《Love's New Bloom》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Heartbroken It was 10 pm on a summer night. A beautiful woman in a body-hugging dress and exquisite makeup sat in a hotel room at one of the city¡¯s five-star hotels. A cigarette wisping pungent smoke dangled from her trembling fingers, showing how unstable her emotions were at the moment. She was eavesdropping on a conversation going on in another hotel room that she¡¯d bugged, and it made her heart twist painfully. The conversation was between a man and a woman. The woman said, ¡°Ian, you¡¯ve beening to me so frequently that I¡¯m on the verge of copse¡­¡± The man said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re unhappy about this.¡± The woman giggled. ¡°I¡¯m ecstatic!¡± ¡°She¡¯s going on a business trip tomorrow, so you cane over.¡± ¡°Ian, I¡¯m curious about something. Back then, Erin was known as the belle of our university. Don¡¯t you love her anymore?¡± Ian said, ¡°She¡¯s worse than a sex doll. We¡¯ve been married for a year, but I haven¡¯t evenid a finger on her. That¡¯s what she deserves for acting all high and mighty and leading me on! I¡¯m not even interested in her anymore.¡± The woman gasped. ¡°That¡¯s terrible. What¡¯s the point of your marriage, then?¡± ¡°Who cares? It¡¯s all she deserves. Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about her¡­¡± Erin Lane couldn¡¯t bear to listen to the rest of their conversation. She removed the earbud and stared nkly at the floor as she recalled how her husband, Ian Sloan, had mumbled another woman¡¯s name in his sleep. ¡°Tracy, you¡¯re gorgeous¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. This had shocked the grogginess out of her. Tracy? Was he talking about Tracy Brown, her ssmate from university? They¡¯d lost contact after graduation, though. How did she and Ian know each other? The following day, Erin asked another friend for Tracy¡¯s number. Then, she invited Tracy over under the guise of wanting her toe up with a design for their bathroom because she wanted to renovate it. Tracy hade over that afternoon, and Erin took the opportunity to peek at her phone while she was in the bathroom. It was locked, so she couldn¡¯t see its contents, but the fact that it had automatically connected to the Wi-Fi was enough to make her heart sink. Erin couldn¡¯t remember how she¡¯d sent Tracy on her way, but she recalled how she¡¯d scoured Ian¡¯s bank statements. Over six months, he¡¯d gone to the same hotel 86 times¡­Now that Erin had a location, she tracked down the hotel room he¡¯d reserved permanently and secretly bugged it. And now, she¡¯d heard the truth. ¡­ Erin got into a taxi after leaving the hotel. The driver asked, ¡°Where to, miss?¡± Where to? Where could she go? At this moment, she recalled how her best friend, Holly Green, had dragged her to the city¡¯s most renowned private club when she was drunk out of her mind. ¡°Take me to No. 1, Evergreen Avenue, please.¡± ¡°Twilight?¡± The driver was obviously surprised. Erin returned his surprised look with a level gaze. Her heart felt like it had been soaked in acid; she was in so much pain she could barely breathe, and her chest felt unbearably heavy. She pressed a hand to her chest hoping it would help soothe the pain, but it didn¡¯t help in the least. Tears rolled down her face, ruining her makeup. Half an hourter, the driver turned to look at her. ¡°We¡¯re here, miss.¡± Erin returned to her senses and dazedly tugged a few hundred-dor bills from her purse. ¡°Keep the change.¡± The driver thanked her profusely, then watched as she stumbled into the club. ¡°What a pity. Such a pretty woman, here to ruin herself¡­¡± Erin walked into the club, made a beeline for the front desk, and pped a debit card on the counter. ¡°I have five million dors here. Get me the most handsome man in this club!¡± The receptionist sized her up and said politely, ¡°Wee, miss. Are you referring to Mr. Dunn?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡± Erin whipped out some wet wipes from her bag and removed her makeup. The receptionist frowned slightly. ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you take a seat at the lounge over there while I make a call? It¡¯ll only be a short while.¡± As Erin turned to leave, the receptionist secretly snapped a photo of her side profile and sent it to the owner of the club, Sean Dunn. He immediately called the receptionist and growled, ¡°What the hell? How dare you send me a photo of such an ugly woman! You¡¯ll be out of a job the next time you pull something like this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Dunn, but¡­she has five million dors¡­¡± The receptionist couldn¡¯t resist giving it a shot at the thought of themission she¡¯d earn from Erin¡¯s money. Sean wasn¡¯t at Twilight at the moment. Instead, he was in his office. His tone turned frosty as he said, ¡°I heard from Jamie that you¡¯re new. I¡¯ll give you one more chance instead of firing you, and I¡¯m warning you: I¡¯m the one picking the women, not the other way round!¡± He hung up right after. The receptionist was about to exin to Erin when she saw Erin stand up and walk toward a man walking out of the nearby elevator. He looked to be about 27 or 28 and was about 6¡¯2¡±. He wore a dark, fitted suit. His broad shoulders, toned waist, and long legs made Erin¡¯s blood rush to her head. The man was also unbelievably handsome. She gulped and trained her gaze on him, but her question was directed at the receptionist. ¡°This is the most handsome man in your club, right?¡± This was only the receptionist¡¯s second day of work, so she didn¡¯t recognize the man. She was about to say he wasn¡¯t one of their staff when he stopped her with a single nce. His domineering aura immediately made her shut up. He walked to Erin and appraised her bare face¡ªit wasn¡¯t half bad. ¡°Hello, you can call me Mr. Frost.¡± ¡°Hi, I¡­I¡¯m Erin Lane. I have¡­I have five million dors!¡± The man smirked when she stuttered nervously, and he looked her up and down. He leaned close to her and whispered into her ear, ¡°Is this your first time here?¡± His velvety voice made her knees weak, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her up. He gazed deeply into her eyes, making her feel like he could see right through to her soul. Erin¡¯s face was beet red. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to leave with me?¡± His tone was nonchnt. She subconsciously thought about Ian and Tracy; her heart twisted painfully again. She¡¯d given her marriage her all, yet all she¡¯d gotten in return was heartache and betrayal. What was the point of keeping herself chaste for him? Erin had originallye here with the intention of licking her wounds alone, but her rage and humiliation won out over her rationality. A few secondster, she nodded. The man smirked. ¡°Come with me, then.¡± He left with Erin in tow. The receptionist gaped at them, only returning to her senses when the ck Maybach sped off into the night. She hurriedly called Sean again and was almost in tears when he answered the phone. ¡°Mr. Dunn, someone stole your business!¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± Sean was lost. ¡°A stranger just took one of our customers away with him!¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 A Wrong Encounter Chandler Frost brought Erin to the most luxurious seven-star hotel in the city¡ªthe Grand Empire Hotel. He parked in the underground parking lot and turned to look at Erin, who¡¯d been silent throughout the journey. His eyes gleamed like a panther waiting to pounce on its prey, and his tone was devoid of emotion as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one chance to go back on your word. If you¡¯ve changed your mind, this is the time for you to leave.¡± Erin was curled up in the passenger seat, trembling slightly. She couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d actually gotten into a stranger¡¯s car. Was she really going to go ahead with this? Then, the thought of Ian¡¯s heartlessness made her hatred burn away her rationality. ¡°I won¡¯t regret this, and I¡¯m not gonna back out!¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve thought this through?¡± ¡°Yes, I have!¡± Erin said firmly. ¡°There¡¯s no turning back now.¡± Chandler got out of the car. Erin ced a hand on the handle as her heart raced. She took a deep breath before opening the door. Once they were out of the car, Chandler wrapped an arm around her waist before leading her toward the elevator. He pressed the button for the 128th floor¡ªthe penthouse suite. Erin¡¯s heart hammered against her chest as they ascended. She sneaked a few looks at him, taking in his sharp jaw and handsome features. At least she had noints about his looks. It was too bad he was in this line of work¡­ Chandler pushed the door open and led her into the room before hanging his suit jacket in the closet. Then, he uncorked a bottle of wine. Erin¡¯s heart was almost leaping out of her throat at this point. She walked to the floor-length windows and looked out at the skyline. The view was gorgeous here; this was her first time staying in such an amazing hotel. With that thought in mind, she decided to forget about the past¡ªthis was the night of her rebirth! ¡°Have some wine.¡± Chandler¡¯s voice suddenly rang out behind her, making her jump. She saw his tall figure reflected in the window and turned to take the winess from him before downing it in one gulp. Chandler had originally wanted to clink sses with her, but he retracted his hand at her actions. He looked at her with a trace of interest in his eyes and sipped at his wine. Erin wanted to have another ss to calm her nerves, but Chandler took her winess away and smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t like drunk women.¡± She avoided his gaze. He was so gorgeous that she felt like she¡¯d climax just by looking at him. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Are you sure this is your first time? I hate when people lie to me,¡± he said coolly. Her ears turned red. ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a while¡­¡± Chandler took another sip of wine as he admired her looks. He had to admit she was a beauty, with her exquisite features and porcin skin. She even had a pretty sexy figure. ¡°Go take a shower.¡± Erin walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She started doubting her decision as she stared at herself in the mirror. Was she being too rash? Then, the memory of Ian¡¯s betrayal strengthened her resolve. She had to give him a taste of his medicine at least once before getting divorced! 20 minutester, she walked out of the bathroom in a white bathrobe. Chandler had taken his shirt off to reveal a toned torso, almost making her swoon, especiallypared to Ian¡¯s scrawny body. His pants were still on, and he had his phone in hand, seemingly sending someone a message. He nced at her and said, ¡°Come here.¡± His every action exuded dominance and power, subconsciously making her obey hismand. He put his phone away, stood up, and said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna wash my hands.¡± Was it because he thought his hands were dirty from touching his phone? This improved Erin¡¯s impression of him and somehow soothed her nerves. She sat in a corner, feeling extremely insecure because she was naked underneath the bathrobe. Chandler soon returned. He swept her into his arms, catching her off guard and making her struggle instinctively. He flung her onto the bed and pinned her wrists above her, saying lowly, ¡°There¡¯s no use resisting. I gave you a chance to flee; you let it slip away.¡± Erin looked like a deer in headlights and watched as he leaned closer to her. His lips were almost touching hers¡­Now, she truly regretted her decision! ¡°Let me go! I¡¯ve changed my mind!¡± Her face was red from trying to break free of his grip. His warm breath fanned over her ear, but his tone was icy. ¡°It¡¯s toote now.¡± Two minutester, tears rolled down her face from the pain. ¡°It really is your first time¡­I like that.¡± Chandler buried himself in her without giving her time to get used to the sensation. Eventually, Erin was so exhausted that she passed out. She¡¯d transitioned from a girl to a woman overnight, and the tears she shed tonight were in memory of the youth and love she¡¯d lost. ¡­ Erin woke up the following noon when the sun¡¯s rays poured into the room. She turned to look at Chandler, who was still asleep beside her. She immediately got out of bed as discreetly as possible, feeling sore everywhere. Her legs trembled as she staggered to the bathroom to get her clothes. Before leaving the room, she nced at Chandler¡¯s handsome face once more, then silently pulled her debit card out of her bag. She ced it on the pillow beside him, along with a piece of paper telling him what the pin was. Then, she left the hotel. After hailing a taxi, Erin called Holly. It was Saturday, so she headed straight to a bistro and ordered something while waiting for Holly to arrive. She¡¯d already finished her food by the time Holly got there. Holly plopped onto one of the empty seats and was surprised to see Erin smoking. ¡°God, babe, what¡¯s gotten into you? