Jessica sank lazily into the oversized sofa, half-lidding her bright eyes with a sly glint-it was the look of a clever little fox scheming in plain sight.

"Chloe, you're seriously overthinking this! You're not married yet, so obviously, living at your parents' place makes more sense. People talk, you know? Unmarried cohabitation isn't exactly a good look, especially for the Southern family. Still, living here isn't free-rent, food, utilities-that all adds up. Alan, don't tell me you can't handle that?"

No way she was gonna let Chloe waltz into the Knight home just like that. She hadn't forgotten how Chloe almost got her killed back then. Letting the two of them live comfy together without paying a cent? Not happening.

Chloe's face went pale. "It's okay, Alan. As long as I'm with you, nothing else matters," she said softly, clearly hinting she wasn't bothered by what people thought.

Alan held her hand tightly, his eyes filled with warmth. "I won't let my woman suffer. Chloe's staying right here. Jessica, name your price. This should cover it."

A sleek black card landed on the coffee table with a soft thud. It had a subtle gold rim-no doubt a symbol of serious power.

Jessica snatched it up instantly. That was the black card-no limit. Meaning, she could literally drain millions from it.

"Thanks, Alan. I appreciate it," she said with a sweet smile. Yeah, she wasn't exactly broke these days, but if she had a chance to burn through Alan's cash, why not? Maybe she could even bankrupt him. The thought made her grin as she started calculating in her mind.

"Jessica!" A sudden shout snapped through the room as a gray blur rushed in.

"Paul!" Jessica stood up quickly and ran to him, instantly swept into the arms of the man with the calm, gentle aura.

"Kiddo, you're alive! Damn, you've grown," he chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"Don't touch my head," Jessica batted his hand away with a scowl. She seriously hated that-made her feel like a damn pet.

Paul's laugh echoed warmly through the room.

"Weren't you busy checking up on the branch offices out of town?" A cold voice cut through the moment.

Paul seemed to notice the other two people in the room for the first time. His expression faltered a little. "Alan, I heard Jessica came back, so..."

Alan's face was thunderous. The guy had skipped his own cousin's wedding, but one word about Jessica, and he jumped on a plane?

"Paul, I'm feeling tired. Carry me upstairs?" Jessica turned to him, face all soft and innocent, putting on a playful smile.

"You still act like a kid, huh?" he laughed, but there was a hint of helplessness in his tone. She always wanted to be held, yet every single time, Alan would beat him to it. It took Paul a while to figure out-she didn't really want him to pick her up. She was just trying to push Alan into doing it because he wouldn't do it otherwise.

But this time? No one was there to steal the moment.

He scooped her up into his arms without hesitation and headed for the stairs, not sparing Alan even a glance.

Paul laid Jessica gently on the bed and sat beside her. "Where've you been all these years?"

Jessica tugged on his arm, motioning for him to lie down next to her. "Somewhere amazing. It felt like a dream, like those fairytales we used to read. There was even a count who saved me." That place had been both her escape and her prison.

The people she missed most during those four years were her family and friends. Now that she'd finally seen them again, the loneliness she'd buried for so long started bubbling back up. All she wanted was to lean on someone, just for a while.

Paul turned to face her, resting on his side. "You didn't plan to tell me anything, huh?" he tapped her forehead, his tone teasing.

Jessica slapped his hand away with a frown. "I'm serious! Believe it or not, that place is real. I just don't know where exactly-but there was an island, and the count was real too."

He gently stroked her short hair. She was back, and that was all he needed. If she didn't want to talk, he wasn't going to press her.

"When did you cut your hair?" he asked softly. In his memory, she'd always had long hair.

Jessica's chest tightened. She'd kept that long hair for sixteen years-first because she didn't know better, then because he said he liked it. She'd held onto it for him.

Just then, a faint scent of pine drifted through the air. Her brow furrowed. A flash of cold flickered across her eyes as she slowly turned her head to look at Paul.

Compared to Alan, Paul didn't have such a sharp look, but his features were gentle and defined-like someone straight out of a drama.

"Paul, do you like me?"

Paul blinked, caught completely off guard. What kind of question was that?

"Of course I do!" He meant it-he loved her like a sister, like family. After all, since the day she was born, she'd belonged to Alan in everyone's eyes.

Jessica reached up and pressed her lips lightly to his, then eased her body onto his.

Paul froze, staring up at her in shock. Her soft frame on top of him made his heartbeat go haywire.

"Jess... you're just using me because of him, aren't you?" he managed to say, lifting her head gently.

"Paul, I don't love him anymore. If you care about me, maybe we could give it a shot," Jessica said, then sat up and started unbuttoning her shirt.

