Prologue:
It was my first time waking up in the morning without my phone blaring with calls and messages, reminding me of what I had to do for the whole day. There was no Paolo knocking on the door, calling my name just so that I would get up on time.
For the first time in my life, I felt what it was like to be free. I was no longer shackled by my family, nor the responsibility of being the next head of the Torres-Shao group.
This was freedom.
And it’s all because of the guy sleeping next to me, his arms tightly coiled around my body. I didn’t need any protection as I was strong enough to protect myself. But knowing that Isaiah would fight for me was all I needed to know that he loved me.
I stared at his face, admiring every detail. His long lashes, his slightly pointed nose and sharp jaws, I could get lost staring at his face and never get tired of it.
I smiled when those lashes fluttered open, his deep brown eyes looking back at me. His lips curved to a smile. “Good morning,” he greeted, his voice hoarse.
Instead of greeting back, I leaned close to him and kissed him on the lips. I would never be able to describe the happiness I’m feeling right now. It’s like I’m on cloud nine.
“Really?” Isaiah asked, stifling a laugh. “So early in the morning and you’re turning me on already.”
I gulped. Now that he mentioned it, I felt something tightening down my crotch. Before meeting Isaiah, having sexual intercourse was never a pleasurable experience for me. My brother, Tyler taught me how to use sex as a weapon against our enemies and as a result, I had troubles getting it up. But with Isaiah, everything he does just sparks a fire inside me. I yearned for his touch, his attention—am I being clingy already?
“Sorry,” I said as I pulled away.
The years of trauma that my brother gave me would never go away, even after years of therapy. When I was younger, I was confused as to why Tyler hated me. Surely, you wouldn’t hurt the people you love. My brother did a lot to hurt me—beating me up, insulting me, making me want to kill myself because I would never live up to his expectations. I should loathe Tyler for doing all the things he did to me, but I couldn’t. When two of my oldest brothers left the house, it was Tyler who protected me from our father. If not for him, I would have spent the rest of my childhood life in the hospital, covered in black and blue from head to toe.
Dad was an ambitious man. The only thing that mattered to him was the Torres-Shao group. He was never a father to us brothers and Anthony hated him the most. He hated dad so much that he moved to another country just to stay away from our family.
Meanwhile, Kenneth and Tyler continued to work under dad. Kenneth handled half of the family business while Tyler babysits me.
“No, I like it,” Isaiah said, pulling me close to him. “You’re so ado—”
“Isaiah!”
We both jolted as soon as a loud, female voice yelled his name. Isaiah rolled his eyes, groaning. “For fuck’s sake,” he angrily rumbled.
Loud footsteps soon followed, and the door swung open, revealing a young girl who was probably a year younger than both Isaiah and me. She had the same features as my boyfriend, only with longer hair and smaller in height. “I can’t believe you didn’t wake me when you got back!” She gasped when she saw me. “Shit!”
“Didn’t dad tell you not to curse?!” Isaiah screamed back. My shoulders dropped in dismay when he got up, leaving me alone in bed.
“Who’s that?” the girl asked as she tried to take a peek. But Isaiah was already pushing her out of his room. “Hey! Tell me who’s that handsome—!”
I didn’t hear what she said next since Isaiah already slammed the door close. He turned around to face me, his face red in anger. “We need to find a new place. My sister won’t let us live in peace.”
“What?”
Isaiah smirked at me. “We need to move out.”
Oh.
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