Meanwhile, at a seaside vacation house, Chloe lay on the bed with her eyes tightly shut, while Geoffrey sat beside her, as still as a statue, quietly keeping watch over her.She slept peacefully, her soft, rosy lips slightly parted as she breathed. The swelling on her cheek had gone down significantly after applying the anti-inflammatory cream. Looking at the other side of her face, she appeared as delicate and flawless as crystal. Her long, curled eyelashes were still trembling slightly, indicating an uneasy sleep.Leaning over, Geoffrey gently kissed her smooth forehead, but to his surprise, Chloe's eyes snapped open without warning, locking onto his unfamiliar gaze.Slap!As Chloe's vision cleared, accompanied by a piercing scream, she delivered a hard slap across Geoffrey's face."Get away from me!" Chloe, still overwhelmed with fear and panic, lost control.She attacked like a wild woman—scratching, kicking, and hitting all at once. In an instant, Geoffrey's face bore several fre
A flash of shock crossed Chloe's eyes as she inhaled the faint scent of cologne mixed with Geoffrey's masculine presence.There was no doubt he was a man who paid attention to his appearance. His strikingly handsome face could easily attract scores of women, and in this situation, if it were any other woman, he wouldn't even have to lift a finger—they'd already be throwing themselves at him.But no matter how charming or sophisticated he was, he would never captivate her!"Heh!" Chloe let out a cold laugh, forcing herself to meet Geoffrey's gaze. "So, you're no different from those two men earlier."The blatant sarcasm in her words made Geoffrey's face flush with anger."I'm nothing like them!" he gritted his teeth. Was there really such an ungrateful woman in the world? If he could, he'd crush her! But frustratingly, he found himself intrigued by her, even as she continued to insult him."Not different?" Chloe scoffed, her tone icy. "At the end of the day, don't you just want me nake
"Let's go, I'll take you home." Geoffrey's tone was slightly exasperated as he looked at Chloe, his gaze softening once again.Before getting in the car, Geoffrey made a call to Lionel, and the two remained silent during the drive.What kind of man was Geoffrey? He could be tender like a lover or ruthless enough to kill without a second thought! How could someone embody such extremes so effortlessly?After driving a considerable distance, Geoffrey suddenly pulled over. Just as Chloe was taken aback, he grabbed her and kissed her lips before she could react.He never failed to kiss the woman he desired."Every time I see you, I kiss you!""In the dark, Geoffrey winked, his bright eyes gleaming. "I'm always waiting for you to come into my arms.""You're crazy!" Chloe shot back, fuming, just as headlights from an approaching car flooded the scene.In an instant, several vehicles screeched to a halt, breaking the night's silence with their sharp sounds.The car door swung open, revealing
Lionel's dark eyes reflected a chilling intensity.Chloe's emotional outburst was too abnormal for him to comprehend.Staring at her tear-streaked face under the streetlight, he firmly grasped her flailing arms and finally said, "You're not thinking clearly!"He scooped her up and strode toward the car.Chloe stopped struggling. She couldn't understand what was happening—wasn't she supposed to not care anymore? Yet deep down, something felt off. What was she really longing for?She noticed the several cars parked ahead, with a group of well-dressed men standing nearby. Lionel's influence was not surprising; she had grown accustomed to it.Once inside the car, a heavy silence filled the air. Lionel wore a dark expression, while Chloe sat with a blank face, avoiding eye contact.She felt utterly ridiculous for her behavior that night, embarrassed to the core.No woman had ever intrigued Lionel like this one, yet she baffled him more every day, making him desperate to understand her thou
Chloe was awakened by the heat.The moment she became aware, she felt strong arms wrapped tightly around her in a bear hug. Without needing to open her eyes, she recognized the distinct scent of a man, mixed with a hint of cigar smoke, and knew it was Lionel.Opening her eyes, she saw that it was already daylight outside. Sunlight streamed through the heavy curtains, brightening the bedroom, which wasn't overly dim—everything was clearly visible.The handsome face before her was magnified, with deep contours and a furrowed brow that revealed an underlying tension, even in sleep.She had thought that after his suspicions about her and Geoffrey the night before, he wouldn't come in, yet here he was, holding her possessively as she slept.It was shocking that this workaholic was still in bed with her at this hour. It must be a sign of the apocalypse.Gently shifting, she tried to escape Lionel's embrace, but he was in such a light sleep that he was already awake, even as she stared at hi
