Zoe Lancaster’s entire body trembled. Shame, anger, and panic overwhelmed her, trapping her in a suffocating grip. Simon Hawthorne’s rage seemed unquenchable. Losing all restraint, his hands gripped her hips, his fingers tightening relentlessly, making her feel his presence with excruciating clarity.
"Don’t..." Zoe pushed at his shoulders, panicked and struggling to endure it. "Don’t do this here!"
She hated this situation. In a place where people were constantly coming and going, given how Simon was tormenting her, it would be impossible not to make a noise. She didn’t want things between them to devolve into something so unspeakable!
"Do you have a choice?" Simon’s voice dropped, laced with a husky edge. His hand landed on the back of her neck, pressing her down. Nothing but coldness remained between his lips and teeth. "Since you treat me as your sugar daddy, do you have the right to voice your dissatisfaction or dislike?"
Zoe’s heart twisted violently. She bit her lip and turned her head away. She bit down so hard her lip nearly bled, radiating an air of stubborn pride. It was as if she were enduring his punishment in sheer humiliation.
He pinched her cheek, forcing her to face him again. He easily pried her lips apart, skillfully catching her retreating tongue and giving her no chance to breathe. "Who gave you permission to bite yourself like that? Zoe Lancaster, every single part of you belongs to me!"
RIP!
The chiffon skirt of her dress was torn open. His hands gripped her waist, effortlessly lifting her before pressing her down forcefully. Unable to withstand the sudden impact, Zoe arched her graceful neck and let out an involuntary cry. Her face paled a fraction.
As if that wasn’t enough, his cold fingertips trailed up from her tailbone inch by inch, finally settling on her shoulders to pin her in place, preventing her from being jolted around by his ferocious movements. "You thought about drawing a line between us, didn’t you?"
Zoe forced herself to stifle her cries, yet she had to admit it. "Is there... a problem with that?"
To this day, he still kept a photo of Peyton Joyce in his study. Didn’t that mean he was still deeply in love with that woman? What did that make her? Once the term of their marriage was up, wouldn’t she be told to get lost just the same?!
Suddenly, he bit down on her neck. A distinct hickey and bite mark instantly bruised her porcelain skin. The pain made Zoe tremble uncontrollably, while Simon’s voice grew colder. "I am the one who controls this relationship. Zoe Lancaster, are you thinking of finding someone else?"
He detested the attitude she had just shown! It was as if, had he refused to help her, she would have turned around without hesitation to seek help elsewhere. And how would she have secured that help? By offering herself? Would it have been just like that night he first met her at the Riverbend Tavern after returning to the country?! If he hadn’t slept with her, would she have just found another man to sleep with?!
That possibility made an irrepressible, dark malice spill into his eyes.
Zoe was completely defenseless. Her insides felt as if they were being shattered by his savage thrusts, the outline of him faintly pressing against her lower abdomen. Her eyelashes were soaked with tears—whether because she couldn’t take the physical strain or because her heart was aching, she didn’t know.
"Answer me, Zoe."
He was brimming with an inexplicable fury. Whenever he thought about how Zoe had deliberately tried to please Sean Sheffield today, how she somehow knew so much about his personal information, her eagerness to back out of their relationship, and that first drunken night he returned to the country—if he hadn’t happened to be there, she truly would have ended up in someone else’s bed...
The nameless rage inside him surged even more violently, driving his erratic, brutal onslaught!
Zoe opened her mouth and bit down hard on his shoulder, leaving a stark set of teeth marks. Because of Peyton Joyce, she could no longer pretend to be the docile, perfect wife as she had in the past. Instead, she bared her own fangs. "Do I need to remind you... Mr. Hawthorne? Our contract marriage only has eight months left!"
Shouldn’t he be happy? Wouldn’t he finally be able to be with the woman he truly loved when the time came?!
His only answer was a cold sneer, followed instantly by an even more ferocious punishment. "You’re counting down the days, aren’t you, Zoe?"
She didn’t reply. She didn’t understand. It should have been a statement that brought him joy. Why did it act like pouring oil on a fire instead?
Zoe could no longer string together her thoughts or words. This was their third time. And this time, she was completely, painfully sober as she felt him. Only now did she truly understand how overwhelmingly intense he was in this regard. Several times she tried to retreat, only to be dragged forcefully back. Even in such a confined space, he somehow managed to find ways to subject her to utter shame.
"Why do you know so much about Sean?"
In a daze, she heard him ask a question.
Zoe immediately recalled her time in the PR department. She had once handled a case involving Sean’s management agency and had looked up his background then. Coupled with her relationship with Simon, it was only natural for her to pay a little extra attention.
But in Simon’s eyes... It meant that she had ulterior motives!
She remained silent. The only sound she made was an occasional, irrepressible muffled groan.
His fingertips brushed past the woman’s temples, which were completely soaked in sweat. Simon’s brow furrowed tighter. Belatedly realizing what he had just done, his thin lips pressed into a hard line. He had actually... lost control. To think he had flown into such a rage over her minor actions and a few fleeting words.
Feeling the slight tremors of the woman in his arms, he took off his glasses and wrapped his suit jacket tightly around her, ensuring she was completely covered. Only then did he call out to Linden, "Back to The Imperial Residence."
Linden kept his eyes strictly ahead, not daring to steal even a single glance. How unprecedented. Having followed Mr. Hawthorne for so many years, he was actually getting to witness his boss’s... live sex show! Although he couldn’t see a single thing that was happening, from the outside, he could definitely see the unnatural rocking of the car.
Linden didn’t dare breathe too loudly. He slammed on the gas pedal and headed straight for The Imperial Residence.
Zoe’s mind was in turmoil. Although she was devastated by the humiliating state of affairs with Simon, she ignored her own plight, constantly worrying about Autumn Linden’s current situation.
Until the man carried her into the bathroom. By the time she snapped back to reality, she was completely bare.
Enveloped by warm water, the man’s broad chest pressed against her. He seemed utterly obsessed with her body, leaving a trail of kisses across her shoulders. For a brief moment, it gave Zoe an illusion. As if, for just a fleeting second, he was truly in love with her.
But she quickly threw that thought to the back of her mind. How could that be possible? He was just displeased with her disobedience.
From the bathroom to the towel-lined vanity counter, and finally back to the soft expanse of the large bed. The lights outside flickered, but Zoe’s vision gradually blurred. Completely unable to withstand Simon’s demands, she eventually broke down into uncontrollable sobs.
Partially due to the physical torment. And partially due to the psychological agony. It felt as if she would never be able to hold her head high or stand straight in front of him ever again. It was as though she had given up on herself. What right did she have to talk about fairness in a relationship?
Feeling the woman sobbing and trembling, Simon finally stopped. He gently forced her to look at him, gazing at her small, tear-stained face. Only those clear, beautiful eyes retained the inherent stubbornness in her bones. Amidst her beauty, she still seemed covered in thorns—sharp and piercing.
His dark eyes deepened further. A long time passed.
He reached out, placing his hand on the small of Zoe’s back, massaging it methodically. "Didn’t you say your back hurt? I won’t torment you anymore."
Zoe couldn’t comprehend this moment. The hand on her lower back rubbed her with expert skill, easing the soreness and discomfort caused by being held in certain positions for so long. His movements were gentle and patient, and he even wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She was too exhausted to move and couldn’t help but enjoy this brief respite.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep, her finger suddenly felt cold. She opened her eyes in a daze and discovered that something familiar had been slipped back onto the ring finger of her left hand—the flawless, square-cut diamond wedding ring.
By her ear came his deep, unmistakably dominant voice. "Evie, keep this on properly. Don’t ever take it off a second time."