《Love Slave to the Mafia Boss's Passion》


 Chapter 1: Groomless Wedding

    "Poor bride. She¡¯s been standing there for hours waiting for the groom," I heard a woman¡¯s whispering voice.


    "It¡¯s truly so sad. I can¡¯t imagine how sad she¡¯s feeling," Another woman replied in a hushed tone.


    "Do you think the groom has ditched her?" A man whispered in a low voice.


    "That would be too sad. Please don¡¯t say that¡­" Another woman replied with what seemed to be genuine sadness in her voice.


    I stood silently in front of the altar in a white wedding dress that was far too elegant for my tastes and far too heavy for myfort. The overly high-heel shoes that I was wearing was starting to hurt my feet and my legs were starting to feel sore from standing still for too long.


    I clenched and then unclenched my hands together for the hundredth time, or something along those lines since I had already lost count.


    The sequinedce fabric of the dress that covered my arms in a long sleeve was itchy, not that anyone cared. I didn¡¯t choose this dress. I have never met my groom. I was in love with another man. Most of all, I didn¡¯t want to get married.


    Yes. Me, Malissa Maxford is being forced into a contract marriage with the heir of thergest global mafia syndicate.


    It was cold inside the white marble church; however, I was sweating in difort. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been standing here just waiting for my future husband to arrive. It must have been at least a couple of hours and everyone else have gotten restless and anxious.


    If this had been a wedding that I wanted, I would have felt so worried that the groom has not shown up. However, the truth is, I didn¡¯t care if he never shows up. Actually, it would be for the better for us all if he never showed up. Then the wedding would be called off and my grandmother and I can return to our normal and peaceful life.


    I nced sideway to see my frail and very sick granny sitting in a wheelchair with a nurse standing close behind her. I wish this wedding or whatever would be over quickly so that she can return to rest at the hospital. My grandmother was very old, and recently, I had discovered that she was very sick.


    The doctors couldn¡¯t tell me how much longer she had left but even my untrained eye could tell that it wasn¡¯t very long.


    "Where¡¯s the groom?" a man asked in a hush voice.


    "Good questions. We¡¯ve been waiting for almost three hours already¡­" another man replied before yawning.


    "Shhhh¡­be quiet. The boss will kill you if he hears," another man hissed to the other two.


    "Has someone found him yet?" another voice asked seriously.


    "I sent a bunch of men from my squad already. It shouldn¡¯t take much longer¡­" someone else replied but I couldn¡¯t sense much conviction from his voice.


    "Don¡¯t stare at the boss. He¡¯ll kill you if he sees you staring¡­" one of the men hissed.


    "That¡¯s right. He¡¯s definitely not in a good mood," another one said with a sigh.


    "What is that damn son of his doing?" the other said in a very soft whisper.


    "Exactly, it¡¯s his wedding and he¡¯s not even here¡­" another man replied in agreement.


    "That kid is supposed to take over after this father? What a rotten joke¡­" an old man spoke up.


    "Not so loud, the boss will hear you¡­" the man next to him said in a hurry.


    "If only his brother was still alive¡­" the old man continued without much care.


    "Let¡¯s discuss thister. I hope he turns up soon¡­this church is fucking cold," one of the men said and I couldn¡¯t agree more. At least they were wearing suits, my arms were covered only with thin and see-throughce.


    The old priest standing in front of me looked pale and stressed with what was going on. Poor old man, I wonder what he did to deserve this. He¡¯s been standing still for as long as I have, and his legs must be killing him at his age.


    "Umm¡­perhaps we should postpone¡­" the old priest suggested hesitantly in a small voice.


    "Shut up old man! I¡¯ll shoot you in the face!" the mastermind behind this whole wedding ordeal shouted at the top of his lungs.


    Oh My God¡­is that a gun? It¡¯s a gun, right? It¡¯s real right?


    My eyes widened in shock, and I wished that I could just disappear from this ce. I must be stuck in a bad dream, I tried to convince myself as I closed my eyes. My body shook in fear. I looked over at my granny. Thankfully she had not died from a heart attack from the shock.


    I opened my eyes, and my worst nightmare was confirmed. This was really happening, and I was not in a dream. The reality was that the most influential mafia boss was pointing a gun at the old priest. The mafia boss who had forced me into this contract marriage was red in the face and has resorted to threatening the priest with a gun.


    The Torex mafia gang was bad news. When the boss told me Hayden¡¯s first name, I didn¡¯t need to ask for hisst name. If he was heir to the Torex gang then hisst name is simply: Torex.


    The rumor has it that the man who established the Torex family changed inst name to Torex and name the gang the same way. All members of the Torex family and their members are supposed to have a wolf tattoo somewhere on their body. Once again, I didn¡¯t know if this rumor was true or not.


    The Torex gang is world-famous and lived their lives above thew. Their business and evil deeds aremon knowledge even to a normal person like me who had nothing to do with the mafia. Their businesswork spanned multiple continents and countries and involved businesses in many industries.


    Some of their businesses were ran outwardly as a legal and sessful conglomerate while others werepletely underground.


    I didn¡¯t know everything about their business, obviously, but what I, or the average person with eyes and ears, would know was that they had businesses in tourism, healthcare, and entertainment. Plus, all the other shady and illegal things that a mafia gang is supposed to be involved in such as human trafficking, drugs, casinos, arms trade, etc.


    To be fair, no proof has ever been found of their illegal activities but that¡¯s probably the way they live above thew: by paying thew keepers.


    Regardless of whether rumors were true or not, the Torex and all their members were bad news. As it happens, I¡¯m about to marry one right now and non-other than the next heir to the Torex family. I didn¡¯t know where life would take me but never in my wildest dreams imagine that it would take me here.


    Well, that is if the groom in question ever turns up which I pray that he never would¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 2: The Groom’s Arrival

    The priest recoiled in shock as he put both hands up above his head in surrender. I hoped he didn¡¯t piss his pants. Actually, I couldn¡¯t tell if he had, but I could tell that he had started openly crying in fear. I better shut up and wait until this event ends if I want to keep my head in one piece and on my neck and shoulders.


    "Where is my son? Where¡¯s Hayden?" the boss screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Great, so his name is Hayden. Not only have I never met my husband-to-be before, I didn¡¯t even know his name. I also haven¡¯t seen a photo of him and so I didn¡¯t know what he looked like. Not that I was interested. If I had no choice but to marry him anyways, what difference does it make whether he¡¯s as handsome as a prince or as ugly as a beast.


    The boss turned around and started waving his gun at the rows upon rows upon rows of men dressed head to toe in back suits, the standard uniform of the mafia it seems.


    It was a rare sight to see men of various ages shift ufortably in their seats just like little kids who have been caught doing something mischievous as they looked anxiously at each other. It was obvious that no one wanted to deliver bad news to the boss.


    "Umm¡­I¡¯m sure that Hayden is on the way boss. You don¡¯t need to worry¡­" a man who I assumed was one of the boss¡¯s trusted men said as he tried to reassure the boss.


    "I don¡¯t need to be worried? Hayden iste!" the boss screamed, his face getting redder from anger.


    "He¡¯s on the way boss. Please wait just a little longer," the man quickly said.


    "Do you know where he is? Have you found him?! Answer me!!" the boss continued to scream as he grabbed the man by his cor and started pulling hard on it.


    The men looked at each other while they thought about how to deal with the boss and his violent temper. I could tell that Hayden hadn¡¯t been found. To be honest, I don¡¯t me him for not turning up. I imagined that he felt the same way that I did. Who in their right mind would want to marry a woman he has never met or heard of before?


    Just like I didn¡¯t want to marry him, he clearly doesn¡¯t want to marry me.


    Thank you, Hayden or whoever you are. Thank you for not turning up.


    If this marriage fails because he didn¡¯t turn up, then it won¡¯t be my fault. I prayed so desperately like I have never prayed before. I wasn¡¯t a religious person and I hardly believed in God. However, if God is real, please just let me return to my old peaceful life back in the quiet countryside.


    "Master Hayden has arrived!"


    What?!


    "Perfect! My Hayden is finally here!" the boss shouted happily, a smile blooming on his face.


    I, on the other hand, felt like I was doomed for all eternity. Why did he have to turn up now? Did he change in mind about this marriage?


    I whirled around as fast as I could in my heavy and overly puffy wedding dress to face the direction of the church¡¯s entry. Therge wooden door slowly opened, so dramatically slowly like we were really caught up in a movie.


    I held my breath as I waited for my husband-to-be to walk through the door. I wondered what he would look like. If his father had to go so far as to arrange a marriage for him, then he¡¯s probably old, ugly, and unable to find his own girlfriend despite the wealth that he seemed to possess.


    "Hayden!" the boss cried out in excitement as he pped his hand joyfully as he saw his son entering the church.


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I was expecting but what I saw was out of this world. Forget what Hayden looked like, I couldn¡¯t even see his face clearly. Hayden didn¡¯t walk in on his own. To be exact, it seemed that he couldn¡¯t walk on his own or support his own weight at that moment.


    Two tall men, dressed entirely in ck with sunsses on, supported Hayden on both sides by draping his arms on their shoulders.


    Oh, great. Hayden seems to be¡­unconscious?


    As far as I could tell Hayden was being dragged into the church by two men. He seemed unconscious and unaware of his surrounding and what was going on. As the men walked further into the church, I could see Hayden closer and clearer.


    Although his face was not clearly visible because his body was bent forward with his head hanging low, I could tell that he wasn¡¯t old and ugly. Hayden was tall¡­very tall. The two men in ck supporting him were muchrger and taller than standard men but the hunched-over Hayden was taller. He had light blond hair and wasn¡¯t dressed for the role of the groom. That¡¯s for sure.


    When the two men walked him down the aisle, or more like dragged him, I finally understood why and so did most guests in the church. The unpleasant stench of alcohol was so intense that I was sure that everyone could smell it. My nose twitched at the smell, and I instinctively started fanning the air in front of my nose by waving my hand.


    Hayden was dead drunk.


    From the way he was dressed, I could surmise that the two men dressed him while he was unconscious. Hayden didn¡¯t have a shirt on, but someone did put white pants, a white zer suit and a ck leather pair of shoes on him. His well-defined chest muscles and the six-pack of his stomach was clearly visible through the opening of his white unbuttoned zer.


    So¡­this is my husband-to-be. To be honest, he didn¡¯t look as bad as I imagined he would be. He seemed young, around my age if I had to guess, and he was tall, well-built and I guess good looking. That, however, did not stir my heart at all. No matter what, I did not want to marry this man.


    I wanted to ask if we could go ahead with the wedding ceremony with the groom clearly unconscious, but I was afraid his father would blow my brains out, literally, with his gun. I kept silent instead as I waited to see what would happen next.


    The guests, which consisted mostly of the mafia gang members, started whispering to each other in low hushed voiced. I couldn¡¯t catch what they were saying but I had a good guess. I could surmise from what I¡¯ve heard before that this Hayden guy had a little bit of a mixed poprity pole amongst his fellow mafia gang members.


    "Umm¡­is the groom even conscious?" the old priest whispered so softly that I almost couldn¡¯t hear him.


    Exactly¡­thank you for pointing that out, priest!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 3: Rejection

    "Does it matter?" the boss answered with a booming voice as he stood in front of his son.


    "Well¡­the wedding vow¡­" the priest whispered hesitantly, his nervous pale blue eyes darting off in random directions.


    You tell him priest! Tell him that we can¡¯t get married if the groom is not conscious and cannot say his wedding vows. I mean, does he even know what is going on? Would it even count if he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s getting himself into?


    "Oh¡­I see," The boss said, nodding in understanding.


    I watched, surprised at the unexpectedly understanding reaction of the mafia boss as he continued to nod his head.


    "He needs to say his wedding vows¡­I see¡­I see," the boss continued to mutter to himself as if in thought.


    Hayden was still as unconscious as the dead. I bet if the two men stopped supporting him, he would just fall t on the floor.


    *Smack!*


    I loud smacking sound rang out echoing around the enclosed space of the marble church. I gasped in shock along with the rest of the crowd as we watched the scene unfolding in front of us. Without warning, the boss suddenly whacked his son¡¯s temple with the base of his gun. Hard.


    Did that kill him? Shit¡­he¡¯s bleeding¡­


    My eyes widened as my mouth dropped open in shock. Hayden¡¯s temple is bleeding, his blood spilling out from his wound and trickling down the side of his face.


    "Wake up, son!" the boss shouted at the top of his lungs.


    His voice was so loud that I had to cover both my ears with my hands. This man is crazy. He just hit his son to wake him up?! I bet everyone here is crazy!


    "¡­hmmm¡­"


    Unbelievably, Hayden began to stir and was making slurring sounds. I watched in astonishment as Hayden suddenly lifted his hanging head upwards into an upright position. Did he just wake up? He woke up¡­just like that?


    "Hayden! Wake up son!" the boss continued shouting loudly directly next to Hayden¡¯s ear.


    Hayden suddenly opened his eyes and looked around drowsily. I could imagine that he was confused as to why he was in a church and with so many people. Suddenly, his eyesnded on me before our eyes met. I gasped slightly in astonishment as our eyes finally met for the first time.


    I found myself locking gaze with a pair of very beautiful blue eyes as we stared at each other. Me in shock; him in slight confusion. After a while, Hayden cocked his head to the side in confusion as he tried to figure out what was going on.


    Slowly, Hayden shrugged off the two men who were supporting him as he stood up straight. He was still clearly drunk and in a daze as he tried his best to stand steadily on his own two feet.


    "Hands off¡­" Hayden murmured in a low voice, his blond brows knitting together in annoyance.


    The two men dutifully let go of Hayden and the boss quickly came to his side to check on his son. Hayden lifted a hand and felt the wound on his temple which was still bleeding. I was shocked as to why no one had given him any medical attention at this point. He looked at the blood on his hand in confusion after he felt the wound on his head.


    "Did I hit my head?" Hayden asked his father directly.


    "No. I hit you on the head with a gun to wake you up! You need to get married right now. This is no time to be drunk!" His father replied, screaming loudly at his son.


    Speaking in a calm and collected manner was clearly not the boss¡¯s strong fort.


    "Well¡­fuck¡­" Hayden cursed as he wiped his blood on his white zer, staining it red.


    "Proceed with the ceremony. We haven¡¯t got all day!" the boss shouted at the priest who quivered in fear.


    This can¡¯t be happening. We¡¯re going ahead with the ceremony? I really have to marry that guy? I felt cold sweat on my body and realized how panicked I felt at that moment. If I marry him, my life is really over. I¡¯ll be stuck with these crazy mafias for the rest of my life.


    No¡­this can¡¯t be true.


    The impatient boss grabbed his son¡¯s arm and yanked him forward. I watched as Hayden staggered a little forward at the force of his father¡¯s pull. However, suddenly Hayden stopped in his track as if his mind had just thought of something.


    "¡­who is she?" Hayden asked as he pointed a finger at me.


    I¡¯m the girl you¡¯re supposed to be marrying but I guess you don¡¯t realize that or anything else because you are dead drunk, I screamed inside my own head.


    "That is your bride, Hayden!" the boss screamed, clearly losing whatever little patient that he had.


    "¡­she¡¯s not my bride," Hayden stated firmly.


    Oh¡­wow. What a turn of events. I was sure that no bride standing at the alter expected or wanted to be rejected by her groom-to-be, but I was thrilled at what I was hearing. Please break off this stupid engagement so I can go home with my grandma. Please!


    "What on earth are you saying?! We went over this. If I say that she¡¯s your bride, then she IS your bride!" the boss shouted in his son¡¯s face.


    I winced at the aggressive scene in front of me. The other gang members and the guests remained glued to their seat as they watched on inplete silence. I wanted to go home, the church was cold, and I could see from the corner of my eye that my grandma looked paler by the minute. She wasn¡¯t feeling well, I could tell.


    "What is¡­your name?" Hayden asked me directly, speaking as slowly and as clearly as he could in his state.


    I was shocked that he actually spoke to me. I felt his eyes on my face and I felt my words stuck in my throat. Hayden continued staring at me with squinted eyes as he waited for my answer.


    "¡­Malissa. My name is Malissa Maxford," I finally managed to say, although my voice sounded shaky and dry.


    "Amelia. I will not marry anyone besides Amelia. She is not my bride," Hayden stated firmly as he pointed in my direction. He shook off his father¡¯s arm and turned to leave.


    "What are you saying! Amelia¡­Arghhh! Men, hold him down now!" the boss ordered as he pointed his finger at his son¡¯s back.


    The men got up from their seat and started restraining Hayden¡¯s arms and legs until he was forced to kneel on the ground at his father¡¯s feet.


    What now? Apparently, Hayden has someone he is in love with and intends to marry that person. I too have someone I was madly in love with, although, he never wished to marry someone like me¡­


    What happened after that wasplete mayhem as the gang members struggled to restrain Hayden and the boss continued shouting at this son. Sometimeter, Haydenpsed back into his unconscious state, and no one could rouse him.


    In the end, to my utmost relief, the wedding ceremony couldn¡¯t proceed forward. That didn¡¯t mean that I was immediately free from the mafia but at least, I had avoided my marriage for one more day. The men in ck escorted my grandmother and I back to her hospital room after I had changed out of my wedding dress.


    I never saw Hayden again that day.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 4: As Fate Would Have It

    **A few weeks before**


    I¡¯mte! This can¡¯t be happening to me! The supermarket promotional sale starts in ten minutes, and I am going to bete for it. I looked down at the grocery shopping list that my granny had carefully prepared and sighed. If I miss the sale and they run out of stuff, we¡¯re not going to be able to get everything within our budget.


    I have to hurry. I ran at full speed along the sidewalk leading to the supermarket. I dodged around people, couples holding hands, children on their tricycles, an uncle walking his dog and so many more. However, I had toe to a sudden halt when I almost ran into a slightly plump old man. He must be in his fifties and was dressed in fine clothes like he was from the big city.


    I mean, no one at his age dresses this well around here.


    "I¡¯m so sorry, Sir. Did I run into you? Are you hurt?" I apologized and fired off my questions at him rapidly.


    I think I stopped in time before running into him, but I had to ask to make sure. He seemed shocked to see me apologizing profusely to him. However, in the next instant, he started smiling at me.


    "I¡¯m fine, young miss. There¡¯s no need for you to worry. I may look old and a little on the fat side, but I assure you that I am strong and very fit!" the old man replied in a booming voice beforeughing loudly.


    "Oh¡­I¡¯m so d to hear it. Well, then¡­" I replied happily as I smiled back at him. However, I was very aware of the fact that I was runningte. I couldn¡¯t stand here and chat with him forever even if I wanted to.


    "Wait miss!" the old man called out to me as I turned to leave.


    "What is it? Do you need help with something?" I asked.


    "Do you¡­happen to know someone called Jack Witman?" the old man asked, his eyes narrowing at me.


    Umm¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of someone with that name before.


    "Sorry, sir. I haven¡¯t heard of that name before. Sorry, I couldn¡¯t be of help here," I replied truthfully as I smiled sadly at him.


    "Hmm¡­I see," the old man replied softly.


    "Are you looking for that man? Does he live in this town?" I asked in case I could help.


    "Yes. He¡¯s¡­an old friend of mine. We had a couple of fights when we were younger and I haven¡¯t seen him for many years but now that I¡¯m getting old, you know¡­I kinda want to see him¡­" he said a little sadly.


    "This is a small town but¡­I¡¯ve never heard of him. I¡¯m so sorry¡­" I replied regretfully.


    "Oh¡­nevermind. That¡¯s ok," the man said with a small smile.


    "Well then, I have a ce I have to be. So¡­have a good day, Sir! I hope you find your friend!" I said as cheerfully as I could.


    I said before bowing respectfully to him and running off towards the supermarket. I definitely won¡¯t make it on time but if I hurried, I was sure that I could still get some promotional items that granny wanted.


    "See you again soon, little miss," the old man muttered to himself as he watched the young woman run further and further away from him until she disappeared in the crowd.


    ¡­


    I trudged along the sidewalk with bags full of groceries in both hands. These are the result of my effort in grabbing items on sale. Although I arrived a littlete, luckily, I was able to buy most of the items on grandma¡¯s grocery shopping list. She should be please with my achievement.


    However, I did not imagine that it would be so heavy. I guess if I set some money aside and start saving up, I could purchase a bicycle or a small trolley of some kind that I could use to transport these heavy bags of groceries. It¡¯s just a thought for now though, we didn¡¯t have that kind of money to spare, unfortunately.


    I wasn¡¯t born into a poor family. I lived the first sixteen years of my life as part of an average-ie family with an average standard of living. We had a house; a car and I went to a private school where I had many good friends. My parents owned their ownpany, and everything was normal and fine until that fateful day.


    Around six years ago, my parents died in a car ident when a transport truck crashed into their car. The investigationster revealed that the truck driver was drunk from a party he had attended the previous night and had a hangover when he came to work in the morning. Regardless of the reason, I lost both my parents on that day.


    The ident was featured in the news with clear photographs of their whole car burning up in mes before it exploded. A few other people who were at the scene were hurt. The truck driver was seriously injured but survived the crash.


    My parents always drove me to school in the morning before they went to work. It was just wild luck that I wasn¡¯t in the car with them on the day of the ident. Since I had a sleepover party at one of my girl friend¡¯s house the night before, I was on my way to school with her when the ident urred. I always thought back to that twist of fate.


    If I didn¡¯t join the sleepover back then, I would have probably died along with my parents in the crash.


    Who knows¡­perhaps that would have been the better option?


    My life changed drastically after the passing of my parents. For one, I learnt that not everyone who seemed to mean well actually meant well. Right after the funeral for my parents, I found out that their so-called business partner had taken over thepany and that there was nothing left of it to be passed down to me. Basically, I was somehow scammed out of my stake in my parent¡¯s business.


    Everything that they have built all went to waste over a night.


    Matters went from bad to worse when I was told that my parents had debts with the banks, and they demanded to take away the coteral: our house. After settling the debt and all was said and done, I had lost the house, the car and almost all of my parent¡¯s life savings. I walked away from the whole thing with less than three hundred dors to my name.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 5: Losing Everything

    Obviously, since I didn¡¯t have any money and had no way to earn any either, I had to quit school. I didn¡¯t have a ce to live anymore, so I had to move in with my only surviving rtive: my grandmother. With just one small luggage of clothes and necessities, I took a train to a nameless town in the countryside where my grandmother was living.


    By the time that I left the capital city, I was already prepared for the worst. When I first stood in front of the address that was supposed to be where my grandmother lived, the reality wasn¡¯t too far from my expectation. My grandmother, as I was told, ran a small confectionary and cake shop in a very small town. The description was spot on.


    ¡¯Sweet Time¡¯ was the name on the faded white and pink sign of the small shop owned by my grandmother. It was clear that the sign had faded from white and red to its current state of pink. The shop was located on the first floor and our living quarters were on the second floor.


    Life with my grandmother was like a return to the basic of everything. We were poor but happy. Our house and shop were small, but it was enough for two small girls like us. I went to a local public high school to continue my education and was granted a schrship to further help with my expenses.


    I did everything that I could to support my grandmother just so that we could survive and keep the shop afloat.


    That meant that I worked every single hour of the day that I was free. I rarely went out with friends because I had to work at the store. I focused on my study so that I would get a schrship to university. It went without saying that we didn¡¯t have enough money to send me to university.


    Life was tough but it was simple enough. Throughout it all, my grandmother was always there for me. Not once did shein even as she got older and that meant that I didn¡¯t have any valid reason toin either. At the end of my highschool life, I got a full schrship to study arts and design at a nearby university.


    That meant that I had to move out and live at the university dorm, but I still made sure to travel the short distance home to visit my grandmother and help out at the store.


    It was during my freshmen year at university that I met my first and only boyfriend. Life was all well and good until¡­those men turned up.


    One day, when I arrived at the store from one of my grocery shopping trip, I could immediately sense that something was wrong. The whole neighborhood was quiet, too quiet. It was like no one was living or breathing there at all. No one walked the street, no car passed by and there were just no signs of life.


    My heart skipped a beat as my eyes focused on arge ck limousine that was parked in front of my home. I have never seen a limousine in real life before, only in the movies. It was obvious that in this small and poor town where few people owned cars, no one owned a shy ck limousine.


    What I couldn¡¯t wrap my headd around, as the shock of all this took over, was why was there a limousine parked right outside my house?


    Once my body had recovered from its initial shock, I found myself dropping the grocery bag out front and running as fast as I could towards the store. The sight of smashed windows, broken signs and flowerpots tipped over spilling ck soil everywhere stunned me to the core as I gasped in shock.


    What happened here while I was gone?


    The next thought that entered my head was¡­grandma! Where is she? Is she ok?


    "Grandma!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.


    I ran through the ajar door into the store. The inside of the store was also a mess just like the outside. Everything that could practically be destroyed was destroyed and there, kneeling on hands and knees in the middle of the floor, was my poor grandmother.


    "Grandma!" I cried out as I ran to her side, bending down to support her frail body.


    "Lisa¡­" my grandmother called my nickname softly in between her upset sobs.


    The sight of her crying and how her body shook from shock and fear broke my heart into a million pieces. What did we do to deserve something this cruel?


    "You¡¯re finally back,"


    A man¡¯s low and emotionless voice said, making me realize for the first time that my grandmother and I were not the only ones in the room. Slowly, I looked up in the direction of the voice. There, not so far from where we were crouched down on the floor, were three very tall and big men. All dressed in ck.


    I couldn¡¯t make out their faces because they all wore ck sunsses that hid their eyes from view. Their ck suit, pants and shiny leather shoes seemed pristine and perfect even after all the havoc that they have wrecked in my home. These men seemed like they appeared straight out from a movie¡­a mafia mob movie.


    So, this¡­was the mafia¡­


    "Dear sir, I apologize if we have offended you in anyway but¡­I¡¯m sure all of this has to be some sort of misunderstanding¡­" I said in a shaky voice as I slowly got up to my feet.


    "Do you know Simon and Marianne Maxford?" one of the men dressed in ck asked sternly.


    "Yes¡­they were my parents¡­" I replied softly. What did the mafia have to do with my parents? It¡¯s been around six years since they¡¯ve passed away¡­


    "Then there is no mistake. We¡¯ve finally found you," the man continued in a leveled voice.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, confused.


    "Take a look at this," the man said as he held out a few sheets of paper towards me.


    Hesitantly, I took the papers from him while noticing that my hands were shaking badly. What could these papers be?


    Before I had the opportunity to read the content of the paper, the man began speaking again as if answering my unasked question.


    "This is a loan contract that your parents made with our boss when they took out a five-hundred-million-dor loan," the man stated factually.


    "¡­What?!" I eximed in shock.


    Five hundred million dors?!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 6: Debt Contract

    That¡¯s impossible. My parents never mentioned taking out any debt from the mafia and definitely not five hundred million dors. What would they even need that much money for anyways? We lived a normal life. We didn¡¯t have any crazy money to spend like that.


    I turned to look behind me at my sobbing grandmother who had a look of absolute shock on her face. I knew it, this is probably also my grandmother¡¯s first-time hearing about all this. I was worried about my grandmother. She looked so pale like she could pass out at any moment and her silent sobbing cries had gotten louder as the situation worsened around us.


    "It¡¯s just as the contract states. Your parents borrowed five hundred million dors from our boss and we¡¯re here to get it back. Simple," the man continued in a passionless voice.


    Simple. My foot.


    I looked down at the contract that I clutched tightly in my trembling hand. Scanning it, I could see the words and figures of five hundred million dors. The signature of both of my parents were on the document. Did they really take out this ridiculous loan? Why?


    "But¡­my parents passed away many years ago¡­" I whispered, still unable toe to terms with this.


    I was in no position to pay off any debt. We could barely afford to get by. We had no money to spare, let alone the five hundred million dors that the man was talking about.


    "Exactly. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been looking high and low for you, their only daughter. Since your parents are dead, you¡¯ll have to pay the boss back," the man said while nodding his head.


    "But¡­I don¡¯t have any money¡­" I said,pletely at a loss.


    "Well, that¡¯s not exactly my problem. However, the boss wants his money back. So, you¡¯reing with us," the man said.


    Before I could react, the man¡¯s hand had reached forward in astonishing speed and was gripping my wrist tightly in hisrge hand. He didn¡¯t hold me too tightly and it didn¡¯t hurt but no matter how much I struggled against him, his grip wouldn¡¯t loosen.


    "Let go! What do you think you¡¯re doing?" I cried out loudly as I continued to struggle vainly against his grip.


    "Stop struggling. You¡¯re making this unnecessarily hard for both of us. My boss has ordered me to bring you to him if you don¡¯t have any money to pay him back with," the man said as he dealt with my struggling effortlessly.


    "No! I refuse!" I shouted.


    "Well, I¡¯m just doing my job. Hurting women and old grannies isn¡¯t my thing. I suggest you stop struggling now ande with me willingly," the man said sternly.


    "Lisa!" I heard my grandmother call out my name repeated in a strained and broken voice when she witnessed the physical struggle between the man and I.


    However, soon after my grandmother was silent. I turned around to see that she had fainted. Oh¡­what do I do now?


    "Let go! Can¡¯t you see my grandma has fainted! This is all because of you¡­" I shouted at the man, tears stinging my eyes. This is the worst; I can¡¯t start crying now. I need to help grandma first¡­


    "Yo¡­you stay behind. Call the ambnce and get dear granny there to the closest hospital. Girl, you¡¯reing with me," the man instructed one of his teammates while pointing a finger at my grandma.


    The next thing I knew, my body was being lifted off the floor. The man carries me up and threw me across his shoulder effortlessly. I cried out in surprise at what was going on before I started beating my firsts on his shoulders and kicking my legs wildly.


    "Grandma! Grandma!" I called out as loudly as I could as I continued to struggle.


    I watched my grandmother¡¯s unresponsive form as sheid on the floor and I felt tears running down my face. Is she going to be, ok? I don¡¯t have anybody left¡­I can¡¯t lose her too.


    ¡­


    Everything that happened once I entered the ck limousine was like a scene from the movies where the young woman was kidnaped by the mafia, stuffed into a car with her hands and feet bounded and a ck bag ced over her head to stop her from struggling and to make sure that she didn¡¯t know where she was being taken.


    Just like in a movie, once I was inside the car I wouldn¡¯t stop struggling and yelling at the top of my lungs. The men restrained me to the seat at first with their hands before they looked at each other and decided that more needed to be done to restrain me.


    "Listen, Miss. I¡¯ve been ordered to treat you kindly and with respect. I¡¯m not allowed to use violence but if I deem that you will do less damage to yourself if you were restrained then I will restrain you. Do you get it?" the same man from before exined with a tired sigh.


    "I don¡¯t care!" I shouted in his face.


    Seeing that I wouldn¡¯t cease screaming and struggling, the man nodded to his men and one man started bounding my hands together while the other bounded my feet. I screamed at the top of my lungs and cursed at them all the way until they taped my mouth shut, literally.


    "This is for your own good, miss. I can¡¯t let you arrive in front of the boss in a damaged condition. Bear with us for a while¡­" the man said with a chuckle as he took out his mobile phone.


    "Yes¡­you can tell the boss that we¡¯re on the way. Yes, the girl is with us," the man reported to whoever was on the other end of the line.


    The phone call was short and sinct unlike the journey that I was on. Since they didn¡¯t blindfold me, probably because they thought that it was unnecessary, I was still able to see the scenery outside of the car¡¯s windows. I couldn¡¯t tell where they were taking me, but it was clear from the direction that we were going that we were headed to the capital city.


    I haven¡¯t been back to the buzzling and busy city since I moved to the countryside to live with my grandmother. I wondered if that ce has changed at all?


    "Wake up, little miss. We¡¯ve arrived,"


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 7: We Meet Again

    I heard a low voice call out to me before a hand reached out and shook my right shoulder. I woke up with a small jump. When did I fall asleep? I must have dozed off during the multi-hour ride to the city. I guess I was tired, I didn¡¯t realize when I had fallen asleep at all.


    Where am I?


    The car hade to aplete stop and looking out of the window I could see that we have arrived at a gigantic mansion decorated in the baroque European style. This building is massive! Are we at a luxury hotel?


    I could see the beautifully decorated garden outside with its cupid water fountain and flowers of various types and colors. If the circumstances of my arrival here had been any different, then I¡¯m sure that I would have enjoyed the view and would have felt super excited to be in such a nice ce. However, the only thing I felt right now was anxiety, fear, and stress.


    The men wordlessly unbounded my hands and feet before carefully peeling off the tape from my mouth. I cleared my throat nervously before trying to make a sound. I didn¡¯t know how I would sound after being unable to speak for such a long time.


    "Umm¡­where are we?" I asked the moment I got my voice to function.


    "This is the boss¡¯s mansion. I warn you; the boss is¡­a very serious man. Watch what you do and say if you want to live to see the light of dawn," the man said as he offered me a hand and pulled me out of the limousine.


    The boss is a very serious man¡­


    Suddenly, the reality that my life could be at risk was starting to sink in. I bet the man wasn¡¯t joking. If I said or did the wrong thing, I could get myself killed. If this was a nightmare, now¡¯s the time to wake up, Malissa!


    I wondered for a brief moment what type of man the boss of a mafia gang was like. Then, I realized that it was better if I didn¡¯t have to find out¡­


    I was lost in thought and fear as the man dragged me by the arm after him. The other men nked both my sides, preventing my escape. To be honest, the thought of escape never crossed my mind. There was no way I could outrun these men no matter how hard I tried. If I wanted to escape, I had toe up with a cleverer n than just in running away¡­


    I was right, the mansion was huge. I¡¯ve been walking through the mansion¡¯s numerous hallways for a while now and the boss¡¯s room, wherever that was, wasn¡¯t in sight. I was shocked at how luxurious the mansion was. The decoration of rich velvety red color mixed with gold was everywhere.


    Marble sculptures,rge paintings that looked extremely expensive, baroque style furniture and finely patterned marble floor were sights that I was not used to seeing.


    I knew from the movies that mafias were supposed to be filthy rich; however, I never thought I would get to see what filthy rich really meant. Despite the luxurious decoration, the mansion was freezing cold inside, and I shivered all the way during the long walk.


    "Wait here," the man said as he came to an abrupt stop. I almost walked right into his broad back when he suddenly stopped walking. Have we finally arrived?


    I nodded my head slowly in acknowledgement. The man disappeared behind a pair of very tall andrge dark wooden door, leaving me behind along with the other two men who stood close by my side. I swallowed nervously as I waited for what was toe.


    After a short while, the man reappeared from behind the wooden doors and beckoned me inside. Unlike the darker hallways, the golden light inside the room I had just entered was blinding. The crystal chandelier hanging from the room¡¯s ceiling was too big to be real and blindingly bright. The room wasrge, sorge that I couldn¡¯t see that there was a person inside the room at first.


    "The boss is this way," the man murmured under his breath at me. Was he nervous?


    Following the man¡¯s gaze, I could finally see a man standing at the end of the room behind arge wooden table. He wasn¡¯t looking our way as he stared outside through the ss that spanned the entire height of the wall from floor to ceiling. His aura was intimidating, and he must be the mafia boss.


    The man behind me nudged me forward towards his boss. I felt my body froze in panic, and I didn¡¯t know what to do or how to react. He didn¡¯t think I should just waltz in to see the boss now, right?


    "Come in,"


    A booming voicemanded from the other end of the room. The voice held so much authority that I found myself obeying without a second thought. I had no doubt in that moment that I would be killed if I didn¡¯t do exactly as that voicemanded.


    I walked forward on shaky legs until I reached arge set of burgundy sofas, organized around a marble coffee table.


    "Have a seat, Malissa," the older man said as he turned towards me for the first time. Hisrge hand gestured towards the sofa where he wanted me to sit.


    I quickly approached that sofa and sat down without uttering a sound. I watched as the older man, dressed in a grey suit approach me, and sat down on the sofa opposite where I was seated.


    "Well, it¡¯s certainly nice to meet you again," the old man said smiling brightly at me.


    I had a strange feeling like I had seen him before but for the life of me I couldn¡¯t figure out where and when. I mean, you don¡¯t just bump into the mafia boss randomly on the street, especially if you lived in a poor old town like I did¡­


    Wait¡­a second¡­


    "You are¡­" I gasped in shock as I realized that I have indeed met this man before.


    It¡¯s him. There¡¯s no doubt about it now. He¡¯s the uncle I met while I was running to the supermarket on my shopping errand. He told me that he was looking for his friend and¡­


    He¡¯s the mafia boss?!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 8: Marry My Heir

    "So, you do remember me. Excellent!" the boss said with a warm smile that showed off the wrinkles around the corners of his eyes.


    I have to say that I did not expect the kind-hearted uncle to be a mafia boss. In other words, I did not expect the mafia boss to be a smiley uncle figure.


    "Yeah¡­umm¡­hello¡­once again, I guess," I stammered when I finally found my tongue.


    "Have a drink, dear. You look a little tired from the trip. It must have been a long one¡­" the boss said as he gestured to a ss or water that was ced on the coffee table.


    "Thank you¡­" I whispered as I reached for the ss.


    "Did my men treat you roughly? I did order them to be gentle with you¡­as gentle as handling a feather," the boss asked, suddenly his gaze was serious.


    For some reason, I figured that I shouldn¡¯t tell him that they bounded my hands and feet and taped my mouth shut.


    "I¡¯m fine¡­thank you. More importantly, why¡­am I here?" I asked in confusion. I mean, there¡¯s the matter of my parent¡¯s debt but¡­


    "Five hundred million dors," The boss began speaking.


    "If it¡¯s the money. I don¡¯t have it right now, but I swear, I¡¯ll work or do whatever it takes, and I¡¯ll pay you back. Please!" I cut in desperately.


    "Oh¡­you¡¯d do anything, huh?" the old man said, his eyes twinkling.


    "Umm¡­anything¡­not illegal, I guess¡­" I said my voice trailing off.


    "Hahaha! You¡¯re such a good girl and I like that so much. I knew you were such a good girl the first time we ran into each other," the boss said afterughing out loud at my words.


    "Umm¡­so about the debt¡­" I began saying hesitantly.


    "About the money, I don¡¯t want it back," the boss said bluntly as he waved his hand like it was nothing.


    "Really?!" I asked in surprise, but I could feel the sense of relief flooding through my body. I mean, let¡¯s be realistic, I probably won¡¯t earn even close to that amount in my lifetime.


    "Of course. Instead, I want you to marry my son," the boss stated, his tone suddenly very serious.


    "WHAT?!" I shouted in shock before choking on the water that I had been drinking.


    **cough cough cough**


    "Are you¡­ok?" the boss said as he watched me cough and choke on the water.


    "¡­yeah¡­" I whispered between ragged breath as my coughing started to subsize.


    "So, I was saying¡­that I want you to marry my son," the boss said seriously as he smiled with satisfaction.


    "Is this some sort of bad joke?!" I eximed in shock.


    ¡¯¡­the boss is¡­a very serious man. Watch what you do and say if you want to live to see the light of dawn,¡¯


    I heard the stern voice of the man in ck from before and I felt goosebumps on my whole body. Shit, did I just say the wrong thing just now?


    "You did just say that you would do anything," the boss reminded me with a grin.


    "But marrying your son is¡­" I began protesting.


    "I can understand why you might think I¡¯m joking; however, I am dead serious. I want you to marry my son," the boss repeated, his eyes never leaving my face as he continued to observe my every reaction.


    I felt exposed. I felt like he could read me like an open book¡­


    "But I¡­I¡¯m very sorry but I can¡¯t imagine marrying someone I don¡¯t even know¡­I don¡¯t even love¡­" I began exining the best that I could. Not to mention, above all else, I could never marry a mafia.


    "I totally understand. That won¡¯t be a problem at all. You¡¯ll definitely fall in love with my son," the boss said with confidence as he waved his hand as if brushing away from concern.


    "No¡­I¡­I can¡¯t marry your son, I¡¯m sorry but¡­is there something else that I can do to repay the debt instead?" I said with a clear plead in my voice.


    "Perhaps we could cut you apart and sell all of your organs in the ck market. I don¡¯t know, maybe even then you won¡¯t amount to five hundred million dors¡­" the boss said as he looked me up and down as if appraising my worth.


    "Please let me go home. I have a very old grandmother and we don¡¯t have anyone else apart from each other. I need to be there to take care of her¡­" I pleaded with him.


    "If you marry into this family, you will have it all. Power, wealth, fame and whatever it is that you need. I only have one son and he will take over as my heir," the boss said passionately.


    Marry his son?! That is crazy. I have only thought of marriage once before but¡­I guess, things just didn¡¯t work out¡­


    Anyways, if I ever get married, I don¡¯t want to marry the heir of a mafia gang!


    "What happens¡­if I refuse?" I asked in a small hesitant voice.


    "Hahaha! Seriously, honey dear, what makes you think that you can refuse? I didn¡¯t bring you all the way to my base just so you can turn down my offer and waltz right out. Only the mafia top members know where this ce is, I can¡¯t let you leave now that you¡¯ve been here, you know¡­" the boss said sweetly as he continued to smile gently at me.


    However, his actions couldn¡¯t be more of a stark contrast to his words when he slowly ced a ck object onto the coffee table. I realized to my utter shock that it was a gun.


    "You¡¯re going to marry my son just as the contract says," the old man said firmly.


    "The contract?" I asked in confusion. There¡¯s something about this ridiculous arrangement in the contract?


    "Exactly. See the terms for yourself," the boss said as he gestured towards the papers of the contract.


    "What the¡­" I muttered to myself as my eyes scanned the terms of the document.


    On the veryst page, the term states that ¡¯in the event that the debt cannot be repaid, debtors agree to let their daughter, Miss Malissa Maxford, marry a member of the lender¡¯s family based on the lender¡¯s choice without exception.¡¯


    What kind of out-of-this-world term is that? How can my parents sign such a thing? Were they so sure that they would be able to pay back the debt no matter what?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 9: A Trade

    "So, you see, that family member that I have chosen is my son. Trust me, it¡¯s much better than marrying me, is it not?" the boss said,ughing at his own sick joke.


    I stared at the document in shock as my hand shook. If I tear this paper apart, will that void the contract? I guess not¡­


    As I was deep in thought as to what I should do next, the boss¡¯s mobile phone started to ring loudly, disturbing the tense atmosphere in the room.


    "What? I see¡­and? We¡¯ll cover it¡­give her the best treatment," the boss spoke through the phone.


    The conversation came to an end and the boss looked at me with a sad face and I wondered what that whole phone call was about.


    "The man that took your grandmother to the hospital just called," the boss said solemnly.


    "How is she?" I asked with worry.


    "I think she already knew this but¡­I guess she never told you. Your grandmother has stage four lung cancer¡­" the boss said making a regrettable face.


    "What¡­?" I whispered so softly that I bet he couldn¡¯t hear me as my shock took over.


    "The doctors are not sure how much longer she has left¡­" the boss continued.


    "That can¡¯t be¡­she¡­" I mumbled under my breath.


    "I¡¯ve told the hospital to give her the best treatment and of course, I¡¯m willing to shoulder the expenses¡­" the boss suggested with a smile.


    "If only I would marry your son?" I quicklypleted his thought for him in anger. Was he seriously using my grandmother to negotiate with me right now?


    "You¡¯re smart. You¡¯re catching on really fast. I could force you with the debt contract alone but¡­since I really like you, I¡¯ll throw in a bonus and take care of your dear grandmother for you too. I mean, there¡¯s no way you can afford her medical bills right now, right? She¡¯s going to have to stay in the hospital for god knows how long¡­" the old man said with a sad face.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he was genuinely sad or feelingpletely lucky for having another thing to use against me.


    The other thing that had been bugging me since the very beginning was¡­


    "Why me? I¡¯m sure there are plenty of other women for you to choose from. Why does it have to be me?" I asked with a mix of confusion and curiosity.


    "It has to be you," the boss said slowly as he stressed every word.


    "Why?" I asked.


    "Because I¡¯m sure that my son can fall in love¡­if it¡¯s with you¡­" the boss replied with certainty.


    That¡¯s it. This man ispletely out of his mind.


    I was sure that his son wouldn¡¯t fall in love with me and vice versa. The other thing I was also sure of was that I couldn¡¯t afford my grandmother¡¯s hospital bills. I also can¡¯t seem to leave this ce¡­alive. It didn¡¯t seem like I had any other choice.


    "What if¡­your son doesn¡¯t want me as his wife? What will you do? Will you¡­put an end to all this?" I asked, daring to hope just a little.


    "I wouldn¡¯t worry about that if I were you¡­but how about a little trade?" the old man suggested with a grin.


    "A trade?" I asked, curiously.


    "I¡¯ll forfeit your debt. I¡¯ll pay for all your grandmother¡¯s hospital bills and I¡¯ll set you free. In exchange, all I want is for you to get my son to agree to take over the family¡¯s business as my heir. Do we have a deal?" the boss said.


    That sounded too good to be true. Getting his son to agree to take over the gang didn¡¯t seem difficult at all. I mean, he was born the heir so it was obvious that he would take over one day, right?


    At least, it was better than being married to him all my life.


    "O¡­k¡­" I said in a whisper.


    "Great! The wedding ceremony is tomorrow. I have everything prepared and ready to go. Your dress, the venue, the guests, and everything else has been prepared. All I needed was the bride and now I have her right here!" the boss shouted happily.


    "Wait a second¡­I thought if I could convince your son to take over the family business you would set me free," I said confused.


    "Of course, that¡¯s the deal. However, you haven¡¯t achieved that yet so until you do, you will marry my son and live as his wife," the boss said firmly, leaving no room for argument.


    "Wait! The wedding is tomorrow¡­already?!" I cried out in panic at the sudden realization.


    How did I get myself into this mess¡­again?


    ¡­


    **Back to the Present**


    After changing out of the morous wedding dress into regr clothes, I rode in a ck limousine as it followed the ambnce that had my grandmother inside to the hospital where she was receiving treatment. As promised, the boss had ced my grandmother in the best medical facility in the capital and was paying for all her hospital bills, which must be massive.


    My grandmother wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the hospital anymore. She spent her life in her private hospital room with her body hooked up the multiple machines. I didn¡¯t have any medical knowledge, but I could tell that her condition wasn¡¯t great. However, with the help of the doctors her condition has stabilized enough for her to livefortably in the hospital¡­for now.


    I watched silently from the side of the hospital bed as the nurses hooked multiple machines to my grandmother¡¯s body after she had beenin down. She looks so frail and weak. After the nurses had left, I asked the men in ck, who were in charge of following me around, if I could have a private moment with my grandmother.


    When we were finally alone, I took her hand in mine and ced in on the side of my cheek as I felt warm tears sting my eyes. My grandmother had been so shocked when I told her that I have decided to marry the boss¡¯s son. She was so selfless and worried only about my wellbeing like she had done since the first day I arrived at her doorstep. Now, however, it was my time to pay her back.


    I will protect her with everything that I have.


    I must be strong. However, now that the wedding ended in a disaster, I wasn¡¯t sure what will happen now. It was clear that Hayden, just like me, was in love with someone else. However, I bet his love has a happy ending, unlike mine. I took out a heart-shaped locket ne and slowly opened it. I wiped the tears away from my eyes so that I could see the photo inside clearly.


    Inside the locket was a photograph of me and my boyfriend¡­well, ex-boyfriend now. I really miss you, Ethan...


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 10: Moving in with Him

    "Miss Malissa, the boss wants to see you now," the leader of the men in ck said as he poked his head in through the opened door.


    "Ok¡­let¡¯s go," I said as I walked towards the door.


    I wished I had gotten to speak with my grandmother, but she was still asleep. I wanted to talk to the boss too. Perhaps, he had already given up on the wedding based on what happened earlier today.


    ¡­


    "You want me to what?" I said as my eyes widened in shock. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing.


    "Hahaha! You don¡¯t have to act so excited. It is as I said, I want you to move in and live with Hayden. He¡¯s handsome, isn¡¯t he? Just like me when I was younger¡­" the boss said cheerfully as he sipped red wine.


    "Umm¡­what he looks like isn¡¯t the main problem here¡­" I muttered.


    "You will do as I say. It¡¯s part of the deal. You will move in to live with my son for 30 days. If you both decide that you don¡¯t want to get married at the end, then I¡¯ll set you both free and you can leave. Simple, isn¡¯t it?" the boss said with a satisfied smile.


    "I can¡¯t¡­live with him¡­" I stated firmly as I enunciated every syble.


    "I¡¯ve already prepared everything. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not forcing you to sleep with him or anything like that. I¡¯ve prepared a two bed-room penthouse suite at the most prestigious condominium in the city for you two so that you can both start out fresh!" the boss said happily as he pped his hands together excitedly.


    Hmm¡­so we¡¯ll have separate bedrooms. It¡¯ll be like living with a male roommate. I could shut myself in my bedroom forever for 30 days. That didn¡¯t sound too bad, to be honest. There were plenty of people who decided to room with people of the opposite sex and didn¡¯t have any issues. Plus, Hayden seemed to have a girlfriend already so there should be no problem¡­


    "Umm¡­are there other conditions?" I asked cautiously.


    "Yes. Every day for the 30 days that you live together, you must either do something for Hayden or grant him a wish. Of course, the two of you will have to choose between you doing something for him or you granting him a wish for each day. That¡¯s it," the boss stated.


    That¡¯s it?


    "When you say do something¡­you mean like normal things, right?" I asked, still feeling cautious.


    "Certainly. You can just listen to what he has to say, cook for him, give him a massage, take out his trash, apany him on a walk¡­anything," the boss said.


    "What if Hayden makes unreasonable requests?" I asked skeptically.


    "Then you just have to turn him down and convince him to agree to let you do something for him instead," the boss said as he shrugged.


    "I see¡­" I said softly as my mind thought about all this.


    "Good. We have a deal then!" the boss shouted excitedly as he pped hisrge hands together.


    "Wait¡­not so fast," I protested.


    "I¡¯m older than you think I am, little miss. I¡¯m not going to sit here and wait forever. Now off you go, you¡¯re moving in with Hayden today!" the boss dered as he stood up proudly.


    I blinked rapidly in surprise. This old man and his ¡¯having the wedding tomorrow¡¯ and ¡¯moving in together today¡¯ is driving me insane.


    "Wait¡­one more thing. It seems like your son has someone that he wants to marry already. I think¡­her name is Amelia¡­?" I asked, curiously as I bit my lower lip. If Hayden would just marry Amelia, then there would be no need for me.


    "Amelia won¡¯t marry Hayden¡­she can¡¯t," the boss answered dispassionately as a dark shadow fell on his face, darkening his expression.


    What does he mean by that?


    Before I could ask him any more questions, two men in ck came in and escorted me out of the room.


    30 days. I just need to hang in there for 30 days¡­then I¡¯ll get my old normal life back.


    Hayden has someone that he loves already so he would never fall in love with me. We can both call it quits after 30 days and the boss will have no choice but to keep his words. Plus, if I can talk Hayden into taking over the mafia group then perhaps, I could leave even earlier¡­


    ¡­


    Oh wow! I knew that the penthouse would be luxurious, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this luxurious. This penthouse was on the highest floor where I could see the unobstructed view of the city. This ce was also extremely spacious, and the interior design was truly a piece of art.


    After the men in ck dropped me off and led me to this penthouse suite, they immediately left. However, I was not alone in the penthouse. A smiley auntie with grey hair and a very round face greeted me enthusiastically as she introduced herself.


    "Wee dear! My name is Sarah, and I am your housekeeper. Well, that¡¯s my formal title but I¡¯m actually more like Master Hayden¡¯s babysitter¡­caretaker¡­or whatever you want to call it. Please just call me Auntie," she said happily and proudly.


    "I see. Nice to meet you¡­Auntie. My name is Malissa Maxfort," I replied with a polite smile.


    "It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you! Let me show you around this ce. All of your stuff has been sent here and I¡¯ve already arranged it in your room which is over there. This is Hayden¡¯s room. This is the living room¡­dining room¡­theatre room¡­fitness¡­the pool is outside¡­the kitchen for your personal use.


    The staff has another set of kitchens for, you know, heavier cooking¡­" Auntie said as she showed me around the ce.


    I dutifully followed her as she took me around to see all the rooms in the penthouse suite. I knew that the ce was huge, but I didn¡¯t expect it to pack in so many facilities, most of which I probably won¡¯t use such as the gym and the swimming pool. Well, you never know¡­


    After the walking tour around the suite, Auntie brought me back to the dining room as she motioned for me to have a seat. While we were walking around together, someone must have arranged the dining table and served food. There was so much food on the table, and they all looked so delicious. Apart from that, there were also candles on the table.


    A candlelit dinner on our first day here, isn¡¯t that a bit much?


    I almostughed out loud at how forced this whole set up seemed.


    "Miss Malissa, you should take a seat. I¡¯m sure that Master Hayden will be arriving soon," Auntie said reassuringly as if I was anxiously waiting for his arrival.


    I was about to open my mouth to tell her that I didn¡¯t mind if he never turned up when the door to the suite opened with a loud bang.


    Someone should check for cracks in the wallter tonight, I thought.


    "Master Hayden!" Auntie eximed as she headed over to greet Hayden.


    I tried my best to keep my face emotionless as I stared straight forward at the still-empty seat opposite to where I was seated at the dinner table. Within a few minutes, without uttering a word to Auntie or to me, Hayden entered my view of vision as he plopped himself down in the chair opposite to me.


    Hayden was dressed in a ck leather jacket that he wore on top of a white T-shirt and a pair of ck jeans. His light blond hair shone in the candlelight and so did his bright blue eyes as he stared at my face.


    I didn¡¯t know what else to do, so I just stared back into his captivating blue eyes.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 11: His Rules

    Hayden had arrived and is sitting very close to me opposite the dinner table. This is the closest that we¡¯ve gotten since we met at the church at what was supposed to be our wedding. Although, it failed miserably at my relief.


    Well, at least, he isn¡¯t dead drunk this time, I thought as I looked at the man sitting opposite to me.


    Now that I had a chance to see him up close, I had to admit that Hayden is extremely handsome and attractive. Light blond hair, wless skin, bright blue eyes, and a very handsome face with a straight nose. He looks like an angel, a prince, a Greek god, and everything else along those lines.


    As I have observed before at the church, Hayden was very tall, and I barely reached his shoulders even in those ultra-high heels I was forced to wear at our failure of a wedding. I wasn¡¯t surprised that he had a girlfriend or at least a lover¡­or two¡­or more¡­?


    I was also sure that someone as dazzlingly attractive and charismatic as him would not be interested in a girl like me. I wouldn¡¯t say that I was a in jane, but I wasn¡¯t exactly supermodel material either. I bet Hayden only dates supermodels and superstars based on his wealth, social status, and his looks.


    I hated to admit it, but it actually works in my favor¡­


    Despite his handsome and attractive face, I found that there was nothing about Hayden¡¯s character that resembled his face. The aura he had been emanating since he stepped into the room was purely dark and suffocatingly intimidating.


    The silence is choking me, and this tension is unbearable. What should I do? Should I start a conversation first? Or should I just start eating? Would that be rude?


    Sigh¡­why am I overthinking everything right now?


    "Umm¡­I¡¯m Malissa Maxford. It¡¯s¡­nice to meet you," I said as I tried to smile a little. I couldn¡¯t see what my face looked like at that moment, but I was sure that the smiling part failed.


    "I already know your name and I know that you don¡¯t truly think that it¡¯s nice to meet me. I could say the same thing¡­" Hayden replied tly.


    "I guess you¡¯re right. I already know your name too, so I guess, I¡¯ll just start eating," I said, equally tly.


    To my surprise, Hayden continued with the conversation that I had started.


    "I heard that you¡¯re here because you owe my old man five hundred million dors. Thirty days of yourpany is worth that much? You¡¯re pretty expensive¡­what¡¯s your ¡¯professional name¡¯, I want to look you up," Hayden asked as he continued staring at my face.


    "I¡­don¡¯t do that type of work¡­" I replied.


    "Of course, you don¡¯t. You don¡¯t look the part," Hayden said as he flicked his eyes from the top of my head down to my waist which was all that was visible to him since I was seated.


    "What?" I said without hiding my annoyance.


    "Your face is in, and your figure is so-so. I wouldn¡¯t buy you, let alone for five hundred million bucks and to be honest, I¡¯m surprised that my old man has such low standards," Hayden stated as if he was merely appraising a product on sale.


    "For your information, I don¡¯t want to be here either," I snapped.


    "Good. I don¡¯t need another gold digger on my hands, especially one that doesn¡¯t have the looks. So, listen carefully to what I¡¯m going to say," Hayden said as he ced his hands under his chin and looked straight at me.


    "¡­I¡¯m listening," I said firmly.


    "Just to make this clear between us, after 30 days, we¡¯re both going to tell my old man to end this crazy deal. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be able to leave and debt-free just like that," he said quite clearly.


    "Agreed. Great! Music to my ears!" I replied in joy, speaking much louder than I had intended.


    "While we¡¯re stuck living here together, I have a few rules¡­" Hayden continued, ignoring my loud outburst.


    "Ok¡­" I replied, softly this time.


    "Rule number one, you must never¡­ever¡­enter my bedroom," Hayden stated, his blue eyes still on me.


    "Sure¡­" I agreed without needing to think. I mean, why would I even think of entering his bedroom?


    "Rule number two, you will not touch me without my permission," he continued.


    "Ok¡­of course," I agreed readily. Why would I want to¡­touch him?


    "Rule number three, you won¡¯t speak to me unless you¡¯re spoken to," he said, as he stared deep into my eyes to ensure that I understood his every word.


    "What about when we¡¯re sorting out whether I¡¯m doing something for you or you¡¯re asking me for a favor thing?" I asked, curious. I didn¡¯t think I would want to start a conversation with him, but it could be necessary and unavoidable sometimes.


    "¡­we can talk then, I guess¡­" Hayden replied after a few seconds of thought.


    "Ok¡­then¡­anything else?" I asked.


    "Final rule. Rule number four, you will do everything that I ask you to no matter what, no matter when and no matter where you are," Hayden stated slowly and clearly.


    ¡­no matter what, no matter when and no matter where¡­isn¡¯t that crazy?


    "I think the fourth rule is a little¡­bit much?" I asked, stating my opinion.


    "I never asked for your opinion. You just broke rule number three," Hayden stated curtly.


    Shit. Is he being serious right now? How much of a tyrant can this man be?


    If I replied back, would I be viting rule number three again? So, what should I do? Hold my tongue¡­?


    "I never asked you to agree to the rules. I was merely stating the rules. Oh¡­I never mentioned the punishment for breaking the rules now, did I?" Hayden said and I swear that I could see his eyes sparkling with evil.


    "No¡­you didn¡¯t," I mumbled as I stared back at him.


    "Usually in our mafia world, we punish people by cutting off a part of their body or removing an organ. Perhaps, you¡¯ve seen something along those lines in the movies? It¡¯s not very different really¡­" Hayden said casually.


    "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­" I muttered.


    "I wish I was. But I¡¯m a gentleman, you see, and hurting women isn¡¯t really my thing so I¡¯ll adapt the punishment a little for your sake¡­and for mine as well," Hayden said as a smile curved his lips sadistically.


    This was probably the first time that I had seen him smile and it was not a pleasant one.


    "What do you¡­mean?" I asked in a whisper. I couldn¡¯t predict what he had in mind at all but at least he wasn¡¯t going to chop my body up, so I guess that was good news?


    "Each time you break any of the rules, I¡¯ll take a part of your body as my own," Hayden said, his eyes narrowing slight at me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 12: Strip

    "¡­I don¡¯t understand," I said, confused.


    "It¡¯s simple, really. Each time you break any of the rules, I¡¯ll im a part of your body as mine," Hayden said with a smile.


    "As yours?" I asked, still confused. If all parts of my body are still intact, how can he possibly im a part to be his?


    "Yes. The body part that I¡¯ve chosen to im will be mine to do with as I please, wherever and whenever I please," Hayden stated as he smiled with utmost satisfaction at his own idea.


    Seeing that I still looked quite confused to this alien concept, Haydenughed softly at me as he continued to watch me from the opposite side of the table.


    "Stand up¡­and strip," Haydenmanded, his eyes never leaving my face.


    "Excuse me?" I replied in shock. What did he just¡­say?


    "Stand up and take off your clothes. Please don¡¯t make me repeat myself or you¡¯re about to break another rule, Malissa," Hayden warned sternly.


    "I¡­Why are you doing this?" I asked breathless. I wasn¡¯t sure if I imagined it, but his blue eyes seemed several shades darker as he stared at me like an animal eyeing its prey.


    "If I don¡¯t get to see your body, how am I supposed to choose which part that I would like to im first?" Hayden asked, acting all innocent as he shrugged his shoulders.


    I hated how he was speaking like there certainly would be a second¡­or a third time.


    My body froze in ce as I hesitated. How can I possibly just strip in front of him and right here in the middle of the dining room? This is beyond insane¡­but what can I do.


    "You have ten seconds to stand up and start stripping. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll call some men in to help you get on with it," Hayden said emotionlessly.


    "No¡­" I whispered.


    "Ten¡­nine¡­eight¡­" Hayden began counting down from ten.


    "Hayden! This is crazy¡­" I protested.


    "Seven¡­six¡­five¡­four¡­three¡­two¡­one¡­men!" Hayden continued his countdown.


    I looked into his eyes and could see that he was dead serious about this.


    "No! I¡¯ll¡­do it," I cried out desperately.


    It was bad enough that I had to strip in front of Hayden. I didn¡¯t need his men seeing me naked as well.


    At the sound of Hayden barking into a smallmunication device on his cor, a few men dressedpletely in ck quickly rushed into the penthouse. I watched the men as my eyes opened wide and my mouth hung open in shock.


    Hayden was serious. He actually called in his men to strip me¡­


    "No need anymore. Just leave¡­" Hayden said to his men dismissively, while his eyes were still glued to me.


    Hayden leaned further forward across the table and peered into my face with an alluring smile. In other situations, I would have thought that the smile on his face was out-of-this-world bewitching, but I was finding it hard to admire him in this situation.


    "What are you waiting for? Stand up¡­and strip, Malissa," Haydenmanded as he smiled at me.


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this. I stood up stiffly and I could feel his hungry eyes on me as if he could burn my clothes right off my body. I closed my eyes tightly as I tried to calm myself down. I¡¯m not a virgin¡­and men have seen me naked before. Ok¡­not that many, but still¡­so this isn¡¯t exactly a big deal or anything.


    When I opened my eyes again, I was determined. No matter what he does to me or put me through, I¡¯m going to survive these 30 days and I will return with my grandmother to our normal lives once again. I must survive this!


    I won¡¯t allow him to break me¡­


    Slowly, I brought my hands up to the first button of my shirt. I realized that my hands were shaking slightly but after a few deep breaths, I was able to stop thempletely from shaking. I felt his eyes on me, watching my every movement and I stared back into his beautiful blue eyes as my fingers moved to unbutton the first button.


    Once the first button came undone, I proceeded to the second button. Then the third¡­fourth¡­until all buttons were unbuttoned. Slowly but with firm hands, I spread the fabric of the shirt covering the upper part of my body aside, revealing my light pinkce bra and my upper body to his gaze.


    I saw the corners of his mouth arch upwards as he enjoyed my apparent difort and embarrassment at stripping myself in front of him. However, he did not say a word as he continued to watch me silently. The room was so silent that all I could hear was my own breathing, the sound of my heart beating loudly, and the sound of the ticking clock.


    I moved my hands down and unbuttoned the button of my jeans before unzipping the zipper. I pulled my jeans down my hips and legs and then off in one swift motion. I now stood in only my bra and matching panties, and I could feel the slightly cold air on my naked skin.


    Now the real challenge starts¡­


    "Don¡¯t start hesitating now after you¡¯vee all this way¡­" Hayden teased.


    I hated his guts¡­and every part of him.


    I red at him as I swiftly unhooked my bra and ripped it off my body. I stood with my naked chest heaving up and down as I threw my bra to the floor. My upper body was nowpletely naked, my breasts fully exposed to his greedy gaze.


    I felt his eyes on my womanly flesh as he stared at my breasts openly. I tucked my thumbs into the waistband of my underwear as I thought that it would be better to just get this whole thing over with as soon as possible. After drawing in one deepforting breath, I pulled down my panties, sliding it down my legs to my ankles before stepping out and kicking it to the side.


    I was now standingpletely naked in front of Hayden.


    I felt his gaze burn my hot skin all over as his eyes rove over my naked body from top to toe and then up again.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 13: Claimed by Him

    **p p p**


    "That was quite a cute little show¡­now¡­try your best to stay very still," Hayden said as he pped his hand with pleasure.


    Lazily, Hayden slowly stood up from his seat and came to stand directly in front of me. He¡¯s so close¡­we¡¯re not even an arm¡¯s length away from each other. I felt my body freeze as his blue eyes locked with mine. For the life of me, no matter how I struggled internally, I couldn¡¯t look away from his captivating eyes.


    I held my breath and for a moment, I forgot to breath entirely. I didn¡¯t know what he wanted from me.


    "Ah¡­" I let out a slight sound and quickly bit my lower lip to silence myself.


    Hayden had reached out a hand and touched my right shoulder with the back of his hand before running his fingertips slowly and softly down my right arm.


    "What are you¡­doing?" I asked stunned.


    "Inspecting your body, what else?" Hayden replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    The line his fingertips had traced down my arm felt hot and started to throb slightly. With a satisfied smile on his face, Hayden lifted my right arm up by my wrist until my right hand was right in front of his face. With his other hand, he began tracing his fingertips in circr motions on the palm of my right hand. Then he caressed each of my fingers slowly and patiently.


    His touch was as soft as a feather. As his fingertips lightly graze the skin of my naked body, I felt a moan threatening to escape from my lips. I closed my eyes tightly as I desperately tried to hold in my voice. It felt like the tip of feathers were delicately stroking my skin and I felt goosebumps start to form where his fingers were tracing.


    He repeated the same process with my left arm and hand and as his caresses continued to invade my body, I found it increasingly difficult to keep myself from moaning from his touches. However, Hayden didn¡¯t seem affected by any of this or the fact that I was standing stark naked in front of him. He continued to inspect my body like I was just a merchandise that needed appraising.


    When he finally let go of my left hand, I let out a soft sigh of relief. However, my relief was short-lived as his exploring hand traced the side of my right cheek, slowly moving downwards, travelling along the side of my neck¡­and then down even further¡­


    "Please¡­stop¡­" I said, my voiceing out as a whimper.


    His fingertips were tracing around my corbone before they made their way southwards¡­


    "Your body¡¯s trembling¡­and you¡¯re breathing faster" Hayden said as he smiled wickedly at me.


    "Please¡­" I pleaded softly as his fingers caressed the soft and sensitive flesh in between my breasts.


    "Is it starting to feel good?" Hayden asked seductively.


    "Hayden¡­Ahh¡­" I cried out his name before a soft moan escaped from my lips.


    Hayden¡¯s fingers had moved to the side and began tracing my left breast in slow circr motions. I looked down to see his long and thick fingers caressing my sensitive skin causing my nipples to harden at his stimtion.


    "Look, your nipples are hard. Your breasts are not big but they¡¯re cute and your nipples are a pretty pink color¡­" Hayden said as he focused his attention on my breasts.


    "Don¡¯t say¡­that¡­" I said while biting on my lower lip.


    "Why? Does my words turn you on?" Hayden asked, a she watched me with amusement in his eyes.


    "No¡­" I managed to deny.


    Suddenly, his fingertips left my breast as his eyes sought for his next destination. I bit my lower lip to keep myself from moaning out loud when his fingertips started tracing along my right thigh. From my knee, his fingertips slowly started inching upwards. I couldn¡¯t stop my body from trembling at his soft yet seductive touch.


    His blue eyes watched my every reaction closely as his fingers moved inwards to touch the soft flesh of my inner thigh before continuing it¡¯s slow and torturous journey upwards. The higher his fingertips slid up my inner thigh, the closer it got to the quivering heat in between my legs.


    "Do you want me to touch you there?" Hayden asked suggestively.


    "No!" I cried out in denial.


    My panic reaction only made Haydenugh softly as he shook his head at my stubbornness. The heat in my lower abdomen was unbearable. It ached and throbbed. I was embarrassed at how much I knew my body was reacting to his caresses and I wished that I could just disintegrate into thin air.


    His fingertips repeated the torturous journey up my inner thigh along my left thigh. It was all I could do keep myself from making whimpering sound as his fingers inched so close to the heat in between my legs.


    "Why don¡¯t you want me to touch you there?" Hayden asked mercilessly.


    "Because¡­" I began before trailing off. I want to kill him...


    Instead, I just bit my lip as I turned my head to the side. I didn¡¯t want him to see the embarrassed look on my face.


    "Could it be¡­that you¡¯re wet?" Hayden asked as he smiled wickedly at me.


    My eyes widened in shock. How dirty and barbaric could this man get?


    Haydenughed loudly, his beautiful voice ringing through the penthouse. Hisugh was delightful, showing how much he was enjoying himself at my expense.


    "One day soon I¡¯ll im all parts of your little body; however, for today, I¡¯ll be satisfied with just this¡­" Hayden said with a seductive smile as he kissed the back of my left hand.


    The body part that he wants¡­is my left hand? That¡¯s it?


    I sighed and closed my eyes in relief. I didn¡¯t think he would let me off the hook this easily.


    "Now¡­let me y with my newly acquired property," Hayden whispered as he eyed my left hand.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock.


    Instead of just kissing my hand, Hayden had inserted my little finger into his hot and wet mouth. I heard myself moan softly as Hayden started flicking his tongue gently along my pinky before sucking on it. The inside of his mouth was warm and his tongue rubbing against the skin of my finger felt oddly pleasurable.


    I heard myself moaning once more despite myself when Hayden started sucking harder on my little finger. I never knew that my hand and fingers were this sensitive.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 14: Finding Inspiration

    "Do you like it?" Hayden asked when he released my finger from his mouth.


    He didn¡¯t wait for me to reply before taking my ring finger into his mouth. He licked it, sucked on it, and twirled his tongue around it until my body trembled. The warmth and wetness of his mouth around my finger felt¡­so good.


    By the time he hadpleted sucking and licking on all the fingers on my left hand, I was panting hard and out of breath. I could barely stand. I never thought that I could feel this turned on just from my left hand being kissed and licked. The pleasure he stirred within me from his yful kisses and sucking was unbelievably amazing.


    "You have 29 days left. Good luck keeping the rest of your body to yourself, Malissa," Hayden teased as he let go on my nowpletely wet hand.


    As soon as he was done, I scooped up my clothes from the floor and used it to cover my body as fast as I could before running towards my bedroom. I heard him chuckling softly behind me as his eyes burned holes in my back. I felt frustrated at what had happened. I was ashamed of myself and shocked at my own reaction towards his advances.


    When I arrived at my bedroom, I quickly went inside and mmed the door close behind me before locking it. Now that I was alone, all my false bravery melted as I crumbled to the ground. I sat down on the floor with my back leaning against the closed door as I tried to take deep breaths to calm myself.


    I wanted to cry but I couldn¡¯t. All I could do was sit there as shes of what happened between Hayden and I reyed itself in my head. My body still trembled and felt hot all over from the ce that he had caressed.


    Slowly, I spread open my legs before dipping my hand in between them to touch the opening of my pussy. It was wet. I was flooded down there with my own love juices. I closed my eyes and banged my head back on the door.


    How could I get this wet from his dirty touches?


    My eyes opened wide as a sudden realization hit me¡­


    Why did he get me to strip naked if all he wanted to im was just my left hand?


    He¡¯s such a bastard¡­


    In the end, I realized that Hayden didn¡¯t touch my body with anything else besides his fingertips except for my left hand which he had "imed".


    ¡­


    Today is my second day living under the same roof as Hayden, which meant that I had another 28 days left.


    I woke up early with the intention to get a move on with my life. Even though I was physically sort of stuck here with Hayden, that didn¡¯t mean that I could not move on with my life. I had a lot of work to do for university including a few art projects.


    In my final year of university, most of the work was course work and projects that needed to be handed in or disyed in the university¡¯s art gallery.


    The saddest part was that with all that had been going on with my parent¡¯s newly discovered debt, the mafia attacking and kidnapping me, the failure of a wedding between Hayden and me, my grandmother being hospitalized¡­oh and so many other things, I haven¡¯t even decided on the subject or theme of my project yet.


    I had a couple of projects but a painting that was due for a coursework would have toe first due to the deadline.


    So¡­what should I paint? Where could I get decent inspiration?


    I sat crossed legged on the soft bed as I thought hard about this. The bedroom was big; bigger than the house I used to live in with grandma but looking around didn¡¯t give me any inspiration at all. Perhaps, I should go out to seek for some inspiration¡­


    I picked up a sketchbook and some pencils before heading for the exit. The moment I opened the door I was greeted by the sight of three men in ck waiting for me outside the door. Great.


    "Where do you want to go, Miss Malissa?" one of them said, he was probably the leader of this team.


    "I¡­want to go to the park or somewhere where I can get inspiration for my art project," I said as I waved the nk sketchbook at the man.


    "I see. We¡¯ll apany you," the man said firmly.


    Apany me. More like make sure that I don¡¯t escape. Whatever¡­


    "Great. You¡¯ll drive me?" I asked, a free ride in life might exist after all.


    "Of course. Please follow me this way," the man said as he gestured for me to follow him.


    ¡­


    Now that I was at the park, I wasn¡¯t sure what I came here for exactly. I mean, yes, I¡¯m here to search for inspiration for my project but I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly I was expecting to find here. The weather was decently nice. It wasn¡¯t too cold, and it was nice and windy. There were many people walking around the park. Mothers and their children.


    Couples on a date. Owners with their dogs.


    I sat on a wooden bench as I watched the people pass me by. No one would dare approach me, I thought, as I turned around to see the three men in ck standing intimidatingly behind me. Why couldn¡¯t they just wear normal clothes?


    Ignoring their presence, I took out my sketchbook and began sketching whatever I saw in the park. A dog. A couple of children ying together. An old man holding his wife¡¯s hand. Trees. Lastly, I sketched three roses.


    Flowers wouldn¡¯t be the subject for my painting for sure, but it wasn¡¯t a crime to sketch something for the pure joy of it.


    I didn¡¯t find anything inspirational now but who knows, perhaps these sketches woulde to inspire meter on. I was too absorbed in my sketching that I didn¡¯t realize my mobile phone ringing in my bag. It wasn¡¯t often that someone would call me anyways. Plus, I wasn¡¯t really in the mood to talk to anyone right now.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 15: Late Night Disturbance

    It was challenging but I knew that I had to keep in contact with the people in my life so that things could return to normal once I could go back to my usual life. I should probably start replying to my friend¡¯s texts. My friends from university have been messaging in our group chat about meeting up for dinner some time soon. I¡¯ve seen their messages but have yet to reply.


    "That¡¯s it for today. Let¡¯s go back," I said as I closed my sketchbook.


    I still don¡¯t have a definite idea for my painting, but I wouldn¡¯t call this visit to the park aplete failure. Watching the happy people strolling by gave me a glimpse of hope. Things will get better, I just knew it.


    ¡­


    When I got back to the penthouse, Hayden wasn¡¯t back yet, to my relief. I didn¡¯t want to run into him. To be honest, I didn¡¯t know how to face him, and I suspected that he would bring me nothing but trouble. Auntie was there with a table full of dinner. There was so much food that I felt guilty for the starving people of the world.


    "Hayden isn¡¯ting back for dinner, is he?" I asked.


    "Oh¡­I¡¯m not sure¡­but if you call him, I¡¯m sure he would do his best to be back," Auntie replied with a weak smile.


    I was certain that she was getting this all wrong. I didn¡¯t ask about Hayden because I wanted to have dinner with him. I asked because I didn¡¯t want to have dinner with him. So, if he wasing back, I would rather skip on dinner and go to my room.


    Well, I guess he won¡¯t be back. So, I¡¯ll eat this dinner peacefully and thankfully by myself.


    "Call him? I don¡¯t even have his number. Oh, and I don¡¯t want it. It¡¯s a¡­pleasant thing that he won¡¯t be back for dinner. So please, don¡¯t worry," I replied with a smile of my own.


    I began eating the delicious food as Auntie looked on and sighed loudly. I heard her mumble something under her breath that I couldn¡¯t make out before leaving me alone. By the time I had finished eating, Hayden was not yet home. Despite the delicious food, I felt like I didn¡¯t quite have an appetite and didn¡¯t end up eating much of anything.


    When I got up from my seat at the dining table, I realized that I had not fulfilled my part of the bargain for today. I haven¡¯t done anything for Hayden and obviously since I haven¡¯t seen or spoken to him, he had not made any requests either. I plucked out my mouth as I thought what I could do or give him.


    When my wandering eye settled on the sketch book lying on the dining table, I had an idea. Reaching for the sketchbook, I flipped through the pages until I found the one that I had been looking for. Without hesitation, I slowly tore out the page and ced it on the table. Since, I won¡¯t be needing this for my project anyways¡­


    This is for you¡­Hayden.


    I headed directly for my bedroom and took a shower before I started going through a bunch of chats that I haven¡¯t replied to. My friends were surprised that I had disappeared on them although it hasn¡¯t been that many days at all.


    After a short discussion in the chat group, we finally settled on a date for our group dinner. I guess I can make it even if it means that those three men in ck would be following me there. I had not received news that I couldn¡¯t go out or meet people so I had assumed that I could. I would be a prisoner if I wasn¡¯t allowed to go out or meet anyone.


    After working a little more on my sketchbook, it was gettingte in the night and since I didn¡¯t have anything better to do, I decided to go to bed early.


    ¡­


    It¡¯s so loud outside¡­


    I didn¡¯t know what time it was, but it was definitely veryte at night that I woke up to the sound of loud noises. It sounded like a group of people had entered the penthouse and there was a lot of loud screaming and chatting.


    I didn¡¯t need to be a genius to figure out that it was Hayden and his friends. Girl friends, judging from the high pitch voices that I could hear outside. Why can¡¯t they keep it down?


    I felt sleepy and this turn of events was not improving my already-grumpy mood. I just wanted to go back to sleep for heaven¡¯s sake. Just as I thought things couldn¡¯t get worst, loud music red through the entire penthouse. Party music boomed everywhere with heavy bass and everything else that came with it.


    Suddenly, the quiet penthouse was transformed into a dance floor to my dismay. How am I supposed to go back to sleep like this? I turned to lie face down on my stomach before covering my head with my pillow to keep the sound out. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t work out so well. The noises from outside were just too loud.


    How long will they be at it? Why did he have to bring people here? Why can¡¯t he just party outside or even better yet, sleep somewhere else?


    No matter how much I tossed and turned in bed, I couldn¡¯t catch a wink of sleep. I sat up in bed and threw my nket away. Since I can¡¯t go to sleep anyways, I might as well find something to do. I decided to start reading a book to kill the time until those party people either stopped partying or fell asleep.


    After a while, I felt hungry. Now of all times I had to feel hungry. I guess this was the result of not eating enough at dinner. Since I can¡¯t go to sleep anyways, maybe I should just tiptoe to the kitchen to fetch something to eat. I was sure that they were in Hayden¡¯s room so I could avoid them with no problem.


    I was right. The party people were in Hayden¡¯s room which meant that I could tiptoe off the kitchen to find some food without a hitch. I opened the fridge and decided some yoghurt with fruit. I was on my way back from the kitchen to my bedroom when the door to Hayden¡¯s room suddenly opened.


    Great. Now of all times¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 16: She’s My Girlfriend

    However, to my surprise, it was three very gorgeous and tall women that stepped out of his room. The three women had figures like models. They were tall with attractive faces. One had tinum blonde hair that must have taken her hours in the salon to achieve. While the other had dark hair with stunning blue eyes. The third women had auburn hair with beautiful green eyes.


    The only thingmon about the three women, apart from their beauty and height, was the fact that they were not wearing very much.


    "Oh¡­there¡¯s a girl here¡­" the blond woman said in a sweet voice as the three of them eyed me from head to toe.


    "Are you¡­Hayden¡¯s girlfriend?" the auburn-haired girl asked curiously.


    "Probably¡­not¡­" the dark-haired girl said as she stared at me.


    "Yea¡­I mean¡­she looks¡­ordinary?" the blond girl said with augh.


    "Maybe she¡¯s his maid¡­" the auburn-haired girl suggested. Then all of them nodded as if reaching an understanding.


    "She¡¯s probably his maid," the dark-haired girl stated in agreement.


    I hated the fact that they were discussing about me openly when I was standing right there. I watched in contempt as I waited for this episode to be over so that I could head to my room. I didn¡¯t care what they thought or said about me.


    "Hi, there. Could you help get us some wet tissue?" the blond girl addressed me directly for the first time.


    "Oh¡­and you know, wipe our shoes while you¡¯re at it?" the auburn-haired girl added with a fake smile.


    These girls are so rude. The words thate out of their mouth are so ugly that it doesn¡¯t match the beauty of their faces. Their character must be so rotten underneath those thickyers of makeup that they¡¯ve got on their faces. Well, it¡¯s none of my business, I thought as I stared nkly back at them before turning to walk away.


    I¡¯m just going to ignore them and go back to my room where I can enjoy thefort of this Greek yoghurt and fruits and then go straight back to bed. I have enough problems in my life already and adding a bitch-fight with these three super models on top of that isn¡¯t going to help me.


    As I turned and started heading towards my bedroom, a voice made me turn back around in shock.


    "She¡¯s my girlfriend. You better watch what you say¡­"


    I turned around to see Hayden leaning on the side of his bedroom¡¯s door with an unreadable expression on his face. His tone was ice-cold and although those words were not addressed directly at me, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in fear.


    The three women became immediately silent and frozen in shock. I don¡¯t me them, I was also stunned out of my mind but perhaps for a different reason.


    What did he just say?!


    No¡­no¡­no¡­NO!


    We¡¯re NOT boyfriend and girlfriend. I hardly know this guy and he clearly doesn¡¯t even like me. I don¡¯t like him either. We don¡¯t like each other!


    I stared at him in shock, but Hayden paid me no attention as he turned spoke into his phone. Within a few seconds, three men in ck ran into the room and began to half drag and half carry the three beautiful women out of the room. I watched the whole thing in shock¡­


    "Hayden! I¡¯m so sorry¡­please don¡¯t do this!"


    "Forgive me, Hayden¡­please¡­"


    "I love you so much, Hayden¡­please forgive us this one time¡­"


    The three women pleaded as they started crying. It was such a messy scene; worse than any drama I had ever seen on television. Hayden watched the women with dispassionate eyes as his men got rid of them. How he treated women like worthless things was shocking?


    I didn¡¯t know what those girls did to deserve that, but he should have just dismissed them and asked them to leave peacefully. I guess Hayden didn¡¯t have a good time tonight with his girls¡­not like it was any of my business or concern.


    When the girls and men in ck hadpletely left the suite, Hayden and I were alone once more. He turned to look at my face with an unreadable expression as our eyes locked. He looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it. If he thought I wanted an exnation to what I just witness, he could save it. I didn¡¯t want to know anything.


    Wordlessly, I turned around on my heels and headed straight back to my bedroom. I closed the door loudly and firmly behind me and locked it once I was in the room. One look at the clock on the wall showed that it was hours past midnight.


    I couldn¡¯t go to sleep. I tossed and turned in bed with my eyes wide opened and the back of my palm resting on my forehead. I hated to admit it, but I was very confused and bother by what Hayden said. Why did he defend me against those girls? It wasn¡¯t like I needed his help¡­what they said didn¡¯t really bother me.


    Why did he tell them that I was his girlfriend?


    Before I realized it, my brows were knitted together, and I started to feel frustrated and irritated. Suddenly, my body felt ufortable, and sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. This is a disaster, I have so many things that I needed to do tomorrow¡­


    **Knock Knock Knock**


    Suddenly, I heard three very loud and distinct knocks on my bedroom door. Who could it be?


    More like, who else could it be?


    Why is Hayden knocking on my door?


    Who cares? I¡¯m just going to pretend that I¡¯ve already fallen asleep and didn¡¯t hear. I slowly turned onto my stomach and pulled my nket over my head.


    "Malissa!" he called my name so loudly that I would have woken up if I had been asleep. This guy has no sense of decency.


    I decided to remain silent and not reply.


    "Malissa! Open the door. I know you¡¯re not asleep!" Hayden called through the door as he started knocking harder on it.


    I rolled over and sat upright in bed in one swift motion. I am not in the mood for this! Without thinking, I got off the bed and marched towards the door. I¡¯m going to tell him to shut up and return to his room so that I can finally go to bed!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 17: Goodnight Kiss

    Without replying to him, I turned the doorknob and swung the door open. A look of slight surprise crossed Hayden¡¯s face as the door swung open before it was reced by a smug smile.


    "Why are you¡­mhhhmm!" I asked before my question was suddenly silence.


    For a second, I didn¡¯t understand what just happened. I felt his hand holding the back of my head and his warm lips on mine. I could smell the smell of alcohol in his breath as he continued to kiss me.


    Hayden¡­is kissing me.


    My eyes widened in shock when the reality of the situation started to sink in. I pushed against his broad and hard chest with my hands, trying to separate our bodies from each other. However, he only held the back of my head tighter as his other arms snaked around my waist, pulling my body harder against his.


    Hayden skillfully pried my mouth open with the tip of his hot and wet tongue before thrusting the whole length of his tongue into my mouth. I could taste the alcohol on his tongue as it danced around wildly against my own inside my mouth. I tried to struggle and protest, but my protesting sounds only sounded like moans that were captured into his kiss.


    The passionate kisssted for so long that by the time it had ended my body felt like it was on fire. I was out of breath and was panting for air. I wanted to scream and curse at him, but I couldn¡¯t¡­


    Hayden looked at me with his intense blue eyes as he smiled with extreme satisfaction before wiping the mix of our saliva away from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.


    "What¡­are you doing?!" I shouted at him.


    "Giving you a goodnight kiss, wasn¡¯t it obvious?" Hayden replied casually.


    "What?" I whispered in shock.


    "Goodnight, Malissa," Hayden whispered into my left ear.


    His hot breath tickling my ear left my body frozen to the spot. I blinked rapidly in surprise, still confused at what just took ce as I touched my fingers to my lips.


    The next moment, Hayden was gone¡­


    ¡­


    28 days left.


    So many things had taken ce in the past two days that my head was spinning from confusion. The worst out of everything that was happening was Hayden and his unpredictable behaviors. I touched my fingertips to my lips as I stared at my own reflection in the mirror.


    He kissed me¡­goodnight.


    He¡¯s crazy¡­


    I let him kiss me and I even responded to his kiss¡­


    I¡¯m going crazy¡­


    I looked at my puffy-eyed reflection in the mirror and remembered that I hardly caught a wink of sleepst night. First it was Hayden and his girls being so loud that woke me up and then his "goodnight" kiss left me on edge and so confused that I couldn¡¯t go back to sleep. In short,st night was a disaster and my red-eyed look this morning was the result of it all.


    I quickly showered and got dressed. If I sneak out early in the morning, then I wouldn¡¯t have to see Hayden. There was no way that he would be up early after being so drunk and sleeping sotest night. Getting up early and making him breakfast that he wouldn¡¯t eat anyways was the best way to avoid seeing him andpleting my side of the deal. Killing two fat bird with one stone!


    I cooked up a quick breakfast of egg and toast and quickly ced it on the table. I didn¡¯t meet anyone that morning and that came as a relief.


    "Can you take me to the hospital to see my grandmother?" I asked the head of my bodyguard team.


    "Sure¡­" he replied.


    His reply was the same short, curt, and monotone reply as always. Just like the day before, they drove me to the hospital where my grandmother was recovering. I haven¡¯t heard any updates from the doctor, but she seems to be in stable condition at the moment. That was good enough for me.


    After a quiet and peaceful ride in the car, I arrived at the hospital and headed straight for my grandmother¡¯s private room. I hated to admit it but if the boss didn¡¯t pay for her medical bills, there was no way that I could afford to keep my grandmother in a hospital like this. I bit my lower lip in frustration at my own helplessness.


    "Good morning grandma!" I said cheerfully as I entered her room.


    My grandmother was awake and seemed quite energetic today, although she was still always confined to her hospital bed. She turned her head towards me before smiling happily at me. I felt my mood lighten immediately at her smile.


    "I did tell you that you didn¡¯t need to visit so often¡­" my grandmother said although her happy smile told me otherwise.


    She must be dead bored if she had to spend her whole day in this room all alone. I sat down on the chair that was beside her bed and took her hand in mine. The best that I could do right now was to spend as much time with her as possible and give her mental support.


    "I¡¯m always so happy to see you. Plus, I don¡¯t really have anything else to do¡­so you don¡¯t need to worry about me," I said as I smiled at her.


    "Is everything fine¡­you know with¡­" my grandmother began asking hesitantly.


    I knew immediately that she was referring to my living arrangements with Hayden and our arranged marriage. To be honest, things are getting out of control and Hayden was clearly crazy and unlike any man I have encountered before in my life. As each day passes by, I felt like any control I had of the situation was fast slipping.


    However, I couldn¡¯t tell this to her and make her worry endlessly about it. There was no good reason to because there is nothing that my grandmother could possibly do to improve my situation and if her condition worsens, I wouldn¡¯t know what I should do.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 18: Missing Him

    "Everything is fine. There is no need for you to worry," I said, trying my best to sound convincing.


    "Really?" she asked skeptically.


    "Really. We¡¯re just living together in the same suite, but we have separate bedrooms and to be honest, we¡¯re both not interested in each other¡­in that way. Just as you saw at the church, Hayden already has a woman that he is in love with¡­" I said.


    "I see. That¡¯s good then¡­" my grandmother mumbled.


    "Of course, like I told you, there is nothing for you to worry about," I said, reassuringly.


    "What about you?" she asked abruptly.


    "What about me?" I asked, not getting what she was referring to.


    "You also have someone that you love, don¡¯t you? You know, that guy who came around our shop very often to see you¡­" she asked.


    That¡¯s right. I never got around to telling grandma that I already broke up with him. More urately, that he dumped me without a care in the world. Ethan, I wonder where he is now and what he¡¯s up to. Sometimes I would wonder if he still thought of me, even if just a little. However, deep down I knew that that was impossible.


    "You mean Ethan, right?" I asked. Just saying his name made me want to break down in tears.


    I guess time doesn¡¯t heal everything fast enough¡­


    "Yes. Yes, Ethan¡­" she said.


    "Of course, I¡¯m in love with him. I haven¡¯t told him about all that has happened though. When these 30 days are over, we¡¯re going to return to our normal lives. Trust me," I said.


    Technically, I wasn¡¯t lying. I was still very much in love with Ethan, although, I haven¡¯t seen or heard from him since the day that the dumped me. However, my grandmother didn¡¯t need to know that. It would just make her worry more about me, needlessly.


    "That¡¯s good. I wouldn¡¯t want to leave you alone when I¡­you know¡­" my grandmother said with relief in her voice.


    The look on her face broke my heart and I hated when she talks about her own death as if it was fast approaching. Although her life ising to an end, she is still worrying about me above all else.


    "Don¡¯t say things like that. I¡¯ll be fine¡­and you¡¯re going to be with me for a long time," I said as I squeezed her handfortingly.


    I think it was in that moment that I was inspired to use my grandmother as the subject of the painting for my project. I wanted to capture her in my painting. It was the perfect idea since I wanted to spend time here with her anyways so I might as well spend that time painting her.


    "I have this project to create a painting. I was thinking that it would be a great idea to paint your portrait. What do you think?" I suggested brightly.


    "A portrait¡­of me? Really?" she asked, surprised by the idea.


    "If you¡¯ll allow it. I think it¡¯s a great idea. I¡¯lle here to visit and paint you," I said with confidence.


    "Sure then. Let¡¯s do it!" my grandmother agreed before smiling warmly at me.


    "I¡¯ll bring the materials over tomorrow, and we can start then," I said happily.


    We continued our conversation until my grandmother fell asleep and then I left to return to the penthouse suite. My grandmother¡¯s words haunted me. She was truly concerned about my life after her passing. I didn¡¯t me her, even I¡¯m concerned about my situation right now. However, the best that I could do was survive this 30 day-period, return to my normal life, graduate, and get a job.


    I was thankful for the quiet ride back to the penthouse. The bodyguards hardly ever spoke to me unless it was necessary. I used that time in the car to think and reflect. However, no matter how I tried, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking of Ethan, now that my grandmother has brought him back to the forefront of my mind. It¡¯s been almost a year since Ethan broke up with me and we¡¯ve gone our separate ways.


    I still didn¡¯t know or understand why he dumped me so suddenly.


    From that day he had justpletely disappeared from my life. I couldn¡¯t get in touch with him, and I didn¡¯t know where he went. I asked all his friends and our friends from university, but no one knew either. Ethan really just disappeared. I miss him so much and I am still very much in love with him. I know that I have to let go and forget¡­but I just can¡¯t.


    Wherever he is, I hope that he¡¯s happy and living a good life¡­


    "We¡¯ve arrived," a low sounding voice said, cutting through my thoughts.


    I came back to reality and looked out of the car window to see that we have arrived back at the luxurious condominium. I rode the elevator up to the top floor silently with my escorts and sighed silently to myself before turning the door handle to enter the penthouse.


    "Oh¡­wee back!" Auntie called out to greet me immediately when she saw me enter the room.


    "Thank you. Hope you had a good day¡­" I replied back vaguely.


    I noticed that Auntie had a conflicted look on her face like she wanted to say something but decided against it. I could sort of guess why she looked that way as I headed to the dining table.


    I looked down at the untouched breakfast that I had made for Hayden this morning. It¡¯s early evening now, so the food had gone way past cold. I wish Auntie would just clear the dish away, but she never did. This is such a waste of food¡­


    "I¡¯m sure¡­Master Hayden was just in a hurry this morning¡­" Auntie said in a small voice.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted tofort me orfort herself. I shrugged as I took the untouched te for food into my hand. I had expected that Hayden wouldn¡¯t eat the food that I made for him, so I wasn¡¯t depressed or anything like that. However, there was a tiny sinking feeling in my stomach, after all, this was good food, and it was being wasted.


    "Of course. Sorry I wasted food like this¡­" I replied while trying to smile at her.


    "Oh no¡­it¡¯s not your fault," Auntie quickly said as she waved her hand.


    "I¡¯ll help you clear this away¡­" I said while starting to walk towards the kitchen.


    "No, Miss. This is my job. You mustn¡¯t do this, you are ady of the house," Auntie quickly protested.


    "Haha¡­no, Auntie. I¡¯m not¡­I¡¯m here because I owe the boss a huge amount of money, but I¡¯ll be gone from here in precisely 28 days," I said with a self-depreciatingugh.


    Me? Thedy of the house¡­that ispletely nuts!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 19: Late Night Movie

    "Oh¡­Well, don¡¯t overthink things. I¡¯m sure Master Hayden appreciates what you¡¯ve done for him, he just doesn¡¯t usually eat breakfast. That¡¯s all¡­" Auntie said but I could tell that she wasn¡¯t confident.


    "You¡¯re the one overthinking things. I didn¡¯t make breakfast for him because I thought he would eat it, I just figured that he wouldn¡¯t be up in the morning so if I made breakfast then I wouldn¡¯t have to see him," I stated quite bluntly.


    When I turned to face Auntie, the sad and solemn look on her face made me regret my words immediately. Even if those words were an urate reflection of what I was thinking and feeling, perhaps they were too harsh for Auntie to take. I knew that she wanted Hayden and I to get together and get married and so on. However, that was impossible.


    "Miss Malissa¡­" Auntie whispered followed by a sigh.


    "Good night, Auntie," I said, not wishing to extend this conversation any further.


    I went to my room and started to prepare some materials for my sketching and painting session with my grandmother tomorrow. Taking out some sketching paper and pencils, I started sketching some possible poses that might work considering that my grandmother will be on the hospital bed.


    I was so absorbed in my work that I was able to kill a couple of hours in what felt like a blink of an eye. By the time, I stretched and looked up it waste into the evening. I put my art materials away and headed for the bathroom to take a nice and rxing shower.


    When I got out of the shower, I put on my pajamas and used the towel to dry my hair. I shook my long brown hair to check that it was damp before I reached for my hair dryer. Just before my hand reached the hairdryer, I heard a soft tap on my door and Auntie¡¯s familiar voice calling my name politely.


    "Miss Malissa¡­"


    It¡¯ste, I thought Auntie already went back to her room. Is there something she needed help with? It was unusual for her to knock on my bedroom door. I put down the hair dryer and got up, heading for the door.


    "Hi, Auntie. Do you need me for something?" I asked with a smile as I opened my door to see her standing in front of it.


    "Umm¡­actually¡­" Auntie said hesitantly as her eyes darted around.


    "Move. Malissa,e out here," a low voice said as a hand reached out and slowly shoved Auntie to the side, away from my door.


    Hayden?!


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock.


    What is Hayden doing here?


    "Why are you just standing there? Didn¡¯t you hear me?" Hayden barked at me.


    "What are you doing here?" I asked, still in shock.


    "To get you. Isn¡¯t that obvious? Come out here now," Haydenmanded.


    I gasped, speechless as I felt hisrge hand grab my bare upper arm and pulling me through the doorway.


    "What do you want?" I snapped.


    His grip on my arm didn¡¯t hurt but it was firm enough to keep me from escaping from his grasp. I wondered what he wanted with me. Hayden was dressed in jeans, a white shirt with a ck leather jacket on top. It was clear that he had just gotten back.


    I felt his eyes roving over my body, inspecting me from head to toe and I froze. It felt like his gaze was burning my skin and I felt my heart beat faster. His hand on my bare arm felt hot as well. It was then that I realized that I wasn¡¯t wearing very much.


    Since I thought I was going straight to bed, I wore a light pink satin v-neck camisole and matching shorts with whitece decoration. Obviously, I had no underwear underneath at all. My hair was still quite wet from the shower, and I haven¡¯t had the chance to blow-dry it yet.


    The thin satin fabric did nothing to hide the curves of my breasts, my waist and my hips. Instinctively, I folded my other arm over my chest protectively as I red at Hayden.


    He was clearly amused with my reaction and the state that I was in. Hayden smiled at me devilishly as if he had juste up with some evil n.


    "I¡¯ve just decided what I want¡­" Hayden said softly as if speaking to himself.


    Without another word, Hayden yanked on my arm and started pulling me after him. His long strides made it hard for me to keep up and I found myself almost jogging to keep up with his pace.


    "Where are you taking me?" I asked in a panic.


    I felt Aunties eyes on me, but she didn¡¯t say anything and faded into the background as she watched the two of us leave.


    "Stop panicking. We¡¯re just going to watch a movie¡­together," Hayden replied smoothly.


    Watch a movie¡­like¡­right now?


    True to Hayden¡¯s words, he began dragging me in the direction of the home theatre room where I knew there was a big screen, arge sofa¡­and a bed. When Auntie first showed me around the penthouse suite, I remembered thinking to myself why would anyone have a king-sized bed in the theatre room in addition to the movie seats and sofa.


    Now that I was heading there with Hayden, I didn¡¯t want to find out¡­


    "Can we¡­do this some other time?" I asked, hopefully.


    "Are you speaking back to me?" Hayden shot back, arching a brow at me.


    Shit¡­the rules¡­


    I hated his rules. I hated him¡­but I didn¡¯t want to face his punishments either¡­


    Without another word, Hayden pushed open the door to the theatre room and pulled me in after him. The door closed automatically behind us with a click. Did it just lock?


    The theatre room was cold and the fact that I had very thin clothes on didn¡¯t help. Plus, my arms and most part of my legs were bare.


    Hayden let go of my arm, finally, and I watched as he strode to the sofa and sat down.


    "Come here, Malissa," he said, crooking a finger at me, beckoning me to join him on the sofa.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 20: Hot Seduction

    I gulped and hesitantly followed him to the sofa. He patted the spot next to him indicating that that was where he wanted me to sit. I sat down next to him, trying my best to keep my eyes on my ownp. I could feel Hayden staring at my face and I couldn¡¯t look back at him.


    "What movie do you want to watch?" Hayden asked casually as he began scrolling through movie rmendations on therge screen.


    "Didn¡¯t you have one in mind?" I asked. I mean, he was the one who invited me to a movie¡­or more like dragged me here.


    "Choose one," he said as he tossed me the remote control.


    Great. Hayden was watching my every move and didn¡¯t seem to pay any attention to the movie choices on the screen that I was scrolling through at all. What should I choose? I don¡¯t even want to watch anything, let alone with Hayden.


    "What about this one?" I asked. The green light on the screen indicating one of the newest action sci-fi movie that was supposed to have very goodputer graphics.


    I didn¡¯t choose this movie because I was particrly interested in it but because out of the options I had scrolled through in the rmended section, this one was the shortest in terms of minutes. The shorter the movie, the sooner that I¡¯ll be able to leave, right?


    "Sure¡­" Hayden replied without even looking at the screen and I started to have a very bad feeling about this.


    I clicked y and the movie started. Just like Hayden, I wasn¡¯t interested in the movie either, but I pretended to watch it anyways. I wondered once again what he really wanted and why he had bothered to drag me here.


    I sat there stiffly as I glued my eyes to the screen. Hayden didn¡¯t say anything as he also watched the movie. After a short while, Hayden sighed as if bored and turned to face me.


    "Scoot over there¡­" Hayden said as he gestured with his hand towards the other end of the sofa.


    I was a little confused with his request, but he was asking me to sit further away from him and that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Sitting very close to him with only my thin clothes on made me feel ufortable and nervous.


    I quickly scooted over to the other end of the sofa and rested an arm on the armrest of the sofa. However, my relief didn¡¯tst long.


    "Hayden¡­what are you doing?" I asked in a breathy whisper as my eyes widened in shock.


    Hayden hadin down on the sofa on his back with his head on myp. Was this why he asked me to scoot over?


    "Using yourp as my personal pillow¡­what else?" Hayden answered without a care as he closed his eyes.


    "What about the movie¡­?" I asked dumb struck.


    Is he going to just sleep on myp with the loud movie still on like this?


    "You watch it¡­" he replied without a care.


    I rolled my eyes at him in disbelief. In all my life, I¡¯ve never met an asshole like him before.


    "Give me your left hand¡­" Hayden demanded with his eyes still closed.


    I sucked in a breath in sudden realization. He¡¯s asking specifically for my left hand, the hand that he had imed as his own. I hesitated and Hayden began losing his patience with me.


    "Malissa¡­your left hand¡­" he repeated, his voice dead serious.


    "Here¡­" I whispered as I slowly ced my left hand in his awaiting hand.


    I saw Hayden¡¯s lips curve into a satisfied smile in the dimly lit room as he felt my left hand in his. With his head still on myp, Hayden brought my left hand up to his lips and kissed its palm. His kiss on my palm was soft and sweet. He nted small kisses all over my palm before slowly progressing to my fingers, kissing them from the base to my fingertips in turn.


    "Don¡¯t squirm around¡­" Hayden warned in an emotionless voice before he continued to nt small and light kisses on my fingers.


    His feather light kisses, and warm breath was tickling the skin of my hand. It was difficult for me to stay still, and I started squirming a little in my seat leading to Hayden¡¯sint. I let out a small cry when Hayden started nibbling on my fingertips with his tongue.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name, although I didn¡¯t know what I wanted to say.


    "What now?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    I bit my lower lip when I felt the hot wetness of his month envelop my middle finger. Hayden had taken my middle finger into his mouth. He sucked on it softly before running his hot tongue along the length of my finger up and down. Suddenly, my body felt hot, and my senses became more acute and alert.


    I watched his handsome face as he sucked on my finger seductively before removing my middle finger from his mouth. My finger was wet and covered with his saliva and I found that sight arousing. I thought that my hands were really sensitive the first time that he yed with them, but the second time was different¡­it was better.


    Hayden looked up at my face as he took another finger into his mouth and nibbled on it before sucking it harder. I looked away, trying to hide my embarrassed face from his sight. He only chuckled at my reaction and proceeded to suck harder on my fingers.


    "Your fingers are wet and ready¡­" Hayden said after removing my wet finger from his heated mouth.


    Ready for what?


    Suddenly, Hayden sat up and circled my waist with both of his arms, pulling me towards me.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name in panic at his sudden advance.


    His strong manly arms pulled me roughly onto hisp. I felt the heat of his body against my back, the thin satin fabric did almost nothing to separate my skin from his. Hayden hugged me tightly closed to his body as he forced me to lean backwards against his chest.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 21: Wet & Ready

    "Stop wriggling your ass around before I get the wrong message¡­" Hayden warned sternly as he whispered into my ear.


    My body froze immediately at his words. I realized that I had been struggling while sitting on hisp and my ass had been grinding against him. I sat on Hayden¡¯sp with my body leaning back against his hard and muscr frame, not knowing what to do or what he wanted to do with me next.


    "I¡­" I began protesting but he cut me off before I could say anything more.


    "Are you sure you didn¡¯t dress like this to seduce me?" Hayden asked, his eyes scanning my body.


    "¡­What? Why would I do that?" I said heatedly.


    "Why¡­I wonder¡­" Hayden teased before bending his head down to seal my lip in a hot and demanding kiss.


    His tongue probed my mouth open immediately before thrusting into the depths of my mouth. I made moaning sounds against his lips as his tongue continued to ravage me. His tongue engaged mine in a passionate dance that left me breathless. Hayden¡­is such an amazing kisser. His kiss took my breath away and melted my mind and reason. It was intoxicatingly pleasurable.


    The movie continued to y in the background, but Hayden paid it no mind. It was clear that he never intended to watch any movie in the first ce. Did he n to attack me like this from the start? Why¡­?


    "Let me go, Hayden¡­" I whispered.


    "Are you giving me orders now?" Hayden answered, his tone sharp.


    "Why are you doing this?" I asked, weakly.


    "Now you¡¯re questioning me¡­I wonder how many body parts I should im from you today?" Hayden said with a lowugh.


    "Stop teasing me¡­" I pleaded, embarrassed.


    "Don¡¯t you just like being teased?" Hayden asked, biting a little on his lower lip. Why did he have to look so sexy?


    "No¡­I don¡¯t¡­" I whispered in reply.


    "Shall I ask your body and see what it says¡­" Hayden suggested with a naughty look in his eyes.


    I gasped as when one of his arms suddenly let go of my waist and slid under the thin fabric andce covering my chest. Hayden¡¯srge and warm hand cupped my left breast and began massaging it softly. The heat that was being transferred from his palm to the sensitive skin of my breast was almost unbearable. I found myself letting out lewd moans in reaction to his stimting caresses on my breasts.


    "Your breast feels so soft in my hand¡­" Hayden whispered seductively in my ear before he blew on it.


    My body shivered and trembled at the sensation. I couldn¡¯t stop my body from squirming around when his hand began pumping and squeezing my breasts faster and firmer than before. My nipples have hardened and was rubbing against the warm palm of his hand.


    Seeing that I was no longer struggling against his hold, Hayden freed his other arm so that he could grope my breasts with both hands. He paused his exploration to slide down the thin straps of my camisole down and off my arm causing the thin fabric covering my chest to slide down to my waist.


    I felt the cold air of the room on my naked breast and chest. I looked down to see Hayden¡¯srge hands grabbing my breasts in his palms. His long and beautiful fingers sying over my skin as they moved to stimte and pleasure me.


    "Watch my hands y with your breasts¡­" Hayden whispered in my ear.


    I watched his fingers fondle my breasts, squeezing and kneading them. I moaned louder and louder as the pleasure intensified. My chest felt like it was on fire, and I felt the familiar longing ache in my lower abdomen. It has been a while since I¡¯ve felt like this before moving in with Hayden, but I knew well what it was¡­lust.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name weakly.


    His yful fingertips had begun to squeeze my nipples before twirling them around. The pleasure was mind numbing, Hayden yed with both my nipples at once. I cried out helplessly when he started pinching them, softly at first and then harder and harder. My cries of pleasure rang out louder as his caresses intensified.


    "Your nipples are hard¡­look at how pink and swollen they are¡­" Hayden coaxed in my ear; his voice thick with desire.


    I felt his eyes burning into the feminine flesh of my breasts while his hand continued to pump them together in rhythm. I was panting hard now, and my hips have started moving and squirming on its own.


    "No¡­please¡­no¡­" I whimpered in between my moans.


    My whole body felt weak as if I hadpletely melted in his arms. I leaned my head back and rested it on his shoulder as I struggled to breath, my chest heaving up and down.


    I felt my legs spreading open and realized that Hayden had inserted his knees in between my own. Using his knees, he parted my legs wide open. This is too much, I started struggling against him again, trying to close my legs together.


    "Stop struggling, Malissa¡­spread your legs for me," Hayden said in low voice.


    "No more¡­please¡­" I begged. If he touches me there, I¡¯ll die of embarrassment.


    "I told you before, didn¡¯t I, that I¡¯ll ask you body directly if you like my teasing or not¡­" Hayden hissed in my ear before he bit softly on my ear lobe.


    His hands left my chest and dipped lower to grab the insides of my knees, parting my legs wide apart. I felt my opening being stretched open as my thighs were forced to spread open wide for him. His legs kept my thighs parted as his grabbed my left hand in his and dived underneath the stic waistband of my shorts.


    "So, tell me, do you like it when I tease you?" Hayden repeated his question again.


    I couldn¡¯t reply to him, instead I cried out and buried my face in his shoulder in embarrassment. I felt the hot wetness of my own love juices on the tip of my fingers. Hayden¡¯s hand still held my left one and had led it to the hot and sopping wet slit in between my legs.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 22: Climaxing in His Arms

    I was so wet down there from all his teasing. I couldn¡¯t stop my body from reacting so much to him and the pleasure that he gave me. I could feel my own slippery wetness on my fingers and knew immediately that he could feel it on his fingers as well.


    "You¡¯re so wet. You act all innocent but you¡¯re actually one very horny girl, aren¡¯t you, Malissa?" Hayden hissed in my ear.


    "No¡­I¡¯m¡­" I began denying his im.


    "Show me¡­how you pleasure yourself¡­" hemanded.


    "No¡­" I whispered, helplessly.


    "Maybe I¡¯ll use this left hand that I¡¯ve imed to help you out?" Hayden suggested, wickedly.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name.


    "Show me¡­I want to see you cum," Hayden said, his voice thick with lust.


    "It¡¯s¡­embarrassing¡­" I whimpered.


    "Would you rather use your fingers or¡­do you actually want a taste of my cock?" Hayden asked, a dangerous glint in his beautiful blue eyes.


    Hayden thrusted his hips up against my ass and I could feel his hardness clearly against me. He¡¯s¡­so big and hard.


    "No¡­" I whispered, pleadingly.


    "Thene on, show me. I¡¯ll help you¡­" he said.


    While I was hesitating, Hayden took hold of my middle finger and guided it to my wet entrance. I felt my own wetness and heat on my finger as he guided my finger to stroke up and down my own wet slit. I moaned when my finger brushed against the sensitive small nub in between my legs. Ahh¡­my clit is so swollen already.


    "Put your finger inside of your pussy¡­I know you want to¡­" Hayden whispered into my ear once again.


    Slowly, Hayden helped push my middle finger inside of my cunt. My body reacted to the prating sensation immediately. My pussy clenched around my finger instinctively and my hips began squirming against my own hand, thrusting up and down.


    "Your hips moving wildly, I guess it feels good, huh? Come on, move your finger¡­" Hayden said as his hand held mine.


    He pushed my hand, thrusting my finger into my pussy hole before pulling on my hand to jerk my finger out of my hole. He repeated that motion faster and faster as he watched my finger fuck my love hole. I was beginning to enjoy the pleasure of my pussy being fingered. It had been so long since I had sex with a man and quite a while since I¡¯ve pleasured myself.


    "Now¡­let¡¯s try two fingers¡­" Hayden hissed into my ear.


    He withdrew my hand and finger from my love tunnel before screwing in my middle and ring finger into my hole. I moaned loudly as my pussy was stretched and caressed by my own fingers. Hayden guided my hand once more to pump my own fingers in and out of my flooded hole. It felt so good, my hips bounced up and down wildly as I finger-fuck myself non-stop.


    I was so close to my climax; I could feel the pleasurable ache intensify in my core¡­I¡¯m about to cum¡­very soon¡­


    "You don¡¯t have to hold in your moans. The movie is loud¡­and I¡¯ll pretend that I can¡¯t hear them if you¡¯re embarrassed," Hayden teased as he smiled down at me.


    I curled my fingers upwards and began thrusting in and out harder and faster, rubbing my fingers against the rough patch of my G-spot just the way I knew made me feel good. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing these lewd things in front of Hayden. I could feel his burning gaze on me as he watched my pussy, my breasts and my erotic face.


    Suddenly, my body spasmed and I forgot all about Hayden watching me as my pleasure took over my mind and body. I came hard, my pussy convulsing and squeezing hard on my fingers as it spurted my love juice out deep in my hole. I stopped moving my fingers as I tried to catch my breath and recover from my orgasm.


    "Does cumming from your own fingers feel good? Your face was so erotic and beautiful just now¡­" Hayden said before bending down to kiss my forehead.


    I just came from pleasuring myself right in Hayden¡¯s arms¡­this is crazy¡­


    What is happening to me¡­? This is so embarrassing. I wish I could dig up a hole and lie down and die in it to hide from the shame.


    ¡­


    Hayden watched as another tear drop formed on her longshes before rolling down her cheek. She was already asleep but sometimes she would still sob a little from her crying from before. Slowly, he reached out his hand and gently touched a lock of her hair, smoothing it away from her forehead and back in ce. The look in his eyes as he watched over her was gentle.


    What am I doing? If I touch her any more than this, I¡¯ll be dancing to that old man¡¯s tune. If he ns to use this woman to tie me down to the mafia group, he can dream on. No matter what, I¡¯m not taking over this damn mafia group¡­


    Seriously, brother, why did you have to leave me here all alone¡­


    Hayden sighed loudly as he stood up and hoisted Malissa effortlessly into his arms. He carried her gently back to her room andid her on the bed. After tucking her in and pulling the nket over her, he silently left the room.


    ¡­


    **Earlier that day**


    "You wanted to see me?" Hayden said, clearly dreading this meeting with his father.


    Hayden plopped down on the sofa opposite where his father was seated. His face showed his annoyance, and he wasn¡¯t bothered to hide it.


    "I¡¯m sure you know why I¡¯ve called you here," his father said.


    "No, I don¡¯t¡­" Hayden said stubbornly.


    "If you¡¯re going to y dumb then I¡¯ll just get straight to the point. When are you going to marry Malissa?" the boss asked, his eyes merciless.


    "I told you before. I don¡¯t want to marry her. If I marry anyone, it will be Amelia," Hayden stated firmly.


    "Stop ying this selfish game with me. Marry Amelia?! Impossible!" the boss shouted.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 23: No Other Options

    "Why did you have to involve Malissa? She¡¯s as clueless as a child¡­" Hayden said with a sigh.


    "This is the way she¡¯s chosen to pay off her parent¡¯s debt. It¡¯s that simple," the boss replied coldly.


    "You mean this was the path you forced on her¡­" Hayden spat.


    "Would you rather, I auction off her body parts in the underground market instead? Or put her on auction so that some old geezer could purchase her as his personal sex ve? Would that even cover the debt, I wonder¡­probably not" the boss said with an amused smile on his face.


    "You¡¯re a sick bastard¡­" Hayden hissed; his eyes wild with anger.


    "I don¡¯t care how you see me, Hayden. I have my responsibilities and you have yours! Marry her, sleep with her, impregnate her and give me an heir already!" the boss shouted once again.


    "What the fuck are you saying? Do you even hear yourself right now?" Hayden said in disbelief at what he was hearing.


    "What¡¯s the problem? If you don¡¯t like the order of my proposal, you can sleep with her before you marry her. Like hell if I care. Although, I don¡¯t think you can impregnate her without having sex with her¡­haha. You gotta do it the natural way, my boy¡­" the boss said with a smug smile.


    "You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t get it. I can screw her until she breaks, and I¡¯ll still feel no love for her. I can fuck her until she goes crazy but that doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll end up getting your heir. I will say it again, I don¡¯t want to take over this business and I¡¯m not going to breed anyone else to take it over after me," Hayden said loud and clear.


    "Stop being so selfish, Hayden. I wouldn¡¯t have you either if I had other options. Unfortunately, for both you and me, there is no other option," his father stated, his tone dark.


    "You can¡¯t use that girl to tie me down to the business¡­" Hayden said calmly.


    "We¡¯ll see about that¡­" his father replied with a shrug.


    The two men stared at each other intensely without backing down. Until a soft knock on the door broke the tension in the room. The boss sighed loudly as he turned away from his son. Before the door could open, Hayden pulled it open with a loud m before storming out of his father¡¯s office.


    "Come in. Why the hell are you just standing there?!" the boss screamed at the man who had just knocked on the door.


    It was apparent to the man that whatever the boss was discussing with his son did not go well and now he was about to bear the brunt of the boss¡¯s anger.


    ¡­


    I woke up the next day with a slight headache and an obvious ache in between my legs. Every time I moved, the ache in between my legs reminded me of Hayden and how he caressed and pleasured my body.


    27 days left. Hang in there, Malissa!


    After what happenedst night with Hayden, it became even more obvious that I have to avoid him. To survive the next 27 days, I need to implement the "Avoid Hayden Like the gue" n. I need to avoid him at all opportunities possible and limit the time I spent with him and our interactions.


    This morning is a good time to start. I pushed my thoughts and memories of my passionate tryst with Haydenst night out of my mind as I told myself to focus on the present and the future instead of the past. Same as the day before, I quickly made something for him in the kitchen and ced it on the dining table.


    Just as I had expected, I didn¡¯t run into Hayden at all that morning before I left the penthouse. As usual, I went to the hospital to visit my grandmother. The difference was that starting today, I would be working on my painting of grandmother.


    "Good morning, granny," I said cheerily when I popped my head into her hospital room.


    "Lisa¡­you¡¯re here again today," grandma said before smiling lovingly at me.


    "Of course, I¡¯m here. I miss you," I replied.


    "You don¡¯t have to drop by every single day. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got many things to do," she said with concern.


    I smiled at her because I didn¡¯t want to lie to her. The truth was since the mafia breaking into our store and I ended up here, I haven¡¯t attended university. Since it was my final year, there wasn¡¯t a lot of sses that I had to attend because most were course work where I had to hand in pieces of art of various projects.


    I had been focusing on making sure that I did not miss the deadline for those because it would definitely dy my graduation.


    I didn¡¯t want to worry my dear granny unnecessarily, so I didn¡¯t tell her any of this. I hoped that once the situation was resolved after a month¡¯s time, everything could go back to normal. Grandma was sick so unnecessary stress wouldn¡¯t be good for her health.


    "Actually, university is quite chill now. I do have to hand in some projects, though," I replied vaguely.


    "What do you n to do today? You¡¯ve got so much stuff with you," My grandma asked pointing to the aisle, paper and other art supplies that my bodyguards helped carry into the room for me.


    "I told you yesterday, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯ll be waiting a portrait of you so I¡¯ve brought some materials today so that we can start off by doing some sketching" I exined.


    "Sketching? You mean, you¡¯ll sketch me?" she asked, curiously.


    "Yup. My n is to sketch a couple of sketches of you in different poses and different facial expressions and we can choose which one you would prefer for me to paint. How about it?" I said as I smiled proudly at her.


    "I see. Ok, that sounds good. Let¡¯s follow your n," my grandmother said with a nervousugh.


    Although I tried to sketch my grandmother just as I had nned, it wasn¡¯t as easy as I had thought, and the main problem was my ownck of concentration. I just couldn¡¯t concentrate like I normally could. When I looked down at the white paper of the sketch book in front of me, my mind would start to wander. Unfortunately, whenever my mind wandered it always ended up on one person: Hayden.


    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking of Hayden for the whole day. I felt my face heat up at the thought of Hayden and all the naughty things he did to mest night in the theatre room. I hoped that no one heard my loud cries and moans. The fact that I showed that side of myself to Hayden was embarrassing enough already.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 24: Can’t Get Him Out of My Head

    I found it difficult to concentrate on sketching and when I looked down at my hand that was holding the pencil, I saw that it was shaking slightly. I closed my eyes and sighed. I can¡¯t get my mind off him, and I couldn¡¯t concentrate at all. I looked down at the couple of rough sketches that I managed to pull off and wasn¡¯t impressed at the progress that I had made today.


    "Lisa, are you ok?" my grandmother asked, she was worried and had probably sensed that something was off.


    "Oh, I¡¯m fine," I said, trying to sound calm.


    "Really? You¡¯ve been frowning a lot today," she said, observantly.


    "I¡¯m just finding it a little difficult to concentrate. I think that¡¯s enough for today, I¡¯ll be back to take another crack at it tomorrow, ok?" I said as I put down the pencil in my hand.


    No point pushing myself today. I still have enough time and so there was no need to rush. Now that the subject of the painting had been decided, I just had toplete the painting just like always.


    I said goodbye to my grandmother and rode in the car back to the penthouse with my bodyguards. As usual, the ride was peaceful and quiet. The men in ck did not talk to me unless it was necessary, and I didn¡¯t mind it at all.


    My mind was still a mess and having some quiet time to rest as I just watched the scenery outside past me by as the car went pass was just the thing that I needed to help clear my mind.


    ¡­


    It waste in the night, and I couldn¡¯t go to sleep. Since moving in with Hayden, I haven¡¯t been sleeping well at all. I looked at the clock on the wall which showed that it was already past midnight. It¡¯s sote and Hayden isn¡¯t back yet. I didn¡¯t hear hime back at all which meant that he was still out.


    My eyes grew wide with shock as I realized that I was thinking and perhaps worrying about Hayden. Hayden is a grown man, and he can take care of himself. It¡¯s not exactly any of my business what time he came home. Even so¡­


    Why am I so worried about him?


    Just as that thought was running through my mind, I heard the front door m open with a loud bang. Talk about a grand and super loud entrance. Hayden is home¡­finally.


    Surprisingly, I found out that I wasn¡¯t the only one waiting for Hayden to return. It waste but unlike other days, Auntie was still waiting for Hayden in the living room.


    "Master Hayden. Why are you back sote?" I heard Auntie¡¯s voice cry out as she tried to get Hayden¡¯s attention.


    "Stop¡­nagging, Auntie¡­" Hayden said, his voice slurred.


    That man is drunk again¡­


    "You went drinking again, didn¡¯t you? You reek of alcohol!" Auntie yelled loudly. She really does sound as if she was his mother.


    "Go to sleep. It¡¯ste¡­Auntie¡­" Hayden said.


    "Master Hayden! You should shower first¡­Hayden!" Auntie shouted but to no avail.


    I heard the sound of the door next to my room opening and then closing with a loud thud. Hayden must have opened and then mmed the door of his bedroom shut. Poor Auntie, I wonder how long she¡¯s had to deal with the likes of him.


    I couldn¡¯t go to sleep and decided to sit up in bed and review some of the sketches that I did earlier today. Perhaps if I took another crack at it now, I would be able to concentrate on it better than earlier in the day? It¡¯s worth a try¡­


    After a while, everything was peaceful and quiet, and I was able to concentrate on the work at hand. However, that peaceful period didn¡¯tst too long. Suddenly, I heard a loud crashing sound from next door. Next door to my room was¡­Hayden¡¯s room? Was everything ok in there? The sound I heard just now was super loud like somethingrge had fallen over.


    Should I go and ask if he¡¯s ok?


    Wait, no. He told me not to talk to him¡­but does that include cases of emergency?


    Maybe I¡¯m just overreacting. It¡¯s all quiet now as if nothing had happened. I wasn¡¯t sure ifplete silence after such as loud crash was a good thing. What if something fell over and he got stuck underneath?


    No¡­that can¡¯t be. This is not some random movie¡­


    Wait, but if he¡¯s really stuck or something big did fall over in his room, was he hurt? He was so drunk before and if he¡¯s as drunk as he had been when I first met him in the church, would he even be conscious enough to realize what was going on?


    I should leave him be¡­oh, but what if there was really an ident. What if he¡¯s badly hurt? What if he¡¯s dying¡­or dead?


    Arghhhhhh! I can¡¯t believe this!


    I pulled on my hair like a crazy person as I wrecked my brain on what I should do next. The small angel sitting on right shoulder debated non-stop with the small red little devil sitting on my left shoulder. They were driving me insane!


    Right¡­Auntie! I¡¯ll just find Auntie and let her know about it and then she can check on him.


    I flew out of my room so fast before I had time to think more about what I should do. I had to find Auntie and fast. It was when I had stepped out of my room and was standing cluelessly in front of my bedroom door that I realized that I had no idea how to find or contact Auntie.


    Did she even sleep here with us? Probably not. Even if she did, I don¡¯t know where her room is. She showed me around but never mentioned where her room was. Maybe that was because she didn¡¯t have a room and it¡¯s just Hayden and me here.


    ¡­it¡¯s just Hayden¡­and me¡­here?!


    The next thing I knew, I was standing in front of the door to Hayden¡¯s bedroom. Now what? I stared at therge door in front of me and hesitated. Do I knock?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 25: Entering a Monster’s Den

    **Knock Knock Knock**


    Here goes nothing. I knocked firmly on his door three times and waited for a response. The response I got wasplete silence. Is he asleep¡­or did something bad happen to him?


    I bit my lower lip as I knocked again on his door, this time harder and louder than before. Once again, all I heard was silence. There was no response or any sounds of movement on the other side of the door.


    Hayden¡­are you ok?


    I felt like time had frozen and everything was happening in slow motion as I reached out my hand grasp the doorknob. I took in a deep breath and held it before slowly turning it. It turned, the room was unlocked.


    Hayden is on the other side of this door.


    Slowly and quietly, I opened the door a crack, just wide enough so that I could see inside.


    "Hayden!"


    I cried out his name in shock at the scene that I saw before me. I opened the door wider and ran into the room without thinking any further. Hayden was lying unconscious on the floor with arge bookshelf that had toppled over very close to him. Thankfully, the bookshelf didn¡¯t fall on top of him. But why is Hayden sleeping on the floor? Did he pass out here before he even reached the bed?


    I didn¡¯t know how a bookshelf thisrge could have toppled over but the books had fallen all over the floor. Did Hayden topple the bookshelf over because he was drunk?


    Regardless, I should check first that Hayden is unharmed. Hopefully, he¡¯s just sleeping but I had to make sure. I crouched down as silently as I could near his head as I stared at his sleeping face. He seems perfectly fine, I guess there was no need for me to be concerned. I let out a long breath that I hadn¡¯t realized that I had been holding in relief. He¡¯s not hurt, that¡¯s good.


    Perhaps, I overreacted by just a little.


    I could see Hayden¡¯s face clearly as I crouched down close to him. His sleeping face was something that I had never seen before. He looks so innocent and cute while he¡¯s sleeping. Unlike the devil he was when he was awake, Hayden looks like a harmless angel when he is peacefully sleeping. His light blond eyshes were long, his brows were beautiful and elegant, and his hair seemed soft.


    My eyes fell on his lips, and I immediately remembered the feel of these beautiful lips on mine, kissing me heatedly. I couldn¡¯t stop looking at him and didn¡¯t know how long I was just sitting there staring at his peaceful sleeping face. Since he looked like an adorable angel, I had the urge to reach out and touch his blond hair. Instinctively, I slowly reached out my hand towards his hair¡­


    "Ah!" I cried out in shock.


    With amazing speed, Hayden reached out his hand and grabbed my wrist. When did he wake up? Was he awake all this time¡­or was this just his outstanding reflexes? Suddenly, that hand that was holding was wrist began pulling me down. I let out a small cry as I felt my body falling forward until I was lying directly on top of Hayden.


    What is going on? How did this happen?


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name; however, I did not get a reply.


    I began struggling to get up, but my effort was futile when Hayden started wrapping both his arms around my waist and my back, hugging me tightly to his body. I felt the whole length of his body against my own. Laying on top of him with our body pressed close to each other, I could feel the heat of his body and the hardness of his muscles under me.


    "Hayden¡­let go¡­please" I said as I tried to untangle his arm from my body.


    It was useless, he only hugged me tighter. I couldn¡¯t move anymore. I looked at his face and saw that he was still sleeping, his eyes closed. I used my hands to push against his hard and muscr chest. Hayden did not stir at all, and his strong arms held me too tightly that I couldn¡¯t free myself.


    I stopped struggling since it was clearly unfruitful. When is Hayden going to wake up? Suddenly, Hayden began stroking his hands up and down my back. I felt the heat of his hand slide down my back before reaching under my shirt. I squirmed against his hold on me when I felt hisrge hands on the naked skin of my back.


    This man is so perverted¡­he¡¯s doing these things to me even in his sleep!


    "Hayden¡­" I called out his name before letting out a soft moan.


    His hands on my naked back began its journey lower down to my waist where he softly caressed my sensitive skin before dipping even lower. I let out a small cry when his manly hands reached and groped my buttocks, squeezing my flesh and pulling my hips closer to him.


    "Ah¡­" I moaned a little louder.


    His hot hands slipped inside my shorts and began massaging my ass directly. I was already panting, and my heart was beating so fast. Hisrge and manly hands continued to squeeze and tease my buttocks, while pushing my hips down against his own. I felt his hardness as our crotch grinded against each other.


    Hayden¡¯s hips were moving, thrusting his hardness against my pussy as our hips grinded together with our clothes still on. I could feel the outlines of his hard cock rubbing against my pussy.


    I felt my body grow weak in his hands as the pleasure he had stirred up in me started to take over. My mind felt numb, and my hips began to instinctively grind against his hardness. I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m so turned on in this situation. Hayden¡¯s eyes were still closed; however, his hands were as active as ever.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name when the world suddenly flipped over. What on earth is going on?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 26: Seduced by a Monster

    With a thud, I was suddenly pinned underneath him. Hayden had flipped me down under him and was now straddling my hips as he pinned down both of my wrists in his hands to the floor. I moaned loudly, when Hayden dipped his head down and began kissing and sucking the side of my neck aggressively, sending waves of pleasure throughout my body.


    Loud kissing and sucking sounds echoed in the room along with my pants and moans of ecstasy as Hayden continued to nt kisses along both sides of my neck. He kissed and licked me until my body felt weak and drugged by pleasure.


    I felt his hands slip once again under my clothes before I felt hisrge hands cupped my breasts. I sighed in bliss at the sensation of my tits being massaged and yed with. His manly hands pumped my breasts so hard that it began to hurt a little, but the pleasure was so mind-numbing that I could hardly feel the pain.


    He continued to suck on my neck as his hands fondled and caressed my breasts. I felt like my body was on fire as I writhed underneath him. I cried out a little louder when his fingers started to skillfully y with my erect nipples.


    "Ahh! Ahh¡­" I moaned non-stop as his fingers began rolling my hot nipple in between his fingertips before pinching and pulling on it.


    I felt jolts of pleasure running through my body from the perks of my breasts all the way down to the hot heat in between my legs. The way he¡¯s touching me is driving me crazy with lust and desire. His touches feel so amazing...


    "Hayden¡­wake up¡­stop" I managed to say before I continued to moan.


    Despite my protest, Hayden continued to explore my body with his hands. I felt his hand slip in between my thighs before he started stroking the soft flesh of my inner thighs up and down slowly and gently. I felt goosebumps form on my skin as a result of his seductive caresses.


    I sucked in a breath and held it as I felt his hand slowly sliding up my inner thigh, inch by inch until it finally reached its final destination. The tips of his fingers delved gently into the hot wetness in between my legs.


    "Ahh¡­Hayden¡­" I cried out before I bit my lower lip as my head rolled from side to side in abandon.


    I felt his fingers on my womanly heat as it began to stroke my wet and throbbing slit up and down. The pleasurable ache in my lower abdomen intensified and I felt my love juices gush out of my opening at his touch. He expertly stroked my pussy¡¯s entrance up and down without entering me.


    His touch was deliciously pleasurable and addictive. I began moving my hips around, in an attempt to guide in yful fingers towards the sensitive spot in between my legs. I hated myself for responding so much to him and desiring his touch. However, at that moment, I needed to feel his touch on my swollen and hard clit.


    Is it because I haven¡¯t had sex with a man for a long time that I was feeling this way or was it because I was unknowingly attracted to Hayden? Regardless of the answer, I wanted to feel him touch me more. I wanted him to pleasure me until I came¡­


    As if he was aware of my silent wish, Hayden began pushing his fingers against my swollen clit before pinching it hard and rolling it around between his fingertips. It felt so good¡­even better than when I touched myself while masturbating. It was as if he knew all my sensitive spots so well. I moaned so loudly that I had to stop my own loud moaning by cing my hand over my own mouth.


    The worst thing that could happen right now is Hayden waking up. If he woke up and saw me like this, pinned under him, he would torment me endlessly. I didn¡¯t have to worry about that for so long because soon I could no longer think. I felt his fingers parting the folds of my pussy followed by a sharp prating sensation in between my legs.


    "Ahhhh¡­" I moaned and whimpered, my hips jerking upwards sharply.


    Hayden had thrusted his thick and long finger inside of my sopping wet hole in one single plunge. Without waiting for me to adjust to the feel of his finger inside of me, he began wriggling his finger around inside of me. His fingers rubbed along the walls of my pussy, making my body tremble with raw desire.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I was feeling so much bliss from just his one finger inside of my hole.


    It wasn¡¯t long before his fingers found my g-spot and began stroking and pushing hard against it. Hayden pumped his finger in and out of my hole from various angles, stimting my pleasure spot with each thrust. I bit on my own fingers to keep myself from screaming out loud in ecstasy. My hips were moving wildly against his hand. My hungry pussy clenching around his finger desperately.


    I almost climaxed when Hayden inserted another thick finger inside of my sopping hole, stretching my entrance and my insides. His fingers felt amazing as they filled me up and rubbed against the walls of my love tunnel. My body writhe under him and I spread my legs further apart to take his fingers deeper into my body.


    I couldn¡¯t stop it anymore; I could feel my orgasm approaching. If he keeps pumping his fingers inside of me like this, I¡¯m going to cum¡­very soon.


    "Hayden¡­" I screamed against my own hand that I had over my mouth as my climax imed me.


    I tried to silently ride out the impact of my climax as I shut my eyes and bit on my fingers. My body spasmed and trembled underneath his weight as multiple waves of pleasure washed over me. My mind went nk, and I couldn¡¯t remember anything else after that¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 27: The Morning After

    My body feels sore and my head hurts like I had a hangover. I remember vaguely that I came to Hayden¡¯s roomst night to check up on him¡­and then¡­


    I bolted up in bed with my eyes wide opened as I remember what had happened after I entered Hayden¡¯s room. The first thing I did was feel my body for my clothes. Phew¡­my clothes were still on¡­


    However, when I looked around, I did not recognize my own bedroom. Obviously, because I was not in my own bed anymore which can only mean one thing. I¡¯m in Hayden¡¯s bed. Last night, I didn¡¯t have time or the attention to take in the surrounding of Hayden¡¯s room. Looking around, I realized howrge the room really was and how tidy.


    Everything about the room was luxurious, the room had its own private bathroom, and I could see two adjoined room from where I was sitting on the bed. One had its door opened and I could see that it was a mini private living and working room. The other had its door closed.


    The room was silent. I don¡¯t know what happened after I passed outst night but somehow, I ended up sleeping in Hayden¡¯s bed and right now, Hayden was no where to be seen. I wondered where he went off to so early in the morning. Usually Hayden woke upte; he clearly wasn¡¯t a morning person.


    I got out of his bed as fast as I could and quickly went back to my bedroom before anyone could spot me. My mind still felt like a mess and my body felt heavy, reminding me of the heated session I shared with Haydenst night. I could still feel his lingering touches on my most feminine part.


    Immediately after entering my room, I headed for the bathroom to take a shower. I knew I had to shake all thoughts of Hayden for my mind. After undressing, I looked at my naked self in the mirror; however, it only reminded me of the ces that Hayden had caressed, kissed, and pleasured.


    He touched me here, I thought as my hands move up to cover my breasts. My body still ached from his touch, and I could still feel the heat in between my legs. I touched my breasts and closed my eyes; I could see Hayden and hisrge manly hands on my womanly flesh as he squeezed and caressed them until they lost their shape in the palm of his hands.


    I heard myself moaning softly before whimpering his name as my breath quickened. Hayden¡­you¡¯re driving me insane¡­


    My body heated up as I massaged my own breasts, my mind filled of Hayden and how he teased me and yed around with my body. I moaned louder as my fingers moved to pinch and pull on my own nipples. The little nubs grew taunt and erect immediately at the stimtion of my own fingers.


    I opened my eyes again and Hayden was gone. It was just me all lone in my bathroom. What am I doing? I walked on shaky legs to the bathtub before climbing in and turning on the shower, feeling the warm water rain down on me from above as I sat in the bathtub and closed my eyes.


    Hayden¡­what do you want from me? He says that he doesn¡¯t want me and that we¡¯ll just go our separate ways¡­but the way he touches me¡­


    I spread my legs and moved my hand in between them. When my fingertips caressed my love entranced, I moaned softly at the pleasurable sensation. Hayden¡¯s fingers touched me like this. My pussy felt hot, and my slit was still wet and slippery from Hayden¡¯s stimtion from before. I couldn¡¯t deny that his experienced touches made me feel so good. He made me so wetst night.


    I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath to clear my head. This is such a mess. I usually don¡¯t crave this much for sexual pleasure and release. The way my pussy was aching for attention only reminded me of my days with Ethan and how we would do it so often back then. However, things were different now¡­much different.


    ¡­


    I walked out of my room as I counted down on the days I had left in this penthouse with Hayden.


    26 more days left until I will be free. Since I figured that Hayden was already out, there was on rush for me to leave the suite to avoid him. After getting dressed infortable clothing, I walked to the living room where I found a very busy-looking Auntie arranging flowers in a big vase.


    "Wow! You¡¯re super skilled at this. They¡¯re super pretty," I said as I gestured to her flower arrangement.


    The older woman smiled happily at mypliment as her hands continued to arrange roses, lilies, and various other flowers into therge vase. Apart from their beautiful looks, the smell of the flowers was also amazingly sweet.


    "Thank you, Miss Malissa. If you¡¯re interested, I can teach you some simple flower arrangements," Auntie offered kindly.


    I watched her slightly wrinkled hands skillfully arrange the flowers and wondered if there was anything this old Auntie couldn¡¯t do. ording to her, she¡¯s been ¡¯babysitting¡¯ or taking care of Hayden for many years. Perhaps, she¡¯s been with him since his childhood?


    "Really? That would be great. I¡¯ve always wanted to learn but never got around to it," I said.


    "I heard that you¡¯re an artist so you must have good sense for beauty. Flower arrangement should be a breeze for you," Auntie said cheerily.


    "I¡¯m just an art student. I¡¯m still in my final year of university¡­so I wouldn¡¯t dare call myself an artist yet," I replied humbly.


    "What art do you do?" she asked.


    "Oh¡­I mostly focus on watercolor painting, but I can do other types of paintings and some basic sculpting as well," I replied.


    "Wow. You have to show me some of your paintings sometimes," Auntie said with interest.


    "Sure thing. Umm¡­Auntie you mentioned that you used to babysit Hayden¡­" I began, hesitantly. I didn¡¯t want her to feel that I was being too nosy.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 28: Tell Me About Him

    "Oh yes, I¡¯ve been with Master Hayden since before he was born. I used to be his mother¡¯s nanny you see and when she married the Master, I was graciously allowed to follow her here to continue serving her," Auntie exined, her hands still busy with arranging the flowers.


    "I see¡­umm, where is Hayden¡¯s mother now? I¡¯ve never met her although I¡¯ve met the Boss many times. She¡­wasn¡¯t at the wedding, was she?" I asked.


    "The dear Madame, Master Hayden¡¯s mother, passed away a very long time ago. She passed away when Master Hayden was still a very small child," Auntie replied. There was a sad look on her face as if she hasn¡¯t gotten over the death of Hayden¡¯s mother.


    "I¡¯m so sorry¡­" I whispered.


    "Oh no¡­it¡¯s an old story now. Since my dear Madame passed away, I¡¯ve been raising Master Hayden as best as I can. Although, sometimes, I¡¯m not so sure if I¡¯ve done a decent job or not¡­" she said with a smallugh.


    "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve given your all. There¡¯s nothing for you to feel regretful over," I said,fortingly.


    "Miss Malissa¡­" Auntie called my name softly.


    "¡­Yes?" I said.


    "Master Hayden is a wonderfully kind-heart person. I am sure that you will have a happy life with him," the Auntie said with so much sincerity in her voice that I found myself speechless.


    It was hard for me to imaging Hayden as a ¡¯wonderfully kind-hearted person¡¯ with everything that I¡¯ve witnessed and experienced. That man was aggressive, rude, violent, a drunkard, disrespectful, selfish, arrogant, perverted and the list just goes on and on with not-so-positive descriptive words.


    I guess I was experiencing firsthand a love of a mother. You know, the phenomenon where you dote on the child that you raised so much that you can¡¯t see any of his faults. No matter what happens, you only see the positive in the person and you trust the others to feel the same way.


    I had my own full-blown doubts about the Auntie¡¯s im, but I decided to keep my disagreement to myself.


    "Thank you¡­I¡¯ll¡­keep that in mind," I answered, as I pasted my most friendly smile on my face.


    After I continued to watch Auntie arrange the flowers, I remembered why I was here in the first ce. I didn¡¯te here to enjoy watching her arrange flowers, I came here to ask about Hayden.


    "Auntie. You know that ording to the Boss¡¯s request, I¡¯m supposed to do something for Hayden everyday as part of¡­the agreement, right? So¡­I was wondering, what you think I should do for Hayden?" I asked, seeking for information.


    "Oh, that. There are many things that Hayden likes¡­body massages, taking a stroll around at night, going to karaoke, going to car races, horse races¡­you could read him a book¡­take him to ate-night movie. There¡¯s so many things that you two can do together just like other young couples," she replied enthusiastically.


    "Umm¡­I think I was looking for something¡­that can be done without us having to meet?" I asked, rephrasing my question.


    "Without having to meet?" Auntie said, in confusion.


    "Yes. Like how yesterday I made breakfast and left it on the table for him, you know?" I said.


    "Hmm¡­but wouldn¡¯t it be better for you two to spend time together to get to know each other?" she asked. I could see why she was confused. I guess that spending time together would be the correct thing to do in normal cases. Except, our case wasn¡¯t exactly normal.


    "Haha¡­I guess¡­" I replied vaguely.


    Except, we didn¡¯t want to get to know each other. We wanted to avoid each other like the gue.


    ¡­


    Since talking to Auntie didn¡¯t give me any good ideas on what to do for Hayden without meeting him face-to-face, I decided to put something together for him in the kitchen. Surveying the ingredients, I decided to make a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toasted bread.


    After looked down at the neatly arranged food on therge, white, and round te when I was finished. The food looked yummy and smelled appetizing. Well, not that it mattered. I knew that this dish would go untouched until the time I returned to this penthouseter in the day because Hayden wouldn¡¯t touch it and Auntie would feel too guilty to throw it away herself.


    Plus, today Hayden had already left before me.


    Doesn¡¯t matter. I already fulfilled my part of the bargain.


    I pulled off the apron that I had been wearing and waltzed out of the kitchen, therge te in hand. I headed straight for the dining table where I quickly ced the te on the table. That¡¯s it. Done¡­for today.


    It was a littleter than I thought when I arrived at the hospital where my grandmother was staying. The morning traffic was worse than normal today and that dyed my ns. My grandmother seemed a little weaker than normal today as well and after spending a few hours together, she dozed off.


    The nurses reassured me that it was normal and just a side effect of the medication that she had been given.


    Since my grandmother fell asleep and I wanted her to rest, there was nothing I could do but pause my sketching and painting for the time being. It wasn¡¯t sote when I got in the car to head back to the penthouse. However, the traffic caused by some road maintenance wasted almost an hour of my time. By the time I got back to the penthouse it was almost sunset and I was in restless mood.


    I took the elevator up to the top floor immediately, looking forward to a warm shower followed by a peaceful dinner. Then perhaps I could watch a movie or listen to some music to wind down. I had many pleasant ns in my mind on how to spend the rest of my evening.


    "Why are you back sote today?"


    A low and stern voice greeted me the moment that I stepped into the suite.


    Hayden¡­why is he back so early?! He¡¯s usually never back before midnight¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 29: Don’t Play Innocent

    "Says the guy whoes home way past midnight drunk on most days¡­" I replied as I closed the door behind me. I heard the door click shut and automatically lock behind me.


    I walked slowly into the dining room where Hayden was sitting at the dining table. I wondered what he wanted with me. I couldn¡¯t wait to get away from him.


    "What?" Hayden said in surprise at my retort.


    "Nothing¡­" I mumbled, turning to walk away.


    "Hmm¡­sit down," Haydenmanded, loud and clear.


    I turned to look at Hayden again. He was dressed in all ck today and I had to admit that he looked stunning. The ck suit, shirt and tie worked well to bring out his blond hair and beautiful blue eyes. The next thing that I noticed was the abundant amount of food on the table, all seemed untouched.


    He was waiting to have dinner¡­with me?


    Hesitantly, I sat down on the opposite side of the dining table. The food looks amazing and fancy; however, I had a feeling that I wasn¡¯t going to enjoy this meal.


    "Eat," Haydenmanded, his sharp eyes on me.


    "Thank you¡­" I whispered.


    I reached for the utensils on the table and began taking some food onto my te. After watching me eat for a little while, Hayden started eating as well. We ate in silence with neither of us saying anything. I didn¡¯t talk to him, and I was starting to feel thankful that he wasn¡¯t talking to me.


    However, having him so close and sitting right opposite to me made my mind think about him. I recalled when I first met him in the church where we were supposed to get married. I could see in my mind the scene from that day. Hayden was drunk and then his father hit him on the head, and he bled. I recalled the things he said¡­


    "You look like you have something you want to say. Just spit it out," Hayden said, cing his fork and knife down while his eyes stared at me.


    Now that he was asking, I might as well just ask him. It would be good to set the record straight between us.


    "Umm¡­you don¡¯t really want to marry me, right?" I asked.


    "So what?" Hayden said, his eyes narrowing at me.


    "I mean, at the church you did say that you didn¡¯t want to marry me. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I feel the exact same way¡­" I said a little hesitantly.


    "Your point is?" Hayden asked, sounding very detached and uninterested.


    "You said that the only one who would be your bride is Amelia¡­" I said, recounting his words.


    Hayden stiffened in his seat at the mention of Amelia¡¯s name. His eyes narrowed at me, and I could sense that I had angered him. It felt like the temperature in the room dropped several degrees, suddenly, I felt very cold.


    "Don¡¯t say her name. You have no right to say her name so casually," Hayden spat at me. He was clearly offended by what I said.


    "I¡¯m sorry¡­I didn¡¯t mean to offend you¡­or her," I apologized. I guess, I said too much. After all, I don¡¯t even know this Amelia woman.


    "So? Why are you asking?" Hayden asked, his tone reverting to its emotionless state.


    "Well, if you don¡¯t intend to marry me anyways¡­then, after a month is over, you will set me free right?" I asked, hopefully.


    "Is that what¡¯s been worrying you?" Hayden asked, his eyes burning into mine.


    "Well, yes," I replied.


    "If you obey me well, I¡¯ll set you free," Hayden said after a moment of thought. He picked up his utensils and continued with his meal.


    "Really?" I said, my face lighting up with a smile. Soon, I¡¯ll be out of here.


    Hayden didn¡¯t reply as he continued to toy with the food on his te. I wondered if the food didn¡¯t suit his taste. To me, everything tasted heavenly. Better than any food that I¡¯ve ever tasted before.


    "You seem very desperate to be free of me," Hayden said observantly.


    "Of course. I know that you don¡¯t want to be stuck with me either so¡­we should just go our separate ways¡­as soon as possible¡­" I said, seriously.


    "I see. Well, enough talk about that. Now, tell me¡­" Hayden said, changing the topic.


    "Tell you¡­what?" I asked, confused.


    "Are you still going to y innocent?" Hayden asked, his eyes returned to focus on me.


    "I¡­honestly have no idea what you¡¯re talking about¡­" I said softly.


    "Did you do something naughty? I¡¯ll considering lessening your punishment if you confess¡­" Hayden said as he leaned closer to me over the table.


    It¡¯s not possible. Could it be that he knew that I was in his room? But he was asleep¡­no wait¡­


    If Hayden was asleep all the time, then how did I end up on his bed?


    Hayden¡­he¡­


    "Why did youe into my room when I clearly told you not to?" Hayden asked, his eyes never leaving my face.


    Shit. He knows¡­of course he knows¡­


    "I¡­I was there to help you! I heard this loud crashing sound and since you were so drunk, I thought that I should check on you¡­" I tried to exin.


    "I told you never toe into my room¡­" he repeated his rule. Clearly my appeal wasn¡¯t getting to him at all.


    "It was a semi-emergency, I guess. Who knows, you could have been badly hurt. When I went inside, the bookshelf that had fallen over almost fell on top of you¡­" I continued to exin. For once, I was sure that I was making sense. Safety shoulde first before any of his stupid rules¡­


    "So, you were worried about me?" Hayden asked, his eyes and face void of any emotions.


    This man is so cold, how could I think for a second that he would understand.


    "¡­I guess I was¡­worried about you¡­" I mumbled while casting my eyes downwards.


    Hayden looked at me as he seemed to be making up his mind about his next move. I prayed silently that he would just let this slide.


    "Hayden¡­" I called out his name softly.


    "Were you really worried about me?" Hayden asked, his eyes looking deep into mine.


    "Of course, I was. I would have been worried for anyone in that situation¡­" I replied honestly.


    Hayden sighed as he got up from his seat, slowly. I watched as he walked slowly to my side of the table until he was standing right next to where I was seated. I looked up at him and he down at me.


    "What you said just now made a lot of sense," Hayden said and for once his eyes were gentle.


    "Then¡­" I began, hopefully.


    "¡­but rules are rules, Malissa," he whispered very close to my ear.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 30: Rules & Punishment

    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!


    His warm breath tickled my ear and my body trembled. His face is so close to mine as he bent down to my level and ced a hand on my shoulder. My body immediately stiffened as I felt the heat of his hand on my shoulder and his eyes burning into my face.


    "How should I punish a naughty girl like you?" Hayden asked, teasingly as a beautiful yet haunting smile curved his lips.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name pleadingly. This is so ridiculous.


    Suddenly, his hands looped around my back while another one looped underneath my knees. In the next moment, my body was lifted into his arms. I let out a cry of shock as Hayden carried me up into his arms with ease. I started struggling against his hold and kicking my legs.


    "I suggest you deal with this maturely. You¡¯re a grown woman after all," Hayden said to me calmly, his arms tightening their hold around me.


    "Stop! Hayden!" I cried out in panic.


    "I suggest that you stop struggling¡­for your own benefit," Hayden warned as he smiled charmingly at me. This man is such a sadist¡­


    "Put me down! Hayden!" I cried out loudly.


    Hayden didn¡¯t respond as he strode in long and firm strides, taking me out of the dining room into the living room before dumping me down onto the sofa. I felt the softness of the sofa behind my back as heid me down. I tried to sit up immediately to escape from him, but hisrge frame was in front of me and then his body was on top of me before I could move.


    "Hayden¡­no¡­" I whimpered as he used hisrge hand to pin both my wrists above my head to the sofa.


    "Stop struggling¡­you¡¯ll only hurt yourself," Hayden advised.


    With one hand restraining my wrists, his other hand began its journey down from the side of my neck down to my corbone. Slowly and seductively, he ran the tips of his beautiful fingers along my corbone.


    "Why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice shaking.


    "To punish you, of course¡­" Hayden replied without hesitation.


    I struggled to keep myself from moaning when I felt the heat and wetness of the tip of his tongue running along my corbone where his fingers were a moment ago. His hands dipped lower and began unbuttoning the button of my shirt. I struggled against his restraining hand, but his grip was too strong.


    Whenever I struggled, he would squeeze my wrists in warning before rxing it again when I stopped struggling.


    Hayden expertly undid the buttons of my shirt with one hand without even looking at it as he continued to lick and kiss my corbone and the sensitive flesh of my chest. It wasn¡¯t long before his hand parted the fabric of my unbuttoned shirt to the side to reveal my light pinkce bra.


    "You¡¯re breathing faster. Does my punishment excite you?" Hayden asked in a seductive whisper before he bit down softly on my shoulder.


    It hurts a little, but I found myself letting out an embarrassing moan when his teeth dug into the skin of my bare shoulder.


    "Ahh¡­Hay¡­den¡­" I whimpered. I wanted him to stop before I show him more of my embarrassing reactions.


    "Moan all you like, there¡¯s no need to hold it in," Hayden said softly.


    His hand moved down and cupped my right breast through my bra before squeezing it a little roughly. I could feel the pressure from his hand on my breast through thece fabric of my bra. His rough stimtions were staring to feel good. I wanted him to take off my bra so that I could feel hisrge hands directly on my naked flesh.


    Soon, my wish was granted. Hayden peeled down the cup of my bra and my breast spilled out of its confines into his awaiting hand. I felt the heat from his hand on my breast and it heated me up with desire. My nipple rubbed against his palm as hisrge manly hands massaged my tit, causing me to let out soft moans of pleasure.


    His touch on my skin and how he¡¯s ying with my breast turned me on so much.


    I felt an undeniable pleasurable and hungry ache deep inside of my lower abdomen. I squeezed my legs together tightly as I felt my pussy getting hotter and wetter.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name in between my blissful moans.


    "I know¡­you want more, right?" Hayden said understandingly.


    "Please¡­don¡¯t do this," I pleaded in a whisper.


    "Why? Doesn¡¯t it feel good. Can¡¯t you hear your sexy little moans?" Hayden said seductively.


    "But we¡¯re¡­" I began and bit my lower lip to stop myself. I was about to say that we did not have any feelings for each other. We weren¡¯t lovers¡­so why¡­


    However, it urred to me that for Hayden, he probably was used to doing this sort of thing with any woman. I was sure from what I had seen that he had multiple lovers and that he slept around with no strings attached a lot¡­


    "Don¡¯t over think things and just enjoy your punishment¡­" Hayden said as his hand slowly stroked my brows, easing my frown.


    In that moment, I had an odd feeling that perhaps he really cared about me. However, that thought disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared in my mind. There was no way that Hayden had any care for me¡­


    His hand peeled the other cup of my bra away from my breast and began massaging it. I moaned louder and louder, unable to hold my voice in any longer as his hand pumped my breast wildly. It felt so amazing, his stimtions were turning me on, and I felt my pussy quiver and clench. I knew that I was getting wetter and wetter for him.


    "Let me use this¡­so I can use both my hands to pleasure you," Hayden said with an evil gleam in his eyes.


    His hand quickly loosened the ck tie from around his neck. I watched in shock as his necktie came loose and he started to use it to bound my wrists together. Hayden didn¡¯t bind my wrists together too tightly so it didn¡¯t hurt; however, it was tight enough that I couldn¡¯t loosen it no matter how much I tried to struggle against its hold.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 31: Begging Him for Pleasure

    "Ahh¡­Ahh¡­Ahhhh!" I moan repeatedly as I arched my back, thrusting my chest towards his hand.


    "You¡¯re such a little slut, Malissa. Your naughty moans just got louder¡­" Hayden said, clearly satisfied.


    I couldn¡¯t concentrate any longer as my body melted with each of his pleasurable caress. Now that my wrists were bounded, Hayden¡¯s hands were free to y around with my body. His hands immediately grabbed my breasts simultaneously before pumping them together, making me cry out at the intensity of the pleasure he was making me feel.


    I watched Hayden¡¯s handsome face as he also watched my reactions. His fingers pinched both my nipples and my body writhed underneath him. I panted and moan as he rolled my hardened nipples in between his fingertips before tugging on them. It felt amazing, my body was so sensitive, and I felt him more and more. He was driving me insane with my desire for him.


    Hayden reached underneath me and unsped my bra before pulling itpletely off my shoulders and away from me, exposing my entire upper body to his hungry eyes. Hayden looked at me as he took in the contours of my upper body and the curves of my breasts. His eyes were burning with desire, and it shook me to the core.


    While I was lost in my own pleasure, I didn¡¯t realize at first that Hayden had begun undressing the lower half of my body. He removed my jeans from my body before his hand began pulling down my panties. His hands were aggressive and ruthless in his pursuit. I felt the cold air on my bare legs and before long my panties and jeans were flung on the floor.


    Iy there underneath himpletely naked. It wasn¡¯t the first time that Hayden had seen mepletely naked, but it was the first time that I was naked andying trapped under his powerful body.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­enough¡­" I pleaded. If this goes on any further, I was afraid of losing any self-control that I had left. I was confused.


    Although my body wanted nothing more than to be one with this man, my heart wasn¡¯t ready. I didn¡¯t want to go all the way with Hayden. However, if he decided to take me by force, I knew that there was nothing that I could do about it. I could never fight him even in normal circumstances. Even less so now that my wrists were bounded together above my head.


    "You say that but¡­are you sure that you want me to stop?" Hayden asked cunningly.


    Hisrge hands touched my knee before slipping in between my legs and parted them. I felt my pussy stretch open as Hayden used his hands to spread my legs open wider and wider. My body bucked and squirmed. I didn¡¯t want him to see the heat and wetness in between my legs.


    "No¡­Hayden¡­" I whimpered softly as I rolled by head to the side in embarrassment.


    Slowly, his hands slid up the insides of my thighs and my pussy walls started clenching in anticipation. I hated myself and how much desire I felt for him. Hayden¡¯s hands began the torturously slow journey up my thigh as he stroked my inner thighs before progressive upwards inch by inch. I felt goosebumps on my skin at the anticipation and pleasure.


    "As punishment for entering my room without permission, as of today, you right leg is now my possession," Hayden stated as he bent his head down to nt a firm kiss on the inner thigh of my right leg.


    I gasped at the sensation and then moaned when Hayden followed up his kiss by sucking on my tender and sensitive skin. He sucked on it so hard that I was sure that he would leave a mark as if he wanted to mark that area as his own. Hayden chuckled with extreme satisfaction. His hands were now on the top of my inner thighs¡­he¡¯s so close to touching¡­


    "Ahhhhh¡­" I moaned with pleasure when his fingers finally reached the aching wet heat in between my legs.


    "Despite everything that you¡¯ve said, your pussy is already this flooded," Hayden teased me as his fingertips ran up and down my wet and slippery slit.


    "Ahh¡­Ahhhhh" I moaned loudly as I arched my hips upwards, thrusting my pussy towards his exploring fingers. I wanted him to touch me more. I wanted more pleasure.


    I wanted him to thrust his thick and long fingers inside of me and mess me up inside. I wanted him to make me cum¡­


    "Beg me, Malissa. Beg me for your release¡­" Hayden said as he watched my every reaction. His pale blue eyes watched me closely like a tiger watching its prey.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name, lost in lust.


    "I love it when you call my name in that naughty purr of yours¡­" Hayden said as he smiled at me.


    His fingertips finally found my swollen clit and began ying with it. He pinched my clit and I cried out loudly at the intense pleasure. I hadpletely forgotten up until now that we were fooling around in the middle of the living room where anyone could walk by. There were maids who worked here and Auntie¡­and¡­the men¡­


    All of my worries disappeared when Hayden stroked my clit faster and harder before rolling it in between his fingers and pulling on it. Gosh, my body felt so weak, and I felt like I was about to loose my mind. Am I about to cum from him ying with my clit?


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name in a choked-up voice.


    "You¡¯re getting wetter. Your juices are leaking out¡­" Hayden said. His dirty talking only worked to turn me on more than before. I must be going out of my mind.


    "Ahhh¡­Ahhhhh!" I moaned loudly as I felt my climax building up inside of me. Warm and wet juices gushed out of my love hole as I got wetter and wetter down there.


    "That¡¯s it. Tell me, do you want me to make you cum?" Hayden asked.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 32: Lustful Discipline

    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name, pleadingly.


    "Say it¡­tell me what you want me to do to you," Haydenmanded.


    "Make me¡­cum...Hayden¡­" I whimpered in between my incoherent moans of pleasure and lust.


    I couldn¡¯t want any longer. I wanted to feel his fingers prate deep inside of me. I wanted him to rub my sensitive spot deep inside until I came.


    I cried out and my hips thrusted upwards sharply at the sudden plunge of Hayden¡¯s thick fingers into my sopping wet pussy hole. Hayden had thrusted two fingers deep into me in one hard thrust. I felt my wet opening stretch to amodate his entrance as his fingers filled me deep inside. I moaned with bliss and closed my eyes at the satisfaction of my love hole being filled up.


    My hips began moving on its own, pumping up and down to take in his fingers deeper inside of my body. My pussy walls clenched around his thick fingers as I enjoyed the feel of his fingers against my pussy walls. Hayden looked down at me as he began pumping his fingers in and out of my love hole.


    He jerked his fingers out of me and rammed it in faster and deeper and I cried out at the heightened pleasure.


    His fingers reached in so deep into my core and stimted the pleasure spot deep inside of me as he pounded his fingers into me from various angles. My moans and pants were so loud now, and I couldn¡¯t control myself any longer. I just wanted him to make me cum.


    Sensing that I was close, Hayden curled up his fingers inside of me and began ramming his fingers in and out. His fingers found and caressed my g-spot expertly until I began seeing stars in my mind. I thrusted my hips upwards, pushing my pussy opening against his intruding fingers to suck his fingers deeper into my love hole. I was very close to my climax now¡­


    When Hayden reached out and massaged my clit with his other hand, I climaxed almost immediately. I cried out his name so loudly that my throat hurt as my climax hit me hard. I felt my own wetness squirt out of my pussy hole in stream as Hayden quickly withdrew his fingers from hole.


    When I started to calm down from my passionate orgasm, I felt my body being flipped over until I wasying on my frontside. Hayden positioned himself behind me and started using hisrge hands to lift up my hips until my ass was thrusted into the air. This is such an embarrassing position; however, I no longer had the strength or the willpower to resist his advances.


    Hayden knelt behind me, and I could feel the heat of his body on my skin as he hovered over me. Hisrge hands snaked in front of my body and began massaging my breasts. His touch was gentle at first before his caresses became increasingly bold and firm, until he was squeezing my breasts hard. His hands pumped my breasts roughly, making me cry out at the pleasurable sensation.


    "Did you like how I touched you? You were crying out just like this when I yed with your tits in my room¡­" Hayden hissed in my ear as his fingers moved to attack my erect nipples.


    His fingers pinched and squeezed my nipples relentlessly and I cried out and whimpered along with each of his touches. My nipples were swollen and hard, making them very sensitive to his caresses. I could feel pleasure coursing through my body from where his fingers were pinching my nipples and I felt my pussy tighten as I got wetter.


    "Your nipples were so hard and your pussy was soaking wet¡­just like now" Hayden whispered into my ear.


    No¡­Hayden¡­he was awake the whole time. He yed with my body intentionally and remembered every moment and everything that happened between us.


    Hayden¡­he tricked me¡­


    "Naughty girls who don¡¯t listen need to be punished, you know?" Hayden whispered with satisfaction into my ear before he bit on my earlobe gently. I moaned at the sensation of his teeth sinking softly into my earlobe.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I whimpered. He¡¯s taking this punishment of his too far.


    "I¡¯ll spank this lovely ass of yours and then I¡¯ll make you cum until you faint. How does that sound, Malissa?" Hayden said with a satisfied smile.


    His hand yanked on my hair, pulling my face up to meet his beautiful blue gaze. His eyes were like a stormy sea. I could see so many emotions swimming in his captivating blue eyes as his gaze burned into me with passion.


    "Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhhhh!" I cried out so loudly that my throat hurt.


    The sound of hisrge hand pping the cheek of my ass could be heard loudly throughout the living room. I cried out at the sensation of his hand hitting my ass. Each stroke leaving my ass stinging with a slight pain that made my skin more sensitive than before.


    "It¡¯s exciting, isn¡¯t it? Being punished like this is turning you on, am I right?" Hayden said as his hands continued to p my ass loudly.


    My body jerked as each stroke hit my sensitive skin. Hayden¡¯s other hand held my waist in ce while his other hand delivered my punishment.


    "Hayden¡­ahhhhhhh¡­" I called out his name as I began moaning loudly.


    I felt a stinging sensation all over my ass from his punishment when he was finally satisfied and had stopped pping my ass with hisrge hand. His hands now stroked my ass in circr motion as he massaged my flesh causing me to let out soft moans.


    "Did that turn you on more than before? Your pussy got so much wetter¡­your juices are dripping down your legs already¡­" Hayden teased me as his fingers stroked my sopping wet opening.


    I felt my own wetness gush out from my hole and onto his fingers before dripping onto my inner thighs. The lewd sound of wetness from his fingers stroking my opening filled the living room along with our passionate pants and moans of pleasure. His fingers stroked and teased my opening before pinching on my swollen clit.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 33: Irresistible Pleasure

    Hayden pinched my clit repeatedly, driving me wild with lust before rubbing it hard. My cries of pleasures got even louder. I was so lost in the ecstasy of the moment that I didn¡¯t realize that Hayden had buried his face in between my legs until I felt the hotness of his breath on my womanly opening.


    "Hayden¡­don¡¯t¡­" I whispered before I continued to moan from the pleasure that was stirring up inside of me.


    Then I felt it. The tip of his hot tongue flicked out against my flooded opening as he began licking my pussy from behind. I felt so embarrassed from this position. I knew that he could see my pussy up close and he was tasting my love juices; however, the feel of his tongue sliding up and down my opening before teasing my swollen clit felt so amazing.


    I felt my pussy quiver and my pussy walls clenched from the pleasurable sensation that Hayden¡¯s skillful tongue was delivering. It was driving me insane with lust and desire and I felt the heat in me burn hotter than before.


    "I keep licking up your juices, but more and more is gushing out¡­" Hayden said when he paused his licking. I looked behind to see him licking his wet lips.


    "Hayden¡­Ah!" I said his name softly before crying out in shock.


    Hayden had buried his face in between my legs once more, this time shoving his hot tongue deep inside of my pussy hole. His tongue plunged deep inside of my throbbing cunt and began wriggling inside,pping up my love honey from the inside. The texture of his tongue rubbed against the wall of my pussy, making me writhe with pleasure.


    I thrusted my ass backwards and upwards towards his mouth, lost in lust. I wanted to feel more of him. I wanted to feel his tongue fuck me deeper inside of my hole. Hayden began thrusting his tongue in and out of my hole and I could feel my body tense at the intensity of the pleasure.


    Just as Hayden had promised¡­I was about to cum¡­


    "Hayden¡­stop! I¡¯m¡­" I cried out before my words got lost in my own incoherent moans of bliss.


    "Cum¡­cum in my mouth, Malissa. Let me eat you¡­" Hayden whispered lustily against my pussy opening before he thrusted his tongue back inside of my love hole.


    His hands grabbed my hips as he rocked my ass onto his hot tongue. The movement of his tongue inside of me was driving me closer and closer to the edge. I cried out his name as his tongue thrusted in and out of me faster and faster until all I could see was star-like explosions in my own mine as my climax hit me hard.


    I came so much into his mouth and Hayden¡¯s tongue joyfullypped up my love juices as he drank me. It was so embarrassing that I had just done something so intimate with Hayden, but my body relished in the feel of his lovemaking.


    I was still catching my breath when I felt my hips being lifted by hisrge and warm hands once again from behind. Then a sharp prating sensation followed by a sense of fulfillment when I realized that Hayden had shoved two long and thick fingers inside of my love tunnel from behind. The angle of his fingers piercing my hole from behind felt incredible.


    Because the angle was different from when he prated me when I was lying on my back, I felt the pleasure and stimtion in a different spot. It felt different yet so good in a different way. Without warning, he began moving his fingers around deep inside of my pussy hole as if searching for my sensitive spot.


    "Every time that I rub you here, your pussy twitches and clenches around my fingers¡­it feels good here, doesn¡¯t it?" Hayden said knowingly when his fingers found the sensitive spot deep inside of my love tunnel.


    "Hay¡­den¡­" I couldn¡¯t say anything else but moan out his names as I panted hard.


    Hayden justughed at me as his other hand patted my ass adoringly. Then his fingers began thrusting fast and hard in and out of my wet hole, making sure that his fingers pushed against and stimted the sensitive spot that he had just found.


    I felt his fingers thrust deep inside of me and with each thrust, he drove me closer and closer to my climax once again. His fingers prated me from various angles, pushing against my sensitive spot repeatedly until I felt like my insides havepletely melted at his touch. The pleasurable ache inside of me intensified as Hayden continued to pump his fingers in and out of my hole.


    "Ohh¡­Hayden¡­Ahhh!" I cried out in pleasure as his fingers sped up its thrusting motion.


    "I know you love this. You¡¯re a really naughty girl, Malissa. Your hips are moving non-stop against my hand¡­" Hayden said beforeughing at me. He was truly enjoying himself and my reactions to his seductive touches.


    I couldn¡¯t lie to myself. My body was truly enjoying itself and Hayden¡¯s lewd touches. I felt my orgasm fast approaching as my pussy walls continued to clench around his invading fingers. I cried out louder when Hayden shoved his finger faster and harder inside of me. I felt like he would break me apart, but my hips wouldn¡¯t stop moving, grinding my pussy against his fingers.


    I cried out like a mad woman when my climax finally imed me. I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes tightly as my mind-shattering orgasm took over my body. I writhed on the sofa and cried out his name so loudly until my voice was hoarse.


    Hayden removed his fingers from my pussy hole in one swift motion and my wetness gushed out of my hole like a flooding dam onto my thighs and the sofa below me. I plopped down as I tried to catch my breath, my body a wasted mess on the sofa.


    "I wonder what Auntie is going to think when she sees your cum all over the sofa¡­" Hayden teased.


    "No¡­" I said weakly.


    "I bet she¡¯ll be so happy thinking that we finally did it¡­haha" Hayden said followed by augh.


    I felt so tired and weak from the heated session we just shared. I could hardly move my body as Iy there on my stomach on the sofa. I felt Hayden shift his weight as he got off me and sat down on the sofa as if nothing had happened. I looked at him and saw him licking the wetness of my release from his fingers as his blue eyes stared back at me.


    Hayden¡­you¡¯re such a monster¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 34: A Morning With Him

    When I woke up, surprisingly, I was back in my own bedroom with a nket ced over my body. Did Hayden carry me back here?


    He probably did. Who else could have done it?


    I had very fuzzy memories ofst night and I must have fallen into a deep slumber before waking up this morning. Thest thing I remembered was that I¡­


    Hayden made me came so much as part of his punishment¡­and my body was still feeling the consequences of that.


    25 more days with Hayden in this penthouse. That was the first thought that crossed my mind when I woke up. I didn¡¯t put up a calendar to strike out the days that had passed because there was no need to. I would urately count down the days until these 30 torturous days ran out and I could return to my normal life.


    I showered, got dressed in casual clothes and left my bedroom. This has be my morning routine since I moved into this penthouse. As usual, I didn¡¯t expect to see Hayden today. I thought that just like the other days, Hayden would be out and avoid contact with me.


    However, it seemed that today Hayden had other ns in mind as he sat there at the dining table eating chocte cake and sipping tea from a blue and white porcin teacup.


    Chocte cakes and tea did not suit the image that I had of him at all. He seemed so at peace and unlike his drunken self from the nights before. I watched him silently as I felt a heat rise in my face as I remember what he did to mest night...


    Sure, I broke the rule, but it wasn¡¯t intentional. It was an emergency, and I did it for his own good. What he did was clearly wrong, and I could feel his touch on my skin even though I¡¯ve taken a good long shower.


    Unlike before, I knew now that he wasn¡¯t drunk and that he remembered everything that transpired between us the night that I entered his room and he definitely remembered what happened between usst night. I hated the fact that we lived together because that meant that I had no real ce to hide, not that I could hide away from him forever.


    However, that did not make facing him this morning any easier. I still didn¡¯t know what to say to him or what face to make. Hayden¡¯s presence still disturbs me, and I feel insecure and anxious whenever he was around.


    Putting on a brave act, I slowly came out of where I was hiding and slowly approached the dining table where Hayden was seated.


    We¡¯re supposed to live separately, and I couldn¡¯t agree more to that, but I had to keep my part of the deal. I had to do something for Hayden today and cooking breakfast for him and just leaving it on the table was no longer an option. What should I do for him?


    "Well, good morning, Miss Malissa. Would you care for some cake and tea?" Auntie came to my side and asked cheerily when she saw that I had seated myself opposite to Hayden on the dining table.


    Hayden, on the other hand, continued to concentrate on his tea and the phone in his hand as if I didn¡¯t exist in the same ne of universe as he did. I rolled my eyes in annoyance at him, but I was sure that he didn¡¯t even see it.


    "I¡¯ll just have the tea, thank you," I replied with a friendly smile at Auntie.


    "Eating cakes seemed to help cure Master Hayden of his hangover and puts him in a better mood," Auntie chimed in happily as she poured tea for both Hayden and me.


    I took a sip of the tea that Auntie had poured, feeling slightly surprised at the aromatic fruity smell of the tea. Hayden is drinking the same tea as me, was this the kind of tea that he likes. Sweet cakes and fruity tea just didn¡¯t seem to suit his ultra-violent and overbearing image at all.


    I watched Hayden intently from the rim of my teacup as I continued to sip tea. Hayden was dressed in a simple white shirt with very few buttons buttoned, exposing his well-toned chest muscles, and a pair of light blue jeans. His light blond hair was still damp making it appear darker than normal andbed back roughly. His blue eyes were focused on his mobile¡¯s screen.


    "What are you staring at? Liking what you see?" he spoke up so suddenly that I gasped in shock before I could control myself.


    Hayden didn¡¯t even look at me, his eyes were still glued to his phone screen while he typed away with the pad of thumb.


    "I wasn¡¯t¡­staring," I denied softly.


    "Oh yeah? Well, not that it matters," Hayden replied without a care.


    Hayden went back to pretending that I didn¡¯t exist as he sighed and continued typing on his phone faster as his brows knitted together. Soon after, his phone started vibrating and he cursed under his breath before answering the call.


    "I told you that I¡¯m not going¡­" Hayden said loudly.


    Clearly, he did not mind if I overheard his conversation. Although, I had to say that I had no idea what he was talking about or who he was talking to.


    "Fuck it¡­it doesn¡¯t matter to me. I¡¯m not going," Hayden spat through the phone, his brows furrowing in annoyance.


    After what seemed like a short while of convincing from the other end of the line, Hayden heaved a loud sigh as he ran his fingers through his blond hair. He looked bored, annoyed, and very frustrated at best.


    Whoever was on the other end of the line was probably pestering him to do something that he didn¡¯t want to do or go somewhere that he didn¡¯t want to go.


    "Fine. I guess I do owe you from before¡­I¡¯ll get you out of this one¡­" Hayden said in defeat as he heaved a sigh.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 35: At His Pace

    I could hear a loud cheer andughter from the other end of the line before Hayden quickly hung up the call. I wondered what that was all about. However, as always, it had nothing to do with me. Now, I have to quicklye up with an idea of what to do for Hayden today so that I can get that over and done with.


    Easier said than done. Nothing wasing to mind. I had just finished my first cup and tea and no good ideas were popping into my head. I started furrowing my brows together and I looked around the room for some inspiration. Should I just ask Hayden straight out what he wanted and get it over with?


    "Get dressed. You¡¯reing with me," Hayden said in amanding voice as he looked at me for the first time since I entered the room.


    "¡­Huh? Me?" I eximed in shock as I pointed a finger towards myself.


    "Who else is here?" He asked sarcastically.


    Sure, we were now the only two people in the room but that was not that I meant. Did he seriously want me to go with him? Where? Why? I was so confused that I didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.


    "Where are we going?" I asked, confused.


    "I said¡­get dressed¡­" Hayden repeated, his patients running thin.


    "Get dressed¡­as in¡­" I said, confused. As far as I was concerned, I was dressed.


    Does that mean that we¡¯re going somewhere fancy where I needed to dress up more? These casual clothes were not enough, I guess. It wasn¡¯t like I had any fancy clothes or anything in my closet, but I guess I do have something that looks better than shirt and jeans.


    Still confused, but with Hayden¡¯s pressuring re, I headed back to my bedroom to slip on something dressier. I opened my closet and picked up one of the few dresses that I had. It wasn¡¯t like I had a lot of options to choose from. Out of the few dresses that I had, I picked out a light pink knee-length dress with rose print that I felt looked decent.


    "Are you done?!"


    I heard Hayden shouting loud and clear as he banged on my bedroom door. That guy is clearly out of his mind. How fast does he expect me to change clothes? Seriously!


    "Almost!" I shouted back, making sure that he could hear me.


    From my estimation of how crazy Hayden could be, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he tore down the door in his rush. I quicky yanked on the pink dress and zipped up the back as fast as I could as Hayden continued to bang on the door. Was he nning to keep on banging on the door until I finished?


    I opened the door once I was done dressing and immediately came face-to-face with Hayden who was standing right on the other side of the door. The moment heid eyes on me; his eyes grew wide with shock.


    He took a couple of steps back wordlessly, as his eyes scanned me from head to toe. Hayden looked shocked and as he silently ced a hand over his mouth and shook his head from side to side as if not able to believe what he was seeing. I honestly couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.


    "Hayden?" I called his name questioningly.


    "¡­Shit," Hayden muttered, his eyes still on me.


    "Umm¡­what¡¯s wrong?" I asked, still very confused at his reaction.


    Hayden started calling on his phone as he kept his eyes glued on me, looking me up from head to toe as if he¡¯d seen a ghost of something along those lines.


    "Hey¡­I¡¯m gonna bete¡­Look there¡¯s not much that I can do. You just hang in there until I arrive, ok?" Hayden spoke through the phone. I could figure that he was talking to the same person who was pestering him to go somewhere a while ago.


    And with that short and almost one-sided conversation, Hayden hung up. However, before I could open my mouth to ask him about what was going on, Hayden was already dialing another number on his mobile phone. I just stood there, still confused, as I watched Hayden waiting for the line to connect.


    "It¡¯s me. I¡¯ll be there in 15 minutes, and I need the usual¡­actually, multiple times the usual¡­" Hayden spoke hurriedly through the phone.


    I couldn¡¯t hear what the other person said on the other end of the line and so I had no idea what he was talking about. Was he going to pick something up?


    "Umm¡­what¡¯s going on?" I asked hesitantly, clearly showcasing my confusion.


    "Follow me. We¡¯re leaving now," Hayden said emotionlessly as he turned and started walking towards the exit of the penthouse.


    "Where are we going?" I asked, demanding for answers.


    He refused to answer as he headed towards the exit of the suite in long strides. I practically had to run after him to keep up with him. Why won¡¯t he tell me anything? Where is he going to take me?


    "Does this count as me doing something for you today?" I asked desperately. If I had to go along with this then I might as well use it toplete my part of the deal for the day.


    "Yeah, it does. Nowe along, quickly," Hayden said without bothering to turn around to look at me.


    It urred to me that this was the first time that I was leaving the penthouse along with Hayden. Usually, we left separately and at different times and never ran into each other. I nced at the tall man that was standing next to me in the elevator with our bodies close and almost touching and wondered what he was thinking with that frown on his handsome face.


    When the elevator reached the ground floor, Hayden stepped out in front of me. I followed him through the lobby and to the front of the building. Wasn¡¯t he going to take the car? Why didn¡¯t he lead me to the parking building?


    I could tell that Hayden was in a rotten mood and he was stressing over something. What that something was, I had no idea. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he ran his fingers through his light blond hair while we just stood there next to each other. I was beginning to wonder what he was waiting for.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 36: Complete Makeover

    Suddenly therge round pattern on the ground started rotating and descending. I stared at it, slightly shocked. I honestly thought that the round pattern on the floor was just for decoration, apparently, that wasn¡¯t so. After descending into the ground, the found tform resurfaced, this time with a bright red Ferrari on it.


    For a moment, I felt like I was watching some sexy cars reveal at a motor show. Both the car and the way that it was transported up in style from the ground definitely made an impact. I couldn¡¯t help staring at the red Ferrari sports car that was now parked in front of me. I hated to admit it but it was crystal clear that Hayden and I came from different worlds.


    Not that I didn¡¯t know that already, but seeing his blunt disy of wealth was just rubbing the truth in my face a little bit too much.


    "Stop staring and get in," Hayden said.


    His hand grabbed my arm and began pulling me towards the car as he opened the passenger seat and shoved me into the car. The ck and red leather seat of the sportscar made me feel out of ce. Hayden got into the driver seat in a hurry and started the car. I sessfully put on my seat belt just a split of a second before Hayden started driving¡­fast.


    I knew that he was in a hurry and not in the best of moods but isn¡¯t this driving a little too reckless? He¡¯s trying to get us both killed in a car crash. Either that, of he wanted to kill me by giving me a heart attack. I screamed when he made a sharp turn that sent the car screeching as it skidded on the road. I grabbed whatever I could find to hang on to dear life.


    "Can¡¯t you drive any slower!" I screamed at Hayden in my fright.


    "Then what¡¯s the point of having a Ferrari?" Hayden asked sounding extremely bored.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­to show off?" I replied, sarcastically.


    "If you think this one is a showoff, just wait till you see the rest of my cars¡­" Hayden said with clear annoyance.


    I couldn¡¯t care less about what car he had or how many. All I cared about at the


    moment was to survive this ride. Plus, I still didn¡¯t know where he was taking me.


    "Where are we going? Can¡¯t you tell me now?" I asked, impatiently.


    "You¡¯ll see¡­" Hayden muttered, his eyes on the road.


    ¡­


    The car came to a screeching stop in front of a fancy building that had arge ss disy. Anyone could tell that this ce was a very upscale beauty salon. A ce that I would never visit in my life¡­normally. However, now I am standing in front of this luxurious beauty salon with Hayden, and it reminded me that my life wasn¡¯t exactly normal right now.


    "What are you spacing out for?" Haydan said as he red at me.


    Without another word, he grabbed my hand and dragged me after him inside of the salon. His hand that held mine was warm and I felt my heartbeat quicken as I watched his broad back in front of me. I wondered why we were here. Does Hayden need an urgent hair cut or something?


    "This is Bruno. Bruno this is Malissa¡­I want you to¡­upgrade her and fast," Hayden said as he introduced me to a middle-aged man.


    I could tell immediately that Bruno was a stylist by the way he dressed, his aura and the way he looked in general. Bruno was just what you would imagine of a gay and talent stylist.


    "Wow¡­where did you pick this¡­rough gem up? How much time do I have, baby?" Bruno said in a high-pitch voice as he looked me up and down as if appraising my worth with his expert eyes.


    "Two hours max. You can manage, right?" Hayden replied hurriedly.


    "Oh¡­of course, but it¡¯s going to cost you¡­extra," Bruno replied with a bright smile full of teeth as he rubbed his thumb and index fingers together. Clearly gesturing for money.


    "Yeah, whatever, just get started," Hayden said with a sigh before plopping down on a sofa as if his job was finally over.


    "Over here, my lovely. My minions¡­over here please!" Bruno said to me as he gestured for me to follow him before calling out to his team members.


    "Wait¡­Hayden?" I said, confused with what was going on.


    Hayden just took out his phone and began ying with it without as much as ncing in my direction. He¡¯s just downright ignoring me right now. What a jerk!


    "This way dear. I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have much time to give you aplete makeover," Bruno said as he pushed my back, urging me deeper into the back of the building.


    "Aplete¡­makeover?" I asked in confusion. That was what he said, right?


    "Yes dear. Complete makeover. Everything¡­you know, everything! Hair, nails, body scrub, makeup, clothes, shoes¡­and everything else," Bruno quickly exined.


    When we entered the area at the back where I guessed the makeover would be taking ce, I was greeted with another five members of Bruno¡¯s team. They began working on me in their respective field of expertise, all at the same time. This was probably to save time since Hayden just gave them two hours only to work their magic.


    Obviously, I have never had a full makeover done by professionals before because I couldn¡¯t afford it and honestly, never thought that I had a need for it. However, I had watched in some series and could imagine what they were going to do to me. The biggest question was, why did Hayden bring me here to get a makeover?


    As Iy on the bed, getting my hair washed and my scalped massage as a facial mask was ced on my face, I began thinking once again why Hayden had arranged this for me? Did he think that I looked so dissatisfactory that I needed aplete makeover?


    That thought just pissed me off and I found myself balling my hands into fists in reflex. That guy is just insulting and driving me insane¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 37: Transformation

    "Miss, please keep your hands rxed by your side. I need to fix the shape of your nails before I start with the nail extensions¡­" a sweet voice said to me.


    Oh right, they¡¯re also working on my nails. I quickly rxed my hand and ced them t on the bed once gain so that they could continue working their magic on me. It was my first time getting a makeover at a salon like this and I was beginning to rx and enjoy myself. I mean, it was nice being pampered and the bed was rxing.


    That, however, does not mean that I had forgiven Hayden or given him credit for anything of this.


    After the two hours was over, Bruno and his team was done with transforming me. My hair was cut and styled into long waves and curls that swept down to my shoulders and the middle of my back. My nails were now long and shapely with an ultra-neat French manicure.


    Bruno had picked out a shy mid-calf dark blue dress with sparkly sequins, a V-neck that I thought showed off a little too much of my cleavage and a slit that ran up too far up the side of my leg. When I tried on the dress, Bruno was so excited and convinced that he had made the right choice and no matter what I said could change his mind.


    "It looks perfect on you like it was made for you. You look gorgeous, sexy, and fierce in it. This is it!" Bruno said with excitement as he pped his hands together repeatedly.


    I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I had to say that I didn¡¯t quite share his excitement. One of his team members helped me slip on a pair of pin-point high heel pumps with a high tform in front. I have never worn a shoe this high before in my entire life. The shoes were a matching color with the dress and went together quite well.


    However, when I looked at my own reflection that was staring back at me, I hardly looked like my old self anymore. My hair was different, and I had a lot of make up on, making my eyes seem wider than before and my lips fuller. I guess this is what the current standard of beauty dictates as beautiful¡­


    "Don¡¯t you think that the dress is a little too¡­revealing?" I asked Bruno as I turned around from side to side to inspect my reflection from various angles. That only confirmed to me that the dress was indeed very revealing.


    "Not at all. It is perfect and makes you look like an angel!" Bruno said proudly.


    I could tell that he truly meant it and that left no room for arguments. On top of that, time was already running out. Bruno inspected me from head to toe onest time before handing me a piece of very expensive looking earrings of blue sapphires and diamonds. Are these real?


    "Let me put these on you real quick and that shouldplete the look as the final touch¡­" Bruno muttered softly as his hands expertly began putting the earrings on me.


    Once the earrings were on, I examined my reflection in the mirror and had to blink rapidly in astonishment. I never knew that adding earrings could truly bring out so much beauty. The earring sparkled in the light and made the outfit that I had on, and my facial features stand out a lot more than before.


    "Hayden surely has great tastes¡­" Bruno said with satisfaction in his voice as he stepped back to examine my reflection in the mirror.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, slightly confused.


    "Oh, you didn¡¯t know? Hayden bought these earrings for you and told me to create a look around it. I think he said something along the lines of it suiting the beauty of your eyes¡­" Bruno said with a big smile on his face.


    Hayden¡­bought these earrings for me? I couldn¡¯t quite believe what I was hearing. Why would he do that? What hidden intentions did he have?


    "I see. No, I didn¡¯t know¡­" I mumbled vaguely as my mind still struggled to process what was going on.


    "Come along now. We shouldn¡¯t keep Hayden waiting any longer than he has to," Bruno said as he ushered me back to the front of the salon where Hayden was waiting.


    It has been a little less than two hours since I left Hayden there on the sofa, I wonder if he¡¯s still there. Bruno led me through the curtains and suddenly, I found myself back in front of the salon. Hayden was still sitting on the sofa with his eyes on the screen of his mobile phone as if I had only been gone for five minutes and nothing more.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes left the screen and nced over at me when he heard the sound of my high heels clicking against the marble floor as I walked forward towards him. If Hayden was impressed with what he saw, he didn¡¯t show it. His face was a handsome unreadable mask as his beautiful blue eyes took in my new look from head to toe, slowly and intently.


    Without a word of praise orment, he silently nodded his head firmly and took out his ck credit card and handed it to a very please-looking Bruno.


    I guess, he liked the transformation enough to pay for it. His eyesnded on my face and for the first time I saw some reaction in his emotionless face. A small smiled curled his lips and for a split second, I thought that his eyes suddenly had a gentle look in them.


    However, his face and eyes reverted to their old emotionless self so fast that I was no longer sure if what I saw was just the result of my own imagination.


    "Let¡¯s go," Hayden said as he stood up from the sofa.


    I quickly thanked Bruno and his team members on the way out before following Hayden back to his car that was parked out front. I realized that I still had no idea where we were headed¡­


    Are we going on date?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 38: Fake Girlfriend

    We arrived at our next destination which was one of the most famous luxury hotels in the city. Hayden parked his car right in front of the hotel lobby¡¯s entrance where a valet dressed in a ck suit came to assist Hayden. Without a word, Hayden ced his hand at the small of my back and began guiding me into the hotel.


    "Don¡¯t act so nervous¡­" Hayden whispered closed to my ear.


    "It¡¯s not like I can help it¡­" I whispered back.


    How can I not be nervous about this? I felt like I was about to have a mental breakdown or a panic attack at any moment. Everything about this ce and this situation made me feel out of ce like a fish out of the waters.


    "Hayden¡­I can¡¯t do this¡­I¡¯m very sorry," I whispered as I suddenly stopped in my tracks.


    "Yes, you can. You look so beautiful tonight, I could mistake you for an angel that came down from the heavens to earth," Hayden whispered closed my ear.


    "You¡¯re so evil¡­" I hissed. I knew he didn¡¯t quite mean what he said but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from feeling a little happy at hispliments.


    "So, I¡¯ve been told¡­" Hayden said as he smiled charmingly at me without a care.


    Now what?


    ¡­


    A while ago while we were in Hayden¡¯s car on the way to our next destination, I began demanding for answers to the endless streams of questions that were floating around in my head. I felt like my head was going to split open if I couldn¡¯t get any answers to them.


    "Why did you make me get a makeover?" I asked, demanding for answers.


    "Because I can¡¯t let you turn up dressed in rags and looking the way you usually do," Hayden answered matter-of-factly.


    "Turn up where? Where are we going?" I asked, raising my voice a little to get his attention.


    "You¡¯ll find out soon. At least now you sorta look the part¡­" Hayden said, his eyes glued to the road.


    "Look the part? What part?" I asked, getting more confused by the minute.


    "Listen to me carefully because I¡¯m only going to tell you this once. I¡¯m taking you to a private party that one of my best friends is hosting. When you¡¯re there all you have to do is act like you¡¯re his girlfriend, ok?" Hayden exined so casually that I didn¡¯t get his message at first.


    "Ok¡­no wait! What? Me¡­act as your friend¡¯s girlfriend?" I replied in shock.


    Of all the crazy scenarios that I had imagined, faking to be his best friend¡¯s girlfriend wasn¡¯t on my list of crazy scenarios. Then again, Hayden asking me to go on a date with him was probably more far-fetched than what I¡¯m facing right now.


    "Isn¡¯t that what I just said?" Hayden said with a hint of annoyance.


    "No¡­that¡¯s crazy. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m doing that¡­" I said firmly, my voice getting louder.


    "Guess you¡¯ve suddenly got the 500 million dors to pay my old man back now, huh?" Hayden asked, his tone so sarcastic that I wanted to box him in the ear.


    I wanted to scream at him. How dare he rub my debt in my face like that? I hated what he was doing so much but as much as I hated to admit it, he was partly right. This was part of fulfilling the deal that I had made with his father. However, how am I supposed to act like a fake girlfriend for a guy that I have never met before?


    "So¡­what do I have to do¡­exactly?" I asked after letting out a resigned sigh.


    "Now you¡¯re finally getting it. The friend that I¡¯ve got to help out is the son of a veryrge conglomerate dealing with shipping and cargo and the like. Basically, his father is trying to get him to date an heiress to a rather big empire made of cash.


    However, as you would expect the ssic story to go, my friend has no interest in that girl and that is where youe in," Hayden exined before turning to wink at me.


    "I guess I have to y the role of his girlfriend to get keep that girl away and to show her that he already has a girlfriend?" I stated my best guess. This is getting so messed up.


    "Exactly right. So, during the party, he will introduce you as his girlfriend and you just y along. Simple," Hayden said.


    He surely made it sound like it was nothing at all. Of course, he could say it however he wanted because he wasn¡¯t the one all dolled up to fool the world.


    "Why do I have to do this? Can¡¯t you¡­hire some girl to do it instead? She¡¯ll probably do a way better job than me," I said, trying to convince Hayden to change his mind and perhaps, turn the car around?


    Hayden nced my way and chuckled at little.


    "You¡¯re perfect because you can look decent while not looking like a hooker. If we¡¯re going to convince that heiress then the girlfriend can¡¯t be some supermodel or hooker, otherwise, she¡¯ll just think that it isn¡¯t a serious rtionship," Hayden exined.


    "Aha¡­" I mumbled, not quite buying his argument but it wasn¡¯t like I had a choice.


    The fake eyshes that I had on felt heavy. My makeup was thick, my high heels were too high, the slit running up my thigh was too revealing, and the waist of my dress felt too tight. Overall, I felt like a walking disaster and couldn¡¯t wait for this to be over and done with.


    "We¡¯ll be arriving soon. My friend¡¯s name is Josh. He¡¯s a decent looking guy¡­or so the girls say¡­" Hayden told me while he continued driving us to our next destination.


    I sat back in my seat and prayed that I could somehow pull this off. I rolled my eyes at Hayden. At that point, I wanted to scream at him that I couldn¡¯t care less what his friend was called or how decently looking he was¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 39: My Fake Boyfriend

    A quick whiz of a private elevator ride took us up to the top floor of the hotel where the exclusive party was being held at the rooftop bar. The moment that the elevator door opened, it was like I was transported into another world or a parallel universe. Everyone in the party had the aura of being someone important or famous and they were all dressed the part.


    I gulped as I felt my legs shaking. Now, I understood why Hayden needed to bring me to Bruno¡¯s for aplete makeover. No way in hell, would anyone believe that I¡¯m the host of this party¡¯s girlfriend if I hadn¡¯t yed dress up. With my makeover, at least I could somehow blend in with this crowd.


    Feeling so nervous and out of ce, I nced over at Hayden just to see that he looked sofortable where he was. It was like he belonged naturally in this environment and that reminded me once again of how different we were.


    "Follow me," Hayden whispered softly into my ears before I felt the warmth of his fingers gently circling my wrist as he took my wrist into his hand.


    "Oh¡­ok¡­" I replied softly, slightly in a daze. My mind focused on the gentle touch of his hand around my wrist.


    Hayden led me through the crowd until we came to an entrance that seemed to be restricted. There were two very big and tall guards standing on either side of the door. However, they nodded firmly in acknowledgement when they saw Hayden¡¯s face. One of the guards bowed politely and opened the door for us to enter.


    "Oh wow! Finally¡­you¡¯re here, Hayden!"


    A man¡¯s voice called out excitedly the moment that we walked in through the door. I didn¡¯t have to make a wild guess to realize that that voice belonged to Josh, one of Hayden¡¯s best friends¡­and my fake boyfriend for the night.


    "I wish I didn¡¯t need to be here¡­but¡­" Hayden said to his friend in a monotone voice.


    "Don¡¯t be like that! You¡¯re going to kill the mood," Josh said as he came to p Hayden on the back.


    "Yeah¡­whatever you say¡­" Hayden replied coldly, shrugging off Josh¡¯s arm from around his shoulders.


    I just stood behind Hayden as the two men spoke to each other, unsure what I should be doing in this situation. Do I introduce myself?


    "Oh...and who would this stunning woman be?" Josh said as his eyes fell on me.


    Now that he was up close, I had to say that Josh was way more than decent looking. He was at least worthy of the words ¡¯super handsome¡¯. Josh had very sharp and manly features, dark brown hair and matching eyes and a beard. His piercing only added to his alluring bad boy look and the thin white shirt he had on did nothing to hide his rip tan muscles that were underneath.


    He wasn¡¯t as tall as Hayden, but he was still very tall and his smile was stunning as well.


    I guess just like how beautiful girls like to stick together, good looking guys probably did the same?


    "This is Malissa," Hayden introduced me curtly.


    "I didn¡¯t know that you had a girlfriend," Josh said, his eyes never leaving my face. His intense gaze was starting to make me blush.


    "She¡¯s not my girlfriend but she¡¯s going to be acting as your girlfriend for the duration of this party," Hayden stated factually.


    "Oh¡­so she¡¯s the one that you were telling me about. I honestly didn¡¯t think that she would be such a beauty," Josh said as he smiled at me.


    "Thank you¡­nice to meet you," I said a little shyly.


    "The pleasure is all mine, trust me," Josh said, his smile reaching his eyes.


    Josh seemed like a very nice and easy-going person. His way of speaking was kind, refined and well-mannered, although he could sound a little on the flirty side. However, I didn¡¯t mind that.


    "So, what do we do now?" Hayden asked, impatiently.


    "Janine should be here soon¡­unfortunately," Josh said as he shook his head in dismay.


    "Well, good luck to you both," Hayden said, clearly suggesting that his role was over and that whatever happened next wasn¡¯t his problem.


    "Have a seat, Malissa," Josh said as he gestured for me to sit on the long red velvet sofa.


    Hayden sat down on a sofa on the opposite side without waiting for an invitation. I could tell that he felt totally at home in this ce.


    "Thank you¡­" I whispered politely as I approached the sofa and slowly sat down.


    I wondered what I had to do exactly when Janine arrived. I still felt a little awkward around Josh and the fact that Hayden is just sitting there wasn¡¯t helping at all.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do all the talking and you just need to follow along, that¡¯s all," Josh said to me as if he could read the worry in my mind.


    Josh came and sat down next to me. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was overthinking it, but it seemed like he was sitting quite close to me¡­too close. I could feel the heat of his body as his body brushed against mine when he moved. I felt the head of his thigh next to mine and that just made me more nervous about this situation.


    I nced over at Hayden and saw that he was totally spaced out without a care in the world. That bastard clearly isn¡¯t going to offer me any help at all. As far as I¡¯m concerned, he might as well not be here at all. I felt so angry, knowing that I¡¯m stuck in this bizarre situation because of him and he¡¯s not doing anything to take responsibility.


    "Umm¡­ok¡­" I mumbled in response.


    Josh shed me a reassuring smile and asked if I wanted something to drink. I knew that I wasn¡¯t great at holding my alcohol, so I asked for some juice instead. I could definitely use the sugar right now. A waiter appeared in no time at all to serve my order. I sipped at the juice as I pondered what best to do in this situation.


    Without another option, I decided to let Josh take the lead and just do whatever seemed to make sense at the time.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 40: Meeting an Heiress

    "So, how do you know Hayden?" Josh asked as he tried to make light conversation with me.


    Unknowingly, he¡¯s causing both Hayden and me much difort. I nced over at Hayden, begging him to answer the question. I bet Hayden had decided not to tell anyone about our strange living arrangement and rtionship. I mean, even I decided not to tell anyone about our bizarre situation.


    "She¡¯s just a girl that I know¡­" Hayden answered vaguely.


    "Oh yeah?" Josh replied, clearly dissatisfied with Hayden¡¯s vague answer.


    Thankfully, Josh didn¡¯t push the topic any further and switched to asking me random questions about myself instead such as what I was up totely. He showed genuine interest when I told him that I¡¯m studying art. Overall, Josh and I seemed to get along just fine, and he was a very sociable person.


    "Do you have a good memory by any chance?" Josh asked out of nowhere.


    "I guess my memory is decent¡­" I replied, a little surprise at his seemingly random question.


    "Good¡­read and remember this," Josh said as he took out a small piece of paper from his shirt pocket and handed it over to me.


    I looked down at the paper in my hand and realized that it was a mini factsheet about Josh. Details such as his birthday, favorite food, favorite color was among the various things listed there.


    "I see¡­" I muttered.


    I guess I must learn this in case I¡¯m asked. I found this quite amusing and began chuckling a little to myself.


    "I see why you think this is funny," Josh said.


    "Do you really think that she may ask these questions?" I asked.


    "You never know¡­I hope these questions are the only thing she asks¡­" Josh muttered under his breath as if he was talking to himself.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that he was the stark contrast to his best friend, Hayden. I wonder how these two became best friends despite being pr opposites. The more I chatted with Josh, the more I managed to rx, and I began to enjoy myself and hispany.


    Reflecting on Josh¡¯s situation made me realize that his situation wasn¡¯t exactly that different from mine and Hayden¡¯s. I guess parents of the rich and wealthy had a thing for arranging marriages for their children. The big difference was that I owed Hayden¡¯s father a huge debt while the other girl in question was a rich heiress in her own right. I guess I could understand him¡­


    I studied the paper andmitted the details on the paper to my memory as best as I could.


    "Miss Janine is here," a bodyguard came in to inform us.


    At his notice, I sat up straight and alert on the sofa. Janine is here! Switch into fake girlfriend mode now! What am I supposed to do?


    Josh sighed loudly and I could tell that he was dreading the arrival of this moment a lot more than I did. Slowly, as if his body weighted a ton, Josh got up from the sofa and extended a hand towards me.


    "Let¡¯s go face our princess¡­" Josh said as he beckoned me to take his hand.


    Although I was confused, I decided to take his hand and he pulled me firmly to my feet. I guess we¡¯re not meeting that Janine person here in this private lounge after all.


    "We¡¯re not meeting her here?" I asked.


    "No¡­we¡¯ll be meeting her in another room. This private longue is usually reserved for Hayden, me and a couple of our other friends," Josh exined as he headed for the door.


    I nced over at Hayden who was still seated. Was he honestly going to let me go with Josh alone? How heartless could this guy be. However, just when I reached the door, Hayden sighed loudly and got up from the sofa. I turned to look at him in amazement. For some reason, I felt more reassured now that Hayden wasing with us.


    "What are you looking at?" Hayden asked as he walked past me and out the door.


    For the life of me, I could never figure out what Hayden was thinking. I shook my head to clear my thoughts before following the two guys out the door. We followed Josh through the throng of people who were enjoying themselves. Dancing andworking seemed to be the main activity of his party.


    Josh greeted and was greeted by many people along our walk there. Hayden was greeted by many people as well, but he only responded by a brief wave of his hand. We arrived at our destination much faster than I had thought.


    Now that we¡¯re standing right in front of the door to the longue where Janine was waiting for us, I felt extremely nervous. I could feel cold sweat on my hands.


    "You don¡¯t have to do anything¡­just hook arms with me and sit by my side, ok?" Josh said as he offered me a cheerful smile.


    Josh took my left hand and ced it on the crook of his arm. I nced over at Hayden nervously only to see his expressionless face staring back at me. His light blue eyes werepletely void of emotions. The next moment, I heard the door opening and I was being led into the room by Josh.


    This is it¡­


    "Josh¡­and Hayden"


    A woman with beautiful sun-tanned skin and long auburn hair greeted Josh and Hayden the moment that we entered the room. She obviously knew the two guys. After that she narrowed her eyes at me as she seemed to have registered my presence and how I was holding onto Josh¡¯s arm. However, she did not say anything to me at all and perhaps, that said it all.


    "It¡¯s good to see you again," Josh said, sounding very diplomatic.


    The smile that was on Janine¡¯s plump lips fell and tension rose exponentially in the room. I tightened my hold on Josh¡¯s arm as my nervousness returned. Janine¡¯s presence was somehow very intimidating. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was her beauty or the way she handled herself but there was something about her that felt like serious business.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 41: Wicked Challenge

    "It is wonderful to see you. I¡¯m sure that my father has¡­spoken to your father¡­" Janine said as a frosty smile reappeared on her lips and she flickered her eyes in my direction.


    "About that, I would like to apologize for the misunderstanding. You see, I already have a girlfriend. Let me introduce her to you, this is Malissa, my girlfriend," Josh said as he proudly put an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to his body.


    Oh my¡­did he just introduce me using my real name? This is going to get ugly. I nted a smile onto my face and tried to look as happy as I could no matter how much I wanted to run away on the inside.


    Janine looked at me in clear shock at the words that she had just heard.


    "A misunderstanding? I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re referring to," Janine said, her voice cunningly cold.


    "My father made a mistake. He probably didn¡¯t know that I¡¯ve been dating Malissa and so he made that proposal to your father," Josh said apologetically.


    "Your father and mine agreed for us to be engaged for the sake of our businesses. Surely, you won¡¯t let such an insignificant thing like your rtionship with that dear girl ruin everything, right?" Janine said as her sharp gaze fell on me.


    Great. Just like her words, her gaze is making me feel like an ¡¯insignificant thing¡¯. How rude can this woman be?!


    No wonder Josh doesn¡¯t want to marry her. No one on this should marry her!


    I kept my mouth shut just as I was told and just sat next to Josh. Hayden continued to be withdrawn and sat there in silence throughout the ordeal so far.


    "I¡¯m really in love with Malissa," Josh said passionately.


    He¡¯s such a good actor, honestly. If I didn¡¯t know that he was faking it, I think I could have believed him. However, I knew that Janine would not back down that easily. Her mind seemed super made up to marry him.


    "Really? You know, thest time I checked you were single and fooling around all over the ce. Is this girl really your girlfriend?" Janine asked challengingly.


    "Your sources are probably inurate then. I¡¯ve been dating Malissa for a while now," Josh replied, unfazed.


    "Hey, Malissa. You¡¯ve been so silent. Tell me, when is Josh¡¯s birthday? His favorite food? His favorite color? His favorite holiday destination?" Janine asked me, her eyes wide and aggressive.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. She¡¯s really asking these questions to test me just as Josh had predicted. I racked my brain for the information from that little cheat sheet that Josh had me memorize. Slowly but correctly, I gave her the answers to all her questions.


    "We¡¯ve really been dating for a while now. I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding as well," I said in a small voice after I had answered her questions.


    Janine looked at me with narrowed eyes as if still not believing our lies. I started wondering what we needed to do to get her to believe us so that we can finally go home.


    "Kiss her, Josh," Janine said with an evil grin.


    What did she just say?


    "Excuse me?" I squeaked.


    "I said, kiss. This should be nothing if you¡¯re really dating, right?" Janine said, her narrowed eyes watched us.


    My body froze at this unexpected turn of events. What do we do now? We¡¯re not really going to kiss, right? I definitely had a problem with kissing a stranger.


    "Umm¡­" I began saying.


    "Of course," Josh said agreeably.


    I turned to him with my eyes wide opened in shock. He¡¯s ying along? What about me?


    "Come here, baby¡­" Josh said in a sweet and seductive voice as his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to his body.


    He really intends to kiss me. What now? If I push him away, then we¡¯ll be found out but¡­it¡¯s not like I want him to kiss me either.


    Unsure of what to do, I nced in panic over at Hayden. He¡¯s not just going to sit there like nothing is happening, right?


    Josh is pulling me closer to him now as his face ising closer¡­


    We¡¯re going to end of kissing at this rate¡­


    "You all have to stop this non-sense," Hayden spoke up loudly for the first time as banged his hand on the table and got up from his seat.


    Everyone froze and turned to look at Hayden, shocked at his sudden outburst.


    "What do you mean, Hayden? Stay out of this," Janine snapped.


    "Seriously, who in their right mind would want a crazy woman like you as their wife? Hmm¡­Janine?" Hayden snapped back.


    "How dare you speak to me like that?" Janine shouted.


    "I can talk to you however I want. If you don¡¯t like it, you can go crying back to your dad," Hayden said with a shrug.


    "What?" Janine said in shock.


    "You act so smart but you¡¯re so brainless. You see, it doesn¡¯t matter if Malissa is really Josh¡¯s girlfriend or not. What matters is that he clearly doesn¡¯t want to marry you. Business gain or no business gain," Hayden said, acting very fed up with this whole thing.


    "Josh is going to marry me because our fathers agreed to it," Janine said stubbornly.


    "Well, that¡¯s your problem because Josh never agreed to it. You could always marry Josh¡¯s dad though. Last I heard, he¡¯s single. Easier to get business gains too," Hayden suggested.


    "Janine. Hayden is right. Even without Malissa in the picture, I still wouldn¡¯t marry you. I¡¯m not ready to get married to anyone¡­" Josh said as he also got up from his seat.


    I watched silently as Janine seemed to boil with anger, her entire face turning bright red. I was quite certain that Janine was used to getting her way.


    "I think you should just leave for today," Hayden said emotionlessly as he gestured towards the door with his hand.


    "This isn¡¯t over yet. I¡¯m going to make sure that you and your father regrets this!" Janine shouted before grabbing her purse and headed for the door.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 42: Disguised Danger

    The three of us watched as she stormed out of the door. Josh and I let out a sigh of pure relief now that Janine was gone. I wasn¡¯t sure if I would call our mission a sess but at least Janine was gone, and I guess that I can go home now.


    "Sorry for scary you a little back there. Thank you so much for your help," Josh thanked me as he took my hand in his.


    "Oh¡­d that I could help¡­" I replied, putting on a smile. Truthfully, I was still recovering from the shock.


    "Let¡¯s go back," Hayden said to me as he turned to head for the door.


    "Wait. Why don¡¯t you two stay and enjoy the party before you go? I mean, you¡¯re here anyways," Josh suggested with a warm smile.


    Hayden didn¡¯t say no to his friend¡¯s request. Josh led us outside to where the main party was going on. I didn¡¯t know anyone, obviously, but Hayden seemed to know many people who were there. Once we were out of the private lounge a beautiful blonde woman in a very showy red dress came bounding up to Hayden immediately.


    "Hayden! Oh¡­I¡¯ve been waiting for you," the woman said, her red tinted lips curving into a seductive smile.


    "What do you want?" Hayden said, his eyes cold.


    The woman seemed unfazed by Hayden¡¯s cold reception. I guess there are some women who are attracted to his cold character¡­


    "You never got back to mest time. I have so many things I have to tell youe here¡­" the beautiful woman pleaded as she grabbed Hayden¡¯s right arm and started pressing herself against his side.


    "That¡¯s Danie¡­she and Hayden¡¯s got history¡­" Josh whispered into my ear.


    I just nodded absentmindedly as we both stood there watching Hayden being dragged away by Danie. Josh shook his head from side to side as heughed a little to himself. On the other hand, I was boiling with anger. How dare he bring me to this party to use me and then leave me behind with his friend while he goes off with another woman? Oh¡­the nerve!


    "Don¡¯t worry about Hayden. He¡¯ll be back in no time. What about we got get a little something to drink?" Josh suggested with a friendly smile.


    At least Josh was being friendly and hospitable towards me, unlike a certain someone. I let Josh take my hand in his as he led me after him to the bar.


    "What would you like?" Josh asked.


    "Something not strong¡­maybe a cocktail?" I replied a little hesitantly.


    "Sure. Let me pick one for you," Josh said.


    Josh expertly ordered a cocktail for me and a drink for himself. We sat next to each other on the bar stools as we chatted and waited for the arrival of our drinks.


    "Thank you so much for today. It must have been hard on you, getting pulled into this and all¡­" Josh thanked me again.


    "Oh¡­it¡¯s ok. I hope¡­things work out well with Janine," I said, truly meaning it.


    My life wasplicated now too so I could understand his frustrations. I guess we all have our own set of trouble in our lives.


    Soon our drinks arrived. I looked at the orange and pink cocktail in my hand, admiring how pretty it looked. The cocktail tasted sweet and refreshing when I took a sip. It has a fruity smell as well. I really liked it.


    "You like it?" Josh asked, smiling at me.


    "Yes. It¡¯s just the right level of sweet and the fruity smell is nice," I replied as I began drinking more of the cocktail.


    I wondered where Hayden is right now. Josh did say that he would return soon, and I hoped that that was true. I wanted to leave the party already. After all, I still feel like I don¡¯t belong in this ce.


    Josh and I talked about random things as I continued to drink my cocktail. I found Josh to be a very funny and outgoing person. Iughed along with almost everything that he said and soon I was beginning to enjoy myself. What I didn¡¯t realize was that I had been drinking a lot too while I chatted happily with Josh.


    "Should we go wait for Hayden in the private lounge? Maybe he¡¯s there already," Josh suggested as he took a look at his watch.


    "Oh¡­right," I agreed.


    The moment I stood up from the bar stool, my head felt light, and I found it hard to maintain my bnce. I gripped the bar table with my hand to steady myself. Josh was there immediately to provide me support. He looped an arm around my waist to support me as I leaned my body against his.


    "Are you ok?" he asked with care.


    "Yes¡­" I replied.


    My head felt a little blurry, but I guessed that I will be ok. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m drunk or anything. Afterall, I only had two cocktails and they didn¡¯t seem strong. Maybe I¡¯m a little tipsy¡­that¡¯s all.


    When we started walking, my legs felt weak, and I had to rely on Josh for support all the way back to the private longue that we were in. Josh was strong so he had no problem taking me there. However, when we arrived the longue was empty. There was no sign of Hayden.


    Josh slowly settled me down on therge sofa before sitting next to me. I realized once again that he was sitting very close to me.


    "Malissa¡­" Josh called my name sweetly.


    "¡­Yes?" I turned to look at him. My head feels so heavy right now.


    "You¡¯re so beautiful¡­" Josh whispered seductively close to my ear. I could feel his warm breath on my earlobe.


    "Josh!" I eximed his name in shock when I felt his arms hugging me tightly to his body.


    Everything happened so fast that I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. My body froze at the shock at his aggressive attack. His arms around me tightened as he buried his face in the side of my neck. Instinctively, I began pushing me away. I hated how his touches felt on my skin.


    "Don¡¯t struggle¡­I¡¯ll make you feel good too," Josh whispered against the skin of my neck.


    "Stop!" I cried out as loudly as I could.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 43: Devil Savior

    His lips were persistent in nting kisses on the side of my neck as his hand began groping my breasts. I cursed myself for letting myself get into this morbid situation. I should have seen thising. However, rather than ming my past self, I needed to figure out how to get out of here and away from Josh.


    Hisrge hand squeezed my breast, and I was repulsed by his touch. I started hitting him as hard as I could as I squirmed in his arms, but I wasn¡¯t strong enough to push him away. His lips had begun nibbling on my neck before he started sucking on my skin. His hands were restless as it stroked my breasts and then my legs.


    "Stop! Please stop this!" I continued to scream as he continued to harass me.


    That was when I realized that we were inside his private lounge. Who coulde and save me now?


    I could smell Josh¡¯s cologne as it filled my senses and the wetness of his kisses along my neck. His hands fondled my body, my breasts, and my ass. It felt disgusting. It felt so dirty¡­


    I want to get out of here.


    Somebody please help me!


    Hayden! Please help me, Hayden!


    Before I realized it, I had started sobbing.


    I took in arge breath before I shouted at the top of my lungs¡­


    "Hayden!!!"


    There was a loud mming sound, and my eyes flew wide open at the same time that the door to the private lounge was swung open. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing. If this is a dream, please don¡¯t let me wake up. If this is my imagination, please make ite true.


    There standing in the doorway was the man I had just called for. It was Hayden.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name as tears streamed down my face.


    I watched in slow motion as Hayden strode into the lounge wordlessly.


    Josh was equally as shocked as I was at Hayden¡¯s sudden appearance. He had stopped kissing and caressing me as he watched Hayden approach us. Hayden¡¯s face was void of emotions and he did not say a single word.


    "Hayden?" Josh said his friends name in confusion.


    What happened next happened so fast that I wasn¡¯t sure if I saw it correctly. However, what was certain was that somehow Joshnded face first on the floor with a loud thud. Hayden approached us and suddenly grabbed the front of Josh¡¯s shirt before yanking him up from the sofa. Then Hayden punched him in the face with so much force that Josh fell onto the floor.


    I heard Josh moaning in pain as he struggled to get up. I knew Hayden wasn¡¯t a man of many words, but I was surprised that he hasn¡¯t said anything yet since he had entered the room. I quickly adjusted my clothes as I stared at Hayden¡¯s broad back. Hayden stood with his back turned towards me as if shielding me behind him.


    "What are you doing? Are you crazy?!" Josh shouted as he struggled to get back on his feet.


    Josh¡¯s mouth had split and was bleeding quite heavily. Hayden must have punched him hard. Without replying to his friend, Hayden walked towards Josh and kicked him in the stomach making Josh fall back onto the ground. I watched dumbstruck as Hayden pulled Josh up and punched his face again and again and again.


    In that moment, Hayden didn¡¯t seem like himself. He was like the demon enacting punishment on man as he continued to beat Josh without making a single sound. All I could hear was Josh crying out in pain as he struggled to fight back to no avail and my own cries and sobs.


    I have to stop Hayden¡­


    "Hayden! Enough! Please stop¡­" I pleaded as I threw my arms around Hayden¡¯s waist.


    I used all the strength that I could muster to pull Hayden back. Needless to say, I wasn¡¯t strong enough to aplish that feat. However, Hayden did seem to calm down as he stopped beating up Josh.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name with a mix of worry and shock.


    Before I could say anything more, I heard loud noises from outside before a few bodyguards ran into the room. They seemed shocked as well at the scene before them.


    "Mister Josh, are you alright?" one of the guards said as he crouched down to support Josh up from the floor.


    Josh was hurt but it clearly wasn¡¯t life threatening. I hated to admit it, but I did not have an ounce of sympathy for him at all in that moment. If Hayden hadn¡¯t turned up, I hated to imagine what that man would have done to me.


    Josh sat up with the help of one of the guards while the other guards stared at Hayden and his blood covered knuckles. However, they did not dare to approach Hayden at all.


    "What the fuck¡­Hayden?" Josh muttered before he spat out blood from his mouth onto the floor.


    "I could ask you the same thing. What the fuck were you doing, Josh¡­" Hayden spoke for the first time and his voice was freezing cold. His light blue eyes were like frozenkes; however, I could see the fires of anger burning just underneath their surface.


    "You told me that she¡¯s not your girlfriend!" Josh cried out in confusion.


    Apparently, he still didn¡¯t understand what was wrong about what he did to me.


    "So, you could harass and rape her if she isn¡¯t my girlfriend?" Hayden asked. His eyes¡­are so cold and scary.


    "You low born mafia gangsters really can¡¯t stop yourself from getting violent now, can you? Guards, get them out!" Josh screamed as he pointed his finger at Hayden.


    "Violent? You haven¡¯t seen the start of violence yet¡­" Hayden said without backing down.


    I was so scared that another fight would break out at this point. More than anything, I was scared that Hayden would get hurt. If the guards got involved in the fight, Hayden would get hurt. I need to stop him.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 44: Ticking Time Bomb

    "Hayden¡­please stop. I¡¯m scared¡­let¡¯s just go¡­" I pleaded as I tugged on his arm.


    "Yeah! Just go! Get out of my party," Josh spat as he shooed us with his hand.


    "Touch her again and I¡¯ll do more than just kill you and your entire family¡­" Hayden said emotionlessly as if stating a fact.


    It was worse than a threat, to him, it was the just the in truth. I saw the image of Hayden¡¯s father whacking him with a gun and I could imagine his words bing true.


    Hayden grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the lounge without looking back. The guards looked at each other awkwardly before they just stood there silently, watching Hayden and I leave. His hands are so cold, and they gripped mine so tightly that it hurts. He was walking way to fast for me to keep up and I had to run after him.


    My mind was clearer now, I guess the shock from all that had happened helped dampen the effects of the alcohol. That or I just had enough time to sober up a bit.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name softly, but he didn¡¯t turn around or acknowledge me at all.


    I could tell that he was angry, like really really angry. He dragged me behind him all the way to his car and then opened the passenger door and shoved me into the car. I heard the car door close with a m and then Hayden got into the driver¡¯s seat.


    I have never seen Hayden so mad before. To be honest, I have never seen anyone this angry before in my life and he was scaring me. I didn¡¯t know how to react or what to say. The worst part was that throughout it all, Hayden had not said anything to me.


    Without even ncing over at me, Hayden started the car and began driving at a much faster speed than on the way here. I think we didn¡¯t drive for long but the suffocating atmosphere inside the car made it feel as if many eternities had passed. The silence was killing me.


    Hayden kept his eyes on the road, his face nk and stiff like stone. I nced at him from time to time, but I couldn¡¯t see any change in his stiff handsome face. I was so scared. Somehow, I knew that under that calm surface was a bomb ticking and just waiting to explode.


    The car came to a sudden stop, and I knew immediately that we were not back at the penthouse building. I looked outside the car window and saw that we were in a very isted and dark park. The park was empty at this time of night, and it was quite dark with only a few public lights on. The clearing where Hayden had parked the car was small and surrounded by very tall trees like a mini forest.


    I had no idea why Hayden had brought us here, but I knew that it couldn¡¯t be anything good. My guess was confirmed when I turned to look at Hayden and saw that he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name so softly that I could barely hear myself.


    Hayden got out of the car,pletely ignoring me, leaving me to wonder where he was going. I sat there in the passenger seat feeling lost as I heard the sound of the car¡¯s door mming on the driver side. However, Hayden just walked over to my side of the car.


    "Hayden?" I called his name softly and questioningly as Hayden yanked the door on my side of the car open.


    I stared at his stone-cold blue eyes as he loomed over me. The moonlight shiny from behind him hid a part of his face in the shadow and the scene of his attractive face had me captivated. Without uttering a word, Hayden reached out and grabbed my wrist before yanking hard on it. He pulled me out of the car, and I cried out in surprise.


    Suddenly, I felt the hardness of the car against my back as Hayden pressed my body against the car with a hard thump, trapping me between hisrge frame and the car. He¡¯s so close, I could feel the length of his body on mine as he pressed his hips into mine.


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name softly as my eyes searched his face wildly for any signs that could tell me what was going on inside his head.


    His hand still gripped my wrist tightly as he studied my face very closely. I wonder what he saw in my eyes because I still couldn¡¯t see anything in his well-trained emotionless eyes. We stared deep into each other¡¯s eyes and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped just for us.


    "Hayden¡­let go¡­" I said as I tried to struggle against his hold.


    That just made me hold my wrist tighter and it was starting to hurt. I stopped struggling immediately and his hold loosened in response. I hated his blue and empty eyes because I couldn¡¯t read them. I hated the way they seem to see through me and everything that I was thinking.


    "Why did you let him touch you like that?" Hayden said after being silent after all this time.


    "What? I didn¡¯t let him touch me¡­he just did it¡­" I said, firmly stating the truth.


    "Really? It looked like you two were pretty chummy. Are you sure that you weren¡¯t intentionally leading him on?" Hayden hissed, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at me.


    "I never did anything like that!" I denied loudly.


    "You were pretty happy when he held your hand. You were smiling an awful lot too," Hayden stated his observation. His tone emotionless.


    "No¡­I¡­" I continued to deny his ims.


    "Tell me, Malissa, who is the owner of this little left hand of yours?" Hayden asked,cing his fingers with the fingers of my left hand.


    Ok¡­I think I¡¯m starting to get what this whole mess was about now. Hayden is upset because someone else touched his ¡¯property¡¯.


    "Yours¡­" I replied, telling him exactly what he wanted to hear.


    "Good. Then why did you let someone else touch it!" Hayden screamed so loudly at me that I winced and screwed my eyes shut.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 45: Trapped by Seduction

    "You told me to act like his girlfriend¡­so I thought that it was ok¡­" I replied honestly. I was doing it all for Hayden so why was he so mad at me.


    "Did it feel good? Did you like it when he touched you?" Hayden said, his face darkening.


    "What are you talking about?!" I screamed at him, finally at the end of my wits.


    He was the one who told me to do it and then when I got into trouble, he¡¯s ming it on me. I never wanted to y the role of Josh¡¯s girlfriend to start with and of course I hated it when he touched me like that.


    "You should have just asked me nicely if you wanted to do it so much," Hayden hissed into my ear.


    Hayden grabbed my hair and pulled on it, yanking my head to the side to expose the side of my neck to him. I felt his hot and wet lips suck on the side of my neck, hard. I whimpered when he dug his teeth into my soft and sensitive skin as he nibbled and bit on the side of my neck.


    Whenever I struggled against him, he would respond by pushing his hips closer to mine. I felt so trapped between his tall frame and the car behind me. I could feel the heat of his body on me as he continued to embrace me.


    "You¡¯re¡­crazy¡­" I spat at him.


    "Let me see where he touched you¡­" Hayden whispered as if he had really lost it.


    His hands tore at the front of my dress, ripping the fabric from the V-neck and down to my waist. My naked upper body was exposed to him in an instant as he peeled the dress away from me. He grabbed my breast and squeezed it firmly before fondling it roughly. I felt hisrge hands ying with my breasts roughly and it started to hurt a little.


    "No¡­let go, Hayden!" I cried out.


    My body had started to react to his touches. His hot hands on my naked breast were starting to stir up pleasure inside of me. His rough touch was fondling my breasts in all the right ways and my body started growing hot with passion at his seductive touches. It was rough but¡­it was starting to feel extremely pleasurable. My body betrayed me readily by aching for more of his touch.


    The cold air on my skin reminded me that we were outdoors¡­


    "So, you¡¯d readily let him fondle you, but I can¡¯t?" Hayden asked sarcastically.


    "I never allowed him to. None of this would¡¯ve happened if you didn¡¯t go off with some random girl!" I shouted at him. It was true¡­if Hayden didn¡¯t go off with that blonde girl, then¡­


    "Are you that jealous of her?" Hayden leered at me.


    "Of course not!" I yelled back at him.


    I cried out when his fingers began attacking my sensitive nipples. He stroked them and pinched them until I felt my nipples grow hard and taunt at his touch. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from moaning deliciously at the pleasure each time my nipples were pinched by his fingertips. Hayden rolled my nipples around, applying just enough pleasure to make me feel good without hurting me too much.


    "Ah¡­Hayden¡­" I began moaning and calling out his name as my passion took over.


    My whole body felt hot, and I could feel the pleasure that he stirred in my breast spreading to other parts of my body. My pussy felt hot and ached with need as it spasmed in rhythm of his fingers pinching my nipples. I felt myself getting wet as my heat and wetness spread out from the slit in between my legs, wetting my panties.


    "You¡¯re so wet¡­did my friend turn you on so much?" Hayden leered at me.


    "No¡­" I whimpered in reply.


    I wasn¡¯t wet because of Josh¡­I was wet with my desire for Hayden.


    Shove two of his much longer and thicker inside of my hole, I cried out loudly as I felt the sharp prating sensation of his fingers. His thick fingers stretched my open before they invaded my insides, stroking along my pussy walls until the entire length of his fingers were buried deep inside of my wet tunnel.


    I didn¡¯t want to admit it even to myself but, his fingers felt so much more pleasurable than my own. Their thickness and length filled me and fulfilled my need as he started to move his fingers, pumping them in and out of my hole. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from crying out at the intense pleasure that I felt deep inside of my burning hot core.


    The stimtion from his fingertips rubbing and pushing against my sensitive spot was driving me crazy with lust for him.


    I felt my entire body burning up and melting at his seductive touches.


    "Tell me that it feels good. Your hips are moving so hard against my hand and you¡¯re getting wetter and wetter down here¡­" Hayden whispered seductively to me.


    "No¡­Hayden¡­" I said in between my passionate moans and harsh breathing.


    "Good, call out my name. I¡¯ll make you cum as many times as you want," Hayden said confidently.


    His fingers ravaged my insides with his hard and fast thrusts, leaving me gasping for air as my body writhed against his hand. My hips moved wildly as if it had a will of its own, trapped between his manly body and the side of his car. I cried out louder when Hayden¡¯s fingers found the sensitive spot deep inside of my love tunnel and began thrusting firmly against it.


    "Hayden¡­Ahhhh¡­" I whimpered his name in between my erotic moans as I felt myself getting closer to my release.


    My pussy spasmed and clenched around his fingers and I was sure that Hayden could feel my climax approaching as well. I could lie to him with my words, but the reactions of my body couldn¡¯t lie to him at all.


    "Your pussy is clenching so hard around my fingers. You¡¯re about to cum, aren¡¯t you?" Hayden said.


    "No¡­no¡­" I whimpered as my whole body started trembling and I felt like I was about to lose my mind.


    "Cum for me, Malissa¡­" Hayden whispered into my ear.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 46: Bold Escape

    His hot breath tickling my ear and his thick fingers pounding into my sopping wet hole sent me over the edge. I screamed so loudly,pletely forgetting that we were outdoors and in public as my orgasm hit me hard.


    Hayden slowly withdrew his fingers from my flooded love tunnel. I felt his heat leaving me as he slowly moved away from me to give me more space to recover from my intense climax. My legs felt so weak, and I could hardly stand. I held onto the car as I slowly melted down into a pile of mush on the floor.


    I felt my own wetness running down my inner thighs from my opening and realized that Hayden made me cum so much.


    After a little while of rest, I was able to catch my breath and sit up properly as I leaned my back against the side of Hayden¡¯s car. I looked around and realized that Hayden was leaning on a nearby tree at the edge of the clearing as he watched me.


    I looked down at my torn-up dress. Not that I cared about it, I never liked this dress anyways. Screw the dress, I didn¡¯t even like myself right now. What did I ever do to deserve this?


    Whatever I did seemed wrong. I escaped being raped by Josh because Hayden saved me but then he just seduced me as punishment. I hated this¡­I hated everything about this. Why must I be stuck with this monster?!


    I gazed down at the ground and realized that my sight was blurry. My tears were blocking my vision and soon I felt their warmth on my cheeks. Why am I even crying? I know well that nothing is going to change no matter how much I cried.


    Without thinking, I slowly slipped on the partially torn dress, pulling it over my shoulder. Then I reached for the high heels that I had been wearing and carefully removed them from my feet. It¡¯s so dark¡­and the woods that surrounded us looked like forests.


    I might regret thister and its chance of sess was slim. However, at that moment, all I wanted was freedom¡­enough that I would risk my life and everything for it¡­


    I took in a deep breath and slowly stood up. I shook my head from side to side to clear my head. I nced over at Hayden and wished with all my heart that this would be thest time that I would have toy eyes on him.


    "You know¡­" I began saying, very surprised at how steady my voice sounded despite how shaken I was feeling inside.


    "What did you say?" Hayden asked.


    He was still leaning leisurely against the same tree as before as he watched me. I turned to face him directly as I stared at him head on.


    "This maye as a surprise to you but¡­I¡¯m human even if you don¡¯t seem to see me or treat me as one. I¡¯d have you know that your sexual harassment doesn¡¯t bother me at all. Even if my body responds naturally to your touch, my heart will never feel anything for you. I wish you burn in the mes of hell where you belong! I hate you, Hayden!" I screamed at him at the top of my lungs.


    Hayden seemed confused at my sudden outburst which was exactly what I wanted. He looked at me with narrowed eyes, but he didn¡¯t say anything in response. I stared back at him as my hand slowly lifted up my shoes. I threw the shoes at him with all my strength.


    I didn¡¯t stay long enough to see whether or now I had hit him. That wasn¡¯t want I wanted. What I wanted was to distract him enough to give me a head start in my escape. Once the shoes left my hands, I turned and started running as fast as I could into the dark forest.


    I couldn¡¯t run in those damn heels anyways, so what¡¯s the point of keeping them? If I could use them to slow Hayden down even by just a second, then I¡¯ll do it.


    Farewell, Hayden. I hope we don¡¯t even cross paths again. I haven¡¯t figured out what to do next with my life and my debt, but I didn¡¯t care anymore. All I have to aplish for now it to get out of this ce and away from Hayden. Forever¡­


    I sprinted into the forest, feeling the sensation of dried leaves being crushed under my feet. There was just enough moonlight for me to see vaguely in the forest; however, it was still dark. I focused on just going straight. If I could just lose Hayden, then I can always find my way back to the main road or somethingter.


    After all, perhaps my fears were unfounded. It wasn¡¯t like Hayden wanted me back so it might just turn out that he wouldn¡¯t chase after me at all. I didn¡¯t let myself wonder or turn back to look behind me.


    ¡­


    Hayden stood silent and a little stunned at Malissa¡¯s words. However, he did not say anything in response to them because he wasn¡¯t sure what to say and he didn¡¯t have to. Malissa continued to surprise Hayden even further when she threw her high heel shoes at him. Judging from the strength of her throw, Hayden knew that it wouldn¡¯t hurt even if her throwsnded on him.


    He managed to dodge them with ease while his eyes never let her out of his sight.


    Hayden sighed loudly as he watched Malissa running into the dark woods. He didn¡¯t know what ns she had in mind, but he knew that running into the woods in the dark was a crazy and very dangerous idea. Hayden ran his hands through his hand in frustration as he shook his head from side to side before running after Malissa immediately.


    He knew something that Malissa didn¡¯t know about whaty ahead in that direction of the forest¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 47: Saving Me

    I continued running as fast as I could, ignoring the leaves that dug into the skin of my feet and dried branches that scratched at my ankles as I ran past them. My feet hurt but I just ignored the pain. I pushed tree branches away from my face to clear the path before me. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know how long I had been running or how far I had gotten.


    Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone calling out to me and I knew without looking back that it was Hayden. So, he had decided toe after me after all. It wasn¡¯t that I cared. This just meant that I had to run even faster. I knew well that Hayden was much fitter and faster than I am, and I couldn¡¯t afford to have him catch up with me.


    "Malissa!" Hayden continued calling my name loudly, his voice rang out loud and clear as it echoed through the woods.


    I couldn¡¯t tell how close he was to me, but each call felt louder and closer than the one before. He was catching up to me so fast and I felt scared that he would catch up to me soon. I ran forward even faster, sprinting as fast as my legs could carry me. Deep down, I guess I knew that what I was doing was crazy but then again, it wasn¡¯t like I had any other choices at my disposal. Unfortunately.


    "Malissa! Stop!" Hayden called out to me again and again.


    I didn¡¯t respond as I steeled myself to ignore him and his callspletely. I didn¡¯t want to hear his voice anymore and I didn¡¯t want to see him. I have decided that I didn¡¯t want to see Hayden ever again and I was willing to do whatever it took to get away.


    "Malissa! Stop running¡­it¡¯s dangerous!" Hayden¡¯s voice rang out from behind me once again.


    Dangerous? What¡¯s really dangerous is you! I¡¯d rather risk getting lost in the woods than going back to Hayden. I felt like if I went back, I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from him ever again. I wouldn¡¯t be able to free myself from him¡­ever¡­


    "Malissa! Stop running now!" Hayden called out to me repeatedly for me to stop.


    I have never heard Hayden this panicked before, and it was a weird and confusing change. Of course, I didn¡¯t intend to simply stop because he told me to. I continued running at top speed forward.


    Suddenly, something felt very wrong. There was a sudden darkness that loomed in front of me, and I felt like the ground had ran out from right under my feet. I couldn¡¯t quite understand what was happening as I felt my body falling forward. How could I be falling?


    "Malissa!" I heard Hayden shouting my name and then everything seemed to move in slow motion, just like in the movies.


    My eyes widened as I saw Hayden right behind me and then everything happened so fast that I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened. I felt his hand around my wrist as he pulled me into his strong arms and then his arms were around me hugging me tightly, his body was warm and smelled very familiar.


    He held me close to him as he cradled my body and pressed my head close to his chest as if he was trying his best to protect me from harm.


    What harm?


    At that same moment, I felt nothing but air underneath my feet and then the sensation that I was falling. How could this be happening? I was just running through the forest¡­


    Then everything became too real as I felt my body hitting something solid before our entangled body began rolling around uncontrobly. That was when I finally understood that somehow, Hayden and I had fallen down a hill and was rolling down the hill. I closed my eyes in shock and fear as I cried out against Hayden¡¯s chest. He held me tighter, shielding me with his body.


    I didn¡¯t know how steep or high the cliff we just rolled down was but by the time we reached the bottom, my head was dizzy, and my body felt bruised and sore. I was stillying in Hayden¡¯s arm before I slowly sat up. My whole body is going to be ck and blue by the time the sun rises tomorrow, I was sure of it.


    When I looked over at Hayden, all blood faded from my face, and I immediately stopped worrying about myself. Although my body felt sore and I felt some minor scratches on my body, the same could not be said for Hayden. I quickly when over and sat down on my knees at his side. Hayden seemed to be unconscious as hey there on the t ground.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock.


    I reached out and touched his cheek and his arm. The sticky and wet sensation that I felt on my fingertips made me cry out in absolute fear. Hayden is bleeding. Oh god¡­how did this happen?


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name loudly as I began crying.


    What do I do? I left my phone in the car. How can I get help?


    Hayden is hurt. His head is bleeding and who knows where else he¡¯s hurt. I felt my hands shake as I took his hand into mine and pressed it against my cheek. I was crying so much now, unable to control my tears. What have I done?


    "Hayden! Wake up¡­Hayden¡­" I cried out to him in between my wrecking sobs.


    I need to wake him up. If he doesn¡¯t¡­I could lose him. I shuffled towards his head and lifted his head into myp. It was dark and I couldn¡¯t see well. I only prayed that he wasn¡¯t too badly hurt. He was bleeding but there wasn¡¯t so much blood; however, I need to get him to the hospital as soon as possible.


    I looked up and could tell that we have fallen quite far from the ground above us. There was no way that I could carry him up there on my own. What should I do? Should I leave him here and go back to the car to call for help? But then, what if something happens to him before I make it back?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 48: Desperate Plead

    "Hayden! Hayden! Don¡¯t scare me like this! Wake up please¡­please!" I shouted so loudly, and I felt like I was about to lose my mind. I have never felt this desperate before in my life.


    I looked down at Hayden¡¯s unconscious face with his eyes closed and I started crying even harder, my teardrops falling down onto his face.


    I¡¯m so sorry, Hayden. This all happened because I decided to run off. Why didn¡¯t I listen to him when he told me to stop or when he told me again and again that it was dangerous? I¡¯m so stupid¡­and now Hayden is hurt because of me¡­because he tried to protect me¡­


    I squeezed his hand in mind tighter as I brought it up to my lips. I buried my face into his hand as I continued to cry. How can I get help?!


    "I won¡¯t disobey you again¡­I¡¯ll do anything¡­please wake up Hayden. Please¡­save Hayden¡­" I said desperately as more hot tears ran down my face.


    My whole body shook, and my eyes stung with tears. What would I do if I lose Hayden here? I didn¡¯t even get the chance to thank him? How am I supposed to live with myself?


    "Do you¡­mean it?"


    I heard a weak whisper and realized that it was Hayden speaking. I looked down at myp to see that Hayden had opened his eyes and was staring up at me.


    "Hayden¡­thank god¡­" I said as relief flooded me. He¡¯s awake¡­he¡¯s conscious.


    I was so overjoyed that I instinctively pulled Hayden in for a hug. I hugged his body close to mine, cradling his head against my chest. Hayden¡¯s going to be fine. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was hugging him tofort him or tofort myself. I guessed, I probably needed moreforting than he did¡­


    "Why are you crying?" Hayden asked, sounding confused.


    "Hayden¡­you¡¯re bleeding¡­" I said weakly, my voice cracking.


    "I¡¯m ok¡­it¡¯s just a scratch¡­" Hayden said as if his wounds were nothing.


    No¡­it¡¯s not¡­


    "Are you ok? You¡¯re bleeding¡­where does it hurt?" I asked. I felt so worried about him.


    "I¡¯m ok¡­" Hayden said as he began to sit up.


    "You shouldn¡¯t move!" I protested quickly as I grabbed his shoulders to support him.


    "If I don¡¯t move then how are we supposed to get out of here?" Hayden asked.


    I was shocked at the seriousness of his tone. Even when he¡¯s this hurt, it seemed that Hayden was more in control of the situation than I was. I watched in amazement as he slowly sat up and rubbed his head.


    "Your head is bleeding¡­Hayden," I whispered softly.


    "This much won¡¯t kill me, don¡¯t worry your silly little head," Hayden said casually, brushing off my worries.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he really meant what he said or if he was just saying these things to stop me from worrying. Regardless, I really appreciated his effort in trying to calm me down and of course, what he did to save me from harm. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the state my body would be in if Hayden hadn¡¯t used his body to shield me from the impact of the fall.


    Hayden swung his arm around as if checking for other injuries. He seemed very satisfied with the state that his body was in as he stood up. I slowly got to my feet too. Hayden began feeling the pockets of his pants before reaching in and pulling out his phone.


    Oh¡­thankfully Hayden had his phone with him.


    "Shit¡­there¡¯s no signal. What a joke¡­seriously¡­" Hayden said as he stared at his phone.


    "There¡¯s no signal?!" I eximed in shock. We¡¯re in the city, howe there¡¯s no signal? Did I run that far into the forest?


    "Yeah¡­can you walk?" Hayden asked as he looked me up from head to toe.


    "I¡¯m ok¡­I¡¯m not hurt¡­thanks to you," I mumbled as I felt his eyes on my body.


    "Good. Let¡¯s go," Hayden said as he extended a head towards me.


    I reached out my hand and took his immediately, feeling thankful for his warm touch. The feel of his hand reassured me that he was ok¡­that he was alive. Hayden began walking in front of me, but I called for him to stop.


    "Hayden¡­wait!" I cried out to him.


    "What is it?" Hayden asked as he nced back at me, stopping in his track.


    "Umm¡­let me support you," I said.


    I quickly walked to his side and linked his arm with mine. Hayden looked at me with a surprise look before he smiled gently at me. That smile really took me by surprise. The way his emotionless face transformed when he smiled was breathtakingly beautiful. Despite the dire situation that we were in, I felt my heart skip a beat shamelessly¡­


    It was dark and I was starting to wonder where we were headed or if Hayden knew where we needed to go. I walked patiently by his side as Hayden guided us away from the cliff that we had just fallen down from.


    "We can¡¯t climb up the cliff but if I remember correctly there¡¯s a way that we can circle around and go back¡­that or we find a ce where my phone can pick up signal and call for help," Hayden exined to ease my worries.


    "Ok¡­sounds like a good n¡­" I whispered.


    That wasn¡¯t what I really wanted to say to him though. What I truly wanted to say was to thank him for saving me and to apologize for my stupid and selfish action that led us into this mess. However, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to voice those thoughts, I was scared of what he would say to me if I did.


    I couldn¡¯t read Hayden at all so I couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling or thinking. However, I was sure that he was angry at me because if I were him, I would be as well. Suddenly, I felt very ashamed of myself, and the burden of the me felt a hundred times heavier than it did before. I followed behind him wordlessly as I hung my head low.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 49: Distance Between Us

    I wasn¡¯t sure how long we walked but it couldn¡¯t have been very long. It was so dark that I could barely see around me. Hayden wouldn¡¯t say anything, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything either, so we walked together in silence. Without knowing what else I could do, I decided to start praying for Hayden¡¯s phone to be able to pick up some signal.


    It was nothing short of a miracle that my prayers were answered shortly after.


    "I think we¡¯ve got signal¡­" Hayden mumbled as he began calling someone on his phone.


    "Really?" I asked in amazement and relief.


    If Hayden could ask for help, then we could get out of here.


    I listened as Hayden spoke on the phone with someone and told him about our location and briefly what happened. Thankfully, he did not mention anything about my wild n of escape. He just mentioned that some things happened, and we ended up here.


    "Let¡¯s find a ce to sit down and rest while we wait for help to arrive," Hayden said practically as he looked around for a ce to sit.


    I watched as Hayden found arge tree and sat down, leaning back on itsrge trunk. Wordlessly, I followed and sat next to him with my back leaning on the same tree. I stole a nce at Hayden¡¯s face as I sat there next to him. His face was emotionless as ever and as always, I wasn¡¯t able to read him at all.


    I wanted to know if the wound on his head still hurt but I decided to keep quiet rather than ask.


    Of course, it hurts. I couldn¡¯t believe how hypocritic I was acting. How am I supposed to just ask him about it when all of this is my fault? The silence between us stretched out as my feelings of guilt ate me up from the inside. The howling night wind was the only thing that I could hear. I wanted to apologize for what I had done but I didn¡¯t know exactly what to say or how to say it.


    My mind fumbled around with words as the awkward silence continued between us. Hayden sat next to me silently with one hand holding his phone loosely. Since he hasn¡¯t said anything to me apart from things that werepletely necessary, I figured that he was very angry at me. I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, I did deserve it this time.


    I hated the situation that I was in but without considering anyone but myself, I perhaps forgot that Hayden probably didn¡¯t like the situation that he was in either. It was getting darker and darker, and the wind was getting stronger and colder. I pray that Hayden¡¯s men would arrive soon, so that we can get out of here and Hayden can finally go to the hospital to get all his wounds tended to.


    ¡­


    I don¡¯t know how long we sat there silently next to each other before Hayden¡¯s phone started vibrating in his hand. The sound of his phone vibrating was like a call from heaven to save us. My eyes widened with joy when I heard the sound of his phone vibrating. By the time that the call arrived, I had already loss all track of time, and I had no idea what time it was or how long we¡¯ve waited.


    "Alright. I don¡¯t have a lot of battery so you¡¯ve got to hurry¡­" Hayden spoke through the phone after he listened to the instructions from the other end.


    "What¡¯s going on? Is helping?" I asked in a shaky voice.


    "My men are already at my car. So, they¡¯re close by. I¡¯ve turned on the GPS of my phone now so that they can track it," Hayden exined.


    "Oh, ok¡­" I said, relief flooding my body.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long now until someone would find us and help get us out of here. After our brief exchange, the conversation between us became extinct once more and wepse back intoplete silence as we sat there next to each other. It was surprising how far away I could feel from Hayden even when we were sitting so close to each other that our shoulders were practically touching.


    It was precisely because I felt too guilty about everything that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak to him. Each moment that passed by in silence between us felt like I was drifting further and further away from Hayden.


    "Hayden!"


    "Dude¡­if you¡¯re there you gotta make some noise¡­"


    "Hayden! Hayden!"


    "Why on earth is he out here anyways?"


    "It¡¯s so dark¡­"


    "You honestly think the young boss is out here?"


    "Hayden! Hayden!"


    Suddenly we heard voices in the distance. Hayden¡¯s men were here. That was faster than I thought. Hayden got up at once after he started hearing the voices of his men. Taking a deep breath, he called back to them.


    "Luka! I¡¯m here!" Hayden yelled at the top of his lungs.


    Hayden kept on calling his men as he turned on the shlight on his mobile to get the attention of his men. It wasn¡¯t long after that the man named Luka spotted us and signaled for the whole team to head our way.


    "Seriously Hayden¡­how the hell did you end up here?" Luka asked, his brown eyes narrowing suspiciously at Hayden before ncing in my direction.


    "You brought some rope or something that we can use to climb up, right? Get those younger men to hold the ropedder," Hayden said without replying to Luka¡¯s question.


    "You think this old man can¡¯t help you up?" Luka asked with a snort.


    Luka was probably in histe forties or fifties. His hair was almostpletely white, and he had many wrinkles and lines on his face. However, he was probably one of the buffest men I have ever seen in real life.


    The other men swiftly dangled down a ropedder from the higher grounds where they were standing for us to climb up. Now that there were lights from their shlight, I could see that we have fallen down much deeper than I had initially thought. It¡¯s going to take a lot of effort on my part to climb up the ropedder. Trust me, these physical adventure stuffs wasn¡¯t really my cup of tea.


    "You first," Hayden said as he gestured for me to go before him.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 50: Separation

    Me first?


    "It¡¯s ok¡­you can go first. I¡¯ll be slow so¡­" I said in a shaky voice.


    "You go first. It¡¯s safer that way. If you fall, I can catch you. If you get tired halfway, I can wait for you or push you up¡­" Hayden said, his tone as emotionless as always.


    "Ok¡­" I agreed hesitantly.


    "Ladder¡¯s ready!" I heard a man¡¯s voice shouting down from above us.


    Hayden moved towards thedder and began pulling on it to test its stability. Once he was satisfied that thedder wouldn¡¯te falling down, he gestured for me to start climbing up.


    Well, here I go¡­


    It was a long climb but somehow, I managed to make it all the way to the top. Hayden followed after me without any trouble. I felt dead tired, and I was sure that my body would be aching the following morning. I made a silent promise to myself to exercise more.


    "Take her to the nearest hospital," Hayden instructed one of his men.


    "What about you?" I asked in panic.


    "I¡¯m fine. You go along with them," Hayden said as he brushed aside my concern.


    This wasn¡¯t making any sense at all. I was pretty much fine with some small scratches here and there because Hayden shielded me with his body. That means that Hayden is in much worse shape than I was no matter how I looked at it.


    "You need to go to the hospital, Hayden," I said, desperation clear in my voice as I pleaded with him.


    He needs medical attention. Why can¡¯t he see that?


    Not only that, none of the other men spoke up about taking Hayden to the hospital either. What is wrong with the world that they live in¡­?


    "Take her¡­" Haydenmanded his men once more.


    I watched as the men approached me and I started taking a couple of steps back. Why wouldn¡¯t Haydene to the hospital with me? We should just go together.


    "What about you, Hayden? Where are you going?" I asked. I couldn¡¯t believe I was thinking this but for the life of me, I didn¡¯t want to be separated from Hayden.


    "Let¡¯s go," Hayden turned to say to the man called Luka.


    "Take the missy to the hospital and then take her back to the penthouse. Got it?" Luka said to the other men in ck. There was a serious look in his eyes as he made sure that the men understood hismand.


    "Wait! Hayden!" I cried out but neither Hayden nor Luka turned to look my way.


    I watched the back of the two men walk away until the darkness of the forest swallowed thempletely. Now I was alone with the group of men in ck who were supposed to escort me to the hospital. I didn¡¯t care about myself right now, I just wanted to know where Hayden was going and if he was going to get his wounds treated.


    "Where is Hayden going?" I asked the men as they ushered me into a walk.


    "We¡¯re taking you to the hospital," one of the men in ck said in a bored voice.


    "What about Hayden? He¡¯s hurt¡­" I continued talking to them and asking them these questions all the way to the car.


    However, not once did I get a reply that I was desperately searching for. I didn¡¯t understand what was going on at all. Where did Hayden and Luka go?


    ¡­


    "I guess the old man is pissed out of his mind, huh?" Hayden said as he pulled out his phone from his pant¡¯s pocket to read the message from his father once again.


    ¡¯What the FUCK did you just do¡­¡¯ was all that the message said but Hayden knew what state his father was in.


    "You bet. You basically beat the crap out of one of our biggest client¡¯s son. You do know that Josh¡¯s daddy helps with shipping our supply too? Plus, that jolly boy¡¯s father is a good friend of your daddy¡­" Luka said followed by a sigh as he walked side by side with Hayden.


    "I went easy on him. I really did," Hayden said.


    Luka couldn¡¯t stop himself fromughing loudly at what he was hearing. The old man¡¯s deep voice echoed through the woods.


    "So¡­what did the jolly boy do?" Luka asked referring to Josh.


    "He¡­yed with something that¡¯s mine¡­" Hayden said. His tone was light but there was a dark and deadly look in his blue eyes.


    Luka didn¡¯t miss the look in Hayden¡¯s eyes, and he could guess what that ¡¯something¡¯ that Josh yed with was.


    "Hmm¡­I understand you, Hayden. No one likes it when someone else¡¯s touches their toy without their permission," Luka replied as he grinned at the younger man.


    "He was one of my best friends too, so obviously, I had to teach him a lesson," Hayden said with a shrug. The wound at the back of his head had stopped bleeding already and the pain didn¡¯t bother him all that much.


    "You could have gone easy on him. He¡¯s not¡­made like us¡­you know?" Luka said as he looked up at the dark sky through the parting in the branches of the trees.


    "I told you. I went easy on him. He was very lucky that I wasn¡¯t carrying a gun," Hayden said defensively.


    "A broken nose, two fractured ribs and countless other bruises¡­" Luka recounted with a sigh.


    "What¡¯s that? Sounds like a shopping list from your grandma," Hayden said with augh.


    "My grandma is long dead¡­stupid¡­" Luka replied beforeughing along with Hayden.


    "You betterfort me after my old man¡¯s done with me," Hayden spoke up after a short pause.


    "Sure¡­although, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll rather befort by that little missy," the old man said as he shed Hayden a knowing smile.


    "Who knows¡­" Hayden mumbled.


    "Why don¡¯t you just marry her for real, Hayden?" Luka asked, curiously.


    "I¡¯m not marrying anyone except Amelia," Hayden said firmly.


    "And let me guess, you still don¡¯t n on taking over the group after your old man either¡­" Luka said before sighing loudly.


    "You¡¯re right. So don¡¯t get your hopes up. She¡¯ll be gone when her thirty days are over¡­" Hayden said casually.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 51: Hospital Visit

    The two men finally arrived at a car that had been waiting for them. Luka opened the door and got in with Hayden. He wanted to say something to Hayden, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he should; however, it wasn¡¯t like he had anything to lose¡­


    "Hayden boy, I don¡¯t think what happened was your fault¡­" Luka whispered, his words were for Hayden¡¯s ears only.


    "Thanks¡­but it was my fault¡­" Hayden whispered back without hesitation before he smiled a little sadly at Luka.


    Their conversation died there with Luka unable toe back with a reply to convince Hayden otherwise. The old man sighed once again, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. This job was getting to be too much for his aging mind.


    ¡­


    The ride to the hospital was silent as I sat in the backseat of arge limousine with two men in ck on either side of me. I felt like a prisoner being delivered to court to go on trial. They treated me like I was going to run away any moment now; I guess since I did just try to run away from Hayden, what they were doing wasn¡¯tpletely crazy nuts.


    As expected, no matter how many times I asked about Hayden and where he was headed, the men never answered my questions at all. Finally, I just gave up and sat there in the car and began anxiously ying with a strand of my hair. Checking the time on my phone, I guessed it was about half an hour before we arrived at a hospital.


    "You know¡­I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t need to go to a hospital," I said honestly. I wasn¡¯t trying to be stubborn or anything, I just had a few scratches here and there. None of them were seriously hurting because the scratches were so shallow. There was nothing on my body that simple antiseptic and bandages couldn¡¯t fix.


    "Young boss wanted us to take you to a hospital so that is exactly what we are doing," one of the men replied without even looking my way.


    So, they¡¯ll take someone who doesn¡¯t need medical attention to a hospital because they were ordered to, but they won¡¯t take Hayden, who is in clear need of medical attention to a hospital¡­


    Oh¡­what the hell am I dealing with¡­


    When we arrived at the hospital, I was taken by the men straight to the ER like I had some serious condition. The doctors were clearly confused but didn¡¯t want to get involved with the men in ck and began inspecting my wounds right away.


    "The scratches are minor. I will get a nurse to help sterilize and apply some medicine and bandages. Then everything should be ok," the doctor said what I had been trying to tell the men in the car. I red at them trying to say ¡¯see? I told you so!¡¯


    "Not good enough, doctor. I want her whole body scanned, x-rayed or whatever. Please check for any damages internally or to her bones. Anything¡­" one of the men said insistently.


    "That¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯m fine!" I protested loudly.


    This is all getting out of hand. The doctor looked at me and then the men in ck in shock as he seemed hesitant about what to do next.


    "This is private hospital, isn¡¯t it? You should offer all the services that we asked for because you¡¯ll make more money that way, right?" the man said, his voice getting louder and more intimidating.


    I saw the doctor struggling to control the situation and I couldn¡¯t help but pity the man. With a sigh, I told the doctor to just do whatever the gang wanted. For the next hour, I was wheeled around in a wheelchair from one room to another to get unnecessary checks for my body. Then I waited some more while they analyzed the results.


    In the end, just as I had expected, everything proved to be aplete waste of time and money. My body waspletely fine but the whole tiresome process almost left me insane at the end of it. I sat with one of the men in ck as we waited for the limousine toe pick us up in front of the hospital lobby.


    Suddenly, the man¡¯s phone began ringing. In one swift motion, he answered the call and ced his phone next to his ear.