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually smoking!¡± Holly was dressed in branded items from head to toe. Erin blew out a mouthful of smoke and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m gonna get a divorce.¡± ¡°Did Ian cheat on you?¡± Holly asked casually. It seemed she¡¯d long expected this. ¡°Half a year ago, you told me there was an 80% chance a man was having an affair when he started spending the night outside. I believe you now.¡± Holly patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I was speaking from experience, after all.¡± ¡°Be honest with me, Holly¡ªwhy don¡¯t you get a divorce? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re still in love with Eugene.¡± Holly nonchntly grabbed some cigarettes from her bag and lit one, narrowing her eyes as she took a drag. ¡°I may no longer love him, but I¡¯ve made it my life¡¯s goal to spend all his money, and I refuse to give up my position as his wife. This way, those bitches will never be Mrs. Hall!¡± She sounded pleased, but there wasn¡¯t any trace of joy in her eyes. ¡°Does that really make you happy?¡± Erin asked. ¡°This may not be the life I wanted, but I¡¯m filled with resentment for him. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let Eugene Hall off the hook!¡± Erin found her obstinance in this to be a waste of her time. Holly and Eugene had long since fallen out of love with each other; their marriage was nothing more than a sham. Her heart ached when she saw the emptiness in Holly¡¯s eyes. Then again, she wasn¡¯t any better. A couple of minutester, Erin stubbed out her cigarette and said grimly, ¡°Holly, I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you this for some time now¡­¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 A Secret Revealed ¡°What is it? Why do you suddenly look so serious?¡± Holly asked. Erin looked at her hesitantly for a few seconds before saying, ¡°Eugene was interested in me when we were still in university, but the feeling wasn¡¯t mutual.¡± Hollyughed. ¡°Oh, I know¡ªhe told me all about it on our wedding day. Anyway, we didn¡¯t know each other then. Don¡¯t let it bother you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted to tell you.¡± Erin frowned. Her expression made Holly a little nervous. ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t about to give me a heart attack. Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s something going on between you and him¡ªthere¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be able to withstand a double betrayal.¡± Erin shook her head with a sigh. ¡°I went on a business trip three months ago to attend a designers¡¯ forum, and we all had some drinks during dinner. You know how well I hold my liquor, so I was barely upright when we got back to the hotel. I ran into Eugene in the elevator; he was there for a business deal. He volunteered to help me back to my room, and I agreed without really thinking about it. When we were in my room, he¡­he tried to take advantage of me. I was scared out of my wits and wanted to call you, but I pressed the wrong button and recorded the whole thing instead.¡± Then, she located the recording and yed it. Holly¡¯s eyes were steely, but she didn¡¯t say anything, allowing the recording to tell her the ugly truth. The recording started with Eugene¡¯s voice. He said, ¡°Erin, we were brought together by fate; I want you to be my woman tonight!¡± Erin cried, ¡°Let go of me, you bastard! Let go!¡± Eugene murmured, ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous¡­¡± ¡°Let me go, or I¡¯ll call the cops!¡± ¡°Come on, let me have you¡­¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fuck off, Eugene! Get away from me, or I¡¯ll tell Holly about this!¡± ¡°Stop acting like a chaste virgin, Erin! It¡¯s a fucking turn-off!¡± The recording ended with the sound of a door mming shut. At this moment, Erin couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious. She scrutinized Holly¡¯s expression, trying to decipher how she felt about this. She¡¯d kept this secret for three months, which was far too long. As silence descended upon them, Holly made her way through two cigarettes. Erin waited for her to say something. She was terrified that the recording would put an end to their friendship. Holly had already made up her mind when she stubbed out her cigarette. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stick with you throughout this mess! I¡¯ve had enough of Eugene¡¯s scumbag ways, and he¡¯s crossed the line by getting ideas about you. You should prepare to divorce Ian, and I¡¯ll move out once I sign the divorce papers. Then, we can live together. What say you?¡± Her words made Erin tear up. She threw her arms around Holly and cried, ¡°I was terrified you¡¯d dump me!¡± Holly rubbed her backfortingly. ¡°Eugene¡¯s the bastard here, silly. How could I possibly push the me on you? I suppose this solidifies our friendship that much more¡ªwe¡¯re even getting divorced at the same time!¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna make things clear to Ian tonight, so wait for my update. I¡¯ll get this divorce over and done with as quickly as possible!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, dry your tears. Bastards like Ian need to fuck off as far as possible! I¡¯m fortunate enough to have been born with a silver spoon, so getting divorced isn¡¯t going to affect my lifestyle. Once you move out, you can pick any of the three properties under my name, and we¡¯ll move in there. I¡¯m fine staying anywhere; it¡¯ll be the headquarters of our new club¡ªthe Divorc¨¦es Club.¡± Holly looked haughty. Erinughed through her tears and let Holly go. She grabbed tissues to wipe her tears and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere to go, so can I go to your ce for now? I have to wait till night falls before I can head home.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? From now on, what¡¯s mine is yours. How about this¡ªI¡¯ll spend the night outside with you, and we can stay at my duplex apartment. Let¡¯s have a feast tonight and curse the scumbags we married to our hearts¡¯ content!¡± ¡°Great idea. Let¡¯s do just that!¡± Erin was warmed by Holly¡¯s unconditional support, and the prospect of divorce wasn¡¯t that daunting anymore¡ªtrying to keep a man who no longer loved her was much worse. ¡­ The time was 4 pm. At the city¡¯s finance andmerce hub, a tall building stood out among the other buildings in the concrete jungle¡ªit belonged to Frost Corporation, thergest corporation in Azores. At this moment, the man seated in the president¡¯s office on the top floor of the building was flicking through a document. It was a brief report on Erin¡¯s background, which indicated she was 25 this year and married. It also mentioned that she worked for apany called Eastside Designs. Wait, she was married? Chandler put the report down and turned to gaze at the clouds floating by, a trace of iciness shing in his eyes. ¡°You can leave now, Kyle.¡± His head secretary, Kyle Morn, was expressionless as he said, ¡°Understood, Mr. Frost. I¡¯ll get back to work.¡± He turned to leave and opened the door to be greeted by the sight of a handsome man. ¡°Why, thank you,¡± the man said. Kyle nodded. ¡°You¡¯re wee, Mr. Dunn.¡± He shut the door behind him. Sean¡¯s eyes glimmered with curiosity as he plopped onto the leather sofa, swinging his Lamborghini¡¯s keys around. He said teasingly, ¡°I heard a certain someone stole one of Twilight¡¯s customersst night. You made the new receptionist cry, you know¡­¡± Chandler tucked the report on Erin into a drawer without sparing Sean a nce. Then, he attended to the rest of his work. Sean got to his feet and strode to Chandler¡¯s desk when he didn¡¯t receive an answer. ¡°You, my friend, are a textbook example of a workaholic. I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t even rest on Saturdays. Come on now ¡ªwhat happenedst night? Did that woman really give you five million dors?¡± He had a tiny mole underneath his left eye, which served to give his good looks a devilish vibe. Chandler nced at him. ¡°Yeah, she did.¡± ¡°Damn, who is she? Is she the daughter of some wealthy upstart?¡± Sean looked excited to know more. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t find out who she is!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chandler wasn¡¯t a man of many words, which frequently drove Sean up the wall. ¡°Fuck, this isn¡¯t like you. You only pick a few women in a year, and we all know how picky you are. What happened this time?¡± Chandler leaned back and said coldly, ¡°I went to look for you at Twilightst night, but you weren¡¯t there. That woman happened to show up just then, and I took her with me. That¡¯s the end of the story. Can you leave now, Mr. Dunn?¡± ¡°God, this is so unlike you! Do you have a photo of her? Let me see what she looks like! I¡¯m telling you, the receptionist came to me first, but she was too ugly for my taste. In hindsight, she shouldn¡¯t be half bad since you were fine with her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any photos. You can go now.¡± Sean was rendered speechless. He knew he couldn¡¯t get anything else out of Chandler, so he scoffed and said, ¡°You¡¯re so boring. I¡¯m gonna meet Logan for some poker. Will you be joining us tonight?¡±We¡¯ll see.¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Threatened At 3 am, Erin unlocked the door to her home and walked into the living room. She saw a pair of snakeskin heels that didn¡¯t belong to her. Sure enough, Tracy was here. Erin took her shoes off and walked barefoot into the kitchen. Five minutester, she silently pushed the bedroom door open and padded inside with a pail full of dirty water. Seeing Ian and Tracy wrapped around each other with her own eyes made her feel like her heart was being ripped to shreds. Hatred filled her eyes as Erin lifted the pail and sshed the water all over them, making them instantly jolt awake. Ian almost peed himself when he saw someone standing before him. After wiping the water from his face and getting a clear look at who it was, he roared, ¡°Are you fucking nuts, Erin? What the hell did you pour on me?¡± Beside him, Tracy immediately pretended to be afraid when she saw Erin. ¡°Ian, I¡¯m scared she¡¯ll hit me¡­¡± He turned to her and wiped her face with the sheets, saying consolingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let hery a hand on you!¡± Erin couldn¡¯t help sneering when she saw how Tracy remembered to keep Ian¡¯s attention on her despite looking like something the cat had brought in. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t resort to physical violence¡ªit¡¯s just going to dirty my hands!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Ian gave her a repulsed look. ¡°I have nothing to say since you already know about this. Let¡¯s get a divorce.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a heartless ingrate, and you stole my line. Make sure to split our assets equally!¡± After that, Erin turned to leave. She didn¡¯t want to spend another second in their presence! Ian chased after her in his birthday suit. He grabbed her by the arm and said mockingly, ¡°Has your greed addled your brains? Do you even remember who bought this house and the cars? I did! How dare you demand I give you half of what I worked for! The only way I¡¯ll agree to divorce is if you leave without a penny to your name!¡± Erin¡¯s heart twisted so painfully that she could barely breathe. She looked up at him and said, ¡°Fine. You can take everything!¡± Her calm decisiveness shocked Ian. He didn¡¯t expect her to agree so readily¡­He thought she¡¯d kick up a fuss. Wasn¡¯t she even going to shed a tear at the sight of him in bed with another woman? Ian wasn¡¯t too pleased by this discovery. Erin took advantage of his distraction to shove him away and flee. Tracy, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, was delighted by this turn of events. A victorious smile curved her lips¡ªthey were finally getting divorced! In the wee hours of the night, Erin sat in a taxi, her face tear-streaked. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to get hopelessly drunk. She wore a shirt and jeans she borrowed from Holly, and her heels were ced beside her feet. The taxi driver asked, ¡°Miss, have you decided on a destination?¡± She said, ¡°Take me to the food street on Miner Road.¡± ¡­ 40 minutester, Holly hurried over to Erin¡¯s table. She plopped herself down in the chair and called out to the stall owner, ¡°Four more bottles of beer for table four, please!¡± ¡°Are you deliberately trying to get me drunk, Holly? I¡¯ve already had two beers¡­¡± Erin¡¯s face was red. She stared at her beer bottle before taking a huge gulp. Holly grabbed a kebab from the pile on the table and dug in. ¡°I can tell from how you look that it won¡¯t be easy to get you drunk tonight. Haven¡¯t you heard that some liquor makes you more lucid the more you drink it? I know exactly how you feel right now, so drink as much as you want. Also, feel free to cry. I¡¯ll be with you every step of the way!