Valerie Ashford, a 21-year-old girl, was fed up with her monotonous and restricted life. She was under constant surveillance, even though she was home most of the day.

She didn't have any friends, her internet usage was limited to a daily quota, she attended informal schooling, and she had never been able to see the outside world, despite begging her father desperately.

They wouldn't let her leave the mansion because she was the last descendant of the Ashford family, who had been hidden for a long time.

Today, the Ashford family was having a business meeting at the big house, and people started showing up one by one. They were all curious about the invite to tonight's party.

Valerie was sitting in the back garden, lost in thought, when she was slightly startled by the arrival of Jason, her personal valet.

"Hey, Miss, Mr. Nolan's back," Jason said.

"You mean my dad? Has Father come home?" Valerie's eyes were fixed on Jason, and they conveyed hope.

The man nodded. "He just got here. He's waiting for you in the main hall."

Jason reached out his hand to Valerie and helped her to her feet. "Be careful, Miss."

"Thanks, Jason," Valerie whispered.

Valerie immediately ran to meet her father. She hurried down the corridor towards the main hall without a second thought, paying no attention to the floor beneath her feet.

As soon as she got to the hall, her grandma let out a little gasp when she saw Valerie running towards Nolan—her dad—but she almost fell over after bumping into a tall guy.

"Valerie!" Valerie's mom let out a quiet cry.

Nolan let out a sigh of relief, but he felt a bit embarrassed by Valerie's risky behavior in front of his guests who had already arrived.

Nolan figured his wife had forgotten to tell Valerie about the event happening right then.

Meanwhile, Valerie flinched, she would have fallen if the man she bumped into hadn't caught her by the waist. Those piercing black eyes seemed to bore into Valerie's emerald ones, this was the first time Valerie had met a stranger, apart from the family and servants in this grand house.

Valerie blinked a few times, they'd been in that position for quite a while.

The stranger supporting Valerie had black hair styled in a quiff and a good-looking face. A smirk appeared on that handsome face, and Valerie immediately moved to break free from his embrace.

"I'm sorry..." The girl apologized nicely before talking to her dad.

Nolan gave the guest Valerie had just bumped into a slight smile, and the man just nodded, as if he was tolerating what the last of the Ashford family had done.

"Why were you running like that? You're acting like a child, Valerie!" Nolan muttered, a little irritated, once the girl was with him.

Valerie just gave a soft snort and said, "I was excited because Dad's home, but it seems he's not too thrilled to see me."

Valerie then slowly lifted her head, still shy. Her eyes caught sight of the handsome man who had just supported her body so she wouldn't hit the floor.

His gaze was cold, but when their eyes met again, Valerie could see that he was giving her a smirk that made her shiver.

"It looks like the Ashford family has a new member." The handsome guy spoke to Nolan in a casual tone, and his gaze softened, but he still had a lot of charisma.

Valerie was a bit surprised by the man's voice, which sounded more like a guy. She noticed a big difference between how he looked at her and how he spoke to Nolan.

Valerie felt like she was looking at someone completely different from the person who had just smiled at her.

Nolan took a deep breath, and the man seemed like he wasn't ready to talk, but eventually his lips parted, "She's my only daughter, Valerie Ashford."

The guy looked a little surprised, but for some reason Valerie felt like he was putting on an act. She could see that he was acting, and he seemed to be doing it on purpose. But every time their eyes met, Valerie's heart would suddenly race. She felt nervous and also afraid for no reason.

"You're amazing, I'm sure a lot of people don't know about your daughter. Just wanted to let you know that the heir to the Ashford family is actually a woman," the handsome man said. "I'm pretty sure your talent is going to be passed down to her."

"Thanks, Mr. Morvane," Nolan replied.

"Hey, sweetheart, I'm Rovano Morvane." The man reached out his hand to Valerie. His tone was flat, but his face was totally—evil.

Valerie had no choice but to shake his hand, and right away, she could feel a shiver run through her body, her heart was beating faster than usual.

It was like she'd been shocked by an electric current. Then the man's intense gaze and his smirk left Valerie frozen.

Rovano Morvane—Valerie never thought that name would make her feel so confused.