    "Yes, sir¡­" I heard the man say.


    Without thinking and without having any options left. I screamed as loud as I could to make sure that whoever was on the other side of the line could hear me.


    "Where is Hayden! He¡¯s hurt! He should be in the hospital!!!"


    The man turned to me in shock and for a moment, I was convinced that he was going to kill me. His eyes were round and wide as he stared at me. I guess this is the time when my life was supposed to sh in front of my eyes¡­


    The loud sound ofughter from the other end of the line broke the tense atmosphere around us. The man bit his lower lip in annoyance as he ced the phone back to the side of his face.


    "Yes, Boss¡­" the man said before the line disconnected.


    "That was the boss, right? Is Hayden¡­with him?" I asked in a hurry.


    "Let¡¯s go. The car¡¯s here¡­" the man said without replying to my question.


    I hated being ignored and I was being ignored so much by these mentely. However, this time, I had a sense that I was right. Hayden was with the boss and if my hunch is correct, I¡¯m on my way to see them right now¡­


    ¡­


    "Boss, Hayden is here¡­" a man announced as he opened the door to the room.


    "Drag him in¡­" the boss said, his brows in a knot.


    The man bowed low, sensing that his boss wasn¡¯t in the best of moods. Hayden walked in with two men escorting him and the boss eyes narrowed into thin slits as he eyed his son. With the dismissive wave of his hand, the two men exited the room, closing the door behind them and locking it.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 52: Interrogation

    "Hi dad¡­" Hayden said as he smiled sheepishly at his father.


    "Don¡¯t you dare ¡¯hi dad¡¯ me!" the boss screamed so loudly that his face became dark red.


    "Anger management, dad. Anger management. Think of what the doctors said. You don¡¯t wanna pop a vein¡­" Hayden said with fake concern.


    "You¡¯re the one hoping that I¡¯ll pop a vein. Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done? Josh¡¯s father is my friend and a very important business partner. He ships goods for us Hayden¡­" the boss said stressfully.


    "What did that good friend of yours tell you? He didn¡¯t tell you what his son did, did he?" Hayden challenged.


    "Why don¡¯t you be a good son and stop beating around the bush. What happened Hayden?" the boss asked.


    "Nothing happened. Heid hands on what was mine¡­so I was forced to teach him a lesson¡­" Hayden said with a shrug.


    His father sighed loudly as he turned away and sat down on the sofa, his hand rubbing his temple.


    "So, it was¡­Malissa. You broke his nose and fractured his ribs¡­" the boss said with his eyes closed in resignation.


    "Like I told Luka on the way here. Josh was extremely lucky that I wasn¡¯t carrying a gun. I would have shot him in the leg right where he would be surely crippled for life," Hayden said like that was the most obvious course of action.


    "You need to grow up, Hayden. When you make a mess like this, I¡¯m the one that has to clean it up!" the boss yelled as his eyes snapped open and red at his son.


    Hayden refused to answer as he stared back at his father silently. It was clear to the boss that Hayden didn¡¯t have an ounce of regret in his body about what he had just done.


    "How¡¯s your head?" the boss asked, changing the subject.


    "You¡¯ve just asking about it now?" Hayden asked, sarcastically.


    "I figured that if you¡¯re still able to stand on your feet then it¡¯s probably not a big deal¡­" the boss replied.


    "You¡¯re right, it¡¯s not a big deal," Hayden said, sounding bored out of his mind.


    "I¡¯ll call the doctors in anyways¡­" the boss said as he began calling the doctor on his phone.


    ¡­


    "The boss and Hayden are in a room this way¡­" the man that was leading me along the hallway of the boss¡¯s mansion said.


    I followed him impatiently down the long hallway that seemed endless. How big was this ce anyways?


    Suddenly, the man came to a stop in front of arge pair of dark wooden door as he gestured with his eyes that this was the room that he was referring to earlier. I nodded silently to show my thanks and the man immediately turned to leave.


    Without wasting anymore of my time, I pushed the door open and walked straight in.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name when I saw Hayden seated on a sofa.


    I ran towards him immediately. For a moment, I forgot that we weren¡¯t the only ones in the room. The boss was there as well. I sat down next to Hayden on the sofa as I looked at his face with worry. It seems that the wound on his head had been treated and there were bandages on his hands, wrists, and some parts of his arms.


    "Did you go to the hospital?" I asked.


    "No¡­" Hayden said, looking slightly surprised to see me. I saw him nce over at his father and realized then that I haven¡¯t greeted him.


    "Hi¡­" I saidmely to the boss.


    "Wee, Malissa. You seem very worried about my son¡­and I appreciate that¡­" the boss replied with a pleased smile. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to entertain him though.


    "Why is she here?" Hayden asked, there was an edge to his voice that I couldn¡¯t quite ce.


    "I ordered for her to be brought here. I have some¡­questions, you see¡­" the boss replied as if this was to be expected.


    "What questions?" Hayden asked before I could say anything.


    "I can understand why Josh ended up the way he did. What I don¡¯t understand¡­is how you two ended up in a ditch the way you did. Care to exin, Miss Malissa?" the boss asked as he looked straight at me.


    I have to say that I didn¡¯t like the suspicious and using look in his eyes as he looked at me. It was like he knew something and just wanted to hear me confirm it.


    "I took Malissa for ate-night stroll to cool off after what happened. It was dark, we couldn¡¯t see the edge, so we fell off," Hayden replied swiftly before I could say anything.


    Why was he lying? What Hayden said wasn¡¯tpletely false, but it wasn¡¯t true. We didn¡¯t go for ate-night stroll. I ran into the forest to escape from him, and I fell¡­then he helped me. That¡¯s how we ended up the way we did.


    Sensing me stiffing up next to him, Hayden shot me a nce. His clear blue eyes telling me sit still and shut up. I bit my lips to keep myself from saying anything unnecessary. I guess, the best way out of this is to let Hayden deal with it.


    "I wasn¡¯t asking you. I was asking Miss Malissa. So, Miss Malissa, what happened?" the boss asked again, his eyes directly on me.


    "It¡¯s as Hayden said. I was¡­scared after what happened so he suggested that we take a stroll to help me calm down a little¡­" I replied, going along with Hayden¡¯s story.


    "Well, I am d that you¡¯re feeling better. There¡¯s still many days left until the promised thirty dayse to an end. I do hope that we all keep our end of the bargain. You both are dismissed," the boss said, bringing the conversation to a close.


    With that announcement, Hayden got up from the sofa before he grabbed my hand and yanked me up to my feet. Without another word to his father, Hayden began heading for the exit, dragging me by the hand behind him.


    "Miss Malissa¡­take good care of my son," the boss said to me as he smiled at me.


    The overly friendly smile made me cringe inside. I felt like the old man knew so much more than he let on.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 53: Self Restraint

    I had my eyes on Hayden¡¯s broad back as he continued dragging me behind him. Struggling to keep up with him had be my life¡¯s story as ofte. I wanted to tell him to slow down and that my legs were nowhere as long as his, but I knew that he wouldn¡¯t pay me any mind right now.


    When we arrived out in front of the boss¡¯s mansion, there was arge ck limousine parked there waiting for us. It made me realize that Hayden probably didn¡¯t take his car back here with that man called Luka which meant that his car wasn¡¯t here right now. I was sort of relief because I didn¡¯t want Hayden to drive right now.


    "Master Hayden," a man standing next to the car greeted Hayden before bowing to him respectfully.


    I guess that¡¯s our driver for today. With a slight nod of acknowledgement to the driver, Hayden squeezed my hand and started leading me towards the car. The driver opened the door for us and we got into the passenger zone. The leather sofa of the limousine was supposed to befortable; however, I found it unnerving to be sitting there in such an enclosed space with Hayden right now.


    I felt the moving vehicle under me as we headed back towards the penthouse. As expected, the atmosphere inside the passenger zone was stiff and dead silent. I nced over at Hayden and was greeted with a ghost of a mask, his entire face afnd eyes were void of any emotions. It gave me the feeling that this was just the calm before a very devastating storm.


    I can¡¯t avoid talking to him forever¡­and to be honest, I didn¡¯t want to. Right now, I wanted to talk to him more than anything.


    "Hayden¡­does your head hurt?" I asked in a small voice as I tried my best to smile at him.


    Three. Two. One¡­I counted in my mind as I waited for his response or any type of reaction.


    Dead silence.


    Kill me now¡­


    I closed my eyes, feeling how tired I really was for the first time. This has been a very long night. I breathed out slowly and forced my eyes open. Now is now the time to give up!


    "Hayden¡­are you tired?" I asked in the sweetest voice that I could muster.


    I knew he was angry at me, and it was obvious why that was. Still¡­


    The silence stretched on and the smile I had stered so perfectly on my lips started to die a sad death. Just when I had begun to truly give up on this seemingly-impossible feat, Hayden spoke¡­finally¡­


    "Malissa. Don¡¯t say anything and stay away from me¡­" Hayden said, warning me.


    "¡­what?" I replied, confused at his words.


    "¡­I¡¯m very tempted to fuck you right here and now in the car. So, unless you want that¡­" Hayden continued, his tone dead serious.


    His words, spoken in such a solemn and low tone shocked me to the core. What did he just say?


    The worst part in all of this, was that I knew that he was dead serious. He really would¡­fuck me here in the car.


    Hayden didn¡¯t look at me as he stared straight down at a fixed spot on the floor in between his feet. Once again, I was inevitably reminded that I was dealing with a very dangerous man and that man had just admitted to having very little self-restraint left right now.


    My body felt stiff from fear and shock but just as he had told me, I needed to get away from him. Slowly and as quietly as possible, I began moving away from him into the furthest corner of the passenger seats.


    ¡­


    I spent the remaining time of the ride trying to make myself appear as small as possible as I holed up in the corner of the passenger zone. asionally, I would nce at Hayden. It was a mystery to me how he could be so still and so silent for such a long time. His appearance reminded me of the famous status of ¡¯The Thinker¡¯. Bless my mind to be able to make artistic references at a time like this.


    By the time we arrived back at the penthouse it was closer to dawn than night. The driver knocked on the passenger door to signal that he was about to open the door before he opened it. I didn¡¯t know how to react now that we have arrived.


    Wordlessly, Hayden got up from his seat and exited the car. I watched him leave before I started to do the same. I nodded towards the driver to show my thanks, not daring to say anything in case I flip any of Hayden¡¯s unstable switches.


    I stood behind Hayden as I heard the sound of the limousine driving away. Now what? Do we just go our separate ways and return to how life was before?


    Hayden turned around and took three steps towards me until he was standing directly in front of me. I have never felt so small before in my life and it wasn¡¯t just because he was muchrger and taller than me physically. I think¡­I¡¯m about to be devoured¡­by him¡­


    It took all the courage and nerve that I had left within me to look up into his face. When my eyes met his pale blue eyes, I truly understood for the first time since I entered this contract with his father.


    I understood that¡­there was no way that I could escape from Hayden¡­


    The dark look that I saw on his face told me better than any words ever could, that things would never return to how they were between us.


    Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as Hayden reached out a hand towards my face. His fingertips touched my right cheek and began stroking it gently. I watched everything in slow motion, as his face came closer to mine. I took in a breath and held it as I closed my eyes.


    I felt Hayden¡¯s fingers beneath my chin, angling my face up towards him and then the heat of his lips as it crushed against my own.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 54: Punishing Kiss

    Hayden¡¯s lips pressed against mine firmly and I surrendered to himpletely. Finally, I could see a glimpse of his feelings. His lips on mine were warm but it wasn¡¯t gentle. His kiss deepened suddenly, his tongue parted my lips and plunged deep into my mouth. I let him taste me and punish me with his kiss.


    The warmth of his lips on mine, his tongue inside my mouth and his body so close to me, reminded me that he was here with me and that the was still alive. I was scared of him, but I couldn¡¯t deny the sense of relief that flooded my heart and warmed my body.


    Hayden¡¯s kiss became more demanding as his tongue grinded against mine, making me moan and whimper into his mouth. His hands caressed my waist before pulling me closer to him until our bodies were pressed up tightly against each other. He¡¯s so warm.


    I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking or what made me do it but before I knew what was happening to me, I began kissing him back. Lifting my arms up, I wound my arms around his neck and pulled him down closer to me so that I could kiss him back. I felt Hayden stiffening a little in surprise at my initiating action.


    Hayden stared deep into my eyes when our kiss ended, and I didn¡¯t look away. Before I lost my courage or the craziness inside of me, I had to do it now. I ced a hand on his cheek as I looked back into his captivating blue eyes. These are the eyes of a monster¡­


    "Thank you¡­for saving me, Hayden," I said, meaning every word.


    I never knew that thanking someone could be this hard or this touching before. For a moment, I believed that time coulde to a pause and that if it could, it would feel just like this. After those honest words left my lips, I felt exposed and vulnerable. No matter how I tried, I couldn¡¯t read the few flickers of emotions that registered in Hayden¡¯s clear blue eyes.


    It was veryte at night and not a soul or a car passed by as we stood there kissing each other in front of the building. The wind blew by, fluttering my long hair all around me. It really felt like there was just the two of us alone in the world.


    I watched Hayden closely as he watched me. It seemed as if he was about to say something but decided against it. Instead, his hands slowly approached my face. I felt his hand cupping the side of my face before the pad of his thumb gently stroked my cheek as if wiping something away. That was the first time that I realized the wetness of my own tears on my cheeks. Since when had I started crying?


    The tears that streamed down my cheeks as he kissed me ardently was enough proof for me that I could never escape Hayden. It was simple now that I thought about it. Today, Hayden got hurt, but the one that was crying and feeling so much more pain¡­was me.


    I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from him no matter how hard I tried. My eyes were glued to his every movement as I watched Hayden bring his wet thumb up to his lips. Then his pink tongue slipped out from between his beautiful lips and began licking my tears from the pad of his thumb. All the while, his blue eyes stared at me intently.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name in a hushed whisper.


    Hayden had bent down and scooped me up effortlessly into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried me princess-style into the building and into the elevator. I nced at his face as I worried if he should be carrying me like this when he¡¯s hurt. However, his face was as emotionless as always.


    I wondered if it hurts and then I guessed that it probably did, so I didn¡¯t dare to ask¡­


    ¡­


    Hayden opened the door to the penthouse with a loud m that would have woken up anyone who happened to be on the same floor as us. Thankfully, we were the only ones on the top floor of this building. With long strides, Hayden headed straight for the bedroom. My body stiffened when he past the door to my bedroom and headed to his room instead.


    "Umm¡­my¡­room¡­" I whispered as he walked past my room without as much as ncing at the door.


    I sighed to myself as I realized that Hayden had decided to take me to his room and that no matter what I said, he probably wouldn¡¯t change his mind. Hayden closed the door to his bedroom behind him and locked it firmly before carrying me to his bed. I wanted to scream but realized that it would probably not get me anywhere¡­


    I bet if I nced up on the ceiling of his bedroom right now, I would see a bright red sign in shing lights saying: ¡¯Punishment Time¡¯.


    I let out a cry when Hayden dumped me onto this bed. The softness of the mattress pressed against my back, and I tried to sit up a little. My body felt sore and tired from all that had happened. This night was proving to be a very long one.


    Surprisingly, Hayden did not follow me onto the bed. Instead, he grabbed a chair and brought it next to the bed and sat down on it. All the while, his blue eyes continued to watch me intently. I wondered what he was thinking and what he was feeling¡­if anything.


    The silence was suffocating as I watched him sit there with his hands hanging loosely in between his knees as he watched me. If he wanted to say something to me, I wished that he would just say it.


    "Hayden?" I called out his name questioningly. My voice shaking a lot more than I had thought that it would.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 55: Prisoner

    I felt Hayden¡¯s eyes on my face, my chest and then sliding down the rest of my body as if he was appraising me. It made me feel ufortable, naked, and exposed in front of him. It was so unfair, how he seemed to be able to see through me while I couldn¡¯t see anything in his emotionless eyes at all.


    Suddenly, Hayden sighed loudly before squeezing his hands together, cracking his knuckles. I didn¡¯t like what I was seeing¡­at all¡­


    "So¡­why did you run?" Hayden asked, sounding as emotionless as ever.


    I dreaded the arrival of this question and now that he had asked it, I didn¡¯t know how to reply. Hayden must have wanted to ask me this from the beginning but had waited for us to be alone with everything settled. Although so much time had passed, I still wasn¡¯t sure why I did it exactly.


    Hayden watched me as I struggled to provide an answer to his question. I couldn¡¯t tell if he sympathized with my situation or not and on second thought, I would rather that he did not.


    "Did you honestly think that you could get away?" Hayden asked, arching his brow at me curiously. It had been a while since I¡¯ve seen his face show any emotion.


    "No¡­I didn¡¯t think so¡­" I replied. I could answer this question easily, unlike the other one.


    "But you went ahead and did it anyways¡­I guess being with me was that bad, huh?" Hayden said as heughed a little. It was augh that told me that he didn¡¯t find anything about any of this funny.


    "I¡¯m sorry¡­" I said, meaning it. What I did was foolish at best, and it was a result of my own desperation. He was right, logically speaking, there was no why that I could get away from him¡­or his father and the gang.


    With my own foolishness, I put myself in danger¡­and then Hayden as well. I bit my lower lip in frustration at my own helplessness.


    "You didn¡¯t need to run away. I already agreed to let you go free after the 30 days are over. You couldn¡¯t wait that long?" Hayden asked rhetorically.


    I felt like a high school girl receiving counselling from the school¡¯s counselor for misbehaving. Hayden¡¯s gaze made me feel unsure of myself and what I really wanted.


    I just nodded, simply because I couldn¡¯t figure out what to say to him.


    Surprisingly, Hayden slowly got up from his seat and walked away towards a set of drawers. I watched in wonder to see what he was going to do. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry at all as he moved leisurely around his room. I felt like he was pondering some thoughts of his own in his own mind.


    "I usually don¡¯t like to do this but¡­it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry, I guess¡­" Hayden said as he turned back towards me. He had the most yful and excited smile on his face.


    For a moment, he reminded me of a very excited boy who was about to show his best friend a new toy that he had found. Hayden had his hands behind his back as if holding a surprise present for me. His overly cheerful demeanor just filled me with dread. Something was totally off about all of this.


    Slowly, as if making sure to add suspense to the moment, Hayden slowly unveiled the item that he was holding behind his back.


    Oh right¡­we all guessed it¡­it¡¯s a pair of handcuffs. Totally normal¡­


    Wait?! What?!


    He doesn¡¯t like to do this¡­says the man who just pulled a pair of handcuffs from his drawer like it was nothing at all. My eyes popped wide as my mouth hung open in shock¡­


    I guess my expression alone was enough for him to know that I demanded an exnation.


    "Personally, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you just disappeared from my life but¡­if you run away under my watch, my old man¡¯s going to kill me and then you, for sure," Hayden said before faking a helpless shrug.


    Instinctively, I began backing away from him as he approached me. Not that I had that much room to scoot myself backwards on his king-sized bed.


    "You¡¯re not¡­serious¡­" I eximed in shock.


    "Oh this? Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s the real thing. Completely made of steel, police and army-grade. Not those ythings for BDSM stuff that amateurs use¡­" Hayden said, his smile very much intact.


    He continued walking slowly towards me and his bed, the steel handcuff inly on disy in his hand. I wasn¡¯t worried at all whether the handcuff was real or not¡­it was still a handcuff!


    "No¡­Hayden¡­Please. I won¡¯t go anywhere. I promise¡­I swear!" I started pleading desperately. This is in crazy.


    I felt the bed creak and sink with Hayden¡¯s added weight as he crawled on top of the bed and joined me. He was close to me with his face only a few inches from mine in no time at all. I felt the metal of the headboard against my back and knew that I had nowhere else to run. Not that running away, would save me now, anyways.


    "Don¡¯t resist¡­" Hayden said, his voice so cold that I literally froze.


    When his hand reached out for my wrist, I flinched and then my eyes widened in surprise. His touch on my wrist was unexpectantly gentle. His fingers were warm; however, that warmth was quickly reced by the coldness of steel as the handcuff clicked around my left wrist before the other clicked around the metal headboard of the bed.


    Reflexively, I began yanking my arm against the hold of the handcuff. Not surprisingly, I couldn¡¯t break free. I was now handcuffed to the bed¡­what is happening to my life?!


    "Don¡¯t struggle, Malissa¡­it¡¯s just going to hurt," Hayden advised, seriously.


    Well, thank you for stating the obvious but what else do you propose that I do now that I¡¯m pretty much chained to the bed?


    "Let me go¡­Hayden¡­" I said as I frowned at him.


    Haydenzily got off the bed as if he was done with whatever business that he had with me. I watched him stretchedzily with his back turned towards me as he began walking towards the door. However, as if he remembered something he turned his head around to look at me again.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 56: Uncuff Me

    "Oh¡­I almost forgot. There¡¯s really no need for you to apologize¡­I wouldn¡¯t forgive you for any of this anyways," Hayden said as he smiled sweetly at me. His face was all smiles, but I felt a chill run up my spine as a huge knot formed in the pit of my stomach.


    It was the first time in my life that someone smiled at me while telling me that they wouldn¡¯t forgive me.


    I watched as Hayden headed for the door.


    "Hayden! Wait!" I called after him, screaming as loud as I could.


    Hayden closed the bedroom door behind him as he left, and I heard a clicking sound as the door locked.


    Did he just lock me up in here? He can¡¯t be serious¡­


    ¡­


    The first thing I felt when I woke up was the aching pain in probably all muscles in my body. I must have fallen asleep some time after Hayden leftst night but I didn¡¯t remember when or what I was doing before I fell asleep. The exhaustion of the very long night must have taken over me.


    So many things happened between the time Hayden took me out for a makeover and using back here after our tumble down the hill. Only a night had passed but it felt like a month to me, at least. I pretended to be Josh¡¯s girlfriend as requested by Hayden. Josh tried to take advantage of me and then Hayden saved me.


    He punished me and I ran away, and he saved me again. Too many things happened, and it was too much for me to take in. I moved my left arm and the clinking of metal rubbing against metal reminded me that I was still handcuffed to the bed.


    Oh right, Hayden did this too¡­


    Now what? My mind asked the same question that it had been asking more and more often since I came in contact with this mafia gang and Hayden. Now¡­what?


    I took in a deep breath and shouted at the top of my lungs.


    "Hayden! Hayden!"


    I wasn¡¯t calling for him because I particrly wanted to see him, but I knew him well enough now to know that he¡¯s probably the only one with the keys to my handcuffs.


    Where is he? Don¡¯t tell me he went out and left me here like this?


    How am I going to survive being chained to the bed like this?


    This is pissing me off more and more. Why is Hayden?


    I kept calling his name because there was nothing else that I could do. The handcuff that tied me to the bed did not allow me to move around much. I couldn¡¯t reach anything at all, and I had no idea where any of my stuff, including my phone, was anymore.


    "Hayden!!!" I screamed.


    I heeded well to Hayden¡¯s advice, struggling won¡¯t help me and it¡¯ll only hurt. That was so true. The handcuff hurts if I pull on my arm too much. The steel would rub against the skin of my wrist. I focused on screaming his name without moving my body.


    Suddenly, I heard the sound of the door unlocking and then it opened. Hayden walked in, shirtless and in only his jeans. Since I was using his bed, I wondered where he slept. When that thought entered my head, I banished it out immediately. I didn¡¯t need to know.


    "Good morning, Malissa," Hayden said sounding ultra-polite.


    I would have appreciated his politeness if I wasn¡¯t handcuffed to the bed like some ve.


    "Uncuff me¡­" I stated my demand upfront.


    "Why?" He asked, blinking nkly at me.


    "What do you mean¡­why?" I asked in shock.


    Why? Because I¡¯m not supposed to spend the rest of my life chained here! I wanted to scream. I wanted to strangle him.


    "Why¡­do you want to be uncuffed?" Hayden asked, as if he truly didn¡¯t understand what I meant.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m not going to run away. Please remove this..." I pleaded.


    "Let me see¡­" Hayden said as he walked over the bed¡¯s headboard where my left hand was chained to it.


    He bent down and closely examined my wrist. I followed his gaze in wonder, not truly understanding what he was looking at.


    "Hmm¡­you seemed to have behaved wellst night. No signs of struggling¡­the skin on your left hand and wrist are fine¡­" Hayden said observantly as his eyes squinted at the skin of my wrist.


    "So¡­what?" I asked, not quite following.


    "Well, I¡¯ll exinter¡­" Hayden said with a sweet smile before he plopped himself down on the chair next to the bed.


    I felt like a mentally ill patient in an asylum that needed to be handcuffed to the bed and Hayden was my precious visitor this morning. It¡¯s been hours since I¡¯ve been on this bed and¡­I haven¡¯t been to the toilet since¡­I don¡¯t know when¡­


    "Hayden¡­could you uncuff me¡­for a bit?" I asked, sweetly.


    "Why?" Hayden asked.


    "I need to grab something¡­" I replied.


    I mean, give me a break, how am I supposed to tell him that I need to pee? It would be so embarrassing; I¡¯ll probably die on the spot.


    "What do you need? I¡¯ll get it for you," Hayden offered.


    My eyes widened, surprised at his generous offer. Seriously, of all the times, you just had to act all nice and helpful now¡­


    "It¡¯s something a little private so¡­" I replied, hoping that he would just do as he¡¯s told.


    "Listen, if you don¡¯t tell me what and where it is, I can¡¯t get it for you. Is it in your room?" Hayden said as his eyes narrowed at me suspiciously.


    I had started to really wonder if he would uncuff me first or if I would wet his bed first. If I had to bet, thetter would probably happen first¡­


    "No¡­it¡¯s¡­not like that¡­" I said hesitantly, not knowing how to exin it to him. I had a feeling that this was going to end in disaster.


    "Then what is it like?" Hayden asked, sounding curious and confused.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 57: Bullying Me

    I looked straight at him; my eyes met with a pair of overly-beautiful blue eyes. He¡¯s not just teasing me, right? He really doesn¡¯t know anything, right? Those pale blue eyes stared back innocently at me.


    I¡­hate¡­him¡­


    After a moment of staring into each other¡¯s eyes, I broke eye contact with him and sighed loudly. This is getting nowhere¡­


    "Malissa honey, if you don¡¯t tell me exactly what you want or need, I can¡¯t help you¡­" Hayden finally said.


    Yeah¡­and that¡¯s like the hardest thing for me to do right now. I don¡¯t remember how many years it¡¯s been since I¡¯ve had to ask for permission to go to the toilet and telling the whole world that I needed to pee.


    Iy down on the bed in resignation as I covered my face with the palms of my hands. I can¡¯t believe this is happening. How much more is he going to embarrass me like this?!


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name softly.


    "Yes?" He replied immediately.


    "¡­I¡­need to go¡­to the toilet," I mumbled shyly.


    "What is it that you need from the toilet?" Hayden asked, as if not hearing me properly.


    This man is driving me crazy. He¡¯s really going to make me say it, isn¡¯t he?!


    "Hell¡­I NEED TO PEE!!!" I sat up and screamed loud and clear.


    I stared at him in anger, narrowing my eyes at him as I pursed my lips into a thin line. I was so embarrassed, and I felt the heat burn my face as I blushed. However, the anger I felt helped me handle the embarrassment very well.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my outburst before he startedughing loudly. Heughed so much he might as well have fallen off his chair. I would have preferred if that happened, actually. I stared at him, not finding any of this amusing.


    "Sorry¡­you should have just said so from the very beginning¡­" Hayden said in between his bouts ofughter.


    "Uncuff me¡­now¡­" I muttered.


    "Ok¡­ok¡­" Hayden said as he got up from his seat.


    Taking out a key from the pocket of his pants, he unlocked the handcuff from around the bed and I could move my left arm freely once again. The clinking sound of the handcuff brought my attention to the fact that the handcuff was still on me¡­why?


    Suddenly, I heard a clicking sound.


    "Here¡­done," Hayden said with satisfaction as he held up his wrist to show me.


    My mouth hung open in shock at the sight of the handcuff around Hayden¡¯s wrist. If this was supposed to be like a couple¡¯s matching bracelet, it was way off.


    "Why are we handcuffed together?" I asked in disbelief.


    "You said you wanted to go to the toilet," Hayden replied with a grin.


    No way¡­


    Tell me this isn¡¯t what I¡¯m thinking¡­


    I sat there on the bed, stunned into silence.


    "Let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden said as he began pulling my left arm.


    "I¡­I can go to the toilet by myself!" I cried out as he yanked me to my feet and off the bed.


    "Even I know that¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I pleaded with him to no avail.


    Ignoring my protests, Hayden dragged me all the way across hisrge bedroom to the bathroom. Of all the things, I never imagined this could happen to me. How am I supposed to pee with him standing right next to me?


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name in frustration.


    "You needed to toilet, so I¡¯ve brought you to the toilet," Hayden stated as he pointed to the toilet seat.


    Frankly, I just didn¡¯t know what to say to him anymore. We stood there staring at each other in the bathroom as I debated my options. I needed to pee, that¡¯s for sure. However, I couldn¡¯t do it with him handcuffed to me. The handcuff kept us very close together¡­too close.


    "I can¡¯t pee with you standing here¡­" I said bluntly. Shit. I can¡¯t believe I just said that.


    "Yes, you can," Hayden said encouragingly.


    "No¡­I can¡¯t" I replied firmly.


    "How do you know when you haven¡¯t even tried?" Hayden asked, arching a brow at me.


    That¡¯s the thing. I don¡¯t want to try it! I don¡¯t want to do it! This isn¡¯t a challenge that I want to take on.


    "Look, Hayden¡­honestly, I can¡¯t run away from you when we¡¯re literally stuck in the same room together in the penthouse. There¡¯s no need for these handcuffs¡­" I tried to convince him again.


    How can he possibly think that I can get away from him like this? How paranoid is he anyways? I tried running away from him in the open and that failed too.


    "Of course, I know that¡­" Hayden said as if it was obvious to him too.


    "Then¡­" I began saying.


    "It¡¯s just part of your punishment, Malissa. Surely, you¡¯re smart enough to realize that by now¡­" Hayden said, his voice sounding very amused.


    "You are so evil!" I screamed at him.


    "Yeah¡­I get that a lot. So¡­why don¡¯t you show me how you pee now?" Hayden said before a beautiful angelic smile spread across his lips.


    "You¡¯re not going to at least turn around or close your eyes?" I asked, still in disbelief.


    "No. I¡¯m going to watch you¡­very closely," Hayden replied with certainty.


    I made the wrong decision. If I knew that this was going to happen, I would have chosen to wet the bed, my clothes and all.


    In the end, just like he wanted, I ended up sitting down on the toilet seat and peeing with Hayden standing right in front of me, watching. I never imagined that a man can show so much interest in watching a woman pee before¡­and then, I was reminded that Hayden was probably not a good representative of the standard male poption.


    "See? I knew you could do it. Next time, you should have more faith and believe in yourself a little more," Hayden said as he congratted me on my first-time peeing in front of a man.


    I wanted to burst into mes, selfbust, and just die. The word embarrassment couldn¡¯t quite fully describe the feeling that I felt. I didn¡¯t know how to face Hayden anymore. If there¡¯s a hole around here, I¡¯ll just conveniently crawl into it and die.


    However, I knew that it didn¡¯t matter whether I knew how to face Hayden or not because, like it or not, I would be forced to face him over and over again¡­until the 30 days came to an end.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 58: Let’s Take a Bath Together

    If I had thought that everything was now over, I was about to find out that I was dead wrong. I watched suspiciously as Hayden crouched down in front of me as I was still sitting on the toilet seat. Bringing his face to my level, Hayden smiled at me as the light in his blue eyes danced around as if he had just came up with a clever idea.


    On the other hand, I wasn¡¯t excited to hear about it at all.


    "Since we¡¯re in the bathroom together anyways, do you want to take a bath?" Hayden suggested sounding super casual about it.


    "Huh?" was all that I could say in response. A bath? We¡¯re handcuffed together¡­hello¡­?


    "I guess now that I think about it, you didn¡¯t take a bathst night. It¡¯s not like you stink or anything though," Hayden said as he smiled innocently at me. I doubt he was full of goodwill like he looked.


    "And whose fault do you think that is?" I snapped at him.


    "Hmm¡­your own?" Hayden replied after acting like he truly thought about it.


    I wanted to p my face with both of my hands to wake me up from this nightmare. Oh wait, I couldn¡¯t do that because one of my hands was chained to his. If we all have to die anyways then perhaps now would be the right time to go, Malissa.


    "So, do you want to take a bath or not?" Hayden asked, sounding a little impatient as his eyes narrowed at me.


    "Do I really have a choice?" I asked, sarcastically.


    "No¡­you don¡¯t," Hayden said. Of course, he had already decided everything for me.


    Shower with him with handcuffs on it is¡­


    Oh life¡­you and what you have in store for me¡­


    "What are you doing?" I snapped and swatted his hand away from the hem of my dress.


    "Helping you undress¡­what else? Of would you rather do it yourself?" Hayden answered as if he couldn¡¯t understand what was wrong and twisted about this whole situation.


    "That¡¯s not the issue here!" I screamed at him. He¡¯s insane¡­and he¡¯s driving me insane.


    "You know, I¡¯m not a big fan of loud women¡­" Hayden said, his voice suddenly icy cold.


    I felt a chill run through my body. Ok¡­monster Hayden is back. I mped my mouth shut, afraid to make even the slightest sound. I kept my eyes down on the floor so that I wouldn¡¯t have to look at him.


    "The only time that you should be screaming is when I fuck you¡­fast and hard¡­" Hayden said matter-of-factly.


    Hayden got up before his hand reached out with lighting speed, and I felt my head being yanked back. He pulled on my long hair, pulling my head back so that I was forced to look into his emotionless pale blue eyes. Without saying another word, Hayden bent down and crushed his warm lips to mine.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from moaning a little into his kiss. His tongue parted my closed lips firmly apart before wedging itself into the depths of my mouth. His breath quickened along with mine as he hungrily tasted me. Our tongues danced together wildly as I felt him reignite a very passionate fire deep within me. My body is starting to feel so hot¡­for him¡­


    "Stick out your tongue¡­" Haydenmanded.


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this¡­


    Slowly, I stuck out my tongue for him. He smiled at me, looking truly pleased at my obedience. I watched as Hayden stuck out his tongue andced it with mine. I squeezed my eyes closed tightly to escape from the embarrassment. I¡¯ve kissed him before but¡­this is just so different¡­


    His tongue entwined with mine as his hand held the back of my head, preventing my escape and angling my face to match his movements. I heard myself let out soft whimpers as Hayden continued to tease my tongue with his own. Suddenly, I felt his tongue receding from mine.


    "Open your eyes, Malissa¡­" Haydenmanded.


    Hesitantly, I opened my eyes once more. I was immediately rewarded with Hayden¡¯s satisfied smile. No matter how bizarre this whole situation was, I couldn¡¯t stop his smile from taking my breath away¡­


    He¡¯s so beautiful¡­when he smiles¡­


    He continued kissing me as his hands busied itself with tearing off my dress from my body. The handcuff made clinking sound as he moved his arm around, pulling and jerking the fabric of my body. It didn¡¯t take long for me to be standingpletely naked in front of him.


    "I knew it¡­you really do look best when you¡¯re naked¡­" Hayden mused as his eyes burned holes in my body while he stared at my naked form.


    "You¡¯re so¡­perverted¡­" I muttered, disapprovingly as I covered my breasts with one arm.


    I watched in astonishment as Hayden¡¯s hands moved to button his jeans. Is he¡­going to strip too?


    "Wait! Why are you undressing?" I asked in a panic.


    "I thought you might feel shy if you¡¯re the only one naked," Hayden answered, sounding genuinely worried. He¡¯s such a tease¡­


    "You¡¯re kidding¡­right?" I eximed in shock.


    "Right. I¡¯ll take a bath with you¡­so¡­" Hayden replied with a confident smile.


    If Hayden strips, then¡­we¡¯ll both be naked. Wait! This is moving along too fast for me to handle...


    "Hayden¡­.please¡­I won¡¯t run away! Please let me show alone¡­remove these handcuffs, ok?" I pleaded desperately once again. Please just this once¡­listen to what I have to say!


    "You can¡¯t run away anymore if we¡¯re handcuffed together, right? These things are such a smart invention," Hayden said as he held up his hand, forcing my hand up with his.


    "I won¡¯t run away¡­" I stated as firmly as I could.


    Hayden just chuckled a little before he smiled charmingly at me.


    "Says the girl who attempted exactly thatst night¡­" Hayden said, as his other hand patted me softly on the head.


    I bit my tongue before I said anything without thinking back to him. The fact that he was partially right was getting on my nerves.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 59: Fooling Around

    "Undress me¡­" Haydenmanded as he stared at my face.


    "No¡­why would I do that?" I quickly shut down his idea.


    "I undressed you. Shouldn¡¯t you at least return the favor?" Hayden asked as he ced a hand on his waist and waited for me to decide.


    I sighed. It wasn¡¯t like I had a choice in the matter anyways¡­


    With shaky hands, I began unbuttoning his jeans. I felt this eyes on me as he watched my every move. After unbuttoning his jeans, I started to pull them down from his hips and then further down his legs. This was so weird, since one of our hands were handcuffed together, Hayden had to bend down with me as I pulled down his pants. His face is so close to mine¡­


    Thankfully, Hayden decided to help me kick away his jeans when it was pooled on the floor at his feet. This whole thing is really bad for my heart.


    "What about my boxers?" Hayden asked, pointing to the boxer that he still had on.


    Hell, if I¡¯m going to remove that from him. I would rather die.


    "No¡­" I said with determination as I quickly turned away from him.


    Oh no¡­I can see the outline of his manly assets through his boxers¡­and it¡¯s so big¡­


    I closed my eyes as I quickly turned away in embarrassment. Haydenughed a little behind me before I felt his hands around my back and my knees.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in disbelief.


    Hayden had lifted me up into his arms and our eyes met. I wasn¡¯t sure what I expected to see in the depth of those blue eyes of his but the gentleness that I saw was definitely not it. It left me feeling all confused inside and I couldn¡¯t sort out my feelings, neither did I have the time for it.


    Hayden carried me to the bathtub, and we got in together. He turned on the warm water and it quickly filled up the tub as I sat there in between his legs with my back to him. He¡¯s so close, I can feel his body heat against my back. I tried my best to sit up without leaning back on him, but it was very difficult.


    "Just rx, Malissa¡­" Hayden whispered into my ear as his strong arm hugged my waist, pulling me back against him.


    With the force of Hayden¡¯s pull, Inded with my back against his chest with a small thump. He¡¯s so muscr. I guess I knew that from before but now that he waspletely naked and so close to me, I had to reevaluate his stats once again. I had to admit that he¡¯s very muscr and beautifully made. He really does look like a naked sculpture that we would paint in art ss.


    I admired him silently as he hugged me closer to his hard body.


    "I¡¯ll help wash you¡­" Hayden whispered sweetly into my ear.


    "Wait!" I protested but it was toote.


    I felt the slippery feeling of liquid soap on my skin as Hayden beganthering soup onto my wet skin with his hands. The sensation of his hands stroking my skin along with the soap made me feel all funny and warm inside. I closed my eyes and let out soft whimpers of pleasure as his hand continued to stroke my body. He stroked my belly, my back, my shoulders and then my thighs.


    His touches felt hotter than the warm water on my skin and it was driving me crazy with heat.


    "Hayden¡­enough¡­" I whimpered.


    "Why? It looks like you¡¯re enjoying yourself so much though¡­" Hayden whispered seductively into my ear. I could feel the heat of his breath tickle my ear.


    I let out a small cry when his hands finally found and groped my breasts. I knew this would happen, there was no way that Hayden would simply wash me without seducing me. His naughty touches made me moan louder as hisrge hands began squeezing my breasts firmly. My nipples rubbed against the palms of his hands, and I felt them grow taunt and erect immediately.


    I was sure that Hayden could feel my hardened nipples with his hands too and I cringed with embarrassment. My breathing wasbored as I panted in the hot enclosed space with Hayden. My moans and harsh breathing echoing in the bathroom, making them sound so much louder.


    "Your nipples are rock hard. They¡¯re so pink and pretty," Hayden said as his fingers pinched on my nipples.


    I cried out at the intensity of the pleasure running through my body from the perks that Hayden was expertly ying with. He squeezed and rolled my nipples in between his fingertips until I felt like I would cum from his breast y. My body felt so weak, and my mind was hazy with desire and lust.


    "Does it feel that good? You¡¯re moaning so loudly¡­and the look on your face is super erotic," Hayden said teasingly as his hands continued to pump my breasts together roughly.


    There was nothing that I could do but cry out at the pleasure and satisfaction that my body was feeling. Hayden¡­he¡¯s just so good at this. Seeing that I couldn¡¯t reply to his question, Hayden slowly stroked his hand down from my breasts to the in of my stomach. The heat of his hand on my lower abdomen reminded me of the heat and the strong aching that I felt deep inside of me.


    When his hand pressed down on my lower abdomen, I let out a choked cry. I felt my pussy clenching hard as Hayden applied pressure, reminding me of the unfulfilled need deep inside of me. I hated how weak I am to his advances. It didn¡¯t take long for me to melt into his arms and the heat of his erotic embrace.


    "Spread your legs wide open for me, Malissa¡­be a good girl¡­" Hayden instructed as his hands began pushing against the soft flesh of my inner thighs.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 60: So Close

    I bent my legs and parted my thighs to the side, stretching my pussy opening wide open for Hayden just as he had instructed. There was no point in denying it any longer. I wanted him¡­to give me more pleasure. My body was so in heat, and it couldn¡¯t wait for him to fulfill its lustful need.


    "Rx, Malissa. Lean back on me¡­I¡¯ll make you feel so good," Hayden murmured next to my ear before he sucked on my earlobe softly.


    I did as he instructed. I closed my eyes and tried my best to rx as Iid back, snuggling my back into the warmth of his chest. I felt Hayden breathe a sigh of satisfaction once he felt my head leaning on his shoulder.


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name with a sigh.


    The warm water helped me rx and Hayden seemed to have rxed a little as well. I felt him kiss my hair softly before his hand began teasing the soft and sensitive skin of my inner thigh. His hand is so close to my wet womanly entrance and my body trembled in anticipation of his touch.


    When his fingers finally found the wetness in between my legs, I let out a small cry. His touch against my heat, felt so pleasurable. Hayden stroked my wet entrance with his fingertips as I moaned and cried out at the joy of his touch.


    "Your pussy is flooded with you juices, Malissa," Hayden said seductively into my ear.


    I knew that my pussy was already very wet and had been this way for a while now. I could feel Hayden¡¯s arousal against my back and that made me even more aware of how close we were. Hisrge hand held onto my thigh while his other hand started ying around with my swollen clit.


    "Ahh! Not¡­there¡­Hayden¡­" I said in between my lewd moans.


    I was moaning so loudly now, unable to contain myself because of the pleasure that was burning me up from his caresses. The faster his fingertips stroked and teased the little bud of pleasure in between my legs, the louder I moaned. My lusty moans and pants echoed in the bathroom, making me feel so embarrassed at how loud I was.


    "Your moans sure are sexy¡­" Hayden said blissfully as he teased me with his words just as his hands were teasing my body.


    I bit my lower lips, but it was hard to control my moaning. Hayden¡¯s hand reached out to caress my breasts, bringing along with it my arm that was attached to his. Doing these lewd things while our arms were bounded together like this was so weird.


    Whenever he moved his arm, I had to move as well. I didn¡¯t have time to juggle that thought in my mind for long. When Hayden¡¯srge hands found my breasts and began squeezing and ying with it, I lost my train of thoughtpletely.


    The sensation of his hand fondling my breast as his other hand yed around with my clit was just too much for me to handle. My body writhed wildly in burning heat as I moaned loudly and called out his name. I felt like I was about to cum from his passionate attacks.


    His fingers skillfully pinched my clit before rolling it round between his fingertips. It felt so good and I felt like I was going to explode into a million pieces from the heat that was raging deep inside of my core. If he doesn¡¯t stop this, I think I¡¯m going to lose my mind and cum so hard¡­


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name in shock when his fingers suddenly plunged deep into my wet pussy hole.


    I think¡­I just came.


    "Did you just cum from me putting my fingers in? Isn¡¯t it a little too early¡­" Hayden said before he chuckled near my ear.


    It was clear that he was enjoying my reactions to everything that he was doing to me. It wasn¡¯t like I could resist him even if I tried. On the other hand, my body was too busy riding off the effects of my own climax to do anything or even think properly. My pussy felt so hot inside and I can feel his thick and long fingers buried so deeply inside of me.


    "Ahh! Ahh! Ahhhh!" I moaned loudly when the fingers deep inside of my hole started wriggling and moving about.


    I just came and my insides felt extra sensitive. The way he¡¯s moving his fingers¡­he¡¯s grinding it against my G-spot. It was obvious that Hayden had learnt from his past experiences with me; it was like he already knew where all my pleasure spots were, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to utilize that knowledge against me.


    "It feels good when I stroke you here, doesn¡¯t it? Now, what about this?" Hayden whispered into my ear.


    His fingers that were stroking against my G-spot began thrusting in and out of me, hitting me deep inside. It feels different¡­but still so pleasurable. I spread my legs even wider as my hips began thrusting up and down against his fingers, sucking them deeper inside of me. I wanted to feel more of him. He¡¯s melting my insides¡­


    "Your pussy is clenching so hard around my fingers. Perhaps, this isn¡¯t enough for you yet¡­" Hayden said almost as if he could read my mind.


    My body writhed in pleasure. My hips thrusting up against his fingers invitingly as I shamelessly reacted to him. Hayden began thrusting his fingers in and out of my hole faster and harder and I screamed at the irresistible pleasure. He sucked on the side of my neck so hard that I knew that it would leave a hickey for sure. It wasn¡¯t like I could protest about anything at that point.


    I was too wrapped up in desire as his fingers pumped wildly in and out of my wet hole. His fingers filled and stretched me from various angles as he expertly changed the angles of his thrusts. He was driving me crazy with need. It wasn¡¯t long before I felt another orgasm fast approaching¡­


    However, just when I was about to climax, Hayden quickly withdrew his fingers from my pussy hole. I cried out in disappointment as my pleasure was robbed from me. My body was so confused and dissatisfied at what had just happened.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 61: Every Part

    "You were about to cum, right?" Hayden asked, needlessly. I knew that he already knew that I was about to reach my peak.


    I wanted to ask him why he suddenly stopped but I was too ashamed to do so. It felt like I was ready to beg him for sex and perhaps, that wasn¡¯t too far from the truth.


    "How many rules do you think you¡¯ve broken this time?" Hayden asked.


    I think I broke every single rule heid out and probably did worst things.


    "I¡­" I mumbled softly. Since I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to his direct question, I just decided to stay silent instead.


    "I have to admit that running away from me wasn¡¯t incorporated directly into any of the rules. You¡¯re full of surprises, no woman has ever tried running away from me before¡­none had ever wanted to¡­" Hayden said beforeughing softly.


    He¡¯s such an attractive man. Honestly, even the sound of hisugh is beautiful. This is so unfair.


    "Touch me, Malissa¡­" Hayden said softly as his hand guided my face to look directly into his.


    Hayden took my left hand in his and kissed the back of it as his blue eyes looked deeply into my eyes. I felt my heart skip a beat as he continued to stare at me with those seductive eyes of his. The warmth of his lips on the back of my hand made my body feel hotter than the warm water ever could. I have never felt this way before.


    I couldn¡¯t deny it. Regardless of how crazy he is¡­I¡¯m attracted to this man and that fact scared me.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name, surprised at how inviting my own voice sounded.


    "Touch me, Malissa¡­touch my cock¡­" Hayden said as he took my right hand in his and brought it down under the water.


    I bit my lower lips in anticipation as I waited for him to guide my hand to his manhood. When my fingertips brushed against his solid length, I gasp.


    He¡¯s¡­enormous.


    My eyes widened at the sensation of his hard rod against my fingertips. With the guidance of his hand, I found myself wrapping my fingers around the thickness of his hot and massive cock. I could feel that his cock was gigantic as I held his heat in my hand. It¡¯s so thick and erect.


    Instinctively, I began stroking his cock slowly. Running my hand up and down his length. His rod is so thick and long. I was frankly very amazed by his size. Hayden let out a little moan as I began stroking his cock faster and harder.


    His moans of pleasure excited me and turned me on more than before. I felt relieved and delighted that I could give Hayden pleasure. I felt a little shy, but his moans gave me the courage to pump his cock harder and faster in my hand. I felt his cock growing bigger and thicker in my hand as it twitched at the attention that it was receiving.


    I felt Hayden¡¯srge hand on the back of my head as he pulled me into his embrace and kissed me hungrily. His tongue thrusted inside of my mouth and his tongue began dancing around with mine immediately. I have never felt a kiss as demanding and hot like this before. It was like he was asking me to give all of myself to him.


    I closed my eyes as I began kissing him back passionately. He moaned into my mouth, and I did the same as my hand continued to pump his hard cock. I watched as Hayden closed his eyes in bliss while his body enjoyed my touch. However, his hand reached out to stop mine as his eyes opened and stared into my own.


    His action confused me, and I wondered why he made me stop. I thought that he was enjoying himself and I didn¡¯t think that I was wrong. Slowly, Hayden stood up and pulled me up with him before he got out of the bathtub, wordlessly. I watched him, still confused as to what he was doing.


    Since we were bounded together, literally, I had to get up as well.


    Why was he getting out now? Did I do something to anger him again? I seemed to have a talent for that.


    "Hayden?" I called his name questioningly.


    Without answer me, Hayden carried me up into his arms. It was amazing how he could lift me up so effortlessly. He¡¯s so strong¡­


    I felt his muscles against my body and the strength of his arm around me as he carried me out of the bathroom. He¡¯s walking so fast, and I could sense his impatience and determination.


    "Ahhh!" I let out a squeal when Hayden carried me to his bed and dumped me unceremoniously on it.


    We were both wet from the bath, but it didn¡¯t seem that Hayden cared about that at all. He positioned his body on top of mine, blocking me with hisrge frame. I felt his weight on my hips as he straddled me.


    "You broke so many rules, I guess you can¡¯tin if I take every part of your body as mine¡­" Hayden said before a wicked grin graced his beautiful face.


    He¡¯s can¡¯t be serious¡­


    However, the dangerous look in his eyes told me otherwise. Hayden is dead serious right now. I cursed my stupid decisions that led me to this point. He¡¯s on top of me and our bodies were so close. I could feel his heat on my naked skin. Our faces were so close that I felt like he was breathing on me.


    "Hayden¡­when will you let me go?" I whimpered as I tried to struggle against the hold that he had on me but his body pinned me down underneath him effortlessly.


    Hayden didn¡¯t bother answering me, instead his hands began massaging my breasts. He¡¯s being so rough, but it feels so amazing. My breasts lost its shape as he squeezed and kneaded them together with his manly hands.


    "Take these handcuffs off. Let me go, Hayden¡­" I cried out before I moaned wildly.


    His fingers had began pulling on my erected nipples and I couldn¡¯t help but cry out at the intense pleasurable waves running through my body.


    "When you¡¯ve learnt who is your master and how you should obey him, I¡¯ll let you go" Hayden stated matter-of-factly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 62: One With Him

    His blue eyes were determined as he stared directly into my eyes. Hayden doesn¡¯t seem to realize how crazy what he just said was. Was this kind of thing normal for him? How could he say something like that as if it was normal and given?


    I heard the sound of Hayden fumbling with the bedside table before I realized that he had opened a drawer and seemed to be searching for something. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find what he was looking for.


    "Wait¡­Hayden¡­" I said softly as my eyes widened in shock.


    Hayden held a condom in his hand and I watched as he ced it in between in lips and began tearing it open seductively with his teeth. His magnificent blue eyes held mine and I couldn¡¯t look away. I was so captivated by his gaze and everything that he was doing that I felt like nothing else in this world existed except for this beautiful man in front of me.


    I was holding my breath in anticipating without realizing it. When Hayden¡¯s beautiful eyes nced downwards, my gaze followed, and I gasped at the sight of his massive cock. Having touched his cock, I knew that he was very big but now that I was seeing it, I was shocked at his impressive size.


    Hayden smirked at me as his hands began rolling the condom onto his erect rod. His cock was so thick, long and very potent.


    "If you don¡¯t want it, you can push me away¡­" Hayden said with a smugged smile.


    "No¡­Hayden¡­" I whispered, still finding it hard to believe that this was actually happening.


    "Then why did you kiss me back?" Hayden asked abruptly, catching mepletely off guard. He realized and remembered that I kissed him back?


    "I¡­" I whispered, not really knowing how to respond.


    "Yesterday, in front of the building, when I kissed you¡­why did you kiss me back?" Hayden asked once more, his eyes capturing and holding mine.


    "I¡­" I whispered before I didn¡¯t know what to say. The truth was that I wasn¡¯t sure.


    I don¡¯t know¡­why I did it. It was as if I kissed him back by reflex and I couldn¡¯t understand my own emotions.


    "You do want this, Malissa," Hayden said with certainty as if he could read my mind or if he was deciding my fate for me.


    His hand guided his cock to my wet entrance where I could feel it¡¯s thick head lodge itself at my opening.


    "No¡­Hayden. It¡¯s too big¡­for me¡­" I whispered in a panic.


    I haven¡¯t had sex with a man for almost a year since I broke up with my boyfriend and even if I had, there was still no way that something that massively thick and long would fit inside of me.


    "Are you saying that to turn me on more? Because¡­it¡¯s really working¡­" Hayden said, clearly amused by my words.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name, not knowing what to say.


    "Anyst words? You¡¯ll be minepletely once I put it inside of you¡­" Hayden said as he smiled at me. Once again, I felt myself getting lost in his angelic smile.


    I shook my head silently as I closed my eyes tightly. My body bracing for the pain of his entrance. It¡¯s going to hurt without a doubt. Seeing that I had nothing else to say to him, Hayden lifted and spread my legs further apart as he positioned the swollen head of his thick cock at my wet entrance. He wasn¡¯t even inside me yet, but I could already feel his head stretching my opening.


    "Look at me, Malissa," Haydenmanded, and his tone was absolute.


    Slowly, I opened my eyes and found his blue ones looking directly at me. I felt so exposed and vulnerable to him; however, I couldn¡¯t look away from his mesmerizing gaze. If I keep on staring into his eyes, will I be able to see his true self?


    "I¡¯ll be gentle¡­" Hayden whispered.


    My eyes widened in shock at his surprising words. That didn¡¯t sound like something that Hayden would say at all. My shock was shortly reced by another, when Hayden began thrusting hisrge member into my pussy hole. I felt his cock pressing into me slowly and the pain of my entrance being roughly stretched to amodate his massive thickness.


    He¡¯s entering me¡­


    "Ahh! Hay¡­den¡­" I cried out and whimpered as I tried to deal with my own pain.


    It hurts more than I had imagined. Although I was already so wet from before, his size is stretching me so much that it feels like he¡¯s going to tear my insides apart. Hayden looked down at me as he continued to slowly screw his cock into my pussy hole.


    "You¡¯re so hot and tight inside¡­" Hayden said, his eyes dark with desire.


    Inch by inch he pushed into me. I could feel him stretching and filling me up deeper and deeper as he sank his cock into my wet hole. It felt like I had reached my limit. There was just so much of him, and I felt like I couldn¡¯t take his entire length inside of me anymore.


    "I can¡¯t¡­take anymore. Your cock¡­is too¡­big¡­" I whimpered in a small voice as I panted.


    "Yes, you can. Just rx¡­" Hayden said, his voice surprisingly gentle.


    I tried to spread my legs wider apart and rx my insides to take him in further. My moans and cries of pain and pleasure got louder and louder as his cock buried itself deeper inside of my love hole. With a few firm thrusts, Hayden¡¯s gigantic member waspletely buried into me. I have never felt so full inside like this before; I could feel Hayden everywhere inside of me.


    "It¡¯s all in. Good girl. Can you feel me deep inside you?" Hayden asked as he looked down at me. He ced a hand on my lower abdomen where his cock was buried deep inside of me.


    "You¡¯re in¡­so deep¡­" I said softly as I moaned with pleasure.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 63: Wild Loving

    My pussy began clenching around his thick cock as it tried to adjust to his shape and size. Just clenching my pussy walls around him was enough to make me go wild with pleasure. He feels so good¡­inside of me. My insides feel hotter than normal, and I wanted nothing more than to have his cock satisfy the ache deep inside of my belly.


    "You¡¯re mine now, Malissa¡­" Hayden growled with deep satisfaction.


    Hayden reared back, withdrawing his cock from my pussy before he thrusted deeply into me once more. The sensation of his cock pounding into me felt so intense and I cried out loudly at the pleasure. It hurts so much when he moves like that, but it feels so good. I didn¡¯t want him to stop ramming his cock in and out of my hole.


    He¡¯s thrusting into me so hard and fast, hisrge cock hitting my core deep inside. I moaned and cried out as each thrust hit my womb and filled me deep inside.


    "Hayden! Ahh! Ahh! Ahhh!" I cried out his name and cried out loudly, unable to hold my voice back.


    I¡¯m not a virgin. Far from it, I¡¯ve had sex many times before with my ex-boyfriend, but this just feels so different. It hurts and it feels like he¡¯s about to tear me apart¡­but it feels so crazy good. The way his cock stretches and fills me, the way he fills my mind with him, all of it is making me feel so whole andplete.


    His thick cock rubbed against the walls of my pussy as its head hit against the pleasure spot deep inside of my love hole. He¡¯s driving me insane from the pleasure. I desired him so much that I could no longer control my own body. My hips thrusted upwards wildly to meet his thrusts halfway as I tried to suck his cock deeper into my wet hole.


    "Your pussy is sucking in my cock¡­you like this, right?" Hayden asked needlessly as he began ramming hisrge cock into me even harder than before.


    Our sex grinded against each other as his wild thrusting made lewd wet sounds. My pussy felt like it was melting inside, and I was wet from my own love juices. Each time his cock stirred the honey deep inside my honey pot, my honey leaked out from my hole onto the bedsheet beneath us. His gigantic cock was messy up my insides and it felt so addictively pleasurable.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name repeatedly as I wrapped my arms around his back.


    The pleasure was too intense, and I felt like I would unravel. I wed at his back in my frenzy and desperation to be closer and one with him. Hayden began pumping his thick cock in and out of me from various angles. His member stroking and stretching my hole from various angles, making me cry out and dig my nails into his back.


    Hisrge hands slipped under my buttocks and began lifting my ass off the bed. He held my hips in ce so that he could pound into my hole faster and deeper than before. I never knew that I could be prated this deeply before. I felt his entire length fill up my insides all the way to my belly. When he moved, it felt like he was stirring up my entire insides and it was driving me crazy with lust.


    Hayden continued to thrust in and out of me non-stop. It was crazy how much stamina he had. I was already out of breath, and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I cked out any moment now. My body felt so hot, and my mind felt hazy from the pleasure that he was feeding me. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from crying out as his cock fucked my cunt deeply. It felt like I really was losing my mind¡­


    "I¡¯m fucking you fast and hard now¡­so you can scream as loudly as you want¡­" Hayden said, his voice thick with lust as he pounded faster into me.


    I couldn¡¯t reply to him. All I could do was scream as Hayden continued to take me like a wild animal. I didn¡¯t think that he was making love to me, it felt like he was mating with me. His sex was rough and wild. If this is what Hayden refers to as ¡¯being gentle¡¯ then I couldn¡¯t imagine what rough sex with him would be like.


    "Hayden¡­I¡­" I whimpered as I felt my orgasm fast approaching.


    I could feel iting. My body felt like it would explode into a million pieces from the heat that was building up inside of me. My pussy clenched and spasmed wildly around Hayden¡¯s cock as it tried to feel even more of him. He¡¯s hitting all the right spots deep inside of my love tunnel repeatedly. I¡¯m going to cum¡­


    "Let it go, Malissa. Just cum already¡­" Hayden whispered seductively to me.


    After a few fast and hard strokes of his cock into my cunt, I climaxed magnificently. My whole body trembled and spasmed while I cried out loudly when my orgasm hit me. I didn¡¯t remember anything but the pleasure and desire that felt like it had exploded out of my body along with my own hot wetness.


    Hayden continued to pump his thick rod into me even as I was climaxing. He didn¡¯t give me any time to rest after I had climaxed either. I felt hisrge hands pulling my body up until I was sitting up and straddling hisp. His hips began thrusting upwards, hitting his cock deep into my pussy hole.


    Oh lord¡­we¡¯re doing it sitting down. I wrapped my arms around his neck instinctively as he bounced my body up and down, sliding my pussy up and down the length of his upstanding shaft. I just came and my insides still felt raw and extra sensitive. His cock pushed deeply into me as Hayden used my body weight to pull me down onto his cock again and again.


    --To be continued¡­


    Thank you for supporting my work. Please check out my other works: Conquering the Emperor;


    Forbidden Heat

 Chapter 64: In His Arms

    "Hayden¡­it¡¯s¡­too much¡­" I whimpered weakly as I begged him for mercy. I felt like my body was on the verge of breaking.


    "Hang in there¡­" Hayden whispered into my ear beforeughing a little at me.


    Hisrge hands held my hips firmly as he thrusted his hips upwards, ramming his cock in and out of me fast and hard. I cried out until my throat hurts but there were no signs of Hayden ending this. My insides felt so hot and wet that I felt like he hadpletely melted me. It wasn¡¯t long before I felt another wave of my own climax approaching. He¡¯s about to make me cum again¡­


    I moaned and panted as I struggled to manage the pleasure that was robbing my body and mind of control. When my climax arrived, I didn¡¯t have the strength to express anything. My body just spasmed in Hayden¡¯s arms. My pussy felt over used and raw inside as it quivered from my own orgasm. My body and mind felt light. Hayden¡¯s endless assault is about to make me faint from the pleasure.


    Just when I thought that I was about to faint, Hayden moaned closed to my ear and started thrusting his cock fast and hard into me as if he was sprinting towards his own release. I clenched my pussy walls around his thick cock as I tried to give him pleasure and milk him for his cum.


    Soon I could feel Hayden¡¯s climax run through his body as he groaned wildly in pleasure and trembled a little in my arms. I hugged him tightly to me as I felt his cock twitching wildly deep inside of me.


    "Malissa¡­your pussy feels amazing¡­" Hayden whispered lustily into my ear before he kissed my lips deeply.


    It was such a hot and wet kiss that left me panting for air. Slowly, Hayden kissed my cheek and then my forehead. His kisses and the way his hand was stroking my hair was so gentle and I started to feel my eyelids grow heavy.


    Thest sound I heard before I drifted off to the peaceful kingdom of sleep was the clicking sound of the handcuff being unlocked and removed from my wrist.


    Hayden¡­


    ¡­


    Hayden watched as Malissa drifted off to sleep after their intense love making session. He watched as her breathing became steady. Slowly, he reached out a hand to caress the side of her face softly before smoothing a lock of hair back from her forehead.


    After taking out the key, he unlocked the handcuff and removed them from his and her wrist. Hayden made his way to get off the bed but then seemed to change his mind. Laying down carefully next to Malissa, he drew her into his arms and closed his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t remember thest time he slept with a woman in his arms but there was something soothing about having her in his arms. Perhaps, it was her scent or the way her body fitted perfectly with his, he didn¡¯t know for sure. However, it wasn¡¯t long before he too drifted off into a deep sleep.


    Just like how he couldn¡¯t remember thest time he simply went to sleep with a woman, he didn¡¯t remember thest time he had a peaceful sleep void of disturbing dreams. It was the first time in a long while that he was able to rest at ease.


    ¡­


    When I woke up, it was sometime in thete afternoon. My whole body felt sore, especially my pussy and it was obvious why that was so. The moment I began shifting my legs, a pain shot through the sensitive part in between my legs. It stings and it feels so sore, I almost cried out at the stinging pain.


    My eyes grew wide when I realized that the culprit to my soreness wasying next to me on the bed with his arms around me. Hayden was sleeping so peacefully next to me that I found it hard to believe that this scene was real.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time that I saw him sleeping but I wasn¡¯t used to seeing the innocent and peaceful look on Hayden¡¯s face as he slept. His face is so beautiful. His nose is so straight, and his light blond eyshes are so long.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time that I watched him sleeping and it wasn¡¯t the first time that I got mesmerized by the sight of his angelic sleeping face either. Slowly, I eased up on my side and rested my head in the palm of my hand as I watched him silently. Who knew the devil could look so much like an angel when he¡¯s asleep?


    Not wanting to disturb Hayden¡¯s restful sleep or wake him up, I began silently looking around his bedroom with my eyes. I¡¯ve been in this room before, but many things happened, and I haven¡¯t had the time to take in the room¡¯s deco. They say you could learn many things about the room¡¯s owner from their room. Not that I¡¯m an expert at figuring people out though¡­


    Hayden¡¯s room was luxurious and modern for sure. However, there wasn¡¯t a lot of personal belongings that would allow me to tell his character or anything personal about him. Perhaps it was because he just moved in here temporarily, so most of his things are probably back at his home. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t even know where he really lives¡­not that I¡¯m interested¡­


    Just when I reached the door to his room, something on the shelf next to the door caught my eye. A photograph was sitting there on the shelf in a frame. It was probably the most personal thing in the room that Hayden had.


    "So, this¡­is Amelia¡­" I mutter softly to myself.


    I bent down a little to take a closer look at the photograph. It was a simple photograph of a man and a woman standing next to each other and smiling happily. The man was Hayden but with longer blond hair than he had now. The woman smiling next to him must be Amelia.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 65: Going Crazy

    To be frank, I was stunned by Amelia¡¯s beauty. She had a beautiful figure, round eyes, a beautiful smile, long wavy light blond hair. Her face and expression were kind, the kind of face that everyone would fall in love with at first sight. Her facial features were perfect. She looked like a model or an actress and I wouldn¡¯t be surprise if she is one.


    Hayden was smiling so happily next to her. It was obvious that they are so in love with each other. It made me realize just how vain I was to even think that Hayden could have any feelings for me. There was nothing that I possessed that would outshine a woman like Amelia.


    Now that I¡¯ve seen a photo of her and how in love with each other they seemed, it was no wonder why Hayden refused to marry me or anyone else besides Amelia.


    I guess I got a little ahead of myself when Hayden started showing some interest in me. I probably mistook his kindness in saving me for something that didn¡¯t exist. It was obvious now that when he touched me and made love to me, he was just using me to pass his time. It was probably nothing more than casual sex for him. I should have known that so why do I feel so disappointed and hurt?


    "You should at least have the decency to hide your girlfriend¡¯s photo away when you bring another girl to your room¡­" I muttered underneath my breath.


    Then, Iughed silently in my head at myself. I can¡¯t believe I just said that out loud. I¡¯m so pathetic.


    I felt something warm and wet on my cheek and realized that I had started crying. Great.


    Why am I crying? This is so stupid¡­


    Quietly, I tiptoed to the door and slowly opened it.


    Once I exited Hayden¡¯s room, I was shocked to see Auntie standing there in front of the door as if she was hesitating whether to knock on the door or not. The worried and slightly startled expression on Auntie¡¯s face reminded me that I hadn¡¯t wiped away my tears from my face.


    Shit, she just saw me crying. This is such a mess. She saw me just walked out of Hayden¡¯s room and I¡¯m in tears. I could imagine a whole series of wild scenarios that were undoubtedly running through her mind. However, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to correct her misunderstandings, whatever they were.


    "Miss Malissa¡­" Auntie murmured softly, her eyes on my face.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to her and I didn¡¯t want to exin myself, so I just nodded a little at her before I quickly walked past. My feet took me towards my bedroom, my safest ce in this entire penthouse right now. My emotions and mind were a mess and I needed to be alone to sort myself out.


    ¡­


    Once in my room, I headed for the bathroom. I wanted and needed to clean myself. I filled the bathtub with warm water before I got in and sat down, enjoying the feel of the warm water enveloping my body. I turned on the shower and enjoyed the feeling of water raining down on me from above before taking the shower head in my hand.


    Hayden was too big for me and my pussy hurts from the force of his wild mating, but I was also amazed with the pleasure that I felt. I haven¡¯t had sex with a man for almost a year since I broke up with Ethan so perhaps, I didn¡¯t remember¡­but did sex use to feel this good?


    I spread my legs apart as I positioned the shower head in between my legs. My pussy was still sticky and wet from my own love juices and the slightly warm water felt rxing against my love entrance. Slowly, I washed my own release away with my fingers.


    Feeling my own fingers touching my still-sensitive pussy made my mind wander to Hayden and how he skillfully touched and caressed me there. I closed my eyes, and I could see him, his handsome face and his blue eyes. Before I knew it, I was rubbing my clit faster and faster as I moaned with pleasure.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from imagining and reliving the sex I had with Hayden in my mind as my hands pleasured myself. He¡¯s driving me insane, and I hated how effortlessly he managed to do that to me.


    What am I doing? I stopped the lewd movement of my own hand as I brought my hand up to p my own cheeks. Get a hold of yourself, Malissa! He¡¯s just using you and you mean nothing to him. He¡¯s as in love with his girlfriend as can be. If anything, you¡¯re just someone he¡¯s cheating on his girlfriend with¡­


    My own words rang loud and clear in my head, and I knew that I was right. However, it was hard for my heart to ept the truth this time¡­


    ¡­


    I woke up the next morning with renewed energy after a long rest in bed. With so many things that had happenedtely, I was beginning to lose count of the days that I had left in this penthouse as part of the contract. The numerous developments made it hard for me to believe that only one day had passed by.


    23 more days until I¡¯m out of here¡­


    So many things happened during the first week here. I sighed loudly as I recalled Hayden¡¯s intense love making. It¡¯s been less than a week and I¡¯ve already slept with him. This is all getting out of hand at a much faster pace than I had imagined.


    It was starting to make sense now why that old man wanted me to live together with his son for 30 days. He probably knew that Hayden was a domineering sex monster. Regardless of what happened between us, I am not marrying Hayden¡­and he obviously wouldn¡¯t want to marry me either.


    That was that. For some reason my brain kept on recalling the photo that I saw in Hayden¡¯s room. I pushed the overly perfect image of Amelia out of my mind as I jumped out of bed and headed for a shower.


    I must avoid him at all costs. I can¡¯t let the event ofst night¡­and the night before repeat itself! It¡¯s still early, I¡¯ll cook him something quick and leave before he wakes up.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 66: Complex Emotions

    With that thought in mind, I rushed to the kitchen. Checking the ingredients that were readily avable in the kitchen, I figured that I could quickly make some pancakes. Hayden seemed to like sweet things, judging from his liking for the chocte cake that he had the other day.


    I started working on making the pancakes immediately. This is a race against time. I must finish these pancakes before he wakes up and get my ass out of here. To be honest, I didn¡¯t care whether he wanted pancakes or not. I¡¯m going to do it so that I fulfill the deal I made to his father for today and then go visit my grandmother.


    Finally! I finished the pancakes, arranged them neatly on a te. Sifted icing on it. I admired my own aplishment with a satisfied smile. This should do it! I grabbed the te of pancake and quickly headed to the dining room where I ced the te on the table before quickly turning to leave


    I had finished sketching the portrait of my grandmother based on a photograph that we took together a few years ago. Sketching her in the hospital helped add to some references but I based her pose from the photograph instead while I can use her actual face as the reference for her facial expression in the painting.


    Now that she is permanently hospitalized and stuck in a hospital room all the time, I worried that she would feel lonely. I tried my best to visit her whenever I could and today was no different. I nced in the direction of Hayden¡¯s room before I shook my head to clear my thoughts and headed with the men in ck to the hospital.


    ¡­


    "Hayden¡­finally you¡¯re up!" Auntie cried out as she came running up to Hayden.


    Hayden had woken up, took a rxing shower and had just trudged out of his bedroom. It was clear that he was sleepy and not fully awake yet even after his shower. His hair was damp from the shower, but he was already fully dressed and ready to go out.


    "What is it¡­so early in the morning¡­" Hayden mumbled with annoyance.


    "Morning?! Certainly not! It¡¯s early in the afternoon," Auntie said, desperately correcting Hayden.


    "What do you want, Auntie?" Hayden asked as he walked past her towards the sitting room.


    "What did you do to Miss Malissa?" Auntie asked in an usatory voice.


    Hayden smirked a little to himself as he thought of all the things he did to and with Malissast night. He could still remember the feel of her body beneath his as she writhed against him. The pleasurable sensation of her pussy hugging his cock as he thrusted his cock into her warm and wet body.


    Her beautiful moans of pleasure as he rode her and her erotic face as she reached her climax over and over again.


    His thoughts were filled with memories of her fromst night and he felt the urge to hold her in his arms once again. He felt a stirring in his loins as his body started to desire her touch.


    "Hayden!" Auntie¡¯s voice cut through his lustful thoughts and snapped him back to reality.


    Malissa was gone and in front of him stood good old Auntie with an angry face as she stared up into his face. Hayden sighed loudly. He had no idea what Auntie was referring to since she clearly wasn¡¯t referring to how he had sex with Malissast night.


    "I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. What happened?" Hayden asked instead of guessing at what Auntie wanted from him. He would appreciate it a lot if she would just say whatever it was that she wanted to say.


    He sat down at the dining table, his eyes on the pancakes. Hayden knew at once that Malissa made these and that she had already left the penthouse for the day, probably to avoid meeting him as always. That thought never depressed him before, but it made him feel a little irritated today.


    "Can I get coffee? Tea¡­anything?" Hayden asked, feeling a little annoyed.


    "No! You¡¯re not getting anything until you tell me what happened," Auntie demanded as she stood next to Hayden with her hands on her hips.


    Hayden didn¡¯t like it when Auntie got into her bossy mode and started acting like she was his mum. Well, she is the closest thing that he¡¯s got to a mother after all.


    "I already told you, Auntie. I have no idea what you¡¯re going on about¡­" Hayden replied as he ran his fingers through his light blond hair.


    "Miss Malissa¡­she was crying," Auntie spat at Hayden.


    "¡­what?" Hayden said after a moment of stunned silence as he took in Auntie¡¯s words.


    "She was crying. Miss Malissa came out of your room yesterday and she was crying. I saw it with my own two eyes!" Auntie said with conviction.


    Hayden froze in shock as he continued to listen to Auntie¡¯s words. Malissa was crying? Why?


    His brows knitted into a frustrated scowl as his mind filled with countless scenarios as to why Malissa was crying. None of them anything pleasant. Before he even realized what he was doing, he had gotten up quickly from his seat and was heading straight for the door.


    "Where are you going?! Hayden!" Auntie called after him.


    "Tell Luka that I¡¯m not going in today!" Hayden called back.


    Auntie watched in shock as the front door mmed closed with Hayden gone. She didn¡¯t know what was going on and why Hayden was in such a hurry, but she decided to do as she was told anyways. Picking up the phone, she dialed Luka¡¯s mobile number which she remembered by heart and ryed on Hayden¡¯s message.


    "Luka¡­Hayden just went somewhere. He told me to tell you that he¡¯s not going in today," Auntie spoke through the phone.


    The man on the other end of the line replied and Auntieughed merrily along with his joke.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­Hayden¡¯s been acting weird since he came back. What are you doing? You should talk some sense into him¡­" Auntie said impatiently.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 67: Surprise Guest

    "Granny! How are you?" I asked, trying to sound cheerful as I waltzed into her hospital room.


    The room was as white and simple as ever. The hospital room was filled with advanced medical equipment and machines that were designed to keep my granny alive.


    "I¡¯m doing well. Have you been busy?" Granny asked, probably referring to the fact that I didn¡¯t drop by before.


    "A little. A couple of things happened¡­and I just got tied up¡­" I replied vaguely.


    Sensing that I didn¡¯t want to talk about it any further, my grandmother did not continue asking. Instead, she started talking about small random things that she knew would cheer me up. I truly appreciate her for everything that she¡¯s done for me.


    "How¡¯s the painting going?" Granny asked before she smiled beautifully at me.


    She had been receiving treatment for only around a week, but she seemed to be doing well. I smiled back at her as I observed her glowing face. I prayed and hoped that she would be cured and that she would be able to leave the hospital soon. Even if not permanently, it would be good enough for me if she could at least go out sometimes.


    I¡¯m sure that she was bored out of her mind being stuck in this room all the time.


    "It¡¯s going well. I¡¯m actually here to show you the rough sketch," I said enthusiastically.


    I began removing the canvas from the protective bag to show it to her. My grandmother took the canvas in her two hands as she stared at the rough pencil sketch on it.


    "This looks much better that I had imagined¡­" Granny said thoughtfully.


    "What does that mean? Don¡¯t underestimate your own granddaughter. Actually, I based this sketch on a photograph of us that we took together a while back," I said.


    "So, how can I help you today, youngdy?" Granny asked.


    She handed the canvas back to me and I smiled at her.


    "I¡¯m nning to base the facial expression on the real you now. So, I guess all I need you to do is put on your best smile for me," I replied as I sat down in a chair next to her hospital bed.


    "That¡¯s easy enough," grandma replied before smiling widely at me.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing at her and soon we wereughing together. In that moment, I honestly forgot about all my troubles and everything that was going on in my life. I just wanted to focus and live in that moment, at least while itsted.


    We were busy having a great time enjoying each other¡¯spany when the door to the room burst opened. I had a bad feeling that it wasn¡¯t the doctor or the nurse that just stepped in through the door.


    "Ha¡­Hayden¡­Why are you here?" I asked in confusion and panic.


    My eyes were like round saucers at my shock of seeing Hayden walking into the room. He was dressed in a very smart looking white suit with a ck shirt and matching ck leather shoes. Overall, he seemed too smartly dressed and fashionable to be on a casual hospital visit. So, why is he here¡­exactly?


    "What? My father is paying for this room and you¡¯re telling me that I can¡¯t be here?" Hayden replied without a care as he made himselffortable on the sofa.


    I nced over at my grandmother who was also shocked at Hayden¡¯s sudden appearance. I wondered if she even remembered who he is. After all, she¡¯s probably seen him only once on that day at the church where we failed to get married. Hayden was also dead drunk on that day which added to my guess that she probably didn¡¯t remember him.


    "¡­That¡¯s not..what I meant¡­" I said before I sighed.


    Why is he here? I don¡¯t even want to see him. He¡¯s made my life messy enough already and now he¡¯s intruding on my grandmother¡¯s hospital room where she¡¯s supposed to be recovering.


    While I was thinking of how to handle him, Hayden had gotten up from the sofa as if he had just remembered something. I watched as he walked over to my grandmother¡¯s hospital bed. Instinctively, I stepped in between my grandmother and him with my arms wide open to guard my grandmother.


    "Why are you really here?" I asked, suspiciously. My eyes narrowed at him.


    "Don¡¯t worry your little head. I¡¯m not going to hurt your grandmother. Do you think I¡¯m some kind of monster?" Hayden said in disbelief before heughed a little.


    Yes, I did think that he was a monster.


    Hayden folded my arms to my side before he walked past me towards my grandmother.


    "My name is Hayden and I¡¯m currently dating your granddaughter. I heard that you were in this hospital from my father and decided to drop by to see how you are doing. I am sincerely sorry that I did not inform you beforehand," Hayden said smoothly before smiling his most angelic smile at my grandmother.


    I hated how well his smiled seemed to enchant her. My grandmother looked up at him with such ssy eyes as if she had just seen a real angel.


    Wait?! I¡¯m missing the real problem here¡­


    "No, grandma. We are not dating¡­" I said firmly.


    "Really? But yesterday we already¡­" Hayden said with innocent wonder.


    "We had dinner. Yesterday, Hayden and I¡­had dinner," I quickly jumped in before he couldplete his sentence.


    Is he crazy?! Was he honestly about to tell my grandmother that he and I had sex yesterday?!


    Hayden chuckled amusedly while my grandmother looked at us with a confused look on her face. This is so bad; he¡¯s going to cause so much misunderstanding between grandmother and me. Plus, as far as my grandmother was concerned, I¡¯m still dating Ethan!


    He smiled at me as he turned around to face me once more. I could hear his softughter when he was about to walk past me.


    "I didn¡¯t know that you were the type of girl who would sleep with a man that she¡¯s not even dating¡­" Hayden whispered into my ear before he walked past me casually as if nothing had happened.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 68: Shopping with Him

    I whipped my head around and glowered at him. How dare he say something like that to me?


    "You were about to paint right? Don¡¯t mind me¡­I¡¯ll just sit and watch¡­" Hayden said calmly as he sat down on the sofa, his eyes on me.


    How am I supposed to concentrate with him in the room staring at me like that? I sighed loudly as I began getting to work. Having him sitting there is a whole lot better than if he did some other troublesome or mischievous thing.


    Hayden watched me paint silently. Soon, my grandmother got tired, and she fell asleep quietly in her bed. I was too focused on watching my grandmother sleeping that I didn¡¯t feel Hayden¡¯s presence behind me until he had grabbed my wrist.


    "Come with me," Hayden whispered as he held my wrist firmly in hisrge hand.


    His grip wasn¡¯t rough, but it was firm enough that I knew I couldn¡¯t break away from it. Without waiting for me to respond, Hayden began dragging me after him and out of the hospital room.


    "Where are you taking me?" I asked as I struggled to keep up with his long strides.


    I felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Hayden really had a habit of just dragging me around.


    We were in the hospital and people were already giving us suspicious res. I tried to calm down to not draw anymore unnecessary attention to us or disturb the other people in the hospital. Hayden dragged me all the way to his car before he opened the passenger seat and shoved me inside his car.


    I didn¡¯t like where this was going at all. Thest time he dragged me off, I had to pose as a fake girlfriend and almost got raped because of it. This wasn¡¯t funny at all.


    "Where are you taking me?!" I demanded loudly when Hayden got into the driver¡¯s seat next to me.


    "Why are you so loud? I told you before¡­I don¡¯t like loud girls¡­" Hayden said coldly.


    Right, I also remembered the ending of that sentence¡­


    However, that¡¯s not the point right now!


    "Where are you taking me?" I asked again.


    "We¡¯re just gonna go shopping. Ok? Don¡¯t worry too much," Hayden replied.


    "There¡¯s nothing that I want. I¡¯m getting out," I said as I reached for the door.


    Before my hand could reach the door handle, my arm was already being pulled back by Hayden. I let out a cry of surprise at his speed. Without paying me any mind, Hayden began driving the car out of the parking lot.


    Without a choice, I shrugged his hand off my arm and sat in the passenger seat as my anger started boiling over. I didn¡¯t know where we were going and frankly, I didn¡¯t care.


    "Why are you here? What do you want?" I asked, suspiciously.


    Nothing goodes from Hayden being with me. There must be some hidden agenda or something that I¡¯m not aware of for sure.


    "Nothing. I just want to take you shopping," Hayden replied tly.


    "What? Why?" I asked, my suspicion multiplying at a rapid pace.


    "I just happened to be free today and I¡¯m bored. So, entertain me¡­" Hayden replied, his eyes glued to the road. His face an unreadable mask as always.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before we arrived at our destination, arge upscale mall that I would normally nevere to. The mall¡¯s target group clearly wasn¡¯t someone who was struggling to get by financially like me. Everything in that mall looked and probably was overpriced and expensive.


    Hayden parked in front of the entrance and a man dressed in a formal valet uniform came to take his car key away from him. While I was hesitating to get out, Hayden came to my side of the car and yanked the door opened.


    "Will you get out yourself¡­or should I carry you?" Hayden asked, emotionlessly.


    "I¡¯ll get out myself¡­" I muttered in annoyance as I quickly got out of his car.


    Now what?


    "Follow me," Hayden said, needlessly.


    His hand reached out and grabbed mine as he pulled me along with him once again. What¡¯s with the ¡¯follow me¡¯ if he¡¯s just going to drag me with him anyways. Although his attitude was cold like always, therge hand that held mine wasfortingly warm.


    The mall was filled with branded fashion stores, their window disy sparkling with thetest fashion trends. Honestly, I¡¯ve never paid much attention to fashion because there was no way that I could afford such fashionable items anyways.


    "Look. I meant it. There¡¯s nothing that I want¡­" I repeated what I said before again.


    Hayden didn¡¯t even bother to reply to me as he continued dragging me after him. It seemed like he had a destination in mind because he did not stop or slow down to check out any of the fashion boutiques that we were walking past at all.


    After a short walk, we arrived at the store that Hayden had in mind. I had to say that I hadn¡¯t expected that this would be our destination at all. In front of me stood the most prestigious art supplies store in the entire city, or perhaps, the entire country.


    Only famous and well-off artists bought their art supplies from this store because of the high price but also because of the quality and rarity of some of the art supplies. Supposedly, this store has in stock the best art supplies from around the world for all branches of art. I say supposedly because I¡¯ve only read of it and heard about it from other people, I have never been here myself before.


    Hayden wanted to bring me here?


    "Wee Master Hayden. It is an honor for our store to wee you," a middle-aged man who I presumed was the store manager greeted Hayden immediately when we entered.


    "Don¡¯t mind me. Instead, pay attention to what she wants," Hayden replied coldly as he gestured to me with his sharp blue eyes.


    "Yes, Sir¡­" the manager said as he turned his attention to me.


    "Umm¡­" I mumbled in confusion.


    "I want you to choose whatever you want from this store. I¡¯ll buy it for you," Hayden said to me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 69: His Request

    I have no idea why Hayden is offering to buy me stuff. This doesn¡¯t fit well with the image I had of him at all. My suspicion of him only grew. There must be some hidden agenda behind this.


    "Thank you¡­but seriously, there¡¯s no need. If that¡¯s what we came here for, let¡¯s just leave," I replied without needing to think.


    "This is my request to you for today as part of the deal," Hayden said unwilling to back down.


    "I already made you pancakes this morning in case you haven¡¯t realized, so the deal has been fulfilled for today," I replied.


    "I didn¡¯t eat those pancakes, so it doesn¡¯t count. Today you¡¯re going to fulfill my request as part of the deal," Hayden stated firmly.


    "¡­shit¡­" I swore silently as I breathed out a sigh. What is wrong with him today? Why is he being so pushy all of a sudden? He never ate anything that I made for him on other days as well and it has never been an issue.


    Even if he told me to choose, it wasn¡¯t like I made a list of what I needed. I had most of the things I needed already and if I needed anything else, I could buy them from any regr art supply store. I knitted my brows together as I tried to figure out what to do next.


    "Go ahead and choose now before I buy out the entire store," Hayden said, emotionlessly.


    Hayden walked deeper into therge store, looking bored out of his mind. The manager and I both looked at Hayden in confusion. Without any other option, I followed Hayden quickly deeper into the store.


    "Why are you doing this all of a sudden?" I asked when I finally caught up to him.


    "I told you, I¡¯m free today and I happen to be bored¡­" Hayden replied without a care in the world.


    "Miss¡­if you would follow me¡­" the manager said in an overly polite tone as he bowed slightly to me and gestured with his hands for me to follow him.


    Sighing to myself, I followed the manager deeper into the store where he started his presentation of the store¡¯s history and how the store was separated into segments based on the types of art supplies. He asked if I was looking for anything in particr and what kind of art that I worked on. Then he helpfully rmended me so many art tools and supplies that I struggled to keep up with him.


    It was clear that this store manager was no joke, he really knew his stuff very well. I nced back in Hayden¡¯s direction while the manager was busy talking and found that Hayden had settled down into a seeminglyfortable burgundy velvet armchair. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t interested in what this store had for sale.


    Everything that the manager presented to me seemed interesting and was of the highest quality. I have never seen such supplies before in my entire life. However, the thing that bothered me the most was theck of price tags on all the products. Since I¡¯ve never been here before, I didn¡¯t know how this works. Am I supposed to ask for the price of each one?


    As time went by, my interest took over and I began conversing with the manager about the supplies, art techniques and the work of other artists. I found out, not surprisingly, that many of the artists that I idolize purchased their supplies from this store and that the manager knew them personally as well.


    After a while of browsing and chatting with the manager, I managed to pick out a few small things that shouldn¡¯t be too pricey. When I was done, the manager and I returned back to where Hayden was. Hayden looked up from his phone screen as we approached before he smiled a little at me.


    "What did you choose?" he asked, sounding a little interested.


    "Just some stuff¡­" I replied vaguely, not bothered to exin to him what I¡¯ve selected.


    "We¡¯ll have whatever it is that she¡¯s chosen," Hayden said to the store manager as he stood up from his seat.


    The manager smiled politely at Hayden as he gestured for Hayden to approach the cashier. Like hell, if I was going to let Hayden pay for me. I already owed his father so much money and I was paying dearly for it. There is no way that I¡¯m going to owe Hayden or his mafia family anything else.


    "I chose these items, so I¡¯ll pay for them. Excuse me, how much in total?" I said stubbornly before I turned to address the clerk.


    The store clerk offered me the billid out in an antique looking small wooden tray. I looked at the total amount and my eyes widened in shock. That much¡­just for this?!


    I heard Hayden chuckling right behind my ear and I whirled around to see him standing so close behind me, looking at the bill over my shoulder. He smiled at me while I narrowed my eyes at him.


    "Stop being so stubborn. I know that you¡¯re plenty rich, My Lady¡­" Hayden teased me as he pulled out his credit card with one hand and patted the top of my head with the other.


    "Master Hayden, as you¡¯ve ordered, I¡¯ve already packed and gift wrapped your order for you," the manager said as he gestured to three staff holdingrge bags and gift-wrapped boxes.


    I see, so Hayden wanted to pick something up here anyways. Now it was starting to make sense, I mean, he wouldn¡¯t go out of his way just to bring me here. He must have needed to run some errands here.


    "Thank you. Malissa, let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden said as he took my hand in his again.


    I nced down at his hand holding mine and realized that he had developed another annoying habit of holding my hand whenever we walked together.


    "You¡­don¡¯t need to hold my hand, you know¡­" I said softly.


    "I can¡¯t have you running away from me, can I?" Hayden replied before he shed me one of his angelic smiles.


    Not knowing how to respond to that, I just rolled my eyes at him. Hayden held the stuff that I purchased, which wasn¡¯t a lot. While the three other staffs, walked behind us with the other items that Hayden had apparently ordered.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 70: Knocking on His Door

    When we arrived back at the penthouse, I couldn¡¯t wait to get away from Hayden. Seeing him in such a pleasant mood and acting a little too nice to me, just triggered warning rms in my head. I felt restless and anxious around him. I just wanted to hide away in my room and work on my art to heal my tired mind.


    "¡­Thank you for today," I said curtly in a stiff voice before turning on my heels.


    I walked as fast as I could towards my room to get away from him. If I could, I would have run away from him. What happened today was too much and I found it so¡­confusing.


    Once in my room I put the art supplies that we have bought together earlier away on the shelf. To be honest, even though I didn¡¯t end up buying a lot of things it was still too muchpared to what I really needed. Although I had tried to be selective on what I chose, I still ending up buying more than I needed. Thanks to the sale skills of the store manager, I guess.


    It would be another long while before I needed to go shopping for supplies. I waited until I heard the now-familiar sound of the door to Hayden¡¯s room opening and closing before I sighed with relief.


    Why is Hayden acting so nice to me all of a sudden? What is that evil mafia scheming?


    After a while, I figured that Hayden had settled into his bedroom. The monster is now back in his room which meant that I can now go outside of my room for a bit. Maybe I should go to the kitchen to grab some snacks or fruits would be nice too.


    I reached opened my bedroom door and almost tripped over. Thankfully, I was able to halt my body in time.


    What the hell is this?


    Piled so high in front of my door were gift wrapped boxes that seemed very familiar. I¡¯ve seen these boxes before earlier in the day at the arts supplies store. Isn¡¯t this what Hayden had ordered the shop manager to pack for him? I thought he had gone to pick these things up, so why are they piled up right in front of my bedroom door?


    Was this some¡­mistake? It must be.


    Making myself as small as possible, I somehow managed to slide myself between the walls and the pile of boxes and made my way out of my room. If this is a mistake, then I should tell Hayden about it. I definitely need help to move all this stuff from my room. There was just so much of it that I was sure that I couldn¡¯t aplish the task of moving them all on my own.


    So much for trying to avoid him. I raised my hand as I stood in front of his bedroom door and knocked firmly a few times. I waited but there was no response. Is Hayden¡­sleeping?


    "Hayden!" I called his name.


    Silence.


    I knocked on the door a few more times and called his name.


    Finally, the door in front of me opened. I took in a huge breath and held it.


    Hayden stood in front of me with absolutely no clothes on.


    I let out a little scream and covered my eyes in my hands. Why is he naked? Why did hee out of his room naked?!


    "Why are you stark naked? Put on some clothes¡­" I eximed.


    "I was about to take a shower, but I heard you calling my name and knocking on my door¡­so¡­" Hayden replied like it was no big deal.


    "So, you came to the door looking like that?" I finished his thought for him.


    Talk about decency¡­or theck of it. Ever heard of grabbing some clothes and pulling it on¡­or grabbing a towel?


    "Shouldn¡¯t you be thankful that I quickly came to the door?" he asked.


    "Anyways. There arerge boxes from the art supply store piled up in front of my bedroom door¡­" I said as I pointed in the direction of therge boxes, keeping my eyes closed.


    "Oh that¡­" Hayden said.


    "I figured that it¡¯s a mistake. I¡¯ll get the men to move them¡­but where should I move them to?" I asked, trying to end this conversation as soon as possible.


    "I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s up to you. After all, I did buy all of that stuff for you¡­" Hayden said casually.


    "Huh? what?" I eximed and brought my hand down from my face.


    Ok¡­I forgot that he was naked!


    "Just like I just said. I bought you all that stuff. So, you can unwrap them and tell the men where you want to put them or if you need help," Hayden said before he smiled a little at me.


    He¡¯s crazy. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how much all that stuff costs.


    "Are you crazy? I told you that I didn¡¯t want this stuff. Why did you spend so much money on it?" I said, feeling confused and slightly shocked.


    "All the money I spent buying that stuff was truly worth it if it could get you to knock on my door like this¡­" Hayden said before smiling at me and stepping closer to me.


    While I stood there shocked at his words, Hayden reached out and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against his naked body. I cried out as he began kissing the side of my neck. Once I had recovered from my initial shock from his abrupt attack, I began pushing me away immediately.


    Surprisingly, Hayden let me go before heughed yfully at me. I was at a loss for words. He¡¯s just making a fool out of me.


    I quickly turned around and ran back to my room as fast as I could. I could feel his eyes on my back and hear his soft and amusedughter before I reached my bedroom door.


    I tried to paint and do some work for university while I was in my bedroom. However, I was finding it very difficult to concentrate. This has never happened to me before but the fact that I knew that Hayden was in the next room bothered me so much.


    Every little sound from next door bothered me and made me imagine what he is doing. I could picture him moving around in his room, sitting on a chair, touching things on the shelves, and plopping himself down on his bed.


    Before I knew what was going on, I had stopped workingpletely as my mind focused on the little soundsing from the room next door. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from picturing what Hayden was doing and thinking about what he was thinking¡­or feeling¡­


    Oh, no¡­I am going crazy¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 71: When He Couldn’t Sleep

    Two days past by without me seeing Hayden. He hasn¡¯t been back to the penthouse and Auntie didn¡¯t seem to know where he went off to either. The penthouse was dead quiet and felt so empty without Hayden here. I spent my days visiting my grandmother in hospital as always and myte afternoons and evenings working on my artwork and other university projects.


    My days were peaceful; however, I felt a nagging thought always present at the back of my mind. Whenever I was free such as when I was waiting for the elevator, when I was waiting for the water to boil and when I was spacing out all alone, my mind wound wander to Hayden.


    If Hayden doesn¡¯t return to this penthouse tonight, it would be his third night out in a row. Since I¡¯ve moved in here with him, he has never been gone this long before. I looked at my phone for the hundredth time today.


    Nothing. No calls and no messages from Hayden. I wondered where he was.


    "Why don¡¯t you give him a call?" Auntie asked.


    Why would I do that? It¡¯s all nice and peaceful now that he¡¯s not here¡­


    I sighed loudly. The truth was, I had never called him or texted him before¡­and what am I supposed to say?


    Something like ¡¯when will you be back?¡¯. My body shivered from how weird that sounded. It was getting a littlete into the evening and I knew that Auntie would be going home soon. Usually, she would be gone by now; however, she¡¯s being nice enough to hang around to keep mepany.


    "No, that¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll go to bed soon so you can go home now, Auntie," I said before smiling reassuringly at her.


    "Ok then. Good night, Miss Malissa. I will see you tomorrow," Auntie replied before she started gathering up her bag and things.


    ¡­


    For once in a long while, I couldn¡¯t sleep. Iy down in bed with the lights off with my eyes wide open. The penthouse was dead quiet and very peaceful, but I just couldn¡¯t go to sleep. I didn¡¯t remember how many times I used to wish and pray that the penthouse would be quiet so that I could concentrate on my work.


    However, now that the peace and quiet that I had always longed for had arrived, I found myself feeling very restless and on edge.


    Suddenly, I heard a soft knock on my bedroom door. At first, I was convinced that I just imagined it. That there really wasn¡¯t anyone knocking on my door. I mean, I was the only one in this suite at the moment as Auntie and the other maids have retired for the day and Hayden wasn¡¯t back. The bodyguards were guarding outside rather than living with us inside, so no one is knocking on my door¡­unless¡­


    Hayden is back?


    No, I don¡¯t think so.


    I was absolutely certain that Hayden wouldn¡¯t knock on my door. So there. I¡¯m just imagining it. I closed my eyes firmly; I have to go to sleep!


    **Knock Knock Knock**


    I heard three distinctive knocks on my door. I did not imagine it¡­someone is really knocking on my door, but it can¡¯t be Hayden so¡­is it a ghost?


    "Malissa! Open the door!"


    That¡¯s definitely Hayden¡¯s voice.


    Instinctively, I sat up in bed at once. Then I realized that I was about to run to the door and open it. Am I going crazy?! It¡¯s Hayden on the other side of the door which is pretty much equivalent to having a monster on the other side.


    Maybe I should just pretend that I¡¯m already asleep and he will go away eventually. Iy back down on the bed and closed my eyes tightly. I¡¯m sure he will give up and leave soon anyways.


    "Malissa! Malissa! Open the door!"


    Contrary to what I believed; Hayden started calling my name louder as he banged on the door harder. There¡¯s no way anyone wouldn¡¯t wake up like this. I sat up and got out of bed before the door to my room would be destroyed.


    Taking in a deep breath, I opened the door.


    I was right, Hayden, alive and in the flesh, was knocking on my door. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if I preferred to see him or a ghost in front of my door. It didn¡¯t really matter because I didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter.


    "¡­that took you forever¡­" Haydenined as he stared at me, clearly displeased.


    "Why are you here?" I asked curtly.


    "¡­I can¡¯t sleep¡­" Hayden said, emotionlessly.


    "¡­and¡­that¡¯s my problem because?" I asked, incredulously. Is he some little boy or something? Why is he knocking on my door when he can¡¯t go to sleep? Wait, when did he get back again?


    "Come with me for a night drive," Hayden said casually.


    "What? Me?" I asked, once again struggling to follow his abnormal suggestion.


    "Yes, you. Who else? We¡¯re the only ones here. Let¡¯s go," Hayden said casually.


    "No¡­wait! Hayden!" I cried out in panic.


    Effortlessly, Hayden lifted my body and draped me over his right shoulder like I was a small towel. I felt his hand on my ass and I started beating his back with my fists.


    "The rule clearly states that you will do whatever it is that I tell you, whenever, wherever¡­something along those lines¡­" Hayden stated calmly.


    "Put me down! I can walk," I cried out.


    "I¡¯m sure you can but I can easily carry you too¡­" he replied like it was supposed to be obvious.


    Although this time he wasn¡¯t dragging me by the hand after him, I was still being taken along with him against my will. It¡¯s sote at night it must be a little past midnight already, I wonder where he wanted to go at this time of night.


    The other thing that bothered me was the fact that I was still in my pajamas and there wasn¡¯t much to cover my skin. Hayden carried me to the elevator and to the parking lot with ease, his hand enjoying the feel of my ass as he massaged my butt cheeks yfully all along the way.


    "Hayden¡­I should change first!" I cried, hoping that he would pay me some mind.


    "No need¡­" Hayden said,pletely brushing me off.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 72: Night Out

    So here I am, sitting in the passenger seat of his yellow sports car. Yes, this is a different car from the one before. No, I wasn¡¯t keeping track and I am not interested in how many cars he has. I folded my arm around my chest protectively as I felt very self-conscious of how little I had on.


    My pajama was nothing more than a thin light pink satin v-neck top with thin straps and a matching pair of shorts which were¡­very short. Unlike me, Hayden was dressed properly in a white shirt and a pair of ck jeans. I hated to admit it, but he looked quite good¡­


    Once again, I had no idea where he was taking me, and I had a pretty good guess that he wouldn¡¯t tell me even if I asked. However, I decided to ask anyways¡­


    "Where are you taking me this time? It¡¯s sote¡­" I said as I turned to look at him.


    Hayden¡­he¡¯s driving so fast now that the roads were clear.


    "You¡¯ll see¡­" he replied a little coldly.


    It felt like his mind was really somewhere else, far far away from me. His eyes were on the road, but I could tell that he wasn¡¯t focused on them at all. I wondered what he was thinking right now and why he seemed so disturbed. Did something happen while he was away? If I asked, would he tell me?


    "Ok¡­" I mumbled.


    The ride was much longer than I had imagined. Hayden was silent most of the way and I was left to figure out for myself that we had started to leave the city center and began approaching the outskirts of the city. Now I was seriously curious of where he was taking me.


    The roads were getting darker as there were fewer and fewer buildings around and soon there were nothing but tall trees and the woods on either side of the road.


    "It¡¯s quite far¡­isn¡¯t it?" I asked, almost as if I¡¯m speaking to myself.


    "We¡¯re almost there¡­" Hayden replied softly. His reply surprised me a little.


    The car climbed up a winding road up a hill and the road got a little bumpy and much narrower than before. There better be something interesting on top of this hill or something worth the long drive. We really came quite far.


    "We¡¯re here," Hayden announced non-ceremoniously as he quickly got out of the car.


    I looked at the darkness that surrounded us and wondered where ¡¯here¡¯ was exactly. There were some public lights that lighted up some areas in soft orange light, but it wasn¡¯t enough for me to see clearly. All I could make out was that we were surrounded by a lot of grass.


    "Where are we¡­seriously," I asked as I got out of the car.


    I was right, we werepletely surrounded by soft and squishy grass. We were quite far away from the city which meant that it was dark enough for me to clearly see many twinkling stars up above us.


    "Wow, they¡¯re so pretty," I said absentmindedly as I stared up at the sky.


    Hayden followed my gaze as he also looked up at the star-filled sky. It was a shame that we couldn¡¯t see the stars like this when we were in the city center.


    "You¡¯re right¡­they¡¯re really pretty," Hayden said as he admired them too.


    I felt his warm hand reach for mine before he held my hand in his, a little tighter than usual. For some reason, I could sense that he was worried or thinking hard about something. I nced at his face, but it was emotionless and cold as always.


    "This way¡­watch your step," Hayden said as he led me by the hand.


    We walked uphill a little bit through the grass before we arrived at what I suspect was our true destination for the night. Unlike the unkempt grassy area from before, thendscape in front of me seemed to be well maintained. The grass short and orderly and there were enough light on poles to properly illuminate the area.


    However, I never would have guessed that he would bring me to a ce like this¡­


    A graveyard¡­and a veryrge one at that.


    "This graveyard belongs to my family. Well, the Torex family or if you would like ¡¯the gang¡¯. Everyone from the gang who dies is buried here," Hayden exined.


    "Oh¡­" I gasped in shock once again at the vast number of tombstones. Lines after lines of tombstones stretched as far as my eyes could see.


    "I know what you¡¯re thinking but I hate to break your illusion. The mafia gang actually doesn¡¯t have a lot of death like what you would imagine from seeing a lot of shoot outs in movies and such. There¡¯s just many of them because the gang is big and many have died of old age over the years," Hayden continued to exin.


    "I see¡­" I whispered.


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, many do die from fights and shoot outs as well," Hayden said emotionlessly.


    The real question that I wanted to ask him was why he brought me here or why he came here in the dead of night, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that out loud. I just hoped that he would slowly tell me his reason of his own ord.


    Hayden walked along the lines of tombstones as he held my hand in his. I followed close behind him. It was dark and¡­I¡¯m not a fan of walking in the graveyard when it¡¯s sote at night¡­or even in the daytime for that matter.


    "Watch out!" Hayden screamed suddenly as he grabbed my shoulders with both hands.


    I shut my eyes and screamed like my life depended on it. My shrieking cry cutting through the silent night.


    "Hahahahaaa!" Hayden¡¯sughed loudly as he shook my body a little.


    I opened my eyes and stared at him as he continued tough like he was going mad. Did he just trick me? Just now, did he just¡­trick me?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 73: His Sadness

    "You¡­bastard¡­" I said with clenched teeth.


    "You looked so scared of being here. I honestly couldn¡¯t resist ying around with you," Hayden admitted, although, he clearly did not look remorseful.


    I pped his arm so hard that my hand hurt. What is wrong with this guy? I was honestly freaked out. It didn¡¯t help that it was so dark, and we were in the middle of a graveyard. I felt heat rush to my face as I got angrier by the minute.


    "I¡¯m leaving!" I said as I turned around and started walking away.


    "Wait! Where do you think you¡¯re going? It¡¯s dark¡­stick with me," Hayden said as he grabbed my wrist and spun me around to face him.


    "That was not funny¡­" I spat.


    "But you feel less scared now, right?" Hayden asked before smiling sweetly at me.


    He¡¯s so unfair¡­honestly¡­


    "¡­I guess¡­" I whispered.


    I hated to admit it but that scare he gave me drove all my other fears away. Now, I felt resistant to the fear of the dark and the graveyard. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that I had forgiven him for what he did.


    "Come¡­" Hayden said as he squeezed my hand and led the way.


    I decided to follow him. It seemed like Hayden has a particr grave that he wanted to visit, and he was leading me there. I wondered whose grave it was that Hayden so desperately wanted to visit, enough to venture out here at this time of night.


    Soon, he stopped in front of a gravestone. I was surprised how he knew where it was since this tombstone looked exactly the same as all the others. Perhaps, he¡¯s been here quite often?


    Hayden sighed as he looked down at the tombstone and my eyes followed. Although there was enough light for us to make out what was around us, there wasn¡¯t enough light to see the details on the tombstone. As if he could read my mind, Hayden turned on the shlight of his mobile and shone it on the tombstone for my sake.


    It was obvious that Hayden knew what was written there but I didn¡¯t.


    ¡¯Harvey T.¡¯


    A name without anything else was engraved on the tombstone.


    I didn¡¯t understand why but for a moment, the wind that blew on that hill felt colder against my skin than before and it reminded me of how little I had on. I shivered as my eyes continued to look at the tombstone.


    "Cold?" Hayden said, it wasn¡¯t really a question.


    Almost immediately, my body was enveloped by warmth. I realized that Hayden had hugged me close to his body from behind, I could feel his body heat on my back and his arms that held me.


    "You¡¯re here to visit this grave?" I asked in a small voice.


    "No¡­I¡¯m here to visit my older brother," Hayden corrected.


    That means that his older brother is no longer in this world¡­


    "Do youe here often?" I asked, curiously.


    "I guess¡­" Hayden replied softly close to my ear.


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say. No matter how curious I was, it wasn¡¯t like I could juste out and ask how his brother died. He died at such a young age¡­assuming that he wasn¡¯t much older than Hayden.


    Instead of asking questions, I closed my eyes and silently prayed for the deceased. When I was done, I nced back and saw that Hayden was in the middle of a pray of his own.


    "What did you tell him?" I asked, trying to keep the mood light.


    "Same as always. I told him that¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­" Hayden replied before he grinned at me.


    "You¡¯re¡­sorry?" I said, confused.


    "You¡¯re probably cold¡­let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden whispered before he pulled me away from the grave.


    ¡­


    I have never seen Hayden seem so depressed and sad before. It was like he was trying to hold everything in. Although he seemed cold and distant, I could sense that he was merely hiding away something very painful and heartbreaking.


    The walk downhill wasn¡¯t an easy one, but Hayden was there to support me all the way. I didn¡¯t dare say a word to him as he seemed to continue to wallow in his sadness. I was thankful that even during this time he was still considerate enough to help support me down the narrow path down the hill. Hopefully, my presence here with him helps even if it was just a little.


    Afterall, that was the reason why he brought me with him in the first ce, right?


    We arrived back at the grass field before after a short while. Unlike the change in the atmosphere between us, the stars above still sparkled beautifully just like before. I looked up at the sky once more and admired the beautiful stars. To me, the stars were bright, beautiful and they cheered me up endlessly.


    However, I was beginning to realize that Hayden probably did not feel the same way when he looked up at the same sky.


    "Sit, Malissa," Hayden said, and I realized that he had already sat down on the grass.


    Hesitantly, I sat down next to him at the spot he had patted with his hand. Hayden didn¡¯t say anything else as we both stared up at the sky. One nce at him made me realize just how lonely he seemed and once again, I wondered what he saw when he stared up at the stars.


    "Are you¡­ok?" I asked vaguely, unsure of what to say but not feelingfortable enough to leave him be.


    Without replying to me, Haydeny down with his head on myp. His motion was so sudden that I was a little surprised when his headnded in myp.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name questioningly.


    "Stay still for a while¡­" Hayden muttered in reply.


    I decided to do exactly like he had requested. Looking down at him, I could see that his eyes were closed, and he was no longer looking at the stars. There was less wind down here than when we were up on top of the hill, but it was still a little chilly.


    "Achoooo!"


    Oh no, I just sneezed so loudly. Maybe it¡¯s getting a little too cold or there¡¯s some dust in the air that¡¯s irritating my nose.


    I felt Hayden¡¯s weight disappear from myp as he got up and then quickly pulled me into his arms. I blinked in confusion as I felt his warmth envelop me. He was hugging me so tightly and it was getting a little hard to breathe; however, I did enjoy the heat of his body engulfing mine.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 74: Heating Up

    "Hayden¡­" I said his name softly.


    I could feel his hand on the back of my head, and I nuzzled closer to his body to further enjoy his warmth. It¡¯s hard to exin, but in that moment, I felt Hayden¡¯s loneliness as he hugged me. Unconsciously, I moved my arm around his back and began hugging him in return.


    "You¡¯re cold, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll warm you up¡­" Hayden whispered seductively close to my ear.


    I felt his warm breath on the side of my neck before he started nting small kisses on my sensitive skin. I heard myself moaning softly before I could stop myself. Hayden¡¯s hands around my back started slipping under my clothes and soon I felt the heat of his hands on the naked skin of my back. His hands slowly stroked my back, and I could feel his warmth spreading into me.


    The soft kisses that he was nting on my neck had transformed into firmer sucking as his lips continued to pleasure me. Hayden licked and sucked on my neck, and I felt my breath quicken in response. We¡¯re outside, I couldn¡¯t believe that he would seduce me here like this.


    "Hayden¡­we should head¡­back¡­" I whispered.


    "We¡¯ll head back when we¡¯re done¡­" Hayden replied firmly.


    Done with what? I wanted to ask but his hands began sliding from my naked back to my front. My words were reced by moans of pleasure when hisrge hand cupped my naked breasts and began massaging them. I no longer felt cold from the wind. My body felt so warm that it felt hot from his seductive touches.


    "Your nipples are hard¡­is it because you¡¯re cold¡­or¡­" Hayden said teasingly.


    My erect nipples rubbed against the palm of his hands as he fondled and kneaded my breasts firmly, making me cry out a little in excitement. Hayden took my nipples in between his fingertips and squeezed them mercilessly. It hurts a little, but it feels so good. He continued to squeeze and pinch my nipples until I was crying out loudly at the intense pleasure.


    Thankfully, this didn¡¯t seem to be a ce where people frequented and at this time of night, no one was around. However, that didn¡¯t change the fact that we were doing these things outside. It made me feel ufortable and scared¡­


    Slowly, Hayden pushed me down onto the grass. I felt the softness of the grass beneath me before Hayden got on top of me, blocking out my view of the stars above. All I could see was his face and hisrge frame looming over me. There was an unmistakable look of desire and lust in his eyes.


    His hands quickly pushed up my top, exposing my naked breasts to his hungry sight. Hayden bent down immediately and began licking the sensitive flesh of my breast as his hand began squeezing my other breast. I moaned and whimpered from the pleasure and heat of his wet tongue and hand on my womanly flesh.


    Hayden made hungry sucking sounds as he sucked on my breast before quickly taking in my nipple into his hot and wet mouth. I cried out when his hot mouth suddenly engulfed my erect nipple. My body writhed from the pleasure underneath him as I thrusted my chest up towards his wet mouth and hands. My body felt so hot from desire and the burning ache in between my legs refused to calm down.


    While he paid loving attention to my breast, his hand slowly slid down my body and under the shorts of my pajamas. His exploring hand dipped lower, covering my womanly mound before his fingers dug softly into the wetness in between my legs.


    "It turns me on when you¡¯re not wearing underwear¡­" Hayden whispered lustily. I could tell that he was very turned on as well.


    I knew that I was flooded down there as Hayden¡¯s fingers began stroking the wet and slippery slit in between my legs. His fingertips ran up and down my flooded entrance as he teased me. I moaned louder at the pleasurable sensation of his caresses on both my breasts and my pussy.


    "You love it when I y with this, don¡¯t you?" Hayden asked teasingly as his fingertips started rolling my clit skillfully in between them.


    My eyes widened at the additional pleasure, and I cried out lewdly. It wasn¡¯t long before my hips started moving up and down of its own ord, thrusting my pussy up seductively towards his long and thick fingers.


    "Hayden¡­" I moaned his name.


    Hayden lifted my hips and pulled my shorts off me in one swift motion. I felt the cold wind on my naked lower body, but I didn¡¯t feel cold at all. His knees nudged my legs further apart and I quicklyplied, spreading my legs wide open for him. My lust was blinding, and it had robbed my brain of the ability to think. I just wanted him to take me¡­here and now¡­


    "You¡¯re so naughty, Malissa. Your pussy is already flooded..." Hayden said.


    I felt his thick fingers being positioned at my love entrance and I braced myself for his forceful entrance. He thrusted his thick and long fingers into my pussy in one smooth and firm movement. I cried out as my hips bucked wildly. His fingers were deep inside of me, stretching me and stimting the walls of my pussy. It feels so¡­good¡­


    Without waiting any longer, Hayden began moving his fingers inside of my wet hole. He thrusted his thick and long fingers in and out of my hole and I moaned loudly at the satisfying pleasure. When his fingers curled up and stimted my G-spot I cried out and tried to muffle my own wild screams with the back of my hand.


    His fingers stirred up my insides and thrusted against my G-spot mercilessly. My whole body shuddered from pleasure and my hips began moving, thrusting fast and hard against his hand. I spread my legs even wider to take his fingers deeper into my body. I was about to cum when Hayden suddenly removed his fingers from my wet hole. I also cried out at the disappointment of his fingers leaving me.


    "You¡¯re so beautiful¡­your body looks like it¡¯s begging to be fucked¡­" Hayden said before he smiled wickedly down at me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 75: Raw

    I heard him undressing before I felt the heat and shape of the head of his gigantic cock at my entrance when he positioned himself in between my widely spread legs.


    "Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhhhhh!" I cried out loudly.


    Hayden thrusted his enormous member deep into my wet hole. He¡¯s already in so deep with a single thrust. My pussy stretched and tried to amodate his size as he filled me deep inside. With an animalistic growl, Hayden began moving his hips, ramming his cock in and out of my hole roughly.


    Each thrust seemed to be more intense than the one before, shoving his thick member even deeper into my cunt each time.


    My body began moving in rhythm with his as I thrusted my hips up to meet his powerful thrusts halfway. I grinded my hips with his as he wriggled his thick cock inside me and changed the angles of his thrusts to stimte my pleasure spot from various angles. It felt amazingly pleasurable, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from screaming out loudly.


    I was panting and moaning loudly as Hayden pounded his cock in and out of me so fast and hard that I thought that he would break me. Hayden seemed enraptured by passion as he continued screwing his cock into me. There was no sign of him ever stopping. My pussy got wetter and hotter, and I felt like his massive cock hadpletely melted my insides.


    "So deep¡­Ahhh!" I cried out.


    Hayden was moaning louder now too and his movements became more aggressive. His hips thrusted wildly against my opening as his cock pumped deep into me. His cock exited my quivering pussy just to pound into me harder and deeper than before. He continued to fuck me non-stop for what felt like an eternity until my whole body felt so weak.


    I felt like I was about to lose consciousness from his wild lovemaking.


    It feels different from the first time that he took me. He virile member feels hotter than before and it¡¯s getting even bigger inside of me. It feels different¡­better.


    Sex with Hayden feels so good¡­


    My eyes widened in shock when I realized why that was so. Hayden¡­he¡¯s not wearing a condom. He¡¯s doing me raw, and I was enjoying every moment of it. His thick cock continued ramming into my hole and my pussy clenched around him, sucking him deeper into my hole.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m cumming! Ahhh! Ahhh¡­" I cried out his name as my orgasm hit me hard.


    I felt my whole body tremble as my pussy spasmed and quivered around his cock. All I could do was focus on catching my breath as I tried to recover from the effects of my climax. My whole body felt like it had turned to mush in his arms.


    Hayden pulled me up into a sitting position with my legs straddling him as I sat facing him. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck. When I opened my drowsy eyes, I saw Hayden¡¯s ultra-handsome face so close to mine along with his magnificently blue eyes.


    "We¡¯re not done yet¡­" Hayden whispered softly to me before his lips crushed on mine in a very demanding kiss.


    His tongue parted my lips and entered my mouth immediately. Our tongues danced wildly together, and I moaned multiple times into his mouth. His hands were on my hips as his hips began moving, thrusting upwards against me. His enormous cock began moving inside of me again as Hayden began fucking me in the new position that we were in.


    He bounced my body on top of him expertly, sliding my pussy up and down the length of his upstanding cock.


    I felt his cock sliding in and out of me as it rubbed the sensitive spots along my pussy walls and hit deep against my womb. Hayden began pounding into me faster and harder as our motions gathered momentum. I could feel his entire length buried so deep inside of me in this position. The angle that his cock was hitting me felt so deep. It wasn¡¯t long until I felt another orgasm approaching¡­


    "Don¡¯t¡­don¡¯t cum inside me¡­please¡­" I begged him as I continued bouncing up and down on his cock.


    Suddenly, Haydenid me back on the grass and got on top of me once again. We were still connected and once we had settled into our new position, Hayden resumed his wild thrusting deep and hard into my cunt again and again. I felt him deeper inside of me and realized that he his cock had gotten bigger again. He¡¯s hitting me so deep inside, it felt like he would tear my insides apart.


    After a few more solid thrusts, ramming hard against my womb, I climaxed spectacrly. I raked my nails along his back and wrapped my legs around him as I clenched my pussy walls around his thick cock. I cried out his name so many times as I rode out the effects of my own orgasm.


    "Your pussy feels great. It¡¯s sucking in my cock¡­" Hayden said, desire and lust clear in his voice.


    Hayden didn¡¯t stop ploughing into my wet love hole even while I was orgasming. His passionate strokes inside my cunt felt even more pleasurable than before. I could feel that Hayden was also close to his release. He was moaning louder now, and his cock began twitching wildly deep inside of my pussy hole.


    "Malissa¡­" Hayden called my name passionately and I hugged my arms around his back.


    After a few more sharp and deep thrusts into my pussy, Hayden quickly pulled his massive cock out of me before spilling his hot seed onto my belly. His cock was very thick and covered in my love juices. I watched as milky white liquid spurted from the head of his thick cock and onto my body. He came so much on my belly as he threw his head back and groaned wildly.


    I felt so drained from our passionate lovemaking that I didn¡¯t have the energy toin about the mess that he had just made. At least, he managed to pull out before he released his seed inside of me. Haydeny down next to me as he tried to catch his breath.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 76: Changes

    I was about to drift off into sleep when suddenly Hayden took my hand in his. He held my hand as wey there side by side, staring up at the stars in the sky. I wished that the stars didn¡¯t have eyes and were not witnesses to what we just did. That was such a silly thought and it made me feel very silly as well.


    "Why were you crying?" Hayden asked out of the blue.


    Honestly, I had no idea what he was referring to.


    "Huh?" I said questioningly.


    "The day I slept with you¡­Auntie told me that she saw you crying when you left my room. Why were you crying, Malissa?" Hayden asked as he turned his head to the side and looked straight at me.


    My eyes widened in shock and surprise. Auntie told Hayden about that? I was also shocked at how he could ask me something like that with a straight face. How straightforward can this man be?


    "I¡­it¡¯s nothing," I replied.


    I couldn¡¯t be as straightforward as he was. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell him that it was because I saw his photo with Amelia.


    ¡­


    When I woke up the next morning, I wasn¡¯t in my own bed. I sat up quickly in bed and look around to find that I was in Hayden¡¯s room and on his bed. The man in question was no longer in the room.


    Malissa, dearest, you need to start learning from your past mistakes. You see, if you fall asleep in Hayden¡¯s car, he¡¯s going to carry you to his room and not yours! Then you¡¯ll sleep in the same bed as him and wake up in his bed the next morning¡­


    I felt like kicking myself.


    When I moved my legs, a pain shot through my core reminding me how rough Hayden was with mest night¡­and we did it outdoors on the grass. I bet Hayden just dumped me onto his bed and then went off somewhere again. My pussy felt sore and so did the rest of my body.


    Slowly, I got out of bed and headed for the door so that I could go back and take a shower in my own bedroom. This time something else caught my eye.


    I¡¯m pretty sure that it was herest time. The photograph of Hayden and Amelia that I saw was no longer in sight.


    Did he remove it? He must have¡­


    Does that mean that he figured out that it bothered me?


    I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Why am I over thinking everything? It doesn¡¯t matter if the photo is here or not because it doesn¡¯t change how Hayden feels.


    I opened the door without hesitation and quickly got out of his room. The peace of my own bedroom weed me with opened arms, and I felt slightly better.


    After checking the calendar on my phone, I realized that today was finally the day that I had a dinner appointment with my friends. When I made the appointment, I was sure that I could go ces as long as had the small group of bodyguards with me. However, things have changed a little bit since then and that was mainly because of Hayden.


    After showering and dressing up, I felt refreshed and in better spirits. Perhaps there was nothing to worry about. Hayden usually wasn¡¯t back for dinner anyways and there were no rules against me going out to meet people. It has been a long time since I¡¯ve met other people besides those from Hayden¡¯s gang and my own grandmother and I could use the break.


    I picked a nice-looking dress that I feltfortable in and then applied some light make up. The dinner that was nned wasn¡¯t at any ce fancy, but it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been out with friends. Dressing up a little bit isn¡¯t going to hurt. I looked at my own reflection in the mirror and smiled. Please let today be a good day!


    The growling of my stomach reminded me that I hadn¡¯t eaten, and I was feeling pretty hungry. Taking out my phone, I started texting my friends in our group chat as I headed out of my bedroom in search for some food. As always, I was sure the Auntie had prepared some food in the dining room.


    "Where are you going today?"


    I froze at the sound of an unexpected voice. Slowly, I looked up from my phone at the owner of the voice. Why is Hayden here?


    "Are you that shocked to see me?" Hayden asked as he crossed his arms.


    To be honest, a little, yes. Hayden is up early today, and he hasn¡¯t gone out. I cocked my head to the side in slight confusion as I watched him just sitting there at the dining table.


    "So¡­where are you going today?" Hayden repeated his question again.


    Right¡­I haven¡¯t replied to him. Truthfully, I¡¯m going out to meet my friends, but does he really need to know that?


    "No where special¡­" I replied vaguely.


    "Sit¡­" Hayden said as he nced over at the seat opposite him at the table.


    I pursed my lips together as I slowly made my way to the table and sat down where he had indicated. As predicted, there was some food on the table that Auntie had prepared. That reminded me that I was hungry.


    "Eat. You¡¯re hungry, right?" Hayden said.


    "Yea¡­" I replied softly as I began picking up the utensils.


    "You¡¯re not going anywhere special. So, you decided to get all dolled up to stay home?¡¯ Hayden said as he looked at me suspiciously.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell him but the way that he was silently staring at me with his blue eyes was making me feel so ufortable. With a sigh, I put down the utensils in my hand as I started to lose my appetite.


    "I¡¯m going out for dinner with some friendster today. That¡¯s all," I replied, finally spitting out the truth.


    "Good. I happen to be free tonight," Hayden said before smiling sweetly at me.


    What?


    "What do you mean?" I asked. Tell me this isn¡¯t what I think it is.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 77: Dinner with Friends

    "I¡¯m free so I¡¯ll go with you," Hayden said as if he¡¯s doing me a big favor.


    "No. I mean, you don¡¯t have to apany me or anything like that¡­" I said, trying to get Hayden to back off peacefully.


    "Why not? I¡¯m free, so I might as well go with you," Hayden said innocently.


    Which part of ¡¯I don¡¯t want my friends meeting my mafia creditor¡¯ does he not quite understand?


    "Umm¡­that¡¯spletely ok. I¡¯ll get the men in ck to drive me as usual. I mean, they¡¯re supposed to go everywhere I go so¡­" I said as I smiled a little at him.


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually appreciating having the men in ck around me right now.


    "Don¡¯t you think you should introduce me to your friends?" Hayden said casually.


    Big fat ¡¯NO¡¯.


    I could hear rm bells going off in my head, but I couldn¡¯t think of a way to get Hayden to back off. Should I just be honest and let him know how I feel about this? Would he understand?


    Even if he understood me, would he care enough to do what I want him to?


    "Umm¡­to be honest, I think it¡¯s a bad idea for you to meet my friends or anyone that is a part of my normal life for that matter. You know¡­it¡¯s going to be hard to exin who you are and my current situation if they ask. I would appreciate it if no one found out about my current situation¡­" I told him honestly.


    "I see¡­" Hayden said emotionlessly.


    I guess he understood. That wasn¡¯t so hard¡­


    I was busy feeling thankful that Hayden seemed to understand me that I didn¡¯t realize that he had gotten up from his seat until I heard the sound of the chair scraping against the floor. Wordlessly, Hayden got up to leave. I watched silently as he headed for the door. I guess he¡¯s going out after all.


    "Umm¡­have a good day¡­" I said.


    "You too," he said without turning back to look at me.


    The door to the penthouse shut behind him. Hayden was gone.


    ¡­


    It was close to my appointment time with my friends. I touched up my makeup a little before leaving the house with my men in ck escorts. Funny, but I was starting to get used to having them around and driving me around everywhere. I even got used to their silence as we rode together in the car.


    We arrived at the restaurant where I was supposed to meet my friend after a ride with light traffic. Getting light traffic at this time of the evening was truly a blessing, usually the roads would be packed tight with cars.


    When I arrived at the table booked under my friend¡¯s name, all of my friends were already there. I walked over to them immediately as I waved at my friends to announce my arrival.


    "Sorry that I¡¯mte. I didn¡¯t think that I would be thest one to arrive," I said apologetically as I took thest seat that was free at the table.


    These four girls are my friends from university. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯vest seen them. We are quite close, and I enjoyed theirpany immensely.


    "No worries. We just got here too," Jennie said as she handed me a menu.


    "Thanks," I said.


    "You should order quickly. I read from the reviews online that the food here can take a while¡­" Jennie exined.


    I called the waitress over and quickly ced my order just as my friend had suggested. Once that was out of the way, I could bring my attention back to the conversation that was going on between the girls.


    "We were a little worried when you didn¡¯t reply to the chat. I thought something happened or something," my other friend said with a worried look on her face.


    "Oh¡­I was just a little busy. My grandmother got a little sick¡­so yeah¡­" I replied hesitantly.


    I didn¡¯t lie or anything, but I just didn¡¯t want my friends to find out about the mafia¡¯s involvement. Who knows, it might put them in danger as well.


    After that, we chatted about random things and about university. We all had the same projects to work on and talking to my friends really gave me a good update on what they were up to as well as some inspirations for my projects. I really enjoyed reconnecting with my normal life once again and couldn¡¯t wait to go back to living this life.


    Naturally, as time went by the conversation gravitated towards updating on our love life. Sadly, or not I wasn¡¯t sure, but my friends were all still single. Well, so was I.


    "I¡¯m as single as can be. If you girls know any hot guys, let me know. He doesn¡¯t even need to be a good guy at this point¡­" a friend said with an exasperated sigh.


    "It¡¯s not so good to be impatient, you know. I¡¯m sure your dream guy will appear soon enough," I said, trying to cheer up my friend.


    "What about you? Are you dating anyone right now?" Jenny asked me while the other girls focused their attention on me.


    "Of course not. I¡¯m too busy with university work and just taking care of grandmother. I don¡¯t have time for anything like dating¡­" I replied firmly.


    "Aha¡­" my friends said in unison.


    I sensed something weird as I looked at my friend¡¯s faces. Their eyes were wide and seemed to be focused somewhere else. Is there something strange behind me?


    Slowly, I turned around¡­


    "May I join youdies? My apologies that I¡¯m a littlete¡­"


    A voice that had gotten unfortunately familiar as ofte cut through our conversation. It was my turn to open my eyes wide in shock.


    Hayden¡­why is he here?!


    "Why¡­why are you here?" I asked in shock as I jumped out of my seat.


    Hayden was standing there right behind me with his most charming smile on his face. Why is he here? How did he get here?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 78: Uninvited Guest

    Hayden just stood next to me and smiled brightly as he brought an arm up and ced it over my shoulders, hugging me to his side. My whole body froze.


    "Oh¡­who¡¯s this?" one of my girl friends asked with clear interest.


    "He¡¯s so hot¡­he¡¯s so hot¡­" another one whispered to the girl next to her.


    "Who is he, Malissa?" Jenny asked as she stared at me.


    Why did he have to turn up here? I just told these girls that I waspletely single and had no time for dating. This is so misleading¡­


    "Umm¡­this is¡­" I said as I struggled toe up with something that would be believable.


    Now what? Do I tell them that he is my friend? My distant cousin¡­?


    "I¡¯m Malissa¡¯s boyfriend. My name is Hayden," Hayden said loudly and clearly as he pulled me roughly against him. I felt both of his arms around my neck as he hugged me from behind and rested his chin on my head.


    Oh¡­shit.


    "Wow! Really?" Jenny eximed excitedly while the other girls had simr reactions of shock.


    "Malissa¡­you never told us that you had a boyfriend?" a girl said as she narrowed her eyes at me.


    Well, that¡¯s only because I didn¡¯t have one. I mean, I still don¡¯t have one.


    I got her hidden message immediately. They¡¯re going to grill me for not telling them and get me to tell them all the details about thister. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t tell them anything about the debt, the contract, or the mafia.


    I nced at Hayden and cursed him internally. While I was worried about being discreet, this guy was so used to attracting attention.


    "Oh, sorry about this. I didn¡¯t know that you were bringing a plus one. Seriously, you should have told me so that I can book another seat," Jenny quickly said politely after recovering from her initial shock at Hayden¡¯s sudden appearance.


    "That¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll bring a chair over," Hayden said as he smiled his angelic smile at my friend.


    I sighed softly to myself as I watched a bright red blush take over my friend¡¯s face at the sight of Hayden¡¯s mesmerizing smile. Another victim down. I guess this was why they say the devil is bewitching.


    I sat back down in my seat as I tried to figure out how to deal with Hayden. He¡¯s not going to say anything weird that will expose our twisted contract, right? I nced over at Hayden who was bringing a chair over to our table.


    This is a disaster. This is a disaster. This is a disaster. These words kept on reying in my head.


    Hayden brought a chair over and sat down next to me at the table. My friends couldn¡¯t help but stare at Hayden and I guess that I could understand their reaction. Hayden and his looks truly stood out from the crowd.


    "So¡­Malissa, why don¡¯t you tell us more about your boyfriend?" my friend asked.


    "Umm¡­actually, he¡¯s not really¡­" I began denying.


    "Oh, there¡¯s no need to be shy!" my girl friend said excitedly.


    "Malissa¡¯s pretty shy about telling people about us. We just started dating a few weeks ago," Hayden said smoothly.


    "Oh wow. So¡­how did you guys meet?" my friend asked eagerly.


    Herees the ssic question. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going through this. What am I supposed to say? That we met because the head of the Torex mafia gang forced me to live with his son for 30 days to settle a huge debt?


    "Umm¡­we¡­." I struggled to answer.


    "We met at a church. After that we started talking and went on dates," Hayden replied, wlessly.


    I guess, we did meet at a church. I would never forget that disastrous wedding ceremony.


    "A church? I didn¡¯t know that you were so religious¡­" Jenny said as she turned to look at me.


    "What do you do, Hayden? Are you working now or are you still studying?" my other friend asked.


    Clearly, they were serious about getting to know everything about Hayden. While they had their attention on Hayden, my brain was busy trying to figure out how to excuse ourselves and get out of here as soon as possible.


    "I work for my family¡¯s business. It¡¯s not very interesting though," Hayden said, sounding super humble.


    My friends kept on bombarding us with questions about our rtionship. Thankfully, Hayden managed to somehow answer them all. By this time, I was relief that Hayden seemed to want to keep our twisted rtionship a secret. I guess Hayden doesn¡¯t want to exin to other people about hisplex family background either.


    "I think we have to go. Sorry girls but I have to wake up early tomorrow to visit my grandmother at the hospital," I said as I got up to leave.


    Grabbing Hayden¡¯s hand in mine, I started pulling him to his feet too. Hayden looked at me innocently and for a moment he looked like he didn¡¯t want to leave.


    "Hayden, please¡­let¡¯s go," I whispered to him.


    "You owe me one," Hayden whispered into my ear once he got up to his feet.


    "Bye girls. It was great catching up with you. I¡¯ll see you girls another time soon," I said.


    "It was good seeing you all. Thanks for taking care of my Malissa," Hayden said before shing the girls his killer smile.


    "Did you hear that he called her ¡¯my Malissa¡¯ just now?" my friend started teasing.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from blushing a little at their teasing. Without further dy, I started dragging Hayden behind me out of the restaurant.


    "Why did youe here? How did you find this ce? Did you follow me?" I fired questions at him the moment we stepped out of the restaurant.


    "Chill out. Too many questions at once¡­" Hayden saidzily.


    "Why did youe here? What do you think you¡¯re doing? Why did you introduce yourself as my boyfriend?" I asked rapidly.


    "I just told you¡­too many questions all at once¡­" Hayden said, still refusing to answer any of my questions.


    "You can¡¯t do this to me¡­" I hissed angrily.


    "Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll drive," Hayden said and this time it was his turn dragging me.


    "Wait! The men can drive me back," I said as I tried to pull my wrist away from his grip.


    "They¡¯re no longer here¡­" Hayden replied, sounding bored.


    "What? Why?" I asked with a mix of shock and confusion.


    "I sent them back already. Let¡¯s be environmentally friendly and carpool," Hayden said with a smallugh.


    He sent them back?!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 79: Line Between Reality and Make Believe

    I ended up in Hayden¡¯s car and I felt so angry that my chest felt like it could explode at any moment. Crossing my arms over my chest I stared out of the window. Although I was thankful that Hayden didn¡¯tpletely blow our covers and tell my friend about everything that was truly going on, I still felt like he had invaded my private space.


    My friends and everything that happened inside that restaurant during dinner was a part of my real life. It was a life where he didn¡¯t exist and didn¡¯t have a ce in. How can he not understand that? I don¡¯t want this mafia nightmare that I was going through to be a part of my real life. I felt so stressed out about all this and I felt like I was going to cry.


    I prayed that this ride would be over soon. I just wanted to be alone and sort myself out. Someway or another, I¡¯m going to have to find a way to correct the misunderstanding with my friends. This is going to be soplicated and painful. My head started to ache, and it wasn¡¯t a pleasant sensation.


    "Are you mad?" Hayden asked abruptly, disturbing the silence of our drive back.


    Do I look mad? Well, if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s because I am. I am so out-of-my-mind mad right now.


    "No¡­" I muttered a big fat lie. I just didn¡¯t want to talk to him.


    Knowing that I was this close to exploding, I just wanted to be left alone and any answer that would lead me closer to that oue was the answer that I would choose.


    "You¡¯re not very honest. Your face looks really scary right now¡­" Hayden said teasingly.


    I didn¡¯t find his joke funny, and I didn¡¯t care what my face looked like. What I cared about was protecting my ¡¯normal life¡¯, but it seemed that I had failed on that front as well.


    "Ok¡­" I said, not knowing what else to say. Seriously, whatever. Just please stop talking to me.


    Hayden was silent for a moment, and I thought that his awkward conversation had finally came to an end, but I was so wrong.


    "If you¡¯re mad about what I did then, I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to know more about your life¡­" Hayden spoke up without looking at me.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t think that he would apologize. For that, I guess I had to give him a little credit. However, I didn¡¯t think that he understood why I was angry.


    "Why would you want to know more about my life?" I demanded to know.


    "Why not? Don¡¯t tell me that you think there¡¯s nothing interesting in your life¡­" Hayden asked, sounding a little amused.


    "That¡¯s not¡­" I began defending myself but then decided to just drop it.


    That¡¯s not what I meant but I was losing my patience with him. I put a hand on my forehead as I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to deal with this guy. I could feel Hayden¡¯s eyes on me, and he waited for me to continue with what I was saying.


    "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for you to know anything about me or my life. That¡¯s all," I said stiffly.


    "Then what about mine?" Hayden asked suggestively.


    "About what?" I asked, slightly puzzled.


    "My life. Don¡¯t you want to know anything about my life?" Hayden asked, sounding very friendly.


    "No¡­" I replied without hesitation.


    "Hmm¡­that¡¯s unexpected. My life is pretty interesting¡­and most of the time girls really want to know about it. Not that I¡¯ve ever told them or shown them anything¡­" Hayden said.


    Well, sorry that I¡¯m not particrly interested.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­I just don¡¯t think that we should get involved in each other¡¯s private lives," I said, hoping that he would understand.


    "Why do you think that?" he asked, clearly not understanding me.


    "I guess, it¡¯ll just make it hard andplicated when we go our separate ways when the contact expires¡­" I tried my best to exin.


    "How so?" Hayden asked, sounding genuinely curious.


    "Well, take today for example, I have to find a way to tell my friends that you¡¯re not really my boyfriend. I have to find a way to tell them that you¡¯re not really a part of my normal life¡­" I continued to exin.


    "I don¡¯t see why you have to go through so much trouble to do that," Hayden said casually.


    "Huh?" I said, feelingpletely lost.


    "I mean, if you would just ept me as your boyfriend and a part of your life, then you don¡¯t have to correct any misunderstandings with them, right?" Hayden said suggestively.


    Am I hearing this right? This is so crazy. It¡¯s like we¡¯re not even talking in the samenguage anymore.


    "That¡¯s¡­crazy. Why would I want that?" I said as I turned to face him.


    The car was stuck at a red light, and I found out that Hayden was watching me. The earnest look that he had on his face gave me pause. He can¡¯t be serious¡­can he?


    However, the look on his face darkened soon after he heard my words. It felt like I could hear the roaring of thunder and lighting in the distance as if a really bad storm was approaching and that was all because I could sense Hayden¡¯s apparent anger. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t fully understand why he was suddenly angry.


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name softly.


    **Ring ring**


    Suddenly, my phone started ringing. The ringtone of my phone cut through the tense atmosphere between us. Hesitantly, I nced down at the phone in my hand and saw that one of my friends was calling. Just as I was about to answer the call, the phone was suddenly snatched out of my hand.


    I blinked in surprise as I looked unbelievably at my now-empty hand. Quicky, I turned to Hayden and saw that he held my ringing phone in his hand. Why did he take it?


    "Please¡­give me back my phone," I said before reaching out my hand towards my phone.


    "No¡­" Hayden replied as he pulled his hand away from mine, keeping the phone away from me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 80: Melting Resistance

    What is he doing? Why is he doing this?


    "Please give it back. She might have something urgent that she needs to talk to me about¡­" I said, trying to reason with him.


    Hayden looked at me and smirked as his beautiful blue eyes narrowed cunningly at me. I knew immediately that nothing good was about to follow.


    "Do as I say or else, I¡¯ll tell your dear friend all about us," Hayden said, stressing his every words.


    I didn¡¯t understand what that meant. What does he want me to do now?


    I gasped in surprise, when he connected the call and turned the phone on loudspeaker so that I could hear.


    "Hi Malissa! Are you home yet or still on the way?" Jenny¡¯s voice sounding very energetic as she spoke through the phone.


    I looked at Hayden in panic before looking back at my phone screen. I guess I should answer her before she thinks that something is amiss.


    "Hi. I¡¯m on the way home. I should get there soon. Is something the matter?" I said as I tried to get her to get to the point.


    "Oh¡­actually¡­the professor contacted me about hosting a joint art exhibition with some other people at university. He mentioned that it would be great if your group of friends could agree on a theme and produce some art works to disy at the exhibition," Jenny started to exin.


    An art exhibition sounds very interesting, and it seems like I would get to work on it with friends. So far, I didn¡¯t see a downside to it.


    "I see¡­" I replied vaguely, trying not to say too much because Hayden was listening to our conversation.


    "Let me tell you more details. I mean, I guess you¡¯ll need more details before you can decide if you really want to join in¡­" Jenny said before she started outlining more details of the exhibition.


    There were just so many details and it seemed like she was going to go on about it non-stop as I listened. It was challenging to keep up with her with the information overload and the speed at which she was speaking but I tried my best anyways.


    Suddenly, I felt something warm on my knee. When I looked down, I discovered that it was Hayden¡¯s hand. My eyes widened in shock before I turned to face him. Hayden seemed unfazed, if anything, he seemed to be enjoying himself as his hand started to stroke the side of my thigh.


    "Hey¡­Malissa, are you still listening?" Jenny asked, brining my attention back to the phone call.


    That¡¯s right, Jenny is still on the line. I hope she doesn¡¯t figure out what is going on.


    "Oh¡­yes, of course. Please continued with the details," I said, trying to keep my voice normal.


    I tried to pull Hayden¡¯s hand away from my thigh but that only made him make a dissatisfied sound. I watched as Hayden reached out his hand and pressed the mute button on my phone¡¯s screen to mute the call.


    "What are you doing?" I asked right away once the call was muted.


    "Do as I say. Pull your dress up and open your legs," Hayden ordered.


    We¡¯re in the middle of the road. Is he crazy? I was shocked at what he just said that I couldn¡¯t move. Jenny¡¯s cheerful voice still went on in the background as she told me about the choices of venue. Hayden stared at me as he waited for me toply to his crazy order.


    My eyes darted around as I hesitated. What should I do?


    As if to threaten me further, Hayden unmuted the call. I gasped in shock as he brought the phone close to his lips. It looked like he was about to open his mouth and say something.


    "No no no¡­" I whispered, trying to stop Hayden.


    Hayden looked at me and then his gaze ran down my body to myp. I knew what he wanted¡­


    Hesitantly, I began pulling my dress up, uncovering my thighs before spreading my legs a little just like he had ordered. Seemingly satisfied, Hayden muted the call again and ced the phone on the car¡¯s console. Learning over, he began running his hand and fingers along my thighs.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name softly.


    His touch was making me feel sensitive and my skin got goosebumps from his touch. Hayden continued to rub his hand along my thighs while I tried my best not to make any sound.


    "By the way, do you want to invite anyone in particr to join in the exhibition?" Jenny asked abruptly.


    My eyes widen alertly. Hayden hearing her question, sighed softly before passing the phone to me. He then turned his attention back to my naked thighs. I took the phone from him and unmuted the call. I wasn¡¯t really listening, because honestly, I couldn¡¯t focus on anything else except for Hayden at that moment.


    "Umm¡­I¡¯m not sure yet. Let¡­let me think about it¡­ok?" I managed to reply.


    I quickly muted the call when I felt Hayden¡¯s teasing hands stroking the sensitive flesh of my inner thighs. His hands began parting my legs wider apart before his fingertips slowly ran up my inner thighs towards the heat in between my legs.


    I couldn¡¯t help but react to his stimtions. My core felt hot, and it was throbbing. When his fingers brushed against the crotch of my panties, I moaned loudly. As my pussy began pulsating, I knew that I was already very wet down there. My body always reacted so much to Hayden¡¯s advances, and I got wet very fast.


    Jenny was still going on about something that I could no longerprehend. Hayden pressed his fingers against my heat, rubbing me through the thin fabric of my underwear and I cried out shamelessly. His fingers stroked my sensitive opening through my panties, and I felt like I was already about to lose control. I wanted him to touch me directly.


    Instinctively, I began spreading my legs further apart for him.


    "You¡¯re so naughty, letting me do these things to you while your dear friend is talking to you on the phone¡­" Hayden teased.


    "This¡­is all your¡­fault¡­" I managed to say in between my lewd moans that were getting louder and louder.


    Hayden onlyughed softly at me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 81: Pleasurable Detour

    "Really? You¡¯vepletely drenched your underwear with you juices," Hayden said before he nced up at my face.


    Hayden peeled away the wet fabric that was covering my soaked love hole before his fingers began stroking my hot wetness directly. The sensation of his fingertips running long my wet slit felt amazingly pleasurable.


    "Ahhh! Ahhhh!" I cried out at the pleasure of his fingers touching my secret opening directly.


    He¡¯s touching me directly¡­and it feels¡­oh so good¡­


    I let out a muffled cry as I ced a hand over my mouth. Hayden¡¯s fingers that were teasing my opening suddenly thrusted sharply inside of my pussy hole.


    Oh¡­he¡¯s moving his fingers around inside of me¡­


    "It¡¯s so hot and wet inside¡­" Hayden whisper seductively as he leaned over and ced his mouth close to my ear.


    He¡¯s fingering me harder and faster now. I could feel his fingers moving against the walls of my pussy, deep inside of my love hole. I clenched my pussy around his thick fingers as he continued to rub the sensitive spot in my love tunnel. His fingers began moving in and out of my hole, making wet sounds that echoed in the enclosed space of his car.


    I could no longer hold in my moans, and I began to moan loudly. His fingers were hitting all the right spots inside of me. If he continues fingering me hard like this, I think I¡¯m going to cum very very soon. My breath wasbored, and my mind began to feel so hazy. I had absolutely no idea what Jenny was talking about anymore and I didn¡¯t even care.


    Suddenly, Hayden eased his finger out of my wet hole. I could see my own love juices dripping from his fingers onto the palm of his hand. I¡¯m so wet¡­he made me so wet¡­


    "I guess I should park the car somewhere¡­you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re going to be satisfied with just my fingers¡­" Hayden said before he smiled at me knowingly.


    "No¡­" I whispered.


    "You can talk to you friend in the meantime," Hayden said as he nced over at my phone.


    Hayden removed his hand from me and focused on driving the car. He made a very sharp turn, and I knew that we were heading somewhere that wasn¡¯t back to the penthouse. Things are getting out of hand at a rapid pace, just like it always did when Hayden and I are alone together.


    Jenny was still talking, while I waspletely lost on what she was going on about. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t care much anymore. My body felt hot as I trembled from thinking of how Hayden had been touching and pleasuring me.


    "Do you have any questions so far? I am dumping quite a lot of things onto you¡­" Jenny said as she paused from her information session.


    "Umm¡­no questions. Maybe we can talk in more detailster¡­along with the other guys¡­" I said as I hoped that she wouldn¡¯t catch on to the fact that I hadn¡¯t been listening to her at all.


    "Ok¡­that sounds good. Maybe I should set a date for us all to meet up at the university to talk this through or something¡­" Jenny suggested, sounding full of energy as always.


    "Aha¡­ok¡­" I said softly as I prayed for this call to be over.


    Just a short while had past but it seemed like long enough for Hayden to reach the destination that he had in mind. I looked outside the car window, and it was very dark. So dark that I could barely make out anything outside. Where are we? Did he just drive us underground somewhere?


    The signal of the phone was cracking up a little as well like the reception wasn¡¯t great where we were. The underground was dimly lit with a few lights, and I could finally make out that it was an underground parking lot. I never knew that such a thing existed in this part of the city, not that I was particrly knowledgeable about the city.


    "Umm¡­Malissa, you¡¯re cracking up a little. Guess the signal is bad?" I heard Jenny say through the phone. Her voice was cracking up a bit too.


    Hayden had parked the car and I felt the vehiclee to aplete stop. Then, I felt his eyes on me and I gulped. Suddenly, I truly felt like a cornered small animal that was about to be trapped and eaten alive. I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me that I should hang up the call immediately.


    "The signal is bad. I can¡¯t hear you. I¡¯ll call you backter," I quickly said before hanging up.


    I breathe a sigh of relief now that Jenny was finally off my back. However, there was a bigger problem that I had to deal with and that was the man who was sitting very close to me.


    "Should we continue where we left off?" Hayden asked, sounding like a gentleman.


    He smiled gently at me before his eyes looked down towards the mess in between my legs. Following his gaze, I could see that my legs were still parted, and I closed them immediately.


    "Where are we?" I asked, trying to change the topic of the conversation as I looked around outside the car.


    "Somewhere where no one will dare disturb us¡­" Hayden replied calmly.


    That¡­wasn¡¯t what I wanted to know¡­


    It was clear that Hayden wouldn¡¯t let this just slide by. I wondered what it was about what I said that was making him behave like this. He¡¯s so aggressive, which I guess wasn¡¯t abnormal for his standards, but he just wanted to have sex with me all of a sudden. So sudden that he even drove us here just so we could have sex on our way back.


    "Lay down and spread your legs," Haydenmanded, and I could tell that he wasn¡¯t willing to take a no for an answer.


    Without warning, the car seat started reclining until I wasying down. My attempt at trying to sit up was stopped immediately, when Hayden climbed over from his seat and pinned me down beneath him. There¡¯s not much space in the car and Hayden felt so much bigger as his presence loomed over me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 82: Tough Choice

    His hands spread my legs immediately to either side of his hips and then his hands were on my private parts. Hayden really continued where we had left off. His fingers thrusted deep into my wet hole and began stirring up my insides. I let out a muffled moan while he fingered my pussy hole harder and faster.


    My pussy was already flooded with my juices which allowed his finger to slide in and out of me easily.


    His other hand began groping my breasts over my clothes. Although my dress and bra covered my breasts, I could feel his aggressive caress through them as he squeezed and massaged my breasts roughly. I felt him press against my swollen clit with his fingers and I whimpered his name.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered softly before I bit on my lower lip.


    "You love it when I screw your g-spot and your clit at the same time, don¡¯t you?" Hayden asked followed by an amusedugh. He was clearly enjoying himself as he watched my body slowlye undone.


    His fingers were pumping in and out of me so hard and fast while he yed with my clit. The overwhelming pleasure was driving me crazy. My body writhed as my hips started moving wildly against his hand.


    "Look at how much your hips are moving¡­" Hayden hissed as he began curling up his fingers inside of me to further stimte my g-spot.


    "No! Stop¡­I¡­I¡¯m gonna¡­cum¡­" I cried out softly as I pleaded him to stop the crazy waves of ecstasy that was driving me insane with lust.


    I¡¯m¡­going to lose control¡­


    Although I was the one that told him to stop, I was the one who wanted to scream out loud from frustration when Hayden stopped moving his fingers. My body trembled when he slid his fingers out of me.


    "Put this on my cock," Hayden instructed as he handed me a condom.


    "¡­umm¡­" I made a hesitating sound.


    It¡¯s so embarrassing. I¡¯ve never put a condom on a guy before. Why couldn¡¯t he just do it himself?


    "You need to learn to take care of your man better. Put it on me¡­unless you think we don¡¯t need it?" Hayden said as he cocked his head to the side.


    Since when was he, my man? He¡¯s just started to refer to himself as my man out of nowhere. This is such a mess¡­


    "No¡­I¡­" I said hesitantly.


    "Perhaps, you got addicted to the pleasure of me fucking you raw?" Hayden suggested as he grinned at me.


    It did feel different when he took me raw. I could feel more of him. His size, his shape, and his heat.


    What am I thinking?!


    "No¡­I¡¯ll put it on¡­" I whispered in defeat.


    With shaky hands, I reached out and took the condom from him. Slowly tearing it, I took the condom out and began positioning it on the head of his thick and massive cock. Looking straight at his thick member was embarrassing so I tried to avert my eyes, using my sense of touch to guide me as I rolled the condom down the length of his hard rod.


    "You probably need more practice but that¡¯ll do for today," Hayden said with a slight hint of apliment.


    I wasn¡¯t looking forward to any future practices. Too embarrassed to say anything, I just kept silent.


    "I¡¯ll be extra nice today and I¡¯ll let you choose," Hayden said brightly.


    "Choose¡­what?" I asked, suspiciously.


    When Hayden said he would be nice; his definition of ¡¯nice¡¯ wasn¡¯t exactly the same as the normal standard so I didn¡¯t dare get my hopes up.


    "Do you want to be on top¡­or on the bottom?" He asked as he looked straight at me.


    What kind of choice was that? He¡¯s not being nice at all. He¡¯s just tormenting me like he always does. If I had any hope that he was a nice guy deep down, I was so wrong.


    Honestly, I had no preference at all in the matter. What would be easier to do when we¡¯re in a car like this? I had no idea; I¡¯ve never really done it in the car like this before.


    "I¡­don¡¯t know¡­" I mumbled.


    "You don¡¯t know what?" Hayden asked, teasingly.


    "What¡­would be easier¡­?" I asked.


    "Shouldn¡¯t the question be what would feel better?" Hayden corrected me immediately.


    "Umm¡­" I made an uncertain sound.


    "Wanna try both?" Hayden suggested enthusiastically.


    Can you please not make it sound like some simple wine tasting, please?


    Before, I could say anything, Hayden¡¯s hands were already spreading my legs wide open. My eyes widened in shock at his aggressiveness.


    "Since we¡¯re in this position anyways¡­let¡¯s just start with me being on top," Hayden said so casually that I gasped at the ridiculousness of it all.


    "Wait¡­" I whimpered.


    "Shhh¡­just enjoy the ride, Malissa," Hayden coaxed seductively.


    I closed my eyes when I felt the heat of his thick rod at the opening of my love tunnel. He positioned himself in between my legs and I knew that he was on the verge of entering me. Still, I cried out at the suddenness of his entrance. Hayden thrusted his thick cock into my wet pussy in one sharp movement that buried him very deeply inside of me.


    "Ahhh! Hayden¡­" I cried out his name as he filled me.


    My cries of ecstasy filled the car along with our pants and moans of passion. I¡¯m being so loud, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. The sensation of Hayden¡¯s cock hitting me deep inside repeatedly felt too good. It felt like he was driving me crazy, and my body is going to break. Hayden began moving inside of me immediately after entering me. His movements were fast and forceful.


    I should have gotten used to his wild lovemaking by now but the force of his thrusts as he pumped his thick shaft wildly inside of me still stunned me. The pleasure that he was feeding me felt amazing. I¡¯ve never felt anything like it. Each thrust just made me feel better and better. He¡¯s making my insides throb and ache with pleasure and heat.


    "Too deep¡­it¡¯s too deep!" I cried out.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 83: With His Encouragement

    His cock was hitting against my womb, and it made me feel so messed up inside. It¡¯s felt like it was too much. Hayden smirked down at me, before pounding into me harder than before. He¡¯s going at it non-stop and my hips wouldn¡¯t stop moving as it thrusted upwards to meet his thrusts halfway.


    "Your hips are moving very nicely¡­" Haydenmented as he ran his hand along my left thigh down to my hips.


    After hitting me deeply from various angles, Hayden started pulling my legs upwards before cing it on his shoulders. His body came even closer to mine, and I could feel his hips press up against me.


    "If we do this, then I can fuck you even deeper than before¡­" Hayden said as if informing me.


    "Hayden¡­Ahhhh! No¡­Ahhh!" I cried out loudly at the heightened pleasure.


    I couldn¡¯t form words anymore. Moaning loudly and crying out at the mind-numbing pleasure was the only thing that I could do. He was right, he could prate me even deeper this way but that wasn¡¯t all. The angle that his cock was plunging into me in this position felt unreal¡­it felt so addictively amazing¡­


    "I told you¡­it¡¯ll feel good¡­" Hayden said, sounding a little proud of himself.


    I guess with the way I was reacting to him, I couldn¡¯t lie and say that it didn¡¯t feel super pleasurable. I felt like I was about to cum¡­or perhaps, I already did without knowing it. It felt so unusually good that perhaps I¡¯ve orgasmed already.


    However, I could feel another orgasm fast approaching. My whole body trembled as it continued to writhe desperately underneath Hayden for release. I cried out his name loudly as I lost myself in my own mind-shattering climax.


    "Did it feel that good?" Hayden asked when I finally opened my eyes once again.


    I saw his smugged smile as he smiled teasingly down at me. What does he expect me to say to that?


    By the time that I had recovered from my orgasm, Hayden had gotten off me and had returned to his seat.


    "Ready to be on top?" Hayden asked, energetically.


    How much stamina¡­does this monster have? I felt like I didn¡¯t want to find out, but I knew that I was about to really find out.


    "I don¡¯t think¡­I can¡­" I began protesting. It was true, I don¡¯t think I have any energy left to¡­be on top¡­


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you. Even if you faint, I¡¯ll help you all the way to the end," Hayden said before he smiled beautifully at me.


    Was that really an offer of help and support?


    "Climb over and straddle me¡­" Hayden said invitingly.


    I wished I was being invited to a tea party or something instead¡­


    Although he was being pleasant about it all, his eyes were deadly dangerous. There was no way that he was going to take a ¡¯no¡¯ for an answer and I knew that very well.


    Clumsily, I somehow managed to climb over to the driver¡¯s seat and position myself on top of him. This is crazy embarrassing. I never thought that it would be this embarrassing to be straddling him. His face is so close to mine in his position, and I had to either ce my hands on his shoulders or wrap it around his neck. Both options only brought our faces closer to one another. He¡¯s looking at me¡­


    "You look nervous¡­" Hayden said softly, and I could feel his eyes on my face.


    I quickly turned away. It¡¯s true that we¡¯ve done it many times already but, this position in this enclosed space feels too close.


    "Shall we?" Hayden said invitingly as he ced his hands on the sides of my hips.


    I ced my hands firmly on his shoulders before I nodded my head slowly.


    "Take me inside of you, Malissa," Hayden said patiently.


    With his encouragement, I reached a hand down in between us and held his cock. It¡¯s so big as it filled my hand. Slowly, I positioned the thick head of his cock at my entrance. I could feel him at my entrance, and I bit my lower lip.


    "It¡¯s ok¡­you can take it slow," Hayden whispered.


    I nodded my head once again in acknowledgement, a little surprised at his kindness. It was great that he wasn¡¯t rushing me, but I still felt more than a little nervous about taking him in myself. With Hayden¡¯s hands supporting my hips, I began lowering myself onto his upstanding cock.


    A soft moan escaped my lips when I felt his thick rod part my entrance and began prating my love hole. I wasn¡¯t sure what was making me more anxious, his cock prating me or his eyes staring at my face. I began lowering my hips further down, drawing his member deeper into me. Inch by inch, I felt his length slowly filling me up deep inside.


    "Good girl. Take all of me inside of you," Hayden whispered close to my ear. I could feel the heat of his breath against my ear, and I shuddered.


    "Ahh¡­" I moaned loudly when I felt his cock hit deep inside of me.


    I sat skin to skin on top of him with the full length ofrge cock buried inside of my wet hole. It felt like he had filled up my entire stomach and I could feel him everywhere inside of me. I felt so full inside. It feels so good and fulfilling that I got too scared to even move.


    "Don¡¯t move¡­please¡­" I said desperately when I felt Hayden¡¯s cock moving slighting inside of me.


    I felt so sensitive inside since I had just climaxed, and the slightest movement made me feel like I would cum again. He¡¯s so deep inside of me and I could feel so much of him.


    "You¡¯re very sensitive, huh?" Hayden said, clearly amused. However, he decided to stop moving for my sake.


    "Sorry¡­" I mumbled softly.


    Wordlessly, Hayden ced arge hand on top of my head, and I looked up into his blue eyes. They were so gentle; I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing.


    "It¡¯s ok. Just go at your own pace. I¡¯ll y along¡­" Hayden said with a softugh.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 84: Curiosity

    I nodded briefly at him before I started slowly lifting my hips upwards. Immediately, I felt the sensation of his cock rubbing my pussy walls as his cock slid slightly out of my hole. I sat back down on his cock again and his cock pierced me as it slid inside. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I began bouncing my hips up and down as I rode on his cock.


    It feels good. I changed the angle that I came onto him and felt him hitting my sweet spot deep inside of my love hole. His cock can reach in so deep into me and it feels amazing. I clenched my pussy walls around his shaft as I began moving my hips faster and faster.


    "Ahh¡­Ahhh¡­Ahhhh" I moaned louder as I rode his cock faster.


    "You¡¯re getting quite good at this," Hayden said.


    His hands tightened around my hips. Suddenly, I felt his hips thrust up against me and his cock ramming hard into my hole. Hayden began thrusting his hips upwards, pounding his cock in and out of my hole. It¡¯s so different when he does it, but it also feels so good. He¡¯s movements were much more forceful than mine and I could feel him hitting me harder deep inside.


    "Ahh! Hayden¡­not so¡­fast¡­" I whimpered in between my loud moans.


    We were both breathing faster now, and I could tell that Hayden was enjoying himself immensely. His cock just gotrger and hotter inside of me. His thick shaft was hitting my sweet spot over and over again and I didn¡¯t want him to stop.


    "Stay still, I¡¯ll do the work," Hayden said into my ear as his hands gripped my ass tightly.


    I couldn¡¯t reply to him, so I just nodded and stopped moving my hips. Hayden lifted my hips up slightly before he held me in ce and began thrusting his cock upwards into me. He¡¯s thrusting much harder than before. He was going so fast and hard that I cried out loudly. It was getting a little painful, but it felt unbelievably good.


    I felt like I could cum again at any moment as his cock beat in and out of my wet cunt. Hayden was also moaning louder now. I could see his face and I could sense his passion. I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck as I clenched my pussy tighter around his shaft.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m cumming!" I cried out when I felt my climax hit me.


    Hayden continued to pound his thick lovestick into me while I rode out my climax. My pussy felt even more sensitive than before, and I tried my best to stay sane while I waited for Hayden to reach his own peak of pleasure. He thrusted wildly into me before I felt his cock twitching inside me.


    Hayden bit on the side of my neck and groaned loudly when he came. It doesn¡¯t hurt but it felt strange to have his teeth digging into the sensitive skin of my neck. Shortly after, Hayden let go of my neck and hugged me to him.


    ¡­


    Thinking back to what he said when we were in the car, a feeling simr to hope rose up in my chest and I quickly crushed it away. Malissa girl, this guy already has a girlfriend that he wants to marry. Plus, my heart still feels like it belongs to Ethan.


    Thankfully, when I didn¡¯t quite know how to respond to his baiting suggestion about learning about his life, we ended up having sex and didn¡¯t have to discuss that anymore. At least, I didn¡¯t need to continue that conversation with him anymore, I thought as I quickly got out of his car. I was amazed that I was still able to walk after how roughly he had just taken me.


    Let¡¯s pray that my luck continues when morning arrives.


    I had to admit that his proposal made me slightly curious about his life. I really didn¡¯t know anything about Hayden. What does he actually do for a living? What is his work like? How does he spend his days when he¡¯s away from the penthouse? What does he like¡­or dislike¡­?


    Those questions filled my head as we got into the elevator together. I guess driving back together and then taking the elevator up to our ce together sort of made us look like a couple. Shaking my head slightly, I decided to quickly kill that train of thought. Nothing good is going toe from him being curious about my private life and from me being curious about his.


    Curiosity really did kill the cat.


    Little did I know that I actually had very little choice in the matter¡­


    ¡­


    The next morning, I woke up to the sound of very loud banging of my bedroom door. I nced at the clock and realized that it was still very early in the morning. Only one person would knock this loudly on my door and that was the same person who I didn¡¯t want to see.


    After somehow ending our conversation yesterday, it seemed like Hayden had gotten some crazy new ideas on how to further torment me. I flipped on my stomach and put my pillow over my head to try to block out the sound while I tried to convince myself that he would eventually go away if I didn¡¯t respond.


    **knock knock knock**


    The knocking only got louder and then Hayden began calling my name, super loudly.


    "Malissa! Wake up!"


    Oh¡­why does he have to make it sound like the sky is falling? I pressed the pillow firmly against my ears as I screwed my eyes shut tightly.


    "Malissa! Open the door! I know you¡¯re in there¡­" Hayden continued shouting non-stop as his hand beat on the door.


    I sat up on the bed and threw my pillow away before grumpily marching towards the door. Seriously, what does he want from me so early in the morning? His habit of beating down on my door is killing me. I recalled thest time he did this. Back then, he dragged me off with him to a graveyard in the middle of the night¡­only this time it was super early in the morning instead.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 85: His Life

    "What do you want?" I said when I opened the door a crack and looked through it with one eye.


    Hayden suddenly forced his hand in and yanked the door fully open. Great¡­talk about unmatched strength.


    "You¡¯reing to work with me as of today," Hayden proudly announced before smirking a little at me.


    Come¡­again?


    "No¡­I can¡¯t¡­I¡¯m busy¡­" I managed to say as I attempted to close the door in his face.


    Obviously, that didn¡¯t go very well. A battle of physical strength wasn¡¯t what I excelled at, apparently. I have to visit my grandmother at the hospital, and I¡¯ve got work to do for university which meant that I couldn¡¯t just go to work with him every day.


    "You¡¯re busy?" Hayden asked, curiously.


    "Yes. I have to visit grandma in the hospital and then I¡¯ve got to work on my artwork¡­" I replied honestly.


    "Oh, I see. We can drop by to see your grandma during the day, and I¡¯ll try to get off work early¡­like in the afternoon or something¡­so that you cane back and work on your art. Sounds good?" Hayden quickly proposed with a smile.


    That sounded too convenient and easy for me to be convinced.


    "I¡­I¡¯m not sure¡­" I said, suspiciously.


    "Let¡¯s try it out for today. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out," Hayden said confidently.


    The key point that I wasn¡¯t getting was why he wanted to take me to work with him in the first ce. It wasn¡¯t my life¡¯s goal to study up on how to manage a mafia gang.


    "I don¡¯t¡­" I began to protest.


    "Shower and get dressed. 15 minutes. If you¡¯re not done, I¡¯m dragging you out even if you¡¯re naked," Hayden stated as he looked at his watch.


    "You can¡¯t be¡­" I said in shock.


    Ok...he¡¯s serious. He is dead serious!


    Without wasting another second, I turned and almost ran into the bathroom. 15 minutes!


    ¡­


    The Torex Company headquarters. I never knew that it was this big and grand. Arching my neck back, I looked up at the sparkling skyscraper that stood in front of me. It¡¯s so high that I couldn¡¯t see its peak and so big. Everyone, including me, knew that the Torex was a very sessful conglomerate.


    However, it was hard to believe that the mafia ran their business in a ce so out in the open like this.


    The building looked like any normal state-of-the-art businessplex, located smack in the middle of the business district. Standing proud and tall in the midst of other legitimate corporations was the Torex mafia gang¡¯s headquarters for business operations.


    "Impressed already?" Hayden asked from behind me.


    "I guess¡­I¡¯m impress at how this ce looks so legit¡­you know¡­" I replied.


    "Are you suggesting that my family business isn¡¯t legit?" Hayden asked, feigning shock.


    "Well¡­" I whispered. What more can I say?


    I mean, you guys run a mafia gang and other shady-rted business. So, don¡¯t me me if I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s legit stuff.


    "Come in. You¡¯re not nning to just stand there all day, are you?" Hayden teased.


    "Ok¡­" I mumbled.


    "Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll figure out how things work around here in no time at all¡­" Hayden said reassuringly.


    I followed Hayden into the lobby of therge building. There were so many people walking about, all dressed in fancy suits and business dresses. They all seemed busy and in a hurry as they headed for their destinations.


    "This way¡­" Hayden said as he ced a hand behind my waist.


    I walked along with him, and I could feel many pairs of eyes on us and it made me feel slightly nervous and out of ce. Hayden must have felt my body stiffen because he whispered into my ear.


    "Rx. It¡¯s probably not usual for them to see someone so beautiful walking along with their boss," Hayden whispered before he winked at me.


    Based on the way that I was dressed and myck of make up due to the harsh 15-minutes prep time that he had given me, I was sure that they were not staring at me because of my outstanding beauty. I kept that to myself and let Hayden lead me to the elevators.


    "There are private elevators that we can use but I prefer to ride along with the others. You see, you might meet someone that you know, and you¡¯ll appear more connected to your employees, right?" Hayden said softly to me.


    "I see¡­" I whispered back. I guessed he was right.


    When we got into the elevator, I was shocked at the number of buttons that were inside. So, which floor are we going to exactly?


    Hayden just stood there as the elevator ascended upwards. The elevator stopped at designated floors and people got off and got in.


    "Hayden, which floor are we going to?" I asked.


    "71st floor" Hayden whispered into my ear.


    "Ok¡­wait¡­there¡¯s no button for the 71st floor¡­" I said with confusion after I had failed to find the button with 71 written on it.


    Hayden just smiled at me. The elevator finally made it to its highest floor, by that time it was only Hayden and I left in the elevator. I followed Hayden out, unsure of what to do next.


    "The 71st floor is strictly restricted so it¡¯s not essible by themon elevator. You need special clearance to even know where the elevator that leads to that floor is located, and then of course, there are other security measures in ce. Anyways, follow me," Hayden exined.


    "I see¡­" I muttered.


    I guess this wasn¡¯t a normal business building after all¡­


    ¡­


    Soon we arrived on the 71st floor and Hayden dragged me by the hand to a veryrge room that was his office. The room had everything it in and it might as well have been called a mini suite. He even had his own bedroom with a king-sized bed attached to his office. I walked around and poked my head to inspect all rooms with interest.


    "Your room is so big¡­" Imented.


    "Of course. I¡¯m like the CEO here or something¡­" Hayden said, proudly.


    That would have sounded more credible without the ¡¯or something¡¯ part at the end.


    "What do you actually do here? Normal office work?" I asked, curious.


    "Let me exin from the top¡­" Hayden said as he began his exnation.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 86: Boss’s Orders

    So basically, from what Hayden exined to me, the Torex Corporate was legal and worked just like any other giant conglomerate. The conglomerate is managed by hired professionals that were chosen by the Board of Directors, which were mostly Torex family members. On the other hand, there is the grey part of the business which deals with gang-rted activities and business.


    The building has over eighty floors with ess restricted from the 71st floor.


    What that means it that the legit part of the business happens in the lower floors while the restricted floors are where gang members gather and work on the grey part of the business. What amazes me is that a mafia gang actually needs arge group of people to do desk jobs such as ounting and the like.


    Not that I was impressed or anything¡­


    "Do you want to know the rest?" Hayden asked excitedly.


    "You mean more about your gang¡¯s activities?" I asked, making a disinterested face.


    How about ¡¯no, thank you,¡¯?


    "Of course. Isn¡¯t that what everyone wants to know?" Hayden teased.


    "And¡­?" I said, wondering if he would continue.


    "I¡¯ll tell you everything¡­when we get married," Hayden said with a grin.


    Which means¡­never¡­


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing a little at this joke. Haydenughed along with me, surprisingly.


    Our conversation was interrupted when there were a few knocks on the door.


    "Come in," Hayden said, loud enough for whoever it was on the other side of the door to hear.


    The door opened and a man dressed in a ck suit walked in. I have never seen this man before. The man bowed to Hayden and nced a littler nervously at me.


    "It¡¯s ok. Just say what you have to say," Hayden said, noticing the man¡¯s nervousness of having me in the room.


    "The boss wants to see you¡­and thedy as well," the man said concisely.


    The boss wants to see me? I wasn¡¯t surprised about the boss wanting to see Hayden, but he also wanted to see me?


    "Now?" Hayden asked.


    "Yes, Master Hayden. Now¡­" the man said before bowing and taking his leave immediately.


    Well, I guess we knew what was up next on our agenda now.


    Hayden sighed, visibly extremely annoyed. For whatever reason, Hayden didn¡¯t seem to get along well with his father, or perhaps, they shared a deep bond that I didn¡¯t understand.


    "As you can see, one of my jobs is to deal with my father¡­" Hayden said as he got up from his seat.


    He motioned with his hand for me to follow him out of the room. Hayden led me along the long hallway and then to a private elevator. I knew it was supposed to be private because there were around six guards standing guard at the entrance.


    We rode up the elevator together and when we got off, we were greeted with a long, silent and very empty hallway. Our destination was clear, there was only one door at the very far end of the hallway. That must be, the boss¡¯s room. I¡¯ve never met the boss here before¡­


    "Nervous? There¡¯s no need to be¡­" Hayden turned to say to me.


    Before I could say anything in reply, he took my hand and began pulling me along with him. I wouldn¡¯t say that I was very nervous, but I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. Nothing good ever came out of meeting the boss, for me at least.


    When we arrived in front of the door, I thought that Hayden would knock but I was dead wrong. Hayden opened the door suddenly and walked right in, pulling me behind him.


    Umm¡­excuse us for our abrupt entry¡­?


    "Hayden¡­oh¡­and Miss Malissa," the boss said as he nced up from the report that he was holding in his hand.


    I thought Hayden¡¯s room wasrge but now that I saw the boss¡¯s room¡­


    Did his room take up the whole floor? Why would he need such arge room?


    "Hi, dad¡­" Hayden said, sounding bored.


    "Sit¡­both of you," the boss said as he nced at the sofa set in the room.


    We sat down and the boss joined us shortly after. I wondered what he wanted to talk to us about. How did he know that I was here too?


    "The yearly g ising up. I want you to attend with Malissa," the boss stated, getting straight to the point.


    What is the yearly g? Is it like some charity event that I see on TV?


    "The yearly g is a party where leaders of prominent gangs will gather once a year¡­to talk¡­" the boss exined as if sensing my confusion and curiosity.


    I nced at Hayden, and he didn¡¯t seem surprised. Don¡¯t tell me that he brought me here with him today because he knew about this beforehand?


    "You¡¯re not going?" Hayden asked.


    "It¡¯s about time the next generation take over, I think. I¡¯m sure the other families will be sending their prospective heir as well¡­" the boss replied cheerfully.


    I was starting to get the impression that the g was not something fun and no one really wanted to attend. The boss looked like he was happy to finally hand this responsibility over to Hayden.


    "Count me out. If you¡¯re toozy to attend, just send Luka," Hayden said, brushing the whole thing off.


    That made me remember that Hayden hasn¡¯t really brought into the idea of him bing the next boss after his father. I still had no idea how to change his mind in that regard and I wasn¡¯t sure that it was my ce to do so either.


    "You should go with Malissa. I think there¡¯s someone there that you may want to meet¡­" the boss said before smiling knowingly at Hayden.


    "Who?" Hayden asked, immediately.


    "Your old friend¡­" the boss said.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes narrowed and there was a change in the air about him. I was right, nothing good came out from seeing the boss.


    "Let¡¯s go," Hayden said to me as he got up from the sofa.


    "I take it that you¡¯re going then," the boss said, clearly satisfied.


    "Just send me the details¡­" Hayden murmured.


    I wondered who his old friend was. He or she must be someone important for Hayden to change his mind about attending the g so suddenly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 87: Do You Love Him?

    "I¡¯ll send Luka and arge group of men with you. Luka will tell you the details soon," the boss said, sounding relief.


    "Let¡¯s go," Hayden said once again to me as he took my hand.


    "Have you slept with her?" the boss asked abruptly.


    Err¡­what sort of question is that? That was when I realized that Hayden was holding my hand. Wrong move. Definitely, the wrong move.


    "I have," Hayden said emotionlessly.


    I gasped in shock at how straight forward he could admit this¡­and to his father of all people. It was like they werepletely ignoring the fact that I was here, and they were talking about me too.


    "I see¡­I like men who move fast," the boss said before heughed joyously.


    I felt heat rush to my face and new that I was blushing hard with embarrassment.


    "Hayden, you leave. I want to talk to Malissa," the boss said.


    Hayden nced at me as if asking me if I would be alright. I didn¡¯t know what the boss wanted to talk to me about, but I wanted to find out. The only way I would find out is if I stayed¡­so¡­


    "It¡¯s ok¡­" I whispered.


    Hayden nodded and slowly let go of my hand.


    "5 minutes," Hayden said to his father before walking out of the room.


    "More than enough¡­" the boss muttered softly under his breath.


    The door closed behind Hayden and the boss and I were now the only ones in the room. I gulped nervously. Now that Hayden was no longer by my side, I felt extremely anxious and ufortable. The boss¡¯s presence is very intimidating.


    "Don¡¯t look so nervous. I¡¯m not going to eat you," the boss said beforeughing at his own joke.


    "Ok¡­" I whispered, sounding very nervous.


    "Sorry that I asked you to stay back. I just wanted to talk to you¡­you know, see how you¡¯ve been," the boss said, and I could sense genuine care in his tone.


    "I¡¯m doing fine¡­" I said, summarizing my situation in short. I felt fine and I will somehow get through this.


    Unfortunately, or fortunately, I didn¡¯t know, but I was getting used to being around Hayden. I wouldn¡¯t say that I understood what he was thinkingpletely but I have improved, and I was less shocked with his unexpected actions. Sex with him felt too good¡­I¡¯m willing to admit that too.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if we¡¯ve gotten closer but the initial animosity between us had somehow evaporated as time went by.


    "I see. How many days are left in the contract?" the boss asked.


    Good question. I remembered that I used to count down the days remaining until the 30 days woulde to an end. However, I wasn¡¯t quite sure how many days were left now, and I wasn¡¯t sure when or why I had stopped counting.


    "Umm¡­I think there¡¯s 18 days left," I replied softly.


    "So, we¡¯re almost at the halfway mark already. Time really does fly. So, have you fallen in love with my son?" the boss asked as he leaned forward and watched me closely.


    "No, I haven¡¯t," I replied firmly.


    The boss cocked his head slightly to the side as he continued to observed me. I wondered if that meant that he didn¡¯t believe my words?


    "Let me ask you another question then. Do you think that Hayden is in love with you?" the boss asked.


    "No¡­he¡¯s in love with Amelia¡­" I replied, wondering why the boss was asking me this because he should already know.


    The boss smirked a little at me before he startedughing softly as if an entertaining thought had crossed his mind.


    "Why are youughing?" I asked, unable to control my curiosity at his reaction.


    "When you¡¯re old like me, sometimes, you see young people as fools," the boss replied.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, suspiciously.


    "Young people, such as yourself, can¡¯t seem to see the obvious thing that is in front of them. I asked you if you¡¯re in love with my son and you said?" the boss said as his eyes widened at me.


    "I said¡­that I¡¯m not," I replied, simply.


    "Exactly, which makes my old mind wonder why you looked so awfully sad when you told me that he¡¯s in love with Amelia¡­" the boss said as if deep in thought.


    I looked¡­awfully sad? Is that true?


    It couldn¡¯t be¡­


    This old man is just ying tricks with me.


    "I¡¯m not sad¡­" I said.


    "That¡¯s all I wanted to ask you. You are dismissed for today. Do enjoy the g¡­I¡¯m sure that things will be interesting for both of you," the boss said before he sighed and got up from his seat.


    "Goodbye," I said as I also got up.


    The boss smiled at me and waved me off with his hand. I quickly left the room, d to finally end the conversation with the old man.


    "Hey,"


    I turned in shock and saw Hayden leaning on the wall next to the door. I hadn¡¯t expected to see him there waiting for me.


    "Hey¡­" I replied back softly.


    "What did dad say to you?" Hayden asked.


    "Umm¡­nothing much," I replied vaguely. It¡¯s not like I could repeat our conversation to Hayden.


    "Did he ask you if I was good in bed?" Hayden asked, sounding genuinely curious.


    Is that what he¡¯s been worried about all this time? Oh¡­what am I dealing with¡­


    "No, he didn¡¯t¡­" I said as I began walking away from him.


    I bet he¡¯s just saying these things to irritate me, and it was working.


    "Wait for me¡­" Hayden said with a smallugh as he came after me.


    "What do you want?" I snapped.


    "So, am I good in bed?" Hayden asked.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that he was asking me that. I rolled my eyes at him in annoyance. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m going to answer that.


    "What else did the old man say?" Hayden asked, after seeing that I won¡¯t answer his previous question.


    "Umm¡­he said that we should enjoy the g¡­and that it¡¯ll be interesting¡­" I replied as I recalled the boss¡¯s words.


    "Oh yes¡­it definitely will be interesting¡­" Hayden said with his eyes straight forward as if he was staring at something that I couldn¡¯t see.


    I wondered if there were some hidden or special meaning behind his words¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 88: A Talk

    Just like Hayden had promised, he got off work early in the afternoon and drove me to the hospital to visit my grandmother. The hospital staff were gracious enough to keep me informed daily of my grandmother¡¯s condition. Thankfully, she was stable. That said, it wasn¡¯t like her condition had improved. At this point, I guessed that I should be thankful that her condition didn¡¯t get worse.


    "You want to get her something before we go up?" Hayden asked, catching me a little off guard.


    Now that he mentioned it, maybe some fruits would be good?


    "Maybe some fruits? I think there¡¯s a store over there that has some," I replied, pointing a finger in the direction of the store.


    "Let¡¯s go," Hayden said before reaching for my hand.


    He held my hand as we walked towards the store. I couldn¡¯t help but feel conscious of his warm hand holding mine. Hayden¡¯s been holding my hand most of the time if not all the time now when we were together and, surprisingly, I didn¡¯t hate it.


    I wondered if people thought that we were a real couple when they looked at us walking hand-in-hand this way. We purchased the fruits together and made our way up to my grandmother¡¯s hospital room.


    Coming to visit my grandmother reminded me that I need to make some solid progress on her painting. So many things have been going on that I haven¡¯t had the time to concentrate on it. I¡¯ll get to it first thing when we get back to the penthouse.


    "Hi grandma!" I said cheerfully when we entered her room.


    As always, my grandmother wasying on her hospital bed with a white nket covering her body and there were multiple machines hooked to her body. She seemed excited and very happy to see me. However, her eyes widened in slight surprise when she saw that Hayden was with me.


    I guess thest time that he was here, he gave her a little shock as well.


    "It¡¯s good for you two to visit," my grandmother said before smiling kindly at us.


    "We got you some fruits," Hayden said as he held up the basket of fruits that we had purchased.


    "Oh wow, how nice of you," my grandmother said before her smile widened.


    It looked like my grandmother had taken a liking to Hayden and his gentlemanly acts and angelic face. Looks can be deceiving, grandma!


    "How have you been feeling?" I asked, trying not to sound overly worried.


    "Good¡­quite well. I think I¡¯m getting used to the medicine. I feel less sleepy than before¡­" grandma said followed by a relievedugh.


    "That¡¯s great. Maybe if you get better, the doctors will allow you to go outside¡­for a walk or something," I said, encouragingly.


    "That would be nice, it¡¯s sort of boring being stuck in here¡­" grandma said, and I could see her eyes straying towards the window where she could see a glimpse of the world outside.


    "Do you like flowers, grandma?" Hayden asked.


    I didn¡¯t miss the fact that he had just called her ¡¯grandma¡¯ either. This guy is sucking up so much to my grandma, seriously¡­


    "I love them, yes," my grandma said.


    "If that¡¯s the case, I can arrange for the florist here to bring a bouquet for you everyday to decorate your room. It might help you to freshen up," Hayden suggested.


    "If it¡¯s not too much trouble, that would be great¡­" my grandma said happily.


    "Great. Let me go and arrange it now. Malissa, I¡¯ll be back to pick you up in a bit¡­" Hayden said as he excused himself.


    I knew that Hayden probably wanted to give us some privacy to be alone so that we could talk, and I appreciated his considerate gesture. We watched as Hayden silently headed for the door and left the room.


    "How¡¯s Hayden? Is he¡­a good guy?" my grandmother asked once the door to the room had closed.


    Ok¡­does she think that we¡¯re dating because of what Hayden told herst time?


    "Umm¡­I guess he¡¯s got his rough points but¡­I think he¡¯s ok¡­" I replied honestly.


    I had decided to let it slide and go with the flow. It wasn¡¯t true that I was dating Hayden but if I tried to correct what he said then I would have to tell her that I¡¯m still with Ethan and that wasn¡¯t true either. Lies will just lead to more lies.


    "I see. Well, that¡¯s a relief," she said before sighing loudly.


    I hated to see her so worried for me when there wasn¡¯t much that I could do for her. I¡¯ve probably been a burden to her my whole life since I moved to live with her in the countryside.


    "As I keep telling you, there¡¯s nothing for you to be worried about," I told her, stering my best smile on my face.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I could fool her though.


    "I¡¯m a little scared, you know¡­" she said softly.


    "What are you scared of?" I asked.


    For a moment, I thought that she was going to tell me that she was scared of dying. I would have absolutely no response for that.


    "I¡¯m scared¡­that you will be all alone when I¡¯m gone¡­" she confessed softly.


    "Can you please stop saying things like that?" I said with a sigh.


    "It¡¯s no point trying to fool me or anyone at this point. Malissa, I just want you to find happiness and live life for yourself. Many things happened, but I don¡¯t want you to suffer," she said as she looked me deep in the eyes.


    "Grandma¡­" I whispered.


    "When I¡¯m gone, I will no longer be a burden to you. You can focus on yourself more without having to worry about me," she said.


    "I have never thought of you as being a burden. You helped me so much and you took me in when I had nowhere left to go¡­" I said passionately.


    "Do you like Hayden?" she asked abruptly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 89: Secret Visits

    "Why are you asking that? I can take care of myself, you know. You don¡¯t need to start pairing me with guys now" I said, trying to keep the mood light.


    "I hope that that¡¯s true. Hayden¡­he¡¯s not a bad guy, you know," my grandma said.


    "Why do you think that?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.


    Looks can definitely be deceiving and I think she¡¯s being deceived by his looks for sure. I mean, she¡¯s probably met him like three times.


    "He didn¡¯t want me to tell you this and he even told me to act like I don¡¯t know him, but the truth is¡­he¡¯s been here to visit me and keep mepany many times before," she said before she smiled at me.


    "Oh¡­I didn¡¯t know that¡­" I mumbled. Honestly, that was very unexpected.


    "I think he¡¯s a kind person," she said with conviction.


    "I¡­guess¡­" I mumbled, not entirely convinced.


    "Let me tell you a secret, Malissa," she whispered.


    My grandma beckoned me closer to her with a few waves of her hand. I got out of my seat and leaned down towards her so that my face was close to her. As if she was seriously telling me a secret, my grandmother began whispering close to my ear.


    "No man would visit a sick and old woman like me almost everyday if he doesn¡¯t care for my granddaughter, dear," she whispered before grinning at me.


    "I think you¡¯re reading too much into this¡­" I said before smiling a little at her.


    Hayden cares for me? That just sounds very unlikely or just too good to be true. I smiled down at my grandmother.


    "Don¡¯t worry about anything. The contract that I¡¯ve entered into with Hayden¡¯s father will end in around two weeks. Then, everything will go back to how they were," I replied, reassuringly.


    My grandmother looked like she was about to say something but then decided against it. It was also at that moment that Hayden tapped on the door before stepping into the room with arge bouquet of pink flowers.


    "Thank you, Hayden," grandma said cheerfully.


    "Let me put it over there so you can see it with the view," Hayden said as he brought the bouquet over to the windowsill.


    "We should get going now, I need to get back and work on my painting of you so that I¡¯ll have something cool to show you on my next visit," I said, trying to sound energetic.


    The truth was that what my grandmother had told me started to bother me. Now that I looked at how Hayden and my grandmother interreacted with each other, it made me think that perhaps it was true that he had visited her many times before.


    Perhaps, my grandmother wasn¡¯t the type to fall for his angelic looks after all¡­


    ¡­


    I decided to start working on my painting right away when we got back to the penthouse. Hayden seemed to be in a good mood now despite the encounter with his father earlier in the day. It felt weirding back to the penthouse together with Hayden like this. ncing down at his hand holding mine, I didn¡¯t quite know what to make of it or what to make of my own feelings¡­


    "I¡­I¡¯m going to my room¡­" I said nkly before I headed straight for my room.


    "Ok¡­" I heard Hayden say softly.


    I stared at the painting on the aisled and sighed loudly. It wasn¡¯t like me to be so behind schedule with work. Now that I think of it, I haven¡¯t gotten back to Jenny about the art exhibition yet either. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t feel excited and wasn¡¯t looking forward to the exhibition at all.


    I stood in front of the panting and stared at it, but my mind was really elsewhere. The more I thought about it, the more I can understand why my grandmother was worried about my future. I mean, I honestly don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m going to do after I graduate. It wasn¡¯t easy to make a living out of art and so far, I had no solid ns on how to make a living.


    At least, I would be debt free by then¡­


    Thinking of job hunting and how to put food on the table for myself in the future didn¡¯t improve my mood at all. Perhaps, I should just focus on the work at hand, which was the painting that was in front of me. Just when I hade to that thought, the door burst open loudly.


    I turned towards the door so fast that I thought that I might have snapped my neck.


    Who else could it be besides Hayden¡­


    "Don¡¯t just barge in here without knocking!" I snapped.


    "Well, the door wasn¡¯t locked¡­" Hayden said innocently.


    "Why are you making this out to be my fault?" I asked, feeling a little irritated.


    "What are you doing?" Hayden asked curiously without answering my question.


    "I¡¯m¡­painting¡­" I stated tly.


    Hayden came to stand very close to me as he peered over my shoulder to take a look at my painting. It was weird for him to show such interest in what I was doing. I nced over at his face and saw that he had an intense look of concentration as he stared at my painting. I wondered what he saw¡­


    "Don¡¯t you think that her smile looks a little sad here?" Hayden asked, as he cocked his head to the side, his eyes focused on my painting of my grandmother.


    I turned my head back and stared at my grandmother¡¯s lips in the painting.


    "You think?" I asked, feeling uncertain.


    Now I was also staring at the painting from various angles, trying to see if her smile looked a little sad just like Hayden had pointed out.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­it just makes me feel that way¡­" Hayden replied, his eyes lingering on the painting.


    Well, I painted this painting with the facial details based on my grandmother when I visited her in the hospital and asked her to pose for me. If Hayden thought that her smile looked a little sad then perhaps, my grandmother is actually feeling a little sad?


    --To be continued¡­


    Thank you for reading my work!

 Chapter 90: Thinking of the Future

    That thought entered my mind and wouldn¡¯t go away. It just made me recall the conversation that we had and how her face seemed to be filled with worry. Unfortunately, I knew that I was the cause of her distress. Even though, she¡¯s supposed to be focusing on recovering, she¡¯s still so worried about me.


    "I¡¯m just going to leave it the way it is. It¡¯s probably best to show her smile as it is¡­" I replied.


    "You¡¯re probably right," Hayden agreed.


    "I think her smile is a bit sad because she¡¯s always so worried¡­" I said softly.


    "About you?" Hayden asked softly.


    "Huh?" I made a surprised sound. I didn¡¯t realized that I had said that out loud.


    "I guess she¡¯s worried about you," Hayden said, sounding worried too.


    "Umm¡­yeah¡­" I said hesitantly.


    We were silent for a moment as we continued to look at the painting. If only time would stop, then perhaps, I¡¯ll be able to keep her with me for a while longer¡­


    "Well then, I¡¯ll leave you to work on it," Hayden said.


    Just when I thought that he was going to leave the room, I heard a small creaking sound from my bed. Looking around, I saw that Hayden had made himself at home on my bed instead of leaving.


    "Don¡¯t just randomly crawl into my bed!" I cried out.


    "Why not? You always end up in mine¡­" Hayden said with a teasingugh.


    That¡¯s because you always carry me there¡­


    Is this what he meant when he told me that he¡¯ll leave me to concentrate on the painting? How am I supposed to focus when he¡¯sying there on my bed and staring at me?


    "That¡¯s¡­not true. Can you just leave?" I said, not bothering to hide my annoyance.


    "No¡­your bed isfortable. I¡¯ll be here for a while¡­" Hayden said stubbornly.


    "Don¡¯t you have any work to do?" I asked.


    "Oh right. We need to get you an outfit for the g¡­" Hayden saidzily.


    Hayden was extremely good at changing the subject of the discussion when the current topic didn¡¯t suit him. I just sighed loudly as I gave up on trying to get rid of him. I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be sessful anyways.


    Turning my back on him, I turned to face the painting and tried my best to continue working on it. I could feel his eyes on my back the whole time and it made me feel so nervous.


    "Are you going to join the art exhibition with your friends?" Hayden asked suddenly.


    Oh right, he was listening in on the conversation¡­while we were¡­


    The exhibition didn¡¯tpletely slip my mind, but I honestly didn¡¯t feel like I wanted to participate anymore. There was just too many things going on and I wasn¡¯t confident that I could paint anything disy-worthy. Hayden probably doesn¡¯t know this but there are also costs involved in joining an exhibition even though the hosts may cover the event costs; artists still have their own costs.


    "About that¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll join in after all," I replied without turning to face him.


    "Oh¡­why not?" Hayden asked, for a moment I thought that he sounded a little disappointed.


    "I just don¡¯t feel like it¡­I guess¡­" I replied. It was true, I didn¡¯t feel like it anymore¡­


    "When is it?" Hayden asked.


    Based on the text that Jenny sentter that day, the exhibition was scheduled for around three months from now. That didn¡¯t leave me a lot of time to produce any work, unfortunately.


    "In around three months¡­" I replied.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what my life would be like in three months, but I wouldn¡¯t be having conversations like these with Hayden anymore. By that time, our contract would be long over and so would my life living here with him.


    Silence filled the room as we probably both realized that the exhibition wasn¡¯t something that we should discuss any further. After all, it wouldn¡¯t happen in the timeframe where our lives ovepped.


    ¡­


    The next day, I got decently dressed and applied some make up before I heard a few loud knocks on my bedroom door. Hayden wanted me to join him for work again today and to avoid his harsh 15-minute prep time, I had woken up extra early to sort myself out before then.


    I smiled a little to myself, now that I knew that I made it right on time. Feeling a little proud of my achievement, I walked towards the door and opened it. Hayden was already dressed in a smart grey suit, and he greeted me with a bright smile.


    "Wow¡­someone¡¯s ready to go," Hayden said before pulling me out the door.


    "Why are you in such a hurry?" I asked, curiously.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was in such a hurry, but it seemed like he was in a very good mood as well.


    "I only have one meeting today and old man won¡¯t be there in the office. Let¡¯s skip out and go somewhere fun together, ok?" Hayden said before winking at me.


    I guess that wasn¡¯t really a question.


    "Aha¡­" I replied vaguely.


    So, he¡¯s in a good mood because he can drag me off to some random ce again today. Before I could say anything more, Hayden grabbed my hand and began dragging me out of the penthouse.


    It was a perfect day with perfect weather and light traffic. We arrived at Hayden¡¯s office in almost no time at all. I sat on the sofa in Hayden¡¯s office while I waited for him to go off to his meeting. Maybe I should take a nap while I wait for him to return from his meeting.


    "It¡¯s time for the meeting. Let¡¯s go," Hayden said as he got up from his seat behind his worktable.


    "Umm¡­I have to go to?" I asked, a little stunned.


    It never crossed my mind that I had to attend the meeting with him. I mean, I had no idea what the meeting was about, and I didn¡¯t want to get involved in any of his businesses. I had assumed that he would just let me wait here for him.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 91: His Way

    "Of course. Why not?" Hayden said as if it was supposed to be obvious that I should join the meeting.


    "I can wait for you here. You don¡¯t have to mind me," I said, trying to excuse myself.


    "Come," Hayden said firmly.


    "Ok¡­" I muttered.


    A few minutester, I found myself seated next to Hayden in a veryrge meeting room. The meeting table was long and there were around 20 people there besides Hayden and me. Everyone looked so senior, and the atmosphere was tense and serious. I nced over at Hayden¡¯s emotionless face and wondered for the hundredth time why he dragged me into this.


    "Now that everyone is here. We¡¯ll start with the agenda at hand. As everyone has been informed prior to the meeting there has been many cases of the Silva gang crossing into our territory to do business.


    So far, we¡¯ve been able to stop these trades and protect our territory; however, the Silva gang has made it clear through their repeated offenses that they intend to take over some of our territories," a man spoke loudly so that everyone in the room could hear.


    I nced over at Hayden and saw that his face waspletely emotionless. The other gang members, on the other hand, all seemed to have something that they wanted to say.


    "We should just crush them in a shootout!"


    "We better show them what happens when they mess with the Torex. My men can handle it!"


    "Our territories are part of our family. I will not stand for any disorder,"


    "Shoot them and send their dead bodies back to their boss!"


    "Anything that harms our profits is not good¡­"


    "Business rtionships take a long time to build; we cannot let them just take over like this,"


    "If they don¡¯t respect our territory, I don¡¯t see why we have to respect theirs any longer!"


    The meeting was turning fast into a riot with men screaming out their thoughts without order. Everyone was just screaming, and many men had jumped up from their seat. It was just a big and loud mess. Everyone had their eyes on Hayden as they waited impatiently for him to react to their words. It was clear that everyone wanted to fight back somehow against thepeting gang.


    Whether they were concerned more about the business, the money or their pride, everyone had arrived at the same solution which was to fight back. Very few men were calm while the majority were super hot blooded and seemed like they couldn¡¯t wait to take their guns out.


    Honestly, it was a terrifying sight to behold.


    Hayden had been watching this entire scene unfolding in silence. It didn¡¯t seem like the men¡¯s loud screaming had any impact on him at all. If anything, he just looked dead bored and tired of the whole thing.


    Hayden lifted his right hand a little and the whole room settled down at once. Silence returned to the room and the men that had stood up sat back down on their seats once more.


    "We, the Torex gang, will not fight back¡­" Hayden stated calmly yet very firmly.


    Just when his words had just left his mouth, the chaos in the room came back to full life.


    "Hayden¡­you can¡¯t expect us to just sit here and do nothing!"


    "If you¡¯re worried about too much bloodshed, then just allow my men to handle it. Just my men are more than enough for this!"


    The men started shouting. All theirments and demands were all along the same lines. I could sense their dissatisfaction at Hayden¡¯s decision and their frustration. Apparently, peace wasn¡¯t what they were looking for.


    A man that looked like he was in his fifties slowly stood up from his seat and turned to face Hayden. The room went silent as they watched him. I could tell that he held a very senior position in the gang and had the respect of many. I nced over at Hayden and saw that he was watching the man intently as well.


    "If your brother was still alive; he would never let them get away with behaving like this against us," the man said pointedly.


    "How dare you say that in front of the young boss? Apologize to Hayden at once!" another man stood up and shouted loudly in Hayden¡¯s defense.


    There were a few supporting murmurs from other men in the room. That¡¯s right, Hayden¡¯s older brother died, and we went to visit his grave. I wondered what happened, but I didn¡¯t dare to ask. Come to think of it, I think I¡¯ve heard words simr to these once or twice before¡­


    ¡¯If only his brother was still alive¡­¡¯


    I think someone said something along those line when we were waiting for Hayden in the church. Obviously, I didn¡¯t pay those word any mind back then.


    With a soft sigh, Hayden slowly stood up from his seat. Despite the tense situation, Hayden stood up straight


    "Unfortunately for all of us, my brother is dead. Unfortunately for all of you, you¡¯re stuck with me instead. Unfortunately for me, I¡¯m stuck here instead of my brother. We¡¯re just an unfortunate bunch so shut the fuck up and do as I say!" Hayden said before he started yelling at the group of older men.


    After Hayden was done the room waspletely silent and everyone looked nervously at each other. I prayed that violence would not break out and then I just tly wished that I wasn¡¯t here. Hayden sat back down and rested his chin on his hands as he stared at his men.


    "The annual g is next week, as you all should already know. I will be attending, and I will discuss this with the representative from Silva. Until then, I expect everyone to refrain from any use of violence.


    As per the rules, unless my orders are directly overruled by the boss, my order stands and anyone who vites my order will receive fair punishment," Hayden said, emotionlessly as if he was reading from a book.


    Without waiting to see the reaction of his men, Hayden took my hand in his before he stood up from his seat, pulling me up with him. Then he was leading me out of the meeting room.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 92: Making Him Feel Better

    The door closed firmly behind us, and the meeting was officially over. I let out a loud sigh that I had been suppressing. I hadn¡¯t realized up until the moment that we got out of eth room, just how nervous and scared I had really been.


    "Was it that bad?" Hayden asked, with a softugh as he patted my head.


    "I guess¡­it was¡­" I whispered.


    "You haven¡¯t seen the worst of it¡­" Hayden said before shing me an encouraging smile.


    I had thought that the one who needed encouragement would be him and not me but I appreciated his gesture nheless.


    "And I hope that I won¡¯t need to¡­" I replied.


    "I hate this job¡­" Hayden said softly as if he was talking to himself.


    However, I heard him all the same and I guessed that I started to understand just a little bit more about Hayden. From what I could tell from being in the room, the senior members of the gang were clearly divided into two groups. One group wanted to follow and support Hayden and his leadership. While the other, wanted to follow the ways of Hayden¡¯s elder brother.


    Although, his brother had died, the men were not satisfied with following Hayden and the ideas that he had.


    I didn¡¯t know anything about Hayden¡¯s elder brother, but I could sort of figure out that he had a different way of managing the gang and probably relied more on violence. On the other hand, Hayden¡¯s approach seemed morepromising and peaceful.


    As I held his hand while we walked back to his office, I wondered if Hayden took me to that meeting precisely to show me that. I thought my life wasplicated but now I was beginning to see that life wasn¡¯t any simpler for the man walking next to me.


    ¡­


    When we arrived back at his office, I felt pretty bad for Hayden. I couldn¡¯t understand how anyone could tolerate being in a situation like this. The face he made when he said that he hated this job gave me the chills. Of course, I didn¡¯t now everything that he had been through, but the current situation seemed bleak, and I was sure that Hayden felt constantly stressed about it.


    Without knowing when it started, I started to worry for Hayden, and I was thinking of how I could make him feel better. Although, I wasn¡¯t sure how much help I would be. The boss mentioned that Hayden didn¡¯t want to take over the gang and today, I could see why. I mean, who would want to take over if it meant that a fight might breakout between the gang members and split the gang?


    Before I knew what I was doing, my brows were knitted together as my brain raced to think of something to make Hayden feel better.


    "Why do you look so stressed out? What are you thinking?" Hayden asked.


    "Umm¡­I¡­I was just thinking that you seemed a little down¡­so¡­" I said hesitantly as I tried to piece my words together.


    My brows were still knitted together when I sat down on the sofa.


    "Were you thinking of how to make me feel better?" Hayden said, jumping in brightly.


    I nced at him from where he was sitting behind his table and nodded slightly in response. Hayden¡¯s face brightened up even further as if he just had a brilliant idea.


    "Come over here for a second," Hayden said as he waved me over with his hand.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted but I decided to get up from the sofa and walked over to his table. Surprisingly, Hayden also got up from his seat and walked around his table to meet me on the other side of it.


    "What is it?" I asked, curiously.


    "Give me your hands," Hayden said as he smiled at me with a very gentle look in his eyes.


    I had no idea what he had in mind. Slowly, I ced my hands into his outstretched one.


    "Like this?" I asked, not sure if this was what he wanted.


    "Perfect," Hayden said with a perfect smile.


    What happened next was so shocking and fast that I never really understood what actually happened. Somehow, by holding my hand and twisting my arm and body around, Hayden managed to bend me forward over his table with both of my hands secured behind my back with his hand holding my wrists in ce.


    What the hell just happened?


    I turned my face around to face him and saw that he had a very amused look on his face.


    "What do you think you¡¯re doing?" I asked as I began to struggle against his grip.


    His hand that was gripping my wrists only tightened and it began to hurt a little.


    "It hurts¡­" I hissed.


    "Remember what I told you before? Don¡¯t struggle, it¡¯ll only hurt you. Never struggle against me, Malissa," Hayden warned.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name desperately.


    "Let¡¯s do it¡­" Hayden said abruptly.


    "What? Do what?" I asked, taken by surprise.


    "You wanted to make me feel better, right? So, let¡¯s do it. Let me fuck you¡­right here¡­right now," Hayden said, and I could tell that he was very serious.


    "Hayden¡­have some self-restraint¡­" I said as I tried to struggle against his grip.


    "I should get awarded for my self-restraint. I wanted to fuck you since the first time you stepped into my office¡­and that was yesterday¡­" he said close to my ear. His warm breath against my ear made my body tremble.


    His hand circled in front of me and started caressing my breasts over my shirt. I whispered his name, but his hands just started squeezing my breasts with more force. I could feel the heat from his palm through my clothes and I let out a soft moan. His hand kneaded my breast in turn before he started unbuttoning the buttons of my shirt.


    Skillfully, he unbuttoned the buttons one by one until the front of my shirt waspletely opened. He blew softly into my ear and my entire body trembled. He knew how sensitive my ear was and I hated that fact. Hayden began licking my earlobe as his hand peeled down the cups of my bra. My breast sprang out from their covers into his awaiting hand.


    He bit softly on my earlobe while his hand started caressing the sensitive flesh of my naked breast.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 93: Love in His Office

    "Hayden¡­stop¡­" I pleaded.


    "When you¡¯re moaning this much? Are you sure?" Hayden teased beforeughing a little.


    "Ahhh! Ahhh¡­Ahhh¡­" I moaned louder despite my protests.


    His fingers began caressing my nipple and I it hardened immediately at his seductive touch. My passionate moans got louder when he took my nipple in between his fingertips and started pinching it. Jolts of pleasure and heat ran through my body from the perk of my breast that he was stimting. Hayden pinched my nipples harder, and my body writhed in ecstasy.


    Hisrge hand syed across my breast before he started groping and massaging them in turn. I felt the heat of his palm seep into my naked skin and I whimpered. He¡¯s turning me on so much that I could feel heat gathering in between my legs. My pussy was throbbing with need, and I felt a sudden rush of hot wetness in between my legs. I¡¯m getting so wet down there¡­


    As if sensing that I was ready for more, Hayden¡¯s hand moved to my caress my waist before dipping even lower to stroke my hips and my buttocks. He squeezed my ass in hisrge hand, and I cried out his name while thrusting my hips into his hand. I wanted to feel him on my skin.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait for long before Hayden started yanking up my skirt, exposing my naked lower body to him. Once my skirt was pooled around my waist, his hand dipped to caress the heat in between my legs through myce underwear.


    "Ahh¡­you¡¯re so wet. You¡¯vepletely soaked your panties¡­" Hayden saidzily and with extreme satisfaction.


    I felt his fingers caressing my wetness through the thince of my panties and I let out a soft whimper. He¡¯s touching me there and it feels heavenly. I couldn¡¯t help but want more of his loving attention.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name dreamily.


    Hayden chuckled a little in response to my seductive call as his hand quickly pulled my panties down my legs. I felt the air on my naked ass along with Hayden¡¯s heated stare before his hand returned to the honeypot in between my legs. His fingers delved into my wetness as he stroked my slippery slit, making me moan loudly with desire.


    "ce you hand on the table and stick up your ass," Hayden instructed as he slowly released my wrists.


    I felt blood circting back into my hands once more before I did as he instructed. Hayden¡¯s hands were now free to y around with my body which was exactly what he did. Hayden¡¯s fingers started to skillfully tease my swollen clit, making me cry out loudly when he started pinching and rolling it in between his fingertips.


    I bit my lower lip and moaned deliciously at the pleasurable sensation. The heat within my lower abdomen grew hotter as my body throbbed with need.


    "You like that? Your clit is hard, and your pussy is getting wetter, Malissa," Hayden coaxed seductively.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I whispered.


    "You can cry out as loud as you want, no one wille in here¡­" Hayden said, sounding very carefree.


    Hayden thrusted his fingers forcibly into my wet hole and I screamed loudly as my pussy convulsed around his fingers. Hayden fingers began thrusting fast and hard into my hole while he pleasured my clit with his other hand. The double pleasure felt too good to be true. I couldn¡¯t stop my hips from moving wildly against his hands as his fingers fucked me from behind.


    His fingers made wet sounds along with my pussy as he stirred up my wet insides and made me feel like I was melting from his touch. My mind felt light and hazy from ecstasy and lust. I couldn¡¯t wait for him to enter me with his thick cock.


    When his fingers curled upwards and rammed repeated against my g-spot, I cried out like a woman possessed. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore; his skillful fingers were pushing me fast towards my release. I¡¯m about to climax¡­


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m¡­cumming! Hayden!" I cried out loudly when my orgasm consumed me.


    I wed at his table in my frenzy as I closed my eyes and rode out my climax. My pussy spasmed and quivered around his fingers. Even while I climaxed, he continued to thrust his fingers fast and deep into my cunt.


    "You came so hard¡­do you want more?" Hayden asked as he slowly withdrew his fingers from my body.


    I moaned seductively in response as I lifted my hips towards him. Hayden threw something onto the table in front of me and I quickly realized that it was a condom. He¡¯s really going to do it here. Since he¡¯s taken me for the first time, Hayden had developed another habit of having sex with me regrly whenever he felt the urge.


    I quickly recalled when we did it outdoors after visiting his brother¡¯s grave.


    "Put that on me¡­unless you want to do it raw¡­" Haydenmanded as his hands began unbuckling his belt.


    When he was done removing his pants, he turned me around towards him before he gestured for me to put the condom onto his thick and erect rod. His cock was already so thick and long; it looked like it was about to explode. He was so ready to enter me, and I could sense his lust and desire.


    Quickly, I tore open the condom pack and began cing the condom of the thick head of his cock. I was thankful that Hayden carried these extrarge size condoms around with him because if he didn¡¯t, we would probably end up doing it raw whenever he felt like taking me. I still recalled the time when he came hard inside of me, filling me with his hot seed.


    I was so scared that I would get pregnant with his child that I had to take the pill.


    Once I finished rolling the condom down the impressive length of his erect cock, Hayden backed me against his table before lifting me up. He sat me on top of his table and quickly lifted and spread my legs wide open for him. Hayden stood in between my legs before he started kissing my lips passionately. His tongue thrusted deeply into my mouth as he ate me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 94: Say You Want Me

    His hand gently guided my own towards his thick member. I felt his heat and his hardness in my hand as I stroked my hand softly up and down his thick shaft.


    "I want to screw you, Malissa¡­put my cock into you now," Haydenmanded, his voice thick with lust.


    I grabbed his cock and positioned its thick head at my pulsating entrance as I spread my legs even wider for him. Stretching my pussy entrance open with one hand, I ced the swollen head of his cock in my wet hole. Ahh¡­I couldn¡¯t wait for him to thrust into me¡­


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name invitingly.


    "Tell me¡­tell me that you want me to fuck you¡­" Hayden said in a low voice close to my ear.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered.


    "Say it. Say it now, Malissa," Hayden demanded.


    "Fuck¡­Fuck me¡­Hayden¡­" I begged desperately for him to take me.


    Hayden thrusted his hard cock into my eager hole, and I cried out as I wrapped my arms around his neck. My hips started moving to match his rhythm when Hayden started pumping his thick cock in and out of my hole. I could feel him stretch and fill me. He¡¯s in so deep and it felt so satisfying. Sex with Hayden felt amazing. I¡¯ve never had sex this good before.


    Perhaps this is what people meant when they refer to sexualpatibility. No matter what Hayden did to me, it just felt so pleasurable, and I couldn¡¯t refrain my body from reacting strongly to him. I moaned and panted as Hayden pounded his cock fast and hard into me. He¡¯s moving with so much force as we pped out hips against each other.


    Wet and lewd sounds filled his office as we continued to couple wildly. His thrusts were so deep that I could feel him hitting my womb. I could feel him everywhere inside of me as his cock stimted the walls of my pussy and the pleasure spot deep inside of my love hole. My body felt so hot, and it felt difficult to breathe.


    "Can you feel me deep inside you?" Hayden asked.


    "Yes¡­so¡­deep¡­" I admitted.


    "Your pussy is clenching around me very tightly¡­" Hayden whispered before he groaned with pleasure.


    I moaned and cried out his name as I clenched my pussy around his hard cock, feeling more of his shape inside me. Just as I was about to climax, Hayden stopped moving and I looked at him in wonder and confusion.


    Hayden withdrew his cock out from me before he began turning my body away from him. I bent over the table just like before and lifted my hips so that he could enter me with ease from behind.


    "Let me fuck you from behind¡­" Hayden whispered into my ear as he pressed his hot dick against my ass.


    I moaned softly when I felt the thick head of his cock at my pussy entrance. Without waiting any longer, Hayden rammed his cock into me from behind. He screwed me hard and fast, pumping his cock in and out of my hole while his hands grabbed my hips.


    I cried out as he continued to hump me faster and faster. His cock prated me from a different angle than before, and it felt great. He was hitting me so deep and fast, I cried out loudly as my body shook from the impact of his thrust.


    I was amazed again at how much stamina he had. It felt like he could go on forever. On the other hand, I was exhausted, and I felt like my body would split in half from his wild pration. My pussy felt extremely sensitive, and I could feel my orgasm fast approaching. I¡¯m about to cum again¡­


    "Hayden¡­" I moaned his name.


    "You¡¯re about to cum, right? I can feel your pussy quivering¡­" Hayden said close to my ear.


    I cried out louder, unable to answer his question with words. Hayden groaned loudly as he exerted more force in his thrusts. It drove me wild with lust and soon I felt my world spinning as I got sucked into my climax.


    From his loud moans, I knew that Hayden was also close to his own release. With a few wild and deep thrusts, Hayden cried out my name before kissing the nape of my neck as his cock twitched inside me at his own release. Hayden moaned with pleasure as he too climaxed.


    ¡­


    Hayden was evidently in a much better mood while we were driving back to the penthouse together. He was humming a melody that I didn¡¯t know and had a bright look in his eyes. On the other hand, I had found it very difficult to walk without limping. Frankly, the sex was good, but the aftermath was not. My pussy hurts and stings. When I move my legs, it hurts.


    When I walk, it hurts.


    Hayden was such a genius at rubbing me the wrong way. He had the balls tough and make a joke out of my predicament.


    "Should I carry you if you can¡¯t walk?" Hayden suggested yfully.


    "Is that supposed to be funny?" I snapped.


    "No¡­I¡¯m only offering to help," Hayden said with an innocent smile.


    "This is all your fault¡­" I muttered as I stared at him.


    "Really? You were enjoying yourself quite a lot as I recalled. You called out my name so many times while we were doing it," Hayden said as he acted like he was recalling some of his memories.


    "You¡­." I hissed.


    "Hold it. Seriously, though, I know a very good gynecologist. I can take you¡­" Hayden suggested brightly.


    "No, thank you! I also don¡¯t want to know why you would happen to know a good gynecologist¡­" I quickly shut down his idea.


    "Haha¡­you¡¯re right, you probably don¡¯t want to know¡­" Hayden said before he stretchedzily on the sofa.


    Somehow, after resting, I was able to drag my sorry ass to his car on my own two legs. I nced over at Hayden who was happily driving and humming his tune. It was good to see him in such a good mood, but it also made me feel uneasy. I¡¯ve never seen him like this, and it was freaking me out a little.


    "Let¡¯s go somewhere fun tomorrow," Hayden suddenly spoke up, his eyes still on the road.


    "What? Where?" I asked, cluelessly.


    "You¡¯ll find out. I¡¯ll take you there tomorrow. You¡¯re free, right?" Hayden asked.


    "I¡­guess¡­" I mumbled.


    I had no idea back then that we would end up at such an unexpected ce¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 95: His Idea of Fun

    The next day just like we had agreed, Hayden took me ¡¯somewhere fun¡¯. It was a decently long drive before we got there. Hayden maintained his energetic and happy attitude from yesterday while I just couldn¡¯t get used to him being so bubbly happy. It just wasn¡¯t like him at all¡­not that I hated this side of him.


    I didn¡¯t know where he was taking me and I knew that he wouldn¡¯t tell me even if I asked, so I just sat in his car patiently and waited until we arrived. He mentioned that he wanted to go somewhere fun that would cheer up both of us. Honestly, I didn¡¯t see us having much inmon in terms of interests and so I found it hard to think of a ce that would cheer both of us up simultaneously.


    When he mentioned that he knew a ce that would cheer us up, I wasn¡¯t sure what he had in mind and what to expect. However, I surely never expected him to take me to a ce like this¡­


    I stood next to Hayden with my mouth hanging wide open as I stared at our destination which was now right in front of my face. Honestly, I don¡¯t remember thest time I came to a ce like this, and I have never dreamt in my wildest dreams that I woulde to a ce like this with someone like Hayden. I nced over at Hayden¡¯s outstandingly excited face before looking back at our destination.


    Like¡­seriously?!


    ¡¯Wee to Wonder Dream Land¡¯


    This ce is the biggest amusement part in the country. He can¡¯t be serious¡­


    "Are you just going to stand there? Let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden said as he tugged on my hand.


    "Ok¡­" I mumbled, still in shock.


    Hayden held my hand tightly as he pulled me after him into the amusement park. Heughed a little at my shocked expression but didn¡¯t make any furtherments. I looked around therge and very colorful amusement park in wonder. The ce was a lot less crowded than I had expected but perhaps that was because we were here on a weekday.


    There were some couples walking around as they enjoyed their sweet time together; however, it was clear that most of the people here were families with little kids.


    "I don¡¯t remember thest time I came to a ce like this¡­" I mumbled to myself as I looked at the veryrge rollercoaster in the distance.


    "Me neither," Hayden replied softly.


    "Umm¡­since you decided toe here, is there something that you want to do?" I asked, feeling uncertain about how we should be spending our time.


    I mean, I¡¯m not a very big fan of scary rides or anything like that. Plus, I haven¡¯t been to an amusement park in like forever, so I wasn¡¯t sure what we¡¯re supposed to do besides just walking around.


    "Actually, I have no idea¡­" Hayden said as we continued to walk around aimlessly through the main path of the park.


    I guess he brought me here randomly¡­


    "You know¡­I never expected that you would bring me to a ce like this¡­" I admitted honestly.


    "Aren¡¯t girls supposed to like these sorts of ces?" Hayden asked as he turned to look pointedly at me.


    "I¡¯m not so sure about that¡­" I replied frankly. I wouldn¡¯t count my opinion as the standard representation of a girl¡¯s opinion.


    "Maybe we should check the map that we got from the ticket booth¡­" Hayden suggested.


    Hayden opened up the pamphlet of the park¡¯s map and we both looked down at it to see what attractions they had. For a moment, it truly felt like we were a young couple on a date. It was a very unusual feeling to be here with Hayden and just spending a normal day together.


    "Where do you want to go?" Hayden asked.


    "I¡¯m not really into scary rides¡­" I replied, my eyes still on the map.


    "What about the haunted house?" Hayden suggested enthusiastically.


    "I just told you that I¡¯m not into scary rides!" I eximed.


    "The haunted house isn¡¯t a ride¡­" Hayden corrected.


    "But¡­it¡¯s scary¡­" I replied.


    "Let¡¯s go!" Hayden shouted happily, pulling me along with him.


    "Hayden! Wait!" I cried out loudly, but it was already toote.


    ¡­


    It was cold. It was dark¡­and I felt scared out of my mind from the first moment that we entered. Hayden held my hand like always, but I was desperately clinging to his arm with my other hand as well. I heard Harden chuckling close to my ear as I refused to take a step forward.


    "Malissa¡­if you don¡¯t open your eyes, how are we supposed to walk forward?" Hayden asked with a lightugh.


    "I¡¯ll just follow you¡­I¡¯m too scared to open my eyes¡­" I replied, meaning every word.


    Like seriously, something will pop out and scare me. Then I¡¯m going to scream loudly like a fool. I know that and so I¡¯m just going to keep my eyes shut. The wind was blowing and it¡¯s so cold. The sound of the haunting wind was driving me crazy with fear. I knew that everything was fake but that didn¡¯t make me less scared at all.


    I hugged Hayden¡¯s arm to my chest tighter as I pressed my chest against his arm.


    "You¡¯re so funny. Just open your eyes, there¡¯s nothing here¡­" Hayden said, soundingpletely calm.


    "Can we quickly walk so we can get out of here faster?" I asked, still refusing to open my eyes.


    "No¡­I like the feel of your boobs pressing against my arm¡­" Hayden said with an amusedugh.


    "Hayden!" I screamed. How can he make a joke like that now of all times?


    Hayden didn¡¯t react to my sudden outburst, instead, I felt the warmth of his lips on mine. Did he just kiss me?


    My eyes flew open in shock to see Hayden¡¯s face very close to mine. I touched my lips with my fingertips, feeling the feel of his lingering kiss. He did kiss me...


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered.


    "So, kissing you will get you to open your eyes. If you close your eyes, I¡¯ll kiss you again and again," Hayden teased. He was enjoying himself too much for my liking.


    "That¡¯s so stupid¡­" I muttered.


    "Don¡¯t close your eyes. Let¡¯s go," Hayden said.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 96: Photographs & Memories

    Once again, he began pulling me along with him. I cursed the fact that we were here on a weekday. Since there wasn¡¯t a lot of people at the park, we were the only ones in the haunted house as far as I could tell. If we had entered as arger group, maybe I¡¯d feel less scared or there would be someone else who would also be scared like me. Then we could be friends.


    The reality was that I was alone with Hayden, and he didn¡¯t seem scared at all. I doubt Hayden would be scared of anything. He did invite me out at night to a graveyard after all¡­


    I pressed myself close to his side as we slowly walked along the dark path in the haunted house. Looking around, I could tell that the decorations were made to portray a vampire theme. There were fake blood, coffins, skeletons and other haunting items scattered all around. Now and then, there would be a shrilled high-pitch scream in the distant and the howling of wolves.


    While Hayden seemed to enjoy looking around, I spent the time to mentally prepare myself for when the ghost woulde out and scare us.


    "See? It¡¯s not as scary as you think. These things are made for kids..." Hayden said, sounding bored.


    "I¡¯m just scared that something will pop out and¡­AHHHHH!" I said before screaming loudly in shock.


    I think I saw a bloody ghost or something jump out at us and I just screamed at the top of my lungs and started hugging and hiding behind Hayden. Why am I here? I can¡¯t wait to get out of here!


    "Nooooo! Let¡¯s get out of here! Out of here!" I continued screaming.


    While I was quivering in panic and fear, Hayden was having the time of his life as heughed at me. I could hear his loudughter above all the spooky music that was ying.


    "It¡¯s gone. You¡¯re so funny. I can¡¯t stopughing¡­" Hayden said in between his amusedughs.


    "It¡¯s not funny! I¡¯m getting out of here¡­" I stated firmly.


    "Don¡¯t run! It¡¯s dark¡­you¡¯ll trip," Hayden warned.


    Hayden quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me back to his side. I pouted at him to show my dissatisfaction. Together, we managed to walk to the end of the path leading to the exit of the haunting house. I swore to myself that I am never going into a haunted house again in my life!


    "That was so fun! Your freaked out expression was priceless," Hayden eximed loudly.


    "It¡¯s not funny. I¡¯m never going in there again¡­" I said definitely.


    "Why don¡¯t you pick our next destination then," Hayden suggested.


    Hayden opened the map up again and I tried to locate where we were on the map. Let¡¯s see, we¡¯re in front of the haunted house, which is here. I checked out the other attractions nearby but didn¡¯t find them interesting. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t looking forward to any rides because they¡¯re not exactly my thing to begin with. Worst, since I was with Hayden, if I got scared, he¡¯ll probably just tease me again.


    "I don¡¯t know. Why don¡¯t you pick? You wanted toe here, right?" I said, pushing the burden on him instead.


    "Umm¡­what about this one?" Hayden said after some thought.


    My gaze followed to where Hayden was pointing on the map.


    "A photobooth? You want to take photos?" I asked with a mix of confusion and disbelief.


    The photobooth wasn¡¯t far from here but I had thought that Hayden would pick one of the rides or something more interesting. He didn¡¯t reallye across as someone who would enjoy taking photos at a photobooth¡­


    "Yup, with you. Let¡¯s take some photos together," Hayden said before smiling a little at me.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t how what to say or how to respond to that smile of his. My chest felt tight, and my heart skipped more than a beat. He¡¯s not ying fair, is he?


    "Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s this way¡­" Hayden said cheerfully as he pushed my back softly, urging me forward in the direction of the photobooths.


    ¡­


    The photobooth session with Hayden felt strange at first but I guess we both had fun posing randomly for our photos. I think Iughed a lot and had a good time. It really felt like we were a carefree couple on a date. Truthfully, I don¡¯t remember thest time that I had such a carefree date. Thetest date I had was a long time ago too and it didn¡¯t end very well, to say the least.


    "Here you go. You can keep a copy and I¡¯ll keep a copy," Hayden said happily as he handed me a copy of our photos.


    "Oh¡­thanks," I said as I took the photos from him.


    I looked down at the photos that we had taken together. Hayden has such a cute smile in this photo, and he looks stunningly handsome in this one. We look like quite close in this one, although I think my face looks a little on the round side. Iughed a little to myself.


    Smiling a little to myself, I realized that these photos may be the only proof and reminder that I will have left once our contract was over that once I had spent time with Hayden like this.


    While we were standing in front of the photobooth there seemed to be an incident, judging by the loud voices of the staff in the area. I cocked my head and tried to listen to what the staff was saying. Did something bad happen? The other people around us started having the same reactions as well.


    "Excuse me! We have an emergency. Is there a doctor here?" a staff yelled loudly.


    "If you¡¯re a doctor or a medical personnel, please let us know!" another staff shouted.


    Two staffs were rushing around shouting the same message repeatedly. I guess someone was very sick and they¡¯re looking for a doctor to help out. Wasn¡¯t the park supposed to have a medical team onsite? Suddenly, I felt very worried and started to squeeze Hayden¡¯s hand tighter. I mean, what would happen if they couldn¡¯t find a doctor? Have they called the ambnce?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 97: He’s a Mystery

    Just when all those thoughts were running through my mind, I didn¡¯t realize that the man standing close to me had raised his hand.


    "I¡¯m a doctor," Hayden stated as he raised his hand.


    What?!


    "What are you doing? This isn¡¯t some joke! Someone really needs help," I hissed at him in shock as I tried to pull his raised arm down to his side.


    What kind of bullshit is Hayden spouting now? Hayden¡­a doctor? Impossible. Hayden is a mafia gang leader.


    "I¡¯m offering help. Can¡¯t you see?" Hayden replied bluntly.


    "No¡­but you¡¯re not¡­" I said, in shock and confusion.


    "I¡¯m a doctor," Hayden stated firmly.


    "You¡¯re a¡­doctor?" I repeated in disbelief.


    "¡­What¡¯s with the face?" Hayden asked mockingly.


    "You¡¯re kidding right?" I said, still unable to believe him.


    "You¡¯re a doctor, Sir?" a young man who was a member of the staff came running up to Hayden.


    From the worried look on his face, I feared that the incident was an emergency. Hopefully, no one got badly hurt. Suddenly, I felt a little scared.


    Hayden grabbed my hand and held it tightly before he presented his doctor license to the staff with his other hand. My eyes grew wide when I saw that he had a license. I still couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around the fact that Hayden was a doctor. A bad doctor¡­my mind whispered¡­


    "Is that fake?" I asked, suspiciously.


    It¡¯s fake, right? Like you know, those fake IDs and passports. That license is also fake¡­right?


    Hayden just rolled his eyes at me in annoyance before he ignored mepletely and turned to the park staff.


    "What happened?" Hayden asked, getting straight to the point.


    "Pleasee this way. A girl got lost and we¡¯re still unable to locate her parents. She¡¯s waiting with the staff, but I guess she got panic and scared. We¡¯re not sure but we think she¡¯s having an asthma attack or something¡­" the staff quickly exined the situation.


    "I see. Let¡¯s go," Hayden said as we hurriedly followed the staff to where the girl was.


    The young man led us to the staff room where there was another staff and the girl in question. One look at her and I agreed with the man that she seemed to be having an attack of some sort. The girl looked scar and very panic. She had difficulty breathing and was panting hard while making weird noises.


    "Does she have a bag? Where¡¯s her bag?" Hayden asked immediately while he crouched down next to the girl.


    "Her bag¡­yes, she has a bag," the staff said.


    "Malissa, can you check if she¡¯s got a breather in there?" Hayden instructed without looking at me. His eyes her on the girl.


    "Huh? A what?" I asked, cluelessly.


    "An asthma breather. Small device like a spray¡­" Hayden exined quickly.


    The staff and I rummaged through her backpack. I was so panicked about all this that I began emptying the contents of her bag in my desperate attempt to find the breather. I¡¯ve never seen a breather in real life, but I¡¯ve seen it on television and on the inte before, so thankfully, I sort of knew what I was looking for.


    "Found it!" I cried out in relief before I quickly took the breather over to Hayden.


    Hayden spoke softly and encouragingly to the young girl as he began administering her medicine to her through the breather. I watched with worry and prayed silently that the girl will be alright. She¡¯s got her medicine now so hopefully her attack will calm down. Hayden does look like a doctor now that he¡¯s treating her. He seemed to know just what to do, and it seems like he really cares about her.


    I bit my lower lip anxiously as I waited to see if her condition would improve. Hayden was by the girl¡¯s side as he held her small hand. After a short while, the girl¡¯s breathing started to stabilize, and it no longer seemed like she was going to run out of breath.


    "Have you found her parents yet?" Hayden asked, worriedly.


    "Yes, we have. Just now another staff found them. They¡¯re headed here right now," one of the staff informed us of the good news.


    I breathed a sigh of relief and realized that Hayden did the same thing. Soon after the girl rxed, and her condition seemed to have stabilized. Hayden let hery down to rest before patting her headfortingly.


    "Will she be ok?" I whispered as Hayden came to stand by my side.


    We both had our eyes on the girl who seemed to have fallen asleep. She must have been scared and exhausted.


    "Yes. You don¡¯t have to worry," Hayden replied as he put an arm around my shoulders.


    Soon after the girl¡¯s parents arrived, and Hayden summarized for them their daughter¡¯s condition. Hayden told the worried parents that the girl probably just had one of her usual asthma attacks and that he had given her medicine. Then he suggested that they should take their daughter for a checkup at the hospital just in case.


    "Thank you so much for helping our daughter," the girl¡¯s mother said with tears in her eyes.


    "It¡¯s not a problem. It was a good thing that she was carrying her breather with her," Hayden replied kindly.


    ¡­


    "I still can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re actually a doctor. I mean, the heir of the mafia gang is a doctor¡­?" I said incredulously as we stood side by side outside.


    "There are plenty of merits of being a doctor in the mafia. For example, I could dissect you and sell your body parts," Hayden stated proudly.


    "Are you serious?" I asked, not sure whether I should believe him or not.


    "Are you referring to the doctor part or the selling your organs part?" Hayden asked, teasingly.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­" I replied honestly. I felt so confused that I didn¡¯t know what to believe or think anymore.


    "Let¡¯s leave it at that. Where should we go next?" Hayden said, suddenly changing the topic.


    That was that. After that Hayden dragged me to a couple of rides with him. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and I guess that I enjoyed seeing Hayden enjoy himself.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 98: To the Gala

    "Next¡­" Hayden said emotionlessly.


    I sighed, trying to hide my frustration from him.


    "Next¡­" Hayden said after a single nce at me. His eyes immediately returning to his phone¡¯s screen.


    I heaved another sigh. When is this going to end? Personally, I don¡¯t even know what he¡¯s expecting or what he¡¯s looking for¡­


    "Next¡­" Hayden said without hesitation.


    "Can we stop this now? I¡¯m getting tired..." I started toin.


    "No. Next," Hayden said, sounding dead bored.


    I wanted to shout at him. How long does he expect me to keep doing this? We¡¯ve been at it for almost an hour now¡­


    As to what we were doing, well, we were trying to find the right dress for me to wear to the g. More urately, he was trying to find me a dress that I could wear to the g with him. I was merely trying on countless dresses that the boutique had prepared for me based on his orders. So far, we were roughly an hour in and none of the dresses that I tried on impressed Hayden¡­at all.


    I felt tired just from trying on one dress after another. Each time he rejected a dress, I felt a little more depressed inside. Truthfully, for me, all the dresses looked amazing, and they also look super pricey, and they probably were. I had no idea what was so wrong about all these dresses. Do they look ugly when I wear them? Was it because of me and not the dresses?


    Honestly, I think they all look good on me when I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror. Not saying that I have a good figure or anything, but the dresses were truly beautiful; they would look good on anyone. Any of the dresses should be fine for the g. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to be the superstar of the event or anything like that.


    I¡¯m just apanying Hayden because his father had ordered me to do so.


    I walked out of the dressing room again with a new dress on as I silently prayed that Hayden would give this one the ok. After some hesitation, I decided to try on this dress. The reason being that it was a little bit bolder and revealing than the others. It was bright red with sparkly red sequins sewn all over the dress in a swirly pattern.


    It had a strapless corset-like top with a long skirt with a slit running up to my upper thigh and a flowy mermaid skirt that trailed a little after me on the floor.


    One nce at the dress and Hayden nodded silently. He really wants to go with this one?


    "Are you sure? Isn¡¯t it a bit too¡­eye-catching?" I asked, notpletely convinced of his choice. I had thought that the other paler cream dress looked more passable.


    "Yes. We¡¯ll get this one. Can you hold the waist in by around two inches for me now?" Hayden said to the shop attendance.


    "Yes, Sir," the woman replied and quickly did as he had asked.


    She stepped behind me and pinched and pulled the fabric of the dress behind my waist to tighten the fabric around my waist. Too tight. Seriously, too tight.


    "Adjust the dress. Make the waist around two inches smaller. That would be all," Hayden said passionlessly.


    "Yes, Sir. We¡¯ll get it delivered to you right away when the adjustments have been made," the woman said before bowing politely to Hayden.


    Hayden gave her his credit card and that was it. I¡¯m going to wear this bold and shiny red dress with a two-inch-too-small waist to the g.


    "The waist is going to be too small. I can hardly breathe when she held the dress in," Iined after Hayden had dragged me out of the boutique. Once again, I had no idea where he was going to take me.


    "Then slim down," Hayden said like it was the obvious thing to do.


    "What?! The g is already next week!" I eximed.


    "You don¡¯t want to look like you¡¯re in your fourth of fifth month of your pregnancy, do you?" Hayden asked, pointedly.


    "Huh?! How can you say something like that? Are you saying that I look pregnant?" I asked in pure disbelief.


    "It¡¯s up to you which way you want to take myment. It would cause misunderstandings and trouble for me if thedy standing next to me looks pregnant, no?" Hayden stated with a shrug.


    My mouth fell open at his ridiculous and insensitivement.


    "That¡¯s¡­" I whispered in pure shock. How can he say something like that with a straight face?


    I was so shocked and offended by what he just said that I didn¡¯t know how to respond. I mean, if the dress made me look pregnant, then why did he have to choose it? There were so many others that showed-off less of my figure¡­


    How the hell am I supposed to lose weight that fast? Seriously¡­


    ¡­


    Finally, the day that everyone had been anxiously waiting for had arrived. Not surprisingly, Hayden never bothered to tell me anything about the g. I didn¡¯t know where it was going to be held or who would being with us. I just didn¡¯t know anything at all. Hayden did not offer to tell me and acted like the g wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    However, I knew that the g was indeed a big deal. After all, it was arge annual event where leaders and top tier members of big mafia gangs would gather. It probably had the same significance as the UN meeting for leaders of nations to attend, I guessed. Ironically, I would be attending the event with Hayden.


    Recalling the meeting at his office that I had witnessed; I also knew that the meeting was important in dictating the next steps for how the gang would deal with the Silva gang over disputes in their territories. I was sure that Hayden knew this as well; there were many important things riding on this g gathering.


    "I¡¯ve packed and arranged everything that I think you may need," Auntie said politely as she gestured to arge pile of luggage.


    My eyes widened in disbelief at the amount of baggage that was prepared. I mean, all this for one evening? I mean, we¡¯re not even staying over. It¡¯s just an evening event and then we were going toe back, right?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 99: Don’t Die

    "Isn¡¯t this a bit much for one evening?" I asked, in confusion.


    "One evening? Oh no, Miss Malissa. The g is held on a cruise and willst for three days and three nights," Auntie quickly corrected me.


    "What?" I eximed before turning to stare at Hayden usingly.


    Why¡­didn¡¯t he tell me these things?


    "I guess Master Hayden¡­forgot to tell you about this¡­" Auntie mumbled. I couldn¡¯t believe how she was stilling up with excuses to protect Hayden.


    How can he possibly forget to tell me something as important as this? Instead of just an evening event, I will be stuck on a cruise with him for three days and there nights¡­along with many other mafia bosses and members¡­


    What is happening to my life again?


    "You have toe along anyways. What¡¯s the point of knowing and panicking?" Hayden said tly before shrugging like he couldn¡¯t care less.


    "You could have at least told me¡­" I said in exasperation.


    "Let¡¯s go. Yourints will give me a needless headache¡­" Hayden said, implying that it was my fault.


    Unlike other days when Hayden and I travelled alone, today, there were many gang members apanying us in their cars. We travelled in what was like a small parade of cars. Thankfully, I still rode alone with Hayden in his car. Hayden had refused to have anyone else drive for him and that helped me calm down about everything that was going on, somewhat.


    I didn¡¯t know any of the gang members that came along with us, apart from Luka. It was a long drive, but we finally arrived at the port where we would board the cruise ship for the three-day g event. When we got to the port, I could already see the massive ship that was going to be used for the event. It was so big that no one could miss seeing it.


    "Be careful and don¡¯t die," Hayden whispered close to my ear as he stood at my side.


    We watched as the gang members loaded our various baggage onto the cruise. I turned to face Hayden, shocked at his words. Please tell me that he¡¯s just joking around with me.


    "Huh?" I said,pletely taken aback by his words.


    "They¡¯ll just throw you off deck and feed you to the sharks," Hayden said followed by a loudugh.


    I just couldn¡¯t tell whether he was serious or if he was just joking.


    "You¡¯re joking, right?" I asked for confirmation.


    "No. People go missing every year at the g. So, always stay close to me," Hayden replied emotionlessly but his hand tightened briefly around mine, making me realize that there must be at least some truth behind his warning.


    We boarded the cruise together and was immediately led to our rooms along with our entourage. Luka seemed very alert and was constantly by our side. The Torex gang had an entire floor of rooms to themselves, and I suspect that other gangs had simr arrangements. Security was tight for the cruise itself and so was the Torex¡¯s own security measures.


    I didn¡¯t want to realize this, but everyone was heavily armed.


    Suddenly, this whole g seemed more like going to a three-day war instead of a celebration or gathering. Everyone was on edge and very alert to any sense of danger. However, everyone seemed used to it besides me, obviously.


    I recalled Hayden¡¯s words of warning again as the reality of what was happening seemed to sink in. Perhaps, there is no where that is safe on this entire ship. I pray that I make it through this whole ordeal. Furthermore, I prayed that no one from our gang goes ¡¯missing¡¯ on this cruise.


    "Rest up. You seem so on edge and there¡¯s no need to be," Hayden said to me when we were alone in our room.


    If that¡¯s supposed tofort me, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was working. As we are speaking there are around five men standing guard, fully armed, in front of our door. How am I supposed to be at ease like this?


    Hayden, on the other hand, seemedpletely rxed as hezed around on the red leather sofa that was in the room. Our room was like a suite of rooms. It had a bathroom, a working room, a sitting and dining room, and a bedroom. One bedroom.


    I guess apart from being careful of the dangers outside, I also had to deal with the monster next to me as well¡­


    "I¡¯ll try¡­" I mumbled my response.


    "Don¡¯t worry. You should be safe enough. There¡¯s a truce amongst the gangs regarding the safety of women and children. Kidnapping women for ransom like in the movies shouldn¡¯t happen. That being said, stick to my side¡­always," Hayden said firmly.


    "Ok¡­" I said as I nodded.


    I was quite scared and ironically, being close to Hayden made me feel safe. Even if he didn¡¯t want me by his side, I¡¯ll stick by his side like glue for sure.


    ¡­


    The day was uneventful with the gang members and Hayden having their meeting in the meeting room that was on the same floor as our room. As ordered by Hayden, I stuck by his side and sat next to him through the whole meeting. The meeting was more like a debrief, where Luka exined and went over the details and roles for all members once again.


    It wasn¡¯t long until we had to prepare for the first night of the g. Officially, the first night of the g was known as the ¡¯Grand Opening Wee¡¯. As the name implies, it is the first evening event of the g.


    "Nothing happens much on the first night. We just meet, greet andwork with people. That¡¯s it," Hayden exined briefly.


    "I see¡­" I said in a whisper.


    "In reality, it¡¯s just like testing the waters for the more serious conversations that will take ce on the second and third day. It¡¯s also the perfect opportunity for representative from each gang to lobby the other representatives to support whatever they may want to propose in the meetings on the following days," Hayden exined like it as the most boring thing in the world.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 100: First Night

    It was clear that Hayden shared my sentiment of not wanting to be part of this. However, I could tell that Hayden was paying enough attention and seemed to bemitted to ying his part as the representative of the Torex gang. I guess they call that a sense of responsibility.


    "I don¡¯t have to do anything, right?" I asked just to make sure.


    "You do. Look pretty and smile. No matter what anyone says, just smile. Do not answer any questions. I¡¯ll do all the talking. Even if someone directs a question at you, just smile," Hayden instructed.


    Those were some pretty harsh instructions. I nodded in acknowledgement. Not quite understanding what was going on, I would rather not say anything wrong either.


    When it was time, the few maids that came along helped me dress while the make-up artist made up my face and the hair stylist styled my hair. They also helped make up and style Hayden¡¯s hair. When we were both dressed, the whole event started to feel real. Well, at least the annoying feeling of wearing high heels that were too high felt very real to me.


    Hayden looked like a movie star straight out of a spy action movie. He¡¯s so hot in his immacte white suit and new hair style. I couldn¡¯t help but stare and prayed that he wouldn¡¯t realize. However, knowing that it was Hayden, he probably realized straight away. Although, he was too focused on thinking about something that he didn¡¯tment on it.


    "Let¡¯s go," Hayden said as he offered me his arm when we were ready to go.


    I ced my hand on his arm and nodded obediently. Just like Hayden had said to me earlier ¡¯be careful and don¡¯t die¡¯. I intended to do just that tonight.


    ¡­


    The bright red dress that I had on felt too tight around the waist just as I had expected. Although my reflection looked very pleasing to the eye in the mirror, the price for that was myck offort. Hayden led me to where the evening g was being held for the night along with Luka and a few other men who were supposed to be acting as our bodyguards.


    The atmosphere seemed festive enough, but I could feel an underlying sense of tension in the air. There were a lot more people that I had anticipated. Of course, I didn¡¯t know who was who at all. Surprisingly, there were more women there on the scene. I was far from being the only one. It seemed that it wasmon for men to bring an escort or two to the event with them.


    Perhaps that was why the boss wanted me to apany Hayden in the first ce.


    "Torex¡­" a low voice said from behind us.


    I could sense Luka and the men stiffen around us as they became very alert. Hayden on the other hand seemed so rxed and at ease. We turned towards the voice that had just called out to us. It was an old man dressed in a very expensive-looking grey suit. All of his hair was white, and he had a very serious look in his grey eyes.


    "Mr. Antonio, it is an honor to meet you," Hayden said smoothly.


    I felt the old man¡¯s eyes on me, and I quickly smiled just like Hayden had ordered. Smile and don¡¯t say anything.


    "Your old man decided to send you, huh? I¡¯m not surprise¡­" Mr. Antonio said. He seemed to be on friendly terms with Hayden¡¯s father, so I guess that was good, right?


    "He gotzy. You want to send a message to him?" Hayden said with a smallugh.


    "No need. We should talkter over some good wine. I just wanted to let you know that I prefer that you¡¯re here¡­and not your old man¡­or your brother¡­" the old man said and his eyes were as sharp as knives.


    I felt Hayden stiffen a little at the mention of his elder brother and I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this.


    "Sure. Let¡¯s do that," Hayden replied, the smile never slipping from his fa?ade.


    "You¡¯re really not going to introduce this beautifuldy to me?" the old man said to Hayden, but his eyes were already on me.


    "Excuse my poor manners. This is my fianc¨¦e, Malissa," Hayden replied smoothly.


    What the hell is he saying now? Suddenly, I¡¯m his fianc¨¦e now? Now I was starting to understand why Hayden had told me to shut up and let him do the talking; it was so he could spew whatever bullshit that he wanted. Just like he had instructed before the event took ce, I stered a smile onto my lips and looked straight at the old man.


    "Wow¡­you¡¯ve really grown up into a fine man. I look forward to working with the next generation of the Torex family," the old man said with augh before he winked meaningfully at me.


    "Take care, Mr. Antonio. We look forward to doing more business with you this year," Hayden said warmly.


    "Of course," the old man said and that was the end of their conversation.


    With that, the conversation ended, and Mr. Antonio walked away along with hisrge entourage of men. It was clear that that old man was the head of some gang who was engaged in business with the Torex. At least, the conversation ended well without any issues. I heaved a sigh of relief when he was out of earshot and realized that I had been so nervous all this time.


    "Antonio is a good friend of my dad. He¡¯s been rooting for me to take over all this time because he thinks business will go more in his favor if I take overpared to my brother. Well, it¡¯s not like my elder brother is a viable option anymore¡­" Hayden exined softly as he whispered in my ear.


    I was beginning to see that the mafia world had a lot of politics of its own. The conclusion that I arrived to very quickly was that it was best if I just shut up and smiled. Now¡¯s not the time to worry about gender equality and women¡¯s rights. I need to survive this cruise!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 101: Running into the Enemy

    "Hayden¡­it¡¯s Silva¡­" Luka hissed close to us in warning.


    Hayden¡¯s face immediately turned into an unreadable mask as he turned to face our next group of guests. The opening night is proving to be very intense already. I hadn¡¯t forgotten that one of Hayden¡¯s objectives on this cruise was to negotiate with the boss of Silva and now people from Silva were standing right in front of us.


    A middle-aged man with a pot belly stood in front of us along with his men. Is this the head of Silva?


    "Who are you?" Hayden asked bluntly.


    I guess¡­this man isn¡¯t the head of Silva?


    "The name¡¯s Brook. I¡¯m here on behalf of the boss to represent Silva," the man said as he tried to hold his ground against Hayden.


    Hayden let out a soft chuckle before his face reverted to an unreadable mask once more.


    "Hmm¡­I guess it was my bad to expect any good manners from the boss of Silva," Hayden said as he shrugged his shoulder.


    I didn¡¯t need to be a mafia to know that what Hayden had said was asking for trouble. Why did he have to go and say something like that? Is he trying to get us killed?!


    "The boss really couldn¡¯t make it¡­" the man replied tly.


    "You¡¯re there watching, right? Are you sure that you don¡¯t want to drop by to say hi?" Hayden said as he bent down towards the man¡¯s chest and squinted his eyes.


    Ok¡­what is he doing now?


    "Umm¡­please excuse us," another Silva gang member said as held Brook back and backed him away from Hayden.


    We watched as the representatives from Silva walked away from us. I could sense that Hayden wasn¡¯t in a good mood. If I were him, I would probably feel the same way. Afterall, the negotiation that he hade all this way for probably couldn¡¯t happen without the boss of Silva being present. Just as I was fretting a little about it, Hayden spoke up close to my ear.


    "He¡¯lle," Hayden stated with certainty.


    "What?" I asked, not quite following.


    "Silva¡¯s boss. He¡¯ll be here. Don¡¯t you worry your little head," Hayden said as he plopped arge hand on top of my head.


    "How do you know that?" I asked, in wonder.


    "Because I know him well¡­" Hayden replied.


    The other issue that I didn¡¯t quite get was¡­how was he supposed toe here? The ship was now somewhere in the middle of the ocean and wouldn¡¯t return to dock for another two days at least.


    ¡­


    "Boss¡­you¡¯re not really thinking of going, are you?" a tall man dressed in a white suit asked his boss.


    A man sat behind hisrge wooden desk as he cocked his head to the side in wonder, his eyes still on the screen where the camera attached to his men¡¯s suit was showing him what was going on in the g. Therge painting that hung behind him was arge silver fox with piercing green eyes that matched his own. The man ran his hand through his dark brown hair and smiled a little to himself.


    "Seems like I don¡¯t have a choice but to go¡­" he said.


    "You can¡¯t be serious. Why have you changed your mind so suddenly?" the other man asked.


    The boss knew full well that if he stepped on the ship, he would have to negotiate with the Torex about their recent disputes. At first, he wanted to avoid that so that he could proceed with his n using his own methods but that didn¡¯t seem possible now¡­


    His green eyes narrowed suspiciously as he thought about what he had just witnessed through the camera ced on the cor of his men that were on the ship. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was intentionally nned or just pure coincidence, but he was sure of what he had seen.


    "Don¡¯t wet your pants. I¡¯m just going to fetch something that belongs to me¡­" He said in a cold voice.


    He stood up and turned towards therge painting of the silver fox and smirked. The silver fox with green eyes just like everyone in the mainline of his family, the symbol of the Silva gang. The boss of Silva threw his head back and let out a loud sigh.


    "Let¡¯s go¡­" he said before walking out of the room.


    ¡­


    I wouldn¡¯t say that the event ended without event because it hasn¡¯t ended yet. Apparently, the first event won¡¯t officiallye to an end until dawn arrives. I was too tired, and my feet hurts too much for me to go on. Hayden seemed bored out of his mind and was quite done with the event as well.


    After our slightly hostile run in with the Silva gang members, Hayden had met with leaders from a few other gangs that he seemed to know quite well. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and Luka seemed to be in a very joyous mood. It was obvious that Luka was sent by the boss to make sure that both Hayden and I behaved well. Luka proved to be very helpful as well.


    "Ie here every year ever since the boss was much younger," Luka exined to me when we had a breather from all the socializing.


    "Oh, really?" I asked, slightly surprised.


    "Yeah. I know most of the old folks here¡­and some young ones as well," Luka said with a grin.


    It seemed very true that he new most people because he would either greet them first or they would greet him first. I would go as far as to say that he seemed to know even more people than Hayden did.


    "Malissa and I will head back to our room now. Luka, you stay and keep up the good work," Hayden said tly to excuse us.


    "Take some men with you," Luka said, the note of warning clear in his solemn voice.


    "Sure¡­" Hayden agreed.


    Some men automatically split from the group and followed us back to our room. When we arrived back, I immediately took off the high heel shoes that I had been wearing. The feel of blood rushing back into my feet felt wonderful.


    "Tired already?" Hayden asked as he flopped down next to me on the sofa and flung an arm around my shoulder.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 102: Let’s Relax

    "You seem tired too¡­" I mumbled softly.


    "I¡¯m not tired¡­I¡¯m just bored out of my god damn mind¡­" Hayden said, really sounding bored.


    Iughed a little at how irritated Hayden seemed to be. Hayden was very good at socializing andworking with men from other gangs and overall, it seemed like he had a decent time. However, in private, he wouldin like crazy. It reminded me of the time that he bluntly confessed that he hated his job. We¡¯re going to be stuck here for two more days until the ship returned to dock.


    I guess we should find some way to relief stress otherwise Hayden is going to explode.


    He had been in a good moodtely and I didn¡¯t want to see him revert to his cold and monstrous self when he was in a bad mood. It waste at night now, but Hayden seemed very restless.


    "It¡¯ste but¡­if you want¡­what about going up to see the stars on the deck?" I proposed brightly.


    Hayden was silent for a moment as if he was considering my proposal. I guess that¡¯s a no, huh?


    "Not a bad idea. I could use some fresh air," Hayden said.


    "Ok¡­let¡¯s go then¡­" I said with a smile.


    "You should put on a jacket. It¡¯s going to be quite cold and windy up there," Hayden said as he sprung up from the sofa.


    When we left the room, the men that were on guard insisted oning with us. Hayden refused but the guards wouldn¡¯t relent.


    "It¡¯s the boss¡¯s orders¡­" one of the men said.


    Basically, that meant that Hayden needed toply. With a click of his tongue, Hayden held my hand and walked down the hallway. The men followed silently behind us. They gave us some privacy by keeping their distance, but they still followed us all the way. Everyone has their own jobs and responsibilities, I thought silently to myself.


    When we arrived at the observatory deck, it was empty. Hayden and I were the only ones on the deck. The men that followed us guarded the deck¡¯s entrance and did not join us on the deck. Thankfully, that meant that we had some privacy and that we could rx. Hayden was right, it was very windy and cold up on the deck.


    I quickly styled my hair into a bun and tied it on top of my head to keep it from flying around like crazy around my face. Thanks to Hayden, I had a jacket on top of my dress. It didn¡¯t stop me from feeling the cold, but it still helped a lot, that¡¯s for sure.


    "You were right. It¡¯s so windy here¡­and so cold," I said, my teeth ttering a little.


    "Come here," Hayden said as he spread his arms wide.


    I shook my head at him and refused to walk into his opened arms. That just led Hayden to walk over to me and wrap his arms around my body instead. He¡¯s so warm¡­


    Slowly, Hayden turned me around in his arms so that he was hugging me from behind. I could feel his warmth against my back as the wind blew from behind me. That made me realize that Hayden was using hisrge frame to shelter me from the harsh wind.


    "It¡¯s nice up here¡­even if it¡¯s a little too windy," Hayden said close to my ear.


    "It is. Oh¡­and the stars are really pretty!" I said as I pointed up towards the night sky.


    Since we were in the middle of the ocean somewhere, it was dark, and we could see the stars very clearly. The stars twinkled brilliantly up in the sky.


    "You seem to like stargazing¡­" Hayden said softly.


    "I do¡­" I replied with certainty.


    I felt his warm breath close to the side of my neck before I felt his lips kiss my neck softly. Hayden¡¯s arms tightened a little around me as he began trailing small kisses down the side of my neck. I let out a soft moan as I rxed in his arms. It was good that the men didn¡¯t join us up on the deck because I was sure that Hayden would have done the exact same thing even with them hanging around.


    "Hayden¡­I think¡­" I began protesting softly.


    Like seriously, maybe he could save this forter like when we were back in the room?


    "Want to go to the bar? I could use a drink¡­or two¡­" Hayden said invitingly.


    "Sure¡­let me drop by the toilet first though," I replied.


    Hayden led me down from the deck. I could see the toilet sign and gestured that I¡¯m just going to go.


    "The bar isn¡¯t far from here. Come join me when you¡¯re done," Hayden said as he gestured with his eyes for two of his men to stay with me.


    Safety first was a good thing¡­


    The men followed close behind me as I entered thedy¡¯s room. I sighed with relief when I looked around and found that they haven¡¯t followed me inside. It would have been too weird if they did. I peed and washed my hands before heading out of thedy¡¯s room. Just when I rounded the corner out of thedy¡¯s room, I bumped into someone.


    Apparently, both of us were in a hurry and clearly wasn¡¯t watching where we were going. The smell of her rosy perfume filled my nostrils and I looked up to see her slightly surprised face.


    "Oh! I¡¯m so sorry for running into you¡­" the woman apologized immediately.


    "No worries. That¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯m sorry too," I quickly apologized as well. I think we both ran into each other, and no one was really at fault here. These things just happen sometime.


    "Well then, I hope you have a wonderful evening," thedy quickly said as she hurried along on her way.


    The woman looked like she was slightly older than me and she was really beautiful too. I wondered if she¡¯s the girlfriend of some mafia gang member or even some mafia boss?


