Love Crisis

She was an angel while he was as ferocious as a demon. Was it a mistake from the beginning when two people from utterly different backgrounds crossed paths for the first time?

**

In the dark, a silhouette of two figures drifted in the shadows.

Hannah Song faced the man hiding in the darkness with vacant eyes and asked, "Brian... Mmmm... Do you love me?"

No response was heard. The man didn't stop his rhythmic movement.

Hannah found it hard to concentrate, but she couldn't afford to miss the chance. This was her perfect opportunity to get that most awaited promise while Brian was lost in the pleasure of lovemaking. "Brian, will you... marry me?"

"Sure," Brian Long answered in a low and seductive voice, which gave her a sense of casual coldness. His tone sounded slightly oppressive in this dark room with a subtly strange atmosphere.

"Really?" Her eyes lit up immediately as she asked with sheer excitement.

"However, you are not good enough for me."

Before Hannah could even figure out what he meant by that cruel statement, the room was brightened up all of sudden. She closed her eyes instinctively, and when she reopened them, her smile of happiness and satisfaction vanished into thin air.

She turned to the other side and saw Brian, dressed properly, sitting comfortably on a chair with legs crossed while watching her full of scorn.

Horrified, Hannah couldn't believe what just happened. Yelling and shaking uncontrollably, she screamed, "Why did you do this to me?"

"Why?" Brian's eyes reflected nothing but intense anger and coldness, and his voice sounded merciless as he spoke. "Was it really you that night?"

Hearing this, Hannah felt her face drained out of color as panic crept in. Frightened to death, she looked at Brian and spoke in a trembling voice, "What... what are you talking about?"

Brian didn't answer. Instead, he looked down and images of Molly Xia began to flash across his mind. Her innocent and beautiful face seemed to remind him how distant and unreachable she was.

Brian sneered in a deep sulk. Hannah wanted him badly, while on the contrary, Molly was very elusive, always running away from him.

As if being pierced with a needle, he felt a sharp pain in his heart just thinking about it.

'Molly Xia, did you really want to leave me so desperately that you even brought another woman into my life?'

Brian squinted. His beautifully deep-set eyes gave him a relaxed yet sharp look. Uncrossing his legs, he stood up slowly and walked to Hannah.

Hannah felt an aura of violence and danger drawing near. She trembled helplessly and couldn't help but pull back until she felt the wall against her. There was no way out.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Brian asked calmly. But those who knew him well would tell the hidden danger in his calmness.

Hannah shook her head blankly. Still shaking in terror and intimidated by his imposing manner, she was reacting all by instinct.

"It's alright if you just wanted to have me. But..." Brian's stare suddenly turned cold like ice as he finished the sentence word by word. "You should not have helped her leave me!"

Hannah froze in a daze.

"You. You shouldn't have done that," He added slowly and looked at Hannah. The grief and pain momentarily escaped in his eyes.

Sensing the danger, Hannah struggled to get away, only to be caught in the neck.

"Hmm..." Hannah was suffocating from Brian's grip and her pupils were already dilated with fright but she managed to utter out of breath, "What... what do you want?"

"What do I want?" Brian's eyes were sharp like eagle's as he put on a mysteriously strange smile. "I thought you knew."

"No!" Petrified, Hannah turned pale at once.

Brian threw her back forcefully on the bed. As if nothing happened, he put his hands in his pockets and looked at her disdainfully. "Enjoy this lovely night," he uttered coldly before leaving the room.

"Brian Long, you are such a monster! Ugh!" Hannah screamed in agony.

The shrill cries penetrated the darkness and were heard by Molly Xia, who was firmly grasped by two men in black downstairs. She stood there, shivering with gritted teeth.

Her eyes widened every time her ears were hounded by the screams and intimate moans resonating upstairs.

Brian walked down the stairs and moved towards Molly. Just seeing her pale face caused him that sharp pain again.

Molly stared fiercely at Brian with fists clenched. Her lips were quivering probably because of fright or panic.

"You know what? It's all your fault..." Brian spoke softly. His well-shaped face was void of expression. He raised one hand and caressed Molly's face with his long and thin fingers, which stopped at her shivering lips. Fixing his eyes on her, Brian gently fondled her tender lips.

Willfully, Molly shunned Brian's touch and glared at him. She sneered with lips quivering," Don't make me the excuse... for your cruelty!"

Brian froze as his stare gradually went cold then hard. He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Huh. Cruelty?" Brian mocked. The contempt in Molly's eyes was like a sharp knife cutting his heart into pieces. Moving closer to her, he remarked," You call that cruelty? Well... I'll make sure you experience actual cruelty yourself!"

