Chapter 1 Like Fire

In the Venzor Bar.

Deanna Miller stumbled out of the bar in a black, sheath skirt.

Her delicate skin looked flushed because of the alcohol. Her dainty features somehow looked more attractive.

She tucked a loose strand of fringes behind her ear. The simple movement seemed to fascinate everyone. Even the security guard couldn't take his eyes off her.

She opened the back door of a black car and got inside.

An involuntary gasp escaped her lips as she sat on a man's lap, thinking it was the car seat. The man arched his brows and said, "How brazen of you!"

Deanna yelped in shock and turned back to look at him.

A handsome face came to view.

The man was in his mid-twenties. His thick eyebrows were neatly trimmed, and his face bore an unfathomable expression. No one could tell what he was thinking.

Deanna's jaw dropped open in shock.

"Dario?"

"Wow! You still know who I am,"

the man teased.

Deanna giggled.

"Of course. How can I forget a handsome man like you?" she replied, still sitting on the man's lap.

Dario Archer, her future cousin-in-law, was the noblest man in the city Weappolis.

How could she not know him?

Moreover, they had dinner together three hours ago.

Dario's eyes darkened.

"Then why are you still sitting on my lap?"

Deanna wasn't afraid of him. She leaned against him and drew circles on his chiseled chest. "Are you afraid my cousin will find out?"

Dario grabbed her wandering hand and looked into her eyes with a blank expression.

"Why should I be afraid?" he said in a deep, resonant voice.

Deanna nestled her face against his chest.

"So... You want it?"

Deanna's voice was thick with lust. It would tempt any male who heard it.

Dario looked at her, intrigued.

He pursed his lips without uttering a word.

Deanna smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The warmth of her body seeped into him, making his blood heat up. Even the temperature in the car seemed to be raised.

Just then, the phone rang.

Deanna looked at the name on the screen.

It was Jeannie Miller, her cousin.

Dario answered the phone.

"Dario, are you still in Venzor Bar?" the woman asked. "Are you drunk? Please go home soon."

Deanna smiled wickedly and spoke over the phone. "Gosh, you're annoying, Jeannie. Please don't disturb us."

A moment later, Jeannie shrilled, "Dario, who is with you? Deanna, is that you?"

At that moment, Deanna pressed her lips against Dario's.

She deliberately gasped and moaned loudly.

The phone dropped with a thump.

The next moment, Deanna felt Dario gripping her waist.

His lips curved into a smile.

He pulled her closer and looked into her eyes.

"You should know a man will never refuse a woman who throws herself at him."

Deanna opened her mouth, and the faint smell of alcohol filled his nostrils.

"Women won't let go of an excellent man like you either..."

The car began to jerk wildly and finally quieted down.

Deanna endured the discomfort and put on her skirt.

Dario had already gotten dressed and was leaning back on the seat with his legs crossed. He lit up a cigarette and blew out a ring of smoke. The smell of sex dissipated in an instant.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at her indifferently as if nothing had happened.

Deanna hated the smell of cigarettes. She frowned and waved her hand to ward off the smoke. "Not bad. I'll give you seventy points out of a hundred."

She giggled and opened the door.

Dario frowned; his eyes darkened.

How dare she rate him? Seventy points?

He raised his eyes and looked at the rearview mirror.

His lips curled with disdain when he saw Deanna stagger forward.

She was a great actress.

Deanna didn't give him a chance to observe her more. She hailed a taxi and left.

Twenty minutes later, she returned to her family's villa.

Deanna's jaw tightened as she looked at the familiar building.

This villa originally belonged to her. But when she was in university, her uncle, Vernon Miller, made it his.

Moreover, her parents had died in a strange car accident. Then, another piece of news shattered her to pieces. The Miller Group run by her parents owed millions of dollars and therefore declared bankruptcy.

Vernon dealt with the mess to save the family business.

By the time Deanna returned, her parents were buried, and Vernon became officially in charge of the company.

Several close confidants who worked for her father also disappeared for no reason without leaving a trace.

It all seemed suspicious.

Her lips curled into a sneer as she remembered Jeannie's arrogance.

If Deanna found they were involved in her parents' death, she would punish them and make them regret it until their last breath.

Today's occurrence wasn't a coincidence. It was all a part of Deanna's plan.

She knew Dario spent time at the Venzor Bar every week, so she went there and seduced him.

Her body was nothing compared to the revenge she had planned.

Winning over Dario was a crucial task. Once she successfully accomplished that, she could easily deal with Jeannie's family.

She smiled at the thought and pushed the door open.

Jeannie was sitting on the sofa in the living room. She sprang to her feet when Deanna walked in.

"Bitch, you were the one who talked over the phone, weren't you?" she asked venomously.

Deanna removed her high-heels and said in a voice dripping with disdain, "Yes, but so what?"

"You bitch! How dare you steal my man?"

Jeannie was seething with rage. She raised her hand to slap Deanna.