    After recovering from my shock, I walked away from the bathroom and then I felt the eyes of my guards on me and remembered that Hayden was waiting for me at the bar. Quickly, I turned around and headed for the direction of the bar. He ordered us some drinks and I went with something very light on alcohol, having learnt my lessons fromst time.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 103: Before We Meet

    **Later that night**


    "Are you ok? You seem awfully distracted¡­did something happen?" Hayden asked, his voice sounding extremely sexy as he nibbled on my ear lobe.


    I felt the muscles in his back flexing under the palms of my hand as I hugged him. Hisrge frame loomed over my naked body, and I could feel the heat of his skin against mine. Although Hayden was right here in front of me and all that I could see was him, my thoughts couldn¡¯t focus on him at all.


    My mind was a mess and no matter how hard I tried; I couldn¡¯t tear my attention away from my own troubling thoughts.


    "It¡¯s nothing¡­let¡¯s continued¡­" I whispered in reply.


    The matter that bothered me was something that I could never discuss with Hayden. I had no idea how he would react if he found out, but I had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t be anything good¡­


    His hand kneaded my breast before he started pinching my erect nipples, making me cry out with need. The pleasure and heat that he stirred up in my body slowly made me forget about my worries and troubles. When his hands spread my legs and touched the wetness in between my legs, I moaned his name and spread my legs even wider for him.


    "You¡¯re very obedient tonight¡­not that I have anyints¡­" Haydenmented before he nibbled slightly on my ear lobe.


    The warmth of his breath on my ear sent shivers of delight and anticipation throughout my body. My pussy throbbed with need as it got wetter and hotter. It was our first night together on the cruise and for some reason or another, I was already convinced that we would have sex together every night. That was ever since I found out that there was only one bedroom in this suite.


    Obviously, we would be sharing it.


    "Hayden¡­" I called out his name softly.


    As if he could sense my desire to take him inside of me, he quickly positioned his thick shaft at my love entrance before ploughing it into me all in one forceful thrust. I cried out his name loudly as his member caressed the walls of my pussy and filled mepletely. He¡¯s so big and his size and shape was stretching my pussy walls as I tried my best to amodate him.


    I couldn¡¯t help it; my pussy began clenching itself tightly around Hayden¡¯s cock. I could feel his heat inside of my love hole and it drove me crazy with need for more of him. I moaned softly when Hayden began moving inside of me. Slowly he began thrusting in and out of my hole. I felt the head of his cock rubbing along the insides of my pussy walls as he began moving his cock in rhythm.


    Hayden was panting now as he began moving faster and faster, ramming his gigantic cock in and out of my sopping wet hole on repeat. Soon he was moving at full speed, and I cried out as his cock hit deeply against my womb with each thrust. I could feel him fill me up and his heat spreading all over my lower belly.


    He held my legs wide open as he continued to pound into me with his hard and massive cock.


    "Hayden! Ahh! Ahhh!" I cried out his name and moaned loudly.


    It¡¯s so good. His cock is making me feel so hot. It was like I was melting inside. My pussy got wetter and wetter as more wetness gushed out in between my legs. I couldn¡¯t stop my hips from moving as it grinded against his. He prated me from various angles until I could no longer think.


    I just wanted him to take me harder and faster. I wanted to cum from his cock.


    His cock mmed into my tight hole repeatedly until I came, crying out his name when I reached my own mind-shattering climax. That night I gave myself to Hayden over and over again until I couldn¡¯t think of anything or anyone anymore but the heat and passion that was right in front of me. I didn¡¯t even remember when I fell asleep.


    What I did remember was how secured I felt in Hayden¡¯s embrace as he held me. The safety that I felt in Hayden¡¯s arms made me awfully aware that the emotion that I was feeling must have been fear.


    ¡­


    At around the same time that Malissa fell asleep, a few helicoptersnded on the H-pad of the luxury cruise line. A very tall man with dark hair and piercing green eyes got off and stood proudly on thending pad as the sea wind blew against his face and through his hair.


    His men were there to greet him immediately on arrival. He watched as they bowed respectfully towards him.


    "Wee on board, Boss," Brook said respectfully.


    "Sorry that I¡¯m a littlete¡­" the man said tly.


    "I already met with the representative from Torex so¡­" Brook quickly reported.


    "No worries. I¡¯ll meet with himter myself¡­" the boss said.


    "Are you sure?" Brook asked, sounding very nervous.


    "Have I ever been unsure?" the green-eyed man shot back.


    "No, Sir," Brook replied before bowing low.


    "Take me to my room. Oh, where is Amber?" the boss asked as he looked around and failed to spot the woman that he was looking for. He had sent her on an important mission, after all. She hasn¡¯t reported back to him yet but based on her historical performance, he trusted that she had alreadypleted her mission.


    "She¡¯s chilling at some bar onboard, but she¡¯spleted her mission perfectly," Brook reported.


    Amber had reported to him in short that she hadpleted her mission perfectly. She did not disclose any additional details and Brook had not asked. If the order came directly from the boss, then it wasn¡¯t his business to meddle. Amber¡¯s rosy perfume made him want to sneeze and he couldn¡¯t wait to get away from her.


    "Good. Let¡¯s enjoy the night then," the boss replied, smiling to himself in satisfaction that his n was going well.


    That was all that he wanted and needed to hear.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 104: Finally, We Meet

    "Good morning, Hayden," I greeted him when he started stirring in bed.


    He smiled at me and how his smile reached his beautiful blue eyes made my heart skip a beat in pleasant surprise.


    "Morning, Malissa¡­" Hayden greeted me in return before he got up and stretched.


    I wished that I could do the same but the soreness of my body, especially in that ce in between my legs prevented me from doing so. We made lovete into the night the night before and my body was paying for it very dearly this morning. Hayden, on the other hand, seemed fit and fine as always.


    "Hungry?" He asked.


    "Not really¡­" I replied softly.


    "You can sleep in for today if you want. Unfortunately, I have some work to do so I¡¯ll be getting up first," Hayden said passively.


    "Oh no¡­I¡¯ll rather go with you," I said decisively.


    "I see. That might be better¡­" Hayden said before smiling a little my way.


    By the time we showered and got dressed for the day, Luka was already waiting for us in the living room. His face seemed sterner and more alert than yesterday. One look at his face and we both knew that he had some news to break to us.


    "He¡¯s here," Luka announced.


    He¡­as in¡­?


    "The Head of Silva¡­" Hayden answered my unasked question as he smirked in satisfaction.


    I didn¡¯t know how Hayden knew but he was right. The man that he wanted to meet, the boss of Silva, was now on this very ship. I couldn¡¯t exin why, but I started to have a very bad feeling about these two men meeting. Hayden seemed very fixated on this man who was the boss of the silva gang. The boss did refer to this man as Hayden¡¯s old friend, I wondered if that was true.


    "Are you¡­going to meet him?" I asked in a small voice.


    "Of course. That¡¯s why I came all the way out here," Hayden replied without a second thought.


    "Will everything be ok?" I asked.


    Honestly, I felt very worried for Hayden¡¯s safety. The rtionship between the two gangs seemed strained and I wasn¡¯t sure if meeting the boss head on was going to be the right move.


    "Of course. I can¡¯t be sure if the talks and negotiations will go well but at least you don¡¯t have to worry about having a shoot out here. Head of gangs don¡¯t just randomly shoot at each other, you know?" Hayden said,pletely rxed.


    "No¡­I don¡¯t¡­" I mumbled.


    "Haha! You¡¯re so funny. You¡¯re right, I guess you wouldn¡¯t know¡­" Hayden said with augh.


    "I¡¯m just worried since you guys don¡¯t seem to be on good terms," I voiced my concern.


    "It¡¯s just business, but you¡¯re right, I¡¯m not particrly fond of the man. You cane along," Hayden said tly.


    "Really?" I asked in surprise.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted toe along but perhaps it was better than worrying all alone in my room. Plus, I could tell that Hayden would feel more at ease if I went along. After all, he¡¯d been keeping a keen eye on me since we boarded the ship, and he did order me to say by his side always.


    "Yes. We¡¯ll just be talking so if you just sit quietly by my side, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem," Hayden said.


    "Ok¡­if you say so¡­" I replied.


    Luka informed us that the head of the Silva gang had invited us to have dinner with him. If I had any worries about being unweed at the dinner my doubts were put to rest with the wording of his invitation.


    "See? It does say that he¡¯s inviting me and mydy to dinner," Hayden said as he showed me the invitation message.


    "Maybe it¡¯s because his girlfriend or wife is joining too¡­" I said casually.


    "Maybe¡­" Hayden said as his eyes narrowed suspiciously.


    ¡­


    "Will you be, ok?" Luka asked, implying that he wanted to join the meeting too.


    "Yes. It¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s just dinner¡­and we¡¯ll talk," Hayden replied casually.


    Luka seemed hesitant as he considered what was best given the situation.


    "Men from both our gangs will stand guard outside the room. I think that¡¯s the best that we can do. We¡¯ll keep the meeting between the gang¡¯s representative as he had requested. So, for Torex, that would be Malissa and me," Hayden said firmly. It was clear that his mind was made up.


    Luka quickly realized that as well and he nodded in acknowledgement before turning to give instruction to his men who will undoubtedly be standing as guards.


    "What is he like¡­the boss of Silva¡­?" I asked in wonder.


    Was he perhaps like the boss of Torex. Old, wild and with a cynical sense of humor. Pushing and willing to do everything to get his way. The image of the boss of Silva that I had was basically like the boss but with a different hair color. Clearly, I had to work on my imaginary skills¡­


    The appointment time finally arrived. Hayden and I were dressed for the asion. Fortunately, the light pink cocktail dress that I had on was less tightpared to the dress I wore for the opening night. I mean, it was dinner so having some room for my stomach to expand when I ate would be very helpful.


    Hayden held my hand all the way to the room where we would be meeting the boss of Silva. I felt very nervous as I stood in front of the room with Hayden. For some reason, the auraing out of the room felt very intimidating. Hayden, on the other hand, seemed very much rxed and ready for whatever was going to happen.


    "Shall we?" Hayden asked invitingly as he smiled sweetly at me.


    I knew that he was trying to make me feel less nervous, but I couldn¡¯t quite answer back. Nodding my head slightly to his words was all that I could do. I felt weirdly nervous, and my throat felt very dry all of a sudden.


    Luka opened the door for us, and we slowly walked in.


    "Hayden, representative of Torex," Hayden said sounding like a monotonous machine as he introduced himself.


    "Ethan, head of Silva," a man¡¯s voice readily introduced himself in reply.


    Dark hair, piercing green eyes and a mocking smile that I could never forget. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t breathe, and my chest felt tight. In that moment, time seemed to havee to aplete stop. I was too shocked to move or speak as my mind connected the dots of what was totally unexpected. How could this be happening?


    Ethan¡­why are you here?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 105: His Lost Kitten

    My mind shed back to what had been bothering me sincest night after I had parted from Hayden for a moment to go thedies room. I bumped into ady who seemed to be in a hurry and while at that time I didn¡¯t think that anything was out of the ordinary, I began feeling a little bothering pain like there was something scraping against the skin of my chest as I walked.


    I stopped walking and dipped my hand into the top of my dress and felt around the area in between my breasts. To my absolute surprise, I found the cause of the scraping pain. It was a small piece of paper that seemed to have been folded into a small square. When did this get in here? I don¡¯t remember carrying a paper like this around¡­


    It couldn¡¯t be¡­thedy that bumped into me just now?


    There was only one exnation and that was that I had somehow gotten it when I bumped into that woman from earlier. Did she ce it here on purpose? I had no idea who she was, and I didn¡¯t remember what she looked like. Seemed like there was nothing I could do since I wouldn¡¯t be able to find her.


    Quickly, I began unfolding the paper in my hand.


    ¡¯Do you remember?¡¯


    The note was short and simple. However, it wasn¡¯t the message that caught my attention. What caught my attention was the capitalized letter E that signed the end of the short message. My eyes zoomed in on that single letter and I felt like I was going to ck out.


    A capitalized E in his very own signature font¡­


    E for Ethan.


    I folded the paper again and slid it back inside my bosom to hide it. If Hayden found out about this, I wouldn¡¯t know how to exin. Sure, I coulde out and tell him that it was just a note from my ex whom I haven¡¯t heard from in around a year. However, I wasn¡¯t sure how Hayden would react¡­


    Pushing the troubling thoughts from my mind, I quickly headed to the bar where Hayden was waiting. I didn¡¯t want to keep him waiting for too long and I didn¡¯t want him to be suspicious that anything was amiss.


    After some drinks at the bar, we made our way back to our room where we had a lot of sex until I fell asleep in his arms. Without knowing why, I was scared of meeting Ethan. Although, I longed to see him again for all this time, now that he was so close and I might actually see him, I felt so scared. I didn¡¯t know what I would do, what I would say or how I would feel if I met him again.


    The next thing I knew, morning had arrived, and I was sleeping in Hayden¡¯s arms.


    ¡­


    I looked up at the man standing in front of me. This man, he¡¯s dressed in a very expensive looking ck suit with a white shirt and diamond earrings. How he dressed waspletely different from theid back and rxed Ethan that I knew from a year ago but¡­he¡¯s Ethan, without a doubt.


    When I received the note, it made me realize that Ethan was on this ship and that he knew that I was also here. However, never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that Ethan is the head of the Silva gang. I mean, how could it be?


    The Ethan that I dated was down to earth, very middle-ss, super helpful and normal. How could he have any connections to the mafia let alone be the boss of one of the gangs? None of this was making any sense to me.


    Maybe this is all just some type of mistake? How could Ethan be here or all ces?


    The other thing that bugged me was how he knew that I was here? He knew. He definitely knew. He knew enough to get someone to nt that note in the front of my dress. Thatdy that I bumped into must be working for him.


    However, no matter how I looked at it, the man standing in front of me right now is Ethan. The boss of Silva is Ethan¡­my ex-boyfriend.


    ¡­


    I first met Ethan in my freshmen year of university. It rained heavily on that day although the weather forecast forecasted clear skies and because of that, I didn¡¯t have an umbre with me. Ironically, that was also my first day of university. My friend would joke about itter that the rain must have been some type of blessing from heaven to mark the start of our journey at university.


    The truth was that I got caught in the rain and I was almostte to the convocation. I was walking to the university whenrge drops of rain fell from the sky and then suddenly it just became an outright downpour with strong winds as well. Since I didn¡¯t have an umbre with me, I dodged into the side of a building nearby that happened to have an extended roof.


    My hair was wet and so were the bangs that hung over my eyes. It clearly wasn¡¯t my day. As I moved my wet bangs away from my eyes, that was when I saw him for the first time. Standing next to me with a slightly puzzled and fascinated smirk on his face was Ethan.


    I remember how his piercing green eyes captivated me. His eyes seemed bright and very perceptive. It made me feel like he could see through me and anything and anyone in this world. Those were the eyes of someone who had already figured out what they wanted in life. At least, that was what I thought. I must have been staring at him in my shock as the rain continued to beat down all around us.


    "You look like a lost kitten," Ethan said before smiling sweetly at me.


    Those were the first words that he said to me. That smile transformed his whole face and the air around him. It was like he had changed into another person in a blink of an eye. I have never seen anything like it before. Still stunned at his presence, I couldn¡¯te up with a reply.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 106: When I Was His

    "Need an umbre?" he asked.


    Looking down at his hand, I saw that he was offering me an umbre. It was raining hard, and I was in a hurry but¡­


    "What about you?" I asked.


    With this rain and wind, there¡¯s no way that the two of us can share an umbre and stay decently dry. If that was the case, I¡¯d rather decline his offer and wait it out here.


    "I¡¯m not in a hurry¡­but I guess that you are¡­" the man said with a pleasant smile.


    "I¡­" I whispered, not quite knowing how to respond.


    "You¡¯re a freshman, aren¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t the ceremony starting soon?" He asked, although he probably already knew the answer.


    "Yes¡­it is¡­" I replied in a small voice.


    "Then what are you waiting for?" He said with a smallugh.


    Before I could reply, I was softly pushed into the rain. With one step, I was out in the rain; however, I didn¡¯t feel any raindrops falling on me. I looked up and I could see his umbre blocking the rain from falling onto me.


    "I don¡¯t think that I should¡­" I began protesting, feeling quite guilty about imposing on him.


    "When someone offers you help, what should you say?" He asked, suddenly he sounded much older and so mature.


    "¡­Thank you¡­" I murmured softly.


    He grabbed my hand and while I was too stunned by his sudden movement to move, he ced my hand on the umbre and made me hold it.


    "You should go now," He whispered close to my face.


    "Wait¡­" I quickly said before it would be toote.


    "What is it?" He asked, sounding slightly curious.


    "My name is Malissa. What¡¯s yours?" I asked.


    "Ethan," He replied.


    "Ethan¡­umm¡­I¡¯ll make sure to return this umbre to you¡­" I said as I avoided his beautiful green eyes and looked away.


    "You don¡¯t have to," Ethan said without a care.


    He waved his hand at me, signaling to me that I better go. He was right, if I hurry now, I can probably still make it in time.


    "Thank you, Ethan," I thanked him wholeheartedly.


    Ethan just smiled and waved his hand a little at me. If I had any worries back then that I wouldn¡¯t see him again, I didn¡¯t need to worry at all. By some twist of fate, I ran into Ethan when I joined the art club the week after. He didn¡¯t seem into art at all, but his artwork was more than decent, and he was there daily.


    Things moved very fast between us. Within a few days of meeting again, he asked me out. A weekter we had sexte at night in the clubroom and then again at his ce. The week after that, I moved out of my dorm to live with him at his apartment. Things stayed pretty much that way until he broke up with me a few yearster when he graduated.


    While living with him, I realized that Ethan was sometime very busy working on something that didn¡¯t seem rted to university. When I asked about it, he told me that he was actually doing real work and that he had a job already, working to support his parents with their family business.


    That was when I found out that he was actually quite older than I thought and that the university degree that he¡¯s studying for was his second one.


    Back then I thought that it must be very tough on him to study while working to support his parents and their family business as well. I truly admired him and how hard he worked. It really inspired me to work hard as well.


    ¡­


    It waste at night, and I was the only one in the art studio at university. We¡¯re supposed to submit our artwork for a contest in three days. While all my friends and everyone in the art club already had something that they wanted to submit, I had nothing that I was confident enough to submit for the contest yet.


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t have any noteworthy artwork, but I just didn¡¯t have much confidence in them.


    That is the reason why I¡¯m the only one workingte into the night in the studio with the hope that I would be able to produce something good enough for thepetition. I sighed loudly to myself as I looked at the abstract painting in front of me with its red, purple, and light pink color. Something was definitely missing, and the problem was that I had no idea what it was.


    "There you are!"


    The door mmed open, and Ethan walked in royally. I wasn¡¯t surprised that it was Ethan who came in but I was surprised that he was here.


    "Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll be staying at your parent¡¯s ce for a few days?" I asked curiously.


    "I changed my mind. I heard that someone here hasn¡¯t submitted anything for the uingpetition, you see. It¡¯s in three days, isn¡¯t it?" Ethan said before smiling at me.


    "So, you decided to stay and keep mepany?" I asked. Ethan can be so sweet.


    "Of course. Plus, I hate my parents¡­" Ethan replied with augh.


    That¡¯s right, Ethan doesn¡¯t get along with his parents. I had no idea what they did but I knew that they lived in the capital and ran a family business. For some reason or another, Ethan had decided to spend his time in a small town rather than the big city. ording to him, it was because he just couldn¡¯t stand being close to his parents.


    "Let¡¯s not talk about them anymore¡­it¡¯s just going to ruin the mood," Ethan said, and I could feel his presence close behind me.


    His arms circled around my waist as he hugged me tightly from behind. We stood in front of the painting that I was working on, and I could feel his eyes on my work. I held a paint brush in one hand and a paint palette in the other.


    "What do you think?" I asked, referring to my painting.


    Although Ethan wasn¡¯t as passionate about art as the other students and his major wasn¡¯t even art, he had a keen eye for it.


    "Beautiful¡­and very boring¡­" Ethan whispered close to my ear.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 107: Beautiful & Sexy

    I knew it. The piece was decently nice to look at, but it didn¡¯te across as anything meaningful or unique. I wasn¡¯t sure what to add or how to fix it and I was running out of time.


    "You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know how to fix it though. I guess, I¡¯ll have to skip out on this contest after all¡­" I said regretfully.


    "I think¡­the painting needs to be a little more alluring¡­and sexy¡­" Ethan whispered seductively into my ear.


    His hands were already on my breasts before I could react to his words. I cried out his name in surprise as his hand began groping and squeezing my breasts. It¡¯ste and no one should walk in on us but I¡¯m in the middle of working right now¡­


    "Ethan¡­let¡¯s do this when we¡¯re back¡­" I suggested softly.


    "No¡­I want you now. I dide all this way¡­" Ethan replied as he nibbled lightly on my ear lobe.


    My breathing quickened at his seductive touches. He¡¯s always so good at turning me on. I had already lost count on the times that we¡¯ve had sexte in the night in this art studio. I bet Ethan had sex with me here more often than the times he actually worked on his artwork.


    "I have to¡­work¡­" I protested.


    "Then work. I never told you to stop. Keep on painting, Malissa," Ethan said in an amused yet serious tone.


    As if not to bother me any further, his hand left my breast for a moment. As I breathed a sigh of relief, his hands were suddenly on my thighs before it slid up my thighs and under my skirt. I let out a soft moan when I felt his fingers stroking me through my underwear.


    "Ethan¡­" I moaned his name as I felt a pleasurable ache build up in my lower abdomen.


    "Paint, Malissa. Show me the colors of your passion," Ethan said encouragingly.


    I felt Hayden pull the thin fabric that was covering my love entrance to the side before I felt his fingers touching me there. I cried out when his fingers stroked the wet slit in between my legs directly. My insides felt so hot, and my pussy throbbed with desire.


    "You always get wet so easily when we do it here¡­" Ethan murmured seductively.


    As his fingers stroked the sensitive folds of my pussy, I continued working on my artwork. I moaned louder when his fingers started massaging my swollen clit. The more pleasure I felt, the easier it seemed for me to paint. I no longer hesitated on which color to use or how to mesh the colors together; it all seemed toe to me naturally now.


    I cried out his name when he thrusted his fingers deep into my hole. My pussy clenched hard around his fingers immediately. I could feel him so much more when we did it standing up like this. My own juices gushed out of my love hole whenever he moved his fingers in and out of me. I felt my own wetness dripping out of my pussy before sliding down the insides of my thighs. Ethan, he¡¯s making me so wet.


    "Your pussy is clenching hard around my fingers. I want to screw my cock into you so badly¡­" Ethan said. His voice sounded so passionate that it was like he was confessing his love to me.


    I moaned louder and louder as he fingered me harder and faster. He knew exactly where my pleasure spots were, and his fingers were merciless in stimting them. He pushed and thrusted against my G-spot, and it felt like I would die from the pleasure. Just as he ordered, I continued to paint while he continued to pleasure my love hole with his fingers.


    "Ethan¡­I¡¯m going to¡­cum¡­" I whimpered weakly.


    He¡¯s driving me fast towards the edge. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I yelled his name loudly as my mind wentpletely white and I knew that I had climaxed. Ethan hugged me to him to keep me on my feet as he supported my weight. It was a miracle that I didn¡¯t drop everything that I was holding. Learning from experience really does pay off, I guess.


    "Doesn¡¯t the world look more beautiful after you¡¯ve just climaxed?" Ethan asked and I knew that he was smiling proudly.


    I could feel his hands as they lifted my skirt and pulled down my panties. My breathing was stillbored from my own orgasm, but it was clear that Ethan was ready to move on to the next step.


    "Bend over a little¡­and don¡¯t forget to keep working on your painting¡­" Ethan reminded me.


    I heard the sound of him hastily unbuckling his belt and removing his pants before I felt the heat of his cock at my wet entrance. Ethan grabbed my hips and thrusted his cock into me without warning. I screamed wildly as he pumped his swollen rod into me from behind. I couldn¡¯t continue painting at all as I focused on the sensation of his cock pounding into my pussy.


    It felt so satisfying to be filledpletely by him. I moaned repeatedly as his cock stirred up my wet insides and rammed against my womb. He¡¯s in so deep and my hips were thrusting back to grind against him. We rocked our bodies together in need as we coupled.


    "I love fucking you, Malissa. I want to keep fucking you like this forever¡­" Ethan groaned passionately as he began thrusting into me more forcefully than before.


    After a while of wild thrusting, we both reached our climax. I felt so exhausted from cumming twice in a row. When Ethan withdrew his cock from my pussy, I lost all strength in my legs and slid down onto the floor. Ethan was still standing though, and his eyes were on my painting. While he was fucking me hard from behind, I had managed to add a few moreyers of color.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he would make of it though.


    "Beautiful¡­and sexy," Ethanplimented.


    "Really?" I asked in disbelief.


    "If this doesn¡¯t win in the contest, then I don¡¯t know what would¡­" Ethan said with so much conviction that I was forced to believe him.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 108: Come Back to Me

    My first piece of art that brought me recognition when I won an award for it was a work that I produced while Ethan was making love to me. When he broke up with me, I either sold or locked away most of the pieces that I painted during my time with him. I couldn¡¯t look at any of my work without remember him. He was such a big part of my life and his influence on me felt endless.


    Come to think of it, to this day, I don¡¯t think I ever got around to returning that umbre to him.


    To my utter disbelief, Ethan is right here in front of me again. If I just reach out my hand, I could touch him. He¡¯s real.


    However, something about him has changed. Ethan is now the head of the Silva mafia bang¡­or perhaps, he was always a part of Silva, but I just didn¡¯t know it¡­


    "It¡¯s great to see you again. It¡¯s been around a year now, hasn¡¯t it? My Malissa," Ethan spoke up as he stood up from his seat and came to stand right in front of Hayden and me.


    He just addressed me directly and he called me ¡¯My Malissa¡¯. Just like back then when we were still together.


    I nced over at Hayden and his face had turned into an emotionless stone mask. That was enough proof for me to know that Hayden did not miss out on how Ethan had chosen to address me.


    "Why are you here, Ethan?" I asked, my voice shaking with emotion.


    "I could ask you the same thing. Malissa, baby, why are you here?" Ethan asked, his voice smooth.


    "What are you saying? Don¡¯t call me that!" I spat.


    How dare he dump me and then talk to me as if nothing happened?


    "Come here, Malissa," Ethan said calmly as he took a step forward towards me.


    Suddenly, Hayden wrapped his arm around my waist and yanked me backwards behind him protectively. I gasped in shock at his action. Hayden had not said anything after introducing himself when we entered the room; however, I knew that he was watching the scene between Ethan and me. I could tell from his stiff body in front of me that he wasn¡¯t liking what he was seeing or hearing.


    "It¡¯s been a while, Hayden. d to see that you¡¯re well¡­" Ethan said as he looked straight at Hayden.


    Pale blue eyes met with vivid green ones as the two men stared at each other. The atmosphere became more tense as tension filled the room along with the silence. I felt like I was going to suffocate and wished that I could just disappear.


    "You know her?" Hayden asked Ethan tly.


    I hid behind Hayden as I watched to see what Ethan would say. My head hurts and my chest felt tight and for a moment, I just wished that Ethan wouldn¡¯t tell Hayden the truth. I wished that he would lie and say that he got the wrong person. Although, I doubt that Hayden would believe a low lie like that.


    "Of course, I know her. Malissa is my ex-girlfriend," Ethan announced with a cocky grin.


    "I see. Well, she¡¯s my girlfriend now," Hayden replied, unfazed.


    If he was surprised with this new piece of information, he didn¡¯t show it at all. His hand was still in front of me, as if guarding me away from Ethan. It wasn¡¯t necessary, I wouldn¡¯t dare move regardless.


    "Come back to me, Malissa," Ethan said as if it was the most obvious thing for me to do.


    "What are you saying? You dumped me! Remember?" I cried out in anger.


    When he dumped me, I begged him over and over again for him to stay. I told him that I loved him and that I would do anything for us to continued to be together. I cried until I felt like I had no tears left but, in the end, he left anyways.


    Looking back on it, it was funny, what a girl could do in her desperation. I remembered kneeling down at his feet and hugging his leg as he tried to walk away from me. That was so stupid, I guess. After he left the apartment where we had been living together, he never returned, and I never heard from him ever again. He just disappeared.


    Now that we¡¯re somehow reunited, he¡¯s telling me that he wants me back. Just like that?


    "I wanted to give you a shot at a normal and happy life. I didn¡¯t break up with you so that you could date another mafia-boss-to-be," Ethan said to me before his eyes red at Hayden, making me fully aware who he was referring to.


    "I don¡¯t understand¡­" I mumbled, clearly confused.


    Why does it sound like¡­he¡¯s still in love with me? He broke up with me¡­because he wanted me to have a normal life? I don¡¯t understand and I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to understand either.


    "I love you, Malissa. I only stepped aside because I had to go back and take over Silva. Honestly, I didn¡¯t think being a mafia boss¡¯s wife would suit a pure girl like you," Ethan exined.


    "Then¡­" I whispered as my mind worked hard to connect the dots.


    Did he leave me because he didn¡¯t want to get me involved with the mafia?


    "I wanted you to have a normal life with a bright future. If I had known that you would end up with this rotten mafia heir, I never would have stepped aside and let you go. It was my mistake. Come back to me, Malissa," Ethan said passionately.


    "I¡­" I was just speechless.


    "Being with me, or any mafia for that matter, will always be better than being with him," Ethan spat.


    I nced over at Hayden and was surprised at how calm and controlled he appeared to be. Hayden did not say anything to defend himself and he didn¡¯t say anything to persuade me. What is he thinking?


    "The thing is¡­" I began exining.


    I bet Ethan doesn¡¯t know about the debt and the contract between me and the boss of Torex. Not that it was the main issue right now but still¡­


    "If it¡¯s the debt that you owe old man Torex, I¡¯ll pay it all back¡­with interest," Ethan said and I could tell that he waspletely serious.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 109: Their Secret

    Everything went silent. I gasped in shock at Ethan¡¯s words. He¡¯s going to pay for my debt to free me from my contract. Really?


    Hayden was silent as if he was considering Ethan¡¯s proposal. I couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind my feelings, but I felt a sense of dread fill me at his proposal. It just didn¡¯t make sense and I knew it. I should have been thrilled for Ethan to pay off my debt so that I could finally be free.


    However, that wasn¡¯t what I felt at all. Instead, I realized that I felt so scared. I was scared of Hayden epting Ethan¡¯s proposal. That he would ept money in return for handing me over.


    Hayden¡­will he sell me just like that?


    Ethan and I both watched Hayden¡¯s still and emotionless face as we waited for his response and reaction. I held my breathed and squeezed my hands together. Although, I wasn¡¯t sure why, I prayed that Hayden would turn down Ethan¡¯s proposal.


    "I hate to cut in while you¡¯re having your heartwarming reunion¡­but¡­I¡¯d appreciate it if you backed away from my girl," Hayden said sternly.


    Hayden stood in front of me, blocking me from Ethan as he came closer. I saw Ethan¡¯s green eyes narrowed cunningly before the corners of his lips turned up into a smirk as he ced a hand on Hayden¡¯s shoulder.


    "It¡¯s too bad for you that I found her first¡­unlike you, I searched for her," Ethan said softly.


    "Don¡¯t say anymore, Ethan¡­" Hayden warned.


    "I wonder if you really don¡¯t remember her¡­or you¡¯re just pretending¡­" Ethan whispered.


    He spoke so softly that I wasn¡¯t sure if I heard him right. What is Ethan saying? He looked for me and found me first?


    What¡¯s this about Hayden pretending not to remember me? What does that even mean?


    I¡¯m sure¡­that we¡¯ve never met before¡­


    Hayden¡­what is going on?


    I think for the first time, Hayden was shocked by Ethan¡¯s words. With a lowugh, Ethan shoved Hayden to the side and his hand started reaching for me. Instinctively, I flinched in fear¡­


    "Touch her and I¡¯ll kill you right now!" Hayden shouted.


    He was enraged and no longer bothered to hide it. His emotionless mask had cracked and thenpletely disappeared. Everything happened so fast. There was a loud thud and suddenly, Ethan was pinned to the nearby wall by Hayden. I gasped at the sight of a ck gun pressed to Ethan¡¯s neck as Hayden pulled Ethan¡¯s cor in his fist.


    He moved¡­so fast!


    "Stop! Hayden! Stop¡­please!" I cried out as I ran up to him and pulled on his arm.


    This is crazy. If I don¡¯t stop him, Hayden¡¯s really going to kill Ethan.


    "Why are you stopping me?" Hayden asked, his eyes still on Ethan.


    "She¡¯s worried about me¡­isn¡¯t it obvious?" Ethan replied with a mocking smile.


    "500 million dors plus interest. I bet your head is worth more than that right now on the ck market, Head of Silva. Tell me, what¡¯s the price on your head now?" Hayden hissed as his eyes red at Ethan.


    I was so scared that my legs were shaking, and my lips were going numb. I prayed that Hayden wasn¡¯t serious, but I suspected that he was. What do I do now?


    "Boss! Is everything alright in there?" a man¡¯s worried voice called from outside the room.


    I couldn¡¯t tell whose voice it was, but it was clear that the ruckus that had taken ce in this room had stirred up some worry for the men outside.


    "It¡¯s cool. I¡¯m fine! Don¡¯te in!" Ethan yelled loudly at his men.


    I wouldn¡¯t call being pinned to the wall with a gun held against your neck a cool or fine situation to be in, but it wasn¡¯t for me to judge or decide.


    "Don¡¯t do it, Hayden. Please stop¡­" I pleaded, my voice cracking up. I realized then that I had started crying.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was feeling. Was I worried that Ethan would get hurt or was I scared that Hayden would hurt someone? I just couldn¡¯t understand myself or my feelings at all. Everything was just a huge ugly mess.


    "She¡¯s right. Just stop, Hayden¡­you can¡¯t kill me right in front of her anyways, can you?" Ethan said without worry.


    "Ethan¡­" Hayden growled lowly.


    "Just drop the tough act," Ethan hissed back.


    "Hayden, please¡­stop this. Let¡¯s talk it out¡­" I begged softly.


    "Malissa¡­has this bastard told you about his dear Amelia yet?" Ethan asked, his eyes wandering to my face.


    "Stop it, Ethan¡­" Hayden hissed in warning.


    "Have you told her about your dear Amelia? Judging from her reaction, I guess you haven¡¯t" Ethan asked before smirking again.


    "Amelia?" I said in shock and puzzlement. How does Ethan know about Amelia?


    "Shut up right now, Ethan¡­" Hayden said in a low voice. If he was angry before he was crazy angry now¡­


    "Return to me, Malissa. We can go back to how things were between us. I love you and I promise that I won¡¯t ever leave you again. Come back to me, Malissa," Ethan said as he smiled at me.


    I remember that smile¡­


    "Stay back, Malissa¡­" Hayden¡¯s harsh voice cut through my memory of Ethan.


    On shaky legs, I took a few steps back away from the two men. So much for head of gangs don¡¯t engage in shoot outs. The two men are literally at each other¡¯s throats now.


    "Hayden. Let¡¯s go back¡­please¡­" I begged in a small voice.


    I couldn¡¯t stop crying. My eyes were hurting, and I was finding it hard to breathe. So many things were happening all at once and I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around anything at all. Ethan suddenly appeared and wants me back. Hayden seems to have so many secrets that he¡¯s not willing to tell me. Hayden and Ethan are now fighting and all I can do is stand here and watch.


    I didn¡¯t know what I wanted but I was sure that I didn¡¯t want anyone to get hurt.


    Hayden was silent and he didn¡¯t respond to me. I wondered if he even heard me or was he too angry to hear anything or see anyone around him. We need to go back, that¡¯s for certain.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 110: Puzzling Pieces

    Easier said than done. How do I even do that? I stared at the two men who were still in the same position as before. I can¡¯t break them up so what should I do now?


    Should I call Luka and the men in to stop this? Will that lead to a bigger mess than now?


    I was so hesitant that I didn¡¯t dare do or say anything. In the end, I decided to continue pleading to Hayden to let Ethan go so that we could go back.


    "Hayden¡­please. I don¡¯t want to be here anymore. Please take me back¡­" I begged as I continued to cry my eyes out.


    I must look like such a mess right now. Why did things have to turn out this way?


    "Hayden! Please¡­let¡¯s go back together¡­" I pleaded once more when I didn¡¯t get a response from him.


    Time past by in silene for a while before I heard Hayden sigh loudly.


    "If you wanted her to have a normal life, you wouldn¡¯t have gone looking for her in the first ce¡­" Hayden said tly.


    Slowly, he released his hold from around Ethan¡¯s shirt and lowered his gun. The two men stared at each other wordlessly before Hayden turned to face me.


    "Let¡¯s go, Malissa. I know that you¡¯re upset ¡­" Hayden said as he held out his hand towards me.


    "Thank you¡­" I replied softly before breathing a sigh of relief.


    I took Hayden¡¯s outstretched hand and together we left the room. Ethan didn¡¯t say anything more, but I could feel his eyes on me the entire time until I left the room.


    "Hayden¡­" Luka¡¯s worried voice called out Hayden¡¯s name when we exited the room.


    I tried to hide my tear-stained face, but I didn¡¯t think that I was sessful. The eyes of the men who were waiting in front of the door were on us and I just wanted to hide away.


    "We¡¯re heading back," Hayden said to Luka.


    "Right away¡­" Luka said as he nodded.


    In the end, I didn¡¯t have to worry about my dress being too tight or not. We never had a chance to eat any of the food that was prepared for our dinner. Never mind that, we didn¡¯t even get a chance to sit down at the dining table.


    The other men from Torex followed closely behind us as we headed back to our floor. I had thought that the long day was finally over, and we could finally rest but I was so wrong. Once we entered the room, Hayden barked out orders to his men immediately. Honestly, I have never seen him use this tone with his men before. This must be Hayden in boss mode¡­


    "Fly the helicopter over. We¡¯re going back," Haydenmanded before he flopped down onto the sofa next to me.


    We¡¯re going back?


    My mouth flew open in shock. It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to stay on this ship any longer but I was equally surprised at Hayden¡¯s sudden order to fly us out of there.


    "Right away," Luka replied tly before he pulled out his phone.


    Hayden had not said a word to me since we left the room where we met Ethan. Perhaps it was better this way because I honestly haven¡¯t wrapped my head around what had happened. I wouldn¡¯t know what to say to Hayden if he were to ask me anything. Plus, I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about everything that had happened. How could I figure anything out when I didn¡¯t know or understand anything?


    I didn¡¯t know where we are, but I guess if the helicopter could reach us then we were probably not too far from shore. Hayden was undoubtedly in a horrible mood and no one, including myself, dared speak to him. I nced over at Hayden and saw that he seemed to be deep in thought. I wondered what it was that Ethan said that was bothering him so much. Was he shocked that I used to date Ethan?


    Probably.


    We sat side by side on the sofa in silence. Luka and the men had left the room, leaving us alone. It wasn¡¯t long before we were both too consumed by our own troubling thoughts that it didn¡¯t matter that we were sitting next to each other. Our thoughts made sure that no matter how close we were physically to each other, we were as far apart as could be.


    Everything about what Ethan said bothered me and so did Hayden¡¯s reactions. Hayden did not give away much by his words, but I could tell by his reactions that some if not all of the things that Ethan said was true to a certain extent. So many things happened, and I wasn¡¯t sure where to start and where I should go from here.


    I never expected to run into Ethan here of all ces. It was even more shocking that he¡¯s actually a mafia boss. What sort of luck did I have to be involved with two mafia bosses like this? This is all just so crazy. After we broke up and I couldn¡¯t get in touch with him for around a year, he just appears in front of me and asked that we get back together.


    Now¡­that was just crazy.


    The truth was that if he had appeared in front of me and asked to get back together around a month ago, I might have truly considered it. However, since meeting Hayden and getting involved with him, I wasn¡¯t sure about my feelings anymore. I remembered the sick feeling that I felt when Ethan offered to pay off my debt just to get me back.


    In that moment, I guess I prayed for Hayden to turn that deal down. I sighed loudly and closed my eyes as I tried to sort out my feelings.


    As if that wasn¡¯t the worst of all problems, Ethan just had to go and say things that sounded so suspicious. What did he mean when he told Hayden that he came to find me first? I have never met Ethan or Hayden before. At least, not that I could remember. Why would they be looking for me? Ethan looked for me and found me.


    Why?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 111: Silent Flight

    I thought running into Ethan on that raining day had all been a big coincidence. Romantically speaking, I thought that it was fate that brought us together on that rainy day. However, what if it wasn¡¯t coincidence or fate at all. If Ethan had been looking for me, then perhaps he was just there waiting for me on my first day at university. Is that what really happened?


    Then there¡¯s the issue of Amelia. I don¡¯t even want to start thinking about that. I sighed loudly once again and rubbed my temples. My head felt like it was about to burst into mes. It was clear that Ethan knew Amelia as well and he wanted Hayden to tell me about Amelia. Why?


    I already knew that Hayden is in love with her. What more is there to know? It¡¯s been rubbed in my face more than enough times before.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I wallowed in my own thoughts like this but the sound of a man¡¯s voice telling Hayden that the helicopter had arrived snapped me out of my thoughts. It seems like we really are heading back right now. Surprisingly, I felt quite relieved to get off this ship even if that meant being taken far away from Ethan once again.


    The sofa shifted when Hayden stood up. He gestured for me to follow him, and I did exactly that. Luka briefly discussed the logistic details with Hayden and from catching some parts of their conversation, I figured out that it would only be Hayden and I along with some men, who will act as our escorts, that will be returning. Luka and most of the other men will stay until the end of the g.


    "¡­the negotiations with Silva¡­" Luka said solemnly reminding both Hayden and me that no such negotiations took ce with Ethan, the head of Silva.


    "There will be no such negotiations¡­" Hayden replied, his face and tone dark.


    Luka could probably sense Hayden¡¯s dark and very intimidating mood as well because he didn¡¯t ask for any more details. I wondered what is going to happen between the two gangs now that Hayden had failed to negotiate with Silva.


    More urately, he never got a chance to get to making any negotiations and now it was clear that any intentions he had for a peaceful negotiation had all but vanished into thin air.


    A chill ran down my spine when I thought of the various alternatives that the senior men of the Torex gang shouted out during the meeting. Every solution had one thing inmon: Violence.


    I was so wrapped up in my worries that I was just following Hayden blindly. The next thing I knew we were outside, and the night wind was howling like mad around us. I looked up at the night sky and I could see the stars and a very big moon; however, none of it looked anywhere near beautiful. We were up on the helicopter pad of the ship and our ride was more than ready to go.


    With a helping hand from Hayden, I got into the helicopter. The loud sound of the helicopter strangely helped to calm me down. The ride back to shore was silent while everyone seemed to keep to their own thoughts without words. I certainly did the same.


    Looking out from the helicopter¡¯s window, I could see the ship getting smaller as we rose up into the sky. The g turned out to be quite a failure for us, I guessed. It brought more troubles and we had nothing to gain from it at all. I closed my eyes and sighed loudly while I wondered if the old man Torex knew that something along these lines would happen. Did he know?


    Is this why he put me on the ship with Hayden?


    ¡­


    I don¡¯t know why I found it surprising since I should get used to these things by now. Nothing should surprise me anymore but the fact that there¡¯s a helipad on top of our penthouse building sort of did surprise me. Not that I wanted toin. It was very convenient tond on top of our building¡¯s rooftop and take the elevator down to our penthouse. Talk about the ¡¯small¡¯ luxuries in life¡­


    Hayden had not spoken a word to me, and I was getting a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Not too long ago something like this happened before and I remembered well where I ended up because of it. He¡¯s angry and I couldn¡¯t even begin to count the reasons why that was so. It¡¯s not my fault but for some reason, I felt like it sort of was. I kept my mouth shut all the way as I walked behind him back to the penthouse.


    Who knows my life might be ending in less than two minutes¡­?


    I¡¯m not seeing key moments of my life sh before my eyes though. I guessed what they say about seeing your life sh before your eyes before you¡¯re about to die might not be true after all because I was quite sure that I was about to die¡­


    I watched Hayden¡¯s broad back and his light blond hair as he walked in front of me. The men had already left us; conveniently leaving the two of us alone together.


    Hayden opened the door to the penthouse and stood to the side to let me in first. If it wasn¡¯t Hayden who held the door open for me, I would have beenpelled to believe that this was a simple act of courtesy; however, this was Hayden that we¡¯re talking about. Basically, the prey walks in first so that he could close and lock the door to trap me in with him. Lamb to the ughter.


    Unfortunately, I was themb.


    After taking three steps into the penthouse, I heard the door locking behind me and felt Hayden¡¯s presence close behind me. He¡¯s so close, I can literally feel him breathing down the side of my neck. I closed my eyes and fully expected to see some highlight from my childhood y behind my closed eyelids. That didn¡¯t happen though.


    Hayden ced hisrge hand on my shoulder softly and I flinched. The heat of his hand seeped in through the thin fabric of my dress and directly into my skin.


    "Do you want to talk first or do you want me to fuck you first?" Hayden whispered close to my ear.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 112: Taking Him All In

    What kind of question is that?


    "I¡­" I said softly as I was still unsure what would be the better option.


    Is there even a better option between the two?


    "Indecisive? Should I make up your mind for you?" Hayden offered.


    Before I could even suck in my breath to say anything, his hands had already grabbed my wrists and held them together behind my back.


    "Hayden¡­." I whispered his name in shock as my body was quickly pressed against the wall.


    I felt the coldness of the wall press against my cheek and my chest. The coldness of the wall a clear contrast with the heat of Hayden¡¯s body that was pressed against my backside. His hand still held my wrist securely behind my back.


    Clearly, he didn¡¯t put me in this position to talk to me which can only mean¡­


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name when I felt his hand stroking my thigh.


    "You have to learn to say other things besides my name¡­" Hayden said emotionlessly.


    I let out a soft cry when I felt his hand slowly inching upward along my thigh until I felt it disappear under the skirt of my dress. Thing are moving along too fast for me to process what was going on. Hayden¡¯s hand stroked my inner thighs and travelled all the way up to my crotch. I moaned softly when his skillful fingers began stroking the thin fabric covering my love opening.


    Hayden¡­he¡¯s so rushed and impatient¡­


    "Ahh! Hayden¡­" I cried out when he suddenly bit my earlobe.


    The sound of his harsh breathing next to my ear along with his hot breath made my body tremble. I felt a wet sensation running along my earlobe and realized that he had started licking my ear with the tip of his hot tongue. I let out multiple soft moans as my body started to react to his stimtions.


    The hand in between my legs started expertly stroking and petting my pussy through the thin fabric of my panties. I moved my hips a little, grinding my opening against the tip of his fingers. In response to my movement, Hayden tightened his hold on my wrists, and I was forced to stop moving.


    It was just had he had warned me many times before. I knew it well now from experience that any restraint he ced on me would only hurt if I struggled. I moaned against the wall as his fingers sent waves of pleasure flowing through my body from the spot that he was stimting in between my legs. When he started rubbing my clit through my panties, I let out a muffled cry as desire filled my mind.


    Without waiting any longer, Hayden pulled the crotch of my panties to the side and began stroking my wet slit directly with his fingers. The feel of him touching me directly felt so much more pleasurable than when he did it through my panties. I could tell that he wanted to enter me right away and I was thankful that he provided me with some forey.


    My pussy throbbed with desire now and there was an undeniable ache of yearning in my lower abdomen.


    Clenching my pussy walls, I could tell that I was already very wet down there from all his teasing. This was the first time that I appreciated the fact that my body reacted so fast and so much to Hayden¡¯s caresses. I couldn¡¯t imagine how much it would hurt if he entered me when I wasn¡¯t ready.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in between my pants and moans of pleasure.


    "I touch you a little and you¡¯re already soaking wet. Your body is well disciplined even if you¡¯re not¡­" Hayden said, and I could hear some satisfaction in his voice.


    Suddenly, I felt a sharp prating sensation in my pussy hole and realized that Hayden had thrusted two of his long and thick fingers into me. My pussy made lewd wet sounds at his abrupt entrance as his fingers stretched my opening and stirred my hot wetness. I cried out and moaned loudly when Hayden began screwing his fingers in and out of my love hole.


    I arched my back and stuck out my hips even further as I tried to suck his fingers deeper into me.


    "That should be enough¡­" Hayden said softly as he quickly removed his fingers from my cunt.


    I let out a disappointed cry when his fingers suddenly exited my love hole and left me feeling very empty inside. Unable to help myself, I couldn¡¯t help but yearn for more. As if he could hear my thoughts, Hayden quickly unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants.


    I sucked in my breath and held it in anticipation when I felt the heat and thickness of the head of his massive cock as he positioned it at my entrance.


    "Ahh! Hayden! So¡­deep¡­not¡­so fast¡­" I cried out and moaned loudly when Hayden rammed his massive member into my wet hole.


    Even before I had finished crying out his name, Hayden had already began moving his thick cock inside of me. Rearing back his hips, he pumped his thick cock fast and hard into me over and over again. From his first thrust, I could feel him so deep inside of me and with each thrust, I felt him enter me deeper. I could feel his rage and his frustration from the way he was taking me from behind.


    I closed my eyes tightly and took it all in, his wild thrusts, his anger and frustration. I just took it all in.


    I would let him take me roughly like this as many times as he needed if that was what it took for me to understand him better. If I could learn even just one more thing about him from this rough treatment, it would be more than worth it. As he continued to pound his gigantic cock into me, it started to hurt. He¡¯s so big and he¡¯s moving too forcibly.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was intentional, but he was prating me in the exact angle that felt so amazingly good. He was in so deep, and I could feel him thrusting against my womb with each thrust.


    --To be continued

 Chapter 113: Let’s Talk

    Soon the pain was reced by unbelievable pleasure. Suddenly, I felt like I was going to cum. I began moaning and crying out louder. It was good that we were the only ones living on this floor and no one would be walking around in the hallway. I can¡¯t believe that he¡¯s taking me here right in the doorway, but it is already happening.


    "Hayden¡­Hayden¡­I¡¯m going to¡­cum!" I cried out loudly.


    Hayden didn¡¯t reply but when his movements became more aggressive and forceful, I knew that he had heard me and that this was his response. Unlike when we made love in the past, he didn¡¯t have much to say to me today. His wild movements and the sensation of his thick rod rubbing my pussy walls and ramming against my pleasure spot deep inside of my love hole quickly sent me over the edge.


    I cried out his name as my climax hit me.


    I felt like I was going to faint from my own intense orgasm. Hayden, on the other hand, clearly hasn¡¯t had enough. His hands now held my hips as he pumped his hard rod in and out of me non-stop. Hayden was panting and groaning loudly now as our hips pped against each other while our sex made wet and lewd sounds. I could barely stand anymore, and it was the wall and Hayden that held me up.


    "You¡¯re mine now¡­Malissa¡­" Hayden hissed into my ear before he reached his own height of pleasure.


    I gasped when I felt the hotness of his release filling me up deep inside. He¡¯s not wearing a condom. His hot cock twitched wildly inside of me as it spurted more of his seed deep into my womb. I felt his heat fill me and it was like he was everywhere in my tummy. He¡¯s cumming so much into me and my pussy clenched around his cock, sucking his seed even deeper into my body.


    Hayden¡­did he do this intentionally¡­why?


    When he was done nting his seed inside of me, Hayden pulled his cock roughly out of me. I cried out in shock at the sudden jerk of his cock out of my love hole. The mix of our love juice spurted out of my hole and flowed down my thighs. There¡¯s so much of it. Just how much did this man cum into me?


    He let go of me and I slowly crumbled to the ground as if my legs had turned to mush. I was panting hard as I tried to catch my breath. I wondered if I made a mess on the floor and then I didn¡¯t bother to think about it anymore.


    "Come here," Hayden said curtly as he lifted me into his arms.


    Everything just felt like it was happening to someone else, and I was watching from afar as Hayden carried my limp body to his bedroom. Once there, heid me down on his bed and got on top of me. When I felt his hands on my legs, parting them so that he could wedge his hips in between them, I screamed.


    "Hayden! No¡­please¡­" I cried and started struggling against him.


    My body felt very sore, and I didn¡¯t think that I could handle another round of such rough sex with Hayden anymore. The biggest issue that I haven¡¯t forgotten was that he came inside of me. Once was bad enough; I wasn¡¯t about to let him do it again.


    "Is once really enough for you?" Hayden teased but I couldn¡¯t find it funny.


    At least, it seemed that Hayden had stopped trying to spread my legs. I guess, that was a good start for a change. He looked down at me as he sat in between my legs and once again, I wondered what he was thinking.


    "You should have worn a condom¡­" I muttered bitterly.


    I had many things that I wanted to say to him and ask him but those were the first words that left my lips.


    "It¡¯ll probably be a big issue if you returned to Ethan pregnant with my child¡­" Hayden said without a care in the world.


    My whole body froze at his mention of the possibility that I could get pregnant. After this is all said and done, I¡¯m going out to buy the pill. If he keeps doing me raw like this, I might as well get on the regr pill, so I don¡¯t have to resort to these morning-after pills to manage the crisis. I could feel Hayden¡¯s blue eyes watching me intently and I blushed.


    Why do I sound like I¡¯m looking forward to more passionate trysts with him?


    "I¡¯ll take the pill. You don¡¯t have to worry¡­" I replied begrudgingly.


    "I think you¡¯re misunderstanding me. I¡¯m not at all worried if you get pregnant. My old man would be overjoyed. Afterall, that¡¯s why he bothered to offer you to me in the first ce," Hayden said with an amused smile on his face.


    Now that he mentioned it, I guess he was very right¡­


    "Well, sorry to disappoint you but it¡¯s not going to happen," I snapped.


    Hayden had asked me before if I wanted to have sex with him first or talk first. Now that we¡¯ve had sex, I guess this is the start of the talking part. However, I had no idea why we were talking in this position with Hayden sitting in between my widely spread legs as hisrge frame loomed over me. Is this designed to make me feel intimidated and cornered?


    It was working¡­very well¡­


    "Let¡¯s talk," Hayden said calmly.


    My eyes opened wide in surprise at his very calm andposed tone. Had he finished processing everything already? For me, I had to say that I was still confused and uncertain about many things and there were a couple of things that I wanted to ask him.


    "Ok¡­" I readily agreed.


    "Tell me about Ethan," Hayden ordered.


    "But¡­I thought you knew him already¡­" I replied, slightly confused at his request.


    "Ethan and I were childhood friends. We¡¯ve known each other for a long time. When we were kids our gangs were on good terms. Needless to say, that doesn¡¯t hold anymore," Hayden exined curtly.


    "So¡­what more do you want to know?" I asked.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 114: Our Deal

    "I want to know everything about you and him. How did you meet him? What was your rtionship like? What was he like when he was with you? What you liked so much about him? Tell me¡­everything," Hayden demanded.


    "Umm¡­that¡¯s¡­" I said hesitantly.


    Isn¡¯t he asking for too much? I wasn¡¯t exactlyfortable telling Hayden about my previous romantic rtionship with Ethan. For some reason that I couldn¡¯t phantom, Hayden was very interested to know.


    "It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me," Hayden said emotionlessly but I could tell that it wasn¡¯t ¡¯fine¡¯.


    "I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not that I want to keep it a secret or anything. I¡¯m just notfortable sharing it with you¡­" I replied honestly.


    Hayden was silent for a while as he stared down at my face from above. I could see his eyes darken to a deeper blue color and the next moment that he spoke; his voice was extremely stern and serious.


    "Are you thinking of taking Ethan¡¯s offer?" he asked as his eyes stared deeply into mine.


    "I¡­" I began saying but then I trailed off as I hesitated. The truth was that I was too confused, and I haven¡¯t really decided.


    "You can be honest. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to kill you and the dissect your body if you take him up on his offer," Hayden said casually.


    Is that an indirect or a direct threat? It definitely sounded like a threat, that¡¯s for sure.


    "Honestly, I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t had enough time to think everything through¡­" I said softly.


    Hayden had told me how he knew Ethan but that wasn¡¯t what I was truly interested in. What I really wanted to know was why Ethan implied that Hayden knew me from before. I wondered if what Ethan said was true. Where have Hayden and I met before? Howe I don¡¯t remember anything at all? Is Hayden like me?


    Maybe he too doesn¡¯t remember anything about meeting me?


    "Hayden¡­Ethan said something about you knowing me from before and that maybe you¡¯re pretending that you don¡¯t remember. What does he mean by that?" I asked after mustering up all the courage that I had in my entire being.


    Hayden was silent and for once he averted his eyes from mine. I waited patiently for his answer as I watched him closely. Could it be¡­true?


    "I¡¯ll tell you when you be my wife," Hayden said before he grinned at me.


    I closed my eyes and sighed loudly so that he would hear my frustration. Every time that he doesn¡¯t want to answer a question, that is exactly what he would say. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll end up marrying him for real and so I guess I¡¯ll never find out. Honestly, it didn¡¯t matter whether we¡¯ve met before or not. Since I don¡¯t remember anything about it, it might as well have never happened.


    Thest matter on my mind was Amelia. Ethan acted like I should know about Hayden and Amelia. Is there something more there that I should know apart from the fact that they seem so lovey-dovey?


    "Let¡¯s make a deal. You decline Ethan¡¯s offer to pay off your debt and I¡¯ll tell you about Amelia," Hayden said before smiling confidently down at me.


    My mouth hung open at the suddenness of his crazy suggestion. Did he just read my mind or what?


    Seeing that I was stunned into silence, Hayden continued with exining his proposal to me. I had to say that he was a very good salesman indeed.


    "It¡¯s not a bad deal for you if you think about it. There aren¡¯t many days left until the end of the contract anyways. If you take Ethan¡¯s offer, you¡¯ll be indebted to him, and lord knows what he¡¯ll make you do. Mafias are mafias after all. There¡¯s no guarantee that his gang is better than mine," Hayden said convincingly.


    "Aha¡­" I muttered as I tried to process his words.


    "If you take my offer, you¡¯ll also get to know about Amelia. Who I guess you¡¯re extremely curious about. What do you say?" Hayden suggested with an angelic smile.


    "I¡­don¡¯t know¡­" I replied hesitantly.


    He was right about one thing for sure, our contract wille to an end very soon¡­


    Even if I don¡¯t do anything, our time together will naturally run out and I will be free from my debt. After all, no one can stop the sands of time from flowing.


    "Let me be more generous. I won¡¯t just tell you. I¡¯ll show you¡­" he said and for a moment his smile seemed very kind.


    "What?" I whispered, still stunned and unable to process his words properly.


    "Don¡¯t you want to meet her?" Hayden asked and I knew that he was baiting me.


    His unfairly handsome face leaned closer to mine until our noses almost touched.


    "¡­Who?" I whispered.


    He can¡¯t mean¡­


    "¡­Amelia," Hayden whispered.


    The angel in the photo who looks too beautiful to even be in this world. The woman that he is so in love with and the only one that he says he would ever marry. Do I want to meet her?


    While I was lost in thought, Hayden started giggling softly before his small giggles turned into a full-blownugh. What possessed him this time?


    "Why are youughing?" I asked, clearly confused.


    "The curious look on your face is so hrious. Judging by the look on your face, I¡¯d say that we have a deal¡­" Hayden said confidently.


    He was right. Although, I didn¡¯t want to admit it outright, I was extremely curious. I wanted to know about Amelia. I wanted to see her in person. I wanted to know what type of woman could capture and hold Hayden¡¯s love the way she could.


    "I guess we do¡­" I replied softly.


    Hayden¡¯s blue eyes widened before he smiled joyously at me. At that time, I didn¡¯t fully understand why he seemed so ecstatic that I had epted his deal. Does he want me to meet Amelia so much? Why?


    That was when I started to ponder if and how things would change between Hayden and me if I met Amelia. I sucked in a deep breath and steadied my nerves. The truth was already clear. No matter what happens, our time is running out¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 115: A New Day

    I woke up because someone knocked on the door. I guess I was so tired, and I didn¡¯t remember when I fell asleepst night. Memories of yesterday andst night came flooding back to me in waves and I felt a migraineing on. Too much happened on the ship at the g and then even more happened after we returned.


    The conversation I had with Hayden came back to me in full force. That¡¯s right¡­we agreed that I would not take Ethan¡¯s offer and in return he would tell me about Amelia. No, not just that. He would take me to see Amelia. I sat up straight in bed and gasped as that sudden realization hit me.


    I¡¯m going to see Amelia¡­


    "Umm¡­I brought fruits and some food as you¡¯ve requested, Master Hayden¡­" Auntie said.


    I turned my head towards the bedroom door and could see Hayden¡¯s back and a bit of Auntie as she peaked into the room.


    "Thank you. Oh, if my old man calls, you can tell him that I¡¯m a little busy with Miss Malissa here¡­ok?" Hayden replied as he smiled charmingly at her.


    Hayden¡­he¡¯s still here. I had thought that he would be gone when I woke up. Apparently, I was wrong.


    After thanking Auntie, Hayden closed the door and turned around with arge tray of food and fruits. When he saw that I was awake and sitting up in bed, he shed me a charming smile. Although I was confused at this unusual action, my heart still skipped a beat.


    It was like the new day brought about a new Hayden. My head hurts. It seemed like everything and everyone around me had changed. I smiled a little back at him. Hayden came over to the bed along with the tray and sat down next to me. We were so close that our bodies were touching, his arm to my arm and his thigh to my thigh.


    "Here you go. Open up wide¡­" Hayden said as he offered to feed me a strawberry.


    "Why are you feeding me?" I asked, suspiciously. It wasn¡¯t like Hayden to do something so nice and caring.


    "Eat. You didn¡¯t have any dinnerst night, right?" he said.


    I nodded my head slightly. Now that I thought about it, he was right. We met with Ethan for dinner but didn¡¯t end up touching any food. Then we got on a helicopter and flew back. We didn¡¯t eat when we got back either.


    "Open wide¡­" Hayden repeated as he brought the strawberry even closer to my lips.


    "Stop¡­it¡¯s embarrassing¡­" I managed to say.


    "After all we¡¯ve done, this is embarrassing?" Hayden teased.


    I red at him. Morning after pills¡­where are you?


    With a small sigh, I opened my mouth and he fed me the strawberry. Wow¡­it tastes so good. Sweet with a little sour taste.


    "Good?" Hayden asked.


    "Yeah¡­" I mumbled.


    I wondered why he was being so nice all of a sudden. Ulterior motives, I heard a small voice in my head whispering. This monster obviously has ulterior motives. I nced over at his angelic and overly handsome face and narrowed my eyes at him.


    "More? You should eat a lot¡­" Hayden said as he started feeding me more fruits.


    While being fed by Hayden, my mind started figuring out just how much longer we have left together. I¡¯ve lost count of the days again. Just how many more days do we have before the contractes to an end?


    I see. We only have nine days left.


    Only?


    "Why are youughing?" Hayden asked.


    That was when I realized that I hadughed out loud. What I found funny wasn¡¯t what Hayden was doing but my own thoughts. Before I would never have used to the words ¡¯only¡¯ to refer to the days that we had left. I had always looked at the remaining days with dread. No matter how much the number went down, it didn¡¯t seem fast enough. There were always too many days left.


    "Nothing¡­" I replied softly.


    Hayden seemed to be in a cheerful mood, and I didn¡¯t know why. I wondered if he still remembered our deal. It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to rush things but there¡¯s no benefit in putting it off any longer is there?


    "Hayden¡­about meeting Amelia¡­" I said.


    "Oh, that. She¡¯s free tomorrow. So, let¡¯s go see her tomorrow," Hayden said casually.


    That was easy¡­


    "I see¡­" I mumbled.


    Tomorrow, I¡¯ll be seeing this Amelia person, finally.


    "Let¡¯s go shopping today," Hayden said with so much motivation that I felt even more confused.


    "Is there something that you need to buy?" I asked.


    "No¡­but you do," he replied.


    "I do?" I asked, feeling more confused than before. As far as I was aware, I didn¡¯t need to buy anything.


    "Amelia is like a princess. Some say she¡¯s even prettier than superstars. You¡¯re not going to appear in front of her in your lousy clothes, are you?" Hayden asked with augh.


    "Aha¡­I see¡­" I replied as I red at him.


    I¡¯m not as pretty as her and I don¡¯t have nice clothes like she does¡­is that it?


    "Shopping is great. It¡¯s a good way for me to rx," Hayden said wistfully.


    I recalled thest time we went shopping. It was only a few days ago when we went to pick out a dress for me for the g. He did seem quite rxed as hezed about on the sofa. On the other hand, I had to go through all the hassle of trying on countless dresses.


    "For you it must be. It¡¯s not rxing at all for me. Can I just wear something that we picked for the g?" I asked hopefully.


    "Nope. Let¡¯s go out shopping," Hayden said.


    I watched as he got up from the bed and stretched. Dressed only in light blue jeans, I watched as the muscle of his back moved as he stretched so gracefully. I cocked my head to the side as I tried to figure out what to do when Ie face to face with Amelia.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 116: Let’s Go Shopping

    In the end, we ended up at the most upscaled mall in the city. Hayden held my hand as we walked along the strip in the mall lined with the most expensive branded boutiques. I nced up at his face as he stared into the shop windows with interest. Considering what had happened, I was very surprised that Hayden could act like nothing really happened.


    Sure, he was super aggressive and agitated the night that we came back. However, there wasn¡¯t any trace of that today. While Hayden checked out the shop disys with interest, I couldn¡¯t help staring at him with interest. Whatever that seemed to trouble Hayden yesterday must have been resolved some way or somehow. Either that or he had made up his mind about something.


    I guess I¡¯ve made up my mind to. By striking the deal with Hayden I had decided that I will not be returning to Ethan. I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯vepletelye to terms with what that actually meant.


    "Seriously, you¡¯re just using this as an excuse to skip work, aren¡¯t you?" I asked as I looked at him suspiciously.


    "What makes you think that?" Hayden asked, acting all innocent and good.


    "You¡¯re not even going to deny it¡­" I murmured.


    "Anything caught you eye?" Hayden asked a while after we¡¯ve been walking around.


    I snapped out of my thoughts and started blinking rapidly. Right, I hadn¡¯t been paying attention to anything in the shop disys.


    "Umm¡­no¡­" I replied.


    "Are you even paying attention?" he asked.


    "I was spacing out a little¡­I guess¡­" I replied admittingly.


    "If you don¡¯t choose something for yourself, then I will," Hayden stated firmly.


    "I¡¯ll leave it to you then¡­" I replied without a care.


    "Really?" Hayden asked and I felt his eyes on me.


    I nodded in response. He was the one who seemed dissatisfied if I were to turn up to see Amelia in shirt and jeans so he might as well pick whatever he thought was appropriate.


    "People tend to pick out the dress first before the jewelry, but I sort of like to do it the other way around," Hayden said before grinning mischievously at me.


    "Aha¡­" I mumbled.


    "Come in here for a second," Hayden said as he tugged on my hand.


    We entered a very famous fine jewelry store. The store manager came to personally greet Hayden immediately and I figured that he must be a regr here. The middle-aged woman greeted us with a polite and very pleasant smile.


    "It is a pleasure to wee you. Thank you for trusting us to provide you with the best fine jewelry," the woman said proudly.


    "Thank you," Hayden replied curtly.


    "Please follow me. I have arranged some items for you based on your special request," the woman said as she led us to a private room located at the back of the showroom.


    "You ordered something?" I whispered to Hayden while we followed behind the store manager.


    "Of course, I did," Hayden replied before shing me a confident smile.


    When we got in the room, the store manager quickly closed the door behind us, and I could hear the sound of the lock locking automatically. The room was quiterge and luxuriously decorated in dark blue color. The woman stood behind a counter where many jewelries were on disyed.


    "As requested, I¡¯ve prepared many jewelry sets featuring various sapphires and diamonds. This one is Ceylon blue sapphires with diamonds. This is Ruby with diamonds and this one is emeralds with diamonds. If you would like a mix of color in the same set then, I would like to rmend this one," the store manager exined expertly.


    "Come," Hayden pulled on my hand before dragging me to the counter where I could get a closer view of the jewelry.


    The woman quickly brought out the jewelry from the showcase and ced it on top of the counter where I could see them up close.


    "Can you give us some time alone?" Hayden requested.


    "Oh, sure. Please call on me if you need anything. Sorry but for security reasons, you¡¯re not allowed view these pieces outside of this room," the woman exined.


    "No problem," Hayden replied.


    The woman bowed and quickly left the room, leaving Hayden and I alone with all the morous jewelry.


    "I don¡¯t think¡­" I started protesting.


    I¡¯m just meeting Amelia and not going to the Oscars. I didn¡¯t think that I needed theserge set of chunky gems and diamonds. Everything was very pretty and sparkling. Nes with matching earrings and a ring made up a very captivating set.


    "Which one do you like? Maybe you should try them all on," Hayden said as he picked up a ring featuring an oversized emerald with a diamond halo.


    "I don¡¯t think you need to buy these¡­" I said, sounding very stubborn about it.


    "Choose," Hayden replied, sounding impatient.


    "It must be expensive. There¡¯s no need for this¡­" I said once again.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be adding everything to your tab of debt," Hayden said.


    "What?!" I eximed in shock.


    "I¡¯m joking¡­" Hayden said before pointing to the jewelry.


    "Regardless, this is definitely over the top," I mumbled.


    "You say this because you¡¯ve never been to Amelia¡¯s house," Hayden said with a smallugh.


    "We¡¯re going to her house?" I asked. That¡¯s a little unexpected.


    "That¡¯s where she prefers to receive guests these days," he replied casually.


    "I see¡­" I replied softly.


    While we were talking, Hayden¡¯s hands had been busy cing the various nes around my neck and inspecting how it looked on me through the mirror. I was too absorbed in our conversation to pay any attention on the jewelry though.


    "What about this set? The emeralds suit you well. They make your eyes sparkle¡­" Hayden said once he¡¯s made his decision.


    "If you say so¡­" I replied. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t care less¡­


    ¡­


    Morning arrived much slower than I had hoped for. After purchasing jewelry, dresses, and shoes yesterday, it was finally the day where Hayden would take me to see Amelia. I could still recall the feeling that I felt when I first saw her photo. Her beauty was breathtaking for sure but what really caught my attention was the happiness that I could feel from her joyous smile.


    I wonder what she is like¡­Amelia¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 117: A Princess’s Castle

    Although that¡¯s what I thought, the truth was I was very anxious and a little scared of meeting her. It wasn¡¯t like I was scared of her as a person. She seemed like a kind and cheerful person. What I was truly scared of was how Hayden was going to introduce us. I mean, she¡¯s his girlfriend, right?


    And¡­I don¡¯t even know what I am to him¡­


    Only eight days left.


    I sighed loudly before I got up and showered. The n was for Hayden to take me to Amelia¡¯s house sometime before noon. That meant that we still had plenty of time. I showered and got dressed and applied some basic make up. Maybe, I¡¯ll go with a slightly darker shade for my lipstick today.


    After a whole lot of insistence from my side, Hayden was forced to give up on his idea of having a professional makeup artist and a hairstyliste in to help me dress up. I still didn¡¯t understand what the whole big fuss was about. Sure, I didn¡¯t want to look like a damsel in distress in front of Amelia but that didn¡¯t mean that I thought that it was necessary for me to outshine her.


    Not that that would be possible anyways¡­


    "Ready?" Hayden asked when I stepped out of my bedroom.


    I was dressed in the dress, the shoes, and the jewelries that he had chosen. He¡¯s got to be satisfied, right?


    "Yes¡­" I replied.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes were immediately on my face before he started scanning my whole body from my face down to my toes and then up away.


    "Hmm¡­passable, I guess¡­" he muttered.


    Passable? I wanted to roll my eyes at him.


    To my surprise, Hayden was dressed quite politely as well. He wore a white suit with matching pants and a pale pink shirt. I guess he has to suit up and look good in front of his girlfriend. No, I¡¯m not feeling depressed. Not at all.


    The ride to Amelia¡¯s house was much longer than I had anticipated. Apparently, she did not live in the city but on the outskirts of town. Hayden didn¡¯t say much during the ride as if he was thinking of something on his own. I was in a simr situation. While staring at the scenery that was passing by through the car¡¯s window, I thought about how Hayden was feeling or what he was thinking.


    Isn¡¯t it crazy? Taking me to see his girlfriend. He might not think much of me but we¡¯re in such a messy contract. To put it bluntly, I was the girl he was cheating on his girlfriend with. My hands clenched into tight fists without me realizing it.


    "We¡¯re here," Hayden announced before he got out of the car.


    "This is a house¡­?" I said in bewilderment.


    Shocked at the vast size of the building in front of me. I immediately understood why this property had to be on the outskirts of the city. It was simply too big to be in the city. The building was surrounding by a mini forest and a vast garden filled with rose bushes. The building looked like a mansion built for nobility. Nothing more and nothing less.


    Hayden led the way to the front entrance of the mansion, and I quickly followed him. Therge double door of the mansion opened, and we were immediately greeted by two men dressed in butler uniform. For a moment, I felt like I was trapped in a period drama of some sort. Just like the exterior, the interior of the mansion did not disappoint.


    "Wee Master Hayden. Madame Sophia will be here to wee you soon," one of the butlers said before he bowed to show his respect.


    Hayden only nodded in acknowledgement before we were led to the living room where we sat down on the sofa to wait for Madame Sophia. I had no idea who she is, and Hayden did not bother to exin.


    "Sorry for the wait, Master Hayden," a woman said.


    She must be Madame Sophia. The woman seemed to be in her fifties. Her hospitable smile made her look years younger though.


    "Madame Sophia. Sorry for the trouble," Hayden said with a formal smile.


    "Oh, you brought along a guest," Madame Sophia said before smiling my way.


    "Hello¡­" I said softly.


    "This is Malissa," Hayden introduced me without providing any other information.


    If Madame Sophia was curious about who I was, she didn¡¯t ask. She just smiled and told us to follow her. I knew without being told that she was taking us to meet with Amelia.


    Finally, the moment that I had been both looking forward to and dreading had arrived.


    "I¡¯ll leave you two now. Master Hayden, thank you foring to visit Miss Amelia. I¡¯m sure that she will be very happy to see you as always," Madame Sophia said before taking her leave.


    Amelia must be behind theserge doors. No matter what I tried, I couldn¡¯t stop my legs from shaking. Why the hell am I so nervous about this?! I found it so frustrating, and I was starting to feel angry at myself.


    "Shall we?" Hayden said invitingly.


    His hands were already on the door¡¯s handle and without waiting for my reply, Hayden pushed the door wide open and entered the room. I gulped before walking forward, following him into the room.


    The first thing that struck me was the coldness of the room. The room wasrge and decorated in light pastel tones of white and pink. A real princess¡¯s bedroom.


    "Malissa, this is Amelia¡­" Hayden said in introduction.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I had imagined Amelia to be like exactly, but one thing was for sure. The Amelia that I saw right in front of me¡­wasn¡¯t it¡­


    "Amelia, we¡¯re here to visit you¡­" Hayden said in a tender voice like I have never heard before.


    This has to be some kind of sick joke. It must be. Why did he bother to dress me up as if I would be greeting royalty like this? Everything that he said didn¡¯t make any sense at all.


    I couldn¡¯t understand anything that I was seeing yet at the same time some things started to make sense. Why did the boss enter me into a contract to live with his son for the sake of an heir if his son already had a girlfriend? Everything that the boss said was starting to make sense.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 118: Amelia

    My hands covered my mouth as I tried to breathe calmly to contain my shock at the sight before me.


    ¡¯Amelia won¡¯t marry Hayden¡­she can¡¯t...¡¯


    That was what Hayden¡¯s father said, wasn¡¯t it? For the first time, his words and many things started to make sense. He was right, there¡¯s no way that the woman in front of me can possibly marry anyone, Hayden included.


    Ameliaid in her bed with her eyes closed while many machines were hooked up to her body to sustain her life. The angel that I had dreamt about was unconscious and in a vegetative state.


    I have never felt so pitiful and disgraceful before in my entire life. All this time, I had been jealous of a woman who was in a vegetative state. I stood at the side of Amelia¡¯s bed as I looked down at her frail sleeping body. Of course, being an artist, I didn¡¯t have any medical knowledge.


    However, anyone could tell from the state that she was in and the various machines in her room that was hooked to her body that she was in a state of what we would call a ¡¯sleeping beauty¡¯.


    How long has she been this way? What happened?


    "Amelia¡­this is Malissa," Hayden introduced us before he took one of Amelia¡¯s hands into his own.


    Everything about the scene just tore at my heart. Without knowing it, I had started crying openly. This is just too sad¡­


    "Hayden¡­what happened? What happened to Amelia?" I asked, my voice shaking. My whole body felt very cold, and I couldn¡¯t stop my hands from trembling.


    "It¡¯s a little hard to exin. Let¡¯s take a seat first, shall we?" Hayden suggested as he tried to keep his tone light.


    I nodded before we seated ourselves on the sofa that was in the room. Thankfully, I had taken a seat. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure how long I could have continued to stay standing. My legs felt weak from the shock. Now that the room was silent, I could hear the constant beeping of the various life-sustaining machines that were hooked up to her body.


    Although this room was luxurious and beautiful, it was nothing more than a fancy hospital room. I gulped as I was reminded of my grandmother¡¯s room at the hospital. I wonder what happened and how long she¡¯s been in this condition. Hayden didn¡¯t seem very bothered by it. That was probably because he hade to terms with it, I guessed.


    "Hayden¡­" I called out his name in a whisper. My voice sounded dry.


    "It¡¯s ok. Amelia¡¯s been¡­sleeping¡­like that for a few years now¡­" Hayden replied before smiling a little at me. I could tell that he wanted tofort me so that I would recover from my shock.


    "Sorry¡­I honestly never expected this," I admitted honestly as I wiped my tears away from my eyes.


    "It wasn¡¯t like I was trying to keep it a secret, but it isn¡¯t really something for me to show off either," Hayden said tly.


    "I understand¡­" I mumbled softly.


    If I were Amelia, I wouldn¡¯t want anyone advertising about my condition either. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should ask this but¡­


    "Will she¡­wake up?" I asked directly.


    "Medically speaking, the chances are very slim. Even if she does wake up, there¡¯s no guarantee that she would be¡­normal," Hayden replied emotionlessly.


    Oh right, he¡¯s a doctor¡­


    "You know¡­I change my mind. You don¡¯t have to tell me anything about her¡­" I said, suddenly feeling scared to hear anything about the angel that was sleeping peacefully on the bed close to us.


    "What if I told you that what happened to you is somehow rted to her?" Hayden asked before he smiled knowingly at me.


    Then¡­of course, I would want to know¡­


    "You¡¯re not really giving me a choice, are you?" I muttered in frustration.


    "You¡¯re a very curious girl, after all," Hayden said with a smallugh.


    "So? What happened to her?" I asked, bluntly.


    "She was in a car crash. The car fell down from a bridge and into the river. Although she was saved in time to save her life, she had drowned, and theck of oxygen supply damaged her brain. The result is as you can see. After her bodily wounds have healed, she just never regained consciousness since that day," Hayden exined.


    Unfortunate idents do happen¡­


    I bit my lower lip as my eyes nced over at Amelia. Will she ever wake up? I hope she does¡­


    "That¡¯s so sad. I¡¯m sorry¡­" I quickly apologized before brining my fingers up to wipe away my tears from my eyes.


    Hayden should be feeling much more crushed than I am. I have no right to cry here in front of him like this. Taking in deep breaths, I tried to hold in my tears.


    "That¡¯s ok. I cried a lot too when it happened," Hayden admitted straightforwardly.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so I just nodded and averted my eyes. It was hard for me to imagine someone like Hayden crying. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what all of this had to do with me though.


    "What happened to Amelia was all because of me. Amelia¡¯s from a very well-off family as you can probably already tell¡­" Hayden said softly.


    "What do you mean?" I replied softly before keeping silent for Hayden to go on with his story.


    "She¡¯s the sole heir of a family that lives off old money and old connections. However, currently, their family business has been in decline and following her father¡¯s death, things got a little rough for the family," Hayden began exining.


    "They still seem very well-off as far as I can see¡­" I mumbled.


    I mean, please don¡¯t tell me that her family¡¯s got it rough financially when they¡¯re still living in a grand mansion like this. Compared to this ce, my grandmother and I lived together in a hole in a wall.


    "When I first met Amelia, I had no idea who she was. She also had no idea who I was¡­" Hayden said with a faraway look in his eyes as if he was recalling some distant memories.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 119: Angel and Doctor

    **A few years ago**


    "You¡¯re engaged?" a doctor said in surprise.


    "Why are you so shocked, Sara?" Amelia asked with augh.


    "You¡¯ve never even mentioned your boyfriend before¡­" Sara replied with a confused face.


    "Yes. Well¡­we¡¯ve been engaged since we were born to be urate. It¡¯s just recently that we¡¯re be really engaged," Amelia said, sounding amused.


    "Is it because of your father?" Sara asked, worriedly.


    "I guess. Since dad passed away things have been¡­messy. Mother wants me to marry as soon as possible¡­" Amelia said, sounding carefree.


    "Is that why you¡¯re getting me to do all these tests on you? They¡¯re worried you won¡¯t be able to produce an heir or something?" Sara asked, quickly catching on.


    "Haha¡­precisely. Fertility tests by one of the most popr gynecologists should put everyone at ease, right?" Amelia replied.


    "I¡¯ve been your friend for a long time, I know you¡¯re just faking your excitement here, Amelia¡­" Sara said before sighing.


    "Oh¡­how did you figure that out? Well, I always knew that my family would marry me off to someone of their choice. Nothing much I can do about that so I might as well enjoy my freedom while itsts¡­" Amelia replied.


    "You¡¯re one chatty patient¡­" Saramented.


    "It¡¯s weird to be having this conversation when you¡¯re looking in between my legs, huh?" Amelia asked with a small giggle.


    "We need to wrap this up soon. There¡¯s an exhibition at the hospital today and I have to attend," Sara said, sounding very bored.


    "Any hot doctors around that I can hit on?" Amelia asked excitedly.


    Sara rolled her eyes. She couldn¡¯t tell whether Amelia was serious or if she was just joking.


    "¡­Amelia¡­you¡¯re about to get married¡­" Sara reminded her sternly.


    "Precisely! My days of freedom are numbered, you know?" Amelia eximed.


    Amelia smiled radiantly at her friend as her friend shook her head in disapproval. Although these two women hadplete opposite personalities, they had remained close friends over the years.


    "So¡­can Ie along?" Amelia asked excitedly.


    "It¡¯s a public exhibition so I can¡¯t stop you froming¡­" Sara mumbled.


    "Music to my ears," Amelia said.


    ¡­


    After wrapping up Amelia¡¯s case, the two women headed to the exhibition hall in the hospital. Amelia walked excitedly at Sara¡¯s side.


    "Can you act normal please? You¡¯re attracting a lot of attention¡­" Sara whispered to her friend.


    "I thought you would be used to it by now," Amelia said without a care.


    "Well¡­you haven¡¯t been around for a while¡­" Sara replied as she tried to keep her eyes looking straight ahead.


    "That¡¯s because you¡¯re always so busy with work. Doctor life is so busy¡­" Amelia said with a pout.


    "Anyways¡­can¡¯t you do something about yourself. Everyone is staring at you¡­" Sara hissed to her friend.


    "What am I supposed to do? Everyone always stare at me because I¡¯m super pretty, you know? What about I wear a paper bag over my head the next time I¡¯m here?" Amelia suggested teasingly.


    Sara just sighed as she turned to her friend and rolled her eyes. Amelia always attracted everyone¡¯s attention wherever she went. She was right, everything about her was very attractive to look at. The way she dressed and the vibe she gave off didn¡¯t help mask her presence at all.


    "Just ignore them. You¡¯ll get used to it. Even I¡¯ve gotten used to it," Amelia said with a carefree attitude.


    "I¡¯m not like you¡­" Sara mumbled, sounding tired as she reached her hand up to adjust the sses on her face.


    Finally, the two arrived at the exhibition hall. There were more people there than usual and Sara began wondering why. She was task as one of the doctors working at the hospital to be at the exhibition to answer questions and help out in general. It was the end of her shift and she wanted to go home but she had to do what management had ordered her to. Working in a private hospital was tough work.


    "You want to look around? I can help exin¡­" Sara suggested to her friend.


    "Never mind that. Back to my question from before. Do you have any hot colleagues?" Amelia asked as her eyes scanned the crowd expertly.


    "Amelia¡­" Sara whispered following by another loud sigh.


    "Do you¡­or do you not?" Amelia demanded to know.


    "Sara!"


    A man¡¯s voice range out loud and clear. Sara heard her name being called and so did Amelia. Both women turned towards the source of the sound. Amelia¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of a very tall blond man in a doctor¡¯s uniform walking towards them through the crowd.


    "Hot man alert¡­" Amelia whispered in awe.


    "You can¡¯t be serious¡­" Sara hissed in reply. Her eyes on her colleague as he walked closer and closer to them.


    "His existence has made my fertility tests worthwhile¡­" Amelia whispered before she smiled in satisfaction.


    "No¡­wait¡­" Sara mumbled.


    "You better introduce us. Smile now¡­" Amelia hissed as she reached a hand behind her to squeeze Sara¡¯s wrist.


    The tall and very attractive man had arrived in front of the two women and Sara was having a hard time forming her words.


    "Sara, I¡¯ve been looking for you. Some managers from the other branch are here and we need your help over there¡­" the man began talking.


    "Umm¡­this is my friend, Amelia," Sara said when she finally got a hold of herself.


    "Hi. I¡¯m Amelia, Sara¡¯s best friend. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you¡­and thank you for supporting Sara. Umm¡­and you are?" Amelia said before shing him her most charming smile.


    "Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Hayden," the man replied politely.


    "Sara, it¡¯s time for you to head over there to help out now. You wouldn¡¯t want the managers to wait for too long, right?" Amelia said kindly as she turned to her friend.


    "Oh yeah¡­that¡­right. I¡¯ll be going¡­bye¡­" Sara said hastily as she excused herself.


    "She¡¯s so cute, isn¡¯t she?" Amelia said as the two of them watch Sara weave her way through the crowd.


    "She¡¯s a wonderful person but I¡¯m sure that you already know that. It was nice meeting you. Have a good day," Hayden said as he began excusing himself.


    "Would you be free for dinner?" Amelia asked in a sweet voice.


    "Sorry but I¡¯m busy today," Hayden replied, trying to sound polite and formal.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 120: Web of Relationships

    "What about tomorrow? Or the day after? Or sometime next week?" Amelia asked without backing down.


    "You¡¯re quite funny¡­" Haydenmented.


    "Then let me amuse you over dinner," Amelia suggested with a seductive smile.


    "Sorry but¡­I¡¯m not looking for a rtionship¡­" Hayden declined immediately.


    "No one¡¯s ever turned me down before¡­not that I¡¯ve had to ask many guys out before either¡­" Amelia said, clearly interested.


    "It¡¯s not always safe to assume that every man will be interested in you," Hayden said tly.


    "Well, I¡¯m not looking for a rtionship either. I¡¯m just looking for a dinner partner," Amelia replied with a smallugh.


    "I¡¯ll go if you¡¯re looking for a friend," Hayden said with a grin.


    "We can start there¡­" Amelia said before she smiled brightly at him.


    ¡­


    I listened to Hayden recount the first time that he met Amelia and how they ended up having their first dinner date together shortly afterwards. So that was how they both met and started dating each other. Recalling that he did mention that he knew a good gynecologist, I guess he was referring to this Sara person.


    I had to admit that when he mentioned that he knew a good gynecologist that he could rmend, I had other thoughts in mind for how he would know one¡­


    Despite my efforts to keep my tears in check, I had started crying once again. As I turned to the side to hide my crying face, my eyesnded on a photograph that I had seen once before. It was the same photo that I had seen in Hayden¡¯s bedroom, although this one was in a different picture frame. Amelia next to Hayden, both of them smiling as if they envisioned a bright future together.


    "Oh that¡­you saw it before, didn¡¯t you?" Hayden spoke up once again after his eyes undoubtedly followed my line of sight.


    "Huh?" I said as Hayden¡¯s words popped my bubble of personal thought.


    I realized that he was now staring at me and probably saw my eyes on the photograph. There¡¯s no point denying it now.


    "In my bedroom. You saw this same photo before, didn¡¯t you?" He asked.


    "Yes¡­I did," I replied honestly.


    If I remembered correctly, I saw this photo and I started crying. Then when I left Hayden¡¯s bedroom I ran into Auntie. Bad timing really does exist.


    "I did ask you about it, but you never replied to my question," Hayden said as if he just thought of something.


    "Ask me what?" I asked, not quite understanding what he was referring to.


    "I asked you why you were crying that day¡­" Hayden reminded me.


    "Umm¡­I¡­" I mumbled as I hesitated about what to say.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter anymore because I think I¡¯ve figured it out," Hayden said before smiling at me.


    "Figured what out?" I asked suspiciously.


    "I think I¡¯ve figured out why you were crying," Hayden stated before he got up from his seat.


    I watched as Hayden walked over to the shelf where the photo was disyed and picked it up in his hand. Wordlessly, Hayden returned to his seat with the photo in his hand. I continued to watch him in confusion as he sat down next to me on the sofa.


    "You were crying because you saw this photo, right?" Hayden asked as he shifted his gaze from the photograph in his hand over to me.


    Our eyes met and although I was ashamed to admit it, I just nodded my head a little. It was true that I was very disturbed when I saw the photo of them together just sitting in his room right after we just had sex. It made me feel so ashamed and disappointed in myself. Looking back, I was probably very jealous of her and that only made me feel like I was being used as her recement.


    Perhaps, that really was what happened¡­


    "I knew it. So, I moved the photo somewhere else so you wouldn¡¯t have to see it again," Hayden said as he ran his fingers through his hair.


    I cocked my head to the side and wondered if he was feeling bashful. Could it be? It did surprise me a little that he had moved the photo because he cared about my feelings.


    "Malissa¡­look here for a second," Hayden said.


    I lifted my face to look at him. To my surprise, Hayden had lifted the photo frame and ced it next to his face. I made a confused face because I had no idea what he was trying to get at.


    "This is my brother. We look quite alike, don¡¯t you think?" Hayden asked with a teasing smile.


    "Huh? What?!" I eximed, loudly in shock.


    My eyes shifted from Hayden¡¯s face to the face of the man in the photo and then back again. No matter how many times, I did that, I saw the same man.


    "I would have told you if you had just asked but you just went and made your own assumptions, didn¡¯t you?" Hayden teased as he shrugged his shoulders as if to show that it wasn¡¯t his fault.


    "I¡¯m not following¡­" I murmured as I furrowed my brows together.


    "This guy here in the photo is my elder brother, Harvey. It¡¯s not me," Hayden announced.


    "Are you serious? You two look¡­" I said in disbelief.


    "The same. Well, in real life you could probably tell us apart if we stood side by side. But yeah¡­we do look quite alike. We both take after our mother¡­fortunately¡­" Hayden said with a smallugh.


    "I¡­see¡­" I said slowly as my mind tried to process this new piece of information.


    "I¡¯ve never had my hair that long though. It¡¯s annoying to have hair that long and it disturbs me with my work too¡­" Hayden said as he pointed to Harley¡¯s longer hair style in the photo.


    Wait, if it isn¡¯t Hayden in the photo but his brother then that means¡­


    "Does that mean¡­" I began asking.


    "Correct. Amelia isn¡¯t my girlfriend. She was never my girlfriend. She¡¯s my brother¡¯s girlfriend¡­well,ter they became engaged, so I guess it¡¯s more urate to say that she¡¯s his fianc¨¦e," Hayden exined as his blue eyes watched my face closely.


    "Really?!" I said in shock.


    Is he serious?


    But Harvey had passed away¡­and Amelia is¡­


    For the first time, I was beginning to see what was really going on in this web of veryplicated rtionships.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 121: Their Love

    "At that time, I thought introducing Amelia to my brother was one of the best decisions that I have ever made in my life. Obviously, I regret it so much now¡­" Hayden said, his voice filled with regret and grief.


    "I¡­don¡¯t think you should me yourself¡­" I said, meaning it.


    I mean, we can¡¯t predict the future and so we cannot see the future implications of our actions. Hayden didn¡¯t know what would happen after that, so I believed that he shouldn¡¯t me himself for any of it.


    "I really like Amelia as a person. She¡¯s kind, easy to talk to, very beautiful and most of all¡­she¡¯s genuine and very honest," Hayden said as he turned to look at Amelia.


    "Did you¡­like her?" I asked, a little shyly.


    "Jealous?" Hayden teased as wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug.


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name as I started to push against his hard chest.


    "I really liked her¡­" Hayden whispered closed to my ear.


    I see. So even back then Hayden liked her too¡­


    "I liked her¡­but I loved her when she was with my brother. I loved it when they were together. The way she made my usually stern brother smile carefreely whenever she was around. The way she softened my brother¡¯s view of the world with her words¡­" Hayden said with a sad smile, and I knew that he was seeing some old memories that I couldn¡¯t see.


    "I guess they were really in love with each other," I said honestly, voicing what I felt when I first saw the photograph.


    "They were annoying at times. They would go on dates and drag me along as the third wheeler. This photo¡­I took it," Hayden said as he gestured with his head towards the photo.


    "Amelia and I went out on a friendly dinner and had a good time just talking. I could tell that she was going through some tough times although she was acting strong about it. It was a few weeks after that when I met up with her again that my brother coincidentally barged in on us in the middle of dinner because he was desperately looking for me," Hayden continued with his story.


    "Is that how they first met?" I asked with interest.


    "Yup. I introduced her to my brother. I didn¡¯t realize it back then but they probably both knew who the other person was¡­" Hayden said thoughtfully.


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked.


    "I told you, right? When Amelia and I met we had no idea who the other person was. She didn¡¯t know that I was from the Torex family. I mean, I was in my doctor uniform and all. No one would expect a Torex family member to be a doctor¡­and working at a hospital at that¡­" Hayden said with a lightugh.


    "I guess¡­" I admitted that that was true.


    Even now, I was finding it difficult to believe that Hayden was a doctor and he even worked as one¡­


    "At that time, I didn¡¯t know who Amelia really was too. However, I think my brother knew immediately and she probably recognized my brother as the heir of Torex as well. Regardless of that, they still chose to be with each other," Hayden said with a sad smile.


    "Sorry but¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯m following¡­" I muttered softly.


    "I love and respect my brother a lot. Sure, we don¡¯t see eye to eye on many things. However, I was able to live a somewhat normal life and pursue my career as a doctor because he was there as the first son and heir to take over the family business after our old man. I had an easy lifepared to my brother¡­until he passed away that is," Hayden said before grinning at me.


    "Aha¡­ I replied softly, once again quite confused.


    "They seemed like a match made in heaven, but Amelia was already engaged to someone else¡­" Hayden said wistfully.


    It was then that I had a sinking feeling in my stomach like I was about to hear something very disturbing.


    ¡­


    **Years ago**


    "Harvey¡­" Amelia moaned softly.


    Hisrge hands cupped her full naked breasts before fondling it. She sighed in bliss at his passionate touch as she leaned her head back against his shoulder. The heat of his hand turned her on as he began kneading her breasts together a little roughly. Amelia started moaning louder when Harvey began kissing and then sucking the side of her sensitive neck.


    "There¡¯s no need to keep it in, Amelia. I love all the sounds you make when I fuck you¡­" Harvey teased before sucking on her ear lobe.


    "Ahh! Don¡¯t¡­my ears¡­" Amelia cried out in between her lusty moans.


    "You want to start on top today?" Harvey suggested as his hands slid down to hold Amelia¡¯s waist.


    She nodded and smiled at him before turning around to straddle his hips. Her hand carefully positioned his thick and hard cock at her drenched love entrance before she slowly lowered her hips onto his love stick. Amelia moaned passionately as she felt his thick cock stretching her entrance before it slowly slid into her wet depths.


    Harvey supported her by holding her waist as he enjoyed the sight of her erotic face while she enjoyed the feeling of his thick member prating deeper and deeper into her hot pussy. Her insides felt hot around his shaft, and she was already very wet. Her pussy walls clenched around his thick cock as she adjusted to his size and shape.


    Amelia slowly took his cock inside of her until she satfortably on hisp with his entire length buried inside of her love hole. She sighed and moaned in satisfaction before she started rocking her hips slightly, grinding her pushing against his cock. She loved the feeling of having his thick and massive cock inside of her. She could already feel him so deep inside and it felt amazing.


    "Ride me, Amelia. Show me how wild you can be¡­" Harveymanded as his hand tightened around the sides of her hips.


    Turned on by his seductivemand, Amelia began moving her hips up and down his thick cock. His cock slid out of her hole and rammed back into her as she pumped her hips up and down his cock over and over again. Amelia began crying out louder as she rode his cock faster and faster. The engorged head of his cock hitting her womb deep inside with each stroke.


    "Ahh! Harvey! It¡¯s so good¡­so deep¡­" Amelia cried out.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 122: Star-Crossed Lovers

    Harvey held Amelia¡¯s hips in ce before he started thrusting from below, ramming his enormous rod even deeper into her pussy. Amelia cried out at his sudden movement. She could feel his power thrusts pounding deeply into her. He was moving at such a fast speed that she was amazed at both his stamina and the pleasure that he was making her feel. She loved making love to Harvey.


    He was so different from all the men that she¡¯s had before.


    "I going to¡­cum¡­Harvey¡­" Amelia whimpered.


    "Go ahead¡­I¡¯ll make you cum all night long¡­" Harvey whispered tenderly into her ear.


    It wasn¡¯t long after that Amelia reached her climax. She hugged him as she cried out his name while her body trembled in his arms. Harvey knew that Amelia could climax multiple times and continued to pound his thick cock into her hole before slowlyying her down on her back on the bed.


    He pulled her legs up and ced them on his shoulders so that he could move even closer to her body. Without waiting for her to recover from her climax, he began pumping his dick into her love hole. Amelia moaned as her body began responding to his passionate attack immediately. He felt her clenching her pussy walls around his cock and knew that she wanted more.


    He thrusted his cock deeper and harder into her until he felt her pussy spasming around his cock.


    "Harvey¡­Ahhh! Ahhh!" Amelia cried out over and over as he continued to fuck her.


    His thick cock stirred up her wet insides making lewd sounds as their bodies pped against each other. She wed at his back, digging her beautifully manicured nails into the sweaty skin of his back. Harvey knew that she was close to cumming once again and this time, he was also close.


    "Let¡¯s cum together, Amelia¡­" Harvey said as he panted heavily.


    Amelia looked up at his handsome face as she nodded and began thrusting her hips upwards to meet his wild thrusts. After a while of wild coupling, both of them reached their own heights. Harvey called out her name while Amelia whimpered and sighed. His cock spurted his hot release deep into her body as Amelia¡¯s pussy quivered in delight from feeling his heat filling her up.


    She held him in her arms until they both caught their breath again.


    Her pussy trembled slightly when he pulled his cock out of her. She moaned softly at the sensation of his cock sliding out of her. Harveyid next to her on the bed as she used his arm as her pillow.


    "You came so much inside again¡­" she said before smiling radiantly at him.


    Her hand reached down in between her legs to feel the mix of their love juice as it gushed out from her pussy opening onto her hand. After meeting for the first time while she was having dinner with his younger brother, she had headed straight to a hotel with Harvey where they made love until they were both too exhausted to go home.


    She had never believed in love at first sight until sheid eyes on Harvey. He was awesome in bed and had a twisted sense of humor which she found to be extremely sexy. Since that day, they started dating and she had not slept with another man besides him since.


    "Why don¡¯t you stay over tonight?" Harvey asked.


    "Sorry but¡­I think it¡¯ll be better if I head back after all¡­" Amelia said with apparent regret in her voice.


    "Does your family know about us?" Harvey asked, getting right to the point.


    "No¡­" she replied honestly.


    "You should break up your engagement with him. You don¡¯t love him, right?" Harvey said casually.


    "That¡¯s¡­" Amelia replied before she hesitated to say anymore.


    "He probably doesn¡¯t want to marry you either. Honestly, I don¡¯t see what the issue is¡­" Harvey said, sounding extremely rxed.


    "What? How do you know that?!" Amelia asked with a mix of shock and surprise.


    "A wild guess¡­" Harvey replied with a look that told her that it was anything but.


    "I¡¯m leaving¡­" she muttered as started getting up from the bed.


    "You should cancel your engagement," Harvey said, this time sternly.


    "What are you saying?" she whispered in confusion as she turned to look at him.


    "I¡¯m saying that you should marry me instead," Harvey said like it was obvious.


    "¡­Harvey¡­" Amelia whispered his name in shock at his sudden proposal.


    "Why don¡¯t you meet your so-called fianc¨¦ and ask to break it off?" Harvey suggested.


    "¡­That¡¯s the thing, I don¡¯t even know where he is¡­" Amelia said.


    Her so-called fianc¨¦ had run off somewhere and it seemed like his family was hesitant to contact him. They said that he could be ¡¯difficult¡¯ sometimes. She rolled her eyes when she thought about what that meant.


    "I know where he is¡­" Harvey stated.


    "Wait¡­you can¡¯t mean¡­" Amelia said as her eyes widened at him.


    "Yeah. I already know who he is¡­" Harvey said without a care in the world.


    "You looked into it? How many times have I told you not to pry into my life¡­but you still did¡­" Amelia said in frustration.


    "It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t know who I was when you decided to sleep with me, right?" Harvey said before smiling knowingly at Amelia.


    "I¡­" Amelia couldn¡¯t deny it. She knew who he was, but she still slept with him anyways.


    "You probably didn¡¯t know Hayden but there¡¯s no way that you don¡¯t know who I am. You already knew that I¡¯m the heir of Torex, didn¡¯t you?" Harvey said and it wasn¡¯t a question.


    "So¡­what if I did¡­" she mumbled.


    "Exactly. The same applies. So what if I knew that you¡¯re engaged to Ethan, the heir of Silva¡­" Harvey said before he smiled a little at her.


    Amelia was stunned into silence. She couldn¡¯t quite believe that he would go so far for her. It was obvious that their rtionship could cause arge conflict between the two gangs.


    "You knew?" She said breathlessly.


    "I don¡¯t look super smart but¡­I know quite well what is going on. If your family is falling apart and your mother wants to marry you off, any gang should be fine, right? Torex is¡­richer than Silva¡­" Harvey said confidently.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 123: Without Answers

    "Wait! Stop!" I cried out loudly.


    Hayden blinked at me in confusion before he smiled tightly at me and my sudden outburst. How could I have stayed silent? He had just told me that Amelia was engaged to Ethan.


    What on earth is going on?


    "You¡¯re telling me that Amelia was engaged to Ethan before she got involved with your brother?" I asked in pure disbelief.


    Ethan and Amelia were engaged! What the hell is going on? For all the times that I spent living with Ethan, he never once mentioned that he was engaged. I mean, he was engaged to her since they were born. Does something like that still exist these days?


    "Precisely. Ethan didn¡¯t want to marry her. They probably almost never met at all due tock of interest on both sides. Ethan ran off and shacked up in a small town. You should know the rest¡­because at that time¡­he was in a rtionship with a certain someone¡­" Hayden said before grinning meaningfully at me.


    Back then, Ethan was probably living in my town while this whole thing went down for Harvey, Amelia and Hayden. I had no clue what was happening back then. Ethan¡­what was he thinking at that time? If I asked him, would he tell me¡­?


    "What happened? Did she break off her engagement with Ethan?" I asked.


    All I knew was that somehow Amelia and Harvey managed to get engaged and were probably going to get married. However, that marriage clearly didn¡¯t take ce¡­


    "Enough storytelling for today¡­" Hayden said as he got up from his seat.


    "Wait¡­Hayden¡­" I called for him.


    "We¡¯re heading back," Hayden said curtly.


    The ride back to the penthouse wasrgely silent. It seemed like, like me, Hayden also had many things that he wanted to think about alone. He didn¡¯t disturb my thoughts and I didn¡¯t disturb his. When we arrived back at the penthouse, a grim-looking Luka was waiting there along with a few of his men. From the look on his face, I knew that he wasn¡¯t here to deliver any good news.


    "Where did you take her, Hayden?" Luka asked without offering any greeting.


    "Why are you asking when you already know¡­" Hayden replied as he shrugged off his suit.


    I stood there watching the two men exchange words while I felt very out of ce. An argument with Luka would probably add more mess to my life and I didn¡¯t need that right now. After everything that had taken ce today, I wanted to be alone so that I could do some quality thinking.


    "Umm¡­I¡¯m just going to excuse myself¡­" I mumbled as I turned and began walking in the direction of my bedroom.


    To my surprise, Hayden didn¡¯t say anything to stop me. With a heart full of relief, I was able to make it to my bedroom and shut myself up alone inside. I didn¡¯t realize that I felt so drained of energy until I slid down onto the floor the moment that the door shut behind me. My legs felt weak as I just sat there, leaning my back and head back against my bedroom door.


    I sighed loudly as I closed my eyes.


    My temples throbbed and ached. It seemed like I was living an entirely different life than the one that I had been living as of this morning. Seeing Amelia in the state that she was in along with hearing those stories from Hayden changed many things for me. Why is everything soplicated?


    When I epted that umbre from Ethan on that rainy day, I had no idea that it would lead me to this mess today.


    My headache is getting worst. I kept my eyes closed as I concentrated on just breathing to clear my head. There were so many things that I didn¡¯t fully understand and because of that, I didn¡¯t know how to proceed with my life. Simply put, I didn¡¯t know what I should do. After sitting there to clear my headache for a while, my head did feel less heavy.


    If there was one thing that I was certain of, it was the fact that I wouldn¡¯t be able to figure everything out tonight. Time, I need time.


    Slowly, I got back up on my feet. On shaky legs, I headed to the bathroom for a rxing shower. Hayden¡¯s words ran through my head over and over along with the image of Amelia just sleeping on her bed. The haunting beeps of the machines hooked up to her body wouldn¡¯t stop ringing in my ears whenever I closed my eyes.


    The feel of the warm water falling down from above onto my skin helped somewhat in calming me down. However, nothing could give me the answers that I was looking for.


    Should I tell grandma about this? I felt like it would be better if I talked it out with someone; however, I wasn¡¯t sure if it would worry her even more. Maybe it¡¯s not a good idea to tell her anything. I sighed loudly to myself. Discounting today, I had 7 more days left bounded by this contract. Just one week left.


    After that, who knows what would be of me¡­


    I got out of the shower and dressed before flopping down onto the bed. My mind was still as messy as before if not more so. I was right, nothing will be figured out today after all. If I keep thinking like this, I¡¯m going to get a migraine. Even though I knew that I couldn¡¯t stop my mind from thinking about it over and over again.


    As Iy sleepless in bed with nothing but the silence of the night as mypanion, I thought of all the things that I just couldn¡¯t understand.


    What I really couldn¡¯t understand was why Hayden still wanted to marry Amelia. He wasn¡¯t in love with her, and he never even dated her. She wasn¡¯t engaged to him because she was engaged to his elder brother. Hayden¡­what are you thinking?


    Is it possible that he¡¯s been in love with her all along? Now that his brother is dead, he wants to take her for himself? Is that really what is going on here?


    Unfortunately, I never got any answers or reached any sort of conclusion that night. I also didn¡¯t remember when I drifted off the sleep. The headache that I felt the next morning when I woke up told me that I didn¡¯t sleep well at all. That¡¯s to be expected, I thought as I rubbed my stiff neck before stretching.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 124: Collecting Clues

    I didn¡¯t want to believe it but somehow, I have survived this long under this contract. Without the need to look at the calendar, I knew that I only had 7 days left. In other words, there¡¯s only one week left including today until the contract expires and I regain my freedom. Whatever that means¡­


    The penthouse was dead silent and I wondered if Hayden was still in. Actually, I knew deep down that he was no longer here. My chest felt tight, and I guess it was disappointment or some feelings that were very simr that I was feeling. Although, I didn¡¯t know how to face him or how I should act around him, I guess some parts of me still wanted to see Hayden after all.


    I left my bedroom after showering and getting dressed. It wasn¡¯t like I had a choice. If he wasn¡¯t here, then he just wasn¡¯t here. Auntie¡¯s sad smile as she greeted me was enough confirmation that Hayden had left earlier this morning. No, maybe he even leftst night after I had returned to my room. I hadpletely no idea when he left.


    Did he go with Luka after they had their seemingly stressful conversation?


    "Good morning¡­" I greeted Auntie politely.


    "Good morning, Miss Malissa. Are you going out today?" she said with a smile.


    "Yes¡­I¡¯ll be visiting my grandmother at the hospital," I replied smoothly.


    That¡¯s right. Regardless of what was happening, I should visit my grandmother. The painting wasing along quite well and with some finishing touches, I should be able toplete it. I had enough progress to show my grandmother without feeling guilty. At least that was one thing that I could look forward to.


    Without wasting anymore time, I got the men in ck to drive me to the hospital where my grandmother was staying. The atmosphere in the car was a little strained; however, the men did not say anything. I closed my eyes and tried to catch up on some sleep all the way to the hospital. Unfortunately, sleep didn¡¯te easy.


    "Grandma. I¡¯m here!" I greeted her, trying my best to sound cheerful even though I wasn¡¯t at my best.


    As I had agreed with Hayden, I won¡¯t be taking Ethan¡¯s up on his offer to repay my debt. That meant that I had exactly a week left as part of this contract. I wondered what was going to happen from now on. My grandmother¡¯s hospital bills were something that I haven¡¯t figured out yet. I mean, will the boss keep on covering it after the contract was over?


    "Good to see you. How have you been doing youngdy?" my grandmother said before smiling at me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was just me, but I thought that she seemed a little tired. It was probably just me because the doctors did not call to tell me that anything was amiss. I unpacked the painting that I wanted to show her.


    "It¡¯sing along quite well, don¡¯t you think?" I asked as I presented my painting proudly to her.


    My grandmother¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the painting before she smiled as she continued to admire it. I wonder what she was thinking about when she looked at the painting.


    "I don¡¯t know much about art, but the painting seems very impressive to me," she finally said after taking the painting in.


    "I¡¯m d that you like it. Some final touches are left and then it should be all good¡­" I said.


    My grandmother just nodded at me with a pleased smile. I could tell that she wasn¡¯t as energetic as she usually was, and I wondered if she could tell that I was feeling down as well.


    "Grandma¡­you remember Ethan, right?" I asked before I could stop the curious words from exiting my mouth.


    "Of course. He came around quite often. He even helped us out at the store now and then whenever he came over¡­" my grandmother said as she seemed to reflect on some good times.


    She would probably faint if I told her that that kind and down-to-earth Ethan that she knew was actually the head of a mafia gang. Who would have thought that the guy who rode the public bus along with me because it was the cheapest way to get around was actually stinking rich? Now that I¡¯ve asked her about him, I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting from her exactly.


    "Umm¡­the thing is¡­I broke up with him a while back¡­" I confessed softly as I sat down on the chair next to her bed.


    "Oh¡­I sort of figured that out¡­" she said before smiling a little shyly at me.


    "Really?" I asked. I guess I should have expected that she would have figured it out when he no longer came around anymore.


    "Yes. I thought you didn¡¯t want to talk about it so, naturally, I never brought it up," she replied.


    I see. So, she was always considerate of my feelings. No wonder she was telling me all that stuff about Hayden being a good guy. She knew that I was single. She¡¯s such a little schemer.


    "Umm¡­this might sound weird but...when we were dating, did you think there was something weird about him? I don¡¯t mean like¡­in a bad way¡­but you know¡­something out of the ordinary?" I asked hesitantly.


    "No¡­not really¡­" my grandmother replied after some thought.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled softly. It wasn¡¯t like I was expecting anything.


    "Well, I think he asked about your father a couple of times. I didn¡¯t think that it was strange or anything considering that you two were dating. Of course, we talked about basic things. Looking back on it, he seemed to really care, and he was always interested¡­" my grandmother said as she reflected on the past.


    "I didn¡¯t know that he asked about dad¡­" I said, feeling slightly curious.


    "He never asked you?" she asked.


    "No¡­not really¡­" I replied. I don¡¯t think Ethan ever asked me anything about my parents.


    "Are you feeling, ok? You seem quite disturbed¡­" my grandmother asked, and I could hear the worry in her voice.


    Oh no¡­I didn¡¯t want to worry her about any of this.


    "I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about," I said before I smiled sweetly at her.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 125: Start of Our Final Days

    My grandmother fell asleep soon after our conversation ended. I realized that she was indeed tired. Without realizing it at first, I was starting to realize that she had started dozing off to sleep earlier each time that I visited. It was like she was constantly tired and had difficulty staying awake and active for long periods of time.


    I was concerned; however, I trusted the doctors to tell me if anything was seriously wrong.


    I knew that my grandmother was old and ording to the doctors, some treatment may be too harsh for her body. That meant that it was already great that she was in quite a stable condition. During my ride back to the penthouse, I wondered if Hayden was going to be there. Then I started asking myself if I wanted him to be there.


    Although I was hesitant, the final answer that I got was that I wanted him to be there. I wanted to see Hayden. I wasn¡¯t sure how to face him or what we would do or talk about but¡­I still wanted to see him. There¡¯s only 7 days left so what¡¯s the point of running and hiding at this point?


    "Wee back,"


    Hayden greeted me immediately after I arrived back at the penthouse. He was sitting leisurely on the sofa like he had nothing to do. I wondered if he was waiting for me toe back. That couldn¡¯t be, right?


    "Have you had dinner?" I asked casually.


    "No. I¡¯ve been waiting for you. Dinner¡¯s ready¡­" Hayden said as he got up from the sofa and led the way to the dining table.


    He was right, dinner was ready and alreadyid out on the table. There¡¯s too much food as usual. Auntie definitely went above and beyond to prep us an amazing dinner. I thanked her silently in my head as I took my seat opposite Hayden at the dining table.


    Now that he was sitting right in front of me, I didn¡¯t know what to say. I felt like there were many things that we needed to talk about, but no words woulde to mind. Silently, we both started eating to kill the time. I nced at him a couple of times as I stuffed food into my mouth. Hayden was eating patiently like nothing was bothering him at all.


    "There¡¯s seven days left," Hayden spoke up suddenly after he ced his utensils down on his te.


    His words took me by surprise. I never thought that he would be the one to speak up first. Neither did I expect him to know with so much uracy the number of days that were left in the contract. I guess, I wasn¡¯t the only one that had been keeping track.


    "Yeah...you¡¯re right," I replied softly.


    I felt my brows knitting together and realized that I had started frowning at the thought of our contracting to an end in a week¡¯s time. Contrary to me, Hayden just smiled and beganughing softly. He seemed so carefree that I was jealous.


    "There¡¯s no need to overthink things¡­" Hayden said casually.


    "What do you mean¡­by that?" I asked, not sure how to take his carefree attitude and words.


    "Nothing special. Let¡¯s just act normal like we¡¯ve always done until time runs out, ok?" Hayden proposed before smiling warmly at me.


    "¡­Ok" I replied in short because I couldn¡¯te up with anything else to say.


    ¡­


    The next morning, I woke up to the sound of loud banging on my bedroom door. It was so loud that I was sure that the door would break down in no time at all. I didn¡¯t need to guess who was at the door. Obviously, it was Hayden. Who else would be here? Who else would bang on my door this loudly?


    "Morning!" Hayden said brightly once I opened the door.


    He¡¯s already fully dressed and seemed ready to go out. Since when did he be such a morning person? I had no idea what time it was, but my heavy eyelids told me that it was too early for me to be up and about.


    "It¡¯s so early¡­" I muttered as the light from the hallway stung my sleepy eyes.


    "Let¡¯s go on a date!" Hayden dered enthusiastically.


    He¡¯s got too much energy and I couldn¡¯t keep up. Sleeping in would have been nice but now that I think about it, we¡¯re down to six days left now. Thinking that I didn¡¯t have much time left with Hayden, I shut my mouth before I would let out words ofint. Instead, I nodded.


    "Sure. Let¡¯s go," I said with determination.


    Haydenughed joyously before he told me that he¡¯ll be waiting for me in the living room. Sleepily, I fumbled my way to the bathroom where I took a quick shower. I put on a simple andfortable dress and somefortable sandals before I went to meet up with Hayden in the living room. Seeing that he was dressed inid back clothes, I did the same.


    We¡¯re probably not going anywhere where we¡¯ll need to dress up today.


    "Where are we going today?" I asked once I settled down in the passenger seat of his sportscar.


    Hayden was humming and his light blue eyes seemed so clear and peaceful today. He was clearly in a good mood, and I wanted to keep it that way.


    "Is there somewhere you want to go?" he asked.


    Now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t have a ce that I wanted to go. I guess when I was younger, I used to dream of going on exciting dates to the aquarium, thearium, and other simr ces. However, that younger self of mine had long disappeared.


    "Not¡­particrly¡­" I replied slowly.


    "There¡¯s a lot of time left¡­" Hayden mumbled as if he was speaking to himself.


    It was still quite early in the morning, so of course, we had a lot of time on our hands today. Perhaps, I should suggest something before Hayden would drag me on another shopping spree again. That wasn¡¯t how I wanted to spend my day with him.


    "What do you like apart from art?" Hayden asked suddenly.


    "Oh¡­fluffy animals?" I replied with the first thing that came to my mind.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 126: A Date

    "I see. I think I know just the ce¡­" Hayden said.


    The way his face lit up made me knew that an idea just popped into his head. As to if the idea was a good one or not, I was about to find out. After a while of driving in his car, we arrived at the destination that Hayden had in mind.


    This ce looks like a zoo but not really¡­


    "What is this ce?" I asked curiously.


    "A tiger preservatory," Hayden replied as took my hand and helped me out of his car.


    "A tiger preservatory?" I said in disbelief.


    This big ce is a tiger farm? I never knew such a ce existed. I was half expecting that he would take me to the zoo based on my input of liking fluffy animals. A tiger preservatory was indeed beyond my expectations.


    "I guess you¡¯ve never been to one before. They¡¯re not thatmon¡­I guess¡­" Hayden said as he started pulling me along with him.


    "What are we going to do here, exactly?" I asked.


    The ce was very quiet and apart from Hayden and me, there was no one else around. The ce was surrounded by very high walls and looked like a prison from the outside. There¡¯s a lot of security. The owner is probably scared of the tigers escaping and rightfully so.


    "You¡¯ll see¡­" Hayden said as he brought me inside the venue.


    The inside of the building seemed normal. There wasn¡¯t anything outstanding apart from photographs of various tigers and their cubs. There was no one inside as well.


    "Should we call for someone? We¡¯re supposed to buy entry tickets, right?" I asked.


    "No. This ce isn¡¯t open to the public and they don¡¯t allow visitors. It¡¯s private," Hayden exined.


    Wait. Then why are we here?


    "Should we be here, then?" I asked.


    "One of the boss¡¯s friends owns this ce. It¡¯s all good. I¡¯ve been here before," Hayden said calmly.


    Just when he finished his sentence, a balding old man walked into the room. Immediately when he saw Hayden, the man broke out in a smile before he started hugging Hayden.


    "Wee! You haven¡¯t been here for a long time¡­" the old man said.


    "We¡¯re here to y with the cats," Hayden said without any further dys.


    "I see. Your girl here is going to be ok?" the old man asked as he eyed me up and down.


    "Sure," Hayden replied without consulting me.


    "Wait¡­we¡¯re going to y with the tigers?" I asked in shock.


    I knew that some tigers were trained to entertain people in zoos and such. I¡¯ve seen people take photos with them, but I have never done that before. To be honest, I was more scared than excited about the idea. However, this ce didn¡¯t seem like type of ce.


    "Come along," Hayden said as he guided me further into the building.


    Thankfully, I didn¡¯t see any tigers in sight. I felt very nervous and on edge. Why couldn¡¯t we have gone to a ce that was more normal?


    "This ce is preservatory. The owner helps tigers. He buys them from zoos and circus and the like. For rare breeds, he breeds them," Hayden started to exin.


    "Wow. That¡¯s pretty cool. Tigers are supposed to be rare, right? Some have gone extinct¡­" I replied.


    Hayden led me further into the back and finally I could see the tigers. Wow, there¡¯s so many of them. Thankfully, the tigers seemed well detained. They¡¯re so big. Those beasts look so deadly; however, they were also graceful creatures. ying with them was a different matter all together though.


    "Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re lucky¡­" Hayden said mischievously.


    I continued to follow after him and it seemed like Hayden had a destination in mind. Finally, we arrived at an enclosed area withrge metal doors. Hayden stopped in front of the door before pressing a button to ring the bell. After a short while of waiting, the door slowly creaked opened as someone had apparently opened it from the inside.


    "Oh¡­Hayden¡­" a sweet voice said as a pair of very bright blue eyes greeted us through the crack in the door.


    "How are you?" Hayden asked in greeting.


    "Great! Come in. Oh¡­we have a special guest," the young woman said as she smiled at me.


    "Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Malissa," I said as I stuck out my hand.


    The womanughed before taking my hand in a tight squeeze.


    "I¡¯m Danie. My father runs this ce. I¡¯m helping him now too," she quickly introduced herself as she beckoned us to follow her inside.


    "Seems like you¡¯re one lucky girl¡­" Hayden whispered in my ear.


    For the first time, I understood what he meant by that. My eyes opened and I mouthed the word ¡¯wow¡¯ as I looked around. Fluffy animals indeed!


    "So many tiger cubs! Wow! Oh¡­Wow!" I eximed.


    Hayden startedughing a little at my reaction. My eyes were focused on the many tiger cubs that were ying around in the facility. Apart from Danie, there were other staffs there to take care of the cubs. It was like a nursery and the staffs were like babysitters to the cute little cubs.


    "You¡¯re quite lucky indeed. We happen to have so many cubs in the nursery right now. Some time, it¡¯s almost empty, unfortunately. It¡¯s not easy to breed tigers¡­" Danie exined.


    "You can pet them," Hayden said as he invited me to approach one of the cubs.


    "Yup, you can. The smaller ones are easier to approach. The bigger cubs are already naughty and yful. Be careful, they can scratch you," Danie warned.


    "Look at this cute little guy¡­" Hayden said as he scooped a small tiger cub into his arms and held it.


    He carried the cub to my side so that I could see the cub up close. So cute. Just super cute! I couldn¡¯t stop staring down at the cute little cub and his super innocent expression. Slowly, I reached out my hand and stroked the top of the cub¡¯s head. His baby fur was so soft.


    "It¡¯s a girl by the way¡­" Danie corrected with a smallugh.


    "Oh¡­baby girl¡­" I said adoringly.


    --To be continued¡­


    Please support my other works: Conquering the Emperor


    Forbidden Heat


    Thank you very much!

 Chapter 127: Taking Him on a Tour

    I turned to smile at Hayden and was surprised to see him watching me. Quickly, I turned away, suddenly feeling very conscious of his gaze.


    "Do you want to hold her?" Hayden asked.


    "Sure¡­I¡¯ll try¡­" I said as I tried to take the cub into my arms from Hayden.


    Carefully, Hayden transferred the cub that he was holding into my arms. The cub weighed more than I initially thought but her fur was so soft that I didn¡¯t mind bearing the weight at all. Fortunately, she seemed well behaved and didn¡¯t wriggle around as I held her. Looking down at her in my arms, I was reminded of how precious life is. Her clear eyes as she stared up at me was mesmerizingly beautiful.


    "Malissa seems to like it here. You should bring her here again," Danie suggested to Hayden brightly.


    "Yea¡­" Hayden replied softly.


    I doubt that I would get toe here again unless we some how make it back here in the remaining few days that we have left together. Of course, neither of us bothered to exin that to Danie. It was just a thought that crossed my mind and remained unspoken.


    ¡­


    After a very simple but entertaining lunch at the cafeteria with Danie, we left the tiger preservatory to head to our next destination. It was already mid afternoon when we got into Hayden¡¯s car. As always, I had no idea where he was going to take me. Based off my previous experience, I knew that asking wasn¡¯t going to lead me to any answers.


    I sat quietly as I enjoyed the peace of the drive and the scenery that flew by outside of the car¡¯s window. We were driving back into the city and soon enough we were smack in the city center. To my surprise, our destination was a very well-known art exhibition hall. It was one of the most famous and definitely one of the biggest in the country.


    Every art student or anyone interested in art must have visited this ce at least once in their lives. Of course, that also applies to me. I¡¯ve been here three or four times now over the course of my time at university. Apart from the famous artwork that were permanently on disy, the ce had many halls for special rotating exhibitions.


    Since my life was disturbed by the mafia, I haven¡¯t had the heart to follow up on any art news and had no idea whose collection or what they were showcasing now as their special exhibition.


    "Are you here to see the special exhibition?" I asked Hayden as entered.


    "I¡¯m here to walk around and kill time," Hayden responded a little too frankly.


    Ok. I never really expected him to have a love for art or anything but putting it that way was a little harsh. There are many interesting things to see and do here even if you¡¯re not totally into art.


    "Well, in that case, what about I give you a little tour? Maybe¡­it¡¯ll be a more interesting way to ¡¯kill time¡¯?" I suggested.


    "Sure. Do whatever you want," Hayden replied in agreement.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I proactively suggested that. I guess, I just didn¡¯t want him to look so bored and disinterested when he¡¯s at a ce that I thought was very inspiring. Since I¡¯ve been here many times before and as an art student, I knew many of the famous pieces and their story, I guess I would make a decent guide.


    "Do you have to meet someone or go somewhere after? At what time?" I asked.


    "I¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s time," Hayden replied softly.


    "Ok, then¡­" I said before leading him into one of the main exhibition halls.


    I showed Hayden around as I talked animatedly about the famous works of art and also highlighted the ones that I personally like. Hayden seemed interested enough. At least, he was willing to listen to what I had to say and followed me around.


    "You really like art, huh?" Hayden spoke up suddenly while I was showing him a veryrge painting.


    "Of course. I even chose to major in it even though I knew that it would be hard to make a living out of it," I said beforeughing softly at my own decision.


    "Will you join the exhibition with your friends?" Hayden asked as he continued to admire the painting.


    Oh¡­I guess he still remembers the exhibition that Jenny invited me to join. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t given her any definite answer. That was the case because I haven¡¯t really made up my mind about it. I was leaning towards rejecting it though.


    "Do you think that I should join the exhibition?" I asked as I nced over at Hayden


    "I think you should," he replied, sounding very certain.


    I was about to ask him why he thought so when I realized that that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to know or what I really wanted to ask. What I really wanted to know was¡­


    "Do you want me to¡­join the exhibition?" I asked, rephrasing my question to better reflect what I wanted to know.


    "Of course," Hayden said without hesitation as he turned to face me. The smile he showed me took my breath away and I felt heat rise to my cheeks.


    "I see¡­I¡¯ll think about it," I quickly mumbled my reply as I turned to look the other way.


    Hayden didn¡¯t say anything else, and I was struggling to find a topic to discuss with him to break this suddenly awkward atmosphere between us. That was when a thin man dressed in a ck suit came walking up to us.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Torex," the man said as he came close to Hayden.


    With a deep bow, the man extended what seemed to be a hardcover book to Hayden. Hayden reached out for it and thanked the man. Without another word, the man bowed once more and turned on his heels before walking back the way that he had came from. I cocked my head to the side in wonder at what had just happened. Did Hayden order a book to be delivered?


    I could tell from the image on the cover that it was a book regarding artworks.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 128: My Favorite

    "I didn¡¯t think that you would be that interested in art¡­" I managed to say after a short pause.


    "It¡¯s my job to be interested in anything that can make a huge profit in the ck market," Hayden replied casually.


    "I see¡­" I whispered.


    "Let me make a wild guess¡­" Hayden said with a glint of mischief in his eyes.


    "About?" I asked, not quite following.


    "One of the things you like about Ethan is his good sense in art, right?" Hayden asked so abruptly that all I could do was blink a couple of times at him as his words started to sink in.


    Ok. I didn¡¯t not expect Hayden to bring Ethan up. Neither did I expect him to get that right. It was true, I did like Ethan because he seemed to have a very sharp eye for art. His artwork isn¡¯t half bad but I¡¯ve always thought that he had a talent for appraising andmenting on art rather than creating one himself. Obviously, I have never told Hayden that before so how did he figure it out?


    "How did you figure that out?" I asked suspiciously.


    "Not hard. One of the main businesses of Silva is trading art and artifacts in the ck market, after all. Ethan¡¯s been dealing with stuff like that since he was a kid. I have to say he¡¯s quite good at it," Hayden said like it was no big surprise.


    Since he was a kid? I didn¡¯t know that¡­


    "I never knew that. He¡­never mentioned it," I replied quietly. I guess I didn¡¯t know much about Ethan after all.


    "I¡¯m not surprised that he didn¡¯t. As to why I¡¯m bringing that up¡­" Hayden said as he tightened his hold of my hand.


    Suddenly, he took my hand and ced the book that had just been delivered to him into it. I looked at the book in my hand with confusion. Why did he give this to me?


    "Tell me which artwork in there interests you the most," Hayden ordered.


    "Huh? Why?" I asked in confusion.


    "Just do it," Hayden said curtly.


    Not quite understanding what was going on, I opened the book and started flipping through a couple of pages. Each page contained photos of artwork followed by a short description of its history and estimated value. Of course, most of the estimated value were left nk because most of the works were not avable for sale or couldn¡¯t be priced.


    While I was busy looking at content of the book, Hayden was looking at his watch.


    "It¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden said softly as he took my hand in his again.


    "Where to?" I asked intriguingly.


    Suddenly, he was walking a little faster than before and I struggled to keep up with him. We wove through a group of students who were on their school trip before Hayden made a sharp turn. Since he was walking so fast, I was beginning to lose track of where we were inside the building. Why does it feel like I¡¯ve never been down this path before?


    Before long, we were standing in front of a seemingly very isted elevator. I didn¡¯t know that there was an elevator here. Frankly, I didn¡¯t even know that this hallway existed in the first ce. Hayden seemed to know his way around pretty well too. Perhaps, he¡¯s been here before?


    "What are you spacing out for?" Hayden asked before he pulled me into the elevator with him.


    The elevator automatically descended. It seemed like our destination was already decided for us. I sucked in a breath when I realized that this ce wasn¡¯t supposed to have an underground floor. Hayden seemed very rxed next to me and that made me believe that we¡¯re going to be just fine.


    "Have you decided?" Hayden asked just before the doors of the elevator opened.


    "Huh? Not yet. How am I supposed to decide so fast? There¡¯s so many artworks in this book¡­" I replied, slightly flustered.


    It was true, the book was thick and so much information was packed in. So far, I haven¡¯t seen anything that caught my eye. Flipping through the pages rapidly, as I walked along at Hayden¡¯s side, something finally caught my attention. This is it! I knew it the moment that Iid eyes on it. If I had to choose my favorite art piece from this entire book, this painting would be it!


    "I guess you¡¯ve decided. Show me," Hayden said, and I found out that he had been staring at me the whole time.


    "Here¡­" I mumbled as I showed him the page of the book while Hayden leaned closer to me to better see it.


    The artwork that I had chosen was an oil painting of a field of flowers. I¡¯ve appreciated this piece for a long time, but I have never seen the painting in real life. Actually, no one has seen it for over a hundred years now since it was stolen or lost. Well, rumors says that it was stolen. Officially, it was dered missing or lost.


    The story behind the painting was a sorrowful one; however, the beautiful y of colors on the canvas was truly captivating.


    "Hmm¡­interesting choice, I would say. You¡¯ve never seen this painting before, have you?" Hayden asked.


    "Never. I¡¯ve only seen photos of it and recreations of it," I replied truthfully.


    "This way," Hayden said as he led me down a narrow and empty hallway before we entered through a double door.


    The ce we entered was dimly lit but it was full of people. The atmosphere was joyous as many people chatted and greeted each other like old friends. Looking around, I could tell that the ce resembled a theatre. There was a stage at the front and rows of chairs for the audience to observe the performance. I followed Hayden obediently as he led us to our seats.


    "Why are we here? Are we going to watch a performance?" I whispered close to Hayden¡¯s ear so that he would hear me above the loud chatting of the people around us.


    "Sort of. Pass me the book," Hayden said as he held out his hand.


    I nodded and returned the book to him. Hayden flipped through the book before taking something out and sticking it on the chest of his shirt. While I was wondering what he was doing, the light on the stage turned on and a man in a tuxedo and a woman in a bright red dress walked onto the stage.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 129: For a Price

    "Wee everyone to our exclusive auction. As always, we are your hosts for today. As I¡¯m sure that everyone has attended this auction before or have already read the rules, I will proceed to the first item without any further dys¡­" the woman in the bright red dress said through the microphone.


    We¡¯re at an auction?!


    Everyone was pping as the first item for the auction was brought to the center of the stage. That¡¯s the statue that was on the first page of the book, if I¡¯m not mistaken. Wait¡­does that mean?


    That can¡¯t be. All the artworks in the book are either super rare, missing or stolen¡­


    Or could it be?


    Suddenly my hands and feet felt very cold as it suddenly hit me. Tell me this is a joke¡­


    But if it¡¯s true then, the reason why he told me to pick out something for him¡­


    "The book¡­is for the items that will be put up for auction?" I asked in sheer disbelief.


    "Yup," Hayden replied.


    "You¡¯re going to bid for the painting?!" I cried out loudly at my sudden realization as I whirled around to face Hayden.


    I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe that someone actually found the painting and it was going to be put up for auction here. However, the same logic applied to the statue that is currently on stage. Other people in the audience were rapidly bidding on the statue, driving up the price. The hosts were doing an amazing job of facilitating the bidding too.


    "Shh¡­don¡¯t panic, Malissa," Hayden said as he put a finger up to his lips.


    I sat next to Hayden stunned as item after item were put on stage and auctioned off to the highest bidder. Every item ending at an outrageously high price. How many zeros is that again? Judging from the ending price of the other pieces, a knotted started to form in the pit of my stomach as I realized that the same would probably happen to the painting that I had chosen.


    That¡¯s just crazy!


    "You¡¯re not¡­buying this for me, right?" I asked for confirmation. I could never take anything this exorbitantly expensive as a gift. Not to talk about the fact that it was probably illegal to own most if not all of the pieces of art there were being auctioned.


    "Of course not. I¡¯m buying it for myself. Since you¡¯re knowledgeable in art, I thought it would be good if I bought a piece that you like," Hayden replied casually.


    Phew! I let out such a big breath of relief.


    "That¡¯s a real relief¡­you cannot imagine just how relief I am¡­" I said before smiling at him.


    I guess I didn¡¯t have to panic about it. It wasn¡¯t like Hayden could easily win in the bidding. The people here were clearly abnormally rich and very aggressive in their bidding. Now that I wasn¡¯t so worried about the painting that I had chosen, I could concentrate more on the other pieces of art that were brought onto the stage.


    It¡¯s so rare to see these artworks in real life. Many pieces that people thought had been lost forever were brought to the stage. Never in my life did I ever dream of seeing these pieces in real life. Although I couldn¡¯t inspect them up close; it was more than enough for me.


    Finally, the moment that we have been waiting for arrived. The painting that I had always admired and the one that I had chosen from the book was being brought up onto the stage. Without realizing it at first, I had started leaning forward in my seat as I tired my best to get a closer look at the painting.


    To be honest, I wanted to get out of my seat and run on stage to gawk at the painting but I guessed that wasn¡¯t really feasible or eptable.


    "Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get to see it up close soon enough¡­" Hayden muttered, sounding a little bored.


    "Really?" I asked with excitement.


    "Yeah. I¡¯ll hang it in my bedroom so you can see it," Hayden whispered in my ear before he winked at me.


    "I don¡¯t think you should bid on it¡­" I said with a shaky voice.


    Everything here is too expensive. Sure, work of art like these are supposed to be priceless but still¡­


    "Well then, we would like to start the bidding on this supposedly lost forever painting¡­" the woman in the red dress said in an alluring voice.


    Hands shot up in the air as she read out the number of the bidder and the amount to reconfirm the bid. I gasped in shock. I never imagined that there would be so much demand for this painting. Apparently, many bidders had their eyes set on the same painting as we did.


    10 million dors. 20 million dors. 30 million dors¡­


    Each time the price went up my heart beat faster and faster. This is just crazy. When will the bidding stop? So far Hayden has been sitting calmly next to me and hasn¡¯t raised his hand once. I would feel relieved if he had given up on bidding on it all together.


    It made me feel guilty that he was going to bid on the painting because I had chosen it even if he assured me that he was buying it for himself.


    "100 million dors¡­" the woman said.


    Oh wow¡­100 million dors¡­


    There was a pause before a man put up his hand to raise the bid up to 150 million dors. The hall was filled with murmurs as the bid seemed to havee to a stop. The painting¡¯s price was very high now, but it wasn¡¯t the highestpared to some of the past auctions.


    "300 million dors,"


    A very familiar voice spoke up right next to me. Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    I turned to see Hayden with his right hand raised. My mouth fell open as I stared at him in absolute disbelief. He didn¡¯t just bid on the painting now, did he?


    "300 million dors! I can¡¯t believe it! Anyone else?" the woman said with a big beaming smile.


    Obviously, there were no other bids on the painting. The other guests apuded softly to the winning bidder and as the ruckus died down, Hayden stood up from his seat.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 130: A Fun Day

    "Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re done here," Hayden said as he took my hand and pulled me up from my seat.


    "Ok¡­" I murmured softly as I followed close behind him.


    Excusing out way through the row of seats, we finally managed to make it out of the theatre. There was more light outside in the hallway and I could see Hayden clearer now.


    "Why did you pay so much for the painting?!" I cried out in panic.


    "300 million dors? It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s supposed to be a good investment, right?" Hayden said before smiling confidently at me.


    I said I liked the painting out of the other ones in the book, but I never said that it was a good investment! I sighed loudly, knowing that telling that to Hayden wouldn¡¯t change his thinking at all.


    "Want to go have a closer look at our purchase?" Hayden suggested.


    "We can do that? Really?" I asked, unable to contain my excitement.


    Haydenughed at me loudly and I pped his arm yfully in my own embarrassment. The staff took us to see the painting that Hayden had won in the auction. Apparently, he had to settle the payment as well before the painting could be delivered.


    While Hayden was settling the payment, I was too busy gawking at the painting as I admired the color with my naked eye. The texture, the emotion, the feel of the painting. I was too absorbed and busy just trying to take it all in.


    "I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden called out to me after he was done.


    "Yeah¡­" I said hesitantly.


    No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible for me to tear my eye away from the painting. Dreame true moment!


    "Stop staring at it so much or I¡¯m going to get jealous. You can stare at it all you like when it gets delivered¡­" Hayden teased.


    I felt his hands on my arms before he started physically pulling me away from the painting. Goodbye dear painting! I wanted tough at my helplessly obsessed state.


    "When are they delivering the painting?" I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Hayden nced over at me from the driver¡¯s seat of his car before he shook his head and startedughing at my obsession over the painting. I just couldn¡¯t help it. I was sure that obtaining the painting this way was definitely illegal. Although he paid a whole lot of money for it, an underground auction is an underground auction.


    Hayden wasn¡¯t at all worried about it and I guess none of the other bidders were concerned about it either. That didn¡¯t make it a good thing though. It disturbed me that many artworks were probably stolen to be auctioned off like this before they disappeared into the collection of the mega wealthy. I didn¡¯t support it, but it wasn¡¯t like I could do anything about it.


    Who would have thought that a huge ck-market auction took ce in the undergrounds of a well-known art museum? Regardless, I had to admit that I enjoyed myself immensely today from getting to pet small tiger cubs to seeing works of art that I never thought I would get toy my eyes on in his life. Today turned out to be an awesome day.


    "Do you want to go out for dinner, or do you want to head back?" Hayden asked.


    Good question.


    "Let¡¯s head back," I said decisively.


    "You sure?" Hayden asked without looking at me.


    "Yup. Let¡¯s just head back," I replied with certainty.


    After a short drive, we arrived back at the building and whileughing at his jokes, we made our way up to our penthouse.


    "What do you want for dinner?" I asked as Hayden sat down on the sofa and stretched his arms above his head.


    "Whatever the cook can whip up is fine. I¡¯m not fussed¡­" he replied without even thinking.


    "Ok¡­" I mumbled.


    Luckily Auntie was there to help arrange our meal with the cook. Although Hayden said that he was fine with something simple, the meal still turned out to be quite extravagant. I stared down at the massive number of dishes in front of us as I sat opposite Hayden at the dining table.


    "You¡¯re not going to eat?" Hayden spoke up as he stared at my face.


    "Of course, I¡¯ll eat¡­" I mumbled before digging in.


    "Did you have fun today?" Hayden asked after a short while of eating in silence.


    His question honestly took me by surprise.


    "Yes, I did. Thank you¡­for everything¡­" I said softly before smiling at him.


    "Good," Hayden said in short.


    The conversation died down as suddenly as it had started. I watched as Hayden continued eating while asionally pulling out his phone. However, he didn¡¯t say anything else to me. It was strange but I couldn¡¯t think of a way to start a conversation with him. Before I knew it, dinner came to an end.


    "Thank you, Auntie," I thanked Auntie as she started clearing away the dishes.


    "No worries. I¡¯ll leave after I finish putting these away," Auntie said before shing me a kind smile.


    I smiled back as I nodded in appreciation. It was gettingte, and I wanted Auntie to hurry back so that she could rest. Hayden woke me up quite early this morning and we were out all day. Suddenly, the fatigue hit me, and I started feeling a little sleepy. I offered to help Auntie out, but she firmly turned me down just as I had expected.


    Sighing a little to myself, I watched as she worked to clear away the dishes.


    "Great. That will do," Hayden spoke on the phone.


    The conversation was short with Hayden only saying a few words before hanging up. I wondered what was going on, but I didn¡¯t dare to ask. A few minutester, I heard the doorbell to the penthouse ringing.


    "I¡¯ll get that¡­" Auntie quickly said as she headed to the door.


    "Are you expecting someone?" I asked Hayden, seeing that he didn¡¯t seem surprised.


    "No¡­" Hayden replied curtly.


    The penthouse door opened and a few men dressed in formal matching suits came in while carrying arge parcel in their hands. Oh¡­so the delivery was being made today?


    Huh? Today?!


    "Excuse me, Sir. Where do you want this?" one of the men said politely to Hayden.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 131: I Want To

    "Auntie, show them to my bedroom," Hayden said.


    "Yes, this way please," Auntie said as she led the way.


    "That¡¯s the painting, right?" I asked, unable to hide my excitement.


    "I did say that you¡¯ll be able to see it when I hang it up in my bedroom, right?" Hayden said followed by a satisfiedugh.


    "I guess you did¡­" I mumbled.


    To make sure that everything went smoothly, we went to observe them hang up the painting in Hayden¡¯s bedroom. The painting wasrge, and the colors made it really stand out against the interior of Hayden¡¯s room. Auntie seemed to think that the painting looks nice as well because I caught her admiring it.


    "Don¡¯t you think it looks great?" I asked as I stood next to her.


    "Yes. The colors are very pretty," she replied without hesitation.


    I smiled happily. It was a good feeling when someone likes the same work of art as you and you could admire it together.


    When the men were done hanging up the painting and Hayden signed for the sessful receipt of it, Auntie led the men out. Hayden and I stayed in the bedroom as we spent some time taking in the painting that was now in its new surroundings.


    "You really like this painting, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve been staring at it all this time¡­" Hayden said teasingly.


    "Yeah¡­I do¡­" I replied truthfully.


    "Then it¡¯s great that I bought it," Hayden said, sounding quite satisfied with his purchase.


    I turned to him and saw that Hayden was smiling at me. The way his face transforms when he smiled is like a precious piece of art in and of itself. I smiled back at him with that thought in mind. Hayden¡¯s face slowly came close to mine, and I closed my eyes as I waited for his lips to touch mine.


    Hayden kissed me so gently and softly that I found it hard to believe that it was Hayden that I was kissing. The kiss felt very different from the ones that we¡¯ve shared before. It felt extremely fulfilling but it also made me crave for so much more. The soft and chaste kiss left me slightly confused.


    "You don¡¯t want to?" Hayden asked softly after his lips parted from mine.


    His blue eyes were gentle and clear as he looked down at me. He¡¯s so close and I couldn¡¯t stop staring deeply into his captivating eyes. Slowly, I shook my head. Perhaps my slight confusion just now was mistaken by Hayden for hesitation.


    "I want to¡­" I whispered before I kissed his lips softly.


    I felt Hayden¡¯s lips curve into a smile before he began kissing me back fervently. The gentle kiss was gone and in its ce was a very deep and passionate one. I moaned softly into his mouth as his tongue thrusted deeply into the depth of my mouth. His hands were already exploring the curves of my body starting from my shoulders, my breasts and then slipping down to my waist.


    His touch set my body aze. My body felt so hot as my core started to throb with my intense desire for him. My breath came in short pants as his hands began massaging my breasts through my clothes. He¡¯s being so rough, and I had to say that I liked it this way. It felt more like Hayden this way.


    "Ah! Hayden¡­" I cried out in surprise when he suddenly lifted me into his arms.


    Hayden kissed me again as he carried me princess-style towards his bed. Carefully, Hayden ced me on the bed before his hands were on my ankles. I looked down at him in confusion as he pulled roughly on my legs, dragging me down towards the end of the bed until only my hips rested on the bed.


    His hands quickly jerked my dress upwards, revealing my naked legs to him before he quickly removed my panties, tossing them aside on the floor. Impatiently, Hayden lifted my leg up and spread them widely apart. I cried out a little in shock as my legs were forced a part. Hayden stood in between my legs and my body trembled in anticipation as I looked forward to what he was going to do to me next.


    Kissing Hayden was enough to turn me on. My core felt hot, and it was throbbing with need. I knew with certainty that my pussy was already wet for him. I could feel the heat and wetness of my arousal seeping out from my love hole. Hayden crouched down in between my legs, and I squirmed in embarrassment as he positioned his face directly at my crotch.


    "Your pussy is all wet. Your clit is swollen hard¡­" Haydenmented.


    His fingers stroked the wetness in between my legs as he ran his fingertips up and down the slit of my womanly entrance. His fingers skillfully pinched and rolled my sensitive clit, making me cry out at the overwhelming pleasure. He moved his fingers faster and rougher against my clit and I moaned louder than before.


    My hips began thrusting upwards, grinding my clit against his fingers for more pleasure.


    "You¡¯re so naughty. Your pussy just got wetter¡­let me clean it up for you¡­" Hayden whispered seductively before he dipped his head in between my legs.


    I felt the warmth of his breath on my inner thighs before he softly blew onto my clit. The air of his breath against my wetness made me more conscious of how wet I was down there. My pussy clenched wildly at the feel of his teasing. Hayden chuckled a little and I could tell that he was enjoying himself immensely. His tongue flicked softly against the sensitive seed of my clit and I screamed.


    "Ahh! Hayden!" I screamed as my body writhed.


    Hayden¡¯s hands grabbed my thighs to keep me in ce as my hips thrusted wildly. He buried his face in between my legs and began eating me out. He sucked on my clit and the pleasure that coursed through my body felt insanely intense. It was like pleasure was crashing onto me like tsunami waves. He continued to suck harder and harder, and I cried out even louder than before.


    It felt like I was about to lose my mind.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 132: Fooling Ourselves

    "Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!" I cried out non-stop.


    My hands clutched at the bedsheet as I struggled to deal with my own lust and pleasure. My hips wouldn¡¯t stop trashing about, and I closed my eyes in ecstasy. I felt a sharp prating sensation as something thick and long entered my love hole. Soon, I figured that it must be Hayden¡¯s fingers.


    His fingers started moving inside of me, wriggling wildly against the walls of my pussy as he stimted me deeply from various angles.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m¡­" I whispered.


    It¡¯s too much. Fingering me while he yed around with my clit with his tongue was too much for me to handle. I felt like was about to climax all the time. Suddenly, Hayden¡¯s fingers inside of me stopped moving and he slowly withdrew his fingers from my pussy. Hayden stood up and headed to the drawers where he pulled out a condom.


    I tried my best to wait patiently as Hayden stripped himself and rolled the condom on his massively thick and long cock.


    "Ready?" Hayden asked needlessly.


    I just nodded at him as I braced myself to take in his gigantic member. Spreading my legs further apart, I tried to rx my insides and catch my breath. Hayden stood in between my legs before his hands grabbed my legs and held them on either side of his hips. I could feel the heat from his cock as he positioned his thick shaft at my throbbing entrance.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name loudly in my shock at the impact of his rough and sudden entrance.


    Hayden thrusted his enormous rod into me with so much force, burying his entire length into me in one go. He¡¯s so big and it hurt slightly as my pussy struggled to adjust to his shape and size. His cock filled me uppletely and stretched me as he started rocking his hips against my opening.


    His hands on my legs tightened when Hayden started moving his hips, thrusting his massive pole in and out of my wet hole.


    My pussy made wet sounds as his cock stirred up my wet and warm insides with each of his powerful thrusts. The thick head of his cock was hitting me so deeply inside, it felt like he was going to split me into two halves. I cried out at the pleasure and pain of his rough movements inside of my love hole. He pounded into me harder and harder, and my hips moved against him.


    My hips rose to meet his thrusts halfway, pushing his cock even deeper into my hole until he was hitting against my womb with each thrust.


    Perhaps it was because he was standing that his thrusts were much more powerful than before. Hayden groaned as he gave it to me fast and hard while I cried and whimpered his name. The sounds of our pants and moaned filled the bedroom as our bodies continued to couple crazily. My legs felt weak, and it felt like my insides hadpletely melted.


    I couldn¡¯t control the moans and cries that were escaping from my lips. The pleasure that I was feeling was getting to be too much for me to take. I covered my face with my hands as I felt my climax approaching.


    "Don¡¯t cover your face¡­" Hayden groaned.


    "I¡¯m¡­cumming¡­" I whimpered through the cracks in between my fingers.


    My climax hit me hard, and I ended up screaming very loudly before whimpering softly as I rode out the after effect of my climax. Hayden pounded his cock faster into me and I knew that he was very close to his own release. It wasn¡¯t long after, that Hayden stilled and groaned my name as he also orgasmed.


    Weid next to each other on his bed with my head pillowed on his arm. I felt exhausted but I didn¡¯t want to fall asleep just yet. Hayden was still awake too; however, we decided to enjoy the after glow of our lovemaking silently. My eyes flickered towards the painting on the wall and for the first time, I felt like the painting had a tinge of sadness hidden in its colors.


    I have never felt this way before when I looked at this painting before whether from photos of it or from the original in front of me.


    Just like Hayden had wanted, we continued to spend our time together as if everything was normal. It was as if the event of meeting Amelia and everything else associated to it might as well not have happened. It was as if our time together could stretch together until the end of our lives.


    The day was truly enjoyable but now that the day was reaching its conclusion, I wondered if at the end of the day we were just fooling ourselves.


    The truth was if I closed my eyes and fell asleep now, the next time that I opened them the following morning, we would only have five days left together before everythinges to an end.


    ¡­


    My eyes fluttered open as my biological clock woke me up the next morning.


    ¡¯5 days left¡¯ said the voice inside of my head.


    It was a reminder that I didn¡¯t need or wanted to hear. Hayden was still sleeping peacefully at my side and that was a pleasant change to waking up with him gone. He was sleeping like a baby, and I didn¡¯t want to wake him up. I wondered if he had anything to do today because it was quite rare for him to sleep in if he had something to do.


    I guess I¡¯ll find out when he wakes up. Slowly and carefully, I started easing out of bed, trying my best not to wake him. The grip I felt on my wrist told me that I had failed at my first mission for the day. Hayden had woken up already.


    "Good morning, Hayden¡­" I said softly and realized that my voice sounded hoarse and my throat hurts.


    Clearly, this was the result of screaming too muchst night. My throat stung and I had a bad feeling that it¡¯ll remain that way for a while today.


    "Morning, Malissa¡­" Hayden replied as he sat up on the bed and ran his fingers through his light blond hair.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 133: Staying In Together

    I smiled a little to myself. Hayden looked quite adorable when he just woke up. He was still sleepy; he had a bedhead, and his guard was down.


    "Are you going somewhere today?" I asked, realizing that I wished that he would have free time to spend with me.


    "Nowhere. We¡¯re staying home¡­" Hayden replied without a second thought.


    "Should I cook for you?" I offered.


    The words slipped from my lips without thinking. For some reason, I was anxious to please Hayden. It was probably because I was overjoyed that he had decided to stay in with me today. I didn¡¯t have anything to offer to him, but I could whip up a decent meal for him.


    "That¡¯ll be nice¡­" Hayden repliedzily.


    I watched as Hayden got out of bed and walkedpletely naked to the bathroom. He was clearlyfortable and very rxed. It made me quite happy to see him that way. I stretched and also got out of bed with the nket wrapped around me before heading back to my bedroom to quickly take a shower.


    The day alone in the penthouse with Hayden went well. I cooked him brunch and we enjoyed it in each other¡¯spany. Auntie conveniently called in sick, so it was just the two of us together and we didn¡¯t mind at all. Things were going well, and we had a romantic and homey atmosphere going on when an unforeseen disturbance came in to shake up our day.


    Hayden¡¯s phone started vibrating on the table next to his hand. Hayden nced over at it before he reached out and turned the phone over to silence it. Whoever was calling was beingpletely ignored. It was clear that Hayden had no intention of taking the call and that made me wonder a little about who was on the other end of the line. Perhaps, it was work and Hayden didn¡¯t want to work today?


    As those thoughts were running through my mind, my phone began to vibrate in the pocket of my pants. Quickly, I pulled it out and looked at the caller¡¯s name on the screen.


    Oh¡­it¡¯s the boss.


    Now I understood why Hayden didn¡¯t pick up the call. It must have been his father that was the one calling him before. Since Hayden didn¡¯t pick up, the boss decided to call me instead. Maybe he knew that Hayden and I are together today. I hesitated a little but then decided to answer the call anyways.


    "Hi¡­" I said softly into the phone.


    "You¡¯re with Hayden, right? He¡¯s ignoring my calls¡­" the boss said, and it wasn¡¯t really a question.


    "Yes¡­" I replied, trying to sound polite.


    I could feel Hayden¡¯s eyes on me, and I suddenly felt nervous. He probably wouldn¡¯t like it that I was talking to the boss.


    "I want you both toe over. Hayden knows where I am. I sent him a message earlier," the bossmanded.


    Before I could say anything else, the line disconnected. He just hung up on me after he had said all that he had to. I looked over at Hayden as I desperately thought of how to break this sudden development to him.


    "So? What did the old man say?" Hayden asked.


    "Umm¡­" I murmured in hesitation.


    Hayden already knows that I just got off the phone with his father and he was clearly irritated. His tone had gotten impatient and snappy. What a way to ruin a great and peaceful day¡­


    "Does he want us to go over?" Hayden asked needlessly.


    Why is he even asking if he knows everything already?


    "Yes¡­" I replied in short.


    "You should have just ignored his call¡­" Hayden said, sounding very annoyed.


    "You know that I can¡¯t do that¡­" I muttered.


    "He probably wants to say some stupid things to you again¡­" Hayden said followed by a sigh.


    I smiled a little at him. To be honest, talking to the boss was hard and I never looked forward to it. However, the contract ising to an end soon and I had expected that he would call me in for a talk sooner orter. Frankly, I wanted to have an opportunity to thank him too.


    Entering me into the contract wasn¡¯t really fair but it did lead me to meet Hayden, which was probably more of a good thing than a bad thing¡­


    Apart from that, regardless of the context, the boss did help me a lot financially in paying for my grandmother¡¯s hospital bills and keeping her in one of the best hospitals. If it was just me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to afford anything remotely close to it. I was thankful for his help and the treatment that my grandmother had received.


    "It¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll manage¡­" I replied before smiling bravely at Hayden.


    He only shook his head at me slightly before he got up from his seat. That was the signal that we were leaving to see the boss now. I quickly ran to grab my bag before following him out of the penthouse. During the ride to the boss¡¯s mansion, I pondered what he wanted to talk to me about while I also thought about how to thank him politely and properly.


    Shortly after, we arrived at the boss¡¯s mansion. The beautiful gardens and the huge building reminded me of the first day that I had arrived here after the men in ck dragged me away from grandmother¡¯s sweet shop. So many things happened from that day onwards and it felt like a lifetime had passed by.


    That day felt so long ago, and many things have changed including my feeling and perception that I had towards this ce.


    Surprisingly, I felt less scared; however, therge building still intimidated me a little. The garden andndscape were truly beautiful in the daylight. Unlike the first time that I was here, Hayden was by my side this time. I nced up at his face to see him smiling down at me as he held my hand.


    How the light reflected off his light blond hair and how the shadow darked a portion of his face, made him look like a work of art. He¡¯s a very beautiful man indeed.


    "Let¡¯s go so we can quickly get this over with¡­" Hayden said before he dragged me after him into therge building.


    This time Hayden was the one leading me to the boss¡¯s room. I walked along the same long hallway to where the boss was waiting for us. The first day that I was here, I felt so nervous and scared that I didn¡¯t remember anything very well. Now that Hayden was with me, I felt quite calm and ready to ept and face whatever waited for us.


    Just like the times before, Hayden didn¡¯t bother knocking on his father¡¯s door before entering. We entered the room abruptly and found the boss sitting on the sofa waiting for us. He turned without surprise as he had been expecting us.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 134: Countdown

    "Wee¡­" the boss said in greeting before he smiled at me.


    "Hello¡­" I said softly.


    "Why are we here?" Hayden asked, cutting to the chase.


    "I wanted to talk to Malissa and you¡¯re just her driver," the boss replied with augh.


    He seemed to be in a good mood today. Hayden didn¡¯t find his joke funny, but I thought that it was a good attempt. We took our seat on the long sofa opposite the boss. Hayden sat next to me.


    "I told you just now that I wanted to talk to Malissa, right? So, why are you still here, Hayden?" the boss asked.


    "You want me to leave?" Hayden asked in annoyance.


    "Yes. Leave¡­" the boss spat.


    The two men stared at each other down. Seriously, these two father and son just never seemed to get along at all. I wondered what these two were like when Hayden¡¯s elder brother was around. Did they get along better as a trio than as a duo?


    Hayden squeezed my hand softly as he looked closely at me. I could see the worry in his blue eyes but I felt quite fine with being left alone with the boss. Actually, there were somethings that I wanted to say to the boss without having Hayden in the room as well.


    "It¡¯s fine¡­" I whispered to him softly before smiling reassuringly at him.


    "Ok. I¡¯ll be waiting just outside¡­" Hayden said before he gave my hand one final encouraging squeeze.


    I watched as Hayden got up and headed for the door. The door opened and Hayden disappeared through it before the door closed again. Satisfied that Hayden was now gone, the boss turned his full attention on me.


    "How have you been?" the boss asked, it was the same question as always.


    "I¡¯m fine. We¡¯re both doing ok¡­I guess¡­" I replied.


    "I see. The contract ising to an end soon¡­" the boss said.


    I knew that to be true, so I just nodded. I was right, the boss wanted to talk to me because the contract wasing to an end. We only have five days left and not much is going to change between us at this point. Hayden did say that he wanted us to act normal until the contract came to an end.


    Although that meant that we could continue the way we were, that also meant that he was fine with everythinging to an end.


    He never talked about continuing our rtionship beyond the contract expiry date. Neither did he talk about wanting something more of our rtionship. Now that Ie to think about it, his mind was still unchanged regarding Amelia. Although, I still couldn¡¯t understand that. Now I sort of understood the boss¡¯s frustration at his son¡¯s stubbornness.


    Maybe if I ask Hayden directly about it, he would tell me why he wanted to marry Amelia so badly.


    "Yes, there¡¯s only five days left¡­" I said.


    "So, you¡¯ve been counting down the days¡­" the boss said with a little amusedugh.


    Yes, I have but now I got more and more scared as the number slowly decreased. One day soon, the number would drop to zero. I didn¡¯t know what the boss wanted to say but I knew what I wanted to tell him.


    "It might sound out of ce for me to say this but¡­I feel honestly thankful for everything that you¡¯ve done for me and my grandmother. Thank you for covering her medical bills and making sure that she receives nothing but the best treatment and care. I truly appreciate what you¡¯ve done for us," I said, meaning every word.


    "What are you going to do from now on?" the boss asked.


    "Umm¡­" I wasn¡¯t sure¡­


    Well, I still don¡¯t have a job and no way to pay for her hospital bills if that¡¯s what he¡¯s talking about. That was another issue that I haven¡¯t figured out yet. Perhaps, if her condition is stable enough, I can move her to take care of her at home¡­


    "What do you n to do with your life after this contract expires?" the boss asked again.


    Honestly, I¡¯ve been so worried about the contracting to an end that I haven¡¯ thought about what I wanted to do after that. I was probably scared of the changes that woulde with the contract¡¯s expiry¡­especially concerning Hayden¡­


    "I¡¯m honestly not sure yet. I haven¡¯t really put in enough thought into it," I replied honestly.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about your grandmother. I¡¯m more than happy to cover for her expenses¡­until she won¡¯t be needing it anymore¡­" the boss said as if he could read my mind.


    "Oh¡­thank you. I know it¡¯s strange for me to say this but¡­I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t give you anything in return. I¡¯m not marrying Hayden, and, in the end, I couldn¡¯t do anything to convince him to take over as the next head of Torex. I¡¯m sorry¡­" I said, feeling quite guilty although he was the one who started all of this and not me.


    "I wouldn¡¯t be too sure about that¡­" the boss said before chuckling a little.


    "Excuse me?" I said, not quite following what he had just said.


    "You may not realize it yet, but I think precisely because of you, Hayden will take over Torex," the boss said, and his eyes twinkled at me.


    He seemed quite satisfied with the oue and I had a feeling that he knew something that I didn¡¯t. Either that or he simply saw the world very differently from how I saw it.


    "I don¡¯t think that he would¡­" I replied, feeling slightly confused.


    "Why do you say that?" the boss asked.


    Well, because Hayden told me quite clearly that he didn¡¯t want to¡­


    "He told me that he hates this job¡­" I replied as I reflected back on the moment that Hayden had told me that.


    "Is that so? Is that why you didn¡¯t want to convince him to do it?" the boss asked knowingly.


    I just nodded silently. That¡¯s right. It just felt wrong to talk Hayden into something that he didn¡¯t want to do. Well, it wasn¡¯t like I thought that I could have convinced him to take over Torex no matter how hard I tried which was why I couldn¡¯t understand what the boss meant about Hayden taking over. Did Hayden have a sudden change of heart?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 135: Guilty

    "Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve done more than enough. Honesty, you¡¯ve exceeded my expectations," the boss said.


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t quite follow¡­" I said as I looked at the boss questioningly.


    "Are you in love with my son?" the boss asked abruptly.


    I remembered that he had asked me this before in our previous conversation. Back then, I had answered him firmly that I wasn¡¯t. However, now it wasn¡¯t as easy to give him a straightforward answer¡­


    "Does it matter?" I asked instead of replying.


    The boss¡¯s eyes narrowed at me slightly before he grinned at me.


    "You seen her already, haven¡¯t you? Amelia¡­" the boss asked before he let out a sigh.


    "Yes¡­I have¡­" I replied.


    The boss seemed deep in thought for a short moment before he spoke up again.


    "That girl¡­she¡¯s not going to make it¡­" the boss said emotionlessly.


    For a moment, I felt like the old man in front of me wasn¡¯t heartless. However, he must have suffered greatly at the loss of his eldest son and perhaps from what happened to Amelia as well. Now that I thought about it, I didn¡¯t know what happened to Harvey and Amelia.


    "Hayden said she could wake up¡­" I said softly.


    "He probably also said that the chances are slim¡­" the boss interjected.


    "Well, yes¡­he did¡­" I admitted.


    "Even if she did wake up, she wouldn¡¯t make it. I would prefer for her to just pass away in her sleep. That would be best for her," the boss said before he closed his eyes briefly.


    He looked quite tired. I wondered if he would tell me what happened if I asked. On the other hand, I wasn¡¯t sure if I should ask. I might be prying too much. Nothing good maye out of knowing either; I¡¯ll just be satisfying my own curiosity. However, there was one thing that I wanted to ask¡­


    "Do you know why Hayden still wants to marry Amelia?" I asked.


    "What did he tell you?" the boss asked.


    "Well, he told me that Amelia is actually his brother¡¯s fianc¨¦e so¡­I was wondering why he wants to marry her¡­" I said hesitantly as I gathered my thoughts together and tried my best to put them into words.


    "He¡¯s probably just guilty. I would be extremely surprised if he¡¯s in love with her¡­it¡¯s just not likely¡­" the boss replied, waving my concernpletely away.


    "Guilty? But¡­Hayden didn¡¯t do anything wrong, did he?" I asked, not quite understanding.


    "Frankly, I don¡¯t think Hayden did anything wrong either. No one thinks that it¡¯s Hayden¡¯s fault but¡­he probably still mes himself for everything after all this time," the boss said, and he sounded very regretful.


    Hayden feels guilty¡­


    ¡¯Same as always. I told him that¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯


    If I remembered correctly, that was what Hayden said after I asked him what he told his brother when he was in front of his brother¡¯s grave. Just what was he sorry for¡­exactly?


    "What happened exactly? Why does Hayden have to feel guilty?" I asked seriously.


    For some reason, I felt like if I could just get the answer to these questions, I¡¯ll be able to figure Hayden and perhaps everything out¡­


    The boss looked at me with slightly widened eyes. I bit my tongue, realizing that I have spoken up quite loudly just now.


    "I¡¯m sorry¡­" I whispered.


    "Oh no¡­there¡¯s nothing to apologize for. I¡¯m just¡­not used to you being so straight forward, but I like it. However, this is something that you should ask Hayden himself¡­" the boss said before smiling a little sadly at me.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled.


    It was clear that the boss wasn¡¯t willing to tell me anything more. If I wanted to find out, I had to ask Hayden. I wonder if he would tell me though¡­


    The boss slowly got up from the sofa, signaling to me that our conversation was over. The conversation stretched out for much longer than I had imagined at first. However, I did get to learn a few new things and I did get to thank him.


    "Thank you¡­for helping out regarding my grandmother," I thanked him again before bowing my head to him.


    "I already told you that I got more than I bargained for¡­" the boss replied.


    Is he referring to Hayden taking over Torex as well? Well, if that¡¯s what he wants to believe then¡­


    "Well, I feel better that you seem satisfied¡­I guess¡­" I replied a little hesitantly.


    I took my leave and once I was outside the boss¡¯s room, I leaned my back against the door and let out such a loud sigh that it echoed in the empty hallway. It felt a little strange when I thought that this might be thest time that I see the boss.


    "That was a very loud sigh,"


    I whirled around and almost bumped into Hayden. When did he get here? Howe I didn¡¯t realize? Was he here all along?


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name as heughed a little at me.


    "How did it go? Not too bad, I hope¡­" Hayden asked with slight concern.


    "Oh¡­it was ok. Nothing much¡­" I replied vaguely.


    The truth was so much happened in there that it left me confused. One sure thing was that I needed to muster up my courage and find a good opportunity to ask him about what happened to Harvey and Amelia. How I¡¯m supposed to do that is still a mystery to me though.


    "Let¡¯s head back, I¡¯m hungry¡­" Hayden said as he took my hand into his casually.


    "Yeah¡­" I agreed.


    I followed Hayden back to his car. The ride back to the penthouse was peaceful and it gave me a good chance to gather my thoughts together. I understood why the boss wanted me to ask Hayden myself, but it would have been much easier on me if he had just told me. I rolled my eyes as I thought of the boss¡¯s smiling face when he told me that Hayden would take over Torex. That old man is so maniptive.


    Arghhh!


    "Are you sure that my old man didn¡¯t say anything weird? You¡¯ve been frowning for a while now¡­" Hayden asked with his eyes still on the road ahead.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 136: Parting Gift

    "Oh¡­he asked me what I wanted to do with my life, you know, after the contract expires¡­" I said.


    "And you said?" Hayden asked.


    "I told him that I haven¡¯t thought about it. In other words, I havepletely no idea¡­" I replied, trying to sound carefree.


    "That¡¯s funny but it does sound like you," Hayden said, sounding amused.


    "He did promise to continue paying for my grandmother¡¯s hospital bills though. That was very kind of him. Maybe he¡¯s not such a bad person¡­" I said, deep in thought.


    "My father¡¯s not a bad person¡­he just likes to get his way. That¡¯s all," Hayden said.


    "Haha¡­but don¡¯t we all?" I said whileughing.


    Seriously, if only I could have my way as well¡­


    ¡­


    After that we drove back to the penthouse. I thought about what the boss said all the way back as I stared absentmindedly at the scenery that past by in front of my eyes outside the car¡¯s window.


    "Are you free when we get back?" Hayden asked needlessly.


    Of course, I was free. I had nothing else to do and even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate on anything else anyways.


    "Yes, I am¡­" I replied.


    I wondered what Hayden had in mind. He hasn¡¯t told me anything and at this point, I couldn¡¯t guess and didn¡¯t even want to bother guessing. He was just a wild card.


    "Come over here¡­" Hayden called out to me when we entered the penthouse.


    It was then that I realized that Hayden had walked off somewhere. Following the sound of his voice, I entered another sitting room that was smaller. We¡¯ve never really used this room before simply because there was another andrger sitting room. The penthouse had too many rooms for Hayden and me to upy and use them all.


    "What is it?" I asked as I walked into the room.


    Hayden was busy doing something close to the wall. I looked towards him in confusion as I wondered what he was doing.


    "Come here and take this," Hayden said.


    I went over to where he was standing near the wall before he handed me arge box. Is this a jewelry box? Taking into ount its side, it would probably be more suitable to call it a tray than a box. I took the tray from his hand in slight confusion as I watched his hands and arm reach into the safe that was constructed in the wall and began pulling out more trays.


    "What¡¯s this?" I asked.


    "Your parting gifts," Hayden said like it was supposed to be obvious.


    Instead of getting excited at the word ¡¯gifts¡¯ like most girls would, my heart ached like it was about to break at the work ¡¯parting¡¯ and how easily it seemed to roll off his tongue.


    Once the safe was empty, I had many trays in my arms and so did Hayden. Together we walked to the coffee table in the middle of the sofa set and ced them on the table. Sitting down on the sofa together with Hayden, I watched the two high piles of jewelry boxes and tray in a mix of amazement and difort.


    "I don¡¯t think¡­" I began protesting.


    "Do you remember these?" Hayden asked as he opened a box and shoved it in my face.


    "Yes¡­" I replied softly.


    Of course, I remember. These are the blue sapphire jewelry that I wore after he took me to my first ever make-over before he asked me to act as his friend¡¯s fake girlfriend. That seemed like so long ago. I wondered for a bit if they were still friends after what happened. I guess not¡­


    "They look good on you. You should keep it," Hayden said firmly.


    "I can¡¯t possibly ept this¡­" I denied firmly.


    "Yes, you can. Would you rather take these or the painting? If you can¡¯t decide, I¡¯ll help you by telling you that the painting is worth so much more¡­" Hayden said as he looked at me with serious eyes.


    I just didn¡¯t know what to say. At a loss for words, I just nodded my head slight at him.


    "Good. Now these. Do you remember these?" Hayden asked once more as he shoved another jewelry set into my face.


    Yes, I did. This is the emerald set that he bought for me too. I wondered why he was showing this to me as if he wanted to jig my memory. It felt wrong for me to ept something so expensive as a gift. Worst, it was a parting gift.


    "Listen, Hayden¡­I think it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t take these with me. I¡¯m happy that you want to give them to me, but I don¡¯t think I should take them after all," I said.


    "I insist that you take them. They may not have sentimental value to you, but I would feel better if you had them. If you ever need the money, I want you to sell them," Hayden insisted again.


    "Huh?" I eximed in shock. I think I must have misheard what he said.


    "If you don¡¯t have money, just sell them," Hayden repeated in iner terms.


    Staring down at the sparkling jewelry in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but recall our times together and it just hurt deep inside. My chest felt tight, and the back of my eyes and my nose was starting to sting. I¡¯m about to cry and I don¡¯t want Hayden to see it. I tried to stop myself from blinking, fearing that the tears would spill over from my eyes if I blinked.


    "These are some other that I ordered. Some are smaller and suitable for everyday use. I want you to wear them. Jewelry does look good on you. Oh, and if you don¡¯t have money, just sell them. No need to worry or think too much over it," Hayden instructed as his hands opened up the other trays full of jewelry.


    "Thank you. I¡¯ll take them before I leave, so please keep it in the safe for now. I¡¯m feeling a little tired, I¡¯ll head to my room now¡­" I quickly thanked him and excused myself.


    Everything was starting to get too much for me and my poor little heart to take. I felt sick as a lump formed in my throat. I controlled myself enough to walk casually out of the room. Once I rounded the corner, I began walking faster so that I could quickly get to my bedroom.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 137: How He Comforts Me

    Once the bedroom door closed behind me, the tears that I had been desperately suppressing flowed freely from my eyes. Warm tears trailed down my cheeks and I didn¡¯t even bother to wipe them away. I felt too tired to even lift my arms. My chest aches and hurts. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. I walked over to my bed and fell down on top of it, burying my face into my pillow.


    No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn¡¯t stop crying. So, I decided to let it all out. I¡¯ve experienced something like this before when Ethan broke up with me so suddenly. However, this just felt a thousand times worst. I knew what this was¡­it was heart break.


    ¡­


    Am I dreaming?


    Yes, I¡¯m probably just dreaming¡­


    I can smell him and his fingertips on my face felt so warm. His touch is so soft and tender like flicks of feathers running down my cheeks and then trailing down the side of my neck. I breathed out and a soft moan escaped my lips. I felt his warm hands caressing my full breasts and I moaned over and over as his hands started kneading and squeezing them over my clothes.


    His hands dipped in between the opening of my clothes as he sought to touch my naked skin directly. I bit my lower lips and moaned when I felt the heat of his hand on the naked and sensitive flesh of my breasts. Ahh¡­it feels so good. My nipples are already so erect and hard as his palm rubbed against them repeatedly.


    "Malissa¡­"


    Everything feels so real. Even his voice just now feels so real and so close. I could hear him clearly¡­Hayden¡­


    I bet I¡¯m going crazy with my wanting and yearning for him. Shamelessly, I¡¯m having these dirty dreams of himing to me and pleasuring me with his hands. Even in my sleep, I wanted him to touch and love me. I¡¯m moaning louder now as my body started to writhe and respond to his passionate touch and caresses. It feels so good, I don¡¯t ever want to wake up from this dream.


    If I don¡¯t ever wake up, will Hayden be with me forever?


    My body throbbed with heat as desire spread over my body. I usually don¡¯t have dirty dreams like this so why am I dreaming like this right now? I felt his hot hands sliding down my body from my chest to my stomach and then my pelvis. My body shivered in delight and anticipation. I couldn¡¯t wait for him to touch me there.


    My pussy throbbed and ached with need, and I knew that I was already wet and ready for him. I wanted him so much already. Why was he moving so slowly? If this is my dream, can I speed him up?


    I want to feel his massive cock inside of me now. No matter how hard I tried to change things, his hands still moved very slowly down my body. I cried out loudly as his hands finally cupped the mound in between my legs. Slowly his hand slid into my clothes until his fingers touched my hot wetness directly.


    "Ahhh! Hayden¡­" I cried out his name loudly.


    My eyes shot wide open. I felt very confused and disorientated at first as my eyes took time to adjust to the darkness of my bedroom. There was enough lighting in from the light outside the building, but it was clearly quite dark already outside, how long did I sleep for?


    "Why were you crying, Malissa?"


    "Hay¡­den?" I said his name in disbelief as I cocked my head to the side.


    Blinking rapidly, I could make out the shape of Hayden¡¯s body and his face close to me. Now that my eyes have adjusted, I realized that it wasn¡¯t that dark. There was enough light for me to make out everything. How long had he been there?


    "It¡¯s me. Why were you crying?" Hayden asked again.


    He knew that I was crying? Was I crying in my sleep? That¡¯s not possible¡­


    Did he see me cry before this? Oh¡­he probably saw my tear-stained face.


    "It¡¯s nothing," I said. He wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told him that I didn¡¯t cry.


    Wait, what about my dream just now?


    "Wait! Did you¡­touch me?" I asked, sounding quite embarrassed.


    "Yup. You got pretty wet already¡­" Hayden admitted with a teasing smile before he lifted his hand to show me the evidence in the form of my own wetness on his fingers.


    "Why did youe in here?" I asked in a panic as I tried to hide my embarrassment.


    I didn¡¯t dream that, but he was here teasing me all along?


    "Tofort you, I guess. You didn¡¯t look so well when you left so I gave you some time to rest and came to visit you. You seemed like you neededforting, so¡­" Hayden replied with a smile.


    So, he did that¡­tofort me?


    "Was I wrong? You looked like you were having a good time and couldn¡¯t wait for more," Hayden said, sounding serious.


    "Umm¡­I¡­" I stammered, not knowing how to respond.


    "Shall we continue?" Hayden asked, whispering close to my ear before he stuck out his tongue and licked my earlobe with the tip of his tongue.


    That sent a shiver running through my entire body. My ears are ultra-sensitive, and he knows it so well.


    "Y¡­Yes¡­Ahhhh¡­" I replied before moaning erotically.


    Hayden¡¯s teasing words and actions were turning me on, and I could feel my pussy getting wetter and wetter as time went by. My insides felt hot as my need burned up deep inside of my core.


    "Before that, tell me¡­why were you crying? Did I do something to upset you?" Hayden asked with genuine concern.


    Of course, I¡¯m crying because in a few days the contract will expire, and I won¡¯t ever get to see him again. Then out of nowhere, he starts showering me with farewell gifts that I could sell whenever I was faced with financial difficulties in the future? What the hell is that all about?


    Shit. Just thinking about it is giving me a massive headache and I felt like I was ready to cry some more.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 138: All I Want

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to voice my honest thoughts out loud especially when it seemed like Hayden was not at all bothered by the impending end of our contract.


    "It¡¯s nothing¡­really¡­" I replied softly before putting on my best smile.


    Hayden stared directly into my face for a little while before he sighed and decided to let the matter drop. I let out a breath of relief that I no longer had to talk about it.


    "Come¡­I¡¯llfort you," Hayden said as he got into my bed next to me and wrapped his strong arms around me.


    His body felt warm, and I loved his familiar smell. I breathed deeply in his scent as I pressed my body closer along the length of his hard and firm torso. Our eyes met and immediately, we started kissing each other hungrily. I moaned into our hot and wet kiss as his tongue plunged deep into my mouth and began grinding against my tongue.


    I sucked in a rapid breath as his hands began fondling my breasts. Desperately, I began reaching underneath his shirt to feel the firm muscles of his stomach. I ran my hand along his firm muscles before inching upwards towards his chest. Hayden¡¯s hands felt like they were everywhere on my body as he began touching my sensitive spots.


    He broke our kiss and I was left panting. There was no doubt that we wanted each other, and I couldn¡¯t wait to get more of him. Our hands were on each other¡¯s clothes as we quickly and desperately started stripping the other. Hayden carefullyid me down onto the bed after discarding our clothes on the floor next to the bed.


    We were bothpletely naked as Iid down on my back and he got on top of me.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I pleaded for him to hurry up.


    My inner core throbbed with need, and I knew from the size and hardness of Hayden¡¯s arousal that he was more than ready to prate me. I spread my legs invitingly as I thrusted my hips wantonly up a little off the bed.


    "You¡¯re acting very slutty today¡­not that I mind¡­" Hayden whispered seductively to me.


    His hands were on my thighs as he helped spread my legs further apart and lifted them up so that he could move even closer to me. I moaned seductively in anticipation of his thrust.


    "Ah!! Hayden¡­Ahhh!" I cried out loudly.


    Hayden entered me in one sharp and very powerful plunge, thrusting his entire length into my eager hole. Our hips began moving in rhythm as he both sought pleasure from each other. He pounded into me faster and deeper with each thrust and I cried out at the pleasure.


    His heat pierced through me, and I clutched at his back, running my hands up and down his back to feel the movement of his back muscles as they flexed.


    Oh¡­his cock feels so hot inside of me¡­


    Hayden¡¯s not wearing a condom again¡­and I didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. Was it a safe day? Probably¡­


    Ahhh¡­he¡¯s doing me raw again¡­and it feels so different¡­so good!


    "It¡¯s so hot inside you¡­feels good¡­" Hayden groaned.


    His body moved above me faster as he continued to m his massive and thick rod into my pussy over and over again. Dirty wet noises filled my bedroom as his cock plunged into my wetness. My pussy got even wetter as I squirted more of my love honey onto his cock. I could feel my own wetness sliding down my ass crack from my pussy as his cock exited my pussy hole before he rammed it back inside.


    "So good¡­so deep. More¡­give me more¡­" I begged shamelessly for Hayden to do me harder.


    I wanted more of him and if this might be ourst night together then I wanted to enjoy our time together. I wanted to love him, and I wanted to feel loved. Even if this might not mean anything to him, I didn¡¯t mind. In that moment, I was satisfied to feel his cock inside of me and his body in my arms as we became one.


    Hayden fucked me harder and faster as he groaned louder than before. I looked up at his enraptured face. His erotic face was also so beautiful, and I wished that I could watch him all day and all night long for the rest of my life. His cock pounded deeply against my womb with each of his animalistic thrusts and I felt like I was about to climax.


    Suddenly Hayden groaned and withdrew his cock from my hole¡­


    "Your pussy feels too damn good¡­I almost came inside of you¡­" Hayden said while panting.


    I was panting hard too but I wanted to feel more of him. My desire seemed endless, and my body continued to burn and yearn for him. Thankfully, Hayden didn¡¯t stop there. His hands grabbed the sides of my hips before he told me to flip onto my stomach.


    His hands lifted my hips towards him after I had turned over onto my stomach. I moaned and whimpered as I lifted my hips up higher for him, thrusting my ass and pussy backwards towards him. My body clearly remembers the joy of Hayden taking me roughly from behind. I closed my eyes and braced my body for the impact of his forceful entry.


    "Good girl¡­" Hayden said as he positioned his cock at my wet entrance.


    "Ohh..Ahhh! Yes! So¡­good¡­" I moaned loudly before crying out as the sensation of his thick cock entering me all the way.


    Hayden grabbed my ass firmly before he began pumping his cock roughly into my cunt from behind. He thrusted into me skillfully from various angles, making sure to hit deeply against my pleasure spots. I cried out with each thrust like I was going mad. His cock stirred up my love juices and I felt like I was going to melt when we finished. He fucked me hard as his hips pped against my backside.


    The thick head of his cock hit me deep inside and it felt so terribly pleasurable from this angle. I thrusted my hips backward against his cock, sucking him deeper into me as my pussy clenched tightly around the thickness of his shaft.


    "I¡¯m cumming! Ahhh¡­Hayden¡­" I cried out loudly as my mind went nk.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 139: Hunting

    4 days left. You¡¯re kidding me, right?


    Someone please sell me a spell to stop time, I thought beforeughing at the ridiculousness of my own stupid idea.


    I woke up feeling disorientated. I¡¯ve never hated the arrival of a new day quite like this before. Looking around me, I found out that I was alone and there were no signs of Hayden. He must have left already by the looks of it. I wondered where he went. He didn¡¯t tell me anything¡­


    Now that I think about it, I probably fell asleepst night right after reaching my climax. My hands quickly went to the wet mess in between my legs. My pussy feels sticky. I touched the wetness in between my legs with my fingers. From the looks and smell of it, I guess Hayden didn¡¯t cum inside of me. My bed smells so much of him though.


    I should wash the bedding¡­


    Before that I should take a quick shower. Even before that I should check my phone. Sleepily, I reached for my phone and found out that I made the best decision ever. There was a message from Hayden! Wow! How rare¡­


    I quickly clicked on it and the text message appeared on the screen of my phone.


    ¡¯I¡¯m out now but I¡¯ll be back around 4PM. See you,¡¯


    It was a little disappointing that Hayden had to go out, but it also presented the perfect opportunity now that he was away. Since he had obviously thought about and had prepared parting gifts for me, I thought that I should at least get him something in return. This was the perfect chance to go out and get him something.


    With that in mind, I quickly showered got dressed and headed out of the house. The men in ck were there to follow me around. I wondered if I would miss having them buzzing around me after the contract was over. It was a strange and funny thought.


    The men in ck were helpful as a driver as always. I had them drive me to a department store. The normal and middle-ss one, not the super ssy and expensive one that Hayden took me to before. Since I¡¯m nning to buy him a gift, I was prepared to pay for it out from my own pocket. Not that I had anything much saved up.


    The men in ck followed me silently, trying to keep their distance to give me some space. They probably knew that their days of guarding me wereing to an end soon. Perhaps they were looking forward to returning to their regr jobs, whatever that was really like. I wandered from shop to shop as I browsed aimlessly.


    After wasting about an hour without making any progress on narrowing down my choice of items, I paused to gather my thoughts. Seriously, just what am I looking for exactly? That was when it hit me that I had no idea what I wanted to buy for Hayden. I didn¡¯t know what I should get for him. I didn¡¯t know what he would like.


    The biggest problem was that he seemed to have everything and nothing that I could buy with the money that I had seemed good enough for him.


    He would probably see this as cheap and inferior, I thought as I looked down at the fountain pen in my hand. I gave the shop assistant a shy smile as I returned the pen back to her and headed out of the store. That wasn¡¯t it either.


    What about some clothes? Then again, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen Hayden wear anything this sloppy. All his clothes seemed specially tailored or belonged to some leading and expensive brand. Seriously,pletely out of my budget.


    I looked down at my phone and saw that it was almost noon. Seriously, did time just go by that fast? I wasted a few hours and didn¡¯t buy anything for him. I closed my eyes and sighed in frustration. Time was running out and Hayden would be back in a few hours.


    Looking around the mall, I honestly didn¡¯t think that I could pick out something for him even if I spent a few more hours walking around aimlessly. I felt so stupid, if Hayden didn¡¯te to shop here then that was probably because there was nothing here that he wanted or was good enough for him.


    It wasn¡¯t like I had enough money to splurge on buying something for him in the other more expensive malls.


    That only left me with one option¡­


    "Let¡¯s go back to the penthouse. Sorry for dragging you guys around with me¡­" I said softly to the men in ck.


    As always, they just nodded in acknowledgement and didn¡¯t bother to reply.


    ¡­


    My mind was busy thinking about what I could achieve in the short few hours that I had left before Hayden got back. There was no guarantee that I would have alone time like this again before the contract came to an end. That meant that leaving things unfinished and up to chance was not an option. Whatever I start, I must finish before Hayden gets back.


    My hands fidgeted on myp as my brain went to work on solving the problem at hand. I could probably paint something with watercolor that was simple so that it had enough time to dry. From Hayden¡¯srge purchase, I definitely had all the materials and colors that I needed. However, I didn¡¯t know what to paint and it just seemed too ordinary.


    Great, another issue just came up. I had no idea what I wanted to draw or paint. However, it was clear that I should make him something. If I couldn¡¯t please him with anything that had mary value, then I had to go with something that had sentimental value. It wasn¡¯t like I was sure that Hayden would think that there is sentimental value in my artwork, but it was the only shot that I had.


    Rushing through the door of the penthouse, I immediately headed to my bedroom. Although I almost tripped over my own feet in my hurry, I managed to make it back to my bedroom. If I could get my hands on some paper, a pencil, or a paintbrush, maybe some wild idea might flicker into my head.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 140: Our Time is Running Out

    Ok done!


    I put the pencil that I had in my hand down and whipped my head around to look at the clock on the wall.


    3:50PM


    I made it!


    Hayden is not back and the artwork which was supposed to be a gift for him ispleted.


    I looked down at the result of my sweat and tears and I couldn¡¯t help smiling. Staring at this sketch on paper made me blush a little. I guess I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden would like or appreciate it but¡­I loved it!


    Wiping a little sweat off my brows, I stood up and headed to the bathroom. I need to wash my face and touch up my make up a little. Hayden should be back soon. As I felt the water on my face, I started thinking of what I should say to him when I give him his gift. Why am I feeling so nervous? It wasn¡¯t like I was presenting some valentines chocte to my secret crush or anything.


    Malissa, wake up!


    "Malissa¡­are you home?" I heard Hayden¡¯s voice calling for me.


    Of course, I¡¯m home!


    "Yes!" I yelled back as I ran out from the bathroom.


    He¡¯s perfectly on time, I thought as my eyes nced at the time on the clock.


    Do I give him the gift now? Is that how it works? Do I just hand it to him¡­or what?


    "Why do you look so flustered? You, ok?" he asked me with a mix of curiosity and concern.


    I had run out of my room to see him, and I guessed that I must have looked quite flustered. The sketch was still in my bedroom. Should I give it to him now?


    "Yes¡­yes¡­I¡¯m ok," I replied.


    He continued staring at me like he wasn¡¯t quite convinced of what I had just told him.


    "Are you¡­hiding something?" he asked.


    How does he know? Seriously¡­


    "It¡¯s written all over your face¡­" Hayden said followed with a lightugh.


    Great. He even answered my unasked question. Now this is getting scary¡­


    "It¡¯s nothing¡­really¡­" I replied.


    "Really?" Hayden asked, sounding unconvinced.


    "Ok. You¡¯re right, there is something¡­that I want to give to you¡­" I said with hesitation as my eye darted around the room just so that I didn¡¯t have to look directly at him.


    "Ok¡­" Hayden said, sounding a little confused yet curious.


    "Wait here¡­" I said as I gestured to the sofa for him to sit.


    I urged him to sit down before I turned and almost ran to my bedroom to grab the drawing. Better give it to him before I lose the nerve! After grabbing the drawing, I quickly headed back to where Hayden was waiting. I approached him and literally shoved the artwork in his face.


    "This is for you!" I announced a little too loudly. Why am I feeling so nervous and on edge?


    Hayden slowly took the paper from my hand, and I held my breath as he stared at my drawing.


    "Do I look like this?" Hayden said after a while of staring at the drawing.


    "I guess. You don¡¯t think it looks like you?" I asked, feeling unsure of how to react to hisment


    I don¡¯t know why I felt so uneasy about this. Truthfully, I knew that I did a decently good job. Actually, I did an excellent job of sketching Hayden from his bust to his face and to the very top of his hair. He looks like a dashingly handsome angel in the sketch and that was what I thought he looked like. I could be biased but I honestly saw nothing wrong with the sketch.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­" Hayden mumbled; his eyes still fixated on my drawing of him.


    "Anyways, this is my gift to you¡­you know, since you got me many gifts¡­" I said before smiling at him.


    "Thank you, Malissa. This is a wonderful present. I¡¯ll make sure to treasure it," Hayden said with a very gentle voice before he smiled charmingly at me.


    My heart skipped more than a beat when faced with that smile and for a short while, I couldn¡¯te up with any words to say to him. Hayden¡¯s blue eyes smiled at me and then he stood up and thew his arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name as I started to get very emotional about all this.


    I hugged him back as I focused all the attention that I had to remember the feel of his arms around me and all the feelings that I was feeling in this very moment. When Ipleted the sketch, I had no idea how Hayden would react to receiving a sketch of himself as a gift, but I truly did not imagine that he would appreciate it this much.


    The one thing that I realized for certain this time while I was sketching a picture of Hayden was that I was truly, helplessly, and hopelessly in love with him. I hugged him tighter to me as I felt tears sting my eyes.


    Nothing could ever change the fate of our rtionship. After all, when tomorrowes, we¡¯ll have only three days left together.


    ¡­


    The next two days past by in a blur. It was a true struggle for me to act like everything was normal between us. For the first time since he made that request, I felt that the request waspletely selfish, and I was paying a painful price for mindlessly agreeing to it.


    Hayden actedpletely normal and even carved out extra time for us to spend the remaining few days that we had together. Weughed; we did things that normal couples would do. Hayden enjoyed himself and I focused on surviving all the bittersweet moments.


    Not once did he suggest that we had a future together after the contract expired. Even worst, because he wanted to act normal until the very end, he acted like there was no such thing as the contract and its binding expiry date. However, the fact that he no longer spoke of things beyond the horizon of these few days made me realize that there was no future for us beyond this timeline.


    Being the stupid coward that I was, I yed my role perfectly until the very end. I didn¡¯t have enough courage to tell him how I honestly felt because I knew that it would just make things awkward between us without leading to any change. For some reason, I just watched as time slipped by as I waited for the end to arrive.


    Unlike my time with Ethan, I didn¡¯t get down on my knees and begged him to stay. I didn¡¯t cry my eyes out in front of him to garner his sympathy.


    Perhaps it was because deep down inside I knew that none of that would have worked with someone like Hayden.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 141: Final Day

    Finally, the final day of the contract arrived. The 30th day of the contract. Since I was looking forward to spending another ¡¯normal day¡¯ with Hayden, I was certainly shocked to find that he was nowhere in sight when I woke up.


    "Hayden!" I called his name loudly.


    I ran from room to room trying to find him even though I already knew that he was no longer in the penthouse. Did he go out? Will hee backter?


    After gathering my wits again, I began acting a little more rationally. First, I should check my phone to see if he called or left a message. Nope. There was no such thing. Now I was very worried. Auntie was also no where in sight.


    Is she on sick leave again today¡­of all days?


    Suddenly, I was beginning to panic. I paced back towards my bedroom and that was when I realized that I didn¡¯t check his bedroom. Why didn¡¯t I do that? What is wrong with me?


    "Hayden!" I called as I walked along the hallway towards his bedroom.


    His name died on my tongue when his bedroom door came into view. I found it difficult to swallow my saliva and my lips suddenly felt very dry. I blinked rapidly, not wanting to ept what I was seeing. There were white and red tape taped all over his bedroom door. The tape said, ¡¯No Entry¡¯.


    Is he really¡­gone?


    Suddenly, my hands were shaking like crazy, and I had started reaching into the pocket of my pants for my phone. I fumbled around with the phone in my hand as I tried to find his contact to call him. My breath came in short bursts, and it felt like I was about to have a panic attack. Who knows¡­maybe I was already going through one.


    My phone fell to the floor when I couldn¡¯t control my hands properly and it just slipped from my hand. The crashing sound of the phone hitting the floor brought me back to my senses. What am I doing? I asked myself this question for the millionth time this month. Just what am I doing?


    It¡¯s thest day of the contract. Last night we had a romantic dinner together and that was sort of like our farewell party. Although we didn¡¯t end up having any hot sex during the night toplete the loop. No, that¡¯s not the point. The point was, I should have known that this was bound to happen. It didn¡¯t matter if he disappeared this morning,ter today or tomorrow.


    Sooner orter, Hayden would be gone.


    Here I am trying to call him. What would I have said if he picked up the phone?


    Ask him where he was and when he was going toe back?


    I shook my head madly from side to side to clear my head before I bent down and picked my phone off the floor. Thankfully, I haven¡¯t called him.


    Malissa, get a grip.


    To top it all off, the doorbell started ringing. I turned around and face the door in a panic. Who could it be? I wasn¡¯t in the mood to receive any guests right now and I had no idea who it was. I marched furiously towards the door and without checking who was in front of the door, I pulled the door wide open in one swift and forceful motion.


    "Who are you?" I asked the small team of people who were standing in front of the door.


    They were a team of five people and I called them a team because they were wearing the same shirt. Two were women and three were men. Not that any of that mattered.


    "Umm¡­sorry to disturb you miss, but we¡¯ve been hired in to help pack and clear away the stuff in this room¡­" one of the men said.


    "Excuse me? What?" I said, not quite grasping what the man had just said.


    They¡¯re movers? Right? They¡¯re here to pack everything.


    "As I¡¯ve been trying to exin. We were hired to pack away everything. You know like the furniture and stuff¡­" the man tried to exin again.


    I understood what he was saying but what I didn¡¯t understand was why is this happening so suddenly? Hayden didn¡¯t tell me anything about this.


    "I see. Pleasee in¡­" I said in a dazed as I stepped aside to let them into the penthouse.


    The team entered and started looking around as they figured how to divide and conquer the work at hand.


    "Sorry¡­I¡¯ll pack my own stuff. You know, all stuff in this bedroom here. Please don¡¯t touch it, I¡¯ll clear it out myself. Thank you¡­" I said as I gesture to my bedroom door.


    "Sure, Miss. Noted," the man said.


    I watched as the team went about with their work. Not able to take any of this anymore, I decided to hide away in my bedroom until I could pick myself up and figure out my next move. By this point, I was quite certain that Hayden wouldn¡¯t being back to this ce anymore.


    A thought urred to me, and I headed to the small sitting room. Great. He really just left them here. I looked down at therge trays of jewelry. This is just so ridiculous. I grabbed them and started carrying them to my bedroom.


    After three roundtrips, I managed to transport all the jewelry back safely to my bedroom. Now I have to figure out what to do with them. Is there a way for me to send them back to Hayden?


    I looked around my bedroom and sighed loudly. It¡¯s only been a month but so much stuff had piled up over this short period of time. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have a lot of new clothes. I could pack them all away easily if I just focused. The movers had moving boxes that I could use to pack my stuff, that was a relief. The bigger concern was all the art supplies that Hayden had bought for me.


    There were a bunch of them and it would be a waste to just leave them here.


    It would just go to waste so I might as well use it to create some art, right?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 142: Remaining Connection

    I never thought that I would spend thest day of the contract packing my things away and clearing thing out from the penthouse. I had always imagined that I would spend thest day with Hayden. Clearly, that was not to be.


    Byte in the afternoon, I had managed to pack all my stuff and with the mover¡¯s help, I started on my journey back home. Not having a ce to stay in the city and no money to rent out a ce, I decided to simply go back home. Truthfully, I really missed that ce. I left the penthouse keycard on the dining table before leaving and closing the door firmly behind me.


    In the end, he didn¡¯t even say goodbye¡­


    He¡¯s such a coward¡­


    ¡­


    I arrived back home in the countrysidete at night with my life packed up in many boxes. In the end, I had to haul back the expensive jewelry that Hayden left as well. I¡¯ll figure out a way to deal with themter.


    It¡¯s only been a month since I left this ce buting back here feels a little strange. To my surprise, the mess that the men in ck had made of the ce on the day that they took my grandmother and me away was all fixed up. Actually, the ce looked restored. The faded paint seemed to have been painted over with new paint. Broken windows and sses fixed.


    The smashed-up furniture had been either fixed or reced. The ce was decently clean as well.


    I smiled a little to myself. At least, the mafia cleaned up after their own mess. I hated how they smashed up the ce but right now I was thankful that they mended everything because that meant that I didn¡¯t have toe home to a mess. That also meant that I could start settling in without having to clean upte in the night.


    After pushing the boxes into the house, I locked the door and that was when the reality of what was going on truly hit me. Hayden is gone and I won¡¯t get to see him ever again. I sat down onto the floor, pulled my knees up and hugged them. I curled up into a ball and just started crying my eyes out.


    This is the worst.


    Why did things have to end this way between us? The pain tore at me from the inside out. I cried so much that I could hardly breathe. I¡¯m going to look like a huge mess tomorrow, but I didn¡¯t care. Right now, I just needed to let it all out.


    Once I used to believe that I would return to my normal and happy life when the contract was over. I looked forward to this day when I would get my freedom back. Now that the day was here, I felt more devastated than I had ever felt before in my life. I felt so lost. It was like I had lost a very important part of myself.


    How can all thise to an end when we haven¡¯t even really started?


    I didn¡¯t remember much of what happened that night. There was a very high probability that I cried so much that I just fell asleep in the middle of it all. The next morning, I woke up on the floor where I had been sitting and crying the night before. I didn¡¯t dare look in the mirror because I didn¡¯t want to see my swollen eyes, lips and face.


    My face ached and I knew without needing to look that it was swollen badly.


    A new day had arrived but my grief from yesterday still felt fresh in my heart and mind. I nced down at my phone and was disappointed that there were no messages or calls from Hayden. But then again, what was I hoping for exactly? There¡¯s no way that he would ever contact me ever again.


    I wanted to call him but whenever I reached out for my phone, my hand would shrink back. That was when I realized that I was scared. I was scared that I wouldn¡¯t be able to reach him on that number anymore. If I didn¡¯t call, then I could always believe that I still had a way to reach him¡­


    When in reality, I probably didn¡¯t¡­not anymore¡­


    I wondered what he was doing. I wondered if he thought of me. I wondered if he had moved on with his life like normal.


    I wondered so much that I stopped wondering¡­


    ¡­


    The next few days flew by in a messy blur. My head felt light and hazy all the time and I was doing things randomly to pass the time. I hated being alone because when I was alone or if I had nothing to do, my mind would wander straight back to Hayden.


    I visited my grandmother every day and I spent most of my time with her in her hospital room. My grandmother probably knew that something was wrong, but she didn¡¯t ask me about it. Being in my grandmother¡¯s room always felt bittersweet. I could still see it and I could still smell it¡­the flower bouquet that Hayden got the florist downstairs to deliver to my grandmother¡¯s hospital room every day.


    Although our contract was over, the flowers didn¡¯t stoping. Just like clockwork, a new bouquet was delivered to my grandmother¡¯s room every morning.


    I would take the flower from the florist who delivered it and arrange it in a vase on the windowsill for my grandmother. Sadly, that was the only connection I had left with Hayden. It was the only thing that made me feel that we were still connected.


    A week went by like this and unsurprisingly, I never got a call or a message from Hayden. As time went by, I was starting to believe that perhaps I had dreamt about everything that had happened. Perhaps it was all just in my mind all along. Whenever I had that thought, my eyes would fall on the bouquet of flowers and suddenly everything felt real once more.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 143: Must Move On

    "I think I¡¯m going to get a job¡­" I said softly.


    "A job? Sounds good¡­" my grandmother spoke up with interest.


    That was when I realized that I must have spoken my thoughts out loud. Seeing my grandmother¡¯s reaction convinced me that it was probably the right course of action for me right now. If Hayden had moved on already, then I should do the same as well. I can¡¯t wallow in here all my life after all.


    "I should start seriously job hunting¡­" I said with a smile.


    "What job are there for art students?" my grandmother asked.


    "Well, I still have some university projects so I guess all I can do is some parttime work," I said.


    Good question. I haven¡¯t graduated yet either and I wasn¡¯t famous or anything like that. If I relied on just selling my painting, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to make ends meet. Plus, I didn¡¯t feel motivated or in the mood to create any good artwork right now.


    "I¡¯m not sure actually but I¡¯ll try looking¡­" I replied honestly.


    "Good luck, Lisa. You can do it!" my grandmother said encouragingly.


    It always felt great to have at least one person cheering you on. A smile touched my lips and I started to feel like life hadn¡¯tpletely lost its color.


    "By the way, I moved back home¡­you know, because the contract is over so I¡¯m free now," I told my grandmother.


    It had been over for a while now, but I just hadn¡¯t brought it up to her. Now that I¡¯vees to terms with it somewhat, I felt like I should tell her that I¡¯ve moved out from the penthouse that I was living in with Hayden.


    "Oh¡­isn¡¯t it far for you to travel here then?" my grandmother asked.


    It was indeed quite far but since I didn¡¯t have much to do right now, I didn¡¯t mind burning hours during transportation. Actually, the ride here and back felt quite peaceful for me, and it served as a good time for me to think a little about my future and what I wanted to do with my life.


    "I don¡¯t have any money right now so maybe I¡¯ll start looking for a cheap apartment around here when I get a job¡­" I said.


    "I have some money saved up. You can use it. I would prefer if you were close by. Why don¡¯t you go and look for a ce?" my grandmother quickly suggested.


    I had no idea that she had money saved up. Even if she did, I was sure that it wasn¡¯t a whole lot. What she said made sense though. Due to her current condition, it might be better if I lived nearby instead of a few hours away.


    "Ok. I¡¯ll take you up on that. Of course, I¡¯ll definitely pay you back when I get my paycheck!" I said with determination.


    "Don¡¯t worry so much about that¡­" my grandmother said followed by a softugh.


    ¡­


    I busied myself during the following few days finding a cheap apartment. At the budget that I had in mind, there wasn¡¯t a lot of options so picking a ce out didn¡¯t take that long. After signing a short-term contract, I moved into a small apartment that wasn¡¯t too far away from the hospital.


    Moving into a new ce made me feel like I had started moving on with my life. Perhaps, this was the right direction for me after all. I would bepletely lying if I said that I didn¡¯t miss Hayden like crazy. However, instead of daydreaming and thinking about him all the time like the first week of being apart, I only thought of him when I was free.


    Some time though, he would randomly pop into my head, and I would experience an intense flow of emotion that would make my chest feel very tight.


    Sometime at night when I was all alone in my tiny apartment, I would look out of the window and stare up at the sky while I thought about Hayden and how he was doing. I guess in the end there were many mysteries that I never unraveled about him. Sadly, those mysteries will probably remain mysteries forever for me now. There was no way that I could discover any truth behind them now.


    I was still hopeless when it came to job hunting though. Finding a parttime job when you¡¯re only an art student was really hard. Instead of waiting tables, I wanted a job that had something to do with art so that it would help my career progress as well. That was the part that made it difficult. I knew that I was being picky about it, but I just couldn¡¯t give it up.


    "What about the exhibition? Are you up for it?" Jenny asked through the phone.


    Until she brought it up, I had honestly forgotten about it. At first, I didn¡¯t want to do it and had decided against it. However, now I was experiencing a change of heart.


    ¡¯Do you think that I should join the exhibition?¡¯ I asked as I nced over at Hayden


    ¡¯I think you should,¡¯ he replied, sounding very certain.


    I recalled Hayden¡¯s reply when I asked him if I should join the exhibition. I guess, I might as well give it a shot. After all, I had a lot of art supplies that a certain someone had bought for me. Might as well put that to good use.


    "Yes, I am. Let¡¯s do it!" I said enthusiastically.


    "Wow! That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s do it! We¡¯ll make it a sess. Leave choosing the venue to the professor and me," Jenny said happily.


    We talked for a bit about random stuff before she hung up. Iy in bed that night thinking that I had made good progress in life. The exhibition was in three months, so I still had plenty of time to decide what I wanted to put on disy and then of course, I had to work on producing them.


    That night for the first time in a long while, I went to sleep with a smile on my lips. I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed from a night of undisturbed sleep. For some reason, I had a feeling that something good was going to happen today.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 144: First Step Forward

    "Excuse me. Are you open?" I asked softly as I poked my head in the door.


    "Oh yes, how can I help you?" a middle-aged woman replied politely.


    "Umm¡­this ce just recently opened, right? I saw the sign outside that you¡¯re looking for art teachers¡­" I said hesitantly.


    "That¡¯s right. We¡¯re a new art school for kids that just opened in this area. We have other branches, but this is our newest branch," the kind-lookingdy replied.


    "Are you still looking for art teachers?" I asked, not daring to get my hopes up.


    "Of course. Are you interested?" she asked.


    "Yes, I am. You see, I¡¯m an art student in my final year and I¡¯m looking for a parttime job," I replied.


    "Do you have any teaching experience or experience working with kids?" she inquired.


    "Umm¡­not really. I¡¯ve taught some of my juniors before but that¡¯s about it," I replied honestly.


    "I see. Well, that¡¯s not really a problem. If you can drop by to drop your resume here with your portfolio, then I can process your application for you. Would that work?" thedy offered.


    "Of course. I live around here so I¡¯ll make sure to drop it off here tomorrow. Is that, ok?" I asked before smiling at her.


    "Yup. Thank you!" she replied enthusiastically.


    "Thank you very much. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then," I thanked her leaving.


    Taking some risk paid off very well today. I haven¡¯tnded a job yet but for the first time I had found a job opportunity that fit with what I was looking for. A part time job that was rted to art. On top of that, I would get to teach children. It should be a lot of fun. This should help energize me and keep my mind off Hayden too.


    I realized that I haven¡¯t asked her for the pay but that didn¡¯t worry me much because I wasn¡¯t looking to make loads of money or anything like that. Later that evening aftering back from visiting my grandmother, I started updating my resume andpiling an updated version of my portfolio. Unless they¡¯re looking for someone super advanced, my portfolio should be sufficient tond me the job.


    However, myck of experience in teaching and dealing with small kids might get in the way.


    ¡­


    The next morning, I headed over to the newly opened art school to drop off my resume and portfolio. Since I was too focused and excited about inquiring about the job yesterday, I didn¡¯t have time to appreciate just how colorful the school was. Whoever designed and decorated it had a good sense of artistic style.


    The bright colors mixed with attractive cartoon characters would surely attract the attention of children. It was quite early in the morning and the school was quiet.


    "Excuse me," I said when I pushed opened the door and entered.


    A momentter, the same woman that I met yesterday came out from the back to greet me. She smiled at me, and I was sure that she recognized me immediately.


    "Hi. I¡¯m here to submit my resume and portfolio for consideration," I said as I handed her the documents.


    "Thank you. You¡¯re here so early. Would you mind if I take a look?" the woman asked.


    "Not at all, please take a look," I said before smiling at her.


    The woman turned the pages of my portfolio as her eyes scanned the pictures inside of my artworks. I¡¯ve made sure to include work using various techniques to my favorite works. The main idea was to show that I had the skill in various techniques and can use many tools and medium to produce art.


    "Wow. You¡¯re a very aplished art student. I can tell from your work that you love art a lot," she said as she admired photos of my work.


    "I do¡­" I replied honestly.


    "Why do you want to teach here? Do you think you¡¯ll like working with the kids?" she asked.


    "To be honest, I¡¯ve never taught art to kids before. However, I¡¯ve taught art to high school students and some university students, and I did enjoy the experience of grooming them and watching how their talents blossomed. It¡¯s always interesting to see how the students develop their own style or their own take on art," I said, reflecting on how I felt when I¡¯ve taught students in the past.


    "I see. Interesting. Here¡¯s some details about the job and the rate that we pay. If you¡¯re still interested, can you please fill in the application form and sign at the dotted line at the very bottom?" the woman instructed.


    "Of course. Thank you very much," I said as I took the papers from her.


    Surprisingly the rate that the school offered was quite high. With this rate, I can cover the rent for my room with ease and have enough money left to get by. Paying back grandma shouldn¡¯t be too hard at this rate. Then I can go back and focus on graduating and the exhibition as well.


    After filling up the application form, I thanked thedy and headed off. ording to her someone will be in touch to arrange for an interview. Things were looking up for me and I headed to the hospital with a spring in my steps.


    A few dayster, I had my job interview at the school and was immediately offered a job as a teacher there. I would be in charge of the water painting ss as a start. The ss had around ten students right now, but the school was expecting more students to join in. After signing the job contract, I headed to the hospital to let my grandmother know immediately.


    "I got a job!" I announced proudly when I arrived at my grandmother¡¯s hospital room.


    "Wow! Really? Congrattions, Lisa!" my grandmother cried out in excitement.


    I bent down and hugged her to me. That was when I realized that she had gotten thinner. Her body felt so small and frail in my arms that I was scared of breaking her with my hug. Carefully, I loosened my arms from around her body and smiled at her instead.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 145: The Exhibition

    **Three monthster**


    After three months of working hard on various fronts and trying to get my new life under control, the day of the exhibition finally arrived. Throughout the past three months I¡¯ve been keeping myself busy by juggling my parttime teaching job, my university project, prepping for the art exhibition and spending time visiting my grandmother in the hospital.


    I woke up extra early today to ensure that I had enough time to do anyst-minute preparation for the exhibition. After all the hard work that I put in, I was sure that I did my best and now all I had to do was pray for the best. I got up from bed, showered and put on a nice burgundy dress that I had saved up to purchase so that I could wear it to the exhibition.


    It wasn¡¯t rare for artists to get somemission ornd jobs at their own exhibition, so I had to dress up for that.


    I put on my dress and applied some light make up before checking my reflection in the mirror. Guess this will do for the day. ncing a little to the side of my dressing table, my eyes focused on the photos that I took together with Hayden that day that we went to the amusement park together. We looked so happy together and it made my heart ache a little at the memory.


    It all seemed like a lifetime ago.


    I still miss you¡­


    By this time, I had alreadye to terms with the fact that I probably won¡¯t ever see Hayden again. He¡¯s no longer a part of my life and I wasn¡¯t a part of his either. Just like how we lived in different worlds before we met, we have now returned to our own worlds. Never will our paths ever cross again.


    I no longer cried my eyes outte at night whenever I look at the photos that we took together at the amusement part that day. Everything about him, the times that we spent together and the memories that we created together had all be precious memories in my mind that I would treasure.


    I look back at them with a smile while I felt thankful that once I got to share a part of my life with him, no matter how short our time together was.


    Snapping out of my thoughts, I grabbed my bag and hurried to the door. I put in the effort to wake up early, so I can¡¯t bete. Now isn¡¯t the time to daydream. After arriving super early at the exhibition, walked around with Jenny checking that everything was in ce.


    "I think everything is ok. Sorry, Jenny, I need to go now. I need to pick my grandmother up from the hospital," I said, sounding apologetic.


    "So, the doctors allowed her toe?" Jenny asked in surprise.


    "Yes. They finally did. It¡¯s amazing, at first, I couldn¡¯t believe it. However, she can¡¯t be out for long, so I was thinking of bringing her here before the exhibition starts," I exined quickly.


    "Wow. Sounds like a n. You go ahead. I¡¯ll do another round just to be safe," Jenny said before smiling encouragingly at me.


    "Thanks, Jenny," I said before smiling at her.


    ¡­


    A week before this I told my grandmother about the exhibition again and she got very stubborn about wanting toe and see it in person. Although I told her that I could take photos to show herter or that we could do a video call while I was there, she had turned down all the options that I suggested. She was adamant abouting to see it in person.


    "It¡¯s like your graduation project. How can I miss it?" she said.


    "It¡¯s not entirely up to me, you know? We need permission from the doctor," I reminded her.


    "Then let¡¯s get permission," she said like it was no big deal.


    "We can try¡­" I said followed by a sigh.


    "I¡¯ll convince them. I feel so fit. There¡¯s no reason for them to keep me from going," my grandmother said firmly.


    "If you say so¡­" I replied.


    To my surprise, somehow, my grandmother managed to convince her doctor to let her go out for a short while on the day of my exhibition. However, I wasn¡¯t allowed to bring her out without a nurse, and she had to be in her wheelchair the whole time. Those two conditions did not hold my grandmother back and now here she is with me and the nurse at the exhibition hall.


    "Wow! This ce is huge. Congrattions, Lisa, you¡¯re like an established artist now," my grandmother said as her eyes took in therge hall.


    "Not really¡­but thanks, grandma," I replied, feeling a little shy at herpliment.


    I showed her around as the nurse slowly pushed her wheelchair along. The theme of my exhibition was ¡¯precious memories¡¯ and itbined various paintings in both water and oil colors that reflected precious memories from various phases of my life.


    Of course, the key painting that I wanted to show my grandmother is the painting of her that I had finallypleted for both my university project before and had added more finishing touches to make it exhibition ready.


    "This is the star of this whole exhibition," I proudly dered as I waved my warms to bring her attention to the painting that I painted of her.


    "Wow. It¡¯s changed from thest time that I saw it. It looks¡­prettier¡­brighter? I¡¯m not sure but it definitely looks much better than before," my grandmother said as her eyes sparkled.


    I watched her smiling face as she stared up at the painting disyed on the white wall. She was right, the painting was brighter now because of some new colors that I added to it to make her standout more from the background.


    "Do you like it?" I asked.


    "I love it, Malissa. You¡¯re so talented. I¡¯m so happy that I came to see your exhibition. I¡¯m so proud of you¡­" my grandmother said before her voiced cracked a little and she started to sob silently.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 146: Unexpected Visitor

    Her tears also brought tears to my own eyes. I felt so proud that I could make her feel proud of me. It was the right decision to bring her here after all. I showed her the other paintings in my collection before the nurse reminded us that she should already head back. The hospital had booked an ambnce to drive her back along with the nurse. I went to send her off.


    There were tears swimming in my eyes as I waved my hand to send her off.


    Dabbing slightly at my tears, I returned to the exhibition. It was around opening time now and we needed to be there to man the show. The exhibition was open to the public, so in addition to the students from art universities, we were also expecting many art enthusiasts and critiques to turn up.


    This was the first day of the exhibition and if I remembered correctly a couple of art groups from a few universities will be visiting today as part of their coursework.


    "So many people are here. I should have worn t shoes. These heels are killing me already¡­" Jennyined with a pained look on her face.


    "I have a bandage. Want one?" I offered.


    "You do? You¡¯re such a lifesaver¡­seriously¡­" Jenny said, and I quickly handed her a bandage that I had in my bag.


    We split and took turns to take the visiting ss around to our various exhibition. Jenny¡¯s theme was rainbow and basically everything colorful and bright. It was very like her. The theme was a smart choice because she used it to showcase her various techniques from 2D to 3D works in sculptures. I had to admit that she was very talented.


    While I was wrapping up one of my little tours of guiding a group of art students around, one of the staff quickly approached me. I could see that she was slightly flustered and seemed to be in a rush.


    "Malissa, there¡¯s someone asking to see you," the staff informed.


    "Who is it?" I asked curiously as my heart skipped a beat.


    "He didn¡¯t give his name. He said that you¡¯ll know. He¡¯s a pretty hot guy¡­I must say. Is he your boyfriend?" the staff said excitedly.


    "Where is he?" I asked, getting straight to the point.


    "He¡¯s probably standing in front of the painting of your grandmother. You know, the one that¡¯s your centerpiece. He mentioned that he really likes it," the woman said as she looked like she was recalling what the man had said.


    I didn¡¯t listen to her finish what she wanted to say. My feet had already started moving and before I knew it, I was sprinting towards where that painting was. I always told myself that I was doing this exhibition for the sake of my future career and that I was doing it all for myself.


    However, the way my heart was pounding loudly in my chest right now told me that I had been at least partially lying to myself all this time.


    I remembered what Hayden had said when I asked him about the exhibition. Whether I wanted to admit it to myself or not, I probably decided to participate in this event because he wanted me to. Moreover, I probably thought deep down that this was the only way that we may be reunited. If I joined this exhibition, Hayden mighte to see me.


    I can¡¯t believe that he¡¯s really here and after many months, I¡¯m about to meet him face-to-face again. My legs brought me closer and closer to where he was waiting for me as my brain worked hard to figure out what I should say to him when I meet him.


    By the time that I arrived where I wanted and needed to be, I was panting hard, and many people were staring at me. Rightfully so, it wasn¡¯t normal for anyone to be running in an art exhibition hall. I knew that but I just couldn¡¯t stop myself. I just wanted to see Hayden as soon as possible¡­


    I was standing in front of the painting where the man was waiting for me ording to the staff; however, when I looked up¡­


    "Sorry that I¡¯m not the man you¡¯re looking forward to see¡­"


    The very hot and handsome man said but he wasn¡¯t Hayden.


    "¡­Ethan," I whispered in shock as my eyes widened in disbelief.


    Why is Ethan here?


    My initial excitement and gleeful happiness of getting to see Hayden quickly evaporated and in its ce was a sense of slight fear. The smile that I had melted from my lips as my mouth hung open in shock. Once again, it was like my past had caught up to me. I haven¡¯t seen or heard from Ethan since that incident at the g on the cruise. So, why is he here now? What does he want from me?


    "How have you been doing?" Ethan asked before smiling sweetly down at me.


    My lips felt dry, and my face and hands suddenly felt very numb. I didn¡¯t know what to say to him. For some reason, I felt very scared of Ethan. Although he had never been cruel to me except for when he suddenly broke things off with me. Before that he was the perfect boyfriend and I loved him so much. He never hurt me, physically or emotionally for all the time that we were together.


    So why was I so scared of him right now?


    "Why are you here?" I asked in a whisper.


    "I heard you were disying your work here. It¡¯s your first proper exhibition so of course, I wanted to see it," he replied casually.


    If that was really the case, then everything should be fine. I watched as Ethan looked around at my works that were on disy, and I couldn¡¯t help thinking if that was honestly his only reason for being here.


    "Thank you foring," I managed to say.


    "This painting of your grandmother looks very good. How is she doing now? I heard that she¡¯s sick¡­" Ethan said, his eyes on the painting.


    I wondered where he heard that from but decided not to ask. It wasn¡¯t important anyways.


    "She¡¯s sick and has been hospitalized for a while now. Thanks for asking but you don¡¯t need to worry," I replied.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 147: His Desire

    Ethan didn¡¯t say anything, but he turned around to face me directly. I could feel his eyes on my face, and I quickly nced down at the floor, scared to meet his eyes.


    "You don¡¯t have to act so formal around me. It freaks me out," Ethan whispered close to my ear.


    Suddenly, he was so close. My body froze as his warm breath tickled my ear. Without knowing how to respond, I just nodded my head slightly.


    "You¡¯re free now, right? What about a coffee?" Ethan asked casually.


    I opened my mouth to decline his invitation; however, the slightly tight grip of his hand around my wrist told me that I better reconsider my response.


    "Ethan¡­" I said his name as I started to pull my arm away.


    His grip immediately tightened, and I started to feel eyes on us.


    "Come along, Malissa. You don¡¯t want to make a scene here, do you?" Ethan whispered softly. His tone as calm as ever.


    "We can just talk here¡­" I said.


    "It¡¯s just coffee¡­unless you¡¯re expecting something more¡­" Ethan teased as he smiled mischievously at me.


    It didn¡¯t seem like negotiating with him would get me anywhere. I knew Ethan very well and if he hasn¡¯t changed much since then, then he¡¯s not going to take no for an answer. I was always following him around and doing everything exactly like how he wanted me to while we were together. Although Ethan was kind, loving and extremely adorable back then, he was very authoritative.


    "Just coffee," I said firmly.


    "Just coffee¡­" Ethan replied with a pleased smile.


    I sighed loudly as I pulled my hand back and this time, he willingly let it go. Without saying another word, Ethan began leading me out of the exhibition hall. As I followed him, I couldn¡¯t help remembering how we spent our days together back then. Just like those times, Ethan trusted that I would follow him just because he said that I should. He didn¡¯t even turn back to look at me.


    He just knew that I would follow him.


    If I meet him in a public ce like this popr caf¨¦, then it should be a problem. He can¡¯t do anything to me here so I should be fine. Nervously, I sat opposite him as I watched him sip on his coffee while I haven¡¯t drank any of my lemon tea. How the hell did I end up here with Ethan? This is ridiculously strange¡­


    "Umm¡­you had something that you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked softly.


    Since he hasn¡¯t said anything since we sat down, it made me feel even more nervous. I wished that he would just spit it out so that we can get this awkward talk over and done with for good.


    "How are things with Hayden? Did you guys break it off?" Ethan asked casually like it was no big deal.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he had always been this insensitive or he was intentionally asking me this to ram a nail through my already broken heart. Regardless of his intentions, his words cut deep, and it hurt like crazy.


    "I guess so. I haven¡¯t seen or heard from him for around three months now since the contract came to an end¡­" I replied as I tried to keep my voice from shaking.


    I wondered why Ethan was asking. Silently, I prayed that he wouldn¡¯t ask for us to get back together again. Getting back with Ethan was just impossible for me now and I doubt that he still felt the same way about me.


    "Is that so¡­" Ethan said as he nodded his head slightly.


    "Ethan¡­why are you really here?" I asked.


    "To check up on my ex. You know, make sure that she¡¯s doing ok with her new life and all¡­" Ethan replied before smiling gently at me.


    "After all this time?" I asked, almost snapping at him.


    "Oh¡­are you mad?" Ethan said teasingly.


    "No¡­I¡¯m not¡­" I muttered slowly.


    Ethan put his coffee cup down before he threw his head back andughed so loudly that the other customers in the caf¨¦ turned around to look at us. Ethan really does stand out and sometimes not for the best reasons.


    "Why are youughing¡­?" I asked.


    "Because it¡¯s funny. I like it when you¡¯re mad and trying to hide it¡­" Ethan said, stillughing lightly.


    "Why are you here?" I asked again.


    Ethan¡¯s green eyes narrowed at my suddenly sharp tone as he stared deeply into my eyes and leaned closer to me across the small table. After a few seconds of silence had passed by between us, Ethan smiled a little and broke eye contact.


    "Why do you think I¡¯m here?" he asked instead of replying to my question.


    I hated it when he did this. Ethan wasn¡¯t someone that was easy to talk to. He¡¯s also very tight lipped about things that he doesn¡¯t want to talk about.


    "Listen, I¡¯m not getting back together with you if that¡¯s what you wanted to ask¡­" I said with conviction.


    "Who said that that was what I want?" Ethan asked with an innocent look on his face.


    "You said it! On the cruise¡­" I said in frustration. How dare he make me remind him?


    "Oh, that¡­I¡¯ll tell you about thatter. For now, why don¡¯t youe a little closer¡­" Ethan whispered as if he was about to tell me a deep dark secret.


    He¡¯s always been so secretive and back while we were together, I¡¯d always found him to be so alluringly attractive because of it. I sighed before I let him get close enough to me to whisper into my ear.


    "I want to reunite and form a union between Torex and Silva¡­" Ethan whispered.


    "¡­what?!" I eximed loudly.


    What he had said was so unexpected that I literally jumped up from my seat. I felt the eyes of the people around us on me and I turned to shyly apologize to them before sitting back down on my seat.


    Did I hear that right just now?


    "What did you just say?" I whispered back in shock.


    "I said that I want to reunite and form a union between the Torex and the Silva gang," Ethan repeated.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 148: Lingering Feelings

    Wait. Did he just say reunite? Does that mean¡­


    "Torex and Silva were in a partnership before?" I asked in wonder.


    "You¡¯re a fast one. That¡¯s right¡­" Ethan said before grinning at me.


    "Really? How long ago was that?" I asked in wonder.


    From what I could tell now, the two groups were not on good terms at all. I didn¡¯t have to understand mafia politics to figure out why that is. However, if they were in a partnership before then something must have happened¡­


    "When Hayden and I were kids our groups were quite close. Hayden and I go way back. He probably doesn¡¯t want to remember it but, we grew up together. We were childhood friends, I guess you could say¡­" Ethan said as if reminiscing on some distant memories before he chuckled to himself.


    I blinked my eyes rapidly a couple of time to clear the image of a small blond boy ying around with a dark-haired boy. The idea of these two guys being childhood friends was just difficult for me to believe andprehend. Although now that I look back at it, Hayden did mention that he knew Ethan and he seemed to know how Ethan spent his childhood.


    Why didn¡¯t I catch onto this before this?


    The thing that I didn¡¯t get was¡­


    "Why¡­are you telling me this?" I asked, clearly confused.


    Whatever happened or will happen between the two gang has nothing to do with me now. I was no longer connected to Hayden or the Torex gang anymore and beyond Ethan being my ex-boyfriend, I wasn¡¯t connected to Silva either. This issue has nothing to do with me¡­or so I thought.


    "Maybe because I¡¯m just bored and had a lot of free time on my hands that I coulde all the way here to share an old story with you?" Ethan replied sarcastically before he smiled amusedly at me.


    I hated it when he spoke to me like this. It was like he always knew everything, and I was the one who didn¡¯t know anything at all.


    "I¡¯m listening¡­" I muttered, not willing to y his little game of chase.


    "Hmm¡­where should I start..." Ethan said, and I knew that he was teasing me.


    "I don¡¯t have all day. If you¡¯re going to waste my time, I¡¯m going back to the exhibition," I said curtly.


    "Then what about I pick you up for dinner when you¡¯re done for the day?" Ethan quickly suggested.


    He¡¯s always like this¡­


    "No¡­" I replied firmly.


    "You¡¯ve gotten more difficult. Is this because of Hayden, I wonder¡­" Ethan before faking a loud sigh.


    "Listen, Ethan. I don¡¯t know why you told me about your little n, but I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s rted to me. I¡¯m not part of the mafia¡­ok?" I said, feeling tired all of a sudden.


    "Hahaha¡­you¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t see or get anything," Ethan said with augh.


    "There¡¯s nothing between Hayden and me anymore¡­" I said.


    "Oh¡­so there was?" Ethan said with his eyes narrowing at me.


    I narrowed my eyes at him in return. My temper was clearly boiling over, and it was taking all I had to control my anger just so that I wouldn¡¯t cause a scene in public. If only this wasn¡¯t my art exhibition¡­


    "It¡¯s got nothing to do with you¡­" I said defensively.


    "It has everything to do with me. After all, you¡¯re the key to bringing Torex and Silva together," Ethan said before he smiled at me.


    "I don¡¯t understand a thing that you¡¯re saying¡­" I muttered.


    "Look around you. Can¡¯t you see?" Ethan asked.


    "Huh?" I said in confusion.


    However, just like Ethan had suggested, I started looking around me. For the life of me, I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was looking for. There were people in the caf¨¦, waitresses walking around to serve the customers. Outside, through the clear ss disy for the caf¨¦, I could see people standing by or walking along. There was nothing suspicious or anything that seemed out of ce at all.


    "They¡¯re buzzing around you like flies," Ethan said before a look of disgust appeared on his face.


    "What?" I asked in confusion.


    "You¡¯re being watched, and you have no clue. Maybe they¡¯re evening listening to our conversation as we speak¡­" Ethan said before he shrugged his shoulders.


    "What are you talking about? Who are you referring to?" I asked in panic.


    "Who else? That man standing over there leaning on the pir. That man there in the white shirt and ck suit. That man there who¡¯s just sitting there and drinking coffee¡­" Ethan said as his eyes nced around the people who he had just mentioned.


    My eyes followed his nce although I couldn¡¯t see why those people were out of the ordinary. Whatever Ethan wanted me to see or understand, I just wasn¡¯t getting it.


    "I don¡¯t understand¡­" I said softly.


    "Torex gang members¡­I can smell them from miles away¡­" Ethan said with a shrug of his shoulders.


    Torex¡­


    Hayden¡¯s men are here?! What does that mean?


    "You look so shocked. Don¡¯t stare at them," Ethan said casually.


    "What is going on?" I asked, more confused than before.


    "You said that there is nothing between you and Hayden but I wouldn¡¯t be so sure. Hayden wouldn¡¯t keep a woman under such heavy surveince if she meant nothing to him no matter how many free men he had to spare," Ethan said with certainty.


    "It can¡¯t be¡­" I whispered.


    "You probably didn¡¯t realize anything, but he¡¯s probably been keeping tabs on you all along. He probably doesn¡¯t want me to get close to you either¡­" Ethan exined casually.


    "Then¡­why are you here?" I asked sarcastically.


    "Did Hayden tell you about Amelia?" Ethan asked abruptly.


    "Yes. I also visited her¡­" I replied.


    Ethan nodded seemingly satisfied. I didn¡¯t want to tell him everything that Hayden told me though because I was quite certain that he knew already.


    "Amelia was my fianc¨¦e. We were engaged since she was born. When she was young, she had a lot of healthplications. Her body was frail and because of that she was sent to live abroad where it was warmer and where the air was cleaner," Ethan started exining.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 149: True Colors

    "I see¡­" I said softly.


    "We didn¡¯t meet much when we were young and even less so when we grew up. I definitely wasn¡¯t thrilled at the idea of having my life partner decided for me and I bet she felt the same way. We both tried our best not to get involved with each other¡¯s lives and not to get in each other¡¯s way. That was like our silent agreement.


    Everything was fine, until Hayden turned up¡­" Ethan said before his tone darkened.


    "Hayden?" I said questioningly.


    "Yeah. Do you want to see Hayden again?" Ethan asked.


    "I¡­" I began saying but then I hesitated.


    I did want to see him again, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I should tell Ethan that.


    "Do you, or don¡¯t you?" Ethan asked.


    The way his evil green eyes were looking at me told me that he already knew my answer and he probably had everything figured out already. Ethan would never approach me unless there was something that he wanted. That was just the person that he was. He¡¯s handsome, charming, kind¡­and extremely maniptive.


    "Why do you want to know?" I asked cautiously.


    "Because in the unlikely case that you do¡­I can make it happen¡­" Ethan said as he smiled knowingly at me.


    "What would you want in return?" I asked directly as I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him.


    "I want you to seduce Hayden and make him yours. No matter what, you must marry him and be his wife¡­" Ethan said decisively.


    "¡­huh? That¡¯s not what you said when we met on the cruise at all," I said in confusion.


    "Did you honestly think that I would want you back?" Ethan asked with a smallugh.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t care what he wanted¡­


    "That¡¯s not the issue here¡­" I said through clenched teeth.


    "Sorry for giving you false hope, but I just wanted to see Hayden¡¯s reaction," Ethan admitted without sounding guilty.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t go back to you even if I could¡­" I said honestly.


    Ethan was silent for a moment, and I started to regret my words. For a moment, I truly believed that I may have hurt his feelings. I may not love him anymore and there were many things about him now that I didn¡¯t quite understand; however, back when we were together, he took care of me well and helped me in a lot of ways.


    "Just for the record, I really loved you and enjoyed the time we had together. I really broke up with you because I didn¡¯t want to get you involved in the mafia. Somethings happened and I had to return to Silva¡­and I decided not to take you with me," Ethan exined and for some reason, I believed him.


    "Ethan¡­" I whispered his name.


    "It¡¯s ok if you don¡¯t believe me but I¡¯m going to say it anyways. When I left you, I honestly didn¡¯t want to get you involved. I never thought that the Torex old man would find you and drag you into this mess. Now it¡¯s toote, you¡¯re so involved, and you can¡¯t get out of this anymore¡­" Ethan said regretfully as he shook his head slowly.


    "I¡¯m sorry about what I said¡­" I apologized softly.


    "You don¡¯t have to be. So¡­can you do it?" Ethan asked as his eyes stared at me.


    I knew that he was referring to me bing Hayden¡¯s wife. That¡¯s just insane¡­


    "Of course, not¡­" I replied resolutely.


    "You don¡¯t love him anymore? I didn¡¯t know that your heart would change so fast¡­" Ethan said in such a fake regrettable tone that I wanted to smack him.


    "Ethan¡­why are you doing this?" I asked suspiciously.


    "I already told you, I just want a partnership between my gang and Torex," Ethan said with determination.


    "What does that have to do with me marrying Hayden?" I asked, not following his thoughts.


    "Everything actually¡­don¡¯t you want the two gang to be at peace?"" Ethan said before he smiled at me.


    I guess I do but I wasn¡¯t sure if I could change anything between them. Hayden also wanted peaceful negotiations but I¡¯m not sure if his view has changed on that.


    "I¡¯m not following. Why can¡¯t you just exin everything to me?" I pleaded as my frustration started taking over.


    "Jack Witman," Ethan said abruptly.


    "What? Who is that?" I asked.


    Something at the back of my mind told me that I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere before but for the life of me, I just couldn¡¯t remember where or when. Digging through my memories didn¡¯t help either. I just couldn¡¯t recall although I was certain that I¡¯ve heard that name before¡­


    "Ask Hayden. Find Hayden and ask him¡­" Ethan instructed.


    "How do I find him? I don¡¯t know where he is. He¡¯s not someone that I can reach anymore¡­" I replied, feeling frustrated.


    I didn¡¯t know where he lived. The only ce I knew was where he worked which was Torex¡¯s headquarters but even there it wasn¡¯t like I could casually waltz in and request for a meeting with him.


    "Your little chat here with me just helped you with that," Ethan replied carefreely.


    "How?" I asked.


    "Hayden probably isn¡¯t super pleased right now that you¡¯re meeting up with me¡­he¡¯lle to you soon enough¡­" Ethan said.


    "If only things were that simple¡­" I hissed.


    "Haha¡­you¡¯re right. Hayden¡¯s a mystery, that¡¯s for sure. Well, good luck to you" Ethan said before he stood up from his seat.


    It was clear that our little coffee chat was over. I wasn¡¯t sure if I fully understood everything that Ethan had told me or his intentions but if there¡¯s a way for me to get in touch with Hayden and to learn more about the truth, then I would still like to try.


    ¡­


    After Ethan left, I returned to the exibhition. Because of what he said, I was very conscious of the people around me. I wondered if the men from Torex were still following and watching me. They probably were. I had no idea that I was being watched. Have I been watched all this time?


    Hayden, what are you thinking?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 150: Missing Each Other

    When I arrived back at my exhibition, the same staff from before was there as if she was waiting for me. Once she spotted me, she came up to me excitedly and I wondered what she wanted.


    "You¡¯re such a hot artist or maybe you¡¯re such a hot girl," she said teasingly.


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    "Just now, another hot guy was here staring at that painting again. Maybe that painting attracts hot guys," she said with augh.


    "What did he look like? Was he tall with light blond hair and blue eyes?" I asked rapidly as I put my hand up above my head to indicate Hayden¡¯s height.


    "Yup, I think so¡­" she replied as she rubbed her chin in thought.


    "Where is he now?" I asked immediately.


    "Too bad you missed him. He left already; he should be out of the building by now¡­" she said.


    I didn¡¯t listen to her until the end once again. I knew that it was a long shot, but I decided to run after him. If he was headed to the exit of the building, then he must have gone this way¡­


    At the end, after looking everywhere that I could think of, I couldn¡¯t find Hayden. Deted, I returned to the painting of my grandmother again. It wasn¡¯t surprising that I couldn¡¯t find him. That was simply because he didn¡¯t want to be found. He came all the way to my exhibition, but he decided to avoid mepletely.


    If Ethan was right and Hayden¡¯s men were watching me then he clearly chose the time when I was away with Ethan toe and see my work.


    Why won¡¯t he see me?


    ¡­


    A few dayster the exhibition came to an end without any further noteworthy incidents. The feedback that I received were positive enough and surprisingly, I had a few job offers for paintingmissions.


    Overall, it was the perfect way to wrap up my university career and open up a door for me to be a professional artist.


    A day after the end of the exhibition, I got an unexpected call from my university professor. I was on my way back from teaching at the art school when my phone rang. Rumbling through the contents of my bag, I finally found my phone and quickly answered the call.


    "Malissa, your professor here," the professor said in a friendly voice.


    "Oh, hello¡­" I replied, unsure of what he wanted.


    "You don¡¯t have to sound so worried. I¡¯m calling about some good news. You see, a bid came in for that painting of your grandmother that you disyed as the centerpiece for your exhibition," the professor said.


    "Really? Someone wanted to buy it?" I asked in disbelief.


    Of course, I was happy that someone wanted to buy my artwork; however, I had very mixed feeling about selling that painting in particr.


    "Yes. The bid is also outrageously high. Like sky high¡­" the professor continued.


    "How much is the offer?" I asked, not expecting very much.


    "10 million dors¡­" he stated.


    "¡­What?!" I eximed so loudly that the passerby on the sidewalk gave me funny looks.


    I nodded my head to signal that I was sorry before I clutched my phone tighter in my hand.


    "That¡¯s the reaction I first had too¡­not that I¡¯m saying that your painting isn¡¯t worth 10 million dors though. It¡¯s art, the value depends on the buyer¡­" the professor said, sounding impressed.


    "Do you know who the bidder is?" I asked.


    "Unfortunately, the one who submitted the bid is an agency acting on behalf of the bidder and they¡¯re not willing to disclose the identity of the bidder¡­" the professor said.


    "I see. Thank you for helping me out," I thanked him.


    "Will you sell it, Malissa?" he asked.


    "I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m not sure. It is a painting of my grandmother and she¡¯s¡­you know¡­" I said before trailing off. The professor knew about my grandmother being in the hospital because of her illness.


    "I can understand," he said softly.


    "I¡¯ll think about it¡­" I said.


    "No problem. Let me know when you¡¯ve decided so that I can get back to the agency," the professor said understandingly.


    "Thank you very much, Professor," I said.


    "No problem. Have a great day," he said brightly before hanging up.


    I stared at the phone in my hand for a long time after the line had disconnected. My mind was just too busy thinking that I couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything else. I just stood there in a daze in the middle of the sidewalk. Although the professor didn¡¯t know who the bidder was, I think I had a pretty good and urate idea of who it might be.


    Hayden¡­what are you trying to do?


    It wasn¡¯t money that I wanted or needed. Everything that he had given me has been left untouched. I was far from wealthy but with the job that I have, I can scrape by. His father is still paying for my grandmother¡¯s hospital bills and that was more than I could ever ask for. It was then that I made up my mind not to sell the painting. I mean, 10 million dors is just too much.


    Plus, it wasn¡¯t his money that I wanted¡­


    ¡­


    **A Week Later**


    It¡¯s been raining quite often these days and on days when it didn¡¯t, the sky seemed so gloomy and void of its usual rich blue color. The cloud in the sky looked grey and dirty instead of its usual puffy white. Overall, the weather made me feel very depressed. Looking back on it, perhaps I was already depressed and was ming it illogically on the weather.


    Ever since turning down the offer to buy the painting of my grandmother, I felt more relieved. I had expected Hayden to make some kind of move to get in contact with me, but he didn¡¯t. Roughly a week went by with nothing from him, and I wondered if I was still being watched by his men. Then I realized that I probably was.


    Lately, Hayden had been on my mind almost all the time and I was finding it hard to concentrate on other things.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 151: Losing

    My work at the art school was going well and the children in my ss were fun to work with. Despite that, the joy of teaching the kid had waned during the past week as my mind shifted back and forth between the reality in front of me and my memories of Hayden.


    "Malissa, do you have a minute?" thedy called out to me from behind the reception desk at the art school.


    I had just finished teaching for the day and was packing things up.


    "Sure," I said before putting some art supplies back into the cupboard.


    "Your sses have been getting a lot of positive feedback both from the students and their parents. So, I was wondering if you would be open to take on additional sses," she said with a gentle smile.


    "Umm¡­I guess I can¡­" I replied.


    I was quite free now and I haven¡¯t found a full-time job so working extra here wouldn¡¯t hurt. I¡¯ll be making more money that way too, so this was the perfect opportunity.


    "That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll prepare some documents for you tomorrow and you can let me know what you think but we¡¯re thinking of getting you to teach another ss for older students," thedy said with a kind smile.


    "Sure. That would be great. Thank you for the opportunity," I thanked her.


    When the conversation came to a close, I picked up my bag and started heading back to my apartment. Perhaps things aren¡¯t so bad after all. I looked up at the sky and saw that the dark grey rainclouds seemed to have parted and the sun was shining through. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to rain anymore today.


    I¡¯ve been having trouble sleepingtely and tonight was no different. Tossing and turning in bed for hours became amon urrence for me. Usually, I would toss and turn in bed before sleep would take over sometimete into the night. It was the same for tonight; however, my phone started vibrating in the middle of the night.


    Reflexively, I reached out my arm for the phone before connecting the call. It¡¯s sote at night, I wonder who it could be¡­


    "Miss Malissa?" a woman¡¯s voice spoke through the phone.


    "Yes, it¡¯s me," I replied.


    "Pleasee to hospital immediately. There¡¯s been a sudden change in your grandmother¡¯s condition¡­" the woman said urgently.


    "Is she ok?" I asked as I bolted up in bed.


    "Please hurry," the woman replied, and I could tell that the situation was dire.


    "Ok¡­" I replied in a whisper.


    I mumble softly just before the line disconnected. It was a nurse calling from the hospital and from her voice, I knew that things weren¡¯t fine with my grandmother. Her condition must have taken a turn for the worst, and they needed me there immediately. I knew this, but I was too shocked that my body wouldn¡¯t move.


    Grandmother, please be alright¡­


    ¡­


    When I arrived at the hospital, the nurse that had called me was waiting for me in the lobby. I was so scared that I honestly did not remember much of anything of my trip to the hospital. My lips were trembling, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I could speak. One look at me and the nurse just nodded and beckoned for me to follow her.


    "Please follow me, quickly," she said sternly.


    It waste at night and the hospital was quiet. My mind was struggling to keep up with the situation and it felt like I was floating along as I followed the nurse on wobbly legs. After a short walk, we arrived at the ICU.


    "The doctor will be here shortly," the nurse said before she nodded at me and took her leave.


    I stood there in front of the door as I waited for the doctor. In less than a minute the doctor that was in charge of my grandmother¡¯s case appeared through the double doors of the ICU. I turned towards him as I prayed silently for my grandmother to be fine.


    "My grandmother¡­" I whispered in a shaky voice.


    Tears stung the back of my eyes and it felt like I could stand crying at any moment now. The doctor had a grim look on his face and that alone told me that everything was far from fine. I gulped as I waited for the doctor to speak.


    "Please go in and spend some time with your grandmother. We can talkter. There isn¡¯t a lot of time left," the doctor said calmly as his hand started pushing the door open for me.


    I was at a loss for words. A part of me just couldn¡¯t believe that this was really happening. My grandmother had been in the hospital for a few months now and I should have been prepared for the worst. However, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn¡¯t prepare myself to handle this. This is all just too sudden.


    Tears welled up in my eyes and with a small nod, I entered the ICU where my grandmother was waiting. Before I entered the room, I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting to see. However, the sight of my grandmother sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed seemed too normal. Nothing seemed wrong with her, she was just sleeping there with many machines hooked to her body.


    I could see that they were monitoring many things, the only thing I could understand based on my limited medical knowledge was her blood pressure and her heart rate.


    There was a chair next to her bedside and I quietly sat down on it. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do. I was scared that I would wake her up and disturbed her rest. She looked tired and the color of her skin didn¡¯t seem healthy. Was this what it looked like when life is slowly slipping away?


    Suddenly, my grandmother started stirring on the bed. Slowly her eyes opened. At first it seemed like she was slightly confused but then her eyes focused on my face, and she smiled a little at me.


    "Grandma¡­" I whispered softly as I took her hand into mine.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 152: Last Words

    "Lisa¡­" she said, her voice sounding so weak.


    I felt so scared that I started crying, my tears flowing freely down my cheeks. My grandma also had tears in her eyes, and I knew that she probably knew that she didn¡¯t have a lot of time left.


    "Grandma¡­I¡­" I began speaking in between my sobs.


    However, my grandmother just shook her head as if she didn¡¯t want me to say anything. I bit my lower lips as I closed my eyes from the pain. More warm tears rolled down my cheeks as a result.


    "Lisa¡­listen to me¡­well¡­" she said in a whisper so soft that I had to lean in to hear her speak.


    Unfortunately, I had sense that her next words to me may be herst. I nodded my head and brought my ear closer to hear lips so that I could hear her better.


    "You¡¯ll be happy with Hayden. He¡¯ll¡­take care of you¡­just like¡­when you were young¡­" she whispered as her breathing became morebored.


    "What?" I said in confusion.


    My grandmother was breathing in fast shallow breaths at this point and all I could do was hold her hand tighter in mine.


    "I love you¡­Lisa¡­" she whispered.


    "No¡­doctor¡­doctor!" I called for the doctor loudly as my hand reached out to press the button that had the bell symbol on it.


    "I love you¡­grandma¡­someone please help!" I wailed loudly.


    The door burst open, and the doctor and a few nurses quickly came into the room. The doctor began checking on my grandma while another nurse gently peeled me away from her side.


    "Please leave for now¡­" the nurse said gently as she led me away and out of the room.


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away from my grandmother. What if this is thest time that I¡¯m going to get to see her? What if there isn¡¯t a next time?


    My eyes were glued on her as the nurse continued to pull me away. Then the door of the ICU closed in my face, and I was back outside in the cold and lonely corridor that led to this room.


    "Please wait here, the doctor will be here to see you soon," the nurse instructed before she quickly disappeared back inside the ICU.


    ¡­


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long that I¡¯ve been sitting here all alone on this cold bench in front of the ICU. Most probably, not a lot of time had passed by. However, it felt like an eternity has gone by in the span of a few minutes as I waited eager to hear about my grandmother¡¯s condition.


    Finally, the doctor emerged from the ICU room. I stood up from the bench immediately when I saw him. My lips felt dry, and I didn¡¯t dare ask the question that was guing my mine. The doctor must have gone through situations like this enough times already to know what I wanted to know.


    Slowly the doctor shook his head with a regrettable look on his face. That was more than enough for me to understand that I had lost my grandmother forever. She¡¯s gone¡­and she¡¯s noting back.


    "Thank you¡­" I whispered softly as the doctor walked past me.


    I bowed my head to him before I trudged back to the bench and slumped down on it in my grief and despair. It was always just the two of us against the world and now it would only be me against the world. I was now truly alone, and the sorrow and loneliness ate at me. The empty and silent corridor felt deste and cold.


    I pulled my knees up and hugged them as I curled into a ball before crying silently all by myself. Thankfully no one else was around to see me breakdown like this.


    My entire body trembled as my own sobs wrecked my body. It became harder to breath, my chest felt tight, and my head felt like it was going to burst open. How can this be happening? She was just fine. A week ago, she just attended my exhibition.


    Suddenly, the bench shifted, and I felt the presence of someone next to me on the bench. I have to dry my eyes; I didn¡¯t want a stranger to see me like this. It was so unfortunate that someone else was here and needed to use the bench. I could understand, this was the only ce anyone could sit in this corridor.


    Before I could lift my face, I felt my body being pulled to the side and realized that there was an arm around my shoulders. Shocked and surprised at this sudden development, I blinked my eyes rapidly and raised my face.


    "I¡¯m here to pick you up¡­" the voice that I had missed and wanted to hear so much said.


    "¡­Hayden," I whispered his name in pure disbelief.


    My eyes widened in shock. In my grief, I must have conjured him up like a mirage in a dream. Hayden is here sitting next to me with his arm draped around my shoulder. How can this be?


    It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s really here or not, I thought as I threw my arms around him and buried my face into his hard chest. He¡¯s so warm and he smells so familiar. I miss him so much. Unable to stop myself, I continued crying as he held me in his arms. I held onto him so tightly like I was hanging on to dear life.


    The steady sound of his heart beating close to my ear helped to calm me down somewhat and so did the warmth radiating from his body.


    Hayden stroked my hair softly and I knew that he was trying his best tofort me. Although I knew that nothing could bring my grandmother back, being in his arms like this did help to ease some of the pain. At least, it was a thousand-folds better than crying all alone.


    After I had calmed down somewhat, my body stopped trembling in his arms. Hayden continued to stroke my hair softly as I rxed in his embrace. I had cried so much that I ran out of energy. Suddenly, I felt very tired, and my eyes hurt a lot.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 153: Here For Me

    "Hayden¡­are you really here?" I asked absentmindedly.


    "If you can ask a silly question like that, I think you¡¯re fine now. I¡¯ll take you back," he replied before loosening his arms from around my body.


    I stared up into his face although I knew that my face must look like a big mess right now with my eyes puffy, my nose red and my lips swollen from crying. However, I still wanted to see his face up close. Hayden stared down my face before he ced arge hand on top of my head and started patting my head.


    "You should go back and rest," Hayden said.


    He stood up and the next thing I knew, I was being carried in his arms. I gasped in surprise before wrapping my arms around his neck. Hayden smiled down a little at me and I started rxing in his arms. I felt so tired and weak, being pampered like this didn¡¯t feel bad at all.


    If this is a dream, I pray that I never wake up. I don¡¯t want Hayden to ever leave my side again. My honest thoughts and my desire for him was so intense that it scared me.


    Hayden drove me back to my apartment in his car. It was only when we arrived at the slightly run-down building that I realized that he hadn¡¯t asked me where I was living. I guessed he knew everything already and I wasn¡¯t that surprised about it. After telling him that I could walk, he offered me his arm for support before supporting me all the way to my room.


    Hayden looked out of ce in my small room, and I found it slightly funny despite my overall depressing mood. I wanted him to stay but I didn¡¯t have the courage to ask outright. The thought of him leaving me all alone scared me senseless.


    "You should rest," Hayden said as he ushered me towards the bed.


    I got in bed with his urging andid down. As he sat down on the floor next to my bed and watched me silently. If prince charming ever visited Cindere in her small room under the roof, this would probably be what it¡¯ll look like, I thought as a small smile curved my lips.


    "Hayden¡­please hold me¡­" I whispered.


    Those words escaped my lips before I could process them. I can¡¯t believe that I just said that out loud. Hayden¡¯s eyes widened a little at my forward plead and I reached out to hold his hand in mine. There¡¯s no going back now. I pleaded to him with my eyes for him toe closer. I saw hesitation flicker on his face for a split of a second before he slowly got into bed with me.


    I smiled and opened my arms to him as he lowered himself down onto the bed next to me.


    In the next moment, I was in his arms with my face buried in his hard chest. He¡¯s so warm and I love how he smells. Everything about the fact that he was here with meforted me and made me feel like everything would be ok. I clutched at this shirt with my hand as I cried softly against his chest, and he stroked my hairfortingly.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, and he didn¡¯t need to. Just having him here with me was more than enough already. I could hear his steady and strong heartbeat and my crying slowly started to cease. My eyes hurt so much, and I knew that I had to stop crying. The pain of losing my grandmother felt so raw and intense that it was hard to control.


    "Thank you¡­for being here with me, Hayden¡­" I thanked him.


    "You should get some sleep¡­" he said.


    "Will you¡­be here?" I asked, hopefully.


    "I will," Hayden replied after a short pause.


    I smiled at him through my tears. It was still hard for me to believe that he was actually here. Who would have thought that it would take my grandmother¡¯s death for him to return to me. I wasn¡¯t sure what exists between us right now, but I was thankful that he came for me. My eyelids felt heavy, and I could feel sleep starting to take over me.


    However, before that there was something that I had to ask him before I lost this opportunity.


    "Jack Witman¡­" I whispered softly.


    At first, I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden had heard me, but the way his body stiffened and the air around him seemed to change told me that he definitely heard me just now.


    "What did Ethan tell you?" Hayden asked, his voice suddenly very stern.


    "He told me that if I wanted to know how I¡¯m rted to everything that¡¯s going on, then I should ask you who Jack Witman is," I replied honestly.


    "That troublemaker¡­" Hayden hissed underneath his breath.


    "Who is he? Who is Jack Witman?" I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity any longer.


    "Let me ask you this. How important do you think it is to keep a promise?" Hayden asked.


    "Huh? What does that have to do with any of this?" I asked as confusion took over me.


    "Answer me. How important do you think it is to keep a promise that you¡¯ve made?" Hayden repeated his question as his eyes looked down at my face.


    "Quite important, I think," I replied after some thought. I wasn¡¯t sure where this was heading but I was anxious to find out.


    "What would make you break a promise that you¡¯ve made?" Hayden asked.


    I snuggled closer to him as I thought about my answer to his question. Why is he asking me these things? Is he looking to break a promise that he made with someone? Who and what promise?


    "I guess it depends on what is best for everyone. Things might change that might make it impossible for you to keep the promise or¡­it might be better to break the promise¡­" I replied a little hesitantly.


    It was a hard question to answer especially if you didn¡¯t know the context. Hayden seemed deep in thought at my response. I realized that he hasn¡¯t answered my question and I was wondering if he would.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 154: Decision

    I also had another question up my sleeve. It just popped into my head when I thought of what my grandmother had said. In herst words¡­


    "My grandmother told me before she died that¡­I would be happy with you¡­that you would take care of me¡­just like when I was young. What did she mean by that?" I asked as I peered up into his clear blue eyes in wonder.


    "Do you think people should decide for themselves how they should live their lives?" Hayden asked.


    "What is this all of a sudden¡­?" I questioned in return.


    "Just answer me. If it were you, what would you do? Would you want to decide for yourself how you¡¯re going to live your life?" Hayden asked as he looked directly at me.


    Was that a trick question, I wondered, because to me the answer was so obvious.


    "Of course. I want to decide everything by myself, if possible," I replied without a second thought.


    "What if you get hurt by your own decision?" Hayden asked a follow-up question.


    "Umm¡­I¡¯ll deal with it and live with it, I guess¡­" I replied as I thought about it.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden was doing this on purpose but these questions that he was asking me was serving as a very good distraction from my grief. By this time, I had stopped cryingpletely. I stared at his angelic face as he smiled at me. It seemed like he had reached some type of answer of his own, one that I was oblivious about.


    "Then choose," he said.


    "Choose what?" I asked, not quite understanding what he was saying.


    "Do you want a life with nothing to do with the mafia or everything to do with the mafia? Choose, Malissa," he said before waiting for me to make my decision.


