On the Eve of the Wedding, First Love Returns

It never crossed Sabrina's mind that Damien Steele would break into her house the night before she could tie the knot.

In November, the cold winds swept through Ravenshade City.

Snowflakes, as large as human hands, blanketed the ground a foot deep, freezing the night sky and chilling the entire surroundings.

In a dim room, a flickering candle barely lit the man’s face, leaving it hidden in shadow.

When Sabrina woke from her dream, she found Damien standing by her bed, reeking of alcohol.

“Damien! What are you doing here? I’m getting married tomorrow!” She exclaimed, oblivious to his presence.

As terrified as she was, she instinctively sat up and diminished back into the bed, her eyes filled with fear as she stared at him.

“Damien?” Damien sneered, lifting his head.

In the dim light, his handsome face held a deadly allure. His sharp eyebrows cut through the shadows, his eyes cold and his thin lips curled in disdain.

“How dare you call me by my name, you worthless hybrid? Does it even matter if you're getting married? Can it really be called a marriage when you're just being sold as someone’s concubine?” Damien mocked.

Damien slapped her across the face without hesitation.

Sabrina's once beautiful features twisted, her complexion turning deathly pale. Moments later, the imprint of his hand emerged, red and swollen.

Damien leaned in, brushing his lips against hers, tasting the blood that trickled out. His eyes burned with deep hatred.

“How is this humiliation? I’ll tire of playing with you and give that puppet to the little emperor as a concubine! Isn’t it fitting for a lowly person to be with a puppet? Listen closely, this isn’t humiliation, it’s an insult!” he exclaimed.

"Damien!” she reacted.

Out of furiousness, Sabrina glared at Damien with tear-filled eyes, struggling to leap off the bed and escape. But he grabbed her, slapping her hard. Her eyes blazed red with fury as she bit into his arm.

"You devil!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

He clarified, "Devil? You kidding! Do you think this is a devil? Sabrina, listen to me. Your mother killed mine and now you'll pay for it with your entire life!”

With their gaze slowly fading, her cries diminished to silence as her throat grew too hoarse to make a sound.

Upon hearing that, Sabrina’s body trembled, her chest heaving as tears filled her eyes, saying, “My mother was not like that! Damien, are you treating me this way just to get back at her?”

All tears that escaped her eyes dried up and despair filled her heart. Life, for her, seemed worse than death.

***

The night passed, giving way to a bright sky. Heavy snow fell, making this winter unusually cold.

Minutes later, Damien stepped outside.

Upon seeing him, Damien's confidant approached, saying, “Master, it’s nearly time for Sabrina to enter the palace. Should we delay it?”

With his eyebrows raised, Damien eyed his confidant with a smirk.

His handsome face was partly lit and shadowed in the dim night light.

“Postpone? Why delay?” he inquired calmly, his voice deep and rough. “She is just a palace maid, nothing important to her. Take her in, drop her straight into the emperor’s bedroom. Do you need me to explain such a simple task?”

Meanwhile, the cold forced Sabrina to be awakened.

It felt as though she was lying in the snow. She opened her eyes with a shiver, touched her skin and realized she was wearing only a thin nightgown, her whole body aching and sore.

Someone gently helped her sit up and cool water flowed into her throat, easing the dryness and pain.

She struggled to open her eyes and saw a handsome young man with a gentle smile supporting her, whispering, "Are you awake?"

He wore a bright yellow robe adorned with dragon embroidery. Still, the respect in his attire couldn’t hide the worry etched between his brows.

Taken aback, Sabrina quickly realized, "Your Majesty?"

Damien had indeed sent her to the palace.