Molly didn't respond. Instead, she clenched her teeth as she was determined not to show weakness even though she was frightened to death.

Irritated by her resolution, Brian dismissed her unemotionally. "Get her out of here."

The men in black took Molly away as directed. When Molly's emaciated figure gradually disappeared from his sight, the wound in Brian's heart tore up and bled terribly as pain and bitterness took him over.

'Molly Xia. Even if it was a mistake from the beginning, I'd rather not correct it. Never!'

**

The First Encounter

**

Five years ago...

Bright neon lights and headlights blazed here and there. Grand colourful signs and displays illuminated and danced to a beat, painting a vibrant and stunning night scene despite the freezing weather.

Snow fell silently from the dark sky. Like many lovely fairies, the snowflakes flew freely in the air against the bright headlights before gently resting on the ground.

Along the street, a thin and frail lady wearing a down coat and a knitted hat ran hurriedly. Her warm breath spread all over her small pretty face.

On a closer look, Molly's face was outlined with an anxious expression while she looked at the watch with a cartoon character design on her hand. Deep into her own thoughts, she muttered words only she could hear while running through the pavement. The moment she saw the Grand Night Casino's sign decorated with the flashing neon light, she quickened her pace as if in desperation.

All of a sudden, Molly's attention was caught by an intensely loud high-pitched noise causing her to stop dead in her tracks.

A car screeched to a halt just in front of her when she was about to cross the street. Confounded, Molly stood still as if frozen to the ground and stared at the car with widened eyes. Her face had been slightly red with cold earlier, but now all colors in her face had been swept out.

After a few seconds of shocked silence, Molly started to realize what had happened. She turned to look at the car just a few feet from her. Her eyes searched for a face inside the vehicle but the bright and glaring headlights prevented her from catching a glimpse of the persons inside.

Not wanting to waste any more minutes, Molly quickly bowed to the car to make an apology before running towards the Grand Night Casino in a hurry. A pair of eyes however, was studying her from inside the vehicle. Sitting in the back seat of the car, Brian's gaze was glued to the woman from the moment he saw her.

He squinted at her frail figure through the car window, hiding that thoughtful expression in his deep-set eyes which became slightly narrowed. With a straight face, he gently closed his thin lips, seemingly indifferent to anything.

With furrowed eyebrows and lips pursed, Brian was absorbed into his own thoughts. The thin frail woman with a vibrant face, reminded him of Becky.

As if mocking himself at the thought, the corners of his mouth curved up a bit. When the woman disappeared into the Grand Night Casino, Brian drew his gaze away and meanwhile, he looked very calm without any expression gleaming in his dark eyes.

"Let's go," Brian said flatly to Tony Xing.

Instantaneously, Tony Xing started the engine, turned to the corner of the street and drove to the underground parking lot of the Grand Night Casino. After parking the car at the exclusive space, Tony Xing got out of the car and respectfully opened the back door.

Brian stretched out his long leg and got out of the car. Right then, a red Lamborghini stopped at the parking space in front of him. His mouth twisted in a sarcastic smile as he stood there, taking a cold glance at the car.

At this moment, his phone rang.

Its ring tone broke the deafening silence of the underground parking lot with an echo which would probably make anybody feel uncomfortable in such a gloomy and cold weather.

Without checking who was calling him, Brian answered the phone. His eyebrows raised while he listened to the other end of the line. With a touch of sarcasm in his voice, he said slowly," Why are you so impatient? Are you anxious to lose everything?"

"We never know. Maybe I can win this time!" Someone said lazily over the phone.

Brian sneered and spoke," If you lose again today, you have to give up the right to chase her..."

Though he sounded a bit playful and relaxed, Brian's indifferent voice was absolutely serious. Those who knew him well would realize that it was his warning before he competed for something.

**

Molly Xia raced to the dressing room to change her clothes while gasping for air after the rush and scare she encountered a while ago. She could just imagine the worst if the car hadn't stopped in time. Her heart was still pounding a thousand beats a second and her knees were slightly trembling as she quickly changed her clothes. Trying to calm herself, she took a deep breath, held it in, then exhaled.

In a white blouse and a red bow tie matching a red A-line skirt, Molly wore her long satin black hair in a bun. Her youthful appearance was soon slightly concealed by the waitress uniform and the mature hairstyle. Her looks gave her that sense of confidence and professionalism in her work yet nothing could hide the innocence in her eyes. Taking a minute in, she gazed at herself in the mirror and paused.

"Come on, Molly! You're the best!" Molly said to herself in the mirror and raised her fist to cheer herself up. Taking a last quick glance in her reflection, she walked out of the dressing room and started her shift for the night. Seeing her walk out of the dressing room, Lily Song, one of her coworkers, approached her straightaway.

