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
"Hey... mmph... let go..." Chloe struggled to speak as she was suddenly assaulted. She tried to push him away, but Lionel's towering figure was as immovable as a wall. The moment she opened her mouth, he silenced her with a fierce kiss.Lionel, like a beast provoked, clamped down on her, devouring her soft lips with a desperate hunger, his anger manifesting in the harshness of his actions. Her lips, unable to withstand the brutal onslaught, quickly became swollen and tender.Her lips burned painfully, and her body ached from Lionel's relentless grip. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't overpower him. The humiliating memory of that night at Paradiso replayed in her mind.Tears welled up and spilled over, tracing a path down her long lashes and dripping into their mouths. Lionel tasted the salty tears and noticed the wetness on her lashes, the streaks on her pale face, and the redness of her nose. She looked helpless and pitiful, her vulnerability tugging at something deep wi
Chloe couldn't hold back her tears any longer.It wasn't just that the man had humiliated her; she also wanted to slap herself.She had completely lost her dignity!She had squandered all her pride!She didn't know how long she sat there on the floor before finally standing up. Her legs felt numb as she stumbled to her room, collapsing onto her bed still fully dressed.Half-asleep, she heard soft voices nearby and opened her eyes to find daylight streaming through the windows.She grabbed her phone—it was already half-past eight!Oh no, she was going to be late!She tried to get up quickly, but a sharp pain in her back made her gasp and collapse back onto the bed.The events of the previous night flooded back, filling her with shame and anger.Whenever she encountered this man, she was the one who got hurt.She looked at herself in the mirror, seeing the clear bite marks on her lips. She unbuttoned her clothes and saw a large bruise spreading across the right side of her back, a mix o
It was 9:00 PM again, and as usual, Chloe arrived at Blues for her shift.The shame she felt was overwhelming. The wound on the corner of her mouth was noticeable, and even lipstick couldn't conceal it. No matter where she went today, people couldn't help but stare at her.Blues had always been a peaceful place, largely because Mag was generous and never made enemies. But it was still a bar, a place where unsavory characters were bound to mix in.Worried about attracting unnecessary trouble, Chloe carefully wrapped a silk scarf around her face.However, today was destined to be anything but peaceful.The regular patrons, accustomed to the aloof and unapproachable pianist, admired her quiet elegance. They didn't mind her unusual behavior today. In fact, the soft blue scarf only added to her mystique, making her seem even more noble and refined. It tempted people to uncover her hidden beauty.The guests continued their revelry while casting intrigued glances at the pianist, all the whil
The gang members froze when they heard that familiar voice. Their hearts skipped a beat as they turned around to see a tall man standing at the entrance. Their faces instantly changed color, and cold sweat began to drip down."Ge... Geoff..." The bald man's face turned ashen, his posture submissive as he wiped his sweat with a trembling hand.Finally freed, Chloe quickly grabbed a tattered cloth to cover her exposed undergarments, her heart pounding wildly. Without time to dwell on her fear, she hurriedly knelt down to cover Mag's body."Mag..." Chloe cried, gently patting Mag's face, desperate to wake her up.Geoffrey walked closer, his gaze briefly resting on Chloe, who was still crying and trying to rouse Mag. Then he shifted his focus back to the bald man."Geoff..." The bald man's voice quivered with fear, the arrogance he had just displayed vanishing as he trembled like a coward.Slap— Slap—The crisp sound of two slaps echoed through the air. Geoffrey blew on his hands, then ki