"...Enough."

The woman's voice caught in her throat, torn and frayed like crumpled silk, barely sounding human.

A dim strip of light leaked through the gap in the curtains, throwing shaky shadows across the wall.

She had her face turned to the side, lashes soaked, everything in her blurred vision swaying and spinning.

"Baby, not enough... not even close."

The man held her from behind, one arm locked tight around her waist, the other threaded through her fingers, pinning their joined hands beside the pillow.

His kiss burned against the back of her neck, then trailed down her spine, inch by inch.

"Stop..."

The more she said no, the more relentless he got.

She was seriously about to lose her mind.

"Still wanna break up?"

She didn't answer. She just buried her face deeper into the pillow.

His hand slipped around to the front, fingers catching her jaw, forcing her to turn her head just a little.

In the dark, his eyes were terrifyingly bright, like two wild flames that would never burn out.

"If you don't answer, then we'll keep going till morning."

His voice was gentle, almost tender.

His movements were anything but.

At last she couldn't take it anymore. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes, and even her voice broke into a trembling sob.

"No breakup... no more... I won't..."

The man lowered his head and kissed away her tears, from the corner of her eyes to her cheek, then slowly to the edge of her lips.

"Zhizhi."

He said her name like he was tasting candy, holding those two syllables between his lips and teeth.

"You're mine."

"Mhm..."

A broken, breathy whimper escaped—

Evangeline Whitfield shot upright in bed.

Her chest rose and fell hard. A fine layer of sweat clung to her forehead. Her messy hair stuck to the side of her neck, and there was still a flush on her face that hadn't fully faded from the dream.

That dream again.

They had broken up a whole year ago, and she was still dreaming about that man.

Three years ago, when she was studying abroad, she fell for him at first sight.

Tall, straight-backed, with sharp, cold features—but when he smiled, there was this wicked, dangerous charm in his eyes that hooked people in before they even realized it.

Relying on that sweet, pretty face of hers, she made the first move and teased him shamelessly. In less than a week, she'd pulled him to her side.

They spent two years tangled together. When he was gentle, he spoiled her down to the bone. When he got rough, he could push her to tears and make her beg.

Evangeline had been very satisfied with him.

She had really liked him too.

But only that much.

She had always known they wouldn't make it to the end.

So the moment she graduated, she cut things off cleanly, like falling off a cliff.

She booked a flight back home overnight and severed every last line of contact.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

Evangeline reached for the phone on the nightstand.

She unlocked it and saw a message from Stella Vance:

【Miss Whitfield, Nathan drank too much last night and stayed over at my place. He's still asleep, so he might be a little late picking you up this afternoon.】

There was even a photo attached.

In the photo, the man was lying on a bed, shirtless, with several kiss marks on his neck.

Nathan Ashford.

The second son of the Ashford family in A City.

The marriage candidate her adoptive parents had carefully handpicked for her.

He looked good, had a mild temper, and always wore that warm, harmless gentleman act around everyone.

Everyone except her.

Because Nathan liked Stella Vance.

A little actress who had gotten some attention from short web dramas but was still pretty much lukewarm in the industry.

With a background like hers, the Ashford family obviously wouldn't approve.

Nathan wanted to marry her, but he didn't dare openly go against the marriage his family had arranged.

So he let Stella poke at Evangeline again and again, treating his fiancée like some target practice.

He wanted her to get the hint.

Wanted her to take the initiative and call off the engagement herself.

That way, he wouldn't have to be the unfilial son.

Wouldn't have to carry the label of disobeying his parents.

...

At five in the afternoon, Nathan came to pick up Evangeline.

She went downstairs and got into the car.

The door shut, and the car merged into traffic.

Nathan sat beside her with his phone in hand, typing away at some message.

There was a smile at the corner of his mouth. One look and it was obvious who he was chatting with.

From start to finish, he didn't even spare her a proper glance.

