LOGINRonald’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
The long hand of the antique wall clock with a bronze pendulum in the corner of the Ashford main residence living room shifted slowly, pointing straight to ten at night. Its constant tickin—felt so deafening in the middle of the deep night silence.On top of the long black shiny leather-wrapped Chesterfield sofa, Calvin Ashford sat upright with a stiff posture. The cup of black coffee served on the marble table in front of him had cooled down since two hours ago, its surface no longer emitting hot steam. Occasionally, the middle-aged man's jaw hardened, and the lines of tension around his eyes became increasingly evident.A few meters from where her husband sat, Camelia walked back and forth on the thick velvet carpet. Her footsteps wearing soft furry house slippers brushed softly, pacing back and forth from the edge of the large glass window toward the main door. The noblewoman repeatedly squeezed her own fingers, extreme anxiety clearly depicted on her beautiful face, which was begi
The twilight breeze brushed gently against the oak foliage in the backyard of a private villa of classic architecture located not far from the campus park. White stone pillars rose tall to support a spacious terrace facing directly toward a clear-water swimming pool, reflecting the orange light bias of the sun slowly setting on the western horizon. The sliding glass door with a teak frame stood wide open, allowing the scent of pine wood and wet grass to drift into the living room with a red velvet interior.Daven stood near a large window, his fingers tapping the glass frame in an irregular rhythm. The nightmare shadow that had briefly choked his neck in the park earlier still left a faint tremor in the tips of his fingers, pushing an urgent need to ensure that the girl in front of him was truly alive, breathing, and completely within his grasp.On the long cream Victorian-style sofa, Joye sat pulling the knit cardigan wrapping her plus-size body close around her. The girl's face stil







