"You…" Jolie was stunned, completely taken aback that her unintentional actions had been twisted into something so outrageous by him. “No, that’s not true! I wasn’t…” She shook her head furiously, desperately denying the accusations. Gavin’s eyes bore into hers, his gaze intense and unreadable. His large hand still rested on her bare waist, the occasional movement of his fingers causing her body to tense. The unfamiliar sensation sent a strange shiver through her—an unfamiliar and unnerving response. She tried her best to suppress the fluttering feeling, remaining perfectly still, afraid to make any sudden moves. His voice, calm and detached, broke the silence. “If that’s the case, why did you say those things? Weren’t you testing whether I see you as Selena’s substitute?” Jolie froze. Her thoughts, her intentions—everything had been laid bare. The stark embarrassment of having her ploy exposed washed over her like a tidal wave. She wasn’t a match for him. That much was
"Why? You don't want to?" Furious and mortified, Jolie wanted nothing more than to kick the man off her, but the whirlwind of his kisses and touches had drained every ounce of her strength.Her voice softened as she said, "No matter what, it's not happening. I don't want this.”Gavin, despite holding back to his limit, made no further moves. He released her waist but, just as he was about to let go completely, his hand lingered on her waist in a slow, deliberate motion, as if savoring her curves. Sitting upright, he leaned back slightly and calmed the turmoil raging inside him. Jolie watched him in surprise but didn't dwell on it. She hurriedly got up, smoothing out her disheveled nightgown. Even though her body had responded, her rationality prevailed over her emotions, and she stopped herself. She quickly left for the bedroom. Before closing the door, she said, "Make yourself at home, Mr. Cooper." Then, with a loud "bang," the door slammed shut. Gavin stared at her ret
Jolie tried her best to control her emotions, but her voice trembled despite her efforts. She couldn’t believe it. She had always known that, to the Quin family, she was a pawn they could use to trade for benefits whenever necessary. Yet, she had clung to the belief that at least she had her freedom. Now, she realized she was under their watch every second of the day. The thought of Selena’s resentment toward their parents’ favoritism and envy of their so-called love struck her as utterly absurd. If she could choose, she’d trade the so-called love and favoritism all away. She didn’t want any of it. “Jolie Quin!” Daisy’s tone turned uncharacteristically stern. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying? Everything I do is for your safety. How could I possibly be at ease with you living alone? You’re the daughter I’ve cherished and protected all these years. “Don’t change the subject. I’m asking you, when did you and Mr. Cooper start seeing each other? If you’re dating, bring h
Inside the bathroom, there was still no response. Daisy’s expression darkened. She quickly pushed the door open and was greeted by the sight of Jolie sitting on the closed toilet lid. She hadn’t cleaned herself up at all, still looking as disheveled as when she’d just woken up. When she noticed Daisy enter, Jolie even curved her lips into a faint, mocking smile. Her eyes sparkled with blatant defiance. "You!" Daisy’s face turned stormy at the sight. She marched in, glaring down at Jolie. "What do you think you’re doing?" Jolie met her gaze and replied calmly, "Rebelling. Can’t you tell?" The words tasted bitterly ironic as they left her mouth. She couldn’t bring herself to do anything truly harmful to the Quin family, but all she could manage was small, petty acts of defiance like this—pointless provocations. It was ridiculous. Maddening. And deep down, she hated how powerless she was to change anything. Daisy’s gaze hardened, taking on an air of authority. "Jolie,
Jolie was placed under house arrest and confined to her room. Meals were delivered by the housemaids three times a day, and she wasn’t allowed to step out, not even once. Yet, she didn’t resist. It was as if she’d completely given up. Her days were spent in an endless cycle of eating and sleeping, embracing her apathy. A month passed. One day, a maid entered the room holding a pregnancy test kit. Jolie was curled up on the sofa playing a video game. When she saw it, her brows instantly furrowed. “What’s this for?” The maid kept her head down, her tone cautious. “Miss Jolie, Madam Daisy instructs me to give this to you.”Jolie tightened her grip on her phone, her lips curving into a mocking smile. “No need for that. Go back and tell her nothing happened between me and Gavin Cooper. I won’t be pregnant.” The maid nodded quickly. “Yes, Miss Jolie.” But not long after, Daisy arrived herself. Her gaze swept over Jolie’s unkempt appearance, her expression hardening with a co
Selena went out for a spa day with Aveline, but as soon as they stepped into the salon, they unexpectedly ran into Jolie. Jolie exuded an air of indifference, her entire demeanor laced with a lazy sort of detachment as if nothing in the world could pique her interest. She wore oversized sunglasses, her expression hidden, but her complexion looked far from well. “Miss Jolie, what a coincidence,” Aveline greeted her with a polite smile. Jolie glanced over, giving a faint nod, but didn’t bother to say anything more. Selena frowned slightly at the interaction. Before long, a staff member ushered Selena and Aveline into a private room. As soon as the door closed, Selena couldn’t help but comment, “What’s going on with her?” “Hmm?” Aveline turned to her, confused. “Are you talking about Jolie?” "Of course. Look at her! She looks like a ghost has sucked the life right out of her," Selena said, her voice a mix of concern and curiosity.Aveline’s lips curled into a knowing smile.
