Ronan was living the happiest days of his entire life. Nowadays, he woke up every single morning to the most beautiful sight the universe had to offer. His very first habit upon opening his eyes was to quietly admire every soft curve of his angel's face as Liora slept peacefully with her head resting on Ronan's chest.
Ronan would wake her up with a shower of light butterfly kisses, waiting eagerly to see those small, sleepy eyes flutter open, followed by the sweet, radiant smile she had searched for his entire life. Their mornings quickly fell into a beautiful, domestic routine: heated, breathless make-out sessions while getting ready for work, followed by a delicious breakfast that Liora had lovingly prepared. Right before Ronan left for the office, a warm, lingering goodbye kiss from his bunny angel served as his ultimate energy pill, brightening his entire day.
Even the employees at his company immediately noticed the drastic change in their CEO. Everyone was incredibly relieved and happy to see a bright, genuine smile on their boss's face instead of his usual stern, intimidating expression.
From the very moment Ronan stepped out of the house in the morning, he found himself counting down the minutes until his workday would end. He wanted nothing more than to rush home as fast as possible to wrap his arms around his angel and pamper her endlessly. The days passed with a beautiful, effortless ease. Finally, Ronan had found the missing piece of his soul.
As for Liora, she still struggled to believe that any of this was actually real. She constantly found herself wondering if these beautiful days with Ronan were nothing more than a cruel dream, silently praying to the heavens every night that she would never wake up. The sheer amount of love Ronan showered her with was more than she had ever deemed herself worthy of, but she returned that love with every ounce of her being.
The two of them were living like happy newlyweds. Since their first intimate night, they had grown inseparable, their hearts locking together tighter with each passing day.
Out of deep respect and care, Ronan had strictly ordered his household staff and associates never to bring up the Mo Kingdom or the tragic fate of Liora's parents unless Liora initiated the conversation herself. He was highly protective of Liora's fragile, healing heart and refused to force her back into a state of grief. So, Ronan waited with absolute patience for the day Liora felt strong enough to speak about her past.
Soon, the time came for Liora to return to her university classes. On her very first day back, a special moment unfolded between them.
"Is that really what you're wearing to university, Lio?" Ronan asked, leaning against the doorframe as he watched Liora stand in front of the mirror, carefully touching up her makeup.
"Uh-oh... is there something wrong with it?" Liora asked, her voice laced with sudden shyness. She looked down at her clothes; she didn't own much, and most of her wardrobe consisted of old, worn-out garments.
"No, of course not. You look breathtaking in absolutely anything you wear." Ronan said softly.
Liora couldn't help but let out a sweet, embarrassed laugh.
"Come with me." Ronan said, turning to walk toward Liora's walk-in closet. Curiously, Liora followed him inside.
"Look at the left side of the closet." Ronan instructed, gently nudging her forward before closing the closet doors behind them.
Puzzled, Liora walked toward the very end of the massive closet and turned her gaze to the left. Her breath caught in her throat. Hanging there was a brand-new, extensive rack of clothing from the most modern, high-end designer brands. Her eyes widened in sheer shock, a breathless gasp escaping her lips.
"W-Why are all of these in my c-closet?" Liora stammered, looking back.
Ronan chuckled softly. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms securely around Liorak's waist from behind and pressing a soft, warm kiss to her neck.
"This is all for you, my angel."
Liora's eyes widened even further. She quickly spun around in Ronan's embrace to face him. "F-For me? Are you s-really serious, Ron?"
Ronan nodded, his eyes full of warmth.
"But... aren't these way too many? I-I can't possibly accept all of this. I-I'm perfectly fine with the clothes I already have." Liora said shyly, gesturing to her old outfit.
"No, baby. Please don't think like that." Ronan murmured gently. "I bought all of this for you because I love you so, so much. Please accept what I give you with love. Besides, there is no longer a 'yours' or 'mine' in this mansion. Everything here belongs to both of us. The money I earn isn't just mine to keep; I work so I can provide for my angel, hmm?"
Overwhelmed with raw emotion, tears pricked the corners of Liora's eyes. The sheer, unconditional depth of Ronan's love made her incredibly emotional.