What was she feeling just now? Rovano kept looking at her, and Valerie felt like she was being stripped bare by his stare. It made her feel a bit uneasy.

Nolan thought it was weird that Rovano had been staring at his daughter ever since they got there. The event wasn't supposed to start for another hour, but this guest was especially on time. He and a few other guests had arrived early.

"I didn't know you'd be coming early, so nothing's ready yet, the event doesn't start for another hour," Nolan said to Rovano, who was staring intently at Valerie.

Valerie, who had accidentally returned Rovano's gaze, made Nolan's paternal instincts flare up like a raging fire.

Rovano let out a little breath, a smile starting to spread across his face as he started to look friendly. He was thinking about Valerie, who had caught his eye.

Rovano looked back at Nolan and said, "Oh, I'm always like this, Mr. Ashford. This is especially true when it comes to my potential business partners. Discipline makes for a good first impression."

"I wasn't just guessing. The Morvane family sent their eldest son here. Where on earth is Jordan?" Nolan asked.

Rovano shot a quick look at Valerie, then back at Nolan, and said, "He's in Paris, there's some business from my mother's hospital."

"I've got another idea, on top of the inter-company business," Rovano told Nolan.

"What's up, Mr. Morvane?" Nolan asked casually.

Rovano looked at Valerie, and Nolan immediately followed suit. "I want her."

"Pardon?" Nolan was a bit surprised, Rovano's words had caused a big misunderstanding.

"I want your daughter," Rovano said in a clear and firm voice.

Rovano's demand made Valerie's heart beat faster, especially when he pointed at her without feeling any shame. Valerie grabbed her dress and then just walked out of the hall.

Nolan had already turned him down, and Valerie didn't like Rovano for saying in front of everyone that he liked her, even though they'd just met.

Valerie shook her head. Meeting strangers was terrifying. It wasn't at all like what she'd seen in the movies. Was this why she wasn't allowed to leave the mansion?

"He's a madman, absolutely terrifying!" Valerie muttered under her breath.

The girl kept going to the back garden, where she usually went to be alone. Her dad had finished introducing her to all the guests after their conversation with Rovano Morvane.

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she felt someone standing right behind her. Valerie took a deep breath, her throat felt dry, and the air around her felt heavy.

Valerie slowly turned around. There was a tall figure in a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, and a black tuxedo hanging casually over his broad shoulders.

With his muscular hands tucked into his trouser pockets, any girl would surely be captivated by such a handsome man striking such a cool pose.

But Valerie was terrified when she saw him.

She felt a cold sweat trickling down her temples, and her hands suddenly started trembling. Valerie didn't realize how bad her body was shaking.

Tap, tap, tap.

Rovano walked slowly, and with every step, Valerie's heartbeat seemed to speed up.

He was now even closer, just a step away from Valerie, he towered over her, standing before the girl who had just risen from her seat.

The man standing in front of her was tall but looked relaxed. He was staring at Valerie with his eyes, and a smug look was clearly visible on his handsome face.

Valerie tilted her head back to look at Rovano, who was now bending down slightly to look at her face. The difference in their heights made Valerie feel even more intimidated.

Rovano's face got closer all of a sudden, and his eyes were on Valerie's. The girl was having a hard time breathing and took a step back to steady herself, feeling like she was being trapped.

She tried to break free from Rovano, but his gaze kept her rooted to the spot.

Their foreheads were almost touching, and Valerie lost the nerve to speak. She could only feel her throat going dry, even swallowing was difficult for her.

"Do you know... Raven?" Rovano asked quietly.

His voice was so soft that only Valerie could hear it, as she felt the warmth of Rovano's breath on her face, making her chest feel tight.

She needed some room, but Rovano kept her eyes on her, which made Valerie's body go stiff too.

"H-hah?" the girl stammered.

"Raven," Rovano repeated, giving a quick smile that felt more like a sly grin.

Valerie blinked, she was frightened and confused by what Rovano was doing right now. The guy was being a jerk to her.

"R-raven?" Valerie finally said something, but it was barely audible. "A black bird of prey?" she asked.

Rovano's got a sly grin on his face again. "That's right."