¡± Erin stared into the distance. Tears leaked out of her swollen eyes again as she mumbled, ¡°Ian wasn¡¯t like this when we were in university, you know. Back then, he¡¯d blush whenever he talked to me¡­I was raised by a strict mother. As far back as I can remember, she¡¯s told me time and time again that a woman¡¯s chastity means the world to a man. She said that my father was disgusted to find she wasn¡¯t a virgin, and their marriage eventually ended in divorce. That¡¯s why I insisted on waiting until Ian and I were married to have sex; I didn¡¯t let him do anything throughout our rtionship¡­¡± Holly listened silently as she chewed her food. She knew her best friend was in terrible pain, but she had nothing to make it better. Perhaps alcohol was the only thing that could temporarily keep the pain at bay. Getting drunk wasn¡¯t the worst feeling in the world. Erin smiled mockingly. ¡°He was so frisky when we were dating, yet he refused toy a finger on me after we got married. He started spending more and more time outside, and things between us slowly started to deteriorate.¡± Holly was surprised when she picked up on Erin¡¯s underlying meaning. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me you and Ian have never slept together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡± Erin downed the rest of her beer. Holly was rendered speechless and was about to probe more when Erin¡¯s phone rang. Erin answered it and yelled drunkenly, ¡°Who the hell do you think you are, calling at such a godforsaken hour? Are you out of your mind?¡± Then, she hung up and burst intoughter. ¡°Holly, let¡¯s drink some more!¡± Holly¡¯s heart ached when she saw Erin having trouble remaining upright. ¡°Babe, I think you¡¯ve had enough. Let¡¯s go home, okay?¡± At this moment, Erin¡¯s phone pinged. She¡¯d received a text message. She¡¯d kept her phone on since storming out of the vi in hopes that Ian would apologize to her or beg her for forgiveness¡­it seemed she was out of luck. She didn¡¯t recognize the number, and the message read, ¡°Come to our rendezvous spot right now.¡± Erin muttered, ¡°Who the hell is this?¡± She was about to turn her phone off when the other party sent her a photo. She was instantly shocked into sitting up straight. Whoever was texting her sent her another message. ¡°I¡¯ll spread this all over the Inte if you don¡¯te over.¡± ¡°Erin, what¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look so good right now.¡± Holly nced at her phone. Instead of answering her, Erin grabbed a bottle of water from the table and poured it over herself. Holly yelped, ¡°Fuck, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Erin felt more alert now. ¡°Holly, I suddenly remembered I have something important to do. I¡¯m gonna get going!¡± She staggered to her feet as she spoke, pulled a few notes out of her purse, and threw them onto the table. Holly grabbed her by the arm, looking worried. ¡°Who could be looking for you in the middle of the night? Is it Ian? Erin, don¡¯t give in to him! If you forgive him this time, he¡¯ll make even bigger mistakes in the future! It¡¯s not going to do you any good!¡± ¡°Holly, this isn¡¯t about that. Look, I really have something to do, so you can head home first, okay?¡± Erin¡¯s tone was a little cold, and she looked steely. Holly let go of her. ¡°At least tell me where you¡¯re going. How about I go with you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Really.¡± In the end, Holly had no choice but to watch as Erin got into a taxi and sped off into the night. ¡­ Half an hourter, Erin stood before the hotel room looking tipsy. She took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. The door swung open after a short while to reveal a handsome man with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Droplets of water were still dripping from his hair. He said, ¡°You¡¯re faster than I expected.¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Drunken Resistance When Erin entered the room, the smell of beer and kebabs on her made Chandler frown. ¡°Did you go out for beer and kebabs in the middle of the night?¡± She was angered by him questioning her and red at him. ¡°Give me your name or staff number!¡± Chandler walked past her to the bar. Instead of getting any wine, he poured a ss of water. His actions were elegant and noble; even the simple act of drinking water made him seem sexy. ¡°And why should I do that?¡± There was a trace of amusement in his eyes. Erin kicked her heels off and stormed toward him. Her bravado faded a little when she realized how much shorter she was than him when barefoot. Then, she backed up a couple of steps and yelled, ¡°I¡¯m going to lodge aint against you!¡± Chandler rarely had the patience for these things, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling amused by her. He sat on the couch and sipped from his ss. ¡°What¡¯s there toin about?¡± ¡°That¡­that you¡¯re not professional enough!¡± He smirked. ¡°You enjoyed yourselfst night, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What the fuck? I didn¡¯t enjoy anything!¡± Liquid courage made Erin want to swear at everything. Chandler frowned, and his tone instantly became icy. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when women swear.¡± Erin looked like she couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are, bossing me around like this? I¡¯ll say anything I want!¡± Chandler had lost interest in chatting. He nced at her and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Go and shower; I only have two hours.¡± Hismanding tone and tant disregard for her stunned her. Then, she lost it. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you? I already paid you, didn¡¯t I? Stop harassing me, and give me the photos you took of me!¡± Her words made Chandlerugh. It seemed he thought she was an idiot, and she stomped her foot angrily. ¡°What are youughing at? Where are the photos? Where¡¯s your phone?¡± She started looking around. As she turned to head to the bedroom, Chandler got to his feet. He picked her up like she weighed nothing and made a beeline for the bathroom. Then, he dumped her on the thick carpet and nced at her arrogantly. ¡°The stench of alcohol on you disgusts me. I¡¯ll give you ten minutes to clean yourself up.¡± He strode out and mmed the door shut behind him. Erin¡¯s head spun from being flung onto the floor, and the dizziness made her nauseous. Her stomach roiled as she crawled over to the toilet and puked her guts out. On the other hand, Chandler had gone to the bedroom. He was on the phone with Sean, who asked, ¡°Where are you? We¡¯re ying poker at Logan¡¯s. Are you joining us?¡± A cigarette dangled from his lips, and he held a ss of whiskey in one hand. Chandler¡¯s answer was short and sweet. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Do you have that much work?¡± ¡°I¡¯m satisfying my needs.¡± Sean spat his whiskey out. ¡°Fuck! Right, you go ahead, then.¡± He immediately hung up, unable to imagine Chandler with a woman. Was he still as cold and robotic as usual? He shuddered at the thought.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Chandler attended to a few emails after the phone call. 20 minutes had passed when he was done, yet Erin was still in the bathroom. He¡¯d run out of patience and headed to the bathroom to personally drag her out of there. However, he stiffened the moment he pushed the door open¡ªErin had fallen asleep while leaning against the toilet¡­and she was still fully dressed! Incensed, Chandler dragged her to her feet and dumped her in the bathtub. Then, he grabbed the showerhead and sprayed her with warm water. This quickly woke her up, but she could barely keep her eyes open through her drunken haze and was out of strength. When she saw Chandler spraying water in her face, she burst into aggrieved tears. ¡°What do you want from me? Why are you torturing me like this? I¡¯m already at the lowest point of my life, yet you¡¯re still bullying me¡­I gave you five million, didn¡¯t I? What else do you want?¡± The shower was turned off. Her tears drove all thoughts of sex out of Chandler¡¯s mind; they irritated and infuriated him. He lugged her out of the bathtub, dried her perfunctorily, and wrapped her up in a bathrobe before throwing her onto the bed. Then, he started getting dressed. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t be getting any tonight. Five minutester, a neatly attired Chandler looked down at Erin, who had fallen asleep again. He had no idea what to do for the first time in his life. Before leaving the room, he called room service and had someone deal with the stench of vomit in the bathroom. This suite was exclusively his, and he couldn¡¯t stand it being less than pristine. However, the moment he shut the door behind him, he thought about what a male cleaner would do when he saw Erin. She was so out of it that she probably wouldn¡¯t even realize someone had slept with her! A hint of anger shed in his eyes at that thought. Chandler ultimately headed back into the room to lift her into his arms before leaving the hotel. He¡¯d already made too many exceptions for her¡ªwhat did one more matter? Chandler dumped Erin and her belongings in the backseat before getting into the driver¡¯s seat. He warned her, ¡°If you dare vomit in my car, I¡¯ll throw you out.¡± Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened. Erin was deeply asleep throughout the journey; she didn¡¯t even make a sound. An hourter, Chandler parked in the Frost Corporation¡¯s basement parking lot. He got out of the car, threw Erin over his shoulder, and took his exclusive elevator to his office on the top floor. Then, he brought her to his lounge and tucked her in before leaving. ¡­ At 10 am the following morning, Erin woke up with the world¡¯s worst hangover. She clutched her head with both hands, taking a while to collect herself. When she realized she was naked in an unfamiliar room, she almost screamed bloody murder. She forced herself to calm down and take in her surroundings. Was she in a bedroom? It didn¡¯t seem like one. There was an enormous wardrobe not too far from her, but that seemed to be the only piece of furniture in there, save for the bed. It seemed the owner of this ce didn¡¯t like having anything unnecessary around. The room was minimalistic and sterile. Now that she¡¯d taken in her surroundings, she could vaguely hear a man¡¯s voice outside the door. In fact, there was more than one! Erin¡¯s scalp tingled. Where was she? Suddenly, she recalled heading to a hotelst night to meet the man from before. Was this his home? Erin wrapped the sheets around herself and searched the room, but her clothes were nowhere in sight. She eyed the enormous wardrobe and opened it to see pressed men¡¯s shirts inside. She gnashed her teeth, grabbed one of them, and put it on, buttoning it up to her neck. It was long enough to seem like a dress on her, but the breeze around her privates reminded her that she had nothing on underneath. It made her flush. Erin didn¡¯t dare to open the door without any warning. Instead, she pressed an ear against the door, hoping to receive a sign that it was safe for her to leave. It seemed no one was outside anymore¡ªthe conversation had ended. She was about to open the door when someone pushed it open from outside, sending her sprawling to the floor. Shended in apromising position, making Chandler¡¯s gaze darken. She yelped when she saw him, and he smirked. ¡°Trying to seduce me the moment you¡¯re awake, you little vixen?¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Forced Depravity ¡°You¡¯re shameless! Why would anyone possibly want to seduce you?¡± Erin pulled the shirt tightly around her to avoid exposing herself. Chandler smiled faintly as he walked into the room and shut the door behind him. ¡°Where is this?¡± ¡°My office.¡± Erin was shocked to hear this. What was she doing at his workce? ¡°Wait, this is where you work?¡± She felt her goosebumps rise all over. At her disdainful expression, Chandler knew she¡¯d misunderstood. He didn¡¯t want to exin, though. He sat down and smirked at her. ¡°What, can¡¯t I have a proper job?¡± The fact that he was looking down at her arrogantly reminded Erin that she was still sitting on the carpet like a fool. She immediately got to her feet and backed away from him. ¡°You have a proper job?¡± Her curiosity was piqued now. So he was moonlighting? Chandler rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°I¡¯m the president¡­president¡¯s secretary.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Erin nodded understandingly. ¡°Oh, okay. Look, we can leave that for some other time. Where are my clothes?¡± ¡°Atst night¡¯s hotel.¡± ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you bring them here with you? How am I gonna leave this ce?¡± Her face fell. Chandler was in a rare good mood. He stood up. ¡°I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet, so I can drop you off at the hotel to collect your clothes.¡± ¡°So you expect me to walk out of here in this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Are you embarrassed?¡± Erin scowled. ¡°Of course! You wouldn¡¯t like walking around in nothing but a shirt, would you?¡± Chandler said, ¡°Let me think of something.