Evangeline suddenly said, "Nathan."

Nathan didn't even lift his head. "Hm?"

"If you're not planning to object to this marriage, then at least keep the basic dignity and respect that should come with it."

Nathan paused for a second before finally looking up.

Evangeline met his eyes, her tone cool and flat.

"Tell your little sweetheart to stop provoking me. No matter how good my temper is, I'm not going to keep putting up with it forever."

Nathan's face turned cold.

He put down his phone and looked straight at her.

"Evangeline, do you really think marrying into the Ashford family is that easy?"

His voice was light, but there was a clear note of condescension in it.

"If you can't handle it, then be my guest and call off the engagement yourself."

"Nathan."

"You really think I'm the only option you've got?"

Nathan let out a cold laugh.

He leaned back lazily, looking utterly relaxed, a trace of mockery flickering in his eyes.

"Whether you can't live without me or not, I don't know. What I do know is this—your Whitfield family business can't survive without investment from the Ashford family."

Evangeline slowly clenched her fists.

She was the adopted daughter of the Whitfield family. Since she was young, she'd known exactly what her value was.

The Whitfields had raised her in silk and luxury, made her delicate, beautiful, presentable.

All for the day they could trade her for a good marriage.

Just like her adoptive father always said, a top-tier family like the Ashfords was beyond her reach. The fact that she could marry into them was already a blessing.

She had no reason to be dissatisfied.

And even if she did, she could only swallow it.

Because from the very beginning, she had never been given the right to say no to this marriage.

...

Half an hour later.

The car drove into a villa district and stopped in front of the largest house there.

Evangeline and Nathan walked in side by side.

Quite a few people were already seated in the living room.

Nathan's parents, his grandparents, and several relatives she had never met before.

"Evangeline's here."

Nathan's mother, Diana Ashford, came forward with a bright smile.

She wore a perfectly tailored long dress, and the icy jade bracelet on her wrist swayed softly with her movement. There was elegance in every part of her, the calm grace of a true society matron.

Evangeline greeted them one by one with proper politeness, then sat down on the sofa.

She was wearing a haze-blue knit dress today. Her long hair was loosely pinned up, and her whole appearance was poised and graceful, flawless from every angle.

Old Madam Ashford took Evangeline's hand, smiling kindly.

"The reason I had Nathan bring you over for dinner on such short notice is because my youngest son came back. He rarely comes home, and he'll be leaving again soon. He probably won't be able to attend your wedding with Nathan, so I thought I'd introduce you early."

Evangeline was a little surprised. "Nathan's uncle? I've never heard him mention him."

Nathan gave an awkward cough. The moment his uncle came up, his tone turned noticeably tense.

"My uncle was my grandmother's late-in-life child. He's only a couple years older than me. My grandfather threw him into the military when he was still a teenager, and he hasn't come back much these past years."

"The last time I saw him was four or five years ago."

Evangeline glanced at Nathan. "You seem kind of scared of him?"

"His presence is too intense."

Nathan paused, seeming to search for the right wording. "He's been in the military for years. He's got this... rough, dangerous vibe all over him. Just looking at him is enough to make people nervous."

Evangeline was genuinely surprised.

Nathan was the textbook rich-family young master, spoiled and coddled from childhood. The fact that he was scared of someone to this degree was honestly wild.

She didn't ask any more questions.

She had no interest in the rest of the Ashford family anyway.

After all, she was marrying Nathan. After the wedding, she might not have much to do with those people.

But just then, footsteps came from the staircase.

A moment later, a man's voice rang out:

"We have guests?"

That familiar voice made Evangeline's back go stiff.

She looked up on instinct.

【Dear readers, if you like this story, don't forget to add it to your library so it's easier to find next time~】

【Dear readers, if you like this story, don't forget to add it to your library so it's easier to find next time~】

【Dear readers, if you like this story, don't forget to add it to your library so it's easier to find next time~】