Chapter 2

Maxwell had completely lost his rationality at this point.

Whether it was the food or the drinks at the party earlier, something had gone wrong. Now, driven by desire, he found it difficult to control himself.

As he touched the woman on the bed, her soft skin and fragrance aroused him considerably. The innocence in her responses and her helpless sobbing nearly drove him mad!

An hour later, the man was finally satisfied and fell asleep. Jennifer felt as though her entire body had been crushed, the pain penetrating deep into her bones.

Enduring the soreness in her limbs, she hurriedly got dressed and fled from the pitch-black room. In her haste, she collided with a young woman as she entered the elevator.

"Sorry."

Jennifer's face was deathly pale. She quickly stepped into the elevator and pressed the close button.

Rachel Walker immediately looked back after exiting the elevator, staring at Jennifer in disbelief before the doors closed.

She recognized Jennifer as Maxwell's wife, the woman who'd stolen her place!

There was only one penthouse suite on the top floor, so did that mean Jennifer had come out of Maxwell's room?

Did they… sleep together?

Jealousy consumed Rachel. She had put so much effort into bribing the staff at the party and calculating the timing and dosage of the drug in Maxwell's drink, only for Jennifer to beat her to it!

Rachel hurried into the room. In the darkness, she heard Maxwell's even breath as he slept. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

A cunning smile played on her lips as she removed her clothes and lay down beside him.

…

Jennifer emerged from the club. She was too afraid to return to her and Maxwell's shared villa. She feared being seen in this state by him or the housekeepers.

After all, in their two years of marriage, Maxwell had never touched her. But now, her purity had been stolen by a stranger.

At the thought of this, Jennifer's mind went blank and her heart was in turmoil. She hailed a taxi, intending to return to the Yale residence.

At least, she needed to take a shower and change her clothes first.

When she arrived home, Bridget and Jocelyn were waiting in the living room, expecting a call from Daniel Zito.

"Mom, do you think Mr. Zito has found Jennifer and… Ugh, I'm getting anxious! Why hasn't he called us yet? Shouldn't he just agree to let me be the second female lead already?" Bridget lamented, her eyes filled with greed.

Jocelyn squinted and said, "Calm down. It's only past 11 pm. Mr. Zito is known for being a playboy. He wouldn't let Jennifer slip from his hands."

While they were talking, Jennifer walked in with an extremely gloomy expression.

"J-Jennifer?" Bridget stammered in shock, "Why are you back?"

Jennifer sneered at her reaction. "Why are you so surprised?"

Jocelyn looked equally flustered. She forced out a smile and said, "Jennifer, why did you leave your grandmother's birthday celebration? You didn't even inform us. She was very upset with you!"

Jennifer slowly approached them. Judging from their behavior, she could roughly deduce who had brought her to Nimbus Lounge.

The thought of her innocence being inexplicably tarnished ignited a rage within Jennifer. With a resounding slap, she struck Jocelyn's face mercilessly.

Instantly, Bridget erupted in fury. "Jennifer, how dare you hit my mom? I'm going to call Grandma and Dad right now! Just you wait!"

Jennifer seized Bridget's wrist, forcefully pulling her back.

She shot Bridget a menacing glare as she bit out, "Go ahead, call everyone down. I can retrieve evidence from the surveillance at Nimbus Lounge. Once Dad finds out what happened tonight, let's see if he'll tear you both apart!"

Jocelyn and Bridget's faces turned pale at her threat. They were visibly frightened of the repercussions if the night's affair were to reach Zion's ears.

Back when Zion divorced his ex-wife, Jennifer was still young. She was reportedly bullied during her middle school days, even suffering from depression.

Therefore, he had always felt guilty toward Jennifer, showing her more love. Moreover, what happened to Jennifer was no trivial matter. If things escalated, Jocelyn and Bridget would be in deep trouble!

Jennifer sensed their unease and panic. She violently shoved Bridget away, causing her to fall to the floor, then dragged her weary body upstairs.

Jocelyn hurriedly helped her daughter up, her sharp gaze fixed on Jennifer's retreating figure.

Bridget asked anxiously, "Mom, why did Jennifer come back so soon? Did she and Mr. Zito..."

