Chapter 3

I had been with Lucas since I was eighteen.

I grew up without parents, and the grandmother who raised me passed away when I was fifteen.

That’s when Lucas appeared.

He pursued me intensely.

Spending money like crazy, as if he wanted to offer me the best of everything in the world.

Lucas was handsome and gave me a sense of security.

I fell for him quickly.

On my nineteenth birthday, he coaxed me into my first time.

That night.

From pain to ecstasy.

I became completely one with him.

The next day, Lucas took me to meet his group of brothers.

I had never been in such a situation before, timidly clinging to Lucas’s sleeve, softly greeting people with him.

Their gazes as they sized me up were full of mockery.

“Lucas, why did you find such a young girl?”

“She’s too innocent, she’ll hold you back.”

At that time, I didn’t know what they meant by “hold you back”.

I couldn’t help but retort quietly, “I won’t.”

“I won’t be a burden to Lucas.”

Definitely not.

But later, as I gradually became exposed to Lucas’s environment, I understood what kind of life he was living.

It could be described as dancing on the edge of a knife.

To avoid holding Lucas back, to be able to stand by his side, I had to force myself to fit into that environment.

Ten years.

I cut my hair short, dyed it, started smoking, got tattoos.

Even accumulated countless scars on my body.

Because I was tough enough, I accompanied Lucas to climb to the position of second-in-command of the underground forces in the north of the city.

But Lucas didn’t seem happy.

Countless nights.

He would hold me in his arms, his fingers brushing over the scars on my body, then leaning in to kiss them.

“Aria.”

He buried his face in my chest and sighed, “I still prefer the you from back then.”

And I would always pause before pushing him away and lighting a cigarette.

Laughing and cursing, “Lucas, you’re really ungrateful when you say that.”