Love or Revenge?

In the early dawn, before the sun had a chance to rise, the street was illuminated by only a few faint streetlights. In the distance, on the third floor of a house in the bustling villa district of the film capital, Viria Village, the silhouette of a slender girl in a thin nightgown appeared. She wore a light jacket over her nightgown, but it was clearly not enough to ward off the cool April chill of California. It was only two in the morning, and it was unclear whether she couldn’t sleep or if she had fallen asleep early due to exhaustion from attending an event, waking up now in this odd hour. In her hand, she swirled a glass of red wine. The dark red color of the wine blended into the darkness, appearing as a black liquid swaying within the glass. “Oh my God, you’re still awake?” A deep voice, with a hint of drowsiness, sounded. Joyce Yang’s voice carried a tone of mild reproach. “I’m still up,” the girl replied. “You have to attend the opening event of Lucas's new store today. Don’t let those dark circles ruin your image, okay? If Lucas sees your puffy eyes, he’ll blame me for not taking good care of you.” Joyce’s tone was firm. “Haha, staying up one night won’t ruin my looks. Don’t worry, Joyce. The opening is at eleven in the morning. I’ll finish this glass and go to bed.” She replied softly, her voice gentle and flowing in the air. Joyce shook her head in disapproval. “No way. It’s already two in the morning. Go to sleep now. You’re lucky we’re in California. If we were in Beijing, you’d have swarms of journalists taking photos of you. Tomorrow you’d be on the hot search: ‘Film Star Drowns Sorrows in Alcohol’.” “You think too much, sis. I have you. No one has ever caught any ‘hot’ scenes of me all these years,” she said with a laugh. “Enough. I’m not arguing with you, Nina.” With that, Joyce snatched the wine glass from Nina Tyler’s hand and turned to leave. Before exiting the room, she didn’t forget to grab the half-empty wine bottle from the bedside table. “I said it already. Go to sleep.” Nina sighed, looking at Joyce helplessly. Instead of going inside, she sat down on the large sofa on the balcony. Her eyes stared blankly at the endless sky. A tear quietly fell on Nina’s face, which was drenched in sorrow. No one knew what she was thinking, and no one knew why she was crying. Looking at her, one could only see a Nina engulfed in sorrow, both in body and soul. ... Below the villa where Nina was standing, due to an oversight, neither Nina nor Joyce knew that someone was standing below. A young man, about six feet tall, was walking down the deserted street. The dim streetlight shone on his face, revealing sharp features. He had a high nose bridge. In a place like this, seeing Europeans or Americans was not unusual. He could be from any continent, but his facial features, though very foreign-looking, had a distinctly Asian touch. Nina, high up, did not know that the man had seen her. Her sorrowful face had caught his eye, and he couldn’t look away. But unfortunately, when Nina sat down, he could no longer see her. In his heart, he felt a tinge of curiosity. Who was she to be living in this villa district, where he had bought up all the properties? How could there be one house left in the center that someone else had moved into, and that person turned out to be a girl? Suddenly, his phone vibrated. A message interrupted his thoughts. Glancing at the text, he frowned. It might be urgent. He turned and walked away silently. Seeing that he didn’t respond, the person on the other end of the line called again, making it impossible for him to keep calm. As soon as he answered, the other end spoke anxiously: “Boss, just now, someone suspicious appeared at House Z in Area A. He was carrying a strange toolbox. I don’t know how he got in. I sent people to Area A urgently, but he escaped. He dropped a pocket watch. It looks very old with strange engravings...” The person on the other end hadn’t even finished speaking when the man interrupted: “Got it. I’ll come over and check. Don’t touch the watch. Be careful not to smudge any fingerprints.” “Yes, sir.” He hung up and walked quickly to the designated location. Unbeknownst to him, from the moment he started speaking, Nina had heard a voice from below. She stepped onto the balcony and looked down. Wiping away her tears, she saw the man in the black suit. His elegance and mystery piqued her curiosity. “How did someone get into this area? Isn’t it only accessible to those with special permission?” Nina’s eyes were glued to the man until his figure was swallowed by the darkness. Confirming that he had left, she felt at ease and stepped back inside. She closed the balcony door gently and walked towards her bed. Unable to sleep earlier, she had decided to pour herself a drink. But before she could take a sip, Joyce had confiscated it and taken it away. Now, Nina could only sulk and try to sleep. As she drifted into sleep, a child’s voice echoed in her mind: “Tell me who you are?” “I will find you someday.” ... The moon cast a pale glow over the city, and inside the villa, Nina’s restless sleep was filled with fragmented memories and indistinct voices. As she tossed and turned, her dreams took her back to moments of joy and sorrow, mingling into a confusing tapestry of emotions. Faces blurred and merged, leaving her with a sense of longing and unease. Meanwhile, in the quiet streets, the mysterious man, Adam Lin, made his way swiftly towards Area A. His mind raced with questions about the intruder and the peculiar pocket watch. Arriving at the scene, he was greeted by a tense atmosphere. His team, clad in black suits, stood around the area, their expressions serious. “Show me the watch,” Adam commanded. One of his men carefully handed him the pocket watch, wrapped in a cloth. Adam examined the intricate engravings and the worn-out surface. The design was unlike anything he had seen before, and a strange feeling crept over him. He couldn’t shake off the nagging thought that this watch held some significance, something beyond its antique appearance. “Any leads on the intruder?” Adam asked, his voice calm but authoritative. “We’re still investigating, sir. He seemed to know the area well and disappeared without a trace. But we’ll find him,” the team leader assured. Adam nodded, his gaze fixed on the pocket watch. “Ensure all security measures are tightened. I want this place on lockdown until we find out who he is and what he wanted.” “Yes, sir.” As the team dispersed to carry out their orders, Adam stood there, deep in thought. The encounter with the intruder and the sight of Nina on the balcony had stirred something within him. He couldn’t explain the connection he felt, but he knew he had to find out more about her. There was a mystery unfolding, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. Back at the villa, Nina woke up with a start. The child’s voice still echoed in her mind, leaving her with a sense of foreboding. She glanced at the clock; it was almost dawn. Pushing herself up, she decided to take a walk to clear her head. As she stepped outside, the cool morning air greeted her. The street was quiet, with only a few early risers going about their business. She walked aimlessly, her thoughts drifting back to the man she had seen. There was something about him that felt familiar, yet she couldn’t place where she had seen him before. Lost in her thoughts, she wandered further than she intended, finding herself near Area A. She noticed the increased security and the tension in the air. Curious, she approached one of the guards. “What’s going on here?” she asked. The guard, recognizing her as a resident, replied, “There was an intruder last night. We’re just making sure everything is secure.” Nina’s heart skipped a beat. The man in the black suit, Adam, must have been involved. The thought of him being so close made her uneasy yet intrigued. “Did they find anything unusual?” she probed. The guard hesitated for a moment before answering, “Just an old pocket watch. But it seems to be important.” Nina thanked the guard and walked away, her mind racing. A pocket watch? What could it mean? And why did the man’s presence affect her so much? There were too many questions and not enough answers. Returning to her villa, Nina resolved to find out more about the mysterious man and the pocket watch. She had a feeling that her life was about to take an unexpected turn, and she needed to be prepared. Little did she know, this was just the beginning of a journey that would intertwine her fate with that of Adam Lin, uncovering secrets that would change both their lives forever.v