¡± ¡°How about you buy me a set of clothing? I can pay you for it,¡± Erin suggested. ¡°I don¡¯t run errands.¡± He turned her down firmly. ¡°Uh, I can call a friend and have her bring me some clothes.¡± He didn¡¯t look too pleased with this. ¡°Do you think any Tom, Dick, and Harry can just waltz in here?¡± ¡°Well, what other options are there?¡± Erin was getting frustrated. Several secondster, a trace of amusement shed in Chandler¡¯s eyes, but his tone was as calm as ever. ¡°I have an idea¡­¡± A couple of minutester, he walked out of his office with Erin in his arms. Kyle saw this as he walked past, and he gaped at them. When he returned to his senses, he said, ¡°Mr. Frost¡­¡± Chandler shut him up with a single nce. When he and Erin were in the elevator, she asked softly, ¡°Are you sure no one saw me?¡± She currently had Chandler¡¯s suit jacket wrapped around her head and was wearing a pair of his pants. They were too long for her, making her look like a kid wearing their parents¡¯ clothing. He smirked and said mockingly, ¡°I doubt your parents would recognize you in your current state.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Her bag dangled from her arm as she clung to him tightly, afraid he¡¯d drop her. Chandler¡¯s exclusive parking spot was right outside the elevator. He ced her in the passenger seat. When he drove out of the parking lot, he said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to hide anymore.¡± Erin immediately tugged the suit jacket down. Her face was flushed from being cooped up underneath it, and she looked adorable. It reminded Chandler of a juicy apple, and his eyes were dark as he nced at her. At this moment, her phone vibrated. She pulled it out of her bag to see there were several text messages and missed calls. Currently, Ian was calling her. She answered it to hear him asking her nastily, ¡°Where are you?¡± Erin nced at Chandler and rxed slightly when she saw his apparent disinterest. ¡°What do you want?¡± Her tone wasn¡¯t exactly amicable. ¡°Your mother¡¯s here! She came to my office because she couldn¡¯t find you. Come and take her away!¡± He hung up after that. Erin cursed him in her heart. What a bastard! ¡°Was that your husband?¡± Chandler¡¯s voice was cool and calm. She couldn¡¯t tell how he was truly feeling. Her heart jolted, but she merely nced at him without a word. He didn¡¯t bother asking again since she hadn¡¯t responded. He parked in the basement parking lot and carried her to the suite. Once they were in the room, Erin leaped out of his arms and was about to search for her clothes when he swung her over his shoulder and carried her into the bedroom. Then, he flung her onto the bed and pinned her down before she realized what was happening. ¡°Let me go!¡± Chandler smirked. ¡°I have to collect some payment for driving you here, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°What payment? I don¡¯t have any money!¡± Erin was incensed. She hadn¡¯t been in the right state of mind when she¡¯d spent millions on him that night, yet he still had the nerve to ask her for more money! Chandler easily pinned her arms above her head with one hand. A few secondster, she shivered when her bare skin came into contact with the cool breeze. ¡°I dare you toy a finger on me!¡± Her gaze turned icy. ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± His unscrupulous ways infuriated her. He was nothing more than a male escort¡ª what right did he have to take advantage of her so tantly? How dare he! ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have any more money to pay for you, alright? Don¡¯t waste your time on me,¡± Erin said. Chandler whispered into her ear, ¡°You overpaid me thest time. That¡¯s enough to have me for a month.¡± A month? Erin didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°You can keep the change; I don¡¯t want a month- long service! Let me go¡­or I¡¯ll call the cops!¡± She¡¯d call the cops on him if he were to force himself on her. Chandler chuckled. ¡°Is there anything else in your repertoire aside from calling the cops?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking; I don¡¯t have time to mess around with you. Let me up!¡± she growled. He smirked. ¡°I guarantee you¡¯ll enjoy every second of this if you just rx.¡± ¡°Cut the crap, and let me leave!¡± No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t break free of his grip. She was akin to amb served up for ughter. Chandler¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Let¡¯s try it out, then¡­¡± Erin was terrified when she recalled the painful experience from that night. He pressed a finger to her lips when he saw the tears in her eyes. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t cry¡­I¡¯ll be gentle this time, and you¡¯ll definitely fall in love with this feeling.¡± ¡°I¡¯m begging you, alright? Let me go!¡± A tear rolled down her face. He looked at her heartlessly. ¡°Begging isn¡¯t going to get you anywhere.¡± A few secondster, Erin gasped and bit her lip, trying to withstand the sensations he was making her feel. He pinned her hands beside her head and gazed into her eyes, savoring every second as her resistance transitioned into dazedness. A small smile yed on his lips, and he said lowly, ¡°Look at me.¡± His voice seemed to have some sort of power over her; she did as told and focused on his handsome face. This time, she couldn¡¯t help sinking. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Divorce Papers Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. When Erin checked her phone again, she saw Ian had called her several more times. ¡°Oh,e on. It¡¯s not like my mom has the gue or anything! Does he have to be such a dick?¡± She threw her phone aside angrily and hurried into the bathroom outside to shower. Chandler checked her phone when she shut the door behind her. For some reason, his spirits were lifted when he saw the missed calls were from ¡°Jerkwad.¡± He put her phone down, then headed to the bathroom outside. The one attached to the bedroom was larger, but he just wanted to use the smaller one. He strode in boldly and wrapped his arms around Erin from behind. This made her jump, and she spun around in his arms, looking up at him. ¡°What are you¡­¡± He turned the shower off and looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°I want you to help me shower.¡± Erin was lost for words. She turned away from him so she wouldn¡¯t have to keep looking at his body. The sight of it made her mind rey what they¡¯d just done, which made her heart and breathing race. ¡°You¡¯re not disabled or anything¡ªwhy should I help you? Anyway, isn¡¯t there an attached¡­¡± Chandler pinned her to the corner of the shower before she could finish her sentence. There was a trace of impatience in his tone as he said, ¡°So you don¡¯t want to? We can always go for another round.¡± Erin gulped. She¡¯d pass out if he had her again. She had no choice but to give in to him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Her blush didn¡¯t fade throughout the process, and she had to bite her lip to keep herself from gasping at his chiseled physique. Chandler watched her arrogantly, a trace of amusement shing in his eyes as he took in her conflicted expression, enjoying the feeling of her gentle hands running over his body. ¡­ Half an hourter, Erin hurriedly ate something in the suite, then grabbed her bag to leave. Chandler said, ¡°Hold it.¡± For some reason, she obediently swiveled to face him. ¡°What else do you want?¡± She suppressed her rage at the thought of the photos he had of her. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already slept with you, make sure not to let any other many a finger on you.¡± His tone was devoid of emotion, but there was no missing the dominance andmand in it. Erin couldn¡¯t hold back her anger anymore. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? What right do you have to boss me around? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything between us just because we¡¯ve had sex several times! There¡¯s no way I can agree to such an unreasonable demand!¡± Chandler smirked. ¡°You can¡¯t do it, huh? Alright, then. I¡¯ll spread your photos all over the Inteter. It doesn¡¯t matter to me since my face isn¡¯t in there.¡± His shameless threat made her clench her fists tightly. She wanted to punch him in his handsome face so badly. ¡°Honestly, what do you want from me? Just tell me, alright? If it¡¯s money you want, name your price.¡± Erin was filled with regret over choosing to leave with him that fateful night. Now, she couldn¡¯t get rid of him even if she wanted to! At worst, she¡¯d borrow some money from Holly to buy the photos from him. ¡°I already told you that you paid me enough to have me for a month.¡± Chandler elegantly scooped some caviar onto his toast. Erin was going insane. She was so close to taking her heels off and flinging them at his face. ¡°Fuck you and your month-long¡­¡± ¡°Watch your mouth. I told you I don¡¯t like it when women swear.¡± His eyes were so frosty that she shut up immediately. Her intuition told her she wouldn¡¯t make it out of the hotel if she were to continue rampaging, but she was no pushover¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t allow him to bully her like this! Erin took a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°Mr. Frost, I hope we can resolve this harmoniously. I paid you five million for an earlier transaction which we¡¯ve already settled. We don¡¯t owe each other anything for that. I hope you¡¯ll exercise your professionalism in this and give me those photos. If you keep harassing me, I¡¯ll have no choice but to employ legal methods to resolve this. When the timees, neither of us will benefit from this.¡± A hint of admiration shed in Chandler¡¯s eyes at her calm refute. It seemed she truly didn¡¯t know who he was. Things were starting to get interesting¡­He wanted to keep her around until he¡¯d lost interest. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll give you the photos after sleeping with you ten more times. The time and ce will be up to me to decide; all you need to do is show up when I want you to. If you don¡¯t think this is an arrangement you can live with, go ahead and sue me or call the cops on me.¡± Erin couldn¡¯t believe how obnoxious and unscrupulous he was. For a second, she couldn¡¯t tell whether he was bluffing or genuinely fearless. Still, if she were to call the cops or bring this to court, everyone would see those photos. Her reputation would be utterly destroyed. How would she face her friends and family in the future? Ultimately, she forced out through gritted teeth, ¡°Deal! I hope you¡¯re a man of your word.¡± She was so infuriated that she immediately left, unable to stay a second longer. Her departure didn¡¯t affect Chandler¡¯s appetite. On the contrary, he enjoyed his meal more than usual. Despite his years in business, he¡¯d never yed such an interesting game with a woman before. He suddenly found this to be a pretty great way to spice up his life. He called Kyle and said, ¡°Kyle, I want you to acquire thepany Erin Lane is working at as quickly as possible.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡­ Erin quickly hailed a taxi after leaving the hotel and headed to Ian¡¯s techpany. An hourter, she stepped into the elevator. When she arrived at Ian¡¯s floor, the employees that saw her said, ¡°Hi, Mrs. Sloan.¡± She nodded perfunctorily at them as she hurried past and strode into Ian¡¯s office without bothering to knock. A familiar figure was inside¡ªTracy. She was topless as she sat in Ian¡¯sp. They dared to mess around in the office and in broad daylight, too! She couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± Ian gave her a venomous look and growled, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to fucking knock, Erin?¡± ¡°Oh, so you know what a disgrace you are?¡± Erin retorted. Tracy wasn¡¯t flustered by Erin¡¯s sudden appearance. On the contrary, she took her own sweet time getting dressed. Her eyes were filled with pride as she unted her curves and voluptuous bosom. Erin smiled scornfully and quickly snapped several photos of her in session. Now, Tracy couldn¡¯t keep her cool. She said anxiously, ¡°Ian, she took topless photos of me!¡± Impatience shed in Ian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Be a good girl and wait for me outside, alright? I¡¯ll get the photos back for you.¡± Tracy red daggers at Erin. She got dressed and reluctantly left the room. ¡°Where¡¯s my mom?¡± Erin asked. Ian gave her a disgusted look. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 An Entangled Mess Ian¡¯s heartless words dragged Erin back to her painful reality. She didn¡¯t expect him to act so quickly; was he that desperate to officially be with Tracy? ¡°Why aren¡¯t you signing them? You agreed to this without hesitation, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ian sharply detected how much pain Erin was in. She put up a strong front, but he didn¡¯t miss the slightest hint of tears in her eyes. Erin averted her gaze from the divorce papers and looked into his eyes. She already knew the answer but still wanted to hear him say it. ¡°What exactly went wrong? Why did you betray me? Was there even an ounce of sincerity in your promises and vows to me?