"What are you doing?"Aveline was startled and instinctively tried to avoid him. However, the bathtub was slippery, and after several attempts to struggle, she fell back into it.Lucas pressed one hand on her shoulder, leaning over her. His long, narrow eyes fixed on her, already tinged with a hint of crimson, as if suppressing some emotion."Aveline, do you like Russell?" His deep voice questioned her heavily.Aveline was stunned, feeling speechless!How could he ask such a question?Didn't he know whom she liked?However, without her consent, he entered her home, questioned her in that tone, and bullied her like this. There was no way she could say she liked him!"Who I like has nothing to do with you!"Aveline's clear eyes stared straight at him, not fearing his cold demeanor at all. "What? You can like Miss Winter, but I can't like other men?""No, you can't!" Lucas roared. His hand pressed on her shoulder while gripping her chin, and his fierce kiss followed.Aveline was shocked a
Lucas sat down on a chair, his expression noble and indifferent. "Eat first.”Aveline walked over and snatched the utensils from his hand, slamming them onto the table. "Lucas, how did you get in here?"Lucas looked at her calmly, his mood inexplicably lifting at her angry expression. "Do you think changing the password lock will keep me out? As long as I want to, I can come in anytime."His deep, magnetic voice made her feel as though he was talking about something else entirely. Remembering everything that happened last night, she became even angrier. "You want to eat? No way! None of this is for you!"She moved his bowl and utensils away and sat at the farthest spot from him, eating on her own.Lucas watched her and suddenly chuckled, "Aveline, aren't you being childish?"Aveline said nothing. What could she do? She couldn't manage him with either force or kindness. She had no way to handle Lucas!Lucas wasn't angry; he just watched her with amusement. When she finished eating, he f
"Hey, Selena, do you know anyone who sells high-tech locks?"Selena was momentarily stunned by her question. "Didn't you just change your lock? Why do you need to change it again?"Aveline replied, "It can't keep people out, so I have to keep changing it."Selena was silent for a moment before saying, "Why not just get a new place?"Aveline's eyes lit up. "You're right, let's just get a new house."Selena said, "I can introduce you to someone for that. Maple Garden is a great area. If you sell for a bit less, I'm sure someone will be willing to buy."Aveline agreed. "Okay, let's do that. I have to go to work now. We'll talk more after I get off tonight.""Alright."...At the office.Aveline spent the entire day working, coordinating with Brighton Enterprises, and inspecting the construction site.In short, she didn't get a moment's rest.When she returned to the office, most people had already left.She sat at her desk, took a sip of water, and then called Selena."Hey, Ave, are you d
Lucas shot a cold glance at Selena.Selena felt a chill run through her and instinctively looked away.Lucas's icy gaze then fell on Russell, but it was just a fleeting glance before he turned to Aveline and asked, "Bringing strange men into our home without my permission, isn't that inappropriate?"Aveline laughed out of anger. "This is my house. Why should I need your permission to bring friends over?"With one hand in his pocket, Lucas maintained his cold, noble demeanor. "Have we divorced?"Aveline pressed her lips together.Lucas continued, "Since we haven't divorced, you're still my wife. Your house is marital property, which means what's yours is also mine."Suppressing her anger, Aveline replied coldly, "Do I really have to spell it out for you?"Lucas looked at her with a faint, mocking smile. "What? Do you want to argue in front of everyone? Are you sure you want to air our marital issues in public?"Aveline was speechless.Shameless!Did he still remember they were married?
"What are you doing? Put me down!"Aveline was shocked. What had gotten into this man again?Lucas quickly walked into the bedroom, tossing her onto the bed. Before she could get up, he leaned over, his heavy body pinning her down, his gaze dark and intense."What are you doing, Lucas?"Aveline's chest heaved with anger, her beautiful eyes burning with fury.Lucas looked at her coldly. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from Russell? What were you thinking today, bringing him here? If I hadn't happened to show up, what were you planning to do?"Aveline found him completely unreasonable!She struggled fiercely. "Lucas, stop being crazy! Russell and I are friends. What's wrong with bringing a friend over?"She dared not mention that she was selling the house. If he knew, he might tear her heart apart!This man, when he lost his mind, was capable of anything!Lucas stared at her intensely. Her face had turned a delicate shade of red from her efforts.She wasn't wearing any makeup, but the bl
Aveline looked at him calmly, raising an eyebrow. "Not continuing?"Lucas suddenly scoffed coldly and stood up, leaving the room.As she heard the door slam loudly, Aveline let out a deep breath.She was really afraid and didn’t know how she could defend herself if he continued. It was like last night; she had no way to resistBut she didn’t want this.He had feelings for Sophia, and she didn’t want to be entangled with him any further.She just hoped to get through this month safely.By then, she would definitely get a divorce!...The next day.After work, Aveline was about to leave when someone blocked her path with a smile. "Mrs. Tudor, I'm the butler of the estate. Madam Yvonne asked me to take you to the estate for dinner."Yvonne?Aveline was puzzled. "Why did Madam Yvonne suddenly invite me?"Did Lucas know about this?The butler smiled and said, "Mr. Lucas hasn’t been back for a while. Mr. Frederick and Madam Yvonne miss him very much, so they wanted to invite you over. Mr. Lu
