Lionel's cold voice was indeed intimidating; he was a proud and arrogant man. But in reality, it wasn't Chloe begging him—he was the one begging her to come back. He was just using a different way to save face.In love, everyone is equal!For love, no matter how fierce he pretended to be, he remained humble as dust.They both loved each other, yet neither was willing to back down or lay bare their hearts. They thought that yielding first would make them seem weak and that withholding their true feelings would give them control.But in truth, those who refuse to open their hearts are often the ones who lose control! In the end, they hurt only themselves.That was how they were—both proud and stubborn, equally cold, unwilling to show their true feelings for fear of being hurt, ridiculed, or trampled.In the end, they both ended up hurting each other deeply. Even at the height of their pain, they still wouldn't admit that they loved one another.Well, if they were going to be this stubbo
In the study, Lionel was seething with rage!He yanked off his tie, irritated by everything around him. With a sweep of his arms, he sent the documents on the table crashing to the floor with a loud bang.A fire burned in his chest, fierce and relentless, as if it might scorch a hole right through him. It hurt!Damn that woman!He had offered to let her return to the master bedroom, promised to make the other woman disappear immediately. He had lowered himself, yet she hadn't even blinked before refusing, insisting he bring that woman into the master bedroom instead!Fine!Let her be ruthless! She didn't care about the master bedroom, did she? She didn't mind him bringing any woman there, did she?Well then! He would show her!He didn't need her!As long as he wanted, thousands of women would flock to him!"Ah..." Lionel went berserk, smashing everything in the study to pieces. In an instant, it looked like a disaster zone.Finally exhausted from the destruction, he collapsed into his
Chloe pushed Lionel hard, shouting, "If you want to... head to your master bedroom! There's a woman waiting for you impatiently in there!""Do you really want me to go to her?" Lionel's voice was hoarse from the alcohol, and even in the darkness, his furrowed brow was evident.Swallowing his anger, he kept his gaze fixed on Chloe's face.Chloe scoffed coldly, "What a joke! What does it matter to me which woman you want to sleep with? Move aside!" She raised her hand and shoved his shoulder forcefully.Though it was hard to see clearly, Lionel could still imagine the coldness of her expression. Her heartless words stabbed at him like a dagger.Feeling a sharp pain in his chest, his voice turned icy. "Yes! It has nothing to do with you! But you are still my woman! Tonight, I'm going to sleep with you!"Without waiting for her response, he bent down and captured her lips."Ugh, get off... you beast! You scoundrel! Who do you think you are, a king?" Chloe protested, kicking and struggling
The sounds from the master bedroom echoed until dawn, gradually subsiding as Chloe sat on the sofa, staring blankly.She didn't want to hear the nauseating noises, yet she stubbornly forced herself to listen until morning.She needed this to stay awake, to remind herself not to indulge in fantasies and to remember that aside from her father, no other man would ever treat her well.Stretching her stiff legs, she made her way downstairs, where the servants were already busy cleaning.As she stepped outside into the front garden, they exchanged glances, unable to suppress their sighs and shakes of their heads.Her eyes were red like a rabbit's, her face pale, and the worry etched on her brow seemed to deepen.Clearly, last night, the master had spent the night with the woman he brought home; otherwise, she wouldn't be in such despair.Chloe approached the swing, sitting down and absentmindedly rocking back and forth. She closed her eyes, letting the cold autumn breeze wash over her, feel
Meanwhile, after Lionel left, Moira wasted no time in asserting herself! Acting as if she were the lady of the house, she ordered everyone around with an exaggerated sense of authority."You there, move those flowers! They're ugly!" "And you, clean this area again! Can't even wipe off the dust properly – what good are you?" "What are you staring at? Get to work!"With a series of sharp commands, the servants kept their expressions tight, rushing around to fulfill one demand after another, only for Moira to criticize something else the moment they were done. Thanks to her, the entire villa was in chaos. Yet no one dared to confront her, or even give her a look of disapproval; otherwise, they would undoubtedly pay the price.Quietly, the servants whispered to themselves, wondering if she was suffering from a hormonal imbalance or simply going through menopause.Could it be that the master didn't satisfy her last night? She's clearly venting her frustration on us!Of course, no one d
Grace rushed to the scene, her face pale with fear.None of them could swim. What were they supposed to do now?With trembling hands, Grace quickly pulled out her phone to call Lionel.In truth, she had already seen the two women fighting from inside the house through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Since neither woman was someone she cared for, she had pretended not to notice.The fiercer their fight, the more satisfaction she felt! Grace had already planned it out: she would only intervene once they were both exhausted.If she couldn't stop them by then, it wouldn't be her fault, and she wouldn't face any blame when the master returned.But now, the situation had changed—they had both fallen into the water. Though she privately wished they'd drown to save her the trouble, Grace knew that if someone died, the master would not forgive her.In the pool, the two women were thrashing about. Moira spat out water and shouted, "Help!" while Chloe, though sinking and rising, only occasio
