The ballroom, lively just moments before, fell silent as a dazzling couple made their entrance.The men's gazes were drawn to Chloe, captivated by her graceful figure, her alluring, pale neck, and her enchanting curves. Blood rushed through their veins as they wondered who this stunning woman was. She didn't seem to belong to the world of business elites. Was she some sort of ethereal beauty, descended from the heavens? She had a crystal-like purity, so fragile and untouchable, yet they couldn't help but long to reach out.The women, on the other hand, couldn't tear their eyes away, tracking Chloe's every move. They looked at Lionel with admiration and longing, but when their gaze fell on Chloe, it turned to envy and hatred. If only they could push her out of the way and take her place by Lionel's side!Lionel walked confidently with Chloe at his side, tightening his grip around her waist every time they passed someone.His icy stare seemed to send a message to everyone around them: a
Chloe felt as though she was sitting on pins and needles.It was as if there was a tiger right beside her, its piercing gaze almost slicing through her like infrared rays, reading her very soul.Across from her, another set of eyes seemed to glance over casually, but deep down, she knew Amos was really watching her.Her heart pounded with anxiety. She was terrified that Lionel would notice something off between her and Amos.The nervousness made her breathing rapid, and her stomach began to cramp. Instinctively, her hands moved to her abdomen.Lionel, always sharp as a hawk, noticed Chloe's distraction. Her absent-mindedness had not escaped his attention from the moment they arrived.Lowering his head, he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "Are you feeling unwell again?"What is she thinking about? He wondered, frowning slightly."No," Chloe forced a smile, trying to maintain her composure.Lionel said nothing further. He merely placed some dessert on her plate and gently urged, "Ea
In the restroom.Chloe stared at her flushed face in the mirror, splashing cold water on herself as hard as she could. The icy shock cleared her mind, snapping her out of her daze.What had she just done?She slapped her face harder, trying to forget, regretting it so deeply that she wished she could strangle herself.Suddenly, a face identical to hers appeared in the mirror.Wearing the same white evening gown, with the same slender figure—there were now two identical reflections staring back at her.Chloe thought she was seeing things. She splashed more water on her face and blinked twice, but the double image didn't disappear.Her mind froze, and in that instant, the alcohol completely wore off.So, what she'd seen earlier wasn't a hallucination after all!Flora! She actually dared to show up!Chloe's face paled instantly, her heart filled with dread."It's me. You're not imagining things," said the reflection behind Chloe. Flora's voice slithered into her ears like a ghostly whisp
Chloe slapped Flora's hands away, wiping the wetness from her eyes. "Flora, it was your plan that backfired! You can't blame anyone else for your own mistakes!"Despite Flora's tragic experience, Chloe knew there was no one to blame but fate."I don't care! It's all your fault!" Flora screamed, her voice shrill with rage. How could it not be Chloe's fault? If Chloe hadn't gotten to Lionel first, Flora wouldn't have ended up like this. If it wasn't Chloe's fault, then whose was it?Chloe turned and washed her face again. She didn't want to argue with Flora anymore—it was pointless.She had been gone too long. Lionel was probably furious by now.But Flora wasn't about to let her walk away. She grabbed Chloe, her expression growing even more maniacal."Chloe, remember, the five million is gone. If you have any conscience left, if you don't want Mom and Beck to end up homeless, you better find more money, fast. Oh, and I forgot to mention—your precious man, the one who said he loved you?
Lionel's sharp gaze swept across the room, but Flora pretended not to notice. She picked up her knife and fork, cutting into her steak while obediently eating all the dishes Lionel placed before her.To her surprise, the food actually suited her palate. She ate with gusto, masking her inner anxiety and avoiding the cold, piercing look Lionel was giving her, as if he were about to tear her apart.What's with her? She had just said she wasn't hungry, yet now she's devouring everything like a wolf.Lionel's eyes remained fixed on the woman beside him, something nagging at him. Something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. His dark, brooding gaze scanned her from head to toe, cold and unreadable.It was still her face, still the same woman. She ate everything he gave her without protest, obedient as ever.How absurd. He actually found himself thinking she seemed like a different person. Could it be that he had gotten so used to her defiance that her sudden compliance felt
Lionel kicked the door open forcefully.She was standing at the sink, splashing water onto her face.Lionel paused, surprised. She had moved quickly. He was sure he had seen her heading towards the exit, but in the blink of an eye, she was here.Had he seen it wrong?As the door flew open with a bang, Chloe, mid-splash, saw Lionel's dark expression through the mirror.Had Flora been discovered?That realization hit Chloe like a bolt of lightning. Her pupils dilated, panic filled her eyes, and her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her heart twisted painfully in her chest, as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She felt like she was suffocating, her face drained of color, pale as paper.Her legs gave way beneath her, and she swayed, about to collapse.Lionel reacted quickly, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.He took in her bloodless face, her eyes wide with fear, and her delicate, icy-cold fingers in his hand. She looked terrified, trembling even in his e
"No... don't... let her go! Don't hurt her! You animals..." Chloe screamed desperately, watching a group of men tear at Flora's clothes.She cried out in anguish, trying to reach Flora, to pull the men off her, but her limbs were weak, powerless. All she could do was watch helplessly as those beasts did as they pleased.Suddenly, someone began to rip Chloe's own clothes. Rip! The sound of fabric tearing filled the air, and she felt the cold air hit her exposed skin. She wrapped her arms around herself, kicking and hitting in a frenzy."Get away! Get away! Please... please, let me go..." She struggled and screamed. Lionel grabbed her and tossed her onto the bed like a ragdoll.Then came the pain—sharp and unmistakable—her face twisted in agony."Dad... Dad... save me..." Chloe cried out, and then, as if pleading for forgiveness, she sobbed, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Dad... I couldn't protect her...""Hey, wake up..."Lionel woke up, startled by Chloe's cries and flailing limbs. He turne
Grace shot a sharp glance at Mandy.She had always known that this scheming bitch wasn't to be trusted. Mandy shrank back under Grace's dagger-like gaze, but compared to Lionel's cold stare, Grace's look was far less terrifying.Working here came with benefits—far better pay than anywhere else, generous bonuses at the end of the year, and countless perks.Grace had always run the household, and Lionel rarely interfered. But today, if Mandy spoke up, she'd surely face backlash from the others. Grace might even see to it that she was kicked out, and there went her well-paying job.However, Mandy couldn't help but think of how pitiful madam of the house truly was. No matter what, she had to say something, even if it meant risking her job.“Sir, it's Grace. She wouldn't let us call madam down for meals. She said madam had no right to be our mistress, that she only married you because she crawled into your bed.” Mandy quickly finished, bracing for Lionel's fury.The tension in the room was
"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