Chapter 2
“Are you upset because of something?” he asked.
Lowering her head, she said in a flat voice, “Yeah. It’s just school
stuff.”
Moonlight filtered through the curtains and shone on her face.
Sensing Andrea’s coldness, Roderick had a feeling–something
was off.
But he didn’t press further. After a while, he straightened up.
“Alright. We’ll continue this some other day. I’ll sleep in the
study tonight.”
His warmth and breath vanished. After everything fell silent
again, Andrea sat up.
She walked over to the windows, her gaze falling upon the vast,
dark sea.
Everything about Roderick came flooding back to her.
After Roderick’s mother, Monica Howe, passed away, Lucian
married Andrea’s mother, Scarlett.
Chapter 2
The night Andrea turned eighteen, Roderick slept with her.
He possessed her while reading aloud her secret crush diary.
Though she was his stepsister, they had long crossed the
forbidden line.
He was “her boyfriend who didn’t even dare to come home with
her” that Lucian had mentioned.
When she was in her sophomore year, Roderick went abroad to
manage a branch of the family business. They were so in love
back then, and he came up with a reason to get her to study in
the same country.
Their parents simply thought they could look after each other
better.
No one could have thought that they lived exactly like a couple
overseas.
Such thrilling, transgressive days had lasted seven whole years.
Until yesterday, she found Roderick’s diary.
She heard him talking on the phone with his friend.
“Roderick, haven’t you gotten sick of Andrea already? When
can I have some proper fun with her? Gosh, her killer body–I’m
drooling all over her. Hey, why don’t you share those videos
with me? Let me at least get a little taste for now.
“Andrea and her homewrecker mom will be totally ruined once
those videos get out. Roderick, hats off–your revenge plan is
perfect.”
Andrea froze in place, finding it hard to process what she had
just heard.
Have fun? Videos? Her homewrecker mom?
For the first time, she was overwhelmed by great despair.
She thought, “So, everything Roderick’s done is just for revenge?
All this time, he believes my mom took Monica’s place?”
Just then, Roderick’s cold voice rang out. “No way. The videos.
are so precious–I want every guest on her twenty–fifth birthday
to see them.”
Andrea remembered Roderick said he’d tell their parents about
their relationship on her twenty–fifth birthday, trying his best
to win their approval and blessing.
She wanted them to be together openly so bad.
So, she spent every day in expectation, wishing that day would
Chapter 2
come sooner.
She wiped away her tears in silence, realizing those years of
indulgence and meticulous care were nothing but his lie.
It was his carefully planned revenge.
And his purpose was clear.
He wanted to destroy her.
She cried herself to sleep. When she opened her eyes, she found
herself in Roderick’s arms.
He patted her back lightly to comfort her.
“You drifted to sleep on the sofa, and I saw tears on your face.
Did you have a bad dream?” he asked gently.
She nodded and closed her eyes again.
Unlike before, she wouldn’t fall for his fake tenderness again.
Minutes or hours might have passed before she heard his steady breathing from behind her–Roderick had fallen asleep.
Now would be a perfect chance to delete those videos.
She turned around and found his phone under the pillow.
Chapter 2
His phone password had always been the date they started
dating.
But the password was incorrect.
She tried again a few more times, and nothing changed.
