Chapter 1 Love Bites

As Emery Young stepped out of the car, she felt like every bone in her body had almost been torn out by Kieran Carter.

It was early autumn, and the mountain breeze carried a chill. To match Kieran's aesthetic preferences, she had deliberately chosen a form-fitting white dress, but the cold left her shivering uncontrollably. Her legs were so weak that she could barely stand.

Emery quickly tugged at the hem of her dress to straighten it.

Her body was riddled with scattered bite marks. There weren't many marks, but they were quite pronounced. The love bites were of varying shades, and they were a glaring and uncomfortable sight.

The soreness made her angry. She thought that Kieran had to have been a rabid dog in his past life, with his unexplainable, horrible preferences. Every time he got a hold of her, he would torment her to the extreme.

The marks left on her body would take days to start fading. It meant she wouldn't be able to go out and meet anyone for the next few days.

Emery knew that Kieran had done this on purpose. As long as she didn't show up at the hospital, the elders wouldn't urge her to get married.

She wasn't willing to stir up trouble at a time when her mother was sick, but she was in no position to deny Kieran's demands.

After all, just before Emery had left, her mother had mustered all her strength to remind her, "Emmie, the Carter family is rich and powerful. Kieran is the best option you'll ever have in this life. Even if you die, you must die as a member of the Carter family."

Had her mother said anything more, it would have turned into a threat of dying with regrets.

In the darkness of the night, Emery's face was still flushed while her eyes were misty. When she thought about the reason she had come, she took a deep breath, and with a small smile, she said, "Kieran, my mom's not doing well. Could you come with me to visit her?"

Emery had a stubborn personality, so her attempt to act coy was laughable. But it was different this time. Her mother was dying. The lung cancer had spread, and Emery's mother only had a few days left.

Her mother had only one request, which was to meet Kieran. Emery knew what it was about even without the need to guess.

Only the sound of the car door lock clicking could be heard in the silence of the night. Kieran, who was dressed immaculately, stepped out of the car. He was a contrast to Emery's disheveled appearance.

He wore a light-colored shirt, and the collar was left casually unbuttoned. His neat, short hair and defined features gave him an aloof demeanor. As he turned away from the lively city lights, his expression looked somewhat cold and grave.

There was a brief glint in Emery's eyes. She had to admit that Kieran was naturally good-looking. He could draw attention with ease even just by standing casually in a spot.

Plus, he came from a wealthy family and was born into privilege. It was unavoidable that he had an arrogant streak. But once Kieran was pleased, everything became easier to negotiate.

Emery said softly, "Don't worry. It won't take up too much of your time."

She knew that Kieran was busy, but as she spoke, the thought of her mother's sickly appearance made her nose tingle as tears threatened to well up in her eyes.

Kieran leaned against the car as he listened. As if nothing was amiss, he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a drag with practiced ease.

Then, with a slight frown, he exhaled and asked indifferently, "So, this is the first thing you bring up after coming back?"

His tone was full of disappointment.

Emery was so angry that she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. He was behaving this way again.

She had once believed that their engagement, made when they were younger, would naturally grow into love over time. Although they hadn't signed the marriage papers, they had lived together for years, and everyone knew of their relationship.

Things between them were no different from that of a married couple.

But Kieran had always been cold-hearted. When something ended with him, all affection and loyalty left with it. His heartlessness was such that Emery vaguely felt more like Kieran's hired companion than the fiancée he had personally chosen to marry.

Emery felt extremely uncomfortable on the inside.

Beside her, Kieran watched the cigarette between his fingers burn down to nothing. Noticing the silence from Emery, he looked up and caught sight of her pitiful expression. She was trembling as she stood in the wind, her eyes red and full of helplessness.

He had to admit that Emery had an amazing figure. It was as if every part of her was made to fit comfortably in his hands. She had even gone out of her way to open up to meet his preferences.

When their passion became intense, their bodies melded together perfectly. She was the perfect candidate for a wife, with her beauty, gentleness, and obedience.

However…

Kieran frowned. He extinguished the cigarette and tossed it into the trash can before asking, "What? Are you upset already?"

At that, Emery forced herself to hold back her temper. She shook her head gently and lowered her gaze as she replied softly, "No."

It wasn't that she wasn't upset. She simply couldn't be upset.

Kieran was used to her predictable reactions. He simply hummed in response and said, "It's late. You should head back."

It was clear that he had no intention to entertain her.