    What is this all of a sudden?


    "What¡­?" I replied nkly.


    "It¡¯s exactly like I just asked. Either, you have nothing to do with the mafia or you have everything to do with us. There is no middle path," Hayden exined.


    "What happens if I choose not to have anything to do with the mafia?" I inquired.


    "I leave. You won¡¯t see or hear from me again. I will provide you protection until I am sure that no one from the mafia world will approach you ever again. You will live a normal and happy life and I won¡¯t answer any of your questions because it¡¯ll be better for you not to know anything," Hayden replied calmly.


    He¡¯s going to leave? If I choose a normal life, Hayden won¡¯t be a part of it¡­


    "What if I choose the other option?" I asked.


    "I¡¯ll answer all your questions. I¡¯ll willingly break a promise that I made a long time ago and you will live as part of the mafia all your life," Hayden replied smoothly.


    There was only one thing that I wanted to make sure of.


    "Will I get to be with you?" I asked a little shyly.


    "That¡¯s up to you¡­" Hayden replied as his clear blue eyes held my gaze.


    "Up to me? What about you?" I asked, not satisfied with his answer.


    "I won¡¯t answer any of your questions until you¡¯ve decided. You don¡¯t have to decide now. It¡¯s a big decision so just take your time," Hayden said with understanding.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say so I just nodded. My mind and heart were constantly at war and I couldn¡¯te to a decision right away. My mind wanted a normal life away from the mafia. I wanted to live normally under the sun like I had nothing to hide rather than in the underworld. However, that normal life wouldn¡¯t have Hayden in it.


    I wondered if my heart could survive without him and whether a life without Hayden could be considered a normal and happy life.


    I sighed loudly.


    "You should keep yourself busy. It¡¯s one of the best ways to deal with grief," Hayden suggested as he patted my head firmly a few times.


    "Is that from personal experience?" I asked.


    "Does it matter?" he asked, clearly not willing to answer my question.


    "What about heartbreak? What¡¯s the best way to deal with that?" I asked as I took his hand and ced it t against my beating heart.


    "I only break other people¡¯s hearts, so I wouldn¡¯t know¡­" Hayden replied with a seductive smile before he kissed my forehead and told me to go to sleep.


    ¡­


    When I woke upte the next morning, Hayden was already gone. On the empty space on the bed next to me was a small piece of paper. Picking it up, I could see that it was a veryprehensive list of medicine that was supposed to help keep me fit and healthy. Iughed a little thinking that it would have been great if this was a prescription for heartbreak.


    Iughed a little thinking about the fact that Hayden was actually a doctor. It was funny but I decided to head to the pharmacy to purchase the list of medicine that he had prescribed for me just because I wanted to know what each medication was for.


    Just because it was customary, I held a small funeral for my grandmother. To my surprise, the hospital told me that everything had been arranged and paid for. All I had to do was turn up to the funeral and I found out that they were right. Everything was well arranged including flowers and other decorations. I knew that it was Hayden¡¯s doing without needing to ask.


    Not many people turned up the funeral because we didn¡¯t have any living rtives. Some of my friends turned up and so did my professors from university. I was d that the funeral was simple and wrapped up fast. My grandmother wasid to rest among arge bed of white roses, and I was sure that that would make her happy.


    I cried for thest time for her and promised her that I would live a happy life for myself just like she wanted me to.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 155: Left Behind

    A few days after wrapping up the funeral, I was moving along smoothly in the process of moving on with my life. It had been almost a week, but I haven¡¯t made up my decision regarding what to do with my life in rtion to the mafia. It was a very difficult decision to make and no matter how hard I thought about it, the answer did not immediatelye to me.


    Perhaps, I already had an answer in mind, but I was just too scared to admit it even to myself.


    While I was on break from teaching my art ss, I got a phone call from the building manager¡¯s office of the penthouse where I used to live with Hayden. For some reason, I still had the number saved so I knew who the call was from right away. I wondered what they wanted after all this time. It had been many months now since we¡¯ve moved out.


    "Hello. Miss Malissa, sorry for calling out of the blue," a woman¡¯s voice said.


    "It¡¯s ok. How can I help you?" I asked.


    "We were in the middle of clearing up the room as the rent contract had just expired and we think you left something important in the penthouse," the woman exined.


    "Umm¡­I don¡¯t think that I forgot anything¡­" I said with confidence.


    I did not forget anything. I definitely checked when I moved out.


    "Well, the penthouse had been closed since you moved out so I¡¯m assuming that it must be yours," thedy said sounding a little confused.


    "Didn¡¯t the rent contract expire the day that I moved out?" I asked, not quite understanding what she was saying.


    "Not exactly. The contract just expired at the end ofst month. So, although you have moved out, no one has entered the room due to the contract. Of course, rent was being paid in a timely manner," the woman exined politely.


    Ok¡­I didn¡¯t know that¡­


    "Anyways, pleasee over when you¡¯re free to pick it up. Are you freeter today? We need to clear the ce so I would highly appreciate it if you could hurry a bit¡­" the woman said.


    "Oh¡­I see. Ok, I¡¯ll go over when I¡¯m done with work for today. Maybe like 6:30PM?" I suggested, although I was uncertain about what was going on but I didn¡¯t want to inconvenience the building.


    "Sure. I¡¯ll wait for you. Thank you for your help," thedy said brightly.


    "Thank you¡­" I replied softly before hanging up.


    After my ss ended, I headed over to the building where I used to live with Hayden. Staring up at the building brought back many memories. I sucked in a deep breath and walked into the lobby. As promised, thedy was waiting for me in the lobby and together we took the elevator up to the penthouse.


    Although it¡¯s been months since I¡¯vest been here, it felt so familiar that it might as well have been just yesterday that I was here.


    "What was left here? I¡¯m pretty sure that I didn¡¯t leave anything behind," I said as I followed the woman inside the penthouse.


    The penthouse waspletely empty now with all its furnishing gone. My heart ached a little at the sight of the deste rooms where Hayden and I used to live together. I wasn¡¯t sure what she wanted me to fetch from here because there was nothing here.


    "It¡¯s this way," the woman said as she led me to Hayden¡¯s bedroom.


    If I remember correctly that day when I moved out of this ce, Hayden¡¯s room was taped close. The tape on his bedroom door was gone now. The building¡¯s staff must have removed it to clear out the things from his room. Did he forget to clear out his room? Was that why I was called back here?


    "This isn¡¯t my room. I think you have to contact¡­" I began exining before the remaining words that I wanted to say died on my lips.


    Hayden¡¯s room was as empty as the other rooms in the penthouse that I had walked past. All empty except¡­


    "This painting seems to be for you..." the woman said as he gestured to therge painting hanging on the wall before she smiled at me.


    It can¡¯t be. My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat at the sight of the 300-million-dor painting still hanging on the wall. Had it been here all this time?


    "Maybe Hayden forgot it? You should contact him or whoever rented this penthouse for them toe and collect it," I suggested.


    I watched as the woman picked up a small paper card and handed it to me. Feeling slightly confused, I reached out and took the card from her.


    ¡¯Cheer up, Malissa¡¯


    The note written on the card was short, but I could feel his intentions so clearly that it brought tears to my eyes instantly.


    "You¡¯re Malissa, right? So, this must have been left here for you," the woman said with a kind smile.


    "Thank you¡­" I whispered as I tried to hide my tears from her.


    "That¡¯s not a problem. It¡¯s quite big so let me know when you¡¯re avable. We can get it delivered to your new ce," the woman quickly suggested.


    "Ok. Thank you again," I replied as I tried to hold in my tears.


    The woman quietly left as if she wanted to give me some time alone and I highly appreciated her considerate act of kindness. My eyes were blurred by tears, and I quickly wiped them away. Standing in front of the building, I felt that the colors of the painting looked dull and a little depressing today.


    Although I knew that it was just the result of what I was feeling, it still saddened me to see one of my favorite paintings looking so sad.


    I re-read the note from Hayden again and suddenly the colors of my world seemed brighter then before.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 156: Talking to a Ghost

    Since Ist met Hayden, I haven¡¯t had a good night of sleep at all. At first, I tried the sleeping remedies that I read about online. Everything that didn¡¯t sound too crazy or difficult, I tried. Sadly, none of them worked for me.


    I would end up spending hours tossing and turning in bed until I got bored and had to get up to walk around the small apartment or sit and stare at the night sky from the balcony. Sometimes I had to read a boring book to help calm my mind.


    Unfortunately, tonight was no different from the previous nights. I knew well by this time that the problem that I was having wasn¡¯t physical but more psychological. To be frank, I was stressed and deeply disturbed by the choice that I had to make. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to live my life involved with the mafia; on the other hand, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to let gopletely of Hayden.


    I sighed loudly and before I could think twice, I started dialing a number. I¡¯ve saved this number for a while now thinking that I will probably need it.


    "Hi. Sorry for calling sote but do you have a car that I can rent right now?" I spoke through the phone.


    "Of course. We are open 24 hours so there¡¯s no need to apologize and of course we have many cars avable for rent. Are you looking for something specific?" a man¡¯s voice replied.


    Within 20 minutes, the car that I had rented arrived at the bottom of my apartment building. The young man who came to drop off the car at my ce gave me a polite smile before asking me to make the deposit and sign some papers.


    "Where you off to sote at night?" the guy asked in wonder.


    I knew that it wasn¡¯t my responsibility to tell him where I was going, and neither was it his business.


    "A graveyard," I replied before handing him the signed documents.


    ¡­


    I¡¯ve only been to this graveyard once before with Hayden and that day it was alsote at night at around this time. That day Hayden couldn¡¯t go to sleep and had asked me to join him on a ride. That somehow led us here to the Torex¡¯s family graveyard.


    I first thought that the ce was located in such a mysterious location; however, upon looking it up on the map in my phone, the location was publicized publicly just like any other location. It was named simply: Torex cemetery.


    The wind was howling when I finally parked my car at the grassnding and got out. The wind in my hair made me feel slightly better about myself and I didn¡¯t know why. I remembered Hayden parking his car somewhere around here when we came here together and if I was right, if I walk up the hill here then I¡¯ll arrive at the graveyard.


    Hopefully, the lights would be on again today just like it was on that day.


    Now that I have arrived at the graveyard after a climb that left me quite breathless, I wasn¡¯t fully certain why I hade here. Perhaps it was because I was feeling restless and sleepless. Perhaps it was because I miss and wanted to see Hayden. Perhaps it was because I thought that I would figure something out if I came here.


    I don¡¯t know how I remembered so well but somehow; I was able to navigate my way to Harvey¡¯s tombstone through the rows of other identical tombstones. The shlight from my phone showed me the inscription of his name and that told me that I had finally arrived at my destination.


    It wasn¡¯t like I expected to see Hayden hanging around here waiting for me to arrive; however, I still felt a slight feeling of disappointment at the fact that I was the only one here. I spent a while deep in thought as I just stared at Harvey¡¯s tombstone.


    "Hi Harvey. Nice to meet you for the second time. Sorry that I didn¡¯t bring you any flowers¡­" I said as I crouched down in front of his tombstone.


    I¡¯vee quite far in my life now to reach the point of talking to a tombstone of someone that I didn¡¯t even personally know. Fortunately, no one replied to my monologue. The only sound that I heard was the wind blowing against my ear and face.


    "Harvey¡­what really happened to you and Amelia?" I asked before the wind blew my words away.


    I wondered if I asked Hayden again, would he tell me. If I told him that I chose a life with the Mafia just so that I could be with him again, would he tell me everything?


    "Hayden asked me if I want a life to do with the mafia and I¡¯m just not sure. But I also don¡¯t want to lose Hayden. I don¡¯t think that I can be truly happy without him. What should I do?"


    The silence andck of response was unnerving. Maybe it would be better if the tombstone could talk and give me some advice. I smiled at my own foolishness as that thought ran through my head.


    "Harvey¡­you¡¯ve forgiven Hayden, right? There¡¯s no way that you¡¯re still mad at your little brother, right?" I asked as I continued to stare at his tombstone.


    "You think?"


    I heard a man¡¯s voice reply to my question and I jumped up and screamed. Covering my eyes with my hands, I continued to scream. There¡¯s a ghost! Really?!


    Harvey¡­


    "Stop screaming. You¡¯re disturbing the dead¡­" the voice said, sounding slightly irritated.


    I shut my mouth at the same time that my hands were pulled away from my eyes. I blinked in shock and confusion at the man standing in front of me. He¡¯s not a ghost, right?


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered half in disbelief and half in relief.


    "Yes, I¡¯m Hayden. Harvey is dead so he¡¯s no longer here," Hayden said with slight annoyance that he had to exin something as obvious as that to me.


    "Why did you creep up on me suddenly like that? I was so scared¡­" I whined.


    "I didn¡¯t creep up on you. I¡¯ve been standing here for a while now, but you were too wrapped up in your conversation with my brother¡¯s tombstone that you didn¡¯t realize¡­" Hayden said with a shrug.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 157: You’re All that I Want

    "When did you get here?" I asked.


    In other words, how much did he hear just now?


    "Since the ¡¯nice to meet you¡¯ part," Hayden replied before grinning at me.


    Isn¡¯t that like¡­right at the beginning? Great, so he heard everything.


    "Did talking to my dead brother help you make up your mind?" Hayden asked and I wasn¡¯t sure if he was being sarcastic or not.


    "Not really¡­" I mumbled in reply.


    "Why did youe here?" he asked.


    "That¡¯s a really good question actually. I haven¡¯t been sleeping welltely and somehow, I ended up driving here. What about you? Youe here when you can¡¯t sleep, right?" I said before smiling at him.


    The atmosphere between us seemed to have settled down peacefully. I wondered if it was the same with Hayden. Was something troubling him again?


    "Something like that," he replied vaguely.


    "Oh right. The building manager called me to pick up the painting that you left," I said.


    "Of course, she did. I left a note saying that it was for you," Hayden said like it was nothing.


    "I can¡¯t take the painting after all. You should take it back," I insisted.


    "There¡¯s no need to. You can keep it," he replied without a care.


    "But it¡¯s like 300 million dors¡­" I said, still a little in disbelief.


    "It¡¯s ok. You can consider it as a bribe if you want," Hayden said before shing me a heart-throbbing smile.


    "A bribe?" I inquired as I arched an eyebrow at him.


    Hayden just turned and smiled brightly at me before he startedughing.


    "Maybe if you choose the mafia life, I¡¯ll buy you many more paintings like that," Hayden teased.


    That sounded very tempting but all jokes aside¡­


    "I don¡¯t want expensive or rare paintings," I said seriously.


    "Suddenly you¡¯re so hard to please. Tell me, what do you want?" Hayden asked as he stood directly in front of me.


    Well, honestly¡­


    "I want¡­you," I whispered before staring up at this clear blue eyes.


    Despite my seriousness, Hayden smiled and startedughing softly as his eyes creased into a smile. He probably doesn¡¯t know how sexy and attractive he looks when his smile reaches his eyes like this.


    "That¡¯s easy," he replied while stillughing.


    In the next instance, his arms were around me and his lips had captured mine in a smoldering hot kiss. I sighed with satisfaction into his kiss as I began to kiss him back eagerly. Feeling his body close to me as his kiss melted me passionately made me realize that I had been yearning for this for too long. I parted my lips invitingly for Hayden¡¯s tongue to enter my mouth.


    I moaned seductively as his tongue grinded against mine. His hand reached out to hold the side of my face as our kiss deepened further. He sucked on my lips, and I whimpered in pleasure as my arms held him tightly to me. I could feel his growing hard erection against my tummy as we continued to kiss. My body heated up as lust swirled in my lower abdomen.


    My legs started to feel weak as his hand started cupping and fondling my breasts.


    "Hayden¡­ahhh¡­" I panted his name and moaned in between our kisses as he changed the angle of our kiss.


    His hands were now squeezing my breasts firmly, twisting them out of shape in hisrge hands. It felts so amazingly pleasurable, and I began kissing him back more intensely than before. His hands quickly slipped underneath my shirt and peeled away the cups of my bra so that he could massage my naked breasts directly. I cried out as the heat of his hands seeped into the soft skin of my tits.


    His hands expertly pleasured my tits before proceeding to y around with my hardened nipples.


    I was so horny at this point that I couldn¡¯t wait to have him inside of me. My hands started tugging at his clothes, pulling his shirt out of his pants before hastily unbuckling his belt. cing my hand against the hard outlines of his cock through his pants, I looked up hungrily into his eyes. Hayden stared down at me with a heated look of desire as the me of passion burned strongly in his eyes.


    His hands let go of my breasts and began stroking my thighs as I proceeded to unbuckle his belt and unzipping the front of his pants. Hisrge hands slid up my thighs and underneath my skirt until his skillful fingers reached the heat in between my legs. Hayden began stroking my wetness through the thinyer of my panties.


    "You¡¯re very wet, Malissa¡­" Hayden said lowly after he sucked in a breath.


    His fingers pulled my panties to the side before I felt his fingers sliding along the slippery wetness of the slit in between my legs. I moaned in ecstasy as my hips moved a little in time with his fingers expertly stroking up and down my pussy opening. To return the favor, I quickly freed his thick and long rod from the constraint of his pants and boxers.


    His thick and hot cock sprang into my hand as if asking me to pet it lovingly.


    I stroked his love stick up and down with my hands until it began to twitch. His cock felt hot and the more I stroked it, the bigger and longer it grew. Hayden moaned with pleasure as I applied more pressure to his cock. I cried out when his fingers thrusted firmly upwards into my wet love tunnel. My core throbbed with need, and I knew that my pussy was getting wetter.


    "Lift a leg up. I want to fuck you now," Hayden said, and I could hear the urgency in his voice.


    His need matched mine. I couldn¡¯t wait for him to screw his thick cock inside of me either.


    With Hayden¡¯s help, I lifted my left leg up and he ced a hand under my knee to help keep my leg in ce as I hooked my leg around his hip. I panted as I looked up into his erotic and extremely attractive face. I took his cock in my hand and began positioning the thickness of its head at my sopping wet entrance.


    "Ahhh! Ohhh¡­Hayden¡­Yes¡­Ahhh¡­" I moaned wildly as I clutched my hand on his shoulders.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 158: More of Him

    Hayden pushed his cock into me, and I cried out at the feeling of fulfillment of having his cock ploughing into my body. The thick head of his cock stretched my opening and stroked my pussy walls as it entered deeper into my love tunnel. He was filling me up and I felt so satisfied to be joined with him once again. It had been too long.


    For the first time, it was clear to me that I regretted all the time that we¡¯ve wasted by being apart. I wanted him so much that I felt like I could never get enough of him and the feel of his cock beating into me, fast and hard. Hayden¡¯s other hand supported my buttocks as he thrusted his hips against me, ramming his cock in and out of my hole. His thickness stretched me as his length filled me.


    We grinded our hips together as we mated wildly. My pussy clenched around his thickness as I tried to suck him even deeper into my love hole.


    Hayden groaned close to my ear while he started moving faster. Our passionate moans and the lewd wet sounds of his sex stirring up my love juices were the only sound in the deserted graveyard that night. I never dreamt that I would let him do me in a ce like this, but my body just couldn¡¯t wait anymore. Even now that he was pumping his massive cock wildly into me, I felt like it wasn¡¯t enough.


    I wanted more of him.


    "I love you, Hayden! I love you¡­Ahhhh!" I cried out in abandon as I wrapped my arms around his neck.


    Confessions of my love for him escaped my lips as I hung onto him desperately. My hips thrusted against him as I continued to enjoy the feel of his cock stirring me up deep inside. I bit my lower lips and moaned crazily. It was insane for me to confess to him like this, but I just couldn¡¯t hold my feelings in any longer. I love him¡­so much¡­


    "I know you do," Hayden whispered seductively into my ear.


    "I¡¯m cumming¡­Hayden¡­" I said desperately before I felt myself drowning in my own orgasm.


    The way he was groaning loudly and thrusting faster than before, told me that he was nearing his climax. I clenched my pussy around his shaft tightly, leading him faster towards his release. I knew that Hayden wasn¡¯t wearing a condom, but I wanted to feel him shoot his hot load into me and fill up my womb with his seed. I wanted him to make me hispletely.


    "It¡¯s a safe day¡­cum inside of me¡­Hayden¡­" I told him, my voiceing out sweetly like a plead.


    "Malissa!" Hayden cried out my name before growling like a wild animal close to my ear.


    His cock rammed deeply into me onest time before he spurted his hot seed into me. His warmth shot into me as his release filled me up and flooded my love tunnel. I called his name softly as I stroked his soft hair. It felt so satisfying and blissful, I have never experienced anything like it before.


    ¡­


    Hayden drove us back to my apartment in the car that I rented after he told me that he would send someone to pick up his carter. The ride back to the apartment was torturously long and slightly awkward for both of us. The main reason being that it was clear to us both that what we just did at the graveyard wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy our desire for each other.


    I wanted more of him, and he wanted more of me.


    Hayden would kiss me and touch me where it felt good every chance that he got including but not limited to all the red lights where we had to stop. I moaned and rocked my hips up and down as his fingers stirred up the wetness inside of my pussy hole. Hayden drove with one hand while he pleasured me with his other hand.


    With his urging, Iid on hisp and started sucking on his cock. My mouth sucked hard on the tip of his cock, making Hayden moan from pleasure. I lowered my head and his length slid into the depths of my mouth. Bobbing my head up and down his cock, I continued licking and sucking on his love stick. The smell and taste of his precum filled my mouth and it turned me on even more than before.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for us to arrive back at my ce so that we could continue where we left off. It was going to be a wild night ahead of us, but I had to say that I was looking forward to every moment of it. It was nothing short of a miracle that we made it to the bed before he took me again.


    I was more than turned on and ready to take him inside of me by the time that he pushed me down onto my bed and got on top of me.


    He spread my legs wide apart and quickly positioned himself in between them. I held my legs spread wide as I waited eagerly for him to thrust his thick dick into me. It wasn¡¯t long before my wish was granted. Without bothering to undress, Hayden positioned his gigantic cock at my entrance before thrusting it firmly into my hot and wet depths.


    My hips thrusted upward sharply to take him in more deeply. Hayden buried himself to the hilt in one forceful thrust that left me reeling from the impact. He began moving his hips immediately, thrusting in and out of my pussy as he rode me. It was getting intense so fast that I had to hold onto his back. In my frenzy, I dug my nail into his back while I screamed his name over and over again.


    He fucked me so hard that the bed creaked with each movement of his hard thrust. It felt like he was going to break me, but I didn¡¯t mind. My mind was hazy from the pleasure as I got lost in Hayden and the love that he was giving to me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 159: Before I Decide

    His cock stirred my wetness as it rammed repeatedly against my womb and the pleasure spots deep inside of my hole. I moaned and panted as I began wrapping my legs around his hips. His hands slipped underneath my buttocks before he lifted my hips off the bed so that he could pound deeper and harder into my cunt.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I came again, crying out his name at my release. Hayden seemed like he hasn¡¯t had enough and proceeded to flip me onto my stomach before he entered me once again from behind. I lifted my hips as his thick shaft began pounding into me from a different angle than before. It felt different and very amazing. His movements were aggressive and wild like an animal¡¯s as he mated with me.


    His hands moved to fondle my tits while his cock rammed in and out of me like he couldn¡¯t bear to stop.


    I came once again, and it felt like I was going to ck out from the intensity of my own orgasm. Hayden was sweating so much that his sweat was dripping onto my back. I knew that he was close to cumming. It wasn¡¯t long after that Hayden came inside of me for the second time that night.


    ¡­


    I woke up the next morning with a clear hangover from sex. My mind and entire body suffered from the aftereffects of the long and intense love making session that we had the night before. The sunlight shining in through the window was merciless against my sensitive eyes. Turning around to my side, I saw Hayden sleeping peacefully next to me.


    A smile curved my lips slightly as I watched his sleeping face. As always, his light blond eyshes were long and very pretty.


    Unable to resist my urges, I slowly reached out a hand and began stroking his hair softly. I prayed silently that he wouldn¡¯t wake up as my fingers ran through his soft silky blond hair. After a short while, Hayden stirred a little and I froze and held my breath. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t wake up and after waiting a while, I began stroking his hair again.


    As I watched his sleeping face with the feel of his soft hair slipping through the cracks between my fingers, my mind began to wonder if I could enjoy moments like this with Hayden if I chose to live my life as part of the mafia. If that was so, it must be a very bright and beautiful life filled with happiness and hope. I couldn¡¯t stop smiling as I continued to watch him sleeping next to my side.


    The morning light shining in made Hayden look more like an angel than ever before.


    Suddenly, Hayden¡¯sshes began to flutter slightly as his eyes started to open. Finally, Hayden had emerged from his peaceful slumber. Our faces were so close, and I watched intently as his captivating blue eyes opened. His eyes focused on me immediately and his lips curved into an enchanting smile.


    "Morning, Malissa¡­" Hayden whispered sleepily.


    It was such a simple greeting, but it brought so much joy and warmth to me.


    "Good morning, Hayden," I said as I stroked his hair a little.


    His eyes nced upwards as if trying to see my hand in his hair before he looked at me again and chuckled like a child.


    "Do you like my hair?" he asked simply.


    "Yes, I do¡­" I admitted truthfully.


    He just smiled and nodded in acknowledgement but didn¡¯t say anything more on that topic. Since it seemed like he didn¡¯t mind, I continued stroking his hair softly. The repeated feel of his soft hair running through my fingers was making me feel sleeping.


    "Have you decided?" Hayden spoke up softly.


    I knew immediately what he was referring to. It was probably time that I gave him my answer. He probably thought that he had already given me enough time and probably wasn¡¯t willing to wait any longer for me to make up my mind. It wasn¡¯t like I needed any more time either.


    "Yes, I have¡­" I replied.


    "Let me hear it," Hayden said as he shifted his body to face me.


    I could feel his eyes on my face, and it made me suddenly feel very conscious of the fact that we were both naked and in bed together. Now that the moment had arrived for me to tell him my decision, I felt the weight of my decision and my words crush down on my shoulders.


    It reminded me that my life was about to change depending on what I decided, and it would probably be a permanent change that could not be reverted. I bit my lower lips firmly as I hesitated.


    Suddenly, I was pushed onto my back. I felt my back starting to sink slightly into the mattress of the bed. My eyes widened in slightly surprise as Hayden got on top of me. I could feel the weight of his body on top of mine along with his body heat.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in my surprise.


    Without replying to me, Hayden leaned in closer, and I watched his handsome face approach mine before I slowly closed my eyes. My lips readily epted his gentle and tender kiss. However, that kiss quickly transformed into a very hot and demanding one as his lips crushed against mine forcibly. His tongue sought entry into my mouth as it slipped between my slightly parted lips and began tasting me.


    I moaned into his kiss by reflex as his hands started stroking the curves of my body starting from my breasts before proceeding down to my waist and then the side of my hips. His mouth continued to tease and pleasure me as his tongue thrusted wildly against my own. I closed my eyes and enjoyed his caresses and the exquisite sensation of his body on top of mine.


    My body started to heat up with my renewed desire for him and for a moment, the question that he had asked almostpletely slipped my mind. My eyes flew open at the realization that I have yet to give him my answer.


    "How am I supposed to answer you¡­if you don¡¯t stop kissing me?" I asked teasingly as I panted after breaking our hot and wet kiss.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 160: Moment of Truth

    Hayden looked down at me before he licked his wet lips. It was a very seductive sight and my heart tightened.


    "I¡¯m putting in somest-minute effort to make sure that the answer turns out in my favor," Hayden said with a sly grin.


    I had to admit that he was a very persuasive person¡­


    "I don¡¯t mind being part of the mafia if I get to live with you¡­" I said as I looked him squarely in the eyes.


    Hopefully he understands my condition.


    "Is that what you¡¯ve decided?" he asked as if to make sure.


    "Yes, it is¡­" I replied decisively.


    There was a brief moment of silence as it seemed like Hayden was waiting for my words to sink in.


    "Wee to the family," Hayden said with a bright smile.


    Iughed along with him and his adorable joke. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this makes me an official mafia gang member or something. Hayden hugged me closer to him tightly and I wrapped my arms around his back. He began kissing the side of my neck and then his hands were quickly on my breasts. I heard myself let out an impassioned moan at the sudden and pleasurable stimtion.


    "Wait¡­Hayden¡­we just did itst night¡­" I protested but his hands only kneaded my breasts harder than before.


    His hands ran down my body and I whimpered softly as I felt goosebumps form on my skin. As always, my body was reacting so much and so fast to his caresses. My pussy was already throbbing and flooded with nectar.


    "You¡¯re so wet already though¡­so cute¡­" Hayden teased as his fingers ran along my wet and throbbing opening.


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to do it, but I just felt like we had so many things to talk about right now. However, the way that Hayden was already parting my legs with his hands told me that he was past the point of no return. Hayden positioned his hardness in between my legs before thrusting his enormous cock into my quivering pussy hole.


    "Hayden! Ahhh¡­" I cried out at the intense pleasure of him filling me.


    He buried his length and thickness into me, and my hips thrusted upwards to wee his entrance. I winced a little at the slight pain of his sudden entrance. Truthfully, my pussy was still sore from our activitiesst night and it felt more sensitive inside of me than usual. When he moved, I moaned loudly before biting my lips to control myself.


    I could feel his cock sliding against my pussy walls as he thrusted in and out of my wet hole. My cries of pleasure echoed loudly in the room as Hayden began moving faster and harder than before. My pussy throbbed with desire and the fact that it was still sensitive fromst night, made the pleasure feel that much more intense.


    Hayden continued to pound his massive rod in and out of me, the thick head of his cock hitting my womb with each firm thrust. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, it felt like I was going to cum each time his cock thrusted inside of me. My hips wouldn¡¯t stop moving as he rode me like he couldn¡¯t get enough. I wrapped my legs around him and screamed as my orgasm took over me.


    Hayden mmed his cock into me until I came once more before he reached his own release. He came inside of me again, his heat flooding my love tunnel and my womb. Iy panting underneath him as I felt the world spinning around me. My entire body felt light like a feather. It was like both my body and mind were floating randomly in the air as I drifted along with the impact of my climax.


    After spending half the day in bed together, Hayden finally let me go enough for me to shower and get changed. I was totally starving by the time that I had cleaned up and dressed. Hayden took a short shower too while I ordered some food to be delivered. Without needing to discuss the topic, we both came to an agreement that we would shack up at my ce for the day.


    He probably wanted to spend time with me while I wanted to corner him here until he gave me answers to all the questions that I had. After all, he did promise to tell me everything if I agreed to live a life connected to the mafia. Now that I¡¯ve told him my decision, I absolutely expect for him to live up to that promise.


    When the moment of truth finally arrived, we were sitting facing each other on my bed. I never thought that I would feel this on edge and anxious to hear about the truth. I thought that I had been mentally prepared for anything, but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t true. The truth was, I was more than slightly scared. Worst, I didn¡¯t know where to start with all of this.


    "So¡­who is Jack Witman?" I asked after a moment of hesitation.


    Hayden looked at me as a stern look crept into his facial features. Once again, I felt that nagging feeling at the back of my mind like I had heard that name before somewhere. My brows furrowed as I struggled to recall when I had heard that name.


    "Have you heard that name before?" Hayden asked as if he could read my mind.


    "I¡¯m not sure but I think I have¡­and recently too¡­" I confessed, still deep in thought.


    Hayden seemed to rx a little as he gave me time to run through my memories. If I wasn¡¯t wrong¡­that day¡­


    ¡¯What is it? Do you need help with something?¡¯ I asked.


    ¡¯Do you¡­happen to know someone called Jack Witman?¡¯ the old man asked, his eyes narrowing at me.


    Umm¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of someone with that name before.


    ¡¯Sorry, sir. I haven¡¯t heard of that name before. Sorry, I couldn¡¯t be of help here,¡¯ I replied truthfully as I smiled sadly at him.


    ¡¯Hmm¡­I see,¡¯ the old man replied softly.


    ¡¯Are you looking for that man? Does he live in this town?¡¯ I asked in case I could help.


    ¡¯Yes. He¡¯s¡­an old friend of mine. We had a couple of fights when we were younger and I haven¡¯t seen him for many years but now that I¡¯m getting old, you know¡­I kinda want to see him¡­¡¯ he said a little sadly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 161: Younger Days

    Why didn¡¯t I realize this earlier? It was just like my brain not to remember something so important when I needed to remember it. It¡¯s like they say, if you¡¯re looking for something you won¡¯t find it but when you¡¯re not looking for it anymore, it¡¯ll just pop out at you.


    "I remember now. If I¡¯m not wrong your father said that he was looking for Jack Witman when he ran into me in my town. That was the first time that I met you father," I told Hayden.


    It was then that I realized that the old man probably knew something about me all along. I would be a fool to believe that he simply ran into me in that small townpletely by coincidence. Who is Jack Witman and what does he have to do with me?


    "I see. Old man was probably checking to see if you knew anything about Jack and about yourself," Hayden said without showing any signs that he was surprised.


    "What do you mean?" I asked quickly.


    "Let me tell you a story from when I was younger¡­" Hayden replied calmly before smiling reassuringly at me.


    A story¡­from when he was younger?


    ¡­


    "Jack!" a blond boy called out as he raced toward the man called Jack.


    Jack was sitting on a bench in a very beautiful and well-organized garden. The boy approached the bench and quickly sat next to Jack.


    "Hayden, you¡¯re always so active!" Jack said before he put an arm around the boy¡¯s shoulders.


    "You should have told me that you wereing to visit. Can you take me for a drive likest time?" Hayden asked as hope sparkled in his eyes.


    "Jack¡¯s not free to deal with your stupid requests. He¡¯s busy," a dark-haired boy poked his head around to snap at Hayden.


    The two boys red at each other as they sat beside Jack while Jack startedughing.


    "Shup up, Ethan. No one asked you for anything," Hayden snapped back.


    "Jack is super busy with work now. Also¡­his baby girl was just born¡­" Ethan said before turning to smile at Jack.


    "Baby girl?" Hayden said questioningly.


    "Yes. My wife just gave birth, you see," Jack said before smiling a little.


    "You got a girl? Then¡­who¡¯s going to y with me?" Hayden asked with worry. Clearly ying with a girl wasn¡¯t his idea of fun.


    "You have Ethan here as your best friend already, don¡¯t you?" Jack asked as he patted Ethan¡¯s shoulder.


    "Nah¡­he¡¯s not my friend¡­or anything¡­" Hayden muttered darkly.


    "You keep saying that and I¡¯m going to tell my dad not to let Jacke around anymore," Ethan threatened.


    "Jack wille if my dad asks¡­" Hayden said confidently.


    "No, he won¡¯t because Jack is part of Silva!" Ethan shouted back.


    Jackughed as he watched the two boys engage in another staring contest. Ethan was right, Jack was the right-hand man of the current boss of Silva. However, he also helped the boss of Torex since they were friends. Unfortunately, he was the only person linking the two gang together.


    "That¡¯s enough fighting¡­" Jack said, and the two boys looked away from each other.


    His eyes narrowed as if deep in thought. Sometimes, he wasn¡¯t sure how to handle these two boys to make them get along. One was the only son and heir to the Silva gang while the other is the younger son of the Torex gang. To make his dream of uniting the two gangse true to preserve peace, he needed them both to work together.


    Although it was clear that Hayden had taken a liking to him, it was clear that Hayden did not always get along with Ethan. Perhaps because they were close in age, the boys viewed each other aspetitors, and both were too stubborn to bend to the other.


    It took a long time for the boss of Silva to even consider a partnership with the Torex gang. The fact that he was a friend of the current boss of Torex helped a lot, but it wasn¡¯t enough to bring the two gang together. Rivalry and betrayal among the mafia gangs was asmon as the green des of grass in the field. A stronger bond had to be built and he knew that his life alone wasn¡¯t enough.


    "Will I get to see her? Your baby girl¡­" Hayden asked a little shyly.


    "Why do you want to see her?" Jack asked with interest.


    "Well¡­Ethan has seen her, right?" Hayden replied as his eyes red at Ethan.


    Ethan stuck out his tongue before turning the other way.


    "I guess you¡¯re right. What about this? Do you want to marry her?" Jack teased.


    Hayden¡¯s blue eyes widened before his face scrunched up in disgust.


    "Of course not! I don¡¯t want to marry anyone!" Hayden cried loudly.


    "Is that so¡­?" Jack said before heughed carefreely.


    "If you don¡¯t want to marry her, then I will. I want to be Jack¡¯s son," Ethan said proudly.


    "You can¡¯t do that, Ethan," Jack quickly killed off Ethan¡¯s dream.


    "Why not?" Ethan asked as he pouted, clearly dissatisfied.


    "You¡¯re already engaged to someone else¡­another girl. Well, I doubt you understand what that means right now¡­" Jack said with a helpless shrug as he watched the two boys.


    Jack ced hisrge hand on Hayden¡¯s head and the boy turned to look at him with a questioning look in his bright and clear blue eyes. Jack knew from the time that he spent with Hayden that he was a pure hearted and honest boy. This boy had something that his elder brother didn¡¯t have and that might be the key to uniting both groups.


    "Hayden, you are such apassionate boy," Jackplimented.


    "Compassionate¡­what does that even mean?" Hayden asked in confusion as he cocked his head slightly to the side.


    "Hmm¡­it means that you¡¯re caring about other people. You try to understand them and help them, I guess," Jack replied.


    "Never mind that, I¡¯m hungry!" Ethan quickly cut in as he jumped up from the bench and started pulling on Jack¡¯s hand.


    "Why don¡¯t the three of us go out for dinner?" Jack suggested as he stood up.


    "Yay! Steak. I want steak!" Ethan shouted happily.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 162: Our Connection

    "But what does all of that have to do with me?" I asked when Hayden seemed to arrive at a good ce to pause in his story.


    I understood from the story that Hayden and Ethan were childhood friends and that Jack took care of them. They were both fond of this Jack person but what does that have to do with anything?


    "Quite a lot actually. You see, Jack Witman is your father," Hayden said as if it was no big deal.


    HUH?! Impossible¡­


    "No¡­my father¡­" I began denying.


    "He changed his name. Everything about him that you remember is nothing more than a cover. His name, his identity, his looks, how he dressed, his job. Everything was fabricated. What you saw was his second attempt at life, one where he deemed would be more suitable for you to be raised," Hayden exined swiftly.


    "That¡¯s impossible. My father had nothing to do with the mafia. He was just an honest businessman who always worked hard," I stated firmly.


    "That¡¯s what you saw but before that he was Jack Witman. The right-hand man of Silva and the man who was working hard to unite Silva and Torex," Hayden stated resolutely.


    "No¡­I just can¡¯t believe that. If I do then, everything during those years that we spent as a family together was a lie? That¡¯s just¡­ridiculous," I said, unwilling to believe it.


    So, everything that I knew until now was a lie? None of it was true? Why did my father have to go so far to keep me away from the mafia? Was this why Hayden was asking me whether I wanted to choose a life for myself? I nced over Hayden and saw that he had a very dark and grim look on his face and his eyes seemed faraway.


    I wondered what he was seeing in his mind¡¯s eyes but the look on his handsome face told me that it wasn¡¯t something pretty.


    "That¡¯s not quite true. I¡¯m sure his love for you and his family was real. He did honestly work hard to live an honest life away from the mafia," Hayden said with certainty.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled softly.


    "He did all of that for you just so that you could live a sheltered and normal life away from the mafia," Hayden exined.


    None of this was making sense. What happened to his dream of uniting the two gangs?


    "What happened? What happened after that day? The girl who was born back then was me, right?" I asked, feeling that I was about to learn something even more important.


    "That¡¯s right. Your grandmother still calls you by your old name, Lisa," Hayden said before he smiled a little sadly at me.


    A slight pain stung my heart at the mention of my grandmother, and it reminded me of how much I missed her and her words.


    "No, Lisa is my nickname. It¡¯s shortened from Malissa," I corrected his misunderstanding.


    "Nope. Lisa was your original name. Malissa, your new name, was chosen by adding a syble to your old name. You were born Lisa Witman," Hayden corrected me in return as he shook his head slowly from side to side.


    "My grandmother knew about all this?" I asked in shock.


    "She did but how much she knew exactly, I¡¯m not sure. She knew that your father was part of the mafia and of course she knew his name and your old name as well," Hayden surmised.


    I guess that was why my grandmother seemed to know Hayden and the fact that we spent some of our childhood together. Hayden was older and he remembers; however, I was too young to remember much of anything. I didn¡¯t even remember Hayden or Ethan for that matter.


    "Jack Witman wanted to unite the two gang and achieve stability and peace. He believed that once united the gang will be big enough to suppress conflict with the other small gangs. However, somewhere along the lines, he changed his mind," Hayden said as his tone darkened.


    "He changed his mind?" I asked in surprise.


    "His initial n was to join the two gang through the ssical way of using marriage ties. However, things were not so straightforward because Ethan was already engaged to Amelia at her birth and my father wanted Harvey to marry someone outside of the mafia world to create connections. He wanted him to marry a politician¡¯s daughter or something along those lines," Hayden said passively.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled.


    However, I did not foresee what Hayden was going to tell me next.


    "When you were born, your father suggested the idea that his daughter and the younger son of Torex should get married. His daughter would act as Silva¡¯s representative, and I would act as Torex¡¯s. By some twist of fate, my old man agreed to it," Hayden said as if the story didn¡¯t concern him at all.


    "Wait! Then that means that you and I were¡­engaged?!" I eximed in pure shock.


    "That¡¯s right. Of course, you were too young to know about it and I was too young to understand it properly. However, as far as our parents and the gangs were concerned, we were formally engaged," Hayden said with a firm nod.


    Even though Hayden and I were engaged, my father left the mafia and chose to live a normal life. He broke off the engagement, didn¡¯t he?


    "If that was what my father wanted then why did he leave the mafia?" I asked. Something just didn¡¯t feel right.


    "It¡¯s actually quite simple. An incident urred that made him realize that his daughter wasn¡¯t safe if she had any connections to the mafia," Hayden exined simply.


    "Wasn¡¯t safe?" I asked, echoing his words.


    "You were kidnapped as a very young girl," Hayden said after a slight pause.


    "Seriously?" I asked incredulously.


    How is that possible? I had absolutely no recollection of something of that sort happening to me.


    "Yup. You weren¡¯t harmed, thankfully so. I was too young to get involved in the incident, but I remember that it was a big mess. In the end, the adults got you back," Hayden said before he smiled sympathetically at me.


    "I don¡¯t remember any of it," I said nkly.


    "No surprise there, you were too young. The kidnappers were from a smaller gang, and they demanded a ransom of 500 million dors for your release, sounds familiar?" Hayden asked beforeughing a little.


    "Oh¡­" I mumbled in sudden realization.


    That figure sounded very familiar. Now everything was starting to fall in pieces bit by bit.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 163: Crumbling Truth

    "That¡¯s right. My old man paid for all the ransom and waved it off as your father borrowing from him. The debt contract that my old man showed you was drafted and signed then. I don¡¯t know this for sure, but my father probably didn¡¯t want any of the money back. To him, he was just helping out a friend.


    Back then the Torex business isn¡¯t the size that it is today so that money was a significant amount," Hayden exined before grinning at me.


    "I never knew this. Your father showed me a use in the contract that I had to marry a member of the gang of his choice¡­" I said as I recalled the day that the boss showed me the debt contract.


    "My father wanted us to get married. He still does. However, he was the only one who supported and understood your father¡¯s decision to cut all ties with the mafia. The contract was signed in your parent¡¯s new name too because of that. My father was probably the only one who knew of Jack¡¯s new identity," Hayden continued to exin.


    One thing for sure was that Hayden¡¯s father really wanted us to get married. He wanted it bad enough for him to track me down and use the debt against me. I remembered how mad and shocked I was back then, but I feel very different now. I had to admit that if it wasn¡¯t for the boss¡¯s intervention, Hayden and I probably won¡¯t be where we are today.


    "The others were against it?" I asked.


    Hayden nodded solemnly.


    "Definitely. I bet you can¡¯t even begin to imagine. The previous boss of Silva, Ethan¡¯s father and his entire gang viewed it as an act ofplete betrayal," Hayden said before he heaved a depressing sigh.


    Everything was soplicated that I started to get a headache. From the way things are now between the two gangs, I could tell that the attempt at a partnership back then failedpletely.


    "Of course, the partnership n that your father dreamt of failed. His departure made the two gang hate each other even more than before. It wasn¡¯t just the bosses and the gang members that had differing opinions on the issue, Ethan and I had opposite views on it as well," Hayden said coldly as his eyes narrowed.


    "Ethan? What happened between you two?" I asked with worry.


    "We were separated by our parents, and we stopped seeing each other. It was because of our parents at first butter it was mostly because of our different perspectives. Although we both love and respected your father a lot, his departure impacted us in very different ways," Hayden said sadly.


    Looking back on the argument that I¡¯ve heard between the two, it did seem like they didn¡¯t get along and had very opposing views.


    "How exactly?" I asked for further details.


    "When Jack disappeared, I felt like I had lost a father. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Ethan. Jack was from the Silva gang and he spent much more time with Ethan than he did with me. Ethan went crazy when Jack didn¡¯t return. He used every method at his disposal to find Jack to try to bring him back," Hayden said before he paused as if he was recalling something.


    "And you?" I prompted for Hayden to continued.


    "I respected Jack¡¯s decision and wanted him to do whatever would make him happiest. I wanted you to be safe¡­that¡¯s why¡­I never went looking for you even after what happened to Jack. At first, I thought that if that¡¯s the life Jack wanted for you then that was how it should be," Hayden said with slight regret in his voice.


    I wondered if he thought that his belief was wrong now that many things have changed.


    "Ethan came looking for me¡­" I whispered softly.


    "That¡¯s right and he shouldn¡¯t have. Soon after Jack disappeared and Ethan lost his mind, his parents sent him abroad to keep him away from everything. He hated his parents, and this only made it worst. Guess what was the first thing that Ethan did when he returned to this country¡­" Ethan said before he smirked at me.


    "He came to find me¡­" I said with sudden understanding.


    "Correct," Hayden affirmed with a nod.


    "But in the end, he left me to return to take over Silva¡­" I mumbled softly.


    "Unlike Ethan, the boss of Silva wanted Jack found dead or alive. He didn¡¯t need Jack back," Hayden said monotonously.


    "The boss of Silva wanted to kill my father?" I gasped in shock.


    Slowly, Hayden turned to face me before he took my hands into his. I had never seen such a sorrowful look on his face before, not even when he was in front of his brother¡¯s grave.


    "Yes, and he seeded," Hayden said without meeting my eyes.


    The previous boss of Silva killed my parents? That¡¯s just¡­


    "No. That¡¯s impossible. My parents died in a car ident. They were hit by a truck with drunk driver early in the morning. There were photos of it, and it was all over the news. It was just¡­an ident¡­" I said as I shook my head in denial.


    It felt like my world was going dark. Hayden told me so many things, but this just didn¡¯t make any sense. It was just an ident, wasn¡¯t it?


    Before I could stop it, tears had already started leaking from my eyes before it trailed down my cheek. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was more shocked or saddened by what Hayden had just told me. My parents had been dead for a long time now and for the longest time I had believed that their death was merely an unfortunate ident.


    "It¡¯s a sin that both Ethan and I will bear for the rest of our lives. We were too young and too stupid to do anything for Jack or for you¡­" Hayden said with so much guilt in his voice that my heart ached for him too.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 164: Wherever You Go

    "Hayden¡­is it really true?" I asked through my sobs.


    Somehow, I knew that Hayden wouldn¡¯t be lying about something like this. Ethan¡¯s father killed my parents and if I had been in that car that day just like I usually would have been, then he would have seeded in killing me too.


    "Let¡¯s stop for today. I don¡¯t think you can take anymore¡­" Hayden said decisively as he reached out and started stroking my headfortingly.


    That tender and loving action only made my tears fall faster than before as it reminded me of the gentle touch of my mother and the kind words of my father. Hayden pulled me softly against his chest and wrapped his arms around my body. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried into the crook of his neck.


    Hayden stroked my backfortingly as he whispered sweet words offort to me.


    At that moment, I could understand a little why Hayden thought that perhaps it would have been better to keep me forever in the dark. Knowing the truth hurts so much and it made me question the life that I¡¯ve led so far and everything that I thought I knew. It was like the reality that I was used to had all been a lie.


    However, regardless of what Hayden or my father wanted for me, I have already chosen a different path.


    I¡¯m sorry, father. I know that you wanted what you thought was best for me and you wanted to keep me safe and away from everything. However, that isn¡¯t the life that I want or have chosen for myself. I¡¯ve chosen to be with Hayden, and I¡¯ll face life proudly with that decision that I¡¯ve made. If you and mother are watching over me, please don¡¯t worry anymore. I¡¯m certain that we¡¯ll figure something out.


    ¡­


    I cried so hard that I must have fallen asleep in Hayden¡¯s arms. Thankfully I didn¡¯t have any work to do today and no sses to teach. When I woke up, Hayden was still by my side. I found that quite surprising because usually he would have gone out by now.


    "You don¡¯t have to go to work?" I asked.


    Hayden spent another night at my ce and showed no signs of leaving in the morning. Unlike yesterday, I had sses to teach today. Hayden¡¯s eyes were on his phone, and he seemed to be focused on something.


    "I don¡¯t. I¡¯ll go wherever you go today," he replied simply with his eyes still on his phone.


    "I have sses to teach at the art school¡­" I said.


    He¡¯s not thinking ofing along, is he?


    "Great. Let¡¯s go," Hayden said before he got out of his seat and headed for the door.


    "You¡¯reing along?" I asked in slight panic.


    "Didn¡¯t I just tell you that I¡¯ll go wherever you go today?" Hayden replied and he was already walking out the door.


    "Wait! Hayden!" I called after him.


    True to his words, Hayden really did go wherever I went that day. Together we went to the art school, and he sat in all of my sses. Obviously, I found his presence extremely distracting at first but slowly I got used to having him just sitting there in the corner of the room. Ever so often my eyes would wander in his direction, and he would smile at me.


    Fortunately, the kids were more interested in Hayden than they were intimidated. Perhaps it was his height, his beautiful face, or the way he was dressed that drew the kids to him. Perhaps it was all of those thingsbined along with his cheerful spirit.


    "Are you our new teacher?" a girl asked sweetly as she looked up at him.


    "No. I¡¯m just here to observe today," Hayden replied with ease as he crouched down to speak to the girl at eyelevel.


    "Are you our teacher¡¯s boyfriend?" another girl asked curiously.


    "No¡­he¡¯s not," I cut in with my firm reply before Hayden could say anything.


    "Really?" the girl asked, disbelief clear on her face.


    Hayden just turned and squinted his eyes at me, and I had a feeling that some punishment wasing my way.


    Thankfully, the sses came to an end without any further event. I wasn¡¯t sure why Hayden wanted toe along with me today, but I decided not to ask. It felt weird at first but having him here with me wasn¡¯t a bad thing. I got to see more of him, and we got to spend more time together. I wonder when he would head back though.


    "Are you done for today?" Hayden asked.


    "Yup. I just have to put these books away and then we can go back," I replied with a smile.


    "Let me help you. They¡¯re heavy, right?" Hayden readily offered.


    "That¡¯s ok. I¡¯m almost done," I politely declined, although I appreciated his offer.


    "Just let me do it¡­" Hayden said stubbornly as he took the books from my hands.


    "Umm¡­thanks¡­" I mumbled before showing him where I wanted the books to be lined up on the shelf.


    After that Hayden took me out to dinner before heading back to my ce. I enjoyed our dinner date so much and it made me feel like we were a real couple. Although, we haven¡¯t really discussed our rtionship or made anything official yet. I was happy enough that Hayden was spending time with me.


    However, when he escorted me back to my ce and he headed for the shower, I began to wonder when he would head back?


    "Umm¡­Hayden¡­are you staying over tonight?" I asked when he came out of the shower.


    His blond hair was a darker shade because it was wet, and the sight of his muscr naked body made me blush slightly before I quickly averted my eyes. Seriously, the white towel that he had wrapped around his hips did not provide enough coverage. My heart started beating faster and I ced a hand over my chest in an attempt to calm it down.


    "Do you want me to stay?" Hayden asked before he walked past me casually.


    "That¡¯s not what I was asking..." I mumbled.


    Despite what he said, I could tell that he was settling into bedfortably and that he was probably staying the night. Maybe¡­he¡¯s free so he¡¯s going to spend another night with me?


    That was what I thought¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 165: Independence

    Despite my belief that Hayden would be gone the following day, Hayden spent the next couple of days living together at my ce. I liked having him around and I was getting used to spending my days with him; however, after a couple of days I realized that this wasn¡¯t normal. He stuck to me like glue and followed me wherever I went.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell him this, but he was getting in the way of my daily life.


    "Hayden¡­when are you heading back to your ce?" I asked one evening while we were having dinner together in my small apartment.


    "You don¡¯t like having me around?" He asked as he ced down the fork that he had been holding.


    I sighed, knowing that he would say something like that.


    "It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just¡­you¡¯ve been around me all the time and¡­I guess it affects my work¡­" I told him hesitantly.


    Hayden was silent for a while as he took my words in. I used that time to silently pray that he would notpletely flip out. The issue was that I got a call from work earlier about this issue.


    "Hi Malissa, sorry for calling you but there¡¯s something that I want to discuss," thedy¡¯s voice through the phone was quite stern.


    I wondered what she wanted. Usually, she¡¯s always in a good mood and I hardly hear her sounding so serious like this.


    "Hi. No worries. What is it?" I asked.


    There was a pause followed by a sigh from the other end of the line and that was enough to let me know that it wasn¡¯t good news.


    "I¡¯m sorry that I have to say this but we think it would be best if you stopped bringing your friend along with you to the sses," she said hesitantly.


    "Oh¡­ok¡­" I replied.


    "The thing is some parents are concern with having an observer all the time and they think it¡¯s distracting for the students," she exined.


    "Right. Ipletely understand¡­" I said apologetically.


    "Great. Sorry about this but I thought letting you know would be better. See you!" thedy said and quickly hung up.


    Basically, it wasn¡¯t a good idea for Hayden to be stuck to my side like glue. I knew that that would be the case. He did bother me a little so it wasn¡¯t a huge surprise that his presence would be a bother to the others. His sparkly prince-like aura also attracted a lot of attention, but it was better than his dark mafia aura when he was in a bad mood. Regardless, he attracted too much attention.


    "I guess I¡¯ll take my leave for now," Hayden said defeatedly.


    "We can always meet up when I¡¯m off work," I said, trying to lighten the mood.


    "Malissa, watch yourself," Hayden warned.


    "Huh?" I said in surprise.


    "Be careful. If anything happens just give me a call," Hayden insisted.


    "Umm¡­sure," I agreed with a nod.


    I could tell that Hayden was worried, but I didn¡¯t think that anything could happen. The frown that formed in between Hayden¡¯s eyebrow told me that he was very concerned. That was when I finally understood why Hayden had been sticking to be like glue for the past few days.


    "Are you worried?" I asked.


    "Of course, I am," he replied immediately.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be ok. Nothing is going to happen. I have to try to live life normally too¡­" I said, trying to reassure him.


    I wanted Hayden to know that I had a life of my own that I was determined to live regardless of the various obstacles that the mafia and my past keeps throwing my way. To do that, I knew that I had to be stronger and better at dealing with the unexpected.


    "I know that Ethan met up with you at your exhibition," Hayden stated darkly.


    It was like a dark aura had enveloped Hayden¡¯s body and it gave me the chills. I hated where this conversation was going.


    "Yeah¡­nothing happened though. We just talked," I said with a nervous smile.


    "What did he want from you?" Hayden asked straightforwardly.


    "What he wants?" I said innocently.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if this was the right time to tell Hayden about Ethan¡¯s ns of reuniting the gang. Hayden seems to be in a terrible mood. If I mention the n now, it will be smashed into a million pieces. There¡¯s no way that it will go through.


    "Ethan won¡¯t meet up with you unless he wants something¡­" Hayden said knowingly.


    "Umm¡­the thing is¡­" I said as I hesitated.


    What do I do now?


    "I¡¯m listening," Hayden said but his tone wasn¡¯t very encouraging.


    I sighed loudly as his light blue gaze settled on me. It doesn¡¯t matter how close we¡¯ve gotten; Hayden can be very intimidating.


    "Ethan told me that he wants to reunite the two gangs together. What do you think about that, Hayden?" I asked, daring to hope just slightly that he might agree.


    "What do you think about that?" Hayden asked for my opinion.


    I thought it would be a good thing but¡­I wasn¡¯t sure if that was the right choice. With the many facts that Hayden had revealed, I felt like that would make my father¡¯s wish finallye true after so long. However, I wasn¡¯t sure if that was something for me to decide. Hayden would head Torex after his father, so it was for him to decide and then he¡¯s got to convince his father too.


    "I think that potentially it could be a good idea. Peace is better than violence, I think¡­but I also think that it¡¯s best for you to decide. Perhaps, after you understand more about what Ethan has in mind¡­" I answered as honestly as I could.


    "I see¡­" Hayden said.


    After that he didn¡¯t say anything else on that topic. I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking or what was his thoughts to my opinion. Hayden just didn¡¯t seem interested in the topic at all. He refused toment or talk about it. As for me, I didn¡¯t have the courage to ask. It was a big deal so I could understand if he needed time to think it through.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 166: Two Sides to a Story

    A week went by without any noteworthy events. Hayden and I had adjusted a little to our new pace in life. What that basically meant was that he no longer stuck to my side all the time. We met up when I got off work and when he was free. He would spend some nights at my apartment and the others back at his ce.


    Hayden didn¡¯t tell me about it, but I was sure that some of his men were probably watching me at ces that I frequented such as the art school and my apartment building.


    After wrapping up a busy day of teaching at the school, I was tidying up. Carrying a bunch of artbooks in my arms, I headed back towards my ssroom where I needed to arrange them back into ce. Teaching was hard work, but it was also so fun and felt so fulfilling. I loved my students, my colleagues, and my job.


    "The girl who painted this has got some crazy talent, don¡¯t you think?" a man¡¯s voice spoke up the moment that I entered the ssroom.


    "Ethan¡­" I whispered his name before the thudding sound of something hitting the floor echoed throughout the empty ssroom.


    In my shock, I had dropped the art books that I had been holding. My entire body froze as Ethan turned around to face me. He smiled at me as his green eyes stared deeply into mine. My legs and all parts of my body refused to move.


    "You don¡¯t have to be so shocked¡­" Ethan said casually as he walked over.


    I watched as he bent down to retrieve the books that I had dropped to the floor at my feet. Swiftly, he arranged them back into a pile and ced it on the table for me. He then proceeded to look around the ssroom at the various artworks by the students without saying anything more to me.


    Why is he here? What does he want?


    Although I had so many questions that I wanted answers to, my mouth wouldn¡¯t move, and my throat felt very dry. I couldn¡¯t speak. My eyes followed him as he walked slowly around the ssroom, his eyes on the various paintings and drawings hanging from the walls.


    "I like this one the most out of all of them. Do you know why?" Ethan asked followed by a smallugh.


    I did know why.


    "You painted this¡­when you were feeling lonely and quite depressed¡­" Ethan stated with certainty.


    My fists clenched into tight balls as I watched him continue to stare at the painting that I had painted when I first got the job. Back then, I was trying to move on with my life after the contract between Hayden and me had expired. It was a truly lonely and depressing time for me. It was just like Ethan to be able to tell so much from just a painting that I had painted.


    "How are things going between you two?" Ethan asked, his eyes still on my painting.


    "Fine¡­" I replied curtly.


    "Good," Ethan said with a satisfied nod.


    "Why are you here, Ethan?" I finally managed to ask.


    "To see you. Why else?" Ethan replied like it was supposed to be dead obvious.


    "What do you want?" I asked.


    "I just want to talk to you. Don¡¯t worry, I came alone, and I¡¯m unarmed," Ethan said after he turned to face me.


    Raising both his hands up, he made an effort to show me that he was in fact unarmed. That wasn¡¯t why I was concerned though.


    "That being said, I¡¯m more than enough to take you out of here before Hayden¡¯s men can react¡­" Ethan said followed by an amused chuckle.


    "What do you want to talk to me about?" I asked, ignoring his unnecessaryments.


    The sooner that I could get him to get to the point, the sooner this conversation would be over.


    "Jack Witman¡­" Ethan said as his eyes narrowed at me.


    I knew that he was carefully watching my reaction and reading my bodynguage. It was one of the things that Ethan did best.


    "I see. So, Hayden did tell you about Jack. Were you surprised?" Ethan asked needlessly.


    "Yes, I was¡­" I replied.


    "Did he tell you how and why Jack died?" Ethan asked without mincing his words.


    "Yes¡­" I replied as I bit my lips.


    Ethan walked over to where I was standing and sat down on a chair. He seemed as rxed as ever. He gestured for me to take a seat on a chair next to him and I slowlyplied.


    "Are you mad at Hayden?" Ethan asked.


    "Why would I be mad at Hayden?" I asked in confusion.


    "Hayden sure is a very honest guy. He seemed to have told you everything except one very important detail," Ethan said afterughing a little to himself.


    I could sense that Ethan knew something that I didn¡¯t and I hated how he was using it to make light of me.


    "What do you mean?" I snapped.


    "Your father sessfully went into hiding for years. Have you ever wondered how my father found him?" Ethan asked as if encouraging me to think.


    What is Ethan trying to say?


    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­" I said without hiding my annoyance.


    "Do you know want to know the real reason why Hayden never came looking for you?" Ethan asked.


    "He just wanted me to live a normal life away from the mafia. Exactly how my father wanted¡­" I replied with confidence.


    "Really? Are you sure?" Ethan asked in a drawl.


    "What is it that you want to say? Just say it, Ethan¡­" I urged him to spit it all out.


    I was getting tired of him ying around with me and my head.


    "He was scared that you would get killed if he found you¡­just like when he found your father," Ethan said as his face came closer to mine.


    What? Ethan¡¯s words left mepletely dumbfounded as I watched his green eyes while he smiled teasingly at me. My throat felt tight, and I couldn¡¯t produce any sounds.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 167: If I Had Known

    "It¡¯s ironic, isn¡¯t it? Hayden went looking for Jack and because of that my father found out exactly where he was hiding and who he was hiding as," Ethan revealed with a look of pure disgust on his face.


    "That¡¯s not true¡­" I said in a shocked whisper.


    "It¡¯s true enough, trust me. Hayden found Jack and soon after your parents had that unfortunate ident. My stupid father arranged it all. I had to beat him up until he was spurting out blood for him to confess everything¡­" Ethan said emotionlessly like it was nothing.


    "What?" I gasped in shock.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I was more shocked that my father somehow died because of Hayden or the fact that Ethan beat up his own dad for him to confess. Suddenly, these two men just seemed toe from a different dimension from where I was ustomed to living. Is this how the real mafia world works?


    "He didn¡¯t tell you? How do you think I became the Head of Silva so soon?" Ethan hissed close to my ear.


    "No¡­you didn¡¯t¡­" I said as I shook my head in denial.


    "Yes, I killed them both. My father and my mother on that exact same night that I left you¡­" Ethan said and I felt the heat from his fingertips as it stroked a line down the side of my face.


    "No¡­" I whimpered.


    "Session wars inside a gang is quite normal for the mafia. The men wanted me to lead more than my father so there wasn¡¯t much of a fuss when I got rid of them both," Ethan said with a shrug.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that the sweet Ethan that I knew could do something so heartless without feeling bothered by it. He killed his own parents and he¡¯sughing about it? What is wrong with him?


    Instead of getting scared of him, I felt anger boiling up inside of me.


    "How can you say that?! Don¡¯t say it like it¡¯s nothing!" I screamed at him as I stood up from my seat.


    Ethan probably doesn¡¯t realize it, but I did. He¡¯s hurting himself and I just couldn¡¯t stand by and watch in silence.


    "That bastard killed Jack! He killed your father! He killed my father!" Ethan yelled at the top of his lungs as he also got up from his seat.


    Oh¡­that¡¯s right. Ethan hated his parents. Jack, my father, was probably like a father to Ethan.


    "Ethan¡­" I whispered his name as I felt and shared his pain and suffering.


    Unlike me, who had been blissfully ignorant of everything for so long, Ethan had been suffering all along and perhaps he was still suffering.


    "Malissa¡­Lisa¡­it was all for you¡­" Ethan said as slowly lifted a hand and cupped my cheek.


    Tears automatically feel from my eyes. I watched through my tears as he smiled gently yet sadly at me before the pad of his thumb wiped my tears away.


    "Ethan, please stop¡­" I whispered pleadingly.


    Slowly, I raised my arms up and pulled him into a tight hug. I felt his body stiffen in surprise at my forward action before he rxedpletely in my arms. His arms circled my body before I felt the force of his embrace as he hugged me back.


    "Please don¡¯t say anymore¡­" I pleaded for him to stop.


    As I held him in my arms, I wondered if thing would have ended up differently between us if I knew the truth before this. I wondered and med myself for not seeing the various signs even when I lived with him. Back then, I could tell sometimes that Ethan was visibly upset or frustrated. Why didn¡¯t I try to help him or understand him more before?


    Even on that rainy night that he left me, I was too worried about myself, and my happiness and I never fully understood the truth behind his parting words. If I knew the truth, perhaps there was a chance that we would still be together today¡­


    ¡­


    **That night**


    The sound of thunder was so loud that I felt the ground shake beneath my feet. Were rainstorms supposed to bemon this time of the year? I shuddered from the sound of thunder again. shes of light leaked in from the outside through the slit between the curtains from the lightning. It was pouring outside and had been that way for hours now.


    At this rate, it¡¯s going to rain all night until morning came.


    It was veryte at night, but I couldn¡¯t go to sleep. One reason was the heavy and noisy rainstorm outside while the other reason was the fact that Ethan hasn¡¯t made it back home yet. To make matters worse, I called him multiple times, but he never picked up. It was just very unusual. Without any logical reason, I started to have a bad feeling about tonight.


    Suddenly, the door to the room mmed open and there was Ethan in the doorway. I gasped in shock at the sight of him all drenched from the rain with his wet ck shirt stered to his skin. His dark hair was all wet as well and it made him look so wild.


    "Ethan! What happened? Why are you back sote?" I asked as I ran to him.


    He closed the door behind him and walked straight into the room without bothering to reply to my questions.


    "You¡¯re drenched. How did you get so wet? What were you doing out there in the rain?" I asked in confusion as I followed him into the room.


    He was wet all over and the rain dripped onto the floor. Ethan had not said anything since he got back, and I found that strange. He seemed lost in a daze, and I wasn¡¯t sure if he could see or hear me at all.


    "Ethan¡­" I called his name again.


    Ethan didn¡¯t reply to me, but his hands began rapidly stripping off his wet clothes, starting from his ck shirt and his pants, and the rest of his clothing quickly followed in session. It must have been very cold and wet outside. I prayed silently that he wouldn¡¯t catch a cold. Just as I turned away to grab him a towel for his shower, I felt a firm grip around my wrist.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 168: The Breakup

    "Ethan? You should take a warm shower," I said as I turned back to face him.


    I quickly found out that Ethan had other things in mind that had nothing to do with taking a shower when he lifted me into his arms and started carrying me towards our bed. He threw me onto the bed before he got on top of me. I let a cry when my back hit the mattress of the bed. Before I could do anything, Ethan was on top of me, and his hands started tearing my thin satin nightgown off my body.


    "Ethan¡­wait¡­" I protested more in confusion than in refusal.


    His demanding hands groped and squeezed my breasts roughly and I let out a cry. Quickly, hepletely removed my nightgown from my body and threw it on the floor. Ethan buried his face in the crook of my neck and his lips began sucking hard on the sensitive skin on the side of my neck.


    I let out a loud moan at the slightly stinging sensation as he continued to suck on the side of my neck while his hands started to caress and y with my breasts roughly.


    "Lisa¡­" Ethan whispered my name as he stared deeply into my eyes.


    His green eyes looked lifeless like he had just seen a ghost. He was there right in front of me, but I wasn¡¯t sure if he was really there at all. The look in his eyes were so nk that it scared me.


    Before I could say anything to him, his hands were lifting my legs up and parting them widely apart. I felt my entrance stretch and part before Ethan positioned himself in between my legs. Everything happened so fast and the next thing I knew, I felt a sharp piercing sensation in between my legs.


    Ethan thrusted his thick cock into me, ploughing his way into me until his entire member was buried into my wet hole.


    "Ahhh¡­Ethan!" I cried out at the suddenness of my hole being stretched and filled.


    Ethan began moving immediately, his hips ramming his cock in and out of my hole. He¡¯s thrusting so fast and hard even though he had just entered me. He was so aggressive and forceful, and I couldn¡¯t keep my moans and cries of pleasure in. I cried out his name loudly as he continued to pound his thick cock into my hole.


    My hips jerked with each of his forceful thrust as my body writhe from desire and pleasure under him.


    It didn¡¯t take long for my body to respond to him. My core throbbed with wanting and need as my pussy heated up and got very wet for him. He shoved his cock firmly into my wetness and I lifted my hips to meet his thrusts halfway. He¡¯s in so deep and I was moaning with bliss. Ethan groaned loudly as he began pumping his cock into me faster and harder.


    My legs felt weak from his passionate attacks, and I knew that I was close to my release.


    "Ethan¡­I¡¯m cumming! Ahhh! Ethan!" I cried out so loudly as my hands clutched at the covers for relief.


    My climax hit me hard as my pussy spasmed wildly around his cock. His cock beating repeatedly into me made me feel like I was on the verge of cumming again. Suddenly, Ethan stopped moving and withdrew his cock out of my wet love hole. I whimpered in disappointment at his sudden retreat. Without pausing, Ethan flipped me onto my stomach and lifted my hips up from the bed.


    "Ethan¡­Ahh!" I called out his name softly before screaming at the sudden entry of his thick and hot rod.


    His hands gripped my hips tightly as he began ramming his cock into my pussy hole from behind. I bit my lower lip and whimpered as his powerful thrusts hit me deep all the way to my womb. The angle was different from before. It felt so pleasurable in a different way from before. His cock pounded in and out of my wet love tunnel.


    My hips began moving to match his rhythm to allow for even deeper and faster pration. The swollen head of his cock stimting the inner walls of my pussy.


    Our body pped wildly together as his cock messed up my wet hole and made lewd wet sounds. I clenched my pussy around his hot shaft, sucking him in to feel even more of him. I couldn¡¯t think anymore and although Ethan was being vigorous and wild, I didn¡¯t mind it at all. He was making me feel so good and I wanted to satisfy his every need.


    I cried out his name and threw my head back, crying out in abandon when my climax consumed me again. This time Ethan also reached his peak. He thrusted firm and deep final thrusts into me and then stilled. I felt the heat of his seed shooting deep into my love hole as he filled me with his release. He came inside of me, and I took it all in.


    I wasying on my stomach inplete exhaustion when I felt Ethan easing his cock out of my pussy hole. I let out a soft whimper as I turned my head to the side to watch him. Ethan got off the bed and ran his fingers through his dark and damp hair.


    "Ethan¡­let¡¯s go to bed¡­" I said invitingly as I reached out an arm towards him.


    It¡¯ste and I know that he must feel super tired right now. We should just go to sleep together. Ethan was silent with his head hung low. When he raised his head, he turned to face me, and I knew immediately that something was very wrong.


    "Lisa¡­let¡¯s breakup," Ethan said casually.


    "¡­huh?" I mumbled in shock.


    What did he just say? It can¡¯t be¡­


    "Let¡¯s breakup¡­right now¡­" Ethan repeated.


    His tone was serious and for the first time since he entered the room, his eyes were sane.


    "No¡­I don¡¯t want to breakup with you¡­" I said stubbornly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 169: Past and Future

    "It doesn¡¯t matter what you want. From now on, we¡¯re no longer a couple," Ethan said without a care.


    "Wait! Why are you breaking up with me so suddenly? What happened? What is going on?" I cried out in my desperation.


    I couldn¡¯t understand him at all. What brought this on so suddenly? Yesterday, everything was still normal. Ethan didn¡¯t reply. It was like he didn¡¯t have anything more to say. However, I had a lot more to say.


    "Did I do something wrong?" I asked in confusion.


    Ethan looked at me with nk eyes as if he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. No words escaped his lips, and the room was dead silent save for the sound of the storm raging outside. This wasn¡¯t the time for me toze around in bed any longer, so I stood up and approached him.


    "Ethan, please don¡¯t break up with me¡­" I pleaded as I burst into tears.


    I clutched at his forearm with my hands tightly, afraid that he would turn and leave. I¡¯ll die if he leaves. I can¡¯t imagine a life without him. Whenever I imagine a life without Ethan in it, it was like the walls of my small world would crack ande tumbling down on top of me. My world would copse, and I would be crushed underneath it all.


    Ethan turned and nced down wordlessly at my hands that were on his arm. He cocked his head to the side as if in confusion and I wondered what he was seeing and hearing. His hand covered mine and slowly, he removed my hands from his arm. While still holding my hands in hisrger one, he looked at me.


    His green eyes were cold and void of emotions, but his voice was gentle and kind when he finally spoke.


    "This is all for you, Lisa. Our dream world has to end now," Ethan told me softly.


    I didn¡¯t understand a word that he said, and I didn¡¯t want to understand it. All I knew was that I couldn¡¯t let Ethan leave this room. If he did, he would disappear and nevere back.


    "Ethan! Don¡¯t go¡­please¡­" I begged him desperately.


    "One day, you will be Lisa," Ethan said as if he was speaking to himself.


    More tears streamed down my face as he pulled me gently into his arms. I didn¡¯t understand what he meant at all.


    "Ethan¡­please stay with me¡­" I cried softly into his chest.


    Suddenly, he let go of me and stepped away. Ethan walked over to the closet and started pulling on some clothes.


    "No! Ethan! Don¡¯t go¡­" I begged over and over again.


    I didn¡¯t know what I could say to make him say. I didn¡¯t even understand why he was breaking up with me and it didn¡¯t look like he wanted to talk about it.


    Ethan reached for the door after he was fully dressed and ready to go outside. He didn¡¯t even take an umbre even though it¡¯s still pouring outside.


    "Ethan!" I shouted his name loudly.


    I hugged his waist from behind to stop him from leaving. I was crying so much at that point that I found it hard to breathe. Deep down, I knew that this would probably be thest time that I¡¯ll get to hold him like this, and I wasn¡¯t willing to let go.


    "Please¡­don¡¯t go¡­" I whimpered through my sobs.


    Ethan didn¡¯t even turn to look at me. I slid down onto my knees began clutching at his leg to stop him from leaving. Not knowing what to say anymore, I just kept repeating the same phrase over and over again¡­


    Is this what they call ¡¯break up sex¡¯?


    That was the first thought that entered my head the next morning when I woke up sad and alone. I spent the whole day crying alone in bed while dialing a number that always failed to connect.


    ¡­


    **Back to the Present**


    Even now when I held Ethan in my arms, I had to admit that I still didn¡¯t fully understand him. What was clear was that Ethan knew a side of my father that I never got to know. When he was young, my father must have taken care of him as the next heir of Silva when he was growing up. I wondered what my father was like in those days and what Ethan saw in him. What kind of father was Jack to Ethan?


    To me, my father was a loving and very ordinary man. He was a normal man with amon job, amon business, amon family, andmon hobbies. Nothing about him stood out or attracted anyone¡¯s attention. Looking back on it now, perhaps he had intentionally chosen to live that way to stay under the radar. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the father that I knew wasn¡¯t the real him at all.


    "That night that you broke up with me. What happened? Where did you go?" I asked in a hushed whisper.


    Ethan pulled himself away from my embrace and looked straight at me.


    "I always thought that Jack¡¯s death was suspicious, so I spent a lot of time investigating. The more I looked into it, the further the truth slipped away from me. It wasn¡¯t long before I realized that a greater force was trying to keep the truth hidden. When you¡¯re the next heir of Silva, there¡¯s not that many greater forces than you.


    Naturally, I suspected the head of Torex and then my own father, the head of Silva," Ethan said as his face darkened.


    "I guess you discovered the truth," I said simply.


    "I did. I found the truth and I made my father admit to it. After killing my parents, I came back to see you for thest time," Ethan said and there was a peaceful and resigned look on his face.


    "Why did you decide to leave me?" I asked. Not that it mattered now but I still wanted to know.


    He didn¡¯t leave me just because his father killed my father, right? It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 170: Up to Me

    "I found what I wanted to do with my life that night. After dealing with my father, I found Jack¡¯s diary that my father had kept hidden for years. That was when I realized that I wanted to continue what Jack couldn¡¯t finish," Ethan exined.


    "My father¡¯s diary?" I asked curiously.


    "Yup. Up until then, I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted to do with my life but reading what Jack wrote gave me the answers that I was looking for. I want to fulfill Jack¡¯s wishes," Ethan stated with determination.


    "What did my father wish for?" I asked.


    "Uniting Torex and Silva and your happy marriage to Hayden Torex," Ethan stated.


    "I don¡¯t think my father wanted me to marry Hayden anymore because he didn¡¯t want me to associate myself with the mafia," I interjected.


    "Why do you think Hayden became a doctor?" Ethan asked in response.


    "That¡¯s¡­" I mumbled.


    Was it because of my father?


    "Maybe it wasn¡¯t all because of Jack but he surely yed a part in it. Usually, doctors don¡¯t associate themselves with gangs. Jack wanted Hayden to distance himself away from the gang. I guess the things in your childhood impacts what you want and how you think. Hayden and me, we¡¯re prime examples of that," Ethan said followed by a smallugh.


    "What do you n to do, Ethan?" I asked seriously.


    "Everything and anything to make Jack¡¯s dreame true. What about you? What are you going to do now, Lisa?" Ethan asked as his green eyes watched me closely.


    "I tried talking to Hayden about uniting the gangs, but he didn¡¯t respond to me¡­" I admitted truthfully.


    "There¡¯s only two ways to unite Torex and Silva. First option, you convince Hayden, and we have a fairytale happy ending. Second option, you fail to convince him and I have to kill him," Ethan stated emotionlessly.


    "No! Ethan¡­" I cried out loudly.


    How can he say these things so casually? It was probably because Ethan had thought long and hard about it and he had decided that he was willing to do anything to reach his goals.


    "It¡¯s up to you, Lisa. I¡¯m giving you time but understand that I don¡¯t have all the time or patience in the world," Ethan said before grinning at me.


    "I¡¯ll try. Please¡­don¡¯t hurt Hayden¡­" I replied in a small voice.


    Honestly, I was so scared of what Ethan would do and what he was truly capable of.


    "Watch me, Lisa. I¡¯m going to make all of Jack¡¯s dreamse true," Ethan said before he smiled gently at me.


    While I was frozen in shock, Ethan walked out and disappeared as if he was never there. Suddenly, I felt very cold, and my body started shivering. I slumped down onto one of the chairs and held my face in between my hands. I wanted to scream in frustration, but I couldn¡¯t do that in this ssroom so instead, I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing deeply.


    It took me a while to figure out that the chill that I was feeling came from the inside.


    My hand gripped my phone tightly as I debated with myself whether I should call Hayden. He did tell me to call him if anything happened, but I couldn¡¯t predict how he would react if I told him that Ethan just showed up at my workce. Hayden didn¡¯t want me to meet Ethan but how am I supposed to sort anything out if I didn¡¯t meet him?


    I¡¯m going crazy. All of this is driving me insane¡­


    If I don¡¯t tell him and he finds outter, what happens then? There¡¯s also no guarantee that he hasn¡¯t already found out from his men that are watching me either. What do I do now?


    The hardest part was how to stay truthful to Hayden while not harming his impression of Ethan. I had to make Hayden believe somehow that Ethan was a good guy for the partnership to work. How am I supposed to achieve that? I had absolutely no idea. They hate each other like cats and dogs and that wasn¡¯t helping my case of uniting the two gangs.


    In the end, I decided to give Hayden a call. However, I thought that it would be better if I told him about this face-to-face. Hayden agreed to take me out for dinner, and I thought that that would be the perfect opportunity to bring this little talk between Ethan and myself up.


    ¡­


    Hayden picked me up right on time and we headed to a restaurant of his choice. The wind on the rooftop of the skyscraper where the restaurant was located was slightly cool against my skin. I watched the light of the candle flicker on the table in front of me as Hayden sipped on his red wine.


    I sucked on the straw of my fruit smoothie as my mind worked hard on figuring how best to bring the topic of Ethan up to Hayden.


    "Malissa?" Hayden called my name.


    "Y-yes?" I replied after snapping out of my thoughts.


    "Is everything ok? You seem a little distracted," Hayden asked as he eyed me with a look of concern.


    "Yes. Everything is fine," I replied a little too fast.


    Shit¡­maybe I should have just spat it out that Ethan came to see me earlier today.


    "I see. You¡¯ve been teaching at the art school for a while now, you have any other ns in mind?" Hayden asked casually.


    That was a good question. With the many things that had been going on, I had unconsciously been putting my career on hold. Apart from teaching at the art school, I didn¡¯t have another regr job. Unfortunately, teaching kids at the school wasn¡¯t going to lead me far in my career as a professional artist. At this rate, I¡¯ll just end up as an art teacher somewhere.


    That wasn¡¯t what I had in mind for myself although I did enjoy working with children.


    "I¡¯m not sure yet. Honestly, I might have to study some more before I can be a professional artist. It is a verypetitive market¡­" I replied before trailing off.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 171: His Place

    "Sorry, I¡¯m not trying to stress you out or anything like that. I was just curious, that¡¯s all," Hayden said reassuringly before he smiled at me.


    I haven¡¯t gotten used to this version of the nice and proper Hayden yet. Although, it was a nice and rxing change to how he usually is. Sometimes, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was just a front that he¡¯s put up to hide how he really feels.


    I bet he knows that Ethan came to see me, and we spent a quite a long time alone together in the ssroom. So why is he being so soft and nice?


    ¡¯Be careful, Malissa¡¯ warned the tiny voice inside of my head.


    "It¡¯s ok. Thanks for worrying about me. So many things have been going ontely and I know that I¡¯m behind on getting my act together¡­" I replied, hoping that he would drop this topic.


    Talking about the future, I wonder what Hayden has in mind for his future. He was so against taking over Torex buttely he seems to have changed his mind. I remember the boss telling me that Hayden will end up taking over but will that really happen? The truth was, for the two gangs to join together, Hayden needs to take over his gang as the new boss.


    Suddenly, the task of uniting the gang became that much harder. I nced over at the calm and collected version of Hayden that was sitting opposite me as the candlelight flickered in his pale blue eyes and wondered what he was thinking.


    "You haven¡¯t been eating. Does the food not suit your tastes?" Hayden asked from across the table.


    I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to appreciate the food or put anything in my mouth.


    "It¡¯s great but I think I¡¯ve had enough for the night," I replied before smiling.


    "Shall we head back?" Hayden asked.


    I nodded in agreement. If I wanted to ask him about his decision to take over the mafia group, then I need to ask him somewhere private. The restaurant with people sitting at the tables next to us wouldn¡¯t do. Maybe when he¡¯s back at my ce, I could muster up the courage to ask him. What if he refuses to take over? What do I do then?


    Ethan isn¡¯t going to back down easily and he¡¯s so insane and delusional that it¡¯s crazy. My head was filled with negative thoughts with every step that I took while Hayden escorted me to his car. After leaving the restaurant, Hayden didn¡¯t say a word to me and that gave me time to think.


    I was so preupied with my own thoughts that when I looked up, I realized that this didn¡¯t seem to be the way back to my ce.


    Suddenly, I felt slightly panicked. Was Hayden taking another route? If I¡¯m not wrong, this seems to be the opposite direction to my ce. Where is he taking me?


    "Umm¡­this isn¡¯t the way back to my ce, is it?" I asked in a sweet voice.


    He was silent and I started praying that he would not snap at me or eat me up in the car. Literally.


    "It¡¯s not," Hayden replied bluntly.


    Some exnation or rification on where we¡¯re going might be nice?


    "Where are we going?" I asked in a small voice.


    "My ce," he stated tly.


    His ce?! Now that I think of it, I¡¯ve never been to Hayden¡¯s ce before and I didn¡¯t know where he lives. Although we lived in the penthouse together, that was just a ce that the boss rented for us. Technically, it wasn¡¯t Hayden¡¯s ce.


    "Really?" I asked without concealing the excitement in my voice.


    Happiness flooded my body all the way down to my toes. Hayden¡¯s finally taking me back to his ce. This is a real big step in our rtionship, right? I smiled cheerfully at the thought of Hayden finally opening up some more to me. When I step foot into his ce, I¡¯ll be in his personal space and then I¡¯ll learn so much more about him. This is amazing!


    I¡¯m so happy that our rtionship is progression forward.


    "Really¡­" Hayden replied warmly, and he turned to smile at me.


    He¡¯s so handsome. Hayden has been so sweet and caringtely. Finally, my charming angel is acting like an angel. This is a dreame true.


    I spent the rest of my ride in Hayden¡¯s car feeling all bubbly inside. My mind shifted to focus on imaging what his ce must be like instead of any ns to unite the gang or anything else. I forgot all about the objective that I initially had.


    A short whileter, we arrived at arge and tall iron gate. The sophisticated design of the dark iron gate remined me of an entrance to a medieval castle. The guards that monitored the gate performed a brief security check after they realize that it was just Hayden returning home. The gates then started to open automatically.


    I couldn¡¯t see the house or building from where we are. Both sides of the road were surrounded by thick and tall trees. It felt like we were driving through a forest. I didn¡¯t know that anyone owned this muchnd in the city. Soon, therge and tall mansion came into view. Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t asrge as the boss¡¯s base, but it probably had more stories.


    "It¡¯s huge¡­" I mumbled.


    Hayden did not reply, and I began to wonder why Hayden needed a ce thisrge when he¡¯s living alone. I mean, he¡¯s living here alone, right?


    Hayden parked the car at the entrance of the enormous mansion and immediately a man who could best be described as his butler came to greet him. He looked over at me when I got out of the car with evident surprise on his face.


    "Master Hayden, it seems that you have a guest with you today. Should I make any special arrangements?" the butler asked before bowing politely my way.


    I smiled back and nodded my head in acknowledgement. Not being used to situations like these, I wasn¡¯t sure how to react or what to do.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 172: Cornered

    "She¡¯ll need her own rooms," Hayden replied casually.


    "I¡¯ll see to it," the butler said with a bow.


    "Let¡¯s head inside. It¡¯s windy," Hayden said to me.


    His arm was around my waist before I could respond. I found myself being urged into the mansion with a slight push from the arm that Hayden had around my waist. The interior was decorated with the same vibe as the boss¡¯s mansion, and it made me wonder if the same interior designer was hired for both ces.


    "The boss use to live here," Hayden exined before I could even ask.


    "Oh, I see¡­" I mumbled.


    Well, that exins a lot of the shared preference in decoration and design. The mansion was quiet and lifeless. I could hear the sound of my own breathing and my heart beating.


    "Do you live here alone?" I asked, trying to make conversation because the silence was getting to my head.


    "Yes; however, there are live-in butlers, maids and some gang members for security," Hayden replied tly.


    With his arm still around my waist, Hayden was urging me firmly along a long and slightly dark corridor. The conversation that I had started died a sudden death and silence filled the distance between us again. After a while or walking, we arrived at the end of the long corridor where arge door loomed in front of us.


    Is this Hayden¡¯s room?


    Unceremoniously, Hayden unlocked and opened therge door. Despite its size and apparent weight, the door opened with ease. The room was dark, and I couldn¡¯t make out much until Hayden switched on the lights. My eyes blinked to adjust to the sudden brightness of the light.


    "Is this your room?" I asked.


    "The mansion is too big for me. Usually, I just use this set of rooms," Hayden exined before walking past me into the room.


    Hesitantly, I walked into arge sitting room decorated in shades of dark blue and grey tones. There was arge set of sofas in the center of the room and arge wooden desk on the side. Thankfully, unlike the rest of the house that I¡¯ve seen so far, this room appeared to be lived in.


    I could see books,puter and monitors, photo frames along with other things that showed that Hayden does indeed live here.


    "I see. This is a nice room. It feels¡­calm and rxing¡­" I said as I started looking around.


    "You can wander anywhere in this room and the connected rooms but please don¡¯t wander anywhere else, ok?" Hayden said before he smiled tenderly down at me.


    "Ok¡­" I replied.


    Was it me or was there a hint of a warning in his words just now? I smiled in return as my mind quickly swept that thought under the rug.


    "You should take a seat," Hayden said inviting as he gestures towards the sofa.


    While I took my seat, Hayden headed for the door we had just passed through and locked it. The clicking sound of the door locking aroused a sense of insecurity within me. Did he just lock us in here?


    His words to his butler from earlier had been bothering me a bit but I had been ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. He did just tell his butler that I¡¯ll be needing my own rooms, right?


    I was hoping that what I suspected would be wrong. The cold look on Hayden¡¯s face when he turned to face me reminded me of the many encounters that I had with him when we first met.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name quietly.


    Slowly, Hayden approached me, and I shifted restlessly on the sofa. He¡¯s making me feel so nervous and ufortable. Hayden stood in front of me while his eyes looked down at me. My body just froze, and I no longer knew what I wanted to say. Hayden leaned forward and ced his hands t on the back of the sofa on either side of my face, essentially trapping me between him and the sofa.


    "We¡¯re alone now and no one is going to disturb us here. Is there something that you want to tell me, Malissa?" Hayden asked, speaking so slowly.


    My throat felt so stiff and dry that I could barely swallow. Hayden¡¯s handsome yet cold face stared down at me from above and my heart started to race even faster. He knows about Ethan¡¯s visit, doesn¡¯t he?


    "Umm¡­the thing is¡­Ethan dropped by to see me," I managed to say; however, I wasn¡¯t able to keep my voice from shaking.


    My voice came out weak and shaky, but I was finally managed to tell Hayden the truth. Hayden nodded at my honest confession. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was exactly pleased but at least he didn¡¯t start shouting at me.


    "Why didn¡¯t you give me a call?" Hayden asked calmly.


    "I¡­I didn¡¯t think that Ethan¡­would do anything¡­" I replied as I stuttered on my words.


    It was quite true; I was scared of Ethan but deep down I still firmly believed that he wouldn¡¯t hurt me.


    "What if he did¡­what would you do?" Hayden asked as his eyes challenged me to answer him.


    "I¡­" I didn¡¯t quite know what to say.


    "My bad. The correct question would be what could you have done?" Hayden said before he smiled tightly at me.


    I knew that he wasn¡¯t finding any of this funny. I knew that he was worried for my sake. He was right, if Ethan wanted to do something to me, I couldn¡¯t fight back or stop him.


    "I¡¯m sorry¡­I didn¡¯t mean to meet up with him. He just appeared out of nowhere¡­" I said softly.


    "You asked me for privacy and independence, so I gave you that. Then what happened?" Hayden asked rhetorically.


    "I didn¡¯t want to see him. He just came to see me," I said in my defense.


    I knew that I was partly to me but this whole thing didn¡¯t happen because I wanted it to. Ethan¡¯s visit wasn¡¯t something that I nned or enjoyed. It was hard for me too.


    "What did he say to you this time?" Hayden asked, his tone icy cold.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 173: Lustful Commands

    My eyes dropped down to myp when I no longer had the courage in me to meet Hayden¡¯s eyes. The truth was that Ethan said many things. That didn¡¯t mean that I believed in every single little thing that he said. The thing that I couldn¡¯t bring up to Hayden was Ethan¡¯s im that he had a role in my parent¡¯s death.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was true but even if it was and the previous boss of Silva found my father through Hayden, I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden was to me.


    Precisely because I was unsure about my own feelings and thoughts, I didn¡¯t want to bring that up to Hayden. If we had more time together, would Haydene around to tell me about that by himself?


    "Well? Why are you suddenly tongue-tied?" Hayden asked.


    "He didn¡¯t say anything much. Just like I told you before, he wants Torex and Silva to form a partnership¡­" I replied.


    "So, he decided to ask you about that instead of talking to me?" Hayden surmised followed by a disgusted chuckle.


    "I guess¡­" I mumbled softly.


    "What do you think about that?" Hayden asked.


    About Torex partnering with Silva? I think he asked me this before as well. I thought that it would be a good idea¡­I guess¡­


    "It might be an idea worth thinking about¡­" I replied honestly.


    "I wasn¡¯t referring to the partnership. I wanted to know if you think you¡¯re capable of convincing me¡­just like Ethan hopes that you can¡­" Hayden asked as his voice dropped into a low whisper.


    "I¡­" I whispered before I trailed off.


    The truth was, I wasn¡¯t sure that I could convince Hayden or if anything could convince Hayden. Sometimes, just like now, I felt like he wasn¡¯t willing to listen at all.


    "Do you want to give it a try? A try at convincing me." Hayden asked suggestively.


    "What do you mean?" I questioned in a whisper.


    "Didn¡¯t Ethan tell you something along the lines of if you seduce me, you¡¯ll be able to convince me?" Hayden asked but it sounded more like an usation than a question.


    "That¡¯s¡­" I mumbled as I sudden felt extremely ufortable at his closeness and the tension behind his words.


    Ethan didn¡¯t put it that way, but he did imply that I had to get closer to Hayden and marry him. Perhaps he did mean for me to sleep with Hayden until I could charm him intoplying with my wishes?


    "Want to give it a try?" Hayden whispered seductively.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered half in fear and half in disbelief.


    Immediately after his name had left my lips, Hayden pressed his lips forcibly to mine. I let out a sound of surprise at the pressure of his lips crushing against mine in a punishing kiss. Hisrge hand held my chin as his fingers pressed into my cheeks, forcing my lips open to wee the forceful invasion of his wet tongue.


    He thrusted his tongue deeply into my mouth before grinding it against mine.


    His hands quickly moved to caress my breasts over the fabric of my dress. I could feel his firm touch as Hayden began massaging my breasts in turn. Small moans leaked from my mouth into his kiss as he continued to kiss me passionately. His hand on my breasts was rough and demanding, just like his deep kisses.


    When his lips finally parted from mine, I was out of breath and panting hard. My mind was in a daze and my heart was racing. Hayden stood up and began unbuckling his belt and removing his pants. When I looked up at him from where I was seated on the sofa, I was greeted by the sight of his already thick and erect cock standing up proudly in between his legs.


    My eyes widened in astonishment before I quickly averted my gaze.


    "Suck my cock," Haydenmanded coldly.


    Shocked at his abruptmand, my eyes widened before returning to his thick upstanding cock. I knew that Hayden was beyond angry and that he wanted to punish me. I bit my lower lips as I hesitated about what to do next.


    "Suck my cock, quickly," Hayden ordered impatiently as his arm shot out to grab my wrist and pulled me forward on the sofa towards him.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name weakly.


    His eyes were merciless as they stared down at me and then hisrge hand was cupping the back of my head, urging my head down towards his erect cock. I could see the veins running along the length of his massive member clearly as my head was shoved towards it. The head of his cock was swollen and thick. I could smell his strong male scent as my face moved even closer.


    Hayden positioned the tip of his cock at my lips as hemanded once again for me to suck on his engorged manhood. Slowly, I closed my eyes in embarrassment as my lips parted. Moving my head forward slightly, I felt the head of his cock slip in between my parted lips and into my wet mouth. His taste entered my mouth as his smell filled my senses.


    I heard Hayden let out a satisfied sigh before I felt his hand on the back of my head.


    My eyes snapped open at the sudden feeling of his cock thrusting deeply into my mouth. Hayden thrusted his hips forward, burying the length of his thick shaft into the depth of my mouth. He let out a passionate growl as his cock filled my mouth. I could taste him as his cock slid against my tongue.


    I whimpered as Hayden¡¯s hand held my head firmly in ce before his hips began thrusting his cock in and out of my mouth.


    "Mhhm¡­mhhmmm!" I moaned loudly with his cock in my mouth.


    Hayden moved his hips rapidly, ramming his cock deeper and deeper towards the back of my throat. The smell and taste of his juices filled my mouth. He¡¯s in so deep, it made me feel like I was about to gag on his massive cock.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 174: Passionate Convincing

    "Suck it, Malissa. Lick the head of my cock," Haydenmanded as he looked down at me.


    I did as I was told. I reached out a hand and held his cock before I started sucking on it. Hayden closed his eyes in pleasure as his cock twitched in my hand and mouth. His cock felt hotter and bigger than before. I started pleasuring him with the tip of my tongue. Ipped up his precum with the tip of my tongue.


    "You¡¯re not bad at this¡­" Haydenmented.


    His hand gripped my head tighter, pushing my face closer to his cock. I flicked my tongue firmly at the small hole at the tip of his cock. I could tell that Hayden was enjoying the attention that I was paying to his massive lovestick.


    Without warning, Hayden thrusted his cock into my mouth again. This time he fucked my mouth in earnest. Holding my head between his hands, he continued to pound his erect rod into my mouth. His hips thrusted faster and faster. I closed my eyes and tried my best to bear with his aggressive thrusting.


    "Your mouth feels good¡­" Hayden growled with extreme satisfaction.


    I wanted him to cum soon so that we could end this. Closing my eyes tightly, I wished that he would just cum into my mouth.


    After a while, Hayden withdrew his enormous dick from my mouth. I opened my eye to see the massive pole sliding out of my mouth. His entire cock was slick, covered with my saliva. I looked up to see that he was looking down at me and our eyes met. Since he hadn¡¯t cum in my mouth, I knew that he was not done with me yet.


    Hayden approached me and I instinctively backed away until my back was pressed up against the sofa¡¯s back. Hayden¡¯s hand grabbed my legs and spread them wide apart before he stood in between them. His hands yanked up the skirt of my dress until my legs were fully exposed all the way to my waist. I could feel his eyes on crotch and my pussy began clenching.


    Suddenly, Hayden closed my legs together before holding my ankles together in hisrge hand. He lifted my legs further and pushed them towards me. This position was just so embarrassing. I could feel his eyes looking down at me as his hand continued to hold my legs where he wanted them.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make you feel good too," Hayden said reassuringly.


    Before I could react to his words, Hayden¡¯s hand reached down and began stroking my wetness through the thin cover of my panties. He smirked at me when his fingers felt my wetness through my underwear. By that time, I was so wet that I was sure that I had alreadypletely soaked through my panties with my love juices.


    "Ahhh¡­Ahhhh¡­" I moaned softly as his fingers continued to caress and push against my pussy opening through my panties.


    Soon, his fingers pulled the fabric covering my flooded hole to the side before his fingers slid up and down the wet slit in between my legs. My core throbbed with desire and my body heated up even further at his seductive caress. His fingers running up and down the length of my wet slit felt so pleasurable.


    When his fingers brushed against my hard and swollen clit, I cried out at the sudden surge of pleasure.


    "Your pussy is flooded¡­" Hayden teased as he shook his head disapprovingly at me.


    "Ah! Ahhhh" I cried out and moaned.


    Hayden¡¯s experienced fingers delved into the depth of my wetness and my hips squirmed against his hand seeking for more pleasure and relief. His fingers stretched and prated my closed hole. Since my legs were held close together, I could feel more of his fingers as it slid and rubbed against the walls of my pussy. Suddenly, Hayden pulled his fingers out of me.


    "Look. You got this wet just from sucking me off," Hayden said as he showed me the wet stickiness of my love juices on his fingers.


    I felt so embarrassed from his words that I wanted to fade away into nothingness. My pussy throbbed for more attention as the ache in my lower abdomen became unbearable. I was panting hard now, and my body burned with the heat of my intense desire to have him.


    Hayden did not finger me. Instead, he positioned the thick engorged head of his cock at my entrance. If I could feel so much of his fingers in this position, I couldn¡¯t imagine what his thick cock would feel like when it stretched and prated me. I didn¡¯t need to imagine for much longer because Hayden¡¯s patience had run outpletely.


    He reared his hips back before plunging his hot rod into my pussy hole.


    I screamed at the slight pain of his cock suddenly ramming into me with such force. His heat filled me as he continued to push his way into me until his entire length was buried deep into my love hole. Since my legs were pressed closely together, the walls of my pussy hugged his cock more tightly than ever before. It was amazing how much I could feel him deep inside of me.


    I felt him everywhere inside my love hole as his cock stretched and pleasured the walls of my pussy.


    My pussy wouldn¡¯t stop spasming around his cock. It felt like I was on the verge of climaxing and all he did was put his cock inside of me. I cried out and whimpered his name as he began moving inside of me. He reared back his hips, sliding his cock out of my hole almostpletely before pumping it inside of me harder and deeper than before.


    I screamed his name so loudly before I covered my mouth with my hands to hold in my humiliating cries.


    "It feels good, doesn¡¯t it? Getting fucked with your legs closed. Your pussy feels extra tight¡­" Hayden hissed before chuckling at me.


    "Ahh! Hayden!" I let out muffled cries of pleasure into my hand as I felt like I was about to go crazy from the pleasure that he was making me feel.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 175: Get on Top

    "You can scream all you like, no one will disturb us here," Hayden said as he smirked down at me.


    I knew what he said was true, but I was embarrassed to let him hear my loud and wild screams. I closed my eyes tightly when Hayden resumed his rough thrusting into my pussy hole. His cock must have gotten bigger than before because he was stretching my love hole much more now. Each thrust hit hard against my womb and my hips thrusted up eagerly to meet his thrusts.


    Hayden pumped his cock fast and hard into me with no signs of stopping.


    My legs felt so weak as my body writhed in ecstasy on the sofa. I bit my own fingers to control my own passion. As his cock hit the pleasure spots deep inside of me, I inched closer and closer to my delicious climax. I craved for my release. I wanted him to make me cum so badly that it became my life¡¯s sole wish in that moment. I arched my back off the sofa as I felt my climax fast approaching.


    My pussy clenched hard around the thickness of his cock, and I was certain that within a few sharp thrusts, I would orgasm spectacrly.


    Just when I was about to reach my peak, Hayden jerked his cock roughly out of my pussy hole. I whimpered like a lost puppy as my climax was robbed from me right in front of my eyes. My pussy clenched wildly as it wished to feel his cock fill it up again.


    As if pulling his cock out of me wasn¡¯t bad enough, Hayden let go of my legs and sat down next to me on the sofa like he was no longer interested in having sex with me.


    I have never experienced something like this before. What did I do wrong just now? Why did he have to stop? I was so close¡­


    As my raced in desperation and my body started feeling very frustrated, Hayden suddenly spoke up.


    "Want to cum? Get on top," Hayden said invitingly.


    I hesitated as I sat there next to him on the sofa. Hayden smiled teasingly at me as he pointed to his still erect cock.


    "Come on. No need to be shy," Hayden joked as he reached out and pulled on my arm.


    Slowly, I began straddling his hips as I climbed on top of him. His hands caressed my waist softly and seductively before his hands automatically slid down to cup my ass and then the side of my hips. His blue eyes watched my face and it made me blush madly. I felt heat rush to my face, and I tried to look away.


    "No need to be shy. I know you want me as much as I want you," Hayden whispered close to my ear.


    I ced my hands on his shoulders as I positioned my pussy on top of his upstanding cock. He¡¯s still so hard and so big. Hayden watched me silently as I slowly reached a hand down to guide his cock to my entrance. I sucked in a deep breath when I felt the head of his cock lodge itself in between my pussy lips.


    Hayden thrusted his hips upward a little to tease me and encourage me to hurry up and take him inside of me.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name as I hugged my arms around his neck.


    Slowly, I began lowering my hips down onto his cock. His thick rod prated me, and I started moaning loudly. Inch by inch, I slowly took him inside of me. There¡¯s so much of him and I had to pause to catch my breath. I had made quite a lot of progress of taking his length into me but apparently it wasn¡¯t good or fast enough for Hayden.


    "Hurry up. I want to fuck you already," Hayden growled impatiently as his hands gripped my ass tighter than before.


    I felt his fingers digging into the flesh of my buttocks before he pulled me down on top of him. His cock mmed into me all the way until I was sitting on hisp. He¡¯s in so deep and I couldn¡¯t stop the small whimpering sounds that escaped my lips.


    "You¡¯ll have to work harder than this if you want to satisfy me," Hayden hissed.


    His cock inside me felt so good. Instinctively, I began moving my hips up and down as I began to ride on his cock. Being on top felt good because I could control the pace, the rhythm, and most importantly the angle that he prated me. I angled my hips to make sure that his cock would hit against my sensitive pleasure spot with each thrust.


    Soon the pleasure of his cock hitting me where it felt goodpletely took over me.


    I began moving faster, bouncing faster up and down his cock as my pussy clenched wildly around his girth. I moaned louder as I moved faster and harder until I was mming my hips down onto his cock. His cock stirred up my wetness and made lewd wet sounds that only worked to turn me on even more.


    I was so lost in him and the pleasure that I was feeling that I couldn¡¯t think about anything else anymore.


    "Move your hips faster. That¡¯s it¡­" Hayden whispered encouragingly as he began thrusting his hips upwards.


    We both thrusted and grinded our hips against each other like wild animals mating passionately. He kissed me and I responded in equal need and heated desire. The kiss quickly got hot, wet, and deep. I moaned into his mouth as Hayden thrusted faster and harder into me from below. His cock pushing upwards into my wet cunt as I mmed myself down on top of him.


    It feels so good¡­I¡¯m going to¡­


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m¡­cumming¡­" I confessed between my harsh breathing and moans.


    I came spectacrly that I could see stars when I closed my eyes. Hot wetness gushed out of me at my own release and my pussy spasmed around Hayden¡¯s thickness. My body felt weak and limp as I sat there on top of him on hisp. Hayden was close to his release as well and with a few more powerful thrusts, he groaned loudly and bit on my ear lobe as his climax imed him.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 176: Staying Over at His Place

    My eyes widened as his hot seed shot into me. Hayden¡¯s cock spurted loads of his cum into me. His warmth filled me reminding me that Hayden wasn¡¯t wearing a condom. We ended up doing it raw again. He came so much into me that I thought he wouldn¡¯t stop.


    When he was done, heid me down on the sofa before withdrawing his cock from me. I was too exhausted to speak as Iid there on my side on the sofa. I felt the mix of our love juices leak out of my hole onto my thighs. There¡¯s so much of it that I was sure that I had made a mess of his sofa. Hayden didn¡¯t seem to care, and I couldn¡¯t care less at that moment.


    We made some crazy love, but I don¡¯t think Hayden was convinced of anything at all. I didn¡¯t understand him and how he saw the world. It pained me to admit it, but perhaps after all this time, I still didn¡¯t understand anything about him at all.


    Hayden got off the sofa and picked up his pants. I could hear rather than see Hayden walking away from me.


    "Remember this, Malissa. I don¡¯t believe that peace can be easily achieved. If it was that easy, I wouldn¡¯t have lost my brother¡­" Hayden said without a trace of emotion in his voice.


    Those were thest words that I heard before my consciousness fadedpletely.


    ¡­


    My eyelids felt so heavy and so did the rest of my body. The sensation of someone shaking my shoulder softly was what woke me up from my slumber. With effort, I struggled to open my eyes. At first, I thought that it must be Hayden who was trying to wake me up. However, when my eyes opened wide enough for me to see, I found out that I was wrong.


    "Auntie?" I said with slight confusion.


    I haven¡¯t seen her since thatst time at the penthouse where Hayden and I were living together. Why is she here? Does she live in this mansion with Hayden?


    "Yes, it¡¯s me¡­" Auntie said before smiling warmly down at me from above.


    I tried to get up by using my arms to lift my upper body and that was when I realized the state of nakedness and disarray that I was in. Embarrassed and shocked to be seen this way, I quickly covered my body by readjusting my dress. I guess she¡¯s already seen everything and can already figure out what had happened between Hayden and me so it¡¯s a little toote to cover up anything right now.


    "Where is Hayden?" I asked and found that my voice sounded raspy and dry.


    My throat stung a little probably from all the shouting and screaming that I did when Hayden made love to me. There was a simr stinging sensation in between my legs as well. I sighed loudly.


    "Master Hayden is no longer here," Auntie replied regretfully.


    I guess she doesn¡¯t know where he went either. It was veryte at night or perhaps very close to dawn and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where he went.


    "I see¡­" I muttered as if speaking to myself.


    "Sleeping here won¡¯t do, Malissa. You¡¯ll hurt your back. Let me take you to your new room," she said with a weing smile.


    Oh, that¡¯s right. Hayden did say that I would need my own rooms.


    "He wants me to stay over here?" I asked as I continued to adjust my clothes to cover more of my flesh.


    "Yes. If you can, please follow me¡­" Auntie said with worry in her tone.


    Hayden was very rough with me, but I could still walk, although not without pain. I sat up on the sofa before getting up and following Auntie out of Hayden¡¯s room. Back in the long hallway, Auntie led me towards what were to be my new rooms.


    "This way, dear," Auntie said gently as she led the way.


    After a short walk, she came to a stop in front of a pair ofrge white doors with an intricate design. Quickly, she pushed the door open and ushered me inside. The room inside was dark and Auntie quickly turned on the light. The beauty and the sophisticated vibe of the pastel pink and white room and its furniture and decorate took my breath away. A princess would probably sleep in a room like this.


    "This is the bedroom. Connected to this room is a workshop room where you can work on your artwork, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a dining room," Auntie exined.


    I followed her dutifully from one room to the next as she showed me where everything was. Honestly, everything looked too perfect as if this was a princess or doll¡¯s house out of a dream. Everything seemed sparkling clean and very new as well. I felt a little excited and giddy at being given such a splendid set of rooms to spend the night.


    It was a shame that since my stay here would just be for the night and that meant that I probably wouldn¡¯t have the chance to use all these rooms.


    My biggest regret was not getting to use the painting studio that had a veryrge floor-to-ceiling ss window. Although it was still dark outside right now, I could tell that the window would let in a good amount of natural light during the daytime. It was a pity that I wouldn¡¯t get the chance to create any paintings here in this room.


    The natural light would have been perfect for drawing and painting some still life work.


    "Thank you for showing me around and for preparing this beautiful set of rooms for me," I thanked Auntie before shing her a bright smile.


    My fatigue was starting to catch up to me again and I began to feel sleeping once more. I think I should go to bed right after Auntie leaves. It¡¯s also veryte right now and I think that Auntie should be in her bed and getting her rest as well.


    "You must be tired. I¡¯ll leave you to rest for the night," Auntie said before excusing herself.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 177: The Unexpected

    I bid her goodnight and closed the door after she left. I was sleepy but I decided to take a quick shower. To my surprise, there were some robes and clothes for me that I could wear for the night. I jumped into therge and soft bed. It was sofortable that I thought for a second that I was sleeping on the clouds. I buried my face into the soft pillow as I hugged the pillow to me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure when I drifted off to sleep but it must have been soon after jumping into bed. Thefort of the bed felt so perfect for sleeping in and my body definitely needed the rest. I closed my eyes after promising myself that I would work harder to better understand Hayden the next day.


    ¡­


    The sudden realization that I had forgotten to set the rm the previous night made me bolt up right in bed. The unfamiliar sight of the princess-like bedroom that greeted me caused some initial panic before my confused mind began recalling the events that took cest night. That¡¯s right, I went to dinner with Hayden and after that he drove me to his ce.


    Last night, I spent the night here in this room.


    Reaching over to the bedside table, I quickly grabbed my phone and that was when I realized that I had overslept by a few hours. Was I that tired fromst night? The slight pain and throbbing in between my legs served as sufficient reminder of how things quickly spiraled out of control between Hayden and me.


    However, now wasn¡¯t the time for me to be worrying about that. I had sses to teach today and I¡¯m still here! If I remembered correctly, his ce is in the opposite direction of my ce and the art school. If I don¡¯t hurry, I¡¯m going to bete for my afternoon sses. I need to leave immediately.


    I got out of bed, showered, and dressed before grabbing my things and heading for the door. There¡¯s an hour left, if the traffic isn¡¯t bad, I should be able to make it to the school on time. Hopefully.


    I thought that the only obstacle in the way of getting to school on time was traffic; however, when my hand reached out to turn the doorknob, I found out that I was so wrong. No matter how many times I turned the doorknob, the door wouldn¡¯t unlock. I tried over and over again to unlock it from the inside, but I couldn¡¯t push the door open. I tried pushing it repeatedly and with all my force.


    Then I tried pulling it. The result was the same: the door just wouldn¡¯t open.


    My first reaction was that of pure frustration. I was in a hurry, and I didn¡¯t need this issue right now. Why did the door have to breakdown today of all days?


    "Help! The door is broken!" I called out loudly as I banged on the door.


    Silence.


    I blinked rapidly at the door in confusion as I still half expected the door to just open on its own. I mean, how can this be happening?!


    "Excuse me!! Is anyone out there? Help! I¡¯m stuck in here!" I called out louder this time.


    Silence.


    Now, I was starting to panic. Quickly, I started dialing Hayden¡¯s number on my phone. The line connected but the regr beeping told me that the line refused to connect. Why isn¡¯t he picking up his phone right now of all times? He told me to call him if anything happens and now, he¡¯s not answering my call? I redialed his number again as my other hand hammered on therge door in front of me.


    I¡¯m being so loud, there¡¯s no way that the people outside couldn¡¯t hear me. Was it possible that there¡¯s no one out there right now? I did recall the mansion being quite deserted when I arrived heretest night. That doesn¡¯t change what I must do now though.


    "Help! I¡¯m stuck in here! Help! Open the door please!!!" I continued screaming and banging on the door.


    Hayden still didn¡¯t answer my calls and my hand that was beating on the door had started to hurt. By that time, I was angry and upset with the situation that I had found myself in. I stuffed my phone into my bag so that I could bang on the door with both my hands.


    I had tears of frustration in my eyes as time ticked by and I wasn¡¯t getting physically closer to the art school where I had to conduct my sses. It¡¯s been close to twenty minutes now and that meant that there was no way that I could arrive on time to start my first afternoon art ss. I hated to do this, but it didn¡¯t seem like I had any other choice.


    "Hi. Umm¡­about the ss in the afternoon today¡­" I began saying hesitantly as the feeling of guilt flooded by heart and chest.


    I didn¡¯t want to do this. Cancelling my ss would cause trouble and inconvenience for so many people. The students. Their parents. The other teachers and the art school. This was all because this goddamn door just wouldn¡¯t open!


    "Oh, Malissa. We¡¯ve already canceled all your sses for today for you. There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. Just focus on your recovery, ok?" thedy said through the phone, and I could detect a hint of worry in her voice.


    sses cancelled? My recovery?


    "My sses were already canceled?" I asked nkly.


    What is going on here?


    "Yes. We received a call early in the morning saying that you came down with a very bad feverst night and was still recovering. You better rest and drink lots of water. No need to worry about your sses, they¡¯ve been cancelled for today," the woman said reassuringly.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled, still in shock.


    Did Hayden do this? Why? I didn¡¯t have a fever or anything. I wasn¡¯t even sick.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 178: Prisoner of Love

    "We also have other teachers to fill in your sses for the following days if you¡¯re still feeling sick. So, just rest and don¡¯t worry. Get well soon, Malissa!" thedy said cheerfully.


    Although I appreciated that the school was more than willing to support me and help me out during my time of sickness, the truth was that this was all just a big misunderstanding. I wasn¡¯t sick and right now I should be there teaching my sses!


    "Thanks¡­" I managed to say in a whisper before the line disconnected.


    Hayden¡­why are you doing this?


    My eyes lifted from the phone screen towards the still-closed door and an ominous feeling began rapidly growing in the pit of my stomach. This is all just a bad coincidence, right?


    Surprisingly, after a few desperate poundings on the door, I heard clicking sounds as if the door was being unlocked from the outside. My eyes narrowed suspiciously, and I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. The door was locked from the outside all this time? Why would the door even have a lock on the outside?


    The answer was sinister and clear, but I just couldn¡¯t quite believe it. Someone locked me up in here on purpose. Why?


    I felt like I was about to get the answers to my questions when the door started to slowly swing open. Honestly, I was expecting to see Hayden and I was ready to give him a piece of my mind. However, the person who greeted me with a guilty smile was none other than Auntie who had led me herest night.


    "Why was the door locked?" I demanded for an answer right away.


    Auntie sighed loudly and seemed ufortable as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other in the doorway. Her eyes wouldn¡¯t meet mine and I could tell that she was feeling guilty.


    "Auntie¡­what is going on here?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes at her.


    "Umm¡­Hayden wants you to stay in your room. He says it¡¯s for your own good," Auntie replied hesitantly.


    Hayden wants¡­what?


    "Does that mean that I can¡¯t leave this room?" I asked in pure shock.


    "Umm¡­yes. It would be better if you stay inside¡­" Auntie replied in a shaky voice.


    I nced down and realized that she was holding a tray of food, fruits, and water in her hands. That was when it urred to me that she wasn¡¯t here to let me out at all. She was merely here to deliver me my food. Suddenly, the beautiful and luxurious room that I was in felt like an overly decorated prison and I was the bird stuck in a golden cage.


    I¡¯m getting my food delivered to me like I was some prisoner.


    Why is this happening to me?


    "Where is Hayden?" I asked.


    Auntie didn¡¯t reply but headed into the room before heading to the dining room. The door was open, and I wondered if I could make a run for it. If I can just get out of here and talk to Hayden, maybe I can get him to change his mind about all this. Does he even realize how wrong it is to hold me here against my will?


    My heart fell to my feet when I poked my head out of the door. Even if I made a run for it, I wouldn¡¯t make it past this hallway. When I banged on the door and shouted loudly before and no one answered, I honestly thought that it was because there was no one on the opposite side of the door. However, the row of around ten men in ck stationed right outside my door told me that I had it all wrong.


    Hayden¡¯s men stood in a line with their backs against the wall with their eyes on me and the opened door to my room.


    This is insane. Purely insane.


    I sighed seeing that escape wasn¡¯t a viable option and retreated back into the room, closing the door behind me. Not knowing what to do and feeling quite hopeless about my current situation, I followed Auntie to the dining room to see that she had alreadyid out the food on the dining table.


    The dining table was toorge for one person, and it felt lonely sitting there all alone. I stared at the food in front of me with absolutely no appetite.


    "Where is Hayden?" I asked again.


    "Master Hayden has left the mansion and hasn¡¯t returned yet," Auntie replied tly.


    "Where did he go? Why did lock me up here? When is heing back? Why won¡¯t he answer my calls?!" I bombard the Auntie with my questions.


    I bit my lower lips in frustration when I realized that I had raised my voice at the old woman. This is so bad; I knew that I was taking out my anger on her simply because she was the only one in the room with me. I knew that I was mad at Hayden and my behavior was inexcusable. Auntie is probably just doing what Hayden told her to do.


    "I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to take it out on you," I apologized softly.


    "It¡¯s alright. You must be tired fromst night so you should eat something," Auntie encouraged quietly.


    "Thank you but I don¡¯t feel like it," I said dismissively.


    "Is there something that I can do for you?" Auntie asked sadly.


    "When Hayden is back, can you tell him toe see me?" I asked.


    Auntie nodded sadly and I knew that she probably thought that locking me up in here was a bad idea as well.


    "Yes. I¡¯ll be sure to do that. In the meantime, please just rest and rx in here¡­" she said before she turned and took her leave.


    I heard the door closing behind her and knew instinctively that it would be locked again from the outside.


    Hayden, what are you thinking this time? Why are you doing this?


    In the back of my mind, I had a vague idea of the cause behind this. After all, this all happened because he found out that Ethan came to see me. If he couldn¡¯t control my life when I was outside, did hee to conclusion that it was better to keep me locked up here instead?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 179: Driving Me Insane

    I spent the whole day going crazy from the frustration of being trapped inside. Sitting on the sofa, I asked myself for the hundredth time why didn¡¯t I see thising. I should have seen thising so why did I ignore the signs. It couldn¡¯t have been a wild coincidence that there was a set of newly decorated room joined to an art studio.


    Hayden must have prepared this set of rooms for me. It wasn¡¯t like renovation could be done so fast so how long ago had he prepared these rooms? Did he always intended to lock me up in here?


    Iy down on the long sofa and covered my eyes with the back of my hand. My head hurts and I feel sick just from thinking of all the scenarios and exnation for this dire situation. Everything that I thought about went from bad to worst. I should have known from the moment that I was led herest night that this wasn¡¯t a room prepared for someone to simply spend the night.


    Iughed deliriously to myself at the initial joy and appreciation that I had for the art studio and how I regretted not being able to use it. I was still certain that the natural light during the day shining into that studio would look absolutely stunning. It was daytime now, but I haven¡¯t stepped one foot into that art studio.


    It was quite ironic how something I was just looking forward to now became something that I loathed.


    Hayden may have put his thoughts about me into the renovation of these rooms, but it was far from what I wanted. After spending many hours doing absolutely nothing, the sun ray from outside started to turn orange and soon I knew that night would arrive. I wished that time would pass by faster or that I could skip to the time when Hayden returned back to this mansion.


    Auntie brought me food for all my meals. She shook her head in disappointment and disapproval when she saw the untouched food on the table. Without reprimanding me, she reced the untouched food with the new set of food for my lunch. The same thing happened when she reced my untouched lunch with food for dinner.


    Although the food looked and smelled pleasant, I didn¡¯t have the appetite to even touch it. My mind was too busy on how to convince Hayden into letting me go.


    "Is Hayden back yet?" I asked.


    Auntie shook her head as she continued to clear away the dining table. It was still early in the evening, so I wasn¡¯t super surprised that Hayden wasn¡¯t back yet. I let out a loud sigh as I decided that taking a rxing shower might help improve my mood. However, deep down I probably knew that nothing would help lift my spirits at this point.


    "You should make sure to eat your food on time, Malissa," Auntie said with a worried look on her face.


    "I¡¯m too stressed out to have an appetite¡­" I replied honestly.


    Auntie left with a depressed frown on her face, and I headed for the bathroom to take my rxing shower. It was a while after I had gotten out of the shower that I heard the sound of the door unlocking from the outside. Instinctively, I knew that it wasn¡¯t Auntie who was unlocking my door right now.


    Jumping up from the sofa, I raced to the door. I arrived in front of the closed door just in time to see the door slowly open. My heart almost stopped beating when I came face to face with Hayden. Hayden was dressed in an all-white suit thatplimented his light blonde hair and blue eyes so perfectly well that I couldn¡¯t help but admire his looks for a split of a second.


    The firm sound of the door closing behind Hayden brought me back to my senses.


    "Hayden¡­" I began speaking.


    "You haven¡¯t been eating," Hayden stated in a low voice.


    "Excuse me?" I said, taken aback by his unexpected words.


    "Auntie told me that you haven¡¯t touched your food since morning. Is that true?" Hayden asked as he leaned back against the closed door leisurely.


    His eyes that stared down at me was anything but rxed. He was basically ring down at me like I hadmitted a serious crime against him and his family.


    "I don¡¯t feel like eating," I replied. Guess who¡¯s to me for that?


    "You¡¯ll get sick if you don¡¯t eat properly," Hayden said before walking past me into the room.


    "Hayden! You can¡¯t keep me locked up in here. Please let me out¡­" I called after him as I started following him.


    Finally, I was able to say it. Hayden didn¡¯t stop walking and it didn¡¯t seem like my words had any impact on him at all. I heard the sound of the door opening and when I turned around, I saw a few maids roll in a trolley filled with food, fruits and drinks into the room. Hayden headed to the dining room, and I followed him in irritation and confusion. Why isn¡¯t he even listening to me?


    "Calm down. Sit and eat," Haydenmanded at he took a seat at the dining table.


    The sight of him sitting there leisurely with his legs crossed only added to my anger and frustration. Was he just nning to ignore me and the current problem at hand?


    I watched as the maids professionally arranged the food on the table. With a loud sigh, I sat down in the seat opposite him at the dining table.


    "Why are you doing this?" I asked.


    "I have no idea what you¡¯re referring to," Hayden replied casually.


    "Why did you lock me up in here? Why are you just ignoring my questions?" I demanded to know.


    "I¡¯m not answering anything until you finish up your food. So, I suggest that you start eating already before the food gets cold," Hayden said sternly.


    He¡¯s driving me insane; I swear.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 180: Part of His World

    Hayden continued to watch me closely from across the table. I could feel his bright blue gaze burning into me. With a resigned sigh, I started scooping random mix of food from the dishes onto my te. I wasn¡¯t even interested about what had been served. All I wanted to do was shove enough food into my mouth and down my throat so that Hayden would be satisfied.


    After that, I¡¯m going to squeeze some answers out of him and get my ass out of here!


    I munched on the food without tasting it as my renewed determination started taking over. After eating more than decently enough, I picked up the ss of water and gulped down its entire content. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand like a barbarian before cing the ss back down on the table with a loud thud.


    "I¡¯m done eating. Can we talk now?" I announced as I stared back into his cold blue eyes.


    "What do you want to talk about, Malissa?" Hayden asked emotionlessly.


    As if he doesn¡¯t already know what I wanted to talk about. Where should I even start?


    "You called the school and told them that I was sick? You had my sses cancelled for the day¡­" I said, astounded by the ridiculousness of his actions.


    "So, what if I did?" Hayden replied without a care.


    "That¡¯s crazy. You shouldn¡¯t have done that. I need to work. My students were waiting for me," Iined.


    "That doesn¡¯t matter anymore," he muttered passively.


    "Of course, it matters. It may not matter to you, but it matters to me!" I cried out loudly.


    "Why does it matter?" Hayden asked coldly.


    "Huh? Of course, it matters. I have a life and a future that I¡¯m working hard to build. Why can¡¯t you understand that?" I snapped.


    How can he not understand something so simple?!


    "You chose a life associated with the mafia. How long did you think you could go on teaching those young kids?" Hayden asked as his eyes narrowed at me.


    "What? That has nothing to do¡­" I mumbled.


    Honestly, I have never thought about it that way at all. I just thought that choosing to be associated with the mafia meant that I could be together with Hayden. No one ever mentioned giving up my job or my interaction with other people¡­right?


    "It has everything to do with it. Would the parents of those cute and adorable young children want you around their children if they knew about your association to the mafia? What do you think?" Hayden asked as his eyes begged me for an answer.


    "That¡¯s¡­anyways, you cannot keep me locked up here!" I yelled across the table.


    "Why not?" Hayden asked as if he really didn¡¯t get it.


    "Isn¡¯t it supposed to be obvious? You can¡¯t just lock people in and hold them against their will¡­" I shot back as my anger started to take over.


    Why is he acting like I¡¯m the one that doesn¡¯t understand anything here? I was sure that my logic was right. It wasmon sense. Everyone has been taught this. It is thew for crying out loud so why do I have to keep repeating myself like this? How many times do I have to say it for him to get it?


    "Is that the rule that you live by?" Hayden asked beforeughing softly.


    "It¡¯s not just a rule. It is thew, and everyone lives by it," I stated firmly.


    "Everyone? Then let me ask you this. Do you think thew and the rules that you mention would really apply here? Does it apply to this mansion and the people inside? Do you honestly believe that thews apply to anything that I do?" Hayden challenged before he grinned at me.


    "What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.


    "I asked you to make the choice and you decided to be part of the mafia world. In our world, we have our own rules and our ownws. It applies to our territories and our people," Hayden stated before pointing at me.


    My eyes widened at his words, and it was like my heart was about to stop beating.


    "You are one of us now. Some would say that you always were¡­" Hayden said calmly.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. It was true thatrge gangs like the Torex gang lived above thew or more like there were parts of their organization that hides away from thew.


    Once again, Hayden red at me and shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t believe how I didn¡¯t understand something so simple.


    "Sweetie listen, if the normalws applied you and I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation. Your parents wouldn¡¯t have died like that. Your life wouldn¡¯t be a mess and you wouldn¡¯t have to make the choice that you¡¯ve just made. You¡¯re part of this world now, Malissa, and there is no turning back¡­" Hayden said before he smiled charmingly at me.


    "Let me out¡­I want to go outside¡­" I pleaded.


    "There¡¯s everything that you need in here. Why would you need to go outside?" he asked as he cocked his head to the side.


    "What?" I mumbled.


    "If there¡¯s something that you want, you can let Auntie know and she¡¯ll get it arranged for you. I already instructed her to make you feelfortable here. I doubt that you would want something that my money cannot buy," Hayden said with a carefree shrug.


    "That¡¯s not the point at all. Hayden, let me out of here!" I cried out desperately.


    "That¡¯s not possible right now," I stated without any empathy.


    "Why? Why are you locking me up in here?" I asked again.


    "Don¡¯t you already know the answer to that?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow at me.


    "Is it because I met Ethan?" I said softly.


    "Good. So, you do know," Hayden affirmed.


    "I told you that I didn¡¯t want to meet with him. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­" I began exining again.


    "It doesn¡¯t change the fact that you met him, and he started giving you ideas¡­" Hayden replied passively although his words cut pretty deep.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 181: Gentle Caresses

    I didn¡¯t know what else to say to him. It was like we were not speaking the samenguage and the way that we thought couldn¡¯t be any different. Did I make the wrong decision back then? Should I have chosen the normal life¡­but then¡­Hayden wouldn¡¯t be in it.


    "You are holding me here against my will!" I screamed as all my frustration and anger came bursting forth in the form of words.


    I stood up from my seat and red at him. How dare he keep me locked up here like this?!


    Hayden covered his ears with his hands as a look of annoyance crept into his graceful facial features. Slowly, he stood up from his seat and sighed loudly.


    "How many times do I have to tell you? I don¡¯t like loud women," Hayden said with displeasure in his voice.


    He shook his head disapprovingly from side to side slowly before he took a few steps towards me. Instinctively, I shrunk back away from him. I didn¡¯t need to sense it; Hayden¡¯s anger was in as day on his face and edge in his voice. Maybe, I shouldn¡¯t have shouted at him. However, I couldn¡¯t think of any other way to get my message across.


    Before I could take another step back, Hayden arms had already grabbed me. His arms around my back and waist pulled me to him so roughly that my body was crushed to his. It was like he was hugging me desperately but that wasn¡¯t the case. He was just capturing me so that I couldn¡¯t escape. Even if I could escape from his hold now, I knew that there was no where for me to go.


    I can¡¯t get out of this room and even if I could, I couldn¡¯t leave this mansion or navigate the thick forests beyond.


    I¡¯m stuck here¡­with him¡­


    I felt the heat of his body along the length of mine as his familiar scent enveloped me. My hands were pressed against his chest along with the side of my face. The sound of his heart beating against my ear only made me aware of how close we were in body. If only our spirit were as close. If only we could understand each other.


    "I told you before. Do you remember when is the only time when a woman should be loud?" he whispered to me from above.


    I knew the answer to his question, but I wouldn¡¯t answer him.


    "You can¡¯t hold me here against my will¡­" I said softly against his chest.


    The strength I had to push him away was nothingpared to the strength of his strong arms that were holding me. Each time I struggled against him, his arms around my body would tighten. It felt like arge snake had wrapped itself around me and was crushing my bones.


    "So, if I can make you willing then it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?" Hayden hissed into my ear.


    "What are you saying?" I whimpered against his broad chest.


    "I can be rough with you, or I can be extra gentle. How do you want it, Malissa?" Hayden asked in a seductive drawl.


    The tip of his fingers began caresses the sensitive skin of my neck. With featherlight tenderness, his fingers stroked the side of my neck before slowly tracing a line down along my shoulder. Choosing to wear one of the revealing and short nightgowns from the closet was a mistake. The closet was filled with nothing but nightgowns. There were no clothes suitable for going outside.


    I didn¡¯t find that weird before because I thought that I would only be spending the night. However, now that I must live here, theck of clothing only showed that he truly didn¡¯t intend for me to take even a step outside.


    Slowly, Hayden slid the thin straps of the wine-colored nightgown down from my shoulders. He bent down and began nting soft kisses along the side of my neck where his fingertips had just caressed while his hand carefully pulled down the night gown to reveal my naked breasts.


    I felt the air against my newly exposed skin for a few seconds before it was reced by the heat from his palms as he cupped my breasts softly.


    The way his hands were slowly and gently massaging my breasts felt so new and different from how he usually handled me. It felt so good and so exciting that I found myself letting out soft little moans of pleasure despite myself. His hands continued to gently squeeze and knead my breasts while his lips began sucking softly on my neck.


    His hot and wet tongue slipped out from between his lips and beganpping lightly against my neck. The texture of his tongue running along the length of my neck as he licked me sent shivers throughout my body and I moaned uncontrobly.


    "You¡¯re making nice sounds. Remember these sounds and how much I like hearing them," Hayden instructed before his tongue returned to tease my neck once more.


    His fingers found my hardened nipples and started to pinch them softly. I let out a gasp of surprise at the sensation of my nipples being pinched and rolled between his fingertips.


    Ahhh¡­it feels so good already¡­


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name although I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted to say to him.


    I felt his hot breath next to my ear before he blew softly against it. I bit my lower lips and moaned as he stimted my sensitive ear. Soon, Hayden was sucking and licking my earlobe softly and slowly. The lewd sounds he was making close to my ear was making me quickly lose my mind. My knees felt weak, and I grabbed the fabric of the front his shirt.


    "That was gentle. Did it feel good?" Hayden asked huskily.


    I nodded in response. It did feel very pleasurable.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name loudly.


    His hands on my breasts suddenly began groping me roughly and I cried out at the slight stinging pain on my chest that came before the pleasure started setting in. Hisrge hands squeezed my breasts roughly. Looking down, I could see my breasts changing shape ording to the movements his hands. The soft flesh of my breasts spilled out between his fingers as he continued to squeeze them.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 182: Rough Seduction

    He¡¯s being so rough all of a sudden.


    "Ahh! Hayden¡­" I moaned and cried out loudly.


    His hands moved down from my breasts to my waist, pulling down with it my nightgown until his hands found its way to my buttocks. I moaned deliciously as his hands cupped my ass before squeezing them. My body throbbed with need as desire swirled in my lower abdomen with a lustful ache for more. My pussy clenched and pulsated, and I knew that I had gotten very wet.


    Hayden¡¯s being so rough with me. He bent his head down and took a hardened nipple between his lips and began sucking hard on it. I cried out his name and threw my head back as the intense pleasure of his wild sucking ran through my body. He sucked on my nipple repeatedly as his hands pumped my ass from behind.


    My hands were immediately in his blond hair as I thrusted my chest shamelessly toward his face.


    Hayden bit on my nipple a little roughly and although it hurts, it felt so good. I wanted him to suck me more and bite me more. I whimpered his name as he continued to ravish my body with the rough caresses of his hand, his mouth and his wet tongue.


    By the time his mouth left my nipple, my mind was in a daze, and I couldn¡¯t think straight anymore. My breathing wasbored, making my chest rise and fall with each breath. Hayden stood up again and gazed down into my face. His eyes met mine and he smiled knowingly at me.


    "That was rough. So, how would you like me to take you today?" Hayden asked with sly smile.


    "Neither¡­way¡­" I whispered in between my harsh breathing.


    "I dislike dishonest girls," Hayden stated coldly.


    His hands were on my inner thighs before they started inching upwards until his hands disappearedpletely under the short length of my nightgown. I sucked in a breath, knowing what he was searching for.


    Hayden smirked at me, and his blue eyes seemed to have darkened by a few shades of blue when his fingers finally found the hot wetness in between my legs. I let out a breathless sigh when his fingers began stroking the wet slit in between my legs. My opening throbbed with need and his fingers only provided temporary relief.


    I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel of his fingers running up and down my slit before it brushed against my swollen and hard clit.


    "You chose a very sexy little dress for someone who doesn¡¯t want to do any of this¡­" Hayden teased.


    "There wasn¡¯t¡­any other clothes¡­in the closet¡­" I managed to protest in between my lewd moans.


    "You¡¯re not wearing any panties¡­I guess there weren¡¯t any in the closet either¡­" Hayden murmured teasingly.


    He knew that there were panties in the closet. He¡¯s just being mean and teasing me.


    His fingers massaged my swollen clit and my whole body lost its strength. I ced my hands on his shoulders as I clung to him for support. Hayden¡¯s fingers began swirling around my clit faster and harder than before as he massaged it in circr motions.


    "Ahh! Ahhh! Ahhhh¡­" I moaned wildly.


    "Your mouth says one thing, your action tells me something else, and your wet pussy tells another story," Hayden said as mockingly.


    "Ahh¡­" I whimpered as his fingers pushed up firmly into my wetness.


    My wet pussy stretched around his intruding fingers as I adjusted to amodate the thickness of his fingers. His fingers weren¡¯t in too deep yet, but it already started to feel mind-numbingly good. My body was greedy for more pleasure as my pussy started clenching wildly around his fingers.


    I pressed my forehead against his chest when his fingers started moving, thrusting in and then out of my sopping wet love hole.


    "I don¡¯t rape women and I¡¯m not about to start now¡­" Hayden said in a deep voice.


    My pussy made wet lewd sounds as his fingers plunged deeper and deeper inside. He stirred up my wet honey pot and my hips began moving against his hand. Hayden bit the side of my neck and sucked on me as he continued to finger my hole roughly. My pussy got wetter and the addictive ache in my lower abdomen grew unbearably hot.


    Hayden¡¯s fingers were thick and long, they reached so deep into me as they hit against the spot that felt so good for me. I¡¯m about to cum already¡­


    "Do you want me to stop, or should I make you cum, Malissa? Tell me¡­do you want me to stop fucking you with my fingers?" Hayden hissed into my ear.


    "Don¡¯t¡­stop¡­please¡­" I replied in a strangled whisper.


    I could feel my climax fast approaching. Hayden thrusted his fingers harder and faster into me, driving me even closer to the edge. I felt a strong ache building in between my legs before my orgasm hit me along with the rapid gush of wetness in my love tunnel.


    "Ahhh! Hay¡­Hayden!" I cried out loudly as I lost myself in my intense climax.


    Hayden unplugged my hole and my hot wetness spurted out onto my inner thighs.


    "Do you want to do it here or on the bed?" Hayden asked.


    I knew that he wanted to move on to the better part now.


    If those are the only two options that I had, then¡­


    "¡­here¡­" I whispered breathlessly.


    "Now you¡¯re being honest," Hayden said with immense satisfaction.


    Hayden¡¯s hands were on my waist before he swiftly lifted me and sat me down on the table. That was when I finally understood why he had chosen such a long dining table for this room although it would just be the two of us eating here. The height of the table was so perfect for what we¡¯re about to do that I couldn¡¯t help feeling slightly amused at the coincidence of it all.


    "What are you thinking of, Malissa?" Hayden asked and his simple question sounded seductive to my ears.


    "That the height of this table is perfect¡­for what we¡¯re about to do¡­" I replied tantly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 183: Joined by Desire

    "Guess we¡¯re in luck," Hayden replied before his lips captured mine in an ardent kiss.


    He continued kissing me passionately, his tongue thrusting wildly into my mouth just like how I wanted his cock to mess me up inside. Hayden stood in between my spread legs as his hands started to undo his belt before he started to remove his pants.


    "Lift your heel up onto the table and spread your legs¡­wider¡­" Haydenmanded.


    His hands helped me lift my legs onto the table just as he had instructed and soon my legs were spread so far apart that I felt so embarrassingly exposed. The opening of my love hole stretched open as if inviting for his thick cock to slide inside.


    "This is a very nice view," Haydenmented before he positioned the thick head of his cock at my wet and throbbing entrance.


    I had just climaxed, and my insides were still very sensitive. My hands held my thighs wide open for him as Hayden¡¯s hips moved in closer to mine.


    "Let me know if I¡¯m being too rough," Hayden warned softly.


    In the next moment, his thick and long cock prated my wet hole and disappeared inside with one extremely forceful thrust. My eyes widened and I screamed at the suddenness and the force of his entrance. He stretched and filled me up sopletely with one thrust that buried his entire length inside of me. I felt like I could climax right away from this alone.


    Without waiting for me to adjust to his size, Hayden began pounding his massive cock into me. He reared his hips back before mming his enormous member into me over and over again. My hands clenched on my own thighs as my fingers dug into my flesh. Hayden¡¯s hands held my hips in ce as he pounded his hot rod into my wet hole.


    His cock scraped along the wet walls of my pussy as his cock glided in and out of me.


    Hayden¡¯s low growl filled my ear, and I clenched my pussy tighter around his thick shaft. His hips pped against mine as his cock stirred up my wetness. Lewd wet sounds of our passionate coupling filled the room together with my passionate moans and cries of pleasure. He took me fast and hard until I felt like he was about to rip me apart. He satisfied me and then gave me even more of himself.


    Hayden thrusted deeper into my love tunnel with each thrust that ended up hitting my womb. I felt him so deep inside as he filled me uppletely. I felt so full of him, and I moaned in my satisfaction of being filled and stretched repeatedly. The thick head of his cock rammed against my pleasure spot, and I felt myself getting even wetter.


    When Hayden moved faster than before, his movements became even more aggressive in his desire to prate me even deeper.


    "Lift your legs¡­" Hayden panted.


    His hands pulled and lifted my legs up over his shoulder. He pulled my entire body closer to him and Iid down onto the table and covered my mouth with my hand to stop my loud cries of pleasure from escaping.


    "Your pussy feels amazing¡­" Hayden said, and he thrusted deeper into me.


    "Ah! Ahh! Ahh!" I cried out with each thrusted that hammered into my wet hole.


    He¡¯s in even deeper than before and this angle felt outrageously pleasurable. Hayden pumped his cock into me like his stamina was endless. While I was already very close to my limit. I¡¯m about to cum again¡­


    "I¡¯m cumming!" I cried out as my back arched off the table.


    My body trembled and spasm at the amazing jolts of pleasure that ran from where we were joined all the way to my toes. I clenched my pussy walls around his cock to feel more of him as I rode out the effects of my mind-shattering climax.


    Hayden continued to fuck my hole as his animalistic growls of lust grew louder. He moaned my name, and I could tell from the heat and how his cock was twitching that he was close to his release.


    "I¡¯m cumming now¡­Malissa¡­" he growled.


    Hayden came inside of me after a short while of thrusting rapidly into my cunt. He pushed his cock deep into me and spurted his cum into my womb. His hot release poured out and filled my insides as he growled from the pleasure of his orgasm.


    Iy limp on the table and waited until he was done with me. After pouring his hot seed into me, Hayden withdrew his cock from my hole and slowly ced my legs back down. My legs and feet hung from the table as we both struggled to catch our breath. I could feel the mix of our love juices gushing out of my entrance.


    It must be such a mess, but I didn¡¯t have the strength to move to deal with it right now.


    I heard rather than saw Hayden putting on and adjusting his clothes. Slowly, I began using my arms to prop myself up into a sitting position so that I could see him.


    "You will stay locked up in here until you understand the position that you¡¯re in," Hayden stated matter-of-factly.


    My mind felt like a mess, and it was hard for me to focus my thoughts. On top of that, my throat felt dry. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could speak very well right now, but I was more than willing to try.


    "Staying locked up in here won¡¯t make me understand anything apart from the fact that you¡¯re acting like a tyrant. If you want me to understand something, then just exin it to me. If you don¡¯t exin anything, how am I supposed to understand anything? How am I supposed to understand you?" I said desperately using my hoarse and dry voice.


    I was panting hard by the time that I had finished.


    "Maybe if you let me fuck you often enough, you¡¯ll start to understand how I think¡­" Hayden replied sarcastically.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 184: Unappreciative

    He turned and began walking away like our conversation was now over as far as he was concerned. Nothing made me angrier than when he ignored me. He could do anything to me, and it would be better than when he ignored me like this.


    "Hayden¡­" I called after him softly.


    Hayden didn¡¯t turn around to face me, but he did pause in his steps. I hesitated a little but still decided to say what I wanted to say anyways. Nothing worst can evere from this¡­


    "After you turn me into your sex ve, what happens next?" I asked, unable to conceal the malice in my voice.


    A few seconds flew by and without saying anything, Hayden walked quietly out of the room. The door closing behind him with a thunderous bang was the only clue that I had to how he was feeling.


    ¡­


    "That little girl sure is loud¡­" Lukamented.


    "Why are you here?" Hayden asked, disregarding Luka¡¯sment.


    "You, on the other hand, don¡¯t look like a man that had just satisfied his lust," Luka teased.


    "Why are you here?" Hayden asked again.


    "You should cut her some ck or she¡¯s going to break. It¡¯s only been a day or two and she¡¯s already screaming like that¡­" Luka advised before smirking at Hayden.


    "Answer my question, Luka," Hayden said, and it was clear that he wasn¡¯t ying around.


    "The boss sent me here to make sure that you don¡¯t end up killing her¡­" Luka said with a softugh.


    Hayden was sure that that wasn¡¯t the real reason Luka was sent here.


    "What is that old man nning now?" Hayden demanded to know.


    "I told you before. You should just marry the girl and take over. Why are you making things so difficult?" Luka asked.


    "There¡¯s no point to any of this if she doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s signing herself up for¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "So, you¡¯re basically giving her a taste of what it¡¯s like being a mafia¡¯s woman, is that it?" Luka asked, clearly amused at the idea.


    Hayden didn¡¯t reply but Luka knew that he was spot on. He sighed loudly and rubbed his temples.


    "You can do whatever you want to her, I guess," Luka said with disinterest.


    "Then why are you really here?" Hayden asked.


    "I¡¯m here to give her encouragement so that she¡¯ll get through this tough time. I want Jack¡¯s only daughter to be happy as well, you know¡­" Luka said with a wistful smile.


    "You knew?" Hayden said and it wasn¡¯t truly a question.


    "She looks nothing like him, thank God. But sometimes the way she gets so stubborn, it¡¯s a little like Jack, don¡¯t you think?" Luka said as he seemed to recall some not-so-fond memories.


    "What do you n to do?" Hayden inquired.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just going to talk to her¡­now and then¡­" Luka replied casually.


    "Don¡¯t go inside. If you do, I¡¯ll kill you," Hayden stated matter-of-factly.


    "Sounding very much like the boss now, aren¡¯t you? I won¡¯t go in¡­" Luka said.


    Hayden nodded before turning on his heels and walked away. Luka watched the younger man leave before sighing. Unlike Hayden, he¡¯d seen women in Malissa¡¯s position before and knew that the current method that Hayden was using would only be half effective. The question was, how does he make up for the other half.


    Luka let out a long sighed before walking away from the door to Malissa¡¯s room. Judging from all that screaming that she¡¯s done, it was very unlikely that she had enough voice or strength to conduct a conversation with him through the thick wooden door. Therefore, he had decided to return again tomorrow.


    ¡­


    The next morning, I still had my eyes closed when I heard soft knocking sounds from the opposite side of the door. It¡¯s not Hayden¡­


    With my eyes still closed, I slowly sat up on the bed before trudging sleepily to the door. I hope it¡¯s not food that they¡¯re delivering, but I bet that it was. Food was thest thing on my mind right now. Since the knocking wouldn¡¯t cease, I knew that I had to get the door or answer.


    "Come in¡­" I called out sleepily.


    I flopped down onto the living room¡¯s sofa, knowing that whoever was at the door had the keys to open the door from the outside. It wasn¡¯t like I could open the door for them from the inside anyways. I rubbed my eyes with my hands and yawned disgracefully. I felt sleep deprived, tired and I wasn¡¯t in the best of moods.


    The door slowly opened, and many maids wheeled in trollies filled with brown boxes. Auntie was there to orchestrate the whole thing. I wasn¡¯t sure what was in the box and honestly, I didn¡¯t care.


    "Good morning, Malissa," Auntie greeted me with a nervous smile.


    I probably look like a mess. Running my fingers through my long hair, I flipped it away from my face before smilingzily back at her.


    "Good morning, Auntie," I whisperedzily.


    I nced over at the pile ofrge brown boxes that the maids have lifted down from the trolley onto the floor. Whatever is in there isn¡¯t going to improve my mood or impress me. I sighed loudly and Auntie gave me an uncertain look.


    "Malissa¡­Hayden has ordered for these art supplies to be delivered to you. There¡¯s a very nice art studio in that room over there¡­and¡­" Auntie said with a forced smile.


    "Does he expect me to paint in that studio till the day that I die?" I snapped.


    "¡­Malissa¡­" Auntie gasped in shock at my cruel and blunt words.


    Shit. I¡¯m taking my anger out on the wrong person again. It was unfortunate for Auntie to be caught sandwiched between Hayden, me and our conflict. I wanted tosh out at Hayden but he¡¯s always out during the day.


    "I¡¯m sorry. Please just¡­leave them there¡­" I said before sighing exasperatedly.


    "I¡¯ll get the maids to arrange them in the studio. I¡¯m sure that Hayden doesn¡¯t want you to feel bored¡­" Auntie said softly.


    "If he truly doesn¡¯t want me to feel bored, he would let me out of here," I said through clenched teeth to prevent myself from shouting at her.


    I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s still taking his side even when he¡¯s locked me up in here. What is wrong with the world?!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 185: Things He Won’t Say

    Not wanting to talk to her or anyone anymore, I turned my face to the other side. Auntie left my side and after supervising that the maids had put all the art supplies in the studio, everyone left, and I was alone once more in my luxurious suite of a prison.


    I knew that Hayden was trying to get on my good side by sending in all this stuff. It only reminded me of when he took me shopping at that art supplies store before. He was probably trying to cheer me up back then too; however, this time it was different.


    Although there was a perfect art studio separated by only just a door from where I was sitting, I had no mood nor motivation to create any artwork at all.


    Iid down on the sofa and covered my eyes with my hands as a sense of dread filled me. Is Hayden really going to lock me up in here until I rot and die?


    With my eyes closed, my brain got to work at trying to dissect the situation so that I could better understand it. When it happened, I was very tired and sleepy and so it slipped my mind until just now. However, if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, Hayden said something about peace and him losing his brother, didn¡¯t he?


    Come to think of it, Hayden never got around to telling me how Harvey passed away and how Amelia ended up in that state that she was in. Then all those times before people in his gang and Hayden himself kept on saying that Harvey¡¯s death was Hayden¡¯s fault.


    I didn¡¯t know enough to conclude or understand anything but for some reason, I had a strange feeling that if I found out what happened back then, I woulde to understand Hayden. I would finally understand him, what he thought, and why he was acting this way.


    The real problem was how am I going to find out. Could I simply just ask for him to tell me? Was there someone in the mansion that knew and would be willing to tell me? Does Auntie know? Will she tell me? My mind was fully loaded with questions that I desperately needed answers to.


    I have to get to the bottom of this before it drives me crazy for real.


    I turned restlessly on the sofa as I debated with myself on what to do next. Suddenly, loud knocking sounds erupted from the door that separated the room that I was in from the hallway. It¡¯s not Hayden and it¡¯s not Auntie. So, who could it be?


    "Come in!" I called from where I was on the sofa.


    There was brief pause of silence before a booming voice called back from the other side of the door.


    "I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not allowed inside!" a man¡¯s voice replied.


    I was confused at what the voice said. The man on the other side of the door isn¡¯t allowed inside this room?


    "Malissa, can youe to the door?" the man requested.


    Although I was very confused, I decided to approach the door. Once I stood in front of it, I ced a hand on the door. This thick piece of wood is isting me from the outside world.


    "I¡¯m here," I said through the door.


    I think I¡¯ve heard the man¡¯s voice somewhere before, but I didn¡¯t quite recall.


    "I¡¯m Luka. We¡¯ve met before. My men and I saved you and Hayden when you both fell down a cliff...do you remember?" Luka said.


    Oh, so that¡¯s why his voice sounded familiar. I recalled the face of the old man who led the team to save us when we fell. Why is Luka here?


    "Yes, I remember," I replied.


    "I¡¯m here to talk to you," Luka said.


    I figured out that much¡­


    "Why can¡¯t youe inside? You can¡¯t open the door?" I asked, curiously.


    If we can talk face-to-face, then maybe this is the opportunity for me to convince him to let me out.


    "I can open the door, but I¡¯m not allowed to. Hayden won¡¯t let me¡­" Luka said followed by augh as if he thought that Hayden¡¯s idea was ridiculous.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled and I wasn¡¯t sure if he could hear me from the other side of the door.


    What does he want to talk to me about? Luka was silent and I wondered if he was still there.


    "Luka? What do you want to talk to me about?" I asked.


    "I just thought that perhaps, you would want to know about what is going on outside¡­" Luka said sternly.


    "What is going on?" I mumbled to myself.


    "What is going on? Did something happen?" I asked loudly to make sure that he could hear me.


    "Let¡¯s just say that things are not so peaceful in our world right now. There are many¡­uncertainties," Luka replied a little hesitantly.


    "What does that mean?" I asked, cluelessly.


    When he¡¯s referring to ¡¯our world¡¯ he means the mafia world, right?


    "There¡¯s been more conflicts between the gang and smaller gangstely. Small conflicts and small fights here and there. Nothing serious and nothing major but who knows where all of this can lead¡­" Luka said solemnly.


    Without knowing it, I had moved so close to the door that I had both my hands pressed against it along with the side of my face.


    "What does that¡­have to do with me?" I asked, trying to understand what he¡¯s trying to say.


    "It¡¯s not safe out there, missy," Luka replied sternly.


    "Are you trying to say that it¡¯s better for me to be locked up in here? Just because it¡¯s safer?" I asked as my brows furrowed.


    If Luka is unfairly on Hayden¡¯s team, then I can¡¯t believe a thing that he¡¯s saying. How can he think that it¡¯s better for me to be caged in here?


    "Malissa, the boss sent me to here to say the things that he knows Hayden won¡¯t ever say. He sent me here to tell you things that Hayden won¡¯t. That¡¯s honestly why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here to keep you from going insane while you¡¯re left in the dark," Luka said with a hint of frustration and slight annoyance in his voice.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 186: Caught in a Loop

    I get it. No one wants to deal with me. They must view me as someone very difficult to deal with.


    "What are you trying to say?" I asked, wanting him to just get to the point.


    "It¡¯s not safe for you to be wandering around cluelessly outside right now. That is what I¡¯ve been trying to say," Luka stated emotionlessly.


    "You¡¯re telling me that Hayden is keeping me locked up here for my own safety? That¡¯s crazy! No one is going to hurt me; I¡¯ve never hurt anyone. This is crazy. Please let me out, please¡­" I cried out desperately as I hammered at the door with my hands.


    "I can¡¯t let you out. As I already told you, I¡¯m not allowed to open the door¡­" Luka said regretfully.


    Why is it unsafe for me outside? That can¡¯t be true, right? My life was normal¡­


    Is this because of Ethan? They think Ethan will harm me?


    "I honestly don¡¯t think that Ethan would harm me. He¡¯s¡­not that kind of person," I said loudly.


    "That¡¯s what you think but Hayden isn¡¯t so trusting. I don¡¯t me him. Even I don¡¯t know who to trust which is why I never trusted anyone outside of Torex. Your father included¡­" Luka said as his tone darkened.


    My father? Oh right, my father was from the Silva gang although he was friends with the boss. I guess Luka wasn¡¯t a big fan of my father back then. However, I was convinced that my father wanted peace and was working hard towards it. In the end, he also chose a peaceful life so that he could raise me up normally.


    Ethan said that he wanted to follow in my father¡¯s footsteps, and he also wanted peace. Should I tell this to Luka, I wonder. If I tell Luka, will the boss hear about it? Would it be good or bad if the boss hears about Ethan¡¯s desire to partner with Torex?


    I didn¡¯t know what I should do so I decided to think about it. I was scared of saying the wrong things. Right now, I need to figure out a way out of here. My head hurts and the biggest problem was I didn¡¯t know what was true anymore.


    I didn¡¯t know who to trust anymore¡­


    "When do you think I¡¯ll be let out of here?" I asked bluntly.


    "Honestly, I don¡¯t know. You¡¯ll be a big burden to Hayden if you wander around randomly outside, that¡¯s for sure. Why don¡¯t you just rx and stay in here for now? If you want anything, I¡¯m sure Hayden is more than willing to provide it to you¡­" Luka advised.


    True, except for the fact that the thing that I wanted most was freedom.


    "I want to get out of here¡­" I whined.


    There was a pause and perhaps Luka was thinking of something because when he spoke again, he had a suggestion.


    "Why don¡¯t you try to make peace with Hayden? You know, just be nice to him and don¡¯t irritate him. Hayden¡¯s actually a nice guy, too nice to be a sessful mafia if you ask me which is probably why half the gang was scared shitless about the gang¡¯s future when Harvey died," Luka suggested.


    "You want me to be nice to him?" I asked, seriously unconvinced.


    "Nothing to lose in trying, right? If it doesn¡¯t go well, you¡¯re back to square one. If it does, maybe you can roam about the huge mansion and its gardens for a change. I doubt he¡¯ll let you out beyond the mansion¡¯s gates but anywhere inside the mansion should be safe enough for you. This ce is like a fortress," Luka exined convincingly.


    "Thank you¡­I guess¡­" I murmured through the door.


    "Sure thing, missy. I¡¯ll be back again soon just to make sure that you don¡¯t go crazy¡­" Luka said and then I think he walked away.


    He didn¡¯t say anymore, and silence became my onlypanion once again.


    ¡­


    Despite Luka¡¯s convincing suggestion, I couldn¡¯t find it in me to suck up to Hayden. For the next three days, we yed our awkward game of cat and mouse. Nothing improved in our rtionship and in my life. The only thing that I learnt was that Hayden had implemented a fixed schedule for our interaction that repeated itself until I had gotten ustomed to it.


    During the day, Hayden would be gone. I don¡¯t know where he went, and I never asked, but I do know that he wasn¡¯t in the mansion. Instead ofing backte, Hayden came back early in the evening in time for dinner. Dinner would be set up at the dining table in my room and we would have dinner together, usually in silence.


    I got the feeling from the way he had his eyes on me while I ate that this was probably his way of making sure that I ate at least one proper meal a day.


    Although I knew that there were many things that I should try to talk to him peacefully about, my mouth refused to open when he sat right opposite me at the dining table. Day after day, I didn¡¯t say anything but respond to his same set of questions.


    "What did you do today?" Hayden asked.


    "Nothing," I replied truthfully. It was the same answer that I gave to the same question that he had been asking every day.


    I also knew what question he would ask next.


    "Do you want or need anything?" Hayden asked, his blue eyes still on me.


    "No, I don¡¯t want or need anything," I replied.


    Same question; same answer.


    "Did you sleep wellst night?" he asked.


    "Yes, I slept decently wellst night," I replied without a thought.


    "Is there something that you want to do?" Hayden asked.


    Once again, I gave him the same answer that I gave him every day.


    "I want to go back outside¡­" I replied as I looked deeply into his cold blue eyes.


    The conversation was always the same and probably because of that, it always ended the same way. Because Hayden couldn¡¯t grant my wish, he would get up from his seat and leave the room silently while I sat and stared at the leftover food on the table in front of me. The door would close firmly behind him and then it would be locked from the outside.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 187: To Start a Conversation

    Since that day, Hayden neverid hands on me again. We haven¡¯t had sex since and he hasn¡¯t shown any interest ining within close contact with me. I looked up at the nk ceiling of the room and wondered if we would live our lives in a loop like this until we died. Obviously, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. I knew that I had to talk to him, but I just couldn¡¯t do it.


    Taking the first step forward was always the hardest and I was being such a coward for avoiding it.


    On the fifth day, I woke up with renewed motivation to turn things around. It was time that I acted like I realized that moping around isn¡¯t going to change anything. I¡¯m going to make the most of today and when Hayden joins me for dinner tonight, I¡¯ll talk to him.


    For the first time since I¡¯ve been locked up in this suite, I made my way to the art studio with the intent to start working on some art. The door to the art studio made a clicking sound when I turned the doorknob. I couldn¡¯t help smiling to myself at the sight that confirmed my initial hypothesis. This studio really does let in a lot of natural light.


    Without prejudice, I had to say that it was a perfect art studio. I never dreamt that I¡¯ll get to work in a studio quite like this one.


    Auntie and the other maids did a splendid job of arranging the art supplies that was hauled in from the other day. I expected that there would be a lot of supplies but not quite this many and of such a wide range of variety and high quality. It wasn¡¯t like I had anythingplex in mind that I wanted to create.


    Since the art exhibition ended, I honestly didn¡¯t have a path forward for my career in art. Being a teacher for kids was fun and all, but I still wanted to build a career and a name for myself in the field of art. Call that a dream for now.


    What Hayden told me before truly gave me pause. Deep down, I knew that he was right. If people knew that I was associated with the mafia then who in their right mind would let their kids get near me. I sat down on the chair in the room and looked up at the sun that was shining in through the window from outside. It¡¯s so bright¡­


    I brought up a hand to shield my eye from the sun but the warmth from the light made me feel slightly better about myself. Memories of when Hayden showed up that day to dinner with my friends popped up in my mind. Back then, I truly didn¡¯t want him to get close to my friends or my private life.


    The reason was simple, he was from the mafia and being associated with him could lead to trouble for me, my friends, and the people that I know. I didn¡¯t want him to be part of my life or theirs. Do the same thoughts apply to me now? Is that what other people will think of me once they find out that I¡¯m dating a guy from the mafia?


    I swore under my breath before I mmed my palms t onto the table in front of me. Enough thinking and time to get painting!


    Thinking about it isn¡¯t going to solve all my problems. There were just too many problems and the only way to deal with that was to solve them one at a time. Right now, I¡¯m painting something so that I can start a proper conversation with Hayden. Step number one!


    When I had the canvas and tools and everything else set up, I had already made up my mind on what I was going to sketch and paint. Hayden would usuallye back early in the evening so if I work all throughout the day without break, I should be able to finish a decent painting. Not exhibition quality but it can be presentable.


    After trying my hand at sketching what I had in mind, things did not work out as I had hoped at all. It just didn¡¯t look right. Sketching from an image that I had in my mind just made the whole thing seem unrealistic. It looks so fake and so stiff. I sighed. A few days ago, I probably wouldn¡¯t imagine myself doing this¡­


    "Hello! I know someone is out there. Can you call Auntie for me please?!" I shouted in front of the door that separated me from the hallway outside.


    The men in ck must be outside.


    "Understood," a deep man¡¯s voice replied from just outside the door.


    Wow, they do talk back. That¡¯s new¡­


    A few minutester, I heard the door being unlocked from the outside and knew that Auntie had arrived. Once the door opened, she greeted me with a kind smile.


    "Hi¡­" I said softly.


    "Hello, Miss. What can I help you with today?" Auntie inquired.


    "I know this is kind of rushed but¡­is there a way that you can get me some white tulips and a vase?" I asked.


    Auntie¡¯s eyes widened at me. It was clear that she did not expect a request like that from me.


    "Y-yes. I will try my best¡­" Auntie replied.


    "I¡¯m sorry for the rush but can you please get it as soon as possible? Any vase is fine. Any vase in this mansion is fine but I need you to get the white tulips¡­" I pleaded desperately.


    Auntie nodded and I was half relieved that she seemed to understand the urgency of my request. I don¡¯t have that much time on my hands right now¡­


    I paced impatiently back and forth across the room as I waited for Auntie¡¯s return.


    ¡­


    After around almost an hour, Auntie arrived back with what I had requested for. I quickly thanked her before heading back into the studio. That took more time than I had anticipated. cing the vase with the white tulips onto the table, I began finding the right position where the natural light from outside would cast the right amount of shadow.


    Once everything was set up, sketching, and painting the still life was easy to achieve. Years of practice is finally going to pay off.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 188: All Too Late

    To my surprise, I enjoyed the creation process immensely. I was adding the final touches right before sunset. The paint may notpletely dry in time but as long as Hayden doesn¡¯t touch it, it should bepletely fine. I took a few steps back to admire the painting from various angles. It¡¯s passable. Nothing fancy but definitely passable given the time constraint.


    With a nod of my head, I told myself that I would be satisfied with this for now and promised to do better next time.


    Fortunately, I had some time to spare before Hayden got back and the maids came in to set up the dinner table. That meant that I could wash up all the sweat and paint on me. After a rxing shower, I got dressed and sat at the dining table while I waited for Hayden to arrive. He should be here anytime now¡­


    After Auntie and the maids left the room after setting up the dining table for us, I was all alone in the room again and it was drearily quiet. I couldn¡¯t stop ncing over at the door because I knew that Hayden could walk in any moment now. The clock ticked by as I waited and then waited some more. Half an hour went by, and the food had gotten cold.


    I didn¡¯t mind though because I wasn¡¯t hungry, and it wasn¡¯t eating the food that I was looking forward to.


    Where is Hayden? He¡¯s running a littleter today.


    It was funny, he waste when I was eagerly looking forward to seeing him. While on days when I didn¡¯t want to see him which was every day except for today, he always turned up to dinner on time. I wondered if the paint has dried up by now.


    An hour passed by and then another¡­and then another¡­


    I let out a depressing sigh. By that time, I was very convinced that Hayden wouldn¡¯te to see me tonight. Maybe he had to work. Maybe he had dinner somewhere else with someone else already.


    Maybe¡­


    I nced up at the sound of someone knocking on the door. My heart sunk because Hayden never knocked on my door like that.


    "Who is it?" I called out loudly as I got out of my seat and headed for the door.


    At this time of night, I wasn¡¯t sure who I was expecting. Usually no one would pay me a visit at night except for Hayden.


    "It¡¯s me, Luka," Luka replied through the door.


    I walked closer to the door until I was standing right in front of it so that I could hear him better. It was unusual for Luka toe see me and he came quitete. Suddenly, I felt extremely fearful of what he was going to say.


    "Is there¡­something you need to talk to me about?" I asked.


    "I just came to tell you that Hayden isn¡¯ting to see you tonight, so you don¡¯t need to wait up for him," Luka replied.


    I felt slightly relieved that it wasn¡¯t some bad news. Of course, I was disappointed that Hayden couldn¡¯te see me tonight, but it was no big deal. I had already figured that he probably wouldn¡¯t turn up tonight.


    "Oh¡­I see. Thank you foring to tell me that," I thanked him politely.


    Hayden came to have dinner with me every day and before I knew it, I guess I had gotten used to seeing him at the end of the day. The slight feeling of disappointment made me realize that I had unknowingly been looking forward to seeing him. It was especially unfortunate that he couldn¡¯t make it today. I even painted something to show him, and I¡¯ve spent hours preparing what I wanted to say to him.


    It wasn¡¯t like this couldn¡¯t wait for another day or anything but¡­


    "Make sure you eat your dinner properly and just rest for tonight," Luka said, and I knew that he was about to leave.


    "Wait! Will Hayden be here tomorrow?" I quickly asked before Luka could leave.


    "I¡¯m not sure about that¡­" Luka replied solemnly.


    That was when I started to catch some worry and concern in his tone of voice. Did something¡­happen?


    "Luka¡­did something¡­happen?" I asked hesitantly.


    It was hard to exin but suddenly, I started feeling very scared.


    Luka was silent for a while, and I knew that something must have happened. Something bad. The old man heaved a loud sigh that could be heard on my side of the door.


    "I¡¯m not supposed to tell you this but¡­Hayden got into a car ident on his way back here¡­" Luka said hesitantly.


    "What?! Is he, ok? Where is he right now?!" I screamed loudly in my shock.


    Why didn¡¯t he tell me this sooner? Was he trying to keep it from me?


    "Let me out! Luka!" I cried out as my hands desperately beat on the door.


    "Calm down, Malissa. Hayden is fine. It was nothing major¡­" Luka said firmly.


    Oh¡­


    I closed my eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief. That was so bad for my heart.


    "Where is he, right now?" I asked softly.


    Although I knew that he was fine, I didn¡¯t know what ¡¯fine¡¯ meant. However, from personal experience, I knew that the mafia¡¯s definition of ¡¯fine¡¯ was very different from mine. Tears fell from my eyes before I knew it. I was crying like a baby from a mix of shock and relief.


    "He¡¯s in the hospital. The boss forced him to get some checkups¡­just to be safe¡­" Luka replied.


    "Can I go see him?" I asked.


    "Sorry. You¡¯ll have to stay here under his orders," Luka replied sympathetically.


    "I won¡¯t run! I promise! I¡¯ll just see him ande straight back here. Please!" I pleaded desperately.


    I tired turning the doorknob frantically, but it wouldn¡¯t open.


    "I know that you won¡¯t run, missy, and even if you did, you wouldn¡¯t seed in escaping. That being said, I cannot let you out of this room. I am very sorry, Malissa," Luka said regretfully.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 189: Regret

    From the tone of his voice, I knew that he felt sorry for me. I appreciated that but that didn¡¯t help open this door!


    "Luka! Open the door! Please! Please open the door¡­" I wailed while crying.


    My whole body shook with the strength of my own sobs. My voice cracked and I found it hard to breathe; however, that didn¡¯t keep me from beating my hands against the door. Luka didn¡¯t respond but I knew that he was still standing there in front of the door.


    "Luka¡­please¡­" I begged.


    Luka just said that he¡¯s not sure if Hayden can make it to see me tomorrow. Doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s hurt badly? He¡¯s going to be stuck in the hospital, right?


    "I¡¯ll let Hayden know that you wish to see him," Luka said tly.


    "Wait! Luka! Luka!" I yelled loudly.


    Luka didn¡¯t reply again, and I knew that he was no longer on the other side of the door.


    Although I knew that Luka had left, I continued to bang on the door as more tears streamed down my cheek. Why is this happening now of all times?!


    After screaming my head off for the men in ck to let met out of the door without any result, I resigned to my fate and headed for the sofa to gather myself.


    I went through a lot of tissue to wipe my tears and blow my nose. It was getting challenging to breathe because I couldn¡¯t stop crying. I sighed loudly and covered my eyes with my hands as I thought about how worried I was about Hayden. Luka said that the ident wasn¡¯t serious, but I couldn¡¯t be sure until I could see him with my own eyes. I¡¯m was worried sick about him¡­


    Laying down on the long sofa, I felt terrible for what I¡¯ve done and hadn¡¯t done. This is such a mess, if I knew that thing would turn out this way, I should have talked to Hayden properly yesterday. Why didn¡¯t I do that? What was I thinking? This feeling that felt like a void inside my stomach is probably called regret.


    It was one of the saddest things ever that I needed an ident to remind me and make me realize how I felt. I should have figured out my own feelings sooner. I bit my lower lip as I forced myself to stand up from the sofa. Knowing well now that I couldn¡¯t go back to change the past, all I could do was act on securing a better future and that must start now.


    It waste at night and the art studio was pitch ck in the darkness. Reaching out my hand along the wall, I found the light switch and turned on the lights. Flights flooded the studio, and my attention was immediately on the painting that I had painted earlier in the day. I took the few steps that was required to bring myself in front of the painting.


    My legs still shook with every step that I took.


    I felt tears forming in my eyes and quickly blinked to clear them away. It never urred to me when I was painting this painting that I was painting it for me rather than for Hayden. White tulips symbolize forgiveness. At first, I thought I painted this painted because I wanted to tell Hayden that I had decided to forgive him for locking me up in here.


    Just so that we could talk things out ande to an understanding. However, the void I felt inside of me right now told a very different story¡­


    Who has to forgive who now, I wonder? If I simply apologize for my selfishness and foolishness, will he forgive me?


    I wasn¡¯t sure if the paint hadpletely dried or not, but I didn¡¯t care anymore. Without hesitation, I reached out for a ck piece of fabric and quickly tossed it over the canvas topletely cover it. Hopefully, along with it, I can cover up my past mistakes and the associated regret and shame.


    Although I knew that I probably couldn¡¯t fall asleep, I got into the bed anyways. When tomorrow morning arrives, Auntie wille to see me. Maybe I can beg her to help me then or at least, she should have some news for me about Hayden¡¯s condition. I prayed that Luka wasn¡¯t lying when he told me that Hayden was fine¡­whatever fine meant.


    I nced over at the only light in my bedroom that came from my phone¡¯s screen. The name on the screen read Hayden but the call refused to connect no matter how many times I tried. If he was in an ident, he should have called me to let me know that he was fine. Just how difficult is that? I just needed to hear his voice and hear it from him that he was fine.


    Havingpletely lost count of the times I called him without any sess, I closed my eyes to rest them. The adrenaline rush of rushing throughpleting the painting from earlier today was getting to me on top of everything else. My body and mind felt tired, and my spirit felt bruised and battered.


    ¡­


    I don¡¯t know when and how it happened, but I must have fallen asleep at some point while waiting for my line to connect with Hayden¡¯s. My mind felt hazy from exhaustion, emotional stress, and sleep deprivation so I wasn¡¯t sure if I had imagined the whole thing when I felt a presence close to me.


    Even when I felt the mattress of the bed shift beneath me, I still wasn¡¯t sure if someone else had just ced their weight on my bed or if it was just my stupid imagination.


    "Hmm¡­Hay¡­den¡­" I whispered drowsily as I shifted on the bed.


    By that time, I was wholly convinced that sleep was just ying tricks on me. Hayden¡¯s in the hospital somewhere so there was no way that he could be here¡­right?


    But what if¡­


    "Hayden!" I woke up with a loud scream as I bolted upright into a sitting position on the bed.


    --To be continued¡­


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 Chapter 190: Same but Different

    The room waspletely dark because I had closed the curtainspletely. My eyes couldn¡¯t make out anything in the darkness. The sound of my harsh breathing filled the room as I panted and struggled to recover from my shock.


    "You¡¯re as loud as always¡­" a low voice whispered from the foot of my bed.


    "¡­Hayden?" I called out his name in disbelief.


    It better be Hayden and not some ghost¡­


    "Don¡¯t scream my name when I¡¯m already sitting so close," Hayden replied calmly.


    I felt the mattress shift underneath me slightly as Hayden moved closer to me on the bed. It was dark and I couldn¡¯t make out anything but his silhouette.


    "Are you really here?" I asked just to make sure that I wasn¡¯t seeing and hearing things.


    "I¡¯m here," he replied firmly.


    He¡¯s really here¡­wow.


    Before I could say anything, Hayden began talking first and the first thing he asked me was¡­


    "Did you eat dinner properly?" he asked.


    Seriously, is that what he¡¯s worried about at a time like this?


    "¡­No¡­" I admitted truthfully. I didn¡¯t eat anything at all.


    "What did you do today?" Hayden asked.


    "I painted a painting. It¡¯s been a while. The studio is perfect¡­thank you¡­" I replied and my voice shook with emotion. I¡¯m going to start crying.


    Thankfully it was dark, and he probably couldn¡¯t see my face right now; however, I was sure that he could tell by my voice that I was on the verge of crying. Regardless, Hayden continued to go through his same list of questions.


    "Do you want or need anything?" Hayden asked.


    "I want to talk to you¡­properly. Maybe we should do that when you¡¯re feeling better," I replied softly.


    "Did you sleep wellst night?" he asked.


    "Yes, but I can¡¯t sleep at all tonight¡­" I replied truthfully.


    "Is there something that you want to do?" Hayden asked.


    For the future, I had no idea but for now.


    "No but I want you to tell me about the car ident. Are you ok?" I asked.


    The questions were the exact same ones as the days before, but I answered them differently now. I felt so different now¡­


    "It¡¯s not a big deal. Luka should have told you that already. I was driving a little recklessly, that¡¯s all," Hayden replied casually.


    "You should have told me that yourself. I was so worried, and I called you so many times, but you never picked up¡­" Iined.


    "My phone got damaged a bit and doesn¡¯t work well anymore. I¡¯ll get it reced," Hayden exined wlessly.


    "Why are we talking in the dark? Let me turn on the lights¡­" I said with sudden realization.


    I probably look like a mess since I¡¯ve been crying so much but I wanted to see Hayden. No matter what, I needed to check and see with my own eyes that he¡¯s alright.


    "No need. Just stay where you are," Hayden said, and I felt his hand on my arm to stop me from getting up from the bed.


    "But it¡¯s so dark¡­and I want to see you so¡­" I mumbled.


    "There¡¯s nothing interesting for you to see," Hayden said coldly.


    I bet he just doesn¡¯t want me to worry and that is making me worry even more. The lights are still off because he doesn¡¯t want me to see, does he?


    Although and I knew and appreciated the fact that he didn¡¯t want me to worry, I also got the feeling that he was hiding something away from me. I yanked my arm away from his grip as my other arm reached to the bedside table where I knew themp was. If I can just reach the switch, then I can get some light and I¡¯ll finally get to see him.


    My fingertips reached the switch and after themp made a soft clicking sound, orange warm light illuminated the area around the bed. I gasped loudly after my eyes had adjusted to the sudden flood of light in the room. The sight of Hayden¡¯s upper body covered in bandages wasn¡¯t a sight that I was mentally prepared to see.


    Hayden sighed and rolled his eyes slightly at my shocked and speechless reaction as if to say: ¡¯I told you to keep the lights off¡­see?¡¯


    "Don¡¯t worry. I think they wrapped me up a little too much. Since Harvey is gone my old man got a little freaked out this time around and pestered the doctors a lot. That¡¯s all," Hayden said followed by a softugh.


    "Really¡­?" I asked softly, not convinced with his reply.


    "Really. I¡¯m a doctor too so I know it isn¡¯t that bad," Hayden reaffirmed.


    "It¡¯s not that bad so it is bad¡­right?" I asked skeptically.


    "For your information, nothing is broken," Hayden replied stubbornly.


    "Aha¡­" I mumbled in reply. Just because nothing is broken doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s all great and good, right?


    I didn¡¯t want to argue with him anymore about this. Regardless of how insignificant Hayden was making his injuries sound, the state he was in looked extremely disturbing. His right upper arm and shoulder was wrapped up. All parts of his torso from his chest down to his waist was bandaged. He had visible bruises here and there and everywhere.


    "Does it hurt?" I asked although I knew that it probably did, and he wasn¡¯t willing to admit to it.


    "I¡¯m fine," Hayden said with slight annoyance.


    "You should have stayed at the hospital¡­" I murmured.


    Sure, I was super happy to see him but now that I think about it, Hayden should be in the hospital right now.


    "It¡¯s boring there. I rather rest up at home¡­" Hayden said like it was no big deal.


    "Luka said that you might be in the hospital for a few days. You didn¡¯t sneak out, did you?" I asked suspiciously.


    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be getting checkups and all that based on what Luka was telling me just a few hours ago? I started to get a very skeptical feeling about this.


    I stared at Hayden as I waited for my answer. His silence was the best answer that I would ever get.


    --To be continued¡­


    Please support my new book: Lust Contracts

 Chapter 191: Forgiveness

    "Why did you sneak out? You should go back to the hospital. We can get one of the men to drive you back, right?" I suggested quickly.


    "Calm down, Malissa. You¡¯re giving me a headache worst than any injury that I have on my body," Hayden said as he frowned disapprovingly at me.


    "You should go back to the hospital," I said firmly.


    "I¡¯m not going. I drove back here myself, I¡¯m fine¡­" Hayden said stubbornly.


    He drove here? After a car ident, he drove back here himself? I didn¡¯t know what else to say. I rest my case here.


    Now that we¡¯re talking, I might as well ask him about the situation outside. Luka mentioned that peace is being disturbed and I wondered if that was true. I wanted to know if that was why Hayden is keeping me locked up in here like this.


    "Hayden. Luka told me that it¡¯s not safe for me to go outside. He said that the gangs are fighting. Is that true?" I asked while trying my best to pick my words carefully.


    It took a lot of effort to get those words out; however, when I looked at Hayden for an answer, he was staring back at me with nk eyes.


    "You told me that you painted something today. Show me, I really want to see it," Hayden said with a bright smile.


    "Umm¡­sure¡­" I replied hesitantly.


    Haydenpletely ignored my question just now. Why?


    It was sote at night now that perhaps it was more urate to say that it was closer to dawn but if he wanted to see the painting now then who was I to stop him? I watched as Hayden got off the bed and headed for the door. He could walk and move around so I guess he must be fine to a certain extent. With a sigh, I slipped out of bed and followed him out of my bedroom.


    The art studio looks mysteriously beautiful with the moonlight shining in; however, I could tell that the sun would soon rece the moon. Hayden stood in front of the painting where I had covered it with arge ck cloth. I switched on the light so that Hayden could see the painting clearly.


    "Just a moment¡­" I said as I quickly started removing the ck cloth.


    I honestly didn¡¯t think that I would be showing the painting to Hayden in this situation, but it was good enough that he was interested. After removing the cover, I turned to gauge Hayden¡¯ reaction to the painting. They say the audience¡¯s most honest reaction to a piece of art was when they firstid eyes on it.


    It was unfair topare the two butpared to Ethan, Hayden did not really have a trained eye for art. However, that also meant that his reactions were always genuine and uninterrupted by professional experience or interpretation. The look on Hayden¡¯s face when I first revealed the painting to him wasn¡¯t one that I expected.


    Hayden looked a little confused when he saw my painting of the white tulips. After his initial wave of confusion, his expression softened, and he seemed to appreciate the beauty of the flower.


    "What do you think?" I asked.


    "It¡¯s pretty. The flower looks white and pure," Haydenmented.


    "I got Auntie to buy me some white tulips so that I could paint from the real thing," I exined.


    I headed over to the table and lifted up the vase of white tulips to show him. Hayden nodded in understanding, but his initial confused reaction told me that he didn¡¯t know the meaning behind white tulips at all. That was fine. I didn¡¯t expect him to be well versed in floriography, thenguages of flowers, because even I¡¯m not an expert at it or anything like that.


    "Do you know what white tulips symbolize?" I asked as I stared up at his face.


    "No¡­" Hayden replied honestly as he gazed down into my eyes.


    His eyes were the color of a cloudless blue sky on a sunny day¡­


    "It symbolizes forgiveness," I said before smiling a little at him.


    "Have you decided to forgive me? Why all of a sudden?" Hayden said ash is eyes lit up with hope.


    Maybe he¡¯s been feeling guilty for keeping me locked up in here all this time.


    "No, I want you to forgive me," I replied honestly.


    Hayden looked at me with widened eyes. It seemed like my words had stunned him into silence. Iughed a little at his stunned expression. I predicted that he would be quite shocked but not quite this shocked at my words.


    "Forgive you?" Hayden managed to question after a pause of silence.


    I nodded.


    "That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry for not trying to understand you at all. Even when you tried your best to keep mepany and talk to me every day. I knew you were trying but I just ignored all your efforts. I still don¡¯t think that you should lock me up without telling me why but what I did was also wrong. I¡¯m sorry¡­" I said sadly.


    "Don¡¯t me yourself. You had the right to be mad. I decided not to tell you anything at the cost of you getting angry at me. That was just that," Hayden stated matter-of-factly.


    "But still¡­" I began protesting weakly.


    "In the future, there will be times when I cannot tell you everything or anything. You will be left in the dark and you will feel helpless. You won¡¯t know who to trust or what to believe. Just like now¡­" he said as he looked deeply into my eyes.


    "I see¡­" I replied softly.


    "Just like now and when times like thesee along in the future, can you please choose to trust me?" he asked but there was a slight plead in his voice.


    If I chose to trust Hayden, then I probably wouldn¡¯t feel the way I did since I entered this suite. If I can trust Hayden, then will my heart and mind rest at ease?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 192: Sleep

    I nodded my head when I had made my decision. Hayden reached his hand towards me and patted the top of my head gently. I flinched when I saw the bandages around some of his fingers and closed my eyes.


    "Luka was telling the truth. Although I told him not to say anything I guess he went ahead and told you anyways. It¡¯s not safe outside right now and since we¡¯ve been seen together oftentely, I figured that it would be safer to keep you here. Needless to say, I¡¯m also keeping you away from Ethan and his influence," Hayden admitted straightforwardly.


    "What about you? Luka mentioned that it wasn¡¯t very safe for you too¡­" I asked, recalling Luka¡¯s words.


    "He said that? Don¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯s safe enough for me¡­" Hayden said casually.


    "I see. Please stay safe¡­" I said with worry.


    "Starting from tomorrow, I¡¯ll allow you to go outside these rooms as long as you stay in the mansion. Ask Auntie to give you a tour of the mansion. She will let you know of the parts that are off-limits. You can also go into the gardens, but you must have a group of bodyguards with you at all times. Is that clear?" Hayden exined before asking if I understood.


    Luka was right about one more thing. If I was nice to Hayden, he would let me out. Now, at least, I can roam around the mansion and go out into the gardens.


    "Yes, it¡¯s very clear. Thank you, Hayden!" I thanked him cheerfully.


    "I¡¯d rather let you die of boredom in here than to have you get hurt or killed somewhere outside. My views will not change. So, until it is safe for you to roam outside, I will keep you in the mansion," Hayden said bluntly.


    "You said that peace isn¡¯t easy to achieve¡­" I murmured.


    I wanted to ask him when I could go outside but then I didn¡¯t think that Hayden knew the answer to that, so I was going to ask him about what he said about his brother¡¯s death instead. However, I felt Hayden¡¯s arm around me, and my body immediately stiffened. He gave me a quizzical look at my reaction.


    "Umm¡­sorry, you¡¯re hurt so¡­" I quickly exined so that he wouldn¡¯t get the wrong idea.


    Hayden gave me a relief smile and hugged me closer before cing a soft kiss on my cheek. My eyes widened slightly in surprise before I turned and smiled up at him. The light of dawn flooding into the studio made me feel warm inside. When Hayden bent down to kiss me, I slowly closed my eyes and offered him my lips in sweet surrender.


    His kiss felt equally sweet as he teased my lips softly with soft kisses until I was moaning in his arms.


    My lips parted invitingly, and his wet tongue thrusted into the depth of my mouth. Our kiss quickly deepened as our tongues danced wildly together. He continued kissing me until I was breathless as his hands traveled along the curves of my body. If this continues¡­


    "Hayden¡­" I called out his name breathlessly after managing to break our kiss.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" he asked.


    "Let¡¯s¡­continue when you¡¯re feeling better¡­" I suggested weakly.


    Hayden looked down at me with a nk expression on his face that transformed into a huge bout ofughter. Heughed so hard that I worried that it would hurt his injuries more than before. I was worried about Hayden¡¯s recovery and felt like his body should do nothing else but rest.


    "Look, the sun is rising¡­" Hayden said gently close to my ear.


    My eyes followed his to see that the sun had indeed started to rise. Its rays changing the color of the night sky into a mix of purple, red, and orange. It¡¯s a new day and it felt full of promising possibilities¡­


    "You¡¯re right¡­" I replied with a smile.


    "You should sleep. You haven¡¯t slept all night, right?" Hayden suggested with a smile.


    "Doesn¡¯t the same apply to you?" I pointed out.


    "Should we sleep together?" he proposed suggestively.


    He¡¯s really pushy about this¡­on top of everything else¡­


    "Sleep! Just sleep¡­" I dered firmly.


    It was in obvious to me that there were still things that Hayden didn¡¯t want to tell me or talk to me about. I wasn¡¯t sure if he didn¡¯t want to or if he just wasn¡¯t ready to. Regardless of his reasons, I decided to give him time¡­


    ¡­


    I had no idea what time it was when I woke up the next morning; however, I felt like I overslept by a lot. Considering that we went to bed past dawn, it was probably sometime around noon right now. There was a heavy weight across my chest which I soon realized was Hayden¡¯s arm draped across my body. Slowly, I arched my neck around to see Hayden still peacefully sleeping next to me.


    Letting out a soft sigh of relief, I found a small smile had formed on my lips. Since I didn¡¯t want to wake him from his peaceful slumber, I decided to stay still for a while longer as I enjoyed the feel of his body close to mine. The room was quiet save for the soft sound of our breathing. It seemed like years ago since west enjoyed a peaceful morning together in bed like this.


    "Malissa¡­" Hayden murmured my name.


    I could see that he had his eyes opened now and he was staring intently at me. He looked very sleepy, and I found that adorable.


    "Did I wake you?" I asked.


    "No¡­" he repliedzily.


    "Are you hungry? Maybe I should tell Auntie to prepare breakfast¡­or more like lunch for us?" I asked.


    "No need. Just stay here¡­" Hayden replied before he closed his eyes again.


    His arm around my body tightened and I knew that he was serious about staying in bed. I was sure that he was tired fromst night and his body must feel sore now from all the injuries. Does the bandage need to be reced today?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 193: Morning Interruption

    Slowly, I reached out my hand and ran my fingers gently through his blond hair while Hayden continued to rest with his eyes closed. The way the corners of his lips curled upwards a little made me feel that he liked it when I did this.


    "Would you be happier if you could paint more?" Hayden spoke up softly with his eyes still closed.


    "I guess. Probably," I replied thoughtfully.


    "Do you have like a website or something where people can view your portfolio online?" Hayden asked.


    "Honestly, I haven¡¯t gotten around to setting anything like that up. I know that I should though¡­" I said as I pursed my lips together in thought.


    Unknowingly, my hand had stopped stroking his hair and Hayden stirred before opening his eyes.


    "You should make a website so everyone can see your work¡­" Hayden said resolutely.


    "I guess you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll work on it soon¡­" I replied.


    "Not good enough. You have all the time in the world now. Start today," Hayden replied strictly.


    The way he said it made me feel like I would receive some sort of punishment if I didn¡¯t start working on the website today. It wasn¡¯t like it was difficult or anything, but I had been putting it off using this and that as excuses.


    "Ok. I¡¯ll start working on it today," I said after a sigh of defeat.


    "How many days do you think you¡¯ll need to get it done?" Hayden asked.


    "Like a week? I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a pro or anything¡­" I mumbled.


    "Make that three days. I¡¯ll check on your progress every day," Hayden stated.


    "Are you my professor now?" I asked with narrowed eyes.


    "Nope¡­I¡¯m your master," Hayden said.


    His hands pushed my shoulders t onto the bed before he quickly got on top of me. I looked up at the now-familiar sight of Hayden straddling me. The sudden movement just now must have inflicted some pain on his body because Hayden winched slightly.


    "It hurts, doesn¡¯t it?" I asked with a smirk.


    Suddenly, loud knocking sounds echoed throughout the room. Before we could react, the knocking ceased, and the front door opened with a m. My eyes widened in shock because that meant that someone had entered the living room. While my mind thought about who it could be, Hayden rolled his eyes and swore fluidly before climbing off me.


    "Get dressed. Cover yourself," Haydenmanded with his back turned to me.


    I had no idea what was going on but the seriousness in his voice had me doing exactly what he told me to.


    "Fuck¡­" Hayden swore under his breath.


    Just at that moment, someone started banging loudly on the bedroom door. This has never happened before. Apart from Hayden, Auntie and the maids, no one has entered this suite before. Now that I thought about it, Hayden was the only male specimen that has entered this suite while I was living here.


    "Hayden!"


    That voice just now is the boss, right?


    "Shit¡­" Hayden swore and swore some more.


    After ncing over at me to make sure that I had my body adequately covered, Hayden opened the door. A red-faced boss stood there with his chest heaving up and down in anger. For a moment, I was ultimately convinced that he would explode or burst a couple of veins in his brain. I had no idea why the boss was that mad, but he was surely angry at Hayden.


    "Why are you here?!" the boss screamed so loudly that my hands instinctively flew to cover my ears.


    "Come this way with me for a bit¡­" Hayden replied calmly as he pulled on his father¡¯s arm.


    The boss nced over at me, and I froze in fear. His bloodshot eyes were so scary.


    "Why are you here?! Do you know what¡¯s going on out there right now? I¡¯m cleaning up your shitty mess!" the boss screamed as he struggled against Hayden¡¯s grip on his arm.


    "Come this way¡­" Hayden said.


    "Do you have any idea¡­mhmmm!" the boss screaming was muffled by Hayden¡¯s hand over his mouth.


    The struggle between father and son when on until Hayden sessfully removed his father from my bedroom and the door closed firmly after them. I sat on the bed with the covers over my body with no clue about what had just urred or what I was supposed to do.


    Was the boss about to say something just now?


    I cocked my head to the side in confusion and intense curiosity as I blinked rapidly at the closed door of my bedroom. What just happened?


    The saddest thing was that I didn¡¯t have any clothes besides the nightgown and a robe to wear. That clearly wasn¡¯t a look that I was willing to sport in front of the boss. Since Hayden had just allowed me outside of these roomsst night, I haven¡¯t had the chance to request for usual clothes. I wrapped a robe around my body and tied it.


    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if the two men were still in the living room or if this was the right time for me to make an entrance. cing my ear against the bedroom door made me realize that it waspletely silent on the other side.


    They¡¯re probably gone now. I opened the door a crack and peeked through the gap to see that the living room was indeed empty and very quiet. A long sigh of relief left me, and I ced a hand on my chest before walking out into the living room. I had no idea why the boss was so mad at Hayden but if I had to guess, it was probably because he escaped from the hospital. I mean, what else could it be?


    That thought made meugh softly to myself at the interaction that I had just witnessed between father and son. I guess being a mafia family didn¡¯t change how loving those two are towards each other, although how they expressed their love for each other could be a little different from usual people.


    It was evident that the boss was worried about Hayden and as Hayden had said, the fact that he had lost his eldest son probably had a huge impact on him. The boss definitely didn¡¯t want to and couldn¡¯t afford to lose Hayden too.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 194: Hidden Conflicts

    "Get your hand off my mouth!" the boss screamed once he managed to yank Hayden¡¯s hand away.


    "Calm down¡­" Hayden said.


    "You of all people don¡¯t have the right to say that to me!" the boss continued yelling.


    "Stop screaming¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "I¡¯m going to scream until you understand what the fuck you¡¯ve done! Have you seen this? Have you seen this!?" the boss shouted as he shoved a piece of paper in Hayden¡¯s face.


    Hayden took the paper from his father¡¯s hand and scanned the printed text with his eyes. He had a look of surprise on his face for a brief moment before his eyes narrowed and his face darkened evidently.


    "Why would he do this¡­?" Hayden asked in wonder.


    "Ethan is evil. He¡¯s doing this all on purpose to screw with everyone¡¯s head. He returned home beaten up so imagine how pissed of the Silvas are about it right now. Then this morning, he sent a fucking letter of apology straight to my office for getting into a fight with my son. Guess who the Silvas are pissed off at right now? I told you to stay away from him¡­" the bossined.


    "He approached me first¡­" Hayden stated.


    "Don¡¯t sound like a five-year-old. This isn¡¯t about who started it first! This is gang politics!" the boss yelled back, unable to control his anger.


    "Enough, I¡¯m getting a headache¡­" Hayden replied with a frown.


    "Fuck. I¡¯m going to hit you on the head until you bleed to death!" the boss yelled as he drew his hand back.


    "Just ignore Ethan¡­" Hayden muttered indifferently.


    "Ignore him? how? All the gangs are watching this shit show. That bastard sent an official letter of apology," the boss said with an incredulous look on his face.


    "That¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it? It shows that he knows what he did was wrong," Hayden said without a care.


    "Let me put it differently so you young and stupid people will understand. How will Torex be perceived if we don¡¯t respond in kind? I, the Head of Torex, have to send back a letter of apology as well just to make sure that our hands look clean in all this mess!" the boss exined in anger.


    "Aha¡­" Hayden murmured.


    "Are you even listening?!" his father screamed at him again.


    "Yes, I¡¯m listening and yes I understood everything that you¡¯ve just said," Hayden replied while anticipating his father¡¯s next question.


    "Why did you do it? It isn¡¯t like you to react to these provocations¡­" the boss asked sternly.


    Hayden hesitated for a moment but then decided to tell his father the truth.


    "Ethan came to see Malissa a few times. When he approached me, he said some things about her that didn¡¯t sit well with me," Hayden said, his tone cold.


    "What did he say?" the boss asked.


    "¡­He said that Malissa belongs to Silva and that I have to hand her back. Either that or we have to form a partnership," Hayden replied followed by a frustrated sigh.


    "That doesn¡¯t make any sense! I paid 500 million dors back then for her ransom. If anything, I bought her and she belongs to Torex," the boss eximed with clear dissatisfaction.


    "Jack was a Silva¡­by the rule, Malissa is a Silva by birth," Hayden replied matter-of-factly.


    "Jack cut his ties with Silva and this world a long time ago. It¡¯s ridiculous for Ethan to be making his ims now," the boss said heatedly.


    "Will all gangs think that way, I wonder¡­" Hayden muttered as if talking to himself.


    "It depends. One thing for sure is that I can¡¯t have any gang suspecting or thinking that Torex broke some rules. It would ruin our reputation and I can¡¯t have that happening. What do you n to do about Malissa?" the boss asked, his eyes staring deeply into his son¡¯s eyes.


    "I don¡¯t know but I won¡¯t let history repeat itself," Hayden replied determinedly.


    "I won¡¯t either. I don¡¯t have another son to lose¡­" the boss said.


    ¡­


    Hayden and Luka stood side by side in front of Hayden¡¯s car. Hayden gazed at the car that he drove yesterday and sighed.


    "Luka, can you get me a baseball bat or something¡­" Hayden instructed.


    "Sure¡­but why do you need it?" Luka asked as he started to get a bad feeling about all this.


    "Just get it for me. Now would be good¡­" Hayden replied impatiently.


    "Yeah yeah¡­" Luka muttered as he walked off.


    A few minutester, he returned with a baseball bat. With a questioning look on his face, he handed it over to Hayden.


    "You¡¯re not going to¡­" Luka said before he had to end his sentence midway to jump out of the way.


    Hayden raised the bat and mmed it down onto the front of his car. There was a loud smashing sound as the bat dented the metal of the car. Hayden repeated the action and Luka jumped out of the way as the front light of the car broke, shattering ss in all directions. Luka¡¯s eyes widened as he watched Hayden continue to strike his luxury sportscar.


    "Need a hand? It looks quite fun. Let me have a go at it too," Luka said.


    Hayden paused and took in a few deep breaths. His body felt sore, and some parts of his injuries stung but he ignored itpletely. Wordlessly, he turned to look at Luka before handing him the baseball bat.


    "Sure," Hayden said and slipped the bat into Luka¡¯s hand.


    He couldn¡¯t care less who did the work as long as the work got done. No one, especially Malissa, will see his car in perfect condition. It¡¯ll probably be a good idea to show her the damaged car to keep the story firmly intact in her mind too. Hayden stood to the side as he watched Luka take out his pent-up stress on the car.


    "Shit¡­no matter how rich you are, that¡¯s just a waste¡­" Luka said followed by a chuckle.


    He returned to stand at Hayden¡¯s side and the two men looked at their masterpiece before nodding at each other in approval.


    "The car looks so roughed up like it¡¯s supposed to now, I guess¡­" Luka said thoughtfully with his eyes on the car.


    "I had a car ident, ok? Make sure everyone tells the same story. The men are instructed not to talk to her unless necessary but make sure that Auntie and the maid are aligned," Haydenmanded coldly.


    "Alright¡­" Luka solemnly agreed.


    --To be continued¡­


    Please support my other works: Lust Contracts, Forbidden Heat and Conquering the Emperor

 Chapter 195: Learning to Negotiate

    It was a little over an hour before Hayden returned to the room. I spent the past hour sitting on the sofa as I fretted about what had just happened. However, it seemed like there wasn¡¯t anything for me to worry about. When Hayden returned to the room, he seemed calmed and collected. He had a pleasant smile for me, and I found myself smiling back.


    "Why did your father visit? He seemed so angry¡­is everything ok?" I asked and I could hear my own concern in my voice.


    Hayden sat down next to me on the sofa and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Although some trouble went down between him and the boss, Hayden didn¡¯t seem disturbed in the slightest.


    "Nothing much. The boss got mad because I snuck out of the hospital, but I told him that I¡¯m fine now. The other gang members are quite panicked because of the ident that I had but the old man will assure them that I¡¯m ok and that should put them at ease. It¡¯s not a big deal, really," Hayden said carefreely before turning to smile confidently at me.


    If that was the case then I guess it¡¯s all fine and good, thankfully so. I wondered what Hayden will do today. Hopefully he doesn¡¯t have to go to work in his condition. I wished that he would go back to the hospital, but I wasn¡¯t sure if we would agree.


    "That¡¯s great. What are you going to do today? I think¡­that you¡¯ll recover faster if you go to the hospital to get proper checkups and follower ups from the doctor," I suggested.


    "Hmm¡­don¡¯t wanna. I¡¯ll just stay here and rest," Hayden saidzily.


    I had a feeling that he would say something along those lines. However, I still wanted him to go to the hospital no matter what.


    "I really think you should go to the hospital. You know, what if something is seriously wrong? Also, I think you¡¯ll heal faster that way. Won¡¯t you consider going?" I asked pleadingly.


    "I don¡¯t want to sleep over at the hospital. If I go, they¡¯ll probably force me to do just that just likest night," Hayden muttered as he frowned.


    "Then, can you just go but not spend the night there? You can always return when you¡¯re done, right? So, please go¡­" I tried to convince him.


    Hayden sighed loudly and ran his fingers through his blond hair, leaving it all ruffled. I stared pleadingly into his clear blue eyes as I leaned my head on his shoulder.


    "Please go. Hopefully, it won¡¯t take that long. I¡¯ll try to have some ideas for my website ready to show you when you¡¯re back. How¡¯s that for a deal?" I suggested.


    "Trying to negotiate with me? Not a bad try¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "So, you¡¯ll go?" I asked hopefully.


    "Fine. I¡¯ll go. Let¡¯s talk about the website when I¡¯m back," Hayden finally agreed.


    "Oh, before that. Umm¡­can you order Auntie to get me proper clothes and shoes now so that I can dress up properly for when I leave this room. You know¡­I only have revealing night gowns in the closet¡­" I requested with aint.


    "Those are the most important things. Sure, I¡¯ll tell Auntie to get some clothes for you. You can tell her the details of what you want," Hayden replied.


    "What about grabbing my clothes from my apartment? Is that an option?" I asked, hopefully.


    "It is but getting new clothes would be easier. Plus, I want to buy you some new clothes. Just sort it out with Auntie," he replied.


    My old clothes were just fine though¡­


    "Ok. You better be on your way. I¡¯ll see youter today¡­" I said as I got up from the sofa and gestured towards the door for him to leave.


    Hayden looked slightly annoyed at my insistence, but he got up from the sofa. Swiftly, he leaned down and kissed my forehead lightly before walking past me towards the door. I turned around with my fingertips on the lingering heat of his kiss on my forehead as I watch his back disappear through the door.


    ¡­


    Soon after Auntie showed up to see me in the room and I figured that it was probably on Hayden¡¯s orders. After talking to her about my clothes, she finally agreed to fetch some of my old clothes from my apartment in exchange for me picking out some new clothes and other items that I wanted.


    "Hayden insisted on making sure that you pick out new clothes so¡­can you please just do as he says?" Auntie said encouragingly.


    "But I have old clothes back at my apartment¡­" I protested lightly.


    "I know that. How about this? I¡¯ll ask someone to pick up some of your old clothes and you pick out some new clothes. I have designer catalogues and online shopping sites here for you, so can you please order a lot of clothes and essories?" Auntie said, almost begging for me to ce some orders.


    Hayden¡¯s orders were really absolute to members of his household. I nodded my head in defeat as I went through the website with Auntie¡¯s help. After a long while, I was finally done with finalizing my choices for new clothe and shoes. I looked forward to reuniting with my old clothes more than the arrival of the new ones though.


    "One more thing¡­" I quickly said before Auntie would leave.


    "What is it, dear?" she asked.


    Now this was the hardest part in all of this.


    "Umm¡­can you help get me some¡­contraceptive pills?" I requested shyly as I nced down at my folded hands on myp.


    Hayden is recovering now so somehow, I¡¯ve managed to keep him off me for the time being, but his injuries are not going to hold him back forever, if they¡¯re even holding him back now. Lately, he¡¯s been doing me raw without any protection and that was probably because he thought I was on the pill. However, since being semi-kidnapped here, I had left the pills back at my apartment.


    "Sure¡­I will arrange that if you can give me the details," Auntie replied after a short pause.


    "Thank you¡­" I replied softly before giving her the details of what I wanted.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 196: When We Bend

    I stared at the in white paper in front of me with my lips pursed together tightly as my mind struggled toe up with any ideas for the website. Although I had readily promised Hayden that I would have ideas to show him when he got back, I had clearly underestimated the task. After almost an hour of thinking, I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted the website to look like.


    Apart from the basic functionalities that I could reference from other simr sites, I had no idea how to make my website stand out. The biggest issue was how to make the website represent my style of art.


    My n was to sketch out a few websiteyouts to show Haydenter today but so far, the page was white, pristine, and very empty. I shouldn¡¯t have promised him anything so easily. Changing my approach a little, I turned on theptop and started researching website of other artists to see how they showcased their online portfolio.


    Some website had forms for visitors to fill in to request formissions as well. That might be a good idea if I¡¯m trying to make some money from taking onmissions.


    Since painting my grandmother, I had started to like sketching and painting portraits so maybe there¡¯s a market and demand for that? After spending almost another hour checking out various relevant websites, I decided to go with something white, in, and very simple for my own website.


    Hopefully, after adding in photos of my art works, the website will somehow automaticallye to life on its own¡­


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden would buy any of the ideas that I had or the direction of my thought, but my hand started moving to sketch out some basic homepageyouts for my website. When I chose to major in art, I had many worries include those rted to making a living out of it. We were poor so choosing to be an artist at the time felt like an incredibly selfish choice to make.


    However, my sweet grandmother was so supportive of it.


    Now was the time of judgement. It¡¯s time to see if I can start to support myself independently by being an artist. Hopefully, I can go back to teaching my art sses again soon too. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was an option anymore, but I hoped that it was because I did enjoy teaching my sses.


    A few minutester, I had a website design sketched out but after looking at it I let out a sigh. The sound of the page tearing cut through the silent room as I tore the page out of the notebook before crumbling it and tossing it into the nearby bin. Time to try again¡­


    It was like a little miracle had just urred when I managed to sketch out threeyouts that I thought were good enough for me to show Hayden. Now that the designs were done, I realized that I didn¡¯t know when Hayden woulde back exactly. I haven¡¯t heard from him since he left the room and the mansion for the hospital. After a moment of hesitation, I was dialing Hayden¡¯s number.


    "Hey¡­umm¡­I was wondering when you¡¯ll be back¡­" I asked, suddenly feeling quite shy although I was just asking him a very simple question.


    "I¡¯m almost done, maybe I¡¯ll get back in an hour or so. Wait for me?" he replied smoothly.


    "Ok¡­did everything go well with the checkups?" I asked worriedly.


    "Everything¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry," Hayden replied before hanging up.


    I stared at my phone once the line had disconnected and prayed that what he was saying was true. Suddenly, there were a few soft knocks on the door, and I instinctively knew that it must be Auntie.


    "Come in!" I called out loudly.


    The door opened, this time without needing to be unlocked from the outside first. Although, I spent my day in the same room as I did before, it felt very different to know that the door was now locked from the inside and not from the outside.


    My freedom was still limited but it felt like I had won an important battle in this war of regaining my freedom now that I was allowed to wander the mansion and itsrge gardens.


    "We brought you clothes!" Auntie announced proudly.


    I watched in amazement as the maids wheeled in a rack of clothes that were from my apartment followed my multiple racks of clothing that I had never seen before.


    "Thank you so much. So fast¡­" I said, truly impressed.


    "Oh¡­and this as well¡­" Auntie said softly as she came to stand by my side.


    I peered down to see the pills that I had asked for in her hand. Looking up into her face, I smiled at her to thank her before taking the pills from her. I let out an internal sigh of relief. At least, now there would be one less thing for me to worry about.


    After thanking her a couple more times, Auntie and the maids left the room. The arrival of my clothes was perfectly timed. I still had some time before Hayden got back so I decided to take a shower. Putting on a casual dress felt so good after being stuck wearing short night gowns and robes for like a week.


    The weather seemed perfect today, so I decided to abuse my newly granted privilege of going out into the gardens.


    ording to Hayden I needed a group of bodyguards toe with me though. So, where can I get ¡¯a group of bodyguards¡¯?


    I touched the doorknob and almost cried out with joy when it turned, and the door opened. The sight of the empty hallway never looked so pleasing to me before. The men in ck were no longer stationed right in front of my door and that was a little troublesome now that I was looking for them.


    I walked along the hallway towards the stairs and to my pleasant surprise, a group of men in ck were stationed there. Perfect!


    "Hi. I want to take a stroll in the gardens so can you guyse with me?" I asked, a little hesitantly.


    These are pretty much Hayden¡¯s orders, but I wasn¡¯t sure if they were aware.


    "Of course," the man who seemed to be the leader of the squad replied without hesitation.


    Wow, that was easy. Great!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 197: In the Garden

    Half the men led me to the garden while the other half of the team followed close behind. I found everything to be over-the-top and very funny. I mean, I was just walking to the gardens right outside this mansion. Now that I think about it, Auntie hasn¡¯t given me a tour of the mansion yet because she must have been so busy dealing with my other requests.


    I didn¡¯t mind though since I had the time to draft out some designs for my website.


    The garden outside the mansion reminded me of therge garden that I saw before entering the boss¡¯s base. Trees, nts, and flowers were arranged artistically to form a very beautifulndscape. Many flowers were in bloom and the colors added to the splendor of the garden. Just like I had guessed, the weather was perfect for a little stroll.


    The men gave me some space, but I could still feel their eyes on me. It was quite ufortable to be watched like this, but I tried my best to ignore them.


    There was a small path that led deeper into the garden that wounded its way to the side of the mansion and I decided to follow it. Flowerpots along with decorative statues in the shapes and designs of forest animals lined both sides of the path. The wind blew against my face, sending my long hair back behind me.


    I tucked a few loose strands of hair behind my ears before holding down on the skirt of my dress to keep it from blowing too wildly in the wind.


    There were many flowers in the garden that I didn¡¯t know but I found them beautiful and calming to look at, nheless. A little whileter, I found a white bench located under arge tree. It was the perfect ce to sit and chill on such a day as this and I thanked whoever had the genius idea to put a bench here. Straying off the path, I approached the long bench and quickly sat down on it.


    This is so nice and rxing. After being cooped up inside the mansion for so long, this was the perfect break that I needed.


    ¡­


    Something is tickling my nose. It feels like I¡¯m about to sneeze. It¡¯s so nice and windy and I felt so sleepy.


    Wait¡­


    I opened my eyes in shock at the realization that I must have dozed off. If I remember correctly, I came into the garden and then I sat down on a bench.


    "Oh, you¡¯re up. I was wondering how long you were going to take a nap here," Hayden said teasingly from above.


    The view of the tree branches above was quickly covered by Hayden¡¯s face looking down at me from above.


    "Hayden?" I called his name questioningly.


    When did he get here?


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I fell asleep here. Was I that tired or something?


    "Yes, it¡¯s me. Guess your brain isn¡¯t fully awake yet¡­" Hayden continued to tease me as he smiled down at me from above.


    "When did you get here?" I asked.


    "A little while now. You were sleeping peacefully so I didn¡¯t want to wake you," Hayden said before sitting up straight.


    That was when I realized that my head was resting on hisp. Did he do this? I had to say that hisp felt good as a temporary pillow.


    "Wee back. Are you feeling better?" I asked.


    Hayden had a shirt on, so I didn¡¯t know if any of the bandages had been removed or was he as wrapped up as before.


    "I¡¯m better and it wasn¡¯t that bad to begin with¡­" Hayden replied with a hint of annoyance.


    "Good then. Shall we go back inside? It¡¯s getting very windy¡­" I suggested as I slowly supported my body up into a sitting position.


    "Any progress on your website design?" Hayden asked.


    It was just like him not to forget about that. I was d that I had some progress to show him.


    "Yup. I have a few ideas. I¡¯ll show you when we¡¯re back inside," I replied.


    I stood up from the bench, but Hayden didn¡¯t do the same. I turned to face him as I cocked my head to one side slightly in wonder.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" I asked.


    Without replying to me with words, Hayden held out a hand towards me. Is he telling me to take his hand to pull him up?


    Still quite confused, I ced my hands into his and he gripped it firmly.


    "Am I supposed to pull you up now?" I asked.


    "Want to give it a try?" he asked challengingly.


    Well, I guess I could¡­


    I pulled on Hayden¡¯s arm with all my strength, but he didn¡¯t move at all. How heavy is he¡­seriously?!


    "You¡¯re so¡­heavy!" I eximed as I tried pulling harder.


    Hayden justughed at my struggle. Suddenly, Hayden pulled on my arm, and I found myself falling right on top of him.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name as I bumped into his chest.


    Somehow, Inded on hisp, and he had his arm around my waist. Hayden was stillughing like he was truly enjoying himself and my struggle.


    "You¡¯re so weak and small¡­" Hayden said as he petted my hair lovingly.


    "Well,pared to you¡­" I muttered as I red at him.


    His bright blue eyes twinkled in amusement. His touch on my hair was gentle and so was the arm that held me to him around my waist. I smiled at him. I guess Hayden is feeling better now and he¡¯s in a better mood too. Slowly, our face got closer to each other until our lips met in a sweet and tender kiss.


    It was getting dark now and a little colder too. The wind blew harder than before. This time when I invited Hayden back inside, he got up and followed me willingly. We walked hand in hand along the small path through the garden back to the mansion. I thought that I enjoyed my walk here decently enough when I was alone, but the walk felt so much more fulfilling now that I had Hayden by my side.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 198: Undisturbed Sleep

    "It¡¯s in and simple but I think there¡¯s a chic vibe to it¡­" Hayden said with his eyes on my sketch.


    Honestly, I was relieved that he agreed with the concept that I had in mind after I had spent a few minutes exining it to him. I was afraid that he would say that it would be too in at first.


    "I think the simple white background and ck text and headers are probably best for a chic look like you said. The rest of the color will be provided by photos of my work anyways so it¡¯s not like the whole website will be ck and white or anything¡­" I continued to exin.


    "So which design are you going for?" Hayden asked as he turned to look straight at me.


    That¡¯s a very good question. I drew out three options, but I wasn¡¯t sure¡­


    "What about you? Out of the three, which one do you think would work best?" I asked in return.


    Hayden turned back and studied the three temte designs again and I could tell that he was seriously evaluating them in turn.


    "I like this one best. It seems easy to navigate and the photo of your work isrge and clear," he exined his choice wlessly.


    Now that he mentioned it, I think I agreed with him. Now that that is settled, I can start creating my website tomorrow using some basic creation tool. Thankfully, there were loads of options avable to help newbies like me create a website.


    "Great. I¡¯ll go with this one then¡­" I readily agreed.


    "Have you thought about the URL name? Is it just going to be your name? Do you have a pseudonym or something?" Hayden asked.


    "Good question. I haven¡¯t really thought about it. So far, I haven¡¯t done much to market my work, so I never thought about it," I admitted shyly.


    "Time to get more serious if you want to make this your career. Alternatively, you can justze around all day in the mansion," Hayden said, and I wasn¡¯t sure if he was serious of if he was joking.


    "I¡¯ll get more serious. I¡¯lle up with pseudonym that sounds cool and mysterious," I dered with renewed determination.


    I didn¡¯t want toze around doing nothing. After spending years polishing up my skills, I am desperate tounch my career as an artist.


    ¡­


    Malissa¡¯s bedroom was dark and silent. Hayden¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t see much in the dark but based on his memories and the rough outlines that he could see; he could make his way over from the door to her bed with ease. Crouching down next to her bed, he brought his face closer to her¡¯s and he could tell that she was sound asleep. The sound of her breathing was deep and regr.


    It was a shame that he couldn¡¯t see her sleeping face in the darkness, but he had enough memories of it to picture what she must have looked like sleeping peacefully in that moment.


    Malissa¡¯s mood has improved dramatically, and she had started to smile and enjoy her life once again. Although he could sense that she was still troubled from time to time, he was relieved and overjoyed by her improvement.


    Despite his efforts to part with her earlier in the evening so that she could get some quality undisturbed sleep, some how in his own struggle to fall asleep his feet had taken him into her room.


    ¡¯So much for giving her undisturbed sleep¡¯ Hayden thought to himself as his hand slowly reached out towards her face.


    His fingertips gently touched a strand of her loose hair. The softness of her hair against his fingertips felt pleasantly rxing and before long, he wanted to touch more of her. An amused smile curved his lips as his fingers began tracing a line along the smooth skin of her cheek. Hayden paid extra attention to ensure that Malissa wouldn¡¯t wake up.


    He wanted to see how much he could touch and y with her before she woke up. Suddenly, this became a fun little game andte-night entertainment to him.


    His fingers dipped from her cheek down to her soft and sensual lips. Her lips were soft and warm against his fingertips as he stroked it gently. When his fingers slid down along the side of her neck, Malissa let out a small whimper that made Hayden pull his hand quickly away from her. Apart from the soft whimper, Malissa did not stir or show any signs of waking up.


    Hayden continued with his advances by slowly pulling down the covers that was covering her chest and upper body. By this time his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he could make out more outlines of her body. He traced his hand softly from her shoulders down to her chest where his hand felt the texture of soft and thince.


    Hayden smiled, knowing that Malissa was wearing one of the sexy nightgowns that he had prepared for her. He knew that it was quite mean for him to leave her with nothing to wear besides these for around a week, but he truly enjoyed watching her move about her activities with nothing but a short and revealing nightgown on.


    His fingers traced around her breast and her breathing quickened. Malissa let out soft moans but did not wake up. When his fingertips brushed against her nipples through the thince fabric, she moaned a little louder while her nipples quickly hardened at his stimting touch. Hayden knew where and how she liked to be touched and fondled.


    Enjoying her reactions, Hayden slipped his hands under the thince of her nightgown to touch and fondle her breasts directly. Her skin felt slightly warm against his fingers and hands as he cupped her breasts softly. Malissa moaned and her body began to stir a little before settling down again. Hayden began groping and massaging her breasts gently before applying more pressure to his caresses.


    Malissa¡¯s moans got louder, and her breathing started to bebored.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 199: Man of my Dreams

    The lewd sounds and reactions that she was making only helped to turn Hayden on even further. His hands quickly slid down her body to her waist and then the curve of her hips. Pulling the cover down even further, he revealed her hips and naked thighs. Unable to hold himself back any longer, Hayden stood up and carefully climbed into bed with Malissa.


    His hands began stroking her hips before slowly sliding downwards to stroke and pay loving attention to her thighs. From her pleasurable moans, he could tell that she was starting to get very turned on and he wondered what she was seeing in her dreams right now.


    ¡­


    My mind felt like it was floating in the clouds, and I wasn¡¯t sure if the dream that I was having should be ssified as a bad or a good dream. My body slowly began to feel hot, and a pleasurable ache started swelling up in my lower abdomen before spreading even lower. My core felt hot, and the throbbing heat was spreading all over my body. Suddenly, my breasts felt heavy and sensitive.


    I heard myself moaning as the man in my dreams began ying seductively with my nipples, making them hard. By the time his hand slid underneath my clothes to cup my naked breasts, I knew that I was sexually aroused.


    Desire and need for fulfilment filled my mind and clouded it. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m having a dream like this. I heard a soft whimpering moan escape my lips again as his hands began kneading my breasts, sending sharp waves of pleasure flooding into my body before it began leaking out as hot wetness in between my legs. My mind and body drifted at the boarder that separated sleep and reality.


    Iid on the bed with my eyes closed as I enjoyed the pleasure from his seductive caresses.


    It wasn¡¯t normal for me to have dreams like this. In my mind¡¯s eyes I could see Hayden in bed with me as he continued to seduce me with his touches and then his kisses. I wanted him so much too but he¡¯s not here. This is just a dream. Was I having this dream because it had been too many days since we¡¯ve done it?


    When his hand began stroking my naked thighs, I moaned loudly as my body began responding to his touches. My hips began moving as I writhed with desire to feel even more pleasure from him.


    This dream was so sinfully pleasurable that I didn¡¯t want to open my eyes and wake up. If I woke up, he would be gone and so would these blissful feelings from his touches. I felt his hands on my inner thighs before he began spreading my legs apart. Wider and wider he spread them. Even if this was a dream, I found myself getting embarrassed at the position that he had put me in.


    The heat of his fingertips ran along my inner thighs inching upwards and I moaned as my pussy clenched in anticipation of his touch. I knew that he was going to touch me there and I couldn¡¯t wait to feel the heat of his touch. A long sigh of satisfaction escaped my lips followed by a whimpering moan when his fingers finally found the wetness in between my legs.


    The touch of his fingers stroking up and down the length of my wet opening felt amazing.


    "Hay¡­den¡­" I moaned his name.


    His fingers began stroking my pussy faster and harder than before. The sensations became so intense that my hips began jerking about against his hand. This feels so real¡­it feels too real. It feels so good!


    I felt a sharp pration into my love tunnel and my hips lifted up off the bed. This is¡­


    "Ahhh! Ahhh!" I cried out loudly.


    My eyes snapped open, and the darkness of my bedroom greeted me along with the loud wet soundsing from lower down, between my legs.


    "You¡¯re finally awake. I was starting to wonder if you¡¯ll sleep through it all," a familiar voiced teased from between my widely spread legs.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock.


    How long has he been here? Did he¡­


    Was it him all along?


    The movement of his fingers inside of my wet pussy hole was more than enough confirmation than I needed that he was here with me and that this was real. His fingers thrusted in and out of my love hole, messing up my wetness. The wet sounds of his fingers stirring up my love juices echoed loudly in the room along with my passionate moans and cries of desire and lust.


    My pussy clenched wildly around his fingers as he continued to stroke my pussy walls with each thrust.


    "Ahhh¡­it¡¯s so good¡­" I moaned shamelessly when Hayden curled his fingers upwards to directly thrust against my g-spot.


    "It feels good here, doesn¡¯t it? Your pussy is clenching hard around my fingers¡­" Hayden teased seductively.


    His fingers continued to work their magic and my legs grew weaker and weaker. If he keeps on fingering me, I¡¯m going to climax very soon. Another wave of my hot juices spurted out onto his fingers while he continued to ram his fingers inside of me from various angles.


    His fingers thrusted deeply into my love tunnel, and I pushed my hips upwards against his hand to force his fingers deeper and harder into me.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m¡­cumming!" I cried out loudly before covering my mouth.


    I screamed into my hands at the arrival of my own release. My whole body quivered and my pussy spasmed around his fingers. My body writhed and I had to curl up into a ball to ride out the intensity of my orgasm. I could feel Hayden¡¯s eyes on me and then I heard him undressing. His clothes quickly fell to the floor next to the bed.


    "Spread your legs. I¡¯ll make you cum again soon," Hayden said with confidence as I felt his hands on my ankles.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 200: No Need to Hold Back

    He pulled on my legs before spreading them again as he sat in between my legs and looked down at me. It¡¯s dark and it was hard to make out anything with theck of light, but I still found myself blushing when I imagined him staring down at me. I felt his fingers on my pussy lips before he began spreading them apart.


    "Hayden, wait¡­" I whispered urgently.


    "What is it¡­?" he asked with disinterest.


    "Umm¡­are you sure about this?" I asked, not sure how to put my worries into words.


    "What do you mean by that?" he asked.


    His finger began softly stroking my swollen clit as he waited impatiently for my answer. I knew that he wanted to take me now but¡­


    I can¡¯t think straight with him ying with my clit like this¡­


    "Hayden¡­ahhh¡­" I called his name and moaned loudly.


    "You¡¯re not making much sense right now¡­" Hayden murmured followed by a chuckle.


    His fingers parted me, and I felt the heat and the thick head of his cock lodge itself at my entrance. His hands moved to my thighs to push my legs up and further open. He¡¯s going to enter me anytime now¡­


    "Hayden¡­you¡¯re hurt so¡­" I managed to mumble weakly.


    "Is that what you¡¯re worried about?" he asked from somewhere above me.


    "Yes¡­" I admitted softly.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. I wasn¡¯t holding back for my sake; I was holding back for yours¡­" Hayden replied calmly.


    His words surprised me but before I coulde up with a reply, his virile thickness was already pushing into my wet depths. I cried out loudly at the sensation of his massive member ploughing deeply into my love hole. It¡¯s only been a few days, but my body missed him like crazy. My pussy trembled and clutched around his thick shaft as he thrusted into me until he had sunk his entire length into me.


    "Ahhh¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned in delight.


    He¡¯s stretching me and filling me. I moaned loudly when he buried himself all the way into me and stilled for a moment to allow me to adjust to the size and shape of him. He¡¯s so deep inside and it felt so unbelievably pleasurable already and he hasn¡¯t even started moving yet.


    "You¡¯re very tight today. I guess I need to make your body used to mine again," Hayden muttered as he reared his hips back.


    His cock slid along my pussy walls before he rammed his thick cock into me again. It¡¯s deeper this time¡­much deeper¡­


    "It¡¯s¡­so big¡­so¡­deep inside¡­" I whimpered in between my loud cries of desire.


    "It feels hot inside you¡­" Hayden groaned.


    His hands gripped the side of my hips as he pounded his cock in and out of my wet cunt. He¡¯s moving so fast, his cock ramming deeply into me and then jerking out of my hole. My pussy clenched around his cock as our hips pped together. Wet lewd noises of his cock pounding into my wetness filled the room along with our moans of pleasure.


    His cock quickly grew thicker and longer inside of me, and I could feel him hit my womb deeply with each thrust. My core throbbed with heat and need as he continued to ride me. The sensation of his gigantic cock beating into me was driving me insane. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else but the addictive pleasure that he was giving me. I wanted all of him and then I wanted even more of him.


    It was endless¡­


    Judging from how fast and hard he was giving it to me, I didn¡¯t have to bother worrying about his body or his injuries at all. Maybe it was because we haven¡¯t done it for a few days, but Hayden seemed too full of energy today. His movements were rough and the way that he was pounding his cock deep against my pleasure spot made my head spin with pleasure.


    I was on the verge of losing it as my body began responding freely to him as if it had a will of its own. My hips pumped up and down wildly to match the rhythm of his aggressive thrusts as I cried out his name loudly.


    Hayden groaned loudly and sped up his thrusting. I could tell that he was enjoying my body just as much as I enjoyed his lovemaking. However, my limit was fast approaching. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore; I was about to climax again.


    "Hayden¡­Ahhh! I¡¯m cumming! I¡¯m cumming!" I cried out loudly.


    My orgasm hit me hard and my whole body spasmed. Hayden¡¯s hand moved under my ass before lifting my hips up off the bed into his hands. He held my hip still and thrusted fast and harder into me while I climaxed. I cried out at the intense pleasure. It was like nothing that I¡¯ve ever experienced before. I cried out louder.


    My pussy was already so sensitive from having cum once before and now it felt like he was trying to make me orgasm again even while I was already going through an orgasm. It¡¯s all too much.


    It felt too good, and I felt like I was going to lose my mind. The overwhelming pleasure quickly became scary for me, and my head started spinning. Hayden¡¯s cock continued to fuck my hole and I knew that he was about to cum as well. His cock felt so hot. Hayden lifted my hips up higher and with a few more deep and hard thrusts, I felt the heat of his release shoot deeply into me.


    Hayden groaned my name as his hips stilled. His thick cock twitched wildly inside of my love tunnel as it spurted endless streams of his cum into my womb. My legs felt weaker and weaker as his warmth continued to spread inside of me. His sweat fell on me before he plopped down on top of me. We panted together in the aftermath of our intense lovemaking. Slowly, I lifted my arms up and hugged his back.


    The weight and heat of his body on top of mine feltforting. It made me thankful that he was still here with me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 201: Like Husband and Wife

    My body felt half dead the next morning. One of these days, I¡¯m going to get used to the after effects of having rough sex with Hayden; however, that day wasn¡¯t going to be today. My body felt so sore that I could hardly move without wincing slightly at the pain. My head hit the soft pillow again as I quickly gave up on the idea of getting up from the bed.


    Hayden was already awake by the time that my eyes had opened this morning. I could tell without asking that he was in a splendid mood. His blue eyes seemed to shine brighter than usual, and he had a smug smile on his lips almost all the time. Despite his injuries, I could also tell that Hayden did not suffer from any physical damages from our sessionst night. Our bodies were clearly not made equal.


    "What¡¯s the most expensive painting that you¡¯ve ever sold?" he asked suddenly, catching mepletely off guard.


    "Around 800 dors," I replied after some thought.


    "I see. Let¡¯s see if we can push that up at least by ten times," Hayden said before smiling confidently my way.


    "How?" I asked cluelessly.


    For me art wasn¡¯t about money but if I wanted to be a professional artist, I knew that I had to make art pay the bills and get ends to meet.


    "You¡¯ll see¡­" Hayden replied vaguely.


    "I guess I should quickly finish the website¡­" I muttered.


    "Definitely. You already have photos of your past works, right? It shouldn¡¯t be that hard¡­" Hayden said carefreely.


    "I guess¡­" I mumbled.


    It probably wasn¡¯t hard, but I believed that it wouldn¡¯t be that easy or simple either. There¡¯s no point in telling Hayden this though. I¡¯ll just work harder and get the website finished as soon as possible.


    I could tell that he had some n in mind, but he wasn¡¯t willing to share it with me right now. It would be useless for me to press him further, so I decided to wait and see. I never thought that his n was already well in motion.


    ¡­


    "You¡¯re going to work?" I asked, slightly shocked.


    "Why are you so surprised?" Hayden asked with a teasing smile.


    We shared a meal together peacefully after getting out of bed but after showering and getting dress, Hayden was all ready to go out. He was fit enough to have sex with me and all thatst night but is he fit enough to go out? Suddenly, I started to worry again¡­


    "Aren¡¯t you supposed to rest and recover?" I asked.


    "I¡¯m fine. Didn¡¯t I already prove it to youst night?" Hayden asked as he pulled me into a hug.


    "That¡¯s¡­" I began arguing as I started pushing against his chest with my hands.


    "Stop worrying. I¡¯m bored of telling you that I¡¯m fine. Work on your website. I expect to see a lot of progress when I¡¯m back tonight," Hayden said firmly as he unwrapped his arms from my body.


    "Sure¡­" I mumbled.


    "Why don¡¯t you walk me to the car like a good housewife?" Hayden suggested yfully as he grabbed my hand in his.


    "I¡¯m not your wife¡­" I murmured softly.


    "You¡¯re right about that. It could be good practice though. Come along, Malissa," Hayden replied cheerfully as he pulled me along behind him.


    This was the first time that I was sending Hayden off to work. Usually, he would leave on his own. This new experience brought about mixed feelings for me. I didn¡¯t want Hayden to go out to work because of his injuries and partly because I wanted to spend more time with him. His casual joke about me ying the role of a housewife made me feel slightly uneasy inside.


    I wondered if Hayden was thinking about marriage and then realized that he probably wasn¡¯t seriously thinking about it if he thought about it at all.


    As I followed him out of the mansion towards the parking area, my mind started to dissect my own feelings as well. Did I want to marry him? If he proposes to me, will I say yes?


    Before I could figure anything out, we arrived at the parking area where many luxury sports cars were parked. Undoubtedly, they all belonged to Hayden. All the cars were magnificently outstanding in appearance and were all sparkling clean. All except for one.


    "Oh¡­is this the car you drove the day you got into an ident?" I asked after gasping in shock.


    The car seemed so beaten up that I got scared when I thought that Hayden was in that car when it happened. I nced over at Hayden, and he nodded solemnly at me to confirm my hypothesis.


    "Maybe you should get a driver¡­" I suggested before trailing off.


    "There¡¯s no need," he replied casually.


    "What if you get into another ident? You need to drive more carefully. No speeding¡­" I warned.


    "Alright. I will. I¡¯ll see youter tonight¡­with the website¡­" Hayden said quite seriously.


    "Ok¡­" I replied.


    He bent down and nted a quick kiss on my cheek, and I waved goodbye to him as we drove away. Now that was a very husband and wife scene, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡­


    By midafternoon I had been sitting in front of theputer for so long that my back had started to hurt. This is probably why all those ergonomic chairs are selling so well nowadays. I must have sat in the wrong position or something because my back felt stiff and so did my neck. Perhaps it¡¯s time for me to spend some hard-earned money on an ergonomic chair as well.


    I cocked my head slightly from side to side as I stared intently at the website mockup that I had on myputer screen. Based on the design that Hayden had chosen, I created the website using a simple website building package that I bought online.


    Although I would like to say that I had some secret skills up my sleeves, the truth was it was simply dragging around boxes to where I wanted them and adjusting the size and color.


    It was supposed to be easy, but it still took hours, and I revised the boxes many times until I thought that I would go crazy. I guess this should do for theyout. The links in all the button worked as well, linking the buttons to the right pages when clicked on. Now all I had to do was upload photos of my past art works into the boxes and add details about them.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 202: Requesting for a Tour

    I stretched both arms above my head and heard my back make small cracking sounds. Please tell me that this isn¡¯t proof that I¡¯m getting old. Fortunately, I had uploaded photos of my past artworks online so I could just download them and put it on my newly created website. I was right, once the photos were added in the website came to life.


    ck and white sketches looked chic and minimalistic against the ck and white color tone of the website while colored photos of my paintings added color and life to the website.


    Smiling a little to myself, I pped my hands together happily to apud my own achievement for the day. If only my grandmother was still around, I¡¯m sure that she would be the one apuding me for my effort and hard work right now. If heaven really does exist, then she¡¯s probably watching me from up above¡­


    After a few more hours, it began to get dark outside as the sun had set. Hayden should be back soon, hopefully. The website mockup was pretty muchpleted. I liked it and I prayed that Hayden would as well. I¡¯ll find out his reaction to all of this very soon.


    The real problem starts now¡­


    I still didn¡¯t have a pseudonym that I wanted to use as an artist. So far, I¡¯ve been using my name. It wasn¡¯t all that strange to use my name, but a pseudonym is probably cooler, I guess. I shook my head from side to side. Who am I kidding?


    Although I didn¡¯t want to admit it, I believed the reason Hayden suggested for me to take on another name was to conceal my real identity and my rtions to Torex. The Torex corporate is legal in its own right but since everyone practically knows that they¡¯re a mafia gang, everyone is especially scared. Even I knew all about that before I got involved with Hayden and the boss.


    Back then, my reaction was the same as everyone else. Intimidated and scared.


    I wondered if my association with the mafia would have an impact on my career as an artist¡­


    ¡­


    "I¡¯m on my way back¡­" Hayden informed me casually.


    "Are you driving right now?" I asked suddenly feeling very panicked.


    "Yes, of course I¡¯m driving now," he replied like it was supposed to be obvious.


    "Can you not talk on the phone while you¡¯re driving? You know, you should concentrate on the road¡­I should hang up now¡­" I said quickly.


    "Enough worrying. I can drive just fine. I¡¯ll see you soon," Hayden said curtly before hanging up.


    He can drive just fine? Says the guy who just had a car crash recently.


    There was a knock at the door and Auntie slowly popped her head in through the door. She beamed a smile at me, and I knew that she was here to set up the dinner table. Hayden had been eating in the room with me instead of eating in the main dining room of the mansion.


    I thought that worked well because the smaller room felt homier while the main dining room of the mansion seemed more suitable for holding a ball or a banquet.


    Now that I thought about it, apart from the rooms that I¡¯ve casually passed by, I haven¡¯t seen much of the mansion yet. Since I¡¯ve been too focused on working on the website, I haven¡¯t gotten around to asking Auntie to show me around. Tomorrow might be a good day for that if she¡¯s free.


    "Auntie, do you have some free time tomorrow?" I asked.


    "I can always make time for you. Honestly, at my age, I¡¯m not that busy like the other younger maids. They just keep me here because I¡¯ve been here a long time and all," Auntie replied too honestly beforeughing.


    "I disagree with that. I think you contribute so much to this ce. At least, you take care of Hayden and me very well," I repliedfortingly.


    "Well, thanks for your kind words. What can I help you with tomorrow?" Auntie asked curiously.


    "Hayden mentioned that you can give me a tour of the mansion. I think it might be fun to take a little tour around too. Would tomorrow work for you?" I asked brightly.


    "Sure¡­if that¡¯s what Hayden wants then¡­" Auntie replied.


    For some reason that I couldn¡¯t phantom, she seemed quite confused that I had requested for a tour of the mansion. Perhaps, she¡¯s been here so long that she doesn¡¯t find the mansion new and exciting anymore.


    "Thank you!" I thanked her cheerfully.


    ¡­


    Hayden is running a littlete for dinner and I started feeling uneasy. I stared at the foodid out in front of me on the table as I clutched my mobile phone tightly in my hand. My brain started a debate whether I should give him a call or not. I knew well what this feeling was called and since Hayden¡¯s ident, I have been experiencing it more often than ever before. Paranoia¡­


    He was probably caught up in traffic but no matter how many times I told myself that my brain would stray off to conjure up more gruesome scenarios. I closed my eyes and threw my head back. If I want to spend my life with Hayden, I¡¯m going to have toe to terms with his high-risk lifestyle or I¡¯ll be worrying about him all the time until I went insane.


    The door opened and my eyes immediately went to the man walking in through the door.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name happily as I got up from my seat and approached him.


    "You look so happy that I¡¯m back¡­" he said before smiling at me.


    "I guess I am quite happy that you¡¯re back. Was the traffic bad today?" I asked.


    "A little¡­" he replied.


    Together we walked to the dinner table where dinner was waiting for us. I wondered if the food had gotten cold already. Maybe I should get Auntie to heat it up for us.


    "Is the food cold? Should I get Auntie to heat it up?" I asked.


    "There¡¯s no need. I want to spend time alone with you," Hayden replied so straightforwardly that I couldn¡¯t help but blush a little.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 203: Are You Lonely?

    "Alright¡­" I mumbled.


    We ate dinner and shared casual conversation until we finished eating. It was then that I thought that I should let Hayden know about my ns with Auntie tomorrow.


    "I haven¡¯t gotten around to it yet because I¡¯ve been working on the website, but I¡¯ve asked Auntie to show me around the mansion tomorrow," I reported dutifully.


    "That¡¯s good. Harvey¡¯s wing is strictly off-limits," Hayden said as he looked pointedly at me.


    I could tell that he was dead serious and so I just nodded in acknowledgement. However, the curiosity within me couldn¡¯t help but wonder why exactly that was so. By Harvey¡¯s wing, he must be referring to the part of this mansion that his elder brother used to live in.


    "Show me the website?" Hayden requested.


    Oh right, I need to show him the website mock-up.


    "Can youe over to the table over there? I¡¯ll show you on theputer," I said as I got up and led him to the table.


    I opened the window and began showing him the mockup of the website that I had created. It was still a mockup offline, but it had almost everything just like the real thing. I nced over to watch Hayden¡¯s face so that I could see his reaction to the work that I had tried so hard to put together. Frankly, I think he looked slightly impressed at the oue of my efforts.


    "So, what do you think?" I asked, fishing forpliments.


    "Looks fine," he replied tly.


    Just that?


    "Is there anything that you think I should improve on?" I asked.


    Hayden thought it over for a little while before turning to look at me.


    "Is it possible to add a form for people to put in their requests if they¡¯re interested in your work or want to order amission?" he asked.


    Oh, that¡¯s right, I forgot about that.


    "Actually, I was thinking about that. I found another artist¡¯s website that had that function and I thought that it was quite useful. Hold on, let me show it to you now. I think I can add it in," I said as I opened the website that I saw before.


    "Looks good. I think if you add in that form the website should be close to perfect," he said with a nod.


    "I¡¯ll do that tomorrow then," I replied happily.


    A fulfilling feeling of aplishment filled me. Although it was just a tiny step forward to putting myself out there as an artist on the online world, it was still a good step to take. I was certain that I was heading in the right direction.


    Now that I had more time on my hands, it might be a good opportunity to produce some artwork to add to my portfolio and also to test and try out new techniques and styles.


    When I shifted my eyes towards Hayden, I found him staring at me with a slightly troubled look on his face. I wasn¡¯t sure if he seemed worried or was it just imagination. Was he stressed about work?


    "Hayden?" I called his name questioningly.


    Hayden seemed like he had something that he wanted to say but he hesitated. This was quite new to me. Usually, Hayden didn¡¯t hesitate to say anything. It was either he would say it, or he would t out refuse to say it. I wondered what he was debating with himself about.


    "Hayden, is something the matter?" I asked with a mix of curiosity and worry.


    "Nothing much¡­I was just wondering if you¡­feel lonely during the day," he said very hesitantly.


    I see, so he was worried about me. He probably realized that I was pretty much alone in the mansion during the day. Sure, there were men and maids here with me, but they didn¡¯t really talk to me. Hayden had given me tasks to work on and that was probably because he was afraid that I would be bored and have nothing to do while he was away during the day.


    In the evening and at night, Hayden would be with me so that was all fine and good.


    "Well, a little¡­I guess. Oh, but it¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll start painting or something¡­so you don¡¯t have to worry," I said reassuringly.


    I smiled at him sweetly. It warmed my heart just to know that he thought of me even if it was just a little. Hayden can be so sweet sometimes.


    ¡­


    The next morning, I went to send Hayden off to work again. Somehow walking him to his car became a new routine that was added to my daily life. I didn¡¯t mind getting up in the morning to send him off at all. The best reward was that he would kiss my cheek or forehead tenderly before he left.


    "Have a good day at work. Hope things don¡¯t get too busy," I said.


    "Behave yourself well while you¡¯re home," Hayden replied before bending down to kiss my forehead softly.


    "I don¡¯t want to hear that from you¡­you better behave yourself too¡­" I muttered.


    I spent the remaining time in the morning figuring out how to add themission form to my website. After almost two hours of struggling, I managed to add that in and that was thanks to the tool having a simr ready-made option. Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t imagine how I could achieve such a feat. Technology clearly wasn¡¯t my thing. The next step was to put the website online.


    This part wasn¡¯t so hard after I had paid for the website hosting.


    Hayden would be so surprised to see the website ready to go. I hoped that he would be more impressed than when he saw the mockup. Hisck of appreciation and reaction was a little of a letdown to be honest. I stretched my arms above my head and twisted my body from side to side after I was done with my website work for the day.


    Just like magic, Auntie knocked on my door softly before poking her head in. It was the most perfect timing ever because I was now free to go on my long-awaited tour of the mansion. However, the maids started rolling in a trolley filled with food. My stomach sank a little when I realized that I had to eat lunch first before my tour could start.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 204: Where He Lives

    "I guess the toures after lunch¡­" I said with a depressed sigh.


    "That¡¯s right. Eat up. I don¡¯t want to tell Hayden that you haven¡¯t been eating much¡­" Auntie said with mock scorn.


    Hayden again¡­


    "Ok ok¡­" I said before I started eating.


    The food tasted great now that I was in the mood to have an appetite. I ced a hand over my tummy and wondered if I had started to gain weight. Auntie is spoiling me with so much food and dessert as well.


    After finishing lunch, I urged Auntie to take me on a tour of the mansion straight away. I didn¡¯t want to put it off anymore and now that the tour was about to start, I felt oddly excited about the whole thing.


    "Follow me closely¡­" Auntie instructed as she led the way.


    I followed her obediently from the long hallway that seemed to stretch out endlessly. The mansion wasrge and seemed to have many sections. I didn¡¯t know why the boss or whoever it was in Hayden¡¯s family decided that they needed a ce this enormous.


    "First, I will take you through themonly used rooms on the first floor and second floor. These rooms are conveniently located at the center part of the mansion. You¡¯ve seen some of the rooms before since you¡¯ve walked past them, but I¡¯ll show you again to make sure that you¡¯re aware of all the rooms," Auntie exined.


    She guided me to the first floor at the center of the mansion. Themonly used rooms were just as she had called them, they were rooms that were in use daily in the mansion.


    "This is the main dining room and in the corner is a bar. The next room is the living room for when we have guests. This one here is the private living room. As the name implies, it is strictly for family members and guests are not allowed in this living room. Master Hayden spends a lot of his time in this private living room when he¡¯s free," Auntie exined.


    All the rooms that I¡¯ve been led to were too big for their own good and luxuriously furnished. Auntie led me to a few other rooms including a study room, a library, a mini movie theatre, a fitness and so many other facilities that I thought were probably not needed at home. After a long walk, I began dragging my feet.


    My initial excitement at finally being able to see Hayden¡¯s home had all but vanished at that point.


    The real problem was that apart from the first few rooms, I felt like the other rooms didn¡¯t have any personal connection to Hayden at all. I mean, how often does he actually visit the library. Maybe he does but Hayden doesn¡¯t look like a bookworm kind of guy at all. I found it very hard picturing Hayden sitting still andposed as he read a book in the library.


    I shook my head to clear that strange and unfitting image away from my head before it began to stick. That was when I realized that I wanted to know more about Hayden¡¯s lifestyle and how he spent his time in the house.


    For instance¡­


    "Auntie, where is Hayden¡¯s room?" I asked very straightforwardly.


    It wasn¡¯t like I was nning to sneak into his room or anything like that but I just found it weird that he knew exactly where to find me, but I didn¡¯t even know where his bedroom was in his mansion. Now that I thought about it, I have never seen his bedroom either. He did take me to his living room, and he did mention that he upied that set of room but was that where he usually stayed?


    "Oh¡­that¡¯s right, I guess you¡¯ve never been to Master Hayden¡¯s wing before. He spends some time there but not always. I can show you. The boss and his sons used to live here together before¡­you know¡­" Auntie exined before trailing off with a sad look on her face.


    I knew that she was probably referring to Harvey¡¯s unfortunate and early death. I see, so before Harvey passed away Hayden lived here with his father and his elder brother. That¡¯s news to me, I wondered what life was like for him as a child and when he grew up. This mansion was huge and the Torex were loaded so he must have lived a very privileged life. He still does by the way¡­


    "After that¡­the boss moved out? He lives in the other mansion now, right?" I asked.


    "That¡¯s right. The boss moved to a new ce and Master Hayden inherited this mansion from his father. I think he was the one who insisted on staying here," Auntie said as if recalling some old memories.


    Auntie led me along a very long hallway and soon we arrived at a fork in the path. This was where the mansion was split into the various wings.


    "Master Hayden¡¯s wing is this way. Please follow me closely, the ce is quiterge so please don¡¯t wander off or you¡¯re going to get lost," Auntie warned sternly.


    She led the way and I quickly followed close behind her. Hayden¡¯s wing of the house seemed to have been remodeled because the modern luxury style of decoration was quite different from the rest of the house. A lot more marble of shades of white and grey was used here in Hayden¡¯s wing of the mansion. It felt like walking in a modern five-star hotel, and I had to say that I was very impressed.


    If this was his taste in interior design, then I was d to say that I shared the same tastes.


    "Each wing in the mansion was built to house its own sets of room so that it can act as a standalone mansion in terms of function. The boss had it designed so that when his sons got married and had their own families, they could all still live in this mansion while having their own private space with their families," Auntie exined.


    I nodded at how much that made sense. While looking around at the various rooms, I wondered if Hayden thought about starting a family too and if he wanted to spend time with them here in this wing of the mansion.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 205: Off Limits

    "This is Master Hayden¡¯s study. He uses it very often when he decides to work at home. Although, he¡¯s been going out every day since you came here," Auntie exined.


    I peeped my head into Hayden¡¯s study and was no longer impressed at how overlyrge every single room seemed to be in this mansion. Auntie didn¡¯t step into the room and that made me feel like I shouldn¡¯t step a foot in there as well. Maybe Hayden didn¡¯t like people going into his study while he wasn¡¯t there or without his permission.


    "This is Master Hayden¡¯s bedroom. He spends most of his nights here¡­" Auntie exined as she stopped at arge pair of double doors.


    Unlike his study, she didn¡¯t even open the door for me to peek inside. Clearly, this room was considered a very private space. I guessed that made sense since it¡¯s his bedroom. He¡¯s never brought me here before either¡­


    "What about the rooms that he brought me to before?" I asked curiously.


    I thought of the first night that I arrived here and the rooms that he brought me to. Quickly, I forced my thoughts to a stop before my mind would recall what happenedter after I entered those rooms.


    "Oh, he stays there sometimes too. He likes toin that his wing is toorge for him to upy alone so sometimes he would live in those rooms for convenience," Auntie replied like it was the most normal thing in the world.


    We visited a few more rooms in Hayden¡¯s wing that Auntie thought was important enough to point out. Overall, Hayden¡¯s wing was like another mansion in and of itself and was clearly toorge for one person. The boss was right in thinking that it was supposed to be for a family instead of for one man. Although it probably would still be too big even for a family to live here.


    "That¡¯s it for Master Hayden¡¯s wing of the mansion. Now, I¡¯ll take you to see some of themon facilities that you can use if you want. Master Hayden rarely uses it though, but it is well maintained. We have the saunas, the outdoor pool and such¡­" Auntie continued with her briefing.


    She led me back along the hallway where we came from, and I followed after her dutifully. This mansion was so big that I wondered how many maids it took just to keep this ce clean like this. It felt like such a waste resources and money, but then again, who was I to judge?


    We arrived back to the point where the path forked into separate paths. My eyes couldn¡¯t help wandering to the other path that Auntie hadn¡¯t led me on. I wondered where that hallway led?


    "That¡¯s the way to Master Harvey¡¯s wing¡­" Auntie stated sternly as she followed my line of sight.


    Her words trailed off and it was clear that she wasn¡¯t about to offer any more exnations. In addition, she didn¡¯t invite me to follow her to show me that wing of the mansion.


    "Oh, I see¡­" I mumbled.


    "It¡¯spletely off limits. No one is allowed to enter that part of the mansion. Please do not even think of entering Master Harvey¡¯s wing. Is that clear?" Auntie asked and her eyes were dead serious as she stared at my face.


    "Yes¡­" I replied with a firm nod of my head.


    The way Auntie spoke so strictly as her eyes stared at my face only made me more curious about Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion. Although I guessed that there was probably nothing there that was worth seeing. Since he was gone now, it probably made sense that Hayden didn¡¯t want anyone entering his brother¡¯s rooms.


    "Did Hayden prohibit people from entering this wing?" I asked curiously before I could stop myself.


    It was off limits but was it based on Hayden¡¯s orders or the boss¡¯s orders?


    "Yes. Master Hayden has ordered everyone to stay away from Master Harvey¡¯s wing. Please forget that you¡¯ve been here," Auntie said as she quickly walked back ahead of me.


    With onest nce at the dark and long hallway, I followed after Auntie to enjoy the rest of the tour. The remaining part of the tour was eye-opening enough for me to appreciate. It was also good to walk around a little bit after being stuck in a chair for too long while I worked on the website. The mansion wasrge, and I got plenty of walk during that tour.


    I had to admire Auntie for being in high spirits all throughout the tour. Before I knew it, I had started to truly like Auntie and appreciate all her efforts.


    When I returned to my room, I realized that I had received a text message from Hayden.


    ¡¯I¡¯ll be back a littlete today. Start dinner first.¡¯


    A depressing feeling of disappointment filled my heart when I realized that Hayden would bete for dinner. He said that he¡¯ll bete but that might mean that he might not join me for dinner at all. I always looked forward to our private dinner together every evening like it was the highlight of my day. This wasn¡¯t good news to me at all.


    I wondered what Hayden was working on now and if the situation outside had improved.


    By the time that dinner was ready and served, Hayden was still no where in sight. I stared at the food and decided to do as he had told me to. I picked up a fork and started eating the food. Auntie watched me silently from the side. Honestly, I didn¡¯t understand why Hayden was still worried about my diet. I¡¯ve been eating decently well for a while now.


    Unconsciously, I was eating very slowly as if I wanted to drag my meal out. The food had gotten cold, but I was still slowly eating at the dining table. Every once in a while, my eyes would nce over at the closed door. Where is Hayden?


    I was too full to eat anything else anymore and had resorted to ying around with the food in my te, pushing it around here and there with my fork. It was a dirty disy of myck of table manners; however, there wasn¡¯t anyone there to watch me anymore since Auntie had already left earlier. That was when the door finally opened; however, Hayden didn¡¯t walk in like he usually did¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 206: Unexpected Little Gift

    "Hayden?" I called out questioningly.


    The door opened but no one walked in. Who opened the door just now?


    Usually no one would open my door without knocking except for Hayden. I stared curiously at the door as if waiting for something to happen. There was a brief moment of silence while nothing happened, and I debated with myself if I should get up and check. Hopefully, no one was ying a silly prank on me.


    I called out Hayden¡¯ name once more, and once again, I didn¡¯t receive any type of reply. By this time, my curiosity hadpletely taken over and I decided to stand up from my seat and approach the open door. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect so I was extra shocked when suddenly something ran in through the doorway.


    It all happened so fast that I wasn¡¯t sure what had just run inside at first until I looked down and found a small fluffy puppy standing right at my feet.


    How did this little guy get here?


    The adorable little thing stood at my feet and stared up at me with round puppy eyes. This was probably why people called this look ¡¯puppy eyes¡¯. The puppy continued staring up at me before it got closer and began licking my ankle. It¡¯s warm and wet tonguepping at my ankle and feet, making me feel slightly ticklish. This little guy is so cute, I thought as I bent down to get a closer look at him.


    I wasn¡¯t a dog fanatic or anything but if I wasn¡¯t wrong, judging from this little guy¡¯s appearance. Puffy roundish body, short legs, light brown and white fur and very long upstanding ears.


    "You¡¯re a corgi, aren¡¯t you?" I asked with a bright smile.


    The puppy barked softly a few times as if to answer my question and I reached out my hand and started petting its head. Its fur is so soft, and I felt immediately happier just stroking it. The puppy wagged its short tail frantically as it danced around in front of me. The little guy seemed so excited, and I found myselfughing carefreely.


    I¡¯ve seen photos of puppies like this on social media quite a lot based on the trends, but I didn¡¯t have a lot of experience interacting with real puppies like this.


    Wait¡­that¡¯s not the issue right now. Why is there a puppy here? Whose puppy is it anyways?


    "How did you get here? Where¡¯s your owner?" I asked the puppy before I started to feel quite dumb.


    Why am I asking the puppy? He probably had no idea what was going on and even if he did, he couldn¡¯t speak and tell me all about it.


    "You¡¯re its new owner,"


    I turned at the unexpected reply to my question. My eyes widened when I saw Hayden leaning against the doorframe with his eyes on me. When did he get there and how long has he been watching me?


    "Umm¡­what do you mean by that?" I asked to confirm if I understood things correctly.


    "It¡¯s as I said. That puppy is yours now¡­unless you don¡¯t want him," Hayden replied casually.


    "You bought this puppy¡­for me?" I asked, still not quite sure if I understood the situation correctly.


    It was just so sudden, Hayden never mentioned anything about getting a puppy or anything along those lines. On top of that, it just felt very weird to see something so small, cute, and fluffy around someone as intimidating as Hayden. I nced over at him with an uncertain look on my face as I wondered what he had nned.


    "Of course, I did. Did you think the puppy would appear out of thin air or something?" Hayden replied sarcastically.


    That wasn¡¯t what I meant at all¡­


    I looked down at the puppy that was now licking my fingers busily. I wondered if it was hungry or if it just wanted to y. Without knowing it, I had started smiling as I lifted the small puppy into my hands and cradled it in my arms like a baby. It¡¯s so adorable and soft. The puppy seemed to like the attention that it was receiving.


    I could feel Hayden¡¯s eyes on me as I walked the puppy over towards the sofa. Hayden approached me after I sat down on the sofa with the small puppy on myp. The sofa shifted a little under his weight when he sat down next to me. He leaned over and stared down at the puppy on myp. At that exact moment, the puppy whimpered like it was scared or in pain.


    "Don¡¯t stare at it so much. I think it¡¯s scared of you¡­" I said as I quickly petted the poor thing.


    Hayden¡¯s brows knitted together, and a scowl graced his angelic features. It seemed like my warning only made him more irritated than before.


    "This dog probably doesn¡¯t like me or something. It barked all the time when it was in the car with me and when I tried to touch it, it almost bit my fingers off. Dangerous little thing¡­" Haydenined usingly.


    "Really? He seems sweet and very docile. Are you sure that you didn¡¯t do anything to it that it didn¡¯t like?" I asked, not quite convinced at what Hayden was saying.


    "You¡¯re ming me? I knew it, I shouldn¡¯t have believed Luka when he told me to get a puppy¡­this is all a big shitty mistake¡­" Hayden muttered as the aura around him darkened miserably.


