Chapter 22

Chapter 22 : First Kiss

...

The painful sobs echoed softly, her hollow gaze fixed on the graves of her father and mother. Beside them lay the graves of her grandfather and grandmother.

They were all resting in the same place… leaving Luna all alone in this world.

“How long, Mom? How long do I have to go through all of this?”

“I was so scared earlier… they called me a lowly woman, even though to you and Dad, I was your most precious daughter, right?”

“How can they so easily look down on others, just because they have so much wealth?!”

“And what hurts me the most today… is that man was smiling. He wasn’t bothered at all.”

“The man who is now my husband… a stranger who bought me and treats me like an object!”

“I shouldn’t expect him to defend me… but for some reason… I hoped he would, even just a little.”

“Is it because he’s already my husband? That means he’s the only family I have now… and without realizing it, I started wanting to be cared for and protected.”

“Even though I’m not supposed to feel that… this marriage is just an act… just part of my dark fate.”

“Ahhh… I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. I’m confused… why do I have to go through all this? It’s like the universe is determined to drag me into the darkest place.”

Luna curled up as she cried at her family’s graves, still wearing her magnificent wedding dress.

She didn’t know where else to pour all this pain—this silent grave was the only place she could go, even though it would never answer her.

Tick… tick…

As she sobbed, light raindrops slowly began to fall, soaking the earth—as if adding to Luna’s already dark suffering.

“Look at this… it suddenly starts raining? Is my life really nothing but misfortune? How annoying!” Luna shouted at the sky, tilting her head up as she clenched her fists tightly.

She loosened her hair and wiped away the makeup on her face.

Then she stayed there for a long time, letting the rain drench her as she drowned in her chaotic thoughts.

After a while, Luna felt like she had poured out enough of her feelings. If she stayed in the rain any longer, she might get sick, so she decided to leave.

“Dad… Mom…”

“Grandpa, Grandma…”

“I’m going home now… maybe I’ll come here often. I miss you.”

Still sniffling, Luna turned to leave, but as she took a step forward, she suddenly stopped.

Not far ahead, at another grave, stood a man holding a black umbrella.

Luna’s eyes widened in embarrassment... 'Did he hear me shouting? Was he standing there because I disturbed him?'

'Why is he smiling at me like that?'

She forced a stiff smile in return, then started walking toward her car parked some distance away.

But before she could go far, the mysterious man quickly stepped forward and held the umbrella over her.

“Did your groom run away? This is the first time I’ve seen a bride, fully dressed, crying at her family’s grave…”

The man asked something incredibly insensitive; something no stranger should ask.

“Huh?” Luna frowned slightly and lifted her gaze to the umbrella now shielding her from the rain.

“Umm…”

“I’m sorry, but I need to go home now. If my shouting disturbed you, I apologize. Excuse me…” Luna ignored the strange question, only wanting to leave this oddly persistent man.

As she was about to walk past him, the man grabbed her hand and placed the black umbrella into her grasp.

“I wasn’t disturbed by your crying. Though I was curious about what you were saying; I couldn’t hear you clearly…”

“I was just… amazed. I didn’t expect to meet someone as beautiful as you while visiting my grandfather’s grave. So I thought I should greet you… and ask your name.”

The tall, handsome man spoke confidently, completely ignoring the situation as he kept throwing questions at her—even though it was obvious Luna was uncomfortable.

“Umm, please let go of me.”

“And I don’t need your umbrella. I’m already soaked anyway.” Luna still tried to leave without answering any of his questions.

The man smiled and finally released her hand... “My apologies… at least tell me your name, may I?”

Hearing that, Luna let out a heavy sigh. It seemed she had no choice but to answer... If she didn’t, this strange man might keep following her.

“I’m Luna… well then…” She gave a stiff smile, lowered her head slightly, and quickly walked away.

The man stood there, smiling as he watched Luna leave in her now dirt-stained wedding dress.

“She’s incredibly beautiful… who would’ve thought that right after returning from England, I’d meet someone like her…”

“I’ll take this as fate. Maybe fate brought us together because we’re meant for each other.”

