Sometimes, kissing really could be addictive.
Take Alice, for example. After learning what Veil meant by "punishment," she began to push his boundaries again and again, clearly enjoying it. In other words, she was teasing him—begging, in a roundabout way, to be "punished."
After two or three rounds, Veil started to lose his enthusiasm—not because he had lost interest in Alice, but because… he was afraid.
Who wouldn't be, when faced with such a sweet, thoughtful little kitten with a gorgeous face and a gentle temperament? It was impossible not to be tempted.
But what if he really gave in to that rising flame inside?
Veil wasn't about to disregard Alice's feelings, especially not in the middle of the night.
And so, a warm and peaceful night slipped by in the blink of an eye.
---
The following afternoon.
In the tea room, Alice dressed in a fitted dress was gracefully brewing tea under Veil's guidance. Her slender figure was accentuated by the snug fabric, adding an extra allure to her movements.
Just then, Kai burst in, clearly in a rush. "Young Master! Something's happened at the Murphy family—"
But the moment he saw Alice in the room, the rest of his sentence died in his throat, and he instinctively lowered his head.
Alice, ever considerate and understanding, gave Veil a glance before quietly excusing herself from the tea room.
Veil waved his hand calmly. "What's got you so flustered? Sit down and have some tea before you speak."
Kai dropped onto the seat and gulped down a mouthful of tea before hurriedly delivering the news: "Something happened with the Murphys—Julia was kidnapped on her way home!"
Veil let out a soft "Oh?" without much surprise. "Do we know where she is now?"
Kai looked confused. As far as he was concerned, the Murphy sisters were incredibly close to Veil, and yet Veil's reaction was so calm—it was unnerving.
"We've got eyes on the scene. But the people who took her were clearly prepared. I was thinking of leading a rescue myself."
"No rush," Veil said, shaking his head. "Pull our people back, leave just one to keep track of the location. That's enough for now."
Veil wasn't at all shocked by the news—he'd seen this coming from a mile away.
The people who took Julia weren't planning on harming her. She was just a bargaining chip—a way to send a message, nothing more.
"Got it. I'll arrange it now," Kai replied. Even if he didn't understand Veil's reasoning, he wouldn't question it. He was Veil's man, not a Murphy bodyguard. It wasn't his place to overstep.
---
The next day.
It was finally time to attend the gathering.
Outside the villa, Kai was already waiting.
At the doorway, Alice—looking every bit the caring wife—was helping Veil adjust his collar, anxiously fussing over him. "Young Master, you have to be careful out there. Stay close to Kai, okay?"
"I warned Roy already, but I still worry he might try something reckless to hurt you."
Ding! The Child of Destiny Roy's Luck has decreased by 500. Congratulations, Host, for earning +5000 Villain Points.
Veil affectionately ruffled Alice's hair. He could feel how genuine her concern was—how afraid she was that something might happen to him.
Touched by her sincerity, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Don't worry. Be good and wait for me at home."
Alice nodded quietly.
She stood at the doorway, watching as the Bentley carrying Veil drove off into the distance, not moving her gaze for a long, long time.
---
Ruilu International.
A towering landmark in the heart of Veyport City, standing a full hundred stories tall.
Luxury cars flowed like a river outside the building.
Veil, dressed in a sleek black suit, arrived at the venue and was immediately approached by Lisa—dressed to the nines.
Her royal-blue evening gown rippled like flowing water, her crystal heels sparkling under the lights. She looked every bit like a European princess—elegant, noble, and absolutely radiant.
"I thought you weren't coming," Lisa said, walking up and linking her arm through his. Then, as if afraid of being misunderstood, she quickly added, "Everyone has a date at these things. I didn't want to be stuck with someone I don't even know."
"Isn't that obvious?" Veil snorted. "You're my girlfriend. If I caught you with some other guy, what do you expect me to do—smile and wave? I'd beat the bastard's head in."
"So crude," Lisa rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face showed she wasn't offended.
