"Just ten bucks! Look at her—skinny as a stick. No way she'll ever pop out kids. And after that blow to the head, who even knows if she'll make it through the night?"
The scrawny man in his thirties, wrapped tightly in a grimy padded coat that looked like it hadn't been washed since winter, stared shamelessly at the unconscious woman on the ground. His greasy eyes darted over her, filled with a sickening hunger.
The leering made Lillian Bennett’s stomach churn with disgust. Still, the thought of Evelyn Blair being stuck with this repulsive man, tied down to a life of misery she couldn't escape, gave her an almost wicked sense of satisfaction.
"Ha, let's see how she keeps up that sweet little act to get close to my brother now!" Lillian thought to herself, lips curling into a smug smile. Soon enough, her brother would have a new wife—a proper bride, the daughter of a battalion leader—and she'd be the one shining as the admired little sister-in-law. No more comparisons to Evelyn Blair.
Lillian’s thoughts grew more triumphant by the second as she prepared to agree to the deal. But before the words could leave her mouth, Bob Bennett, her twin brother standing beside her, stepped in.
“Fifty bucks. Not a dime less!” he said coldly, his unflinching gaze fixed on Evelyn. “And if you’re not up for it, I’ll just take her back myself!”
“Bob!”Lillian Bennett almost let out a scream. "No matter what, she's still our sister-in-law..."
"Exactly! I like messing with sister-in-laws!"
Back then, he'd wanted to be the regimental commander's son-in-law too, but their father only gave the chance to his eldest brother. Even though his brother was now married and settled, he still wouldn't throw him a bone.
That was the regimental commander's precious daughter!
Why not him?
And now, he's the one stuck dealing with Evelyn Blair...
Killing someone wasn't something you could just walk away from.
The more Bob Bennett thought about it, the angrier he got. "Fifty bucks. Pay up if you want her, or just forget it!"
The scruffy old man with the sharp features, fearing that this fairy-like bride might slip away, reluctantly dug into his pocket and handed over the money.
...
It hurt like hell.
Her head felt like it had a thousand nails being hammered into it at once. Evelyn Blair's whole body tensed up, cold sweat dripping down her face.
Her ears buzzed nonstop, and the bits of conversation she could catch only came in fragments.
After straining to make sense of it, she finally pieced it together—they were planning to sell her.
Damn it!
Getting hit by a car wasn’t enough, now they wanted to make some money off of her? She clenched her fists. If she ever got out of this mess, she'd make damn sure her scummy former boss paid the price!Evelyn Blair kept her eyes shut tight, relying only on her hearing to make sense of the situation. On her right, she could hear the faint sound of a deal being discussed, while the left filled her ears with the rushing of a river.
She thought to herself, "At least I can swim. Jumping into that river might give me a slim chance to escape. Anything’s better than being sold to some creepy shut-in up in the mountains." Even if she didn’t end up being sold, going back would only mean being treated like a plaything.
Her mind hardened—she wouldn’t let herself fall into such despair.
“Deal’s done!”
Hearing the footsteps coming her way, Evelyn knew she had only a split second to act.
“Police are here!”
Her scream startled the trio—already guilty and jumpy, their instinct was to scatter. But soon, they realized something was off.
Where had Evelyn gone?
Turning toward the riverbank, they saw her sprinting full tilt, then suddenly leap into the water. The current took her away in no time.
The moment she hit the icy water, regret hit her hard.
It's freezing, and the river was far more turbulent than she’d anticipated. Unable to get a grip on her body, her desperate attempts to swim only dragged her under faster.
“Damn it!” she cursed inwardly, vowing that if she managed to survive, she'd make those two vile people pay for what they'd done.At the very moment Evelyn Blair thought her life was over, she heard a loud splash nearby. And then—nothing.
...
Ethan Spencer pulled her out of the water with ease, but what he saw next caught him completely off guard.
The woman's top was torn, revealing a vividly embroidered undergarment against her pale, almost porcelain-like skin. Her soaked clothes clung tightly to her figure, accentuating her delicate yet striking silhouette.
Ethan, unprepared for the sight, suddenly felt a tickle in his nose. Quickly, he turned his head away, his usually composed face giving nothing away—but the bright red tips of his ears betrayed him completely.