Emery's breath hitched. Her heart sank when she was unable to get the answer she wanted.

She knew Kieran's personality. When he told her it was time to leave, it meant he didn't want to waste any more time with her.

Emery walked to the passenger side of the car in silence. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small yellow sticker on the edge of the side mirror.

It was a cutely styled Winnie-the-Pooh sticker.

It was adorable, but she wasn't the one who put it there.

Chapter 2 Shut Up

Before coming here, Emery was feeling so unsettled that during the drive, she hadn't noticed the new sticker that had appeared out of nowhere.

Now that she had spotted it, her hand froze on the handle of the car door. It reminded her of a photo she had seen earlier that afternoon on Instagram, with the same angle and background.

She paused before taking out her phone and scrolling through her feed until she saw Tessa's name.

The post on Tessa's Instagram account was identical to what was in front of Emery. The photo was indeed taken by Tessa while she was in Kieran's car.

Emery's face turned pale.

Tessa Ambrose was Kieran's only publicly acknowledged ex-girlfriend. She had a bold personality and was bright and beautiful. But contrary to her proud nature, she loved adorable things, and even her profile picture was that of the Winnie-the-Pooh character.

At the thought of Tessa, Emery felt a sudden jolt in her heart.

When Kieran was younger, he had been wild and carefree, often surrounded by beautiful women. But after meeting Tessa, he had actually settled down and followed her around all day long like a devoted boyfriend.

However, when Kieran was completely lost in his infatuation, Tessa suddenly broke up with him and left the country. She had acted so quickly that before Kieran could even process it, she had left abruptly and gone abroad.

No one knew why.

Emery was a bystander during those days, and she had witnessed firsthand how lost and broken Kieran had been for a long time. He was heartbroken, and he spent his days drinking heavily at bars. Emery had to clean up after his messes like a maid.

Eventually, Kieran disappeared for a while.

When he reappeared, he was in high spirits. Not only that, for some strange reason, and also completely out of character for Kieran, he had grabbed Emery's hand and made a promise.

"Sweetheart," he had said. His mesmerizing eyes had gazed into hers as he spouted shameless sweet nothings. "From now on, let's make things work and be happy together."

Emery had blushed furiously and pushed him away, not noticing the iciness in his eyes. "Who's your sweetheart?"

But from that day on, Kieran seemed like a changed man, and he accepted the engagement between him and Emery.

Emery couldn't quite figure out what was off. Yet, everyone, including Kieran himself, had said that it was a matter of time before they followed fate and ended up together.

After all, the Carter family owed Emery.

From that day on, Kieran flaunted Emery in public, but because of that, she was branded a mistress for many years. Everyone believed that Kieran had cheated and that Emery had shamelessly intervened in Kieran and Tessa's relationship, forcing Tessa to drop out of college and leave.

Of course, as Kieran was the heir of a distinguished family and a popular figure in college, no one had dared to offend him.

The only one who suffered was Emery, and getting bullied became her nightmare. Kieran had run into it while it was happening several times, but he had simply ignored it and walked away.

He had said indifferently, "You should always look for the reason from yourself. Why won't they target anyone else?"

Emery's heart had sunk upon hearing that.

Because of this, Tessa's name had become a thorn lodged deep in Emery's heart, and every attempt to pull it out only made things worse.

And now, that thorn had firmly grown back.

Emery thought back to the photo on Instagram. She was stunned to find out that Tessa had actually returned to the country and met up with Kieran.

And she had been in the very car that Emery and Kieran had just shared a passionate moment in.

Emery wondered when they had met. She had tried to contact Kieran in the afternoon, but all she got was a busy signal. His secretary had told her that he was on a return flight.

Emery felt a chill run down her spine as her gaze fell on the glaring sticker. "Kieran, what's this?"

She stepped forward as she spoke and pointed at the yellow sticker on the side mirror. Trying her best to smile, she said bitterly, "I thought you hated these fancy things on your car."

At this critical moment, Emery didn't want to make a scene, but deep down, she couldn't help but cling to a sliver of hope.

She remembered when Kieran and her had first started dating. Back then, Emery had been driven by a mix of girlish innocence and possessiveness. She had followed an online trend and stuck an "Exclusively for the Girlfriend" decal on the passenger seat.

Before she could snap a photo to show it off, she was promptly kicked out of the car by Kieran, whose expression had turned thunderous.

