Chapter 1 Fire, Desire
3:30 AM, Emerald City, the city of the Mafia.
In the distance, a mansion.
Flames roared, as if to burn away all the world's sins.
Faintly, the sounds of gunfire, smashing, crying, and roaring engines could be heard.
Father Roy Murphy gazed from afar, his expression heavy, silent for a long time.
This time, Mia Moore and her family were truly gone.
After a while, he made the sign of the cross over his chest, closed his eyes, and offered a silent prayer.
His face was solemn, showing a kind of compassionate pity for the world.
The wind blew, the door creaked.
Roy turned sharply, a cold sweat breaking out.
A woman appeared at the door. Roy recognized her, her stunning face, her black and red dress. She was beautiful.
Elsie Thomas—the only daughter of Kai Thomas and Mia.
At this moment, her black and red dress was torn to shreds, like a decayed rose.
She was drenched in sweat, her wavy hair clinging to her face, breathing heavily, her chest exposed, revealing a deadly allure.
Blood stained her dress, but instead of being repulsive, it made her even more enticing, like an irresistible iris.
Anyone could see she had just been through a sexual encounter, most likely raped.
Her consciousness was still hazy, her eyes teary, instinctively leaning against the church door.
"My poor child, what happened to you to end up like this?"
Roy hurried over, his eyes unconsciously drawn to Elsie's exposed chest and the hint of her nipples...
And that intoxicating scent... it was like a hungry lion in the dead of night, finding a delicious prey lying obediently beside it.
In the past, because of the Thomas family's power, he had to be respectful. Now that this line of the Thomas family was gone, that fear had vanished.
A heat rose in his chest, his mouth dry, he reached out, gently supporting Elsie's shoulder, feeling her smooth skin.
"I want to talk to God."
Elsie ignored Roy, walked forward, looking at the empty church, at the cross, her eyes hollow, her face sorrowful.
Roy stared at her perfect figure, the large expanse of bare skin on her back, swallowing hard, he said in a deep voice, "Speak, child, God is listening to your confession."
Elsie said, "Almighty God, you once told me the world should be black and white, that good should be rewarded and evil punished."
Roy stepped closer, shamelessly inhaling her scent, sighing, "Indeed."
Elsie paused, looking back at Roy's burning gaze, "It's so late, God should be asleep. I want to tell you first, for you to pass it on to God, Roy, will you?"
Roy, completely controlled by lust, his mind ablaze, didn't think Elsie would say something so strange. Staring at her chest, he nodded, "Alright, my child."
"As you can see, tonight my family was destroyed, my mother, nanny, and butler all died in the fire, but I... wasn't home."
Elsie said sorrowfully.
Roy nodded, as if he knew, "Indeed, good people always escape disaster; it's God's blessing."
"Tonight I was at my father Kai's other wife, Yara's, house, attending my sister Uma Thomas and Daniel Wilson's meeting. A few hours ago, I had sex with Daniel. Kai was furious and completely kicked me out of the Thomas family."
Elsie spoke as if it were someone else's story, a smile of self-mockery on her lips.
Roy sighed, "Ms. Thomas, you came here every day to confess your feelings for Mr. Wilson. God must have heard."
Elsie didn't respond, and Roy felt a chill.
His gaze moved from Elsie's chest to her cold face, staring at him with a sneer.
"Whether God heard, I don't know, but you definitely did, right?"
Roy suddenly remembered the Thomas family's background and shivered.
"I liked Daniel, only you knew. Every time I prayed, you stood by my side. My mother didn't even know. I didn't talk to her much; it was mostly you talking to me. You were like my mentor, teaching me many things."
"Maybe I carry the Thomas name, but my father had divorced my mother long ago; everyone in town knows that, you know, too."
"Father Roy, have I ever treated you badly?"
Elsie tilted her head, staring at the priest.
Roy shook his head, "Ms. Thomas, you are exceptionally wise. I don't feel worthy to be your mentor. Over the years, Ms. Moore and you have given the church a lot of support; otherwise, I wouldn't be here today."
Though he said this, he stepped closer to Elsie, his hand already moving to her waist, slowly slipping under her clothes...
Elsie didn't stop him.
"The other night, when you were with my father's other woman, Veda Garcia, did you also start from the waist?" Elsie asked out of the sudden.
The hand about to reach her chest jerked back as if electrocuted. Roy stared at Elsie like he'd seen a ghost.
"That night, I was about to find you when I heard Veda's cries outside the door."
"Her daughter isn't as good as me, afraid I'd outshine her daughter, she framed me, making me leave the Thomas Villa, causing my family's ruin, making me unable to rise again..."
Elsie looked at Roy with a mocking smile, "Veda's waist is really good; she rode freely on top. For her daughter's sake, she even sacrificed herself... No, I heard Veda had someone she liked when she married my father, it must be you..."
"But she didn't expect Daniel to be drugged too. He raped me, but it was described as me seducing Daniel. The funniest thing is, Daniel also thought I drugged him to seduce him..."
Roy looked at Elsie now as if seeing a ghost, shaking his head.
"No, no... it has nothing to do with Veda..."
He knew very well that if Kai found out, he and Veda would be dead, chopped up, and fed to the dogs.
In Emerald City, who didn't know Kai...
"When you touched me just now, did you think of... Veda? Whose touch is better, hers or mine?"
Elsie leaned close to Roy, hugging him.
She blew gently in his ear, but Roy was ice-cold, no longer having any lustful thoughts.
"Father Roy, tell God for me, from today on, I leave the Thomas family willingly. I no longer bear the name Thomas; I take my mother's name, Moore."
"Tell God for me, I will avenge my mother. I will deal with everyone who caused my family's ruin, one by one, even if God himself comes before me, it won't matter!"