Love Killer: Tricky But Seductive

In A City

It was a hot summer day. A slight breeze rustled through the leaves, dispersing the warm, sluggish air.

The beige curtains in the windows of Ling family villa swayed imperceptibly in the wind. Surrounded by a semicircle of birch and poplar trees, the magnificent villa looked like a forest castle in a fairytale. The villa had been cleverly designed for maximum privacy. There was a massive private garden leading up to it, and a swimming pool in the back. Well-kept lawns and courtyards of various shapes and sizes surrounded the main building, keeping it away from prying eyes. It was breathtakingly beautiful. This was Hillside Villa, the biggest villa district in A City. The villas in this exclusive district were worth hundreds of millions. Only the wealthiest families could afford to have a villa here.

In the garden, the magnificent rose bushes were in full bloom. Warmed by the summer sun, their enchanting fragrance filled every corner of the garden.

The water lilies in the garden pond nodded drowsily in the summer heat. There was someone in the garden: a tall, shapely woman, dressed in a beige French-style dress. Her long black hair hung over her shoulders like a velvet curtain. She had beautiful, slanted eyes. Her bangs, tastefully parted in the middle, framed her exquisite facial features. This was a woman who could pass for royalty.

There was a reddish tinge to her snowy white skin; she had been in the sun before moving into the shade of one of the birch trees.

She leaned against the tree as she casually leafed through the magazine in her hands. All of a sudden, her fingers stilled and her entire body stiffened. She stared at the photo in the magazine.

The light in her eyes dimmed. The man in the photo was her husband, but the woman beside him wasn't her.

A breeze blew into the garden, rustling the leaves. The pond rippled, and the water lilies danced like tiny floral fairies. It was a lovely sight.

"Sophia Su, what are you doing? Pull yourself together." the woman murmured to herself. Her voice was tinged with profound sorrow. Why couldn't she leave him? He was clearly unworthy of her. Why was it so difficult for her to steel her heart against her husband, Lucas Ling? In the two years leading to their marriage, she had never been able to stay angry with him for long.

"Lucas, you'd better be able to explain this." She sighed inwardly. It had been four months since she last saw him. Lucas Ling had stopped coming home the moment Rebecca Shen reappeared. The tabloids were full of photos of Lucas Ling and Rebecca Shen enjoying themselves together.

A small breeze stirred Sophia Su's velvet hair, and her thoughts drifted with the wind. Her beautiful eyes shone with unspoken emotion.

It was horribly unfair of him to leave her without an explanation. Why did he even marry her in the first place, if his love for her could be so easily replaced?

Sophia Su smiled bitterly at herself. She knew it was madness to continue to pine for her husband when the entire world knew he was cheating on her.

"Sophia." A gentle voice interrupted Sophia Su's thoughts. She looked up and saw Laura Ling, Lucas Ling's younger sister.

She was dressed in a pink blouse and beige jeans. Her curly hair had been gathered into a ponytail. She was pretty, and her tendency to wear brightly colored clothes meant that her presence always brightened the room.

"Oh, you're back." Sophia Su nodded at Laura Ling in greeting.

"Why are you in the garden? It's so hot out here." Laura Ling saw the magazine in her hands. The pretty smile on her face stiffened.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to get some fresh air." Sophia Su's tone was calm and indifferent.

"Sophia, listen..." Laura Ling trailed off uncertainly as she struggled to find the right words.

"You want to talk about this, right?" Sophia Su lifted the magazine as a small smile appeared on her beautiful face.

Laura Ling stared at her sister-in-law in open astonishment. Sophia Su was truly in a class of her own. Her husband had cheated on her. Most other women would have cried and threatened to kill themselves if their husbands cheated on them. But Sophia Su was evidently not like any of the other women. The news of her husband's infidelity didn't seem to bother her at all.

Sophia Su began to read from the magazine. "Rebecca Shen, 22 years old. Daughter of Dragon Group's leader. She was in a relationship with Lucas Ling, the CEO of Ling Group, five years ago. Three years ago, she vanished without a trace. Now she's back to pick up where she left behind and rekindle her relationship with Lucas." Sophia Su paused. "Why didn't you tell me I was just a substitute?"

"No, it's not like that. Rebecca's Rebecca, and you're you. My brother never thought of you as her substitute."

Sophia Su pointed at the picture of Rebecca Shen in the magazine. "We have the same eyes, don't we?" Laura Ling didn't know what to say. It wasn't just the eyes; Sophia Su had a certain aura around her that was just like Rebecca Shen's. In a strange twist of fate, Sophia Su had turned up in Lucas Ling's life right after Rebecca Shen disappeared. Lucas Ling had showered Sophia Su with love. But now that Rebecca Shen returned, he threw Sophia Su away without a second thought.

"It's not what you think. My brother will explain, I know he will. Even if you don't trust him, you can trust me on this. You believe me, don't you?" Laura Ling reached for Sophia Su's hand and clasped her hands around it reassuringly. It was a blazing hot day, but Sophia Su's hand was as cold as ice.

Sophia Su looked steadily at Laura Ling as she slowly shook her head. She wanted to believe, but she didn't know where to start. All the evidence told her that her husband was cheating on her. Sophia Su wished she could believe Laura Ling. Her husband's sister had always been good to her. She looked into Laura Ling's eyes. They reminded her of her husband's: dark and cold.

"It's okay, you don't have to try to comfort me. It's my marriage. I know what's going on better than anyone else."

"I just wish you'd give my brother the benefit of the doubt. Everyone can see that he loves you very much." Laura Ling wasn't exaggerating. She had never seen her brother care for anyone as much as he had cared for Sophia Su. She was very close with her brother, but he had never treated her with the love and tenderness he reserved for Sophia Su. As for Rebecca Shen, Laura Ling knew that her brother had been just as cold and aloof with her five years ago. Back then, Laura Ling had been convinced that her brother's icy heart would never melt. He would never learn how to be gentle with someone.

But she had been proven wrong. The moment Sophia Su entered her brother's life, he had been unable to keep himself from showering her with love and affection. He had spared no expense for their wedding. The extravagant event was so spectacular it had been branded "The Fairy-tale Wedding of the Century," and news of it trended on social media for weeks. Laura Ling bit her lip as she recalled her brother's determination to give Sophia Su the perfect wedding. He would have given her the world if she had asked for it. That was love, wasn't it?

"It's fine, let's drop this. I need some time to think. I'm going to stay here for a little longer, but you should get out of the sun. We'll have dinner together later, okay? I'll whip up something delicious for you." Sophia Su smiled warmly.

"Okay." Laura Ling sighed. She wished Sophia Su would stop smiling for once and be honest with herself.

Laura Ling turned to go, but before she entered the villa she stopped to look at Sophia Su again. Sophia Su's back looked lonely and frail. Laura Ling's heart sank. She could tell that Sophia Su was suffering inside, despite all her attempts to appear indifferent on the outside. Laura Ling could only hope that her brother would return to his senses soon.