Make You Mine

"From now on, your name is Lilias Ling, and you're staying here."

His cold voice echoed throughout the household as he left. Even as he walked away, Lily still felt as if she were being watched.

Although she'd been expecting this for a long time, she couldn't help but be in awe of the events that had just unfolded. It just felt so unreal.

It was as if he had appeared in thin air to save her, like an angel manifesting from the clouds to reach for her,

and now she found herself sitting at the edge of her bed, at a loss of what to do.

Compared to her measly house, this was like heaven. There was a wide, queen-sized bed propped in the center of the room. Warm sunlight poured in from the floor length windows, and there were even a bunch of stuffed animals propped at the corner of the room for her to play with. The room was filled with innocence and child-like wonder. It was everything she had hoped for as a child,

yet she found herself sitting at the edge of the bed, unable to move. It was everything she had hoped for, that she was afraid that if she touched something, it would break.

He had saved her and brought her to this place. He even gave her a name. She used to be called Lily. However, the name was so common, so he changed it up a bit. Now, her name was Lillias Ling. It was unique, and it had a nice ring to it.

Suddenly, a gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Miss Lillias, Mr. James asked that you have dinner downstairs." Lilly recognized the voice as the servant who had brought her to the villa.

"Okay," she responded, taking a deep breath. Well, it was time she faced the music.

As she arrived in the dining hall, she saw that James Ling was already waiting for her.

"Sit next to me," he said. There was a certain charm wrapped around his velvety voice, and she followed.

In front of her was a plate of steak. She pursed her lips nervously. Lily had only ever used chopsticks. Western utilities like knives and forks were unfamiliar to her. As if he could read her mind, he cut the steak in his plate quietly before placing it on hers.

Having lived a life of coldness and distance, she was never treated like this before. Lily felt touched by his actions. Noticing how silent she was, James Ling turned towards her.

"After dinner, I'll ask Lara to show you around the villa," he said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Lily's eyes widened, craning her head.

"Don't you want to?" he asked, feeling a small thrill when her innocent eyes stared into him.

"No." She waved her hands repeatedly. "I'm just really happy to be here."

"It's time that you familiarize yourself with the villa. Do you like your room?"

"Yes." In fact, she absolutely loved it.

"You can tell Lara what else you'll need, and she could get it for you," he stated. "I can take you out when I have the time, but other than that, you should stay at home for a while."

Her chest warmed at the thought of calling this place her home.

His lips twitched. "Let's eat."

Lily finally regained her composure and began to eat quietly.

Once dinner was over, he rushed to the study to get some documents done. Lily was left with Lara to explore the villa.

"How many years have you lived here?" Lily asked as she followed Lara around.

"Around thirty years. My husband and I have been working for the Ling family since we were young." A faint smile carved her lips.

"Then, uh...about Mr. James," Lily hesitated. "Do you know him well?"

"Mr. James is very kind, especially to us helpers. As long as we don't violate any of his rules, he wouldn't make a fuss about it, but he doesn't talk much. He has a good heart though. When my husband got into a car accident, he arranged a job for him in the villa. Without him, our future would've been done for." At the mention of James Ling, Lara couldn't stop talking.

Lily frowned. 'If he is really kind, has he adopted me due to kindness?' Would she be thrown away if she misbehaved?

"Miss Lillias, you're actually the first person that he'd taken home with him. He loves quietness, so he doesn't have much friends over. He must be happy that you're here." Although Lara didn't know who this woman was, she could tell that Lily didn't have an easy life. However, given that it was James Ling who brought her here, there must be something special about her. She was also very kind.

Lily nodded absently, not listening to Lara's words.

"Miss Lillias? Miss Lillias?" Lara called.

"What?" Lily blinked.

"Miss Lillias, there is a pavilion in the garden over there. You can sit there for a while. I can go and get you slices of cakes. I made them myself, so I'm sure you'll love them."

"Sure, thank you." Lily smiled sweetly.

There were plenty of flowers in the garden that she didn't recognize. It was said that admiring the greeneries could make one happy. Now, as she stared at the plants surrounding her, she could tell that the saying was true.

No matter what reason he had to bring her here, she was happy and thankful for it. All she wanted was to live an ordinary life.

Her mother had passed away when she was ten. After that, she just couldn't leave the place she'd lived with her mother, scared that she wouldn't be able to feel her mother's presence if she strayed. Now, she was eighteen. Lily might not know why James brought her home, but for once in her life, she was actually happy here.

It felt as if everything was falling together. At least, that was what she wanted to believe.

Lara placed a cake in front of her and Lily smiled, feeling as if she were the luckiest girl in the world.

She didn't notice that a man was staring at her from the third floor.

It was James. With a glass of wine in his hand, he stood by the window.

He stared at the two figures down below, swirling the wine glass in his hand. His lips twitched into a small smile.

They had been apart for so long. James had actually been searching for her for seven years,

and now that he found her, he wasn't going to let her go. All kinds of information showed that she was not only his savior but also the daughter of a friend he had known before. Unfortunately, that person had died.

Without another thought, he raised the wine glass to his lips and drank it all up.

