Alan yanked her straight into his arms, gripping her soaked clothes in frustration. He was beyond pissed-she actually ran out in just a thin nightdress and his suit jacket? He'd ditched the jacket underwater to make swimming easier. Now that clinging, wet fabric was plastered all over her body, making her look even more exposed than if she'd worn nothing at all. There was no way he was letting Paul see her like this.

No way he could carry her bridal style like this-the nightdress was way too short. So, like hoisting a kid, he picked her up vertically with one arm and trudged up from the lakeside.

The chilly wind hit Jessica hard, making her shiver uncontrollably. Her teeth chattered, lips turning an alarming shade of purple.

"Coat!" Alan barked.

Paul quickly shrugged off his own coat and wrapped it around her.

"Alan, you're soaked too! Let Jessica go and wear my coat," Chloe offered, holding out her jacket.

From the moment he rushed over till now, Alan hadn't even looked at her. Chloe already realized she fell into Jessica's trap-but what could she say? Alan had seen everything with his own eyes. She couldn't even make up an excuse.

Panicked and flustered, Chloe's hands trembled as she held out the coat. She knew Alan hated Jessica, but he hadn't acted on it-and if he hadn't, neither could she. Going against his will? Not happening. He was always that kind of guy.

Alan didn't spare Chloe a glance. He just carried Jessica straight into the villa.

"Put me down! I can walk!" Jessica protested, squirming in his arms. She could feel the storm brewing behind his tightly clenched jaw.

She had intended to stir things up between him and Chloe. She knew him too well-he despised manipulative women. But clearly, things hadn't gone the way she'd hoped. Now, she just wanted out of his suffocating hold.

"Don't move. Keep it up and I'll toss you back in," he growled lowly.

Hell no. Jessica inhaled sharply. If only she could take him on-she'd really sock him. Chloe had literally just shoved her, and now he threatened to throw her?

She stayed still-not that it saved her from being dumped into a bathtub the next second.

Ouch! The impact nearly brought tears to her eyes. And before she could collect herself, his hands were already tearing at her clothes.

"What the hell, Alan! You jerk!" she screamed, pounding at him in outrage. That was the only wearable piece she had left, and now he'd ripped it too!Alan didn't even flinch at the small fists hitting him. He grabbed the showerhead and turned it on, letting the cold water stream over her. Her skin turned red from the chill, but he kept the water icy at first, only gradually turning the temperature up.

Jessica's leg cramped up again, worse than before. She couldn't even think about hitting him now, just curled up into a ball in the tub.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning at her scrunched-up, pained face.

"My leg... ahh!" Her toes curled in spasms as the pain shot through her.

Alan turned off the showerhead and perched on the edge of the tub, dragging her leg up onto his lap.

"Ah! That hurts! Don't touch me!" Jessica screamed, her voice raw.

Alan held her foot firmly, and his expression darkened. "Shut it."

He chucked a towel straight at her face. "Bite this. If you scream again, I swear I'll deal with you right now."

He practically yelled it.

With both hands, he pulled her leg straight despite her resistance. It was the quickest way to ease the cramp, but painful as hell.

Jessica's body trembled under the water from the sharp pain. She bit down hard on the towel, watching Alan's furious face. He looked like he meant every word.

By the time he was done with both of her legs, sweat was dripping from her forehead. It was only then that she realized just how awkward their position looked.

The water was clear, doing nothing to cover her. Everything about her was exposed right under his eyes.

She jerked her legs back and curled tightly into herself, trying to hide any part she could.

"I-I'm good now. I can wash up on my own..." she stammered. Since turning fifteen, she'd never been able to predict his moods. Whatever she said could end up ticking him off.

Sure, sometimes she messed with him on purpose, but that definitely wasn't the case now. Her tone was soft, almost cautious.

Alan stood, his tall figure looming. He reached out a hand toward her.

Jessica shrank back, but there was nowhere to run-she was backed up against the tub's edge. She hugged herself tighter. "Alan, don't touch me!" Her eyes flared, like a cat ready to claw.

His fingers caught her chin, his voice low and cold.

"I didn't touch you, so that gives you a reason to run to Chloe?"

Jessica froze, needing a moment to catch up to what he meant.

Then her temper exploded. "Alan! Get it straight-it was Chloe who pushed me in!"

"She pushed you? Why would she do that? We're about to get married, for god's sake! Unless you said something to set her off, why else would she try to kill you? Jessica! If you've got a death wish, fine, take it somewhere else! I don't want to see you! And you're not a damn cat with nine lives! You won't make it every time!"