    He turned to stare back at the puppy and the poor thing whinnied in fear while a shiver ran through my body. I hugged the puppy close to my chest as if to shied it from danger. That stare was so scary. Is this what they called a death stare? I could feel so much murderous intent in that light blue gaze¡­


    "Not at all. I¡¯m very happy that you bought me a puppy. It was just¡­a little unexpected. Oh, but it¡¯spletely fine. It¡¯s a¡­super pleasant surprise. I am very happy, and I really appreciate all that you¡¯ve done.


    Thank you so much, Hayden!" I quickly expressed my joy before he turned the poor puppy to pulp.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 207: Because You Were Lonely

    Hayden eyes widened in surprise at my words and his expression seemed to soften. It was like the sun started to shine through the dark stormy clouds and then the dark grey clouds started to disperse. His eyes nced over at the puppy on myp once more before he grinned while I prayed that the puppy¡¯s life would be spared.


    "If you say so¡­" Hayden muttered.


    I breathed a sigh of relief. The puppy was a surprising gift for sure, but it wasn¡¯t like I disliked it. I¡¯ve been feeling quite lonely being in the mansion all alone during the day so having this little guy with me might not be a bad thing after all. Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve been assuming that it¡¯s a male. Is it even a male?


    The fastest way to find out is just to check. I lifted the puppy up in front of my face to check out its gender. It¡¯s still so young and so small so it wasn¡¯t hard to lift up. I wondered how big it¡¯ll get. I should spend some time tonight doing some research on the breed. Did Hayden buy any dog food or toys for it?


    "What are you doing?" Hayden asked and I could feel that he was watching me.


    "Seeing if it¡¯s a girl or a boy," I replied.


    "It¡¯s a boy. I wanted to get you a girl but he¡¯s the only one avable right now¡­" Hayden replied.


    "There¡¯s nothing bad about having a male dog. I¡¯m honestly neutral between the two sexes," I said before shing Hayden a smile.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­" Hayden muttered, unconvinced.


    It seemed like he wasn¡¯t thrilled with having a male puppy.


    "You don¡¯t like male dogs?" I asked curiously.


    "I don¡¯t know. It just feels¡­weird to have¡­never mind that," Hayden said before he turned away from me.


    I wondered what he was trying to say but I decided not to push him. It probably wasn¡¯t anything important anyways. Plus, even if he doesn¡¯t like the puppy now, I¡¯m sure that Hayden will start to like this little guy soon enough. How can anyone not like him, he¡¯s so fluffy, soft and cute!


    "You should give it a name," Hayden said matter-of-factly.


    "You¡¯re right. Hmm¡­" I replied in agreement.


    I¡¯ve never had a pet before. My parents just didn¡¯t allow it although I¡¯ve always wanted a pet of some kind. They thought that dogs and cats were too much bother for us to take care of and they were too convinced that I would be too irresponsible to take care of it. In the end, it was better that I didn¡¯t have a pet.


    Thing were rough enough when I lost my parents without me having to take care of another life.


    This was apletely new experience for me, and I never thought thating up with a name for a pet would be so difficult. What should I name him? He¡¯s such a cute little guy¡­


    I nced over at Hayden and an idea started to form in my head.


    "What about Little Hayden?" I suggested with a smile.


    "That¡¯s¡­a very bad name," Hayden said as his eyes narrowed at me.


    It was clear that he didn¡¯t like the name and he didn¡¯t think that it was funny either.


    "Huh? Why? I think it¡¯s so cute!" I said excitedly.


    Regardless of what he thought, I still thought that my idea wasn¡¯t bad. The name was cute too.


    "I don¡¯t like it. Pick something else," Hayden said irritated.


    "No, I¡¯m going to name him Little Hayden," I stated firmly as I patted the puppy¡¯s head fondly.


    His fur is so soft. It feels so wonderful that I could feel my soul melting into mush. This must be called puppy power.


    "Why did you have to include my name into its name?" Hayden asked with a scornful look.


    "Why not?" I asked cluelessly.


    I had no idea why he was so against it. Shouldn¡¯t he like it that his name was included?


    "When you call me¡­he¡¯lle running¡­" Hayden muttered darkly.


    Well, now that he mentioned it, I guess that might be true but is that a problem?


    "I¡¯ll think of you when I look at him¡­" I said with a sweet smile.


    Hayden stared at me wordlessly as he seemed to consider my words.


    "So¡­why did you buy me a puppy?" I asked in wonder.


    "You told me that you were lonely during the day...so I asked Luka if he had any ideas. He told me that getting you a dog for apanion might be a good solution so that¡¯s what I did¡­" Hayden replied stiffly.


    I guess I did tell him something like that. It wasn¡¯t like I expected him to do anything about it and I didn¡¯t think that he would take my word to heart like this. I looked down at the cheerful puppy on myp as I realized how much Hayden had been thinking about me.


    Probably because he couldn¡¯t fulfill my ultimate wish of going back outside to live a normal life, he was finding ways to help make my life in this mansion more bearable and less boring.


    "I see. Thank you¡­for thinking of me," I thanked him.


    "It¡¯s nothing. If you like him then it¡¯s all good. If he gets too naughty or if you decide that you don¡¯t want him anymore, just let me know¡­" Hayden said.


    I wondered for a split of a second what he meant by that but then I decided that I didn¡¯t want to find out.


    "I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll behave and be a good boy. So, let¡¯s keep him here with us," I quickly insisted.


    Poor Little Hayden, why do I keep feeling that your life is in danger right now?


    "Oh, I almost forgot. I was so excited about Little Hayden that it slipped my mind. Have you had dinner? The food is probably all cold by now, but the maids can heat it up," I said in slight panic.


    "I¡¯m not hungry. It¡¯s ok¡­" Hayden murmured.


    "Really? I think you should eat properly. You always make sure that I eat my meals so you should do the same, don¡¯t you think? Talking about food, has Little Hayden eaten? Did you buy dog food for him?" I asked rapidly.


    "Are you worried about me or the dog? I got him food, don¡¯t worry¡­" Hayden replied followed by a long sigh of exhaustion.


    "Really? Great. Let¡¯s feed him!" I cried out cheerfully.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 208: An Evening Well Spent

    To my pleasant surprise, Hayden bought a lot of stuff for Little Hayden. I¡¯m starting to call the puppy Little Hayden now, but it was clear that Hayden still hated the idea and the name. It might be weird if two ¡¯Haydens¡¯ turn up when I call for him. Also, it might be weird for Hayden to say his own name as part of the dog¡¯s name when he calls for it.


    Well, if things don¡¯t work out, I can always think of a new name.


    The maids brought in all the stuff that Hayden got for the dog, and I had to admit that he had a habit of over-buying everything. There was so much stuff that I felt stupid worrying about theck of dog food. There was dog food, dry and wet, and other things that would spoil Little Hayden rotten.


    A dog bed, chew toys, plush toys, various dog snacks, many cors in different colors, dog clothes, dog shoes, leashes, a stroller, shampoo and so many other things that I didn¡¯t bother to go through anymore. I closed therge brown box and decided to deal with everything when I had the time.


    It was gettingte and after Little Hayden had eaten his full of food and some snacks, he began drifting off to a peaceful sleep right there on the floor. Iid out his bed on the floor close to the sofa and lifted his small body onto his bed. It¡¯s probably a good idea to train him where he should sleep early on so that he could get used to it.


    "He¡¯s finally asleep¡­" Hayden whispered as if afraid that he would wake the little puppy.


    I looked over at Hayden before offering him a smile. Despite what he says, I could feel that Hayden probably had a soft spot for animals. Recalling our time together at the tiger conservatory when we yed with the tiger cubs brought back really good memories and feelings. He was gentle to the animals back then too.


    "I guess I should thank Luka the next time that I see him for giving you this genius idea of getting me a dog. I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be a lot less lonely with him around and I¡¯ll probably be busy dealing with his mischief and struggling to toilet train him¡­" I said with augh.


    "I¡¯ll let him know that you send your thanks," Hayden replied with a nod.


    "Oh right, I almost forgot. The website ispleted now, and I managed to add in themission form that we talked about. Want to have a look?" I suggested with a proud smile.


    "Show me," he said.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes were on the output of my hard work as I showed him thepleted website and the form that thankfully worked. He seemed to be thinking of something as he scrolled through images of my past artworks that I have added to showcase my portfolio on the website.


    "What do you think? Does it look ok?" I asked as I bit my lower lip anxiously.


    "It looks great. We¡¯ll go with this for now," Hayden replied before he patted the top of my head.


    I smiled a little at him as I tried to keep myself from blushing at hispliment. It was rare for him topliment anything that I do so I guess I felt more than a little happy. Now that the website was up and running, I wondered what I should do next so that my career wouldn¡¯t be put on hold while I am stuck holed up in this ce.


    "Great then. I guess I¡¯ll work on some painting tomorrow. Maybe I¡¯ll paint some flowers in the garden around the mansion. I saw many beautiful flowers thest time I went there¡­" I said thoughtfully as I nned my next move.


    "Sounds like a good n. I¡¯m just relieved that you got the website up and running in time," Hayden said sounding satisfied.


    "In time for?" I asked, catching on to his words.


    He did just say something about me making it in time, didn¡¯t he?


    "Nothing. Just enjoy your time with¡­Little Hayden¡­" Hayden said with much hesitation around the dog¡¯s new name.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself and I burst outughing at how funny he sounded. Hayden looked like he hated the name so much but the look of difort he showed when he said the puppy¡¯s new name was so hrious. I covered my mouth with my hand as I tried to stopughing at him before I start pissing him off, but it was difficult for me to stop giggling.


    Surprisingly, Hayden didn¡¯t get mad and with that the question that I had asked him earlier slipped from my mind. After recovering from my slightly embarrassing outburst ofughter, I remembered that I haven¡¯t told Hayden about my exciting tour around his mansion with Auntie.


    "This mansion is much bigger than I thought. I went on a tour around the mansion today with Auntie by the way. She¡¯s a really talented tour guide and I really had fun. She took me around everywhere and she also showed me your wing of the mansion," I reported enthusiastically.


    "And?" Hayden said, prompting me to go on with my exciting little story.


    "I thought that the interior style in your wing is very impressive. Modern but luxurious. Like a modern five-star hotel. I really like it, honestly," I said before smiling up at him.


    Hayden¡¯s clear blue eyes watched me intently as I spoke animatedly about the different rooms in his wing that Auntie showed me.


    "She showed me where your bedroom was too¡­but she didn¡¯t open the door so I couldn¡¯t steal a look inside," I muttered in slight disappointment.


    She also showed me where Harvey¡¯s wing was. Well, she told me about it after she caught me staring at it in wonder. Auntie didn¡¯t take me in there though and I knew that Hayden had told me too that it was off limits. I looked up into Hayden¡¯s face and found that he was focused on listening to what I was telling him. Should I ask him about Harvey¡¯s wing?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 209: An Invitation to His Bedroom

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t know what I wanted to ask about it, but it just felt like there was something worth knowing about it. Maybe it was just my own curiosity ying tricks with my brain, but I was itching to know more about it. It did ur to me that the more people say that something is off limits, it just makes me want to know more about it. We all get interested in forbidden things, don¡¯t we?


    "Auntie also showed me Harvey¡¯s wing. I mean, she showed me where it was¡­" I said before ending with a mumble.


    At the mention of Harvey¡¯s wing, Hayden¡¯s expression became cold and unreadable instantly. The cheerful atmosphere around us turned awkward and strained at the sudden change of Hayden¡¯s mood.


    "Don¡¯t worry. She just told me where it was after we exited your wing of the mansion. We didn¡¯t go in or anything like that¡­" I quickly exined.


    "I see¡­" Hayden said curtly.


    I gulped as my eyes shifted nervously around and I started to feel ufortable. It was evident that Hayden didn¡¯t want to talk or hear about this topic anymore.


    "It¡¯ste. You should shower and go to bed. You have work early tomorrow again, right?" I suggested, trying to change the topic of our conversation.


    Hayden turned to face me before he slowly lifted his hand and started stroking my hair. He lifted a strand of my hair between his fingers as his blue eyes held mine. The way he was staring deeply into my eyes made my heart beat faster and my chest tightened up a little.


    "Do you want to see it?" Hayden asked in a seductive voice.


    "See¡­what?" I asked softly, not quite following.


    Hayden smiled before leaning down until his face was very close to my ear.


    "My bedroom¡­" he whispered right into my ear.


    My heart skipped a beat at his suggestive words, and I felt heat rush to my face as I blushed madly. What does he expect me to say to that?


    Hayden stood up and looked at my upturned face as he waited for my answer. Is he really going to make me say it? If I tell him that I wanted to see his bedroom, then isn¡¯t that like I¡¯m asking for him to¡­


    "Umm¡­I¡­" I whispered softly as I hesitated to speak or meet his intense gaze.


    Haydenughed a little at me and my apparent embarrassment. His hand reached out and took mine into his muchrger one.


    "Too embarrassed to say it? Let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden said as his hand tightened a little around mine.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name a little shyly.


    He began leading me out of the room when I realized that Little Hayden was still sleeping on his bed. Can we really just leave him here all alone?


    "Wait. What about Little Hayden¡­?" I asked.


    I mean, can we just leave a little puppy to sleep here all alone? He¡¯s new here and is probably not yet used to the ce. Suddenly, I felt very worried about him and leaving him alone.


    Hayden rolled his eyes at me before sending a menacing stare in the direction of Little Hayden, who was still sleeping peacefully on his little bed.


    "I¡¯ll get Auntie to babysit him, ok?" Hayden suggested.


    "Ok¡­" I murmured.


    "Good. Now,e with me," Hayden said before tugging on my arm firmly.


    Once we were outside the room, Hayden typed in a text on his phone, and I assumed that he was sending a message so that someone woulde and keep Little Haydenpany. After he was done, Hayden started walking along the empty hallway in the direction leading to his wing of the mansion. I followed after him silently while looking down at where our hands were joined.


    I remembered that I felt cheerful and excited when I walked these hallways along with Auntie earlier when she showed me around the mansion. Now that I was walking along the same hallway with Hayden, I felt very different. A mixture of anxiousness, nervousness, and strange waves of excitement filled me.


    This was the first time that Hayden had invited me to his bedroom, and I had to try my best not to read too much into it.


    Undeniably, I wanted to know more about Hayden and the more he showed me of his private life, the closer I felt like I had gotten to him. The walk to his bedroom was a slightly long one due to the vast size of the mansion and my emotions started taking over me with every step that I took forward.


    When we reached the fork in the path, my eyes unconsciously nced over at the path leading to Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion.


    "This way," Hayden said firmly as he pulled me after him into his wing of the mansion.


    The hallway was dimly lit with orange light from themp on the walls. Apart from that, the hallway was silent and empty. That made sense since I bet no one else came to this part of the mansion except for Hayden, Auntie, and the maids. I wondered if he felt lonely sometimes living in such arge ce all on his own.


    It wasn¡¯t long after we entered this section of the mansion that we arrived in front of arge pair of doors. It was much darker than thest time that I was here during the day, but this was undoubtedly the doors to Hayden¡¯s bedroom. I gulped as I stood behind him in front of the doors.


    "This is my bedroom," Hayden said passively.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say so I just nodded as I started getting even more nervous than before. Hayden pushed the door opened firmly and my body froze in ce.


    "Come in," Hayden said emotionlessly.


    Without waiting for me to response to his invitation, Hayden¡¯s arm circled my waist before he pushed me gently into the room. Therge door closed with a loud thud behind me, and I jumped in slight fright. The room was dark, and I couldn¡¯t make out much until Hayden switched on the lights. I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the light before it widened at the sight before me.


    Where¡¯s the bed?


    --To be continued¡­


    Please support my other works: Forbidden Heat, Lust Contracts , and Conquering the Emperor

 Chapter 210: The Prey and the Chaser

    That was the first question that entered my mind as I stood in the middle of a veryrge room that resembled more of a living room than a bedroom. I wondered how many living rooms a guy needs to have in his life. Unlike the other rooms in the mansion, this room had many touches of Hayden. There were photos of him and his family.


    Looking around, I could see photos of him, the boss and his brother, Harvey.


    The room was furnished in the modern luxury style of tones of grey and ck. It was a very masculine room, but it still looked veryfortable. Hayden paced around leisurely in the room, and I could tell that he felt very rxed and at home in here. I walked towards a shelf with many photo frames to see more of his photographs.


    A specific photo caught my eye and instinctively, I reached a hand out and touched the picture frame. The photo showed two boys sitting together, both looking a little awkward. The blond boy must be¡­


    "Is this boy you?" I asked Hayden.


    He looked at me before heading in my direction. Hayden stood next to me as he looked at the photo of the boys on the shelf.


    "Yes, that¡¯s me¡­" he replied tly.


    Hayden looked so cute when he was a boy. His blond hair was a little lighter than it is now, but his eyes were the same beautiful blue. I could see that his skin had always been so fine and even back then, he resembled a little angel. If he was any prettier or if his hair was any longer, he would have looked exactly like a sweet little girl. Hayden really is pretty.


    My eyes shifted to focus on the dark-haired boy sitting next to the young Hayden in the photo. If this boy is Hayden, then this must be¡­


    "Is this boy Ethan?" I asked softly.


    "Yes¡­" Hayden replied grimly.


    I smiled a little at the cuteness of the boys in the photos. Who would have thought that they would grow up to be so different, and sadly, on opposing sides. Hayden still kept the photo of them so maybe deep down he still felt like he had some connection to Ethan. That was purely just my guess because I didn¡¯t dare to ask him about it.


    "Enough looking around. Let¡¯s shower," Hayden said at the same time that his arms circled my waist.


    "Wait¡­" I protested without much effect.


    Swiftly, Hayden hurled me up into his arms and carried me off. I called his name softly as I wrapped my arms around his neck. With long strides, Hayden carried me towards a door that led us to the bathroom. He¡¯s not going to make me shower with him, right?


    "Let¡¯s shower together. It¡¯s been a long while since we¡¯ve done this," Hayden said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.


    "Wait¡­I¡­you can shower first. I¡¯ll go after¡­" I quickly protested.


    "Why? Are you feeling shy again?" He asked with a chuckled.


    Hayden ced me back on my feet in the ultrarge bathroom. We could y a game of catch in a bathroom of this size. The bathroom had an empty area that I guessed was for dressing up. There was arge bath and a jacuzzi. On the other side there was arge shower area.


    No matter how I looked at it, it was like this ce was built for a group of people to shower together rather than just one person.


    "What are you doing?" I cried out a little too loudly as I jumped away from Hayden¡¯s invading hands.


    His hands started pulling on my clothes and I quickly jumped away with my arms folding protectively over my heaving chest. Hayden looked at me with an amused look on his face as he approached me. Instinctively, I took a few steps back away from him as a mischievous spark took over his light blue eyes.


    My back hit the cold tiled wall behind me with a small thud and I suddenly felt like a very cornered prey. Hayden eyes looked at me hungrily and I could sense his raw desire. I knew something along these lines was going to happen if I came with him to his bedroom, but I didn¡¯t think that it would happen so fast, and we haven¡¯t even reached his bedroom yet.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name breathlessly.


    My voice echoed magnificently in the enclosed space of the bathroom. Hayden took a few steps topletely close the distance between us until he was standing right in front of me. He¡¯s so close and the eyes that looked down at me swirled with lust and desire.


    "You like being chased, don¡¯t you? We¡¯re a good match, I don¡¯t mind doing the chasing¡­" Hayden said, and his hands started ripping away at my clothes.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name in shock.


    There was a loud tearing sound as his strong hands tore my shirt to shreds and pulled itpletely off my body without bothering with the small buttons that ran down the front of it. His hands were on the button of my pants before he yanked my pants off my hips.


    "Turn around¡­" Hemanded in a low whisper as his hands turned me around towards the wall.


    His hand eased my pants off me and I felt it sliding down my legs. I didn¡¯t have to do anything at all, he lifted my body up and kicked my pants away from my feet. Standing there in his arms in nothing more than my underwear, I felt very exposed and vulnerable. I could feel the heat of his body against my back as he leaned close to me and pressed me up against the bathroom wall.


    My breath quickened and I whimpered his name weakly when Hayden began sucking on the side of my neck. Although I wasn¡¯t panting that loudly, the sound sounded much louder as it echoed in the bathroom. Hayden¡¯s wet tongue traced a line along the length of my neck while his hand started caressing the curves of my body.


    I felt the heat of his hand stroking my back seductively before dipping lower to stroke my ass through my panties in circr motions.


    --To be continued¡­


    Please support my other works: Forbidden Heat, Lust Contracts , and Conquering the Emperor

 Chapter 211: Victim of Seduction

    "Hay¡­den¡­" I whimpered before a moan escaped my lips.


    Lewd wet sounds filled my ear when Hayden shifted his attention from my neck to my ear. He nibbled on it before he sucked hard on my earlobe. His tongue entered my ear and began licking me while his hand squeezed my ass. I bit on my lower lip as louder moans of pleasure escaped from my lips. My body was getting hot, and I was panting as he continued to seduce and turn me on.


    "ce your hand on the wall and bend over¡­that¡¯s it. Stick your ass out more¡­" Hayden instructed as his hands grabbed my hips and pulled it towards him.


    I could feel his presence close behind me before I felt his hand on my breasts. A slight stinging sensation shot through my breasts as he began massaging them roughly with hisrge hand in turn. It hurt a little, but it was starting to feel so good. My soft flesh felt like it was melting in hisrge hand as he squeezed and kneaded it.


    My nipples grew hard and erect almost immediately as my body started to react to his seductive stimtions. The pit of my stomach started to throb with heat and a sense of swelling filled my pussy.


    While pumping my breast wildly with one hand, his other hand began pulling down my panties to expose my ass to him. His hand syed across my buttocks before he began teasing them with light squeezes. I knew that he was teasing me, but it felt so good, and I couldn¡¯t stop the lewd moans of passion that were escaping my lips.


    "Listen to all the lewd sounds that you¡¯re making. Does it feel that good already?" Hayden teased from behind me.


    I closed my eyes tightly in embarrassment as louder moans of desire left my lips and echoed through the bathroom. His thick and long fingers began caressing the crack of my ass and my entire body trembled at the tender sensation. Slowly, Hayden traced his fingertips along my ass crack and my pussy began pulsating and quivering in anticipation of his touch. I wanted him to touch me there already.


    "Ahh! Hayden¡­" I cried out loudly before moaning his name when his fingers finally found the slippery wetness in between my legs and started stroking it.


    My legs felt weak immediately when his fingers started caressing the folds of my pussy. His fingertips ran along the sopping wet slit in between my legs and waves of pleasure flooded my entire body. My lower abdomen throbbed with need as the pleasurable ache in between my legs became unbearable.


    "Your pussy is flooded. It¡¯s so wet already¡­I can probably fit two fingers into you now without a problem¡­" Hayden said observantly.


    He began stroking my swollen clit with his fingertips and I cried out loudly at the intense waves of lust that flooded my senses from the small nub that he was skillfully petting. Seeing that I was enjoying his touch, he started applying more pressure to my hard clit. I cried out as my mind started to go nk. His fingers stroked my sensitive bud in circr motions before he started pinching it.


    The pleasure building up inside of me felt like it was going to burn me alive, and my hips began moving against his hand.


    His other hand reached between my legs and began stroking my wetness. Suddenly, my pussy made a wet sound as I felt a sharp prating sensation plunge deep into my love tunnel and realized that Hayden had thrusted his thick and long fingers into my wet love hole. He¡¯s already in so deep with one thrust and I could feel his fingers stretching my entrance and stroking along the walls of my pussy.


    My pussy walls clenched automatically around his intruding fingers as if begging for him to start moving inside of me.


    Although it was just his fingers, it felt amazingly pleasurable. Hayden started to move his fingers inside of me, touching me expertly inside my tunnel where he knew I would feel good. His fingers began thrusting in and out of my hole and my hips rocked in rhythm to the movement of his hand.


    His other hand continued to pay loving attention to my swollen clit, and I felt like I would cum at any moment from the double stimtion.


    "Ahh! Ahh! Ahhh!" I cried out as his fingers continued to mess up my wet hole.


    He curled his fingers upwards inside of me and began thrusting against my g-spot, making me cry out his name as I begged him for more pleasure. My hips moved wildly against his hand as my pussy clenched around his fingers, trying to suck it in even deeper into my hole.


    "Does it feel good, Malissa? Tell me what you want me to do to you¡­" Haydenmanded as his fingers moved even faster inside of me.


    His thick fingers grinded against my g-spot as he pinched my swollen clit. I cried out, unable to reply to him as pleasure flooded my mind. It was a small miracle that I could still stand, my legs felt so weak, and my breathing was harshlybored.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I begged him before I couldn¡¯t say anymore but moan even louder than before.


    "Say it¡­I know you can say it¡­" Hayden said as his fingers pinched my clit sharply.


    "Ahh! Make me¡­cum¡­please. Make me cum!" I pleaded loudly, my moans and desperate cries echoing loudly as it bounced off the wall of the bathroom.


    I was so close to my climax already. I could feel my pussy spasming wildly and my love juice was threatening to spurt out from my love hole onto his fingers. I wanted and needed to climax.


    "Good girl. I¡¯ll let you cum¡­" Hayden said with extreme satisfaction.


    His hands and fingers worked its magic on my pussy. I felt my entrance being stretched even more and realized with surprise that Hayden was forcing another finger into me. He¡¯s filling me up and it felt so amazingly good. He fingered me fast and hard as he yed with my swollen and sensitive clit.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 212: At Our Limits

    It was soon that I cried out his name loudly as I closed my eyes and saw stars bursting at the back of my closed eyelids. I came from his fingers and the intensity of my own orgasm imed me without mercy. My legs lost its strength and Hayden supported my body by wrapping his arm around my waist so that I could lean on his strong body.


    I panted and moaned with my face against his chest as I tried my best to recover from my climax. My eyes were still closed when I felt him lift me up into his arms and carried me. When I opened my eyes, I wasying in the bathtub and Hayden was freeing his magnificent body from his clothes.


    His body never failed to impress me, and I found myself admiring his well-formed muscles and how it moved when he moved his body. Hayden got into the bathtub before turning on the water. The warm water slowly filled the tub while his hand grabbed the shower head and brought it down.


    "Spread your legs, Malissa, I¡¯ll wash your pussy for you," Hayden said casually like it was the most normal thing in the world.


    My eyes widened in shock and my mouth dropped opened. What did he just say? This man is so twisted¡­


    "What? No¡­" I declined without a second thought.


    "Open your legs. Your pussy got all wet and dirty from before, I¡¯ll help you clean it," Hayden said before smirking at me.


    I knew that he wasn¡¯t going to just clean it and I kept my legs closed. The lights are on and it¡¯s so bright, this is so embarrassing.


    "No, I can do it myself," I replied as I kept my legs closed and covered my naked breasts with the palms of my hands.


    "No need to be shy. I¡¯ve seen your naked often times enough¡­" Hayden teased me as he bent over me.


    His hand slowly slid up my legs from my ankles to my knees and then further upward along my thighs. The warm water from the shower head sttered onto my leg along with his caresses. His hand wedged between my thighs, and I let out a small cry as his fingers began teasing my sensitive pussy. I had just climaxed, and my pussy was extra sensitive to his seductive touches.


    "Rx. I¡¯ll make you feel good," Hayden said as his hand began pulling my thighs apart.


    "Ahhh! That¡¯s¡­Ahhh¡­" I moaned loudly as my pussy stretched opened and I felt the warmth of the water pushing against my sensitive opening.


    Hayden ced the shower head in between my legs and the warm water started sshing against my wet opening. The temperature of the water made my pussy even more sensitive than before. I moaned and threw my head back as the pressure of the water hit against my swollen clit. Hayden, he¡¯s doing this to me intentionally.


    He watched my erotic expression from above as my body started writhing from renewed pleasure and I continued to moan.


    "I¡¯ll help you clean up¡­" Hayden said sweetly as his hand dipped between my legs and began stroking my wet pussy.


    The sensation of the water massaging my clit along with his fingers caressing the folds of my pussy felt unbelievably blissful. His fingers stroked my pussy a couple of times before it disappeared into my hole. My hips lifted up shamelessly as my pussy attempted to suck his fingers deeper into my love hole. It wasn¡¯t enough and I ended up wanting even more of him.


    His fingers explored around the walls of my love tunnel while I whimpered his name as lust started guing my mind again.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I pleaded sweetly as I begged him for more.


    His fingers thrusted in and out of my pussy hole and I felt myself getting wetter again. My core felt hotter than before, and my body felt very sensitive. I was reacting so much to Hayden¡¯s advances, and I didn¡¯t want to stop him. I spread my legs even wider than before, and my hips began moving up and down wildly as his fingers continued to pump against the pleasure spots deep inside of me.


    "Are you begging for me to fuck you? Touch my cock, Malissa," Haydenmanded as his hands left my pussy.


    He grabbed my hand and pulled me up into a sitting position before leading my hand to his erect love stick. My eyes fell to the thick and long pole standing in between his legs. His cock is so big, and it was already very erect. He ced my hand against the length of his hot rod and the heat from his cock seeped into the palm of my hand.


    As if mesmerized by its shape and size, I wrapped my hand around the girth of his massive cock and began stroking him up and down softly. Hayden let out a low groan as his cock twitched a little in my hand. It¡¯s so hot and so long, I couldn¡¯t believe that this massive thing has been inside me.


    "Put me inside you, I want to fuck you now¡­" Hayden instructed as he stared deeply into my eyes.


    I knew that Hayden was probably at his limit right now and so was I. His hands held the sides of my hips as I lifted my hips upwards towards his cock. Carefully, I positioned his thick member at my wet opening. I felt his heat as the thick head of his cock prodded into my love opening. It¡¯s so thick¡­


    Hayden¡¯s hands circled around my hips to hold my ass tightly. He groaned and I cried out as he sank his gigantic cock into the wet and hot depths of my pussy. I felt his hot rod everywhere inside of my pussy as his length stroked along my pussy walls while the head of his cock hit deep within me. He stretched and filled me uppletely in one single thrust that left me reeling from the impact.


    Hayden began pumping his long shaft in and out of my hole as he quickly picked up speed. He groaned as he exerted himself in plunging his cock deeper and faster into my pussy hole.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 213: Height of Our Passion

    He¡¯s so wild and I ended up screaming louder than ever before. My voice echoing throughout the bathroom along with his wild groans of pleasure as we both enjoyed our crazy passionate ride. His hand held my hips in ce so that he could prate me deeply and from various angles. His cock rammed into me and stretched my insides in all direction.


    It felt so pleasurable, and each thrust felt different from thest.


    "Ahhh! Hayden¡­don¡¯t be¡­so rough¡­" I panted in between my loud cries of pleasure.


    "You knew this would happen when I invited you here, didn¡¯t you? Yet you still came along willingly. You wanted me to fuck you hard just like this¡­" Hayden replied through gritted teeth while his hips pushed his cock harder into my pussy hole.


    He¡¯s being so rough with me. He filled and stretched me with the size of his cock as he rammed it inside of me. His thrusts were so powerful that it felt like he would split my body in half. Hayden continued to pound his enormous member deeper and faster into me, hitting my womb with every thrust. I cried out loudly as my pussy spasmed and clenched wildly around the entire length of his cock.


    The swollen head of his cock caressed along my pussy walls as he reared his cock back before screwing it back into my sopping wet hole.


    It feels so good¡­


    It¡¯s like I couldn¡¯t get enough of him shoving his thick cock into my hole. My insides felt hot, and I got wetter and wetter as my love juices squirted out into my hole, lubricating the movement of his cock inside of me. I got so wet that some of my juices began leaking out of my hole, dripping onto my inner thighs with the exit of Hayden¡¯s cock out of my hole when he reared back his hips.


    "You¡¯re so hot and wet inside. It feels good¡­your pussy is making so much noise today," Hayden said seductively as he continued to mess up my wet insides with his deep thrusts.


    The sound of his cock messing up my wet insides echoed through the bathroom. My pussy made lustful wet noises as our bodies continued pping against each other. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore; my mind is a mess and so was the inside of my pussy. I¡¯m going to cum¡­I¡¯m going to¡­


    "Hay¡­den¡­I¡¯m going to¡­cum¡­" I whimpered weakly.


    My throat hurt already, and my lips felt dry from crying out too much. I no longer had the strength to scream even though I felt that the approaching climax would be even more intense than thest. My mind felt like it would shatter along with my body when my orgasm hit me.


    Seeing that I was climaxing, Hayden pounded his cock into me even faster while he groaned my name. His cock expanded inside of me, and I knew that he was about to reach his peak as well. I cried out his name as his cock spurted his hot seed deep into my hole. His hot cum filled me up inside like it would never stop.


    He¡¯s cumming so much inside of me and my pussy quickly clenched around his thick cock as if it was trying to milk him of all his seed.


    I closed my eyes in bliss as his warmth filled my body¡­


    ¡­


    In the end, I don¡¯t think we ended up showering properly at all. It came as a surprise to me that I didn¡¯t faint in the midst of his wild lovemaking. That didn¡¯t mean that I could walk like a normal person out of the bathroom though, and Hayden seemed to know this because after withdrawing his cock from my body, he scooped me up into his arms and carried me out of the bathroom.


    Finally, it seemed like I would get to see his bedroom. My mind felt hazy from overindulging in bodily pleasures that I didn¡¯t care much about his bedroom anymore. It took all my energy just to keep my eyes open and my mind conscious. Hayden carried me back to the living room before going through another pair ofrge doors into his bedroom.


    So, this is Hayden¡¯s bedroom¡­


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting exactly but therge bedroom with modern-luxury themed furnishing that matched with the other rooms in his wing wasn¡¯t what I expected. It was a little of a let down that his bedroom was quite normal. Then again, I wasn¡¯t sure what I had in mind exactly. However, unlike the other rooms, Hayden¡¯s bedroom was quite messy.


    It wasn¡¯t unclean but there were more of his stuff inside the room than other rooms. Out of all the rooms in this mansion that I¡¯ve been to so far, this room seemed the most lived-in. For some reason, that fact rxed me. Hayden grabbed a towel off a rack and pushed it into my arms before heid me down onto his bed.


    Slowly, I sat up and started using the towel to dry myself before wrapping my body with it.


    My eyes travelled around his bedroom as I sat on hisrge bed. The mattress was quite soft and very thick. It felt nice under my ass, and it was a little bouncy. I watched Hayden¡¯s naked back as he pulled out another towel and began drying his hair that had gotten wet from our tryst in the shower.


    I guess we¡¯re going to go to sleep now. My excitement returned and I realized that I had been looking forward to spending the night with Hayden in his room. Sleeping in Hayden¡¯s arms on his bed would probably feel so good. I was already feeling very sleeping and I knew that I wouldn¡¯t have any problems going to sleep tonight.


    "Are you up for another round?" Hayden asked as he turned to face me.


    Clearly, we were not operating on the same wavelength because there was no way that my body could handle ¡¯another round¡¯ right now. My mouth hung open as I stared back at him in utter disbelief.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 214: Sleepy Head and Little Hayden

    "Umm¡­I don¡¯t think¡­" I protested as I scooted away further onto the bed in my panic.


    To my further surprise, Hayden beganughing at me and that was when I realized that he must have pulled a joke on me. Not that I found it very funny; however, I was very relieved that he didn¡¯t insist on going for another round tonight.


    In the end, I fell asleep in Hayden¡¯s arms from exhaustion, and I didn¡¯t remember anything else about that night. The next morning, nothing woke me up until I started stirring in my sleep on my own. My body decided that it had had enough rest and wanted to wake up. Precisely because of that, I woke upte and by the time that I sat up in bed, Hayden was no longer there by my side.


    Panicking a little, I got out of bed and went looking for him.


    He was no where to be found and the time disyed on the clock hanging on the wall exined why. It was almost noon! Honestly, I was shocked at how much I had overslept.


    ¡¯Are you awake, sleepyhead?¡¯


    Hayden sent me a teasing message along with a photo of me sleeping on his bed. When this he take this photo? I quickly zoomed into the photo to see if I was drooling in my sleep. This is so embarrassing!


    I didn¡¯t know what to reply to Hayden, so I decided to reply to himter. It was already thiste so Hayden must have left for work a long time ago. Things were probably still busy and hectic because Hayden had been so disciplined in going to work for a while now. Before when we lived together in the penthouse, he was superid back and didn¡¯t seem to care much about his work at all.


    Oh, right! The other thing that I need to worry about right now is Little Hayden. Where is he? Is he alright? Has he had breakfast? How many times a day is a dog supposed to eat anyways?


    So many questions ran through my brain that I was struggling to keep up. To make matters worse, I didn¡¯t have any clothes. All my clothes were back in my room and the clothes that I had worn when I came over here was torn, thanks to Hayden.


    I wrapped the towel that Hayden gave mest night around my body and was about to walk out of the room when the door opened, and Auntie stood there like an angel sent to rescue me from my distress.


    "Good morning," she said with a knowing smile.


    In her right hand, she held my clothes hanging from a few hangers while her left hand held a tray of fruits and sandwiches. In that moment, I was certain that heaven existed, and it sent her as an angel to save me.


    "Thank you¡­so much¡­" I said as relief flooded my body.


    "You should eat and get dressed. Master Hayden already left for work, but he was quite worried about you," Auntie said as she walked in and ced the tray on a table.


    "Thank you. Umm¡­what about Little Hayden? I mean, you know, the puppy that Hayden bought," I asked with worry.


    "Oh, is that its name? Little Hayden¡­is fine. He¡¯s super cheerful and the maids like him quite a lot. He¡¯s well fed so there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about," Auntie told me reassuringly.


    "I see. That¡¯s good. Thank you for your help," I thanked her before sighing a little in relief.


    "No worries at all. The weather is nice today so why don¡¯t you take umm¡­Little Hayden out to y in the garden outside?" Auntie suggested.


    "That sounds like a splendid idea!" I readily agreed.


    Besides ying with Little Hayden and giving him a chance to explore the garden outside, I can also do some sketches of the flowers and perhaps paint a little. Feeling enthusiastic, I headed into the bathroom to shower and change my clothes.


    Ignoring the fact that my entire lower body was sore from our vigorous activities fromst night, I quickly got dressed so that I could make some progress today.


    After putting a few pieces of fruit into my mouth, I headed back to my room immediately to find Little Hayden. The little corgi puppy was there to greet me the moment that I opened the door into my room. He came running right up to me on his short chubby legs with his little tail wagging around energetically.


    I knew it already fromst night but seeing him again just confirmed my thoughts, Little Hayden is the most adorable thing ever. I bent down and scooped him up into my arms while the maid that had been looking after him giggled a little.


    "Thank you for taking care of him," I thanked her with a smile.


    "No worries. He already had breakfast so his next meal will be dinner," the maid said politely.


    "Thank you so much. I¡¯ll take it from here," I said while relieving her from her duties here so that she could work on her other tasks.


    Little Hayden stared up at me and I looked down to smile at him. His brown eyes seemed to always be begging for something. His fur was so soft that I couldn¡¯t resist hugging him a little tightly to my chest. He feels so wonderful in my arms that I wanted to keep hugging him all day. That wasn¡¯t really an option though, because I needed to do some work on my art before I lose my touch.


    I walked to the art studio with Little Hayden still in my arms. He seemed excited about everything and kept on looking around with his nose sniffing at the air around him. I wondered how obedient he is and how well I can train him. Not having any experience or much knowledge about this, I made a mental note to consult a search engine to gather knowledge of how to raise a puppy properly.


    Has this guy gone to the toilet yet today? I forgot to ask the maid from earlier¡­


    --To be continued¡­


    Please support my other work: Forbidden Heat, Lust Contracts and Conquering the Emperor

 Chapter 215: Making the Most of a Perfect Day

    "Please wait till we get to the garden, ok? Don¡¯t pee yourself," I warned mockingly.


    I had to put Little Hayden down on the floor so that I could gather my art materials and tools that I needed to take outside to work on some art in the garden. Little Hayden looked a little confused at suddenly being let down from my arms, but he still chose to stick close to me. He walked around my heels and followed me as I moved around gathering things in the art studio.


    Honestly, I was quite scared that I would step on his little paws as I walked.


    After gathering all the tools that I needed, I carried Little Hayden in my arms along with the bag of tools. Already, I found it quite challenging. Maybe this is what being a single mum feels like¡­a little¡­


    Bncing work and raising a puppy is going to be one hell of a job. Not to talk about my struggling career as a new artist. Thankfully, Little Hayden seemed to be the sweet and obedient type and I hoped that he would remain that way. Now, where are the guards?


    I didn¡¯t make it out of my room without struggling with the loads in my arms. Maybe if I can just get to the stairs and find the guards, they can help me carry some of the stuff. That was exactly what happened a little while after when I found the guards stationed right at the stairs.


    "Can you help carry some of my stuff? I¡¯m heading to the garden," I requested politely.


    Little Hayden panted loudly and started sniffing as I stood in front of the men. The puppy showed interest in seeing other people before he started barking softly. His small little bark was so adorable, but I still decided to hush him up so that he would learn not to bark so much while we were indoors.


    After passing on the art tools to a man in the guard squad, I made my way to the garden with Little Hayden in my arms.


    "I¡¯m going to put your down but don¡¯t run away, ok?" I told Little Hayden while I wonder if he even understood a word that I was saying.


    I bent down and carefully ced Little Hayden on the grass. He seemed overly excited at his newfound freedom and began running around in circles. He ran around my feet before running towards the guards to sniff their shoes in turn. The guards pretty much ignored him, probably because they were supposed to be on guard and that led Little Hayden to bark as he attempted to get their attention.


    While all of that was going on, I was looking around for a decent ce to set up my materials so that I could sketch out something. If I remembered correctly, there were many flowers that way to the side of the mansion. Auntie was spot on, and the weather was amazing today. It wasn¡¯t too hot or cold and it was windy enough. The sky was a clear blue without clouds or signs of rain.


    I couldn¡¯t have asked for a more perfect day to be outdoors.


    "Let¡¯s go over there. Little Hayden, follow me!" I called out to the puppy.


    Amazingly, he followed after me when I started walking away. I nced behind me to see him trying to keep up with me with his short little legs. It was the most adorable thing I had ever seen. Feeling like a mother duck, I kept my eyes on him to make sure that he was still following me.


    The guards also followed me along with Little Hayden while they tried to keep a respectable distance to give me personal space.


    "Sit down here, Little Hayden," I said as I patted an area on the grass.


    Little Hayden came to sit right next to my feet and I crouched down to pat his head adoringly. His baby fur felt so soft against my hand. I smiled as I kept on petting him. Even the fur on his body was soft. After stroking his back, a couple of times, Little Haydeny down on the grass and flipped over onto his back. Dutifully, I started rubbing his little tummy for him.


    It must have tickled him because his hindlegs began kicking.


    "You¡¯re a funny little guy!" I said whileughing at him.


    Now is probably the right time to start training him to pee outdoors. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was too young to learn the trick or not, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to start early, I guessed.


    "Little Hayden, why don¡¯t you try going to the bathroom on the grass?" I suggested.


    Once again, I had no idea if he understood a thing that I had just said. I guessed not because he cocked his head to the side and looked very confused. Maybe if I leave him outdoors long enough, he¡¯ll end up going to the toilet by himself.


    I shifted my attention back to the sketchpad and pencils that I had prepared. This location was perfect because there was a shade and a few different types of flowers nearby that would serve as a good subject for sketching. To start with something quite basic, I decided to sketch a yellow rose that was nearby.


    Crouching down close to it, I began sketching the rose while asionally ncing over to check on Little Hayden.


    At first it was quite stressful to sketch while always being distracted and worried about Little Hayden; however, I started to get used to it after a while. Soon, I didn¡¯t nce over at the little puppy that often anymore. I was sure that the guard had their eyes on both the puppy and me. Also, Little Hayden had found what seemed to be his favorite spot on the grass and had settled there.


    I regretted not bringing a dog toy of some sort so that he would have something to y with while I sketched. Maybe if I asked one of the guards, they¡¯ll get it for me?


    --To be continued¡­


    Please support my other work: Forbidden Heat, Lust Contracts and Conquering the Emperor

 Chapter 216: Proud Mum

    "Umm¡­excuse me, can you get Little Hayden his ball toy? It¡¯s in my room, I think if you ask one of the maids, she should be able to get it for you¡­" I requested with a pleading voice.


    "Sure¡­" one of the guards replied emotionlessly after a short pause.


    I continued sketching and soon after, Little Hayden had a red little ball to y with in the grass. Now only if he had someone to y around with him, the day would be so perfect for the little guy. I nced over at the stern-looking guards and shook my head softly to myself as I gave up on the idea. I don¡¯t think any of them would be willing to y ball with my little puppy.


    Sorry, Little Hayden, you¡¯re going to have to y by yourself for today.


    Right now, I found it a great idea to have the guards with me. Not because I felt like I was in any real danger, but it was useful to have them help keep an eye on Little Hayden as he yed around in the grass to make sure that he didn¡¯t wander off while I was busy sketching or working on my artwork.


    The sketches of the various flowers that I¡¯ve drawn up to this point seemed decent enough. However, there wasn¡¯t anything new or outstanding about that. I¡¯ve sketched many flowers before up to this point and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was adding any new range to my skill as an artist. A depressed sigh left my lips as I stared down at the sketchbook while I wondered what I should do next.


    My eyes rove around the scenery, trying to find something that was worth sketching. Something new, a little moreplex or something that I wasn¡¯t used to sketching. I¡¯ve done a lot of sketches and paintings of trees and flowers before so that was out of the question. I could use some practice on sketching people, I thought as my eyes fell on the bodyguard standing nearby.


    His facial hair would make the sketch more challenging in terms of texture and tone.


    I sighed again and shook my head to myself. There was no way that he would just sit and let me sketch him. Plus, the guards are supposed to be working right now. My eyes wandered and then stopped at the little furball sitting very close to my feet. What about¡­


    "Little Hayden¡­would you like to be my model for today?" I asked cheerfully.


    Little Hayden, who by now had figured out that that was his name, turned and looked up at my face. Iughed a little and he immediately began wagging his tail enthusiastically. It was clear that he was happy about everything that was going on in his life right now. I had almost no experience sketching animals, especially very furry ones like Little Hayden so he would be the perfect subject.


    New and challenging. Perfect.


    Now, I just need to figure out how to make him pose and stay rtively still. Before when he wasying on his favorite spot on the grass, he was quite calm and stayed quite still. That might work but how do I get him toy down there again?


    I looked down at the active and energetic puppy that was running around in the grass and suddenly, I started feeling hopeless. What if I put him on a chair or something? Maybe that would work¡­


    "Excuse me, can someone get me a chair or a stool? I want to sketch Little Hayden so¡­" I requested with a smile.


    "Sure¡­" one of the guards replied curtly with a nod.


    Soon after, the chair arrived, and I carried Little Hayden up and seated him on the chair. He looked confused at first but then his optimism returned in full stream, and he was all smiles again. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me. He sat down and because there wasn¡¯t a lot of space on the chair, he was sort of forced to stay in ce.


    I sat down on the grass close by and just like magic, Little Hayden looked straight at me. I sketched him while he sat and watched what I was doing.


    Knowing that he probably wont stay like that forever or he would die of boredom sometime soon, I concentrated on sketching a little faster than usual. It was a challenge to capture the soft texture of the puppy¡¯s fur on paper and also the expression in his eyes. This clearly was an area that I needed to practice and improve upon.


    After I was quite satisfied with the sketching session for the day, I decided to wrap up. I thanked Little Hayden for his help and ced him back down on the grass. The final mission before we go back in is to get him to pee.


    "Little Hayden, it¡¯s time for you to go to the toilet. Anywhere on the grass is fine¡­" I said encouragingly.


    The little corgi gave me a confused look before walking away. Clearly, that didn¡¯t work out the way that I had expected. Is it normal that he hasn¡¯t peed since we came out here? Was he too dehydrated to go to the toilet? Should I feed him some water first?


    I watched as Little Hayden walked leisurely around as I tried to give him some space. He began sniffing the grass here and there. It wasn¡¯t like I was in a hurry to get back inside. I decided to wait for him as he seemed to search for the right spot to attend to his business. Suddenly, Little Hayden started peeing onto the grass.


    "Wow¡­finally!" I eximed in joy as I pped my hands together.


    My reaction drew suspicious stares from the guards, and I realized that I must have acted strangely. They probably think that I¡¯m weird. However, I couldn¡¯t care less. Little Hayden hadpleted his mission of going to the toilet outside for the first time ever! I felt so proud of his little achievement. This must be what it felt like to be a proud mum.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 217: My Haydens

    "Wee back home!" I greeted Hayden happily.


    I waved a hand at him while my other arm was busy holding Little Hayden. Hayden looked at me with a brief look of surprise before his eyes narrowed suspiciously at me and then at the puppy in my arm. I had decided to surprise Hayden a little for a change by waiting for him right at the steps to the main door of the mansion.


    "Why are you standing out here?" he asked.


    "Waiting for you toe back, obviously," I replied.


    "Hmm¡­" he murmured.


    Maybe it¡¯s just my own imagination or the light ying tricks, but I thought Hayden looked a little happy just now.


    "Little Hayden say, ¡¯wee back¡¯ too, Hayden," I talked to the puppy in a sweet cooing voice.


    "Why are you talking to the dog? He probably doesn¡¯t understand a thing," Hayden muttered darkly.


    "I think he does understand somethings¡­" I countered stubbornly.


    "Let¡¯s go inside. You don¡¯t need to wait for me outside," Hayden said a little sternly as he walked past me into the mansion.


    I smiled a little to myself before following him back inside. In my mind, I had already decided to wait for him outside again tomorrow because I was more than half convinced that he seemed a little happy about it.


    "Isn¡¯t that, right?" I whispered softly into Little Hayden¡¯srge and pointy ear.


    Hayden immediately seated himself at the dining table while the maids worked to serve the food. Little Hayden seemed excited about the food and began sniffing and twitching his nose rapidly. Hayden, on the other hand, seemed tired and detached. That only made me wonder what went wrong for him today.


    "I guess work was busy?" I asked softly as I sat down in the chair opposite him.


    Little Hayden¡¯s eyes widened at the food on the table as he sat on myp like a cute little plush toy.


    "Work is boring as always," Hayden muttered.


    In other words, he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it. Sometimes I wished that Luka would drop by, then perhaps I¡¯d have a solid chance of learning about what was going on outside. It was evident that asking Hayden about it wouldn¡¯t get me any answers and I¡¯d probably get scolded.


    Thanks to Luka¡¯s advice and my own learning curve, I¡¯m getting a little better at managing Hayden so that we could some how coexist. For instance, I now knew that changing the topic of the conversation is the most appropriate course of action.


    I ced Little Hayden on the chair next to mine and he gave me a confused little look as I walked away. After grabbing my sketchbook, I returned to the dining table.


    "The weather was so perfect today, so I took Little Hayden outside and worked on some sketches in the garden. Two birds with one stone. I sketched many flowers and I also tried sketching Little Hayden. See?" I said cheerfully as I opened my sketched book and ced it on the table in front of Hayden.


    Hayden looked down at my sketchbook and he seemed to show some interest. It was quite surprising how Hayden seemed keenly interested in my art and my career. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was being super supportive, but he did pay attention to it.


    "The sketches of¡­Little Hayden¡­looks funny," Hayden said, clearly having difficulties calling the puppy¡¯s name.


    Let¡¯s see if he will get used to it eventually.


    "It¡¯s a new challenge for me. I¡¯ve had very limited experience sketching and painting furry things. Human hair is different from fur so I¡¯m really getting good practice by using Little Hayden as my model," I exined excitedly.


    Hayden just nodded at my words as he reached out a hand and began turning the pages of my sketchbook to see the other sketches. He seemed thoughtful as he looked at my drawings and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he was thinking. Little Hayden looked at us with his round brown eyes. I smiled and patted the soft fur on his head lightly.


    Suddenly, Hayden¡¯s phone started ringing. He quickly picked it up as if he was expecting a call before standing up from his seat and exiting the room. I stared after him curiously. It wasn¡¯t exactly usual for Hayden to walk out to take a call but the again it wasn¡¯t usual for Hayden to get a call at this hour either. Work must be busy. I hoped that everything was alright.


    Since the phone call was taking a while, I ced Little Hayden down so that he could walk about and also start on his own meal. Having some spare time on my hand, I decided to rummage through therge brown box filled with things that Hayden had bought for Little Hayden. I bet there are many toys in here that Hayden can use to y with the puppy. Maybe this ball and this rope?


    Is this supposed to be used for tug of war?


    I was still going through the box looking for dog toys when the door to the room opened and closed firmly. Looking up, I saw Hayden entered the room casually.


    "Hayden! Come here for a second," I called out to him and beckoned him over with a wave of my hand.


    **woof woof**


    I looked down to see Little Hayden sitting right by my side with his little tail wagging joyfully. His brown eyes stared up at me as he panted from excitement.


    "I told you that the name would be a problem. You¡¯ll call me and he¡¯ll turn up too," Haydenined as he came to my side.


    He stared down at the dog before crouching down next to me. He was right but I liked the name, so I didn¡¯t want to change it. I knew that everyone found it weird but Hayden gave me this dog, so I wanted to name the dog after him¡­a little.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­I guess I don¡¯t really want to change it. He knows his name already too¡­" I murmured a little sadly.


    Hayden just sighed at me before he dropped the topic. Little Hayden looked up at Hayden curiously before snuggling next to hisp.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 218: A Turning Point

    "He really likes you¡­" I said with a smile.


    Time for Little Hayden to earn some favor points so that he can keep his name and also his life. Hayden looked down at the puppy and sighed again. I wondered if he regretted getting the little thing and prayed that that wasn¡¯t so.


    "What did you want to show me?" Hayden asked.


    "You bought dog toys, right? I was with Little Hayden earlier in the garden, but I was too busy working on my sketches, so he had to y all alone¡­" I mumbled.


    "And?" Hayden urged to me to get to my point.


    Well¡­


    "I was just thinking that it¡¯ll be nice if you could¡­you know¡­y with him a little outside. Of course, when you have the time like on the weekends¡­" I suggested hesitantly as I reached out a hand to stroke Little Hayden for some courage.


    Hayden looked at me with an incredulous expression like I had asked for something quite crazy. Did I just ask for something that crazy? I started to doubt myself for a moment. Hayden stared at me for a moment longer before his gaze fell to the furry ball nuzzling close to his leg.


    "Let¡¯s take him out to the gardens when I¡¯m home for the day," Hayden finally replied in resignation.


    "Thank you. I¡¯m sure that Little Hayden will be so happy to y with you. Right, Little Hayden?" I said as I smiled at Hayden.


    "I don¡¯t really care if it makes him happy or not¡­" Hayden muttered.


    Swiftly, his arm was around my back, and he had pulled me into a hug. My eyes widened in slight shock at his sudden embrace while I could feel his warm breath against my ear.


    "Thank you, Hayden¡­" I whispered as I enjoyed the warmth of his hug.


    ¡­


    A week past by not without incident. Little Hayden grew up fast and had adjusted to his life in the mansion. Despite Hayden¡¯s disapproval, I managed to keep Little Hayden¡¯s name. I honestly found it funny and quite convenient that both of them would respond to my call. Little Hayden behaved very well when he was with me but the same couldn¡¯t be said when he was around Hayden.


    They were like two boys ying together. Sometimes they would get along and other times not really.


    Overall, I found the dynamic between the two extremely entertaining. Regardless of Hayden¡¯s initial doubt about keeping Little Hayden, it was undeniable now that those two had developed a bond and our lives were more adventurous with Little Hayden around.


    "He bit my shoe. Have you seen this?" Hayden asked as he thrusted his shoe towards me.


    "I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean any harm¡­" I mumbled before trying tough it off.


    Hayden rolled his eyes at me in annoyance, and I was thankful that Little Hayden was now taking a walk outside with one of the maids. Otherwise, who knows what would happen¡­


    "Are you going out today? You¡¯re so dressed up¡­" I inquired.


    Hayden was dressed a in very smart looking suit today and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where he was going.


    "I have a follow up interview today," he replied curtly.


    "I see. Well, have a nice day," I replied.


    ¡­


    I¡¯ve been working on exploring various techniques for the past week but haven¡¯t decided on where to focus my efforts. Being stuck here was making it a little bit difficult to find inspiration. Usually, I would head to the museums and art exhibitions to look for some inspiration but that wasn¡¯t a viable option right now.


    Working on some sketches and paintings helped to pass the time but I knew that I wasn¡¯t making enough progress professionally.


    My career at the art school had all but ended by now. Of course, I didn¡¯t expect that they would put my sses on hold until I could get back to teaching. It was unfortunate but because I was stuck here, the school had other teachers take over my sses and all my students were transferred to new mentors and teachers. Honestly, it hurt to see my efforts all go to waste.


    It was sad that I couldn¡¯t finish what I started. Telling Hayden that would just lead to useless fights, though. In the end, I kept it all to myself.


    Although I was in contact with my friends over some group chats that we shared, I couldn¡¯t meet them or tell them what was going on. It was for their own safety and my own peace of mind. I didn¡¯t want to involve anyone in my troubles or my life with the mafia. From the chats, it was clear that my peers were making some progress in bing professional artists.


    Some decided to go directly into teaching while others have started applying their talents to the corporate word such as joining advertising agencies or design agencies.


    As for me, today will probably be another day or painting alone in the studio with Little Hayden ying with some random toy at my feet. Admittingly, it wasn¡¯t a bad life, but I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could go on with this. If my grandmother is looking down on me right now, would she feel proud of what I¡¯m doing with my life?


    Probably not.


    In a week¡¯s time I¡¯ve sketched and painted many paintings, all without any focus. I painted flowers,ndscape of the garden outside, Little Hayden, and a portrait of a model that I found online. I closed my eyes and put down my paint brush because it was clear that I could no longer concentrate on the painting in front of me.


    My thoughts were a mess and I felt very insecure about my future and theck of progress that I was making.


    How am I supposed to make a living like this? How much longer will I be stuck here?


    Suddenly, my phone started beeping and vibrating. Little Hayden paused in his ying and looked up at me, his eyes twitching from side to side as he listened to the sound of my phone beeping. I grabbed my phone and peered at the screen. For some reason, I had received multiple email notifications.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 219: Full of Surprises

    It was so unusual for me to receive so many emails like this all at once. Were these spam emails? I frowned as I pressed on the notification to open my mailbox to check. I gasped in shock when I found out that the emails were notifications for form submission on my website. It can¡¯t be, there¡¯s so many.


    My first reaction was that someone must have started spamming or abusing the form on my website by filling it with nonsense.


    "Come along, Little Hayden," I called out to the puppy for him to follow me out of the art studio.


    I decided to quickly check the form submission on the website on myputer just to be sure. If someone was spamming it, then I must report it. I sat down in front of theputer and pulled up the backend of my website to check on the submission form responses.


    There were so many of them and they were all sent from different people? My eyes narrowed as I focused on scanning the headings of the form submissions. There were almost twenty of them and the notification bell on the side of the screen showed that more submissions wereing in. I clicked to open one of the submissions to see its content.


    To my utmost surprise, I found that the submission didn¡¯t seem to be a spam. The fields were filled out correctly with adequate details and this potential client seemed to be requesting for a portraitmission.


    I closed that submission and opened another one. This one seemed legit enough as well. All fields were filled out properly. Surprisingly, this client was also requesting for a portrait.


    "Aha¡­" I mumbled as I opened another submission.


    I ended up going through all the forms that were submitted on my website. There were close to fifty forms submitted and I spent almost two hours just flicking my eyes over the text. The most surprising thing was that the forms seemed to be real requests from potential clients with contact information for me to contact them back to discuss themission request in more detail.


    The next most surprising thing was that all the submissions were requesting for a portrait of some kind whether it be a sketch or a painting.


    It was a good thing that my website was gaining traction and getting attention, but I felt a little ufortable not knowing where all of this wasing from. Since all the requests were for portraits, it made me wonder if or how my portrait work caught their attention.


    I haven¡¯t done that many portraits and none of them seemed noteworthy except for the portrait of my grandmother that I disyed at the exhibition before. However, that didn¡¯t create a hype or anything at that time and I didn¡¯t think that the hype now was rted to that painting at all. The timing just wasn¡¯t right.


    While I sat there in front of theputer with my brows knitted together in deep thought, someone knocked on the door. It¡¯s either Auntie or a maid. They¡¯re probably here to set up the dinner table and also help me feed Little Hayden. Time flew by so fast, and another day wasing to an end. It was already early in the evening.


    "Come in¡­" I shouted just loud enough for the person on the other side of the door to hear.


    The door opened and maids wheeled in a trolley of food, tes, and utensils. Following after them was Auntie who had Little Hayden¡¯s dish in her hand. Upon seeing and probably smelling the food that Auntie held in her hand, Little Hayden bounded over to her on his short chubby legs. No wonder he was growing up so fast, that puppy truly had an appetite.


    "I think he¡¯s hungry¡­" I said before shing a smile at Auntie.


    "Haha¡­this little guy is always hungry," Auntie replied with augh.


    We stood side by side as he watched Little Hayden gobble up his food at lightning speed. I could already foresee the future state of this puppy and it had a big fat belly. I better make sure that he gets enough exercise by getting Hayden to y with him outdoors. The maids were busily setting up the table for dinner and I hoped that Hayden would be back soon.


    "Oh, have you seen the magazine?" Auntie asked.


    "What magazine?" I asked back, cluelessly.


    "Hayden didn¡¯t tell you about it? Wait here, I¡¯ll go grab it very quickly. You have to see this!" Auntie said excitedly as she hurried out of the door.


    I cocked my head to the side as I watched her abrupt exit. I wondered why she was so excited about a magazine and was Hayden supposed to tell me something?


    After a very short while, a very breathless Auntie came back into the room. Her shortness of breath told me that she had rushed there and back in a hurry. She held a magazine in her hand as she approached me.


    "Here. You need to take a look at this!" Auntie cried out loudly as she shoved the magazine that she was holding into my hands.


    I looked at her in confusion before my eyes shifted to the cover of the magazine that I now held in my hand. My mouth fell open in amazement and surprise at what I was seeing. How did this end up on here? Why didn¡¯t Hayden tell me anything about it before? My hand shook as I continued to stare at the cover of the magazine.


    "Why is this here?" I asked in a breathless whisper.


    "I thought Hayden told you about it already. I knew he would be featured in this magazine and that he¡¯ll be on the front cover. I¡¯m so proud of him so I had this magazine ordered in advance. Do you want one or a few? I ordered a bunch of them and I¡¯m giving them out to all the staff!" Auntie announced proudly.


    That¡¯s not exactly the point¡­


    Sure, it¡¯s a big deal and all that with Hayden being acknowledged as the top influential businessman and it¡¯s a big deal that he¡¯s on the cover of a magazine but I was sure that it wasn¡¯t his first time. But that¡¯s besides the point entirely.


    "Why is my sketch of him here?" I muttered in pure shock.


    --To be continued¡­


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 Chapter 220: His Calculating Plans

    All I could do was blink rapidly to make sure that I wasn¡¯t just seeing things. No matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the picture on the front cover of the magazine or calm the racing beat of my heart.


    I stared down at the magazine in my hand while Auntie chatted away proudly about Hayden¡¯s achievements. However, her words were lost to me as my mind zoned in to focus on the picture that was printed on the magazine cover. Hayden stared back at me from the sketch that I had drawn of him. It felt like forever had passed since Ist saw this drawing.


    Back then when our contract wasing to an end, I drew a picture of Hayden as a farewell gift for him. Back then, I honestly thought that we would never see each other again and I never thought that I would see this drawing again either. But how did my drawing end up on the cover of this magazine.


    My eyes narrowed as I suspected that the rapid inflow ofmission requests definitely had something to do with the fact that my drawing was featured on the magazine all along with the appropriate credit for the artist. Yes, that artist was me.


    I wondered when Hayden would make it back; I need to get to the bottom of this and I bet my life that Hayden had a hand in this.


    "I¡¯ve already read his interview over a couple of times. You should read it too, Malissa," Auntie suggested excitedly.


    From how she was acting, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she could go on and on about Hayden for days. I thought that Hayden was an amazing person in his own slightly twisted way, but Auntie surely was overreacting. I flipped through the pages to the pages that contained Hayden¡¯s interview.


    My drawing was featured again inside the magazine along with Hayden¡¯s interview and some photos of him looking smart and formal in his business look.


    Seeing this side of him reminded me that Hayden and Torex had a legitimate side as well. Due to the size and prominence of the Torex conglomerate, he was usually in the spotlight as the key family member. I doubted that Hayden liked that though.


    I took a seat at the sofa with the magazine still in my hand as I started reading Hayden¡¯s interview. Overall, it was usual, and nothing was unexpected. I bet he had someone write out his interview script because it probably had toply with some PR regtions or policies of the Torex group. The final part of his interview caught my attention.


    ¡¯The Torex group has started efforts to support fresh talents across various fields of art as a way to give back to society on top of other usual CSR efforts...¡¯


    The interview went on to mention the drawing of Hayden and includedpliments to the artist and the importance of recognizing and support new and aspiring artists. The interview concluded with Hayden encouraging others to do the same.


    Just when I finished reading through the pages of his interview in the magazine, the door opened, and Hayden strode in with such perfect timing. My eyes were immediately drawn to him, and I shot out of my seat.


    "What is this?" I asked as I waved the magazine that I had in my hand around.


    Hayden didn¡¯t look surprised at all as he stared down at me with a look ofplete disinterest.


    "What is what?" he askedzily.


    "This magazine. Why is my drawing on the front cover?" I asked as I tried to shove the magazine in his face.


    "Stop it, Malissa. Why are you overreacting?" Hayden murmured as he pushed the magazine out of his face.


    He walked past me to the dining table like he couldn¡¯t care what I had to say. He was asking me why I was overreacting but isn¡¯t this a big deal. Why was he acting like it was nothing?


    "Hayden!" I called after him.


    I hurried to the dining table and took my usual seat opposite him. This conversation is far from over and I¡¯m not going to just let him blow me off and ignore me.


    Hayden began eating with a cold expression on his face. He didn¡¯t look tired, he just looked in bored as he picked at the food with his fork.


    "You know, my website is now flooded withmission requests for portraits. There are so many requests that I can¡¯t even read it all let alone respond to them. I don¡¯t know what to do¡­" I reported with mixed feelings.


    Sure, I was happy that people were interested in my work and service but with this many customer requests, I truly didn¡¯t know how to proceed. I¡¯ve never received this much attention for my work before, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to face my potential clients. Most of all, I was nervous about everything. What if my work doesn¡¯t live up to their expectations? What price should I charge for my work?


    Will I be able to finish themissioned work on time?


    So far, I had no idea how many portraits I couldpletely in a week or in a month. This was all getting out of hand that I didn¡¯t dare take any action.


    "Isn¡¯t that a good problem to have?" Hayden replied with a shrug.


    "It might be a good problem to have but it¡¯s still a problem. What have you done?" I shot back.


    He should have told me. Was this part the ¡¯n¡¯ that he mentioned before? I could recall that day when weid in bed together and he was telling me about his n to increase my work¡¯s value by ten folds. I recalled all his strict encouragement for me to create a website and all that. Was this all for this?


    "Did you put my drawing of you on the front page to get me customers?" I asked to confirm the conclusion that I have reached.


    "Not really. I just thought it would look more interesting and artistic than having a real photo of me on the cover. The editors agreed and so there we have it," Hayden replied casually.


    --To be continued¡­


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    Thank you!

 Chapter 221: Taking It Out on Him

    "Really?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes at him.


    "Sure¡­" he replied as he smiled back at me with a mischievous spark in his light blue eyes.


    He¡¯s crazy and so reckless. I knew that but still this is something else altogether¡­


    "I don¡¯t even know what to say or what to do. This is crazy, Hayden," I mumbled softly before sighing loudly.


    I have never felt so overwhelmed like this before.


    "Some of my friends and other business partners asked about your work too, and of course, I utilized my perfect sales skill to pitch your talent to them. Guess my hard work paid off. These people are loaded so you can rip them off with whatever price that you want," Hayden said with a proudugh.


    "Why did you do that?" I asked before rubbing my temples.


    This is all too much. He could have checked with me first on whether I was ready for this.


    "To help you find clients for your work. Why else?" Hayden said with a shrug.


    It was apparent that he couldn¡¯t understand why I was so distressed about all this.


    "There¡¯re so many requests formissions now that I don¡¯t know how to start¡­" I admitted shamefully.


    Unfortunately, none of the courses in my university has ever taught what to do when you got more requests that you can handle. I had no idea what I should do first.


    "Don¡¯t panic. Why don¡¯t you read through some of the requests first?" Hayden suggested.


    "I already read through some of them. They¡¯re all asking for portraits because that was what you showed them and put on that magazine cover," I said followed by a depressed sigh.


    "Not just the magazine cover. The article is also posted online on websites and social media," Hayden said with a proud smile.


    I knew that he was doing his best to help but this is all too sudden for me to handle. Getting exposure for your artwork is what most artists dream of but I still didn¡¯t feel ready to handle this much stress and workload. Suddenly, it felt like everyone had high expectations of me and I wasn¡¯t sure if I could meet their expectations.


    Most of all, if I failed at this, Hayden would probably be very disappointed in me.


    "You do realize that if they¡¯re requesting for portraits, I may have to meet some of the clients in person if they request for a live portrait session, right?" I asked Hayden.


    Perhaps it slipped his mind for a second there that I was still under house arrest based on his orders. I wondered if he knew that some portrait work was done with the person posing live in front of the artist.


    "Is that so? What are you going to do then?" Hayden asked as his eyes widened innocently at me.


    "Why are you acting like this is my problem?" I snapped at him in disbelief.


    "Because it is your problem¡­" Hayden said with a careless shrug.


    I can¡¯t believe this. He got me all this attention and more work requests than I can possibly handle. Then when I need to leave the mansion toplete my work, he acts like the fact that he¡¯s keeping me locked up in here isn¡¯t his fault. This is insane¡­


    "You can¡¯t be serious¡­" I muttered as I started to boil over with anger.


    "When you have too much work, you prioritize. So, since you can¡¯t leave this mansion, I suggest you start by prioritizing the work that doesn¡¯t require you to leave this mansion. For instance, there¡¯s got to be requests in there for portraits based off the client¡¯s photo or something. So, work on those and turn down the rest," Hayden suggested calmly.


    None of this seemed to bother him at all. He probably doesn¡¯t realize how stressed out I was feeling. I also felt bad about turning down client requests just because he won¡¯t allow me to meet them face to face to paint them.


    "I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll understand this, but I just feel bad that I have to turn clients down because I¡¯m not able to meet them face to face to paint them. It¡¯ll probably disappoint them¡­" I mumbled myint.


    "You¡¯re not allowed to leave this mansion. Work on the requests that don¡¯t require face to face interactions first. You can work on the rest when you¡¯re allowed to leave," Hayden replied unfazed.


    "And when would that be?" I asked as I red at him.


    Hayden turned and stared back at me. His blue eyes cold and I knew that he was angry.


    "When I say so¡­" he replied before heading for the door.


    As far as he was concerned, this conversation was already over. I bit my lower lip as I watched him leave. The door opened and closed with a loud m. I closed my eyes and breathed in a deep breath before holding it.


    We got into a fight again¡­


    Hayden¡¯s probably in a super bad mood right now so approaching him to talk to him now would probably be a bad idea. I should wait till he cools down a bit. I guess I had to get a grip on my emotions too. The stress, excitement, and all the worry were really getting to me. I flopped down onto the seat in front of myputer as I tried to gather myself together again.


    I shouldn¡¯t have taken that out on him. I knew that he was doing his best to try to help meunch my career as a professional artist. His n worked way better than I had ever dreamt possible, and I got both recognition andmission requests for my work. It was just a shame that I couldn¡¯t leave this mansion which meant that I couldn¡¯t live up to my client¡¯s expectations.


    Because of my frustration, I decided to take it all out on Hayden. He must be feeling very hurt because of me.


    I wondered how long I¡¯ll be stuck in here for. When can I go out? Hayden hasn¡¯t told me anything about that. Maybe I should try to find a good moment to ask him about that. As for now, I had no choice but to follow Hayden¡¯s suggestion of going through all the request and seeing which ones I could fulfill without meeting the client in person.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 222: Guided by Instinct

    Opening up the responses to the request form, I started going through them one by one and sorting them based on the detail of the request. As I read the requests, my brain began thinking about ways that I couldplete my work without meeting the client in person.


    I could paint from a photograph and some requests actually wanted me to paint based on a photograph so I could work on those requests without any issues. For other requests, would doing some kind of video call help act as a reasonably good alternate method? Honestly, I haven¡¯t tried it before, but it might be worth a shot.


    The issue was that most clients probably didn¡¯t know the process of getting their portrait painted. Perhaps, I could get back to them to ask if it was fine if I didn¡¯t paint them in person. There were so many requests that I had to find some way to prioritize them. I hated to admit it, but Hayden was right. I wondered how many portraits I could finish in a month. Perhaps one per week?


    That would make it four per month. If I rushed a little, perhaps I could do six or eight?


    Judging by the number of requests, the booking would be full for almost a year. That¡¯s just crazy. I spent a good portion of the night working on sorting the request and reaching out via email to the clients to ask them more about their requests and expressing my sincere apologies and regret for not being able to meet them in person.


    I didn¡¯t know how the clients would react, but I couldn¡¯t do anything else but pray for the best.


    The truth was, I probably needed to brush up my skills before I could start on a realmission. It has been a while since I¡¯vest sketched or painted a portrait. The most realistic date to start working on my firstmission would be around a week¡¯s time from now.


    I felt tired and that spat that I had with Hayden just now didn¡¯t help out with anything at all. After taking a quick shower, I went straight to bed. Little Hayden was peacefully sleeping in his small little bed in my living room by now and I envied how easily he could drift off to sleep. It was like he could fall asleep anywhere and at any time.


    Unlike that little puppy, sleep did note easy to me that night.


    My mind was too filled with thoughts about my work and now and then my thoughts would drift off to Hayden. I wondered what he was doing and if he was sleeping well. Hopefully, he wasn¡¯t having trouble sleeping like I did. Then again, I don¡¯t think that little argument we had just now would disturb him at all. Then why is it bothering me so much?


    I shut my eyes tightly as I covered my eyes with my hand and rolled around from side to side on the bed. This is useless, I can¡¯t seem to go to sleep no matter how hard I tried. I sat up in bed as my head started to throb a little painfully. Am I about to get a migraine? Seriously?


    Earlier, I was too shocked and too busy trying to get the truth out from him. In the end, I forgot to thank him properly for all that he¡¯s done to help me out. Sure, perhaps he did a little too much and kept it all a secret from me. However, I knew that he meant well, and I owed him at least a word of thanks.


    From how I reacted and what I said to him, he must have thought that I was such an unappreciative and selfish person. I felt horrible¡­


    Tomorrow is a Saturday so Hayden should be home all day tomorrow. That meant that I had the whole day to find a way to apologize to him properly. Wait, what if he decides to go out?


    The surest way was to catch him very early in the morning. Thanks to Auntie, I now knew where Hayden¡¯s room is so if I head there early in the morning, I was sure to catch him before he woke up. I was convinced that that was the best n. However, with that n in mind, I still couldn¡¯t go to sleep. As time ticked by, I felt more and more anxious.


    Before any thought ran through my mind, I had gotten up from my bed. I wrapped a loose robe over my short night gown before running out of my room in my slippers. It waste at night, and I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden was already asleep or not but that didn¡¯t stop me from proceeding along the hallway that led to Hayden¡¯s wing of the mansion.


    While on my way to his bedroom, my brain tried to figure out what I would say to him exactly. This wasn¡¯t an easy task. Hayden is such an unpredictable person. It was so hard to figure out what he was thinking or feeling and that made it so hard to handle him. If I said the wrong thing, I¡¯ll end up angering him more than before and that would be a disaster.


    I wasn¡¯t sure of anything apart from the fact that I wanted and needed to see him right away.


    I didn¡¯t realize that I had been in such a rush to get to Hayden¡¯s bedroom until I was standing right in front of the door to his bedroom with my chest heaving up and down. The sound of my shallow pants was the only sound in the silent and deserted hallway. I can¡¯t believe that I just ran all the way here. What has gotten into me?


    It was like I had so much foolish courage before but now that I was standing right outside of his room, I suddenly felt quite scared. What did I do just now? How did I end up here and at this hour? This is just too crazy¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 223: Welcomed by a Monster

    I should head back. It¡¯s toote in the night now and Hayden is probably sleeping. If I knock on his door now, I¡¯d just disturb him and wake him up from his slumber. So many reasons ran through my mind as I stood there in front of his door in silence without moving. My body wouldn¡¯t move as my fear started taking over.


    Suddenly, all I wanted to do was walk away from the door and head back to the safety and sanctuary of my own bedroom.


    Deep down, I knew that all those reasons that my mind was conjuring up were nothing more than convenient excuses for me to head back so that I wouldn¡¯t have to face Hayden right now. The truth was that I was scared.


    While I stood there rooted to the spot, to my utmost disbelief, therge door behind me creaked opened and light shone into the dark hallway. It seemed like my choice was just made for me. My body froze in ce in shock as more light shone into the dark hallway. Slowly, I managed to move my body and turned my neck around towards the opened door.


    A dark shadowy silhouette stood in the doorway.


    "There¡¯s only one reason a woman would visit a man¡¯s room thiste at night¡­" a cold chilly voice spoke.


    Suddenly, it felt like I was trapped into a horror movie and hade face to face with a beast in a haunted mansion. I wanted to run for my life, but my feet felt like they were glued firmly to the floor. For the life of me, I couldn¡¯t move, and the shadowy figure took a step and then another step closer to me.


    I¡¯m going to be devoured. He¡¯s going to eat me alive!


    I closed my eyes tightly as small, frightened cries escaped my lips. My hands shook madly before I used them to cover my ears. The monster came to stand right in front of me and its hand reached out to grab my wrist. Suddenly, I was yanked forcefully through the doorway into the light of the room beyond.


    Needlessly to say, I screamed so loudly that onter reflection, I was convinced that I must have woken up some staff in thatrge mansion.


    "Why are you screaming?" Hayden asked as he stared down at me with a look of pure annoyance on his face.


    "Because you scared me! Isn¡¯t that obvious¡­" I wailed.


    "You¡¯re not making any sense. You came to my room, so I opened the door for you," Hayden said as he shook his head from side to side.


    His eyes looked at me with an incredulous look on his face as if he couldn¡¯t quite grasp the ridiculousness of this situation.


    "That was so scary. You appeared in the doorway like some shadowy figure. I honestly thought you were a monster and then you spoke in such a low voice¡­" I continued wailing andining as I plopped myself down onto his sofa.


    "Hmm¡­" Hayden made a sound as he looked at me with dispassionate eyes.


    "Then the monster turned out to be you and it was basically the same thing¡­" I said in shock as my eyes grew even wider.


    A shadow loomed over me, suddenly blocking out the light from above my head. Instinctively, I nced up to find Hayden¡¯s face looking down at me from a very close distance. He¡¯s so close¡­


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name in shock as I scooted back further into the sofa.


    His blue eyes narrowed at me, and I felt a chill run up my spine.


    "So, why is a little princess like yourself visiting a monster sote at night?" Hayden asked.


    My eyes drifted down from his face to his naked chest and then the wonderfully formed muscles of his stomach. That was the first time that I realized that Hayden was half naked. My eyes snapped back up to his face as it widened, and I felt heat rush up into my face. I was speechless and couldn¡¯te up with reply to his question.


    All the preparation that I did during my trip here to his room all flew out the window as my tongue tied into a knot.


    "No reply?" Hayden said before he smirked at me.


    A few seconds of silence passed by as Hayden¡¯s clear blue eyes stared deeply into mine. My throat and lips felt extremely dry, and my chest tightened. Hayden smiled sweetly at me, and I knew that there was something hidden behind that smile of his. His hand reached out and grabbed my body so fast that I didn¡¯t even have time to cry out.


    "Wait! Put me down¡­please¡­Hayden!" I cried out when I finally found my voice.


    "Stop struggling¡­it¡¯s pointless," Hayden said without any empathy.


    I continued kicking my leg as he carried me over his shoulder and headed for his bedroom.


    "Wait¡­where do you think you¡¯re taking me?" I protested loudly as my hand pped his back.


    "To the bed, where else? Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re here for?" Hayden replied as we entered his bedroom.


    ¡¯There¡¯s only one reason a woman would visit a man¡¯s room thiste at night¡­¡¯ his chilling words came back to me.


    No. He¡¯s getting this all wrong!


    "Wait! It¡¯s not like that¡­" I tried to exin.


    The next moment, my breath was knocked out of me when he threw me onto his bed. I felt the softness of the mattress against my back before my body bounced a little on it from the impact of Hayden dumping me down onto his bed.


    "Hayden, wait¡­" I pleaded.


    Hayden got on the bed and slithered up right next to me. He¡¯s so close that we were almost touching. I could feel his eyes travelling down the length of my body and I started to feel very nervous and aware of his presence so close to me.


    "You were saying?" Hayden asked as he whispered seductively close to my ear.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 224: What I Came Here For

    My body stiffened as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back against his hard frame. I could feel the hardness of his muscles against my back along with his body heat. The nightgown and robe that I had on was made of very thin satin and it didn¡¯t provide much barrier between our tightly pressed bodies. I could feel his breath in my ear and knew that he was staring down at my face.


    I kept my eyes averted as I tried to think of what to say.


    "Answer me," Haydenmanded in a low voice.


    When Ipsed into silence as I hesitated, he started punishing me by hugging me even tighter than before. I need to answer him before he either crushes my ribs or I run out of breath.


    "I didn¡¯te here to¡­sleep with you¡­" I managed to say in a struggle.


    Hayden¡¯s arms around my body rxed and I quickly drew in a deep breath before I lost my chance to breathe. He¡¯s such a bully¡­


    If I thought that Hayden was satisfied with my answer, I quickly found out that I was so wrong.


    "Do you really mean sleep¡­or¡­" Hayden said teasingly as his hands began untying the little sash of the robe around my waist.


    When his hand parted the thin robe that I was wearing and began caressing my waist, my body froze in shock. I had to get a grip on myself before my body betrays me and starts responding to his seductive touches.


    "Wait¡­I didn¡¯te here for this¡­" I said with so much determination, but my voice came out so soft and weak.


    "For what? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re referring to¡­" Hayden continued to tease me.


    Of course, he knows what I¡¯m talking about. Why does he have to make me say it?!


    He started kissing the nape of my neck softly as he made sniffing sounds. Pressing his nose against my skin, he breathed in my scent and my body shivered in his arms. His lips made small kissing sounds as he trialed soft kisses along the side of my neck. asionally, he would pause before sucking and nibbling on my sensitive skin. I felt goosebumps form on my skin as my body began responding to him.


    My body writhed in his arms from the exquisite pleasure. Hayden held me in ce with his arms around my body as his lips continued to tease the sensitive spots on my neck.


    I need to say it¡­otherwise, I won¡¯t get to tell him what I came here to tell him¡­


    Why is he making this so difficult for me? My body is turning against me as my legs and arms started feeling weak. At this rate, I¡¯m going to lose myself¡­


    "I didn¡¯te here¡­to have¡­sex with you¡­" I managed to say through gritted teeth.


    My hands balled into fists, and it was the pain of my nails digging into the palms of my hand that helped my mind focus on saying what I needed to say.


    After one final firm and long kiss on my neck, Hayden lifted his face away from my neck. He stared down into my face with a slightly astonished face. His blue eyes widened at me innocently as he looked at me in wonder.


    "Then, what did youe here for?" he asked softly.


    Hayden stared down at me silently and I knew that he was waiting for me to speak. I wanted to speak so badly too but now that the time had arrived, and I had his undivided attention, it became so hard to say what I wanted¡­


    Hayden¡¯s wide blue eyes staring down at me as he waited for me to say something didn¡¯t help my case at all. His gaze only made me more nervous, and I knew that all the preparation and thought that I had put in while walking along the long hallway to his room wasn¡¯t even near enough to prepare me for what I wanted to say to him. I bit my lower lip as a knot formed in my throat.


    Why is it so hard to talk to him?


    "I came here¡­to thank you¡­for helping me. You know, with my art¡­" I said, forcing each word out of my mouth.


    It was great that I had my back turned to him so that it seemed natural for me to look away from him. I didn¡¯t want to stare into his blue eyes when I spoke to him because it would just make me feel nervous. Talking to him honestly was difficult and I had never been like this with anyone. He intimidated me and my heart always skipped a beat when he stares so deeply into my eyes.


    I closed my eyes and sighed, knowing well that this was an area that I needed to improve upon.


    Hayden was silent and his arms rxed around my body. His silencested too long, and I began to wonder what was happening. Curiously, I turned my head around to look up at him.


    "Was that so hard for you to say?" Hayden asked before he smiled a little at me.


    Well, I guess it shouldn¡¯t be but¡­


    "It was. Sorry¡­I should have thanked you sooner," I admitted in a whisper.


    "You don¡¯t have to apologize. I didn¡¯t help you because I wanted your thanks," Hayden said casually.


    His light tone caught me off guard. I didn¡¯t know how to respond so I just nodded my head. Now that I¡¯ve finally said what I came here to say, it felt like a huge and tall mountain had been lifted off my chest. I could breathe easier, and my mind started to clear. If only I could talk to Hayden as easily as he could talk to me.


    "I know that, but I honestly wanted to thank you¡­but in the end, I ended up saying means things to you instead¡­" I said before trailing off.


    I still felt like there were some things that he did that was wrong. Keeping me locked up here in this mansion with him, for instance. However, two wrongs did not make it right.


    --To be continued¡­


    Please support my other works: Forbidden Heat, Love ve to My Devil CEO Boss, Conquering the Emperor, The Alpha Prince¡¯s Purchased Maid and Lust Contracts.

 Chapter 225: Our Bodies Can’t Lie

    I wasn¡¯t a saint, but I was determined to keep myself in the right as much as possible. I shouldn¡¯t have taken my anger and stress out on him after he went to such lengths to help me. No matter how much influence he had, it must have taken some effort if not a lot of effort to publicize my work like that.


    "I told you just now, it¡¯s fine," Hayden said tly.


    "No, it isn¡¯t¡­" I murmured.


    Hayden shook his head at me, and he probably thought that I was a very stubborn girl. Perhaps, I was.


    "Next time, if you find it hard talking to me, you can start by texting me," Hayden suggested.


    "But it¡¯s not the same¡­" I countered.


    "Of course, it¡¯s not the same but it¡¯s good to start out somewhere," he replied.


    "No. I¡¯m not going to take the easy way out. I¡¯ll keep talking to you¡­until¡­I can figure it out¡­or get used to it¡­" I said with determination.


    However, I still found it hard to meet his gaze when we¡¯re having difficult conversations like these, and I found my gaze shifting elsewhere as I stuttered slightly.


    "Look at me when you¡¯re talking to me," Haydenmanded as he took hold of my chin and lifted my face up, forcing me to stare into his eyes.


    His eyes were a beautiful blue and we were so close that I could see myself reflected in his eyes. He¡¯s so attractive, really. His looks only made him harder to approach.


    "Ok¡­well, thank you for helping me and umm¡­it¡¯ste now¡­so¡­I should probably head back¡­" I said as I tried to ease myself out of his embrace.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?" Hayden asked with a mischievous grin.


    "Umm¡­back to my room?" I replied in a shaky voice.


    His arms immediately tightened around waist and his hand caught my wrist in his hand. He¡¯s not going to let me go?


    "Not so fast, this monster hasn¡¯t had his fill of you yet¡­" Hayden teased.


    "No, I didn¡¯t mean to call you¡­a monster. I just came here to thank you¡­" I corrected softly.


    "I don¡¯t mind since you¡¯re not entirely wrong. However, I don¡¯t want your thanks but if you insist¡­I wouldn¡¯t mind taking your body as thanks¡­" Hayden suggested wickedly.


    "Wait¡­" I whispered breathlessly.


    "Pay me with your body, Malissa," Hayden said with utmost satisfaction.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name when I felt something hard grinded against my back.


    Is that his cock? The hardness prodded against my back and as he hugged me tighter to him, the hardness began rubbing against my back. He¡¯s so hard already.


    "You made my cock so hard¡­shouldn¡¯t you take some responsibility?" Hayden teased me very bluntly.


    He began grinding his hardness against my backside and I let out a whimpered cry in a mix of surprise and humiliation. I could feel his hardness and his size press up against me and it made me even more aware of his sexual desire.


    "Wait¡­" I protested softly.


    His hand grabbed my wrist and began pulling my arm back. My fingers brushed against something hard then my entire hand was pressed up against his thick and long rod. I felt his size and shape in my hand and my eyes widened in amazement at how hard he had gotten. His hand pressed my hand harder against his hardness and I felt an intense ache in my lower abdomen. Did I turn him on this much?


    "Let¡¯s see if you want my cock as well¡­" Hayden murmured close to my ear.


    "Ahhh¡­Ahhh¡­" I heard myself let out lewd cries.


    Hayden¡¯s other hand pulled up my short nightgown before his hand slipped under the thin fabric, disappearing in between my legs. My pussy quivered in anticipation of his touch as I closed my eyes and moaned softly. His fingers stroked the crotch of my underwear before pressing up hard against my wet opening. My pussy clenched and squirted out more nectar onto my panties.


    His fingers skillfully peeled the thin fabric covering my love entrance away before his fingers delved into my hot wetness.


    "Ahh!" I let out a sharp cry when his fingers thrusted firmly upwards into my hole.


    His entrance made a wet plunging sound as he swiftly entered me. My wetness covered his fingers as my pussy walls clenched tightly around his intruding fingers. It feels so good¡­


    "So warm and wet. Look at how much you¡¯ve dirtied my hands with your juices," Hayden said after pulling his fingers out of my wet hole.


    Hayden lifted his hand in front of my eyes. The sight of his slick fingers covered with the stickiness of my love juices greeted me. He rubbed his fingertips together as if to show me how slippering the liquid on his fingers was. Hayden parted his fingers and my love honey stretched into a thin stream between his fingers.


    "Don¡¯t¡­" I whimpered as I looked away in embarrassment.


    "Your pussy really wants my cock," Hayden said with a satisfied chuckle.


    "No¡­" I whispered as I squirmed in his arms.


    "I told you to look at me when you¡¯re talking to me. If you have problems talking to me honestly, you can start by being honest with me in bed," Hayden suggested confidently.


    He turned me around in his arms so that I was forced to face him. His hands were tugging and pulling my robe off my body before I could even react. He¡¯s moving so fast. His hands were already pulling the short nightgown off over my head. I had to lift my arms to help him. Soon enough, I waspletely naked, and I sat there in front of him with my hands covering my breasts protectively.


    "You¡¯re still embarrassed to be naked in front of me at this point?" Hayden said as he looked at me with a look of disbelief.


    "Stop teasing me¡­please¡­" I murmured and I started pouting at him.


    "Undress me," he ordered.


    He pulled on my arm and ced my hand on his pants encouragingly. His eyes watched me as I slowly pulled down his pants from his hips. He didn¡¯t have anything else on except for his night pants which made the task easier, thankfully so.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 226: His Good Girl

    Hisrge cock sprang out into my awaiting hands. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at his impressive size and length. His cock was erect and standing up proudly in between his legs. Its heat filled my hand as I instinctively clutched my hand around his girth then I began stroking my hand up and down his length. Hayden¡¯s cock twitched a little in my hand and I could tell that it was enjoying my attention.


    "Don¡¯t stroke it too much. I don¡¯t want you to please me with your hands tonight. Lay down on your back and spread your legs," Haydenmanded.


    "Ok¡­" I mumbled obediently.


    Iid down on his bed with my head on his pillow. The next part of hismand is just¡­


    "Spread your legs. Quickly. Wider¡­wider¡­" Haydenmanded authoritatively as he red down at me from above.


    Why can¡¯t we do all of this with the lights off or dimmed down or something?


    "Don¡¯t look¡­" I pleaded as I turned away in embarrassment.


    With my legs spread this side open, it wasn¡¯t too hard to imagine where his eyes were on my body. I would rather he touch me or make love to me right now. Having him just staring down at my pussy in this position was just too much for me to handle.


    "Don¡¯t turn your face away and don¡¯t avert your eyes. Look at me," Hayden said sternly.


    "It¡¯s¡­embarrassing¡­sorry¡­" I apologized in a choked-up voice.


    "Force yourself until you get used to it. I chose this position so that I can see you facer clearly. Of course, you¡¯re going to keep your eyes on me. I¡¯ll y with you and fuck you while we maintain eye contact. Look away and I¡¯ll punish you," Hayden exined his brilliant idea.


    Of course, the only person who thought that the idea was brilliant was Hayden. His idea terrified me beyond words.


    "No¡­that¡¯s impossible¡­" I muttered softly as I looked away to the side.


    "Eyes on me," Hayden snapped at me.


    Even if he says that, it¡¯s not so easy toply with hismands when I¡¯m feeling like this. I hesitated for a moment and in that moment, I felt his hand on my face before he turned my head back around to face him. His icy cold blue eyes stared deeply into mine from above.


    "Look at me¡­" Hayden said strictly.


    "I¡¯m trying but it¡¯s just so¡­difficult¡­" I replied.


    "Look at me. Don¡¯t look away again," Hayden ordered.


    I nodded my head slightly with my eyes staring into his. This is crazy. He¡¯s making me feel even more nervous. I had forgotten everything that was going on. All I could focus on was his blue eyes staring down into my own.


    His hand began stroking my inner thigh and I closed my eyes as my core throbbed with desire for him. Hayden let out a loud sigh and his hand left my thigh. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see him staring at me with a look of annoyance on his face.


    "If you close your eyes, how are you going to keep your eyes on me?" Hayden asked sarcastically.


    By now, I no longer believed that he¡¯s doing any of this to help me with my issues of talking to him. He¡¯s just doing this to tease me as always. For some twisted reason, I was ying along with his game. His hand returned to my inner thigh as he stroked his way upwards towards my sopping wet pussy.


    I let out a moaned and I knew that my face must have transformed into a naughty look, but I couldn¡¯t hide my face. I had to keep staring at him while he stared down at me from above.


    "Ahhh¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned and called his name when his fingers finally reached the throbbing heat in between my legs.


    "Hold on. I¡¯ll fuck you soon," Hayden teased as his fingers stroked my wetness.


    "Ahh! Hayden¡­Ahh¡­" I cried out loudly.


    His eyes narrowed at me seductively as he watched my face contort into a look of pleasure and desire. His fingers pushed against my swollen clit before he began stroking it fast and hard. My hips began moving, thrusting my pussy up towards his hand as I moaned louder and louder. All the while, I tried to keep my eyes on him as he watched me.


    His passionate gaze began to turn me on, and my body felt even more sensitive than before.


    "Good girl. Keep your eyes on me," Haydenplimented before he smiled sweetly at me.


    His hand stopped touching me there. In the next instant, Hayden positioned himself in between my legs. I felt the heat of his cock right at my entrance. I took in a deep breath and was about to close my eyes when a stark warning rang out.


    "Don¡¯t close your eyes, Malissa," Hayden reminded me ruthlessly.


    Hayden stared deeply into my eyes, and I felt the heat of his cock slowly pushing into me. He¡¯s moving so slowly but so deliberately. His blue eyes darkened like a stormy sea as he slowly sank the length of his massive cock into my wet love tunnel. I moaned and whimpered as I stared deeply into his eyes. Hayden smiled down at me with extreme satisfaction. His cock pushed deeper into my cave.


    Inch by inch he thrusted into me. I could feel him stretching and filling me. I felt so full of him, and I cried out wildly as my body began writhing beneath him. My pussy clenched around his girth, trying to suck him in even deeper.


    All the while, I had to stare up at his face while I watched him watch my every reaction as his cock continued to sink deeper into my hole. I moaned his name when I finally took in his entire length inside of my cunt. He¡¯s so big and so long. His cock inside me felt so satisfying.


    "Do you want me to move?" Hayden asked needlessly.


    "Yes¡­please¡­" I replied shyly.


    "Good girl," Haydenplimented.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 227: Words of Desire

    His hips reared back, pulling his cock slowly out of my hole until he exited me almostpletely. I panted as I bit my lower lip. His cock left a void deep inside of my belly and I couldn¡¯t wait for him to fill me up again.


    "Do you want my cock back inside?" Hayden asked.


    Was he nning to make me say every single thing? Is this his idea of training me to have an honest conversation with him?


    "Umm¡­" I hesitated to reply.


    "Do you or do you not want my cock back inside you?" Hayden repeated his question bluntly.


    "Yes¡­" I replied softly.


    I¡¯m so embarrassed but I¡¯m not even allowed to look away. This is crazy. I stared up into his blue eyes as my cheek burned with heat.


    "Yes, what?" Hayden prompted further.


    "Yes¡­I want your cock¡­back inside me¡­" I said as I looked straight at him.


    What kind of face did I make just now when I said that?! My eyes widened in shock at how bold I had be.


    "Good girl," Haydenplimented me again and strangely, I found so much joy in his words.


    Hayden thrusted his hips forward, driving his thick cock deep and hard into my pussy hole. I cried out at his sudden entrance as my pussy clenched around him. Hayden stilled and I dreaded the question that I knew wasing my way.


    "Do you want me to thrust into you?" Hayden asked.


    "Yes¡­please¡­" I pleaded.


    This is driving me crazy, and I couldn¡¯t understand how Hayden could stay so unaffected.


    "Good Girl," he said with a smile.


    My cries filled the room as he began pounding his cock in and out of my pussy. I panted and moaned like I was going mad as the heat of my desire burned me. My core throbbed with need as my hips began thrusting up to meet his wild thrust halfway. I wanted him to move faster and harder inside of me. His cock stirred up my wetness as he continued pumping his thick cock into me.


    The thick head of his cock thrusted against the pleasure spot deep inside of me. This angle felt so amazing¡­


    "Do you want me to move faster?" Hayden asked.


    "Yes. Please¡­move faster¡­harder¡­" I replied breathlessly.


    Hayden smiled at me before he did exactly like I just told him to. His movements got more forceful. I spread my legs even wider for him. His hips pped against my opening as he rode me faster and harder. It began to hurt a little, but the pleasure far outweighed the momentary pain. Hayden rammed his cock into me from various angles just the way that I liked it.


    It was clear that Hayden had learnt a lot about how to please my body from the many times that we¡¯ve done it.


    I looked up at his erotic face as he stared down at me with our body joined together as one. He¡¯s so handsome and I found out that I actually liked looking at his face as he gave me so much pleasure. I wondered if he felt good as well. Wanting to please him even more, I clenched my pussy walls around his thick dick and he smiled knowingly down at me.


    The head of his cock caressed along the walls of my pussy as he thrusted in and out of me.


    "It¡¯s so good¡­Hayden¡­" I whimpered as I felt myself getting close to my release.


    "I love it when you¡¯re honest with me," Hayden said.


    He groaned loudly before his hand grabbed the side of my hips and lifted it up. He changed the angle of his thrusts and it felt like he was pounding me deeper. His wild thrusts hitting against my womb, making me cry out at how deep he was inside me. His cock pounding my wet hole made lewd noises echo in the bedroom along with my loud cries of pleasure.


    "I can¡¯t¡­anymore. I¡¯m cumming¡­Hayden!" I cried out helplessly at the arrival of my orgasm.


    "Look at me, Malissa. Don¡¯t hide anymore¡­" Hayden said encouragingly as he reached a hand out to stroke my damp hair.


    My body lost all strength. This time when I closed my eyes, Hayden did not scold me to keep looking at him. I heard Hayden¡¯s harsh breathing and passionate groans and knew that he was very close to his release now. His cock felt like it had gotten hotter and bigger inside of me. It was a miracle how big his cock could get and how it could get bigger and bigger as we made love.


    Hayden came while calling out my name. I was thankful for Auntie for getting me those pills because Hayden always did me raw. I don¡¯t even remember thest time that he wore a condom anymore. The heat of his release shot into me as he nted his seed deeply into my love cave. Hot wetness spurted deep inside of me, and I closed my eyes and moaned his name.


    "What are you feeling right now?" Hayden asked, his eyes on my face.


    "Your cum is filling me up. There¡¯s¡­so much of it¡­" I replied in a choked whisper.


    Haydenughed adoringly at me before he leaned down to kiss my lips.


    ¡­


    When I opened my eyes again, I found myself on Hayden¡¯s bed. I panicked a little; however, after looking around, I found Hayden asleep close to me. I let out a breath of relief that he was still here with me. After he kissed mest night, I must have fallen asleep right away because I didn¡¯t have any memories of what happened after that.


    Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I ced both my hands over my mouth as memories of what he had me do and sayst night came back to me. I can¡¯t believe that I said those things to him, and I was even looking into his eyes. How am I supposed to face him now?


    ncing over at Hayden, he seemed to be in a deep sleep. If I make my escape quietly now, I can probably get away. For a while, I can hide from him and save a little face. Slowly, Malissa, slowly get off the bed¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 228: Newly Found Courage

    Taking extra care not to wake him up, I began scooting over to the side of the bed to make my escape. I felt a sense of sess as my feet touched the floor next to the bed. Slowly, I slid my body down the side of the bed and just when I was about tond safely in a standing position, a sharp tug pulled at my arm.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?" Hayden spoke up suddenly.


    "Umm¡­" I made a thoughtful sound as I began feeling very nervous.


    "Leaving without a word?" he asked casually although his words were usatory.


    "I¡­just wanted to head back to my room¡­" I replied in a small voice.


    "Don¡¯t sound so nervous. I caught you sneaking off, I didn¡¯t catch you stealing anything from me. Come back to bed," Hayden saidzily.


    I didn¡¯t have to reply or state my preference in the matter because his arms were around my body, and I felt my body being lifted back onto the bed. So much for my borate n to make a silent escape without waking him.


    "Are you still sleepy? You can sleep in¡­" I asked curiously.


    "Sit there," Hayden said as he pointed with a finger to a spot on the bed.


    "Ok¡­" I mumbled before scooting over to the spot that he had indicated.


    Suddenly, Haydeny down with his head on myp. He had afortable look on his face as he snuggled his head into myp.


    "Look at me," Hayden said softly as his hand reached up and began ying with my hair.


    I looked down at him and he rewarded me with a very charming smile. My heart definitely skipped a beat just now. That smile is truly not fair.


    "So? Did you enjoy my training fromst night?" Hayden asked beforeughing softly.


    I blushed, knowing immediately what he was referring to.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­" I replied quite honestly. I had very mixed feelings about that.


    "If you can say those lewd things to me while staring deeply into my eyes, you¡¯ll no longer have a problem saying something as simple as ¡¯thank you¡¯ to me, right?" Hayden said calctingly.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­it¡¯s not the same thing¡­" I mumbled.


    "We¡¯ll see¡­" he said before closing his eyes.


    I watched Hayden take a short and rxing nap with his head pillowed on myp for a while before he opened his bright blue eyes again. Hayden sat up on the bed and stretched before running his fingers through his blond hair. He turned his head from side to side to stretch the muscles of his neck while I watched him go through his morning stretching routine.


    Hayden leap off the bed and stretched some more. The tense muscles of his muscles moved under his skin. I sat on the bed as my eyes admired his lithe movements. Hayden obviously felt very at home in his own skin.


    "I¡¯m heading out first," Hayden said without turning my way.


    Hayden started taking steps towards the bedroom door and I watched his naked back as he walked away.


    "Hayden¡­" I called after him.


    "Hmm?" he made a questioning sound as he turned back to take a look at me.


    "¡­Thank you," I said before offering him one of my best smiles.


    Hayden¡¯s beautiful eyes widened at me for a brief moment before he threw his head back andughed loudly as he walked away. I watched his back until he disappearedpletely from sight.


    ¡­


    "Seriously¡­why am I doing this?" Hayden asked with a scold on his face.


    "Because you have to take responsibility for your actions?" I replied suggestively.


    "Why does it have to be me?" he snapped.


    "Well, maybe it¡¯s because you are to me for this whole situation that I¡¯m in right now? I gave that drawing to you and you were the one who put it on the front cover of that magazine¡­" I replied.


    "Yeah, along with other websites and stuff¡­" Hayden added shamelessly.


    "Right. So, sit in that chair over there and stay still¡­please," I said as I pointed to a chair that I had prepared.


    We were in the art studio and since it was a Saturday, Hayden didn¡¯t need to go out to work. Perhaps it was the effect of Hayden¡¯s lessonst night because I had a lot of courage this morning. Enough courage to demand that he pose for me as a model so that I could practice sketching and painting a man¡¯s portrait. A very good-looking man in this case was a bonus.


    "Is this going to take all day? You want me to sit here all day¡­" Haydenined grimly.


    Despite hisint, he sat down on the chair as I had instructed. I had chosen the position of the chair so that the natural lighting in would hit his face at an angle that would produce some interesting shadows. When he sat down and looked straight my way, I found out that I had made the perfect decision in cing the chair there.


    The light casted a shadow over around a quarter of his face and that worked to show off the beautiful sculpture of his face, straight nose, and firm lips. His eyshes were long enough to cast a shadow as well and I would be sure to capture that in my work.


    Hayden is truly a beauty.


    "Has someone told you before that you look beautiful?" I asked as my hands busily prepared the canvas and other materials.


    "Yes¡­when I was a kid, I got that a lot¡­" Hayden murmured.


    It didn¡¯t seem like it was something that he was proud of.


    "As a kid? I think you still look very beautiful now," I said as I focused on his face from various angles, thinking of the best way to capture his beauty on paper.


    "Is that supposed to be apliment for a man?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    I knew that it didn¡¯t bother him because he still smiled at me. My eyes continued to watch his face while my mind debated with myself on how I wanted to approach these portraits as a whole. Usually, people have two preferences for portraits.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 229: Enticing Disturbance

    Either they want the portrait to look very realistic, capturing reality as urately as possible or they would want the portrait to be a slightly better-looking version of themselves. If I¡¯m to leave the customers to choose then I¡¯ll probably end up with both types of requests and that meant that I had to befortable in delivering both types as well.


    "I think a man can be beautiful. It¡¯s not strange. You were very pretty too as a kid¡­" I said before smiling brightly at him.


    The blond boy I saw in the photo looked like a little angel. I didn¡¯t know what his character was like back then just from a photo, but I couldn¡¯t say that his character right now matches his face.


    "I got teased for looking like a girl a lot when I was younger. Although Harvey was always the one with longer hair, I was the one who was teased¡­" Hayden said calmly as he seemed to recall some old memories.


    "Sounds tough¡­" Iment with a smile.


    "Not really. Harvey would hit anyone who said that, so I just found it funny," Hayden said as heughed along.


    There was a knock on the door and Auntie popped her head into the studio. I wondered what she wanted but one nce down at the puppy in her arms gave me the answer that I was looking for.


    "I¡¯m here to deliver this little guy. He finished his business in the garden already and should be full from breakfast," Auntie reported with a smile.


    Little Hayden had been very sessful in amassing his fanbase in the mansion. Auntie and all the maids were already his big and loyal fans. Finding someone to volunteer to look after him was a breeze. The puppy¡¯s easy-going attitude and cheerful personality was probably the main reason behind his poprity.


    "Thank you. Wee back, Little Hayden," I said as I stretched out my arm.


    Auntie ced Little Hayden carefully into my arms and I cuddled him close to my chest. Little Hayden was growing up fast and I was sure that he gained quite a big of weight. He felt heavier in my arms, but he was still as cute as ever. Auntie excused herself and I ced Little Hayden down on the floor.


    "He¡¯s so spoiled¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "Don¡¯t say that¡­he¡¯s just very popr¡­" I replied as I reached down to stroke Little Hayden¡¯s head.


    Hayden rolled his eyes at me but refused toment anymore. I started working on sketching Hayden focusing only on his face down to his chest area. To practice both versions, I outline two sketches. Personally, I found the realistic version easier than the other one. I mean, how am I supposed to make Hayden look better than he already does?


    Surprisingly, Hayden was very cooperative, and I made a lot of progress in the span of almost two hours. I was afraid that Hayden would get bored, so I tried to keep a conversation going while I worked on the sketches. If he was really my client, I would probably need to entertain the client through some type of conversation as well. Otherwise, the session would be boring and very awkward.


    "How is the sketching along?" Hayden asked.


    "Better than I thought. Thanks to your help," I replied cheerfully.


    "Really? Will you be done soon?" he asked.


    "I think I¡¯ll have the mainponents done in a few minutes. Then I can work on the shading and other small details on my ownter," I replied with my eyes still on the sketch in front of me.


    "Great¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "Sorry, you¡¯re probably bored out of your mind," I said apologetically.


    "Yeah, I am¡­" Hayden replied honestly, sounding very bored.


    "Just hang on a little more¡­" I pleaded in a small voice before smiling at him.


    I focused on finishing up the main sketches on the canvases before Hayden reaches the end of his patience. Right now, the realistic sketch and the better-version sketch looked pretty much the same to each other. It was clear that I needed to work on how to enhance portraits of people to make them look better than their realistic selves while notpromising their identity.


    The portrait needs to resemble reality enough for people to tell who is in the painting or sketch. It¡¯s not going to be an easy task¡­


    Suddenly, something warm touched my knees and my body jumped in fright and surprise. I was too focused on thinking about the sketch that I hadn¡¯t realized that Hayden had left his seat. When did he get here?


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock with my eyes wide open.


    Looking down I could see Hayden crouching down right in front of my knees with his hands on my legs. The look in his eyes told me that he was already at his limit in apletely different way. The heated look in his blue eyes and the way his hands started caressing my legs told me more than enough about what he wanted.


    "Wait¡­I¡¯m still working¡­" I protested although I knew that it was probably useless.


    "Then continue. I won¡¯t disturb your work," Hayden said casually.


    Despite his promise not to disturb my work, his hands didn¡¯t stop softly caressing my legs. It wasn¡¯t long before his yful hands started inching upwards along my legs until he reached my thighs. My body shivered and it felt difficult for me to keep myself from moaning.


    "Hayden¡­wait¡­" I objected.


    "Focus on your sketch. You have work to do, right?" Hayden teased.


    His hand started rubbing my thighs before trailing a line gently along my inner thighs as his fingers inched further up my legs. I looked down to see his hand disappearing underneath the fabric of my dress. My eyes closed and a small whimpering moan escaped my lips. My lower abdomen clenched and started to throb. I knew that I should continue working on my sketch, but I could no longer concentrate.


    Hayden¡¯s watchful eyes observed my reaction as his hands began parting my legs. My body was already reacting so strongly to his suggestive stimtions, and I started to pant. Desire built up inside of me and started swirling around in my lower abdomen before my pussy began to throb with need.


    --To be continued¡­


    Please support my other works: Forbidden Heat, Lust Contracts, Conquering the Emperor

 Chapter 230: Work or Him

    We just did itst night, I thought while I recalled the embarrassing session that we sharedst night in his bedroom.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name when I felt his fingers pressing against my crotch through my panties.


    "Shall I help you remove this?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    Before I could even reply, his hand began pulling down my panties over my hips. The small garment slipped down over my hips before sliding down my thighs and off my legs in one smooth motion. Hayden¡¯s hand returned to my thighs, and I felt its pressure very close to my love entrance. My pussy clenched wildly as it remembered the pleasure fromst night.


    My body felt hot like I was about to melt from his caresses. My hand no longer moved the way that I wanted it to, and my mind started going hazy as my desire for him filled my brain. Hayden¡¯s fingers dived into my hot wetness, and I cried out in ecstasy.


    "Ahh¡­Ahhh!" I moaned loudly.


    His finger caressed the folds of my dripping wet pussy. My body reacted so much to his advances and my pussy was already flooded with my love honey. I¡¯ve never gotten wet this fast for anyone before. He¡¯s barely done anything besides touching my legs and I was already this wet for him. My breath came out in short bursts as I panted.


    "Keep working. You shouldn¡¯t ck off¡­" Hayden warned teasingly.


    "No¡­I can¡¯t¡­" I whimpered.


    I can¡¯t work. I can¡¯t focus on anything. My hand still held the sketch pencil, but I couldn¡¯t draw anything at all.


    Hayden¡¯s fingers began spreading my pussy lips before he began stroking my wet entrance. My hips began moving instinctively, grinding my pussy against his fingers. He rubbed his fingers along my wet entrance faster and I cried out when his fingers brushed against the sensitive little bud in between my legs.


    I thrusted my hips up and down faster as my body writhed wildly on the chair that I was sitting on. My legs spread wider apart as my passion started taking over my entire body.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name breathlessly.


    "You want more, don¡¯t you?" Hayden said knowingly.


    "Ahhh! So¡­deep¡­" I cried out.


    His fingers thrusted sharply into my wetness. His sudden entrance surprised me, but it felt blissfully amazing. I couldn¡¯t stop my hips from thrusting against his hand as my pussy sucked on his fingers.


    "You¡¯re very wet. If I touch you here, your pussy always clenches around my fingers¡­" Hayden said with satisfaction as his fingers pressed up against my g-spot.


    Automatically, my pussy spasmed wildly around his fingers as a moan of pleasure escaped my lips. It felt so good when he rubs me there which was exactly what Hayden was doing. He thrusted his fingers against the sensitive spot inside of me. My pussy got wetter, and I wanted more of him.


    "Ahhh! Hayden¡­" I moaned and called out his name.


    The pencil dropped from my hand to the floor with a clinking sound as it hit the floor. I grabbed the side of my chair with my hands as my hips lifted up to grind my pussy against his hand. I desperately wanted to feel him even deeper inside of me.


    "Not going to work anymore?" Hayden teased.


    I whimpered when his fingers slowly withdrew from my hole. My wetness leaked out of my hole and wetted my inner thighs and ass crack when he withdrew his fingers from my love cave. My lower stomach ached and burned. I knew that until he gave me my release, my body would continue to burn hotly with my desire for him.


    Hayden¡¯s hands spread my legs further before holding my thighs in ce. I gasped when he suddenly buried his face in between my legs. His breath tickled my skin and my pussy quivered in anticipation. My hand grabbed his head as I ran my fingers through his blond hair. Hayden licked my wet entrance and I let out a loud scream. The texture of his tongue running along my wet slit was driving me crazy.


    The louder I screamed, the faster he licked me there. His tongue probed against my swollen clit before he flicked his tongue over it.


    "Hayden! Ohh¡­Ahhh!" I cried out loudly, my voice echoing in the closed art studio.


    The tip of his tonguepped repeatedly over my clit causing multiple waves of pleasure to flood my entire body. My pussy clenched wildly before it squirted out more hot wetness. My love juices flooded my tunnel in waves before bursting out between my legs onto Hayden¡¯s tongue. Quickly, he screwed his tongue inside of my love hole.


    His fingers parted the folds of my pussy to grant his tongue easier and deeper ess to my wet depths.


    Skillfully, Hayden thrusted his tongue in and out of my hole. The texture of his tongue rubbed along the sensitive walls of my pussy driving me closer and closer to my climax. I¡¯m so close¡­I¡¯m going to¡­


    "Ahh! I¡­I¡¯m cumming¡­Ahhh!" I cried out loudly as I clutched and pulled at his hair in my frenzy as my orgasm took over me.


    I was a panting wreck when I returned down to earth from my climax. Hayden withdrew his tongue from my pussy before standing up. Looking up at him, I could see that Hayden was unbuckling his belt and getting ready for the next phase. He freed his thick and erect cock from his boxers. My eyes widened at his size, and I could tell that he wanted to bury his hot rod into me already.


    "Come here¡­" Hayden whispered hoarsely.


    He pulled me by the arm up from the chair and led me to a nearby cab. He shoved me face-first against it and pushed me down until I was bending over it with my ass thrusted backwards towards him. My legs felt weak, and I was thankful that I couldy down on the cab for support. ncing down, to my shock, I saw that Little Hayden had followed me and was now sitting very close to my heels.


    "Wait!" I cried out.


    "What is it now?" Hayden asked impatiently.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 231: How to Mate

    With everything that Hayden was doing to me just now, I hadpletely forgotten that Little Hayden was in the room. The puppy stared up at my face and I felt so embarrassed. I was crying out so loud in my ecstasy until just now¡­


    "Umm¡­Little Hayden is watching¡­" I said softly as I got shyer.


    "Good. He can get his education earlier on in life," Hayden said without a care.


    His hands grabbed my hips and pulled it slightly towards him before he pulled up the skirt of my dress to expose my naked behind to him.


    "Hayden!" I protested as I nced over at the little puppy sitting on the floor.


    "Can you get him out first¡­please?" I pleaded.


    "He can watch all he wants. Who cares?" Hayden replied casually.


    "No¡­that¡¯s¡­" I whispered in shock.


    "Look here, Little Hayden. I¡¯m about to show you how to properly mate¡­" Hayden announced a little too proudly.


    I felt him pushing his hardness against my ass. Its heat rubbing against my cool skin. His fingers were on my pussy, parting my lips before he fitted the thick head of his cock at my entrance. My hips began shifting backwards against his hard pole.


    "Ready? I¡¯m gonna fuck you so hard¡­" Hayden said before he chuckled in amusement.


    His hands grabbed the sides of my hips. His fingers digging into my flesh a little before he screwed his gigantic cock into my hungry pussy. Hayden thrusted forcibly into me, burying the entire length of his cock into me. I cried out at the force and pleasure of his entrance into my wet hole. He pushed into me until his pole was buried into me to the hilt.


    He¡¯s in so deep and his size filled and stretched me. I felt so full of him as hepleted me.


    "Ah! Ah! Ahh!" I cried out as he pumped his cock into me.


    My cries matched the rhythm of his cock thrusting into me and hitting hard against my womb deep inside my love hole. My pussy got wetter, my love juice coating his dick, providing more than enough lubrication for him to ram his massive cock into me faster and hard. Hayden groaned as he exerted himself. His hips jerking against my backside, pounding his cock into my wet hole.


    Wet sounds of our sex pping against each other filled the art studio as he took me again and again. His thickness stretched and caressed along the length of my pussy walls. Hayden thrusted into me without pause. He moved faster as his cock expanded inside of me. His cock must have grown thicker and longer.


    His heat pounding into me seemed to reach even deeper than before and the pleasure in between my legs intensified.


    He was hitting me so deep that I felt him deep in my belly. His cock rapidly messing up my wet insides as my body melted from the pleasure that he was making me feel. His cock rammed against my womb, and I could feel somethinging. It was going to burst out of me¡­


    "Hayden! Ohh¡­no¡­I¡¯m¡­Ahh!" I cried out loudly when I came again.


    "Your pussy feel so hot inside today. It feels good inside you¡­" Hayden groaned lustily.


    His cock pushed into my wetness, and I cried out again. He was still going at it with his endless stamina. I felt his hand on my knees before he started lifting up my left leg. My lower body was forced to turn, and my pussy angled upwards and spread even wider than before when Hayden lifted my leg up towards his chest.


    I grabbed onto the cab to maintain my bnce now that I was standing on only one foot.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in slight panic.


    "Yes, I can fuck you even deeper this way," Hayden groaned as his hips thrusted his cock into me in this new position.


    "Ahh! Mhhmm¡­" I cried out and moaned at the new sensation of him piercing my hole deeper and from a different angle.


    This position must have felt better for Hayden as well because he began pounding his hot rod into me with renewed joy. He panted and cried out my name as he pumped his member in and out of me fast and hard. He groaned like an animal as he rushed towards his release. His hot cock twitched inside of me, and I clenched my walls around him.


    My pussy worked hard to milk him until he would climax and cum inside of me.


    "Malissa¡­arghhh!" Hayden cried out in ecstasy when he reached his climax.


    His heat shot through my body as his cock spurted his hot seed deep in my love tunnel. His seed filled me, and I closed my eyes in bliss. His sex felt so good that I forgot everything. The soft whimpering sound of Little Hayden close to us faded away as I struggled to catch my breath.


    ¡­


    "So, which one do you like better?" I asked, curious to know what he thought.


    A few dayster, I was done with my two version of Hayden sketches. One realistic and the other one making him look slightly more like an angel that had fallen straight out of heaven. The best part that I liked about the two works was that you could still tell in both versions that it was Hayden. I turned to stare at Hayden¡¯s face as he came to stand closer to the sketches.


    His blue eyes looked closely at the two sketches in turn.


    "I like the realistic one because we live in a realistic world. It might be hard or imperfect but that is what reality is. I¡¯ll always prefer reality even if it isn¡¯t as pretty," Hayden replied with his reasoning after a moment of consideration.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled. I guess that answer really sounded like Hayden.


    "What about you?" He asked.


    Well, I liked them both but if I had to choose then¡­


    "I like the realistic one too, I think¡­" I replied with my choice.


    "Why is that?" Hayden asked as he turned to look straight at me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 232: Just the Way You Are

    "Because¡­I like you the way you are," I replied before smiling at him.


    Reality was harsh and Hayden was far from the standard guy in my dream. He was demanding, intimidating, bold, hot yet cold, devilish but looked like an angel, a mafia but also a caring doctor and so many more contradictions that I still couldn¡¯t understand; however, if he was any different, this man standing next to me wouldn¡¯t be Hayden anymore.


    "Sounds good. The other one isn¡¯t bad, but I would turn too many heads if I looked like that," Hayden joked.


    "I guess you already turn many heads¡­" I mumbled, realizing his words to be true.


    "True," Hayden said like it was nothing.


    "Do you think my work is good enough?" I asked as my eyes returned to focus on my sketches.


    "Good enough for¡­?" Hayden asked as he hugged me softly from behind.


    He bent down and his chin rested on my shoulder. I could feel his breath blowing softly against my ear as he pulled me closer to his body. His warmth and his smelled enveloped me and my heart started beating faster and faster.


    "Umm¡­you know, for the clients¡­" I replied as I tried to control the wild beating of my own heart.


    "Of course. It¡¯s always been good enough," Hayden replied without hesitation.


    If he says so¡­


    Although I knew that Hayden didn¡¯t really have an eye or talent for the arts, his words still gave mefort and the courage to take the next step which was to prioritize themissions and finally start working on one.


    ¡­


    I sat in front of myputer as I started rereading themission requests again with the intent of sorting them into priorities based on howfortable I was withpleting the request. Of course, I knew that this wasn¡¯t very scientific, and it relied a lot on my personal feelings and confidence, but I believed that it was the best way for me toplete as many requests as possible.


    As Hayden had suggested, I prioritized themissions that did not require me to meet the client face-to-face first. After that I looked at the specifics of their requests to see if it fits within my skill range. There were some requests for oil paintings which I put asst priority due to its difficulty.


    For the first priority, I put requests for pencil sketches first and then requests for watercolor paintings.


    Even after applying those filters, there were still around ten requests. It would probably take two to three months toplete them all if I worked my ass off all day and early in the evening. I started typing emails to contact the clients for those requests to ask them for more details.


    After receiving some more inputs from them, I¡¯ll start providing price quotes for theirmissions and then lining them up in a queue.


    It took a while, but I managed to send all ten emails to my potential clients. My shoulders felt a little stiff, so I began stretching. Little Haydeny at my feet looking bored and sleepy. I wonder where Hayden is right now? He didn¡¯t go to work so he should be in this mansion somewhere¡­


    Since this mansion was too big for me to go and walk around to look for him, I decided to gather up my courage and give him a call instead. It wasn¡¯t long before Hayden answered my call. What am I supposed to say to him now?


    "Umm¡­Little Hayden seems bored¡­" I mumbled the first thing that came to my mind.


    No! What did I just say!?


    "What?" Hayden said cluelessly.


    No surprise there¡­


    "No, I mean. Where are you right now?" I asked.


    "I¡¯m home. Did you need something?" Hayden asked casually.


    "I just finished sending emails to the clients for themissions and I was wondering if you want to¡­take Little Hayden out to the garden together?" I asked a little hesitantly.


    There was a silent pause on the other end of the line, and I started holding my breath without realizing it as I waited for his response.


    "Ok. I¡¯ll be there soon," Hayden finally responded.


    "Ok. Thank you, Hayden¡­" I replied after letting out the breath that I had been holding.


    ¡­


    Hayden turned up soon after in his casual clothes which I thought looked very good on him. Then again, everything seemed to look appeasing to the eye when Hayden wore it. Hayden had a short sleeve white shirt on and a basic pair of light blue jeans. The vibe around him was rxed and homey and I couldn¡¯t help but feel very drawn to him.


    "Should we go out now?" Hayden asked as soon as he walked in.


    "Yup. Let¡¯s do that," I replied.


    I bent down and scooped up Little Hayden into my arms to carry him outside along with us. Hayden watched me with a cold look in his eyes.


    "Why do you have to carry him? Isn¡¯t he getting heavy? Let him walk on his own," Hayden said dispassionately.


    I looked down at the wide-eyed corgi in my arms and hugged him a little tighter to my chest.


    "He¡¯s gotten bigger for sure, but I still like to carry him around. He¡¯s so soft and all¡­" I replied before smiling down at Little Hayden adoringly.


    "Don¡¯t spoil him so much¡­" Hayden muttered before taking the lead walking out of the room.


    I quickly grabbed some toys including a ball, a frisbee and a rubber bone before quickly following Hayden out to the gardens.


    We arrived at the garden, and I ced Little Hayden down onto the grass. The puppy was instantly joyful now that he was outside and began running around in circles on his short legs. I watched him andughed at his funny reaction. Hayden watched Little Hayden for a while before turning to smile a little at me.


    "I think he was a little bored being cooped up indoors with me in the art studio. Want to y ball with him?" I suggested as I handed Hayden the ball toy.


    "¡­Ok¡­" Hayden replied without much interest; however, he still took the ball from my hand.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 233: Fun in the Sun

    "Little Hayden¡­" Hayden called the puppy before throwing the ball towards it.


    Little Hayden jumped up and caught the ball in between his teeth. Before running around happily with the ball still in his mouth. He seems very happy. I hoped that Hayden would enjoy ying with Little Hayden more too. The two didn¡¯t have much time to spend together and their rtionship resembled more of a rivalry instead ofpanionship and they sometimes fought like dogs and cats.


    It was funny but a smoother rtionship might be a little better.


    The two ran around on the grass together while I nted myself down on a bench to watch under the shade. Hayden lifted Little Hayden up and began hugging him tightly. Was that a hug or a headlock? I wasn¡¯t exactly sure. Was Little Hayden having fun or was he panicking? I couldn¡¯t really tell.


    Well, as long as no one ends up getting seriously hurt¡­


    The weather was perfect for spending some time outside. If only I had some tea and some sweets like cake or something, life would be quite perfect indeed. I breathed in deeply, smelling the mix fragrance of the grass and flowers. It was a very peaceful moment, except¡­


    "Get back here! Don¡¯t just ignore the ball!" Hayden yelled loudly as he chased Little Hayden around the field.


    Little Hayden ran faster before stopping to change directions and then he began to bark. Overall, it was a very hectic and loud scene. A stark contrast the peace that I had imagined but not an unpleasant sight. After a while, Little Hayden was panting so hard that I started wondering if he would get a heart attack. The little puppyy t on the grass with his tongue hanging out of its mouth.


    It was such a cute but very pitiful sight.


    "That puppy is so loud¡­" Hayden muttered aint.


    The bench shifted under his weight as he sat down next to me. Although heined, it looked like he had some fun ying around with Little Hayden just now judging from how loud they both were.


    "He¡¯s a very cheerful one, isn¡¯t he?" I asked before smiling at Hayden.


    "He¡¯s annoying¡­" Hayden muttered but I could tell that he wasn¡¯t serious.


    I nced over at Hayden and smiled. Spending time leisurely with him and Little Hayden was very fun, and it made me feel warm and tingly inside. I enjoyed myself and we seemed very at peace. Everything was so perfect that I began to wonder if it was too good to be true. From my experience, if something seemed too good to be true, then it probably was. Just how long will our happinessst, I wondered.


    Just how long can we spend time together leisurely in the sun like this?


    "Have you started on yourmissions?" Hayden asked.


    "I¡¯ve contacted some clients for more details. Then I¡¯ll have to send them a price quote and if they¡¯re fine with it, then I¡¯ll start right away," I replied.


    "Sounds good. Show me the price quote before you send them out," Hayden instructed quite sternly.


    "Umm¡­sure," I replied, feeling a little confused.


    "Knowing you, you¡¯ll probably put some low figure as if your efforts aren¡¯t worth anything. So, I¡¯ll be making sure that you¡¯re charging them enough," Hayden exined without me needing to ask.


    I was quite certain that his idea of ¡¯enough¡¯ wasn¡¯t the same as mine. More money wasn¡¯t a bad thing. I could use some more financial independence. Right now, I¡¯m basically living off of Hayden. Living in his ce and all. If I could make more money, I can be more independent.


    "Ok¡­but please don¡¯t charge them something crazy. I¡¯m still an amateur at this too¡­" I said hesitantly.


    "Don¡¯t underestimate yourself and your skills," Hayden replied firmly.


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say to that, so I just nodded my head a little. Soon, I would be quite surprised at the price that the clients were willing to pay to get their portraits sketched and painted. I decided to enjoy the restful weekend with Hayden and our puppy before worrying about work.


    ¡­


    **A few dayster**


    Checking emails early in the morning now became mandatory as customer requests and responses to my emails came pouring in. Surprisingly, the clients were very open to the idea of getting their portrait done based on a photograph or via video call. The second was a little moreplicated but I decided to give it a try anyways just to see how it would turn out.


    After studying the specific details of the tenmissions that I have prioritized, it was now time to submit a price quote to get the client¡¯s approval before starting on the work itself.


    I spent half of the day trying toe up with some standard ranges for the rate that I would like to charge separated based on the technique used for the work. The other half of the day, I spent polishing up my techniques especially in pencil sketches and water painting. Little Hayden yed around at the floor by my side and sometimes he would fall asleep.


    After spending hours trying out some new techniques to better capture shadows and depth using watercolor, I looked up from the canvas and stretched my arms and back. Looking around, Little Hayden was no where to be found. Did he sneak out to run around in the hallway again?


    Lately, Little Hayden had started bing more mischievous. He would sneak out to run around in the hallway whenever I wasn¡¯t paying attention which was often now that I had to focus on my work. Usually, I would find himter ying with a maid or just randomly walking around in the hallway outside. Since there were many people in the mansion, it didn¡¯t seem like a problem for him to roam about.


    I wonder where he went this time?


    "Little Hayden!" I called for him after poking my head through the opened door into the hallway.


    Looking up and down the hallway, I couldn¡¯t see Little Hayden or anyone for that matter. He should be somewhere around here just running and ying around. As if on cue, a maid turned a corner and was heading my way.


    "Hi there. Have you seen Little Hayden? I think he sneaked off somewhere again," I asked the maid.


    "Oh. I think he¡¯s with Auntie in the living room downstairs," the maid replied with a smallugh.


    Well, that¡¯s a relief.


    "Thank you. I¡¯ll go get himte then¡­" I replied.


    "Sure, or do you want me to tell Auntie to bring him up?" the maid suggested helpfully.


    "No need. I¡¯ll leave him with Auntie¡­" I replied before thanking her.


    Hayden would be back soon anyways, and Auntie woulde to set up the dining table. She can bring Little Hayden then. I still had somest-minute price quotes to do to show Hayden so some time alone would be good.


    ¡­


    "Too cheap. You can charge this guy more. Increase the rate for this one too¡­and this one¡­same for this one¡­" Hayden said as he flipped through the price quotes that I have printed for him to check based on his earlier request.


    I stood by his side as Hayden sat on a chair and went through my price quotes. He had just arrived back home and that was the first thing that he asked me about.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 234: For Calling Him Crazy

    The way Hayden checked my work with a serious look on his face made me feel like he was my teacher, and I was getting my work graded.


    Basically, I was right. His idea of ¡¯charging enough¡¯ was very different from mine. It was clear that we were operating off of different scales entirely. He was telling me to increase the price on every single quote that I¡¯ve quoted.


    "This rate is already 30-40% higher than my usual rate from before¡­" I mumbled in slight protest.


    Wouldn¡¯t charging the clients any higher be ripping them off?


    "That was before, and this is now. Things are different," Hayden replied casually.


    "I don¡¯t know. I feel a little bad charging them so much¡­" I continued to disagree.


    "Come here. Sit down," Hayden said as he pulled on my arm and indicated with his eyes for me to sit down on hisp.


    "Umm¡­" I mumbled hesitantly.


    "Juste¡­" Hayden said impatiently as his arms pulled me down onto hisp.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name softly as heat rushed to my face.


    I felt hisp against my buttocks as I sat down on top of hisp. His arm automatically circled my waist to hold me in ce while he held the papers in his other hand. His eyes were still reading the price quote intently as his other arm began stroking my belly lightly. He yed with my body so casually as if I was a little cat on hisp.


    "It¡¯s better like this. This way we can read the papers together," Hayden said with a satisfied chuckle.


    "I¡¯m still not sure about charging more than this¡­" I said softly.


    "Don¡¯t you want to make more money?" Hayden challenged as his arm tightened a little around my waist.


    I mean, of course I do, but just gettingmissions was already life-changing at that point.


    "Well, I do but without over charging my clients¡­" I replied a little stubbornly.


    "If they¡¯re willing to pay for it then it shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?" Hayden said.


    "I guess¡­but how much do you have in mind?" I asked curiously.


    I wondered what amount Hayden had in mind. Hopefully, it wasn¡¯t something exorbitant.


    "Simple. Just add an extra zero to the end of everything that you¡¯ve quoted. Simple and easy for you to edit as well, right?" Hayden suggested before smiling brightly at me.


    Once again, Hayden seemed to think that his idea was brilliant, and I wasn¡¯t as thrilled by it.


    "That¡¯s ten times the price. That¡¯s just crazy!" I eximed in shock at his brazen suggestion.


    "Who did you call crazy just now?" Hayden asked in a cold voice as his blue eyes narrowed dangerously at me.


    Oh no¡­


    The papers that he was holding in his hand hit the table with a loud noise as his eyes continued staring deeply into mine. It was clear that Hayden no longer cared about the price quotes anymore. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I quickly realized that I had just stepped on andmine, and it was about to explode from right under me, literally.


    "I¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­I didn¡¯t mean¡­" I mumbled an apology before I let out a little cry.


    With his eyes still staring down into my face, Hayden¡¯s hand began stroking his way up my legs before hiking up my dress. I started squirming on hisp and his arm around my waist immediately tightened around me. I heard myself let out a small yelp as his hand wedged between my closed thighs and pulled my leg spread apart.


    "Hayden¡­wait¡­" I whimpered pleadingly.


    "No, I¡¯m feeling a little ¡¯crazy¡¯ right now¡­" Hayden hissed into my ear.


    The warmth of his breath tickled my ear lobe before something wet and warm entered my ear. I whimpered and moaned as his wet tongue slipped in to tease my ear. Wet and lewd sucking sounds filled my senses as he started sucking and licking my ear. At the same time, his hand slid up from my waist to cup my breast. My body writhed from shock and pleasure at his seductive actions.


    "Your stupid dress is in the way¡­it¡¯s pissing me off¡­" he muttered darkly as his hand began squeezing my breast through the fabric of my dress.


    I cried out and whimpered at the roughness of his caresses as hisrge hand continued to knead and pump my breasts through my clothes. I should have known that sitting on hisp would lead to something like this sooner orter, but it wasn¡¯t like I had a choice but toply to his request. I closed my eyes tightly as I began thrusting my chest outwards towards his hand.


    My body throbbed with heat as desired gathered in lower abdomen in a pleasurable ache.


    His hand parted my legs wider and began stroking my aching pussy opening through the thince of my underwear. My pussy clenched before a hot rush of wet heat spurted into my love tunnel. His skillful fingers found my clit through the thince and began stroking it. When he pressed down hard on my clit, I called out his name and squirmed as my pussy got wetter and wetter from my desire for him.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I whispered breathlessly as I panted from my heated desire.


    "Yes, beg me for it¡­" Hayden hissed with satisfaction into my ear.


    My body shivered at his words and the sensation of his fingers slowly parting the crotch of my underwear to the side so that he could touch the wetness in between my legs directly. He¡¯s so good at this, he¡¯s turning me on so much. It felt like I was ready to go out of my mind. My body felt so hot, and my heart was racing so fast.


    "You get wet real quick¡­" Hayden whispered seductively into my ear.


    His fingers caressed the slippery love juices that had leaked out of my love opening as his fingers stroked up and down my wet slit. My pussy quivered at his touch. I leaned my head back against his strong shoulders as I moaned louder than before. His fingers continued to feed me pleasure as it stroked my pussy lips before paying loving attention to the little swollen nub at the top of my love hole.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 235: Punishing and Tasting Me

    "Ahhh! Ahhh¡­it¡¯s¡­ahhh¡­" I cried out as his fingers expertly stroked my swollen clit.


    His fingers pressed a little roughly on my little pleasure seed before he stroked it in fast circr motions. My hips began thrusting up and down as if begging him for more of his attention. My both writhed on hisp while his foot hooked behind my ankle to push my leg spread even further apart.


    "This was supposed to be a little punishment for you, but it seems like you¡¯re enjoying yourself so much," Hayden said followed by a lowugh.


    "No¡­Ohh¡­Ahhh!" I cried out before I covered my mouth with my hands.


    My hips bucked and rose up when his fingers prated my flooded hole. He thrusted his fingers inside of me so suddenly and so roughly that my body reeled from the impact. My hotness enveloped his fingers as he continued pushing it deeper and deeper into my love tunnel. It felt so good¡­he¡¯s in so deep and he was feeling around inside of me as if searching for some hidden treasure.


    He¡¯s driving me insane¡­


    "Your pussy¡¯s clenching around my fingers. You¡¯re getting even wetter than before, Malissa," Hayden whispered lustily into my ear before he bit on my earlobe.


    His hand pumped my breast roughly through my clothes as his other hand began moving faster, thrusting his thick and long fingers harder into my wet love hole. My hips moved shamelessly against his hand as my pussy wall clenched wildly around his fingers to feel more of him sliding against it. My wetness coated his fingers and lubricated his entrance into me.


    He screwed his finger into me deeper and harder, thrusting it against the pleasure spot deep inside of my hole.


    His fingers thrusted upwards against my g-spot, and I moaned loudly. Wet noises erupted from between my legs where his fingers were messing me up inside. I could tell by the noise just how wet I had gotten. My own wetness leaked out of my hole each time Hayden withdrew his fingers from my hole just to pump it in even deeper than before.


    My love juices trickled out of my hole and ran down along my ass crack.


    I cried out loudly as my hand reach out to clutch at his shoulders. I felt like I couldn¡¯t take much more. My release is close approaching. I¡¯m about to lose my mind. My orgasm arrived suddenly, and I called Hayden¡¯s name so loudly that my throat hurt as my mind shattered into a universe of stars.


    "My naught girl just came¡­" Hayden whispered teasingly into my ear.


    My pussy clenched around his fingers as it spasmed from the effect of my climax. I was panting hard with my eyes closed when I felt Hayden slowly withdrawing his finger out of my pussy hole. I heard sucking sounds near my ear before his voice spoke from above my head.


    "You taste good¡­" Hayden said appreciatively.


    My eyes snapped opened to see him sucking leisurely on his shiny wet fingers. He¡¯s licking¡­my juices? My eyes widened in shock as I rapidly took in a breath. Hayden¡¯s blue eyes shifted from his wet fingers to my face before his lips curved into a smirk.


    "Do you want a taste of my girl too? She¡¯s very sweet¡­" Hayden asked teasingly before he ced his fingers into his mouth again.


    I watched mesmerized as Hayden sucked hard on his fingers before slipping it out of his mouth again. His pink tongue snaked out from between his lips and began licking along the length of his wet fingers. All the while his teasing blue eyes watched my reaction with an amused look. I felt heat rush to my face as I blushed wildly at his dirty words and actions.


    I broke my eyes away from him and turned the other way in my embarrassment after having seen enough and Haydenughed a little behind me. Suddenly, Hayden¡¯s body stiffened beneath me before he let out a loud cry.


    "Fuck! What the hell¡­" Hayden cried out in anger.


    "What happened?" I asked as I whirled around to face him.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes were looking down at his leg. My eyes followed his gaze to where he was looking. I looked down to see the culprit behind Hayden¡¯s shocked cry just now and I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to react at what I was seeing.


    Little Hayden was standing close to Hayden¡¯s foot with a confused and bewildered look on his face as he looked up at me with round adorable brown eyes. Tell me, this isn¡¯t what I thought had just happened¡­


    "Don¡¯t kill him please!" I begged desperately as I reached out to clung to Hayden¡¯s arm.


    Little Hayden had peed on Hayden¡¯s leg from the looks of things. Why did he do that?


    Usually, he¡¯s so well toilet trained that he rarely ever peed inside. I mean, that was the first thing that I tried so hard to train him and other the staff helped out as well. We knew that if we wanted to keep him inside, we had to toilet train him sessfully. idents had urred before, but it was rare and as he had grown up more, those idents didn¡¯t happen anymore.


    Little Hayden looked truly guiltless and unashamed as he stood there and looked up gleefully at me. Hayden, on the other hand, seemed ready to get rid of the little dog.


    Please don¡¯t tell me that Little Hayden just did that on purpose out of spite¡­


    "Let go! I¡¯m killing that little¡­" Hayden growl madly as he got up from the chair.


    I grabbed his arm to stop him before hugging my arms around his waist from behind to keep him from harming the dog. Little Hayden seemed unperturbed and started rolling around on the floor which probably made Hayden even angrier.


    "Please don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯m sure it was just an ident," I said.


    "It wasn¡¯t an ident. That little brat did it on purpose so stop defending him. You spoiled him too much, so he turned out like this!" Hayden yelled loudly.


    "Come now¡­let me help you clean up in the bathroom, ok?" I offered sweetly.


    In the end, Hayden calmed down enough to follow me to the bathroom and Little Hayden managed to survive in the mafia¡¯s mansion for another day.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 236: Progression

    A few days past by peacefully in Hayden¡¯s mansion. Hayden went out to work as he normally does. However, my days are much busier than they used to be. After mustering up the courage to be bold enough, I sent the email to the clients with Hayden¡¯s rmended price quote. My hand was shaking while it hovered over the keyboard.


    I closed my eyes and held my breath before opening them wide with renewed determination before mming down my fingers onto the enter button to press ¡¯send¡¯.


    After the emails left my outbox, I prayed that the clients didn¡¯t think that my price quote was out-of-this-world crazy. Hopefully, at least one of the clients would go forward with theirmission request. Little Hayden sat at my heel as he stared up at me. It was as if he could sense my nervousness and wanted tofort me.


    Without hesitation, I bent down and scooped him up and ced him on myp. His eyes stared at theputer screen curiously before turning to look up at my face.


    "Let¡¯s hope that we get some work¡­." I spoke to him softly as I petted the soft fur on his forehead.


    To my absolute surprise, some clients started replying to my email within a few minutes. What was more surprising was that at the end of the day all clients decided to go ahead with theirmission even at the super-high rate that Hayden had quoted. After they paid their deposit, I would have tenmissions all lined up for me to work on. That would probably take me almost two months toplete.


    "Your mummy just got employed, little boy!" I cried out happily as I carried Little Hayden up into my arm.


    I danced around the art studio with Little Hayden in my arm happily. Grandmother, are you watching this? I¡¯m finally going to make some decent money from my artworks. I think it won¡¯t be long now until I can call myself a professional artist. Grandma, can you see this? Are you proud?


    Evening arrived much sooner now that I had so much to do. I had started working on my first portraitmission. Honestly, it was more stressful to work on now that I was being paid a high price for it. Before during practice or when I was painting or sketching leisurely, I wasn¡¯t pressured much by anything but my own desire to improve. However, things were very different now.


    The client¡¯s expectation weighed down on me. What if they didn¡¯t like my work? Would they feel disappointed after having paid so much for it?


    The firstmission that I had decided to work on was a portrait of a young woman who apparently was the only daughter of one of Hayden¡¯s business partners. She had requested for a realistic portrait of herself based on a photograph where she posed formally in a light pink and very elegant gown. Her chestnut brown hair was piled up on top of her head elegantly and decorated with pink roses.


    Overall, it was a very elegant and sweet portrait.


    I spent almost the whole day on the rough sketch of the portrait, but I was still unsatisfied with what I had achieved on the canvas. My back hurts and my neck felt stiff from going at it for a long while. I decided to take a little break to rx in the sitting room with Little Hayden while I wanted for Hayden to return home.


    Just when the sun set, it started to rain. First it just drizzled and then it rained harder until it became an outright storm. It was strange for it to rain in this time of year. I went to stand close to the window as I watched the rain beat down onto the ground from the sky above. It got dark very fast probably because of the storm. The sound of thunder roared loudly in the distance.


    Stormy nights like these always gave me a bad feeling that something disastrous was about to happen. I never really had a feeling like this until that stormy night when Ethan returned to our room soaking wet. Whenever a fierce storm like this happened at night, I couldn¡¯t help but recall the events and the pain of that night.


    It seems so far away and long ago now as if it had happened to someone else that wasn¡¯t me.


    Little Hayden whimpered beforeying t down on the floor next to my feet. He was probably scared of the sound of the thunder just now. I¡¯ve read somewhere that some dogs can get very scared of loud noises like that of the roaring thunder. I crouched down beside the small puppy before lifting him up into my arms and hugging him close.


    I looked up at the dark sky from the window and wondered where Hayden is right now. Hopefully, he¡¯s safe and dry. He¡¯s probably driving home right now, and I hoped that he would get back here safely. It¡¯s got to be a challenge driving through this storm.


    ¡­


    "Malissa¡­" a familiar voice called my name.


    I turned around to see Hayden walking into the living room. His hair was wet and stered to his head. His clothes were also drenched through.


    "What happened? Why are you so wet?" I asked as I rushed to his side.


    "I got caught in the rain a little. It¡¯s nothing. Have you had dinner?" Hayden asked casually as he ran his fingers through his wet hair.


    Droplets of water started dripping from his hair and his clothes onto the floor. Little Hayden came up to him and started sniffing his legs.


    "No, I was waiting for you. You must be cold. You should take a shower first," I suggested quickly.


    "Can I do it here?" Hayden asked.


    "Umm¡­sure. I¡¯ll tell Auntie to grab you some clothes," I said before heading out of the room.


    "Thanks," Hayden said before smiling at me.


    I nodded at him before he disappeared in the direction of the bathroom.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 237: Deal with the Devil

    I returned with his clothes to find Hayden standingpletely naked in the middle of my living room. My eyes blinked a couple of times at the sight that I was being treated to. Hayden really likes to walk around naked in his house. I closed my eyes and thrusted the clothes in my hand forward towards him.


    "Why are you closing your eyes?" Hayden asked with hint of annoyance in his voice.


    Isn¡¯t it obvious?


    "Why are you¡­naked¡­?" I asked with my eyes still closed.


    "Why? I¡¯m about to take a bath. You didn¡¯t expect me to take a bath with my clothes on, did you?" Hayden replied a little sarcastically.


    That wasn¡¯t what I meant, and he knows it.


    "Here are your clothes," I said, choosing to ignore his sarcastic remarks.


    My hands remained stretched out to offer his clothes to him, but Hayden didn¡¯t take them away from my hands.


    "Open your eyes, Malissa," Haydenmanded.


    "Umm¡­it¡¯s ok¡­" I said, meaning it.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not shy," Hayden whispered, and I realized that he had gotten closer to me.


    "That¡¯s not¡­" I murmured. That¡¯s not the problem here.


    "You should keep your eyes on your man, otherwise, he might do some naughty things¡­" Hayden said it with a mix of joking and warning.


    Suddenly, I felt my body being lifted and my eyelids sprang open. Hayden had lifted me up onto his arms. I could feel the heat from his body against mine as he held me closer against the front side of his body.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock at his sudden action.


    "You¡¯re usually quite defenseless already. Closing your eyes only made it worst for you. How are you supposed to see your enemy with your eyes closed?" Hayden teased.


    "Are you, my enemy?" I asked curiously.


    My question seemed to catch Hayden off guard, and he seemed thoughtful for a moment about my question. Then he smiled as his eyes captured and held mine.


    "That¡¯s for you to decide," he finally replied before walking off towards the bathroom with me still in his arms.


    If I had to decide¡­


    Hayden led me into my bathroom, and I was more than fully aware that my body was pressed right up against his naked torso. His heat seeped into me through my clothes and his smell enveloped me along with his arms around my body.


    "Take a bath with me," Hayden demanded.


    "I already took one¡­" I mumbled in slight protest.


    "Take another one with me," Hayden said without a care.


    "I don¡¯t¡­" I murmured softly as I tried to look away from his gorgeous face.


    "Hmm? Is that so? And here I was thinking of telling you a little about what is going on outside while we take an enjoyable bath together. Guess that won¡¯t be happening¡­" Hayden said, sounding extremely regretful.


    I knew that he was baiting me, but still¡­


    "¡­You¡¯ll tell me?" I asked, unable to stop myself and my curiosity.


    "Please me and I¡¯ll tell you a little about what¡¯s going on outside," Hayden stated his terms.


    "Really?" I asked.


    "Do we have a deal or not?" He asked in return as he smiled beautifully at me.


    I nced down as I bit my lower lip in thought. It was just like Hayden to propose a trade like this. He knew that I¡¯ll ept it no matter what and in exchange, he¡¯s going to y with me all he likes during our ¡¯bath¡¯.


    "We do," I replied after steeling my resolve.


    "I gotta say, I love negotiating with you," Hayden said with a very satisfied smile.


    His head bent down, and his lips were on my corbone. He nibbled on my sensitive skin before the hot heat of his wet tongue started licking me there. I moaned softly as my hand clutched at his back. He¡¯s making me feel so sensitive all over. If he doesn¡¯t stop, I¡¯m going to drop his clothes from my hands.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m going to¡­drop your clothes¡­" I said, my voice a breathless whisper.


    "Go ahead," Hayden replied before he continued kissing and nibbling on the side of my neck.


    I turned my head to the side, arching my neck towards him invitingly. Hayden knew what I wanted and began running his tongue along the length of my exposed neck. It felt so good. He¡¯s making me melt just from this.


    "Ahh¡­Ahhh¡­" I moanedzily.


    Hayden¡¯s skillful mouth teased and sucked on the tender skin of my neck as his hands started caressing my waist and squeezing my buttocks in turn. My body began responding to his seductive advances freely. I couldn¡¯t stop him, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself.


    With a final loud suck on my neck, he let go of me and slowly let my body slide down against his until my feet reached the floor again. My mind was already in a daze as my desire for him started taking over my senses and my body felt like it was ame.


    "Take off your clothes. Strip for me, Malissa," Haydenmanded lustily.


    His blue eyes watched me intently and I could see his raw desire swirling in them. Hayden took a step away from me and leaned on a counter as he waited for me to follow hismand. I felt his blue eyes on my body, and I closed my eyes in embarrassment. He usually took my clothes off for me so I never thought that stripping in front of him would feel like this.


    If I remembered correctly, I¡¯ve only stripped myself in front of him once before. That was probably sometime very close to when we first met. Looking back, that memory was extremely frightening. Back then, I was so scared and intimidated by Hayden. Now, I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about him.


    He intimidated me still, but perhaps, even if just a little, I hade to understand him and because of that, I felt slightly less scared of him.


    With his eyes holding mine, my hand slowly began unbuttoning the small buttons in front of my dress. My hands shook and the first few buttons were a real struggle. Hayden was patient as he watched my every move. His gaze on me felt encouraging and my hands stopped shaking.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 238: Endless Teasing

    I unbuttoned the remaining buttons with ease before parting the fabric to reveal the front of my body to him. Slowly, I slipped the fabric down my shoulders and off my arms, until I stood in front of him in nothing but my underwear.


    "Continue¡­" Hayden instructed in a low voice.


    My hands unhooked the front sp of my bra, and my breasts sprang free. I could feel his eyes on my chest and my breasts felt hot and sensitive as if his gaze was burning into them. I shrugged off my bra and Hayden¡¯s eyes focused on mypletely naked breasts before his eyes slowly travelled down my body to the only piece of clothing that I had on.


    His eyes stared at the sensitive spot in between my closed legs as he urged me to make the final move. My hands slowly followed his gaze as I hooked my fingers underneath the stic band of my panties and began pulling it down over my hips and then down my legs. I kicked my panties to the side and stoodpletely naked and exposed in front of Hayden.


    "Come here," Hayden ordered as he reached out and gripped my wrist in hisrge hand.


    Hayden led me to the bathtub and gestured for me to get in. He turned the water from the shower head on as I climbed into the tub. I stood there clueless as I watched him climb in after me.


    "Should I wash you?" Hayden suggested.


    "I already showered¡­" I replied.


    "Great. Then you can wash me," Hayden said before he sat down in the big tub.


    Huh?


    "Here you go," Hayden said casually.


    I looked down to see his hand handing me a bottle of my own shower gel. Hesitantly, I took the bottle of shower gel from his hand and sat down in the tub. We sat facing each other and suddenly it started feeling very awkward. I¡¯ve never really washed a man before¡­or another adult for that matter.


    I knew that I had to get on with it but¡­where do I even start?


    The water continued pouring onto us from above as the sound of running water filled the bathroom. I sat there cluelessly as I tried to figure out how to approach this entire ordeal.


    "Hayden¡­I¡­I don¡¯t know how to do this," I admitted abruptly.


    Hayden looked at me with a look of surprise. A few seconds ticked by as he stared at me in silence and then he startedughing at me. I watched his outburst as I felt heat rush to my cheeks.


    "Don¡¯tugh at me¡­" I muttered.


    "Why are you over thinking things? Just squeeze some of that in your hand and thene over here and touch me¡­" Hayden instructed with ease.


    He took the bottle of shower gel away from my hand before squeezing out some onto the palms of my opened hand. Then he sat back leaning against the tub as he waited for me to e over and touch him¡¯.


    I stared at the light pink gel in my hand as its rosy fragrance filled my nostrils. I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m doing this. I got onto my knees and approached Hayden. His eyes watched me with interest as if he was waiting to see what I was going to do next. I sat on my knees in between his legs as I leaned forward and ced my palms t on his hard and muscr chest.


    His skin felt so warm against my hand. I could feel his eyes on me as I started moving my hand against his skin,thering the shower gel onto his chest in circr motions. I could feel his chest rise and fall under my hand as he breathed. His muscles tensed and moved as I caressed him


    This is crazy. Why isn¡¯t the water filling the tub fast enough to hide my nakedness.


    "I told you before, don¡¯t look away¡­" Hayden said beforeughing a little at me.


    His hand captured mind and pushed it against his chest. I turned to look at him in surprise to see him grinning mockingly at me.


    "Ahh¡­." I gasped and moaned.


    His hand began caressing the small of my back and my back arched as small whimpers escaped my lips. Haydenughed a little as he wrapped his strong arms around my body and pulled me into a hug. I felt his hard chest press up against my breasts. His arms around me tightened, pulling me even tighter against his hard andrge frame. The bubbles from the shower gel felt slippery on my chest.


    "You¡¯re doing such a bad job at this. It¡¯ll take forever before you clean my entire body," Hayden teased.


    "Don¡¯t¡­" I protested in weak voice as his hand began stroking my hips and then my ass.


    "Why don¡¯t you focus your efforts here?" Hayden said suggestively.


    His hand found mine and dragged it down lower between our bodies. It can¡¯t be¡­


    My eyes widened as it met his with shock. Hayden narrowed his blue eyes seductively at me as he guided my hand towards his manhood. I closed my eyes as my fingertips brushed against something hot and very hard. He guided my fingers along his length, and I could tell even with my eyes closed that his cock was very erect, thick, and very long.


    "Don¡¯t close your eyes. How are you supposed to clean me properly with your eyes closed? Look down here¡­" Hayden teased seductively.


    The heat of his thickness filled my hand as I held him, and Hayden let out a satisfied sigh. He guided my hand up and down his cock. The foam on my hand making it easy for my hand to glide up and down his length. I opened my eyes to see him watching me and then my eyes lowered to my hand pumping up and down his thick and swollen cock. He¡¯s so big already, the thick head of his cock bulging out.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 239: Drowning in Him

    Hayden groaned when I began moving my hands along his length faster before holding him tighter in my hand. I could tell that he was very turned on and that my hand was giving him pleasure. Hayden closed his eyes for a brief moment and his hips began moving up and down, thrusting his cock into my hand.


    Feeling a little bold and wanting to give him more pleasure, I leaned towards him before firmly pressing my lips against his. Hayden¡¯s eyes opened and our eyes met. At that moment, I parted my lips invitingly and Hayden readily thrusted his wet tongue into the awaiting depths of my mouth. Our tongues grinded against each other in a maddening dance while my hand continued to pleasure his aroused cock.


    "Enough. Turn around, I want to cum inside you," Hayden said after he broke our kiss.


    His hand held my wrist as he told me stop pleasuring his thick cock. I nodded a little as I let go of him. He helped me turn around until I sat in between his legs with my back to him. Hayden wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back against him.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name when hisrge hands found my breasts and began fondling them.


    His touch was slightly rough, but it felt so good. The way he massaged my breasts and kneaded them together made me moan with desire. He nibbled on my earlobe and started sucking on it while his hands skillfully pleasured my tits. All the sensitive spot on my body throbbed with need from his stimtion as my body started melting in his embrace.


    I moaned loudly when he pinched and pulled on my hardened nipples. It feels so good¡­


    Desire swirled in my lower abdomen and my pussy got wetter in no time at all. My hips began moving as my body writhed against his hard chest. He turned my head towards him and started kissing my lips passionately. The sound of our deep and wet kissing echoed in the bath.


    His hand stroked my lower abdomen teasingly before sliding down between my legs. I closed my eyes as I let out a passionate moan. His fingers found the wetness in between my legs and thrusted into my sopping wet hole without warning. It was so sudden but the feeling of his thick and long fingers plunging into my wet hole felt amazing.


    My hips arched and I realized that his fingers wouldn¡¯t be enough to quench the desire that I felt for him.


    "You¡¯re very wet. I think I can put my cock inside you now," Hayden groaned into my ear as his fingers withdrew from my hole.


    "Ahh¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned as I panted.


    "Spread your legs wider and lip your hips a little¡­that¡¯s it, good girl," Hayden instructed as his hands held the sides of my hips.


    I felt his upstanding cock at my opening, and I knew that he wanted me to take him in. My legs spread even wider apart stretching my pussy opening for him. My hand clutched at his massive member before cing its thick cock at my wet love opening. His heat pressed against my wetness before I started lowering my hips down onto his cock.


    The tip of his cock pierced my hole and I cried out. Hayden groaned and thrusted his hips upwards, ramming his cock into my pussy hole from below. I cried out at his sudden entrance into me. He wasn¡¯t all the way in yet, but he was already stretching my insides and filling me. He¡¯s so hot¡­inside¡­


    "Your cock¡­feel so hot¡­inside¡­" I whimpered weakly at the sensation of being filled by him.


    "Lower your hips, Malissa," Haydenmanded as his hand guided my body down on top of his.


    "Ahhh¡­ohh¡­so¡­deep¡­" I moaned.


    I lowered my hips slowly onto his cock and his length ploughed into my wet hole and filled me even deeper than before. Inch by inch, I sucked his cock into my hungry pussy while I moaned from the pleasure of being filled. Hayden¡¯s fingers dug into my flesh as he supported my hips. His cock twitched inside of me as he began moving his hips from below.


    As if getting too impatient, Hayden held my hips tightly and began thrusting hard and fast into me.


    "Ahh! No¡­it¡¯s¡­too deep¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned before I cried out.


    His cock buried itself all the way into my hole as he continued to pump his cock in and out of my hole from below. I leaned my back against his chest as I threw my head back on his shoulder and lost myself in my own heat.


    "Your pussy is sucking on my dick," Hayden groaned into my ear.


    His hips began moving faster and faster. He pounded into my wetness as my lusty moans and pants echoed in the small bathroom. I¡¯m going crazy, I can¡¯t think of anything anymore. I want him to fuck me harder and faster!


    "Hayden¡­?" I called his name questioningly.


    Suddenly, Hayden started moving much slower than before. His hips rocked slowly under me as his cock glided in and out of my hole at a rxed and easy-going pace. I had never experienced this with Hayden before. Why is he moving so painfully slowly right now?


    "Things are a real mess outside right now¡­" Hayden said softly.


    "Huh?" I mumbled cluelessly.


    What is he doing?


    "Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯ve managed to piss off a couple of people by keeping you locked up here and not agreeing to meet with Silva¡­" Hayden exined casually.


    "Ahhh¡­" I moaned.


    Hayden cock pounded into me deeply before he lifted my hips off him, sliding his cock slowly out of my wet hole once again.


    "Ethan is really pissed off¡­and I couldn¡¯t care less¡­" Hayden said in a low voice before ramming his cock back deeply into my hole.


    "Ahhh!" I cried out loudly as his cock hit my womb.


    My pussy clenched wildly around his cock. He¡¯s moving much slower than before, but each thrust felt more deliberate, and it was starting to feel so good. Ignoring my reactions, Hayden continued with his story.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 240: Fooled by Pleasure

    "He wanted to use you against me. He wanted to bargain with me for a partnership¡­what a sick joke!" Hayden growled and I could tell that he was getting mad just thinking about the idea.


    His hips thrusted sharply upwards, and I cried out at the sensation of his cock pumping hard and deep into me. My hips jerked and his hand tightened its hold on me. He stilled for a moment and my pussy clenched around his thick cock again.


    "Since I¡¯ve been keeping you here, he¡¯s running out of options and have decided to talk to other smaller gangs. It¡¯s really a mess¡­" Hayden said as he shook his head from side to side.


    All the while, his hips continued to thrust upward, ramming his thick cock in and out of my cunt like it was his automatic reaction. I cried out and moaned as my mind started going nk from the pleasure. I couldn¡¯t quite understand what he¡¯s saying and, in that moment, I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to understand. It was just too much for me to take in.


    "Until I find a way to settle the dispute with Silva, I probably can¡¯t let you wander outside¡­" Hayden said before he reached a hand between my legs and began stimting my swollen clit.


    "Ahh! Ahh! Ahhhh!" I cried out loudly and closed my eyes tightly.


    The pleasure from his cock prating and moving inside me and his fingers pinching my sensitive clit rained down on me. He¡¯s driving me insane. I¡¯m going mad. My hips moved wildly, thrusting up and down as my body spasmed. His cock thrusted against my pleasure spot deep inside of my love tunnel and more of my hot juices squirted out. I¡¯m getting so wet, and my body feels so weak.


    "You¡¯re moaning so loudly, are you even listening to what I¡¯m saying?" Hayden asked teasingly before heughed mischievously.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I pleaded as my body neared its climax.


    I need to cum. I need to cum right now¡­


    "You should pay more attention to what I¡¯m saying. You were the one who was curious about what¡¯s going on¡­" Hayden teased.


    His cock thrusted faster and harder into me as his fingers swirled faster around my hard clit. The double pleasure was getting too intense for me to handle. I¡¯m about to cum¡­


    "Are you about to cum?" Hayden asked needlessly.


    "Hay¡­Hayden! I¡­please¡­" I pleaded as I spoke a bunch of nonsense.


    My body convulsing from the pleasure that he was giving me. I can¡¯t handle it anymore¡­


    "Shhh¡­I¡¯ll let you cum, don¡¯t worry," Hayden whispered reassuringly to me.


    True to his word, he made me climax so hard just a short while after. I came screaming his name and not so long after, Hayden spilled his seed inside of me when he reached his release. Iid limp against him as his cock filled me with his hot release. I whimpered weakly against his shoulder as his warmth filled me deeply inside and began spreading all over my belly.


    "I guess I¡¯ll tell you all about itter¡­" Hayden said softly before cing a kiss on my temple.


    ¡­


    In the end after all that I had done for him at his request, I didn¡¯t really understand what he told me about what was going on in the world outside. Also, we didn¡¯t really seed in having a bath either. I sighed to myself as I tried to wrap my head around the few words that I could remember from our bath earlier.


    I cursed myself for being too wrapped up in pleasure to pay attention to what he was saying. It was like I heard him, but I didn¡¯t. It was like I could make out the words he was saying but not their meaning and soon, I started to forget what he had told me entirely as pleasure robbed me of my ability to think.


    This is so bad¡­


    That was aplete failure¡­


    "Stop sitting around looking all miserable. Let¡¯s go to bed," Hayden said invitingly as he ced a hand on my head and started ruffling my hair yfully.


    "Stop it¡­" I snapped lightly as I pped his hand away.


    I continued to pout. That was so not fair. What was he saying again about Silva? Arghh¡­why can¡¯t I remember much of anything?


    "Come on. You can still walk, right?" Hayden asked followed by an amusedugh.


    "Where are we going?" I asked curiously. It was veryte at night and Hayden was leading me out of my bedroom.


    "Let¡¯s sleep in my room tonight," Hayden replied casually.


    "Oh¡­ok¡­" I murmured.


    My mind was still busy trying to piece together his words, but it was very difficult. Why did he have to tell me those things while he was inside me? I felt heat rush to my face as I remembered how he made love to me just now. My pussy still felt his heat and I was still very wet inside from the mix of our love juices.


    I followed him on weak legs as he led me along the long hallway that led to his wing of the mansion. Lately, Hayden seemed to prefer that we spend the night in his bedroom. Personally, I was fine with it but sleeping in my own room felt slightly better because Little Hayden was close by.


    At night, the maids are supposed to take care of Little Hayden but because I am never there with him, I had no idea what really went on.


    We reached the fork in the path and my eyes couldn¡¯t help straying towards the dark and mysterious path that branched out towards Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion. The hallway in that direction waspletely dark with all lights switched off. Staring at it made me feel slightly insecure inside.


    Suddenly, I thought that I heard a sound from somewhere down that dark and isted hallway and my skin crawled with fear. It might just be my imagination but¡­


    "Did you hear something just now?" I asked softly as I tugged on Hayden¡¯s forearm.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 241: Watching Me

    "Hear what?" Hayden asked as he turned to look at me.


    "Umm¡­I don¡¯t know¡­like something moving?" I replied, uncertain of what I had just heard.


    "No¡­" Hayden replied after listening for a few seconds.


    After paying attention and listening to the sound around us, Hayden confirmed that he couldn¡¯t hear anything amiss, and honestly, I couldn¡¯t hear anything anymore either. I guess it was just my imagination then.


    "I¡¯m probably just imagining it or maybe it was the wind from outside or something," I said dismissively.


    Honestly, I was d that Hayden didn¡¯t hear anything. I didn¡¯t need anymore spooky things in my life to make my life moreplicated than it already was.


    "Probably, some windows are not closed yet. The maids will probably deal with itter, you don¡¯t have to worry," Hayden said, brushing off my concern.


    "Ok. Let¡¯s go then¡­" I murmured as he took my hand in his and led me after him towards his bedroom.


    ¡­


    When I returned to my living room the following morning, I was slightly surprised that Little Hayden wasn¡¯t there. It almost became a norm now for him to sneak away somewhere. I had mixed feelings about this but thought that it must be part of the puppy¡¯s growth journey. Little Hayden continued to grow up very fast.


    Not having much experience with raising a pet, I was astonished at how fast he grew and developed. It was probably normal for dogs to be like this, but I was surprised nheless.


    As he grew, he yed a lot more and explored a lot more. He also chewed on many more things and ended up ruining the legs of many wooden chairs to Auntie¡¯s utter dismay. Naturally, the area of my art studio and the living room became too small for him and venturing outside to tour the mansion and the garden quickly became part of his daily life.


    Right now, he¡¯s probably ying around somewhere or maybe he was hanging around the maids.


    It felt slightly lonely that Little Hayden was no longer just ying around at my feet, but it did give me the chance to focus more on mymission work. Things were progressing smoothly and the photos that I took to update my client of the work¡¯s progress was well received. I began experimenting on working on two works in parallel with each other to speed up the progress of the works.


    So far, it was going quite well.


    Thinking back on the events of yesterday, I didn¡¯t learn that much from what Hayden said. Most of it was probably because I didn¡¯t remember much or didn¡¯t quite understand very well. However, I did understand that things were not normal outside, and that Ethan yed a big role regarding that. He did visit me before Hayden brought me here to his mansion.


    Since that day, I had not stepped a foot outside of this property and as far as I was aware, Ethan was nowhere nearer to achieving his objective of uniting Torex and Silva.


    From Hayden¡¯s reaction and how his mood seemed to turn sour as he talked about Ethan¡¯s n, I could tell that he was surely opposed to it. As for me, I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted. Peace would be great but what exactly would lead to peace? My eyebrows knitted together in a knot before I separated them using my fingers. Peace just seemed like a concept and nothing more.


    An ideology that may never materialize in the mafia world.


    I wondered what Hayden truly wanted now that he¡¯s semi-forced to take over as the next boss of Torex. He never told me about his work and since I couldn¡¯t apany him anywhere, I had no idea what he was up to. However, judging from the fact that he was heading out to work every day, he must be busy and perhaps was already acting as the new head of Torex.


    That thought made a shiver run through my body. I realized that my hand had stopped in midair while I was absorbed in my thoughts. I¡¯m not making any progress on this portrait at all¡­


    I wondered what life would be like if Hayden didn¡¯t have to take over Torex. He would probably be working as a doctor somewhere. I recalled the scene of him helping that little girl at the amusement park and how he treated her with care. Would I get to see more of that side of Hayden if he didn¡¯t have to take over the gang?


    It wasn¡¯t like what I wanted mattered. Hayden is so deeply involved in the gang now and regardless of what I wanted; Hayden would always have two sides to him. I guess I didn¡¯t dislike the two opposite sides of him.


    Pulling myself back from my messy thoughts, I slowly mustered my concentration to continue working on the painting. A short while after, I was applying some paint to highlight the client¡¯s cheekbones when I had a strange feeling like someone was watching me. It was just a feeling¡­but still¡­


    I felt it. Someone is watching me¡­


    I froze as I debated with myself if I should turn around. This mansion is Hayden¡¯s mansion, and it was heavily guarded. There¡¯s no way that it couldn¡¯t be safe¡­right?


    Slowly, I turned around as I prayed that I had just imagined it all. The door to my art studio was ajar but I couldn¡¯t see anyone standing there. Did I just imagine it?


    I got up from my chair and slowly headed for the door. This better not be Hayden and one of his pranks because it surely is giving me the creeps. I inched closer and closer to the door on silent small steps. The silence in the studio and the living room beyond which I usually found peaceful suddenly felt unnerving.


    "Hayden¡­" I called softly as I ced my hand on the door and slowly opened it.


    It waspletely silent and just as I had half expected, there was no one outside in the living room. I walked quickly and looked out into the hallway. Turning my head from side to side to look up and down the hallway, I found itpletely void of life.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 242: A Bad Day

    I sighed in relief. Maybe I should just shut the doors next time. I always left the doors ajar so that Little Hayden could return whenever he wanted. Now I wasn¡¯t sure what was the better option.


    Perhaps after I get over my little panic from just now, I could still leave the door open.


    This ce is safe. This ce is safe. This ce is safe.


    I repeated those words to myself in a small whisper as I made my way back into the studio. Once I immersed myself into my artist mode, I didn¡¯t find it hard to refocus back on the painting that was right in front of me.


    ¡­


    **Around a weekter**


    Despite the deal that we made that day in the bath, Hayden didn¡¯t seem very open to discuss more about the situation outside. From the fact that I was still stuck inside the mansion, I could surmise that things had not improved. After fretting over it for a few days, I was determined to ask Hayden about it today when he came back home.


    "I¡¯m so nervous, Little Hayden¡­" I confessed to the dog as I lifted him up onto myp.


    He must have gained weight again. I could feel it when I lifted him, and he looked bigger and rounder. He must have been snacking behind my back. I bet the maids and Auntie spoiled him like crazy when he was with them. Little Hayden looked up at me with innocent and clueless eyes. I stroked his head adoringly and the feel of his soft fur calmed me down and gave me strength.


    I had decided that I would keep on asking Hayden about what was going on until he replied. Although my career as an artist has somewhat started and I was starting to make money, I knew that I could do more if I could just step foot outside. Plus, I was getting lonely and bored beyond the point where thefort of Little Hayden could heal. I wanted to see other people.


    I wanted to see my friends and other people that I knew.


    I sighed loudly and almost at that exact moment, Hayden walked into the living room. He¡¯s back earlier than usual today.


    "Wee back. You¡¯re back quite early today," I greeted him with a smile.


    Hopefully, he¡¯s in a good mood.


    "Yeah. I skipped out on a few meetings just because I felt like it," Hayden replied absentmindedly.


    He seemed quite distracted, and I wondered if something had gone wrong today. Hayden sat down on the sofa, and I approached him before sitting down next to him. Hayden didn¡¯t look at me and he didn¡¯t say anything. I wanted to ask him my questions but seeing him like this made me wonder if it was the right time for that or not. Hayden seemed tired and distracted, so perhaps it wasn¡¯t the best time.


    He could lose his temper again if I asked. What should I do?


    Little Hayden rolled around on the carpet in front of us without a care. I wished that my life was as easy and simple like Little Hayden¡¯s. I would like to roll around on the floor without a care in the world too.


    "I¡¯m not hungry. You can go ahead and eat," Hayden said after a while of silence.


    "Oh¡­have you eaten already?" I asked.


    "No¡­" Hayden murmured.


    Hayden didn¡¯t meet my eyes as he just sat there on the sofa at my side. Silence settled in between us again and I wondered what went down at work for him today. I knew that Hayden didn¡¯t like his job, whatever his job was exactly, but he usually wouldn¡¯t return from work looking this depressed or drained.


    "Umm¡­I don¡¯t mean to be nosy but¡­is everything alright?" I asked after summoning my courage.


    "Why wouldn¡¯t it be?" Hayden replied as his blue eyes narrowed dangerously at me.


    Ok¡­did I bruise and hurt his male ego just now?


    "I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­I¡¯m just worried¡­for you¡­" I replied softly.


    I held my breath and wished that Hayden would just let it slide. He clearly didn¡¯t want to talk to me about it. However, his response just now confirmed for me that something had gone south for sure. What that was, I didn¡¯t know¡­


    "I¡¯m going to take a shower. Come to my room when you¡¯re ready," Hayden said before getting up from the sofa.


    "Umm¡­ok¡­" I mumbled softly in reply.


    My eyes followed his back as he walked out of my living room back into the hallway. The door closed firmly behind him, and he was gone. I sighed with a mix of relief and worry. It was a strange feeling to be relieved yet very worried at the same time.


    I didn¡¯t have to use much imagination to understand what he wanted me to be ready for. Honestly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve spent a night with Hayden in his bedroom where we didn¡¯t do it. It seemed that no matter how bad his day was, Hayden was still in the mood for some wild sex tonight.


    After getting up, I headed for the dining table where I would be having dinner all alone this evening. Little Hayden ran up to me as if he wanted to cheer me up.


    "Do you want to cheer me up, little boy? Come sit here and have dinner with me," I said as I bent down to pick him up.


    Carefully, I ced him on top of the chair next to me so that he could get a view of what was on top of the dining table as well. Little Hayden was generally well-behaved, and it was hispany at dinner that night that gave me renewed courage to deal with Hayden. So, what if he doesn¡¯t tell me anything today? There¡¯s always tomorrow¡­and then the day after that¡­and the day after that¡­


    One day, he¡¯ll tell me. I just need to trust him and wait patiently, right?


    Despite what I told myself, the food tasted tasteless on my tongue. Perhaps, just like Hayden, I wasn¡¯t feeling hungry for dinner tonight. I bent over to the side and wrapped my arms around Little Hayden and hugged him tightly. The soft sound of his panting filled my ear as his soft fur brushed against the side of my cheek.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 243: Questions about My Love

    Once again, I stood in front of the doors to Hayden¡¯s room as I hesitated to go in. After eating dinner, I had taken a shower to calm myself. When I was ready, I left Little Hayden with a maid and came over to Hayden¡¯s wing of the mansion. I thought that I was ready when I left my living room; however, as I got closer to Hayden¡¯s room, my confidence started to fade.


    He¡¯s so unpredictable and it became even worse when he¡¯s emotionally unstable like he is now. I leaned on the wall in the hallway as lifted my face towards the ceiling and rolled eyes upwards. What am I going to get myself into when I enter that room?


    "How long are you nning to stand there in front of my door?"


    Hayden¡¯s voice cut through the silence in the hallway. I was sure that he sounded slightly annoyed and displeased and that it wasn¡¯t just me imagining things. I turned to face him with a smile.


    "Sorry. I was about to go in," I replied with a small smile.


    Hayden opened the door wide open for me and stood to the side, signaling that I should go in. I nodded a little at him before walking past him and through the doorway. I¡¯ve been to his room many times now, but it still made me feel a little nervous when he was around. Hayden¡¯s room was clean as always and that was probably thanks to Auntie and her genius maids.


    Hayden was dressed ready for bed and his hair seemed a little damp from the shower. I could smell the fragrance of his regr soap when he came closer to me. His eyes held mine as he looked down into my upturned face. I wondered what he was thinking as I started to feel even more nervous in his presence.


    "Why are you¡­looking at me like that?" I asked before shrinking away from him.


    Hayden¡¯s hand reached out and touched the side of my neck as I tried to look away from him. My eyes widened as his face came even closer to mine. The warmth of his hand against the sensitive skin of my neck made me feel even more anxious and I wasn¡¯t sure why that was so. He stared down at me, and his clear blue eyes seemed darker than usual.


    He¡¯s so close, I could see his long blond eyshes so clearly. His eyes are so pretty. If only it was easy to look him in the eyes¡­


    "Come entertain me for a bit¡­" Hayden said invitingly.


    His hand left my neck before his arm slipped around my waist. Softly, he pushed me forward, urging me to follow him. He led me to the long sofa before we sat down next to each other. I had no idea what Hayden had in mind but if I could make him feel less depressed then that would be good for both of us. I had learnt that I would also suffer in some way if Hayden wasn¡¯t in a pleasant mood.


    "Malissa, tell me about your time with Ethan," Hayden spoke up abruptly.


    I turned to face him,pletely stunned at his request. Of all the things that he could ask me, asking me about my rtionship with Ethan was thest thing I thought that he would ever ask me. Why is he asking about that now? What exactly does he want to know?


    "Umm¡­I¡¯m not sure¡­" I mumbled in slight protest.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t feelfortable talking about it to Hayden. I didn¡¯t see how it would be useful to our rtionship or to anything. Plus, I didn¡¯t really want to recall my time with Ethan that much anymore.


    "It¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll ask you some questions and I¡¯d appreciate it if you could answer them honestly," Hayden said calmly.


    His looked at me sternly and I could tell that he wasn¡¯t willing to back down on this. I bit my lower lip unconsciously as my mind started to panic slightly. No matter what, I couldn¡¯t figure out what Hayden was thinking and why he was asking me about this now. It wasn¡¯t simply out of personal curiosity, is it?


    "What do you want to know?" I asked softly.


    "How did you two meet?" he asked.


    So, he was going to get me to start right at the beginning.


    "It was my first day of university. It was raining and when I stepped to hide under some covering on the sidewalk, I met Ethan¡­" I replied honestly without going into any more details.


    "And then?" Hayden prompted for me to go on.


    How much does he want to know?


    "Umm¡­he offered me his umbre so that I could attend the ceremony for the freshmen. He told me that I could take it because he wasn¡¯t in a hurry and could wait¡­" I continued on a little before stopping again.


    "How did you two get together?" Hayden asked.


    I felt like I was being interviewed or interrogated.


    "We were in the same club. The art club¡­" I replied in short.


    "Ethan was in the art club? That¡¯s funny¡­" Hayden said tly. I wasn¡¯t sure if he really thought that it was funny.


    Not wanting to go into any more details, I just nodded my head slightly to indicate my response. Hayden also nodded his head in understanding before he went on to ask me another question.


    "What did you like about him?" Hayden asked as he gazed into my face with interest.


    Why is he asking me these things? What does Hayden want?


    "I don¡¯t know¡­" I mumbled, quite honestly.


    Back then, I really liked and loved Ethan, but it was quite hard to put into words on why that was so.


    "You don¡¯t know?" Hayden said as he arched a brow at me in disbelief.


    I did know but I wasn¡¯tfortable voicing it. Why did it matter? Ethan and I are no longer together.


    "He was nice to me. He helped me out¡­and took care of me well," I replied honestly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 244: Unfortunate End

    Despite everything that had unfortunately happened between us, Ethan was a decently good boyfriend while we were together. He must have done things behind my back because he was from a mafia gang and he did keep that from me; however, I didn¡¯t me him. I knew that he didn¡¯t want to get me involved then and it wasn¡¯t like he could randomly tell me that he was the next head of Silva.


    Apart from that, what I told Hayden was true. Although Ethan could be hard to handle sometimes, overall, he was sweet, helpful, supportive, and he made me smile andugh so much during the time when we were together. I wondered if Ethan knew back then that what we had wasn¡¯t meant tost. If he did, how did he feel all those times when we smiled together?


    "What are you thinking about?" Hayden asked in a low voice.


    "Oh¡­nothing. Sorry, you were saying?" I quickly replied after his voice pulled me back from my thoughts.


    "I didn¡¯t say anything. I was just watching your expression turn all sad and lonely," Hayden said with a small chuckle before his eyes narrowed at me.


    I wonder what he saw. I wonder if he could see through me¡­


    "Sorry¡­" I whispered.


    "It¡¯s nothing to apologize for. I¡¯m the one asking you all these difficult questions. Did you recall some old memories?" Hayden asked, teasingly.


    "Not really¡­" I mumbled in reply.


    "While you were with him, did you realize anything strange about him?" Hayden asked as he kept his eyes on my face.


    "Not really. He seemed very busy at times. He would go away on trips now and then, but I didn¡¯t think that it was unusual. Ethan¡­he didn¡¯t like his parents and would get depressed every time that he had to return home to see them," I replied.


    Everything seemed ordinary and normal back then given that I didn¡¯t know anything about his involvement with Silva. However, looking back, I realized that everything had to do with his involvement with his ¡¯family business¡¯.


    "Hmm¡­I see¡­" Hayden said softly.


    "I honestly didn¡¯t know about his involvement with the mafia. He just told me that his family ran a business and that he had to go back to help his parents with that. Back then, I never suspected anything¡­" I continued.


    "It¡¯s normal, I guess. Not every girl would automatically suspect her boyfriend at university to be a mafia boss¡¯s son," Hayden said with a nod of his head.


    "Yeah¡­I guess¡­" I mumbled, while still wondering why Hayden was having this conversation with me.


    Hayden was silent for a while as if digesting what I had told him so far. Finally, he turned to look at me again before asking me hisst question.


    "What happened when you two broke up?" Hayden asked.


    "Ethan decided to dump me¡­" I said before pursing my lips together into a thin line.


    "What happened?" he asked, persistently.


    "I didn¡¯t know this back then but thest time that Ethan came to see me, he finally told me what happened that night when we broke up," I said softly. This was the part that I didn¡¯t want to recall.


    "What do you mean?" Hayden asked and I knew that I more than had his attention.


    "Ironically, it was raining just like the day that I first met him. It waste at night and Ethan didn¡¯te back. Of course, I was worried, and I waited up for him. When he came back¡­well¡­he was all wet and things happened¡­" I told my story before pausing when I got to the part where Ethan took me to bed.


    "And?" Hayden prompted.


    "He just changed his clothes into dry ones and then he told me bluntly that we should break up. He didn¡¯t want to be with me anymore. That was that. It was a mess but, in the end, he just¡­disappeared. He left and I never saw him again until that day on the cruise with you¡­" I went on.


    "Did you try to find him?" Hayden asked curiously.


    "Of course, I did. I asked everywhere. I called his friends, well the ones I knew anyways, he didn¡¯t seem to have many friends at university. The ones he had weren¡¯t exactly close, but I called them anyways¡­" I said truthfully as I tried not to recall the pain and desperation from those days.


    "You couldn¡¯t find him¡­" Hayden surmised correctly.


    "That¡¯s right. I couldn¡¯t find him. Worst, no one knew where he went. No one knew anything about him. The more I looked, the more I realized that I didn¡¯t know much about him either. Just like that, it was like he just disappeared," I concluded.


    "I see¡­" he mumbled.


    Hayden was silent again and then he sighed as if what I had told him weighed more on his mind. I still didn¡¯t know why he asked me those questions. I didn¡¯t think that it would be harmful to tell him, though. It was all in the past anyways.


    "What did he tell you when he came to see you?" Hayden continued to press me for answers.


    I closed my eyes and sighed before giving him my answer. The truth of what Ethan told me was just so terrifyingly gruesome and tragic and even I didn¡¯t want to repeat what he had told me.


    "He told me that that night¡­he killed his own parents beforeing back to see me. He came to break up with me because we couldn¡¯t be together anymore. He had decided to take over Silva as the next boss¡­" I said in a broken voice before I had to stop.


    I couldn¡¯t say anymore. The truth made me feel slightly nauseous. Ethan¡¯s face that day was still so clear in my mind, and I didn¡¯t want to recall anymore.


    "That¡¯s enough for today¡­" Hayden said as he ced aforting hand on my shoulder.


    I didn¡¯t miss that he had just said ¡¯for today¡¯ which meant that there could be more of these sessions in the future? I hoped that I was wrong.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 245: Turned On Already

    "Umm¡­if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­why are you asking me these questions?" I asked after my voice returned.


    "I¡¯m just slightly curious¡­" Hayden replied like it was nothing.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t nothing.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled.


    "Let¡¯s go to bed," Hayden said as he got up from the sofa.


    Without waiting for my response, Hayden walked away towards his bedroom. I watched his back as I wondered if something that I had said just now bothered Hayden. He didn¡¯t seem in good spirits, but then again, I might be over reading into things. He still hasn¡¯t told me why he was asking about my past rtionship with Ethan.


    Hayden didn¡¯t seem shocked at all when I told him that Ethan had killed his parents. From that, I understood that he already knew about it.


    After letting out a small sigh, I got up from the sofa and followed him to his bedroom. Hayden was alreadyying on his side on the bed when I entered the bedroom. Softly, I closed the door behind me and then slowly made my way towards the bed. The soft mattress shifted under my weight as I climbed on it.


    Hayden was facing the other way and he did not turn to face me or look at me when I got on the bed.


    That was when I was convinced that something was very wrong.


    "Umm¡­Hayden?" I called his name questioningly after hesitating for a while.


    Hayden turned around to face me. Hey on his side as he smiled at me with his head resting on his pillow. The dim orange light in the bedroom felt extremely romantic like candlelight and the sight of Hayden¡¯s blue eyes smiling at me made my heart skip a beat. My heart was racing so fast as I got lost in his eyes. Hayden seemed down just now but when he smiled it seemed like he was feeling better.


    However, I wasn¡¯t sure if his smile is hiding something more. Something must be troubling him, but he wasn¡¯t willing to share it with me.


    "What is it? Can¡¯t go to sleep?" he asked before grinning at me.


    "No¡­I was just worried¡­" I replied honestly.


    "About me?" he asked with a hint of surprise.


    "Well, yes¡­" I replied.


    There isn¡¯t anyone else here for me to be worried about after all.


    "Why are you worried about me?" Hayden asked very directly.


    Well¡­that¡¯s not very easy to answer.


    "Umm¡­you seem stressed and tired? I guess..." I replied.


    Plus, he also asked me all those out of ce questions. Hayden¡¯s blue eyes continued to stare closely at my face and my heart continued beating wildly in my chest.


    "Is that so? You can always help me rx," Hayden said softly.


    I blinked rapidly in surprise at what had just happened. ncing down to the bed on both sides of my head, I could see Hayden¡¯srge hands pinning my wrists down on each side of my face. I looked up to see his amused face looming over mine along with hisrge frame. In one swift motion, Hayden had rolled on top of me and sessfully pinned my wrists down with ease.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name as my eyes widened.


    "Are you turned on already?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    A soft moan left my lips when his hand let go of my wrist and began stroking its way up my thigh. I could feel the heat from his hand through the thin silk fabric of my short nightgown. His eyes stared deeply into mine, but I couldn¡¯t quite read what he was feeling. The only thing I knew was that he wanted to have me and maybe that was enough for now.


    His hands slipped under my nightgown and began caressing the skin of my naked thigh directly. I moaned as my body shifted a little under his. Hayden bent his head down, firmly nting a kiss on my lips. His hand rxed from my wrist before releasing it. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he began to kiss me passionately.


    He sucked on my lower lip teasingly before his tongue probed and requested entrance into my mouth.


    I moaned softly before parting my lips for him invitingly. His wet tongue did not hesitate to take me up on my invitation as it thrusted into the depths of my mouth. I let out another satisfied moan before his tongue tangled with mine in a passionate dance. Our kiss got deeper and hotter and I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck, pulling him even closer to me.


    After breaking out kiss, Hayden sat up and his hands were immediately at the front of my nightgown. There was a loud tearing sound and I looked down to see hisrge hands had easily teared open the thincy fabric that was covering my chest. Firmly, he tore the thince before parting them to the side to expose my breasts.


    My body felt hot as his hungry gaze seem to burn my naked breasts as it heaved up and down from mybored breathing. I felt so hot, and it was getting a little harder to breathe. I was so turned on.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name breathlessly.


    His head bent down, and a wet warmth trialed on the soft skin in between the perks of my breasts. He licked me and my legs grew weak before a cry left my lips. It felt so good, I¡¯m melting just from this. Hisrge hand cupped my breasts and began massaging it skillfully while his tongue moved to pay loving attention to my erect nipple.


    "Ahh!" I cried out loudly when his mouth engulfed my nipple.


    He sucked on it so hard that my back arched off the bed. My hands cradled his head as his soft blond hair caressed the palm of my hand. I clenched my teeth and moaned loudly to deal with the intense pleasure as he continued sucking loudly on my nipple.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­no more¡­" I begged for him to stop.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 246: More Than Enough

    The pleasure was too intense that I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I was about to lose my mind and the throbbing ache in between my legs started to be unbearable. The heat between my legs melted into wetness as my love juices gushed out from my love hole and wetted my panties.


    "Enough, already?" Hayden teased gently after he lifted his head up to stare down into my eyes.


    Hayden moved away from me just enough to remove his own clothing before returning to me again. I used that brief moment to catch my breath as best as I could. Hayden returned to me with a look of raw hunger in his eyes and I knew well what he wanted from me. Hisrge hand grabbed my knees and lifted them before parting my thighs wide apart.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered at the suddenness of his action.


    "You should be plenty wet by now," Hayden said confidently.


    He was right. I could feel my slippery juices in between my legs and knew that he had made me wet enough for him to take me. Hayden didn¡¯t wait for any confirmation from me. His hands quickly pulled the crotch of my panties aside and I cried out when his fingers stroked my hot wetness.


    "Ahhh! Ahhhh¡­." I moaned loudly at the pleasurable sensation of his thick fingers ying with me there.


    I could hear the soft wet sounds of his finger stroking the wetness along my love slit before he pushed them inside of my flooded love hole. His fingers plunged inside of me suddenly and my hips jerked upwards towards his hand. The feeling of his thick fingers stretching my pussy walls and caressing it, felt amazingly good. I wanted him deeper inside of me.


    "You¡¯re flooded. Did I turn you on?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    "Ahhh¡­" I whimpered as he pulled his fingers slowly out of my hole.


    "Spread your legs wider for me," Hayden instructed as he moved even closer to me.


    I nodded a little and began following his instructions. Hayden watched me with a look of satisfaction. In that moment, all his signs of depression and stress were gone, and thankfully so. He was enjoying himself and I was relieved that he felt that way. I was more worried when he wasn¡¯t acting like himself. At least, now he was acting like the old Hayden.


    "Good. Now spread your pussy for me," Hayden instructed further.


    "Umm¡­" I mumbled as I hesitated.


    I could feel his eyes on the wet mess in between my legs and knew that he was waiting for me to follow his instructions. However, it was very embarrassing to do that, so I found myself hesitating.


    "Come on. Don¡¯t keep me waiting¡­" Hayden coaxed gently and seductively.


    I gulped before slowly reaching my hand in between my legs before hooking my fingertips on my pussy lips. Hayden stared down at the spot in between my legs as he wanted in anticipation for my fingers to part my pussy. I hesitated a little before I began parting my pussy lips with my fingers.


    "Good girl. Let me take you now¡­" Hayden whispered with a small chuckle.


    I watched as hisrge hand grabbed his thick and erect manhood and began fitting it at my opening. A whimpered escaped me when I felt the hot and massive head of his cock position itself at my spread opening. He¡¯s so big and he feels so hot and ready.


    "Look at me, Malissa," Haydenmanded in a low voice.


    I forced my eyes to meet his. At that moment, Hayden thrusted his massive cock deeply and forcefully into my awaiting pussy hole. I cried out in shock at his sudden entrance into my love hole. Although I was wet and ready, it still hurt to take in his enormous size so suddenly. I cried out at the sharp prating pain that pierced my core.


    My hips thrusted upwards automatically as my body reacted wildly to his.


    Hayden stilled for a brief moment to let my pussy adjust to having him inside of me. Quickly, the pain subsided and in its ce was a burning desire to have more of him. Deeper and harder inside of me. My pussy clenched around his cock and Hayden grinned knowingly at me before he began rearing his hips back.


    His cock exited my hole before plunging back into my wet hole, harder and deeper with each of his renewed thrusts.


    Our passionate cries and growls filled his bedroom as he continued to pound his gigantic cock into my wet hole. In and out, he pumped into me. My hips moved up to meet his thrusts halfway, feeling him even deeper inside of me with each passionate thrust. I called out his name as our bodies mated wildly with each other.


    His thick cock hit me deep inside as it stimted my pleasure spot and hit my womb. I spread my legs even wider and lifted them up as I tired to feel even more of him.


    After a while of thrusting his thick shaft into me non-stop, Hayden stilled, and my eyes widened in question. Why did he stop? It felt so good¡­


    "Hayden¡­?" I called his name softly in question.


    Hayden smiled at me as he stared down at me with raw desire in his eyes. My heart skipped a beat when I knew that this was far from over.


    Hisrge hands grabbed my wrist before he started pulling me up with him. I let out a small cry at the suddenness of this switch in position. He sat up and brought me with him. I blushed wildly when I ended up straddling hisp with his cock still buried all the way inside of me. His cock twitched excitedly inside of me, reminding me that it hasn¡¯t had its fill of me yet.


    "Can you move?" Hayden asked suggestively.


    "Umm¡­I¡­" I mumbled hesitantly.


    Hayden peered at my face before he smiled andughed a little at my embarrassment. Hisrge hand gripped my hips encouragingly.


    "Come on. Move¡­Iet¡¯se together¡­" Hayden urged.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 247: Rough Love and Hard Questions

    Although I knew that he wanted me to do it, I started feeling a little shy. This wasn¡¯t the first time he made me move on top of him but that didn¡¯t make it any less embarrassing for me.


    His hands slid up the side of my body from my hips until they reached my tits and began massaging them softly. His fingers yfully teased my nipples by pulling on it and swirling it between his fingertips as he waited for me to decide what to do next. It wasn¡¯t like I had an endless list of options for that or anything¡­


    "Ok¡­" I whispered.


    Hayden smiled at me as his hands readily went back to support the sides of my hips. I ced my arm on his broad shoulders as I began lifting my hips up from hisp. Slowly, his cock began sliding out of me as I moved my pussy up along the length of his cock. I closed my eyes and sighed at the pleasure of his cock rubbing slowly along the walls of my pussy.


    "Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!" I cried out as I bounced my hips on top of his cock.


    My hands clenched on his shoulders as I used him for support while I rode on his cock. My hip bounced up and down his thick love stick as I began moving faster and faster. My pussy lifted off his cock before mming down onto his erect pole repeatedly as I angled my hips to make his cock hit me deep inside where it felt good.


    His cock rammed against the pleasure spot deep inside my love hole and my nails began digging into his skin.


    "Your insides feel great. Move faster, Malissa," Hayden groaned softly as his hand helped me lift my hips off of him.


    "Ahh¡­it¡¯s so deep inside¡­" I moaned.


    Hayden smirked at me before his hips began moving underneath me, shoving his cock sharply upwards into my hole as hisrge hand pulled my hips down on top of his cock. I screamed at the impact of our body moving simultaneously driving his cock hard and deep into me from below. Hayden thrusted faster from below, ramming his massive cock into my hot wetness.


    The wet sounds of our sex pping and mating with each other echoed from below.


    Hayden held my hips in ce as he took control of pumping his cock into my pussy hole. I cried out as I threw my head back and closed my eyes. My body writhed on hisp as my breasts jiggled up and down at the impact of his harsh thrusts from below. He¡¯s being so rough with me, but it felt so good.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name as I felt my climax creeping up on me.


    I¡¯m going to cum¡­I¡¯m¡­


    "I¡¯m¡­Ahh!" I cried out as my climax took over me.


    My pussy spasmed wildly around his cock as it clenched. I cried out so loudly before burying my face against his neck to muffle my wild cries of ecstasy. Hayden groaned louder and continued thrusting into me from below. He was moving faster now, and I could tell that he was also close to his own release. His fingers dug into my buttocks while his cock pounded into my wet cunt.


    I could sense that he was going to cum inside of me any moment now and I closed my eyes in blissful surrender.


    "Malissa¡­" he said my name in a growl before thrusting deeply into me for thest time.


    I let out a whimpering sigh as I felt his heat spurt out from his cock deep inside of my body. He came in various spurts that shot his hot seed deeply into my womb. I could feel his heat everywhere as he filled me with him. I hugged him close as he continued to empty his load into my already wet hole. My body felt limp and weak from our passionate session.


    His hand reached up to stroke my hair lovingly as we hugged each other after riding out the aftereffects of our intense orgasms. His body felt so warm, and his hug felt soforting. I loved it when he held me this way. However, his cock was still inside me, and I should get off before he demands for another round¡­


    "Umm¡­" I began saying but Hayden¡¯s arms tightened around me as if asking me to stay like this a while longer.


    What he said next shocked me even more than anything that he asked me today.


    "What would you say if I told you that I might have to kill your ex-boyfriend?" Hayden asked softly but clearly.


    He can¡¯t mean¡­


    My body stiffened and suddenly, I felt extremely cold all the way to my toes.


    "You mean, Ethan?" I asked in a small whisper.


    "Bingo," Hayden said as he pulled me away from him just enough for him to look me in the eyes.


    "No¡­please. Please don¡¯t kill him¡­" I pleaded automatically.


    Why is Hayden saying this? Why does he have to kill Ethan? Ethan wanted to make peace with the Torex, didn¡¯t he? None of this was making any sense to me.


    However, one thing for clear to me, I didn¡¯t want Hayden killing anyone, especially not Ethan. What brought this on so suddenly? Why did it all have toe to this? They were childhood friends whom my father must have loved so deeply. Although it was over now for Ethan and me, I didn¡¯t wish for his death and definitely not at Hayden¡¯s hands.


    "Well, it isn¡¯t entire up to me¡­" Hayden said like it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    What does he mean by that?


    "Still, I don¡¯t want you to¡­" I quickly protested.


    "Hmm? Do you still have lingering feelings for him?" Hayden said with an edge in his voice.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he was teasing me or not. Of course, I didn¡¯t have any lingering feelings for Ethan at this point but that didn¡¯t mean that I wanted him dead and gone. I doubt Hayden would understand that even if I tried to exin it to him. His hand lifted and grabbed my chin in between his fingers a little roughly. That was when I realized that he wasn¡¯t teasing me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 248: Losing Focus

    "No¡­that¡¯s not¡­" I struggled to speak as he applied more pressure to the side of my cheeks.


    His blue eyes darkened and this time it was with more than slight anger. Suddenly, I felt scared and wanted to get away from him. His arm around my body tightened as he forced me to stare deeply into his stormy blue eyes.


    "Hay¡­den¡­" I whimpered his name softly.


    Without responding to me, Hayden pushed me down onto the bed. My back hit the soft mattress and Hayden was on top of me again. His cock was hard again inside of me, and I knew that he was going to take me again. He¡¯s so angry¡­


    What will be of me now?


    I didn¡¯t have much time to wonder about that. Hayden lifted one of my legs up towards his shoulder as he moved his hips even closer to me for deeper pration. I cried out when he began pounding his massive hot cock into me from this new angle. It was rougher and deeper than before. I felt him all the way inside of me and my pussy quivered. His cock stirred my wetness as he began moving even faster.


    Although my body was responding to him and the pleasure that he was feeding me, my mind was too worried about his words.


    However, it wasn¡¯t long before I couldn¡¯t think of anything else but the heat in between my legs as he continued to pound fiercely into me like he would never stop.


    ¡­


    **A Week Later**


    A week has gone by in a blink of an eye, but Hayden¡¯s mood had not improved at all. That was what I would like to say; however, the week didn¡¯t fly by at all. Hayden¡¯s sour mood made each day between us difficult and very painful for me. Although I didn¡¯t think that Hayden intended to take his anger or frustration out on me, it still showed when we went to bed together.


    It didn¡¯t help my case when Hayden made sure that we went to bed together every night. Of course, sleep wasn¡¯t what he was looking for. He made love to me, and each session seemed rougher than thest. I tried to tell myself that it wasn¡¯t so, but the truth was that Hayden¡¯ mood was worsening as time went by.


    He didn¡¯t speak to me about what was going on outside ever again and neither did he bring up his talks of taking Ethan¡¯s life. Of course, I didn¡¯t dare ask him about it at all. When I was alone in my art studio, I would pray silently for Hayden to change his mind or for the situation to change in our favor.


    I still didn¡¯t understand what he meant when he said that it wasn¡¯t ¡¯entirely up to¡¯ him either. Just what is going on?


    He¡¯s not really going to kill Ethan, right?


    I didn¡¯t quite know how I felt about Hayden and my ex fighting it out physically. The beeping sound from my phone signaling that I had just received an email snapped me back to the reality that was in front of me. The reality that mymissions were running behind schedule, and no matter how hard I tired, I couldn¡¯t seem to get the color of my client¡¯s lips right on this canvas.


    It was driving me insane.


    I hated to admit it, but Hayden¡¯s mood swings were starting to stress me out to the point that it was affecting my work. It became increasingly hard for me to concentrate, and when I could, I would make mistakes where I wouldn¡¯t normally make mistakes.


    All of that has led to the dy in my work¡¯s schedule and now a fewmissions werete for their scheduled progress check-in meetings with the clients. The only saving grace was that I still had time before the final version was due. If I can turn myself around by that time, then I can still meet the scheduled deadline.


    One day, I was working with Little Hayden in the art studio, and I experienced trouble once again. Why did the color turn out like this when it dried? I should have factored for the color change already between the wet version of the paint and the dry one. So, why did it turn out like this?


    It just looks all wrong and then suddenly everything looked all wrong on the canvas as everything was throw off bnce.


    "Oh¡­hell¡­" I cursed under my breath as I turned away from the canvas and threw up my arms inpletely surrender.


    I don¡¯t have time to mess up like this. Now, I have to find a way to fix it which wasn¡¯t going to be an easy task. Comining and cursing under my breath, I wiped the sweat off my brows as I tried to mix some new paint to fix my mistake. By the time that I was done with sorting out the mess and replying to my emails, so much time had passed by without me realizing it.


    When I looked up again and looked around the small studio, Little Hayden was no where in sight. He ran off again. Nowadays, I left the doors opened for him to enter and go as he pleased. Since I was so busy working, I understood that he felt bored just sleeping at my feet all the time. I let him choose if and when he wanted to leave to go outside and that seemed to help with his toilet breaks too.


    The maids also neverined about taking care of him or keeping an eye on him.


    The unfortunate error on the painting was fixed now and although it wasn¡¯t 100% what I wanted, I could live with it, and I supposed the client could as well. I decided to take a break because I couldn¡¯t focus anymore and needed to wind down. Stepping out of the studio, I decided to go look for Little Hayden. Maybe if I take a stroll with him out in the gardens, I will feel better.


    "Excuse me. Have you seen Little Hayden?" I asked a maid that happened to be walking by.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 249: Lost and Found

    "Well, I saw him, but it was a long time ago. He was walking along the hallway¡­I don¡¯t know where he is now, though," the maid replied.


    "Oh, I see. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll ask around," I replied before waving to her.


    After searching the mansion in the ces that Little Hayden usually liked to hang out, I couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. I decided to find Auntie to ask her, but she hasn¡¯t seen him at all on that day. Running out of options, I went out into the garden apanied by the usual group of guards.


    "Have you seen Little Hayden?" I asked the guards.


    They shook their heads simultaneously before telling me that they would help me search the garden since it didn¡¯t seem like he was in the mansion. By that time, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach like something had gone wrong. Where did Little Hayden go?


    I called out his name again and again until my throat stared to hurt. Seriously, if he was within earshot, he would havee running back to me a long time ago. I didn¡¯t want to think of the worst but what if something happened to him?


    Why did it have to be so hot and humid today of all days? Where is Little Hayden?


    The guards helped split up to search for him but even after a while of searching, no one found him. By that time, I was very panicked. I picked up my phone and started calling Auntie to get her help.


    "I can¡¯t find him. I can¡¯t find him inside the mansion, and I can¡¯t find him outside in the gardens either. Can you and the maids please help me search inside the mansion. Sorry, I don¡¯t want to cause trouble to anyone but¡­I¡¯m very worried. Please help me find him¡­please¡­" I pleaded as fear started taking over me.


    This was my fault. Why didn¡¯t I pay attention to him? I should have kept him close to my side. How did I let this happen? What if something happens to him? What am I going to do?


    "Miss Malissa¡­" a guard¡¯s low voice calling my name worriedly made me realize that I must have looked very shocked.


    My hands started feeling cold and my lips felt numb. I closed my eyes to focus on taking in deep breaths as I felt a panic attacking taking over me. I didn¡¯t want to burden Hayden with this mess that I caused on top of all that he must be dealing with right now, but I didn¡¯t have any other choice. I couldn¡¯t think of any other option.


    My hands shook as I struggled to dial Hayden¡¯s number on my phone. Finally, the line connected, and my panic took over as I hurriedly blurted whatever I coulde up with into the phone.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m so sorry. I know you¡¯re working¡­I didn¡¯t want to disturb you¡­" I said hurriedly as my voice cracked here and there.


    "Calm down, Malissa. What is it?" Hayden said calmly.


    His calmness made me feel slightly better. It doesn¡¯t matter if I cannot handle this as long as Hayden can handle it. Everything is going to be fine, right?


    "Umm¡­it¡¯s Little Hayden. He¡¯s gone, I can¡¯t find him anywhere," I admitted guiltily.


    Yes, this is all my fault. I was so careless.


    "Get the maids and the guards to help you search for him. He¡¯s probably somewhere in the mansion," Hayden replied, still very calm and collected.


    "Yeah, well, the thing is, I already did that. Everyone who was free helped to searched but we couldn¡¯t find him. I also called out to him so many times in the garden, but I can¡¯t find him. What should I do? I¡¯m¡­" I began exining before I felt tears sting the back of my eyes and my chest tightened.


    I started to sob and had to stop speaking to collect myself before I burst out crying right there in the middle of the garden and right in front of the guards.


    "Calm down and don¡¯t panic. He¡¯s just a little dog, he¡¯s probably inside the mansion somewhere. Tell the staff to keep looking. I¡¯ll call in more guards to help. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find him. I¡¯ll make sure that they find him no matter what, ok?" Hayden promised me reassuringly.


    "Ok¡­thank you. Thank you so much, Hayden," I thanked him as I clutched desperately to the phone in my hand.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m almost done with work too. I¡¯ll be back soon," Hayden said.


    "Alright. Thank you. I¡¯ll call you when we find him," I replied.


    "Have you checked back in your room? Usually when dogs run off, they¡¯ll return back to their owner so¡­" Hayden suggested.


    "I haven¡¯t done that. I¡¯ve been busy going around looking for him. I¡¯ll go back and check," I replied before agreeing to his suggestion.


    After searching along with the guards for a while longer in the garden, I excused myself before heading back into the mansion to go check in my rooms and my art studio again. I prayed that Hayden was right and that I would find Little Hayden waiting there for me, but I highly doubted it. After dragging myself up the stairs to the second floor, I almost ran along the hallway back to my living room.


    "Little Hayden!" I called out as I approached my room.


    The door was ajar and to my utter disbelief, a furry brown head with pointed ears poked out from between the cracks to greet me.


    "Little Hayden¡­" I called his name as relief poured through my body in waves.


    Suddenly, the world was a brighter ce. I crouched down and scooped the little dog into my arms and hugged him tightly. I checked his body for injuries. I don¡¯t know why I did that, but I just wanted to make sure that he was fine and that everything was fine.


    "Where did you run off to? You were gone for so long!" I asked.


    Little Hayden gazed into my face with round innocent eyes like he had no idea what I was making a big fuss about. It was easy for him to say. I bet he was having fun hiding out somewhere while all of us worried ourselves sick about him. I should keep a closer eye on him from now on. I¡¯ll carry him around with me wherever I go to make sure that I don¡¯t lose him ever again!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 250: Forbidden Hallway

    I should call Hayden to let him know that I¡¯ve found Little Hayden.


    "Umm¡­Hayden. I found him. I found Little Hayden," I quickly reported when the line connected.


    "Where did you find him?" Hayden asked.


    "It was just like you said. He came back to my room. I found him when I came back looking for him in my living room. Thank goodness¡­he seems alright too¡­" I said thankfully.


    "That¡¯s all good then. I¡¯ll be back home soon. I¡¯ll call off the search now that you¡¯ve found him," Hayden said calmly.


    "Thank you so much¡­and sorry for the trouble," I mumbled apologetically.


    "It¡¯s fine," Hayden said firmly before hanging up.


    ¡­


    "I told you that he¡¯s somewhere in the mansion. This ce is heavily guarded so how can the dog possible go missing?" Hayden said to me once he arrived back.


    "I guess you¡¯re right¡­I¡¯m sorry for panicking like that¡­" I apologized.


    "It¡¯s not a problem. If you¡¯re that worried about him, I can get a maid or someone to baby sit him fulltime," Hayden offered generously.


    "No, that¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll be more careful from now on," I replied.


    "Let me know if you change your mind. You should focus on your work instead of baby sitting a dog," Hayden said sternly.


    What he said was true, but I still wanted to take care of my own dog. I felt extremely guilty for losing him even if he came backter. However, if I told Hayden that he would just think that I was being stubborn which wasn¡¯t entirely wrong.


    After having a peaceful dinner together, we went to sleep in his room. Hayden¡¯s mood seemed to have improve, although only slightly. He never spoke or asked about Ethan again and I didn¡¯t dare bring that topic up. It was like I had lost my chance to find out what he was thinking and what was going on with Ethan. Despite myself, I found myself worrying about Ethan. What is that mad man up to now?


    Why can¡¯t he just settle down and live his life peacefully?


    I knew that I shouldn¡¯t be thinking this, but I couldn¡¯t help the desire that popped up in my mind. I wanted to talk to Ethan. Maybe if I could just talk to him, things might be different. That was just wistful thinking on my part, though. I had no way to contact Ethan and if Hayden found out, he¡¯d probably end up killing me along with his foe.


    That night, I didn¡¯t sleep very well and woke up the next morning with a throbbing headache which only got worst when I realized that Hayden was no longer in bed. He didn¡¯t leave a note and he didn¡¯t text, but it wasn¡¯t surprising when I found out from Auntie that he had left for work bright and early in the morning. Hayden was away more and more now.


    He left earlier in the morning and came back slightlyter at night. I still decided to wait to have dinner with him.


    After making my way back to my own rooms, I quickly showered and entered the art studio. Hayden was right, I needed to focus on my work before the clients start sinking their teeth into my slim neck. I¡¯ve narrowly avoided missing my deadline a couple of times now and I wished that I had more breathing room.


    I stared at the painting in progress as I reminded myself that having work is better than having nothing to do and no ie.


    I was about to start painting when I realized that I couldn¡¯t find my mobile phone. A loud sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes in frustration when I realized that I must have forgotten it in Hayden¡¯s bedroom. This is such a pain.


    "Stay here for a bit, ok? I¡¯ll be right back," I told Little Hayden.


    I headed for the door and was out in the hallway in no time as I made my way back to Hayden¡¯s wing of the mansion. Waking upte already ate into the time that I had to work and now I was wasting more time by being forgetful. When I approached the fork in the path that led to Hayden¡¯s wing, I thought that I saw Hayden. Well, I didn¡¯t see him clearly, but I was quite certain that I saw his back.


    Before I could call out to him, he disappeared into the dark hallway leading into Harvey¡¯s wing. I blinked my eyes in surprise. That was Hayden for sure but wasn¡¯t he supposed to be at work right now? Auntie told me that he left for work so why was he here in the mansion? I was sure that he headed down the hallway that led to Harvey¡¯s wing.


    My body froze in ce when I arrived at the fork in the path. My eyes wandered towards the dark and dested hallway that led to Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion. No one was allowed to enter this hallway and Harvey¡¯s part of the mansion ever since he died. The one who made that rule was Hayden, but I guess that the rule doesn¡¯t apply to him. What is in there?


    The next question that popped into my mind was an even more troublesome one. Did Hayden leave for work this morning before returning or was he here in Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion all along? My eyebrow drew together as I frowned. Suddenly, a cold shiver ran through my body, and I realized that this was just freaking me out.


    "Miss?" a small voice said very close to me.


    Shocked and panicked, I let out a shrilled scream before turning around to find a young and very thin maid standing right behind me. Why did she have to sneak up on me like that? I ced a hand on my chest as I struggled to calm my breathing. The maid gave me a truly confused look as if she couldn¡¯t understand why I was so freaked out.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 251: Home Early

    "What is it?" I asked after recovering my voice.


    "Oh, I was wondering if you needed anything. You were just standing there so¡­" the maid said politely.


    I knew that she meant well but why did she have to sneak up on me?!


    "Umm¡­is Hayden back yet?" I asked the first question that came to mind.


    "I¡¯m not sure but the car he usually uses right now is parked in the garage," the maid replied smoothly.


    "So, he¡¯s back already?" I asked for confirmation.


    "I think so. He did leave this morning but perhaps he came back early. Sorry, I don¡¯t know anything about his schedule," the maid replied humbly.


    No, surprises there, honey. Even I know nothing about the specifics of his schedule. I didn¡¯t even know that he was back, and I guess I wouldn¡¯t have known if I hadn¡¯t spotted him just now.


    "Alright¡­thank you," I thanked her.


    The maid bowed politely and excused herself. She headed into Hayden¡¯s wing of the mansion, and I figured that she probably had some work to do there. If Hayden is really back, he shoulde to see me soon. Maybe he got back but has work to do. That was what I told myself as I returned to Hayden¡¯s bedroom to fetch my mobile phone.


    When I returned to my art studio, my hands were shaking, and I felt so insecure. Little Hayden was asleep on the floor, probably from boredom because I had locked him in here.


    After pacing around the room restlessly for a while, I decided to give Hayden a call before this drove me insane. It was probably nothing. It¡¯s not the end of the world that he came home early from work and it shouldn¡¯t be an unusual thing for him to enter his brother¡¯s wing of the mansion. Afterall, it was his mansion now. I couldn¡¯t exin it, but something made me feel so uneasy about all of this.


    "Hayden, are you back yet?" I asked immediately once the line connected.


    "Why?" he asked, rightfully confused.


    "Umm¡­nothing really. I think I saw you in the house, but I wasn¡¯t sure¡­" I said before holding my breath while waiting for his response.


    "Good eyes. I¡¯m back, I skipped out on a couple of meetings and sent Luka in my ce," Hayden replied casually.


    "Were you tired?" I inquired, suddenly feeling worried.


    "Not really but there¡¯s some stuff I needed to sort out back here. I¡¯ll head over to see you when I¡¯m done," Hayden said a little sternly.


    Sensing that it wasn¡¯t a great time to talk or take up more of his time, I decided to hand up as soon as possible so that he could get back to whatever he was working on.


    "Oh, alright. I¡¯ll see you then," I said before hanging up.


    Little Hayden had woken up by that time and he looked at me like he knew a secret that I didn¡¯t. The moment that thought ran through my head; was the moment I was convinced that I was starting to lose my mind. Iughed a little to myself before running my fingers through my long hair.


    After tying it into a casual bun on top of my head, I pped my hands together and began focusing on the painting in front of me.


    ¡­


    "Thank you so much and I¡¯m so very sorry that I can¡¯t be there to deliver this to you in person. I¡¯ll make sure that it is safely delivered to you. Yes, sure¡­thank you so much again," I said happily before hanging up.


    This morning, I received my first payment for the first portrait that I hadpleted based on the new price range that Hayden had quoted. It was still hard to believe that the price of my work really did increase by ten folds. There was another piece of work that was close topletion as well which meant that I would be getting another payment soon.


    Getting your first paycheck or any paycheck is a good cause for celebration, right? Maybe I should get Auntie to prepare a special dinner as a casual way to celebrate my mini sess. With that idea in mind, I decided to give Auntie a call. The old woman spoke through the phone in a cheerful voice after I had assured her that she didn¡¯t have toe see me in the studio.


    "I¡¯ll get the chefs to cook up something extra nice. Anything specific that you have in mind?" Auntie asked.


    "Not really. Any of Hayden¡¯s favorite foods will do," I replied.


    As for me, I wasn¡¯t a picky eater. When life was tougher, you didn¡¯t have the luxury to pick and choose your food that much. I could eat just about anything and the food that the chef always served was beyond average. After thanking the olddy politely, I hung up the phone before turning my attention back to the almostplete painting.


    If I worked hard on it today, I might finish it before Haydenes back. Hopefully, Hayden wouldn¡¯t be backte today because it would be a disaster if I had to eat the specially-made dinner alone. This client that this portrait was for was a little bit more of a perfectionist than the first client and he paid a lot of detail on his hairline and his facial hair.


    Getting that right was a big challenge for me. Painting hair was just difficult to get the look of the texture right.


    By the time it was 6PM, my back hurt and so did my eyes. Little Hayden seemed bored as well. I took a few steps back to look at the overall painting and sadly, I couldn¡¯t call itplete and ready. The hair needed more work although the beard was fine now.


    Guess that will have to wait for tomorrow, I couldn¡¯t physically continue right now, not to talk about the fact that I could barely concentrate with my eyes strained.


    Suddenly, my phone started ringing. I peered at the screen to see that Auntie was the one calling. She usually doesn¡¯t call me so this might be something urgent.


    "Yes, Auntie?" I answered the call.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 252: Into the Darkness

    "About your request for a special dinner. I thought that it might be better to set up the dining table in Hayden¡¯s living room. The dining table is bigger there and so is the room. What do you say?" Auntie suggested hopefully.


    "Oh sure¡­I¡¯ll leave it up to you," I replied.


    "That¡¯s great. Also, I¡¯ve arranged for some special decorations, if you¡¯re free, it would be great if you cane and have a look. Honestly, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve overdone it or not¡­" Auntie said, and I could hear the uncertainty in her voice.


    She went and arranged for decorations. What kind of decorations? Why do we need decorations for a dinner?


    It was then that I started to realize that the image of a special dinner that I had in mind was very different and probably humbler and more normal than the one that Auntie had in mind.


    "Umm¡­sure. I¡¯ll head over there now," I said.


    "Thank you. I¡¯ll wait for you but you better hurry, Hayden will be back soon¡­" Auntie said excitedly before the line disconnected.


    I shook my head softly to myself before turning to look at the wide-eyed Little Hayden. He looked up at me with a confused look on his face and I wondered if he was confused or if that was his normal and natural face.


    "Let¡¯s go, Little Hayden¡­" I said as I bent down and scooped him up into my arms.


    I walked along the familiar path from my room to Hayden¡¯s wing of the mansion with the not-so-little puppy in my arms. Little Hayden grew up again and I could feel it clearly each time I carried him. He got bigger, heavier, and stronger. I was proud of the fact that he was growing up to be a very strong and healthy boy but that also meant that it was physically harder to deal with him.


    Carrying him, ying with him and any other physical struggles with him became increasingly difficult for me as he got bigger. I read online that Corgis were not supposed to grow that big and I hoped that I could manage to carry him even when he became full grown.


    It wasn¡¯t long before we arrived at the fork path and just when I was about to turn towards the hallway that led down to Hayden¡¯s wing of the mansion, Little Hayden began barking. Simply because he usually almost never barked while in the mansion, I was surprised at his reaction that I started looking around to see what he was barking at.


    "Why are you barking, Little Hayden?" I asked him softly as my hand stroked his head down to the middle of his back in an attempt tofort him.


    Little Hayden only started barking louder and louder. I looked around in confusion before looking where Little Hayden was looking; however, there was nothing there.


    "You¡¯re not¡­" I mumbled before trialing off.


    I wasn¡¯t certain of it at first but now I was sure that Little Hayden was barking while looking in the direction of the dark and isted hallway that led to Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion. A bad feeling came over me and suddenly everything seemed so spooky.


    Get a hold of yourself, Malissa. There are no ghosts¡­right?


    "Stop barking and you¡¯re not allowed to go that way, ok?" I said quite sternly.


    Little Hayden didn¡¯t stop barking and suddenly he seemed very excited or agitated, honestly, I couldn¡¯t quite tell. However, he began squirming in my arms before kicking his legs wildly.


    "Stop! Stop¡­Little Hayden¡­" I said as I struggled to keep him in my arms.


    Despite my efforts to calm him down, Little Hayden started struggling harder and rougher against my chest and arms. It became a real struggle just to keep holding him in my arms. His nails began scratching at my arms although they were not sharp, it still hurt.


    "Calm down, little boy¡­" I whispered pleadingly.


    I couldn¡¯t understand what was wrong with him all of a sudden. There was nothing there that I could see. Did he see something or sense something that I couldn¡¯t?


    It happened so suddenly that the next thing I knew, Little Hayden had freed himself from my arms and hadnded on the floor at my feet. I didn¡¯t even have the time to bend over to catch him or stop him before the troublesome puppy started sprinting towards the dark hallway.


    It felt like I was watching an entire empire copse right in front of my eyes as reality began to sink in that Little Hayden had disappeared down the hallway that led to Harvey¡¯s wing. No one is allowed to go in there!


    Little Hayden ran so fast into the dark hallway, and it wasn¡¯t long before hepletely disappeared from my sight as the darkness swallowed him up. I gasped and then my mouth hung open before I ced my hands over my mouth. I was shocked.


    What do I do now? Hayden is going toe back soon. Hayden doesn¡¯t allow anyone to go down this hallway into Harvey¡¯s wing. Plus, he also doesn¡¯t really like Little Hayden that much¡­


    If he finds out, what is going to happen to Little Hayden? Does the rule even apply to a dog?


    What do I do? What do I do?


    My hands started shaking before I started cupping my own cheeks in them. One thing was clear to me, I can¡¯t leave Little Hayden in there. I need to get him out and I need to get him out before Haydenes back.


    I need to get him out before anyone finds out that we¡¯ve entered into Harvey¡¯s wing¡­


    I took three steps forward in a rush and then my body stopped. Am I really doing this?


    Am I really going into Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion? My legs shook like never before.


    No one will find out, Malissa.


    Hayden will not find out¡­and if he does¡­then¡­


    I closed my eyes before I could finish that thought and ran forward into the darkness of the long hallway leading to Harvey¡¯s wing.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 253: Towards the Light

    "Little Hayden¡­?" I whispered.


    I knew that I wasn¡¯t supposed to be here, and my fear was quickly taking over me. I didn¡¯t know what I feared more, not being able to find Little Hayden or getting caught that we were in here. It was so dark in the hallway and the sun had probably set. Unlike the first part of my journey in here, I had stopped running and was now proceeding down the dark hallway at a slow walk on my very shaky legs.


    Where did Little Hayden go?


    The hallway seemed much longer than I had initially imagined. Just how far does this hallway lead? At first there was nothing but empty walls withmps fixed at even intervals along the wall. However, since none of them were switched on, they were useless and did not provide any light to light the way. I couldn¡¯t see very far in front of me, and Little Hayden was no where in sight.


    "Little Hayden! Where are you? Come back to me now¡­" I shouted in a whisper.


    Shouting wasn¡¯t an option because people might find out that I¡¯m in here. I wondered if Little Hayden could hear me because I surely couldn¡¯t hear him. The hallway waspletely silent and apart from my rapidly pounding heart, I couldn¡¯t hear anything. Although I strained my ears, I couldn¡¯t hear the familiar sound of Little Hayden¡¯s soft panting.


    Just how far did he run off to?


    The more I walked forward, the darker it got. I had no idea how far I walked but I presumed that it wasn¡¯t as far as I had thought. It just felt like I¡¯ve walked in so far because I was scared. The atmosphere was silent, deste, and dark. If someone told me that this ce is haunted, I would believe them without a second thought.


    A shiver ran through my body, and I stroked my arms up and down with my hand to get rid of the cold.


    Goosebumps formed on my skin, but I decided to continue pressing forward. I called in a hush voice to Little Hayden but there was no response. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t feel the dog¡¯s presence close to me at all. After walking further, I must have reached the start of what must be Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion. It was equally as dark as the hallway that led me there.


    The only thing that made me feel like I had arrived was the fact that there were now doors on either side of the walkway.


    The doors were closed, and I could just about make out their shape. Since the doors were closed, I figured that Little Hayden must have continued running forward along the hallway. I continued along on shaky legs while I wondered how long this hallway was and where it led.


    "Little Hayden! Where are you?!" I shouted in a hushed whisper.


    Suddenly, just like a miracle, I spotted a ray of light in the distance. It felt like I had literally just seen the light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel. Is Little Hayden there? He must be.


    As if the light gave me courage, I started walking faster and faster towards it. I passed along many closed doors as I got closer and closer to the ray of light. It was like having a target gave me strength and I found myself heading towards the light without any hesitation. It didn¡¯t take very long for me to arrive where the ray of light shone onto the floor in the hallway.


    When I arrived, I quickly realized that the light came from an ajar door. The door was opened just wide enough for a dog of Little Hayden¡¯s size to slip in. I knew without a doubt that Little Hayden had entered this door and was somewhere in the room beyond. I reached for the door but when my hand touched tis surface, my body froze as questions entered my mind.


    How can the light be on? Why is¡­the light on?


    More precisely, who turned the light on? Someone¡­human is here. Little Hayden could never turn the light on. Did Little Haydene in here because he knew that someone was in here?


    I stood there in front of the door as my mind raced through many questions that didn¡¯t have any answers. My head felt like it was going to burst and so did my heart. I felt like I was about to discover something that I wasn¡¯t supposed to know, and I wasn¡¯t quite ready to take on another shock.


    My mind conjured up a memory of a recent day in the past where I had walked past this hallway and thought that I saw Hayden walking into the hallway that led to Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion.


    Is¡­Hayden here? Why is he here?


    After taking in a deep breath to steel my nerves, I slowly applied pressure to the door through my hand and began pushing the door open. I had no idea what to expect beyond the door, but I just prayed that Little Hayden was there and that he was safe. Maybe the room is empty, and I can just grab the dog and get my ass out of here before someone finds us.


    The room was silent, and I couldn¡¯t hear any sounding from the inside. Thankfully, the door didn¡¯t creak when I began pushing it open. Inch by inch, the door opened, and more light flooded into the hallway. When the door was open wide enough, I counted silently inside of my head.


    3¡­2¡­1!


    I stuck my head in through the opened door and peeked into the room. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect but the clean and luxuriously decorated room wasn¡¯t quite what I had in mind. The room must be veryrge because from the angle that I had shoved my head in, I couldn¡¯t see much apart from the wall on the opposite side. I had no idea howrge the room was.


    If there was someone inside, that person had not yet realized that I had started peeking into the room.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 254: Another Reality

    The interior decoration of this room and probably the whole wing was very different from that of Hayden¡¯s wing. Instead of the modern luxury style in tones of grey, this room had dark navy walls and the golden patterns did not make it look modern at all.


    After taking in another deep breath, I pushed the door opened wider and stuck my head in and started turning to look around at the rest of the room. The lights were on throughout therge room. I wasn¡¯t sure what a room thisrge was used for, but the room could easily be used to host a small private party. So far, I couldn¡¯t see Little Hayden. Was he even in this room?


    Sensing that it seemed safe enough, I slipped into the room.


    "Little Hayden¡­" I whispered.


    If the dog was somewhere in the room, he didn¡¯te running back to me. Now that I was in the room, I realized that the room was even bigger than I thought it was from the limited view that I had just now. The room wasrge and very long. However, that wasn¡¯t the most surprising thing. The most surprising thing wasn¡¯t the room but what was in it.


    "Amelia¡­" I whispered so softly that I barely heard myself.


    I gasped as my eyes travelled along the long walls of the room. Amelia¡­she was everywhere in the room. Countless portraits of her hung from the walls. There were both paintings and photographs of her captured in frames of various sizes from small frames the size of a small notebook to canvases sorge that she appeared life-sized.


    Whoever was the owner of this room was clearly a mega big fan of Amelia and her beauty. I knew that Harvey and Amelia were a couple, but I didn¡¯t expect any man to have this many portraits of his girlfriend up on walls. Amelia was shown in various poses and in many different styles of clothing from swimwear to casual clothes to ballgowns and fantasy costumes which I found especially unique.


    There was a portrait of her painted as a mermaid with a fish tail lower body and her long blond hair flowing down to cover her breasts and a part of her naked upper body. Very creative and enchantingly beautiful, I had to say. The painter who painted it was clearly very skilled as well and thatmission must have costed a small fortune. There were also photos and paintings of her nude.


    I couldn¡¯t begin to imagine how Amelia felt having all these portraits of her hung up.


    Maybe she didn¡¯t even know about it.


    Harvey wasn¡¯t just in love with her, he was frankly quite obsessed with his girlfriend. What happened to them was unfortunate. Hayden must have wanted to preserve Harvey¡¯s wing along with the memories that his brother shared with Amelia here.


    I pressed my hands against the sides of my face as I was reminded of why exactly I was here. No, I didn¡¯te here to admire Amelia¡¯s beautiful portraits. Where is that troublesome dog?


    Focusing my attention on the floor instead of the high walls, I walked further into the long room. Suddenly, the wooden floor turned into thick dark navy carpet. It was like I had arrived at a separate part of the room and then I realized that there was a partition separating me from the rest of the room.


    The partition was made of carved wood featuring exotic designs that must havee from some ancient folklore that I couldn¡¯t identify.


    My instinct told me that Little Hayden was on the other side of this partition and I wondered why he hasn¡¯t returned to my side. The dog must have noticed by now that I was in the room because I must have been so close. Slowly, I walked along the partition until I reached the end of it. If I walk around this partition now, I will surely find Little Hayden on the other side.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted to do with him when I found him. Should I hug him first and feel thankful that I got him back or should I hit him to discipline him a little first?


    I rounded the partition and came face to face with a very familiar man. Blond hair, blue eyes and dressed smartly in a suit. The man sat on a royal-looking sofa and there on hisp was a happy-looking Little Hayden. The dogy obediently on the man¡¯sp with it¡¯s tail wagging around wildly as it seemed to enjoy the feel of the man¡¯s long and beautiful fingers scratching its head.


    Hayden¡­what is he doing here?


    I stood there stunned into silence as my eyes continued to take in the scene before me. Hayden continued to y with Little Hayden silently. The two of them seem oblivious to my existence and for a moment, I wasn¡¯t sure if this was even real or if I was even really there. Hayden reached out for his wine ss before putting it to his lips while his hand continued to stroke Little Hayden¡¯s fur.


    Little Hayden made cute little sounds as he snuggled closer to Hayden¡¯s body. The two seemed like they were born or made for each other. Why is Hayden here? As far as I was aware, he had not made it back from work. He should be on his way back from work right now. Did hee back early again?


    Or had he been here all along?


    Another thing that bothered me was why Hayden was leisurely chilling out here in Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion in a room surrounded by portraits of Amelia. None of this was making sense to me and my head started to throb as I tried my best to reconcile the scene that I saw in front of me with the reality that I knew and understood.


    There was another thing that bothered me right from the start. Something felt very strange and then very wrong about what I was seeing. Would Little Hayden ever react like this when he was with Hayden? Those two fought like cats and dogs. Hayden didn¡¯t really get along well with Little Hayden and vice versa.


    Would Little Hayden go out of his way to struggle out of my arms and run all the way here to see Hayden?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 255: The Other Brother

    "Hayden¡­?" I called his name questioningly.


    An angelic face with piercing blue eyes turned in my direction and my blood ran cold.


    His blue eyes watched me intently, but he didn¡¯t seem at all surprised that I was there. My lips felt dry, and my words caught in my throat as he continued staring silently at me. My heart beat so hard and fast that I thought that it would pop out of my chest.


    "Wait¡­you¡¯re not Hayden, are you?" I murmured questioningly.


    "What are you talking about? I am Hayden¡­" the man said with a teasing smile.


    "No¡­you¡¯re not¡­" I said resolutely.


    He can¡¯t trick me.


    "You¡¯re not making any sense. If you think I¡¯m not Hayden, then who else could I be?" he asked with a smile as his blue eyes watched my every reaction.


    Even his voice was very simr. However, something simr would never be the same.


    With all the reasons that had just ran through my brain, I finally knew with certainty that no matter how unbelievably simr this man was to Hayden, he wasn¡¯t Hayden.


    This man...he¡¯s not Hayden.


    What is going on?


    I felt so dumb and stupid as I stood there dumbstruck. The truth was supposed to be obvious, but I was too scared and too shock to admit it.


    This man can¡¯t be anyone else but¡­


    I think I had my answer to that question, but it was impossible. I mean, he¡¯s supposed to be¡­


    "Could you possibly be¡­Harvey?" I asked in a whisper.


    There was a pause as our eyes met before the man smiled even wider and began tough softly. I wasn¡¯t sure what he found so funny about this situation.


    "Harvey? My brother¡¯s dead," he said tly after hisughter died downpletely.


    No, this man is definitely Harvey. Unless Hayden had another brother or a twin that I didn¡¯t know about, then this man must be Harvey. I frowned as my mind struggled to wrap itself around this thought. How is this possible? Harvey is dead. I stood with Hayden right at his grave.


    I saw the sad and hurt on Hayden¡¯s face as he prayed to his dead brother.


    How can he be here like this? However¡­


    "You¡¯re Harvey¡­" I said in a whisper.


    It was like I was saying it just to convince myself that that was the truth.


    "You must be Hayden¡¯s girlfriend if you can easily tell us apart. Most people can¡¯t if I put in the effort to pretend a little," the man said followed by augh.


    "Harvey¡­" I called his name softly.


    "Wee, Malissa¡­" Harvey said with an amused look on his face.


    "Are you¡­Harvey? Are you really Harvey?" I asked as my voice shook like mad.


    I took a step back in fear and it was like I was ready to turn around and run out of the room at any time.


    "Haha¡­you thought that I was Hayden just now, didn¡¯t you?" Harvey asked with a smallugh.


    As I stood there with a stunned expression on my face, Harvey continued tough softly before turning his attention to the dog on hisp. His smile transformed into a very gentle and caring one as he looked down at Little Hayden¡¯s upturned face. Hayden never looked at Little Hayden like that.


    "Little Hayden, what about some more snacks?" Harvey readily offered as his hand grabbed a dog¡¯s snack and began feeding it to Little Hayden.


    I get it now. It¡¯s because of this man and the beef jerkies that he¡¯s been feeding Little Hayden that my dog has gained a tremendous amount of weight in such a short time. Just how many times had Little Hayden been here? The two of them seemed to get along famously and they seemed quite close. That made me believe that Little Hayden must have been here many times before.


    "I like dogs, you see¡­especially corgis¡­" Harvey said it like a confession of a dirty little secret.


    But Hayden told me that he got Little Hayden based on Luka¡¯s rmendation¡­


    "Hayden told me that Luka suggested that he get¡­" I began saying.


    "Nope. He lied. He¡¯s a bad liar too, but I guess you can¡¯t see through him. Most people can¡¯t," Harvey said before his eyes shifted to my face and he smiled alluringly at me.


    Harvey was a very handsome man and his look closely resembled Hayden. Perhaps since Hayden was born after him, it might be more correct to say that Hayden resembled Harvey quite a lot. I had mistaken Harvey for Hayden before when I saw his photograph in Hayden¡¯s bedroom. However, Harvey now had short hair which was styled the way that Hayden liked to style his hair.


    The way he dressed was also simr. And that only made it harder to distinguish between the two. However, I could tell that their characters were vastly different.


    "He lied?" I asked, more surprised than shock.


    Well, I guess he couldn¡¯t tell me honestly that his dead brother rmended that he should get a Corgi for me.


    "Yes. You got this little doggy here because of me. I suggested that he should buy you a dog, specifically a Corgi. I just told you, didn¡¯t I? I like dogs¡­" Harvey said as his hand petted Little Hayden¡¯s head lovingly.


    That was one difference between the two brothers for sure. Harvey loved dogs while Hayden¡­probably doesn¡¯t like them so much¡­? Or maybe he just didn¡¯t quite get along with Little Hayden?


    I watched as Harvey continued petting an overly obedient Little Hayden. The dog seemed to melt into a pool of pleasure at his yful caress. Even when he was with me, Little Hayden didn¡¯t seem to have such a good time.


    "I like dogs¡­and they like me too," Harvey continued in a pleasant voice as if he could feel my eyes on him.


    That¡¯s not what is important right now. ording to Hayden and everyone else for that matter, Harvey is dead. He¡¯s supposed to be dead. However, the man who sat in this royal luxurious chair looked very much alive. He looked so fine, so perfectly functioning, and so damn good looking that it was unfair.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 256: Dangerous Man

    "Hayden told me that you¡¯re¡­" I began saying softly.


    "Dead?" Harvey finished my sentence for me smoothly.


    He grinned at me before returning his attention to the dog on hisp as if what I wanted to discuss was something insignificant and unimportant.


    "¡­Yes," I replied.


    "I keep telling Hayden to introduce me to his girlfriend, but he always refused. It¡¯s such a shame really¡­" Harvey said, sounding regretful while dodging my previous question entirely.


    I was still quite scared of Harvey; however, his presence didn¡¯t seem to intimidate me as much as Hayden did. Regardless of my own fears, I wasn¡¯t willing to just let this slide. If I asked Hayden about this, he might not tell me anything again. Therefore, my best bet right now is to try to get some answers out of Harvey.


    "Harvey, why does everyone think that you¡¯re dead?" I asked again.


    I made sure to speak out much louder thanst time. He must have heard me and the seriousness in my voice. Harvey¡¯s eyes widened at little at me as if he was surprised then he smiled an icy smile that made my skin crawl.


    "Because it would have been better for everyone if I died¡­" Harvey replied casually.


    "What?" I said cluelessly.


    What is he talking about?


    "Well, for a while at least¡­" he said before shrugging like it was nothing concerning.


    "You faked your death?" I asked, trying not to sound using.


    "I did¡­oh¡­but it wasn¡¯t my idea," Harvey said.


    That doesn¡¯t make it any less your fault. I didn¡¯t have to guess whose brilliant idea it was to fake Harvey¡¯s death. Harvey mentioned that he spoke to Hayden, so his younger brother knew for sure that he is alive. Guess I already knew who I should credit the idea to.


    "Why? Why would Hayden suggest such a crazy thing?" I asked as my temples started to throb.


    "He wanted to help me. He really is such a good brother," Harvey said with a warm smile as if he was thinking of his dear younger brother.


    "Help you¡­with what?" I asked, in pure confusion.


    It was like these two brothers loved to talk in riddles and I had a hard time understanding them both. Why can¡¯t they just talk directly like normal people and just tell me what is going on?


    Instead of replying to my question, Harvey gently lifted Little Hayden off hisp before cing him down carefully on the floor next to his feet. The poor dog looked up with pleading eyes as if saddened that he had been let down. Harvey patted the dog¡¯s head and said some tender words offort. Harvey then stood up from his seat before turning to face me directly.


    Instinctively, I took a step back away from him. His blue eyes were suddenly very cold and emotionless as they stared at my face. I felt the blood drain from my face as I felt the temperature in the air around me drop by several degrees. Something changed about Harvey, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I liked it.


    He took a step forward towards me and I took another step back. His cold blue eyes watched me; however, he didn¡¯t say anything. With each step that I took backwards, I realized that I got more and more scared of him and what he might do. Although the brothers looked very simr to each other, I knew and trusted Hayden, but I didn¡¯t know anything about Harvey. I couldn¡¯t trust him.


    I cursed myself and my own foolishness silently. Why didn¡¯t I turn to run? I should have just run away from this ce. Now it was toote, and I waspletely cornered. The hardness of the wall hit my back and I was trapped between it and the man in front of me.


    His hand slowly reached out towards my face, and it took everything inside me to stop myself from screaming out loud for help. His hand wasrge and very pale. His fingers were beautiful long, and they were slowlying closer towards my face.


    "You have beautiful hair¡­" he whispered tenderly as his fingers held a lock of my hair.


    His eyes drifted to admire the lock of hair that he held, and my eyes automatically followed. Harvey began twirling the lock of hair yfully as he smiled. My body froze in fear and his closeness made me felt extremely ufortable.


    Hayden¡­when are you going to get home?


    If you can¡¯t find me in the mansion, will you know that I¡¯m in here?


    In my time of desperation, my mind drifted to Hayden. I didn¡¯t like being so helpless but in this exact situation, who else can save me from Harvey if it wasn¡¯t his brother?


    "Your neck is so slim¡­" Harvey whispered sweetly as his hand released my hair.


    In the next moment, his fingers began tracing along my neck. I shrank back from his touch before his soft touch found the sensitive skin of my neck. I bit my lip and winced as I prayed harder for Hayden toe help me.


    "Stop it¡­" I said through clenched teeth.


    "You don¡¯t look too bad now that I can see you up close¡­" Harvey said as his eyes seemed to appraise me.


    His fingers slid up my neck and my body stiffened even further. I wanted to scream but I doubt that anyone would be able to hear me. What do I do now?


    "Please stop¡­" I said softly.


    "Stop?" Hayden said with a genuinely confused look on his face.


    It was like he had no idea what I was referring to. At that moment, I wasn¡¯t sure what was worst between knowingly acting evil or innocently acting evil.


    He began caresses my cheek with the back of his fingers. His touch was light and slow; however, I didn¡¯t think of it as feeling pleasant at all.


    His eyes left my face as it traveled down my body, and I cringed internally. Hayden looked at me like that before around when we first meant. I was so scared back then, but it was nothingpared to now.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 257: Just Kill Her

    "Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t even started¡­" Harvey said with a cold smile.


    His hand slid from my cheek lower to my corbones and I sucked in a breath and held it. Slowly, his hand traveled down my chest as his cold blue eyes held mine. What is wrong with this guy?


    "Do you know what we do with women who poke their noses where it doesn¡¯t belong?" he asked as if I would have any clue about what he was talking about.


    I bit my lower lip and refused to reply. Not knowing what he wanted to hear and not having any idea of what he had in mind, I decided to hold my tongue and keep my peace.


    "So, you don¡¯t know. Would you like to find out?" he suggested as his eyes brightened in excitement.


    I thought Hayden was twisted to a certain degree, but this man is on a league of his own. Does this run in the family or in their genes?


    His fingers traced its way down my chest to the sensitive space in between my breasts as his eyes watched my every reaction closely. I stopped breathing in my panic as I turned my head to look away from him in embarrassment.


    "Your skin must be soft here¡­" he whispered seductively as his hand returned to my corbone before dipping down under my clothes.


    I could feel the heat of his fingers directly on the skin of my chest and then the top of my breast¡­


    "Stop¡­please¡­" I pleaded before I closed my eyes tightly and turned to look the other way.


    He¡¯s going to touch my breasts¡­


    Hayden is going to get so angry if he finds out. He¡¯ll end up killing me for sure¡­


    This is so bad. How did I get myself tied up in this situation? I should¡¯ve nevere in here¡­


    Once again, I realized that I should have listened to Hayden. Maybe Hayden knew that something like this would happen if anyone came in here¡­


    He told me so many times to stay away from this ce, why didn¡¯t I listen?


    Hayden¡­where are you?


    Please¡­save me¡­


    "Enough ying around, brother¡­"


    My eyes snapped opened at the sound of a very familiar voice. The heat on my chest disappeared and I looked down to see Hayden pulling Harvey¡¯s hand away from my chest. I turned to see a stone-faced Hayden standing next to his brother with his hand gripping Harvey¡¯s wrist. His eyes were icy cold, and I could sense his anger although he hasn¡¯t said anything to show his emotions.


    "Shit¡­" Harvey cursed softly as he shook his hand away from his brother¡¯s.


    "I know you¡¯re bored out of your mind because you¡¯re sort of stuck here but there¡¯s a limit to how much you can fool around¡­" Hayden said coldly.


    "Why did you have to get back so early?" Harveyined beforeughing softly to himself.


    Now that I saw the two brothers side-by-side, I could understand how most people couldn¡¯t tell them apart. Everything about them looked extremely simr from their face, their hair, the color of their eyes, their build and height, and the clothes that they had on. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was nned but this was way too much for a coincidence.


    At a nce, even the people who knew them well would probably be confused between the two. For those who didn¡¯t know these two brothers well, I bet they couldn¡¯t tell them apart at all.


    I was too shocked and relieved at what had just happened to say anything. The two brothers stared at each other as if they couldmunicate telepathically. For a moment, I truly wondered if that was possible between them. After a moment, Harvey let out a resigned sigh.


    "She found out about us so¡­should I just kill her?" he asked casually like he was just ordering some food from a waitress.


    I blinked rapidly at his words. Did I hear him right? Did he just suggest to Hayden that I should be killed?


    Wait. What?!


    I turned towards Hayden who had a thoughtful look in his face. He¡¯s actually considering it?!


    At that point, I wasn¡¯t sure what I found more shocking between Harvey¡¯s suggestion or the fact that Hayden seemed to be considering his idea as a feasible option. They¡¯re not really going to kill me, are they?


    "No one knows that I¡¯m alive, you see, apart from Hayden that is¡­so, in case you haven¡¯t figured it out, the fact that you found out isn¡¯t actually very ideal for us¡­or for you¡­" Harvey turned to exin to me with a sweet smile on his face.


    His words made me feel like I was as good as dead. Little Hayden rolled around on the floor without a care. That dog is such a traitor!


    My gaze shifted towards Hayden who still seemed very thoughtful as he thought about what to do. So far, Hayden hasn¡¯t spoken a word to me after he had entered the room and found me here with his brother. I wondered what he was thinking about. Regardless, I felt like if I didn¡¯t end up dying here at Harvey¡¯s hand, I¡¯ll be paying for my mistake in other ways when Hayden decides to punish me.


    My body shivered just at the thought of being punished by Hayden.


    "What should we do?" Harvey asked his brother.


    Harvey seemed very rx and he even seemed to be in a cheerful mood. He walked back to the sofa and after sitting on it, he called over to Little Hayden. The dog obediently ran to his side before Harvey scooped him up into his arms and ced him on hisp. I watched that scene before letting out a sigh.


    Even my pet has abandoned me, so it seems¡­


    "I¡¯ll deal with her. Until our n isplete, no one will find out that you¡¯re alive," Hayden stated emotionlessly after he seemed to reach his conclusion.


    "Oh¡­is that so? Great then, I can keep my hands clean..." Harvey readily agreed with a few small nods of his head.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 258: Enough Talking

    What did Hayden just say? He¡¯ll deal with me. What does that even mean?


    "You should stay here for a while just to be safe and¡­don¡¯t y around too much¡­" Hayden said as he looked at his brother pointedly.


    "You¡¯re always so strict¡­" Harveyined openly.


    "Just do as I say," Hayden ordered firmly.


    "Sure. What do you n to do with her?" Harvey asked and I could feel his eyes on me.


    I listened to the conversation of the brothers in wonder and was surprised that Harvey had asked the question that was on my mind.


    "I haven¡¯t decided. Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t be stepping a foot outside. Neither will she speak to anyone," Hayden replied very calmly.


    Harvey nodded with agreement before he shed a smile my way. He¡¯s so evil. He¡¯s just¡­twisted and evil¡­


    "Well, from what I could tell from my inspection just now¡­her neck is quite slim, and her skin is soft and tender. It¡¯s such a waste that she¡¯s so stubborn and doesn¡¯t seem to take instructions very well," Harveymented.


    Hayden did not respond to his brother¡¯sments, he just nodded in agreement. Harvey looked my way before sighing.


    "It¡¯s such a shame, really. She did grow up into a decent woman. She was just a baby when I saw herst, time really has flown by. I hope we meet again, Malissa. I hope you¡¯re still sane by then¡­" Harvey said with a teasingugh.


    "Enough talking," Hayden muttered.


    Harvey closed his mouth immediately and the conversation between the two brothers ended there. To my ultimate dismay, Hayden turned to face me for the first time since entering the room. My heart beat so fast that my head started feeling light. My lips quivered and my hands felt cold and numb. Although Hayden hasn¡¯t said anything to me, I was already so scared. This time, I really went and did it.


    I went directly against his orders, and I had no real excuse for myself.


    I had no idea why Hayden had to fake his brother¡¯s death or what n they had in mind; however, it was clear that no one, including myself, was supposed to find out about it. Hayden¡¯s blue eyes stared at me coldly and I wasn¡¯t sure if he even saw me at all.


    I was too scared and too consumed by my own guilt to meet his eyes, so I nced down at the floor while I waited for him to tell me what he wanted me to do.


    Slowly, his hand reached out and grabbed my wrist. His hand felt so warm against my own cold skin. Without saying a word to me, Hayden turned around and pulled me roughly along with him. His grip on my wrist was tight and he refused to loosen it. I let out a small whimpering cry at the pain that dug into my wrist.


    It hurts¡­it really hurts¡­


    Without turning back to look at me, Hayden continued walking forward at a face pace. I struggled to keep up with him and was always running after him. He pulled on my arm mercilessly as he dragged me towards the door of the room. It was like he wanted to take me out of there as soon as possible and I had to say that I didn¡¯t want to stay there in that room any longer either.


    "Hayden! Don¡¯t be so rough on her. Broken bones don¡¯t heal that easily, you know that, right? Of course, you do. You¡¯re a doctor and all. Oh Malissa, you don¡¯t need to worry, I¡¯ll take care of Little Hayden for you!" Harvey called loudly after us.


    The sound of hisughter echoed loudly behind us. We reached the door of therge room, finally, and Hayden pulled me after him out of the door before he kicked the door closed with his foot. The door shut with a loud bang from the force of his kick. The sound echoed along the long and dark hallway. Unlike when I entered the dark hallway, I was making my way out of it along with Hayden.


    His grip on my wrist didn¡¯t rx and it hurt with each pull of my arm.


    When we made it back to the fork in the path, I was unfortunately reminded that I had a special dinner nned for tonight. Judging from the way things are ying out, I doubt that we would have the special dinner together. Furthermore, I doubt that we would have any peaceful dinner together at all.


    It had a been a long while since Auntie called for me to meet her and I hoped that she wasn¡¯t worried about me. I shook my head to clear my thoughts when I realized that I should be worrying more about myself and the situation that I was in rather than worrying about that olddy or anyone else.


    Hayden stood next to me with his hand still around my wrist. I summoned my courage and nced up at his face. As expected, his face was cold andpletely void of any emotions. I wondered what he was going to do to me. Would he lock me up in my room?


    That idea was certainly incorrect because instead of dragging me back in the direction of my rooms, Hayden dragged me into his wing of the mansion. Although he has brought me here often enough by now, I cringed as I felt that I was in for a not-so-pleasant surprise for this particr visit. A short while after, I found out that I was right.


    We arrived at therge doors leading to Hayden¡¯s bedroom, but he didn¡¯t stop walking. Instead, he dragged me right past it without even pausing.


    Where is he taking me?


    We walked past the door to his bedroom and that was when I realized that I didn¡¯t know whaty beyond in his wing of the mansion beyond his bedroom. After a short walk down a smaller hallway that I had never been to before, Hayden came to a stop at a tall door.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 259: The Silent Walk

    To my surprise, the door unlocked with the scan of his finger. The small hair on the back of my neck stood up at the extra security. If I didn¡¯t remember wrongly, none of the other doors that I had seen in the mansion had this security measure. That alone already told me that this room was quite different from the rest.


    The door clicked unlocked, and Hayden opened it with ease before he pulled me in through the door after him. At that point, I was so scared that I had already gotten over most of my fears. My body was no lower frozen from shock or fear and my mind had started to clear. Perhaps my experience of living with Hayden is now working to my benefit.


    Fortunately, or unfortunately, I had gotten slightly used to Hayden¡¯s anger and this wasn¡¯t the first time that I had incurred his wrath. Although this time, I had to admit that it was probably fully my fault. Hayden had the right to be mad at me and I was willing to suffer and go through his punishment.


    However, I knew that the offense that I hadmitted this time was much worse than the ones in the past. There were many factors involved that made my current situation much more dire and difficultpared to the other times when I got into a fight with Hayden. For instance, this time I had unfortunately uncovered some of the brothers¡¯ evil ns.


    Harvey was involved and he wanted me killed for finding out that he was still alive. I didn¡¯t even know why the two brothers needed to fake Harvey¡¯s death to fool the world. Nothing was making sense.


    The door mmed closed behind us and I could hear the automatic sound of the mechanics of the lock locking the door. The door clicked locked, and I was trapped into a dimly lit hallway with Hayden. Hayden seemed aloof and disengaged on the surface, but I knew well enough that he was boiling with anger inside. The colder he appeared on the outside, the angrier he was on the inside.


    Unfortunately, I had learnt that from personal experience. I bit my lower lip as I waited for whatever was thee.


    My mind kept listing reasons why Hayden would probably keep me alive and that was when I realized that I was truly scared of dying at his hands. I could be overly giving credit to myself, but I had to say that I have been a pretty decently good girlfriend to him. He locked me up in his mansion and I obediently stayed.


    Although I did throw a pretty long fit before we managed toe to an understanding. I sent him off to work and weed him back home almost every day. I slept with him whenever he wanted which was very often.


    He can¡¯t just kill me, right?


    I never knew that there was a hallway hidden behind a door like this and I wasn¡¯t surprised that I didn¡¯t know. This ced screamed "secret hallway" and I doubt that any of the staff in the mansion knew about its existence either. Goosebumps formed on my skin and my fear returned in full swing.


    He¡¯s not going to kill me here and dispose of my body, right?


    What am I even thinking? I¡¯m going crazy but then again, everything about this is crazy.


    The hallway was so dim that I could barely see. It seemed empty and the walls seemed undecorated, and it was narrow but wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Not that I could ever be walking at his side under these circumstances. Hayden pulled roughly on my arm, yanking me after him as he proceeded down the narrow hallway. Where does this hallway lead and just how far does it go?


    Despite theck of adequate lighting in the hallway, Hayden strode confidently forward like he had been here a million times before and was so used to the path. He walked faster and I almost stumbled in my attempt to keep up. His grip around my wrist felt like steel. It hurts whenever he pulled roughly on my arm.


    My hand was starting to go numb from theck of blood flow; however, I didn¡¯t dare voice my difort to him.


    Suddenly, Hayden came to a stop, and I heard rather than saw him inputting something into what I assumed was a digital lock. Themon beeping sound sounded as his fingers typed in each digit or letter of the code. After a few beeping sounds resounded from the pad, the door in front of Hayden clicked unlocked.


    As Hayden dragged me through that door, I realized that there were two more doors on either side of that door. I shivered, not wanting to know where those doors led.


    To my surprise, there wasn¡¯t a room behind the door that we had just entered. Instead, there were stairs that descended downwards. It was darker than the hallway where we were before, and I could hardly make out the steps of the stairs. Without a word of exnation, Hayden began his journey down the stairs, and I was dragged along with him. My legs shook with each step that I took down the stairs.


    The stress of the situation was getting to me again and the fact that I couldn¡¯t see very well scared me. Thest thing I needed in this situation was to fall and roll down these steep stairs.


    Where does this lead?


    After a while of walking down the stairs, I began wondering how far we¡¯ve descended. Does this mean that we are now underground?


