With his vengeance complete, Adrian Doyle walked straight out of the hotel.
As he passed the front parking lot, a muffled sob drew his attention. He followed the sound and found a slender woman sitting on the ground, crying.
The white wedding dress told him at once: the bride—Daisy Hill.
Her makeup was streaked by tears, the pristine hem pooled on the asphalt, hair slightly undone. Even so, her beauty stunned.
Adrian remembered Daisy slapping Felix before running out. He hadn’t expected to find her here, alone.
Of all the people blindsided tonight, Daisy was the one truly crushed by it.
She had believed she’d found the right man, only to learn he was a fraud. For that to happen on her wedding day—how was she supposed to withstand it?
A pang of guilt pricked Adrian. He had staged this, after all. He stepped forward, bent slightly, and said, “Miss Daisy, what are you doing down here? The ground’s filthy. Please—let me help you up.”
He lifted her to her feet.
She studied him. “And you are…? One of our employees?”
Hill Group had over a thousand staff; even if she’d seen Adrian before, there’d be no impression. Anyone at the wedding who wasn’t family or a friend had to be from the company—and he clearly wasn’t one of her acquaintances.
“Yes. I work for Hill Group.”
He dropped his gaze quickly—partly from guilt, partly because Daisy’s beauty and cool, untouchable air were disarming.
“Your employee ID?”
“20240128.”
“You’re one of ours, then. I’m not feeling well. Drive me home,” she ordered.
Seeing her unsteady on her feet, Adrian’s guilt deepened. But his right hand was injured. “I’m sorry, Miss Daisy. My right arm’s not usable.”
“At least help me into the car.”
She clicked her key fob; a Rolls-Royce blinked awake a short distance away.
Adrian guided her over and opened the rear door. As he moved to settle her inside, her body gave way and collapsed into his arms.
A sharp breath hissed through his teeth—his right arm throbbed with pain.
Daisy’s arms hooked around his neck; off-balance, they tumbled together onto the broad back seat. A heady mix of perfume and wine washed over his face.
Before storming out, Daisy had downed a brimming glass out of sheer fury. Now, flushed and tipsy, she looked at Adrian with wounded eyes.
“What do I lack that she has? Is it money? Beauty?”
“You’re far beyond her,” Adrian answered, simply and sincerely.
“Really? Then do you like me?”
His eyes flew wide. He started to sit up, but Daisy’s arms tightened around his neck. “Answer me,” she insisted.
With her softness pressed to him, the bead at his chest suddenly burned hot. Honesty slipped out of him. “I do.”
Daisy pulled his head against her, burying his face at her heart. Her scent filled his breath. Heat surged through him; her breath brushed his ear, low and heady. “Kiss me. Now.”
In his mind, Miss Daisy had always been icily composed—he’d never imagined a fierce hunger beneath.
“Miss Daisy, you’ve had too much. Let me go buy something to sober you up—”
“I’m not drunk,” she said, a raw edge in her voice. “All my life I’ve never had a choice. I’ve done exactly what I was told. I loved art; they forced me into business. I didn’t want to marry; they insisted—because the Hill family has no male heir and needs a reliable son-in-law for the company.”
“And the punchline? Felix Irving—their carefully chosen prince. I had resigned myself to it. I was ready to accept the script. And then fate made a fool of me.”
“Let him cheat, let him betray—I can stomach that. What I can’t accept is losing to another woman. Just because I refused to sleep with him before marriage? Because I wouldn’t be as shameless as she is?”
Her words broke into sobs.
Adrian murmured soothingly, and little by little her crying softened. What replaced it was a rougher, quicker breath.
He lifted his gaze, meeting hers. Something in her steadied, as if a decision had been locked. “I want revenge,” she said. “On all of them. I’ll give my first time to you—a nobody on the bottom rung of our company. I want to see their faces when they find out.”
She reached back and tugged down the zipper. The elegant, strapless gown melted away. In an instant, she was bared to him.
Adrian had only meant to comfort her; he hadn’t imagined the night spiraling here.
Then—crack.
The violet bead at his chest burst. A coil of black vapor slid into him.
Desire flared, bright and consuming. The ache already straining in him tightened again. He stopped holding back.
His hand cupped her, rough with urgency; silk tore. The silken weight of her in his palm sent a shock through him.
She quivered, whispering, “Wait…”
“Do you regret it?”
“Who said I regret it?”
“Good.”
He eased the gown away. Perfection unfolded: the proud arch of her breasts, rose-tipped; a waist that fit his hands; long, pale legs; delicate, enticing feet.
Adrian had grown up poor. Apart from adult videos, he’d never seen a woman like this—not in the flesh, and certainly not a woman like Daisy Hill.
She trembled; fear flickered through her, but she made no move to resist. Her mind was set.
…
In the hushed cabin, heat climbed. Adrian moved against her; Daisy arched to meet him.
Suddenly she froze, rigid with alarm. “I think I heard someone.”
Annoyance pricked him; he stilled—and blinked in shock. His right arm no longer hurt. The injury felt… gone.
He stared, bewildered. Since when did this have healing properties? Then he knew—the bead.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone rapped on the window.
Daisy curled into him, silent and small.
“Daisy? Are you there? Daisy?”
At the familiar voice, she and Adrian traded a glance.
Felix Irving—at the door.