Lionel's gaze was murderous, his face dark as a storm cloud, while Moira's anguished screams echoed, a clear sign to everyone—they had made a grave mistake.Instantly, their legs weakened, nearly giving way beneath them."M-Master, I thought..." Grace stammered, trying to explain, but upon receiving Lionel's piercing glare, she quickly swallowed her words, raising a trembling hand to gesture towards Chloe's old room.Lionel turned and entered Chloe's room.She was soaking in the tub, her skin smooth as porcelain, her black hair floating gently on the water's surface. Just by her silhouette, he knew it was the woman he held in his arms every night.How could he have made such a mistake?This time, his steps slowed. Or rather, he hesitated, almost shrinking back. Deep down, he feared seeing that cold, indifferent expression on her face once again.A small part of him hoped she would, like Moira, throw herself into his arms, crying, telling him she was afraid, that she needed him, beggin
"Lion... Lion..." Moira's frantic voice echoed as she called out, "Where did he go?" She wrapped herself tightly in a bath towel, her temper flaring as she shouted at the nearby servants.Seeing their nervous expressions and the subtle glances toward Chloe's room, Moira wasn't a fool; she knew where to go. She stormed toward Chloe's door."No, Miss Moira, you can't go in!" Grace blocked the entrance.The door hadn't been closed, and the sounds from within were unmistakable. The two of them were entangled together!Grace couldn't let Moira disrupt them a second time, fearing Lionel's wrath would fall on them all.Blocked by a mere servant, Moira was livid. "Move! Who dares to block my way?" She clutched her towel with one hand, ready to kick Grace but held back, her face twisted with frustration.She could see exactly what was going on just by their expressions. Inside, Chloe and Lionel were tangled up in something intimate. A burning jealousy ignited in her eyes, and she seethed."Mis
Slap!A sharp, crisp sound echoed as Joanna's face was harshly turned to the side, blood beginning to seep from her lips.Samuel shook with anger. After such a scandal, how could he face everyone here?"From now on, I sever all ties with her!" Samuel spat out, his voice filled with fury. He staggered back, nearly collapsing, but his subordinates rushed forward to steady him.Chloe stood frozen, stunned by the scene, when suddenly someone pulled her from behind, dragging her into a nearby makeshift lounge."Hahaha..." Joanna's laughter suddenly broke out, manic and unhinged.Her laugh was chilling, and the little boy next to her shrank back in fear. "Mommy, what's happening?""Shut up! Get away, bastard!" Joanna screamed, causing the boy to burst into loud sobs."Joanna... you've gone too far!" The blonde man hurried over, his face cold as he scooped the child into his arms and left the venue."Haha..." Joanna continued to laugh, swaying back and forth. She looked at Lionel, his cold,
"I'll cry if I want to. What's the matter? You can't stand it? If you don't like it, I'll go back to my mom's!" Chloe threatened, her hands on her hips, showing her teeth.Lionel raised an eyebrow. In the whole world, there was only one person who dared to threaten him—her! He quickly pulled Chloe into his arms, coaxing, "Alright, you can do whatever you want, I'll follow your lead. But please, don't make me worry so much. And from now on, you're not leaving my sight for a single second."What a joke—if she left, what would he do at night? He'd already gotten used to having her by his side. He couldn't function without her.A wave of worry washed over him. She now had her real father. Today, she was using her mom to threaten him—would she use her dad to threaten him tomorrow? What about her brother the day after?No! No! Anyone, but not her brother! Thinking of how Geoffrey once doted on her, Lionel's face darkened. From now on, he couldn't let Geoffrey anywhere near her—even if he we
Lionel watched as the people quickly fled, his narrow eyes darkening. He turned to Barton beside him and said, "Take care of this."With that, his tall figure swiftly moved towards the restroom.For some reason, he had felt uneasy all day.When he heard "someone's been killed," his heart was pierced with a sharp sting. The unease inside him deepened; he needed to see it for himself.As someone's face turned ashen, they quietly slipped out of the venue while Barton was busy calming the crowd."Lion..."Chloe's voice broke the silence, and Lionel froze. He looked up to see the familiar face, and her voice, thick with emotion, caused tears to well up in her eyes, which then fell, trembling.She had been so strong just moments ago, but the moment she saw Lionel, her heart felt fragile, as if it could shatter with a single breath.Seeing Chloe like this, Lionel was horrified. Blood was everywhere on her lips, and it sent a sharp pain through his chest. Without a second thought, he rushed t
