡°We should schedule our office sex at


    earlier hours in the future,¡± he said, grinning, before scooping me up and taking me to the shower. ¡°In the


    future?¡± I mumbled hoarsely, tightening my arms around him. He smirked. ¡°You just made me like my


    desk even more.¡± He leaned over to nib my earlobe and whispered, ¡°Now I¡®m going to picture you naked


    on it through the long hours of my work, nning what I will do to pleasure you next time.¡±

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Another step closer


    I felt like I kept exploring new levels of intimacy with Aren, even though most twenty¨Cyear olds had


    already experienced everything I considered new at the age of twenty¨Csix, going, twenty¨Cseven. When I


    was with Aren, I felt as if I¡®d been discovering the new me, and I had to admit that I was beginning to like


    mysell.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Would it be weird if I said that I enjoyed showering together nearly as much as I enjoyed having sex with


    Aren? It was sensual and crazily intense, My skin was hypersensitive, and the slightest touch of his hand


    was able to build my climax all over again. We stared at each other in admiration, cherishing each


    other¡®s bodies. Observing Aren wet and naked was an insane turn¨Con. Once hebed up his hair with


    his fingers, all of his mouthwatering features were searingly emphasized. His ck eyebrows, twice as


    visible and darkened by water, underlined the mesmerizing me in his ck irises, while his sharp¨Ccut


    jaw increased the unspoken threat the sight of him sent. Every second of being close to him brought a


    new wave of shivers and heat.


    Our peculiar meeting in his office filled me with a new kind of confidence. I knew that he wanted me just


    as badly as I wanted him. The way he looked at me while we stood under the shower¡®s water stream


    proved that. His perfect muscles tensed under the touch of my fingers, and I knew he wished that we had


    more time to pleasure each other, preferably the rest of the day and night at least. He was semi¨Chard


    even when we got out of the shower, and I couldn¡®t hide the fact that my whole body ached, craving more


    of him.


    Nheless, it was time to get back to our working reality, although I was now certain that I would


    invade his thoughts throughout the day, and that alone gave me an unimaginable boost of energy.


    Wrapped in a towel I wandered around his office, searching for my clothes. I collected most, and


    fortunately, they were still wearable, but I froze when I realized Icked a certain part of my lingerie...


    ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± I red at Aren, picking the scraps of my panties from the floor. He grinned


    mischievously and licked his lips as he put on his shirt back. ¡°That¡®s proof of how much I love your


    pussy.¡± I blushed, struggling to keep the frown stuck to my forehead. ¡°Would you please don¡®t say such


    things?¡±


    He stepped closer and took the shreds ofce from my hands. ¡°Sunshine, don¡®t try to act innocent


    around me¡± ¨Cand added, purring seductively,¡°or should I remind you how lewd you sounded with my cock


    inside you.¡± I gasped, helplessly searching through my mind to find the right words to talk back. I ended


    up letting out a frustrated growl as I put on the pieces of my clothing that weren¡®t torn. Aren offered that


    he would tell Neil to buy me new panties, but I firmly refused. I couldn¡®t even start to imagine exining


    why I needed underwear, especially when there was a huge probability that he heard my screams and


    moansing from his boss¡®s office. I would definitely die of shame. I¡®d chosen a lesser evil ¨C I¡®d spent


    the rest of the day without anything underneath my skirt. Aren loved that idea immensely. I wasn¡®t a fan. I


    cursed him with every step I took around the office, feeling like an exhibitionist.


    With losing my panties as a downside of our morning encounter, I had to say that it changed a lor in my


    rtionship with Aren for the better. The first sign of that change was him letting me know in advance


    that he wouldn¡®t be spending the night at home. He also started to actually reply to the text messages 1


    sent him. If I wanted to find clouds to fit my silver lining, I would say that he merely enjoyed me as an


    instrument to have good sex, but I would be a damn liar trying to deny that I didn¡®t enjoy him for that


    reason as well. I had a tiny little hope that there was more to it, but for now, I decided to stick to


    Miranda¡®s advice, trying not to push and simply wail.


    I had just walked out of the bathroom, getting ready for bed, when the phone rang. When I saw Aren¡®s


    caller ID on the screen, I smiled and couldn¡®t hide my excitement as I answered.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I sent my breathy voice through the speaker.


    ¡°Sunshine, I forgot to tell you that we have a lot of work tomorrow. Marcus wille to pick you up at


    seven¨Cthirty,¡± he said, sounding tired.


    My whole body tensed. ¡°Was there another breach in the system?¡± I asked, presuming the worst.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, amusement audible in his voice. ¡°We have... a different type of work to do.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± My mind restlessly processed through the issues I might have forgotten about.


    ¡°Our wedding.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Was it weird that I stopped thinking about the fact that we needed to actually get married to be


    husband and wife? Contractual married looked a whole lot simpler in romances and dramas. Two people


    went to the registry office, signed papers, got their stamps, and were married. Aren needed proof that


    our rtionship was genuine, although I still wasn¡®t sure how far he was willing to go to prove that.


    Luckily, we had no problems with our intimacy anymore... I couldn¡®t restrain my lips from curving into a


    shameless smile as my mind disyed the most recent example of it. Until now, my strange contractual


    rtionship brought me mainly benefits, even though I kept wondering whether that was going to


    change.


    ¡°So... What do you need me for exactly?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    ¡°You¡®ll see, but there¡®s nothing to worry about,¡± he assured before alluringly lowering his voice, ¡°Sweet


    dreams, beautiful.¡±


    His voice made thousands of tiny sparks explode, brushing my skin in the most sensitive ces. My


    hand rushed to mp my mouth shut, preventing me from letting out any odd sound that would


    undeniably announce what he¡®d just done to me.


    ¡°Goodnight, handsome,¡± I breathed out, ending the call.


    ***


    Somehow, all those mysterious preparations for our wedding made me nervous. I had always been a


    minimalist type, and I truly hoped that no one would force me to take care of picking flowers and


    decorations. If they do, then Aren Lan¡®s bride would walk down the aisle alongside raw benches the color


    of... wood. I kept walking on pins and needles, waiting and ready for


    Marcus two hours earlier than I should have. When he finally arrived to take me, I was paler than pale,


    with my lips stretched in a thin line. It was fortunate that Marcus stayed professional and didn¡®t ask me if


    there was something wrong with me. He kept quiet and simply drove me to some fancy caf¨¦, telling me


    that I had a meeting with someone there. That secrecy made me even more jumpy and anxious¡­


    I walked inside the industrial, brick¨Cand¨Cmetal space, decorated with adorable soft pillows and bright


    linen ornaments, wondering who that mysterious person I was supposed to meet with was. Suddenly, a


    red¨Ccurly¨Chaired woman appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°Herees the bride!¡± she sang, giggling, and rushed my way with her arms open wide. I burst out in


    nervousughter as she hugged me with a cheerful grin glued to her face. ¡°E excuse me... who are


    you?¡± She stepped back, chuckling. ¡°Apology, Ms. Bell¨Csoon¨Cto¨Cbe¨CMrs. Lan. My name is Veronica


    Adkins. I¡®m your wedding nner!¡± she eximed, with the jazz¨Chands gesture. I could almost see the


    imaginary fanfares all over her. My anxieties rose by the second. She grabbed my hand and led me to a


    table by the window. A secondter, she pulled out four thick wedding catalogs and presented them on


    the table in front of me. ¡°Excuse me... shouldn¡®t we wait for Mr. Lan?¡± I asked, smiling nearly hysterically.


    She snickered, waving off my suggestion. ¡°Mr. Lan told me that his loving fianc¨¦e would make all the


    decisions.¡± ¡°He did what?!¡± I snapped. She burst outughing as if she didn¡®t acknowledge my irritation.


    ¡°Isn¡®t that wonderful? Such a powerful man and yet he lets his woman make all the decisions concerning


    the most important day of his life!¡± My temple vein started to throb. Seriously?! I would rather hack the


    Federal Reserve Bank than choose the right type of flowers, tables, and decorations! What if I offend


    someone or pick the flowers that were more suitable for the funeral?! He was supposed to be here with


    me! I knew that he was busy, but to leave me alone with all this crap?! ¡°Don¡®t worry, deary!¡± Veronica


    giggled. ¡°I will lead you through every single step, and I¡®m sure that you are going to choose something


    that will make this wedding spectacr!¡± I stretched my lips into the driest smile possible. ¡°So, you are


    telling me that whatever I choose stays?¡±


    Her bright eyes widened as she called out merrily, ¡°Yes! Mr. Lan said that costs don¡®t matter!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I


    released the full extent of my dark aura. ¡°Let¡®s get started then.¡± I clenched my fists, ready to make


    decisions my fianc¨¦ surely would never forget.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    t¡®s all about the color


    ¡°So, would you like some coffee?¡± asked Veronica, the wedding nner, who had already looked like she


    had overdosed on caffeine.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± I said, yet secretly I was dreaming of something with alcohol.


    ¡°ck or white?¡± She tossed while gesturing to the waiter.


    ¡°t white,¡± I replied, pulling out my phone. While Veronica was busy cing our orders, I texted Aren,


    ¡°You¡®d better show up here. I cannot make those decisions on my own.¡±


    I kept cursing him inwardly. I was new to this world of the richest, and I felt lost. I had no idea how it all


    worked, what was appropriate, and what was not.


    Aren texted back, ¡°I¡®ll join you in an hour. In the meantime, Veronica will lead you through it. You can do


    it. I trust you.¡±


    The inner heat that appeared within me after I read thosest three words wiped the frown off my face.


    As I exhaled, the annoyance disappeared. My heart started to pound, but at a different beat. Could I


    really do it? Was I capable of ying the role of Aren Lan¡®s perfect fianc¨¦e? Well, the fact that he was


    going to join me helped a lot. I figured that in the worst¨Ccase scenario, I would go through the catalog


    pages without choosing anything until Aren got here. ¡°S...¡± Veronica leaned forward on the table, locking


    her eyes on me. ¡°What¡®s your favorite color?¡±


    I smiled nervously. ¡°I don¡®t have a favorite color.¡±

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Seriously? I knew a lot about colors¨C I knew most of the number codes to describe them in


    programming, but I had never felt the need to mark some color as my favorite. Why the hell would I?


    ¡°Everyone has colors they like,¡± Veronica convinced. ¡°How about thinking about one color that soothes


    you and makes you feelfortable? It could be rted to your childhood toy or the ce you visited


    when you were young. How about that?¡±


    Her suggestions swirled inside my head, but no childhood memory of mine was rted to a certain


    color. I remember that Grandpa painted my room pink and lc, and I loved that room, but it was


    because my Grandpa did it for me, not because I loved those colors. Discouraged, I decided to pick


    something random...


    I mumbled, ¡°Blue.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Veronica blinked at me curiously.


    Shyness shed in my expression. I couldn¡®t exin how I ended up picturing Aren in his navy blue suit.


    I adored him in every kind of suit, but, for some reason, his sexiness reached a whole new level when


    he wore any shade of blue. ¡°Blue.¡± Voicing that one word again filled my whole body with strange


    agitation. ¡°Oh, that¡®s perfect!¡± Veronica eximed, sping her hands together. ¡°We have a perfect


    design for decorations with light¨Cblue and ¡±


    LITTIIN


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head with confidence. ¡°It cannot be light¨Cblue. The shade must be darker, like cobalt


    blue, navy blue, or... indigo blue.¡±


    Her mouth curled into a mischievous grin, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ¡°Indigo blue! Let¡®s go with


    indigo blue! It could be just perfect! We could order indigo flowers for the decorations and mix them with


    some white, and it will look amazing!¡± She giggled, searching through her catalog to show me what she


    had in mind.


    The pictures she showed me presented amazing flower arrangements and fancy table settings. My lips


    rushed to form a smile as I saw the gentle mix of white and deep, vivid blue. I instinctively knew these


    colors suited him¨C¨Cthey suited us.


    Veronica turned out to be a true genius in her profession, able to apply her clients¡® weirdest ideas and


    make them fit into reality. When she showed me her previous creations, I felt that I was in good hands.


    At the same time, I keptparing my level of visual creativity with all the colorful suggestions from her


    other clients and found myself dull. Sitting there with her and discussing the subtle differences between


    chiffon and organza was probably the most out of myfort zone kind of thing I had ever done.


    Fortunately, my clever wedding nner must have had a sixth sense telling her that I could hardly


    understand what she was saying. Therefore, she simplified hernguage the best way she could to not


    make me feel like an absolute idiot. She talked me through the different ways I could set up the outdoor


    aisle for the wedding. She suggested using multiple flower gands to make magical, romantic curtains


    that would lead to the makeshift bower where Aren and I would say our vows.


    Imagining every single detail felt bitter¨Csweet. It felt as if I was nning an event that could easily be


    every little girl¡®s dream, except for the fact that it was all a fa?ade. We weren¡®t in love, and as much as I


    couldn¡®tin about my peculiar rtionship with Aren, this marriage already had a termination date.


    In two years, we were supposed to go back to being strangers.


    ¡°Mr. Lan, over here!¡± Veronica called out to my husband¨Cto¨Cbe, pulling me out of my bemusement


    I turned my head around and saw Aren and Neil walking toward our table. My fianc¨¦ was wearing navy


    blue... Had he noticed that I found him most attractive in that color? I bit my lip, taking in the magnificent


    sight of him. As he caught me staring at him, a wicked smirk formed on his lips. He nodded, greeting


    Veronica, and then sat next to me, smugly kissing my hand at hello.


    Damn it! I was supposed to be pissed at him, but my freaking hormones would dly make me act like a


    puppy, fawning over him! I ended up struggling not to smile while he grabbed my hand in his and ced


    it on his thigh. To make matters even worse, my flusteredness was obvious to both Neil and Veronica.


    Once Aren¡®s assistant sat down next to our wedding nner, I could see them grinning in enjoyment


    while observing me blush around Aren. ¡°Have you chosen anything yet?¡± Aren asked, shifting his eyes


    from Veronica to me. I smiled hesitantly, but before I said a single word, Veronica blurted out, ¡°We will


    go with indigo blue.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Aren raised his eyebrows at me, his expression quickly turning to a deadly serious


    195 all about the color


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    one.


    I gasped nervously. Was there anything wrong with choosing that color? The restlessness within me


    mixed with annoyance. He was the one who wanted me to choose, and now he was showing me that he


    had a problem with my choice?!


    ¡°Whose idea was that?¡± he asked, his tone firm and indifferent.


    ¡°Your fianc¨¦e,¡± Veronica announced proudly, ratting me out.


    him to keep on the act. Does anyone mind telling me what was wrong with my choice?!


    His grip on my hand tightened, but he didn¡®t say a single word. He shifted his eyes to Veronica instead


    ¡°Let¡®s add gold color to it as well,¡± he said,mandingly. ¡°Excellent!¡± Veronica widened her eyes in


    excitement. ¡°It will add a touch of mour, money, power¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Aren cut her off curtly, gently grasping a strand of my wavy hair. ¡°I want it to represent my sunshine


    and her golden hair.¡± His voice, filled with tenderness, made my heart skip a beat.


    I nced at him, confused as he smiled with a warmth I had never seen in his expression. I smiled back


    at him, but a huge question mark stayed on my face as I tried to process what made him act the way he


    did.


    My pounding heart didn¡®t seem to slow down as Veronica exined to Aren the details of our wedding. I


    struggled to find any traces of his discontent on his face, but he stayed too focused on our wedding


    nner to let me read him. He just kept my hand in his grasp, gently rubbing his thumb against my palm


    side, teasing my nerves, and arousing me. I knew that if I wanted to ask him about it, I had to wait for the


    end of our meeting. In the meantime, my restlessness grew to an insane level.


    Finally, Veronica had written down our arrangements and left us alone in the caf¨¦. Aren turned ¡®my way


    with a smile and tenderly stroked my cheek. I was about to ask my question when the telephone ringing


    in his pocket took that opportunity away from me. I watched him walk away from the table to talk, an


    anxious grimace forming on my face.


    Neil leaned forward on the table with a smirk. ¡°I got to hand it to you¡ªif you wanted my boss to lose his


    fucking head over you, then this was a master move.¡± I chuckled nervously. ¡°I¡®m still not sure what I¡®ve


    done, and what is it about adding the gold color to represent me? Neil cleared his throat, his amusement


    rising by the second. ¡°Well... he calls you sunshine, so I assume that has something to do with your


    golden blond hair, and that¡®s why he¡®s chosen gold to be your color.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Yeah... I get that


    much, but what would represent him then?¡± I asked as my heart hammered against my chest. ¡°The color


    you chose for him. The fact that you did it unknowingly is quite delightful. If I believed in such crap, I


    would say it¡®s destiny at work to put you two together.¡± Neil leaned his


    back against his chair and grinned beamingly, ¡°Call me dumb, but I still don¡®t get it,¡± I gave him a wry


    smile, Neil sighed, ¡°Aren Lan is calctive and cold while making business decisions, but, like many


    sessful businessmen, he often relies on his gambler¡®s instinct. That sometimes makes him


    superstitious, especially when he notices a ¡°sign,¡± helping him make his decision. And it so happens that


    his Chinesest name, Lan, means blue... or more like indigo blue.,¡± I gasped.


    The change


    Blue. Now that I thought about it, it was the one color that had always been present in Aren¡®s


    surroundings. It was visible in Lan Diamond Tower¡®s architectural design, in the blue shades of ss that


    formed a crystal vault. It was also in Lan Diamond Corporation¡®s logotype, not to mention, the most


    obvious example of Aren¡®s enterprises ¨C¨C the Blue Crystal Hotel. I had long known that Aren cherished


    his mother¡®s name. Perhaps he thought that by making her name¡®s meaning present in his life, he could


    keep the memory of her vivid. I bet that it was also a clear message to the Winton family so they would


    know where his loyaltyy. I had never even thought that choosing the color of the flower arrangements


    and wedding decorations could have any significant meaning, but it did for Aren, and I kept grinning


    inwardly, overjoyed with the idental right choice I made.


    While Aren talked on the phone, Neil filled me in that there was one more ce we needed to go that


    day, I had to get myself a wedding dress and Aren needed a tuxedo. Neil was supposed to apany


    Aren while I was going to get help from Miranda.


    ¡°Mr. Lan wants you to feelfortable, so you may choose where to get the dress. We can either go to


    one of New York¡®s finest bridal boutiques, or you can get a dress that is specially designed for you by a


    promising talent on the market and Mr. Lan¡®s friend, Michael Yang,¡± Neil exined as we walked toward


    the car.


    Led by my sudden enthusiasm for everything Aren¨Crted, I replied, ¡°Then I will dly visit Mr. Yang if


    he agrees to design a gown for me.¡±


    Neil nodded with approval and made a call to confirm my meeting with the designer. I couldn¡®t hide my


    excitement. I had never been especially interested in the way I looked or what I wore, but I wanted the


    day of our wedding to be different. I wanted it to be special in every way, even if it was just an event


    that started our contractual marriage.


    My joyous mood faded as soon as Aren got into the car with a deep frown on his face. He grabbed my


    hand and tried to cover his irritation with a warm smile he gave me, but the problem seemed to be too


    serious for him to keep his poker face. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, staring into his eyes with concern. He


    reached out his hand and stroked my cheek. ¡°There was a problem with our European unit¡®s supply. I


    know how to solve the problem, but I need to go to London in person.¡± I touched his hand on my cheek.


    ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯m going to get my measurements taken, and then I¡®m


    flying out. I¡®ll try to fix the problem as soon as possible.¡± The tone of his voice sounded different from the


    one I got used to hearing when he discussed business. It was almost soothing as if he was doing his


    best not to make me worry. Of course, that was the exact thing that made me worried¡­


    I frowned. ¡°What¡®s the worst¨Ccase scenario?¡±


    He sighed heavily. ¡°I wille back on our wedding day.¡±


    ¡°¡°I¡®wo weeks...¡± I muttered nervously,


    ¡°Veronica will take care of everything. Neil will send the invitations, and you can invite even a hundred


    people if you want to. You just need to let him know,¡± he coaxed.


    I let out a humorless chuckle. ¡°There are only six people in New York City that I could invite. and one of


    them is in aa.¡±


    ¡°Even better!¡± Neil interrupted, tuming his head around from the front seat. ¡°Less work for me.¡±


    I red at him. At that moment, I found his sarcasm searingly annoying. Fortunately, he caught the


    meaning of my stare and decided to stay silent for the rest of the way to the meeting with Mr. Yang.


    Aren locked his gaze on me. ¡°I¡®m sorry that I¡®m leaving you alone with all of this.¡±


    I forced myself to smile. ¡°I won¡®t be alone. Miranda will help me with the dress, and there¡®s Veronica to


    handle the rest of the work. I will be fine,¡± I assured.


    Aren narrowed his gaze at me. I knew that he could see right through me and notice how restless I


    was, but he decided to act as if he believed me.


    ¡°You will do perfectly, sunshine.¡± His warm encouragement made my heart pound again.


    Soon after that, we arrived in front of a red brick building, Mr. Yang¡®s atelier. Miranda was already waiting


    by the entrance. Aren got out of the car with me, and the three of us walked inside. As soon as we


    passed the threshold, a willowy¨Cthis Asian rushed toward us.


    ¡°Miranda, Aren! What a pleasant surprise!¡± he eximed, spreading his arms wide before his eyes


    landed on me. ¡°Well, hello there, cutie pie,¡± he purred sassily.


    A secondter, Aren¡®s hand wrapped around my waist, possessively pulling me close to him.¡± Watch it,


    Michael. Don¡®t try anything weird around my fianc¨¦e,¡± he hissed.


    Miranda stepped between the two, heaving an audible sigh of annoyance. ¡°For God¡®s sake, Aren! You


    know damn well that he would much rather bang you than your fianc¨¦e. And Michael, you shouldn¡®t joke


    around like that... Aren¡®s is peculiarly sensitive when ites to Cora.¡±


    I watched the whole scene with a nervous smile on my face. Aren still held his hand tightly around my


    waist, yet I chose to ignore that fact and stretched out my hand toward Michael.


    ¡°Hi. My name is Cora Bell. It¡®s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yang.¡±


    He giggled, slightly covering his mouth with his hand. ¡°Please call me Michael.¡± He reached out his


    slender arm for a feathery¨Cgentle handshake.


    ¡°Great! The introduction is over!¡± Miranda sped her hands. ¡°Now, can we get to work already?¡± she


    urged. ¡°Certainly, my dear,¡± said Michael, gesturing at the opened door, leading to his atelier. Miranda


    walked in first, and Michael was right behind her. I wanted to follow them, but then Aren grabbed my


    hand and stopped me in the corridor.


    2/3


    ¡°Sunshine, I need to go now, and we probably won¡®t see each other until our wedding, but there is


    something I wanted to give you,¡± he said, grabbing my hands in his. ¡°I wish that i could have given you


    this personally, but there¡®s no time. You will have to go and take it yourself. It¡®s in my bedroom.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s OK,¡± I breathed out, unable to hide the fact that his words made me terribly anxious.


    ¡°It¡®s something that belonged to my Mother...¡±


    I swallowed hard and raised my eyebrows at him. ¡°Are you serious? You want me to have something that


    was your mother¡®s?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied before kissing my forehead. ¡°It¡®s in my safe, behind the wall mirror.¡± ¡°Are you certain


    that you want me to open your safe?¡± My eyes kept scanning his face, trying to find traces of insanity. He


    smirked, his seductive gaze sending a wave of heat through my body. ¡°Mother told me to give it to the


    woman I was going to marry. It so happens that that¡®s you.¡± ¡°B¨Cbut this is just a contract marriage...¡± I


    burst into awkwardughter. His arms slid around my waist. ¡°Beautiful, I¡®m not nning to marry anyone


    else.¡± ¡°What?¡± was the only word I was able to choke out before he sealed my lips, kissing me


    passionately. His arms pulled me closer, pressing me against his body. My hands instinctively traveled to


    his neck, feeling the need to touch him. I couldn¡®t care less if Miranda or Michael were watching us. It


    was time to admit it¨CAren was my addiction, and each dose of him felt more and more intoxicating. I


    didn¡®t know how long our kisssted. All I could tell was that my lips were already puffy and swollen when


    Aren leaned back. ¡°I need to go now, beautiful,¡± he said, cing one more sweet peck on my forehead.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I called out, as he was about to exit the building. ¡°Your safe... You didn¡®t tell me the code...¡±


    He smiled warmly. ¡°The code is the date when we met,¡± he said before disappearing behind the door.


    I stood still in a daze, staring at the door. My heart thundered erratically. Putting together the most recent


    minutes of my life, I muttered, helplessly wondering, ¡°What the hell has just happened?¡±

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    The Gift


    ¡°Oh My God!¡± I heard Michael exim behind my back, and Miranda¡®s wicked chuckle followed


    As I turned around, I saw Miranda, leaning her back against the door frame with her hands crossed over


    her chest, Michael stood on the threshold, his mouth open wide in shock as he looked at me


    ¡°What have you done to him?¡± he asked, his eyes wide in terror, ¡°Are you a witch or something Or is he


    on drugs? If you led him with something that makes him act like this, then girl, I want to meet your


    supplier!¡± he demanded, still looking at me as if I were an extraterrestrial species,


    Miranda prodded his elbow. ¡°I told you, she¡®s special.¡±


    Iughed nervously, walking their way, ¡°Truthfully, I don¡®t know what happened just now... He... He just...¡±


    | paused, frantically searching for words to describe it, but my mind was one hot mess.


    Miranda grinned and winked at me. ¡°Let¡®s get inside and talk. And you...¡± She pointed at Michael. ¡°Get


    that proso out of the fridge and three sses. We would need those.¡± Michael nodded while his


    mouth stayed open, his mind ineptly processing the images he saw. Miranda grabbed my hand and led


    me to the three¨Cpiece, Louis XVI¨Cstyle suite with the same style table that stood in the middle of his


    spacious atelier. She sat me down on the sofa before taking the chair. A minuteter, Michael joined us


    with a bottle and sses.


    ¡°So, mind telling me what happened to my stone¨Cheart friend?¡± he asked me as he uncorked the


    proso, before pouring the sparkling liquid into the sses. ¡°I wish I knew...¡± An awkward chuckle


    escaped my throat. ¡°Miranda told me before that he acted differently around me, not like he used to, but


    today... something changed.¡±


    Miranda took her ss from the table and leaned toward me, grinning with her eyes narrowed


    interrogatively at me. ¡°So, what happened earlier today?¡±


    Michael quickly joined her, and a secondter, I found their gazes locked on me, urging me to talk


    ¡°Well¡­ I was asked to pick the color for our wedding decorations. Somehow, the wedding nner and I


    ended up picking an indigo blue. I didn¡®t know that it was Aren¡®sst name meaning though,¡± I said and


    took a big gulp from my ss. Michael and Miranda blinked their eyes at me before bursting out into


    laughter. Theyughed for a minute until any of them could choke out a word. ¡°How did Aren react to


    that?¡± Miranda finally asked, wiping off the tears ofughter. I took another sip from the ss. ¡°He said


    that we should add gold color as well... so it could represent me.¡±


    Their loud peal ofughter filled the room the second the final syble left my throat. I sighed


    14


    The Gift


    heavily, reluctantly bing their main source of entertainment.


    ¡°Girl, you ced a leash on that guy! I¡®ve never seen him so close to being head over heels for anyone


    in my life!¡± Michael announced, gesturing so widely he almost spilled his wine on the floor. 1


    I blushed. My lips curled into a beaming grin before I realized it. I would be a stinky liar if I said that I


    didn¡®t want their words to be true, but I was still afraid to trust what I saw and heard. The memory of


    Aren¡®s voice, telling me that we would never be in a real rtionship, was still vivid in my mind. Did he


    change his mind? If not, then what did his behavior mean?


    Once we had drunk the entire bottle, the subject of our conversation shifted from my rtionship with


    Aren to my wedding dress. Michael made me try on twenty of his designed gowns, as if I were his


    favorite doll.


    ¡°Now, I finally know what you need,¡± he said, grabbing a sheet of paper and starting to sketch something


    Miranda and I silently watched his hand draw swift lines that eventually blended into a beautiful gown


    design. When he finished, he proudly turned the sheet of paper our way so we could judge his creation.


    Once I saw the sketch, my heart began to pound. He had drawn a beautiful dress with a jewel neckline, a


    waistline that was delicately outlined with a band, and a mermaid skirt with a fishtail back.


    ¡°The trick that we are going to use in that dress is the fabric. Three different types of silk with different


    densities will do the job. We can also use some gemstones to add a pattern going from the waistline


    down the skirt,¡± he exined. ¡°I think you could add some sparkling things; the girl deserves to look like


    a queen,¡± Miranda added.


    My lips twitched into a wry smile as I listened to their ideas. I loved the simplicity of the design, and I


    didn¡®t want to spoil it by adding diamonds or pearls. That wasn¡®t me at all. ¡°Um...¡± I hesitantly raised my


    hand to get their attention. ¡°I know very little about making gowns, but is there a possibility to add


    ornaments painted on fabric instead of sewing gemstones?¡±


    ¡°Like a hand¨Cpainted silk?¡± Michael asked, his eyes widening in wicked agitation. ¡°Wel.. yes,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Why not? It can look wonderful. It¡®s just a matter of finding a good pattern that would do the gown


    justice,¡± he said. ¡°I will look for some and you may try looking for something you would like yourself.¡±


    I nodded, already feeling excited about it. The bright grin on my face made Miranda chuckle. ¡°If that


    cold¨Cblooded businessman you are getting married to is not in love with you right now, he will surely fall


    in love once he sees you in that dress.¡±


    My cheeks zed with fiery blush. Him, falling in love with me... Was that even possible?


    ***


    I returned to the empty penthouse and instantly felt lonely. I didn¡®t have to go upstairs to know that Aren


    was gone. It was as if his scent and warmth felt weaker, and with that, something in my heart stung.


    Without realizing it, I went upstairs and walked straight into his bedroom, instinctively searching for a


    ce where I could find a mere illusion of his presence. What I felt had long since passed the physical


    attraction, but I was too terrified to name it.


    I sat on Aren¡®s bed. My hands brushed his sheets, letting the traces of his scent fill the air around me. I


    bit my lip, thinking how badly I wanted to feel his arms around me and his lips shing with mine. As my


    mind started to produce tons of lewd ideas about using anything that smelled like him to satisfy myself, I


    was in serious need of a distraction. Luckily, the sound of the iing message pulled me back to the


    land of sane, yet the indecent thoughts came back in a rush as I found the message was from Aren.


    ¡°Have you found the safe?¡±


    ¡°Not yet...¡± I mumbled to myself, figuring that it would be a good idea to turn my attention to looking for it.


    I went to the right corner of his room and saw a wall mirror in a golden frame. I looked around it and


    quickly noticed an odd button on the left side of the golden metal strip. As I pressed it, I heard a releasing


    switch, making the left side of the mirror bound away from the wall. Taking a deep breath, I pulled the


    mirror to the side, revealing the safe hidden behind it.


    ¡°Found it,¡± I texted back, giggling like a child on a treasure hunt.


    The next step was to open the safe. I remembered the date of our first meeting quite well¨Cit was the 11th


    of April. Nheless, it still made the butterflies in my stomach flutter as I realized that he remembered it


    as well¡­


    My hand trembled when I typed thest remaining digits, unlocking the door of the safe. My heart


    hammered wildly as I reached inside and took out a small, beautifully ornamented jewelry box. It looked


    like an antique, a refined and intricate work of art. It was mostly made of wood, but there were a lot of


    tiny little metal straps framing the overly massive lid. Each side of the box had a different relief sculpture


    with jade pieces embedded in wood. I swallowed hard before opening the box, only to find it... empty.


    I felt a slight sting of disappointment. Of course, the box itself was amazing and probably more valuable


    than me and my Grandma together. Nheless, I didn¡®t expect that the treasure of my treasure hunt


    would be the treasure chest itself.


    ¡°The box is incredibly beautiful. I don¡®t know what to say.¡± I typed in my message to Aren.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    His reply came a minuteter. ¡°The lid opens when you enter the right code. My mother was a brilliant


    mathematician. She said that my bride should be wise enough to open it.¡± A wry smile twisted my lips. I


    should have known there was a catch to this great gift. I looked at the box closely¨Cit surely felt


    disproportionally more massive than the rest of the box. Unfortunately, it was the only concrete thing I


    noticed while staring at the box for over ten minutes.


    ¡°Maybe there¡®s something on the inner side of the lid?¡± I wondered aloud.


    As I looked inside, I gasped. It wasn¡®t a clue that I was looking for; it was much more than that.


    The lid¡®s inner side was filled with nacre, with a row of indigo flowers painted on it. Unknowingly, I


    grabbed my phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to Michael. It looked like I had found the perfect


    pattern for my wedding dress...

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    Cat fight It pretty much looked like I was far too dumb to be Aren¡¯s wife¡­ ording to his mother at


    least. I had spent hours scrutinizing every detail of that jewelry box, but nothing had brought me any


    closer to cracking the opening mechanism! It was killing me! I had always been a riddle master, but


    now¡­ I couldn¡¯t even see the damn riddle! Discouraged, I took a picture of each side of the box, put it


    back into the safe, and went to bed.


    For the next few days, I kept looking at the pictures I took during every coffee or lunch break, hoping for


    a sudden revtion. At least I got the exact distraction I needed so I wouldn¡¯t feel like a sex-addict


    suffering from withdrawal. I texted Aren several times, but curt, short replies were the only messages I


    got back from him. I knew I should me him, though. He must have been struggling to solve every


    problem before the wedding date. After two days, I stopped even ending my messages with a question


    mark, sending him words of encouragement instead.


    Fortunately, there were no problems with the rest of the wedding-rted issues. Michael was fascinated


    with the pattern I had sent him and decided to recreate it on one side and the back of the dress. I


    couldn¡¯t wait to see the final results¡­ not to mention that I was getting crazily excited at the mere


    thought of Aren seeing me in that dress.


    I spent most of my daytime sitting with Veronica. At least, she did all the talking, and I mainly nodded and


    shook my head on rare asions, just to stop her imagination from going overboard. I was learning a lot


    about things that had never mattered to me before, from flower arrangements to different types of


    napkins. As the days went by, I wasn¡¯t as ufortable around Veronica as I was the day I met her. I


    was even able to make my own suggestions, feeling quite confident about it. Nheless, there was one


    wedding-rted matter that I kept pushing to the deepest corner of my mind-our wedding was supposed


    to take ce in the Wintons¡¯ mansion.


    I dyed the unavoidable, trying to settle most of the wedding arrangements without needing to go


    there, but that was it. Veronica stated that it was as far as she was willing to go without visiting the ce.


    I agreed reluctantly,forting myself that Neil would go there with us, but an hour before we were


    supposed to meet, he called me repentantly¡­ ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Ms. Bell. I need to prepare some urgent


    documents for Mr. Lan, so you will have to visit the mansion without me. Everyone is notified that you are


    coming, and I can take care of any inconveniences if they ur by phone. I cannot apany you in


    person though, ¡°he said.


    I sighed, reluctantly epting the reality. I understood the situation, and I knew that Can was banned


    from the mansion, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that I felt as if I was walking into a snake¡¯s nest.


    ¡°Veronica¡­ there is something you need to know before we get into the mansion¡­¡± I said as we were


    on our way there. ¡°The rtionship between my future inws and me is ratherplicated¡­¡± I shot her


    a thin smile.


    She raised her eyebrows at me. ¡°Meaning? I don¡¯t need to prey, but I¡¯d rather know how badly screwed


    up your rtions are.¡±


    My mouth twitched in a reluctant grimace, but she quickly caught the meaning of my concern. She patted


    my shoulder and smirked. ¡°I signed the confidentiality use, so don¡¯t worry. One of the reasons Mr. Lan


    has chosen me is that I can keep my mouth shut. I wouldn¡¯t tell a thing even if you told me that you¡¯d


    murdered someone.¡±


    Iughed nervously before taking a deep breath. ¡°I used to date Mr. Lan¡¯s stepbrother, Can, although I


    had no idea that hisst name was Winton when I got involved with Aren¡­ Can was always an


    abusive type, and the way our rtionship ended wasn¡¯t good either. Long story short¡­ Can is now


    banned from getting close to me or the Wintons¡¯ mansion, and both, he and his mother, hate my and


    Aren¡¯s guts.¡± Veronica blinked her eyes, her brain processing everything I said at a great speed before


    her lips stretched into a thin smile. ¡°Good to know.¡±


    She said that she would have my back if anything happened, but it didn¡¯t lessen my anxieties. As we


    arrived, we were greeted by the grey-haired chambein, who introduced himself as Lucious Maffei. I


    couldn¡¯t ignore the way he looked me up and down with disdain when he thought that I would not notice.


    ¡°Could you show us the garden, Lucious?¡± Veronica hid her firm demand under a courteous smile. He


    cleared his throat, his eyes, for some reason, glued to my face. ¡°Certainly,¡± he said. I bet that the bastard


    intentionally led two women on heels like us through the grass path where we struggled to take a single


    step without losing bnce. Finally, we reached the spacious grass field bounded by the arched line of a


    pine grove. Veronica narrowed her eyes, scanning the ce, and then pointed at the area by the trees.


    ¡°We can set the bower right by the trees,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible,¡± the chambein cut in


    curtly. ¡°Madame is nning to grow a rose flower bed in that very area. The fresh soil will be delivered


    tomorrow.¡± I took a deep breath, ignoring the throbbing temple vein. ¡°How about that area?¡± I pointed at


    the simr-looking area on the left of the mansion.


    ¡°You cannot use that space either,¡± his response came.


    Veronica huffed in frustration. ¡°Why not?¡± she called out.


    ¡°Because I said so.¡± We heard a nosy, irritating female voiceing from behind us.


    When Veronica and I turned around, we saw Vanessa walking our way. She was wearing a fitted,


    aquamarine, knee-length cocktail dress with her hair pulled up in a neat, perfectly styled bun. As she


    walked closer, the chambein bowed down as if she was his queen. Well, I had no doubt that he was


    working for her more than he was working for Augustus.


    ¡°Hello, Vanessa,¡± I greeted her, forming my lips into a polite grin. ¡°This lovelydy standing next to me is


    my wedding nner, Veronica. As you can see, we are trying to set up the area for the aisle and the rest


    of the venue.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see that.¡± She scoffed, scanning me and Veronica from head to toe.


    Veronica gave her a courteous nod and stepped back, trying to get away from the line of fire. We both


    knew that this woman came here to cause trouble. I could see what she was doing. Nheless, I


    wanted to know how far she was willing to go with her cheap scheme. ¡°You said that we could not use


    that area¡­ Why don¡¯t you suggest another ce for us,¡± I said daringly. She smirked. ¡°You can set your


    venue inside the grove or on the back side of it. There is a field of dirt you can use as well.¡± Veronica


    raised her eyebrows in disbelief. ¡°Is she for real?¡± she muttered, standing close to me so that only I could


    hear her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± I replied, adjusting my voice to the volume she used. I knew that I could call Neil


    to help me with this situation, but this woman irked me too much for me to wait. ¡°You truly think that you


    own this ce, do you?¡± I chuckled coldly. ¡°Watch your mouth, cheap bitch!¡± she spat, nonchntly


    crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Oh, you call me names¡­ again. I must have mistaken you for a


    ssy woman before.¡± I covered my mouth with my hand in a theatrical gesture. She groaned in anger


    and rushed to p my face. I caught her hand, my fingers curling tightly around her wrist.


    ¡°Watch it, Vanessa,¡± I hissed. ¡°I tried to be kind, but I am not a pushover, and believe me, you don¡¯t want


    me to show my ws.¡± ¡°Let go of Mrs. Winton this instant!¡± the chambein roared, reaching his hand


    my way. ¡°Back off, Lucious!¡± I growled. ¡°Try to touch me, and you will face severe consequences!¡± The


    old man hesitated to move but sent me a vicious glower instead. I smirked coldly and released Vanessa.


    JVU


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°How dare you?!¡± she thundered, rubbing her wrist.


    I nced at Veronica, who hid behind me, watching the whole scene with her mouth open wide. As our


    eyes met, she grinned wickedly and showed me her thumb up. I smiled at her before shifting my eyes to


    the viinous two.


    ¡°Are we done with the drama already?¡± I sighed and rubbed my temples. ¡°Let me get things straight. My


    future husband and I didn¡¯t want to have our wedding here-we were invited by the head of the Winton


    family. Augustus Winton coaxed my fianc¨¦ into this, promising the best this mansion could offer. Now,


    should we try again, where you will let us n the damn wedding the way we want, or should I call the


    head of this family and prove how much your authority around here is non-existent?¡± Vanessa opened


    her mouth, ready to yell her venomous words out, but gestured at her, raising one finger to stop her.


    ¡°Think twice before saying anything. Your words could cost Augustus Winton eighty million dors


    because that is the worth of the investment he is counting on,¡± I said as the corners of


    my lips curled into a smug smirk. She heaved a sigh of frustration and anger. ¡°n your shitty venue


    wherever you want! Just don¡¯t get anywhere near my son!¡± I chuckled, spreading my arms wide. ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry. I wouldn¡¯t look for your son even if he was thest person living on Earth.¡±


    With a spiteful growl, she turned around and started walking back to the mansion. Lucious nodded briefly


    and darted to follow her. Only when we were left alone did I sigh in relief.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Veronica jumped up and pped her hands. ¡°That was epic! I wish I had recorded it. I have never


    witnessed a drama like that in my life!¡±


    ¡°Thank God, they¡¯re gone¡­¡± I muttered, realizing how much this poor encounter had exhausted me.


    ¡°You were awesome, Ms. Bell! You were like Mr. Lan-intimidating, firm, butposed!¡± Veronica giggled


    agitatedly.


    Her words made me smile and blush like an idiot. Was I like him? Probably not, but I couldn¡¯t help but be


    a little proud of myself. Who would have thought that an introverted person like me would one day turn


    into a dangerous predator?

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    The secret within


    There was no chance that Veronica wouldn¡¯t tell Neil every single detail about our visit to the Wintons¡¯


    mansion as soon as we left and called it a day. My phone rang exactly fifteen minutester. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry


    you had to go through this, Ms. Bell!¡± I heard Neil nearly cry out as I took the call.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You told me to call you, and I didn¡¯t, but mostly because I was sure that I could handle it on my


    own,¡± I said, wondering where my confidence came from. ¡°Still¡­ You are aware that I needed to report


    this to Mr. Lan? He got very mad¡­ Please don¡¯t me me if he calls you¡­ ¡± His concerned tone sent a


    wave of anxiety right through my body.


    Something about Neil¡¯s words annoyed me. Would Aren truly me me for taking care of the problem


    myself instead of using Neil? Why would I need to pretend I was weak when I wasn¡¯t?! It was the first


    time that I felt strong enough to stand up against someone like Vanessa and keep my head held high.


    Somehow, my good mood burst like a soap bubble. A soaked in frustration growl left my throat as I


    ended the call with Neil. I needed to get my mind off of that entire situation. I went to Aren¡¯s bedroom and


    took the jewelry box out of the safe.


    ¡°If I only knew how to open that damn lid,¡± I muttered angrily, staring at the beautiful carving.


    I stroked the box from each side, trying to figure out anything about the hidden construction, but I felt


    even more lost than when I had looked at it for the first time. I was about to put it back when one of my


    fingers touched the metal strap, framing the lid, and it moved with an audible click. I gasped in


    excitement, at the same time hoping that I didn¡¯t break anything.


    I grabbed my phone and turned on an app with a magnifying ss. As I looked at the frame, I noticed


    that it was made from eight thin pieces of metal, all with one end hidden under the next one on the left.


    Each little strap had a small, round button-like bulge at its right end. Once I pressed the button, I could


    move the strap forward or backward. Above the metal pieces were rows of tiny vertical linesbined


    into bigger segments, each marked with a different Chinese character. It almost resembled a ruler.


    ¡°Oh, my God! How could I be so stupid?!¡± I burst outughing, finally noticing the mechanism.


    As I used the online trantor, I learned that the characters stood for numbers. Now, all I needed to do


    was to ce the little buttons in the right position just like I was typing the eight -digit code¡­ Except that


    I had no idea what kind of code it might have been!


    ¡°Seriously?! Guessing that is like winning the fucking lottery! How am I supposed to know what kind of


    code opens that damn lid?!¡± I roared at the jewelry box.


    I started to think that Aren¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t a nice person at all. She had created such an amazing box for


    one purpose only-she wanted to torment her son¡¯s future wife. Of course, I made a few attempts to


    choose the right code. Having in mind that Aren¡¯s mother was a


    mathematician, I tried setting the first eight digits after the decimal point of pi. The thing that made it even


    moreplicated was the fact that there was no clear point marking where the code should begin, so I


    had to try setting it in eight different arrangements. When that didn¡¯t work, I did the same with the square


    root of pi. That didn¡¯t work as well¡­ This was getting more and more frustrating. Lan Liling could have


    chosen any kind ofbination, and since I had never even met her, I had no idea where I should start


    looking for the clues. I went back to my bedroom and ced the jewelry box by my bed. I kept staring at


    the flowers and birds carved on the wooden sides. Every detail of it was simply stunning. That made me


    even more curious about what kind of secret was hidden inside that massive lid.


    Iid down on my bed and closed my eyes, trying to figure out every possible eight-digitbination and


    slowly falling asleep. The ringing phone woke me up. I must have forgotten to turn off the sounds, and


    now it became an unwanted rm. Cursing under my breath, I faced the illuminated screen, but I woke


    up entirely as I saw Aren¡¯s caller ID., ¡°Hello?¡± I answered with a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°I woke you up,


    didn¡¯t I?¡± His deep voice came out. I bit my lip as the sound sent a wave of shivers. ¡°I¡¯m awake now,¡± I


    said. ¡°I wanted to call you sooner, but I had a lot to take care of¡­¡± he exined a little nervously. ¡°It¡¯s


    OK,¡± I replied, ncing at the clock, showing three in the morning. ¡°I just wanted to say that you


    shouldn¡¯t do anything reckless like you did in the mansion. Neil told me, this bitch tried to hit you.¡± Anger


    surfaced in his voice, but it wasn¡¯t aimed toward me. ¡°But I did just fine, and I knew I had to deal with


    your crazy family at some point.¡± I chuckled. Aren sighed. ¡°Vanessa went too far. I guess that Augustus¡¯s


    decision to send Can somewhere far away took away the final ounce of her sanity.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t argue with


    that. She certainly resembled a mad woman¡­¡± I stated andughed anxiously as I remembered what I


    said to her. ¡°In the argument¡­ I mentioned the eighty million investment you promised to Augustus. I


    hope I didn¡¯t say something that I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°You did well.¡± I heard him chuckle through the phone.


    ¡°You were perfect actually¡­¡± Heat painted my cheeks red in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I hate her,¡± I


    admitted embarrassingly


    ¡°Because she is Can¡¯s mother?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. I hate her because she dared to bully my man,¡± I blurted out before mping my mouth with my


    hand as I heard my own voice.


    Heughed. ¡°Your man?¡± His teasing tone only added more blush to my cheeks. ¡°I like the sound of that.¡±


    ¡°Stop mocking me, please,¡± I muttered.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he said, his voice filled with amusement. ¡°I will be your legal husband in


    three days. It is only right that you call me your man.¡± His words glued a dumb grin to my face. The heat I


    felt within my body must have taken away my sanity, because a secondter I mumbled, ¡°I miss you.¡±.


    He went silent for a few seconds, which instantly filled my heart with fear. Had I gone too far? Whatever


    happened between us, Aren had never mentioned having feelings for me, yet the voice that left my throat


    was soaked in affection. ¡°We will see each other in three days. You will go to the registry office at 7 AM


    with Neil, I will go there straight from the airport,¡± he exined in a serious tone¡­ ¡°Um¡­ all right,¡± I


    responded, slightly dazed.


    My chest squeezed. He didn¡¯t react to my words. It felt too much, and this moment of silence was him


    drawing the line we shouldn¡¯t cross in our rtionship? I pulled in a shaky breath and fisted one hand.


    ¡°See you on Saturday,¡±1 said, trying to sound calm despite my intemal tremors. ¡°See you on Saturday,¡±


    he repeated. I was waiting for him to end the call, but he waited a few more seconds before


    disconnecting and said, ¡°I miss you too.¡± I gasped and then started giggling and rolling on the bed like an


    infatuated teenager. Was it foolish of me that-I couldn¡¯t wait until we got married?


    The next day, I woke up with a smile. It was a big day- I was supposed to wear my wedding gown for the


    first time, and my two maids of honor were supposed to try on their dresses as well. When I got to


    Michael¡¯s atelier, Monique and Miranda were already there, putting on the blue silk. Both of them looked


    gorgeous. ¡°This is the most beautiful dress I have ever worn in my life!¡± Monique eximed, staring at


    her reflection in the mirror. Michael ran around Miranda and her, sticking pins into the fabric to make


    some final adjustments. Once he finished, it was time for me to fit the gown. I could hardly breathe in


    excitement as he revealed his creation with pride. When I saw the white dress with stunning lines of


    indigo flowers painted on delicate silk, I almost cried.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I breathed out, smiling at Michael. ¡°You will thank me when you see how it fits.¡± He smirked.


    Miranda and Monique helped me put on the gown, and I was certain of its perfection from the moment I


    touched it.


    ¡°Oh, my¡­¡± Michael gasped as if the result surprised even him. As I looked in the mirror, my reaction was


    simr. I felt like a character from a fairy tale. The dress was surrealistically beautiful. The silkyers


    danced with the slightest movement, creating the illusion that the painted flowers were swayed by the


    wind. The cut of the dress


    made me feel slender and sexy, emphasizing my curves in the most graceful way. ¡°I know that his


    mother would have loved your choice,¡± Miranda whispered while admiring how astonishing the gown


    looked. I mouthed, ¡°Thank you,¡± but as she mentioned Aren¡¯s mother, reminding me of the box and the


    code, an idea came to my mind. ¡°You knew Lan Liling, didn¡¯t you? Was there anything that you could say


    that mattered to her the most?¡±. Miranda thought for a moment and then said, ¡°I was five when she died,


    but if I could name one thing that she cared about then I would say it was her son, Aren.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if


    that was helpful or not, but I thanked her anyway. On my way back to the penthouse, I kept thinking


    about the jewelry box. The painting I found inside the lid helped create the most incredible wedding dress


    for me. Now, I wanted to open the lid even more. I came home and took the box in my hands one more


    time. ¡°Maybe it is something rted to Aren?¡± I asked myself, and then it hit me. ¡°Idiot! I¡¯m aplete


    idiot! Eight digits could be a date!¡± I grabbed the contract to check Aren¡¯s birth date. It was the twenty-


    first of September 1990. I had never known where thebination should begin, but somehow it


    became clear as I noticed a small heart carved above one of the straps. I took a deep breath and started


    to push the metal straps, setting them in the right position. My heart hammered faster with every number


    I set. Finally, I moved thest strap, leaving the button to mark a 0. Something clicked, and I noticed that


    a round piece in the middle of the lid was slightly lifted. I grabbed it with two fingers and removed it,


    revealing a secret pocket within the lid. I nced inside and froze as I was blinded by the amazing glow.


    Taking another deep breath, I reached inside and took out a nearly two-inch blue diamond. A weak,


    breathless sound left my mouth. ¡°Lan Diamond¡­¡±

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Getting married I stared in awe at the shining gem lying in my hand for a few long minutes. Its color was


    intensely blue, and no matter from what angle I looked at it, the stone was perfectly clear. I had never


    seen anything as beautiful. Did Aren truly want me to have it? It felt surreal. Wasn¡¯t it some kind of family


    heritage, passed from generation to generation? It was more than obvious that the ¡°diamond¡± in the


    name of Aren¡¯spany wasn¡¯t a coincidence either. How could I be the new owner of something


    like that? I put the diamond back into the pocket of the jewelry box and grabbed my phone since I had


    little knowledge about expensive gems. As soon as I googled the basic information, I froze, realizing that


    the pretty blue stone inside the box could be worth more than twenty million dors! Certainly, that wasn¡¯t


    a sum of money that could overwhelm Aren, but I was close to a heart attack! Two secondster, I was


    calling Aren, with my heart thundering with anxiety. ¡°Hello, Sunshine,¡± he said with so much smile in his


    voice that it made my lips curve as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you at work¡­ I just needed to tell you that


    I¡­ that I opened the lid and found the diamond inside,¡± I imed nervously. ¡°I knew you would.¡± His


    confident but warm response made my heart melt. ¡°B-but what do I do with this diamond now?¡± I asked,


    still unable to ept possessing something that had such worth. He chuckled. ¡°My mother wanted my


    bride to have it, so it is now yours.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense, Aren!¡± I protested. ¡°It is your heritage. Even


    yourpany¡¯s name says that it means a lot to you!¡± ¡°The stone means a lot to the Lan family, mainly


    because they would like to get their hands on it, and they couldn¡¯t. The gem was given to my Mother by


    my Grandmother since it was originally hers. My Grandmother loved her only daughter and always


    supported her. That was why she gave her the most priceless item in her dowry-a beautiful blue


    diamond, Tian Kong, which means the sky. Of course, each one of my Mother¡¯s brothers thought that he


    deserved to get that diamond more than her, but no one could change my Grandmother¡¯s decision.


    Nheless, I was attacked quite a few times by someone sent to get that diamond, but those poor


    thieves couldn¡¯t find it. As I grew stronger and richer, I chose the name of mypany to tease those


    bastards and state that I owned the diamond, but, frankly, you are the first person to see that gem from


    the moment my mother died. Now, I want you to have it. We can have it ced in some beautiful


    ne or an enormous ring, and I want you to wear it with pride because that is what my Mother would


    want.¡± Aren soundedposed, but the meaning of his words only made me more restless.


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve never opened the lid yourself?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t even want to know how to open it. It was my Mother¡¯s wish that I¡¯d give it to my future wife.


    Besides, it was dangerous to open it then. If I¡¯d done it and used the diamond, for example, to get the


    funds to start apany, I would have set a target on my back,¡± he exined.


    ¡°But what about me?! Doesn¡¯t it put a target on my back now?!¡± I burst out in panic.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Heughed. ¡°No, because I am strong enough to protect you. Besides, tomorrow, once we sign the


    papers at the registry office, it will all be over. I will be an official heir of the Lan family and thus gain


    my Grandfather¡¯s full protection.¡±


    ¡°So your Grandfather, Lan Jing, will grant you a mark that you are untouchable or something, right?¡± My


    mind was desperate to put all of those things in order. ¡°More or less, yes,¡± he replied. ¡°But he has no


    authority over the Winton family. I am guessing that they know about everything your mother left you. If


    Augustus was willing to lower himself and almost beg you to invest in his business, then wouldn¡¯t he try


    to get his hands on the diamond as well?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°If my father knew about the diamond, he wouldn¡¯t let me have anything that belonged to my Mom.


    Fortunately, she was wise enough to create that box. When I left the Wintons¡¯ mansion,


    me, they merely assumed that I wanted to have a memento of her. Idiots.


    ar the diamond in public, it will be obvious who owns it, and even if Augustus tries to steal it, he could


    only sell it on the ck marker, and that would be impossible since all significant ces are already


    controlled by Lan Jing,¡± he exined smugly. Despite everything he said, epting the diamond still


    didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°But¡­ how can I ept something worth over twenty million dors?¡±


    ¡°It is worth over fifty million dors, to be precise, and as I said, it is something that my Mother wanted.


    Just ept it,¡± he said lightly. A heaved a hysteric chuckle. ¡°But you have to agree that it isn¡¯t something


    that a normal mother-inw would have given to her son¡¯s wife, right?¡± ¡°Exin normal. Would you rather


    receive a thousand-year-old jade bangle?¡± he teased. ¡°No! God, no!¡± I eximed, just in case he had a


    few of those to give as well. ¡°I was thinking about an old photo album with family pictures you¡¯ve never


    wished to see again or a brooch with nothing but a sentimental value that I would be forced to wear even


    if it doesn¡¯t match any of my clothes.¡±


    Arenughed hard for a while, hearing my words, but then cleared his throat and said with his velvet


    voice. ¡°Sunshine, be a good girl, stop arguing, and ept the damn diamond. I bet that it will look


    stunning on you¡­ especially if you wear nothing but the ne with it.¡± I bit my lip. I still felt restless,


    but his seductive tone made every argument against epting that gem dissolve in the air.


    ¡°I want you badly, sunshine. You¡¯d better brace yourself for the wedding night,¡± he whispered to the


    phone.


    ¡°God, Aren¡­¡± A breathy moan escaped my mouth as I felt my sex ache for him.


    ¡°Wait with your moans until I¡¯m inside you.¡± The heat in his voice flooded my cheeks with a bashful blush


    and made me insanely thirsty.


    I wanted him this instant. If we were in the same room, I would be ripping off his clothes and


    caressing every inch of his magnificent body. It felt surreal that tomorrow, this man was about to be


    my husband¡­


    My wedding day started at five in the morning. I took a long shower, trying to convince my mind that it


    wasn¡¯t as early as the clock said. After wrapping myself in a towel, I applied three kinds of face masks to


    wipe away the zombie-like traces of grey and pale. As soon as I crawled to the kitchen to make myself a


    cup of coffee, Miranda and Monique barged in to help me with my makeup and clothes. To save the best


    for thest, Michael prepared me one more dress-a white, fitted, knee-length cocktail dress. It was


    elegant and modest, but, at the same time, it sexily embraced my hips, waistline, and breasts.


    ¡°Girl, you are going to give Aren blue balls for sure, not to mention that he is going to flip when he sees


    you in that silk gown. I would want you to rip that dress off of you myself,¡± Miranda teased.


    I chuckled, silently hoping for that kind of reaction from him. At the same time, I couldn¡¯t wait until I saw


    him in a tux. I bet that he would look even more mouthwatering than he did wearing a suit.


    At exactly 7 AM, I walked into the office with Neil by my side. There was no one but us and the office


    clerks inside as if it was meant for us to handle all formalities in secrecy. Frankly, I was quite certain that


    it was arranged that way on purpose. Aren joined us five minutester since the morning traffic enabled


    him to show up on time. As soon as he passed the threshold, all eyes were on him. My fianc¨¦ strode


    toward me, wearing a morous ck suit. His lips curved into a wicked grin as his eyes took me in.


    ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± he said alluringly. He was the only man on Earth able to arouse me with three


    words. ¡°Good morning, handsome, ¡°I breathed out.


    ¡°Ready to get married?¡± he said, offering his bent elbow. I nodded and hurriedly looped my hand around


    it. I barely registered when the clerk announced that we had just gotten married. My eyes were on Aren


    the entire time, and his sole focus was on me as well. I wished that it could be over soon and that we


    could be alone¡­ Unfortunately, we still had a wedding ceremony to go through.


    As soon as we left the office, we got separated again. Aren had to settle some minor issues at the


    company while I was taken to the Wintons¡¯ mansion to prepare. Once I arrived at the ce, I was


    instantly snatched by Veronica to approve of every detail of the venue. After three hours of running


    around the garden, checking every flower decoration and table setting, I begged her to let me eat


    breakfast and rest. Fortunately, my maids of honor showed up to take over and feed me with sandwiches


    and coffee.


    The time ran fast, and the whole ceremony was less than an hour away. My renewed makeup was


    already done, and it was time to put on Michael¡¯s marvelous silk creation.


    ¡°You look even more beautiful today than when you looked at the atelier,¡± Monique sobbed with emotion.


    ¡°Of course she does!¡± Miranda chuckled. ¡°She saw her hot husband today and she has never


    stopped blushing from that moment. I couldn¡¯t deny her words. My heart throbbed even harder as she


    mentioned my ¡°husband¡± ¨C the word was almost too surreal to my ears. I felt that I was mentally


    prepared for the whole show to go on before Veronica showed up, terror painting her expression.


    ¡°Houston, we have a problem!¡± she eximed as she barged into my preparation room. ¡°I = cannot find


    Neil! The cateringpany mixed our order, and there¡¯s a problem with the wedding cake!¡± My face


    became pale. I didn¡¯t think I had more strength to handle the food crisis. Fortunately, Monique and


    Miranda stepped in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will go with Veronica and take care of everything. You just sit here


    and breathe,¡± Monique said, leading me to sit on a bed. As they left me, closing the door behind them, I


    started to wonder why I didn¡¯t bring myself a bottle of proso. Bubbles and alcohol could surely ease


    my mind at that moment. I felt that I needed to calm down. I opened the window and tried to pull fresh air


    into my lungs when suddenly I heard the sound of the opening door. It looked like my maids could handle


    the toughest job in no time. I turned around, believing that it was Miranda or Monique who ! walked in. ¡°Is


    the food problem solved alre¡ª¡±


    A hard object hit my head. My vision became blurry. Thest thing I saw was a man in dark clothes with


    his face covered, leaning over my body as I copsed onto the floor. Heughed. ¡°There¡¯ll be no wedding


    today, bitch.¡±

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    Bait


    The throbbing in my head painfully announced my returning consciousness. The ache was strong


    enough to make me feel sick. I tried opening my eyes, but I saw nothing but ck. As I slowly regained


    my senses, I realized that I was tightly blindfolded with some dark piece of fabric. I was sitting on a hard,


    ufortable chair with my hands tied behind the back of the seat and another rope restraining me at


    my waist. My bare feet were stiff and painful from touching a smooth, cold floor. My whole body felt sore


    and numb. I wondered how many hours I had been sitting there. I shivered uncontrobly, but I couldn¡¯t


    say if it was because of the low temperature in the ce I was in or of my body¡¯s exhaustion. My heart


    pounded, spreading the adrenalin in my veins as the overwhelming fear paralyzed me. Where was I?


    Was there anyone inside that room, watching me right now? What kind of a sick bastard could have


    kidnapped me and why? Was it because of Aren?


    The squeaking sound of the door opening and then closing with a loud m made me jump in my seat.


    My breathing rate quickened as I heard someone¡¯s footsteps. The echo around the steps felt as if I was


    inside a warehouse or a grand hall. The footsteps were getting closer. ¡°My, my, what a lovely bride.¡± I


    heard a man¡¯s mocking voice. ¡°But such a waste of a beautiful dress. It¡¯s all dirty now.¡± ¡°W-who are you?¡±


    I asked with a hoarse voice from dryness in my mouth. The man leaned over me; his hand stroked my


    cheek, making me flinch. ¡°I¡¯m someone who hates your fianc¨¦ very much,¡± he whispered to my ear.


    ¡°Then you are a coward who¡¯s afraid to fight with him and go after his woman instead,¡± I hissed, tilting my


    head away from his hand.


    He chuckled coldly and moved closer, his breath nauseatingly brushing the skin on my neck.¡± Oh, don¡¯t


    worry, gorgeous. I am going to get Aren Lan. I just needed insurance; something that could lure him in,


    and you turn out to be his only weakness.¡±


    Iughed in panic. ¡°I don¡¯t think you know him too well, do you? I am not his weakness. I am merely


    convenient. He would never care enough to go and save me.¡± I tried to sound convincing, but, at the


    same time, my heart ached at the thought that my words could be true.


    He burst out intoughter, which sent chills down my spine. ¡°Ms. Cora Bell, I know everything about you


    and him. I don¡¯t know all the details, but I know that he needs to get married, and judging by the fact that


    you¡¯ve known each other for a little more than a month, I¡¯m guessing that it¡¯s a rtionship based on a


    contract.¡±


    ¡°You know shit!¡± I snapped, which made himugh even more viciously.


    My mind kept calcting what would be better: admitting what he assumed or trying to convince him that


    our rtionship was genuine. Unfortunately, none of those options seemed like the right choice. The


    contractual girl would be easy to dispose of, but Aren¡¯s true love could be used for some kind of spiteful


    revenge. Suddenly, I heard a buzzing phone sound; it was that man¡¯s phone.


    ¡°Talk,¡± he said grimly, answering it.


    I vaguely heard some sort of male voice talking. I couldn¡¯t understand any words, but it sounded like the


    person on the other side of the phone was reporting to the man who was with me in an agitated tone.


    ¡°All right,¡± the man standing beside me replied. ¡°Proceed as nned.¡± I heard a click suggesting he


    ended the call. My heart pounded wildly. Their ¡°n¡± must have been about Aren and me. Would they try


    to kill us? The man leaned over me again, this time grabbing my chin. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty little thing, aren¡¯t


    you?¡± He ced his hand on my thigh. ¡°If you y along, I will let you live a little longer.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Chills ran down my spine. His fingers curled on my leg, easily sliding through the silkyers of my dress


    and making me feel his disgusting touch. I targeted the direction where his spiteful breath came from and


    spat on his face.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± His p burnt my cheek, cutting my skin with something sharp he wore on his hand I hissed in


    pain, swallowing the blood that came from the torn corner of my lip. I knew that I shouldn¡¯t have


    provoked that guy, but I didn¡¯t want him to know how helpless I felt. I was blindfolded and tied. I had no


    idea where I was or how to escape. All I could do was to wait while trying to hide my fear to save the final


    shreds of my rationality. There was one good thing that came from that p-his violent hit slightly moved


    up my blindfold, letting my one eye see tiny glimpses of where I was and who was there with me¡­


    although it was mainly the floor. As I lowered my head, I noticed that the men standing beside me wore


    ck, expensive-looking shoes. A secondter, I heard the door open again, and, this time, more people


    walked inside. Those other men had military boots as if they were part of a private army. The ck-shoe


    guy walked over to them. ¡°It¡¯s about time. Take her upstairs and lock her in there,¡± hemanded.


    Another man walked into the room with fast, energetic strides. ¡°That wasn¡¯t part of our deal!¡± I froze as I


    recognized his voice immediately. ¡°She was supposed to be mine!¡±


    ¡°Can¡­¡± I muttered under my breath.


    I should have known that he was a part of my kidnapping. He must have given his universal key to


    someone from the mansion.


    The ck shoe guy chuckled. ¡°Mr. Winton, Aren Lan isn¡¯t an idiot. He has his way of knowing if the girl is


    inside the building or not. He can either use thermography or a satellite picture, and he will know. He will


    only walk into the trap if he thinks he can save her.¡±


    ¡°At least take her to some further corner of the warehouse so she has a chance to survive explosives,¡±


    Can said.


    ¡°Explosives?!¡± I gasped and restlessly shifted in my chair, struggling to free my hands. The man in the


    ck shoes burst into cold, spitefulughter. ¡°Yes, honey. We are nning for this building to blow up,


    and your fianc¨¦ will blow up with it.¡± ¡°Sick bastards! Aren won¡¯t evere here! If you think that he -¡±


    ¡°He is already on his way. He must really be lovesick. You should have heard how furious he was when


    he found out that we have you.¡± The ck-shoe guy¡¯s spiteful chuckle spread across the room.


    ¡°No¡­¡± I breathed out. I wanted to be safe, and get out of here, but I couldn¡¯t risk Aren¡¯s life. What if he


    truly was on his way, and he was really walking into this trap? My heart froze at the mere thought of it.


    ¡°Take her,¡± the ck-shoe guy ordered. Three men stepped closer to my chair. They took away the rope


    from my waist but left my wrists tied as they were. ¡°Get up and let¡¯s go!¡± one of those men shouted, lifting


    my numb body from the chair.


    I could barely stand on my frozen feet, but they mocked me,menting on the inept steps I took across


    the dirty concrete floor. They kept pushing me towards the door, knowing that I couldn¡¯t escape in my


    state. I clenched my teeth. I hoped they would pay for this, all of them. When I was by the threshold, I


    recognized Can¡¯s smell.


    He leaned over my ear and whispered, ¡°You did this to yourself. You should have chosen me. If you


    survive the explosion, you are going to be mine, all mine to y with.¡± He licked my ear, causing a wave


    of nausea in my stomach. ¡°I would rather die with Aren than be yours,¡± I hissed. Can huffed


    angrily. ¡°Then I will make sure that you live, and then I will y with you, making you wish you were


    dead!¡± As he walked away, letting out a furious roar, I started to pray for a miracle. If only I was stronger


    enough to fight those people. I had never been this defenseless in my whole life. ¡°Move!¡± One of the


    military men pushed me toward some stairs and made me climb up. I was led across a long corridor and


    pushed into the room at the end of it. Then I heard the door close behind me, followed by the sound of


    the maic lock. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t leave me here! What are you doing!¡± I screamed desperately. All three of


    them started tough. One of them leaned against the door from the other side and said. ¡°Enjoy your


    short stay, princess. We apologize for the inconvenience, as the room is quite dirty, but don¡¯t worry, we


    promise that soon you will have a st!¡±

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Surviving Tears started to wet my blindfold and flow down my cheeks, tears of fear and helplessness. I


    had never been so lost in my entire life. I shifted my weight from one frozen foot to another without even


    fully knowing what the ce that I was locked in looked like. ¡°Focus, Cora! Focus! You need to think!¡± I


    shouted at myself, forcing out thest ounce of my strength.


    I could still hear those vicious menughing outside my door, but I knew that they were getting ready to


    evacuate, and they would leave me here as soon as all the explosives were set. I heard one of them


    saying that the trigger would be ced on the door handle, and as soon as someone opened the door


    from the outside, the whole building would blow up. I knew that Aren wasn¡¯t stupid enough to walk in


    without checking the whole ce, but what if he acted irrational and hasty? I was on the edge of a panic


    attack, but I couldn¡¯t allow myself to lose my senses.


    Breathing deeply, I took cautious steps toward the wall and then started rubbing one of my cheeks up to


    my temple against it, trying to take my blindfold off. The wall was rough, and it kept scratching my skin


    each time I touched it, but I kept going, trying different angles until I got rid of the fabric that covered my


    eyes.


    I wanted to scream in joy when I could finally see, but that was nearly the first step to freeing myself. I


    turned around and looked at the ce. It was some kind of storage with tall metal shelves and tons of old


    paper documents. The floor and walls were raw and covered with dirt. I kept looking for something sharp


    to cut the rope around my wrists, but I couldn¡¯t see anything useful. Suddenly, I noticed that one of the


    edges of the metal bars, forming the shelves, seemed sharp. I turned my back toward the shelf and


    pressed the knot between my wrists against the metal bar. With careful movements, I slowly cut the rope,


    trying not to make too much noise and rm my guards, still present behind the door.


    ¡°Hey! How long is it gonna take?! I heard that this guy is already on the way here!¡± one of the men


    outside the door shouted.


    ¡°Fuck you, Dave! If you want it faster,e here and help!¡± I heard another voice yelling further in the


    corridor.


    ¡°No thanks!¡± He responded and chuckled coldly. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go and y with our princess in the


    meantime¡­¡±


    I swallowed and froze, staring at the door. ¡°Hey, man¡­ You¡¯re not really nning to go inside there, are


    you?¡± someone standing close to the door asked.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Dave asked. ¡°You can join if you like, Matt. The bitch will die here anyway, so why don¡¯t we


    have some fun?¡±


    I shook my head, terrified. I prayed that someone would stop them, but I only heard themughing


    eagerly at that bastard¡¯s idea. I started rubbing the rope against the metal bar again, faster this time. My


    hands were almost free when I heard someone typing tonal digits to


    unlock the door. ¡°No.¡± I made a barely audible sound as my instincts forced me to cower in fear.


    The door handle went down¡­ but the door didn¡¯t open.


    ¡°What the fuck, Matt?!¡± Dave snapped. ¡°I thought you knew the code!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t me me! I was told that it was a universal code for every door in that building! Try it again!¡±


    Matt growled.


    My breath was shallow and hectic. My tears kept flowing down while I cut the rope, despite wounding my


    hands in the process. I heard the tones of the code again. I clenched my teeth and rubbed the rope


    harder until the final string was cut. The door handle went down a bit¡­


    ¡°Oy! We¡¯re done! Let¡¯s go!¡± Someone¡¯s voice sounded loudly across the corridor.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Dave roared and kicked my door. ¡°Sorry, princess! We¡¯re leaving!¡± I heard their heavy footsteps


    be quieter as they were getting further away from my door. When it turned to silence, I copsed


    onto the floor and wept. I was tired, drained physically and emotionally, but some inner voice told me to


    stand up. I had to get out of that room, and I had to do it now!


    I took a deep breath, forcing my exhausted brain to function. I looked at the door lock. There was a


    number pad by the door. If only I had my phone with me, I could easily analyze the system and figure out


    the code or bypass it in no time, but at that moment I felt lost. I once heard about a way to open a


    maic lock using a ma, but I would have to build a ma first¡­


    I looked at the shelves filled with documents, hoping for any office supplies like metal paperclips. It would


    be amazing if I could find a battery and a copper wire, but what were my chances of finding those in the


    ce I was locked?


    I couldn¡¯t find anything. It turned out that there was nothing but endless tons of printed paper on those


    shelves. I looked behind it and under it but still found nothing. A huff soaked with frustration escaped my


    throat while my eyes shifted to the door handle.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t leave the door open¡­ would they?¡± I asked myself as I stared at the number


    Pad.


    I chuckled nervously, thinking that I would be the luckiest prisoner on Earth if that had happened. I


    stepped closer to the door and ced my trembling hand on the door handle. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± I


    muttered before yanking the door open. I burst out in hystericughter, looking back at my way into the


    corridor. My heart pounded erratically. I only prayed that there was still time and that I could warn Aren


    that he shouldn¡¯t go inside. I stepped out of the room and walked toward the stairs, recalling the route I


    had been led. There were long meters of wires stuck to every wall with small packages that looked like


    explosive materials. Shivers ran down my spine just by looking at them. I had no knowledge of what


    could trigger them to blow off, so I decided to step cautiously and try not to touch anything


    Suddenly, I heard amotioning from outside. It was getting louder-filled with


    furious shouts, the sounds of a fight, and gunshots. I turned my head to the source and looked outside


    the window. It looked like two military-like groups were fighting each other¡­or had fought each other.


    One of the groups, wearing all ck, surrounded the area, and the other group was forced to surrender.


    None of those people tried entering the building; they must have known about the bombs inside, but who


    were they? I prayed that they were the ¡°good guys.¡± I stood by that window, desperate to see any signs


    of hope¡­


    ¡°Aren¡­¡± My heart fluttered at the sight of him as the leader of the all-ck team.


    He didn¡¯t see me. He was standing there, one floor below me, wearing a pair ofbat pants and a


    ck fitted shirt. Was I crazy to admire how sexy he looked at that moment? He was giving his people


    orders while looking at something that looked like the building ns. I had to let him know that I was


    there. I stepped away from the window and carefully examined its frame and everything around it. It


    didn¡¯t seem like the window was connected to the explosives, but still, I was trembling in terror as I was


    opening it.


    ¡°Aren!¡± I shouted as tears flooded my face again.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He ran closer to my window. ¡°Cora!¡± He smiled, relieved before calling out, ¡°We cannot go inside to get


    you! You will have to jump down, sunshine!¡± I swallowed, looking at the ground over 20 feet below me.


