Chapter 1 Emerald Greene

"My little Emerald, you can't handle any loss," the man's hoarse voice whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

Emerald had never been with a man before and was unfamiliar with the sensations it brought. She had no idea that once she experienced it, she would crave the fiery passion it ignited. She felt the cold glass door in front of her as the man pushed her against it, his burning body pressing against her from behind.

She could sense his towering presence, and when his lips touched her neck, she nearly burned from the heat of his kisses. Emerald turned in pain, climbed up the man's strong chest with her weak arms, and bit down hard on his neck. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she entwined her legs around his waist, feeling intoxicated. She didn't recognize herself anymore.

"Can you be gentle?" she asked, even though she was curious about the opposite.

The man chuckled in her ear, his grip on her waist tightening. "Do you want me to be gentle?" he whispered. "I don't think I can be gentle..."

Emerald took the initiative and bit his earlobe, her hot breath coming in gasps as if it might stop at any second. "Get on the bed and spread your legs wide," the man ordered seductively.

In an instant, the only sounds in the room were their moans and cries. An intense affair began between them, with no concern for the consequences.

Clothes lay scattered on the carpet, torn stockings and her blouse nowhere to be found. Emerald sat up on the bed, covered only by a blanket over her naked body. Seeing her black bra, she picked it up and put it on. Suddenly, the man's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back into his embrace.

"Where are you going? Let's sleep together," he said in a hoarse voice. His arms were tightly around her waist, his hot, muscular chest pressed against her back. Strong, sexy, and sultry-just a few reasons why she chose him.

"Did you forget? We had an agreement," he added. She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to ignore him. Her fair cheeks were flushed, and she couldn't help but smile, emotions swirling in her heart.

Three months ago, Emerald had caught her long-term boyfriend-now her ex-with another woman. That's how she met the man she was with now, who saved her from falling into a pool after she'd gotten drunk. She could still remember the first night they shared; it was unforgettable.

"Do you want me?" she asked in a seductive voice, her arm draped around his neck. At that moment, it wasn't just her body that was wet.

They had sex for hours-who knew how long? She left her contact number the next morning. "If you need anything, you can contact me," she said, knowing she would miss him. Only then did the man notice the red stain on the bed sheet after she left. He was the one who took her virginity, something she hadn't told him, as if it wasn't a big deal to her.

A few days later, the man contacted her, and it happened again and again. Whenever they had time, they would meet. It was as if their bodies were made for each other, an addiction they couldn't shake, poisoned by each other's kisses. Before deeper feelings could develop, the man set some ground rules, which she quickly agreed to: no staying overnight, he had a girlfriend, so no one should know, and their relationship would be purely physical.

There would be no exchange of money, no obligations-just the purest desires of a man and a woman, intertwined in the darkness like a web of stars. Once it was over, she'd fix her skirt and turn cold.

"Want to do it again, huh?" the man whispered to her. Emerald closed her eyes, shivering from the slight breath in her ear.

She shook her head, trying to hide her excitement. "I can't. I have to be up early for school tomorrow. There are events and activities," she explained, pulling away from his embrace. She stood up without looking back and started getting dressed.

"I see..." the man muttered, followed by the sound of a lighter clicking.

Through the smoke of his cigarette, Alaric watched Emerald pull her skirt up to her small waist. He bit his lower lip, staring at her. From her ample chest, slim waist, flat stomach, and long legs, he couldn't believe this woman was a teacher. She had an innocent face, but it changed in bed, turning into a wild animal.

Once Emerald zipped up her skirt, she looked back at the man who had been staring at her. Only then did she notice his striking features. He wasn't the popular handsome type nowadays. He had sharp features, a perfectly chiseled jaw, deep black eyes, and red lips. Her gaze dropped to his body, noticing the large tattoo, and that scar on his chest. His muscles were smooth, not those of a gym-trained bodybuilder. The lean muscles with defined outlines exuded a raw, masculine allure.

Especially when those strong arms wrapped around her, she felt completely secure.

Before she could be tempted any further and let a small smile appear on her lips, she quickly looked away. "I'll go ahead. Good night."

Alaric put out his cigarette, a satisfied smile appearing at the corner of his mouth right after Emerald left. Clearly, he was pleased with the woman, too.