Paul Leighton instinctively jumped off the bed, completely thrown off by what he was seeing. "Uh, Jess, I've gotta talk business with Alan real quick. I'll come back later, alright?" He bolted out of the room, head a mess of confusion. But one thing he knew for sure-until he figured out how he really felt, he couldn't risk hurting her.

A tall figure in black stepped in from the balcony, voice cold and dripping with anger. "Back for one day and already hooking up with my cousin? Jessica, how desperate can you get?"

Jessica met Alan's glare head-on, her eyes sharp and frosty. A bitter smile tugged at her lips. How pathetic was she, not even able to successfully come on to someone? That familiar pine scent in the air told her he was there. Even after all these years, she could still pick up on him instantly. She'd only meant to mess with him, but somehow ended up being mocked herself.

"What does my love life have to do with you, Mr. Knight? Thinking of stepping in? Oh wait, weren't you worn out after last night? I doubt you've got anything left in the tank."

She sat on the bed, blouse half undone from earlier, revealing just enough to tease. Her fingers tangled through her messy hair, a wicked glint in her eyes. The whole act screamed defiance and bait.

Alan's gaze darkened, a dangerous swirl of red in his eyes. "Do you even hear yourself right now?"

Jessica gave a faint smile, totally unfazed by his rage. Her fingers reached casually for her shirt buttons again. "Since you're clearly out of commission, just do me a favor and call a bodyguard up here, would you?"

"Jessica! You've got a death wish?" he snapped, losing all control. In the next second, he shoved her onto the bed, pinning her beneath him.

"Tell me! Has any other man touched you?" She'd been missing for four years, and this was what she came back as? What the hell had she been doing all this time?

Jessica swung her hand toward his neck. Four years of training weren't for nothing. She might have meant to piss him off, but she wasn't about to just lie down and take his crap.

Turns out, her skills were no match for the hand-to-hand combat training he'd had growing up. After a few quick moves, he had her wrist caught in his big hand and forced above her head.

"Alan, Chloe's downstairs. You really think it's okay to mess around with your sister-in-law upstairs? Don't you feel the slightest bit guilty?" This situation was spiraling way off course-she had to shut it down, fast.

"You didn't seem to remember she was your cousin when you were throwing yourself at me. Now you wanna play family values?" His voice was ice, biting and cold. "Tell me. Did that so-called Count guy lay a hand on you or not?"

"Alan! Get the hell off me, don't touch me!" Jessica couldn't move her arms, so she kicked at him with all her strength.

The man pressed her legs down with his own, trapping her beneath him as he yanked at her clothes, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "I've seen this body countless times since we were kids. What's one more time? Don't let any other guy touch you. Got it?" His voice dropped, icy cold.

Jessica was stunned. He had completely lost it. He was still hung up on his ex, hooking up with her cousin, and now he wanted her to stay chaste for him? Seriously?

"Alan, I must've been completely clueless back then to fall for a jerk like you!" she shouted through gritted teeth, struggling to free herself. There was no way she'd let him do this.

That clearly pushed his buttons. He lowered his head and bit down hard on her lips like a punishment, rough and angry-like he really wanted to tear her apart.

Her mouth filled with that sharp taste of blood. He was dead serious-he looked like he was ready to devour her whole. So that's how much he hated her now? Fine. With all her rage, she bit him back-harder.

"Jessica, ah-!"

The bedroom door suddenly burst open and a woman's gasp followed. Jessica didn't need to look to know-Chloe had just walked in.

Chloe froze at the sight: two tangled figures on the bed, Jessica's clothes torn and disheveled, Alan still latched onto her lips. Her expression turned hard as ice, unable to process what she saw, and she practically bolted down the stairs.

Chloe's voice snapped Alan back to his senses. His grip relaxed for a second.

Jessica didn't hesitate. Like a cornered animal, she lashed out with a fierce kick to his stomach, yanked her arms free, shoved him off, and scrambled onto the floor, hugging herself tightly. That self-defense training finally came in handy. If he tried that crap again, she'd kick him into next week.

Her clothes were a mess and barely holding together, so she ran to the closet and dug through it. Most of the clothes were from when she was a kid-useless. Eventually, she found an old V-neck nightdress and slipped it on.

Alan was still stunned, doubled over, clutching his stomach. He stared at her-it hit him just how much she'd changed. The sweet, obedient girl he once knew was gone. She might still look a little like that sly little fox when annoyed, but when she was mad? She was a whole different person. Not his little doll anymore.

Then came the knock at the front door-Paul's voice.

"Jessica, are you okay?"

Alan immediately stopped her from going to the door. "Put that on! And don't even think about Paul! You're not worthy." He yanked off his suit jacket and shoved it onto her.

Her body had filled out over the years, and that thin nightdress hugged every curve. Just the thought of Paul seeing her like this made Alan's head explode. He didn't even want to imagine it.