    ¡°J-jump down?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°This is the only way! We had already checked; every single door was wired!¡±


    I took a deep breath, processing my surroundings. There were more than five wires going right below the


    windowsill. It was possible that touching any one of them could cause the explosion. I needed to move


    carefully and swiftly lift my sore and numb body to sit on the window frame. The fitted mermaid dress


    wasn¡¯t exactly helpful¡­ My heart ached as I grabbed the silk trim of the dress and tore it, making a long


    slit so that I could move my legs more freely. I grabbed the long back of the dress and put my first leg up,


    standing on the windowsill.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, sunshine! You can do it!¡± Aren encouraged me.


    His voice made my heart pound faster. I looked down and saw his men, stretching a jumping sheet for


    me while he was reaching out his hands as if he was ready to catch me. I couldn¡¯t wait until I found


    myself in his strong arms. Going beyond the limits of my strength, I finally managed to sit on the frame


    without touching any wires.


    ¡°Sunshine,e down and I will catch you¡­ I will always catch you,¡± he said softly, but I could hear him


    as if he stood right beside me.


    As terrified as I was, he made me calm. I pushed myself against the frame and jumped down. I


    remembered that my dress resembled a pair of beautiful wings, making me float in the air before I fell on


    the sheet. I barely registered how I found myself in Aren¡¯s arms less than a secondter.


    ¡°I told you that I would catch you,¡± he said, nuzzling against my cheek and leaving sweet little kisses.


    I corrected, ¡°You didn¡¯t catch me. They did.¡± I pointed at a group of his men, folding the jumping sheet.


    He leaned closer and gently bit my earlobe. ¡°Don¡¯t argue with me, wife.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to. I smiled at him, put my arms tightly around his neck, and closed my eyes.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Recovery I woke up in a hospital bed. It must have been early morning since the sun was slowly rising in


    orange-red. I could see its beautiful colors getting inside through the window. When I turned my head


    away from the glow, I noticed that I had an I drip attached to my arm, and then I saw one more thing¡­


    the shreds of my dirtied wedding gown, hanging by the closet behind the metal drip stand. The sight of it


    squeezed my chest painfully. I spent days dreaming about the moment Aren would see me wearing that


    amazing gown, and now, it just hung there devastated.


    ¡°They will pay for what they did.¡± Only then did I see Miranda sitting by the foot of my bed. Her eyes were


    swollen and red from tears, her jaw clenched. ¡°Miranda¡­¡± I muttered, giving her a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡±


    she mumbled, swallowing tears. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have left you alone¡­¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known. It¡¯s not


    your or Monique¡¯s fault. You were helping me with the wedding¡­¡± I paused as my eyes unknowingly


    drifted to my wedding gown. ¡°This would have been a wonderful ceremony, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± I smiled bitterly. I


    should probably be grateful for being alive and not care about material things, and yet I couldn¡¯t help but


    be seriously pissed that everything I had worked hard to n had been taken away from me. ¡°We will


    arrange a better one, you¡¯ll see. As soon as you recover¡­¡± Her voice cracked as she tried to restrain her


    tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± I said with a little chuckle. ¡°It was scary, I won¡¯t lie, but I was lucky enough to survive,


    and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    I tried to make my words sound confident, but I still shivered as I recalled what had happened and how I


    had felt, imprisoned. Miranda brushed the tears off her cheeks and cleared her throat before turning on


    her doctor mode. ¡°I will take you off the drip now. You had enough,¡± she said, stepping closer to take out


    gauze and antiseptics from the cab by my bed, ¡°Those fuckers hit your head hard. Luckily, it caused


    only a mild concussion, but the wound itself needed stitches¡­¡± ¡°Stitches?¡± I mumbled fearfully as my


    hand went to the back of my head. As I touched the thick dressing, I froze. I had clearly been high on


    adrenaline while trying to escape from the warehouse, enough not to realize that I had been bleeding


    from a wound on my head. ¡°We needed to shave a small area of your hair to dress the wound properly. It


    couldn¡¯t be avoided¡­ But the hair will grow back once we remove the stitches.¡± Miranda gave me a wry


    smile.


    Now I wanted to cry¡­ and kill those bastards! My long hair was one of the features I was proud of, and I


    was going to have a bald spot in the middle?! Suddenly, the destroyed wedding and the wedding gown


    lost their importance.


    ¡°H-how big is it?¡± I asked and held my breath.


    ¡°Less than two inches needed shaving. Don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s a straight line spot, so it will be easy to


    cover with other hair until it grows back,¡± she assured.


    I heaved a sigh of relief. My concern might have been shallow, but I had only started to regain my self-


    esteem recently and was still hypersensitive about every issue. Even if it was dumb of me, I just didn¡¯t


    want Aren to stop calling me beautiful¡­


    ¡°The cut on your face wasn¡¯t deep. I put an ointment on it so there won¡¯t be any scars,¡± Miranda


    continued. ¡°Aside from that, there are some bruises and a few abrasions on your cheek, wrists, and


    waistline. Those will heal in a few days.


    I nodded, stretching my lips into a dry grimace. I was highly aware that there was more to healing than


    just my physicality. ¡°Where is Aren?¡± I asked, desperate to feel his arms around me again. ¡°He had to


    handle some matters with the FBI an hour ago, but he was sitting by your bed the entire time.¡± Miranda


    grinned teasingly at thatst part, but I was more concerned with what she said before that.


    ¡°FBI?¡± I muttered, raising my eyebrows. I was almost certain that none of those people who had rescued


    me had an FBI emblem.


    ¡°As far as I know, the official version would be that you were attacked by a criminal group who kidnapped


    you for ransom, and the FBI agents retreated you from the hands of the criminals,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Official version¡­¡± My lips twisted into a lopsided smile.


    Miranda sighed. ¡°Yes¡­. Aren is handing over those fuckers to the bureau to handle, so they need to


    come up with a believable story. Besides, that will be suitable for the press as well¡­¡±


    ¡°The press?¡± My eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What does the press have to do with it?¡±


    I instantly remembered the way Aren and his team handled the whole not-engagement party with Liam¡¯s


    ex, Nicole. There was no trace that the event had ever been nned then, but now they needed to give


    the press a reliable story?


    Mirandaughed nervously. ¡°Things got slightly out of hand after you were kidnapped.¡±


    I sat up on my bed and grabbed her hand. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Monique and I were gone for


    like fifteen minutes. When we came back into the room, we saw one of your shoes and blood on the


    carpet. Aren arrived a few minutester, and when he found out that you were missing, he nearly lost it.


    He ended up beating the mansion¡¯s head of security into a bloody pulp, then someone else tipped the


    press¡­ and it all became hectic. It was only thanks to Neil that things didn¡¯t go even more south.


    Truthfully, I had never seen Aren so feverish and bloodthirsty but, at the same time, lost as if a part of


    him was missing.¡± Her words made my eyes wet with tears. I couldn¡¯t only imagine what kind of torment I


    would feel if he was the one missing. Every second with him gone would have been hell. Had it felt like


    that for him¡­? My heart started to pound frantically as I thought about it.


    ¡°And¡­ what happened after?¡± I inquired anxiously.


    ¡°They checked the surveince and found out that you were abducted by two men and taken away in a


    truck. There were a lot of vehicles going in and out that day, and the guards at the gate didn¡¯t even


    bother to check who was leaving. Once Augustus Winton came to the mansion, Arenshed out at him,


    iming that he was responsible for the kidnapping. A whileter, Aren¡¯s team found the kidnappers¡¯ trail


    and they left. That¡¯s all I know,¡± she said.


    I sighed, processing her words. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Miranda smiled.


    A secondter, the door opened, and Aren walked into the room. He looked tired, but his eyes


    brightened up as he looked at me. The smile that formed on his full lips took my breath away. I barely


    heard Miranda say, ¡°I will leave you two alone,¡± and couldn¡¯t remember the moment she left the room.


    Aren sat on my bed and leaned over me. His hand delicately stroked my hair while his eyes carefully


    examined my condition. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill those bastards for what they did to you,¡± he squeezed through


    his lips. I faintly ced my hand on top of his. ¡°Did you catch¡­ all of them?¡± I asked as my heart started


    to race.


    Aren shook his head. ¡°We only caught useless pawns. They are being interrogated right now, but they


    were all mercenaries with little knowledge about who they worked for.¡± ¡°I can help,¡± I said, giving his hand


    a little squeeze. He sighed heavily. ¡°I wanted to keep you away from this mess.¡± I chuckled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m


    already a part of this mess, don¡¯t you think? The one behind all of this said that he was doing it because


    he hates you. I didn¡¯t see him, but I could recognize his voice. And there was Can ¡±


    ¡°Can?! That fucker was there?!¡± My words brought him to the verge of bursting into fury.¡± Did he do


    something to you?¡± he asked, struggling to keep mere shreds of hisposure. I smiled and stroked his


    cheek. ¡°I heard stupid nothing but threats from him¡­ but he was clearly the one who helped organize my


    kidnapping.¡± Aren grabbed my hand and kissed it, his anger slowly disappearing underneath my touch. ¡°I


    had already assumed that he could be behind this, but we gathered only circumstantial evidence¡­¡± He


    locked his eyes on me, guilt shing in his irises.


    My chest squeezed. ¡°You did your best to protect me,¡± I assured.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Not enough,¡± he muttered before taking a deep breath. ¡°I promised myself that I would never kill anyone


    of my own blood¡­ but this fucker has to be punished for what he did. The FBI will help, but¡­


    ¡°But?¡± I inhaled restlessly.


    Aren grabbed my other hand in his, his thumbs slightly rubbing the backs of my palms. ¡°You would have


    to testify against him. It wouldn¡¯t be like giving testimony in front of a court, but


    still, you would have to face him. If you don¡¯t feel that you are up for this, then-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± The words escaped my mouth in a rush.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± His eyes read my expression with deep concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m positive,¡± I replied. I was done being a victim. This time I was going to make those who hurt me pay


    for it dearly.

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Together Miranda insisted on keeping me in her clinic for the observation, although I truly wanted to go


    home and spend more time with Aren. At the same time, I knew that I shouldn¡¯t have bothered him for a


    while. He had a lot to take care of. Nheless, I felt more lonely than ever without him. I was desperate


    to feel him again. I could nearly sense that he was the essential element I needed in my therapy.


    Certainly, he kept calling me whenever he had time to talk, but it wasn¡¯t half asforting as his touch or


    even the sole sight of him.


    My bruises and the cut on my cheek were healing fast. After five days, they were almost


    invisible. Unfortunately, I had to wait a little longer to remove the stitches from the wound on my head. It


    was one of the reasons Miranda wanted to keep me inside the clinic longer, but I could sense the real


    reason¡­ As unreasonable as it was, she felt guilty, and that made her overprotective.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Miranda, I can take care of myself. Trust me,¡± I coaxed. She stayed relentless. ¡°I will release you once


    I¡¯m certain that the cut on your head is healing as it should.¡±


    I sighed, raising my hands in surrender. I knew that the time I went missing had been a horrifying


    experience for her as well. She told me many times just how much she was terrified, predicting the


    worse. She needed some form of recovery just as badly as I did, and if staying in her clinic one more day


    would decrease her anxiety, then I was willing to do that for her.


    Finally, she removed my stitches and was left without serious reasons to keep me in a hospital bed. I


    almost flew out of the room and jumped for joy the entire way out of the clinic. I couldn¡¯t wait until I was in


    the penthouse, and I couldn¡¯t wait even more until I was alone with Aren.


    I texted him when I was on my way. I didn¡¯t want to call him since I knew that he was still dealing with the


    FBI and interrogations. Much to my surprise, he called me right after my message. ¡°Are you sure that


    you are OK?¡± he said, worryingly. I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure that I was OK a few days earlier.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be home in


    an hour.¡± He ended the call before I could react. The corners of my lips curled up into a girly grin. It


    wasn¡¯t even six o¡¯clock, and I would never expect him to leave work at this hour, and yet he was going


    home. He was willing to leave his work early to see me. I couldn¡¯t help but burst into joy.


    Once I stepped into the penthouse, my eyes became watery. I inhaled Aren¡¯s scent; every room was


    filled with traces of his intoxicating presence. I went to my bedroom to fix my makeup and do as much as


    I could with my hair, and then I counted the minutes until I could see my husband.


    As soon as I could hear the private elevatoring up, I rushed to wait by the door. He opened the door


    with his zing eyes, ready to devour me. As he stepped through the threshold, his arms stretched to


    reach me and pull me into a tight embrace. His lips searched hungrily until


    they found mine, iming them with a sensual kiss. Despite his thirst and passion riling within him, his


    touch and caresses were gentle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± he whispered against my neck before cing delicate kisses on my burned-up


    skin.


    ¡°You won¡¯t hurt me, kissing me,¡± I coaxed, tangling my fingers into the silk strands of his hair.


    ¡°But there should be limits for now¡­ right?¡± he asked softly, nibbling my corbone.


    I leaned back to meet his eyes and gave him a slightly wry smile. As badly as I wanted to fill the next


    long hours with hot, passionate sex with him, Miranda would probably kill me if I didn¡¯t stick to her


    instructions and exhaust my still fragile body. Aren sighed in response, gave me another sweet kiss on


    the lips, and stepped back. ¡°If I touch you more, I will not be able to control myself,¡± he purred, making


    me squeeze my thighs.


    It was unfair. Those bastards not only took away my wedding ceremony but also my wedding night with


    Aren¡­ and I was kind of looking forward to tasting his passion. Now, when we could hold each other


    again, my body was too weak to handle him.


    ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± Aren looked at me questioningly, pulling out his phone to make an order.


    I shook my head, suddenly feeling cold as I had already missed his touch. He smiled warmly at me and


    stroked my cheek. ¡°Shrimp pasta or steaks?¡± he asked, letting me choose between two of my favorites.


    ¡°Shrimp pasta,¡± I said timidly.


    ¡°Pasta it is then.¡±


    I watched him make a call, enjoying the sight of him in his perfect suit. I still couldn¡¯t believe that the man


    standing before me was my husband, my man, all mine¡­ for the next two years. Of course, I knew that


    there woulde a time when we would have to talk about the contract and how it fitted our reality. But I


    couldn¡¯t bear to think about it at that moment. I kept recalling every minute of my imprisonment and how


    terrified I was, but I realized that I wasn¡¯t afraid of losing my life as much as I was afraid of losing Aren¡­


    I acknowledged that fact, but I wasn¡¯t ready to admit that I knew what it meant.


    Once Arenpleted our order, he grabbed my hand and led me to the window so we could admire the


    sunset over Manhattan. He stood behind me, his hands wrapped around my waist.


    He lowered his head and gently nuzzled the top of mine. ¡°I was terrified,¡± he said, barely audibly.


    I shivered, wondering if I had heard him correctly. ¡°W-what?¡± His grip around me tightened. ¡°I was never


    afraid of losing anyone as much as I was afraid of losing you.¡± I gasped, tears drawing thin lines down


    my cheeks. ¡°I was trying to make sure you wouldn¡¯t lose me.¡± I smiled despite crying.


    He kissed my head right by the wound. ¡°You did a great job with that.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I replied smugly, whilst


    crying. ¡°Sunshine, you are incredible. You are the strongest woman I have ever met,¡± he whispered as if


    he were revealing the greatest secret. I smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯m not strong¡­ My body is weak and fragile. ¡­ I


    couldn¡¯t even defend myself.


    ¡°Cora, baby¡­¡± He leaned down to kiss my neck ¡°Those were men with many years ofbat training.


    You survived, and that makes you crazy strong.¡±


    I turned around and wrapped my arms around him and ced my head on his broad chest.¡± Teach me


    how to defend myself,¡± I whispered.


    He chuckled. ¡°You won¡¯t need to defend yourself. I will never leave you again.¡±


    I leaned back and frowned. ¡°You cannot predict everything, and I want to know how to properly punch


    someone like Can.¡±


    Arenughed and ced a quick kiss on my lips. ¡°All right. I will teach you, but you have to recover first.¡±


    I nodded agitatedly, willing to wait and then ept the hardest training as long as it would let me feel


    less helpless the next time I faced danger.


    We stood in a tight embrace until our food delivery came. Then we sat by the table and ate our dinner


    while constantly maintaining some form of physical contact; either we held hands, tangling our fingers, or


    touched each other¡¯s feet and legs under the table. It was foolish, obnoxiously sweet, and I loved every


    second of it. Perhaps we truly started to behave like newlyweds in a real rtionship¡­


    ¡°Would you like to drink more wine, wife?¡± Aren grinned slyly, opening another bottle before I replied.


    ¡°Yes please, husband dearest,¡± I smirked, pointing at my ss. We sat and stared at each other, smiling.


    I could feel that he missed me just as much as I missed him. We enjoyed ourforting silence, but


    there were still unavoidable subjects that we had to discuss.


    ¡°Do you have any idea who might be behind it?¡± I asked before finishing the ss of wine. He sighed. ¡°A


    lot of people hate me. Fortunately, there are only a few who could pull off such an attack.¡±


    ¡°I think it was something more than business. The way he talked to me¡­ and tried to touch me¡­ It was


    personal,¡± I imed.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Aren narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°That fucker touched you?¡± His voice was calm, but his ck


    irises zed with fury.


    I swallowed and smiled nervously. ¡°Well¡­ He touched my thigh. I spat in his face, and then he pped


    me¡­¡±


    ¡°Was the cut on your face from him?¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He punched the table with his fist. I smiled faintly at him and stretched my hand out to stroke his


    whitened knuckles.


    ¡°My cheek is almostpletely healed, and you shouldn¡¯t blow off your anger on the poor table. Save


    your strength for the moment we find that bastard,¡± I said confidently. He smirked, ¡°For the moment ¡°we¡±


    find him?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± I grinned. ¡°We are a husband and a wife already. We are in this together.¡± He


    leaned forward on the table and delicately ced his hand on the back of my head. ¡°I like the sound of


    that.¡± His deep, alluring voice kept resonating within me while he sealed my lips with another sensual


    kiss.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Bing Mrs. Lan We walked upstairs and stopped at my bedroom door. Aren held my hand in his, his


    thumbs rubbing my palm teasingly. ¡°Good night, Cora,¡± he said, reluctantly.


    His hand was slipping away as he turned toward his door. Somehow, I felt a wave of anxiety.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡± My fingers curled on his tips, unwilling to let him leave. ¡°Beautiful, we


    shouldn¡¯t.¡± He smiled and kissed my forehead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone. Just¡­ stay with me.¡± I stared at him with pleading eyes, watching his


    resistance melt away.


    He didn¡¯t say a word as I led him inside. Wey in my bed in an embrace, caressing each other and


    leaving trails of soft kisses until we fell asleep. I woke up nuzzling his chest while hey on his side with


    one hand on my neck and the other wrapped around my waist. I tried not to wake him up, but I failed as I


    tried to straighten up a bit. ¡°Good morning, sunshine,¡± he mumbled with his sexy, sleepy voice. ¡°Good


    morning, handsome.¡± I climbed a bit to kiss the tip of his nose.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got work to do today,¡± he said. I sighed, my lips twisting in a wry grimace. ¡°What kind of work?¡± ¡°I


    contacted a famous jewelry artist. We have to pick a design for your fifty-million-dor ne,¡± he


    smirked.


    I gasped. I was hesitant about wearing something like that before, but it was all different now. I wanted to


    wear that ne with pride, proving to those bastards out there that I wasn¡¯t afraid.


    I lifted my head, supporting it on my bent elbow, and grinned. ¡°When are we going?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Right


    after breakfast.¡± I took a shower, careful not to soak the wound on my head, and then tied my hair in a


    bun. It was frustrating that I couldn¡¯t wear my hair the way I wanted for now, but I kept telling myself that


    it was only temporary. It was a small price to pay for surviving and escaping from the vicious trap I had


    been locked in. I picked an elegant Giorgio Armani cream, knee-length, fitted dress with a shallow


    neckline. I decided that I should look presentable, standing beside my incredible husband and talking


    about the millions-worth ne. ¡°You look amazing, wife.¡± Aren grinned, his eyes taking me in as I


    walked downstairs, carrying his mother¡¯s jewelry box with Tian Kong inside the secret pocket. His


    compliments meant a lot to me. After all, I waspletely inexperienced in choosing high -end fashion


    clothing. Luckily, my intuition hadn¡¯t failed me yet. With a jacket hung on my shoulders, I started to feel


    like a light version of Audrey Hepburn, and I had to admit that I sincerely enjoyed the way I looked. Aren


    seemed to appreciate it as well since his eyes were


    locked on me the entire way to the jeweler.


    My husband used every precaution; there were at least two other cars following us, securing our way to


    the shop. As we arrived at the back door, those cars blocked the way. We got out of the car surrounded


    by six bodyguards who led us inside even though there were only a few steps from the door. As soon as


    the door opened, the entire staff of the shop greeted us as if we were royals. The shop¡¯s manager bowed


    down and swiftly led us to the artists¡¯ workshop. ¡°Master Gerard Auir,¡± he said as he introduced us to


    the short, grey-haired man with an elegantly curled mustache.


    ¡°How do you do, Master Auir?¡± I said, greeting him with a smile.


    Aren, who stood right behind me, gave a man a brief but polite nod. The artisan responded the same


    way to both of us and then gestured at us to follow him to his workce.


    ¡°Can I see the diamond, Mrs. Lan?¡± he asked, sitting by his desk and taking an eyepiece in his hand.


    I guessed that the word ¡°diamond¡± must have been a keyword around there since as soon as Mr. Auir


    said it, the entire workshop turned silent. I could feel everyone¡¯s eyes were on me. Every single person in


    the room couldn¡¯t wait to see the amazing gem.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I smiled, putting the box on his desk and opening the secret pocket.


    Once I ced it on my palm for everyone to see, I heard a wave of gasps and the sounds of awe.


    ¡°May 1?¡± Master Auir nervously warmed up his fingers by rubbing them against his thumb.


    I handed the diamond over to his skillful hands, and I could see his eyes widen from the moment he


    touched it. The rest of the artisans in the room observed how he examined the


    diamond with excited anticipation. I figured they had all their breath held, waiting to hear the results of


    their Master¡¯s evaluation.


    ¡°Absolutely perfect!¡± Master Auir eximed and grinned at Aren and me beamingly.


    Aren chuckled, grabbing my hand beforementing on the artisan¡¯s words. ¡°Of course it is. This is Tian


    Kong, one of the most perfect gems ever found.¡±


    ¡°It sure is¡­¡± Master Auir nodded before shifting his eyes to me. ¡°What kind of a ne would you


    like with this wonderful stone, Mrs. Lan?¡±


    I nced at Aren, my lips painting an awkward smile. Aren winked at me and gave my hand a little


    squeeze. ¡°How about a shining sun?¡± he suggested. Master Auir raised his eyebrows. ¡°What exactly


    do you mean?¡±


    Aren smirked and leaned toward the artisan. ¡°Use Tian Kong as the heart of the ne, the sun, and


    then use some other elements to build sunrays.¡±


    Master Auir grinned. ¡°The blue sun¡­ I like the idea!¡± As he grabbed a piece of paper from his desk,


    he hurriedly started sketching the round pendant with tiny gems surrounding the main diamond and white


    gold, forming little rays.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± I breathed, imagining how beautiful it could look.


    ¡°Would you like to wear a ne like this?¡± Aren asked, leaning over and cing a soft kiss on my


    forehead.


    ¡°I think it would be gorgeous,¡± I said, smiling at my husband.


    Master Auir chuckled. ¡°It will be much more than that! I¡¯m going to make the most stunning ne


    in Manhattan for you!¡±


    He surely sounded agitated. Aren epted his suggestion of adding tiny natural diamonds and lighter


    blue diamonds to build the crown circling the sun. It looked like his mother¡¯s gem would get an amazing


    and worthwhile setting.


    We left the precious stone in Master Auir¡¯s hands and got back to the car. Aren seemed deep in


    thought, with only a faint smile betraying his bright mood. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret turning your mother¡¯s


    heritage into a ne,¡± I said timidly, leaning my head against his arm.


    He put his hand on my thigh. ¡°The diamond is yours, and I couldn¡¯t be more d that you are going to


    wear it. A perfect gem for my sunshine.¡±


    My heart fluttered again. I couldn¡¯t fight the warmth he kept giving me. Nheless, I was terrified of


    acknowledging that I was falling¡­


    ***


    We had another important ce to visit that day, and it was the FBI¡¯s New York Office, where I was


    supposed to give my testimony. As we arrived at 26 Federal za, Agent Collins was already waiting for


    us.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Lan, please follow me,¡± he said, taking us to the interrogation room.


    I must admit that it looked rather intimidating. The raw, dark-grey walls and the four seats set around the


    ck table gave out a slightly unpleasant vibe, but the element that increased my restlessness was a


    wide two-way mirror, spreading through one of the walls. I looked cautiously at my surroundings, noticed


    several cameras installed near the ceiling, and instantly felt like a suspect.


    ¡°I apologize for bringing you here, Mrs. Lan, but it is for your safety. Besides, we need to record your


    testimony and this room provides the best conditions to do it,¡± Agent Collins exined.


    I was left with him and another agent, as Aren stayed outside, although I assumed that he joined other


    agents that were about to listen to my testimony in the room hidden behind the mirror.


    ¡°Whenever you are ready, Mrs. Lan.¡± Agent Colling gestured at me and smiled. I took a deep breath and


    started to exin in detail what had happened from the moment of my abduction to the second I jumped


    down from the window of the warehouse. Agent Collins had his eyes on me the entire time while the


    other agent took notes, sparing me a nce only a few times during my testimony.


    ¡°So you were blindfolded and didn¡¯t see anyone. Is that correct?¡± Agent Collins questioned.


    ¡°I saw only a few glimpses of the floor and the shoes¡­ For example, the mercenaries all had heavy


    boots on while the main culprit had elegant, shiny, ck leather shoes. When Can Winton walked near


    me, I could see that he was wearing brown crocodile leather shoes,¡± I stated.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Lan. You did a great job,¡± the agent said, turning off the cameras with the remote


    control and ending the testimony.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I asked nervously, getting up from my seat.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°We will inform you when we-¡± His words were interrupted by another agent who


    mmed the door open. ¡°I apologize for my intrusion, Sir,¡± he said agitatedly and bowed down. ¡°We


    caught him.¡± ¡°You caught Can Winton?¡± Collins asked. ¡°Yes. Our team caught him, and they are taking


    him in as we speak.¡±

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Interrogation My heart thundered at an insane rate. Was that it? Was Can finally going to get the


    punishment he deserved? I looked at the agents but couldn¡¯t read too much from their faces. They kept


    passing each other some documents while I was heading out of the i


    of the interrogation room,municating by either frowning or nodding.


    ¡°Excuse me, Agent Collins¡­¡± I patted his arm to get his attention. ¡°Please, tell me, what else can I do to


    send this bastard behind bars?¡±


    He gave me a wry smile. ¡°You are wee to stay and watch the interrogation with Mr. Lan, but don¡¯t


    count on great results.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked nervously. ¡°It¡¯s your word against his. We¡¯ve got a little circumstantial


    evidence, but unless he confesses, he can go free.¡± His words felt as if someone had pierced my heart.


    My face turned pale at the mere thought that this son of a bitch could get away with it.


    ¡°Can you get his phone?¡± I asked, thinking about the source of possible evidence.


    ¡°Not without a warrant, and I doubt that he would let us see his phone willingly. Besides, he¡¯s a rich


    family¡¯s kid, so I bet that hiswyer is already on his way here as well. We would need something strong,


    and we only have a few street camera shots with his face to prove that he was around the warehouse


    area¡­ and your testimony,¡± he exined. I gritted my teeth. There had to be some other evidence we


    could use¡­ ¡°Can we get data from ry towers to get his mobile phone location from that day?¡± I


    suggested.


    The agent nodded but grimaced. ¡°We have already asked for it, but getting that kind of information takes


    time. Perhaps, we¡¯ll get it tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, or next week.¡±


    I clenched my fists, fully determined. ¡°What if¡­ I could get you the information you need while you run


    the interrogation?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± he narrowed his eyes at me. I smiled nervously, thinking that I


    might have gone too far in trying to be helpful. Suddenly, Aren showed up as he walked into the corridor


    with a smug smile.


    ¡°Jack,¡± he referred to the agent, ¡°my wife is very skillful when ites to finding any form of digital data.


    She can help as long as you don¡¯t ask how she got it.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I took a deep breath and locked my eyes on Agent Collins. ¡°I know that you won¡¯t be able to use the


    information from me in a courtroom, but it could be used to force Can Winton to confess, right?¡±


    Jack Collins exhaled, the corners of his lips curled up into a wicked smile. ¡°What else can you find?¡±


    I smirked, ¡°How about data from his car¡¯s GPS?¡±


    Agent Collins agreed that he would dwell on the matter of whether what I was about to do was legit or


    not. We all knew that he was able to get the same information legally, but for us, time was a crucial


    aspect. Why? Because it was almost certain that once Can walked out of that office, Augustus Winton


    would do everything to send Can to a country without an extradition treaty, even if Can had to be


    thrown into the luggage hatch of Wintons¡¯ private


    jet.


    I turned on myptop and worked my wonders while Agent Collins, who insisted that I call him by his first


    name from now on, pretended that he didn¡¯t see me hacking into the cellphonework. It took me less


    than twenty minutes to find the location of the cellphone towers that his phone had used on the day of


    my kidnapping. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the evidence we all hoped for¡­


    ¡°He must have turned off his phone when he was on his way,¡± Jack said, heaving a sound of frustration.


    ¡°Unfortunately, my stepbrother used those few neurons he still has in his brain. It looks like thest ry


    tower locates him as near as the surveince camera images of him that we found at the gas station, ten


    miles away from the warehouse,¡± Aren rified.


    Jack shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not enough. That fucker and hiswyer are going to be here in less than fifteen


    minutes.¡±


    The mastermind of this operation could have been intelligent enough not to make any mistakes, but


    Can wasn¡¯t like that. I had known him well. He had to leave his trail somewhere. Of course, his


    fingerprints could have been found at the warehouse that eventually blew up. His fingerprint could have


    been somewhere among at least fifty other fingerprints that belonged to the mercenaries. But it could


    take months, if not years, to find evidence of his presence there. I promised Jack that I would get him the


    data from Can¡¯s car¡¯s GPS, and he would improvise with what the FBI had on him at that moment in


    the meantime. This time, Aren and I walked into the room behind the two-way mirror where we could


    witness Can Winton¡¯s interrogation. I was sitting with theputer on myp and staring into the


    depths of the still -empty room.


    Aren grabbed my trembling hand. ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± he whispered. ¡°We will catch him one way or another, even if


    he walks out free today. I will chase him to the north pool and back if I have to.


    ¡°No¡­¡± I muttered before shifting my eyes to my husband. ¡°He¡¯s going to end up behind bars today.¡±


    Five minutester, Can walked into the interrogation room with hiswyer and Jack. My blood started


    to boil as I saw Can¡¯s smug expression. I wanted to punch that cocky face just to wipe his smile off.


    Can¡¯swyer put his briefcase on the table and pulled out a file of documents, smirking at Jack. Agent


    Collins nced our way and winked at Aren and me. I knew that he was way too experienced in his field


    to feel threatened by a mere desk jockey.


    ¡°So, Mr. Winton, mind telling me what you were doing on Saturday, the 28th of May?¡± Jacked


    started.


    Can nced at hiswyer, waiting for him to give him a nod of approval before he answered, ¡°I was in


    the Hamptons, at my family¡¯s summer estate. I have bills from gas stations to prove it.¡± On his mark, the


    lawyer took out a pile of receipts and handed them over to Agent Collins. Jack smiled wryly. ¡°So you


    were at the gas station on Long Ind Avenue, on your way to the Hamptons?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Can


    confirmed with a smirk. ¡°Why did you choose a local station instead of a few bigger ones you had just a


    few miles further?¡± he asked, narrowing his gaze at Can. Can shrugged. ¡°I liked it¡­ Its name was


    ¡°Green Gas Station,¡± and I care for Mother Nature.¡± Aren cursed under his breath, his jaw clenching in


    anger. ¡°What is it?¡± I muttered, cing my hand on his arm. ¡°The fucker came prepared. The surveince


    footage was from the same station as the receipts he has just shown. Our evidence will be worthless in


    court now,¡± he squeezed through his teeth.


    ¡°But that station is near the warehouse, right?¡± I asked. Aren sighed. ¡°Yes, but they will say that it was


    merely a coincidence that he was in the area.¡± I knew that he was right, and that made me seriously


    pissed off. Gritting my teeth, I shifted my attention to theputer screen and started to look for a way to


    hack into Can¡¯s GPS. It was fortunate that the old Augustus had never trusted his grandson enough to


    let him drive without a tracker he could trace. I knew what kind of system the Wintons used because


    once Can asked me to disable it so he could go to a party outside Oxford unnoticed. I was stupid


    enough to help him then, but now, hopefully, this knowledge was going to help me lock that son of a bitch


    for good. I almost burst out into evilughter as I found out that all their codes remained the same as four


    years ago. That made getting all the information I needed the easiest thing on Earth. I copied every


    single route Can¡¯s car went that day. Of course, his one-hour stop not far away from the warehouse


    was marked there as well. As I sent Jack a message with everything I had found, I finger-gunned Can


    and said triumphantly, ¡°Busted!¡±

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Checkmate


    I was no longer in my seat. I was standing by the window-side of the two-way mirror, anxiously waiting


    for the oue of the interrogation. Aren was right beside me, holding my hand. Two other agents, like


    us, stared through the window, counting the seconds until they heard Can¡¯s confession. Agent Collins


    grabbed his phone and smirked while going through the information I sent him. He stood that way for a


    while, knowing that Can and hiswyer observed his every move and change of expression. Well, if


    Jack wanted to rob Can of his smug confidence, then I could see that it was working. ¡°What?¡± My


    asshole-of-ex-boyfriend grunted as he couldn¡¯t handle the tension.


    Jack red at him and stepped closer to his seat, looking down at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t go to the Hamptons,


    Mr. Winton,¡± he said, putting his phone down with his car route disyed on the screen for him and his


    lawyer to see. ¡°You went to the abandoned warehouse, in the middle of nowhere.¡± He chuckled coldly.


    ¡°Even so, that¡¯s not a crime, is it?¡± Can smirked.


    ¡°Not when it is the same ce where your abducted ex-girlfriend was,¡± Jack stated dangerously.


    Thewyer interfered in an instant. ¡°I believe that your map doesn¡¯t prove my client¡¯s whereabouts. It


    only indicated where his car was at the time.¡±


    Jack burst intoughter. ¡°Then, are you suggesting that Mr. Winton went to the Hamptons on foot? What


    about the receipts from the gas station? Was Mr. Winton tanking some invisible vehicle?¡±


    Can red at hiswyer before shifting his eyes to Agent Collins. ¡°That¡¯s it, I am leaving!¡± he roared,


    getting up from his seat.


    ¡°Get your ass back on the seat!¡± Agent Collins thundered, then referred to thewyer, ¡°Mr. Harris, this is


    the moment you should suggest to your client to be more cooperative. This is a serious matter which


    could bring him severe consequences.¡± Thewyer nodded and leaned over Can to whisper


    something in his ear. Can groaned but finally sat down.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Jack took a seat in front of him and leaned forward, locking his eyes on Can. ¡°Let me be clear. We


    know that you helped an organized group to get into the Wintons¡¯ mansion and kidnap your stepbrother¡¯s


    fianc¨¦e. She testified that you were inside that warehouse and that you made a deal with the one who


    nned the whole thing.¡±


    Can scoffed. ¡°You have a big imagination, Agent Collins. I was never inside that warehouse. I don¡¯t


    know anyone, and I didn¡¯t n anything.¡±


    Jack turned to Mr. Harris. ¡°Advise your client to talk, otherwise it WILL end ugly for him. We have data


    from cell towers indicating that Mr. Winton was in the area. We know that his car was parked in front of


    the warehouse for an hour, and we have an eyewitness.¡±


    ¡°An eyewitness?¡± Can snapped, ignoring Mr. Harris, who gestured at him to calm down.¡± She didn¡¯t


    see me! She couldn¡¯t see anything! She was blindfo-¡± He froze with his mouth wide open.


    I gasped, squeezing Aren¡¯s hand while the two other agents, standing beside us, snorted at Can¡¯s


    foolish mistake.


    ¡°Blindfolded?¡± Jack finished the word, one corner of his mouth curling into a cold smirk.


    Mr. Harris turned to his client. ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer. You don¡¯t need to say anything.¡±


    Can sealed his mouth. His expression lost all of the confidence he had before. His face was turning


    paler every second. He screwed up and must have finally realized that this wasn¡¯t the time when he


    could get away with everything. ¡°Mr. Winton, game over. I can charge you with viting several federal


    laws, including kidnapping, organizing an illegal military group, possession of explosive materials, and


    attempting murder. We have data from your GPS, proving that your car was there. We have a victim of


    your crime testifying that you were there. And I bet that some of the captured mercenaries will eventually


    crack and indicate you as the main culprit as well¡­¡± Agent Collins paused and walked closer to Can¡¯s


    side of the table. ¡°But I know that you weren¡¯t the mastermind, Mr. Winton, so why don¡¯t you tell us who


    the real perpetrator was, and I guarantee that you will get a lower sentence as an aplice. Your


    alternative could be life in prison, so think carefully.¡±


    Can seemed terrified, but I didn¡¯t think that he was afraid of going to prison. Eventually, after


    discussing the matter with hiswyer, he admitted to being at the warehouse, which was enough to


    arrest him. He didn¡¯t say anything else. He didn¡¯t even mention that there was another person involved,


    and since it was the only thing that could save his skin, it could only mean one thing: he was threatened.


    I saw Can getting cuffed with mixed emotions. I didn¡¯t feel that justice had been served at all; not when


    the guy who nned it all was still out there, and we weren¡¯t any closer to finding out who he was. After


    the show was over, Jack invited us to dinner-a pizza dinner in his office. We were sitting there mostly in


    silence, processing the investigation and wondering what we had all missed. Aren seemed lost in


    thought, frowning. He stayed silent for some time until suddenly shifting his eyes to Jack. ¡°Burner


    phone,¡± he said. ¡°He must have used a burner phone tomunicate with that guy, right?¡±


    Jack nervously scratched his head full of brown hair. ¡°I guess so, but we didn¡¯t find any other phone on


    him when we arrested him. If he had one with him, he must have gotten rid of him earlier.¡±


    ¡°What about his apartments or his car?¡± Aren inquired.


    ¡°We checked everything simultaneously, the second he was brought into custody. Nothing significant was


    found.¡± Jack sighed heavily before shoving another pizza triangle into his mouth.


    ¡°Can I have Can¡¯s phone?¡± I asked, turning Jack and Aren¡¯s attention to me. ¡°You took his phone when


    you arrested him, didn¡¯t you?¡± Jack raised his eyebrows at me and chuckled. ¡°I know Can Winton isn¡¯t


    a criminal genius, but he wouldn¡¯t n his brother¡¯s murder using his own phone.¡±


    ¡°He is not aplete idiot, but he iszy. He could use a burner app instead of buying a burner phone.


    The app can work simrly in many ways. It is said that it permanently erases messages, call registers,


    changes the number ID, or can even hide the phone¡¯s location,¡± I


    exined.


    Aren smirked and slid his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his embrace. ¡°Will you be able to


    retrieve the burned data from his phone if he used the app, sunshine?¡± My lips curled into a demonic


    smile. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you married aputer genius,¡± I said and ced a soft kiss on his lips. Jack


    rolled his eyes at us. ¡°Get a room, will ya?¡±


    Aren narrowed his eyes at Jack ¡°I never said anything when you and your wife acted all lovey dovey in


    front of me right after the wedding.¡±


    Jack spread his arms wide. ¡°Hey! I¡¯ve always been the romantic type, so it was different! You are a cold,


    calctive son of a bitch, and it makes me cringe when I see you looking at your wife like that!¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Aren chuckled.


    Jack shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ like you have any emotions within you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. The


    sum of little things like Jack¡¯s words about Aren brought me closer and closer to admitting the truth about


    Aren and his ce in my heart. Every time I looked into my husband¡¯s eyes, I felt more convinced that he


    was like me-on the verge of saying aloud something that had been obvious for a while now¡­


    ***


    Jack promised that he would have Can¡¯s phone delivered to my office in Lan Diamond Corporation the


    next day. I figured that it would be faster if I worked on retrieving data with Norton and n¡¯s help. I was


    almost certain that I would find something, anything that would help us catch that disgusting guy who


    wanted Aren¡¯s dead. I was all fired up about it and couldn¡¯t wait until I got my hands on that data. But that


    was for tomorrow¡­


    Despite everything that had happened that day, I was happy to spend it with Aren. Even after we left the


    FBI¡¯s office, we went home together. I guess Aren wanted to make up for the time we¡¯d lost while I was


    recovering. As soon as we walked into the penthouse, he opened the bottle of champagne so we could


    enjoy the bubbles while watching the sunset. I loved that moment of serenity, but couldn¡¯t help but


    wonder if it wasn¡¯t a calm before the storm¡­ ¡°It might be harder from now on,¡± Aren said suddenly.


    ¡°Why?¡± I muttered, nuzzling his chest and sliding my arms around his waist. ¡°We will have our wedding


    ceremony on Saturday. It will be organized at the Blue Crystal Hotel, and the press will be present.


    Afterward, everyone will know that you are my wife. You


    oranate


    will be a target¡­¡± he paused as if the words were stuck in his throat. I sighed, leaning back to look


    at him. ¡°I am already a target, but I will be fine¡­ We will be fine. ¡± I smiled at him. He kissed the top of


    my nose and smirked. ¡°I guess I will really have to teach you some defense techniques.¡±


    I blinked my eyes seductively. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to that¡­¡±


    It sucked that I promised Miranda that we would restrain ourselves from having sex for the next two to


    three days. I barelysted one night in his arms with only cuddling, and if I couldn¡¯t stand it, then it had to


    be torture for him¡­ Nheless, I enjoyed our intimacy. After I had been kidnapped and thought that I


    might have never seen him again, I appreciated every second with him ten times as much.


    ***


    The sound of the buzzing phone woke me up. I was still half asleep, my sleepy eyes ineptly searching for


    the source of the irritating sound. Aren woke up right away, swiftly taking his buzzing phone and


    answering the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Aren said before turning on the speaker so that I could hear as well. ¡°It¡¯s Jack.¡± Agent Collins¡¯s


    voice sounded angry and nervous. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell you this¡­¡±


    ¡°Just say it,¡± Aren urged.


    I heard Jack pull a deep breath into his lungs. ¡°Can Winton has just been found dead in his cell. He


    hung himself.¡±

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    His death I felt as if something had hit my head. I could see Aren¡¯s lips moving as he was still on the


    phone with Agent Collins, but I could no longer hear them. The constant high-pitch sound distorted


    everything else, aside from my hectic heartbeat. What the hell had just happened? Can was the most


    arrogant bastard I had met. He wouldn¡¯t bother to bribe the guards and drain Augustus¡¯s pockets to hire


    an army ofwyers to get him out of that prison, but I was certain that he couldn¡¯t havemitted


    suicide. That just didn¡¯t make any sense. I mumbled, ¡°He didn¡¯t do it by himself.¡± Aren looked at me. His


    eyes were filled with concern. He said something briefly on the phone about calling Jackter before


    putting his arms around me and pressing my head against his chest. ¡°Calm down, sunshine. Calm


    down¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just shocked,¡± I said, ¡°but more importantly¡­ how do you feel?¡± ¡°How


    do I feel? Am I supposed to feel anything?¡± He smiled bitterly. I hugged him tightly. ¡°No matter what, he


    was your brother.¡± He huffed mockingly. ¡°I stopped considering him as my brother the moment he tried to


    drown me in the pool when we were six.¡±


    I looked into his eyes, slightly frowning. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Aren.¡±


    ¡°So am I,¡± he said softly before pressing me back against his chest. ¡°He meant to kill me that day¡­ even


    though we were only kids. I fought for my life and managed to swim to the surface only after biting his


    hand real hard, but because I did, I was the one punished, not him. No one believed me, or rather, it was


    more convenient to believe Can-the stronger son.¡±


    I felt so much bitterness in his tone that my heart began to ache for him. My hands started to stroke his


    back gently as I kept inquiring, ¡°Why was Can considered stronger than you?¡±


    Aren chuckled coldly. ¡°Because I was given half the food portions he was having. I was also given food


    that was rotten from time to time. Vanessa was in charge of that. I would have died if it weren¡¯t for Mei


    Lien. She had to steal food for me from the kitchen.¡±


    I leaned back to look at him, my eyes filled with tears. ¡°Jesus¡­ Aren¡­¡± My hand went up to stroke his


    cheek. ¡°What about your father? Why didn¡¯t he do anything about it? He must have known that


    something wasn¡¯t right¡­ Why did he just allow Vanessa to do that¡­?¡±


    His lips twisted into a wry smile. ¡°My father is a selfish, ignorant man. He always pretended not to see


    anything, even when Mei Lien told him and begged him to stop neglecting me.¡± ¡°What about your


    grandfather?¡± I asked as anger boiled the blood in my veins.


    ¡°He knew about everything, but he did nothing. He wanted to have a strong heir, so he considered


    Vanessa¡¯s doing as a part of natural selection-survival of the fittest,¡± he said sourly.


    ¡°How could anyone be so cruel?¡± My tears flow down my cheeks unknowingly.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Aren brushed them with his thumb. ¡°Does my wife feel sorry for me?¡± he teased, making his voice sound


    deeper.


    I sighed and lowered my head. ¡°I just thought that you used to have a better rtionship with Can¡­¡±


    ¡°He wanted me dead since I can remember. I have never done anything to hurt him, but I will not feel


    sorry because he died. I know that he didn¡¯t kill himself since you need guts to do it. Nheless, he


    brought his death on him, so don¡¯t expect me to feel sad after hearing the news,¡± Aren stated coldly.


    I couldn¡¯t me him. Shamefully, I had to admit that there were times when I wished that Can was


    dead, and yet hearing that he died just hours after I saw him made me numb. I wouldn¡¯t call what I felt


    sadness. It was just¡­ hard to process.


    ¡°This justplicates everything for everyone,¡± Aren squeezed through his teeth. I knew what he meant.


    Can died while being arrested, and because he was a wealthy family son, it was more than certain that


    the family would seek justice, ming the FBI, NYPD, and, of course, those who testified against him.


    Thewsuits wereing, which would probably mean that further investigation would be put on hold


    until the whole matter of the suicide was


    solved.


    ¡°It was murder, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I said softly. ¡°Someone tried to silence Can.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Jack doesn¡¯t believe in the suicide version either, but things like that are extremely hard to prove.


    Unless the coroner finds defense wounds or any other signs of struggle, this case will be ssified as


    suicide,¡± he exined.


    It was more than obvious that the guy who organized my kidnapping was behind it all. I bet that he was


    celebrating at that moment. Not only did he silence Can, but he also interfered in the investigation that


    could have led us to him. It must have been someone dangerous; someone who had the resources to


    allow him to have his own military organization, and someone who had his people inside the NYPD or


    even the FBI¡­ someone as strong as Aren, who hated Aren beyond imagination. ¡°We will have to dy


    our wedding ceremony¡­ again.¡± My husband showed more concern for that reason than for his


    stepbrother¡¯s death. ¡°I knew you would say that.¡± I sighed and already thought of another, even more


    bothersome, issue. ¡°We will have to attend the funeral, won¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There would be a lot of press, and Vanessa would likely make a scene.¡± I could see Aren¡¯s hands


    fisted at the sound of his stepmother¡¯s name.


    ¡°I bet that Augustus won¡¯t stop her now that you no longer n to invest in his hotel?¡± I gave him a


    crooked smile.


    As I said it, his lips curled into a wicked grin. ¡°He knows that I would never change my mind after what


    happened, but¡­¡± He paused and chuckled. ¡°But what?¡± I prodded his elbow. ¡°But I¡¯m guessing that he


    would shift his attention to you.¡±


    ¡°To me?!¡± I eximed, widening my eyes. Aren chuckled before gently cupping my chin with his hand.


    ¡°Sunshine, aren¡¯t you aware that you have be the owner of quite a fortune?¡± ¡°You mean Tian


    Kong?¡± I asked, teasingly shoving his hand away. ¡°But I would never trade this diamond for anything.¡± ¡°It


    belongs to you, and for my grandfather, money is money. I bet that he will try to coax you into investing,¡±


    he said. ¡°But how would he know that I have that diamond?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. Aren kissed the


    tip of my nose. ¡°The rumors are spreading across Manhattan as we speak.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± I paused before


    realizing the obvious. ¡°You picked the famous jewelry artist on purpose.¡± He grinned slyly. ¡°Yes, I did. And


    with that one move, I have made you a key yer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve married such a wicked man.¡± I snorted. ¡°Hurry


    up and recover soon. Then I will show you just how wicked I am,¡± he whispered alluringly and kissed me.


    ***


    The special package from the FBI came at the same time I entered the office. Norton and n were


    dying to check it out, and once I briefly described to them the whole situation with my kidnapping and


    Can¡¯s death, theypletely freaked out. Of course, now they were more than aware that my previous


    version of the recent events that I told them about a week ago had been one hundred percent made up.


    ¡°Babe¡­ you could have blown up along with that building and all you said was that you had a harmless


    car ident?!¡± n eximed.


    ¡°Well¡­ I was going to tell you the truth, but I knew that if I told you what really happened, you would


    have either panicked or turned into a drama queen.¡± I smiled timidly, lowering my head.


    n frowned and crossed his hands over his chest. ¡°I would never¡ª¡±


    ¡°She is right.¡± Norton stood up, painting Norton¡¯s type of serious expression. ¡°I would have panicked.¡±


    Then he pointed at n. ¡°You would have turned into a drama queen.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it. I burst out intoughter, and then we all did. Itsted a while, but then I officially


    received their forgiveness. I guess that they were much more interested in checking Can¡¯s phone than


    being mad at me. As I opened the package and took out what was inside, I grinned wickedly.


    ¡°Gentlemen, ready to dig into some private data?¡±

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Secrets


    Can¡¯s phone was locked with a fingerprint. To get any kind of data from the phone, we needed to


    bypass that lock first. There are many ways to hack into a phone that uses this kind of protection. One of


    them uses tape to clone the fingerprint, and that was our first method to try. n insisted that he would


    do it himself, iming that he had done it a few times before¡­ Well, I decided that it would be safer not


    to ask when he needed to break into someone else¡¯s phone that way. Unfortunately, the fingerprint on


    the scanner had already been smudged, and there was nothing to clone¡­ Since we had no way of


    getting Can¡¯s fingerprint, we needed to find another way around.


    One of the simplest methods to bypass the lock is a hard reset, which also wasn¡¯t an option. It wouldn¡¯t


    make any sense to get ess to a phone with all the data erased. We were left with one other method-


    we needed to convince the phone that the fingerprint scanner malfunctioned so that the system gave us


    a way to ¡°fix it¡± the way we wanted.


    This time, Norton took over the phone. After less than ten minutes, he ced his own index finger on the


    scanner and suddenly ess was granted. As soon as he unlocked the phone, he looked at n and


    me with his eyes filled with contentment while the corners of his lips gently curled into a faint smile.


    ¡°Good job, Norton!¡± 1 pped my hands, grinning at him. He gave me and n a tiny nod as his lips


    curled up a little more. After this one-minute celebration, our eyes shifted to theputer screen. I


    couldn¡¯t exin it, but I had this gut feeling that we needed to work fast on retrieving that data for some


    reason¡­


    ¡°I found a trace of the burner app!¡± n eximed.


    I was relieved that my suspicions were correct. Nheless, our work here had only just begun. A year


    ago, n and I created a program that would help to restore lost or identally deleted data. It wasn¡¯t


    perfect, but we decided to run it to bring back everything that Can had erased. Unfortunately, even if


    our program worked efficiently, we needed to wait at least a couple of hours for any effects. ¡°Why don¡¯t


    we check the data that wasn¡¯t deleted in the meantime?¡± n suggested, with his eyes glowing


    It was obvious that he couldn¡¯t wait to check every intimate detail of the one guy who screwed up my


    self-esteem. I bet that he counted on finding something juicy that he could anonymously release on the


    inte. I knew that he would have done it for me and only if the Wintons tried to im that their dearest


    son had been a saint, yet I still wasn¡¯t too fond of the idea of letting him dig into Can¡¯s matters.


    ¡°If anyone should look at his private messages, it should be Cora,¡± Norton stated. ¡°He was her ex-


    boyfriend. She should do it without our help.¡±


    I was grateful that he said it. n was reluctant about his idea, but in the end, Norton and he decided to


    go downstairs to get a cup of coffee and left me alone with Can¡¯s private matters. My hands trembled.


    Checking Can¡¯s phone felt weird. I had my suspicions concerning his infidelity during our rtionship,


    but I had never even thought about looking into his phone,


    and now I was scrolling through the list of the numbers he called. It was awkward. ¡°What the hell am I


    even doing?¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°I don¡¯t even know any of those numbers and I doubt that any of those


    calls had anything to do with my kidnapping¡­¡±


    I took a deep breath to clear my mind. As much as I didn¡¯t enjoy doing it, I knew that I couldn¡¯t leave


    anything unchecked. I went through his text messages and instantly felt sick. He was texting obnoxious


    things to countless women. I couldn¡¯t even read most of them since they were all nauseating beyond the


    level I was able to stand. But I was soon going to find out that the worst part was yet toe..


    Can had around fifty file folders of pictures-pictures of naked women in obscene poses. Well, I could


    have expected that much from a perverted creep like him. Yet, the terrifying fact behind those photos


    was that they had all been taken by his phone camera, and the file folders had dates. My hands fisted in


    anger as I saw that some of those women were nearly unconscious. Had he taken those photos without


    them knowing? I bet that he could have easily ckmailed those women or sold those photos to some


    other perverted fuckers¡­.


    I couldn¡¯t take it. I ran to the bathroom to throw up. I changed my mind. If my humanity loving conscience


    told me that I should have some pity for Can because of his death, that feeling was now gone. I hoped


    that he went straight to hell for what he had done.


    I washed my face with cold water and went back to go through the rest of the files on Can¡¯s phone.


    Suddenly, I found one folder that was password protected. Can named that folder¡± My Treasure,¡± and


    the mere thought of what could be hidden inside gave me the creeps. I didn¡¯t want to look at all those


    disgusting things on his phone, but I had a strange feeling that I needed to check that one folder no


    matter what.


    First, I tried typing a few random passwords that I thought Can might have used, like his mother¡¯s


    name or his date of birth. Once none of them worked, I checked when the folder had been created¡­ It


    was in March three years ago. ¡°Oh, God¡­¡± I mumbled fearfully. My fingers typed another password as I


    took a shaky breath into my lungs, and this time the password was correct. I typed my name.


    The folder contained one file, a half-hour video¡­ a sex tape with me on it. I had no idea he had ever


    recorded us together. Judging by the angle, he must have hidden the camera somewhere on the desk in


    his room at the university dorm. I watched for a minute and each frame of that video was more disgusting


    than the previous one. I turned it off and ran to the bathroom again.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d been there vomiting and crying. My state became even worse as I imagined


    that Can could have shown this video to someone or even ced it online without me knowing. I would


    have probablyid on that bathroom floor for hours if it weren¡¯t for n, who found me and carried me


    back to our office and put me on the sofa. As I finished telling n and Norton what caused my pitiful


    state, Aren barged in. ¡°I told him how I found you,¡± n exined. A secondter, my husband held me


    in his arms, delicately stroking my hair and my back to calm me down. The warmth of his body felt


    soothing, but suddenly I felt restless again as I


    realized that the video showed the one version of me that I never wanted Aren to see. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Aren softly asked n and Norton while cing my head on his chest. ¡°Can, he¡­¡± n started but


    paused to wait for my permission.


    I was terrified, but I remembered that I once promised Aren that there would be no secrets between us. I


    nodded before hiding my face back in Aren¡¯s chest. n took a deep breath and continued. ¡°Can


    recorded Cora when they were together¡­ He also took hundreds of photos of naked women while they


    were sleeping, or unconscious.¡±


    ¡°He could have uploaded that video somewhere¡­¡± I mumbled, my voice barely audible. Aren¡¯s embrace


    around me tightened. I could feel his muscles tense as fury rose within him.¡± Can you search the and


    check if that fucker has ever released that damn video?¡± he asked n and Norton.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Norton replied. ¡°We only need two screenshots from the video, and then we can trace and erase


    it.¡±


    ¡°We will do it even if we have to hack multiple sites,¡± n added. I turned toward the boys and mouthed,


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I had no strength left for any other response. Nheless, I continued to believe that there


    would be no traces of that file online for them to erase in the first ce¡­


    $$$


    Aren took me to the penthouse and decided to stay with me until I felt better. I wanted to tell him that I


    would take care of myself, but he insisted, iming that he could work from home. I didn¡¯t argue with him


    for too long. I needed him near me now more than ever, but every time I closed my eyes I thought about


    that obnoxious video and instantly felt dirty. ¡°L.. have to take a shower,¡± I muttered before feebly walkingC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    upstairs to my bedroom. As I took my clothes off, I instantly started to shiver. Then I took a few shaky


    steps into the shower and turned on the hot water. Despite the hot stream, producing endless amounts of


    steam, my body trembled. I soaped my skin and rubbed it, trying to get rid of this disgusting feeling, but it


    only made me more helpless. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and Aren walked in. He stood naked


    in front of the cabin before asking softly, ¡°May I join you?¡± I nodded. As he walked into the cabin, I felt a


    wave of warmth enter. A secondter, his hands were all over me, caressing my skin as if he was


    touching some priceless fabric. His lips quickly found mine, delicately nibbling at first before sucking and


    adding lush strokes of his tongue. His hands went down to my buttocks. A heartbeatter, my legs were


    around his waist and my back was pressed against the wall. ¡°I waited too long to have you,¡± he breathed


    between cing kisses down my neck


    Only then did I realize how badly I missed him; how I needed to be in his arms like this. I let passion take


    control of my actions as my hands explored every inch of his perfectly carved body. I was soaking wet


    from my arousal as if my body begged to have him inside me. I could feel his hard erection against my


    stomach as we exchanged our passion in another sensual


    kiss. He entered me with a hard thrust, making me cry out his name.


    ¡°I missed that part.¡± He grinned cockily before surging deeper inside me. My hands went to his back, my


    nails sinking in and drawing red lines, as Aren moved within me faster and faster. I tightened my legs


    around him, coaxing him to go even deeper. He panted against my neck, shoving relentlessly, building


    our climax. We devoured each other in desperate hunger, barely breathing. I screamed hoarsely as I


    reached my orgasm, my sex fiercely throbbing around his cock. He growled and thrust even harder,


    making me climax again as he came. As the water stream soothed the heat of our bodies, he leaned


    against my ear.


    ¡°You are mine, sunshine. Only mine¡­¡± he said before gently biting my earlobe. ¡°I will punish you if you


    dare think about any other man, and I will kill anyone who ever tries to harm you. Do you understand


    me?¡±


    I shifted my eyes to him and nodded. Only then did he grin and gently put my wobbly feet on the floor. I


    had to say that he was extremely efficient in wiping every image of Can and that video from my mind. It


    was as if he took away every nightmare from my head and reced it with pictures of him¡­ mainly


    naked pictures. Since I could hardly stand on my own, Aren helped me dry myself and then carried me to


    bed. I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    Complications It was a little after 9 AM when I woke up. Aren was in bed with me, leaning against the pile


    of pillows to keep him in the sitting position while he worked on hisptop. He was shirtless, with his


    muscles beautifully exposed for me to appreciate. I bit my lip as I carefully scanned every detail of him,


    recalling our sex in the shower¡­ ¡°It must be ufortable working like this,¡± I said, slightly rolling over


    to his side of the bed. ¡°It¡¯s never ufortable around you.¡± He smiled and leaned over me to give me a


    quick peck on the lips.


    ¡°I made you worry yesterday¡­¡± I muttered.


    He frowned. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? Don¡¯t think about it anymore. Don¡¯t you dare think about him anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I smiled nervously. ¡°It¡¯s just that I am still worried about that video¡­¡± Aren closed hisptop and


    turned my way. ¡°I called n an hour ago. He and Norton searched for that video all night and found


    nothing. My guess is that this sick fucker wanted to keep this video all to himself or use itter to


    ckmail you someday. Luckily, he won¡¯t ever make


    HI


    use of it.¡±


    ¡°Thank God¡­¡± I heaved a deep sigh of relief. He put away hisptop and moved closer. A secondter,


    he scooped me up and positioned me, sitting astride while facing him. I swallowed as he uncovered us


    from our sheets. We were both naked, our bodies hot and insatiable. His fiery gaze scanned me


    cautiously as his lips curved into a seductive smile.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Look what you did, sunshine. You make it too hard for me to work¡­¡± he whispered, taking my hand and


    leading it to his erection. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for having problems with multitasking,¡± I said daringly, my


    fingers curling around his bulge. ¡°Don¡¯t test me, sunshine,¡± he growled softly, leaning over to bite my ear.


    His fingers slid straight between my thighs, finding me soaking wet. He murmured, drawing circles


    around my sensitive skin, ¡°Tell me what you want me to do.¡± I gasped, too embarrassed to say it aloud.


    My hands slid around his neck, hugging him tightly while trying to muster up my courage. He thrust his


    fingers inside me and locked his eyes on me. ¡°Is this enough, or do you want more?¡± he teased.


    I moaned, putting my arms around his neck and twirling my fingers in his hair. He shoved his fingers


    again, enticing my hunger for him. ¡°Is this enough for you?¡± he purred before taking his fingers out. ¡°No,¡±


    I breathed desperately.


    He chuckled and leaned over my ear. ¡°Say it. Say what you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I want you inside me,¡± I muttered, blushing. He pushed his fingers inside me again as his thumb


    rubbed my clit. ¡°Is that all you want?¡± ¡°God!¡± I groaned, unable to stand his devilish teasing. I bit my lip


    while unknowingly positioning myself to give him better ess to my sensitive spot. He breathed into my


    ear, ¡°I can stop if you want me to.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I cried as he removed his fingers again. ¡°Don¡¯t stop¡­¡± I


    pleaded softly. With a demonic grin painting his lips, he continued until a wave of heat exploded within


    me, making my insides throb and my whole body shudder. ¡°Should I stop now?¡± He chuckled, his fingers


    still teasing me and forcing me to whimper. ¡°Put it in,¡± I muttered, trying to avoid his piercing gaze. ¡°Why


    don¡¯t you put it in yourself?¡± he coaxed, leading my hand to his rigid length. I breathed deeply, looking


    into his devilish ck irises as he gently directed me until the tip of his erection met my still throbbing


    sex. I gasped as it slid through my entrance, teasing every nerve of my heated sex. As I lowered myself


    to push him further into me, he let out a soft growl. ¡°You did great, sunshine. I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± he


    purred before jerking his hips harder against me.


    He mmed his cock inside me again and again, forcing out my cries of pleasure as another orgasm


    spread in a wave across my body. I let out a loud gasp as he pushed me to my back, pinning my hands


    down on the mattress. I screamed out his name as my sex tightened around his length inside me. He


    thrust harder, chasing his orgasm until he came with a deep groan. As he panted heavily against my


    shoulder, he murmured, ¡°I want all our mornings to be like this.¡±


    I chuckled, barely trying to catch my breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think my body can handle all mornings like this.¡±


    He rolled me over to him, pulling me into his embrace. ¡°Then you¡¯d better start working out, sunshine.¡±


    I was about to talk back to him, but the phone rang, ruining our serene moment. Aren reached out for the


    phone, his face frowning as he saw Agent Collins¡¯s caller ID. He answered and immediately put the call


    on speaker. ¡°We have a problem, a big problem,¡± Jack said, skipping the hello part. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Aren asked, instantly turning on his serious tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been removed from the investigation, but that was to be expected after Can died. However, the


    one who got assigned to it is Agent Lester Packton, and there are rumors that this guy is in some


    influential person¡¯s pocket. I also got a tip that he will try to get his hands on the phone I sent you, so be


    prepared because they are probably on their way to take it as we


    speak.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I eximed, instantly thinking about our running program and all the material we had found on


    Can¡¯s phone. I didn¡¯t even want to think about what would happen if some dirty agent put his hands on


    it. ¡°Thanks for the heads up,¡± Aren briefly ended the call while jumping out of the bed.


    I nodded and ran to the bathroom to get myself ready to leave. We needed to hurry. I grabbed the first


    costume I could find in my closet and dressed up in record time, putting on only light makeup while we


    were going down the elevator. Once we got inside the car, I called n and told him that the agents were


    on their way to Lan Diamond Corporation to retrieve Can¡¯s phone.


    ¡°What?!¡± n shouted through the phone. ¡°Norton and I went to get some breakfast, but we are heading


    back to thepany right away!¡¯ I knew that it was unfair to them. They were up all night trying to find


    the traces of the video, and now I was asking them to secure the data because I wasn¡¯t sure if I made it


    in time before agents got to our office. My heart pounded hectically as I thought of the possibility of other


    people watching Can and me having sex. Aren grabbed my trembling hand. ¡°Calm down. We will find a


    way to take care of everything. We can find a legal way to stop them since the phone has evidence of


    Can¡¯s criminal activity.


    I nodded, acknowledging his words, but I was too overpowered with restlessness to keep myposure.


    I ran out of the car as soon as we stopped at the parking lot and then dashed through the corridors. I


    wanted to be in the office as soon as possible. I knew that I could only breathe when I got there.


    Unfortunately, as I opened the door, I realized that it was toote¡­


    I stopped at a threshold and froze. A group of agents was already inside, searching through our office.


    n and Norton stood against the wall and looked helplessly at the warrant the agents put on the table


    while the men in suits packed our papers and equipment. ¡°Stop whatever you¡¯re doing at once!¡± I heard


    Aren¡¯s harsh voice from behind my back. As I turned around, I saw him with Neil and another man in


    sses who nked Aren¡¯s sides.


    My husband¡¯s intimidating gaze put every single agent in the room on hold while one of them, who


    looked like the one in charge, stepped forward, scanning Aren with his lisp curved in a wicked smirk.


    Unlike the other agents, this guy wore an elegant, clearly expensive ck suit. His dark-brown hair was


    combed up, which hardened his features and emphasized his deep-set snake-like eyes.


    ¡°Good morning, I¡¯m Agent Lester Packton, and we have the right to confiscate everything from this


    office,¡± he said.


    The man in sses walked to the table and took a warrant document in his hands. ¡°What you said is


    incorrect, Agent Packton,¡± he said, putting the sheet of paper back on the table. ¡°This document says


    that you can only have the right to take Mr. Can Winton¡¯s personal belongings, which means his phone


    and nothing else.¡± ¡°ording to who?!¡± Agent Packton snapped. ¡°ording to Lan Diamond


    Corporation¡¯swyer, Mr. Packton,¡± Aren replied curtly. ¡°That


    Comp cations


    means you can either put everything back and apologize to my employees for disturbing their work or


    expect awsuit delivered to you in a few hours tops.¡± Agent Packton clenched his jaw before he turned


    to his men. ¡°Put back theputers, take the phone, and let¡¯s get out of here!¡± he roared. Other agents


    from his team grunted something under their breaths, most likely cursing us, but it didn¡¯t matter. At least


    they didn¡¯t take ourputers and other devices. Once the previously filled with our stuff boxes were


    unpacked, the agents started to leave our office one by one. ¡°Hey!¡± n grabbed one of the agents by


    his elbow and pointed at his clenched hand. ¡°That device is ours as well.¡± Neil stepped forward and


    red at the agent while extending his hand t. The agent growled before angrily tossing our fingerprint


    scanner on the table. Neil clicked his tongue and shifted his eyes to n. ¡°Check the scanner. If it¡¯s


    damaged, we will sue them for destroying private property.¡±


    Once thest one of them left, along with the phone, I heaved a deep sigh. It could have been worse, but


    I didn¡¯t trust any of those agents, and now every file from Can¡¯s phone was in their hands. Aren


    stepped toward me, sliding his arms around my waist and leaning over me to kiss the crown of my head.


    ¡°Are they all gone now?¡± Norton asked, leaning out into the corridor. ¡°Yes,¡± Neil replied, closing the door


    of the office. ¡°Cora¡­¡± Norton started, his eyes shifting between me, Aren, Neil, and thewyer. ¡°I think


    we broke thew.¡±


    I locked my eyes on him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± n chuckled nervously, scratching his head. ¡°Well, we


    might have¡­ just might have cloned Can¡¯s phone and deleted all the dirty photos and the ¡°My


    Treasure¡± folder from it.¡± Their words sent my heart into a wild race. ¡°Wait¡­ which phone did the agents


    take?¡± ¡°They took the clone,¡± n smirked, pulling another phone from the bottom drawer of his desk


    cab. ¡°The original is right here.¡±

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    A lie


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I kept staring at n, blinking my eyes in disbelief. ¡°Let me get this straight¡­ You made a perfect clone


    of Can¡¯s phone, and then you erased all the nude pictures and the video from it?¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Norton confirmed.


    ¡°And this phone is the one that the FBI agents have taken?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± n grinned wickedly. ¡°And the original is still in our hands, and we canplete the retrieval of


    data that got erased by the burner app?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± they replied simultaneously. I copsed on the sofa and


    burst out intoughter, relieved and happy to have those two freaks by my side. Aren stood beside me,


    smiling and gesturing a thumbs-up to n and Norton. I smiled at my husband and shrugged. ¡°I guess,


    we will notify Jack if we find something useful.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± Aren nodded before turning to the boys.


    ¡°Good job, guys.¡± ¡°It was the right thing to do,¡± Norton said, confidently raising his chin.


    I knew I owed them a good dinner with high-quality alcohol, at least for what they did. As soon as Aren,


    Neil, and thewyer left, I hugged both of them.


    ¡°Thank you, guys. I¡¯ve no idea what I would do without you,¡± I said, on the verge of sobbing. ¡°Chill babe!¡±


    n chuckled. ¡°You are our boss¡¯s wife. It is only natural that we¡¯ll make sure that no fucker messes with


    you.¡± Norton nodded, approving n¡¯s words before he sat back behind his desk. ¡°We still have work to


    do,¡± he said, shifting his eyes to aputer screen. He was right. There was a chance thatputer


    geeks working for the FBI would discover that what those agents took was a mere copy of Can¡¯s


    phone, and they woulde back to search for the real one this time. We had to make sure that we


    retrieved all the files we could before that happened.


    All three of us worked relentlessly for the next hours, correcting algorithms to get the best possible


    results. Finally, it all started to pay off¡­ ¡°I got one message!¡± n eximed. ¡°It was sent two days


    before your kidnapping, and it was sent to an unidentified recipient, supposedly a burner phone.¡± ¡°Let me


    see it,¡± I said, pushing myself to ride my office chair closer to his screen and then read the message


    aloud, ¡°I¡¯ve given the universal key to your man just like you wanted. Just remember that afterward, Cora


    is mine.¡±


    Chills ran down my spine. I was d that the message appeared to be one more piece of evidence of


    Can¡¯s involvement in my kidnapping and the whole attack, but it had little use


    when Can had already died. My excitement gave way to a wry smile. We needed to dig deeper, hoping


    to recover something with a name or a ce at least. After another hour, I dug into an iing message


    from two weeks ago. I read it to the boys, ¡°I know you want him dead just as much as I do. He will pay for


    what he has done to my family. I¡¯ll make sure he pays.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ this guy is serious!¡± nmented,


    widening his eyes. ¡°You should show it to your husband. Maybe it will give him a clue.¡±


    My lips stretched into a grimace. ¡°I doubt it. It¡¯s not too specific, and the thing about the family¡­ Aren


    must have taken a lot ofpanies over the years. I bet there must be thousands of families who hate


    him for losing their jobs or their wealth.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re right.¡± n lowered his head and turned his eyes back to the screen. Before midnight, we


    retrieved a few other text messages, but none of them brought anything new. I was starting to feel that


    we were running in circles. The mastermind behind the attack was wise enough not to use any specific


    names in the messages, giving us little to no information about who he was. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I


    had talked to him, I could have assumed that the perpetrator might have been a woman as well. I heaved


    a sound of frustration as I finished reading another nothing changing text. ¡°Maybe we should call it a


    day?¡± Norton suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯ll second that.¡± n raised his wobbly hand. ¡°Fine¡­¡± I muttered, blinking at the screen with my


    exhausted eyes. I texted Aren. He asked me to wait a few more minutes so that we could go home


    together. I did as he asked me to. I went down to the parking lot and sat in the car. The fifteen minutes


    passed, and Aren didn¡¯te down. I shrugged, thinking that he must have answered ast minute


    phone call. I used that time to read a few articles on my phone, but when it was almost 1 AM and he


    wasn¡¯t there, it got me slightly worried. I was about to call him when he showed up, walking out of his


    private elevator and heading toward the car. He looked pale and nervous. I could see that something


    was clearly off, but as he got inside the car, he gave me a warm smile as if nothing had happened. ¡°Are


    you all right?¡± I asked, stroking his cheek. ¡°Of course.¡± He chuckled, touching my hand on his cheek.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± He lied. I knew him well enough to know that. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to worry me,


    but I hated not knowing what was going on. Besides, it scared the hell out of me to see him that nervous.


    I had never seen him in any other way but confident. What kind of news could have made him this


    anxious?


    As we drove up to the street, he suddenly yelled to Marcus, ¡°Stop!¡± Marcus pulled over, and Aren got out


    of the car and started looking around as if he was searching for something or someone on the still-


    crowdy Manhattan sidewalk. If I tried to ignore his previous behavior, then this time I couldn¡¯t. I got out of


    the car and frowned at him. ¡°Aren, what is wrong? Don¡¯t lie to me. If we are in any danger, then just-¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong. We are not in danger,¡± he assured, still looking around on both sides of the


    street.


    ¡°You are lying. Tell me what¡¯s wrong,¡± I urged, crossing my arms over my chest. ¡°Nothing that concerns


    you, God damn it!¡± he yelled, making me dumbfounded.


    That hurt like a punch in the stomach. It wasn¡¯t because Aren raised his voice at me, but he excluded me


    from knowing something, something that bothered him. After I had spent the whole day trying to find out


    who wanted to kill him, doing everything for him, those words sounded especially painful. I got inside the


    car. He got back a few secondster. We stayed silent all the way to the penthouse. After Aren closed


    the door behind us, I went to the kitchen to get some water. He followed me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to yell at you, sunshine,¡± he murmured, hugging me from behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK.¡± I guess it was time for me to lie. ¡°You just surprised me¡­¡±


    He nuzzled my back and left a couple of kisses on my spine. ¡°I had a lot of work today, and then on the


    sidewalk, I thought I saw someone.¡±


    I chuckled faintly. ¡°It must have been someone terrifying. You looked like you saw a ghost.¡±


    ¡°It was someone who wasn¡¯t supposed to be here. That¡¯s all,¡± he said, stepping away from me.