He spoke softly, already planning to find out more about the beautiful woman named Luna, then he turned toward his grandfather’s grave and smiled.

“Grandpa… I think I just experienced love at first sight.”

“She’s really beautiful, right?” He said with excitement.

The tall, handsome man was named Felix Warren. He had returned to his grandparents’ homeland to open a new branch of his company in this country.

...

At the same time, elsewhere,

Matthias was also visiting his mother’s grave; the mother who had endured so much pain for his sake.

Matthias would never forget his mother, even if the entire world including his father had chosen to forget her, acting as if she had never existed.

He stood there in silence for a long time. Not a single word left his lips. The silence itself reflected both his anger and his pain.

But Matthias knew his steps would not stop here. There were still many things he had to do.

“I’ll come visit again later, Mom. Watch me… I’ll repay everything. I won’t stop until they feel the same pain you did.”

Matthias then turned away. His mens quickly held a black umbrella over him, and they returned to the car.

He was quite tired today. He wanted to rest as soon as possible. With the rain falling like this, he wanted to restore his strength so he could be in better condition for work on Monday.

When Matthias arrived at the mansion, the first thing he did was ask about Luna.

“Where is Luna? Has she come home yet?”

The question made the servants exchange confused looks, because Luna had not returned at all.

“Not yet, Sir. She hasn’t come home…”

The answer made Matthias turn toward the large glass window, where the rain was still pouring heavily.

“Where is she? Is she still at the building? Or… is she trying to run away?”

Negative thoughts immediately filled his mind. He pulled out his phone and called the personal driver who was supposed to bring Luna home.

“Ring… Ring… Ring!”

“Hello? Why haven’t you brought Luna home yet?” His voice was firm and pressing, making the driver who had been waiting in the car tense up.

Luna hadn’t allowed him to stay close. She said she wanted to speak privately at her parents’ grave, so he had no choice but to wait.

“I’m sorry, Sir. Miss Luna is still at her parents’ grave. She asked me to wait in the car.”

The answer made Matthias fall silent. He let out a heavy breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

For some reason, he had been afraid that Luna might actually run away. He didn’t want that to happen.

“Go to her immediately and bring her home now!”

Matthias ordered, feeling slightly relieved but still worried. It was raining heavily outside; if she stayed in the rain too long, she could get sick.

At that moment, the driver saw Luna running toward the car.

“Sir, Miss Luna is back. We’re heading home now.”

That reply made Matthias feel even more relieved. He then headed to his room, waiting for Luna to return.

...

After some time…

Luna finally arrived at the mansion, drenched from head to toe, her wedding dress already dirty.

She hurried toward her room, forgetting that she was supposed to share a room with her husband now.

“My head is starting to hurt from crying so much…”

“I need to shower and sleep right away!”

Luna muttered as she took off the dress and rushed into the bathroom. She soaked herself in the warm bathtub, letting the heat soothe her body.

Meanwhile, on her husband’s side, Matthias sat on the sofa, his fingers tapping restlessly against the table because Luna still hadn’t come to him.

“Why aren’t they here yet? Did something happen on the way?”

“Damn it! I can’t calm down!”

He immediately pressed the button to connect to the servants downstairs. If they said Luna hadn’t arrived, he would go out himself and bring his wife home.

But when he asked, the servant told him that his wife had already returned.

“Huh? Then why hasn’t she come to the room?”

“Don’t tell me she went back to her old room! Damn it!” Matthias clicked his tongue and walked toward the room not far from his own.

When he opened the door, the first thing he saw was the soaked wedding dress lying on the floor.

Luna wasn’t on the bed, which meant there was only one place she could be—the bathroom.

“Hmmm…” Matthias smirked faintly, then opened the bathroom door.

There, he saw Luna lying still in the bathtub, her eyes closed.

Matthias’s eyes widened, his heart pounding violently. He thought something had happened to her; she looked like she had fainted.

