As Jacqueline stepped out of the suite, the atmosphere in the room instantly tensed. The black-clad men standing by instinctively held their breath, and their leader quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Boss, if there's nothing else, we'll take our leave."Marius waved his hand dismissively, and the men exited in an orderly fashion. The office instantly fell into silence.With a broad smile on his face, Marius strode toward Jacqueline, his long arm snaking around her slender waist as he planted a light kiss on her crimson lips. His tone was both teasing and affectionate. "Babe, you finally decided to come see me."He pulled her close, as if to lead her back into the suite.But before he could take another step, Jacqueline abruptly yanked her arm away and shoved him back with force. The smile vanished from her face, replaced by an icy, unreadable expression. Her voice was laced with cold disdain. "Don't touch me."The sudden resistance made Marius freeze mid-step. His brows f
The night was deep and dark, with only the flickering fireworks illuminating the sky, casting a hazy glow over the surroundings.Lucien sat alone on a spacious lounge chair, a cigarette between his long, slender fingers. His eyes burned with undisguised frustration. The ashtray on the table beside him was already overflowing with cigarette butts—silent evidence of his restlessness. And the source of all his irritation and anger pointed to only one person—Cynthia.Just then, Simon appeared quietly, breaking the silence. His voice was low and respectful. "Boss, your call."Lucien turned his head slowly, taking the phone from Simon's outstretched hand. The moment his gaze landed on the caller ID, his once dark and unreadable eyes flickered with a sharp light, like a predator locking onto its prey.With a single press, he answered the call, bringing the phone to his ear. Unlike the cool tranquility of the night, his voice was cold and sharp. "Have you made your decision?"The voice on the
Lucien's grip tightened subtly as he locked eyes with Cynthia, his voice laced with bitterness as he ground out, "So, you're selling yourself to me like a prostitute?"A cold smirk curled at his lips, filled with mockery and disdain. "And tell me—do you really think you're worth three million?"Cynthia met his gaze, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile formed on her lips. Her expression remained calm and unwavering as she replied slowly, "Whether I'm worth that price depends on who's paying. Since it's you who wants me, then naturally, I am."Her voice was steady, devoid of emotion, as if this entire transaction had nothing to do with her at all.Lucien stared at her, his jaw clenching. After a long pause, he sneered, "Fine. I'll give you five million. But tonight, you're moving in with me.""As long as you keep your word, I'll do the same. Now give me the money." Cynthia held his gaze, unflinching.Lucien grabbed her arm and dragged her into his study. He strode to his desk, yanke
Before long, the security guard escorted Georgia into the office.The moment Georgia saw Cynthia, her eyes welled up with tears. Without hesitation, she rushed forward and threw herself into Cynthia's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Cynthia!"Cynthia held her tightly, gently patting her back. "Did anyone hurt you?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.Georgia shook her head vigorously, sniffling. "No, they didn't hurt me."Releasing her, Cynthia's expression turned cold as she pointed directly at Sean. "Is he the one you borrowed money from? Did you sign a contract?"Georgia turned to look at Sean, confusion filling her eyes. "I borrowed the money online. I've never met him before."Sean maintained a professional, almost practiced smile as he leisurely explained, "I'm the general manager of the company you borrowed from. All our contracts are signed online, so of course, you wouldn't recognize me. Now, you can repay the loan through our website. Once the payment is complete, your d
As Cynthia watched Georgia leave, she turned back and walked calmly to the sofa. Sitting down gracefully, she fixed her gaze on Marius and said, "Marius, if you have something to say, just say it. There's no need for pretenses."Marius, however, was in no hurry. He stood leisurely, walked over to the liquor cabinet, and retrieved a bottle of well-aged red wine.Skillfully, he uncorked the bottle and poured three glasses. He handed one to Sean first, then gently placed another on the coffee table in front of Cynthia. Wearing his usual warm smile, he said, "No rush. Let's have a drink first and chat at ease."With that, he raised his glass, clinking it lightly against Cynthia's, producing a crisp sound.Seeing this, Sean quickly stepped forward and clinked glasses with both of them before tilting his head back and downing his wine in one gulp. He smacked his lips and praised, "Good wine!"Marius smiled, politely raising his glass to Cynthia once more before also downing his wine in a si
Sean watched from the side, and an inexplicable sense of pity surged in his heart. Unable to hold back, he hurriedly said, "Why don't you give her to me instead?" As he spoke, he looked at Marius with hopeful eyes, wishing he would change his mind. Bard paused his actions upon hearing this, turning to Marius for instructions. Marius still wore that signature, carefree smirk. He glanced at Sean before slowly saying, "This isn't as simple as spending a single night." Sean instantly understood Marius' meaning—he was determined to ruin Cynthia. Sean sighed inwardly. He knew that his father's influence was nowhere near Marius' father's, nor did he have Marius' wealth and power. In this situation, he was utterly powerless. Cynthia had only herself to blame for provoking Marius, the devil incarnate. Anyone who ended up on Marius' bad side rarely met a good end. Seeing that Sean had fallen silent, Bard signaled his men to continue taking Cynthia away. They were well aware that s
