The gathering was held at Core Club, located at 711 Fifth Avenue.When Cynthia arrived, a waiter personally escorted her inside. Standing before the door, she took a deep breath before pushing it open. "Hey, everyone."A chorus of voices erupted from inside."Cynthia!""You finally made it!""What took you so long? We've been waiting forever!"Cynthia smiled. "Traffic.""Cynthia, we haven't seen you in ages. You haven't changed a bit—still as stunning as ever. What a shame Erica's away on a business trip. If Erica and Vanessa were here, the three of you together would be a sight to behold." A bespectacled man sighed nostalgically.Listening to them reminisce about her, Erica, and Vanessa, Cynthia felt as though she had stepped into another lifetime.Back in school, they had lived so boldly, so radiantly, always in the spotlight. But beneath the glamour, their lives had been far more difficult than most.Whether it was her, Erica, or Vanessa, fate had always toyed with them—leaving the
She never expected to run into him here.But there was no time to think about that, because the girl she was looking for was being pinned down by a man. The girl was crying and screaming, "Don't touch me! Let go of me! Help! Somebody help me!"Yet the people around them were completely indifferent, as if they were used to such scenes."Hey, beauty, who are you looking for?" A sleazy man grinned at Cynthia. "Sean sent you, right? Come, sit with me!" He shoved the woman beside him away and beckoned her over.Edric's expression darkened, and he suddenly stood up.At that moment, Cynthia grabbed a bottle of liquor and smashed it onto the floor. The sharp crash startled everyone."What the hell are you doing? Who let you in here?" someone shouted.The man who had been restraining the girl heard the commotion and turned his head. He looked at Cynthia in surprise before standing up.His clothes were disheveled, and he ran a hand over his chin, his eyes gleaming with lust. "Oh? What's with th
Cynthia clutched Georgia tightly as they followed the man in black toward the office. Georgia trembled uncontrollably, while Cynthia's face remained grim, her eyes filled with determination.The man in black raised his hand and knocked on the tightly shut door. A few moments later, a lazy, indifferent voice sounded from within. "Come in."As the door swung open, they stepped into an enormous office, lavishly decorated with opulence at every turn. A young man, no older than his early twenties, lounged in a black executive chair, his feet casually propped up on the desk. Beside him stood a middle-aged man in his forties, his face plastered with a sycophantic smile as he listened attentively to the young man's words.Cynthia had heard the rumors—Core Club was secretly controlled by the infamous crime lord, Anders Kinsey, who had later handed the club's management over to his son, Marius.Now, seeing the scene before her, she had no doubt that the reckless young man in front of her was Ma
As Jacqueline stepped out of the suite, the atmosphere in the room instantly tensed. The black-clad men standing by instinctively held their breath, and their leader quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Boss, if there's nothing else, we'll take our leave."Marius waved his hand dismissively, and the men exited in an orderly fashion. The office instantly fell into silence.With a broad smile on his face, Marius strode toward Jacqueline, his long arm snaking around her slender waist as he planted a light kiss on her crimson lips. His tone was both teasing and affectionate. "Babe, you finally decided to come see me."He pulled her close, as if to lead her back into the suite.But before he could take another step, Jacqueline abruptly yanked her arm away and shoved him back with force. The smile vanished from her face, replaced by an icy, unreadable expression. Her voice was laced with cold disdain. "Don't touch me."The sudden resistance made Marius freeze mid-step. His brows f
The night was deep and dark, with only the flickering fireworks illuminating the sky, casting a hazy glow over the surroundings.Lucien sat alone on a spacious lounge chair, a cigarette between his long, slender fingers. His eyes burned with undisguised frustration. The ashtray on the table beside him was already overflowing with cigarette butts—silent evidence of his restlessness. And the source of all his irritation and anger pointed to only one person—Cynthia.Just then, Simon appeared quietly, breaking the silence. His voice was low and respectful. "Boss, your call."Lucien turned his head slowly, taking the phone from Simon's outstretched hand. The moment his gaze landed on the caller ID, his once dark and unreadable eyes flickered with a sharp light, like a predator locking onto its prey.With a single press, he answered the call, bringing the phone to his ear. Unlike the cool tranquility of the night, his voice was cold and sharp. "Have you made your decision?"The voice on the