Valerie was able to swallow and breathe a little more calmly as Rovano created a bit of space between their faces, which had been almost touching moments before.

"A raven usually chooses its prey," Rovano whispered again, "to survive."

His right hand went up and touched her left cheek, and her eyes opened really wide with surprise. Rovano was teasing her with his touch.

"And that raven has found his prey."

Valerie watched Rovano's finger as it slowly moved down to her chin, touching it from below, which made her tilt her head back even more.

They looked at each other for a while.

"I've got you, Valerie," Rovano said again, his voice barely a whisper, his face drawing closer still, spontaneously.

The girl took a step back, but her feet were still held fast by the chair behind her.

Valerie couldn't remember what happened after that. She closed her eyes because she was so afraid she couldn't move. Her fists were clenched to stop the shaking.

Something soft brushed against her full, pale pink lips, making them slightly damp, and something forced its way into her mouth. Unfortunately, her body was completely stiff.

Her heart was beating so fast that her blood was rushing through her veins.

That hand pressed against the back of Valerie's neck finally caused her body to go limp and give in. Her hands, which had been trembling and clenched, now opened and touched the broad chest of the man who was now kissing her.

She came to, and sure enough, Rovano was kissing her. Valerie's hands fought back, pushing the man away with all her might.

"Ah!" Valerie let out a scream because she felt something pierce her neck.

Valerie felt her head buzzing, and slowly her vision blurred until she was hit with total darkness, and her body went limp.

She took a few steps back, losing her balance, and then Rovano caught her right away.

Valerie Ashford is out cold, all wrapped up in Rovano Morvane's arms.

A drugging kiss? No, that wasn't what made Valerie pass out.

Rovano had injected a sedative into Valerie's neck using a small syringe that the girl hadn't noticed at all. She only felt it once it was withdrawn.

Rovano had hypnotized her to close her eyes and feel his kiss.

There was nobody in the back garden except for Rovano, Valerie, and two of Rovano's bodyguards who had just shown up. Rovano's plan was really well put together, wasn't it?

"Take him to my car ASAP, and do it without anyone noticing, and you..." Rovano pointed to one of his bodyguards. "Distract them and deal with the security CCTV. Do everything exactly as planned; don't leave any room for doubt."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and give them a big surprise."

In the middle of the business party, they didn't notice a small scream signaling a loss. Rovano casually strode over and joined the group again.

His target was already within his reach.

Nolan, will you remain so arrogant? Valerie is mine now.

Nolan and Mrs. Ashford—Natasha—finally got to relax on the living room sofa. Discussing business and introducing Valerie had been quite exhausting that day, even though the person they'd introduced hadn't been around for the whole event.

"I haven't seen Valerie since she slipped away when she met that Morvane. Where has she gone?" Nolan asked his wife, rubbing his temples as he felt a little dizzy.

"Last I saw her, she was on her way to the back garden," Natasha replied.

Nolan let out a deep sigh. "Let's check her room. She hasn't even opened my present, even though today is her birthday. Has she forgotten?" He pointed to a wrapped gift on the table.

"Weren't you with her all day? You were showing Valerie off to the guests like she was some kind of exhibit," Nolan's dad, Jaden Ashford, said.

Nolan let out another sigh, he hadn't even noticed when Valerie had slipped out of his sight because there were so many guests.

"I'll check on her. Natasha, you need to rest. You've been busy all day getting everything ready," Nolan's mom said. She had also joined them.

Nolan's mom went upstairs first, and Nolan stood still for a second, looking at his dad, who still looked angry.

"NOLAN! NOLAN!"

Everyone in the mansion immediately started heading towards the noise, and Nolan's mom was screaming bloody murder.

Nolan panicked when he saw his mom kneeling at the doorway to his daughter's room, sobbing uncontrollably.

"What's wrong, Mom? Chill out..."

"Valerie's been kidnapped!"

Nolan saw that Valerie's room was a total mess and completely unrecognizable. How could this have happened when security at their home was so tight?

He stepped into Valerie's room, which looked like a shipwreck, and saw a message written in lipstick on the mirror.

‘MY PREY.’

Nolan almost lost his balance. Some of his staff showed up, including security, and they were shocked at how messed up Valerie's room was.