A dark and painful memory resurfaced the moment he saw her like that. He remembered his mother in a miserable state, and it made him panic, his body trembling.

“LUNA!” Matthias shouted as he rushed forward, about to lift her and take her to the hospital immediately.

But before he could do that, his voice startled Luna awake.

“Gosh! AHHH!”

“What are you doing here, Sir?!” Luna immediately covered her upper body when she saw Matthias standing so close.

Seeing her awake, Matthias let out a breath of relief. The sudden fear that had gripped him just now had truly shaken him.

Still shaken, he clenched his fist and glared at her sharply.

“Why were you sleeping in the bathtub? I thought you fainted!” Matthias snapped, angry that someone could fall asleep in a bathtub.

Luna, who was already upset and hurt, could no longer hold back her feelings. She clenched her hands tightly and glared back at him.

“Why do you care whether I faint or not…?”

“To you, I’m just a wife to be used—just an object to be thrown away once you’re done with it!”

“And stop yelling at me like I’ve done something wrong! Is taking a bath and resting for a while in the bathtub also a mistake to you?!”

Luna shouted back without realizing that she had just raised her voice at someone she absolutely shouldn’t have.

A few seconds later, she froze and pressed her lips together.

‘I’m dead… He clearly hates it when people raise their voice at him!’ Luna complained inwardly, immediately lowering her head in fear that she had angered him.

And just as expected...

Matthias, whose worst memories had just been stirred, clenched his hands tightly. He stepped forward quickly, climbed into the bathtub, and sat at its edge.

Then he grabbed Luna’s chin... He lifted her face so they were staring at each other from an extremely close distance.

“THUMP!”

At that moment, Luna could see it clearly... Matthias’s gaze was different this time.

His eyes were sharp… and dark at the same time, as if deep within them, there was an overwhelming hatred and anger buried inside.

Matthias didn’t say anything. His breathing turned ragged, his jaw clenched tightly. He didn’t know what he was feeling, but…

‘What’s going on? Is he really that angry just because I talked back to him?’

‘It feels like he’s actually going to k i l l me!’

‘This is the scariest look I’ve ever seen from him!’

Luna screamed inside her mind, fear gripping her completely at Matthias’s unreadable behavior.

Matthias swallowed hard, his gaze fixed intensely on Luna’s lips... “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I should’ve never cared whether you live or die… whether you’re hurt or suffering!”

“But somehow, in just a few days, all of this exploded inside me!”

“Something I don’t recognize… something that makes me lose focus and become impatient all the time.”

“Luna… you make me angry for giving me this feeling of fear… a feeling that should never exist inside me!” Matthias whispered as he pushed Luna back until she was pressed against the edge of the bathtub.

Luna didn’t understand what he was talking about, but...

With overwhelming force, Matthias crushed his lips against hers.

It was their first kiss, and it felt intense; filled with obsession and terrifying pressure.

“Hmmppp!” Luna tried to push him away, but his strength was far too much. The kiss she never expected came fiercely and uncontrollably.

“Ah!” Because Matthias pushed her so hard, Luna almost slipped underwater, but he quickly realized and grabbed her waist, lifting her up.

She clung to him like a koala to avoid falling, while at the same time his lips continued to dominate hers; the lips he had wanted since the beginning.

“Hmmppp!” Luna was almost out of breath. Matthias showed no sign of stopping.

He carried her to the bed and laid her down.

His breathing was heavy as he removed his own clothes, his gaze sharp and full of obsession.

He grabbed both of Luna’s hands, pinned her down, and kissed her fiercely again.

“Ahhh!”

“Sir, what’s wrong with you?”

“Are you angry because I raised my voice at you earlier?”

“I was wrong, I’m sorry, so please stop this…” Luna could feel that Matthias was wilder than usual, and it terrified her.

“Be quiet! This is your punishment for making me like this!”

“From the beginning, you gave me strange feelings I don’t understand… and now I even feel fear. It’s irritating!” Matthias growled and continued.

His touch was dominant, filled with burning desire.

“Ah, slower!”

“What’s wrong with you? What did I even do?”

