Madly In Love

Clip clop...Clip clop...

The approaching footsteps echoed down an otherwise quiet corridor, as the bodyguards stood up straight and greeted Carlos respectfully. They didn't dare to raise their hands until the distinguished individual had stopped in front of the door and raised his hand.

With his slender hand, the man squeezed and twisted the doorknob with a slight click.

He pushed the door and it swung open with ease. As he stepped in, his eyes caught sight of a beautiful woman standing next to the window, ripping the sheets she had pulled out from the bed with her bare hands.

'Why is the quality of these bed sheet so good? Gosh! How am I going to escape like this?'

Time was of the essence and she was getting agitated by the fact that no matter how hard she tried it seemed as though nothing could tear those bed sheets.

Too immersed in her troubles, she failed to hear the sound of the door opening, nor did she notice the man's footsteps approaching her.

He walked up to the cherrywood wardrobe near the bed, quietly slide the drawer open and took out a pair of scissors.

The moment Celia Ling saw the pair of scissors, her eyes lit up with delight as her lips broke into a smile. "Thank you."

"You are welcome."

The moment the man's sophisticated voice graced Celia's ear and caught her attention, her body jerked her out of her concentration.

"Ah!"

As she turned around swiftly and saw who it was, a startled gasp escaped her lips and she dropped the scissors on the floor.

"Mr...Mr. Gu..."

Celia's voice trembled and she fought the urge to run away.

As a matter of fact, she did, or at least, she tried.

But how was an innocent little rabbit supposed to outrun a full-blooded male lion? Right after the first step, she tripped on her on feet and was about give the floor a hug.

Fortunately, Carlos' had strong, muscular arms and with leopard-like agility he swooped in and caught her waist in mid-air

"That was a bold attempt, I'll admit. But did you really think that you could get out of here without my permission?" The towering figure that stood in front of Celia had an air of enigma about him and his breath had the ability to send chills down her spine in small doses.

"Mr. Gu, you can't..."

Before Celia could finish, Carlos cut her short.

"I've given you enough time already. What I want now, is an answer."

"I am sorry, but I can't marry you..."

Bang!

Without a word, the man loosened his grip and dropped her on the floor with a loud thud.

"Ouch!"

That wasn't very nice of him.

Tilting her little face upwards, Celia's jet black eyes sparkled with resentment.

She had meant to burn a hole through the man with a deathly glare, but before she knew it, his face was close to hers, so much so that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheeks. Suddenly, she couldn't process her thoughts any more.

Although she knew that Carlos was the most powerful man in the city and no one would dare to provoke him, he was also very unsociable, moody and cold. Rumors had been afloat for some time that he wasn't interested in women, but there was no evidence to support such speculations.

However, facing such a handsome face, especially at such a close distance, was not only stress inducing, but also incredibly irresistible.

"I see," said Carlos, lowering his face and concealing his eyes from giving away his emotions. "But I don't usually take 'no' for an answer! Especially from people who burns bridges after crossing them. Are you sure you want to go back on your word?"

The man's breath fell on Celia's nose, making her heart skip a beat.

This wasn't the first time she had been face to face with a handsome man, but the person in front of her was and exceptional example of the word.

His tousled hair was midnight black and his eyes were dark brown, framed by graceful brows. He had prominent cheekbones and a well-defined chin and nose. He had smooth flawless skin, which was like a sheet of well-done cloth.

He carried himself with such confidence and bravado that he could make people surrender with just his words.

To be precise, he was more demon than man.

"Mr. Gu, I am really grateful for your help, but I don't have any feelings for you, how could I..."

The more Celia tried to explain herself, the less confident she was.

ok

Although the memories of what transpired that night was seemingly unclear to her, she remembered losing consciousness at some point.

Did she make love to the president during that period?

But, wasn't he only attracted to men?

"Really? You don't have any feelings for me?"

The man's smirk made Celia uncomfortable.

"I don't mind helping you regain your memory."

