Love beneath the Skin

“No!” In the upstairs lounge, Jada Brooks melted bonelessly against Walter Grant, her small hands clutching at his chest, her lips teasingly biting. “If you don’t stop now, Miss Quinn will start to worry.”

Tonight was Carmen Quinn’s birthday — the heiress of the Quinn family — and also the night of her engagement party with Walter.

The grand ballroom downstairs was crowded with guests.

But upstairs, in the private lounge, Walter — the groomtobe — was breathing heavily, his suit in disarray, holding Jada as though nothing else mattered, ready to give in completely to temptation.

“I told you, the engagement with Carmen is just a temporary arrangement.” Jada’s faint resistance made Walter frown instinctively.

He looked at the delicate, dolllike woman in his arms, and a shadow of grief clouded his deep gaze.

Sophia Quinn...

She had been gone for three whole years.

Since losing her, not a single day had been easy.

But he had no choice — he had to stay strong, to protect the Quinn family in her stead.

His grip on Jada’s shoulders tightened. The memory of the day Sophia died crashed over him, flooding him with guilt.

It was his fault.

If he hadn’t been so overconfident — thinking he could save her from the kidnappers himself — if he hadn’t chosen to rescue the frail Carmen first… Sophia wouldn’t have died.

The suffocating despair threatened to drown him.

Walter’s eyes turned bloodshot. He bent down fiercely and kissed Jada until the taste of blood filled their mouths, pulling him back from the brink of collapse.

They were clearly two very different women — from height to appearance — yet somehow, Jada carried that elusive, familiar quality he had only ever felt with Sophia.

It was that one shred of “familiarity” that became his last lifeline, pulling him back to life.

“Mm…” In the chaos, Jada’s dress strap slipped, exposing her cool skin.

Walter forgot where they were, lifted Jada into his arms — ready to lose control completely —

— when someone suddenly knocked at the door.

“Walter, are you in there?” A gentle, harmless female voice sounded, just like in his memory.

At the sound, Walter’s dazed mind cleared. He carefully set Jada back down, fixed her clothes, and went to open the door.

As the handle turned, the mocking curve that flashed across Jada’s lips was swallowed by the shadows.

“Walter, all the guests are here, we—” Carmen’s words stopped short when she saw Jada standing in the room. The warmth in her face nearly cracked, revealing a twisted, ugly edge.

Jada took her time, watching the other woman’s expression darken, and smiled faintly. “Miss Quinn, happy birthday.”

Carmen almost lost control of her face, forcing out a stiff smile. “Thank you.”

Then she reached for Walter’s hand. “Come on, everyone’s waiting downstairs — my parents too.”

Walter hesitated, frowned, then glanced back at Jada. “Get something to eat first. I’ll come find you later.”

Then he followed Carmen downstairs.

Jada ignored Carmen’s warning look, calmly smoothed her skirt and walked toward the door.

Just as her hand touched the handle, a faint sound reached her — the quiet click of wheelchair wheels rolling across the floor.

Jada froze. Looking down, she saw the shadowed, severe face of Caius Martino as he rolled toward her, his gaze like shards of ice.

Jada’s eyes flickered, and she nodded politely. “Mr. Martino.”

The wheelchair rolled into the lounge.

With a sharp click, the door locked again, and Caius stopped directly in front of Jada, saying nothing.

Her wrist was seized.

Caught off guard, Jada fell forward — straight into Caius’s lap.

His cool fingertips traced down her cheek slowly, his voice rough against her ear. “So this is how you plan to get revenge?”

Jada’s eyes darkened. She gripped the armrest of the wheelchair. “You promised not to interfere.”

Caius chuckled, his fingers pressing against the red mark on her collarbone, grinding it harder. “You forget — my promise came with conditions. You are not allowed any intimate contact with Grant.”

His voice grew deeper, and suddenly he bit her lips hard, making her frown in pain. “If you keep disobeying…”

Before he could finish, Jada moved first.

Her slender fingers slid down deftly — the faint click of a metal clasp sounded in the air.

Caius stiffened.

Jada smirked, pushed against his shoulders, and straddled him. “If you think I broke the deal, Mr. Martino, you’re welcome to find out.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Are you sure?”

“This is a transaction. I’ll hold up my end.” Jada’s voice was calm, almost detached.

Walter. Carmen. Her parents, who had called her a disgrace. And the real Jada Brooks who had been killed because of Carmen…

Since fate had given her another chance at life, she would collect every debt of blood, one by one, until the innocent dead could rest.

When she first sought out Caius, offering herself in exchange for his power, Jada had already stopped caring.

Her body was a small price to pay — even her life wouldn’t matter once her revenge was complete.

The thought of the past lit a terrible determination in her eyes as she reached for her skirt.

A vein throbbed at Caius’s temple. He grabbed her hand, his teeth gritted. “Aren’t you afraid Grant will walk in right now and ruin everything?”

