Caishen's fingers curled tightly around my wrist. I looked at him, wincing as his grip became strong enough to leave bruises on my skin. Once he noticed my grimace, his lips curled up as if he was enjoying my pain."Let go of my hand," I said, frowning. "You're hurting me."He chuckled and only added strength to his grip. I struggled to release my hand, but it felt as if I was being held by metal clutches. Suddenly, someone grabbed Caishen's hand that held mine. "She told you to let her go."I raised my eyes and saw Weimin, glaring at Caishen and forcing him to release me. Weimin wore casual jeans and a white fitted T-shirt, but his darkening eyes left no room for doubt that he was dangerous. I glanced down at Weimin's arm and saw it was all muscles. As he applied more force to his grip, Caishen's clutch on my wrist loosened. Finally, Caishen let go of my hand and raised his hands in surrender. "I only wanted to show our guest the mansion," he said, smirking mockingly."You won't have
I watched my husband shrug out of his suit jacket and throw away his tie and shoes. He did it all in a heartbeat and jumped into the pool before ramming Weimin down and pushing him under the water. I stood petrified, observing Aren's fists flying above the water surface and sending Weimin a series of deadly blows. Weimin pushed Aren back, lurching at him with a hoarse growl and hitting his ribs. Aren punched his nose and pulled him under the water again. I saw them reaching the bottom of the pool, Weimin jerking Aren's shirt and Aren grabbing his throat. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't do anything. I just observed their shapes moving as the water around them became red."Stop it..." I muttered, barely swallowing my tears. "Stop! Please!" I cried out.They kept fighting, painting the water with blood, fury fueling their every move. Finally, they resurfaced, and as I saw Weimin's bloodied face, I realized that Aren wasn't going to stop."Aren, I'm begging you! Please!" I screamed, my han
It took Aren less than a minute to free me from my tiny bikini bra and shorts. Then he began celebrating every inch of my naked skin, searing it with his lips and tongue. My hands wandered through his perfect slabs of muscle, enjoying the feeling underneath my fingertips. He grinned wickedly, watching me bite my lip as he enticed my arousal with carefully measured caresses. I couldn't help that he knew my body well. He studied my reactions and perfectly directed me toward my climax. I screamed his name aloud enough for the sound to reach the corridor as his thrusting fingers led me to my second orgasm."I told you that I would make you scream," he breathed, lifting himself before pushing the waistband of his boxer shorts down.I looked at his rigid erection and gasped, thinking that my husband was built to perfection. He didn't let me feast my eyes for too long. He jerked his hips, entering me roughly. I whimpered as the size of him heated my insides. He smiled and kissed my lips befo
It wasn't surprising that the grand Lans' mansion had its own ballroom with a stage prepared for the host to step onto the platform and speak to the crowd. While the guests and the other members of the Lan family entered the ballroom through the main door, the event's main character was supposed to greet everyone once he appeared on the stage, and I was supposed to stand on that stage with him.I had to admit that I was terrified of the thought of being in the spotlight. When I came to Shanghai with Aren, all I wanted was to stand by his side and act as a good wife without interfering in business. But according to Lan Jing, that would only prove that I was weak, too weak to be Aren's wife. Lan Jing had a plan, and in that plan, he wanted to convince everyone that I was Aren's greatest asset. I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but I had to trust that he knew what he was doing."It's harder to get rid of someone who has all eyes on him," Lan Jing said. "If you stay in Aren's shadow, n
I had never realized what this freak show with my official introduction was all about until it was after dinner, and all those businessmen came to talk to me. It was all about recognition, and that meant power. My husband was always around, observing my expression and making sure I was safe, but he didn't interfere. I was no longer just Aren Lan's wife—I was Cora Bell Lan, an independent woman with business ideas of her own. I was casually describing details of the security software I'd created, and those people listened to me with interest. I collected the business cards of American, Chinese, and Japanese investors, hearing that they would gladly become my business partners. It felt surreal. Of course, they believed whatever I said mainly because Lan Jing's compliments placed a huge "capable" sign on my forehead, but they weren't completely blinded by that. It was more like they were giving me the benefit of the doubt, but it was more than enough for me. For the first time in my life
A crowd of people surrounded Lan Jing's body. Someone called out to notify Mingyu. Someone who turned out to have medical experience tried to wake him up and then performed CPR. I stood paralyzed for more than a few seconds before realizing that it might have been Max who did something to Lan Jing. I turned around, but, of course, he was no longer there. My phone rang; it was Aren. "H-hello?" I took the call, barely holding the phone with my trembling hand. "Cora, where are you?" he asked, his voice nervous. It sounded as if he was running, panting heavily. "I'm in the ballroom... Lan Jing... He's unconscious," I muttered, covering my ears, trying to hear him through the phone instead of the anxious crowd. "I know, Cora, but you need to get out of there now!" he shouted. "What?!" I yelped. "B-but where are you?" "I went outside to answer the call from Chris, and the next thing I knew, the whole place was surrounded by armed men. Cora, I cannot go back there for you. You need to f
*TRIGGER WARNING* To sensitive readers, please mind that this chapter contains a description of mental abuse, control, and manipulation.I slowly opened my eyes and found myself lying on a soft bed, unrestrained. The clothes I had on me stayed untouched. As I slightly lifted my head, I realized that I was in some kind of room that looked like a dim-lighted palace chamber. My eyes still struggled with distinguishing shapes around me and were naturally drawn to the only source of light in the room—a lamp standing on the desk. Once I looked at it closely, I froze."You're awake." Caishen chuckled as his eyes cautiously scanned my body. He was sitting by the desk, holding my diamond necklace in his hands. He was wearing a loose sweater and a pair of jeans, but his slightly narrowed, intimidating eyes spitefully reminded of how dangerous he was."Where am I?" I breathed, all my senses alarmed."You're in my... home," he said, oddly smiling.Suddenly, he stood up, put my necklace on the des
Fear and anger swirled within me. I stared at Caishen's deadly handsome features, thinking how they could be tainted by such a disgusting interior. His smile became more menacing, vicious excitement flickering in his eyes. "Release me, Caishen," I said, hoping that my voice sounded commanding. "You said it yourself that you are a fugitive. It's only a matter of time before Aren gets here." He chuckled icily. "Have you ever tried locating someone in China? We are far outside Shanghai. This place is a fortress, and most of it is based underground. Finding this place alone could take months, and another few weeks to break all our defenses, and believe me, I need much less time to break you and make you stay with me willingly." "You are sick!" I spat. "You are married to a gorgeous wife, and I have a husband! Why the hell would I ever stay with you?!" Amusement grew on his face. "I don't have a wife—I have a business contract. The Wang family sold their daughter, hoping that it would g