Chapter 4

As soon as those words left her mouth, Cecilia turned and walked away. That cold, piercing gaze drilled into her back like a nail, but she didn't look back.

Only after rounding a corner did she finally relax, her heart racing—half from fear, half from belated excitement and worry.

She had actually refused Edward—the man who ruled Summit Enterprises Group with an iron fist, who could easily determine her future—to his face.

Seconds later, the roar of an engine sounded and quickly faded away.

Cecilia smiled bitterly to herself. Of course. In his eyes, she was nothing but a replaceable object—useful when obedient, discarded when not.

The weather had turned cool. Walking from the garage to the subway station, Cecilia wrapped her thin jacket tighter around herself.

A black Maybach glided silently past her, stopping at a red light up ahead.

Edward's car.

Cecilia instinctively stopped, hiding in the shadow of a large tree by the roadside.

In the glow of the streetlights, she could clearly see inside the vehicle. Rachel had turned toward Edward and said something, then her fingers lingered on his lips while he stared straight ahead.

He showed no impatience, no resistance whatsoever.

Cecilia stared, feeling ice-cold all over.

That humiliating agreement, those harsh clauses about intimate behavior—they all surfaced vividly in her mind.

She was a commodity he'd purchased, so she had to be absolutely pure, with no one else in her heart.

But Rachel was the one he cherished, allowed to touch his most private spaces freely.

His obsession with cleanliness and possessiveness—they varied depending on the person.

The light turned green, and the Maybach sped away.

Cecilia stood frozen, the bitterness and humiliation in her heart squeezing out a sour juice.

How naive to sell her body and still talk about dignity and fairness.

She took a deep breath, pushing all her churning emotions back down.

Rather than wallowing in self-pity, she should focus on performing well enough to secure that monthly $50,000 salary. After all, money was what she needed most.

Large raindrops suddenly fell without warning, instantly forming a curtain of water.

Cecilia ran awkwardly to a nearby bus shelter. She pulled out her phone—the rideshare app showed over 300 people waiting in line, and taxis were nowhere to be seen.

As she stood there, teeth chattering from cold, a white Volvo slowly pulled up in front of her.

"Cecilia Mellon? Is that you?"

Cecilia started, peering through the dim light before recognizing who it was.

Samuel Hughes, partner at a top domestic law firm who had given a legal training seminar at Summit Enterprises Group last month. She had been one of the audience members.

"Mr. Hughes?"

"It is you! Get in quickly—you'll catch cold in this downpour." Samuel leaned over to open the passenger door for her.

Cecilia hesitated, as she barely knew Samuel.

"The rain is too heavy. You won't find another ride," Samuel said, noticing her concern. He smiled warmly. "After the seminar, I read your case analysis report. It was excellent. I remembered you."

Faced with such an open gaze and sincere tone, Cecilia couldn't refuse. She thanked him and slid into the car.

Samuel handed her a clean towel and a bottle of hot coffee.

"Thank you," Cecilia said, wiping her dripping hair.

"A young woman like you shouldn't be out alone this late. It's not safe," Samuel remarked casually.

Cecilia felt a pang in her heart. Safe? From the moment her mother forced her into that blind date, from the moment she signed that contract selling herself, the word "safe" had vanished from her world.

The atmosphere in the car grew quiet. Cecilia said nothing more, not wanting to display her misery to someone she barely knew.

Just as she settled in, blinding high beams suddenly flashed from behind them.

A black Maybach accelerated aggressively from the side, nearly scraping the Volvo's body before swerving sharply to block their path.

The screech of brakes cut through the rainy night.

Samuel reacted quickly, slamming on the brakes, barely avoiding the massive vehicle.

Cecilia looked up, still shaken, and froze when she recognized the familiar, arrogant license plate.

Edward? How could he be here? Wasn't he taking Rachel home?

Before she could make sense of it, the Maybach's driver's door opened, and Edward walked directly to the Volvo's passenger window, knocking on it with his knuckles.

Once, then again.

Though an ordinary gesture, it carried an extraordinary sense of intimidation.

Samuel frowned and lowered the window, polite but distant: "Sir, can I help you?"

Edward's gaze didn't even land on him, instead piercing straight through to Cecilia's face.

Inside the car was warm as spring, while outside wind and rain raged. Yet Cecilia felt that the rain outside wasn't nearly as cold as Edward's stare.

"Cecilia," he began, his voice slightly muffled by the rain, but the mockery and iciness came through crystal clear, "how impressive. I've barely left, and you've already switched cars, switched men."

His gaze fell on the hot coffee in her hands. "It seems my wife is quite popular."

The color drained from Cecilia's face.

Samuel's expression darkened as well.

"Sir, I believe you're mistaken. I saw Ms. Mellon taking shelter from the rain and offered her a ride home. Please apologize to her for what you just said."

Edward finally gave Samuel a proper look.

He let out a soft laugh, so blatantly dismissive that Samuel's face immediately hardened.

Edward yanked open the passenger door, his powerful presence and the damp cold air rushing in together.

"Get out," he commanded coldly.

"Why should I go with you?" Cecilia stared at this soaking wet, grim-faced Edward. She clenched her jaw, meeting his gaze with desperate defiance in her voice. "Mr. Clifford, our agreement doesn't say I can't ride in someone else's car."

Raindrops slid down Edward's face, his jawline sharp as if carved from stone.

Edward just stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. The smile never reached his eyes, making him look even more dangerous.

"Very well," he said, then abruptly bent down, slipping his arms under her knees and back. Before she could react, he lifted her straight out of the car.

Cecilia gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

Samuel's face changed. "What are you doing? Put her down!"

Edward held Cecilia as if she weighed nothing at all.

He turned, not even bothering to look at Samuel again, leaving only these cold words:

"She is my wife. Where I take her is none of your business."