Alan's rage that had been simmering just blew up all at once.

Jessica's ears were ringing from his yelling. Lovely. Even if she died today, all this guy would say is, "Serves you right." Ridiculous. Just because he helped her today, she almost forgot how he had abandoned her back in the day like she didn't matter.

She bit her lip so hard, the pain snapped her back. "What does it matter to you if I die or not? Alan, are you done yelling? If you are, get out! Now!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her jaw. He grabbed her so hard it felt like her chin might snap.

"Let me go!" She tried to pry his fingers off, both hands working at it, but he didn't budge.

Alan was staring into her eyes, and the hate in them was so raw, so real, it made his heart jolt. She hated him...

There was no mistaking it-that utter, overwhelming hatred was all he could see in her eyes.

After a moment, he finally let go. One hand grabbed the showerhead, the other went to her hair.

Jessica blinked, completely dazed. Two seconds ago he looked like he wanted her gone for good, and now he was...washing her hair? His hands were rough, but somehow he didn't hurt her.

It almost felt like those childhood days, when he used to wash her hair just like this. A weird, sour ache clogged her chest, like cotton stuffed in her heart. She blinked hard, trying to shut out all those old memories.

Alan moved quickly, rubbing shampoo through her hair, using body wash to clean her off. Then he wrapped her up in a big towel like a burrito and carried her to bed. After laying her down gently, he went back to the bathroom to clean himself up.

Jessica curled into the blankets, staring at the wet footprints across the floor in a kind of daze. He didn't even change out of his wet clothes.

A crack appeared in her tightly shut-off heart, and those old memories she kept locked away started sneaking back. Last time she was pulled out of the lake by the maids, her parents made her thank Chloe. They said it was Chloe who had gotten help.

She'd been furious, told them it was Chloe who pushed her. But who would believe that? Chloe may have only been ten back then, but she was born to act. She cried harder than a girl who had nearly drowned.

Jessica got punished for lying-locked in her room for two weeks straight, not allowed to come out.She locked herself in her room and called Alan, crying the whole time. Before she could even finish sobbing out her complaints, he had already rushed to her place. In front of everyone's shocked faces, he didn't hesitate-just charged straight into her bedroom, kicked the door open, and scooped her into his arms.

To her, it felt like the only person she could rely on had finally shown up. She clung to his neck like her life depended on it.

Alan carried her downstairs without a second thought, like she wasn't her parents' kid, but his.

"Jessica belongs to me, to the Knight family!" That's the line he dropped before walking out.

She still remembered the way her arrogant dad suddenly turned beet red, nearly coughing up blood from sheer rage.

A cold shadow loomed over her, pulling her out of those memories. She looked up and saw him-chilled to the bone like someone who just stepped out of an ice bath. He was in a bathrobe, face pale as snow, and his whole presence radiated frost.

"Jessica! This is your last warning. Stay away from Chloe!"

Her chest tightened. She hadn't even had time to put her guard up again before his words stabbed right through her. The pain hit her hard, fast, and deep, seeping through every inch of her body.

Jessica, this has to be the last time you let yourself hurt over him... the last time.

Alan strode out of the bedroom, and right outside was Chloe, tears streaming down her face like she was made of sorrow.

"Alan, please listen to me! I didn't mean to push Jessica, I swear!" She latched onto his arm, panic written all over her face. The contrast between his bronze skin, that white bathrobe, and the serious expression made him look like danger personified. Not that Chloe could appreciate the view-she was too busy freaking out over possibly pissing him off.

With a single sweep of his arm, Alan pulled her into his embrace. "Take me to your room."

Chloe was stunned, staring up at him blankly. She was so thrown off that her body didn't even react until he started guiding her forward. He'd never been to her room before!

Once inside, she rushed to the bathroom, grabbed the hairdryer, and started drying his hair, hands trembling a little. He had clearly witnessed her shove Jessica, he saw everything... so why wasn't he mad? Why hadn't he asked a single question?

Sometimes, silence is worse than an argument. At least if he confronted her, she'd have a chance to explain. But now? Nothing. That image of him holding Jessica, acting like she wasn't even there, kept flashing through her head.

"Alan, it's really not what you think. I know whatever I say now sounds fake, but I never meant to really hurt Jessica..."

"That's enough," his cold voice cut her off mid-sentence.

Chloe took a small step back, clearly startled, biting down hard on her bottom lip. Her big eyes welled up with tears, shimmering with silent frustration and helplessness.