Jessica yanked off the suit jacket she'd just put on, her hands shaking with anger. Alan's words had cut deep.

"Alan! You're seriously not worried about what Chloe would think-seeing your clothes on me, especially after what she walked in on earlier? Isn't that a bit much?"

Alan let out a cold laugh. "Seriously? You think you're worth Chloe getting upset over?"

Jessica's jaw clenched hard. Right, how could she forget? The whole damn world knew Alan hated her guts. That mess earlier was never about anything but his twisted way of humiliating her. Of course Chloe would've known.

She stopped struggling, letting him finish dressing her without saying another word. If he wasn't scared of the fallout, why should she care? The moment he buttoned the last snap, she shoved his arm away, pulled the door open, and walked out like nothing happened.

"Paul, I'm okay," she said flatly. Besides the ripped clothes and being thoroughly degraded inside and out, there wasn't really much to fuss over, was there?

Paul turned his eyes away, unable to keep looking. Her swollen lips made him tense with anger, but where would he even direct it? He barely controlled his voice as he said, "Uh, yeah... someone dropped off flowers. Said you had to sign for them."

Earlier, Chloe had gone upstairs with that exact purpose. When Jessica didn't come down but Chloe did, pale as a ghost and storming off, Paul thought it was just some argument. But now, seeing Jessica show up like this, it all clicked into place.

"Oh. Thanks," Jessica mumbled, walking past, head down. When the shame's laid out that clearly, all you're left with is the unbearable awkwardness of it.

Watching her leave, Paul pushed the door open and stepped into the bedroom. Alan was there cleaning up the torn clothes on the bed.

Paul's face darkened, his voice tight. "Alan, what the hell are you doing? No matter what she did back then-she was just a kid! And she's already paid for it once with her life. Isn't that enough?"

Alan's knuckles went white as he gripped the ruined fabric and tossed it in the trash. His voice came out low and sharp. "Everybody answers for what they've done. Kid or not."

She messed with things she never should've touched. That's on her. He'd push her out himself if he had to.

"So that gives you the right to humiliate her like this?"

Alan's whole body tensed, rage simmering under his skin. "And what if I said yes?"

"Then this is the last time you'll ever touch her like that," Paul said, voice cold. "From now on, she's with me. I'll make sure she's safe."

"With you? Paul, come on! The Leighton and Knight families are practically tied at the hip. Richard was my enemy-that makes his sister the enemy of the Knights too! You really wanna marry her? Think about how you're gonna explain that to your board!" Alan's tone was cold as ice, and it cut straight through.

"So what? Worst case, I walk away from this CEO job. Let my sister take over!"

"Step down? Do you even get why rulers always pick power over love? Because only with power can you actually protect the one you love! Lose that power, and forget it-you won't even get to talk about love."

Alan brushed past Paul without a second glance, an unsettling chill trailing behind him like a shadow from hell. "Stay away from her."

If you can't shield her, then just back off.

"Alan, I won't stay away. Even if I'm not strong enough to protect her now, I'll stand with her, no matter what."

Alan didn't bother to reply. His footsteps echoed as he strode down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Jessica held a huge bouquet of rare, crazy-expensive roses gifted by the count. The petals weren't your usual red-they faded from soft yellow at the edges to a warm apricot in the center, each layer folding over the next like a shy girl blushing.

Chloe's eyes narrowed, full of spite. "Jessica, care to talk?"

"Sure. Where?" Jessica didn't even flinch.

"By the lake."

Jessica handed the flowers to Grace, asked her to put them in a vase, then followed Chloe through the backyard.

The Southern estate was massive, and behind it stretched a wide pond. Autumn wind skimmed over the surface, sending small ripples flickering in the gray light.

"Jessica, five years ago you threw yourself at Alan like trash. And now you're pulling the same move? You've got zero shame!" Chloe suddenly swung her arm toward Jessica's face.

But Jessica grabbed her wrist mid-air, grip firm. "Maybe you need a reality check. He was the one who tore my clothes, remember? Paul just carried me upstairs, yet Alan barged into my bedroom. Chloe, this really seems like a 'you' problem-can't even keep your own man in check? Keep him away from me, or next time, I'm charging him with assault."

If Alan dared humiliate her again, she'd go straight to the cops. Let's see who gets embarrassed more.

Chloe yanked at her wrist, face scrunched in pain. Jessica hadn't even used much force-and yet, her words hit harder than the grip, stabbing deep into Chloe's gut.

"You know he hates you. Why the hell would you come back?"

Jessica's lips twitched. So now, coming back to her own home was a crime?

"I just want to take back what I'm owed. And to find out who really killed my parents."

Her gaze drifted toward the far end of the pond, voice low and sharp. "Chloe, remember what you did when I was six? You tried to drown me right here."