Is this destiny?

In the car, about ten minutes away from the Long property…

Merve and Corey are in the back seat of a black Maybach.

Both of them are wearing formal clothes.

Corey is checking his phone while Merve is stealing glances at Corey and blushing occasionally. He is very handsome in a black formal suit.

Corey chuckled and kept his phone on the side. "What are you thinking?"

"What? Nothing." Merve looked away from him, embarrassed that she was caught.

Corey observed Merve\'s peach dress, which is revealing her legs from knees down, and he wanted to touch the delicate fabric, or to be more accurate: he wanted to touch what was below that fabric. But then he decided not to, because he might wrinkle it, and they are going to an event.

Corey\'s index finger landed on Merve\'s chin and made her look his way.

"That is not nothing. Spill it."

His boyish grin was irresistible, but there is no way that she will tell him how she can\'t get the image of his naked body out of her mind.

Last night, he was strong and gentle, and she can\'t believe how good it feels to grip his back while he pumps himself into her. Everything he did was amazing. And then this morning, they showered together, and he touched her again and swallowed her moans as her whole body spasmed in ecstasy.

Ah, she can feel the heat creeping up her neck, but there is nothing she can do about it. She pressed her legs firmly together and hoped that he will not notice that she is having naughty thoughts.

Merve closed her eyes and inhaled a shaky breath. Oh, God! She is aroused.

"Was it that bad?"

Corey\'s question pulled Merve out of her stupor.

"What? No. It was amazing!" Merve blurted out and her eyes widened when she saw him grinning at her. He asked a random question and she ended up saying what is on her mind. If there is a hole nearby, Merve would crawl into it.

Corey inched closer and kissed her lips.

"I\'m happy to hear that." His breath caressed her lips, sending shivers down her spine.

She always liked Corey\'s proximity and his kisses, but now she knows that there is so much more than that, and she can\'t stop thinking about it.

"Will we be OK?" Merve asked.

Corey was not sure if she was asking about them as a couple, or if it was related to this upcoming lunch… but in any case, his answer was the same.

"Of course. I will protect you."

Merve leaned into him and somehow, she knew that he will fulfill that promise.

…

About fifteen minutes later…

People were seated in the medium dining room which was set up with five round tables. Each table was able to accommodate ten guests and several spots were still empty.

Samantha was sitting at the table with her parents, Gabriel, and Victoria.

Another table had Victor, Cassie, and Anabella with their parents. Victor\'s younger brother was also there.

At the main table were Steve and Bridgette, Charlie, Emma, Jeff, JoAnna, and four empty spots.

Samantha looked at the main table while wondering for whom are those seats, and she didn\'t wait long for her answer.

The whole room was silent when Sarah and Aiden made their appearance. Two steps behind them were Corey and Merve, followed by four youngsters in sharp black suits (Ade, Hande, Allen, and Julius), and people immediately knew that they are bodyguards.

Sarah, Aiden, Corey, and Merve were seated at the main table.

Steve indicated to Ade, Hande, Allen, and Julius to sit at the table next to them, where Gabriel and Victoria are. "My people are securing the place. The four of you are welcome to enjoy the meal with us."

The four youngsters didn\'t move until Aiden gave them a small nod, after which they accepted Steve\'s offer.

Samantha frowned. Why are bodyguards sitting at the same table with her? But she saw that Gabriel greeted them respectfully and decided to swallow her grief. 

Steve exhaled while thinking that Aiden is set on making the show in front of these people. Don\'t they always eat together at the Cliffside Villa? Steve knows them all and he would feel extremely awkward to have any of those four stand in attention while others are eating. But this is the Long family villa where strict hierarchy rules are followed, and Steve didn\'t miss displeasure in several members of the Long family because \'bodyguards\' get to eat with them. He decided to ignore them because no one will dare to say anything.

Steve stood up and everyone was silent, waiting for him to speak.

"Thank you for coming here on such short notice." Steve started. "You must be wondering about the reason behind this sudden lunch. I became aware of an incident from the previous night which included our family member."

Most of the people looked around, unsure who the person is, and Samantha nervously clutched her dress under the table while waiting for Steve to continue talking.

"We are Longs, a family with a rich history, and as such we need to lead by example and not allow anyone to take advantage of us…" Steve spoke and everyone present nodded in agreement. They are a family proud of their history, wealth, and power. "I spoke with Jeffrey White and Charles Smith related to the incident because their family members were involved as well. We all agreed that the ones who are tarnishing the reputation of the Long family should be punished. However, this is not something that can be settled in court because other than the damage to the family\'s name, no other harm was done, and the punishment can\'t be more than a slap on the wrists. That is why we wish to handle it ourselves."

Steve\'s gaze moved across the people present. "Uncles, Cousins and other relatives… I wish to know if you share the same opinion."

Steve saw that most of the people nodded before asking: "How should we handle it?"

People looked around, not knowing how to respond.

Richard, the previous patriarch stood up. "It depends on the severity of the offense. It can be settled with a public apology or financially or… harsher methods."

"Thank you, Uncle." Steve\'s smile told him that he waited for this. "Unfortunately, because three big families are involved, there is a lot at stake and an apology will not be enough. I see that many of you are confused, and I wish to show you what I\'m talking about…"

Steve gestured to the huge white screen in the back of the dining room where a video was projected.

They could see the event hall where prom was held and a teacher on the stage announcing: "Mr. Corey Smith won the title of the prom king without opposition, however, for the queen it was a close call… Out of 179 votes for the prom queen, the winner with 82 votes is Miss Merve White!"

After a second of silence, Samantha\'s voiced was heard: "You made a mistake! Count again!"

The people in the dining room watched in silence Samantha opposing the results, and then the video jumped on the next section where Samantha spilled juice on Merve\'s dress.

"…There is nothing you can do about it..." Arrogance in Samantha\'s voice was impossible to ignore while she spoke to Corey and Merve. "I thought so. Trash will always be trash, no matter who picks him up from the street..."

They saw Merve slap Samantha and demand an apology, but Samantha refused and continued raining insults.

Steve raised his hand, and the video stopped.

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