Ficorpio
Chapter 1
The night before I planned to propose to my girlfriend, Adrian Ashford was released from prison.
He pinned me to the bed, his voice as eerie as a ghost’s.
“Baby, I spent three years behind bars for you. Did you really think I would let you go?”
“I’m back.”
It was a short message, only four words, without even a signature.
His face appeared in my mind at once.
Why had he come looking for me again? Why wouldn’t he just leave me alone?
I had to run. It was the only way.
I rushed out of the bedroom, but my body seemed to freeze solid. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to move even an inch.
The man on the sofa turned toward me with a smile. He rose slowly and opened his arms.
“Baby, I’m back.”
Of course. For that note to have appeared on my desk, he had to be here already.
But the fear that had seized me left room for only one thought: escape.
Adrian was taller than before, and his close-cropped hair revealed every bit of his reckless, untamed nature.
When he saw that I wasn’t moving, he lowered his arms. A cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Noah, I fought my way out of prison. And this is the face you make when you see me?”
He started toward me.
On instinct, I turned and fled back into the bedroom. I was just reaching for the door when a large hand thrust through the gap. With a sudden burst of force, he shoved the door open and sent me crashing to the floor.
“Baby, I don’t want to hurt you. But the way you’re acting is really pissing me off.”
“Adrian, please let me go. I’m about to get married.”
He lunged at me, wrapped me in his arms, and lifted me before throwing me onto the bed.
“Please, Adrian. Don’t do this…”
Before I could finish, he leaned close and questioned me in that ghostly voice.
“If I hadn’t gotten that lunatic out of your life, do you think you’d be living like this now?”
My pleas were sealed behind his lips. The only sound left in the room was his ragged breathing.
“Baby, I spent three years in prison for you. How do you expect me to let you go?”
The first time I saw Adrian Ashford was during freshman orientation. He stepped out of a car, and half the people around him turned to stare.
Back then, none of us knew he was the younger heir to Ashford Holdings.
But somehow, we all understood the same thing without being told: he wasn’t someone ordinary people like us could afford to offend.
Fortunately, he wasn’t in any of my classes.
Unfortunately, when I walked into the dormitory, I discovered that I’d been assigned to share a room with someone else who was just as untouchable.
Chapter 2
He was sprawled lazily in a chair while a servant made his bed.
One of my roommates told me his name was Julian Blackwood, and that he and Adrian had been friends for years.
The words had barely left his mouth when Adrian strode into the room.
He was wearing nothing more than a plain white T-shirt, but it did little to hide the solid muscles beneath it. Without thinking, I glanced down at my own arms. They weren’t even half as thick as his, and my height was only average at best.
I let out a quiet sigh.
A guy like that must be incredibly popular with girls.
I thought of the girl I’d once had a crush on. That was exactly the kind of guy she liked.
Adrian had come to see Julian. The two of them didn’t exchange a word. One glance was enough for Julian to get up and follow him out.
“Effeminate freak.”
I froze.
Julian had murmured the words as he passed me.
Adrian must have heard him, because he lowered his eyes to look at me too, amusement flickering in them.
People had called me things like that behind my back for years. My skin was much paler than most guys’, I was thin, and I always spoke so softly that people had to lean closer to hear me.
At first, those comments had hurt.
Eventually, I learned not to care.
Still, finding out that the roommate I’d be living with day and night thought of me that way left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Fortunately, Julian rarely stayed in the dorm. He only came back occasionally to take a nap.
He hardly ever showed up for class, either.
During the fall holiday, my other two roommates—both locals—went home. I found a part-time job, and with the dormitory all to myself, I was relaxed enough to start humming under my breath.
“Can you shut up, you effeminate freak?”
The water glass slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor.
From the bed, someone clicked his tongue. Julian suddenly lifted his head and glared at me.
“Are you going to keep this up?”
I swallowed and hurriedly shook my head.
But then—
I picked up the glass. After thinking it over for a long moment, I finally offered a quiet reminder.
“You’re sleeping in my bed.”
He was covered with my blanket, and a rustling sound came from beneath it.
After a while, he sat up straight.
“No wonder it smells so good.”
I didn’t know what to say.
He swayed as he climbed out of bed. He was wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs, and as he passed me, his leg brushed against mine.
That was when I realized what he’d been watching.
He’d been watching porn.
Disgusting. How could he do that in someone else’s bed?
What a lunatic.
But I didn’t dare say any of it aloud. When he asked, “Do I need to apologize?” I shook my head repeatedly.
“No, no. If you like the bed, you can keep sleeping there.”
He looked me up and down, then let out a mocking laugh.
Chapter 3
“Who would want a little woman like you?”
That wasn’t what I meant. Was this guy’s brain broken?
I ignored him and sat down with my book.
“Hey, little woman. What’s your name?”
I put on my headphones and pretended not to hear him.
Before long, I forgot he was even there and focused on studying.
I had just lifted my hand to turn the page when an arm suddenly reached around from behind me and flipped it for me.
I jumped to my feet in fright. It took me a second to remember that Julian was still in the room.
His muscular upper arm was pressed beside my waist, while both his hands gripped the desk, trapping me between them.
He reached up and yanked off my headphones.
“You dare ignore me? Are you trying to die?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He gave a quiet laugh.
“I’m hungry. Come eat with me.”
Before I could object, he stretched out one long arm, hooked it around my neck, and dragged me out of the dormitory despite my protests.
It wasn’t until we reached the private dining room that I realized someone else had come to eat with him.
Adrian Ashford.
“How did you end up bringing him here?”
Adrian Ashford clearly didn’t like me. The moment he saw me, his brows drew tightly together, his expression filled with undisguised disgust.
“Because it’s fun.” Julian Blackwood ignored him, pulled me into a seat, and handed me the menu. “Take a look. What do you want to eat?”
My eyes immediately landed on the prices. Two thousand dollars for a portion that small?
Were they serving gold?
“Don’t overthink it. Adrian’s paying tonight. Help me run up his bill.”
Even though Julian said that, I ordered only one dish.
“Useless.” He snatched the menu away and began ordering for himself.
Halfway through the meal, Julian suddenly leaned close and whispered in my ear, “Your sister was badly burned, wasn’t she? She’s still in the hospital?”
My heart began pounding. How did he know?
I had only mentioned it to my academic adviser while applying for financial aid. No one else knew.
Julian’s laughter rippled beside my ear. It made me feel like prey caught in a spider’s web.
“Baby, as long as you give me what I want, money won’t be a problem. Your sister can get treatment at a better hospital, too.”
His words stopped my struggle.
“A girl can’t just live with burns like that without treatment, can she?” His lips brushed my neck as he coaxed me.
Even if I could turn back time, I would still agree to that deal without hesitation.
I couldn’t stand by and watch my little sister slowly give up hope of living. She was only twelve.
I lifted my head slightly and met Adrian’s gaze.
His fingers were clenched tightly together as he stared at me, contempt filling his eyes.
I didn’t care what he thought of me.
“Then…”
I turned back to Julian. “You’ll do everything you promised, right?”
He abruptly pulled me into his arms. “Of course. What’s the big deal?”
Then he looked at Adrian with a laugh. “We’re not going to eat anymore, man. You should head out.”