Eamonn had been salivating over Chloe for a long time.To get to her, he had even used his proximity to Cynthia as a stepping stone, but little did he know, Lionel had beaten him to the punch.Even though Eamonn had the desire, he lacked the courage to act on it. He harbored those thoughts but never dared to lay a hand on Chloe.But when he was assigned a task—to torment Chloe, with the promise of a bright future and wealth beyond measure—he found himself going all in.As a man, there are always those few moments of madness in life. This was his chance. If he completed his task, not only would he rise in rank, but he would also fulfill his deepest desires."Monster!" Chloe broke free from one of his hands and slapped him across the face.Eamonn's face instantly bore five red marks from her fingers.He sneered, his voice cold and menacing. "Bitch! Still playing the innocent virgin? I'll make sure you regret this today."The devilish tone in his voice, combined with the devilish look on
"Chloe... long time no see." Eamonn shamelessly stood only a few steps away from Chloe, his body inching closer with each passing moment.Ever since Cynthia's accident, he had disappeared without a trace, and Chloe couldn't understand why he'd suddenly reappeared now."What are you doing here?" Chloe's voice was icy, and she showed no sign of warmth towards him.The mere sight of him reminded her of poor Cynthia, and the anger within her grew even stronger. Seeing him advance with that sinister glint in his eyes set off alarm bells in her mind."Stop!" Chloe took a large step back, not caring that her dress was still wet. She hurriedly wrapped a coat around herself.Eamonn ignored her words, his face still twisted with a smirk, taking a few more steps forward."Chloe, don't be like this. I'm not a virus. Why are you so afraid of me getting closer? It's been so long, and I have so much to say to you."He raised his hand, trying to grab Chloe's.Chloe swung her arm out to the side, evad
In the morning, Chloe and Lionel walked downstairs to find Joanna already seated at the dining table."Good morning, Lion, Chloe," Joanna greeted them with a graceful smile, delicately sipping her milk.Her gaze involuntarily shifted to Chloe's neck, and as expected, the marks from last night's kiss were still clearly visible.The sounds she overheard at the door yesterday flashed through Joanna's mind. Bitch! she cursed silently.Lionel ignored Joanna's greeting, and Chloe merely snorted in response. They both sat down to breakfast. As usual, Lionel fussed over Chloe, fetching this and that for her, while Joanna seemed to vanish into thin air, like a mere background figure.Since Lionel had ordered Lumina to be blacklisted, all those who once courted favor with K Group had severed ties with the company, leaving Lumina on the brink of collapse.While Lionel was listening to Barton's report, his phone rang.It was his father. Immediately, Lionel's face darkened."What is it?" he asked,
"Joanna, you're drunk! Calm down." Heather's voice was low and firm as he grabbed Joanna's wrist without hesitation, stopping her just as she lunged at him.Was she really drunk? Or just pretending?Heather's sharp tone, coupled with the pain shooting through her wrist, made Joanna freeze. Her dewy eyes instantly filled with tears."You yelled at me? You never raise your voice at me. You never refuse me. What's wrong with you? Don't tell me… your love for me was a lie?"Her lips trembled, and—plop—a single tear slid down her cheek. Joanna's delicate face was full of grievance as she accused Heather of turning against her.She really had gone mad.He had loved her. He had sincerely begged her to stop chasing after Lionel and to stay with him instead. He had been willing to take responsibility for their one-time mistake, promising to make her happy.But she had refused to even look at him, discarding him like a worthless rag.And now, after failing to win another man's love, after feelin
Joanna burned with jealousy, seething with anger as she stormed in. She grabbed Chloe off the bed and dragged her out, ready to feed her to the wolves.Bitch!Normally, Joanna could let things slide, but not now. What the hell was this? She'd just had a miscarriage a week ago, barely gotten back home, and now she was back in bed with a man?!Joanna cursed Chloe fiercely in her mind, but then, oddly, a sense of satisfaction crept in. She knew that a woman who had just miscarried shouldn't be anywhere near a man in bed. That was basic knowledge. But the fact that Lionel didn't care about Chloe's condition, that he was dragging her into bed as soon as he got home—well, that only proved one thing: he saw her as nothing more than a tool.If he truly loved her, he would have been more considerate!This meant that in Lionel's eyes, Chloe was nothing special either!Ha! What was there to be angry about now?Let them have their fun, let them wreck her completely, turn her into trash.Joanna fe
Chloe lost her child, and Joanna couldn't contain her delight. She hummed a cheerful tune, suddenly finding everyone pleasant to look at and treating everyone with uncharacteristic warmth and kindness.Mandy, on the other hand, was seething with resentment, while Grace spent her days on edge, terrified of Lionel's return and the punishment that might await her.A week passed, and Chloe finally returned from the hospital.Joanna, who had been all smiles for days, found her grin vanishing the moment she laid eyes on Chloe.In her mind, Chloe had tried to use the child in her womb to secure her place, and now that she had lost the baby, her bargaining chip was gone. Even if she didn't take her own life, she should at least be devastated—frail, despondent, a step away from death.Yet, after a week, Chloe looked radiant, her complexion even more glowing than before!There was no sign of grief over losing her child—she was laughing and