¡± Tears streaked down her face at this moment, but she didn¡¯t bother hiding them. Ian got up, pulled a cigarette out, and gave her aplicated look before lighting the cigarette. He took a deep drag and blew out smoke circles before saying calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not the only one at fault here, Erin. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re innocent in this¡ªyou tested me time and time again when you refused to let me touch you, giving me that bullshit about proving how true my love for you was if I could just wait until we were married. Who the fuck brainwashed you into thinking like that?¡± Erin felt dejected. She didn¡¯t say a word and continued listening to him. He took another drag and continued, ¡°I remember when my dad passed away shortly after we graduated. After the funeral, I felt terrible and craved your warmth, hoping you could help me prove I was still alive. As always, you rejected me and even threatened to break up with me if I were to force myself on you. I¡¯ll never forget that night.¡± There was a sense of destion in him, and Erin felt like she¡¯d traveled back to the night he was talking about. Back then, she still believed in her mother¡¯s brainwashing and strongly opposed premarital sex. She and Ian had dated for two years in university and had a mutual understanding that they¡¯d marry after graduation, but she had never once agreed to sleep with him before then. To tell the truth, she¡¯d always felt bad for making a hot-blooded young man hold himself back time and time again. ¡°Is that why you betrayed me?¡± Her tone was calm, but there was no hiding the need for an answer. Ian turned to stare at her, sounding displeased. ¡°Yes.¡± She asked angrily, ¡°Then why¡¯d you still marry me?¡± He sneered. ¡°I wanted you to have a taste of your own medicine!¡± His answer shattered her heart. It turned out he¡¯d already fallen out of love with her when she was wholly prepared to give herself to him, physically and mentally. ¡°Ha, I was such a fool! Why didn¡¯t I see right through you?¡± Erin walked to Ian¡¯s desk and picked the divorce papers up. She wiped her tears and went through them seriously. It was per their earlier agreement¡ªshe¡¯d leave the marriage without a penny to her name. The two vis and three cars they shared would all belong to Ian. Once she was sure everything was in order, she got ready to sign. Without looking at him, she asked, ¡°Do you have a pen?¡± Ian returned to his desk and flung a fountain pen specifically meant for signing contracts on the desk. Erin bent down to sign the papers; the cor of her shirt fell open to reveal bruises and lovebites scattered across her chest. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± She straightened up and looked at him emotionlessly. ¡°What now?¡± He grabbed her by the arm. ¡°Who did you seest night?¡± She faltered in the face of his questioning, then sneered. ¡°Does that have anything to do with you?¡± He let out a disparagingugh. ¡°Of course! You¡¯re still my wife before the divorce is finalized! Did you cheat on me with another man? Answer me!¡± Erin was speechless from her fury. Ian had betrayed their marriage first, yet he was shamelessly using her of repaying the favor! ¡°Let go of me, Ian! There¡¯s nothing between us anymore!¡± Her distance and apathy made Ian feel resentful. Erin was his first love and wife; their marriage was coming to an end, yet he¡¯d never had sex with her. This was an insult to his pride as a man! He abruptly threw his arms around her and dragged her to the sofa, pinning her down. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Erin was panicked. She was nauseated by the thought of him just having fucked Tracy. Ian¡¯s handsome face was twisted hideously. ¡°Let you go? I have to fuck you at least once before we get divorced!¡± ¡°Ian, you¡¯ve lost your mind! Let me go!¡± Erin struggled with all her might, her face red from the exertion. However, her panic and repulsion made him more determined to have her. ¡°You¡¯re still my wife, so I have every right to fuck you. It¡¯s also your duty!¡± As he leaned close to her ear, he noticed hickeys behind her ear as well, and he pounded a fist on the couch. ¡°Who the fuck were you with?¡± For some reason, his rage brought her vindication. ¡°What, are you jealous? You fell out of love with me long ago, didn¡¯t you? Besides, your mistress is right outside. Why don¡¯t you go have your wicked way with her?¡± Erin decided to get back at him verbally since she couldn¡¯t break free of his grip. Ian forced out through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more fucking time, Erin¡ªwho¡¯s the bastard? I¡¯m gonna beat the shit out of him!¡± How dare the fucker sleep with his wife! Erin burst into such hystericalughter that she was in tears. Ian gripped her jaw tightly and asked menacingly, ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Herughter slowly faded, and her eyes turned icy. ¡°Stop acting like a rabid dog, Ian. Let me go so I can sign the divorce papers; we can end this on a nicer note!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Ian gazed into Erin¡¯s eyes¡ªeyes that he¡¯d once been madly in love with¡ªand noticed they were different from usual. She¡¯d always been beautiful, but now, she was in full bloom. ¡°We can talk about that once I¡¯ve fucked you.¡± He was gripping her jaw so tightly that she couldn¡¯t escape, but she did her best to stop him from getting his way. As she struggled, she finally found an opportunity to knee him in the groin with all her might! Ian bellowed curses as he rolled on the ground in agony. Erin took the opportunity to scramble to her feet, grab the divorce papers from the desk, and bolt out the door. When the door swung open, she saw Tracy seated at the secretary¡¯s desk. Had Ian transferred her here so quickly? Erin didn¡¯t say a word as she strode out of the building. When Tracy saw Erin¡¯s wrinkled clothes, she immediately ran into Ian¡¯s office to see him struggling to get onto the couch. He was still letting out a stream of expletives, albeit not as loudly as before. ¡°Ian, what happened to you?¡± This was the most humiliating moment of his life. He turned to re daggers at her and roared, ¡°Who permitted you toe in here? Fuck off!¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 A Shellshocked Best Friend When Erin went to work on Monday, she heard about their studio being acquired by Frost Corporation and that they had to report to headquarters by today. Four of them were in thispany besides the boss, and they¡¯d all been surrendered to Frost Corporation. Erin was the only one who was stunned by this, and in a bad way. The three other designers were so excited they could barely contain themselves. ¡°God, joining thispany was the only right choice I¡¯ve made in my life! Now that Frost Corporation has acquired ourpany, I feel like it¡¯s my time to shine. I¡¯m going to marry someone tall, dark, handsome, and rich after working there!¡± One of the designers, Milly Thornton, looked dreamy as she packed her things. Erin packed up silently. She didn¡¯t think this was such a good thing. To her, it was better to be the cream of an average crop than to be the worst crop in an outstanding harvest. She hoped she wouldn¡¯t end up being assigned to handle all sorts of errands once they joined Frost Corporation. At noon, the four of them had already finished their lunch when their boss, Ben Tate, arrived, looking like he¡¯d won the lottery. ¡°Babes, Frost Corporation¡¯s acquisition of ourpany is a one-in-a-million opportunity! We were fortunate enough to work together, but all good things muste to an end. I¡¯m migrating to Endalie next month, so I¡¯ll treat you guys to some fun at the Royal Chamber tonight at 8 pm. Be there or be square!¡± Everyone agreed readily since he was so enthusiastic about it. Then, he dropped them off at Frost Corporation¡¯s headquarters. As they looked at the building, which rose high into the sky, Dana Sawyer, one of the designers with whom Erin got along well, bellowed, ¡°This will be our battlefield from now on!¡± As they started to make their way into the building, Ben pulled Erin aside and said, ¡°Erin, you signed a five-year contract with me, and you have three years to go. Whatever happens, remember not to resign, or you¡¯ll be paying the fee for breach of contract through your nose.¡± Erin was a little confused as she watched him leave. Why had he specifically spoken to her about this? She shook her head to disperse her thoughts as Dana called out to her. ¡°Erin, hurry up! We¡¯re waiting for you!¡± She ran over to them, and they filed into the staff elevator. It was two hours from the end of the workday; they had to report to their new superiors before then. Their first stop was at the HR department, where everything proceeded smoothly. They were assigned to Frost Corporation¡¯s design department. Back when it was just the four of them, they¡¯d all been the main designers and had their own portfolios. Now, they had to act as assistants for the designers. There were a total of ten designers in the department, three of which were head designers. Milly, Dana, and E Snow were assigned to assist the three head designers, while Erin was the only one assigned to the logistics team. The logistics team was in charge of making coffee, ordering meals, signing for parcels¡­And when the need arose, she¡¯d have to help amend drafts and conduct research. In other words, she ran errands for the designers. Erin was in a bad mood as she rearranged the things on her desk. She knew nothing good woulde out of this¡ªSo what if Frost Corporation was thergest corporation in Azores? She¡¯d been relegated to the sidelines! Not only had she not gotten a pay rise, but she¡¯d had to take a pay cut of 800 dors! She was extremely frustrated and couldn¡¯t wait to get off work. Holly called her when it was finally time to leave. ¡°Erin, I¡¯m downstairs. Let¡¯s go celebrate getting rid of our husbands and your new job. It¡¯s a double celebration!¡± Hearing a familiar voice was heartwarming, especially when one was in an unfamiliar environment. ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Erin grabbed her bag and headed for the elevator. Behind her, Dana called, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the Royal Chamber at 8 pm!¡± ¡°Alright, got it!¡± She got into Holly¡¯s red Porsche after leaving the building. One of her fellow designers saw this and immediately snapped a photo. In the car, Holly asked, ¡°Alright, spit it out¡ªwho were you in such a rush to meet that you had to abandon me? You refused to let anything slip when I asked youst night! Do you think of me as your friend or not?¡± Erin sighed. She knew she couldn¡¯t get out of this, so she said, ¡°Promise not to mock me when I tell you the truth. And don¡¯t judge me.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Holly drove with one hand and held a cigarette with the other. She nced at Erin in surprise and said, ¡°My, look at how serious you are. I promise not to mock or judge you, okay?¡± Erin took a deep breath before telling her the truth. ¡°The day I found out about Ian¡¯s affair, I was down in the dumps¡­so I went to Twilight.¡± ¡°Holy shit!¡± Holly was stunned. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡ªyou went and got yourself a man to destress!¡± ¡°Holly, you promised not to judge me.¡± Holly stubbed out her cigarette in the car¡¯s ashtray and held up her free hand. ¡°Sorry, sorry! I swear I won¡¯t interrupt anymore. Go on¡­¡± She would dly pay Erin to continue telling such a juicy story. Erin turned to look out the window as Chandler¡¯s gorgeous face shed in her mind. ¡°Do you remember the five million dors I got as a bonus when Ian¡¯spany became listed? I spent it all on a male escort.¡± The brakes screeched as Holly abruptly pulled over. Then, she pressed a hand to Erin¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°Are you out of your mind, Erin? You spent five million dors on a male escort! Do you realize you¡¯ve ruined the market for the rest of us? How are we supposed to entertain ourselves from now on?¡± Erin couldn¡¯t helpughing at this half-assed joke. ¡°You already tried it out, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Whoever told you that? Did you think I slept with another man when Eugene cheated on me? You had to leave halfway because your cousin had been admitted to the hospital for appendicitis, right? I took a taxi home after that,¡± Holly exined. Erin flushed. She thought she and Holly had done the same thing, but it turned out she was the only one who¡¯d crossed the line. Regret washed over her, but it was mostly because Chandler wouldn¡¯t stop harassing her. ¡°God, why didn¡¯t you tell me that earlier? I probably wouldn¡¯t have acted so rashly if I¡¯d known¡­¡± Holly unbuckled her seatbelt at the regret on Erin¡¯s face and held her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, okay? What¡¯s done is done. Besides, all the men at Twilight are gorgeous, so you¡¯re not exactly losing out. I just think the five million was a little¡­over the top.