    I restrained my curiosity to ask him more questions. I just hoped that he would tell me himself once he


    calmed down. I smiled and wanted to put my arms around him when suddenly, he stepped away from


    me. ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­ spend this night alone, shall we? It was an extremely long day.¡± I nodded, pretending


    that his words didn¡¯t feel like a p in the face. I had to take a thirty minute shower before I finally


    regained myposure and was ready to drift into a dream, or at least that was what I thought¡­ Iy in


    bed tossing and turning for hours, getting more and more frustrated. I hated the feeling that there was


    something unfinished between me and Aren. Before I realized it, I was standing in front of his door, ready


    to knock, when suddenly I heard his whisper. I pressed my ear against the door. ¡°Aren?¡± I asked faintly,


    but he didn¡¯t reply. I waited a few more seconds before I heard him calling, ¡°Lanfen!¡± The tone of his


    voice was painful. It scared me enough to open the door and run to his bed. ¡°Lanfen! Buyao zou, Lanfen!


    ¡°he kept calling out while his eyes were closed. His hands were reaching out, trying to grab the air above


    him. He kept crying out that one name as if he was in agony. I sat on his bed and gently stroked his


    cheek, hoping to calm him down.


    ¡°Lanfen¡­ Lanfen¡­¡± he muttered in sleep.


    My heart ached for him. ¡°Aren, wake up,¡± I whispered. ¡°You are having a nightmare; wake up.¡± He


    opened his eyes with a heavy gasp. Tears flew down his cheeks uncontrobly while his face was


    completely pale. ¡°You had a nightmare, handsome,¡± I said softly as I wiped away his tears.


    He didn¡¯t say a word; he just grabbed my hand and kissed it. I sat there on his bed, stroking his hair,


    smiling at him, and trying to give himfort, even though I was all shaking inside. I led an inside battle


    as each corner of my mind was upied with one question: who the hell was this Lanfen?

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    Fight I woke up sitting on the floor by Aren¡¯s bed, my hand stretched to hold his while he slept, my upper


    body twisted in a weird, ufortable position. It took me a while to stand as my stiffened muscles


    refused to work, punishing me for my awkward way of falling asleep. It was four in the morning when I


    swayed back to my bedroom to lie down in bed and try to rx. I couldn¡¯t. The image of Aren, desperate


    and mortified in his sleep, haunted me each time I closed my eyes. What could cause him such pain?


    Was it something from his past? ¡°Lanfen¡­¡± I muttered, staring nkly at the ceiling. It was probably a


    Chinese name. I wondered if it was his family member, but I had never heard him mention that name


    before. And what was it that he was calling? ¡°Buyao zou¡±? I wondered what it could mean. Should I ask


    him in the morning? Would he answer? For the first time, I wasn¡¯t sure that he¡¯d tell me the truth¡­


    I was scared. I couldn¡¯t exin it, but something fragile had broken between us. I hoped that I was


    exaggerating, but my instincts were telling me otherwise. He was the only one who could clear the air


    between us, and he needed to do it willingly without me pushing, but was he going to? Iy with my eyes


    open for the next two hours. By the time the sound of the rm clock spread loudly across the room, I


    just numbly pressed the switch off and got up from the bed, resembling a robot or a robotic zombie. I


    could have seemed indifferent on the outside, but on the inside, I was trembling with anxiety. I took a


    quick shower, corrected my face color with some BB cream, and went downstairs to the kitchen.


    To my surprise, Aren was already up, greeting me with a smile and acting as if nothing had happened.


    That wiped all the anxiety from my system in a sh. I was no longer restless-I was seriously pissed.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked, hoping that he would mention having a nightmare himself. He smiled


    briefly before turning his attention to making an omelet. ¡°Um¡­ good, I think¡± I knew that I told myself that


    I wasn¡¯t going to push him, but his carefree mood was making me itch a bit too much. ¡°Do you want to


    talk about what happenedst night?¡± I asked, pretending to be calm.


    He turned around, looking at me as if he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. Then he looked up, trying


    to remember, and then said, ¡°You came to my bedroom¡­ You said something about a nightmare.¡±


    I gave him a suspicious nce. ¡°You sounded like you were in pain, traumatized over something¡­ or


    someone called Lanfen.¡±


    I registered a minor change in his expression as I mentioned the name. A heartbeatter, his poker face


    remained in ce, but for a split second, a form of restlessness intruded into his confident expression. ¡°I


    don¡¯t remember having a nightmare,¡± he said lightly. ¡°I only remember you waking me up and telling me


    that I had one.¡±


    I didn¡¯t fail to notice the way he avoided telling me anything about that Lanfen. I also couldn¡¯t help but


    wonder if he truly didn¡¯t remember anything from his nightmare or if he simply didn¡¯t want to tell me. It


    started to bother me more and more. What if his yesterday¡¯s burst out in the car and that nightmare were


    somehow connected? Something in my gut kept telling me that it wasn¡¯t the kind of a problem that was


    going to disappear or solve itself as time went by.


    ¡°Do you really don¡¯t know anything, or do you not trust me enough to tell me?¡± I knew that it was a low


    move, but enough bad things were happening around us already, and I had no time to be gentle. He


    red at me. ¡°Don¡¯t start, Cora.¡± His harsh tone surprised me, making me take a step back ¡°I have never


    promised you full disclosure of my private life. This doesn¡¯t concern you. It isn¡¯t about you. I have a slight


    problem, and I will deal with it on my own.¡±


    My chest began to hurt as if it was crushed under a pile of stones. ¡°Wow¡­¡± I muttered as a bitter smile


    twisted my lips. ¡°And yet I was stupid enough to believe that I was your private life¡­¡± I turned around


    and left the kitchen.


    ¡°Cora!¡± Aren went after me, grabbing my arm as I stepped on the stairs. ¡°Don¡¯t be this way. I only ask you


    to stay out of it this time, all right?¡±


    It hurt. Was he drawing a line between the differences between the deal in our contract and the so-called


    real rtionship? Was everything that had happened between us before an illusion? Was I only


    imagining that he had feelings toward me? Perhaps I was acting irrational, but I refused to let him have it


    the way he wanted. I turned around to face him and stretched my lips into a sort-of-smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,


    Aren. I should have cared about you, or held your hand for hours, hoping that you would sleep


    peacefully. I shouldn¡¯t have done it. I apologize for interfering in your private time. Now, would you


    excuse me? I¡¯m going to call Benjamin. I think it would be better if I went to work separately, so I wouldn¡¯t


    invade your privacy even more.¡± I jerked my hand away from him and marched up to my bedroom to take


    my purse and jacket. This time he didn¡¯t follow. I was d he didn¡¯t because, at that moment, I felt like a


    doll made of the most fragile porcin that could break in the breeze of the wind. ¡°Idiot! You did it to


    yourself! Did you think that if you bared all of your most disgusting secrets in front of him, then he would


    do the same?!¡± I scolded myself.


    My heart was aching, I felt betrayed, and I felt furious. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t hide my anger when I


    barged into the office with a frown stuck to my forehead.


    ¡°Wow! What happened? Lovers quarrel?¡± Alen sang teasingly, which earned him my darkest glower. He


    immediately raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Ie in peace, babe. Just remember that we have the


    power to kick his butt real hard if he hurts you.¡±


    I smiled faintly. As much as I wanted to do something that would make Aren feel as miserable as I did at


    that moment, we had more important things to do. Despite Aren¡¯s iming that some other issue in his


    life didn¡¯t concern me, I treated finding the guy who kidnapped me and wanted to blow me up extremely


    personally. Frankly, I knew that I would sleep much better knowing who he was and how to get rid of him


    using legal means.


    I worked continuously for long hours, ignoring n and Norton, who tried to force me to join them for


    lunch. I knew that if I didn¡¯t pour my energy into work, I might explode. As I sat alone in the office, I heard


    a weak knock on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± I tossed with little care about who was entering the room. ¡°Mrs.


    Lan¡­ can we talk?¡± I heard Neil¡¯s extremely timid voice. I faced him, narrowing my eyes. ¡°Did anything


    extraordinary happen?¡± Heughed nervously. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to ask you about¡­¡± I sighed


    and leaned my back against the chair. ¡°Aren has been acting strange since yesterday. First, he jumped


    out of the car in the middle of the street because he imed that he saw someone, and then he had a


    nightmare and kept calling someone¡¯s name. When I asked him about it in the morning, he pretended he


    didn¡¯t remember and then he told me that it was his private matter,¡± I summarized.


    He smiled dryly. ¡°You¡¯re mad at him, aren¡¯t you?¡± I raised my eyebrows at him. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be mad if


    you were me?¡± He took a chair and sat in front of me, heaving a deep sigh. ¡°You know that he didn¡¯t


    mean to hurt you, and he didn¡¯t mean it to sound like that.¡± ¡°Do I?¡± I huffed, irritated.


    Neil put his hands together as if he was about to pray. ¡°Have mercy, I beg you! He fired four people since


    the morning, and I know that the reason for his irrational fury is that he knows that he screwed up big


    time!¡± he called out pleadingly.


    My lips curved into a smirk. ¡°Are you aware that you are acting more like his parent than his assistant?¡±


    Neil rolled his eyes. ¡°He is the man when ites to business, but when ites to rtionships, he is


    completely lost. Throughout his life, he was taught how to be the boss, not how to submit.¡±


    I crossed my hands over my chest. ¡°Well, boo-hoo! He has a wife now and he will have to learn how to


    compromise¡­ even if it¡¯s only a contractual rtionship for him.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the whole point.¡± Neil shot me a crooked smile. ¡°I think the reason why he doesn¡¯t know


    how to react is that he stopped thinking about the contract long ago.¡± Neil¡¯s words made my aching heart


    heal in a sh and flutter faster than ever before. ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± I asked, barely restraining my


    curving-up lips. He chuckled. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it obvious? In my opinion, that guy isn¡¯t just falling for you-he is


    head over heels!¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    Honesty Neil¡¯s words rang inside my head for the next few hours. Of course, there was no chance that I


    would let Aren know that I wasn¡¯t mad at him anymore because my inner rage was still present and


    boiling in my veins each time I felt that I recalled his words. Yet, the situation between me and Aren was


    clearly exhausting both of us, and I didn¡¯t want Aren to fire more people or trouble poor Neil¡­


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Since my message-recovery mission brought no results this time, I ended up focusing all my thoughts on


    Aren anyway. Neil advised me that it would be best if I reached out to him. He was also certain that Aren


    would agree to any conditions. I wasn¡¯t too sure about it, but I figured that maybe it was worth a shot.


    From the moment I met Aren, I literally moved into his world and yed by his rules; it was time to


    change that. After writing and rewriting the message five times, I finally sent Aren an invitation, one


    without pleading and extra formalities. ¡°Eat dinner with me. I suggest tacos at Casa Romina at 8 PM.¡± It


    was the best that I coulde up with. Inparison to the fancy ces that Aren took me, this one


    seemed like it was from another. It was quite cheap, always crowded and loud, and no one cared


    if you were wearing a suit or sweatpants. Romina, the owner, was a plumpdy in her sixties who always


    wore colorful dresses and danced around the customers¡¯ tables. She always made everyone wee,


    although she could sometimes be nosy and irritating. Nheless, I used to love toe to that ce,


    and if Aren wanted to make things right between us, he would have to step into my world for once. One


    minuteter, I got Aren¡¯s response. ¡°I will inform Marcus to wait for us at 7:30.¡±


    I smirked and texted back. ¡°No. We will take the subway. Be at 7:30 in the entrance hall.¡±


    Answering this message took him longer than before. I started to wonder if I didn¡¯t go overboard with my


    cockiness, but then I thought that he was supposed to make an effort, not me. I waited for another


    minute.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there. 7:30. Don¡¯t bete, sunshine.¡± My lips curved into a beaming smile. I missed him calling me


    Sunshine. Perhaps it was childish, but once he wrote it, I could feel that he was willing to make things


    right. A little after seven o¡¯clock I was already shifting in my seat, inwardly giggling at the thought of the


    date with my husband. I corrected my makeup and walked downstairs precisely on time. He was already


    waiting for me, restlessly looking at his watch and attracting the attention of every female specimen in


    the building. I walked slowly across the hall, enjoying him being nervous while one of the women


    standing at the side of the hall decided to hit on my husband. I stopped and raised my eyebrows, figuring


    that I would love to watch this scene.


    Aren had just received a message and was too busy checking his phone to either notice me or the busty


    blond who walked toward him on 4.5-inch heels.


    ¡°Um, excuse me!¡± she sang squeakily, pushing her boobs up to Aren¡¯s line of sight. ¡°I¡¯m new here. Would


    you like to take me out and show me some restaurants?¡±


    I stood calmly, observing her desperate attempts to get Aren¡¯s attention. I could notice his chest heaving


    as he took a deep breath. When he raised his head to meet her eyes and pierced her with his cold,


    indifferent gaze, I had to stifle augh.


    ¡°Try tourist information,¡± he said harshly before turning his attention back to the phone¡¯s screen.


    Unfortunately, the blond decided to try again. ¡°I always get lost in new ces. I would rather you show


    me around. I¡¯ll make it worth your time¡­¡±


    I nearly screamed as I saw her trying to slide her hand under my husband¡¯s arm. Luckily, Aren¡¯s reaction


    was faster than mine. He dodged her touch and as he raised his head, his eyes finally met mine. He


    smiled warmly, and I could see relief on his face as if he was anxious about whether I woulde or not.


    ¡°Good evening, handsome,¡± I said, slowly heading his way across the hall. He ignored the blond, striding


    energetically toward me and then pulling me into his arms. ¡°I missed you today, wife.¡± All the anger I had


    umted throughout the day dissolved in the air. The annoying butterflies in my stomach flew around


    with ¡°We forgive you!¡± signs stuck to their little wings. Nheless, I had to at least pretend that his


    words didn¡¯t melt mepletely. I cleared my throat and focused on the revolving door. ¡°Shall we go?¡±


    He chuckled and gestured. ¡°Ladies first.¡±


    As soon as we found ourselves on the sidewalk, he grabbed my hand and tangled our fingers, keeping


    me close as if he was afraid to lose me in the crowd. He was even more protective as we got on the


    subway, shielding me all the way, like my personal bodyguard. Certainly, the number of eyes soaked in


    jealousy aimed my way grew by the station. I was relieved when we finally got out, and I could breathe


    more freely.


    A minuteter, we were inside the crowded space of Casa Romina with the owner, morously


    wandering between the tables and serving tacos and enchdas. We sat in the corner of the restaurant,


    in the least crowded spot in the restaurant. Surprisingly, Aren didn¡¯tin or look ufortable. After


    the waitress took our order, we sat for a while in silence, staring at each other. I figured that I had already


    done my part. This time I wasn¡¯t going to force him to talk, and I was prepared to eat in absolute silence


    if I had to.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± His sudden words startled me, ¡°My life is one big mess, and I am still trying to figure out how


    to protect you. I screwed up.¡± His hand found mine, squeezing it gently.


    My lips formed a faint smile. ¡°You cannot protect me against the things you won¡¯t tell me


    about. How can I prepare myself for something I don¡¯t know anything about? Now, I am your wife, and I


    am your partner. Every one of your problems is my problem as well. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have pushed you


    to tell me about this Lanfen, but you seemed so agitated the other day that it got me scared. You were


    looking for this Lanfen when you got out of the car, didn¡¯t


    you?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ Lanfen is someone from my past. Someone who I never wished to see again.


    Yesterday, I received an anonymous email with a picture¡­ The shot was clearly taken a few


    blocks away from Lan Diamond Corporation, and Lanfen was in that photo.¡±


    ¡°So whoever sent you that photo wanted to mess with your head, and as I see it, it worked quite well.¡± I


    smiled wryly at him. ¡°You need to show me that email so we can trace it back Whoever this person is, I


    doubt that he or she meant well. If you sent us that photo, we could also run it through New York City¡¯s


    traffic surveince, and if this Lanfen was around, we could find him,¡±


    ¡°Her,¡± Aren interrupted, ¡°Lanfen is a woman.¡± I looked at him, bemused. Of course, it crossed my mind


    before, but perhaps I shoved that thought away since I would feel morefortable if the person that


    made Aren so anxious was a man.


    He smiled wryly. ¡°Sun Lanfen, she was the daughter of my mother¡¯s friend. She and her parents used to


    be my only connection to the Chinese part of my family. I thought that the Sun family could help me


    be independent and escape from the Wintons, but that didn¡¯t happen. Her family used me and my


    ideas to please the Lan family. Once they discovered that my grandfather, Lan Jing, didn¡¯t really care


    about me, they stole my business idea and presented it to him as their own.¡± My heart squeezed as I


    listened to his words. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old story. It taught me a lot,¡± he said as a bitter


    smile twisted his lips. I leaned forward, locking my eyes on him. ¡°Then what about Lanfen in all of this?¡±


    Aren took a deep breath. ¡°We were supposed to get married.¡± I exhaled in a rush. This guy had way too


    many fianc¨¦es in his life, and finding out about another one of his ex-girlfriends now felt harder than ever.


    Aren corrected his grip on my hand before continuing, ¡°The night before our wedding, someone tried to


    assassinate me. The next day, I found out that the Sun family had moved back to China. A monthter, I


    found out that Lanfen got married. She became the wife of the son of one of the richest families in


    China.¡±


    ¡°Did you love her?¡± The question slipped out of my lips before I could stop myself. Suddenly, panic


    flooded me. Was I prepared to hear his answer to that question? My lips parted as I wanted to take my


    words back, but it was toote. With a sad smile, he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps¡­¡±

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    Putting on a show Perhaps, he said. Perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut. With a stiff smile on my


    face, I tried to contain my boiling emotions. The sting of jealousy was painfully spreading throughout my


    body and made me hate Lanfen even if I didn¡¯t know her. Why had I even mentioned that I would look for


    her?! I didn¡¯t want to find my husband¡¯s ex! If she was out of his life, then it would be better if it stayed


    that way! I hated the way her name and the memory of her could stir his emotions. It made Aren agitated


    and anxious. She caused it, and, as much as I didn¡¯t like to admit it, I envied her. I bet that she knew


    Aren before he decided to lock all of his emotions away. She could have had his love, but she rejected


    him. Whoever she was and whatever her motives were, she didn¡¯t deserve toe back to his life.


    ¡°Sunshine, are you worried?¡± Aren asked, smiling.


    ¡°Of course I am!¡± I snapped. ¡°No girl likes to hear that her man¡¯s ex is in town!¡± I might have gone a little


    overboard with the volume because my words had instantly drawn Romina to our table.


    ¡°You have a beautiful girl with ya, and you¡¯re still in contact with your ex?! You should be ashamed of


    yourself!¡± Romina eximed, sassily smacking Aren¡¯s shoulder. I barely stifled augh. Aren shot me a


    ¡°do something¡± look, but I just started at the scene with my hand mped on my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in contact with my ex!¡± Aren protested. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her in years!¡±


    With one hand on her hip and the other snapping her fingers, she said, ¡°You should forget your ex then.


    Focus on the cutie-pie you have, and buy her a lot of food ¡¯cause she¡¯s too thin.¡±


    Then she gave Aren another smack on the shoulder ¡°just in case,¡± and she walked away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± I burst outughing as she walked away. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it; it was hrious!¡± Aren frowned at


    me. ¡°Hrious?! She hit me!¡± I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°What do you want me to do? Kiss the ce where


    it hurts?¡± Aren smirked. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I¡¯ve got a lot of aching ces in my body. I think I


    might need special care tonight.¡± I sighed but couldn¡¯t hide the fact that his words sent all sorts of lewd


    visions to my mind. ¡°There¡¯s something else we need to discuss.¡± Suddenly, Aren¡¯s tone became sharpC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    and serious. ¡°Tomorrow is Can¡¯s funeral.¡± The news wiped my smile in a sh. I didn¡¯t want to go there


    because I wasn¡¯t sorry that he died. How could I sincerely express my condolences to the family who


    knew that I testified against their son, and if it was partially my testimony that put him in jail and got him


    dead? ¡°It¡¯s going to be hell¡­¡± I huffed in frustration. ¡°You have no idea.¡± Aren gave me a wry smile. ¡°The


    coroner said that there were no signs of a struggle, so Can¡¯s death is officially announced as a


    suicide.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?!¡± I snapped. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit!¡±


    DO


    Aren chuckled coldly. ¡°Of course it is. Jack wanted a second opinion, but Packton refused. The case is


    closed with two prison guards fired for neglecting their duty¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°That is so unfair¡­ but


    Vanessa is so going to use it.¡± Aren smiled and reached for my hand again. ¡°I¡¯m afraid she will, but don¡¯t


    worry, we will get through this together.¡± I raised my eyebrows at him. ¡°Am I a part of your private life


    again?¡± He leaned down and kissed the back of my hand. ¡°Sometimes you are the only thing that makes


    me feel alive.¡±


    Smooth talker. How could he screw up so badly and then say only the right things? I couldn¡¯t even


    pretend that I hadn¡¯t forgiven him yet. My whole body melted under the mere touch of his hand. As much


    as I was terrified to admit it, I reacted solely to him, as if there was an invisible mark on me. I belonged to


    him.


    ***


    I spent that night in Aren¡¯s arms and in Aren¡¯s bed. We were both tired and quickly fell asleep. I woke up


    refreshed and filled with energy. As I shifted to face my husband, I smiled, appreciating his beautiful


    sleeping face, his longshes, perfectly shaped cheekbones, nose, and jaw.


    ¡°Have you stared enough, sunshine?¡± Aren chuckled, startling me as he opened his eyes.


    ¡°Never,¡± I whispered, ¡°Staring at your gorgeous face is my newest addiction.¡± A heartbeatter, I was


    pinned to the bed, and Aren was on top of me. ¡°I can live with that,¡± he breathed, leaning over me to


    im my lips. As his hands roamed down, caressing my skin, I shut my eyes tightly and forced myself to


    push him away. ¡°Hate to spoil the mood, but we need to prepare¡­¡± I grimaced. ¡°You are so cruel,


    sunshine,¡± he purred before biting the crook of my neck


    ¡°Hey!¡± I smacked his back ¡°What if you leave a mark there?!¡±


    He smirked. ¡°Then the Wintons would finally have proof that I¡¯m a vicious animal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable.¡± I clicked my tongue while getting out of bed.


    ¡°But you like me that way.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°I love¡­¡± I froze at what I was about to say before nervously clearing my throat.


    Did he realize it as well? Or maybe he would choose to ignore it, or take it as a slip of the tongue? I


    wasn¡¯t ready for this. I had yet to sort out everything that was going on between Aren and me.


    ¡°I should take a shower,¡± I tossed as I hurried out of his room.


    I prepared myself automatically, trying to pretend that I wasn¡¯t about to say anything that could sound like


    a confession. I put on delicate, appropriate makeup and wore a ck Chanel dress¡­ with a scarf that I


    didn¡¯t n to wear, and which I added when I realized that the concealer might not be enough to cover


    Aren¡¯s bite mark. Was he a dog in his previous life or


    something?!


    After we drank a quick coffee, it was time to get to the Wintons¡¯ mansion. I tried to prepare myself for the


    worst that could happen, like Vanessa calling me names and all kinds of usations in front of the


    reporters, but frankly, I was terrified. Aren kept squeezing my hand as we were on our way there, but this


    time I felt this kind offort wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°If something happens, stand behind me and I will deal with it,¡± he said decisively. ¡°No,¡± I muttered,


    shaking my head. ¡°I will look like a coward if I do that¡­ Everyone will think that I am guilty.¡± ¡°I promised


    to protect you, and I will,¡± he imed firmly. I smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips. ¡°Then assist


    me and protect me when things go south; otherwise stand and watch.¡± He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Are


    you sure about that?¡± Well, I wasn¡¯t. Truthfully, I had no idea how to handle Vanessa; I only knew that I


    needed to state my arguments by myself. As soon as we got near the gate, we saw a thick crowd of


    reporters, waiting for juicyments on the rich boy who died in a prison cell. The gate opened and we


    were about to drive inside when suddenly, we saw Vanessa blocking the driveway, standing with her


    arms spread wide.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Marcus snapped and quickly turned to Aren. ¡°Sir, instructions?¡±


    ¡°Just stop. We will get out of the car, and you will drive past her,¡± Aren said. ¡°But Sir, there are reporters,


    and Mrs. Lan¡ª¡± Aren grabbed my hand and said, ¡°I will take care of my wife¡­ if things go south.¡± I


    smiled at him, took a deep breath, and got out of the car, waiting for Vanessa¡¯s show to start. ¡°How dare


    you show up here?! You killed the rightful heir of the Winton family! You did it, the both of you! The


    bastard and his whore!¡± Vanessa yelled, using all kinds of theatrical gestures. She was trying to paint


    herself as a mother who mourned after her son, making the viins of Aren and me, but she didn¡¯t realize


    that I knew a few acting tricks myself, I just never had to use them before¡­


    I mped my mouth with my hand as I walked toward her slowly. ¡°How can you say such awful things¡­¡±


    I muttered, opening my eyes wide without blinking. I waited for the reporters to turn my way and sniffled,


    lowering my head and pretending to cry. ¡°What have Aren and I ever done to you? I know you have


    always hated Aren, but this is too much!¡± I burst into tears. Vanessa took a step back, as now I had the


    reporters in the palm of my hand. ¡°Do you think I wanted to testify against your son? No! But this time


    he¡¯d gone too far! He wanted to kill his brother and kill me! I wanted nothing more for him but to pay for


    his sins! Don¡¯t me us if he chose to end his life with his own hand!¡± I fisted my hands, digging my nails


    into my skin, trying to make my painful expression more believable.


    Once my performance had made everyone speechless for a second, Aren rushed my way, swiftly pulling


    me into his embrace. I buried my face in his chest, as he shielded me from the


    crowd. ¡°It¡¯s all right, sunshine. I know how painful it is for you to be here¡­¡± Aren stroked my hair, making


    my act more believable, ¡°It¡¯s a lie! They are both lying!¡± Vanessa roared, but the press had already


    gathered around us, ignoring the venom-spilling womanpletely. ¡°Mr. Lan¡­ Is what we just heard


    true? Was Mr. Winton trying to kill you and Ms¡­?¡±


    ¡°This is Mrs. Lan. That woman in my arms is my wife, and my brother tried to kill her and me on our


    wedding day.¡± With Aren¡¯s words, the crowd¡¯s agitation rose until all the reporters went wild.


    Fortunately, the security surrounded us in seconds, allowing us to walk past the gate. I could still hear


    Vanessa screaming and cursing at us, but everyone seemed to ignore her. Once we walked further away


    from the gate, Aren finally released me from his tight embrace.


    ¡°You were absolutely perfect, beautiful,¡± he said, cing a sweet kiss on my lips. I chuckled. ¡°You weren¡¯t


    bad yourself, handsome. We make quite a team.¡± ¡°Yes, we do.¡± He grinned wickedly and offered his arm


    in a gentlemanly way. ¡°Now, let¡¯s witness the rest of that freak show, shall we?¡± I smiled, cing my hand


    on his arm. I might have started to enjoy fighting by Aren¡¯s side¡­

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    Funeral


    I was d that I didn¡¯t have to walk the entire way to the mansion¡¯s main building on foot. Marcus waited


    for us a little further away from the main gate. We drove away, leaving Vanessa, who looked as if she


    had gone mad. A tiny little part of me felt sorry for her. She had lost her son, and even if her braincked


    neurons, she must have suspected that he didn¡¯t kill himself. I would love to tell her that we shared the


    same suspicions, but that would only make her me us for Can¡¯s death more. I think we would never


    be able to guess what had caused her hatred, but especially now, that woman should be locked away


    from society for some serious treatment.


    As we entered the main building, my second favorite person in the mansion showed up-the chambein,


    Lucious Maffei. I didn¡¯t think that was possible, but this guy looked at me with more disdain than before.


    ¡°Hello Lucious,¡± I greeted him with a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s a lovely day, isn¡¯t it?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but turn on my


    very dark sense of humor.


    Lucious frowned even more, unlike my husband, who barely stifled augh. As we walked past him, Aren


    turned around and smirked. ¡°Oh, Lucious. You should help your mistress. If she acts like a lunatic a little


    longer, someone might call for paramedics toe over, and it will not look pretty.¡± The chambein¡¯s


    eyes widened in terror. With his mouth sealed, barely restraining him from cursing us, he darted out of


    the building toward the main gate. Aren chuckled mischievously as he watched him go. I couldn¡¯t help


    but stand on my toes and kiss his lips.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± he asked, surprised.


    I shrugged. ¡°You just think that you are sexy when you¡¯re acting all devilish.¡± He leaned over my ear and


    whispered, ¡°You make me want to do something very devilish and inappropriate¡­¡±


    I blushed and pushed him away. ¡°Wrong time and wrong ce, Mr. Devil¡­ You should wait until we get


    home.¡± I winked.


    Aren kissed my forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t tease the Devil, sunshine,¡± he said, lowering his voice as he led me


    deeper into the hall.


    Can was supposed to be buried at the Wintons¡¯ private cemetery at the back of the garden that


    belonged to the residence. All guests were to march up the hill to participate in the ceremony and then


    go back to the main building for meals and drinks. I truly wished it was thetter part because the current


    situation was rather¡­ awkward.


    Aren and I stood in the middle of a spacious hall among people who came to greet and express


    condolences to James Winton and Vanessa, who joined him as she walked back to the mansion. The


    rumors must have already spread since everyone looked at us with disdain, murmuring that we shouldn¡¯t


    havee here in the first ce. Finally, it was our time to officially greet the hosts.


    Aren bowed respectfully. ¡°Hello, Fa-¡±


    A hard p from James cut off his words. I gasped, my eyes restlessly shifting from James to Aren and


    back to James.


    ¡°You killed my son,¡± James Winton hissed.


    His words started a wave of vicious muttering, spreading like venom within the hall.


    Aren smirked coldly, ¡°I am your son. And I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡±


    James stepped closer, ring at Aren. ¡°You made a promise that you would never touch Can. If you


    broke your promise¡± ¨C he looked at me with eyes filled with hatred before turning his gaze back at


    Aren-¡°then I will break mine. Blood for blood.¡±


    Aren grabbed my arm and pulled me, hiding me behind his back. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of hurting Cora!¡±


    James huffed mockingly at him and turned around to greet the other guests. I watched the whole scene


    with my heart aching.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± I whispered, my hand reaching out to stroke Aren¡¯s painfully burning cheek.


    He caught my hand before I touched him, even though he kept his cold stare locked on his father. Then I


    noticed one corner of his lips curling up, forming a vicious smirk. A secondter, I realized the whole


    scene¡­


    ¡°Have you gone mad?!¡± Augustus¡¯s voice thundered over James Winton and everyone around him. ¡°How


    dare you cause a ruckus in my home!¡±


    James stood before him, gritting his teeth in anger, but he said nothing. Of course, Vanessa wasn¡¯t as


    restrained as her husband. ¡°James had every right to punish Aren for what he did!¡±


    she burst out in Augustus¡¯s face while tightly wrapping her hand around her husband¡¯s arm.


    Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t interfere, but if she could defend her husband, so could I. ¡°And what did Aren do


    exactly? If you are so eager to spit venom, then how about exining to everyone what has truly


    happened?¡±


    Augustus went pale. I knew that he didn¡¯t care about how James treated Aren or about the way James


    threatened me; he only cared about the fact that it had happened in front of other people. He also knew


    that Can meant everything to Vanessa and that her grief had made her absolutely unpredictable and


    irrational. He could never allow her to speak freely and let the whole Winton family drown with her dead


    son.


    ¡°Cora, my dear!¡± Augustus rushed my way with an apologetic smile. ¡°We are all grieving today, aren¡¯t


    we? Emotions can get the best of all of us, so please forgive my son and his wife, ¡°he said, before


    shifting his gaze to Vanessa and ring at her.


    A spiteful grunt escaped Vanessa¡¯s lips, but she didn¡¯t dare say anything. I guessed her sanity won the


    internal battle against the desire to vent her rage on Aren and me. Too bad. I would love to hear her


    drowning in the ugliness of her son¡¯s doings.


    Suddenly, Aren turned my way, gazing at me with sad eyes. ¡°Sunshine, perhaps the fact that I am the


    son of that family isn¡¯t enough to be weed here,¡± he imed, loud enough for everyone to hear.


    Augustus cleared his throat. ¡°What are you talking about, Grandson?! You are an important member of


    this family!¡± he called out, more toward the guests around than to him.


    A brief smirk shed on Aren¡¯s lips as the whole room filled with murmurs again. It became clear that the


    old man favored Aren far more than his son. I could see that James¡¯s blood was


    boiling in his veins. After so many years, he could only rely on Augustus¡¯s wealth and power, and the old


    man wasn¡¯t eager to hand it over. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if James tried to assassinate his own father just


    so that he could fully get his hands on the Wintons¡¯ money, but right now, he had to act coy and


    obedient. It must have been driving him insane to see how the son he had never cherished had grown up


    to be independent and even wrapped Augustus around his little finger.


    Finally, we all left home in a soaked in hypocrisy funeral procession. Fortunately, it was a brief ceremony


    mostly filled with the sound of Vanessa¡¯s whining. Was I a bad human because I felt seeing Can¡¯s


    coffin going down to the ground? I wished that he lived and suffered his long life in prison, slowly learning


    to regret everything that he did, but would he ever regret it or apologize for what he did? I doubt it¡­


    ¡°Can we go now?¡± I whispered to Aren once the ceremony was over and people started heading back to


    the mansion. I hoped that we could skip the food and drinks and get out of this hateful ce.


    Aren stroked the back of my hand, his lips forming a crooked smile. ¡°Unfortunately, not just


    yet.¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± I exhaled with frustration.


    He kissed my forehead and said softly. ¡°Augustus has to make his move. Don¡¯t worry, he wille


    soon¡­ very soon.¡±


    Aren was right. As soon as we walked back into the hall, I could see Augustus¡¯s eyes on us. He watched


    us as we got a cup of coffee. I wondered why he acted so strangely. If he wanted to talk to Aren, he


    could juste closer, and yet he chose to observe us, standing across the grand hall. Suddenly,


    someone else walked over, asking Aren if he could take five minutes of his time. Aren agreed and


    stepped away, leaving me alone by the coffee table.


    ¡°Cora, would you agree to talk with me for a second?¡± Augustus¡¯s voice startled me.


    As I raised my eyes from my coffee cup, I saw Aren¡¯s grandfather standing beside me. I smirked,


    realizing that he didn¡¯t want to talk to Aren, but he waited for the moment he could talk to me without


    Aren around.


    I nodded. ¡°Of course, what it is that you wanted to talk about?¡±


    The old, cunning man cleared his throat. ¡°I heard that you are in possession of quite a fortune¡­ As you


    know, I¡¯ve got years of experience in handling money. I would like to offer you an investment that could


    double your wealth,¡± he said, stretching his lips to a sly grin.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. He acted exactly as Aren predicted. He wanted me to sell the diamond and invest


    the money in his business. Was that the ¡°move¡± that Aren was talking about? I bet that he would like to


    discuss the details of the investment in his private office, the ce where the evidence Aren wanted was


    hidden¡­ But I couldn¡¯t go there unprepared. We needed a n.


    I took a deep breath. ¡°That is amazingly thoughtful of you, but this is the day of Can¡¯s funeral and¡­¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    He raised his hands in surrender andughed. ¡°Oh, of course! How about meeting here in my office at


    the mansion next week?¡±


    ¡°All right. I will dly meet you and listen to your advice,¡± I replied with a polite nod.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± He sped his hands together, forming a wickedness-dripping grin.


    My inner smile was just as wicked as his. Too bad he didn¡¯t even realize that he might have just given me


    a way to bring the whole Winton n down.

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    Secret mission


    Aren and I left the Wintons¡¯ mansion soon after I had promised to meet with Augustus after the weekend.


    ¡°You did an excellent job, my beautiful wife,¡± hemented as we were going back to the penthouse.


    ¡°You knew that your grandfather would approach me, didn¡¯t you? Was that why you suddenly chose to


    leave me alone in that hall?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. He chuckled and kissed my forehead. ¡°Of


    course. I knew that my grandfather would naturally assume that you are na?ve. That was why he waited


    for the moment I wasn¡¯t around you. He was afraid that if I was listening to your conversation, I would


    make the choices for you, and I would make you refuse his offer.¡±


    ¡°Now, he thinks that I am willing to listen to him and use the diamond as an investment. What do we do


    next?¡± I asked.


    Aren sighed. ¡°We would have to use the fact that you¡¯re going to meet my grandfather in his office, but


    the n that I¡¯m thinking of is a risky one¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, my heart speeding as I saw


    his ufortable grimace. ¡°You would have to search for it,¡± he said. I blinked my eyes at him. ¡°But how


    can I search for a sh drive with your grandfather around?


    He smirked. ¡°You¡¯re quite a good actress. Use the fact that he thinks you are dumb, and I¡¯m sure that you


    will figure out a way to stay alone in his office for a minute or two.¡± I smiled nervously. ¡°What if I can¡¯t do


    it?¡± Aren shrugged. ¡°Then we will find another way.¡±


    I nodded, trying to hide the fact of how restless I¡¯d just be. Aren had hoped to get this sh drive for


    a long time. He had lost his chance to look for it trying to save me. I wanted to make sure that I wouldn¡¯t


    lose this chance to find it..


    ¡°Um¡­ Aren?¡± I muttered, hesitantly. ¡°Can I engage n and Norton in this sh drive operation?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Heughed. ¡°Of course. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°I think this will require a few gadgets, kind of spy gadgets that is¡­¡±


    ***


    My meeting with Augustus was supposed to happen on Tuesday at noon. Our time to n


    everything was quite limited. A few hours before the meeting, my husband, n, Norton, and even Neil,


    all assured me that it was going to work. I wished I had their confidence, but despite a courageous smirk


    on my lips, I was shaking inside. Nheless, I put a spy-like earpiece into my ear and my enhanced by


    a few super-apps phone into my purse, and prayed that I wouldn¡¯t mess everything up.


    Aren grabbed me by the shoulders and pressed his forehead to mine. ¡°Remember, we will be


    right outside the gate of the mansion. We will hear you and know what¡¯s going on. If something goes


    wrong, I will get there in less than a minute.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I smiled at him.


    He ced a quick kiss on my lips. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    I wanted to calm down, but I felt the pressure only increase. Aren counted on me, although I couldn¡¯t say


    that he wasfortable with the fact that I was the one going on the mission, not him. Yet, it was only


    logical to assume that Augustus was more likely to lower his guard in


    front of me than in front of Aren. Our current leverage was based on the fact that, in the eyes of Aren¡¯s


    grandfather, I wasn¡¯t a threat at all; I was nothing but a mere, foolish woman. Well, for a while, I needed


    to be one.


    Benjamin stopped the car in front of the main entrance. I took a deep breath and turned on the magic


    earpiece; the show was about to start. As soon as I got out of the car, I was greeted by Lucious, who


    apparently was sent by Augustus to lead me into his office.


    Seeing his ufortable act in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but tease him a bit. ¡°Hello, Lucious. How is


    your day? Is your mistress doing OK?¡±


    ¡°My day is like any other day, and if you want to ask about Mrs. Winton, you¡¯d better ask her yourself,¡± he


    replied coldly before gesturing at the door at the end of the corridor. ¡°Master Winton¡¯s office is thest


    door on the right.¡±


    I smirked. ¡°Oh, Lucious. I¡¯m seriously waiting for the day you take that stick out of your ass and act like a


    human.¡± I patted his arm as I passed him by. ¡°Have a good day, Lucious.¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply. I guess he was offended by mynguage, but I didn¡¯t fail to amuse my husband and


    others who listened to every word I said. Theirughter spread through the earpiece loud enough to ring


    in my head. ¡°Guys, mind my eardrums, please,¡± I murmured as I headed to the office. ¡°Sorry, sunshine.¡± I


    heard Aren¡¯s voice through the earpiece. ¡°We just all admired your sharp tongue.¡±


    I chuckled and shook my head. ¡°Just don¡¯t do that when I¡¯m in Augustus¡¯s office. I need to focus now.¡±


    I walked to the end of the corridor and knocked on the door. A few secondster, Augustus opened the


    door and invited me in with a grin glued to his face. As I entered his office, I saw long rows of


    bookshelves on every wall and a grand wooden desk standing near the floor-to ceiling window. I felt an


    iing headache just by looking at the number of possible ces where the sh drive could have


    been hidden.


    ¡°How lovely to see you, Cora,¡± he said, pulling out a chair in front of his desk for me.


    When I sat down, he rushed to get back behind his carved, mahogany desk. I kept looking


    around, calcting and trying to find the most probable spot that the former bodyguard could have


    chosen in a hurry. Where could it be? It must have been one hell of a good ce since that sh drive


    was yet to be found after years¡­ and now I had to find it in minutes!


    ¡°Do you like books?¡± Augustus asked, smirking.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    He pointed at the bookshelves. ¡°You were looking at my library. I figured you enjoy reading.¡±


    Iughed nervously. ¡°Yes, I love books actually¡­ You have an impressive collection.¡± ¡°I gathered most of


    those books here myself,¡± he stated proudly. ¡°Reading keeps your brain sharp.¡± Myughter became


    more awkward. ¡°I cannot argue with that.¡± He cleared his throat and leaned forward on his desk, his


    hands together and his fingers intertwined. ¡°So, Cora. Have you thought about selling the diamond?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I replied cautiously.


    ¡°I bet that it is a pretty gem, but it is worth money, the money you could invest,¡± he coaxed.


    I nodded, trying to convince him that I pondered his words. His lips curled up in a smile, yet his eyes


    remained cold and his gaze sharp. ¡°I could help you sell the diamond at the auction. It could be worth


    thirty or forty million dors,¡± he said, meaningfully nodding at his own words.


    I mirrored his gesture yet corrected him, ¡°It could be worth more than fifty million, I heard.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! I see that you have already checked!¡± He burst outughing and then pointed at me. ¡°You will


    be a big yer in the city¡­ and a great one with my help.¡±


    I knew what he was doing. He was trying to act as if he thought highly of me and then convince me that


    he should be my mentor in business. How dumb had he truly thought I was?! Well, he brought it on


    himself. It was time for me to turn on my skills.


    I lowered my head and put on a timid smile. ¡°I have to admit that I know little about business, and Aren is


    very possessive¡­ He would never allow me to make a decision concerning big money,¡± I said, stifling a


    chuckle as I heard my husband clearing his throat through the


    earpiece.


    Augustus hit the desk with his t hand, pretending to be mad at Aren for me. ¡°Oh, you are allowed to


    make your own decisions, Cora!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I blinked my eyes, realizing that I had never sounded more stupid than at that moment in my


    entire life.


    ¡°Of course, my child!¡± Augustus chuckled and pulled out some documents from his desk drawer. ¡°In fact,


    I have a perfect proposal for you. I am about to build a hotel that will bring a fortune within a year. I would


    dly wee you as my investor.¡±


    ¡°Sounds interesting.¡± I smiled, reaching my hand out for the documents. Augustus stretched his hand,


    holding a folder of documents, but then withdrew his hand. ¡°But if I give it to you, then you will take it


    home and show it to your husband. I know my Grandson. I know he is stubborn, and he won¡¯t let you


    sign a deal with me.¡±


    I sealed my lips and looked up, pretending to think about it before I shifted my eyes to him again. ¡°How


    about I read this document now, and sign the deal if I find it interesting? I can offer you everything I get


    from selling my diamond at the auction,¡± I imed confidently.


    The old man¡¯s eyes widened as if he had already counted the imaginary dors. ¡°That¡¯s a bold decision,


    my child. You start to sound like a real businessman¡­ or a businesswoman.¡±


    He handed over the document and watched me closely as I read the front page. I knew that this


    was it; I had to figure out something to make him leave the office¡­


    ¡°Um¡­¡± I chuckled nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound impolite, but it¡¯s hard to concentrate like this.¡±


    Augustus grinned and stood up. ¡°Would you rather sit here?¡± He offered his chair.


    ¡°No¡­ I was thinking that maybe I could stay in here for a few minutes so I could read the document¡­


    alone?¡± I held my breath as I said it. Was it too much?


    I smiled innocently, trying to read through the faint frown that painted his wrinkled forehead. Those few


    seconds of silence felt like forever.


    He huffed with a hint of annoyance, but then replied, ¡°Fine. I will give you a few minutes. You are


    wee to use my desk. We will discuss the details and numbers when I get back.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The


    relief in my voice was my first sincere reaction from the moment I stepped into his office.


    I could feel my heart pounding faster and faster with every step that Augustus took on his way to the


    door. My eyes followed his every move while I tried to keep my courteous smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in five minutes,¡± he dered.


    I acknowledged with a nod, watching him grab the door handle. Finally, he left, closing the door behind


    him.


    ¡°Great job, sunshine.¡± Aren¡¯s voice sounded through the earpiece. ¡°Now let¡¯s find that sh drive.¡±

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    Getting the evidence The clock was ticking. It wouldn¡¯t be so much better if Augustus gave me the real


    five minutes, but we all knew that he coulde back at any time. Nevertheless, we had to proceed


    methodically.


    ¡°OK, we took over the surveince cameras in the mansion.¡± I heard n¡¯s voice in my ear.¡± We need to


    record a loop to y it while you look around the office. Cora, sit behind the old man¡¯s desk and pretend


    that you are reading the contract. You need to sit motionlessly and count to fifteen, then flip the page and


    count to fifteen one more time.¡± I did everything ording to n¡¯s instructions. By the time the look was


    prepared to fool any potential security guard watching, I was left with no more than four minutes. I pulled


    out my phone and turned on my super-scanner apps. The guys, sitting with theirputers in the car


    right outside the gates of the mansion, could see everything I saw on their screens. That way, there were


    five of us, including Aren and Neil, trying to spot anything unusual. We all figured that the easiest way to


    find a sh drive would be to search for it with a metal detector and pray that there wouldn¡¯t be too many


    metal elements in the furniture in the office. Fortunately, the bookshelves, chairs, and a desk were mostly


    made of wood. Assuming the book covers wouldn¡¯t have any metal pieces embedded, my phone should


    lead to the drive as soon as I get near it. I started from the door and scanned every shelf, going


    clockwise. Every time my phone app beeped, every one of us held our breath.. ¡°False rm¡­¡± I sighed


    in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s a tin wire stuck to a book cover this time.¡± Time was running out. My heart hammered


    against my chest, and my hands were starting to sweat. There were only two tall shelves left, and my


    restlessness kept rising. Was this whole mission for nothing? ¡°Maybe we should change the scanner?¡±


    Norton suggested. ¡°Perhaps a thermal scanner would be better?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for that, ¡°I grunted, slowly moving my hand to scan the length of another shelf.


    Suddenly, the phone slipped from my hand and dropped, sliding into a two-inch gap that separated the


    shelf from the floor.


    ¡°God damn it!¡± I growled angrily as I dropped to my knees and stretched my hand out to reach the


    phone.


    ¡°Breathe, sunshine.¡± I knew that Aren¡¯s warm voice was meant to soothe me, but it only reminded me


    that I was about to fail him miserably.


    It turned out that my stupid phonended deeper under the shelf than I thought. With my head on the


    floor, I had to stretch the entire arm just to touch it. Cursing under my breath, I finally touched the screen,


    identally turning on a shlight. As the phone lit the floor under the bookshelf, I noticed something


    strange¡­ Each bookshelf in the room had four round, wooden blocks footing the entire construction, and


    yet the one block in the back of the


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    bookshelf seemed to be made of stic. Could it be the sh drive that we were looking for? My heart


    sped up, filling me with a bit of new hope. Taking my phone with my trembling hand, I turned on the metal


    detecting scanner again, directing it to the weird object on the back of the shelf.


    ¡°That could be it¡­¡± I muttered, reaching my hand out for the stic object and hoping that the bookshelf


    wouldn¡¯t fall on me without one piece of support¡­ I grabbed something that looked like a ck stic


    box and looked at it closely. As I turned it in my fingers, I found a small button, and when I pushed it, the


    USB plug popped out. I exhaled in a rush, wanting to scream, cry, andugh at the same time. ¡°We got


    it¡­¡± I breathed, exhausted from the unexpected number of exercises.


    The shouts I heard in my ear almost made me deaf, but I didn¡¯t me them. I couldn¡¯t wait until we could


    celebrate together. Now I only needed to get out of this ce¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± I heard a cold


    voice behind my back


    I swallowed and turned around slowly while hiding the sh drive in my zer¡¯s pocket. James Winton


    was standing behind me, his hateful eyes looking me up and down.


    ¡°Um¡­ I was invited by Mr. Augustus Winton,¡± I responded, fisting my hand to prevent it from trembling


    ¡°You?!¡± Aren¡¯s father scoffed, stepping closer. ¡°You are here to spy on us!¡± He grabbed my chin and dug


    his nails into the skin of my face.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I screamed, struggling to push him away.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on in here?!¡± Augustus ran into his office. ¡°James! Let go of her this instant!¡± he roared.


    James chuckled coldly and stepped away, looking at Augustus. ¡°You receive the whore who helped


    murder my son. I would be careful if I were you. She was sneaking around and going through your


    documents.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°She was alone in here and she was standing by the bookshelves as I walked in!¡± James announced


    mockingly.


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Augustus red at me. ¡°I left you alone so you could read the contract!¡± he thundered.


    ¡°I¡­ I dropped my phone and it fell under the shelf¡­¡± I exined, sticking to the partial truth, but James


    was determined to prove that I was doing something I shouldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°That bitch is a fucking liar!¡± He grabbed my hand and pulled me to face him. ¡°I suggest someone should


    search her and make sure she didn¡¯t steal anything.¡±


    I nced at Augustus, hoping that he would do something in my defense, but his mistrust seemed to be


    even greater than his will to get an investor. He nodded at his son and sent me a cold gaze. I kept


    struggling and telling them that I didn¡¯t do anything, but they just ignored my cries. Augustus let out an


    angry huff and walked to his desk to press the security button.


    ¡°Let go of my wife,¡± Aren hissed, striding toward his father. A secondter, he grabbed James¡¯s arm,


    nearly breaking it as he forced him to release me. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for this!¡± James roared, rubbing


    his hand and squirming in pain. Once I was free, Aren pulled me close, shielding me from the two other


    men in the room. ¡°Aren, why are you here?¡± Augustus nervously cleared his throat. He chuckled coldly.


    ¡°Did you seriously expect that I wouldn¡¯t know where my wife is going and who is she meeting?¡± The old


    man frowned. ¡°So you knew that I offered Cora an investment?¡± Aren smirked. ¡°Of course, I knew. I was


    going to let her decide¡­ and I think she has made up her mind now.¡± His eyes shifted to me. ¡°Sunshine,


    do you want to invest your money in this man¡¯s business?¡± My lips curled up in a wicked smile. I stepped


    away from Aren and locked my eyes on Augustus. ¡°Mr. Winton, I don¡¯t think that you would do business


    with someone who insults you and mistrusts you. You insulted me and I could easily charge Mr. James


    Winton for physical assault. I will not call the police today, but only because it would be troublesome. To


    sum up, I will not be your investor. Have a good day, Mr. and Mr. Winton.¡± Aren smiled proudly at


    me before taking my hand and leading me out of the office. I heard James Winton cursing and shouting


    something behind our back, but I didn¡¯t want to listen. I counted steps until we walked out of this


    poisonous mansion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t get there faster,¡± Aren said as we walked toward his car. I


    hugged his arm, absorbing his warmth. ¡°It¡¯s OK. I handled it because I knew you woulde.


    He turned my face and examined my cheeks and chin. ¡°This bastard left bruises on your skin,¡± he


    squeezed out through his teeth. I chuckled. ¡°And you almost broke his arm! I think that¡¯s enough for the


    punishment¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± he imed dangerously. ¡°That is far from enough.¡± I smirked, taking out the ck


    sh drive from my pocket. ¡°Then, I hope that we can punish all of the Wintons using this.¡± Arenughed


    and kissed me softly. ¡°I just hope that whatever is on that sh drive will be enough to sentence them¡­¡±

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    The recording


    We decided to be cautious and check what was on that sh drive once everyone left thepany. It


    was a little after 10 PM, and since we weren¡¯t certain if the drive was password protected, Aren and Neil


    met us in our full of equipmentputer office. We locked the doors after making sure that all the other


    employees were gone from that floor, and ceremoniously plugged the USB into myputer. I checked


    if the sh drive wasn¡¯t infected before I opened its content, holding my breath. There was a single audio


    file on it. Aren, Norton, n, and Neil sat around me as I opened it. The recording started with some


    cracks and distorted sounds, whichsted about a minute. It felt discouraging. I skipped the record on


    fast-forward until finally, we heard two male voices. ¡°The police want to reopen the case. Someone must


    have tipped them off,¡± the first man said in a low-pitched hoarse voice.


    ¡°What do you mean, someone?! It was your fucking job to make sure that no one ever digs in Liling¡¯s


    case!¡± the second man roared.


    I recognized that second voice, and so did Aren-the voice belonged to his father, James Winton. I


    stopped the recording and looked at my husband. His jaw was tense, his cold eyes locked firmly on the


    computer screen disying the graphic wave of the recording. I ced my hand on top of his fisted


    palm. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to hear it alone first?¡± I asked him.


    He took a deep breath.¡±No, let¡¯s y it here and now.¡±


    I looked at n, Norton, and Neil. They all sat still, as if the tension in the room restricted them from any


    movement. I turned the recorded file back on.


    ¡°I took care of the pathologist, so he will stay quiet. But there¡¯s a rumor that someone ordered a second,


    independent report along with your dead wife¡¯s toxicology,¡± the first man exined.


    ¡°How the hell did it happen, Richardson?! You assured me that none of your men would touch the case


    again, and now this?! What did I pay you for?!¡± James Winton thundered. ¡°Watch it, Winton,¡± Richardson


    hissed. ¡°I was paid for turning a blind eye to the fact that you murdered your wife, who wanted to leave


    you and take her money with her. And I don¡¯t recall receiving the money from you. As I recall, it was a


    Chinese guy who carried the money, and I don¡¯t assume that was a member of your family,¡± he said


    coldly.


    A sound of frustration escaped James Winton¡¯s throat. ¡°I will pay you more¡­¡± he groaned angrily. ¡°Just


    take care of that other pathology report.¡±


    Richardson chuckled. ¡°Consider it done.¡±


    The recorded file ended soon after his words. As the yer turned off, we stayed in silence for about a


    minute, processing what we had heard.


    ¡°Wow¡­ now that¡¯s some serious shit¡­¡± n was the first one toment.


    Neil sighed heavily, smirking at him. ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    Norton nced at me before silently going back to his desk to type something on hisputer. Aren hid


    his face in his hands.


    ¡°Handsome, are you all right?¡± I asked softly, gently sliding my hand down his back


    When he turned his eyes my way, a faint smile curved his lips. ¡°I knew that this cold fucker murdered my


    mother, but I guess it¡¯s different to hear him talk about it¡­ I¡¯ve been waiting many years for this


    moment.¡± Looking deep into his beautiful ck irises, I knew that he was hurting. Before meeting the


    Winton fanily, I could never imagine how anyone could be so cruel, greedy, and calcted, but every


    single one of them was like this. I guess that Vanessa fit into this sick family perfectly, while Liling fell in


    love with the very wrong type of guy and paid the most severe price for her love.


    I leaned closer to Aren and kissed his temple. ¡°You know that I am here for you, right?¡±I whispered.


    He smiled at me and stroked my cheek, but I could see how badly this recording had messed him up.


    ¡°George Richardson, the former Chef of the Greenwich Police Department, retired in 2020,¡± Norton


    suddenly announced, reading from his screen.


    ¡°What?¡± n snorted. ¡°You found him already? That¡¯s not fair! I wanted to have some fun


    too!¡±


    Of course, the rest of us ignored n¡¯s grunting, shifting our eyes to Norton¡¯sputer, There was a


    picture of a half-bald guy with grey hair and narrow, wide-set grey eyes. His whole expression emanated


    hostility and deviousness.


    ¡°So this is the guy who helped cover up my mother¡¯s murder¡­¡± Aren clenched his fist, staring at the


    screen.


    I touched his arm, trying to soothe his anger. ¡°We will make them pay,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Of course, we will!¡± n backed up my statement. ¡°And if, for some reason, using legal means is


    impossible, Cora, Norton, and I will make their lives a living hell.¡± He grinned wickedly.


    Aren smirked and high-fived Norton and n. ¡°Thanks, guys. I think I¡¯m not paying you enough.¡±


    Neil rushed toward Aren and stared intensely at him. ¡°Speaking of not paying enough..¡±


    Aren shifted his eyes at him, his smile turning cold. ¡°Don¡¯t push it, Neil You are most likely the best-paid


    assistant in New York.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at Neil¡¯s pitiful stare. ¡°At least promise him a good vacation. He truly deserves


    it.¡± I said to my husband.


    Aren sighed. ¡°Very well. Neil, I promise to send you on a good vacation ¡­ as soon as we finish all our


    recent projects.¡±


    ¡°But some of them have their release date next year!¡± Neil protested.


    Aren red at him. ¡°Take it or leave it.¡±


    Once Neil reluctantly sealed his lips, we could get back to the corrupted former chef of the Greenwich


    Police Department. Apparently, James Winton and whoever else paid him must have been very


    generous since that man owned a mansion worth millions of dors and a few luxurious cars.


    ¡°I can trace his every bank ount and see what kind of payments he received over the years,¡± Norton


    said, his eyes zing in excitement.


    ¡°Then I will try to find out who was responsible for that second pathology report and toxicology analysis,¡±


    n imed.


    Aren nodded in approval. ¡°Perfect. Cora and I will talk to our friend in the FBI tomorrow, and together we


    will try toe up with a n.¡±


    As we were packing ourputers, ready to leave, Neil blocked our way out and frowned.¡± Wait a


    minute¡­ but what am I supposed to do in the meantime?¡±


    Aren patted his shoulder and smirked. ¡°You will make sure thispany doesn¡¯t fall apart in my absence


    and prove that I am not paying too much.¡±


    ***


    Aren¡¯s bright mood seemed to vanish as soon as we left thepany. He kept smiling at me, but I could


    see that he was forcing himself every time he curled up his lips. I wanted to ignore it, but the mood only


    worsened as his pretended smiles turned into an indifferent cold expression, as if he had be a


    different person. I waited until we got home, hoping it would change, but his mask was still there even


    when there were only the two of us. He didn¡¯t say a word while we were in the elevator on our way to the


    penthouse. His mind was elsewhere, and he left me alone to face his emotionlessness


    Aren walked into the hall and shrugged off his jacket, throwing it on the sofa. ¡°We have a lot of work


    tomorrow. It would be better if we slept separately,¡± he said coldly.


    It might have been a rational suggestion, but it hurt. We were supposed to be celebrating, but why did it


    feel as if I was being punished? I refused to end this day surrounded by his coldness. I stood behind him,


    my arms sliding around his waist. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, please¡­¡± I muttered, my voice cracking


    ¡°Do what?¡± he said harshly. He stayed still as if he waspletely indifferent to my touch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lock yourself away from me¡­¡± I whispered, nuzzling his back. ¡°You pretended to be fine in front of


    n, Norton, and Neil, and now¡­¡±


    An icy chuckle left his lips. ¡°Would you rather I be as fake in front of you as in front of them?¡±


    That hurt even more, but I didn¡¯t want to give up. I hugged him even tighter. ¡°I want you to admit that you


    are hurting. Your father¡­ what he did¡­ I cannot even imagine what you are going through.¡±


    He huffed. ¡°Right, you cannot imagine.¡± He grabbed my wrists and yanked my arms off of his waist


    before turning around, looking at me with a cold smile. ¡°When I told you that I couldn¡¯t give you a


    romantic rtionship, this is what I meant. I don¡¯t have the luxury of feeling how


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    you want me to feel; otherwise, we will both end up dead. And I certainly don¡¯t want your goddamn pity.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not pity! I¡¯m doing the best I can to support you! I¡¯m fighting on your side, Aren! And all I wanted was


    to give you somefort!¡± I shouted, my chest squeezing harder by the second.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afterfort, Cora, I¡¯m after revenge. I¡¯m prepared to be ruthless, and I¡¯m prepared to get my


    hands dirty in the process. I treasure you deeply because you are capable like no other woman I¡¯ve met


    but don¡¯t mistake it for anything else. If you don¡¯t like it, you can be my wife only on paper, or you


    can suck it up and learn to cope with that for the next two years.¡±


    I stared at him numbly, swallowing shallow breaths in a rush. I felt as if something was crushing my entire


    ribcage, squeezing the life out of me. He looked at me with eyes filled with void, endless and cold. My


    lips slowly curved into a bitter smile. ¡°All our nights together¡­ was it just¡­ fun?¡± I breathed out in pain.


    His eyes stayed locked on me for a minute while I inwardly begged him to deny it.¡± Goodnight, Cora,¡± he


    said, ending my torture with one quick stab before walking upstairs to the bedroom.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    Emotionless


    I couldn¡¯t cry even though I wanted to. For some sick reason, my body decided that it would be better if I


    kept all my intense emotions rotting inside me instead of crving them out. Iy on my bed, thinking about


    how this could happen. I was so engaged in his war that I poured my heart and soul into it, but he


    decided to crush it. Even if it was a twisted way of his to protect me, it destroyed everything and all the


    trust between us. I was certain of him, to the point where I wanted to risk my life for him because I


    thought that he would do the same¡­ Was I only fooling myself?


    I stared at the ceiling, analyzing the situation of my kidnapping with a brand-new filter. What would have


    happened if I hadn¡¯t found my way out of there? Would Aren have risked his life to save mine, or perhaps


    it was merely my foolish assumption? Maybe he had never nned to enter that building in the first


    ce. Maybe his sole purpose had always been to catch the one who wanted him dead? I felt that my


    heart grew bitter with every new ¡°maybe¡± that appeared inside my mind.


    ¡°Idiot¡­¡± I muttered to myself, letting out a humorlessugh. ¡°You wanted to believe in a fairy


    tale, but such doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    I struggled with shallow breathing for another hour until suddenly, my chest stopped hurting, as if


    someone put out the fire consuming my heart. Now it became almost cold, easily letting go of all the


    necessary emotions.


    ¡°23 and a half more months, Cora,¡± I mumbled. ¡°At least you didn¡¯t sell yourself cheap.¡±


    It looked like all women from the Bell family were cursed, and I wasn¡¯t an exception. Perhaps God didn¡¯t


    want us to be loved by men, but he certainly wanted us to be strong, and I needed to toughen up. I


    should have learned to value my heart long ago, and yet I kept repeating my mistakes. Aren was right


    about one thing: I needed to suck it up.


    After contemting for another five hours while staring at the ceiling, I got up from my bed with my heart


    carefully patched and a new n for the rest of my life that didn¡¯t involve Aren in it.


    For the first time, I got out of bed before Aren. I could still hear him snoring when I passed his bedroom


    on my way downstairs to the kitchen. I preferred it that way. I made us coffee, some toast, and vegetable


    sd as if nothing had changed¡­ Well, superficially it didn¡¯t, but it feltpletely different. I sat down


    and ate my portion of the sd, carefully calcting everything that needed to be done. I became


    completely task-oriented. By the time I was finishing my cup of coffee, Aren came down.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said in a slightly sleepy voice, the one that used to make my heart flutter only


    yesterday


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I replied dryly. ¡°Your coffee is getting cold. I also made two copies of the recording and


    hid it on two well-protected virtual drives, just in case. Now I¡¯ll go upstairs to finish getting ready to leave.¡±


    After my announcement, I got up and started walking upstairs.


    ¡°Cora¡± I heard his warm voice, and all my defense walls fell down. I nced over my shoulder, struggling


    to keep my face indifferent, just like I did a few seconds ago. He gave me


    brief smile ¡°I¡¯m d we¡¯vee to terms.¡±


    If he wanted to rub salt on my wounds, he did a tremendous job. I swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the


    lump in my throat. ¡°Yes, we did,¡± I replied, turning away from him. If I had any doubts that the road of


    indifference was my best and only choice, then they all disappeared at that very moment, ¡°Come to


    terms, my ass,¡± I muttered under my breath while climbing the stairs, I wanted to scream and hit him


    hard, but would it change anything? I needed to swallow the pill no matter how agonizingly bitter it was.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t change the fact that I had already nned to mess up his life in every possible way


    a hacker could as soon as our contractual marriage ended.


    I barely said a word to him while we were on our way to the FBL Despite telling myself that! should act


    naturally and contain my emotions, I felt it wasn¡¯t working at all. I was all emotions ¨C I only changed their


    type, from fluffy and mushy to stinging and razor-sharp. I tried to hide them underneath a carefully


    crafted smile, but I couldn¡¯t erase them from my eyes,


    ¡°Are you nervous, sunshine?¡± Aren¡¯s question brought my blood to a boil. Barely restraining myself from


    exploding, I hissed, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t use any nicknames¡­at least when we are alone.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°But I like calling you sunshine.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t,¡± I retorted and turned my head away from him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­ misunderstand you


    anymore.¡±


    He went silent as if my words startled him and replied only after a while, ¡°All right. I won¡¯t call you like


    that again.¡±


    Yet another stab in the heart. It hurt no matter how many times I told myself that it was better this way. I


    knew that I needed to build a concrete wall around my heart soon, otherwise every second I spent with


    him would be torture¡­


    When we were almost in front of the FBI office, Jack texted, asking us to meet him at the nearby coffee


    shop instead of his office. He also insisted that we park the car elsewhere and then walk to the ce of


    our meeting. It sounded a bit strange, but we agreed that Jack had to have his reasons. Marcus stopped


    the car a block away and checked the area before allowing us to leave the car,


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone who could be following, but I suggest keeping your eyes open,¡± Marcus said, opening


    the car door.


    Aren nodded before offering his arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he tossed dryly.


    I clenched my jaw. Was that what our rtionship would look like? I hated that hostility slowly creeping


    between us when the memory of his caresses and kisses was so vivid in my head.


    I slid my hand around his bent arm, and I could feel him bing tense. Had my touch suddenly


    be intolerable to him?¡±If you feel ufortable like this, I can simply walk


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    beside you,¡± I suggested, barely squeezing the words through my teeth. ¡°No.¡± He ced his hand on


    mine, making sure it stayed around his arm. ¡°It¡¯s all good.¡± I inwardly rolled my eyes at him, unable to


    comprehend his reactions. As we walked, I could see Aren discreetly ncing at our surroundings, which


    made me more nervous by the second. Were we in some kind of danger? Was Agent Jack Collins in


    some kind of danger? Who was the one supposed to be following us? Was it someone connected to that


    guy who kidnapped me? Or was it someone hired by the Wintons? All those uncertainties made me


    tighten my grip around Aren¡¯s arm, and I could swear that he smirked as I did it. Jerk.


    We walked into the coffee shop Jack mentioned, and then we went upstairs and chose the table by the


    corner, just like he instructed us in his text message. He joined us a minuteter, panting as if he had run


    there.


    ¡°I apologize for the secrecy but don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to talk inside the office anymore,¡± he said, sitting by


    our table. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Jack?¡± Aren leaned forward on the table, a frown painting his forehead. ¡°I


    don¡¯t know what kind of connections this Packton guy has, but there are rumors that our current


    Assistant Director in charge of the New York field office will be offered an early retirement and Packton is


    taking his ce!¡± Jack spoke agitatedly. ¡°But wasn¡¯t this guy corrupted?¡± I asked, realizing that he was


    still handling Can¡¯s case. ¡°Yeah, that guy is definitely dirty, but that¡¯s not all¡­¡± I sighed, feeling the


    iing headache. ¡°There¡¯s more..?¡±


    Jack leaned closer and smiled wryly. ¡°I just got suspended.¡±


    ¡°Suspended for what?!¡± Aren snapped. ¡°I assume that Packton is going to press the prosecution to form


    charges against me,¡± he said nervously.


    I swallowed, being more than certain that his suspension had everything to do with our case.¡± What can


    you be used of?¡±


    ¡°In the best case scenario, for dereliction of duty¡­¡± He paused and clenched his fists. ¡°In the worst case


    scenario¡­ they will use me of conspiracy to murder Can Winton.¡±

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    Idea


    I leaned back in my seat, my head spinning as I couldn¡¯t process what Jack had just told us. Anger


    buzzed within me as I thought that Can was messing with us even after he died. ¡°This is absurd! You


    told us before that the pathologist couldn¡¯t find any evidence that Can¡¯s death was a murder, and now


    you can be used of killing him?!¡± My frustration went beyond the limits I could handle.


    Aren ced his hand on top of mine. ¡°Calm down, Cora. We will find a solution; we just need to think


    carefully.¡±


    I inwardly pped myself for enjoying Aren¡¯s touch and then slipped my hand away from his. As I did, he


    nced at me with a hint of odd sadness shing in his expression. Was he surprised that I was going to


    avoid his touch? Well, too bad he hadn¡¯t thought about it before degrading everything we had to casual


    sex. Jack noticed our change in behavior right away. ¡°You two had a fight?¡± My ¡°yes¡± came


    simultaneously with Aren¡¯s ¡°no.¡± We looked at each other slightly awkwardly. Jack chuckled. ¡°Aren, you


    should hurry up and apologize, or I can sense no sex for weeks if you don¡¯t.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    He got that right. Aren might have been the sexiest guy I had ever dated or even the sexiest


    guy I had ever seen, but I was not going to surrender to my desires, not anymore. Aren slid his hand


    around my waist, pulling me closer. ¡°Forgive me, beautiful,¡± he purred seductively, his lips curving in an


    alluring smile. I wished I could kick his balls at that moment. Did he truly have no idea what he was doing


    to me and how much it hurt? Sadly for him, I wasn¡¯t going to y the part of a good and


    forgiving wife.


    ¡°If you think that your half-assed apology could make me spread my legs for you again, then you


    miscalcted, handsome,¡± I said before jerking his hand away with a bright smile painting my face.


    Aren red at me, but that only made me smile more beamingly. I could have been his contractual wife,


    but I demanded respect and I was not afraid of him. Jack burst outughing. ¡°Cora, you are a ray of


    sunshine in this shitty life of mine.¡± As I shifted my eyes to him, a sting of guilt pierced my heart. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, Jack. We shouldn¡¯t have bothered you with our little problems when you could be prosecuted for


    something you haven¡¯t done¡­¡±


    Jack shook his head. ¡°It was a nice form of distraction.¡±


    Aren stayed silent, his eyes without a pinch of a smile turning from Jack to me. I suddenly got an


    irresistible urge to tease him. I blinked my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me, husband. You said it yourself, that


    we need to put emotions away.¡±


    God, it felt good to use his own weapon against him. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but as


    WE


    he added a cold smirk to his expression, chills ran down my spine. He wasn¡¯t nning revenge for what I


    just did, was he? I waved off that thought as we finally focused on Jack and the investigation. ¡°Do you


    think that it might be Wintons¡¯ doing?¡± I asked. ¡°I bet that they were looking for someone who would pay


    for Can¡¯s death, and if they found out that you were Aren¡¯s friend then-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Aren cut in. ¡°The Wintons might seem strong when they talk, but they don¡¯t have the means to


    mess with the FBI. I know that they have some connections in the NYPD, but this would be too big of a


    case for them to handle.¡± ¡°Any other suggestions?¡± Jack smiled wryly. ¡°If not the Wintons, then I guess it


    must have been the guy who kidnapped me and locked me in that warehouse,¡± I said, ncing at Aren.


    He nodded. ¡°If he could gather an army of men to assassinate me, then who knows, maybe he has good


    political connections as well.¡± ¡°Someone from the political family, from the government, or the senate?¡±


    Jack suggested. Aren smirked. ¡°Not necessarily. Money talks louder than any political beliefs. All you


    need to do is to find the right person, willing to do whatever you need to get the money.¡± I felt shivers


    down my spine as I listened to his words. ¡°You sound as if you were saying that from experience¡­¡± I


    Aren shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m running a global consortium, Jack, and I bought over fiftypanies on my way.


    Sometimes people got fired or lost their wealth, and now they certainly wish me dead, but they can only


    do that. If I were to make a list, I¡¯d put five big names on it. They all hate me for business reasons.¡±


    ¡°But this is personal,¡± I said, making Aren and Jack look at me with interest.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jack leaned forward on the table.


    ¡°I read a few messages from Can¡¯s phone. There were no names, but this guy mentioned that he


    would make Aren pay for what he did to his family,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Does it ring a bell for you?¡± Jack asked, smirking at Aren. ¡°Maybe you fucked someone else¡¯s wife and


    the guy found out?¡± Aren smirked cockily. ¡°How the fuck should I know? When theye to me, they


    don¡¯t put their rings on.¡±


    I cleared my throat and looked away. Of course, I was aware that Aren used to have a lot of


    Idea


    w


    women, and yet I couldn¡¯t help but feel the stir Unfortunately, my reaction was far too obvious for Jackor


    Aren to ignore. ¡°Dude, you are digging your own grave.¡± Jack pped Aren¡¯s arm, ncing at me with an


    amused grin. Aren leaned over my ear and whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, beautiful. None of them tasted as


    good as you.¡±


    I looked at him, my eyes betraying the regret I felt. ¡°Too bad you couldn¡¯t appreciate me,¡± I muttered


    under my breath. Aren might have heard it since he shot me a brief, confused stare, but his reaction


    ended there, and we got back to our discussion.


    ¡°Whoever this person is, our only way to find out is to track Packton,¡± Aren stated.


    Jack huffed while running his fingers through his hair. ¡°And who do you think could do that? This guy


    gets more authority every day, and I don¡¯t know who to trust anymore.¡± ¡°I can give you trained men who


    could tail Packton if you want me to. We can also nt a bug in his office,¡± Aren suggested. ¡°A bug in the


    FBI¡¯s field office? I don¡¯t see how anyone gets near enough Packton without raising suspicions.¡± Jack


    gave Aren and me a crooked smile. ¡°I can do it,¡± I said as I hesitantly raised my hand. Aren¡¯s eyes


    widened at me. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Well, he wouldn¡¯t suspect a blonde of putting a bug on him, would he?¡± I


    chuckled nervously. Jack narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°You would need a serious reason to get near him.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I could give him the real Can¡¯s phone back, telling him that they got the clone by ident


    last time. I could y dumb and im that we¡¯ve only noticed it recently. We¡¯ve finished retrieving


    deleted messages, which led us nowhere, and we¡¯ve deleted all the sensitive data from his phone long


    ago, so it¡¯s safe to give it back.¡±


    Aren frowned. ¡°Absolutely not! I forbid you from getting anywhere near that guy, not to mention going


    alone to his office and¡±


    Jack raised his hand as if he wanted to block Aren¡¯s mouth. ¡°Wait! That could actually work!¡± he grinned


    wickedly, scanning me from head to toe. ¡°Cora is a hell of a sexydy, and there is no way that Lester


    Packton would¡¯ve resisted her charm. I bet that she could have him wrapped around her little finger in a


    minute.¡±


    Aren red at him. ¡°Do you think that I would ever allow my wife to go to that guy and seduce him?!¡±


    Jack burst intoughter. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so possessive! I will find a way to interrupt if he tries to make a


    move on your wife.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re assuming that he would make a move on my wife, and you expect me to be OK with it?! ¡°Aren


    roared.


