Chasing Shadows in the Moonlight

Chapter 1

Lord Samuel had tasted the sweetness of Lady Seraphina and found himself ensnared by her allure, a longing he thought would fade but clung to him like a shadow. Each memory of her dance, her laughter, and those deep, enigmatic eyes haunted him, refusing to be banished.
Once, they had shared stolen moments in the moonlit corners of his estate, her presence igniting a fire within him that crackled and sparked with undeniable intensity. Seraphina was a tempest, fierce and captivating, her heart seemingly a riddle he was desperate to solve. But the more he sought to know her, the more elusive she became, slipping through his fingers like sand.
When the deception came to light, it pierced Samuel’s heart like a dagger. He had trusted her, but with one swift betrayal, she had stripped him of his faith and left a wound that refused to heal. How could someone so enchanting possess an equally chilling tendency toward treachery? It was an agonizing realization: his desire for her had transformed into a consuming obsession.
The days turned into weeks, and Samuel soon discovered this ache within him bore a name: obsession. It was a tightly coiled spring of longing and rage, an inescapable tug-of-war within his soul. He had learned to embrace the pain; it was the only thing keeping him connected to her.
Battling the emotional storm wrought by her absence, he poured himself into his work, striving to cloak his heartache beneath layers of ambition and power. Every achievement felt stale without her radiant smile at his side. Each extravagant banquet he hosted echoed with laughter, but all he could hear was the ghost of her voice, sweetly teasing yet hauntingly distant.
Determined not to fall victim to weakness, he turned to others, seeking refuge in the arms of those who could distract him—yet, their kisses tasted of ash, cold and empty compared to the fire Seraphina had ignited. The thrill of their company was fleeting; the truth remained: his heart was bound to her, and that tether only grew tighter with each passing day.
As a man of high standing, Lord Samuel bore the expectations of society but found himself shackled by his own heart's desires. Anyone else would see a prosperous nobleman who had the world at his feet, but they could not see the restless battle within. The more he wandered through the lavish halls of his estate and engaging in fruitful discussions with his peers, the more he felt the walls closing in. He was trapped by the very life he had built, longing to escape, to reclaim what once was—Seraphina.
Little did he realize that this journey of heartache was merely the prelude to his greatest challenge yet: the reckoning of his yearning and the ruthless pursuit of the woman he could not let go. Underneath the polished exterior, he began plotting a course that would either cast him into madness or lead him back to her arms.
He would show Seraphina, in all her whimsy and complexities, that a flame remains long after the smoke has cleared—a promise of passion and fervor that could thrive amidst the ashes of betrayal.
Caught between desire and discipline, Lord Samuel was ready to embrace the chaos. Only one question remained: how far was he willing to go to win back the heart that had entranced him so thoroughly?
**To be continued…**

Chapter 2

Lady Seraphina stepped into the bustling hospital registration area, wearing a face mask and sunglasses. An unbearable itch and swelling in her lower body made her wince as she observed the dwindling line at the registration desk. With urgency, she approached the counter, whispering, “Gynecology…”
Her voice was barely audible, trembling with the faint fear of being overheard.
Once she completed the registration, Lady Seraphina took the elevator to the gynecology floor. She checked the name on the door of the selected doctor, a woman, before hastily pushing the door open.
However, upon entering, she was met by the tall figure of a man standing by the large window, his back turned to her.
This was not the doctor she was expecting.
Lady Seraphina froze for a moment, a sharp flare of discomfort intensifying the itch below.
Never mind. Whether he was male or female didn't matter—she just needed someone to treat her allergy quickly.
“Hello, Doctor, I—”
Before she could finish her sentence, saying “allergy,” the doctor turned slightly, revealing his profile behind the mask. A chill slithered up her spine from her toes.
She quickly spun around to leave, but a wave of cold fear gripped her spine. Her fingers trembled against the doorknob, but somehow, she found no courage to turn it.
Her mind flooded with memories of the torment he had inflicted on her in the past.
If she left now, this devil would not let her escape so easily.
Lady Seraphina took a deep breath, forcing herself to confront her fear and feigned calmness as she spoke, “Lord Samuel, I’m married now…”
The man at the window, wearing a white lab coat and mask, pulled it down, revealing sharp features and a wicked smile. “A married woman? Isn’t that even more exciting?”
“Enough.” Lady Seraphina's emotions bubbled over as she covered her ears, not wanting to hear more of his vile words. Her body shook as she turned to face him fully. “Lord Samuel, what do you want from me? I’m married! Will you not leave me alone?”
Seeing her distressed state brought a glint of amusement to Lord Samuel's calm demeanor as he pointed towards the examination table behind a white curtain. “You’re not here to chat. Go lie down; I’ll examine you shortly.”
“I don’t need your help!”
His grin widened at her refusal. “Lady Seraphina, you know my patience is not infinite.”
That felt like a threat…
Lady Seraphina understood he was not a man known for his patience, and angering him meant trouble for her. But the thought of him seeing her inflamed condition made her stomach churn with anxiety.
“Listen, Lord Samuel,” she insisted. “I’m now the wife of Murdoch. I’m not scared of you. If you dare to touch me, Murdoch will not let you off.”
Murdoch.
Lord Samuel smirked at the mention of her husband. “Call Murdoch. If he agrees to come get you, I’ll let you leave.”
Murdoch wouldn't come to get her; she didn’t even have his phone number. Reaching out to him required contacting his assistant first…
Lady Seraphina had witnessed just how ruthless the man before her could be. Walking out today meant she wouldn’t evade his clutches.
Memories flooded back, reminding her of the two harrowing months when he had imprisoned her in a dark basement, toying with her.
With gritted teeth, she slowly walked toward the examination table, knowing her resistance was futile.
Lying back, her legs were hoisted up with the instruments, exposing herself completely in front of him. She clenched her fists, struggling to suppress her overwhelming shame.
At that moment, Lord Samuel shed his earlier playful demeanor for his more serious, professional self. He donned disposable gloves and a mask as he approached the examination table. “Remove your underwear.”
His low, commanding voice triggered distant, painful memories of his orders from three years prior. “Make some noise.”
“Louder.”
“Come on, tighten up.”
…
A heat washed over her, igniting unwelcome sensations as she pressed her legs together, loathing this response in herself. How could her body betray her just by hearing his voice?
“Do you want me to help you?” he sneered, looking down at her with disdain as she remained frozen.
“I can manage.”
Lady Seraphina knew that even if she refused, Lord Samuel would not move to assist her. To him, she had already been marked as unclean.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be standing there without having touched her.