    As Hayden dragged me down multiple flights of stairs, I was quite certain that we had descended far enough for us to be underground which meant that Hayden¡¯s mansion had a hidden underground floor? I didn¡¯t feel curious about what I would find there at all. I didn¡¯t want to know anything anymore.


    Hayden came to an abrupt stop, and I almost crashed into him as his powerful arms yanked me down thest few steps of stairs. I let out a small cry as I almost lost my bnce. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t fall because Hayden made no effort to check to see if I made it alright. He never turned around to check on me for the entire walk down here.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 260: His Shocking Command

    Where are we now? Why did he bring me to a ce like this?


    It was dark and I wondered if there are lights in this ce. As if to reply to my unasked question, Hayden took a couple of steps forward and the lights automatically switched on. His movement must have triggered the light censor and the whole floor was lit by warm orange light.


    It wasn¡¯t bright but it was more than enough for me to see that we had arrived at a veryrge hallway that resembled the other ones in the mansion, although, this one wasn¡¯t decorated like the others.


    in white walls lined both sides of the hallway. I felt a force tugging on my arm again as I was forcibly dragged forward. Hayden didn¡¯t say anything, and I spent the silent walk down the long hallway looking around at nothing but white walls. We walked past many closed doors until we reached a door right at the very end of the hallway.


    The hallway was long, and I was sure that it was the same hallway that spanned the length of the mansion. I had walked a hallway like this many times before but on a different floor. Now, I was underground, and I felt like I was about to find out why Hayden had brought me here.


    Since this is the end of the hallway, this room beyond this door must be our destination. There is nowhere else that we could go. Therge door was locked and required three level of security to unlock it. I was scared but I was equally as curious as to whaty beyond this door that required it to have three level of security on top of it being hidden underground like this.


    Hayden inputted a password into the keypad and a few beeping sounds confirmed that it was the correct password. After that he proceeded to scan his finger and that was followed by thest level of security which was a retina scan.


    I made a little bet with myself with nothing to wager on that whaty beyond this door must be treasure of immeasurable worth like diamonds, gold bars and rare artifacts. The mafia was loaded, and they had to have some treasure hidden away. This underground overly secured room felt like the perfect ce for it to be.


    Although I would trade anything to be back in my room or art studio right now, I didn¡¯t mind taking a peek into Hayden¡¯s treasure trove first.


    The door was automatic and didn¡¯t require Hayden to lift a finger to open it. I blinked rapidly as the door slid open and bright light spilled into hallway. Therge door which apparently was made of metal slid open like the door of arge elevator. Hayden took a step forward and I quickly followed before he needed to yank me in with him.


    My wrist and arm had suffered more than enough damage at that point.


    Despite the high security to the room, there was surprisingly very little in the room. My eyes blinked in disbelief at how empty the room was. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t Hayden¡¯s treasure trove at all. Not only were there no gold bar, expensive jewelry or other treasures, the room barely had anything inside.


    Metallic walls probably made from steel, a king-sized bed, a full-length mirror, a table and two chairs and a ceiling covered entire in mirrored ss. Another steel door that probably led to a toilet of some sort. The room had nothing else besides loads of hand cuffs, rope and other things used to restrain something¡­or someone¡­


    As if perfectly programmed, therge door slowly slid close when the two of us were inside the room. The door locked itself and I felt trapped inside the cube-shaped room with Hayden. Doors and walls made of steel; it was like I was inside a veryrge elevator. My heart began beating faster and harder inside my chest as I looked around. He doesn¡¯t intend to keep me here, does he?


    I stood glued to the spot as my eyes roved around the windowless room. Since we were underground, I guessed there wasn¡¯t any use for windows. The room was cold and windy from the air conditioner blowing in the room. Everything in the room looked new andpletely unused. I took in a deep breath and let out a resigned sigh. All that needed to happen now was for Hayden to exin to me his deal.


    For the first time since our journey down to this ce started, Hayden slowly turned around to face me directly. As expected, his face was cold and his eyes void of any emotions. His blue eyes were icy cold as they focused on mine. What should I do? I need to say something. I bit my lower lip and mustered up all my courage to voice some words.


    "I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­" I whispered.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes showed absolutely no reaction to my words. It was like my words didn¡¯t matter and I might as well haven¡¯t wasted my effort in voicing them. His cold blue eyes stared down at me, and I felt my body freeze like he had frozen me into a statue of ice.


    He¡¯s going to kill me¡­perhaps, literally¡­


    He didn¡¯t say no to Harvey when he suggested the idea. This is such a sick joke¡­


    All I did was go in to fetch my puppy. That was all.


    "Tie yourself to the bed¡­" Hayden said softly.


    His eyes showed no emotion, if anything, he looked truly bored like he didn¡¯t want to deal with me anymore.


    "Excuse me?" I whispered in shock. What did he just say?


    "There¡¯re many options for you to choose from on that table over there. Pick what you like and tie your feet together. After that tie your wrist to one of the bed¡¯s posts," Hayden instructed emotionlessly.


    "Huh? You want me to¡­" I said, still in disbelief.


    He¡¯s asking me to tie myself up? Why?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 261: Begging for Punishment

    "Do it. I¡¯ll leave after you do," Hayden said, and his hand released my wrist as if he had just remembered that he was still holding it.


    Blood returned to my hand, and I quickly rubbed my hand over my wrist to speed up the blood flow. Hayden didn¡¯t say anything more as he walked over to a nearby chair and took a seat. His eyes returned to me as he looked at me passively. It was like he couldn¡¯t care less what I did. He sat there patiently on the chair as he waited for me to tie myself to the bed just like he had instructed in detail.


    He can¡¯t be serious¡­


    Normally, he would just tie me up or handcuff me to the bed or whatever, but he had never asked for me to do it myself. As far as I could tell, Hayden didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to be in here with me any longer than necessary. However, he didn¡¯t rush me, neither did he offer any help. He just sat there with a look of boredom on his face like he would rather be anywhere else but here with me.


    His calmness only scared me even more. What is he thinking right now? I can¡¯t understand him at all. I knew that he was mad, but he didn¡¯t look mad and even now that we¡¯re alone, he didn¡¯t take it out on me.


    I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m actually going to say this¡­


    "Can you¡­help tie me up?" I asked in a small voice.


    "No. Honestly, I can¡¯t be bothered with a girl like you right now. Do whatever you want¡­" Hayden replied passively.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name without bothering to hide my shock or how hurt I felt.


    "Forget it," Hayden murmured under his breath as he stood up from the chair.


    He approached the door and after quickly inserting a password into the keypad, the door began sliding open again.


    "Hayden! Wait! Where are you going? I said that I¡¯m sorry¡­I didn¡¯t intend to go in there. Little Hayden just ran in there and I had to go after him. I was so scared¡­" I blurted out everything at once as I clung to his arm.


    "Your meals will be delivered here," he stated tly.


    His hand softly lifted my arms and removed them from his arm. He stared down at me with his cold blue eyes passively.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I pleaded as tears swam in my eyes.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was pleading him for. I didn¡¯t know what I really wanted but I just couldn¡¯t bear his cold attitude towards me. His cold eyes stared down at me without feelings as if I was no longer there. His gaze was empty, and I started feeling very empty inside. A sense of insecurity like I had never felt before welled up inside of me and I felt lost.


    When he removed my hands from his arm, I realized that I didn¡¯t want to lose him. If he leaves me now, will he evere back? At that moment, I realized that I was willing to do anything for his forgiveness. If he was mad, I¡¯ll let him punish me until he was satisfied. Anything was better than him ignoring me like this.


    "Hayden¡­please don¡¯t leave¡­" I pleaded desperately as tears started rolling down my cheeks freely.


    I sobbed and my chest felt tight. My voice broke and the image of Hayden before me became blurry from my own tears. Hayden looked at me, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Just like before, he looked bored and disinterested in what he was seeing.


    While I was thinking of what I should say to him next, Hayden turned on his heel to leave. I have to stop him!


    "Hayden!" I cried out loudly as I hugged him from behind.


    I wrapped my arms around his waist as tightly as I could as I buried my face into his back. My sobs wrecked my body as I continued crying into his back. I felt his body moved as he seemed to sigh silently. He turned around and slowly peeled my arms from around his body.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name softly.


    "Stay here. When everything is over, you can leave," he said emotionlessly.


    I can leave? Just like that? What does that even mean?


    "Hayden, please forgive me¡­you can punish me however you want¡­please¡­" I begged him.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I was begging him to punish me like this; however, I didn¡¯t want him to leave. I didn¡¯t want him to ignore me like this¡­like everything between us is over and done.


    "I can¡¯t be bothered to discipline a girl that doesn¡¯t obey my orders," Hayden said firmly.


    He gave me a small push into the room before he turned and strode out of the room. The door began sliding close after his departure. I watched in disbelief at his back as he walked away from me without turning back. The door continued to slide close, and I could see less of him and the view outside.


    "Hayden! Hayden!" I screamed his name loudly.


    Although I knew that he could hear me, he never turned around.


    ¡­


    How long have I been sitting here like this? The room was always bright unless I decided to turn off the light. There were no windows, and I couldn¡¯t see anything outside because I was underground. There wasn¡¯t a clock in the room, and I didn¡¯t have my mobile phone with me. I had no idea what time it was.


    It¡¯s probably veryte into the night right now¡­or perhaps dawn is approaching¡­or perhaps it¡¯s already the morning of a different day.


    I had no idea, and I wasn¡¯t sure why I cared either. Hayden left me here and hasn¡¯t returned since. I wondered where he was and what he was doing? Had he eaten his dinner already? Did he sleep well? Did he patch things up with his brother?


    Did he think of me even if just a little?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 262: Eat

    My eyes nced over at the table full of the different tools for restraint. In the end, I didn¡¯t tie myself up and Hayden wasn¡¯t even bothered to tie me up. It wasn¡¯t like I could escape from this room anyways and perhaps; I didn¡¯t even want to escape.


    ¡¯Stay here. When everything is over, you can leave,¡¯


    Hayden¡¯s words came back to haunt me, and my mind couldn¡¯t get his emotionless face out of my mind. I sighed for the hundredth time that day as I tossed and turned on the soft king-sized bed. What is he thinking? How can he tell me that I could leave like it didn¡¯t matter anymore? Is he really fine with me leaving?


    My brows furrowed together before I closed my eyes and covered them with my hands. I¡¯m going crazy and it hasn¡¯t been a day yet that I¡¯ve been locked up in here. The territory that I had fought so hard to earn had been taken from me. I can¡¯t roam around the mansion anymore and now I wasn¡¯t just confined to my rooms. My territory is now much smaller, and it didn¡¯t even have any windows!


    I miss my art studio already and Little Hayden, although he turned out to be traitor. Why is that dog so in love with Harvey? It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    However, that wasn¡¯t what I missed the most right now and it wasn¡¯t what was the most important thing right now¡­


    ¡¯I can¡¯t be bothered to discipline a girl that doesn¡¯t obey my orders,¡¯


    Hayden¡¯s words came back to me again. My mind reyed it over and over and it was driving me insane. It was like he was still here with me and saying those words to me. I didn¡¯t just remember his words. I felt the pain anew each time his words reyed itself in my mind. I remembered everything about it, his face when he said it, his tone of voice when he said it, and how I felt when he said it.


    Perhaps he was right, and he shouldn¡¯t be bothered anymore with a girl who doesn¡¯t obey his orders. My chest felt tight, and tears stung the back of my eyes as I thought about the possibility that perhaps he didn¡¯t want me anymore. Without realizing it, and without the ability to stop my own tears, I started crying again.


    Although, I knew that it wouldn¡¯t help with anything, I continued to cry some more.


    ¡­


    The next morning, I woke up with painful and very swollen eyes. To be fair, I had no idea if it was morning or not because I didn¡¯t know when I fell asleep and how long I slept for. If my biological clock was functioning fine, then it was supposed to be morning. The room was silent but that didn¡¯t mean that I enjoyed the peace and quiet.


    Since I wasn¡¯t tied to the bed like thest time that this happened, I could get up and relieve myself in the toilet without Hayden¡¯s help.


    As I sat down on the toilet, I wondered if I had made the wrong decision not to tie myself up. If I had tied myself up, maybe Hayden would be here because he would know that I had to go to the toilet and that I couldn¡¯t go without his help. Then again, perhaps he had no problem with me peeing right on the bed.


    "I look like a mess¡­" I muttered to myself as I stared at my own reflection in the mirror.


    The bathroom was decent and had everything including a shower and a bathtub. Everything seemed new and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was recently renovated. I took a shower, feeling thankful that Hayden didn¡¯t insist that I tie myself up to the bed. When my body was cleaner, I felt slightly better. There weren¡¯t any clothes in the room, so I wore a white bathrobe after I was done with my shower.


    I sat back down on therge bed. Now what?


    Do I just pray that Hayden would remember that he left me in here? Do I pray harder so that he¡¯ll pay me a visit?


    Just as those thoughts were running through my mind, the door to the room started sliding open. My eyes widened as I realized what was happening. My body moved on its own as I jumped out of bed and headed towards the door.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name happily.


    My excitement soon evaporated when I realized that Hayden wasn¡¯t on the other side of the door. In fact, there was no one on the other side of the door. I looked down at the cart of food and drinks that had been ced right at the entrance of the room. This was certainly an borate way to delivery breakfast. I bit my lower lip in disappointment as tears stung the back of my eyes.


    Why do I get emotional so easily these days? I was so disappointed that Hayden wasn¡¯t there that it hurt so badly.


    This was surely ack of security based on my previous experiences. There were no guards at my door and with the door open now, I could easily walk around the hallway and other ces in this underground floor.


    However¡­


    ¡¯I can¡¯t be bothered to discipline a girl that doesn¡¯t obey my orders,¡¯


    His words put an immediate halt to any thought or action that I may have thought about. I was too scared of the consequences to disobey any of his orders anymore and it wasn¡¯t because I was scared of his punishments. I was scared that Hayden would no longer care about me¡­


    If this is a test then, I¡¯m not going to fail it for sure this time.


    I approached the cart of food and began pushing it into my new room. Once I had returned into the room with the cart of deliveries, the metal door immediately began sliding close. The door closed firmly before it locked itself. I picked up a small piece of handwritten note that was ced on top of the cart.


    ¡¯Eat¡¯


    The message was short and simple. It was very much like Hayden to write something like this.


    Honesty, there was too much food for one person, and I also found out that apart from the food, other necessities were arranged for me as well including my clothes. I guess, I¡¯m going to be stuck in here for a while longer.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 263: On the Other Side

    After leaving Malissa in the room underground, Hayden returned to his room to find a very worried-looking Auntie pacing around his living room. He nced around at the overly decorated dining table along with the immense amount of untouched food as he wondered what this feast of a party was supposed to be for.


    "What¡¯s this?" he asked bluntly.


    "Hayden! Why are you back sote?! Where is Malissa? She was supposed to meet me here to check the decoration and everything else. I called her but she didn¡¯t turn up. I called her again and again¡­" Auntie wailed in panic.


    Hayden watched with furrowed brows as the old woman wrung her hands around like she was about to burst out crying. He quickly realized that she had not replied to his question at all and had asked him many more questions in return.


    "Answer my question first," Hayden demanded curtly.


    "Malissa called me earlier. She said she wanted to have a special dinner with you, so I helped her prepare it. But when I called her toe here, she didn¡¯t turn up. I¡¯ve been waiting all this time. Was she with you? Where is she now?" Auntie asked anxiously.


    Hayden nced over at the overly borate effort to set up a special dinner. If Malissa hadn¡¯t wandered into Harvey¡¯s wing and met Harvey, they would probably be having a joyous dinner together right around now. However, he knew well that that wasn¡¯t possible anymore.


    "Malissa already left the mansion," Hayden replied tly.


    Auntie gasped in shock and her hands flew to cover her mouth.


    "What? That¡¯s impossible. What happened? Why did she leave so suddenly?" Auntie said in shock.


    "She¡¯s gone and that is all that you need to know. Please arrange to pack up her things from her room," Hayden said passively.


    "You can¡¯t be serious¡­" Auntie whispered.


    "Do as I say," Hayden said firmly before walking away towards his bedroom.


    "Hayden! Wait!" Auntie called after him.


    Hayden didn¡¯t reply and didn¡¯t look back. The door to his bedroom opened and he disappeared through it before the door closed firmly behind him. Auntie¡¯s sorrowful eyes nced from the closed door of Hayden¡¯s bedroom to the decorated dining table full of food and flowers.


    "Malissa¡­where did you go?" Auntie whispered regretfully.


    ¡­


    Harvey watched from his seat on the sofa as his younger brother approached him. His eyes tried to read his brother¡¯s emotionless face before he sighed in resignation. His attention wandered to the dog sleeping peacefully on hisp as his hand continued stroking its head gently. His eyes flickered toward his brother once again when Hayden sat down on the sofa opposite from where he was seated.


    "So, where did you dump her body?" Harvey asked mockingly.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes narrowed at his brother and Harvey faked a mocking look of fear as he ced a hand over his chest.


    "She¡¯s underground and that¡¯s all that you need to know," Hayden replied curtly.


    "Oh¡­so she¡¯s still breathing¡­" Harvey said, clearly amused.


    "She won¡¯t meet or talk to anyone. You don¡¯t have to worry," Hayden said monotonously.


    "Hmm¡­so you couldn¡¯t bring yourself to kill her¡­interesting¡­" Harvey said before smiling.


    "You shouldn¡¯t have touched her¡­you took your sick jokes too far," Hayden said with an edge to his voice.


    Harveyughed a little and the dog on hisp stirred. Noticing that he was perhaps too loud, he began stroking the dog again to put it to sleep.


    "Don¡¯t act like it¡¯s such a big deal. I only touched her neck a little. I promise, I didn¡¯t touch her breast¡­I was close, though¡­" Harvey said, still in the mood for jokes.


    "Harvey¡­" Hayden muttered darkly.


    "I¡¯m joking. Although you almost slept with Amelia once or twice, right? Let¡¯s just say that we¡¯re even for now," Harvey said with a shrug.


    "I never got close to sleeping with Amelia. She did ask very often that it got annoying, though¡­" Hayden replied with annoyance.


    "That was before she discovered that I existed and then she didn¡¯t want you anymore," Harvey teased.


    "Thankfully so¡­" Hayden murmured as he rxed into the sofa.


    Harvey thought that his brother looked tired. He¡¯s been looking tired for a while now so the work outside must be getting to him. Harvey understood very well how tough the work was and he was thankful to his brother for temporarily filling up his shoes.


    "Well, as long as that girl is kept isted from the world, I guess it¡¯s not a problem¡­" Harvey said with a firm nod of his head.


    "Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re not to me at all for this, Harvey¡­" Hayden snapped.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything. What did I do?" Harvey asked with wide innocent eyes.


    Hayden shook his head at his brother before sitting himself down on the sofa opposite from him. Harvey followed his brother¡¯s movement with his eyes as his hand continued to pet Little Hayden. Hayden¡¯s eyes immediately went to the troublesome puppy that had bonded too well with his elder brother.


    "Why did that dog run in here?" Hayden asked.


    "How am I supposed to know that?" Harvey replied with a careless shrug.


    "That dog ran in here to see you. Why? Because you¡¯ve been secretly ying with it every single day for a while now, haven¡¯t you?" Hayden openly used his brother.


    "Not quite every day. Well, most days¡­" Harvey admitted hesitantly.


    Hayden looked at his brother with a look of pure annoyance before clicking his tongue.


    "I told you not to cause any trouble¡­" Hayden growled.


    "I didn¡¯t cause any trouble. I was just ying with a dog," Harvey said in his own defense.


    "That dog isn¡¯t your dog. It¡¯s Malissa¡¯s dog¡­" Hayden reminded his brother coldly.


    "So what? He likes me more¡­" Harvey argued.


    "You sound like a six-year-old¡­I can¡¯t believe this¡­" Hayden snapped at his brother again.


    "I mean it. I didn¡¯t do anything¡­" Harvey continued.


    "Really? Then, answer me. How did you first meet that dog?" Hayden asked.


    "Hmm¡­he was wandering around in front of my hallway and so I called out to it. Of course, he came running obediently," Harvey said with a smile.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 264: Alive and Well

    "How many times have you met the dog since then?" Hayden inquired.


    "Countless times. I feed Little Hayden here loads of snack and he fell in love with me¡­" Harvey said, a little too proudly.


    "More like he fell in love with the snacks. So, how did the dog get in this room?" Hayden continued asking.


    "I always keep the door open for him in case he turns up. He usually does so¡­" Harvey replied casually.


    "You left the door open. I knew it," Hayden said as his eyes narrowed at his brother in disapproval.


    "If I didn¡¯t leave it open then how could Little Haydene in. Because of your warning no one in their right mind would even enter the hallway to my wing anyways," Harvey said with a slightint.


    "Some girls aren¡¯t in their right mind¡­" Hayden muttered as if talking to himself.


    "Haha! Evidently so¡­" Harvey said afterughing loudly.


    "You realize that this is your fault, right? You knowingly built a rtionship with that dog. Then he ran in here and Malissa had to follow. On top of that, you left the door to the room opened¡­" Hayden pointed out.


    "Hmm¡­I guess¡­" Harvey said without much of a care.


    "You wanted to see her, didn¡¯t you?" Hayden said knowingly.


    "Maybe¡­" Harvey replied as he cocked his head to the side.


    ¡­


    **Three dayster**


    It¡¯s been three days since I¡¯ve been locked up in here and I haven¡¯t seen Hayden since. I knew that he was beyond mad at me but a part of me sort of expected him to pay me a visit some time soon. Now it has been three days and he hasn¡¯t turned up at all. I felt quite fine when he didn¡¯t turn up to see me on the first day.


    He was probably still mad so I had expected that he wouldn¡¯te down here to see me. However, as the second day past by without Hayden paying a visit, I started to feel very anxious and slightly depressed about it.


    By the end of the third day, I was fully depressed and losing my appetite to follow his instruction for me to ¡¯eat¡¯ the food and everything else that was periodically delivered to the room. On top of it all, I was bored and overly worried about theck of progress on mymission work.


    Since I was stuck here and had no ess to my art studio or any of my canvases and tools, I have not made any progress on mymission work. Neither did I have inte ess to get in contact with my clients to tell them about the potential dy in the work.


    Without anything to indicate the date and time, I had started using the arrival of my meals to tell me the time. It wasn¡¯t a stretch to assume that the meals arrived on time, breakfast, lunch and dinner.


    I guess this is what it means to lose it all and start again from square one. If Hayden would juste down here to see me, I could talk to him about my worries. He¡¯ll probably listen to me more or less if I had all the right reasons lined up. I¡¯ve thought repeatedly about what I would say to him if and when he came down here.


    The biggest problem was that whenever the door to the room opened, no one was there apart from the trolley of food.


    If this goes on any longer, I¡¯m going to start talking to that trolley¡­


    Suddenly, the familiar sound of the door sliding opening filled the room. My head immediately turned towards the door to see that I was right, the door was sliding open. I got off the bed and quickly headed for the door. I just had lunch and not enough time had past for it to be dinner time which can only mean that the door is opening for some other reason than to deliver me food. Finally!


    "Alive and well?"


    A familiar voice greeted me, and my eyes widened as the door fully opened to reveal a tall man dressed in an impably stylish dark blue suit. He smiled at me, and a chill ran down my spine. Automatically, I took a few steps back, retreating into my room as my eyes stared at him.


    "Harvey¡­" I whispered in pure shock.


    Why is he here? Where is Hayden?


    "This sure is a lot of security. I had to walk so far just to get here¡­" Harveyined yfully as he took a couple of steps forward until he was standing inside my room.


    He smiled at me as his blue eyes watched me closely. The door behind him slowly slid close and locked itself.


    Great, I¡¯m locked inside this room with Harvey. Perhaps, I had survived before, but I didn¡¯t see how I could get out of this alive this time. My body trembled and I realized that I was extremely frightened of him and what he might do to me.


    "Sorry for disappointing you. My brother is still quite mad at you so he¡¯s not going to be showing his face here any time soon¡­unfortunately¡­" Harvey apologized with absolutely no remorse.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so I just bit my lip and averted my eyes from his prating gaze. He was right, I was extremely disappointed. For a moment, I honestly thought that Hayden had finallye to see me. How long is he going to be angry at me for?


    "You should take a seat and rx, I¡¯ll be here for a while," Harvey said casually.


    I jumped in my panic as he made his way deeper into the room and sat down on a chair next to the table. His eyes were immediately on the various restraining objects ced on the table and a small smile curved his lips. Although he hasn¡¯t done anything yet, I could feel the danger emanating from his body in waves.


    Slowly, he ran his fingertips along a handcuff ced on the table as if he was admiring its beauty and I gulped before my entire body froze.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 265: A Crazy Visitor

    Unfortunately, I was reminded again that this man is Harvey Torex, the first person in line to take over the Torex gang. He¡¯s the real heir of Torex.


    A lump formed in my throat as I watched Harvey continuing to run his fingers along the handcuffs on the table. He didn¡¯t say anything, but he seemed to be thinking of something. I took a few steps back to distance myself from him.


    "You should take a seat," Harvey said casually, his eyes still lingering on the handcuffs.


    My body wouldn¡¯t move, and it was like I was frozen to the spot. After a moment, Harvey turned his head around to look at me. His face told me that he wasn¡¯t quite impressed that I was still standing quite far away from where he was seated.


    "Come over here and sit down on this chair," hemanded with full detail.


    I gulped before I bit my lower lip as I willed my body to move. Slowly, I made my way to the chair located very close to where Harvey was sitting. Finally, I was sitting close to Harvey, and he presented me with a charming smile as his eyes watched my face intently.


    The silence in the room was abruptly disturbed when Harvey began giggling before his giggles fully transformed into loudughs. My eyes widened at his outburst, and I wondered what he thought was funny. I haven¡¯t said anything, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I was supposed to say anything.


    "You don¡¯t have to act so scared¡­even if you are," Harvey said while trying to control his ownughter.


    That was easy for him to say. He probably forgot that he was the one who suggested to Hayden that I should be killed very recently. That hadn¡¯t slipped my mind.


    "I guess I should apologize for taking my joke too far the other day. You were so scared that I thought it was funny," Harvey said followed by a grin.


    It was hard for me to believe that he was actually apologizing, and then again, I wasn¡¯t sure if Harvey really felt guilty about it. His character really did surprise me, though. Now that we were chatting alone in my new room, he felt very casual and surprisingly easygoing.


    I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say that he was someone who was easy to deal with, but he didn¡¯t seem as intimidating and dangerous as I perceived him at first.


    "It¡¯s ok¡­" I mumbled.


    Harvey smiled a relief smiled before he nodded his head at me. I still wondered why he came to see me. He didn¡¯te all the way down here just to apologize for what he did to me the other day, right? I wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted from me, but I knew what I wanted from him.


    "You want to know what Hayden has been up to and why he hasn¡¯t visited you, don¡¯t you?" Harvey asked with a know-it-all smile.


    He read my mind. Just like that, he read my mind. I thought I knew this before when I first met him but now that I was meeting him for the second time, I was convinced that the first impression that I had of him was absolutely correct. This man is crazy.


    "You think I¡¯m crazy, don¡¯t you?" Harvey asked as he smiled knowingly at me.


    How did he¡­?


    "No one¡¯s ever told you before? What you think shows on your face," Harvey said followed by augh that echoed joyously in the room.


    "What has Hayden been up to these days?" I asked in a small voice.


    "Are you worried about him? Or¡­are you perhaps wondering why he hasn¡¯t been around to see you?" Harvey asked teasingly.


    I bit my tongue to keep myself from screaming at him as my frustration started to take over. He¡¯s just toying with me, and I had to say that I didn¡¯t quite like it. Unfortunately, I also knew that he was my only source of information right now. I have to hold it in. I didn¡¯t think that I would get any answers out of Harvey that easily. He was probably harder to negotiate and deal with than Hayden.


    To make it worse, I wasn¡¯t willing to offer anything up to barter with him, my body included.


    "Hayden and I¡­we¡¯re just buying time," Harvey stated softly yet extremely seriously after a small pause.


    His words and confession caught mepletely off guard. My eyes widened and my mouth hung open as I stared at his slightly sorrowful face.


    "Excuse me?" I whispered, not quite believing what I have just heard.


    "We¡¯re just buying time. Although, I have no idea how much we can actually buy¡­" Harvey said wistfully before sighing.


    Something was clearly weighing on his mind, and I wondered if he would tell me if I asked. What was so important to them that the brothers decided to fake Harvey¡¯s death for. There must be a good reason behind all of this.


    "Do you want to know why we faked my death for all these years? You want to know, don¡¯t you?" he asked excitedly like a boy eager to spill his secrets.


    I had to say that I didn¡¯t expect him to tell me this easily. He even brought it up himself and now I was truly confused. I can¡¯t read this man at all. I had no idea what Harvey was thinking.


    "Yes, I do¡­" I admitted truthfully.


    "Haha! You¡¯re a funny girl, seriously. I¡¯m starting to see why Hayden has taken a liking to you. You¡¯re honest and very straight forward," Harvey said while he continued tough.


    I was being honest, but he was the one who asked so I didn¡¯t quite understand why he was finding it so funny. Then again, I should probably stop trying to understand a crazy man. It just might drive me crazy as well.


    "Are you going to tell me?" I prompted.


    "Hmm¡­nope. I¡¯m not going to tell you because Hayden would kill me for it," Harvey said beforeughing loudly at me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 266: His Treasure

    "I see¡­" I muttered as my mood immediately darkened.


    It wasn¡¯t like I was overwhelmingly disappointed or anything like that. In the back of my mind, I did consider that Harvey wouldn¡¯t tell me. If I wanted to know then¡­


    "You have to ask Hayden yourself," Harvey said as ifpleting my thought for me.


    "I figured¡­" I said before letting out a long sigh.


    If only it was an easy task to extract information from Hayden, then I wouldn¡¯t find myself in this kind of situation so often. I didn¡¯t exactly draw a good hand in this round because Hayden wouldn¡¯t even show his face to me anymore. Even if I wanted to ask him, I couldn¡¯t because he wasn¡¯t here for me to ask.


    "Don¡¯t look so depressed, Malissa. This room¡­I know it might be a little twisted and creepy for you but you¡¯re probably the little treasure that Hayden wants to keep safe right now," Harvey said warmly.


    Me? His treasure?


    Honestly, I¡¯ve never thought of it that way.


    "Are you trying tofort me?" I asked with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.


    Harveyughed a little to himself at my words before he smiled sweetly at me. I had to say that he had a very charming smile. Without a doubt he must be very popr with the girls.


    "Maybe. You see, my little brother gave me an annoying lecture and because of that I felt slightly bad for what I¡¯ve done," Harvey admitted with an over-the-top depressing sigh.


    "Really?" I asked, trying not to sound sarcastic.


    "Well, it¡¯s lonely living alone in the world of the dead, you know. Now, I¡¯m less lonely because I have you with me on this side," Harvey said a little excitedly.


    "What do you mean¡­exactly?" I asked as I stared hard at him.


    "We can¡¯t meet or talk to anyone. We can¡¯t go out. It¡¯s like we don¡¯t exist in the real world anymore. You and me, we¡¯re in a very simr situation now," Harvey exined quite happily.


    I guess he was happy that now he had a ¡¯friend¡¯ who shared his circumstances. However, I couldn¡¯t say that I shared any of his joy.


    "Aha¡­" I mumbled.


    "I¡¯ll visit you again so that you won¡¯t get lonely so let¡¯s be friends, ok?" Harvey suggested with a bright smile.


    For a moment, he looked like a teenager, and I was stunned at the sudden transformation.


    "I don¡¯t want to be your friend¡­" I stated bluntly.


    "I can understand where you¡¯reing from. What about this? If you agree to be my friend, I¡¯ll bring an album of Hayden childhood photos. What do you say?" Harvey readily offered a trade.


    I had to say that what he was offering was extremely tempting. After getting a glimpse of how cute and pretty Hayden was when he was a boy from that one photo that I saw in his living room, I wanted to see more photos of him when he was younger. Harvey smirked at me, and I knew that he could read what I was thinking again.


    Do my thoughts truly show on my face just like that?


    "I guess we already have a deal," Harvey said with utmost satisfaction.


    "You¡¯ll bring them, really?" I asked to make sure that he would keep his word.


    "Of course, I will. It will make Hayden very embarrassed, and nothing makes me happier than seeing my little brother bothered and embarrassed," Harvey said followed by augh.


    Perhaps he wasn¡¯t such a bad guy after all. That or perhaps, I was easy to bribe¡­


    Harvey took his leave and I watched silently as he walked away until the door of my roompletely closed, and I couldn¡¯t see him anymore.


    ¡­


    "Having her locked up down there isn¡¯t so bad. I get to have dinner with you," Harvey said with a satisfied smile before shoving some food into his mouth with a fork.


    Hayden didn¡¯t seem to share Harvey¡¯s appetite as he sat there passively at the dining table opposite his elder brother. Seeing that his brother didn¡¯t seem engaged in the conversation, Harvey decided to go on.


    "I was quite sad when we had to cancel our dinners since she turned up. You always have dinner with her, and I have to eat all alone¡­" Harvey said in an overly sad tone.


    "Why did you go see her? What useless things did you tell her?" Hayden asked coldly, ignoring his brother¡¯s earlier words.


    "I didn¡¯t tell her anything important. Well, maybe I made her a little more curious¡­about what is going on and why we¡¯re doing this," Harvey said followed by a small chuckle.


    "I would highly appreciate it if you refrained from visiting her again," Hayden said as his eyes narrowed dangerously at his brother.


    "This is my house too, you know. I can go wherever I want. You put her in there so you should already know the three people who can pay her a visit," Harvey said with alight annoyance in his voice.


    Hayden knew. The underground and that room were off limits to everyone except for his father, Harvey and himself. Only these three people had the ability to pass through all security measures leading to that room.


    "You just love messing with other people¡¯s mind, don¡¯t you?" Hayden asked rhetorically.


    "A bad habit that I inherited from my cute brother. I have to go see her again regardless of what you say," Harvey stated resolutely.


    "Why?" Hayden asked immediately.


    "I promised to show her something," Harvey replied with an innocent smile.


    "What?" Hayden demanded to know.


    "If you really want to find out, then you shoulde along too," Harvey said invitingly.


    "No, thanks," Hayden rejected the invitation immediately.


    "Are you sure? How long are you going to avoid seeing her?" Harvey asked with a grin.


    "I don¡¯t know," Hayden replied honestly.


    "You should go see her soon. It gets lonely when you¡¯re on the other side," Harvey advised as he spoke from his own experience.


    Hayden made a thoughtful face but didn¡¯t reply to his brother. Harvey just smiled and nodded before dropping the subject entirely.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 267: Keeping His Promise

    For once in a slightly long while, I woke up feeling optimistic about the day. Finally, there was something for me to look forward to. After being disappointed day by day by the fact that Hayden did not turn up to visit me here, I finally could look forward to Harvey fulfilling his promise of showing me some of Hayden¡¯s childhood photos.


    Last night, I went to bed with thoughts about that in my head and it helped me get some peaceful sleep.


    I wondered what Hayden would look like in the photos. Would I get to see him as a baby or maybe when he was in kindergarten? Perhaps, there would be some photos of him crying because he spilt his milk or got his favorite toy stolen. Then maybe they¡¯ll be photos of him with some of his childhood friends. Maybe they¡¯ll be more photos of him ying with the boy version of Ethan.


    I sighed while I remembered thest conversation that I shared with Hayden about Ethan. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Harvey knew anything about it. Hayden seemed like he was considering to kill Ethan but he did mention that it wasn¡¯t exactly up to him. Is Harvey involved in some way? Without knowing it, a frown had started to crease my forehead as my brows drew together in deep thought.


    Everything was still pretty much a mystery to me and when I thought that I had somethings figured out, new mysteries seem to appear. I was having a very hard time piecing everything together and I was starting to question whether I would ever understand everything.


    I need to talk to Hayden¡­


    Once again, I knew that he was the only solution to my problems. However, that solution had refused to show up at my door for another day. How do I get him toe down here?


    After showering and eating my breakfast, I had absolutely nothing to do once again. There wasn¡¯t even a clock so I couldn¡¯t even watch the time tick by. Maybe if I ask Harvey, he might get me the things that I need to move on a little with my life such as my art tools. Mymissions are way behind schedule now and I wished that I could work on them.


    It waste in the afternoon when the door to my room started sliding open. It must be Harvey because it was too early for dinner time. To my surprise, Little Hayden ran into my room and headed straight for me.


    "Little Hayden!" I cried out happily.


    The puppy ran to me and jumped up and down next to my bed where I was seated. Quickly, I reached my arms down to carry him up onto myp. He gained weight and he definitely got bigger. It was amazing how fast he was growing. I haven¡¯t seen him for a short while, but he grew up so much. His brown eyes stared at me as he panted from his own excitement.


    His fur felt soft, and I couldn¡¯t stop hugging him and stroking the top of his head.


    "It¡¯s so good to see you. I miss you so much!" I cried as I hugged him tighter to me.


    "It¡¯s good to see you smile," Harvey said, and I was slightly shocked that he was already standing right next to my bed.


    I looked up to see his beautiful blue eyes looking down at me and Little Hayden from where he stood. Did he do this to cheer me up? He can¡¯t possibly be this kind, can he?


    "Thank you, Harvey¡­" I thanked him softly.


    "You¡¯re weed. Actually, I was thinking of bring him along earlier. I¡¯m sure he misses you too," Harvey said before sitting down next to me on the bed.


    He¡¯s close and I had mixed feelings about us sitting on the same bed. Harvey¡¯s hand approached myp before he started stroking Little Hayden¡¯s back up and down. I could tell that Harvey was extremely fond of Little Hayden and I didn¡¯t doubt that he had been taking very good care of the dog.


    "Thank you for taking care of him¡­" I whispered with my eyes still on Little Hayden.


    "There¡¯s no need to worry about it," he replied casually.


    Unlike the times that I met him before, Harvey felt very rxed and casual today. It was frankly hard to believe but he felt like a normal person, and it wasn¡¯t long before I started to rx in his presence. We shared small talk about Little Hayden before Harvey reminded me of the main reason why he was here today.


    "Here, I¡¯m keeping my promise," he said a little proudly as he handed me a thick album of photos.


    "Wow! Honestly, I was looking forward to seeing this. I got so excited just thinking about it," I admitted shamelessly as I took the album from his hand.


    "I¡¯m d to see someone so happy to see photos of my stupid brother," Harvey said with a smallugh.


    I could tell that the two brothers love each other a lot. Harvey was many years older than Hayden, but I wasn¡¯t sure just how much older he was. The two of them looked so simr now and their age gap did not show at all.


    Unable to hold in my excitement any further, my hands started opening the photo album and flipping through it. Harvey really did exceed my expectations. There were endless photos of Hayden in the album. Of course, there were photos of him with Harvey as well. The two of them looked like two golden angels together when they were younger.


    "Is this Hayden?" I asked while pointing my finger to a photo of a blond boy holding a baby in his arms.


    "Yes, and that¡¯s me," Harvey replied with a tender smile.


    There were many photos of baby Hayden with his elder brother and then toddler Hayden. In every photo, Hayden seemed to be a in very good mood. He looked cheerful and sweet like an angel in all photos.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 268: What I Want

    It remained a mystery to me how those two sweet little angels grew up to be the men that they were today. There were photos of the two boys with the boss in many ces such as his office, in a car and in his private jet. I looked through the photos along with Harvey as he helped narrate some of the photos while recalling his old memories from his younger days.


    "This is Hayden when he was in primary school. He was a naughty little thing back then. Actually, he still is even though he¡¯s no longer little¡­" Harvey said followed by a smallugh.


    Hayden smiled cheerfully along with some other boys that I didn¡¯t recognize in the photos from his primary school days. He looked so cute and adorable in all the photos that I couldn¡¯t help but smile as we continued going through the album. Sadly, the album ended with photos from Hayden¡¯s primary school days. There was nothing beyond that and it only made me want to see more photos of Hayden.


    "Is this Ethan Silva?" I asked as I pointed to the veryst photo in the album.


    The photo was of a young blond boy with a dark-haired boy at what seemed to be a party of sorts. Throughout the entire album, this was the only photo of Hayden with Ethan. The question slipped from my mouth before I could stop myself. I wondered if Harvey knew about Ethan¡­


    "Yes. Indeed, that is Ethan Silva. Then heir to the Silva gang and now he¡¯s the head of Silva," Harvey replied smoothly.


    So, he knows Ethan too. I wasn¡¯t surprised but I wondered what Harvey felt about Ethan and how close he used to be with Hayden.


    "The two of them used to be close, right?" I asked curiously.


    "Yes. Your father made it that way," Harvey said as his eyes narrowed at me.


    I see. So, he does know that Jack was my father. It seemed like Harvey knew everything. Whether he found out by himself of if Hayden told him everything, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    "My father¡­" I mumbled.


    "Honestly, I wasn¡¯t a big fan of Jack despite how much my father trusted him and despite how much Hayden got along with him. I always felt like he had a hidden agenda, and I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m wrong," Harvey stated matter-of-factly.


    "I see¡­" I murmured.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t punish you for what your father has done. I understand well that you two are separate and different people. Well, that is what Hayden had been lecturing me about all along ever since the old man dragged you back to us using that debt contract," Harvey exined with a chuckle.


    It was as if he really understood what I was thinking and how I felt. Harvey is very good at gauging and understanding people. Either that or everything that I thought really showed on my face just like he had said.


    "Hayden and Ethan seem to like my father a lot¡­" I mumbled.


    "They did. They probably still do. Our father was always busy dealing with me. Naturally because I¡¯m the next heir. He was tough on me, but I didn¡¯t mind because that meant that Hayden could have an easy time. He could do the things that he wanted in life.


    Hayden followed your father¡¯s advice and wanted to live a normal life. He studied hard and became a doctor and all that¡­" Harvey told me with a faraway look in his eyes.


    "I was very surprised when he first told me that he¡¯s actually a doctor¡­" I said, recalling my shock when he revealed that fact to me.


    "I know, right? I was probably equally surprised when he told me that he wanted to be a doctor. I was supportive of his decision, though. I¡¯ll support whatever he wants to do¡­" Harvey said warmly.


    I could tell that Harvey wanted whatever would make Hayden happy. He¡¯s such a good brother¡­


    "Umm¡­Hayden told me that he doesn¡¯t like his ¡¯job¡¯," I said softly as I tried to judge Harvey¡¯s reaction.


    It was true. Hayden did tell me that he hated his job, and he didn¡¯t want to take over the gang. However, because his brother was dead, he didn¡¯t have a choice but to take over as the next heir. I looked over at the healthy and living Harvey and wondered what would happen if people, especially the boss, found out that Harvey is still alive.


    Will Harvey take over and spare Hayden from a life of heading the gang?


    "He doesn¡¯t, and I don¡¯t me him. Unlike me, he wasn¡¯t raised to be the next heir. He¡¯s lived a carefree life and it never really urred to him or any of us that he might have to take over as the next boss," Harvey said with absolute understanding.


    "Will you¡­take over?" I asked hesitantly.


    Harvey smiled a little at me before he seemed to ponder my question seriously. It made me feel uneasy that it seemed like Harvey was indecisive. I thought he would have thought about this already and arrived at some sort of answer. However, if he had any ns in mind, he wasn¡¯t willing to share it directly with me.


    "I don¡¯t know. What do you think, Malissa? Should I take over the gang or should I leave it to Hayden and walk away?" Harvey asked as his blue eyes held mine.


    "I¡­" I mumbled before I realized that I didn¡¯t have an answer to offer him.


    Although I was the one who had asked him the question, he was the one that got me thinking. How he managed to turn the tables around on me reminded me so much of his younger brother. I truly missed Hayden and hispany even if he could be mean to me at times.


    What do I want for Hayden? Do I want him to take over or do I want him to go back to his normal life? What was his life like before Harvey supposedly passed away?


    "I¡­don¡¯t know¡­" I replied honestly after some thought.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 269: Finally

    I wasn¡¯t sure what would be better for Hayden. I didn¡¯t know what he truly wanted. On top of that, I didn¡¯t know what I wanted. Do I even have a future with Hayden?


    "What about you? Do you want to be thedy boss of Torex or do you want to live an ordinary life somewhere?" Harvey asked as his eyes continued to watch my face intently.


    I had no idea. All I knew was that I wanted to be with Hayden¡­if that was at all possible¡­


    "I¡¯m not sure¡­" I mumbled.


    "Well, I¡¯m not the one who needs to know the answer to that," Harvey surmised teasingly.


    "Right¡­" I murmured when I finally caught on to what Harvey wanted me to understand.


    While I was busy thinking of what I wanted to know and answers that I wanted from Hayden, Ipletely forgot that from his point of view there were probably answers that he wanted from me too. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t in a position to take the first step to close the gap between us in this case because that was quite impossible since I¡¯m locked in this room.


    "What can I do to get Hayden to visit me?" I asked abruptly.


    The way Harvey looked at me showed that my words had caught him a little off-guard. I was also shocked at my sudden and very direct question. Before I could process my own thought, I had already asked that question. Harvey¡¯s wide-eyed expression quickly turned into a look of amusement.


    "I have a few ideas but if I¡¯m not wrong, you wouldn¡¯t need to use any of those¡­" Harvey said with a mischievous smile.


    Just when I thought I didn¡¯t understand what he meant, the door to the room started sliding open. My eyes immediately went to the door, and I stood up from the bed. My body moved on its own and I was standing right in front of the sliding door in no time at all.


    It can¡¯t be¡­


    Did the door always slide open this slowly or was I just anxious to see the man I thought must be standing right on the opposite side of the door? I knew that it was thetter but that didn¡¯t calm down the wild beating of my heart.


    Hayden is here¡­finally¡­


    I had no idea what brought this on, but I was over the moon thrilled and excited that he was finally here to see me. The door opened and Hayden stood there with his usual cold and emotionless mask on his face. He was dressed in an all-white suit that I thoughtplimented his blond hair and blue eyes very well.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name as my eyes continued to take in the sight of him.


    It was a little hard to believe that he was finally here. It had clearly been too long since west saw each other. I stood there as if glued to the spot as the various words that I had prepared to say to him died a sudden death on my closed lips.


    The heel of his shoes clicked against the floor as he took a couple of long strides into the room. He walked right past me without as much as ncing over my way.


    "Why are you here again?" Hayden asked coldly and I knew that his words were not directed at me.


    "Well, you¡¯re back quite early today¡­" Harvey teased lightly.


    "Why are you here?" Hayden asked again as he strode deeper into the room.


    I turned just in time to see Hayden standing right next to my bed where Harvey was still sitting with a bright and innocent smile on his face. This isn¡¯t what it looks like¡­trust me¡­


    "To keep a promise. I told you already that I would visit Malissa again because I had a promise to keep and that is exactly what I¡¯m doing," Harvey exined casually.


    "What promise?" Hayden asked.


    Harvey just smiled and that was the only answer that he was willing to offer. Hayden¡¯s eyes narrowed menacingly at his brother, and I was starting to second guest my impression that the two brothers always got along. It felt like Hayden would do something crazy if he didn¡¯t get the answer that he wanted, and Harvey¡¯s yful and teasing attitude wasn¡¯t improving his younger brother¡¯s mood.


    "Umm¡­actually¡­Harvey promised to show me some photos of you when you were younger¡­" I said as I pointed to the closed photo albumying on the bed right next to where Harvey was sitting.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes followed where my finger was pointing, and a look of displeasure graced his face before he reached out a hand and snatched the album off the bed. I guess, Hayden didn¡¯t like the idea of me seeing more of his photos. He didn¡¯t seem to mind when I saw the photo of him and Ethan together in his living room, though.


    "Sorry¡­I didn¡¯t think that you would mind¡­" I quickly apologized.


    "Hayden doesn¡¯t mind. He¡¯s just being shy," Harvey corrected confidently.


    By that time, I was quite sure that Harvey was acting like this on purpose to annoy Hayden. I believed that Harvey knew how to read a room and also judge what people were thinking and feeling. There was no way that he didn¡¯t understand his brother so the only logical conclusion was that he was doing this intentionally with the hope that Hayden would¡­what?


    What does he want to achieve?


    "Don¡¯t worry, Malissa. I¡¯ll show you more photos of Hayden just like you¡¯ve requested. There are loads of albums on Hayden. Auntie is truly a fan of his. She¡¯s made more album of him than of me, for sure¡­" Harvey said followed by a carefreeugh.


    "Aha¡­" I mumbled, quickly recalling that I haven¡¯t even asked.


    "Just leave¡­" Hayden said curtly as his eyes stared at his brother.


    "Ok, I get it. Good night, Malissa, I shall take my leave now¡­" Harvey said yfully as he headed for the door.


    If there¡¯s someonepletely unintimidated by Hayden and his anger, it was Harvey.


    Asmanded, the door began sliding open and after waving happily at the two of us, Harvey walked out of the room. The door started closing behind him and soon Hayden and I were the only ones left in the room.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 270: Come Closer

    When was thest time that things felt this awkward between us when we were alone together?


    What should I say to him now?


    While I was thinking about what I should say to him, Hayden walked over to the bed and sat down on it. He looked more mentally tired than physically tired, and I wondered what was on his troubled mind. I watched him take in a few deep breaths while I hesitated about what to do.


    "Come here," Hayden spoke up abruptly.


    His words snapped me out of my thoughts, and I realized that he wanted me to go to him. I slowly approached the bed where he was sitting, and I could feel his eyes on my face before his gaze trialed down my body.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name softly when I stood in front of him.


    "Come closer," he instructed as his hands reached out to grab my arms and pulled me closer to him.


    The force of his pull pulled me a big step forward until I was standing right in between his legs. His arms were around my body and my eyes widened when he pulled me into a firm hug. His arms around my back tightened as he buried his head against the spot right below my chest. Instinctively, I lifted my hands up and began cradling his head.


    Hayden took deep and steady breaths as if he was breathing me in, and I could feel his body starting to rx in my arms. I stroked his soft blond hair with one hand while I hugged him with my other arm.


    We stayed silently like that for a while. I could be wrong, but it seemed like he needed someforting and that was what I willingly gave him. I stayed still in his arm as we continued to hug each other. It felt like it had been such a long time since I¡¯vest seen him and held him like this. His body felt warm close to mine, and it made me realize just how much I really missed him.


    "What did Harvey say to you?" Hayden asked with his face still buried against my skin.


    Well, Harvey told me many things, so I wasn¡¯t sure what Hayden wanted to know about specifically. There wasn¡¯t anything that seemed very important, though. Was the part about what I wanted for my future and for Hayden¡¯s future important?


    "Well, he told me a few things about when you were young. You know, when we were going through the photos of you when you were young¡­" I replied.


    "And?" Hayden prompted as he gazed up at me with captivating blue eyes.


    I missed his eyes. Although Harvey¡¯s eyes were pretty much the same color, the feeling I got when I looked into them werepletely different from when I¡¯m staring deeply into Hayden¡¯s eyes. It was so easy for me to get lost in the depth of his eyes.


    "Well, nothing much¡­" I replied, not quite sure how to tell Hayden about the ¡¯thinking about the future¡¯ part of our conversation.


    Slowly, his arms loosened from around my body before his hands started sliding down the side of my body. His eyes watched mine and I could see that he waspletely unconvinced with my answer. It wasn¡¯t like I could tell me that I was thinking of our future together when I wasn¡¯t even sure if he even wanted to have a future with me. Our rtionship was just veryplicated.


    His hands caressed the sides of my waist softly before dipping lower to caress the sides of my hips. All the while his eyes continued to watch my face and it took a lot of effort for me to keep myself from moaning of whimpering from the heat of his seductive touches. It¡¯s been so long since he¡¯s touched me like this, and my body was undoubtedly craving for his touch and much more.


    "You¡¯re a terrible liar¡­" Hayden murmured softly as his hands held my shirt and began lifting it upwards.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name when I realized what he was about to do.


    "Lift your arms," he instructed casually as he began pulling my shirt upwards even further.


    I quickly did as I was told before his mood would turn sour. My shirt flew off over my head in one swift motion before it fell to the floor next to the bed.


    "Ah¡­Hayden¡­" I let out a moan before moaning his name.


    Hayden did not waste any time in paying attention to my now exposed upper body. His hands were immediately on my naked stomach, stroking it softly and teasingly. I sucked in a breath and held it as my body began reacting to him. His hands felt very warm on my naked skin as he stroked his way from my belly to cup my breasts.


    "You shouldn¡¯t listen too much to Harvey. He¡¯s very good at brainwashing people," Hayden warned sternly as hisrge hands began massaging my breasts through my bra.


    The pressure of his hands on my soft womanly flesh felt amazingly pleasurable and I couldn¡¯t wait to feel the heat of his palms on the sensitive skin of my breasts directly. I moaned softly before biting my lower lip to keep myself from moaning even louder. Hayden¡¯s striking blue eyes watched my every reaction while his hands continued to knead my breasts.


    I was so lost in the pleasure of his touches that I didn¡¯t know what to say to him.


    "What else did Harvey tell you?" Hayden asked again.


    "He¡­ahh¡­" I began but a loud moan escaped my lips before I could say anything else.


    Hayden had slipped his hands underneath my bra to cup my breasts directly after pushing my bra upwards. The heat of his hand seeped into my cool skin, and I felt my body heat up at his touch. Hisrge hands massaged my breasts expertly. His touch wasn¡¯t gentle, and the force of his hands felt rough but I couldn¡¯t get enough of his touch. My nipples were already so hard that they hurt.


    His eyes watched me as my body started squirming from the blissful pleasure.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 271: Responding to His Questions and Caresses

    "What did Harvey tell you?" Hayden repeated his question again.


    I cried out when his yful fingers began pinching my nipples softly. He was clearly having fun teasing me while forcing me to answer his questions. My body felt hot, and my core was throbbing with so much need and desire for him. My pussy quivered and clenched as my love juices flowed out freely from the slit in between my legs. I wanted him already.


    "He¡­told me that he¡­wasn¡¯t sure about taking over the gang¡­" I managed to say in between my lusty moans of pleasure.


    "And?" Hayden prompted further while his fingers began pinching my hardened nipples faster and harder.


    I cried out at the intense pleasure that flowed through my body in waves from where his fingers were squeezing my sensitive perks. Hot wetness gushed out from between my legs and wetted my panties. Hayden¡¯s hands left my breasts and I wanted to cry out in protest as my pleasure was robbed from me. His hand reached behind my back to skillfully unhook my bra before he quickly removed it from my body.


    The bra fell to the floor next to bed and I stood in between his legs with my entire upper body bared.


    His hand quickly reached for the button and zipper of my jeans as he began undressing me there. His eyes continued to watch me as his hands quickly achieved their goal of unzipping my pants. Without hesitation, Hayden began pulling my jeans down. My pants slid over my hips and down my legs in no time at all and with the urging of his blue eyes, I stepped out of my jeans and kicked them to the side.


    "Answer my question," Haydenmanded coldly.


    Instead of replying to his question from before, a small moan escaped my lips as I panted from the heat burning me up deep inside. My pussy clenched non-stop in anticipating of his touch as I got wetter and wetter down there.


    "Hayden¡­" I called out his name in a strangled cry when I felt his hand cup the mold in between my legs.


    His hand covered my most feminine part over my panties before his long fingers began stroking me through the thin fabric. I could feel the fabric of my panties being pushed against the hot wet mess in between my legs at the pressure of his fingers.


    "Answer me," Hayden ordered again.


    "And¡­he asked me if¡­I wanted you to take over¡­instead¡­" I said in between my whimpers of pleasure.


    "What did you tell him?" Hayden asked.


    "I...told him that¡­I didn¡¯t know¡­" I replied honestly.


    His fingers continued stroking me there through the thin fabric of my panties and my legs started going weak. My breathing hiked and I found it harder to stay standing on my feet.


    "I see¡­" Hayden murmured passively.


    As if rewarding me for my effort in answering his questions, his hand reached into my panties to cup my womanly mold directly. His fingers dipped in between my legs until he found my wet and throbbing slit and began stroking it.


    "Ahh¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned before closing my eyes in bliss at the pleasure of his fingers directly stroking the folds of my pussy.


    "Does it feel that good?" he asked before chuckling softly.


    My loud moans probably served as a better answer to his question than any words ever could. His thick and long fingers stroked up and down my wet slit before disappearing into my wet hole. I cried out his name when his fingers finally thrusted deeply into my eagerly awaiting hole. I parted my legs invitingly as his fingers thrusted upwards even deeper than before into my wet pussy hole.


    The thickness of his fingers stretched my opening and caressed along the length of my love tunnel as it made its way into my hot wetness.


    It had been a while since he¡¯d touched me and pleasured me like this. My body felt ecstatic at the sensation of his thick and long fingers thrusting in and out of my hole. It¡¯s been around a week since I¡¯ve had sex with Hayden. My body craved for his passion while my heart craved for his loving attention.


    His fingers began moving faster and harder inside of me as he thrusted into me from various angles. His fingers felt around the inside of my love tunnel as if exploring it. It felt so good. Everywhere that he touched felt like it burned with heat.


    I cried out his name as my pussy squirted more wetness onto his fingers. The walls of my pussy clenched hard around his fingers as he continued to finger my love hole relentlessly. My hips began moving against his hand and fingers. I could feel his eyes on me as he watched me respond to his caresses. My legs felt weak, and I wanted him to do me on the bed.


    "Hayden¡­Ahh¡­" I moaned his name as my passionate moans got increasingly louder.


    His fingers thrusted fast and hard against my g-spot before ploughing even deeper inside of me. I could feel my climax building up in my lower abdomen like a tight knot. My body burned with heat and my intense desire for him. Usually, he would take me fast and hard almost every night. Unknowingly, I had gotten addicted to our steamy sessions.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t fully realize this until he forced us to be apart for around a week.


    My pussy made lewd wet sounds as his fingers continued diving into my wet love tunnel. I bit my lower lip and moaned as I felt my orgasm fast approaching. If he doesn¡¯t stop fingering me like this, I¡¯m going to cum right where I¡¯m standing.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name.


    "Not yet. Hold it in¡­" Hayden whispered. He knew that I was very close to my limit.


    I let out a disappointed sigh when his fingers stopped pounding into my hole and started withdrawing from me. His fingers slid teasingly along my pussy wall as Hayden slowly removed his finger from my throbbing pussy hole.


    --To be continued¡­


    My other works: Forbidden Heat; Conquering the Emperor; Lust Contracts

 Chapter 272: Learning to Follow Orders

    Hayden¡¯s eyes were on my face and our eyes met. His clear blue eyes captured mine and I felt like he could see through all of me. My legs felt weak as I stood in between his legs. The wetness of my love juices leaked out from the wet slit in between my legs and began trickling down my inner thighs. Quickly, I pressed my legs tightly together as my pussy throbbed with unsatisfied lust.


    I wanted him to continue what he started but it didn¡¯t seem like Hayden had the same thought in mind.


    I wondered what was wrong and why he wasn¡¯t proceeding with our passionate session. My breathing was stillbored, and frustration was quickly taking over my mind. My body yearned for its release, and I couldn¡¯t wait to feel his thick and long cock inside of me.


    Suddenly, Hayden looked away from me and our eye contact broke. Casually, he took out his handkerchief and started wiping the wetness of my love juices from his hand and fingers before tossing the soiled handkerchief onto the bed.


    "I should leave now," Hayden said coldly as started standing up from the bed.


    He¡¯s going to leave? Right now?


    "No! Please¡­" I pleaded loudly as I reached out my hands to clutched at his arm.


    Hayden looked at me with a questioning look in his eyes like he had no idea what I wanted. How can he act like he doesn¡¯t know what I wanted? He can¡¯t just leave me like this. He finally came to see me after so long, I wasn¡¯t willing to just let him walk out on me. On top of that, my body was still burning with need for him. I can¡¯t let him leave right now¡­


    The biggest question was, how do I stop him?


    "Do you want me to stay?" Hayden asked emotionlessly as his eyes stared down into my face.


    Of course, I wanted him to stay.


    "Yes, I want you to stay. Please¡­don¡¯t leave¡­" I begged as I also pleaded to him with my eyes.


    His cold blue eyes stared down into my face as he seemed to ponder my words. He seemed thoughtful for a moment as if he was deciding what to do with me. After a brief moment of staring into my eyes, his lips curved up into a smirk and his hand reached out to pat the top of my head. His face moved closer to mine until his face was level with mine and we were staring deeply into each other¡¯s eyes.


    Hayden watched me closely and the smirk didn¡¯t leave his lips. I had hoped that Hayden¡¯s anger would have evaporated by now, but I found out that I was wrong. Perhaps his mood had improved over the many days that we were apart, but he was still angry that I disobeyed his orders.


    "Do you want me to fuck you?" he finally asked after a while of watching me silently.


    I gasped in shock at his extremely direct question. His sharp blue eyes narrowed at me, and I knew that his question wasn¡¯t a joke. He really wanted to know if I wanted him to¡­fuck me¡­


    It was a straightforward and honest question, so I decided to reply with my most honest answer.


    "¡­Yes¡­please¡­" I replied in a slightly shaky voice.


    Hayden¡¯s hand on my head made sure that I couldn¡¯t look away from him. I was forced to look straight into his eyes as I begged for him to take me.


    "Yes, what?" he asked.


    I knew that he was going to make me say it and then beg for it like my life depended on it.


    "Fuck me¡­please¡­" I repeated my desire just the way that he wanted to hear it.


    Hayden¡¯s lips curved into a satisfied smile at my words as the hand on top of my head patted my head softly before his fingertips traced a line down from my head to my cheek.


    "I¡¯ll only fuck you if you obey me. Can you do that?" Hayden asked as he arched a brow at me.


    It wasn¡¯t like I had a choice. I didn¡¯t know what he would ask me to do but I decided to go along with what he wanted. Slowly, I nodded my head in agreement to his proposal.


    "Good. You need training to follow my orders¡­" Hayden said before sighing.


    I knew what he was referring to. Of course, I knew that he wanted me to obey his orders and that it was probably for the best if I did. Building trust was extremely difficult between us. Now I was challenged with regaining his trust. I knew without anyone having to tell me that it wouldn¡¯t be an easy task at all.


    "I¡¯ll¡­do my best¡­" I mumbled before biting my lower lip in determination.


    Hayden nodded his head slightly as if he was only half convinced that I could live up to my promise. I was determined to show him that I could do it. I watched him closely as I wondered what he wanted me to do.


    "Strip me," Hayden ordered casually.


    He stood up straight and tall in front of me as he waited for me to get on with it. His request wasn¡¯t hard, but it made me realize that he wanted me to take the initiative. Stripping Hayden wasn¡¯t a hard task, and it was a task that I actually enjoyed. I missed the attractive sight of his sexy body and the feel of his muscles against my hands.


    "Ok¡­" I replied softly as my hands reached up to undo the tie around his neck.


    I could feel Hayden¡¯s gaze burning into my face as he watched me closely before his gaze shifted to my hands. With some effort, I managed to help Hayden remove his suit and then my hands and fingers were working hard on removing the buttons of his white shirt. Hayden seemedpletely rxed as he stood there while I undressed him.


    However, my heart wouldn¡¯t stop pounding and my hands shook in my hurry to get himpletely naked.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 273: Eager to Please

    With each passing second, I got more and more impatient, and my fingers fumbled as they struggled with unbuttoning the buttons of his shirt. I cursed inwardly at the number of buttons on his shirt. It wasn¡¯t long before I stripped his upper bodypletely after removing his shirt, but to me, it felt like an eternity had passed. Hayden continued to watch me follow hismand.


    Pausing a little to admire the beautiful sight of his naked and very muscr upper body, I had to admit to myself that I was extremely attracted to him. I wanted to feel the heat and pressure of his body on top of mine.


    Unconsciously, my hands reached out towards the hard muscles of his chest. I ced my palms t against his chest muscle and I could feel the strong beating of his heart. His muscles felt so alive underneath my palms as I began caressing his muscles softly. His blue eyes darkened as he watched me.


    I stared deeply into his eyes before stroking my hands lower down his body from his chest to his beautifully formed abdominal muscles.


    "You¡¯re not done with your job. Get on with it¡­" Hayden said coldly, and my hands froze right on his stomach.


    I hated to admit it, but he was right. As far as my first task was concerned, I was only half done. Hayden still had his pants and shoes on. The entire lower half of his body was still dressed, and I needed to deal with that first before I had the time to get distracted by his firm muscles.


    My hands quickly went to the front of his pants to deal with his belt. Hayden continued watching me leisurely as I hurriedly stripped him of the clothes on the lower half of his body. Hayden assisted me by taking off his shoes and stepping out of his pants. I felt like I was being rewarded handsomely when he was standingpletely naked right in front of me.


    It was like all my efforts of undressing him had paid off well. His body was even more beautiful than I had remembered it and that was probably because I missed him so much.


    Just being close to Hayden aroused me so much and desire started to swirl in my lower abdomen as my pussy throbbed and clenched. I could tell that Hayden was very aroused too from the way that his massive cock stood erect proudly in between his legs. My eyes were glued to his enormous dick, and I wanted to reach out and touch it.


    The way Hayden watched me made me hesitate as I waited for his further instructions.


    Without a word to me, Hayden sat back down onto the bed and the bed shifted under his weight. With a slight wave of his hand, he gestured for me to approach the bed. His blue eyes caressed along my body, and I felt my body heat up at his gaze. With the motion of his hand, he beckoned for me to get down on my knees in between his legs and that was exactly what I did.


    "Do you want to suck my cock?" he asked with an angelic smile.


    Of course, I did and if he wanted me to then, I¡¯ll do it for him without hesitation. His cock was already close to my face, and I could smell the faint manly and virile smell of his manly tool. I haven¡¯t even touched or stimted it, but his cock was already this big, long and thick. Without a doubt, his cock would grow even bigger after I caress it with my hand and my mouth.


    "Yes¡­" I murmured seductively.


    Hayden smiled a little at me before hisrge hand reached out to the cup the back of my head to urge my face down on top of his upstanding cock. Slowly, I reached out my hand and ran the tips of my fingers along the length of his massive cock. The heat of his cock felt warm and slightly hot against my fingers as I traced it up and down along his length.


    I looked up to see Hayden staring down at me and our eyes met. Desire was evident in his eyes and the blue of his eyes seemed a few shades darker.


    His cock started twitching a little at my touch and in response, I wrapped my hand around the girth of his cock and began moving it along his length. Hayden sucked in a breath as his body began responding to my touch. I moved my hand up and down his cock, faster and harder as I pumped him. Hayden groaned lowly and I felt pleased that I could give him pleasure.


    His cock felt hotter in my hand as it quickly expanded in size.


    "Suck on it," Haydenmanded in a voice thick with desire.


    Just like he wanted, I quickly lowered my head towards his cock. I could see its deep red swollen heade closer to my face. I held his cock firmly and positioned its tip at my soft lips before I parted my lips and began sucking on his tip while my hand continued to pump up and down his entire length.


    Hayden moaned and I could feel his eyes on me as my tongue started licking the sensitive head of his cock in flicking motions. His cock twitched in my hand as I continued top at the sensitive small hole at the tip of his hot rod.


    His hand held the back of my head as his hips started thrusting his massive cock into my face. I opened my mouth wider, and Hayden pounded his cock into the wet depths of my mouth. His taste and his manly smell filled my senses as his cock invaded my mouth. I nced up at Hayden and our eyes met. He seemed please as his hips continued to thrust upwards, ramming his thick cock in and out of my mouth.


    I licked him with my tongue before sucking on his erect dick as I bobbed my head up and down his shaft. Hayden groaned as he fucked my mouth faster and deeper.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 274: Joined

    His hands held my head in ce as he started moving faster, the thick head of his cock hitting the back of my throat. I closed my eyes tightly to deal with his aggressive thrusts into my mouth.


    I could taste traces of his release in my mouth and knew that he was having a great time. After opening my eyes, I reached my hand down to cup and massage his balls gently. His cock twitched in my mouth, and I knew that he had grown muchrger than before. I wondered if he was going to cum inside my mouth and then I realized that I was looking forward to it.


    "That¡¯s enough," Hayden told me softly.


    Suddenly, Hayden stopped moving and my eyes widened questioningly at him. I parted my lips and Hayden eased his thick shaft out of my mouth. His cock waspletely wet, coated by my saliva and it was much thicker and longer than before. My pussy quivered at the thought of taking his impressive length inside of me.


    "Get on. You¡¯re already so wet. You can do it yourself, right?" Hayden said as he beckoned for me to stand up.


    Slowly I stood up and his hand were automatically on the sides of my waist. Does he want me to straddle him and take him inside of me by myself?


    I reached out a hand and ced it on his broad shoulder before I started to climb onto the bed to straddle him. Hayden shook his head in disapproval as a slight frown graced his handsome features. I wondered what I did wrong.


    "Not like this. Turn the other way," Hayden instructed as his hands on my waist urged me to turn around until I had my back to him.


    My eyes came in contact with the mirror, and I could see the full length of my body reflected in it. Before I could react, Hayden wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and began dragging me backwards against him. He sat me down in between his legs on the bed as he hugged me tightly from behind. I could feel his warm breath against my ear and the heat of his arms right underneath my breasts.


    "Put my cock inside you now," Haydenmanded.


    Our eyes met in the mirror and the sight of his strong arms around me as he whispered seductive words into my ears turned me on even more than before. His hand reached up to cup my breast and I could feel the heat of his hand as well as see him fondling me in the mirror.


    He moved his hand to knead my breast and I could see hisrge hand moving on my breast and my breast changing shape as it melted in therge palm of his hand in the mirror. I moaned loudly at the pleasure of his touch and the sight of the steamy hot scene of him making love to me in the mirror.


    "I¡¯m waiting¡­" Hayden reminded me of the fact that I haven¡¯t screwed his thick dick into my wet hole yet.


    Gently, I wrapped my fingers around his thick shaft and began fitting the engorged head of his hot rod at my wet opening. I could see Hayden watching my every move in the mirror and it made me a lot more self-conscious than when we¡¯ve done it before. The mirror and the fact that I could see what we were engaging in made me feel a little shy.


    I could see his thick cock in between my legs as I lifted my hips up above it.


    "Watch¡­" Hayden whispered close to my ear


    Hisrge hands held my waist and supported me while I lodged the tip of his cock at my wet opening. I reached down to spread my pussy lips with my fingers before fitting his heat at my quivering entrance. My pussy was flooded with my love juices and the sight of Hayden¡¯s thick cock at my entrance turned me on even more than before.


    Just like he hadmanded, I watched our reflection in the mirror with my eyes concentrated on where our bodies were joined.


    "Ahh¡­" I moaned softly with satisfaction.


    Hayden¡¯s thick cock stretched my opening as his length started to prate my flooded love hole. Slowly, I lowered my hips down onto his upstanding love stick. His thick cock thrusted into my pussy as I slid down his length. Inch by inch, I slowly took him inside of me. His massive cock filled me and stretched me while I moaned from the pleasure of bing one with him once again.


    It had been too long, and my body was at its limit.


    "Ahh¡­it¡¯s in so deep¡­" I moaned.


    I could see his cock disappearing slowly into my hole until his entire length was buried into me. I sat on top of hisp with his cock inside of my love tunnel. Without warning, Hayden began thrusting his hips upwards. His cock pounded deeper into me, and I cried out at the intense pleasure of his cock moving along my pussy walls and hitting me deep inside. It felt so good¡­


    "Hayden¡­Ahhh¡­" I moaned and cried out his name.


    "You¡¯re making a really sexy face. Look and see for yourself," Hayden urged seductively.


    I could see the erotic face that I was making in the mirror as our bodies moved together in rhythm. His cock pounded into me from below as I shook my hips up and down to ride on the length of his cock. Lewd wet sounds filled the room along with our moans of passion. His cock rammed into my hot wetness as I cried out in abandon. My hips moved like it had a will of its own.


    I couldn¡¯t stop my body from grinding and bouncing up and down on his cock.


    My breasts jiggled up and down along with my body. The sight of me riding Hayden wildly in the mirror was unbelievable. I had no idea that I looked like that. I lookedpletely crazy andpletely consumed by my own desire for him. In the mirror, I could see where we were joined.


    I witness his cock sliding out of my wet hole before quickly disappearing back into it as he thrusted his fat dick back into my cunt.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 275: Still With Me

    "Ahh! So good¡­" I moaned as my hips began moving faster and harder.


    I felt his cock hitting me deeper inside as it pounded against the sensitive pleasure spot deep inside of me. His hands began pumping my breasts together. Hayden¡¯s seemed lost in his own pleasure as hisrge hands continued to massage my breasts before ying hard with my nipples. I watched everything reflected in the mirror.


    Hayden¡¯s hands held my legs spread side open as he thrusted his thick cock into my cunt from below. His cock hit me deep and hard inside while I cried out his name louder and louder. I was panting hard as I rode his cock.


    "Hayden¡­Hayden¡­" I cried out his name as I continued riding hard on his cock.


    It felt so amazingly good. The pleasure was driving me crazy, and my body couldn¡¯t stop moving on top of him. Hayden thrusted faster and harder into me and my insides felt like it was melting from his heat. His hand reached down in between my legs and began stimting my clit and parting the folds of my pussy.


    I watched his fingers parting my pussy in the mirror as his cock continued pounding in and out of my hole.


    The sight turned me on, and my pussy clenched hard around his thick cock as my pussy got hotter and wetter inside. I couldn¡¯t get enough of him. As if Hayden could feel my desire, he continued pumping his hard dick into me and I felt my legs feel weak. His cock pounded against my womb, and I whimpered and cried out. My climax was fast approaching, and I couldn¡¯t control my body anymore.


    My hips moved faster on top of his body, grinding my pussy down onto his cock.


    "Are you about to cum?" Hayden asked knowingly.


    I couldn¡¯t reply to him, so I just nodded my head. My pussy quivered uncontrobly around his cock as I felt my climax approaching. Hayden stroked my clit faster and harder while his cock thrusted deeper into me. His cock pounded against the sensitive spot deep inside of me and it wasn¡¯t long before my orgasm swallowed me whole. I came crying out his name as I threw my head back.


    My entire body spasmed and I lost myselfpletely to the pleasure.


    "That¡¯s a really nice face¡­" Hayden murmured close to my ear.


    His hands grabbed the sides of my waist as he pulled me down roughly on top of his cock. His cock hit me deep inside and I whimpered. Hayden continued driving his cock into my hot wetness. I could see my bodyying limp in his arms as his hips continued thrusting into me from below. I spread my legs further apart for him as I clenched my pussy hard around his cock to give him even more pleasure.


    I knew that he was close to his release, and I wanted to make sure that he felt good too.


    "Malissa¡­" he groaned my name as his cock pumped into me one final time.


    His cock twitched wildly inside of me, and I moaned softly when I felt the heat of his seed erupting deep inside of my pussy hole. Hayden groaned loudly as his hands reached up to grab my breasts roughly while his cock continued to empty his load into me. I could feel his heat spreading in my lower abdomen as he flooded me.


    It felt so good to connect with him again and I prayed that he would not leave me again. I closed my eyes in bliss while my lips whispered his name lovingly.


    ¡­


    I opened my eyes to find that the room was very dark. That didn¡¯t mean that it was nighttime since the room was underground. It could simply mean that the lights were off. My eyes darted around in the darkness as it tried to adjust to theck of light.


    I couldn¡¯t make out much but when I recalled that I fell asleep on the bed with Hayden after our rough love making sessionst night, my hands began feeling around to see if he was still on the bed with me.


    Surprisingly, my hand reached out and found the warmth of Hayden¡¯s bodyying very close to mine. That was when I realized that Hayden had spent the night with me. It had been too long since we¡¯ve gone to bed together and I took a moment to appreciate the fact that we have reconnected somewhat. I didn¡¯t know how long I slept for and because of that, I had no idea what time it was.


    Hesitantly, I reached out my hand and touched what I thought must be his arm softly. I was scared that I would wake him if I moved too much.


    Hayden did not stir, and I breathed a soft sigh of relief that I didn¡¯t wake him up. I closed my eyes again after deciding to try my best to go back to sleep.


    "Are you awake?"


    My eyes snapped open again in the darkness at Hayden¡¯s sudden question. He sounded sleeping but his arms had started reaching out for me and soon my body was being pulled into his warm and tight embrace. His arms pulled my body against his firmly. I let out a surprise cry when my breasts pressed against his hard chest. His arms held me in ce, and I could feel his steady heartbeat against my ear.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name.


    Hayden made a small grunting sound as he snuggled closer to me. His familiar smell enveloped me along with the heat of his naked body. The firm muscles of his hard body pressed against mine as he began reaching up to stroke my long hair. I guess I ended up waking Hayden in the end, although he didn¡¯t seem to mind. I prayed that he would be in a good mood when he fully woke up.


    "Do you want to get up or do you want to cuddle some more?" Hayden asked, still sounding a little sleepy.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 276: Secret Attention

    His hand began stroking my back up and down and a soft moan escaped my lips. Hayden chuckled teasingly close to my ear as he enjoyed my reaction to his tender caresses. I guess my desperate prayers were answered because Hayden seemed to be in an unusually good mood. I wondered what had happened to initiate such a change in him.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t mind not knowing as long as he continued to treat me so lovingly. His hand slid lower from my back to trace the curve of my waist before proceeding even lower to stroke the curve of my hips and then my buttocks.


    My body started squirming against his in response to his seductive caresses as my moans got louder by the second. If this continues, we¡¯ll probably end up doing it again although we¡¯ve just had sexst night. His touches on my body quickly got bolder and my breathing starteding out as shallow pants as desire started to cloud my mind.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name sweetly.


    Suddenly, the sound of a very familiar ringtone cut through the peaceful silence of the room. I didn¡¯t know whether to curse at the bad timing or to count myself as lucky and spared when Hayden¡¯s phone started ringing. He normally would put the phone on silent, so I wasn¡¯t sure if he had simply forgotten or if he had decided to keep the sound on purpose. Regardless, the result was the same.


    Hayden¡¯s hands left my turned-on body and began reaching for his phone while I took in deep breaths to calm the fire that was raging in my throbbing core.


    "What do you want?" Hayden spoke through the phone once the line connected.


    I couldn¡¯t hear the person on the other side of the line but the annoyance in Hayden¡¯s tone was as in as day.


    "I don¡¯t really care what you decide to do," Hayden said coldly.


    There was a pause as Hayden seemed to be listening to what the other person was saying. Whatever that person was saying, Hayden didn¡¯t seem to like it. After a moment of silence, Hayden sighed, and I could feel the bed shifting as he sat up on the bed. Feeling slightly panicked, I also sat up in bed next to Hayden.


    "It¡¯s not safe. I won¡¯t allow it," Hayden said without hesitation.


    I had no idea what he was talking about or who he was talking to. My eyes widened in the dark as curiosity flooded my braincells in wonder. What won¡¯t he allow? What wasn¡¯t safe? Safe for who or what?


    "I can¡¯t exactly stop you so do whatever you want," Hayden said emotionlessly before he hung up the phone.


    A thudding sound sounded, and I realized that Hayden had tossed his phone somewhere before he got out of bed. Hayden was clearly not in the mood to finish what he had just started, and I knew better than to ask him about that phone call just now. His focus hadpletely shifted and soon the light flooded the room.


    Hayden was stillpletely naked, and my eyes focused on the beautiful muscles of his back when my eyes had adjusted to the bright light. I sat up in bed with the covers still covering my naked body as my eyes travelled down his back to admire his beautiful and firm buttocks. He¡¯s so beautiful. Even his ass is beautiful.


    "Harvey called," Hayden said passively without turning to face me.


    My mouth hung open and I was immediately thankful that he did not turn around to see my dumbfounded expression. Did he just tell me about the phone call? I didn¡¯t even have to ask, not that I had any fancy ns to ask him about it.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled, still in shock.


    "I don¡¯t have any clothes down here¡­shit¡­" Haydenined before swearing as he paced around the room naked.


    He was right. He didn¡¯t have any clothes down here.


    "Can you get Auntie or one of the maids to deliver some of your clothes?" I suggested.


    "No. No one has ess to this floor and this room except for my father, Harvey and me," Hayden replied as he flexed his neck from side to side.


    If that¡¯s the case, then¡­


    "Who¡¯s been delivering me food all this time?" I asked cluelessly.


    I had always thought that it was the maids but if they didn¡¯t have ess to this room then¡­


    It couldn¡¯t be¡­


    "Did you deliver my food?" I asked aftering to the only usible conclusion.


    I couldn¡¯t quite see Harvey or the boss delivering my meals to me, so the only option left after going through the process of elimination was Hayden.


    "It was quite entertaining to see your disappointed look each time you came out to wheel the trolley inside," Hayden teased.


    "So, you¡­really delivered my meals?" I asked still inpletely disbelief.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t cook or prepare it," Hayden said with a smallugh.


    That wasn¡¯t the point at all. Three meals were delivered to me daily starting with breakfast, lunch and then ending with dinner. If Hayden delivered those meals to me then, he must have been here somewhere close by all day long?


    "You didn¡¯t go to work?" I asked with sudden realization.


    "I need to get some clothes¡­" Hayden muttered, ignoring my question.


    While I was struggling with how to feel about the fact that Hayden had somehow been taking care of me secretly while I was locked up in here, Hayden had picked up his phone and had started calling someone.


    "Bring me some clothes," Hayden said emotionlessly into the phone.


    If only three people could ess this ce, then he¡¯s probably calling Harvey. After all, I didn¡¯t think that Hayden would call his father to deliver him some clothes.


    "They won¡¯t realize if you don¡¯t say too much to them. Just go to my bedroom and get me some clothes," Hayden demanded before hanging up.


    "Will it really be ok for Harvey to walk around the mansion?" I asked, feeling a little worried.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 277: His Troubles

    "This isn¡¯t the first and won¡¯t be thest time that he¡¯s going to do this. No one will find out. Even you had a hard time distinguishing between the two of us at first, right?" Hayden said carefreely.


    That was sort of true but¡­


    "From the photo, I guess you¡¯re right, but I could tell almost right away when I met Harvey that he wasn¡¯t you," I replied.


    "Harvey¡¯s going to be here soon. I suggest you stop worrying about him and focus on getting some clothes on," Hayden said as his eyes moved from my face down to my hand that was still clutching the sheets to cover my naked chest.


    I had to admit that he was right.


    ¡­


    By the time that Harvey arrived, I was dress up well enough to greet him. The door slid open, and Harvey walked in proudly. As always, Harvey was dressed in a very simr style to Hayden and the way he styled his hair was the same. Looking up and down his profile, I had to admit that they really did look alike.


    With the effort that Harvey had obviously put in to look like his younger brother, I was certain that the staff couldn¡¯t tell them apart.


    "Here are your clothes¡­" Harvey saidzily as he tossed some clothes at Hayden.


    "Did you run into anyone?" Hayden asked while sounding bored.


    "No. Can you put some clothes on now¡­please..." Harvey replied as he sat himself down on a chair and waved Hayden away.


    I watched Hayden¡¯s naked back as he walked into the bathroom. It was strange but I had started getting used to seeing Hayden naked. Hayden did have a habit of walking about naked, and I guess Harvey didn¡¯t enjoy seeing his brother like that. Harvey let out a sigh after Hayden had disappeared into the bathroom. He seemed drained of energy and there were dark circles under his eyes.


    The two brothers seemed a little tired as ofte and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was something that was bothering them.


    "You look a little tired¡­" I said softly as I tried to gauge Harvey¡¯s reaction.


    "If you want to know what¡¯s going on, you have to ask Hayden. But you¡¯re right, we¡¯re both tired," Harvey replied very directly.


    Right¡­


    "You really can¡¯t tell me anything?" I whispered just in case Hayden might hear us.


    "He explicitly told me not to tell you anything and I was forced to agree to his request. So that is that," Harvey said before shrugging helplessly.


    "I see. Well then that can¡¯t be helped¡­" I said regretfully.


    "What can¡¯t be helped?" Hayden asked as he walked back into the room.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Harvey did it intentionally but the clothes that he had picked out for Hayden looked very simr to the ones that he was wearing. The style, the color, the pattern, and everything was very simr.


    "Umm¡­it¡¯s nothing¡­" I replied before smiling at him to cover things up.


    He didn¡¯t just here everything that I said to Harvey, did he?


    "Malissa was asking if something is wrong because she¡¯d observed that we both look tired," Harvey summarized royally well to his brother.


    My eyes bulged at how quickly he had spilled the beans. Did I have to tell him directly that I didn¡¯t actually want Hayden to know what we were talking about? Plus, I wasn¡¯t mentally prepared to ask Hayden about what was going on. I sneaked a small peek in Hayden¡¯s direction and saw that his face had settled into a stern look.


    "There¡¯s something that you want to ask?" Hayden asked as his icy blue eyes focused on my face.


    I wanted to disintegrate into thin air while I cursed Harvey for putting me right on the spot like this. What do I say now?


    "Umm¡­Harvey¡¯s right. I just thought that you two looked tired and stressed outtely¡­so I was wondering about the cause of it¡­and if there¡¯s something that I can do to help," I said hesitantly.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes remained glued to my face as he slowly took in my words. His expression did not change, and I had no idea what his reaction was to my honest question. I nced nervously in Harvey¡¯s direction to beg for his help with my eyes. Harvey¡¯s eyes met mine and he smiled innocently at me before quickly looking away. It was clear that he had no intention whatsoever in helping me.


    "There are some decisions that Harvey and I need to make. It doesn¡¯t concern you and there is nothing for you to worry about," Hayden replied tly.


    "Ok¡­" I mumbled as I nodded my head slightly.


    Harvey¡¯s eyes returned to my face, and I could tell by the look on his face that what Hayden said wasn¡¯t entirely true. Harvey looked like he had something that he wanted to say but then quickly decided against it before he looked away from me again.


    "Malissa, can I borrow Hayden for a bit?" Harvey asked before smiling sweetly at me.


    "Oh, sure. Of course¡­" I replied as I tried my best not to stutter.


    "Thank you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring him right back to you when we¡¯re done talking," Harvey said reassuringly.


    "Aha¡­" I mumbled as I nodded in acknowledgement.


    "Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s no need to put this off any further," Hayden said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.


    I watched silently as the two men made their way out of the room. Before the door closedpletely behind them, Hayden turned around and looked directly at me.


    "Wait here. I¡¯ll be back soon," he said.


    If I wasn¡¯t daydreaming or simply imagining things, then there must have been some warmth and gentleness in Hayden¡¯s voice just now.


    The door closed firmly behind them, and the automatic mechanism locked the door immediately. I had no idea what the brothers had to talk about, but it seemed important. Anxiousness and curiosity filled me, and I had no remedy for it apart from Hayden¡¯s parting words to give mefort.


    I had a few things that I needed to get Hayden¡¯s permission for, and I decided to use the time that he was away to gather up my courage to talk to him properly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 278: Private Agreement

    After leaving Malissa¡¯s room the two brothers made their way to Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion where they could have their conversation without any disturbances. Harvey sat down on the sofa before stretching his arms above his head. Hayden took the seat opposite from his brother but didn¡¯t say anything.


    "Do you still believe in peace, Hayden?" Harvey asked, getting right to the point.


    "I¡¯m not sure¡­" Hayden replied.


    "Amelia believed in peace. She believed in it so much that it started rubbing off on me," Harvey said beforeughing softly.


    His eyes travelled to the various portraits of Amelia that hung from the walls as if he was recalling memories of her. Hayden followed his brother¡¯s gaze as his blue eyes passively took in Amelia¡¯s beauty.


    "That was my fault¡­" Hayden whispered, his tone heavy with regret.


    Harvey¡¯s eyes returned to his brother before he shook his head slowly from side to side.


    "Maybe it was or maybe it wasn¡¯t. No one knows and it¡¯s up to you what you want to believe," Harvey replied calmly.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have told her anything¡­" Hayden muttered.


    Harvey smiled sadly at his brother before his gaze shifted to a portrait of Amelia. After a while of staring silently at it, Harvey turned to look directly at Hayden.


    "I got this paintingmissioned when I made up my mind to marry Amelia. She probably thought that I proposed to her on a whim but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. I thought long and hard about it. I even consulted our old man about it. She wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told her that, though¡­" Harvey said casually.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes travelled to the painting that his brother was referring to. Much to his surprise, the painting depicted Amelia with her eyes closed with a serene smile on her face while her hands were bounded together by deep green vines of red roses with sharp thorns.


    "I guess this was after you locked her up in one of the rooms underground for a few days and she survived?" Hayden asked mockingly.


    "Correct. Sometimes, I think you¡¯re being too nice to Malissa but then I¡¯m not so sure," Harvey said, only half-jokingly.


    "So, why are you telling me all this?" Hayden asked.


    After seeing that his brother had taken a look at the painting, Harvey decided to continue with what he wanted to say.


    "It¡¯s not easy being a mafia¡¯s woman and our dead mother is great proof of that. Casual dating is fine, and all good but serious rtionships and marriage is difficult. Then there¡¯s the whole issue on producing the heir to take over the gang," Harvey said with a sigh.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes rested on the small trickles of blood oozing out from the wounds on Amelia¡¯s arms in the painting. He imagined her pain and recognized the contrast of that against the peaceful and serene smile that Amelia has on her lips.


    "Content and willing to bear the pain¡­" Hayden surmised softly with his eyes still resting on Amelia¡¯s face in the painting.


    "Correct," Harvey reaffirmed.


    "Is that what you¡¯re worried about? The session line?" Hayden said as he started to frown.


    "Partly. I would be lying if I told you that I don¡¯t worry about that at all. I¡¯m not like you. Ipletely side with our father on this one. This gang needs an heir to properly secure the future for the gang and all its members," Harvey said as his eyes narrowed at Hayden.


    "I see¡­" Hayden murmured.


    "I know we were not raised the same but trust me when I say this. I¡¯m very worried about you and Malissa¡­" Harvey said solemnly.


    "She won¡¯t¡­end up like Amelia. I won¡¯t end up making the same mistakes," Hayden stated resolutely.


    "Don¡¯t me yourself too much. Amelia wouldn¡¯t like that," Harvey said quickly.


    "My beliefs almost got her killed¡­" Hayden said before closing his eyes in pain.


    "Don¡¯t overestimate yourself. It wasn¡¯t your beliefs; it was her own beliefs. Amelia has her own beliefs and things that she wanted to fight for¡­" Harvey replied with a faraway look in his eyes.


    "But if I didn¡¯t talk to her about bringing about peace between the gangs, she may not have gotten so involved," Hayden murmured sadly.


    "She was engaged to the heir of Silva. It doesn¡¯t matter what you said or didn¡¯t say, she was already involved. Amelia and I, we both knew that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to cut her ties with Silva. Both Ethan and his father are hard to deal with," Harvey stated matter-of-factly.


    "But still¡­" Hayden murmured, still notpletely convinced.


    "We knew that our decision came with a price, and we were willing to pay it," Harvey said decisively.


    "Amelia never should have ended up like this¡­" Hayden muttered as he looked away.


    "But she did. It¡¯s not your fault," Harvey said sadly.


    "I don¡¯t know what I should do anymore¡­" Hayden admitted with a loud sigh.


    "I don¡¯t know what you should do either but what about what you want to do?" Harvey asked.


    "What I want to do¡­" Hayden said softly as if thinking to himself.


    Harvey watched his younger brother as he seemed to struggle with his own thoughts. If anything, Harvey wanted Hayden to understand what he wanted even if it was different from what he should do.


    "I know that I¡¯m running out of time," Harvey spoke up after a while.


    "She might wake up so please don¡¯t give up on her," Hayden said in an attempt tofort his brother.


    "I won¡¯t ever give up on her. I can¡¯t¡­but you don¡¯t need to lie to me. You¡¯re a doctor after all. You don¡¯t think that she¡¯ll wake up, right?" Harvey said knowingly.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­" Hayden mumbled.


    "We¡¯ll stick to the same deadline. If Amelia doesn¡¯t regain her consciousness by then, I¡¯ll let her go," Harvey said tly.


    "Harvey¡­" Hayden whispered in shock.


    "It¡¯s fine. Amelia¡¯s been officially dead for a long time now. We¡¯re just going to make reality match the papers," Harvey said before smiling sadly at his brother.


    "You¡¯ll be forced to marry someone else if you decide to take over. The old man isn¡¯t going to give up on securing an heir," Hayden reminded his brother.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 279: Indecisive

    "I know that. Sorry for putting you and Malissa through this. I¡¯m such a selfish brother¡­" Harvey apologized sadly.


    "You are¡­but I don¡¯t mind," Hayden quickly replied.


    "Thank you, Hayden¡­" Harvey thanked his brother warmly.


    Hayden didn¡¯t know what to say anymore so he just nodded at his brother. The conversation died down, but it seemed like Harvey wanted to discuss something else. Hayden waited patiently for his brother to start the conversation that they couldn¡¯t keep avoiding anymore.


    "About Ethan¡¯s request to meet with you and Malissa, what will you do?" Harvey asked as his eyes stared sharply at Hayden.


    "I won¡¯t allow it. I won¡¯t let the two of them meet even if I¡¯m present," Hayden replied without a second thought.


    "Even if she wants to meet him?" Harvey challenged.


    "Why would she want to meet him? She has no reason to," Hayden snapped back as a frown formed between his brows.


    Harvey could tell that he was rubbing Hayden the wrong way; however, this issue concerned more than Hayden¡¯s rtionship with Malissa, and he couldn¡¯t afford to back down from this.


    "I hate how you¡¯re not telling Malissa anything and I¡¯m sure that she hates not knowing anything," Harvey expressed his concern.


    "If I tell her too much, she¡¯ll get herself more than half killed just like Amelia¡­or worse¡­" Hayden retorted.


    "How long are you nning to keep her locked up down there?" Harvey asked as he quirked a brow at Hayden.


    "Not long¡­" Hayden replied vaguely.


    "Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overreacting about all this? I know you were mad at her for entering my wing of my mansion but the real reason you locked her up is because you¡¯re scared that she¡¯ll get in touch with Ethan, right?" Harvey stated his educated guess.


    "He did ask to see her. That crazy bastard¡­" Hayden muttered darkly.


    "I hate the Silvas and if I was the way I was before I met Amelia, I would annihte them by force. However, I think you should talk to Ethan and see what he really wants," Harvey suggested with a serious look on his face.


    "I already know what he wants," Hayden stated with certainty.


    "That spoiled boy doesn¡¯t want me to head Torex. He was the happiest when I supposedly died. Ethan was always fond of the idea of his friend taking over Torex," Harvey said before grinning at Hayden.


    "I was never fond of that idea¡­" Hayden replied.


    "Peace between the two gangs led by the two boys that he chose. That was the dream that Jack had. It doesn¡¯t hurt to hear Ethan out. Maybe Torex can benefit from some mini peace treaty so that we can move on and focus more on raking in cash," Harvey said dreamily.


    "Always the businessman, aren¡¯t you?" Hayden teased, although he was half serious.


    "Of course. I told you that I was trained differently," Harvey said followed by a chuckle.


    "I don¡¯t want to get Malissa involved," Hayden stated tly.


    "Just like Amelia, she¡¯s been involved ever since the day that she was born. Despite Jack¡¯ste efforts in trying to separate her from the gang, I sort of always knew that she would end up back here. She grew up well, I can tell¡­" Harvey said calmly.


    "I¡¯ll think about it¡­" Hayden said softly.


    "If you decide not to go, do you think I could go as your stand-in body double? Do you think Ethan can tell us apart?" Harvey asked with a curious expression on his face.


    "Don¡¯t you dare think about it¡­" Hayden warned as his eyes narrowed at his brother.


    Harvey looked at his brother¡¯s scornful face and burst outughing loudly. Hayden couldn¡¯t tell if Harvey was being serious or if he was just joking; however, it wasn¡¯t worth the risk to test Harvey and his wicked ideas.


    ¡­


    That night Hayden returned to my room looking quite moody. Whatever he talked to his brother about probably didn¡¯t go well and he wasn¡¯t bothered to hide it from me. After entering the room, Hayden immediately headed for the bed and sat on it.


    He nced over at me before gesturing with his hand for me to join him. Wordlessly, I sat next to him on the bed with my legs curled up under me as I waited for him to say something. From the look on his face, it seemed like he had something that he wanted to say but he was hesitating to say it.


    "Hayden¡­" I called out his name questioningly as I stared at his face.


    "Mind if I stay the night?" he asked as he turned to look straight at me.


    His clear blue eyes met mine and once again, I couldn¡¯t look away from his intense gaze. Honestly, I was surprised that Hayden wanted to spend the night with me here instead of going back to his room. What surprised me even more was the fact that he was asking.


    "You can stay¡­" I replied softly as I felt my blood rush to my cheeks.


    "Thank you¡­" Hayden murmured.


    His arms wrapped around my shoulders as he pulled me into a warm and tight hug. I was hugging him back tightly before I knew what was going on. He kissed my hair and then my ear, making my body tremble slightly in his arms. I could smell his familiar scent and the heat of his body on mine. Slowly, Hayden pushed me onto the bed and got on top of me.


    "What are you thinking about?" I asked softly.


    Unlike the many times that we¡¯ve done it before, Hayden¡¯s eyes seemed unfocused like his mind was elsewhere and there were many emotions that I couldn¡¯t read in his eyes apart from his desire to have his way with me.


    "You¡­" he replied in short before his lips sealed mine in a heated kiss.


    His demanding and aggressive kiss surprised me, but it wasn¡¯t unpleasant. I raised my hands up and wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him closer before running my fingers through his blond hair. Hayden must have liked it because he started moaning softly into our wet kiss as his tongue danced wildly within the depths of my mouth.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 280: I Want to Know

    I started kissing him back like it was the most natural thing to do as his hands began a slow travel down the curves of my body. My mind struggled as it juggled the pleasure of Hayden¡¯s passionate kiss with my own thoughts. I wondered what he meant when he said that he was thinking of me. What was Hayden thinking about or was it all just a figure of speech?


    "What are you thinking about?" he asked softly after he broke our kiss.


    My mind was already quite hazy, and I was panting hard as I stared up at his curious blue eyes that were looking down at me. Hayden was asking me the same question that I had just asked him before, and I found that a little funny.


    "You¡­I was thinking of what you¡¯re really thinking¡­" I replied honestly.


    "Do you really want to know?" Hayden asked and I wasn¡¯t sure if he was serious or if he was just teasing me.


    The way he smiled down at me told me that it was probably a mix of both. I held my breath as I prayed that he would tell me something¡­anything. Hayden seemed more rxed than before as if he had just solved a challenging puzzle. Either that, or he¡¯s made up his mind about something that I waspletely oblivious about.


    Seeing that I haven¡¯t yet said anything in response, Hayden¡¯s hands began to leisurely undress me. I let him do whatever he wanted and lifted my arms up above my head for him to pull the short night gown off over my head. The slightly cool air brushed against my naked body, and I felt my nipples hardened.


    I could feel Hayden¡¯s gaze on my chest before his gaze travelled downwards to the in of my stomach.


    "I want to know¡­" I replied.


    His blue eyes quickly returned to meet mine and I was convinced that he would tell me something. I didn¡¯t mind what it was or how insignificant it may be. I wanted to know what he was thinking, and if possible, what was going on.


    Hayden had a thoughtful look on his face as his fingertips began tracing my corbones softly before slowly dipping down to tease the sensitive skin between my breasts. I let out a soft moan as my breast rose up and down from my breathing. I could feel his eyes on my breasts and my nipples hardened even further.


    I wasn¡¯t used to Hayden taking things slow but the pleasure that he invoked in me felt so sweet when hisrge hands gentled cupped and massaged my breasts.


    A soft moan escaped me as Hayden continued to y around expertly with my breasts. His hands felt hot on my soft womanly flesh, and I cried out when his fingers began pinching my nipples yfully. I could feel his eyes watching me and all my reactions.


    My nipples grew so taunt that they began to hurt a little as Hayden continued pinching on them and then rolling them in between his skillful fingertips. My body felt hot as desire flooded my entire being from the twin perks that he was ying with.


    "Hayden¡­" I murmured his name as I closed my eyes and bit my lower lip to deal with the pleasure that was rapidly building inside of me.


    Hayden didn¡¯t reply to me, instead he lowered his head and engulf one of my nipples into his warm and wet mouth. I cried out at the pleasure of his attack as my hands were automatically in his soft blond hair. My mind was in aplete daze by this point, and I couldn¡¯t think straight about anything anymore. My hands clutched at his hair as Hayden began sucking on my nipple.


    The pressure of his sucking on my nipple was driving me insane and my body began writhing under him from the pleasure.


    Hayden continued massaging and pumping my other breast with his other hand while his mouth continued to suck and then lick my nipple. Lust clouded my mind as desire took over my body. My pussy throbbed with heat and need. My hips began moving beneath him and I knew that I had started to get very wet down there.


    By the time Hayden¡¯s lips left my nipples, my entire body felt void of energy. Iy on the bed as Hayden gazed down at me from above. He really does look like an angel¡­but a troubled one.


    My eyes widened when Hayden removed his clothes in swift motions that left his upper body bare. I took in a breath at the sight of his beautiful body. That was when I realized that we were doing it with the lights on and bright in the room. I must have made a face because Hayden grinned down at me as his hands moved down to his undo his pants.


    Things were really getting out of hand, and I realized that I haven¡¯t received answers to any of my questions. Despite what I was thinking my eyes couldn¡¯t look away from the sight of Hayden magnificent body. Hayden removed himself away from me just enough for him to strip himself naked. Then his hands were on my bare legs as he stroked it up and down seductively.


    "Hayden¡­wait¡­" I murmured as I tried to gather myst ounce of sanity.


    For some reason, I felt like this had happened before and I was scared that if we didn¡¯t talk now, he would change his mind. If I don¡¯t talk to him now, we¡¯ll end up going all the way and then when I wake up, he would probably be gone.


    "What is it?" Hayden asked although I had a sense that he already knew what I was referring to.


    I was speechless as my eyes fell to the thick and long upstanding pole in between his legs that he had freed from the constraints of his clothes. My mouth went dry and the pleasurable ache in my lower abdomen intensified.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 281: His Invitation

    Hayden grinned at me, and I found myself blushing hard as I tried to avert my eyes away from his rock-hard cock. I felt his hands on my inner thighs before he started spreading my legs apart. A moan left my lips as I felt my pussy opening being stretched. His hands continued to part and lift my legs while I continued to moan.


    "Hayden¡­please tell me what¡­is on your mind¡­" I asked without turning to look his way.


    I knew that Hayden heard me although I hadn¡¯t spoken very loudly because his hand stilled. Slowly, I turned my head back to face him and found that he had a hesitant look on his face as if he was pondering what to say. I watched as his beautiful lips opened as if it was all happening in slow motion.


    For a split of second, I regretted asking him about it and I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to hear what he had to say anymore. However, it was all toote to have any doubts or hesitation now.


    "Ethan asked to have a talk with me¡­and requested that I bring you along¡­" Hayden said before smiling a little at me from above.


    Ethan wants to talk to Hayden, and he wants to see me too?


    I hadn¡¯t expected that to be the issue on Hayden¡¯s mind. Honestly, I never thought that Ethan would request for something like this. Judging from Hayden¡¯s reaction, he didn¡¯t share my surprise at all. It didn¡¯t take long for me to figure out the reasons that could be behind Ethan¡¯s request to talk to Hayden. However, I had no idea why he wanted me to be there as well.


    If the matter was about the politics between their two gangs, wouldn¡¯t it be better to have the talk without me there?


    "Surprised?" Hayden asked with a lowugh.


    I could tell that he didn¡¯t really find it funny. He was right, though. I was beyond surprised that I was requested to join them. However, I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to be there. When the two of them met, they became too intense for me to handle, and I could tell that this time wouldn¡¯t be any different.


    "I don¡¯t see why Ethan would want to have me there¡­" I mumbled as my mind raced to find a usible reason.


    It wasn¡¯t like Ethan to do something randomly without a good reason and I had a hard time believing that he would request for me to join simply because he wanted to see my face after all this time. Once again, I was confused about what these two men were thinking.


    "Really? Maybe he misses you," Hayden said as his blue eyes watched me intently.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what reaction he was expecting to see but I knew that I had to be on my guard. Hayden had just returned to me, and I cannot risk him disappearing on me again. It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to see Ethan either; however, I was curious about what he had in mind.


    "I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t miss him¡­at all¡­" I replied sternly as my brows knitted together.


    "Don¡¯t look so troubled," Hayden said as he reached out arge and warm hand to pat the top of my headfortingly.


    It was easy for him to say. My own stress aside, it was clear that this issue was big enough to worry both Hayden and his elder brother. Ethan probably wanted to discuss forming some type of partnership between the gangs. The bigger question for me was: Why do I have to be there?


    "Is he going to talk about uniting or some partnership between the gangs?" I asked in a small voice.


    "Probably¡­" Hayden replied without pause.


    Although he said probably, I had a feeling that he meant ¡¯certainly¡¯ instead. That would exin why the two brothers seemed concerned about it. I couldn¡¯t imagine Harvey being this concerned if it was just some personal matter between his younger brother and his childhood ymate.


    "I don¡¯t understand why he would want me there¡­" I mumbled as my confusion began taking over.


    Did Ethan tell me something before that I missed¡­or forgot¡­?


    "Will youe along with me?" Hayden asked as he looked at me with a serious look in his eyes.


    Hayden had always been full of surprises both pleasant and scary ones and once again he did not fail to surprise me. He¡¯s asking me if I wanted toe along with him instead of ordering me to do so? I actually had a choice this time. His question sounded more like an invitation rather than an order and I wasn¡¯t sure how to react to that at first.


    What should I do?


    "I didn¡¯t want to tell you this before, but you did press me for answers. Now, you can think of your response¡­while we¡­" Hayden said before his eyes dropped to the wet mess in between my widely spread legs.


    Instinctively I began closing my legs together. As if he had anticipated my move, Hayden¡¯s hands held my legs firmly in ce to prevent them from closing. My mind was so engaged in conversation with Hayden that it slipped my mind that I wasying under him with my legs spread embarrassingly wide apart. I felt hot heat rush to my cheek, and I could no longer meet his eyes.


    Hayden must have seen how embarrassed I was because he beganughing at me. Hisugh truly transformed his face and I loved it when he smiled even if it was at my expense.


    "Hayden¡­" I began protesting.


    "There¡¯s no need to rush. You can tell me what you¡¯ve decided after I¡¯m done fucking you," Hayden said carefreely as his hand moved up my inner thigh towards the wetness in between my legs.


    "Ahhh¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned before whimpering his name when his fingers reached the slippering slit in between my legs.


    His fingers found my wetness and I closed my eyes in bliss as he began expertly stroking it. His fingers ran along the wet folds of my pussy, and I felt my pussy clenched and tremble in response to his seductive touch. It always felt so good when he touches me there and this time felt even better than before.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 282: Pleasure and Thoughts

    My body grew hotter at his touch and the throbbing ache in between my legs quickly became unbearable. I knew that I wanted him to enter me right then and there.


    "You¡¯re very wet¡­" Hayden said observantly as his fingers continued to stroke me there.


    His words and the way that his blue eyes were looking at me turned me on more than before and I could feel my pussy getting wetter as if it wanted to make his words even more true. My entire body shivered, and I moaned loudly when his fingers finally found the small bud of pleasure in between my legs. Hayden¡¯s eyes darkened with desire as he watched me react to his pleasurable teasing.


    His fingers pushed against my swollen clit before he began massaging it in fast circr motions.


    "Ahh! Oh¡­Hayden!" I cried out as I threw my head back.


    My hips began moving about as it tried to thrust my sensitive clit against his fingers. It felt so good to feel his fingers stroking and pushing against my clit. My pussy clenched in rhythm to his fingers pleasuring me there. It wasn¡¯t long before I squirted my love juices onto his fingers as my pussy got wetter for him. I wanted him to take me already, but I was too stubborn to beg him for it.


    Although Hayden had instructed me to think about my response to his invitation, I couldn¡¯t think of anything at all when he started caressing me in earnest.


    I gasped loudly as my eyes flew open wide when I felt his long fingers suddenly thrusting into my sopping wet love hole. With one deft thrust, Hayden buried the entire length of his fingers inside of me before he began feeling around my love hole.


    "It¡¯s hot inside¡­you should be ready now¡­" Hayden said as his fingers probed around inside of me.


    My pussy clenched greedily around his fingers as I moaned from the pleasurable stimtion. I knew that I was very wet from the lewd wet noises resulting from his fingers moving around inside of my love hole. My body felt like it was on fire, and I couldn¡¯t wait to be one with him. My hips continued moving against his hand, rocking my pussy walls against his fingers.


    "Please¡­" I begged softly for him to take me.


    With a satisfied grin, Hayden began sliding his fingers out of my wet pussy. I sighed as his fingers rubbed against my pussy walls on its way out. My pussy was throbbing with desire as it looked forward to being filled and stretched by something thicker, longer, and more powerful. Guided purely by desire and instinct, I began spreading my legs even further apart for him.


    "Don¡¯t be so impatient¡­" Hayden teased me softly.


    Despite my efforts to spread my legs willingly for him, he didn¡¯t seem satisfied with the position that I had put myself in. Hayden¡¯s blue eyes were on me before a small smile curved his lips. I could see the desire in his eyes and his hands on my naked thighs were hot. Hayden grabbed my legs and pulled them upwards before positioning them on his shoulders.


    He moved his body even closer to mine and I could feel the heat of his hardness against my pussy.


    "Hayden¡­" I moaned softly.


    Hayden grinded his hips against mine mercilessly and I cried out at the blissful pleasure of his hardness rubbing against my wet opening. My fingers dug into the mattress of the bed as my body writhed under his. I had no idea how I was supposed to figure out my answer to Hayden¡¯s invitation with lust and my desire for him clouding up my mind.


    For now, I just wanted to get closer to him and ease some of his worry with my body.


    Hayden continued teasing me without entering me and I was quickly approaching my limit. I needed his thick cock inside of me now and I knew that he was well aware of that. I called out his name as I thrusted my hips upwards towards him. His hardened cock rubbed against my wet slit as we continued to grind our sex together.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­I can¡¯t wait anymore¡­" I begged shamelessly for him to enter me.


    "I can¡¯t be gentle," Hayden warned.


    Without stopping to think, I quickly nodded my head a few times in acknowledgement and consent. I wanted him inside of me and if that meant that I had to deal with his forceful lovemaking, then that was a price that I was more than willing to pay.


    "Ahh! Ahh¡­Hay¡­den¡­" I cried out and whimpered as my pussy clenched intensely.


    Hayden thrusted his massive cock fast and deep inside of me, filling me all the way in a single thrust. The pleasure was too much for me to handle and I cried out at the satisfaction of my pussy hole being stretched and filled. My pussy clenched tightly around the length of his cock as it relished in the joy of having him inside.


    Hayden let out a groan before I felt his cock withdrawing from my love hole. He reared back and plunged his cock back into my hole, making me cry out even louder than before. Just like he had warned, his thrusts were powerful and intense. Hisrge hand grabbed my thighs as he continued to pound his enormous rod in and out of my wet hole.


    Each thrust felt deeper and harder than thest and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from crying out louder and louder.


    "You¡¯re very loud. Does it feel that good already?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    "It feels good¡­" I replied softly before turning away in embarrassment.


    Surprisingly, Hayden didn¡¯t reprimand me for looking away from him. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else when his cock thrusted deeper and faster into me. His hands pressed my thighs together and suddenly I could feel more of him inside of my pussy hole. I could feel his cock sliding along my pussy wall as he pulled out and pounded into me.


    His cock felt hot, and I was sure that his cock just expanded inside of me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 283: Letting Me Decide

    It felt so good. It was like he was heating up and melting my insides. My pussy grew wetter and lewd wet noises of his cock stirring up my wetness got even louder as we continued to mate. I coved my mouth with my hand as my moans and cries quickly turned into wild screaming.


    The pleasure of Hayden¡¯s cock thrusting deep against my pleasure spot and my womb was getting too much for me to handle and all I could do was scream.


    Hayden didn¡¯t hold back as he pumped his thick cock in and out of my hole without any signs of stopping. I could tell from the desire in his eyes and the heat of his cock that he was enjoying himself. I gave myself to him without holding back with the hope that we would be even more connected.


    In times like these when I felt like I could do anything for Hayden, I knew that I was hopelessly in love with him.


    "Hayden¡­it¡¯s¡­too deep¡­" I moaned and panted.


    His cock felt bigger inside of me, and his thrusts felt like it would tear me in two. The intensity of his thrusts as he entered me left my mind nk and my legs feeling weak. My body trembled as my pussy spasmed around his cock. Each thrust made me feel like I was on the verge of cumming. I cried out his name over and over again as he continued to fuck my hole with his gigantic shaft.


    "Bear with it," hemanded without slowing down his assaults into my flooded pussy hole.


    Hisrge hands slid down my legs and under my ass before lifting it off the bed. Hayden moved even closer to me as he tilted my ass to angle my pussy hole for even deeper pration. When he reared his hips back and pumped his cock into me again, I screamed from the pleasure that exploded inside of my hole. My pussy squirted more love juices onto his dick as he pounded into me from this new angle.


    "No...please¡­I¡¯m going to lose my mind¡­" I pleaded for his mercy.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the incoherent sounds of pleasure that was escaping my mouth as I struggled to deal with the pleasure that was filling all my senses. Hayden didn¡¯t stop his wild thrusts into my pussy. He was merciless and my body was enjoying his loving attention. I felt like I could climax at anytime now and I decided to let everything go and lose myself in him.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m cumming¡­ahhh!" I cried out as my entire body spasmed from the impact of my own orgasm.


    I found it hard to breath as I panted harder while my mind and body felt light. The calm feeling after my orgasm when everything seemed so clear quickly followed as Iy on the bed. I could feel Hayden¡¯s relentless cock pounding into my hole and knew that he was close to his release. Opening my eyes a little, I could see Hayden looking down at my face and I smiled a little at him in response.


    "Your pussy feels so good¡­" Hayden growled as he reared his hips back before plunging into me again.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name seductively as I clenched my pussy around his cock.


    If he keeps hitting my pleasure spot with his cock like this, I was sure that I would climax again in no time at all and perhaps that was what Hayden wanted. Hayden¡¯s growl got louder as his movements became more desperate. Our bodies pped against each other in our race to get even closer to each other than we already were.


    His thick cock dived into my hot wetness as we both moaned and cried out each other names in our desperate ecstasy.


    "I¡¯m cumming! Hayden!" I cried out as I orgasmed once more.


    This time Hayden also reached the peak of his passion along with me. As my pussy clenched around his cock, his cock began twitching wildly before it shot loads of his hot seed deep into my love tunnel. I could feel the heat of his release everywhere as he flooded my love hole with his seed. I moaned softly as we rocked our hips together.


    I had a hard time remembering how I reached my decision regarding his invitation for us to meet Ethan but somehow the answer came clearly to me after I settled back down to earth from the height of my second climax.


    ¡­


    "I think that we should go to talk things out with Ethan together¡­" I said softly but firmly.


    I had my head pillowed on Hayden¡¯s firm chest as he ran his fingers yfully through my hair. Hayden seemed to tense a little at my words before he took in a deep breath and his body rxed once more. We wereying in bed together as we enjoyed the afterglow of the hot steamy sex that we just had earlier.


    "Are you sure?" Hayden asked.


    It was as if he didn¡¯t believe that I had thought things through properly. Perhaps he was right. I haven¡¯t really thought things through, but my gut feeling told me that I should follow my instinct and meet up with Ethan. That was probably the fastest way for me to learn and understand anything that was going on.


    Ethan told me many times before that he wanted to unite the two gangs, although, I had no idea how I could realistically help him achieve that vision.


    Peace and partnerships are supposed to be a good thing, right?


    "Yes. At least, I want to hear what he has to say," I replied, still holding my ground.


    "I see¡­" Hayden mumbled as his hand absentmindedly stroked my hair gently.


    "What about you? What do you think?" I asked as I angled my face to nce up at Hayden¡¯s.


    "I don¡¯t think you should go. I also don¡¯t want to listen to what that guy has to say," Hayden replied solemnly.


    It was clear that our point of view did not align; however, the fact that he had invited me to go along with him just like Ethan had requested meant that he was leaving the decision up to me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 284: Riddles in Bed

    "What if I told you that I still want to go even though you don¡¯t want me to?" I asked as I tried to keep my voice from shaking.


    "I¡¯ll take you along," Hayden replied emotionlessly.


    "Really?" I asked without bothering to hide my disbelief.


    "Yes. That¡¯s what Harvey thinks that I should do as well¡­" Hayden said before letting out a long sigh.


    That made me realize that the talk that Hayden had with Harvey must have been about this. That didn¡¯t give me any insights as to why Harvey thought that I should go along with Hayden, though. I wondered what the two brothers were thinking and then my mind drifted back to wonder about what Ethan was thinking.


    "I guess¡­I¡¯m not so sure why Ethan would want me to be there¡­" I admitted in a small voice.


    "He probably thinks that having you there will help convince me to do what he wants," Hayden replied, clearly displeased.


    "Will it?" I asked, curiously.


    Hayden looked straight and me before his eyes narrowed dangerously. I shouldn¡¯t have asked that.


    "It won¡¯t," he replied before turning away.


    I guess I¡¯ve said more than I should have, and I was overestimating myself if I thought that I could change Hayden¡¯s minds or any of his beliefs. In the end, I was the one who probably stepped over the line.


    "I¡¯m sorry¡­" I apologized softly.


    I could feel the muscles of his chest and arm stiffen before he let out a soft sigh and turned his head back my way. His blues eyes met mine and the gentleness in them had returned to my utmost relief.


    "You don¡¯t truly understand the role that you y in this, do you?" Hayden asked as his blue eyes held mine.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve been trying to solve this whole riddle all by myself and the ones who held the clues did very little to help me.


    "Care to educate me a little on the issue?" I asked, once again trying my luck.


    "I don¡¯t really understand what Ethan is thinking and I don¡¯t want to. He¡¯s crazy and it doesn¡¯t make sense to try to understand a crazy person," Hayden said as he stared up at the room¡¯s ceiling.


    I followed his gaze as my eyes nced up at the mirror ceiling above. The image of usying together in bed greeted me and I was pleasantly surprised to see how close we were. Hayden¡¯s arm around me pulled me even closer to him.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled.


    "That doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t have my guesses as to what he¡¯s thinking. When Ethan was young, he pretty much agreed to everything that Jack told him and everything that Jack wanted¡­" Hayden said before trailing off.


    "But¡­thing have changed?" I stated my guess.


    "Definitely. He grew up and although he must be obsessed with your father, he¡¯s started to think on his own and I know for a fact that he¡¯se up with different ways to achieve Jack¡¯s vision¡­even if somethings go against what Jack wanted¡­" Hayden exined his theory without much passion.


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked, not quite fully understanding what he meant.


    "For instance, Jack doesn¡¯t want you involved in the mafia world. Ethan either doesn¡¯t care about that or he has decided that he wants to involve you. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here now¡­" Hayden exined.


    "I¡¯m definitely here now¡­" I replied. That¡¯s for sure.


    I waited for Hayden to further exin what I didn¡¯t understand especially the role that I yed in all of this. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t imagine what role I could possibly have in this issue between the two gangs. In my point of view, I was a very insignificant figure withpletely no influence on anything or anyone. Perhaps, I had a little influence on Hayden when he was in a good mood.


    "I told you before that Jack wanted me to be a doctor. That pretty much meant that he didn¡¯t want me to be involved much with the gang after my brother seeding my father¡¯s role," Hayden said, and his hand began stroking the small hair around my ear again.


    He must have been doing it absentmindedly, so he probably didn¡¯t know just how soothing I found his gentle caresses. I snuggled closer to him as I paid even closer attention to his words.


    "It¡¯s a guess on my part but Ethan probably wants me to take over Torex. That is what Harvey believes in as well. Ethan became a lot more active in gang matters after news of my brother¡¯s death spread like wildfire after his supposedly passing. Since my father had a second son, which is me, it didn¡¯t impact Torex¡¯s standing much because the line of session was still secured," Hayden exined.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I was getting this right but if I had to guess the direction where this was headed then¡­


    "Ethan wanted to unite the two gangs after he heard that you will be taking over?" I asked as I lifted my head in surprise.


    "Correct. Although he knew that Jack didn¡¯t want me to be too involved, Ethan probably thought of it as the perfect opportunity to make Jack¡¯s dream of uniting the two gangse true. The two gangs led by the boys that he brought up or something like that¡­" Hayden said.


    I could sense the disgust that he had at the thought. In a very twisted way, I guess I could see why Ethan came up with the idea that he did. However, there was a very important piece of information that Ethan and the world doesn¡¯t know: Harvey is still very much alive.


    "But¡­Harvey is still alive¡­" I murmured as my brows furrowed in a mix of frustration and confusion.


    "Exactly¡­" Hayden said before he startedughing.


    I lifted my head up and stared down at Hayden¡¯sughing face. His chest and body shook at the impact as he continued tough even harder. I wasn¡¯t certain of what Hayden was thinking or seeing while heughed like that because I couldn¡¯t find anything in this whole mess funny.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 285: Good to be Back

    "Well, all in all, that¡¯s probably what Ethan wants¡­" Hayden said in summary after his bouts ofughter had died down.


    "I guess we¡¯ll find out for sure when we meet him," I replied as I tried my best to stay calm.


    In response to my words, Hayden just nodded. It didn¡¯t seem like he had anything more to say nor did he want to discuss this any further. I appreciated the time and effort he put in to tell me the things that he did today and decided not to push him any further. However, Hayden didn¡¯t end up telling me what I wanted to know the most. What I wanted to know the most wasn¡¯t what Ethan wanted.


    I wanted to know what Hayden wanted out of all of this.


    What did he want for himself? Does the future that he¡¯s thinking of include me at all?


    "By the way, when are we meeting Ethan?" I asked after realizing that I didn¡¯t know about the appointment date.


    "The day after tomorrow. You don¡¯t need to dress pretty," Hayden replied with an added joke.


    It wasn¡¯t like I was intending to dress to impress or anything like that. Still, I found myself smiling a little at Hayden¡¯s attempt at a joke. It was a pleasant surprise that this whole talk didn¡¯t put him in a rotten mood like it used to always did.


    "I¡¯ll turn up looking ugly, don¡¯t worry," I replied with a smallugh.


    After that, whenever I recalled Hayden¡¯sughter, I always wondered who would get thestugh out of all of this. My answers to the questions that Harvey had asked me still eluded me. If I had to make a choice, who would I want to take over Torex? Hayden or his elder brother?


    ¡­


    The following day marked the end of what I would like to call ¡¯my dark days¡¯ in the istion facility. Surprisingly, the two brothers were there to help with my move out of the underground room back to my rooms. I was more relieved than excited to regain some part of my territory back. On the other hand, Harvey seemed overly excited for my move.


    "I¡¯m excited and so happy for you but it¡¯s kind of sad that I¡¯ll be seeing you less¡­" Harvey said as he took my arm and pulled me to his side.


    Hayden instantly shot a look of pure annoyance at his brother that was hard for anyone to miss. With a soft sigh, Harvey let go of my arm as if he had just touched something forbidden. Now that I thought about it, Harvey had been spending quite a lot of time visiting me here and before that he befriended Little Hayden.


    It was hard for me to believe at first, but perhaps, Harvey was just lonely after spending years in the world of the dead all alone.


    "I guess you can¡¯te to see me anymore after I move back to my rooms¡­" I said softly.


    "That¡¯s right," Harvey replied followed by a slightly sad smile.


    "Don¡¯t let him get to you¡­" Hayden warned as he turned back around to face Harvey and me.


    "You don¡¯t have to be so mean to your brother¡­" Harvey retorted mockingly.


    "Umm¡­I guess I can visit you in your wing¡­if I¡¯m allowed," I suggested a little softly.


    It was hard for me to admit at first, but I did enjoy Harvey¡¯spany. On top of that, I felt very sorry for him and how he had to spend his life isted from everyone else just to keep his existence a secret.


    "That¡¯s great!" Harvey cried out happily.


    "I do not permit it" Hayden said sternly at around the same time.


    I shook my head from side to side as I watched the two brothers continuing with their argument. I should have known that something like this was bound to happen.


    "Malissa and other people in the mansion are not permitted to enter your wing of the mansion. That is the rule," Hayden stated firmly in Harvey¡¯s face.


    "She already found out that I¡¯m alive so what¡¯s the big deal?" Harvey replied calmly.


    "That is not the issue. It¡¯s bad enough that she¡¯s been in there once. Also, you should not be talking to her¡­" Hayden countered heatedly.


    "Why don¡¯t we just leave it to Malissa to decide? She can visit me if she wants to, right, Malissa?" Harvey asked as he looked directly at me.


    My eyes widened and I halted in my steps when his words thrusted me into the spotlight. I could feel Hayden¡¯s eyes on my face and my body froze. What am I supposed to say right now?


    "Umm¡­" I murmured in hesitation.


    "You¡¯ll visit me, right? We can y with Little Hayden together," Harvey said joyously.


    "She¡¯s not your ymate," Hayden warned.


    "Like I keep telling you, that¡¯s not for you to decide," Harvey spat back.


    The two kept on arguing until we reached Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion. This was an unfamiliar path to me and that made me realize that it only made sense that there is passageway from Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion to the underground floor. How else could Harvey have visited me otherwise?


    "I guess this is where we part ways for today. Don¡¯t forget toe visit me and bring Little Hayden along too," Harvey said with a charming smile.


    "I already told you that she won¡¯t be visiting," Hayden readily cut in.


    Not knowing what to say, I just smiled at Harvey before turning to Hayden. He gave me a funny look before turning on his heels and headed towards the exit of Harvey¡¯s wing. After leaving Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion, I would be back to the main part of the mansion where I was used to. Hopefully, this would be the start of getting my old life back.


    "Oh, Malissa¡­" Auntie said, clearly shocked to see me walking around with Hayden in the mansion.


    "She¡¯s back," Hayden stated without bothering to exin anything.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 286: Not Quite an Invitation

    I¡¯m back although I wasn¡¯t ever really gone from the mansion. Auntie looked from Hayden to me and then back to Hayden again. I was sure that she had a million questions that she wanted to ask us, but in the end, she just smiled and nodded.


    "Wee back, Malissa. I¡¯m so happy to have you back," Auntie said with a touching smile.


    "Thank you, Auntie¡­" I replied vaguely before smiling at her.


    Auntie knew better than to ask unnecessary questions. I could tell that she was genuinely happy that I was back and the same could be said about how I felt.


    "Little Hayden is with one of the maids in the garden. You don¡¯t have to worry about that little guy," Auntie told me with a reassuring smile as if she could read my mind.


    "Thank you for taking care of him," I thanked her and made a mental note to myself to thank the other maids as well.


    "Let¡¯s go," Hayden said impatiently as he pulled on my hand.


    I turned to wave at Auntie before Hayden dragged me away from the old woman. Although I knew where my rooms were Hayden was insistent on dragging me by the hand until we arrived there. It hadn¡¯t been that long since I wasst here, so I was surprised by how much I missed the ce. It felt like I have been away for years and couldn¡¯t wait to move back in.


    Looking around the sitting room, I could see that nothing had changed at all since thest time that I was here, and I guessed that the same applied to the other rooms.


    "Mymissions¡­" I whispered when my eyes fell on the door leading to the art studio.


    Being too over the moon happy about being let out of my solidary confinement, I had momentarily forgotten the implications of me being set free. I could now roam around the mansion like before and now that I was moving back to my rooms, I also had ess to my art studio, art tools, paintings and that meant that I could resume working on mymissions.


    A loud gasp escaped my lips at the sudden realization. Why didn¡¯t I think of this before?


    "Finally, I can go back to work on mymissions. I need to get in touch with my clients right away¡­" I mumbled to myself as I headed straight for the art studio.


    "Not so fast¡­" Hayden said from right behind me and I could feel his tight grip around my wrist.


    "What do you mean? I can go back to work on my artmissions now, right?" I asked, confused as I turned around to face him.


    "Don¡¯t worry. The clients all know that you were sick and to expect some dys in theirmission works," Hayden exined calmly.


    Seriously, he has toe up with something else other than my fake sickness as an excuse for my absence from everything in life. First it was the art ss and now I was ¡¯sick¡¯ and couldn¡¯t work on mymissions as well?


    "Well, I¡¯m not ¡¯sick¡¯ anymore so I should contact them and let them know that I¡¯ll be working on theirmissions now," I replied as I tried to keep my emotions at bay.


    One of these days, I¡¯m going to figure out a way to make Hayden understand that he can¡¯t just meddle with my entire life like this. That day wouldn¡¯t be today because I didn¡¯t want to risk being thrown back into that room underground again.


    Hayden stared at me for a moment before he seemed to give in. His grip on my wrist rxed before he let go of me. I waited for a moment because I knew that he had something that he wanted to say to me.


    "Don¡¯t over work yourself. You should rest and sleep well¡­we need to fly to meet up with Ethan," Hayden informed me solemnly.


    We need to fly? Are we going somewhere far away from here?


    "Oh, thanks for letting me know. I promise not to work too much. I¡¯ll just reach out to my clients and let them know that theirmissions areing along. I just want to reassure them as a way to reassure myself¡­" I said before smiling a little at him.


    Hayden just nodded before he turned to leave. I breathed out a breath that I had been holding as I watched his back while he walked away from me. When he reached the door, Hayden turned around to look at me again.


    "Have dinner with me in my room," Hayden said, and it wasn¡¯t an invitation.


    "Of course¡­" I replied.


    Without another word, Hayden turned around and strode out of the room. The door closed firmly behind him, but it didn¡¯t lock. I guess I have regained back some of my hard-earned freedom from before. Just to make sure, after he was gone, I walked towards the door and opened it. The door opened without any issues and there were no men in ck standing guard outside. I almostughed and cried in joy.


    I have not lost everything that I worked so hard to gain.


    I spent the entire day reconnecting with my life once again. Sorting and replying to emails from my clients. Reviewing the progress of eachmission work to remind myself where I have left off. Checking my art tools to make sure that I had enough for everything. I never knew that it was this tiring to settle back down into my old routine and it wasn¡¯t like I was gone for that long either.


    Being an artist is tough, grandma.


    A sad smile touched my lips when I thought of what she would tell me whenever Iined, which wasn¡¯t very often. In my mind, I could hear her voice and her words. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s a lot better than being unemployed. I closed my eyes and offered her a prayer with the hope that she is doing well wherever she is now.


    Then, I prayed for her to lend me even just a fraction of her strength so that I could get through the uing encounter with Ethan.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 287: Special Occasion

    "Master Hayden is waiting to have dinner with you in his sitting room," Auntie informed me after poking her head into my art studio.


    "Oh, right¡­it¡¯s dinner time already¡­" I murmured as I nced at the clock.


    I had been working so hard that I hadn¡¯t realized that so much time had passed by already. Quickly, I got up from my seat before following Auntie out the door.


    "You don¡¯t have to walk me there, you know. I can get there just fine by myself," I told the old woman who seemed persistent on escorting me to Hayden¡¯s room.


    "I¡¯m sure you can but if I don¡¯t do this then I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m still employed," Auntie replied with a grin.


    "Well, if you insist¡­" I replied with a smallugh.


    Auntie seemed proud to escort me to Hayden¡¯s room and I gave her the pleasure of doing so. We shared small talks all the way there and I realized how much I missed herpany. When we arrived, Auntie opened the door for me even though it wasn¡¯t necessary.


    "Thank you so much," I thanked her.


    "You¡¯re more than weed. Now, quickly head inside," Auntie said encouragingly.


    I stepped into the room and the door rapidly closed firmly behind me. Auntie did not join me inside the room, and I found that slightly strange; however, I didn¡¯t have much time to dwell on that thought. The fantastically decorated long dinner table caught my eye and my mouth hung open.


    What is this?


    "Why do you look so shocked?" Hayden spoke up.


    My head turned immediately towards his voice, and I saw him approaching the table. My eyes returned to the table again as Hayden took his usual seat at the dining table. The sight of Hayden sitting at the overly decorate table felt out of ce. It wasn¡¯t Christmas or anything worth celebrating today so I had no idea what the special asion was.


    "Umm¡­did you prepare this?" I asked in a shaky voice as I approached the table.


    "No. You did," he replied.


    Me?


    "I did¡­what?" I asked, cluelessly.


    "You prepared this," Hayden replied as he gestured with his hand at the decoration on the table and around the room.


    "No, I¡­didn¡¯t¡­do this¡­" I replied hesitantly.


    Unless I lost a part of my memory, I did not remember decorating this room or getting it decorated like this. The work here was professional level and there was no way that I could achieve something as borate as this even if I tried my hardest.


    "That¡¯s strange¡­Auntie did mention that you wanted to have a special dinner of some sort with me here¡­" Hayden said thoughtfully as he cocked his head slightly to one side.


    A special dinner¡­


    "Oh, I remember now!" I blurted as I finally connected the dots together.


    Hayden chuckled before he grinned at me with a slightly mischievous glint in his blue eyes. I cursed myself silently for taking too long to realize what this dinner set up was for.


    "Little Hayden ran into the pathway to Harvey¡¯s wing while I was on my way here to check up on the decoration that Auntie was working on. After that, you know¡­so yeah, I didn¡¯t get a chance to see it, so I didn¡¯t realize that it turned out to be¡­this over-the-top borate. I mean, it looks great and I¡¯m very thankful¡­but¡­" I said while stuttering.


    What am I going on and on about? Why am I suddenly so nervous?


    I never thought that Auntie would do something so amazing like this. She probably went over the top and hired some professionals to decorate the ce when I asked her to help prepare a special dinner for us. The more surprising thing was that the whole set up was still here after all that time that I spent locked up in the room underground. Did Hayden decide to leave it all here?


    "Shall we have dinner?" he asked.


    "Yeah¡­we should¡­" I mumbled, still feeling a little lost.


    I shook my head a little to clear my thoughts before approaching my regr seat at the table which was opposite Hayden¡¯s. Hayden called my name softly when my hand reached the back of the chair. I looked up at him to see him gesturing for me to go to him with the crook of his finger. My hand slipped down from the back of the chair at the change of ns.


    After walking around the long table to his side, I stood at his side as I waited for him to instruct me on what I should do next. Wordlessly, Hayden patted hisp with hisrge hand as his blue eyes teased me.


    "I thought we would be having dinner¡­" I mumbled.


    "I¡¯ll feed you¡­if you¡¯re hungry," he replied casually.


    I pursed my lips together before lowering my bottom onto hisp just like how he wanted. Hisrge hand grabbed the sides of my hips and settled me down onto hisp before he began caressing my waist and the in of my stomach with his left hand. My eyes tried to focus on taking in the vast variety of food on the table to distract myself from being too conscious of his closeness.


    "Don¡¯t act so nervous. Your whole body is stiff¡­and I don¡¯t like it," Hayden said with a hint of warning in his tone.


    I would have rxed my entire body for him if it was that easy to achieve. Taking in deep breaths seemed to help me calm down a little and soon I started feeling quitefortable on hisp with his arms around my body.


    "What¡¯s the special asion?" Hayden asked from behind me.


    His question caught me off guard and it took me a few seconds to realize that he was probably referring to the original purpose of this special dinner.


    "It¡¯s not really a big deal or anything¡­" I mumbled softly.


    The real reason that I wanted to celebrate was because I got my first payment for my firstmission work since moving to this mansion. However, the amount isn¡¯t anything to brag about and definitely not to someone like Hayden. For a moment, the cause of my celebration seemed normal and insignificant that I didn¡¯t want to tell him about it.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 288: His Gift for Me

    "Tell me," Hayden ordered.


    "It¡¯s nothing important¡­really¡­" I murmured.


    The warmth of hisrge hand trailing up from my stomach towards my breasts made me stop talking as I sucked in a breath to keep myself from moaning. Hayden traced his beautiful fingers over the curve of my breast before proceeding upwards until his fingers curled around my neck. Although his touch was light, I couldn¡¯t breathe from my own nervousness.


    "Tell me," he repeated hismand once again and I knew that he wasn¡¯t willing to wait any longer.


    "The truth is¡­I received the first payment for mymission work so¡­I thought that we could have a dinner to celebrate or something like that. Of course, I didn¡¯t expect Auntie to go over the top with the decoration like this when I told her about my idea. I had something¡­a lot simpler and homier in mind¡­" I confessed shyly.


    "I don¡¯t mind some shy decoration. Anything that Auntie does goes to my bills anyways," Hayden said with a chuckle.


    "Please don¡¯t say it like that. It makes me feel even worst for wasting your money on something so unnecessary," I mumbled softly.


    It did ur to me that perhaps the decoration costed more than the money that I made on mymission work, and it was more than true that it wasing out of Hayden¡¯s bank ount.


    "There¡¯s no need for you to feel guilty. I have loads of money for you to waste," Hayden said before smiling down at me.


    "Money should not be wasted," I said stiffly.


    I doubt that Hayden truly understood what that meant, though. He justughed louder at me as his arms hugged me closer against hisrger frame.


    "I honestly don¡¯t understand your sense of humor¡­" Iined softly.


    "I have a gift for you," he said after hisughing subsided somewhat.


    "For me?" I asked.


    "For you," he repeated.


    "What¡¯s the asion?" I asked curiously.


    "Hmm¡­to repay you for arranging such a wonderful dinner," Hayden said after some thought.


    "Like I said, I didn¡¯t prepare any of this¡­" I quickly corrected him.


    "And they say that it¡¯s the thought that counts," he replied, clearly not caring about what I thought.


    Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door. My entire body froze at the unexpected knock. My first thought was wondering who it could be. Then my face blushed red as heat rushed up to my face when my second thought made me realize that I was still sitting on Hayden¡¯sp.


    "Wait¡­" I mumbled as I tried to get up.


    "Come in!" Hayden called out loudly as his arms held me in ce.


    A man dressed head to toe in ck opened the door and walked in. I was so embarrassed with the position that I was in that I didn¡¯t know what kind of face to make. If the man was surprised at what he saw, he didn¡¯t show it at all. His face was an emotionless mask as he approached the dining table where we were seated.


    He bowed once before cing a medium-sized box of dark blue velvet on the dining table.


    "Thank you. You may leave," Hayden said, clearly pleased.


    The man bowed once again before turning and walking away from the way that he came. I was thankful that his visit was a brief one. Once the man had left the room, my attention turned curiously to the velvet box that the man had delivered. Is this the gift that Hayden was talking about? The box looked like a jewelry box but the size of it told me that it couldn¡¯t possibly be jewelry that was inside.


    The box was simply toorge for that.


    "Stay still¡­" Haydenmanded softly in my ear as his hand reached for a button of my shirt and began slipping it out of its hole.


    My body froze on hisp as my eyes widened at the sight of his beautiful and shapely fingers unbuttoning the front of my shirt. One by one, the button slipped out from its hole and more of my delicate skin was exposed from my corbone down to my chest and then my bra.


    "Why¡­why are you undressing me?" I asked.


    "You¡¯ll see soon enough," Hayden replied carefreely.


    Hayden pulled my shirt off me and after he had sessfully unbuttoned all the buttons. He wasn¡¯t in a rush, and he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. Humming a tune that I wasn¡¯t familiar with, his hands reached down to unbutton and unzip my jeans.


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name questioningly.


    I had no idea how this was rted to the gift that he wanted to give me. Hayden ced a finger on my lips to hush me as if my questions would ruin his mood. His hand traced a line up from my pelvis along my stomach to the center of my chest before he cupped both my breasts with hisrge hands over my bra and began squeezing them.


    I let out a soft cry at the pleasure of his hands massaging my breasts.


    "Your breasts are so soft, Malissa¡­" Hayden whispered seductively in my ear.


    His warm breath tickled my ear and it turned me on a lot more than before. Hayden¡¯s hands skillfully peeled the cups of my bra off my breasts before I felt the heat of his hand on my tits. My chest heaved up and down as I started breathing harder and faster.


    His direct touch on my breasts felt so pleasurable and small whimpering sounds left my lips as he began massaging my breasts a little more roughly. My body writhed on hisp as I thrusted my chest towards his hand, offering him my breast seductively.


    My body felt so turned on from his caresses and my nipples felt tight as it hardened. As if not wanting me to enjoy myself too much, Hayden¡¯s hands left my body.


    "Stand up," he instructed.


    Although I was confused, I did what he wanted me to. Slowly, I climbed off hisp and stood to the side as I waited to see what he was going to do. Hayden stood up and reached behind me to unhook my bra in one smooth motion.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 289: Playing Dress Up

    The unwanted garment fell from my chest down onto the floor at my feet. His hands were quickly pulling my jeans down my legs as he continued to strip me.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in wonder as I stood in front of him in nothing but mycey panties.


    My hands instinctively went to cover my breasts. At the same time, Hayden tugged my panties down over my hips and down my legs. He urged me to step out of my panties and now I stood in front of himpletely naked. His eyes roved along the length of my body and my body trembled even at just his heat gaze.


    "It should fit¡­" Hayden said decisively after some thought.


    What would fit?


    Turning away from me for a moment, Hayden reached for the velvet box and opened it. He didn¡¯t say that I couldn¡¯t peek so that was precisely what I did. So far all of Hayden¡¯s gifts to me have been expensive and extremely impressive but even the glimpse of what I managed to see took my breath away.


    Hayden gingerly lifted the content of the box up before turning to face me again as he presented to me my gift. My eyes widened and my hands flew over my mouth in my amazement. I¡¯ve only seen something like this on television and never in real life.


    "You like it? I thought it was pretty," Hayden said casually.


    "Pretty¡­" I repeated what he just said as my mind still reeled from shock.


    Hayden held in front of me a bra made entirely of gold with intricate patterns featuring diamond studded flowers and deep blue sapphire decorations. I have always wondered how supermodels chosen to wear such thing managed to wear it and how it strange it must feel. Never have I thought that I would get the opportunity to try something like this on.


    "I¡¯ll help you put it on," Hayden offered with a sweet smile while I was still recovering from my shock.


    Still in a daze, I lifted my arms up enough so that Hayden could slide the straps of the bra on my shoulders. He circled around my body to secure the bra in ce from behind me. The coldness of the metal against my skin made me wince and my body tremble a little.


    "I guess the gold does feel a little cold. It should feel better soon¡­" Hayden said as if he could read my mind.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered in name in slight protest.


    "I thought it looked quite good on the model, but her breasts were quite t¡­yours are fuller. I¡¯m not wrong at all, it looks great on you," Hayden said as he stood in front of me.


    His eyes travelled down my body as if appraising my worth. His blue eyes narrowed, and his lips pursed into a thin line as if he was deep in thought.


    "This is a prime example of wasting money on unnecessary things¡­" I said as I pointed my index finger at the gold with diamonds and gems encrusted bra that I had on.


    "Happiness is hard toe by. I¡¯ll buy up as much as I can afford and I wouldn¡¯t call it a waste of money," Hayden retorted without pause.


    "This is just too much. This must have costed a fortune!" I eximed.


    "You can wear it for me every day while you get on your knees to serve me some red wine if you think that it¡¯ll make it more worth the price. It¡¯s underwear so they don¡¯t take returns," Hayden teased beforeughing some more.


    "That¡¯s not the point¡­" I murmured.


    "Oh, I almost forgot the matching G-string," Hayden said as he walked over to the box again.


    Hayden opened the box before gingerly lifting up the most precious-looking G-string that I have ever seen in my life. Honestly, it looked more like a piece of jewelry to be worn around the waist rather than something that would have any kind of function to protect or cover a woman¡¯s private part. Just like the matching bra, it was made of gold and had diamonds and gems everywhere.


    The decorative pieces were held in ce with a dark blue satin ribbon that seemed to match the color of the box where it was stored.


    "I don¡¯t think¡­" I began protesting softly before trailing off.


    Hayden approached me and ced a finger on my lips as his eyes narrowed at me. I decided to obey his silentmand for me to remain quiet. Hayden smiled as he carefully arranged the extremely outrageous G-string around my lower waist before tying the ribbon on either side to secure it in ce.


    "Part your legs a little¡­" Hayden instructed, and I did as I was told.


    To my astonishment, the final ribbon connected the front with the back by going in between my legs. Hayden seemed well educated on how this was supposed to be worn and I didn¡¯t want to know how he knew about these things so well. Without pause, Hayden¡¯s beautiful hand slipped between my legs to thread the ribbon between them before he tied it in a beautiful bow at the back of my ass.


    Hayden stood up straight and his eyes travelled slowly down the length of my body, focusing on the bra on my breasts and then the jewelry that was barely covering my pussy. He seemed to like what he was seeing because he smiled a little.


    "Turn around," Haydenmanded softly.


    Slowly, I turned around to show him my backside. I could feel rather than see his eyes on my body as he inspected the result of his handiwork.


    "You look enchantingly beautiful. Worth every cent. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll get a mirror delivered here so you can see yourself," Hayden said, and that idea seemed to excite him a lot.


    Before I could say anything, Hayden was on the phone with someone while he barked orders for that person to bring in arge full-length mirror. I looked down at the sparkling bra that I had on and then at the gem covering my lower abdomen and pussy before I sighed. It surprised me that ying dress-up with me could make Hayden seem so happy. Was he into these types of things?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 290: A Naughty Change

    My mind immediately conjured up memories of the paintings and photos that I saw of Amelia in Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion and my body shivered although the room wasn¡¯t particrly cold. Sure, the over-the-top lingerie set that I had on wasn¡¯t muchpared to all the costumes that Amelia had on in those paintings or photos, but I could see where this could possibly go.


    Hayden and his brother are different people so they may not share the same tastes, right?


    Please don¡¯t tell me that this quirk runs in the family. Please¡­please¡­please!


    I stood around not knowing what to do but it wasn¡¯t long before there was a soft tap on the door. Hayden walked towards the door immediately and I knew that the mirror that he ordered must have arrived already.


    Thankfully, Hayden didn¡¯t let whoever was here to deliver the mirror waltz right into the room to see me and my almost-naked body on disy in underwear encrusted in diamonds and precious gemstones.


    The mirror wasrge and sure enough it allowed me to see my reflection from head to toe. Hayden proudly nted the mirror in front of me before we both stared at my reflection reflected in the mirror. I had to say that seeing my entire body through the reflection gave me a very different view of what I looked likepared to when I was just staring down at my chest from above.


    My eyes widened and I sucked in a breath. The girl in the mirror looks sensual and very seductive. She doesn¡¯t match what I saw of myself at all.


    Have I changed that much just by putting this lingerie set on?


    Or¡­have I started changing because of Hayden and his influence on me?


    My initial thought was that I preferred the first option; however, on second thought, I wasn¡¯t so sure¡­


    "What do you think?" Hayden asked as he came to stand very close behind me.


    I could feel his breath close to my ear along with his body heat against my back as our eyes met in the mirror.


    "I¡­I think I look different¡­" I replied, picking my words wisely.


    "Different can be good," Hayden said with a nod of satisfaction.


    I wouldn¡¯t say that Ipletely disagreed with him. It would be fairer to say that I was half convinced. Maybe being with him had influenced me to change and I was waiting to see if that change was for the better or for worst. Maybe I¡¯ve grown and matured in more ways than one. My lips curved into a smile as I continued to stare into his beautiful blue eyes through the mirror.


    "Feels a little rough¡­" Hayden murmured as his hands cupped my breasts through the bra.


    "Too many rocks?" I asked teasingly.


    "Maybe¡­" Hayden replied softly.


    His hands applied more pressure as he squeezed my breasts and I moaned softly. It seemed like the bra couldn¡¯t stop Hayden from ying with my breasts the way that he wanted. I could feel his eyes watching my every reaction through our reflection in the mirror. Hisrge hands and long fingers cupped my breasts and the look in his eyes told me of his need and desire.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name softly.


    The metal dug slightly into my breasts as he applied even more force into his caresses as he pumped my breasts roughly with hisrge manly hands. My body began writhing against his as he pressed his body firmly against my back. I closed my eyes and moaned as our bodies pressed snuggly against each other.


    The wet and warm sensation of the tip of his tongue flicking along my earlobe made my eyes snap open before a loud moan escaped from me.


    Wherever he touched and licked me felt like it was burning. He made my body feel so hot as the me of desire started burning deep inside of my throbbing core. Hayden slowly traced a hand down the curves of my body from my breasts down my stomach before he started caressing the side of my waist and then my hips.


    "Ahh¡­Hay¡­den¡­" I moaned in bliss.


    "Look at the erotic face that you¡¯re making¡­you¡¯re really feeling this¡­" Hayden whispered seductively into my ear before he began sucking hard and loudly on my earlobe.


    His teeth sunk into my earlobe as he bit it softly. I felt a slightly stinging pain where his teeth had inflicted its pleasurable injury and I moaned from the intense sensation of his love. My mind felt hazy from my own desire to give myself over to him.


    "Look, your face is all flushed¡­" Haydenmanded.


    My eyes met his in the mirror before my sight strayed to take in the position that we were in and the erotic look that I had on my face as I took in the pleasure from Hayden¡¯s lewd teasing. Just like Hayden had describe, my cheeks were flushed a rosy pink color. Not only that, but I also had a dreamy look in my eyes as if I was drugged by pure pleasure.


    My lips were rosy pink and slightly parted as I panted and moaned to the rhythm of his hands caresses and teasing my body.


    I watched as my face contorted from lust and anticipation as his hand dipped lower down my body until it reached the heat in between my legs. My body writhed against his, thrusting my pelvis forward sharply into hisrge hand as I bit my lower lip and moaned in ecstasy. The decorative thong doing nothing to hide my pussy from his searching hand.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name before a loud moan slipped from my lips.


    My core throbbed with need that I knew that only he could help me fulfil. I clenched my legs closer together as my pussy walls clenched and spasmed in anticipation of the pleasure of his touch. I wanted him to touch me there. My pussy pulsated with heat, and I knew that I was already dripping wet with my love juices. He turned me on so much and my body reacted lightning fast to his seduction.


    It didn¡¯t take a lot of effort from Hayden to make my pussy wet and ready for him.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 291: Lusty Display

    His hand slipped around to cup my buttock before he squeezed them roughly, drawing more lewd moans from me. I threw my head back and cried out when his fingers delved into my hot wetness from behind. The single strand of ribbon was quickly pulled to the side so that his long and thick fingers could caress the wet slit in between my legs.


    "Your pussy is dripping wet already. You¡¯re wetting all the diamonds down here¡­" Hayden teased as his fingers stroked my slippery wetness.


    "Don¡¯t tease me¡­please¡­" I whimpered weakly.


    "I guess we have to keep this now that you¡¯ve sullied it with your juices¡­" Hayden continued teasing me mercilessly.


    His fingers continued stroking me there before he began paying loving attention to my sensitive clit. I cried out his name and realized that his eyes were watching me intently in the mirror. Heat rushed to my face as I blushed red at the lewd expression that I had on my face.


    I cried out loudly when his fingers suddenly pinched my clit, sending waves of pleasure throughout my entire body from the sensitive little seed in between my legs. My legs felt so weak, and I could barely stay standing up anymore.


    Hayden probably realized this because he put an arm around my waist to support me and hold my body against his. His other hand continued to roll my swollen clit between his fingertips in circr motions. My pussy clenched from the pleasure as I squirted more juices out into my love tunnel. I was so wet, and I could feel my pussy juices leaking out of my hole to wet my inner thighs.


    "Spread your legs¡­" Haydenmanded bluntly as he shoved his hand between my inner thighs to spread them.


    I closed my eyes in embarrassment, knowing full well what would happen if I spread my legs for him now. My juices are going to spurt out from my hole¡­


    "Wait¡­please¡­" I pleaded in a small voice.


    Hayden gave me an impatient look as he shook his head slightly in disapproval. I could tell that he didn¡¯t want to wait any longer.


    "There¡¯s no need to wait. Spread your legs now," hemanded sternly as his hand began tugging my legs apart.


    Slowly, I spread my legs apart before moaning softly at the sensation of the warm wetness squirting out of my hole before it trickled down my inner thighs. One look into the mirror and I knew that Hayden noticed this as well. His eyes were focused on the area between my legs as he watched my love juices spill out of my love hole.


    "You¡¯re so naughty. Trying to hide things from me. Let me see you squirt some more¡­" Hayden said in a low and cunning voice.


    "Wait!" I protested sharply when I felt his arm around my body, lifting me up.


    I had no idea what he had in mind. No one has ever done something like this to me before. This position was so new to me that I didn¡¯t know what he wanted at first. With one strong arm around my waist, Hayden lifted me up as he ced his thigh in between my legs and made me sit on it.


    "This way your pussy will stay widely spread," Hayden said with satisfaction.


    He held me tightly by the waist as his other hand pulled my thigh spread even further. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing in the mirror. How did he get me into this lewd position?


    I sat on Hayden¡¯s thigh as he held me by the waist to keep me up against his body with ease. My legs were widely spread apart, and I could feel his heated gaze on my pussy that was parted wide open and clearly on disy. I began struggling against his grip in my embarrassment at being so exposed to him.


    This is just too much and the exhibition-worthy underwear that I had on didn¡¯t help my case at all.


    "This is a good position. I can see your pussy clearly," Haydenmented with a satisfied grin.


    "No¡­it¡¯s so¡­embarrassing¡­" I muttered as I tried to turn my face away from the mirror.


    "You¡¯ll learn to love it," Hayden said with certainty and confidence.


    Without waiting for my response, his hand dived into the wetness of my core. His fingers pinched and flicked my swollen clit a couple of times as he watched my body writhe from the pleasure. It felt so good, and my mind was soon consumed by desire once again. My pussy quivered at his touch and my body began moving like it had a will of its own.


    My hips rocked, grinding my pussy against the thigh that he had wedge in between my legs for temporary relief. I wanted him inside of me.


    "Don¡¯t look away¡­look at how wet your pussy is¡­" Haydenmanded.


    I didn¡¯t dare turn my face around, but asmand, I nced down at the wet mess in between my legs. In response, Hayden¡¯s fingers parted my pussy lips so that I could see the slippery wetness leaking out from my pink pussy. I gasped at the sight of my pink hole spasming as he stroked my clit skillfully with his fingertip.


    "Your pussy is leaking; can you see that?" Hayden whispered close to my ear.


    I could feel my wetness squirting out of my love entrance without having to look at it with my eyes. Hayden¡¯s fingers stroked my entrance, and I was forced to see my milky release spilling onto his fingers and then, I closed my eyes in mortification.


    Instead of reprimanding me for squeezing my eyes tightly shut like I had expected him to do, Hayden justughed softly in my ear. His reaction surprised me, but I was d that he didn¡¯t decide to punish me further for it.


    Suddenly, I felt a stinging sensation as something prated sharply and deeply into my sopping wet hole and I realized that Hayden had thrusted his thick fingers into my cunt. My eyes snapped open as I cried out at the overwhelming pleasure of my hole being stretched and stroked by his fingers.


    "Look carefully, Malissa. My fingers are disappearing into your hole¡­" Hayden said in a voice dripping with lust.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 292: Possessiveness

    My eyes widened at the sight of two of his thick and long fingers sliding in and disappearing into my hole. It was like my pussy was hungrily devouring his fingers inside of me.


    I saw and then felt him enter me before I felt the sensation of his fingers sliding against my pussy walls as he thrusted them deeper inside of me. Then he slowly withdrew his fingers from my hole, and I saw his fingers remerging from my hole, it¡¯s surface wet and coated with my love honey.


    "Ahhh! Hayden¡­" I moaned as my hips began moving in a rhythm that matched that of his fingers thrusting in and out of my love hole.


    Our eyes met in the mirror, and I blushed in embarrassment again. My eyes fell to his fingers pumping in and out of my wet hole as he stirred up the wetness inside my love tunnel. My pussy felt so sensitive inside, and I cried out from the increase in pleasure when Hayden pounded his fingers faster and harder into my hole. My wetness leaked out and trickled down my ass crack to wet his pants.


    "Feels good? Your pussy is sucking in my fingers¡­" Hayden asked although he probably knew the answer from my reactions.


    I watched in a mix of shock and wonder as his fingers disappeared into my hole before reemerging once again. My hips thrusted around wildly as my pussy swallowed up his fingers and rocked against it. He knew about all the pleasure spots inside of my love tunnel and he made sure to stimte each one.


    Soon the waves of pleasure coursing through my body became too much for me to take and I cried out as I felt an intense orgasm threatening to swallow me whole.


    "Hay¡­den¡­I¡¯m cumming! I¡­I¡¯m cumming!" I screamed loudly as I threw my head back,pletely lost in the pleasure and intensity of my own climax.


    Hayden whispered loving words into my ear as he stroked my hair lovingly. He nted soft kisses on my hair and my cheek as I floated in the clouds up in my heaven of ecstasy. I never knew that watching him do these lewd things to my body could make me feel so good like this.


    His touch felt amazing already like it always did but seeing him embrace and love me while I felt the pleasure of his touch brought my desire to another level entirely. I wondered if Hayden knew that this would happen to me?


    I smiled a little to myself as I buried my face against his hard chest, thinking that he obviously knew. He was so evil and maniptive that there was no way that he wouldn¡¯t have known.


    "Are you looking forward to seeing Ethan tomorrow?" Hayden asked coldly.


    His sudden question brought me back down to earth at lightning speed as my mind raced to wrap itself around the question.


    What did he just say? Why is he asking this¡­and at a time like this?


    "Umm¡­no¡­" I replied, quite honestly.


    The arm and other support that he had around my body was gone in an instant and I felt the hard floor against the balls of my feet. Shocked at the suddenck of support, my weak legs struggled to support my own weight and my disorientated mind did not help at all. Just as I felt like I was going to fall face first onto the floor, Hayden grabbed my waist with one hand and my wrist with the other.


    "Thank you¡­" I turned my head around to thank him as relief flooded my body.


    However, it seemed like my thanks wasn¡¯t what Hayden was looking for. Before I realized what was happening to me, Hayden pulled my arm back as he pushed me by the waist down against the dining table where Inded face first. I was more shocked than hurt from this sudden change as I found myself bent over the luxuriously decorated dining table with my breasts pressed against its hard surface.


    I could feel Hayden¡¯s presence close behind me without having to turn around to take a look at him and I knew that his mood had more than soured. What did I do wrong this time? Why was he even thinking of Ethan at a time like this?


    The heat of his hand sunk into my naked ass as he grabbed it and then squeezed it firmly. I panted hard at both the pleasure and the panic that he made me feel. I already told him honestly that I wasn¡¯t looking forward to seeing Ethan. It was true.


    Although, I wanted to meet him to get some answers to what was going on, it wasn¡¯t like I was looking forward to meeting him the way that Hayden was implying.


    "Really? I thought you told me that you wanted to see him," Hayden asked suspiciously.


    I did say that but¡­


    "It¡¯s not like that¡­and you know it," I said as I tried to turn to face him.


    Why won¡¯t he understand?


    My attempt to get up was immediately stopped when hisrge hand pushed my back down onto the table. The bra¡¯s gold metal dug slightly into my skin as my breasts pressed up against it. This bra was clearly not made with the wearer¡¯sfort as one of the top priorities.


    "Do I?" Hayden asked coldly.


    His voice was void of emotions and I had a vague feeling that he was secretly very angry. Was it the things that I said or something that I did, I wasn¡¯t sure. He seemed worried about me meeting Ethan again and that wasn¡¯t very like him. Hayden couldn¡¯t possibly be feeling jealous or possessive, could he?


    The familiar sound of him loosening the buckle of his belt followed by the rapid unzipping sound of his pants brought my attention back to the current situation that I was in. I could hear Hayden impatiently stripping himself although I couldn¡¯t see him.


    In the next moment, Hayden was right behind me, and I could feel the heat of hisrge palms on my ass cheeks again as he began caressing them roughly.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name softly, knowing what was going toe next.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 293: Love Me Hard

    My pussy clenched in anticipation as if the previous climax wasn¡¯t enough to calm the fire of desire burning deep within my core. I gulped as I tried to calm myself down and prepare myself for his entrance which was obviously going to be forceful and rough.


    "Ahhh¡­" I moaned softly as I closed my eyes at the blissful sensation.


    His experienced fingers stroked my wetness, and I could feel my pussy getting even wetter than before. My body felt extra sensitive from the orgasm that I just had, and my pussy quivered at his touch. Hayden stroked my opening leisurely as he teased me for a short while before his fingers began spreading the folds of my pussy.


    I moaned deliciously at the sensation of my most feminine part being parted and then I felt the heat of the thick and swollen heat of his cock position itself in between my pussy lips.


    "Hayden¡­" I moaned his name as my hips began thrusting backwards invitingly.


    His cock probed my opening but did not enter and I was getting impatient from the wait. My body wanted him and so did my heart. I couldn¡¯t wait to be one with him. I wanted to give myself over to him so badly that my entire body trembled.


    "Can¡¯t wait any longer?" he teased.


    I nodded my head although I wasn¡¯t sure if he could see it as I moaned softly. My hips began moving back against his thick and hard cock as my body fantasized of having that massive hot rod thrusting fast and hard into me until I reached another mind-shattering orgasm.


    "Tell me how badly you want me to fuck you, Malissa," Haydenmanded in a low growl.


    "Please¡­Hayden¡­" I begged in a small voice.


    "Not good enough. Try again," he said coldly, the dissatisfaction clear in his voice.


    I had a good guess of what he wanted to hear from me, but it was extremely embarrassing to say. What should I do?


    "Three¡­" Hayden said.


    My eyes blinked rapidly when it struck me that he had started counting down and I didn¡¯t want to know what would happen when the countdown reached zero.


    "Fuck me¡­please¡­Hayden¡­" I pleaded softly.


    "I can¡¯t hear you," Hayden said, still unsatisfied with my efforts.


    "Fuck me. Please, just fuck me¡­" I said, louder and clearer this time.


    "What should I fuck you with this time? My fingers¡­or¡­" Hayden asked suggestively.


    I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes when I realized how far he was going to push me this time. My pussy throbbed with need, and I couldn¡¯t wait for him to fill me with his thick cock.


    "Fuck me with your cock. Please¡­fuck me with your cock¡­I want you inside me so badly¡­" I pleaded like my life depended on it.


    My body writhed on the table as I prayed that he would take some sympathy on me and give me what I wanted. From the thickness of his cock that was pressed against my opening, I knew that he wanted me too. He was so aroused, and his cock presented the most convincing evidence of that.


    "Good girl," Hayden said, finally satisfied with what he had heard.


    His hands grabbed the sides of my hips and held it firmly while I braced myself to take the force of his thrust into my wet cunt. The delicious and extremely satisfying sensation of his massive cock prating into my hole and filling me to the brim made me cry out loudly as my hips thrusted backwards towards his cock.


    Hayden buried his entire length into me all the way to the hilt of his cock with one powerful thrust.


    My pussy throbbed from the impact of his sudden entrance and my love opening stung at being stretch so suddenly by his gigantic size. I closed my eyes as my pussy clenched around his cock as it tried to adjust and remember his shape and size. A soft and satisfied moan escaped my lips as I relished in the joy of bing one with Hayden.


    "How should I fuck you today?" Hayden asked with his cock still buried deep inside my hole.


    He made it sound like he was merely asking me how I wanted my steak cooked. I have never experienced sex like this with anyone besides him. Was he truly expecting me to tell him how I wanted to be fucked?


    Hayden did not move his hips as he waited for my answer. It quickly became clear that he didn¡¯t intend to do anything more until I told him how I wanted him to give it to me.


    How do I want him to fuck me? I had no idea¡­


    "I¡­I don¡¯t know¡­" I replied shyly as my voice shook.


    "You know¡­because even I know your standard preferences," Hayden said with a chuckle.


    I felt a gentle pressure on the back of my waist and realized that Hayden had begun drawing a random pattern there with the tip of his fingertips as he waited too patiently for my answer.


    "Please¡­fuck me¡­hard¡­" I hissed through clenched teeth.


    I closed my eyes and bit hard on my lower lip to deal with my own humiliation. I can¡¯t believe I just said that out loud, but I couldn¡¯t bear the torture of his cock buried all the way inside me without him moving. I needed more and I needed it fast.


    "At your service, My Lady," Hayden said teasingly.


    Hayden reared back his hips and his cockpletely exited my love hole. I could feel the thickness the head of his cock at my entrance briefly before he pounded his entire length hard and deep into me. I cried out his name in shock at the roughness of his entrance. His cock hit my womb over and over again as he continued to m his manhood into me.


    "Ahh! Ahh! Ahhh!" I screamed loudly.


    My throat hurt but I couldn¡¯t stop letting out a cry each time Hayden¡¯s cock rammed deeply into me. My entire body rocked to the rhythm of his hips hitting against my body, driving his cock in and out of my wet cunt. He thrusts were so rough that it hurt quite a bit at first before my pussy adjusted to handle his powerful thrusts.


    My breasts pressed against the hard table top as he gripped my ass to position my love hole for even deeper pration.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 294: Freedom and Rules

    Hayden growled like an animal while he buried his massive cock into me. His cock felt so hot inside of my love tunnel and every thrust seemed to hit me deeper than before as his cock grew even thicker and longer inside of my cunt. His animalistic growls of lust and pleasure turned me on. I was thrilled that he wanted me and that I could give him so much pleasure.


    I clenched my pussy walls around his cock and Hayden let out another growl before he pulled his cock out of my hole just to plunge it back in, deeper and harder than before. Our bodies pped against each other as our sex made lewd wet noises.


    My pussy waspletely flooded with my lusty juices and his cock diving in and out of it made loud wet noises that echoed all around us along with our passionate moans.


    My hands reached out to clench at the tablecloth at my frenzy while I tried to deal with the endless pleasure coursing through my body. Hayden fucked me hard like I had wished for, and he showed no signs of stopping. Quickly, he was pushing me towards my limit. My mouth hung open as I panted and moaned. My mind was hazy with lust as my body responded wildly to his mating.


    My eyes couldn¡¯t focus on anything anymore.


    I was so close to cumming¡­


    "Hayden¡­" I called out his name as I felt my orgasm creeping up on me.


    "Let¡¯s cum together," Hayden said temptingly.


    It was an invitation that I was more than willing to ept. I wanted to feel him fill me up with his hot load while I climaxed off of his thick cock. My entire body spasmed as I lost myself in my own release, crying out his name in a choked up and hoarse voice that I could barely recognize as my own.


    My pussy clenched uncontrobly around his massive cock as Hayden pumped his sex tool into me fast and hard with hisst spurt of strength before he reached his own climax.


    "Ah¡­it¡¯s so hot¡­" I moaned passionately as his cock nted his seed deep inside of my love tunnel.


    His cock moved inside of me as it spurted more of his hot release into me, and I dly took it all as Iy in the afterglow of the pleasure of our rough and long lovemaking. My eyes drifted closed, and I smiled in deep satisfaction. I knew that my body would suffer the aftereffects of his harsh lovemaking when morning came but that was something that I was slowly getting used to.


    "You belong to me now¡­" Hayden whispered into my ear.


    That was thest thing that I remembered before the darkness of sleep consumed me.


    ¡­


    The flight on the private jet with Hayden was strained and unpleasant at best. Despite the good time that I showed himst night, Hayden seemed restless and very disturbed when morning came. His mood did not improve even when we boarded the ne and neither did it improve during our ride.


    Poor little me knew absolutely nothing about the trip besides from the fact that we would be meeting Ethan. I had no idea where this ne was bounded for, and Hayden did not bother to inform me of that crucial piece of information. ncing over to him, I wondered if his nerves would snap if I asked him that simple question about our destination.


    It had been a long time since Ist took a step out of the mansion¡¯s gates. My hope of enjoying some additional freedom in the outside world was quickly extinguished when a helicopter picked us up from the helipad that was located on the mansion¡¯s grounds. I did get a chance to enjoy the view from above during the helicopter ride to the airport where Hayden had his private jets.


    Hayden seemed tired and sleep deprived. I had a feeling that, unlike me, Hayden did not have a peaceful sleepst night. Dressed in his standard smart all-white suit, I had to say that Hayden looked extremely handsome and beautiful at the same time. His light blond hair shown brightly in contrast to his white suit. If only his face was smiley and as bright.


    This morning, my sexy angel had a grim look on his face, and I was sure that there were slightly dark circles under his eyes. It seemed like there were days when angels were sleep deprived like the best of us.


    "How long is the journey? If there¡¯s still enough time, do you want to take a nap?" I asked, using the sweetest voice that I could muster.


    Hayden¡¯s blue eyes rolled over to nce at where I was seated before he looked away from me and sighed softly. Guess that didn¡¯t work. Now wasn¡¯t the time to give up, though. It was the time to try again.


    "Want to sleep on myp?" I offered sweetly as I patted my hand on myp invitingly.


    My effort did seed in getting Hayden¡¯s beautiful blue eyes to stray my way, but he did not move from his seat, nor did he reply to my invitation. I blinked rapidly in surprise as he turned me down without saying a word.


    What is wrong with him?


    All my life I was taught many things and I always paid attention in ss, but I was never taught about how to deal with a sulking man. How do I deal with him?


    If he won¡¯te to me then, I didn¡¯t have any other choice but to go to him instead. With a soft sigh, I got up from my seat and headed over to where he was seated which wasn¡¯t far away at all. The ride was smooth, and thankfully, I didn¡¯t end up falling down on my way over to Hayden.


    Hayden did not pay me any attention as I stood behind him. I bent down and wrapped my arms around his neck before I rested my head against the side of his neck. His body was stiff, and he didn¡¯t seem to enjoy my loving attention at all. I wondered what he was thinking so hard about that he had a slight frown on his beautiful face.


    "What are you thinking about? Are you worried about something?" I asked softly.


    "Listen carefully. Here are the rules that I want you to strictly follow when we meet up with Ethanter on¡­" Hayden said as he reached a hand up and grabbed my wrist tightly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 295: Three Rules

    Rules? He made rules?


    Is that what he had been thinking about all this time?


    I was stunned into silence, and I didn¡¯t know what to say. Taking my silence for acknowledgement, Hayden began informing me of the rules that he thought up for our meeting with Ethan.


    "Sit down properly," Hayden said as he motioned with his hand for me to take the seat close to him.


    With a slight nod of my head, I did what he wanted and settled down onto afortable leather seat close to him. Suddenly, the atmosphere around us became even more tense than before and I found myself holding my breath as I waited for him to speak.


    I already knew that Hayden didn¡¯t want me to meet Ethan; however, he had decided to respect my wishes and along with his brother¡¯s encouragement, he had decided to let me join the meeting.


    "The rules are simple. Firstly, you will not speak to Ethan unless I give you verbal permission to. In case you don¡¯t understand what that means, let me further exin so we are clear. If Ethan speaks to you or asks you anything, you are not permitted to answer until I tell you that you may," Hayden said before pausing to ensure that I understood.


    His blue eyes settled on my face sternly as he watched me take in his word. The first rule wasn¡¯tplicated for me to understand; however, I had a feeling that it would be strange at best when we put it into action. Regardless, if that was his terms, then I was willing to adhere to it.


    "I understand," I replied.


    "Second, you will always maintain a 3 meters distance between you and him. I have arranged the meeting set up in such a way that this is possible. Don¡¯t worry, if during the meeting he makes a move, I will intervene," Hayden stated the second rule as his eyes watched my reaction.


    The second rule actually worked in my favor. I had no reason to want to be physical close to Ethan anyways and it might help me to think and focus more if I was far from him. Ethan¡¯s presence was quite frankly very intimidating too. If keeping me away from Ethan also meant that Hayden would be far away from him, then I would prefer this option as well.


    I could still recall the confrontation that the two had on the cruise and I didn¡¯t want a repetition of that at all costs.


    "I understand," I said with a nod of my head.


    Something told me that there were more rulesing. The usual number was three so there must be at least one more rule: the third rule.


    "Thest rule is simple but requires you to use your head¡­" Hayden said before he paused, and his blue eyes narrowed at me.


    His intense gaze put me on the spot, and I began feeling ufortable. Hayden¡¯s eyes seemed to appraise me as if he was judging whether I had the ability to use my head the way that he wanted.


    "Ok," I quickly said as I tried to tell him that I was capable of thinking.


    I hoped that at least he knew that. Hayden let out soft sigh before he seemed to rx a little.


    "Remember which side you¡¯re on, Malissa. Remember who your owner is and where your loyalty lies. Think it and believe it. Show it in everything that you do and say. If you hesitate, even by just a little, he won¡¯t hesitate to use it against you. This is the third rule and my personal warning to you," Hayden said.


    The weight of his words hung on my shoulders and my conscience like metal shackles that couldn¡¯t be removed. I knew that he was dead serious when he told me to remember where I stand. He¡¯s right, I have chosen my side already.


    "Thank you for the warning. I¡¯ll keep that in mind," I replied as I steadied my resolve.


    Hayden didn¡¯t say anything although he did nod his head at me in acknowledgment of my response. Now that he was done with what he wanted to say, Haydenpsed back into silence. This time, I let him go willingly as I also retreated back into my mind to prepare myself for what was thee. Hayden¡¯s third rule and warning yed itself over and over again in my mind.


    I could hear his voice like it was haunting me all the way until the end of our flight.


    ¡­


    The announcement from our captain telling us that we will be descending down to our destination soon was what snapped me back from my thoughts. After stating his rules, Hayden and I didn¡¯t share another word of conversation until the end of the flight. I had been too wrapped up in my own thoughts and worries that I didn¡¯t pay any attention to my surroundings.


    Now that my mind was partially back in the present, I peered out the ne¡¯s window to see that we were flying quite low above bright greenish-blue sea water, and I could see small inds down in the sea below. The inds looked small from where we were up in the sky, but I was sure that they weren¡¯t small at all in reality.


    Where are we?


    The sun was bright and that made the colorful scenery of the sea and ind seem that much brighter. I watched the beautiful scenery of the view until we touched down at our destination, wherever that was. The captain spoke through the speaker again to inform us that we have arrived. Hayden got up from his seat wordlessly as he prepared to disembark from the ne.


    I gathered the few things that I had brought along and shoved them into my handbag as I readied myself to follow Hayden.


    The door of the ne slowly opened, and Hayden led the way out. To my slight surprise, Hayden turned around to offer me his hand when he was standing in the doorway. I blinked rapidly before I slipped my hand into his muchrger one.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 296: Warnings

    The warmth of his hand covered mine as he held my hand firmly in his. Although he didn¡¯t say anything to me, I was still d that we were still connected in some way. The way Hayden helped hold my hand and support my waist as we walked down the stairs to the ground together brought a small smile to my lips.


    "Thank you¡­" I whispered when our feet finally touched the ground.


    Hayden nodded before his hand reached out to help tuck a few loose strands of my hair back behind my ear. The wind was blowing wildly around us, and I noticed that the air was slightly warm and humid. The airport that wended in didn¡¯t resemble much of a standard airport at all.


    Therge buildings were not present, and the runway was nothing more than a small trial that had been smoothened out to be suitable fornding. Apart from the two of us and the security team that Hayden travelled with, there was no one else in the airport as far as my eyes could see.


    Although we flew alone, we were not the only ones on the trip and that was to be expected. Security was tight and Hayden travelled with a mini army of his men. Rows of men dress in ck greeted us when we stepped off the airne. Among them was a very familiar face who offered me a huge smile when heid eyes on me.


    "Good to see you still in one piece, Malissa," Luka said beforeughing loudly.


    I found myself smiling back at him easily. In such a precarious situation like this, it was always good to see a familiar face that I knew. Apart from Hayden and Luka, I didn¡¯t know any of the other men that travelled with us and that made me slightly uneasy. From his greeting, I had a very good guess of how Luka viewed my rtionship with Hayden. I had to say that he wasn¡¯t that far off the mark.


    Hayden was rough and maniptive, but he had never hurt me. I nced over to the man in question and saw that he was as zoned out as could be.


    "I hate flying. Makes my back stiff¡­" Lukained as he flexed his back.


    Unlike the man standing right next to me, Luka was in a roaring good mood. Hayden let out a sighed like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. Wordlessly, he tugged softly on my hand as he signaled for me to follow him.


    As if able to read his cue, Luka walked in front of us while the other men nked our sides. I had no idea where we were, but this ce appeared to be an airport on one of the small ind in the middle of the ocean. The air around us was humid and quite warm. I was thankful for the breeze blowing in from the sea as it blew my hair behind me.


    I bet that Luka could also sense that Hayden wasn¡¯t approachable at the moment because he did not address Hayden in anyway.


    I nced over at my angel¡¯s cold face again and I could tell that his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking of something, and I bet that no one knew what it was.


    "Get in. I¡¯m riding with you guys," Luka said with a satisfied grin as he helped me into arge SUV.


    I took my seat next to Hayden before Luka joined us in the car. The ride to our destination passed by in silence as both Luka and I didn¡¯t dare disturb Hayden and his busy thoughts. I passed the time by staring out at the view of trees passing by through dark ss. Thankfully, the ride was a short one and we arrived at our destination soon after.


    The ce where we arrived seemed to be a dome shaped building that was located pretty much in the middle of nowhere. There were no houses or any other buildings around. There were no signs that told me where we were. I haven¡¯tid eyes on anyone who seemed toe from the ind since wended, and I was starting to wonder if the ind was even inhabited by local people.


    If I had to describe it, the structure in front of me looked like arge exhibition center that had been built here for reasons unknown to me.


    "Security checkse first. They¡¯ll send someone to check you two and my job is to check Ethan. That¡¯s how it works," Luka exined.


    Clearly the level of trust was extremely low between the two gangs. Each gang chose their own representative to do a security check of the other. I nodded and just went along with the flow, trusting Luka to know what to do because Hayden was still on mars and unreachable. The onlyfort that I had was the fact that he was still holding my hand.


    "No weapons of any kind are allowed in there so there¡¯s no need for you to worry. Worstes to worst, the two will fight it out with their fists and you just have to stay out of the way. Got it?" Luka said to me, and he sounded serious.


    "Aha¡­" I mumbled as my face felt numb.


    Was that supposed to reassure me in some way because it seemed to be having theplete opposite effect.


    "Hopefully no one dies¡­because it won¡¯t be a quick and painless death¡­" Luka said before winking at me.


    What did he just say?


    I stared nkly back at Luka with my mouth hanging open while I wondered what I had gotten myself into this time.


    "Stop scaring her any more than necessary. She¡¯s worried enough as it is," Hayden mumbled a warning without looking our way.


    "Alright. You better not do anything crazy in there. You¡¯ll be the one that¡¯ll really scare her," Luka warned in return before he chuckled.


    This old man was truly finding this situation amusing and I couldn¡¯t understand his humor at all. I tried to piece together the little that I knew about the situation between the two gangs. Thest time that I was at Hayden¡¯s office and attended a meeting with him was precisely about the conflict between the two gangs.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 297: Body Inspection

    If I remembered correctly, back then there were issues about Silva conducting business in Torex¡¯s territory. The aggressive and angry reactions of the Torex managers were still clear at the back of my mind. I wondered if the situation had improved since then and then I doubted that it had.


    "I¡¯ll try¡­" Hayden replied without much conviction.


    "The body inspection starts half an hour before the meeting time. I¡¯ll leave you two to get on with my job at that time. For now, let¡¯s just rx¡­" Luka exined.


    I nodded as I took in this new piece of information. This was my first time experiencing such a thing and I got a little scared not knowing what the body inspection truly entailed. Was it just like walking through security checks at the airport? Is that it?


    It wasn¡¯t long before the time arrived for us to undergo our body inspection for the security check. Luka took his leave while Hayden led me into a room where the check was to take ce. A man dressed in a formal grey suit was waiting for us and to my relief, there was a woman standing next to him. I let out a sigh now that I knew that my check would be performed by a woman.


    "Hayden Torex¡­" the man said as he faced Hayden.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes narrowed and it was clear that he didn¡¯t particrly like his full name being called by a stranger.


    "Let¡¯s not start with the roll call¡­" Hayden muttered darkly.


    I watched as Hayden stepped forward and spread his arms out to his side as if he couldn¡¯t wait to get the inspection started and over and done with. The woman approached me, and I wondered if I should follow what Hayden was doing.


    "Stop. Her inspection starts after mine," Hayden said resolutely.


    The woman halted in her steps as she hesitated, her eyes ncing over to her partner as if asking him for guidance on what she should do. Sensing that there was no point in arguing with Hayden, the man nodded, and the woman immediately returned to where she was standing.


    Hayden had his eyes on me the entire time when the man inspected his body for any hidden weapons. I doubt that Hayden had anything on him to start off with. The checksted much longer than I thought that it would with the man asking Hayden to remove his suit jacket to do detail checks with a metal detector and all that. His shoes were removed and scanned.


    On top of that, all essories that Hayden was wearing was confiscated such as his watch and his belt.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if this was standard procedure because it did seem a bit much for a meeting between just the three of us. Hayden did notin and seemed willing to follow through with the procedure. Now that I thought about it, Ethan was probably going through the same thing with Luka in another room somewhere not too far from us. Soon, I¡¯ll be meeting Ethan again.


    When I thought about that, I had a strange and uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.


    "We¡¯re done. Can she start now?" the man asked.


    Hayden didn¡¯t reply but he did nod his head slightly in approval. He came to stand quite close to me and I was conscious of his eyes as he watched the woman pat down my body. The dress that I had on didn¡¯t have a lot of room for me to hide anything.


    "You can¡¯t take your handbag inside," the woman said as she took my bag away from my hand.


    "I understand," I repliedpliantly.


    The woman nodded before she continued with her job. Her hands felt around all over my body and I started to feel embarrassed at how much she was touching me. Her face was stern and very focused. Although I knew that she was being professional about all of this, I felt extremely ufortable when her hands started tracing over the curves of my breasts.


    "Is your bra wired?" she asked.


    "Yes¡­" I replied.


    How else am I supposed to get adequate support for my breasts without the underwires?


    "Please remove them. The bra needs to be scanned," the woman instructed.


    "Umm¡­" I mumbled in my hesitation as my eyes wandered around the room.


    Does she expect me to remove my bra here? How¡­exactly?


    "Is there a changing room?" I asked, hopefully.


    My eyes wandered over to Hayden to ask for his help. I had no idea that the inspection would be thisplicated. What could I possibly hide in my bra?


    "Leave," Hayden said as he turned to the man who had inspected him.


    The man hesitated before he seemed to understand the situation and left the room.


    "Now that he¡¯s no longer here, I hope you won¡¯t mind if I ask her to strip?" the woman asked professionally.


    What?! I need to¡­what?!


    "No¡­is that necessary?" I asked in a panic.


    "It¡¯s the standard procedure. You strip and I will scan all your clothes and then check¡­" the woman exined formally before Hayden cut in.


    "I¡¯ll do the internal check. That or she won¡¯t enter otherwise," Hayden stated firmly.


    "It is my job¡­" the woman began arguing before Hayden cut her off.


    "Either you let me do it or she doesn¡¯t enter. Ethan is the one that wants to see her. I couldn¡¯t care less if she waits outside with Luka and my men," Hayden said coldly.


    The woman pursed her lips tightly as she seemed to consider her options. After a few seconds of silence, she relented with a resigned sigh. She nodded at Hayden before taking a few steps back to give us room.


    "What is going on? What is the internal check?" I asked.


    "Strip. We don¡¯t have all day," Hayden ordered.


    "Here? Now?" I asked in disbelief.


    "She¡¯s a woman and I¡¯ve seen you naked enough times already. Do it or stay outside. You choose," Hayden said coldly.


    My eyes wandered to the woman who was still standing in the room. Even if she¡¯s a woman and even if he¡¯s seen me naked so many times before, this is just so embarrassing and different.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 298: My Turn

    However, I wanted to be there when Hayden and Ethan talked. It was probably my only chance at learning anything about what was going on. My hands shook as I quickly realized that I didn¡¯t really have a choice.


    "Have you decided?" Hayden asked.


    "Yes¡­" I mumbled.


    "Good," he said bluntly.


    The next thing I knew, he had turned me around and the zipper of my dress was zipped down.


    He¡¯s already stripping me?


    But I haven¡¯t even told him what I have decided. The sleeveless dress that I had on was pulled down my shoulders and body even before I could protest. Someone is too good at stripping girls¡­seriously¡­


    "Take off your bra," Hayden instructed, sounding bored.


    He unhooked my bra, and I quickly removed the straps from my arms while my mind was still confused at how fast things were progressing. Hayden threw my bra over and the woman caught it in her hand with ease. My dress dropped to the floor, and I had to step out of it.


    "Panties off," he muttered as he picked up the dress from the floor.


    The dress flew across the room and the woman caught it in her hands. I shivered a little at the cold air in the room hitting my naked skin. I only had my panties on now and Hayden was demanding for me to take it off.


    "This is crazy¡­" I muttered underneath my breath.


    "You want to change your mind?" Hayden asked mockingly.


    "No," I spat as I pulled my panties down from my hips.


    The woman proceeded to scan every article of clothing that I had on through a machine. I had no idea what she was expecting to find. This was all over the top. Let¡¯s make it clear. I am not nning to kill Ethan or anyone for that matter.


    "All clothes are fine. On to the internal check, please," the woman said politely.


    "What¡­is this exactly?" I asked.


    The woman approached us while she politely tried to keep her eyes on my face and not on my naked body. I stered my hands onto my breasts to cover them, not that it helped very much considering that the rest of my body was naked.


    "If you insist on doing it, I need you to insert this camera into her so that I can see the result from the monitor. There is no other way," the woman said solemnly.


    Hayden nodded in agreement before the two of them turned to look at me. My eyes widened in shock. Why do I suddenly feel like amb that¡¯s about to be ughtered by these two?


    "Sit down on the chair and spread your legs. Alternatively, you can bend over the table and lift your hips. The choice is yours," Hayden said passively.


    The woman headed to a table where a monitor and some machines were located. My eyes strayed to the table and chair, and I wondered why these were my only two options. I was starting to get a very good picture of what this internal inspection was, and I didn¡¯t like it one bit.


    "We don¡¯t have all day¡­" Hayden muttered in annoyance.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I was more scared of the inspection or making Hayden pissed off. Without further dys, I plopped myself down onto the chair with my thighs pressed tightly closed together. I know that he¡¯s touched me there before but this and that wasn¡¯t exactly the same thing.


    "All set on this end," the woman informed us politely.


    The fact that she could be so professional about this made me feel that something was off. I couldn¡¯t get used to this at all. I blushed wildly when Hayden crouched in front of my legs before I felt the warmth of his hands on my knees.


    "Spread your legs¡­" Hayden instructed as his blue eyes stared up at my face.


    "I¡­" I began protesting softly as I pleaded for mercy with my eyes.


    "Be a good girl. It won¡¯tst very long¡­" Hayden said in a surprisingly gentle voice.


    I felt like a kid having a hard time at the dentist and Hayden was the overly good-looking assistance who was there tofort me. A sigh left me, and I slowly parted my legs apart. I watched as Hayden calmly put on a pair of rubber gloves before squeezing gel onto his fingers. It was strange to see Hayden doing this and I was reminded once again that he was actually a doctor.


    I had to say that the sight of Hayden in his white suit crouching down in between my legs as he prepared himself to inspect my pussy was a very strange sight in its own right.


    "Ah¡­" I made a sound as I winced.


    "Rx. It¡¯s just my fingers," Hayden said softly.


    His lubricated fingers thrusted into my pussy suddenly and my pussy clenched at the shock of suddenly being entered. It hurts a little because I wasn¡¯t wet although the lubrication did help. Hayden felt around my insides as I tried to calm myself down by taking in deep breaths. After he seemed satisfied that my pussy had rxed around his fingers, Hayden slowly withdrew his fingers from my hole.


    "I¡¯m going to insert the camera now," he said, and I wasn¡¯t sure if he was talking to me or the woman or both.


    "Ahh¡­mhmm¡­" I moaned softly at the slight difort.


    It felt strange to have something very foreign inside of me. I¡¯ve had checkups before, but the doctor was always female as I had requested. I looked away in embarrassment. Hayden might be unaffected by this because he¡¯s a doctor and all that but that didn¡¯t apply to me at all.


    "The camera is working fine. Please move it around," the woman instructed.


    Her eyes were glued to the monitor. I bit my lower lip as I tired to bear with this. Hayden¡¯s fingers and the camera that he had inserted inside of me started moving around. I gasped at the sensation of it rubbing against my pussy walls.


    "Mhmm¡­" I moaned unconsciously.


    He¡¯s moving it around so much. Is this how its supposed to be done? Isn¡¯t he moving it around too fast?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 299: It’s Time

    My pussy clenched and spasmed at the unfamiliar sensation. Hayden pushed the camera deeper into my hole before moving it around in circr motions. I gripped the side of the chair with my hands as I tried to keep my body from reacting to the stimtion.


    This is an inspection. I repeated to myself countless times in my mind as I willed my body to stay still.


    "Ahh¡­" I moaned again when Hayden shoved his fingers even deeper into me.


    His fingers were sliding quite smoothly inside of me now and I didn¡¯t think that it was purely because of the lubricant. Did I get wet already?


    "Don¡¯t make such lewd noises. Are you getting turned on by this?" Hayden whispered softly so that his words were for my ears only.


    "No¡­" I whispered quickly in denial. That can¡¯t be¡­


    Hayden smirked before his blue eyes gazed up at me yfully. He¡¯s doing all of this on purpose. Why is he always having fun at my expense?!


    Hayden moved his fingers and the camera around inside of my hole again. My breathing became shallow, and my hands were sweaty as I tried to hold in my reactions. When is this going to end?


    "That¡¯s good enough. Thank you," the woman said, finally satisfied with whatever she was seeing inside of me.


    Finally. It¡¯s over¡­


    "Ahh¡­" I cried out softly at the sudden withdrawal of the camera out of my love hole.


    My relief was short-lived, and my embarrassment came flooding back when Hayden showed me the very wet camera that he took out of my pussy hole. He didn¡¯t say anything but the smirk that he had on his face said more than enough.


    "Thank you for that. Everything is done now. Please put your clothes back on," the woman said politely.


    She walked over and ced my neatly folded clothes onto the table close to me. After taking a few deep breaths to calm myself and tone down my anger, I grabbed my clothes and began putting my underwear on. I¡¯m going to hit Hayden for this¡­I swear it¡­


    I could feel his eyes on me as I got dressed. Since her business was done, the woman wished us a good day before taking her leave.


    "What are you looking at?" I snapped at Hayden the moment that the door closed behind her.


    "A horny girl¡­" Hayden replied followed by a loudugh.


    At least he seemed to be in a better mood. This is the first time that he¡¯s shown any signs of a positive emotion since we left the mansion. It was great news¡­but why did it have toe at my suffering?


    ¡­


    After dressing up decently well enough to be presentable we waited in the room for someone toe get us. Not surprisingly, the man from Silva that inspected Hayden from before returned.


    "It¡¯s time. The meeting will start shortly," the man said as he gestured for us to follow him.


    It¡¯s finally time indeed. My heart jumped a little at the man¡¯s words as I started feeling anxious. It¡¯s really going to happen.


    I was about to follow the man when I felt a sudden tug on my hand. When I turned around, I saw Hayden staring at me with a tense look on his face. His blue eyes seemed several shades darker as he stared at my face.


    "Remember the rules," he reminded me in a low whisper.


    "Ok¡­" I whispered back.


    Hayden nodded his head a little before he walked right in front of me and pulled me after him. Although the meeting was supposed to start soon, the walk to the meeting room was long and very winding. If I got separated from Hayden or this man, I would be lost in this maze for sure. After making multiple turns, I had already lost all sense of direction.


    Looking back, the hallway was so empty that nothing could be used as a signpost. Basically, I had no idea where I was anymore.


    The walk only made me feel more nervous and stressed out and the meeting hasn¡¯t even started yet. I wondered if Ethan was going through the same thing and then concluded that he must be following a man from Torex through a very simr path and that man was probably Luka. Finally, the paths that we were walking would converge and we would end up meeting.


    No one spoke a word during the walk and all I could hear were our footsteps along the hallway, my own breathing and the beating of my heart. After what felt like hours rather than minutes, the man came to a stop in front of a heavily secured door. After looking at the time on his watch, the man turned to address us.


    "This is multi-lock system. The door can only be opened by me on the outside. Of course, the door can be opened from the inside. Master Ethan will enter into a simr door. Of course, that door can only be opened by Mr. Luka, the representative from Torex," the man informed us formally.


    Hayden didn¡¯t say anything in response, and frankly, he didn¡¯t seem to care at all. After entering in passwords, scanning his fingers, his eyeballs and everything else, the door finally began sliding open. My eyes blinked rapidly after Hayden literally pulled me after him into the room. I was scared stiff now that the time had arrived for us to meet Ethan and my feet refused to move.


    Hayden solved that problem for me right away by pulling quite strongly on my arm.


    The room we just entered was so bright and so white that my eyes hurt as it struggled to adjust. I have never been in a room so sparkling white before. Everything in the room was white. The walls, the floor, the very long table in the room¡¯s center, the chairs, basically everything in the room was white.


    The whole atmosphere felt very futuristic, and minimalism seemed to be the favorite theme of whoever designed this room. I couldn¡¯t say that I shared the designer¡¯s taste. On top of all that, the room was quite cold from the air conditioning.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 300: Two Men

    I stood behind Hayden as my eyes scanned around the room. Suddenly, the door at the other end of the room began sliding open. My eyes immediately focused on the door, knowing full well who was supposed to walk through it.


    "Ethan¡­" I whispered so softly that I hardly heard myself.


    Hayden definitely saw him too because his hand that held mine tightened. Ethan walked in alone and the door behind him began sliding close. I could feel his eyes on us, and I started feeling extremely ufortable under his confident gaze. Ethan was dressed in an all-ck suit as if he knew that Hayden would turn up in an all-white one.


    He had a confident smile on his lips, and he seemed very much at ease.


    "The rules¡­" Hayden hissed softly.


    "Ok¡­" I whispered back to reassure him that I was well aware of the rules that he had set.


    "Let¡¯s go," Hayden said emotionlessly as he tugged on my hand for me to follow after him.


    We walked towards the extremely long table that was positioned in the center of the room. One look at how the chairs were arranged at the table and I knew what Hayden meant about ensuring that I was at least three meters away from Ethan. The table was definitely longer than three meters and three white leather chairs were positioned strategically at the table.


    One at each end and the third one next to the chair on our end of the table. The first two seats at the ends of the table were for Hayden and Ethan and that third seat was for me.


    Hayden pulled out the chair for me and gestured for me to take a seat before he took the seat at our end of the table. At around the same time, Ethan took his seat. Even though Ethan was quite far away from me, I felt his presence like he was sitting next to me. I could feel his eyes on me as he observed me closely. My body froze and I was instantly scared to move.


    "Rx," Hayden whispered as if he could sense my difort.


    I turned to smile a little at him. Hayden did not share my nervousness at all. If anything, he continued to look bored like he couldn¡¯t wait for this to be over so that he could go home.


    "Thank you for agreeing to this meeting," Ethan said with a pleasant smile that sent a shiver down my spine.


    "Sure," Hayden replied coldly.


    "Thank you for bringing, Malissa," Ethan continued diplomatically.


    "You¡¯re weed," Hayden replied tly.


    "How are you, Malissa? Has Hayden been treating you well?" Ethan asked with slight concern in his voice.


    I knew that those questions were directed at me but under the rules that Hayden made, I couldn¡¯t answer them unless I got his verbal permission. My eyes nced over to Hayden who didn¡¯t even spare me a nce. His mouth remained shut. I bit my tongue, knowing that I was not allowed to answer those questions.


    "She¡¯s fine. Is that all?" Hayden asked like he was more than ready to get up and leave.


    "You seem well. I¡¯m relieved. I was honestly worried about you when you suddenly disappeared. The other teachers at the art school and your students are very worried too. I went to visit them a couple of times¡­" Ethan said before he smiled at me.


    He went to the school and met the other teachers and my students? Really?


    It had been such a long time since then that somewhere at the back of my mind I hadpletely given up on returning. To them, I must have been ¡¯very sick¡¯ to disappear for such a long time. Without a doubt, no one knew the truth about my sudden disappearance. I wondered how the school was doing and if business was still going well. I wondered how my students were doing.


    Are they continuing to do well as they studied under a new teacher?


    I thought back to those busy days when I just started teaching at the art school. Everything was quite new to me, and it was challenging. My grandmother was sick at the hospital and Hayden had disappeared from my life. I was alone and fighting hard to build a future for myself.


    The smiles and encouragement from my students and the other teachers gave me so much joy and gave me the strength to continue pushing forward.


    Suddenly, I wanted to know more about what was going on in the world outside. I wanted to know more about the people who were a part of my life.


    I felt a cold stare and my eyes met Hayden¡¯s when I nced over at him. His gaze snapped me back to reality and I realized that I must have been thinking exactly the things that Ethan wanted me to think and feeling exactly how he wanted me to feel. He could do all that to me just through his words? Suddenly, I began to understand why Hayden wouldn¡¯t let me engage in a conversation with Ethan.


    What would happen if I spoke to him? Would he control my body and soul¡­or something?


    My hands clenched together tightly on myp as I tried to get a hold of myself. Not knowing how else to focus my mind, I began reciting the three rules that Hayden made in my head. If I followed them, I won¡¯t be a burden to Hayden in this negotiation, right?


    "You didn¡¯t call me out here on this private ind to talk about Malissa¡¯s old life, did you?" Hayden asked.


    I didn¡¯t¡¯ miss him stressing on the fact that what I was daydreaming about was my ¡¯old life¡¯. Rule number three indeed. I¡¯ve already made my decision and I¡¯ll remember which side that I¡¯m on. Hesitantly, I nced at Ethan and saw that he was smirking as if he also caught Hayden¡¯s message.


    "You¡¯re right. Let me get straight to the point. I want a partnership between Torex and Silva," Ethan stated.


    The room suddenly felt very cold, but I was sweating from the pure tension between the two men who sat so far apart at opposite ends of the table. We both knew that Ethan was probably going to talk about this. However, I had no idea how Hayden would respond.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 301: Truth from the Lies

    "Exin," Hayden said passively.


    He neither showed interest nor disinterest. Hayden¡¯s face was as cold and as unreadable as ever. I wondered if Ethan could read Hayden and what he was thinking because I clearly couldn¡¯t. Regardless, I was slightly surprised that Hayden was willing to listen.


    "It¡¯s simple. I want Torex and Silva to work together just like what Jack wanted," Ethan said casually.


    Hayden¡¯s expression was unreadable. If Ethan thought that the mention of Jack¡¯s name would have an impact on Hayden, his guess seemed to be quite off the mark. On the contrary, Hayden didn¡¯t seem impressed at Ethan¡¯s reference of Jack¡¯s name.


    "Jack is dead. He¡¯s been dead for a long time now. Unlike you, I don¡¯t care much about the will of a dead man," Hayden replied.


    His response was cold, and I felt a slight tightness in my chest at how heartless he seemed. After all, he was speaking about myte father just now. I nced over at Hayden and the look on his face told me that he meant every word that he had just said.


    "Is that so? Is that also the reason why you abandoned your life as a doctor and came back to the family business?" Ethan asked.


    That¡¯s right. My father wanted Hayden to be a doctor¡­


    "My will is my own. What about you? Shouldn¡¯t you start to think by yourself and for yourself already?" Hayden challenged.


    "Don¡¯t our past make us who we are today?" Ethan asked in wonder.


    "That depends on you. Frankly, I don¡¯t care what you think about Jack and what he wanted. I sit here as the representative of Torex, I won¡¯t agree to anything that won¡¯t benefit the group despite my own personal beliefs," Hayden stated tly.


    "Is that how it works? You are not Hayden¡­" Ethan said with a slight nod of his head.


    "Correct, right now I am Hayden Torex¡­" Hayden replied with a clear stress on hisst name.


    "What about her? Will marrying her benefit the Torex too?" Ethan asked as his eyes shifted tond squarely on me.


    I flinched slightly at his words as my mind feared Hayden¡¯s response.


    "As long as the heir has my blood, it doesn¡¯t matter who brings it into the world. It can be her or anyone else. It doesn¡¯t have to be her," Hayden replied matter-of-factly.


    What is he saying?


    I felt blood drain from my face at the emotionless way Hayden just said those words. Does he realize that I am also sitting in this room right next to him?


    I was shocked into silence. Even if what he said was true, I didn¡¯t expect that he would say something so uncaring right in front of me. Something like anyone would do for him¡­as if that could ever be true¡­


    "A very Torex way of answering. I would have expected your old man to say the exact same thing¡­" Ethan said before grinning.


    Ethan¡¯s right. The boss would probably say the same thing. It was a very Torex way of putting it and Hayden was true to his words. He was acting wlessly like the head of Torex. Is this what he would be like if he really took over? I couldn¡¯t stop my eyes from straying to Hayden¡¯s face as I wondered how he saw the world through those cold blue eyes of his.


    If Hayden bes the next head of Torex, will he be like this every day? Will he put the gang and the family business first before everything else. My mind recalled the dynamics that I had witnessed between the boss and Hayden, and I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The boss had his priorities clearlyid out and Hayden and his family did note out on top of that list.


    It was always the gang and the business first.


    Hayden¡­will you end up being the same way?


    "We were taught differently¡­" Ethan said with a hint of regret in his voice.


    "Clearly. It¡¯s quite unfortunate, considering that Jack was there for us both¡­" Hayden agreed openly.


    If Hayden had any sentimental ties left towards my father, he did not show any signs of it in that moment. The atmosphere in the room only got tenser between the two men and suddenly I felt a chill run through my body. The room suddenly felt colder than when I stepped into it at the start of the meeting. I rubbed my hand up and down my bare arm to keep them from freezing over.


    I would be lying if I said that the conversation between Hayden and Ethan wasn¡¯t getting to my head. Even if I knew that there was a high possibility of Ethan wanting the conversation to y out this way to mess with my head and emotions, the way that Hayden was answering his questions made everything worst for me.


    The worst part was that I couldn¡¯t tell at all if Hayden meant any of the things that he was saying.


    Which words did he honestly believe in, and which words were he just saying to handle Ethan. For the life of me, I couldn¡¯t distinguish between the two and I had no idea what Hayden stood for at all. Was he truly acting like the head of Torex now? What about his personal beliefs and feelings? Were they the same or aligned with each other?


    As Ethan continued asking Hayden more questions about the past that they shared, the sense of unease inside of me continued to grow until it became a suffocating load inside of my chest. I lifted a hand and ced it on my chest to try to calm myself down. When I wanted to join this meeting, I never thought that the words exchanged between the two men could have such a detrimental impact on me.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I started realizing that I didn¡¯t know who to trust anymore.


    I couldn¡¯t tell the truth from the lies anymore and if that was the case, what is going to happen to me now?


    My head ached and it soon felt like the room was slowly spinning around me. Am I getting sick? I closed my eyes as I concentrated on taking in deep breaths. This isn¡¯t the time to be sick...


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 302: Test of Trust

    Hayden could sense Malissa¡¯s difort even before he saw how pale her face was. He cursed Ethan inwardly for the things that he had intentionally said to trigger such a painful reaction from Malissa.


    The discussion about the heir of Torex was uncalled for, although his response was truthful and factual. Then all those bullshit questions about Jack and what that dead man wanted. No matter how fond he was of Jack, he had been dead and gone for many years already. It was time that the living moved on with their lives and did what was best for the current times and the current situation.


    He did not love or respect Jack any less than before, but things have clearly changed, and he was just trying to keep the fort together while fulfilling the promise that he made to his elder brother. Once again, he wondered why life was so bothersome. Here he was acting like the proper boss-to-be of Torex while Malissa looked like she was about to faint right next to him.


    If this wasn¡¯t what a disaster looked like, then he probably had misunderstood the meaning of the word his entire life.


    Brining Malissa along wasn¡¯t an error but it was a calcted challenge that his wicked elder brother had talked him into. While his mouth spat out cold and emotionless responses to Ethan¡¯s irrelevant questions, his mind recalled what his brother had told him.


    Ultimately, it was Malissa¡¯s desire to join this meeting along with his brother¡¯s somewhat wise words that made Hayden decide to let Malissae along.


    "I don¡¯t want Malissa to be there. She has no reason to be there," Hayden said decisively.


    "Have you asked her about it?" Harvey asked.


    "No¡­" Hayden muttered in reply.


    "It might be good for her to be there," Harvey suggested brightly.


    "How so? She has nothing to gain from meeting him and we don¡¯t have anything to gain either," Hayden replied without hesitation.


    "I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that. Don¡¯t people like to say that there¡¯s an opportunity in every threat?" Harvey said before winking at his younger brother.


    "You mean those overly optimistic people?" Hayden said before shaking his head.


    Harvey burst outughing at his younger brother¡¯s retort. A part of him agreed with Hayden that sometimes people said things just tofort each other and for the sake of remaining optimistic and encouraging. However, a part of him truly believed that there was something valuable that both Malissa and Hayden could learn from this encounter with Ethan. If only they are open to it¡­


    "You¡¯re right, but you do know that your dear brother here isn¡¯t an overly optimistic person, right?" Harvey said half teasingly.


    "I guess¡­" Hayden mumbled.


    "I know that your time is valuable and all that, but can you please just hear me out. Of course, I¡¯ll be happy to leave the final decision to you after you do¡­" Harvey pleaded for some time.


    For some reason, Hayden doubt that his brother meant that. His brother, just like the boss, had a way of asserting their agenda onto other people and they wouldn¡¯t truly back down until their goals were reached.


    "Sure¡­" he replied in resignation.


    "I know exactly what you¡¯re thinking. Taking Malissa is like walking around with your weakness exposed at your side. It¡¯s even worst when your weakness is someone that you want to protect and that someone isn¡¯t a part of your own body," Harvey said sympathetically.


    "Exactly, so¡­" Hayden said before Harvey jumped in and cut him off.


    "I told you to listen and you agreed. I don¡¯t think either of us could be like how dad was with mum. You were younger so maybe you don¡¯t remember much of it, but I do. That man would give her up or let her go without a second thought if it meant that he could save the gang.


    The gang is that important to him and the most messed up thing about all of that is that mum understood and waspletely fine with it. She just understood¡­" Harvey said, and his voice was heavy with emotion.


    Hayden knew that it was rare for Harvey to talk about their deceased mother. From what he knew, Harvey was very close to their mother, and he probably had a lot more memories of her than he did. He decided to remain silent as he waited for Harvey to continue with what he wanted to say.


    "I¡¯m not saying that Malissa should be like our mother. In fact, I don¡¯t think any woman should be like her or think like her. Not Amelia and not Malissa. However, what I truly respect about mother is the trust that she has in our dad. Hayden, this is a conveniently good opportunity to put your rtionship with Malissa to the test.


    If you two can¡¯t get through this together, then it either won¡¯t work between you two or¡­you have to let go of the gang¡­" Harvey said as he tried to make his brother understand his point of view.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes widened at his brother¡¯s direct words. It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t see what Harvey was trying to get at. Admittingly, Harvey was probably right. If Malissa couldn¡¯t withstand something like this, then she will forever be a weakness at his side.


    "If Malissa can¡¯t toughen up to handle something like this and if she can¡¯t trust you enough, then she¡¯ll always be a weakness to you. It may not matter to you¡­" Harvey said slowly and clearly.


    "But she will get hurt because of it and then she¡¯ll feel guilty about it. Then she will start believing that she isn¡¯t good enough or that she isn¡¯t strong enough¡­" Haydenpleted the remaining part of his brother¡¯s sentence with ease.


    "Just like Amelia did¡­" Harvey whispered sadly.


    "It¡¯s still too risky¡­" Hayden said with a sigh.


    "It¡¯s better if she gets hurt now rather thanter on. Trust goes both ways. Before she can trust you, you need to trust that she can somehow get through this. It will be hard because Ethan will probably use any weakness that he can sense against you two. Ethan will probably make you say things that will hurt Malissa or things that will make her doubt you.


    If Malissa shows weakness, he will use it against you to bend you to his will. This cycle will never end until Malissa realizes that she has to trust you," Harvey pointed out.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 303: His Protection

    "It¡¯s too risky¡­" Hayden repeated softly.


    "Well, as I just said, before that you have to trust her enough to let her join the meeting in the first ce," Harvey said with a pleased smile as he summarized up his thoughts nicely.


    Hayden was no where near pleased about what his brother had just suggested and that was mainly because he knew that his brother was spot on right. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he frowned.


    "Thank about it. Although, if I¡¯m not wrong, you¡¯ve already made up your mind," Harvey said with a knowing smile.


    ¡­


    It became increasingly more challenging for me to listen closely to the conversation while handling my headache that was quickly making me feel nauseous. I could feel Hayden ncing over at me and I forced a smile to my lips to let him know that I was fine. It would be a problem if I got sick and distracted him from the meeting.


    I was more than aware that my presence was already an inconvenience to Hayden without having him worry more about me.


    Ethan was good at manipting people with his words and actions as always and I realized that he wasn¡¯t going easy on me. The questions that he asked were probably meant to provoke me and somehow use me against Hayden. Even though I knew that I couldn¡¯t steel my mind and resolve enough topletely ignore his words and their implications.


    Instead, my mind started forming trains of thoughts based on his words that led me to even more confusion and doubt than before. At this rate, I would be even more of a burden to Hayden and that thought scared me more than anything else.


    "Malissa, are you curious to hear more about the partnership between Torex and Silva?" Ethan asked, his attention suddenly turning to me.


    It took me a while for me to realize that he had directed a question at me.


    While I was struggling about what to do, I felt a nudge on my ankle. I realized without looking down that it must have been Hayden. Instead, I nced over at his face. I then gasped in surprise at the calm smile and reassuring smile that he gave me.


    Slowly, Hayden shook his head at me a little and I was reminded that I didn¡¯t have to do anything or respond in anyway to Ethan¡¯s questions or provocations. After all, I didn¡¯t have the permission to speak.


    "Rx¡­" Hayden whispered so softly that I had to partially read his lips to understand fully what he had just said.


    My face and my lips felt numb from the nervousness that I was feeling but I did manage to nod my head slowly at him. I didn¡¯t want to burden him, but he must have realized that I wasn¡¯t taking all of this too well. The fact that he seemed to care about me brought some warmth to my heart and relief to my mind. Hayden¡¯s hand searched for mine under the table until he held my hand in his.


    The heat of his hand in contrast to the coldness of mine made me even more aware that my hands were freezing. Hayden must have realized this as well.


    "The aircon is too cold. Malissa¡¯s hands are freezing. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m going to ask the staff to adjust it," Hayden said over to Ethan.


    "Sure. I¡¯m fine with that," Ethan replied casually.


    Hayden gave my hand a few reassuring squeezes which also worked to stimte my cirction. Slowly, I started to rx while Hayden reached over to a button on the microphone located closer to him on the table.


    "It¡¯s too cold in here. Adjust the temperature," he spoke into the microphone before he switched it off again.


    Hayden turned towards me before giving me a firm nod that told me that everything was going to be ok. I tried my best to smile back but I could tell that my smile was shaky at best. Hayden continued to hold my hand in his and that made me feel volumes better than before. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on with the whole deal just yet, but I knew that I had to try my best to trust Hayden.


    I have to try harder.


    "Malissa, I asked you this before thest time we met. What do you think about helping me unite Torex and Silva? Peace is supposed to be a great thing, right?" Ethan asked again and I could tell that he wasn¡¯t willing to back down.


    My attention returned to Ethan, and I could feel his eyes staring at me. I started feeling anxious once again from the pressure but that didn¡¯tst for long. My eyes returned to Hayden immediately when I felt the pad of his thumb gently stroking the back of my hand. That¡¯s right, I didn¡¯t have to answer to anything. It was fine even if I didn¡¯t have a response.


    "What orders did you give her this time? Why isn¡¯t she answering any of my questions?" Ethan asked as he finally realized that myck of response must have been because of some agreement that I had with Hayden.


    "You haven¡¯t figured it out yet? She won¡¯t answer any of your questions unless I allow her to," Hayden replied casually.


    "And you¡¯re fine with that? That he¡¯s keeping you on a leash? I never did anything this cruel to you when we were together¡­" Ethan asked as his eyes settled on my face.


    The truth was, when Hayden suggested the rule, I had thought that he was doing it for his own sake and for the sake of the negotiation. I knew that it could be disadvantageous to us if I said the wrong things or spoke out of turn. However, since the meeting had started, I slowly began to understand that the rule was put in ce more for my sake than for anything or anyone else.


    Hayden made those rules to protect me. I understood that now with certainty. The rules were designed to protect me from Ethan as much as possible.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 304: Disastrous Negotiations

    "You still don¡¯t get it, do you? You can continue asking her whatever that you want but she won¡¯t reply to you. It¡¯s useless, Ethan. Malissa isn¡¯t going to say anything unless she has my permission, so I suggest that you quickly exin your business proposal," Hayden said monotonously.


    "I see. Well, I don¡¯t mind doing this the strictly business way. You do remind me of your older brother now¡­" Ethan said after havingughed for a little while.


    Hayden did not say anything as he waited to hear more details about the proposal which Ethan had in mind. My attention was also focused on Ethan. This was the moment that I had been waiting for, I¡¯m finally going to learn something about what was going on. If this proposal works out, there could be peace between the gang and perhaps that would mean that Hayden¡¯s life would be a little easier.


    "For the partnership, I want Torex to consider allowing Silva to conduct some businesses inside selected territories that are currently under Torex¡¯s control. This would put a stop to the ongoing disputes between us right now.


    If you are open to it, I will send over some documents and proposals on other businesses that I would like Silva and Torex to work on together, for example, the ck-market auction business. Being a duopoly is good but since there are nows limiting us, we might as well partner up and run it as a monopoly¡­" Ethan began exining.


    "And in exchange? What will Torex gain from this?" Hayden asked pointedly.


    Ethan paused before he smiled as if he had already anticipated this question.


    "Peace. As simple as that. Our gangs have been at each other¡¯s throats for a long time now and even I¡¯m getting sick and tired of it. With this partnership we can put the conflicts between the gang aside and focus more on business," Ethan said calmly.


    What Ethan said seemed to make sense to my untrained ears. Peace was supposed to be a good thing and the business proposal didn¡¯t sound bad. However, I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden felt the same way.


    "Peace? Interesting¡­" Hayden said, but contrary to his words, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t anywhere near convinced.


    "Jack wanted peace and so did dear Amelia¡­" Ethan said softly.


    "And look where they ended up¡­" Hayden said before he chuckled as if the idea amused him beyond measure.


    Jack was dead. Amelia is as close to dead as can be. I recalled the sight of Amelia in aatose state in her bed with multiple machines beeping around her as they kept her ¡¯alive¡¯.


    "I don¡¯t mind if you need time to think about it. I understand that this isn¡¯t a decision that you can make on a whim. You can also consult your father about it¡­" Ethan suggested with a smile.


    "I once believed in peace and perhaps the fool deep inside of me still does. Time has gone by, and I¡¯ve learnt and came to appreciate many harsh realities of this world that we live in. Unfortunately, I see more men driven and motivated by greed rather than the idea of peace¡­" Hayden said calmly before he smiled regretfully at his old friend.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously and the air around him darkened evidently. I could feel it even though I was seated far away and that meant that Hayden could probably sense it as well. Regardless, Hayden still continued on with what he wanted to say.


    "If we form a partnership and it goes well, Silva will get richer and then what? If I concede a part of our business to Silva today, won¡¯t you ask me for even more in the future? Isn¡¯t Silva¡¯s greed endless?" Hayden asked rhetorically.


    "Hayden¡­" Ethan hissed in between his clenched teeth.


    "I do not agree to your proposal. I don¡¯t believe in peace, and even if I did, I don¡¯t believe that it can ever be achieved through a partnership driven by greed. Silva will never be satisfied and will continue asking for more in the future. There is no need to consult my old man about this.


    Honestly, he isn¡¯t a big fan of writing apology letters and so he¡¯d not been in the best of moods¡­" Hayden said passively.


    "Are you serious?" Ethan asked with a smallugh as if he couldn¡¯t understand the rejection that he¡¯s facing.


    I had to say that I was also surprised. Hayden seemed too rush to make his decision on this. Won¡¯t there be negative repercussions from his decision to turn down the partnership? Won¡¯t the situation between the gang just get worst from here on out?


    "Of course. As the representative of Torex, I¡¯m always serious. If that is all, then we¡¯ll be taking our leave. Send my regards to your dead father," Hayden said as he got up from his seat and pulled me up along wit him.


    Still stunned from Hayden¡¯s decision, I almost lost my bnce when my arm and body was suddenly pulled up. The chair made a loud sound as it scrapped against the floor when I hastily got up from my seat. The stressful meeting was quicklying to an end, and I had yet to learn very much about the situation.


    However, it was clear that any peace talks between the two gang was already over and that made the future seem more unstable than ever.


    "Do you fully understand the implications of your decision?" Ethan asked, his tone cold.


    "Of course. I am a Torex while you will always be a Silva. That¡¯s all there is to it. You can do whatever you want, and I¡¯ll do the same," Hayden replied as he stared back at Ethan.


    This is a disaster as far as I could tell. It was like the two are dering war on each other. Why did Hayden choose to end the conversation like this. Couldn¡¯t he just turn the deal down politely and then perhaps we could all move on with our lives like everything was normal?


    "I see. It¡¯s unfortunate but I hope you see that I¡¯ve tried my best," Ethan said, sounding truly regretful.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 305: The Only Answerable Question

    I stared at Hayden, and he didn¡¯t seem to share any of Ethan¡¯s regret at all. My heart felt heavy knowing that it was probably impossible now for the two gangs toe to arrive at peace. I agreed with Ethan that it was unfortunate but there wasn¡¯t anything that I could do about it. What will happen between the two gangs now?


    If things remain unsafe outside, will I be stuck locked up in the mansion forever?


    "We¡¯re leaving," Hayden muttered as he pulled me behind him.


    I could sense Ethan¡¯s eyes on us, but I didn¡¯t have the courage to turn around to take a look at him. This may very well be thest time that I see Ethan and I didn¡¯t even get to say my farewells.


    "When are you two getting married? You are going to marry him right, Malissa?" Ethan called quite loudly after us.


    It was impossible for us not to hear him at the volume that he spoke. Hayden stopped in his tracks and my body froze at Ethan¡¯s direct question. I wish I knew the answer to that. Once again, I felt extremely thankful for the rules that Hayden had put in ce because that meant that I wasn¡¯t allowed to answer Ethan¡¯s question. This question, in particr, I wanted to avoid at all costs.


    "You are allowed to answer his question, Malissa," Hayden said as he turned to face me.


    See, I¡¯m not allowed to answer it.


    Huh?! What did he just say?


    I can answer that question? Of all the questions that Ethan had asked me, Hayden wanted me to answer this one?


    Why? Why? Why?!


    How am I supposed to answer?


    "Interesting¡­" Ethan murmured as I could sense his excitement as his full attention zoomed in on me.


    Hayden¡¯s blue eyes focused on mine, and I just wanted to disappear. Why was he putting me on the spot like this? We never discussed marriage before and although I had been thinking about it, I haven¡¯t really reached a conclusion, and neither was I ready to share my opinion with Hayden. Not to mention the fact that I didn¡¯t want to share my thoughts on this matter right in front of Ethan.


    If I had to choose now, then I would be more inclined to say that I wanted to marry Hayden. However, the tense atmosphere around me wasn¡¯t exactly what I had pictured as the perfect setting for me to share this information with Hayden. On the other hand, it wasn¡¯t like I could say that I didn¡¯t want to marry him, right?


    I mean, apart from the fact that it wasn¡¯t what I truly felt, it would also just look extremely bad, right? I shouldn¡¯t reject Hayden outright in front of Ethan. So, that pretty much left me with only one option. Suddenly, a huge lump formed in my throat and my head started spinning again. I could sense the intense gaze of the two men on me as they waited impatiently for my answer.


    "Umm¡­yes¡­we¡¯ll get married¡­sometime in the future," I replied hesitantly.


    That was the best answer that I coulde up with. I said that before adding a little ¡¯I guess¡¯ silently to myself in my mind. Then, as if on second thought, I also added ¡¯if only Hayden wants to marry me too¡¯.


    "I see. Congrattions in advance. I¡¯ll be looking forward to the invitation card," Ethan said, and I could tell that he was more than slightly amused.


    Without another word, Hayden yanked on my arm and pulled me after him out of the room. Just like the man had told us before, the door opened smoothly from the inside and soon we were out in the hallway where we were before.


    The meeting was now officially over, and I managed to miraculously survive it.


    ¡­


    Everything flew by in a blur after the meeting ended. The fact that the meeting didn¡¯t end on a positive note didn¡¯t seem to surprise the men who were there with Hayden. The anxious face of the men got the message from their boss immediately and all that was required was a small shake of Hayden¡¯s head.


    The only person who expressed any thought or emotion over the oue was Luka and that was probably because he was the only one senior enough to say anything.


    "Well¡­Shit¡­" Luka cursed loudly before walking away.


    After that, everyone was on high alert as they guarded Hayden and me back towards the airport where we hadnded. It was clear that we were not going to spend a peaceful night on the ind. Vacation wasn¡¯t something that came along with this meeting, unfortunately.


    Hayden hadn¡¯t said a word to me after the meeting had ended and I knew better than to disturb him. The tension in the air was high and security and safety was the first priority right now for the men who escorted us. Hayden seemed calm and the fact that he held my hand in his told me that things weren¡¯t too bad between us.


    Hopefully, he found the answer I gave to Ethan¡¯s earlier question satisfactory.


    Luka showed great relief when Hayden and I managed to enter back into the private jet without incident. I guessed that just like the journey over here, I would be flying alone with Hayden with the other men flying in the other jets.


    "See you when we¡¯re back on the ground," Luka said as he waved us off.


    Hayden just nodded solemnly before dragging me into the ne along with him. The pilot was probably impatient to leave as well. The ne took off soon after and we were in the air. I stared out of the window to see the ind getting smaller as we flew higher up into the sky. With everything that was going on, I wasn¡¯t sure what time it was.


    The stress and tension were getting to my body, and I suddenly felt a wave of fatigue hit me hard.


    "I guess the meeting didn¡¯t go so well¡­" I spoke up softly before ncing over at Hayden to see his reaction.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 306: Inflight Entertainment

    "I don¡¯t trust a single thing that he said, and neither should you. Pay him and his words no mind," Hayden said calmly.


    If I could control my mind that precisely then that was what I wanted to do. However, it wasn¡¯t always so easy. Curiosity was like a curse.


    "Come here," Hayden said invitingly as he waved me over.


    I wondered what he wanted. Regardless, I decided to obediently go to him. I stood next to his seat for a brief moment before his hands reached out and pulled me onto hisp.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name with slight surprise.


    "Let me hold you for a while¡­" he murmured close to my ear.


    His arms around me held me tightly in his embrace before he turned me around so that I could settle morefortably on hisp with my back against hisrge and warm frame.


    "Are you tired?" I asked as I leaned back a little against him.


    "Not really¡­" Hayden replied calmly.


    He kissed my temple softly before his hands began exploring the curves of my body starting from my waist before sliding up towards my chest until hisrge hands firmly cupped and caressed my breasts. My eyes widened in sudden realization of what he had in mind.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name as I tried to get up.


    His strong arms pulled me back against him, preventing my escape before his hands grabbed and massaged my breasts roughly. He was being so rough with me that I cried out at the stinging pain in my chest as his hands applied more pressure. His naughty tongue licked my ear, and a shiver ran through my body. Suddenly, I felt sensitive all over as Hayden began nibbling and then sucking on my earlobe.


    I whimpered as my body started reacting strongly to his seductive caresses.


    The meeting had just ended and while I was still thinking about the meeting, Hayden had clearly already moved on from it. It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize that I didn¡¯t have anywhere to run to because we were flying up high in the sky. The flight wasn¡¯t a long one, but it wasn¡¯t exactly short either. I¡¯ll be stuck here with him and at his mercy until this nends at its destination.


    "It¡¯s going to be a long and boring flight so you can be my inflight entertainment¡­" Hayden whispered seductively into my ear.


    I didn¡¯t have a smart response to that. His hands dipped into the front of my dress before slipping into my bra to cup my breasts directly. The heat from his palm made me gasp as a simr heat started burning deep inside of my throbbing core. My body craved his touch like it was an addiction that I couldn¡¯t control. His heat seemed to spread into my body as my body heated up at his touch.


    "Ah¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned as desire started to quickly cloud my mind.


    Slowly, my thoughts and worries about the meeting that we just had with Ethan began to dissipate until all I could think about was Hayden and the spell of pleasure that he was casting over me. His hands pumped my breasts together before squeezing them roughly, making me cry out from the delicious mix of pain and pleasure. My body began writhing on hisp as my hips began moving suggestively.


    "It¡¯s amazing how fast you get turned on. Are you like this with every man¡­?" Hayden teased as his fingertips began teasing my swollen nipples.


    A strangled cry escaped my lips as I thrusted my chest forwards towards his hands. The pleasure from the peaks of my breasts coursed through my body and pooled in between my legs in a sweet hot mess. He¡¯s making me so wet that I could feel my warm juices wetting my panties as it leaked out of my love hole.


    "No¡­I¡¯m not¡­like this¡­" I managed to reply before more lewd moans escaped from my lips.


    Hayden chuckled like he was pleased with my response before he removed his hands from my breasts. I thought that it was a good time for me to try to catch my breath, but I was quite wrong. His hands were quickly pulling my dress up to expose my legs. As the dress pooled around my waist, my entire lower body was exposed to him, and his hands quickly stroked its way up my thighs.


    "I love fucking woman with her clothes on¡­" Hayden whispered, his tone dark with desire.


    I didn¡¯t find his confession surprising at all considering the number of times that we¡¯ve done it with me more than half dressed. Hisrge hand stroked my inner thighs and I moaned from my own desire as I imagined the pleasure of him touching me there.


    "I love it when you wear a dress. Maybe I should ban you from wearing pants entirely¡­" he said thoughtfully as his hands began pulling my legs apart to spread them.


    My hips thrusted up and then grinded against his hips. I moaned in satisfaction when I felt his hardness against my back. Hayden¡¯s cock was hard and that stirred up even more desire in me than before. I cried out his name before moaning loudly when his fingers began stroking my wetness through the thin fabric of my panties.


    "Did I turn you on that badly? You¡¯re already this wet¡­" Hayden teased as he bit on my earlobe again.


    The fabric covering my love hole was soaked with my love juices and Hayden must have felt my wetness even through my panties. My hips moved against his teasing fingers, inviting him to touch my heat directly. Hayden did not hesitate to respond to my invitation, his fingers pulled the crotch of my panties to the side before his fingers caressed the length of my wet slit directly.


    He sucked in a breath before blowing it into my ear. I shivered in his arms from the stimtion as his fingers continued sliding along the wet and slippery slit in between my widely spread legs. My hips moved along with the movement of his hand, thrusting my wet pussy against his long fingers.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 307: Love in the Sky

    "You¡¯re so wet. My fingers are sliding in smoothly¡­" Hayden whispered provocatively into my ear.


    "Ahhh¡­" I moaned loudly before I bit on my lower lip to control myself a little.


    Hayden¡¯s thick and long fingers slid into my love hole slowly and smoothly just like he had said. My love tunnel was so flooded with my love juices that his entry into me was smooth. His fingers thrusted upwards into my hole until the entire length of his fingers were buried deeply into me. It felt so good that I couldn¡¯t help but cry out for more.


    I turned my face a little to nce up at Hayden to find him staring down at the spot between my legs.


    "Want more?" Hayden asked as he shifted his eyes to meet mine.


    I felt heat rush to my cheek as I blushed while I nodded my head at him in reply. Hayden smirked at me and my naughtiness but instead of thrusting his fingers fast and hard inside of me just like what I had wanted, Hayden slid his fingers out of my pussypletely.


    "Hayden?" I said his name questioningly.


    "Your pussy is more than ready. If you want it, put my cock inside you," Hayden said challengingly.


    What is up with the ¡¯if you want it¡¯ part of that. He knew that I wanted it. In fact, he made sure that I wanted him. My brows furrowed in slight frustration when I realized that he was going to make me do the hard work from here on out.


    "Get off me if you¡¯re going toin," Hayden said coldly as his hands left my bodypletely.


    I watched in shock as he put his hand up like he didn¡¯t have anything else to do with this. My eyes narrowed slightly as I pouted at him and his selfishness. Although I knew that he was just teasing me. His cock was still so hard¡­how can he just stop here right in the middle of things?


    "How irresponsible¡­" I mumbled to myself.


    "What did you say?" he quickly asked.


    "Nothing¡­" I replied before he could punish me for anything.


    Hayden watched me as he waited to see what I would do. I sighed softly in resignation before I put myself up for the task of freeing his cock from his pants. I got up before I straddled him, my hands quickly began unbuckling his belt as Hayden watched my every move.


    "Lift your hips¡­" I instructed.


    Hayden did what he was told so that I could help him undress faster. It didn¡¯t take long before his massive hot rod was free from his clothing. Hayden sighed with satisfaction when I held his cock in my hand. His cock was already very hard and erect. Hisrge member felt hot in my hand as I began stroking his length.


    "I like this¡­" he groaned.


    "Should I do it faster?" I offered.


    "Not your hand, well, your hand too but what I meant was you taking control a little. It¡¯s an adorable change¡­" he replied before shing me a captivating smile.


    His words made me feel conscious of my forward actions and I started to blush again. Haydenughed a little at my reaction before he pulled me closer to him.


    "Sit on myp. I want to be inside you right now¡­" he whispered lustily as he began turning my body around.


    "I thought you didn¡¯t mind if we stopped¡­" I teased him a little as I pouted.


    "Talking back to me, huh? How brave¡­" he replied teasingly with a chuckle before he pulled me against his hard chest.


    I felt the heat of his body against my back along with his heated breath at the back of my ear. His hands found my breasts again and began massaging them the way that I liked it. I spread my legs and began moving my hips against his hard cock. I wanted him inside of me too.


    Hayden¡¯s hands stroked its way down my body until he reached my hips and then my thighs. Hisrge hands helped me spread my legs while I positioned his upstanding cock in between my legs. With my other hand, I spread my pussy lips with my fingers before fitting the thick head of his cock at my wet entrance. My pussy quivered in anticipation as it waited to be fucked by his enormous love stick.


    "Ahh¡­it¡¯s so hot¡­" I moaned as I rocked my dripping wet entrance against the thick swollen head of his cock.


    "Take me inside¡­" Haydenmanded.


    I lifted my hips up above his cock and then quickly lowered myself onto his upstanding cock. I cried out his name as his cock prated my wetness. Hayden¡¯s manly hands quickly supported the sides of my waist before he thrusted his hips up into me from below, ramming his thick cock fast and deep into my hole.


    "Ahh! Hayden¡­" I cried out at his sudden entrance.


    Hayden let out a groan as my pussy walls clenched around his hot rod. As always, it felt so pleasurable to have him inside of me. He filled mepletely and I could feel him everywhere inside of my love hole.


    "Ride me, Malissa. Show me how you take control¡­" Hayden said encouragingly as his hands stroked my waist seductively.


    "Ahh¡­Ahhh¡­" I moaned in rhythm to the movement of my hips as I moved wildly on top of him.


    I lifted my hips before moving down on his thick cock to take him back inside of me. The sensation of hisrge cock sliding in and out of my hole drove me wild with lust and yearning for him. The engorged head of his cock hit me deep inside as I continued to ride on top of him like I couldn¡¯t get enough of him.


    I cried out his name as I mmed my pussy down onto his erect cock over and over again, feeling his thickness fill and stretch my wet insides.


    "Good girl¡­faster¡­" Hayden growled encouragingly as his hands tightened around my waist.


    My hips moved on top of him faster as I pumped my hips up and down his fat cock. His length rubbed against the walls of my pussy while the head of his cock hit against my womb.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 308: Can’t Have It All

    My legs soon felt weak from the pleasure, and I knew that it wouldn¡¯t take long for me to reach my climax. Suddenly, the pleasure intensified, making me cry out even louder. Our moans and groans of pleasure filled the ne as Hayden began thrusting his hips up, ramming his cock into my wet love hole from below.


    Hisrge hands slid down from my waist to hold my legs spread wide open as he continued thrusting his swollen dick into my hungry pussy. The angle that his cock was hitting me deep inside drove me insane with lust.


    "Ah¡­Hayden¡­it¡¯s hitting my g-spot¡­Ahhh!" I cried out in between my moans of pleasure.


    "Here? You always moan when I hit you here¡­" Hayden said as he pumped his cock into me.


    Hayden¡¯s hand pressed down on my lower abdomen as he thrusted his cock against my g-spot. I moaned loudly just like he had predicted. The head of his cock thrusted against my g-spot as his hand cleverly pushed down on my love tunnel from above, crushing my pleasure spot against his cock. The intense pleasure made me moan and cry out as my mind went numb from the pleasure.


    My pussy clenched non-stop, and I could feel myself getting even wetter than before. My core throbbed with desire and heat that I couldn¡¯t control.


    "Does it feel good?" he asked needlessly.


    "Yes¡­please¡­give me more¡­" I pleaded greedily for him to keep on hitting that spot.


    "Spread your legs wider. Move your hips more¡­and I¡¯ll help you," Hayden said as his hands grabbed my thighs and spread them even further apart as I sat on top of him.


    I leaned back against his chest as my head rolled around on his broad shoulders. His cock pounded wildly into me, faster and harder as he drove me closer and closer towards my release. I wanted to cum so badly, but I didn¡¯t want him to stop fucking me either. I cried out his name as my hips moved wildly to meet his thrusts halfway, burying his cock deeper and harder into me with each powerful thrust.


    His cock hit me so deeply, but my body ignored the pain as pleasure flooded my mind and my love hole.


    "Ahh¡­Hayden¡­I¡¯m gonna cum¡­already¡­" I moaned passionately as my pussy spasmed madly around his thick love stick.


    I lost myselfpletely in him when my climax imed me. I came crying out his name as Hayden kissed and sucked on the side of my neck lovingly. His cock continued beating into my sopping wet hole, faster and harder as he raced towards his release. I knew that he was about to shoot his load inside of me and I couldn¡¯t wait to receive it.


    Small whimpers of pleasure escaped my lips when Hayden finally reached his climax. He called my name before he nibbled on my ear lobe as his cock spurted his hot seed deeply into my quivering pussy hole. His heat filled me as I felt wave after wave of his seed shooting into my womb. We stayed locked together like that for a while with his cock still buried all the way in my tunnel.


    He cradled my head against his chest as I enjoyed the peace that calmed my mind after our intense lovemaking.


    "Malissa¡­" I heard him call my name softly.


    "Hmm?" I made azy questioning sound as I wondered what he wanted.


    "Did you mean it?" he asked softly after a pause.


    What does he even mean by that?


    "Mean what?" I asked, not quite understanding what he was referring to.


    "What you said in the meeting¡­" he replied.


    What I said?


    Well, because we had the rules in ce, I guessed I only said one thing during the entire duration of the meeting so Hayden must have been referring to that. What do I tell him now?


    I probably wanted to marry him, but it wasplicated between us. In fact, it was soplicated that I didn¡¯t quite know what we were. Does Hayden even want to marry me or share a future with me? If we did share a future together, what would it be like? Who was going to take over the gang? Will Hayden take over and if he does, what does that mean for me?


    Then, what is Harvey takes over?


    So many questions filled my mind that I felt like I was running through an endless maze. Of course, I ran into many dead ends just like how I didn¡¯t seem to have the answers to all the questions that I had.


    "Well, it¡¯s about the future so, I honestly don¡¯t know. I guess I did mean it, we might get married in the future¡­right?" I replied truthfully before asking a question of my own.


    Right, Hayden? We might get married in the future, right? In your mind, is that a possibility for us?


    Hayden seemed to consider my words and just when it looked like he was about to reply to my question¡­


    "We will be making ournding very soon. I kindly ask that you fasten your seatbelts and remain seated for thending. The weather seems fine, and the sky is clear; however, for your safety please remain seated with your seatbelts securely fastened. Thank you,"


    The pilot had remained silent for the entire duration of our trip so of all the times, why did he have to make an announcement now. I stared unimpressed towards the front of the ne as I silently cursed the pilot for being too good at his job.


    "We¡¯rending soon. Get back to your seat," Hayden said as he waved me away.


    Great. This is just great.


    It felt just like arge door had mmed close right in front of my face. Where is the answer to my question?! Hello?!


    I didn¡¯t have much of a choice. Hayden had already switched mode and it was clear that he was no longer in the mood for any questioning. With a soft sigh, I climbed off his seat before quickly adjusting my clothes.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 309: Rough Morning

    Finally, we are back home.


    After plopping down on myfortable leather seat and buckling the seatbelt as I readied myself for thending. My pussy was flooded with our juices, and I wished that I could clean myself up before wended. Needlessly to say, my underwear was a mess, the poor fabric tried its best to absorb the mix of our juices and prevent it from pouring down my legs.


    It was dark by the time we arrived back at Hayden¡¯s mansion. Once the ne touched down, Hayden¡¯s mood seemed to switch back to his more serious and solemn self. After helping me out of the ne, we spent a silent ride together side by side in the car all the way back to the mansion. Luka rode in the car with us, but he didn¡¯t say anything either.


    I felt tired and was looking forward to a peaceful night of sleeping in Hayden¡¯s arms. Since we already had some wild sex in the ne, I doubt that we would do it again tonight. One look at Hayden¡¯s face and I knew that his thoughts were already elsewhere, somewhere far from sex with me in his bed.


    It didn¡¯te as a surprise to me when he told me that we had to go our separate ways when we arrived back at the mansion. The fact that Luka was still there along with many of the men was enough for me to notice that work wasn¡¯t over for Hayden and the other gang members.


    "Go to sleep. Don¡¯t wait up for me," he instructed in short.


    "Where are you going?" I asked, knowing that my concerned showed.


    "Nowhere. We¡¯ll be having a meeting somewhere here in the mansion. Go to sleep," Hayden said firmly.


    Hayden gestured with his eyes and two maids were at my side, pulling at my arms towards Hayden¡¯s wing of the mansion. Wherever Hayden was headed, he didn¡¯t want me to join in. The maid whispered polite words to me as they encouraged me to follow them.


    I turned back to take a look at Hayden as I was being ushered away but all I saw was his back as he walked with Luka and his men in the opposite direction.


    That night, I waited up for Hayden until I dozed off. If Hayden returned to his bedroom that night, I wasn¡¯t aware of it.


    ¡­


    The next morning, I woke up with a feeling that someone was with me in the room. The first sight that greeted me when I opened my heavy eyelids was the in white bedsheet that told me that Hayden wasn¡¯t in bed with me. Something told me that he hadn¡¯t return back to his roomst night. My body tensed and I could sense the presence of someone in the room with me and it wasn¡¯t Hayden.


    "Seems like you had a rough night¡­" a man¡¯s voice said softly.


    I bolted up right it a sitting position on the bed as I gathered the nket firmly against my chest before turning around to face the source of the voice.


    "Umm¡­how did you get in here?" I asked and my voice sounded shaky and hoarse.


    I asked the first thing that entered my mind.


    Why is the boss here? Where is Hayden?


    Quickly, I adjusted the nket around my body and pulled it up to make sure that my chest was properly covered. Thankfully, I wasying with the nket over my body and none of my body was exposed to his sight. I never expected the boss to be here when I woke up. My shock probably showed on my face because the boss started chuckling softly.


    "This used to be my house, and this is my son¡¯s bedroom. Why can¡¯t Ie in here?" he replied like it was no big deal.


    Well, personal space and privacy¡­perhaps?


    Of course, I never voiced that thought out loud. I felt ufortable but it seemed like the boss didn¡¯t care at all about that. He sat leisurely on the chair next to the bed like he was in no hurry at all while I wondered what he could possibly want with me and how long he had been sitting there?


    The eventful day with Ethan yesterday still felt fresh in my mind and even after spending a restful night of sleep, I still felt drained. Staying uptest night as I waited for Hayden didn¡¯t help either. Although it was my fault for choosing to wait up for him when he clearly told me not to. I just couldn¡¯t go to sleep not knowing what he was up to. Did something happen?


    To add to the mess, the boss is here to see me instead.


    "Are you looking for Hayden?" I asked, daring to have a hint of hope that he wasn¡¯t here to see me.


    "Of course not. I know that he¡¯s no longer here. I want to talk to you," the boss replied bluntly.


    The small spark of hope that I had was quickly extinguished.


    Hayden isn¡¯t here? Like¡­he¡¯s not in the mansion?


    "I see¡­" I murmured; all hope lost.


    The boss stared directly at my face. I found myself staring into his eyes as he seemed to appraise me and what I was thinking. On my end, I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking at all. His expression was just a nk mask that gave absolutely nothing away. After a moment of silence, the boss nodded his head slightly.


    "When are you two nning to get married?" he asked casually.


    "We¡­I don¡¯t know¡­" I replied honestly.


    To be even more honest, it wasn¡¯t just about when. I didn¡¯t even know ¡¯if¡¯ we would ever be getting married. Hayden was close to saying something while we were on the flight back together, but that pilot just had to butt in with his announcement.


    "You don¡¯t know? As in, you two never talked about it?" the boss asked as his eyes narrowed dangerously at me.


    "We sort of did¡­but¡­" I replied before trailing off.


    "But what?" the boss asked persistently.


    But the pilot just had to butt in¡­ok?!


    "We¡­umm¡­didn¡¯t quite get to finish the conversation¡­" I replied defeatedly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 310: Just Seven Days

    The boss¡¯s eyes narrowed at me, and I knew that he was far from satisfied with my half-baked answer. For a moment, I began wondering if he had a simr conversation with Hayden before and then I realized that he probably had and probably more than just once. Perhaps pressuring Hayden didn¡¯t seem to have any effect, so the old man had changed his approach to pressure me directly instead.


    I had to say that his methods were working. I was truly pressured and scared.


    I could still recall our past interactions and his desperate longing for Hayden to have a child to continue the family¡¯s legacy and the family business. Hayden wasn¡¯t thrilled about taking over and he didn¡¯t seem excited about pumping out an heir to fulfill his old man¡¯s wishes either as far as I could tell.


    The boss stood up before he threw something onto the bed. My eyes immediately went to the small object that was nowying on the bed close to me and quickly saw that they were the contraceptive pills that I used. My body shivered as I started to develop a very bad feeling about all this.


    "If you keep using this, when are you going to get pregnant?" the boss asked rhetorically.


    "Well¡­" I whispered before I became absolutely speechless.


    Did he ever consider that perhaps I was on the pills because I didn¡¯t want to get pregnant? Hayden and I are not married. The biggest problem wasn¡¯t that, but we haven¡¯t really talked about our future either. I didn¡¯t feel like we were ready to bring a life into this world and I bet Hayden didn¡¯t want to have a baby just yet. If he did, he never consulted me about it.


    "Do you want to marry my son or not?" the boss demanded to know.


    "Well¡­I¡­" I mumbled hesitantly.


    "Do you or do you not?" the boss asked, raising his voice loudly.


    "I¡­" I whispered before I trailed off.


    I wasn¡¯t sure. I guess I do but I wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to marry me.


    "Listen, Malissa. I need you to give me an answer within a week. Either yes, you will marry my son or no, you won¡¯t. It¡¯s that simple," the boss sneered at me.


    I could see his face starting to change into a deep shade of red as he got angrier by the second. It scared me but I still found his demands unreasonable.


    "That soon?" I asked in shock.


    "Don¡¯t you think that I¡¯ve given you two enough time already? You¡¯ve moved into his mansion, and you¡¯ve been living with him like a proper couple for a while now," the boss readily pointed out.


    "That¡¯s only because he wanted to keep me here¡­" I replied softly.


    "Then should I bail you out of your dear little prison?" the boss asked sarcastically.


    "That¡¯s not what I meant¡­" I mumbled in reply.


    "I¡¯ll be back here in a week for my answer. If you decide not to marry my son then I¡¯ll remove you and find him another woman who is more than ready to bear his child," the boss basically screamed in my face.


    "But¡­that¡¯s not really for me to decide on my own¡­" I protested softly as my lower lip shook.


    What about Hayden? What about what he wants?


    "I chose you because I thought you could change his damned stubborn mind. If you can¡¯t convince him to marry you, then you can go back to wherever you came from. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve always wanted?" the boss spat as he started swinging his hands around in the air in his frustration and anger.


    Without another word to me, the boss turned on his heels and began walking away from me towards the door of Hayden¡¯s bedroom. He can¡¯t just leave like this. I can¡¯t agree to his conditions. A week is not enough time¡­


    "Wait!" I called after him.


    "What is it?" the boss asked as he turned his head around to take a look at me.


    I bit my lower lip when I realized that I didn¡¯t have anything to say nor any excuse for myself and my selfish hesitation.


    "It¡¯s nothing¡­" I mumbled in defeat.


    "I¡¯ll be back to hear some good news in a week," the boss said as he narrowed his eyes at me.


    Just like that, the boss was gone. I closed my eyes as depression and stress washed over me in waves. My entire body trembled, and I could feel a migraine developing on the side of my brain. The boss had decided to give me a week to decide and sort everything out with Hayden. A week, 7 days, that¡¯s like nothing at all. I opened my eyes and had to squeeze them shut again as pain shot through my head.


    My head hit the pillow as I threw myself back down on the bed. Suddenly, life seemed so much harder and getting out of bed just seemed like a huge challenge.


    Where is Hayden right now? I need to talk to him but how do I talk to him about this?


    Even if I wanted to marry Hayden, how am I supposed to get him to agree to marry me in the 7 days that I¡¯ve been given?


    The boss mentioned something about chasing me away and recing me with another woman. Unfortunately, I knew that he was beingpletely serious. Although I hated the fact that he treated me like an object that could be easily tossed away and conveniently reced, I could see that really happening. He brought me here and offered me to his son, so of course, he could take me away.


    What should I do now? How do I talk to Hayden? What if he doesn¡¯t want to marry me? What if he doesn¡¯t want children¡­?


    I rolled onto my belly and buried my face into my pillow before screaming loudly into it in my frustration.


    I need help¡­someone¡­please help me!


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 311: Can’t Force Him

    "So, do you want to marry my brother?" Harvey asked as he leaned forward towards me across the coffee table.


    The saddest part perhaps was the fact that the only person who I could enlist to help me on the matter was someone who was supposed to be dead. After forcing myself to get out of bed, I dragged myself through the shower and threw on some clothes before heading straight for Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion.


    Since Harvey had nowhere else to go, he was there reading a book when I waltz into his sitting room. To my surprise, Little Hayden was there as well, curled up at Harvey¡¯s feet while looking more like a cat than a dog.


    If the boss was right, which he most probably was, Hayden was out right now which meant that I needed to get my act together before hees back. Today was already the first day out of the measly 7 days that I had left.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­I¡¯m confused¡­" I admitted honestly.


    Harvey looked at me like I was the most pathetic human being that he had ever seen before he sighed loudly and shook his head in disappointment. I could tell why he would feel that way but why did he have to show it so painfully clearly.


    "How is it possible for you not to know?" Harvey asked exasperatedly.


    "What about you? How did you know that you wanted to marry Amelia?" I asked enthusiastically.


    It must have beenplicated for him back then too because he was the heir of Torex. He was born to be the next leader of the Torex gang and yet he decided that he wanted to marry Amelia, a woman who was engaged to be married to the heir of a rival gang. It must have been hard for him to decide.


    "It was the simplest thing ever. I woke up one day after having sex with her and she wasying there next to me. Then, I suddenly realized that I wanted to spend my life with her and no one else," Harvey replied without pause.


    Well, that was easy. Way easier than what I had imagined. I mean, what about all the potential conflict and all of that?


    "Did you¡­worry about anything?" I asked.


    "Of course, I did, but once my mind was made up, I thought that we could figure everything else outter," Harvey replied casually.


    "I wonder what Hayden is thinking¡­" I murmured.


    "Haha¡­I¡¯m sure its much moreplicated for Hayden and it doesn¡¯t help him much that I¡¯m still alive¡­" Harvey mumbled softly, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I heard him correctly.


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. Back to you. What do you want to do?" he asked, turning the tables on me.


    I sighed aftering to the conclusion that now was probably the right time to let the cat out of the bag and tell Harvey everything that happened this morning.


    "Actually, the boss came over to meet me this morning¡­" I confessed in a small voice.


    Harvey¡¯s eyes widened inplete surprise at my words and if I didn¡¯t have his whole and undivided attention before, I definitely had it now.


    "Wow, it¡¯s rare for that old man to return to this ce¡­" Harvey mumbled.


    "Yeah, he turned up this morning to see me. He gave me 7 days to decide whether or not I want to marry Hayden. If I don¡¯t, then he told me that he¡¯s simply going to rece me with another woman who does¡­" I further exined.


    "I¡¯d say that that¡¯s quite fair. You can find your answer within 7 days, can¡¯t you?" Harvey said, sounding worry-free.


    "Maybe¡­but the main issue is, I guess, I don¡¯t want to marry Hayden if he doesn¡¯t want to marry me¡­you know? Like¡­I don¡¯t want to force him into marrying me¡­" I confessed truthfully as I struggled a little to find the right words.


    Harvey stared at me before his brows drew into a frown while I waited impatiently for his response. Instead of instantly replying to me, Harvey¡¯s expression quickly changed, and he beganughing as if he had heard something quite crazy. I made a weird face at his unexpected reaction. I was trying to be serious about everything, but it seemed like Harvey found something about that very entertaining.


    "I don¡¯t see what¡¯s so funny¡­" I muttered.


    "Of course, it¡¯s funny. Who do you think you are?" Harvey asked as he tried desperately to control hisughter.


    "What do you mean?" I asked in pure confusion.


    "Who do you think you are?" Harvey asked again and this time his face was dead serious, all signs of his perviousughter had died down.


    What does he mean by that? Who do I think I am?


    I gave Harvey a nk stare as I waited for him to exin what he was trying to get at.


    "Sorry forughing at you just now. It¡¯s just very unlike you to get so conceited even if unknowingly. If you think that you can force Hayden into anything, you better think again¡­" Harvey said, and his face suddenly turned dead serious.


    "Force him?" I said, cluelessly.


    "You did say it just now that you didn¡¯t want to force him into marrying you if he doesn¡¯t want to, right?" Harvey asked to remind me of what I had said.


    "Well, yes and I mean exactly that¡­" I replied.


    "That¡¯s the funny thing because, you see, no one can force Hayden into doing anything that he doesn¡¯t want to. Not the boss, not me, and definitely not you. No one can force Hayden into doing anything if he was really against it," Harvey said with absolute certainty.


    "But¡­" I mumbled softly.


    Isn¡¯t he forced to do so many things already against his will? It didn¡¯t make any sense¡­


    "There are no ¡¯buts¡¯. If you see Hayden doing something, it means that there¡¯s a part of him that is willing to do it although the reasons may vary. You think he was forced to act as the heir of Torex? Not at all, he¡¯s willingly bearing with it to help out a selfish brother like me. No one can really force Hayden¡­not really¡­" Harvey exined as if he could read my thoughts.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 312: Question or Proposal

    "That¡¯s¡­" I whispered as I tried to digest his words.


    "If he marries you, it won¡¯t be because he was forced into it. No one can force him into anything. If it was at all possible, the boss would have more than ten grandchildren to y around with by now without a doubt¡­" Harvey exined before he startedughing at his own half-serious joke.


    No one can force Hayden. I have never thought about things this way before, but somehow, I started to understand where Harvey wasing from. Perhaps he was right, if the boss could really force Hayden, then he wouldn¡¯t need to act so desperately.


    "So, when are you going to propose to Hayden?" Harvey asked and I couldn¡¯t tell if he was being serious or not.


    "I am NOT going to propose to him!" I cried out a little too loudly.


    My reactions drew another found ofughter from Harvey. At first, I was slightly annoyed that he didn¡¯t seem to be taking me seriously but soon enough, I started giggling along with him.


    "Thank you¡­" I murmured.


    Talking to Harvey made me feel better. I don¡¯t know how or when it started but I had gotten closer to Harvey, and I knew that talking to him would make me feel better even if it may not solve my troubles all the time.


    When I first met him, I never thought that the original heir of the Torex gang would turn out to be such a supportive and kind man. That didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t extremely calcting and maniptive at times, though. I had developed a liking to Harvey, and I had noticed that it was crucial for me to stay on his good side. This man coulde back to life at any time, after all.


    "I look forward to your answer in 7 days," Harvey said after he had returned to his usual self.


    Harvey?


    For some reason, his eyes had strayed from my face, and it didn¡¯t seem like his words just now were addressed to me. It can¡¯t be¡­


    That was the first instance that I felt a presence behind me. I closed my eyes in dread before I slowly turned around. To my utter shock, I came face to face with a face very simr to the man that I had been talking to just now.


    Hayden? How long had he been standing there and howe I didn¡¯t realize at all?


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered in disbelief.


    How long had Harvey realized that his brother was standing behind me? How much did Hayden hear of our conversation just now?


    Harvey chuckled before he started pping his hands together. I realized then that Harvey had seeded in pulling a trick on me again. I let my guard down even though I knew how maniptive he could be.


    "Maybe I should leave now¡­" Harvey quickly excused himself as he got up from his seat.


    After taking a few steps from his seat, Harvey turned around before smiling shyly my way. I wondered what he was up to this time.


    "Sorry but, I just realized that I don¡¯t have anywhere to go. Can you two have your chat in your part of the mansion instead? My realm is quite limited right now so¡­" Harvey said mockingly as he gestured to the room around him.


    "Come," Hayden said to me before he turned on his heels and started walking away.


    I knew without needing to ask that he was talking to me.


    I nodded towards Harvey to excuse myself. He smiled at me, and his mouth formed the words ¡¯good luck¡¯. I wanted to thank him and curse at him at the same time, but I was too in a hurry to follow after Hayden to have the time to do either of those things. The truth was, I knew that I would need a lot more than ¡¯good luck¡¯ to survive the conversation that I was about to have with Hayden.


    ¡­


    Hayden led the way to his living room, and I followed obediently while maintaining a distance between us. I continued to wonder how much of my conversation with Harvey just now did Hayden hear. Judging from his displeased reaction, he must have heard quite a bit. Why did I have to talk so loudly? I shouldn¡¯t have shouted about not proposing to Hayden.


    Although it was true, how can I possibly propose to him. That¡¯s just in crazy and out of the question.


    Hayden sat down on the sofa and beckoned with his hand for me to join him. I could tell from the fact that he hadn¡¯t spoken a word to me since leaving Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion that he wasn¡¯t in a good mood. Strictly speaking, I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, but I found myself feeling slightly guilty nheless as I sat down next to Hayden.


    Suddenly, we were so close, and I felt extremely anxious and ufortable. Unable to rx, I sat with my back straight and my hands balled into fists on myp as I waited for Hayden to start the conversation.


    The room felt unusually cold, and a shiver ran through my body. My hands started going numb from the cold and Hayden¡¯s cold attitude did nothing to make me feel better.


    "Do you want to get married?" Hayden spoke up suddenly and I could feel his eyes directly on my face.


    Huh? How direct can he be?


    Is that simply just a question or was that a marriage proposal?


    Did he just ask me to marry him or was he just asking out of curiosity about what I wanted?


    The cold and detached way in which he said those words made me quickly realize that I had to be a big fool to think that he was proposing to me for real. He was simply asking me if I wanted to marry him. Nevertheless, his question stunned me into silence. The truth was that I didn¡¯t know how to answer him.


    What should I do?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 313: Forced to Confess

    Even if I wanted to marry him, how would he react and what would happen if I told him?


    I had 7 days left now before the boss came back again for his answer and time was ticking by without pause. That reminded me that I also never got around to telling Hayden about this father¡¯s abrupt visit to his bedroom to see me earlier in the day. If Hayden found out the boss¡¯s visit this morning, he didn¡¯t mention it to me. I wondered if he already knew and if he did, what did he think about it?