"T-Thank you, Rony. I love you so much."
That was all Liora could manage to say. She didn't possess any wealth or material assets to offer Ronan in return. All he had to give was her pure, unfiltered love, and she had already surrendered her entire heart.
Ronan cup-cradled Liora's face, leaning down to capture her lips in a passionate, deeply reassuring kiss. Liora kissed him back with matching fervor, wrapping her arms tightly around Ronan's neck. When they finally parted, both of them were wearing beautiful, radiant smiles.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Hey!! Everyone, hurry up and get to the parking lot! Ronan's car is arriving right now!!" a student screamed, causing a massive crowd of students outside the university to scramble toward the parking area.
They ran frantically, arriving out of breath just to stare in absolute awe at the luxurious, sleek car parking in the designated space.
"Ronan must be inside, right? We can't see through the tinted black glass!"
"Obviously! Otherwise, the car wouldn't have driven itself here!"
"Oh my god, I can't believe this! He never comes to our campus!"
"I know, right?!"
A dense crowd of boys and girls began pushing and shoving against one another, waiting with bated breath for the famous, untouchable CEO to step out of the vehicle.
However, the moment the passenger door clicked open, the entire crowd froze in absolute shock. The person stepping out of the car was not the one they were expecting at all.
"L-Liora? Isn't that Liora?"
"Yeah... that weak, poor kid."
Liora stepped out of the luxury vehicle, looking around innocently. Startled by the massive, staring crowd, her anxiety spiked. She quickly lowered her gaze to the ground, pulling her shoulders in as she began to walk past them. Behind her, Ronan's car smoothly pulled out of the parking lot and drove away.
"Huh? So Ron isn't even coming?"
"Why on earth did Liora get to ride in his car?"
Within minutes, the entire university was buzzing with wild rumors about Liora's grand arrival.
To make matters worse, a group of students who had always been deeply jealous of Liora immediately began whispering vicious insults and hurtful comments just loud enough for her to hear. Having dealt with their cruelty for years, Liora tried her best to ignore them, walking silently past the gossiping groups. She tried to tune out the malicious chatter, telling herself it was just empty gossip.
"That outfit looks like it's from an incredibly expensive designer brand. Where on earth did a poor kid like her suddenly get the money to buy something like that?"
"Right? Her father is literally a poor, struggling farmer. She's been wearing the same old rags this entire time."
"Oh, come on, are you guys really that blind?" a student sneered, stepping directly into Liora's path with a cruel smirk. The surrounding crowd immediately quieted down to listen.
"What do you mean?"
"She literally arrived in Ron's personal car this morning." the student laughed maliciously. "Ron obviously bought those clothes for her."
Liora flinched, raising her eyes to look at the student. For a split second, she was relieved that someone had actually guessed the truth. But her heart shattered when the student immediately followed up with a disgusting insinuation.
"We all know what desperate, poor people do to make quick cash these days. She clearly sold herself to get those clothes."
Liora stared at the student in sheer, horrified confusion. The surrounding crowd gasped in mock surprise.
"No way..."
"Well, it makes perfect sense."
"Honestly, I was thinking the exact same thing."
Liora stood frozen, her innocent mind struggling to fully grasp the sickening implication of their words.
"I wonder how much she charged?" another student mocked.
"Why don't we just ask her ourselves?"
The group closed in on Liora, who shifted uncomfortably, feeling trapped and deeply exposed.
"So, Liora... tell us. How much did you ask Ron for?" one of them sneered.
"H-Huh?" Liora whispered, her mind going completely blank.
"She's asking how much Ronan paid to use your body." the student spelled out brutally.
At those words, the blood completely drained from Liora's face. Her entire body went ice-cold, and her eyes instantly filled with hot, stinging tears.
"W-What did you... what did you just s-say?" Liora stammered, her voice trembling violently. A wave of profound sadness and utter humiliation crashed over her.
"Oh, please. Don't play dumb. We all know you're just a cheap slut selling your body to escape poverty."
"N-No! It's not like that at all!" Liora cried out, her voice cracking as she tried to defend herself.
"Oh, stop lying! Even if you try to deny it, those dark hickeys on your neck don't lie!"