"Hey, Molly! Have you heard?" Lily asked enthusiastically. Without waiting for any response, Lily Song drew close to Molly and whispered in a mysterious voice, "The Super VIP Room is booked for tonight."

"Well, okay..." Molly responded without showing any hint of excitement and lowered her head to take notes. It didn't pique her interest a bit, much to Lily's disappointment.

Lily felt helpless and rolled her eyes at Molly. She curled up her lips and complained, "Molly, could you please act like a girl sometimes? Could you at least show a little interest in gossip? Aren't you thrilled? It's not just any room, it's the Super VIP Room!" Lily animatedly explained to Molly, giving extra emphasis by saying it word by word. "And only customers whose bet money is over ten million have access to it," she added.

Molly raised her head and looked at Lily, whose eyes were sparkling with admiration and hopeful imagination. She let out a sigh and said, "Lily... I have about five part-time jobs to do every day. Tell me how I can have the time to care about gossip? Besides, it's a room for those prominent billionaires. We can't just barge in there you know, so... you'd better head back home now, and I have to get busy with work,"

Molly said, putting the log book back to the locker. Lily made a long face after hearing this, pouting. A look of disillusionment was painted across her face. Molly smiled at Lily spiritedly and then walked out of the shift room.

The Grand Night Casino was the largest and grandest casino in A City, a place where people could become instant millionaires or even billionaires and earn a fortune they had only dreamed of. However, for some, unfortunately, it was a place where they could lose everything they had in just a blink of an eye.

But for the most part, the Grand Night Casino was a place where lust, greed, and the dark side of human nature were truthfully revealed. Behind the phoney luxury and prosperity, it was in fact, a dark and deep abyss. Once people got caught into it, they set themselves up for despair forever.

Molly steadied a tray in her hands and served around the gambling tables. A courteous smile never left her pretty face. Moving from one table to another, she quickly refilled every empty glass with wine. If luck would have it, Molly would even receive a chip as a tip when a gambler was overjoyed after winning a round.

She would contentedly keep the blue chips in her pocket and then continue going around the tables, serving the gamblers and making sure that they were well-assisted. Without a slightest trace of weariness on her face, Molly was always vigorous and full of energy all throughout the night.

Compared to the clamor in the main hall, the Super VIP Room on the top floor had a silent and reserved ambiance. The huge door was intricately designed and the room, though darkly painted, was well illuminated by the luxurious lights. Elegance was spelled in the furniture and in every corner of the room.

A man at the age of about twenty-three was sitting casually at the end of a large gambling table, looking dominantly impressive in his well-tailored suit. He closed his eyes lazily while tapping his long and slim fingers on the green flannel of the table. His short and tousled hair flopped over his eyebrows, shading the tameless and wicked look in his eyes.

"Bang!" The big wooden door made the sound as it was suddenly opened from the outside. Upon hearing it, the man grinned viciously and then slowly raised his head a little, revealing the shrewd look in his eyes. The deep and mysterious expression on his handsome face looked way beyond his years.

At that moment, Brian Long appeared at the doorstep. His eyes were drawn directly to the man inside the room. He paused and loosened a mischievous grin before walking towards the table. Remarkably different from the man sitting inside the room, Brian was radiating an imperious and wildly arrogant aura in every move.

Brian carelessly took off his coat and randomly threw it to the waiter next to him. He occupied the seat at the other end of the table, opposite the man who had arrived earlier. Making himself comfortable, Brian casually crossed his legs, lit a cigarette, and said, "You should come with me tomorrow to meet the people from QY Island."

"Okay!" The man responded nonchalantly as he played with the chips, not even lifting his gaze from the table.

Brian calmly leaned his back against the chair. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the man opposite to him. His face showed curiosity as he raised his eyebrows and asked, "Eric, do you really want to gamble for her with me?"

"What do you think?" Eric Long responded in a smirk and met Brian's eyes. He shrugged while spreading his hands and curled his lips into a cold smile.

Brian looked down thoughtfully and snuffed out his cigarette in the ashtray. Realizing the determination of his challenger, he slowly opened his mouth and said, "Well, if that is the case, then... why don't we play something more challenging? What do you think?"

Upon finishing his words, Brian slightly raised his head in an angle; a hint of threat and assertiveness flashed through his eyes.

Eric, still wearing a poker face, threw the chips in his hands onto the table and said, "Then tell me, what are the rules?"

"If you lose this game, you have to give up on Becky, and..." Brian responded as he leaned his body forward and clasped his hands together. Holding back the rest of the words, tension started to build up in the room. With lips raised in one corner and an arrogant expression emanating from his chiseled face, Brian continued, "And hand over the Dragon Empire Group!"