Dominic Landford was well-known in his social circles as a player. Yet, there was one exception, the little girl he had picked up from the orphanage when he was young.

A friend once teased him, "Dominic, are you planning to stay single forever and take care of your baby girl?"

He had merely raised an eyebrow, stroking my hair with a playful smile on his lips. "Why not?"

What no one knew was that behind closed doors, our relationship went far beyond the surface.

However, Dominic was getting married.

There was no notice, no explanation.

But then, he came to me, clutching the peace bracelet he had once given to me as a lucky charm.

His scarlet-tinged eyes held a desperate plea. "I’m begging you as your uncle."

***

"Lila…"

The scent of alcohol clung to his body, mingling with the chill of the night air. He slowly leaned in, his gaze tender yet brimming with longing.

He pressed a kiss to my lips and sucked them. "Did you miss me?"

I pushed him away, my fingertips brushing over the sharp lines of his brow bone. "Uncle, where's my birthday present?"

He chuckled lowly, then lowered his head, claiming my lips with a fierce intensity. That night, he was unrelenting, as though he wanted us to be consumed together in a sea of desire.

By the end of it, I was utterly drained.

A cool sensation brushed against my collarbone and when I looked down, I saw the glimmer of a ruby necklace. I leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

The next morning, the headlines buzzed with excitement. [CEO of Landford Group Spends Seven Digits on Rare Treasures]

I mumbled and nestled into his chest playfully.

Suddenly, his cell phone rang.

He reached for it, pretending not to notice my curiosity. But I was not about to let it go, so I grabbed the phone.

He then moved to kiss the back of my neck.

"Who is Suzanne?" I asked.

For a brief moment, his movements stilled. Then, he returned to his usual calm demeanor, retrieving the phone from my hand, but his face had turned cold. "Lila, don’t touch my phone."

In that instant, my heart plummeted into an abyss, drowning in a sea of acidic torment.

Dominic's lack of access to women had reached an outrageous level. There were barely any women's contact details on his phone. How could any woman possibly reach him late at night?

I bit my lower lip and smiled tentatively. "Uncle, if you have someone else, we should separate."

It was not a breakup.

It was separation.

Because we had never been a couple to begin with.

Dominic was enraged by my words. His fury manifested in his relentless punishment, over and over again, until I finally fainted from the ordeal.

When I woke up, he was gone.

My phone showed over thirty missed calls. They were all from my friend from ballet class.

When I finally answered, his voice carried a hint of anxiety. "Lila, are you okay? Why didn't you answer any of my calls?"

"I'm fine."

Later, we took a taxi. By the time we arrived, Caleb had already changed into his costume and was waiting. When he saw me, he simply raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

I slipped into an exquisite pink tutu and stood before him.

His lips curved into a mischievous smile as his gaze fixed on my neck. Realizing what he was looking at, I quickly turned away. "Let's begin."

We had known each other for years and our movements were fluid and perfectly synchronized.

When we completed a particularly challenging lift, I landed with grace, but a sharp pain suddenly tore through my thigh. My body lost balance instantly.

Thud!

As I fell, my dance skirt fluttered slightly, revealing my knees scraping against the ground. Blood trickled down, drop by drop.

I attempted to move my ankle but found it impossible.

Caleb scooped me up in his arms, panic evident in his expression. "I'll take you to the hospital."

Cold sweat dampened my forehead as I endured the searing pain. I shook my head and refused. "Caleb, call my uncle."

"Lila Sinclair, you're seriously injured."

I stubbornly refused. "Just call my uncle."

The phone rang for a long time before it was connected. The man's voice was gentle as always. "Lila, what happened?"

"Dominic, does this wedding dress look good on me?" A sweet voice came from the receiver and both of us were stunned at the same time.

"Lila, I..."

I wiped away my tears in a hurry and swallowed what I wanted to say. "Uncle, I just want to ask you what to eat tonight."

Does the wedding dress look good?

He was getting married without saying a word about it to me.

Actually, what was I? His lover or his family?

Dominic still found out that I was injured and hospitalized. At that time, I was wearing a thick plaster on my leg and Caleb was peeling apples and feeding me.

He gave me a sharp glare and said, "Lila, if you hadn't wasted those ten minutes, it wouldn't be this serious."

I touched my nose and smiled, letting him lecture me.

