Chapter 1 It Hurts

"Ouch! That hurts!"

Pale as snow, Fiona Qiao woke up from her dream in the most horrifying way. She opened her eyes, revealing a layer of crystal mist which emphasized how delicate and feeble they were. Suddenly, her breathing started to get rapid and beads of sweat started to drip from her forehead indicating her fear.

At that moment, her body trembled and at the same time felt numb. Then, she slowly placed her hand right on top of the birthmark on her chest to soothe herself from the aching pain. In the pitch-black room, she bit her lips slightly while inhaling the minty breath of the man next to her.

No matter how hard she tried to get rid of it, she still failed to do so.

It was as if she also felt the pain from her dream in a very tactile way - the heat, the desperation and the helplessness that she could no longer endure.

Anyone who would see her suffer like this would most probably choose to close their eyes for it was a truly shocking scene.

As she thought of this, there was a sudden shiver down her spine. In fact, she had been bothered by this irregular dream for more than a month now. There was nothing she wanted more in the world than for this nightmare to stop.

That day, as she woke up in the hotel, something grabbed her attention that it almost burned her eyes. She got up and tried to make the bed when she noticed something - a glaring bloodstain on the pristine white bed sheet!

Moreover, she could not help but feel anxious for the damage had already been done, and it was impossible for her to clean up the mess in a very short time.

Snapping back to reality, Fiona Qiao covered her sweaty head with her hands. At that point, all she could do was lower her head in a feeble manner and sigh in dismay.

All of a sudden, her phone rang. It was her aunt, Melissa Han, who was calling. After she picked it up, her aunt on the other line worriedly spoke, "Didn't you promise that you would come back today? You've been living in our family for so many years. In fact, we also feel ashamed, but Olivia... "

Melissa Han paused on purpose, and Fiona Qiao already understood what she meant.

"I know. I'll be right back," Fiona Qiao replied in a mellow voice.

She had owed Melissa Han's family a great debt of gratitude. As a matter of fact, she could have probably been a thief on the street if the Ling family had not taken her in. But as she recalled what it could have been like for her without their help, she was forced to show a bitter smile.

She was upset, but she didn't feel harmed in any manner. In her head, she must do what needed to be done.

"Remember to come on time. The Fu family is on their way and we don't want to keep them waiting."

Hearing this, Fiona Qiao bit her lower lip quietly as she clenched her fist.

Meanwhile, today was a special day to hang banners, have a feast, and sing their hearts out for Olivia Ling, Melissa's daughter. Since it was Olivia's birthday, it was also the perfect time for the Ling family and the wealthy Fu family to discuss about the marriage. Olivia Ling didn't much have a choice on this one because even before she was able to see the world, she was already engaged to a boy in the Fu family.

Ideally, it was Olivia's fortune the Ling family was after in this union. But as it turned out, it was not what they had originally intended.

Fiona was there to replace Olivia in marrying the eldest son of the Fu family, Caspar Fu. Being paraplegic, Caspar would not be able to do anything even if it wasn't really Olivia who was marrying him. Afraid of losing face, the Fu family agreed to whatever was offered to them.

Word went around that the man was stubborn and isolated. Moreover, it was said that he had already hurt two of his servants, making all the others avoid him at all cost. What was worse was that he was thought to have been involved in the deaths of his two previous fiancees who fell ill and died.

Hearing these comments, Fiona already had a picture of Caspar in her head - a ferocious monster - which made the hairs on her back stand in horror.

On the other hand, Olivia was the Ling family's most prized possession, and her aunt and uncle's favorite. They had never wanted to push Olivia in a pit of fire when they arranged her marriage. Or at least, they were reluctant to do so. From time to time, they would plead and cry in front of Fiona, asking her to replace their daughter's position.

After thinking for a long while, the Ling family's persistent begging had finally come to a halt. Fiona accepted the terms and the Ling family praised her for it. Surely, they had waited for a long time to hear her sweet approval.

Meanwhile, that night, she had already given up as there was nothing she could do. Frustrated, she went out for a drink with her best friend and roommate, Rita Xia. They talked for a while as they emptied their cups one after another. However, on her way back, Fiona felt something odd. Walking in a dark alley, there was a man behind her who held her back, stopping her in her tracks. She lifted her leg and kicked the man, but her struggling was to no avail.

That night ended up in a hotel.

She tried to shake the scene out of her mind, but still failed. It just kept haunting her every night.

After Fiona hung up the phone, Rita Xia came back and saw her panic. She could not help but come closer to check if Fiona was okay.

Handing over a bottle of yogurt to her, Rita Xia smiled and said, "Hey Fiona, you don't look so good. Are you feeling better now?" But before she could answer, Fiona had already stood up. "Hey, wait! Where are you going? We're going to meet my dream lover. He has lost a precious cuff link recently and I want to help him find it. He'll definitely appreciate me for helping him,"

Rita muttered as her eyes flashed with excitement. Jeremy Fu would come to their school soon to employ new interns on behalf of his company, and Rita would never miss this opportunity to show her perfect performance.

Seeing that Fiona still wanted to leave, she quickly stretched out her hands as an attempt to stop her.

However, Fiona was very adamant about leaving. With an apologetic smile, Fiona replied, "Sorry, Rita. I just don't have the time today. I need to go to my aunt's house right away. She's waiting for me."

"Well... That's such a shame. Too bad you won't see my prince charming. He is coming, you know. You are going to miss this to show off."

"Well, it doesn't matter. There's always a next time." Fiona gave her back a gentle pat as she tried to comfort her.

"Well, you are right about that."

Fiona grabbed her bag and started to walk towards the door. She scoured inside trying to find her purse when...

All of a sudden, she stopped walking. After almost turning her bag inside out, a red diamond cuff appeared on her palm.

In that case, the man that night... No, it couldn't be that case. Rita was a good girl. She came from a decent family with good character, and had good personality and good taste. The man she fancied was definitely not the kind of playboy.

At that moment, her mind was in a complete mess as doubts clouded her mind.

Meanwhile, Fiona walked briskly back to the Ling family's house. When she was about to open the door, she stopped on her tracks. She was left there standing, biting her lower lip, while her face turned as pale as a ghost.

At that moment, all she saw was a red sports car's bright headlight speeding towards her. She wanted to flee but she could not move a muscle, as if her feet were nailed to the ground.