Jada’s stubborn grip faltered, and she met his gaze. “Do you believe me now?”

Caius closed his eyes briefly. “There will be no next time.”

Jada nodded, stood up with the help of the wheelchair, steadying herself.

The Brooks family was too weak — if not for Caius, they wouldn’t have even qualified to attend a gala like tonight’s, let alone approach the Quinns and Grants openly.

She needed his power for what was coming.

If she didn’t calm Caius, her entire plan could collapse.

Glancing at him, at the state she’d left him in, she hesitated only briefly before kneeling in front of him.

Caius’s eyes widened — almost surprised — his hand halflifted as if to stop her.

But when he thought of her with Walter, the fire in his chest burned hotter, destroying his last rational thought. Slowly, his hand fell back to the armrest.

The room quickly grew heated. Jada gripped the armrest so hard the veins stood out on her pale hand, fighting to stop the tremor that ran through her body.

Caius, sunk in desire, soon noticed something was wrong. His frown deepened as his gaze cleared.

He tried to pull her up — but she wouldn’t budge.

Then, before either of them could speak, the host’s amplified voice rang out from the ballroom below:

“Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations to Mr. Walter Grant and Miss Carmen Quinn on their official engagement! Grant Holdings and Quinn Enterprises will be joining forces to develop the new Bayview Resort Project!”

Every word struck like a knife.

Jada shook harder, her hatred laced with fear — memories of that terrible day threatening to shatter her.

But even so, she refused to stop. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to continue.

“Enough!” Caius’s face darkened. He yanked her up, staring at her empty, haunted eyes. His fury died out, leaving him unable to scold her.

Moments later, footsteps sounded outside the lounge, stopping right at the door.

“Jada, are you in there?”

The voice dragged Jada’s scattered thoughts back.

“Jada?” Walter knocked again, then turned the handle.

Jada took a deep breath, forcing her emotions down, and turned to look at Caius.

He was silent, his face stormy again.

Outside, Walter tried the handle several times, finding it locked. “Jada? Did you fall asleep in there?”

“It’s over already. Mr. Brooks had to leave early — I’ll drive you home.”

Still no response. Walter called over a staff member to fetch the spare key.

Hearing the commotion, Jada closed her eyes briefly, then reached out and squeezed Caius’s hand.

His anger wavered, calming slightly as he stared back at her.

Just before the key turned in the lock, Caius sighed and leaned back.

Jada exhaled in relief, quickly pushed him into the bathroom.

At the same time, the door opened. Walter stepped inside, frowning at the empty room. “Jada?”

The lounge had been locked from the inside — there was no way to pretend she hadn’t been there.

Jada splashed water on her face in the mirror, fixed her hair, wiped away her ruined lipstick.

There were faint marks on her arms, but Walter had also lost control earlier — nothing needed explanation.

Within minutes, she looked exactly as she had when Walter had left. She smoothed her dress, erasing every trace of what had happened.

Before stepping out, Jada glanced at Caius, her voice low. “Mr. Martino…”

Caius stared at her for a long moment before speaking coldly: “Remember our terms. If you let him touch you, I won’t keep my promise.”

Jada nodded, slipped out of the room just as Walter came looking for her.

She walked up to him and looped her arm through his. “What are you doing here? Is it over already?”

Walter wasn’t so easily fooled — something felt off.

But today was his engagement day with Carmen. He had already told Jada it was just for the sake of the partnership deal, that they’d call it off when the project stabilized.

Still, guilt gnawed at him as soon as he saw her.

That strange feeling he had was quickly buried.

“Yes, it’s over.” Walter softened his tone. “Why did you lock the door? I was calling you for ages.”

Jada lowered her eyes, feigning embarrassment. “My stomach hurt. I didn’t want anyone walking in, so I locked it. I must not have heard you.”

“I just didn’t expect it to end so soon — after all, tonight wasn’t just a simple birthday party…”

Her tone wasn’t accusatory, but the sadness in it was hard to miss.

Looking at her soft, obedient expression, Walter felt a pang in his chest.

Sophia had been bright and principled, strongwilled and stubborn when crossed.

She was genuine — she loved fiercely and hated fiercely.

But she had never liked Carmen.

Walter had wanted to keep the peace, but he couldn’t stop the conflict between the sisters from deepening.

And since Carmen was frail and easily upset, every time the two clashed, Walter had to persuade Sophia to back down.

He remembered how she used to pout, accusing him of favoritism.

Just like Jada was now.

Even though Sophia had grown distant before her death, that familiar feeling still hit Walter hard, almost enough to bring him to tears.

Overcome by longing, he pulled Jada into his arms, as if he could hold Sophia again through her.

He buried his face in her neck, revealing a vulnerability he never showed to anyone.

After a long while, he pulled back, cupping the back of her head gently. “Don’t worry. It will be over soon.”

