Chapter 3

Philip had more men, but I didn’t let him get the upper hand. Abel, though, was like a little beast, fighting tooth and nail to shield me, biting anyone who came near. He hit so hard even Philip was taken aback. “Lucky break today!” Philip wiped blood from his lip and left with his men in a sorry state. The next second, Abel collapsed. “Abel!” I lifted him into my arms. Only then did I realize that, for someone 6 feet tall, he was surprisingly skinny—holding him felt almost bony. Back home, I’d just laid him on the bed when the little brat stirred awake. His dark eyes stared at me quietly, like stars in the night sky, making my heart skip a beat. I flicked his forehead. “Can’t hold your liquor, but you drink like that? You want to die?” I turned to get him some water. He suddenly grabbed my hand, his voice hoarse. “Simon… I feel bad…” That’s when it hit me—Philip had drugged him! And he’d been holding on all this time! Without a word, I tossed him into the bathtub and filled it with cold water, but it still couldn’t cool his temperature. I turned to find ice, but the second I did, He mustered strength I didn’t know he had, yanking me hard— Splash. I fell into the tub with him. Before I could react, he tore open my shirt and bit my lip hard… I tried to push him away, but the usually skinny boy was unnaturally strong! His tongue forced its way in, his hands roaming over my body! Worse, I didn’t mind. My body reacted instantly… Then, a low murmur reached my ear— “You can accept some random hooker, so why not me, Simon?” My mind went blank! Abel really did like me! Once I realized what I was doing, I pushed him away immediately. A sharp intake of breath—Abel’s features twisted in pain. A red stain spread quickly in the water! That’s when I saw he was hurt! A long gash ran from his waist to his abdomen, bleeding even at the slightest movement. But he didn’t care, just staring at me with a pale face, looking deeply hurt. I climbed out of the water, lifted him up, and set him on a chair. “Let me check your wound first.” I quickly undid his pants, my expression growing grave. The cut was deep—one wrong move and it could hit his lower abdomen. He must have gotten it in the fight, and he’d been enduring silently this whole time! I scowled, dabbing iodine on it. The cotton swab moved over his lean, toned abs, inching toward the wound below. Abel grunted, turning his face away. My palm felt hot. “Go to sleep!” Ignoring his reaction, I lifted him and tucked him into bed. But as I closed the door, I nearly knocked over a bookshelf. In my hurry to steady it, I saw a photo album tucked between the books. Abel tensed, asking nervously, “What fell?” “Nothing.” I fixed the shelf, easily slipping the album into my hand. Inside were nothing but photos of me. Pictures from my 18th birthday, playing basketball, riding a motorcycle, reading a book, even getting into fights. So that’s the truth. His feelings had started that early. For several days, I avoided Abel. Don’t know how to face him. I smoked one cigar after another. Memories flooded back. Past events emerged in my mind as clear as yesterday. When I was in college, Abel visited every week. It was my birthday, and Anna, the prettiest girl in school, confessed to me. Amidst the cheers, I was about to say no when I noticed the unique tattoo on her—same as the rival family I was investigating. I suspected she had an agenda, so I agreed to her confession in front of everyone. Turning around, I saw Abel sitting alone in the corner, his smile pale. I walked over and flicked his forehead. “Hey, brat, where’s my present?” He hid something behind his back, stammering, “Forgot to get one.” But in that album, I clearly saw his love letter. No wonder Abel changed after that. He started meddling in my relationships—any girl who got close, he’d find a way to chase away. So... his feelings had been there all along, but I’d never noticed. After a sleepless night, I made a bold decision. I asked Eric to pretend to be my boyfriend.