Chapter 1
Arthur Williams ended a four-hour international conference and returned to the lounge.
He casually took off his suit jacket, and the shirt fully outlined his delicate and powerful figure. Under the belt were long, straight legs.
Just as he unbuttoned the first button of his collar, he heard a faint sound behind him.
His eyes instantly turned cold with alertness. "Who?"
Chloe Brown emerged from her hiding place with a smile, throwing herself into his arms and nuzzling his chest like a kitten.
"Surprised?"
The 'ice' in Arthur's expression melted instantly. He embraced her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"What brings you here?"
Chloe looked up at him, her beautiful glass-like eyes filled with countless stars.
She began somewhat shyly, "The doctor says my body is almost back to normal, and these are my fertile days. If we try hard enough, we might have good news soon."
By the time she finished speaking, the tips of her delicate ears had turned bright red.
She was born with difficulty in getting pregnant and had been regulating her body for years since she left the entertainment industry.
Especially lately, she'd been drinking bitter medicines every day.
She knew how much Arthur longed for a child.
But recently, there had been some issues with the branch office.
He had to come handle it personally, so she'd secretly followed him, hoping they might have good news.
Chloe's fingers playfully traced circles on Arthur's firm abs, then slowly moved downward to hook his belt. Her breath was soft and inviting against his ear.
"The meeting's over, right? No one will disturb us?"
Arthur's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes darkening with unmistakable desire.
"No one will. But someone should prepare to beg for mercy. When you light the fire, you have to put it out."
With those words, he suddenly lifted Chloe by her slender waist and strode toward the bedroom.
Chloe let out a startled gasp, her soft, pale arms tightly encircling Arthur's neck, a seductive smile playing on her lips.
Outside, rain had begun to fall. The window was open, letting in a breeze that rustled the plants on the desk.
The man's suppressed gasps and the woman's soft, broken moans form the most wonderful notes.
When it was over, Arthur carried Chloe to the bathroom to clean up.
Under the light, Chloe's delicate skin—white as jade—was now marked with reddish imprints, beautiful enough to take one's breath away.
She was like a poppy in full bloom, exuding the most intense allure in the air.
Addictive to the bone.
Arthur cleaned her meticulously, wrapped her in a light blanket, and placed her on the sofa.
"Hungry? I can have my assistant bring some food up. We'll go out for dinner later."
"I'm not hungry."
Chloe shook her head, but her eyes suddenly caught a lipstick under the sofa.
Her expression shifted slightly.
However, considering the affection they had had as childhood sweethearts for so many years, coupled with Arthur's deep and doting love for her.
They were both the black sheep of their families, the existence everyone wanted to hide.
They had been together since childhood, both coming from marginalized positions, navigating their youth side by side through countless twists and turns.
Chloe didn't dwell on the lipstick—perhaps a female client had accidentally left it during a business meeting.
But she overlooked something important.
This was Arthur's private lounge. Without his permission, not even his assistant could enter, let alone female clients.
Even for business discussions, it would be in other public places.
For a week, they lost themselves in each other, trying different locations and positions.
By the end, she barely had the strength to get out of bed.
She lay back on the silk sheets, her beautiful hair spread like seaweed around her.
Chloe looked at Arthur with misty, pleading eyes.
"Babe, let's take a break. I'm exhausted."
Arthur braced his hands on either side of her face, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.
"Chloe, I will love you forever."
"Me too."
This lovemaking, compared to their usual gentleness, carried a hint of possessiveness, as if he wanted to keep Chloe by his side forever.
Chloe was utterly spent, drifting off to sleep when she felt something cool against her ankle.
She instinctively opened her eyes and saw the Whale's Tear anklet now adorning her.
The blue sapphire, larger than a dove's egg, was set with diamonds in an intricate chain that wrapped around her ankle in delicate layers.
Under the light, the sapphire flashed with breathtaking brilliance.
This was the top-grade gem that frequently trended on the hot search some time ago. It was auctioned at a price of tens of millions and was the unique "Tear of the Whale".
Arthur carefully secured the clasp but didn't remove his hand, instead holding her small, rounded foot.
"Do you like it?"
Chloe wiggled her ankle, making the Whale's Tear sway gently. "I love it."
She didn't particularly care about jewelry or its price.
Arthur always gave her the best and most precious things.
He lay down behind her, wrapping his arms around her body.
"I'm glad you like it. When I saw the auction announcement, I specifically took half a day off to bid on this necklace for you."
"You're so good to me, babe."
Chloe was already deeply drowsy and fell asleep right after speaking.
She didn't notice the intense possessiveness in Arthur's eyes, nor did she hear his whispered words.
"Even without children, I'll love you forever. Don't leave me, Chloe..."
The next morning.
When Chloe woke up, Arthur was gone, but a glass of warm water sat on the nightstand.
His unwavering habit.
Chloe put on a silk robe, finished the water, and padded downstairs in her slippers.
Walking on the cashmere silk carpet, she noticed several gift boxes already arranged in the living room.
The housekeeper, who had been cleaning, immediately spoke when she saw Chloe awake.
"Mrs. Williams, you're up. These are the latest designer pieces Mr. Williams had delivered from the industry."
Chloe nodded. "I see."
She descended the stairs and casually opened one box, looking at the exquisitely designed jewelry inside with a touch of nostalgia.
Though she had left the design world years ago, Arthur always had people send her new creations from other designers.
She unconsciously placed her hand on her stomach, her eyes filled with hope and anticipation.
This time, she had to get pregnant.
Arthur had been waiting for so long.
It was time they had a child of their own.
"Please move all of these to my room."
Chloe pushed away her thoughts, but just as she finished speaking, her phone chimed with a new message from her half-sister, Avery Scott.
It was a pregnancy test report.
Followed by taunting words: [Chloe, I'm pregnant. Want to guess who the father is?]
Chloe instinctively gripped her phone tighter.
Her inability to conceive had always been a thorn in her heart.
And now Avery was using it to mock her.
But the next image that came through drained all color from Chloe's face, causing her phone to slip from her hand and clatter to the floor.