"They must have," Jocelyn affirmed with a malicious smirk. "Didn't you see the marks on Jennifer's neck earlier? Seems like Mr. Zito was rather rough!"

Suddenly, Bridget became worried. "But Jennifer must hate our guts now. What if she checks the surveillance and tells Dad about this? Did you not see how she looked just now? I thought she wanted to kill us!"

Jocelyn calmly replied, "What's there to fear? Jennifer is married to Maxwell now. Do you think she would dare to reveal today's events? It's her reputation on the line here."

The reasoning made sense, and Bridget began to relax. She then hastily urged, "Mom, hurry up and give Mr. Zito a call. Ask him when I can go to the set."

Jocelyn dialed Daniel's number and questioned ingratiatingly, "Mr. Zito, were you satisfied with Jennifer tonight?"

"Don't even mention it. Someone else has taken my penthouse suite reservation for tonight. I heard he was a big shot." Daniel said dejectedly, "I didn't even get to see the pretty chick you sent over."

Jocelyn's face fell. "What? A big shot? Does that mean you didn't go to that penthouse suite?"

Who slept with Jennifer then? There were so many hickeys on Jennifer's neck!

"Alright, let's talk about your daughter's audition another time." Daniel's mood soured as he hadn't had his fun.

Bridget stomped her foot in frustration, unable to believe that the first role she ever landed was going to be ruined just like that.

At the corner of the staircase, Jennifer secretly observed the mother-and-daughter duo. From their conversation, she came to learn the whole situation.

It turned out that they had planned to send her to Daniel, but because the penthouse suite was taken by someone even more powerful than him, she had been violated by another man…

Jennifer tightly shut her eyes, not daring to recall further. The more she thought about it, the stronger her urge to strangle Bridget and Jocelyn became. Yet, she knew she couldn't act on those impulses.

This matter involved both the Yale family's and the Lance family's reputation, as well as her own dignity. Hence, she could only swallow her anger and let the matter rest.

Jennifer made her way to the bathroom. Standing under the shower, she vigorously scrubbed her bruised body. She felt absolutely filthy.

Her virginity had been taken by a stranger instead of her husband. The thought made her sob uncontrollably, the sound blending with the rush of the shower, creating a poignant melody of despair.

…

Jennifer spent the whole night pondering. She was unable to suppress her indignation. She wanted to know who the man from the night before was.

Thus, early the next morning, she went to Nimbus Lounge, hoping to retrieve surveillance footage or guest registration information.

Unfortunately, she was told that guest information was kept strictly confidential. Furthermore, their surveillance system was hacked last night and only got back on moments ago. As for the footage, it was gone.

Nimbus Lounge was the most upscale entertainment club in Haven City, with complex connections behind it. A young girl like Jennifer couldn't do anything about it.

And so, Jennifer couldn't find a single clue. She couldn't seek help from anyone else either. If she were to make a fuss about it, it would cost her pride and dignity.

Exhausted, Jennifer returned to the villa she shared with Maxwell. Along the way, she bought emergency contraception pills.

Even though she was only 22 and inexperienced, she still had some basic knowledge. She took the pills and absentmindedly placed the box in a drawer.

Jennifer collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep once again. When she woke up, it was already noon. To her surprise, Maxwell had returned at some point and was sitting on the bedroom couch.

He was dressed in a black suit with a silver-gray tie, exuding an air of sophistication and elegance. However, his demeanor seemed extra aloof.

Jennifer was startled. Because of what happened to her the previous night, she felt a sense of guilt and unease. Besides, Maxwell usually headed straight for the guest room upon his return, never setting foot in the master bedroom.

At this moment, Maxwell stood up and walked over to her. "I came home earlier and heard from the housekeepers that you looked unwell. I thought you were sick, so I came in to check on you."

Jennifer heaved a sigh of relief.

Then, he tossed a pillbox in front of her.

"I was looking for a thermometer in your bedside drawer, and I found this. Care to explain?" His tone was calm, but there was a palpable coldness and questioning in it.

Jennifer saw the emergency contraception pills she had bought and felt her heart clench.