Helena’s heart soared with triumph, but before she could bask in her victory, her eyes shifted to the woman beside Ray. A flash of annoyance crossed her mind, but she pushed it aside. The next part of her plan required precision, and she couldn’t afford any distractions. Ray was hers now, she just needed to get rid of the pesky woman who had latched onto him all night. Helena's mind raced as she considered her options. She could cause a scene, but that would draw unwanted attention. Instead, she decided on something subtler. Her eyes landed on a group of well-dressed women nearby, all of whom had been eyeing Ray throughout the night. She recognized one of them as Amanda, the daughter of a prominent politician and an insufferable gossip. Helena approached Amanda with a smile that was equal parts sweet and calculating. "Amanda, darling, you won't believe what I just heard." Amanda's eyes lit up, her curiosity piqued. "Oh? Do tell." Helena leaned in, her voice low and confidential.
Chapter 56: Humiliation---Helena's mind was awash with a foggy haze, her body no longer her own. The drug coursed through her veins, twisting her thoughts and desires into something unrecognizable. She barely registered the man, older and grizzled, standing before her. He was a stranger, yet in her drugged state, he was all that her body craved. Her vision blurred further as she stumbled forward, her hands reaching out instinctively.The man’s rough hands caught her, his grip firm as he pulled her close. Helena’s breath hitched, her senses overwhelmed by the foreign touch. A part of her mind screamed to stop, to resist, but the drug had stripped away her control, leaving only base desires in its wake."Come here, you little whore," the man slurred, his voice thick with lust and the effects of the drug. His grip on her tightened as he pulled her closer, his hands roaming over her body with reckless abandon.Helena’s upper body was draped over the back of the couch, her arms clutching
Lilly stood at the edge of the ballroom, with Ray meeting her gaze.“That was unnecessary, you know,” Lilly said, her tone neutral.“I couldn’t help it. No one plots against me and gets away with it,” Ray replied. This was who he was—a man who never showed mercy to anyone who schemed against him or someone he loved. His greatest fear at the beginning had been Lilly hating him after discovering his true nature, but he no longer feared that. He knew his baby girl was incapable of hating anyone. Why hide your true nature when you can be your real self?“That was part of the plan, but why get Mr. Blackwood involved? He had nothing to do with us, so why drug him?” Lilly asked, a little confused. Mr. Blackwood had nothing to do with them, so why drug him?“The moment he decided to lend Helena money for the ball, he became involved,” Ray said.That was an unreasonable logic—destroying a man’s reputation just for his act of kindness. Looking at Ray, Lilly felt like he was being unreasonable.
Derek’s fingers flew across the keyboard as the screen in front of him displayed the explosive news of Liliana Anderson’s return. Chloe stood beside him, biting her lip in worry.“Derek, this is bad,” Chloe muttered. “Everyone’s talking about it, and your job was to make sure any news related to her didn’t get published.”She should have contacted their team of hackers rather than depend on him. Well, her boss chose to listen to her boyfriend, and now this happened.Derek frowned, his focus sharp. “I didn’t even notice it until you showed me,” he admitted, his tone frustrated. The fact that something so significant had slipped past him was troubling. He prided himself on being aware of everything that happened online, especially when it related to his boss. Now he had failed to carry out the order effectively; this was definitely going to come back to bite him. He knew that for sure.“Can you take it down immediately?” Chloe asked, her voice a mix of hope and urgency.“I’m already on
When they finally arrived home, Ray didn’t wait a second longer. His need for Lilly was a wildfire that had only grown hotter during the drive, fueled by the remnants of the drug still coursing through his veins. He couldn’t quench it any longer. He swept her into his arms as soon as they stepped through the door, his grip both possessive and tender, but with a slight edge of desperation that hadn’t been there before.Lilly raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest, her usual composure intact. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her upstairs, their destination clear. Ray’s heart pounded in his chest, the erratic beat matching the intensity of the desire raging inside him. He could feel Lilly’s steady heartbeat against him, a calming rhythm that sharply contrasted with his own storm.As they reached the bedroom, Ray set Lilly down on her feet, though his hands lingered on her waist. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, casting long, mysterious shadows. For a
Chapter 60Jerry had always prided himself on his ability to spot details others missed. So when he saw the news about Liliana Anderson all he could notice was the blurry, image of his brother and a woman who maybe the dead Liliana Anderson he knows that man features very well, his instincts kicked in. Most people wouldn’t have given it a second glance, but Jerry knew better. The man’s posture, the way he held himself—even in the fuzzy photo—screamed *Ray*.“What the hell…” Jerry muttered to himself, staring at the screen. He clicked on the image, zooming in and out, trying to get a clearer view, but the more he looked, the more certain he became. His brother was with a ghost. That had to be the only explanation. The infamous ‘Ice Queen’ had died—he was sure of it, well not that sure. Yet here she was, or at least someone who looked eerily like her, standing next to Ray.Ray hands were around the ghost so that means she is the mysterious girl, wait a minute, does that mean his elder
Chapter 61:### Chapter 61Jerry couldn’t wait to tell his mother the news, so as soon as he parked in front of the Manchester estate, he dashed inside, taking the stairs two at a time. The house was quiet, the hour late, but Jerry was too wired to care. He knew his mother would be up, probably sipping tea in her sitting room or reading one of her novels.He burst into her room without knocking, grinning from ear to ear. “Mom! You won’t believe this!”Michelle Manchester looked up from her book, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Jerry, darling, do you realize what time it is?” She set the book down and shook her head, though her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Barging in here like a wild man… what could be so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”Jerry plopped down beside her on the bed, his energy infectious. “You’re never going to guess who Ray’s dating.”Michelle’s eyebrows arched in interest. “Oh? Is this about that mysterious girl he’s been so secretive about? Do tell,
Chapter 62 Helena groaned as sunlight crept through the curtains, her head pounding from the previous night’s indulgences. Her body ached, a reminder of the intense encounter she’d had. She grimaced, her thoughts tinged with disgust. I can’t believe I slept with that old man, she thought, although grudgingly admitting he had been surprisingly good. As she sat on the edge of her bed, Helena’s anger began to bubble up. A sudden thought struck her like a cold splash of water—the reporter. Her mother had arranged for reporters to capture her and Ray during their supposed intimate moment. Panic surged through her as she recalled the events of the previous night. Did they see? The thought made her stomach churn. She remembered Mr. Blackwood’s hands on her, the two of them lost in the heat of the moment in one of the secluded rooms upstairs. She had been so confident that everything was under control, that no one would dare interrupt her. But what if the reporter had followed her? Wha