¡± Erin sighed. ¡°I know five million is a lot, alright? Ian gave it to me as a bonus, but I¡¯ve always considered the money his. I didn¡¯t want to let him off the hook so easily¡ªwho knew where the money would end up if I were to return it to him? Perhaps he would¡¯ve transferred it to Tracy in the next second! The only thing I could think of at the moment was that I¡¯d rather give the money away than have it end up in Tracy¡¯s pocket.¡± Her eyes would still turn red at the mention of Ian, and Holly patted her on the shoulder in constion. ¡°There, there. It¡¯s not worth our while getting sad over these scumbags. I¡¯ll take you out for a wonderful meal, and then we can go shopping. I¡¯ll pay for everything!¡± ¡°I¡¯d love that, but I already have something on tonight. My former boss is taking us out to the Royal Chamber¡ªit¡¯s supposed to be like a farewell of sorts.¡± Holly¡¯s eyes crinkled as she smiled. ¡°Can I tag along?¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 A Handsome Man to the Rescue After dinner, Holly drove Erin home. Because the Royal Chamber was a high-ss private nightclub, it was inappropriate to show up wearing their work uniforms. Holly walked into the wardrobe and picked an outfit out for Erin from a row of nightclub outfits. ¡°Erin, whenever you¡¯re free, we should go buy some new clothes. I haven¡¯t bought any new clothes in a week!¡± Erin had just finished her shower and had a towel wrapped around her head. She walked toward the wardrobe and removed the towel while drying her hair. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much time these days, I just joined a newpany so I have to be more proactive! I heard from the other designers that they usually work overtime. Besides, now that I am divorced I don¡¯t need to dress up anymore. I will be going home tomorrow to move all of the clothes that I want here to your house.¡± Holly agreed, ¡°Okay, we can go shopping once everything has been settled. What time are you going home tomorrow? I¡¯lle to help you move your luggage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t have anything to do tomorrow anyways¡± The two women started doing their makeup while chatting, Holly had chosen a unique dress for Erin. The dress had a mermaid cut with ombr¨¦ green sequins and two thin shoulder straps that looked like they would snap with a simple tug. Erin stared at her face in the mirror, Holly was truly talented at doing makeup. Her hair was in loose waves, and one side of her hair was tucked behind her ear. There was also a star-shaped pearl barrette clipped onto her hair. On the whole, her outfit made her look just like a mermaid. Holly held an eyeshadow palette and watched Erin worriedly, ¡°This man is crazy to leave so many visible marks on you.¡± ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m just going to change into another dress. This one is too revealing!¡± ¡°No! If I were to wear this dress, I would look like a slut but when you wear it, you look so pure! Erin, just wear this dress to look for your prince charming tonight.¡± In the end, Holly used foundation to cover up the marks on Erin¡¯s. At 8 pm, Holly and Erin arrived at a private room at the Royal Chamber. Ben and three other colleagues had already arrived and everyone was dressed to the nines. After some light conversation, the drinking and singing began. Milly and Ben were ying a drinking game whilst Dana and E selected songs to sing. On the table was some food and there was also one big bottle of champagne and two bottles of red wine. Holly inched closer to Erin and whispered in her ear, ¡°Your ex-boss is quite generous, I estimate that he has spent at least 100 thousand dors just on tips.¡± A message popped up on Erin¡¯s phone screen with a ding. She looked at the sender ID and stood up. ¡°Holly, I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t there a toilet in the room¡­?¡± Holly trailed off without finishing her sentence as Erin had already sped out of the private room. Standing in the corridor, Erin unlocked her phone and saw that the sender ID was ¡°Psychopath.¡± The message read, ¡°Meet me at the usual spot, if you aren¡¯t there in an hour then the pictures will be¡­¡± Shit! It was like the man was addicted! Erin walked back into the room, apologized, and left early. Although Holly allowed her to leave, she made Erin promise to give her a proper exnation once she got home. While walking through the corridor, a fat, old man came out of another private room. Once he saw Erin, he said, ¡°Prettydy,e keep uspany in here and we¡¯ll give you more tips.¡± He said all this while reaching out his chubby hand toward her. Erin swiftly dodged his hand and scolded him, ¡°Are you crazy? What do you take me for? Lunatic!¡± She wanted to move past him and continue forward, but the old man roughly dragged her from behind, and in an instant, one of the straps of her dress snapped. Erin was startled and quickly held up her dress with both hands. ¡°Bitch, you¡¯re already here as an escort yet you¡¯re still pretending to be so innocent and pure.¡± The old man had already raised a hand to p her but his arm was suddenly flung away by another man¡¯s hand. The old man staggered. Dressed casually, Sean¡¯s alluring eyes were icy. ¡°Mr. Beck, did you have too much to drink? Can you not differentiate the outfits of these beautiful women? Why don¡¯t you take a closer look at these two women next to me.¡± Mr. Beck sobered up slightly when he saw that it was Sean who stopped him and fearfully nodded. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you Mr. Dunn, what a coincidence.¡± Looking at the two high-ss female escorts nking Sean, it was clear that they were dressed quite simrly to Erin. However, closer inspection of the women¡¯s outfits would reveal that Erin¡¯s dress was very expensive and iparable to the dresses of the escorts. Mr. Beck broke out into a cold sweat. The patrons of this establishment were all wealthy. If he ended up offending a VIP, then he would never be able towork and mingle in this industry again. ¡°Mr. Beck, shouldn¡¯t you apologize for treating a beautiful woman with status like this?¡± Though Sean said this with a smile, his entire being was radiating waves of hostility. Mr. Beck shivered, he could not determine the rtionship between Erin and Sean but what if she were Sean¡¯s woman? He was so frightened by this thought that he started trembling and immediately apologized, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I did not realize you were such an important person, please forgive me.¡± Sean waved a hand to dismiss the two female escorts and side-eyed Mr. Beck, ¡°You are not needed here anymore.¡± Mr. Beck hastily walked away, Sean was an indomitable force in this industry and was not one to be messed with! And if Sean was an indomitable force, then he did not even want to think about the legendary Chandler Frost. ¡°Thank you for just now, but I¡¯m in a bit of a rush so I will be leaving first.¡± Seeing that Erin was about to leave, Sean strode forward with his long legs, determined to escort her. When they got to the outdoor parking lot, Erin waited for a taxi. Sean smiled, ¡°Miss, your dress strap.¡± Only then did Erin realize that she looked unhinged holding on to her dress with both of her hands. But what was she supposed to do with the broken dress strap? ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I can help you.¡± She looked up at him and saw that he had a humble expression on his face. She hesitated, then agreed, ¡°Thank you for your help then.¡± ¡°No problem at all, it¡¯s an honor to help a prettydy.¡± Sean¡¯s alluring eyes watched her, brimming with ulterior motives. Erin blushed and lowered her head. Long, elegant fingers tied the broken dress strap into a bow and, to make both sides of the dress match, he also tied a bow using the opposite strap. Now that the straps were raised, the dress was transformed into an off-shoulder style dress. Taking out a mirror to inspect her reflection, Erin said, ¡°It looks quite nice, thank you.¡± ¡°Since you are so thankful, why don¡¯t you give me your number?¡± Sean¡¯s true intentions were unabashedly revealed on his handsome face. Erin who was originally quite grateful suddenly felt disgusted. It was almost like he was undressing her with his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary!¡± Erin gave him an icy re and then got into the taxi. Watching the taxi leave, Sean stood rooted to the spot, stinging from his first taste of failure. His friend came up from behind him and said, ¡°Sean, it¡¯s rare to see you with such a longing expression.¡± Sean turned around and smiled, ¡°What longing expression? I was such a gentleman just now and yet I still did not get that woman¡¯s number. There¡¯s just this burning sense of thrill in my heart.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need a thrill. Later, I¡¯m going to find you a high-quality woman guaranteed to satisfy you tonight!¡± Sean¡¯s friend put his arm around his shoulder and guided him back into the Royal Chamber. Under the dim yet brilliant lights, Sean looked at his fingers and reminisced about the feeling of Erin¡¯s skin and gave a drunken smile. He was surprised, no woman has ever piqued his interest so easily before.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 A Misunderstanding The hotel room door opened abruptly the second Erin rang the doorbell. Darkness was all she could see as arge hand dragged her inside and pushed her against the door. She could taste the wine from his lips, dulling her senses. The man was quite impatient. Erin had been struggling from the start but waspletely overpowered by him. Her body felt weak, making her slide downward to the floor. The man carried her into the bedroom, where he pinned her down with his body once she was on the bed. His movements were rough, without any trace of gentleness. ¡°You look special tonight¡­¡± Not even a few secondster, Chandler stoppedpletely in his tracks, and a hand shot out to grab at Erin¡¯s neck. Coldly, he said, ¡°Why do I smell another man¡¯s cologne all over you?¡± This smell was familiar to him. Erin struggled to breathe and tried to get up, but he had pinned her downpletely. Although the lights were not turned on, she could feel his icy gaze on her. He was like a ck panther, waiting for the perfect time to strike and bite into his prey¡¯s neck. She was terrified. ¡°Please, let go of me. I can¡¯t breathe.¡± Her voice came out in between breaths. Chandler¡¯s gaze darkened and slightly loosened the grip on her neck, though he still had his hand on her. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, I guarantee you will not be able to deal with the consequences.¡± His grip was strong, and it made her gasp in pain. ¡°I just came from the Royal Chamber and there was an old man there who thought that I was an escort and broke my dress strap. Then, another man helped me and even fixed it. Maybe he got some of his cologne on me when he was fixing the strap. You can look at my dress if you don¡¯t believe me¡± Chandler eventually let go of her to turn on the tablemp, and his wless face filled her vision. It¡¯s just that, at that moment, the man¡¯s anger was still on full disy on his face, deterring anyone from getting close. He got up to walk to the living room to look for the dress. Though the dress had been ruined, he could still clearly see the bows on the straps and that one of the straps had been previously broken. Chandler tossed the dress aside and domineeringly walked into the bedroom again. Erin was hiding under the covers in shame and could not look at him. She shuddered as she remembered how he¡¯d grabbed her neck, and her heart skipped a beat. She never imagined that this man could be so terrifying when he was angry. ¡°That¡¯s a valid exnation, so I¡¯ll let you off the hook for now. But remember: no one can ever touch what is mine!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. His assertive and possessive tone rendered Erin speechless. He was merely a male escort. How could he be so demanding? ¡°Can I go now?¡± Chandler pulled off the covers in one move and threw them on the ground. There was a deep gaze in his dark eyes, and he had alcohol on his breath, ¡°That is the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard today.¡± He trapped her in his arms. ¡°How could I let you go if I haven¡¯t even started?¡± In the end, she could not escape the inevitability of the night. Her listless expression angered Chandler to no end, and his movements became more violent and aggressive. Two hourster, Chandler was finally done with her. Erin was curled up in a corner of the room, watching him enter the bathroom. She could not help but wonder, ¡°Is Chandler a germaphobe?¡± At this thought, she stood up and tiptoed to the bathroom to sneak a nce through a crack in the bathroom door. ¡°Is there something you want to ask?