Alan was sitting on her bed. He reached out with one arm and pulled her close, his palm gently brushing over the cheek she'd struck herself. His deep eyes carried a stormy chill, unreadable and intense.

"Chloe, you're the one I want to marry. Whatever happens to Jessica, it doesn't matter to us," he said firmly. No matter what Chloe had done, she was the only one he recognized as his bride.

She stared at him in shock, barely believing her ears. "Alan... you're not mad at me? But she... she almost died."

"Why would I blame you?" he asked, brows slightly furrowed. "You must've had your reasons. If anything happens to her, it's on her. Just remember - I like my girl to keep her hands clean. If you want something done, tell me. I'll take care of it."

His gaze lingered on her, calm and focused.

Chloe's heart pounded. She'd never imagined that Alan loved her this much - more than she ever guessed.

She threw her arms around him, guilt crowding her chest. How could she have almost let herself get messy for this?

"Alan, I promise, I won't lose it again. I'll stay clean and wait to become your wife," she said. But her confident tone wavered a bit at the end.

Alan patted her back gently. "Go check if the clothes I ordered are here. Bring them in."

"Okay, I'll go," she replied, voice full of warmth. Just as she reached the door, she paused and glanced back at him.

That's when she noticed something - why did he have such large burn scars on both legs? She frowned. He'd only been injured once in the past four years - during that shootout with the kidnappers. But that was a gun wound... So where did these burns come from?

Still trying to make sense of it, she almost bumped straight into Paul.

Paul was carrying an armful of clothes. Were those for Jessica? The thought popped into her head and distracted her from the burn scars completely.

"Paul, did Alan's clothes get delivered?" she asked.

"Yeah, the store rep is in the living room waiting for your signature," he replied. Two sets had arrived - one for him and one for Chloe.

Chloe nodded with satisfaction. Since she was the one signing for Alan's, Paul's must be something else. No way they'd have two people signing for the same stuff.

Paul headed upstairs with the clothes. "Jess! Can I come in? I brought you some clothes."

But the silence that met him made his heart skip a beat. Something felt off, so he pushed the door open.The girl curled up under the covers, only revealing her small face. Her eyes looked hollow and lost, like a stray kitten nobody wanted.

"Jessica, are you okay?" Paul quickly walked over, reaching out to gently stroke her hair.

In a flash, the light in Jessica's eyes turned firm again. "I'm fine. Still alive, aren't I?"

Well, that's already more than enough. Everything that happened before-she'd leave it behind. Nothing could shake her again. She was living now only for revenge, for her parents, and for herself.

Her words made Paul's heart tighten. "I brought you some clothes. Here, put them on."

He set the clothes beside her pillow and suddenly realized-she hadn't been wearing anything underneath. His ears went red in an instant. Avoiding her gaze, he stammered, "Uh... you go ahead and change, I'll wait outside!"

He practically bolted out the door.

Jessica reached out and touched the clothes. They were neatly arranged and included everything-from undergarments to outerwear. Weirdly enough, everything fit her perfectly.

Alan had no reason to buy these, not with how much he hated her. But how did Paul even know her size? Her cheeks flushed pink at the thought.

After changing, she opened the door and let Paul back in. "Thanks."

The sunlight poured in behind her, giving her a soft halo. A pastel pink sweater with sky-blue jeans, her pale skin glowing-she looked like a doll, too perfect to be real.

Paul couldn't peel his eyes away. It wasn't until Jessica looked shyly away that he realized he might've been staring a bit too long.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, don't mention it." He just brought her clothes, nothing major. But in the next second, he seemed to get it-maybe she misunderstood his intentions.

"Actually, Jessica, tomorrow I'll take you to the mall and we'll grab some more clothes. I noticed there isn't much here for you."

So what if she misunderstood? He could just get her more stuff anyway.

"No need, I've got some at the apartment I rented, just didn't bring them today."

"Still, you can never have too many clothes! It's settled then! By the way, dinner's ready, let's head down!" Paul finished it all in one breath, not leaving her any room to say no.

"Oh, good! I'm honestly starving. Let's go." Jessica quickly moved on, skipping over everything else he'd said. After everything today, her stomach was more than ready for food.

They walked down the stairs side by side.

From the couch, Alan's eyes darkened. Somehow, this clean, innocent schoolgirl look she had going on... made her even more tempting. He rubbed his aching temples. No matter what she wore, she still managed to turn heads.

Chloe strolled over gracefully. "Alan, dinner's ready."

"Okay." Alan nodded, got up, and took Chloe's hand as they headed to the dining room.