MasukThe car sped along at above-average speed.Streetlights reflected off the windshield, flashing by rapidly—just as fast as Liora’s now-unruly heartbeat. Her hands gripped the seatbelt, her jaw tightening as she held back the boiling emotions in her chest.“Stop!” Liora snapped, turning sharply toward Ethan. “I said stop! Let me out right now!”Ethan did not answer. His eyes remained fixed straight ahead, his jaw set, his hands gripping the steering wheel as if it were the only way to keep himself from losing control.“Are you deaf?!” Liora’s voice rose. “I don’t want to be in your car! Stop right now!”She reached for the door handle and pulled hard.Click.Locked.“Ethan!” Liora shouted in panic. “This is crazy! You’re driving too fast!”Ethan slammed on the brakes.The tires screeched sharply.Liora’s body lurched forward, then snapped back as the seatbelt restrained her. She gasped, her chest rising and falling rapidly. The car came to a stop on the side of a deserted road.Silence
Camelia slammed her phone down onto the table.Her chest rose and fell, her breathing rough, while the phone screen still displayed the latest post from Liora’s account—a glimpse of togetherness that looked far too happy for her to accept.Liora was smiling.Daren stood beside her.And they looked … whole.“Liora …,” Camelia muttered, her jaw tightening. “How dare you.”Her hand clenched tightly.“Daren is mine,” she hissed in anger. “He should be by my side, not accompanying you on a stroll like that!”She paced back and forth across her apartment, her high heels striking the marble floor, each step echoing her growing fury.For the past few years, Camelia had grown accustomed to claiming Daren.Accustomed to being the place he returned to.Accustomed to being the woman he always sought, whenever he wanted.And now … Liora had taken it all away so easily.“I won’t let this happen,” she muttered coldly. “I won’t let you be happy.”Camelia stopped walking. A thin smile—sharp and danger
Liora’s steps felt light as she entered one of the largest department stores in the mall. Daren was still holding her hand, warm, as if this day had truly been created just for the two of them.“If you see something you like, just take it,” Daren said casually. “Do not hesitate. Today, I am here just for you.”Liora turned to him, slightly surprised. A small smile appeared on her lips.“Really?”“Of course,” Daren answered without hesitation. “Take anything you want. I will pay for it.”Liora laughed softly, feeling a warmth she had not felt in a long time.“All right, but I want to look around first.”Daren nodded. He let Liora walk a few steps ahead of him, his eyes following her every movement. Somehow, seeing Liora busy choosing things, her face glowing like that, gave him a sense of satisfaction he could not explain.Liora stopped in front of a rack of evening gowns. Her fingers brushed against the soft, dark-colored fabric with an elegant cut. A few steps away, her eyes were dra
“Ah!”Ethan jolted awake, clutching his head as a sharp pain throbbed through it. “I’m in the bedroom—why? Wasn’t I supposed to go to the office earlier? Then why am I lying on the bed?”He tried to recall what had happened. At that moment, he remembered Stevani handing him a drink. After that, he truly remembered nothing at all.“Stevani!” Ethan clenched his fists. “What did she do to me, damn it!”Ethan immediately looked down at his own body after lifting the blanket. Below the waist, he was still wearing his trousers. At once, he let out a breath of relief.Even so, his upper body was bare. His shirt and suit jacket were neatly placed on the back of the sofa. “How dare she do something like that to me!” Ethan growled angrily.With rage beginning to take over, Ethan got up and walked quickly to grab his shirt, putting it on in hurried movements. At that moment, the door opened. Stevani stood there, wearing a sexy, translucent nightgown, slowly approaching Ethan.“Darling, you’re aw
“Liora … open the door. You have not eaten since this afternoon, have you? Come on, I will accompany you to eat, or we can eat outside,” Daren shouted. “Has it not been a long time since we last ate out together? Today, I deliberately made time. We also need to talk. Do you want to?” he invited.Knock!Knock!“Darling … open the do—”Click!Liora opened the door, her expression still flat. “It is rare for you to be this attentive, inviting me to eat again?” Liora asked in surprise.Daren knew that for the past several years, he had always been cold and only sweet when he wanted something from Liora. But somehow, today he was different.“Do not say it like that, Darling. If I have lacked time for you all this time, it is because I was bus—”“Tsk! Again with the excuse of being busy. It is stale, you know!” Liora snapped, her mood turning bad again.Earlier, when Liora heard the invitation to eat, she had been very happy. Because it was rare for Daren to be willing to make time for her.
The front door opened precisely when the clock showed half past seven in the morning, and Ethan stepped inside with heavy strides.His face looked exhausted, his gaze hollow, as if his mind was still left somewhere else—specifically, at his apartment.I hope Liora can take care of herself after I leave, he thought.He immediately took off his suit jacket and placed it carelessly on the sofa.Stevani, who had been sitting in the living room, stood up at once.“Darling, you are home?” she asked softly. There was a trace of jealousy in her voice that she tried hard to suppress. “I have been waiting for you since last night. Where have you been? I was really worried about you.” Stevani linked her arm with Ethan’s, but he immediately pulled away.Ethan gave a brief nod. “I was busy at the office.”The answer was cold—far too brief.“Busy to the point of forgetting to come home?” Stevani looked at him longer. “Your phone was off, Ed. I was worried about you.” She stepped closer again as Eth