    I couldn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t enjoy Aren getting all worked up. Nheless, it was my choice to make. I


    grabbed Aren¡¯s hand, silencing him in an instant and making him shift his eyes to me.


    Idea


    Once I got his full attention, I said, ¡°If Jack says that my idea could work, then I am going. I will do it


    whether you like it or not.¡±


    ¡°That guy is a trained field agent, and you don¡¯t even know how to defend yourself,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± I raised my eyebrows at him. Aren sighed, ¡°You were recovering and ¡­¡± ¡°Well,


    I¡¯m all healed now,¡± I smirked. ¡°Would you feel better if you taught me some moves before I go?¡± I


    blinked my eyes innocently. ¡°I¡¯m not allowing you to go there, period,¡± he said harshly. I leaned over him,


    my lips an inch away from his. ¡°It¡¯s not your choice to make, handsome. You can either keep frowning


    and ring at me or, using your words¡­ you can suck it up and learn to cope with that.¡±

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    Too sincere Aren wasn¡¯t fond of the idea even after an hour of convincing by Jack, but eventually, he


    gave up as he realized that it truly might have been our only chance. Of course, I suggested that I could


    also try to hack his email ount or his phone, but then I heard a loud and firm ¡°no¡±ing from Aren


    and Jack simultaneously.


    ¡°Even if we are doing it for the right reasons, we are stillmitting a crime here. We are going to nt a


    bug in a federal agent¡¯s office, and if something goes wrong, we are all going to prison for it,¡± Jack


    warned.


    I knew that Aren was prepared to risk his own future for the sake of getting his revenge, but he was also


    unwilling to risk mine. But I chose to join his war willingly, and if there was a tiny chance that I could help,


    then I was going to do it. Our entire conversation ended up in nning how to put a tap in Lester


    Packton¡¯s office. We merely mentioned the recording that I had found in the Wintons¡¯ mansion, indicating


    that Aren¡¯s father had nned to murder his mother, Lan Liling. We knew that Jack would have dly


    taken the case¡­ if he hadn¡¯t been suspended. Unfortunately, taking care of former Police Chef


    Richardson and James Winton would have to wait until Jack had be clear of all charges¡­ ¡°I¡¯m


    going to teach you self-defense starting tomorrow. Take somefortable clothes with you to the office;


    we will practice after work,¡± Aren grunted as we walked out of the coffee shop. ¡°Aye, aye, Sir.¡± I saluted


    with a teasing grin on my face.


    Aren red at me. I guess he was still pissed at me for not having things the way he wanted. On the


    other hand, I was proud of myself that I was courageous enough to put myself out there for another


    mission, even though I was shaking inwardly as I thought of what I would have to do¡­


    *


    *


    I slept soundly that night without Aren and woke up refreshed. I rushed to the kitchen and prepared


    breakfast while cheerfully humming. Unlike me, Aren looked as if he hadn¡¯t slept at all that night. He was


    pale and grumpy. When I looked into his haggard eyes, I saw concern and¡­ fear. I tried to ignore it, but


    once it didn¡¯t disappear after another few minutes of our breakfast, his nerves had be infectious.


    ¡°Would you like some more coffee?¡± I asked, smiling at him.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Why are you doing this, Cora?¡± Frustration surfaced in Aren¡¯s words. I chuckled nervously. ¡°Why what?


    Why am I asking if you want more coffee?¡± He frowned. ¡°Why do you want to help me? This isn¡¯t your


    fight. I don¡¯t want you to risk so much for me¡­¡±


    Now, I was bing pissed. I red at Aren, crossing my arms. ¡°First of all, it is my fight. I was the one


    kidnapped and hit by this guy that we are after. Furthermore, I was the one who


    testified and found evidence against Can, and I am partially responsible for his death. And that makes


    me partially responsible for Jack¡¯s suspension as well. As you can see, I¡¯m not doing this entirely for you,


    so don¡¯t tter yourself too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Aren muttered, lowering his head. I nced at him,


    confused. ¡°What are you sorry for?¡±


    He suddenly grabbed my hand, sending a wave of shivering across my body. ¡°I was aware of the danger


    that involved being with me, and I thought that I could protect you, but I couldn¡¯t. ¡°He looked at me with


    eyes filled with guilt. I swallowed hard as all kinds of emotions rushed through me. ¡°Do you regret


    marrying me?¡± I asked softly.


    He smiled and kissed the back of my palm. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to have such a wife.¡± I gasped as his soft lips


    tasted the skin on my hand. I had to give it to him-he was a pro at this game, while I wasn¡¯t even a


    beginner. For now, I kept losing to his subtle attempts to remind me how good it felt to be with him. But I


    wasn¡¯t going to surrender like that. ¡°No, you don¡¯t deserve me. So at least you should give me more


    respect,¡± I yanked my hand away from him, nonchntly raising my chin. ¡°Do you think that kissing a


    hand is disrespectful?¡± he questioned. I smirked and leaned closer to him. ¡°No, but you disrespect my


    intelligence if you think that I don¡¯t know what you are doing. Stop ying me already.¡¯ He chuckled. ¡°But


    you like what I do, and you cannot deny that you enjoyed all the things I did to you.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows at him, wondering if he was that calcted or if his emotional intelligence was that


    low. ¡°It is my body reacting to yours. Don¡¯t tease me anymore,¡± I hissed.


    His amusement stayed unchanged. ¡°I think you like it when I tease you.¡±


    The blood in my veins boiled, filling my heart with fury and pain. I stood up, hitting my t palms against


    the table. ¡°You can either stay the fuck away from me or take responsibility for making me fall for you!¡± I


    thundered, loud enough to be heard a block away, before storming out of the kitchen.


    I darted into my bedroom, mming the door behind me. ¡°Oh my God¡­ Why the hell did I say that out


    loud?¡± I muttered to myself, copsing onto my bed. I didn¡¯t want to see his reaction to my words, but I


    knew that mentioning feelings at all must have rang in his brain like an rm. Was he going to think that I


    was already in love with him? And if so, would he distance himself from me, or pretend that my words


    had never reached his ears? It would be good if he controlled the way he acted around me, especially


    when we were alone¡­ But what if the distance he would put between us became unbearable?


    ¡°Cora, you need to think of him as your employer and partner in the crime you are about tomit,


    nothing else,¡± I told myself. ¡°Who cares about the distance?! He is not an object of your emotions!¡±


    The transformation I needed to perform inside my mind was hard but necessary. I had to


    protect myself from being emotionally damaged. I decided that it would be best to avoid Aren for the rest


    of the day, and my n became aplete sess. I sneaked out of the penthouse, Benjamin drove


    me to work, and I did my best to stay inside the office throughout the day. I focused on making sure that


    it was safe to give away Can¡¯s phone, and then worked on improving algorithms and updating my


    security program installed on Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯sputers. I was doing fine¡­ or so I thought.


    n and Norton had already left the office, and I was getting ready to leave as well when I got a text


    from Aren. ¡°Wear somethingfortable,e up to my floor, and go straight to the end of the corridor.


    My private gym is on the right.¡±,


    Shit. I hadpletely forgotten about the self-defense training. I texted back, saying that I would be


    there in five minutes. Suddenly, I became nervous. Taking a deep breath, I opened the bag where I had


    packed a fitted ck sports top, leggings, and a pair of sneakers. Using the fact that I was alone, I


    changed inside the office and then walked out to the empty corridor. Once I was in the elevator, I looked


    at my reflection in the mirror; I had to say that I looked sexy. The ck leggings perfectly wrapped my


    hips and buttocks, while the short top showed off my breasts. I smirked, hoping to give Aren a hard time


    concentrating on anything else aside from


    dsIUC ILULII WII UUUY


    I walked out of the elevator and confidently strode to the end of the corridor, realizing that I had never


    been to that part of the floor. I opened the door cautiously and entered a spacious hall divided into two


    areas with different types of flooring. There were mats on the first half of the floor and tatami on the other


    half. The first half was full of gym equipment, with boxing bags hanging in the specially separated area


    and a row of boxing gloves lying on the low-hanging shelf. The tatami half had a traditional Japanese


    design with only a row of sword and bokken stands and a few hangs for kendo uniforms. My mouth


    opened wide in awe as I took in the sight of it all, but I quickly realized that the hall wasn¡¯t nearly as


    breathtaking as my husband in his practice uniform. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± he said, walking over to me, a smirk


    curving his seductive lips. My eyes slowly scanned him as he strode my way. He was wearing ck fitted


    pants with his sizeable manhood notably underlined by their cut, and a ck fitted shirt, making his


    chiseled muscles almost shine right through it. His hair was slightly damp, as he clearly had been


    working out before I got to the gym, andbed up to emphasize the whole beauty of his impable


    features. Jesus fucking Christ! The sight of him was enough for my hormones to fry my brain! If he was


    my attacker, I would probably die in less than two seconds. He chuckled, standing only inches away from


    me. ¡°Ready to roll on the mattresses?¡± I responded in nervousughter. This was going to be a hell of a


    training¡­

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Self-defense ¡°Now, let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡±


    The demonic grin on Aren¡¯s face wasn¡¯t encouraging at all. I responded with a slight nod. Even though I


    was the one who suggested learning self-defense from Aren, I was beginning to regret that decision


    more by the second. ¡°You should warm up first,¡± he said, taking my hand and leading me to the center of


    the mats. We did a bit of stretching, which I found close to unbearable, and it wasn¡¯t because of my stiff


    body. Every single ounce of my willpower was aimed at restraining myself from looking at Aren¡¯s body.


    It¡¯s been two days since we hadn¡¯t slept together, and I was starting to behave like a junky at the


    beginning of rehab. I whimpered inwardly and bit my lip when he wasn¡¯t looking, but I could proudly say


    that I managed to keep my serious face throughout the warm up. Unfortunately, my struggle had barely


    begun. ¡°My, let¡¯s start with something easy,¡± Aren said, standing some distance in front of me. ¡°I will


    attack you, and you will try to defend yourself.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Iughed nervously. ¡°How do I do that?¡±


    Aren scanned me from head to toe, and I didn¡¯t miss the fact that he paid extra attention to my hips and


    breasts. ¡°First of all, stand up straight. When Ie near you, your instinct will tell you to step back, and


    that is what you need to do.¡± I raised one eyebrow at him. First of all, no living woman on the face of the


    Earth would ever step back seeing Aren Lan try to approach her, but let¡¯s imagine otherwise. I put my


    one leg back, concentrating on maintaining bnce. ¡°Good.¡± He nodded. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to the actual


    attack. I will grab your shoulders and you will try to release yourself.¡± I smiled wryly at him. ¡°You are a


    foot taller than I am, and you are much stronger¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he assured. ¡°If your attacker wants


    to grab you, even if he is really tall, he will have to lean down to do it, and then you can defend yourself.


    All you need to do is to cross your arms and push your arms up using your elbows to release yourself


    from the attacker¡¯s grip. Then you need to p his ears to stun him, kick him in the groins, stomach, or


    whatever, and run.¡±


    I blinked my eyes at him. He made it sound so easy, but my motion skills on the scale from one to ten


    were like¡­ minus four. Not to mention that my focus decreased proportionally to his closeness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start. I¡¯m going to grab your shoulders,¡± he said as he stepped toward me. I gulped, trying to


    hectically process his instruction, but my tries all failed miserably as he grabbed my arms and looked


    dangerously into my eyes. My mind went nk. ¡°You were supposed to defend yourself, not wait until I


    hurt you.¡± He chuckled, not knowing that to me, his words had a slightly different meaning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try again,¡± I squeezed through my teeth before taking a deep breath. He grabbed my shoulders. I


    crossed my arms just like he told me and pushed my arms up, forcing him to release me. ¡°I did it!¡± I


    shouted merrily.


    He nodded. ¡°Yes, but you need to hit my ears so I can be disoriented for a few seconds, and then kick


    me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd. I cannot reach your ears. You are way too tall,¡± I protested, crossing my arms. ¡°Cora,


    don¡¯t make excuses-think!¡± He frowned. ¡°If you think that I am too tall, then attack me before I stand up


    straight. You need to move fast if you want to defend yourself and escape.


    I hated the fact that he was right. I had never been a fan of exercise, but it was time to admit that I


    needed to put a few workouts into my weekly schedule. I took a deep breath and tried one more time,


    and this time, I managed to hit him. Of course, he blocked my kick before I reached his balls, but for the


    first time, I followed his instructions and executed them well. I had to say that I was proud of myself.


    ¡°Again!¡± he shouted, as I thought that I could finally take a break He was relentless, forcing my muscles


    to stretch and my body to apply more strength as his grip became more powerful and his attacks faster.


    After performing the same movements for the tenth time, I was panting as if I was about to die, and he


    stood in front of me without even one drop of sweat on his forehead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on to something harder. I¡¯m going to grab your hair from the back, and you are going to twist


    my arm,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡± I breathed, my chest heaving and falling erratically.


    He leaned over, a wicked smirk ying on his lips. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who wanted to face an FBI agent


    completely unprepared.¡±


    A sound of frustration escaped my throat. ¡°Do you seriously think that the second Ie to his office he


    will grab my shoulders or my hair?! Besides, if the situation escted to the point I needed to run, then I


    wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the FBI field office now, would I?!¡±


    Aren chuckled coldly and stepped closer, forcing me to take a step back. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do you?


    You merely focus on the fact that you are about to do something illegal, while at the same time assuming


    that Packton would act ording to thew. Well, think again!¡± He leaned over me, making me step back


    again. ¡°I researched this guy. He is fucking dangerous, and he has been used of harassment and


    physical assault before! The only reason that he is still a field agent is that the victim suddenly withdrew


    all the usations!¡± he roared, pushing me back against the wall. He leaned closer, his eyes darkening


    as his hands went to my neck and squeezed my throat. ¡°You need to know what to do when someone


    unpredictable attacks you,¡± he whispered, applying more force to his grip.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re hurting me,¡± I choked out, grabbing his hands, and trying to push him away.


    He leaned over my ear, his hands still on my neck, proving how defenseless I was against him. ¡°You


    cannot overpower me, sunshine,¡± he mocked. ¡°You need to think about my weaknesses and use them


    against me. You can try to kick me, but you are not strong enough to cause me


    pain. Now, what is the weakest point in my hands?¡± he asked, suddenly freeing me from his grip and


    stepping back.


    I copsed onto the floor, heavily breathing. ¡°Are you fucking mad?!¡± I yelled hoarsely, rubbing my neck.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, Cora, and we are not doing this for fun. Now answer my damn question, and use your


    brain this time,¡± he hissed, looking down at me with an icy stare.


    Anger buzzed within my veins. I wanted to hit him hard, but only because he painfully showed me how


    weak I was outside myputer office. I wanted to act as if I was strong enough to help him, just like


    when I searched for the sh drive in Augustus Winton¡¯s office. I hadn¡¯t even realized how different this


    situation was from going to Packton¡¯s office. For starters, I was going to bepletely on my own in


    there, and if something went wrong, Aren wouldn¡¯t be able to barge into Packton¡¯s office to save me. I


    was merrily nning a mission like a kid ying a secret agent while Aren was doing everything he


    could to protect me. I clenched my jaw and took a breath through my nose, trying to calm down.


    ¡°Your thumbs¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°When you choked me, your thumbs were the weakest point in your hand.¡±


    He smirked. ¡°Good. Now I will teach you how to use your body strength to press them hard enough to


    release yourself.¡±


    During the next two hours, I slowly learned how to release myself from any grip I could think of. Aren told


    me to always shift my focus to control the attacker¡¯s movements. Repeating his instructions over and


    over again exhausted mepletely. ¡°Can we at least take a break?¡± I looked at him pleadingly.


    He sighed before walking to the bench and bringing a bottle of water for me and for himself. I sat on the


    mat, trying to steady my breath. Only after a while did I realize his eyes were on me the entire time, his


    lips curving into a mischievous grin.


    ¡°What?¡± I grunted.


    He patted my head, his tender gaze locked on me. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, wife.¡±


    My stupid heart skipped a beat. I was d that a thick blush was already on my cheeks because I would


    surely be red after Aren¡¯s words. I took a deep breath and lowered my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t


    be so stupid and stubborn. I know that you are worried about me.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± His sudden words startled me.


    I smiled nervously. ¡°What for?¡±.


    He stroked my cheek. ¡°For being the sexiest and the most stubborn wife I know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t taunt me.¡± I pouted.


    He chuckled and grabbed my chin, positioning me before he leaned closer, his slightly parted lips less


    than an inch away from mine.


    I pressed my hands against his chest, ready to push him away. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He smiled and ced a soft kiss on my lips before I could react. ¡°I¡¯m ready to take a risk¡­¡± he


    whispered before kissing me again, more hungrily this time. Then he stopped and looked at me with a


    fiery gaze. ¡°And I¡¯m ready to take responsibility for my actions.¡±

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    Ask me if you dare I didn¡¯t mishear him, right? He was going to take responsibility for making me fall in love with him. But what kind


    of responsibility would it be? I knew that I was the one who asked for it, but I had never thought about what this responsibility


    should be like. Was he going to turn our contractual marriage into a permanent one, even if he didn¡¯t love me? No one can force a


    heart to love, but what if he¡¯d already had feelings for me and kept denying them? My feverish thoughts quickly dissolved in the


    shower of his kisses, which I returned with equal passion. I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of new terms I had just agreed on, but if he was


    ready to take a risk and walk into the unknown, then so was I.


    I couldn¡¯t tell when I found myself lying on the mat with him on top of me. I bit my lip, watching him take


    his shirt off, and reveal those rigid chest and stomach muscles carved into perfection. Yet a shudder


    spread across my body as his hand slid down my sweated skin. I grabbed my hand with an audible gasp.


    ¡°I¡­. smell¡­¡± I muttered, blushing in embarrassment.


    He chuckled and leaned down to bite my earlobe. ¡°So am I, and yet, it is only your body that you find


    ufortable, not mine.¡±


    My hands reached tob his damp, ck hair. ¡°Because you are perfect no matter what,¡± I mumbled,


    as his searing gaze ran down my body.


    He looked at me with a frown and leaned over me, his hand sliding to my back to find a little zipper on


    my top. Two secondster, he grabbed the rim of the top and took it off of me along with my sports bra.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at perfection,¡± he said before lowering himself to draw circles with his tongue around one


    nipple while caressing the other one of my breasts with his hand.


    ¡°What if someone sees us?¡± I asked breathlessly, resisting a moan.


    He smirked at me. ¡°Only you and I can enter this gym.¡± My hands went straight to his shoulders, pushing


    him away to look into his eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The door handle recognizes fingerprints. Today I added yours to the system,¡± he said, grinning


    mischievously. I frowned. ¡°Where did you get my fingerprints?¡± He leaned down,ughing, before leaving


    a trail of little kisses down my neck. ¡°Beautiful, your whole body has been scanned for medical and


    security reasons at least a few times by now,¡± he breathed against my skin.


    I pushed him away and rolled to my stomach, grabbing my top from the floor. ¡°And the fact that you have


    ess to my most fragile data doesn¡¯t sound creepy at all¡­¡±


    Aren got up to sit on his knees. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± I smiled wryly. ¡°Maybe I should get used to it, but I wish you just told me beforehand.¡±


    H


    yuu uait


    Aren leaned closer, as I put my top back on. ¡°It¡¯s not just about your fingerprints, is it?¡± I locked my eyes


    on him, trying to find the right words. ¡°It¡¯s just terrifying.¡± ¡°What is?¡± he asked, pulling me closer and


    pressing my back against his chest. Iughed nervously. ¡°You know my DNA sequence, and I still know


    so little about you¡­¡± He kissed my hair. ¡°I don¡¯t keep secrets from you. All you have to do is ask.¡± I


    turned my head to face him and narrowed my eyes. ¡°Will you answer no matter what kind of a question I


    ask?¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Yes, but I want to have the right to ask you questions as well.¡± ¡°Question for question?¡± I


    smirked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, as his lips curved in a dangerous smirk ¡°Will you dare?¡±


    Something in his tone made me lose my confidence. ¡°Fine¡­ but I need a shower first, and a bottle of


    wine.¡± He grinned before kissing the tip of my nose. ¡°Consider it done.¡±


    ***


    We both took a quick shower at thepany, and we got back to the penthouse. Aren ordered pasta


    while we were on our way, and the food arrived a few minutes after we walked back home. I had never


    enjoyed eating carbs more than at that moment, still feeling exhausted after my training session with


    Aren.


    ¡°Easy there!¡± Heughed at me. ¡°Your te is not going anywhere.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault,¡± I grunted. ¡°I doubt


    that I will be even able to get up from bed tomorrow.¡± He smirked. ¡°Well, then I will just have to carry my


    wife to work.¡± I wanted to smack his arm, but as I stretched I felt the sting of my sore muscles. I groaned,


    which instantly earned me his chuckle. ¡°This isn¡¯t funny!¡± I frowned at him and quickly added, ¡°I¡¯m so


    sore that sex is out of the question for at least a week.¡± That wiped the smile off his face in an instant¡­


    but curled up my lips instead.


    A whileter, we sat by the roof pool with sses in our hands. The night was warm, with only a light


    breeze cooling our bodies. We were staring at the breathtaking view of Manhattan, blinking at us with


    thousands of colorful, seductive night lights. Unlike the lively city below, still crowded at thiste hour and


    overfilled with energy, it was peaceful on our roof. Nheless, my instincts kept telling me that it was


    only calm before another storm..


    ¡°So, what do you want to know, sunshine?¡± Aren grinned, and I couldn¡¯t miss the fact that he was calling


    me by nickname again. I locked my eyes on him, examining his expression. ¡°Is there a limit to how


    intimate the questions might be?¡± I asked cautiously. ¡°No limits.¡± His confident smirk only made me more


    daring. ¡°What was your rtionship with Lanfen?¡± I probably shouldn¡¯t dig further into that subject,


    Podars


    but I was dying to know. Besides, I wanted to know what to expect when that woman reappeared in


    Aren¡¯s life again.


    Aren took a sip from his ss and looked straight at the night sky, a bitter smile twisting his lips. ¡°I guess


    it was pure but polluted at the same time. Despite Mei Lien¡¯s teaching, I still wanted to believe in


    something like love. Since I was used by my American side of the family, I naturally longed to meet the


    other side of the family and other Chinese people, hoping that they were like my mother and Mei Lien-


    trustworthy and kind.¡±


    I could see the sadness in his eyes. It made asking those questions harder, but I needed to know as


    much as I could. ¡°So¡­ how did it all start?¡±


    ¡°I met Lanfen when I started to work in a bar right outside my university. It was a part-time job, and she


    was a regr,ing there with her friends for a beer,¡± he started. ¡°She kept smiling at me, and I


    thought that she was adorable. I could see that she used all kinds of excuses to sit in a bar throughout


    my shift, studying there despite the noises and the fact that there were a lot of guys trying to make a


    move on her. I knew that she was preparing herself to talk to me, but I ignored her. I spent my days


    either working at the bar, studying, or raising money to start my first business, and I thought that my


    schedule would never include time for rtionships. She proved it to me otherwise. One day, I was


    closing the bar, and she stayed there, waiting for me. I ignored her like always, but when she suddenly


    disappeared from the bar, I got worried. I went outside to look for her and saw her with three other guys,


    who tried to take her with them by force. I beat them up and drove her back home. That was how I met


    her family, and Sun Lanfen and I started to date.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I forced my lips to stretch into a sort of a smile, but I could do nothing about the fact that I was crazily


    jealous. I hated the fact that he thought that she was adorable and that he was the one who saved her.


    He made it sound like their rtionship was warm and innocent. Envy pierced my heart painfully as I


    listened to it. ¡°So¡­ Lanfen was your first girlfriend?¡± A soft nervousugh escaped my throat.


    ¡°Yes, you can say that.¡± He smiled warmly as if he was recalling some good memory. It only made me


    more annoyed.


    I took a big gulp, finishing my ss of wine. Only then was I prepared to hear more. ¡°How long have you


    been together?¡± I asked, faking a careless grin.


    ¡°Four years,¡± he said without losing the warm smile that had embellished his face before.


    I let out a hysteric chuckle and rushed to the kitchen to grab another bottle of wine. ¡°Four years?¡± I


    muttered under my breath, annoyed. It wasn¡¯t just some teenage fling-it was a serious rtionship. It


    would have been impossible if they had stayed together for a long time like that without developing some


    serious feelings toward each other. It felt like a deep, piercing stab in the heart.


    I went back to the roof pool, painting an amused expression to hide my inner pain. There was one more


    question I needed to ask. I corrected my smiley mask before inquiring, ¡°So¡­ what about your


    engagement? Was it Lanfen¡¯s parents who insisted on your marriage, or perhaps ¨C


    ¡°No,¡± he cut me off, turning his suddenly serious gaze on me. ¡°I was the one who proposed.¡±

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    Jealousy I emptied my ss in two big gulps, cursing myself inwardly for even thinking of asking more


    questions about Lanfen. The sole fact that she was Aren¡¯s first girlfriend and he had nightmares in which


    he called her name should be enough tobel her as a serious threat. Nheless, when he said that he


    was the one who proposed, it was a hard hit to take. It felt like a punch in the gut. I guessed that my


    mask had finally fallen off since Aren looked at me with sudden concern in his eyes while watching me


    refill my ss with wine. ¡°Are you OK, sunshine?¡± he asked, touching my hand that held the ss.


    I sighed and shifted my eyes to him, ¡°I wish I could say that I am OK, but no, I am not,¡± I said, irritation


    more than clear in the tone of my voice.


    He smirked. ¡°Are you jealous, wife?¡±


    I red at him. ¡°Of course I am!¡± I eximed. ¡°You were her hero. You had a normal, loving rtionship


    thatsted four years, and you proposed to her without offering her a contract! Sure as hell I am jealous!¡±


    He burst intoughter.


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± I grunted, lowering my voice. ¡°Well¡­ I did it to myself. I shouldn¡¯t have asked those


    questions. It was better to not know¡­¡±


    ¡°Sunshine¡­¡± He ced his hand on my thigh, rubbing it gently. ¡°I was different then. I was foolish and


    na?ve, and I didn¡¯t know what I wanted from life.¡±


    I nced at him hesitantly, trying to read through his amused expression. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t make the same


    choices now,¡± he said confidently.


    ¡°You mean that you wouldn¡¯t propose to her¡­?¡± I muttered, not looking into his eyes. He leaned over me


    and kissed my neck. ¡°She would never have be my girlfriend in the first ce.¡± I still pouted. ¡°But


    you called her adorable¡­¡± He kissed my neck again, this time rougher, biting and sucking my skin. I


    gasped and leaned back to watch his eyes be darker. ¡°Adorable doesn¡¯t work for me anymore.¡± ¡°Do


    you mean that I¡¯m not adorable?¡± I teased. He kissed my lips and smirked. ¡°You are more than that.¡± I


    blinked my eyes, yfully tangling a strand of my hair on my finger. ¡°Tell me, what kind of a woman do


    you need?¡± He pulled me onto hisp, making me gasp. ¡°I need a sexy woman who¡¯ll make my dick


    throb each time I see her.¡± His eyes on me sent my heart into a wild race. I could feel him hardening


    beneath my thighs, and somehow that sensation alone dissolved my previous anxiety and envy. I sealed


    my lips, slightly scared of asking more questions. The air between us was dense


    already and the sexual tension went far beyond the limits. Nheless, the silence was equally as


    dangerous¡­


    ¡°I will pour you more wine,¡± I said, reaching for the bottle.


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t protest. Instead, he watched my every move with his predatory eyes, searing my


    curves. ¡°It¡¯s my time to ask questions,¡± he said, his voice deep and seductive.


    I handed him his refilled ss and sat, putting distance between us. ¡°Ask away.¡± I tried to sound


    confident, but my voice trembled at thest note. ¡°Tell me something embarrassing.¡± He licked his lip,


    locking his eyes on me.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± Iughed nervously, tugging my hair behind my ear. He leaned closer, smirking.


    ¡°Something you haven¡¯t told anyone. Tell me about your fantasies, or some dark and steamy secret of


    yours.¡±


    I squeezed my thighs, as my mind searched through the thoughts that I could consider to be either


    fantasy, dark, or steamy. I quickly realized that there was only one male lead ying in my mind, and that


    was Aren. My cheeks started to burn, and I tried to cool down that fire by adding more wine. As I drank


    another ss, I took a deep breath and shifted my eyes to my husband.


    ¡°The night after we¡¯ve met for the first time¡­ I had a dream of you,¡± I said softly, my heart pounding


    against my chest. He bit his lip. ¡°And what did I do in your dream?¡±


    A hysteric chuckle escaped my throat. ¡°You manhandled me¡­¡± He raised his eyebrows, amused. ¡°Do


    you like being manhandled?¡± ¡°No!¡± I frowned. ¡°But you liked it in that dream?¡± he teased.


    ¡°I liked it¡­ because it was you,¡± I whispered, feeling the heat of embarrassment flooding my entire body.


    A heartbeatter, he kissed me, hungrily iming my lips before slipping his tongue into my mouth. His


    lush strokes quickly turned into rough thrusts as he deepened his kiss. I tried to fight him for dominance,


    but I could only surrender as he sent a wave of pleasure right through me. I trusted him enough to submit


    when his hand grabbed the back of my head to position me the way he wanted. When he released me,


    my lips were already swollen and my whole body shivered, aching for more of him.


    ¡°Was I like that in your dream?¡± he breathed against my ear.


    I clenched my thighs even more as I tried to recall my dream. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could find the courage to


    tell him everything in detail, but I realized something else¡­


    ¡°The reality with you is much more amazing than any erotic dream I¡¯ve ever had,¡± I muttered, trying to


    avoid his zing gaze. He grabbed my chin and ced a soft kiss on my swollen lips. ¡°What did you


    think when you first saw me?¡±


    ¡°You certainly love me to boost your ego, don¡¯t you?¡± I gave him a crooked smile.


    He snorted. ¡°I know that I¡¯m handsome, sunshine. I just want to know what you were thinking when I


    walked into that caf¨¦?¡±


    I sighed, thinking that I might as well indulge his vanity by admitting the truth. ¡°Well, I wanted to get close


    to you¡­ I wanted you to hold me¡­ I wanted you for unexinable reasons


    He leaned dangerously close, staring into my eyes as if he could read my mind. ¡°You wanted me to fuck


    you.¡± A wicked smirk curved his lips.


    I swallowed, feeling the humidity rising in my lower parts. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it that specific. I couldn¡¯t even


    name my reactions when I-¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    God¡­ His voice sounded exactly like in my dream, and just like then, it made my sex dripping wet.


    I frowned at him, trying to fight against my arousal. ¡°Yes. I wanted you to m me against the nearest


    wall and fuck me hard! Is that what you wanted to hear?!¡± He burst out intoughter before pulling me


    into his tight embrace and kissing my forehead.¡± Don¡¯t be angry, sunshine. I just want you to stop


    pretending and tell me what you want.¡± He started leaving soft kisses on my cheeks, my jaw, and down


    my neck. ¡°You can tell me what you want me to do. I want to be the only fantasy you will ever


    have¡­¡±


    I bit my lip as he reached to my cleavage, his lips moving down to my breasts. Yet, I knew that I was far


    too sore to submit to my desires. I pushed him away and cupped his cheeks with both hands. ¡°It¡¯s my


    turn to ask you questions,¡± I said demandingly. He grabbed one of my hands on his cheek and kissed my


    palm. ¡°Whatever you say, sunshine.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°So¡­ tell me what did you think of me when


    you first saw me?¡± He smirked and looked away. I locked my eyes on him, waiting for him to answer as


    my heart thundered.


    ¡°I thought that I wanted to have you¡­ I wanted to have you no matter what,¡± he said, his fiery gaze on


    me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly disappointed. It might be hypocritical of me because I also admired his


    physicality at first, but my heart and hormones seemed to be in sync enough to be certain that emotions


    would always follow my desire, and I knew it didn¡¯t work the same way for him.


    ¡°I also thought,¡± he suddenly added, ¡°that I was looking at the one woman that I wouldn¡¯t mind spending


    the rest of my life with.¡±

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    Our little investigation I knew that he said he would risk me falling in love with him, but this was all


    happening too fast. There was a thunderstorm within my heart, emotions bursting out in every possible


    way. I couldn¡¯t pretend any longer- I was in love with Aren Lan. I felt that the way he touched me had


    be different. If there had been any boundaries between us before, they were all gone at that


    moment. I was free-falling down the rabbit hole. I only hoped that at the end of that way down, Aren


    would be there to catch me¡­ Even though I enjoyed my kissing session with Aren, the more I tried to


    move, the more I felt that I needed to get some rest. That day was an emotional roller coaster, and I felt


    that my brain had to put everything in the right order. This time, I was the one who insisted on sleeping


    separately. I knew that I was going to wake up stiffer than my Grandma had ever been, and I didn¡¯t need


    Aren around tough at me. Besides, my level of exhaustion made me almost certain that I would fall


    asleep in the weirdest position possible and wake up with apletely drooled pillow. Unfortunately, my


    n to restrain Aren from seeing me the second I woke up didn¡¯t exactly work out¡­ ¡°Good morning,


    sunshine.¡± His warm and highly seductive voice forced me to open my sleepy eyes. He was sitting on my


    bed, his one hand stroking my hair gently and the other holding a cup of coffee. I lifted my head and


    realized that, as I predicted, I was glued to my drooled pillow. How embarrassing. This was the exact


    situation I wanted to avoid. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I knew this wasn¡¯t the kind of greeting he wished to hear


    from me, but if I had been more conscious at that moment, I would have been pissed.


    ¡°I was worried about you, sunshine. I made you breakfast, and I can carry you into the shower and help


    you wash if you want me to.¡± I didn¡¯t fail to hear the tone of amusement in his voice.


    I groaned painfully, trying to sit up in bed. I could feel every muscle in my body, including those I had


    never known existed. ¡°I can manage,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°I won¡¯t force you, beautiful. Just know that it¡¯s past seven, and unless you want to take a day off, you


    should try to get up,¡± he said, cing a gentle kiss on my forehead. I merely grunted a ¡°thank you¡± as I


    started to dig in the breakfast he prepared and brought me to bed. I might have acted like a bitch, but I


    still thought that it was his fault that I could barely move. Of course, I could appreciate the fact that he


    was caring, but I appreciated it inwardly, leaving him to taste all of my morning grumpiness. Unlike me,


    he was more cheerful and optimistic than I had ever seen him before, which made me curious to find out


    what put him in such a good mood.


    By the time, I got into the shower cabin, I discovered another reason for my moodiness-my period,


    delightfully adding a stomachache to my stiffness and sore muscles. Yes, it was going to be a wonderful


    day¡­ And yes, that was sarcasm. When I got to the office, I was in the perfect mood to kill everyone


    around me. That was why I decided to sit in front of myputer and focus my attention on the screen. I


    wasmitted to finding anything I could on Lester Packton, and, despite Aren¡¯s and Jack¡¯s warnings, I


    was


    willing to do it even if I had to choose the not-so-legal way.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    After nearly five minutes of research, I found more than enough to know that this guy was seriously


    dangerous. He used to work as an undercover agent, infiltrating drug and weapons dealer gangs. Due to


    a personal request, he was then moved to work among the investigating squads in a few different FBI


    field offices around the country. Each time, the reason for his transfer had been marked as ssified. As


    I dug further, I found out the same information that Aren told me about. It was about the charges that


    were pressed against Lester Packton by his female colleague. She used him of a physical assault on


    her but quickly withdrew her charges for unknown reasons¡­


    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    I bet that the woman must have been either bribed or threatened, and as I continued my research, she


    surely wasn¡¯t the only one¡­ Lester Packton had been used of using unnecessary violence,


    harassment, and physical assault several times throughout his career, and each time the charges


    against him were dropped. It seemed that he must have had a powerful backer-someone from the


    headquarters or someone with great political influence. The more I found out about him, the more I


    wanted to bring that bastard down.


    ¡°Guys¡­ I might have to do something illegal now¡­¡± I said, shifting my eyes from Norton to n and


    back to Norton.


    They knew exactly what I meant and knew that I would need their backup. n stood up and locked the


    door to our office. No one would be able to see us hacking into the Department of Justice¡­ even if we


    were about to breach the light-level security. n and Norton were supposed to create a distraction, just


    in case, the system detected my breach. Using our code breaker that we¡¯d designed for fun a few years


    ago, I got to the information about the cases against Lester Packton. It was easy to find one thing in


    common with all those cases-they had all been handled by the same prosecutor from the Department of


    Justice, Francis Marshall. ¡°Cora¡­ you should get out of there, the system detected our presence,¡± n


    informed, nervously typingmands on hisputer.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± I said, a wicked smirk crossing my lips. ¡°I have all I needed to know.¡±


    Fortunately, our team was exquisite in terms of erasing our tracks. It could take months before someone


    discovered which files were copied, not to mention that there was no chance that anyone could track us


    back. I could bluntly say that they could have found us only if they had security software as good as the


    one we created, yet ours was one of a kind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find everything we can on Francis Marshall, and what is his connection to Lester Packton, shall


    we?¡± I chuckled, ncing at the boys. We were all fired up, searching for anything that we could. After


    another hour of research, we could proudly call Aren and Neil to present what we had found. ¡°I thought I


    told you not to do anything risky!¡± Aren roared as soon as he realized that I had to break into the


    Department of Justice to get the files he had just read.


    ¡°Handsome, don¡¯t be mad. Without this knowledge, we found, we would only run around in circles,¡± I


    said, innocently blinking my eyes at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Lan. We are way too good to be traced.¡± n


    chuckled, but that only earned


    him Aren¡¯s re.


    He cupped my cheeks and looked at me, frowning. ¡°Don¡¯t. Ever. Do. That. Again.¡±


    My eyes darkened. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, husband. I¡¯m on my period, which makes me twice as dangerous.


    Ignore the fact that I hacked the national department and just appreciate what we found.¡± Neil barely


    stifled augh. I could see him turning red as his cheeks pouted to restrain a chuckle. ¡°Neil?¡± Aren¡¯s


    voice carried an undeniable threat. He cleared his throat. ¡°I agree with Mr. Lan, Mrs. Lan¡­¡± he muttered


    hesitantly until he faced my glower. ¡°But of course, the evidence you found can be crucial for the


    investigation.¡± When Aren finally sighed with his hands gesturing his surrender, n and I could proceed


    with exining what we had found. I drew the diagram of the connection on the whiteboard and then


    started my lecture. ¡°Francis Marshall and Lester Packton studied the same year at Princeton University.


    They were also members of the same fraternity, so I¡¯m guessing this is how they met. Marshall¡¯s father is


    a member of the Republican Party, and he was always known to be an influential politician in the state of


    Massachusetts. There are rumors that he has the entire state judiciary in his pocket. It also isn¡¯t a secret


    that he has connections to a few wealthy weapon manufacturers, while he himself is against restricting


    ess to guns. And now for the best part¡­¡± I paused to clear my throat before turning my phone screen


    toward Aren and Neil. ¡°We found a few photos of those businessmen posing with Marshall¡¯s father and¡­


    Lester Packton. Surprising, isn¡¯t it? What could possibly be the reason for the FBI agent, who used to


    infiltrate gun dealer gangs, a local politician, and businessmen selling guns to appear in one ce?¡± I


    asked, grinning proudly. n carried on. ¡°This case could be huge. Remember that this guy who wanted


    to kill Mr. Lan and organized Cora¡¯s kidnapping had his own private army? We guess that it is all


    connected, and the whole case with Can¡¯s death was also orchestrated by Packton and the Marshalls


    family¡­¡±


    I took a deep breath and stepped forward. ¡°And now for the best part: Jack Collins¡¯s usation and


    suspension are the work of Robert Fabel, who is Francis Marshall¡¯s prot¨¦g¨¦ and his dear friend. We also


    found one more interesting detail¡­ There was only one guard around Can¡¯s prison cell that night, and


    that guard turned out to be Nn Marshall, Francis Marshall¡¯s nephew.¡±

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Danger The entire of endless connections was making my head spin. We all knew that if we gave


    that evidence to Jack Collins, it could help bring down not only Lester Packton but the entire Marshall


    n along with him. It was impossible for all of it to be merely a coincidence. Norton, n, and I were


    ecstatic to present all of those photos and documents, confirming Francis Marshall¡¯s and Lester


    Packton¡¯s cooperation, but Aren didn¡¯t seem to share our enthusiasm¡­


    ¡°These are all assumptions and circumstantial evidence without a real meaning to the case. It might help


    Jackter, but it will not clear him of all charges,¡± he said grimly. ¡°What we need is Packton¡¯s confession,


    and Jack was also very aware that without something this evident, no one from the higher-ups would


    even look at the rest of what you¡¯ve found.¡± I sat back behind my desk and lowered my head. It was clear


    to me that those guys were corrupted. They covered each other¡¯s crimes and gained illegal profit. ¡°It


    would be easier if I just hacked Packton¡¯s email box¡­¡± I muttered.


    Aren-stepped closer and stroked my hair. ¡°Sunshine, we are working on minimizing the risk. Even though


    I don¡¯t like the idea of sending you to Packton¡¯s office, rationally, it is the best way to get what we need to


    bust that fucker.¡± I nodded and sighed. The truth was, after Aren helped me painfully acknowledge how


    defenseless I would be against Lester Packton, I became more and more restless. Perhaps I was so


    eager to find every piece of dirt on that guy because deep down I wished that someone would say that


    nting a bug in Packton¡¯s office was no longer necessary. Nheless, no matter how afraid I was, I


    wasn¡¯t going to back down.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ***


    Two dayster, I was less stiff and more able to walk in heels, which was one of the essential assets I


    needed for my top-secret mission. If I was going to enter the lion¡¯s cave, then I needed to look at least


    like a sexy kitten, not to be ripped to pieces in the first three seconds. For the first time, Aren didn¡¯t


    appreciate my sexy look. I bet he would rather have me wear a hay sack and rubber boots, but that was


    not going to happen. I needed my confidence, and since I was going to be far away from myputer,


    then the only armor I could get was a pair of Louboutins and a Dolce light blue zer, and a skirt


    exposing my legs. First thing in the morning, I called Packton¡¯s secretary and told her that I had


    something I needed to give to the FBI that was involved with Can Winton¡¯s case. Packton called me


    back five minutester. ¡°Mrs. Lan¡­ how lovely that you decided to contact me.¡± He chuckled coldly into


    the phone. I swallowed and clenched my fist, trying to calm down. ¡°It appears that I have something I


    need to give you¡­ but I would rather do it in person if you don¡¯t mind. Can I meet you in your office


    perhaps?¡± I suggested, sounding as sensual as possible. ¡°Of course,¡± he murmured. ¡°I¡¯m always d to


    receive beautiful women in my office¡­¡±


    The sound of his voice nauseated me. Fighting through the sickening feeling, I giggled. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize


    that you are such a charmer, Agent Packton. Would it be all right if I stopped by your office around


    noon?¡±


    ¡°I will be waiting impatiently,¡± he said, before ending our call. I exhaled deeply and raised my eyes to look


    at my frowning husband, who had listened to the entire conversation while sitting in front of me. I could


    see that his blood was boiling in his veins.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you anywhere near that fucke


    I smiled and leaned over him to kiss him on the cheek. ¡°It¡¯s toote, handsome. In two hours, I will walk


    into his office.¡± Chills ran down my spine as I said it. Nevertheless, I kept a smile on my face, trying to


    prove to Aren that I was ready to do this. I was going to have two bugs with me, one little chip glued to


    the bottom of my lipstick¡¯s stic cover, and the other one in my pen cover. I was going to drop, the pen


    or the lipstick, and find a way to nt the chip somewhere on Packton¡¯s desk It sounded quite simple,


    but I was terrified that I would be too nervous to act naturally around that guy¡­ ¡°We can still call it


    all off,¡± Aren said as we stopped in front of the FBI¡¯s field office. I stretched my lips into a thin smile and


    shook my head: ¡°I can do this.¡± I tried to convince myself rather than him. ¨C I opened the door and was


    about to leave when Aren pulled me back into his arms and kissed me. ¡°Do what you have to and get out


    of there under any ex?use. Do you hear me?¡± Fear and anger surfaced in his voice.


    I nodded. I didn¡¯t want hi


    1 I was. I got out of the car and took a deep breaths on my way to the entrance of the building.


    ¡°Calm down, Cora. You are sexy and confident, and you know a few awesome moves that Aren taught


    you. You are going to be fine,¡± I told myself, passing the corridor leading to Packton¡¯s office.


    A minuteter, his secretary led me inside. Lester Packton was sitting behind his desk, keeping his


    elbows on the desktop, his hands supporting his chin. He smirked as I walked in, and carefully scanned


    me from head to toe. The second, his secretary closed the door behind me, he stood up and stepped


    away from his desk to greet me. ¡°So¡­what brings you here, Mrs. Lan?¡± he asked, his eyesnding on


    my cleavage. Iughed nervously and reached into my purse, pulling out Can¡¯s phone. ¡°I believe I


    should give you this¡­ Thest time your agents were in our office, they took a clone that we made for


    security reasons¡­¡± Packton chuckled coldly, and walked around me, examining every inch of my body.


    ¡°Security reasons, you say?¡±


    I forced myself to ignore his lustful gaze at me. ¡°Yes, and I apologize for that. I had no idea that my


    coworkers even made that copy.¡± I put Can¡¯s phone on his desk and turned around to face him.


    ¡°Should I sign anything? You know, as a confirmation that I returned the real


    phone to the FBI?¡± I asked innocently, hoping that I would get a chance to take out my pen naturally.


    He stepped closer. ¡°No need for that, Mrs. Lan¡­¡± I smiled nervously. My heart pounded wildly. I had no


    idea what to do. I could only rely on my instincts, and at that moment, they were all sending me a


    message to run the hell out of there. Packton straightened up and looked down on me as a predator on


    his prey. I was on the verge of entering a state of panic, and I knew only that I needed to distance myself


    from him, no matter what.


    ¡°Can I have a ss of water?¡± I asked breathlessly, pointing at the jug with water and sses, standing


    on the table by the door. ¡°Of course!¡± Heughed and walked to get me a ss. I sighed in relief,


    thinking that it was my chance. I dropped my purse on the floor, making a few things roll under Packton¡¯s


    desk. ¡°Oh, my!¡± I eximed. ¡°I¡¯m so clumsy¡­¡± I said, bending down and putting my things back into my


    purse one by one.


    Packton snorted. I ignored him, concentrating on taking the bug and sticking it wherever on his desk, but


    then I heard a click of the locking door. ¡°Shit,¡± I cursed under my breath. I didn¡¯t know what the jerk was


    nning, but I had to keep my mind clear and follow the n before thinking about the way to get out of


    there. I grabbed my lipstick, removed the chip from the cover, and hurriedly put it under his desk while


    sticking my butt out. When I finally nted the bug, I wanted to scream and jump for joy. I crawled from


    under the desk and couldn¡¯t help the dumb grin that curved my lips. ¡°Just what the hell are you doing?¡± I


    heard Packton¡¯s vicious voice right behind me. I got up, looked into his cold eyes, and froze. ¡°I think I


    saw right through you, Mrs. Lan,¡± he said, leaning over me. I gulped.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    On my own Did he see me cing a bug under his desk? Idiot! I was so focused on reaching the right


    surface that I could stick the chip to that I stopped paying attention to the one person I should have


    feared the most!


    ¡°What are you talking about, Agent Packton?¡± I covered my inner panic with a smile while sliding my


    hand into the purse to search for my phone.


    My back was leaning against his desk and had no chance to escape from the agent standing a few


    inches away from me. Packton¡¯s hand went to my chin. He grabbed it hard, his thumb stroking my cheek.


    ¡°You¡¯re a naughty wife who tries to seduce me with her fine ass.¡± He chuckled and licked his lips. ¡°I met


    many women like you. ying innocent and hard to get, but deep down inside, dreaming of a good fuck.¡±


    I grabbed his wrist and jerked his hand away from my face. ¡°How dare you!¡± I hissed. ¡°I came here only


    to bring you the phone, nothing else!¡± I pushed him away and tried to get to the door.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going?!¡± he roared, grabbing my hand. A secondter, he yanked my arm


    and pushed me back to his desk.


    I was terrified, but I couldn¡¯t give up. ¡°I will use you of sexual harassment and physical assault!¡± I


    yelled from the top of my lungs, praying that someone would hear me and react. I knew that I couldn¡¯t


    count on Jack since he wasn¡¯t allowed to enter his office while he was on suspension, but I still hoped


    that maybe some other agent would be alerted by my scream. Of course, that didn¡¯t happen.


    Packton onlyughed at my attempts and leaned over me, pushing his knee between my legs.¡± This is


    my territory, sweetheart. You came to me all by yourself. Do you think that anyone would believe you if


    you said that I attacked you?¡±


    My whole body shivered, terrified of the man in front of me, but I refused to submit to him. I needed to


    keep my mind clear despite everything. He didn¡¯t think of me as a threat, as lust clouded his judgment,


    and I knew that I had to use that against him. While locking his eyes on my face, he didn¡¯t even notice


    that one of my hands was still in my purse, reaching for my


    phone and trying to pick Aren¡¯s number on the speed dial. I could only pray that my desperate attempts


    would work, but I couldn¡¯t even nce at the screen without shifting his attention to my phone. A


    heartbeatter, he noticed it anyway as he tried to restrain my hands. Without thinking, I threw my purse


    at him while tightening the grip on my phone.


    As I activated the voice assistant, I shouted to the phone, ¡°Call Aren!¡±


    I called him out of fear. I wasn¡¯t thinking. I wanted to let him know that I was in trouble, but at the same


    time, I knew that if he came to my rescue right away, Packton would get suspicious about the reason I


    came to his office.


    He growled, knocking the phone off my hand. His hands went to my neck. ¡°Bitch, don¡¯t try to fight me!¡±


    My phonended on the floor, a few feet away from the desk. Its screen was shing brightly


    while waiting to connect, but it was impossible for me to reach it.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have messed with me, dumb bitch!¡± Packton spat, his fingers squeezing my throat harder.


    I was on my own, terrified, trembling, and consumed by panic, but suddenly, the only thing I could think


    of was the moves Aren taught me. I knew that I had to act fast before that bastard¡¯s grip would suffocate


    me. I tensed my neck so his fingers wouldn¡¯t press on my blood vessels.


    ¡°Thumbs¡­¡± I muttered breathlessly, reminding myself what I should do.


    Jerking my whole upper body, I bent my head, ducked, and swung under his arm, escaping his grip. He


    growled as I nearly knocked his thumbs out in the process, making him unable to catch me. That was my


    chance. I ran to the door, but it took me a second too long as I tried to unlock it. I could feel him right


    behind me, his hand reaching to grab me again, but he wasn¡¯t nearly as fast as Aren was when we


    practiced. With a vicious roar, I turned around, hit his wrist hard with the side of my hand, and then


    kicked him in the groin.


    ¡°Oh, God¡­ I did it,¡± I mumbled in shock that it actually worked.


    He groaned in pain, copsing to the floor. I yanked the door and opened it wide. I was all shuddering,


    but I knew that I was still in his territory, and I had just knocked down a federal agent. I cautiously picked


    up my phone and my purse from the floor while sending Packton a vicious re. He hissed in pain,


    which, fortunately, was enough to prevent him from attacking me again¡­ for a while at least.


    ¡°Have a good day, Agent Packton,¡± I hissed sarcastically as I stepped out through his threshold and then


    mmed the door behind me.


    His secretary wasn¡¯t by her desk, and the whole corridor was empty, but I didn¡¯t have time to wonder


    why. I rushed through the corridor, hoping that the terrifying man wouldn¡¯t try to run after me. I tried to


    keep myposure and acted as if nothing happened until I left the FBI floor. Only then, when I was


    going down the elevator, did my mask fall off. My eyes became watery, and my body trembled as if I was


    freezing. As I stepped out of the elevator, my vision was already blurry from tears. I only knew where the


    exit was, and I headed there when suddenly, someone¡¯s arms wrapped around me, pressing my head to


    a firm man¡¯s chest.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re OK¡­¡± Aren muttered, his voice almost cracking.


    I sniffled, burying my face in him, inhaling his scent in a frantic need forfort. ¡°We need to get out of


    here,¡± he whispered to my ear, leading me out of the building, and then straight to a car.


    I was practically glued to him all the way, even after we got into the car and drove away. Aren didn¡¯t


    mind. He kept his arms around me tightly as if he was afraid to let me go. ¡°I have never been more


    worried and helpless¡­ Don¡¯t ever do that to me again,¡± he whispered against my ear, kissing my hair


    and squeezing me tighter in his embrace.


    I let out a breathy chuckle. ¡°Believe me, I don¡¯t want to repeat that ever again¡­¡± He leaned back to look


    into my eyes and stroked my cheek. ¡°The moment you called me¡­ When I heard him, knowing that he


    was trying to hurt you¡­ God!¡± he groaned, pressing my

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    Setting a trap A few minutester, Aren and I were back in the car on our way to meet Jack and a group


    of military specialists gathered by Aren to help. They were operating from the basement of one of the


    buildings that belonged to Lan Diamond Corporation. The ce wasn¡¯t too far away from the Federal


    za, but since the whole building was locked due to renovation, no one even got near it. Despite the


    inconspicuous fa?ade, the inside of the building was filled with high-tech security equipment, including a


    thermal imaging scanner at the door and a row of cameras in every corridor. Once we got down to the


    basement and entered the temporary center ofmand, everyone stood up and bowed before Aren as


    if he was their gen There were six men, including Jack, in the room. Two of them were listening to the


    live signal with their headphones on. Two others sat by theirputers, trying to clear the sound of the


    previously recorded fragments. Jack and the fifth man, who seemed to be the group¡¯s leader, were


    leaning their backs against the table and drinking coffee. Aren led me their way, and I didn¡¯t fail to notice


    the way that the man next to Jack observed me with a faint, curious smile. The curiosity was mutual.


    That dark-blonde man in military pants and a ck fitted T-shirt seemed to know Jack


    w Jack quite well. He was also the only person in the room who gave Aren a quick nod rather than a bow


    when we entered.


    Aren introduced me to the dark-blonde man with the coffee cup, ¡°Chris, this is my wife, Cora, ¡°before


    shifting his gaze to me. ¡°Sunshine, this is Christopher Valentine, an excellent martial artist, and military


    operations, specialist.¡±


    Chris reached out his hand, a smug smirk crossing his lips. ¡°I was dying to meet you, Cora. Hear a lot


    about you.¡± I smiled nervously, shaking his hand. ¡°Nice to meet you too¡­ I think.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Aren motioned his head at Chris while pulling out a chair for me to sit in.


    Chris observed Aren¡¯s behavior with unhidden amusement and surprise, and he grinned at me.


    ¡°Chris?¡± Aren¡¯s harsh tone pulled him out of a daze.


    ¡°Packton is going to meet someone at one of the warehouses in the Red Hook Terminals. The meeting is


    nned for 9 PM, Sir,¡± he answered. ¡°Do we know who he is meeting with?¡± Aren questioned, standing


    behind my seat, his hand on my shoulder.


    Chris smiled wryly. ¡°Hear it for yourself.¡± He pointed at one of theputers and gestured at us toe


    closer. As we stepped toward the technicians sitting there, they nodded and yed the fragment of


    Packton¡¯s conversation on the speakers.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. C., everything went ording to n.¡± Packton seemed to be on the phone with someone.


    ¡°Collins is suspended, and I even got Winton¡¯s real phone back today. We are cutting loose ends like


    always. The only problem we might have is with Aren Lan and that little wench of his¡­¡±


    Sot nga trap


    As Packton paused, he could hear the vague, distorted voiceing from Packton¡¯s phone. It was far


    too faint to distinguish anything aside from the fact that it was a man¡¯s voice, and the person on the other


    side of the phone was clearly angry.


    ¡°No Sir!¡± Packton called out agitatedly, answering whatever question the mysterious Mr. C. asked. ¡°We


    would never act before contacting you.¡±


    Mr. C. must have given several instructions to Lester Packton, since we could only hear him saying ¡°yes,


    Sir¡± for another minute of recording.


    ¡°Red Hook, blue container no 9., at 9 PM sharp. I¡¯m d that I can finally meet you in person, Sir,¡±


    Packton said, sounding joyous. ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡± He was even humming happily right after he ended the


    call, and that could only mean one thing-he could smell the money. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel as if we hit the


    jackpot?¡± Jack chuckled,menting on what we had just heard.


    Aren stood silently for a minute, obviously crafting a n in his mind.


    ¡°What do you think? Do you know anyone who could be Mr. C.?¡± Chris asked, teasingly prodding Aren¡¯s


    elbow. Aren shook his head. ¡°No idea, but if he¡¯sing tonight, then we will soon find out, won¡¯t


    we?¡±


    Chris leaned against the technician¡¯s desk and crossed his arms. ¡°How do you want to proceed? Are we


    going to watch, get the evidence, and do nothing, or are we going there to capture the bad guys?¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Jack¡¯s face turned pale as he listened to Chris¡¯s proposal. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t do that, man! I need it all to be


    clean and legal! If anyone catches those guys, it has to be the authorities, not some secret fucking


    avengers!¡± he roared. ¡°I¡¯d also like to point out that I can¡¯t even be there officially because I¡¯m


    suspended.¡± Aren smirked. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s have it your way then.¡±


    Jack sighed. ¡°Thank y,¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t finish.¡± Aren sent him a meaningful stare. ¡°We will go there to watch, to


    listen, and to get all the evidence we can, and when they finish, we will catch them all.¡±


    ¡°Aren, you cannot do this!¡± Jack protested, ncing at me as if he sought my help.


    ¡°Rx, Jack,¡± Aren smirked and nced at Chris. ¡°We will tip the NYPD anonymously, telling them that


    there will be a big drug transaction at Red Hoor¡­ by container no. 8. It doesn¡¯t matter if they can¡¯t catch


    those bastards themselves. We can catch them and deliver them to the police. Then we will also send


    them copies of the evidence of the transaction. Even if there won¡¯t be any drugs, Packton will go down


    for bribery.¡±


    ¡°I like your idea.¡± Chris grinned before turning to Jack.


    Jack didn¡¯t seempletely convinced but still nodded. ¡°Fine¡­ Let¡¯s catch them all.¡±


    Aren patted his shoulder and looked at Chris. ¡°Gather a group of at least twenty men. We don¡¯t know


    what to expect, and I don¡¯t like surprises.¡±


    p


    Chris nodded and left us to start making arrangements. I stood silently, observing everyone¡¯s increasing


    agitation, and frowned. ¡°What about me?¡± I asked, pissed that all of them seemed to ignore me.


    Aren stepped toward me and ced his hands on my shoulders. ¡°You will stay home and wait until it¡¯s


    over.¡±


    ¡°Over my dead body!¡± I announced, making most of them stifle augh.


    Aren red at me. ¡°May I remind you that you have already been attacked by Packton today, and barely


    made it out of his office?! Do you want to meet that sociopath again?!¡±


    I sighed and shot him a crooked smile. ¡°May I remind you that I¡¯m the only one who can recognize the


    one who kidnapped me by voice? I want to be there and see if it¡¯s him or someone else.¡±


    Aren took a deep breath, a deep concern surfacing in his expression. ¡°I cannot send you anywhere near


    them.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± I said confidently. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have some remote operating center since you need to


    control your surroundings. You can ce me there, and I promise not to go anywhere.¡± I grinned, cing


    my hand on my chest.


    Jack gave Aren a thin smile as he stepped toward us. ¡°Just let her stay in the van. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be


    calmer hearing everything and knowing that you are all right,¡± he said before shifting his eyes to me with


    a wink.


    A sound of frustration escaped Aren¡¯s throat. ¡°Fine! You will sit in the van the entire time and you will not


    leave that van no matter what! Understood?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± I eximed and blew him a kiss.


    Aren sighed, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m already regretting my decision¡­¡± I grinned and blew him another


    kiss. I wish I knew at that moment what I was getting myself into¡­

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    Confessing his crimes I sat in one of the rooms in the operating center and observed the fierce CEO


    transform into a secret agent on a mission. It was amusing and fascinating and, above all, absolutely


    freaking hot. He took off his navy suit and white shirt and put on a pair of dark-greybat pants and a


    fitted ck shirt. I wouldn¡¯t expect any businessman to turn into a fighter and get his hands dirty, but


    Aren was different. He wasn¡¯t afraid to settle things personally, even if it was a very risky move.


    ¡°Have you done with the ogling?¡± he asked, amused. I grinned teasingly. ¡°Are you forbidding me from


    admiring my sexy husband?¡± He walked closer, pulling me up from my seat and kissing me passionately.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you even a bit concerned about tonight?¡±


    I knew that his words were meant to sound yful, but they wiped the smile off my face instead. ¡°I am


    worried.¡± I slid my arms around his waist, pressing myself against his firm body. ¡°I am crazily anxious,


    and I don¡¯t want you to get involved in the fight¡­¡± I muttered.


    He snorted. ¡°Cora, we are not going there to ambush those guys literally. We¡¯ll do anything we can to


    minimize the risk. We don¡¯t care about the pawns-we are aiming at the big fish, and even then, the


    evidencees first. We cannot spook them without getting undeniable proof of their illegal activity.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if his words made me less worried. I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°If you are not worried


    yourself, then why did you tell Chris to gather twenty more people?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s precaution, sunshine. We need to be able to secure the ce, and the Red Hook isn¡¯t


    exactly a small area to cover¡­¡±


    I nodded and forced myself to smile despite my fearfully pounding heart. There was one more fact that


    made me anxious-Aren was putting on a harness with a holster and a gun¡­


    ***


    A few hourster, I was sitting in a van parked right by the fence surrounding one of the warehouses of


    the Red Hook Terminal. I stayed there along with two of Aren¡¯s men, Damian and Eli, who were


    constantly staring at the monitors. They were armed with headpieces with microphones to contact Chris,


    Jack, and Aren. Theirputers were connected to several cameras attached to every corner of the port


    leading to container no 9. Their equipment was able to detect even the slightest movement and odd


    sound, informing the team that something was up. Aren, Jack, and Chris all led groups of six to seven


    people, hidden behind containers or on the roofs of the surrounding warehouses. I was getting more


    restless with every minute, but the one thing that allowed me to stay focused was the fact that I could be


    in constant contact with Aren during the entire mission, listening to hismands and talking to him


    through the microphone if necessary. I also had my headpiece and a microphone, even though I stayed


    silent, not wanting to jeopardize the mission with my babbling.


    Aren¡¯s team settled on the roof of the warehouse, right next to container no 9. I could partially see them,


    watching the view from one of the cameras. They were sneaky like panthers, lurking


    around and waiting for their prey to appear. It was almost 8:30 when two ck vans appeared on the


    road, leading straight to our container. The area was surrounded by narrow paths that only a motorbike


    could get through and one road for the cars from the east side and one from the west side. The vans


    appeared from the west, heading to the ce where the meeting was supposed to take ce, but never


    got in front of the blue container. They stopped in one of the dark corners, and about ten people wearing


    ck got out of those vans and spread around the area.


    ¡°Companying from nine and ten o¡¯clock,¡± Eli informed Aren, Chris, and Jack


    ¡°Numbers?¡± I heard Aren¡¯s voice asking.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Eleven. Distance: 15 feet away from Mr. Collins¡¯s team,¡± Eli replied.


    ¡°Jack, your move. Use sleep darts only, and try to stay quiet,¡± Arenmanded.


    ¡°Seriously? I don¡¯t need you to remind me. We¡¯re on it.¡± Jack responded. Two minutester, I could


    observe Jack¡¯s team on the screen, taking those men wearing ck down, one by one. My eyes


    widened and my jaw dropped open. The way they moved, their swiftness, and their agility were beyond


    incredible. ¡°Wow¡­¡± An audible gasp escaped my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s better than watching an action movie¡­¡±


    Damian snorted. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You should have seen Mr. Lan.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Eli cut in, ¡°He would have taken care of them faster than the entire team would.¡±


    Damian looked at me and winked. ¡°Mrs. Lan, your husband is the real monster here.¡±


    A faint smile crossed my lips just imagining Aren in action. I thought that it must be one hell of a sexy


    scene to watch. That way, my lewd mind hadpletely shut down my anxiety¡­ for a moment.


    ¡°Those guys were all heavily armed,¡± Jack informed. ¡°Watch your backs, guys.¡± I swallowed hard. Our


    teams were having their vests on, but that didn¡¯t make any of thempletely bulletproof. My heart rate


    sped up as I saw more carsing from both sides of the road leading to container no 9. Two


    motorcades stopped in front of each other at a 30-foot distance.


    ¡°Keep silent from now on and record everything those guys say. Zoom cameras at the first two cars from


    both sides,¡± Arenmanded.


    ¡°Understood,¡± the teams replied simultaneously.


    I held my breath, watching the doors of those vans open and six people walk out. I recognized Lester


    Packton getting out of the van on the left side. He was nked by two men whom I¡¯d seen before; they


    were with Packton in our office at Lan Diamond Corporation when they were trying to take Can¡¯s


    phone. Eight people got out of the cars, standing on the right side as well. They were carefully dressed in


    ck from head to toe, making them look like clones. One of them slightly stood out since he was


    wearing a hood on his head that covered most of his face and his walk seemed moreid back. Yet, that


    image was nothing like I had pictured the mysterious Mr. C., and judging by Packton¡¯s expression, he


    was surprised just as much as I was.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you? i thought that Mr. C. wasing in person tonight.¡± Packton¡¯s low growl pierced


    the silence.


    The man in the hood walked forward and chuckled coldly. ¡°Rx, Lester. Mr. C. is¡­ around, and he¡¯s got


    me to take care of his business. You may call me Max. Tell me what you had to say to Mr. C., and I will


    be happy to pass it on to him. I can also make decisions in his name.¡±


    The man¡¯s nasally voice, with a strange ent, and his cockiness must have driven Packton to the edge.


    ¡°Money first,¡± he hissed, the men nking him anxiously looking around. ¡°Assure me there are no loose


    ends first.¡± Max giggled viciously.


    Packton and his men seemed more and more nervous. I could see all of them ncing to the right,


    where Mr. C.¡¯s men were, and at the rooftops of the warehouses surrounding them as if they were trying


    to spot snipers. Fortunately, Aren¡¯s men were nearly unnoticeable, lying on the smooth roof surface in


    their dark clothes and observing the whole scene.


    Lester Packton stepped closer to Max. As their distance shrunk, it was even more obvious that the


    mysterious man in the hood was almost a head shorter than Packton and much thinner, and yet he stood


    in front of the fierce agent with an aura of the most dangerous predator around.


    Packton chuckled daringly, looking down at Max. ¡°Listen, kid-¡± The sound of reloading guns shut his


    mouth in an instant. Max smirked, ¡°Talk, Lester. I don¡¯t have all night.¡± Packton roared viciously and fisted


    his hands, trying to contain his fury. I could see him taking a deep breath before he squeezed the words


    out of his throat. ¡°We had our man guarding the cell, and we took care of the surveince in the arrest.


    Our guard gave Winton water with sleeping pills. He was unconscious when our men came and staged


    his suicide. The men who did it are on our side. They are paid, and they will never talk, so we are


    covered.¡±


    ¡°What about the agent that was supposed to run this case?¡± Max inquired.


    ¡°We faked the toxicology report, suggesting that Winton took the sleeping pills right after he had been


    arrested when he was still in Agent Collins¡¯s hands,¡± Packton exined. Max nodded in approval. ¡°Good


    job. What about the toxicologist who made the real report?¡± Packton chuckled coldly. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that


    he went on a vacation-an eternal one.¡± I clenched my hands into fists as I listened to him admit he had


    arranged to kill someone, and he did it for no other reason but to get money. I hated that guy more by the


    second, but I was also d because his driven-by-greed confession was about to guarantee him life in


    prison. ¡°Excellent!¡± Max sped his hands and then snapped his fingers, gesturing at one of his men.


    The man ran to the car, pulled out a ck briefcase, and handed it over to Max. ¡°Here¡¯s your reward,


    Agent Packton.¡± He giggled spitefully, pointing at the briefcase. Suddenly, Aren¡¯s low voice came through


    everyone¡¯s earpieces. ¡°Hold it until he shows the money and Packton takes it. Wait for my signal.¡±


    I took a deep breath. My heart hammered against my chest, and I started to pray that everything went


    smoothly without anyone getting hurt.


    Scrimes


    When Max put the briefcase on the ground, Packton walked toward it. He growled as he had to kneel in


    front of Max to open it. ¡°Should I count it?¡± he smiled smugly, as he pulled out one of the many piles of


    hundred-dor bills.


    ¡°Half a million. It¡¯s all there,¡± Max yawned before ncing at his watch.


    Packton red at him, annoyed more and more by Max¡¯s behavior, but he finally got what he wanted. He


    closed the briefcase and took it from the ground, providing thest piece of evidence we needed.


    I could hear Aren¡¯s soft chuckle quickly followed by themand everyone was waiting for,¡± Get them


    all. Now!¡±

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    Mission gone bad Aren¡¯s team shot a few sleep darts at those from Packton¡¯s and Mr. C.¡¯s side, but they


    were quickly discovered. Those who weren¡¯t knocked down by the drug responded by firing their guns


    toward the rooftop. The real battle began.


    I stood in front of the screen, squeezing my hands together and praying. My heart pounded wildly as I


    tried to figure out what was happening while looking at the surveince footage. All I could see were


    gunshots, briefly lightening the air, and people from all sides running around. I nced at Damian and


    Eli, but they werepletelyposed, only ncing at their watches.


    ¡°Sixty seconds up, time to make the call,¡± Eli said to Damian, Damian nodding in response. ¡°What¡¯s


    going on?¡± I asked, muttering. Eli turned my way with a finger on the mouth gesture and motioned his


    head, pointing at Damian. A secondter, his colleague was on the phone with the police making an


    anonymous call, informing that there was some kind of fight with gunshots at the Red Hook Terminal,


    around a blue warehouse and container no 9. I finally understood everything. Chris and Aren made sure


    that the police were already at the ce, but some distance away from the ce of the meeting. That


    call from Damian was supposed to direct them to the right spot at the right time. Secondster, the whole


    ce was crowded with the police, forcing Packton and his entire team to fight against the officers. I was


    relieved that Aren¡¯s teams weren¡¯t even involved in this gun-shooting battle. Once the police came, they


    were convinced that they witnessed a dealer transaction gone bad and that the two sides were trying to


    shoot each other. Unfortunately, I felt the relief too soon¡­


    ¡°Fuck! Mr. C.¡¯s vans are getting away!¡± Eli shouted through the microphone.


    The men dressed in ck started getting into the cars and going back in reverse at great speed. They


    passed two warehouses¡¯ blocks and were on the way out of the terminal. There were only a few of our


    cameras there, and the image they were giving was far less than perfect. I could only see Aren¡¯s team


    jumping through the warehouses¡¯ rooftops and cutting their escape route in no time.


    ¡°Shoot the tires!¡± Aren ordered. I couldn¡¯t see it clearly, but it seemed like they managed to stop three of


    the four vans. Max jumped out of the car, shooting around and yelling at his man. ¡°Protect Mr. C.!¡± On his


    command thest five men standing from his group ran to the second van, shielding it with their bodies.


    ¡°Aren, it looked like Mr. C. is inside the second van!¡± Chris shouted through themunication system.


    ¡°It could be a trap,¡± Jack suggested. A sound of frustration escaped Aren¡¯s throat. ¡°We need to make


    sure. Send everyone there. The Packton¡¯s team is already in NYPD¡¯s hands.¡±


    The gunshots pierced the air again. This time it was our on the line of fire, and I was praying that no one


    would get hurt. I was staring at the scream in absolute panic, observing the ck and grey blurry dots


    moving around the bigger ck spots which were the cars. Suddenly, the firing stopped


    ¡°Our team¡¯s got them,¡± Damian said and high-fived Eli. I exhaled in a rush, almost crying tears of joy as I


    saw a few dressed in ck men captured and tied by the members of our groups. ¡°All clear!¡± Chris


    eximed and I could finally recognize him on the screen as he raised his hand, gesturing at the rest of


    his team. ¡°Check who is inside the car,¡± Arenmanded.


    Damian, Eli, and I held our breath observing Chris¡¯s team surrounding the vehicle. A few secondster,


    Jack¡¯s team and Aren¡¯s team got to the ce, securing the other cars before finally opening the second


    vehicle¡¯s door. ¡°There¡¯s no one inside.¡± I heard one of the team members say.


    ¡°Fuck! We let them fool us!¡± Chris roared.


    ¡°Did you get thest car, Jack?¡± Aren asked.


    ¡°Yes, we caught them right before the exit. There were two men inside, but there were some pawns,¡± he


    imed.


    I could see Aren standing in the middle of the road between warehouses, and kicking something in anger


    before he suddenly froze. ¡°Did you capture Max?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chris¡¯s reply came like a stab in the gut. ¡°Those


    fuckers created a perfect distraction, and we just let this son of a bitch escape!¡± he thundered.


    Aren turned around and faced one of the cameras. ¡°Eli, that guy can still be around here somewhere. He


    shot tires in all of their cars so he must run on foot. Find him.¡±


    Eli and Damian started switching cameras, trying to find anything dark that moved. Finally, we saw a dark


    shade running by the warehouse not too far away from where our van was. ¡°We got him!¡± Eli called out


    agitatedly, before swallowing hard as he added, ¡°He is most likely heading our way¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck! He will try to get our van!¡± Damian shouted. Chris roared, ¡°Drive the hell away from there! Do it


    now!¡±


    Damian pull down the screen separating the back of the van from the front seats and crawled through it


    to sit behind the wheel. He started hectically pushing the ignition switch, but somehow he couldn¡¯t start


    the car.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it work?!¡± he huffed in frustration.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± Eli angrily squeezed the words through his teeth, ¡°that fucker must have done something to


    with wires. I bet that he is right outside the van, or under it.¡± Chills run down my spine. We didn¡¯t even


    hear anything. Was that guy some freaking ninja or


    something?! I looked through the front window, but I saw only the darkness of the night. ¡°Aren¡­¡± I


    mumbled fearfully, feeling as if I found myself inside of some horror movie. I heard Aren cursing under


    his breath before he started running in our direction, and Chris followed him.


    ¡°Cora¡­ No matter what happens, stay in the van!¡± Aren yelled while running.


    Damian crawled back to our side of the van. I watched him and Eli taking their guns out of the small,


    hidden locker while taking rapid shallow breaths. I had never felt as useless as at that moment, watching


    them taking their guns off the safety and gesturing at me to hide in the corner of the van. Suddenly,


    something bumped at the van¡¯s back door. I mped my mouth with my hand to resist a scream. Another


    hit came a secondter, and then another one as if someone was trying to burst the door. ¡°Shoot the


    fucker!¡± Dami¨¢n shouted at Eli and he started firing through the closed door, making holes in it.