Liora's hands flew to her neck, desperately covering her collarbone. Her heart dropped as she remembered the passionate marks Ronan had left on her in the bathroom that morning. In her rush to get ready, she had completely forgotten to cover them up.
The crowd erupted into loud, mocking laughter at her guilty reaction.
"Look at her! She's practically admitting to it!"
"What a pathetic slut!"
Liora felt her heart break into a thousand jagged pieces. She stood there silently, biting her lower lip raw as she desperately tried to suppress her tears, forcing herself to endure their cruel amusement.
"You probably didn't even have to do much to get a dress that expensive. Why don't you tell us how much it- oh, oops!! My bad~"
With a sickening laugh, one of the students deliberately tipped a bottle of dark paint, pouring half of its contents directly onto Liora's pristine, brand-new shirt.
Seeing the beautiful clothes Ronan had bought her out of pure love completely ruined and stained, Liora lost all control. The tears she had been holding back flooded down her face. She began to tremble violently from the sheer emotional pain.
She wasn't weak. She possessed the immense, mystical power of the blue gem sleeping inside her chest, she could have easily destroyed every single one of them in a second. But Liora refused to use her magic to harm defenseless, ignorant humans. Furthermore, she possessed a deep sense of respect and morals; she could never bring herself to raise a hand against her classmates, even if they treated her like garbage. So, she chose to suffer in patient silence.
"W-Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to deserve this?" Liora finally choked out through her tears.
"What did you do wrong? The only mistake you made was being a poor, low-class nobody trying to attend the same university as people of our status."
Heavy tears poured down Liora's face, dripping off her chin.
"Ron probably just took pity on how pathetic and poor you are, so he threw some charity clothes at you and let you ride in his car."
"Exactly. Ron is a cold businessman; he would never actually care about someone like you. You're just a cheap toy he's using."
"So, who are you planning to sleep with tonight, Liora?"
"It's honestly disgusting to have a cheap whore in our classes. You don't deserve to wear these clothes anyway."
Before Liora could react, one of the students pulled out a paper cutter, slicing a jagged line through her sleeve, while another reached out and viciously tore the fabric of her ruined shirt.
Liora's limits of patience were completely shattered.
"No!! Stop it!!" Liora shrieked. Pushing past the laughing crowd, she ran out of the university as fast as her legs could carry her.
. . . . . . . . . . .
"Alright, Mr. Brown. We are in complete agreement. We will officially sign the merger contracts next month."
"Thank you, Mr. James. I look forward to our meeting next month."
Ronan quickly shook the businessman's hand. The very second the handshake broke, he practically bolted out of the conference room, leaving the remaining executives sitting in stunned silence.
"Is Mr. Brown facing some sort of family emergency, Miss Mia?" Mr. James asked, turning to Mia in confusion.
"Uh... I don't believe so, sir." Mia replied with a knowing, polite smile. "Mr. Brown has just been very eager to get home as quickly as possible lately."
"Oh? Is he married?"
"No, sir."
"Does he have children?"
"Huh?!" Mia gasped, her eyes widening in pure shock.
"Ah, no, I apologize. I was just curious. He certainly acts like a man who has a family waiting for him." Mr. James chuckled.
It was nearly nine o'clock in the evening. Ronan hadn't seen his beloved bunny angel since dropping her off that morning, and he had been suffocating with anticipation during the long meetings. He felt like a bird finally freed from a cage, ready to fly straight back to his love.
However, the moment Ronan drove through the gates of his estate, he slammed on the brakes. He frowned deeply, a cold dread washing over him as he stared at the mansion. The entire estate was completely dark. Maya had been staying over at Ethan's house for the past few days, so the house should have been empty, except for Liora, who was supposed to be home hours ago.
Tapping into the mystical power of his red gem, Ronan searched for Liora's energy signature within the mansion. Nothing. The house was empty. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Liora's number, but it rang out continuously until it went to voicemail.
"Shit!!" Ronan roared, slamming his hands against the steering wheel.
He threw the car into reverse, tires screeching as he tore back out of the gates. He knew Liora wasn't in physical danger, if his angel were physically bleeding or harmed, the bond of their gems would have sent a sharp, physical warning through Ronan's own body. But the absolute mystery of her location sent his anxiety into overdrive.
