LOGINTHREE HOURS EARLIERJust as Bruce had planned, he had been gradually getting closer to Malikha. Tonight, he intended to invite the beautiful woman to dinner after they finished their work for the day. Wearing his usual gentle smile, Bruce held open the door of the fast-food restaurant where they had agreed to have dinner together.“Are you sure you only want to have dinner at McDonald’s?” Bruce asked as they joined the line to place their orders.Malikha smiled softly.“I don’t need an expensive dinner. This is more than enough. Besides, I’m treating you tonight, Mr. Caldwell.”“That’s all right. Let me pay.”She immediately shook her head.“No. Please let me pay this time. You’ve treated me to meals so many times already. There’s nothing wrong with an employee buying dinner for her boss once in a while.”Her gentle voice made Bruce smile even wider.“All right.”At last, Malikha had an opportunity to thank Bruce by treating him to a simple dinner. The atmosphere between them became c
For the members of The Seven Wolves, Aidan, Mars, and Bryan were practically triplets. They looked alike, behaved alike, and often covered for one another whenever one of them made a mistake. Among the group, everyone knew that if one of them got into trouble, the other two would never be far behind.Aidan finally rose from the stool beside James and moved toward the couch where Mars had once again immersed himself in defeating Bryan in their game of Uno Stack.He sat down lazily beside them, stretching his legs onto the coffee table that had become their battlefield. With a bottle of beer in his hand, he watched the two men who remained completely absorbed in pulling and stacking the colorful blocks.Bryan glanced at him and immediately frowned.“What’s with your face? You look like you just lost all your money gambling.”“Nothing.”“Don’t bother him,” Mars said with a grin. “He’s lovesick.”Aidan clicked his tongue.“Just wait until you have problems with Vanylla. Don’t come looking
"Aish... Babydoll, wait! Darling, please... Malikha, listen to me first!"Aidan hurried after her, trying to stop her before she disappeared down the street. He quickened his pace and finally managed to grab her arm.The moment his fingers touched her, Malikha violently shook him off."Please don't go," Aidan pleaded, his voice beginning to crack with desperation. "I only did that for you, Babydoll."He had been chasing after her for days now, and every single time she rejected him."I don't need your help," Malikha shot back.Her tone was sharp, but her voice remained low.The tears she had been holding back were beginning to blur her vision once again.Aidan shook his head and instinctively stepped closer.Malikha immediately stepped away.The distance between them felt unbearable."Malikha... Babydoll..." His voice softened. "Please listen to me first, Darling."When she continued walking, Aidan moved in front of her and blocked her path."What else do you want, Aidan?" she asked ti
The afternoon was bright and beautiful, but Malikha chose to spend it in her room after Aidan’s visit earlier that day. Whatever desire she had to go outside and enjoy the arrival of spring had completely vanished.Flowers were blooming everywhere, and the trees were finally beginning to turn green again. The fresh, crisp air was a welcome change after the long winter months. It was the kind of weather that tempted people to go for walks, sit in parks, and soak up the sunshine.Yet Malikha had no interest in any of it. She preferred to stay curled up on her bed. One day of disturbance wasn't enough. Almost every day after that, Aidan continued to bother her relentlessly.Whenever knocks echoed from the front door of her apartment, Malikha would immediately grab a pillow and bury her face beneath it in frustration. She didn't even need to check who it was anymore.It had to be Aidan. Her soon-to-be ex-husband refused to give up. He would do anything
After Joona left his apartment, Aidan felt as though he had been injected with a new source of energy. A wide grin spread across his face as countless plans began forming inside his head, all centered around one goal—bringing Malikha back to him. Now he was certain their divorce would never happen.“Don’t call me Aidan if I can’t make you come home, Babydoll. I’ll make sure you can never leave me again.”Muttering to himself, Aidan walked into his bedroom.His first plan was simple: follow Malikha everywhere she went. He would visit her apartment every single day. If necessary, he would even pitch a tent outside her front door.Ever since the shooting that had injured Malikha’s shoulder, Bruce had given her several days of leave to recover before returning to work. She spent the time catching up on office tasks from home.On the second day after Aidan had disturbed her, there were no signs of him.Until a knock at the door shattered her hope of spending the entire day in peaceful isol
Malikha could still hear Aidan’s voice outside for a while after she shut the door, but she refused to open it. To her, Aidan was nothing more than a liar. Clenching her fists tightly, she remembered the cruel words he had spoken to her in the wine storage cellar. He had locked her inside simply so she could experience the same pain and terror of being trapped in a dark room.The memory alone made a cold sweat break out across her skin. Every time she thought about it, her stress intensified, and sometimes she even struggled to breathe. It felt as though no air could reach her lungs whenever she recalled the image of Aidan lying on the cemetery ground, grinning at her with that sinister smile.Malikha immediately covered both ears with her hands. She tried to steady her breathing and calm herself down.“Go away,” she whispered to the haunting image that continued to fill her with fear.She had hidden it well all this time. Aidan probably had no idea how deeply his actions had hurt her
“I don’t mind at all. Perhaps I could ask Mr. Caesar for permission to bring Malikha along so she can stay involved in the discussion regarding this project. What do you think, Mr. Caesar?”Bruce decided to test his luck by asking Aidan directly for permission to invite M
Ever since meeting Aidan and living under the same roof as him, Malikha had grown accustomed to existing in two completely different worlds — one real, the other painfully fake.The real world only existed when it was just the two of them alone inside the apartment. In that world, Ai
The next morning, Aidan cut their trip short and rushed their return to New York, even though they were supposed to stay for two more days. He barely spoke a word. He didn’t explain why they were leaving early, nor did he mention anything about ending their honeymoon ahead of schedule. Mean
The mission to escape the estate had failed, and Malikha returned to the villa with Aidan once again. Eugene had already ordered all the guards to stand down after they found her. Throughout the entire journey back, neither Aidan nor Malikha spoke a single word.Aidan’s hand continuo