“I only think of Carmen as a little sister I need to protect. Once the Quinn family is through this crisis, I’ll break off the engagement. I won’t marry her.”

Jada said nothing, but in her hidden expression, mockery flashed.

Carmen wasn’t the type to give up what she wanted — she wouldn’t let Walter end the engagement so easily.

Jada’s lips curved in a cold smile. She wrapped her arms around Walter and patted his back gently.

Walter straightened. “You said you weren’t feeling well?”

Jada’s smile turned warm. “Just a little stomach ache — I’m fine now.”

Walter’s grip on her hand tightened, his gaze darkening. “Come to my place tonight.”

Jada lowered her head shyly. “But… won’t Miss Quinn be upset?”

Walter’s eyes turned hard. He scooped her into his arms, striding forward with urgency. “You’re my girlfriend, Jada.”

Jada looped her arms around his neck, leaning obediently against him.

Walter’s breathing grew heavier.

Holding her tight, he carried her downstairs.

After they left, Caius wheeled himself out of the bathroom.

He stared at the open doorway, his expression dark as storm clouds.

Grant Holdings was one of San Francisco’s most powerful corporations, and Walter, its young CEO, was widely admired.

He owned countless properties, but the place he took Jada was a private estate in Pacific Heights — an enclave of the city’s wealthiest elite.

Inside, Walter pinned Jada against the entryway cabinet, kissing her with an urgency that left her breathless.

Her phone lit up on the side table.

“Whose call is that?” Walter growled, annoyed.

When it kept ringing, ruining the mood, he tried to grab it.

But Jada snatched it up first, saw the screen — Mr. Martino — and powered it off without blinking. “Just a friend. Ignore it.”

Walter didn’t press. He tossed the phone aside and kissed her again.

Outside, in the corner, Caius sat in his black RollsRoyce Cullinan, listening to the endless shutoff tone. His expression darkened.

Looking up, he caught a glimpse of two figures pressed together in the lit window above. His fury snapped. He hurled his phone aside. “Ethan, get out!”

The bodyguard immediately stepped out, pulling the folded wheelchair from the trunk.

Before he could set it up, a red Ferrari screeched to a stop at the front gate.

Ethan quickly ducked into the shadows. The Cullinan’s lights shut off.

From the Ferrari stepped a woman in a white dress and heels — Carmen Quinn.

“Mr. Martino?” Carmen called toward the house, her voice taut with anger.

Ethan glanced at the car, waiting for instructions.

Caius’s gaze lingered on the nowdark window, then he waved dismissively and leaned back.

Carmen didn’t knock. Walter never locked her out — every house she knew had her fingerprints saved in the system.

She had never been to this estate, but she knew his usual passcodes. After two tries, she got the door open.

The trail of chaos started at the entryway — phone, purse, heels — leading up the stairs, where Walter’s custom tuxedo jacket from the engagement party hung on the banister.

A surge of rage nearly blinded her. She bunched up her dress and ran upstairs.

The bedroom door wasn’t locked.

Walter was on the bed with Jada, his shirt and tie discarded on the floor.

Jada lay on her back, Walter’s kisses trailing down her neck, almost reaching her last layer of clothing.

Walter was burning up, fully lost in desire — not noticing that Jada’s clear eyes were calculating, waiting.

The timing was perfect.

She didn’t stop him.

But just before the final barrier fell, footsteps sounded outside — heels striking the floor — followed by Carmen’s voice: “Walter…”

Everything froze.

Walter scrambled up, pulling the blanket over Jada and snatching up his clothes.

Halfdressed, he nearly stumbled trying to put them on, looking nothing like the composed CEO.

Carmen stood silently, watching him dress, then turned her icy gaze on Jada, as if she could kill her where she lay.

Jada stayed quiet, calmly clutching the blanket, face unreadable.

The suffocating silence broke only after Walter finished dressing. He turned to Carmen, lips pressed tight. “Why are you here?”

At his gaze, Carmen’s expression softened, her resentment melting into wounded vulnerability. “Can’t I come?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Walter pinched the bridge of his nose, about to soothe her.

Then he remembered Jada on the bed. His words cut off. He took a deep breath. “Carmen, we’re like siblings. I’ll always care for you, protect you. But I need my own space, my own life. When the company stabilizes, I’ll end this engagement. I will marry, have a family — children — of my own.”

Carmen’s eyes welled with tears. “I know. You and my sister were together before. I understand.”

“But Walter, today was our engagement day. Couldn’t you at least spare me that humiliation?”

Walter frowned. “No one knows I came here.”

And he hated when Carmen brought up Sophia — it tore open wounds that still hadn’t healed.

Carmen’s gaze darkened, her nails digging into her palms to stop herself from screaming.

Sophia had been dead for years — why couldn’t Walter forget her?

How much longer would that woman’s shadow haunt them before she was finally gone?