Root Vegetable Tian

I was eighteen when I'd given my heart to Julian Thorne, friend of my father and a silver-haired god who ruled the city. He'd laughed, called me a child, and then exiled me to Europe. Five years later, I returned, no longer a naive princess but a desperate pawn, destined to be sold into an abusive marriage to save my bankrupt family. Julian was the only key to my cage. He agreed to save me. He bought my father's debt and claimed me as his own. His price was my submission-my body in his bed, my life under his thumb. All along, I'd thought I was playing a game of seduction to survive, when, in fact, Julian was playing a game of war. And when I found out he used our nights to steal my inheritance and destroy my family, I ran. I disappeared, faked my own death, and took the one thing he could never reclaim his son. Three years of freedom reduced to naught the instant he found us. He dragged me back into his gilded cage, intent on revenge. But before his vengeance could take root, a rival's sabotage put him in a coma. The moment Julian opened his eyes, he remembered his empire, his rivalries, his treacherous ex-fiancée, Seraphina. He remembered everything.except the woman he'd risked his life for, and the son who carried his eyes. Now, I am trapped: in a fight with a forgotten man, haunted by the ghost who swore his love to me in a final dying letter, facing an enemy who wants to eradicate the only thing Julian cannot forget: our connection. To save myself and my child, I have to make the monster fall in love with me all over again-before his past decides I'm a risk worth killing.

"Hei, apa-apaan kamu? Siapa kamu?" teriak gadis yang sedang di tarik tiba-tiba oleh orang tidak di kenal begitu dia memasuki sebuah cafe. "Pleaseee, sebentar aja. Tolong bantuin aku sebentar ya Dek. Sepuluh menit, Lima menit, nggak ... nggak, dua menit," ujar pria muda yang menarik lengannya dengan wajah memelas. "Aku sedang terdesak dan tidak tahu harus minta tolong siapa lagi, tolong ya, Dek," ujar pria itu lagi karena dia di pelototin oleh gadis muda yang sembarang dia tarik. Karena tak kunjung di jawab, dengan keberanian yang datang entah dari mana, dia mendekat dan berbisik mengatakan maaf. Tangannya membelai rambut gadis itu dan mendekatkan bibirnya ke puncak kepala itu dan menciumnya. Entah apa tujuannya, tapi dia terlihat seolah-olah sedang memberi kekuatan pada gadis yang sedang di landa kebingungan itu. "Apa yang k--?" "Sttt, tolong berpura-puralah jadi kekasihku. Aku akan membalasnya dengan apapun yang kamu minta setelah ini. Aku lagi di awasi, sorry ya udah lancang pegang kepala kamu," jawab pria itu dengan nada penuh permohonan dan suaranya sangat halus dan terdengar tulus saat meminta maaf. "Lancang bangat malah," gumam gadis itu setelah mengingat bahwa selain di pegang dan di elus, kepalanya juga di cium. Dan sekarang, tangannya di gandeng tanpa permisi dengan begitu erat karena si pria juga khawatir gadis random yang di seretnya kabur tiba-tiba sebelum acara inti dari pencomotan random ini di mulai. "Sorry, nama kamu siapa, Dek?" "Ella!" "Tian, Sebastian," jawab pria itu nyaris berbisik walau gadis bernama Ella itu tidak menanyakan balik namanya. Pintu VIP di dorong dan Ella langsung berkeringat dingin begitu melihat beberapa orang sedang duduk melingkar di sebuah meja perjamuan yang cukup luas. Pria dan wanita, tua dan muda, semua mata menatap pada mereka yang baru saja menapakkan kaki di ambang pintu. "Mami, ini Ella. Pacar Tian."