At 7:30 PM, dinner time.In the large dining room, the servants stood neatly on either side while Chloe and Lionel had been waiting at the table for ten minutes without any sign of Florence. After sending servants to urge her several times, Florence finally arrived, albeit fashionably late.She was doing it on purpose, wanting to prove that Lionel would spoil her and wouldn't scold her for being late!As soon as Florence took her seat, a variety of dishes were served—almost all of them her favorites. However, in front of Chloe was a soup specially prepared for her by Lionel, tailored to her constitution by a nutritionist.Smart as she was, Florence had started to notice the pattern. Pouting and biting her chopsticks, she said, "I want to eat that!" pointing at the soup in front of Chloe.She wanted to see how Lionel would react."There's plenty here that you like; that one isn't suitable for you," Lionel replied, placing a chicken leg in Florence's bowl."I want to drink it! It looks
Chloe's heart sank, and she quickly got up."Who are you, and what do you mean?" She stepped to the window, lowering her voice. Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the man at the dining table."Hey, you ungrateful little thing, have you forgotten me so quickly? After all, I gave you quite a show!" Geoffrey's teasing voice echoed through the phone.Ugh—Chloe felt goosebumps all over; it was Geoffrey. She immediately realized he was behind the recent troubles with Moira.While he had helped her vent her frustrations, she wouldn't acknowledge his favor. She yelled into the phone, "Get lost! Who needs you?"Click—She hung up and looked up to find Lionel watching her with a complex expression.Feeling awkward, she returned to her seat and hastily finished her meal. "I'm done," she said, avoiding Lionel's gaze as she rushed upstairs.Chloe felt pathetic; she hadn't done anything wrong, yet she felt as if she was fleeing in guilt. No, it shouldn't be like this!What was she afraid of? Even i
On the other side, in a luxurious apartment, Moira was fuming with rage.Even if her acting wasn't gaining traction, she had already become a hot topic across various newspapers, magazines, and social media platforms. Every pop-up notification seemed to feature her video wearing nothing but a red G-string. She was on every front page, and the video had been shared countless times.She was holed up in her apartment, too afraid to step outside. Paparazzi were swarming the place like flies on rotten eggs, not giving her a moment of peace. Even at night, she didn't dare peek out the window.Everything in the apartment that could be smashed had already been shattered.As filming entered a critical phase, she had originally planned to grit her teeth and push through her leg injury. She figured that if she could just make it through this ordeal, she would be a top-tier actress, gaining fame across the country and even winning an Oscar. Then she and her precious Lion would soar together.But
"You!" Chloe wanted nothing more than to punch him, but she couldn't!Usually, he was the one who dominated their kisses; today, he was forcing her into this—was this his condition for releasing Marcus?Her heart ached, and Chloe's expression darkened, yet she still wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his, as if fulfilling a task.In truth, Lionel was deliberately pushing her like this! He wanted her to become accustomed to taking the initiative because he had savored the sweetness of her doing so before.However, he was still surprised by her obedient submission.He gazed down at Chloe, her eyes tightly shut, her long lashes fluttering. Her body was tense, her movements awkward; he could feel her underlying anger, yet she was trying hard to please him.Suddenly, he felt a surge of irritation. For that man, she was suppressing her anger? She was making such an effort to appease him for the sake of another!A
Chloe dialed the number, watching "husband" flash on the screen, a smirk curling at the corners of her mouth."Hello..." The call was answered quickly, and Lionel's deep, cello-like voice came through. Even though Chloe was all too familiar with his voice, she felt a slight shiver run through her.After a brief moment of blankness, her tone turned icy. "Did you do something about Marcus?" It sounded like a question, but she was already certain of the answer.Lionel hadn't expected her to call about this. After a brief pause, he answered honestly, "Yes, I did. So what?""You're unreasonable!" Chloe snapped, exasperated. She had never seen anyone so shameless—committing a wrong and then boasting about it.Lionel felt a pang in his chest. It had been so long since she had scolded him. Suppressing his irritation, he raised an eyebrow and replied, his voice devoid of emotion, as if her anger didn't bother him at all. "What do you want?""Le
"Ah! I'll notify the guards right away..." The secretary exclaimed, her face pale with fear, fumbling to make a call until Amos barked at her to stop."Get out! Close the door! I can handle this myself." Amos said sternly, and the secretary, trembling, shot him a glance before quickly exiting and shutting the door.Although Chloe had plunged the broken bottle into Amos's chest with fury, she was terrified herself, her face as pale as a sheet.She couldn't understand what had given her such courage. Trembling, she withdrew her hand, nervously twisting her fingers together."How could you be so cruel to me..." Amos gazed at her, pain flashing in his eyes.He ripped the broken bottle from his chest and tossed it into the trash. The wound wasn't deep, but the blood that splattered out was alarming. He felt pain, not just from the injury, but from a deeper heartache, as if the bottle had pierced countless wounds within him, making it hard to breathe.