Focusing deeply on the magnetic pull of the gem, Ronan searched for the unique frequency of the blue gem. Within minutes, he felt a faint, sorrowful pull coming from the direction of the Thames River.
Ronan drove like a madman, parking his car haphazardly along the road before running toward the water's edge. In the distance, he spotted a familiar, slumped figure with messy blonde hair sitting on the exact same bench where he had first confessed his love to Liora.
Ronan rushed forward, his chest tight. "Love! God, you scared me to death. Why are you sitting out here in the cold-"
The words died in his throat the moment he saw Liora's condition.
The expensive, beautiful shirt he had bought for her was covered in a massive, ugly black ink stain, torn and shredded in several places. Liora sat completely frozen, her eyes vacant and staring blankly at the dark, still waters of the Thames River.
"L-Liora? Sweetheart, are you okay?" Ronan whispered, his voice trembling. He dropped to his knees on the damp ground in front of the bench, desperately grabbing Liora's cold hands. Looking up into her face, he realized his angel's cheeks were stained with dried tears.
"Baby, please talk to me. What happened to you? Why are you crying-"
"P-Please don't love me anymore, Rony."
Liora's voice was barely a whisper, trembling and entirely devoid of hope. Ronan flinched as if he had been physically struck.
"W-What did you say?"
"Please, Rony... just stop loving me. I-I... I don't deserve a single bit of your love." Liora sobbed, her composure completely fracturing.
Ronan immediately stood up, pulling Liora off the bench and burying her deep against his chest, wrapping his arms around her in a fierce, unbreakable embrace.
"I don't care what happened today, Liora. Even if you beg me to stop, I physically cannot do it. I am already madly, desperately in love with you, baby. You are my angel, my entire source of happiness. I can't stop loving you. Even if you hated me, beat me up, and threw me out of your life, I would still love you."
Hearing those words, Liora's cries became even more devastating. She gripped Ronan's expensive suit coat with her fist, weeping loudly against his shoulder.
"S-Stop crying, my love. Please, breathe. Tell me what happened, hmm? Who dared to hurt my angel?"
Gradually, Liora's heavy sobs quieted down to soft hiccups. She pulled back slightly, looking up at Ronan with red, swollen eyes.
"W-We can't be together, Ron. We just... we don't belong in the same world."
Ronan's brow furrowed in deep pain. "What? Why? Why on earth would you say we don't belong together?"
Liora remained silently weeping.
"Sweetheart... look at me. Tell me what happened at university today." Ronan pleaded softly, leaning down to press a comforting kiss to Liora's trembling lips.
Taking a shaky, deep breath, Liora finally found the courage to tell him everything.
As Liora detailed the cruel events of the morning, the rumors, the accusations of her selling her body, the ruined clothes, and the physical tearing of her shirt, Ronan's entire body began to shake with a dark, terrifying rage. His eyes burned a deep, glowing crimson, and his grip around Liora's waist tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"How dare they..." Ronan growled through gritted teeth, his voice laced with pure venom. "They are going to regret ever laying a single finger on you. I will personally ruin every single one of-"
"Ron, look at me." Liora interrupted gently, reaching up to cup Ronan's face, trying to soothe the terrifying, supernatural anger swirling in his eyes. "You can't interfere, Rony. Please, promise me you won't do anything to them. They... they don't know the truth. They don't understand."
"You are far too good for this world, Liora." Ronan breathed, his heart aching at his girlfriend's pure soul. "You don't ever have to step foot in that university again. I have more than enough wealth to take care of you, protect you, and give you everything you want for the rest of your life."
Liora's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No. I have to go back. Please... just listen to me carefully."
Liora took a deep breath, trying to articulate the heavy thoughts she had been carrying all afternoon. "I sat here for hours, crying and thinking. It's true what they say... in this world, a wealthy person and a poor person face endless pain when they try to cross those boundaries. I saw that reality today. If we stay together like this, the gap will only continue to hurt me. I honestly thought we had no choice but to end things."
Liora paused, wiping away a fresh tear.
