I Fell in Love with a Monster

A tiny ember flickered at his fingertips, flaring and dimming in turns. After a long pause, he stubbed out his cigarette and let out a short, mocking laugh. "Isn’t this exactly what she loves doing? "Miss Lane has worked so hard to craft that gentle and considerate image, all to secure her place in the Reid family. You’d better stay out of it. If you ruin her plans, she might not be so grateful. Who knows? She might even come after you for it." His words dripped with ridicule and malice. I stood frozen. It felt like an invisible hand had clenched around my heart, the pain so sharp it nearly stole my breath. I even forgot about the shards of glass embedded in my palm—the injury I had gotten trying to stop Nathaniel earlier. But he never noticed. The only reaction he had was a brief, instinctive step in my direction when I fell before he stopped himself, frowning in irritation. "Mind your own business." I ignored the pain, telling myself I needed to handle things he

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath."Nathaniel, you—"A sudden ringtone cut me off.It also interrupted Nathaniel’s childish attempt to punish me.Noticing the redness in my eyes from the pain, he seemed to regain some sense of reason.His grip loosened slightly but he still didn’t let go.Unable to break free, I kept my face cold and answered the call right in front of him."Miss Lane, hello."Before I could speak, the other person greeted me first.The voice was deep and smooth, carrying a magnetic quality like an electric current humming through the receiver."I’m… Liam Reid."...Most of what I knew about Liam came from my father’s generation and the financial news.He was the young and accomplished head of the Reid family and a true golden child of fate.It seemed that no amount of praise could ever feel excessive when attached to his name.But Nathaniel had never liked his uncle.With a cold scoff, he once said, "Do you know how the family describes him?""How?""A businessm

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something light blue on Liam’s wrist. It was a hair tie. The kind a young woman might use—completely out of place next to the luxury watch worth millions beside it. I froze for a moment before quickly looking away, pretending not to notice. But a quiet sigh escaped me. So, Liam had a girlfriend. Which meant all the plans I had before… "How long have you been waiting?" His slightly hoarse voice pulled me from my thoughts. Alec walked ahead, dragging the suitcase as if he were just a stranger passing by. I touched the tip of my nose and mumbled, "Not too long, really." Liam studied me in silence. A faint crease formed between his brows, his lips pressed into a firm line. He looked… upset. Surely, he wasn’t actually mad that I had shown up unannounced? My heart sank. Just as I was about to explain, a suitcase came barreling past and slammed into me. "Careful!" I stumbled backward, colliding into a solid

With a teasing smile, I asked, "Is this about the original owner of that hair tie?" Liam’s gaze snapped to mine. The depths of his eyes, usually cold and unreadable, now held the quiet tension of an iceberg on the verge of breaking—calm on the surface, yet concealing something dangerously unpredictable beneath. However, he was the first to look away. "What exactly do you want to know?" I didn’t answer. Instead, I took a deep breath before suddenly straddling his lap. The distance between us vanished in an instant. Our breaths tangled in the charged air between us. And yet, Liam remained perfectly composed, watching me with unsettling calm. "Mr. Lee mentioned you've been working on a project and pulling late nights for weeks." His tone even carried a hint of disapproval like a concerned elder advising a reckless junior. "You should be getting more rest." "Are you saying I’m not thinking clearly right now, Mr. Reid?" Liam said nothing which meant he wasn’t den

But that didn’t stop me from continuing to pester him through messages.I typed, "The food was too salty today. Do you think my face will be swollen tomorrow? I’m so worried."Liam replied, "It won’t be."A second later, another message popped up. "I know a good chef."I grinned and quickly responded, "But I want to eat something you made, Uncle Liam."I didn’t receive any reply from him.Thinking he had gone back to work, I didn’t think much of it.That was until my phone buzzed with a flood of texts from Alec."Miss Lane, what exactly did you say to Mr. Reid?! Why is he looking into apartments near your company? And why did he ask me which lunchbox looks the nicest?!"Raising a brow, I replied, "What, your boss isn’t allowed to switch careers and become a devoted homemaker?"Alec sent back a long line of ellipses.Meanwhile, someone was secretly planning an entire weekly menu.Yet, the only message I got back from Liam was a cold reply."That wouldn't be right."Tch.He was such a re