Love Me Or I Die

CHAPTER 23

When nightfall had finally arrived, it was destined to lead to a road of dreamy romance. Even the moon was especially bright and beautiful. Upon lighting the ground, its white and silvery light was a catalyst to an indescribable tenderness.

Daniel stopped the car and watched the woman emerged from the door. She glowed like an elf basking in the moonlight—pure and pristine, quiet and demure. Her long, black hair flowed casually over her shoulder. She had applied a simple makeup on her face, and she was vaguely at a loss.

A man and a woman…

As if it was required…

Stared at each other silently.

A hundred years seemed to pass as they continued to stare at each other wordlessly.

Daniel got off the car and leaned his back against it as he watched the woman approach him. Subconsciously, he opened his arms. The woman smiled faintly. The instant her eyes met his, those brilliant eyes of hers swelled with ripples; and they started to fog.

She ran to him in full speed as the man opened his arms.

Arms around each other, they hugged and kissed.

Everything seemed so beautiful.

“Ah Dan…” She lifted her face in his arms, so shy and happy. Her eyes shone with love, and there was no hiding it like looking at a pair of glass eyes showing two of his reflections.

She loved him, very dearly.

Unknown to the aloof man, the next instant when their eyes met again, the pair of loving eyes already had made a mark in his heart. There was no way of denying it.

“Good girl.” He gave her a deep kiss on her scarlet lips. He liked it when she called his name. He didn’t even realize he was so lost at the moment that he couldn’t remain indifferent.

This was a dazzling night whereby there were only love and acceptance for each other. They had forgotten everything in the past.

The spell broke when the car door opened. Lucia had leaned so sweetly on Daniel’s shoulder with her hands tightly around his arm. Was he aware of it? He meant everything to her.

His eyes remained somber. They were a shade darker compared to the night. He felt conflicted as he stared at her who was sitting beside him. Her white clothes looked so pure which suited her well. What if it was stained with blood? For the first time, he did not continue with his train of thought.

********

Lucia sat uneasily in front of the mirror and allowed a man to give her face a makeover. She closed her eyes and clutched her blouse tightly with both hands.

“Okay, you’re done.” The man flashed a smile and snapped his fingers.

“She is really an uncut piece of jade.” He was very satisfied with his work.

He turned around and gave Daniel two thumbs-up. He wondered where he found a woman like her who was so versatile in her makeover.

Lucia stood up and opened her eyes. She could not believe she was actually looking at herself in the mirror. Was that woman really her? Obviously, she had been looking at herself for over twenty years. How did she become such a beauty? It was so surreal.

A petite face with a bit of fancy makeup. It actually gave her skin a pink and tender look, like a peach blossom. Her long hair was curled delicately on her head, which showed her clean but glossy forehead as well as her slender neck. Her collarbones were extremely prominent with the off-shoulder attire. It only made her look sexy and beautiful.

Daniel came closer. His possessive look blocked off Leonard’s gaze. Leonard was the makeover artist.

“Dan, don’t be petty. Why don’t you give her to me? I will do anything you want.” This woman had so much potential. She was a combination of innocence and charm. Under his tutelage, men would certainly fall head over heels for a goddess like her.

Lucia clutched at the top of her clothes nervously. She lifted her head slightly and saw the tense atmosphere.

“Leo, keep your eyes to yourself. She is my wife.” Daniel gave a cold warning. “Don’t you know that you don’t fool around with your friend’s wife? If you want my wife, make the exchange with your life.”

“Oh!” Leonard was stunned. He pouted. “Alright, my mistake. Please take it as I was spouting nonsense earlier. I didn’t say anything.” He put up his hands and shrugged his shoulders. Only a wife?! He was somewhat curious as to how well the pair of husband and wife got along. Did Daniel seriously think of this woman as his wife?

He knew something was amiss. Logically, with Daniel’s character, this was too good to be true.

However, he had nothing to do with this. One shouldn’t fool around with one’s friend’s wife. Similarly, one shouldn’t go too close, too.