The memory went back to seven years ago.

When James finally woke up, he found himself tied to one of the pillars of a dark house. He tried to struggle, but it was to no avail.

"Caleb, check if the boy's awake or not." James heard a low voice from outside of the cottage. Without another word, he quickly shut his eyes. Since he didn't know who the other party was, it was better that he observed the situation first.

The door creaked open and a man stepped in. James didn't move, listening to the sounds around him.

"He's still asleep. You used too much drugs this time, Rhys," Caleb said, shoving James roughly. When James didn't react, Caleb sighed in frustration.

"Well, we brought him here not for sleeping," another man snarled back.

All of a sudden, Rhys poured a bucket of freezing water onto James's head.

He immediately opened his eyes to glare at them. Although James was just a young boy, he had a demeanor of a king. Even as he was tied and drenched with water, his eyes were still as cold as the winter seas. The two men couldn't help but shiver at the sight of his gaze.

"So you finally wake up?" Rhys sneered, clapping his hands. He'd like to believe that they'd succeed this time. After all, they had prepared for every scenario in the book.

James didn't respond. Instead, his mind started to work. He tried to piece together the backgrounds and the intentions of the men in front of him, as well as the environment he was placed in to see if there was anything that could help him in his escape.

"I've heard plenty of things about the first born son of the Ling Group. Now, it seems, he's with us. Isn't this such a great day?" Rhys's eyes glinted as he bent closer. "I was told you're smart, so how about let's play a game? If you agree, I'll let you leave safe and sound, but if you get the wrong answer...well...Caleb, bring it here."

Caleb brought him a wooden stick, and Rhys waved it mockingly in the air. "But if you make one mistake, this will fall on your body. It's fair, right?"

The two men were standing against the light so James couldn't get a good look at their faces, but he wasn't afraid. "I don't care who gave you the orders, but I suggest you release me now." Although his voice was hoarse from dehydration, it was still as firm as diamonds.

Rhys gritted his teeth. "I don't think so. See, we brought you here for money. However, it's up to us whether we return you in perfectly good condition or in skin and bones."

James snorted. "If it's all about the money, then you should've bargained with me. Do you really think it's that hard for the Ling Group to find where I am now? Besides, since you didn't even hide yourselves, I don't think you're planning on keeping me alive."

Caleb raised his club and slammed it on James. "You'd better shut that trap of yours, asshole," he snarled. "But you surely got one thing right. We don't plan on leaving you alive anytime soon."

Caleb smashed his legs with all his strength. James tried his best not to respond but his forehead was already breaking down in cold sweat. His legs were already shaking from the pain.

Seeing that James was only glaring at them, Rhys couldn't help but panic. He needed to get a hold of this boy or else his plan would be destroyed.

"You think the Ling Group would find us that easily? Don't be a fool!" Rhys took the club and smashed it onto James's legs again.

James's body was already trembling in pain as it surged all over his body. However, he continued to grit his teeth. Although these men were doing their best to torture him, he wasn't planning on backing down. He glared at them like a furious tiger.

Seeing the expression on their victim's face, Rhys dropped the club. "You know what?" he snarled. "Let's do this later."

However, just as they closed the door behind them, their fear was already showing. "Well? What do we do now?" Caleb whispered. "You think we should..."

Rhys lit a cigarette and avoided his gaze. "I don't know yet, but what I do know, is that James must die." He knew the consequences of pissing off the Ling Group.

Caleb nodded. James was like a ticking time bomb. Although they were a pair of outlaws, they weren't planning on dying early.

"We'll leave tonight. We've broken James's legs, so he won't be able to escape. Let's wait for Jordan and discuss this by then." Rhys left.

Even though they kept their voices down, James could still hear them. Now, he was a hundred percent sure that they were plotting to kill him.

James squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth through the pain as he tried to remember what had happened before the kidnapping. 'I was planning to pick up my friend from the airport, when they drove down my path and drugged me. It was 10 in the morning back then, and it must be around five in the afternoon now.

In the past seven hours, they must've hid me in the mountain to prevent my family from finding me easily.

From the looks of it, the two aren't hooligans. So who is the mastermind? And why didn't they just kill me on the spot?'

he thought, groaning as he tried to move his legs. Fortunately, he loved to exercise, so his bones were very strong. Even if they tried to break them a while ago, his bones were fine.

James groaned when the tight ropes rubbed against his bleeding legs. He breathed steadily, trying his best to reduce the pain he was feeling.

As he was deep in his thoughts, a rustling sound came from behind him. James whipped his head, alarmed by it. "Who is it?"

It couldn't be the two men. They had already gone out.

As James was staring at the place where the sound had come from, a board creaked to the side and light streamed through the hole.

Suddenly, a girl's head popped inside. It was a little girl with two ponytails. She looked smart. However, one step into the dark room, she was already a shivering mess.

"Hello?" The little girl took a deep breath and walked inside. He furrowed his eyebrows. Where did she come from? How did she break the board? Who was she? Could she save him?

She called him again, breaking him from his reverie, "Hello?"

"What?" It was not until then did he realize that she was calling him. He set his eyes on her.