    I can¡¯t read his expressionless face at all. What he was feeling or thinking, I had absolutely no idea.


    "Do you want to marry me?" Hayden asked again, rephrasing his questions as if helping me to better understand him.


    That wasn¡¯t the reason why I didn¡¯t reply to his question. I understood him perfectly, I just didn¡¯t know how to reply. I had no idea what to say and my throat and lips suddenly felt as dry as the desert. I could feel Hayden¡¯s intense gaze staring at me and that only made me panic even more.


    "Do you¡­want to marry me?" I asked him the same question that he had asked me.


    However, unlike Hayden¡¯s cold tone and emotionless tone, my voice shook terribly as I said those words. I realized that I wasn¡¯t hesitant about it but I was extremely scared to hear his answer.


    "Does it matter?" Hayden replied without even pausing to think.


    "Excuse me?" I asked in shock.


    What does that even mean? Of course¡­it matters¡­


    "I¡¯m asking if my answer will influence yours," he exined casually.


    Well, I wasn¡¯t sure about that¡­


    "It shouldn¡¯t. You shouldn¡¯t let my answer influence yours. Whether or not I want to marry you has nothing to do with what you want," Hayden stated casually.


    We might as well have been discussing the weather for all that¡¯s worth. Hayden was either cold, emotionless or casual like this topic didn¡¯t hold much importance to him.


    "That may be true but¡­" I began but didn¡¯t know where tond with my words.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly true, right? I finished my sentence off in my mind.


    "Is there something that you¡¯ve been keeping from me?" Hayden asked.


    The way his blue eyes narrowed slightly at me told me that he knew something and that shocked me.


    "I¡­I¡¯m not sure what you mean¡­" I replied without thinking.


    What could Hayden possibly be referring to? I wasn¡¯t keeping anything a secret from him¡­


    Wait, could it be?


    He knows?


    "Let me ask you that again. Have you been keeping something from me?" Hayden asked as if he was offering me a second chance at this.


    "I¡­" I began but then came to a pause as I hesitated.


    "Tell me now¡­" Hayden demanded.


    I knew that I should tell Hayden all about it and that there wasn¡¯t a good reason to keep this from him. However, I panicked so much that my tongues were tied. On top of that, I wasn¡¯t sure how to deliver the news to him. I felt extremely conflicted, and I couldn¡¯t get any words out of my mouth.


    "Tell me now, Malissa!" Hayden yelled as his hands grabbed my shoulders and began shaking me.


    I let out a cry and it wasn¡¯t from the pain. He wasn¡¯t hurting me, but I was stunned at his sudden disy of emotions. Hayden seemed very disturbed and frustrated as he tried to get answers from me.


    "The boss¡­your father¡­he came to see me early this morning¡­" I began before I came to a pause as I tried to find the words.


    "And then?" Hayden pressed impatiently.


    Now this was the hard part¡­


    "Well, he¡­umm¡­asked when we would be getting married¡­" I said hesitantly in a small voice.


    "What did you tell him?" Hayden asked and I had a feeling that he would probably get me to recite the whole conversation to him exactly like how it went down this morning.


    "I told him that I didn¡¯t know¡­and then he got mad¡­" I replied as I tried to keep my voice from cracking.


    Hayden listened intently to me with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Seeing that he was eager to hear more, I continued on with the story all the way until the end. Hayden really could read me like a book.


    Every time that I tried to evade the more embarrassing parts of the story such as when the boss threw my contraceptive pills down on the bed in front of me, Hayden could detect with high uracy that I was trying to skip the part.


    In the end, I ended up telling Hayden everything. The storytelling session left me feeling tired and uncertain about how I should be feeling about all this. Hayden was a devoted listener although he was impatient most of the time. Throughout my story, Hayden looked thoughtful, and I wished that I could tell what he was thinking.


    "That old man¡­" Hayden muttered underneath his breath after my story came to a close.


    "Hayden¡­?" I called his name questioningly when I sense his mood darkening.


    "The boss is tricking you. He¡¯s the most calcting of us all," Hayden said in summary.


    "Right¡­" I murmured although I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he was getting at.


    "And Harvey? He didn¡¯t tell you anything when you spoke to him earlier?" Hayden asked.


    "Huh? Not¡­particrly¡­" I replied. He did give me some advice, but he didn¡¯t really disclose any information that seemed to be outstandingly important.


    Hayden sighed as he closed his eyes and suddenly, he looked very tired. Hayden leaned back on the sofa and tipped his face up towards the ceiling.


    "Listen well, Malissa. Why do you think Harvey was chosen as the boss¡¯s heir?" Hayden asked with his eyes still closed.


    "Umm¡­" I made a thoughtful sound.


    "Because he was simply born first. He¡¯s my father¡¯s first child," Hayden replied to his own question calmly.


    "I see. So, he wasn¡¯t really chosen¡­?" I asked in a small voice.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 314: Mafia Family

    "He was chosen. Right from the moment that he was born as my father¡¯s first son," Hayden corrected.


    "Oh¡­I see¡­" I mumbled.


    I guess you could put it that way.


    "How do you think the next heir will be chosen after our generation?" Hayden asked.


    Is he referring to the next heir that will take over after either him or Harvey?


    "Well, it¡¯s got to be either your first son or Harvey¡¯s first son depending on who seeds the boss, right?" I asked after some thought.


    If the first son rule applied, then that would probably be how it would go down.


    "Half correct," Hayden said before his eyes snapped opened.


    I watched as the bright blue spheres of his eyes nced over in my direction and then he grinned a little at me.


    "Half?" I asked, curiously. What did I get wrong?


    "Session is kept in only one line of the family. So, either, the next boss takes over first before he has a son. Then when he has children, the first son will be his heir. However, if the next boss hasn¡¯t taken over and a son is born first to another line in the family, the session line could be changed," Hayden exined calmly like this didn¡¯t have anything to do with him at all.


    I cocked my head to the side as his words bounced around in my brain as I tried to digest them and their implications. What does that mean and how does that apply to us? Hayden chuckled a little at my confused and struggling expression before he continued to exin it to me in iner terms.


    "Confused? Well, let¡¯s say that we have a son. It would be all well and good for the boss and the gang, right? I¡¯ll be the next boss and then our son will take over after that. Smooth," Hayden said hypothetically.


    "Aha¡­" I murmured with a nod to show him that I still understood up to that point.


    "But what if, Harvey and I want to change our minds? What if, Harvey wants toe back to life and take over as the next boss just like he was always supposed to?" Hayden asked hypothetically.


    If Harvey wanted to take over the gang but Hayden already had a child to seed, then¡­


    "It would be impossible. If I have a child first before Harvey does, the line of session would shift from Harvey¡¯s line to my line to ensure the survival of the gang because Harvey is childless. Of course, the boss doesn¡¯t know that Harvey is alive, so he thinks that it¡¯s only natural for me to have a kid. To him, there¡¯s only one line left now¡­" Hayden exined.


    "Wait. So, if you have a son before Harvey does, then Harvey cannote back? He can¡¯t return to the gang as the next boss?" I asked to make sure that I understood correctly.


    "Not just that, Malissa. Before you think of Harvey, think of yourself. You, me, our son, whoever that may be, we¡¯ll be stuck here. I¡¯ll be the boss and you¡¯ll be my wife and our son will be the next heir," Hayden said before he shed me a sad smile.


    My mouth dropped opened and I had to cover it with my hands. I had always wanted to understand what Hayden was thinking but now that I understood, I finally realized that his thoughts were much moreplex and forward-looking than I could ever have imagined.


    While I was simply worried about what I felt or what he wanted regarding our marriage, he had already thought way ahead to its implications for us and our family as well as the implications that our marriage would have on Harvey and the future of the gang.


    He was right. I didn¡¯t understand anything at all. How could I be so narrow-minded?


    If we get married and we decide to build a family now, then we would be resigning our lives to live as the family that led the gang forever. Did I want that? Did Hayden want that?


    "Are you fine with your husband being a mafia?" he asked in wonder.


    "¡­I guess¡­" I replied softly.


    He told me that I had to decide before and this was what I had decided when I wanted to keep in touch with him. I wanted to see him and be with him and I was fine with dating him. However, now that we were talking about our future and forming a family and all that, I started having my doubts. I didn¡¯t quite know how to react because I have never thought this far ahead before.


    "Are you fine with your son being the next mafia boss? You want him to be gangster?" Hayden asked.


    I knew that he wasn¡¯t asking to tease me or bully me. He was truly serious. Am I fine with it?


    "I¡­" I mumbled before I shut my mouth and nced down in embarrassment.


    I had no idea what I wanted. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was fine with it, but it wasn¡¯t like I was dead set against it either. Sure, mafias and everything rted to them scared me before. They probably still scared me now but I had gotten a little used to being a part of their world, although, I did not understand everything about it. However, no parent would teach their son to be a gangster.


    "What happens if we have a daughter?" Hayden asked to make matters even worse.


    Another scenario that I never thought of¡­


    I was stunned and my mind couldn¡¯t think very well. Honestly, I have never thought that far ahead, and I was very impressed that Hayden had.


    "What should we do?" I murmured softly as the weight of the situation came crashing down on me.


    "Well, it¡¯s just like you said. We have around 7 days left to think about it," Hayden replied casually.


    It¡¯s not just about what I wanted to do. I nced over at the man next to me as my mind wondered for the countless time about what he wanted to do with his life.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 315: Time Will Tell

    "Hayden¡­what do you want to do?" I asked bluntly.


    "About?" he asked as if he was ying innocent.


    "All this. What do you want to do¡­with your future?" I inquired as my eyes pleaded desperately for him to answer my question.


    I knew that he hated his job because he told me so himself. However, does that necessarily mean that he still wanted Harvey to take over? If Harvey decides to take over, what will happen to Hayden?


    "I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t decided," Hayden replied without any struggle.


    Had he been thinking about this for a long time already? Probably.


    What surprised me more than the fact that he seemed to be so at ease about it was the fact that he didn¡¯t seem at all bothered about not knowing what he wanted.


    "But you¡¯ve thought about it, right?" I asked softly.


    I felt like if I pushed him too hard, he would escape and sink back into his shell without evering out. If that happened, then I would be locked out again and I would never get any answers from him. I bit my lower lip as I tried to pick my words wisely. If I stirred the water too much, the goldfish would swim away, right?


    It wasn¡¯t like I thought that Hayden resembled a goldfish or anything like that¡­


    "Of course, I have. I¡¯ve been sort of forced to think about it ever since my brother decided to ¡¯die¡¯," Hayden replied with a dryugh.


    "Right¡­" I mumbled, without knowing what more to say.


    "Don¡¯t look so stressed out about it. Just be honest to yourself and think about it," Hayden advised.


    I wished I didn¡¯t have to stress out about all of this too, but the pressure that was being ced on me was immense. Just look at what the boss said to me, for example.


    "The boss told me that I¡¯ll be reced¡­" I mumbled softly.


    "Did he?" Hayden asked before he started tough.


    I gasped loudly when I realized that I must have said that out loud. What am I thinking? I wasn¡¯t going to tell him about that. Now Hayden probably thinks that I¡¯m just worried about being reced by some other woman¡­and maybe I was worried about that too¡­


    "You shouldn¡¯t beughing. It¡¯s not a funny matter!" I retorted before I started pouting to gloss over my feelings of embarrassment.


    "You¡¯re right. The matter isn¡¯t funny but you¡¯re the funny one," Hayden said while he continued tough.


    He¡¯s so carefree about all this, seriously. He¡¯sughing and talking so casually like none of this truly concerned him and I can¡¯t even tell what he¡¯s really thinking or feeling.


    "It¡¯s amazing¡­" I mumbled.


    "What is?" he asked, curiously and I felt his eyes on me.


    "How you¡¯re so carefree and chill about this¡­" I replied honestly.


    "Does it seem that way to you?" he asked as his eyes watched me intently.


    "Yes¡­" I replied.


    "I see¡­" Hayden saidzily.


    There was a moment of silence as both of us retreated back into our own minds. I hated the thoughts that flooded my head and the emotions that flooded my heart.


    If Hayden isn¡¯t going to tell me about his thoughts of marriage then what about his thoughts on taking over the gang?


    "Hayden, will you take over Torex?" I asked in a whisper.


    "Hmmm¡­" Hayden made a thoughtful sound like he was busy contemting his answer.


    "Who will take over Torex after the boss? Will it be you or will it be Harvey?" I asked, refusing to back down.


    "It depends¡­" he replied after some thought.


    "On what?" I asked boldly, surprised at how outspoken I had sudden be.


    "Time," he replied tly.


    "Time?" I repeated, clearly confused.


    What does he even mean by that? Was he waiting for something to happen?


    "Harvey and I made a deal and depending on what happens by then, we¡¯ll probably just go along with it¡­" Hayden replied with a shrug.


    "Please exin. I don¡¯t understand what you mean at all," I pleaded desperately.


    "Time will tell. You spent so much time with my brother. You didn¡¯t ask him anything?" Hayden asked as if it was my fault that I wascking information.


    "Well, I¡­" I began defending myself.


    "He didn¡¯t tell you anything?" Hayden repeated his question in disbelief.


    "Not about this¡­" I replied.


    "I don¡¯t mind telling you but it¡¯s not as interesting as you think," Hayden said.


    Although he said that he would tell me now, I doubted that he would have told me had I asked before and I doubt that it was something uninteresting.


    "Please¡­tell me¡­" I requested.


    What deal did these two brothers make and why? What does it have to do with all this?


    "Move over there," Hayden said as he pointed to the end of the long sofa.


    "Ok¡­" I mumbled before I scooted over to sit where he wanted me to.


    Since this wasn¡¯t the first time that he¡¯s given me an order like this, I had a pretty good idea of what he had in mind. When his headnded on myp and a satisfied smile curved his lips, I found out that I was right, and I couldn¡¯t stop grinning a little to myself.


    "The story is a little long so I might as well make myselffortable¡­" Hayden said sleepily.


    "Aha¡­" I mumbled.


    "Yourp isfortable. I¡¯ve always thought that¡­" he said as he snuggled his head closer to my belly.


    "Really?" I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Yup. Ever since the first time¡­" he replied quite honestly.


    If I remembered correctly, the first time that heid his head on myp was¡­


    Was he trying to distract me just now?!


    "Please tell me¡­everything¡­" I demanded firmly before I lost my train of thought again.


    "Let¡¯s see¡­where should I start¡­" Hayden said with a little evil smirk.


    I nced down at Hayden anxiously as I waited for him to tell me what I had been yearning to know all along. My instincts told me that if I could get my hands on this information, then I could unlock more than a few mysteries about the two brothers.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 316: Desire for Peace

    "You¡¯re here again?" Hayden askedzily when he walked in through the door.


    "What¡¯s up with that reaction? I¡¯m about to marry your brother and this is how you treat me?" Amelia asked with a look of disbelief on her face.


    "You¡¯re not married to him yet. Stop turning up to our house so often¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "Don¡¯t talk like youe back here so often¡­" Amelia snapped lightly at him.


    "Good night¡­" Hayden mumbled as he walked right past her.


    "Wait! Hayden¡­" Amelia quickly called after him.


    "What?" Hayden asked without turning around.


    "Can we¡­talk?" she asked in a small voice.


    "Alone¡­with you? No, thank you. I don¡¯t want my brother blowing my head off¡­" Hayden replied without hesitation.


    "What¡¯s up with that reaction? What do you see me as?" Amelia snapped as she came to stand right in front of Hayden.


    "Someone who asked me to sleep with her the first time that we met?" he replied with ease.


    "Can you forget about that please? Just forget about it!" she wailed although she knew that he was just ying around with her.


    Hayden turned and started walking away from her without saying another word. Amelia quickly grabbed and pulled on his arm to stop him from running away from her.


    "What is it now?" Hayden asked irritatingly.


    "It won¡¯t take long. So please, can we talk for a bit?" Amelia pleaded desperately.


    Hayden could see that Amelia probably had something important that she wanted to discuss with him. Although he knew that it was probably nothing but more trouble and headache for him, he knew that he couldn¡¯t just leave her to deal with it alone. The main reason being that it probably concerned his elder brother in some way.


    Knowing that he had to deal with this, Hayden closed his eyes briefly as he let out a long sigh of resignation.


    "Fine¡­" he whispered, sounding bored.


    "Thank you so much! Hayden, you are the best! Come this way¡­" Amelia cried out happily before she started pulling him along after her.


    Hayden spent the next ten minutes or so of his life listening to an overly excited Amelia exin about her fantasy idea of forming peace between Torex and her ex-fianc¨¦¡¯s gang, Silva. He sat on a leather sofa as his eyes followed Amelia while she paced back and forth right in front of him. Her idea wasn¡¯t something that was new to him at all.


    When he was much younger, he had spent a lot of time listening to Jack¡¯s dream of basically the same thing. The method they had in mind may have been slightly different but in the end, it still involved the heir of the two gangs and unfortunately, that meant that it involved Ethan.


    Amelia¡¯s idea did not excite Hayden in the least, but he could very much appreciate where she wasing from. Although her reasons of wanting peace was different from Jack¡¯s, in the end the result that she wished for was the same.


    After listening passively to her, he had to give her credit for thinking that far ahead and most of all, he realized how serious she was about building a family with his brother.


    "So, what do you think? Can you help me?" Amelia asked brightly as she turned to face Hayden.


    Hayden smiled a tight and ufortable smile as he tried to think of a way to break the bad news to Amelia. She wasn¡¯t the first person that was going to try to bring about peace and the other person that he knew very well that had attempted the same thing didn¡¯t exactly have a peaceful death.


    For a moment Hayden was torn about what to do. Deep down, he too wished that there would be peace between the two gangs. Honestly, if he could choose, he¡¯d choose for all gangs to simply respect each other¡¯s territories and business so that there would never be any conflict. However, he knew that it wasn¡¯t an easy thing to achieve.


    "Amelia, I tried convincing my brother many times before. More times that I can count. Of course, he listened but he never agreed to anything," Hayden said calmly.


    "I see¡­" Amelia said before she flopped down into the sofa opposite from where Hayden was sitting.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes watched a deted Amelia lean back against the back of the sofa like she had lost all her energy and her will to live. He knew that he was just being ridiculously optimistic, but he felt like he wanted to believe that things could turn out differently this time around.


    Perhaps it was her positive energy rubbing off on him or perhaps it was his wish to see his brother happily married, he didn¡¯t quite understand. However, in that moment, he dared again to have some hope that maybe peace was something achievable.


    "I don¡¯t know but¡­if it¡¯s you¡­if you¡¯re the one convincing him, perhaps Harvey will change his mind or be more open to the idea," Hayden said after some thought.


    "I¡¯m not so sure if I¡¯ll be sessful or not but I really want to try. If I can convince him to think about creating peace, then I¡¯m sure that we¡¯ll be a happier family after we get married," Amelia said as her eyes sparkled brightly.


    It was amazing how hope could bring so much color and life into her face, Hayden thought as he watched her.


    "I¡¯m sure that things will go well. After I talk to Harvey, I¡¯m going to reach out to talk to Ethan. I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll listen to me. We were engaged but he never wanted to marry me anyways. I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s relieved that I¡¯ve decided to marry someone else altogether. Who knows, maybe it¡¯s fate that I help unite the two gangs?" Amelia said confidently before she beamed a bright smile over at Hayden.


    "Maybe¡­" Hayden replied without much enthusiasm.


    "You know¡­I never cared this much about the future before. For the longest time, I was told that all I had to do was grow up and marry Ethan. Everything was about doing this and that for the future of my family. Somewhere along the lines, I guess I epted my fate that my life wasn¡¯t mine. From then on, I didn¡¯t care about anything at all. My future, included.


    I partied. I spent loads of money on things that I didn¡¯t need. I slept with men I knew that I would never see again. Nothing mattered because my life wasn¡¯t mine¡­" Amelia confessed a little sadly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 317: Buying Time

    "Seems like you had a good life¡­" Haydenmented dryly.


    "It wasn¡¯t bad. Then I met Harvey, and everything changed. He changed me or maybe he made me want to change. Now that we¡¯re getting married soon, I just keep thinking of our future together and the more I think the more that I worry. I know it doesn¡¯t make much sense because I was arranged to marry another gangster boss before. Maybe it¡¯s because I love Harvey so much that I¡¯m worried about everything.


    Marrying him. Living with the Torex gang. Having children. Making sure that our children will be safe..." Amelia continued exining.


    "Well, I can¡¯t pretend to understand what you¡¯re thinking but I guess it¡¯s not wrong for you to feel worried," Hayden replied.


    "Thank you¡­" Amelia said as she looked straight at Hayden.


    "For what?" he asked.


    "For¡­listening¡­" she replied with a small smile.


    "Sure¡­" Hayden murmured.


    ¡­


    Hayden had a faraway look in his eyes when he was done with his story. Although he didn¡¯t tell me directly why he told me that story, I believed that I could sort of understand. The things that Amelia was so worried about were exactly the things that gued my mind with endless worry. The future seemed uncertain, and it scared me.


    "It feels nice¡­" he murmured softly.


    "Huh?" I made a questioning sound.


    "Your fingers in my hair¡­" Hayden replied casually.


    My entire body froze and so did the hand that I had been absentmindedly running through Hayden¡¯s soft blond hair. While Hayden was telling his story, I had somehow started ying with his hair. It seemed like the most natural thing to do to pass the time. With his headying in myp, I just somehow started doing it without thinking.


    "Why did you stop?" Hayden asked as his eyes nced up at my face questioningly.


    "Do you like it?" I asked after snapping out of my shock.


    It felt a little strange now that I was conscious of what I was doing. His hair felt so soft against my fingers and soon I had resumed stroking his hair again. Hayden closed his eyes and sighed while I smiled a little to myself. I felt oddly happy that I could help him rx.


    "After that Amelia ended up doing stupid things and she ended up like that¡­" Hayden mumbled so softly that I almost didn¡¯t catch what he was saying at first.


    The heavy regret in his voice told me that he didn¡¯t want to go into the details. Hayden probably felt responsible, at least partly, for what happened to Amelia. I didn¡¯t want to push him to recall any painful memories but if he was telling me about Amelia then she probably had something to do with the deal that he made with Harvey.


    "Is Amelia rted to the deal that you made with Harvey?" I asked.


    "Yup. When Amelia didn¡¯t wake up, Harvey felt extremely responsible and so did I. I should have never encouraged her to pursue an unrealistic dream like bringing about peace. I should have stopped her¡­but I didn¡¯t. Harvey wasn¡¯t really himself back then and maybe he isn¡¯t like his old self even now.


    Knowing how our father is, he would have demanded Harvey to marry someone else and make babies right away when he saw Amelia in a pretty much vegetative state," Hayden exined matter-of-factly.


    "That¡¯s horrible!" I cried out in shock.


    "That¡¯s the way things are. Harvey couldn¡¯t give up on her and I knew that it was useless to convince him otherwise. He wanted to believe that she would wake up despite what the doctors had to say about it. So¡­Harvey had to die, and I helped him achieve exactly that. Long story short, I¡¯m just covering his ass until he either gets over the fact that Amelia won¡¯te back, or she wakes up.


    We¡¯re just trying to buy some time¡­" Hayden exined like it was no big deal at all.


    ¡¯Hayden and I¡­we¡¯re just buying time,¡¯


    Harvey did say something along those lines, didn¡¯t he? He¡¯s just been waiting for his love to wake up. But what if, she never wakes up?


    "What if¡­she never regains consciousness?" I asked softly.


    Hayden did mention that it would be nothing short of a miracle if she did. The boss seemed to think that there is no hope for her at all. He told me bluntly that she wasn¡¯t going to make it back when I asked him about the rtionship between Hayden and Amelia.


    "We¡¯re not fools. We know that we can¡¯t keep on fooling the world forever and so there¡¯s a time limit to our deal," Hayden exined further.


    "A time limit?" I asked, surprised.


    "Correct and unfortunately for Harvey, the limit is in around a month¡­" Hayden said and for a moment I thought that he sounded quite sad.


    "Just a month?!" I eximed in shock.


    Amelia is supposed to wake up in just a month? What if she doesn¡¯t wake up by then?


    "You might not believe it, but it was Harvey who set the limit when we made our agreement. He probably realizes that I can¡¯t keep on filling his shoes forever¡­" Hayden said before letting out yet another depressing sigh.


    "Then¡­in less than a month, Harvey wille back?" I asked.


    "Yup. We¡¯re about to witness a dead mane back to life so to speak¡­" Hayden joked but he didn¡¯t sound amused.


    "So, the one who will take over Torex will be Harvey, right?" I asked as I tried to piece everything together.


    "Well, we haven¡¯t decided that yet¡­" Hayden replied.


    "But if people find out that Harvey is still alive, especially the boss, won¡¯t they just want to make Harvey the next heir like before?" I asked.


    "Probably but the gang is split in their views on that too. I don¡¯t care much about the other people. For us brothers, we just have to figure out which solution is the best for us," Hayden replied with determination.


    What would be best for them instead of what the other people wanted. What will Harvey and Hayden choose?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 318: Going Out

    Slowly, my mind started to recall the various questions that Harvey had asked me about what I wanted. Back then, I didn¡¯t know that my future was at least partly dependent on the decision that he would make. My brain suffered from information overload, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. On the other hand, I could feel that Hayden no longer wanted to discuss this.


    "Where are you going?" I asked when he stood up.


    "I don¡¯t know," he replied like he really had no idea.


    I stood up to follow him, but he turned around and gave me a smile that looked very strained and depressing.


    "Good night¡­" I said softly.


    With that, I watched as Hayden walked out of his room. I had no idea where he was headed, and I wondered if he knew that himself. However, it was clear that Hayden wanted to be alone. He probably needed time to think, and time wasn¡¯t an indefinite resource to us.


    After the door closed behind Hayden and I was left all alone in hisrge living room, I sank back down onto the sofa, and I quickly realized that I needed to do a lot of thinking as well.


    Having a chance to have a proper conversation with Hayden was a difficult chance toe by and I was determined not to be so confused and unsure about my answers the next time that we had this conversation.


    Answers and decisions. I need to make some decisions and arrive at some answers. When the sun rises tomorrow, we will have only six days left. Either we decide to get married, or we probably have to part ways forever.


    ¡­


    Not surprisingly, Hayden did not return to his room that night. I went to sleep alone and woke up alone on his bed. If he wouldn¡¯t even sleep in his own bed, then maybe I should just head back to my room. What¡¯s the point of me sleeping in Hayden¡¯s bed if he wasn¡¯t going to be there?


    I woke up with a nagging headache that I knew wouldn¡¯t go away until I had my problems sorted out. Ignoring the mirror so that I wouldn¡¯t have to face the state that I was in, I quickly showered and got dressed. It wasn¡¯tte but I had a sense that Hayden wasn¡¯t in the mansion. Either he did not returnst night and or had gone out early in the morning.


    Staying in to think wasn¡¯t something that Hayden was good at.


    As for me, I already had my destination for the day decided. Hayden could go out and the man that I wanted to see would probably be where he always was. Without hesitation, I headed to the dark hallway that led to Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion. The closer I got to my destination, the more impatient I became and soon I found myself running down the hallway towards the door to Harvey¡¯s living room.


    "Good morning, Malissa," Harvey greeted me the moment that I walked in.


    Unlike the other days when Harvey would just bezing around on the sofa with a book in his hand, today Harvey was on his feet while he fixed his hair in front of a mirror. On top of that he was immactely dressed as if he was going on date with the love of his life.


    "Harvey¡­are you going somewhere?" I asked.


    "Are you here to visit me because you miss me so much?" Harvey asked instead of replying to my question as his hand continued to style his blond hair.


    I had to say that he looked very much like Hayden at that moment. They practically look alike from behind that it was scary.


    "Umm¡­no¡­" I replied.


    "You could have at least yed along, you know. So, you need to talk?" Harvey replied teasingly as he correctly guessed the reason why I was there.


    "Yes, do you have some time?" I asked hopefully.


    "Unfortunately, no. You were right earlier; I¡¯m heading out today¡­" Harvey said as he turned around to face me.


    I sucked in a breath and held it as my eyes widened in surprise. He really does look like Hayden or was it the other way around because Harvey was born first? The way he dressed and styled his hair today made him look even more like Hayden than usual and I was starting to wonder if that was done intentionally.


    But I thought that the dead wasn¡¯t supposed to go out wandering about.


    "Where are you going? I thought that you couldn¡¯t go anywhere," I asked in slightly confusion.


    "Wrong. I told you before that there are many things that I can do while disguised as Hayden and I¡¯ve gone out before too," Harvey quickly corrected me as he waved a finger at me.


    The ce he mentioned that he goes to quite often¡­


    "Are you going to see Amelia by any chance?" I asked.


    "You¡¯re not so dumb after all," Harvey replied as he strode past me casually.


    "What is that supposed to mean¡­" I muttered.


    "Just like it sounded. Want toe along?" Harvey said invitingly before he smiled at me.


    "I can?" I asked.


    "Do you want to?" he asked, once again replying to my question with another one of his own.


    Hayden would kill me if he found out, though. But¡­I¡¯ll be with Harvey so that should be fine, right?


    "Yes. I want to," I admitted.


    It had been so long since I¡¯ve been outside of the mansion apart from going out to that meeting with Ethan, which I couldn¡¯t actually count as going out of the mansion. The other reason that I wanted to go was that I wanted to see Amelia.


    Sincest learning that I was probably going through the same set of problems that she had gone through, I just felt like I might figure something out if I got to see her even if she couldn¡¯t speak to me in the state that she was in.


    "Let¡¯s go then. We can talk on the way there or when we get there¡­" Harvey suggested brightly.


    "Hayden is going to get so mad about this if he finds out¡­" I mumbled as I hesitated.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 319: Hunting for Answers

    I shouldn¡¯t go, after all. Hayden would kill me if he found out and I didn¡¯t want to get into another argument with him.


    "If he finds out¡­" Harvey said before he giggled like a little boy.


    "I don¡¯t know. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t go. I can¡¯t go without getting Hayden¡¯s permission first¡­he¡¯ll be mad, and I don¡¯t want him to worry either," I said, having made up my mind.


    "I see. Then let¡¯s do that," Harvey said as he nodded in understanding.


    Do what?


    Harvey pulled out his phone before tapping at the screen and then he ced his phone next to his ear. He¡¯s not doing what I think he is doing, is he?


    My eyes widened in pure disbelief at what I was seeing. Before I could find my tongue and words to protest or stop him, the line connected.


    "Hayden! Yup, it¡¯s me¡­your dear brother," Harvey said enthusiastically through the phone.


    How can he sound so carefree about this?


    "Don¡¯t be so cold towards your dear brother, please. Oh, right. I was calling to let you know that I¡¯m going out and I¡¯ve decided to take Malissa out for a date," Harvey said animatedly.


    "You can¡¯t take her out!" Hayden¡¯s voice shouted so loudly through the phone that even I could hear him from where I was standing.


    Harvey, who had probably anticipated that, conveniently held the phone at around an arm¡¯s length away from his ear. He turned and winked at me before he smiled like a mischievous kid who was about to steal candy from the supermarket.


    "Oh, I¡¯m allowed to take her out? Great¡­amazing. Sorry, the signal is bad now. You¡¯re cracking up and I can¡¯t understand a word that you¡¯re saying. I know, I love you too. Goodbye, Hayden!" Harvey said gleefully before he hung up.


    Harvey then turned to me and held his thumb up while he beamed a wide smile at me like some toothpaste advertisement poster.


    Was that his idea of getting Hayden¡¯s permission?


    "Shall we head out now?" Harvey asked but his hand was already around my wrist as he started pulling me after him.


    The way he seemed to take control of everything as well as the way that he was already pulling me towards the door truly reminded me of someone¡­


    "Umm¡­I know Hayden might be overreacting by keeping me locked up inside but is it really that dangerous for me to go outside?" I asked, feeling quite worried about leaving the mansion.


    "Oh, it¡¯s dangerous alright. Your face doesn¡¯t stand out or anything. Maybe if you just wear some simple disguise, it¡¯ll solve the problem," Harvey suggested as he turned to stare at my face.


    "Ok¡­" I muttered.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t intend on letting you die out there¡­" Harvey said with confidence.


    "Thank you¡­I guess¡­" I mumbled as I followed after him.


    ¡­


    Fortunately, we didn¡¯t run into anyone on our way out of the mansion. Even if we did, everyone would probably just see it as me walking along with Hayden and that was nothing unusual at all. Harvey truly looked and acted like Hayden. He seemed at ease, and he had the key to one of Hayden¡¯s car as well.


    The drive to Amelia¡¯s mansion was smooth and uneventful. I was frankly excited just to be in a car after having been cooped up indoors for so long. It was great to see the view of the outside world go by through the window of the car. Harvey filled the time with small talk that helped to ease my mind.


    "Master Hayden, we are happy to have you here. Thank you for visiting Miss Amelia," a staff member at Amelia¡¯s mansion greeted Harvey warmly.


    Clearly, she couldn¡¯t distinguish between them at all. Maybe she was used to seeing Harvey as Hayden as well. The person who had been visiting Amelia a lot was Harvey and not Hayden after all.


    "Of course. Thank you for having me here again," Harvey replied smoothly.


    Just like thest time that I was here with Hayden, we were led to Amelia¡¯s bedroom. A feeling simr to sorrow filled me up inside as we stood in front of the door to her room. After thanking the staff, Harvey pushed the door opened and invited me inside. I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel when I saw that everything in her room was the same as how I remembered it from thest time that I was here.


    Amelia wasying on her bed with the same machines hooked up to keep her alive. It was unfortunate but, in this room, it was as if time didn¡¯t flow. Amelia and everything else in this room seemed to have been frozen in time as shey unknowing and unresponsive on her bed. I looked away to give Harvey some personal time with the woman that he loves.


    Instead, I focused my eyes on the things that lined the disy shelf in her room. Almost immediately, my eyes went to the photo of Harvey and Amelia, the one that Hayden told me he had taken. Why did fate have to be so cruel to them and to us? If only Amelia would wake up¡­


    If these two only had one month left together, how many more times could Harveye to visit her like this? The more I thought about it, the sadness just tore at my heart. I looked away from the photo before the tears that I had been desperately holding in would fall.


    "What did you want to talk about? You came to see me to discuss something specific, right?" Harvey asked.


    I turned around to see that he had taken a seat on the sofa. Strangely, I still remembered the conversation that I had with Hayden when we were seated on the same sofa as if it happened only yesterday. Slowly, I took my seat on the sofa before taking in a deep and calming breath.


    "Hayden told me about the deal that you made with him¡­" I said without bothering to beat around the bush. We didn¡¯t have the time for anything like that anymore.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 320: Dreams and Desires

    "I see. Is that what you wanted to talk about?" Harvey asked as if he had expected this all along.


    "Hayden told me that time is running out. In less than a month, if she doesn¡¯t wake up¡­" I said before my words trailed off as my eyes travelled to the figure sleeping peacefully on her bed.


    "I¡¯ll let her go. Her body probably won¡¯tst much longer either¡­" Harvey said passively.


    He¡¯ll let her go as in. He¡¯ll pull the plug and let her¡­


    "It¡¯s ok, Malissa¡­" Harvey said before he smiled a soft and gentle smile at me.


    In that moment, I had no idea why I was the one beingforted when it was Harvey who was about to lose his fianc¨¦e¡­forever.


    "If only she would wake up¡­" I mumbled very softly to myself.


    I quickly noticed that that doesn¡¯t solve our immediate problem. The timeline doesn¡¯t line up. The deal expires in around a month while I had to give the boss my answer in 6 days. What should I do? Suddenly it seemed like everyone was just figuring out a way to buy more time.


    "What are you so worried about, Malissa?" Harvey asked and I could feel his concerned eyes on me.


    I was worried about so many things that I didn¡¯t even know where to start.


    "Did you and Amelia ever talk about having kids?" I asked as I looked straight at Harvey.


    "Kids? Of course. Amelia wanted kids while I was sort of neutral about it. I knew that sooner orter we would end up having children," Harvey replied casually.


    "Did it ever bother Amelia that, you know, her children will have to join the gang?" I asked the first thing that came to my mind.


    Harvey did not seem surprised by my questions or what I was suggesting at all. He just smiled at me and I felt that he understood me or at least he was trying to.


    "Well, Amelia wasn¡¯t from a normal standard family either. They are a shady and grey lot too although not really characterized as the mafia. She also grew up knowing that she was going to end up marrying a gangster boss, so I guess she got used to it¡­" Harvey replied.


    "Still, I bet she was worried about the future of her children¡­" I pressed even further.


    "She was and that was why she kept on lecturing me about peace and forming peaceful partnerships with the other gangs. Things seemed to be going well at first, but I could see things that she couldn¡¯t see. Amelia was too trusting, and she paid dearly for that. It was partly my fault for giving her too much freedom," Harvey said regretfully.


    "She was betrayed?" I asked, to make sure that I understood correctly.


    "Of course, she was. That¡¯s what low lives gangsters always do. Fooling an inexperience woman was probably one of the easiest things for them. It was my fault; I should have paid more attention to her and what she was desperately fighting for instead of merelyughing it off as a dream. In the end, I never believed in the concept of peace. I still don¡¯t," Harvey said dryly.


    "That¡¯s just¡­" I mumbled but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to finish my sentence. That¡¯s just sad. It¡¯s just too sad.


    "Amelia ended up like that because she got too involved. The other gangs saw her as a good target. Hurting her would mean that they could hurt me too. Hayden learnt a hard lesson from that too, which is why his weakness isn¡¯t out there walking around in the open," Harvey said as he pointed a finger directly at me.


    "Amelia probably just wanted a peaceful life with you and the children¡­" I said as I realized what Amelia truly wanted.


    "Is it that bad being born in a gangster family, I wonder?" Harvey said before he looked up at the ceiling in wonder.


    "Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you like that¡­" I quickly apologized before he would take me the wrong way.


    "Not at all. I love my family and everyone in the gang. They are all like family to me. Hayden may think differently, but I¡¯m d that I was born into this family. It¡¯s not like all your children have to go through what I went through. They can live a normal life like Hayden did before he had toe back to help me and with a lot of financial backing at that.


    We¡¯re fucking loaded after all¡­" Harvey said before ending with a loudugh.


    Well, there¡¯s no risk of waking up Amelia even with a loudugh like that. If she did wake up, perhaps all of our troubles would be solved.


    "What do you think Hayden is thinking?" Harvey asked after he stoppedughing.


    "I¡¯m not sure to be honest¡­" I replied defeatedly.


    "I think I know that he¡¯s thinking," Harvey said confidently.


    "Really? Can you tell me? What is he thinking?" I asked as his words caught my full attention.


    "Of course¡­not¡­" Harvey replied before he continuedughing at me.


    I had a feeling that he was just teasing me. Even if he really knew what Hayden was thinking, he wouldn¡¯t tell me that easily. It didn¡¯t disappoint me at all. One of the lessons that I¡¯ve learnt from dealing with Hayden is that there are no short cuts. If I wanted to know more about him or understand him more, I had to put in the hard work.


    "What about you, Harvey? What are you going to do?" I asked.


    "Sadly, I¡¯m not so sure. It¡¯s like we¡¯re all just waiting for the other person to decide so that we can make our decision. Hayden, you, and me, we¡¯re all just waiting for the other person to decide," Harvey pointed out and I had to admit that he was quite correct.


    "Then, who do you think should decide first?" I asked him the question that I also asked myself.


    "You¡­" he replied without a second thought.


    "Me?" I asked in disbelief as I pointed a finger at my own face.


    "Yes, you. Malissa, you should decide first," Harvey stated resolutely.


    "Why?" I asked, more in shock than in curiosity.


    "Don¡¯t they always saydies first?" Harvey replied teasingly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 321: Alternatives

    "Haha¡­you can¡¯t be serious right now," I muttered before I rolled my eyes at him.


    "Actually, I¡¯m pretty serious right now. If you tell me that you want to marry Hayden and live a peaceful life with him away from this dangerous and dark world, I might just leave my brother in your capable hands," Harvey said and although his tone was light, I could sense that he was being very serious.


    Was that really an option?


    It seemed too good to be true. I could marry Hayden and live a peaceful life somewhere away from the mafia? Really?


    "You sound like a fairy godmother or something. This is too good to be true¡­" I replied as I kept my eyes on Harvey.


    "Do you want to? Marry Hayden and live a peaceful life with him," Harvey asked again.


    "I would like that¡­" I replied honestly.


    "What if that wasn¡¯t possible? If you had to choose between never seeing Hayden again and marrying him as the next boss of Torex, what would you choose?" Harvey asked.


    This was starting to sound like some logic test, and I wasn¡¯t so convinced that I had very good logic when it came to Hayden. My emotions were a mess and my braincells were severely impacted as well.


    "I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to be separated from Hayden¡­" I replied in a small voice.


    It was hard for me to imagine being away from Hayden. Never seeing him again was just¡­unthinkable.


    "Tell him, Malissa," Harvey urged.


    "What?" I asked, cluelessly.


    "Tell, Hayden. Tell him exactly what you told me," Harvey replied encouragingly.


    I wanted to tell him too, but I was too embarrassed to say these things so directly to him. Also, I wasn¡¯t sure how Hayden would take it. He was very unpredictable.


    "Tell, him. You might not think so, but Hayden is always thinking of you and what is best for you. There isn¡¯t anything that he wouldn¡¯t do for you if you ask¡­" Harvey said with certainty.


    I had no idea where he got his confidence from.


    "How can you be so sure?" I asked.


    "Hmm¡­probably because he hasn¡¯t slept with the same woman for as long as he¡¯s been with you?" Harvey said after some serious thought.


    Although, I appreciated his honestly and straightforwardness, was that the only reason?


    "Seriously¡­?" I muttered as I made a face to make sure that he knew that I wasn¡¯t impressed.


    "Yup. I know him well. It was the same way for me too before I met Amelia. Maybe it runs in the family?" Harvey said with an amused look on his face as if he had figured out something amazing.


    "What? Your tendency to sleep around?" I asked, sarcastically.


    "I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s a better way to describe or name it than that," Harvey said before he seemed to consider alternative names seriously.


    "Harvey, if you take over the gang, can Hayden be free again just like before?" I asked, not really for myself but I was worried about Hayden.


    Harvey¡¯s eyes widened at me before he smiled a little. I found his smile warm and very adorable.


    "You¡¯re a good girl. Hayden is very lucky to have you worry and care about him. If I take over Torex, Hayden may be able to go free but not before I clear up the mess that he¡¯s been letting run free," Harvey replied quite sternly.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, not quite following.


    What mess?


    "Did Hayden ever tell you about me and how I like to operate?" Harvey asked as he looked at me intently.


    Not directly but I¡¯ve heard it loud and clear many times before from the other gang members on how Harvey wouldn¡¯t be asxed when handling matters with the other gangs. A cold knot formed in my stomach when I recalled that peace didn¡¯t seem to be what Harvey specialized at.


    "Not really¡­" I mumbled.


    "I like to destroy things and people. My philosophy is simple. I destroy anything and anyone that is in the way," Harvey announced proudly before he snapped his fingers for effect.


    I knew it. I closed my eyes and willed the memory that I recalled of the meeting that I attended with Hayden before to disappear. The shouting senior members of the gangs as they went against Hayden¡¯s peaceful methods when he suggested that he was going to negotiate with Silva.


    ¡¯If your brother was still alive; he would never let them get away with behaving like this against us¡¯


    Someone said something like that for sure in the meeting. If Harvey was alive, he wouldn¡¯t let Silva get away with what they did. Suddenly a lump formed in my throat, and I couldn¡¯t swallow as a feeling very simr to fear and dread filled me. Since he was alwaysughing and teasing me, I had somehow forgotten that the most dangerous and crazy man of all was probably sitting right by my side.


    The original heir to the Torex was still very much alive.


    "Hayden¡¯s always been kind and easy on people. Even when people bullied him by calling him a girl or a princess when he was young, I always had to stand up for him. I¡¯ve always been there to protect him¡­" Harvey stated proudly.


    "He told me about that. Hayden really looked like a sweet little angel when he was younger," I said as I recalled photos of Hayden when he was younger.


    "He¡¯s not really an angel, though," Harvey corrected.


    "Well, I guess¡­" I mumbled. Maybe he was naughty as a kid?


    "Do you know why I had to beat up the other kids that teased him?" Harvey asked like he wanted to tell me something quite badly.


    "So that they wouldn¡¯t do it again?" I guessed.


    "Partly correct. The real reason though, was because I didn¡¯t want Hayden to hurt anyone. He always went onboard when he does, and he nearly killed one of the kids back then. It was a real mess, seriously. From that incident, the boss ordered me to deal with the violence instead because I could control myself much better," Harvey exined before he smiled cheekily at me.


    "Aha¡­" I murmured in shock.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 322: Growing a Backbone

    So, it wasn¡¯t the standard protective older brother story after all.


    "Hayden¡¯s the real crazy one. Push him to the limit and he¡¯ll end up exploding and killing everyone in the process. Your father probably realized that too, that although he¡¯s kind, he¡¯s also very crazy deep down," Harvey said beforeughing.


    "My father¡­" I whispered.


    Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrating. After turning it over, I found out that Hayden was calling. My hand shook as I stared at the screen while I debated if I should answer his call. While I was making up my mind, the phone stopped vibrating and that was when I saw almost 30 miscalls from Hayden.


    He¡¯s going to kill me for sure. My lifespan just shortened by more years than I could count.


    While I was panicking and wondering if I should call him back, my phone started vibrating again and it was a call from none other than Hayden. Why didn¡¯t I notice that my phone was vibrating before?


    "Don¡¯t pick up," Harvey said, and it sounded like amand.


    My eyes blinked rapidly as I stared in confusion at my now empty hand. When did he snatch my phone away? It all happened so fast¡­


    "You came here to think, right?" Harvey asked.


    I gasped in shock when I saw him turning my phone off. The screen went ck and then he dropped the phone down onto the sofa next to him like it was some worthless object.


    "Yes¡­" I replied in a whisper as I settled back down in my seat.


    "Then think and ask all the questions that you want," Harvey said calmly.


    "I think we should go back soon¡­" I suggested.


    Hayden must be so worried about me, and we¡¯ve been here for a while already. It¡¯s better if we head back to the mansion now. It would be trouble if Hayden came here to drag us back. He probably knew that we were here at Amelia¡¯s ce since Harvey probably only came out to see her.


    "There¡¯s no need for you to rush. Hayden won¡¯t barge in here¡­" Harvey said with a careless shrug.


    "How are you so sure about that?" I asked.


    "Well, because he isn¡¯t stupid. You see, I¡¯m Hayden right now too and he knows that it doesn¡¯t make sense for there to be two Hayden in the outside world at the same time and ce," Harvey exined in a very rxed manner.


    "Oh¡­right¡­" I mumbled when I realized that he was probably right.


    It seemed like Harvey was about to say something, but the sound of his phone vibrating loudly cut him off. Harvey didn¡¯t even bother ncing over at his phone before he switched it off. The caller must have been Hayden, it couldn¡¯t have been anyone else. Harvey seemedpletely rxed while I was on edge. Hayden is probably going crazy right around now. We really should head back to the mansion.


    While Hayden might not kill or punish Harvey, the same couldn¡¯t be said about me.


    "I really think we should head back¡­" I suggested again.


    "Hayden is a very stubborn guy. A very hard case to crack. Have you thought about how you¡¯re going to convince him to marry you?" Harvey asked,pletely ignoring my suggestion of heading back to the mansion.


    "No, I haven¡¯t figured that out¡­" I replied honestly.


    Up until recently, my mind was in a jumbled mess just figuring out if I wanted to marry Hayden. Now that I was certain that I couldn¡¯t leave Hayden or live without him, I had to find a way for him to marry me willingly. Life really doesn¡¯t y out like the fairytales. Why can¡¯t Hayden just get on his knees and propose to me just like all the other normal couples?


    He doesn¡¯t even have to get on his knees, I¡¯ll be over the moon happy if he would just propose.


    That¡¯s probably not going to happen.


    ¡¯So, when are you going to propose to Hayden?¡¯


    Harvey¡¯s question resounded in my mind, and I nced over at his smiling face as it started to dawn on me that perhaps this man had foreseen this. Was that even possible?


    You can¡¯t be serious¡­


    I have to propose to Hayden. That¡¯s just¡­out of this world crazy. I can¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t have the backbone to do something like that. What if he rejects me?


    My body went numb just at the thought, and I had to rub my arms up and down to calm myself down. Hayden did ask me before if I wanted to marry him and it was partly my fault for not being able to give him a definite answer. Why am I so cowardly?


    Slowly, I got up from my seat and approached Amelia¡¯s bed. Looking down from where I was standing next to her bed, I could see Amelia¡¯s face very clearly. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Even after all this time, her caretaker still took the effort to apply make-up to her beautiful face. Her cheeks were a rosy pink and so were her lips.


    My mind recalled all the things that Harvey had told me about her. All her thoughts, her beliefs and her efforts to work towards her dream just so that she could have a peaceful and loving family with Harvey. Why was she so brave? Howe she tried to do so much while I didn¡¯t do anything at all?


    Amelia¡­why are you so brave? How can you be so brave?


    A strange wave of feelings washed over me and probably because we were in simr circumstances, I felt a strong connection to this unconscious woman whom I have never really met before. Without realizing what I was doing, my hands started reaching out for hers. The coldness of her hands shocked me when I took her hands into mine and held it.


    Her hands were thin, and her fingers were beautiful, shapely, and long.


    "Amelia¡­" I whispered her name as I watched her face.


    If we were acting based on a script, this would probably be the moment that her eyelids would slowly flutter until her eyes opened and she would smile at me like a princess that had just woken from her long slumber. The truth wasn¡¯t like that at all. Nothing happened. Amelia did not react at all to my words or the fact that I was holding her hands.


    The sleeping princess did not wake up.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 323: Facing His Wrath

    If what Harvey said was true and no one can force Hayden into anything, then I have to find a way to convince him but where do I even start? What would make Hayden want to marry me?


    "Harvey, let¡¯s head back," I suggested.


    "Are you sure?" he asked.


    "Yes, I need to talk with Hayden¡­" I replied without hesitation.


    Harvey lips curled into a knowing smile. He probably noticed that I¡¯ve made up my mind before I noticed it myself. Without any dys, Harvey got up from his seat and approached where I was standing. I watched as he walked past me before he bent down and ced a soft kiss on Amelia¡¯s forehead. I looked away immediately before I would start crying.


    The pain I felt deep in my chest at the sorrowful and unfortunate sight felt very simr to heartbreak.


    ¡­


    "Do you think he¡¯s in there?" I asked in a shaky whisper as I stood in front of the door to Harvey¡¯s living room.


    Harvey stood by my side, and I found his presence surprisinglyforting. Although I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to hope that Harvey could save me from the angry monster that was most likely waiting for me inside the room. The moment that I dreaded had arrived and I didn¡¯t have enough time on the ride back to prepare for my untimely death.


    "Of course. He¡¯s waiting to eat you up," Harvey replied without anypassion.


    "Maybe I should just escape to my room¡­" I mumbled softly as I began shrinking backwards.


    "Face him. Ask him to marry you," Harvey said as he ced arge hand behind my back and began shoving me forward towards the door.


    "No¡­that¡¯s¡­" I immediately refused.


    Harvey¡¯s ideas were ruthless, reckless, and inly insane.


    "Come on, Malissa dear¡­" Harvey said teasingly while I dug my heels into the ground to keep myself from flying right through the door.


    After a moment of struggling, the door right in front of us opened. My body immediately froze, and I didn¡¯t dare look up to see who was standing there. As if I didn¡¯t already have a very good idea of who it was.


    "How long are you two nning to y with each other in front of the door?" Hayden asked in a freezing cold voice that chilled me to the bone.


    He¡¯s so angry. I can feel his anger in every living cell of my body.


    "We were not ying¡­" Harvey replied with a littleugh.


    No, that just made it sound like we were really ying!


    Hayden took a step back as he held the door open for us with hisrge hand. I knew that he wanted us to walk inside the room, but my feet refused to move no matter what. Even my body knew that entering the room was dangerous and so it refused to obey themand of my mind.


    "In you go¡­" Harvey said teasingly as he basically pushed me into the room.


    I almostnded on my face, but Harvey must have anticipated that because he grabbed my arm before my body got the chance to tumble over. Harvey¡¯s room had never looked this forlorn and haunting before. My fear was quickly taking over and everything in the room seemed like it came straight out of a haunted house, the paintings of Amelia on the walls included.


    "Let¡¯s take a seat, shall we? Some tea?" Harvey asked in a mocking high pitch voice as he pulled me towards the sofa before pushing me down onto it.


    I had to thank Harvey for doing everything for me. He must have noticed that I was scared stiff, and I couldn¡¯t move or think straight. Suggesting that we have tea was a little bit too much, though. For all that I knew, that tea might just turn into thest meal of my life.


    The sound of the sofa opposite from mine creaking slightly told me that Hayden had taken that seat. I heard rather than saw his movements, but I could tell that he had his eyes on me without looking up. I bit my lower lip subconsciously as my hands started to sweat from my own nervousness.


    "Why did you take her outside?" Hayden asked and thankfully his question wasn¡¯t directed at me.


    "I thought Malissa could benefit from visiting Amelia along with me," Harvey replied like he didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    "Did you benefit from visiting the sleeping beauty?" Hayden asked and this time his question was addressed at me.


    Unable to get my lips to stop shaking, I nodded my head in response instead of speaking. I continued to avoid his intense gaze as I refused to look at him.


    "You should look at the person that¡¯s speaking to you. Didn¡¯t I tell you this before?" Hayden said, his tone void of any emotions.


    He¡¯s so mad. Those were the only words that ran through my head on repeat.


    Slowly, I forced myself to lift my head up and look his way. My eyes were immediately met with cold and unreadable blue eyes. Hell has frozen over¡­


    Suddenly, I felt so cold that I started to literally shiver. I couldn¡¯t imagine how he would punish me when we were alone.


    "Don¡¯t me her so much. Let¡¯s just say that I forced her to go," Harvey said without a care.


    "Did you use force?" Hayden demanded for an answer.


    "No¡­" Harvey was forced to reply.


    It was true, he didn¡¯t use force or raise a hand against me at all.


    "Did she struggle?" Hayden continued asking his brother.


    "Not physically¡­" Harvey replied.


    "Why didn¡¯t you struggle?" Hayden asked and this time his question was addressed to me.


    I opened my mouth, but no sound or words came out. It was like I hadpletely lost my voice and ability to speak.


    "Enough, Hayden¡­" Harvey chided calmly.


    "If he didn¡¯t beat you up until you lost consciousness or tied you up and drugged you, you never should have gone with him¡­" Hayden growled through clenched teeth at me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 324: Some Lines Shouldn’t be Crossed

    "Stop it, Hayden. Can¡¯t you see how scared she is of you already?" Harvey said as he tried to calm Hayden down.


    I could tell right away that no amount of effort was going to seed in calming Hayden down at this point.


    "Why are you so soft when ites to women?" Hayden snapped.


    "Well, naturally because they¡¯re women? If I¡¯m harsh on them, I¡¯ll end up killing them all¡­" Harvey replied perhaps a little too honestly.


    "How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from her? She¡¯s not your woman," Hayden retorted heatedly.


    "And she¡¯s yours? How so?" Harvey asked in return as he cocked his head curiously to the side.


    "Harvey¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "Sleeping with her, keeping her locked up here, calling her yours...such an easy and irresponsible thing to say¡­" Harvey started lecturing his brother.


    "Harvey, please¡­" I whispered pleadingly for Harvey to stock provoking Hayden when I finally found my voice.


    "How I choose to deal with my woman has nothing to do with you. If you¡¯re so free, you should be trying to wake Amelia up. This all happened because you didn¡¯t push any leash on her. If you kept her locked up, she wouldn¡¯t be in aa right now!"


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock.


    How can he say something like that to his brother?


    Suddenly, it felt like the temperate in the room dropped my multiple degrees. There were not one but two snowstorms in the room now. One look at Harvey and I could tell that he wasn¡¯t the person that he was before Hayden spoke those words. He was beyond angry and understandably so. Kill me now. Why am I stuck in between these two brothers.


    No, please¡­I don¡¯t want to see Harvey¡¯s real form. I must have caught a glimpse of how scary he could be the first time that we met, and I didn¡¯t want to witness anymore of that.


    "Some lines shouldn¡¯t be crossed¡­" Harvey said, and his tone was soft and gentle, yet it sounded so deadly.


    I felt the warmth of Harvey¡¯s hand on my shoulder before I realized that he was standing right behind me. His touch was gentle like he was handling me with care, but I had no idea what he was thinking anymore. I could feel Hayden eyes on the hand that Harvey had on my shoulder, and I could tell that he wasn¡¯t pleased.


    "You¡¯re old enough now to understand that, aren¡¯t you?" Harvey asked rhetorically.


    "You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t understand. I told you to leave her alone. Why did you have to take her outside?" Hayden hissed through clenched teeth.


    "Women should be protected. I wanted to give her freedom¡­" Harvey said as his hand clenched slightly on my shoulder.


    "At the cost of her life? What a joke¡­" Hayden retorted.


    "I don¡¯t think Malissa likes having a cor around her neck or a leash restraining her or leading her around¡­" Harvey said, and his fingers moved to caressed the side of my neck.


    Harvey¡­what are you doing?


    "Isn¡¯t that right, Malissa?" Harvey whispered so close to my ear that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my ear.


    "Harvey¡­" I called his name softly as I struggled to figure out how to deal with the situation.


    Why are these two even fighting to begin with? How am I supposed to talk to Hayden when he¡¯s in such a rotten mood?


    What is happening?


    My body froze as my heart skipped a beat at the sensation of something warm and wet running along the side of my neck. What is going on?


    It took a moment for reality to sink in. It can¡¯t be, why is Harvey licking my neck like this?


    "Malissa¡­" Harvey whispered my name seductively before his lips started sucking quite loudly on my neck.


    "What the fuck¡­" Hayden growled.


    Slight pain shot through my wrists and then my arms as I was pulled up from the sofa and away from Harvey. Inded with a thud against Hayden¡¯s hard frame and his arms wrapped around me protectively.


    This is bad¡­now they¡¯re really going to fight¡­


    "Do I have to exin myself?" Harvey asked casually.


    His blue eyes looked at me and then at Hayden as he licked his lips as if to savor the remaining taste on his lips. Why did Harvey do that? Was he just trying to get back at Hayden for saying those offensive things against Amelia?


    "What games are you ying right now?" Hayden asked, his tone dark.


    "Games? Not at all. I¡¯ve thought about this for a while now¡­" Harvey said as I felt his eyes caressing the length of my body.


    Hayden must have felt the target of his brother¡¯s gaze as well because he pulled me a little roughly behind him. Why is Harvey looking at me like that?


    "Stop what you¡¯re thinking, Harvey," Hayden warned.


    "It¡¯s toote. I¡¯m already done thinking. If Amelia doesn¡¯t wake up, maybe I should just marry Malissa instead. The old man will probably think that is a good idea as well. We can get married and make loads of adorable looking babies," Harvey said before he smiled a charming smile my way.


    What on earth is Harvey saying?!


    He¡¯s joking, right? He has to be¡­


    "Harvey!" Hayden screamed his brother¡¯s name so loudly that I thought that the walls were going to copse all around us.


    His scream echoed loudly in the room, and I was shocked. I¡¯ve never heard Hayden scream like that before.


    ¡¯Hayden¡¯s the real crazy one. Push him to the limit and he¡¯ll end up exploding¡­¡¯


    He¡¯s not really nning to push Hayden to the limit, is he?


    Harvey, just what are you thinking right now¡­


    "Don¡¯t worry. It doesn¡¯t bother me at all that you¡¯ve slept with Hayden before. It doesn¡¯t make me want you any less¡­" Harvey said as his eyes twinkled at me.


    That is not the issue here!


    The desire in his eyes¡­is that just an act¡­or¡­


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 325: Don’t Scream

    "Come here. I¡¯ll deal with you first and then I¡¯lle back to deal with youter," Hayden pulled me after him before he turned to spit thest words of his sentence to his elder brother.


    Ladies first really does apply in this household.


    His grip around my wrist stung and I wished that he would rx his hold even if by just a little. I could feel Harvey¡¯s eyes on me before he cocked his head to the side and smiled adoringly at me.


    Then the door closed behind us, and I couldn¡¯t see Harvey anymore. My alone time with Hayden had already started¡­


    ¡­


    "Don¡¯t scream," Hayden warned in a low whisper.


    I didn¡¯t understand what he meant until he suddenly lifted my body up and hauled me over his shoulder with ease. A scream threatened to escape my lips before I quickly swallowed it after I recalled his stern warning just now. If I scream, he¡¯ll probably kill me right then and there on the spot.


    His broad shoulder dug into my stomach as Hayden began walking in long strides away from Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion.


    The heat of his hand felt hot on my thigh and ass. He didn¡¯t need to carry me like this, I would have followed him wherever he wanted me to go. That was because I wanted to talk things out with him. I wanted to tell him what I thought and felt, and I also wanted to hear what he had to say as well. Running away from Hayden was no longer a good idea. In reality, it was no longer a viable option.


    I knew that I had to face him and the sooner that I did that, the better it would be for both of us.


    With that in mind, I let him carry me like a doll on his shoulder through the hallway that led us away from Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion and into Hayden¡¯s wing. Suddenly, I heard a little muffled cry. After lifting my head up a little to nce in the direction of the voice, I saw a maid with an extremely shocked expression on her face.


    This is probably the first time that she¡¯s seen Hayden carry me like this¡­she¡¯ll get used to it soon enough, just like I had gotten used to how Hayden liked to handle me.


    Hayden did not pay the maid any attention, it was as if she didn¡¯t exist in his view of the world. Hayden carried me into his bedroom without breaking a sweat and threw me onto the bed. I bit my lower lip and kept my cries in. It didn¡¯t really hurt but that wasn¡¯t the softestnding in my life either. I didn¡¯t have long to think about the slight pain before Hayden got on top of me.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name in a whisper as he straddled my hips.


    I knew that he was beyond mad at what I had done but I wished that he would listen to my reasons for once. My wish wasn¡¯t granted when his lips crushed roughly onto mine. Any words that I had prepare to tell him were all swallowed up in his rough yet passionate kiss. Hayden growled softly before thrusting his wet tongue deftly into the debt of my mouth.


    His hands roved along the curves of my body before settling on the soft flesh of my breasts.


    He caressed my breasts with hisrge hands before squeezing them roughly while he continued to thrust his tongue into my mouth. Our kiss quickly got deeper and wetter as our tongues danced together wildly. His kiss was hungry and desperate as he filled me with his heat.


    I moaned softly into his kiss as one of his hands slipped down the curves of my body to caress my waist and then the side of my hips.


    Hayden wouldn¡¯t stop kissing me and I started to sense that he didn¡¯t want to listen to what I had to say. That was no good because I was determined to talk to him today. We may not reach any consensus or agree on any solution today, but it was better than not talking at all. In the least, I wanted him to hear me out.


    Hayden didn¡¯t give me time to do anything at all. He only paused our kiss enough to change the angle of his kiss. Our tongues were busy engaging in its own passionate dance as my body started going weak beneath him. I felt the heat and weight of his body against mine as his familiar smell invaded my senses until my mind was filled with nothing but him. He¡¯s taking over me again and effortlessly¡­


    I knew that this wasn¡¯t what I wanted from him right now. I didn¡¯t want him to touch me or give me sexual pleasure, I just wanted to talk to him. I wanted him to listen to me¡­


    "Hay¡­den¡­" I murmured his name in between our fervent kisses.


    When Hayden finally let go of my lips, I was panting and gasping for breath as he looked down at me with a mix of anger and desire burning deep within in blue eyes. I loud moan escaped my lips as I cried out at the suddenness of his attack. Hayden buried his face in the side of my neck before I felt the wet warmth of his tongue licking me there.


    His tongue travelled along the sensitive skin of my neck, and I felt goosebumps forming all over my body in response to his seductive caress.


    Although Harvey just did the same thing to me, it didn¡¯t feel like this at all. I moaned his name as my body writhed from the pleasure of his tongue teasingly licking my neck. Hayden paid so much attention to my neck as if he was making sure to cover all traces that Harvey had left on my body.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­listen¡­" I murmured softly as my voice shook from my own emotions.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 326: Don’t Lick Me

    I had no idea what I was feeling at that moment. Everything was just soplicated, and I felt so cornered and helpless. There were things that I worked so hard to decide on. There were things that I wanted to tell him and things that I wanted to do but I couldn¡¯t achieve any of those things and that made me feel so powerless and pitiful. I¡¯m such a failure¡­


    Somewhere along my journey with Hayden, I discovered that I had developed feelings for him. Without knowing when it started, I had fallen in love with him. It was the weirdest thing that had ever happened to me. When I first met him, I didn¡¯t dislike him enough to make me say that I hated him, but I was clearly scared of him and what he might do to me.


    From then on, everything that he did for me confused me. He was rough but he was kind. He punished me for everything just to tease me and I ended up feeding off of the pleasure that he fed to me.


    Before I knew it, he became an addiction that I wouldn¡¯t dare tell anyone about. He doesn¡¯t say much but when heughs or is in a good mood, he can easily light up my world. When I think about our future together and all the obstacles that wille our way, it scared me enough to keep me up all night. However, it scared me more when I thought of having a future without him in it.


    I love Hayden and if he would just give me a chance, I¡¯ll say it¡­properly¡­


    The sound of fabric tearing brought me back to my senses. My body had been responding instinctively to the desire that he invoked within me. My core throbbed with my desire to have him inside of me as my pussy leaked out so much wetness that my panties were already soaked with the juices of my arousal.


    Incoherent moans escaped my lips before I cried out at the sensation of Hayden ripping the front of my dress to shreds before his hands peeled away the cups of my bra to squeeze and pump my naked breasts directly.


    "Hay¡­den¡­" I called his name softly.


    Suddenly, Hayden froze on top of me, and he had a strange expression on his face as his eyes stared at mine. Why did he have that expression on his face? He seemed shocked and very confused at the same time before an expression of pure sorrow and regret took over his angelic features. Why is he looking at me this way?


    Slowly his hands left my breasts, and his beautiful long fingers approached my face. I watched as his fingers came closer until I felt the warmth of his fingertips on my cheek.


    "Why are you crying, Malissa?" Hayden asked as his fingertips wiped away the teardrop from my cheek.


    When did I start crying? Why am I crying?


    I nced down before I blinked. More tears slid down my cheeks and this time I knew that I had started crying for certain. Hayden seemed extremely shocked that I was suddenly crying. I was equally shocked that my tears were pouring out uncontrobly as I began to sob.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­you won¡¯t¡­listen¡­to me¡­" I said in a voice that sounded so broken as my words came out mixed with my sobs.


    Hayden¡¯s face immediately softened as his hands left my body and he got off me. I continued sobbing even when he wrapped his arms around my body and lifted me into a sitting position. It had gotten harder for me to breath since I was crying so sitting up helped a lot with that.


    Maybe Hayden knew this or maybe he was just trying tofort me, but he ended up hugging me in his arms as I leaned my body back against his.


    "Don¡¯t cry, please. Did I scare you?" Hayden coaxed softly into my ear.


    His voice was so gentle, and it was like he had changed into apletely different person. Was it because he saw me crying? His hand stroked my hairfortingly as he began kissing my tears away. I tried my best to stifle my sobs. I wasn¡¯t crying because I wanted him to be nice to me or tofort me. All I wanted was for him to listen to me and take me seriously.


    I nodded in response to his question. His anger did scare me; however, that wasn¡¯t why I was crying. I wasn¡¯t crying because of him but I was just so mad at myself for being so useless. I had no idea how to exin this to him and there were more pressing matters that I had to discuss with him. I sucked in a deep breath as I tried to gather both myself and my thoughts.


    Hayden¡¯srge hand stroked my head as he cradled me in his arms as if I was a small young girl. It felt strange for him to handle me so gently, but this wasn¡¯t the first time that heforted me. The way he held me and made me feel safe reminded me of how he was there for me when my grandmother passed away. I didn¡¯t have anyone at all back then, all I had was Hayden. He was the only one by my side.


    "Hayden¡­please listen to me¡­please¡­" I pleaded softly.


    "If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll listen. So, stop crying now," Hayden replied before he kissed my forehead softly.


    I nodded my head in agreement. It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to cry my eyes out in front of him either. Hayden smiled a relieved smile at me before his face came very close to me. I closed my eyes tightly when I thought that he was going to kiss me again. It wasn¡¯t like I minded his kisses, but I just didn¡¯t think that it was the time for that right now.


    The sensation of something warm and wet tracing along the side of my face told me that I was wrong. My eyes snapped opened in shock when I realized that Hayden was softly licking up my tears.


    "Don¡¯t lick me¡­" I muttered.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 327: My Question and His Answer

    My reaction must have been funny to Hayden because he beganughing a little after his tongue left my face. His arms still held me quite tightly against him as if he was scared that I may get up and leave. In the past, that was probably what I would have attempted but not anymore. The thought of escape never entered my mind at all.


    "I like it so much better when youugh and smile. I get scared when you¡¯re angry¡­" I admitted honestly.


    "Then don¡¯t do anything that would anger me," Hayden said as he looked pointedly at me.


    Fine, most of the time it might be my fault, but he didn¡¯t have to get that angry all the time.


    "What was it that you wanted to tell me so badly?" Hayden asked and I could feel his eyes on me.


    I looked away for a moment to gather my thoughts and pick my words. It was hard to say, and I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to take back my words after they left my mouth so I had to be extra careful.


    "I want to be with you. I¡¯m scared but I still want to be with you. I don¡¯t want us to be separated no matter what¡­" I said before pausing to think of my next words.


    Hayden had the most bewildered expression on his face. He looked at me like I had said something totally ridiculous and twisted.


    "Why do you have to look so shocked?" I muttered.


    "You wanted to talk so I¡¯ll listen," Hayden said instead of replying to my question.


    "Well, I just wanted to let you know that after thinking a lot about it, I¡¯ve figured out that I can¡¯t really imagine a future without you so if it¡¯s possible, I would like us to be together¡­always¡­" I said before ncing up at his face to see his reaction.


    Harvey did tell me to propose to Hayden but how the hell was I supposed to say something like ¡¯will you marry me?¡¯ to Hayden of all people. That was the best that I could do. It sounded pretty much like a proposal to me although I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden would get it.


    Hayden looked at me with a confused expression and I started to get the feeling that he didn¡¯t really understand the meaning behind my words. Just when I thought that I was being quite blunt and straightforward about it too!


    "And?" Hayden said questioningly.


    What does he mean by that? What more does he want me to say?


    "Umm¡­what more do you want me to say?" I asked as I started to feel heat rise to my cheeks.


    It¡¯s so embarrassing. I¡¯ve just told him so many embarrassing things. I can¡¯t believe I said those sweet and corny things to him. He must think that I¡¯vepletely gone crazy. Suddenly, I felt even more self-conscious than usual and the fact that Hayden was staring at my face did not help my case at all.


    "I want you to say what you really want to say," Hayden pressed as his arms tightened around my waist.


    I could feel the heat of his body against my back and the warmth of his breath close to my ear. He¡¯s really not going to let me go until he squeezed out everything out of me.


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name softly.


    "Hmm?" Hayden made a questioning sound before he waited for me to go on.


    I¡¯m probably going to regret saying this but at least, I meant it so¡­


    "I think¡­that I want to¡­marry you. Do you¡­want to marry me too?" I confessed before asking him about what he thought about the matter.


    I bit my lower lip hard when I realized that I was more nervous about hearing his response than I was embarrassed about telling him directly that I wanted to marry him.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes looked at me and I could tell that for a moment he waspletely lost. He blinked at me cluelessly, and I watched his long blondshes flutter as his eyelids moved.


    "How stupid can you be?" Hayden asked me after he spent a few seconds looking at me with apletely dumbstruck expression.


    I just confessed that I basically wanted to marry him and be his wife and instead ofmenting on that he wasmenting on my IQ level instead. What is wrong with him?!


    I dipped my face low and red at him. If he thinks that I¡¯m going to let him off the hook after all the effort that I had already put in just because he made an offhanded remark like that, he was about to learn that he was so wrong.


    "Hayden Torex, do you want to marry me or not?! Will you marry me or not?!" I yelled loudly.


    Something inside me snapped and suddenly all my emotions and frustration started pouring out. It felt like I was about to explode. I turned around in his arms and wrapped my arms around his neck as I continued staring deeply into his blue eyes. No matter what, I¡¯m going to get some type of answer out of him today. None of the embarrassment that I experienced will be in vain.


    "Why do you want to marry me?" Hayden asked, fullyposed and calm.


    "Does my response influence your answer? Because it shouldn¡¯t," I spat what he had said to me back at him in full force.


    Unlike thest time that we had this conversation, I had my answer for him this time around and I felt that it was only fair that he gave me his answer as well. Hayden seemed thoughtful for a moment before he closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh as if in defeat. I perked up at once, sensing that he was finally ready to give me his answer.


    I stared at his face without blinking as my ears strained itself in preparation for hearing his answer.


    "I don¡¯t think that we should get married," Hayden said firmly as he looked deeply into my eyes.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 328: Best Reward and Punishment

    What did he just say¡­?


    Is he trying to piss me off or something? Because he was very sessful at it.


    "That wasn¡¯t what I asked?! I asked whether you want to marry me or not. I never asked whether we should, or we shouldn¡¯t get married. It¡¯s not the same thing at all. Don¡¯t evade my question like this!" I basically yelled at him.


    I didn¡¯t care what we should or shouldn¡¯t do. I didn¡¯t care what was good or bad. I didn¡¯t want to hear his thoughts on what was right or wrong. I just wanted to know if he wanted to marry me or not. That was all.


    "I¡¯m not evading your question, Malissa. Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re the only one that has given this a long and hard thought. I¡¯ve probably been thinking of this for much longer than you have. After all, you only seriously started thinking about it after ourst conversation, right?" Hayden said knowingly.


    How can he be so calm in a situation like this? I hated how I still admired how calm andposed he was. I probably liked him too much for my own good. They say that love is both a blessing and a curse. How urate was that?


    "Don¡¯t make this out to be my fault. You¡¯re still not answering my question even though I told you how I felt already. This is so unfair!" I started wailing like a kid and I hated how I sounded.


    Hayden justughed at me before he leaned in and leaned his forehead against mine. I didn¡¯t close my eyes as I stared at him. He¡¯s too close and I couldn¡¯t get a good and proper look at his face like this. Hayden chuckled before he ced a soft kiss on my lips.


    "Answer my question, Hayden Torex¡­" I demanded.


    "I want to marry you, Malissa Maxford. Happy now?" Hayden said teasingly before he ced his hand on top of my head.


    It made me feel like he was just messing around with me and treating me like I was his puppy, but I was so over the moon happy that I didn¡¯t care about that at all. Hayden just told me that he wanted to marry me. Is this really happening?


    "Really? You really want to marry me, right?" I asked as my eyes widened so wide that it started to hurt.


    I wanted nothing more than to hear him say it again and again and again¡­


    "I¡¯m not repeating myself," Hayden muttered, killing off my dream in a blink of an eye.


    He¡¯s so stingy. Seriously¡­


    But I love him so much. It was crazy. I was crazy.


    "Umm¡­does this mean that we¡¯re going to get married?" I asked, feeling suddenly very hopeful.


    "Before that. Why do you want to marry me?" Hayden asked insistently.


    Why can¡¯t he just let it slide and just be happy with the fact that we both wanted to marry each other? Why can¡¯t life be that simple?


    The reason why I wanted to marry Hayden? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be obvious at this point already.


    "What about you? Why do you want to marry me?" I asked as I cocked my head to side a little while I watched his face curiously.


    Does he feel the same way that I do?


    "If you¡¯re not going to answer me then¡­" Hayden said before his lips captured mine in a yful kiss.


    I could feel him smiling while he kissed me teasingly. His hand held my face in ce so that I wouldn¡¯t be able to evade his kisses as he continued kissing me a little rougher and passionately than before. The tip of his tongue teased my lips opened before he thrusted his tongue deeply into my mouth. I found myself moaningzily into his kiss before I felt his arms circling around my waist.


    Just as I was starting to yearn for more of him, I felt the world tip sideways. Suddenly, I found myselfying on my stomach on hisp and his hand was lifting up my ass upwards as Iid face down on the bed. What is going on?


    "What are you doing?" I asked as I started to panic.


    "Punishing you for the many rules that you¡¯ve broken. I don¡¯t even know where to start¡­" Hayden said before he heaved arge and disappointed sigh.


    He can¡¯t be serious. I just told him that I wanted to marry him and now he was about to punish me for going out. How did one thing lead to another like this?


    While my mind was struggling to understand what was going on, Hayden¡¯s hands were busy pulling my skirt up to bare my ass to him. I could feel his fingers sliding along the curve of my buttocks after he had sessfully pulled my dress up. Hisrge hand caressed my ass before squeezing my buttocks yfully.


    "I only went with Harvey because I wanted to see Amelia. I just thought that if I could see her, I might understand her better¡­and maybe I would understand myself better¡­" I said defensively.


    It wasn¡¯t like I sneaked out to have fun or to escape from Hayden. Even he had to admit that the oue of my visit to see Amelia was progressive for us both.


    "I¡¯m not the least bit interested why you went out or why you happened to think that it was ok for you to go out behind my back," Hayden hissed at me as his hands began sliding off my panties.


    "What are you doing?!" I asked as panic gripped me again.


    "Taking off your panties," Hayden replied matter-of-factly as his hand sessfully slid my panties off my legs.


    I could feel the slightly cold air on the bare skin of my ass and my body started to squirm on hisp. Hayden held my waist to keep me in ce while his other hand started stroking and teasing my ass in earnest. A moan escaped my lips as his hand expertly pleasured me.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I pleaded in a small voice as I looked back to see his hand syed across my ass cheeks.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 329: Disciplining a Naughty Girl

    "Do you know what else you did wrong?" Hayden asked in a gentle yet very cold voice.


    How did our conversation about marriage lead to this again?


    I shook my head in response to his question. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­even if I did go against his orders to not leave the mansion.


    "You got too close to Harvey and you led him on¡­" Hayden said usingly.


    "I did no such thing!" I quickly denied.


    I definitely did not lead him on. I had no idea why he did something like that to me, but I did not lead him on.


    "You let him touch you so easily¡­" Hayden hissed in my ear.


    "No¡­I didn¡¯t want him to do any of that," I denied once again.


    "Naughty girls have to be punished," Hayden stated like it was supposed to be obvious.


    "What?" I asked in panic.


    "I allow you to scream. If it hurts, you can scream as loudly as you want," Hayden said casually.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock as he lifted his hand.


    He¡¯s not going to¡­


    His handnded on my buttock with a loud pping sound. I screamed loudly more in shock than from the pain that I felt. I gasped as his hand softly stroked my ass in circr motions after he had just pped it. My ass stung a little but that was nothingpared to the burning heat in my cheeks.


    "Please¡­stop¡­" I pleaded as Hayden lifted his hand again.


    He spanked my ass again and I could tell that he was enjoying himself. It didn¡¯t hurt but I cried out, nheless. It was more embarrassing and mortifying than anything else. It wasn¡¯t the pain than served as my punishment but the fact that I had to deal with my own feelings of embarrassment. Hayden stroked my ass softly after spanking it as if to make sure that it didn¡¯t hurt too much.


    "Don¡¯t you enjoy this?" Hayden asked before he chuckled a little at me.


    The way his eyes sparkled told me beyond words that he loved what he was doing and seeing.


    "I don¡¯t¡­" I muttered.


    Hayden smiled sweetly before he shook his head at me. It was clear that he didn¡¯t believe a word that I had just said.


    "Really? They how did you pussy get so wet?" Hayden asked and my body froze in shock.


    His fingers slid along the wet slit in between my legs as my juices coated his fingers, making them slide easily against the folds of my pussy. My pussy quivered as his finger continued to stroke my wetness and then I let out a soft moan.


    "Ahh¡­" I moaned in bliss when his fingers started rubbing the swollen little pleasure seed in between my legs.


    His hands touched me from behind and his fingers thrusting against my hardened clit felt amazing. I still couldn¡¯t believe that I got so wet from him spanking my ass.


    "Look at how wet you are¡­" Hayden said as he showed me his wet fingers.


    I closed my eyes because I didn¡¯t want to see much more of his fingerspletely drenched and covered in my love juices.


    "Ahh! Ahhhhh!" I cried out as my eyes snapped opened.


    The sensation of something suddenly prating my love hole made me cry out at the pleasure of my love opening being stretched before my insides were filled. Hayden had thrusted his fingers sharply and deeply into my wet hole from behind. His other hand helped me lift my ass so that he could ram his fingers more deeply into me.


    It felt so different to have him finger fuck me from behind. His fingers reached a different spot inside of my love hole and from a different angle. It felt so good that my toes curled from the waves of pleasure coursing through my body as Hayden continued to screw his fingers in and out of my hole.


    My hips began thrusting backwards to grind my opening against his hand as my pussy tried to suck his fingers deeper into my hole. Hayden wriggled his fingers and felt around inside of my love tunnel, and I cried out in bliss in response.


    Just when I was getting lost in the pleasure of his fingers mating with my sopping wet hole, Hayden raised his hand again. A moment after that, I felt the stinging pain of his hand spanking my ass once more. I cried out so loudly just as Hayden had predicted when he told me that I was allowed to scream as loud as I needed to.


    The stinging pain along with the force of his hand hitting my ass sunk into me and I felt it all the way to my core and deep inside of my pussy.


    Suddenly, I could feel his fingers much more than before and my pussy felt extremely sensitive to even the smallest movement of his fingers inside of my love hole. Before I could get used to the heightened pleasure, Hayden spanked me again and my body jerked in response. My pussy reacted the most by clenching tightly around his fingers as pure pleasure ripped through my body.


    I never knew that being spanked could feel this good when it was coupled with him fingering my hole fast and hard.


    "When I p your ass, your pussy clenches hard around my fingers. You like it, don¡¯t you?" Hayden asked knowingly.


    I knew that it wasn¡¯t really a question. He knew that I enjoyed it.


    "No¡­ahhh¡­" I tried my best to deny.


    "It feels good, doesn¡¯t it? You like to be punished," Hayden said with certainty.


    "I don¡¯t¡­" I whimpered, still in denial.


    "Really? Then why do you always misbehave? Isn¡¯t it because you love it when I punish you?" Hayden asked spectively.


    The fingers that he had embedded deep inside of my hole began thrust faster in and out of me. His fingers were long and thick, and they prated deeply into my wet love hole. My hips began squirming faster against his hand, rubbing my pussy walls against his fingers as my body sought for more pleasure from his touch.


    "You just got wetter inside here¡­" Hayden said as he curled his fingers upwards to rub my pleasure spot.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 330: Honest Lustful Desires

    I cried out at the sudden wave of intense pleasure that flooded my love hole. My pussy made lewd wet sounds as Hayden continued wiggling his fingers inside of me mercilessly. It felt so good every time that he spanked me. It made my pussy feel more sensitive and when I clenched hard around his fingers, I could feel more of him and the pleasure of his fingers stroking my pussy walls.


    I cried out his name like I was about to lose my mind as I tried desperately to hang on to thest strands of my sanity. The bliss of Hayden¡¯s fingers pounding into my pussy robbed me of my ability to think and soon, my body was writhing on hisp as I begged him for more.


    "Please¡­it feels so good¡­Hayden¡­" I begged as my hips thrusted invitingly.


    "You¡¯re finally being honest with me," Hayden said with utmost satisfaction before his handnded on my ass once again.


    I screamed loudly at the mix of pain and pleasure as his fingers rammed into my pussy faster and harder than before. After a few more spanks, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    I¡¯m about to cum¡­hard¡­


    "Hayden¡­Ahhh! I¡¯m cumming¡­I¡¯m cumming!" I cried out before my entire body spasmed wildly from the impact of my orgasm.


    I panted hard as I slumped down onto hisp. The height of my climax drove me crazy with lust for him. My pussy quivered around his fingers which were still buried deep inside of my flooded wet hole. He made me so wet and after cumming my pussy was flooded by even more of my honey.


    When Hayden withdrew his fingers from my hole, my wetness gushed out of my unplugged opening in streams that wetted my thighs.


    "You came so much¡­" Hayden said before he grinned wickedly at me.


    His arms were under me, and I soon found myselfying on my back on the bed with my legs spread and bent upwards with Hayden sitting in between them.


    "Hayden¡­" I murmured his name softly as my mind struggled to keep up with what was happening.


    I heard the familiar sound of Hayden unbuckling his belt and the sound of him undoing his zipper quickly followed. My mind started looking forward to the pleasure of having him inside of me as I closed my eyes and waited in anticipation for Hayden to enter me. I felt rather than saw his hands on my thighs before he lifted my legs further and parted them wide apart.


    I could feel my pussy opening stretch open for him as my pussy clenched in anticipation of receiving his thrust.


    "You shouldn¡¯t y around with other men¡­especially my brother¡­" Hayden muttered darkly.


    I didn¡¯t¡­y around with anyone¡­


    But before I could respond to him with words, I cried out loudly at the sharp pain that apanies his sudden entrance into my pussy hole. Hayden thrusted his thick and enormous cock into me so suddenly and with so much force that I couldn¡¯t help but scream. Why does he feel so big and so hot today?


    I cried out some more when Hayden started moving his gigantic shaft in and out of my hole. His thrusts were forceful and fast as he rode on top of me. His hands held my legs to keep them spread wide apart as he thrusted his hips against mine, ramming his cock deeper and deeper into my gaping hole. I moaned and cried out in time to his cock hitting my womb repeatedly.


    My body felt like it was on fire as my hips began moving desperately against his, offering up my pussy to him for even deeper pration.


    Hayden fucked me from various angles as he made sure to stimte all the pleasure spots deep inside of my love tunnel. After having done it for so many times, Hayden knew where to hit me to make me feel good. As I moaned louder beneath him, Hayden started to drive his thick hot rod faster into me. Our hips pped together as he moved in rhythm with each other.


    "It¡¯s so wet inside you¡­so hot¡­" Hayden groaned as his cock continued to pound into my hot wetness.


    My hips moved up and down as I lost myself in the pleasure of having him inside of me. Hayden groaned as he exerted himself. I could feel his sweat as I ran my hands across his broad back and his arms. His blue eyes stared deeply into mine before he smirked at me.


    "Ahh! So deep¡­your cock is¡­so big¡­" I moaned and whimpered.


    His cock definitely got bigger and longer inside of me and its engorged head was hitting hard against my womb with each of his powerful thrusts. It felt insane. His cock pierced my wetness and threatened to rip me apart, but I didn¡¯t care, I never wanted him to stop. My pussy clenched tightly and repeatedly around the thickness of his cock as if it didn¡¯t ever want him to withdraw from me.


    I loved having him inside me. He filled mepletely and made me feel whole.


    "Hay¡­den¡­I¡¯m¡­cumming¡­" I whimpered weakly as I felt my climax consuming me.


    My entire body felt weak as I lost all control over my body. I let my lust and animalistic instinct take over as my entire body trembled and spasmed. Hayden watched my body writhed wildly from my climax as he continued screwing his cock deeply into my wet love hole.


    "Good girl. You¡¯re mine, Malissa. You should never forget who you really belong to¡­" Hayden said as he drove his cock into me.


    Even though I was climaxing, Hayden didn¡¯t give me a break to ride out my climax. His cock moved relentlessly and mercilessly inside of me, and I could tell that he was also close to his limit.


    Hayden pulled my arm and suddenly I was sitting on top of him, and he had his arms around my body. I ced my arms on his shoulder reflexively as he began thrusting his hard cock up into my pussy from below. Sitting like this while doing it was embarrassing.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 331: Confession of Love

    His face was so close to mine, and he was staring at me. I¡¯m about to cum again from his cock. It¡¯s hitting so deeply inside of me, and it was also hitting all the right spots. This angle is crazy, I screamed inside of my head when Hayden thrusted his hips upwards and rammed his cock even further up into my hole.


    I sat on him as I felt the entire length of his cock twitching as it was buried itself all the way inside of my hot cunt.


    He shook my body up and down as he pounded his cock upwards into me. My breasts jiggled as he helped me move my body so that I rode his cock. It felt so good that I began moving myself, angling my pussy to take him in even deeper inside of me. I¡¯m about to cum again¡­oh¡­


    "I love you! Hayden¡­I love you¡­I love you!" I cried out as I lost myself to my climax and buried my face into the crook of his neck.


    "I know that you do," Hayden replied confidently.


    I see, so he already knew. I didn¡¯t even bother to question where he got so much of his confidence from as I let my climax consume me whole.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I felt the heat of Hayden¡¯s release flooding deep into my womb as he filled me with his seed. He came so much inside of me, and my greedy pussy dly took it all in while my lips curved into a sweet smile. My body felt so satisfied and so full of him and my heart felt the same way.


    I was d that I got to confess my feelings to him. Whatever happens from now on, I will never regret a single thing. It was a blessing that I got to tell him that I loved him.


    ¡­


    When I opened my eyes again, my face was pressed against Hayden¡¯s chest, and I was very surprised that Hayden was still sleeping by my side. I had no idea what time it was, but it must have been veryte into the night. It was peaceful and quiet in Hayden¡¯s bedroom and all I could hear was the soft sound of Hayden¡¯s regr breathing. I didn¡¯t dare move, afraid that I may wake Hayden up.


    It was quite dark, and I could just about make out the outlines of his face and his figure. The firm regr beating sound of his heart helped to calm me down. I must have felt so tired from our argument, our talk and then our love making that I must have fallen asleep right after.


    I watched Hayden¡¯s sleeping face in the dark and although I couldn¡¯t see his face very well due to theck of light, I could picture his attractive sleeping face very clearly in my mind.


    Now that I was awake, I just couldn¡¯t go back to sleep anymore. My mind was wide awake, and it was already hard at work worry about what woulde next for Hayden and myself. I had confessed to him quite bluntly that I wanted to marry him, and I even went as far as to tell him that I love him.


    A feeling of unease filled me up deep inside when I realized that I couldn¡¯t recall Hayden telling me that he loves me. I guess I was the only one who said it. In the end, Hayden never told me that he loves me, and he never told me that he wanted to marry me either. Although I was the only one who voiced it, I hoped and prayed that I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way.


    When tomorrowes and we both wake up, what if anything would change between us?


    I had no clue how Hayden would react when morning came but one thing was for certain: we would have one day less left until the deadline that the boss gave us. Time never stopped to wait for anyone.


    Suddenly, Hayden started to stir, and it didn¡¯t take long for me to realize that he had opened his eyes. His eyes were immediately on my face and a momentter, his arm was hugging me closer to him.


    "How long have you been awake?" Hayden asked sleepily as he started stroking my hair.


    "Not long¡­maybe a few minutes¡­" I replied softly.


    "You should go back to sleep," Hayden advised wisely.


    Hisrge hand pressed my head lightly against his chest as he urged me to go back to sleep. I smiled in the dark at his gentle gesture and words. It came as an absolute relief to me that Hayden no longer seemed angry. I ce a small and soft kiss on his chest before I closed my eyes; however, sleep didn¡¯te easy for me.


    My mind was too restless to settle down into slumber and my thoughts were in disarray. As always, I had a difficult time dealing with uncertainties and the unknown.


    "Can¡¯t sleep?" Hayden asked softly after a short while had passed.


    "Yeah¡­" I replied honestly.


    "What are you thinking about?" Hayden asked.


    When I nced up, I saw that his eyes were open, and he was looking down at me. Hayden could probably sense that I was still awake, and he probably also knew what I was thinking about.


    "Many things¡­" I whispered.


    "Such as?" he prompted for my answer.


    "What will happen when tomorrowes. Also, about the future¡­" I replied softly.


    "Are you worried?" Hayden asked although he didn¡¯t seem concerned at all.


    "Yes. Everything seems so uncertain, and I have no idea¡­what you are thinking at all¡­" I replied as I stared up at his face.


    "What I¡¯m thinking¡­" Hayden mumbled as if he wasn¡¯t sure what he was thinking himself.


    That didn¡¯t make it any easier for me in case he hasn¡¯t realized it yet. Instead of rushing him, I decided to wait patiently for his answer. I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden was hesitating to say it or if he simply had not figured out what he wanted to do yet. Regardless, I decided to give him some time to think it over because I realized that it wasn¡¯t a small and insignificant matter.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 332: Marriage Proposal

    "Do you know what it means if you decide to marry me?" Hayden asked solemnly.


    Suddenly, the rxing atmosphere around us turned tense and I could tell that Hayden was fully awake and extremely serious right now. What it means¡­


    "Are you worried that I wouldn¡¯t fully understand the consequences if I decide to marry you?" I asked to better understand him.


    It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if that was what he thought. After all, he¡¯d been warning me on several asions about all the issues that may arise if I decided to marry him.


    "Of course, I worry. I worry for you and for us," Hayden replied as his fingers took a strand of my loose hair and tucked it neatly behind my ear.


    It was so like him not to worry for himself.


    His eyes stared down into mine and the sincerity and worry in his eyes scared me. Honestly, I was scared stiff of the thought of marrying a mafia, let alone someone who could possibly be the next boss of thergest mafia syndicate. However, through all my fears, I never really noticed that Hayden was more worried and scared for me.


    The way he looked at me with concern made me understand why he seemed extremely hesitant and cautious about this.


    "Do you think that I won¡¯t be able to take it?" I asked bluntly.


    "Are you absolutely certain that you can take it?" Hayden asked in return.


    "I¡¯m not sure¡­but¡­if you¡¯re there with me, I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll manage somehow¡­" I replied after some thought.


    If we¡¯re together, then I think that we can make it through anything.


    "You could be targeted, and your life could be in danger at any time. You may be despised by your friends and colleagues if they find out the true nature of your husband and his businesses. Your children will grow up to be gangsters and there are many more troubles thates along with marrying me. Are you still sure that you want to marry me?" Hayden asked as if it was a trick question.


    Of course, I wanted to marry him. The more he challenged my dear wish, the more I desired to be with him. It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to prove him wrong, but I wanted to spend time together with him because I love being with him.


    "That might be true but I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be happy living with you. We can go shopping for ridiculously expensive and overpriced things that I probably will never ever need. You can help me with my art career, and I¡¯ll dly sit through boring and scary meetings with you.


    We¡¯ll have cute children and while you teach them to be tough gangsters, I¡¯ll teach them how to be good citizens with a gentle heart. I know that it¡¯ll be difficult but I¡¯m sure that we can make it work," I said before I smiled up brightly at him.


    "You¡¯re so stupid¡­really¡­" Hayden whispered before he lifted my face up and nted his lips down on mine.


    Although his words were disapproving, the way he kissed me told me that he must have liked the idea of marrying me even if it was just a little. Even if he thought that it was a very stupid idea that may doom us together forever.


    "Will you marry me?" I asked after he broke our kiss.


    "Is that a question or a proposal?" Hayden asked before he grinned a little slyly at me.


    He¡¯s such a mean but very adorable tease. I love him so much¡­


    "Which option will make you marry me?" I asked teasingly.


    "None¡­" Hayden replied immediately without having to think twice.


    "Hmm¡­you¡¯re so mean¡­" Iined before I sighed in defeat.


    "I told you before. My answer should not influence yours and vice versa," Hayden said, reminding me of what he had told me before.


    "I don¡¯t understand anything anymore. Please just say inly and simply that you¡¯ll marry me¡­" I pleaded as I stared up at his face.


    "Ask me again," Hayden said almost emotionlessly.


    "Umm¡­Will you marry me?" I asked, daring myself to hope a little that he would finally say yes.


    "Of course, I¡¯ll marry you," Hayden replied clearly before he smiled at me.


    "¡­really?" I asked inplete disbelief.


    He¡¯s really going to marry me¡­for real?!


    "Why do you look so shock? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be super happy or something. You have such a dumb look on your face¡­" Hayden teased as he poked my cheek with his index finger.


    Isn¡¯t the answer to that obvious? I was so happy that I didn¡¯t even know what face to make or how to react.


    I can¡¯t believe it. We¡¯re really going to get married¡­


    "Don¡¯t start crying again please. I hate your tears¡­more than anything¡­" Hayden muttered darkly.


    "Oh¡­" I mumbled.


    "Don¡¯t cry anymore, Malissa. Be brave and keep on smiling from now on," Hayden advised so resolutely that it sounded more like amand.


    I smiled a little at his rough words that held such a tender and caring meaning. It sounded like something that he would say.


    "I love you¡­" I whispered just in time before his lips captured mine in a very passionate kiss.


    It was a good thing that I didn¡¯t feel sleepy because we didn¡¯t catch a wink of sleep until dawn arrived. In the end, Harvey was right about almost everything. I did end up proposing to Hayden.


    ¡­


    "You look happy. Did something good happen?" Harvey asked as he watched his brother¡¯s face closely.


    Hayden made his way into Harvey¡¯s living room before flopping down onto the sofa opposite from where his elder brother was seated. Harvey looked up from the book that he had been casually reading and observed Hayden closely.


    Hayden had a sense that his brother must have foreseen thising from the little smirk that he desperately tried to hide. Harvey was calcting and maniptive, all qualities that he had proudly inherited from the boss. Hayden sighed before he made up his mind to break the news to his brother, not that he thought that it woulde as a big surprise to Harvey.


    "Malissa and I are going to get married," Hayden stated matter-of-factly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 333: Sharing Our Big News

    "Oh¡­that¡¯s unfortunate. Here I was busy thinking of ways to romantically propose to her. If you had arrived a few minutes toote, I probably would have ordered a ring made for her already. You¡¯re supposed to have a huge sparkly diamond ring when you propose to a girl, you know¡­" Harvey said with mocking grin.


    Hayden watched his brother¡¯s tantly fake disy of sorrow before he rolled his eyes in annoyance. There were many things that he wanted to yell at Harvey for, but his brother¡¯s casual attitude made him wonder how much if any of his shouting would get to Harvey.


    "Are you done?" Hayden asked impatiently.


    He was frankly sick of Harvey¡¯s games despite how much he loved Harvey. Harvey seemed to catch up quite quickly to Hayden¡¯s souring mood because he dropped his actpletely before he ced the book that he had been reading down onto the coffee table in front of him.


    "Congrattions. You two were seriously taking your time about it that I was seriously considering stealing Malissa from you," Harvey said with a hint of frustration in his voice.


    "In other words, you were just bored¡­" Hayden surmised in short.


    "That too. No! It wasn¡¯t just because I was bored. I got annoyed because you two couldn¡¯t seem to make up your minds. What¡¯s so hard about proposing and deciding whether you want to marry each other or not. I just don¡¯t get it¡­" Harveyined as he folder his arms over his chest and shook his head in disapproval.


    "Easy for you to say¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "I¡¯m happy for you, honestly¡­" Harvey said firmly.


    Hayden knew that his brother meant it. Deep down he was relieved and pleased that his brother seemed to approve of his decision. Harvey must have really taken a liking to Malissa to approve of her as his marriage partner.


    "I don¡¯t want you touching her so carelessly anymore. I¡¯ll let it go just this once¡­" Hayden warned as his eyes narrowed dangerously at his brother.


    "I didn¡¯t touch her. I licked her neck," Harvey said defensively.


    Hayden shot his brother a dark re that immediately told Harvey that this wasn¡¯t the time for jokes.


    "Alright. It was my bad. I apologize¡­" Harvey said before he grinned at his brother.


    Hayden decided to let the whole affair slide because he knew that the past was the past and that nothing could be done to really change Harvey and his attitude. It was way toote for that.


    "So, have you decided to take over?" Harvey asked with a rxed smile on his face.


    "No, I haven¡¯t," Hayden replied tly.


    "I see. I wonder what I should do with my dead self¡­" Harvey said before he smiled a little sadly at Hayden.


    "I¡¯ll leave it to you to decide. Malissa seems fine with me taking over," Hayden said casually.


    "She is? Really?" Harvey said as his eyes sparkled in intense interest.


    "She is. I¡¯m not sure she understands what it really means, though," Hayden said before he heaved a sigh.


    "I see. Well, I guess if it¡¯s too hard for her we can always switch¡­" Harvey said with a chuckle.


    "As if. You know that we can¡¯t just switch ces when one of us takes over. It¡¯s not allowed, and you know that better than anyone," Hayden reminded his brother sternly.


    Harvey knew that Hayden was right. Bosses of gangs don¡¯t get reced. They are either seeded by their heir at their retirement or their death.


    "We¡¯ll go ahead and get married. If nothing else, it will help shut the old man up for a while longer," Hayden said, and he sounded troubled.


    "Thank you. I promise you that it won¡¯t be much longer. I¡¯ll¡­make up my mind soon enough," Harvey said before he smiled a little at his brother.


    Hayden just nodded without saying anything more. It was already clear what he had to do and he was willing to do it.


    "When are you going to tell our dear daddy about your engagement? I can call it an engagement, right?" Harvey asked excitedly.


    "Later today. I want to tell him as soon as possible. I have some terms that I want to negotiate with him as well," Hayden said as his eyes narrowed as if he saw something dangerous in the distance.


    Harvey nodded in understanding without bothering to ask what terms Hayden was going to ask the boss for.


    ¡­


    Therge door to the boss¡¯s office loomed over us as I stood next to Hayden. I can¡¯t remember how many times I¡¯ve been here but the feelings that I had inside of me every time that I stood in front of this door didn¡¯t quite change. I was quite scared and nervous of facing the boss regardless of the situation.


    Even though we were here to break some extremely delightful news to him, I still felt nervous, and I dreaded our meeting.


    Hayden must have sensed my hesitation to enter the room because his hands reached for mine and held it. I turned and nced up at his face and saw that he was smiling a little at me. Although I was the one who technically proposed to him multiple times for him to marry me, it still felt very strange and unbelievable to me that we were actually going to get married.


    I¡¯ve slept on it but when I woke up, my silly mind still struggled to cope with the idea and linking it to the reality that I lived in.


    "Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s not a good idea to keep the boss waiting for too long," Hayden said as his hand squeezed mine gently.


    I squeezed his hand back as I nodded to him to signal that I was as ready as I will ever be¡­which wasn¡¯t very ready at all.


    "Wee," the boss greeted us emotionlessly when we entered his office.


    As always, the boss had seated himself downfortably on the sofa as he waited for us to take the seat opposite to his. Hayden led me there and I followed willingly. As we had previously agreed while in the car, Hayden will do most of the talking. Of course, I was allowed to answer all questions that the boss directed at me.


    Naturally, that was the way that things had to go because I doubt that we had the authority to decline answering his questions.


    "You two have something that you want to tell me?" the boss asked as he stared at both of us from across the coffee table.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 334: Setting His Condition

    I gulped nervously as I tried to sit up straighter on the sofa. The boss narrowed his eyes suspiciously at us and I was certain that our little piece of good news was going toe as an unexpected yet pleasant surprise to him.


    "Malissa and I have decided that we¡¯re going to get married," Hayden stated bluntly but very clearly.


    The boss eyes opened wide as he stared at Hayden for a moment before his eyes shifted to stare at me questioningly. Because I could sense that he was seeking for my confirmation to Hayden¡¯s words, I nodded my head firmly once.


    "Wow. Such good news on such a bloody shitty day," the boss said with a few nods of his head.


    I had no idea what he had been through for the day, but I was d that our news brought him some joy.


    "Champagne!" the boss shouted as his finger reached out press a button.


    Whoever had the misfortune to be on the other end of the line may need to consult a doctor after hearing that loud roar. The boss shouted so loudly that I thought the walls would crumble around us.


    "Amazing! Wonderful news!" the boss continued yelling before he startedughing cheerfully while he pped his hand to a tune that only he could hear.


    I knew that he would be happy, but I didn¡¯t expect for him to showcase it so clearly like this. After a short while, there was a knock at the door and after the boss shouted for whoever it was toe in, a tall thin man walked in with the champagne that the boss had ordered.


    The thin man swiftly and professionally started pouring us each a ss of champagne before he bowed and took his leave as silently as he hade in.


    "To the future heir of Torex and my grandchildren!" the boss stood up and shouted at the top of his lungs.


    Without paying any mind to us, the boss gulped down the drink enthusiastically. I wondered if he realized how much his toast just now didn¡¯t make any sense and then I quickly realized that he probably didn¡¯t. Hayden just shook his head as if he didn¡¯t want to deal with how his father was reacting.


    Despite the fact that we had just told him that we were going to get married, the boss didn¡¯t¡¯ congratte us on our uing wedding, instead he skipped forward to celebrate Hayden¡¯s ascending to take over as the head of the Torex gang and the birth of his future grandchildren, although I was far from pregnant. Note, it wasn¡¯t grandchild, he said grandchildren, plural.


    "Why aren¡¯t you two drinking? We¡¯re celebrating. Didn¡¯t you see, I just toasted to your beautiful future together!" the boss yelled loudly.


    He looked and sounded very drunk although I doubt that he could get drunk from a ss of champagne that was literally consumed less than a minute ago. The reason why Hayden and I did not reach for our sses was that we were still too stunned with the boss¡¯s reaction and the implications of it.


    "Dad¡­sit down¡­" Hayden said after watching the boss dance around on his feet for a while.


    The boss turned to look at Hayden before he ced his ss down on the coffee table and sat back down on the sofa. Finally, he lookedposed and collected once again. Seeing him back in his serious mode made me feel slightly better about the situation. Now all we had to do was correct his expectations a little bit to make sure that we were aligned on the right things.


    "I have conditions for marry Malissa and I want you to pay close attention to them," Hayden stated.


    "You have conditions? What makes you think that you can have conditions?!" the boss growled loudly in displeasure.


    Hayden didn¡¯t seem surprised at his father¡¯s outburst and neither did he look bothered by it. I wonder what conditions Hayden wanted to set in exchange for marrying me.


    "What is it?" the bossed asked after he had calmed down somewhat.


    Hayden smiled an angelic smile at his father before he started stating his conditions.


    "Two very simple conditions. First, marrying Malissa does not mean that I will immediately take over as the next head of Torex. I will decide to take over within a year or earlier if I feel ready. Until the one-year mark after our wedding, you will remain the head of Torex. Two, I don¡¯t want you or anyone pressuring Malissa to have a baby.


    We will not have a baby until after I take over as Head of Torex," Hayden stated his conditions calmly while I stared at the boss to try to gauge his reactions.


    The boss seemed outright disappointed with the conditions, and I could tell why. If I understood Hayden correctly, he was still trying to buy himself and his brother more time. The two conditions were set such that he didn¡¯t have tomit to being the next Torex boss, not until the year came to an end anyways.


    By asking the boss to continue working as the head of Torex for another year, he was giving Harvey more time to make his decision.


    Within that year, Harvey could still return to take over the group if he wished because Hayden hasn¡¯t taken over yet. The same goes with the second condition regarding the baby. If we got married and we didn¡¯t have a child yet, then it was fine for Harvey to take over the gang when he decides to do so.


    From all of that, I was certain that despite everything, Hayden still didn¡¯t intend to take over the gang unless his brother really didn¡¯t wish to return.


    "Why do I have to live with so many dys?" the boss snapped.


    "It¡¯s just one year, dad. I¡¯m marrying Malissa as you wanted so waiting another year isn¡¯t going to kill you or anybody, right?" Hayden argued his case.


    The boss seemed to consider it for a moment before his face dropped and he let out a resigned long sigh.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 335: Wedding Preparations

    "Have it your way. However, you are going to marry Malissa next weekend on a Saturday without any excuses. This time, you will not disappear before the wedding or turn up bloody drunk like thest time. Do you hear me?!" the boss screamed as he stood up and pointed an using finger at Hayden¡¯s face.


    I grimaced as I turned to look away for a moment.


    "Of course. If that¡¯s what you want. Agree to my conditions and I¡¯ll marry her next Saturday," Hayden said without hesitation.


    My head snapped back to stare at him so fast that my neck make a slight cracking sound. What did he just say?!


    We¡¯re getting married next Saturday? Isn¡¯t that like¡­more than a little rushed?


    "Well, I look forward to the wedding and the celebration. This is going to be huge!" the boss cried out happily as he began pping his hands together again.


    I have never seen anyone have such a fast and drastic mood shift before in my life. One moment he was angry and then he was happily cheering and pping. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have believed easily that the boss had bipr disorder.


    "Cash! Lots of cash!" the boss shouted before he pressed the same button from before.


    Thest time he ordered champagne, and it was brought in. This time he ordered¡­it can¡¯t be. Please tell me what I¡¯m thinking isn¡¯t correct.


    A momentter, the same thin man knocked at the door before entering with tworge luggage. Carefully he rolled the tworge luggage to where we were seated. With an approving nod from the boss, the thin man unlocked and opened the luggage one by one to disy wads of cash that were neatly ordered inside.


    "This is for you, Malissa dearest. Please do let me know if this isn¡¯t enough. I know that we are short on time but there isn¡¯t anything that money cannot solve when ites to arranging for a wedding, right? Please use this money for everything that you need and want. Tailor your dress. Buy jewelry.


    Beautify yourself. Get the best of everything! If you don¡¯t know what to choose just go with the most expensive option!" the boss ordered as he proudly pointed to the cash inside the luggage.


    While I didn¡¯t know how to react at having so much money offered to me for my wedding preparation, Hayden facepalmed himself with a loud smack right next to me. The boss proudly beamed a bright and wide smile at both of us while I tried my best to smile back. What do we do with this money now? Can we just turn him down?


    "We don¡¯t need it. I have more than enough money to pay for my own wedding," Hayden declined bluntly.


    "That won¡¯t do. This isn¡¯t just your wedding. Take the money, it¡¯s already out and I don¡¯t want to waste time putting it back," the boss snapped.


    That was that. In the end, Hayden got the two conditions that he wished for, and I got tworge luggage filled with cash. I was too shocked to say anymore. Honestly, my mind wasn¡¯t focused on the cash in front of me or the fact that the boss probably still had very unrealistic expectations of us. All I could think of was the fact that I would be marrying Hayden in around a week¡¯s time.


    Things are moving along much faster than I could have ever imagine.


    ¡­


    "What kind of wedding do you want to have?" I asked Hayden as we sat across from each other at the dining table for breakfast.


    After meeting the boss and finding out that our wedding was literally right around the corner, my mind was filled with nothing but wedding preparations and ns. Unlike the wedding that we attempted before where I just had to turn up, I was looking forward to this wedding because it was real to me.


    I was marrying Hayden because I wanted to, and I wanted to make our special day a very memorable one for us.


    "The kind that you want to have," Hayden replied without looking up from the teacup that he was holding.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t very useful or helpful¡­


    "What about our outfit for the day. Do you have any preferences?" I asked before I smiled sweetly at him.


    "I¡¯ll go with the one that you like best," Hayden replied as he ced the teacup down before he started reaching for his phone.


    I bit my lower lip when I was forced to acknowledge that Hayden either wasn¡¯t a huge fan of nning weddings or he just didn¡¯t really care.


    "What about the venue? Would you prefer a simple wedding at a church or maybe a more unique ce like outdoors?" I asked while trying to keep my spirits up.


    "The boss requested for that old church¡­from before¡­," Hayden replied as he flicked his finger along the screen of his phone.


    I blinked rapidly in surprise at the mention of that church that we attempted to have our charade of a weddingst time. Hayden did not say anymore and by that time, I hadpletely given up on trying to engage Hayden in any of our wedding preparations. I stared at Hayden who was still paying me little to no attention while he started reading something on his phone.


    I sighed silently to myself when I realized that I was probably alone in all of this.


    Suddenly, I had lost all of my appetite and I didn¡¯t want to be sitting there close to him anymore. Without a word, I stood up from the table and started walking away. Maybe some alone time would help me feel better. If this was too difficult for me to do alone and Hayden didn¡¯t really care about it, I might as well use the money that the boss gave me to hire a wedding organizer. That¡¯s it.


    Nothing that money can¡¯t solve when ites to wedding preparations indeed.


    "Where are you going?" Hayden asked a little coldly.


    "Nowhere. I¡¯m still grounded here," I replied before I quickly walked out of the room.


    After leaving the dining room, I made my way back to my room and mmed the door close after me. The door closed with a loud thud while I let out a loud growl of frustration. What is wrong with him?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 336: Sulking

    Although I knew that some guys didn¡¯t like nning weddings or nning anything for that matter, he should have paid more attention to what I was saying. This wasn¡¯t just my wedding it was our wedding.


    The pressure from the fact that the wedding was only around a week¡¯s time away made me stressed out enough already without the need to add on more frustration from the fact that I had to deal with Hayden as well.


    The worst part was that he didn¡¯t seem to care and that hurt me more than anything. I sat down on the sofa and closed my eyes as I concentrated on breathing in deeply and slowly. Although I tried to control my thoughts, I couldn¡¯t stop it from wandering to the two conditions that Hayden had presented to the boss.


    He was clearly buying time, and I couldn¡¯t help thinking that perhaps everything that he was doing, he was just doing it to buy some more time. Everything including our uing wedding. What if he¡¯s just marrying me to buy some more time?


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case, but I just couldn¡¯t erase that unsightly thought from my mind. I wallowed in my dark thoughts for a while until a knocking sound at the door snapped me out of my thoughts.


    "Come in," I called out just loud enough for the person on the other side to hear.


    Since the visitor had bothered to knock, I knew that it wasn¡¯t Hayden. Slowly, the door opened, and Auntie poked her head in with a caring smile on face before my attention shifted to the very fat andrge dog in her arm.


    "Little Hayden!" I cried out in delight as I got up from the sofa and quickly made my way to where Auntie was standing.


    Little Hayden had gotten quite chubby, and he had grown much bigger. I started to worry if he would get too big and I hoped that he would reach his mature state soon so that he could stop growing anyrger. Little Hayden was visibly d to see me and that warmed my heart.


    I missed him so much too and with the things that had been going on, I had to admit regretfully that I had been neglecting him too much. His fat belly told me that he had stayed very well fed and his cheerful attitude told me that he was enjoying life.


    "Come here¡­" I said sweetly as I took the chubby dog from Auntie¡¯s arms.


    He gained weight again and I could feel it when I carried him in my arms. It was amazing how Auntie could still carry him given how much he¡¯d grown. I headed to the sofa after inviting Auntie inside. She followed me to the sofa before we both took a seat. Little Haydeny on the sofa on his belly with his head leaning against myp. I stroked his head and he rxed under my touch.


    He¡¯s so adorable. Just feeling his soft fur against the tips of my fingers was enough to cheer me up somewhat.


    "Hayden¡­umm¡­told me that you were stressed out about wedding preparations. Oh, big congrattions! I can¡¯t wait for you two to get married! I knew that this day woulde¡­although I hoped that it would have arrived sooner," Auntie said followed by a littleugh.


    So¡­Hayden sent Auntie after me?


    "A little. As you already know, we don¡¯t have that much time before the wedding, and we haven¡¯t done anything yet. Hayden is also¡­disinterested, I guess?" I said as I struggled to find the right word.


    "Well, some men are not big fans of preparing events. I¡¯m sure that Hayden would be happy with whatever that you decide on. Also, you don¡¯t have to worry about the expenses, he¡¯ll dly cover it," Auntie said with an encouraging smile.


    I wasn¡¯t worried about the money. I had more than enough cash from the boss already.


    "I guess¡­" I replied vaguely as my spirit took a deep dive back down.


    "I know that it could be very overwhelming so let me know if there¡¯s anything that I can help out with. If you didn¡¯t have the set up from the wedding before, here is the contact of the organizer. I¡¯m sure that she can help you out given the time constraints," Auntie said as she took out a business card and handed it to me.


    "Thank you, I¡¯ll contact her," I replied before smiling at her.


    "Right. You should do that. Have you thought about your wedding dress?" Auntie asked and I could tell that she was still trying her hardest to cheer me up.


    I appreciated her efforts and didn¡¯t want her to feel bad for me, so I decided to go along with her.


    "Not at all. Honestly, I don¡¯t have anything fancy in mind¡­" I replied honestly.


    The dress that I had on before had too muchce and it felt very itchy against my skin. The sense of difort from that day came back to me along with the dread of being forced to marry a man that I didn¡¯t even know. Hopefully, things would turn out very differently this time around.


    "Why don¡¯t you invite Hayden out to try on some wedding dresses? It¡¯ll probably be easier to decide that way, right? Also, if you want something tailored, you probably have to start right away¡­and pay extra to expedite the process," Auntie suggested.


    "I don¡¯t think Hayden would be interested in taking me," I replied honestly.


    He wasn¡¯t even bothered to talk to me about the wedding preparation so never mind him going out of his way to take me to a wedding boutique.


    "Have you asked him to take you?" Auntie pressed.


    "No¡­" I replied truthfully.


    "You should ask him. After all, you have nothing to lose, right?" Auntie said before she reached for my hand and patted it with her own.


    "Right¡­" I whispered, although I haven¡¯t made up my mind whether to follow her advice or not.


    Hearing him turn down my request would hurt so I did have something to lose.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 337: Hayden’s Preparations

    Soon after Auntie left, and I was left alone with my thoughts once again. Despite what I said to reassure Auntie, I had no intention to talk to Hayden about anything. If he didn¡¯t want to get involved, then I wouldn¡¯t force him. I looked down at the business card that Auntie had given to me as I made up my mind to just leave everything to the organizers.


    I wasn¡¯t a picky person and if Hayden didn¡¯t want to have a say in anything, then I might as well justpletely outsource my problems. The organizer can help pick my wedding dress as well for all that I cared. The only request is for it to have noce orces that doesn¡¯t make my skin itch when I start to sweat.


    With that decided, I put the business card away with the intention to call the woman first thing early tomorrow morning. Suddenly, the door to my living room opened with a loud bang. No knocking before entering. It¡¯s got to be Hayden and no one else.


    "Why didn¡¯t youe eat dinner?" he asked as he came to stand right in front of me.


    His blue eyes glowered down at me from above and his eyes resembled blue mes that burnt brightly. Blue mes were hotter than their orange or red counterparts¡­by the way¡­


    Which just means that he¡¯s scarier when angrypared to the other guys.


    "I wasn¡¯t hungry¡­" I said honestly.


    The other part that I didn¡¯t want to mention was the fact that I didn¡¯t particrly want to have dinner with him. I was sick of his single line responses, and I no longer had the energy to urge him into doing anything. That was it.


    "How many times do I need to tell you this? It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re hungry or not, you will eat your meals on time," Hayden said through gritted teeth.


    "I¡¯ll eat my dinner here. I¡¯ll get Auntie to bring it over," I replied emotionlessly.


    If Hayden realized the hidden message that I wanted to be alone right now, hepletely ignored it and sat down right next to me on the sofa. I took in a deep breath and held it as I tried to control my urge to roll my eyes inpletely exhaustion.


    "Why are you sulking here all alone?" he asked as he turned sideways to stare at my face.


    "I¡¯m not sulking although I do prefer to be alone," I replied.


    "You are sulking. I¡¯ll get Auntie and the maids to bring dinner over here," Hayden said with a slight shake of his head.


    "Haven¡¯t you had dinner already?" I asked.


    "Because of a certain someone not turning up, I haven¡¯t eaten either," Hayden replied curtly.


    "Aha¡­" I murmured.


    Why does he have to make it sound like this was all my fault?


    Hayden took out his phone and typed a short message that was probably sent to Auntie before he put his phone down on the coffee table in front of us.


    "I just sent you an email. Have a look," Hayden said passively.


    He sent me an email? Of what?


    I reached out and grabbed my phone to check the email from Hayden. True to his words, he sent me an email around ten minutes ago. I clicked to open it and there was a file attached. A presentation file.


    "I thought the organizer that organized the weddingst time did a lousy job. Although it was probably a rushed job back then but our wedding, this time around is also a rushed job. I doubt that she¡¯ll do any better," Hayden began exining.


    Wait a second¡­


    "How do you know that the weddingst time was bad? You were so drunk; you probably didn¡¯t remember a thing¡­" I asked in confusion.


    "Photos, Malissa. You might not have seen them but loads of photos were taken of every single detail of that day. The organizers hired photographers¡­not surprisingly¡­" Hayden readily exined.


    "Oh¡­I see¡­" I mumbled in understanding.


    So, does that mean that Hayden dug up those photos and then realized that he didn¡¯t like how the wedding was organized thest time?


    "I sent you a file of some leading wedding organizers. You can choose which one you want to work with," Hayden said casually.


    I clicked to open the file on my phone and true to his words the file was filled with profiles, portfolios, and information of leading wedding organizers. This was truly unexpected, and I never thought that Hayden would do something like this when he acted like he didn¡¯t care about our wedding at all.


    "Thank you¡­Hayden¡­" I whispered softly.


    Maybe he does care a little in his own way? Putting together a wedding that would satisfy the expectations of the boss in around a week¡¯s time probably wasn¡¯t something that I could realistically do alone. On top of that, I didn¡¯t have any experience in organizing weddings. No matter how one might look at it, hiring an organizer that is trustworthy was probably the right and logical thing to do.


    "Umm¡­if you¡¯re free, should we go pick out our outfit for our wedding day?" I asked in a small shy voice.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I was pushing my luck or not, but a small flower of hope had started blooming in my chest. Perhaps, Hayden woulde with me and help me pick out my wedding dress. I would be fine with anything as long as he likes it.


    "Let¡¯s go tomorrow," Hayden replied curtly.


    "Really?" I asked as I turned to face him.


    "Why do you have to look so surprised?" he asked with hint of annoyance.


    "Well, I thought you wouldn¡¯t want to go with me¡­" I mumbled.


    "But you want me to go with you, right?" Hayden asked.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he was getting at.


    "Yes¡­I do¡­" I replied with a nod of my head.


    "Then I¡¯ll go with you. Do you even have any idea which boutique you want to go to?" Hayden asked as he grinned at me.


    He got me again. I had absolutely no idea¡­


    "I guess not. You should have been doing research instead of just sulking in your room¡­" Haydenined half-jokingly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 338: Hayden Takes Responsibility

    "I know that you probably don¡¯t like doing any of this but¡­I want to have a wedding that you would like too. After all, it is our wedding not just my wedding, you know¡­" I confessed truthfully although Hayden might think that my worries are all just nonsense.


    "I understand but I did mean it when I said that I¡¯ll be happy with whatever that you choose. Honestly, I don¡¯t really have any preferences," Hayden replied matter-of-factly.


    What he said made sense and it was also logical. I knew that I was probably being too emotional about this but¡­


    "And I¡¯ll be happy with whatever you choose too. So¡­can we at least choose some things together?" I suggested hopefully.


    I probably sounded so desperate right now, but it would mean so much to me if he would give me his opinion.


    "¡­Fine. I¡¯ll help you pick out your wedding dress and everything to do with your outfit. The rest, I would prefer if you worked it out with the organizer. If you feel lost, just let them pick and I¡¯ll pay for it," Hayden said before he waited for my response.


    "Ok¡­fair enough¡­" I mumbled.


    "Stop sulking already. Eat and sleep. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you to try on some wedding dresses," Hayden said as he ruffled my hair yfully with hisrge hand.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if a gesture like that was designed to make me feel better, but I did end up smiling a little now that we were sort of back on the same wavelength.


    "Thank you¡­" I thanked him again.


    ¡­


    After spending sometimetest night going through the file that Hayden sent, I had picked out an organizer that I wanted to work with. Everything was just based on what was written in the profile but that would have to do since I didn¡¯t have time on my hands to talk to various organizers before making a decision. Saturday was fast approaching.


    "Have you called the organizer?" Hayden asked first thing in the morning when he woke up.


    Luckily, I had just gotten off the call with the representative of the organizer who will be taking care of our case. Hayden looked sleepy as he trudged out of his bedroom into the living room. His blonde hair was more than slightly tousled, and I thought that he looked even more sexy than usual.


    Hayden stretched before he plopped himself down on the sofa next to me and ced an arm around my shoulder. My body tipped sideways when he pulled me into a hug. He buried his face in my chest and when I looked down, I saw that his eyes were closed.


    "I already called. They want to meet with us to discuss what we want. Even if I tell them that they can choose for us they still think that having some direction from us would help them work more efficiently," I exined.


    I felt his head moving and his face rubbing against my breasts as he seemed to nod in either agreement or understanding. His hair felt soft and pleasing against my fingers as I ran my fingers through his hair. Hayden¡¯s arms around my shoulders tightened and I started wondering if and when we would be able to leave the house at this rate.


    "We should meet them after we¡¯re done picking out your dress¡­" Hayden mutter against my breasts before his blue eyes looked up at me.


    "You should shower and get dressed¡­" I suggested lightly before I smiled down at him.


    Hayden narrowed his eyes at me in slightly dissatisfaction before burying his face back in against my breasts. I prayed that he wouldn¡¯t fall asleep this way.


    ¡­


    "Next¡­" Hayden muttered after ncing for a brief moment my way.


    I watched inplete disappointment as Hayden¡¯s eyes quickly returned to his mobile screen. A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu filled my chest as Hayden kept on saying that single word every time that I stepped out of the dressing room with a new wedding dress on.


    "Next¡­" Hayden said emotionlessly before his eyes returned to his phone once again.


    By that time, I had already lost track of how many wedding dresses that I¡¯ve tried on. Probably a little over 20?


    The shop manager who had graciously offered to take care of us seemed to also be on edge and I pitied the middle-aged woman as she struggled to up her game in picking the right wedding dress for me. The other shop assistants were clearly trying their best as well, but despite their efforts, Hayden had never given a single dress a second nce.


    I was starting to lose confidence in myself as well when I started wondering if there was something wrong with the dresses or was there something wrong with me?


    "Next¡­" Hayden muttered without hesitation when I stepped out of the dressing room in yet another wedding gown.


    I gave the shop manager an apologetic smile before I stepped back into the dressing room to change into another wedding gown that they had prepared for me. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t see what was so off or so wrong with the dresses. They all looked more than decent, and some were probably more extravagant than what I would usually prefer.


    This whole event just reminded me of when Hayden helped pick out a dress for me earlier. I sighed in frustration as I wondered what exactly he was looking for and what he thought was the perfect wedding dress for me. The curtains to the dressing room opened and I stepped out in a heavily sequined mermaid tail wedding dress with a matching veil.


    Hayden¡¯s blue eyes nced over to me before it travelled down the length of my body. I could tell even before he opened his mouth that this dress didn¡¯t make the cut either. I closed my eyes before I let out another sigh.


    "I think that¡¯s enough for today," Hayden said as he waved his hand dismissively.


    What does that mean?


    "Umm¡­we do have more dresses if the ones you saw did not match your liking¡­" the shop manager said politely.


    "Thank you so much. Let me talk to him for a bit and we¡¯ll meet you back out front¡­" I quickly told the manager.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 339: Hayden’s Little Secret

    "Oh, sure. Let me know if you need any assistance," the shop manager replied to me with a polite smile.


    After the manager and the other staff took their leave, I turned to face Hayden once more. Maybe if we talked, I could get his view on what he was looking for or if there were any issues that he could see.


    "Umm¡­guess you didn¡¯t like any of the dresses? Is there something that you have in mind?" I asked softly as I stood in front of him.


    Hayden looked up at me and his eyes were a little cold and emotionless.


    "Which dress do you like?" he asked.


    Well, they all looked fine except for a few that were too heavy and too extravagant for my tastes but all in all any of them would work fine for me.


    "I think they¡¯re all fine. They¡¯re all beautiful so¡­" I replied softly.


    "Exactly. They all look decently the same. You¡¯re the one who will be wearing the dress and even you don¡¯t have a preference. How do you expect me to have a preference?" Hayden asked rhetorically.


    Maybe he was right¡­


    "Well, then¡­what should we do?" I asked, lost about how to proceed with this.


    "Let¡¯s get something designed and tailored to fit you," Hayden suggested decisively.


    "But the time constraint¡­" I voiced my concern softly.


    "Time is money. Money can also buy us time," Hayden said as he stood up from the sofa that he had been sitting on.


    "Do you have something in mind for the tailor design?" I asked curiously.


    "Maybe¡­" he replied.


    Before I could say another word, Hayden had exited the room to head back to the front of the store. I looked down at the wedding dress that I still had on before I heaved another long sigh. I need to take this off before I could follow him anywhere.


    ¡­


    "We will try our best to have the dress that you want tailored. For now, we need to take her measurements," the shop manager said as she turned to me


    I had just walked out of the dressing room back to the front of the boutique and had no idea what Hayden had been saying to the shop manager.


    "Take my measurements? Ok¡­" I said while still confused.


    Hayden nodded at me and before I could ask him anything, I was being ushered back to the dressing room at the back of the boutique. The shop manager and the other staffs in her team took very detailed measurements of all parts of my body.


    "What did he say to you about tailoring the dress?" I asked as I lifted my arms up from the side of my body as instructed.


    "Oh¡­that¡¯s a bit of a surprise¡­" the shop manager replied with a smallugh.


    What are they trying to keep from me?


    "Umm¡­did Hayden have some designs in mind?" I asked, hoping to understand what was going on.


    "You could say that¡­" the shop manager said before she smiled warmly at me.


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t get anything out of the shop manager at all and it left me wondering if Hayden gave them a life-threatening warning for them to keep quiet to keep everything a secret from me.


    "We¡¯re done," I announced when we returned to the front of the boutique.


    "Good. Let¡¯s go," Hayden said as he got up from his seat and offered me his hand.


    Slowly, I slipped my hand into his and he held it firmly. Hayden turned to thank the shop manager and her team, and I did the same.


    "You¡¯re more than weed. Thank you for choosing to trust us for such an important part of your wedding. Please bring Miss Malissa back here to try on the dress. I¡¯ll give Miss Malissa a call," the shop manager said before bowing to send us out.


    "Thank you¡­" I mumbled.


    "Sure, thank you," Hayden readily agreed before he pulled me after him and out of the store.


    ¡­


    We were in the car together on our way to have a meeting with the wedding organizer. It had been a long while since I¡¯ve really been outside. With the wedding preparations that we needed to do Hayden had decided to allow me out as long as I travelled with him at all times. I was beyond thrilled to regain my freedom again and I didn¡¯t mind spending the extra time with Hayden.


    It seemed like forever since we were able to go out and about together like a normal couple like this.


    Afraid that Hayden would regret and revert his decision, I never questioned him about the situation between the gangs. Since negotiations broke down between Hayden and Ethan on that day, I haven¡¯t heard anything about the situation. It was probably too optimistic of me to wish that things were all smooth and well between the two gangs.


    Hayden didn¡¯t seem worried that we were out and about alone, though.


    "Wee, it is an honor for us to work with you on preparations for your big day," a beautiful woman said before beaming a gorgeous smile at us.


    "Thank you¡­" I replied softly.


    We followed her into a private meeting room that was as luxuriously decorated as the rest of their office. After taking our seat, the woman got to work immediately on grilling us on what we wanted or our wedding.


    "My name is Lucy. As I mentioned over the phone earlier, it would help us a lot if the bride and groom-to-be could give us some ideas on what you are expecting for your wedding day. Some references, theme or even just colors that you like would help us greatly toe up with a n for you given that we are little tight on time¡­" the woman said before smiling once again.


    I nced over at Hayden as I waited for him to voice if he had any preferences. Hayden remained silent while I tried my best to ster a polite smile on my lips. Despite the fact that he came along with me, it didn¡¯t seem like Hayden was going to participate more than absolutely necessary. I recalled that he did tell me to leave everything except for the outfits to the organizers.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 340: Unlimited Budget

    "We¡¯re not so sure what we have in mind to be honest," I said apologetically.


    "That¡¯spletely ok. You might not believe it but many of our clientse in feeling the same way and that is precisely why we are here to help you out. I assume that you¡¯ve seen our portfolio and based on that something must have caught you eye or attention which led you to choose to work with us, right?" Lucy said with a knowing smile.


    "I guess¡­" I mumbled, although I wasn¡¯t sure what it was in their portfolio that caught my eye in the first ce.


    Lucy just nodded as she took out arge hardcover booklet before she opened it and slid it over the table towards Hayden and me. I could see that there were photos from the various other weddings that thepany had organized before.


    "As you can see from the various wedding photos here, we specialize in a more fairytale type of vibe and the key factor is the usage of smoke from dry ice and lighting to create the right atmosphere during the entire ceremony from start to finish," Lucy exined as she pointed to the various photos in the booklet.


    "I see. It might be a little too fancy¡­" I murmured, feeling unsure.


    It does look pretty and captivating, but it does seem excessive and expensive. Were these effects the thing that drew me towards choosing thispany?


    "It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go with all that lighting and stuff," Hayden decided without hesitation.


    Well, that was easy. Smoke and lighting approved and done.


    "Right. I think I get the overall picture now. So for the next step, I will get you to simply pick between two or three photos based on what you like best. Just point to the photo that you like or the one that you think matches better for what you have in mind for your wedding. This will help me understand your tastes more," Lucy exined as she prepared two stacks of photos.


    The first pair of photos that she ced on the table was very different indeed. One had flower decorations everywhere possible in the church while the other had no flowers but gold ornaments instead. I nced over at Hayden exactly when he turned to look at me.


    "What if we don¡¯t pick the same thing?" I asked.


    "We can alwaysbine your tastes. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t makepromises on the choices," Lucy replied encouragingly.


    "Malissa, you choose," Hayden instructed.


    "Ok¡­I¡¯ll go with the flowers¡­" I replied.


    "Ok, sure. Next," Lucy said, clearly satisfied.


    The next photos showcased weddings with very different color tones. One was in the warmer tones of pinks, oranges, and reds while the other had cooler tones of blues, purples, and greys. I was immediately drawn to the brighter colors. After ncing over at Hayden, he just nodded at me for me to make my decision.


    "This one¡­" I said as I pointed my finger towards the photo with warmer and brighter color tones.


    "Right. Next please," Lucy said as sheid out another pair of photos.


    The process repeated itself until Lucy ran out of photos from her piles of photos. I had a slight headache from making so many decisions when the exercise came to an end.


    "Perfect. Onest thing, about the budget that you have in mind for the event¡­" Lucy asked before smiling gently at us.


    "Unlimited," Hayden replied without a second thought.


    Huh?


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock.


    Shouldn¡¯t we set a reasonable budget for these things? Telling them that we have an unlimited budget just didn¡¯t make sense. Lucy also had a look of pure shock on her face as she stared back at us.


    "Unlimited. I¡¯ll pay whatever just to make sure that the wedding turns out just like how she wants it," he repeated firmly before pointing a finger my way.


    That¡¯s¡­crazy¡­


    "Alright then. Thank you so much. That is it for today. I will work my hardest to send to you a proposal includingputer graphic mockups of all parts of the venue. The venue will be at the church that you mentioned during our phone call earlier, is that still, correct?" Lucy asked with a broad smile.


    "Yes, that is correct," I reaffirmed.


    "Awesome. Thank you very much for your time. I will be in touch soon," Lucy thanked us again before leading us out.


    The long day wasing to an end with Hayden driving us back to the mansion. I watched the scenery pass by from the car window as I enjoyed the orange ray of the setting sun. It felt good to be outside even though I couldn¡¯t yet meet up with anyone. Hopefully after we get married, things will turn out for the better and my ban from going outside would bepletely lifted.


    "You shouldn¡¯t have told her that you had an unlimited budget. I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s necessary to overspend on the wedding," I voiced my concern softly.


    "I¡¯ll rather pay to have a perfect day. Nothinges for free and if we underspend, the old man willin endlessly, and I don¡¯t want to deal with that¡­ever¡­" Hayden argued back.


    Since I knew that arguing with him would probably get us nowhere, I decided to let it slide and focus on the little time that we had together outside.


    "Can we get dinner together outside?" I asked in a sweet pleading voice.


    "Hmm¡­if you want," Hayden replied passively.


    "You can pick the ce. I¡¯m good with anything¡­" I quickly added before he would change his mind.


    Thest time I had dinner outside with Hayden seemed like half a lifetime ago. Since I left it to Hayden to pick a ce, we ended up eating at a very upscale and extremely private restaurant. That didn¡¯te as a surprise to me at all and I had absolutely nothing toin about. I was just too happy to finally get a chance to eat dinner out with him again.


    The restaurant that Hayden brought us to was more like a private residence that served only a few tables.


    "This ce has good steak," Hayden said as we sat down.


    "Oh, really. I would like that," I replied cheerfully.


    "Some wine?" Hayden asked.


    "No, thank you¡­" I declined politely.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 341: A Date in the Outside World

    After the waiter took our orders, we were left alone again, and I couldn¡¯t keep myself from smiling like a fool.


    "It¡¯s been a while since we came out for dinner like this," I said reminiscently.


    "You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll try to take you out more often from now on," Hayden willingly offered.


    My eyes widened in astonishment at his promise. I guess this meant that the tense situation between the two gang had improved already.


    "Are things¡­better?" I dared to ask softly.


    "Sort of. We¡¯re trying to avoid direct conflict and confrontations while keeping the rtionship with our clients safe. In the end it is up to the clients who they decide to do business with. No partnership with Silva is being considered unless you¡¯re still wondering," Hayden exined casually.


    "I see¡­" I mumble softly.


    "Don¡¯t worry too much. I want you to stay out of it," Hayden said sternly before I got too curious.


    "Ok. Returning back outside would be good¡­" I whispered hopefully.


    "Have you figured out what you want to do then?" Hayden asked as I felt his eyes on me.


    Well, I had my art career now which I have been working hard on. If I can go out and about again like normal, then perhaps meeting my clients face-to-face would be a good step forward and maybe¡­


    "Maybe I can open my own art gallery of sorts. A small one. I¡¯ll also be able to meet my clients face-to-face to discussionmissions and I can paint them live too. If I have time, maybe I can go back to teach a little at the school¡­if they¡¯ll still have me that is¡­" I replied wistfully after some thought.


    Now that I was voicing it out loud, I realized more than ever before how much I really yearned to return to the outside world. There were just so many things that I wanted to do that couldn¡¯t be done with me locked up in Hayden¡¯s mansion no matter how supportive he wanted to be. It wasn¡¯t just my career, there were many things that I wanted to do with Hayden outside too.


    "Should we go to the amusement park again?" I asked teasingly.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes lit up visibly before he smiled brightly at me. He must have recalled some good memories because that was exactly what I did.


    "Maybe we should," he said with a nod.


    "After we get married¡­let¡¯s catch up on some dates, ok?" I suggested invitingly.


    How our rtionship started was far from normal and I wasn¡¯t even sure when our rtionship started. However, none of that mattered anymore, we are getting married soon and what is important is living in the moment right now. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what if anything would change after we got married.


    "Take me somewhere fun this time," Hayden replied teasingly.


    "Leave it to me!" I volunteered enthusiastically.


    Last time it was Hayden who took the initiative to take us to the amusement park. This time, I¡¯ll make sure to surprise him with a cool date spot. I didn¡¯t have any decent ideas in mind yet, but I still had time to think about it. Hayden startedughing a little at my excited reaction.


    "Oh, right. My wedding dress is being tailored but what about your suit and other parts of your outfit?" I asked when my thoughts returned to wedding preparations.


    "I have my regr tailor. You don¡¯t have to worry about it," Hayden replied casually.


    That made sense.


    "Should we try our outfits on together just to make sure that we sort of match?" I suggested.


    Hayden gave me a look that told me that he clearly thought that I was immature, or at least, my suggestion was immature.


    "What¡¯s wrong with me wanting to check that our outfit makes us look like a couple?" I asked before I started pouting.


    "We can try it on together when you try on your dress for the final fitting. Ok?" Hayden said after deciding to give in.


    "Yay! That¡¯s perfect. Thank you so much¡­Hayden¡­" I thanked him before smiling at him sweetly.


    Maybe it was just me, but I believed that Hayden had been softer on me as ofte. He let me do things my way and he didn¡¯t get angry that often anymore. He smiled more often too, and our conversation tended to be smooth and without conflict. I could talk to him more casually and we evenughed together more often.


    "Why are you smiling?" Hayden asked as his eyes narrowed suspiciously at me.


    "Nothing¡­" I replied but I couldn¡¯t erase the smile from my lips.


    ¡­


    Halfway through the week, I was already too overwhelmed with going through all tasks required as part of our wedding preparations. I never truly appreciated the value of having a wedding nner and organizer until then.


    Lucy came back as promised with a full n and graphic images of what our wedding would be like, and I was blown away by how magical everything was in her proposal and the photos that she sent.


    "Looks good," Hayden said as he peered over my shoulder to stare down at myptop screen.


    "You really think so?" I asked, overjoyed by his words.


    Hayden actually said the word ¡¯good¡¯ anding out of his mouth, that just sounded like the highest praise of all. It was the right decision to hire Lucy to help us out. I stared at the warm tone flower disy that Lucy had coupled with gold metal structure that resembled gates. It created the atmosphere for a flower garden but with autumn colors.


    Flowers didn¡¯t bloom during autumn but that just added to the magical feel of it all.


    Personally, I thought that it was a bit much but I didn¡¯t want to voice my concern because I knew that it was hard to get Hayden toment on anything. If he likes it then, I was more than happy to go with whatever it was.


    "Yea," Hayden replied before he turned to walk away.


    He seemed satisfied with the progress that the organizer was making and because of that, I was extremely satisfied as well.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 342: Back Where It Started

    "If you like it, then we¡¯ll go with this¡­" I said as I quickly typed out a reply to Lucy.


    We were scheduled to meet up with Lucy and her teamter today to go through the ns for the actual day of the wedding. ording to her, being at the venue would also help me picture what the wedding would turn out to be like. With Hayden¡¯s approval, the meeting at the church was going to happen today in the afternoon.


    "Thank you for driving me anding to see the venue with me¡­" I thanked him when we arrived at the church.


    It was the same church where we had our first disastrous attempt at a wedding, but it felt so different now. Unlike the fear, anxiety, and stress that I felt on the day that I was forced here to marry Hayden, I felt only happiness and hope when I stepped out of the car onto the church grounds. The other difference was that Hayden was here with me willingly.


    "Don¡¯t fall on your face. Why are you even wearing heels?" Hayden warned before he startedining a little.


    I only smiled at him and how considerate he was despite his cold words as he extended his hand towards me to help me walk up the path leading from the parking lot to the church. Lucy was already there with her various team members when we arrived.


    She immediately walked us through the entireyout of the church while gesturing to the parts where she would ce the key decorations such as the main backdrop where we would take photos with the guests.


    Hayden seemedpletely disinterested and I wondered if he was even listening. Regardless, it was enough for me that he was there at my side although his mind seemed to be miles and gxies away. The church was muchrger than I remembered it and that was probably because there were no guests in there.


    "I saw your reply that you¡¯re fine with our proposal. Now that you¡¯ve seen the venue, is there something that you want to change or tweak?" Lucy asked when our little tour around with her came to an end.


    Honestly, there was just so much information that I was struggling to keep up. Everything seemed fine and I trusted Lucy a lot to let her deal with everything.


    "It¡¯s all good. I¡¯ll leave it all in your capable hands," I replied with a smile.


    Hayden just nodded his head slightly as he looked around with a nk look in his eyes. I thanked Lucy and her team members after that. Lucy suggested that we walk out together but before I could agree to her suggestion, I felt Hayden tugging on my hand.


    "You guys can head back first. Malissa and I will stay back to check on somethings. Thank you," Hayden said curtly.


    Lucy seemed to get his message immediately because she quickly excused herself and soon it was just Hayden and I left in therge and quite empty church.


    "Feeling nostalgic?" Hayden spoke up.


    "A little. I doubt you remember much from that day, though¡­" I replied with a smallugh.


    "You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t really remember anything. Traces here and there¡­and a throbbing pain in my head," Hayden replied before he turned to smile at me.


    "You were very drunk¡­" I said softly.


    "Yeah¡­" he murmured.


    I wondered how Hayden felt on that day. He probably didn¡¯t want to be forced into marrying a random girl that he didn¡¯t know. I wondered if he recognized me that day but then realized that he probably didn¡¯t We probably felt the same way. Who would have thought that we woulde back to the same ceter to get married for real.


    "It¡¯s a little funny now that I think about it. You know, how we¡¯re really going to get married here at the same ce where it all started," I said.


    I could still recall the moment when Hayden first walked into the church, more like he was dragged into the church. He was very drunk, and it was just a one disaster followed by the next after that. Looking back on it, I found it super funny and amusing now, but that wasn¡¯t how I felt at all on that day.


    "We can change the venue if this ce brings back too much bad memories for you," Hayden said as his fingers pushed my chin up to raise my face up so that I had to meet his blue gaze.


    His blue eyes looked at me with care and warmth. Gone were the usual coldness that gued his eyes.


    "There¡¯s no need to change the venue. Actually, I prefer this ce even more because of the history that we share with it. This is where we first met," I said with a smile.


    "Not quite true. We met before, although you don¡¯t remember anymore," Hayden said solemnly.


    That¡¯s right. When we were younger, we probably met somewhere. If only I could recall some memories from that time¡­


    Warmth enveloped my body, and I felt the strength of his arms as he pulled me back against his muchrger and taller frame. Hayden held me against him with his around my chest before I felt his warm breath close to my ear. He kissed my cheek softly and I felt butterflies in my belly from his tender and loving gesture.


    My eyes travelled around the church as I tried to envision what this ce would look like on our actual wedding day based on the photos that the team put in so much effort to simte. In a few days¡¯ time, Hayden and I would be standing there in front of the alter to exchange our marriage vow because we will formally be man and wife.


    The thought still made a slight shiver run through my body because it just all seemed so unreal to me.


    I nced down at the slight stinging in my breasts to find hisrge hands squeezing my breasts through the fabric of my clothes. Clearly, Hayden had other things in mind that had nothing to do with the decoration of the ce. We were alone but it was broad daylight not to mention that we were in a church.


    "Hayden¡­" I said in name in a low and warning tone.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 343: Making More Passionate Memories

    Hayden paid my warning no mind at all, and his hand seemed to squeeze my breasts even rougher and faster than before, drawing a soft moan from me. His fingers expertly found the perks of my nipples though all my clothes and began ying around with it. His arm around my body tightened and I couldn¡¯t struggle or get away.


    "What are you¡­doing?" I asked, although I already had a very good guess.


    "Making more memories for us," Hayden replied without hesitation or shame.


    "Hayden¡­we¡¯re in a¡­church¡­" I managed to say in a small whimper.


    "Hmm¡­then why are you moaning this way?" Hayden asked as if it was my fault.


    "Because¡­you¡¯re touching me¡­in weird ways¡­" I replied as heat rushed to my face.


    "Don¡¯t make it sound like it¡¯s my fault¡­" Hayden teased as he whispered into my ear.


    Hayden proceeded to blow softly into my ear and my entire body shivered in response. He knew that my ears were extremely sensitive, yet he showed me no mercy at all.


    "It is¡­your fault¡­" I muttered as I tried to wiggle my body around.


    My efforts were in vain. Hayden only held me tighter against his body and I could feel the heat of his body seeping through my thin clothes onto my back as he pressed his body against mine. His hands proceeded to casually pull my shirt out of my skirt before his hands quickly disappeared underneath it.


    "Ah¡­Hayden¡­" I let out a muffled cry as I tried to control my own voice.


    His manly hands pushed my bra upwards before he began groping my naked breasts directly. The heat of his palm felt hot against my cooler skin, and I closed my eyes in bliss. I pretended not to notice it earlier, but Hayden was probably just waiting for us to be alone so that he could start touching and ying with me like this. I should stop him before this progresses any further.


    "Hayden¡­we should stop...let¡¯s continue with this¡­at the mansion¡­" I suggested as I ced my hand on top of his.


    His hands refused to stop moving as his fingers dug even deeper into the soft flesh of breasts. He massaged my breasts with more pressure, and I started moaning louder than before. My nipples were already hard and erect from the stimtion of his palm rubbing against them.


    "Why do we need to stop?" Hayden asked as if he truly didn¡¯t understand my concern.


    Umm¡­maybe because it¡¯s broad daylight and we¡¯re in a church? ¡¯


    "We¡¯re in a church¡­people might see us¡­" I gave him two solid reasons although my mind was going hazy from the pleasure of his hand expertly kneading my breasts.


    "Can you stop me?" Hayden asked as if he was challenging me.


    "Well¡­" I started saying but then realized that I probably couldn¡¯t do anything much if he wanted to have his way with me here which was probably what he fully intended to do.


    Seeing that I couldn¡¯t reply to him, Hayden just chuckled before I felt my body being pulled backwards against him. After taking a few steps backwards, Hayden sat down on a bench and pulled me on top of hisp before his hands resumed ying around with my breasts.


    A small cry escaped me when his fingers skillfully pleasured my swollen nipples, rolling the hardened perks in between his fingertips until I was moaning and panting from the exquisite pleasure.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name before I realized that I couldn¡¯t say anymore.


    My body felt weak as I sat on top of hisp and leaned my body back against his. I could feel Hayden smiling close to my face before the tip of his wet tongue trialed a line alone my earlobe, making me shiver from the seductive pleasure. He proceeded to suck and lick on my earlobe as his fingers started pinching my nipples repeatedly.


    I bit my lower lip to stop myself from crying out loud from the pleasure that flooded my heart and mind in waves.


    I tried to struggle against him but that just resulted in more pleasurable punishment. Hayden¡¯s fingers squeezed my nipples hard before he pulled on it mercilessly. Hayden¡¯s low chuckled filled my ear as if he was satisfied with my reactions to his seductive torture. My body felt so hot, and my pussy wouldn¡¯t stop twitching as if it wanted more.


    I knew without a shred of doubt that my love hole was leaking out my juices and that my panties were probably soaked already by that point.


    Perhaps, Hayden was right. Why am I bothering to resist him if I can¡¯t stop him anyways?


    Still, should he have some respect for the right time and ce to do these things?


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name


    Instead of listening to me or stopping, Hayden¡¯s hand slowly slid down from my chest to the in of my stomach. My body trembled in anticipation as it looked forward to his hand to finally reach its final destination.


    "What? Do you want more?" Hayden teased me as his hand confidently dipped lower.


    I watched as if in a trance as his hand disappeared under my skirt. Hayden casually nudged my ankle with his foot to spread my legs open for him. It wasn¡¯t long before I felt the heat of his fingers teasing the sensitive skin of my inner thighs before his fingers made its way painfully slowly upwards towards my sopping wet core.


    "Ahhh¡­Oh¡­Ahhhh¡­" I moaned and sighed from the pleasure of his touch.


    His hand finally delved into the hot wet mess in between my legs as he began running his fingertips up and down my wet pussy lips. I closed my eyes as I leaned my head back against his shoulders before I started moaning again. I could feel Hayden¡¯s eyes on my body and then my face as he took in my erotic reactions.


    "Don¡¯t moan so loudly¡­you¡¯re not supposed to like this¡­" Hayden teased me as he reminded me of my stubborn protests from earlier.


    I wanted to respond to him, but I couldn¡¯t even think straight anymore. Hayden continued to stroke my wet opening before his fingers began thrusting against my swollen and sensitive clit. A loud cry burst forth from my lips and I pped my hands over my mouth to hold the rest of the cry in as my eyes widened in shock.


    The pleasure spreading all over my body from his touch on my sensitive love seed quickly robbed me of my ability to think and control my body.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 344: Only One Option

    I cried out again against the palm of my own hand when his fingers thrusted sharply into my hole as my pussy made an embarrassing wet squelching sound. The sound made me aware once again just how wet I had gotten down there from my desire for Hayden. His fingers began moving around inside of my love hole and the wet sounds only got louder and even more mortifying for me.


    "Your hole is flooded¡­" Hayden hissed in my ear before he startedughing softly.


    His fingers moved relentlessly inside of me, thrusting in and out of my hole until my hips began moving in a rhythm that matched his fingers. My pussy felt extra sensitive today and my nipples started to hurt as my body writhed on hisp. Hayden began pinching my nipple with one hand while his other hand fingered my wet hole.


    My pussy began twitching and clenching wildly around his fingers as my legs started to feel very weak. If he continues fingering me fast and hard like this, I knew that I would climax very soon. My head rolled around weakly against his shoulder as my unfocused eyes looked up at the colorful painting on the ceiling of the church.


    "Don¡¯t you want my cock inside you?" Hayden asked as if he could predict just how much my body craved for his cock already.


    I shook my head even though I knew that it was all a lie. My pussy throbbed with need, and I wanted nothing more than to feel hisrge cock pounding hard and deep into me.


    "Are you sure? My cock will feel much better than my fingers¡­" Hayden teased me with an evil spark in his beautiful blue eyes.


    As if he wanted to give me a taste of the pleasure that he was preaching about, his finger pushed up against my pleasure spot and began thrusting against it. I cried out despite my efforts to keep my voice down. My voice sounded so lewd and seductive just now and it came out much louder than I had anticipated.


    My hips thrusted upwards as I grinded the sensitive spot deep inside of my love hole against his fingers for more pleasure. I was already so close to my release¡­just a little more¡­and I¡¯ll¡­


    As if he could tell that I was close to my release, Hayden sighed and withdrew his fingerspletely from my hole. I winced as if in pain as I felt his fingers sliding out of my hole then a disappointed whimper left my lips as my pussy was left empty and dissatisfied.


    "Do you want more, or do you want to go back home?" Hayden asked as if he was offering me a fair choice.


    Perhaps it was a fair choice but in the state that I was in, it just felt like I didn¡¯t truly have a say in the matter at all. The way my body and mind craved for him and the pleasure that he could give me made it seemed like there was really only one option.


    I red at him as I pouted, and Hayden smiled like an angel down at me knowingly. I hated how he could make me go crazy for him like this, but I loved it all at the same time.


    "Straddle me, Malissa. I¡¯ll let your pussy y with my cock¡­" Hayden said with utmost satisfaction as his hand reached in between my legs to stimte my sensitive clit.


    My hips began moving in response to his caress immediately and I knew that there was no point in arguing with him. Sooner orter, I would do what he wanted me to do.


    Clumsily, I turned around to straddle him. It was a challenge because the bench felt so narrow now that I tried to bnce myself on my knees while trying to position myself the way that I wanted. Hayden¡¯s hands supported me helpfully before his hands went to unbuckle his belt. At least he was willing to help me out with something and I didn¡¯t need to do everything alone.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Hayden topletely free his erect cock from his pants.


    Now that we were about to go all the way with this, I felt extremely nervous, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from looking around the still-empty church in a panic.


    "Are you still worried at this point?" Hayden asked mockingly.


    His hands grabbed the sides of my waist as if he wanted me to hurry with what we were doing. My eyes returned to his face and our eyes met. Once again, I found myself mesmerized and captivated by the beauty of his blue eyes and the desire swimming in their depths.


    "I¡¯m just a little scared¡­" I confessed softly.


    "Then we should get it over with quickly," Hayden stated as his hands started pulling my hips down towards his.


    I nodded my head a little in agreement. If we couldn¡¯t stop now, there was no other way but to proceed until the very end. I reached for his thick and erect rod with one hand before I let out a soft gasp at the heat and size of him. My pussy clenched as I imagined taking his massive tool inside of me.


    My other hand quickly reached in between my legs to pull my underwear to the side before I began fitting the thick head of his cock at my throbbing entrance.


    "Ahh¡­it¡¯s so big¡­" I muttered softly as I began fitting his thick cock in between the folds of my pussy.


    "Are youining?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    I cried out sharply when he pulled me down on top of him as he thrusted his hip up from below me, ramming his cock sharply upwards into my flooded hole.


    "Oh¡­Ahhh¡­" I moaned at the sensation of his thick love stick stretching my entrance before quickly prating into my wet depth.


    I could feel the head of his cock sliding against my pussy walls as he thrusted his cock even deeper into my body. Hayden kept thrusting his hips upwards while pulling my hips down until his entire cock was buried all the way into my wet cunt.


    My hands held his shoulders when I finally sat skin-to-skin on hisp with the entire length of his gigantic cock buried to the hilt inside of my quivering pussy.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 345: Sinful Affair

    "Your pussy won¡¯t stop twitching. Are you that excited that we¡¯re doing it here?" Hayden asked so casually that I was shocked by how rxed he seemed about all this.


    He was right that my pussy wouldn¡¯t stop quivering and clenching around his cock. However, I didn¡¯t think that was because I was excited or worried, I just wanted to feel more of his cock. I wished that he would continue moving beneath me, but I knew well that he wanted me to move and ride on his cock instead.


    "It feels¡­good¡­" I admitted shyly.


    Hayden seemed slightly surprised at my honest confession, but it was clear that he was very pleased. His hands supported my waist as I slowly lifted my hips up. I felt his cock rubbing against my pussy walls as it slowly slid out of my hole. Just before his cock exited mepletely, I sat down on top of him again.


    His cock rammed back into my hole, and I moaned while he groaned lowly from the pleasure. His cock felt so hot, and he was in much deeper than before.


    "Ahh! Hayden¡­Ahhhh¡­" I moaned wildly as I cried out his name.


    My eyes widened in shock when I realized that I was crying out so loudly again and my hand flew to cover my mouth to keep my lewd moans in. Hayden smiled a little at me before he shook his head as if very amused at what I was trying to aplish.


    "You can bite my shoulder if you don¡¯t want to scream¡­" Hayden offered, and I felt his hand against my back as he urged me to lean more against him.


    "I¡¯m ok¡­" I whispered, not wanting to bite him even if he was fine with it.


    I lifted my hips again before I started riding on his cock. It started off slow and deep at first before my passionpletely took over and my body started moving like it had a lusty will of its own. My body began moving faster, riding fast and hard on his cock. I could feel Hayden¡¯s cock hitting against my womb with each stroke of his cock entering my pussy.


    It felt so good as I continued bouncing my body up and down his cock. My pussy clenched around his thick shaft as I made sure to angle my pussy so that his cock would hit me where I knew it felt good.


    Hayden¡¯s blue eyes watched me as I enjoyed myself fully at the expense of hisrge cock. He did tell me to y with his cock and that was exactly what I was doing. No matter how fast and hard I was moving, it just didn¡¯t seem to be enough. Hayden¡¯s grinned at me before one of his hand reached for my nipple and started pinching on it.


    I threw back my head and moaned loudly as I thrusted my chest towards him as if begging for him to pay even more loving attention to my tits. My breasts jiggled up and down as my body continued to ride on his cock.


    "It¡¯s so good¡­it¡¯s so good¡­so deep¡­" I managed to whisper in between my erotic moans of ecstasy.


    My pussy felt so hot inside and I was sure that Hayden could also feel the heat and passion burning deep inside of me. Hayden began thrusting his hips up against mine once again as his cock met my thrusts halfway. Suddenly, I could feel him even deeper inside of my hole. His cock moved much faster in and out of my hole now that Hayden was thrusting his cock into me.


    It felt so good before but the pleasure that I was feeling now made all other pleasures pale inparison.


    "Harder¡­please¡­" I begged shamelessly for him to do me harder and faster.


    "Stay still for a bit¡­" Hayden ordered calmly as his hands gripped the side of my hips.


    I nodded at him slightly before I stilled on top of him. Hayden positioned my hips where he wanted it before he held me steady with his hands. When Hayden thrusted his hips up again, I let out a strangled cry. The pleasure of his cock roughly pounding up into my hole was too much for me to take.


    My pussy clenched automatically around the thick girth of his cock before he pulled his cock out of my love hole. He thrusted into me again and again¡­and again¡­


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore; I was going crazy from how amazing it felt and it seemed like there was no way for me to hold in my moans and cries of pleasure. After burying my face into the side of his neck, I breathed in deeply before I bit into his shoulder just like he had suggested before. Haydenughed softly at me while his cock continued to pound itself into my hole.


    I cried out repeatedly against his shoulder as I bit harder into his shoulder in my ecstasy. He¡¯s going to make me cum very soon at this rate. My whole body felt like it was on fire as lust and need flooded my brain. My pussy twitched madly around his cock as it squirted out even more hot juices onto his dick.


    It wasn¡¯t long before my orgasm hit me hard and cried out loudly against his shoulder. Hayden had to pat me on the back to help calm me down; however, he never stopped screwing his thick cock into me. As I sat limply on hisp, Hayden thrusted upwards into my wet cunt until he finally reached his climax. The heat of his release filled me deep inside as his cock shot his load into me.


    Hayden¡¯s hand stroked my hair lovingly and I ley him pet me until I recovered from my exhausting climax.


    ¡­


    "You really shouldn¡¯t have done that¡­" Iined when we were in the car together.


    I could barely walk after we were done with our passionate affair in the church. Thankfully, Hayden seemed to realize so he ended up carrying me to the car. Even more thankfully was the fact that no one saw us doing what we were doing.


    "I seem to recall that you wanted it very badly," Hayden said without a hint of shame or guilt.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 346: His Idea of a Perfect Wedding Dress

    "That¡¯s because¡­you started it¡­" I pointed out as I turned to pout at him.


    I knew that I wanted it, and I probably went very wild at some point while we were doing it but it all started because Hayden started seducing me. I never would have done something like that otherwise.


    "It¡¯s your fault. I was also so scared that someone would hear or see us. We would have gotten into so much trouble¡­" I continuedining.


    With that, Hayden startedughing loudly. That only made me even angrier. What on earth did he find so funny about this? I was so worried and stressed out just thinking that someone might catch us while we were busy having our fun.


    "What¡¯s so funny?" I snapped as I red at him.


    "You¡¯re funny¡­" he replied without a second thought.


    "How am I funny?" I demanded to know.


    He was the one being so careless and carefree about everything.


    "Listen, Malissa. Because our wedding ising up, the church and all surrounding areas have been booked by the Torex group for the whole week until our wedding is over. No one is allowed to enter unless they have permission. No one is going to walk in on us, ok?" Hayden said before he turned to smile charmingly at me.


    What¡­did he just say?


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me this? You knew all along¡­Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before?" I demanded to know.


    Although I already knew the answer. Once again, I was the victim of his endless teasing and stupid games. Hayden continuedughing as he kept his eyes on the road. It surprised me over and over again, how I couldn¡¯t seem to seriously get mad at him.


    ¡­


    Time was running out fast and the date of our wedding was approaching fast. Today was the day that Hayden and I would try on our outfit for the wedding day. I had absolutely no idea what Hayden had gotten tailored for me for my wedding dress.


    I was curious and excited to see the dress not because I was expecting something extravagant, but I really wanted to see what Hayden thought was the perfect wedding dress for me.


    When we arrived at the boutique the same store manager and her team of staffs were waiting to wee us. Just like the other day, the boutique had been booked for the entire day so that we wouldn¡¯t need to hurry, and it was also for security reasons.


    "Wow!" I eximed loudly as my eyes widened and both my hands flew to cover my mouth.


    The white wedding dress that the mannequin had on was so breathtakingly beautiful that I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of it. Is this really my wedding dress?


    The white dress looked exquisitely beautiful without being too revealing. The dress had long sleeves and a ball gown skirt that made the waist seem very small and slim. The dress was made of sparkling fabric that made the dress sparkle in the light. The bodice of the dress was decorated with a mix of crystals and well as flowers made from silk fabric.


    Matching flowers and crystals also decorated the top part of the skirt. More crystals adorn the entire length of the skirt that had a long train at the back.


    "It looks magical and very princess-like, doesn¡¯t it?" the store manager asked as she beamed a proud smile at me.


    I could see why she seemed proud of the work. This dress must have taken so many people to make because of the limited time that they had on their hands. The dress was so beautiful that I thought that something as precious as this was going to be so wasted on me.


    Slowly, I turned to face Hayden who also had his eyes on the dress. His blue eyes quickly shifted to my face when he noticed that I was looking at him intently.


    "You like it?" he asked but I was sure that he already knew the answer to that.


    "It¡¯s too beautiful¡­thank you, Hayden¡­" I replied truthfully.


    I didn¡¯t want to know how much this dress cost or how much it weighs.


    "We¡¯ve tailored this to your measurements, but it can be adjusted based on today¡¯s fitting so please tell me if it is too loose or too tight anywhere, ok?" the store manager said with a smile before she gestured with her hand for me to enter the changing room at the back.


    "Hayden, what about your suit?" I asked.


    "It has been brought over already. We have a few changing rooms so you two can change at the same time. Please, follow me this way." the store manager said reassuringly.


    "Thank you so much," I quickly thanked her.


    "You will need help to put your dress on. I will talk to your organizer so that they can have someone to help you on the actual day," the store manager exined.


    I nodded in acknowledgment while feeling grateful for the fact that she seemed to have thought this all through for me already. After a while of waiting, the dress was brought to the changing room and a few staff had to help me get into the dress. To my utter relief, the dress was a perfect fit and I doubt that any changes had to made to the size.


    What didn¡¯t feel right with me was how heavy the dress felt when I tried to walk.


    "Remember to kick the dress a little forward before you take a step to make sure that you don¡¯t end up stepping on any of theyers¡­" the manager exined.


    "It¡¯s¡­quite heavy¡­" I said as I tried to turn to look behind me at the long train and the massive amount of crystal that seemed to have been sewn on.


    "I know, dear, but you have to bear with it. We can remove some crystals, but the dress won¡¯t look as impressive¡­" the manager said sternly.


    "Was this what Hayden requested for?" I asked, feeling uncertain.


    "Absolutely. You can see how pleased he looked just now," the manager replied confidently.


    Right, he did look quite happy with how the dress turned out. Knowing Hayden, he probably would have yelled at the manager if the dress didn¡¯t turn out right.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 347: A Horny Monster

    "Look this way at the mirror and then look at that mirror at the back there to see both the front view and back view of the dress. You look amazing in the dress, seriously. I suggest you put your hair up on the day," the manager advised.


    I nced at the mirror, and I was forced to admit that the dress made me look so stunning that I couldn¡¯t believe that it was me. It felt like I was staring at someone else and that made me feel quite strange. Let¡¯s see what Hayden has to say about this¡­


    "Careful and watch your step. Kick before you walk, please. Kick¡­" the manger reminded me almost every step of the way as I made my way out of the dressing room back to the front of the boutique.


    "Umm¡­what do you think?" I asked softly when I felt Hayden¡¯s eyes on me.


    I stood very nervously in front of him as his eyes appraised me and the dress that I had on. Hisck of visible reaction was a little disappointing to me. The moment of the bride-to-be walking out in her wedding dress and the groom looking all flustered and shock at how wonderfully beautiful she looks wasn¡¯t something that I had the privilege to experience.


    I held my breath as I sucked in my tummy as if that alone would somehow make me look better in the dress.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes traveled slowly down my body before returning back up again to rest on my chest. He made a thoughtful face, and I could tell that the shop manager and the staffs were nervous as well.


    "Looks ok. Better than I expected," Hayden finallymented with an approving nod of his head.


    I breathed out the breath that I had been holding in relief. Forget all about the ¡¯wow, you are so pretty¡¯ moment that I often see on screen, it was a huge relief that he seemed fine with how the dress looked on me. The wedding was in a few days, and we didn¡¯t exactly have the time to find a new dress or make major modifications to this one.


    The look of extreme relief on the manager¡¯s face told me the same story.


    "Thank you, Hayden. I¡¯m very happy that the dress looks fine¡­" I said in a whisper as I started to rx.


    "Of course, it looks fine. I chose it for you¡­" Hayden muttered so softly that I wasn¡¯t sure if I heard him right at first.


    After the heavy mountain had been lifted from my chest, I could focus my attention on Hayden who stood directly in front of me. I had to say that he looked more than just ¡¯fine¡¯. Hayden shot me a strange look and that was probably because I was experiencing a very ¡¯wow¡¯ moment of seeing my groom-to-be in his white tuxedo.


    Although I¡¯ve seen Hayden in a full suit very often before because he wore it so often that it was almost like his uniform, the tuxedo that he had on gave off a different vibe.


    "You look like a prince¡­" I murmured as I continued staring at him.


    "Do I? Is that strange?" he asked with a smallugh.


    "No, you look great," I quickly said to reassure him.


    Hayden continuedughing while I looked in the mirror to check if our outfit was a good match together or not. Not surprisingly, we looked like a couple that was more than ready to get married. We better be ready; the wedding wasing up in a few days.


    Just when I thought that we were done for our visit, Hayden turned and asked the manager and the staff to give us some alone time. His request must have confused them a little because it showed on their faces; however, without another choice, all of them left us alone in the boutique.


    If this wasn¡¯t Hayden and I haven¡¯t had various experiences with him, I probably wouldn¡¯t have reacted the way that I did. Once the door closed behind them and the staff were gone, I took a few steps back and folded my arms over my chest protectively as a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu overcame me. This was exactly what happened in the church when the organizer team left us alone.


    "What do you think you¡¯re doing?" Hayden asked as his eyes narrowed at me.


    I took another step back and almost ended up tripping on the long train of the dress that I had on. Despite all of its beauty, this dress wasn¡¯t built for mobility at all.


    Getting away from him in case he has any funny ideas¡­what else¡­


    "Umm¡­" I hesitated to tell him the truth.


    Hayden gave me a funny look like he could read what I was thinking. He took a step towards me, and I immediately took a step back as my arms tightened protectively around my breasts. As if his suspicions were confirmed, Hayden startedughing a little at me before he startedughing harder and louder.


    "I¡¯m not going to do anything to you. Seriously, what do you see me as?" Hayden asked teasingly as he continuedughing.


    He did take a step back away from me and that put me at ease somewhat. Of course, I liked having sex with Hayden but doing it in the boutique while trying on my wedding dress would be over the top.


    "A horny monster¡­I guess¡­" I mumbled my reply softly to his question.


    At first, I wasn¡¯t sure if Hayden heard me but he must have had very good hearing because he startedughing again at my response to his question. Before I knew it, I was giggling along with him. The atmosphere in the boutique rxed considerably and when Hayden recovered hisposure again, he opened the bag that he had with him and took out a box.


    I watched as Hayden fetched arge velvet box out of the bag before he started to open it.


    "This was why I wanted everyone to leave for a moment," Hayden exined calmly.


    I realized right away what was in the box and I found myself unconsciously praying that it wouldn¡¯t¡¯ turn out to be some fancy diamond and gem encrusted bra and matching thong. Thankfully, Hayden opened the box to reveal a very eye-catching set of diamond jewelry.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 348: The Night Before Our Wedding

    Ne and matching earrings made of huge diamond stones sparkled under the light of the boutique. I was stunned at how outstanding the pieces were while I watched as Hayden approached me before he carefully put the ne around my neck.


    His hands held my shoulders before turning my upper body to face the mirror so that we both could have a look at how the ne looked on me with the dress. I thought that the ne alone was already impressive but when paired with the dress, I looked like a very rich aristocraticdy or princess.


    "Wow¡­this is really something," I murmured, unable to find the right words to describe how gorgeous everything was.


    "We need to add the earrings. Can you put these on?" Hayden said as he handed me the earrings.


    "This already looks like plenty¡­" I said softly.


    "Don¡¯tin, I¡¯m just doing what you told me to," Hayden said firmly.


    "And that is?" I asked in wonder.


    "Buying you expensive things that you won¡¯t ever need. Although in this case, I think you need some jewelry for the wedding, right?" Hayden said before his reached out and pulled on my cheek yfully.


    "It hurts¡­" I muttered as he continued pinching my cheek.


    "Put them on," Hayden urged as his fingers left my cheek.


    "Ok¡­" I whispered in defeat before I started putting the earrings on.


    "I think they look good on you. Let¡¯s go with this," Haydenmented casually after spending a brief moment evaluating how I looked.


    "If you say so¡­" I replied.


    If he likes it, then I didn¡¯t have any objections. It still surprised me that Hayden was very attentive to my outfit for the big day. True to his words, he was very invested in helping me pick everything rted to the outfit for the day. The same attention clearly did not apply to the other parts of the wedding especially the decoration, the schedule and the guestlist.


    ¡­


    The rest of the preparation went by in a blur with the bossing in to assert his pressure on us the day before the wedding. It was a nightmare beyond nightmares. I never dreamt that putting a wedding together would be this tiring and stressful even though I had a team of highly-paid professional to help me organize it all.


    The wedding was already tomorrow but I still felt that many things were not ready. I wasn¡¯t sure how much of my worries were valid and how much was just from me feeling nervous about tomorrow. Hayden seemed as calm and collected as always. That came as good news for me because I couldn¡¯t imagine what life would be like if both of us were panicking.


    The wedding would start in the afternoon and end way into the night because after the church ceremony there would be another round of celebration at the church and the surrounding gardens before another celebration would be held at night in a ballroom at a hotel.


    The boss apparently wanted it this way and that was what the organizers had expertly organized for us. All Hayden and I had to do was just turn up at the church on time and Lucy would take care of the rest. At least that was what she told us thest time that we met to do ast run through of everything.


    Evening and then night came before I knew it and tomorrow, Hayden and I would be getting married.


    Finally.


    "Don¡¯t worry too much about tomorrow," Hayden said as hey on the bed next to me.


    That was easy for him to say. I didn¡¯t want to worry or feel nervous or anxious about tomorrow either. However, my emotions and my nerves were beyond my control sometimes.


    "I¡¯m so worried¡­honestly¡­" I confessed straightforwardly.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry. Everything will be fine and even if you make some kind of mistake, it doesn¡¯t matter because I won¡¯t mind," Hayden told me before he smiled reassuringly at me.


    I was thankful for Hayden for being unusually extra supportive tonight, but his words did very little to ease my worry and I doubted that any could work to lift my spirits.


    "Having cold feet? Want to change your mind?" Hayden teased.


    I wondered for a brief moment what he would do to me if I told him that I really wanted to change my mind. He would probably kill me for sure, I was certain of it.


    "No. I¡¯m never going to change my mind¡­" I muttered darkly.


    He had no idea how much I had to work for us to get to this point. I¡¯m not throwing it all away because of some cold feet before the wedding myth.


    "Guess I¡¯m happy that you want to marry me that badly¡­" Hayden said before he smiled innocently at me.


    "I¡¯m going to sleep!" I dered before I turned my body the other way and shut my eyes tightly.


    If I just count to a thousand or some high number around that range, I¡¯ll probably fall asleep sooner orter.


    In the end, I counted and lost count various times but I wasn¡¯t any close to falling asleep. The bedroom was silent, and I couldn¡¯t tell if Hayden had fallen asleep already or not. Carefully, I turned around to face him.


    "Can¡¯t sleep?" Hayden asked as if he had predicted this oue.


    "Yeah¡­" I mumbled a little shyly.


    "Sometimes you have to exercise a little before going to bed. It helps you sleep better¡­" Hayden suggested in a seductive drawl.


    "Really?" I asked, skeptically.


    His tone left little for me to wonder what kind of exercise he was referring to. We¡¯re getting married tomorrow and it¡¯s going to be a busy day. Perhaps less so for Hayden because he wasn¡¯t involved in making sure that everything ran smoothly, but it was surely going to be a hectic and worrisome day for me.


    "One way to find out¡­" Hayden said as his body moved closer to mine.


    "I don¡¯t think¡­" I began protesting softly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 349: Seduced Without Exceptions

    Maybe we should hold our horses for the night¡­


    "You don¡¯t need to think," Hayden said resolutely.


    I let out a small cry when he literally climbed on top of me and pinned my wrists down on the bed on either side of my head.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name in shock at his aggressive move.


    "Cooperate with me if you want to go to sleep, otherwise, this could take us all night¡­" Hayden murmured seductively close to my ear before he buried his face in the side of my neck.


    "Ahhh¡­" I moaned as he began kissing the side of my neck and then nibbling on it.


    The heat of the tip of his tongue sank into the soft skin of my neck as he started licking me there. My moans got louder when Hayden started sucking a little roughly on the side of my neck. It felt so good as waves of pleasure ran throughout my body.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name.


    Hayden made a sound of acknowledgement before his lips busily continued to suck on the side of my neck. He¡¯s going to leave a mark at this rate.


    "Don¡¯t suck on me anymore¡­please¡­it¡¯s going to leave a mark¡­" I pleaded.


    We¡¯re getting married tomorrow and I didn¡¯t want to have hickeys on my neck on my wedding day of all days. Hayden heaved a disappointing sigh, but he did stop sucking on my neck. As if to show his dissatisfaction, his red down at me as his hand slid from my wrists along the length of my arm and then over my shoulders to cup massage the soft womanly flesh of my breasts.


    "Ahhh¡­" I moaned softly as the sensation of him kneading my breasts in firm and deliberate motions.


    "Your nipples are rock hard¡­can you feel it too?" Hayden asked needlessly and I replied to him with a soft moan of pure pleasure.


    His fingertips caressed the hard peaks of my nipple through the thin satin fabric of my light pink nightgown, and I felt my nipples harden even further as it stood erect as if begging him to y with it more. I bit my lower lip and moan as Hayden watched my reaction from above. His hand returned to squeezing my tits, this time much rougher than before.


    I cried out at the exquisite mix of pain and pleasure of hisrge hands pumping my breasts together.


    Just like how it was always between us, my body got so easily turned on by Hayden. My hips were already moving beneath him as my body begged him silently for more pleasure. My breath came in short bursts and my core felt hot and molten. My pussy trembled with need as he filled my lower abdomen with an intense ache of desire.


    He lowered his head to capture my lips in a wet and passionate kiss, boldly thrusting his tongue into my mouth to taste me and tease my tongue. I kissed him back hungrily as I raised my legs up to wrap them wantonly around his hips. Hayden chuckled into our kiss, and I could feel him smiling before he continued to kiss me from various angles, our tongues dancing wildly in its own passionate dance.


    I felt the heat of his hand on the curve of my hip as he pushed the thin fabric of my nightgown up to my waist, exposing my legs to him. My hips thrusted upwards, grinding my pussy eagerly against his hardness. His hardness rubbed against my swollen clit sending surges of intense pleasure all over my body as I continued to grind against him.


    Just like Hayden cock was rock hard, my pussy was already flooded by my juices, and I couldn¡¯t wait to feel him pounding his cock inside of me.


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name in a sweet plead.


    "I thought you didn¡¯t want to¡­" Hayden said teasingly.


    "Please¡­" I whimpered.


    My body felt so hot as more wetness gushed out from the hole in between my legs. I wanted him to take me now.


    Haydenughed softly at me as he freed his thick and erect cock. I spread my legs wider apart invitingly before he positioned the engorged head of his massive member at the opening of my wet hole. I moaned as I felt his heat lodge itself in between my legs. My hips thrusted upwards invitingly, pushing my wet opening against his hot rod.


    "You can¡¯t even wait for it anymore¡­" Hayden said teasingly.


    His hand reached in between our body and then I cried out from the maddening pleasure of his fingertips stroking my sensitive clit. I cried out even louder than before when his fingers stroked my pleasure seed faster and harder. My hips thrusted up and down wildly as my lips begged for him to fuck my love hole.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­fuck me! Fuck me¡­" I begged shamelessly as desire clouded my mind and senses.


    "You should have begged for it right from the start," Hayden muttered with a hint of annoyance.


    My hips lurched off the bed when Hayden screwed the entire length of his cock into my sopping wet hole in one single thrust that left me screaming like a woman in heat. My pussy clenched tightly around his thickness as he filled mepletely with his massive cock. I felt his hot dick everywhere inside of my love tunnel and my pussy rejoiced in the joy of being stretched and filled to the brim.


    Hayden didn¡¯t give me any time to get used to having him inside of me. He reared his hips back almost immediately before plunging his cock back in even rougher into my hot wetness. I cried out his name and moaned while he continued to pump his thick cock in and out of my hole in a fast-paced rhythm.


    I closed my eyes and moaned with each surge of pleasure that apanied each stroke of his wild and rough thrusts.


    "It¡¯s so¡­deep¡­so¡­big¡­" I whimpered in between my pants and moans of ecstasy.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 350: Finally, Our Wedding Day!

    His cock seemed to beat deeper and harder inside of me as he rammed his shaft all the way into my wet tunnel until the head of his cock hit my womb with each powerful thrust. It¡¯s so deep and so rough¡­


    I knew that if he continued fucking my love hole like this, I would cum intensely very soon. My pussy was already spasm uncontrobly around his cock as it tried to suck his cock in even deeper. The sensation of his cock moving along my pussy walls felt so pleasurable. Hayden groaned as he gave it to me harder and faster while I whimpered and melted into mush on the inside.


    His cock felt like it was hitting me deeper and harder, and I knew that he must have grown even bigger inside of me.


    Hayden¡¯s fingers sunk into my buttocks as he lifted my hips off the bed before screwing his thick dick into me at an angle that hit me even deeper than before. The fat head of his cock hit the pleasure spots deep inside of my cunt and I cried out his name as my lustpletely took over. I was very close to cumming and I couldn¡¯t wait to experience the mind-shattering pleasure of my climax.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m gonna¡­Ahhh!" I cried out when he finally pushed me over the edge.


    My orgasm was intense, and it made me forget everything and all the nervousness and anxiety that I felt about tomorrow¡¯s wedding. I forgot everything as my body and mind relished in the delicious pleasure of our mating. Hayden¡¯s cock poured his seed deeply into my hole shortly after and I fell into a deep sleep in his arms until morning came.


    ¡­


    Our wedding day finally arrived, and I had to say that it felt like the most perfect day to have a wedding. Of course, I was probably very biased because my happiness was probably fooling my brain.


    However, as I saw it, everything was perfect all the way from the weather, Hayden¡¯s calm and seemingly peaceful mood to the fact that his rough lovemakingst night didn¡¯t leave any visible marks on my body.


    As scheduled, our wedding would take ce starting in the church in the afternoon where the church ceremony would be followed by a small party in the church¡¯s courtyard. Finally, therger celebration would take ce in the ballroom of one of the most luxurious hotels in the city.


    Therger celebration was arranged by the boss and his team, and it was probably going to be more for the boss and his business partners rather than for us. I didn¡¯t have anything toin about as long as I got to marry Hayden.


    "Do you know that it¡¯s supposed to be bad luck if the groom sees the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony starts?" I asked cheerfully.


    "Please don¡¯t tell me that you believe something like that¡­" Hayden said, soundingpletely unimpressed.


    "I don¡¯t know if I believe it or not but it¡¯s better to be safe than to be sorry, right?" I asked brightly.


    "¡­so, you do believe it¡­" Hayden muttered with a shake of his head.


    "Anyways, I¡¯ll see you when I¡¯m in my beautiful wedding dress when I walk into the church, ok?" I said with the hope that he would understand.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed in these myths or beliefs or not, but our rtionship was extraordinary challenging already the way that it was. It was already difficult for us, and I felt like we didn¡¯t need any voodoo to make it worst.


    When we got to the church the team was already there to greet us. Unlike the day that we visited the church before to meet with Lucy and her team, the church was heavily guarded. It wasn¡¯t surprising given thatter on the boss and other senior members of the gang would be here to attend the wedding.


    I recalled the crowd of men in ck that filled the bench inside of the church thest time that the boss attempted to get Hayden and I married.


    "I¡¯ll¡­see youter¡­" I said before smiling up at him.


    "Alright," Hayden replied curtly.


    I closed my eyes as his face came closer and then I felt his lips softly brush against my forehead. The kiss was brief, but I felt his love so clearly. I smiled up at him and he grinned at me before we parted ways to go to our separate dressing rooms.


    ¡­


    "Excited?" Luka questioned teasingly with a broad smile on his face.


    Luka was dressed in an all-ck suit just like the other senior managers of the gang and other members in attendance. Hayden was extremely surprised that the old man seemedpletely sober, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    "No¡­" Hayden replied coldly.


    "Really? You¡¯re the groom and you¡¯re not excited? I¡¯m super excited and I¡¯m not even the groom¡­" Luka said followed by a loudugh that echoed throughout the church.


    Hayden stood in his white tuxedo while he wondered when Malissa would make her appearance. The only part of this wedding that he looked forward to was exchanging their vows and nothing more. The rest were all formalities to please the boss, the gang members, and other honorable guests that the boss had invited.


    The ceremony part of the wedding was kept simple with all roles filled by gang members including his groomsmen and best man. Although it would have to be public soon that he and Malissa got married, he still didn¡¯t prefer anyone from the outside to be present at their wedding.


    Hayden¡¯s brows drew together in a slight frown when he thought of how their life would change after their rtionship went public.


    Malissa could return to the real world once again as Mrs. Torex. She would be well known and high up there in the social scenes along with other Torex family members as part of the owner¡¯s family of therge and legitimate Torex conglomerate. On the other hand, her face would be recognized by all as the wife of the Torex gang¡¯s heir.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t a secret that behind the legitimate scene of the Torex conglomerate lies thergest mafia syndicate.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 351: Expect the Unexpected

    Hayden closed his eyes and sighed as he wondered for the countless time if this was the right thing to do. He didn¡¯t know but he was about to find out very soon.


    "Please be in your position, the bride will arrive soon as scheduled¡­" a staff member instructed.


    Hayden turned and nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement. By that time all the guests, which consisted mostly of gang managers and senior members, had already taken their seat in an orderly fashion. The boss was seated right in front, and he had the biggest smile on his face as he roared withughter at one of the member¡¯s jokes.


    Hayden turned towards the podium where an elderly priest stood stiffly. It was clear that the old man was scared out of his dear mind and couldn¡¯t wait to get this ordeal over and done with. Hayden chuckled as he thought that he felt the same way. The decoration in the church turned out much better than he had expected.


    The real thing matched the simtion photos almost exactly and he was sure that Malissa would like it.


    "The bride should be arriving in a few minutes¡­" the team member whispered from the side.


    The host began entertaining the guests through the microphone before announcing that the bride will now make her entrance. Everyone in the church stood up from their seat and turned in anticipation towards the church¡¯s doors where the bride was supposed to walk in. Hayden¡¯s eyes also rested there as he waited anxiously for his bride to walk in through the door.


    Slowly, the door opened, and silence took over the church as everyone held their breath in anticipation of the bride¡¯s arrival. The band started ying the ssical wedding march and people started pping and cheering in excitement. Unlike the other people in the church, Hayden started to have a strange feeling about what was going on.


    Loud cheers of joy quickly transformed into shocked murmurs and whispers when the door opened to reveal a man dressed in ck instead of the bride dressed in her white wedding dress.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously when he finally understood the unexinable knot he felt in the pit of his stomach.


    "Find her! All men, find Malissa now!" Hayden yelled loudly.


    He didn¡¯t need the man to tell him what was going on. He should have seen thising¡­


    ¡­


    **Sometime before**


    "We don¡¯t have that much time, so we better get started right away. Can you confirm the reference photos here for your make up and hair please?" the had stylist asked politely.


    After sitting down in my designated chair, my eyes went to the make up and hair references that Lucy had chosen. Not knowing much about this stuff, I had left it in Lucy¡¯s capable hands to rmend the look that would fit with the wedding dress that Hayden got tailored for me.


    Lucy went ahead to show me the photos that she had selected. I had to say that she had very sophisticated tastes. The make-up tone she chose was centered around pink and gold while the hair was a clean up do that looked very modern yet ssy at the same time.


    "It looks great. Let¡¯s go with this," I readily agreed.


    "Alright. We¡¯ll start working on your make-up and hair at the same time," the artist said.


    I closed my eyes and let them do what they had to do with me. Lucy stayed in the room to oversee the entire process and I had a feeling that Hayden was going through something very simr in his dressing room. I had a hard time holding in my giggles when I thought of Hayden having to go through all this.


    "This will take a few hours so please rx," the makeup artist said.


    The hairstylist began tying my hair to put it up while the makeup artist started on building upyers of foundation onto my face. Surprisingly, I found the process rxing and it helped me feel more at ease despite my initial nervousness. Everything seemed ready to go and I had Lucy and her team to thank for that.


    "You look absolute gorgeous!" Lucy eximed when my hair and makeup waspleted.


    I turned to look at myself in the mirror and I was shocked at how beautified I was. The most amazing thing was that I still looked like me but in a more glowing princess vibe. The hair and makeup choices were definitely spot on.


    "I think I¡¯ll add a bit of blush here to your cheeks so that it shows more when you get your photos taken. With all the sh and stuff, the color could appear a little faded in the photos," the artist suggested professionally.


    I just nodded in agreement because I didn¡¯t know any better, so I had to trust the professionals. After they were done, the artists left, and Lucy and her other two team members were in the room.


    "Next is putting on the dress. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll help you put everything on. Please rx for now, this is yourst chance to really rx before you have to carry the weight of your wedding dress on you," Lucy said with a bright smile.


    That made sense¡­


    I tried to take in deep breaths to calm myself. It¡¯s finally happening. I still couldn¡¯t quite believe it, but it was really happening¡­


    "Are you nervous?" Lucy asked knowingly.


    "A little¡­I guess¡­" I admitted shyly.


    "It¡¯spletely normal. Here, have some water first. You don¡¯t want to your voice to sound hoarse when you say ¡¯I do¡¯, right?" Lucy teased while she offered me a ss of water.


    "Thank you very much," I said politely as I took the ss from her.


    Maybe it was the excitement and nervousness that I was feeling but I felt extremely thirsty. The moment that the water reached my lips, I couldn¡¯t stop drinking and ended up drinking the entire ss while Lucy helped me rx by sharing some small talk of random topics to ease my mind. I listened to her while I drank the water.


    She really was a pro at her job, and I knew that everything that she was doing was for my benefit.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 352: The Search

    "Feeling better?" Lucy asked after a short while.


    "Yes¡­" I replied in a whisper.


    Contrary to my words, my head felt light and dizzy. I shook my head from side to side to try to clear the haze but that only made me feel extremely sleepy. My eyelids felt so heavy and then so did my body.


    "Malissa?" Lucy called my name softly.


    By that time, I couldn¡¯t reply to her anymore. My entire body felt weak and heavy. Thest thing I was Lucy¡¯s face before everything went ck right in front of me.


    "I¡¯m really sorry¡­"


    I heard her voice whisper close to me and then I didn¡¯t hear anything else.


    ¡­


    "Miss Malissa is gone. We can¡¯t find her anywhere¡­" the man mumbled.


    "She¡¯s gone?!" the boss thundered as he jumped out of his seat.


    A deep red color started creeping up onto the boss¡¯s face from his neck and everyone gulped at the boss¡¯s visible disy of extreme anger.


    "What do you mean ¡¯she¡¯s gone¡¯?! Find her! Find her and bring her back now!" the boss yelled as he pointed a finger at all of his men.


    Hayden watched as his father went into berserk mode. He was extremely worried about Malissa, and something told him that this wasn¡¯t just a simple disappearance. The men in ck scattered and left the church to search for Malissa.


    "Umm¡­what should I¡­" the old priest mumbled close to Hayden.


    "Go die¡­" Hayden muttered in reply without looking at the old man.


    The priest watch Hayden¡¯s back as he strode away before making his way out the back. Hayden headed for thest ce that Malissa should have been before she went missing. The door to the dressing room opened with a loud m before Hayden strode in. Not surprisingly, there wasn¡¯t a soul in the room. Hayden¡¯s eyes quickly scanned the room before he sighed.


    There weren¡¯t any signs of struggle. Everything in the room was orderly. Malissa¡¯s wedding dress was still hanging there untouched. He opened the jewelry box on the dressing table and found all the diamond jewelry that he had purchased for her in there.


    "Fuck¡­" he swore as he felt a throbbing pain in his temples.


    Since whoever took Malissa left these here, they are likely not out to get money, or they are simply out to get a lot more¡­


    Hayden ran towards the parking lot and was entering his car when he heard a loud familiar voice calling out to him from behind.


    "Where are you going?!" Luka yelled loudly.


    "To find Malissa¡­" he replied like it was supposed to be obvious.


    What else was he supposed to do right now?


    "I¡¯ming with you," Luka said as he got into the passenger seat.


    Hayden didn¡¯t want anyone toe with him, but he knew that arguing with Luka was just going to be a waste of time and he didn¡¯t have any time to waste. Hayden started the car and began driving immediately.


    "Do you even know where you¡¯re going?" Luka asked.


    Hayden was driving fast with his eyes on the road. Luka started to have a very bad feeling about this.


    "Calm down. You¡¯re going to get us both killed in a car crash before we find her," Luka said, and he wasn¡¯t joking.


    "I¡¯m calm," Hayden replied coldly.


    Luka nced over at Hayden white knuckles as he gripped the steering wheel before he shook his head and reached for his seat belt.


    Suddenly, the speakers in the car connected a call and the voice of one of the senior managers of the gang answered.


    "It¡¯s me," Hayden said coldly.


    "Yes, Sir¡­" the older man replied.


    There were chaotic noises in the background that told both Hayden and Luka that the man was still in the church and also the state that things were back at the church.


    "Look into a woman name Lucy for me. She was heading the organizing team for the wedding. I haven¡¯t seen her, and I doubt that she¡¯s still around. Either she got taken along with Malissa or¡­" Hayden said without needing to finish his sentence.


    "Right away, Sir," the man replied, and the line clicked dead.


    "The organizer team? An insider job¡­shit show. Complete shit show. The boss is going to kill loads of people this time around," Luka said as he stared out the window.


    One thing that Hayden quickly realized when Malissa went missing was that Lucy also disappeared and some people in her team along with her. The odds were likely that they were involved rather than victims. No kidnapper would bother to take along three additional people as extra baggage.


    And the one behind all of this was probably none other than¡­


    "Where are we headed? We¡¯re not heading where I think we are heading, right?" Luka asked suspiciously.


    As the car rounded a corner onto another road, Luka felt a sinking feeling in stomach while he prayed that he had it all wrong when he knew very well that he was right.


    "Silva¡­" Hayden growled.


    ¡­


    Hayden took my hand in his and entwined our fingers together. His touch was so warm and gentle as his hand held mine. We stood side by side in front of the same old priest who was supposed to assist us with our vows on that chaotic day in the past. I couldn¡¯t stop smiling because I felt so happy although I was also nervous and extremely excited.


    The priest said something that I couldn¡¯t hear before Hayden turned towards me. He smiled and I thought that he looked just like an angel. His beautiful lips opened, and his blue eyes smiled at me but I couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name, but no sound came out of my mouth.


    Hayden looked confused while I started to panic. Suddenly, I started feeling very cold¡­


    "Hayden!"


    I woke up screaming his name. Disorientated and my mind hazy from sleep, I had no idea what was going on and where I was when I woke up. My body felt like it had run a marathon. My muscles ached when I moved, and my body felt very heavy. I winced in slight pain as I tried to move my hands only to find that I couldn¡¯t move them.


    What is going on?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 353: Where is She?

    I nced down to see my hands bounded by grey tape. More confused than shocked, I cocked my head to the side. Is this really happening to me or am I just dreaming?


    It didn¡¯t take me long to realize that the same tape that bound my hands together also bound my feet together. In my shock, my first reaction was to scream and struggle against my restraint. It hurts every time I try to separate my hands and feet. In the end, I couldn¡¯t free myself and I felt stupid for thinking that it would be an easy feat to achieve.


    Where am I? Where is Hayden?


    I had no idea where I was and looking around only confirmed my initial thought. Where is this ce?


    The ce was extremelyrge and resembled a warehouse of some kind although there wasn¡¯t a lot of boxes stored there. The warehouse had a high ceiling and was pretty much empty. Whoever brought me here had dumped me right at the center of the warehouse. It was cold.


    I didn¡¯t have a lot of clothes on. More precisely I only have a white robe on on top of my underwear. How did I get here?


    Howe I don¡¯t really remember anything? Thest thing that I remembered was when I was with Lucy in the changing room. Then she offered me a ss of water¡­


    Then I didn¡¯t remember anything else, and I somehow ended up here. I thought about it for a while before I realized that it didn¡¯t matter how I ended up here.


    Reality was harsh when it began to sink in. I¡¯m supposed to be getting married to Hayden right now and if I¡¯m here then that means that the wedding didn¡¯t take ce. How long has it been since then? Has Hayden realized that I¡¯m missing?


    Hayden¡¯s probably super angry and worried sick right now if he knew that I¡¯ve gone missing. I need to get out of here no matter what and find Hayden. How do I get out of here?


    My eyes scanned the walls as I tried to find the door to this massive warehouse. To my surprise, for such arge ce, there was only pair of doors. The door was no where near to where I was causing me to curse from my frustration. How am I supposed to drag my ass over there with my feet and hands tied together like this.


    ¡­


    "Going in there is like walking straight to your death!" Luka yelled loudly as he tried to pull on Hayden¡¯s arm the moment that they both got out of the car.


    Luka cursed fluently as he tried to restrain Hayden. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t suspect the Silva gang of this foul y but that doesn¡¯t mean that he can just let Hayden waltz in there alone and pretty much unarmed.


    "Let go, old man¡­" Hayden said coldly.


    "We can¡¯t be here!" Luka yelled loudly.


    "This is just their publicpany building simr to the one for Torex. They won¡¯t just shoot and kill us here," Hayden replied without a care in the world.


    "You don¡¯t know that. You¡¯re not even making sense. I¡¯m not letting you go in there," Luka stated firmly.


    "I don¡¯t want to use force against you," Hayden said coldly as he pulled his arm roughly away from Luka¡¯s hold.


    "Hayden! You don¡¯t even know if Ethan really took her," Luka tried to reason as he struggled to keep up with Hayden.


    It was true that the chances are high and even Luka knew that too. However, one look at Hayden¡¯s face told him that nothing mattered anymore. If there was even the slimmest chance that she was here or if she was taken by Silva, Hayden would go in there to get it out of Ethan.


    "We¡¯re going to get killed if we step in there¡­" Luka hissed.


    "You don¡¯t have to go in. You can call for back up and wait here," Hayden replied calmly.


    "And what? Let you die all alone and lonely?" Luka asked with a dryugh.


    Although this was Silva¡¯s headquarters, just like that of Torex¡¯s, it was nothing more than arge and tall office building in the heart of the business district. It was peaceful and quiet inside the office building because it wasn¡¯t a working day.


    "And how are we supposed to get up there? What if he¡¯s not even here?" Luka asked as he looked around suspiciously.


    "He¡¯s here¡­" Hayden said with certainty as he took out his phone.


    ¡­


    "Boss, your phone is vibrating¡­" one of Ethan¡¯s men politely pointed out.


    "Huh?" Ethan saidzily as he nced over to his phone.


    He quickly found out that his phone was indeed vibrating but what surprised him the most was the person who was calling. Apparently, hell must have frozen over for Hayden Torex to be the one to give him a call first.


    "Hello?" Ethan said in a yful tone.


    "I¡¯m here," Hayden stated curtly through the phone.


    Something in Hayden¡¯s tone of voice nagged at Ethan¡¯s mind but he wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was.


    "Someone will fetch you¡­" Ethan stated before hanging up.


    With a wave of his hand, a few of his men left the room. No words were required for them to know what Ethan wanted them to do.


    Ethan turned around in his chair as his eyes admired the silver fox with green eyes on the wall. The next head of Torex will soon be in this room. His lips curved into a smirk at the irony of it all. He couldn¡¯t remember thest time when Hayden was here. It was too long ago¡­too long¡­


    Ethan could hear loud sounds ofmotion outside of his room before the door to the room flew open with a loud bang and Hayden strode in.


    "I tried to stop him," one of Ethan¡¯s men quickly said as he followed Hayden into the room.


    "Step aside," Ethan said with a wave of his hand and his men quickly obeyed.


    "Where is she?!" Hayden yelled as he confronted Ethan.


    Ethan blinked rapidly in surprise as he cocked his head innocently to the side.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 354: History Repeated Itself

    Luka quickly stepped in to restrain Hayden immediately while one of Ethan¡¯s men stepped in between Hayden and his boss before anything physically abusing could happened between the two men. Ethan continued blinking a few more times as he stared at Hayden¡¯s distressed and angry face.


    "Where is who?" Ethan asked with a confused expression on his face.


    "Don¡¯t pretend that you know nothing about this, Ethan. Where¡­is¡­she?" Hayden asked in a low growl as he red sharply at Ethan.


    "This ce isn¡¯t a lost and found. Consider your position carefully, Hayden Torex. Go back home to your daddy and I will not take offense this time," Ethan spat.


    "Ethan¡­" Hayden growled as he red at Ethan.


    "What?" Ethan asked as his eyes narrowed.


    There was a suffocating silence as the two men stared in each other eyes as if they thought that they could find whatever answers to their questions there.


    "Malissa¡­is missing¡­" Hayden confessed softly after breaking their eye contact.


    Ethan¡¯sposed face morphed into an expression of shock and disbelief at the same time.


    "What did you just say?" Ethan whispered in shock.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes narrowed. It didn¡¯t seem like Ethan was acting. It¡¯s not possible¡­


    "Malissa is missing. She disappeared and I don¡¯t know where she is¡­" Hayden repeated.


    "You mean¡­you lost her?" Ethan said as he approached Hayden.


    His green eyes locked with icy blue ones as he stared at his old friend inplete disbelief.


    "How the fuck did you lose her?! Where is she?! Where is Malissa?! Where is she?!" Ethan screamed directly in Hayden¡¯s face as his hands grabbed the front of Hayden¡¯s suit.


    The two men stared at each other in shock when they were both faced with the unexpected. Unless Ethan was delivering an award-winning performance, it didn¡¯t seem like he had any clue that Malissa had gone missing. On the other hand, Ethan couldn¡¯t believe that Hayden managed to let Malissa disappear.


    "You didn¡¯t take her?" Hayden asked as if he couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe it.


    Ethan pushed Hayden away in his anger before he continued to scream at his friend.


    "You think I took her? Me? Are you crazy? You LOST her. How can you manage to lose her?! She¡¯s just a girl!" Ethan screamed even louder than before as his green eyes became bloodshot from his immense anger.


    "If it isn¡¯t you then who else could it be?!" Hayden yelled back.


    "You crazy¡­" Ethan hissed through clenched teeth.


    Before anyone could stop him, Ethan drew his fist back and punched Hayden squarely in the face. Luka and Ethan¡¯s men looked on in shock and confusion at the sudden use of violence.


    "Young men these days¡­" Luka muttered as he shook his head.


    "Find her. Everyone! Find her! Find Malissa Maxford now! Gather all list of gangs with potential conflict with Torex and Silva. Look into all gangs that are struggling financially.


    This can be another kidnapping for ransom. Go! Now!" Ethan yelled loudly as he pointed his finger at his men.


    "Yes, Sir," the men said before heading out of the room.


    "You! Get a grip on yourself and help find her¡­" Ethan said after turning to face Hayden.


    "Ransom¡­it can¡¯t be¡­" Hayden whispered in shock.


    "Calm down, both of you¡­" Luka said as stepped in between the two men and ced his hand on Hayden¡¯s shoulder.


    "I know that you don¡¯t want to think of this scenario, but I think it¡¯s the most likely scenario, if you ask me. Many small and medium-sized gangs are struggling financially and most of them were driven out of business by Torex¡­" Ethan said after having calmed down somewhat.


    Hayden stood in the middle of the room with his fists balled tightly to his side. If Ethan had nothing to do with this and this turned out to be ransom, then history had decided to repeat itself.


    "We were supposed to get married today¡­" he muttered as if talking to himself.


    "Well, you can¡¯t get married without your bride, so I suggest we quickly find her and bring her back," Ethan said before pulling up his phone to give further instructions to his men.


    ¡­


    After what felt like a few years of climbing up a steep mountain without the use of my arms, I finally made it to the door. Whoever captured me didn¡¯t think that I could save myself and hadn¡¯t even bothered to tie me up to a pir. The good part was that I could somewhat move around but my bound hands and feet made that extremely difficult.


    "Hello! Is anyone out there?! Help me please!" I screamed loudly to whoever was outside.


    I wasn¡¯t a fool, and I wasn¡¯t unreasonably optimistic, so I didn¡¯t expect any help to arrive simply because I screamed to ask for it. However, I wanted to know if there were people outside guarding me. Would they respond?


    The silence that replied to me was scary. Was there really no one on the other side of the door?


    "Hello! Can you hear me? Is someone out there? Why am I tied up in here?!" I yelled even louder as I started beating on the door with my clenched hands.


    After a while of screaming and listening to my own voice echoing throughout the warehouse, I decided topletely give up. This is probably one of the scenarios that Hayden desperately wanted to avoid when he decided to lock me up in his mansion. Despite my bold actions, I was scared out of my little mind on the inside.


    The tape that bound my hands and legs together was no joke and the person who bound me wasn¡¯t Hayden either.


    I sunk down onto the floor as I leaned my back against the wall next to the door while I wondered about what would happen to me. Hayden wille and save me, right?


    Hayden and I were going to get married today so why did this have to happen of all days?! This is just so unfair. I worked so hard for this day and just when I¡¯m about to walk down the aisle and marry the love of my life, I get drugged and kidnap by my wedding organizer.


    Like, seriously? These things really do happen¡­I guess¡­


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 355: Temporary Truce

    Who captured me and why? They¡¯re not going to hurt me¡­are they?


    Suddenly, I started worrying less and less about the wedding and I started worrying more about the short-term future of my life and my safety. To my surprise, I found that I was less panicked than I thought that I would be. I couldn¡¯t hear anything or anyone and that made me feel like I must really be all alone in the warehouse.


    If I wait here patiently enough, Hayden wille and save me. That was what I told myself over and over again as I rubbed my hands together to keep them warm. Rubbing my hands together seemed to be the only way to slowly loosen the tape around my wrist as well. It¡¯s so cold in here and it was making me feel very sleepy and tired. I need to conserve my energy or I¡¯m going to pass out.


    Closing my eyes, I continued to rub my hands and wrist together while I tried my best to stay calm. To keep myself from going crazy, I tried to think of Hayden. I was sure that he was looking for me right now and soon he would find me. If I just trusted him, I knew that I could make it through. If what Hayden told me before was true, then this wasn¡¯t the first time that this is happening to me.


    When I was younger, someone had kidnapped me just like this. Of course, I didn¡¯t remember a single thing about it because I was too young.


    My eyes snapped opened and I looked around the empty warehouse in panic. Hopefully, the kidnapping from back then had nothing to do with what is happening now. Seriously, Malissa, how unlucky do you need to be to be kidnapped twice in your lifetime. A thought struck me, and I ended up giggling like a mad person. Thankfully, whoever decided to tie me up didn¡¯t gag me.


    Hayden was probably right, if I married him, I might have to go through a lot of eventful events like this. Might as well get used to this, Malissa. This isn¡¯t the first time, and it may not be thest time for you.


    If this was a repeat of what had happened to me before then it was probably ransom. Hopefully that meant that they wouldn¡¯t hurt me and after they get their money from Hayden, they would return me and be on their way. Money does solve many problems, fortunately.


    I had no idea what time it was or how long I had been sitting there with my back against the wall. Why does it feel like it¡¯s getting colder in here. I feel so sleepy, my eyes won¡¯t stay open anymore¡­


    Hayden¡­pleasee soon¡­


    ¡­


    "We¡¯ve just received demands from the kidnappers," one of the men in ck stated.


    "Give it here!" the boss snapped as he reached for the letter.


    The atmosphere in the room was tensed and the boss¡¯s face was red with anger and frustration. The boss looked around the room before his eyes focused on his son and Ethan, the boss of Silva. He still didn¡¯t understand why Ethan had to get involved but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with another conflict between the gangs right now.


    "This girl is fucking expensive¡­" the boss growled before he beganughing loudly.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were on the paper that the boss held as they wondered what the demands were while the boss continuedughing without bothering to share the news to anyone else.


    "Boss¡­" Hayden called his father to remind him of the gravity of the situation.


    "First, I paid 500 Million to get her back and now they¡¯re asking for another 500 Million. Thank God those bastards are too stupid to bake in the effects of intions over the years," the boss spat followed by another round ofughter.


    "Show me," Hayden demanded as he grabbed the letter from the boss.


    Ethan was beside Hayden as both men quickly read through the letter stating the demands for Malissa¡¯s release. It was just as the boss had said, they demanded 500 million dors for her release.


    "Just likest time¡­" Hayden muttered while Ethan nodded.


    "Jack¡­why the hell is your daughter so expensive?" The boss asked as he stared up at the ceiling as if conversing with someone up in heaven.


    "I¡¯ll pay for her release," Ethan spoke up without hesitation.


    "I won¡¯t let you do that!" Hayden objected loudly.


    "I don¡¯t want Silva to be indebted to Torex about this anymore," Ethan exined simply.


    "Malissa is not a Silva!" Hayden yelled loudly.


    "Silence!" the boss shouted at the two younger men.


    "I¡¯ll get the money ready. You two get the men ready. I don¡¯t want any of them left breathing after we get Malissa back," the boss said decisively.


    "Yes, Sir," all men in the room replied at the same time.


    "This offense will never be repeated ever again. I¡¯m going to kill all of them. I shouldn¡¯t have let them go. I shouldn¡¯t have listened to Jack. He was always too kind¡­" the boss muttered regretfully.


    After figuring out that Lucy and some members of the wedding organization staff were involved, it didn¡¯t take long for Hayden and Ethan to trace her connection back to a mafia gang that was struggling financially. Ironically, the gang was closely rted to the culprit from the past which made it easier to narrow down their suspects.


    With everyone looking forward to the festivities of the celebration, the guards admitted to being too loose when dealing with internal staff members and did not suspect the staff team entering in and leaving the venue. Prior and during the entire event, many vehicles that belonged to the organization team came and left to transport decorations, people, and other tools in and out of the venue.


    After a few days of getting used to the staff team¡¯s transportation, the guard did not feel that it was suspicious.


    "Ethan¡­Malissa is just Malissa. She¡¯s neither a Silva nor a Torex¡­" the boss said followed by a small smile.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 356: Life of a Captive

    Slowly, the old man stood up from his seat and approached Ethan. He reached a hand and ced it firmly on Ethan¡¯s shoulder before leaning in to speak closer to Ethan.


    "The price of her freedom might be expensive but I¡¯m willing to pay it. Twice. From now on, let her choose what and who she wants to be¡­" the old man whispered before he nodded his head firmly.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes stared deeply into the Boss¡¯s eyes, and he was forced to understand why this old man here was Jack¡¯s best friend.


    ¡­


    The growling sound of my stomach told me that a lot of time had passed since Ist ate. It must have been around a day now since I¡¯ve been thrown in here. It was cold, I was sleepy, and I was feeling very hungry. Am I going to die from starvation? My throat felt dry, and I was starting to feel dizzy. Maybe, I¡¯m going to die from dehydration first.


    Suddenly, there was a sound of metal rubbing or hitting against metal and I quickly realized that it came from right outside the door. Someone is here!


    "Help please!" I screamed but my voice came out as a broken croak.


    My throat was so dry that it hurts, and I couldn¡¯t speak properly. I quickly scooted my body towards the door and began banging my fists against the door. It wasn¡¯t long before the door slowly opened. The group of men that walked in wasn¡¯t the help that I was eagerly waiting for but at least one of them was carrying a tray of food and water.


    "Still alive and well?" one of the men asked although it sounded like he couldn¡¯t care less how I was.


    Well, it might be bad for them if I died. I mean, how much would Hayden pay to have my corpse back just so he could host a funeral for me?


    Although I could still think, my body already felt quite weak, and I couldn¡¯t speak too loudly. I decided not to reply to them.


    "Just give her the food and let¡¯s leave. I don¡¯t want to get into trouble with the boss¡­" another man said with concern in his voice.


    "Yeah, you¡¯re right about that¡­" the man with the food tray approached me.


    My body froze in fear as I tried to back away. The man looked at me with emotionless and empty eyes before he bent down and ced the tray of food on the floor right in front of me.


    "That¡¯s it. Let¡¯s go¡­" the man turned to say to his fellow men.


    Wait! How am I supposed to eat with my hands tied?


    "Wait¡­" I managed to whisper.


    The man turned around, thankfully he heard me.


    "My¡­hands¡­" I managed to croak out.


    "Oh¡­we¡¯re not allowed to untie you so¡­just do your best, My Lady¡­" the man said before smiling a tight smile at me.


    He can¡¯t be serious¡­


    I was too weak to beg or plead for any of their mercy and there was no guarantee that I would receive any from them either. I still had many questions on my mind that I wanted to ask them, but I doubt that I would get any answers. It would probably be better for me to save my energy.


    The men were out of the warehouse just as suddenly as they had walked in and soon the door closed behind them and locked. I looked down at the poor excuse for food in front of me and decided to start by drinking first. This is going to be the first time that I eat without using my hands.


    If dogs can do this, then I guess I can as well.


    ¡­


    "Hello! I need to pee!" I yelled as loud as I could as I banged on the door with my hands.


    Someone has to be outside or I¡¯m going to pee right here. This is disaster, is there a toilet in here. They¡¯re not supposed to torture the hostage, right?


    Suddenly, the door opened and the same man who had given me food slowly walked in. His face was emotionless, but I decided to offer him a shy smile.


    "Hi¡­Umm¡­can I go to the toilet, please?" I asked.


    The man sighed before he approached me and yanked me to my feet. His grip on my upper arm was tight and it did hurt. I wasn¡¯t in a position tounch anyints, though. At least, he was willing to escort me to the toilet. Great.


    ¡­


    Time passed by and help had not yet arrived. I wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed and because I couldn¡¯t see the world outside, I hadpletely lost sense of time. The lights in the warehouse were always on so I had no idea if it was day or night. It remained cold without any change and that made me feel sleepy most of the time. It took all of my effort just to keep my optimism intact.


    I had to believe that help wasing, and I had to believe that it wasing soon. The more time passed by with no signs of progress, the more impatient I became.


    Hayden, where are you?


    I slept on and off in short naps. Not knowing the time truly messed up my sleeping cycle. I probably spent most of the time drifting in and out of sleep. My eyelids felt heavy, and my mind felt like it was in a haze most of the time.


    My eyes snapped opened and I instinctively moved away from the door when the door started opening with a loud sound. Arger group of men strode in the warehouse, and I could sense that something major was about to happen. Is help arriving soon?


    I opened my mouth because I wanted to ask them what was going on but when I saw how heavily the men were armed, my mouth automatically mped shut. The men resembled a mini army that were armed and ready to fight. I could see some men with really big guns so all of them were probably armed in some way. Suddenly, the situation that I was in started to feel too real for me to take.


    I took in a deep breath and held it as I started feeling nauseous from fear and stress.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 357: Before the Storm

    For a moment, I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to be rescued anymore. If whoever came to rescue me had to go through them, then¡­


    "Grab the girl," the man who appeared to be the leader of the group instructed curtly.


    "Come here, girl," one of the men approached me.


    I yelped at the slight pain as his fingers dug into my arm before he basically yanked me up to my feet. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to maintain my bnce with my ankles bound together and I almost fell over. The man didn¡¯t seem to care much for my welfare as he pulled on my arms and began dragging me to where the other men were gathered in the center of the warehouse.


    A few steps from where we started, the man realized that I couldn¡¯t walk in the state that I was in and decided to half carry and half drag me instead. I whimpered as my feet were dragged roughly across the floor until we reached out destination.


    "Sit and stay still," the man said as he shoved me down onto a wooden chair.


    "Tie her to the chair, quick. It¡¯s almost time," their leadermanded.


    Another man approached me, and I flinched when I saw the thick rope in his hands. The sudden development in the situation had truly started to frighten me. I stared in shock while my body trembled from fear as the man began looping the thick rope around my waist. He tied arge knot behind the chair and just like that, I was tied to the chair. I quickly found out that I could hardly move at all.


    My heart beat loudly in my chest as panic gripped me.


    After my initial shock had passed, I realized that the leader mentioned something about it being ¡¯almost time¡¯. Time for what? Is something supposed to happen?


    "What are you doing?" I protested as another man approached me.


    "No more speaking," he muttered.


    My eyes widened and I cried out. After trying to struggle by turning my head to the side to no avail, the man seeded in taping my mouth shut. Speaking was no longer an option.


    "Don¡¯t worry missy. We¡¯ll be done with you as soon as we get our money," the leader said before he startedughing loudly.


    As if that was supposed to bring me any sense offort.


    It¡¯s ¡¯almost time¡¯


    I see, Hayden is going toe save me soon, right?


    ¡­


    "Are you sure about this? I thought you always say that your back hurts¡­" Hayden asked as he shot Luka a teasing look.


    "Shut up. I feelpletely fine right now," Luka replied but his hand did go to his back.


    "Let¡¯s go," Ethan muttered before walking ahead.


    Three teams of men followed their respective leader. All teams had received thorough briefing on the mission and what is expected of them. Despite the mission being a simple one of interchanging ransom money for a hostage, the importance and sensitivity of the situation had made calling for aprehensive meeting necessary.


    "Listen up all of you. This mission has various priorities which are to be taken care of in this order. First priority, secure Malissa as soon as possible and ensure that she is safe. Second, ensure Malissa¡¯s and Hayden¡¯s safe evacuation out of the site. Third, kill them all! Don¡¯t let even a single soul escape.


    I want them all dead. Shoot them, stab them, bomb them! Then, you will all check that none of them are still breathing at the end of the mission. I will not tolerate anyone escaping out of this alive!" the boss exined the mission before ending with his harsh and loud screaming.


    "We will also help out on this," Ethan stated without backing down.


    "I will not ensure your safety, Silva," the boss said before shooting Ethan a re.


    "We will take care of our own¡­and of Malissa," Ethan replied decisively.


    "Do whatever you want," the boss said.


    "I¡¯ll take over the briefing now. Listen closely¡­" Hayden announced loudly so that everyone could hear.


    When he made sure that he had everyone¡¯s attention, Hayden began the real briefing of the mission while conscious that time was quickly running out. The appointment time was fast approaching and getting the men ready and armed was the priority. After having a short conversation with Ethan to strategize, the two had figured out a n thatprises of using three separate teams of men.


    Initially, Hayden did not want to get any help from Ethan, but he had to admit that having Ethan and his men¡¯s help would help the operation run more smoothly. Ethan¡¯s ns were also as calcting and detailed as ever.


    "We will separate into three teams. I¡¯m guessing your old man won¡¯t join in the fun, but I know that Luka can¡¯t let some fun pass him by. You, me, and Luka will each lead a team. Your team will go in first for the negotiation and to trade the ransom money for Malissa. The key here is to do whatever it takes to secure Malissa, I¡¯m sure that you understand that.


    The n won¡¯t proceed forward until she is safe by your side. I doubt that those men will do anything rash, but you never know. After they get their money and you get Malissa, we proceed to phase two. My team and I will surround the warehouse before entering and attacking," Ethan exined before he paused to see if Hayden was still following.


    After a nod of Hayden¡¯s head, Ethan decided to proceed with his exnation of the n.


    "Somehow during that, you need to get Malissa out. I doubt that those men will be willing to let Malissa go freely even after they get the money anyways. Violence will break out for sure. My men and I will kill as many of them and as fast as possible. You and your men just focus on guarding and getting Malissa out to safety.


    Once you two are out, Luka and his team wille in and basically ughter everyone as per the boss¡¯s orders," Ethan concluded with a confident smile.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 358: His First Priority

    "Seems simple enough¡­" Hayden mumbled.


    Of course, he was worried about Malissa¡¯s safety and nothing else. It would be enough for him if she would just make it out unharmed.


    "Just do as I say, Doc. You¡¯re a doctor and I¡¯m the real gangster here. You just make sure that Malissa is safe, ok?" Ethan said after summarizing his ns.


    "I will not thank you for this," Hayden snapped.


    "I¡¯m not doing this for you," Ethan said without a care.


    ¡­


    Now that the appointment time was almost upon them, the three men exchanged a few words of alignment before preparing their teams to perform their duties as nned.


    "Don¡¯t die in there," Luka reminded Hayden sternly.


    "I¡¯ll get Malissa out," Hayden replied with certainty.


    "I know that. I¡¯m reminding you to get yourself out too," Luka reminded Hayden again.


    Hayden just nodded his head a little, clearly his mind was focused on anything but his own safety. A frown formed on Luka¡¯s brows before the older man reached out his hand and pulled on Hayden¡¯s arm.


    "Listen, it won¡¯t make the little missy very happy if she makes it out, but you are harmed. You will do well to remember that you are not alone anymore," Luka warned as he stared into Hayden¡¯s light blue eyes.


    "Taking rtionship advice from a single man is just¡­" Hayden teased with a dryugh.


    "Hayden¡­" Luka muttered scornfully.


    "I hear you. If something happens, the boss will want to save me first but you know what I want you to do, right?" Hayden asked as he turned to face Luka straight on.


    Luka couldn¡¯t meet Hayden¡¯s gaze. He knew that Hayden wanted to save Malissa first no matter the cost.


    "Hayden¡­you¡¯re the only one left¡­" Luka replied with desperation in his voice.


    "Promise me that you will get her out. No matter what happens. Even if no one helps you, promise me that you will personally get her out," Hayden pressed without backing down.


    "Fuck¡­I promise¡­but you better make sure that it doesn¡¯te down to that. She¡¯s your girl, you save her yourself!" Luka was forced to agree.


    "Thanks. Well, if I die you can take over¡­that would be perfect¡­" Hayden replied with a grin.


    "Don¡¯t joke around with me about that! Hayden!" Luka called loudly after Hayden.


    Hayden did not turn back. The three men separated to deal with their own men. The preliminary negotiation was going to be essential to securing Malissa¡¯s safety and Hayden wanted to focus on preparing for that.


    ¡­


    Although the men mentioned something about the time approaching soon, it felt like forever had gone by while I was sitting anxiously on the chair. Having the tape over my mouth scared me more than anything. I couldn¡¯t speak and the muffled sounds that I could make were iprehensible.


    After a while of making protesting sounds that no one including myself could understand, I decided to remain silent.


    I turned my neck to look all around as my eyes darted to random ces all around the very empty warehouse. The atmosphere was tense, and I could feel the tension in all the men that stood all around me. I closed my eyes and wished so hard that this was just a bad dream but the pain of the tape around my wrist and ankles told me that it was reality.


    The men werepletely silent and all I could hear was the loud beating of my own heart in my chest and the distant sound of a ticking clock.


    "They¡¯re here¡­" a man reported in a whisper.


    Who¡¯s here?


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    My neck snapped in the direction that the men¡¯s leader was standing next to the messenger who had just delivered the news. The two men were talking in low voices now and I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying from where I was seated; however, I knew that whoever they were expecting had already arrived.


    Hayden¡­


    Slowly, the door began sliding open and the tension in the warehouse skyrocketed. I couldn¡¯t make a sound and I couldn¡¯t breathe as I kept my eyes glued to the opening door. The men all around reacted swiftly by pulling out their guns. Arge man approached me and spun my chair around with ease before he stood close to me to guard me. My face felt numb from fear and my body wouldn¡¯t stop trembling.


    Whatever was about to happen is about to happen¡­


    When the door fully opened, around ten men dressed in ck entered the room. A short momentter, a tall man dressed in a white suit entered and my breath caught in my throat.


    Hayden! He¡¯s here.


    I wanted to scream but I couldn¡¯t. I felt tears sting the back of my eyes and realized that I was about to cry. Relief flooded by body just at the sight of him. I hadn¡¯t truly realized how terrified and hopeless I had been feeling until I saw him. If this wasn¡¯t the feeling, that people referred to as salvation then it had to be something very close.


    My eyes widened when I realized immediately that Hayden was also in danger. Why didn¡¯t he bring more men?


    "Wow. I have to say that I never thought that the next Torex boss would turn up himself," the leader said with a smallugh.


    "You did request for me. Here¡¯s the money that you asked for," Hayden replied tly.


    They requested for Hayden to bring the ransom money?


    Hayden¡¯s blue eyes shifted towards me, and for brief moment our eyes met. His eyes were as cold and as emotionless as ever but just feeling them on me gave me so much courage. Hayden, I am so sorry. Once again, I¡¯ve brought him so much trouble.


    "Men¡­" the leader said before gesturing with a nod of his head for his men to approach.


    Two men slowly approached Hayden and his men to fetch the suitcase filled with cash. I was shocked at seeing that much money in cash. How are they supposed to go out with that?


    "Hold on. The girl, first¡­" Hayden said sternly as he put up his hand to halt the approaching men.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 359: Rescue

    "The money first," the leader countered.


    "Fine. But you untie her from the chair, and I get to check that she¡¯s unharmed first," Hayden negotiated.


    "Fine. But just you, and you can untie her yourself. None of you move¡­" the leader agreed but with a lot of caution.


    As if he already knew what was expected, Hayden slowly lifted his hands up above his head. The leader nodded and two men approached Hayden and began patting him down probably to check for hidden weapons. What is he thinking?


    I¡¯m fine, although I couldn¡¯t tell him that. Sure, it was a struggle being tied up and left alone in the warehouse, but my life wasn¡¯t in danger and none of my injuries were anything serious. I thought all of that, but I had no way tomunicate any of that to Hayden. He must be so worried about me. I blinked my eyes rapidly to keep my tears at bay.


    This isn¡¯t the time for you to start crying like a mad woman, Malissa!


    Hayden¡¯s eyes met mine and to my utmost surprised he smiled at me as the men continued patting him down. Although I knew that he was probably smiling to reassure me that everything was fine, his smile ended up making me feel more guilty for dragging him into this mess. Why wasn¡¯t I more cautious and careful?


    If I hadn¡¯t drank that ss of water, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up here in this extremely dangerous situation.


    The men were done and with his hands still held up, Hayden took slow yet steady steps towards me. I could feel all eyes on Hayden along with my own. It was just a short distance, but it felt like forever before Hayden was anywhere near my side.


    ¡­


    "Alright boys, your boss has just made a very stupid move. Be prepared for that scenario that I mentioned¡­" Ethan hissed through the microphone as his eyes stayed glued on the footage of what was happening inside the warehouse.


    After muting the microphone, Ethan proceeded to swear long and fast under his breath. His green eyes narrowed dangerously at the monitor as he wondered what on earth Hayden was doing walking straight into the enemy¡¯s territory alone and unarmed.


    With how things were, without anyone to protect him, Hayden can¡¯t get Malissa out alone and if things headed for the worst, they could capture him in exchange for Malissa.


    Now, Hayden¡¯s and Malissa¡¯s life was worth only 500 million dors. A price that wasn¡¯t too expensive to sacrifice if enough personal grudges were involved.


    Either that or if Hayden is too worried about Malissa¡¯s safety, then¡­


    "Negotiations are likely to break down. Be on standby for some action¡­on my signal¡­" Ethan spoke calmly through the small microphone attached to the cor of his shirt.


    This is going to be wild shit show, Ethan thought before he closed his eyes and breathed a depressed sigh.


    ¡­


    Hayden¡­


    I screamed his name in my mind. The only sounds that I could make here unintelligible muffled cries against the tape on my mouth.


    Hayden approached me with a little smile on his lips. His blue eyes as clear as the sky as he smiled down at me. If I wasn¡¯t tied to the chair, I would have thought that I was simply waiting for him on a bench in the garden of the mansion. He woulde to see me after he had finished with his work, and we would go for a little stroll in the garden together with Little Hayden yapping at his heels.


    Time seemed to have stopped and he was all that I could see. It just all seemed so unreal. Everything from the fact that I had been kidnapped to the fact that he was right here in front of me to save me. One look into his face told me that everything was somehow going to be fine. He seemed that confident and so I had to trust him.


    "Sorry that I¡¯mte. Hopefully you didn¡¯t wait for too long¡­" Hayden said as he crouched down until his face was at my level.


    He smiled brightly as his blue eyes held mine. How can be so at ease in a situation like this?


    Hayden still held his hand up to show that he didn¡¯t intend to do anything funny. He was still very cautious and aware of the precarious situation that we were in.


    "I¡¯m going to untie her from the chair¡­" Hayden stated clearly.


    Hayden was behind the chair and slowly he bent down and I felt the rope around my waist being tugged and pulled as he worked to untie the knot. The tall man standing next to my chair immediately pointed his gun at Hayden and I flinched before looking away.


    "Are you, ok? They didn¡¯t hurt you, did they?" Hayden spoke to me softly and calmly.


    His voice was so soothing, and it reminded me of that time when we were at the amusement park, and he was trying tofort the girl that he was helping. I had no idea how Hayden could act so calm with a gun pointed to his head like that. Whatever it was that he was doing, it seemed to work. All I could do was focus on him and what he was saying. Before I knew it, my fear had subsided.


    Whatever he asked, I responded to by nodding my head. Slowly, the rope around my waist loosened before Hayden removed itpletely from me.


    When he was done, he slowly lifted his hand up again. Now that my body was freed, I turned to face him as I tried my best to speak to him. Hayden smiled down at me before heughed a little at the weird sounds that I was making. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like Hayden could remove the tape from my mouth or unbind my hands and feet.


    "We didn¡¯t do anything to her. We just tied her up. We fed her food and water. She also got to go to the toilet and all that. Are you all good now?" the leader asked with clear annoyance.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 360: Me Before Him

    "Yes, she seems fine. We will proceed with the exchange now," Hayden stated tly as he waved his hand slowly for his men to approach with the money.


    What happens now?


    "Can you stand?" Hayden asked softly.


    I didn¡¯t think that I could, so I shook my head at him helplessly. The truth was, even if I could stand up, I couldn¡¯t walk which made me a huge burden. My freedom was just on the other side where Hayden¡¯s men were, but it seemed so far away and impossible to reach with my feet taped together like this.


    "Move away from her, Torex," the leadermanded coldly.


    Suddenly, all guns were drawn and pointed in Hayden¡¯s direction. My head felt light, and I truly thought that I was going to faint just from the sight. This can¡¯t be happening. One sign of aggression only led automatically to another as all of Hayden¡¯s men drew their guns and pointed it at the enemies.


    I started praying and I didn¡¯t even know what exactly I was praying for. Please¡­don¡¯t shoot?


    "I propose a hostage exchange," Hayden spoke up calmly yet very clearly.


    Everyone seemed to freeze at his unexpected proposal, and I was among one of them. A hostage exchange? What does that even mean? Who is he going to exchange me for?


    My eyes widened when I realized that in this entire ce, there was probably only one more person who would be considered more valuable to this group of men than me. My rtionship with him was probably the only reason why they thought that I was of any value in the very first ce.


    It can¡¯t be. This can¡¯t be happening!


    I began struggling as I tried to stand up while making desperate protesting sound against the tape over my mouth. Hayden must have realized my panic before he turned to smile reassuringly at me. The smile wasn¡¯t enough to calm me down and I knew that nothing could ease my fears. This is just in crazy!


    "A hostage exchange?" the leader questioned with unfeigned surprise.


    "Correct. I propose that you take me instead of her as hostage. As you can see, I¡¯mpletely unarmed. All you have to do if you agree is escort her over there to my men and I¡¯ll let you tie me up as hostage. It¡¯s that simple," Hayden exined calmly.


    "And if we disagree?" the leader asked.


    Even I could tell that he was interested. Who wouldn¡¯t be interested in taking the next boss of Torex as a hostage?


    "Why would you disagree? Are you saying that woman is more valuable than I am?" Hayden asked as if the question was a dumb one.


    Hayden¡¯s offer made sense. In fact, the terms were too favorable for it to be true. He was right, why would they hesitate to take Hayden instead of me.


    "I hope you¡¯re not ying games with me Torex," the leader warned suspiciously.


    "There are no games. You can take me, and you can check your money over there. If all is well, we do the exchange. You get your money and I get to go home," Hayden exined casually.


    A nagging feeling at the back of my mind told me that it wasn¡¯t going to be as easy and simple like how Hayden had put it. Something told me that it wasn¡¯t going to be easy for Hayden to go home. Arge knot formed in the pit of my stomach along with a sickening feeling that I couldn¡¯t exin.


    It was like something terrifying yet unstoppable was about to happen and I would be forced to just sit by and watch.


    "Get up¡­" the tall man close to me urged as his hands pulled me to my feet by pulling on my arms.


    "Be gentle with her¡­please¡­" Hayden hissed before shaking his head in disapproval.


    "Sorry¡­" the tall man muttered an apology.


    I turned my head towards Hayden as I tried to plead to him with my eyes for him to change his mind. Can¡¯t he see that it¡¯s so dangerous? Why is he doing this!? Does he honestly think that these men will just let him walk free after they¡¯ve got their money?


    Hayden¡­please stop this!


    I cried out to him so loudly in my mind. Despite all my efforts, Hayden didn¡¯t seem to pay my worry any mind at all. When our eyes met, he only nodded once at me and smiled as if to tell me that this was definitely the right thing to do. He looked like a sweet angel even in this situation and it was wrenching my heart out.


    This isn¡¯t right!


    I began struggling against the hold that the man hand on my arms, but he only held me tighter while whispering to me to keep still. His fingers dug into my arms, and it hurts as he pulled and dragged me across the floor towards where Hayden¡¯s men were waiting with their luggage full of money.


    Just as I was making my way slowly across the floor, Hayden¡¯s men slowly dragged the luggage filled with money over to start the exchange.


    The man who was holding me managed to drag me to where Hayden¡¯s men were waiting. I could feel Hayden¡¯s eyes on me although I didn¡¯t dare to turn around to see him. One of Hayden¡¯s men quickly came to my side and with an approving nod from the enemy, the man removed the tape that was covering my mouth.


    I gasped for breath and then I felt hands on my wrists and ankles and knew that they were undoing the tape there as well.


    I didn¡¯t care about that at all, I turned my head back to stare at Hayden.


    "Hayden!" I called his name loudly.


    My voice came out so broken and so choked up and I realized that I had started crying and sobbing.


    "Don¡¯t cry and get out now!" Hayden yelled from the other end of the floor.


    "This way Miss. We have to get you out¡­" one of the men said politely as he reached his hand out towards me as if to receive me from the tall man.


    "No, please¡­Hayden¡­" I protested in between my sobs.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 361: We’re All Going to Die Here

    We can¡¯t just leave Hayden here. How am I supposed to just walk out when Hayden is still stuck there in the middle of all the enemies?


    "We need to help Hayden!" I screamed and my voice came out as an ugly croak.


    One of Hayden¡¯s men reached out his hands towards me as if to receive me from the tall man; however, when the time came, the tall man wouldn¡¯t let me go.


    What is going on?


    "I see. This was never really about just the money. Well if you¡¯re going to do something, now¡¯s the time¡­" Hayden spoke up loudly.


    Suddenly, the situation had changed. The man refused to let me go and Hayden was still stuck on the other side. What is going to happen now?


    ¡­


    **A few hours before**


    "This is just a hypothetical situation but what if they demand to take you in instead of Malissa. You do know that these guys probably hold some personal grudges against Torex, right?" Ethan asked.


    "Simple. You save Malissa. You ignore me and you kill as many of them as possible," Hayden replied without hesitation.


    "She¡¯s not going to like that. She¡¯ll never leave you or anyone behind," Ethan replied knowingly.


    "I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be in a position to choose when the timees. She¡¯s probably at least tied up and gagged if not also blindfolded," Hayden replied darkly.


    "Probably¡­" Ethan agreed passively.


    "In case she struggles, we¡¯ll use this. It¡¯s painless and has the least side effects¡­" Hayden exined.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes travelled to the liquid substance in the bottle that Hayden was gesturing to before making a disgusted face.


    "Says the doctor¡­" Ethan muttered.


    "Just do as I say. I¡¯m the doctor here," Hayden replied before grinning wickedly.


    "We¡¯ll probably need some major distractions to distract them if they demand for a switch. Best case is if we can distract them, we all can try to get Malissa out in the confusion, and perhaps, you can escape in the foray as well," Ethan suggested.


    "Any ideas?" Hayden inquired.


    "Hmm¡­what about something like all wallse crashing down at once?" Ethan suggested excitedly.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at his strange friend while Ethan smiled mischievously.


    ¡­


    Suddenly, the ground underneath me shook and loud sounds went off just like explosions. The tall man froze from shocked as he looked around. I did the same before I felt my body being roughly pulled away. The sound of explosion was deafening, and it didn¡¯t cease. All lights went off and it was suddenly quite dark. I couldn¡¯t see anything for a while until my eyes started adjusting to the darkness.


    "This way, My Lady¡­" a man yelled into my ear as he dragged me along.


    I felt the presence of many men around me as they slowly moved along with me towards the exit of the warehouse. Then I heard and saw many people running, moving, and screaming all around me. It was pure chaos. It was too dark for me to see anything more than silhouettes. Where is Hayden?!


    Now that my hands and feet were free, I started struggling for real against the man who held me. His grip was so tight and the more that I struggled while screaming Hayden¡¯s name, his arms tightened around me as he continued to drag me towards the exit.


    "Hayden! Hayden! Hayden is still in there¡­" I cried out until my throat hurt.


    Darkness slowly turned to light as light shined in from above. Confused, I looked up to see the walls of the warehouse cracking and then breaking before it all started to crumble down. Someone, exploded the walls?


    I stared at the walls and then the ceiling as my mouth dropped open in shock. I wanted to scream but I couldn¡¯t.


    We¡¯re all going to die in here¡­


    ¡­


    "All men move in now! Get Malissa and Hayden out. Kill all enemies!" Ethan shouted loudly.


    All men charged in and Ethan along with them. It was dark and although the light from outside was streaming in, the warehouse was still pretty much dark. That wasn¡¯t surprising because it was nighttime outside. Night goggles that he and all his men had on helped immensely. That along with guns with silencers helped Ethan and his men eliminate their targets easily.


    The most troublesome part was finding and rescuing Hayden from this chaos. Where is that glow in the dark marking that I¡¯m supposed to look for?


    Based on his ns, Hayden is supposed to have a marking on his clothes that would glow in the dark after the lights in the warehouse went off. Based on the same logic, Malissa should have one on her too if Hayden seeded on nting one on her. With everything that just happened, Malissa should be safe enough because she was surrounded by Torex men and should be very close to the exit by now.


    The wall explosion had left the walls with many holes in which the men from Silva and Torex used to enter into the warehouse with the aim to eliminate the enemy and control the situation. Now if only he can find Hayden.


    ¡­


    "Stop struggling!" the man shouted.


    "No! Hayden is in there. We can¡¯t leave him!" I screamed back.


    If he¡¯s going to get me out of here, he has to take me by force. I¡¯m not leaving Hayden in here.


    "You can¡¯t help him. Even if you went back there, you can¡¯t help him!" the man yelled at me.


    The worst part was that I knew that he was right and that just drove me mad with fear and anger at how useless I was. This mess is all because of me and there¡¯s nothing that I can do about it.


    If something happens to Hayden¡­I¡¯ll¡­


    Just thinking about it made me feel sick. I started crying again more from frustration than from fear or sadness.


    "Can we wait here? Please?!" I pleaded.


    "No. My orders are to get you out of here. You heard, Hayden. We need to get out now!" he barked at me as he continued to drag me towards the exit while I tried to turn and pull back in the opposite direction.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 362: My Protector

    Ethan¡¯s eyes spotted the glow in the dark symbol but when he arrived there, he was a few steps behind his men who had already arrived.


    "Hayden!" Ethan called his friend¡¯s name loudly.


    "I¡¯m fine!" Hayden replied as his men crowded around him like a group of human shields.


    "You need to tell me all about how you got out of that one¡­" Ethan teased when he came to Hayden¡¯s side.


    Men from Silva surrounded Ethan to provide protection. It seemed that both men were in quite good shape given all the fighting that was going on.


    "Is Malissa out yet?" Hayden asked Ethan.


    "Not yet¡­but she¡¯s very close to the exit," Ethan replied while he anticipated Hayden¡¯s outburst.


    "What?! Why is she still in here? Luka¡¯s team will be here soon," Hayden roared in shock.


    "Rx. She¡¯s with a bunch of your men. She¡¯ll be fine," Ethan replied with certainty.


    Hayden broke through the row of men surrounding him and made a run for it. Ethan watched Hayden¡¯s rushed movement in amazement at how foolish his actions were.


    "Hayden just ran off. Snipers provide cover. You all! Follow Hayden, we¡¯ll clean up things here on this side," Ethan spoke through the microphone before instructing Hayden¡¯s men.


    Why did this warehouse have to be so damnrge and long?


    ¡­


    Hayden knew that he was making a dangerous and very risky move, but he also knew that the reason why Malissa was not yet outside was probably because she was stubbornly refusing to leave. He cursed the fact that she wouldn¡¯t listen to his instructions even in this kind of dire situation.


    His men are probably struggling to deal with her and because they didn¡¯t want to hurt her or use too much force, they were probably still struggling with her somewhere close to the exit.


    Malissa has to get out before Luka and his men arrived and things get truly violent. From what Hayden could see there weren¡¯t that many men in the opposition gang and by now, he bet that most were already dead or heavily wounded. Almost all men close to him were shot down by snipers while they panicked about the sudden explosion.


    After his men provided him with a gun, he managed to kill two enemies that were close to him. The fun ended right after that for him because too many of his men along with Ethan¡¯s men arrived and cleaned everything up before acting as human shields.


    Hayden could see the matching glowing symbol that he had on him in the distance and realized to his utter disappointment and worry that Malissa was indeed still inside the warehouse. He clicked his tongue before quickly making his way towards here. Why does it have to be this dark?


    "Malissa!" Hayden called her name loudly to get her attention.


    ¡­


    I think I heard someone calling my name. Could it really be?


    "Hayden!" I screamed his name loudly.


    I called his name over and over again. Although I couldn¡¯t see him, I had a feeling that Hayden was close.


    "Why are you still here?!" the voice that I had been longing to hear yelled so close to me that I screamed in shock.


    How did Hayden get here?


    His hands were on my arms as he shook me. I could see his face so close to me and even in the darkness, I could see, sense, and hear his anger.


    "How am I supposed to leave?! I was waiting for you!" I screamed back.


    Is that so hard for him to understand?


    I started crying again and I wasn¡¯t sure why I was crying. Maybe I was too relieved and so happy that we were finally reunited. Although it wasn¡¯t that long ago since we were both together, our separation this time made me feel like we had been apart for years. I missed him so much and I couldn¡¯t stop my tears from falling again.


    "Stop crying. We¡¯re getting out now!" Hayden ordered.


    Although his voice was stern and packed with irritation, he pulled me into his embrace and hugged me tightly. I buried my face against his chest and cried some more.


    "Men! Lead the way¡­" Haydenmanded with his arms still wrapped tightly around me.


    This time I had no objections to leaving this forsaken ce. The sound of men shouting, and the sound of gunshot still rang out randomly here and there. I hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to what was going on, but it seemed that the fighting had died down. Hopefully, the men managed to deal with the enemy.


    I didn¡¯t want anyone to die, and the concept of fighting and death was still very much beyond me. The ce smelled of sweat and blood.


    "You¡¯re not getting away. Torex!"


    A man voice cut through the chaos around us. I turned my head around just in time to see the tall man who had escorted me before standing very close to us with a gun pointed our way. I opened my mouth to scream but no voice came out. Everything happened to fast that I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened.


    I felt the pressure of what must have been Hayden¡¯s hand against the back of my head, pushing my face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me tighter. Swiftly, I felt myself being spun around.


    A gunshot rang out.


    It was probably at that moment that it finally hit me that Hayden had just shielded me with his body.


    "Hayden!" I screamed his name loudly.


    A few rounds of gunshot rung out around us, but I didn¡¯t care about that anymore. All I cared about was the man that was in my arms.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name as I feared for the worst.


    Did he get hit just now?


    "I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden replied.


    His arms loosened from around my body before he grabbed my arm and pulled me roughly behind him. Hayden dragged me out of the exit with him and we found ourselves outside the warehouse. It was dark and very windy outside.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 363: Hurt

    "Hayden and Malissa are out. Luka¡¯s team is going in now, Boss!"


    I heard a man shout loudly. He must be reporting to the boss about the situation. I looked around in confusion at the many men that were on standby waiting outside for us. Suddenly, the weight of Hayden¡¯s arm around my shoulder felt heavier. I turned to face him and that was when I realized that something was gravely wrong.


    "Hayden! Hayden!" I screamed his name loudly.


    My cries attracted the attention of a few men who were standing close to us. Hayden didn¡¯t reply to me, but I could tell that he was in pain. I wrapped my arm around his back to better support his weight. I winced when my hand came in contact to something warm and wet.


    It can¡¯t be¡­


    I looked down at my hand and my entire face felt numb from shock. Thick red liquid coated the palm of my hand.


    Hayden¡­


    "Hayden¡¯s hurt! Please help! Help! Help!" I screamed loudly.


    "I¡¯m ok, Lisa¡­" Hayden whispered close to me.


    He¡¯s not ok. His voice sounded so weak.


    "Help please! Hayden got shot! Help! Help please! Someone¡­please¡­" I screamed so loudly before my voice cracked and I started crying while pleading for help.


    Three men quickly approached us after hearing my cry for help.


    "Excuse me. Let us handle this, Miss," one of the men said calmly.


    The other man started peeling me away from Hayden.


    "No, please! He¡¯s hurt. You need to take him to the hospital," I pleaded as I felt tears sting my eyes again.


    "We will do that right away. Step aside, Miss. Come this way, we need to secure your safety as well," the man said as he held my arm and pulled me away from Hayden.


    "Let me go with him! Please! I don¡¯t want to part from him. Please!" I screamed loudly.


    "It will be faster if you leave them to handle it. Now pleasee with me," the man said sternly.


    I could see the other two men supporting Hayden by the arm and leading him away. Where are they taking him?


    "Master Hayden¡¯s been shot. I repeat. Hayden took a bullet. Extent of damage not yet confirmed," a man reported.


    "Malissa¡­Malissa!"


    I heard someone calling my name. Another face entered my field of vision.


    Ethan? Is that you?


    "Malissa!" Ethan called my name again loudly.


    I felt his hands on my arms as his face came closer. It was a strange feeling. Although Ethan was there right in front of me, I couldn¡¯t respond to him. My mind felt like a mess and suddenly my head throbbed painfully.


    "Ahhh!" I screamed as pain ripped through my skull.


    It felt like my head was going to explode. What is going on? My mind went hazy and so did my sight. What is happening to me?


    ¡¯Lisa¡­it¡¯s going to be ok. Lisa¡­Lisa¡­¡¯


    Who¡¯s talking?


    ¡­


    ¡¯Lisa¡­it¡¯s going be ok. Listen to me, Lisa¡­Lisa¡­Lisa¡­¡¯


    Who are you? Who¡¯s talking?


    At first, I thought that what I was seeing wasn¡¯t real. This is nothing more than a dream that I¡¯m having. At least that was what I thought at first. However, as the young teenager got closer and closer to me, I wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.


    ¡¯Lisa¡­¡¯


    Stop calling me that.


    ¡¯Lisa¡­Lisa¡­¡¯


    I¡¯m not Lisa anymore. You know that, right?


    The young man came so close to me and for some reason, I couldn¡¯t move my body and I couldn¡¯t get away. Isn¡¯t that just how strange your dreams are sometimes? I tried to move my hands, but they wouldn¡¯t move. Confused, I looked down and I screamed when I found out that my wrists were tied together with a rope. In my panic, I automatically started struggling to free my hands.


    ¡¯It¡¯s ok, Lisa. Help will be here soon¡­" he said reassuringly.


    He smiled at me and for a moment, I forgot everything including the fact that my hands were tied. He¡¯s so beautiful. His blond hair and his blue eyes¡­he looked just like an angel¡­


    "Hayden!"


    I woke up screaming Hayden¡¯s name. The first thing that I felt was a wave of pure pain shooting through my brain and then I felt nauseous. I closed my eyes tightly as my body writhed on the bed from the pain.


    "Malissa!" I heard a woman¡¯s voice calling my name.


    Then I felt her hand gently taking my hand and stroking it as if she wanted to desperatelyfort me. It did help a little but the pain in my brain felt unbearable.


    "Wait here! I¡¯m going to call the doctor!" the woman said in a panic.


    A short whileter, I heard the woman speak through the phone telling the person on the other end that I had woken up.


    I dared opened my eyes a little to figure out where I was. White ceiling and white walls greeted me along with an IV drip right next to the bed that I wasying on. The ce smelled cleaned probably because it smelled slightly of disinfectant. My eyelids slid shut when I no longer needed to see anything else to know that I was in a hospital room.


    "Where is Hayden?" I asked but my voice came out as nothing more than an almost inaudible whisper.


    "Hayden is fine. He¡¯s resting now. There is nothing for you to worry about, Malissa," the woman replied.


    I could feel her approaching my side as she came to stand next to the bed. Forcing my eyes opened a little, I stared up at her worried face.


    "Auntie¡­" I whispered in a dry voice.


    "Yes, it¡¯s me. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. Hayden is really fine¡­" she confirmed reassuringly.


    I nodded my head slightly as the headache started to subside.


    "I want to see him¡­" I whispered my desire.


    Paranoid started taking over along with my sense of insecurity. No matter what, I couldn¡¯t believe that Hayden was safe and sound unless I could see it with my very own eyes. I need to see Hayden. Is he in the same hospital? Where is he now? I need to see him now¡­


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 364: Consciousness

    Auntie looked down at me before she smiled sympathetically at me and reached out a hand to stroke my hair softly. I knew that she wanted tofort me, but it wasn¡¯t herfort that I needed. I need to see Hayden. I opened my mouth to continue pleading with her but the sound of the door to my hospital room opening distracted me from my thoughts.


    A doctor walked in with a few nurses, and they headed directly for my bed. The nurses started checking on the machine that was hooked to my body and it was all a big fuss. I had no idea what was going on or what was wrong with me. I felt very tired, but I didn¡¯t feel sick. The doctor flipped through pages of paper before shing me a kind smile that showcased the wrinkles around his eyes.


    "How are you feeling, Malissa?" he asked kindly.


    "I feel fine¡­really¡­" I replied firmly.


    "I see. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll perform some basic checks because you just woke up¡­" the doctor informed me with a smile.


    He seemed kind and his presence helped made me rx. At that point, I was willing to let him do anything to me if that meant that he would deem me fit enough to go see Hayden. After checking the responsiveness of my eyes by shing light into them and making me roll my eyes around, the doctor seemed quite satisfied with the result.


    "I¡¯m fine¡­" I repeated once again.


    "Yes, you seem fine¡­" the doctor readily agreed before he smiled another kind smile down at me.


    Suddenly, the door to the room opened again and to my surprise, this time the boss walked in along with some of his men. The doctor and the nurse stiffened visibly in the presence of the boss. The men dressed all in ck that walked in with him did not give off an aura of pleasantly kind and normal people, so I wasn¡¯t surprised at the doctor¡¯s reaction.


    "Malissa. I heard that you finally woke up," the boss said as he came to stand close my bedside.


    I wasn¡¯t used to seeing the boss with such a kind and caring look on his face. It was strange and I wasn¡¯t sure how to react. The boss smiled and looked down at me as if I was some poor and broken little thing. I appreciated his concern but that wasn¡¯t what I needed right now.


    "Boss¡­where is Hayden? Can I go see him, please?" I pleaded desperately.


    If I could just get the boss¡¯s permission, then everything in the world would be possible. The boss sighed softly as his eyebrows knitted together into a frown of concern.


    "Where is Hayden? Is he in this hospital?" I demanded for answers.


    "Calm down, Malissa..." the boss said calmly.


    "I want to see Hayden. Please. Please let me see Hayden..." I pleaded with tears in my eyes.


    "Hayden is fine. He¡¯s resting now. There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about," the boss repeated.


    Even if that is what the boss and everyone was saying, I just couldn¡¯t rest assure until I see Hayden alive and well with my own eyes. I need to see him or I¡¯m going to go crazy from worry. Why is everyone trying to stop me from seeing Hayden?


    "Take me to see Hayden please! I need to see him. Please! I need to see with my own eyes that he¡¯s safe..." I began yelling and wailing loudly like a child that wanted to get their way.


    The boss looked down at me with sympathetic eyes before he heaved a sigh. I had started crying openly at this point. Hot tears spilled from my eyes and streamed down my face.


    "Is she fit enough to get out of bed?" the boss asked the doctor skeptically.


    I felt hope rising in my chest as I stared at the doctor and waited for his response. If he tells the boss that I can¡¯t get out of bed, I am going to jump off the bed and kill him.


    "She should be fine. It¡¯s mostly exhaustion from stress,ck of sleep and proper nutrition. Luckily, she didn¡¯t suffer for too long, so the damage isn¡¯t extensive. She should recover fully in a few days given a lot of rest. If you want her to visit the other patient, I suggest that we use a wheelchair," the doctor replied after a moment of thought.


    I smiled brightly when I heard that I could go and visit Hayden. If he¡¯s also in this hospital, then I should get to see him in no time at all.


    "Bring it. I¡¯ll take her there myself," the boss replied.


    The nurses helped support me until I was safely sitting on a wheelchair. My body felt weak, and my muscles felt slightly sore, but the biggest issue wasn¡¯t my body, it was my mind. My mind felt unstable and extremely frustrated. Worry gued my mind, and everything seemed to easily trigger a panic attack.


    "Thank you..." I thanked the boss in a whisper when I felt him slowly pushing my wheelchair.


    The doctor seemed concerned and had decided toe along with us. However, the boss didn¡¯t think that it was a good idea and turned to tell the doctor that his assistance wasn¡¯t necessary. After leaving everyone else behind, the boss pushed me along the hallway before taking the elevator up.


    "I¡¯m so sorry about this. I know that I¡¯m being very selfish..." I mumbled apologetically.


    "It¡¯s fine. I know that you¡¯re just worried about my son," the boss replied kindly, and I found myself feeling surprised yet very thankful for his understanding and care.


    "Is he...really alright?" I asked in a small voice.


    "Yes. He¡¯s probably in better shape than you imagined," the boss replied firmly.


    "I see. Thank you..." I replied as I tried to suppress my tears of relief.


    I¡¯ve been crying so easily these days. The smallest things can make me feel so emotional and everything to do with Hayden only made me that much more emotionally sensitive.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 365: Finally, We’re Reunited

    "You were asleep for almost three days. Hayden had a lot of time to recover," the boss informed me reassuringly.


    "I was out for almost three days?! Really?" I eximed in shock.


    I thought I just took a nap because I felt so tired. It never urred to me that I was out for a few days. What happened during those days when I was just sleeping?


    "Yes. Hayden was very worried about you too..." the boss affirmed calmly.


    Hayden was worried about me too?


    Although it made me extremely happy that he cared for me, I was soon engulfed by a sense of guilt. This all happened because I was careless and because of that Hayden got hurt, our wedding failed and so many people had to get involved to rescue me.


    "I¡¯m such a burden..." I whispered to myself.


    "Maybe you are...but a man is only truly a man when he can take care and be responsible for his woman. That¡¯s a fact," the boss said sternly.


    I never thought that one day I would beforted by the boss himself. Although I wasn¡¯t sure if his words were aimed at providing me withfort but that was exactly what it did. His words made me feel a little better about myself and gave me some more courage to go on.


    By that time, we had arrived in front of a door that was undoubtedly Hayden¡¯s hospital room. The boss looked down at me as if to ask if I was ready for this. I nodded my head at him without hesitation. Ready or not, I wanted to meet Hayden. I wanted to see him so much that I couldn¡¯t bear to wait any longer.


    "Hayden, you have a special visitor..." the boss announced without excitement as he wheeled me into Hayden¡¯s room.


    The room was toorge to be a hospital room and that was all that I noted before my eyes immediately went to the figureying on the hospital bed.


    "Hayden!" I cried out his name happily.


    I wished that the boss would push my wheelchair faster so that I would finally be by Hayden¡¯s side. Hayden was awake and sitting up in bed. He turned towards me and smiled a truly angelic smile at me.


    "So, you woke up..." Hayden said before his smiled widened.


    "Hayden! How are you? Are you hurt? I was so worried. I begged everyone to let me see you, but they wouldn¡¯t allow it. Thankfully, the boss finally allowed me to see you..." I wailed and then started crying like an unreasonable baby.


    "Stop crying. I¡¯m fine..." Hayden reprimanded me softly but I couldn¡¯t sense any real disapproval in his voice.


    Hisrge hand reached out towards me before he ruffled my hair yfully. That gentle and adoring gesture only worked to bring even more tears to my eyes. I leaned over to him and hugged him to me before burying my face against his warm body.


    "Hayden¡¯s shoulder is still injured..." the boss quickly reminded me.


    I stiffened in ce before moving away from Hayden at the sudden realization that I could be hurting him.


    "It¡¯s nothing serious. Don¡¯t scare her¡­" Hayden hissed at the boss as his brows drew into a scowl.


