Chapter 15

*Laurie*

The car ride was long, but I didn’t mind. I was just too captivated to notice the passing of time. The moment we left the mansion, I could tell we weren’t heading anywhere familiar. The streets were different. The buildings, the air, even the way the city lights flashed against the darkened sky, all felt… foreign.

And then, as we neared the heart of the city, realization struck. Something about the architecture, the roads, the landmarks… something about the way everything looked so grand, so impossibly stunning under the evening glow, sent a jolt of disbelief through me. It looked just breathtaking.

I leaned forward, my fingers pressing lightly against the window as I stared outside. I thought I knew this place. Or rather, I had dreamed of knowing it.

My voice came out softer than I expected. “Where… are we?”

Theron, who had been silent for most of the ride, finally turned his head toward me.

“Valemont City.”

One word.

That was all it took to send my heart plummeting straight into my stomach.

I whipped around to face him, my pulse hammering in my ears. “Valemont City?”

A smirk tugged at his lips, as if my shock amused him. He didn’t answer me right away, just leaned back in his seat and shifted his gaze out the window, utterly unfazed by my reaction.

Meanwhile, I was unraveling.

Valemont City. I was fucking in Valemont City.

It didn’t make sense. It felt surreal, and impossible. Like a dream, I hadn’t realized I was living.

When I was younger, before my world collapsed, my parents and I had made plans to relocate here. We were supposed to start fresh, build something new, create a future that wasn’t tainted by the struggles of Summervale City.

We had everything prepared. The paperwork, the arrangements, the hopes, the dreams. And then… disaster struck. No one expected it.

A week before our planned departure, my parents suffered a fatal blow in their company. One moment, we were preparing for a new life. Then next, everything was gone.

And now, years later, without warning or expectation… I was here. I inhaled sharply, my gaze snapping back to the view outside.

The streets were alive with movement, glowing in the golden light of street lamps and neon signs. The towering skyscrapers stretched high above, their glass windows reflecting the night like a sea of stars. Elegant historic buildings stood proudly amidst the modern architecture.

It was gorgeous.

More than breathtaking.

My fear… the tension, the unease I had felt earlier had vanished in an instant. Replaced by something entirely different. Awe. Pure, and unfiltered awe.

Gosh! I couldn't believe I was here in the Queen City, I had always dreamt of coming. I pressed my palm lightly against the cool glass, my lips parting as I took it all in. My heart swelled with something I couldn’t quite name

Was it nostalgia? Maybe. Longing. A feeling I thought had died with my parents’ dreams. But it hadn’t died. It had just been buried. And now, it was resurfacing with a vengeance.

I was so lost in my fascination that I didn’t even realize I was smiling.

Even though I wasn’t looking at him, I felt his gaze on me. The subtle shift in his energy was unexpected.

And when I finally turned to face him, his expression caught me off guard.

He wasn’t smirking.

He was just… watching me. His gaze was unreadable, his lips barely curved in what almost seemed like a real, genuine smile. Something similar to the one I saw on his face when he saw me. I didn't want to believe it.

I turned toward the window again, just in time to see a massive, illuminated structure come into view.

The kind of place that screamed wealth and exclusivity.

Theron’s voice was low as he spoke, “We’ve arrived.”

I barely had time to react before the car stopped completely. Then, before I could even think about moving, his voice came again, “Stay seated.”

I froze, glancing at him in confusion, but he had already shifted forward.

The driver stepped out first, walking around the sleek black vehicle to pull open Theron’s door. Without a word, Theron stepped out, adjusting the cuff of his suit with that same effortless dominance he always carried.

Then, he turned and freaking opened my door!!! The action was so abrupt, so strangely… gentle in contrast to everything I knew about him, that I hesitated.

He didn’t say anything. He just stretched his hand out for me. I swallowed, steeling myself. Then, carefully, I placed my palm in his.

He gripped my hand softly and then helped me out of the car. The world around us seemed to be still. Because as soon as we stepped forward, the reaction was instantaneous.

Every eye in the vicinity turned to him. And in that moment, I realized something crucial. Theron wasn’t just feared at his mansion, he seemed to be feared by the universe.

He was legendary. He was just like those bosses I read about in fiction novel apps!!!

The moment my heels touched the ground, a ripple of silence spread through the crowd gathered outside the grand event center.

Their conversations halted, laughter died, and glasses that had once clinked in celebration were now held in frozen grips.

Every eye was on us.

Or rather—on him.

|||Oh fuck! It's him.||

|||Right! Theron Blackmoor. The Prominent Blackmoor family’s only male heir.|||

|||Wait! Do you mean the heir to the mighty Phantom Core International? The same one who seldom came out to the public except for rare cases?|||

|||Right! He is the one. One time I got to see his picture via Elira’s Livestream of her family pictures. I've been obsessively in love with him since then, can't believe I get to see him in real life today.|||

|||Goodness!! His name alone is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.|||

As their comments got past me, I couldn't help but look up to the man and gasp!! I was here standing side by side with Theron Blackmoor!! The same one who is a rival to Zane Voss!? I had never paid much attention to the business world since marrying Zane but I've heard how much Zane loathed the Blackmoor heir. It turned out he is him, my owner!!

Feared by both the powerful and the powerless. His presence wasn’t just acknowledged, it was felt.

And tonight, as he stood beside me, dressed in that impossibly tailored black suit, exuding raw dominance, the entire atmosphere was uniformly calm except for my erratic beating heart.

I couldn't help but wonder at this point, what is his real motive behind buying me? Suddenly I felt goosebumps creeping all over my body. What conspiracy have I gotten myself into? Is this just a plan for him to use me to get revenge on something Zane Voss did to him? Is that why he brought me here?

“Stop over-thinking!" He said, gesturing for me to walk with him.

“We might not be friends and might have deep resentment for each other but I won't be so shameless to get an innocent person involved. So don't be tense”

How could I not be tense? Even the people here are tense. Some instinctively took a step back as we approached. Others exchanged uneasy glances, their hands tightening around their champagne flutes as if bracing for the unknown.