Lucas suddenly stood up, his commanding presence enveloping Aveline as he placed his hands on either side of her, trapping her in his arms. His sudden closeness made Aveline tense up immediately, her clear eyes revealing a hint of wariness as she looked at him."What are you doing?" Lucas chuckled softly, his piercing gaze fixed on her as he said in a low voice, "Aveline, when did you become so wicked?"Aveline's lips curved into a cold smile. "I didn't want to be like this, but you all forced me to."She could have lived a simple, carefree life. It was his forceful entry into her world, his refusal to let go, and the pressure and jealousy from others that had turned her into what she was now. She hadn't wanted this either.Aveline lowered her eyes, a trace of sadness appearing in them.Seeing this, Lucas felt an inexplicable discomfort. Noticing her damp hair, he suddenly stood up and left, returning moments later with a hairdryer."Let me dry your hair.”Aveline frowned and refused,
"Damn it! He hung up on me again!" Selena stared angrily at the disconnected call. She wanted to call back, but remembering Lucas' words about Aveline being tired, she held back.Once Aveline had enough rest, Selena swore she’d complain to Aveline about Lucas and let Aveline know how Lucas had bullied her!Nearby, Aaron couldn't help but laugh at Selena's angry expression.Hearing him, Selena glanced his way without a word, then turned and walked away.A taxi happened to be passing by. She got in, told the driver her destination, and looked away, not sparing Aaron even a glance.Aaron gritted his teeth. This woman was getting bolder. Did she really think he wouldn't do anything to her?He took out his phone and made a call....Just as Selena's taxi entered the city, she received a call from her studio boss, who berated her harshly."Selena, if you mess up Mr. Fletcher's deal, you're fired!" the boss finally roared before hanging up.Selena wanted to say something, but the call had alr
"Why not?" Selena asked.Aveline replied, "Lucas and I have reconciled.""What?" Selena raised her voice suddenly as if she had jumped up on the other end. A jumble of noises came through."Ave, you're not joking, are you? This isn't funny at all," Selena said, completely flustered.She had been the harshest critic of Lucas, constantly urging them to divorce. Now Aveline was telling her they had reconciled? Their reconciliation made her feel like a fool!Selena's voice grew more urgent. "Ave, have you forgotten all the hurt you've suffered? Hasn't he hurt you deeply enough? How can you reconcile with him?"Aveline felt terribly sad. She wanted to blurt out the truth, but Lucas was right - the fewer people who knew the truth, the less risk they faced. If someone were to learn something from Selena, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?She just wanted to return to a normal life. Running away couldn't solve the problem.Aveline closed her eyes for a moment and then said, "This incident m
Lucas' cold gaze fell on her as if trying to see through her phone to Russell. His stare carried a sense of pressure that made Aveline uncomfortable. She shot him an annoyed look. Was she not allowed to take a call?Lucas kept quiet.He gripped his fork as if he were gripping Aveline's neck.Russell's voice came through. "Aveline, what's wrong with Selena? I just contacted her, and she seemed very upset."Aveline's breath caught in her throat. She then said, "I made her angry. I'll make it up to her."Russell acknowledged this, then asked, "And you? How are you?"Aveline paused. "What do you mean?"Russell said, "Are you hurt? Actually, I rushed over there yesterday too, but I was a step too late."He finished with a self-deprecating laugh.Aveline hadn't realized he had gone too. Gratitude flickered in her eyes. "Thank you. I'm fine, not hurt."Russell replied, "Good, that's good."A brief silence fell.As Aveline was considering ending the call, Russell suddenly asked, "Aveline, you
Who could resist a beautiful woman's charm? Certainly not Aveline. Faced with Maria's persuasive beauty, Aveline gave in. "Alright, I'll go. But I really need to get back to work now. You might not worry about money as the boss, but I still need to earn a living!"Maria smiled. "Great! You go ahead and work then. I won't disturb you anymore.""Alright!"As Maria turned to leave, she glanced back at Aveline one last time. Seeing her in good spirits, she felt relieved.Maria praised herself for doing well and thought about asking Lucas for a bonus!...Aveline pored over the Winter family files. In Cloudflare City, a city full of wealthy families, the Winter family wasn't considered upper class, but rather hovered in the middle tier.Their main business was real estate. The Winter family had two sons and two daughters, with Sophia being one of them.Due to her relationship with Lucas in recent years, Sophia's status in the Winter family had risen dramatically, making life difficult for
Aaron looked at him. "Don't be so sure. You just haven't realized it yet. By the time you do, you probably won't be able to leave her. You'll be afraid to defy her wishes.”Lucas looked disdainful.Aaron changed the subject, "What do you think about this recent incident?"Lucas said calmly, "She wants to handle it herself."Aaron was surprised, "Can she manage it?""We'll see if she can or not. If she really can't, I'll be there to back her up," Lucas replied.Aaron nodded. "Alright. You two are becoming more and more alike."Lucas glanced at him. "Anything else?"Aaron took out an envelope and pushed it across to Lucas. "Some recent findings. Take a look."Lucas opened the envelope to find several photos of Yvonne with a man. The man wore a hat and mask, obscuring his face. The photos were somewhat blurry but clearly recent. Yvonne had been meeting this man frequently.Who was he?Lucas looked at Aaron. "Have you identified this man?"Aaron said, "He's excellent at evading surveillanc
Aveline changed her shoes and walked in. The man's cold gaze immediately fell on her.She said nothing and went to drink a glass of water.Footsteps approached from behind her.Just as Aveline set down her glass, she felt a grip on her shoulder as Lucas turned her around.His tall figure loomed over her, his eyes studying her intently. He asked in a low voice, "What did you mean by what you said earlier?"Aveline pushed his hand away, moving to a safe distance. She didn't think their current relationship warranted such intimacy.She said coolly, "Going public now doesn't suit my plans."Lucas was displeased by her avoidance, but hearing her words, he raised an eyebrow. "What plans?""That's confidential," Aveline replied.Lucas retorted, "Why should I agree to your terms if you won't give me a reason?"Standing on the stairs, Aveline turned to look at him, her tone calm. "You don't have to agree. But then I don't have to agree to yours either."Her attitude was cold as she headed upsta
Returning to the bedroom, Aveline closed the door and sighed in relief, feeling that Lucas was becoming increasingly strange. However, she didn't dwell on his behavior. She didn't care. Her focus was on planning her next steps.After taking a shower, she lay on the bed with her phone, noting down all the things she needed to do. A while later, she turned off the lights and went to sleep.But in the middle of the night, the bedroom door opened, and Lucas walked into the darkness.Seeing this, Aveline frowned slightly and said, "What are you doing here?"Lucas replied, "This is my bedroom. If I don't come here, where else would I go?"Upon hearing this, Aveline immediately got up. "If you're in this room, I'll go to another."However, he grabbed her wrist. "Aveline, do you know what it means to put on an act? I can't be sure if there are people planted here by that person or if there are hidden cameras. If you just walk out, what if someone sees through us?"In the darkness, Aveline loo
“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