Suddenly, Carlos advanced closer to Celia, who had been lying on the ground.

He bit his lower lip, a slight smirk creasing the skin around the corners of his mouth. The sound of their irregular breathing filled up the quiet room.

The close he got to her, the bigger the handsome face became. The way in which he smirked and intensity of his gaze could bewitch people, let alone Celia, whose face was now redder than a tomato.

"Why are you so afraid to look me in the eye? Are you shy?"

The man softened his voice all of a sudden, like a gentle breeze sweeping across the lake, causing ripples.

Celia swallowed. When she made eye contact with Carlos Gu, she not only couldn't move her eyes away, but also found it hard to breathe.

Afraid of losing herself in his deep endless black eyes, she turned her face away immediately.

She stepped back a pace or two.

But he pressed forward.

She frowned and kept stepping back a few more paces.

The man advanced without uttering a word.

Finally, she felt the cold wall against her back which meant that she had run of space.

Carlos locked Celia in his gaze, like a ferocious predator, slowly forcing its prey into a trap.

Suddenly, he stretched out his arms and held her face between the palm of his hands.

Celia had nowhere to run. She took a deep breath and drew in his strong, masculine smell coupled with a hint of mint fragrance.

A whimper escape her lips as she turned to her side and tried to evade Carlos.

However, he stretched out his other hand and blocked her way immediately.

Celia was now trapped in between him and the cold wall behind her.

"Do you like it?"

As he gently whispered into her ears, Celia's blush seared through her cheeks and for a minute she thought her face was on fire.

Celia found it incredibly difficult to resist such an attractive voice.

For all intents and purposes, she was trapped.

Her eyes wandered and soon fell over a comic book, triggering thoughts of fantasies. Since then, she was crazy about the comic books.

At this time, the perfect face in front of her, together with this silent sound, she felt that she was really asking for trouble.

Carlos found himself more attracted to her because of her quiet and reserved demeanor. He gently took her chin between his forefinger and his thumb and raised it so she could look him in the eyes.

"I'll take your silence as your acquiescence. I know that you want me to do this to you!"

He peered into her eyes, feeling a slight surge in his heartbeat.

The girl who had won his heart was standing right before his eyes.

"......"

Celia's face turned completely red. She wanted to cry, but had no tears.

Celia didn't dare to answer his question because she could tell from the man's eyes that if she had dared to turn him down, the man would probably expose her secrets.

It would be so embarrassing?

Glaring at this scheming man, she couldn't refute nor admit to him.

Celia's face flushed crimson with embarrassment and her expression caught Carlos' attention.

"What? Cat got your tongue?"

he said, running his rough fingertips down her hair and gently sliding over her delicate little face.

When he came to her shirt, he slowly started undoing the buttons.

The man's actions and the peculiar expression in his eyes made Celia realize his intentions.

"No! No way!" She panicked.

"No way? What are you doing? Don't do this. You'd better not do this!"

The man's cold lips brushed against hers as he tugged her closer and the next moment, he ripped her shirt with his bare hands.

"Carlos, please stop... I have a boyfriend!"

Celia cried out in shock.

In a desperate attempt to prevent the threatened carnage, Celia covered her body with whatever cloth her fingers could grasp.

"Boyfriend? Did he ever touch you?"

They were so close to each other that Celia could feel the anger in his voice.

"No, No. Ron isn't that kind of man,"

she murmured. That man had always been very warm and gentle.

"Ron? It sounds like you guys are very close."

The man smiled again, but the residual coldness in his face made Celia more anxious. Her breaths came in sharp pants and she tried to gain control, but nothing was working.

"Carlos, please stop! Even if I... Even if I had unknowingly given myself to you before, you can't force me... Hmmm..."

Before she could finish her words, Carlos slammed his lips into hers.

Celia, however, had no idea that Carlos would be so jealous to find that she was already involved with someone else.

His cold eyes immediately showed his firm determination.