¡± A pleasantly deep voice rang out from above her, startling her before he dragged her into the bathroom. ¡°Scrub my body,¡± hemanded. Erin watched him, she knew that if she defied him, she would not be able to leave the bathroom. In the end, she obediently helped him take a shower. After he was done with his shower and had put on his clothes, Erin, who was only wearing a hotel robe, worriedly clutched her ruined dress. Chandler opened the closet and took out a branded shopping bag. He tossed the bag by her feet and said cooly, ¡°It¡¯s for you. Get dressed, I will take you home.¡± He had already walked out of the bedroom. Erin immediately opened the bag and saw that there was a ck dress inside with the tag still attached. She looked at it in disgust. Though the clothes had not been cleaned, she didn¡¯t have a choice right now. It was either wear this or walk out naked. Five minutester, Chandler left the hotel with her. Chandler seemed to be in a bad mood tonight. She remembered that he had still been gentle with herst time but it was almost as if he were apletely different person now. She felt aggrieved and humiliation bubbled up within her. Watching the sights that night and other couples sweetly holding hands, she could not help but feel envious. Because of Ian¡¯s unfaithfulness, she was the one who suffered in the end. And now she had been reduced to being a hostage of a male escort due to some photos. ¡°Do you want to know why I am so careful everytime?¡± Chandler had on a cold expression, and his voice was devoid of warmth. Erin turned her head to look at him with flushed cheeks, ¡°Why?¡± He gave her a dismissive nce, ¡°It¡¯s because I would never let something like an idental pregnancy ever happen.¡± His answer truly stunned Erin. This is the reason why he used protection every time. He¡¯s afraid that she would identally conceive his child? ¡°Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself, I treat everyone the same.¡± This cold dismissive nce made Erin, who had been tormented the whole night, explode in anger, ¡° You are so funny, who would be stupid enough to want to conceive your child? Wouldn¡¯t that just be the most embarrassing thing ever?¡± Who would want to have a child with this man? Chandler did not exin and had a hint of a mocking smile on his face. She hadpletely misunderstood who he was. ¡°What are youughing at? I fulfilled my promise today, there are only nine more times left. Once this is over, you have to give me back my pictures!¡± She decided that she was going to remind him of this every single time. His gaze froze over, and his tone was upset, ¡°What? Being with me is not enough to satisfy you? Do you want to get rid of me so desperately?¡± ¡°Yes! I cannot wait to get rid of you!¡± Her truthful statement triggered immense displeasure in Chandler, and he stomped on the brakes, making them screech. ¡°Say that again if you dare.¡± Erin was terrified. Though it waste and there were not many cars on the road, braking so suddenly was still way too dangerous. In the end, she said nothing. Chandler dropped her off at her apartment and sped off. Watching the Maybach leave, she yelled, ¡°Psychopath! What¡¯s gotten into you!¡± ¡­ Back at his vi, Chandler pulled off his necktie and leaned on his couch. He took out his phone from his pocket and retrieved a picture. In the picture was a young woman with a radiant smile. She was as beautiful and delicate as a doll. He muttered, ¡°Since you had already left with him, why did youe back?¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Social Ostracization On the second day of work, Erin was swamped at the office. She was at every designer¡¯s beck and call. Erin and her friends who had been transferred to the design department were currently being ostracized by others in the department. However, Dana, Milly, and E were lucky. All three of them had been assigned an assistant position to head designers, so even though there were people in the department who did not like them, no one dared to actually order them around. Erin¡¯s case was different. She finally got some time to take a break and walked into the break room to get herself a ss of water. Dana also happened to be walking out of the break room and pulled Erin to the stairwell. After she shut the door, she asked, ¡°Erin, did your husbande to pick you up after work yesterday?¡± Erin froze. She had not told them about her divorce, nor did she want to tell them that for now. After all, there was nothing glorious about having a cheating husband. ¡°No, my best friend came to get me.¡± Dana nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good then. Did you know when I went to get coffee in the break room just now, I heard people gossiping about you? They said that they saw you in an expensive car like a gold digger and that your transfer to the design department was because you know one of the higher-ups. They also said much worse things but I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore.¡± ¡°Ah, just let them gossip. I am innocent! Though, with our design experience, we really aren¡¯t qualified to be a part of Frost Corporation. I don¡¯t know which idiot decided to let us join the team. I¡¯m not surprised that the designers here don¡¯t like us.¡± Erin had an idea of her capabilities and where they would get her, but Dana clearly did not agree with her. She was immediately unhappy. ¡°Erin, how can you put yourself down like that? The four of us entered thepany because we are capable and not because we had rtions with the higher-ups! How can you look down on yourself like that!¡± Seeing that Dana was upset, Erin decided that she should just stop trying to tell her the truth. She gave a lightugh. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s just get back to work so they can¡¯t say that we¡¯re cking off.¡± Dana was just about to leave when she suddenly stopped. ¡°Erin, I know that the issue of position assignments in thispany has been making you worry. The three of us were actually going to talk to you about it yesterday night, but you left early. Our boss is so generous, he gave all of us a bonus before we left. Did your friend pass you your bonus?¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, let¡¯s go back now. Why don¡¯t the four of us go for a meal after work?¡± Dana suggested. Erin shook her head, ¡°Not today Dana, I have something to take care of tonight.¡± The two women returned to their seats, and Erin only had time to catch a quick breath before another pile of work was passed over to her table. She took a deep breath and got back to work. At this point, the assistant to the director of design, Mr. Jones, walked over and said, ¡°Erin, go to the director¡¯s office now.¡± Once she left, the designers started gossiping. ¡°The director is back from overseas? Why does he want to see her the minute he got back?¡± ¡°Do you think that the higher-up that she knows is the director?¡± ¡°Nonsense, why would the director be acquainted with her!¡± ¡°Right, after all, in thispany, besides the elusive president, the director is the hardest to encounter.¡± ¡­ Erin walked to the office and knocked lightly on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± She opened the door and saw a handsome young man sitting in front of a nearby desk. He had straight eyebrows and bright eyes as well as a defined nose bridge. The line of his lips made him look frosty and distant. ¡°Sit.¡± Caleb Grant raised his head to look at her. This woman had been personally arranged to enter thispany by the president¡¯s head secretary, Kyle. What was her rtionship with him? Erin said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Caleb said, ¡°I took a look at your files as well as the files of your three colleagues. With your experience, to be able to enter Frost Corporation would only be because of connections! I don¡¯t care how the four of you got in, but since you girls are in my department, you should know that we don¡¯t keep ckers around. If you aren¡¯t able to keep up with the work, I will not hesitate to fire you. Do you understand?¡± To be called out so explicitly made Erin¡¯s face burn. She also could not believe that she got into Frost Corporations, but having the director decide that she¡¯d gotten in due to her connections made her feel wronged. However, she wasn¡¯t sure if the other three girls actually had relied on connections to get here and if she was able to do the same because of that. So, she decided that she would just stay silent on this matter. ¡°I will work hard, sir.¡± Herck of denial made Caleb give her another nce¡ªone that was deeply disdainful. If she had nothing to say about this matter, then it must be true! ¡°The work assigned to you must bepleted on time every day. I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses. You may leave now.¡± Caleb¡¯s cool and distant demeanor made Erin feel like he was not one to be messed with. Once she got back to her seat, everyone peeked at her, getting a sick sense of joy because Erin was looking unusually pale. Once it came to lunchtime, Erin wanted to go to the cafeteria to get some food. But once she thought about collecting her luggageter that night, she decided she would first give Ian a call. She walked to the staircase to give him a call. The call connected quickly. ¡°What an unexpected call, are you calling to apologize?¡± Ian asked, sitting in his office. Erin huffed. ¡°Why would I apologize? I¡¯m calling to let you know that I¡¯m going to move my thingster tonight. Come home with Tracy after nine so it¡¯s less awkward.¡± Ian had mixed feelings about her moving out. On one hand, he cannot wait for her to move out, yet on the other hand, he also felt as though he were losing out since she was leaving. Thinking of that day in the office when he¡¯d failed to take advantage of her, Ian gave a coldugh, ¡°That¡¯s great, you only get this one chance. If there are items that you can¡¯t move, I¡¯ll get someone to throw them all away!¡± The line cut off with a beep. Erin mumbled to the phone, ¡°Jerkwad!¡± After that, she gave Holly a call to n the move that night. She had just put her phone away and was going to walk to the cafeteria when a special notification tone rang out. When she was on the subway this morning, she had set a different notification tone for Chandler¡¯s iing messages on her phone so she could immediately check it when needed. The pictures that he had of her were like a ticking bomb. It was best to be prepared. The message read, ¡°Come to the president¡¯s office¡± Erin was confused. The president¡¯s office? She quickly typed out a reply, ¡°Frost Corporation¡¯s president¡¯s office?¡± Five secondster, there was a reply, ¡°Yes.¡± Ering frowned and walked back to the office. She sat down for a while but eventually got into the elevator. She could have never imagined that, when he said that he was a president¡¯s secretary, he meant he was the secretary of Frost Corporation¡¯s president! How in the world did he even manage to get this job? Perhaps the president of Frost Corporation was actually into men? Did that mean he¡¯d slept his way up the ranks? At this thought, she shuddered and even got goosebumps. At this moment, the elevator doors opened. She had not yet arrived at the level of the president¡¯s office. This was the office of the head secretary, Kyle. Everyone who wanted to meet with the president first needed to see Kyle before proceeding to the president¡¯s floor. Kyle was waiting for her at the elevator doors. ¡°Miss Lane, you don¡¯t need to get out of the elevator.¡± She was shocked, but Kyle had already swiped a specialized card. With a sh of green light, the elevator doors closed again and brought her up to the top floor. Getting out of the elevator, Erin walked toward the president¡¯s office and knocked lightly once she got there. ¡°Come in.¡± The voice seemed toe from nearby, almost as if the speaker were right in front of her. Erin pushed the doors open and was immediately lifted by someone with a built physique. He gave a toss, and she landed on therge and luxurious leather sofa. Chandler had her trapped. Erin lowered her voice and scolded, ¡°Are you insane? This is the president¡¯s office! What if the presidentes in?¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Heartless Bastard Chandler¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°He¡¯s gone out for lunch, so now¡¯s the perfect time for an illicit affair.¡± ¡°You are so bold!¡± Erin was still anxious and kept sneaking nces at the door. Seeing her not focused on Chandler made him angry. He grabbed her chin with his hand. ¡°You¡¯re very bold to not be paying attention to me!¡± Erin softened her tone. ¡°I¡¯m really worried, what if someonees in? We could both lose our jobs.¡± Chandler got up, picked her up, and walked straight toward the designated break room. Erin felt a sense of familiarity when they entered the break room. She thought of the morning she had woken up in that very same break room and turned pale. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this is the president¡¯s break room.¡± ¡°No shit.¡± Her cheeks flushed, and she started to panic. She walked backward and anxiously said, ¡°Don¡¯te over.¡± Chandler walked toward her and said lowly, ¡°You better service me well.¡± She wanted to leave, but he was still holding those pictures over her. Half an hourter, she left the president¡¯s office with a red face. On the way back to the office, Erin was so angry that she kicked a wall, but all she gained from that was a hurt leg. She limped back to the office. Chandler watched Erin from the cameras in his office andughed. ¡°What an idiot.