1: A Heart-Stopping Encounter

"Let go of me!"

Cassandra Bell never imagined that within just two days of arriving in New Avalon, something like this would happen. She was being dragged into a wooded area by two blond-haired, blue-eyed drunks reeking of alcohol.

Their grip was tight, leaving red marks on her wrists. Holding beer bottles and spewing profanities, they occasionally let out lewd smirks. Cassandra struggled desperately, her petite face streaked with tears as she screamed, hoping someone would save her.

“Slap!”  

One of the drunks raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.

"Shut up!" he roared.  

The stench of alcohol overwhelmed her senses, and Cassandra’s fair cheek turned crimson from the hit. Her ears buzzed, and she was moments away from being dragged into the woods. There was no guessing what would happen next…  

Meanwhile, deeper in the woods stood a man in a black, sharp-lapeled suit. His shadow stretched long under the moonlight, and his slender fingers held a cold, modern weapon. Behind him stood over a dozen burly men in suits. They didn’t look like bodyguards. No, they resembled...  

The mafia.  

“Mr. White, please! Have mercy on me!” A middle-aged man knelt on the ground, his face battered and bruised. Blood trickled from his mouth and the corners of his eyes.  

Despair consumed him. He knew the price of being caught was beyond anything he could bear. Yet, for the sake of money, he had dared to take the risk.  

The tall man leaned in, his imposing figure casting the kneeling man in shadow. “You dared to steal from me, His voice was low and cold, his black eyes brimming with menace.  

The theft of two billion worth of goods had infuriated Lorenzo White, enough to make him deal with it personally.  

“Please, Mr. White! Mercy!” The middle-aged man banged his head on the ground, begging. “I’ll never dare again! Just spare my life!” His desperation was evident as a puddle of liquid spread beneath him.  

Lorenzo took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and pressed the cold barrel of his weapon against the man’s temple. A subordinate promptly lit his cigarette for him.  

At that moment, a distant, desperate cry reached Lorenzo’s ears.  

“Help! Someone, help me!”  

“Let me go, you bastards! Fuck off!”  

The muffled sobs caught his attention. Lorenzo raised an eyebrow and gestured for one of his men. “Go check it out.”  

---

Cassandra had been pushed to the ground, her white dress now dirty and torn. Tears streamed down her pale face as she kicked and struggled in vain, her fear growing with each passing second.  

She’d heard that New Avalon’s crime rate wasn’t great, but she never expected to encounter such danger just walking down the street. Her delicate face bore the mark of the slap, her arms pinned above her head, her once-clear eyes now filled with panic.  

Suddenly, the cold barrel of a gun pressed against the heads of her attackers.  

The two drunks instantly froze, raising their hands in surrender. They knew all too well what was aimed at their skulls.  

Bang!  

A gunshot rang out, followed by a blood-curdling scream. The drunks, now half-sober, abandoned their bravado and bolted, their drunken stagger turning into a desperate sprint for their lives.  

---

The middle-aged man now clutched his bleeding thigh, sweat dripping from his forehead as he endured the excruciating pain.  

Lorenzo handed his weapon to a subordinate and exhaled a ring of smoke. He blamed no one but the man himself for daring to covet something that didn’t belong to him.  

Cassandra was brought before Lorenzo. Though trembling, she forced herself to stay composed. Bowing slightly, she stammered, “Thank you for saving me. I’m deeply grateful.”  

Lorenzo glanced at her, and that one look made his brow relax.  

The disheveled young woman had misty eyes, reddened from crying, her dirty white dress stark against her porcelain skin. Something about her caught his attention.  

But Cassandra suddenly felt dizzy. Earlier, the drunks had forced her to swallow a pill. Now her breathing was uneven, and an inexplicable restlessness consumed her.  

Lorenzo nodded curtly, his tone indifferent. “Let’s go.”  

Though he admitted she was beautiful, he had more pressing matters to handle.  

Before Cassandra could respond, her vision went black, and she collapsed into his arms, her soft lips parting slightly as her warm breath brushed against him.  

Lorenzo tilted her chin with his fingers, his voice low. “What did they make you take?”  

Cassandra was too dazed to answer, clutching tightly onto Lorenzo’s strong waist.  

His frown deepened. “Are you even an adult?” He found her petite stature and youthful face unsettling.  

Cassandra nodded absentmindedly, her thoughts too muddled to understand his question. Her pounding heartbeat filled her ears.  

“Please… save me…” she whimpered, her voice hoarse, as if her body were burning from the inside out.  

Lorenzo’s sharp gaze softened for a moment before he carried her into his Rolls-Royce Phantom.  

---

Cassandra woke up in the middle of the night in an opulent hotel suite. Her aching body stirred as she took in the room’s extravagant decor and the cool light from the ornate chandelier above.  

By the floor-to-ceiling windows stood a tall man, his broad shoulders tapering into a narrow waist. He wore black trousers that emphasized his long, powerful legs. A cigarette rested between his fingers as he focused on the documents in his hand, exuding danger and allure.  

Pulling the blanket tighter around her, Cassandra’s eyes stung with tears. It was over… everything was over.  

As the only daughter of the Bell family, she had been groomed from birth to be a pawn for “beneficial” alliances. Her father had arranged her engagement to a man from a powerful aristocratic family—a stranger she had never met.  

To prepare for this union, she had been forced to abandon her passions and undergo rigorous training to become the perfect wife. Every aspect of her life had been dictated.  

This trip was meant to be a brief escape before her engagement ceremony next month. But instead, she had lost everything to a stranger.  

If her family or fiancé found out…  

Cassandra’s despair deepened.  

---

Lorenzo’s deep voice broke the silence. “Crying? Am I that bad at it?”  

Caught off guard, Cassandra looked up, her tearful eyes wide with shock. “No! It’s not you! You were… great. It’s me.”  

Wait. Why was she even explaining? What was she saying?!  

Her face turned scarlet as tears welled up again. She yanked the blanket over her head, wishing she could disappear.  

Lorenzo chuckled softly and changed the subject. “How old are you? And why are you in New Avalon?”  

Her muffled reply came from beneath the blanket. “I needed a break… too much pressure…”  

He nodded, but when she revealed her actual age, his eyes darkened, his brows furrowing.  

If he’d known she was so young, he would’ve never touched her.  

---

Lorenzo leaned against the bedpost, watching her with a mix of guilt and intrigue. Something about her didn’t add up—her calmness seemed almost unnatural for someone her age in this situation.  

“You’re surprisingly level-headed for a girl who just went through all that,” he remarked.  

Cassandra offered a shaky smile. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble. Thank you for saving me.”  

---

Their conversation was cut short as Cassandra nervously tried to excuse herself. Lorenzo smirked and handed her clean clothes.  

“Call me Mr. White,” he said.  

To his surprise, she nodded obediently. “Okay, Uncle White.”  

Lorenzo froze.  

Uncle?!  

What kind of person calls their one-night stand “Uncle”?!