Suddenly, out of boredom, his lips curled up. “Dan, haven’t you noticed? Something is missing on her. I’m sure you’re not so stingy that you won’t even buy a necklace for your wife. I remember in the past, you used to be very generous with your female companions. Why are you being stingy with your own wife?”

“None of your business.” Daniel pulled her up by her hand, but he failed to notice her eyes had dimmed slightly. She knew he had been a generous man towards his other women, even more so to late Sophia. He would give her whatever she wanted while she, his wife, got the least.

Leonard touched his jaw as he watched them leave, and his lips curled up slightly. He picked a towel up and wiped his hands clean before tossing it aside casually.

“Daniel, I look forward to seeing the ways you’ll be using to destroy a woman.” He had an alluring but aloof smile—half-angelic, half-demonic.

Daniel’s eyes looked especially gloomy as he pulled Lucia along with him. She did not understand. She stole a look at him. Was he being angry?

“Stay away from men in the future. Those idiots harbor ill intentions.” He stopped and gave her a severe warning. She nodded her head passively. It seemed that he was the only man she was allowed to have contact with.

Judging from his expression now, one would have thought that he was being sore and extremely jealous.

“Don’t think of nonsense.” He turned his face away in embarrassment. He was indeed riled up by what Leonard’s words could have done to her. In this world, he was the only one who could have her. If it wasn’t him, he would make sure no one could get to her. She owed him. She could never repay the debt in this life.

“I’m not.” Lucia smiled faintly, but it was with happiness. With his behavior, could she believe that he cared a bit about her?

They got in the car again. Daniel did not look good while she hooked her fingers together. The pressure of being persistent made it hard to breathe in the car.

…

There was a crowd. Lucia looked in front again. What was this place? It’s really crowded.

She held Daniel’s hand and walked in. It seemed as though all attention was on both of them. The man, tall and handsome; the woman, innocent and beautiful. Her attire especially—it was white like snow. One could vaguely see the well-toned calf.

“Let’s go.” Daniel pursed his lips tight, unhappy. He did not like the looks that she was getting. They were unhidden interest. He felt disgusted and unwilling that his woman was an eye candy to others.

He sat on a chair downstairs. Justin kept glancing at his watch. It was getting late, but his cousin was nowhere in sight. Was he coming at all? There was a highlight to the event here today. He wanted to bid for it and give it to his sweetheart.

A woman sat down abruptly beside him. He was about to tell her that the seat was taken. Upon seeing her face, his heart began to flutter; and he went into ‘casanova’ mode. She was so beautiful like his dream lover. He reached out with his hand, fully intending to shake her hand.

“You…”

Before the word was out, his hand was swatted away. “Justin, what were you trying to do to your cousin-in-law?”

Daniel stood between them and glared icily at him.

It took Justin by surprise. That woman couldn’t be Lucia, his cousin-in-law. The one his cousin married with a motive.

He rubbed his eyes. It was definitely her. That brow and eye. He took another look and felt really certain. After so, his heart started to ache.

His first love was gone. Heaven knew how many first loves he had had.

“Cousin, why did you bring her here? Couldn’t you have said ‘hello’ when you arrived?” Justin tugged at Daniel’s shirt. All of a sudden, he did not have a clue as to what his cousin wanted.

Didn’t he say he wanted to exact revenge on her? Why did he bring her here and even bothered to dress her up? She had a rosy complexion, and she looked well-rested. She certainly did not look like someone who was being tortured.

Her skin was so fair that it glowed. She was definitely a woman happily in love.

“That is none of your business.” Daniel replied coldly while he held her hand tightly with his other hand. “Tell me which one you like.” He put his hand on her hair. His tone of voice changes as quickly as the weather, sunny now and stormy the next.

Justin’s eyes twitched, and he pouted. He felt like crying due to jealousy.

He wondered if it was because of the man or for the woman.

His dream lover… he held his broken heart.

Lucia nodded her head gently. From the beginning till now, she only wanted the man beside her. She did not want anything else; just a bit of his love would suffice.