    Once they ran out of bullets, the bumping stopped. I cringed in the corner wishing to be elsewhere and


    praying that this sick situation was over. ¡°Do you think we got him?¡± Damian asked Eli. Eli shrugged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, man. We need to check.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t open the door¡­¡± Everything inside me screamed that we


    should just wait, but my breathless pleading didn¡¯t reach Eli and Damian¡¯s ears¡­ .


    Eli jerked the door wide open. A secondter, he fell to the floor with a bullet in his head,nding less


    than a foot away from me. My mouth opened in a silent scream. I had never faced a sudden death, but


    now I was looking into Eli¡¯s dying eyes staring back at me. A heartbeatter, they became lifeless, and


    Eli¡¯s blood flooded the van¡¯s floor reaching my feet. Damian reloaded his gun, and roared, cursing before


    jumping out of the van. It was useless¡­ As his feet touched the ground I heard the whistling sound of


    the silenced bullet. Damian¡¯s dead body fell to the ground a secondter.


    I could hardly breathe. Tears flooded my cheeks as I sat on the floor, petrified. As I tried to silence my


    cry, I heard Max¡¯s spiteful giggle. It sounded much more terrifying now when I knew that person was only


    a few feet away from me, and I waited pa


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    zed by fear.


    I barely flinched as he jumped into the back of the van and pointed his gun at me. I could only see his


    smirking mouth as the rest of his face was covered by his ck hood. ¡°Stay away from me¡­¡± I


    whimpered, shivering in fear. Heughed and stepped closer, kicking Eli¡¯s body to the side. ¡°Well, well¡­


    what a treat. You look delicious¡­¡± He squatted in front of me, his gun¡¯s cold metal touching my cheek. ¡°I


    bet those lips can suck a dick well,¡± he whispered, staring at my lips while moving his gun¡¯s barrel


    against the skin of my neck down to my cleavage. ¡°How about we have some fun?¡± He grabbed my hand


    and yanked me up to stand before him. I yelped, unable to control my shivering. He chuckled coldly and


    started kicking Eli¡¯s body out of the van. I tried to release myself from his grip but seeing the gun in his


    hand I became absolutely petrified.


    ono bad


    ¡°Please¡­ let me go,¡± I begged. He smirked and took the hood off his head, allowing me to see his face. I


    knew it wasn¡¯t a good sign. Men like him don¡¯t leave witnesses alive, and it had just be certain that


    he was nning to kill me. I swallowed hard, looking closely at his features. He was an Asian with


    piercing ck eyes and very short ck hair. His thin lips curved in a wicked grin as he stared at me.


    ¡°Time to go; you areing with me, darling. If you do me good, I promise that I will let you live¡­ for a


    while,¡± he said, chuckling icily. I had always hated the thought of bing a damsel in distress, but at


    that moment, I yed that Aren showed up here fast¡­


    UL

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    Hoping for a miracle Max jerked my hand, throwing me out of the back of the van. I fell to the ground,


    ripping the skirt of my dress and tearing the skin on my knee. Inded right next to Damian¡¯s bloodied


    corpse and instantly felt sick. The fury that boiled the blood in my veins mixed with the helplessness I felt


    made me want to scream, but I knew that I couldn¡¯t provoke that mad bastard threatening me. ¡°Get up!¡±


    he yelled, pointing his gun at me. ¡°Get on your feet, bitch, and move to the front!¡± He walked closer,


    stepping his feet right in front of my head. I clenched my teeth and pulled myself up. He smirked as I got


    up, kneeling before him. I lifted my head and red at him as he put his gun against my forehead. ¡°As


    much as I like you on your knees, we have no time for that.¡± He chuckled, motioning with his gun to force


    me to move.


    Cursing him inwardly, I stood up and started walking to the front seat of the car. I could feel the cold


    metal touching the back of my head, making me feel as if every step brought me closer to my execution.


    I kept thinking about how to escape him, but I quickly figured out that each of my ideas could have easily


    ended up causing my death. This guy killed two trained professionals before they even blinked. Did I


    even have a single chance against him? All I could do was stall for time¡­ ¡°Move faster, or I¡¯ll have you


    killed here and now!¡± Max thundered, poking me with his gun. I clenched my teeth and kept walking as


    slowly as I could, knowing that every heartbeat could be myst. I could only do this much. A few


    secondster, I was standing by the door on the driver¡¯s side.


    Suddenly, I heard the click of an armed guning from behind. ¡°Put down your weapon.¡± Aren¡¯s calm


    voice barely hid the waves of anger that wereing from him. He was sending a clear message of


    danger to the person he was pointing his gun at.


    Max chuckled, and, a secondter, he spun me around to face Aren as he stood behind me. His one arm


    was wrapped around my waist, pulling my back against him. His other hand still held a gun, aiming at the


    temple of my head. I could see Aren¡¯s eyes widen, but then quickly narrow, his irises soaked in fury.


    ¡°Let her go,¡± he hissed.


    Max chuckled coldly, the disgustful touch of his hand on my stomach. ¡°Finders keepers,¡± he said, leaning


    over my ear while looking at Aren. Aren¡¯s fingers curled on the trigger as he aimed at Max¡¯s head. ¡°Let


    her go or I¡¯ll blow your fucking head off.¡±


    Max scoffed daringly, pressing the barrel harder against my temple. ¡°Go ahead, let¡¯s see whose head


    blows up first, mine or hers¡­¡±.


    I stood there, petrified and infuriated by my own helplessness. Aren clenched his jaw, his fingers


    restlessly shifting on the trigger, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t risk my life just to get Max.


    nity for a


    tacie


    Besides, I knew that Aren would rather capture him alive. Finally, he cursed under his breath and


    lowered his gun


    ¡°No¡­¡± I mumbled in panic, watching Aren give up on our only leverage.


    ¡°I will put down the gun. Just don¡¯t hurt her,¡± he said, his eyes on Max as he slowly bent to put his gun on


    the floor.


    +


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Max giggled as Aren raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Now, kick the gun away,¡± he ordered,


    shifting his weapon onto Aren.


    Suddenly, Max removed his grip from my waist, wrapping his arm around my neck instead while pointing


    his gun at my husband. I knew that I needed to stay focused and wait for any chance to free myself. My


    chance came, as his attention turned to the gun that Aren kicked. I knew what I could do-I had practiced


    it with Aren before¡­


    I turned my head away from Max¡¯s elbow, grabbed his wrist, slipped under his arm, and jumped away


    from him. I did it in a panic, praying that he wouldn¡¯t shoot me first. As my desperate move freed me from


    his grip, I saw him shift his weapon toward me. Max grinned devilishly as his fingers pulled the trigger. I


    closed my eyes as the shot came¡­ ¡°I¡¯m alive¡­¡± I murmured under my breath a secondter, feeling no


    pain. As my eyes opened, I saw Max¡¯s gun lying on the ground, and Aren ramming into the bastard who


    nearly shot me. Aren knocked him down, his fists flying andnding a series of blows, but Max wasn¡¯t


    about to submit to Aren¡¯s power. I stumbled back as Max somehow kicked Aren, pushing him away. They


    both got back on their feet, their eyes searching for the nearest gun. Oney a few feet away from them.


    Max lurched forward, his hand stretched to be the first to grab it, but Aren kicked it under the van with a


    fast slide. They shed again, sending each other hard blows and kicks. I stood there terrified, knowing


    that I could only look for the gun¡­ but I couldn¡¯t find that other one.


    Aren¡¯s and Max¡¯s moves were almost too fast to register, and what scared me the most was the fact that


    I was uncertain who would win this fight. I wept watching my husband receive another blow, even if he


    responded immediately, grabbing Max¡¯s throat and punching his sr plexus. That move knocked Max


    down, making him fall to the ground while heavily bleeding, but he refused to surrender even then. He


    was getting up to his feet when Chris finally showed up, heavily panting. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± he shouted,


    stepping closer and pointing his gun at Max¡¯s head. I heaved an audible sigh of relief, rushing to Aren


    and throwing my arms around him. He was bleeding from cuts on his brow arch, his jaw, and the torn


    skin on his knuckles, but he was alive-we were alive, and that¡¯s all that mattered. Aren chuckled softly,


    his arms sliding around my waist as if they belonged there. ¡°I was so scared,¡± I whispered, climbing on


    my toes and kissing whatever inch of his skin I could find. He pulled up my chin and kissed my lips. ¡°I


    know¡­ but you did great, sunshine.¡± I let out a frustration-soaked huff. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything¡­ You could


    have died, and I¡­¡± My voice cracked.


    ? ? ? ??? -acle


    ¡°The danger was there with or without you,¡± Aren said coldly, but then his lips curved into a teasing smirk.


    ¡°And yet, you managed to slow him down; you distracted him. You are like a perfect bait to catch


    psychopaths.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not funny!¡± I frowned and smacked his arm, making him groan in pain as I hit one


    of the painful spots on his body. I gasped and tried gently rubbing that aching ce instead. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t


    mean to! I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± He smiled at me and kissed the crown of my head. ¡°I should be the one to


    apologize. I showed up toote¡­¡± Our conversation took away Chris¡¯s focus, and Max used it to scoop


    up some dirt and throw it in Chris¡¯s eyes. Chris growled, closing his eyes and lowering his gun.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Shit! He¡¯s getting away!¡± Aren shouted, charging at him at a dead run. ¡°Aren!¡± I yelled, but they both


    disappeared behind one of the warehouses.


    Chris followed Aren as soon as he wiped the dirt off his face enough to see. Without thinking, I chose to


    run after them. Struggling to keep my breath steady, I ran, led by only glimpses of Aren¡¯s movements that


    I could register, until I found myself heading straight to the harbor. I stopped, panting heavily, my eyes


    desperate to find Aren. Finally, I saw him lurching at Max at the edge of the port. Chris and I ran toward


    them when suddenly both of them fell into the water. I darted to the ce where they fell, copsed onto


    my knees, and looked down. ¡°Aren!¡± I screamed, begging every higher power to allow him to resurface.


    Chris joined me, standing next to me as I frantically waited for any sign of life from my husband. After a


    minute, the water kept showing us nothing but its dark mirror slightly disturbed by light waves.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    Saving him I stared desperately at the surface of the water, swallowing my tears. I kept ncing at Chris;


    he wasposed at first but became more restless by the second. He held his hand on my shoulder as


    if he was saying that Aren would be all right, but he couldn¡¯t know that. It was unimaginably dark under


    the surface of the water, and the currents were unpredictable. Down there, Max wasn¡¯t Aren¡¯s only


    opponent; he needed to fight the forces of nature as well.


    ¡°Aren¡­¡± I wept quietly, my hot and salty tears falling down to the bay waters. Chris cleared his throat.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be all right. He is an excellent swimmer.¡± He didn¡¯t sound convinced at all. I guess he wanted to


    reassure himself just as much as he wished to bring mefort.


    A few minutes passed, Jack joined us, and finally, Chris admitted that it was time to call for a rescue


    mission. I sat in the same ce, numbly watching the divers go under the water while the lifeguards


    swam in boats, shing lights at every corner. ¡°This cannot be happening,¡± I muttered, petrified by the


    thought that I could suddenly hear that someone had found Aren¡¯s body.


    It was a nightmare. I still felt his touch on my skin, the warmth of his body against mine. He couldn¡¯t have


    died.


    I stood up, driven by some wild, unexinable force, and shouted, ¡°This is uneptable! You cannot die!


    I won¡¯t allow you to die! Do you hear me?!¡± My voice cracked at thest note as I stumbled, exhausted


    by my cry.


    Jack rushed to grab me by my shoulders before I fell. I hated being so weak. I hated the fact that I was


    so useless, but most of all, I hated the fact that he wasn¡¯t there with me. ¡°I haven¡¯t even told him¡­¡± I


    mumbled breathlessly.


    ¡°You will tell him everything once we get him back,¡± Jack said, rubbing my cold, stiff arms.¡± Besides, I¡¯m


    sure that whatever you wish to tell him, he already knows.¡± ;


    I shook my head. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ve never told him the way I feel about him¡­¡± I murmured, my voice barely


    audible.


    Jack didn¡¯t say a word, and I couldn¡¯t tell if he heard what I said or not, but I didn¡¯t care. I only knew that I


    would have shouted from the rooftops that I loved him if I hade back to me.


    ¡°We found him!¡± The lifeguard¡¯s voice almost made my heart stop. I was so terrified, wondering if he was


    alive or not, that all sounds got stuck in my throat. ¡°How is he?¡± Jack asked instead of me, his grip on my


    arms tightening protectively as he most likely thought that I might copse after hearing the news.


    ¡°Something hit his head and he is badly bleeding, but he is alive.¡± The lifeguards¡¯ boat came closer, and I


    could see Aren lying there with an oxygen mask on his face, his eyes closed. He was pale, probably from


    blood loss and exhaustion. My heart ached as I watched the lifeguards bring him in his state closer to the


    shore. ¡°We found him with his hands wrapped around the bridge pir. He was nearly unconscious, and I


    cannot exin where he found the strength to


    hold on until we got there.¡± Jack chuckled. ¡°His strength? You are looking at her,¡± he said to the


    lifeguards, pointing at me.


    I cried andughed at the same time. I was amazingly relieved that Aren was alive, but his condition


    could have turned unstable. The paramedics had been already waiting to transport him to his private


    clinic. I was supposed to go with Aren in the ambnce while Jack and Chris had to stay to take care of


    all the legal issues and testimonies. ¡°What about that other guy? Asian, ck, very short hair, not too


    tall?¡± Chris asked when another group of guards came back. They shook their heads, and one of them


    stepped forward. ¡°The guy is most likely dead. The currents could have taken his body, and we¡¯ll most


    likely never find him.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Chris nodded in acknowledgment before ncing at me. In his eyes, I could see the same kind of


    anxiety that I felt, and I was certain that Max had survived and that one day we would meet him again¡­ I


    got inside the ambnce and sat by Aren, holding his hand. The paramedics said that his condition was


    stable, although he remained unconscious from the moment hended on the boat. The wound on his


    head had been treated, but it wasn¡¯t clear whether the injury had caused more than superficial damage.


    I kept staring at his face, inwardly telling him to open his eyes and look at me, but he didn¡¯t. I stayed


    silent the entire way. I must have looked pitiful since the paramedics who sat there with me felt the need


    tofort me and kept telling me that my husband was going to get better. I responded with brief nods


    and nervous smiles, but it didn¡¯t lessen my anxiety.


    When we got to the clinic, Miranda was there waiting for the ambnce toe. She didn¡¯t choose to


    treat Aren herself. She admitted that she wasn¡¯tposed enough to keep her mind clear and let her


    colleague, Doctor Park Sol, make decisions on Aren¡¯s treatment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said, squeezing my hand as she led me to the clinic¡¯s ER waiting room,¡± Doctor Park is


    an excellent specialist. He will take care of Aren better than I would at this moment¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t me her for stepping down. She must have been nearly as panicked as I was about this whole


    situation. Miranda waited for the news with me. She also kept saying that Aren was strong and that he


    would be all right, but I recognized that tone from before and found her words even less reassuring.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± I told her with a weak smile. ¡°Don¡¯t say that he will be all right just to make


    me feel better. I strongly believe that he is going to wake up soon and that there would be nothing wrong


    with him, but every time I hear someoneforting me, I be more anxious thanposed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± I sighed and patted her shoulder. ¡°I know you are worried too, and


    you meant well.¡± She smiled at me and gave me a hug. Afterward, we waited in silence until Doctor Park


    had finally left the room where Aren had been treated. He looked like he was around his thirties; he had


    dark brown hair and dark eyes, which held a sharp gaze, ennobled by ck, thin-rimmed


    sses. He pulled the sses up on his nose as he walked toward us, looking at usposedly.


    ¡°Mr. Lan¡¯s condition is stable, although he fell into aa. He had a concussion, and that¡¯s what


    currently prevents him from waking up. We took care of the internal bleeding. He also had two broken


    ribs, several bruises, and cuts, but nothing life-threatening. I guess it¡¯s just a matter of time now until he


    regains his consciousness,¡± he exined calmly.


    ¡°How long is it going to take?¡± I asked, holding my breath. An ufortable grimace formed on Doctor


    Park¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell¡­ A day, maybe a few days, or weeks.¡± ¡°W-weeks?¡± I breathed out, feeling


    that my head had started to spin. ¡°I apologize that I cannot be more specific,¡± he said before bowing and


    walking away. My reality froze at that moment, and every following hour felt the same. The uncertainty


    and the waiting drained my life force with every second that Aren was unconscious. Miranda took me to


    his room, where hey, plugged into all sorts of monitoring equipment. His face was pale and lifeless. His


    state reminded me of my Grandmother¡¯s; the only difference was that my Granny was well diagnosed


    and I knew what should happen for her to wake up, and her procedure had already been scheduled for


    three months from now. With Aren¡¯s condition, everything remained unknown and unpredictable. I sat by


    his bed, held his hand, and stroked his cheeks. His bodycked the warmth I used to treasure so deeply.


    I couldn¡¯t stand it.


    ¡°Miranda¡­ is there anything else we can do?¡± I asked with a barely audible voice. She sighed and


    ced her hand on my shoulder. ¡°We treated Aren the best way we could. With his condition, he could


    only receive more specialized treatment at a neurological clinic.¡±


    My eyes widened as I looked at her. ¡°You mean¡­ like Crawford¡¯s Neurological Clinic?¡± ¡°Yes. If you want


    to transfer Aren there, then I will support your decision,¡± she said. My face turned into a big question


    mark. ¡°What do you mean by saying if I want to transfer him?


    She gave me a warm smile and stroked my hair. ¡°Cora, honey, haven¡¯t you figured this out already? You


    are Aren¡¯s legal wife and the only family he has on his medical card. Every procedure and every kind of


    advanced treatment would require your signature.¡±


    My lips curved into a sad smile. ¡°It might sound stupid, but I had no idea that he made this kind of


    decision¡­¡± Miranda smirked, ¡°Well, his life is literally in your hands. So what do you want to do, Cora?¡± I


    took a deep breath before announcing confidently, ¡°Make the arrangements to transfer Aren to


    Crawford¡¯s Neurological Clinic.¡±

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Waiting A week had passed since Aren had be unconscious. Throughout this time, I basically lived


    in the clinic, only migrating between my Grandma¡¯s room and my husband¡¯s room. I quickly found out


    that frustration and restlessness weren¡¯t the only things that I had to struggle with in the meantime. Being


    Aren¡¯s wife came with responsibilities that I hadn¡¯t been aware of until the moment my husband fell into a


    coma, and I was given the authority over¡­ basically everything he owned.


    Aren¡¯s suite within the clinic had strangely be my office; the ce where I met Neil, thewyers,


    and even Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s executives. I was terrified of every decision I had to make on my


    own in Aren¡¯s name. Neil helped me as much as he could, but at the end of the day, I was the one calling


    all the shots.


    I spent endless hours in front of myputer, learning about business terms and definitions that would


    help me understand what those people were talking to me about. Thank God that I was a fast learner.


    Nheless, I barely slept and even fainted in the bathroom once. Doctor Crawford threatened me that


    he would put me into one of the clinic¡¯s hospital rooms if I didn¡¯t start taking care of myself better. As


    much as I loved that guy, I didn¡¯t want to be his patient¡­ I couldn¡¯t. I had no time for that.


    While I was sitting by Aren¡¯s bed, Jack and Chris spent their days taking care of the mess that Packton


    and his men made. The case had reached the highest authorities¡¯ ears and the investigation was now


    moving at full speed. With the recording from the night at the Red Hook and the evidence Norton, n,


    and I had found provided by Jack Collins, Lester Packton, his men who were visible in the recording,


    Francis Marshall senior and junior, and Nn Marshall were all used of a series of charges. Of


    course, I was happy with that result, especially since it had given Jack his job back, but this whole


    mission hadn¡¯t brought us any closer to finding out the identity of the man who had nned my


    kidnapping.


    ¡°Are you still sitting here?¡± Jack frowned, looking at me as I was leaning over Aren¡¯s bed.


    I shrugged. ¡°Where else would I be?¡±


    He walked closer, crossing his hands over his chest. ¡°I thought that the doctor told you that there is


    nothing endangering his current state. All he needs to do is wake up.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, and I will be here when it happens.¡±


    He sighed, looking me up and down. ¡°Cora, you look miserable and exhausted. Do you think he would


    have wanted you to act like this? Go get some rest.¡±


    ¡°I get enough sleep now that I got scolded by Doctor Crawford. Besides, I cannot rest¡±-I pointed at the


    pile of documents lying on the table-¡°because I have tons of documents to analyze and sign.¡± ¡°Cora, you


    are overworking yourself, and you are stressed. Go home,¡± Jack saidmandingly. ¡°I can¡¯t go back to


    the penthouse, Jack!¡± I snapped. ¡°I can¡¯t go there because I can¡¯t handle being there without Aren! I will


    go insane there, Jack¡­¡± My agitated tone quickly turned into a


    soft cry.


    Jack walked over and hugged me. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to upset you¡­ I just wanted to help.¡±


    I smiled dryly. ¡°Jack, I appreciate your good intentions, but you can¡¯t help me. Yet, you can start


    investigating Aren¡¯s mother¡¯s death. You can begin by checking George Richardson and looking for the


    missing pathology report. I can contact you with my friends, n and Norton if you need help with tracing


    bank transactions and stuff like that.¡± A sound of frustration escaped Jack¡¯s throat. ¡°You begin to sound


    like him, you know? You became a boss a little over a week ago, and you already order me around. For


    your information, I am already on the case. It is now officially reopened, and I will soon work with the


    prosecutors¡¯ office to form charges against James Winton and George Richardson,¡± he stated, frowning


    at me. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Do I really sound like Aren?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do! And you are turning into a crazy workaholic like him! Don¡¯t let those corporate bastards


    exhaust you to death!¡± he eximed., ¡°Jack¡­ Keep your voice down,¡± I said calmly, ring at him. ¡°This


    is a patient¡¯s room, and you need to be quiet.¡± ¡°You are impossible,¡± he huffed, helplessly dropping his


    hands before he walked toward the door. ¡°Take care of yourself, Cora, or Chris and I will force you to.¡±


    He waved me goodbye and left.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what his threat was about, but I had no time to think about it. I grabbed myputer, took


    the pile of documents, and started going through every paragraph on every page while simultaneously


    reading emails fromwyers and managers. Thankfully, Neil kept sending me a list of issues and


    people¡¯s requests that I could temporarily ignore, hoping that Aren would wake up before I would be


    forced to make my decision. I had never thought that I would be forced to run a multi-billion dor


    corporation with hundreds of people wanting to eat me alive every day. How could Aren do this all by


    himself? From the moment I stepped into his shoes, I started to admire my husband even more¡­


    I finished dealing with the documents around 1 AM. I was dead tired, but at the same time, I felt a strong


    need to confess to someone. I left Aren¡¯s room and walked down the corridor to my Grandma¡¯s. She


    looked as peaceful as ever in the rose room where Aren put her. I think she would have loved the design.


    I sat by her bed and grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Granny¡­¡± I started softly. ¡°There is something I need to tell you¡­¡± I took a deep breath as a smile


    instantly curled my lips at the thought of what I was about to say. ¡°I broke with the women of the Bell


    family¡¯s tradition. I got married, and I fell in love with my husband. He treats me well, and I hope that one


    day he will love me just as much as I love him. Perhaps one day I will bear a child with the man who


    cherishes me¡­ Isn¡¯t that weird?¡± Iughed, shedding a few tears along the way.


    I knew that Grandma wouldn¡¯t want me to follow in her and Mom¡¯s footsteps and struggle on my own for


    many years. I was the first to have a man by my side, even if it was a contractual marriage. ¡°You know,


    Granny¡­ The man I love is in aa right now. He is lying in a bed a few rooms


    away from your room. If it is true, and you in your state have ess to a different level of consciousness,


    would you find him for me, and tell him to get his ass back here?¡± I smirked, trying to sound smug before


    bursting out into tears. ¡°I really need him right now¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even tell when I stopped crying or when I copsed and fell asleep by Grandma¡¯s bed. The


    nurse woke me up at six o¡¯clock, asking if I was feeling OK. Since it was the same nurse who snitched


    me to Doctor Crawford after she had found me in the bathroom, I spent a whole hour convincing her that


    I was all right and that my falling asleep in a strange position with my upper body lying on the bed and


    the rest of me sitting in the chair was purely an ident.


    By the time I walked back to Aren¡¯s room, Neil was already there to hand me a new pile of documents to


    review, revise, or sign. The new day had begun. I couldn¡¯t even remember if I had eaten anything that


    day. I only remember spending a few hours trying to understand one of the deals. Even if Neil assured


    me that it was one of the contracts that Aren had already epted and I only needed to sign it, I wanted


    to make sure that I wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes and jeopardize my husband¡¯s business.


    It was past 10 PM when I shut down myptop, deciding to take a break. I got up from my seat and


    stretched when suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind and gagged me with tape. As I looked


    behind me, I saw Chris, smirking at me. I raised my eyebrows in shock, trying to ask him what he was


    doing, but before I could react, he used the same tape to restrain my hands, threw me over his shoulder,


    and walked out of Aren¡¯s room. I groaned through the tape and struggled, but it didn¡¯t affect Chris at all.


    ¡°Oh, shut up, Cora! You¡¯re in a clinic; keep your voice down!¡± He chuckled mischievously, walking into


    the elevator while carrying me.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I was more pissed off by the second. Why the hell would Chris do something like that?! I was even more


    annoyed to see absolutely no guards or medical staff in the corridors as he carried me out of the clinic. I


    bet that he must have arranged it beforehand. We came down to the underground parking lot where he


    walked with me on his shoulder toward the ck Porsche. As we walked closer, I saw Jack sitting inside.


    My annoyance turned into a wild rage. Jack opened the backseat door and Chris threw me inside the


    car.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to listen to me, so we are going to do it the hard way,¡± Jack said, a wicked grin crossing


    his mouth I frowned, trying to guess their intentions. Then I watched them get into the car and start the


    engine. When we were driving out of the parking lot, I mumbled something questionably, but at least they


    understood me¡­ ¡°We were thinking about how to help you, Cora, and we figured it out¡­¡± Jack chuckled,


    turning my way and winking at me. ¡°We seriously need a drink. So tonight you are going with us, and we


    are going to drown all of your problems and sorrows.¡±

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    His friends


    I was still extremely pissed at Jack and Chris for treating me this way, but apparently, my ring daggers


    at them only brought them more amusement. Luckily, the tape Chris used wasn¡¯t too strong, and I finally


    managed to glue off the piece that was gagging me.


    ¡°Seriously guys?!¡± I yelled. ¡°You could have told me what you were nning, not kidnap me!¡±


    Chris, who was driving the car, snorted. ¡°Really? Do you want us to believe that you would willingly leave


    your husband even if you haven¡¯t left the clinic for thest eight days?¡±


    I wanted to protest, but when I opened my mouth I realized that there was no way I would have left Aren.


    I already felt anxious, as I had left his room nearly ten minutes ago, wondering if he had started to wake


    up while I was away from him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him to see that I¡¯m not there when he wakes up¡­¡± I mumbled.


    Jack, who was sitting in the passenger¡¯s front seat, turned around and looked at me with a frown. ¡°Cora,


    you must be aware that this is insane. He would never have med you for going away, sleeping,


    resting¡­ or drinking with us.¡±


    ¡°Although I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about thatst one,¡± Chris added, smirking.


    I knew they were right, but somehow inside my stupid mind, I felt guilty that I was even considering


    having momentary fun while he was unconscious. Yet then I reminded myself that I used to think the


    same way when my Grandma fell into aa. I used to sleep by her bed as well. Then I spent hours


    talking to her every day, but after a while, I had to move on and live my life just to keep my sanity. With


    Aren, I was doing the exact opposite- I was losing my mind and drowning in my own restlessness.


    Perhaps I really needed to drink¡­


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked, watching us pass the Brooklyn Bridge. ¡°We¡¯re going to my ce,¡± Chris


    replied, taking a turn on Charles Street and heading toward the Hudson River.


    That made me realize that I knew nothing about Chris, except for the fact that he was a military


    specialist. Since I met him, I only saw him wearingbat pants and a T-shirt, and the only thing that


    changed today was the fact that he wore jeans instead of thosebat pants¡­ which didn¡¯t bring me


    any closer to finding out anything more about him. I knew that Aren trusted him, and that made me trust


    him as well, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that I wanted to punch him for using such methods on me.


    Once we¡¯d arrived at the spot, I finally got untied. As I got out of the car, I realized that we had stopped in


    front of one of the fancy apartment buildings. That only made me raise my eyebrows, wondering if it truly


    was the ce Chris lived. Five minutester, it turned out that not only did he live there, but he owned


    the entire building. He inhabited the top-floor apartment, which looked almost as expensive as Aren¡¯s


    penthouse. I stood on the threshold with my mouth wide open, taking in the astonishing space of the


    cream-white hall, magnified by the row of wall-size windows.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± Chris chuckled, watching my growing confusion. ¡°Get yourselffortable on the sofas


    near the balcony. Food and drinks areing in just a moment,¡± he said, pointing at


    the spot deeper in the hall.


    Jack grabbed my hand and pulled me into the apartment. ¡°Come on, Cora!¡± Heughed.


    I could see that he felt quitefortable in Chris¡¯s apartment, almost as if he lived there as well. He led


    me to one of the cream sofas standing at the corner of the hall that opened to a big kitchen. He sat on


    the other sofa in front of mine. My eyes directed at the kitchen quickly widened in shock again as I saw


    Chris, putting on a chef¡¯s apron and taking out food from the fridge.


    Jack noticed my surprise and quickly exined, ¡°Chris is half-Scottish and half-Italian. His father was a


    soldier, so I guess that his fighting abilities are from him, but his Italian mother taught him how to cook,


    and sometimes I wonder if he wouldn¡¯t be more sessful as a chef of his own restaurant.¡±


    My eyes narrowed, watching Chris as he chopped the onion at an incredible speed and then threw it into


    a frying pan. The mouthwatering smell of food instantly reminded me of how empty my stomach was. I


    bet that I must have resembled a lost puppy as I watched him finally put the pasta on the tes. I


    guessed that they enjoyed watching me eat a bit too much. The wide grins on their faces couldn¡¯t be a


    more obvious sign that they were self-satisfied.


    ¡°It tastes better with the wine.¡± Chris poured me a ss of Sauvignon nc, observing in amusement


    how I wolfed the pasta down.


    Two minutester, my te was empty, and he and Jack were looking at me, barely stifling theirughter.


    I could remember thest time I enjoyed eating that much. I hardly recalled what I had been eating from


    the moment Aren fell into aa, but I would certainly remember Chris¡¯s dish.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I mumbled hesitantly, still pissed about the fact that they took me from the hospital by


    force and reluctant to admit that they did something good. ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Chris said, pouring me


    more wine. I was more than eager to shift the attention away from me and my condition and finally


    asked, ¡°So Chris¡­ what is it that you do for a living exactly? Are you from a wealthy family or


    something?¡± ¡°A wealthy family?! No chance!¡± Chris burst intoughter. ¡°I can afford all of this thanks to


    Aren,¡± he said, shrugging. My eyes widened in surprise even more. ¡°H-he pays you that well for whatever


    it is that you do for him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jack interjected, ¡°Chris is just the luckiest son of a bitch on the when ites to money and


    investment.¡± He crossed his arms over his chest, frowning at Chris.


    Chris¡¯s lips formed a smug grin. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m good at cards. I won a lot of money, ying on my


    university¡¯s campus, and then at the casino. I was nning to spend that money on some useless things,


    but then I got a new roommate, a smart guy who was nning to start his own business. I ended up


    investing all of my money in him.. And now, I am a wealthy man who owns fifteen percent of LanConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Diamond Corporation.¡± My jaw literally dropped. Once I recovered from the shock, I smiled nervously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I


    assumed that you are working for Aren¡­¡± ¡°Oh, but I do!¡± Chris chuckled. ¡°I handle every unpredictable


    situation that requires using force. Aren needed to have a little army of his own, and he made me in


    charge of this army¡­ although he is always its leading general.¡±


    My heart started to pound. There were so many things that I still didn¡¯t know about Aren. I wished to


    know more¡­ That made me more curious about Aren¡¯s friendship with Jack Collins.


    ¡°What about you, Jack? Do you also have your shares of Lan Diamond Corporation?¡± I smirked, turning


    my eyes on him.


    Jack sighed, painting a wry smile on his face. ¡°I wish I had¡­ when I met Aren and Chris, the Lan


    Diamond Corporation was already doing great on the market. I could never afford to buy those shares


    with my agent¡¯s sry.¡± ¡°So how did you guys meet?¡± I leaned forward on the table, excitedly blinking my


    eyes. Jack scratched his head,ughing awkwardly. ¡°Well¡­ I shot Chris in the leg and almost shot


    Aren¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I straightened up, my eyes shifting from Jack to Chris, trying to figure out whether he was


    joking. Chris nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± He pulled his pants up above half of his calves. ¡°I still have a scar right


    there.¡±


    ¡°How did that happen?!¡± I eximed, thinking that I was the only one in the room who didn¡¯t find that fact


    amusing.


    Jack chuckled. ¡°Well, long story short, the FBI was preparing an ambush on illegal weapon dealers, and


    it turned out that those guys got under Aren¡¯s skin. The issue was that our interviewer initially identified


    Aren, Chris, and their men as being part of those dealers, and they were armed, and I¡ª¡±


    ¡°We had sleep darts while Jack was shooting bullets,¡± Chris interjected. ¡°The whole action took ce at


    the old, abandoned factory, and while we were on the ground level, Jack hid on the roof, making us look


    like shooting ducks. After I got shot, Aren got furious. He flew up the stairs faster than a bolt of lightning


    and lurched at Jack, pinning him to the floor before he could even find the trigger,¡± he said with a


    mischievous grin. Jack gave him a wry smile and continued the story, ¡°We let me go when he noticed


    that I was an FBI agent. We sort it all out, and every time we¡¯re engaging in something together, he


    teasingly reminds me that we only use sleep darts, as if he was afraid that I would identally shoot


    someone.¡± He wrinkled his nose as he mentioned it, but then quickly smirked. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s how we


    became friends.¡±


    Iughed awkwardly, staring at the two men sitting in front of me before I turned my eyes to my empty


    ss. ¡°I think I need more alcohol¡­¡±

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    Talking about love After I had drank three more sses of wine, I knew a little more about Jack¡¯s and


    Chris¡¯s personal lives, not that I was asking about it though¡­ Nheless, I found out that Jack got


    married to his high school sweetheart, and they happily became husband and wife as soon as they


    graduated. He told me how he decorated a bower that stood at the back of their school with over three


    hundred red roses just to propose to his girlfriend. It was amazing to discover his romantic soul. He was


    the guy who had never forgotten his wife¡¯s birthday or their anniversaries. I could see the love in his eyes


    when he talked about his wife¡­


    ¡°But we weren¡¯t meant to be together¡­¡± He shrugged, ending his fairy-tale love story in a sad tone.


    ¡°What do you mean? What happened?¡± I asked, feeling emotionally engaged in his story. Jack smiled


    faintly. ¡°She wanted to have a child, but she didn¡¯t want the child¡¯s father to have a dangerous job. She


    tried to force me to change my upation, but I¡¯ve always loved my job, and I still do. We got divorced a


    year ago¡­¡±


    My heart ached as I heard his voice nearly crack at the final note. I could partially understand his wife;


    she wanted to be sure that her husband woulde home every night and that he would be safe. At the


    same time, Jack seemed like a guy that girls often dream of; someone worth making some adjustments


    in your values and in the way you want your life to be. It was sad to find out that sometimes love is not


    enough to make two people stay together.


    Listening to Jack, I could say that he was the type of man that had only one true love throughout his life,


    while Chris was Jack¡¯s exact opposite. He fell in love every day, changing his girlfriends faster than he


    changed socks. I bet that girls were drawn to him like moths to a me. He was intelligent, handsome,


    tall, well-built, and he knew how to talk to women. He must have been a charmer, the one who could


    sweet-talk every ice princess and melt her heart. . ¡°Of course, I got pped and cursed a lot,¡± he


    admitted with a dry smile. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think of myself as a bad guy, and it wasn¡¯t always about getting


    laid, you know? It¡¯s just that my heart opened quickly, but I got bored even more quickly. I guess it was


    my system telling me that that girl wasn¡¯t the one I was looking for.¡± I leaned back on the sofa, amused


    by his cockiness and smug style. ¡°And have you ever found what you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ and no,¡± he replied, shooting me a crooked grin. ¡°Exin.¡±


    ¡°Once I met a beautiful woman, tall and slender, brte with a perfect body. She was the hottest female


    I¡¯ve seen in my life. No offense.¡± He winked.


    I chuckled. ¡°None taken.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I met her when I was apanying Aren at the Expo, and she turned out to be his


    businesspetitor, bidding on the same auction¡­ which Aren won, and she got extremely pissed off. I


    found her afterward drinking alone and decided to join her¡­ We spent a pleasant night together; she


    gave me her number, and it was the first time I thought that this


    TERVE


    might actually work¡­¡± He paused and emptied his ss.


    ¡°So, what happened next?¡± I inquired impatiently.


    ¡°Aren encouraged me to research her before I decided to work on the rtionship. I thought that it was


    stupid at first, but in the end, I checked her right before going on a date¡­ I found out that her whole


    identity was false and that she was engaged in a few illegal businesses. Even knowing that much, I still


    decided to go on that date, which ended in her apartment. However, as she took a shower, led by


    suspicions I decided to get up from the bed and look around her ce. I found nothing extraordinary, but


    as I was getting back to bed, I noticed that she stupidly left her phone by the bed, and someone just


    texted her asking if the date worked. It could have been her friend, and I wanted to ignore it¡­ but


    somehow it was driving me crazy. As soon as she fell asleep, I used her finger to get to her phone and I


    read her messages¡­¡± He took a deep breath and chuckled coldly. ¡°It turned out that she only contacted


    me to get into Lan Diamond Corporation, using my ess and steal data.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± I gasped, thinking that when it was about rtionships, he was as pitiful as Jack. Then I


    decided that I was drunk enough to get up,e over to their side, and give them both a hug. ¡°I¡¯m sure


    that both of you will find someone you will love for the rest of your lives, just like I¡­¡± I paused. My smile


    disappeared as I suddenly reminded myself that my marriage was still on two-year contract terms.


    ¡°You love Aren, don¡¯t you?¡± Chris smirked teasingly.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Jack answered before I could. ¡°I knew that the first time I saw those two


    together. Lucky son of a bitch.¡± Jack drank what was left in his ss and went to Chris¡¯s bar to pull out a


    bottle of whisky. ¡°On the rocks or straight?¡± He didn¡¯t bother asking if we wanted to drink something other


    than wine. He made that decision for us¡­


    ¡°Straight,¡± Chris said. ¡°Right decision,¡± Jack approved. ¡°Cora?¡± ¡°On rocks?¡± I smiled nervously.


    Jack gave me the look, but quickly sighed and pulled out ice cubes from the fridge. I guessed that he had


    been drinking and hanging around Chris¡¯s apartment many times to know exactly where the sses and


    everything else were. I had a feeling that contemting my happy rtionship overrge amounts of


    alcohol triggered some kind of annoyance in him. I figured that it was time to change the subject¡­ a


    little. ¡°So¡­ what was Aren like as a student?¡± I was dying to ask that question from the moment I found


    out that Chris and my husband were roommates.


    Chris thought for a while, scratching his head. ¡°Well¡­ he was secretive and cold, and it took me a year


    to get to him¡­ which happened only because the girl he slept with tried tomit


    suicide, and I helped him take care of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ W-what?!¡± That wasn¡¯t the kind of response I expected. I suddenly regretted that I chose to even


    start that subject.


    Chris smiled coldly and leaned forward, cing his elbows on his knees. ¡°I know that it wasn¡¯t what you


    wanted to hear, but from the two of us, I was the good guy.¡±


    I exhaled in a rush, feeling a cold chill running down my spine, but since I had asked the question, I


    should at least hear a full answer. I grabbed the ss of whiskey Jack had just put on the table and


    drank half of it in big gulps before locking my eyes on Chris. ¡°Tell me everything,¡± I demanded.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Chris smirked slyly as he watched me drink and then said, ¡°The Aren Lan I met first was a


    quiet guy, always studying and staying out of trouble. One day, I think I even saw hering home from


    a date. He looked like he was in love¡­¡± My chest squeezed painfully as I heard the word ¡°love.¡± I


    instantly started to wonder if Chris meant the rtionship Aren had with Lanfen. ¡°Anyway, I never


    imagined that he could fight. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t even look like he could defend himself, but one night


    he came back to our room veryte, and he was bleeding all over. His knuckles were torn, and he had


    huge stains of blood on his shirt and pants. When I suggested that I take him to the hospital, he refused.


    A little after that, I realized why-it wasn¡¯t his blood that he had on his clothes. The only injury he had was


    a little cut on his brow and those torn knuckles.¡± ¡°So¡­ did he tell you what happened that night?¡± I


    asked, my heart thundering. ¡°Not that night, but a few yearster, he told me that it was the night


    someone tried to assassinate him. There were four against one, but he survived,¡± Chris exined.


    ¡°He killed those assassins¡­¡± I muttered breathlessly. Jack walked over to my sofa, sat beside me, and


    ced his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t judge him too harshly, Cora. It was self-defense.¡±


    I smiled nervously and nodded. I felt like an idiot for reacting the way I did. Aren kept telling me about the


    assassination attempts and about him getting his hands dirty. I didn¡¯t know what I expected¡­ that he


    used sleep darts on them? Nheless, I had a hard time imagining my sexy husband as a ruthless


    killer. ¡°It must have been the first time he had real blood on his hands,¡± Chris continued. ¡°I know that


    because he changed after that night. He became the most merciless and cold-hearted son of a bitch I


    have ever met. He fucked every pretty girl on the campus and dumped her right after. He also got into


    fights. One night, I tried to stop him because he kept hitting some piece of shit, and I was afraid that Aren


    was going to kill him. It was a hard few months for him until he sorted it out with himself and calmed


    down a bit.¡±


    I emptied my ss of whiskey and smiled numbly at Chris and Jack as I had finally put all the pieces


    together. ¡°He didn¡¯t change because he killed someone¡­¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t?¡± Jack raised his eyebrows at me. ¡°Then why did he change?¡±


    ¡°His heart was brutally broken by his girlfriend, who left him that day. It was also her family that organized


    the attack on him,¡± I said, as my heart ached more with every word. ¡°It was all because of his girlfriend,


    Lanfen, the girl from his past who has been seen recently in New York.¡±

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    Drinking aftermath ¡°Are you worried, Cora?¡± Jack couldn¡¯t hide his amusement. ¡°I can almost smell


    jealousying from you!¡±


    ¡°It might sound irrational to you, but there¡¯s something like a female instinct, and it screams that I


    shouldn¡¯t underestimate the fact that Aren¡¯s ex-girlfriend suddenly appeared in the city, ¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m


    aware that it is quite shallow of me to worry about his ex while he is still unconscious. Nheless, it


    bothers me more now that I¡¯ve just heard how Aren couldn¡¯t cope with her leaving him. What if someone


    brought her here on purpose? What if it was someone who knew how much she meant to Aren and


    wanted to mess him up?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you are a little bit paranoid, Cora?¡± Chris mocked. ¡°Aren seemed to be happy with


    you. I doubt that he would take a trip down memoryne and reminisce about some chick that double-


    crossed him.¡±


    I frowned and clenched my fist. ¡°He already did! He had nightmares the night after someone sent him


    pictures of her, walking around the streets of New York! And you seriously think that I have nothing to


    worry about?!¡±


    They both stayed silent for more than a minute. I could see the mocking grins disappear from their


    expressions and give way to hesitation and concern. Nheless, they didn¡¯t want to admit that it was


    something that I should worry about. ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on Aren¡¯s health right now, OK?¡± Jack tossed


    before getting up to refill our drinks.


    Their avoiding the subject was like they were admitting that I was right. Yet, of course, my main concern


    was Aren and his condition. The doctor said that all of his parameters returned


    to normal, and there was no reason for him to stay in aa, and yet, he didn¡¯t wake up¡­


    I felt lonely and weak without him. Perhaps the main reason why I kept drowning myself in work was that


    I had trouble facing my helplessness.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­¡± I mumbled, sipping another ss of whiskey. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chris¡¯s words made me


    realize that my thoughts became audible. It was no sense in denying what I¡¯d just said. ¡°I said that I am


    tired,¡± I repeated with a bitter sinile.


    Chris straightened up in his seat. ¡°Are you sleepy? I have a guestroom upstairs. There¡¯s a quite


    comfortable bed, so you can just ¡°No, I¡¯m not sleepy¡­¡± I chuckled softly. ¡°I think I¡¯m just tired of being so


    weak.¡± ¡°You are not weak!¡± Jack and Chris protested almost simultaneously, making me burst out into


    sourughter.


    ¡°Thanks, guys, but I really mean it¡­ If that Lanfen even showed up, I wouldn¡¯t even know how to punch


    her! Not to mention that I¡¯ve already stepped into Aren¡¯s world where people have real guns, and I do not


    even know where to look for a trigger!¡± I whined.


    ¡°I can teach you!¡± Jack dered, painting a smug grin on his face. I blinked my eyes at him, processing.


    ¡°Teach me¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°I can teach you how to shoot,¡± he said confidently. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea, Cora. Jack is an excellent


    sniper¡­ He managed to shoot me and I¡¯m not an easy target.¡± Chris snorted, making me wonder if he


    actually meant what he said, or if he was joking ¡°Are you guys serious or not?¡± I smiled nervously, trying


    to read their expression. ¡°We¡¯re serious!¡± they responded immediately, and then Chis added, ¡°And I will


    teach you how to fight.¡± A peal of hystericughter escaped my throat as I watched them, determined to


    train me in shooting andbat. Even in my mind, this sounded like the worst idea ever. Nheless, I


    said, ¡°All right, let¡¯s do it,¡± and then quickly drank what was left in my ss.


    ***


    I ended up sleeping in Chris¡¯s guestroom. Of course, I wanted to take a taxi, but Jack and Chris both


    objected, convincing me that Aren Lan¡¯s wife should not go anywhere by herself in the middle of the


    night. When I tried to tell them that they were acting all-paranoic, they reminded me of my recent


    kidnapping and the fact that I was currently running a multibillion dorpany. Finally, I was forced to


    surrender since my alcohol-soaked brain was unable to produce any more logical arguments.


    I woke up with the worst hangover I had felt in years. I crawled out of the bed, trying to keep my head in


    a steady position, but frankly, doing it was like a mission impossible. Thankfully, Chris was sober enough


    to send a message to Benjamin so that he could bring my bag with clothes and my phone from the clinic.


    Once I took a shower and changed, Chris called me down for breakfast. I knew that I was alreadyte,


    but somehow I couldn¡¯t refuse the smell of freshly ground coffee.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Chris sang as if yesterday¡¯s alcohol had had zero effect on him. ¡°Morning,¡± I said


    hoarsely, my gaze fixed on the cup of coffee on the table. ¡°Chocte croissantsing right up,¡± Chris


    called out while bending down to take the te out of the oven.


    My eyes widened in shock. ¡°You can bake?!¡±


    He smirked, ¡°I make excellent pizza as well.¡±


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t already married, I would propose to you this instant,¡± I said, inhaling the amazing coffee scent.


    Chris leaned closer, locking his eyes on me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that. Otherwise, I will start to think of a


    way to steal you from Aren.¡±


    A nervous chuckle escaped my throat. ¡°Sorry, Chris, I don¡¯t think that anyone could everpete with


    my husband¡­ even if he makes me delicious croissants.¡± from me. ¡°Besides, you already said that I¡¯m


    not your type.¡±


    Chris looked at me, a frown forming on his forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve never said anything like that!¡± I crossed my


    arms over my chest. ¡°Yes, you did. When you were talking about that one girl whom you found perfect.¡±


    ¡°She was like encyclopedic kind of perfect, and I was talking about her body¡­ but that doesn¡¯t


    change the fact that you are hot. I have far too much respect for Aren to make a move on you.


    Nheless, if you¡¯ve decided to leave him, or if he¡¯s disrespected you in any way, that would have


    made a whole different case,¡± he dered, keeping a dangerously serious expression.


    I swallowed hard and quickly covered my flusteredness with a smile. I would lie if I said that I didn¡¯t think


    that Chris was handsome. He was a perfect guy in many ways, and maybe I would have spared more


    than one nce at him seeing him on the street¡­ if Aren had never existed. Looking at Chris, I realized


    that I waspletely incapable of cheating on Aren.


    I gave him a sympathetic smile. ¡°I will never leave my husband willingly, and truthfully, if he decides to


    leave me, I¡¯m not sure if I will ever be able to fall in love again.¡± My words tasted bitter in my mouth, yet


    they were true. Day by day, I became more certain that my heart had


    already chosen its path, even though it was a risky one. After I delivered caffeine and carbs into my


    system, I became aware enough to go through the messages on my phone. I froze, seeing over twenty


    missed calls from Neil. I called him back in a panic. ¡°What is it? Is it something about Aren? I spent the


    night away from the clinic¡­ Oh, God! I¡¯m sorry¡­ Just tell me that he is OK¡­ please?¡± Tears started


    flowing down my cheeks before I even heard Neil¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Mr. Lan¡¯s condition hasn¡¯t changed. That wasn¡¯t the reason I called you, Mrs. Lan. I need you toe to


    thepany¡­ We are dealing with a crisis here¡­¡± he said, lowering his voice at the end.


    I gulped. ¡°A crisis? What kind of a crisis?¡± ¡°Someone started to spread rumors that Mr. Lan is about to


    die and that you are incapable of running apany. A few executives came to Mr. Lan¡¯s office, and


    they are threatening us to make this issue public,¡± he whispered to the phone.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± My temple vein started throbbing, and I started to feel even worse than the moment I woke up.


    ¡°Neil, send me the list of their names and positions in thepany. I¡¯ll be in thepany in thirty


    minutes.¡± I ended the phone, clenching my fist. The anger buzzed in my veins. How dare those


    executives to start a riot when their boss is in aa?! Thepany wasn¡¯t facing any difficulties, for


    God¡¯s sake!


    ¡°I had to go,¡± I tossed, getting up from Chris¡¯s kitchen table and rushing to the door.


    ¡°Cora!¡± Chris called out as I was about to leave.


    I turned around, frowning. I needed to get to thepany as fast as I could, and I couldn¡¯t allow myself


    to waste even a second.


    Chris chuckled. ¡°Good luck, Mrs. CEO! Bring them down to their knees!¡±


    His words unknowingly made the corners of my lips curl. ¡°I will,¡± I said as a mischievous grin crossed my


    face.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    My first battle


    I studied the list of names that Neil had sent me while I was on the way to Lan Diamond Tower. I turned


    on myptop and used a few tricks to get myself leverage, but I wasn¡¯t too certain of what I was doing.


    Those people whom I was about to face spent most of their lives, working in their positions, and certainly


    knew a lot more than I did about running apany. It was easy for them to prove that I was


    ipetent because of my absoluteck of experience, but what if I shifted their focus from the amount


    of experience to real sales records and achievements? What if they turned out to be reasonable people


    who valued and appreciated hard work? I truly hoped they were, but at the same time, I needed to be


    prej for the worst.


    For now, I was wearing my armor; the one I packed from the penthouse just in case I¡¯d need it


    -my ck Dolce suit with a pencil skirt and Manolo hnik heels. I ran through the entrance hall straight


    to Aren¡¯s private elevator and a minuteter, I was darting across the corridor toward the CEO¡¯s office.


    Neil was waiting for me outside, and judging by his expression, I could tell that things weren¡¯t looking


    good¡­


    I opened the door and saw aplete board of executives waitingfortably inside my husband¡¯s


    office. Neil gave me the thumbs up and closed the door behind me as if he didn¡¯t want to stand in the line


    of fire with me. My jaw instantly clenched itself. I bet that they wouldn¡¯t act so arrogantly if it was Aren


    instead of me. My eyes instantly turned to the boldest one; the Chief Operating Officer, who decided to


    wait for me while sitting in Aren¡¯s chair. The blood in my veins began to boil.


    ¡°Mr. Hill, I believe you took the wrong seat,¡± I said, ring at the bald man in his fifties.


    ¡°Oh, do you think this seat belongs to you then?¡± he sneered, looking me up and down. I took a deep


    breath, reminding myself that it wouldn¡¯t be good if I started the meeting by pping that guy.


    Nheless, it required a lot of restraining from me to smile instead of punching him. ¡°This seat belongs


    to my husband, and you¡±-I slowly scanned him from head to toe-¡°certainly don¡¯t look like my husband.¡±


    Mr. Hill growled and cursed me under his breath while the rest stifled augh. Well, at least he got up


    from behind Aren¡¯s desk and sat on one of the sofas like the rest. I exhaled, trying to calm down before


    sitting on the desk and crossing my legs, making sure to grant them the right level of distraction.


    ¡°Now, gentlemen, what is it that brought you here today?¡± I asked, forming a polite smile and ignoring the


    stink of their hostility.


    The CFO, Mr. Cooper, stood up first. He cleared his throat and nervously corrected his sses before he


    spoke, ¡°There should be a change in the CEO¡¯s position.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I blinked my eyes as if I hadn¡¯t already known that they were after my blood. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    Mr. Cooper red at me. ¡°Because you, Mrs. Lan, cannot run thispany, and Mr. Lan is¡­ Mr. Lan


    is¡­¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± I ended his sentence. Anger shed in my eyes, and I jumped down from the desk.¡± My


    husband fell into aa a little more than a week ago. ording to thepany¡¯s inner status, which


    you all agreed on when you signed your contracts, the major holder has the right


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    to name the temporary CEO in case of an extreme urrence. If the special circumstancesst longer


    than a month, then and only then do the board of directors have the right to remove the temporary CEO


    from his position and call for an inner vote,¡± I recited the memorized paragraph, making everyone¡¯s jaw


    drop.


    Mr. Hill burst into viciousughter. ¡°Bravo! You are certainly a bright student, Mrs. Lan! But I believe that


    it might not matter if the month passed or not. All we have to do is tell the press that the CEO of Lan


    Diamond Corporation is in aa and hispany is ipetently run by his newlywedded wife.¡± His


    venomous words made me reconsider punching him. I looked around the office, and all those people


    seemed to be unanimous about that sickening idea. I smiled bitterly. ¡°I came here hoping to stick to the


    company facts and show you that, so far, my decisions have only increased thepany¡¯s sales


    records. I also came to assure you that my husband can wake up at any moment now, and I would


    suggest you all keep calm and wait a few more days at least until it all happens¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep calm?!¡± the curly-haired CMO, Mr. Dawson, spat. ¡°Do you expect us to work under some wench


    who knows nothing about running a business and her only attribute is a pair of nice-looking tits?!¡±


    My eyebrows raised in disbelief. That bastard actually dared to disrespect me, and act like a chauvinistic


    pig! On my way to the meeting, I was nning to be courteous and y by the rules, but I realized that


    those men in the office weren¡¯t worth it. My n A had just gotten burned. I was absolutely determined to


    use solely legal arguments because I guessed that Aren would prefer it that way, but it was time for the


    less legal n B¡­


    ¡°So, let me rephrase your demands¡­¡± I smirked sarcastically. ¡°You want me to give up on my position,


    and if I am not willing to, you are going to drag thepany¡¯s good name through the mud because you


    don¡¯t like having a woman as your boss, even if her actions don¡¯t jeopardize thepany and the


    situation is temporary?¡±


    I heard their snorts and a few mocking remarks as a response. My fury kept rising within me, putting me


    on the verge of exploding. Nevertheless, I knew the real reason they were doing this, and it wasn¡¯t about


    me taking over the CEO¡¯s position. They didn¡¯t care if my husband was going to wake up or not. In fact,


    the sooner he was going to wake up, the quicker they needed to act because their only goal was to


    remove him from his position so that one of them


    could take over Aren¡¯spany. Greedy idiots. It was time to let them know that they pissed off the


    wrong pair of tits.


    I let out a deep sigh and raised my hands in surrender. ¡°Fine, you can have it your way.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Mr.


    Cooper choked out in surprise.


    ¡°I said that you can shout from the rooftops that my husband is about to die, but there¡¯s a catch¡­¡± I


    smirked coldly, pulling out my phone and sending each one of them an email I prepared in advance on


    my way to Lan Diamond Tower. The iing email sounds spread across the room, and soon they were


    followed by a wave of stifled shrieks and gasps. ¡°What¡¯s this?!¡± Mr. Hill burst out, opening an email with a


    few intimate pictures of him with his secretary


    ¡°I think that the press would call it hot stuff.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°This¡­ this is ckmail!¡± Mr. Dawson roared as he examined the few kinky photos of him from the S&M


    gay club.


    After a few more seconds, the entire board of executives was staring in panic at the evidence of their


    dark deeds. Some of them had only one unpaid traffic ticket, but others had a much darker conscience.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t enjoy peeking into their lives because I had to lower myself to their level, but I guess it


    was time to get my hands dirty. Most of the facts I had dug up were scandalous, but that only made me


    wonder whether I would find some illegal activity if I dug deeper¡­


    I straightened up and cleared my throat. ¡°Let me clear it out for you: I don¡¯t want to use the information


    I¡¯ve just sent you. I am disgusted with it, but I cannot guarantee that these photos and documents won¡¯t


    get to the press if you decide to act against what is best for my husband¡¯spany.¡±


    ¡°This is outrageous!¡± Mr. Hill thundered. ¡°How dare you threaten us with some photoshopped pics and


    forged documents?!¡±


    I chuckled coldly. ¡°It took me fifteen minutes to find the information I sent you on the inte. The traces


    of your indecent private lives are everywhere. The only thing I needed to know was where to look for


    them. However, if you think that the information you¡¯ve just received is false, then you have nothing to


    worry about, right?¡±


    Some of them were more pissed than others, and I knew why. I had them all in the palm of my hand, and


    I could crush them. Yet, looking at their faces, I notices that some of them still thought that I was bluffing.


    I stepped closer to Mr. Cooper and smiled devilishly. ¡°Everyone has their own addiction, don¡¯t we? Mine


    is coffee, but yours, Mr. Cooper, apparently is gambling. It might not look good for the shareholders if


    they found out that their Chief Financial Officer is on the verge of personal bankruptcy?¡± As I watched


    him gasp and seal his lips, I moved closer to Mr. Hill and said, lowering my voice, ¡°Many married couples


    have their problems. My husband and I don¡¯t have them, but it seems that our Coo does. I only wonder if


    your wife knows that you are in an intimate rtionship with your secretary¡­ I don¡¯t think she does.¡±


    Mr. Hill turned pale in an instant. As I observed the fierceness disappear from his face, a faint whisper


    escaped from his throat. ¡°Please¡­¡±


    I smirked before shifting my gaze to the CMO. ¡°Mr. Dawson, we all have our sexual needs, and I am not


    going to judge you, but youe from a conservative family, don¡¯t you? As I recall, your father is a


    member of the Republican Party. I also found more than a few articles when you spoke against LGBT


    and the conservative press proimed you ¡°a catholic family defender.¡± I bet it woulde out as a


    scandal if they found out that -¡±


    ¡°All right! We get your point!¡± Mr. Dawson snapped. ¡°What is it that you want from us?!¡± I blinked


    innocently while inwardly celebrating my victory. Then I took a deep breath and stepped away from them


    to lean my back against Aren¡¯s desk. ¡°I just want you to calm down, get back to work, and give my


    husband two more weeks to return. If you do, then I promise not to use any information I found against


    you. Aside from being terrible human beings, as far as I know, you do your work well, and unlike you, I


    won¡¯t endanger my husband¡¯spany because of personal resentment.¡±


    They looked at each other, clenching their fists. I could see them struggling to contain their anger, but


    they already knew that they had lost this battle. As they silently came to an agreement, Mr. Cooper


    stepped forward. ¡°We ept your conditions,¡± he tossed before shifting on his heels and walking out the


    door.


    The rest followed him, ring at me as they walked past me, but it was all they could do. As thest one


    walked out, Neil timidly entered the office and closed the door behind him. ¡°I was eavesdropping¡­¡± he


    confessed, slowly walking toward me, and looking at me in awe. ¡°You are the Devil in disguise¡­¡± I


    snorted but then quickly sighed. ¡°No, I merely know how to find information and how to use it, but I¡¯m not


    proud of what I did¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?! You were beyond amazing! I showed them who¡¯s the boss! Now they won¡¯t dare


    go against you again!¡± Neil eximed, glorifying my dirty game. I smiled faintly. ¡°You are wrong, Neil.


    This battle might be over, but we should prepare for the next one, and pray that Aren wakes up soon¡­¡±

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    Unsecured


    I dodged the bullet, but this battle exhausted me beyond my limits. The only good thing about that


    meeting with the board of executives was that my hangover had been chased away by the rush of


    adrenalin. Nheless, I was aware that I could pull off this kind of stunt once. I was stalling for time,


    and it was the only thing I could do. I had given Aren an additional two weeks to wake up ande back


    to me, but I knew that those who had just walked out of Aren¡¯s office would use those two weeks to


    sharpen their teeth and ws. I didn¡¯t know what they would n next, but I needed to step up my game


    as well. It was time to get to know thepany so that I would be better prepared for another blow to


    come. I asked Neil to bring me reports on every single ongoing project and the most and least sessful


    ones in thepany¡¯s history. I had assumed that there would be a lot of documents to read, but once


    Neil and a few other coworkers started bringing the boxes into Aren¡¯s office, they quickly filled nearly


    ny percent of the space.


    ¡°Oh, boy¡­¡± I mumbled, staring at the endless amount of work ahead of me.


    The worst part of it was that I couldn¡¯t just take those boxes with me to the clinic. I was forced to stay in


    Lan Diamond Tower the entire time I was going through the documents. Of course, I wanted to see Aren;


    to sit by his bed and hold his hand, but I also didn¡¯t want him to lose his position as a CEO. I was


    determined to find a way to prove that I could temporarily run thispany because that would also


    prove that Aren made the right call in appointing me as his temporary recement.


    Thankfully, Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s profit was based on digital technology. There were industries


    producing specialized hardware elements, but the biggest money went from gaming and app


    development. Unlike the legal contracts that I had spent the most time readingst week, these


    documents had been written in anguage that I could actually understand. I sighed in relief as I realized


    that I wouldn¡¯t be forced to spend time with a dictionary, looking for certain phrases or abbreviations.


    That made me run through documents astonishingly fast. By the end of the day, I had full knowledge of


    more than fifteen percent of thepany¡¯s most profitable projects.


    It was almost eight o¡¯clock, and I decided that it was time to take a break and go back to my temporary


    home-Crawford¡¯s Neurological Clinic. I didn¡¯t feel real symptoms of being drained until I got up from


    Aren¡¯s chair and my head started to spin. I did it again. I forgot that the croissant that Chris had baked


    was the only meal I had throughout the day. Once I crawled out of the office, I swayed to the nearest


    vending machine and bought myself a chocte bar. I knew that it wasn¡¯t the type of dinner that my


    system would like to have, but at this hour, I could either buy a bar or a bag of chips.


    Despite munching down some carbonites, my stomach loudlyined all the way to the clinic. At one


    moment, Benjamin pulled over and jumped out of the car.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I called after him.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes, Mrs. Lan!¡± He shouted, running toward some bistro.


    I stared at my watch impatiently and wondered what had gotten into him until I saw him running back


    with a bag of Chinese fried noodles.


    ¡°Here you are, Mrs. Lan,¡± he said as he opened the door on my side of the car and handed me the take-


    out dinner.


    I instantly felt flustered. ¡°Was my growling stomach that obvious?¡± I asked, my lips curving into a nervous


    smile.


    Benjamin sighed. ¡°Mrs. Lan, you look like you are about to faint any second. Please, make sure that you


    eat some normal meals during the day.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I muttered, putting the noodles beside me on the


    seat.


    I promised Benjamin that I would eat what he bought me once I got to the clinic, and then he made me


    swear that I would take better care of myself. Only then did he smile and wish me a pleasant evening


    and a good night¡¯s rest. He truly was a kind person. The thought of him made me smile all the way up to


    the clinic¡¯s top floor. As I walked out of the elevator, I froze. The whole corridor seemed empty, and all the


    lights were out, with only emergency lighting marking the fire exits. Aren¡¯s room was on the corner of the


    corridor, which was currently the darkest ce on the entire floor. I swallowed hard and slowly stepped


    into the darkness. ¡°Hello?¡± I called out, barely audibly.


    No one answered, nor did I hear any voices. I stepped closer to the wall, trying to find a light switch.


    Once I found it, I tried to press it, but nothing happened. It could have been some kind of power failure,


    but theck of power made the whole situation even more disturbing. I knew that there were only four


    patients currently on the VIP floor, and their states were stable. Nevertheless, there should always be at


    least two nurses to check on them. Aside from theck of nurses, there was another rming fact that I


    had noticed¡­ I pulled out the phone from my purse and called Chris.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked cheerfully, as he answered the call.


    ¡°Um¡­ Chris, correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but there should be at least three guards standing by Aren¡¯s room,


    right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They are my men. Why do you ask? Do you have any problems with them?¡± he inquired.


    I pulled a shaky breath into my lungs. ¡°They are not here, Chris¡­ No one¡¯s in the entire corridor. No


    nurses, no guards¡­ and no light, as if something happened to the power circuits in the entire corridor.¡± I


    tried to soundposed, but my voice was shaking, and I could barely stabilize my breathing.


    His tone changed in an instant. ¡°Cora, go to the emergency exit, get to the staircase, and try to get onto


    the lower floor. I will try to contact my men and I¡¯ll get there as fast as I can,¡± he said firmly.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m heading to the ex-¡±


    The sound of the opening door got my words stuck in my throat. I stared in the darkness and realized


    that it was Aren¡¯s room door that had opened. Before I knew it, I took a few steps closer, disregarding


    Chris¡¯smand. ¡°Cora? Cora, what happened? Talk to me!¡± Chris¡¯s voice sounded through the phone,


    but I ignored it and restlessly stared at the darkness.


    Suddenly, I saw a faint shadow rushing out of Aren¡¯s room, heading to the staircase. I froze. Someone


    had been there.


    ¡°Aren!¡± I shrieked in panic, lurching toward his door.


    ¡°Cora?! What the fuck is going on there?!¡± Chris thundered over the phone.


    I heard him, but I didn¡¯t say a word. I had to know that whoever was in Aren¡¯s room didn¡¯t hurt him. The


    relief I felt as I heard the stable beeping sound of the monitoring equipment, powered by the emergency


    aggregator. I locked the door behind me and rushed to his bed, feeling the wide streams of tears flooding


    my face.


    ¡°Thank God¡­¡± I mumbled, stroking his face. Less than a minuteter, all the lights were back on. Only


    then did I pull the phone up to my ear and tell Chris what had just happened.


    ¡°What if there was someone else in Aren¡¯s room?! You could have walked straight into the hands of an


    assassin!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°You are exaggerating¡­ The one person who was in his room escaped. And maybe this power failure


    was just circumstantial?¡± I tried to calm him down, but he remained persistent.


    ¡°Make sure you keep the door locked. Stay there and don¡¯t go anywhere until I get there. Do you


    understand?¡± he grunted. ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± I said, brushing off my tears and keeping my eyes locked


    on Aren¡¯s sleeping face. About twenty minutester, I heard someone knocking on the door. ¡°It¡¯s me,


    Cora. Open the door.¡± Chris¡¯s voice sounded even more nervous than I expected. As I opened the door, I


    saw his men apanied by several police officers. ¡°What¡¯s going on? ¡°I muttered, leaning out into the


    corridor.


    Chris frowned and took a deep breath. ¡°You are probably the luckiest reckless idiot on this.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t certain if I should take it as an insult or apliment. I stepped outside and instantly noticed a


    few people from the coroner¡¯s office. I swallowed before shifting my eyes to Chris.¡± Who died¡­?¡± I


    mumbled as my body started to shiver.


    Chris gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°All three of our men that were supposed to be protecting Aren, two


    nurses, and a young doctor got shot in the head.¡±


    I gasped, mping my mouth with my hand. It sounded horrifying, yet it made me wonder even more


    why nothing had happened to Aren. If someone hade here for him, then what was his purpose? I


    nced at Chris in a frantic realization.


    ¡°Grandma¡­¡± I muttered, stepping toward her room.


    Chris grabbed my arm. ¡°Rx. She is OK. Other patients are fine as well.¡±


    That was relieving, but my frustration rose as I wondered who might have done son horrible, but before I


    asked the question, Chris said, ¡°We checked the surveince footage, but it seemed that all the cameras


    around the floor were shut down for more than half an hour when it happened. All except one¡­¡± he


    paused and grabbed my hand. ¡°That one camera captured someone running out of the emergency


    staircase on the ground floor. It was a woman.¡±


    ¡°A woman?¡± I repeated numbly, remembering that the one who ran out of Aren¡¯s room was heading to


    the stairs.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chris nodded with a wry smile. ¡°A pretty brte¡­ Asian¡­ If I were to guess, Chinese.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    All those questions


    Once I saw the footage Chris had talked about, I realized that his description had been an


    understatement; that the Asian woman wasn¡¯t pretty-she was beautiful. She was slender and rather


    petite, with gorgeous shoulder-long ck hair, ck almond-shaped eyes, and full lips. On the two-


    second recording, she looked frightened and worried with her watery eyes disying nothing but sorrow


    and longing. I had never seen Lanfen, but looking at that woman¡¯s face, I was certain that I was looking


    at the one who had once broken Aren¡¯s heart. Of course, I needed something that would confirm her


    identity, but for now, I had to put it on my very long to-do list¡­


    We needed to move Aren back to his private clinic, putting him in the most secure wing. We had to do it


    not only for his safety but to minimize the potential casualties. The worst part of that night¡¯s attack was


    not knowing who was behind these brutal killings or what their purpose was. Was it someone who tried to


    verify Aren¡¯s condition? But if it was Aren¡¯s enemy, then why wasn¡¯t Aren assassinated? All those


    questions gave me a headache.


    ¡°Get ready for your training session tomorrow at six o¡¯clock sharp,¡± Chris said in amanding tone.


    ¡°You will practice with me every other day before work, and on the rest of the days, you will learn how to


    shoot with Jack.¡± I didn¡¯t dare argue with Chris. I could see in his eyes that I had given him quite a scare.


    He would never forgive himself if something happened to me, and now he was determined to at least


    give me the ability to defend myself. All I could do was ept his and Jack¡¯s offer. I knew that I kept


    acting recklessly, and until now I had been lucky, but what if I ran out of luck? I knew that I would never


    be able to escape bullets, but I needed to know at least how to dodge a punch. Strange¡­ If someone


    had told me a year ago that I would be eager to learn how to fight, I would have burst outughing. Now,


    the constant danger and facing death and murder had be my reality; I was living in Aren¡¯s Lan


    world, and I needed to adapt as soon as possible.


    My new daily schedule required that Ie back to the penthouse. I started waking up at 4:30 to


    prepare myself for the training session and another day at the office. All my training was in Chris¡¯s private


    gym, in the basement of the building he owned. It began with the toughest form of warmup I had ever


    had. The actual training came after; at the moment I wished that the whole session was over. Chris


    taught me the proper fighting stance, and how to keep my guard, but my body wasn¡¯t able to handle


    more. My arms and legs were too weak, my nearly nonexistent, and my whole body unstretched.


    ording to Chris, my body¡¯s ability to move reminded him of his grandma¡­ I decided not toment


    on that. In the end, he changed my schedule again, making me get up an hour earlier to add extra time


    for stretching and strengthening exercises. I already felt sorry for my poor muscles at the thought of it¡­


    Finally, my first training session ended, and I was extremely happy to be still able to walk and move. The


    boost of dopamine put a bright smile on my face¡­ whichsted until I opened the door of Aren¡¯s office


    and saw the rest of the boxes of documents I needed to go through. It got even worse when Neil came to


    the office, giving me another pile of contracts that I needed to review and revise. It was like a pain in the


    ass, but I had to admit that it became slightly less difficult than when I started dealing with it a week ago.


    My time management improved, and I even set the timer to remind me that I should eat, just in case. At


    seven o¡¯clock, I was done with all the work I had nned for myself that day. Satisfied with my newly


    developed efficiency, I was just about to leave the office when Chris and Jack came, iming that it was


    important.


    ¡°We have a copy of the autopsy reports of the guards, nurses, and doctor, and preliminary findings of the


    investigation,¡± Jack said. ¡°The nurses were executed in the medical staff room at the end of the corridor.


    The young doctor was shot by the elevator, and, as the blood smudges on the floor indicate, he waster


    dragged to the medical staff room to temporarily hide his body. The guards were killed by the staircase;


    they were most likely lured there by something they¡¯d seen or heard.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°No one from the lower floors heard anything, and the lights were out on the top floor only,¡± Chris


    interjected. ¡°The shooter or more likely shooters were pros. The fact that no one heard anything


    suggests that they used silencers. Since all the kills were done by one shot in the head, the assassins


    were most likely quite tall, which eliminates the Asian woman as a potential killer¡­ but we could assume


    that much before anyway.¡±


    My heart rate kept rushing as I heard about the gloomy details. Yet, there was one thing I couldn¡¯t


    understand. ¡°Why¡­?¡± I muttered. ¡°Why did someone kill all those people?¡±


    Chris sighed, his jaw clenching. ¡°Our guess is that someone cleared the way for that woman to visit


    Aren.¡±


    ¡°This is insane!¡± I eximed, jumping to my feet. ¡°So six people died just so that some bitch could have


    quality time with my unconscious husband?!¡±


    The wry grimaces on Jack¡¯s and Chris¡¯s faces seemed to confirm my words. ¡°You know who that woman


    is, don¡¯t you?¡± Jack asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°I only assume that it might be Lanfen, but I have never seen any pictures of her. Aren


    said that he would send me the photos of her that he got from an anonymous sender, but he never did,


    and I don¡¯t want to break into his private ount¡­¡±


    For a moment, Chris got lost in thoughts, and then suggested, ¡°How about a photo album from the time


    he was studying? He must have kept some pictures from the university, and if we¡¯re lucky, we will find


    Lanfen in at least one of them.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°All right. I will check in his bedroom, and maybe I will be fortunate enough to confirm this


    woman¡¯s identity.¡±


    Jack frowned, his eyes on the ceiling as he processed the whole situation. ¡°There is one more thing I


    don¡¯t understand. Why would someone have taken so much trouble to hide the fact that this woman


    visited Aren just to let us see her in the footage of that one camera? Moreover, it was the only camera


    directed at the emergency exit, which was that woman¡¯s obvious route of escape. It just doesn¡¯t make


    sense¡­¡±


    The more time I spent with Jack and Chris, the more frustrated I was. It was clearly time to leave the


    office and get some rest. With so many questions with no answers, I could at least shift my energy to


    searching for anything that could confirm that our mysterious woman from the footage was Lanfen.