Taking a steadying breath, he forced himself to focus. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of nightmare this girl had gone through to end up throwing herself into the river.
Drawing on the first-aid skills he had mastered in the military, Ethan began performing chest compressions. However, she wasn’t responding—too much water, too much time under.
Every second stretched endlessly. He moved fast, cradling her neck to tilt her head back and breathed life into her through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Then, all of a sudden, she coughed—a small, raspy sound—and her eyes opened wide.
Still dazed, Evelyn felt as if she were floating between worlds. Just before she had blacked out, she'd glimpsed a strange place—a barren yard with empty water troughs... "Please... help me seek justice... take care of my parents..." The faint voice startled Evelyn Blair back to her senses. As her eyes fluttered open, they locked onto a pair of deep, dark eyes, intense and unreadable.
She had to be dreaming, right?
Otherwise, how on earth was she in the arms of such a ridiculously handsome man? And not just any man—he was dressed like a soldier.
Evelyn stared, unable to tear her gaze away. His features were sharp and defined, with thick eyebrows, striking eyes, and a strong, high-bridged nose. His skin, tanned bronze, exuded a rugged masculinity.
Even the droplets of water clinging to his lashes sent her heart into a frenzy.
Evelyn had entered the entertainment industry at eighteen. Five years of navigating that world had turned her into a top agent who'd seen her fair share of good-looking men.
But not a single one had ever made her feel quite like this.
Her former assistants used to joke that her heart was made of steel, destined to keep her single forever. But now, after surviving near-death, the artificial respiration earlier left her unfazed. And if she kissed him back now, it wouldn’t exactly be out of line, would it?
Convincing herself of this logic, Evelyn leaned forward and kissed him.
His lips were so soft!
It felt like she'd just stumbled upon some amazing discovery. She might not have much hands-on experience, but she'd watched enough drama series to make up for it.
It didn’t take long for regret to hit her like a runaway train.The moment started out with her taking the lead, but before she knew it, he had completely taken over. Evelyn Blair felt her heart pounding like crazy, almost making it hard to breathe, as if she were sinking into quicksand.
Suddenly, a sharp pain on her lips jolted her back to her senses. She quickly pushed Ethan Spencer away, realizing what was happening.
Ethan froze for a moment as it sank in. His teeth had accidentally scraped her lip, leaving it bleeding. His face flushed. "I’m sorry," he mumbled, clearly flustered.
His heated gaze made Evelyn instinctively touch her lips. Sure enough, there was blood.
"Are you, like, part wolf or something?" she teased, her voice tinged with a playful softness. A light blush crept onto her pale cheeks, and Ethan felt like his chest had ignited. He stumbled back awkwardly, but his thoughts stayed stuck on that moment—their bodies so close, her gentle lips...
His dark complexion masked most of his embarrassment, but Ethan could still feel his cheeks burning. “How are you feeling now?” he asked, changing the topic to cover his unease.
Evelyn finally paid attention to his voice—it was low, magnetic, with a pull that was oddly mesmerizing. Unconsciously, she touched her ear and gave a small nod.
Inwardly, another thought flashed through her head: I wouldn’t mind a second kiss.
“I’m fine,” she replied simply.It was an odd situation—two strangers who had just shared such an intimate moment. For a while, neither of them knew how to break the silence.
Ethan Spencer stood there, his lips pressed into a thin line as his eyes rested on the girl before him.
Her dark red coarse jacket looked worn out, and now soaked through, it clung to her figure, outlining her slender but defined frame. Strands of jet-black hair stuck to her pale, almost translucent face, making her seem even more fragile, filling the moment with an unexplainable air of tenderness.
Ethan’s fists clenched tightly at his sides as he fought the urge to reach out and touch Evelyn Blair.
“Should I walk you home?” he asked, his tone calm.
Evelyn’s first thought was to say yes, but a sudden rush of unfamiliar memories hit her like a wave.
She wasn’t in her world anymore—she’d somehow ended up in 1974. Her parents and older brother had been sent away, she was married to a faithless man, and her in-laws were scheming to rob her of everything she had. Everything about her life now seemed like some cruel cosmic joke.