Caleb Blakely and I grew up together. Dominic was busy at that time, so I was picked up from the orphanage all alone. Caleb was very popular, so he kindly took me to play. Later, he also studied ballet with me.

The door suddenly swung open.

Dominic stepped in, coldness radiating from his entire body. His sharp gaze landed on Caleb before turning to me. "Why didn't you say you were hurt?"

"You were busy. Caleb was with me," I replied.

His expression darkened further as he cast a sinister look at Caleb. "Get out."

Caleb's face hardened, but he told me, "Take good care of yourself," then left, closing the door behind him.

Dominic looked visibly jealous. He pulled me out from under the quilt, narrowing his eyes in warning. "Stay away from him."

I simply said, "Okay."

I watched as he gently kissed the plaster on my leg, his movements so tender as though he were handling a fragile treasure.

My heart felt as though it had been soaked in bitter water, the ache almost unbearable.

He had always been like this. For the past fourteen years, people had said that Dominic loved me to the core. Yet at this moment, I found myself unable to see him clearly.

I reached out and wrapped my arms around his neck, carefully testing, "Uncle, do you love me?"

Before the answer came, his fierce kiss overtook me.

My tongue went numb under the intensity of the kiss and amidst the passion, I heard him murmur, "Lila, I love you."

Just as emotions peaked, his phone rang again.

Yes, that was how fate worked.

I pushed him away, my fingertips circling the buttons on his shirt. "Uncle, go and take care of your work first. When you’re back, I’ll tell you a secret."

Dominic hesitated but eventually left.

As I sat there, my mind raced, swirling together in a storm of memories.

My parents died when I was eight and a kind neighbor took me to an orphanage. That winter was bitterly cold, the kind that pierced straight to the bone.

I stood alone at the orphanage door, their words ringing in my ears: "Lila, live a good life from now on."

Gone.

My parents were gone.

It took me a while to grasp the truth.

Gone meant I would never see them again.

That was when Dominic Landford appeared, stepping out of a sleek luxury car. His polished leather shoes gleamed in the dim light. He extended his hand to me. "Do you want to go home with me?"

Just like that, I followed the eighteen-years-old Dominic.

He was like a predator, fierce yet gentle, stroking my back to soothe me. "Lila, are you scared?"

I bit my lip, my face burning as I looked up at the man who seemed almost godlike. "Uncle, I’m not afraid."

Everything seemed to fall into place.

He told me, "Lila, you can always trust me."

He told me, "Lila, I love you."

I sniffled. My tears, once endless, had already dried up over the past few days. Slowly, I began to handle our matters with a calm resolve.

The couple's toothbrushes and towels were all tossed into the trash can. Every expensive gift he had ever given me over the years, I threw them away. Only the seven-digit ruby necklace and the jade bracelet were left untouched.

The dark night had a way of drawing out thoughts when you were alone.

I called Caleb, laughing and crying at the same time, "Caleb, let's go out for a drink."

He clearly did not expect such recklessness from me.

His angry voice barked through the phone, "Lila, are you out of your mind?"

"I'm not crazy."

Eventually, he relented.

The bar was ablaze with lights, the music pounding relentlessly. Caleb smirked as he leaned toward me. "Lila, you're not going home until you're drunk tonight."

I grinned and downed fiery shots of white wine with him.

Somewhere in the haze, he cupped the back of my head, his lips crashing against mine in a kiss that was fierce and unstoppable.

His voice, low and sticky, lingered near my ear. "Lila, please... love me."

Well, the best way to forget someone was to fall in love with someone else.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I whispered softly, "Caleb, I’ll try my best."

He chuckled, his strong arms lifting me effortlessly. His lean, muscular chest pressed against me as he carried me upstairs.

He opened his thin lips and said, "Lila, I like you. Will you..."

Before he could finish, the door slammed open with a resounding bang.

Dominic stood there, his face dark, his eyes glinting with cold fury. "Lila, come home with me."

Defiantly, I kissed Caleb’s lips again, deliberately making the sound of our kiss loud and exaggerated.

Something inside Dominic snapped. Like a madman, he yanked Caleb off me and hurled him against the wall with brutal force.

Then, his fingers pressed hard against my lips, rubbing them.

But it was not enough for him.

He pulled me from the bed, dragged me to the sink and pushed my head under the faucet, scrubbing my lips over and over again.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with rage. "Where else did he touch you?"