"Only a twisted kind of possessiveness can make me feel loved."

"Evelyn Hartwell, just try not loving me."

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"Um... do you have that kind of medicine here...?" A young girl stepped into the shady little shop and asked in a stiff, awkward voice.

"Yep." The shop owner moved like he'd done this a thousand times, reached into the cabinet, and tossed over a box of emergency seventy-two-hour pills. "Fifteen bucks."

"No, not that." Her whole face turned red on the spot, like she wished the floor would just open up and swallow her.

She glanced at the line of words on the counter that she could barely understand, then spoke in a voice soft as running water, "I mean the kind... that makes you cooperate on your own no matter if the other person is a beast or something worse... that kind of medicine..."

The moment she said it, she dropped her head even lower, too embarrassed to look up.

"Hss... yeah, got it." The owner paused, weighing her words for a second, then pulled out a packet of medicine. "Mix it with water five minutes before you do it."

"Okay... how much is this...?" She looked up, and in her clear eyes there was a flicker of hope, like she'd finally seen a way out.

"Fifty dollars." The black-market owner raised five fingers and stared straight at her.

So expensive.

Evelyn Hartwell dug the scattered bills out of her pocket and counted them again and again. No matter how she counted, it still wasn't enough for fifty.

Then she turned her head and sneaked a glance at the black luxury car parked outside. Under the warm sun, its body threw off a sharp golden shine.

His men probably wouldn't lend her money, would they?

She didn't want to do this at all, but she had no choice.

If she couldn't buy this medicine and that man got upset because of it... then there was a very real chance she'd never make it back home...

The girl's lashes trembled. She clutched the money so tightly it wrinkled in her palm, like tears might fall any second.

"What, didn't bring enough money?"

Evelyn snapped back to herself and gave a small hum. Her sweet, soft voice shook with a trace of tears. "Boss, could you make it a little cheaper? This is all I have on me... or... I can come back next time and pay the rest..."

"Just what you've got in your hand will do." The owner pointed at the cash she was clutching, snatched it over, and counted it fast. Round it up, and it was basically fifty.

She looked young, and honestly, he ran a shady shop anyway. Most of what he sold was overpriced stuff that couldn't even make it into the regular market. No need to squeeze a little girl for every last cent.

The owner stuffed the money into the drawer, then looked her over with a nosy, gossip-loving grin. "You're this young, and you're buying this kind of medicine? What, no interest in your boyfriend anymore?"

"I..." Evelyn Hartwell hesitated.

Then she stopped herself. Forget it. She had already gotten out safely. That foreign man was loaded. Once she finished what she had to do, she'd take the money and go back home.

She picked up the medicine and turned to leave.

But then her eyes suddenly caught a poster on the wall. There were a few lines of traditional Chinese on it, words she could actually read. She turned back and asked, "In this shop... you can handle anything, right?"

"Of course!" The owner slapped his chest and declared it with full confidence. "My place is a globally all-powerful, completely aboveboard black shop!"

"Then..." Evelyn Hartwell paused, her voice getting smaller. "Do you do... repair surgery here?"

"What surgery?"

Evelyn Hartwell felt so embarrassed she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. "Like... for girls... forget it. I was just asking..."

Seeing her about to bolt, the black-market owner hurried over and stopped her. "Oh! Ohhh! I get it now! Yes, yes, yes! We do that one!"

"Really?" Evelyn Hartwell rubbed her dry cheek, and her face instantly flushed red.

The owner looked her up and down, sizing up that beautiful body without even trying to hide it. "Of course. Chinese people don't scam Chinese people. Even if it's for an older woman, I can still make it look totally real. Guaranteed your boyfriend won't notice a thing!"

He stared at her and added, "Since we're both from the same place, I can give you half price."

"So?" he asked. "You want it done?"

"I..." Evelyn Hartwell was obviously startled by how weirdly enthusiastic he was, and she couldn't help taking a step back.

"Come on, get it fixed!" he said brightly. "Be a happy woman!"

*

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*

♡♡♡Reader Notice♡♡♡

This is a cross-border forced-love story. Twisted people need a love they can’t push away. The powerful one is actually the one begging the hardest for love. No matter heaven or earth, there’s no flying off, no getting away.

This is peak possessiveness.

The kind of love where even the ashes have to be buried together.

The male lead is an aggressive daddy type: all-powerful, in control, unhinged and a little insane, sharp like a wolf, mature, guiding, crazy jealous, and fully foreign, not mixed at all.

And yes, he has some specific quirks when it comes to the female lead.

In his world, he is the standard. He has “gentleman rules” for himself but zero real morals. He makes the rules, custom-builds them even, and then casually doesn’t follow them. He is not a law-abiding citizen.

Clean. Very clean. Double clean.

Warning ①: In the early stage, the male lead will not go easy on the female lead. He’s literally a madman, so don’t expect tenderness before he falls in love. Total capitalist mindset. He will get tamed eventually.

Warning ②: He is not nice to the female lead at first. If you only love stories where the girl always dominates, you can scroll away now. Seriously, don’t read and then come back saying this hurt too much.

The female lead is kind and morally grounded, but she’s also conflicted and a bit stubborn in her own way. Everyone’s personality is different, so please don’t expect her to be some genius mastermind. She’s a growth-type heroine, just an ordinary pretty girl with natural skin tone. If you only like unreal fairy-level beauty and glowing pale-skin heroines, this may not be for you.

I’ve lived in the male lead’s country and studied it in depth, so about half of the cross-cultural details and Western background in this story come from real experience. The other half is adjusted for fiction. So yes, picky detail-checkers can still read this.

Warning ③: Both the male lead and female lead suffer. First her, then him. Body angst, heart angst, sweet mixed with pain. The beginning may feel a little old-school in vibe, but keep reading and you’ll see it shifts.

I love writing absurdly powerful male leads paired with timid female leads. That does not mean the author’s values are warped, okay? If you can’t accept that setup, please don’t read.

I’m really into slow-burn development and soft, detailed emotional writing.

The author has a very strong “real person online” presence. If that affects your reading experience, feel free to turn off paragraph comments. Hope that somewhere along the way, you end up liking this novel~ ◠‿◠ *bows*

[Second edit: This story includes forced intimacy and out-of-control behavior once feelings spiral. If that happened in real life, run immediately! If that bothers you, please don’t force yourself to read. Thank you so much~ *^▽^*]

Alright then, please turn the page.