Selena smiled faintly. “Yeah, I know.” “What’s next?” Aveline asked. “I'm hungry. Let’s grab some food,” Selena replied. “Sure.” … At the Quin family villa, the courtyard had been meticulously decorated, exuding an air of elegance and beauty. Luxury cars arrived one after another, parking neatly in the driveway. Young men dressed in tailored suits stepped out, each looking more polished than the last. Terence and Daisy stood at the entrance, greeting guests with broad smiles. When familiar socialites arrived with their sons or daughters in tow, Daisy would step forward to exchange pleasantries, her charm on full display. Between conversations, Daisy stole a glance at the time. Noticing that Jolie hadn’t come down yet, a barely perceptible frown flickered across her face. After whispering something to Terence, she headed back into the villa. Inside, servers dressed in crisp shirts and vests moved gracefully among the guests, balancing trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvr
Meanwhile, in a car parked along the roadside not far from the Maybach, Aveline spotted Gavin and was visibly surprised. "Why is my brother here?" Selena glanced at her and replied, "The Quin family invited him, but I guess the invitation didn’t reach you." Aveline fell silent for a moment before saying, "That’s not what I meant. My brother never attends these kinds of boring events. This is the first time I’ve seen him at something like this." "Really?" Selena raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Aveline nodded. "Yes. He usually only goes to business receptions, charity galas, or summits—events that are serious and, frankly, dull." Selena’s eyes suddenly lit up as a thought struck her. "Do you think he’s here for Jolie?" Aveline rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "It’s possible. It looks like after their last encounter, my brother’s gotten hooked." "Pfft!" Selena couldn’t help but laugh, her mood lifting considerably. Aveline chuckled and asked, "So, are we going in?" Selena sh
The reason it wasn’t the same was simple—her plan would fall apart if she got caught.Of course, that wasn’t something she could admit.Jolie simply said, "I just don’t want any unnecessary complications. Since you’ve already arranged the flight, let’s just leave directly."Gavin’s dark eyes fixed on her for a moment, but he didn’t press the issue.It was clear she didn’t want to talk about it any further, so he let it drop.When the elevator doors opened, the two of them walked out together. A car was already waiting at the entrance. Gavin, ever the gentleman, opened the door for her.The car pulled away from Cooper Enterprises, and Gavin asked, "What do you want to eat?"Jolie, busy typing on her phone, replied, "I know a good restaurant."It was a cozy place she loved, one she often visited with her friends."Alright," Gavin replied, pulling out his phone to respond to some emails. With his work condensed into such a tight schedule, he seized every spare moment to handle it.Jolie p
Gavin suddenly recalled Wilfried's words, "That girl doesn’t even like you."Lowering his gaze slightly, Gavin pushed the thought aside without explanation, his expression remaining cool and indifferent as he watched her. After Jolie finished looking through the photos, she turned to him and asked, "Why do you have pictures of all these women?" "My father brought them over," Gavin replied. "Oh." Jolie nodded knowingly and didn’t press further. It was easy enough to figure out—the Cooper family obviously wanted him to consider an arranged marriage, so they sent over these photos for him to choose from. She could understand that. In fact, she even helped him look through them, just in case one of these women turned out to be a good match for him. After all, their relationship wasn’t meant to last forever. When he grew tired of her and she had her fun, they’d part ways, and everything would return to normal. As she neatly organized the photos and placed them back on the ta
It was Jolie’s first time visiting Cooper Enterprises, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of curiosity about the place.No, to be precise, it was her first time stepping into any corporate office. The Quin family also had company, but she had never visited, nor had Daisy or Terence ever asked her to.The private elevator for the CEO was stunningly opulent, its polished surface gleaming like a mirror, perfectly reflecting their images. Jolie’s heart began to race with an inexplicable excitement.The assistant glanced at her and said with a warm smile, "Miss Quin, there’s no need to be nervous. Mr. Cooper will definitely be delighted to see you."Jolie nodded and replied, "I’m not nervous."The elevator moved swiftly, and as they neared the executive office, Jolie adjusted her cap and mask, pulling them snugly to hide her face as much as possible.Meanwhile, near the adjacent employee elevator, Rosalie was holding a stack of files, ready to head downstairs.She froze the moment she s