Luna still tried to push him away, unable to understand what she had done. All she knew was that her husband had turned into a wild beast.

“HH!” Matthias’s breathing was heavy, his sharp eyes staring at his wife’s face; the face so beautiful that even her sad expression made his chest ache, a feeling that drove him insane and uncomfortable.

“Baby…” Matthias hovered above her, his sharp blue eyes locking deeply into Luna’s gem-like hazel eyes.

“Huh?” Luna frowned, still trying to cover her body with her small hands.

But the moment she met his gaze...

THUMP

Her heart pounded violently. Her eyes fluttered as she tried to look away. In front of her, her husband looked incredibly handsome, his sharp gaze and burning desire overwhelming her.

But Matthias didn’t allow her to look away.

Quickly, one hand caught her chin, his thumb brushing over her lips in a teasing, almost wicked way.

“Look at how you’ve driven me crazy, baby. You have to take responsibility for making me feel all these strange things!”

“You’ve made me lose my mind, wife,” Matthias whispered as he slowly leaned in, then hungrily captured her lips again; the lips he had been craving so much it nearly drove him insane.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

“Hmmppp…” Luna held her breath, her eyes wide as her heartbeat spiraled out of control.

She knew she should push him away, but her body felt like it was melting. His kiss made her want more.

“Ahh…”

“What is this…?”

Luna whispered faintly, feeling as if she were drunk. The kiss was too intense, too hot as Matthias’s tongue explored her mouth completely.

He devoured her lips greedily yet gently at the same time, making Luna lose her senses entirely.

Then, in the midst of that heated kiss, Matthias squeezed his wife’s full breasts, the soft flesh fitting perfectly in his hands.

His hand then grabbed Luna’s and guided it to his already hard, thick length…

“Hk!” Luna gasped when she felt it, her eyes widening as she locked gazes with him, making everything even more heated.

“So big… why is it even bigger than before?”

“I might faint if that goes inside me… are you really that angry at me that you have to punish me like this?” Luna whispered in panic, trying to push him away again, but Matthias only let out a low, wicked chuckle.

He bit his lower lip, then kissed her lips once more before whispering close to her...

“It won’t hurt, baby… because you’re so wet right now… your body is too sensitive to my touch…”

“And the reason I’m this hard is because of you… so you have to take responsibility, wife…”

“Your punishment is just beginning…”

Matthias whispered, kissing Luna’s cheek, then one of his hands lifted her thigh and...

“Uh…”

Something hard and large brushed against her down there, the sensation so overwhelming that Luna couldn’t control her moan.

“Sshhh…”

“Feel every movement… look at my eyes and see how crazy I am because of you, baby,” Matthias whispered close to her.

His hot breath drove Luna to the edge.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The pleasure overwhelmed her, making her feel like she might faint. She moaned helplessly, looking into Matthias’s eyes, which only drove him even crazier.

And then...

“Ah…”

“Hnh!”

Matthias’s cock pushed inside her, slow but firm, as if breaking through something soft and wet.

The sensation made Luna hold back a cry, her body arching as Matthias gently embraced her, burying himself inside her for a moment.

Then he began to move again, playfully yet relentlessly.

That intense, heated punishment started all over again; and Luna was completely powerless against him…

...

At the same time, as the two were entangled on the bed, a servant approached Matthias’s room to deliver a warm drink.

Earlier, Matthias had asked for it to be prepared for Luna.

Knock… knock… knock…

“Your warm drink, Sir…”

The servant tried to open the door, but when it opened, no one was inside.

Thinking quickly—though unnecessarily—the servant assumed that Matthias and Luna must be in Luna’s room, so she went there instead.

But the moment she reached the door, her face turned bright red.

The door was slightly open, and from inside, Luna’s cries and Matthias’s low growls could clearly be heard.

“Huh…”

"Uhm!”

“Let me rest! I’m tired! Let me go!”

Luna’s voice came out in soft, breathy cries; but of course, her resistance was useless.