Then again, would he give it to her?

She didn’t know that.

At this moment, the auction on the stage began. The first item was a translucent bowl, allegedly used by the royal palace during a dynasty. This bowl was sold to a middle-aged man.

Lucia couldn’t understand why someone would spend so much money to buy a bowl. It couldn’t even be used to hold rice.

The second item was a collectible red wine from the seventeenth century. The price might have fluctuated several times, but it managed to find a new owner. It would most likely be kept than be drunk.

Justin pursed his lips and showed his dissatisfaction. “I think I know that man…” Of course, he was talking about the man who had bought the red wine. Coincidentally, that man was also his good friend since childhood.

“You have so many bottles of wine at home. Why bother to buy when you don’t drink? Can you see its aroma?”

“Mind your own business,” the man, whom he was talking about, replied in an icy voice.

“I’m too lazy to bother.” Justin seemed upset. “I’m not a woman. Why should I bother about you?”

“Hmph!” he gave a hard snort. His face was as long as a horse’s.

Lucia looked at Justin curiously, but her husband kept blocking her view. He lowered his head and gave her a warning.

“Do not get involved in someone else’s business.”

She smiled. She had not thought of getting involved as she didn’t know them. However, Daniel practically looked like a jealous husband now. Was it possible?

“I’m going to the washroom.” She smiled apologetically as she released his hand and walked out. She turned around and looked at Daniel. His presence was irreplaceable among the crowd.

That was her husband whom she felt immensely proud of. To have a man like him was happiness. It would not be tragic without him, just that they were not fated or meant to be together. The auction remained ongoing on the stage. Her white attire swirled lightly around her legs as she turned. In an instant, the room was filled with an aromatic fragrance. Like the splendor of the flowers in full bloom, she attracted the eyes of many people in the room.

Not everyone was meant to possess such beauty. Inside the washroom, she rested her hand on her stomach. She wondered if the trauma from the last time had caused the dull aching pain. She did not want Daniel to know so she continued to put up with it.

She leaned on the counter in the washroom and waited for the pain to go away. That man had given her this pain, but she still didn’t hate him. Even if it was another person, she might have behaved the same.

She was not the Virgin Mary because she was too adorable.

The door opened then, and a shadow loomed over her face.

She looked up, slightly stunned. There was a vague smile of sarcasm. She had not seen her mother for a long time.

Stella sized her up from head to toe. Lucia really looked beautiful like a younger version of herself. However, the more beautiful she looked and the better her life was, it only made her feel more intolerable to the pain.

“Are you satisfied now?” She sneered. “Don’t forget that you had snatched everything you now have from Sophia. Daniel will always love her. Do you think that he is serious about you?” The more she said, the more vicious and ruthless her words sounded. They stared at each other, their features were similar. They were no longer mother and daughter… but enemies. Was it that someone had cast a spell on her to make her treat her own daughter like a step daughter?

Lucia turned on the tap nonchalantly and put her hands underneath the running water. The frigid water brushed against her palm. She had once again felt her heart ached as it ripped apart.

“Mom, do you have to hate me like this?” she asked softly, not turning around.

“I told you not to call me ‘mother’.” Stella felt an instant pinch in her heart, so painful that she threw her hand out.

With a thump, Lucia was shoved; and she banged into the water cistern in front of her. Her face turned pale, and initial pain in her stomach became more intense.

Stella seemed shocked by what she had done. She stared at her hand and remained silent.

“I don’t want a mother like you, too.” Lucia straightened her body as she covered her stomach. She turned around and looked directly into the lady’s eyes. “But…” She smiled sarcastically, “you are still my mother. I have not forgotten that. You used to hug me when I was little and said ‘LuLu is Mommy’s baby. Mommy loves LuLu the most’. You never eat anything good or wear anything nice. You always saved the best for me.

“Mom.” Lucia clutched her hands tightly. The makeup did not mask her pale face. The person who was causing her ache and pain was none other than her own mother, the one who had given her life and loved her.