Lucien bent slightly, locking eyes with Cynthia inside the car. In that instant, the icy coldness in his gaze seemed to freeze the very air around them. Meanwhile, Chase was still curled up on the ground outside, trembling in terror, his shrill screams cutting through the silent night like a knife. Ignoring him, Lucien parted his thin lips and commanded in a deep, authoritative voice, "Open the door."Cynthia nodded slightly and reached out to slowly unlock the back door. Seeing this, Lucien swiftly and effortlessly pulled her out of the car, half-lifting, half-supporting her. Her legs felt weak, her entire body drained of strength. Instinctively, she collapsed against Lucien's solid chest. At that moment, the anxious weight in her heart finally settled. A strange sense of security washed over her, as if she had finally found a safe harbor. At the same time, Simon strode forward and grabbed Chase, who was sti
Cynthia's steps were unsteady, her body still weak. She tilted her head slightly, leaned closer to Lucien, and whispered, "Why are you here?"Lucien lowered his head slightly, locking eyes with Cynthia. A smirk played at the corners of his lips as he said, "You took my money and then ran off to a place like this—how could I not come see for myself? I was thinking, if you dared to spend my money on another man, I'd break one of your legs."His tone was calm, not too light nor too heavy, but it sent a sharp jolt through Cynthia's heart. She opened her mouth, wanting to refute him, but the words seemed stuck in her throat. After a brief hesitation, she spoke softly, "Everything I told you just now was true. I didn't lie."She wasn't sure why she felt the need to explain herself to Lucien. Perhaps it was the lingering effects of the drug still in her system, making not only her body weak but also lowering her e
Their eyes locked in midair, sparks colliding in the silent tension. In an instant, memories of the previous night's passion surged like an unstoppable tide, drowning out all restraint.Lucien could no longer hold back. He leaned in and captured Cynthia's lips in a fierce, searing kiss. At the same time, he swiftly yanked the blanket away, his movements urgent yet filled with tenderness. His body pressed against hers in an unrelenting embrace.Cynthia knew this was playing with fire, but every nerve in her body had already been ignited. Lucien's lips trailed away from hers, grazing the delicate curve of her ear. He nibbled at the tip, sending a sharp jolt of sensation through her, spreading in waves that left her trembling. Instinctively, she shut her eyes.In this heightened world of sensation, she found herself responding, kissing him back, surrendering to his passion. Encouraged, Lucien's kisses deepened, more possessive, as if he wanted to pull her into himself, to fuse their very
The next morning, Cynthia slowly woke up, her head throbbing with a dull ache that pulsed relentlessly."Headache?" A lazy voice sounded above her.Instinctively, Cynthia lifted her gaze, and in that unguarded moment, Lucien's face came into view. The sudden sight of him startled her, making her body involuntarily tense.She gave a slight nod in response before sinking back down. But then, a chilling realization hit her—she was curled up in Lucien's arms, completely bare under the covers.Her mind went blank for a second before a wave of shame and anger surged through her. There was no doubt in her mind—this had to be Lucien's doing! He must have taken advantage of her drunken state and stripped her naked!"I'll get you some water," Lucien said gently, seemingly unaware of her inner turmoil. He got up and walked over to the table, pouring a glass of water.Cynthia quickly pulled the blanket tighter around herself, wrapping it securely as she sat up. Taking the glass from Lucien, she t
Anders threw an arm around Marius's shoulder, acting as if he were completely oblivious to Marius's anger. Instead, he turned to Cynthia and said, "Cynthia, just say the word. What do you want me to do? Break one of his legs? What do you think?"Though his words were directed at Cynthia, his gaze flickered toward Lucien. Lucien stood quietly to the side, his expression indifferent. He made no move to stop Anders, nor did he attempt to help Cynthia out of the situation. He simply watched, as if waiting for her to handle it herself.Cynthia narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Marius the way a master looks at a pet. That look alone made Marius's skin crawl, as if a cold serpent had fixed its eyes on him. Then, she spoke at a leisurely pace. "No need to break his leg. It's all in the past. However—Marius, you'd better start using your brain from now on. Stop letting people manipulate you."On the surface, it seemed like she was pleading for Marius, but in reality, her words carried an
Meanwhile, downstairs, Cynthia was frantically searching everywhere.She had no idea how long she had been looking when a glimpse of black caught her eye near a patch of grass. It was the very same bank card that Lucien had so casually tossed away. Seizing it like a priceless treasure, Cynthia picked it up and clenched her teeth in fury."That lunatic! I shouldn't have bothered coming down to find this!" she muttered under her breath, vigorously wiping off the dust and grass sticking to the card.Then, she suddenly froze. A realization hit her—without the PIN, what use was this card to anyone who found it?In an instant, rage flared up inside her, rising from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Her fingers trembled violently as she gripped the card.How dare he?! she screamed internally. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to snap the card in half.***Late at night.Inside the car, Cynthia sat in silence. She didn't ask Lucien any questions about their destination.
