Chapter 1
It had only been a week since everything went wrong in my life. There was a lot of talk in the city about my sudden breakup with their oldest son by the Devere family. Why? There were pictures of me with a popular married director all over the news, which made a fuss. The damage was terrible. The director’s wife was so mad at the director that she tried to kill herself, which made things even worse. To keep his good name, the director said I had seduced him and had s*x with him, making me look like the bad guy.
Everyone turned against me overnight. The attacks that wouldn't stop hurt a lot more than I want to say. They made my picture look bad. The Devere family was very important in Luo City, but they wouldn't let their son marry someone who was involved in a scandal like this. Right away, my plans with them fell through, and Emperor Entertainment, where I had worked for years, cut ties with me. After I broke the deal, they sued me and said they were owed sixty million yuan. In an instant, I lost everything I had worked for.
I was about to give up hope, though, when I got a call the next minute. The other end of the line's voice hinted at a new chance, something to hold on to. But my agent insisted on giving me one last ride home before I could follow that tip. He wasn't doing it out of kindness, that much was clear.
He tapped on the wheel and said in that cool, faraway way, "There are a lot of reporters at your house." "The police are about to close it off." "Are you sure you don't want to go somewhere else?" Even though what he said hurt, I tried to ignore him. My agent was a slender man in his early 30s who had gray hair. Even though we had worked together for years, I didn't trust him anymore.
He kept talking while I looked through my bag. His eyes had a hint of evil in them. "Conrad wants to meet you. He is the CEO of Thousand City Enterprise." You could spend the night at his house if you need a place to stay. After all, you've been through this before with another director. His words were like ice that cut right through me.
I finally found what I was looking for—a small envelope. "Emperor Entertainment knows that I've never worked with a director," I said as I looked at the address on the envelope. "I'm fine, don't worry.I've already made plans."
His grin broke, and anger was clear in his eyes. He had already taken money from Conrad because he was sure he would deliver me as promised. "Lancaster, it's been years since we worked together. Are you sure I wouldn't set you up? Don't worry about anything if you stay with Conrad. We're on our way to his house right now."
My heart beat faster. I quickly called someone on my phone. "I'm having trouble getting to where we're meeting," I said in a low voice, hoping I wasn't already too late.
"Got it." A steady voice said, Even just hearing that made me feel a little better.
My agent laughed and didn't seem to care. “Seraphina, we're almost at Conrad's house. You can't do anything about this."
I didn't want to give him the pleasure of an answer, so I bit my tongue. However, he had no idea what I was going to say next. My silence seemed to make him feel stronger.
As we got closer to our location, a sleek black car popped up and blocked our way. Before my agent could do anything, the driver got out, walked over to me, and opened my door.
"Miss Seraphina, please come with me," the driver asked with a hand stretched out. Before I could run away, I grabbed my things and put them on my arm, but my agent grabbed it one last time.
He growled, "You can't leave!"
When the black car's window was rolled down, a guy sitting in the back was seen. His cold look could be seen in the dark. "Who says she can’t leave?"
My agent turned pale. "Mr Alistair?"
Behind us, four more cars pulled up behind us, making a strong security detail. Alistair Devere, the second son of the Devere family and the mysterious and feared second son, had come with more help. My agent's sweaty forehead told me a lot: he hadn't seen this coming.
In a firm, sharp voice, Alistair told me, "Get in." I did what he said right away, but not before giving my boss a quick slap in the face. "Take that as my farewell gift," I growled. "Enjoy your time with Conrad—alone."
He couldn't say anything because he was so shocked. He wouldn't have planned to hurt me if he knew Alistair was on my side. In Luo City, Alistair's name was so powerful that people who didn't know him were afraid of it.
As I sat down next to Alister in the car, I couldn't help but notice his sharp features, well-tailored suit, and black trench coat over his shoulders. He had a folder in one hand and a fancy watch that sparkled in the dim light. His eyes met mine for a short time and were both calm and intense.
"That slap was well-deserved." He said,with a hint of humor in his voice,
My heart was racing as I swallowed. "Why would you help me, Alister Devere?"
I didn't have any illusions about my ex-fiancé; our families had set up the wedding a long time ago. I owed his younger brother money now, though.
Alistair leaned in closer and slowly raised my chin with a strong but gentle hand. "You'll need to get used to your new role from now on."
It took my breath away how close he was. "What part?"
He looked her in the eyes and said, "From now on, you belong to me."
His words made my heart jump, and I couldn't say a word. There was too much going on too fast.
"But I was your brother’s fiancée…" I almost spoke in a whisper to myself.
He had a small smile on his face. "Was," he said over and over, his voice steady.
