Chapter 2

• Remi’s POV
• Hi, my name is Remi Flynn. I’m 19 years old, and I just got accepted into a top university to study nursing.
• Just a day ago, I was out with my friends, doing what every other college student does on a Friday night.
• The next day, I decided to pay my dad a surprise visit. I hadn’t seen him in almost a year—not since my parents got divorced and I moved with my mom to a different city, against my will.
• I hated my mom. She was the one who filed for divorce, and just months later, she married someone else. Her wealthy boss.
• She tried to explain it was because of my dad’s terrible gambling and drinking habits, but I never really believed that was the whole story.
• Yeah, Dad had his issues. But he was still a loving father and a caring husband. Even now, he was still single, showing no interest in other women, always calling to check up on me.
• Meanwhile, she had already found herself a new husband.
• There was no way he was the problem.
• It was clear to me she had been having an affair and just needed an excuse to get out of the marriage.
• Because of his financial problems, she was able to win full custody of me.
• But I didn’t need her money. That was why I worked extra hard for this scholarship. I had already made up my mind—once I turned twenty, I was moving out.
• With a cake in my hand, I walked up to the front door of my dad’s house, excited to surprise him.
• But when I got there, my excitement died immediately.
• The door was wide open, and three huge, muscular men were ransacking the place.
• Dad clearly wasn’t home, so I assumed he was being robbed.
• I was about to quietly sneak away when one of them spotted me.
• His gaze flickered from the family portrait hanging in the living room… then to me.
• And a slow, evil grin spread across his face.
• The cake slipped out of my hands, hitting the ground with a soft thud, and I bolted for the door, but they were faster.
• One of them tackled me to the ground, pinning me down hard. Before I could raise an alarm, I was shoved into a black, tinted car.
• According to them, my dad had borrowed a large sum of money and refused to pay it back.
• They had come to trash the place, steal valuables—leave a message.
• But once they realized I was his daughter…
• They decided to change plans.
• I was “more valuable,” they said.
• I screamed, I yelled, I begged.
• But all I got in return was their laughter… and threats.
• ———
• “Let her go,” the man spoke calmly.
• The three men hesitated for a moment, and I feared they wouldn’t. My heart was racing, but then, like they suddenly came to their senses, I was shoved into the stranger’s arms.
• Before I could blink, the men turned and ran off, disappearing into the thick forest like cowards.
• I was shaking.
• The man held me in his surprisingly warm arms. “Are you okay?” he asked in a soft voice.
• I nodded. “…I think so,” I whispered. “Thank you…”
• He crouched down slightly, removing the metal chains they used to restrain my wrists and ankles. “There,” he muttered. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
• Of course they did, but I didn’t have time for some sob story, so I shook my head, hugging my arms.
• The cold wind brushed my exposed skin and I shivered, hugging myself tighter.
• He noticed this and frowned. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
• I didn’t even think twice as I climbed into the back seat, with every nerve in my body still buzzing. Anywhere was better than here.
• Once we were both inside, the driver started the engine and he glanced at me. “Where do you live?”
• “Brooklyn,” I replied quietly, and he sighed, rubbing a hand along his jaw.
• “That’s too far… and it’s too late. We would be driving all night,” he said.
• I knew what he meant, and he was right. I wouldn’t expect a complete stranger to go to such lengths.
• He looked at me again, then turned back to the road. “You know what? What if I take you to my place? It’s not far from here. You can sleep, get cleaned up, and in the morning, I’ll make sure you get home.”
• I hesitated. I barely knew this man, but he had just saved me. Saved me from God knows what. If I refused, who knows if those men would come back to get me. So I nodded.
• A small smile placed itself on his lips. “What’s your name?” he asked.
• “Remi. Remi Flynn.”
• “That’s a beautiful name,” he said. My only response was a small smile.
• We drove for what felt like hours. Somehow along the way, I dozed off, my body too exhausted to fight the sleep anymore.
• The next thing I felt was a hand gently shaking my shoulder.
• “Remi… hey. We’re here.”
• I blinked awake, confused for a moment. His hand left my shoulder as soon as I stirred, and he opened the car door, walking around to help me out.
• When I stepped out of the car, my eyes widened.
• This wasn’t a house, this was a mansion. It looked like it came straight out of a movie, and I couldn’t help but wonder who this man really was and what he did for a living.
• “You live here?” I whispered, and he hummed in response.
• “Welcome back, Alpha,” two men in suits greeted him, bowing slightly.
• I raised a brow. ‘Alpha’? What kind of person had staff addressing them like that?
• The man, who I had started to think of as my rescuer, nodded at the men and gestured for me to follow him.
• We hadn’t even made it halfway up the steps when the front door swung open and a woman came rushing out.
• She threw her arms around him, pressing her body against his and pulling him into a deep, desperate kiss.
• I froze awkwardly, looking away and shifting from foot to foot. I didn’t know where to look. The scene felt way too intimate for me to just be standing here like an idiot.
• The woman finally pulled back, her hands still draped loosely around his neck as she whispered, “Why did you take so long… I missed you so much, I couldn’t—”
• She stopped mid-sentence, her gaze shifting to meet mine like she was just realizing I existed.
• Her smile faltered for half a second before she looked at him, silently asking for an explanation.
• “She’s a guest,” he said calmly. Then he leaned down and whispered something into her ear. I couldn’t hear what he said, but I noticed her shoulders relax.
• So I assumed it had to be good.
• She brushed her dark hair behind her ear and turned to me with a welcoming smile.
• “Well, welcome. Make yourself at home,” she said. “Hope my husband didn’t scare you too much. He’s quite good at that.”