Han stood in the corner of the party, his gaze sharp and piercing. He took out his phone again. "Change the plan. Do something to their car," he ordered in a low, firm voice. His subordinate, a burly man named Donny, nodded in understanding and quickly left the event.
Outside, Adrian and Emily had just gotten into their car. Adrian started the engine while Emily adjusted her seat and smoothed her evening dress. Suddenly, a car sped up and crashed into the back of their vehicle with a loud bang. Adrian was startled, and Emily screamed.
"Oh my God! What just happened?" Emily yelled angrily.
Adrian got out of the car, his face flushed with anger. "What the hell is this?!" he shouted at Donny, who had gotten out of his car and was approaching.
"Sorry, sir. It was an accident," Donny said with feigned regret.
Emily, now out of the car, immediately began scolding Donny. "How could you crash into us like that? Were you not paying attention?!"
Donny nodded repeatedly, trying to calm them down. "I'm very sorry. Let me check the damage and take full responsibility." He then knelt to inspect the rear bumper of Adrian's car. While doing so, he intentionally opened the trunk, as if looking for more severe damage.
As he opened the trunk, Donny spotted a cellphone lying there. He picked it up and held it up. "Whose phone is this?"
Emily's expression changed instantly, panic setting in. She quickly walked over to Donny and snatched the phone from his hand. "It's mine! Thank you, I almost forgot!" she said hurriedly, hiding something mysterious behind Adrian's back.
Adrian, still fuming, was too busy berating Donny to notice. "You need to be more careful on the road! We're lucky this is just a minor collision."
Donny nodded again. "Of course, I'm very sorry. I'll cover all the repair costs." With one last apology, he got back into his car and drove away.
After Donny left, Adrian turned to Emily, who still looked nervous. "What's wrong with you? Why are you panicking?"
Emily forced a smile. "Nothing, I was just shocked by the accident."
Adrian sighed. "Let's go back inside. We'll deal with this later."
They returned to the gala, but Emily's mind was anything but calm. She clutched the phone she had taken, hoping Adrian wouldn't notice her change in demeanor. Inside that phone was something very secret, something no one, especially her boyfriend, should ever find out.
Meanwhile, in another corner, Han received a message from Donny that the task was complete. He smiled with satisfaction. "Let's see what happens next," he muttered softly.
Back at the gala, Emily tried to mingle with the other guests, but her thoughts kept returning to the phone. What was she hiding? Why was it so important? And more importantly, would her boyfriend find out?
That night, after the gala ended, Emily couldn't refuse Adrian's offer to stop by his house first.
Adrian, exhausted, went straight to bed, while Emily went to the bathroom, taking the mysterious phone with her. She locked the door, opened the phone, and saw messages that made her even more panicked.
There were many threatening and demanding messages from an unknown person. "You can't run from me, Emily. I know all your secrets."
She shivered with fear. What if Adrian found out? What if her secrets were exposed? She had to find a way to stop all of this before everything fell apart.
In the quiet bathroom, Emily stared at the phone screen with trembling hands. Fear enveloped her like a thick fog, and every second felt like an hour. She dialed a number she knew very well and waited with bated breath. The ringing tone sounded several times before someone finally answered.
"Hello?" The deep and mysterious voice on the other end made Emily's heart race faster.
"We need to talk," she whispered, her voice sounding desperate.
"What happened?" The voice remained calm.
"There was a small accident tonight. A man checked our car and found the phone in the trunk. I managed to grab it, but I'm afraid our secret will be exposed," Emily stammered, feeling like every word she said could make things worse.
The voice on the other end sighed deeply. "You need to be more careful, Emily. We can't take any risks now."
Emily felt tears start to stream down her cheeks. "I know, I know. But I can't calm down. What if Adrian finds out? What if everything gets revealed?"
"Calm down," the voice said firmly. "I'll take care of it. Don't do anything suspicious. Stay calm and let me handle the rest."
Emily bit her lip, trying to hold back her sobs. "I just... I'm just scared. I don't want to lose everything."
"You won't lose anything as long as you follow my instructions," the voice was reassuring yet firm. "Now, delete all the messages on that phone and keep it in a safe place. I'll contact you tomorrow with further instructions."
Emily nodded, even though she knew the person on the other end couldn't see her. "Okay, I'll do it."
"And Emily," the voice added with a cold tone, "don't make another mistake."
Emily hung up the phone and stared at it with mixed feelings. She knew she had to do as instructed, but the fear still enveloped her. She deleted all the messages and hid the phone in her bag, under a pile of clothes on the sofa in Adrian's room.