"Did you meet any bad guys?" The little girl pouted her lips.

"What?" He furrowed his eyebrows, still trying to get over the fact that the young girl actually had the guts to sneak into this place.

"Well, you don't look like a bad guy." As she approached him, her gaze fell on his bleeding legs. She frowned. "You're injured. I'll go ask someone to save you." She was about to head to the door to find someone.

"No! Stop!" Just one look at the girl and he could tell she was around 8 or 9 years old. She was smart, given that she insisted to call for help. But wasn't she afraid? He didn't know if they set around men to guard the area, so he couldn't let her risk it.

"Why do you think I'm not a bad guy?" He could tell that this girl would help him, but from the looks of it, he still needed to gather his strength before he'd try to escape.

"I saw some people carrying you up the mountain. They're the ones who looked bad." She shrugged. "What should we do now?"

James motioned to a stone. "Pick it up." The girl picked it up immediately with no hesitation. "Cut off the rope on my feet with that. Don't be afraid," he comforted. Thinking of the wounds that wrapped around his legs, he was afraid that the girl would be scared off at the sight of the blood. However, it seemed that she only hesitated for a second before going through with the task.

"How did you find this place?" he asked. Although the rope was scraping through his wounds, he persevered, just to ease the tension in the girl's eyes.

"This place? It's been here for a long time." She struggled as she tried to cut off the rope.

"Why did you come here? Aren't you scared?"

"My teacher said that children who are willing to help are good children," she said seriously.

"And what if they found out? Have you ever thought about the consequences? You shouldn't believe other's words that easily," he lectured like a parent teaching a child.

The little girl nervously looked up at him, frowning.

One look at her eyes, James already felt like laughing. He didn't understand why he'd reason with a child who probably wouldn't understand him. "Nothing! Forget I said that."

The little girl shrugged her shoulders and continued.

Soon enough, the rope was finally broken. He bit back a groan as the pain in his legs grew even worse.

She didn't wait for him before she started to work on the rope around his wrists. Silence enveloped them as she continued to work.

The rope finally broke free. However, that meant that his support was gone. James doubled over on the ground, groaning.

"Are you alright?" She rushed towards him, struggling to pull him up. However, her strength was futile. Although she could support him, James needed to stand up on his own.

"Would you like to have a rest first? I can get someone for you," she said anxiously. It was getting dark, and there was no way she could carry him down the mountain.

James forced himself to lean against the wall. His legs and body began to tremble as he stood, but he persisted. "No," he said. "You have two choices. You can go down the mountain yourself, or you find a place to hide me."

"I'll help you of course," she said with no hesitation.

"This is more dangerous, you know. You can get hurt," he warned.

The girl gazed into his injured legs before gripping his hand tightly. "Don't be afraid. We'll go down the mountain safely."

He'd never felt this before, but from the way she held him, it was as if she wanted to give him her strength. They were like a little force to be beckoned with.

She supported him to the exit. They walked slowly, but it seemed as if they had no other choice. Any second now, the people who had kidnapped him would return.

It was getting dark and the temperature was gradually growing lower. The wind blew in different directions. Although it was summer, she shivered from the cold.

James's head began to ache as the painful breeze began to slap him on the back.

The girl persisted to assist him. It was hard to navigate their way through the mountain. They had to search for steady roads for a way out.

"Do you need to rest?" she asked.

His head was already drooping down as waves of pain overwhelmed him. "No," he insisted. "I..."

Before he could finish his words, he doubled down into the grass. Darkness was all he could see as her soft voice echoed at the back of his head.

He'd never forget her voice. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have been saved.

However, it seemed that destiny had other plans. When James woke up, he was already out of the country. He'd been sent abroad to heal his legs. Given that he'd been in a coma, he had no other choice. He wanted to find the girl, but he had no idea who she was. He didn't even catch her name.

James sent Sean to investigate how he was discovered, but he could only gather that someone sent for the police to find him. However, the police who found him were already nowhere to be found. It was as if his family had made everything about the kidnapping all disappear.

It seemed that it had never happened. On the other hand, the kidnapping was very strange to say the least. However, he knew for a fact that this assault was just the beginning.

In the past years, his thoughts were always on the girl with the ponytails. Sometimes he'd dream of her saving him again, hearing her voice echo behind him.

She had not only saved him, but she also played a key role throughout the kidnapping. Since she followed them, she must've recognized the kidnappers so she could help him locate them. It was essential that he'd find her.

He'd been looking for her all these years, but given that all he knew was her appearance, it was like he was finding a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, he finally found her.

The Ling Group had always donated to many charities around the world. It had also given many scholarships to the children in need. As his secretary sent him the details of a beneficiary, he saw that it was her--the girl who had saved him.

He didn't hesitate to bring her with him, not wanting to let her go again.

However, it seemed that the girl had already forgotten what had happened in the mountain. Due to this, he wasn't going to force her. He'd rather bear this alone, given that this could also be scarring for a girl at her age.

Her name was Lily. It was common, and as she was an orphan, she had no last name as well. With no hesitation, he had given her his surname. He'd cherish her to the ends of the earth. She was his Lillias Ling.