"Be good, alright?"
In the dimly lit meditation room, the folding screen blocked the statue of Buddha. Ethan Donovan had one arm wrapped around Alicia Mitchell’s slender waist as she lay bent over the grand piano. His voice was low, practically brushing her ear like a warning.
Alicia’s whole body was trembling, her eyes misted over, fixed on him with a helpless look that only made Ethan lose more of his already-thin control.
"This is a sacred place… please don't…"
Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper, not daring to rise louder. Not just because they were inside the meditation hall—but because today was the family’s vegetarian gathering, a formal event for the Donovans.
Below them in the living room, relatives had already begun to arrive. She could even faintly hear her aunt calling her name.
Panic seized her. What if Vivian Perry opened the door right now and saw this… her, with him?
But Ethan clearly wasn’t stopping. His breath brushed her skin as he leaned close, and she bit down hard on her lip to stop the sounds from slipping out. All she could do was stay still, trembling under him.
Then, footsteps. A knock on the door.
“Third Young Master, sorry to disturb you. Is Alicia in there?”
That was her aunt’s voice. She froze. Her whole body went stiff.
Instead of being alarmed, Ethan seemed to revel in the tension. His fingers dug into her waist a bit tighter.
A muffled whimper slipped past her lips.
He smiled—just a small, amused quirk of his lips.
“Ethan Donovan, are you freaking insane? My aunt’s right outside!”
She hissed under her breath, shooting a glare at him as her nails raked a red mark across his hand. Her whole body was shaking. Just a single door separated them. Ethan was her uncle. Well, in name anyway. Vivian was Ethan’s sister-in-law.
No response came from inside, so Vivian eventually left. After all, she would never normally knock on Ethan’s private meditation room unless it was urgent. She must’ve noticed Alicia missing at the gathering and panicked.
Poor Vivian had no footing left in this house anymore.
Mr. Donovan had four sons—three biological. Ethan, the youngest, never cared for business and always claimed to be devoted to Buddhist teachings. The two elder sons, though, were pillars of the Donovan Group. The youngest adopted son had been living overseas for years.
Vivian had married the eldest, bringing Alicia along with her into this complicated family. But just weeks into the marriage, both the eldest and second sons died under mysterious circumstances.
The old man blamed Vivian, said she’d cursed both his sons. He wanted her and Alicia out. Desperate, Vivian had taken her to kneel in the rain for a whole day and night. Alicia nearly died that night.
That was the first time she met Ethan. He emerged from this very meditation room, standing above her as she soaked in the cold rain.
He had asked, “Can you play piano?”
Alicia had studied piano since she was small. She nodded, dazed and cold. That night, they played a duet together—"In the Rain," a world-known piece.
Back then, she didn’t really understand the meaning of the song. But that moment had saved both their places in the Donovan family.
Ethan had only said one thing: “Before Buddha, no life should be taken.”
From then on, they were merely allowed to survive—barely.
Snapping back to the present, Ethan was already straightening his suit. He looked every bit the picture of restrained elegance in dark navy tailored wool. Tall, lean, and strikingly handsome, his gold-rimmed glasses only added to that refined, almost untouchable vibe. But behind those glasses, his gaze stayed cold and sharp.
He wore a string of vivid green imperial jade prayer beads, gently rolling them along his fingers with absent ease.
To most people in Shen City, Ethan Donovan was near-mythical. A man who lived like a monk, clean and spotless in a chaotic world.
But after his brothers’ deaths, he had taken over the Donovan empire—and with terrifying calm had built it into an unstoppable force, now crown jewel of Shen City’s corporate world.
He was supposed to belong to the divine.
But Alicia had long known—he wasn’t someone you prayed to.
He was someone who could devour you whole.Only Alicia knew just how possessive Ethan truly was. He couldn’t tolerate the slightest threat to his control, and when he got mean, it wasn’t something anyone could afford to mess with.
“I’ve arranged an internship for you at the Grand Theatre.”
Ethan casually wiped his hands with a handkerchief and tossed it aside, rolling the jade prayer beads between his fingers like nothing had just happened between them.
Alicia straightened out her silk dress. The champagne-colored fabric had gotten damp.
“No need, I’ll find something on my own,” she replied, purposely avoiding his gaze as she bent down to grab some tissues and dab at the spot on her skirt.
Didn’t need to look to know her response would annoy him.
And sure enough—
“There’s a new dress on the chair. Think it over before you turn down the internship.”
His tone carried a subtle threat, brooking no argument.
Still crouched down, Alicia kept focusing on cleaning her skirt, like scrubbing away the stain could also erase the shame lingering from before.
Ethan’s voice turned low and cold: “Trying to distance yourself from me now, Alicia? Don’t you think it’s a little late for that?”
Her hand paused for a second. Without a word, she picked up the new dress and disappeared into the dressing room.
By the time she came out in the fresh outfit, Ethan was already gone.
She let out a quiet breath, then slipped out the back door of the meditation room, heading for the garden to get some air before circling around to the front entrance.
Just as she stepped inside, she heard Cecilia asking, “Uncle Ethan, what scratched your arm?”
Alicia froze. Instinctively, she looked toward the two of them talking.
Cecilia was the daughter of Ethan’s late older brother—technically Alicia’s cousin—but no one ever really acknowledged it. For the past ten years, she’d been the one who clashed with Alicia and her aunt the most.
If Cecilia found out about her and Ethan…
Alicia’s first instinct was to interrupt, but then she heard Ethan chuckle softly. “Nothing. A stray cat scratched me.”
“But we don’t have a cat in the house. Where’d it come from?” Cecilia pressed, confusion written all over her face.
Other guests nearby overheard and started looking around like they were about to hunt the poor cat down on the spot.
“A stray. I don’t believe in killing things.”
As he spoke, Ethan lifted his eyes and gave Alicia a glance—wordless, but heavy with implication.
She looked away instantly, her nerves fraying.
During the dinner, Ethan was seated next to Mr. Donovan. Whenever the old man spoke, Ethan would just play with his prayer beads and respond half-heartedly.
Then it hit Alicia—she completely forgot to take her morning-after pill. Thankfully, she was a nobody at these events, so sneaking away wouldn’t attract attention.
She headed into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. Luckily, she always carried a few pills on her, ever since things with Ethan started getting out of hand.
Just as she was about to pop one into her mouth, she felt a tap on her back. The pill slipped through her fingers.
“Well well, what are you sneaking around eating, Miss Misfortune?”
Only Cecilia would greet her like that.
Trying to keep cool, Alicia bent to retrieve the pill, but Cecilia beat her to it and snatched it up.
“Is this birth control?! Seriously, Alicia? Caught red-handed!”
Cecilia deliberately amped up her voice, making sure the others in the hallway could hear every word.
Alicia pressed her lips together and tried to grab it back, but Cecilia danced just out of reach.
“Trying to destroy the evidence, huh? I’m taking this to the lab! If it is what I think it is, you’re done. The Donovans don’t tolerate this kind of behavior. What are you, shameless?”
“It’s just antibiotics. I’ve been sick.”
But Cecilia wasn’t buying it. She took off running, yelling that she’d get it tested, dead set on ruining her.
Alicia scowled and hurried after her. But she was already a step too late…