Chapter 3

With her underwear removed, the entrance to her honeyed depths contracted rhythmically, exuding a gleaming moisture. Lord Jasper clenched her fists, too shy to meet his gaze.
At the thought of Lord Samuel inspecting her intimate folds, a shiver ran through her, her lower back tingling, and her entire body began to flush with heat...
It was just because he was looking at her. How could such a simple act evoke such intense sensations?
Lord Samuel scrutinized the afflicted area with a serious gaze, noting the dense cluster of red pimples beneath the dark forest of hair, his brow furrowing. His eyes narrowed as he observed the swollen redness of the clitoris and vulva. "Been rode hard," he remarked with disdain.
"What?" Lord Jasper was momentarily confused, her eyes meeting his in a daze. "What does 'been rode hard' mean?"
"Been passed around by men. Do you know their health status? If not, they should get a check-up at the urologist..."
Before he could finish, Lord Jasper interrupted him. "Hold on a second."
She finally understood. This man suspected she had been gang-raped.
"Believe me or not, I haven't been passed around," she retorted defiantly.
Lord Samuel cast a cold glance at her, devoid of any emotion. It seemed whether she had been violated or not was of no concern to him. "How long has this been going on?" he asked, his tone clearly displeased.
Lord Jasper suppressed the bitterness in her heart and cast aside her preconceived notions about this man.
After all, he was a professional gynecologist. She didn't dare hide anything from him and confessed, "It's been about half a month."
"Why didn't you come to the hospital for a check-up earlier?" His voice was laced with dissatisfaction.
"I thought it would heal with some ointment."
"What ointment?"
"Skinflam."
Lord Samuel smirked. "I've never heard of Skinflam curing vaginitis." As he spoke, his gloved fingers probed further, parting the labia. Leaning forward for a closer look, he drew nearer to her inflamed flesh.
Realizing his face was approaching, close enough to feel his breath on her vulva, Lord Jasper tensed up, her legs stiffening, her toes curling. "Don't... don't get so close..."
"I need to get close to see clearly, to avoid misdiagnosis," he said, his attention focused solely on his duty as a gynecologist. The identity of the patient or the part of the body he was examining did not stir any improper thoughts in his mind.
Such was the professional ethic of a reputable doctor, even if the woman before him was Lord Jasper.
As his fingers delved inside, a foul odor hit him. He wrinkled his nose and, upon seeing the infection riddled with tiny blisters, his expression turned to one of disgust. "You don't use protection when you're with Fu Yu? His dirty blade can enter you? Aren't you afraid of getting sick?"
Faced with Lord Samuel's contempt, Lord Jasper initially chose to ignore him. However, she couldn't help but react when she felt his fingers probing deeper. Quickly clamping her legs shut, she stopped him.
Lord Samuel withdrew his hand, looking at the sticky fluid on his glove with utter distaste. He peeled off the glove and tossed it into the trash before handing her a tissue. "Clean yourself up."
He turned his gaze away, his eyes darkening.
Lord Jasper caught the coldness in his eyes, a pang of pain striking her heart as she took the tissue. But as she wiped, she accidentally touched the swollen area around her vulva.
"Ugh..." A moan of pain escaped her.
Hearing her, Lord Samuel's eyes grew even more somber, and he couldn't help but let out a scornful chuckle. "Fu Yu hasn't satisfied you."
"It's just that we've done it too many times," she lied, desperate to regain some control.
But she forgot that Lord Samuel wouldn't care how many times she had been with Fu Yu.
Bearing the stinging pain, she quickly sat up and got off the bed, putting on her bra with as much dignity as she could muster.
He watched her back for a moment before turning away to leave the room.
Fifteen minutes later, Lord Samuel returned with a test report and some medication, pushing open the door to see Lord Jasper still there. He placed the medicine on the desk, removed his glasses, and looked at her.
Without his glasses, Lord Samuel only made Lord Jasper more afraid of him. The cold light emanating from his dark eyes was all the more apparent.
She already knew that without his glasses, his face appeared much colder, though he seemed more approachable when he wore them.
Not daring to stay any longer, she picked up the medicine. "Thanks, big brother, I'm leaving now."
"I don't recall having a sister," Lord Samuel said coldly, looking at her as if she were a stranger.
Lord Jasper immediately realized she had used the wrong term of address and hastily grabbed her coat, standing up to leave.
Just as she reached the door, Lord Samuel called out to her, "Come back for a follow-up in a week."