The next morning, Emerald woke up early to get ready for work. After showering, she quickly dressed in her teacher's uniform. Her hair was tied up high, with the slightly curly ends forming an arc in the air.

When she arrived at school, she immediately attended to the activities planned for the day. Emerald is a teacher at a prestigious private kindergarten. They were having a mini-concert that day, and all the parents were required to attend, which made her excitement hard to hide.

"Ms. Greene, your students are fighting!" an alarmed fellow teacher called out to her.

Emerald panicked. Children shouldn't get hurt while in their care, or they will be in serious trouble. The students at their school were either rich or noble, and as teachers, they were responsible for keeping them safe.

Emerald hurried backstage, where the two little boys were fighting. James Corrigan was on top of Yosef Williard, punching him with his left hand. Yosef wailed, his face turning red. Although James was young, his eyes showed a cruelty unexpected for his age. These two boys were the only children of the Corrigan and Williard families, both spoiled and constantly fighting. The teachers only dared to intervene verbally, afraid to step in physically.

"That's enough, Yosef and James!" Emerald commanded authoritatively.

The two boys immediately stopped fighting, calming down at the sound of her voice. Yosef quickly pushed James away and ran to Emerald, sobbing.

"Ms. Greene... It was Jame's fault. He hit me here..." he cried, pointing to his stomach. "Blow it off for me, Teacher."

Emerald shook her head and sighed as she examined the scratches on Yosef's arm. She was sure both boys had injuries, and this might be the end of her career.

"Alright. Teacher will blow it off, so stop crying. I'm here," she comforted Yosef, gently wiping his tears from his flushed cheeks.

When Emerald looked at James, she noticed the blood on the corner of his lip. His eyes were staring at her, seemingly wanting care as well, but he stood in the corner, just watching them.

"It's alright. For now, go with Teacher Iris to change your clothes, okay? I will call your parents," she said, signaling Iris to take Yosef and change his clothes.

As usual, Emerald was left to explain the situation to the boys' parents. She had no other choice.

Once Yosef left, she approached James. Kneeling in front of him, she gently wiped the blood from his lips.

"It must be very painful, right?" she gently asked the little boy.

James' eyes turned sharp and he looked away. "It doesn't hurt at all," he pouted.

Emerald took a cotton ball and some Betadine from her pocket and gently applied it to James' wound. His mouth twitched in pain.

"Still saying it doesn't hurt, huh?" she said, facing the boy. "Tell me, why were you fighting again? Didn't we talk about not fighting?"

In the entire school, Emerald was the only one who could speak to James like that because she understood him so well. Thankfully, she had the patience to handle such delicate situations.

James lowered his head and murmured, "He said I don't have a mom."

Emerald noticed the little boy's trembling hands, as if he was desperately trying to hold back his emotions. Her heart tightened with empathy.

"Is that why you hurt him?"

James looked up at her, his eyes filled with a serious and pained expression.

"I promised you I wouldn't bully other kids here, so I told him that I'm not like him who doesn't have a mom or a dad. If that's his situation, how is he living now? After I said that to him, he punched me, Teacher. Is it still my fault?" James explained, leaving Emerald momentarily speechless.

The boy had likely been bottling up these feelings, and only now were they surfacing, as he rarely spoke at such length. Emerald was about to respond and teach him a lesson when someone suddenly called her.

"Ms. Greene, James' dad is here."

Dad? Emerald thought to herself. She had never seen James' parents before, as it was always his nanny who dropped him off and picked him up. Maybe his dad is here because of the incident?

"Alright. Did you hear that? Your daddy's here. It's fine now," she said. She straightened James' appearance and stood up to face his father.

Without looking up, she extended her hand to the man and smiled warmly.

"Good morning, Mr. Corrigan. I'm James' teacher, Emerald Greene. There was an unexpected incident..."

Before Emerald could finish her words, she stared at the man coming in against the light. Alaricson Corrigan was dressed in a black suit and leather shoes, with sharp, defined facial features and piercing eyes, exuding a dignified and distant aura.

Alaric glanced back and forth between James and Emerald for a few seconds before accepting her soft hand. His broad and rough hands held the delicate ones he had imagined many times.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Greene," Alaric uttered in a deep and gravelly voice.