LOGINThe morning sunlight streamed through the gaps between the gray velvet curtains along the second-floor corridor of the Ashford main residence, casting a golden glow across the spotless, gleaming marble floor. The morning should have been peaceful, but Revaline’s quick footsteps in her fluffy house slippers shattered the silence of the corridor with obvious irritation.The shoulder-length-haired girl wore a white cotton blouse with a lace collar, paired with pastel-colored trousers. Her arms were folded across her chest, while her jaw was clenched and her eyebrows were deeply furrowed. She stopped directly in front of a tightly closed, classically carved teakwood door—the private bedroom of her older brother, Daven.Without knocking first, Revaline immediately turned the doorknob and shoved the door open with a rough jerk.“Daven!” Revaline called out, half-shouting as she stepped into the monochrome-themed bedroom, breathing heavily.Inside the room, Daven was standing near the mahoga
The floral-patterned bedside lamp in the corner of the master bedroom cast a dim yellow glow, creating long shadows that danced across the walls covered in white silk wallpaper. The air inside the room felt incredibly heavy, burdened by a silence far heavier than a thousand words.Joye sat cross-legged on the edge of the canopy bed, both hands wrapped around her knees, which were clad in pink satin pajama pants. Her eyes were empty, fixed straight ahead at the reflection of her own shadow in the large vanity mirror across the room. The girl’s thoughts drifted far away, replaying every absolute word Calvin had spoken in the family room the previous night... the wedding being brought forward... The sentences kept spinning inside her head.On the other side of the room, soft footsteps brushed against the thick carpet. Daven had just stepped out of the bathroom, with a small towel still hanging around his neck. The young man’s black hair was wet and slightly disheveled, emphasizing the sh
Ronald’s hushed whisper into Calvin’s ear instantly altered the head of the family’s expression. The veins at the temples of the middle-aged man tightened, while his sharp gaze swept across the entire room before finally settling on the two young figures still kneeling on the Persian carpet.Camelia, who caught the change in her husband’s expression, immediately clasped her own fingers anxiously. “What is it, Ronald? What other news have you brought at this hour of the night?” the noblewoman asked in a trembling voice, a new fear creeping into her chest after the exhausting series of dramas that had unfolded today.Ronald lowered his head respectfully, straightening his suit before answering in a flat tone that nevertheless carried a sense of urgency. “It is not an external threat, Madam. The family’s medical team, which is responsible for monitoring routine health reports, has just sent Joye’s periodic examination results from the campus clinic two days ago. There are several importa
The light from the large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the main family room cast a dazzling glow that hurt the eyes, yet the atmosphere inside the room felt far colder than the night air outside the windows. Camelia stood upright with her chin slightly raised, her hands folded across her chest. Her sharp eyes stared straight at Daven, who had just stepped inside with Joye.Joye stood slightly behind Daven, clutching her lilac knitted cardigan tightly with fingers that were still trembling slightly. The girl’s face was pale, her head bowed deeply as she stared at the polished marble floor, completely afraid to raise her gaze toward her boyfriend’s parents.“Daven, sit down,” Camelia ordered in a cold, uncompromising voice, breaking the silence that had been weighing heavily over the room.Daven swallowed, his throat feeling bitter. He cast a brief glance at his father, Calvin, who sat calmly on a single sofa with his legs crossed. The middle-aged man’s face was express
The roar of the tactical vehicle convoy belonging to the Ashford family cleaved through the quiet night of the city, breaking the wet asphalt road remaining from the afternoon drizzle. Inside the cabin of the luxury sedan moving steadily in the middle lane, the atmosphere felt dense, as thick as unlit cigarette smoke.Daven sat beside Joye on the plush black leather bench seat. The car's AC blew cold air, but a thin sweat still crept onto the young man's temple. The atmosphere inside the car was so silent, leaving only the sound of tire friction against the elevated toll road. As soon as the driver's glass partition was raised fully by the guard in front, Joye immediately turned toward Daven. The girl's face flushed crimson, not out of shyness, but due to a wave of lingering annoyance and unbearable soreness.With a panting breath and tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, Joye pinched the skin of Daven's waist hard using two of her fingers."Ouch! Damn it, Joye..." Daven hissed
The faint creaking sound of the teak bed echoed between the dim walls of the main bedroom, blending with racing breath and the remaining vibrations of tension that still clung to the air. Sweat dripped down Daven's temples, running past his firm jawline. Beneath his body's confinement, Joye lay with ragged breath, her faint eyes staring at the room's ceiling while absorbing the pain that slowly subsided, replaced by an unfamiliar and thrilling warm sensation.Daven had just taken a deep breath, preparing to continue the rhythm of his movement after successfully breaking through the boundaries of purity that night, when suddenly—Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!The sound of knocks on the main bedroom door thundered loudly, forcibly shattering the villa's silence. The knocking did not sound like ordinary knocks; those knocks were rapid, heavy, and filled with undeniable authority."Daven! Joye! Open the door!"A firm, deep baritone voice laden with cold anger pierced right through that thic







