The entire agreement, rather than merely imposing various restrictions on her, was more like an alternative form of humiliation.For instance, she was forbidden from being in the living room at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., from appearing on any path Lionel walked, and from being present whenever there were guests in the house.Unless Lionel explicitly allowed it, her identity as his wife required her to remain confined within the mansion.Without a word, Chloe picked up the pen and swiftly signed "Flora Miler." She felt a slight sense of gratitude towards this devilish man for showing a shred of mercy by allowing her to escape, even if she didn't know when that day might come. At least, she could see a glimmer of hope.As she looked at Flora's signature, she couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Her so-called sister had threatened her with death to force her into marrying this man, even though she knew that Chloe saw him as nothing short of a beast. Yet Flora still coerced her into marriage
Chloe barely registered the rest of what the bank teller was saying. Her mind was consumed with a searing rage.She quickly informed Cynthia that their meeting would have to be rescheduled and then wandered aimlessly through the bustling crowd.Cynthia's last words echoed in her mind: "Chloe, what's going on with you? You've disappeared for two months without a trace, and now, when we finally meet, you cancel again. What on earth are you doing?"Yes, what was she doing? She kept asking herself this as she walked. She hadn't gotten the money, and now that man had trampled on her dignity.Chloe hadn't realized the Williams family was hosting a banquet tonight. As she stepped inside, she was greeted by a row of luxury cars parked in neat formation. Through the grand entrance, she could see Lionel leaning casually against the bar, holding a glass of champagne, engaged in conversation.That domineering, seemingly harmless face of his infuriated her, and she quickened her pace, heading stra
Lionel froze, his expression unchanged, but his eyes turned menacing.The entire hall fell silent. Everyone's gaze was fixed on Chloe, some in admiration, others in shock, surprise, or even pity.Grace was so shocked she nearly jumped, quickly rushing over with a towel. Lionel calmly wiped the wine from his face with the towel she handed him.For two months, this woman hadn't said a word to him. They hadn't even properly met during that time. She had stayed quiet and obedient within the boundaries he had set, breathing her own air.In these two months, he hadn't heard a peep from her, nor had the servants reported any complaints from her. He had assumed that she had finally succumbed to his overpowering presence, forced to submit to his will.Apparently, he had been wrong. Very wrong.This woman wasn't just unafraid—she had the audacity to throw wine in his face!Two months ago, this woman had flirtatiously served him drinks at Paradiso, seductively dancing around him, her coquettish
Chloe wished she could slap him, but she felt guilty."I did sell myself…" The word ‘sell' got stuck in her throat. "But you haven't even paid me! All you gave me was a frozen bank card," she added quickly. "I don't even want the half a million, I'll find a way to pay it back."Ha! Playing hard to get again!This woman never missed a chance to put on a show."You don't understand basic business? No goods, no payment," Lionel said, his tone businesslike.Chloe was furious, at a loss for words.She regretted it now—regretted ever giving in to Flora and her mother's pressure to come here and endure his humiliation!At first, she had naively thought they could live like strangers under the same roof. Even though she had vanished from the world, at least her mother and brother had a chance to thrive."That shabby outfit doesn't suit you!" Lionel's gaze swept up and down her body, finally resting on her defiant eyes. "You're different today—trying to get my attention? Well, you succeeded!"
That night, Chloe had begged him to let her go, but he hadn't relented. And just now, he had disgustingly kissed her and touched her! How revolting! Why was it always her who had to endure such humiliation?The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, her eyes welling up with tears. Chloe raised her other hand, ready to slap him again.This time, the man was prepared. He caught her wrist with a fierce grip.His face twisted into a terrifying expression she had never seen before. "You think you can hit me a second time?"With a violent shove, Chloe's body was thrown aside, her head hitting the door with a loud thud before she slid down to the floor.Pain shot through her head, and her vision began to blur. She tried to shake it off, telling herself she couldn't pass out... But everything went black.Looking down at the unconscious Chloe, Lionel turned away and dialed the intercom. "Come and take her back to her room to rest."Stupid woman! How dare she hit him! Was she out of
In the dimly lit room, with the curtains drawn, the family doctor finished examining Chloe and reported to Lionel, who was seated on the sofa."Ma'am is very weak. She must have gone too long without food, causing her to faint. But she's also suffering from chronic malnutrition, sleep deprivation, and excessive stress, which have led to frequent nightmares, and early signs of depression.""Hmm... You may leave now," Lionel replied, his eyes fixed on the woman lying on the bed, his deep gaze betraying no emotion, leaving his thoughts unreadable.When Chloe woke up again, she immediately noticed that the back of her head had been bandaged.Had they treated her wound? She wouldn't be grateful for it!The room was still dimly lit, and she had no idea what time it was. Groggily, she sat up, only to be startled by a man's deep voice in the darkness."You're awake."Lionel?Recognizing his voice, Chloe quickly grabbed the blanket and wrapped herself up like a cocoon."What are you doing in m
Feeling a rare spark of liveliness, Chloe grabbed her phone and called Mag. "Mag, can you call Cynthia? I'll be visiting tomorrow. Also, just to let you know, I'm rejoining the team tomorrow!""Great, great!" Mag was thrilled on the other end of the line, and the two chatted away for a while.Focused on the conversation, Chloe didn't even notice that Lionel was still standing by the window.Her eyes, usually so guarded, were now shining brightly. Her eyebrows arched in joy, and a wisp of hair fell delicately over her smooth, pale forehead. Though her face looked slightly undernourished, there was a newfound glow about her.She sat cross-legged on the bed as she spoke on the phone, her long eyelashes fluttering, exuding a quiet elegance that was both delicate and refined.It wasn't until she finished the call that she realized Lionel was still there. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her eyes as she quickly composed herself.Without any expression, Lionel dropped a cold remark, "You c
Chloe quickly ran through her mind, trying to recall if she had done anything to upset him. But she couldn't think of anything. She actually thought this week had gone quite well. Her time in the house was limited to coming home after midnight to sleep and leaving by 9 in the morning. Their schedules didn't overlap at all, so how could she have possibly offended him?He must be insane! He's just looking for trouble!Before she could think further, Lionel was already close, reaching out to grab Chloe by the chin."Coming back so late? Were you at Paradiso work again?" The corner of his mouth lifted into a sneer.The only thing that came to his mind was that she had returned to her old ways. That was where he had fallen into her trap.The disdain in his eyes and the mockery on his lips stung Chloe. Her initially panicked eyes quickly filled with coldness."It's none of your business!" Her frail figure was now enveloped in an aura of unapproachable aloofness. He could humiliate her all h