Aveline directly grabbed Crystal's wrist, her clear eyes now tinged with coldness. "I told you, it wasn't me!"Crystal forcefully shook off her hand. "He's only seven. Could he lie? Not only are you an ill-mannered maid, but you are also cruel to harm a child!"The little boy cried his heart out.Anyone witnessing this scene would think Aveline had bullied the boy.The people around looked at Aveline with disdain and contempt.Aveline instantly became the target of everyone’s blame."What happened?"At that moment, Yvonne appeared, looking at everyone with a puzzled expression.Crystal pointed at Aveline. "Is she your maid? When I came in, I asked her to help me with my bag, but she ignored me. Then she hit my grandson. Look at him crying. She must be so cruel to bully a child!"When Yvonne heard this, she seemed surprised by the situation.She frowned and glanced sympathetically at the boy. "Don't cry, look what I have here. It's candy."She took out a lollipop and handed it to the bo
As soon as Lucas entered, his gaze landed on Aveline. Seeing the two bodyguards holding her, his expression turned icy."Let go."His tone was cold, surrounded by a powerful and chilling aura.The two bodyguards instinctively released her and looked over at Crystal.Crystal, seeing him, immediately said, "Lucas, you're just in time. This maid not only ignored my words but also hit my grandson. How are we going to resolve this?"Lucas ignored Crystal's words and went straight to Aveline, his eyes fixed on her. "Are you okay?"Aveline's heart trembled slightly. She shook her head. "I'm fine. I didn't hit him.""I know," Lucas said quickly and confidently.At that moment, Aveline's heart settled.Regardless of their past conflicts, at least for now, he was on her side.Aveline lowered her gaze, suppressing the emotions that surged within her.Crystal's brows furrowed deeply as she watched this scene.The onlookers were also quite surprised.Wasn't this woman a maid of the Tudor family?Wh
“Got something on your mind, Dad?” Gavin asked, noticing Wilfried’s serious expression as he entered the room. His own demeanor softened a bit.Wilfried didn’t waste time, sitting down heavily on the sofa with a stern look. "What are you planning to do about what happened today?"Gavin froze for a moment, realizing that the whole situation had become an open secret within the family. His response was calm, though. "I don’t have any specific plans."At this, Wilfried’s expression darkened even further. "That won’t do. You’ve taken advantage of someone, so you need to take responsibility. I’ll have someone look into that girl’s background tomorrow, prepare the bride price, and we’ll go make the proposal immediately."Gavin blinked, his typically composed expression faltering slightly. After a brief silence, he replied, "Dad, I’m willing to take responsibility, but what if she doesn’t want to marry me?"Wilfried paused, momentarily caught off guard by this possibility. His gaze swept over
“Hmm, you’re right. I’ll talk to your brother and see what he thinks,” Wilfried said thoughtfully.Aveline nodded and went on her way....In the study, Gernard sat on the sofa, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. “Brother, why didn’t you let me finish? I was about to spill the best part.”Gavin ignored him and pulled out a document, handing it over. “Take a look at this. If everything’s in order, you’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow.”“What’s this?” Gernard blinked, taking the file and flipping it open. His eyes widened as he scanned the pages.He shot up from his seat, staring at Gavin in disbelief. “Wait, you’re serious? You’re actually sending me to South Africa? Do people live there? When did we even expand into that region?”Gavin, seated in his leather chair, remained cold and composed. “Recently.”Gernard’s face twisted in disbelief. After a long pause, he finally blurted out, “No way. I’m not going.”Gavin’s gaze flickered over to him, calm but stern. “You don’t hav
“What gossip?” Aveline's interest was instantly piqued, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Gernard.Gernard leaned in conspiratorially, about to spill the juicy details. “It’s about Brother. You won’t believe what happened today…”“Ahem!”Before he could finish, Gavin appeared, clearing his throat just loud enough to interrupt. He grabbed Gernard’s arm, pulling him away. “Let’s talk about the company,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.Gernard protested, “Brother, wait, I wasn’t finished!”Aveline, her curiosity fully ignited, took a couple of steps forward. “Hey bros, don’t leave me hanging! Finish the story first!”Without slowing down, Gavin replied, “He’s headed to South Africa soon. Work comes first.”“South Africa?” Gernard’s jaw dropped. “Wait, since when am I going to South Africa? I didn’t hear about this! What’s going on?”Aveline stopped in her tracks, equally puzzled. “South Africa? Does the Cooper family even have projects there?”Just then, Wilfried walked