As the door slammed shut, Kieran sat in the driver's seat with a chilly expression. He rolled down the window, then peeled off all the stickers in disgust and crumpled them into a ball as he asked icily, "Emery, what the hell is wrong with you?"

After that, he ignored Emery, who was so frightened that tears were streaming down her face. He stepped on the accelerator and sped off without a second glance at her.

Later, when Kieran was in a better mood, he had gone back to apologize. "Emmie, I just don't like it, that's all."

When Kieran was willing to coax someone, he was very good at it. Emery figured that it was normal for a man to not like flashy things. But the next day, she saw that Kieran had sold the car.

Now, when Emery asked him about the sticker, Kieran glanced at her indifferently before his gaze landed on the sticker.

He said, "Tomorrow at 10:00 am." As he closed the car door and fastened his seatbelt, he added blandly, "Wait for me at the hospital."

Emery paused for a moment and then looked in his direction. Kieran coincidentally turned around just then, and their eyes met. His eyes were calm and devoid of emotion, as though he was just simply going through the motions.

"I'll visit Mrs. Young," he said.

Emery's face darkened. She knew Kieran too well. The way he had suddenly changed the subject and the way he was avoiding the topic of the sticker was clearly a case of him giving her a slap and then offering her a candy.

He was telling her to shut up.

Chapter 3 Breaking the Engagement

Emery felt a heavy weight in her chest. She remained silent and looked at the sticker with a frown. It seemed to be aggressively reminding her of Tessa's presence.

It wasn't until the car came to a stop that Emery suddenly let out a laugh. She had just realized that after a trip away, Kieran couldn't even be bothered to refer to Sarah Walker, his mother-in-law, by name anymore.

…

Kieran had always been punctual. At exactly 10:00 am, he appeared in the hospital room.

Unlike his icy demeanor the day before, he was being excessively gentlemanly today.

"How are you?" he asked.

As he spoke, he placed the expensive supplements that he had brought on the nearby table. He rolled up his sleeves, as though he was feeling warm, revealing his toned forearms. He then pulled a chair over and sat down next to Sarah's hospital bed.

Sarah was elated at the sight of Kieran. She propped her frail body up and gathered her breath to say, "I told Emery that you would come and see me once you were done with work, but that damned girl insisted that you were too busy."

As Sarah spoke, she shot Emery a disdainful glare before turning her attention back to Kieran. She tried to flatter him as she probed, "Kieran, I haven't seen you in a while. Have you been very busy?"

Kieran glanced at Emery, who remained silent, and he sweetly replied, "No matter how busy I am, I'll still come to see you."

Emery watched his half-hearted performance, feeling that it was all a pretense. But Sarah, on the other hand, beamed with joy.

The two of them put on the act of mother-in-law and son-in-law, and Kieran played the role of the dutiful, good-natured son-in-law well. He answered Sarah's questions without hesitation, which cheered her up considerably.

This was something that Emery could never manage to do. She stood aside like a spectator, unable to even get a word in. To Sarah, Emery was nothing more than a stubborn, thick-headed fool.

Sarah saw Emery lower her head with a downcast expression. She frowned and scolded in annoyance, "Look at her, with that gloomy and dull personality. She's been like this her whole life, and she was never likable. If it weren't for your kindness, Kieran, she would've died a spinster."

As Sarah spoke, her face fell, and she sighed deeply. "She's not like her brother at all. If only he were still alive…"

At the mention of the past, Emery's face turned pale. The last thing she wanted was for her faults to be exposed in front of Kieran. She said in a pleading, bitter tone, "Mom, please don't…"

Sarah became distraught at the memory of her son, and she glared at Emery. "If it weren't for you…"

"Sarah," Kieran interrupted just then with a slight frown. "You've been talking for quite a while. Are you thirsty?"

There was an undeniable authority in his tone, which made Sarah freeze for a moment. She quickly snapped back to her senses and dropped the subject.

Sarah shakily accepted the glass from Kieran, but she also didn't forget to glare sharply at Emery.

The atmosphere grew tense, and it was Kieran who finally broke the silence.

He sat with a frown, his fingers gripping the knife's handle as he skillfully peeled an apple. He said, "I've recently acquired a few companies abroad. The market value is likely to rise significantly, and the Carter family should be able to have a good year without any losses."

As he spoke, he cut the apple and placed the slices in a bowl. "When you're better, I'll take you shopping abroad."