"As I've said before, I don't take 'no' for an answer!"

Celia widened her eyes in horror. She hadn't even had the chance to be intimate with Ron.

She gaped at Carlos in stunned disbelief and then she tried to push him away with all her strength, but all her resistance did was arouse the man's desire to conquer and subdue her.

He grabbed her waist with his strong hands, allowing her no room to retreat.

Feeling ashamed and violated, she helplessly tried to be rid of him, but she was firmly imprisoned in his arms.

No matter how hard she resisted, her efforts were all in vain.

Celia was white as chalk. Her eyes and her mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise.

What she needed was some air!

"Exhale... inhale..."

Perhaps it was the bitterness in her eyes or the feeble strength of her body that suddenly drove the man to anger.

Suddenly, he let go of her and pushed her away as if the very sight of her face disgusted him.

Celia wheezed and gasped terribly, groaning out a little as air finally entered her lungs and restored life into her.

Carlos stared at Celia, who was gasping for air and his desire to have her grew even stronger.

Same green, same sweet, especially the sense of familiarity that he hadn't seen for a long time.

The thought of what was about to happen excited his senses.

Celia, on the other hand, was in a total mess. The kiss just now made it clear to her that she resented this man, but then why did she give in to it in the end?

It wasn't until she felt a burning sensation on her skin that the man whispered, "It's been a long time. I almost forgot what that felt like."

Without a conscious thought, she pushed the man away and glanced at the scissors on the ground. Celia realized that this might be her only hope.

In the blink of an eye, she picked up the scissor and pointed it at the man's chest. Her movement was clean and properly executed with precision and accuracy.

"Stay away from me or you'll regret it!"

'Right hand!'

Carlos's keen eyes focused intently at her hand and then scissors.

'She used her right hand! But not her natural left hand!'

He squinted his eyes at her, as if trying to read her mind.

'It can't be!'

The kiss was just as intense and sensitive as it had been years ago. The way she gripped his arm with her slender fingers; the way her face turned red and even the manner of the kiss confirmed his suspicions. How could it not be her?

Carlos slowly shifted his gaze towards the woman who was shivering.

Celia Ling's eyes became misty, her vision blurred and thoughts began clashing inside her mind. Although she could clearly see the expression on his face, his presence was enough to make her jittery.

"You want to kill me?" Carlos finally broke the silence. Celia couldn't tell whether he was angry or not from his voice, so she remained silent. Carlos took this as an opportunity to approach her with caution.

With enough force and resilience, she would be able to pierce his chest and cut his heart out.

Celia nervously tightened her grip on the scissors.

"Are you so desperate to leave?" When she gave him no response, the man lowered his head in disappointment. "Well, go ahead!"

The more he spoke, the angrier Celia got because she knew he was just trying to distract her with his mind games.

However, faced with a man of his stature, Celia was at a complete loss of what to do next.

"What? Do it now? You're only going to get one shot at this! It's now or never!"

The man kept goading her on as he stepped closer to her.

Suddenly, Celia started screaming hysterically and waving the knife at Carlos.

Then there followed a palpitant moment while she held her breath and shut her eyes.

The next moment, blood gushed out, thick and strong and stained the man's white shirt, like blooming roses.

For a moment, it felt as though time had slowed down for a moment.

With sharp sound, the knife fell from Celia's hands and landed on the floor. A scream of pure agony filled the room.

Celia stared at the bleeding man in utter disbelief, her whitening lips quivered.

"Boss!" Right then, Boris broke into the room.

"Ahh!" Celia screamed again, grabbing the bed sheet from the floor and wrapping herself up in a hurry.

"Get out!"

Carlos screamed at Boris, sending him out almost as quickly as he had come in.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the woman shivering in a corner on the floor.

The resemblance was uncanny and undeniable.

"Celia, that was your only chance." His deep eyes sparkled with the glimmer of a satisfied smile. "I've said this before and I'll tell you again, I won't allow you to leave this place!"