Latest Chapter
Chapter 53: Cut from the Same Cloth
“Me? I’m nobody.”By now, everyone had accepted the truth: Archie Nolan had lost.Disciples from the dojo and bystanders alike found it hard to believe, but the facts were right there in front of them.Archie hissed through his teeth, wracked with pain, and the dojo’s disciples rushed to prop him up.“Mr. Nolan! I’ve already called the dojo—they won’t get away!”“We called too,” a disciple from Mitchell Dojo added. “That punk won’t sprout wings and fly off today.”Serena Hill’s earlier delight drained from her face in an instant.Both head instructors might be coming.“Adrian, go. Now!”Adrian turned and grinned, all teeth.“Two head instructors? So what. Worst case, I take them both. Don’t worry about me—go home.”“No. I’m not leaving you here.”Serena’s face was grave. The disciples had already ringed them in.“No one’s leaving until the head instructors get here!”Adrian brushed them off, found a spot, and sprawled into a seat as if he owned the place.“Beat the juniors, then beat
Chapter 52: Who Are You, Really?
Adrian’s calm barely wavered, but it terrified Serena Hill.Archie Nolan wouldn’t lay a hand on her, but if Adrian fell here, how could she ever face Daisy? The guilt would follow her for life. Adrian had saved her, and now she might have dragged him to his death.“Have you truly no regard for law or consequence?”Kendall Mitchell gave a derisive laugh. “Save your breath, Miss Serena. He offended Mr. Nolan. Even if the head of your Hill family showed up, it wouldn’t change a thing.”Serena fell silent. Kendall wasn’t wrong. Even her brother couldn’t stop what was coming—he might even haul her to the Nolans to apologize.Adrian noticed her unease and patted her shoulder. “Auntie, don’t be sorry. I told you—they can’t touch me. Stand back, enjoy the show, and keep yourself safe.”“But—”She didn’t finish. Archie cut in coolly, “Miss Hill, step aside. Fists don’t have eyes, and I’d hate for you to get hurt.”At his gesture, the academy’s disciples rushed forward. Adrian pushed Serena beh
Chapter 51: Then I’ll Oblige You
“This is your fault! If you hadn’t stopped me, that thing wouldn’t be in his hands!”Archie Nolan’s sudden accusation left Kendall Mitchell stung. She’d only wanted to keep Archie from being duped by Adrian. How could she have known that herb was a treasure?“Mr. Nolan, don’t be angry. He may not sell it. When the auction’s over, we can take it back.”“An ordinary man is no match for our academy.”Archie considered it. True enough. He didn’t believe Adrian would flip it right away.“It better be.”He glared at Adrian with a murderous heat, desperate to snatch it now—and then kill the boy.“Don’t waste your breath,” Adrian said. “I’m not selling this Paris polyphylla.”A collective sigh of regret drifted through the room.But Archie calmed. If Adrian wouldn’t sell, that made things simpler.The others, however unwilling, could do nothing. A man can’t be forced to part with what he won’t sell.Serena Hill’s composure, by contrast, gave way to bright excitement. “You recognized its worth
Chapter 50: The True Treasure
“Yeah—and he spent a woman’s money to do it.”Kendall Mitchell chimed in at once, and Archie Nolan’s spirits lifted.“A kept, penniless brat. Trying to go toe-to-toe with me? Laughable.”Kendall nodded, letting his disdain show. “Hmph. Couldn’t even put up two million.”Serena Hill rarely cared what outsiders thought, but this was too much.“Adrian is not some pretty freeloader.”Her gaze cut coldly across Archie Nolan and Kendall Mitchell. “I promised Adrian a gift. I chose to pay for it. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”Seeing Serena angered, Archie’s tone turned instantly ingratiating. “Please don’t misunderstand, Miss Hill. I didn’t mean you. I just think this young gigolo is playing you. No herb is worth two million. And Paris polyphylla isn’t rare.”“That’s right, Miss Hill,” Kendall added, full of righteous indignation on her behalf. “It’s clearly something he wants, yet he made you foot the bill. If it were anything else, fine—but Paris polyphylla is just a weed. He’s m
Chapter 49: Seven-Leaf One-Flower
On stage, a woman in classical dress carried a silver tray. A swath of red velvet draped over it, half-concealing what lay beneath.As the camera closed in, a smile slowly deepened at the corner of Adrian’s mouth. That’s it. No mistake.Down below, most of the audience wore politely indifferent expressions.They were, after all, people of means—happy to fuss over antiques and calligraphy, but a medicinal herb? Hardly worth a second glance.To them, it was just a plant.A few who knew a little more whispered among themselves.“Anything that makes it into an auction should be rare. But if I’m not mistaken, isn’t that Paris polyphylla?”“Exactly. Paris polyphylla isn’t remotely hard to come by. What’s the point of putting that up?”“The organizers must be out of their minds.”“Or drunk. Think we’re that easy to fool.”“In some places it’s everywhere. A few years back I went hiking—took a handful of steps off the path and saw one right away.”“Forget it. Let’s wait for the next lot.”Thei
Chapter 48: The Auction
On the second floor, the auction hall.After Serena and Adrian found their seats, they spotted Archie Nolan and Kendall Mitchell not far away.Adrian gave them a needling smile, then looked away, leaving the pair glowering, faces tight with resentment.Quietly, Serena said, "Aside from that herb, if anything else catches your eye, just buy it.""That would be spending your money rather recklessly."Serena only smiled. "Money is external. We don’t take it with us when we go.""When I was ill, I used to think—if I died with my accounts still full, what a waste that would be.""Now that I’m well, I intend to enjoy life properly. Money is trivial. Happiness isn’t."In her darkest moments, she had turned life and death over and over in her mind, only to find that no amount of brooding changed a thing.So why not live as comfortably as possible?Now that she had time, she wouldn’t shortchange herself.Adrian paused at her openness. Even he couldn’t claim such ease with the world.Perhaps on
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