The Carter family's assets were spread overseas, but unfortunately, two years ago, there was internal strife. The family's businesses had then begun failing one after another. They had also almost declared bankruptcy at one point, but it was Kieran who had stepped in to save the situation and brought them to where they were today.

Sarah knew that Kieran was an important figure. She didn't understand the market value of stocks, but she knew it was good news if they were making money.

Sarah's lips lifted into a bitter and sarcastic smile. She said, "I'm not that lucky. I'm almost nearing the end now."

After a pause, she changed the subject. "Kieran, I'm at the end of my life, and my only worry is Emery."

Kieran understood the underlying meaning of her words, but he didn't give Sarah a chance to continue. He immediately cut her off and said, "Don't worry."

He took Sarah's frail hand, and his voice was deep as he comforted her, "Good fortune favors the worthy. You'll be fine."

In reality, the Carter family had already sent someone to prepare for the upcoming funeral.

Kieran pretended to be ignorant, even though he clearly understood the situation. He didn't give Sarah a chance to bring up the topic of his marriage to Emery, and he remained unmoved.

In the end, Kieran made an excuse to leave. Sarah had no more reason to stop him, and she had no choice but to ask Emery to see him off.

There was a frustration within Emery, but she was unable to resist Sarah's urging. She followed behind Kieran in silence.

However, not long after they exited the hospital room, after turning a corner, Kieran suddenly stopped and said, "Emery Young."

He rarely called her by her full name, but now, with his brows furrowed, he calmly said, "This is far enough."

Emery was stunned for a moment. She thought he meant that she was only supposed to send him to this point, so she said, "Okay. Be careful on your way home."

But Kieran sneered and raised an eyebrow as he stared at her. He said sharply, "There's nothing more boring than a forced marriage."

Emery's face turned pale. She was smart and instantly understood his meaning. "Are you calling off the marriage?"

"What else?" Kieran's gaze turned cold. "Why would I marry a woman who's been with my older brother?"

Chapter 4 Loss of Virginity

Emery was born in a small town up north. That summer, when she was in high school, a group of unfamiliar faces had suddenly returned to the town. It was a large procession with quite a grand display.

The elderly patriarch of the prominent Carter family, Marlon Carter, was on his deathbed, and his dying wish was to return to his roots and be buried in the Carter family's mausoleum.

And so, the Carter family had relocated back to Carter Estate and waited for Marlon's passing so that he could rest peacefully in his hometown.

It was impossible for Emery not to notice their presence. After all, Sarah was the town's undertaker. She worked hard all year round to make a living, and she took Emery to almost every funeral.

The Carter family had specifically sent someone to hire them. But this time, Emery hadn't been too eager to go.

As soon as she stepped inside the room, she noticed a man sitting in a chair, and his gaze on her was thick with unwanted attention. Through the introductions, she found out that he was the eldest son of the younger generation of the Carter family, Nelson Carter. He was commonly referred to as Mr. Nelson.

It was the height of summer, and Emery was wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt, her developing chest clearly visible.

Nelson, who was sporting a buzz cut, had looked at her with narrowed eyes and smiled wickedly. "You're Ms. Young, right? You're very pretty."

The questionable, unsettling look in his eyes made Emery feel uneasy, and she had hummed flatly as a response.

After the members of the Carter family left, Emery had tried to find an excuse not to go to the funeral.

But Sarah had yelled at her while holding the money in one hand, "If you won't do it, are you expecting your dead father or your little brother to go instead?"

Emery's father had passed away from illness, and her brother was still only an infant. Their family was struggling to make ends meet, and Emery was the only one who could help with this job.

Marlon passed away at the age of 100 in early autumn, and the Carter family was bustling with activity.

It was a bittersweet occasion for a life well lived.

Many people came to mourn the deceased. Sarah attended to funeral matters in the front hall, while Emery handled burning the farewell letters written by the family—as a symbolic act of saying goodbye to Marlon—in the back courtyard.

It was mid-afternoon, and the sky was overcast. When the wind blew, it lifted the papers burning in the brazier.

Emery had an ominous feeling, and she was worried that the flames might catch on to something. She immediately began searching for something to put out the fire.

There weren't many people in the back courtyard, but as Emery turned a corner, someone suddenly covered her mouth and dragged her to an outbuilding. She was thrown onto the floor, and she heard the door slam shut.

Then, Nelson pounced on her, with one hand tugging at her pants. He feared that she would scream, so he desperately covered her mouth with his hand.

