LOGINThree years ago, she ruthlessly dumped her penniless boyfriend in order to repay her mother’s gambling debt of eight hundred thousand dollars;Three years later, during a punishment game, she kissed the most dangerous man in the bar—never expecting their fates to intertwine once more.Broad Ramsden.The ex-boyfriend she had abandoned was now the all-powerful godfather of the mafia.“Evelyn, the score between us isn’t settled yet.”He cornered her in the booth, his eyes bloodthirsty and deranged.She thought he would kill her.But instead, he trapped her by his side—giving her the best job, the most expensive clothes, the gentlest shelter—and also the cruelest humiliation.“Don’t reject me. You know it hurts you to leave me.”When he took her hand and placed it over his heart, she realized—He hated her, yet he couldn’t let her go more than he hated her.And the secret she had buried deep in her heart for three years was enough to destroy everything.He thought she was greedy for wealth and status; she thought he was consumed by hatred.But the truth—it seemed, wasn’t what either of them believed.How would they face the love they once had?
View More“정녕 저를 막을 작정이십니까?”
여자가 물었다.
남자는 대답하지 않았다. 다만 손에 쥐고 있던 환도(環刀)를 천천히 뽑을 뿐이었다. 마치 앞으로 일어날 비극을 마주하고 싶지 않다는 듯.
그들은 서로를 바라봤다.
시간이 멈춘 듯했다.
바람이, 대지가, 마음이. 모든 것이 그 자리에 정지한 채로 살피고 있는 듯했다.
이렇게 될 줄 알았던가.
이렇게 될 줄 몰랐던가.
어느 쪽이라도 상관 없었다. 결국 일은 저질러졌다. 결코 섞여서도, 결코 섞일수도 없는 둘이 이렇게 마주했으니 남은 것이라곤 이제 한쪽이 지고, 한쪽이 일어나는 일일 뿐.
스릉-
남자의 칼날이 서늘한 쇳소리와 함께 광채를 뿜었다.
칼끝에 물방울과 서리가 맺혀있었다. 이슬을 머금은 듯했다.
“끄겠습니다.”
남자가 말했다.
“그대의 세상을.”
남자의 목소리는 슬프나, 또한 담담하였다.
마치 정인(情人)을 떠나보내는 듯한 모습이었다. 잡고 싶으나 잡을 수 없고, 잡을 수 있다하나 잡아서는 안 되는 그런 정인을.
여자가 살포시 눈을 감았다. 고운 눈가가 가늘게 떨고 있었다.
그리고 잠시 후 여자가 눈을 떴을 때, 그녀의 눈망울은 눈물로 반짝이고 있었다.
“태우겠습니다.”
여자가 소매 밑으로 손을 뻗었다.
여자의 목소리는 담담하나, 또한 슬펐다.
“그대의 세상을.”
여자의 손끝에 붉은 불길이 일렁였다.
산과 들을, 사람을, 심장까지 모조리 잿더미로 만들 법한 불길이었다.
세종 10년.
1428년 7월 7일.
물과 불이, 그렇게 맞붙었다.
Evelyn's POVWhen my makeup was done, I stood in front of the full-length mirror.The burgundy dress followed every line of my body. The fabric had a subtle, luxurious sheen under the light. The neckline was cut with precision.The silver-white heels elongated my frame. The delicate chain at the ankle caught the light in soft flashes.The woman in the mirror was a different person from half an hour ago.Knowing tonight's debacle had been Sofia's jealousy — not Brode's cruelty — loosened something in my chest.Or maybe it was seeing Brode's reaction. That strange, irrational sense of safety again.I pushed open the dressing room door and walked down the carpeted hallway toward the staircase.The spiral stairs were laid with deep gray carpet, the brass railing polished to a gleam. One hand on the rail, the other lifting my hem, I descended carefully.My heels clicked against the wooden steps — crisp, rhythmic.The jazz was still playing. Saxophone, lazy and intimate.Conversation, clinki
Evelyn's POV"Oh my, who do we have here?"The voice came from the far end of the room — dripping with theatrical sweetness and undisguised delight.I followed the sound. Sofia was walking toward me through the parting crowd.She wore a deep-blue velvet gown tonight. The neckline was cut to perfection — neither too modest nor too revealing.Her hair was pinned up, showing a long, elegant neck and a pair of teardrop emerald earrings.Her makeup was flawless. The lipstick was a deep wine-red. When she smiled, the outer corners of her eyes lifted.Sofia held a glass of champagne in her slender hand and walked toward me, slow and deliberate."Ms. Evelyn." She stopped in front of me, her gaze starting at my bunny ears and sliding down with open contempt. She scoffed. "Your look tonight is... certainly memorable."Stifled laughter rippled around us."For a reception welcoming Brode's aunt," Sofia tilted her head, her voice drawn out, lazy and cutting, "dressing like this — I have to say, I d
Evelyn's POVWhen the sunlight squeezed through the gap in the curtains, I opened my eyes.My brain felt like it was running on rusted gears.I didn't know when Brode had left the apartment. All I remembered was working on the proposal, getting to page four before my eyes gave out. After that — nothing.I got out of bed. My slippers were lined up neatly beside it.I never lined my slippers up like that. Only Brode did.At the clifftop estate, he'd always organized my things with that same quiet precision.I shoved the memory aside and headed for the bathroom.Three splashes of cold water to the face and I was semi-functional.The soreness below was still there. Going to the office wasn't happening. I was about to message Brode for leave when my phone buzzed.A message from Brode.I opened it: "Party tonight. You're attending. Seven o'clock. Car will be downstairs."No discussion. No question. Classic Brode.I stared at the screen and started typing a refusal: "What party? I don't feel
Brode's POVEvelyn had fallen asleep in the back seat.I didn't call the driver.Moments like this had been gone for a long time.The city lights streamed past the windows, garish and hollow. None of it felt the way it used to.She used to sit shotgun, ice cream cone in hand, heels kicked off, legs thrown shamelessly across my lap. She'd tell me that when I made it big, she wanted me to buy her lots of ice cream.I'd laughed and told her most women demanded luxury bags and real estate. How was she settling for ice cream?She'd grinned. "Because right now, ice cream is the best thing in the world. Especially when you're the one buying it."After the breakup, I'd convinced myself a thousand times over that she was nothing but a mercenary. I hated myself for not seeing through her.But then I'd think about all those small moments, and it didn't add up.She was pure. If she weren't, she would have come crawling back the moment I had power — like every other woman who threw herself at me wi
Evelyn's POVI passed the second interview. I spent a long time debating whether to actually take the job.But realistically, nothing else came close, not the pay, not the benefits.So I gritted my teeth and showed up for my first day at Brode's company.At least the first few days were bearable. No
Evelyn's POVI walked the streets with no destination in mind. Kids ran past me laughing, chasing each other. It felt like they lived in one world and I lived in another.Late spring in San Verona. The maples were fully unfurled, rustling in the wind.I looked at it all, and I didn't know what to do
Evelyn's POVThe air in the car froze for a second. The driver glanced at me awkwardly through the rearview mirror.I caught his eye. "Pull over. I'm getting out."The driver started easing toward the curb, and Brode's voice snapped through the cabin."You move without my permission?"My hand was al
Evelyn's POVThe inside of the car smelled like gunpowder and expensive cigars.I sat curled against the door, watching him slide in under the shelter of an umbrella someone was holding for him. Every movement he made radiated that heavy, untouchable authority. It made it hard to breathe."Drive."I
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.