    I got back to the penthouse and entered its empty space. My heart ached more with every step I took. I


    truly wished that he was there with me. My body started to shiver as I entered Aren¡¯s bedroom. Going


    through his private things felt awkward, but it was necessary. The whole room smelled like him, and, for a


    moment, I felt as if he was standing right next to me, as if I could put my arms around him and feel his


    warmth. I missed that so much. Heaving a deep sigh, I sat on the floor and opened the cab by his


    desk, but I couldn¡¯t find anything aside from some papers. Then I searched the cab by his bed, but I


    didn¡¯t find anything useful


    in


    questions


    there either. Finally, I sat by his desk, opened the drawer, and numbly took out everything that Aren had


    put there. Still nothing. It felt as if every single item he had in his bedroom was work-rted. Frustration


    grew within me. I was about to put everything back in his drawer, but as I identally pressed the


    bottom, it opened, revealing extra space underneath. I gasped, seeing something that looked like an


    album. I reached for the book in a thick, leather cover and opened it. It was his university graduation


    album. The sole view sent my heart into a wild race. My hands shivered as I flipped the pages until I


    found a photo of Aren and Chris. They both looked amazingly handsome and confident. It made me


    smile, even though my eyes filled with tears of longing. I ran my fingers through the page that showed


    my husband¡¯s face, admiring his stunning features, but each of those photos taken at Aren¡¯s senior


    emphasized the emptiness and cold he held in his stare-proof of the damage Lanfen had done.


    I couldn¡¯t find a single picture of Aren with a woman in the entire album. As I flipped the final page, I felt


    as if I was getting closer to a mental breakdown when suddenly, I saw an envelope with more pictures


    inside. I took out the first one and froze, seeing the woman from the footage. She looked exactly the


    same as in that footage frame, except for the fact that she was smiling¡­ She was smiling at Aren, and


    my husband was smiling back at her. It was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen from him. The way


    he was looking at her, the way he held his hand at the small of her back, it all hit me like a ton of cement


    crushing my chest. I had my proof. Lanfen was back, and she had just be my worst enemy.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    More questions


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    More questions I took out the rest of the pictures from the envelope; they made me feel even worse. I


    had never met Aren, who was in those pictures. He seemed happy. He was smiling andughing and


    was definitely in love with the woman standing next to him. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I would ever see


    him smile like that at me. I wondered if the moment Lanfen had left Aren had broken something within


    him irreversibly. Was the way he looked at me all the affection he could ever give me? If he met Lanfen


    now, would he look at her the same way he did then?


    I knew that my thoughts were pitiful and selfish, but I was unable to think of anything else. I was afraid


    and uncertain of what was going toe. Throughout those final days, my only anchor had been the


    hope that Aren would awaken soon and offer me his support. I couldn¡¯t lose this belief, but that whole


    situation with Lanfen kept messing me up.


    I called Chris while I was on my way to Aren¡¯s private clinic, and I confirmed that the woman from the


    footage was Lanfen. He wasn¡¯t surprised; I guess that it was something that we had all expected.


    Nheless, we all wished we knew the reason why


    Lanfen hade to Aren and who was helping her¡­ I ran through the corridors in Aren¡¯s clinic, driven


    by a desperate need to see him. I needed to hold his hand and touch his beautiful face. I barged into his


    room, closed the door behind me, and burst into tears. I kept squeezing his hand while crying. I


    whispered that I loved him and how much I needed him toe back to me. I would probably have


    spent the whole night sitting by his bed and weeping if it weren¡¯t for the nurse who knocked on the door.


    ¡°Excuse me, I came to check the patient¡¯s parameters,¡± she said as she walked into the room.


    I nodded, hurriedly wiping tears off my face. She smiled sympathetically, observing how I tried to fake my


    composure, and then she took out a tissue from her pocket and gave it to me. ¡°Thank you,¡± I muttered,


    giving her a faint smile. She gently patted my shoulder. ¡°Mr. Lan is in pretty good shape. He should wake


    up soon.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± I said as I stroked his cheek before shifting my gaze to the clock hanging on the


    wall. It was midnight, and my shooting training with Jack was supposed to begin in six hours. ¡°I should go


    now¡­ Please, take good care of him,¡± I muttered, standing up and grabbing my purse. ¡°Oh, Mrs. Lan!¡±


    the nurse called out when I was about to leave. ¡°I found something in Mr. Lan¡¯s bedsheets, right after his


    transfer here.¡± She took something from the bedside cab¡¯s drawer and put it in the palm of my hand. I


    looked closely at the small object and raised my eyebrows. ¡°An earpiece?¡± ¡°It looks like it, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The nurse stared at the object as confused as I was.


    ¡°Well, my husband was on a mission before his¡­ ident urred, and he used something like this¡­¡±


    I exined, nervously smiling. ¡°Could it be possible that he had this piece in his ear when he first got to


    the clinic, and then it just tangled in sheets? ¡°My brain was desperate to find a logical solution. The nurse


    kept staring at the skin-colored object with interest as she processed my words. ¡°I can¡¯t see how it could


    happen. Our staff is very methodical when we receive a patient. Even under special circumstances, an


    object like this should have been discovered immediately,¡± she replied. ¡°Well¡­ what if it went deeper into


    the ear canals? My husband went under the water. Perhaps the pressure there pushed it inside the ear,


    and it has fallen out only recently,¡± I suggested.


    The nurse smiled wryly, narrowing her eyes at the inch-long device. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely, but it is possible,¡± she


    admitted.


    ¡°Anyway, thank you for giving this to me and for all your work.¡± I smiled, finally leaving Aren¡¯s room, and


    then I put the earpiece into my purse, trying to remember to give it to Jack when I saw him in the


    morning. My time to sleep passed quickly. I had a feeling I had only put my head on the pillow a minute


    ago before the rm viciously forced me out of the bed. I was barely conscious when I met Jack at the


    shooting range. As I looked into his sparkling in excitement eyes, I knew that it was his world that I was


    about to enter. For the first hour, he proudly introduced me to all of his favorite toys¡­ including his


    Barrett M82-a sniper rifle that he used to shoot Chris. His long lecture gave me unnecessarily wanted


    knowledge on every single gun¡¯s history that he imed was essential to know what I was about to deal


    with. Fortunately, he was merciful enough to allow me to start my training with a caliber 22, a small and


    quite feminine handgun with a lower probability of me breaking my finger or injuring my hands. First, we


    worked on my shooting stance and the correct grip on the gun. Finally, as I took my first shot¡­ I realized


    I was terrible. After shooting another twenty bullets, my self -esteem became even worse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cora. Once you find out how to hit the target, you will get better.¡± Jack tried to remain calm,


    but I could see him hardly stifling augh after witnessing me hit every part of the walls surrounding the


    shooting target. I gave him a look that finally made him burst outughing. ¡°I had a feeling that this thing


    I¡¯m holding is broken.¡± I pouted,


    More questions


    pointing at the gun.


    Jack snorted. ¡°I can assure you that there¡¯s nothing wrong with your revolver. Just give it some time, and


    I promise that you¡¯ll be friends.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that this little thing hates me already,¡± I grunted.


    Jack sighed. ¡°Try again, but this time try to focus your eyes on the target as I¡¯ve told you. Keep your


    finger alongside the trigger until you are ready to shoot, and then fire. And remember¡­ the human-


    shaped shooting target is quite big, so try to not miss it this time.¡± Even though his sarcastic remark


    made me want to hit him, I decided to give this damn shooting one more try


    I took a deep breath and carefully followed Jack¡¯s instructions. I pulled the trigger and closed my eyes. I


    opened them again after two seconds, hesitantly looking at the target. ¡°I didn¡¯t miss! Look, Jack, I didn¡¯t


    miss!¡± I eximed happily, pointing at the small hole right outside the score field.


    Jack pped his hands. ¡°Good job, Cora. Want to try it again? Maybe you¡¯ll shoot something that¡¯s


    qualified for some points this time?¡± he encouraged me, grinning.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± I handed the gun over to him. ¡°If I failed to hit a target now, I would be devastated. I¡¯d


    rather finish our session with something positive.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°All right, Mrs. Lan. Looks like we¡¯re finishing your first lesson here.¡±


    I nodded and started gathering my things. I was about to head toward the exit when I remembered about


    the earpiece.


    ¡°I almost forgot¡­¡± I pulled the device out of my purse and gave it to Jack. ¡°The nurse found it in Aren¡¯s


    sheets. He must have had it on him all this time, and it finally fell out of his ear while we transferred him


    from Crawford¡¯s clinic,¡± I said.


    Jack looked at the little object closely and froze. ¡°Where did this nurse find it?¡±


    ¡°In his sheets¡­¡± I repeated, noticing his eyes darkening and his jaw tense.


    ¡°First of all, Aren couldn¡¯t have it with him before. He had a CT scan, and any electronic devices would


    have been found immediately. And second¡­ this earpiece isn¡¯t ours.¡±


    I felt as if blood was running off my face. ¡°What do you mean by that? If it¡¯s not yours¡­ then whose?¡±


    Jack turned the earpiece in his hand and brought it closer to my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure who it belongs to, but


    it was clearly produced by a Chinese manufacturer.¡±


    I swallowed, seeing a row of tiny Chinese symbols on the earpiece cap, and then raised my eyes to meet


    Jack¡¯s. He nodded as if he knew exactly what I was about to say before I opened my mouth. There was


    only one person who could have left it. One word came out of us simultaneously. ¡°Lanfen.¡±

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Paranoid


    Paranoid ¡°Do you think this earpiece fell out of Lanfen¡¯s ear because she needed to leave Aren¡¯s room in


    a hurry?¡± I asked, a nervous smile crossing my lips. Jack nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the most probable exnation.


    The earpiece falls on Aren¡¯s sheets; maybe it tangled in his pajamas, and we transferred him to the clinic


    while he carried the device on him.¡± Suddenly, chills ran down my spine. ¡°Does it have any other


    functions? Can it track Aren¡¯s location? Or maybe it can record a sound?¡± I inquired frantically. Jack


    grabbed my shoulders and locked his eyes on me. ¡°Cora, rx. I will bring it to our specialists if you want


    me to, but I am ny-nine percent sure that it was only made to transfer sound. It cannot track anyone¡¯s


    location. It is not a bug either.¡± I tried to breathe deeply to calm down, but the sole fact that she left


    something in Aren¡¯s room made me paranoically anxious. ¡°I think Lanfen wanted me to know that she


    was the one who was inside Aren¡¯s room,¡± I said nervously. ¡°I am quite certain that it was nned to


    mess me up so that I couldn¡¯t think about anything else and kept wondering why she came there.¡± Jack


    frowned. ¡°Cora, listen to me. I know that you are restless, and you want Aren to wake up just like we all


    do, but you need to chill. The fact that we know that it was Lanfen is our leverage. Even if it looked like


    an unbelievably sloppy job, I am sure that Lanfen wouldn¡¯t n to expose herself just so you would


    worry.¡±


    I stretched my lips into a thin smile. ¡°You are right. It sounds insane. Whatever was between her and


    Aren is in the past. She broke Aren¡¯s heart badly, and there¡¯s no way Aren would forget about it.. right?¡±


    My hystericughter only proved how uncertain I was.


    Jack stroked my head. ¡°Aren would never forgive this bitch. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°I hope


    so¡­¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    My paranoic state sent all of my thoughts toward all kinds of novelistic scenarios. I imagined that Aren


    would wake up without remembering who I was and with hisst memory including Lanfen and their


    happy rtionship. Was that the reason she came to his room? Did she want to see if his brain trauma


    could open a gate for her to walk back into his life? My headache increased with each assumption¡­


    I entered the Lan Diamond Tower, hoping to drown my thoughts in work. I was determined to finish


    memorizing Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s contracts that day. I only wished that there were no more


    problematic urrences along the way. ¡°We have big trouble!¡± Neil eximed, catching me as I was


    about to walk into the office. I should have known that my life unceasingly worked ording to Murphy¡¯s


    Law; whatever could go wrong-went wrong. I glowered at Neil for bringing me down to the level of the


    furthest depths of the ocean before inviting him inside with an ironic smile. ¡°What happened this time?¡± I


    asked, sitting in Aren¡¯s chair.


    ¡°The board of executives called for an emergency shareholders¡¯ meeting,¡± he panted as if he had just run


    ten floors up to tell me this.


    I closed my eyes, trying to remain calm while inwardly screaming in panic. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Tomorrow at ten


    o¡¯clock,¡± he said, handing me a tablet with an email invitation. I sighed, ncing at all the boxes of


    contracts I had left to go through and learn about. ¡°I had no time for this¡­¡± I muttered before, fisting my


    hands and turning my eyes on Neil. ¡°Prepare a list of shareholders with everything you know about those


    people. I will need to know who I am dealing with.¡± Neil grinned devilishly. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± He saluted


    before darting out of the office to get to work I wish I could have his enthusiasm. I felt as if I was trying to


    find a way out of a maze while wearing a blindfold. I could only trust my knowledge and my luck¡­ and it


    was the second one that I was counting on. I knew that I certainly needed more¡± advanced¡± information


    than what Neil could give me, but I also knew that I had already had enough on my mind to spend time


    doing research. This time I needed to change my approach. The shareholders didn¡¯t care about who


    would hold the CEO¡¯s position as long as it would increase their profit. Nheless, they all had things


    they valued and things they hated, and I needed to know how to get on everyone¡¯s good side.


    It took Neil fifteen minutes to prepare what I wanted him to. I had a list of twenty-five names with a few


    essential pieces of data under each name. As for now, I could count on one vote-Chris¡¯s, and the fact


    that I had never even seen the people whom I was soon going to face felt petrifying. I took one more


    nce at the boxes filled with documents before striding out of the office, heading downstairs to n


    and Norton. I guess that I decided to visit them just in time since they found them extremely busy testing


    Lan Diamond


    Paranoid


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Corporation¡¯s¡­ games. ¡°I need your help,¡± I said curtly, taking the headphones off n¡¯s head and


    ring at Norton.


    ¡°We were just admiring the developer¡¯s fine work¡­¡± Norton muttered, lowering his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you camne!¡± n gave me amercial grin. ¡°We were so bored that checking out games


    was the only thing for us to do. d you assist you and support you with whatever problems you are


    facing.¡± I raised one eyebrow, calling n¡¯s bluff. Unfortunately, I had no time to tease them. I told them


    all about the shareholders¡¯ meeting, and then I gave them the list of names.


    ¡°I want you to find whatever you can. Dig out their childhood pets¡¯ names, their food allergies, or what


    their favorite sports team is. I also want to know if any of them have recently been in contact with any of


    the executives.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on it.¡± n winked and shifted his attention to theptop¡¯s screen. ¡°You can count on us, Cora.


    You will have everything in a few hours,¡± Norton dered. ¡°Thank you, guys.¡± I blew them both a kiss and


    ran upstairs to continue my studies on Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s projects.


    I was done right before midnight. n and Norton sent me their research results, adding an extra twenty-


    five pages for me to memorize before the shareholders¡¯ meeting. I decided to read it in bed since the


    whole day of stressing out took away my final ounce of strength.


    Knowing that the meeting was at ten o¡¯clock, I was nning to get an extra few hours of sleep. I


    canceled my training session with Chris, and happily ced my head on the pillow. Unfortunately, the


    sound that woke me up didn¡¯t resemble the rm sound I¡¯d set. Moreover, it was a little after five in the


    morning. With my eyes barely open, I searched for the phone, taking the iing call without even


    looking at the caller ID. ¡°It¡¯s Miranda. You need to get here fast. The nurse noticed Aren¡¯s hand move.¡±


    Her words made me jump out of bed. ¡°W-what? How?¡± I muttered, nervously searching for the things to


    wear.


    ¡°Cora, I think that he might be waking up. Come to the clinic as fast as you can,¡± she said, her voice filled


    with hope.


    Tears started to run down my cheeks. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I mumbled, swallowing them and smiling at the


    same time. ¡°I will be there as fast as I can.¡±


    I grabbed my sweatshirt and jeans, sshed my face with cold water, and tied my hair into a messy bun.


    I ran out of the penthouse like it was on fire. My poor driver was already waiting for me in front of the


    building to take me to the clinic. ¡°Thank you, Benjamin. I¡¯m sorry that I had to wake you up¡­ I promise


    that I will send you on vacation as soon as this nightmare is over,¡± I said, getting into the car.


    He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I know that these recent days must have been truly hard for you, Mrs. Lan. I


    truly hope that Mr. Lan wakes up today.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ me too,¡± I muttered under my breath, praying that the


    higher power would finally allow him to open his eyes.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    Prayer


    Prayer As I stormed into Aren¡¯s room, I found Miranda there, leaning over him and checking his pupils¡¯


    reaction to the light. When she turned around, I mouthed hello to her and gave her a warm smile as I


    rushed to sit on Aren¡¯s bed. ¡°His reactions seem fine, but he hasn¡¯t moved since that one episode that


    the nurse witnessed.¡± Miranda¡¯s lips curved into a crooked smile.


    I sighed. ¡°I guess we will have to wait.¡±


    Miranda gave me aforting pat on the back before leaving me alone with my husband. I grabbed his


    hand and stared at him, hoping for any sign that would tell me that he was waking up, but nothing like


    that happened for another hour¡­ It was past seven, and I kept sitting by Aren¡¯s bed, talking to him,


    touching his arm, and caressing his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Aren. The shareholders¡¯ meeting starts at ten


    o¡¯clock. I don¡¯t want to disappoint you¡­. I was trying real hard, but now I¡¯m just tired. I¡¯m afraid that


    those people will do something bad, and I won¡¯t be able to stop them.¡± My voice trembled, but I forced


    myself not to cry.


    I called Neil, telling him where I was and asking if he could bring me the clothes I prepared for myself to


    wear at the meeting. I silently prayed for a miracle. If Aren opened his eyes, even for a bit before the


    meeting, I could tell that news at the meeting, and ask the shareholders to give my husband a few more


    days to recover before making any hush decisions. ¡°Aren¡­. I just wanted to tell you that our marriage


    was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you¡­ I want to spend the rest of my life with


    you¡­ But it would help if you just woke up already¡­¡± I smiled even though I kept widening my eyes, and


    I hardly restrained my tears from falling. Suddenly, I felt a gentle squeeze, as if Aren¡¯s fingers had curled


    around my hand. I gasped and stroked his hand. ¡°Aren, if you hear me, then know that you have been


    sleeping long enough already. Come back to me¡­¡± I whispered.


    His shoulders flinched in reaction to my words. ¡°Miranda!¡± I yelled, jumping up from Aren¡¯s bed and


    rushing to yank them open. ¡°Mira¡ª¡±I paused, surprised to see Neil right outside the door. His pale face


    and thin sort-of-smile instantly put me on high alert. ¡°What now?¡± He chuckled nervously, walking into the


    room and putting my suit and a bag of cosmetics on the table. ¡°They called for a press conference at


    8:30,¡± he choked out. ¡°Who did?¡± I hissed.


    ¡°The executives. They want to expose Mr. Lan¡¯s state, knowing that even if you send the news you found


    to the press, the shareholders¡¯ meeting will be over, and their choice final,¡± he exined. I looked at the


    clock; it was nearly eight. I nced at Aren, but he no longer showed any signs of waking up. My heart


    ached that I was forced to choose between staying with my husband or saving hispany, but I also


    knew that I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn¡¯t do everything in my power to help him keep the


    CEO¡¯s position at his ownpany. I put makeup on, got dressed, and instructed Neil to observe Aren


    closely and let me know if he started to wake up. I rushed to thepany without having a specific n.


    I prayed for a miracle¡­ and the stupidity of others. Unfortunately, the reality turned out to be far worse


    than I thought¡­


    ¡°There she is!¡± I heard Mr. Hill¡¯s venomous voice shouting through the microphone as I entered through


    the revolving door of the Lan Diamond Tower.


    It turned out that the press conference was held there as well as if they wanted to trap me. Mr. Hill stood


    on the podium on the opposite side of the entrance hall. The rest of the executives sat around the long


    table, resembling the grand jury ready to judge me¡­ or rather crucify me. The crowd of reporters


    standing in vast rows from the entrance to the podium spread like the Red Sea, allowing me to walk


    through while hectically taking pictures. Fury boiled in my veins. I kept my eyes locked on Mr. Hill, an evil


    smirk crossing my lips as his eyes met mine. ¡°Mrs. Cora Lan¡­ who most likely forced her husband to


    marry, knowing that he was terminally ill, had been constantly endangering thepany from the


    moment Mr. Lan fell into a state ofa. She hasn¡¯t graduated from any university and has no


    experience of even working in a big consortium such as Lan Diamond Corporation. Therefore, we called


    for a shareholders¡¯ meeting to remove this pest from the highest position in thepany and save Lan


    Diamond Corporation¡¯s workers from losing their jobs.¡± As Mr. Hill¡¯sst tone spread across the hall, the


    executives and the crowd of workers gathered to enhance the effect burst into an enthusiastic ovation.


    I took a deep breath, painted a sorrowful expression on my face, and slowly walked to the podium,


    surrounded by boos and cursing. As I was one step away from my enemies, I faked my inability to climb


    up in high heels. I took the shoes off and stepped onto the podium barefoot. Mr. Hill and the rest stared


    at me with frowns while the reporters enjoyed taking pictures of something that looked like a weak


    woman being bullied by a bunch of greedy old men.


    Prayer


    I gave the row of executives all a slight bow before taking the microphone from Mr. Hill. ¡°May I?¡± I asked


    innocently after it was already in my hands. Once he nodded, I faced the press. ¡°What Mr. Hill said is


    partially true¡­ I don¡¯t have a degree, although I studied at Oxford. I have never run apany, and I


    have never even worked at apany the size of Lan Diamond Corporation. But I have been managing


    it for less than twenty days, and I am willing to give the CEO¡¯s position back to Mr. Aren Lan, my


    husband, as soon as he recovers from the ident.¡± My words caused a wide wave ofmotion to


    spread through the hall. The executives turned silent, smirks shing in their expressions as if they were


    hoping that my words would harm me and Aren even more than theirs. But I would never let that happen.


    ¡°But Mr. Hill also lied because he has no evidence that I caused any harm to thepany. Furthermore,


    ording to my calctions, the decisions I made are going to increase thepany¡¯s profit by nearly


    five percent.¡± I paused and nced at the annoyed COO before shifting my eyes back to the press. ¡°So


    you may ask, why all this fuss? The reason is simple: greed. Those people sitting at this expensive-


    looking table in their high-end suits used the fact that my husband fell into aa. They used my misery


    to get rid of my husband from thepany he built with his own blood, sweat, and tears. My husband


    had the right to appoint someone he trusted to rece himn temporarily while he was fighting for his life.


    I cannot me him for putting this responsibility on my shoulders since the executives just trusted that


    they aren¡¯t trustworthy¡­¡± I ended my sad speech by lowering my head.


    While I gained the reporters¡¯ pity, the executives¡¯ anger reached beyond the limit. Mr. Dawson jerked the


    microphone off my hands and yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t believe this bitch and her sad performance! Aren Lan will


    never wake up, and we cannot leave thispany in the hands of someone without any knowledge or


    education! Who knows, Aren Lan might be already dead!¡±


    ¡°Actually, he is very much alive!¡± I heard Neil shouting from the end of the entrance hall,


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The reporters turned around towards him, and a wave of gasps and murmurs followed. They spread,


    creating a long row that quickly reached the ce where he stood, but I couldn¡¯t see him clearly. I could


    only recognize him because I remembered what kind of suit he was wearing. Someone who stood


    beside Neil stepped forward. The man walked fast, striding energetically in his navy suit until he reached


    the podium. My hand mped over my mouth as I looked at his face, smiling at me.


    ¡°Good morning, sunshine,¡± my husband said, winking at me. ¡°Did you miss me?¡±

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    Fighting back This extremely handsome man standing in front of me in his ssy three-piece navy suit


    gave me the most alluring smile I had ever seen on his face. I smiled back at him but couldn¡¯t stop the


    tears that instantly covered my cheeks in wide streams. For a moment, the entire hall turned silent, as if


    nothing else mattered except for the two of us. Our eyes locked on each other, me standing on the


    podium and him on the level where all the workers and reporters stood. He reached out his arms toward


    me. I slowly stepped to the edge of the podium, taking in his entire magical presence. I hurriedly put the


    heels back on my feet in an instant need to look more presentable. He chuckled and scooped me up to


    hold me in his arms, bridal-style. I gasped and put my arms around his neck as he spun me around


    before gently putting my feet on the floor next to him. My heart beat hectically. His warmth, his touch, his


    smile¡­ I missed it all insanely. I wished I could sh my lips against his and kiss him for hours; for every


    day that he couldn¡¯t be with me. Unfortunately, we weren¡¯t in the best ce to make up for the lost time¡­


    As I hesitantly nced around us, I quickly realized that we had given those reporters the entertainment


    of the year. They stood in awe, shing pictures of me and Aren and quietly waiting for our love scene to


    be over. The whole board of executives also impatiently awaited what would happen next, but their


    previous excitement had hurriedly turned to a stinking mix of rage and fear. Mr. Dawson still held the


    microphone as he stood petrified at the front of the podium with his mouth open while the rest of the


    board got up from their seats and stepped back, instinctively trying to escape the consequences.


    Aren kissed my forehead and shifted his eyes to Dawson, his warm gaze instantly turning into an icy


    re. He reached out his hand without saying a word, and the terrified CMO passed him the


    microphone. Aren slid his hand around my waist and pulled me close. His embrace was firm enough for


    me to hear his slightly unsteady heartbeat. I knew he wasn¡¯t well; he couldn¡¯t have felt well since he ran


    here only minutes after waking up from aa. The fact that he was embracing me at that moment felt


    like the purest miracle. He pulled me closer, pressing me against hisrge frame and making me feel tiny


    and delicate in his strong arms. He nced at me one more time with his smiling eyes before turning to


    the reporters.


    ¡°I recently discovered that the executives at Lan Diamond Corporation are extremely concerned about


    thepany¡¯s well-being and are always ready to intervene in the event of a dangerous urrence.


    Unfortunately, it was my wife that they found dangerous.¡± Aren¡¯s words, covered in sarcasm, immediately


    provoked a wave of snorts from the reporters.¡± Apparently, this fragile woman posed so much of a threat


    to those men that they decided to break the rules of thepany¡¯s status, risking their own jobs. I hope


    they will all be grateful because I intend to take this beautiful and intelligent woman away from them.¡± He


    locked his eyes on me as he said thest part of his sentence, and I couldn¡¯t miss the devilish smirk that


    crossed his lips.


    One of the reporters stepped closer. ¡°Mr. Lan, can you tell us what caused your state, and are you


    healthy enough to return to your CEO¡¯s position?¡±


    Aren looked at him with confidence. ¡°As my wife previously informed you, I was in the state of aa


    due to an ident. My state was stable for many days, but only now did I regain the strength to return.¡±


    ¡°Were the board and the shareholders informed of your stable condition, Mr. Lan?¡± another


    reporter inquired. ¡°Yes, they were all notified that my absence was temporary, and I also know that my


    wife, who acted in my name, asked for their patience in the meantime¡­¡± After answering the question,


    Aren¡¯s eyes shifted to the executives. ¡°Not only did she not receive guidance from those who had the


    most experience in thepany, but she was also threatened and disrespected.¡± His cold tone made


    everyone on the podium flinch.


    Aren¡¯s embrace became even firmer, as if he wanted to shield me from everyone who dared look at me


    with hostility. I wasn¡¯t afraid to face those men, but I happily epted Aren¡¯s overprotectiveness.


    ¡°Of course, I cannot me the board for being anxious about thepany¡¯s future. That is why they will


    not suffer any consequences for trying to remove me from my position as the CEO due to my long


    absence¡­¡± As Aren paused, I could clearly hear the deep sighs of reliefing from the podium,


    followed by the press¡¯s murmurs. ¡°However¡­ I acted ording to thepany¡¯s status, and the


    executives went against that. I appointed a person who is dedicated and trustworthy as my recement,


    and with all my knowledge, she did exceptionally well as a temporary CEO, giving absolutely no reason


    to the executives to rece her in her position, but they acted otherwise. And thest piece of


    information I wish to share is that those who insulted my wife will be fired effective immediately. They will


    also be sued for defamation of Cora Lan as an acting CEO and for the detriment of thepany.¡± His


    words were heavily coated with a threat, making the fear spread across the hall.


    As Aren¡¯s statement caused the hecticmotion around us, he looked at me with the kind of


    tenderness that made my whole body melt. Thosest words he said, he did it for me. He did it because I


    held his name and because he had once promised to protect me. But I also knew that he couldn¡¯t stand


    the fact that someone could harm me, and he was ready to rip those executives to shreds for their cruel


    words and insults. Well¡­ I wasn¡¯t going to stop him if he decided to.


    After themotion subsided slightly, Aren motioned his head toward Neil. Neil nodded and quickly took


    over the microphone.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that it is time to finish the Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s press conference,


    as it is time for Mr. and Mrs. Lan to join the rest of the shareholders at the meeting. The main decisions


    made at the meeting will beter announced in a short public statement, in about two hours.¡± As Neil


    ended the conference, Aren grabbed my hand and pulled me straight through the crowded corridor to the


    private elevator.


    The second the elevator door closed, Aren¡¯s arms wrapped around me, pressing my entire body against


    his. His lips imed mine roughly, his tongue instantly thrusting inside in hungry strokes. He grabbed the


    back of my head, positioning me to deepen the kiss, making me moan against his lips. My fingers


    possessively tangled his thick ck hair, wanting him closer. I kissed him, flooding him with my


    desperate longing for his touch. Suddenly, his kiss became softer until he rewarded my swollen lips with


    a gentle peck followed by his bright smile.


    ¡°I wanted to do that the second I woke up,¡± he murmured. His words felt like a stab in my heart. ¡°I wanted


    to be there¡­ I was there, waiting for you¡­¡± He hushed my cracking voice, gently caressing my cheek. ¡°I


    know, sunshine. I knew you were waiting for me. I could never me you,¡± he whispered


    with tenderness before he changed his tone into an icy cold one. ¡°I me those bastards. I will never


    forgive them for taking that moment away from us.¡± I looked at his zing eyes, saw his tense jaw, and


    instantly became worried. His body must have been weak. He should have been resting, lying in bed,


    instead of fighting for hispany. As strong as he was, he wasn¡¯t a superhero. ¡°Are you sure you are


    OK?¡± I asked softly a second before the elevator door opened.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    He didn¡¯t answer. He only grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the auditorium, where the


    shareholders were already waiting for the CEO to exin the current situation. It was unfair. Those


    frowning and filled with hostility people suffered no losses. What gave them the right to be so demanding


    and insensitive? Aren could have died, but they only cared about their fucking wallets! My blood began to


    boil just by looking at their faces. Aren seemed to be indifferent to their enmity. He simply smirked,


    meeting their res as he walke heading to his seat at the head of the grand table and making me sit


    right next to him.


    He waited as the room filled with people I recognized from the list of shareholders that Neil prepared for


    me. Aren scrutinized each of them like a predator selecting its prey. Once the shareholders took their


    ces, the executives joined, reluctantly sitting not far away from Aren and me. Aren chuckled coldly as


    he saw fear in their eyes.


    ¡°I can see that we¡¯re all here,¡± Aren said with a smile that never reached his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s begin the


    meeting.¡±

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    Revealing the truth There were only two pairs of eyes looking at Aren and me without an ounce of


    hostility: Chris, who sat on our left side as the second biggest shareholder, and Neil, who sat farther


    away from the main people, ready to offer his assistance if Aren needed it. The fact that I found


    suspicious was that only Chris seemed to be overjoyed by Aren¡¯s return, while the rest exchanged


    nonchnt looks or filled the room with their impatient huffs. I seriously wondered what was wrong with


    those people.


    As Chris noticed my confused grimace, he leaned into my ear to give me an exnation. ¡°Most of the


    shareholders are the rich kids¨Cthe unnecessarily bright and easy to manipte rich kids.¡±


    I stifled a chuckle, suddenly detecting ack of brain cells in at least five of those who sat by the table. I


    wanted to thank Chris for giving me more confidence, but he suddenly moved his chair a little further


    away from me. I couldn¡¯t understand why until I shifted my gaze to my husband and saw him ring at


    his friend. My lips instantly formed an evil grin, and I leaned over him.


    ¡°Are you jealous, dear husband?¡± I whispered to his ear, my lips delicately brushing his earlobe.


    He took a deep breath as if he needed it to remainposed. ¡°I should be the only man you see,¡± he


    murmured, a hint of annoyance in his tone. I smirked teasingly. ¡°I see a lot of men in this room, but there


    is only one I want to see naked.¡± The corners of his lips dangerously curled up as he locked his intense


    gaze on me. ¡°Be careful what you wish for.¡±


    His words sent a wild wave of electricity down my spine. I bit my lip before realizing that I was getting


    turned on in the room filled with vicious people. Aren¡¯s presence made my stupid hormones march in


    happy parades all over my blood vessels. I was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to resist a moan if he even


    identally touched my thigh. As dumb as it sounds, I was actually relieved when Mr. Cooper stood up


    and started to speak.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, shareholders of the Lan Diamond Corporation, we, the board of executives,


    called for this meeting due to the long absence of Mr. Aren Lan, the Chief Executive Officer.¡± Mr. Cooper


    started his speech hesitantly, barely sparing Aren a nce, unlike Aren, who gave him all of his


    attention. ¡°The recement that Mr. Lan appointed seemed inefficient, and it resulted in a drop in sales


    of -¡±


    ¡°Did it really?¡± Aren interjected, messing up Mr. Cooper¡¯s carefully prepared arguments.


    ¡°P-pardon?¡± He looked at Aren with a nervous smile.


    Aren chuckled coldly. ¡°You are the CFO, for God¡¯s sake. You should know all the numbers by heart, so


    stick to the facts. Prove that Cora Lan made the sales decrease,¡± he dared as his lips curved in a wicked


    smirk.


    Mr. Cooper restlessly corrected his sses. ¡°Well, Mrs. Lan¡¯s decision concerning the ¡°Sky Fight¡± game


    didn¡¯t match the current trend and¡±


    ¡°Numbers, Mr. Cooper.¡± Aren¡¯s even voice pierced the room like a de.


    ¡°I-I¡­ It¡¯s not¡­ I-I can¡¯t¡­¡± he stuttered mindlessly.


    Aren gave Neil a brief nod. Neil nodded back and remotely turned on a half-wall-size screen with arge-


    scale sales statement. Aren pointed at the screen, ncing at the CFO. ¡°If you can¡¯t tell us, maybe you


    can at least read it?¡± His mocking tone made Mr. Cooper clench his fist.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t show the trend that I was talking about¡­¡± he squeezed the words through his teeth.


    Aren raised his eyebrows, a smirk shing through his lips. ¡°Are you saying that we should imagine the


    trend?¡± A wave of snorts spread through the auditorium. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. ording to my predictions,


    the game¡¯s sales might drastically drop over the next three months, and that wouldn¡¯t have happened if


    we waited with itsunch until next year,¡± he imed, his voice¡¯s pitch driven by anger. Aren ces his


    hand on top of mine. ¡°Mrs. Lan, mind exining your decision?¡± he asked, his warm gaze at me giving


    me courage.


    The corners of my lips curled up into a timid smile. He couldn¡¯t have the full knowledge of why I had


    made the decision to push theunch of that game earlier than Aren had initially nned, and yet he


    trusted that it was the right move.


    I stood up from my seat and looked around the table. All eyes were on me, curiously awaiting my


    exnation. I wasn¡¯t afraid. I had all the confidence I needed because my husband believed in me. ¡°I


    discussed that issue with the game developers, and we had reasons to believe that someone leaked the


    game¡¯s basic strategy as well as graphic solutions. I ordered the Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s special


    team to find out whether ourpetition was nning to release something simr to the market, and


    we discovered that our assumptions were correct. Thepany called Blue Dreand Corp. has just


    announced their new game, ¡°Space Fighting,¡± and I can assure you that the name isn¡¯t the only simrity


    to our product¡­¡±


    I paused and observed the shareholders¡¯ reactions. Some of them nodded in approval, while others


    gasped at the revtion that things like stealing technologies and ideas could actually happen. Only Mr.


    Hill, Cooper, and Dawson seemed to be displeased with my exnation. I took a deep breath and


    continued, ¡°The Blue Dreand had been nning tounch their game in less than two weeks, but as


    soon as we released our game, their ns suddenly changed. Their second announcement was about


    releasing ¡°Space Fighting¡± at the beginning of August, and currently, there are no announcements


    concerning that game. It only proves that the decision of an earlier release helped save our project.¡± I


    smiled and sat down. Aren quickly grabbed my hand, a warm smile forming on his lips as he looked at


    me. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be more proud of my wife right now.¡± He kissed my hand before shifting his gaze to other


    shareholders. ¡°That only proves that I made the right choice in appointing Cora Lan as the temporary


    CEO. She predicted the problem and made the tough decision. In a perfect world, perhapsunching the


    game half a yearter with a better-designed marketing campaign would have brought an even higher


    profit¡­ But we do not live in a perfect world, and we could either release the product faster than our


    competition or kiss the whole project goodbye.¡±


    Aren¡¯s words caused another wave of muttering and approving nods. Even if they were reluctant to


    believe that I had made the right call, after Aren¡¯s statement, they no longer had


    any doubts. I smiled shyly, only ncing at my husband, but inside my mind, I was madly celebrating the


    fact of being appreciated.


    Suddenly, my phone quietly buzzed in my pocket. I used the opportunity when all eyes were on Aren and


    checked the message I received. It was an email from n. He sent me a few photos with a short


    message, ¡°We thought it might help.¡±


    I only managed to see one from n. It was a picture of Mr. Hill, Cooper, and Dawson sitting in the


    restaurant with two other men in expensive suits. I had no idea who those men were, but it looked like


    the group in that photo was celebrating something. I was about to take a look at the rest of the pictures


    when I noticed Mr. Hill standing up and getting ready to speak.


    He cleared his throat and nced at Aren before turning to the rest of the shareholders. ¡°I just wanted to


    say that we decided to call this meeting because we, as the executives with experience, thought that


    Mrs. Lan¡¯s decisions were hasty and irrational, such as appointing this woman to lead a-¡±


    ¡°This woman?¡± Aren glowered at Mr. Hill. ¡°This woman?¡± he repeated, sharpening the edge of his tone


    as if it were a deadly weapon before he got up from his seat. ¡°You are trying to insult my wife again, and


    truthfully, I have had enough of your poor performance, Mr. Hill. You make me realize that I made a


    terrible judgment call¡­¡±


    Mr. Hill¡¯s eyes brightened with agitation. ¡°Yes! That is exactly my poi¡ª¡±


    ¡°I made a terrible judgment call in hiring you, Mr. Hill, Mr. Cooper, and Mr. Dawson.¡± The way Mr. Hill¡¯s


    jaw dropped was priceless. I barely stifled augh as I saw it, but Chris was far less reserved than I was


    and boldly burst outughing. Of course, we could all just count the seconds until the protest began¡­


    ¡°This is outrageous!¡± Mr. Dawson jumped up from his seat. ¡°We¡¯ve been bringing money to thispany


    for years! If it weren¡¯t for us¡ª¡±


    ¡°You are receable. In fact, your recements might start working for Lan Diamond Corporation by the


    end of the week,¡± Aren said coldly. The tension within the room rose sky-high. Themotion kept


    increasing by the second, easily covering all the shouts and cursinging from the executives. I took


    that opportunity to use a few tricks and check the identity of the two unknown men from the pictures that


    n sent. What I found made my lips curve in a wide, devilish grin. I nced at Aren; it seemed like he


    was more than eager to finish this meeting quickly, and now, I had something that might help with that¡­


    ¡°You want to fire us?!¡± Mr. Hill thundered across the room. ¡°You need a reason to do that!¡±


    Aren burst into viciousughter before sending Mr. Hill a murderous look. ¡°How about deliberate


    vilification that could easily decrease thepany¡¯s value? That¡¯s enough to fire you and sue you for


    money even you cannot afford.¡±


    ¡°We were doing what was necessary to save thepany¡¯s money!¡± Mr. Dawson spat.


    It was time to end this, and I decided to do it with style. I gestured at Neil toe over, sent the pictures


    I had from n, and asked Neil to put the first one on the widescreen.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± one of the shareholders asked, turning everyone else silent.


    Aren raised his eyebrows at me, amusement painting his face. I winked at him and stood up,Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ready to exin. ¡°I bet that you can all recognize our executives in this picture. The two other men are


    directors working for the Blue Dreand Corp., isn¡¯t a convenient coincidence?¡± I chuckled.


    Mr. Cooper cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s normal for businessmen from differentpanies to meet, and


    sometimes drink¡­¡±


    I gestured at Neil to put another photo on the screen. It was a picture of a couple celebrating their


    anniversary, but the thing that was more important was happening in the background of that photo. As I


    asked Neil to put focus on the picture¡¯s left upper corner, everyone gasped.


    ¡°I suggest we all take a closer look at the handshakes and the exchange of envelopes between our dear


    executives and those men from Blue Dreand. We can also match this fact with the executives¡¯


    protests against the earlyunch of Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s game.¡± I grinned proudly and looked at


    my husband.


    ¡°This is bribery!¡± someone yelled. ¡°Call the security and the police here, now!¡± another shareholder


    roared. The security was already inside, and those poor bastards had nowhere to run. The turmoil kept


    rising, with the shareholders ready to crucify the executives and the executives uselessly begging for


    their mercy or iming innocents, but I no longer cared. My eyes were locked on Aren¡¯s, just like his


    were on mine. At one moment, in the middle of thismotion, he stood up, pulled me into his embrace,


    and shed our lips in a long, sensual kiss. For us, the meeting had officially ended. We won.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    His health


    We had to wait for another hour until the chaos that we had caused at the shareholders¡¯ meeting would


    finally pass, and we could hope for a moment of privacy. The pictures found by n and Norton helped


    define the ultimate viins and heroes in our story, and no one dared vote against firing the current CFO,


    COO, and CMO. Nheless, even if Aren had always been prepared to offer those positions to


    somebody else, in case it was necessary, a change like that could never look positive in the public¡¯s


    eyes. Besides, there was one more issue that worried me¡­


    ¡°What if Hill, Cooper, and Dawson start spreading rumors about thepany? They can say anything


    now; they are already fired, which means they have no restraints,¡± I said, as we walked out of the


    auditorium, heading to the elevator. Aren chuckled. ¡°They are not going to talk ¡°How can you be so


    sure?¡± ¡°They broke one of the fundamentalws in their contracts with Lan Diamond Corporation. They


    know that they can expectwsuits because of that, and adding insulting my wife as an acting CEO of


    thepany is only going to increase the number of zeros in the demands paragraph.¡± He smirked and


    pulled my hand, heading toward the elevators. I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. If they can


    already expect things to be bad and they no longer have anything to lose, wouldn¡¯t they try to bring the


    company down with them?¡±


    Aren locked his beautiful ck irises on me, looking at me with absolute confidence. ¡°They have


    everything to lose. They are going to count on a settlement that could save at least a tiny ounce of their


    fortunes. They are not going to jeopardize that.¡±


    ¡°Is Lan Diamond Corporation nning to go on a settlement with them?¡± I smiled wryly, starting to feel


    annoyed that those jerks could get away with what they did.


    Aren grinned evilly. ¡°Oh, we are surely going to make them an offer, but I doubt if any of them would


    ept it.¡±


    His words made me more and more confused. ¡°The more reasons they¡¯ll have to defame Lan Diamond


    Corporation. All they have to do is go to the press, and -¡±


    ¡°No one will talk to them,¡± he imed, walking into his private elevator and pressing the top floor button.


    I followed him, giving him a crooked smile. ¡°I¡¯m not certain what gives you all this confidence.


    ¡°You,¡± he said before kissing my forehead. ¡°You gave me a perfect weapon against them.¡¯


    I gasped. ¡°You mean the information I found to ckmail them? Are you going to threaten them that you


    will leak it to the press?¡±


    ¡°No, we will release it anyway because I am nning to crush them all for what they did. I merely don¡¯t


    intend to put my former executives in the recent headlines.¡± He chuckled coldly.


    ¡°I will wait. I will let them live, breathe, and hope. And then I will take their money for defamation, destroy


    their lives by using the information you found, and finally, send them to jail for bribery.¡±


    Chills ran down my spine. ¡°Remind me never to get on your bad side.¡±


    Heughed and slid his arms around my waist. ¡°That will never happen, sunshine.¡±


    Despite the questions and turbulence surrounding us, at that moment, I felt nothing but bliss and


    happiness. I could feel his warmth again and stare into his amazing like the greatest blessing I could


    receive. I smiled at him, my hand reaching to stroke his cheek when suddenly I realized that his skin was


    cold. I looked at him closely¡­ Only then did I see that he was pale, pretending to be strong but slightly


    leaning his back against the wall to maintain his bnce.


    ¡°Aren¡­ Are you OK?¡± I asked, feeling guilty that I hadn¡¯t noticed it before. He didn¡¯t answer, only smiled


    faintly before leaning forward inertly into my arms. Under his weight, I stumbled back against the elevator


    wall. ¡°Aren!¡± I called out, watching him lose consciousness. He lifted his head slightly to look at me but


    wasn¡¯t strong enough to stand. Once the elevator door opened, I pushed him away and put his arm over


    my shoulders, then my arm around his waist as I tried to walk him out. Fortunately, Neil was there in the


    corridor and ran to help me as soon as he saw us. He grabbed Aren¡¯s other arm, flinging it over his


    shoulders so that we could lead him to the office.


    ¡°We need to take him back to the clinic,¡± I said to Neil while I trembled in fear, guilty that he had


    overstrength himself because of me.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I just need to rest,¡± Aren mumbled, barely able to keep his eyelids open. Neil and I put Aren


    on the sofa. He looked paler by the second. Seeing him like that filled my heart with anxiety again. I


    rushed to give him a ss of water. I sat next to him on the sofa and held the ss against his mouth so


    that he could drink at least a little.


    ¡°I think we need to call Miranda,¡± I said, ncing at Neil while stroking Aren¡¯s face. He smiled wryly. ¡°I


    already did when I took Mr. Lan out of the clinic, and¡± His words were cut by the sound of the mming


    open door as Miranda stormed into Aren¡¯s office.


    ¡°Where is he?!¡± she shouted, mming the door behind her. ¡°If he has a death wish, then I could be the


    one who grants it!¡±


    Neil stepped in front of her, blocking her way to Aren.


    I red at Miranda. ¡°Keep your voice down. I know that he acted recklessly, but he did it to help me and


    to save his ownpany.¡±


    ¡°Nice to see you too, Miranda,¡± Aren mumbled, a faint smirk crossing his lips.


    She sighed and raised her hands in surrender. Once she did, Neil stepped aside so she could pass. She


    gave me a crooked smile before shifting her attention to Aren. I checking Aren¡¯s forehead andparing


    his temperature and examining his pupils, and couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. I knew that she was a


    doctor and his friend, but she was also a woman, and no matter how ridiculous my emotions were, I


    could hardly stand another woman touching him.


    ¡°You should go back to the clinic. You didn¡¯t even let any doctor examine you before you


    dressed in that suit and escaped from the clinic.¡± Her irritation was more than obvious in the tone of her


    voice.


    ¡°What?!¡± I burst out and red at Aren.


    He shrugged. ¡°I asked Neil to tell me what was going on, and going here seemed more important.¡±


    ¡°¡®Than your life?! Are you insane?!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t shout at my patient!¡± Miranda eximed.


    ¡°That¡¯s my husband! I have the right to shout at him!¡± I hissed. ¡°Ladies¡­ please¡­¡± Neil stepped in, trying


    to calm us down, but he only made our res shift to him.


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t want to act reasonable, then at least you should,¡± Miranda said, crossing arms over her


    chest.


    ¡°He is my boss¡­¡± Neil muttered, lowering his head. I looked at my husband, who seemed to be amused


    with all of us caring more about his health than he was. ¡°We are going back to the clinic because I need


    to be sure that you are really all right.¡± I stroked his hair and gazed into his eyes, feeling the anxiety


    painfully flooding my entire body. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine losing you again,¡± I mumbled. He faintly grabbed


    my hand and smiled at me. ¡°You will never lose me, sunshine.¡±


    *


    **C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Aren and I spent the rest of the day in the clinic, where I apanied him during all kinds of medical


    examinations he was forced to go through. Surprisingly, the results showed that he turned out to be in


    excellent health except for the fact that he showed signs of fatigue as he forced his body to act with full


    strength right after he had spent thest twenty-two days without using his muscles. I nearly cried,


    relieved after hearing that there was nothing wrong with my husband. After receiving several IV drips


    with all sorts of nutrition substances, Miranda finally announced that I could take him home.


    I had to say that it felt slightly surreal observing Aren passing the penthouse¡¯s threshold and throwing his


    suit jacket on the sofa in the hall. I stopped at the door, appreciating that moment with my watery eyes


    and a smile curving my lips.


    ¡°What?¡± Arenughed as he caught me watching.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said softly, ¡°I just missed you. I¡¯ve been missing you every single day.¡±


    Aren chuckled and walked toward me, swiftly wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing me


    against him. ¡°I¡¯ve been dreaming about you¡­¡± He leaned over me, his breath on the crook of my neck


    I tangled my fingers in his hair, gently ying with his soft strands. ¡°Were they good dreams? ¡± I


    whispered.


    He shook his head. ¡°You were crying, calling out my name, but I could only hear your voice. I kept


    running around like I was inside a never-endingbyrinth, but I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere, and then


    suddenly¡­¡± he paused, his voice cracking. ¡°It¡¯s OK now,¡± I murmured, gently leaning back so I could kiss


    his forehead. ¡°You came back


    to me, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    We stayed still for a while, standing in a tight embrace until our heartbeats became


    synchronized. We would have probably stayed like this for hours if it wasn¡¯t for the sound of my ringing


    phone. It was Chris. I took the call and put him on speaker.


    ¡°Are you guys watching the news?!¡± His agitated voice instantly filled me with anxiety.


    ¡°No¡­ why?¡± I asked nervously.


    ¡°Today¡¯s events from Lan Diamond Corporation are all everywhere, and both of you are their main topic!¡±

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    The new us


    Chris wasn¡¯t kidding. The information about Aren and me was all over the news. Initially, I was terrified. I


    could almost imagine the headlines using Aren and me of all sorts of evil deeds against the ¡°poor¡±


    executives who had just got fired. When Aren turned on the TV, I was already on the verge of a panic


    attack, but the news was nothing like I expected¡­


    CS


    It turned out that the press fell in love with our story, naming Aren and me the golden couple. The


    moment when Aren scooped me up from the podium and spun me around while holding me in his arms


    had been registered and shown from every possible angle. The miraculous awakening of a husband who


    rushed straight from the hospital to save his wife from evil men trying to nder her had quickly be


    viral. I watched another news report from Lan Diamond Tower, blushing as I realized that something that


    had felt like our intimate moment now belonged to thousands of people.


    Surprisingly, the fact that thepany had just gotten rid of half of the board had beenpletely


    overshadowed by the story of the heroic CEO and his wife. I kept bursting into nervousughter as I


    discovered another article about Aren and me. I had little knowledge about what could happen next, but


    Aren knew¡­ ¡°We¡¯d better prepare. It¡¯s going to be hectic from tomorrow,¡± he said as we headed upstairs


    to the bedrooms.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, climbing the stairs one step behind him.


    ¡°Do you think that the reporters are going to be satisfied with only the footage and a few pictures of us


    from the morning?¡± He gave me a crooked smile as he stooped on top of the stairs.


    ¡°What else would they want?¡± I looked at him with question marks painted all over my face.


    ¡°Interviews, the insights into our amazing love story. We need to have prepared answers to every single


    question they might ask,¡± he replied, a serious expression on his face telling me that he was already


    writing possible scenarios in his head.


    It painfully reminded me of our contract, bringing my hand to rub the aching spot on my chest. ¡°Do you


    think that we still have that much to pretend? Couldn¡¯t we just act naturally?¡± I mumbled, lowering my


    head.


    He grabbed my chin and looked me straight in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about holding your hand or


    kissing you in public, Cora. Some of those reporters can be extremely well informed, and we need to


    figure out what to say in case one of them asks you about Can and the FBI investigation. They can ask


    about your grandma or if you married me for money. We don¡¯t have to agree to everything, and we can


    approve or reject questions beforehand, but there will always be reporters trying to dig deeper despite


    the initial arrangements.¡±


    I sighed and nodded, feeling even more restless after hearing his words. He smiled at me and gave me a


    quick peck on the lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sunshine. I will make sure that we¡¯ll get through this.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I muttered mindlessly before heading to my bedroom. He grabbed my hand, pulling me to an


    abrupt halt. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± I turned around to face him and met his fiery gaze. ¡°I just


    thought that you were tired and¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to sleep with my wife.¡± Shivers ran down my spine as I heard hismanding voice.


    ¡°But we shouldn¡¯t¡­ You cannot overstrength yourself,¡± I muttered as a thick blush covered my cheeks at


    the thought of being with him again.


    He leaned over my ear and purred, ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t tempt me too much.¡± A hysteric chuckle escaped


    my mouth. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll take a quick shower, change my clothes, ande to you,¡± I dered before darting


    to my bedroom and shutting the door behind me.


    Leaning against the closed door, I heard him chuckle at my desperate escape, and then he walked into


    his bedroom. My behavior was foolish; I knew that it was. I had seen each other naked and had sex


    many times already, but all those days without his touch made me feel as if we were discovering our


    intimacy all over again. I rushed to take a shower, washing my body with trembling hands. I was turned


    on at the single thought of lying next to him. How was I supposed to be the reasonable one when my


    entire body screamed in anticipation?


    I wrapped myself in a towel and opened the closet, searching for a nightgown that wouldn¡¯t have the


    word ¡°desperate¡± written all over it.


    ¡°Not tempting¡­ not tempting¡­ not tempting¡­¡± I muttered, going through the high-end lingerie that Aren


    bought for me one by one. ¡°How can I find something not tempting when all I have is see-through silk


    andce nightgowns?!¡± I groaned.


    Finally, after ten minutes of helpless staring, I grabbed my old oversize T-shirt and, fisting my hands to


    give myself courage, I walked to Aren¡¯s bedroom. I was determined to slip under his sheets and fall


    asleep in his arms. It sounded like a pleasant and innocent solution. I was confident about my decision.


    Unfortunately, my confidencested only until I walked into Aren¡¯s bedroom and found him wearing


    nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips. He had his hair damp andbed up, emphasizing every


    angle of his perfectly symmetrical face. The sight of his chiseled, rigid muscles was absolutely


    mouthwatering. I bit my lip just to restrain myself from making any weird noise that would betray my


    hunger for him. Nheless, I was too busy containing my own lust to realize that I wasn¡¯t the only one


    struggling


    ¡°How am I supposed to control myself when you are wearing this?¡± I heard Aren¡¯s voice, and then I saw


    his eyes devour me from head to toe.


    I gasped and took a step back. ¡°I thought that it was the least tempting thing I had in my closet ¡­¡± I


    muttered, feeling my cheek turn zing red.


    ¡°You wore this the first night you started living here,¡± he said softly.


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°H-how do you know that? I thought that you didn¡¯t evene back to the


    penthouse that night¡­¡±


    ¡°I came back early in the morning. I came to grab a few things from my bedroom,¡± he exined, a smug


    smirk crossing his lips. ¡°The door to your bedroom was left slightly open as if inviting me in. I didn¡¯t want


    to look but eventually gave in to my curiosity.¡± He chuckled, stepping closer and dangerously locking his


    eyes on me. ¡°You kicked off your sheet andid in this shirt, sleeping soundly and looking insanely hot.


    The strands of your golden hair were spread lushly at every angle on the pillow. The way you


    appeared¡­ It seemed like you were glowing, you were like the sun-my personal embodiment of


    sunshine.¡±


    I swallowed hard, having no strength left to resist the temptation. A secondter, our lips collided in a


    kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close and moaning against


    his lips as he deepened the kiss. His hands traveled down to my buttocks, scooping me up and throwing


    me onto his bed. He broke our kiss for only a heartbeat before iming my lips again while pinning my


    hands down on both sides of my head. I wriggled under him, trying to set my hands free and touch him,


    but he was unyielding. He shifted his grip, grabbing my wrists with one hand and pinning them above my


    head. His other hand slid under my shirt, his fingers leaving a searing trail on my naked skin.


    Once he released my lips, he started kissing down my neck, sending wave after wave of shudders down


    my body. As he freed my hands, I tangled my fingers in his hair, grabbing his strands hard while he bit


    and sucked my skin, leaving fiery red marks.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± he purred, pulling up my shirt and cupping my breasts.


    I arched my back, giving him easier ess as he sucked my nipples. He kept enticing my hunger,


    teasing my sensitive skin with the tip of his tongue. I barely registered when he took off my shirt and his


    hands went down to my panties.


    ¡°Aren¡­¡± I muttered, my fingers reaching out to touch his face.


    He stopped and looked into my eyes. He was panting heavily, his state quickly reminding me that we


    shouldn¡¯t do this. I craved him madly, but there was something stronger within me than my desire, and


    that was fear. ¡°We should stop¡­¡± I said, stroking his sweat-damp forehead. ¡°I want you¡­ but I¡¯m afraid.


    Could we¡­ wait a few more days?¡± I muttered, struggling to resist my throbbing desires. He smiled and


    kissed the tip of my nose. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days, and not a minute more.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Not a minute


    more, handsome.¡± That night, we fell asleep naked, our bodies lying in each other¡¯s embrace, melted


    together, and our hearts beating as one. Something between us felt different, as if a new kind of bond


    had developed between us while he was asleep. Was the wall he had built around his heart finally


    cracking?

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    No longer a nobody


    I could never find the right words to express how amazing it felt to wake up in Aren¡¯s embrace. It was


    sensual and hot beyond limits. I was on edge the entire night, and so was he. The skin of our bodies was


    hyper-sensitive, making the slightest touch a turn-on. The only reason why we fell asleep was most likely


    due to overpowering our senses. Putting restraints on our mutual desires was an insanely difficult thing


    to do¡­


    I didn¡¯t want to hurt Aren¡¯s pride, so I would never say it aloud, but I knew what it meant to have sex with


    him and how energy-consuming it was. As insane as it sounded, I knew that he was willing to sacrifice


    his health just to satisfy me, as if he had been neglecting his husband¡¯s duty while in aa, and he


    wanted to make it up for me. I knew that inwardly he was aware that he hadn¡¯t fully regained his strength


    yet, but he would never have admitted it. He forced me to make it more my problem than his, but I was


    willing to since I was doing it for him.


    Unfortunately, he kept challenging my determination¡­ We were lying like two spoons, with my back


    tightly pressed against Aren¡¯s firm chest. He held one hand under my neck, curling his fingers to caress


    my shoulder while his other handy on my waist.


    ¡°You lost weight,¡± he murmured, his fingers blindly roaming across the skin of my stomach.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I sealed my lips as the sensation of his touch enticed my arousal, but I didn¡¯t want to give him the


    satisfaction. I took a deep breath, ignoring how he made me feel. ¡°Well¡­ I was busy while you were


    sleeping.¡± ¡°I made you worry,¡± he whispered, kissing the back of my head.


    ¡°You made me miss you like crazy,¡± I said, cing my hand on top of his.


    ¡°So you were spending your days either worrying about me or working because of me.¡± He brushed my


    hair away and kissed the nape of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.


    I could barely concentrate on talking, yet I wasn¡¯t going to surrender. ¡°I was also training with Chris and


    Jack,¡± I said, ¡°Chris was teaching me how to fight, and Jack showed me how to shoot.


    He tensed up. A heartbeatter, I was on my back, and he was over me, pinning my hands down to the


    bed. ¡°Chris was teaching you how to fight?¡± he asked, his tone sharp and dangerous


    ¡°Well, yes,¡± I replied with a frown. ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is!¡± he eximed.


    I raised my eyebrows, feeling slightly amused by his sudden agitation. ¡°I also practiced shooting with


    Jack, and yet you mentioned only Chris. Mind exining to me why is it a problem that I¡¯m trying to learn


    how to fight, but you don¡¯t seem to be worried that I¡¯m learning how to shoot someone?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need physical contact when you learn how to shoot,¡± he said coldly.


    I burst out intoughter. ¡°You are jealous!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want other men touching you, and if it¡¯s some handsome guy, that makes the case even worse,¡±


    he grunted.


    I yfully licked my lips. ¡°I like you when you¡¯re jealous, but you don¡¯t need to. You are the


    only man I can think about.¡±


    My words painted a hint of a smile on his face. He leaned down and kiss me,


    ***


    I wished that our blissful morning might havested longer, but it was time to start solving our problems. I


    decided to dy telling Aren about Lanfen and that night at Crawford¡¯s clinic. He already had a lot on his


    mind from the second he woke up.


    We entered the chaos as soon as we drove over the entrance of the Lan Diamond Tower. Over thirty


    reporters stood there, waiting for us to arrive. Aren grabbed my hand. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this if you


    don¡¯t want to. We can go in through the underground parking lot.¡±


    I sighed, gazing out through the window. ¡°No¡­ We have nothing to hide. Let¡¯s do this,¡± I said, trying to


    sound confident.


    Marcus stopped our car in front of the entrance. A secondter, a group of bodyguards gathered around


    the car, securing our way to the door. Aren smirked and got out first, causing an immediate burst of


    commotion. Then he turned toward me, offering his hand so I could leave the car gracefully. I held my


    breath, stepping out. I knew that I was nervous enough to lose my bnce and turn myself into a


    laughing stock, but I quickly realized that Aren would never allow that to happen. His arm created a


    steady frame I could lean on as I took the first step out of the car in my high heels. As soon as we turned


    around to face reporters, the


    ons started. All I could hear were single, meaningless words as they all shouted at once. I nced at


    Aren, but he seemed to ignore all of them, taking his time as he smiled at me, brushed my hair off my


    face, and gently kissed my cheek. He acted as if themotion around us didn¡¯t exist, making me turn


    my entire focus solely onto him. Suddenly, the uproar softened, and the questions became easier to


    understand.


    One of the reporters called out, ¡°Mr. Lan, are you nning on hiring your wife permanently as one of


    your executives?¡±


    Aren nced at me with a smirk before turning to the reporter. ¡°No, I would never do that to mysell.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked, surprised.


    Aren put his arms around my waist and pulled me close. ¡°I would never allow her to overwork herself,


    and I¡¯m positive that would have happened if I let her be a member of the board.¡±


    I looked at him with a frown on my face. He sounded as if I couldn¡¯t handle working in one of the highest


    positions in thepany in the long run. That seriously pissed me off


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little chauvinistic to say?¡± another reporter inquired.


    Aren shrugged and chuckled. ¡°What can I say? i¡¯m a possessive man. I know my wife gives her all in


    everything she does. She is smart and remarkable, and she would be an amazing executive in my


    company, but I want her to myself. I want her to see her after work and spend time together, and I am


    certain that it wouldn¡¯t be possible if she became my executive.¡±


    My anger slightly decreased, but the feministic side of me still had a few issues, and it felt as if a few


    female reporters were reading my mind¡­


    ¡°So, do you want to turn Mrs. Lan into a housewife?¡±


    Aren leaned over to me and kissed my forehead. ¡°Not at all. I want her to do what she wants.


    She is an amazingputer programmer and a true genius, and I will support her in everything¡­ as


    long as we¡¯ll still find time for each other.¡±


    My lips uncontrobly curled up into a smile that came with a blush on my cheeks. I loved my possessive


    husband. He was the only arrogant, rich man that I could forgive almost anything.


    The next question was for me. ¡°Mrs. Lan, what are your ns now, after stepping down from the


    temporary CEO position?¡±


    I smirked, ncing at Aren. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I will start my ownpany and sell security software.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lan, would you support your wife¡¯spany?¡±


    Aren grinned devilishly. ¡°I would definitely be one of the major shareholders,¡± he said, and pulled


    my hand, leading me to the entrance.


    Thousands of shes surrounded us on our way into the building, surrounded by a group of bodyguards.


    Aren held a firm grip on my hand even when we were inside. He only let my hand go after we got inside


    his private elevator.


    ¡°Are you OK?¡± he asked, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. I chuckled and prodded his elbow.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be? I had you by my side, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    He smiled warmly and hugged me close. Only then did I realize that he was genuinely concerned about


    me. That made me love him even more.


    As we got in front of Aren¡¯s office, it turned out that we had guests. It was Master Gerard Auir and two


    of his artisans who came personally to deliver the ne with Tian Kong diamond. My special piece of


    jewelry was inside a titanium, password-protected briefcase that was carried by one of the two


    bodyguards apanying the artisans. I became nervous just by looking at the protection it needed. As


    we walked inside, Master Auir opened the briefcase, presenting the final effect of his work.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but gasp as I saw the Tian Kong diamond ced as the sun in a tinum frame,


    surrounded by dozens of tiny crystal gems, releasing an astonishing glow.


    ¡°I hope you like it,¡± Master said timidly.


    ¡°It¡¯s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!¡± I eximed in awe.


    Aren chuckled, taking the jewelry out of the briefcase. ¡°It is certainly worthy of your beautiful neck,¡± he


    said before putting it on me.


    I stepped to the mirror that hung in the corner of Aren¡¯s office and touched the diamond on my neck. It


    was mesmerizing, and wearing it made me feel powerful like never before.


    ¡°It suits you,¡± Aren whispered, leaning down and kissing the nape of my neck right at the ne sp.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time that you show yourself wearing it.¡± He went to his desk and grabbed a pile of envelopes


    with invitations he kept receiving every day while he was in aa. He went through them briefly, until


    he stopped at one and smirked. ¡°Looks like we are lucky, sunshine. We¡¯ve just got invited to a party


    where all the market¡¯s biggest yers are going to be. It¡¯s time to show them my amazing wife.¡±

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    Finding the new board


    The whole next week turned out to bepletely hectic. The scene with the reporters who had


    enthusiastically greeted us at the entrance was like an introduction to everything that happenedter.


    Three assistants were specially appointed only to answer the calls from the reporters asking for an


    interview or ament Aren and I agreed to do two interviews, and both of them were scheduled for the


    week toe, but that, of course, didn¡¯t stop the rest of the press from bothering us each time we


    decided to walk out on the street.


    The attention that our rtionship gathered had a huge positive impact on thepany¡¯s value,


    completely overshadowing the fact that Lan Diamond Corporation had gotten rid of three major


    executives in one day. Nheless, everyone knew that thepany had dodged the bullet, and that


    kind of luck would nevere twice. To avoid a simr situation happening in the future, the recruitment


    of the new executives was preceded by extremely careful, and not entirely legal research. I let n and


    Norton have fun gathering all sorts of information on our candidates. That allowed us to cut two perverts


    and one drug addict from our head hunter¡¯s list before any interviews began.


    Eventually, the group of candidates was narrowed to two,peting for the same position in the


    company. They all came for the interview from different corners of the world, looking forward to working


    for Aren Lan. It was clear that it was my husband who had to make the final decision, and yet, he insisted


    that I be present at all interviews. I couldn¡¯t understand why it was so important to him, but I agreed.


    Finally, three people were talking with the candidates: Aren, Chris, and I.


    ¡°Does my wife¡¯s presence bother you, Mr. Thomson?¡± Aren asked the first candidate for the Chief


    Operating Officer, who constantly avoided my gaze. ¡°Not at all,¡± he said with a forced smile. ¡°I only don¡¯t


    understand why she is here.¡± His interview started less than five minutes ago, and that guy had already


    managed to make my temple vein throb. He had an outstanding resume, which was probably the reason


    why his words overflowed with arrogance. I had no right to question his project management abilities,


    sending his superior vibes toward me made me want to strangle him. Nevertheless, I forced myself to


    keep my professional indifference and ignore it. Aren decided otherwise.


    ¡°Mrs. Lan is here to test your capabilities, Mr. Thomson. If I were you, I would change my attitude unless


    you don¡¯t value your chance to work for Lan Diamond Corporation,¡± he said curtly


    Mr. Thomson leaned forward in his seat, obviously missing the threat in Aren¡¯s previous words. ¡°Can I be


    honest, Mr. Lan? I would rather talk with people who understand what I am talking about.¡± He chuckled


    before ncing at me. ¡°No offense.¡±


    My lips slowly stretched into a thin smile; my eyes were unable to hide my inner fury. I red at him while


    my fists clenched to the point my knuckles turned white.


    ¡°Honey?¡± Aren gently covered my fist with his hand, as if he was trying to disarm my rage. Well¡­ It


    helped a bit.


    ¡°May I?¡± I asked, curving my mouth into a bright grin.


    Aren chuckled evilly. ¡°Of course.¡±


    I pulled out my tablet and opened every file I had on Mr. Thomas, and then brieflypared it with the


    resume he had given us. ¡°Have you ever run a project concerning cellphone app development?¡± I asked


    him.


    He straightened up in his seat, giving me a cocky look. ¡°Naturally, I did a-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. I¡¯ve just checked, and the projects you¡¯ve mentioned in your resume were actually run by


    someone else,¡± I said, sending him a cold re. ¡°Have you ever supervised any kind of software or


    hardware development that was sessfully released on the market?¡± I kept inquiring while typing the


    information from his resume into my ¡°special¡± search engines.


    He cleared his throat and rolled his eyes at me, trying to diminish the value of my words. ¡°Yes. I was


    supervising the development of a drone¡¯s processor about three years ago, and I was in charge of


    releasing the ¡°Talk-2-me¡¯ app,¡± he tossed nonchntly


    I snorted. ¡°Another lie, Mr. Thomas. I¡¯ve just checked that the app you mentioned was managed by


    someone else, and you weren¡¯t even on the team. Also, the drone¡¯s processor you put in your resume


    has never appeared on the market because the whole project was canceled.¡±


    Mr. Thomas nced at me fearfully, cold sweat flooding his face. ¡°W-where did you get this information?¡±


    I chuckled and wanted to say something, but Aren was first. ¡°I think we¡¯re done here, Mr. Thomas. If you


    apologize to Mrs. Lan now, you may stop her from finding morepromising information about you,¡±


    my husband said icily.


    The man who had been ncing at me with disdain for thest five minutes was ready to kneel before


    me and beg for forgiveness. I had to say that I began to enjoy being in control of the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disrespecting you, Mrs. Lan,¡± Mr. Thomas mumbled, before running out of the room and


    shutting the door behind him.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Chris burst outughing. ¡°Seriously, guys?! I¡¯ve never thought those interviews could be so entertaining!¡±


    Then he winked at me. ¡°It¡¯s good that Cora found that he lied in his resume though¡­¡±


    Aren shrugged. ¡°I would never hire him anyway, and not because of his lies in the resume; I was aware


    that he might have added a few false details to make himself look better. Nheless, I was willing to


    ignore it if he proved to be worth it. Unfortunately, he failed three seconds after he walked through that


    door.¡±


    Chris raised his eyebrows. ¡°Really? He didn¡¯t even introduce himself then.¡±


    ¡°He looked Cora up and down and clicked his tongue. That was when he failed,¡± he stated calmly.


    I nced at him in disbelief. ¡°So, you are going to hire people based on their reaction to me?¡±


    Aren smirked. ¡°Of course, sunshine. What they do not know is that this interview isn¡¯t about what they


    say but how they react to you.¡±


    I red at him. ¡°What am I, a piece of litmus paper?¡±


    He chuckled and kissed my forehead. ¡°You¡¯re the most expensive litmus paper in the entire world.¡±


    Eventually, Aren decided to hire two men who behaved more or less normally in my presence, and


    neither of them showed signs of disrespect. The problem was with the second candidate for the COO,


    Mr. Gemmel, who had given me the kind of interest Aren hadn¡¯t been exactly fond of. The way Mr.


    Gemmel smiled at me answering every question eventually shattered Aren¡¯s poker face, making me stifle


    augh through half of the interview. After Chris and I subtly reminded Aren that Mr. Gemmel was the


    final candidate for this position and, aside from smiling at me, he fit the position perfectly, my husband


    asked us both to leave the room.


    I leaned closer to Aren and whispered, ¡°Are you sure? Chris and I can assist if-¡±


    ¡°Please, do as I said. I want to talk to Mr. Gemmel alone,¡± he said firmly.


    I smiled nervously, but then nodded and walked out with Chris just like Aren wanted us to. I stood in the


    corridor and anxiously stared at the door. A few minutester, Mr. Gemmel walked out of the room with a


    ghostly pale face and a faint smile. He bowed down to me rather than look into my eyes, politely said


    goodbye, and dashed toward the elevator. Aren stepped into the corridor a secondter, a smug smirk


    painting his face. ¡°You didn¡¯t hire him?¡± Chris asked. ¡°I did,¡± Aren said, ¡°I just needed to exin


    something to him, but I think he understood.¡±


    I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°Why do I get the feeling that this conversation was a threat, and it


    was about the way he looked at me?¡±


    Aren reached out his hands and pulled me into a hug, and chuckled. ¡°Noment, sunshine.¡± And that


    basically means I was right.


    As much as I would have liked to scold my husband for his unreasonable jealousy, I didn¡¯t have time to


    argue with him. It was already Thursday, and I was too busy preparing for Friday night and the party


    where I was going to show up wearing the Tian Kong diamond. There were a lot of people who would


    like to get their hands on that gem, and I was going to parade in front of them wearing more than fifty


    million dors worth of bling-bling on my neck. As the week passed, I was more and more anxious, but I


    didn¡¯t realize that I was about to kick the ho¡¯s nest¡­

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    Showtime


    ¡°I eximed, standing in front of the mirror as I was about to put on my evening gown.


    In less than an hour, I was going to walk into the Langham Hotel as Aren¡¯s plus one and drink


    champagne at the party celebrating the 20th anniversary of New Business Journal. Since the journal had


    been known for presenting innovative and emerging technologies, it was certain that the event was going


    to gather everyone in business who wasn¡¯t afraid to look into the future. And since in business, those


    who stay still are already two steps behind, it was obvious that the event would attract everyone who


    counted.


    I took a deep breath and put on a fitted white dress with a V-neckline, deep just enough to expose my


    mesmerizing ne but not overly expose my breasts. The gown was simple yet sexy; it underlined


    my thin waist and wrapped around my curvy hips, and the slit at the front was perfect to show off my legs


    embellished in Jimmy Choo heels. With my eyes emphasized with liner and mascara and my hair tied up


    in a neat bun, I was finally ready to show myself in front of my husband. He watched me walking down


    the stairs, and I could see his grin widen.


    ¡°You easily outshine any diamond,¡± he said, holding the Tian Kong ne.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I chuckled. ¡°I doubt that. I bet that everyone who tries to talk to me is going to stare at my neck instead of


    my eyes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather they stare at your neck than at those two beauties a little lower.¡± He smirked and walked


    toward me to help me put on the ne.


    It felt much heavier than before, but I guessed it was my anxiety that added weight to it.


    ¡°I have something more for you,¡± Aren said, pulling out a small jewelry box from his pocket. There was a


    pair of diamond drop earrings that went perfectly with the ne¡¯s style.


    Once I put them on, I started to feel like a debutante going to her first ball in high society¡­ which


    instantly made me even more restless. My onlyfort was having Aren near me, and I prayed that he


    would save me in case I was about to make myself aplete idiot.