Strangely enough, there was a time when hearing Veil speak like that would have made her want to kick him into next week. She couldn't stand his spoiled, domineering attitude.
But now?
Now, she found his possessiveness… kind of charming.
They walked arm in arm through the crowd. Every so often, people would come over to clink glasses and exchange a few polite words.
Some were trying to cozy up to her. Others were looking for business opportunities.
Lisa kept things professional—smiling, nodding, and never giving too much.
After all, in business, you couldn't afford to shut yourself off completely.
And with Veil by her side, what did she have to be afraid of? No rich heir would dare give her trouble with him around.
They just didn't know—
This was Veil Lancaster.
"Who's that guy with Lisa? I've never seen him before. Where did he pop up from?"
"Shh! Don't talk nonsense. That's President Mu's future son-in-law from Luxhaven City. You don't want to mess with him."
"What? Just because he's from Luxhaven City he thinks he's better than us? This is Veyport City—"
"He was invited by Don Weiss himself. And he's from the Lancaster family. Yes, that Lancaster family. The one you see on national broadcasts."
Gasp.
The cocky rich kid who had been itching to pick a fight instantly paled, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
The Lancaster family?
The one that shows up on the national news?
Hell no!
What was a monster like him doing here? Was he trying to flex on all of Veyport?
Veyport might be wealthy, sure—but compared to Luxhaven, an international financial powerhouse, it was like night and day.
And if someone like Don Weiss—who had already lost in the Lancaster family succession wars—was already someone you didn't want to mess with, what about Veil?
The few rich heirs who had been eyeing Lisa all gritted their teeth and swallowed their pride.
What they didn't know was that Veil wasn't just from the Lancaster family.
He was the heir.
The only heir.
Had they known, they'd be fighting for the privilege of licking his boots.
"Sigh… Sometimes, having too much power in your background can be such a burden."
Veil couldn't help but think to himself.
At a gathering like this, if it were a typical Child of Destiny making an appearance, he'd definitely attract a group of arrogant rich kids looking to pick a fight. Then, cue the classic beatdown—the protagonist puts them all in their place with a few flashy moves and walks away with a beauty clinging to his arm.
But in his case?
Even with a stunner like Lisa in his arms, no one dared to provoke him. Not even a snide comment.
Not a single chance to show off!
Veil sighed to himself.
"What good is all this power… if I can't even flex a little?"
"And this handsome face—what use is it if I can't use it to slap a few people with style?"
Lisa turned her head and rolled her eyes. "Do you have to be so shameless? You're literally just…"
She was about to say "You're literally just some guy with a powerful dad,"
but when she pictured Veil's smug face upon hearing that, she stopped herself, her pretty lips twitching. She just couldn't bring herself to give him that kind of 'praise.'
Just then, a voice called out from nearby.
"Young Master Lancaster! What an honor it is to see you here."
Visen approached with a female companion on his arm, trailed by a group of well-dressed socialites.
To the women of the venue, Don Weiss's Visen was already considered top-tier—his background alone put him miles ahead of the average rich kid.
After all, he hailed from Luxhaven's Don Weiss family. Even if he didn't inherit much, whatever slice of the empire he ended up with would still outclass the Veyport City elites.
Naturally, the socialites swarmed toward Visen.
But then they noticed how respectful he was being to Veil—so attentive, so eager—and curiosity bloomed.
"Who's this handsome man?" one of the women asked.
Visen gave a smooth smile as he tightened his arm around his date.
"This is Young Master Lancaster. We used to run in the same circles back in Luxhaven.
As for me, I've fallen from grace and ended up here in Veyport. But him?
He came here… for love."
Whoa.
He used to hang out with Visen in Luxhaven? That alone said a lot. His background had to be on par with the Don Weiss family—or even greater. And most importantly, he hadn't come here as a fallen heir.
He came for love.
What kind of perfect rom-com setup was this?
The socialites instantly shifted gears, seizing the opportunity to cozy up to Veil.