He breathed heavily as he leaned in and said, "My dear girl, you're so fair."

Terrified, Emery grabbed something from nearby and, without looking, smashed it into Nelson's face. She took the opportunity and ran outside, but she was seen.

A sharp-eyed elderly lady, who had come to help out with the funeral, noticed her and asked, "What happened? Why are your pants torn?"

Immediately after, loud curses from Nelson rang out. Everyone turned toward the sound and saw him running out while holding his pants up.

As a result, the funeral held by the Carter family turned into a disaster.

The whole neighborhood on the street had witnessed the scene firsthand. Within a night, the news of Emery losing her virginity spread everywhere.

Sarah's face twisted with anger as she called Emery a burden, but no matter how much Emery tried to explain, no one would believe her.

Sarah had then somehow found a way to gather a group of reporters, and she had kneeled at the entrance of Carter Estate, causing a scene. She had wailed loudly, demanding that the Carter family take responsibility.

It was only after the incident that they learned the Carter family had specifically brought Nelson back home. It turned out that he had gotten into trouble elsewhere and had come back to hide from it.

Nelson had assaulted a female employee at the company, and the employee's family had reported it to the police. The Carter family had spent a lot of money to settle the matter. They thought that Nelson would change for the better, but they didn't expect him to be a reckless habitual offender.

This was the result of all the coddling and spoiling from Logan Carter, Nelson's grandfather.

Logan cursed at his family's misfortune and sent someone to summon Nelson, only to find that he had packed up and fled overnight. There was no news of him.

Nelson's repeated damage to the family's reputation caused the Carter family's stocks to plummet, and Logan could hardly bear it.

Logan thought he could settle things with money, but Sarah was not that easy to placate. She demanded that Emery must marry into the family. After all, back in those days, small profits were never enough.

Emery tried to kill herself once, but she failed. Just as she was hanging from the beam, someone suddenly climbed through the window and grabbed her, pulling her down by the waist.

Emery had almost passed out, but the person introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Kieran Carter, your husband."

She was terrified and ran toward the door, just in time to bump into a cheerful Sarah and a few members of the Carter family. They had arrived to propose a marriage agreement.

However, the engagement wasn't with Nelson, but with the young Kieran who had just been brought back.

Logan justified it with good intentions. He said that since Nelson was older, and since Kieran and Emery were of similar age, it was more appropriate for them both to nurture a relationship.

Emery thought that it was ridiculous. She insisted that she could go and get examined to prove that she wasn't raped, but Sarah had held her pants up and publicly said, "Then, tell me. If you weren't on your period, where did the blood on your underwear come from?"

Emery couldn't explain herself, and the matter was hastily settled.

However, the price of calming this public uproar was that Emery was forced by Sarah to publicly admit that she had seduced Nelson.

Meanwhile, Sarah moved into Carter Estate with her son, and they lived a life of being waited on. From that day on, the town's opinion of Emery changed.

…

At the mention of Nelson, Emery's face turned pale. She subconsciously rebutted, "Don't you know whether he touched me or not?"

Upon hearing this, Kieran raised an eyebrow. He tilted his head and glanced at her with an unreadable gaze as he replied, "And?"

Emery was stunned for a moment, and her heart sank as she saw the disdain on Kieran's face.

It was as if he was implying that restoring her maidenhood was no longer a difficult procedure these days.

Chapter 5 Tessa Ambrose

Emery hadn't seen Kieran for a while now, since the day they had parted on unpleasant terms.

She had gone to Carter Corporation twice, but the CEO's office was always empty. Alan Johnson, Kieran's assistant, would only smile and inform her that Kieran was very busy, but he wouldn't tell her where Kieran was.

At the hospital, Sarah was angry that the marriage was going nowhere. Such was her anger that she couldn't even stomach her liquid diet. She glared at Emery and cursed at her loudly, "You useless thing! You can't even keep a man."

After she had vented enough of her frustrations on Emery, Sarah started wiping her tears again. She said, "I should've just raised your brother if I knew you were a good-for-nothing."

Emery had long become numb to these rants, and she replied indifferently, "Mom, no matter what you say, Stanley has already been dead for a long time now."

Stanley Young, her younger brother, had bad luck. He had gone along with Sarah to live with the Carter family and was raised there, but he had died unexpectedly when he was only ten years old.

