Semua Bab I Burned the Past, and He Burned for Me: Bab 1 - Bab 9

That man's profound blue eyes held a hint of languor. His lips curled into a gentle smile. He was none other than Don Bryant's eldest son—William Bryant.William continued, "It'll be my 23rd birthday in just a week. I'm sure that the honorable and magnanimous Oliver won't mind yielding the chance to lift the curse to me since there is more than one qualified person at the moment."Don Bryant seemed to suddenly recall William's existence and glanced over at him. He had been the designated heir, yet after his mother perished saving Don Bryant, he acquired a stepmother and was consequently relegated to the fringes. He was almost entirely forgotten.Mom and Dad immediately drew back nervously, saying, "That wouldn't be appropriate, Don Bryant. Cynthia's in love with—""I agree to William's proposal!" I said quickly, cutting in before they could get another word in.Dad exchanged a quick look with Mom, who immediately pulled me to the side, saying, "You can't marry that powerless good-

I suddenly felt a cold sensation wash over my face.Ella stood before me while holding a bucket of ice water. Her gaze was blazing with pure hatred. "Cynthia Crawford! How could you be so wretched? When did you start seducing Oliver? How could you make him take you as his mistress and even force me to deliver food to you?"I raised my hand and wiped the water from my face. I said, "It's because he himself has no faith that you're capable of lifting the curse."Ella violently threw the food container to the ground while yelling, "You'd better stop being so full of yourself, Cynthia! You and I possess witch blood! What makes you think you can do it while I can't? "You must have secretly seduced Oliver, which is why he wants you as his mistress. You'll never, in your life, rise above my station, Cynthia!"I offered no retort. Instead, I met her gaze with a placid expression. "Do you truly wish to be rivals with me for the rest of our days, or would you rather let me walk away and fo

Oliver's desperate shrieks immediately drew the attention of the assembled guests, who quickly clustered together.Oliver was about to lose his temper, but the moment he turned, a chorus of collective gasps came from the guests."Oh, my goodness! Look! Oliver's hands! They're actually sprouting black hair!""It's not just his hands; pointed fangs are suddenly showing at the edges of his mouth! It's absolutely horrific!""I knew that the witch's curse was extremely powerful! Isn't Ella supposedly a descendant of witches? How could she fail to lift the curse and even allow Oliver to transform into a monster?"Oliver was immediately stung by all the chatter surrounding him. He stared at the black hair growing quickly on his hands and then tentatively felt the sharp fangs at the corners of his lips. He was instantly overwhelmed with an agonizing blend of shame and dread.He quickly tightened the blanket about himself and began hammering on the door. "Please open the door, Cynthia! I

I led William, who still hadn't had his fill, toward the door. I opened the door to find Mom and Dad covered in grime. Ella was there too, and her wrists were bound behind her with coarse rope. They were kneeling wretchedly before the threshold.Ella's once-stunning features were swollen and bruised, with traces of blood lingering at the corner of her lips. Her eyes, fixed upon me, were burning with a furious mix of malice and defeat.Madre slapped Ella hard across the face before Ella could even get a word in. "Is that how you apologize to someone? How dare you glance at Cynthia in such a manner! I'll gouge your eyes out if you do that again, Ella!"Ella was struck so hard that blood started spilling from the corner of her mouth, staining the clean, polished floor. I deliberately approached her, then crouched down before her, saying, "You've lost the wager, Ella.""I haven't lost!" Ella's head snapped up. Her gaze—which had been dull and lifeless—suddenly ignited with a raging f