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Remi’s POV

Hi, my name is Remi Flynn. I’m 19 years old, and I just got accepted into a top university to study nursing.

Just a day ago, I was out with my friends, doing what every other college student does on a Friday night.

The next day, I decided to pay my dad a surprise visit. I hadn’t seen him in almost a year—not since my parents got divorced and I moved with my mom to a different city, against my will.

I hated my mom. She was the one who filed for divorce, and just months later, she married someone else. Her wealthy boss.

She tried to explain it was because of my dad’s terrible gambling and drinking habits, but I never really believed that was the whole story.

Yeah, Dad had his issues. But he was still a loving father and a caring husband. Even now, he was still single, showing no interest in other women, always calling to check up on me.

Meanwhile, she had already found herself a new husband.

There was no way he was the problem.

It was clear to me she had been having an affair and just needed an excuse to get out of the marriage.

Because of his financial problems, she was able to win full custody of me.

But I didn’t need her money. That was why I worked extra hard for this scholarship. I had already made up my mind—once I turned twenty, I was moving out.

With a cake in my hand, I walked up to the front door of my dad’s house, excited to surprise him.

But when I got there, my excitement died immediately.

The door was wide open, and three huge, muscular men were ransacking the place.

Dad clearly wasn’t home, so I assumed he was being robbed.

I was about to quietly sneak away when one of them spotted me.

His gaze flickered from the family portrait hanging in the living room… then to me.

And a slow, evil grin spread across his face.

The cake slipped out of my hands, hitting the ground with a soft thud, and I bolted for the door, but they were faster.

One of them tackled me to the ground, pinning me down hard. Before I could raise an alarm, I was shoved into a black, tinted car.

According to them, my dad had borrowed a large sum of money and refused to pay it back.

They had come to trash the place, steal valuables—leave a message.

But once they realized I was his daughter…

They decided to change plans.

I was “more valuable,” they said.

I screamed, I yelled, I begged.

But all I got in return was their laughter… and threats.

———

“Let her go,” the man spoke calmly.

The three men hesitated for a moment, and I feared they wouldn’t. My heart was racing, but then, like they suddenly came to their senses, I was shoved into the stranger’s arms.

Before I could blink, the men turned and ran off, disappearing into the thick forest like cowards.

I was shaking.

The man held me in his surprisingly warm arms. “Are you okay?” he asked in a soft voice.

I nodded. “…I think so,” I whispered. “Thank you…”

He crouched down slightly, removing the metal chains they used to restrain my wrists and ankles. “There,” he muttered. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Of course they did, but I didn’t have time for some sob story, so I shook my head, hugging my arms.

The cold wind brushed my exposed skin and I shivered, hugging myself tighter.

He noticed this and frowned. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

I didn’t even think twice as I climbed into the back seat, with every nerve in my body still buzzing. Anywhere was better than here.

Once we were both inside, the driver started the engine and he glanced at me. “Where do you live?”

“Brooklyn,” I replied quietly, and he sighed, rubbing a hand along his jaw.

“That’s too far… and it’s too late. We would be driving all night,” he said.

I knew what he meant, and he was right. I wouldn’t expect a complete stranger to go to such lengths.

He looked at me again, then turned back to the road. “You know what? What if I take you to my place? It’s not far from here. You can sleep, get cleaned up, and in the morning, I’ll make sure you get home.”

I hesitated. I barely knew this man, but he had just saved me. Saved me from God knows what. If I refused, who knows if those men would come back to get me. So I nodded.

A small smile placed itself on his lips. “What’s your name?” he asked.

“Remi. Remi Flynn.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” he said. My only response was a small smile.

We drove for what felt like hours. Somehow along the way, I dozed off, my body too exhausted to fight the sleep anymore.

The next thing I felt was a hand gently shaking my shoulder.

“Remi… hey. We’re here.”

I blinked awake, confused for a moment. His hand left my shoulder as soon as I stirred, and he opened the car door, walking around to help me out.

When I stepped out of the car, my eyes widened.

This wasn’t a house, this was a mansion. It looked like it came straight out of a movie, and I couldn’t help but wonder who this man really was and what he did for a living.

“You live here?” I whispered, and he hummed in response.

“Welcome back, Alpha,” two men in suits greeted him, bowing slightly.

I raised a brow. ‘Alpha’? What kind of person had staff addressing them like that?

The man, who I had started to think of as my rescuer, nodded at the men and gestured for me to follow him.

We hadn’t even made it halfway up the steps when the front door swung open and a woman came rushing out.

She threw her arms around him, pressing her body against his and pulling him into a deep, desperate kiss.

I froze awkwardly, looking away and shifting from foot to foot. I didn’t know where to look. The scene felt way too intimate for me to just be standing here like an idiot.

The woman finally pulled back, her hands still draped loosely around his neck as she whispered, “Why did you take so long… I missed you so much, I couldn’t—”

She stopped mid-sentence, her gaze shifting to meet mine like she was just realizing I existed.

Her smile faltered for half a second before she looked at him, silently asking for an explanation.

“She’s a guest,” he said calmly. Then he leaned down and whispered something into her ear. I couldn’t hear what he said, but I noticed her shoulders relax.

So I assumed it had to be good.

She brushed her dark hair behind her ear and turned to me with a welcoming smile.

“Well, welcome. Make yourself at home,” she said. “Hope my husband didn’t scare you too much. He’s quite good at that.”