Natasha hurried up from the bottom to the top floor, giving Nolan a big hug. She was amazed by Valerie's room.

"How could this have happened?!" Her voice boomed, sounding desperate.

Who had kidnapped her? Who knew about his daughter? He'd only just introduced his daughter to his business associates that day, all the guests were within his reach.

No one had left the main hall, which was being closely monitored. Even during dinner, all his guests were still there.

Nolan remembered every detail. He tried to think clearly and look for any overlooked clues.

Could it be Rovano Morvane? He was rejected, so he might've done it out of spite. No way! Nolan couldn't just make accusations, but he had to find his daughter right away, wherever she was. He had to check every single guest.

Right now, the main suspect is Rovano, who's been acting weirdly, but Nolan can't jump to any conclusions either.

"FIND MY DAUGHTER!"

"Sir!" A guy shouted from far away. He was on the CCTV control room team.

"Hey, just a heads-up, all the CCTV access has been hacked! We can't check anything! Everything's gone! Including the recordings from the past few days."

That night, heart-wrenching sobs could be heard from Ashford Mansion, and everyone in the building was in panic mode. Nolan tried to keep his family calm, Valerie was the jewel of the family, but there was a big secret too.

...****************...

The wind was so strong it made the window curtains billow, and the sun was about to rise. Rovano stood at the edge of the balcony railing, took a few deep breaths, and then went into a room.

He was currently staying in a fancy house near the coast—maybe in Langholmen? Yeah, Rovano was in Stockholm, Sweden.

It had taken nearly eight hours to fly directly here from Boston since last night. That was the fastest flight he'd picked.

The man even gave Valerie a little bit of a sedative so she wouldn't wake up during the trip.

He'd had a bunch of business ventures in this city for the past two years, so Rovano could come here whenever he wanted without worrying about his business back home.

If there's a meeting? He just video calls; unless there's something urgent, he can't stay in Europe for long because he's here to have fun while running a small business.

Rovano climbed onto the bed, taking his time since he wasn't alone.

There was a girl who was fast asleep, even though the effects of the sedative might have worn off half an hour ago.

He successfully abducted Valerie Ashford, the target.

When did he start going after women? This was the first time, especially since finding out about the Ashford family. As it turns out, they were right. They had been hiding a girl this beautiful.

Just like he remembered from over 10 years ago when he first visited the Ashford Mansion, there was a young girl he'd seen, and she'd always haunted him.

Rovano felt like something was off. But seeing the girl next to him drove Rovano mad; he wanted to devour her immediately, carving wounds and gashes with his trusty little knife.

Her skin was so smooth and unmarked, Rovano was dying to see her cry as she was covered in blood.

This psychopath was truly out of control, his mental illness was hard to treat.

Rovano was lying next to Valerie, his back to her. His hands were itching, but he wasn't going to do anything because he was still thinking about a few things.

Up until now, he had always tortured men of his own age. No matter who they were, once he got what he was going for, if any of them died from it, he'd have someone get rid of the body. If they made it through, he'd bribe them with cash and let them go once they got the medical care they needed.

Simple. He didn't have any long-term plans, at most, he'd keep his victims locked up for about four days.

But with this one, how many days? Rovano couldn't stop thinking about whether to torture her or not.

The girl was on the verge of tears at the slightest touch, and that instantly satisfied his desire, so there was no need to torture her until she bled, was there?

Rovano cursed again; he'd never been interested in women in his entire life. The men were pretty similar too. The thing is, he'd never really thought about love or any of that silly stuff.

He heard a faint sound, and Rovano also felt the mattress shift a bit. Had Valerie woken up? Rovano decided to stay put and close his eyes, he was curious to see how the girl would react.

"Hmmm..."

Valerie opened her eyes slowly and blinked; she gathered her wits completely, as her head was still a little dizzy.

She looked up at the ceiling, where she had woken up, and realized something, this wasn't her room.

She looked at the plain white blanket covering her body up to her chest. This wasn't her blanket.

This wasn't her pillow or her bed, and then she turned her head to the side where Rovano was lying with his eyes closed.

"R-Rovano?! Where am I?!"