Chloe rushed out of the villa, heading toward the Latham residence.As she reached the entrance, she saw several servants gathered outside. Lisa was being led by one servant, crying, while the others could not hold back their tears either.When Lisa saw Chloe, she immediately threw herself into Chloe's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Chloe... Waaa... My dad was taken away... I want my dad... Can you take me to see him?"Lisa's big eyes were red and swollen, her fair cheeks streaked with tears. Chloe hugged Lisa tightly, gently wiping her tears and soothing her. "Lisa, don't cry. Your dad will be okay. He'll be back soon."Though she tried to comfort her, Chloe understood that politics were complicated—who could say for sure?Having worked as a tutor for three years without incident, she had only limited interactions with Marcus but knew he wasn't the type to be corrupt.Once, she had witnessed someone claim Marcus had given him signific
(Flashback)That day, after Marcus and Chloe left Paradiso, Amos quickly followed suit.On the way back, he noticed something was off with his body. A chilling realization hit him: he had been slipped an aphrodisiac!No! Not just him—Marcus and Chloe had both been drugged! The red wine they drank had all come from the same bottle.Chloe had left with the drugged Marcus! His heart raced in panic. He ordered the driver to chase after Marcus; the amount he had drunk was excessive, and the effects of the drug were hitting hard and fast.It felt as if his body was about to explode, drenched in sweat. If he didn't find a woman soon, he might not survive!Just then, Flora's call came through."Amos, have you finished talking to your beloved? She's still waiting for you!" Flora's sugary voice made Amos wish he could reach through the phone and strangle her.This venomous woman must have orchestrated the whole thing!Amos gripped the phone tightly, growling through clenched teeth, "Where are y
After freshening up, food had been brought into the room, and the two sat in silence, as if nothing had happened, quietly eating.Chloe sat across from Lionel in revealing pajamas, boldly eating as if it were the most natural thing.In the past, she would have never dared to do this, rushing to hide under the covers after changing into her pajamas. But now, she was calm and collected in front of him, not a hint of embarrassment on her face.Her mind must be poisoned by the drugs!That was the only explanation Lionel could come up with.Strangely enough, he used to yearn for Chloe to wear such clothes and flaunt them in front of him, but now, seeing her sitting there made his eyes ache."Give me three million more, I need the money, and I'll pay you back however you want!" Chloe suddenly said, setting down her spoon. Her face remained cold, showing no shame despite asking for money.In the past, she would have scoffed at the idea of asking him for anything, yet now, her words flowed ou
As Chloe's awareness returned, shameful images flashed through her mind like scenes from a movie.She had thrown herself at Marcus, torn his clothes, and bitten his neck. They had held each other tightly on the bathroom floor...Oh God, how could she ever face anyone again?Despite her hazy consciousness, she vaguely remembered Lionel arriving just in time. It was he who had rescued her from the agony, not Marcus! Thankfully! Otherwise, she would have no choice but to die today.Relieved, yet the memories of her wild behavior started coming back.She had acted more disgracefully than a prostitute, and that thought broke her. Tears of frustration and sorrow streamed down her face.The proud woman she once was couldn't bear this version of herself. She was disgusted with herself to the point of wanting to disappear.Her tears flowed like a river, but they couldn't wash away her shame.“Shh, don't cry,” Lionel said softly, gently patting Chloe's back as she regained her clarity.His voic
"Lion…" Even in her dazed state, Chloe managed to call out Lionel's name. The moment she saw him, all the pain and frustration she'd been holding in exploded to the surface. Tears flowed uncontrollably, like a dam breaking. She began to sob, "Help me… please… I'm in so much pain… I feel like I'm dying...""Lionel?" Lionel's arrival clearly startled him.As Lionel looked into the bathroom, the sight of the two people clinging to each other made his blood boil. Every muscle in his body screamed with rage, and he was ready to kill!The terrified doctor at the door stammered, "They've… been drugged."If Lionel hadn't been aware of this beforehand, he would've killed Marcus on the spot—mayor or not, it wouldn't have mattered.In a flash, Lionel stormed into the room, but thankfully, the worst hadn't happened yet. He felt a wave of relief, though Chloe's sobbing and the pitiful state she was in broke his heart.Bending down, he roughly shoved Marcus aside, took off his coat, and covered Chl
Screech—The tires of the Bentley screeched sharply against the ground as it came to a stop. The Latham family had been waiting outside, and the doctor was already prepared.Marcus leaped out of the car in haste. He knew that if Chloe reached for him again or if he gave in, he wouldn't have the strength to resist. His self-control was already hanging by a thread.A group of people quickly rushed to support him."Hurry, give her the medication!" He roared at the doctor, drenched in sweat.The group hurriedly helped both of them into the house, administering the medication separately.After a moment, the doctor reported, "This isn't just a regular aphrodisiac. It's a rare and potent toxin, and the dosage is incredibly high. Prolonged exposure could seriously harm the body, especially for the woman.""What are we supposed to do, then?" Marcus was on the verge of losing his mind. He could feel it—despite the IV drip, the burning sensation inside him hadn't lessened one bit."The best solu