Love Me Or I Die

CHAPTER 15

“Daniel, let go of me, please.” She’d rather let him be cruel. His occasional kindness gave her hope, hope that he destroyed again with his own hands.

If he wanted to hate, then hate her completely without showing any gentleness, for she could not take any of it.

‘We’re both lonely.” Daniel’s arms tightened. She was in a daze, and she almost felt as if both hearts became closer.

Lonely. She had always been lonely. And it seemed that he was, too.

He seemed to be at the top of the world, but he was in fact, truly alone.

Her lips slightly moved, but she did not say anything in the end.

They were like two cactus, wanting to, but scared to be close. Just a little bit closer and either one would get pierced with the thorns. They would end up with a body of bruises.

Daniel narrowed his eyes and lowered his head onto her shoulders, and it stunned her. She was indirectly blaming him for his cruelty, but really, who was being the cruel one here?

“I have always been this merciless.” He placed his hand on her face, gliding across gently. “If I am not cruel to others, I will be the one to die. I have everything, but the reality is that all I have is nothing. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for Sophia. After all these years, she was the only one who could make me feel like I’m living.”

“She was the one I had chosen since I was young. She was extremely adorable then, and so the moment I laid eyes on her, I decided that she was to be my future wife.”

“I waited and waited until she was old enough, and yet she still left me after she had grown older. Lucia, I am cruel to you, but aren’t you the crueler one here? Do you know how I continued living after losing her? Hating you have become my life. If I don’t hate you, how can I bear the pain of losing Sophia?”

He placed his hand on her lips at last. “Lucia, don’t blame me. You’re not innocent. You killed my beloved Sophia and hence, I will make you pay.”

Then he lowered his head and pressed his lips on hers. “Why aren’t you showing any resistance? I can’t bear hurting you if you’re like this.”

Suddenly, all Lucia heard was him saying he could not bear hurting her. Her already ice-cold heart started beating again. He could not bear to hurt her?

Daniel tasted her tears between his lips—salty and bitter—the most genuine of tears.

“Lucia, what kind of a woman are you? Why can’t I see any trace of guilt, fear, and regret on you? You can even sleep in my matrimonial bedroom with Sophia. What exactly are you thinking?”

He looked up, straight at her eyes—they were shining brighter and brighter. These eyes were so clear, so beautiful, yet why did she have such a wicked heart?

“You love me so much you won’t even spare your own sister?” He murmured. His voice was light in her ears but it pierced harshly through her heart.

She had already said that she did not kill anyone, and yet was there anyone who would believe her all this while?

‘Lucia, if I send you to hell, I wonder if you’ll hate me instead of love me?’ His lips gently massaged her own pair until she opened them. Those were the only words he never said.

Yet he didn’t know the day she went to hell, he was actually already in hell himself.

His hand suddenly pressed hard against her head, pressing her closer against him as if it was the only way to warm up both their cold souls again.

To make both shattered hearts beat again.

Lucia slightly opened her eyes, tasting her unexpectedly bitter tears between her lips.

In the room, under the dim lights, their proximity continued from the living room to where they were. He took away her breath, her soul, her everything.

She clutched tightly at his clothes, igniting a feeling of desire she had never experienced before between her fingers. He was never gentle towards her, because other than pain, he only gave her cruelty.

But that night, why had he given her so much more? It was such a loving kiss as their tongues entangled together. She pulled back, but his dominance left her nowhere to hide.

His hands roamed around her body and her clothes dropped to the floor one by one. And so did his, until there was nothing between them.

She cowered and pulled back reflexively, clenching her legs tightly together.

Yet again, the relentless pain made her resist by instinct. She was used to the pain, but it still scared her.

Daniel’s eyes were deeper than usual. He tenderly placed his hand on her face—unlike in the past—and it made her feel like crying.

“It won’t hurt this time. Trust me.” He continuously whispered comforting words into her ears. His eyes, filled with desire, held much more bold malice.

It was not the usual iciness, but it was still a darkness that holds people off.

Lucia ’s long eyelashes softly fluttered. Her crystal-clear eyes seemed as if they were holding something back. His cruel side was unapproachable, but she was more scared of his gentle side.

She did not understand his sudden change. She was still hesitating, and her body was still resisting. She thought he would sloppily and impatiently finish, caring only for his own pleasure and choosing to hurt her just like in the past.

But this time, he spent such a long time to let her get used to it.

She suddenly felt that she might die, not by his cruelty, but by his gentleness.

It really did not hurt this time. She even felt something she had never before, and it made her heart race indescribably.

Unbeknownst to them, the darkness that had shown no signs of the day had already begun restlessly. The cool breeze blew lightly against the soft curtains.

In the quiet of the night, the mingling of their breaths can barely be heard in the air.

Daniel caressed her silky hair as she lay on his arms. It was an entirely different feeling than with Sophia. Sophia’s hair was slightly tough, the strands slightly prickly. But hers was soft, so soft that it made him want to ruin it.

“Sophia…” His lips opened and closed, but it was Sophia’s name that he called. He looked down at the exhausted woman sleeping in his embrace, an unfathomable intention flashed across his face.