Celia stared at him in confusion and wondered why the most powerful man of Jin City was so hell-bent on keeping her there.

Women all over the world, each richer and more beautiful than the last would line up to be with him. Why would he pick her over them?

Was it just because of some romantic feelings that she didn't even reciprocate?

Indeed, it was Celia who ran to him for help, but it was only because she wanted to get rid of the hooligans who were after her.

In truth, she was grateful to him for saving her, but that's as far as her feelings would go for him.

Having lived her entire life as an ordinary person, Celia only wanted to live a simple life. After all, their lives were worlds apart and they had very little in common.

Celia bit her lip and curled up in the bed sheet.

Carlos, however, seemed not to care about his injury at all. He got back to his feet while clutching at his wound and looked at the distressed woman.

Soon after, a big dark shadow engulfed her.

Celia's body shivered like a dry leaf as the man held her gently and lifted her off the floor.

Frightened, she struggled in his arms like a wounded animal.

But all he wanted to do was put her on the bed.

She noticed that the man had pursed his lips into a line and the red patches on his shirt stung her eyes.

Just as she opened her mouth to say something...

"Grace!"

The man shouted at the door. In an instant, a middle-aged woman pushed the door open from the outside and stepped into the room.

The woman was astonished to see Celia Ling on the bed, but the expression on her face remained unchanged as she respectfully said, "Sir."

"Dress her up in something nice and take her to a restaurant."

"I don't want to eat. I want..."

'to leave...'

Celia decided to swallow the rest of her words when she saw the look in Carlos' eyes.

"Grace, If she doesn't eat tonight, all the servants in the manor won't be allowed to eat either. If she still doesn't want to eat, you can keep her company until she decides to change her mind!"

"Yes, sir!"

Grace nodded, maintaining a calm composure.

"You!"

The expression on Celia's face changed abruptly, as she did not expect this man to treat her in this way.

The maids and the people working for him had nothing to do with her and she didn't want them to suffer because of her.

"If you don't want people to suffer, just do as I say!"

His voice was as cold as ice. After a while, he glanced at her once and then walked towards the door without uttering another word.

Celia didn't let go of the quilt until she was sure that the door had been closed shut and the sound of footsteps had faded away.

"Mr. Carlos may have a bad temper, but don't forget the fact that he completely ignored what you did to him and his bedroom." Please don't give him any more reasons to be angry, Miss Ling. Please just quickly change your clothes and go downstairs."

Grace completely disregarded Celia's reluctance and walked towards her calmly.

"What? You mean, this is his bedroom?"

Celia looked around in awe.

The luxurious crystal lamps, white and pink curtains, the white sofa, a heart-shaped cushion and fluffy dolls. Even the expensive ornaments were pleasantly feminine.

If that man didn't have some eccentricity, why would he choose to live in such a room that was best suited for a girl?

In any case, Grace wouldn't give her an explanation either way.

When she noticed that Celia was standing there motionless, Grace tried to take off her clothes.

"No, I'll do it myself." Celia stopped her immediately. Soon after, something struck her and she turned to look at Grace.

"Well, Would you please wait for me outside? I'll be out when I'm done changing."

Grace, however, stood there like a statue.

The woman did not blink her eyes even once.

"You can relax! I'm not going to try to run away again." Celia almost raised her left hand to make a promise.

"No one, not even I, can disobey Mr. Gu's orders!"

Celia grunted, seemingly frustrated.

In spite of her reluctance and discomfort, Celia eventually changed her clothes.

When she finally arrived at the restaurant, Carlos was not there yet.

Sitting alone at the big dining table, Celia never felt more out of place in her entire life.

Celia was in no mood to eat at all, but clearly her opinions mattered very little to Carlos. She didn't have a cellphone, in fact, she wasn't even allowed to carry a handbag anymore. She had been completely cut off from the outside world.

"Miss, please enjoy your meal."

Grace's voice brought Celia's mind back to reality.