When Emery had arrived, Sarah had been wailing heartbrokenly over his body, wishing that Emery had died instead of him.

There was a heavy weight in Emery's chest as she recounted the past events. As she listened to the endless insults, she gave an empty smile and said indifferently, "Just forget about it. If you had depended on Stanley, you wouldn't be able to enjoy all this wealth."

It was wealth obtained from selling Emery, after all.

That hit a nerve, and Sarah grabbed something to throw at Emery. She shouted, "You were the one who was taken advantage of! Who do you think I did all this for?"

Emery was used to being hit. She didn't dodge, but she frowned at the pain as warmth trickled down her forehead. She raised her hand to wipe it away, and blood stained her fingertips.

She didn't say a word and gave Sarah, who seemed unconcerned, a long, piercing stare. Emery picked up her bag and left the hospital room.

Her silence was one of resignation.

Emery went to the restroom to tend to the wound. There was a cut on her forehead, and after wiping off the blood, it was still red and swollen. It was also rather noticeable.

She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that her face was pale and lifeless. There were dark circles under her eyes from several sleepless nights. She had to admit that she was no longer young as well.

After this year, she would have spent exactly ten years with Kieran. What she got in return was neglect and having her engagement broken off.

Emery furrowed her brows, feeling as if there was a gaping wound in her heart with a cold wind blowing through it. The pain was so severe that she couldn't describe her emotions.

While lost in her thoughts, her phone, which was lying nearby, suddenly rang. She looked at it and saw that it was Kieran calling.

She had a bad feeling.

Kieran got straight to the point before she could even greet him. He said, "There's a banquet at the Carter residence. Grandfather has specifically asked me to bring you home."

After a pause, he added, "I just had some drinks and can't drive. Come pick me up in a little while."

He hung up the call before Emery could even reply and quickly sent her an address. Emery knew this was one of Kieran's tactics.

Even if they were to feud till kingdom come, as long as Logan intervened, she would put aside their grudges and give in first. Kieran's trick had always worked because while the entire Carter family treated her and Sarah as a joke, Logan was the only one who thought of her as family.

…

Emery went home to change clothes.

She was checking the time, and as she pushed open the door to the private room, she bumped right into someone.

The woman had smooth skin and a slim waist. Below the corner of her left eye was a small, tear-shaped mole, and she had bright eyes and a radiant smile. She wore her long brown curls loosely, and a subtle fragrance seemed to linger around her.

She was, without a doubt, a natural beauty.

Their eyes met, and Emery's heart skipped a beat. There was an inexplicable rush of panic as she said, "Tessa, you're back."

Tessa Ambrose smiled. She noticed Emery's reservedness, raised an eyebrow, and softly said, "You're looking for Key, aren't you?"

"Key" was the nickname that Tessa had lovingly given to Kieran. It was an intimate affection unique only to her.

Tessa spoke without making way, and the people inside started to tease her loudly.

Someone shouted, "Miss Secretary, your Mr. Carter has just left for a while, and you're already standing guard at the door?"

The voice was so loud that it was impossible for Emery to not overhear. She froze for a moment and said, "Miss Secretary?"

Tessa paused for a while, then her smile deepened. She replied without answering Emery's question, "Key went to get some hangover remedy for me, I hope you won't mind. He'll be back soon."

Emery remained silent. She had been with Kieran for so many years, spending time with each other daily, yet she had never been able to ask him to do anything for her. It really was a case where comparison only hurts when there's something to measure against.

Emery felt uneasy. She wanted to leave, but Kieran's voice came from behind her. "What are you doing outside?"

Her chest clenched, and she instinctively turned her head. She saw Kieran's gaze settle on Tessa.

His voice was mellow and filled with concern. "It's windy here, and you're not feeling well. Don't catch a cold."

Tessa blushed as she turned her face, taking the box of hangover remedy from Kieran with a smile. She said, "I'm not as delicate as you think."

Tessa and Kieran exchanged looks filled with affection, and Emery felt her eyes sting. Anyone who wasn't aware might have thought she was the unwanted third party.

Seeing Emery left standing aside, Tessa nudged Kieran on the arm. "Key, Emery's waiting for you."

Kieran only seemed to notice Emery after Tessa's reminder, and he asked Emery flatly, "Did you drive?"

Emery replied with a dull hum.

Kieran nodded and said indifferently, "It's getting late. Let's send Tessie home first."

Upon hearing this, Emery's expression visibly stiffened.