LOGINThe next day was a whirlwind.They went out to select a wedding dress, and Elena came along without hesitation. Elena refused to miss the opportunity to help pick out her younger sister’s wedding gown, entirely unbothered by the fact that Lisa was marrying her own husband. All Elena cared about was making sure Lisa was happy and taken care of.After trying on three different dresses, they all agreed on a magnificent gown—simple, clean, but exquisitely elegant.That very evening, Lisa got dressed, her hair pinned up in soft, delicate curls. They drove to the quiet courthouse on the edge of town, where Adrian stood waiting at the small altar in a sharply tailored suit. In front of the official and with Elena as their sole witness, they signed the registry and spoke their vows.Happily ever after... right?Well, there was still the matter of school.Because of Lisa's petite frame, the baby bump progressed very slowly. By the time her final semester got into full swing, her stomac
Arthur picked up his napkin, dabbing his mouth with deliberate slowness before tossing it onto his plate. "I am done eating. The rest of this mess is yours to manage, Adrian."Without another word, the patriarch stood up, his towering frame casting a brief shadow over the table before he walked out of the dining hall, his heavy footsteps fading into the cold marble corridor.The moment the heavy doors closed behind him, the suffocating pressure in the room eased, but the silence remained thick and awkward.Elena let out a quiet, tired sigh, pushing her plate away. She didn't look at Adrian, nor did she look at Lisa. She simply stood up, smoothing down her immaculate skirt. "I'll be in the car," she said smoothly, her voice completely devoid of emotion as she picked up her handbag and walked out.Now, only the two of them were left at the grand mahogany table.Adrian shifted in his seat, turning his full attention to Lisa. His large hand remained tightly wrapped around hers benea
That evening, the grand estate of the Moreno's family looked less like a family home and more like an imposing fortress of glass and cold stone.The dining room was bathed in the warm, artificial glow of a crystal chandelier, but the air inside was thick, suffocating, and dead silent.Lisa sat near the foot of the long mahogany table, her knuckles white as she squeezed her napkin beneath the white linen tablecloth. She wore a high-collared, modest dress that Adrian had chosen for her—one that covered every dark, lingering mark he had left on her neck in the car hours prior. Beside her sat Elena, poised, pristine, and perfectly composed, cutting her steak with precise, silent strokes, as if she were simply attending a routine business dinner rather than endorsing her husband's second marriage.At the head of the table sat the patriarch, Arthur Moreno. His sharp, gray eyes were framed by heavy brows, his presence alone commanding a terrifying weight that explained exactly where Adr
"We're going back to have dinner with him today," Adrian murmured, his lips trailing hot, deliberate kisses down the sensitive column of her neck and over her collarbone.Lisa gasped, trying desperately to keep her mind straight as his heavy weight pressed her into the leather passenger seat. "T-today?"Adrian didn't answer right away. His large hand slid up beneath her top, his warm, thick fingers reaching for her breast, gripping her through her bra with a firm, possessive squeeze. Lisa arched her back slightly, her breath hitching in her throat as his thumb flicked over her sensitive, hardening nipple."Better now than later, Lisa," he nodded against her skin, his gravelly voice low and vibration-heavy against her chest. "Elena agrees to this, too."Lisa’s eyes fluttered open, staring blankly at the roof of the car as his words registered. ‘Elena agrees?’ She wondered silently if this was the exact cold, unthinkable compromise they had reached behind the closed doors of his stu
Lisa didn't even feel guilty. Down deep beneath the exhaustion and the fear, a numb, hollow acceptance had taken root. She had known, with a chilling certainty, that he would find her. He always found her.She didn't ask how he tracked her down. She didn't want to know if he had followed her phone, checked her location, or simply knew the only place left in the world she would run to. None of it mattered anymore.Without a single word of resistance, Lisa slowly slid out of the wooden chair, letting her hands fall away from Ethan’s frantic, trembling grip."Lisa, no... please, don't—" Ethan choked out, his voice cracking as he reached for her, his eyes wide with absolute panic."I'm sorry, Ethan," Lisa whispered softly, her eyes dull and resigned as she looked down at him. "I'm so sorry."She stepped away from the table and walked straight toward the dark silhouette waiting for her.Adrian didn't say a word to her. He simply reached out, his large hand wrapping firmly around her
Ethan’s breath hitched, his throat suddenly going dry as her words hit him like a physical blow. The noise of the bustling café—the clinking of porcelain cups, the hiss of the espresso machine, the quiet chatter of strangers—faded into a dull, terrifying buzz."W-what?" Ethan stammered, his blood running completely cold. He leaned across the small wooden table, his voice dropping into a frantic, hushed whisper. "He... he saw it?"Lisa kept her head down, staring blankly at the dark wood of the table, her hands clutching her coffee mug so tightly her knuckles turned stark white."I flinched when he tried to wash me, and he saw the soreness," she whispered, her voice trembling with a terrifying fragility. "He knew instantly. He was going to come back to your apartment, Ethan. He was going to ruin you. I begged him... I cried and I promised him I would never see you again, just so he wouldn't come find you and... and fight with you."Ethan sat frozen in his chair, a sudden wave of na
Lisa's POV"Tell me... is your waist sore as well?" Adrian’s voice was low, smooth, and completely steady. "I can help you with that too."A sudden, sharp spike of heat shot straight down to my stomach, and I had to clamp my jaw shut to keep from letting out a humiliating sound. My heart was ham
Adrian's POVThe rice was simmering on the stove, the quiet hiss of the pot the only sound in the kitchen besides the heavy rain lashing against the windowpane. I stood there, staring out at the grey downpour, the pink apron Elena had bought as a joke tied around my waist. It felt ridiculous on me
The takeout was good. But I barely tasted it. I was just too occupied with trying not to be awkward, like I had done in the last few months whenever she invited him over.Elena was talking about the wedding, replaying moments the way she always did with good memories, like if she described them pre
Lisa's POV"And here is a toast to the couple."I stood at the head of the table, my fingers tight around the stem of my glass. All eyes were on me, but I only had eyes for Elena. She was beaming, her face flushed with a happiness so pure it made my chest ache."Sister, I am so happy for you," I sa







