Chapter 1
On the hottest day of midsummer, Isabella Rossi stood in the top-floor atrium of Sterling Holdings in downtown New York City. Her golden wavy hair cascaded down to her waist, with a small white flower pinned beside her bangs. She wore a simple white linen dress that accentuated her delicate beauty. Amidst the burly men in black suits filling the room, the sixteen-year-old girl appeared fragile and lonely.
John Rossi gazed at his daughter for a long moment. The paternal love absent for sixteen years surged within him, thick and choking. Uncharacteristically unsure, he waved a hand behind him after a while. ‘Jack, take Isabella home and settle her in.’
‘Yes, Mr. Rossi.’
Jack, the youth named, appeared promptly. He took Isabella’s luggage and introduced himself in a deep, warm voice as he extended his hand. ‘Hello, I’m Jack.’ He smiled and nodded as she shook his hand.
At that moment, amidst the summer heat, the cicadas chirped loudly, and dust danced in the beams of light. Suddenly, the surroundings fell quiet, as if time had frozen. In Isabella’s eyes and heart, there was only the handsome young man before her. His smile was just right, and his warm touch seemed to promise eternity.
...
‘Jack, I want to go home.’
‘Jack, buy that for me!’
‘Jack, can you take me to school tomorrow? My classmates want to meet you.’
‘Jack! You promised we’d go to the movies today! How can you break your word like this!’
‘Jack...’
...
For the 1,302nd time, Isabella woke from this dream. The stifling heat of that summer still weighed heavily on her chest, and Jack’s smiling eyes lingered in her mind. Unable to sleep any longer, she stared at the ceiling for a long time, lost in fragmented thoughts. The night air was cool, but her exposed skin still prickled with goosebumps. She hugged her blanket tightly and slipped back under the covers.
Behind her, someone turned over in bed. The next moment, she fell into the embrace of fiery arms. Vincent Sterling’s handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly, his sleepy eyes gradually filled with desire as they roamed down her unbuttoned nightgown. ‘Can’t sleep?’ His voice was husky from just waking, magnetic with arousal. Isabella was momentarily stunned, unable to speak.
In the instant he entered her forcefully, Isabella finally regained her senses. A warm, tingling sensation spread through her body, and she couldn’t help but moan softly. ‘Vincent... mmm...’
The last word melted into a thread of hot, delicate chocolate in the man’s heart, blending into a more intense and ambiguous sound. Vincent’s blood surged downward, his body tensed tightly, his handsome face twisted slightly, teeth gritted. ‘You little minx...’ He couldn’t care less about the pain he had inflicted on her just a few hours ago, releasing himself fiercely inside her.
...
The next day, she woke up in the afternoon, and Vincent had already left. Isabella turned over, and the soreness between her waist and legs made her whimper involuntarily. She propped herself up and took a sip of water, but the slight movement at the door was followed by a soft knocking. The adorable maid pushed the door open a crack and stood timidly with a bathrobe in hand. ‘Miss Isabella, sir said to please get up and freshen up. There’s a party tonight.’
‘A party?’ She frowned, feeling really tired. That scoundrel Vincent knew there was an event, and he still tossed her around so badly last night.
‘I’m not going!’
‘But...’ The maid was on the verge of tears. ‘Young Master Ian Romano sent several people to hurry you up—’ In addition, Ian Romano himself made two or three phone calls. But no one dared to wake Miss Isabella, so they had to run around outside her door.
Isabella raised her eyebrows, stretched her limbs, and fell back into the soft big bed lazily and comfortably. ‘Then tell Young Master Ian Romano that I’m still sleeping.’
Vincent leaned back on the sofa, holding a glass of wine, tapping the rim lightly—his habitual gesture when impatient. Ian came over to please him, ‘Boss, I had people rush her again, saying she’s coming, shall we start warming up the crowd?’
Vincent glanced at him, continued to half-close his eyes without saying a word. The soft light cast shadows on his handsome face, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Around him, a circle of brothers waiting eagerly was sweating profusely on their backs. Sterling Entertainment Building’s anniversary celebration PARTY, delayed for over an hour just for a woman. The big brothers waiting here, how could they not mock behind their backs.
‘Here she comes, Isabella!’ Henry Beaumont’s voice rose sharply, drawing everyone’s attention to Isabella who had just walked in.
The waiter pushed open the door enthusiastically, and Isabella walked in calmly. Her long hair was tied up in the simplest style, and she wore no jewelry on her neck or hands. She wore a black princess dress, the pure black thin black veil layered layer upon layer, just reaching her knees, setting off her slim legs even more lustrous. The dress, which was supposed to exude a sweet scent, had a different kind of elegance on her. She didn’t even wear makeup, yet standing in the splendid atrium, she had a charm that caught everyone’s eye at first sight.
Vincent stood up and walked towards Isabella, embracing her in his arms to shield her from the various glances cast her way. He waved his hand dismissively, ‘Let’s get started.’
After three rounds of drinks, Henry smiled and brought over two glasses of wine, ‘Isabella, you really made the big brother wait miserably, so you have to be punished for a drink!’
Isabella snuggled into Vincent’s arms, casually gave him a look, ‘Not happening.’
‘Oh—this is fruit wine.’
Looking around at the mischievous smile of the people, Vincent understood. They were all on their big brother’s side, weren’t they? Not thinking about how much energy their big brother had last night, he tossed her around so badly, just a few hours ago, and now both legs still sore, did she want to complain?
‘I think your big brother would prefer to punish me in other ways, wouldn’t he?’ She looked up at Ian, her lips showing no color under the snow-white skin, even fuller and more tender. ‘Right, Vincent?’
In Isabella’s eyes, there was a glimmer of light swirling. Vincent couldn’t take his eyes off her, feeling vaguely dizzy, the blood vessels in the corners of his eyes pulsating. That involuntary feeling came over him again. His sexy thin lips pressed against hers, a long, breathy kiss that caused onlookers to cheer loudly.
“Here, I’m done punishing, now it’s your turn,” Isabella stood up, grabbed a large bottle of Esprit du Siècle Bru, and placed it in front of Henry. “What did you just call me?”
“Oh, Miss Isabella...” Henry realized the situation wasn’t good and quickly changed the subject. “Boss, you see, I misspoke...”
Vincent, satisfied with the kiss, raised an eyebrow and held Isabella with a slight smile, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
“What a lively scene!” A melodious female voice sounded from outside the circle of people. Henry rushed over, flustered. “Juliet, help me!”
Juliet Rossi, dressed in a floor-length pink dress with exquisite and bright makeup, sighed. “Henry, why is it always you? Do you know it’s dangerous to be the first to speak? Look how obedient Ian is, never stirring up trouble.”