    "Well, I¡¯ll leave you two lovebirds to do some catching up. Ring the bell or something when you¡¯re done so the nurse can help take Malissa back to her room," the boss said before he headed for the door.


    "Thank you¡­" I whispered my thanks to the boss as I watched him disappear through the door.


    After the boss left, we were the only ones in Hayden¡¯s hospital room. Despite my initial excitement to see him until just now, now that we were alone, I wasn¡¯t sure what I should say to him. So many things happened, and I didn¡¯t know where to start. My mind and my feelings were a messy jumble, and I didn¡¯t have the time to sort them out in my haste to make it to his side.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name softly as I turned to face him.


    "I told you to get out! Why didn¡¯t you listen to me? You heard me, right? Why didn¡¯t you do as I told you?!" Hayden yelled at me so loudly that I was stunned into silence.


    I¡­didn¡¯t expect that¡­at all¡­


    Hayden was so mad. His blue eyes narrowed at me, and his face morphed into a tight scowl. His eyes were so scary, it was like his re would pierce through me. My lips quivered in fear, and I didn¡¯t know what to say. He¡¯s right. I did hear him, but I just couldn¡¯t get out of there and leave him behind.


    I knew that I should have listened, but I just couldn¡¯t. In the end, because of my foolishness, I put Hayden in danger because he had toe for me.


    In the end, Hayden¡­he got shot because of me¡­


    "I¡­I¡­this is all my fault. I am so sorry, Hayden!" I cried out before I covered my face with my hands and started to cry for real.


    I wailed and cried loudly into my hands as tears streamed down my face like it would never stop. My body shook from the impact of my intense sobs as my chest felt so tight that I could hardly breathe.


    This is all my fault¡­


    It made sense that Hayden would be mad at me. I was such a fool to expect a heart warming and loving reunion with him. He got hurt because of me and I didn¡¯t listen to what he wanted me to do at all, so of course, he¡¯s so mad at me.


    "Malissa¡­" Hayden called my name.


    "I¡¯m so sorry, Hayden. It¡¯s all my fault¡­you can punish me if you want to¡­" I managed to say in between my sobs.


    I cried so much that my face must look like a mess. Hiding behind my hands was the best option for me at that moment. I didn¡¯t want Hayden to see my face or how swollen my eyes, nose and lips must be. My tears continued to flow as the sense of guilt and shame grew inside of me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 366: Unstoppable Tears

    "Malissa, stop crying¡­" Haydenmanded sternly.


    I had already lost count of the times that Hayden had told me to stop crying ever since this whole unfortunate affair started. Now that I think about it, he did tell me once before that he wasn¡¯t a big fan of my tears. He hated it when I cried and that made me hate myself so much more for crying.


    "I¡¯m sorry¡­" I whimpered as I tried to stop my tears.


    It wasn¡¯t an easy feat to achieve, and I found it almost impossible to stop crying. My body shook even more and soon, I wasn¡¯t able to speak anymore.


    "Stop crying, Malissa¡­" Hayden repeated again.


    "I¡­I can¡¯t¡­" I managed to croak in such a broken voice that made me feelpletely embarrassed.


    "Remove your hands from your face. If you¡¯re going to cry, then let me see your ugly face," Hayden said without any mercy.


    I felt his hand prying my hands away from my face. The more I resisted by trying to turn my face away, the more persistent Hayden¡¯s hands became.


    "I¡¯m going to end up hurting my shoulder¡­" Hayden muttered.


    Oh¡­his shoulder¡­


    I sighed inplete defeat before I willingly lowered my hands from my face before wiping desperately at my eyes with the back of my hands. My sight was blurry, and I hated how I felt.


    "I really hate your tears¡­" Hayden hiss, clearly displeased.


    Despite his harsh words, the touch of the back of his fingers against my cheek was ever so gentle and caring. I blinked my eyes rapidly a couple of times before daring to gaze at his face. To my surprise, his blue eyes were gentler than before, and he had a concerned look on his face as he stared back at me.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Hayden¡­" I whispered again.


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say to him and I also knew that no matter how many times that I apologized, it would probably never be enough. I caused so much trouble and worst of all, I put him in danger.


    "Stop crying, Malissa¡­there¡¯s no need for you to cry anymore," Hayden coaxed softly as his gentle fingers wiped away my tears.


    "You got hurt because of me. I should have followed your orders¡­but I just¡­couldn¡¯t leave you there¡­" I tried desperately to exin even though I knew that my reasons were not good enough.


    "I know. If you¡¯ve learnt your lessons, then all is good¡­" Hayden replied calmly before he started patting my head softly.


    The gentleness of his touch, the forgiveness in his words and his voice only made me feel more guilty and more tears started to fall despite my desperate efforts to hold them in.


    "I¡¯m sorry¡­" I apologized for crying again.


    "Stop crying, Malissa. You can save all your tears for when I¡¯m dead and gone. I¡¯m alive and quite well so I have no idea what you¡¯re crying for¡­" Hayden reprimanded me again, but his tone was loving and warm.


    "I don¡¯t want you to die¡­ever¡­" I mumbled before biting my lower lip.


    "You¡¯re a funny one. We¡¯ll all die one day," Hayden said before he chuckled softly.


    "Thank God, you¡¯re safe¡­does your shoulder hurt a lot?" I dared to ask in a small voice.


    "Luckily the bullet just grazed it. It will be like new in a few days. My father freaked out, probably because he thinks that I¡¯m the only son that he has left. So, he¡¯s keeping me hospitalized when I shouldn¡¯t be¡­" Hayden said followed by a loud sigh.


    "Can I see it?" I asked, a little shyly.


    "See what?" Hayden asked in confusion.


    "Your shoulder¡­" I mumbled in reply.


    "Sure, it¡¯s all wrapped up though. Honesty, there¡¯s nothing interesting for you to see. I can still use my arm like normal..." Hayden said casually like it really was no big deal.


    I wasn¡¯t that convinced. The sight of his blood soaking my hand was still painfully fresh in my mind and I had to close my eyes for a moment to will the sight away. I helped Hayden shrug off his hospital shirt so that I could get a look at his bandaged shoulder. The way that his shoulder was bandaged made the sound seem significant.


    "It¡¯s not as bad as it looks. They just have a bad habit of over bandaging everything," Hayden quickly said to reassure me.


    "If you say so¡­" I mumbled as I stroked my hand along the muscles of his arm.


    I held his hand in mine and lifted it to my lips to kiss it tenderly before pressing my tear-stained cheek against the palm of his hand. Hayden acted like this was nothing and this may well be amon urrence to him as part of the gang; however, to me, I was so thankful that he was still alive. When I saw his blood on my hands, it was like my entire world had started to crumble.


    I didn¡¯t even want to start imagining what my life would be like if I had to lose Hayden just like that.


    Of course, there were no words that I could use to express how thankful I really am that he¡¯s still alive and by my side. I pressed my face closer against the palm of his hands while Hayden watched me with an amused look on his face.


    "It took you so long to wake up that I was quite worried. I thought we might end up having another sleeping beauty on our hands," Hayden teased, although I could sense his genuine worry.


    "Sorry about that. I honestly thought that I was just taking a short nap. It never urred to me that I was so tired and weak that I needed days of sleep to recover like that," I admitted a little shyly.


    Did the doctors drug me or was I really that tired and needed time to recover?


    "Well, it absolutely sucks that we have to do this here, but I think we better get this over with before we get disturbed again¡­" Hayden said before reaching over to the side of his bed.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 367: His Wife

    "What are you doing? Let me help you¡­" I quickly offered.


    He shouldn¡¯t be moving too much with that wound on his shoulder, right?


    Hayden held up a hand to halt me and I sat back down in my wheelchair. It was funny how we both ended up in this state and in the hospital together. The fact that Hayden seemed to be in a good mood was probably the only thing that was holding me together in one piece. I watched in slight confusion as Hayden seemed to reach for something before, he turned to face me again.


    "Give me your hand," Hayden instructed as he held his hand out to me.


    Confused, I ced my right hand in his. That resulted in Hayden shaking his head in dismay before he sighed. How was I supposed to know what he wanted?


    "Your left hand, Malissa," Hayden said as his blue eyes smiled at me.


    "Oh¡­" I mumbled before cing my left hand in his instead.


    "Here you go¡­" Hayden said casually.


    He took my left hand and I felt something sliding onto my ring finger. I blinked my eyes in surprise when his hand moved out of the way to reveal a diamond ring on my ring finger.


    I gasped in shock. This isn¡¯t what I think it is, right?


    I mean, I could see that he had just put a diamond ring on my ring finger and the diamond on the ring was huge but¡­


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name in a breathless whisper.


    I could see it all and I could feel the ring solidly against the base of my finger, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe it. Suddenly, I felt tears pooling in my eyes again and I had to bite hard on my lower lip to keep them from spilling over. Hayden is going to yell at me again if I cried¡­but¡­I was just so happy. I can¡¯t even begin to describe what I was feeling.


    "It¡¯s a nice fit and the diamond looks really good on you," Hayden admired with satisfaction.


    "This is¡­" I began saying how wondering this was and how happy I am, but I just couldn¡¯t get the words out.


    My hand flew to cover my mouth as my emotion started to spill over. Hayden watched my reaction before he smiled andughed a little. He seemed so rxed about all this while I was an emotional mess.


    "Will you be my wife?" Hayden asked.


    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to ask that before putting the ring on me?


    His words were so direct and so confident. It really sounded much more like him than the standard vows in the church. Although we were doing this in a hospital instead of a church and we had our hospital patient uniform on instead of a wedding gown and a tuxedo, I couldn¡¯t have been happier to marry Hayden.


    The momentcked many things that a standard wedding would usually have but it felt more perfect than any wedding that any organizer could put together even with an unlimited budget.


    I nodded my head firmly once as I felt Hayden¡¯s captivating blue eyes on mine. Deep down, I knew that it wasn¡¯t enough. After what he had said, I owed it to him to give him a proper response.


    "I¡¯ll live¡­and I¡¯ll die as your wife," I swore determinedly.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I even had a speck of his self-confidence, but I was slowly working on it. When I smiled at him, I smiled with all my heart. Somehow, we¡¯ll make our life together work out and we¡¯ll live happily as man and wife for the rest of our lives.


    That was the promise that I made silently to myself when Hayden leaned in and captured my lips in a passionate kiss that filled my entire body with warmth.


    Just as our wedding vows were different from those normally exchanged in a church, the kiss that we shared was very different as well. Since there was no one around to watch us, Hayden didn¡¯t hold back at all. His lips crushed hard against mine before his hands reached for the back of my head to prevent my escape before he deepened his kiss.


    Hayden¡¯s warm and wet tongue teased my lips opened before plunging into the depths of my mouth.


    I moaned small whimpering sounds as his tongue invaded my mouth and started grinding against my own. Our tongues danced wildly as our kiss quickly got wetter and hotter. I missed him so much and I couldn¡¯t seem to get enough of him. From the way that Hayden was kissing me, I could feel that he felt the same desire that I did.


    When he finally broke our kiss, I was panting, and my body was yearning for more of him.


    I had to close my eyes to collect myself and stop the desire that was building up fast in my core. He¡¯s injured and I¡¯m also a mess so there was no way that we could do this right now no matter how much I wanted to and not to mention that we were also in the hospital of all ces. We have to hold back¡­somehow¡­


    "You finally stopped crying. I feel so¡­troubled¡­when you cry¡­" Hayden admitted with a really troubled look on his face.


    It was like he couldn¡¯t quite understand his own feelings and although I wasn¡¯t sure what he felt exactly, it made me endlessly happy that he didn¡¯t want to see me crying because that would mean that he wanted me to be happy.


    "Thank you, Hayden¡­for always thinking of me¡­" I replied softly.


    "Can you stand?" Hayden asked abruptly.


    "Umm¡­I guess I can. I¡¯m not injured anywhere¡­" I replied, uncertain of why he was asking.


    "Do you think that you can climb onto this bed with me?" Hayden asked as his blue eyes shed mischievously at me.


    "Umm¡­" I murmured.


    He¡¯s not thinking what I think that he¡¯s thinking is he?


    "Can you, or can¡¯t you?" Hayden asked, a little impatiently.


    "Yes, I can¡­if you want me to¡­" I replied before trailing off.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 368: Hesitant Desire

    "I¡¯ll help you¡­" Hayden replied with a pleased smile.


    "You¡¯re the one who¡¯s injured so you should just¡­stay still¡­" I pointed out as I pointed a finger at his wounded shoulder.


    Haydenughed a little to brush off my concern for him. I found myself smiling naturally back at him as I slowly got up from my wheelchair. The wheelchair probably made me look sicker than I actually was. The few days of sleep and recuperating helped mend my body while being reunited with Hayden healed my spirit. If he wanted me to get on the bed with him, then I would do it without fail.


    To my relief, I feltpletely fine on my own two feet which gave me confidence to slowly climb onto the bed with him.


    The hospital bed was narrow, and it wasn¡¯t like Hayden was a small man for that matter. While I was wondering how I would best fit on the bed with him, Hayden told me bluntly and simply to straddle him.


    "That¡¯s¡­" I protested before trailing off in my embarrassment when I got the confirmation of what he really wanted.


    "Suddenly feeling shy?" Hayden teased me mercilessly as he looked at me challengingly.


    It¡¯s not just that I was shy¡­


    "You¡¯re hurt so¡­I don¡¯t think that we should be doing this¡­" I stated my objection for the sake of his own safety.


    "A small wound like this is not going to stop me from having sex with my wife," Hayden retorted so bluntly and clearly that I was stunned into silence.


    My mouth hung open as my eyes widened at him and his shockingly straightforward words. Then my expression turned into one of a mix of delight and slightly embarrassment as I felt heat burning my cheeks and dyeing it a shade of red. I smiled brightly at him, and Hayden gave me a quizzical look as he cocked his head slightly to the side in wonder.


    "Why do you look so happy all of a sudden?" Hayden asked intriguingly.


    "Because¡­you just called me your wife," I replied without able to meet his intense blue gaze.


    "I¡¯ll call you that all the time if you like it that much, Wife," Hayden teased me before he startedughing softly.


    "That might be a little too much¡­" I mumbled beforeughing along with him.


    After we¡¯ve had our fill orughing, the same issue still remained between us. Hayden wanted to have sex while I wasn¡¯t sure if we should do that given that he¡¯s injured. The desire burning in the depth of his blue eyes like hot blue mes didn¡¯t seem like it would simply go out just because I asked him to restrain himself and his desires.


    Hayden also had a very bad track record of keeping his passion in check based on my personal experiences in dealing with him¡­or my inability to deal with him¡­


    "Are you still hesitating?" Hayden asked, half-teasingly.


    "Well¡­I still don¡¯t think that it¡¯s a good idea¡­" I replied hesitantly.


    It was beyond strange that we were having this conversation with me sitting astride his hips while he wasying on a hospital bed. Suddenly, Hayden used his arms to push himself up into a sitting position.


    "No! Don¡¯t¡­" I cried out to stop him from moving too much.


    "I¡¯m not crippled or maimed, you know¡­" Hayden said with clear annoyance in his voice as he shook his head at me.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name.


    "Just stay still¡­" Hayden muttered as his hands went to undo the buttons of my shirt.


    I blushed in embarrassment as I stared down at his fingers moving skillfully to free the buttons in front of my patient uniform. It felt strangely sexy for him to undress me this way. Hayden sighed in satisfaction when he parted the fabric to the side and revealed my breasts before I felt the warmth of his hand cover my breasts.


    "Ahhh¡­" I moaned in absolute delight at his touch on my feminine flesh.


    "Your breasts are so soft¡­but your nipples harden so fast¡­" Hayden said observantly as he stared at his hands ying around with my tits.


    "Hayden¡­Ahh¡­" I moaned his name in pleasure.


    Hisrge hands cupped and massaged my breasts firmly as he applied more pressure. The heat of his hands seeped into my cool flesh as he continued to turn me on with his seductive caresses. My body began reacting to him so strongly as I thrusted my chest towards his hands invitingly. I watched in awe as his long finger curled around the roundness of my womanly mound and squeezed it.


    A muffled cry left my lips at the delicious mix of pain and pleasure that spread across my chest as his caresses got rougher.


    "Ahh! Ahh!" I cried out before whimpering from the intense pleasure of his fingertips teasing my erect nipples.


    Hayden pinched my nipples repeatedly before rolling them in between his fingertips while I moaned my desire for him with my eyes closed in bliss. Just like always, it wasn¡¯t hard for Hayden to seduce me into wanting him. His hands stroked its way down the curve of my body towards my waist while my body felt like it was burning.


    The heat of my own desire burnt so brightly inside of me that it felt like I was melting. My pussy throbbed with need as it clenched with desire. My core felt hot and when Hayden dipped his head down and took my nipple into his hot and wet mouth, I cried out as my pussy squirted hot wetness out from the slit in between my legs.


    Hayden¡¯s hand teased my waist and then the small of my back leisurely, making me squirm on top of him as his mouth began sucking on my sensitive nipple. I cried out his name as I ran my fingers through his blond hair. Hayden sucked harder on my nipple and then hepped at it with his tongue before proceeding to suck on it even harder and faster.


    The pleasure coursing through my body felt like endless waves in a storm that robbed me of my senses as I threw my head back and moaned passionately.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 369: Unstoppable Lust

    "If you¡¯re too loud, the nurses wille running¡­" Hayden warned teasingly before his lips engulfed my other nipple.


    He sucked on hard on it while I bit on my lower lip to keep myself from screaming in ecstasy. My hips began moving against his for relief. My pussy was so wet at that point that I was sure that I had drenched my panties with my love juices.


    "Maybe we should¡­stop¡­" I suggested weakly.


    If the nurses or anyone were to walk in on us, that would be so bad. I would definitely die of embarrassment. Hayden chuckled at my suggestion before his lips left my nipple and proceeded to kiss the sensitive skin in between my breasts as his hands slid down to the sides of my hips.


    Hayden thrusted his hips upwards a little and I let out a sharp cry when I felt his hardness pressing up against my wet opening. The hardness in between his legs was obvious and I could feel the hardness of his cock grinding against my wet opening as he continued to tease me with the yful movements of his hips. His cock is already this hard¡­


    "You say that, but can you honestly stop?" Hayden asked as he stared at my face before his beautiful blue eyes narrowed at me.


    His hands cupped my ass before his hips thrusted up against mine again. I moaned loudly when I felt his hardness hitting against my pussy. My hips moved against his shamelessly as I grinded my pussy against his hardness. His hard-on hit my sensitive clit as my body writhed on top of him in ecstasy.


    His hand dipped under the waist of my loose pants before entering the front of my panties. I moaned his name as hisrge hand cupped my pussy before his fingers proceeded even lower to caress the wet and slippery slit in between my thighs.


    "Ahhh¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned as I closed my eyes inplete bliss.


    His fingers were finally touching me there as he stroked the wet mess in between my legs. I opened my eyes to see him watching my face intently before he smiled at me in utmost satisfaction.


    "You¡¯re wet, my dear wife¡­" Hayden announced proudly while stressing every word as his blue eyes continued to watch my face intently.


    I knew that I was beyond just wet. My pussy felt so hot, and I was flooded with my love honey. My hips began moving wantonly, grinding my love opening against his fingers for more pleasure as my body begged for him to touch me more.


    "It¡¯s very hot inside too¡­" Hayden teased as he smirked devilishly at me.


    I whimpered when his thick and long fingers thrusted upwards into my wet hole. My pussy rejoiced at the feel of his thick fingers stretching its opening before pounding in deeply. My hips began moving immediately, grinding my pussy walls against the length of his fingers so that I could feel more of him inside of me.


    My pussy clenched instinctively around the thickness of his fingers as I moaned his name seductively.


    "Does this feel good for you, my dear wife? If you don¡¯t tell me clearly, I won¡¯t know¡­" Hayden continued teasing me as his fingers began moving inside of my love hole.


    His fingers curled upwards and felt around my pussy walls as I squirmed on top of hisp. My pussy quickly got wetter from his pleasurable stimtions. When his fingers thrusted against my pleasure spot, I cried out loudly.


    Although I realized that I shouldn¡¯t cry out that loudly, it was hard for me to suppress my passionate cries when Hayden started thrusting his fingers fast and hard against my g-spot. I felt each thrust so intensely as my body trembled from the pleasure of his fingers beating against my sensitive spots.


    "Ahhh! Hayden¡­it feels so good!" I cried out as my hips thrusted faster and harder against his hand.


    Hayden fingered my pussy hole fast and hard until my pussy made embarrassingly loud squelching sounds as his fingers pounded in and out of my wetness. His other hand reached down and began ying with the little sensitive seed in between my legs and Ipletely lost it.


    "Ahhh! No¡­please¡­no¡­" I cried out before I whimpered weakly.


    The pleasure from his double stimtion was too much for me to handle. It felt like I was about to lose my mindpletely in the pleasure that he was making me feel. His fingers thrusted harder into my wet cunt as he pinched my clit before skillfully rolling it in between his fingertips. My pussy clenched and unclenched in a fast rhythm around his thick fingers as my body screamed of pleasure.


    My body felt extra sensitive, and I could feel him everywhere inside of me. Hayden knew exactly how to touch me to drive me crazy with pleasure and need.


    He¡¯s going to make me cum¡­very soon¡­


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m cumming¡­" I whimpered before all I could do was moan as my release hit me hard.


    I orgasmed right on top of hisp on the hospital bed. His name left my lips in soft moans before he slowly withdrew his fingers from my sopping wet cunt. Hayden kissed my forehead tenderly before began pulling down my pants and urging me softly to lift my hips for him so that he could remove my pants from me.


    "You¡¯re hurt so¡­please¡­let me do the rest," I managed to say bravely after recovering decently enough from my intense climax.


    Hayden gave me a slightly astonished look as if he truly didn¡¯t expect me to say that to him. I smiled bravely at him, and he nodded his head in approval at me. He¡¯s done so much already, and it would be bad if his wound opened up. I should be brave and do the rest.


    "Do you want to lie down¡­and rest?" I asked a little shyly.


    "You tell me. What do you want me to do?" Hayden asked as he watched me curiously to see what I would do next.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 370: Riding Him

    It was great that Hayden had willingly handed control over to me; however, now that I had it, I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to proceed with all this.


    "Umm¡­pleaseydown and just rx¡­" I instructed softly without much confidence.


    Hayden nodded and did just as he was told. It was a relief to see Haydenying back down. At least, he didn¡¯t risk hurting his wound this way. Now it was my turn to do my job. I was nervous and more than embarrassed when I reached for the shirt that I had on before peeling itpletely off of my body and threw it down onto the floor next to the bed.


    Hayden eyes widened at my bold move before he grinned with satisfaction.


    I felt his hot gaze on my naked upper body, and I had to remind myself to be that much braver than before. After shifting my body a little, I managed to remove my pants and my panties in one swift motion. The unnecessary clothes fell to the floor on top of my shirt. Now that I waspletely naked, it felt slightly cold in the hospital room, and I felt goosebumps form on my skin.


    I bit on my lower lip as I hesitated on what to do next.


    Hayden watched me with interest to see what I would do next. Hayden no longer had his shirt on, and I could see the beautifully sculpted muscles of his torso. My eyes wandered to the white bandage around his shoulder that contrasted against his skin. The bandage made him look even wilder and sexier than normal. I felt slightly bad thinking this because he really got hurt.


    "Can you help lift your hips a little?" I asked in a small voice.


    My hands pulled down his pants and as Hayden lifted his hips based on my instructions, I managed to remove his pants and boxers from himpletely. Now that we were both naked, we can finally get down to some more serious business. Although I was nervous, I was very turned on and I couldn¡¯t wait to feel his hard cock inside of me.


    "You¡¯re not done, are you?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    I knew that he wanted me to hurry up, but my embarrassment was truly getting in the way. After taking in a deep breath to steel my resolve, I straddled his hips and began stroking my fingertips up and down the length of his massive and very hard cock. Hayden sighed in satisfaction at the feel of my fingers tracing lines along his impressive length.


    Hayden¡¯s cock was thick, hard, and very long as it stood up proudly in between his legs. The size of his hot rod never failed to impress and scare me a little. The head of his cock was swollen and thick. His cock twitched slightly as I continued caressing him softly. Hayden watched me pay loving attention to his love stick while I felt the heat of his cock against my hand.


    Gently, I wrapped my hand around the girth of his cock before I began pumping my hand up and down his cock.


    "Yeah¡­that¡¯s it¡­" Hayden groaned in pleasure as I began pumping his cock faster and harder with my hand.


    His cock got harder and hotter in my hand as Hayden began moving his hips, thrusting his cock up and down in my hand faster and harder. I could tell that Hayden was enjoying himself and I felt slightly proud that I could make him feel good. I wrapped my hands around his cock a little tighter before moving my hand up and down his cock even faster than before.


    Hayden let out a low growl while I reached down with my other hand to softly and gently cup his balls before ying around with it teasingly. His cock grew even bigger and thicker in my hand, and I was amazed at how big he could get.


    "Malissa¡­get on top of me. I want to fuck your pussy so badly right now¡­" Hayden demanded in a voice thick with desire.


    I found hismand so sexy and a real turn on. It was a shame that I had to let his cock go although I wanted to y with it a little more. However, I also couldn¡¯t wait to feel his cock ramming hard and deep into my pussy hole. My pussy twitched in anticipation as my mind filled itself with dirty thoughts of Hayden thrusting his cock fast and hard into me and giving me wild pleasure.


    "Ahh¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned passionately as I lifted my hips and positioned his thick cock at my opening.


    "It¡¯s surely a nice view from here¡­" Hayden murmured admiringly.


    I blushed madly when I felt his eyes looking up at the wet mess in between my spread legs before his gaze travelled to my breasts. His hot gaze filled with intense desire turned me on and I bravely took his thick cock and lodged it at my wet opening before I slowly lowered my hips down onto his massive upstanding love stick.


    "Ahh¡­it¡¯s so hot¡­" I moaned as his hardness began stretching my opening.


    My pussy lips spread and stretched apart to amodate his thickness as he entered me. I lowered my hips lower, and his cock prated into my love tunnel. Slowly, his cock sank into my hole as I continued lowering my hips down onto his erect cock. Inch by inch, I took his thick shaft into my love hole until his entire member was buried deep inside of me.


    "It¡¯s¡­all in¡­" I reported a little proudly when my pussypleted swallowing up his entire cock.


    "Good girl¡­now start moving, Malissa," Hayden instructed as he waited for me toply to his wishes.


    I was more than d to do as I was told. His cock felt hot inside of me and although it already felt good to feel his entire length deep inside of my love hole, I knew that we both could feel so much better when we both started moving. I lifted my hips up before sitting down on him again.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 371: Better Together

    My body weight made it much easier for me to ride harder and faster on his cock. I felt his cock sliding out of my hole before ramming its way inside again as I pumped my hips up and down his cock. My pussy clenched around his massive thickness in rhythm to my hips moving up and down his impressive length.


    Hayden¡¯s moan mixed in with the sound of my moans and harsh breathing as his hips began moving beneath me. His cock thrusted sharply upwards into my pussy as I mmed my hips down to meet his thrusts halfway. The sound of our wild mating filled the room with our passionate moans and cries of pleasure along with the lewd wet sounds of our sex pping against each other.


    His cock pounded into my wetness and stirred me up inside with each thrust hitting firmly against my womb. He filled and stretched me as his cock got even hotter and thicker inside of my pussy.


    "It¡¯s so good¡­your cock¡­Ahhh!" I cried out as my hips continued moving wildly on top of him.


    My breasts bounced around as my body continued riding his dick like I couldn¡¯t get enough of his massive tool messing me up deep inside. The faster we moved, the better it felt. Our wild movements brought us closer and closer to our climax. I threw my head back and cried out his name when Hayden finally managed to push me over the edge.


    My climax hit me hard and I found myself drowning in lust and pleasure. Sex with Hayden felt so good. I have always thought this since the first time that we did it. However, our sex seemed to get better each time that we did it. Hayden groaned my name, and it wasn¡¯t long before he also reached his peak. Hayden came so much inside of me.


    Perhaps it was because it had been a few days since west did it, but Hayden poured so much of his hot seed inside of me that I thought that he would never stop. His warmth filled me up deep inside as his seed flooded my love cave.


    I whimpered weakly as Iy on top of his chest, while being mindful to avoid his wounded shoulder. If his shoulder hurt in anyway, Hayden did not show it at all. I could feel his rapid heartbeat against my ear as Iy my head on his chest. His arms wrapped themselves tenderly around me as he stroked my naked back gently.


    "I love you so much, Hayden¡­" I confessed as I trailed my fingertips along the curve of his chest muscle.


    "I love you too," he replied simply, and I found myself smiling brightly like a fool.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long wey together like that because soon after, I drifted off into a blissful sleep. After all that we¡¯ve been through together, it was a blessing to justy here in bed with him after a pretty amazing round of lovemaking. I smiled a little more when I felt the ring on my ring finger. It was a symbol of his love to me and a promise that we would be together forever.


    ¡­


    Despite what the doctors said about our condition being quite fine, both Hayden and I spent the next few days in the hospital. The worst part was that we were forced to stay in separate rooms. It was the boss¡¯s decision and that was that. Hayden didn¡¯t seem at all bothered by it and we could visit each other at any time; however, I felt quite insecure about this set up.


    Since we got married in our little secret ceremony, I started to feel unreasonably attached to Hayden. Although nothing had changed between us except for the fact that I now had a veryrge and round diamond ring on my ring finger, something in me felt like it had changed. My heart wouldn¡¯t stop yearning for him to be close to me and I couldn¡¯t get him out of my head.


    Googling these symptoms of mine up gave this whole feeling a name: Lovesickness.


    Thatbelling didn¡¯t make me feel at all better about myself. I knew that I was being too clingy, and Hayden probably hated it. That didn¡¯t stop me from turning up in front of his hospital room with my tray of boring hospital food in my hand.


    Seriously, with all the money that the Torex gang had, how did I end up with such tasteless food in my hospital bed?


    While I hesitated whether, I should knock on his door first or not, the door to Hayden¡¯s hospital room opened. I gasped so loudly in my shock that I almost spilled the soup that was on the food tray. It was beyond amazing that I didn¡¯t drop the entire tray from how stunned I was.


    The person who walked out of Hayden¡¯s hospital room was none other than¡­


    "Ethan¡­why are you here?" I asked as my mind and heart raced.


    "You seem well," Ethanmented observantly instead of replying to my question.


    I felt his eyes looking me up and down as if appraising my health condition. My body stiffened and I wasn¡¯t sure what I should say to him. Why is he even here?


    Now that I think about it, if I recall correctly, Ethan was also there on the day of my rescue. Did he help me too?


    "I¡¯m fine¡­thanks," I replied softly.


    "Good," Ethan stated withoutmenting any further.


    I wanted to know why Ethan is here and what did he talk to Hayden about. He just came out of Hayden¡¯s room, so they probably talked just now.


    "Did youe to see Hayden?" I asked in a small voice.


    "I did," Ethan replied casually.


    His green eyes shifted to my face and suddenly my lips and my throat felt very dry. Ethan took a step towards me, and I instinctively took a step back. My reaction must have been amusing to him because heughed a little. The way his face rxed and his green eyes shone mischievously when heughed reminded me of the times when he used to tease me in the past.


    --To be continued¡­


    Please check out my new book: Love ve to My Devil CEO Boss


    My other books: Forbidden Heat, Lust Contracts, Conquering the Emperor


    Thank you very much for your support!

 Chapter 372: The Change Between Them

    "You¡¯re curious why I came to see Hayden?" Ethan asked as if he could read my mind.


    Since I couldn¡¯t make a sound anymore, I just nodded my head softly at him instead. Something about Ethan felt different but for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. As he continuedughing softly at me, I stared at him in pure confusion. If I had to put it, I would say that for some reason Ethan looked more approachable and friendly than before.


    Did something¡­happen while I was sleeping for three days?


    "Yes¡­what did you talk to Hayden about?" I managed to say in a shaky voice.


    "You can ask him that yourself. You¡¯re here to see him, right?" Ethan replied smoothly.


    So, he¡¯s not going to answer me after all. If I didn¡¯t have any options left, then I¡¯ll just ask Hayden about it. Something really seems off but hopefully it wasn¡¯t something bad.


    "Congrattions on your marriage," Ethan said before he smiled warmly at me.


    The way his green eyes held mine told me that his words were sincere, and I found myself smiling a little back at him before I nodded my head in acknowledgement. In another life and on another timeline, I might have ended up marrying this man in front of me right now. Back then, I honestly thought that we had a fair shot at a future together.


    My smile grew wider when I realized that I did not regret anything that happened or any choices that I¡¯ve made.


    "Thank you, Ethan," I replied.


    "This is for you. Take it as a very dyed wedding present," Ethan said as he reached into the pocket of his suit.


    I hadn¡¯t expected that he would have a present for me. My eyes widened further in surprise when he handed me a neatly folded envelop. A letter?


    "Thank you¡­" I thanked him again as I reached for the envelop and took it from his outstretched hand.


    "Read it when you¡¯re alone. Take care and I¡¯ll see you around," Ethan said before he walked right past me.


    I turned as my gaze watched his back. He left so suddenly that I didn¡¯t have the chance to ask him more about this letter or anything else that was going on. Ethan did say that he¡¯ll see me around. Did he mean that?


    My eyes returned to the small envelop that I held in my hand as I wondered what was so important in here that I had to read it when I was alone. With Ethan gone, I was reminded of my original purpose ofing here to Hayden¡¯s room. I want to see Hayden.


    This letter can wait untilter, I shoved it into the pocket of my hospital gown before I pushed the door to Hayden¡¯s hospital room opened and walked in. In the end, I realized that I didn¡¯t end up knocking on his door. Hayden was awake on his bed and the way he smiled at me when I walked in told me that he must have been expecting me.


    "Did you run into Ethan just now?" Hayden asked.


    "Yes, I did," I replied truthfully because I was sure that he already knew the answer to his question anyways.


    As usual, I sat on the side of his bed and Hayden immediately wrapped his arm around my waist. His warmth enveloped me, and I found myself smiling in bliss. I wondered again when we could leave the hospital. I asked Auntie and the doctor who came to see me so many times, but their replies were always vague.


    "When can we get out of here?" I asked Hayden.


    "Tomorrow if the boss doesn¡¯t change his mind," Hayden replied before he shed me aforting smile.


    "Really?" I asked excitedly.


    "Really. I told him that I¡¯m bored out of my mind being stuck here in this room¡­" Haydenined.


    "I want to go back to the mansion¡­" I murmured.


    After trying so hard to make it out of there, I couldn¡¯t quite believe that I was looking forward to going back there. Anything was better than the hospital right now in my opinion. Hayden¡¯s wound had healed up very well ording to him and his doctor while I felt so healthy that I felt like I was wasting my youthful life away in my hospital room.


    "I¡¯m sure that we can leave tomorrow. So, you better say your goodbyes to your doctor and your nurses," Hayden replied as his hand began stroking the small of my back.


    His touch feltforting, and it made me feel warm inside. I love being close to him. Just being beside him or in the same room made me unbelievably happy.


    "I can¡¯t wait to go back home with you¡­" I murmured softly.


    It was a strange feeling but before I realized it, Hayden¡¯s mansion had be my home. There wasn¡¯t another ce that I really wanted to go back to right at that moment. Hayden¡¯s soft caressed against my back felt soforting that the important questions that I had to ask him almost slipped from my mindpletely.


    "Hayden¡­why did Ethane to see you?" I asked before I turned to stare into his beautiful blue eyes.


    My thought that the question must have been a hard one to answer seemed to bepletely off. Hayden seemed very rx about discussing the topic with me and I couldn¡¯t sense a change in the atmosphere around him. He just looked at me before his lips curved into a small smile.


    "Why are you always so curious?" Hayden teased me before he chuckled softly.


    "Please¡­tell me¡­" I pleaded softly.


    "Nothing much, really. When you were gone, I thought that Ethan took you, so he was the first person who I went to first," Hayden told me with a grin.


    "Oh¡­" I murmured in understanding.


    Well, if I were him, I would probably suspect Ethan first too, so I didn¡¯t me Hayden for getting it wrong. Although, Ethan really wouldn¡¯t use any serious force against me.


    --To be continued¡­


    Please check out my new book: Love ve to My Devil CEO Boss


    My other books: Forbidden Heat, Lust Contracts, Conquering the Emperor


    Thank you very much for your support!

 Chapter 373: Men with Egos

    "When he found out that you were missing, he began looking for you right away. With his help, we were able to locate you in a very short time," Hayden told me solemnly.


    "I see¡­" I whispered.


    "Thanks to that, the boss has been reconsidering the rtionship between Torex and Silva," Hayden disclosed brightly before he smiled at me.


    "Wow. Really?" I asked with widened eyes.


    "Well, it¡¯s not that easy but at least the old man is thinking about it. Surprisingly, the most difficult part is Ethan and his big ego," Hayden said with a small chuckle.


    "What does that mean?" I asked, not sure what exactly that meant.


    "He¡¯s having a hard time epting help from Torex as a reward for helping you. He says that he would have helped you regardless¡­and that is starting to piss the old man off¡­" Hayden exined.


    "Was that what you two were discussing?" I asked curiously.


    "Pretty much¡­" Hayden muttered.


    "What will you do? Can you help convince Ethan to¡­be more cooperative? I mean, he¡¯s the one who wants a partnership between Torex and Silva, right?" I asked, daring to be hopeful that some progress will be made.


    Hayden turned and gave me a pointed look before he closed his eyes and sighed. For a moment, he looked very tired and bored of everything that was going on in the world. I could still recall the look he gave me when he confessed to me that he hated his job. I guess that feeling has never really dissipated at all from his mind.


    "Stop pressuring your dear husband so much, wife¡­" Hayden murmured inint.


    "I¡¯m not pressuring you¡­or at least, I don¡¯t think that I am¡­" I quickly corrected.


    Hayden narrowed his eyes at me before shaking his head like he didn¡¯t want to deal with any of my nonsense anymore. I honestly never thought that there would be any silver lining attached to my recent kidnapping. The situation looked so bad, and Hayden even got injured because of it. Despite all that, there seemed to be some good that came out of it.


    Probably because Ethan and his gang helped out in my rescue, the boss now seemed more agreeable to some kind of partnership. Hayden¡¯s attitude towards Ethan seemed to have improved as well although I doubt that he would be willing to admit it himself any time soon.


    He let Ethan visit him in his hospital room. To me, that was a really big step forward. It was quite hard for me to believe and wrap my head around, but it seemed like my unfortunate kidnapping has somehow brought the two gangs closer. A union may not be just around the corner, but a few steps forward was more than I could ever ask for.


    "Thank you, Hayden¡­" I murmured before I smiled shyly at him.


    "What are you thanking me for?" he asked before looking away from me.


    Something told me that Hayden must have done something to help change the boss¡¯s mind and attitude regarding this issue. Of course, he probably won¡¯t tell me about it. It wasn¡¯t just Ethan who had his pride and ego, Hayden probably had a lot of that as well.


    "Umm¡­I don¡¯t know¡­for everything that you¡¯ve done, I guess¡­" I replied before offering him one of my sweetest smiles.


    Hayden gave me a slightly confused look before he shook his head slowly from side to side. I didn¡¯t want to be overly optimistic but at that moment, I truly believed that a more peaceful life was waiting for us.


    ¡­


    Tomorrow came and I didn¡¯t remember thest time that I prayed and waited so eagerly for dawn to arrive. Today is the day that Hayden and I can finally leave the hospital and go home. The doctor came to check up on me bright and early in the morning just like I had requested.


    Not wanting to waste even a single moment longer in the hospital, I had requested for my doctor to check up on me as early as possible.


    "You look very energetic today¡­" the doctormented before he smiled warmly at me.


    Of course, I was energetic. I was beyond excited to get out of this hospital room. I want to eat proper food, sleep in a proper bed, and live a proper life with Hayden and Little Hayden back at the mansion. I smiled a little to myself when I looked down at the diamond ring that Hayden had given me.


    Since we¡¯ve gotten married not much has changed between us and I was starting to wonder if this was normal.


    Since I have never been married before, I didn¡¯t know what life was supposed to be like for a married couple. I lived with Hayden in his mansion before we got married so there would probably be nothing new there. Is it normal for there to be no change after we get married?


    Probably not¡­right¡­?


    "I¡¯m looking forward to going back home with my husband," I replied a little proudly.


    Although Hayden didn¡¯t have any difficulties in referring to me as his wife, it still felt very strange for me to refer to Hayden as my husband. This was probably the first time that I referred to him as my husband to someone else. The doctor didn¡¯t react to it, but I felt heat rush to my face as I began blushing. It¡¯s going to take a while for me to get used to this.


    Maybe I¡¯ll start seeing changes in our lives when we finally make it out of the hospital.


    Fortunately, the doctor found nothing wrong with me and I was ready to be discharged. I wanted to jump up and down with joy, but I knew that I had to hold it in. Auntie arrived to help pack my things along with a few maids and soon we were on our way back to the mansion.


    Probably because of the recent incident, there were more bodyguards everywhere than normal. I walked out of my hospital room to see Hayden already standing there waiting for me. I gasped in surprise when I saw him. Hayden was dressed in his standard white suit, and I was reminded once again of how handsome and princely he looks.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 374: Officially Married

    "Why do you look so shocked?" Hayden asked before offering me his arm.


    I quickly looped my arms around his as I leaned in closer to him. He doesn¡¯t just look good; he smells good too. Hayden looked down at me and caught me staring up at his angelic face.


    "Are you ok¡­or do we need to get your brain checked?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    "I¡¯m ok! Let¡¯s¡­go home¡­" I quickly replied before he made his joke a reality.


    We made it back to the mansion without incident. Thest time we left the mansion, we were headed to the church where we were supposed to get married. Who would have thought that it was more than a week after that before we could return back here again. Also, we didn¡¯t get married at the church. I wondered how fate could be so cruel to me to have my church wedding fail two times in a row.


    Thankfully, we were married already as far as we were concerned.


    I nced at Hayden who was seated leisurely on his sofa while I wondered what was supposed to happen next between us. Are we supposed to get our marriage registered? Is that required or expected?


    What are the protocols that a girl needs to follow when she marries a mafia gang member?


    Hayden was reading something on his phone, and he seemed focused on that. Nothing made me believe that Hayden was anywhere near inclined to tell me about what we were supposed to do.


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name as I approached him.


    Hayden looked up from his phone while I sat down next to him on the sofa. I knew that I should just ask him directly about it, but I just couldn¡¯t find the right words.


    "If you have something to say, you should just say it¡­" Hayden said as his eyes continued to watch my face.


    Although his tone was more encouraging than stern, the way his eyes stared at me made me more nervous. He was right, I should get this over with.


    "Umm¡­I was just wondering about what is supposed to happen now? We¡¯re married but¡­if there something that we¡¯re supposed to do?" I asked hesitantly.


    My words felt weird even to my own ears. I wondered what Hayden thought about my questions.


    "Is there something that you want to do?" Hayden asked instead of replying to my questions.


    "No¡­not really¡­I was just wondering¡­" I mumbled in reply.


    "If that¡¯s the case then we don¡¯t have to do anything. The boss will instruct us on what he wants us to do," Hayden replied passively.


    "Oh¡­I see¡­" I mumbled.


    I guess we really don¡¯t have to do anything or think about anything at all. The boss will probably decide for us, and Hayden would probably just go along with whatever his father has decided.


    "We¡¯re married, Malissa. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re my wife now. We don¡¯t need to do anything else unless you want us to do something else to make our marriage more official, then you can let me know," Hayden replied as his eyes stared deeply into mine.


    I could feel how earnest he was, and his words truly touched me. I guess I hadn¡¯t realized how insecure I had been feeling until his wordsforted me and assured me that we were really married. It was unfortunate that we didn¡¯t get to have our wedding ceremony after all the nning that we¡¯ve done. My mind immediately went to the wedding dress that Hayden got tailored for me.


    In the end, I didn¡¯t get to wear it and I don¡¯t even know where it is right now.


    "I don¡¯t need anything else. I was just asking because I wasn¡¯t sure if there are things that we needed to do or not based on¡­you know¡­the standard procedure of the gang," I replied honestly.


    "The boss will tell us that soon enough. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll be a bunch of things that we need to do. Unfortunately, that old man isn¡¯t going to give up on the ceremony just because it happened to fail twice¡­" Hayden said while sounding very tired.


    "Really?" I asked in pure surprise.


    Does that mean that we¡¯re going to make another attempt to get married in that church?


    "It¡¯s not just the ceremony. He¡¯ll still want to have the party and all that. It¡¯s for the business, Malissa. Cancelling the partyst minute looked very bad and he¡¯s got to make up for that with his business partners. As for us, we¡¯ll need to get our marriage registered," Hayden exined while sounding slightly irritated.


    "Oh¡­I see¡­" I mumbled.


    "I wouldn¡¯t mind a paperless marriage, though. I mean, the paper doesn¡¯t mean anything to me. It¡¯s just paper. It can¡¯t hold us together or keep us apart¡­" Hayden stated his view casually.


    I wouldn¡¯t say that I entirely disagreed with him, but I didn¡¯t agree with him totally either. The marriage registry is nothing but paper and of course, it can¡¯t prevent people from falling out of love and getting divorced; however, I guess having it would make me feel like our marriage is a little more real and serious.


    "I¡¯m fine either way," I replied honestly.


    Marriage registration aside, I was just praying that our church wedding wouldn¡¯t fail on our third try. Third times the charm, right?


    ¡­


    The next few days were really busy days for both of us. If I had feared that our lives wouldn¡¯t change now that we had gotten married, I was so wrong. Life changed a lot, and it wasn¡¯t because we wanted it to change.


    "This way please¡­that¡¯s it¡­put it there!" Auntie instructed loudly as she waved her arms.


    Men with bulky muscles carriedrge pieces of furniture and boxes all around the mansion. It was a major mess, and I had no idea what was really going on anymore. Now that we were married, the boss wanted us to live like a real married couple, and for some reason, just me moving in to live with Hayden in his wing wasn¡¯t enough.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 375: Big Changes

    As a result of that, the boss came up with the genius idea to remodel some parts of the mansion so that Hayden and I would have a bigger area for ourselves. With that being said, the boss seemed very focus on making sure that there would be enough room for his not-yet-conceived-or-born grandchildren.


    "They¡¯re really making a big deal out of it, huh?" Harveymented with a smallugh before his eyes retuned to the book that he was reading.


    Not knowing what to do and where to go, Hayden and I had retreated to the most private part of the mansion at that moment. Harvey greeted us with a knowing smirk the moment that we ran into him in his living room. It felt like forever since I¡¯vest been in Harvey¡¯s wing of the mansion, although it hadn¡¯t been that long at all.


    Harvey was his same old cheerful and cynical self as always.


    "I guess¡­" I replied before stering a smile on my face.


    "The old man is messing up the entire ce. He¡¯s just acting like this is his ce¡­" Haydenined darkly.


    "Well, it used to be his ce. You¡¯reining but you¡¯re letting the old man have his way, right?" Harvey teased with a smallugh.


    "I¡¯m honestly not bothered to argue or deal with him anymore. I mean, how many bedrooms for kids do we even need? And the yrooms?" Hayden readily pointed out the ridiculousness of the renovation ns.


    "I have to say that I¡¯m happy that I don¡¯t have to go through all this," Harvey said like this whole mess had nothing to do with him at all.


    "Maybe I should propose that we tear down your wing," Hayden suggested before smiling sweetly at his brother to soften the blow of his threat.


    "What?" Harvey snapped.


    "If I told the old man that his grandchildren could get a yground inside the mansion if we tore down your wing, he¡¯ll probably agree to it without a second thought," Hayden continued with a smile.


    "Just because I¡¯m dead, you¡¯re all trying to rob me of my rooms!" Harvey yelled with mocking displeasure.


    I couldn¡¯t hold myughter in after that and started giggling at the ongoing banter between the two brothers. Once again, I was reminded of how close the two were to each other. It must have been nice to grow up with a loving sibling.


    "I heard that the wedding failed miserably, and that the bride was kidnapped. What a joke! Just how far has Torex fallen while I was away?" Harvey eximed with a shocked expression as he pressed his hand t against his chest.


    "I don¡¯t want to hear that from you, Harvey," Hayden snapped without bothering to hide his animosity.


    "At first, I wanted to help find you, Malissa. Then on second thought, I decided to sit back and rx and leave my fool of a brother to sort out his own mess," Harvey said followed by augh that turned his face slightly pink.


    "Says the man who can¡¯t even sort out his own mess," Hayden retorted darkly.


    "Well, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re married. Congrattions to you both!" Harvey cried out happily.


    "Thank you, Harvey," I thanked him with all my heart.


    "Take care of my little brother. He might seem a little rough around the edges and he never says what he truly feels but I can assure you that he¡¯s really a sweetheart," Harvey said in a sweet and adoring voice.


    "I¡¯m sure that he is," I replied before smiling brightly at Harvey.


    Hayden just rolled his eyes before he got up and just left the two of us alone. I guess he couldn¡¯t take any of Harvey¡¯s jokes anymore and decided to leave instead.


    "Do you think he¡¯s really pissed off?" Harvey asked although the smile on his face told me that he didn¡¯t truly care.


    "No, I think he¡¯s fine," I replied with certainty.


    "Good call. You¡¯re starting to understand Hayden a little better," Harveyplimented me before he winked at me yfully.


    We ended upughing along with each other. Harvey went on to tell me about some funny stories from his childhood days with Hayden and while listening to him, I began to feel that he was doing all of this to cheer me up. In his own way, Harvey must have been worried about me when I was kidnapped.


    "I was really scared when it happened, but I feel totally fine now, honestly," I spoke up softly after Harvey came to a break in his story.


    "Really? I¡¯m d to hear it," he replied before he sighed softly.


    Despite teasing Hayden that he didn¡¯t want to help look for me, I knew that Harvey was probably worried about me too when I went missing. Perhaps it was even harder on him because he was confined to his rooms, and he couldn¡¯t openly go out to help look for me.


    "Thank you for worrying about me," I whispered a little shyly.


    "You don¡¯t need to thank me. That¡¯s about all that I can do¡­" Harvey replied regretfully.


    For a moment, Harvey¡¯s face turned sterned like he was seriously thinking about something. It didn¡¯tst long and soon he was smiling at me again. After a while, I excused myself to leave him with his own thoughts.


    ¡­


    Less than a week after our discharge from the hospital, the boss turned up and demanded that weplete our marriage registry. To my surprise, we didn¡¯t have to go to the city hall to get that done. The boss had brought the city hall to us instead.


    "Take off his blindfold," the boss instructed with a wave of his hand.


    I stared at the poor man with a ck blindfold tied around his head. One of the boss¡¯s men quickly did as he was told and soon the blindfold was removed. The man looked around in shock and his body shook visibly. I pitied him and his misfortune immediately. The reason for the blindfold was obvious. This man wasn¡¯t allowed to find out the location of this mansion.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 376: Legally His

    "All you have to do is sign here and that¡¯s it. We¡¯re done!" the boss announced loudly.


    Hayden didn¡¯t seem at all surprised at how his father seemed to be rushing and impatient about everything. Instead of bothering us to travel to the city hall, the boss had a representative from the city hall turn up to our mansion with our marriage registry ready for signing.


    The thin and frail middle-aged man who had the misfortune to be selected for this task looked like he couldn¡¯t wait to get this over and done with so that he could go home.


    The ride to this mansion with a blindfold on must have been harsh on him psychologically if not physically as well considering his age. I fully sympathized with him, and I had to say that from my experience I could understand what it really felt like. The way the man trembled as he stood in front of us reminded me of the old and unfortunate priest that was supposed to wed us twice at the church.


    I wished that our union wouldn¡¯t need to involve any more unfortunate bystanders like this. Not knowing how else tofort the poor man, I presented him one of my warmest smiles.


    One of the men dressed in ck handed a pen to Hayden and then another one to me. Although there was nothing ceremonious about us just signing our names at the line on the marriage registry, the weight of the pen in my hand felt like it weighed a ton. Signing my name here would marry me legally to Hayden and along with it came so many changes and responsibilities.


    I wondered what thoughts ran through Hayden¡¯s mind when he signed his name casually onto the paper in front of us. Unlike me, Hayden did not seem to hesitate at all and perhaps that was because to him, we were already as good as married since he slipped thatrge diamond ring onto my ring finger in the hospital.


    "Your turn," Hayden turned to tell me in such an emotionless tone.


    I nced up to meet his calm blue eyes, and just like that, any hesitations that I may have had evaporated into thin air. Time seemed to travel slowly as I lifted my hand and ced the tip of the pen at the nk space on the page where I was supposed to sign my name.


    Here goes¡­everything¡­


    I could feel Hayden¡¯s intense gaze on me and then on the still-nk space on the paper. After taking in a deep breath, my right hand moved and soon my full signature filled the empty space on the page.


    "Thank you¡­" the man whispered in relief.


    "Malissa¡­" Hayden called my name softly.


    I felt his arms encircle my waist and he was pulling me in closer to him. His fingers captured my chin and tipped my head back, so I was forced to stare right up into his face and his intense blue gaze. His face came closer, and I instinctively closed my eyes as I awaited eagerly to feel the warmth and softness of his lips on mine.


    Hayden kissed me very deeply in front of everyone who was present to witness our legal union. It was frankly extremely embarrassing for me to be kissed this passionately in front of everyone, but I felt like Hayden wasn¡¯t doing this to show off to anyone or toplete the mini ceremony of our union. He was probably just doing it because he felt like it and that was just so like him.


    Everyone around us pped and cheered loudly.


    After his tongue seemed to have had its fill of teasing and tasting me, he broke our kiss to my relief. His heated kiss left me panting and struggling for oxygen. I forgot the presence of everyone else around us when Hayden smiled happily down at me and pulled me against him in a rough hug.


    I closed my eyes and relished in the joy and warmth of his embrace as everything and everyone else fainted into nothingness in my mind.


    We¡¯re now legally married. Although Hayden mentioned that he didn¡¯t think that we needed a paper to bind us together as Man and Wife but having signed that paper with him, it truly felt like we had be man and wife in every sense of the word.


    ¡­


    "You¡¯re meeting Ethan today? Really?" I asked in pure surprise after Hayden had bothered to share the news of his meeting with Ethan to me.


    It was early in the morning, and I had figured that something important must be happening for him at work because he usually never gets up to go to work this early. Hayden also seemed more energetic than normal. It might be too farfetched to say that he seemed to be looking forward to going to work but that was the vibe that I was feeling from him.


    I watched as Hayden pulled on his white suit before he turned to sh me a charming smile. My heart immediately skipped a beat and I started to wonder when I would get used to seeing that smile of his. Probably not in this lifetime¡­


    "Yup. He¡¯s meeting the boss and they want me to be there as well. Things are looking up for Silva for sure this time around," Hayden replied casually.


    "Let me do this¡­" I offered as I took his tie from him.


    I stood up on my tiptoes to tie the tie around his neck for him. Hayden peered down at me, and I nced up to smile at him briefly before my attention returned to knotting his tie. He looked so handsome like always.


    Whoever helped him pick the outfits that lined his wardrobe must be a fashion genius of some sort because all his outfitsplimented at least one of his features and made it standout wlessly whether it was his blue eyes, his skin, or the muscles of his chest and arms. Sometimes, even the muscles of his ass looked adorably pleasing to the eyes through his pants.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 377: Partnership Meeting

    I wondered if other people saw him this way as well or if it was just me because I was probably too obsessed and in love with my husband. That was a question that I kept to myself in amusing wonder.


    "Do you want toe along?" Hayden asked suddenly when I finished with his tie.


    "I can?" I eximed in shock.


    "You can¡¯t leave my side, if you¡¯re fine with that then you can," Hayden replied with a smile.


    "I¡¯m fine with that. I need to get dressed¡­like right now¡­" I replied in a shocked whisper before quickly turning around to head to the dressing room.


    I heard Haydenughing behind me as I rushed off to get some presentable clothes on. After marrying Hayden it wasn¡¯t made entire clear whether I could leave the house and go out as I liked like normal or not. Even with the improvement in the situation with Silva and the other small gangs after my kidnapping, Hayden was still cautious about taking me outside.


    I did my best to be patient and understanding about all this. My not-so-pleasant experience of being kidnapped for the second time was still fresh in my mind although I tried not to think about it.


    "Let¡¯s go. Thank you for waiting," I said cheerfully when I had finished dressing.


    Hayden¡¯s blue eyes travelled down the entire length of my body before making its way up again. He cocked his head to the side slightly before he started frowning.


    "I think your skirt is too short. Put some long pants on and while you¡¯re at it, change the top to something that covers your neck and has long sleeves," Hayden instructed before he turned and strode out of the room.


    I stood glued to the spot as I watched his back while he walked away from me. What has gotten into him?


    My skirt wasn¡¯t any shorter than it usually is, and this top isn¡¯t revealing¡­


    ¡­


    In the end, I changed into the clothes exactly as Hayden had prescribed. Compromising on this was way better than not being allowed to go outside. Since I was still quite scared of being alone, his condition that required me to stay by his side all the time truly worked in my favor as well.


    We arrived at the head quarter of Torex after a while of driving. Since we left very early in the morning, the traffic wasn¡¯t yet bad in the business district. After stepping my foot into the building, I immediately felt safer for no rational reason at all. Unlike the first time that I was here, I felt much less out of ce and intimidated than before.


    The ce gave mefort and a sense of security because I doubt any smaller gangs would attack the headquarters of Torex directly.


    "Are you, ok?" Hayden asked closed to my ear as he wrapped his arm around my waist and leaned in close to me.


    "I¡¯m fine¡­don¡¯t worry¡­" I replied as I tried my best to assure both Hayden and myself at the same time.


    If I wanted to live a life normal outside once again, the first step was for me to get over my fear and paranoia. The first hurdle wasn¡¯t getting Hayden¡¯s permission anymore, the first leap had to be done from my side and I was determined to work on it.


    "The boss is here today so security is very tight. Don¡¯t worry. Ethan and many prominent members of Silva is supposed to be here too," Hayden whispered close to my ear.


    I let him take me by the hand and lead me to the private elevator and led up to the upper zone where the meeting was to be held. Hayden never filled me in on all the details of the uing meeting, so I found myself feeling nervous and strangely excited at what was going to happen.


    I prayed during the ride up in the elevator that the oue of the meeting would be beneficial and satisfying to all parties.


    The meeting room was veryrge and so was the long meeting table that was positioned in the center of the room. When we walked in, Ethan the boss and other prominent members of the two gangs were already present and seated. Are wete?


    Hayden didn¡¯t seem bothered about anything as he strode it and took his seat at the table after asking for one of the men to grab a chair for me. I thanked the man politely before taking my seat next to Hayden at the meeting table. Despite the fact that this was supposed to be a meeting for a partnership, the tension in the air was high and the atmosphere felt suffocating.


    The old men seated at the table all had very stern looks on their faces.


    I nced over at Ethan who caught me looking at him and smiled a little my way. Just like Hayden, he didn¡¯t seem at all bothered by the stifling atmosphere in the room. The boss cleared his throat, and everyone seemed to sit a little straighter than before and that marked the official beginning of the meeting.


    "We are here today to discuss and to vote on the potential partnership between Torex and Silva regarding underground auctions. Please review the documents in front of you if you haven¡¯t done so already. If anyone has rifying questions, please ask them up front. If not, then we will proceed into the discussion.


    As per standard protocols, everyone will be asked to cast a vote either for or against the partnership. No one is allowed to abstain from voting or voting for a neutral stance. That is all," a middle-aged man with a beard spoke through the microphone before sitting back down in his chair.


    "That¡¯s how it is. So, any questions before we start the discussion?" the boss asked, and he sounded quite annoyed.


    Everyone seemed to pay attention to the document in front of them, but no one raised any questions. Hayden didn¡¯t even bother to look at the paper in front of him. I wondered if Hayden would vote in favor for the partnership or not. If he¡¯s here as well, that means that Hayden also has a vote to cast, right?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 378: His Vote is for Sale

    "Well, if there are no questions. Let¡¯s start the discussion. Ethan, why don¡¯t you try to tell everyone why this is such a great idea¡­" the boss said as he waved his hand at Ethan to stand up.


    Ethan¡¯s face clearly showed that he didn¡¯t expect that he had to make a speech of any kind. Regardless, he stood up and smiled around at everyone at the room. When he started speaking, I was awestruck by how mature he sounded and looked.


    Had he always been like this? Probably not.


    He¡¯s changed so much from the time that we were together and probably in a way that was better for him and the gang that he now leads and controls. I didn¡¯t focus on what he was saying at all because I was too busy admiring the man that he had be. Sure, he turned out very differently from what I imagined he would be like in our future together during the time that we were together.


    However, I doubt that I turned out the way that he had imagined me either.


    "Stop gawking at him or I¡¯m going to make sure that this partnership never sees the light of day¡­" Hayden hissed threateningly from next to me.


    His words shocked me, and I nced over at him to see his blue eyes narrowing at me dangerously. I stered an apologetic smile on my face.


    "I wasn¡¯t gawking at him¡­" I muttered softly in denial.


    "Really¡­" Hayden said, sounding unconvinced.


    Suddenly, I felt extremely worried, and my entire attention was on Hayden rather than anything that Ethan was saying in his little speech. Hayden isn¡¯t really mad, is he? He¡¯s not going topletely destroy the partnership, right?


    Hayden¡¯s cold blue eyes shifted from my face down to the papers in front of him before he pushed the paper away from him as if in disgust. I bit on my lower lip and closed my eyes as I dreamt up the worst scenario possible. The Torex managers shifted their gaze towards Hayden, and I felt like I could see the world start to crumble.


    Why does Hayden have to be so difficult to deal with and so unpredictable?


    Should I say something to him to correct this misunderstanding before it leads to bigger issues?


    "Hayden¡­it¡¯s not like that. I was just thinking that it¡¯s good that things are over between Ethan and me¡­" I mumbled softly so that my words would be for his ears only.


    "Is that so¡­" Hayden muttered withpletely disinterest.


    He probably thought that my words were nothing but excuses. We¡¯re married now so what more does he want?


    My thoughts were so focused on Hayden that I didn¡¯t realize that Ethan had ended his speech until the boss¡¯s booming voice called for the start of the vote. This was the first time that I attended a meeting that had a voting in ce. I wondered how the voting will be done.


    "The voting mechanism is simple andpletely transparent. I will call for those who are for the proposal to raise their hands and there would be a count. Then I will call for those who are against to raise their hands. We will take a 5-minute break for everyone to decide before proceeding with the voting," the man from before announced.


    My eyes widened at the simple voting process that the man just described. So, people just had to raise their hands? That¡¯s it?


    It did not ur to me at that time how political this whole thing was made to be because of the way the voting procedure was structured.


    "Should I raise my hand to vote for or against?" Hayden asked me with a smirk on his lips.


    Why do I feel like I have to wager something for him to vote in support of the proposal?


    Hayden probably knew well by now that I wished for this partnership to go ahead. I mean, if it doesn¡¯t, how else are we supposed to experience any peace between the two gangs?


    "What do you want to vote for?" I asked as my eyes met his.


    "What do you want me to vote for?" Hayden asked in return before he smiled teasing at me.


    Is he trying to test me or something? What does he want?


    "I want you to vote in favor of the proposal," I replied honestly.


    "Hmm¡­what will you give me if I do?" he asked bluntly.


    Has he ever heard of the concept that votes should not be bought and sold? I guess not¡­


    "Selling you vote?" I asked with a wry grin.


    "I will¡­at the right price," he replied without any hint of guilt.


    "There¡¯re so many voters here in the room. I doubt your vote will make much of a difference¡­" I mumbled as I looked around the room at the various older men who seemed busy doing so many random things that had nothing to do with discussion the proposal.


    "Hmm¡­is that what you really think?" Hayden said before he chuckled.


    His tone of voice told me that I was gravely wrong. What trick is he going to pull now?


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked as I tried to search his face for some clues.


    Obviously, I found none at all. Hayden was outwardly very amused, and it was clear that he was enjoying messing with my head. His eyes scanned the room before they returned to rest on my face again.


    "Why do you think the voting process is structured this way?" he asked as if prompting me to think.


    "Because¡­it¡¯s fair?" I took a guess, although I didn¡¯t see the point that he was getting at all.


    "It¡¯s transparent¡­too transparent. However, it is anything but fair," Hayden whispered before he chuckled with an evil glint in his blue eyes.


    "It¡¯s¡­not fair?" I asked, confused.


    Everyone had one vote. So how was that not fair?


    "The boss doesn¡¯t vote by the way; in case you didn¡¯t know that. Everyone else in the room has one vote regardless of position," Hayden began to exin.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 379: Lovers’ Political Negotiation

    "So, why isn¡¯t that fair?" I asked, still not getting his point.


    Hayden grinned at me and gave me a look that seemed to pity me and my stupidity. I red back at him as I silently demanded for an answer.


    "Think about it, Malissa. People are asked the put up their hands. Nothing in the rules states that they have to put their hands up at the same time. So, say¡­who will put their hand up first?" Hayden prompted me to think.


    "Huh?" I murmured in confusion.


    "Even worst¡­let¡¯s say that I don¡¯t put my hand up when they ask who is in favor. What do you think those old Torex folks are going to do?" Hayden asked with an innocent smile on his lips.


    They won¡¯t put their hands up. If the next heir doesn¡¯t put his hand up, they probably won¡¯t put their hand up to vote in favor. This is all because they can see what the other people are choosing to do, and they can react to it.


    Everyone will be watching everyone else. Why didn¡¯t I realize this before?


    I thought of the eyes of the Torex managers on Hayden when he pushed the paper further away from him on the table. They were all watching him.


    "Alternatively, what will happen if I were to put my hand up first?" Hayden asked with a calcted smile.


    All or almost all of the Torex managers will probably put up their hands up to follow what Hayden was doing. I let out a sigh when I finally realized that this voting process was never designed to be fair in the first ce.


    "So, tell me, do you still think that I have only one vote?" Hayden asked before he smirked at me when he realized that I seemed to have understood what was going on behind this twisted voting mechanism.


    The reason why Hayden had seemed so carefree up until now was probably because knew all of this already. The truth was that there was no such thing as voting for or against the proposal. In reality, there was only one vote and one person who would truly decide whether this proposal went through or not, and unfortunately, that man happened to be my dear and wonderful husband here.


    "What do you want?" I asked, getting right to the point.


    Judging from how he was acting, I could guess that Hayden already had something in mind that he wanted from me. That was probably why he suggested to bring me here in the first ce. It just seemed like I was waltzing deeper and deeper into the maze that he had created with every step that I took forward.


    Hayden smiled so sweetly at me that my chest felt tight and ufortable. How cunning can this man be?


    "Ethan gave you something, right?" Hayden asked but it wasn¡¯t truly a question.


    He knows¡­


    "Yes, he did," I replied truthfully because there was no point in evading it.


    "I take it that you haven¡¯t read the letter that he gave you. Is that correct?" he asked.


    I just nodded. I knew that he already knew. How he knew, I had no idea.


    "I want to read it with you when you decide to read it," Hayden stated his demand as he stared right into my face.


    He wants to read the letter with me? The letter from Ethan?


    "That¡¯s¡­" I mumbled in hesitation.


    Isn¡¯t that like a direct vition of privacy or something? What if Ethan wrote some very personal and inappropriate things in there?


    "Voting will start in around two minutes time. We¡¯re waiting for some members to return from the restroom," the man announced.


    Suddenly, on top of all the pressure that I was under, I was also pressed for time.


    "Time is running out, Malissa. What do you want to do?" Hayden asked before shing me an innocent smile.


    I had a bittersweet rtionship with that smile of his. It didn¡¯t seem like I had much of a choice. If that was what he wanted, then it was probably worth it to make sure that this partnership goes through. We came such a long way to get to this day, I can¡¯t just let it go to waste. My freedom to roam around outside may just be around the corner.


    "Fine. We¡¯ll read it together. So please, vote in favor of this proposal," I replied decisively.


    "Very well," Hayden replied with clear satisfaction.


    I had no ideas why he wanted to read that letter so much or how he found out about it, but if that was what he wanted then¡­


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name when he suddenly pulled me closer to him.


    "Shhh¡­" he hushed me up by cing a finger against my lips.


    My eyes widened in surprise before his warm lips reced his finger on my lips. He kissed me right there while my body froze in shock. Thankfully, the kiss did notst long but it was long enough to make me feel embarrassed and funny inside.


    "Done. Sealed with a kiss," Hayden whispered teasingly into my ear.


    "We will now proceed to voting. Everyone please take your seat," the man announced loudly to call the meeting back to order.


    I nced over at Hayden nervously although I knew that he would undoubtedly keep his word. Hopefully, the other Torex leaders will vote in favor of the proposal as well just like Hayden was going to. My hands clenched tightly on myp as I waited to see what would happen next. My eyes strayed to Ethan who seemed as rxed andposed as always.


    Why does it seem like I¡¯m the only one that is nervous about all this?


    "Now may I ask everyone who is in favor of the proposal to please raise your hand," the man announced loud and clear.


    I looked around at the silent room, where absolutely no hands went up. This was exactly what Hayden had anticipated. The result of this voting would probably be swayed by whoever was brave enough to raise his hand first.


    Haydenughed softly to himself before he slowly raised his hand up firmly into the air.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 380: Finally, a Partnership and a Wedding

    All eyes were on Hayden¡¯s raised hand including my own. The silence that dominated the room made it feel like time had stopped. Suddenly, many more hands shot up into the air at the same time and it was like time had resumed itself again. Although Hayden had told me that something of this effect would take ce, I still found myself a little stunned at the almostical scene in front of me.


    This whole thing was pretty much rigged for sure from the start. It was like the managers didn¡¯t even put any thought in the partnership and was just blindly following Hayden and his choice.


    That being said, not every manager of Torex hand their hands up in the air. It was just like before, not all managers seemed to be on Hayden¡¯s side or in favor of him taking over. Although that was the case, I could tell that there were more than enough hands in the air for this proposal to pass.


    "Thank you. If there is no one else, then we will proceed forward. May I ask everyone who votes against his proposal to please raise your hand. Also, may I remind you that abstaining from voting is not an option. Everyone must vote," the man announced again.


    Fewer hands rose in the air, and it could be quickly concluded that the partnership had passed. I breathe a long sigh of relief before I began smiling a little to myself. This partnership has finally gone through, and it is finally going to happen. Of course, I didn¡¯t know the real business details of the deal, but I was d enough that it would bring some peace between the two gangs.


    I also doubt that Hayden would vote to support it if he thought that it didn¡¯t make sense business-wise regardless of how much he wanted to read that letter that Ethan gave to me.


    "Thank you for your votes and your patience. Based on the results, the partnership between Torex and Silva in joining hands in the underground auction business will go ahead," the man announced before concluding the meeting.


    The men seated around the table pped their hands politely at the announcement while I couldn¡¯t keep myself from smiling. Hayden only turned and smirked at me. He was probably satisfied that he got something that he wanted along with a business deal with Silva. Ethan looked quite satisfied as well. It seemed like everything wasing to a happy ending for everybody.


    "Well, that concludes the meeting for today. Off to do whatever you need to do!" the bossmanded quite loudly to officially end the meeting.


    Many mangers started filing out of the room until only the boss, Ethan, Hayden and I remained in the room. Since Hayden did not move from his seat, I stayed seated next to him like before.


    "Thank you for supporting this, Hayden," Ethan spoke up.


    "You can thank Malissa. Actually, I¡¯ll give her your thanks," Hayden replied passionlessly.


    His cold response made Ethanugh out pretty loudly.


    "Congrattions again on your wedding. Are you going to give the ceremony another shot?" Ethan asked teasingly.


    The boss who had been observing their exchange and decided to jump in enthusiastically.


    "Actually, we n to host wedding next Saturday. Are you free? You¡¯re weed to join in," the boss chimed in loudly.


    My mouth dropped opened in my shock at the sudden turn of events. This was the first time that I heard anything about us having our wedding next weekend. I turned to re at Hayden, and he just shrugged at me like he also didn¡¯t have any clue at all.


    "I¡¯m happy to attend. Maybe I should be put in charge of security this time around for¡­additional safety¡­" Ethan suggested before ring at Hayden usingly.


    "Good. I look forward to seeing you," the boss said beforeughing loudly.


    Just like that, we were having our wedding ceremony and celebration again¡­for the third time.


    ¡­


    Seeing Ethan reminded me that I haven¡¯t gotten around to opening the letter that he gave to me as my wedding present. The deal that I made with Hayden also brought that letter back to the top of my mind again. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect that letter to contain much more than simple well wishes and blessings from Ethan and maybe something that would suit his sardonic humor.


    After the meeting ended, Hayden took me back to the mansion. The news of our wedding did not excite me at all like it did before. We were already married and so it felt very funny to be having a ceremony and celebration. However, I knew better than toin about it. Just like Hayden, I was starting to learn to let things slide just so that we didn¡¯t need to deal with the boss.


    "For the wedding, we can use the same things that we chose before, right? We probably just need to find a new organizer¡­or maybe we can cut out the whole decoration thing¡­" I mumbled thoughtfully while in the car with Hayden.


    "At this point, I can¡¯t wait to get this over and done with. You can decide. The less trouble, the better¡­" Hayden growled in annoyance.


    I felt the same way. All the excitement was gone now, so the only upside that I could think about was that I would finally get to wear the wedding dress that Hayden had designed and gotten tailored for me. After all, it would be such a waste to let such a wonderful dress go unworn.


    We arrived at the mansion just in time for dinner. Although I wasn¡¯t hungry, I knew that Hayden would nag for us to eat on time so I didn¡¯t hesitate to follow him straight to the dining room where we knew that dinner would be waiting for us.


    "Where is the letter?" Hayden asked the moment that we took our seats at the dining table.


    Wow, clearly the price of his vote had not escaped his mind at all. The letter was safely stored in my closet.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 381: The Letter

    Aftering back to the mansion from the hospital, I had left the letter there with the thought to read itter alone when I had time to rx. It wasn¡¯t like I had forgotten about it, more like I haven¡¯t gotten around to reading it yet.


    "In my closet. Should I go get it now?" I offered.


    "No. Eat first. We can read it right after dinner," Hayden said as he began eating.


    I chewed at the food while my mind wondered why Hayden wanted to read the letter that Ethan gave to me so much? Was he just jealous and wanted to pry into what Ethan had written? Was that it?


    Finally, dinner was over, and we headed to Hayden¡¯s living room where he waited for me to go fetch the letter that Ethan had given me.


    When I opened the envelope there was another envelope inside that looked much older than the one on the outside. Something about the old and slightly worn envelope told me that the letter inside wasn¡¯t written recently and that it wasn¡¯t written by Ethan.


    There was no point in wondering or guessing about the identity of the person who wrote it or the content of the letter at this point because all I had to do was open the second envelope.


    I could feel Hayden¡¯s eyes on my shaky hands as I held the old envelope between my fingers. What exactly is inside?


    "Open it," Hayden said encouragingly.


    "Ok¡­" I replied in a whisper before my fingers moved to carefully unseal and open the envelope.


    The paper inside seemed to be in good condition and I could tell that this envelope had never been opened before. I removed the paper from the envelope and unfolded it to reveal the handwritten letter inside.


    My hand shook and my brows furrowed in disbelief when I saw the familiar handwriting that I will forever recognize. Father¡¯s handwriting. There¡¯s no mistaking it, this is definitely my father¡¯s handwriting.


    "Dad¡­" I whispered.


    "Read it to me," Hayden instructed calmly as he backed away from me as if to give me some space and some privacy.


    Hayden didn¡¯t seem so surprised that my father was the one who wrote this letter and that this was never truly a letter from Ethan from the start. Many questions emerged into my mind but none of them were as important as the content of the letter from my father that was right in front of me right now. When did he write this? Howe Ethan has a letter to me from my father?


    "Dear My Lisa¡­" I began reading out loud.


    ¡¯If you are reading this then your mother and I are probably long gone from this world. Your mother and I decided to write you this letter so that we can congratte you on one of the most important days of your life, your wedding day. We wish with all our hearts that you will be smiling as a happy bride on this memorable day while standing proudly next to the love of your life.


    Although we may not be with you, we hope that you know that your mother and father love you so very much.


    How old are you now, Lisa?


    You must have grown into a beautiful young woman who has your mother¡¯s kind smile and wonderful spirit. It¡¯s such a shame that we both didn¡¯t live long enough to witness you blossom into the woman that you are today. You must be confused about many things and hurt by the many things that have probably happened to you all because of our selfishness.


    We know that we owe you some answers and although we can¡¯t anticipate all your questions, here are our answers.¡¯


    "Is that enough already...?" I asked in a small and broken voice as more tears streamed down my eyes.


    I could barely form the words anymore as my sobs wrecked my body. It was getting difficult to breathe and I no longer wanted to read these words from my parents to Hayden.


    "Keep going¡­" Hayden demanded emotionlessly.


    "No¡­I can¡¯t¡­" I admitted truthfully.


    I had no idea what was in the letter or why my parents chose to write it. Just reading it hurts. I could feel so much of their love, fears, sorrow, and regret in every word written on this piece of paper. Worst of all, it seemed like my parents knew that their life could be in danger. Did they know that they were going to die?


    "Yes, you can¡­" Hayden stated firmly.


    I bit on my lower lip as I tried to stifle my sobs and stop my tears. It was hard. I ced the paper down on the table in front of me before using my fingers to wipe the tears away from my eyes. My vision felt so blurry. After blowing my nose unattractively into a tissue, I picked up the letter again and began reading as Hayden watched me.


    "If you haven¡¯t figured it out by now, I would like to confess that I was part of a mafia gang and family¡­" I began reading.


    ¡¯When you were young, a certain incident made us reflect on our role as parents. We felt that we couldn¡¯t provide you with the safety and security that you deserve given my position in the gang. Shortly after, we decided to cut ties with the mafia and go into hiding. All of it was to give you a fair shot at a normal life.


    I hope that we have provided you with a good and normal childhood as we raised you in a normal family. However, as we are writing this, we have realized that the dream world that we have created may notst. If something may befall us, then it is ourst wish that you survive and that you have a wonderful and long life.


    Our decision to cut ties with the mafia wasn¡¯t to keep you away from them but we wanted to give you a chance to choose for yourself what you want to do with your life. If for that to happen, both of us need to disappear, then that is the price that we are willing to pay.¡¯


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 382: Endless Love

    ¡¯In my time with the mafia, I had been fortunate enough to help raise two boys who will be influential in the mafia scene when they get older. Their names are Ethan and Hayden. If you meet them, which I am sure that you will, please apologize to them for me for not taking care of them until the very end. Those two should have grown up into very respectable men right now.


    If they know who you are, they will undoubtedly help and support you.


    Hayden¡¯s father and I are very close friends. When he helped to rescue you from danger, we made a funny promise that you would marry Hayden in the future. We doubt that that would really happen, but we would be beyond happy if that is how things have turned out.


    Lastly, we love you and we just want you to know that we are proud of you and whatever choices you made for yourself.¡¯


    "With endless love¡­" I finished reading the letter.


    "Don¡¯t cry, Malissa," Hayden told me.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I quickly apologized as I wiped my tears away with my hands.


    "It¡¯s ok now¡­" Hayden whispered.


    I felt his strong arms around me as he pulled me into his embrace. His warmth and familiar scent enveloped me. I started crying again as he held me against his hard and broad chest. His hand stroked the back of my head tenderly as he continued to hold me in his arms tofort me. Despite his words, Hayden¡¯s actions were so gentle and loving.


    "There¡¯s no need for you to cry, Malissa. Your parents wrote you such a loving letter. I¡¯m sure that they are proud of you just like they have written in the letter," Haydenforted me before he kissed the top of my head.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­" I muttered in between my sobs.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I lived up to my parent¡¯s expectations or not. There wasn¡¯t a hint of regret in my body about the choices that I¡¯ve made but I was so upset. I had no idea that my parents had to pay such a hefty price just so I could live a normal life and just so that I would have the privilege to make my own decisions about what I wanted in life.


    "At least I ended up marrying you¡­" I mumbled softly to myself.


    "What did you say?" Hayden asked softly next to my ear.


    "I said¡­that at least I ended up marrying you just like what my parents had hoped¡­" I whispered before I felt tears pooling in my eyes again.


    Hayden stroked my hair before he started kissing it. His touch felt gentle and warm. I snuggled closer against his body as if seeking for more of hisfort. His hand stroked my back as he continued to hold me close.


    "Did you know about this letter?" I asked what came to mind.


    "Not really¡­but I had a hunch¡­" Hayden replied softly.


    "Really?" I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking.


    "Ethan mentioned that he gave you a letter. The way he said it told me that it must have been from your parents¡­and not from him¡­" Hayden admitted solemnly.


    "I see¡­" I murmured against his chest.


    Wait a second. If Hayden knew that this letter wasn¡¯t a letter from Ethan to me, then why was he so interested in knowing it¡¯s content enough to ask to be here with me when I read it.


    "Why did you ask to read the letter with me?" I asked directly as I tipped my face up to look at his face.


    Hayden¡¯s blue eyes stared down at me before his beautiful lips curved into a small smile.


    "If I didn¡¯t ask for you to read it with me¡­then you¡¯ll be crying all alone right now, right?" Hayden said knowingly.


    He wanted to¡­be here tofort me? Am I understanding him, right?


    "Thank you¡­Hayden¡­" I whispered as I buried my crying face back into his chest.


    His strong arms around me felt so safe. For now, I¡¯ll just hide here from the world and let himfort me.


    ¡­


    My nights have been sleepless for many nights now. Iid next to Hayden in bed with my eyes wide opened although I couldn¡¯t see much in the darkness. Ever since having that dream in the hospital, it came back to haunt me over and over again. That young teenager who looked so much like the younger version of Hayden just wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.


    The dream was always the same and in my dream, he would say the exact same thing. It drove me crazy to the point where I got scared. I had to convince myself repeatedly that ghosts don¡¯t exist. Hayden was still alive so that younger guy couldn¡¯t possibly be Hayden¡¯s ghost. This conversation that I had with myself was enough proof to me that I was indeed losing my mind.


    Whenever I went to sleep, he woulde to me. I thought that I would get used to it or that he would simply disappear one day but that hasn¡¯t happened yet. When I closed my eyes, I would feel scared of falling asleep because I didn¡¯t want to see him.


    "Malissa¡­what¡¯s wrong?" Hayden asked sleepily from close to me.


    I could feel the bed shift under us as he turned his body around. Then his arms were around me as he hugged me close to him.


    "Nothing. I need to go to the toilet¡­don¡¯t mind me¡­" I replied softly before getting out of bed.


    If I told him that I kept having dreams where I saw a younger version of him, would he think that I¡¯m losing it?


    Most probably.


    I walked over slowly to the toilet in the dark to put myself back together. It seemed like the only way to stop that guy from visiting me in my dream is for me to fall asleep from exhaustion. That usually happened when Hayden made love to me roughly until I fell asleep or when I am adequately sleep deprived.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 383: Before I Lose It

    Staring at the dark circles under my eyes in the mirror, I was finally convinced that I had to do something about this recurring nightmare before I really lose it. The answer was simple enough to identify but as always it was much harder to execute. I should tell Hayden about the dream and simply ask him about it. There are two reasons why I haven¡¯t done that just yet.


    First, I had been trying to understand what the dream could mean and how it may have a link to reality. So far, I¡¯vee up with a very usible theory even if I do say so myself. Second, it was just in hard to bring this topic up to Hayden. Something told me that he wouldn¡¯t like to discuss it with me.


    I¡¯ve realized it way before now that Hayden wasn¡¯t a fan of digging up old relics from the past.


    It was a few dayster when I found the perfect opportunity to talk about it with Hayden. Thankfully, we didn¡¯t have to do anything in preparation for our wedding ceremony or celebration. The boss was happy enough if we could just stick to the old sequence that we rehearsedst time which was easy enough for both of us. That meant that we both had a lot of free time on our hands.


    I¡¯ve taken a break from epting newmission art projects for now, but this free time gave me the opportunity to wrap up some pendingmissions.


    There was an urgent piece of work that I had to work on that couldn¡¯t be pushed back like some of the rest. Ironically, it was a painting of a couple who were getting married. The bride¡¯s mother hadmissioned it as a wedding present for her daughter. That meant that the painting had to bepleted in time before her daughter¡¯s wedding.


    It was quite funny that I had to be working on a wedding present for someone else when my own celebration was just around the corner.


    Hayden walked into my art studiote in the afternoon and that caught me by surprise. I cocked my head to the side as he plopped himself down on a stool close to me. I wondered why Hayden was home so early today.


    "Not so much work today?" I took a guess.


    "Yeah¡­thankfully¡­" Hayden replied as he shrugged off his white suit.


    "Are you hungry? It might be a little early for dinner now, though¡­" I asked before shifting my attention back to the painting in front of me.


    I felt Hayden¡¯s presence close behind me and realized that he was standing behind me now. He was probably looking at the paint that I was working on.


    "Looks good. Your client is getting married?" he asked.


    "No, but her daughter is. That¡¯s why I¡¯m working hard to finish this off," I replied before I turned to sh him a smile.


    "I guess you¡¯re not excited about our wedding anymore¡­" Hayden said with a smallugh.


    "I¡¯m just praying that it would go smoothly this time, or your father will pop a vein somewhere for sure," I teased back.


    "It better go well because it would be truly sad if we had to take a fourth crack at it," Hayden replied with augh.


    "Are you freeter today?" I asked while trying to keep my tone light and casual.


    "I am. Why?" Hayden replied.


    "Want to take a little stroll in the garden today with me? It¡¯s been a long while¡­" I suggested invitingly.


    "¡­Sure," Hayden replied before he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugged me from behind.


    "I need to work, you know¡­" I muttered in slight protest.


    "Right. I¡¯ll leave you to it. I¡¯ll be around¡­call me when you¡¯re done," Hayden said as he willingly let go of me.


    When Hayden left, I let out a long sigh. This is going to be a strange and very difficult conversation for me, and I had no idea how Hayden would react. If I got this all wrong, he would probably think that I¡¯ve lost my mind for sure.


    ¡­


    The wind in my face and hair was pleasant and calming. Hayden held my hand as we walked slowly through the gardens of the mansion. It just before sunset and there was just enough light from the sun in the sky. After we have this chat, which shouldn¡¯t take long, we should be in time to have our usual dinner together.


    "Should we take a seat?" I said invitingly when we arrived in front of a bench.


    This area in was quite deep in the garden and it was very private. Normally, no one ventured into the gardens that often anyways besides from the gardeners and it was past their working hours by then. I figured that no one would disturb us here and the view from this bench was a bonus to the eyes.


    "Sure," Hayden agreed passively.


    We sat down on the bench side and side. I took in a deep breath as if to enjoy the fresh air but that wasn¡¯t the case. The truth was, I was so nervous of what I needed to say to him.


    "Umm¡­You lied, right?" I asked.


    Hayden turned to look at me with an astonished look on his face. He didn¡¯t bother to hide his surprise at my words and then his eyes narrowed at me.


    Did thate out too much like an usation just now? Why does it look like Hayden¡¯s about to pounce on me and tear me to tiny pieces?


    "I mean¡­" I mumbled as I tried to find better words. So much for rehearsing this beforehand¡­


    "I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about," Hayden replied quite darkly.


    The coward in me told me that it wasn¡¯t toote to turn this conversation around to talk about something else instead. However, I no longer wanted to listen to the coward in me.


    "When you told me that you didn¡¯t know anything about thest time that I was kidnapped. You were lying, right?" I asked again, this time with much more context than thest.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 384: Shared Past

    ¡¯¡­I was too young to get involved in the incident, but I remember that it was a big mess. In the end, the adults got you back,¡¯


    I recalled the words that he said when he told me about the kidnapping incident that happened when I was a very young child. Howe I didn¡¯t remember anything about it until recently?


    It was hard to believe but it seemed like the recent kidnapping worked to somehow trigger my memory about that unpleasant incident from the past.


    "I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about," Hayden replied once again with an unreadable expression on his face.


    Great. He¡¯spletely denying it and I have no proof that I¡¯m right. Maybe I¡¯m the only one going crazy here after all. Regardless, I¡¯vee this far so¡­


    "You called me Lisa¡­When you came to save me, you called me Lisa¡­" I told him with such desperation in my voice that I was shocked at myself.


    "Did I?" he asked as if he had no clue what I was talking about.


    "¡­You did," I replied with a firm nod of my head.


    I was scared and I was shocked, but I remembered it very clearly. When Hayden came for me, he called me ¡¯Lisa¡¯ instead of Malissa like how he used to call me. I noticed it then, but I didn¡¯t have the time to think about it and so much went on during our time in the hospital and after that that I never got around to contemte it until recently.


    However, I was certain that he did call me Lisa and then I had that disturbing dream while I was sleeping in the hospital.


    That boy in my dream, he called me ¡¯Lisa¡¯ so clearly and so many times¡­


    There¡¯s no mistaking it. He called me Lisa.


    If Hayden knew anything about what I was talking about or alluding to, he did not show it. I can¡¯t read him at all. This might just be a groundless spection based on a dream that I didn¡¯t even want to see but¡­


    "Back when I was younger, when I was kidnapped¡­did you save me then too?" I asked as I stared deeply into his blue eyes.


    When Hayden looked away from me, I knew that I was right. Even if he won¡¯t admit it, I was quite certain now that I was right. That scene that kept reying in my dreams over and over again until it robbed me of any decent sleep, really took ce. Hayden saved me.


    Why didn¡¯t he tell me anything before this? Why did he have to keep it a secret and howe I couldn¡¯t recall anything at all before this?


    "What¡¯s the use of telling you or bringing up something that happened so long ago. You didn¡¯t even remember that it happened," Hayden replied solemnly.


    "You should have told me. Why did you lie and say that you didn¡¯t know anything about it? Like¡­you had nothing to do with it¡­" I demanded to know as my eyes searched his.


    "I just told you. There¡¯s no point in bringing it up. You were better the way you were before. You were happier. There¡¯s no need for you to remember something so haunting," Hayden replied calmly.


    "You should have told me. I keep on seeing it. I keep on seeing you, when you were younger¡­when you came to save me¡­" I said before my lower lip started quivering.


    I bit hard on it to stop it from shaking while I felt tears sting the back of my eyes. It all happened in the past, so why am I feeling so emotional about it now?


    "You remember?" Hayden asked with pure concern on his face.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­I don¡¯t know¡­" I confessed.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re safe now and that is all that matters. Let¡¯s go back inside," Hayden said curtly to put an end to the conversation.


    He got up from the bench and offered me his hand, but I hesitated to take it. Why can¡¯t he just admit it and tell me what happened? If he does, the nightmare will go away, right?


    "Hayden, this might sound very stupid but¡­I have a feeling that the nightmare that¡¯s been haunting me won¡¯t go away if you don¡¯t tell me what happened," I murmured as I stared up into his face.


    After staring at each other¡¯s eyes for a moment, Hayden sighed as he seemed to give in. He sat back down next to me on the bench with a depressed look on his face.


    "Just tell me. It¡¯s not that hard, right? I didn¡¯t remember anything before but now I¡¯m having nightmares about it¡­" I said before smiling encouragingly at him.


    Hayden did not look impressed by my smile at all as he shook his head slowly from side to side.


    "There¡¯s not much to tell. I went looking for you. I found you and then the adults came to help you. That¡¯s all there is to it," Hayden summarized in a very rushed way.


    Maybe not remembering the details would be better for me. That seemed to be the way that Hayden saw it as well.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me before?" I asked.


    He didn¡¯t just not tell me. He went as far as the erase his entire involvement in the whole thing when he told me.


    "I¡¯m not looking to take any credit for what I did. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you. I would have preferred if you didn¡¯t recall any bad memories from the past," he replied before grinning a little my way.


    "I see¡­" I mumbled.


    "That¡¯s it. Happy now? Let¡¯s head back," Hayden said and once again he got up from the bench and offered a hand towards me.


    I reached out my hand and grabbed his, but I refused to get up from the bench.


    "What is it now?" Hayden asked with slight annoyance in his tone.


    I looked up into his face before I smiled a little at him.


    "Thank you¡­for saving me¡­twice¡­" I murmured a little shyly.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 385: Third Attempt

    The day of our third attempt at our wedding ceremony was a bright and sunny day. I woke up feeling aszy as ever and the way that Hayden yawned told me that he probably felt the same. He ran his fingers through his blond hair and made a face like he couldn¡¯t be bothered. It was a Saturday, and I was sure that he wanted to sleep in more than going to the church for our wedding ceremony.


    It was strange to exchange vows with a man who was already my husband. However, we both knew better than to make a scene about it. The faster we went through with this, the sooner it would be over, and we could move on with our lives. Just as I had agreed with Hayden, we wanted to keep the ceremony very simple by doing only the basic and required things.


    "At least I get to wear the wedding dress that you got tailored for me and we can take nice photos together," I said with a smile.


    "Yeah¡­" Hayden replied sleepily.


    I watched as he stretched before he slowly got out of bed. Slowly, I got out of bed while praying silently inside my head for this wedding to end without any surprising incidents. When we arrived at the same church, security was so tight that it looked like a mini warzone. Too many men were on guard, and they were probably too heavily armed too judging by the huge guns that they were carrying.


    I sincerely hoped that uninvited guests won¡¯t turn up because violence would ensue for sure.


    Unlike the time before, there was absolutely no privacy in the dressing room. Three men stood guard in front of the room and another three stood guard inside my dressing room. This was probably Ethan¡¯s idea. On top of that, Luka was there with me to act as the finalyer of security. Now if only the men could apply my make up and do my hair as well, that would be the most perfect thing ever.


    "You look really pretty. Hayden is going to be so surprised to see you," Luka said with a broad smile after I was done dressing up.


    "You think so?" I asked before returning his smile.


    "Of course. Wee to the family," Luka affirmed with certainty.


    I shed him onest smile before he led me out of the room. Within a few minutes, I would be walking down the aisle to exchange my vows with Hayden. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I realized that I won¡¯t be kidnapped this time around. I hadn¡¯t known that I was feeling a little on edge until that moment.


    Immediately, I tried to shake all negative thoughts from my head to focus on the wedding before me. Since we¡¯re going through this anyways, we might as well have a good time and create good memories while we¡¯re at it.


    "Please be on standby here," Luka instructed me as he continued to stand by my side.


    Because I didn¡¯t have any family members left, there was no one to walk me down the aisle. At first, I wanted to walk alone but the boss had offered to escort me. I was scared to have him escort me at first, but I could see the generosity behind his action.


    "You look very beautiful. Chin up and smile for the camera. Don¡¯t worry about anything. Even if you trip and fall, I¡¯ll catch you," the boss told me reassuringly before he startedughing loudly.


    It was just like the boss to be able to make jokes in all circumstances as long as he was in a good mood. I turned and smiled at him before I nodded in acknowledgement.


    "Shall we?" the boss asked.


    "Yes, thank you¡­" I replied.


    The door in front of us opened and I was temporarily blinded by the bright light that shone on us. I guess the boss did not approve of my n to cut the lighting and decorations. The band yed the ssical wedding march and suddenly, it really felt real that I was getting married. There were so many people in the church. Managers of the gang and the boss¡¯s guests that I don¡¯t recognize.


    Just as the boss had advised, I kept my chin up and my gaze straight forward. It wasn¡¯t hard at all, when my eyes rested on my groom.


    Hayden looked even more like a prince than always. That didn¡¯t make me feel like I was a princess in any way, though. This normal woman is going to finally marry her devilish prince, was the thought that ran through my head. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. Camera shes shed multiple times during my walk down the aisle, but nothing mattered to me anymore.


    My attention was solelt focused on Hayden and the future that we would share after this.


    Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t feel too nervous, and my hands did not tremble. I smiled at Hayden when I finally stood by his side. The person who looked the most nervous at that point was the old priest standing in front of us. The wedding vows went by smoothly just like it had been scripted. I didn¡¯t find the vows to be particrly romantic and it did not truly stir up any sentimental feelings within me.


    It was just¡­standard¡­


    I turned to offer my lips to Hayden for a ceremonial kiss and he took it in a soft and tender kiss. The crown exploded into loud cheer around us. It¡¯s finally done. Finally, the ceremony is over, and we can move on with our lives towards our future. Just when I thought that everything was over and done with, Hayden smiled down at me as his arm around my waist refuse to let me go.


    Now this wasn¡¯t part of the script. My eyes widened at him questioningly. Now¡¯s the time that we¡¯re supposed to be done with this part of the main ceremony, so I had no idea what he was doing now.


    "Listen¡­" Hayden whispered close to my ear.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 386: Back to Life

    His strong arms pulled me closer to him until our bodies were pressed together. His breath stirred the small hair around my ear. He¡¯s so close¡­


    "My love for you isn¡¯t enough to save you from all pain and protect you from all danger. The best that I can do is to keep you locked up in the mansion although I know well that you don¡¯t like it one bit," Hayden whispered solemnly into my ear.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name as other words were robbed from me.


    Why does he sound so sad?


    "But I do love you and I¡¯ll try my best to protect you no matter what. Even if it means that it will cost me my life, I will protect you," Hayden said it like a promise.


    I felt tears swimming in my eyes. Why would he say something like that?


    "Please don¡¯t do that¡­I don¡¯t want you to get hurt¡­" I whispered back.


    ¡­or die¡­


    "Don¡¯t cry, stupid girl. Everyone is watching us¡­" Hayden said in a lighter tone when he finally let me go.


    He looked down at me and smiled his princely smile that made my heart skip a beat. I would be happy to follow him anywhere and do anything if it meant that I could continue being by his side. Slowly, I reached up my hand and cupped his face. The warmth of his hand quickly enveloped mine as he ced his hand on mine. His face felt so warm, unlike the cold mask that he almost always wore.


    "I love you...so much¡­" I managed to say while trying desperately to hold in my tears.


    Hayden smiled down at me and his smile felt a little different from usual. It felt warmer and a little more carefree. Of all the smiles that he¡¯s shown me so far, this one truly tugged at my heart, and I fell in love with this one the most. Hopefully, he¡¯ll show me more of his smile now that things are more peaceful.


    "Hayden!"


    A shrilled cry pieced through the romantic atmosphere that we shared. I bit on my lower lip when I sensed that this wedding wouldn¡¯t end without incident after all. We both turned towards the source of the voice to see a middle-aged woman dressed in bright pink standing up in the crowd of people. All the while, the woman continued screaming Hayden¡¯s name as if she was dying to get his attention.


    She got more than his attention for sure, everyone in the church probably had their eyes on her at that moment.


    Hayden¡¯s hand tightened over mine and I felt the air around him turn cold. The smile that he had on his lips died and his face morphed into a cold and unreadable mask.


    Who is thatdy and what does she want now of all times?!


    The next words that left her lips, changed our lives forever¡­


    "Hayden! Amelia¡­Amelia has woken up! Please¡­pleasee see her!" the woman shouted directly at Hayden when she saw that she now had his attention.


    Is this true? Amelia has regained consciousness.


    Really?!


    I nced over at Hayden, and I could see the conflicting emotions on his face. What is he going to do now?


    "Shut up woman!" the boss yelled loudly over the crowd.


    "I will not be silent. My daughter is engaged to the heir of Torex. Now she is back! This wedding cannot move forward!" the woman yelled loudly.


    This woman, she¡¯s Amelia¡¯s mother?


    "Such nonsense¡­" Hayden muttered under his breath, but I didn¡¯t miss a single word.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name as I wondered what he¡¯s going to do now.


    Hayden clicked his tongue in annoyance before he took out his phone and made a call. My eyes widened when it struck me who he was probably calling.


    "Yo¡­yourdy came back to life," Hayden said immediately when the line connected.


    My eyes widened and I covered my mouth with both my hands as tear of happiness leaked into my eyes. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling when I realized what this meant. If what thedy just now had said is true, then Harvey and Amelia would be reunited atst. Harvey is going to be so happy!


    Suddenly, nothing about this wedding celebration of ours mattered anymore. We were already married anyways, and nothing can change that. However, we could still change the future of another lovely couple if we got this right this time around.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Malissa, but can we head over to the angel¡¯s pce right now?" Hayden asked me with a small smile.


    Although he was probably trying to hide it, I could tell that Hayden was extremely d right now. The happiness and hope that sprung up in my chest probably couldn¡¯tpare to the feelings that Hayden felt in that moment. Hopefully, he will get to witness the reunion of two of the most important people in his life.


    "Yes. Let¡¯s hurry!" I urged him to move with my words and my hand that yanked on his.


    What are we waiting for?


    Hayden smiled at me in thanks before he led me through the back exit and out of the church. The boss and everyone might be confused but we already did our part for the wedding. We said our vows, the ceremony is nowplete. I was sure that the boss had to be satisfied partly if not wholly. Now he can deal with his guests and enjoy the party that he had nned.


    As for us, we needed to head to Amelia¡¯s ce as fast as possible. At least, Hayden had informed Harvey already. The wedding dress truly was in the way and Hayden had to help me literally carry my skirt. Somehow, we made it to his car and Hayden helped me in before getting into the driver¡¯s seat.


    Now that we were alone in his car and on our way to see Amelia, I noticed that my heart was beating so fast and hard.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 387: Fated Reunion

    It was still very difficult for me to believe that this was really happening. However, if thatdy is really Amelia¡¯s mother, then she wouldn¡¯t be joking about something as serious as this, would she?


    Hayden was already driving fast along the road when the Bluetooth of his car system began calling Harvey again. The line connected almost immediately.


    "Where are you now?" Hayden asked with his eyes still focus on the road.


    I had a feeling that this was going to be a ride filled with speed and thrills when Hayden took a sharp U-turn.


    "On the way. If you speed, we¡¯ll get there at roughly the same time," Harvey replied.


    "See you soon. Try your best not to cry before you see her," Hayden teased before the line disconnected.


    The car was already going fast but Hayden truly stepped harder on the elerator. The ride to Amelia¡¯s mansion passed by almost in silence with both Hayden and I wrapped up in our own thoughts. I didn¡¯t want to talk to Hayden at the speed that he was driving because I wanted him to focus on the road ahead. This must be fate, for Amelia to wake up from her deep and long slumber on this day.


    Something deep inside of me told me that things were about to change for the four of us.


    When we arrived at the mansion, it seemed like the ce was frozen in time. Nothing seemed to have changed about it including the vibe that I got the first time that I was there. Hayden quickly got out of the car before helping me out as well. I appreciated how beautiful this dress made me look, but at that moment, I wished that the skirt wasn¡¯t so long or so heavy.


    Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t anytime for me to change out of my wedding dress. Hayden helped carry my skirt once again as we made our way to the entrance of Amelia¡¯s mansion.


    Like thest time, the staff greeted us warmly; however, this time, the staff had an astonished and very confused look on her face. Regardless, she did not inquire why we were dressed like we had just gotten married. Upon Hayden¡¯s request to be led to see Amelia, the staff understood immediately and led us to her room before leaving us alone.


    "Where¡¯s Harvey?" I asked in a whisper.


    "He can find his own way here, don¡¯t worry," Hayden replied calmly before he pushed the door to Amelia¡¯s room opened.


    I guess now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about the staff and the confusion that she would undoubtedly feel to see another Hayden walk into the mansion after she had just greeted Hayden and me not so long ago.


    Amelia wasn¡¯t alone in the room when we entered. In fact, there was a man who was dressed in a doctor¡¯s gown there along with a few nurses in their white uniforms. I gasped when I saw Amelia was sitting up in her bed instead of lying down like all the times that I¡¯ve seen her before. She looked pale and weak, but even then, she still looked veryposed and very beautiful.


    Everything about her reminded me of a frail doll, and for a moment, I couldn¡¯t stop staring at her.


    Slowly, Amelia¡¯s face turned to face us when she noticed that we had entered her room. Her tired face lit up into a bright smile when she saw Hayden.


    "Hayden¡­" she whispered in a soft yet very angelic voice.


    "Amelia¡­" Hayden whispered her name.


    He was by the side of her bed in no time at all. It was a difficult scene for me to watch and my feelings were mixed. Although they were not lovers, it was clear that they shared a special connection. Amelia smiled sweetly at Hayden as he took her hands in between his. The two of them did not speak as if they couldmunicate without the use of words. Perhaps, they really could.


    I stood to the side to give them some personal space while the doctor and the nurses did the same. The scene in front of me was very heartwarming. Amelia smiled although she seemed disorientated and confused while Hayden¡¯s presence seemed to help calm and reassure her. He whispered something to her that I couldn¡¯t hear, and her eyes widened as if in surprise.


    "Harvey¡­" she said quite clearly before a single tear rolled down her cheek and she smiled.


    At that moment, as if on cue, the door to her room opened with a m and there stood Harvey. Hayden approached the Harvey immediately and yanked on his brother¡¯s arm. I watched as Harvey was dragged towards Amelia¡¯s bed. It seemed like he was too stunned to do anything right when he saw that Amelia had indeed regain consciousness.


    "Harvey¡­" Amelia called his name before smiling sweetly at him.


    "Amelia¡­you¡¯re awake¡­" Harvey said as he clutched at her hand.


    I guess it must have been hard for him to believe that his wish had finally been fulfilled. His Amelia was back with him at longst. Hayden came to stand by my side before he took my hand and smiled down at me. I guess we couldmunicate without speaking as well. I fully understood how he felt, and I shared his joy effortlessly as we watched the touching reunion between Amelia and Harvey.


    "Sorry¡­for keeping you waiting¡­" Amelia apologized with her angelic smile.


    Although she was crying and her face was tired, her smile was even more beautiful than any photo or any painting of her that I had seen before. Harvey pulled her gently into his arms and they embraced each other lovingly. I prayed that those two will never have to part like that again.


    After having had their fill of their reunion, Amelia seemed to realize her surroundings again and her eyes fell on Hayden and then on me. She cocked her head to the side in curious wonder.


    "That¡¯s Hayden and that is Malissa, his wife," Harvey introduced us teasingly when he saw where Amelia was looking.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 388: The Hardest Part

    "Hayden¡¯s wife¡­?" Amelia said with clear shock on her face.


    Yeah. I guess many things happened while she was asleep. It must have been a shock to her to wake up to find that Hayden had married me, and I was still standing in my wedding dress as if to prove that that was in fact true.


    "Come¡­" Hayden whispered to as he led me by the hand towards Amelia.


    Suddenly, I felt extremely shy. Her eyes widened as she stared up into my face.


    "This is Malissa. We got married recently," Hayden introduced me again.


    "You look like a little princess¡­congrattions¡­both of you¡­" Amelia said after a while of staring at me in silence.


    "I¡¯m sorry about this but we need to transport her to the hospital now. The ambnce is here and ready for her," the doctor said with an apologetic smile.


    Oh, right. She just regained consciousness so she should go to the hospital. I turned to Harvey and saw him smiling at me.


    "I¡¯ll go with her. We¡¯ll be ok¡­Thank you¡­" Harvey told us reassuringly.


    "You owe me a huge ass one¡­" Hayden said with a smile.


    I could somehow tell that he wasn¡¯t just teasing his brother when he said that. After saying our temporary farewells to Amelia, Hayden led me out of the room.


    "Wow¡­she really woke up¡­" I mumbled to myself, still finding it hard to believe it.


    "Yes, she did. Seems like our luck hasn¡¯tpletely run out after all¡­" Hayden replied with a chuckle.


    Hayden took my hand and carefully led me back to the car.


    People say that there are moments that would change the course of your life forever. Back then, as I watched Harvey and Amelia embracing each other, I never imagined how much their reunion would change the direction of my life with Hayden.


    ¡­


    The following day, Hayden and I decided to visit Amelia at the hospital. Harvey did not return back to the mansionst night which wasn¡¯t a big surprise.


    "Let¡¯s get her a huge bouquet of flowers before we go up," I suggested.


    Amelia ended up hospitalized in the same hospital that my grandmother used to stay in. I knew that there was a flower shop in the hospital and felt like we couldn¡¯t turn up empty handed to visit the angel who was resting upstairs. Hayden just nodded at my suggestion before I dragged him enthusiastically after me into the flower shop.


    "Something big¡­colorful and eye-catching," I told the florist with sparking eyes.


    "Sure. I¡¯ll have something for you soon. Please wait a moment," the florist replied with a smile.


    I stood next to Hayden with a dumb smile on my face as I watched the florist go about her job of preparing a bouquet for Amelia. Although I did not know Amelia personally, I was over the moon happy that she had regain consciousness. The fact that both Hayden and Harvey were happy, made me feel extremely joyous about this asion too.


    "You seem too happy," Hayden muttered next to me before he ruffled my hair.


    "Stop that¡­" I protested as I turned to re at him.


    Haydenughed at me a little. He probably doesn¡¯t know that he looked much more rxed since Amelia had woken up. It was a change that I weed with opened arms.


    I carried a huge bouquet of flowers in my arms as we rode the elevator up to Amelia¡¯s floor. These flowers are so pretty, hopefully they can cheer Amelia up even if just a little. If everything goes well, she should be out of the hospital soon. Then she will probably marry Harvey and live happily ever after.


    My thoughts were a sparkling rainbow, and I couldn¡¯t stop smiling all the way until we reached her hospital room.


    "Sorry for intruding¡­" I said cheerfully as I poked my head through the ajar door.


    "Wee," Harvey said as he turned to smile at me.


    Hayden walked in after me. Amelia was sitting up in bed and herplexion looked a lot better than yesterday. I guess she had rested up well and she seemed to be in a good mood too.


    "This is for you," I said as I handed her the bouquet of flowers.


    "Wow. They¡¯re really pretty¡­" she said as she admired the colorful flowers in her arms.


    I smiled happily. It was the right choice to get these flowers for her. Amelia looked much happier than before. Her main source of happiness was probably Harvey and not the flowers that I had just given her, though.


    After sharing some small talk for a while, Amelia got tired and fell asleep. That was when Harvey confessed to us that it would take her some time to fully recover. There were somesting effects on the body caused by her condition that would take some time to stabilize.


    "But she¡¯ll be alright, right?" I asked with worry.


    "Yes, she should be fine ording to the doctors," Harvey replied reassuringly.


    I heaved a sigh of relief at his words. She had finally woken up so it would be so sad if anything were to happen to her.


    Now that Amelia had fallen asleep, the conversation started to take a serious turn. I sat down on the sofa and watched the two brothers as they stood next to each other.


    "The hardest part is here, unfortunately¡­" Harvey said with a sigh.


    "The hardest part?" I asked, not quite sure what he is referring to.


    "Telling our dad that his favorite son never died in the first ce¡­" Hayden replied with an unsympatheticugh.


    Oh, right. Now that Amelia has woken up, Harvey cane back to life too. However, how are these two going to break the news to the boss?


    The bigger question was, what is going to happen to the gang now that Harvey is back?


    Harvey did not seem at all hesitant about what he needed to do. He turned and ced a hand on Hayden¡¯s shoulder before he smiled confidently. At that moment, I couldn¡¯t tell who had a cockier smile, Hayden or Harvey.


    "Let¡¯s go talk to him together. I¡¯ll handle it," Harvey said with confidence.


    "Yeah, you better¡­" Hayden muttered before he pulled Harvey¡¯s hand away from his shoulder.


    The two stared into each other¡¯s eyes while I wonder what they had justmunicated that could not be expressed in words.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 389: Back from the Dead

    Although it was a pretty big deal for these two brothers to confess their secret n to their father and pretty much everyone else in the gang, they did not hesitate to have the meeting as soon as possible. After Harvey was quite certain that Amelia¡¯s condition was stable enough for him to leave her side, he got Hayden to schedule a meeting with the boss immediately.


    Within three days of our visit to see Amelia at the hospital, the meeting with the boss was upon us.


    "You shoulde along," Hayden told me the night before.


    "Huh? Me?" I asked with unfeigned surprise.


    "Of course. Who else could it be?" Hayden replied sarcastically.


    "I didn¡¯t expect that you would want me toe along," I admitted honestly.


    The talk concerned matters between the brothers and the boss so I hadn¡¯t considered that Hayden might want me there. Why would he want me there anyways?


    "Did you think that you would be the only one to get off the hook so easily?" Hayden teased as he narrowed his eyes at me menacingly.


    "That¡¯s not even funny¡­" I muttered.


    How can he make a joke like that? This whole mess was something that the two of them cooked up together. It had nothing to do with me!


    "Don¡¯t act like it doesn¡¯t concern you or you don¡¯t have a hand in this," Hayden said a little coldly.


    "But that¡¯s the thing. I don¡¯t have a hand in this¡­" I said defensively.


    "Oh, really?" he asked with a chuckle.


    Well, at least I didn¡¯t think that I did.


    "Really¡­" I replied.


    Hayden didn¡¯t reply but heughed a little to himself. I had no idea what he found so amusing about this stressful situation. The boss is going to be so mad. He¡¯s going to scream so loudly and I¡¯m probably going to burst my eardrums.


    "Anyways¡­if you want me there, I¡¯ll be there¡­" I said after giving in.


    "Good girl," Hayden said before shing me a radiant smile.


    Just like that, I somehow ended up standing in front of the door to the boss¡¯s office. I¡¯ve stood in front of this door many times before and each time things seemed to have changed. The first time that I was here, the boss ordered me to marry Hayden. Now, I was married to Hayden.


    The other thing that truly differed from the other times that I was here was the fact that I wasn¡¯t alone, and I wasn¡¯t just with Hayden either. I nced up at the face of the man who suddenly looked so much different after shedding his disguise as Hayden.


    Harvey was there with us as well.


    Unlike the times before when he dressed very much like Hayden and gave off a very familiar vibe, Harvey looked and felt very different from Hayden today. The two brothers stood side by side one dressed in an all-white suit while the other was in a burgundy suit.


    "Shall we?" Harvey asked with a sadistic grin.


    I felt a shiver run through the entire length of my spine. Hayden seemed quite rxed when he nodded his head a little. The boss must be expecting us. However, he wasn¡¯t expecting Harvey.


    "We¡¯ll go in first. I¡¯ll¡­try my best to give him a heads up that you¡¯re back from the dead. The old man is old so this might not be great for his heart¡­" Hayden said emotionlessly.


    "Says the doctor¡­" Harvey said with a softugh.


    I didn¡¯t find the fact that we had to go in first funny at all. If someone¡¯s going to get shot at first, it¡¯s going to be us.


    Casually, Hayden pushed the door opened while I bit on my lower lip so hard that I thought that my lip would tear off. It urred to me that we may be killed for lying to the boss.


    "Hayden¡­Malissa¡­" the boss said our names in greeting.


    "Dad¡­" Hayden said casually.


    At those words, the old man¡¯s eyes narrowed, and I could tell that he was already suspicious. Hayden and I sat next to each other on the sofa and the boss took the seat opposite from us.


    "What is it?" the boss asked.


    He could probably tell that Hayden had something to tell him. I braced myself for his violent reaction while I waited for Hayden to divulge his secret to the boss.


    "The thing is¡­" Hayden began saying.


    "The thing is?" the boss prompted impatiently.


    "There¡¯s someone that I think you should meet," Hayden said before he smiled.


    The boss eyes narrowed even further, and I started feeling scared for real this time. Hayden didn¡¯t tell the boss that Harvey was alive and is instead going to show him. This wasn¡¯t what we agreed with Harvey. This is definitely going to be bad for the boss¡¯s heart. He didn¡¯t really have a heart condition, right?


    "Who is it?" the boss asked without much interest.


    "You¡¯ll see¡­" Hayden said as he got up from his seat.


    Arge knot formed in the bit of my stomach and started clenching tighter. I started praying but found out that I was too nervous to concentrate.


    "Dad¡­big brother came back to life," Hayden announced as he opened the door and pulled Harvey in by the arm.


    My mouth hung open at how abrupt and rough that introduction was. The entire room went silent, and I dared nce over at the boss¡¯s face. Just like me, he was shocked and stunned into silence.


    "Harvey¡­" the boss managed to say after a short while.


    Harvey stood in the open doorway next to his younger brother before he lifted up his right hand and waved it at his father.


    "Hi. It¡¯s good to be back," Harvey said beforeughing a little shyly.


    Something told me that this isn¡¯t going to end well. Why can¡¯t they exin things properly! Both of them!


    "Hayden! What is the meaning of this?!" the boss yelled at the top of his lungs.


    Finally, it has started. The volcano has erupted.


    "Listen to what he has to say¡­" Hayden replied coldly like none of this was his problem.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 390: Choices and Decisions

    "Harvey!" the boss yelled Harvey¡¯s name even louder than before.


    This is all getting out of hand. Someone really should close the door or else everyone in the mansion is going to hear. So much for Hayden telling his brother that he will set the stage for him. The boss got up from his seat and marched towards his sons. I winced and didn¡¯t dare watch what would go down between the three men.


    "Dad¡­I came back so¡­" Harvey said.


    "I¡¯m so happy¡­" the boss said with clear relief.


    Huh?


    I turned around to see the boss hugging Harvey in a tight embrace. My eyes widened at that unexpected sight. Harvey smiled and hugged is father back. I could feel the love that they shared and the relief of the boss at having his eldest son back. Harvey was back, alive and well. That was probably much better than having his eldest son dead no matter what.


    It was a truly unexpected oue, but it was better this way. Hayden seemed happy about the oue as well and that made me smile.


    "Don¡¯t you think that I will let you off the hook simply because you came back alive. There will be severe punishment for this¡­" the boss said sternly.


    I gulped at how scary he sounded. Harvey seemed to understand and nodded.


    "I¡¯m sorry, dad," Harvey apologized straightforwardly.


    "Amelia woke up and you came back," the boss said before he heaved a sigh.


    "I¡¯m very sorry for my selfishness¡­" Harvey apologized once again without making any excuses for himself.


    The boss headed back and flopped down onto the sofa like he was suddenly exhausted. Harvey and Hayden followed him. Hayden sat back down next to me, and I immediately felt better to have him back by my side. That didn¡¯t end so badly.


    "So, you didn¡¯t juste here to tell me that you weren¡¯t actually dead, right?" the boss asked as he red at his sons.


    "You¡¯re right. I¡¯m here to take back Torex," Harvey stated bluntly as he stared directly at his father.


    He¡¯s¡­what?


    As in, he¡¯s going to take over as the next heir?


    I couldn¡¯t control my reaction and I gasped quite loudly before cing a hand over my mouth. It seemed like Harvey had made his decision. Hayden seemed surprised even though he didn¡¯t say anything. I guessed he didn¡¯t see thising either.


    "Hayden¡­what do you say?" the boss asked, surprisingly patiently.


    My entire body stiffened at his question and my eyes immediately darted to Hayden¡¯s face. What will Hayden decide? If he decides to hand back the position of the heir to his brother, then he won¡¯t have to take over anymore, right?


    Hayden was silent for moment and all eyes were on him. After a short while of thinking it over, Hayden turned to me and smiled.


    "Malissa, you decide¡­" Hayden told me casually.


    "What?!" I eximed so loudly that I was shocked at how loud I was.


    He was asking ME? Me?!


    Why do I have to decide something so important?


    "Decide, Malissa. What do you want?" Hayden asked before he smiled sweetly at me.


    I looked at the boss and Harvey and found that their eyes had shifted from Hayden to stare at me instead. Is this the reason why he decided to bring me here?


    "I¡­" I murmured before I mmed my mouth shut.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted. I didn¡¯t even know if I should be the one to decide for us.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name pleadingly.


    Why can¡¯t he decide something so important by himself?


    Hayden looked at me and continued smiling. He did not offer me any help at all. What am I supposed to do?


    "I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m so sorry¡­" I replied frankly.


    I hadn¡¯t thought about it. Honestly, when I married Hayden, I was prepared to do whatever it took to stand by his side as his wife. It that meant leading Torex, then that was what I was prepared to do. I never thought that there was another alternative. I never thought that a choice like this would present itself.


    "I just want to be with Hayden. I am fine with whatever he decides," I replied firmly.


    That was my decision.


    "So boring¡­" Harvey spat with clear disgust.


    My eyes widened. I had never heard Harvey use that tone of voice before. His eyes narrowed at me before he smirked.


    "Tell your husband to rescind his hold on the position of heir and return to wherever he came from. The real heir of Torex is back! We don¡¯t need any imposter anymore!" Harvey spat as his face turned into an intimidating scowl.


    That didn¡¯t sound like Harvey at all. Was Harvey normally like this?


    "Some of the gang¡¯s managers are used to working with Hayden already. To them, you¡¯re dead and gone. It¡¯s going to be a big change to bring you back," the boss said rationally.


    He seemed to have calmed down now and was thinking about the alternatives logically. I always thought that if Harvey came back, the gang would naturally be returned to him, and he would take over. Apparently, things were not that simple at all.


    "I am sure that there are managers and members who have trouble epting Hayden and his weak ways of managing things," Hayden stated confidently.


    "That¡¯s true but things have gotten a lot better recently," the boss said as his brows drew into a frown.


    Throughout it all, Hayden remained silent like he was waiting for his father and his brother to make their decision. I watched the two men continue to debate with each other while I wondered why the boss couldn¡¯t just let Harvey take over the gang like he originally nned.


    "I don¡¯t know if people have lost trust in you while you were thought to be dead or not. How are people supposed to react to the fact that you faked your death and then came back to us as if nothing happened? Not to mention that you probably did it all for a woman!" the boss yelled loudly as his anger crept back up on him and consumed him again.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 391: Unknown Future

    "I¡¯m back now! All of that doesn¡¯t matter. If we leave the gang to Hayden, Torex will be weak, and you know that! Stop being so stubborn. I know that you¡¯re pissed but I¡¯m ready to take over now!" Harvey yelled back equally as loudly.


    Father and son stared at each other, and it became clear that Harvey had inherited the boss¡¯s temper, at least to a certain degree. Of all the times that I¡¯ve seen Hayden engage in an argument with the boss, he had never shouted at the boss like this before. Hayden¡¯s approach was colder and calmer.


    Hayden let out a sigh next to me as he nced at his watch as if wondering how long those two will go at it. It was clear that Hayden didn¡¯t want to get involved and I was starting to worry if violence will break out between the other two.


    "Is this¡­normal?" I dared to ask in a small whisper.


    "Absolutely. It¡¯spletely normal. It¡¯s how those two normallymunicate," Hayden said with a chuckle.


    "Right¡­" I whispered before wincing as the voice in the room seemed to boom even louder than before.


    Maybe we should just get out of here and leave the two of them to sort things out.


    "Never mind them. What about you? What do you want me to do?" Hayden asked and I knew that he was referring to his question to me before.


    If I had to choose, then I would choose the alternative that made Hayden happiest. He hated this job, right?


    "You don¡¯t really want to take over the gang and I don¡¯t want you to do something that you don¡¯t want to. So, I¡¯ll probably choose for Harvey to take over instead. It seems like he wants to do that as well," I replied after some thought.


    "Maybe or maybe he¡¯s just saying all that because he¡¯s thinking exactly what you¡¯re thinking," Hayden whispered to me.


    "What do you mean?" I asked to make sure that I understood things properly.


    Harvey thinks the way that I do?


    "He doesn¡¯t want me to spend my life doing something that I don¡¯t want to do¡­" Hayden replied before he smiled sadly at me.


    In reality, does Harvey even want to take over or was he doing it simply because it was his responsibility?


    Regardless¡­


    "Let¡¯s wait to see what the two of them decide," I whispered in reply.


    After a while longer, the shouting of the two men ceased. Either they havee to some sort of agreement, or they had simply lost their voice. The boss was visibly panting, and his face was beet red. Harvey seemed tired as well.


    The two of them flopped down as if half dead on the sofa while Hayden started tough openly. I wished I could find it funny too but the seriousness of the situation and how our future were practically riding on this decision just made it impossible for me to join in with Hayden¡¯sughter.


    "So? What have you guys decided for the fate of Torex? Who will take over? Harvey¡­or me?" Hayden asked bluntly.


    "I¡¯ll take over just like I was supposed to all along. This gang doesn¡¯t need you anymore so you can go back to whatever you were doing with your life," Harvey replied confidently.


    The life that Hayden had before this¡­


    "Is that right, dad?" Hayden asked casually.


    "Yeah¡­whatever. I need a drink¡­" the boss muttered as if he couldn¡¯t care less anymore.


    He reached his thick finger out to press the button before screaming for someone to bring in some vodka. I guess he¡¯s in need of quite a lot of alcohol in his system right now.


    Harvey turned to smile at me before he nodded his head reassuringly. It was as if he wanted to tell me that everything was settled and that everything would be fine from now on. I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just nodded back as I silently thanked him with all my heart.


    Although, I had no idea what life would be like for Hayden and me going forward, I appreciated that Harvey was willing to do something for the sake of his younger brother.


    ¡­


    Later that night, I was lying next to Hayden on the bed just like always; however, something felt different. Suddenly, there was even more uncertainty in our lives and I felt quite troubled.


    "What¡¯s going to happen to the gang now?" I asked, suddenly feeling very worried.


    "Harvey will take over soon, most probably. Things will get¡­more exciting with him as the new boss," Hayden said with augh.


    More exciting?


    "As in¡­" I mumbled.


    Hayden turned to smile before he winked at me, and I had a bad feeling about this.


    "Harvey¡¯s methods are¡­a little more violent and crazy than mine. That¡¯s for sure. Unlike me, he specializes heavily on the mafia side of the business and doesn¡¯t care much about the white and clean side of things. He¡¯ll probably leave that to hired business managers while he enjoys whipping people like ves on the dark side," Hayden exined before heughed loudly.


    "Isn¡¯t that¡­bad?" I questioned.


    "Not really. It¡¯s probably the most efficient way to manage the gang as well as the other gangs. Harvey won¡¯t let things slide by as easily as I did. He¡¯s even tougher than the boss, honestly," Hayden replied with a careless shrug of his shoulders.


    "Hayden¡­what are you going to do from now on?" I asked what had been foremost on my mind.


    "I can¡¯t tell you¡­but I can show you when the timees¡­" Hayden replied with a confident smile.


    Something told me that he had things figured out for us already, but I still hated the fact that he wouldn¡¯t tell me anything at all.


    "You should just tell me¡­" Iined before I started pouting for real.


    Can¡¯t he see how worried I am? How much longer do I need to feel worry like this?


    "Don¡¯t make that face¡­it makes me want to tease you more¡­" Hayden said.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 392: Sexy Teasing

    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name when I sensed the desire in his eyes as he stared at me.


    The fire of desire burning deep in his eyes looked so dangerous that I found myself shrinking back from him. My reaction only seemed to amuse Hayden more than before.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    I let out a small cry when his arms wrapped around my body and began pulling me back against his hard body. He hugged me from behind before burying his face into the side of my neck. His lips were merciless when he began sucking roughly on the soft and sensitive skin of my neck. I let out small whimpers as his hands began stroking the womanly curves of my body.


    His tongue snaked out from between his lips and began licking my neck. The wet and warm sensation of his tongue sliding slowly against my neck made my breathing quicken and another moan escaped my lips. My entire body trembled in his arms as hisrge hands caressed my waist tantalizingly through the thin satin fabric of my short nightgown.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name as desire started flooding my mind in waves.


    "You can¡¯t escape, Malissa. Let me y with you all night long¡­" Hayden whispered into my ear seductively.


    Wet and lewd sounds filled my ear when he began licking and sucking on my earlobe. My legs went weak as I started to moan even louder than before. His hands moved up from my waist to cup my breast firmly through thece of my nightgown. He groped my breasts before massing them roughly. The sensation ofce and the palm of his hands brushing against my sensitive nipples made them harden immediately.


    It feels so good¡­I can¡¯t even think anymore¡­


    "Ahhh¡­Ahhhh¡­" I moaned shamelessly as my body began writhing against his.


    Hayden¡¯s hands reached into the front of my nightgown, and I soon felt the heat of his hands directly on my naked breasts. I bit on my lower lip and moaned deliciously at the pleasure from his touch. He whispered my name into my ear as he continued to pay loving attention to my breasts. When his fingers found and teased my erect nipples, I cried out.


    My body thrusted my chest towards his hand, and he responded readily by rolling my hardened nipples in between his fingertips before pinching on them yfully. My hips began moving as my core throbbed and burned with my own desire for him. I rocked my hips back against his, grinding my ass back against the hardness of his cock. Hayden was already so hard from ying with me.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I begged in a sweet voice for more pleasure.


    "Did I turn you on?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    "¡­Yes," I replied shyly.


    "Let¡¯s see¡­." Hayden murmured close to my ear.


    His hand stroked its way down to my hips before he began teasing my thighs. I whimpered when he urged for me to lift my thigh with his hand.


    "Bend your leg¡­" Hayden instructed, and I quicklyplied.


    His hand slid under my nightgown and cupped my pussy directly while I moaned his name. Hayden chuckled from behind me as his fingers delved into the hot wet mess in between my thighs.


    "Ahh¡­Hayden¡­" I whimpered when his fingers finally found my wetness.


    "How did you manage to get this wet just from me ying with you a little?" Hayden asked with a smallugh.


    His fingers stroked its way along my wet slit for a moment before slipping easily into my flooded love hole. My hips bucked at his sudden entrance. Hayden pumped his fingers in and out of my hole while I rocked my hips to meet his pleasurable thrusts. Lewd moans escaped from me as I rode his fingers.


    His fingers caressing along my pussy walls felt amazing and my pussy wouldn¡¯t stop clenching around his intruding fingers.


    "Does this feel good already? You¡¯re getting wetter inside¡­" Hayden continued to tease me with his dirty talks.


    His words, his fingers, and everything about him turned me on so much. I moaned wildly while I enjoyed the bliss of his fingers thrusting fast and hard against the pleasure spot deep inside of my love tunnel. My pussy made embarrassing wet sounds as I got wetter, and Hayden moved his fingers even faster inside my flooded cunt.


    "Don¡¯t cum just yet¡­" Hayden warned a little sternly.


    He must have sensed that I was close to climaxing. I knew that Hayden wanted to enter me, and I didn¡¯t wish for anything else either. His fingers slowly slid out of my hole, and it made me feel strangely empty inside. I wanted his gigantic cock to stretch and fill me until I could no longer think of anything but him.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I pleaded softly.


    "Can¡¯t wait anymore?" he teased.


    "Please¡­" I whispered.


    Hayden lifted my bent leg before positioning the thick head of his cock at my throbbing wet opening. I could feel his heat pressing against me and I whimpered. Hayden¡¯s hip thrusted forward, and his cock pounded right into my wet cunt. I cried out as his cock stretched my pussy and filled me all the way inside.


    Hayden groaned into my ear before he started nibbling on it softly as his hips began thrusting his cock in and out of my hole from behind.


    Hisrge hand caressed my breast, pumping them and massaging them roughly. The pleasure from all these stimtions surged through my body. His cock pounded faster and harder into my hole as he kept my leg lifted. I cried out his name as my hips began rocking backwards to meet his rough thrusts. His cock felt so hot inside of me, and it was hitting the deepest spot inside of my love tunnel.


    "Kiss me...let me taste you¡­" Hayden demanded lustily as his hand urged my head to turn around.


    When I turned my head to look behind at him, his lips immediately captured mine in a smoldering hot kiss. His tongue thrusted deftly into my mouth, and he tasted me just like he said that he would.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 393: Fundamental Changes

    Our tongues grinded together as our kiss got wetter and deeper. His cock continued fucking my wet hole as our hips moved together to ensure even deeper pration.


    His hand pinched and yed with my nipples as he fucked me harder and faster. I could barely handle the pleasure of his multiple stimtions anymore. His cock rammed hard against my womb, and I felt like cumming with each thrust.


    "Hayden¡­it¡¯s so good. I¡¯m gonna cum¡­" I cried out breathlessly.


    My pussy spasmed and clenched uncontrobly around his thick love stick. Hayden pounded his cock even faster into me as wet sounds exploded from where our bodies were joined.


    If he keeps on pounding me like that¡­I¡¯m going to¡­


    "I¡¯m cumming! Ahhh!" I screamed so loudly as my hips bucked and my entire body trembled.


    My orgasm consumed me whole and I let the pleasure take over my mindpletely. Hayden chuckled close to my ear. His rough thrusts into my hole did not cease. I could tell that he was also close to his release. When he came inside of me, I clenched my pussy hard around his cock to milk him of his cum. Hayden called my name in a growl at his release as his cock filled me with his hot seed.


    Before sleep took over me, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what is going happen to us now. Hayden doesn¡¯t need to take over anymore and he isn¡¯t the heir anymore either. Will he leave the gang? What will he do from now on?


    ¡­


    The next few days went by as if I was living in a void. Basically, what that meant was that I didn¡¯t know what was going on and how I should react. When I asked Hayden, he just told me to ¡¯be patient and wait for it¡­¡¯.


    The issue was, I didn¡¯t even know what I was supposed to wait for. Harvey seemed to have announced to the world now that he had returned to life. That brought about major changes to the Torex gang and the mafia world for sure. The impact was so big that his return from his ¡¯mysterious disappearance¡¯ was covered on business news on television and everywhere.


    With the Torex corporation being as big as it was, this big news that impacted thepany¡¯s management made headlines right away.


    Everyone seemed busier than usual. Surprisingly, nothing seemed to have changed much in my life apart from the fact that Hayden no longer went to work. Instead, he was spending time all day long with me in the mansion. That might count as a massive change to my life.


    "Are you free today?" Hayden asked passively.


    "Of course. I¡¯m free every single day," I replied truthfully.


    I was so free that I was too free. If things weren¡¯t so unstable, I would be tempted to start epting new artmission work just so I had something to do to pass the time.


    "Great. I want you to visit a few ces with me," Hayden announced as he got up from the sofa and stood up tall.


    "Me? Where are we going?" I asked, curiously.


    "Yes, you. Who else is here? You¡¯ll see when we get there," Hayden replied with exactly how I had anticipated that he would reply.


    Now that Harvey was back, Hayden was as free as a bird. That was probably the biggest change to my life so far. We could also go out but with caution. The rule that I had to stay by Hayden¡¯s side all the time still applied, and I had gotten quite used to it and even liking it because that also meant that he wouldn¡¯t leave my side either.


    I sat in the passenger seat of Hayden¡¯s sport car as I watched the passing scenery pass by in silence. Hayden seemed to be in a peaceful mood, so I just enjoyed our time together without saying anything. He wouldn¡¯t tell me anything even if I asked anyways.


    "We¡¯re here," Hayden announced as he parked his car in front of a two-story building.


    "What is this ce?" I asked.


    The ce seemed closed off and I wasn¡¯t sure if we were even allowed to enter. Hayden got out of the car, and I quickly did the same.


    "I don¡¯t think we can go in there," I told Hayden when he approached the building¡¯s door.


    "Of course, we can. I have the keys right here," Hayden replied.


    After unlocking the door, Hayden led me inside the building. Enough light came in through the door for me to see that the building was quite empty. I had no idea why he bought me to a ce like this. This isn¡¯t going to be our new house or something, right?


    "Umm¡­are we moving here now that you¡¯re no longer the heir of Torex?" I asked.


    I didn¡¯t mind moving to a smaller ce. It actually might be cosier and homier than the luxurious mansion that we were in.


    "Of course not. What makes you think that? Just because I¡¯m no longer the heir, I get kicked out of my own mansion?" Hayden asked as a frown formed disapprovingly between his brows.


    "Well¡­how am I supposed to know? You don¡¯t tell me anything¡­" I mumbled a retort.


    "If anyone is getting kicked out of that mansion, it would be Harvey¡­" Hayden muttered darkly.


    I couldn¡¯t help but giggle at his reaction. Well, if this ce wasn¡¯t for that then why are we here?


    "Why are we here then?" I asked cluelessly.


    "I was thinking that you might want to open your own art gallery, and this seemed to be a decent ce for it. Of course, there are other options and I¡¯ll take you to see them after we¡¯re done with this ce," Hayden replied before he shed me a charming smile.


    "An art gallery? For me?" I asked with widened eyes.


    "Well, you¡¯re an artist, right? I thought it might be good for your career if you had a gallery where you can always disy your work, hold exhibitions, and maybe run it like a business. You could host other artist¡¯s work and exhibitions too if there¡¯s enough space," Hayden said before his blue eye winked at me.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 394: What He Wanted

    "I¡­honestly, I don¡¯t know what to say¡­" I admitted dumbly.


    This was just so beyond my expectations that I was left utterly speechless. It had always been a dream of mine to have my own studio and art gallery. I mean, this was probably amon dream that many artists shared. When I looked around the empty building again, I began picturing this ce as an art gallery. My art gallery.


    "Well, if you don¡¯t like this ce, we can visit a couple more options," Hayden told me calmly.


    "Thank you, Hayden. This is like a dreame true¡­I never really thought this far ahead¡­" I thanked him before I offered him one of my sweetest smiles.


    "It¡¯s nothing. I just thought that you might like it and it looked like something that would benefit your career," Hayden said curtly.


    I smiled at his reaction. It was so like Hayden not to take credit for anything although he did so much for me. I didn¡¯t see thising at all. While I was living in a bubble and just floating around freely for the past days, Hayden had been working on this little secret mission of his.


    "Let¡¯s go see the next ce. You might like it better. It¡¯s bigger than this one too," Hayden suggested after we had taken a walk around inside the building.


    "Sure. Thank you so much for doing this¡­" I thanked him softly as I reached for his hand.


    "Well, you¡¯re not going to be locked up in the mansion anymore and no one will probably care much about who you are now that I¡¯m no longer the heir, so I figured you might as well get a move on with your job, right?" Hayden replied with a sardonic grin.


    Despite his sarcastic tone, his words felt like music to my ears. Getting my life back, was already more than enough. Adding an art gallery on top of it just felt like a massive amount of icing on top of the cake along with a bunch of deep red cherries.


    "I guess you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s do this!" I replied enthusiastically.


    Haydenughed a little at me while I suddenly felt a rush of renewed motivation flow inside of me. It was undeniable that my career had taken a back seat a little during the time when I couldn¡¯t leave the mansion. Now was the perfect opportunity for me to focus and work harder at building my career to make up for lost time.


    Hayden drove us to another building that was a candidate for my new art gallery. This building was slightly bigger than the previous one and had a higher ceiling on all floors. It made the space seem more open and spacious.


    "This ce is nice. The high ceiling and the simpleyout of the rooms¡­" I said admiringly as we walked around.


    The thing that I didn¡¯t dare ask at that moment and the thing that Hayden never brought up was the rent of the ce. There was no way that renting out an entire building like this was going to cost nothing. Although it wasn¡¯t a huge building, but it was still a two-story gallery. The location was quite convenient too.


    "On to thest ce?" Hayden asked.


    I nodded because I¡¯ve had my fill of the ce. So far, I liked this ce better than the first option, but then again, we haven¡¯t talked about the rent for these ces yet. Something told me that it wasn¡¯t going to be off-the-charts expensive, but it wasn¡¯t going to be a small amount.


    I better have a decent business n for how to make this ce breakeven before I even considering renting anything.


    Hayden probably nned to pay the rent and everything else just so I could get an art gallery for myself; however, that wasn¡¯t how I wanted things to be done. If possible, I wanted my career and business to be self-sufficient. With the rate that I was charging for mymission work, that shouldn¡¯t be impossible. Getting rich was another thing all together, though.


    The third building was muchrger than the second option. It was still a two-story building, but it was wider and even had a small parking space out front. Out of all the options, this one resembled an art gallery the most to the point where I thought that it must have been used as an exhibition building for something before. Perhaps, it wasn¡¯t exactly used to disy art.


    "This ce is huge. Do we need something this big?" I asked when we stepped inside.


    "You never know. I think it looks nice and grand in here," Hayden replied as we looked around.


    The second ce was nice in a homey way, but this ce just seemed like a proper gallery where real business would be done. It was leaps forward, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I would need something of this scale for my humble business. Just painting enough work to fill up this ce would already be too much for me to handle alone.


    "Shall we check out the second floor?" Hayden asked.


    "Sure¡­" I replied.


    He offered me his hand and I took it without a fuss. Hayden led me up the stairs to the second floor. To my surprise, the second floor also had arge open space that seemed ideal for hosting an exhibition along with some doors to one side.


    "They¡¯re smaller rooms here. They would be good for meeting rooms or offices," Hayden pointed out as he led me to one of the rooms.


    He opened the door and pulled me inside. The room was empty save for a work desk and two chairs. This room was clearly used as an office before. The sound of the door locking made me turn around towards the door.


    "Hayden?" I called his name softly and questioningly.


    Hayden didn¡¯t reply to me, but I knew that he had just locked the door. It had to be him because we were the only two people here. The way he looked at me told me that I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this ce until I gave him what he wanted.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 395: Perverted Reward

    "Can we¡­wait till we get home?" I asked, although I knew that it was useless.


    "I thought you felt appreciative of the things I¡¯ve done for you today," Hayden said casually as he took a few slow steps towards me.


    Instinctively, I took a few steps back until I felt the hardness of the wooden desk against the back of my thighs. I took in a deep and calming breath when I realized that obviously there was no where for me to run.


    "I am thankful¡­" I replied.


    "Then, what about rewarding me a little for my efforts?" Hayden suggested.


    It wasn¡¯t like I could refuse him, but this was just a little¡­


    "I don¡¯t think we should do it in a ce like this. The building owner will mind¡­" I voiced my concern.


    "Not if we decide to rent the ce," Hayden countered casually.


    "Which we haven¡¯t decided yet¡­" I pointed out.


    "Well, no one has to find out. If you don¡¯t tell, then I won¡¯t¡­" Hayden whispered seductively with his face right in front of mine before his index finger pressed softly against my lips.


    He moves too fast, it¡¯s so unfair.


    Before I could do anything, Hayden¡¯srger frame was already pressing me back against the desk. I felt trapped but I wasn¡¯t really scared of him. He would never hurt me¡­if I didn¡¯t struggle.


    "I think¡­you should work a little on your¡­self-restraint," I advised shyly.


    "I already did. This is the best that I can do," Hayden replied without hesitation.


    I cocked my head to the side in confusion at his words. If he worked on it, then why am I stuck with him in this situation where he¡¯s about to take me in a random small office in an empty and unused building that may be my future art gallery?


    "I¡¯ve wanted to y with you since this morning¡­" Hayden murmured close to my ear.


    I could feel his breath tickling my ear and then his hand boldly moved to cup and massage my breast. Instinctively, I closed my eyes at the pleasure of his touch. The hardness of the table pressed further into the back of my thighs as Hayden trapped my hips between his and the table behind me.


    "Malissa¡­My Malissa¡­" Hayden coaxed seductively.


    Then his lips captured mine and began licking my lips. I moaned into his kiss a moment before his wet tongue probed my lips opened. His hands groped both my breasts and massaged them roughly than before. Tingling pleasure erupted from where he was ying with my sensitive feminine flesh as his tongue thrusted deftly into the depths of my mouth.


    "Mhhmmm¡­" I moaned louder into our wet kiss.


    The kiss quickly deepened as his tongue teased mine until I began kissing him back, my mind overwhelmed with the desire that he had awakened within me. Hayden thrusted his thigh in between mine to spread my legs as he continued kissing me. His hands yed ruthlessly with my breasts before pausing to pull up my shirt and bra.


    He broke our kiss and smirked down at me while I panted to catch my breath. His touches were rough and so was his kiss, but they all felt so pleasurable. My legs already felt weak, so it was a relief when he lifted me onto the table and stepped in to stand in between my legs. His eyes stared into mine with intense desire and I found myself captivated and lost in the depth of his blue eyes.


    Hayden¡¯s hands moved to pull my top over my head and off my body and very soon after my bra followed.


    "Your nipples are so hard¡­let me suck on them¡­" Hayden murmured seductively.


    His hands massaged my naked breasts softly and teasingly while I moaned from the heat that had gathered in my lower abdomen. He turned me on so much and my nipples were indeed hard and taunt. Hayden rubbed them against the palms of his hand as he kneaded my breasts firmly while I cried out from the bliss.


    "Hay¡­den¡­" I called his name in a strangled voice when his lips engulfed my hardened nipple into his wet and warm mouth.


    True to his words, Hayden began sucking hard on my nipple while I cried out from the surge of pleasure that flooded my body. My core throbbed with need and my pussy wouldn¡¯t stop quivering from desire. The more he sucked on my nipple while his other hand pumped my other breast, the wetter my pussy got. I could feel my juices gushing out of my love entrance to wet my panties.


    "Hayden¡­Ahhhh!" I moaned loudly.


    He sucked on my nipple harder and faster while I clutched at his head and ran my fingers through his blond hair. It felt amazing and I could no longer concentrate on anything else but the pleasure that he was making me feel. I wanted more of him as my body burned o hot like it was engulfed in mes.


    Hayden lifted his head from my chest and smirked knowingly at me before his lips moved to pay loving attention to my other hardened peak.


    "Ahh! So good¡­" I moaned as I closed my eyes in ultimate bliss.


    His hand pinched and teased my other nipple while he began sucking harder and faster on the other one. My body writhed from the pleasure on top of the table as I began thrusting my chest towards his face, pressing his face closer to my soft womanly mounds. His hand caressed the curve of my body and then slipped downwards into the top of my skirt.


    "Ahhh! No¡­not¡­there¡­" I moaned in embarrassment when his hand cupped my pussy through my panties.


    "So wet¡­" Hayden murmured after releasing my sensitive nipple from his mouth.


    His hand began stroking my pussy through the thin fabric covering my crotch. From his reactions, I must have soaked through my underwear with my lusty juices, and I wasn¡¯t surprised. My pussy felt very wet and flooded down there. His exploring fingers slipped into my panties and soon I felt his fingertips prodding my wet opening.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 396: Always His

    "Ahhhh¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned from the pleasure of his seductive caresses along the wet slit in between my legs.


    "Your pussy is flooded. You¡¯re such a horny girl, getting wet in a ce like this¡­" Hayden teased me mercilessly.


    "Ahhh¡­please¡­" I pleaded in a whisper although I wasn¡¯t sure what I was pleading for.


    It didn¡¯t matter because my words turned into lewd and loud moans as my ability to speak was robbedpletely from me. Hayden thrusted his fingers roughly into my wet hole and I screamed out loudly. My lewd moans along with my cries of pleasure echoed loudly in the small room of the unused office. His fingers began moving mercilessly, thrusting in and out of my hole at amazing speed.


    I knew that Hayden probably couldn¡¯t wait to screw his cock into me, and honestly, I couldn¡¯t wait either.


    My pussy was already so wet for him that I could probably take him in easily right now. The pleasure from his fingers hitting deep inside of me as he messed up my insides made my legs feel weak. I couldn¡¯t do anything but whimper and cry from the mind-blowing pleasure. His fingers curled upwards and automatically found my sensitive g-spot.


    He knew my body so well and each touched felt like it was designed to unravel my body and my sanity.


    He corrupted my body and my mind with desire, and I loved it. My hips thrusted shamelessly against his fingers as my pussy squeeze greedily around the thickness of his fingers. His thrust increased in speed, ramming his fingertips against my g-spot. My mind started to go nk, and I knew that I was very close to cumming.


    "Hay¡­den¡­I¡­Ahhhh!" I moaned his name before I screamed loudly.


    "Just cum¡­I¡¯ll make you cum again from my cockter¡­" Hayden told me confidently.


    "Ahhh¡­" I whimpered as my pussy spasmed uncontrobly around his fingers.


    Hayden sessfully made me cum from his fingers. I was still panting and moaning when he slid his fingers out of my sopping wet cunt.


    "You came so much¡­good girl¡­" Haydenplimented me.


    I stared at his handsome face as he lifted his wet fingers to his lips and began licking my juices off of his fingers. His blue eyes stared dangerously into mine and I knew that this was far from over. His hands pulled up my skirt before reaching to grab my panties and pulling it down and off my legs.


    "Lift your legs¡­now spread them. Wider, Malissa¡­" Haydenmanded.


    His hands helped lift my feet onto the table before parting my thighs widely open for him. I winced from embarrassment as I felt my pussy being spread widely open. My face burned as I blushed wildly at how exposed this position was.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name before turning away.


    I couldn¡¯t meet his eyes anymore. Although I should be used to this by now, it was still hard for me to take sometimes. I heard Hayden unbuckling his belt and my pussy clenched hard, knowing well what was going to happen next. My pussy felt very sensitive from my climax earlier, but my body seemed to yearn for more of Hayden.


    I closed my eyes and found my mind imagining the pleasure from the powerful thrusts of his cock deep into my hole.


    "Keep your legs open¡­" Hayden instructed sternly.


    I nodded obediently as Hayden positioned himself in between my widely spread legs. The heat of his cock lodged itself at my entrance and my body stiffened in anticipation. Hayden used his cock to tease me while I moan. The thick head of his cock brushed against my swollen and sensitive clit. I cried out before biting on my lower lip while Hayden¡¯s blue eyes took in my reactions.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I begged him.


    The anticipation was killing me, and I couldn¡¯t wait to feel his thick cock pounding into me. I tried to spread my legs a little wider before lifting my hips off the table. His cock brushed against my wet opening, but he wouldn¡¯t enter me.


    "Do you want me to fuck you?" Hayden asked teasingly.


    "Yes¡­please¡­" I begged as desire clouded my mind.


    My pussy had gotten wetter again. I could feel my juices leaking out of my hole as my body hungered for his cock.


    "In a ce like this?" Hayden teased.


    "Yes¡­please¡­fuck me, Hayden¡­" I begged shamelessly.


    What did I actually have to lose that I haven¡¯t lost to him already?


    "You¡¯re so cute¡­honestly¡­" Haydenplimented me before heughed lightly.


    Hisrge hands grabbed my hips before he screwed his cock all the way into my wet cunt. His thick and long cock stretched my opening before plunging all the way into my wet hole while I whimpered at his sudden entry. My pussy seemed to enjoy his rough entry and wouldn¡¯t stop clenching hard around his massive thickness. His cock felt hotter than normal inside of me and he was already so big.


    Teasing me so much probably turned him on a lot.


    Hayden did not wait before rearing his hips back to thrust even harder and deeper back into my sopping wet hole. My pussy made lewd squelching wet sounds as his cock continued to beat into my hot wetness. I felt his cock stroking all along my pussy walls. It felt so good, I honestly thought that I would lose my mind when he began thrusting even faster into me.


    "Ahh! Ahhh! Ahhhh!" I screamed loudly in time with his wild thrusting.


    His thick cock stretched me as he pounded into my wetness from various angles. The head of his thick cock hit against my womb, making me cry out even louder than before. The small room made the sound of our love making echo even louder around us. Hayden rammed his cock into me non-stop as he groaned lustily.


    "It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it? Your pussy is getting even wetter than before¡­" Hayden asked knowingly.


    I could only nod my head a little in response. Hayden rammed his cock into me so hard as our hips pped against each other. His hands moved from my hips to my legs to lift them up against his shoulders. His hip moved even closer to me, and I found my hips being lifted off the table along with my legs.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 397: His Selection

    "What about now?" he asked.


    His cock pounded into me roughly from above as he angled my pussy to take him in from a different angle. It felt much rougher and deeper than before. It just felt unbelievable¡­


    "Ahhh! No¡­it¡¯s¡­so deep!" I screamed before I shut my eyes tightly to deal with the maddening pleasure.


    His cock ravaged my pussy repeatedly and soon I came again while crying his name. Hayden didn¡¯t stop pounding his cock into my wet pussy even while I continued to climax. If anything, he probably fucked my love hole faster and more forcefully than before. His cock felt so hot, and I was sure that he had gotten bigger and longer inside of me.


    "So good¡­Malissa¡­" Hayden groaned when he finally climaxed.


    His thrusts felt so good that I ended up cumming with him again. I was a useless mess by the time that his cock spurted his seed deeply into my love tunnel. He came so much inside of me that I thought that he would never stop. I whimpered weakly at the sensation of his heat flooding my cunt.


    "I really like this ce¡­" Haydenmented close to my ear as hisrge hand stroked my hair adoringly.


    ¡­


    The day after, Hayden got very serious about selecting the gallery so that we could move on to the next step of renting it and refurbishing it. As for me, I was shocked at how fast things were moving forward.


    "Which studio do you like?" Hayden asked me.


    "I¡¯m not so sure. I think all of them would work. They¡¯re not so far from each other so in terms of location, they probably rank the same. They all look really nice, although thest one that we visited might be too big for what I have in mind," I told Hayden honestly.


    "Hmm¡­I see¡­" Hayden mumbledzily.


    "Which one do you like best?" I asked.


    "The one we had sex in. That one is the best," Hayden replied without hesitation.


    I could still recall his husky voice when he told me that he liked ¡¯this ce¡¯ after our passionate round of love making in that small room that was supposed to serve as an office. Talk about all the wrong reasons for picking the ce.


    "No¡­please don¡¯t joke about this. This is a very important decision for me¡­" Iined with a frown.


    I felt very indecisive. It just seemed like a major decision, and I was honestly scared of making the wrong choice.


    "I think going for the bigger option is actually the best. You don¡¯t think your art business is going to stay small forever, right? Some room to expand would be good. Also, a bigger gallery might make it easier to rent out for other artists to host their exhibition, right?" Hayden argued his point calmly.


    "How much is the rent by the way?" I asked the question that I had hesitated to ask before.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯ll dly cover it," Hayden told me casually.


    I knew it. We just don¡¯t think the same way.


    "No. You can¡¯t do that. I need to figure out the financials so that I can ensure that the business can stay afloat on its own. I need to make money to cover the rent and other expenses," I said decisively.


    "You don¡¯t have to work that hard. Just try to enjoy yourself and your job, we have plenty of money as it is," Hayden repliedzily.


    "That¡¯s not the point. I want to be a real artist that can feed myself, you know¡­" I stated without backing down.


    "Fine. Let¡¯s rent out that ce and we¡¯ll work together to make it work. Of course, I want to support you until the business is fulling running," Hayden suggested with a bright smile.


    He made it sound so easy¡­


    In the end, we ended up renting the biggest gallery out of the three options that we visited before. It was a scary and very bold move, but I also felt very excited about it. Next came the design stage before the refurbishment could start.


    While we were busy with that, Amelia and Harvey were busy preparing for their wedding. After her recovery and the decision that Harvey would resume his position as heir to the Torex group, the two of them announced the date of their uing wedding. I had to say that I felt more excited about their wedding than my own.


    It seemed long overdue, so I was extremely thrilled that it was finally going to happen.


    Due to Amelia¡¯s frail health situation, the two of them managed to convince the boss for a simple ceremony with just a few family members and high-ranking members of the gang. Surprisingly, the chosen venue was the gardens within the walls of Hayden¡¯s mansion. Precisely because of that, the mansion staff had been busy for these past few days.


    "A garden wedding is really nice¡­" I said wistfully.


    "If it doesn¡¯t rain¡­" Hayden muttered passively.


    Days passed by so fast when I was busy. Tomorrow, Harvey and Amelia would get married here in the garden. I couldn¡¯t wait for the ceremony.


    "I¡¯m going to go check out that everything is well prepared," I told Hayden as I got up from the sofa.


    "Don¡¯t get in the way¡­" Hayden murmured a warning.


    "I know that already¡­" I retorted.


    Hayden sighed before standing up as well.


    "Are youing along as well?" I asked.


    "Of course. I have to keep you from getting into trouble¡­" Hayden told me before walking ahead.


    I rolled my eyes at him although he couldn¡¯t see it. It was quite funny, but I managed to keep my giggles to myself as I caught up to him.


    "Let¡¯s go¡­" I said sweetly as I slipped my arm around his.


    The preparations were still going on in the garden. Despite the ceremony being simple, there were still many things that had to be arrange especially the flower decorations.


    "Tomorrow¡¯s wedding is going to be super pretty¡­" I said dreamily.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 398: Delayed Wedding

    I could imagine Amelia and Harvey kissing under the white rose flower arch after they had exchanged their wedding vows. Amelia will look like an angel like always and Harvey is going to be super happy. Just thinking about it made tears of happiness sting my eyes. Suddenly, I felt extremely sentimental.


    People rushed around to position and arrange chairs while many talented florists worked together to arrange the flower decorations. The wedding tomorrow was nned to take ce quite early in the morning. Apart from the two of us and the bride and groom, the boss and some senior managers from the gang will join in. That was about it.


    ¡­


    After a restless night brought about by my own excitement, morning arrived, and it was Harvey and Amelia¡¯s turn to get married. I got up extra early to get well-dressed for the asion. Hayden had to wake up early too. Unlike our wedding, when Harvey was still ying dead, Hayden had to operate as Harvey¡¯s best man.


    There weren¡¯t going to be other bridesmaids or groomsmen, so Hayden¡¯s role became even more important.


    "How do I look?" Hayden asked, although he didn¡¯t seem to care.


    "Like a prince¡­" I replied without hesitation.


    Instead of his usual white suit, Hayden wore a light grey suit instead for the ceremony. Everything probably looked great on him in my eyes given how in love with him I was. For the wedding, I chose a very simple sleevelessvender purple dress.


    By the time we navigated our way through the path in the garden and arrived at the designated venue, all the guests have already gathered. There were a little over ten people there and I could only recognize the boss and Luka. Men in ck were on guard everywhere around the ceremony area and there were probably more of them than the guests that were present.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising, considering that the mansion was always heavily guarded.


    "Hayden!" the boss called for Hayden loudly before he nodded at me.


    I smiled back politely as we both approached him. The boss seemed very rx today and he was clearly in a splendid mood. As he should be, his eldest son is finally getting married to the love of his life after a couple of years of dy.


    "Be on standby with the priest. The bride and groom will be here soon¡­" the boss whispered.


    We all already knew that because of her recent recovery, Amelia couldn¡¯t brave the walk down the aisle by herself. Harvey, being the worried groom that he was, also wouldn¡¯t let anyone support her besides himself. As a result, when the time came, the two of them appeared together andpleted the walk together.


    Harvey helped Amelia get out of her wheelchair before he supported her all throughout the walk.


    I arched my back and neck to turn around in my seat to watch the two of them walk down the aisle. Harvey had his arms around Amelia¡¯s waist to support her. Just as I predicted, Amelia looked like an angel in her long sleeve mermaid wedding dress. Her long blonde hair was left to hang loose in waves that gave her a very rxed and charming vibe.


    The way she smiled at Harvey, and everyone showed how happy she was.


    It was a very quiet and peaceful ceremony. I watched with tears in my eyes as the two exchanged their vows. When Harvey leaned in to kiss Amelia softly on the lips, it felt like I was watching a very romantic scene straight out of a fairytale. Everything was so perfect down to the white roses that framed their kiss in the background.


    Hayden was smiling casually too and that was enough to make me know that things would really be alright from here on out.


    Despite the fact that she turned up in a wheelchair, Amelia looked much healthier than before. After the ceremony was over, there wasn¡¯t anything else nned. That meant that everyone just gathered into small groups to chat casually. We got a chance to take loads of photos with the bride and groom.


    "You can finally leave the gang now¡­" Luka teased Hayden after he approached us.


    I shed Luka a shy smile and he nodded in acknowledgement. Luka had always been kind to me, and I had started feeling quite fond of him. He also acted like a second father to Hayden.


    "Yeah, finally I can be rid of you¡­" Hayden replied jokingly.


    "Have you decided on what you¡¯re going to do? You can always stay and help Harvey out, you know?" Luka suggested with a grin.


    Hayden just shook his head while he smiled a little sadly. That made me realize that Hayden probably had other ns or himself that had nothing to do with the gang¡¯s operations and management. What those ns were, I have yet to find out. Hayden didn¡¯t reply to Luka¡¯s question as if he still wanted to keep his ns under wraps from everyone. Me, included.


    ¡­


    The design of the gallery kept me preupied for many days to follow the wedding. After their wedding, Harvey ended up travelling with Amelia somewhere that was unbeknownst to us all.


    "They¡¯re on their honeymoon trip, aren¡¯t they?" I asked with a smile.


    "Sort of, but not really. Harvey probably took her somewhere quiet and where the air is fresher and cleaner. Apparently, that¡¯s supposed to help with her recovery. The doctors think that she should be as good as new in a couple of months," Hayden replied smoothly.


    "Oh, I see. That¡¯s great, then. I hope she recovers well¡­" I said before shing Hayden another smile.


    "How are the designsing along?" Hayden inquired about the progress of my art gallery.


    Honestly, things were progressing well, but it was demanding work for me even if I didn¡¯t have to work on the design myself directly, I still needed to provide input and feedback to the team of designers.


    "Well enough. I¡¯ve been working very closely with the design team. It¡¯s quite a lot of work but we¡¯ll make it work," I replied enthusiastically.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 399: His Grand Plan

    "How long till the grand opening date?" Hayden asked, half teasingly.


    I knew that he was quite serious about it, though. Before I knew it, Hayden¡¯s presence had be reassuring and supportive.


    "Maybe in a few months¡¯ time?" I voiced my best guess.


    "That long?" Hayden asked skeptically.


    "Well, the designs are not even done, and the refurbishing hasn¡¯t even started¡­so¡­yeah¡­" I replied hesitantly.


    Hayden will probably urge for me to rush things just like he always does. Guess that is part of how he tried to motivate me and keep on my feet. cking off on this wasn¡¯t going to be an option.


    "Are you free now?" he asked.


    "I can be. Is there somewhere that you want to go?" I asked.


    Thest time he asked me out we went to see options for my art galleries, so I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where we were going to this time. I had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t just asking me out on a random brunch date.


    "I do. There¡¯s something I want to show you," Hayden replied with a little smile.


    I wondered what he was referring to, but I knew that rather than asking, I should wait and see.


    To my surprise, we ended up in his private jet instead of driving. Hayden had not disclosed any details about where he was taking me or what he wanted to show me. I felt a strange mixture of unease and excitement as I sat next to him on the ne.


    The flight was a short one. After around one hour on the ne, wended at our destination. One look out of the window told me that we were in a very remote ce. The endless tall grass field stretched far and wide on thendscape and there were norge or tall buildings around.


    Where are we? Somewhere in the countryside?


    "Are we in the countryside or something?" I asked.


    "Come along," Hayden urged as he got up from his seat and offered me his hand.


    Without any exnation from him, I found myself following Hayden out of the ne where there was a car waiting for us. Hayden drove after leaving the pilot along with the ne. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect at all and I had no idea why he had taken me to a ce like this. It also felt strange to see Hayden in the middle of nowhere like this.


    After around 30 minutes together with him in the car, the car came to an abrupt stop in front of a tall metal sheet wall that seemed to surround the area. There was a gate, but I couldn¡¯t see beyond it.


    What is this ce?


    We got out of the car, and I found myself standing in front of that tall wall. What is on the other side and why are we here?


    "It¡¯s still under construction but¡­maybe we can ask them to take a peek inside," Hayden said before winking at me.


    What is inside?


    Hayden grabbed my hand and semi-dragged me after him towards the closed gate.


    "Excuse me! It¡¯s me¡­" Hayden called quite loudly into the inte speaker.


    There were sounds of static for a few seconds before the deep voice of a man greeted Hayden.


    "I¡¯m here with my wife. I want to show her the ce. Can you open the gate?" Hayden requested.


    "Sure thing. Please wear helmets for your safety the moment that you get in. It¡¯s on the right-hand side," the man instructed.


    The automatic gate slowly started to slide open, and Hayden immediately pulled me inside. While Hayden grabbed us helmets as the man had instructed, I stared speechless at therge structure that was still under construction. I couldn¡¯t tell just from the structure what it was supposed to be. However, it was clear that it was going to be a veryrge building.


    Sure, it wasn¡¯t going to be a skyscraper due to theck in its height but it was still very big although not very tall.


    "What is this supposed to be?" I asked in a breathless whisper, my eyes still glued to therge structure in front of me.


    Please don¡¯t tell me that this is our new house. Please¡­it¡¯s too big and I had no idea why we had to move to this ce in the middle of nowhere. I wasn¡¯t the one who needed fresh and cleaner air!


    "It¡¯s not our new house, unfortunately," Hayden teased as if he could read my mind.


    Something heavy plopped onto my head and I realized that Hayden had just ced the construction safety helmet on top of my head before he clicked close the sp underneath my chin. He smiled a little at me before he patted the top of the helmet instead of my head.


    "Care to exin?" I requested as I stared up into his face.


    "Well¡­this is going to be a hospital¡­" Hayden said before he turned to smile at me.


    "A hospital?" I eximed.


    He¡¯s building a hospital here?


    "Come. We can walk around a little, although there¡¯s not much for you to see just yet," Hayden urged for me to follow him.


    He held my hand in his, so it wasn¡¯t like I had an option but to follow after him. Hayden led me slowly closer to the building. Although it was far fromplete, the main structure and walls seemed to be in ce already.


    "Why are you building a hospital here?" I asked curiously.


    Shouldn¡¯t hospitals be in the middle of the city?


    "Hospitals in the city are for the rich. This one is for the less fortunate," Hayden exined simply.


    My eyes widened at his words and my feet were glued to the spot. Is this what he had in mind all along? How long had he been building this massive building?


    "Hayden¡­" I called his name softly, but I knew that he could hear me.


    "Hmm?" he turned to face me when he realized that I wasn¡¯t following him.


    "Is this¡­what you want to do?" I asked.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 400: His Other Life

    Is this his other life? The one that I never knew about? The one that he always wanted toe back to?


    "Of course. I¡¯m a doctor, after all," Hayden stated like it was supposed to be obvious.


    I was still so stunned that I didn¡¯t know what to say to this new revtion. Of course, I knew for a long while now that Hayden is a doctor, but I didn¡¯t know that he had such a grand project like this in mind.


    "Surprised? Why do you have to look so shocked? You didn¡¯t think that I studied so hard all the way through medical school just to be a gang leader, right? Well, if Amelia didn¡¯t wake up, that might have been the case¡­" Hayden told me with augh.


    He seemed so rxed and at ease now that we were far away from the gang business, and I started to wonder if this was what Hayden was really like in his life before he got pulled back to deal with the gang business.


    "I¡¯m very surprised. It¡¯s such a big change¡­I guess¡­" I admitted truthfully.


    "I want to be a doctor because I am a doctor. I¡¯ve spoken to my father about this project for a long time now. There are hospitals just like this and smaller clinics being built in other countries too to help the poor. This is thergest hospital that we¡¯re building in this country but there are other smaller ones. There¡¯s another one closer to the mansion too. It¡¯s pretty much charity.


    We¡¯ll have to keep an eye on Harvey or else he¡¯s going to insert in some operations for some ck-market organ trade for sure," Hayden said followed by a smallugh.


    "Really?!" I eximed in shock.


    "Well, could be. Harvey is very ruthless when ites to profit making. I have no idea how far those two want to keep on amassing wealth. As for me, I like to be on the spending part of that scale. Taking some of that dirty money and doing some good as a way to return to themunity isn¡¯t a bad idea, right?" Hayden asked with a calcting smile.


    "Are you going to move here?" I asked.


    "Not really. We¡¯ll be doing a lot more travelling around to the various hospitals after it¡¯s set up and ready to operate, though," Hayden exined.


    I see. Just like how he had encouraged for me to take steps forward in pursuant of my dream career, he had been working very hard at his own. Maybe there wille a day when both our dreamse true. Although this ce was in the middle of nowhere, I didn¡¯t minding here often or even moving here if that meant that I could support his dream like he had willingly supported mine.


    "Congrattions. I¡¯m sure this will end up as a big sess so I¡¯m congratting you well in advance," I said as I smiled up at him.


    Hayden wrapped his arms around my shoulder before he leaned down to kiss my forehead softly. Hopefully, everything will go ording to n. I felt very bubbly inside when I thought about seeing Hayden working fully as a doctor. It was a side of him that I had gotten just a glimpse of before and I was excited and eager to see more of.


    "I have another ce to show you now that we¡¯re already here," Hayden told me.


    "Another ce?" I asked in wonder.


    Hayden just grinned at me, and I could tell that it was going to be something good. He led me back to the car and after a very short drive of around five minutes, we arrived at our next destination.


    "Now this is one of our new houses," Hayden proudly announced when we got out of the car.


    A new house? One out of many, it seemed.


    The house really was a house and not a mansion. It wasn¡¯t small but it appearedmon and normal which excited me more than if it had resembled another mansion. It just felt more like a home this way.


    "Does all your hospital projectse along with a house like this one?" I asked for confirmation.


    "Yup. Unless you tell me that you¡¯d rather spend all your nights sleeping in the hospital," Hayden joked.


    "Wow¡­everything is just so well thought out¡­" I murmured appreciatively.


    "Let¡¯s go see inside," Hayden said invitingly.


    I let him lead me into the house. Unlike the hospital, the house waspleted with everything already in ce apart from the furniture. Everything about the house seemed normal and I could picture the living room, the kitchen through that door over there. The second floor probably had the usual bedrooms and stuff.


    What impressed me the most was that the house unexpectedly came with an art studio that resembled pretty much the studio that Hayden built for me at his mansion.


    "Wow! The house has an art studio?" I asked in awe.


    Frankly, although I knew that Hayden had thought things through very well, it still surprised me that there was actually an art studio here for me. That¡¯s great. I can work here while he¡¯s away at the hospital which isn¡¯t too far away from here.


    "It¡¯s a little far from your art gallery but you don¡¯t have to physically be there at the gallery unless you¡¯re hosting a special event, right?" Hayden asked with a warm smile.


    I was starting to like this new phase in our lives more and more as the seconds ticked by. When I began imagining the new life ahead of us, it was just nothing short of perfect. In fact, it was more perfect than anything that I could have ever dreamt of alone before.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name.


    While smiling sweetly at him, I stood up on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his neck.


    "Thank you¡­" I whispered close to his ear after hugging him close to me.


    His strong arms wrapped around my back as he returned my hug, and I smiled while I enjoyed the warmth and security of his embrace.


    "We might have to move around quite a bit at first. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem if we sort everything out before we have our first child," Hayden said with confidence.


    "Our first¡­child?" I mumbled questioningly.


    How far ahead had he thought about our life together?


    When he said ¡¯our first child¡¯, does that mean that he¡¯s looking forward to having more than one?


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 401: Somewhat Normal

    **6 monthster**


    After a long discussion between Hayden and the boss, a hard decision was made with the intent to remove Hayden and me from the Torex gang as much as possible. It took a long time and multiple conversation with the boss for a decision to be reached that allowed Hayden to change hisst name from Torex to something else.


    Of course, that also meant that I wouldn¡¯t have the Torexst name, and neither would our children if we ended up having them in the future.


    The decision probably wouldn¡¯t have been reached had it not been for Harvey¡¯s support. In the end, the boss had to give in on this. For the boss, this was a very big deal because the decision held significant symbolic meaning. Publicly, it would look like Hayden had been disowned from his family.


    "Are you sure that this is a good idea?" I asked.


    "Of course, it is. We¡¯ll be freer to do whatever we want to do without the Torexst name on our backs and it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been disowned for real. Within Torex, I will always be Hayden Torex. I¡¯ll have ess to everything that a Torex should have. It¡¯s not all bad," Hayden replied with certainty.


    Since he seemed so sure about it, I didn¡¯t have any objections about it either. Hayden assured me that this move would somehow help us move on with what we wanted to do with our lives. For Hayden, that was running his hospitals and clinics to help the poor. For me, that was reconnecting with my old life and building my career as a professional artist.


    Time passed by in a sh, luckily both Hayden and I had some achievements to show for that. After working hard with the design team and then supervising the renovations of the gallery for the next two to three months, the art gallery was ready for its opening day. I held a very small gathering to celebrate the official opening of my first ever art gallery.


    It was a great chance for me to reconnect with my university friends and professors. After putting my personal life on hold for a long while, I managed to step back into my old life with a powerful big and new change.


    "Wow! Congrattions. This is just amazing!" Jenny eximed excitedly.


    "Thank you. I¡¯m so happy that you could make it," I replied happily.


    "Not just for the opening of this gallery but for your wedding as well. I knew that there was something going on between you and Mr. hot guy even though you kept denying it," Jenny teased me beforeughing quite loudly.


    I missed herugh, and I missed all my friends that were here. Hopefully, I¡¯ll get to see more of them now that I¡¯m trying to live life as normally as before.


    "You should have your art exhibition here, I¡¯ll host you for free, seriously," I suggested.


    "I¡¯ll definitely take you up on it. Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m sure this ce will be very sessful. You¡¯re really starting to make a name for yourself. I¡¯m sure with this ce, you¡¯ll get so many more clients," Jenny said with confidence.


    "Thank you. I truly hope so," I replied, hopefully.


    Today was just the opening of the gallery with my small group of friends; however, I hoped that soon, I would have enough artwork to fill up the entire gallery so that I could host an exhibition of my own in my own art gallery. I also just recently started epting artmissions again and this time live portrait sessions are on the table.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one that made significant progress. Hayden¡¯s project took a few leaps forward as well. The hospital structure that we visited waspleted. It was much faster than I had anticipated but with that much funding that went into it perhaps it wasn¡¯t that surprising.


    ording to Hayden another smaller clinic had beenpleted as well and because of that Hayden had been busier recently travelling to the hospital.


    Despite our formal removal from the Torex group and family, Hayden still retained all the luxury and wealth that came with his birth in a very convenient way. That also included the support from his family for funding for his project. Since he wasn¡¯t truly disowned, Hayden still had ess to all his wealth. Hayden would always joke about how his project was funded by dirty money from the mafia.


    "Just like Robinhood, you know. Paying and giving back to the society," Hayden said half-jokingly.


    Just like we had agreed before when he took me to visit his hospital, we developed a routine to fly around from the mansion to the hospital. I tried to make myself as flexible to his schedule as much as possible. When we stayed at the mansion, I would work at the studio in the mansion or at the gallery. When Hayden worked at his hospital, I would work at the studio inside the house.


    Overall, everything worked out fine.


    It all turned out as I had imagined in my mind, if not better. Just as I had wished, I got to see new sides of Hayden that I never saw before. Every time I learnt something new about him, I felt so excited.


    Since Hayden started working as a doctor again in his hospital, I got the chance to see him in action as a doctor more often than ever before. At first, it was a sight that I had trouble wrapping my head around. However, I soon got used to it and I also developed a sense of respect for him and the work that he does.


    "So, where does it hurt? Here? What about here?" Hayden asked a young boy who looked clearly malnourished.


    The boy was admitted to the hospital along with his mother after suffering from a case of extreme domestic abuse from his father. His mother was also a victim of the abuse. It didn¡¯t take me long to learn that almost all patients that got admitted to Hayden¡¯s hospital had some disturbing baggage of some kind.


    It wasn¡¯t just theircking financial status that made them seek for help here, usually there were other factors as well.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 402: My Bad Doctor

    Seeing Hayden take care of the boy so caringly reminded me of how he took care of the little girl who was sick before at the amusement park. It wasn¡¯t just his job, but his clothing also changed when he worked as a doctor. The first time that I saw Hayden in his doctor uniform, I almost squealed like a crazy fan girl. Hayden really does look good in anything.


    "Stop staring so much¡­" Hayden muttered, and I wasn¡¯t sure if felt kind of shy or not.


    "It¡¯s my first time seeing you dressed like this," I mumbled as my eyes continued staring at him.


    "Does it look funny?" Hayden asked with a chuckle.


    "Not at all. I think it suits you¡­in a strange way¡­" I replied honestly.


    "In a strange way?" Hayden said as he arched a brow at me curiously.


    "Umm¡­you look like a bad doctor," I replied before I started to giggle.


    Although he¡¯s no longer an official mafia, he still somehow acts like one and the vibe about him wasn¡¯t normal for sure.


    Maybe¡­it¡¯s in the blood?


    When he first told me that he woulde out to work in these remote areas to take care of patients, I got the stereotypical image of him working in a worn-out clinic and living a harsh life while struggling to handle the patients. However, the truth was very different. Hayden wasn¡¯t the standard poor doctor who was trying to do good for the society. He was a very rich one.


    His hospitals and clinics were always clean and professional in every way. The ce nevercked funding and although Hayden was tired from work regrly, his life wasn¡¯t left in rags. On the contrarily, Hayden still wore his expensive-looking white suit like always without the fear of it getting dirty.


    He would asionally wear the white doctor gown on top when he was in the hospital to meet the patients. Overall, I thought he looked amazing as a doctor.


    It wasn¡¯t muchter that I found out that Hayden¡¯s project wasn¡¯t just sucking up money from the boss¡¯spany, but it was making loads of money on its own. That money came from treating members of many gangs and many cases where the patient couldn¡¯t receive treatment from regr hospitals. I found out that the underground healthcare business was a big and booming business.


    It was like shooting two birds with one stone. On one hand, Hayden would help the poor and on the other hand, he could milk the shady rich as well.


    ¡­


    **Many monthster**


    "I never thought the event would be this grand¡­" my professormented before shing me a proud smile.


    "Me neither. I didn¡¯t think that something like this would garner so much public attention both in the artmunity and out of it," I agreed readily.


    After working hard for many months after the opening of the art gallery, everything was in ce, and I was ready to host my first ever art event at my own art gallery. A lot of hard work and literal tears went into making this event a reality. It was a real dreame true moment for me to see so many people turn up to this event.


    It wasn¡¯t just about the recognition that I had received, but it was also the joy attached to having so many people appreciate my work of art.


    Thanks to Hayden¡¯s support, I also received attention from people outside of the artmunity especially those from interior design. Blending in art works topliment with their interior design styles became a trend and I managed to snag a few deals with interior designpanies to feature my work. Most importantly, this event also showcased the works of many aspiring artists apart from my own.


    "I¡¯ve always wanted to support other aspiring artists. It was very hard for me when I first started out as an artist. Admittingly, it¡¯s still quite a challenge now too. I think my personal experience makes me want to support the artists who are going through the same thing that I did," I told Hayden when the gallery waspleted.


    "I think it¡¯s a good idea. There¡¯s more than enough space here to host more than one exhibition in parallel. You should aim to fully utilize it and have the works of many artists on show here. Having variety and many new updates will help this gallery build a reputation for itself too," Hayden said with a gentle smile.


    With that thought in mind, apart from working on my own art collection while taking onmission from clients to make money, I also got into contact with aspiring new artists with outstanding talents. Together we all managed to put together an art exhibition thatpletely filled all rooms of the gallery on both floors.


    "Big congrattions, Malissa! This is a little gift from us to you," Amelia said as she handed me arge bouquet of roses.


    "Congrats, Malissa. We¡¯re very proud of you. I¡¯ll make sure all of our business counterparts buy something from your gallery. No worries," Harvey said before winking at me mischievously.


    "If that¡¯s the case, I guess I may not have enough paintings avable¡­" I joked, although that was probably true.


    "Just sell them nk canvases or something. I¡¯m going to make sure that they spend," Harvey replied with a loudugh.


    "Where¡¯s Hayden?" Amelia asked sweetly.


    "Oh, he should be here any moment now. He¡¯s flying in from one of his hospital visits," I replied with a smile.


    "He should already be here. This is supposed to be such a big day," Harveyined with open dissatisfaction.


    "It¡¯s fine. He told me about this beforehand and I don¡¯t really mind¡­" I told them honestly.


    "You¡¯re too nice and easy on Hayden. You shouldn¡¯t always let him have his way, you know?" Amelia advised sternly.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t how things worked between Hayden and me. I doubt that she would understand it even if I tried to exin it to her, though. Amelia seemed to have Harveypletely wrapped around her little finger.


    "Sorry that I¡¯mte,"


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 403: Baby News

    I heard his familiar voice close to me before his warm lips pressed itself against my cheek.


    "Hayden¡­wee¡­" I greeted him a little shyly.


    "Oh, good that you¡¯re here," Harvey said with a smile.


    "Thank you foring to support my wife¡­" Hayden mumbled his thanks.


    "Actually, there¡¯s another reason why we wanted toe over apart from supporting Malissa¡­" Harvey said before he nced over at Amelia.


    "Well, we¡¯re supposed to tell you at our next family gathering but I¡¯m having a hard time holding it in so¡­the thing is¡­I¡¯m pregnant," Amelia announced before beaming us a bright smile.


    Her hand went to pat her still t belly as her face seemed to glow more radiantly then usual. My eyes widened at her announcement.


    "Wow! Congrattions to you both!" I eximed happily.


    I knew that Amelia and Harvey had been trying to conceive a baby for a while now. Now that Harvey had taken over the gang, the pressure was squarely on their shoulders to produce the next heir as soon as possible. In a way, I was relieved that that responsibility and expectation had been taken away from me and shoved towards Amelia instead.


    Judging from how radiantly Amelia was embracing her pregnancy, I doubt that she minded the pressure at all.


    "How far along are you now?" I asked in wonder.


    "I¡¯m around 12 weeks in. I guess you can¡¯t really see the baby bump just yet," Amelia replied with a beautifulugh.


    "I¡¯m sure the boss is thrilled. Congrattions again," I replied with a smile.


    "Yeah¡­he¡¯s very happy. Now he¡¯s going around with the modifications of the mansion," Harvey told us with a shake of his head.


    "Oh, I can truly say that I know what that must feel like," I said sympathetically.


    I really knew from experience what that was like. In fact, Hayden¡¯s mansion was still modified the way that the boss had chosen from that time. Soon after his wedding, Harvey and Amelia moved out of the mansion to stay with the boss instead. Apparently, the boss wanted Harvey close to him and Harvey didn¡¯t hesitate to agree to that.


    That left only Hayden and me in the mansion along with Auntie and therge army of staff.


    "It¡¯s your turn now, Hayden¡­" Harvey said as he turned to stare at his younger brother.


    "What?" Hayden asked like this had nothing to do with him at all.


    "It would be great if we have kids of simr age. They can be friends as well as cousins," Amelia quickly chimed in.


    I stered a polite smile on my lips while I could feel Hayden¡¯s difort at openly discussing the topic. Hayden did mention a long time ago that he was nning to have children with me, but we¡¯ve been too busy with our work up until recently that the topic never came up again.


    Honestly, the thought of children didn¡¯t cross my mind even once since I started working on the gallery and putting my art career back together.


    Hayden must have felt the same way given how he¡¯s been super busy with his hospital projects and everything that was rted to that. He¡¯s been travelling more often now too and although I tried to apany him as much as I could, there were times when we had to live apart. All in all, we¡¯re probably not ready to have any children right now.


    Plus, I couldn¡¯t imagine myself carrying a child for 9 whole months given how busy I was.


    "Maybe we¡¯ll think about it¡­" I replied vaguely.


    Hayden didn¡¯t seem to know how to react, so I decided to step in to save the day for us. Thankfully, the topic was dropped soon after that. Theirments really did get me thinking if we should start nning to have a child. I guessed that if we don¡¯t n for it, we¡¯ll just be busy for the rest of our lives with our work.


    Hayden was truly involved and dedicated to his project and, unlike when he was working at the gang before, he didn¡¯t really ck off at all.


    At first, I didn¡¯t think that the news of Amelia¡¯s pregnancy would have any impact on me at all; however, as the days went by, I started to feel that I was wrong. Without knowing it, I had started to think about having a baby with Hayden. I guess I have known all along that I wanted to have a baby one day and the thought of having a baby with Hayden sure had its own charm.


    When I thought of how cute Hayden looked as a child, I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little to myself as a warm and fuzzy feeling filled me up inside.


    I guess having a baby that looks like Hayden would be nice. A girl would look pretty while a boy would look cute in a mischievous way. Although I was busy with mymission work, my mind would often stray to think about having kids, especially when I was working alone in my art studio.


    Ever since that day of my art exhibition, Hayden never mentioned anything about the topic of having kids. It was like the matter just blew over his head and he simply forgot about it and moved on. That was what I thought until a few dayster when he happened to ask me about it.


    "Ahh¡­Hayden¡­please¡­" I moaned passionately as I grinded my hips on top of hisp.


    His hands cupped my naked breasts as I continued moving on top of him, my pussy clenching wildly around his hard cock. The pleasure of his massive cock sliding in and out of my wet hole was mind-blowing and I couldn¡¯t get enough of it. I cried out his name as I ced my hands on his broad shoulders so that I could ride faster and harder on his upstanding love pole.


    "That¡¯s it, good girl. Ride me¡­" Hayden urged seductively as his blue eyes stared at my erotic face.


    His hands continued to pump my breasts roughly together as he massaged them while I bounced my hips wantonly up and down the length of his hard dick. Lewd moans escaped my lips as I mmed my hips down onto his cock faster, my need for him intensifying.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 404: We Are Ready

    "It¡¯s so good¡­Ahhh! Hayden¡­" I moaned as my pussy got even wetter for him.


    I angled my hips so that the head of his thick hot rod would ram directly into my pleasure spot. His cock was so thick and long that it could hit me all the way against my womb with each thrust. I didn¡¯t intend on having sex with him tonight but after he began seducing me, I couldn¡¯t control my desires and ended up getting on top of him and taking his erect cock directly into my wet cunt


    Even now, I couldn¡¯t stop riding wildly on top of him. Hayden seemed to love it when I went wild on top of him. Although I was embarrassed at how naughty I was, I couldn¡¯t stop my hips from moving to swallow up his thick cock into my sopping wet love hole.


    "I¡¯m going to cum¡­Hayden¡­please¡­" I moaned my pleasure when I felt my orgasm quickly approaching.


    I¡¯m going to cum¡­hard¡­


    "Let me see your face when you cum¡­" Hayden whispered lewdly to me.


    He lowered his hand from my breast and soon I felt jolts of raw pleasure taking over my body when he yed around with my swollen clit. Hayden was so mean; he knew that I was about to cum yet he still yed even more with me.


    "Ahh! Hayden¡­no¡­please¡­I¡¯m cumming!" I screamed so loudly as I threw my head back and let my orgasm take over mepletely.


    The intense pleasure of his cock hitting against my pleasure spot and his fingers roughly stroking my clit was too much for me too handle. It drove me over the edge, and I climaxed spectacrly on Hayden¡¯sp. It was then that Hayden started thrusting his hips upwards, pounding his cock deeply into my wet cunt. I cried out at the renewed pleasure that seemed to have intensified.


    I moaned his name as Hayden continued to pump his cock fast and hard in and out of my pussy.


    It didn¡¯t take very long for me to reach my climax again. This time, Hayden joined me. His cock twitched wildly inside of my love tunnel before it spurted endless streams of his seed deeply into my womb while I moaned his name lovingly. My pussy spasmed around his cock as it greedily sucked in the heat of his release.


    "Are you ready to have my child?" Hayden asked after we both recovered from our powerful orgasm.


    I nodded as I struggled to catch my breath. His warm sticky seed filled me up deep inside and if I wasn¡¯t on the pills, maybe I would have¡­


    "I think so¡­" I managed to reply softly when I found my voice again.


    "Are you still on the pill?" he asked tenderly before he kissed my hair.


    I nodded.


    "You can¡¯t get pregnant if you don¡¯t stop taking them," Hayden told me as his blue eyes stared deeply into mine as if to make sure that I understood him.


    "I¡¯ll stop taking them¡­" I whispered shyly.


    "Good. You can leave the rest to me," Hayden announced reassuringly.


    He lowered me onto my back and quickly spread my legs while my eyes widened in shock. Hayden didn¡¯t wait for much longer before he plunged his erect cock all the way back into my pussy hole. I let out a strangled cry at his sudden entry. His cock was already so big and hard again¡­


    Hayden began moving and his thrusts were bordering on violent. He rammed his cock in and out of me until my legs felt weak. My core started throbbing with my desire for him again as his cock hit me deep inside. It felt so amazing to be one with him like this. I lifted my legs and wrapped it around his hips as I offered myself to him again without reserve.


    Maybe Harvey¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s words had an impact on him because Hayden was much rougher with me that night. With each hard thrust of his cock inside of my wet pussy, I was beginning to truly understand what he meant when he told me to leave the rest up to him.


    ¡­


    **5 monthster**


    Life had settled down for a while but now things have picked up again with the fast-approaching date of another art event at my gallery. After the previous events got great reviews and feedback, the gallery now had its own local clientele and a much firmer position in the artistmunity.


    The fast rise in poprity made the gallery more popr and the gallery was booked out on most days especially the weekends.


    After taking a rest away from the spotlight for a couple of months to focus onmission work and the work for my new art collection, I was ready to bring my work back into the spotlight again.


    Since then, I¡¯ve decided to host at least one event at my gallery every six months to disy my own collection of paintings on top of the regr paintings that were usually on disy. In addition to that, I¡¯ve started renting out my gallery to other up anding artists at very affordable rates to make it easier for these artists to host their own exhibitions.


    The best part was that I got to know and engage with many more artists. Networking and expanding mywork with other artists were very beneficial to my career and business. It led me to receiving moremission work than before and many more well-established artists were now interested in renting out the exhibition space in my gallery.


    This uing event was the biggest event so far in my art career and I was determined to make it a sess. After having gained a reasonable amount of poprity in the art circle, this event would also be covered by many reporters and magazines. It was honestly a lot of pressure to get everything right and there wasn¡¯t a lot of time left until the D-day.


    That meant that I had been working hard and long hours at the gallery for many days now. Unfortunately, Hayden was also busy with his own work and had been away at one of his hospitals.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 405: Foretelling Signs

    It was early in the evening and my team, and I were still busy at work. With the many things that we had left to do for the day, it seemed like today would be anotherte night at the gallery again. Thankfully, my team was full of passionate members who were truly dedicated to their jobs. It was going to be rough, but I had the confidence that we would make it through.


    "What about we hang this one here? Malissa, can youe over to have a look?" one of my staffs called out to me.


    "Sure. Be right there!" I called back before I quickly got up from my seat.


    The moment that I stood up, I suddenly felt extremely dizzy. My head throbbed and it felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep my bnce. I closed my eyes and took in deep breaths before slowly lowering myself back down onto the chair that I had been sitting on.


    "Malissa, are you ok?" I heard someone ask from close to me.


    "I¡¯m¡­" I began saying but then my head just hurt too much.


    My body felt strangely hot as well and my chest started to feel tight. Suddenly, it became harder for me to breath. Why do I feel so sick?


    ¡­


    After my episode at the gallery, my team ended up very panicked and had gotten in touch with Hayden. I felt horrible for a short while, but the headache did pass along with the other symptoms, and I was fine again.


    "So sorry about this. I guess I¡¯m just tired¡­" I apologized weakly when I managed to find my voice again.


    "Drink some water first¡­" a team member offered.


    "Thank you¡­" I thanked her gratefully before I started sipping on the water.


    "You¡¯ve been working too hard and staying long hours. You¡¯re always thest one to go home even after closing¡­" another member pointed out.


    "The exhibition is almost here so¡­" I replied softly.


    "If you don¡¯t take better care of your health, you¡¯ll end up missing the event, you know¡­" my team member warned sternly.


    "I guess. Sorry for making you all worried. I¡¯ll be just fine," I told them before putting on one of my best smiles.


    Passing out and missing the exhibition isn¡¯t an option. This round, I¡¯m going to be showcasing my own work, so I had to physical be there to present the collection as well as greet the guests. Just thinking of the work ahead filled me with so much excitement.


    Suddenly, the door to the gallery opened with a loud bang. My eyes widened in shock when I saw Hayden standing in the doorway. He seemed out of breath like he had gotten here in a hurry.


    "Hayden¡­" I murmured his name softly.


    Without a word, Hayden strode towards me until he was standing right in front of me. My team members quickly stepped aside to give us some room and private space.


    "How are you feeling?" Hayden asked with full concern as he took my hand into his.


    "Umm¡­dizzy and tired. I think I¡¯ve been working too much¡­maybe it¡¯s the stress. I should feel better after resting a little," I replied while trying my best to reassure him that I was alright.


    He crouched down in front of me and stared into my face for a moment before he heaved a loud sigh.


    "You¡¯re probably pregnant," he stated casually.


    "What?!" I cried out loudly.


    My outburst earned me stares from all of my team members. I turned to them to give them a shy smile before my head snapped back to Hayden. Is he just teasing me? It¡¯s not even a funny matter¡­


    "Umm¡­let¡¯s not talk about that here¡­" I muttered.


    Hayden just nodded his head once at me before he got up to his feet.


    "We should head home for the day. Your face is pale, I don¡¯t need to be a doctor to tell that your exhaustion and stress is eating at you," Hayden said as he gently pulled me up to my feet.


    His arm looped around my waist as he supported me. I turned to smile apologetically at my team members. They quickly told me not worry and that they would have everything ready in time for the event. At that point, I didn¡¯t dare give them any instructions rted to work in fear that Hayden would yell at me if I kept on thinking about work.


    "You¡¯re very lucky that I just got back¡­" he muttered a little moodily when we got into the car.


    "Oh, right. You were supposed to be back today¡­" I murmured.


    "On top of overworking yourself, you also forgot that your husband is supposed toe back today¡­" Haydenined with a shake of his head.


    It was true that it did slip my mind with everything that was going on at the gallery. The work demanded so much of my attention and so did supervising my team of staff.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Hayden¡­" I apologized without an excuse for myself.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter¡­" he muttered.


    By the time that we arrived back at the mansion, I already felt quite normal. It was like the fit had passed. It was a very strange feeling to feel so sick all of sudden and then to feel well again. Hayden led me to the living room and urged me to rest on the sofa. It felt good to rest for a while and it made me realize just how tired I had been. umting stress and exhaustion can be so scary.


    Hayden sat down close to me on the sofa.


    "When was thest time that you had your period? Not very recently if I¡¯m not wrong¡­" Hayden asked although he seemed to already know the answer.


    Well, now that I think about it¡­did I have my periodst month?


    My brows furrowed together deep in thought¡­


    "You don¡¯t even know, do you?" Hayden said with a disapproving shake of his head.


    "That doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m pregnant, though¡­" I countered.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 406: Life Changing

    Even if I skipped on my periods, that didn¡¯t mean that I was pregnant, right?


    It has happened to me before especially when I was extremely stressed out and because of that, I wasn¡¯t convinced that I was pregnant.


    "You can pee on a pregnancy stick. I¡¯ll get someone to buy a few. Then we can get you checked up properly at the hospital," Hayden replied very calmly.


    "You¡¯ll do the check up for me?" I asked, curiously.


    "No¡­we¡¯ll get a proper gynecologist to do it. Your husband isn¡¯t a gynecologist, you know¡­" Hayden quickly corrected me.


    "Oh, right¡­" I mumbled.


    "Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not sick, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re just pregnant," Hayden stated with confidence.


    I had no idea why Hayden seemed so sure that I was pregnant. Plus, what does he mean that I¡¯m ¡¯just pregnant¡¯?


    Isn¡¯t it supposed to be a super big deal if I¡¯m pregnant? Why doesn¡¯t Hayden seem surprised or excited at all? Although he seems so certain that I¡¯m pregnant.


    Later that evening, the pregnancy sticks arrived, and Hayden instructed me to use them as a first check to see if I was pregnant or not. There were four of them, each one from a different brand. I nced at Hayden and received a reassuring nod from him.


    "Do I¡­pee on all of them?" I asked while feeling uncertain about what I was supposed to do.


    Now that the time had arrived for me to take the tests, I just felt so nervous and then I realized that I was scared of knowing the result. My emotions were a mess, and I had no idea what result I was secretly hoping for.


    Do I want to be pregnant with Hayden¡¯s child right now?


    My hands shook as I held the test kit in my hands. There were so many test kits so I could guess that Hayden really wanted to be sure about the result. Unlike me, Hayden seemed rxed and non-disturbed about this at all.


    "Scared?" Hayden asked.


    His voice was gentle and so were his blue eyes as he looked at my face. His lips curved into a gentle smile, and he took my hands in his before pulling me into his embrace. I could hear the regr beating of his heart as his warmth and familiar scent enveloped me. I felt so safe in his arms, and I was d that at least one of us could remain calm and collected in this situation.


    His reassuring and dependable presenceforted me and gave me strength.


    "Want me to go with you?" Hayden asked softly.


    Hisrge hand stroked the back of my head lovingly and I pressed my face even closer against his chest. It might be easier for me to have Hayden there with me, so I slowly nodded my head.


    "Alright. Let¡¯s go," Hayden readily agreed to my choice.


    It was great that he was willing to support me. Now that I think about it, ever since we decided to get married, Hayden had always been supporting me in everything that I wanted to do. He always thought of me and helped me in his own way. Usually, he nned for me many steps ahead of what I could even think or get done for myself.


    "Thank you¡­Hayden¡­" I whispered as I stared up into his attractive face.


    He led me to the toilet before he stood to the side to give me some space. Now all I needed to do was to pee¡­


    Hayden stepped to the side and leaned on a wall to give me some space to myself. This felt very strange, and I couldn¡¯t help but recalled how he used to bully me before when we had just met. It was an embarrassing memory of how I ended up peeing in front of him. He was such a big bully back then, and perhaps, he was still one now.


    I giggled a little to myself at the thought as I prepared to wet the first test kit.


    "Concentrate¡­" Hayden told me a little sternly.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little at his adorable reaction. Although he didn¡¯t openly show it, I bet that Hayden probably felt anxious and excited about this to. Within a few minutes, we would find out if I was carrying our child. It was a strange feeling because I didn¡¯t really know what I was feeling.


    After I had peed on the first test stick, I felt relieved but also very excited at the same time. When I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes, I found myself praying that the result would turn out to be positive. That was probably the moment when I truly realized that I had been hoping that I would get pregnant.


    After epting that and embracing it, I started praying so hard and so desperately for the result to be positive. I truly wanted to have a baby with Hayden.


    I felt his arm around my shoulder and when I opened my eyes, Hayden was standing next to me while I still sat on the toilet seat. All that was needed was a few minutes for the result to show. Although my eyes were opened, I didn¡¯t dare take a look at the pregnancy stick. Instead, I kept my eyes glued to Hayden¡¯s angelic face as I tipped my face upwards and smiled at him.


    "The results should be out," Hayden stated.


    "Can you take a look for me?" I asked a little shyly.


    I was t out scared, but for some reason, it made me feel better when I thought that Hayden would be the one telling me the result of the test.


    "It¡¯s positive," Hayden stated emotionlessly.


    "Really?" I eximed with widened eyes.


    I just couldn¡¯t quite believe that it was happening¡­


    "You can see for yourself. See? I told you so," Hayden said with a small smile as he showed me the pregnancy stick.


    True to his words, there were two lines on the stick which meant that I was indeed pregnant.


    "Want to keep peeing on the other ones until you¡¯re satisfied?" Hayden asked.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 407: Confirmation and Comfort

    "No¡­I¡­" I began saying but I had to stop.


    Tears welled up in my eyes and my chest suddenly felt tight. All the emotions that I was holding in all started pouring out at once and it was too much for me to handle. I covered my mouth and sobbed. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I cried from a mixture of relief, happiness, confusion, excitement, anxiousness, stress, and so many other emotions that I couldn¡¯t quite name or identify.


    "Congrattions, Malissa. You¡¯re going to be a mother soon," Hayden whispered tenderly to me as he pulled me into his embrace.


    I hugged him back tightly as more tears streamed down my cheeks. There were so many things that I wanted to say to him, but I just couldn¡¯t find the words. I was also crying so much now that I doubt that I would be able to form the words even if I could find them. All I could do was nod my head at his words. Hayden smiled at me lovingly before he kissed both my cheeks softly in turn.


    "Hay¡­den¡­" I sobbed his name.


    "You don¡¯t need to try to say anything. You probably won¡¯t make any sense¡­" Hayden said with a smallugh.


    I closed my eyes in bliss as I enjoyed the warmth of his secure hug. Somehow, I could tell that Hayden was very happy too that I was pregnant with our child.


    ¡­


    Despite my desire to head to the hospital right away, Hayden insisted that I get enough rest first. As a result, we ended up heading to the hospital the morning after. Hayden was very swift in booking an appointment for us at one of the leading gynecologists.


    "She¡¯s my friend so you don¡¯t need to feel so nervous. She¡¯s a very nice person and a very talented doctor in her field," Hayden told me reassuringly.


    I walked by his hand with my hand in his along the hospital hallway to our appointment room.


    "I see. I just hope that everything will go well¡­" I mumbled.


    "It will go well. Sara is very talented. She¡¯s also taking care of Amelia and her pregnancy," Hayden exined.


    "Really?" I asked, in slight surprise.


    "Yup. It makes sense. After all, those two are close friends. They¡¯re pr opposite of each other, though. You¡¯ll see that for yourself soon enough," Hayden said without bothering to exin any further.


    I wondered what he meant by that, but I was soon to find out for myself. When we arrived at Sara¡¯s office, she was already ready to receive us.


    "I see. Well, we¡¯ll just do the standard blood test to confirm whether you¡¯re pregnant or not," Sara told us with a smile after Hayden exined the positive result from my home pregnancy test kit.


    "Thank you," I thanked her with a smile.


    Sara seemed like a nice person inside and out. She was soft spoken, and I could tell why she didn¡¯t seem like the type of person who would be the angel¡¯s best friend. Amelia was a big personality, and her looks were outstandingly eye-catching. The opposite applied to the small and extremely timid doctor that sat in front of me.


    "The nurse will help draw your blood. After that, we¡¯ll send it to theb and I¡¯ll make sure that you get your results in a few days¡¯ time," Sara told us with a warm smile.


    "That long?" I inquired.


    How am I supposed to survive with waiting that long?


    "Well, if Hayden doesn¡¯t pull some strings that is how it¡¯s going to be. There are queues in theboratory so¡­" Sara replied before smiling a little at us.


    I looked with pleading eyes towards Hayden.


    "We¡¯ll wait. Other people are waiting too," Hayden replied curtly and without any hesitation.


    "Well, that¡¯s just that. Good luck, Malissa. Since the home test kit is extremely urate these days, it¡¯ll be safer for you to assume that you¡¯re already pregnant. So, rest plenty, eat healthy, and let Hayden take care of you," Sara suggested.


    "Thank you¡­" I thanked her again before we took our leave.


    ¡­


    The few days passed by with Hayden sticking to my side like glue. Miraculously, I got his permission to oversee some work at the gallery with the condition that he came with me and that I could only spend a couple of hours per day there.


    Although Sara advised me to think of myself as pregnant, it still felt unreal to me, and I just couldn¡¯t quite believe it until I got the confirmed test results from the hospital. My mind couldn¡¯t focus on anything else much and I couldn¡¯t move on from wondering about my pregnancy. Working at the gallery was the only thing that kept me sane.


    "Congrattions. You¡¯re around 8-weeks pregnant now," Doctor Sara dered with a bright smile on her face.


    "Really?" I eximed.


    Even if the pregnancy stick told me that I was pregnant before, I was still shocked when told that I was already 8 weeks along. 8 weeks, that means that I¡¯m already 2 months pregnant¡­


    "Yes, really. Congrattions to you both. This baby will be a good ymate for Amelia and Harvey¡¯s baby for sure," Sara said with a shy giggle.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. All I could do was smile as I ced my hand on my still-t belly.


    Hayden escorted me out of Sara¡¯s room because it seemed like I wouldn¡¯t be able to operate well for a while due to the shock. My mind was in a daze and my entire body felt light like I was just floating around. Even when we made it back to the mansion, my mind was still floating around in an unrealistic world.


    "I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m pregnant¡­" I murmured to myself.


    "Really? With how much we¡¯ve been doing it, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t get pregnant sooner than this," Hayden replied before he smirked at me.


    I blushed wildly at Hayden¡¯s words as my entire face felt hot. His wordspletely pierced my bubble, and I returned quickly back down to earth. I am now pregnant!


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 408: Changes in Him

    There is no doubt about that now. Somewhere inside of this belly, our baby is now growing and within around 7 months, we would be holding our first baby in our arms. That was the reality that I was faced with, and it made me so happy that I wanted to jump up and down with joy.


    "What should I do?" I asked Hayden.


    Excitement and an energy that I have never experienced before surged through my body. Suddenly, I felt so energized and so strong.


    "What do you even mean by that?" Hayden asked as he gave me a very confused look.


    "Like¡­I¡¯m pregnant now so what am I supposed to do? What do I eat? Do I have to exercise? Listen to ssical music¡­or something?" I fired my questions at him in rapid session.


    "You¡¯re not making any sense. Just live your life normally, you¡¯re only 8 weeks pregnant. Be careful and don¡¯t do anything risky. Don¡¯t stress and don¡¯t overwork yourself would be a great start," Hayden suggested as he smiled a little at me.


    "Aha¡­ok¡­"


    Hayden seemed so undisturbed by this news at all while I found the whole moment life changing and I began to panic. I was a little disappointed at hisck of reaction, but I decided to think that it was best that one of us was still in the right state of mind.


    ¡­


    "Umm¡­Hayden¡­why are you here?" I asked in a small voice.


    Since he found out that I was pregnant, Hayden stuck to my side all the time even more than before. He even gave up going to work at the hospital. Instead, he spent his days at the gallery with me. Driving me there in the morning, staying with me until I was done with work and then driving me back.


    Of course, I fully appreciated his thoughts and actions; however, it started to get more than a bit much.


    Thankfully, the exhibition had passed by with ultimate sess. I had thought that my pregnancy would get the in the way somehow, but it didn¡¯t. Surprisingly, I did not really suffer from morning sickness. Sure, I was tired now and then. It got harder to get up in the mornings and it was easier for me to develop a throbbing headache from working long hours or from simply being in the sun for too long.


    However, apart from that, my life was pretty much the same as before if I discounted the fact that Hayden was glued to my side all the time.


    "Because you¡¯re here," he replied like it was supposed to be obvious.


    "Don¡¯t you have to go to the hospital?" I asked.


    "Nope. I got the other doctors to fill in for me. They¡¯ll fill in for me until you give birth and then probably a few months after that as well," Hayden replied smoothly.


    "So, like¡­you¡¯re going to be here every day?" I asked for more rification.


    "If you¡¯re going to be here every day then I¡¯m going to be here every day," he replied without a second thought.


    Right¡­


    At first when Hayden didn¡¯t seem panicked about the fact that I was pregnant, I thought that he didn¡¯t really care about it. However, I soon found out that I was very wrong. Hayden brought in many hired help to assist me during this important time and that included a team of professional nurses, a team of bodyguards which included a driver.


    "You can go to work, you know. I think I¡¯ll be fine with the nurses around¡­" I told him honestly.


    Hayden was so devoted to his work at the hospital before, so it felt quite strange for him to give all that up. Maybe I was underestimating the difficulties of pregnancy at that time since I wasn¡¯t that far along at all. However, it just didn¡¯t feel like Hayden had to be by my side all the time.


    Needless to say, the staff that I worked with and some of the clients that I met with felt quite ufortable having Hayden around.


    "Everything at the hospital is quite settled already. I don¡¯t need to be there. Some other doctor will take over, you don¡¯t have to worry," he replied emotionlessly.


    "And¡­you¡¯re fine with that?" I asked in slight disbelief.


    "Of course. Why else would I suggest for them to do that if I wasn¡¯t fine with it?" Hayden asked sarcastically.


    "Alright¡­" I mumbled in defeat.


    Time for me to give up entirely on worrying about his personal pursuant of his career. I¡¯ll just try my best to enjoy my time with Hayden to the maximum.


    Apart from Hayden, the other person who was overly fussing over me ever since we broke the news of my pregnancy was our dear Auntie. So far, she had been too busy taking care of Little Hayden while we were so consumed with our work; however, when she found out about my pregnancy, she started her own routine of making sure that I had more than enough of everything.


    Healthy food and drinks, maternity clothing and the list goes on and on.


    "Dinner is ready," Auntie informed us politely.


    "Thank you¡­" I thanked her before smiling sweetly at her.


    Nowadays, I didn¡¯t look forward to my meals at all. Ever since I had entered into the ¡¯pregnantdy¡¯ diet, the joy of eating food all but disappeared. Although the nutritionists and doctors assured me that this was the best for both my baby and me, I still had a hard time swallowing every mouthful. The food just tasted nd, and it was probably too healthy for my liking.


    ording to them, if I ate all the food that they prepared then the baby would develop well without the food putting on unnecessary extra weight on my body.


    It all sounded amazing to not gain unnecessary weight during my pregnancy, but did it have toe at the cost of ruining my tastebuds?


    I sat down at the dining table with a soft sigh as my eyes travelled to the unidentifiable foodid out in tes in front of me. Once again, nothing looked particrly appetizing. Why can¡¯t I eat the normal food that Hayden is eating?


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 409: Our Little Project

    "You¡¯re not going to eat? Are you and the baby not hungry?" Hayden asked from across the table.


    I doubt anyone could get hungry when faced with this kind of food. However, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell Hayden that after all the effort that he put in to ensure the best food for me and the baby.


    "I¡¯m not that hungry but I¡¯ll eat¡­" I replied before forcing a smile.


    "Do you want me to feed you?" Hayden asked.


    "Umm¡­no. There¡¯s no need for you to do that," I refused while trying to maintain my smile.


    "The food looks and tastes bad, doesn¡¯t it?" Hayden asked but it didn¡¯t really feel like a question.


    I guess he did realize it after all. There¡¯s no point in lying about it now so I just nodded at my head in response.


    "You should have told me. I can fire the chef or get the nutritionist to change something to make it more ptable," Hayden said as he stared at me from across the table.


    "I just didn¡¯t want to burden you with something like this. Plus, I guess it isn¡¯t that bad when I get used to eating it," I replied although my words didn¡¯t even sound convincing to myself.


    He probably had no idea how much I was itching to eat everything that was fried and crunchy. All of those unhealthy and oily fried food was what I was secretly craving for. Maybe what I was experiencing was the cravings of the baby and I am void of any fault.


    "Here, eat¡­" Hayden instructed as he thrusted a spoonful of food towards my face.


    "It¡¯s ok, Hayden. I can eat by myself," I refused politely.


    "It¡¯s partly my fault that you¡¯re stuck eating crappy food so the least that I can do for you is feed you. Now, open up¡­" Hayden replied insistently.


    What kind of logic was that?


    "Umm¡­" I murmured while I hesitated.


    "The least that I can do is feed you, right? So, open up, Malissa," Hayden said with a teasing smile.


    Despite his teasing, I could feel that he truly sympathized with me. Plus, it didn¡¯t feel so bad to have him pamper me once in a while. After getting over my slight shyness, I opened my mouth to let him feed me. After the first spoonful of food disappeared into my mouth, countless others followed. Hayden smiled sweetly at me all the while his hand fed me more and more food.


    In the end, I ended up eating all the food that was prepared for me to Hayden¡¯s utmost satisfaction. Agreeing to have him feed me was an error on my part. Once he started feeding me, he refused to stop and I was forced to go along with it until he seemed satisfied that I had eaten enough, which was basically until I had finished up all the food.


    "Good girl. Let¡¯s hope that the food tastes better for the next meal¡­" Hayden said before he grinned at me.


    "I miss normal food¡­" I mumbled.


    "You mean that you miss unhealthy food, right?" he said knowingly.


    "Not really¡­" I muttered in denial.


    Hayden justughed a little at me. It was still surprising to me how his mood had be more pleasant and mild since we found out that I was pregnant. After getting over my initial struggle to get used to his change in temperament, I enjoyed my time with him immensely. Hayden paid a lot of attention to my pregnancy and the fact that he was a doctor helped to reassure me.


    He took our visits to the hospital to see Sara for check ups very seriously. Thankfully, every checkup went by smoothly without any issues. Our baby was heathy and growing at just the right pace.


    "Does doing this really help you bond with the baby?" I asked in wonder.


    Hayden had developed a habit of pressing the side of his face and his ear against my belly. It started from when my tummy was still pretty much t. At that point, I doubt that he could hear anything or feel anything except for my own tummy rumbling randomly. He probably knew that as well, but he was still determined about being close to the baby.


    "Of course, it does¡­" Hayden replied without hesitation.


    "Is that your personal belief or is that scientific?" I asked, although I guess I sort of knew the answer.


    "Shhh¡­" Hayden hushed me up.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if during such an early stage of pregnancy our baby could even feel of acknowledge our presence; however, having Hayden close to me did make me feel better. Even if we couldn¡¯t connect much with our baby just yet, we surely connected with each other more this way. I ran my fingers through Hayden¡¯s soft blond hair as I enjoyed his presence close to me.


    As my pregnancy progressed and my belly swelled up more and more each day, things became more challenging for me to work and move around like before. That was when I truly started to appreciate having Hayden with me all the time. Just getting up from where I was seated required an effort and my back pain was no joke especially when it came to the end of the day.


    "Did you feel that?" I asked before I smiled at him.


    Our baby was definitely an energetic little one. I could feel and see some movements of the baby inside of my belly. It wasn¡¯t unusual for bumps to form on the surface of my belly when the baby moved by kicking or elbowing.


    "Definitely. That was such a strong kick¡­" Hayden replied with his hands pressed against myrge belly.


    It wouldn¡¯t be much longer now before we could hold our little one in our arms. I had never felt this excited in my life about anything before. The smile on Hayden¡¯s face and the gleam in his blue eyes told me that he also shared my excitement.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 410: Our Future

    **6 yearster**


    "Wow¡­you came back pretty early today¡­" I said while cocking my head slightly to the side in wonder.


    With his busy schedule for the week, I hadn¡¯t expected him to turn up at my gallery early in the afternoon.


    "Things wrapped up pretty well at the hospital today so I thought that we could go pick up the kids together for a change," Hayden replied with a smile.


    "Perfect timing. Now that you mention it, we should head out now or we¡¯re going to bete¡­" I said as I started grabbing my things.


    I turned to sh him a bright smile. Honestly, I was thrilled that he could spare some time to pick up the kids together today. Hayden was still busy with his work at the hospitals as ever and the fact that the numbers of hospitals in hiswork has grown over the years did not help make him any less busy.


    That being said, my career as an artist and gallery owner had also flourished handsomely which meant that he wasn¡¯t the only one who had gotten busier. Layering taking care of our two kids on top of that kept us extremely busy for all days of our lives.


    Thankfully, hired help was avable and there was always the ever caring and supportive grandfather to help out. The boss had retired already from actively managing and running the business. Currently, instead of working as a mafia boss, he now works full time as our children¡¯s grandfather and semi-guardian. The same role applied to Harvey¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s children.


    Most days the boss and his entourage of bodyguards were responsible for sending the children to school and picking them up. It was an activity that we dly handed over the boss due to our busy schedule and the boss was more than d to take the lead so that he could spend more time with his grandchildren.


    Unlike his strict, scary, and very stern self during his time leading the business, the boss was now a very kind and loving grandfather to all our children.


    "I already told the boss that he doesn¡¯t need to pick up the kids today. At first, I was going to do it alone but now that you¡¯re here¡­" I told Hayden with a smile.


    Lately, it became a habit of mine to smile. That was probably the best proof that I was so happy living the life that I was living with Hayden and the kids. Life was peaceful; however, I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say that our family was usual or normal.


    The school that our children went to wasn¡¯t really a normal school either. Before having my own children, I never knew that these types of school existed. Basically, it was a school for children of the extremely wealthy and somewhat shady families. The Torex fit the bill very well and had been donating significantly to the school for years in preparation for the boss¡¯s first grandchild¡¯s arrival.


    Harvey and Amelia¡¯s children also went to this same school which made it extremely convenient for the boss to drop them off and pick them up together.


    "Henry! Le!" I called out to my children happily when the teachers brought them out to see us.


    "Mummy! Daddy!" they both cried out happily when they saw that it was Hayden and me who hade to pick them up today.


    It wasn¡¯t often that we got to do this, and it was even rarer for both of us to be here to pick them up together, so it must have been a pleasant surprise for our children. I wished that we had more time but school starting super early in the morning and ending early in the afternoon made it hard for us working parents.


    "Did you have fun at school today?" I asked happily.


    "Yes!" they both replied inplete sync with each other.


    "No one caused you any trouble, right?" Hayden asked his son as he crouched down to Henry¡¯s height.


    Wasn¡¯t the question supposed to be ¡¯you didn¡¯t cause any trouble, right?¡¯. I sighed and shook my head at how Hayden was unconventionally raising his son. Nothing was worstpared to how Harvey was doing. Their two sons were pretty much little gangsters in their own right already and had a mindset and ego to match.


    They thought exactly like Harvey, and I could tell that they would grow up to be his size in both body and ego as well.


    I watched with a smile as Hayden wrapped his arms lovingly around the waist of our two children. Henry was 5 years old, and Le was 3. After taking a short break to raise Henry, we quickly decided to have our second child without hesitation. Henry brought so much joy to us that we thought that having another one was the right decision to make without a doubt.


    Hayden didn¡¯t have any preferences on the gender of our children, but he admitted to being relieved that our eldest turned out to be a boy.


    "Nothing against girls but I just wouldn¡¯t know how to raise one¡­" Hayden admitted a little bashfully.


    "That¡¯s so funny¡­I don¡¯t think I would know how to raise a boy either¡­" I replied back with a smallugh.


    With our first child being a boy, I prayed so hard for our second to be a girl. We went about the process naturally and it didn¡¯t take long for me to conceive our second child. Le was born soon after and that made us a family of four. Since Harvey and Amelia ended up having two boys, that made Le the only young girl in the Torex family.


    As a result, she was currently being spoiled rotten by the boss and her dear Uncle Luka.


    "Oh, Amelia!" I called out to Amelia when I spotted her.


    "Wow. You¡¯re both here," Amelia eximed with clear surprise to see Hayden and I together at school.


    "Hayden got off work early," I replied with a smile.


    "Say hi to Malissa¡­" Amelia hissed to her two boys.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 411: Our Family

    "Hi¡­" the boys said with clear disinterest.


    Harris and Andrew looked up at me with cold eyes while I stered a smile on my face. These two kids were clearly told about the specifics of their family business from such a young age without leaving out any details about what was expected of them when they grew older. Harvey was heartless when it came to training up his boys into the ideal next bosses of the gang.


    Although the boys were still young, they already had a cold and calcting attitude.


    "Are you heading back now?" Amelia asked.


    Unlike me who was busy with my career as an artist and running my art gallery business, Amelia was a full-time mum. I didn¡¯t envy her at all, she had her hands full just dealing with her two boys and not to mention dealing with Harvey as well. Amelia was always surrounded by arge team of bodyguards, and I bet she spent more time with them than with Harvey.


    Despite her burdensome life of being the new boss¡¯s wife, she seemed quite used to everything and she also seemed to enjoy herself tremendously.


    "We¡¯re about to," I replied.


    "Can we go y with Henry at his house?" Harris asked.


    "I don¡¯t know. Ask the hosts," Amelia replied with a disapproving re.


    "Can we go y at your house, Hayden?" Harris turned to ask Hayden for permission.


    "Sure. I¡¯ll invite your dad toe over for dinnerter too," Hayden replied before he lifted little Le up into his arms.


    "Let¡¯s go, Henry!" Harris shouted excitedly as he took my son¡¯s hand.


    I had very mixed feeling about my son being Harris¡¯s best friend. It would be the worst thing ever if Henry started picking up on Harris¡¯s strange gangster vibe. Harris and Henry looked more like brothers than Henry and Andrew did. Maybe it was because their father looked so much alike, and they both inherited their father¡¯s genes.


    Harris was almost the exact copy of what Harvey looked like in his younger days and the same could be said about Henry and Hayden.


    Andrew had softer features and very round eyes that resembled Amelia. Unlike his elder brother, he seemed a little more docile and stuck closer to Amelia. I smiled to myself as I followed Hayden and the boys towards the car after it seemed to have been decided by default that Harris would ride along with our family. I wished that I could say that my Le resembled me but that wasn¡¯t quite true.


    Le looked like a little angel with her father¡¯s blond and blue eyes. She even inherited Hayden¡¯s long and blond eyshes. I guess the only thing she inherited from me were her lips and smile. Better than nothing, I guess.


    That evening turned out to be a small family reunion at Hayden¡¯s mansion. After Amelia and her children turned up at our house, Harvey soon followed after he was done with work for the day. Not surprisingly, the boss turned up as well to join us for dinner. Although he said that he wanted to chat with Hayden and Harvey, we all knew that he just wanted to y with his grandchildren.


    Just like always, the boss never turned up to our house without loads of gift for his dear little princess, Le.


    I watched as the boss lifted Le onto hisp before he kissed her forehead. Hisrge hand brought out a jewelry box before he ced a sparkly diamond ne around Le¡¯s neck. It was surprising, but it seemed like Le had won the position of the boss¡¯s favorite grandchild. Despite being born a girl, the boss seemed to favor her the most.


    I learntter that something in Le reminded the boss of histe wife, Hayden¡¯s mother. Whatever the reason was, I was truly happy that Le had a very amicable rtionship with her grandfather.


    The three boys ran around the living room and the hall of the mansion just like always. It was pure chaos when the three of them joined forces. Surprisingly, Luka also turned up at the boss¡¯s invitation. Luka was still working despite his age. He refused to retire even when the boss retired and had insisted on helping Harvey out with managing the gang.


    When dinner was ready, the maids did an outstanding job as always of ushering all the kids to the dining room. The chefs always outdid themselves when serving food for our mini family reunion.


    "What do you want to be when you grow up?" the boss turned to ask Henry.


    Henry seemed thoughtful for a while, and I watched with intense interest as I waited for my son¡¯s response. We haven¡¯t talked about that much since Henry was still so young. Because he wasn¡¯t officially part of the gang anymore, there were endless possibilities for him to choose from.


    "I¡¯m going to lead the gang after my dad!" Harris shouted loudly.


    Harveyughed loudly and pped his hand proudly. Well, at least it seemed like Harris was well aware of his position and what awaited him. Harvey definitely did an outstanding job of educating and preparing Harris earlier on.


    "I want to be a doctor like my father," Henry replied before smiling proudly.


    I found myself smiling at his response. I doubt Henry truly understood what kind of doctor Hayden was but it was great that he wanted to be a doctor too. Maybe he can take over Hayden¡¯s hospitals or he can be a normal working doctor. I nced over at Hayden, but he didn¡¯t seem to react in any way to his son¡¯s promation.


    Perhaps that was because he was fine with whatever his son had decided. Our son was still so young, and his dream may change when he gets older as well.


    "Don¡¯t you want to be a gangster?" the boss teased.


    I wanted to strangle the boss for his insensitive joke but the way that Henry smiled at his grandfather before he shook his head made me smile as well.


    --To be continued...

 Chapter 412: Proud Achievements

    Although we had not been actively telling our children about their rtionship with the mafia, it wasn¡¯t like we thought that we could hide it. As a result, we never bothered to hide it. We let them learn through their rtionship with the boss, Harris, Luka and even other members of the senior management of the gang.


    Although our family was no where close to being a standard and normal one, we were extremely happy to be together. Harvey, Amelia, the boss, and everyone else were always supportive of our family and what we wanted to do. Hayden and Harvey remained close even though Hayden no longer helped out with the gang¡¯s business anymore.


    ¡­


    If I had to choose, I would say that the family that I managed to build with Hayden is my greatest life achievement thus far. However, that didn¡¯t mean that I didn¡¯t have other achievements to be proud of in my life especially when it came to my career as an artist.


    "We would like to award our amazing artist friend, Malissa, for her outstanding achievement in supporting the local artmunity especially for her work in supporting new and aspiring young artists. Please give a round of apud for Malissa and may I invite Malissa up here to share a few words with us please," the event¡¯s host announced.


    The auditorium exploded with the sounds of people pping and cheering. I turned to smile at Hayden and my children as they smiled and pped for me. I kissed Hayden on the cheek softly as I whispered my words of thanks into his ear.


    "Thank you¡­for always supporting me¡­" I thanked him wholeheartedly.


    "Congrattions, Wife. I¡¯m so proud of you," Hayden replied before he kissed my cheek in return.


    I waved to my kids as I got up from my seat before making my way towards the stage. My legs shook a little as I struggled slightly with the stairs leading up to the stage. Honestly, I saw this awarding. That didn¡¯t mean that I thought that I deserved or wanted this recognition to rain down on me. However, when you talk to many people, you tend to hear the rumors going around.


    This award didn¡¯te purely as a surprise but that didn¡¯t make me less excited about it. On top of that, giving a public speech in front of this many people wasn¡¯t something that I was very used to.


    The host presented me with the award before we posed next to each other to get our photos taken. Then it was time for me to delivery my short award-eptance speech.


    "Thank you. I am extremely honored by this award, and I can¡¯t thank everyone enough for your continuous support. Instead of talking about the past, I would like to focus more on the future. There are still many things that needs to be done to better support and develop the young and new artistic talents in ourmunity.


    None of this could have happened without the help of our sponsors and reliable and generous partners. Hopefully, we can work together more in the future to support even more aspiring artists to reach their dreams. Thank you so much¡­" I said before I shed a bright smile at the army of cameramen gathered right in front of the stage.


    Then, I smiled in the direction where I knew that Hayden was sitting with the kids. The intense lighting from the spotlight that was on me made everything look like a bright blob of white light. I couldn¡¯t see beyond the first few rows of the audience so I couldn¡¯t see Hayden of the kids either. I put a hand up and waved before making my way off the stage.


    Although I could be pictured, Hayden and I were extremely careful not to let the paparazzi get snaps of our children. We also never went out to these events without a proper security team with us. Hayden was still extremely cautious especially since I became pregnant with our first child. When we had our second baby, the security only tightened.


    With Harvey holding the reins of the gang and with the partnership with Silva still in ce, things have stabilized between the gangs. There was very little risk of violence; however, I didn¡¯t me Hayden for being cautious. As for me, I didn¡¯t want my children to befall any kind of danger.


    Memories of when I was kidnapped still made me feel ufortable and I never wanted my children to suffer a simr experience.


    "Show me the award!" Henry shouted loudly when we got into the car.


    "Here you go¡­" I passed the small trophy to him.


    "Is this all you get for working so hard?" Henry asked with a disappointed look on his face.


    Of course not. I didn¡¯t work hard to get this trophy or any trophies. I worked hard to make my own dreamse true and also to see the dreams of various artistse true as well.


    "Definitely not. I work hard to see my dreamse true. So should you¡­" I replied before pulling Henry into a hug.


    "Dad works hard too¡­" Henry muttered.


    "I guess we should go on a holiday together soon. All of us¡­" I suggested brightly.


    "Yes!" Henry quickly agreed.


    "What do you think Le?" I asked.


    Le just nodded her head while she smiled her sweet angelic smile at me. Le¡¯s light pink puffy dress only made her look even more like a little princess. She still held Hayden¡¯s hand as she leaned on his arm. Just like she was attached to the boss, she was very attached to her father as well.


    After arriving home, the maids helped us take care of the children. After the kids took their baths and we changed into rxing clothes, we joined each other again in the dining room for a not-so-peaceful family dinner. I paid attention as the kids chatted excited about the event that we had just attended.


    It wasn¡¯t very often that I took the kids out to public events with many people like this due to security reasons and also because the kids were still young.


    "Finish up your food," Hayden said sternly.


    "Ok¡­" the two of them mumbled.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 413: All to Himself

    I giggled softly to myself at how obedient the children were in Hayden¡¯s presence. Hayden was quite strict with the children although I knew that he loved them very much. It was probably because he cared for them very much that he was extremely strict on them and their upbringing. In a way, the children were a little scared of Hayden.


    I didn¡¯t me them at all because I knew well that Hayden could be very scary at times.


    "When you¡¯re done, Lilly will take you upstairs to your rooms. Make sure to brush your teeth and wash your face properly," Hayden instructed curtly.


    "Yes, Daddy¡­" the two mumbled in unison.


    That was the standard response that our kids would give when Hayden used that tone of voice with them. It was a great thing to have such obedient children, but I also hoped that they wouldn¡¯t feel too tense around Hayden. Usually, Hayden wasn¡¯t stern with the children. However, when he gave them instructions, they needed to follow it to the letter.


    "Pleasee with me¡­" Lilly, one of our maids, came in to help take the children up to their room.


    I waved to them with a smile as they both waved back. Lilly ushered them out of the room, and I was left alone with Hayden.


    "I¡¯m happy that the kids had fun today," I told Hayden honestly.


    "It¡¯s not bad to take them out to these types of events once in a while. They can go to more events when they get older¡­" Hayden replied passively.


    "Want to tuck them into bed with me?" I suggested before smiling sweetly at him.


    After the maid put the kids into bed, usually I would turn up to wish them good night. Kissing the kids to send them off to their peaceful slumber was one part of the day that I enjoyed and truly looked forward to. The kids were growing up fast and I had no idea how fast time would go by from now on. Perhaps in no time at all our children will grow up to be young adults.


    "Sure, let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden readily agreed.


    Hayden got up from his seat and offered me his hand. I smiled up at him before I ced my hand into his. The warmth of his hand around mine always felt so reassuring. I guess even before we got married, I felt that I could rely on Hayden. He really took care of me and our family very well.


    As time went by, I wanted more than ever to be reassuring to him and be someone that he could also rely on as well.


    Hayden led me by the hand to our children¡¯s bedroom. Since the two of them were still young, we still kept them in the same bedroom. Maybe when Le gets a little older, we can move her to a bedroom of her own. So far, Le seems to enjoy sleeping in the same bed as her elder brother. It was a blessing that the two of them got along famously well with each other.


    Henry, as seriously taught by Hayden, always acted like a responsible and caring brother towards his little sister.


    By the time we reached their bedside, the two of them were already well tucked into bed by the maids. I could tell from their faces and droopy eyes that they were already very sleepy.


    "We¡¯re here to wish you goodnight as always," I announced softly.


    "Goodnight, Mummy and Daddy¡­" Henry whispered before he yawned.


    "Goodnight, Henry and goodnight, Le," Hayden said lovingly before he patted Henry¡¯s head.


    I watched as he moved to ce a soft kiss on Le¡¯s cheek. His loving attention made her giggle softly as she smiled.


    "Goodnight my dears. Sleep tight and I¡¯ll be seeing you tomorrow," I told them tenderly.


    Just like Hayden, I kissed Le¡¯s cheek before patting Henry¡¯s head lovingly. Henry put up a hand to straighten out his slightly messed up hair and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at his adorable reaction. Their eyes drifted closed immediately after that and I knew that they would have a night of undisturbed rest.


    "Let¡¯s go¡­" Hayden whispered to me before he pulled me after him towards the door.


    ¡­


    "We should go to bed. It¡¯s been a long day. I bet you¡¯re super tired as well¡­" I said casually when I emerged from the bathroom.


    The shower that I just had helped to calm and rx me. It also made me realize that I felt slightly tense from being at an event with so many people. Hayden had already showered as well and the sight of him standing around with nothing but a white towel around his waist made my heart skip a beat. Even after all this time, he still had that effect on me.


    "Come here, Malissa," Hayden instructed as he waved me over with the motion of his hand.


    A momentter, his strong arms wrapped around my body as he pulled me back against his warm and harder body. Hayden buried his face into my hair and breathed in my scent deeply.


    "Finally, I have you all to myself¡­" Hayden whispered against the side of my neck.


    His breath tickled my sensitive skin and my body trembled slightly in his arms. It¡¯s been many years since we¡¯ve been married but even after having two wonderful children together, I still found myself responding passionately to his advances.


    "Hayden¡­" I whispered his name softly.


    His hands had already moved to cup and massage my breasts through the towel that I had wrapped around my body. A whimper escaped my lips as my body began responding to his seductive touches. His hand slipped into the front of my towel, and I felt the heat of his hand directly on the sensitive skin of my tits.


    Hayden cupped my breasts firmly in his hands before he began squeezing them a little roughly while I cried out at the pleasure. The towel loosened from around my body before falling to my feet on the floor. My desire for him started swirling around in my lower abdomen as my core began throbbing with need. His touch on my breasts felt too pleasurable that I finally cried out.


    --To be continued¡­


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 Chapter 414: Passionate Play

    His finger captured my hardened nipples between them before he started twirling them around. Jolts of pleasure invaded my body from where he was teasing my nipples yfully. I moaned before biting on my lower lip as Hayden buried his face into the side of my neck. His lips ced small teasing kisses along the side of my neck before he began sucking on my skin quite loudly.


    All the while, his hand proceeded to massage and pump my breasts roughly. I cried out at the endless waves of pleasure that coursed through my body.


    I felt the heat of his hard and naked body against my back as I leaned back against him while thrusting my chest forward. Hayden yed with my breasts a little more before his hand slid down the curves of my body to my waist and then the sides of my hips. He thrusted his hips forward a little and I felt his hardness grinding against my buttocks.


    His cock was already so hard, and I could tell that he was already very turned on too. The hardness of his cock hitting against my ass turned me on as my pussy quivered uncontrobly.


    My core continued to throb as my body grew hotter for him. A wet spurt of my love juices leaked out of my love opening and began trickling down my inner thighs. After griding his cock against my butt for a short while, his hand reached in front of me and cupped my pussy. I cried out at the pleasure before his fingers found the hot wet mess in between my legs and began stroking it.


    "Ahhh¡­Hayden¡­" I moaned passionately.


    "You¡¯re fucking wet¡­" Hayden whispered lustily into my ear.


    "Ahh! Ahh! Ahhhh!" I moaned and cried out louder and louder.


    Hayden suddenly thrusted his thick and long fingers upwards into my wet cunt. I cried out at the extreme pleasure of his fingers filling me up inside. Without waiting for me to catch my breath, Hayden began moving his fingers inside of me. He wriggled his fingers inside of me and my hips began moving against his hand while the walls of my pussy clenched wildly around his fingers.


    "You¡¯re clenching so tightly¡­" Hayden hissed into my ear.


    His fingers began thrusting in and out of my hole quite roughly while I cried out from the mind-blowing pleasure. I wanted more of him. I wanted all of him. My hips moved against his hand as I tried to feel his fingers deeper inside of me. When his fingers thrusted against the sensitive spot inside of my flooded cunt, I cried out his name shamelessly.


    "Hayden¡­please¡­" I begged him for more pleasure.


    His fingers felt so good inside of me, but I wanted more. I wanted to feel his thick and massive cock fucking my wet pussy hole. I turned my head back and he captured my awaiting lips in a smoldering hot kiss that left me breathless. His tongue thrusted firmly into my mouth and immediately started teasing and engaging my tongue in a passionate dance.


    His fingers continued moving relentlessly inside of me and my legs felt so weak, so I was thankful that Hayden was holding me against his body. My mind felt hazy, and I could no longer think straight. When Hayden pressed his thumb down hard on my clit as he fingered me repeatedly, I cried out at the double pleasure.


    My pussy clenched hard around his fingers as I squirted out more love juices onto his intruding fingers.


    He¡¯s going to make me cum so hard at this rate¡­


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m cumming! Hayden¡­" I cried out when I felt my orgasm fast approaching.


    Hayden fingered me harder and faster, pushing me over the edge as my body spasmed and trembled in his arms in my mind-shattering orgasm. My pussy quivered uncontrobly around his fingers, and I knew that my cunt was flooded with the wetness of my release.


    My wetness spurted out of my hole when Hayden slid his fingers out of my pussy. I felt the wetness of my juices trickling down my inner thighs while I whimpered weakly. My legs feltpletely useless at that moment, and it was Hayden¡¯s support that kept me on my two feet. I struggled to catch my breath while my mind was floating in thend of pleasure.


    "Bend over. Can you still stand?" Hayden instructed with some concern.


    With Hayden¡¯s support, I manage to walk to the side of the bed where he urged me to bend over. He must have realized that my legs were very close to useless at that point. I was recovering decently well from my orgasm. Although he told me to bend over, in reality, Iid with my face down on the bed with my legs still somewhat nted on the floor next to the bed.


    It wasn¡¯t a bad position because I didn¡¯t need to use my arms to support my body weight.


    I felt Hayden¡¯s presence close behind me and then the heat of his hands on the side of my hips before he lifted them a little. A small whimpered escaped my lips when his hands parted my legs. My behind felt so exposed and I could feel his heated gaze on my ass and my pussy.


    "Ahhh¡­" I moaned when his fingers began parting my pussy lips.


    Teasingly, his fingertip stroked my swollen and very sensitive clit. I cried out his name in response as the fire of desire quickly reignited inside of me. My pussy spasmed as he continued stroking and pinching on my clit.


    "Hayden¡­" I whimpered his name weakly.


    It just sounded like I was begging him to do me from behind, and perhaps that was what I really wanted. Hayden chuckled a little from behind me and I could tell that he was also enjoying this. His patience did notst very long after that.


    I felt the thick head of his member lodge itself in between my pussy lips and I tried to spread my legs a little wider for him as I braced for the impact of his entrance.


    --To be continued¡­


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 Chapter 415: Magic Number

    "Ahh! So deep¡­Hayden¡­Ahhh!" I screamed when he thrusted his cock all the way into my cunt in a single thrust.


    It hurts¡­but it feels so good¡­


    His sudden and forceful entrance stretched my opening before his massive length and thickness filled my entire love tunnel up. It hurts a little at first but as my pussy began clenching and adjusting to his shape and size, the pain slowly subsided and what was left in its ce was a pleasure so fulfilling that it made me moan his name.


    My pussy clenched wildly around his hot rod before Hayden pulled his cock out of my holepletely.


    I felt him position himself at my entrance again before he rammed his love stick deeper and harder into my went cunt. He growled softly from behind me as his hips began moving. His cock pounded repeatedly into my wet pussy hole. Over and over again, he rammed his cock into me. Each thrust felt deeper and more forceful than the one before.


    My hips began moving, thrusting backwards and lifting to meet his animalistic thrusts.


    Hisrge hand gripped the sides of my hips as he pumped his cock in and out of my tight hole. I could feel him everywhere inside of me as he thrusted hard and fast into my flooded cunt from various angles. His cock stretched me at his entrance before the thick tip of his cock rammed against my womb and the pleasure spot deep inside of my love tunnel. I cried out in rhythm to his thrusts.


    It just felt like I would go insane if I didn¡¯t scream out loud.


    The pleasure that he made me experience was crazy and raw. It didn¡¯t matter how many times we¡¯ve done it before, I could never get used to this intense pleasure that he was making me feel. My body craved for it and my heart felt addicted to it. No matter how fast and hard he took me, I wanted more of him, and I wanted to give him more of me.


    "Hayden¡­I¡¯m cumming! I¡¯m¡­cumming!" I screamed loudly and without shame when I felt my orgasm fast approaching again.


    His cock did not slow down as our hips pped against each other. Lewd wet sounds erupted all around us along with our cries of pleasure. Hayden groaned and pushed his cock harder into my hole. My hands crawled at the bedsheet as I tried to ride out the effects of my extreme release.


    After a few fast and hard thrust against my womb, I cried out his name as I climaxed so spectacrly that I saw stars behind my closed eyelids.


    Hayden pounded his cock into me for a short while longer before he too reached his climax. He groaned my name seductively as his cock twitched wildly inside of my pussy hole. The heat of his release filled me up deep inside as he nted his seed inside of me.


    ¡­


    "Le is three now¡­" Hayden said softly to me as hisrge hand stroked the back of my head lovingly.


    After a round of heavy and extremely satisfying sex, Hayden carried me onto the bed and held me by his side. It felt veryfortable and rxing to rest my head on his shoulders like this. I loved it when he held me close and stroked my hair just like this.


    "So?" I asked as a suspicious feeling took over me.


    Something deep inside of me told me that I already knew where this conversation was headed.


    "Maybe it¡¯s time that we try for another one," Hayden whispered seductively into my ear as his arms pulled my body hard against his.


    "But we already have two¡­" I mumbled in hesitation.


    Having two children was already a handful for me. Although we had many people to help us raise the kids, there were things that we still had to do as parents. Our career also got in the way often and neither of us were truly willing to give up our career for the sake of the kids. Thus, we¡¯ve been working very hard to bnce our professional aspirations and our family life.


    I was fine with how things were, and I respected Hayden¡¯s choice to devote some time of his life to his work and I knew that he respected me in that regard as well.


    "Don¡¯t they say the magic number is three?" Hayden asked jokingly.


    However, when he got on top of me and pinned my wrists to the side of my head, I knew that he wasn¡¯t truly joking. The look of desire in his eyes told me that he was serious and that sooner orter, if we keep this up, I would be pregnant with our third child.


    "Hayden¡­Ahhh!" I cried out before I closed my eyes and let myself surrender to the pleasure.


    Hayden buried his face in the side of my neck and began nibbling and sucking on my sensitive skin. He truly knew how to turn me on. When he sucked on my ear, I cried out his name as my core started throbbing with desire. I was already so turned on by him and couldn¡¯t wait for him to touch me more.


    Being naked under him and writhing from the pleasure of his seductive touches move things along very fast between us. My pussy was already flooded and throbbing from my need for him to fill me up deep inside. My body felt hot and so turned on by him. I wanted him so much already and I cursed myself yfully for always reacting so strongly to his seduction.


    "If you don¡¯t resist, I¡¯ll keep on fucking you until you¡¯re pregnant again. Well, even then, I probably won¡¯t stop¡­" Hayden teased as his hands began parting my legs widely apart.


    "Sounds wonderful¡­" I whispered temptingly.


    He quickly positioned his hips between my spread thighs. I cried out when he grinded his hard and hot cock against my wet opening. The thick head of his cock brushing teasingly against my hard and swollen clit. It felt so good that I began thrusting and rotating my hips to grind my clit against his hard cock.


    --To be continued¡­

 Chapter 416: Plan to Surprise Him

    "Wow¡­your pussy is drenched, Malissa¡­" Hayden said in a sexy drawl.


    I spread my legs wider apart when I felt his cock at my entrance. Hayden wasted no time in thrusting his thick shaft into my wet tunnel. My hips bucked and my hips thrusted upwards to wee his cock inside of me. Hayden began moving his hips immediately, thrusting his cock in and out of my pussy hole.


    I was so wet and the lewd wet squelching sounds of his cock beating into my wetness was the proof of that.


    The lewd sounds of cock messing up my wet insides turned me on so much along with our passionate moans and cries of pleasure. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he continued to give it to me fast and hard. The pleasure was so intense that I dug my fingernails into his back before I started wing at it for temporary relief.


    "It feels so hot inside you. Your pussy is sucking in my cock¡­" Hayden groaned on top of me.


    "Ahh! So deep!" I cried out as his thrusting intensified.


    His cock felt hot inside of me too and it seemed like he had grown even bigger than before. My pussy clenched around his cock with joy as it weed his wild thrusts. Hayden lifted my hips of the bed and sunk his cock into my wet cunt with more force while I cried out from the overwhelming pleasure.


    "Hayden¡­I¡­" I managed to say before I lost myself in the exquisite pleasure of my own release.


    It wasn¡¯t long after that that Hayden reached the peak of his pleasure. His cock shot his hot release deeply inside of me. He came so much inside of me while I stroked his back lovingly. My pussy clenched around his cock as it milked him of all of his cum. I moaned in satisfaction as my pussy sucked in his seed greedily.


    I knew without a doubt that soon there would be a new life growing inside of my womb¡­


    ¡­


    When I found out that I was pregnant with our third child, I wasn¡¯t at all surprised. The fact that Hayden wanted this child so much also gave me the confidence that we were probably doing the right thing in making our third baby. Just as we both suspected, it did not take long for me to conceive our third child.


    Hayden worked very hard on his part of the action to make this happen as soon as possible. As for me, I didn¡¯t mind his extra loving attention in and out of bed for the few months that it took to impregnate me.


    When my period did not arrive for two months in a row, I was convinced that I was pregnant. The pregnancy home test kit proved that I was right. The fun part was thinking about how to break the news to him. I had to say that for our first two children, we pretty much found out together that I was pregnant so there was no excitement there.


    Also, with Hayden being a doctor, he seemed to know everything beforehand. Truthfully, I wasn¡¯t sure if he already suspected that I was with child already or not.


    That didn¡¯t mean that I couldn¡¯t try to do my best to surprise him. Unlike my pervious pregnancies, I had the perfect ingredients to a good surprise this time around.


    Hayden was working at the hospital although it was a Saturday. A team of doctors had visited from abroad and that meant that Hayden would be working the weekend with them at ab in the hospital. That served as the perfect excuse for me to bring our Henry and Le over to visit him.


    "Henry, Le. You see, there¡¯s a baby inside of mummy¡¯s tummy right now. You two used to be in here too. Soon you¡¯re going to have a little brother or little sister. Isn¡¯t that great?" I broke the news to the two of them with a bright smile on my face.


    Henry understood immediately and smiled happily before he started pping his hand and dancing around. He pressed his hand against my t belly and looked up with me with an extremely pleased look on his face before he startedughing. Le, on the other hand, looked quite confused so I wasn¡¯t sure if she really understood my announcement.


    However, since she saw that Henry was happy, she immediately reacted joyously as well. I guess, Hayden was right, perhaps three was the right number for us.


    "Where are we going now?" Henry asked when we were in the car together.


    The driver was driving for us so I could rx in the back with my two children. We were on our way to break the surprising news to Hayden at the hospital. I had not told him that we would turn up but I guess that everything would definitely work out.


    "We¡¯re going to see Daddy at the hospital. You two can tell him about the new baby. How¡¯s that?" I suggested brightly.


    "Yes! Let¡¯s do that!" Henry cried out excitedly.


    "Ok, Mummy¡­" Le replied softly.


    When we arrived at the hospital, it wasn¡¯t hard to find where Hayden was. Thankfully, he was taking a break in his office before the start of his meeting in roughly around thirty minutes. That was more than enough time to break the news to him. Of course, we¡¯ll head home after we¡¯re done so that we don¡¯t disturb the rest of his work schedule for the day.


    Now that I was standing in front of Hayden¡¯s office, nervousness started taking over me. Henry and Le seemed extremely excited to break the news to their father and they were probably thrilled to see Hayden in general as well.


    "Ready?" I asked the kids in a whisper as I ced my index finger against my lips to signal to them to keep quiet.


    The two of them nodded their heads in unison as they smiled a little mischievously at me. I guess what we were about to do could be considered a little mischievous. After taking a deep breath, I knocked on Hayden¡¯s door.


    --To be continued¡­


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 Chapter 417: Beyond Dreams and Expectations

    "Come in," Hayden immediately called from the other side of the door.


    I opened the door, and the kids ran enthusiastically inside. The surprise aside, it wasn¡¯t often that the kids were allowed to visit Hayden at the hospital. Hayden wasn¡¯t just concerned about security issues, but he was also concerned about the kids catching some illness from the hospital and the patients.


    Since today the two of them were allowed toe here to visit Hayden, they were amazingly excited.


    "Surprise!" Henry yelled loudly as he ran into his father¡¯s office.


    "Surprise¡­Daddy¡­" Le said in a sweet voice.


    She looked a little shy and I found her reaction so adorable. Hayden looked very surprise that the three of us had suddenly dropped by his office unannounced. He immediately got up from his seat and approached the children before crouching down and spreading his arms to receive them. Henry and Le immediately hugged Hayden and he hugged them in return.


    It was a very heartwarming scene that I was fortunate to witness quite often.


    Hayden gave me a questioning look like he wondered why we suddenly came while he continued to hug and pat the children on their backs. I only smiled in response to Hayden¡¯s silent question. He was about to find out soon anyways from our children¡­if those two haven¡¯tpletely forgotten about our little n.


    "Daddy¡­mummy is going to have a baby!" Henry announced loudly when he lifted his head to stare directly at Hayden.


    "Really?" Hayden asked with apparent surprise.


    "Yup! A baby is on the way¡­it¡¯s inside mummy¡¯s tummy now¡­" Henry proimed confidently as he turned to point a finger at my midsection.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes shifted from his son¡¯s face to me, and I giggled a little before smiling and nodding at him to confirm that what Henry had said was in fact correct.


    "Mummy having baby¡­" Le repeated in her sweet little voice.


    "Really? Are you two excited?" Hayden asked as he turned his attention to the children.


    "Yes!" Henry replied while Le nodded her head and smiled brightly.


    "Come here, Malissa¡­" Hayden called out to me after standing up straight again.


    I couldn¡¯t stop smiling widely as I approached the three of them.


    "Surprised?" I asked as I smiled up at him.


    Hayden wrapped his arm around my waist before he leaned in and kissed my cheek softly. His blue eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, just like the sky on a bright and sunny day. I guess that means that he¡¯s happy with the news that we had just shared.


    "Very. I can¡¯t wait to meet our third baby," Hayden replied with an excited smile.


    "I can¡¯t wait either¡­" I replied honestly before I started to giggle again.


    "Should we all head home early for the day?" Hayden suggested as his arm tightened protectively around my waist.


    "Yes! I¡¯m hungry¡­" Henry replied without hesitation.


    Le nodded in agreement. I turned to Hayden and nodded my head as well. It would be great if we could go home together. I never thought that Hayden would abandon his work and leave early, but then again, it wasn¡¯t every day that I announce to him that I¡¯m pregnant with his child.


    ¡­


    Later that night, Iid in bed in Hayden¡¯s warm embrace. The children were already asleep in bed and just like Hayden liked to put it, we ¡¯finally had time to ourselves¡¯. Before having children, I truly took for granted the time that we had alone together. Now it became something rare and that made it even more precious than it already was before.


    Honesty, I never thought that life would lead me here, but I was thankful for fate or whatever it was that led me to Hayden and to the family that we have now.


    When the mafia smashed and destroyed my grandmother¡¯s store, I never thought that I would be on track to meet the love of my life. Even after I fell in love with Hayden, I never dreamt that we had a future together. It just all seemed so impossible. Then we both fell in love with each other, and things started to change in a very exciting, interesting, and challenging way.


    It was a long and winding journey for us to get here. Throughout it all, I didn¡¯t dare dream of marrying him and living such a happy life like we were living today. It wasn¡¯t just the two of us anymore, we have two amazing children and another one is on the way.


    "Can¡¯t sleep? Do you feel sick?" Hayden asked softly.


    I could hear the concern in his voice and knew that he was probably worried about the effects that I sometimes suffered during the early stages of my pregnancy. This time, the start of my pregnancy journey seemed quite smooth, and I hoped that it would remain that way.


    "I feel fine. I was just¡­thinking of random things¡­" I replied beforeughing a little shyly.


    "What were you thinking about?" Hayden asked curiously.


    "Hmm¡­I was thinking that I never expected this to happen. I mean, us getting married and having a family together and all¡­" I replied before I turned to smile at him.


    It was hard to put all of my thoughts and feelings into words, but I guess that pretty much summed up my thoughts quite well. Hayden smiled before he startedughing softly at my words. His chest and body trembled next to me as he beganughing even louder than before.


    It seemed like he was having a hard time holding in hisughter while I couldn¡¯t figure out what was so funny about what I had just told him.


    "What¡¯s so funny? Care to share the joke?" I asked with raised eyebrows.


    "Well, I sort of had an idea that we¡¯ll end up this way¡­" Hayden replied before he shed me a confident smile.


    "Really? How so?" I asked as my eyes widened questioningly at him.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­" Hayden murmured before he looked away from me.


    My eyes narrowed at him suspiciously. What does he mean by that?


    --To be continued¡­


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 Chapter 418: Never-ending Love (The End)

    I was sure that Hayden knew something, but he wasn¡¯t willing to tell me about it. What is he keeping a secret from me?


    "Tell me, Hayden¡­" I pleaded as I reached out my hand and shook his shoulder


    Hayden smiled as he shook his head at me. His lips remained firmly close even if his blue eyes did return to my face.


    "You can figure it out yourself," Hayden finally said.


    "That¡¯s not an answer at all!" Iunched myint right away.


    "Not all questions have answers. You know that much, right?" Hayden replied with a careless shrug of his shoulders.


    "Hayden¡­" I called out his name in disappointment as my brows drew together in a frown.


    "Just go to sleep, my curious princess¡­" Hayden said.


    Hisrge handnded on the top of my head before he started patting it. My attention immediately got absorbed into his blue eyes as he stared deeply into my eyes. I felt like there were manyplex emotions swimming around in the depth of Hayden¡¯s eyes. His eyes were truly beautiful, and I probably thought that since the first time that this pair of eyes looked into mine.


    "You made me curious so now I¡¯m going to have a hard time falling asleep," I muttered softly inint.


    "I love you. That¡¯s all you really need to know," Hayden dered quite boldly.


    His words caught me by surprise although it wasn¡¯t the first time that he told me that he loves me. Just like all the times that he¡¯s said it before, his words made my chest felt tight and warm as happiness flooded my entire being.


    "I love you," I replied simply.


    Hayden smiled at me before his strong arms pulled me into a tight embrace. I found myself smiling before his lips captured mine into a gentle and loving kiss. It wasn¡¯t a passionate or demanding kiss that sought for more. It was just a soft and sweet kiss; however, I could really feel the love that he had for me, and I wished that he could feel the love that I have for him too.


    When our lips parted, we stared deeply into each other¡¯s eyes, and it truly felt like our feelings have connected. I have never felt so lucky before in my life and I prayed that luck would continue to be on my side so that I could always stay by Hayden¡¯s side.


    That night, after Hayden had fallen asleep, Iid in bed with my eyes closed in the dark. The night was peaceful and silent. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to think and reflect on many things. Naturally, I started thinking of the people that I love in this life. Of course, Hayden, our two children, and the new life growing inside of me made it to the list.


    However, I never forgot my other loved ones. My father, my mother, and my grandmother. Although they are no longer in this world, I feel like they are still with me in my heart and in my mind. If I thought of them, they could somehow live on through my memories.


    ¡­


    The next morning, I decided to do something that was extremely illogical. Although I knew that what I was about to do didn¡¯t make any sense, I still wanted to go through with it.


    After finding some time alone after the boss turned up to take the children to school and Hayden had left to go to the hospital, I sat down behind a desk with a pen in hand and a nk white sheet of paper on the table in front of me.


    ¡¯Dear Dad, Mum, and Grandma,¡¯


    I wrote on the paper to start a letter that I knew wouldn¡¯t physically reach its intended recipients.


    ¡¯I¡¯m doing fine now. Actually, I¡¯m doing more than fine. I am extremely happy with the life that I have now. It is more than I ever dreamt was possible. I never dared to hope for this much happiness in life. I¡¯m not even confident to say that I deserve so much happiness like this.


    It was an extremely long and painful journey lined with many sacrifices, but in the end, I finally found my happiness and the future that I want for myself.


    So please, there is no reason for you to worry about me anymore. Thank you so much for always looking down on me. There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about anymore. Hayden and I, we¡¯ll take care of each other, our family, and our future together. Thank you for all the love, generosity, and kindness that you¡¯ve shown me. I will always treasure the memories that we share.¡¯


    Although my life with Hayden couldn¡¯t be considered normal and our family was far from being a normal one, I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.


    I stared at thepleted letter that I held gently in my hands. After receiving that letter from my parents, I felt like I had been desperately looking for some closure. Writing this letter to answer to their feelings felt like something that I had to do. Of course, I knew that this letter would never be delivered.


    I didn¡¯t even know what address to put on the envelop of this letter; however, just writing it made my chest feel lighter than before.


    I signed it ¡¯With endless love, your Lisa.¡¯


    After folding the piece of paper, I carefully put it inside an envelope. I picked up my phone to call the driver to tell him that I needed to go out immediately.


    "Where do you want to go?" the drive asked politely.


    "The closest post box," I replied as I smiled a little to myself.


    "You need to send a letter? I can drop it off for you if you¡¯d like..." the driver quickly offered.


    "I¡¯ll rather go myself," I said firmly.


    "Right away, Madame. As per Master Hayden¡¯s instructions, I will inform the bodyguards to apany us," the driver replied politely.


    Around 20 minutester, the car came to a stop on the side of the road, and I could see the red post box. The driver came to my side and opened the car¡¯s door for me. After thanking the driver politely, I approached the post box. Standing in front of the post box, I stared down at the letter envelop in my hands.


    Please let this letter be delivered all the way to those three people in heaven, I wished silently in my mind.


    With clear determination, I slipped the envelop into the post box.


    Suddenly, my phone started vibrating. I smiled a little to myself thinking that I knew exactly who was calling. One look at the screen of my phone confirmed that my guess was in fact correct.


    "Hayden¡­" I said his name sweetly when the line connected.


    "Malissa¡­" Hayden called my name.


    Just like that, I couldn¡¯t stop smiling to myself. Happiness couldn¡¯t get any simpler.


    The End.


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