As she stepped out of the bathroom, her eyes met her reflection in the mirror. Her face was pale and full of fear. She felt so fragile, so vulnerable. With trembling hands, she opened the bedroom door and stepped out.
"Emily?" Adrian's voice came from inside the room. "Are you okay?"
Emily took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied with a voice forced to sound calm.
She walked to the bedroom, where Adrian was already lying on the bed, his eyes half-closed.
Then Emily sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the weight of the secret growing heavier on her shoulders. Slowly, she lay down beside Adrian, trying to find solace in her boyfriend's embrace.
"Darling, are you already sleepy? But I want to do it with you," Emily teased, kissing Adrian's arm. However, her mind and heart were still in turmoil. She knew this wasn't over yet. There were still many things to face, many secrets to keep.
"Yes, I'm so tired, Emily. Let's sleep first, okay?" Adrian replied, making Emily smile because she didn't have to pretend to be horny.
After making sure Adrian was asleep, she still stared at the ceiling. With a voice barely audible, Emily called someone in her heart, "Dad..."
*******
That morning, I woke up to Evan's warm smile, his arms wrapped around my waist, and the minty aroma of his breath making me feel addicted.
"Good morning, honey."
"Good morning, love. How's your body? Any soreness?" he asked, checking my body, lifting my arm, and kissing my armpit, making me giggle.
"Ah, stop it, Evan. It tickles."
"I love your scent, cups..." He kissed my armpit again, then moved up to my cheek and my lips. I tried to pull away, though not too hard because I liked his affection.
He carried me out of the bedroom. The aroma of warm milk and toast filled the air, dispelling the worries that had troubled my sleep last night. But there was a big question in my mind about why Evan often had nightmares and seemed restless at night.
But he continued to hold me tightly, giving me a good morning hug that melted my heart.
"Let's have breakfast, love," Evan whispered, kissing my forehead gently.
"Thank you, love, for all this," I replied with a smile. I felt so happy to have moments like this with him.
After breakfast together, Evan carried me to the bathroom. He helped me get dressed with great tenderness, occasionally drying my hair gently. It felt like being enveloped in warm and loving care.
"Evan, don't be late, okay?" I said when we were ready. Evan smiled and kissed my cheek once more before leaving.
"I'll be careful. Don't worry," he replied, caressing my cheek gently.
However, when Evan left, a sense of fear crept into my heart. I tried to push it away, reminding myself that this wasn't like my father's love that disappeared without warning. Evan would always be there for me, he loved and protected me sincerely.
To dispel that anxiety, I decided to go shopping. Evan had already given me his black card, letting me choose whatever I wanted. I smiled a little, feeling lucky to have a man who cared so much about me.
In the stores, I enjoyed picking out beautiful clothes and accessories. However, fate led me to meet Adrian, a person I didn't like at all, just like my father, whose affection disappeared quickly. He approached me with confidence, forcing me to talk to him.
"Lucia, I need to tell you something," he said seriously. I hated his face, his smile, his voice, and today where was his girl? Why wasn't he paired with Emily to bother me? "Lucia. Be careful of that man. He might not be what you think."
I listened to Adrian's nonsense with impatience. What could he know about Evan? He knew nothing about my relationship with Evan, about how good and caring Evan was to me.
"I know what I'm talking about, Lucia," Adrian continued with a serious look. "I just want you to be cautious."
But I didn't want to listen anymore. My dislike for Adrian grew. He knew
nothing. Evan was a good man; I was sure of it.
"I'm sorry, Adrian. I have to go," I said briefly, trying to avoid him.
Adrian looked at me with an expression that was hard to describe. "Lucia, please listen to me. I just want to protect you."
I shook my head, not wanting to waste more time with him. I preferred to leave and continue shopping. Evan was waiting at home, and I wanted to get back to him soon.
"Lucia!" But why was this man chasing me? Adrian kept following me, chasing me. He was so annoying, and I hated this.
"Lucia! Lucia! Where do you live, Lucia? Let me drive you!" Before I could respond, his partner returned with many shopping bags, Emily looking at me like an opponent in a boxing ring.
"Haa! You! Ck, Adrian, did she beg you? Oh my, you must be suffering without money, right! I pity you, Adrian give her some pocket money because she is so pathetic!"
I glared at Emily's words, fanning myself with the black card as I left them.
"Hah, oh my God, Adrian, is she really a hooker? And has a sugar daddy? Oh my God, I can't believe someone would lust after her!"