Chapter 3

Cecilia bit her lip as she moved toward him, her body stiff. Her hand had barely touched his arm when he yanked her forward with surprising strength. She lost her balance and tumbled into his lap.

"Mr. Clifford, our agreement only mentioned hugging, kissing, and sharing a bed..."

He cut her off, his hot breath tickling her ear. "Are you eager to start your 'performance review' right now?"

His calloused palm deliberately caressed her waist.

Cecilia's body tensed. Humiliation burned behind her eyes, but her brother was still in the hospital, waiting for that money.

She closed her eyes, gradually letting her body soften. With mechanical movements, she reached up, mimicking Rachel's earlier actions, and gently pressed her fingertips against his temples.

Her cool fingers carried that unique scent, and the moment they touched him, Edward's headache miraculously began to subside.

This Cecilia was indeed his antidote.

That crisp, pleasant fragrance completely enveloped him, and Edward visibly relaxed. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing her in greedily.

Cecilia remained rigid, though her heart pounded wildly. She suddenly realized that Edward needed her. Perhaps this transaction wasn't entirely under his control after all.

"Mr. Clifford," she began, her voice trembling despite her efforts to stay composed, "I have one more request regarding the agreement."

Edward didn't respond verbally, though his breathing grew heavier. He chuckled against her neck, seemingly amused by her attempt to capitalize on the moment.

"Cecilia, you certainly know when to strike."

He lifted his head to look at her, his eyes inches from hers, swirling with unreadable emotions. His breath warmed her face. "Trying to negotiate with me?"

He gripped her chin, his thumb stroking her delicate skin as he pressed a punishing kiss against her lips. Though less wild than the previous night, it was filled with undeniable possession.

Cecilia nearly suffocated under his kiss, physical discomfort mingling with emotional humiliation. She instinctively struggled, pushing against his chest, but he caught her hand and guided her head downward...

He leaned back on the sofa, satisfied, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

But for Cecilia, every second felt like an eternity. The heat from Edward's thighs and the suffocating sensation in her throat made her entire body tense with discomfort.

Memories of last night's drug-induced frenzy flooded back. She thought of Mr. Johnson who had nearly ruined her, her mother's coldness, and how Edward was entangled with his first love yet married her.

Pressure built in her mouth as tears slid down her cheeks. The overwhelming stress and humiliation left her gasping for air.

Edward seemed to notice her distraction. His fingers squeezed her waist as he carried her to the bedroom. Cecilia winced, her body trembling as Edward became even rougher than the night before, showing no tenderness whatsoever.

In her hazy state, a name unconsciously escaped her lips. "Winston..."

The whisper was soft, barely a sigh, but in the quiet room, it reached Edward's ears with perfect clarity.

The languid energy surrounding Edward vanished instantly. His eyes turned glacial. "Who is he?"

Cecilia's cheeks flushed as his sudden change in tone snapped her back to reality. She stared at him in confusion. "What?"

She'd accidentally called out her first love's name. Winston Gray was her unforgettable love, her deceased first boyfriend.

In the confusion, Edward shoved her away, stopping abruptly as if he'd touched something filthy. He stood up, looking down at her with undisguised disgust.

"Go shower."

His voice betrayed no emotion, yet it chilled her more than any shouting could have. Edward clearly found her repulsive.

Cecilia didn't even know why she'd called out that name. Deep down, she wished none of this had happened, that time had frozen when she was still with Winston.

At least Winston would never appear before Edward, unlike Rachel.

"You're still tangled up with your first love," Cecilia choked out. "Why did you marry me?"

"Rachel has uterine cancer," Edward said without even glancing at her. "Besides, we broke up years ago."

So Rachel couldn't fulfill her wifely duties, and that's why he'd brought home a sex toy as a wife? And apparently, this sex tool wasn't allowed to have any lingering thoughts about her first love.

These upper-class people were truly high and mighty with their double standards. But then again, she had willingly sold herself, willingly accepted all this. Overwhelming shame engulfed her once more.

Cecilia scrambled off the bed and rushed into the bathroom without a word.

---

That afternoon, Cecilia returned to the office in a daze. To her horror, Edward followed right behind her—they practically walked through the company's main doors together.

All along the way, employees gawked as if they'd seen ghosts, their eyes darting between the two of them.

"Cecilia Mellon."

She had barely reached her desk when Edward's icy voice rang throughout the legal department. "Come to my office in thirty minutes."

Under dozens of watchful eyes, Cecilia could only sit there uncomfortably, literally counting down the minutes on her phone before heading to the CEO's office.

Edward sat behind his massive desk and tossed one copy of their signed marriage agreement in front of her, now bearing his personal seal.

She'd only heard rumors about Edward's intimidating CEO persona but had never witnessed it firsthand. Now, seeing him in his tailored suit with an aura so powerful it made her scalp tingle, she understood the gossip.

"During the term of this agreement, you are forbidden from having intimate relationships beyond normal social boundaries with any man except me." He walked around to stand in front of her, his tall figure completely overshadowing her. "Forget that man in your heart. Completely."

The humiliation in his words made Cecilia tremble. Red-eyed, she couldn't help but snap back, "What about you? Does this agreement only constrain me? Rachel can freely enter your home, hold you intimately—what gives you the right to demand anything from me?"

Edward raised an eyebrow and pointed to the last page of the agreement.

[The final interpretation of this agreement belongs to Party A.]

Cecilia was speechless.

Of course. What right did she have to question him? She was just a wife he'd purchased, a commodity with a price tag. What claim did she have to fairness?

Seeing her silence, Edward suddenly gripped her chin, forcing her to look up. He leaned down and captured her lips with his, greedily absorbing the calming essence from her breath.

Cecilia's entire body shook until he finally released her, allowing her to breathe again.

"Remember your place, Mrs. Clifford," he said, clearly not satisfied.

Cecilia practically fled the office.

The moment she returned to her desk, a friendly coworker immediately sidled up to her. "Cecilia, what did the CEO want with you?"

Everyone around them perked up their ears.

"Nothing much, just discussing some work," Cecilia mumbled, keeping her head down.

Her colleague looked skeptical. "What work could a legal intern possibly discuss with the CEO? Everyone knows Mr. Clifford is famously cold. Even department heads get torn to shreds when they mess up. I've never seen him treat any female employee so 'specially' before."

The expressions on everyone's faces clearly said, "We don't believe you."

How could an intern possibly be working directly with the big boss, especially spending that much time in the infamous "Grim Reaper's" office?

Cecilia couldn't defend herself, so she just buried herself in work.

Just as she was about to survive until closing time, the CEO's assistant approached her desk in front of everyone.

"Ms. Mellon, Mr. Clifford wants you to wait for him in the underground garage."

With that single sentence, Cecilia was thrust back into the spotlight. The suggestive glances around her felt like they could pierce through her.

Even the most oblivious person could read between those lines.

Cecilia reluctantly followed the assistant to the underground garage.

But when the door to the flashy Maybach opened, she saw Rachel sitting in the passenger seat, flashing her an apologetic yet nonchalant smile.

"Ms. Mellon, I'm so sorry. I left something important at Eddie's place and need to retrieve it right away."

Despite her apology, Rachel looked completely at ease.

Edward sat in the back, expressionless, staring straight ahead. "Cecilia, get in the back."

Standing outside the car, Cecilia looked at the "perfect couple" inside. She felt like an awkward third wheel—or rather, a second-rate substitute.

Her chest tightened as what little self-respect she had left wouldn't allow her to degrade herself further.

She closed the car door and took a step back. "No thank you, Mr. Clifford. I'll take the subway."