Never mind the background—for appearance alone, Veil was on a whole different level from Visen.
Even in a room full of elites, he stood out like a king among lords.
Rich, handsome, powerful.
With someone like Veil present, who would waste their time flattering Visen?
"Master Lancaster, there are so many historical landmarks here in Veyport! Would you like a tour sometime?"
"My apartment is right above one of the most famous local snack shops! You should totally drop by… and maybe stay for breakfast the next day?"
"You're so handsome, Master Lancaster! Do you have a girlfriend? Can we get to know each other? Mind sharing your contact?"
"Me too! I want your number, Master Lancaster!"
…
These socialites were what you'd call the vibe group—they existed to liven up events like this.
They might not have been the most noble-born young ladies, but their taste? Absolutely impeccable.
If you weren't hot and rich, they wouldn't even spare you a glance.
For Veil to be surrounded like this? That was serious status.
Visen, following behind, grinned and chimed in,
"Young Master Lancaster really is something else. You show up, and all the beauties in the room come flocking over."
Veil smiled with practiced ease. "I'm used to it. Happens all the time."
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, some of the women sneakily pinched him, and Veil wasn't about to back down either—his hands slipped out to pinch back in the dead angles of the crowd's gaze.
Lisa watched him with growing suspicion.
"Used to it? And how exactly did you get used to it?"
Veil glanced over and gave a light cough. "There was this one time I was chatting at a party… and suddenly everything went black."
A nearby socialite asked, shocked, "Low blood sugar?"
Veil shook his head. "Not quite. After three or four seconds, the light came back. Turned out a beautiful woman had shoved my face into her chest."
Lisa let out a cold snort. "Tch. Not afraid of suffocating, are you?"
The other socialites, unlike Lisa, weren't here to roast Veil. They were his devoted fans—soft-hearted sisters who only wanted to dote on their oppa.
One of them leaned in with concern.
"That's so reckless! You must've been traumatized. Did it leave a scar on your heart?"
Veil replied with a straight face,
"Not really. I mean… if it happened again, I wouldn't mind all that much."
"Pfft—hahaha! Master Lancaster, you're too funny!"
"You're so bad—but you really know how to make a girl laugh! Are you free tonight for a walk? Late-night strolls and ice cream make for the perfect summer combo!"
"Leave your number, okay? If you're into it, I wouldn't mind letting something like that happen a few more times."
One curvaceous socialite—slim-waisted yet built like one of the Murphy sisters—winked seductively.
Just then, Lisa grabbed his arm.
"Come on. I see someone I know—come with me."
She tugged Veil away from the crowd of flirty women, her mood visibly sour.
Once they broke free of the mob, the air finally felt less suffocating.
Veil couldn't help teasing, "What's wrong? Jealous your boyfriend's this popular with the ladies?"
"Ugh. Can you stop flattering yourself?" Lisa scoffed, her expression full of practiced disdain.
"I just didn't want you getting too close to that group. With your lack of self-control, it's only a matter of time before you catch something nasty."
Sure, those socialites looked elegant and well-mannered, dressed in designer brands and all.
But everyone knew—at these types of events, if there was chemistry, they'd be in a hotel by nightfall.
Clean or not? Who could say?
"So you do want to control me?" Veil arched a brow, eyes gleaming with amusement.
Lisa looked a little flustered under his gaze. "Who wants to control you? Can you not act so full of yourself?"
Veil lifted his arm—the one Lisa was tightly clinging to.
"Then why are you holding on so tight?"
"Who wants to hold on to you!" Lisa huffed and let go with a sharp twist.
Now free, Veil didn't even look back. He simply turned and walked toward the far corner of the room.
There, Jodie sat alone, dressed in sleek black stockings and an office-lady outfit, quietly nursing a drink. The picture of isolation in the middle of a roaring party.
"Veil, you bastard…"
Lisa glared at him, her chest tight with sourness.
Was he seriously leaving her behind to go flirt with some other woman?
Unbelievable!