MasukIan raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t drunk last night. I was completely sober.“Sweetheart, I knew exactly what I was doing. I have been aware of my feelings for you for a long time. I just kept holding them back. But last night, when you hired those male escorts and leaned into that man’s arms, I could
Mia’s expression hardened. “Ian, what kind of thing is that to say? Who I date is none of your business.”“Fine.” Ian gave a short, cold laugh. “None of my business.”His face remained dark as he walked out. From that day on, he never returned to the Quinton estate.Mia did not see him for more than
Mia’s relationship with Ian had changed completely. Somewhere along the way, she had become the one doing the bullying.If she was upset, she would pinch or swat him without hesitation, and Ian would only grin and call her “Little Princess” or “Miss Trouble,” never once fighting back.Later, Mia was
By the time Ian was eighteen and in his senior year, his life was too busy with schoolwork to waste time picking on his stepsister. It had been a long time since he had teased Mia.The high school and middle school buildings were close to each other. That afternoon, he and a few classmates walked to
Lester was often away from home.In the beginning, whenever Mia was bullied by Ian, she would run to her mother, Sharon, in tears. But as a stepmother, Sharon felt she had no authority to discipline Ian. For the sake of keeping the household peaceful, she chose to turn a blind eye and never told Le
The first time Mia met Ian, she was only nine years old.Her mother, Sharon, held her hand and smiled brightly. “Say hello to your new brother.”The little girl tilted her head up at the tall boy in front of her, pressed her lips together, and obediently said, “Hi, brother.”The boy didn’t look the
Sean filled the tub with warm water, then gently placed Charlotte inside. He picked up a towel and carefully began washing her fair, delicate skin.Maybe it was the steam rising from the hot water, but the blush on Charlotte’s face wouldn’t fade.The bathtub was large enough for two, so sharing it d
The closer the sharks swam, the louder the crowd screamed—and the more terrified Thomas became.Seeing that Charlotte had spoken up and that Thomas had been thoroughly punished, Sean finally gave a small nod. “Alright.”He instructed the crew to drop a small inflatable boat and a life vest, then ord
As Thomas raised his fist, cursing under his breath, Petra arrived just in time to grab his wrist.Her face was cold as she snapped, “You’ve got a death wish,” and twisted his arm sharply.Crack.Thomas let out a scream. His face instantly turned pale.Without hesitation, Petra kicked him hard, send
At the edge of the deck, Charlotte and Megan leaned against the railing, letting the sea breeze tangle their hair.Megan lifted her wine glass toward Charlotte. The crisp clink of glass on glass rang out against the sound of crashing waves.She took a sip. Her cheeks were already flushed from the al