In the morning, when the first ray of sunlight seeped in, Lucia’s body clock woke her up. No matter how tired she was, she would wake up at the same time every day. She carefully sat up, staring intently at the man beside her. It was for the first time she saw him with such clarity.

He looked a little less ruthless in his sleep and a little quieter. There were strands of hair sticking by his ear, and his firm chest rose slightly from time to time. His chest was wide and safe. If he showed love to a woman, he would give her the entire world’s happiness.

But if he hated a woman, he would ruin her whole life.

She reached her hand out into the air. She did not understand what happened last night. What would that change bring? Her lips lightly quivered upon such thought. She pulled back her fingers and tucked him under the blanket.

It was easy to catch a cold in the cold night.

He had someone to care about him, but who would care about her?

She let out a bitter laugh, and she felt helpless as she carelessly tied her hair. During the day, she was a maid, a nanny—she did not know what else she could be other than those.

Upon opening the door, there was no one there. It seemed like Sally was not around. It was maybe out of fear, or perhaps something else. Indeed, working under Daniel required immense courage. His iciness made people fear him, and his unpredictable emotions were hard to understand.

She walked into the kitchen and made a simple breakfast despite knowing Daniel did not have the habit of eating breakfast. Unlike Sophia, she knew how to make food for herself when she was in school. She had become Mrs.Lucia even before she graduated from university.

It did not matter if she went to that kind of school or not, since she could not get anything she wanted. She could only use her inferior stupidity to complement Sophia's intelligence and brilliance.

She placed a few dishes and two bowls of porridge on the table and rolled her sleeves up. After which she remembered she had a pile of dirty laundry.

An hour had passed when Daniel woke up. His hand instinctively searched for the warmth beside him, but what he touched was the bedsheet that had already cooled off. One side of the blanket was arranged tidily but held no trace of the woman.

Where did she go? He sat up and the blanket slid to his waist, revealing his sexy and firm chest. He reached up to pinch between his brows. His slightly narrowed eyes regained the usual cold sharpness.

He got up from the bed and wore his clothes at one go, no sloppiness in the least.

He walked into the kitchen and could smell a faint fragrance in the air, making his stomach pang in hunger. He suddenly recalled that he only had a few cups of alcohol last night, but did not have any food. After a whole night and day, he was really hungry.

He seldom ate breakfast. Sometimes, he would rather complete his work at the office before eating breakfast and lunch together. It saved him time and effort.

He sat on the chair. Since he was not one to torture himself, he would eat when he was hungry no matter who prepared the food. When he finished eating and put down the bowl in his hand, he patted his satisfied stomach. The meal was not very sumptuous, but it was simple and suited his tastes very well. His stomach felt good and so did his mood.

He stood up but unconsciously searched for the woman.

Lucia.

Sounds of light footsteps came from the balcony. He walked over, watching quietly from afar.

The morning sun was not strong, but rather, unexpectedly warm. Lucia had finished hanging the last piece of clothing, wiping away the sweat on her forehead that glistened and shone just like her.

Under the faint sunlight, her face was warm, soft, and delicate. Her long eyelashes occasionally blinked like two excellent fans that could subtly cause clear, soft ripples on water.

Her body was extremely slender, but she had lost much weight. It seemed as if just a gentle grab or grasp would break her bones into pieces. It was such a weak and tiny body. If he wanted to, he could destroy her completely.’s black eyes immensely darkened. He leaned against the sofa at the side, silently staring at her with those unfathomable eyes—eyes that silently flashed with a plethora of emotions.

Lucia suddenly looked back and locked gaze with his unmasked eyes. She flinched on instinct.

He stood up and stood there for a very long time, watching her for a good amount of time.

Then, Daniel straightened his body and walked towards her. He was approaching her, but she drew back.

She retreated until there was nowhere to go, and he was standing in front of her. Black eyes met black eyes—they saw themselves in each other’s eyes.

His eyes held her, but they were cold.

Her eyes were only filled with him, but with fear.

He had made her scared, scared of being hurt, and scared of hurting him.

“You made breakfast?” Daniel’s lips lifted into a faint smile, making her fear sink to the bottom of her eyes. She felt appeased.

She lightly nodded her head, her clear eyes reflecting two tiny images of him.

“It was delicious,” he said. It was supposed to be a compliment, but from his mouth, it sounded stiff. She thought, this man was used to the world revolving around him, and perhaps, very seldom praised people.

Any compliment that would come out of his mouth would sound strange. He was the type of person who lives on his own terms, without regard for anyone else.

She lowered her head, and for some reason felt the sudden urge to laugh. This man was really not suited to act like that.

“Are you mocking me?” The man raised an eyebrow, looking at the woman’s eyelashes gently vibrating. He was almost sure that she was definitely mocking him.

Lucia raised her head, her eyes showing less of sadness and more of happiness. She had really smiled, just a little, but a genuine smile nonetheless.

“Should I feel honored for making you in such high spirits?” Daniel’s voice became slightly colder, but she realized that she could actually sense that he was not angry despite his poker face. He was just naturally cold.

And this thought led to a sweetness blooming in her heart. This was the most peaceful day they experienced together, without cruelty and aloofness. Even though he still did not show her any pleasant expressions, they just stood there gazing quietly at each other. Not like two porcupines attacking each other.