Chapter 4

Oliver Quick practically rushed out of the hospital, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. Instead of heading home, she found herself at Little Joy, the company she co-founded with Lady Genevieve.
Little Joy specializes in developing and manufacturing intimate products, and ever since they launched it two years ago in secret, Oliver had never worried about money again. The products were a huge hit online, consistently topping sales charts every month.
However, Oliver was dealing with some frustrations of her own, particularly regarding a new product from the R&D department—a massage device specifically designed for single women. As one of the company's shareholders, Oliver was chosen as the first tester, only to discover that she had a severe allergic reaction to the material used!
If it weren't for the allergy and the secondary bacterial infection that made her extremely uncomfortable, Oliver would never have set foot in a gynecologist's office!
And if she hadn’t gone, she would never have encountered Lord Samuel, who turned out to be quite the heartthrob.
When Lady Genevieve saw Oliver's pale face, she stood up and urged her to leave. "You're in terrible shape! Go home and rest!"
"Please, don’t," Oliver groaned, plopping her bag on the table. She collapsed onto the sofa like a deflated balloon. "If you push me out, I really won't have anywhere to go."
"What happened?" Lady Genevieve asked, concern creeping into her voice. "Is that jerk Mr. Edward back to doing something gross?"
"It’s not Mr. Edward," Oliver replied, tugging at Lady Genevieve’s hand to coax her down beside her. Resting her head on her friend's lap, she let exhaustion wash over her. Her usually bright voice was dull, "Genevieve, Lord Samuel is back."
"What?" Lady Genevieve's eyes went wide, a mixture of shock and disbelief etched on her face. "Lord Samuel? Didn't he go abroad for five years? It’s only been three! How could he be back already?"
"I don't know how he returned early," Oliver said, rubbing her temple as a headache throbbed. "His family likely isn't aware yet, or Grandmother Agnes would have thrown a welcome-back party. My mom hasn’t called me to update either, so she probably doesn’t know."
Just then, Oliver's phone vibrated violently on the table.
Lady Genevieve glanced at the screen. "It’s your mom calling. You should answer. If you ignore her, she’ll just worry more."
After hearing Lady Genevieve express her disdain for Oliver's mother’s condescending comments about marrying into wealth, Oliver reluctantly accepted the call.
"Mom..."
As soon as she uttered the word, her mother’s frantic voice came through the line. "Sweetie, you and Mr. Edward need to come home tomorrow! Your brother is back from abroad, and Grandmother Agnes is throwing a welcome dinner. She insists that everyone must be there! If you and Mr. Edward don’t show up, I won’t know how to face her."
Just her luck, Oliver thought despairingly, tugging at her hair in frustration. Yet, she had no other choice.
…
Oliver arrived at Mr. Edward's company only to be met with evasive responses from the secretary, who claimed she couldn't reach him.
The receptionist jumped to her feet when she spotted Oliver. "Um… Mrs. Edward, Mr. Edward isn't in the office right now..."
"Not here?" Oliver exhaled sharply, "Perfect! I’ll wait in his office."
Without any hesitation, she strode confidently toward the elevator.
Upon reaching the 37th floor, the doors opened, and as she stepped up to Mr. Edward's office door, muffled gasps and moans reached her ears. “Oh… Mr. Edward, you're amazing! So intense! Oh my God, I can’t take it anymore! Aah…!”
Oliver’s lips twisted into a cold smirk. She didn’t even bother knocking as she swung the door wide open.
Inside, a disheveled woman sprawled over the desk while Mr. Edward dominated the scene. Upon hearing the door open, she turned with a mix of horror and recognition on her face. "Mr. Edward… your wife…!"