"I thought about all my weaknesses. For one... I can't even carry a child because of my weak constitution. You know that. Even though you told me it didn't matter, I kept thinking that you deserve someone so much better, Ron. Someone who can give you a proper family."
An indescribable, suffocating sadness settled over Ronan's heart as he listened to his lover's deepest insecurities.
"I knew you would never willingly leave me, so... I actually planned on running away without telling you." Liora admitted softly. "But then I remembered the blue gem inside of me. What would happen to the Mo Kingdom? How could we ever save our people if I ran? I couldn't do that. So, I decided that I should stay away from you personally, but still help you save the Mo Kingdom as a partner. That's why I wanted to ask you to break up. I-I just didn't think I had the emotional strength to stand by your side as your lover. But the answer you just gave me... it makes me feel so helpless, because I love you too much to let go."
Liora looked deep into Ronan's tear-filled eyes. "But... I finally found a solution to all of this."
Ronan's heart clenched. He braced himself, terrified of what Liora might say, silently praying that the solution didn't involve them parting ways.
"W-What is your solution, baby?"
"I want to become just like you, Rony."
"Huh?"
"Did you arrive on Earth already rich and powerful?" Liora asked softly.
Ronan looked down, a shadow passing over his face as he remembered his early days of survival. "No. I suffered immensely to build my empire. I had to fight for every single thing I have."
Liora nodded, a spark of fierce, newfound determination lighting up her tear-stained face. "I want to do the exact same thing. I am poor right now. But I want to build myself up. I want to work hard, endure the struggles, and become someone powerful just like you. I want to study, gain knowledge, and eventually become a CEO. Then, no one can ever compare us and call me a parasite. No one can ever hurt me again, and no one will ever dare to say that we aren't compatible. Right, Rony?"
Tears finally slipped down Ronan's cheeks. His chest swelled with an overwhelming, profound sense of pride. He pulled Liora into a tight, crushing hug.
"My brave, beautiful Liora..." Ronan choked out, pressing a series of loving kisses into Liora's blonde hair. "I am so incredibly proud of you, baby. I can't even begin to express how much I admire your strength."
Liora let out a small, shy laugh, her cheeks flushing pink. "I'll show them all. I'll make sure everyone sees that I am worthy of being by CEO Mr. Brown's side."
"So, Ron..." Liora continued nervously. "I want to dress in my normal, simple clothes and go to university like a regular student. I don't know how many years it will take me to reach my goals... but until then, can we please keep our romantic relationship a complete secret?"
Liora looked up anxiously, terrified of sounding selfish. Ronan offered her a tender, adoring smile and nodded.
"Of course, baby. Whatever you want."
Liora's face lit up with pure happiness.
"But... you have to promise me one thing first." Ronan said, his expression turning serious.
"What is it?"
Ronan cupped Liora's face in his large hands, bringing their faces so close their noses brushed.
"On this grand journey you are about to take... as you work to become a powerful woman... will you promise to let me stand right by your side and support you every step of the way, my love?"
Liora smiled, her eyes shining with absolute devotion. "I am only taking this journey because you are in it, Rony. We do this together."
Without another word, Ronan leaned in and captured Liora's lips in a passionate, breathless kiss, pouring all of his love and devotion into the touch. Liora kissed him back eagerly.
"I love you, Ronan."
"I love you so much more, my bunny angel."
When they finally pulled apart, their faces were glowing with beautiful, peaceful smiles.
"Let's go home now, Rony." Liora teased softly, stomach rumbling loudly. "This poor girl is absolutely starving. She hasn't eaten a single thing since this morning."
Though Liora said it in a cute, lighthearted tone to break the tension, Ronan felt a sharp pang of guilt and sorrow in his chest. However, he kept his smile bright, matching Liora's happy mood.
Ronan immediately slipped off his heavy, warm designer coat, wrapping it securely around Liora's shivering shoulders to shield her from the cold night breeze and cover her torn clothing. Stealing one last sweet kiss from her lips, Ronan took her hand and stood up.
"Come on, let's go home, baby." Ronan said softly, making a silent vow to the universe that he would never allow his bunny angel to suffer a single moment of pain ever again.