Lucien's grip tightened subtly as he locked eyes with Cynthia, his voice laced with bitterness as he ground out, "So, you're selling yourself to me like a prostitute?"A cold smirk curled at his lips, filled with mockery and disdain. "And tell me—do you really think you're worth three million?"Cynthia met his gaze, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile formed on her lips. Her expression remained calm and unwavering as she replied slowly, "Whether I'm worth that price depends on who's paying. Since it's you who wants me, then naturally, I am."Her voice was steady, devoid of emotion, as if this entire transaction had nothing to do with her at all.Lucien stared at her, his jaw clenching. After a long pause, he sneered, "Fine. I'll give you five million. But tonight, you're moving in with me.""As long as you keep your word, I'll do the same. Now give me the money." Cynthia held his gaze, unflinching.Lucien grabbed her arm and dragged her into his study. He strode to his desk, yanke
Before long, the security guard escorted Georgia into the office.The moment Georgia saw Cynthia, her eyes welled up with tears. Without hesitation, she rushed forward and threw herself into Cynthia's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Cynthia!"Cynthia held her tightly, gently patting her back. "Did anyone hurt you?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.Georgia shook her head vigorously, sniffling. "No, they didn't hurt me."Releasing her, Cynthia's expression turned cold as she pointed directly at Sean. "Is he the one you borrowed money from? Did you sign a contract?"Georgia turned to look at Sean, confusion filling her eyes. "I borrowed the money online. I've never met him before."Sean maintained a professional, almost practiced smile as he leisurely explained, "I'm the general manager of the company you borrowed from. All our contracts are signed online, so of course, you wouldn't recognize me. Now, you can repay the loan through our website. Once the payment is complete, your d
As Cynthia watched Georgia leave, she turned back and walked calmly to the sofa. Sitting down gracefully, she fixed her gaze on Marius and said, "Marius, if you have something to say, just say it. There's no need for pretenses."Marius, however, was in no hurry. He stood leisurely, walked over to the liquor cabinet, and retrieved a bottle of well-aged red wine.Skillfully, he uncorked the bottle and poured three glasses. He handed one to Sean first, then gently placed another on the coffee table in front of Cynthia. Wearing his usual warm smile, he said, "No rush. Let's have a drink first and chat at ease."With that, he raised his glass, clinking it lightly against Cynthia's, producing a crisp sound.Seeing this, Sean quickly stepped forward and clinked glasses with both of them before tilting his head back and downing his wine in one gulp. He smacked his lips and praised, "Good wine!"Marius smiled, politely raising his glass to Cynthia once more before also downing his wine in a si
Back at the apartment, Cynthia walked straight to the bedroom without so much as glancing at Hogan."I'll find you some clean clothes,"she said."Um…"Hogan rubbed his nose, a sheepish smile spreading across his face. "If you've got any... new underwear..."Cynthia paused. "Take a shower first. I'll bring it over when I find some."Throughout the exchange, neither of them acknowledged Lucien, even though his shirtfront was just as soaked.Sensing the tension radiating from Lucien, Hogan raised his voice deliberately. "Lucien, I'm going to shower now~ Where are the slippers?""Let Stephen bring the underwear,"Lucien said coldly. "The only ones I have are ones I've worn."Hogan blinked. "There's a supermarket downstairs. They probably sell them—"Before he could finish, someone grabbed the back of his collar. Lucien was already dragging him toward the door."Go dry off outside.""She's
Lucien's expression shifted subtly as he stepped toward her. "We do have a son. His name is Harley."His gaze never left Cynthia's face, but she wouldn't spare him even a glance."Impossible!"Janet shrieked, springing to her feet. "You've been divorced for six years! That bastard could be anyone's—""Janet."Cynthia's glare was sharper than any knife. "You'll regret saying that."She turned to Lucien, her tone calm as if speaking of someone else's life. "I found out I was pregnant after the divorce. I gave birth to him alone… raised him alone..."Her voice finally trembled. "I never planned to let you know."Lucien recalled the strange sense of closeness he'd felt when he first met Harley. His heart was struck like a gong. She had borne all of this—alone."I know."He pulled her into his arms, his voice hoarse. "Harley is my son."Mandy approached slowly. Cynthia immediately noticed the brui
Cynthia had just stepped out of the kitchen when she nearly collided with Marcus, who stood at the doorway with a frail-looking girl. The girl kept her head down, her steps hesitant."Come in,"Marcus said, stepping aside. But when he looked up and saw Cynthia, his expression shifted dramatically.The girl slowly lifted her head, and the moment their eyes met, both she and Cynthia froze in place.That face—it looked so much like hers. Even more than Jacqueline ever had. Put them side by side, and no one would doubt they were sisters."Dinner's ready..."Lucien's voice came from behind, but at this moment, it sounded sharp and jarring."Lucien..."Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she stared longingly at the man behind Cynthia, yet she didn't dare take a step closer.Cynthia turned and saw Lucien's face clouded with dark fury. She said softly, "She's here for you."His pupils contracted. He reached out for her,
Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains. Cynthia carefully helped Lucien slip into a T-shirt, her fingers pausing for a moment when they brushed against the bruises on his back."You should really get checked out at the hospital," she said softly."You'll come with me?" Lucien pulled her into his arms like a child asking for candy."Mm-hmm." She agreed without hesitation, lifting her gaze to meet his deep, intense eyes. On impulse, she rose onto her toes and brushed a light kiss against the corner of his mouth. "Good morning."The sudden kiss lit up Lucien's entire face, so radiant it was almost blinding. Cynthia's ears burned red as she hurriedly pushed him away."We should get going."He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. "Okay."Every small act of tenderness from her was a priceless gift to him. He had all the patience in the world to wait—until she opened her heart completely.When they stepp
"Mommy can't come home tonight, okay? Be good and listen to your auntie,"Cynthia said gently into the phone.From the other end came Harley's exaggerated wail, "That uncle tricked you again! I'm never talking to him again! Hmph!"Erica took the phone from Harley. "You're staying at the Brown estate tonight? They accepted you back this fast?"Cynthia looked out at the night sky, her voice tinged with fatigue. "Not exactly. Lucien got beaten half to death by his grandfather just to bring me back. If you had seen it…""What?!"Erica shrieked. "And you? Are you okay? I swear, what kind of century are we living in where people still solve things with violence? Should I call the police?"Cynthia instinctively rubbed the red marks on her arm. "I'm fine. He took all the hits for me.""That's a relief,"Erica muttered, then lowered her voice, "That scumbag didn't give you any trouble, did he? If he so much as touches you, just
Cynthia's face flushed with sudden heat.This room held too many sordid memories—countless nights of skin on skin, countless moments of surrender. Back then, she'd been nothing more than a doll locked in a glass case for his amusement. The way he had devoured her, night after night, still made her fingertips tremble at the memory. And even now, she couldn't seem to resist the pleasures of his bed. It was as if the marks he'd left on her body and soul had never truly faded.Back then, her world had revolved entirely around Edric. Her memories with Lucien had slipped through her fingers like water, forgotten as quickly as they'd formed. Maybe she'd blocked them out on purpose. Or maybe she had never cared enough to remember them. Now, only a few fragments remained—chief among them, the murderous rage in his eyes when he discovered her betrayal. That expression clung to her like a parasite. Everything else was a hazy blur, too shattered to piece together.
The heavy silence in the study was broken only by the occasional crackle from the fireplace.Brady tucked away his blood pressure monitor, glancing at the numbers. "Your blood pressure is holding steady, but at your age, sir, you shouldn't let yourself get so worked up."Thomas gripped the arms of his chair, knuckles whitening. "Stay calm?" he rasped, voice shaking with rage. "Those little bastards are tearing the house down!"Suddenly, he slammed his palm onto the rosewood desk, rattling the teacups. "They won't stop until they've broken every last bone in my old body!"Brady quietly packed his medical bag, preparing to leave, but Thomas barked, "Wait. That bastard's injuries...""Eight contusions," Brady said, shooting a glance at Marcus, who stood silent and motionless nearby. "No broken bones, but he should get X-rays to be safe. As for the young lady's arm—""Enough!" Thomas snapped, cutting him off. His white beard trembled with
Thomas violently shook Mandy's hand off and slammed his cane against the floor, advancing on Lucien step by step. His cloudy eyes, sharp as a hawk's, locked onto Lucien."Remarry? Look me in the eye and say it!"Lucien shielded Cynthia behind him, his back straight as a blade. His voice was calm and unwavering."Yes. We've remarried."Smack!A sharp, piercing slap shattered the silence of the living room. Lucien's cheek instantly swelled, a vivid red mark blooming across his face. Stacey shrieked and rushed forward, but froze under the weight of Thomas's icy glare."Useless!" Thomas roared, his whole body trembling with fury. He raised his cane high, his voice hoarse with rage."Throwing away your dignity for a cheap woman!"The heavy rosewood cane came crashing down. In that split second, Cynthia thrust herself forward to block it—Crack!The sickening snap of bone meeting wood echoed through the room. Cynt
Janet clutched her cheek, her voice shrill enough to pierce glass."How dare you hit me!"Cynthia took a step forward, her heels clicking crisply against the marble floor."I hit exactly who I meant to.""Lucien!" Janet whirled toward him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You're just going to stand there and let her bully me?"Another sharp slap cracked through the air, louder, crueler. Janet stumbled backward, her face draining of all color.Cynthia turned to Stacey, her voice softening into something almost tender."You should understand by now... it was never me clinging to Lucien." She trailed her fingers across the wedding band on her hand. "It's just that he's a man worth coming back for. And as for that two million dollars I never touched—" her lips curved slightly, "—imagine how Lucien would react if he found out where it really came from."Stacey's face went deathly pale. The threat was razor sharp—if L