    ¡°God, they won¡¯t expect me to have actual knowledge about business, don¡¯t they?¡± I asked nervously,


    getting into the car.


    Aren burst outughing, ¡°Sunshine, you know a lot about business. I can assure you that everyone is


    going to expect you to know less than you know. There will be a lot of wealthy people there, but don¡¯t


    expect them all to even fully understand what their own business is about. Stop worrying.¡±


    I let out a breathy chuckle and nodded. I tried to repeat Aren¡¯s words inside my head like a mantra, but it


    didn¡¯t help me calm down. I kept tapping the seat with my fingers and nervously correcting the strands of


    my hair. Suddenly, Aren grabbed my chin, turned my face to him, and kissed me hard and passionately.


    He grabbed the back of my neck, preventing me from breaking the kiss, while his other arm slid around


    my waist. He was relentless, his tongue flicking softly then stroking lushly and deep. When he finally


    leaned back with a sly grin, my heart was hammering, my lips werepletely swollen, and my


    restlessness was gone¡­ I felt something else instead.


    ¡°Seriously?!¡± 1 red at him. ¡°Do you have any idea how long I¡¯ve put on that makeup? And


    now my lips are going to look puffy like from bad lip surgery!¡±


    Arenughed. ¡°I like your puffy lips. They look delicious.¡±


    I groaned, turned away from him, and took out my makeup. Fortunately, I managed to cover the signs of


    my husband¡¯s mischievousness before we arrived at the hotel.


    The red carpet outside and the limousines lining up to the entrance proved that we were in the right


    ce. The press was crowding outside, hoping to snap a few pictures of celebrities and the richest


    people in some weird, extravagant, or insanely overpriced outfits. Finally, it was time for us to walk


    across that carpet. Observing that the press showed minor interest in the few couples before us, I


    secretly hoped for the same kind of attitude, but that didn¡¯t happen¡­


    ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± As one of the reporters shouted, the thousands of shes blinded me


    I slid my hand around Aren¡¯s bent elbow and took my first step toward the entrance, trying to ignore the


    flickering light. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t feel intimidated. After my first hesitant step, I walked with confidence,


    curving my lips into a gentle smile.


    ¡°The diamond! Look at the diamond!¡± I heard the loudments and gasps from the photographers and


    then saw Aren¡¯s smirk. By tomorrow, every Aren¡¯s enemy was going to hear the news of me wearing the


    Tian Kong; everyone, including the entire Lan family.


    From the moment we stepped inside the lobby, we were surrounded by people who wanted to greet


    Aren. I noticed that most of those people bowed down to us as if we were royalty. It took me less than a


    minute to figure out that even at a party, the strict rules of hierarchy prevailed, Those at top of the top of


    the food chain dictated who those below could talk to and even who to greet. It was annoying and unfair,


    but it had always been like that. Those people respected me even though they knew nothing about me,


    and it wasn¡¯t strictly because I was Aren¡¯s wife, My pass to the top of the food chain was hanging around


    my neck. It almost seemed like the fact that I was Tian Kong¡¯s owner had suddenly made me noble,


    elegant, and worth talking to It was the first time I truly felt the meaning of the statement that money


    gives power. At that moment, I felt powerful.


    ¡°Aren!¡± I heard a male voice calling as we walked into the ballroom.


    When we turned around, we saw a tall, brown-haired man wearing fancy red-rimmed sses waving at


    us. Once Aren nodded at him, he and a beautiful brte holding his arm walked toward us.


    ¡°Wow¡­ Now, this is the sight to see!¡± the man chuckled as he stopped in front of us. ¡°You actually look


    happy, my friend!¡± He spread my arms wide to hug Aren.


    Aren halted him with his stretched hand, but his mouth curved in a smile ¡°Good to see you too,¡± he said,


    before possessively sliding his hand around my waist. ¡°This is my wife, Cora¡±


    The man in front of me bowed down to me with a huge grin on his lips,


    Aren rolled his eyes at him and turned my way. ¡°This is Alistair Cromwell, the founder of Cromwell


    Robotics, and the lovelydy next to himn is his wife, Olivia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± I said, giving them both a polite smile,


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine.¡± Alistair giggled while his wife stood silently by his side, making me wonder if


    she was mute or didn¡¯t understand English


    ¡°I heard you got a contract with the army. Congrattions, Alistair,¡± Aren said, giving him an


    appreciative nod.


    ¡°Thank you, man. It gives us a great chance to grow as apany. We can finally work on our eco-


    military project,¡± he announced proudly. I raised my eyebrows at him. ¡°Eco-military project?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± he eximed happily. ¡°We are creating green bullets¡ªthe bullets that can dpose within three


    weeks after shooting, causing no harm to the environment!¡±


    I tilted my head to the side, wondering if he was joking. ¡°So, you are looking for a way for people to shoot


    themselves without leaving metal scales and used bullets?¡± ¡°Yes. If they want to shoot themselves, then


    go ahead. Just don¡¯t litter the Earth anymore,¡± he imed, sounding absolutely confident about his idea.


    ¡°I bet that forensics are going to love that idea¡­¡± I muttered, my lips curving into a mocking smirk.


    He frowned. ¡°Why is that?¡± I chuckled nervously, ming my big mouth, but my rationality couldn¡¯t let me


    stay silent.¡± Well, imagine that the bullet is the only proof that can solve the crime and bring the victim¡¯s


    family justice. But if the bullet dposes itself after three weeks, then some of the crimes could never


    be unsolved.¡±


    Suddenly, silence filled our corner of the ballroom. I smiled at Alistair, wondering if my words had


    offended him. Then I heard a soft chuckleing out of Olivia¡¯s mouth. I nced at her, startled. A


    secondter, Alistair burst intoughter and pointed at me. ¡°You are amazing! Great argument! Can I hug


    you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Aren interjected, pulling me slightly behind him. ¡°Oh,e on, man! Just when did you be so


    possessive?¡± Alistair teased, grinning at my husband


    ¡°When I met her,¡± he said without a moment of hesitation.


    I smiled at him, climbed onto my toes, and kissed him on the cheek.


    Alistair sighed dreamily. ¡°Ah¡­ the love of the newlyweds.¡±


    I chuckled and looked at Aren, but it seemed like the word ¡°love¡± strangely took away the smile from his


    face. He released me from his embrace as if he had suddenly turned on his business mode. A cold chill


    ran down my spine as if something ominous had entered the ballroom. I felt an unexinable need to


    leave this ce. I fisted my hands and forced myself


    to smile.


    ¡°I¡­ I need to go to thedies¡¯ room for a moment.¡± I smiled nervously, excusing myself with a brief nod.


    I walked across the ballroom, suddenly realizing that I had no idea where I should look for toilets. I


    entered the nearest corridor and walked, looking at every door and hoping to find the toilets¡¯ sign. One of


    the doors I passed was slightly open, and I noticed there was someone inside. I thought that I would ask


    for a way, but then I heard someone yelling¡­


    ¡°I told you to take care of it, and you can¡¯t even guarantee that it will work?! Remind me what I paid you


    for?!¡±


    I froze, and then my whole body started to tremble. It wasn¡¯t about the words I heard, but the voice- it


    was the voice of the man that had kidnapped me.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    Reckless


    I stood in front of the door of some conference room. My hand froze in the knocking gesture, an inch


    away from the door¡¯s surface. I could just act like an idiot and open the door just to see that guy¡¯s face,


    but all of my instincts were telling me to run the hell away from there. My heart thundered as I wondered


    if I should take a gamble and face the person who wanted Aren and me dead. Finally, instead of barging


    inside, I leaned against the wall right by the door crack and tried to hear more¡­


    ¡°I cannot guarantee that this method will work in this specific situation.¡± I heard another voiceing


    from that room. The voice seemed calm and much softer than the voice of my kidnapper. ¡°What we can


    be certain of is that the suggestion will stay engraved inside that man¡¯s mind, and he will react to the


    keywords in a certain way.¡±


    ¡°What way?!¡± my kidnapper roared. ¡°The whole mission is useless if we cannot even lead him the way


    we want to!¡±


    Whatever it was that they were nning, it couldn¡¯t be anything good. They mentioned keywords and


    suggestions like they were nning to manipte or brainwash someone¡­ But who, and what for?


    Suddenly, I heard the heavy footsteps of several people walking through the corridor. I had no idea who


    they might be, but my brain screamed danger. I started running further along the long and spacious


    corridor, hearing the footsteps getting closer. It sounded like those people were just around the corner,


    leaving me a few seconds at most to hide.


    ¡°¡®Think, Cora! Think!¡± I tried to motivate my brain to fight against the increasing panic. All of a sudden, I


    noticed a closet room a little further away, on the opposite side of the room


    per was. I lurched at the door, praying that it would be open. I jerked the door handle but with no effect.


    The sound of the footsteps was getting more and more vivid; it was my only chance. As I rammed the


    door with all the strength that I had, I somehow forced it open. Thankful for the instant rush of adrenalin, I


    jumped inside the tiny space between the brooms and mops and closed the door, leaving only a small


    gap to glimpse through.


    A secondter, I saw five men in ck suits walking through the corridor. They resembled bodyguards.


    Was I acting like a lunatic? There could be many people at this party who had brought their own security.


    Perhaps assuming that they were dangerous was a bit too farfetched. Then I started to think how idiotic


    a girl with a fifty-million dor diamond on her neck hiding in a broom closet looked¡­ While I inwardly


    mocked myself, those five men walked closer and then stopped in front of the door where my kidnapper


    was. I gulped as I discovered that my assumptions were rather correct. One man from the group stepped


    forward. He was shorter than the rest but had the most intimidating aura. He had short ck hair, and his


    posture was terrifyingly familiar. I didn¡¯t have to see his face to recognize him.


    ¡°Max¡­¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    I was certain that it was him. The man who had almost killed me and who had caused Aren to fall into a


    coma was alive. The rest of the men stepped aside as if they feared him. Max gave a single knock on the


    door and walked into the room almost right away; the rest of the men followed him, closing the door


    behind them.


    I stayed inside the closet, trying to steady my breath and prevent myself from having a panic


    attack. My whole body trembled as I was afraid to make a single step out into the corridor, terrified to get


    caught by someone from Max¡¯s men.


    I took a series of deep breaths, calming my mind enough to think about what I had just witnessed. It


    became clear that Max was either working for my kidnapper or working with him. It meant that the man


    who kidnapped me and Mr. C. could be the same person. I found myself in the perfect ce and time to


    find all the proofs we were looking for, but instead of eavesdropping on their conversation, I was sitting in


    the damn broom closet!


    ¡°No, Cora. You shouldn¡¯t act recklessly. You are no superwoman, and you should use your brain instead


    of muscles¡­. which you don¡¯t possess,¡± I voiced out my rational arguments.


    Nheless, I couldn¡¯t just sit there and waste this opportunity. I took the phone out of my purse and


    called Aren, marking that as an act of wisdom, but his phone was out of reach.


    ¡°Seriously?!¡± I muttered angrily, staring at the phone, which kept losing reception. It looked like I was out


    of cautious ideas. I took another deep breath, leaned my head out into the corridor, and walked out after I


    found it empty. I took a few quiet steps closer to the room where Max and my kidnapper were and leaned


    my ear against the door. It wasn¡¯t long before I heard the harsh sound of the kidnapper¡¯s voice¡­


    ¡°Listen to me, you little shithead. I¡¯m seriously tired of hearing about this fucking great n when it would


    be so much easier to just kill him.¡±


    ¡°May I remind you that thest time you tried that, you not only failed miserably, but we had to clean up


    the mess you left behind,¡± Max hissed. ¡°You are lucky that the old Winton is wise enough not to talk;


    otherwise, you¡¯d be in deep shit already.¡±


    I mped my mouth with my hand, preventing myself from making a sound. They were talking about


    Aren and the situation with my kidnapping. But what about the old Winton that Max mentioned? Was he


    talking about James or Augustus? Did the Wintons know about this man who kidnapped me, or Max, or


    Mr. C.? Did the Wintons know from the beginning that those people wanted to kill me and Aren?!


    ¡°I did my part. I¡¯m not taking orders from him anymore. You can tell him that, shithead.¡± It sounded like


    the one who wanted Aren dead could barely contain his rage.


    Max giggled, ¡°Do you have a death wish, Haskett? y nice or you will end up just like that dumb Winton


    did.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Haskett? Was that my kidnapper¡¯s name? I knew that standing by that door was reckless, but we needed


    to at least find out who our enemies were.


    ¡°Are you threatening me, shithead?! If this n of yours doesn¡¯t work, we are done!¡± my kidnapper


    snapped. ¡°And what about that bitch? Does she even know what to do?¡± he asked in a mocking tone.


    ¡°You need to worry only about your part of the deal, Haskett. We¡¯ve sent you our best specialists. Make


    use of them and bring that fucker¡¯s little kingdom down,¡± Max replied curtly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough for me. He needs to pay for what he has done to my sister. I want him dead.


    ¡°Haskett¡¯s low growl sent shivers down my spine.


    Who were they talking about?! What kind of specialists?! What did Aren have to do with Haskett¡¯s


    sister?! My heart almost burst out of my chest while I listened to those men inside nning to hurt my


    husband and destroy his business. I felt helpless and terrified. My


    instincts kept telling me that I needed to get out of there, but the pieces of information I¡¯d just heard


    weren¡¯t telling me anything about their n.


    ¡°You will do what Mr. C. wants. Got that? Now, go out there and socialize. We put too much money into


    yourpany. You need to make it worth it,¡± Max chuckled, his steps sounding louder as if he was


    walking toward the door.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered under my breath and started running back to the ballroom.


    I had barely run around the corner when I heard the sound of the opening door behind me. I prayed that


    no one would notice me. I kept running until I found myself among the crowd of people. ¡°Aren!¡± I called


    out, my eyes desperately looking for my husband.


    About a hundred people stood thereughing and drinking champagne. I ran to the middle of the


    ballroom but couldn¡¯t see Aren anywhere. I couldn¡¯t see stair and his wife either. I started running


    from side to side without any luck. I ran out in front of the hotel, wondering if he hadn¡¯t gone outside to


    grab some air, but there was no one there. Shivering in anxiety, I pulled out my phone and tried my luck


    calling my husband. As the waiting signal beeped, I heard the phone¡¯s buzzing sound at the same time.


    Was Aren somewhere near me? I turned around, followed the source of the sound, and then looked


    down at the ground to find Aren¡¯s phone. I picked it up with my trembling hand.


    ¡°Aren?!¡± I called out before covering my mouth with my hand to silence my weeping. ¡°Oh, my God¡­


    Have those bastards done something to him?!¡±

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110


    Theory I was looking at Aren¡¯s phone screen with my picture disyed in the caller ID¡¯s ce and signed


    ¡°My Wife¡± right below the photo. What was his phone doing here? Did someone lure him outside the


    hotel and then abduct him, making him drop his phone? I knew that Aren knew how to fight, but he


    wasn¡¯t invincible¡­ What if those who attacked Aren were Max and his men?! What if they beat him up


    and locked him somewhere?! They could have done it before meeting with Haskett!


    My restless mind quickly became filled with conspiracy theories and the darkest possible scenarios. I


    ced my hand on my chest and rubbed it, trying to soothe my frantically pounding heart. As I slightly


    regainedposure, I looked around and then up, and noticed that I was standing right under the


    terrace. Could the phone fall by ident and not crash because it fell on the carpet? It was possible, but


    what would Aren do on that terrace in the first ce? And where the hell was he?!


    All those questions had only increased my anxiety. I felt absolutely helpless. I put Aren¡¯s phone into my


    purse and called Neil..


    ¡°Neil¡­ I can¡¯t find Aren¡­ I went to look for a toilet, but instead, I overheard my kidnapper¡¯s voice and


    listened to his conversation with the man who caused Aren¡¯s ident. I ran back to the ballroom, and I


    couldn¡¯t find Aren anywhere, and now I¡¯ve just found his phone¡­¡± I whimpered. ¡°Calm down, Mrs. Lan,¡±


    he said, slightly yawning. ¡°He has an emergency tracker inside his watch. I can tell you where he is in a


    moment.¡±


    10


    ¡°OK,¡± I mumbled, trembling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I am disturbing your free time¡­¡± Neil sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I


    basically don¡¯t have a private life anyway.¡± Then I heard Neil typing something on theputer. ¡°He must


    be someone in the ballroom. Maybe you just missed him? I bet there are a lot of guys in ck tuxedos


    inside¡­¡± I heard that he was trying tofort me, but my mind had already painted a vision of Aren


    losing his watch as well.


    ¡°Could you be a little more specific? Could you tell me the direction? How should I find him?¡± I mumbled


    frantically.


    ¡°No, but I will send him your coordinates. Stay where you are, and wait. And don¡¯t worry,¡± Neil said,


    sounding like my panic was a highly unnecessary reaction.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll wait,¡± I muttered reluctantly.


    I hated waiting. The dark visions kept poisoning my mind, and I was on the verge of bursting into tears. It


    was a warm night, but I trembled as if I was freezing. I knew that I could only get back to my senses after


    I saw Aren alive and unharmed.


    ¡°Hey, Cindere. Do you want to escape from the ball?¡± Aren¡¯s voice disarmed the tension within me.


    I turned around and threw my arms around his neck, pulling him close. He was surprised by my reaction


    but quickly wrapped his hands around my waist.


    ¡°You¡¯re shivering¡­¡± His embrace tightened up as he realized what kind of mental state I was in. ¡°I was


    looking for you. I came by thedies¡¯ room and waited, but you weren¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find it¡­ I must have taken a wrong turn in the corridor¡­¡± I mumbled, findingfort in his


    touch.


    He chuckled softly, stroking my hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I lost my phone, and¡ª¡± ¡°I found your


    phone lying on the ground¡­ here.¡± I pointed at the spot where I picked it up.


    He sighed. ¡°I followed someone and went out to the terrace. Then some drunken woman bumped into


    me as I was trying to make a call. She knocked the phone out of my hand. I was going to look for the


    phone, but I wanted to find you first. When I waited for you, I got the emergency message from Neil.¡±


    I leaned back to see his face. His expression was calm, a faint, warm smile curving his lips as he looked


    at me. ¡°I was so worried when I couldn¡¯t find you¡­¡± I muttered, struggling not to burst into tears. ¡°When I


    was walking through the corridor, I heard the voice of the guy who kidnapped me and nned your


    assassination at the warehouse. Then I heard someoneing, and when I hid, I saw that guy from the


    Red Hook Terminal, Max¡­¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Aren narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°You saw Max?! Where?! Is he inside the ballroom?!¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think he was nning to show his face there. He knew that you could have


    recognized him right away.¡± ¡°Then what about that other guy? Did you see his face?¡± he asked,


    nervously grabbing my shoulders.


    ¡°No, I only heard his name. I know he owns apany, and Mr. C. is his investor. Max called that guy


    Haskett,¡± I said.


    ¡°Haskett? I don¡¯t know anyone with that name,¡± Aren wondered aloud. ¡°They were nning something


    big, something to harm you and Lan Diamond Corporation. We have to find out who they are. The things


    they were saying, and¡­¡± I paused as I realized something. ¡°Aren, I don¡¯t think that this situation with you


    losing your phone was an ident.


    Aren raised his eyebrows at me. ¡°What are you saying? Do you think it was staged?¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°You said that you were following someone¡­ Who were you following?¡± I asked, already assuming what


    kind of answer I would hear.


    Aren gave me a wry smile. ¡°Lanfen. I thought I saw Lanfen, and I went after her to the terrace. Then I


    heard¡­ something, and I knew I had to call Chris. I pulled out my phone and -¡±


    ¡°What did you hear?¡± I pushed him to find something to prove my theory.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Cora,¡± he retorted angrily. ¡°What is your point?¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Those guys


    mentioned something about keywords and maniption¡­¡± ¡°Do you think that I was brainwashed?!¡± he


    snapped, adding strength to his grip on my shoulders. ¡°Do you know how ridiculous it sounds?!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± I frowned and pushed him away from me. ¡°But¡­ there¡¯s something I didn¡¯t tell you before¡­ Or


    rather, we didn¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s about Lanfen¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are we?¡± Aren¡¯s eyes on me darkened.


    ¡°Jack, Chris, and I,¡± I mumbled as I lowered my head.


    I could see Aren¡¯s jaw tense as he tried to contain his anger. ¡°Call them, and tell them to get their asses


    to the penthouse, now.¡±


    I nodded and quickly made the calls, but truthfully, I was angry and hurt. I was worried like crazy about


    him, and he called my theory ridiculous. Jack had also called my assumptions paranoic, but everything


    inside me was telling me that I was right. Was I getting carried away every time when it was about Aren?


    Perhaps I was, but I knew what I heard, and even without saying the name, I knew that Haskett¡¯s and


    Max¡¯s n was about Aren.


    Once I gave Aren his phone back, he called Marcus to take us back to the penthouse. It looked like


    Cindere¡¯s ball was over way before midnight. Aren seemed to be mad at me, even more than at Jack


    and Chris. The first thing he did as he walked inside the penthouse was take out a bottle of scotch, pour


    himself a ss, and drink it in one go. He didn¡¯t even spare me a nce; he only scoffed as if I had done


    something worthy of his disdain.


    from you¡­ or because it¡¯s about Lanfen?¡± I


    ¡°Are you mad because I have hidden som hissed, tired of his righteous attitude.


    He red at me and poured himself another ss. ¡°Cora, don¡¯t think that you know better just because I


    was in a damna for three weeks.¡±


    I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°Truthfully, there was so much going on in yourpany that I thought


    that the information about your ex doing a secret agent stunt just to see you in the clinic could wait.¡±


    Aren put down his ss and locked his eyes on me. ¡°What did she do?¡± ¡°She most likely came with a


    group of professionals. They killed three guards standing by your door, two nurses, and a doctor. I know


    that she didn¡¯t do it herself, but someone made a lot of effort to let her get inside your room.¡± I smirked


    and leaned closer to him. ¡°Now, tell me. Do you still think that my theory is ridiculous?¡±

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111


    Our fight The frown painting Aren¡¯s face deepened. He kept staring at me as if he was fighting an inner


    battle about whether to ept my assumptions or not. His expression made me even angrier at him than


    I was before. Was it so hard to believe that the woman who hurt him so badly before was now


    coborating with his enemies?


    A minuteter, Chris and Jack walked into the hall. I saw they were trying to read the situation; smiles


    vanished from their faces as they registered Aren standing by the bar with a whiskey ss and me sitting


    on the sofa with my arms crossed. Jack nced at me, questionably raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered his inward question. ¡°Aren is pissed because we didn¡¯t inform him that his ex visited


    him in the clinic as soon as he woke up.¡±


    Aren rolled his eyes at my sarcastic remark. ¡°It¡¯s not about Lanfen, for Christ¡¯s sake!¡± he growled.


    I jumped up to my feet. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry that I thought that I shouldn¡¯t stress you out! I¡¯m sorry that I was


    worried about you!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to worry about my health! I told you before that I am fucking fine!¡± he roared icily,


    making me flinch.


    I felt as if something had crushed my ribcage and forced the air out of my lungs. A bitter smile curved my


    lips as I looked deep into his angry dark eyes. ¡°I think I will go and get some rest. You boys have a nice


    talk,¡± I said softly before heading upstairs. ¡°Cora¡­¡± I heard Aren¡¯s still annoyed tone behind my back. I


    stopped for a second, but no words followed.


    I went to my bedroom, leaving a gap in my door to eavesdrop on Aren¡¯s conversation with Chris and


    Jack, but I heard nothing. I moved quietly to the dressing table, took off the diamond earrings, and


    unsped the ne before slowly putting it back in the box,


    ¡°You should treat your wife better.¡± Jack¡¯s voice broke the silence. ¡°She was devastated when you were


    in aa, and the way she managed to handle everything¡­¡± ¡°I know how strong she is,¡± Aren said.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s the whole point; she is not as strong as you think,¡± Chris retorted firmly. ¡°Keep bending her,


    and she will break.¡±


    ¡°She knows that I didn¡¯t mean what I said,¡± Aren argued.


    ¡°Does she now?¡± Chris chuckled coldly.


    ¡°She knows me.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that you hurt her.¡± Chris sounded like he was pissed.


    Both jack and Chris were ready to lecture Aren for my sake, and I was grateful for that, but listening to


    them and Aren¡¯s responses only made my heart ache more. I stepped softly to the door and closed the


    gap, not wanting to hear another word.


    I was supposed to tell all of them what had happened at the hotel and everything that I had heard, but I


    couldn¡¯t, not in my current state. I had just realized one devastating fact about my


    heart: my love was making me weaker instead of stronger, and it was never supposed to be like that.


    After Can, I promised myself never to follow the same pattern again, but I had broken that promise.


    Aren said that he would take responsibility for making me fall in love with him, but if he was going to


    simply keep me by his side without loving me in return, then he would only grant me torture.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    What hurt me even more was that I knew that Aren was capable of loving; I knew that the emotions he


    had for Lanfen were genuine. That was also why everything with Lanfen¡¯s name on it rmed me, and it


    infuriated me that Aren didn¡¯t seem to see the danger. Was it because he secretly wanted her to return?


    I took off my beautiful evening gown and marched into the bathroom. My previous anger was giving way


    to numbness. I was physically and emotionally tired. Perhaps Aren was a lost cause, and I should never


    have invested my feelings in him. Too bad that I could no longer withdraw my full advance payment¡­


    I didn¡¯t feel like wearing anything to bed. I just threw away my towel and slid under the sheets naked. I


    thought that I was going to toss and turn for hours, but my brain was clearly looking for a way to shut


    down for quite a while. I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.


    Suddenly, I felt Aren¡¯s scent sneaking into my sleep. It felt as pleasant as always, and yet sadness was


    attached to it. My chest hurt. My hand instinctively moved to find and rub the aching spot, but someone


    grabbed my hand and kissed it. Realizing that it wasn¡¯t part of my dream, I opened my eyes and saw


    Aren sitting on my bed, his hand gently stroking my hair. I frowned at him, not conscious enough to shout


    or curse him.


    ¡°Good morning, beautiful.¡± His sorrowful tone startled me.


    I briefly nced at all sides of my bed. I was carefully cocooned in sheets while my hair strandsy


    messed up all around the pillow. There certainly wasn¡¯t anything beautiful about me. Normally, I would


    respond to his greeting, but I was in the middle of an inward debate


    about whether I should or shouldn¡¯t give him a few silent days. I looked at him cautiously; he was still


    holding my hand, brushing it delicately with his thumb. His mouth betrayed a hint of a hesitant smile, but


    his eyes were filled with an odd pain. ¡°I screwed up, didn¡¯t I?¡± he said, one side of his lips curling up.


    ¡°Yes, you did,¡± I muttered, turning my head away from him. His hand rushed to cup my chin as he gently


    turned my head back to face him. ¡°I will probably hurt you again and again because there are too many


    things inside me that need fixing. I know what I promised you, but there is just too much to deal with, too


    many enemies lurking around us. I¡¯m not going to lie- it is easier to lock in my emotions while handling


    problems.¡±


    I felt as if something had sucked all the air from the room. Each one of his words left a tiny cut on me,


    and I knew that he was yet to say the most painful words¡­


    ¡°I know that it isn¡¯t fair to you, but I cannot give you what you want right now, and I cannot open up the


    way you want me to. I know how much I owe you, and the more I feel like the worst bastard that I have to


    ask you for this¡­¡± he paused to brush the hair strands off my face.


    I grabbed his hand before he touched me. ¡°Just say it,¡± I squeezed through my throat.


    ¡°Grandfather Lan Jing is having his eightieth birthday party in ten days. I¡¯ve just received an invitation for


    me and my wife. I need to go there so that he could officially recognize me as his grandson and give me


    the Lan Wang Corporation shares. I need to show up there with a loving


    wife by my side, that was his condition¡­¡±


    The air I inhaled seemed to be burning inside my lungs. I barely resisted my need to scream and formed


    a painful smile instead. ¡°So, you are aware that I might have some emotions for you, ones you can¡¯t


    reciprocate¡­ And now you are asking me to y a loving wife in front of your Chinese family¡­¡± I


    breathed out, leaving thest note barely audible.


    Aren took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I will never have any feelings for you because you have


    changed me; you touched something within me like no one before. But I can¡¯t allow myself to explore


    that part of myself, and I can¡¯t force you to wait. That is why I will give you an option to terminate our


    contract. As long as youe with me to China and I get what I want, we can end our rtionship in two


    months. During those two months, we can live separately and remain married only on paper. Of course,


    Tian Kong is yours, and I will also pay for your grandmother¡¯s medical procedure as I promised.¡± I stared


    at him, feeling as if I had been ripped open, and my hardly beating heart had been exposed in front of


    him. ¡°Is that what you want?¡± I mumbled, ¡°Do you want us to end this¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you an option. I¡¯m~¡±. ¡°DO YOU want to end our rtionship?¡± I asked again, louder. His eyes


    scanned my face carefully before he said, ¡°No. I don¡¯t ever want to lose you.¡± I exhaled the breath I never


    knew I was holding. As I did, my eyes released wide streams of tears. ¡°So why don¡¯t you apologize for


    acting like a total jerk and fucking kiss me?!¡± He gave a softugh and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being a


    jerk and hurting you, sunshine,¡± before sensually iming my lips..


    Sca

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112


    Suspicions Did I know what I was signing for? Most likely, no. Had I imagined a life without Aren?


    Definitely not. Was it insane? Absolutely, yes. Certainly, it didn¡¯t mean that I was willing to forget the way


    Aren acted in front of me, but I was giving him another chance. No, scratch that ¨C I was giving us a


    chance. Was it a rational thing to do? No, it surely wasn¡¯t. I was painfully aware that it had nothing to do


    with having a forgiving heart, but more with my current inability to give up on him. Call me foolish and


    masochistic, but perhaps I wasn¡¯t ready to leave him and still hoped that he wouldn¡¯t screw up again¡­


    The consolidating fact was that he felt guilty as if he was genuinely honest when he imed that he


    didn¡¯t want me to leave him. Again, was I interpreting his behavior in a way it could ease my mind? Of


    course, I was, but it didn¡¯t mean that I was doing something wrong, right? I was walking on cloud no. 9


    whenever he held my hand, and believe me, it¡¯s hard to make logical decisions while you are inside your


    freaking pink paradise. It turned out that after Jack and Chris had given Aren an hour-long lecture, they


    finally told him everything they knew about that night of the attack at the clinic. That made Aren admit


    that the fact that he saw someone confusingly resembling Lanfen at the party could not be a


    coincidence. They were all in agreement that we needed to meet and discuss everything I had seen and


    heard in the hotel.


    I guess they had to be more than eager to hear my story since it was Saturday morning and Aren and I


    were going to meet at Jack¡¯s ce in Brooklyn. When we arrived, Chris was already inside, drinking


    coffee while sitting on the sofa in Jack¡¯s hall-sh-dining room, which opened up to a small kitchen


    space. It was obvious that a single man lived there. There were no flowers or warm essories, and


    most of the floor in the apartment was filled with boxes of documents.


    ¡°Come inside,¡± Jack invited us, grinning. ¡°Mi casa es su casa-make yourself at home.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jack,¡± I said, entering first and sitting on the sofa next to Chris.


    I could see that Aren¡¯s jaw tensed as I sat next to his friend, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He just followed


    me to the three-piece suite and sat in an armchair next to the sofa.


    Jack narrowed his eyes at us. ¡°Are you guys still fighting?¡± ¡°No,¡± I replied, smirking. ¡°But forgiving doesn¡¯t


    mean forgetting.¡± Chris barely stifled augh, seeing that Aren was having a hard time swallowing the


    bitter pill. Jack decided not to fuel the fire and darted to the kitchen area to make us all a cup of coffee.


    As soon as the source of caffeine had been fairly distributed, Chris straightened up in his seat and


    locked his eyes on me. ¡°So, Cora, why don¡¯t you tell us what happened yesterday?¡± I put down my empty


    coffee cup on the table and took a deep breath. ¡°First, let me tell you the most important part: Max is


    alive and well, and the guy who kidnapped me and wanted Aren


    dead coborates with Mr. C.¡±


    Chris cursed and ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°I seriously wish for this fucker to end up dead in the


    depths of the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen his face?¡± Aren asked me with a smug smirk.


    ¡°No, I saw only the back of his head. Why?¡±


    ¡°I made a nasty cut on his face with a wire I grabbed when we struggled under the water. Then the


    current threw us away on the rocks. That¡¯s when I hit my head.¡± he exined.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Jack clicked his tongue. ¡°Bastards are always immune to dying, aren¡¯t they? I bet that the fucker didn¡¯t


    spend hisst weeks in aa.¡±


    ¡°Well, he sounded as annoying as before, so I guess he didn¡¯t, but he wasn¡¯t the main problem, ¡± I said


    with a crooked smile. ¡°Those guys are nning something big, and they aim to bring down Aren and the


    wholepany¡­¡± I told them about everything I heard, trying not to skip anything since everything could


    be important at some point. When I finished, Chris leaned forward, frowning. ¡°What was that guy¡¯s


    name again?¡± he asked, ncing at me. ¡°Haskett,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It sounds familiar, but I can¡¯t find where I¡¯ve heard it.¡± He sighed and scratched his head.


    ¡°I do not recall anypany owner with that name.¡± Aren shook his head before looking at me. ¡°Are you


    sure that you heard it right?¡±


    I red at him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. Max repeated the name a few times, but he was oddly emphasizing it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not a real name but a nickname?¡± Jack suggested.


    ¡°It could be,¡± Aren agreed. ¡°I keep good track of the recent yers on the market, and I¡¯m sure that


    there¡¯s no Haskett among them.¡± A sound of frustration left my throat. ¡°Great¡­ Just when I thought that I


    had found something useful¡­¡±


    Jack gave me a warm smile. ¡°Don¡¯t think that way. At least we know that this guy owns apany, and


    he is most likely Aren¡¯s businesspetitor. We also know that those guys are working together.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a big constion, but it was something. Our meeting with Chris and Jack also brought


    something else: I forced Aren to agree to my further training with Chris and Jack. I knew that he wouldn¡¯t


    say no after the way he had messed up the night before, but I also couldn¡¯t miss his warning re at


    Chris, telling him to minimize the physical contact during our sessions


    When we left Jack¡¯s apartment, I couldn¡¯t help the feeling that we were missing something important. A


    weird kind of anxiety flooded me when Aren and I were on our way back to the penthouse


    ¡°Um


    could we go to thepany?¡± I finally asked.


    Aren raised his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s Saturday. Why would you want to go there?


    ¡°I just I need to check something.¡± I smiled nervously. I couldn¡¯t exin why, but I felt that I had to be


    there


    Aren sighed. ¡°Fine We¡¯ll go to thepany.¡±


    I went to the office I shared with n and Norton, while Aren decided to make up for what he


    missed when he was in aa, working in his office upstairs. Strangely, I was less restless as soon as I


    sat alone in front of myputer. As I logged into thepany¡¯s system, I finally felt that I was in


    control. I¡¯d been out of myfort zone for so long that entering my security software felt like the most


    soothing and rxing thing I¡¯d been doing in weeks. Researching all possible Hasketts was the first thing


    I did. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a verymon name so I initially thought that this task wouldn¡¯t be that hard,


    but not knowing the first name made the research nearly impossible. I groaned angrily, having zero


    probable matches after two hours of searching the. Moreover, I couldn¡¯t find any Haskett that owned


    apany that could possiblypete against Lan Diamond Corporation.


    ¡°Maybe it was only a nickname¡­¡± I muttered, discouraged while staring at the screen.


    The fact that I couldn¡¯t find anything about my kidnapper filled me with a new kind of frustration. I was


    angry at myself, thinking that I could have used my opportunity better. I should have slipped my hand


    with a phone through that crack in the door and snapped a few photos. If I had at least a partial image, I


    could have found him using the right kind of browser in no time.


    Then I remembered that those people were also nning to attack Aren¡¯spany. I couldn¡¯t tell what


    kind of attack it would be, but I knew that we couldn¡¯t afford to lower our guards for even a second. To


    ease my newly developed paranoia, I made a few adjustments to the system as a precaution. Of course,


    I didn¡¯t have to wait for n and Norton¡¯s reactions as they were the main parts of those adjustments.


    They both called me on the video chat almost simultaneously.


    ¡°Mind telling, why have you just plugged our privateputers into Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s system


    and given us administrator rights?¡± n asked, raising one eyebrow. ¡°Guys, I know that it is the


    weekend, but I have a feeling that something¡¯s up. Remember the bait we set for the hackers some time


    ago? No one has made a move since then, but ording to the rumors we spread, the game should be


    almost finished by now, and ready to steal or corrupt. Please, just don¡¯t turn off your notifications¡­ Could


    you do it for me, please?¡± I smiled nervously and blinked my eyes.


    ¡°Cora is right. The weekend might be a good time to attack. We should stay prepared.¡± Norton nodded,


    raising his fighter¡¯s fist to the screen.


    n sighed. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, Cora¡­ I have a date tonight.¡±


    I smirked. ¡°That means you¡¯ll be online anyway, and in case something happens, your otome princesses


    can wait.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I wasn¡¯t talking about otome games!¡± n growled. I chuckled. ¡°Oh, so you switched to porn?¡±


    Norton corrected, ¡°Actually, he now ys porn otome.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± n snapped. ¡°I won¡¯t turn off the


    notifications! Happy?!¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I gave them both a wide grin.


    I felt a little better after tightening the system¡¯s security, but I couldn¡¯t get rid of my anxiety. Even after


    Aren and I got back to the penthouse, my mind constantly drifted away as I processed all the possible


    scenarios. I acted ording to my instincts and far-fetched assumptions, wondering if I wasn¡¯t losing my


    mind while trying to figure out what was going


    to happen next. I didn¡¯t even want to tell Aren about my suspicions. Knowing how he had reacted when I


    told him about Lanfen, I wasn¡¯t too eager to share another one of my theories with him. After supper, I


    indifferently tossed that I was tired, and I went upstairs to my bedroom. I checked the entire system twice


    and finally fell asleep. The sharp beeping sound woke me up at 3 AM.


    ¡°A breach in the system¡­¡± I mumbled half-conscious, getting up and pulling theputer onto myp.


    As I pulled up the screen, it shed in a fiery red. The hacker had just attacked.

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113


    Cyber-fight I was sitting, wrapped in bedsheets, with my back leaning against the head of the bed and


    theptop on my thighs. I put on my earphone headset and instantly connected with n and Norton.


    They had been woken up by the same rm and had already logged on when I called them on chat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything for now. We need to observe this bastard¡¯s moves and find the right moment to put


    the tracker on him,¡± I said, typingmands like crazy and struggling not to lose him.


    ¡°I see that fucker!¡± n burst through my earphones. ¡°He is going to the bait and trying to open the new


    projects¡¯ folder.¡±


    ¡°What kind of a password do we have there?¡± I asked since Norton and n were the ones who had


    prepared the bait folder.


    ¡°It¡¯s a standard password with small and capital letters, two digits, and a special sign. We thought that


    the hacker would be suspicious if the ess was too easy,¡± Norton replied.¡± If it¡¯s the same hacker


    who broke into the system before, then he is good enough to break the code quickly. It should take him


    approximately three to five minutes to break the code.¡±


    I looked at the clock. The hacker had been inside the system for only a few minutes, but it didn¡¯t seem as


    if he was running around blindly. I had a feeling that he had known exactly what he was looking for and


    where to find it.


    ¡°We should record his movements as proof,¡± I said, looking at themand windows that the hacker


    kept opening and closing.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I hated that we needed to wait for his move. This bastard could nt us a bug or a nasty virus, but we


    could only crush him after we knew what he or she was after. All three of us impatiently stared at the


    screen, watching the jerk struggling to get ess to our false folder. ¡°We have another breach!¡± n


    shouted. ¡°He is trying to get into the ount books!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s two of them?!¡± I called out, realizing that our once steady situation had just be more


    dangerous.


    ¡°There are three intruders actually¡­¡± Norton revised.


    ¡°¡±Three?!¡± It was clear that we had underestimated our enemies, but there was no time to panic. I had an


    amazing team, and those hackers walked into our territory. ¡°Split the screen into three. I will monitor the


    first hacker. n, keep an eye on the one who tries to check thepany¡¯s finances, and Norton, you


    will observe the third one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± n chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Norton confirmed.


    The first hacker had just managed to crack our password. I nervously tapped on theptop¡¯s case,


    watching our intruder copy the files from the bait folder called ¡°Golden Dragon City 2¡± before deleting


    them from our system.


    ¡°What¡¯s your n now, little one?¡± I muttered, staring at the hacker¡¯s movements on the


    screen.


    Our game was risky: we needed to stay as silent watchers before we knew exactly what those bastards


    were doing. Then we were going to trigger an rm to scare them while shutting all exits and leaving


    only one route of escape-through the gate where they would all be given a secret tracker. We needed


    them to walk in and out, giving n¡¯s special tracking program time to analyze their trail. The problem


    was that our perfect n could easily fail if they tried to infect the system, which was quite likely to


    happen¡­


    ¡°My intruder is trying to copy personal files. Should I stop him?¡± Norton asked,


    ¡°Wait one more minute, Norton,¡± I said, keeping my focus on the screen. ¡°n, is it likely for your intruder


    to get ess to the financial files?¡±


    ¡°Nah, he would have to spend all day. We used the best type of coding on those files,¡± he replied


    boastfully.


    I sighed, slightly relieved. ¡°All right. We have the evidence we needed. Time to trigger the


    ¡°Fuck!¡± n yelled. ¡°That fucker gave up on unlocking the files and dropped the virus instead!


    ¡°Norton, the rm, now!¡± I shouted, trying to find and stop the malicious software from spreading


    ¡°Do you need help with the virus?¡± Norton asked as he turned on the rm.


    ¡°No, I will deal with it myself. Make those jerks escape through our gate. Stick to the n,¡± Imanded


    firmly.


    We spent the next few minutes without saying a single word; all of us were absolutely focused on the


    task at hand, typing thousands ofmands at the speed of light. I clenched my teeth, my fingers


    fiercely flexing and pressing theputer keyboard as I crushed the virus kilobyte by kilobyte.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I screamed in ecstasy when I finally cleaned the system of any traces of the virus.


    ¡°We did it!¡± I heard Norton exim, confirming that those bastards had sessfully entered our trap


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t mess with us, fuckers!¡± n roared, making me chuckle.


    ¡°Thank you, guys¡­¡± I panted through the microphone. ¡°We¡¯ve got what we wanted. Let¡¯s take a rest now,


    and we¡¯ll track them back in the morning.¡±


    I took off my headphones, breathing heavily but grinning like a little kid. Only then did I realize my


    bedroom door was open and wearing nothing but pajama pants Aren stood on the threshold, leaning on


    one side of the door frame.


    Iughed nervously. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    He smirked. ¡°Yes, you did.¡±


    My lips curved into an awkward smile. ¡°How long have you been standing here?¡±


    ¡°Long enough to start questioning whether I satisfy you in bed properly¡­¡± He chuckled, stepping closer


    and sitting on my bed. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s moreplicated since my wife has just climaxed while fighting


    cybercrime¡­¡±


    I blushed and pouted my lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t climax. It was apletely different type of excitement.


    He shot me a sly grin. ¡°Let me check if you are wet, just to be sure.¡± His hand slid under my sheets,


    finding my thigh.


    ¡°No!¡± I blocked his hand, surprising myself with my reaction.


    He raised his eyebrows, probably even more surprised than I was. I lowered my head, suddenly


    comprehending my impulses. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ Aren, I can¡¯t keep falling down the rabbit hole¡­ alone. Whenever


    I¡¯m with you, I fall deeper, and you¡­¡± I raised my head and looked at him with a sad smile. ¡°You don¡¯t


    even know if you want to jump there with


    me.¡±


    Guilt and sorrow filled his expression. ¡°I want to, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I finished his thought. ¡°I know that, and I wanted to wait for you, but how can I do that if I don¡¯t


    feel like you¡¯re trying?¡± Aren took a deep breath and locked his eyes on me. ¡°Wait after Lan Jing¡¯s


    birthday. Can you wait until then?¡±


    ¡°Wait for what, Aren? And how many days after are we talking about?¡± I asked with a bitter smirk.


    I could see that he was nervous, a deep frown wrinkling his forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t give you all the answers,


    Cora¡­¡± He grabbed my hands and pressed them to his chest. ¡°But I know that only you can make me


    feel something. I know that I am selfish, but right now, I am begging you to give me a little more time until


    this Lan family shitshow is over. Then I can start making it up to you¡­ please.¡±


    My chest squeezed as he breathed out thest word. I was supposed to toughen up and say how I felt,


    but he made me hold on to my hopes again. I smiled faintly at him and agreed to wait, but deep down I


    was slowly preparing my heart for the possibility of leaving him right after our trip to China. My Aren Lan


    addiction entered a terminal phase; my system could either build immunity¡­ or go to rehab.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114


    Busting the intruders


    I knew I should have spent that night being proud of myself, but I had spent it crying. I wanted to be


    loved, and I wanted to fight for this love, but not at the price of losing myself. I was afraid that one day I


    would wake up bitter and tired of waiting for something that would never happen. Perhaps I was the


    one being selfish; I wanted him to have feelings for me just because I was filled with feelings for him,


    but I grew up learning that I had the right to be loved without needing to beg for it. Right now, I felt as if


    I was on my knees, begging him, waiting like a dog for a bone. It was pathetic.


    I told Aren that I would wait until after Lan Jing¡¯s birthday, but I couldn¡¯t understand why that event had


    to determine our rtionship. Was he going to miraculously open his heart for me then? Would a witch


    cast a spell upon him, and he would realize that he loved me all along? I couldn¡¯t deny that my heart


    fluttered every time I saw him, that every time he touched me I felt shivers, that I had my eyes only for


    him. It didn¡¯t matter if he gave me nothing but physical pleasure while I was ready to give him my all.


    I felt as if I had to minimize our contact for a while. I crawled out of bed at six o¡¯clock, tiptoed by his


    bedroom door, and sneaked out to work in the office at thepany. I had just finished correcting


    algorithms to track our preciousst night¡¯s intruders when n and Norton showed up. ¡°Mind telling


    me again, why are we working on Sunday?¡± n groaned, sitting by hisputer. ¡°Because I don¡¯t


    want those bastards to cover the tracks. I want their physical location, whatputers they used,


    everything,¡± I said decisively. ¡°I don¡¯t mind working on Sunday.¡± Norton shrugged.


    I gave him a crooked smile. ¡°d to hear it. Can we get to work now?¡± n¡¯s program was designed to


    analyze patterns and use them to trace someone more precisely than using an IP address. It was the


    only way to trace a hacker who frequently changed his IP while breaking into the system. It was like


    forcing a hacker to leave bread crumbs that would eventually lead us to the real ce he was


    connected to, but it could take time.


    ¡°If we assume that those hackers could be anywhere in the world, it will probably take a month before


    we find their physical addresses, but we can also take a risk and select a specific


    area. Then we can either find them within hours¡­ or run in circles and find nothing at all,¡± n


    exined.


    My instincts kept telling me that those who broke into Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s system were the so-


    called ¡°specialists¡± that Max talked about. If that was the case, then we could narrow our search, but if I


    was wrong, then I could waste all our efforts. The problem was that we didn¡¯t have a whole month to


    find those jerks.


    I made my decision. ¡°Let¡¯s limit our search to New York state.¡±


    We spent all day checking every single inte connection in the twenty-million poption. It was


    monotonous and exhausting work that required constant excluding of the patterns that weren¡¯t exact


    matches so they wouldn¡¯t litter our findings. We all jumped out of our seats as we discovered our first


    virtual bread crumbs in the New York City area.


    ¡°Great job, guys!¡± I shouted, feeling amazingly relieved that my suspicions were correct.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± n roared. ¡°It won¡¯t be long now!¡±


    Four hourster, we were circling in the same area with one other trail leading us to the east and the


    other in the opposite direction. Our intruders used many gates and filters that eventually spread our tiny


    bread crumbs all over the city. We ended up arming n¡¯s software with tons of additional algorithms,


    turning our search into an automatic process. The amount of work drained uspletely, making


    Norton fall asleep under the desk; nnded on the sofa, and I eventually fell asleep sitting with my


    face sshed on the desktop. I woke up a few hourster, feeling a red shing light assaulting my


    eyes. It took me a minute to focus my sight on the screen, but when I did, I burst into a mad scream.


    ¡°Jesus fucking Christ! Could you mind my eardrums?!¡± n growled as he returned to consciousness.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I pointed at the screen, grinning like an idiot. ¡°Location found!¡± n jumped up, lurched onto the


    desktop, and then startedughing. ¡°This is fucking amazing!¡± I got up from my seat and we both


    started happy-dancing all over the office. It took us another minute to realize that Norton was still


    sleeping soundly, unaffected by all of the noise. n crouched down next to him. ¡°Hey! Sleeping


    Beauty, wake up! We¡¯ve found those fuckers!¡± Norton yawned and slowly opened his sleepy eyes. ¡°You


    don¡¯t need to shout. I can hear you.¡±


    Once he finally crawled from under the desk, we could officially check the result of our chase. I clicked


    on the map; the location was in Manhattan, not too far away from the Lan Diamond Tower. All three


    attacks came from one ce, an office building on Broadway.


    ¡°Do we know whatpanies have their offices there?¡± I asked, hoping to find anything that sounded


    familiar.


    Norton grabbed his tablet, and a few secondster, showed me the entire list ofpanies from that


    building. I read it carefully, but nothing caught my attention. However, I had little knowledge about


    Aren¡¯spetitors, and there was only one person who could point out the possible suspects¡­


    Sighing heavily, I grabbed my phone to send a message to Aren, but then I noticed that he had tried to


    call me several times and sent me a few texts as well. In those messages, he wished me a good day,


    asked me if I had eaten, and warned me not to overwork myself. I smiled, wondering if he was still the


    arrogant Aren I met. Maybe he truly was trying, but it wasn¡¯t enough to make me believe he could


    permanently change. I sent him brief information that we found the location of where the previous


    night¡¯s attack came from. He didn¡¯t reply. After a minute, I heard a knock on the door, making n,


    Norton, and me scream like little girls.


    ¡°Jesus! Are you trying to scare the shit out of us?!¡± I yelled as I opened the door and saw Aren standing


    in the corridor. ¡°It¡¯s 4 AM! I was convinced that we were the only ones in thepany!¡±


    Aren chuckled and stepped inside our office. ¡°It¡¯s mypany, remember? Besides, do you think that I


    will let my wife work while I stay at home?¡±


    I cleared my throat. ¡°I saw that you called and messaged me¡­ why didn¡¯t you just drop by our


    office since you were already here?¡±


    He smiled wryly. ¡°After you decided to sneak you in the morning, I decided to give you some space¡­¡±


    n and Norton stared at us curiously, as if they were only missing a box of popcorn to enjoy watching


    my conversation with Aren. I smiled awkwardly at them before shifting my attention to my husband.


    ¡°Can I talk to you in your office?¡± I suggested, feeling that a further discussion in front of n and


    Norton would not lead to anything good.


    Aren¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Of course,¡± he said, and gestured at me to walk out first. I told my wonder-boys


    to go home and get some sleep while I took the list ofpanies and went to Aren¡¯s office. Once he


    closed the door behind us, I became nervous. It reminded me of when we had sex there. Suddenly, my


    mind sent me all kinds of lewd images of us together on his sofa, on his desk¡­ I took a deep breath.


    ¡°Focus, Cora. You need to focus,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    Aren smiled at me and walked to his three-piece suite, inviting me to sit down.¡±So, who wanted to steal


    our data?¡± he asked, sitting in the armchair.


    I chuckled nervously. ¡°We don¡¯t know who, but we know what the hackers¡¯ location was during the


    attack.¡± I showed Aren the map with the spot marked with a red cross and then handed him a list of


    companies from the building. ¡°So you can¡¯t point out exactly who did it?¡± he asked, his smile fading.


    ¡°Well¡­ there is a chance to do that. We can confirm the wave pattern and even point to the specific


    computer that was used, but we need to walk to that building with our equipment and stand less than


    ten feet from the spot. Then we can suck in the information. It¡¯s like marking the finish line. Then we


    can use that in court because this proof cannot be faked,¡± I imed confidently. Aren nodded and then


    raised his eyebrows questioningly. ¡°And without walking into the building?¡±


    S


    I shook my head. ¡°Without it, all we have is that the signal came from that building. I believe that Jack


    would call it circumstantial evidence-not enough to sentence anyone.¡± Aren sighed. ¡°I understand. I


    also believe that time is crucial here to get them, right?¡± I smiled hesitantly. ¡°The trick is that they don¡¯t


    know that they got caught, but if they knew, they would try to get rid of their stuff, destroying the


    evidence.¡¯


    A sour smile formed on Aren¡¯s lips. ¡°The problem is, I need to leave tomorrow. I was in aa, and


    there¡¯s another problem with our ships in Europe. I can¡¯t deal with it right now.¡±


    My heart suddenly filled with a sense of longing at the mere thought that he would be gone.¡± How


    long?¡± I muttered.


    ¡°About a week. We will need to cancel our interviews. I wille back to New York just so we can go to


    China together,¡± he said.


    Why did it feel like a stab in the heart? Inside my mind, I had already marked our trip to China as likely


    being our final days together. I even decided to avoid him in the meantime! But now, everything inside


    me screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t let him go!¡±


    Busting te truders


    ¡°OK,¡± I breathed out. ¡°Then you are leaving¡­?¡± ¡°My flight is at nine o¡¯clock; in less than five hours that


    is.¡± He looked at me with eyes that seemed to be as sad as mine.


    I stretched my lips into a thin smile, struggling to change the subject. ¡°So¡­ do you see anypany


    that is Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯spetition, or its owner wants you dead?¡± Iughed awkwardly.


    Aren scrolled the list and smirked. ¡°It¡¯s an old list.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Why is that?¡± He


    pointed at one of thepanies. ¡°Thatpany changed its name a year ago. It is no longer called


    Mondo Dei Sogni¡­ Its current name is Blue Dreand.¡± ¡°What?!¡± I burst out. Arenughed. ¡°It


    wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they were the ones who tried to steal our data, but I¡¯m not sure what I have ever


    done to the owner. I don¡¯t think that I even know the guy.¡± ¡°Then¡­ we need to go to that building! We


    need to confirm that -¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Aren frowned. ¡°I cannot be there, and I won¡¯t allow you to go


    there alone!¡± ¡°But it might be our only chance, and I believe that we can find so many answers ¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡±


    Aren stood up and locked his ck irises on me. ¡°Promise me that you will not go there¡±


    ¨C he leaned over me, his forehead touching mine-¡°please.¡± I could sense that he was greatly worried,


    but I wasn¡¯t a child, and I felt that going into that building could solve a lot of our problems. ¡°I promise¡­


    I will not go there alone. Besides, I¡¯m a celebrity right now. I cannot go anywhere without being


    recognized.¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He leaned over me and kissed my cheek. Well, I lied only partially: I was going to take


    someone with me, and I was going in disguise¡­

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115


    Fighting for justice I spent that short night lying in Aren¡¯s arms. There was something bittersweet about it.


    We were hugging each other without our desires exploding within us or driving us to the edge of sanity. I


    took pleasure in feeling Aren¡¯s warmth covering my body, his strong arms keeping me from falling off the


    sofa. His heart beat at a soothing rate, allowing me to sleep soundly


    until the merciless rm woke us up.


    He already had his suitcases prepared and was ready to go straight to the airport. I went there with him,


    watching him get on board his private jet and fly off. My chest suddenly squeezed as if I was saying my


    final goodbye to him, at the same time knowing that the day I would walk away from him could feel much


    worse than that.


    I wanted to shake off that depressing sensation as soon as I could, and there was only one way I was


    able to do that: by nning Operation Blue Dreand. I called Jack and told him what we had and what


    we could get if we went to Blue Dreand. I was d when he agreed that getting into thatpany


    fast was our only chance to find the undeniable evidence of their crime.


    ¡°But there¡¯s a problem, Cora,¡± he said reluctantly, ¡°I can¡¯t help you with that. I¡¯m already working full


    speed on Lan Liling¡¯s reopened case, and today I am taking a group of agents to hunt down former Chief


    George Richardson. That bastard got tipped that we were trying to get him, so apparently, he escaped


    from the state.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I sighed, and of course, naturally, thought that my next move would be to call


    Chris. ¡°Chris won¡¯t help you either, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Jack seemed to be reading my mind. ¡°As far as I know, he


    would be joining Aren in Paris.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I groaned as my temple vein started to throb. ¡°So what now? Should I just sit and do nothing


    while those bastards get rid of all the evidence?¡±.


    Jack let out a long exhale before asking, ¡°How close do you have to get to their equipment to get the


    proof we need?¡±


    ¡°A few feet would be nice, but if we modify our devices it would be enough to be further away but on the


    same floor,¡± I exined.


    Jack muttered, ¡°Aren is going to kill me for this¡­¡± Then I heard him taking a deep breath. ¡°I heard that


    Bleu Dreand organizes open tours to attract potential employees. You can use it to get in and out


    without raising suspicion. But remember, in case Aren asks, it wasn¡¯t my suggestion.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Of course, I would never snitch on you.¡±


    Jack¡¯s suggestion sounded reasonable and fairly safe. All we needed to do was to blend in, follow the


    crowd, and check the readings on our devices from time to time. It felt like a piece of cake, but I still


    needed a partner in crime, and there was only one name that came to my mind: Norton


    ***


    The Blue Dreand¡¯s open tour for future employees happened two dayster. The tour was about to


    begin in two hours. In the meantime, we have made the necessary preparations. I wore a brown wig I


    borrowed from Monique and my grandma¡¯s old pair of sses, saving only


    the rims so as not to go blind in the process. Toplete my geeky look, I put on my old grey suit, the


    one I bought when I was looking for my first job in New York. Surprisingly, it took a lot of effort to look


    good enough to bebeled as ¡°nothing special.¡± For most of my life, I wasbeled as either a babe or a


    freak.


    Norton had it easier. All he needed to do was to be. His grey-sh-green suit, matching his eyes, and his


    usual neatlybed brown hair, had already given him the perfect disguise. Who would have ever


    suspected a guy looking like that of being a serious threat? Of course, that was what made him extra


    dangerous.


    ¡°Do I really have to go there with you?¡± he mumbled fearfully, watching me put our devices into the


    purse. ¡°n is much more suitable for secret missions.¡±


    ¡°Do you seriously expect someone like n to blend in?¡± I looked at Norton, raising one eyebrow. ¡°He is


    theplete opposite of the blending-in type. You are the one I need, and believe me, all you have to do


    is be there and look as if you were interested in whatever they¡¯ll


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    say.¡±


    Norton nodded, but I couldn¡¯t miss the fear widening his eyes. I prodded his elbow and chuckled. I knew


    that he would loosen up once we got inside, but currently, if he was shaking a bit more, he would have


    fallen apart.


    He felt more rxed after we entered the building where Blue Dreand had its offices. He could


    contain his stress, shifting his focus to the building¡¯s architecture and technical solutions.


    ¡°You are doing fine, Norton. You¡¯re like a pro at this,¡± I whispered to his ear as we walked to the elevator.


    ¡°I¡¯m like a pro,¡± he repeated, his lips stretching into a confident grin.


    As soon as we entered the right floor, thepany representative greeted us with a stered smile,


    urging us to join the group that had already gathered in the center of the Blue Dreand¡¯s corridor. I


    smirked inwardly as we quickly collided with the mass of greyish people, not only blending in but looking


    more like clones. I found the sight of our group a little sad. I bet that they hadn¡¯t dressed like that


    because they all liked that color, but more because they had given up on their uniqueness just to fit the


    so-called ¡°normal.¡±


    After some smugly-looking manager had given us a boring introduction, we entered the long corridors of


    open space offices on both sides, where the programmers and graphics sat in front of theirputers in


    their little cubicles. I slid my hand into my purse and activated our little wave-pattern-detecting device.


    After several minutes of the manager¡¯s babbling, I still had no readings on our detector.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on this way.¡± Our tour guide pointed at the corridor on the right, but as we passed the turn,


    the device showed a weak readinging from the left side.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡± I called out, dumbly blinking my eyes. ¡°What¡¯s over there?¡± I pointed at the offices on the


    left side.


    The guide gave me a cocky smirk ¡°The executives have their offices there, sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me sweetheart,¡± I grunted under my breath before asking again. ¡°Is that all there is? It looks


    quite spacious¡­¡±


    Our guide stopped and huffed, annoyed with my questions. ¡°You are not allowed to enter this


    part of thepany. Now, let¡¯s carry on.¡±


    I prodded Norton¡¯s elbow, whispering, ¡°I need some distraction.¡± ¡°D-distraction?¡± He nced at me,


    terrified. ¡°Yes. Ask about something, anything.¡±


    Norton cleared his throat and raised his hand. ¡°Um¡­ is it true that Blue Dreand giarized the game


    ¡°Sky Fight¡± and tried to release their version called ¡°Space Fighting¡±?¡¯ I mped my mouth with my hand,


    trying to resist a chuckle. The guide went pale while all eyes went on Norton, who stood confident,


    crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°W-where did you hear something like this?!¡± The managerughed


    hysterically, quickly shifting everyone¡¯s attention onto himself. ¡°Oh, you know,izens talk,¡± Norton


    tossed in the slyest way I had seen him yet.


    ¡°Is it true?¡± someone from the crowd asked.


    A few others joined him, confessing that they had heard about other rumors about games giarized by


    Blue Dreand. I grinned wickedly before slowly stepping back and turning to the left side of the


    corridor. As themotion in the group arose, nobody noticed me walking away from them. I hid my


    visitor¡¯s pass and confidently strode toward the spacious offices that were supposed to belong to the


    executives, but as I glimpsed through the ss doors I passed, the rooms inside resembled high-tech


    computerboratories. I reached for the device in my purse and saw it shining brighter than a Christmas


    tree. I smirked and turned the rest of my equipment to catch and register the wave pattern. It didn¡¯t


    matter if those bastards got rid of theirputers, routers, or even changed the entire inte


    connection because I was about to register something those idiots couldn¡¯t possibly disprove in court.


    ¡°Excuse me, who are you?¡± I heard a harsh, cold tone behind my back. When I turned around, I saw a


    frowning security guard, scanning me from head to toe. ¡°I¡­ I was with the group, but I really need to


    pee¡­¡± I smiled awkwardly, theatrically clenching my thighs as a sign of nature¡¯s calling.


    ¡°There are no toilets here!¡± the guard roared. ¡°I saw you take something from your purse. How do I know


    that it wasn¡¯t a camera and that you didn¡¯t want to steal our projects?¡±


    I bet the guard didn¡¯t realize how ironic his words sounded. Nheless, because he looked like he was


    serious about his job, I decided to keep acting like an absolute idiot. ¡°I was looking for a tissue,¡± I


    frowned. ¡°Now, could you show me where those damn toilets are, or should I pee on your shoes? It¡¯s a


    huge emergency, you know¡­¡± I widened my pleading eyes, trying to look as innocent as possible.


    The guard kept his dangerous frown for a few more seconds until he finally surrendered. ¡°Go straight and


    turn right, and then right again. You will find toilets there,¡± he sighed, pointing the way.


    ¡°You¡¯re my lifesaver!¡± I darted through the corridor as if it was on fire.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I got away with that. I guessed I was getting better and better at fooling people,


    although I couldn¡¯t tell whether I should be proud of that ability. Once I ran far enough, I checked the


    devices in my purse ¡ª I had everything I needed. I sealed my lips tightly to resist a scream of joy. I came


    back to the spot where our grey group was, but it looked like


    this tour ended particrly quickly, not that I didn¡¯t know the reason why¡­ Chuckling under my breath, I


    ran to the elevator and texted Norton, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Already downstairs. Did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Yup! Thanks to you,¡± I texted back. ¡°Should I wait for you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No need. It would be better if we left separately, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t wait until I walked out of that building. The overwhelming feeling of victory was like fireworks


    exploding within me. I didn¡¯t know if Blue Dreand had anything to do with Max, Haskett, or Mr. C., but


    it didn¡¯t matter because whoever it was, they were going to get what they deserved.


    I jumped out of the elevator, releasing my blond hair from the dull wig and hiding my disguise in the


    purse. I started heading to the exit when I suddenly became anxious. My joyous grin vanished from my


    lips as my eyes narrowed in search of anything that could trigger my restlessness. I looked across the


    hall and froze. There was an Asian woman walking out of the building. Her ck hair was neatly tied up


    in a ponytail, and her face was glowing. I had seen her only on the surveince footage and in the picture


    with Aren, but I recognized her in an instant. Before I realized it, I was walking toward her, exiting the


    same door and then following her across the sidewalk. The crowd on Broadway Street quickly swallowed


    her, making me chase her blindly with only glimpses of her ck hair pointing out that I was still walking


    in the right direction.


    ¡°Fuck, I lost her,¡± I cursed under my breath, turning around as I stopped by the crossing lights.


    Suddenly, I saw her standing on the other side of the street. She was looking directly at me, and I could


    swear a smug smirk crossed her lips when our eyes met. As soon as the lights changed to green, I


    dashed through the crossing keeping eye contact, afraid to lose her in the crowd again. She was waiting


    still until I reached her, surprising me with a calm smile as I stopped next to her. She reached out her


    hand and said. ¡°Cora Bell, right? I¡¯m Sun Lanfen. I think we need to talk.¡±

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    Lanfen


    Ten minutester, I was sitting in the coffee shop, and Lanfen was sitting in front of me. Did the feeling


    that it could be a trap cross my mind? Of course, but I wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to get to know my


    enemy. Jack trained me a little about observation, but it didn¡¯t look like someone was following us. The


    people inside the cale thatnten invited me to seemed nommal as well Nevertheless, I knew that I


    couldn¡¯t lower my guard just because I thought it Was safe around


    ¡°I¡¯m corn,¡± I corrected, underlining thest name before I took the first cautious sip from my coffee cup


    Her lips curled up gracefully. ¡°Of course, you are, Mrs Lan,¡± she said, her voice polite and


    I had to give it to her she was mesmerizing from the top of her head to her small feet adorned by Dior


    ck high heels, she was wless I couldn¡¯t stop staring at her porcinplexion and her almond


    eyes with glowing irises in a trame of thick eyshes, not to mention her ideal jawline and tiny round


    chin. For God¡¯s sake, could she be a little less perfect?! It her face wasn¡¯t making me jealous enough,


    she had an hourss figure with curvy hips and quite impressive breasts. As she sat in front of me in her


    posh ck female suit, I seriously wished that she was at least stupid, God would make it fairer that way.


    ¡°You wanted to talk to me, so let¡¯s talk,¡± I said, curling up one corner of my lips. She lowered her gaze,


    her hands nervously wrapping around her cup of coffee. She seemed vulnerable and sad, which puzzled


    me I kept reading her face and gestures, but I couldn¡¯t find even an ounce of hostility


    I could hear her pulling a deep breath into her lungs before she raised her eyes to meet mine.¡± I assume


    that you already know who I am¡­ am I right?¡±


    i nodded, trying to keep my emotions in check


    Lanten smiled briefly at my confirmation and continued, ¡°I wanted to talk to you because I knew that Aren


    wants nothing to do with me. I chose you because I¡¯m a coward¡± She looked away, her eyes betraying an


    odd kind of sorrow


    asped at the realization ¡°How did you know where to find me.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Our meeting here was coincidental. I¡¯d just closed an important deal and then


    noticed you walking behind me. I would say that it waste.¡± She shrugged and let out of small chuckle


    I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°Closing a deal!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a director of apany selling herbal medicine. We¡¯ll be opening our third store in New York


    City.¡± she exined confidently


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°A sessful businesswoman.¡± I muttered under my breath, feeling that she had to be God¡¯s favorite


    after all


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Aren for yours and I have never searched for him,¡± she continued, but sincet moved to


    New York, the way things ended between us started haunting mean.¡±


    My jaw tensed. ¡°So you wanted to talk to me so I would be your messenger.¡± I asked,


    irked by that thought. Her smile widened in amusement. ¡°No, of course not. Let¡¯s just say that I have to


    let it out of my system. I know that I¡¯m selfish, but I need someone to hear me out, and you are his wife


    now¡­¡± Lanfen paused, sadness shing in her eyes before she formed her lips into a bright grin again.


    ¡°I thought that you¡¯re the kind of person who¡¯d agree to hear me out.¡±


    I kept trying to take a glimpse behind her smile and check if it wasn¡¯t al) a fa?ade, but I saw no signs of


    viciousness within her. She was either a master maniptor or a genuinely good person. However, I


    sensed that she controlled her emotions quite well, not raising the volume of her voice even once she


    hadughed, and that fact alone was telling me not to trust her. I took a deep breath.¡±Fine¡­ Go ahead


    and tell me your story,¡± I said, fisting my hand under the table since I predicted that I might not like what I


    would hear. She locked her eyes on me. ¡°Let me be honest with you, I loved Aren deeply, and I knew


    that he loved me as well. We would be married right now if it wasn¡¯t for my family.¡± Her words were like a


    sword that pierced my heart, making the air escape from my lungs in a rush. I clenched my fist under the


    table harder but did my best not to show how much it hurt.


    AT


    ¡°I heard that you moved out with your family the day before you were supposed to marry Aren, leaving a


    few assassins to kill him,¡± I smirked coldly at her. Her hand rushed to cover her mouth. ¡°W-what?¡± she


    breathed out as her eyes widened. Her reaction surprised me. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± She shook her head,


    still mping her mouth. ¡°But you must have known that you were going to leave the one you allegedly


    loved and that your parents were going to present Aren¡¯s business ideas to Aren¡¯s grandfather as their


    own, right?¡± I tried to remain unmoved by her shocked expression. Lanfen sighed heavily and lowered


    her head. ¡°Yes,¡¯ she admitted. ¡°I knew that my parents initially agreed to our marriage because they


    wanted to get a contract with Lan Wang Corporation. As soon as they realized that Aren wasn¡¯t even an


    official Lan Jing¡¯s grandchild, they wanted to annul our engagement¡­ But then they learned that Aren is


    a genius when ites to business and his proposals could buy their way into the coboration with the


    Lan family. I didn¡¯t know about their ns until it was toote. I was tricked by my own family,


    p, and when I woke up the next day, I was in China. That was also the day when my father announced


    that I was going to marry Yang Shen, an heir of the Yang family. I had never even met him, and I wanted


    to refuse this ridiculous proposal, but my whole family went against me. They held me locked in my room


    until I agreed. I was imprisoned for more than a week with food and water given to me only once a


    day¡­¡± she suddenly paused andughed humorlessly. ¡°I know that it sounds like a cheap drama script,


    but my family stated that as the only child I have an obligation to multiply the family¡¯s wealth¡­ It was the


    only thing that mattered.¡±


    I seriously didn¡¯t know how to react. Should I feel sorry for her for being born into a family like that? Or


    perhaps her story was faked? Yet, it didn¡¯t sound as if she was lying, or at least not about the major


    issues.


    ¡°So you left Aren, and you married Yang Shen against your will?¡± I stretched my lips into a thin,


    ufortable smile.


    Lanten nodded and gave me a faint smile before shifting mindlessly her eyes to a coffee cup.¡± Yang


    Shen wasn¡¯t a nice person¡­ He was abusive and treated me horribly¡­ I spent three horrible years of


    my life being married to him,¡± she said as she stirred her coffee with a spoon.


    Was it possible that we had so much inmon? If she suffered that much, then I guess she must have


    been stronger than I was. I wasn¡¯t married to Can, but when our rtionship ended, he left me


    completely broken. Even though I healed in time, I still had issues and problems with my self esteem.


    Lanfen seemed different; underneath that delicate expression was a confident woman. The more time I


    spent looking at her, the stronger she appeared. Then I realized the way she talked about Yang Shen,


    using the past tense¡­


    ¡°You said that you were married¡­ but you divorced?¡± A nervous smile painted my lips.


    Lanfen shook her head, ¡°Shen loved to party and drink¡­ One day, he went for a ride in his Ferrari after


    he had just drunk a whole bottle of whiskey by himself. He fell off the road¡­¡±


    I knew that she was probably d that her toxic rtionship had ended¡­ tragically, but it ended for


    good. But something about Lanfen¡¯s story felt off. She hadn¡¯t contacted Aren for many years; she had


    never tried to exin to him what had happened, and then suddenly, she appeared in New York as a


    sessful and again single woman?! it pissed me off that her story actually sounded pitiful, and, looking


    into Lanfen¡¯s stunning eyes, anyone could forgive her¡­ And that was the one thing that truly scared me.


    Nheless, there was something else I needed to know.


    I leaned forward on the table and looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Were you the one who sent Aren your


    photos from New York?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She stared at me, surprised. ¡°Why would I ever do that? I know that he hates me¡­¡±


    ¡°Then who could have done it?¡± I inquired coldly.


    Lanfen spread her hands wide. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ My enemies maybe?


    I raised one eyebrow. ¡°You have enemies?¡±


    HER


    She chuckled and smirked. ¡°I run a business in New York, so, of course, I have enemies. Some of them


    might have learned about my rtionship with Aren and how it all ended and decided to give Aren a tip,


    perhaps hoping that he hates me enough to kill me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t believe her theory, but she acted as if she didn¡¯t know about the photos, so maybe she truly


    wasn¡¯t the one who had sent them to Aren. However, I didn¡¯t care about those photos that much


    anymore. I had one more important question to ask, and I was looking forward to her exnation¡­


    ¡°Why did you sneak to Aren¡¯s room while he was lying in aa in Crawford¡¯s clinic?¡± I asked, observing


    every inch of her mimic muscles.


    Sheughed. ¡°Let me guess¡­ Surveince footage by the fire escape door?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I confirmed calmly.


    ¡°Mind exining why you visited my husband?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see him. I was worried about him, that¡¯s all.¡± She shrugged.


    I couldn¡¯t believe her arrogance. ¡°You were so worried that you had to bring a crew to escort you?! A


    crew that had killed six people along the way just so you could sit by my husband¡¯s bed?!¡± 1 snapped.

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    My Nemesis


    I froze, looking at Lanfen in disbelief. I had to admit that her story made some sense. If she truly was the


    target, that would have exined why she was the only one who appeared in the footage while the rest


    of whoever came there didn¡¯t. Still, I had a feeling that I was missing something¡­


    ¡°How did you fool them?¡± I asked, tracing her face to catch the slightest change in her expression.


    She blinked at me. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°If those professionals came there to kill you, how did you manage to escape? Besides, I saw you


    running out of Aren¡¯s room, and I didn¡¯t see anyone else,¡± I said.


    Lanfen sighed. ¡°I know it might sound silly, but I hid in the closet in Aren¡¯s room, hoping they wouldn¡¯t find


    me. One of them even walked inside¡­ I was afraid that he might hurt Aren, but, fortunately, he didn¡¯t.