She managed to eat a few spoonfuls when suddenly a photo shown on the TV caught her attention.

Celia dropped the chopsticks on the table and turned to face Grace.

"Where is Mr. Gu? I need to see him now! Grace, will you please take me him?"

Celia ran towards Grace and begged, grabbing her arm.

"I am sorry, miss. I can't do anything without Mr. Gu's order!"

Grace's cold, robotic demeanor was utterly exasperating.

Celia looked at the screen again, gritting her teeth in anger.

"Can you at least let him know that I need to see him? I'm not going anywhere from here until he is willing to see me."

She crossed her arms across her chest with a defiant look and sat down again.

Grace glanced at her, and shook her head before going into the living room.

After a while, there was still no word from neither Carlos nor Grace. Celia sat there and waited for them patiently.

But as hours passed and time slowly ticked away like eternity, Celia began to lose hope.

"Boss, Grace said that Miss Ling..."

"Tell her to wait."

Without raising his head, Carlos continued to concentrate on what he was reading. There was a layer of indifference on his handsome face.

"Yes, sir!"

Carlos didn't break concentration even after Boris left, but eventually he felt more and more restless.

After he managed to finish reading the last document, he looked at the phone on the table and dialed a number.

"Grace!"

As soon as Celia saw Grace, she stood up, but immediately she realized that her legs had gone numb from sitting around for hours.

"Miss Ling, Mr. Gu is in the hot spring now. If you really want to see him, please show your sincerity so that Mr. Gu can see it."

Celia Ling clenched her fist in anger. "Sure!"

However, when she arrived, Celia finally understood what Grace meant by "sincerity".

Grace left right after she brought Celia as no maids were allowed to be there.

The private hot spring in the open air was surrounded by layers of mist, and Celia couldn't see where Carlos was?

She walked towards the hot spring pool, when suddenly...

Plop!

A scream escaped Celia's mouth followed by a giant splash of water. While Celia slapped her limbs around desperately underwater, a strong pair of hands appeared from above and pulled her up.

"Mr. Gu, I..."

She coughed, spitting out a stream of clear liquid before she caught her breath. The moment she laid eyes on his handsome face, she avoided making eye-contact with him.

Tiny drops of hot water dripped from his hair and meandered down his firm chiseled chest. Celia's face turned red immediately when she found that she had held his arm.

However, when she noticed the bandage on his left shoulder blade, her sights froze again.

Was this man made of iron? Be injured and touch water.

The atmosphere between the two of them was so tense that Celia almost forgot what she had been wanting to say to him.

"Have you changed your mind?"

Finally, he broke the silence.

"I...I..."

A hint of impatience appeared on his handsome face.

"Mr..Mr. Gu, do you really want to marry me?"

It's not as though she didn't see herself to be marriage material, but the truth was too apparent to ignore.

"Yes!" He was a man of few words.

Celia felt downcast immediately. Not only because she was completely drenched from head to toe, but also because of his words.

"Can... you give me some more time so that I can go back and explain to my family and friends why I am getting married to someone I don't know, just out of the blue?"

Celia looked up at him with sincerity and genuineness, while a tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks.

However, even in the mist, Carlos managed to see the panic in her eyes.

"An explanation, huh?"

The way the man lingered on her words, made Celia feel nervous as she constantly wondered what was going on in his mind when he wasn't saying anything.

"Kiss me!"

he said, closing his eyes.

Celia's was taken aback by his directness as she had never done such a thing.

She knew that he was determined to make things difficult for her, but the matter carried great importance.

Finally, she leaned forward, closer to his lips.

Her body shook uncontrollably because she was so nervous. The moment her lips touched his, she felt his muscles tighten and she almost flinched.

Unfortunately, this was the only way she knew how to get out of here and go to the hospital.

Celia wasn't well-versed, but the man was very co-operative.

When Carlos eventually opened his eyes, he felt aroused by the heat of her breath on his lips.