“You won’t be able to escape from me; especially not today. I’ll punish you all day long.” Matthias growled, continuing that heated act with full obsession.

The servant, who had acc

identally heard everything, felt like her head was about to explode.

Still frozen in place, she slowly pulled the door shut, closing it tightly so no one else could hear.

Then she ran away as fast as possible.

“I didn’t hear anything!”

“I didn’t hear anything!”

She kept repeating those words like a mantra, because she had never imagined Matthias De Grayson could be like that with his wife.

....

After some time…

Matthias had truly taken Luna for hours, until she had no energy left and lay limply on the bed.

At that moment, Matthias wanted to start again, but he held himself back. If he continued, his wife might actually faint.

He lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, still thinking about what had just happened—why he had been afraid Luna would run away, why he had been afraid she would get hurt.

Then he turned his head to the side, where Luna lay weak because of him.

That strong hand gently brushed Luna’s still-damp hair as he spoke, his gaze sharp as he looked at her.

“Listen, Luna, you are my wife!”

“I don’t know what I’m feeling, but I hope this is only temporary. As long as you are by my side and remain my wife, you are not allowed to cheat!”

“If you try to cheat, I will destroy you—and I mean it!”

“The one thing I cannot tolerate is betrayal! And I don’t care who betrays me, I will get rid of that person… including you!”

Once again, Matthias didn’t realize that every word he spoke carried a threat.

Luna didn’t respond. She simply stayed silent, letting herself rest. She didn’t have the strength to reply to her husband.

At that moment, Matthias covered her body with a blanket and carried her into his room.

He brought Luna to bathe with him again, but this time he truly didn’t do anything else, because he didn’t want her to faint from exhaustion.

He held his wife in the bathtub, his eyes sharp as usual—something was growing inside his heart.

That kiss earlier… he would never be able to forget it.

The most intense kiss he had ever experienced in his life.

After bathing, the two of them rested on the bed, closing their eyes and forgetting all their problems for a while.

...

At the same time,

Valery was still in shock. She had been crying all day.

She had already ordered someone to investigate everything about that woman.

Valery swore she would get rid of her. She would take her place as Matthias’s only wife.

While she was still crying, she finally received all the information about that woman.

“Luna…”

“So you’ve even been in prison for such a horrifying case… what makes you worthy of standing beside Matthias?!”

“You disgusting woman! You don’t deserve to be by his side at all!”

“Just wait and see what happens to you. You chose the wrong opponent by stealing my man! I won’t accept this!”

Valery clenched her fists tightly.

She would use her power, her connections, and her money to destroy Luna.

Even eliminate her… just to be with Matthias again.

She didn’t realize that her chance had already been lost the moment she made that fatal mistake in the past.

Since Matthias humiliated the Glare family, Luna’s life had truly become unsafe.

Becoming Matthias’s partner meant becoming an easy target to be destroyed.

...

Time passed, and when Luna woke up, night had already fallen, and her stomach was growling.

She was starving because she hadn’t had the chance to eat lunch—because of her husband.

She got up and saw Matthias still asleep.

At a moment like this, she really wanted to yank his hair—but she didn’t want to take the risk.

“Hmmm…”

“Why do you feel so mysterious? When you were angry earlier, it didn’t feel like that anger was directed at me… but at something else.”

“Does someone like you even have wounds? That’s impossible, right? You’re too powerful and have everything—you couldn’t possibly feel pain like I do.”

“Well… even so, when you’re sleeping like this, you look so handsome and peaceful… so different from the monster who devoured me earlier.”

Luna whispered and grumbled under her breath, as if scolding him while she had the chance.

The only time she could complain like this… was when Matthias was still asleep.

After saying everything she wanted to say, Luna tried to slip out of Matthias’s embrace to go eat, but...

Matthias suddenly pulled her back into his arms, pinning her beneath him.

His eyes were already fully open, staring straight into Luna’s wide eyes.

“So… you were thinking about pulling my hair, huh?” Matthias whispered.

Luna immediately shook her head, her eyes turning pitiful, afraid that her words would make her husband angry again…

...