"I’ll wait for you to come back," Jolie said softly before hanging up the call. The phone let out a soft beep, and the beautiful girl on the screen disappeared. Gavin frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flickering across his face. She ended the call without letting him say anything. But as he replayed her soft words about waiting for him, the irritation quickly faded. When his assistant walked in, the first thing he noticed was Gavin staring at his phone, an unreadable smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The assistant froze, momentarily feeling as though he’d seen a ghost. Blinking hard, he looked again. Phew! It must have been his imagination. Gavin still wore his usual cold and impassive expression. "Mr. Cooper, these are the proposals submitted by the planning department," the assistant said as he placed the documents on Gavin’s desk. "Mm," Gavin acknowledged, immediately opening the files to review them. "Mr. Cooper, I’ve also finalized your schedule for
It sounded so much like Jolie! The thought stunned Rosalie. Jolie had a boyfriend, and she got sent abroad because of him. How could she possibly be in contact with Gavin, let alone on a video call with him? Still, an uneasy suspicion gnawed at Rosalie. If she could just take one glance at the woman in Gavin’s video call, she could put her mind at ease. Gathering her courage, Rosalie lifted her head and looked in Gavin’s direction, her gaze fixed on his phone. The next second, a figure stepped in front of her—Gavin’s assistant. With a cold stare, he blocked her view. Startled, Rosalie’s face turned pale. By now, Gavin had already entered his office. The assistant looked at Rosalie, his voice icy. “What are you trying to do?” “I-I…” Rosalie hadn’t expected to be caught so quickly. Her heart leapt into her throat as she scrambled for an excuse. “I just wanted to check if Mr. Cooper needed anything.” “That’s not your job,” the assistant replied firmly. “You may be the
Aveline held Joy in one arm and looked at Selena, asking, "What are you doing?" Selena replied, "Do you know what I just saw?" Aveline shook her head. "No idea." "Hickeys!" Selena pointed exaggeratedly to a spot on her neck, saying, "Right here. And I don’t think it’s just one spot. There’s probably a lot more below. Tsk tsk!" She clicked her tongue twice, shaking her head as she added, "Who would’ve thought Mr. Cooper could be so... ravenous." Aveline was amused and said, "Well, it makes sense. After all, he's already thirty, never had a girlfriend, and now that he finally does, of course, he’d go all out to spoil her." "Go all out to spoil her..." Selena drew out the words, mimicking her tone as she leaned in closer. "Ave, you’ve really been corrupted by Lucas, that scoundrel. You never used to talk like this." Aveline responded matter-of-factly, "I’m the mother of two now. What’s there to be embarrassed about?" "Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Selena made a playful, teasing expr
The corners of Gavin’s lips curved into a faint smile.The subordinate giving the report froze, his eyes widening in shock.What on earth?!Did he just witness that?Their notoriously serious and unsmiling boss—especially during work—had just smiled. In the middle of a meeting at his phone.Several others in the room noticed it too. Their gazes darted between each other in silent but frantic communication.What’s going on?Did Mr. Cooper just smile? At his phone? During a meeting?“Is he… dating someone?” everyone thought.“Ahem!”Gavin’s assistant cleared his throat, immediately breaking the silent chaos. First, it was a warning to the staff to rein in their imaginations, and second, it was a subtle reminder to Gavin, who was typing a reply.Even the assistant couldn’t help the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.Who would have thought?The president of Cooper Enterprises, a man known for his iron will and unshakable focus, was texting his girlfriend during a meeting… and smilin
Rosalie said, “That must be tough for you. But why did Uncle and Aunt suddenly decide to send you abroad?” Jolie’s eyes flickered. So, her parents hadn’t told their relatives the real reason? How typical.Of course, they’d be too embarrassed to admit it. Shipping their daughter abroad just to force her to break up with her boyfriend? What a humiliating thing to confess. Jolie replied calmly, “I wanted to study abroad to gain some experience. It’s for my future photography exhibition. I still have a lot to learn.” “Oh, I see,” Rosalie responded, feigning understanding. Then she added, “Where are you staying? If I get the chance, I’ll come visit you.” “There’s no need, but thanks for thinking of me,” Jolie said lightly. “I’ll only be gone for a year. I’ll be back before you know it.” Rosalie smiled on the other end. “Alright then. If you need anything, just let me know.” “Sure.” After a few more polite exchanges, the call ended. Rosalie stared at her phone, gripping it
"Beep! Unlocked!" The electronic voice of the fingerprint lock sounded unusually clear in the quiet night. As soon as Jolie stepped through the door, Gavin wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into a warm embrace. His hot breath cascaded down onto her ear and neck, making her breath hitch instantly. She didn’t even have time to take off her shoes before she was swept up into his arms. His kisses were relentless, stealing her breath and unraveling her control as her emotions rose and fell with his every move. Before she knew it, she was seated on the entryway cabinet. Her dress had been pushed up to her waist, and her legs were forced to cling to his lean waist. His fingers trailed over her skin, leaving traces of his presence wherever they went. “Mm…” A soft whimper escaped her lips as his kisses marked her skin. Each mark, blooming like crimson flowers against her fair skin, painted a vivid contrast on her porcelain complexion. The room remained pitch dark, but