Cynthia gently closed Georgia's bedroom door and took a few steps forward. As she lifted her gaze, she caught sight of a flickering glow near the balcony, the faint arcs of light piercing through the darkness. She hesitated for a moment, then, almost instinctively, moved toward the glow. When she got closer, she realized who it was—Lucien.Without thinking, she blurted out, "You haven't left?"Lucien turned his head slowly at the sound of her voice, his expression calm as he met her gaze. "Where else should I go?" he asked in return.His words caught Cynthia off guard, as if something lodged in her throat, rendering her momentarily speechless. Indeed, given the tangled mess of their relationship, it wasn't exactly surprising that he was still here.Just then, a faint but distinct creaking sound came from the balcony railing.A warning flashed through her mind—the landlord's reminder: The railing is old and unstable. Don't lean on it, or you might fall.Before she could even think, her
Cynthia slowly regained consciousness, only to find that Lucien was already gone. As she moved slightly, a wave of soreness spread through her body, as if she had endured some kind of harsh punishment. Yet, she couldn't deny that Lucien's skills in bed were nothing short of extraordinary—just as they had always been.After taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes, Cynthia stepped out of the bathroom, only to realize that night had already fallen. The room was shrouded in darkness. She reached for the switch, and with a soft click, light illuminated the space. As her gaze landed on the glass tank, her footsteps faltered.The turtle had been placed back inside. It lay motionless at the bottom of the tank, quiet and still.Cynthia slowly approached, her eyes locked onto the small creature. Lucien's words echoed in her mind: You're just like this turtle.As much as she hated to admit it, there was some truth to his cruel remark.Her marriage to Lucien was like that glass tank—an en
Lucien strode over to Cynthia, pulled her into his arms, and firmly clasped her waist. Towering over the disheveled Edric on the ground, his eyes glinted with disdain. "If you want to speak to my wife, you'll have to get my permission first."Cynthia instinctively tried to push him away. "Lucien!" she called softly.At the sound of her voice, Lucien turned his head slightly and glanced at her. That one look sent a sharp jolt through Cynthia's heart. In his eyes, she saw overwhelming possessiveness, fierce protectiveness, and a trace of barely contained rage.Edric scrambled to his feet, looking utterly pathetic. His suit and face were smeared with dirt, and his bloodshot eyes locked onto Lucien and Cynthia with seething anger. His clenched fists trembled slightly, but he dared not make another move.Lucien glanced at him with contempt before lowering his gaze to Cynthia. "Darling, let's go home."His tone was gentle, but chilling to anyone who heard it.Simon helped Georgia from the t
After the call ended, Cynthia sat frozen in her seat, her mind blank. Several seconds passed before she slowly came to her senses and took a deep breath — a breath that seemed to drain all the strength from her body. After hesitating for a moment, she stood up and headed straight to her manager's office to request leave.She knew full well that, no matter how strained her relationship with Georgia had been, she couldn't just turn a blind eye. Blood was thicker than water — no matter how much she tried, she couldn't cut those ties completely.When she arrived at the hospital, she went directly to the Radiology Department. Spotting Edric sitting there, Cynthia stormed over."Where's Georgia?" she demanded."She's inside, getting some scans done," Edric replied calmly, looking up at her."What exactly happened? And why are you here?" Cynthia's tone was sharp.Edric furrowed his brows slightly but still explained patiently, "I accidentally scraped her with my car, so I brought her here ri
Sitting in the car, Cynthia stared silently out the window. After a long while, as if gathering all her courage, she slowly turned her head and softly asked, "How did you know I was there?""I told you we'd go home together after work. Why didn't you wait for me?"Lucien's tone was noticeably cold.Cynthia froze, suddenly recalling that he had indeed mentioned this. Lowering her eyes slightly, she murmured, "I forgot,"with a hint of barely noticeable guilt in her voice."You remember everything when it's about other people, but when it comes to me, you forget it all completely,"Lucien said, visibly annoyed. His eyes fell on the clothes she was wearing, and his expression darkened even more. "Take it off."Cynthia was still startled by his earlier words, and now, hearing this sudden command, she frowned slightly. Is he seriously thinking about... here, in the car?"What? Do you just love wearing another man's clothes that much?"&nbs