    Someone called that guy over, and he left the room, and then they all left. I waited for a while before I


    decided to run away from there¡­ That¡¯s probably when you saw me.¡±


    I hated the way her story was believable. I was desperate to find any ws in it, reasonable doubt.


    ¡°Do you know who those men were?¡± I asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, I assume that they were hired by someone from thepany called


    Changshou Yao. They are trying to make their way into the American market, but they keep stealing our


    recipes and we have threatened them with a bigwsuit¡­¡± My eyes widened at her words. ¡°And you


    think that¡¯s enough reason to kill someone?¡±


    Sheughed, gently covering her mouth before saying, ¡°It¡¯s big money we are talking about, and big


    compensation they wish they could avoid. Besides, those guys might work for the Triad, and men from


    the Triads don¡¯t negotiate-they kill.¡±


    I gave her a nervous smile. She seemed to be tough and intelligent, a woman fighting alone for her life


    and position. If she wasn¡¯t my husband¡¯s ex-girlfriend, I would admire her, but currently, the greater she


    seemed to be, the more she pissed me off. It was easier to fight against the viiness, an evildy-


    heartbreaker, but how could I possibly fight against a hurt, heartbroken woman who had been forced to


    spend a part of her life in an abusive rtionship? Yet, I still didn¡¯t know what it was that she wanted¡­


    I leaned forward on the table and smiled a bit. ¡°Would you mind if I called you by your name? You can


    call me Cora if you want to¡­¡±


    She smiled back at me. ¡°By all means, call me Lanfen.¡±


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Then¡­ Lanfen, what is it that you want from Aren¡­ and me?¡±


    Her smile turned into a wry grimace. ¡°Honestly, when I first came to New York, I wished to reunite with


    Aren. I wanted his forgiveness, but I also wanted him back in my life¡­¡± she paused to see my reaction.


    I struggled to remainposed. I was afraid she would say that, and I was even more afraid of the


    words I assumed she¡¯d say next¡­


    She corrected her expression, curling the corners of her lips. ¡°But then I learned that Aren had gotten


    married, and I saw him in the newspaper looking happy. I would never destroy his happiness ore


    between him and his loved one.¡±


    That seriously stung. His ¡°loved one¡±¡­ She made it clear that she didn¡¯t care whether I loved him or not.


    All that mattered was if he loved me in return. Iughed awkwardly, pretending that I was relieved by her


    words.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it,¡± I assured her. ¡°I felt quite anxious with the thought that you would want to destroy my


    marriage¡­¡± She chuckled and nonchntly waved her hand. ¡°As I said, I would never hurt the one who


    Aren chose to love.¡±


    I gave her my best-trained smile, pressing my hand to my chest. ¡°I¡¯m so relieved.¡±


    Shit. It was time to face it. As soon as Lanfen realized that Aren hesitated whether to love me or not, she


    would fight for him like a freaking lioness. But seriously, I wasn¡¯t going to stand there and watch her try.


    At that moment, I became determined like never before to show Aren that he would never find someone


    better than me, someone willing to always be by his side and fight for him. The only problem was that I


    had little knowledge of Lanfen¡¯s abilities, and every time I looked at her gorgeous face I was losing a tiny


    ounce of confidence..


    ¡°I¡¯m so d that we could talk. I feel better that I could tell you the truth,¡± Lanfen said, smiling at me as


    we finished coffee. ¡°Unfortunately, I need to get back to work now, but I hope we see each other again.¡±


    She got up from her seat, reaching out her hand.


    I gave her a firm shake. ¡°Yes, maybe we could go out for a coffee again in less awkward


    circumstances¡­¡± I stretched my lips into a thin smile. I would prefer to not meet her ever again, but


    somehow I didn¡¯t think that was possible.


    ¡°Maybe we will repeat that once Aren is back in New York,¡± she tossed, taking her purse before stepping


    toward the exit.


    I froze in realization. ¡°Wait!¡± I called out restlessly. ¡°How did you know that Aren is not in New York?¡±


    She smiled brightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he left?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never mentioned anything concerning Aren.¡± Sheughed and waved me off


    with her hand. ¡°Well, I saw you going out of a building alone, so I assumed that he must be on some


    business trip.¡±


    I chuckled and nodded, pretending that I bought her exnation. Her words raised a bright red g. It


    might have been my paranoia, but everything inside me screamed that she lied. We said our goodbyes


    smiling, and even exchanged numbers, but we were not going to be friends. Even as I gave her my


    phone number, I was certain that she had already had it before, just like she had kept track of what Aren


    was doing or where he went. She wasn¡¯t as innocent as she wanted to appear.


    As soon as she wasn¡¯t around, I pulled out my phone and picked Aren¡¯s number. My finger was just


    about to slide through the green phone icon when suddenly I froze. Should I truly tell him about my


    meeting with Lanfen? If I did, I would have to tell him what we had talked about, and I would be her


    messenger. If I didn¡¯t tell him, and he found outter, I would be the envious type who couldn¡¯t trust


    him. Besides, judging by the way he reacted to keeping


    something hidden from him thest time, this could easily turn out bad.


    ¡°Shit¡­ That bitch is good,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    I decided not to tell Aren anything right away, but I was painfully aware that I would have to do it soon, I


    needed some advice. I needed someone to tell me that I wasn¡¯t crazy Instinctively, I called Miranda,


    thinking that I could use some girl talk, but she didn¡¯t pick up her phone. A minuteter, I got a message


    from her saying that she had a few medical procedures scheduled for today and couldn¡¯t talk,


    ¡°So much for the advice and the girl talk¡­¡± I sighed.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I was about to put the phone back in my purse when Jack called me. Well, I preferred to talk to Miranda,


    but¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve just walked out of a coffee with Lanfen,¡± I said instead of hello as I took the call. Jack went silent for


    a few seconds, before asking, ¡°Does Aren know?¡±


    ¡°Not vet.¡±


    ¡°Come over to my office and tell me everything.¡±


    Twenty minutester, I was sitting in his office and telling him everything that had happened from the


    moment I had walked out of the office building on Broadway. I tried not to skip even the tiniest detail,


    hoping that at least I would get the advice from the guy¡¯s point of view.


    ¡°And right before leaving she identally said that we will meet when Aren is back in New York, just like


    she exactly knew that he went away,¡± I said, crossing my arms. Jack nodded and frowned. I nced at


    him questioningly. ¡°What do you think?¡± He smiled at me wryly. ¡°She probably has a way to monitor his


    actions, which means that she is ready to y dirty¡­ and she definitely wants Aren back.¡± My hands


    dropped helplessly to both sides of my body. ¡°I knew I was right¡­¡± I groaned. He patted my shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Aren is not the kind of guy who would just wee back his ex just because she has a sad


    story to tell. Besides, do you believe in this melodramatic tale?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to believe. I wish that she wasn¡¯t the pitiful one, but what if she is, and


    what if she gains Aren¡¯s sympathy that way?¡± Jack gave me a crooked smile. ¡°Aren and sympathy?


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    His words made meugh. There was some truth in what he said. Aren wasn¡¯t an emotional type, or at


    least I thought so. But what if he acted differently in front of Lanfen? I shook that thought off and looked


    at Jack, hoping to change the subject. ¡°So, what is it that you wanted to tell me about? You called me for


    a reason, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Jack grinned proudly. ¡°Yes. I wanted to tell you that we busted Chief George Richardson.¡±


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s huge!¡± I eximed and pped my hands.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Jack chuckled, bowing down. ¡°He came with awyer and didn¡¯t want to


    cooperate, but we yed him the recording and told him that ording to the statew of New York, we


    could convict him using the felony murder rule, convincing the grand jury that he had known about the


    murder, and he¡¯d even had his part in it. Even if he hadn¡¯t


    touched the victim himself, that rule could give him a sentence just like he was a murderer.¡±


    ¡°How did he react to that?¡± I asked excitedly.


    ¡°Hiswyer told him to cooperate, and he agreed to tell us everything he knew,¡± Jack smirked. ¡°That¡¯s


    amazing!¡± I shouted. ¡°Will he testify against James Winton?¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s more¡­¡± He wriggled his eyebrows and grinned wickedly. ¡°He told us who


    he got the money to cover up the case from.¡±


    I gave him a look. ¡°Will you say it already or should I beg you?¡± He chuckled before clearing his throat.


    ¡°He said that he had never met that guy in person, but he¡¯d met his assistant, a short Asian guy. That


    person called himself¡­¡± I didn¡¯t let Jack finish, as I already knew what he was about to say. I said it


    myself, ¡°He called himself Mr. C.¡±

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    Calling him I tried to put all the pieces together and kept wondering who the hell was Mr. C.? It looked


    like that guy was involved in killing Aren¡¯s mother as well as attempting to kill Aren. Did he hold a grudge


    against the entire Lan family? Moreover, as soon as I heard that Richardson had been meeting a short


    Asian assistant, I instantly thought of Max, but that had happened over thirty years ago! If it truly was


    Max, shouldn¡¯t he be in his fifties right now? I know that a lot of Asians look younger than they actually


    are, but seriously?! Then again, no one would have called ¡°a short Asian guy¡± a precise description.


    What if the assistant who had contacted Richardson wasn¡¯t Max, but Mr. C.¡¯s other assistant? That also


    made me wonder if Mr. C. wasn¡¯t Chinese, someone who had known the Lan family, and who, for some


    reason, decided to target Liling and then her son. Still, the only person who coulde up with a list of


    potential suspects was Aren.


    The thoughts about Mr. C., Haskett, Max, and Lanfen upied my mind on the way back to the


    penthouse. I should have been d that n, Norton, and I had finally gathered all the evidence we


    needed against Blue Dreand, and with the new set of firewalls in the Lan Diamond Corporation


    system, we could be certain that the hacker attacks could never happen again. Yet, instead of being in


    the mood to celebrate, I felt a knot tied around my stomach while I sat holding my phone and trying to


    find the courage to call Aren. I was so nervous I decided to open a bottle of wine and drink a ss to


    soothe my restlessness. I calmed down after the second ss and felt ready after the third one. I wasn¡¯t


    drunk; I would rather call my state rxed. I picked up my phone and made the call. ¡°Hello?¡± Aren¡¯s


    sleepy, hoarse voice sounded through the phone.


    I gasped at the sexiness of his tone. ¡°Hi¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I must have woken you up, right?¡± Iughed


    awkwardly.


    ¡°It¡¯s 4 AM in Paris-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°-but it¡¯s nice to hear your voice,¡± he purred into the phone, sending a wave of pleasant shivers down my


    spine. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot. I shouldn¡¯t have called you at this hour,¡± I sighed, giving myself a mental kick in the


    butt.


    He chuckled. ¡°At least I¡¯m not working.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m taking away your sleep instead,¡± I said, letting out an


    ironic chuckle. ¡°I would love you to take away my sleep now¡­¡± he muttered seductively. I bit my lip. He


    certainly wasn¡¯t making it easier to say what I wanted to say. ¡°The reason why I¡¯m calling is that


    something happened today. I identally met-¡±


    ¡°What are you wearing?¡± His words caught me off guard.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What. Are. You. Wearing?¡± he asked again, his voice amused. I looked at my clothes and instantly felt


    the heat as if he was there looking at me with his hungry eyes. ¡°Um¡­ a T-shirt and a pair of shorts,¡± I


    replied, swallowing.


    He murmured and then asked, ¡°Do you have your hair tied or loose?¡±


    ¡°Um, tied up in a ponytail.¡±


    ¡°Untie your hair,¡± hemanded.


    I chuckled nervously. ¡°Why should I untie -¡± ¡°Indulge me,¡± he said, deepening his alluring voice. ¡°You are


    the one who woke me up at 4 AM, so you should make it up for me somehow.¡±


    I sighed, slightly annoyed, but then took off my hairband and brushed my hair with my fingers. ¡°There. It¡¯s


    done, happy?¡± I grunted.


    He snorted. ¡°Do you have a bra underneath that shirt?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Aren, I have something important to tell you. Could you just hear me out?¡± I tried to sound


    serious andposed, but his questions were making me more and more flustered. He didn¡¯t listen. ¡°I


    bet you don¡¯t wear a bra, and as I got you nervous, those pink nipples of yours are slowly bing


    hard.¡±


    I looked down at my cleavage and my nipples had just be visible through my clothing. Was he


    some kind of a hypnotizer or a breast charmer?!


    ¡°You turned silent, sunshine, and that means I¡¯m right,¡± he chuckled teasingly. I cleared my throat. ¡°And


    what are you wearing, handsome?¡± If he could y that game, so could I.


    I heard a breathy chuckle escape his throat. ¡°I don¡¯t wear anything. There¡¯s hot in here, and the hotel had


    some problems with the air conditioning.¡±


    My horny mind had instantly imagined a picture of Aren covered by nothing but silk sheets. I gulped. ¡°I


    keep thinking about you, sunshine. I can¡¯t focus during the day, and I dream of you at night, ¡°he


    whispered to the phone. ¡°Y-you dream about me?¡± I choked out and bit my lip.


    ¡°In my dreams, youe to my bedroom naked. You slid under my sheet. You are hot and wet, and you


    look at me with your beautiful hungry eyes. Then you kiss me while your hands roam down my body as if


    you were trying to prove to the entire world that I¡¯m yours¡­¡± My heart fluttered, causing the avnche of


    emotions that flooded every inch of me. The craving, the lust, and the desperate need ¡ª I could feel


    them all at that moment, and they all mixed with the pain of knowing that even if he said those words,


    there could be nothing beyond the physical attraction on his side. I closed my eyes and teased him,


    despite everything I felt. ¡°You sound like you were sex deprived.¡±


    Heughed hoarsely. ¡°I¡¯m an addict.¡±


    I clenched my teeth as the blood in my veins began to boil. ¡°Then maybe you should walk around Paris


    and find someone to fuck,¡± I hissed.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°You are the only drug for me.¡± His sudden statement made me shiver. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that


    already?¡±


    I pulled in a shaky breath. ¡°I thought that you¡¯re still hesitating¡­¡± I muttered.


    ¡°It was never a question of who. I just know that I cannot give you my all¡­ not yet, not the way I¡¯d want


    to,¡± he said, sounding vulnerable and honest.


    I wanted to believe him. I wanted to be confident that if I could only give him a little more time, we would


    find our happy ending, and I was about to test that honesty. ¡°I met Lanfen,¡± I blurted.


    He became silent, making my heart race in anticipation. The longer the silencested, the more terrified I


    was. ¡°Where did you meet her?¡± he asked after remaining quiet for more than


    a minute.


    ¡°On Broadway¡­¡± I mumbled hesitantly.


    ¡°What did you do on Broadway?¡± An annoyance arose in his tone.


    I chuckled nervously. ¡°I went to get proof that it was someone from the Blue Dreand who hacked our


    system.¡±


    ¡°Cora, I thought you promised me that you wouldn¡¯t go there.¡± His tone turned harsh and cold.


    I sighed. ¡°I know and I¡¯m sorry I lied to you, but nothing bad happened and I found the evidence we


    needed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that kind of thing anymore¡­ and don¡¯t lie to me,¡± he grunted.


    I smiled. ¡°I promise that I will never lie to you again.¡± ¡°Now, tell me how you met Lanfen,¡± he demanded. I


    took a deep breath and described the whole situation. He didn¡¯t interrupt me while I told him everything I


    heard. I was anxious. I couldn¡¯t see his expression, and I heard nothing from him while I told her story.


    My hands started to tremble halfway through, and I struggled to breathe as if my lungs were shrinking.


    Finally, I told him that Lanfen knew that he wasn¡¯t in New York, and I suspect that she kept track of


    whatever he was doing. ¡°A-Aren?¡± I barely breathed out. ¡°Aren, say something¡­ I need to know how you


    feel about it all¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know how I feel?¡± he asked, his tone cold and dangerous. ¡°I am furious. I¡¯m fucking


    mad, and I¡¯m fucking disappointed in you.¡± I flinched. ¡°But why?!¡±I cried out. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wro-¡±


    ¡°You should have taken Marcus or Benjamin with you! They are trained bodyguards, ready to protect


    you! Why the hell did you decide to talk to that fucking bitch alone without anyone around?!¡± he roared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking yell at me!¡±I growled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t take Marcus or Benjamin because they could blow my


    cover! I was trying to get evidence, remember?! It¡¯s not like I nned to meet your fucking ex on my way


    out of there!¡±


    His voice suddenly softened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sunshine¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to be so harsh¡­ I just don¡¯t want you


    to fight alone. To think that Lanfen approached you when she knew I wasn¡¯t around to protect you¡­¡±


    Strangely, my anger dissolved in a few seconds. None of Aren¡¯s words were about Lanfen, as if what she


    told me didn¡¯t matter. Still, I needed to know for certain. ¡°So¡­ you don¡¯t believe in the things Lanfen said


    to me?¡±


    He chuckled coldly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t believe her, even if she was the one to tell me that the sky is blue.¡±


    ¡°But, what if everything that happened and the attempt to assassinate you was nned only by her


    family, and she didn¡¯t know anything about it?¡± I muttered hesitantly.


    I heard Aren taking a deep breath. ¡°When Lanfen and I were dating, I gave her a present for our


    anniversary. I couldn¡¯t afford much, but I saved money for a few months and finally bought her a golden


    ne with beautiful jade. She loved it and always had it on her neck. Two days before our wedding


    day, I saw Lanfen talking to some guy and shoving something into his pocket. Later, I recognized that


    person as one of my assassins. He had this ne in his pocket¡­ It was given to him as an advance


    payment for killing me.¡±

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    Entering another battle It came to me as a shock. When I initially heard the story about how his


    rtionship with Lanfen ended, it seemed tragic, yet it left some room for misunderstanding. I should


    have known that Aren wouldn¡¯t want to tell me every single detail of their rtionship. No man would


    want to dwell on the subject that made him broken. Nheless, Lanfen had miscalcted. She was


    confident that Aren didn¡¯t have any evidence against her. She thought that as long as she med it all


    on her family, she still had a chance with Aren. Over my dead body! I would not let her get anywhere


    near my husband!


    I was mad at myself that I didn¡¯t see right through her from the start. I should have trusted my instincts,


    and at that moment, I made a promise to myself that I would always listen to whatever my gut feelings


    told me. Aren was supposed toe back to New York on Thursday, and we were going to fly together


    to China on Friday afternoon. In the meantime, he sent me a few details about his family, which I decided


    to study thoroughly. I learned that Aren¡¯s mother, Liling, had two older brothers, Lan Chen, who was the


    oldest, and Lan Peng, who was two years younger. It could have been natural if Lan Chen had be


    the heir to the Lan family, taking over the wealth and the highest position in Lan Wang Corporation, but


    the old Lan Jing had other ns. Aren¡¯s grandfather wanted Liling to be the head of the Lan family.


    The youngest daughter of the Lan family had been considered a prodigy in economics and business. Her


    brothers didn¡¯t like the idea, especially since it helped create all kinds of rumors of their ipetence¡­


    or even impotence, because their younger sister was about to take over a position that, in general


    opinion, belonged to a man. Lan Chen had never hidden his disapproval of his father¡¯s idea, iming


    that the old man was trying to take away something that was supposed to be his.


    Lan Peng had also been opposed to the idea of Liling bing the family¡¯s heir, yet he had been less


    ambitious than his brother and had rather supported Lan Chen. As for Liling, it seemed like she wanted


    to be the CEO of Lan Wang Corporation, and she worked hard from an early age to achieve that.


    What happened after she had met Jame mystery to me. I could only guess that it was love that changed


    her. It was as if he had put a spell on her. She fell in love with him so deeply that she was willing to give


    up on her bright future just to be with him. Well¡­ I already knew how her love ended.


    Without Liling as Lan Jing¡¯s favorite, it was expected that Lan Chen would be an heir and take over


    thepany, but the old man dyed the process, iming that he was too young to retire. Lan Chen¡¯s


    dreams of power had tragically ended three years ago when he got a stroke and had been paralyzed


    ever since. From that moment, Chen¡¯s ambitions were passed to his son, Caishen, and it looked like he


    was Aren¡¯s mainpetitor to be the heir of the Lan family. Of course, there was also Aren¡¯s uncle,


    Lan Peng, and his two sons, Peizhi and Weimin, but the notes that Aren had given me didn¡¯t concern


    them as a threat.


    Aren also sent me another file concerning the schedule of our visit to Lans¡¯ mansion in Shanghai. It


    appeared that we had been given a specific time when we were supposed to arrive and unpack inside


    our rooms. There was also a time reserved for the private audience in Lan Jing¡¯s cab as if Aren¡¯s


    grandfather was a king or a pope. It started to freak me out a bit, but the most terrifying thing was the


    language barrier. Aren assured me that his whole family spoke English fluently, but it didn¡¯t necessarily


    apply to the guests at the birthday party. I hated the fact that I would most likely be treated as ignorant,


    but then again, I just couldn¡¯t see myself learning Chinese, not to mention that I had three days¡­


    I spent my remaining days before Lan Jing¡¯s birthday party enhancing and updating my security


    software. It took my mind off from thinking how lost in trantion I would surely be, but it was


    dreadfully boring. It made me realize that I actually missed the adrenalin 1 felt over thest few weeks.


    After , Norton, and I passed all the evidence against the Blue Dreand, it felt like we had nothing


    else to do except analyzing data. When Jack suddenly called us to pass the news about the effects of


    the investigation, it quickly became the highlight of the day,


    ¡°It¡¯s done. Turn on channel 4 and see them all taken away in cuffs.¡± Jack¡¯s mischievous chuckle


    announced that he and the cyber-crime agents did the job.


    As we turned on the news, we saw the board of Blue Dreand directors being led away by the police


    and federal agents. The names of the hackers remained unknown, but it was certain who hired them. As


    we had provided the FBI and the police with enough evidence for them to get the search warrant, they


    quickly found other, more serious proof of Blue Dreand¡¯s illegal activity. We felt proud to know that we


    started the avnche which had be the end of that giarizingpany. I grinned wickedly as I


    recognized the two men who had corrupted our former executives being dragged by the police officers


    out of the office building. I almost felt sorry for them; not only would they be sentenced to time in prison


    but also be sued by Lan Diamond Corporation. Karma was a real bitch in their case.


    ¡°The police and the FBI are yet to find the main shareholder of the Blue Dreand Corporation, who


    appears in the documentation under a false name.¡± We heard the news reporter say. ¡°That fact has only


    been discovered during the investigation and is also one of the elements of the long list of usations


    against thepany, its board of directors, and its shareholders.¡±


    n shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Wow¡­ this is so messed up. Can you imagine the reason why


    someone wouldn¡¯t want to reveal his real name while being the main shareholder of a sessful


    company?¡±


    Norton shrugged. ¡°He most likely wanted to avoid paying taxes.¡±


    n gave him the look. ¡°Taxes my ass. I bet that the guy had a criminal record.¡±


    I looked at them both and chuckled. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter who that guy is. He has all of the


    authorities chasing him. It doesn¡¯t concern us.¡±


    n raised his eyebrows at me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you at least curious? Besides, Blue Dreand was clearly


    targeting Lan Diamond Corporation and it had to be for a reason.¡± I sighed. ¡°Look, I know that you seek


    sensation since our job has suddenly be boring, but Lan Diamond Corporation is a huge yer in


    the market. Thepany has a lot ofpetitors and a lot of enemies simply because it is big and it


    always takes the biggest part of the cake. Money makes people envious. It doesn¡¯t have to be personal.¡±


    I said it, but I wasn¡¯t sure that I believed it myself.


    Nheless, we decided to brighten our day at work and drink a ss of champagne to celebrate the


    end of the thieves who tried to steal Lan Diamond Corporation¡¯s projects. Since we managed to finish all


    our assignments quickly, I told the boys to leave the office earlier while I went to the top floor to help Neil


    a bit.


    ¡°Thank God you are here, Mrs. Lan!¡± he cried out as he saw me. I chuckled and, without a word, took a


    pile of documents to review from him. I knew that


    Neil¡¯s days at work were bing more hectic every time Aren was away. I had already learned how to


    deal with all of this while being a temporary CEO and was d that I could make Neil¡¯s work a little


    easier. Certainly, my help remained a secret that Aren could never know about¡­


    It was 10 PM when Neil and I finished all the work. I texted Benjamin a few minutes earlier and told him


    to wait for me at the underground parking lot. I felt that it was a productive day,


    enough not to think of how badly I missed my husband, but now, as I was going down the elevator, my


    longing returned, and I wished it was Thursday already..


    I walked into the parking lot and went straight to the CEO¡¯s spot, but the ce was empty, just like the


    rest of the spots at this hour. I looked around, but I couldn¡¯t see Benjamin¡¯s ck Bentley anywhere. I


    pulled out my phone to call my driver-sh-bodyguard but suddenly realized that I had no signal¡­


    ¡°What the hell?¡± I muttered under my breath, looking at the phone.


    I was about to turn and walk back to the elevator when a hand in a leather glove mped my mouth


    shut, and I was grabbed from behind. I flinched and shivers ran down my spine, but then I recalled


    everything that Aren and Chris had taught me. I hit the attacker¡¯s ribs with my elbow and stabbed my


    heel in his foot. He roared viciously, releasing me from his grip. I thought that this was my chance to


    escape, but before I took a single step or screamed for help, I felt a sudden sting in my neck. I gasped


    and turned around, instantly feeling dizzy. I saw a man wearing a ck cap, a devilish grin crossing his


    mouth. He was holding a syringe with a needle that he just stabbed me with. I staggered as I tried to step


    away from him.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± I muttered as my vision became blurry and my body weakened. I swayed on


    my feet, trying to clench my teeth in anger, yet losing control over my body. The man stepped closer,


    chuckling as he grabbed me in his arms. ¡°I put you to sleep, gorgeous. I wanted to kill your precious


    husband, but I guess you will have to pay for his sins instead of


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    him.¡±


    My eyes widened in terror as I finally matched the face to the voice. ¡°Haskett¡­¡±


    Previous Chapter

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    His sins


    *Trigger Warning* Dear readers, please be aware that the second part of this chapter contains a


    description of physical abuse and an attempted sexual assault. I was cold, lying on something hard and


    ufortable. The ce I was in was lit by nothing more than a few dimly glowing light bulbs hanging


    from the ceiling. I could barely see anything aside from the concrete floor and walls. My hands were


    cuffed and chained to arge steel ring that was built into a concrete wall right behind where my head


    lay. I looked at my body; I was barefoot, wearing nothing but lingerie and something that resembled a


    white, short, see-through nightgown. I looked around and realized that I was inside the spacious, empty


    hall of a raw-state building. Through the row of floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see that it was


    completely dark outside, and since I could see no buildings or trees, I guessed that I must have been on


    one of the high floors. I pulled the chain enough to sit up, but that was the furthest my restraints would


    allow me. The skin on my wrists had already been torn by the steel cuffs; it hurt whenever I moved my


    hands, limiting my movements. I couldn¡¯t even cover myself properly, hissing in pain as I tried to reach


    for the hem of that see-through cloth I had on me. I was still dizzy from the drug Haskett had given me


    and not conscious enough to notice him standing in the far corner of the room. Only when I heard his


    vicious chuckle did I realize he was observing me from the moment I woke up.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve woken up. I was afraid I used too much drug on you and killed you before the real fun


    started,¡± he snickered as he approached me. He took off his cap andbed his short brown hair with


    his fingers. Even from a distance, I could see his golden orbs scanning my skimpy-clothed body and the


    disgustful grin that curved his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of all this?! What the hell do you want from


    me?! What did you do to my driver?!¡± I roared despite shivering in fear. An icy chuckle escaped his


    throat. ¡°I put your driver to sleep, and you¡¯re going to help me with my special project. I set a special


    scene,¡± he said, looking around the concrete hall, ¡°and I think that this will be dramatic enough. I even


    got you a special costume for the asion.¡± I nced at the nightgown and felt chills running down my


    spine. ¡°What kind of project?¡± I choked out.


    He snorted and crouched down in front of me. ¡°If I can¡¯t kill Aren Lan then you will have to rece him,


    but I wouldn¡¯t be fully satisfied if he didn¡¯t see how much you suffered in the process.¡±


    My heart started to race in panic. My body was still numb, but the adrenalin fueled my vision, desperate


    to find a way out. I could hardly see the door on the opposite side of my stone bed, but I also saw lights


    and camera tripods. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of sick idea you have, but you need to know that you won¡¯t


    get away with this! You know your real name, Haskett!¡± I shouted, trying to raise my rage above the


    horror I felt.


    Haskett burst intoughter. He stood up and started to p his hands. ¡°Bravo! Nice try!¡± he called out


    mockingly. ¡°But if you really knew who I was, you would know why I was doing this, and, judging by your


    expression, you know shit.¡±


    He was right. I knew nothing about him aside from his name, which I couldn¡¯t even tell if it wasn¡¯t some


    kind of nickname of his. Nheless, what I could be certain of was that this guy was sick, and I had no


    intention of finding out what exactly he was nning to do to me. I had


    to stall for time. If Haskett had given Benjamin the same drug he used on me, Benjamin might have


    already woken up. Deep down inside, I prayed that someone would check the surveince footage and


    find me. My only chance was to try to talk to that madman standing in front of me. ¡°You are right¡­ I don¡¯t


    know anything about you. Don¡¯t you think you owe me an exnation? ¡°I asked, praying that my


    shivering wouldn¡¯t betray how terrified I was. ¡°If¡­ you are going to kill me¡­ don¡¯t I deserve to know


    why?¡± He grinned, his eyes examining my curves. ¡°You are right.¡± He sat next to me and grabbed my


    chain to pull me closer. ¡°I should introduce myself, right? My name is Ian Haskett. Aren Lan raped and


    killed my sister, and I am going to make sure you will be treated the same way.¡±


    I froze for a few seconds as my mind tried to deny the meaning of the words I heard. I kept swallowing


    shallow breaths while my heart raced wildly. ¡°You¡¯re lying! Aren isn¡¯t capable of doing something like


    that!¡± I spat. He shook his head, drawing amusement from my shock. As he leaned closer, making me


    crawl back against the wall, he grabbed the link between my cuffs and pulled my hands above my head.


    He smirked coldly, pinning my wrists against the concrete. I struggled to free myself, but he overpowered


    me easily. ¡°He seduced her, violently stripped her purity, and then he broke her; left her to die,¡± Haskett


    snarled into my ear. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t believe in any of your words!¡± I roared, tilting my head away from him


    as far as I could. I tried to kick his legs or ankles, but the drug was still effective enough to weaken my


    muscles.


    Ian Haskett stood up, brushing off the ce where my feet ineptly hit him, a disdained grimace crossing


    his lips. ¡°Enough with the chat. We have a nice movie to make.¡± He sighed nonchntly before typing


    something on his phone. ¡°Ian¡­ listen to me,¡± I muttered, my voice trembling. ¡°You¡¯ll gain nothing if you


    hurt me or kill me, and Aren won¡¯t stop until he finds you.¡± I prayed that I could somehow convince him,


    but there was less and less hope inside me. He burst out in humorlessughter, which quickly turned to a


    growl. ¡°I have nothing to lose! He took away my sister, and I just lost mypany! I have nothing!


    Nothing but hatred!¡± I cowered, acknowledging the facts. ¡°The Blue Dreand¡­¡± I mumbled, lowering


    my head.


    He chuckled coldly. ¡°Yes, that was thepany I created. I thought that if only I could get an investor, I


    would crash something that Aren Lan tried to build while destroying the lives of innocents like my


    sister¡­¡± He stopped talking and turned his head toward the door.


    I gulped as I heard the sound of footsteps. A secondter, the door mmed open, and three bulky men


    walked into the room, heading toward me. Ian Haskett rubbed his hands in excitement and rushed to get


    the tripods with lights and a camera. He hummed amusedly as I froze in terror, looking at those three


    men, and their lustful eyes locked on me.


    ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t do this! Whatever Aren did to your sister¡­ I¡¯m begging you!¡± I cried out, desperately


    yanking the chain as if it could miraculously break. I saw how viciously entertained Haskett had be


    by hearing all my cries and begging. His excitement grew along with every scream that left my throat. He


    calmly set the lights on each side of the stone I was chained to while the three men lustfully observed my


    barely covered


    body.


    ¡°All set, gentlemen,¡± Haskett said, gesturing at the men as if he was inviting them to the dining table.


    ¡°No!¡± I shouted from the top of my lungs. ¡°Please!¡± I pulled my legs up off the floor, trying to find a


    position to defend myself.


    I saw the little light on the camera shing red, the bright lights blinding me as the three men approached


    me. I kept screaming, cursing them, yanking the chain, and cowering against the wall. A heartbeatter,


    the disgustingughter drowned out my cries. Another heartbeatter, their hands were on me,


    restraining my arms above my head and spreading my legs wide. I kept fighting, but my moves meant


    nothing against their strength. I kept screaming even when one of them mped my mouth with his big


    dirty hand. I bit him.


    ¡°You fucking bitch!¡± he thundered, raising his hand to hit me.


    I stared at his hand, petrified, preparing myself for pain, but it never came. The whistling sound pierced


    the air, making my attacker freeze before his lifeless mass fell on me, and the blood burst out of the hole


    in his head. A hoarse cry escaped my throat as the bloody corpse crushed my weak body. I tried to get


    him off of me, but it seemed that I had already overused all the power I had on screaming. I could barely


    see what was going on. I could only hear the whistling gun sounds, the yelling, and the swearing. It all


    lasted a minute before turning silent.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Panic flooded me as I heard footstepsing my way. I felt as if I was about to suffocate under the


    weight of the dead man on me. I wanted him gone. I felt as if I was about to throw up. My heart raced


    frantically, increasing my dizziness and squeezing out the tears from my eyes. Suddenly, someone


    pushed him off, letting me breathe. The man leaned over and gently stroked my hair. ¡°It¡¯s OK, Cora. You


    are safe now.¡± A familiar voice echoed in my head as I closed my eyes. My world went ck.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    Saved


    I opened my eyes andced the bright sun rays creeping through the window of a familiar hospital room


    in Aren¡¯s clinic. It took me a while before my brain fully acknowledged that I was sate. Once I did, I let out


    a soft exhale along with a few tears. I was lying still as the memories shed back before my eyes,


    making me wonder what had happened and how I had found myself in the clinic. I thought of sitting up. I


    lifted my head and instantly weed an overwhelming headache.


    ¡°Miranda said that you shouldn¡¯t move.¡± I heard Chris¡¯s voice and saw him leaning over me a second


    later. ¡°I can pull up the bed if you want to sit.¡± His lips curled into a faint smile.


    I nodded, looking at him numbly and processing why he was in my room. As he pulled my bed up so I


    could sit, I took a closer look at him. He was wearing a ck T-shirt and a pair ofbat pants, but even


    the dark fabric couldn¡¯t hide the dried bloodstains-proof of the fight. Only then did I realize that it was his


    voice I heard just before I passed out. ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled, tugging at the hem of his shirt.


    He stretched his lips into a grin, but his eyes reflected nothing aside from concern. He grabbed my hand,


    took it away from his shirt, and put it on the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± he said softly.


    My mouth was dry like a desert. I reached my hand to get a ss of water that stood on the bedside


    cab, but Chris was first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You shouldn¡¯t move your hands too much.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, wondering why he mentioned my hands until I looked at my wrists covered by


    bandages that already had stains soaked with blood.


    Chris followed my gaze and put the ss back on the bedside cab. ¡°Stay still! I¡¯ll get Miranda!¡± He


    rushed to the door.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t! Miranda gave you the strongest painkillers she could!¡± He frowned while opening


    the door. ¡°If your wounds get infected, Aren will kill both Miranda and me!¡±


    Hearing my husband¡¯s name put a smile on my face, but that smile disappeared as I recalled Ian


    Haskett¡¯s words. Was there any truth in what he¡¯d said? I didn¡¯t want to believe it. I had known for a long


    time that Aren was a yer. He could have been cruel and cold, but taking advantage of a weak girl or


    hurting her physically didn¡¯t sound like him at all. ¡°Cora, honey, how do you feel?¡± Miranda burst into the


    room with watery eyes. ¡°Good¡­¡± I stretched my lips into a thin smile. ¡°Aside from the headache, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Chris closed the door behind them and stayed in the corner of the room. Miranda sat by my bed and took


    out fresh bandages from the medical box she brought with her. ¡°You had a mild concussion. There are


    some bruises on your back, chest, and legs, but your wrists¡­ I don¡¯t know what that fucker put on those


    handcuffs, but I seriously wish someone put the same thing on his dick,¡± she hissed, gently unwrapping


    the bloody gauze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­¡± I looked at her, confused. ¡°Was there something unusual on those cuffs? I knew they


    were sharp-edged but¡­¡± I froze as I looked at my unwrapped from bandages wrists.


    Except for the multiple small cuts, my wounds looked like they were burned by some chemical


    substance. It looked disgusting, but the worst part of it was that these cuts didn¡¯t seem to heal.


    ¡°I know how it looks¡­.¡± Miranda patted my head. ¡°That fucker must have put some bleach on the cuffs.


    Each time they tore or cut your skin, it infected your wounds. But don¡¯t worry, Aren is getting special


    ointments to help your skin heal faster. There won¡¯t be any scars,¡± she said, aforting smile crossing


    her lips.


    ¡°Aren¡­¡± I muttered mindlessly before looking at Chris. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He ising today. He should


    land in New York in about two hours,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then¡­ why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Aren had a bad feeling and he ordered me toe back from Paris yesterday to keep an eye on you,¡±


    he exined. ¡°It seems that I came back just in time¡­¡±


    Chills ran down my spine, thinking about what could have happened if Chris hadn¡¯te back sooner.


    My mind was still in a frantic state, gathering the pieces of information together, but there was something


    I needed to know.¡±What about Benjamin?¡± I asked anxiously. ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll be fine,¡± Miranda answered. ¡°He


    got injected with a heavy dose of sleeping drug, but he is already conscious.¡± ¡°The security guards found


    him lying by the car right by the parking lot¡¯s entrance,¡± Chris added.


    I nodded and sighed in relief. Miranda plugged in another drip of painkillers. They made me bemused,


    but my other choice was to feel the skin on my wrist as if it was constantly burning. Obviously, I would


    rather lose my focus than writhe in pain¡­ Once Miranda finished treating my wounds, she left my room,


    telling me that I should get some rest. Chris followed her, but I stopped him before he walked out the


    door. ¡°Please¡­ I need to know what happened yesterday.¡±


    He stared at my pleading eyes for a minute and finally sighed, surrendering. ¡°Fine, but are you absolutely


    sure that you are ready to hear it?¡± I fisted my hand and gave him a confident nod. I didn¡¯t want to go


    back with my thoughts to everything that Haskett wanted to do to me, but the uncertainty was killing me.


    Chris sat on my bed, his fingertips gently touching mine. ¡°My nended a little after 10 PM. I called


    you just to check if you were at the penthouse, but you didn¡¯t answer. Then I called Neil, and he told me


    that Benjamin was just about to take you home. But when Benjamin didn¡¯t answer his phone, I rushed


    straight to the Lan Diamond Tower. As soon as I informed Neil and the security, they started checking the


    footage. Thankfully, one of the cameras caught the moment of your attack, and then another one


    registered the car tes. In the meantime, I gathered the team and informed Aren and Jack. You haveConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    no idea what I felt when we found the car¡¯s location and we were on our way there¡­¡± He exhaled in a


    rush and then clenched his jaw and closed his eyes.


    I smiled nervously and ced my hand on top of his. ¡°But you saved me, Chris¡­ You saved my life¡­¡± I


    muttered. I was surprised by the way his emotions surfaced. It was the kind of reaction I would expect


    from someone who had feelings for me, but that couldn¡¯t be the case, right?


    A few secondster, Chris cleared his throat, giving me a brief grin. ¡°Anyway, I took a team of six, sharp


    ammunition. The n was to eliminate everyone, except for Haskett. Aren wanted him alive for


    questioning¡­¡± Chris paused before a cold smirk crossed his mouth. ¡°But I bet


    that he just wanted to kill the fucker with his own hands.¡±


    He nced at me, checking my reaction, but I only nodded. I had sunk into Aren¡¯s world long ago. I had


    witnessed people getting killed in front of my eyes, and I had been threatened with killing at least a few


    times already. Perhaps Chris thought that I would be shocked to know that when he and his team had


    come to rescue me, they had been ready to kill, but the truth was, I didn¡¯t think those people deserved to


    live.


    ¡°So, what happened when you found the ce where Haskett brought me?¡± I inquired anxiously.


    Chris gently grabbed my hand, anger surfacing in his expression. ¡°We found you on thest floor of an


    unfinished office building. When my team and I barged inside, I saw one of those fuckers trying to hit


    you¡­ I lost it. I shot him in the head without realizing that his stinking body could crush you when it


    copsed. I was so mad that I nearly shot that fucker behind the camera, despite promising Aren that I


    would keep him alive¡­ I¡¯m sorry if you got hurt because of my stupidity,¡± he said, lowering his head. I let


    out a soft chuckle. ¡°Are you kidding me? I agree that having this fucker on me is an experience I wish to


    erase from my memory, but I am quite certain that getting hit by him would feel much worse.¡± He gave


    me a faint smile, and I smiled back at him. Then my mind shifted to the bastard who tried to kill me. ¡°So,


    what about Haskett? Do you know who that guy is, and why does he hate Aren so much?¡±


    Chris nodded, one side of his lips curving into a crooked smile. ¡°I knew that his name sounded familiar


    and now I know why¡­ Remember when I told you about Aren¡¯s dark past? There was one girl who was


    particrly attracted to him. She used to follow him wherever he went, begging for his attention. At some


    party, she crawled into his bed, and he didn¡¯t reject her. The next day, he treated her coldly, while she


    imagined that they would be a couple. When Aren told her clearly that it was never going to


    happen, she tried tomit suicide just to get his attention. Her name was Natasha Haskett; she was


    Ian Haskett¡¯s younger sister,¡± he said.


    I looked at him, perplexed. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. You told me that she tried tomit suicide and didn¡¯t


    seed¡­ So why did her brother im that she was dead and that Aren killed her?¡±


    Chris shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I did a little research and found out that Natasha left our university


    after the whole suicide attempt incident. She studied in Rome and even graduated with honors, so it


    didn¡¯t seem like there was something wrong with her. Even so, she killed herself two years ago, and, for


    some reason, her brother was convinced that Aren was her suicide motive.¡±


    I listened to his words and suddenly froze. ¡°Why did you say that her brother WAS convinced? ¡± I smiled


    nervously.


    ¡°Yeah, about that¡­¡± Chris scratched his head, a reluctant grimace painting his mouth. ¡°I promised that I


    wouldn¡¯t kill Haskett, and I didn¡¯t. But as we were leading him out of the building, we noticed a sniper on


    the nearby roof. The whole team took cover, but we weren¡¯t the target¡­ The sniper gave only one shot,


    an extremely urate one-he shot Ian Haskett in the neck and killed him on the spot.¡¯

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    My remedy


    After talking with Chris, I became restless. Ian Haskett had been eliminated by someone who didn¡¯t


    want him to talk. It would be obvious to suspect that the assassination had been ordered by Mr. C.,


    whoever he was. It was frustrating: as soon as we found answers to some of our questions, more


    questions came. I used to think that the moment we found and dealt with the man who kidnapped me


    from my wedding ceremony would be the moment our battles would end. It was terrifying to think that a


    man liken Haskett had been merely a pawn in Mr. C.¡¯s game.


    Chris told me that the sniper managed to run away right after sessfully shooting Haskett. I bet that


    the shooter must have been there the whole time, observing the situation. The sniper must have been


    prepared to act in casen Haskett¡¯s n went south. The second Blue Dreand¡¯s board of directors


    had been arrested and the wholepany basically ceased to exist,n Haskett had be


    expendable, but, for some reason, he wasn¡¯t eliminated by Mr. C.¡¯s people right away. I also knew that


    Mr. C. didn¡¯t want Aren dead, but at the same time, his men didn¡¯t interfere when Ian Haskett decided


    to kill me. Would I be Mr. C.¡¯s next target? It was enough that I saw those disgusting men trying to


    rape me each time I closed my eyes, and now the vision of an unknown man trying to kill me prolonged


    the list of my nightmares.


    Miranda gave me sedatives so I could fall asleep, but even then my dreams were gloomy and


    disturbing. As soon as I closed my eyes, I found myself inside an empty room. It was dark, and only a


    tiny bit of light came from the crack of the door in front of me. I stepped toward it, my hand reaching for


    a door handle when suddenly I noticed that the cuffs Haskett had put on my wrists were restraining my


    hands once more. I felt a burning pain wherever the poisoned steel touched my skin. I screamed in


    agony, desperately trying to take the handcuffs off, but I felt as if they had gotten tighter. I screamed


    again, reaching for the door handle, somehow knowing that it would release me from the pain. I


    stretched my hand, fighting through the pain. I wanted to step closer to the door, but I felt as if some


    force kept me inside that dark room. Then, miraculously, the door in front of me opened, letting in a


    pleasant amount of light. I moved my foot forward a bit and felt that the force keeping me inside had


    be weaker. I stretched my hands forward and felt someone¡¯s touch. It wasforting and warm.


    It soothed me, instantly stopping my tears from falling.


    I opened my eyes and found myself in a well-known embrace. My back was pressed against a warm,


    chiseled chest, and I was wrapped in a pair of strong arms. I smiled and started crying again.


    ¡°Hush, sunshine,¡± Aren whispered in between kissing my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I will never leave you alone


    again. I will never let anyone hurt you again. Please forgive me.¡±


    He hugged me tighter. Only then did I realize that he was lying on the sheets of my hospital bed and


    was still dressed in his suit.


    ¡°Did youe here straight from the airport?¡± I murmured.


    ¡°How could I not?¡± he breathed, lowering himself to nuzzle the nape of my neck.


    I pleasant wave of shivers flew down my body. I instantly wanted to feel his naked skin against mine. I


    felt as if he was my remedy for all the darkness that crept inside my mind. He made my pain go away.


    But then he suddenly released me from his embrace, depriving me of his warmth. ¡°I can go if you don¡¯t


    want me to be here¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I eximed in a panic. I grabbed his arm and pressed it to my chest. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ You must feel


    ufortable in those clothes¡­ and I would much rather feel you instead of your fine jacket and shirt.¡±


    I heard him chuckle against the back of my neck. ¡°When did my wife start to take initiative?¡± he purred,


    teasingly


    My grip on his arm tightened nervously. ¡°I need to feel your touch. I ne ed to feel you and not¡­¡± My


    voice cracked


    He turned my body to face him before I could even gasp. He looked deep into my eyes, his dark irises


    filled with pain as if he was suffering for me. He smiled faintly and gently kissed my lips. ¡°Miranda will


    kill me if I sleep here with her patient.¡±


    C


    RE


    | smirked at him. ¡°Miranda is your employee, and this is your clinic.¡± Heughed and kissed me again.


    ¡°Good point,¡± he stated before jumping off my bed and rushing from my room straight to the bathroom.


    ¡°Give me a minute.¡±


    ¨C


    I chuckled, hearing him turn on the shower. He took that ¡°minute¡± quite literally, because sixty


    heartbeatster, I saw him standing on the room¡¯s threshold, his skin freshly towel-dried and his hair


    deliciously damp. The sight of his towel wrapped low around his hips, exposing the sexy V-line, made


    me swallow, my thirst for him increasing. The only thing that kept making me feel ufortable was


    the way I looked. I was more than aware that my bruised, exhausted body was anything but sexy. And


    yet, Aren was staring at me as if I was the most desirable thing on this.


    ¡°Do you intend to sleep naked?¡± I raised one eyebrow at him.


    He chuckled, walked to the door, and locked it. ¡°Like you said, it is my clinic.¡±


    Iughed nervously. ¡°But it¡¯ll be a little strange with me wearing my patient¡¯s pajamas¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have any other bandages aside from your wrists?¡± he asked, a smirk crossing his lips.


    ¡°No,¡± I said emphatically.


    ¡°Then you will sleep naked too.¡± He shrugged.


    My eyes widened as I tried to protest. ¡°But I am a patient.¡±


    ¡°And I am providing therapy,¡± he said, slipping under the sheets before starting to unbutton my pajama


    shirt.


    ¡°Aren¡­¡± | gasped when his fingers brushed my breasts, sending a wave of shudders through me. ¡°I


    don¡¯t think that this is a good idea¡­¡±


    He slid the sleeves of my pajama top down. ¡°I¡¯ll be gentle,¡± he whispered.


    I minuteter, he was hugging me from behind, our naked bodies pressed against each other. He


    showered me with little, sweet kisses, cherishing every inch of my skin. ¡°Are you ufortable?¡± he


    asked. ¡°If you are in pain, just tell me, and I-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I muttered, leaning back to sink in his strong arms and chest. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare leave me.¡±


    He chuckled softly and kissed the top of my head. ¡°I will call my grandfather and tell him we won¡¯t


    come.¡±


    I flinched and turned around to look at him, frowning. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Because my wife was almost raped and killed and needs my attention and a stable recovery far more


    than attending an old man¡¯s party,¡± he said firmly.


    I reached out my hand and stroked his cheek. As much as I loved that he was willing to give up on his


    ns for me, I didn¡¯t want him to. ¡°We need to go there, Aren,¡± I whispered, my lips curving into a


    cautious smile. ¡°Spending a few days in bed with you sounds tempting, but we need to go.¡±


    Aren caught my hand stroking his cheek and kissed it. ¡°Sunshine, you must be aware by now that


    whoever wants to harm you and me will probably attend this party as well.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I know that. But do you think that I would be safer in New York if we didn¡¯t go there?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I need to know that you are OK. Meeting the Lan family won¡¯t be easy¡­¡±


    ¡°I will be fine if you are there with me,¡± I said and kissed his delectable, full lips.


    He smiled and stroked my hair. ¡°How did I deserve to have a woman like you?¡± 1


    I smirked, ¡°You didn¡¯t. You are just one hell of a lucky bastard.¡±


    Heughed and pulled me closer before shing his lips against mine in a rough, passionate kiss. ¡°I


    must have saved the entire world in my past life to get a reward like that,¡± he breathed as he finally


    broke our kiss.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    I chuckled and nuzzled against the chiseled muscles on his chest. ¡°You work far better as my cure than


    Miranda¡¯s medicines.¡±


    He snorted but then suddenly became serious. I could hear the change in his breathing as if his mind


    traveled elsewhere, somewhere that made him restless. ¡°Cora¡­ this trip will be dangerous. You need


    to promise me one thing.¡± He gently grabbed my chin, pulling me up to look into his eyes. ¡°You need to


    trust me no matter what happens.¡±


    I stared at him, nervously trying to read him. ¡°I always trust you,¡± I imed with a smile.


    ¡°I need you to know that I would never hurt you.¡± His words increased every anxiety I had in me.


    I nodded. ¡°I trust you,¡± I repeated.


    He exhaled in a rush and tightened his embrace around me. I shifted in his arms, settling myself more


    comfortably, and closed my eyes.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    Into the Lion¡¯s den


    I spent the entire fifteen-hour flight to Shanghai being restless. Even as Iy in Aren¡¯s arms in the


    bedroom of his luxurious private jet, I couldn¡¯t sleep. Unlike me, Aren slept like a baby, but I guess his


    level of exhaustion finally forced his system to rest. From the moment he hade back to New York,


    he didn¡¯t leave my side, working from my room in the clinic in between taking care of me. Even when


    Miranda had finally agreed to release me from observation, Aren didn¡¯t go to his office to pamper me as


    if I was a child. He didn¡¯t let me do anything by myself, and he would have carried me around the


    penthouse so I wouldn¡¯t tire my feet if I didn¡¯t firmly protest against it. It felt awkward at times, but I


    couldn¡¯t help but feel my heart melting as I saw his concern filled with yet-unnamed emotions


    scratching their way out. Now, he was lying peacefully beside me, and I tried to soothe my nerves by


    stroking his thick ck hair. Looking at his beautiful sleeping face was the only thing that could dissolve


    my anxieties while we were in the air, and I could only imagine how nervous I¡¯d be once the ne


    landed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sunshine. Everyone is going to love you.¡± He gave my hand a gentle squeeze once we


    got off at Shanghai Pudong Airport.


    I nodded and smiled nervously, although I seriously doubted that I would be treated kindly by the Lan


    family, who barely considered my husband as their own. Aren assured me of the Lans¡¯ progressive


    mind set, but I was aware that I shouldn¡¯t underestimate the fact that the rules of Confucianism were


    still very present in the old Chinese families, and the Lan family was certainly one of them. Confucius¡¯s


    rules had always set a clear hierarchic order within the families, with the oldest member as the head of


    the family and the younger generations having to submit to him. The obvious fact was that male


    members were constantly prioritized, and a lot of conservative families used to say that it was a curse


    to have a daughter and a blessing when they had a son. For that reason, Lan Jing¡¯s decision to appoint


    the daughter as an heir caused outrage among the conservatives. Unfortunately, this fact didn¡¯t exactly


    make things easier for Liling¡¯s son, Aren. First of all, his mother had gone against the head of the


    family, stealing the money for Winton¡¯spany, and then marrying James Winton. Moreover, even


    though he was a man, he was the son of a daughter, and because of that fact, even the Chinese


    language itself put him at a disadvantage. While the other Lan Jing¡¯s grandchildren called their


    grandfather ¡°yeye¡±, Aren would address him as ¡°waigong,¡± with ¡°wai¡± meaning ¡°outside,¡± to underline


    the fact that as soon as the daughter married, she became an outsider, a more distant family


    member¡­ I bet that the way grandchildren called their grandparents didn¡¯t matter that much in other


    Chinese families, but it was a whole different story when those grandchildren were fighting for the


    position of an heir, and unimaginable power and money.


    The Lans mansion was in the Pudong district, which was one of the ces where all the richest people


    in Shanghai had their homes. The Lans owned the entire hill with vast parks and gardens and the


    castle-like mansion at the heart of that area. Certainly, the ce was guarded by a high fence and


    surveince and security at the intelligence agency level. As soon as we arrived at the ce, we were


    greeted by several servants lined up at the entrance. The second after we got out of the limousine that


    drove us from the airport, our suitcases were taken out of the trunk and carried into the mansion. At the


    same time, the English-speaking chambein weed us into the residence and led us inside to


    show us our rooms. I was surprised to see the whole wing of the mansion reserved solely for our


    comfort, with one living room


    and master bedroom, a private office room with a small library, and a beautiful orangery.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Master Lan will receive you at five o¡¯clock. The dinner will be served at six,¡± said the grey-haired


    chambein.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Gao,¡± Aren replied, giving the chambein a small nod of acknowledgment.


    Mr. Gao bowed down and left our room, closing the door behind him. I had to admit that I loved the


    modern-oriental interior design the mansion had. It was quite ascetic, leavingrge areas of


    unfurnished space that helped emphasize the oriental ornaments and a few traditional elements. Of


    course, the


    minimalistic trend didn¡¯t apply to the bedroom, where the bed itself was enough for the family of five to


    sleepfortably. The dark wooden bed frame had artistic carvings from every side and the canopy


    was covered with the most delicate silk. I could easily picture one of the Chinese rulers sleeping in a


    bed like that. I couldn¡¯t help but admire it.


    ¡°Would you like to try it out?¡± Aren whispered to my ear as he caught me staring.


    I blushed. ¡°I¡¯m merely appreciating the work of art.¡±


    He took my hand and kissed it. ¡°I cannot wait to try it.¡±


    I sighed and rolled my eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m d that at least one of us is in a good mood. There¡¯s a hard


    knot in my stomach which is more than enough to make me not think about anything sex-rted.¡±


    Aren chuckled and led me to sit on the bed. He sat beside me and smiled mischievously. ¡°I can help


    you rx,¡± he said, brushing his lips against mine.


    His hands slipped around my waist, pulling me close enough to hear his heartbeat. He looked at me


    with his hypnotic irises, and I couldn¡¯t help but submit to my desires. His tongue quickly found its way


    into my mouth, slowly enticing my arousal. I put my hands around his neck before I realized it, urging


    him to deepen the kiss. He chuckled against my lips as his hands reached under my shirt. I gasped,


    feeling his fingertips exploring my skin inch by inch. I barely noticed when I lost both, my shirt and my


    bra, and he began to tease the oversensitive skin on my nipples. Suddenly, he broke our kiss and


    pinned me down on the bed, his lips leaving a series of soft pecks while he moved down to stop at my


    breasts. His hands went between my legs, spreading them and pulling up my skirt. A loud moan


    escaped my throat as he stroked the already wet center of my panties. A heartbeatter, he ripped off


    the damp fabric and started caressing my most sensitive spot, making me throb.


    He raised his head to pierce me with his devouring gaze. ¡°Should I stop now, or do you want more?¡±


    I bit my fip, and he grinned wickedly before thrusting his fingers inside me. ¡°Oh, God¡­¡± I breathed as


    he increased his pace, building my climax. Then he lowered himself between my legs to tease me with


    his tongue. I exploded with a hoarse scream, but he only chuckled and kept thrusting his fingers as my


    hot sex tightened around them. Intoxicated by desire, I barely heard the sound of knocking at our door.


    ¡°Aren¡­¡± I mumbled, hardly audibly, but he seemed to ignore the knocking, ¡°Aren?¡± I repeated, finally


    getting his attention. ¡°I think we should check what it is about,¡± I said hesitantly.


    Aren let out an angry sigh, but then he nodded, got up, and kissed my lips. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, sunshine.¡±


    He grinned as he left the bedroom.


    Unfortunately, he was no longer smiling when he came back, and his expression betrayed annoyance.


    ¡°I guess that we don¡¯t have more time to try out the bed?¡± I smirked, lifting myself and trying to find the


    shreds of my panties.


    ¡°A servant came to inform us that we have twenty minutes to prepare for an audience in my


    grandfather¡¯s office, as if he was a fucking king or a pope,¡± Aren snarled.


    I stepped closer to him and stood on my toes to kiss him. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. We¡¯ll have plenty of time


    later,¡± I purred yfully, making his grimaced lips uncontrobly curl up.


    ¡°You are the only one who can improve my mood in less than a second, sunshine.¡± He pulled me into


    his arms and softly kissed the top of my head. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t realize how his previous words


    made me tense¡­


    ***


    I surprised myself that I was able to shower, change my clothes, and reapply my make-up in less than


    twenty minutes, and came down for a meeting with Aren¡¯s grandfather on time. I was keeping my tense


    hand on Aren¡¯s bent arm as he knocked on the office door. A secondter, a servant opened it, inviting


    us

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    An audience


    What the hell was Lanfen doing there?! And why did she show up at the same time that we were


    supposed to meet Aren¡¯s grandfather?! I couldn¡¯t help but think that it was all carefully nned. But the


    real question was, was it her n or Lan Jing¡¯s form to test Aren and me?


    I observed Lanfen making herselffortable sitting on the sofa in a ce where clearly I was


    supposed to sit. Her innocent mask was perfectly glued to her face, just as I remembered it from our


    chat at the cafe. She was dressed in a humble dark blue long-sleeve dress with a round white cor.


    Her ck hair was tied in a sleek ponytail, making her look like a high school girl. It was obvious that


    she had the old man wrapped around her little finger. I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of lies she told him, but


    judging by the kind expression Lan Jing gave Lanfen, he bought everything she told him. My jaw


    clenched and I wished I. could grab her hair and smash her smiling face against the coffee table.


    Lan Jing looked at Aren and pointed at the empty spot on the sofa. ¡°Xiaohouzi,e and sit next to


    Lanfen.¡±


    Aren inhaled through his nostrils, rage more than obvious in his expression. ¡°I will sit only next to my


    wife. If you don¡¯t have a ce for us to sit together, then we¡¯d rather stand.¡±


    Lan Jing got up from his seat and hit the table with his fist. ¡°Ni zemne gan?!¡± he roared.


    I had no idea what Lan Jing said, but I could see that Aren was about to explode in fury. I would dly


    let him, but it would only ruin everything we hade here for. I was already mad at myself for what


    I was about to do, but this one time, I had to y Lanfen¡¯s game. Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to give her


    all she wanted. I ced my hand on Aren¡¯s arm while putting the other one on his heart, trying to calm


    him down, but, at the same time, stating that he was mine. He nced at me, startled, and I smiled as


    innocently as I could.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, honey. Your grandfather already had a guest before we came. I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean to


    upset us. Please sit with Lanfen on the sofa. I will take the chair¡±-I shifted my gaze to Lan Jing and


    smiled at him-¡°if I may.¡±


    Aren¡¯s grandfather widened his eyes on me, and I could see his lips curve into a faint smile. Then he


    cleared his throat and pointed at a seat for me. ¡°Of course, Ms. Bell. I wanted to talk to you just as


    much as I wanted to talk to my grandson.¡±


    11


    Aren stepped closer to the sofa and sent Lanfen an icy re, making her flinch. He smirked, seeing her


    shift in her seat further to the edge, leaving more space for Aren to sit. Once he made himself


    comfortable, his eyes turned to his grandfather. ¡°I¡¯m not certain if Grandfather remembers, but Cora is


    my wife and has my name already.¡± Aren¡¯s sarcastic remark instantly put a deep frown on Lan Jing¡¯s


    face.


    Iughed nervously before ring at Aren. I was getting miles away from myfort zone trying to act


    obediently and hyper-politely, and, as much as I was aware that Aren was trying to do that for me, he


    was actually ruining it all!


    ¡°Mr. Lan, perhaps it would be easier if you just call me by my first name?¡± I suggested, keeping a


    dumbly innocent smile glued to my face before finally sitting on the chair on the old man¡¯s left.


    Lan Jing¡¯s frown slowly faded, giving way to a warm grin. ¡°I will call you haizi, which means a child


    since I can already tell that I¡¯m going to treat you just like my grandchildren. I call all my grandchildren


    that way¡­ except for your stubborn husband. I call him xiaohouzi-a youngster because he wants to be


    taken seriously but asionally acts like a spoiled brat,¡± Lan Jing exined andughed.


    Aren rolled his eyes, but, fortunately, decided not toment. I chuckled, gently covering my mouth


    with my hand before ncing at Lanfen. She gave me a vicious re, clearly annoyed that I had drawn


    Lan


    Jing¡¯s attention. She let out a high-pitchedugh that quickly turned the old man¡¯s eyes toward her.


    ¡°Yeye, ni yao buyao zaii dian cha?¡± she asked, reaching for the teapot while smiling at Lan Jing.


    That was a low move. Not only did she decide to say it in Chinese so that I wouldn¡¯t understand, but


    the one thing I did understand was that she called Lan Jing ¡°grandpa¡±! Lan Jing seemed surprised, but


    he didn¡¯t scold her for her boldness. He smiled briefly and waved his hand, rejecting her proposal,


    which I think was about pouring more tea.


    Lanfen put the teapot back and bowed before she looked at me and gasped theatrically. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m


    sorry. I forgot you don¡¯t speak Chinese. I apologize if I made you feel awkward¡­¡± She lowered her


    head.


    Aren nced at her with disdain and chuckled coldly. Would you stop with that farse already? I didn¡¯t


    rip your head off because you are my grandfather¡¯s guest, but I dare you to disrespect my wife once


    more.¡±


    Lanfen leaned back, unable to hide the shock caused by Aren¡¯s words. Her reaction seemed oddly


    sincere. Didn¡¯t she realize that Aren¡¯s hatred for her had never stopped running in his veins? Unlike


    her, I inwardly sighed in relief, seeing Aren like that. I couldn¡¯t express how d I was that his attitude


    toward Lanfen didn¡¯t miraculously change as soon as he saw her. Nheless, I couldn¡¯t help but


    wonder what she was counting on.


    Lan Jing looked at me and chuckled. ¡°I can see that my grandson is very protective of you,¡± he said,


    smirking at Lanfen and Aren. ¡°He even got angry at his first love because of you.¡±


    I froze hearing Lan Jing¡¯s words about Aren¡¯s first love. There was no doubt that it was Lanfen who told


    him that. It must have been a simr story to the one she told me. And I had just appeared in that love


    story as well¡­ as a viiness who stood in the way of Aren¡¯s and her true love.


    I smiled at Lan Jing despite the painful squeeze in my chest. ¡°Aren and I care about each other deeply,¡±


    ! said before shifting my gaze to Lanfen, ¡°and, as far as I know, my husband and Lanfen didn¡¯t end their


    rtionship on friendly terms.¡±


    Lan Jing pped his hands. ¡°And now it is time to do something about it!¡± he eximed, grinning.


    My eyes widened as chills ran down my spine. I didn¡¯t like where this was going, and judging by Aren¡¯s


    tense jaw, he didn¡¯t like it either. I nced at Lanfen; a triumphal smirk painted her lips.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Now, my dear Cora, I would like you to leave us alone for a while.¡± Lan Jing smiled at me, gently


    gesturing at the door.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Aren hissed. ¡°She is not leaving. I don¡¯t keep secrets from my wife.¡±


    Lan Jing frowned and cleared his throat. ¡°Very well then, but don¡¯t me me for honesty.¡± He locked


    his eyes on Aren. ¡°I¡¯d given you a condition and you got married. That is why I will introduce you


    officially as my grandson tomorrow at my birthday party, and I will give you thepany shares that I


    promised.¡±


    Aren bowed. ¡°Thank you, waigong.¡±


    ¡°As for your marriage,¡± he continued, shifting his gaze to me, ¡°I can see now that Cora is a truly


    beautiful and politedy¡­ but she isn¡¯t suitable to stay as your wife if you want to be my heir.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Aren got up from his seat. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious! You agreed that I would choose the one I


    marry, and Cora is the one I want!¡± he roared.


    ¡°Calm down, xiaohouzi,¡± Lan Jing said, his voice even and cold. ¡°I am a businessman, and so are you.


    You must be aware that non-Chinese cannot be the wife of a man who runs one of the biggest


    companies in the country.¡±


    | sat in my seat, paralyzed. The sound of those words suffocated me. My heart pounded frantically, and


    I wanted to scream at how unfair it all was. My heartache increased by the second. I nced at Lanfen


    and met her eyes locked on me. A vicious smirk crossed her lips while she satposedly as if she


    was


    greatly enjoying the whole situation.


    ¡°I am a half-American myself. What¡¯s the fuck is wrong with that?!¡± Aren thundered.


    Lan Jing sighed. ¡°You need a bnce, and that is why you need a Chinese wife. I knew you¡¯d never


    ept an arranged marriage, so I devised a different n.¡±


    ¡°What other way?¡± Aren squeezed through his teeth, his hands fisted, and his knuckles turned white.


    Lan Jing straightened in his seat. ¡°I will make you the Lan family¡¯s heir, but you need to divorce your


    current wife¡±- he turned his gaze to Lanfen and smiled at her-¡°and marry this finedy,ing from a


    good Chinese family.¡±

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125


    A better wife


    I felt like I was about to throw up. My head started to spin. I even started to hear Lanfen¡¯s wicked


    laughter inside my mind. How could Lan Jing demand that Aren divorce me? This was ridiculous! And


    for what reason? Because I wasn¡¯t Chinese?!


    ¡°Waigong¡­ I don¡¯t want to be disrespectful, but are you shitting me?!¡± Aren snapped.


    ¡°Zhuyi ni de yuyan!¡± His grandfather thundered.


    ¡°Wo bu hui lihun!¡± Aren yelled.


    I didn¡¯t know what it all meant, but I hated it; I hated this whole situation. I looked at Lanfen and saw her


    sitting innocently as if she wasn¡¯t the main cause of this uproar. I seriously wanted to punch her and


    knock her white teeth out of that fake humble smile!


    Lan Jing took a deep breath before eximing, ¡°Why are you so angry, xiaohouzi?! I¡¯ve chosen Lanfen


    because you¡¯ve already been in a rtionship together! You broke up because of a misunderstanding,


    and misunderstandings are meant to be fixed!¡± He punched the table with his fist.


    Aren burst into coldughter before leaning toward his grandfather. ¡°I can assure you, waigong, that


    things between Lanfen and me are beyond any type of fixing.¡± Then he red mockingly at Lanfen.


    She blinked her almond eyes at him, reaching out her hand to touch Aren¡¯s arm. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault. If


    you just let me exin¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± Aren hissed icily, pushing her hand away.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Lanfen gasped as if he had hurt her hand, and Lan Jing roared, ¡°Xiaohouzi!¡±


    Aren¡¯s lips formed a smile, but his eyes zed dark and dangerously. He stood up and bowed to his


    grandfather. ¡°I apologize, waigong.¡±


    Lan Jing sighed. ¡°I forgive you, xiaohouzi. Now, as for your divorce-¡±


    ¡°Let me finish.¡± Aren¡¯s firm tone resonated within the room. ¡°I wanted to apologize because I won¡¯t


    divorce Cora, and I certainly won¡¯t marry Lanfen. Don¡¯t try to manipte me or bribe me because I will


    not let anyone control my life like that. If you refuse to make me an heir this way, then be it. Lan


    Diamond Corporation is doing fine without your support.¡± He bowed once more before reaching for my


    hand and leading me toward the exit.


    ¡°Fool!¡± Lan Jing called out angrily, making Aren turn around. ¡°I¡¯m giving you the protection you need! |


    want to make you untouchable!¡±


    A soft, humorless chuckle left Aren¡¯s throat. ¡°I survived thirty-two years without your help. I don¡¯t need


    your protection.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I believe that you can protect yourself, but can she?¡± Lan Jing smirked.


    Lanfen, who sat calmly on the sofa, suddenly frowned, sending the old man a confused stare. Aren


    looked at me, confidence quickly disappearing from his expression.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Aren let go of my hand and red at his grandfather. ¡°Are you


    threatening my wife now?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean, xiaohouzi. A fragile girl cannot survive in our world,¡± Lan Jing said curtly.


    ¡°I can assure you that Cora isn¡¯t just some fragile girl,¡± he said, a faint smirk crossing his lips.


    Lan Jing raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is she now?¡± He chuckled before pointing his finger at me. ¡°Hanzi. I will


    give you five minutes to convince me how strong you are.¡±


    ¡°Yeye!¡± Lanfen eximed, her eyes wide in disbelief, her hand fisting.


    ¡°Leave us.¡± Lan Jing looked at Aren and Lanfen. ¡°Cora and I will join you for dinner.¡±


    | swallowed hard but didn¡¯t dare to refuse his offer. Aren gazed at me worryingly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do


    this, sunshine.¡±


    | stretched my lips into a nervous smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me too much, handsome.¡± I climbed to my


    toes and gave Aren a quick kiss.


    ¡°Yeye¡­ perhaps I should stay as well?¡± Lanfen¡¯s tone suddenly softened, betraying her fake


    politeness. I could hear the final note in her voice, nervously trembling. My private conversation with


    Lan Jing was something she certainly didn¡¯t consider happening.


    Lan Jing looked at her coldly. ¡°I think I¡¯ve already told you to leave.¡±


    I flinched at the change in his tone, even if his words weren¡¯t meant for me. Lanfen couldn¡¯t hide her


    surprise and anger. She got up from the sofa and reluctantly bowed before heading to the door. She


    didn¡¯t look at me, but for the first time her real, disgusting face surfaced from beneath the carefully


    crafted mask. I only prayed that Lan Jing saw it the same way I did. Aren opened the door and let


    Lanfen leave the room first. Then he smiled at me and left himself, closing the door behind him.


    I took a deep breath and slowly walked back to my previous seat. I could see Lan Jing observing my


    every step closely. I smiled nervously as I sat down. ¡°So, what did you want to talk to me about, Mr.


    Lan?¡±


    Lan Jing leaned back in his chair, his eyes locked on me. ¡°You intrigue me, hanzi. You don¡¯t have a


    diploma, and yet my grandson decided to appoint you as a temporary CEO while he was in aa. I


    had zero experience in running apany, and yet you managed to deal with three experienced


    executives. Not to mention that I was surprised by how fast your rtionship developed. Youe


    from two different worlds. Do you expect me to believe that you met by ident in a caf¨¦ where you


    worked and got married a month after?¡±


    Chills ran down my spine. I couldn¡¯t tell if I should trust him or not. I had no problem with revealing the


    whole truth, but I needed to find out more about his reasons¡­


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± I smirked.


    Lan Jing chuckled and leaned closer to me. ¡°I want to hear the amazing story behind your rtionship.


    I want to know what makes you so special that Aren could only look at his old love with disdain while


    staring at you with googly eyes?¡±


    I tried to read his face, but he was almost expressionless, and this case was a little too important to


    gamble. ¡°Can I ask you a question before I answer, Mr. Lan?¡± I did my best to keep my voice calm


    despite the swirling emotions within me.


    He smiled curiously. ¡°Of course.¡±


    I cleared my throat and looked deep into his eyes. ¡°Do you truly want to make Aren the heir of the Lan


    family, or was your demand a test or a way for you to control him by Lanfen in the future?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows, shocked by my straightforwardness, and then let out an audible, slow exhale.


    ¡°As you may know, I decided to choose the heir among my grandchildren. There is Chen¡¯s son,


    Caishen, and Peng¡¯s sons, Peizhi and Weimin. I hadn¡¯t wanted to consider Aren as a potential heir for


    a long time, but because I couldn¡¯t forgive Liling for what she had done in the past. It wasn¡¯t until my


    wife, Heng, was dying and made me promise to make things right and bring back Liling¡¯s son into the


    family. Liling was Heng¡¯s perfect little ray of sun and believed that she would have been capable of


    leading the Lan family into the brightest future. I used to have the same belief, but, after her betrayal, I


    couldn¡¯t even hear about her son without getting angry. That was, of course, before I met Aren for the


    first time.¡± As he paused, his


    lips curled into a proud smile. ¡°He was arrogant and cold, deadly ambitious, and a perfect leader at


    that. He carried this dangerousbination of qualities that could have exploded, making him either a


    great man or a terrifying threat. It was obvious that he would have been a perfect heir¡­ but he was


    also empty inside, emotionless. That was why I told him to get married, hoping that a woman would


    bring warmth into his life.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows and let a sarcastic chuckle escape my throat. ¡°And that¡¯s why you want him to


    marry Lanfen?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Lan Jing frowned. ¡°She managed to charm my current wife, Mingyu, at the charity event


    two years ago. She told us that Aren and she had been together in a loving rtionship but parted


    when her parents decided to move back to China. She seemed to be Aren¡¯s ideal second half.¡±


    My chest squeezed painfully at his words. I struggled to remain calm, but how could I? I wanted to


    scream and curse Lanfen, but I was at a disadvantage. She had been wrapping Lan Jing and his wife


    around her finger for two years. They trusted her, but I was a stranger; a girl who appeared out of


    nowhere. No matter how much heartache Lan Jing was causing me at that moment, I needed to remain


    composed and wait.


    ¡°It was her presence that gave an idea to set Aren a condition that he had to get married. I had it all


    nned. I wanted to set him up for a blind date, a date with Lanfen¡­ but he refused to go on blind


    dates and negotiated to find a wife himself. I agreed to his ridiculous idea, even though I knew that his


    marriage would certainly be nothing more than a contractual arrangement.¡± He looked me up and down


    with a smirk. ¡°Now, tell me, hanzi, am I right? Is your marriage also based on a contract?¡±


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