Chapter 5

In the upscale setting of the House of Montague, tension thrummed in the air as Baldwin the Broad made his presence known. His dark hair framed a chiseled face, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips while he viciously held a woman by the waist, forcing her closer to him. "Ignore her," he scoffed, glancing away from Lord Jasper at the door. "She's hardly a woman."
Lord Jasper merely raised an eyebrow, unfazed as he gracefully settled onto a plush sofa, legs crossed, observing the unfolding scene with a hint of amusement.
Baldwin was caught off guard by Lord Jasper's casual demeanor. Enhancing his anger with embarrassment, he abruptly pushed the woman away. "Get lost."
...
Once the woman exited, the room filled with the lingering scent of luxury. Baldwin, clad only in tailored black pants and looking every bit the wealthy businessman, leaned against his desk as he flicked his lighter, igniting a cigarette. His narrowed eyes bored into the unfazed Lord Jasper. "You have some serious nerve, Lord Jasper."
"Too kind, Baldwin. It's merely how I am," replied Lord Jasper, his fair features betraying no sign of distress.
"Actually, you're right. When I think about it, you really are thick-skinned. After all, you waltzed in wearing a wedding gown to the Baldwin estate, calling yourself my wife without so much as a ceremony."
Detecting no shift in Lord Jasper's expression, Baldwin exhaled a smoke ring, a mocking laugh escaping his lips. He knew this woman too well; her audacity knew no bounds.
"Why are you here at the office, Lord Jasper?” Baldwin asked, his tone suddenly direct as he bent to retrieve his shirt from the floor.
Without wasting time, Lord Jasper spoke plainly, "My brother's back in town. Grandma Agnes is hosting a welcome dinner for him tomorrow, and Mom called, asking if we could both show up."
"Home?" Baldwin let out a cynical chuckle. "You truly believe you belong to the House of Montague, don’t you? Don’t forget, you're just the illegitimate child of your mother who barged in here. Expecting to become the queen of the castle? You could dress up as a peacock, but you’ll still just be a scraggly chicken."
"And if I’m a chicken, what does that make you? A rooster?" she countered, a challenging glint in her eyes.
"Shut your damn mouth!" Baldwin roared, striding towards her. He gripped her chin with fury, his eyes blazing. "If you think for a second I’ll play along in your little House of Montague charade, you better keep that mouth of yours shut."
Lord Jasper remained silent, absorbing every insult that Baldwin hurled her way. In her mind, all that mattered was getting Baldwin to accompany her to the House of Montague. She could handle the rest.
*
The following day found them at the grand House of Montague.
As they stepped out of Baldwin's sleek black Bentley, their attention was immediately drawn to a shiny Rolls-Royce gleaming at the entrance. It wasn't just any luxurious car; the license plate sported a curious string of five sevens.
Previously, Lord Jasper had heard Grandma Agnes mention that in feng shui, the number seven is preferred over eight, symbolizing stability: "Seven up, eight down."
In North Town, affluent business owners often fancy the number seven as luck. To flaunt a license plate with five sevens spoke volumes—this person held a status that could be nothing short of extravagantly wealthy.
Baldwin noticed Lord Jasper fixated on the plate and approached, irritation lacing his voice. "What are you staring at? Do you seriously think you'll ever afford that plate? Numbers like that cost more than the car itself—not to mention, it’s five sevens!"
Lord Jasper just stood there, dazed, not by the currency involved but by a sentimental thought: her birth date was July 7 at 7:07 PM, in room number seven...
Five sevens…
She pushed the distracting notion away as they walked towards the entrance. Once at the door, they were met by the striking sight of Sir Frederick, donned in crisp white and immaculate black attire, exuding an air of innate authority regardless of his garb.
"Timothy, is it?" Baldwin attempted to greet but was cut off.
Sir Frederick didn’t even glance his way, moving straight for the Rolls, extracting keys from his pocket and unlocking the vehicle with an effortless grace. It appeared to belong to him after all.
Lord Jasper stood utterly captivated, watching as he brushed past her shoulder, leaving behind the subtle scent of disinfectant in the air.
Baldwin, however, was far from calm. Watching Sir Frederick walk away, he vented, "Who does he think he is? Just because he’s the House of Montague heir doesn't mean he’s better than us. Without that Montague name, he’s just a guy with a medical license."

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