"Got too much free time on your hands?" Gavin’s cold gaze fixed on Gernard.Unbothered, Gernard strolled over and patted his brother's shoulder, grinning. "So, what’s your plan now? I got a little bored and did some digging on the Quin family. Guess what? Turns out they’re Selena’s birth family. She left them ages ago to make it on her own, but the girl you were with? That’s Jolie Quin, the pampered princess of the family."With a knowing smirk, Gernard added, "Brother, I couldn’t help but notice—Jolie and Selena do look a bit alike. Could that be why you…?""Get lost," Gavin cut him off, not in the mood for Gernard’s teasing. He brushed past him, heading downstairs.Of course, that only fueled Gernard’s enthusiasm. "Hey, don’t walk away! I haven’t finished my gossip yet!" he called after him, but the conversation came to an abrupt end as they reached the main floor, where the guests were still gathered for the celebration....Aveline noticed Selena seemed a bit distracted and asked,
One of Jolie’s long, slender legs was exposed to the cool air, and Gavin’s fingers instinctively tightened, as if they could still feel the smoothness of her thigh under his grip. His gaze darkened, though his expression only grew colder. His sharp, chiseled features gave him a distant, unapproachable aura—a man who seldom smiled and whose demeanor warned others to stay away.He was cold, almost like an ice block."Debt’s owed," he said flatly, tossing out the two words before sitting on the sofa and picking up the phone to make a call.Jolie blinked in surprise, processing what he said. Debt owed?Was that something you could even keep on hold?But thinking about it, he probably didn’t need anything right now. So, if he wanted to leave the debt hanging, so be it.Stretching lazily, Jolie sat up and said, "Have someone bring me a change of clothes."With that, she pulled the blanket aside, slowly rising from the bed despite the discomfort between her legs and headed toward the bathro
As the effects of the drug finally began to fade, Jolie lay exhausted on the bed, her body drenched in sweat. Her skin, especially across her delicate shoulder blades, bore faint marks from their encounter and her breath ragged as it brushed against her own back. Her vision was hazy, and she barely had the strength to speak."I... I’m fine now... you can stop," she murmured, her voice weak and broken from the strain of what had just happened.The madness of moments before still pulsed through her, the aftershocks of it lingering in her body. She never expected that grabbing a random man for help would lead to this, nor did she expect him to have such relentless stamina.Yet, the man behind her didn’t stop. He didn’t respond either. His large hands remained firmly gripped around her slender waist as if he were trying to squeeze the very breath from her."Stop... I told you to stop, didn’t you hear me?" Jolie’s anxiety spiked as he continued. What was wrong with him? They’d agreed he was
Gavin said nothing and simply hung up the phone, his expression darkening by the second.Behind him, Jolie’s soft, pained whimpers filled the air. She was writhing on the bed, her delicate skin flushed a faint pink.Gavin clenched his jaw, tugging at his tie. It had already loosened from when she’d pulled on it earlier, and with a rough yank, it came completely undone. Frustration simmered beneath his calm exterior.Where was Selena? She was supposed to be finding help, but she still hadn’t returned.His frown deepened as he reached for the door, ready to leave."Please… help me…"Her desperate voice, laced with a hint of a sob, echoed from behind him. The softness of it hit him like a lit match to his chest, sparking a heat he wasn’t used to feeling. "Please… I’ll pay you… I won’t take it for free…" Jolie’s voice broke as tears streamed down her face. She was sobbing now, her words dripping with helplessness and shame, as if offering him money would somehow make her request more bear
"Stop moving," Gavin growled in a low voice.But Jolie, completely under the control of the drugs, was acting purely on instinct, seeking out what her body craved most. She didn’t register his words at all. Instead of stopping, she slipped her hand inside his shirt, feeling the hard muscles of his chest."Mm..." Jolie let out a soft sound, whether from the satisfying feel of his muscles or because the touch of his skin intensified the drug’s effects, it wasn’t clear.Gavin's breathing became heavier. He couldn’t stay here any longer—this drugged and irrational woman could do anything at this point, and there was no telling what she’d attempt next.Quickly surveying his surroundings, Gavin spotted a quieter route. Without hesitation, he carried Jolie out through the back door, re-entering the villa through another entrance. He headed upstairs and slipped into the nearest empty room, laying her down on the bed.Just as he moved to leave, Jolie, still hazy and half-conscious, sensed his d
"Let… let me go!" Jolie struggled with all her might, but the drugs were quickly sapping her strength, leaving her powerless to break free.The man, too impatient to care, ignored her pleas and began dragging her toward the back exit."Hey! She told you to let her go. Are you deaf?" A sharp voice suddenly cut through the air.The man froze, startled, and looked up to see a girl standing not far away."Who the hell are you? This has nothing to do with you. Get lost!" He snapped, not recognizing Selena, his tone turning nasty.Selena’s expression grew colder as she took in Jolie’s disheveled state. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and slapped the man hard across the face, then yanked Jolie away from him."Letting yourself fall into the hands of this scum? Where’s your fight?" Selena said sharply.Jolie’s blurry consciousness flickered at the sound of her familiar voice. When she realized it was Selena, her tensed body finally relaxed, leaning heavily into her for support."Take me