Jiajie Wangの小説

Ding.The elevator chimed, and a burst of noisy voices carried down the hall. “Hey, hurry up and come see! Someone’s actually—oh, she’s still in a cleaner’s uniform—”The speaker immediately shut when his gaze landed on the man in front of them.D–Dominic Lancaster?!The noisy group, who had rushed out eager to gawk, instantly stiffened. Excitement drained from their faces, replaced with ashen fear. None of them dared to laugh or whisper again. They stood frozen in the corridor, caught between running away and pretending they hadn’t seen a thing.Dominic’s expression turned arctic. With one hand, he stripped off his tailored jacket and threw it over Isabella’s shoulders, shielding her from view. His tall figure loomed protectively in front of her, his voice colder than ice. “Still standing there? Or do you need me to escort you out personally?”“No, no, not at all! We’ll… we’ll leave right away!” The man at the front stammered, his curiosity instantly suffocated. Not one of them dar

“Don’t waste your time,” Dominic said coldly, his hand gripping Isabella’s chin, forcing her to look up at him. His touch was rough, uncompromising. “No matter who you try to seduce, none of them have the power to get you out of here.”She didn’t fight his hold, but her voice was quiet and strained. “And you?” she whispered. “Will you let me go?”Something flickered in Dominic’s eyes at her words. He studied her split lip, the faint trace of blood on her pale skin. For a fleeting second, his hand shifted upward, fingers brushing dangerously close to her mouth. The movement was instinctive, almost tender—until his brows tightened, and his hand withdrew before making contact.The faint hope in her chest cracked. Isabella’s lips curved, a broken attempt at a smile. Nothing came out except the sting in the corners of her eyes.Dominic’s jaw hardened. The sight of her, looking as though she were mourning some other man, struck him like a blade. His expression darkened, his voice biting.

Isabella bit down so hard on her lip that she tasted blood. The metallic tang spread across her tongue, masking the sour bile that kept surging up her throat. She forced it down again and again, her body trembling with the effort.The man in front of her grew impatient at her lack of response. His hand was still twisted in her hair, his eyes gleaming with cruelty. The jeering around them only grew louder, filling the smoke-filled room with lewd amusement.And then— Click.The private room door swung open.A tall figure filled the doorway, his presence immediately cutting through the chaos. Dominic Lancaster’s sharp gaze swept the room like a blade, his eyes finally landing on Isabella. For the briefest moment, his brows knit together—then smoothed, his expression was unreadable.Behind him, Miranda leaned lazily against the wall, she smiled and her posture was casual yet charged with dangerous allure.The shift was instantaneous. The rowdy laughter and vulgar remarks fell silent. Men

Isabella Crater raised her head. “Don’t worry. Even if I die, I won’t invite either of you to my funeral. I never want to see you again in this lifetime.”Adrian Harrington’s grip on the imported ointment tube tightened. His eyes darkened, a shadow of anger and disbelief passing through them. “Isabella, the one who made the mistake was you, not Sophia or me.”It was a strange reversal. Even if they never met again, it should have been that Adrian and Sophia didn’t want to see her—not that she didn’t want to see them.Isabella’s lips twitched into a faint and almost scornful smile. “Me being here is the mistake. People like you, who never admit your own faults… kneel for two hours, two days, or even two years—that’s just karma catching up.”Without another word, Adrian turned and strode toward the elevator, tossing the tube of ointment into the trash with a dull thud. The sound echoed through the corridor, heavy and oppressive, pressing down on the already tense air.The supervisor’s f

Adrian Harrington strode up to her without a hint of hesitation, his gait like thunder in the quiet corridor. He grabbed her wrist with an iron grip. “Are you really going to humiliate yourself like this?” he demanded, voice low and furious. “Dominic loves Sophia, not you. Nothing you do will change that.”“I know Dominic likes your sister,” Isabella Crater responded, “You don’t have to repeat it.”Adrian’s fingers dug in, a stab of pain flashing up her arm. “Why are you so obsessed with him? You stay here as a cleaner for his sake? Is that what you want?” His face burned with contempt.“Whether I like him or not,” Isabella said, a cold smile twisting the corner of her lips, “what business is it of yours? Even if I did like you, would you sleep with someone who tried to kill your sister?” The words fell soft but loaded, and for a second Adrian looked caught—caught between anger and something like bewilderment.He released her then, jaw tight. “Why did you crash into Sophia? Dominic wa

“Sorry for disturbing your rest.” Isabella Crater bent at a perfect ninety degrees, her expression was calm, her voice was steady.Her bow was deep, respectful, and utterly devoid of the explosive temper that Tiana had been trying to provoke all night.Tiana, sprawled on her bed with her phone glowing against her face, curled her lip. The one thing she hated most was Isabella’s perpetual composure. A convicted murderer pretending she was still some sort of dignified princess—what was there to be proud of?“What’s with that face?” Tiana sneered. “You call that an apology? Look at you, acting like you’re being forced to choke on it. Do you believe I can’t get you fired with one word? If I’m in a bad mood, you won’t even be able to keep this pathetic cleaning job.”“Tiana, that’s enough!” Amy snapped, her voice sharp with fury.But Tiana ignored her completely, eyes narrowing on Isabella. “I’m talking to you. Cat got your tongue? Say something, damn it!”“Sorry for disturbing your rest.”