02
Hearing me drive him out, Arthur's face twisted with rage in an instant. He stared at me, a warning in his tone：“Victoria, don't do something rash that you'll regret.”
“If I really leave, you're the one who'll end up crying.”
I looked at him steadily, listening to his words, not a trace of guilt in them.
In that very second, the Arthur I loved rotted away completely in my heart.
“Arthur, I don't want to send what you look like right now to your friends' and parents' phones. But if you keep disgusting me, again and again, I can't promise I won't.”
The certainty on his face cracked.
He gritted his teeth and gripped Amelia's hand：“Fine. Victoria, you've really outdone yourself.”
“Don't come crying and begging me later.”
The door slammed shut with a bang, and every sound was locked outside. Silence rushed in.
I sat on the couch for a long time.
I'd met Arthur five years ago.
At the beach, he'd pulled me from the water when I was drowning.
Back then I couldn't remember anything. All I felt toward the world around me was fear.
He was the one who walked with me along the roads, trying to help me remember, who showed up in time on every frightening night to stay by my side.
I'll always remember the day I got the job. He stood downstairs holding a bouquet, looked at me earnestly, and said：“Victoria, even with no memory, don't be afraid. Walk forward. I'll always be right behind you.”
Just five years. The man who promised forever rotted away in a single night.
I tidied the room and took a shower.
The night wasn't as unbearable as I'd thought. I fell asleep quickly.
Early the next morning, a knock at the door woke me.
When I opened it, a maid carrying gift boxes walked in with a respectful smile.
Gabriel followed behind her in a crisp suit, his gaze landing on me, a hint of amusement rising in his eyes, his tone teasing：“Miss Victoria, you're more……alluring than I imagined.”
I glanced down. My pajama collar had slipped, baring my collarbone and the skin below, two long, straight legs left exposed.
My face went up in flames at once.
I stammered out an apology and turned to change, only to hear a very soft laugh behind me.
When I came back out, the room was packed with gift boxes, and Gabriel lounged against the couch, leisurely scrolling his phone.
Hearing me come out, he looked up, gave me a once-over, and smiled：“Mm. Very pretty.”
Then he went on：“I came today because I felt I should explain my family to you.”
“My full name is actually Gabriel Morningstar.”
I finally grasped the weight of that surname and stared at him, dazed.
He nodded：“Yes. The very Gabriel you're thinking of.”
I sucked in a cold breath. One name came to mind—the current Mafia Don was the Morningstar family.
A thought flashed through me. I wondered if Arthur, for the sake of his so-called brotherhood, had any idea what kind of person he'd crossed.
Amelia had probably never once told him who her fiancé really was, either.
Gabriel leaned in, the distance closing abruptly, those eyes staring straight into mine, his voice dropping low：
“I'm very satisfied with you. The people I don't care about, I can let walk away easily. But the one I want——” His cool lips brushed the corner of mine, a scorching light in his eyes. “has only ever been allowed to be mine.”
The moment his words landed, he pulled a gun from his pocket and pressed it into my hand. “A gift. For protection. My fiancée can do as she pleases. I share that right with you.”
“Anyone who dares come give you trouble, just send them to meet God. Leave the rest to me.”
“Wait for me to come marry you in two days. My dear bride.”
He pressed a kiss between my brows and left cleanly, a satisfied smile on his face.
I stood in the living room clutching that gun, stunned for a long while.
My phone rang. An unknown number.
The instant I picked up, Arthur's frantic voice slammed in：“Victoria! Amelia's card got frozen, we're stuck at the hotel, hurry up and transfer the money over!”
I let out a soft scoff, hung up, and blocked him.
Half an hour later, a furious Arthur came storming back in with Amelia.
