*Trigger Warning* Dear readers, please be aware that the second part of this chapter contains a description of physical abuse and an attempted sexual assault. I was cold, lying on something hard and uncomfortable. The place I was in was lit by nothing more than a few dimly glowing light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. I could barely see anything aside from the concrete floor and walls. My hands were cuffed and chained to a large steel ring that was built into a concrete wall right behind where my head lay. I looked at my body; I was barefoot, wearing nothing but lingerie and something that resembled a white, short, see-through nightgown. I looked around and realized that I was inside the spacious, empty hall of a raw-state building. Through the row of floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see that it was completely dark outside, and since I could see no buildings or trees, I guessed that I must have been on one of the high floors. I pulled the chain enough to sit up, but that was the furt

After talking with Chris, I became restless. Ian Haskett had been eliminated by someone who didn't want him to talk. It would be obvious to suspect that the assassination had been ordered by Mr. C., whoever he was. It was frustrating: as soon as we found answers to some of our questions, more questions came. I used to think that the moment we found and dealt with the man who kidnapped me from my wedding ceremony would be the moment our battles would end. It was terrifying to think that a man like Ian Haskett had been merely a pawn in Mr. C.'s game. Chris told me that the sniper managed to run away right after successfully shooting Haskett. I bet that the shooter must have been there the whole time, observing the situation. The sniper must have been prepared to act in case Ian Haskett's plan went south. The second Blue Dreamland's board of directors had been arrested and the whole company basically ceased to exist, Ian Haskett had become expendable, but, for some reason, he wasn't elim

What the hell was Lanfen doing there?! And why did she show up at the same time that we were supposed to meet Aren's grandfather?! I couldn't help but think that it was all carefully planned. But the real question was, was it her plan or Lan Jing's form to test Aren and me?I observed Lanfen making herself comfortable sitting on the sofa in a place where clearly I was supposed to sit. Her innocent mask was perfectly glued to her face, just as I remembered it from our chat at the cafe. She was dressed in a humble dark blue long-sleeve dress with a round white collar. Her black hair was tied in a sleek ponytail, making her look like a high school girl. It was obvious that she had the old man wrapped around her little finger. I wasn't sure what kind of lies she told him, but judging by the kind expression Lan Jing gave Lanfen, he bought everything she told him. My jaw clenched and I wished I could grab her hair and smash her smiling face against the coffee table.Lan Jing looked at Aren

I could feel the blood running off my face. My fingertips turned cold, and the palm sides of my hands became damp from sweat. I looked Lan Jing in the eyes, silently praying that he wouldn't notice how nervous his question made me, but I could already tell from the brief curve on his lips that I had failed. I felt as if he had caught me in a lie, although I didn't say a word. Telling the truth about the contract would have obvious consequences: it would mark my relationship with Aren as a strictly business deal, and it would degrade my chances of proving that I could be a better partner for Aren than Lanfen. But did I really have another choice? "What's the matter, hanzi? Can't you answer a simple question?" Lan Jing chuckled. "Perhaps you are worried that revealing the truth would cost you money? I bet that Aren either promised you big money for this marriage or settled huge penalties for exposing the true nature of your relationship... or both." I closed my eyes and clenched my fis

Caishen's fingers curled tightly around my wrist. I looked at him, wincing as his grip became strong enough to leave bruises on my skin. Once he noticed my grimace, his lips curled up as if he was enjoying my pain."Let go of my hand," I said, frowning. "You're hurting me."He chuckled and only added strength to his grip. I struggled to release my hand, but it felt as if I was being held by metal clutches. Suddenly, someone grabbed Caishen's hand that held mine. "She told you to let her go."I raised my eyes and saw Weimin, glaring at Caishen and forcing him to release me. Weimin wore casual jeans and a white fitted T-shirt, but his darkening eyes left no room for doubt that he was dangerous. I glanced down at Weimin's arm and saw it was all muscles. As he applied more force to his grip, Caishen's clutch on my wrist loosened. Finally, Caishen let go of my hand and raised his hands in surrender. "I only wanted to show our guest the mansion," he said, smirking mockingly."You won't have