¡± ¡­ Once she got back to the design department, she had already lost her appetite. Just thinking about the events from just now made her quiver in anger. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shameless dickhead!¡± Erin angrily scribbled on a piece of paper. Eight more times! She just needed to hold on for eight more times, and then it would all be over! At that moment, Chandler sent her another message. The phone screen showed three words: ¡°That didn¡¯t count.¡± Erin angrily hit the table with her fist. A voice came from behind her. ¡°Erin, please don¡¯t bring your emotions into the workce. Also, you are responsible for anypany property that you damage.¡± She turned around, but Caleb had already left. Erin deted. She suddenly had this feeling that she would not be able tost in thispany. She wanted to quit, but the mere thought of the termination fee was enough for her to give up on that thought. Frost Corporation had one of the most unique working contracts she had ever seen. The termination fee for leaving suddenly was one million dors! Besides that, if she resigned amid an ongoing project, she had to pay the termination fee and an additional sum of money calcted from the project¡¯s total funds. She took a deep breath. At times like these, she could only drink coffee. She finally made it to the end of the day and finished everything that was assigned to her, but another designer gave her ten more pictures to retouch at thest minute. They needed to bepleted by the next morning. To avoid disrupting her ns of moving out, she asked if she could bring the pictures home to complete, and the designer agreed. Erin walked out of the office building, but Holly still had not arrived. Five minutester, Holly called to apologize. She exined that her mother had slipped in the kitchen and needed to be rushed to the hospital. ¡°Holly, just go to the hospital, I will be alright here! I¡¯ll call a taxi when I¡¯m done. Please help me wish your mo well and tell her I¡¯ll visit her once I¡¯m free.¡± Holly said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go now. I¡¯ll call youter.¡± Erin took a taxi to her previous home. It was now 7.30 pm, and she had an hour to pack up. She wanted to get it over with and leave quickly so she didn¡¯t have to bump into Ian or Tracy. However, her keys could not unlock the front doors. She turned the keys in vain for a while before she realized that Ian had changed the locks in the house. She was just about to call Ian in anger when the doors suddenly swung open. ¡°Why¡¯re you home?¡± Erin asked when she saw Ian wearing his house clothes. Ian¡¯s handsome face held a hint of mockery. ¡°This is my house, would it be weird for me to be in my own house?¡± Erin didn¡¯t reply. She went into the house, took off her high heels, and walked upstairs. She was wearing her work clothes, which consisted of a business zer and a mini skirt. It was fashionable but it also gave her an air of seriousness. Ian considered her silhouette. She was truly different after getting fucked. Even the way she walked had a more mature feel. He huffed and followed her up the stairs. Erin walked into the storage room, took out arge suitcase, and pushed it into the bedroom. She started taking out the clothes that she usually wore and packed them into the suitcase. Ian leaned against the bedroom door frame. With a mocking tone, he said, ¡°Erin, do you have to be so cheap? These clothes are so old but you¡¯re still wearing them? Didn¡¯t you spend the five million dors I gave you? Are you going to just keep all that money and not spend it?¡± Her hands that were busy packing her clothes paused. Just thinking of the five million dors reminded her of Chandler, and thinking of Chandler reminded her of the humiliating events from this afternoon in the break room. She was immediately annoyed, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business what I do with my money.¡± ¡°Your money? That five million dors were shares from mypany. If you want to have a clean divorce then return the money.¡± Erin turned around to face him and threw the clothes into the suitcase, ¡°Ian, don¡¯t be so unreasonable! When you first established the techpany, I was the one who invested ten thousand dors into your business. The shares are rightfully mine!¡± Ian walked into the bedroom with a cold smile. ¡°Is it? Where are the documents to prove it?¡± She was stunned. They had such an intimate rtionship before this, who would¡¯ve even thought of a contract? Of course there wasn¡¯t a written agreement! ¡°Have you no shame? You¡¯re so ruthless! I will never give you back the five million dors!¡± Most importantly, she had already spent that money. Ian held up one of her arms and smiled. ¡°To be honest, the divorce papers that you submitted to Mr. Wilson have already been disposed of! Return the five million dors if you want a new set of divorce papers!¡± Erin¡¯s blood boiled, and she was filled with regret. How could she have given the divorce papers to Mr. Wilson? Of course he was on Ian¡¯s side! What a misjudgment. She tried to regte her emotions. ¡°Ian, do you have to be so ruthless? Assets should be split evenly in a divorce. I¡¯ve already left you the house and the cars. Are you really going to take back the five million dors as well? Are you even still a man?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we find out if I¡¯m still a man!¡± Ian was suddenly filled with anger and grabbed both of her hands. She panicked. ¡°Fuck off! Let go!¡± ¡°Erin, it¡¯s either you give me back my five million dors or you let me fuck you! Choose!¡± ¡°Shameless bastard!¡± Erin spat at him. Ian immediately lost his temper and yanked at her clothes. Two buttons of Erin¡¯s blouse ttered to the floor. His expression had also changedpletely. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Ian, what are you two doing?¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 A Chance Encounter on the Streets Erin took advantage of Ian¡¯s shock and pushed him away with all her strength. She clutched the cor of her ruined blouse and ran out of the room. Tracy was standing at the entrance of the bedroom with a set of keys in her hands. Ian got up and felt a pang of regret. Why the fuck did he give Tracy her own set of keys? He brushed past her and rushed after Erin. He roared at Erin¡¯s disappearing form, ¡°If you don¡¯t return my money you can forget about the divorce!¡± Erin had left, and Ian was annoyed just thinking about Tracy! If it weren¡¯t for her today, he would¡¯ve been able to fuck Erin. Just thinking of the fresh hickeys on Erin¡¯s body angered him to no end. He was going to find out who that bastard was! Ian stomped upstairs. Tracy apologized when she saw him. ¡°Ian, I¡¯m so sorry, did I disturb you two?¡± She despised Erin. How dare this bitche back and seduce her man! ¡°Tracy, didn¡¯t I say that I wanted to be alone today?¡± His tone was reprimanding and filled with annoyance, and Tracy¡¯s eyes immediately filled with tears. ¡°I just missed you so much, that¡¯s why I came to see you but I didn¡¯t know she would be here too.¡± She looked so pitiful and wronged, worried that Ian would be angry because of this. His expression softened a little, and he walked toward her to gently wipe her tears. ¡°Silly girl, you¡¯re already my secretary so you¡¯ll see me at the office tomorrow. Did you really miss me that much?¡± ¡°But I really missed you. I lose sleep when I can¡¯t see you.¡± Tracy¡¯s tears had already stopped. She knew that Ian did not like it when she kept crying and whining, so her pitiful act could stop now. Her words aroused him, and he pinned her to the wall. Soon, Tracy¡¯s moans and the asional scream rang out from the vi. Erin, who had been standing at the front door, covered her mouth with her hand with a tear-stained face. Just once, she hoped that Ian would forget about Tracy and chase after her instead. But he never did. She was so naive to think that Ian wanted to fuck her because he still had feelings for her. But once Tracy showed up, he went to her instead. Erin had utterly given up, he was just ying her. In the past, before their rtionship fell apart, he was at least respectful and loving toward her. Now, his attitude toward her was disrespectful, heartless, and violent. It was as if she were just amon whore. Erin listlessly walked out of the vi and not even two minutester, the heel of her shoe broke. Sheughed at how pathetic and deste everything was, and she yelled at the sky, ¡° Go on, make it rain as well!¡± Funnily enough, it actually started raining heavily five minutester. Erin took off her high heels and dumped them in a nearby trash can. In the heavy rain, she was the only one wandering the streets. Luckily, before she left she was able to grab a windbreaker. At least, she could cover up her body so no one could see how pathetic she looked. She walked barefoot to the bus station and sat on the bench. She watched the rain as a few buses passed by, but she didn¡¯t get on any of them. Erin thought of the moments between her and Ian when they were still in university. There were beautiful memories, but there were also ones where they argued about everything. Though she was drenched to the bone and looked so pitiful, her dignity was still fighting ferociously to maintain her stance. At this moment, a ck Maybach drove past. Chandler nced at his rearview mirror. It was a rainy day and his vision was impaired by the heavy rain, but he could still so clearly see her. Looking at the small silhouette that looked like it was about to be drowned by the relentless heavy rain, he could not help but feel a twinge of pain in his heart. He chalked this feeling up to pity. He made a U-turn and stopped his car at the side of the road. However, that did not seem to get her attention. Chandler had no other option. He got out of the car and took out a pure ck artisan umbre before taking dignifying steps toward her. Erin only raised her head when she saw a pair of familiar leather shoes appear in front of her and saw Chandler looking at her. His gaze was deep, and he was standing in the shadows so she could not see his expression well. ¡°Get in the car.¡± His tone wasmanding. Erin¡¯s anger from before had already dissipated and she just calmly said, ¡°Not now okay? I¡¯m really not in the mood to deal with you.¡± He was annoyed, his presence here was clearly fortuitous but all she said was that she can¡¯t deal with him? However, since she had been crying so much, he decided that he wouldn¡¯t take it to heart. He got her to her feet with one arm. ¡°My patience is limited.¡± Erin who was barefooted stood no chance against his strength and she was quickly shoved into the passenger seat of his car. He locked the doors before she could protest. Chandler didn¡¯t look at her.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. However, he turned around and threw a tissue box at her. He coldly said, ¡°Wipe yourself down.¡± The car was soon speeding along the busy streets. Erin stared at the tissue box and then at him. ¡°I¡¯m really not in the mood tonight,¡± she pleaded. He interrupted her, ¡°Just shut up, I won¡¯t touch you! Wipe yourself, your whole body is wet. Don¡¯t dirty my car.¡± He was worried that she would catch a cold but he couldn¡¯t seem to say that. Erin sniffled. ¡°Why did you even let mee in if you were so worried about me dirtying your car?¡± His expression was frosty, but he said nothing. Once she had finished using a whole box of tissues, a suit jacket was suddenly thrown at her. ¡°Put it on.¡± She raised her head to look at him. She didn¡¯t know why, but that gesture warmed her heart, and she put on the jacket without hesitation. Her whole ice cold body started to warm up after putting on the jacket. Watching the sweat bead on Chandler¡¯s forehead, Erin nced at the AC buttons in the car and realized that Chandler had turned on the heater in the middle of summer! ¡°Thank you,¡± she said sincerely. Chandler just kept looking straight ahead and Erin took this opportunity to steal another nce at him. His side profile was incredibly attractive and she was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to kiss his cheek. Her cheeks burned as her heartbeat quickened. Erin scolded herself for being so shameless. How could she even think of doing that? Erin closed her eyes. Just a nce at his side profile dredged up such treacherous thoughts in her. She turned her face and stared out of the window. The warmth in the car made her feel drowsy, and she eventually fell asleep. Hearing the even breaths coming from the passenger seat, Chandler, who was initially going to send her home, had a change of heart. For some reason, he brought her back to his vi. He drove into the garage but she still had not awoken from her sleep. Eventually, he lost his patience and pushed her with his hand but she would not wake up. He paused then put a hand on her forehead. He was shocked, she had a fever! ¡°Bringing you home was a fucking mistake! Why didn¡¯t I just leave you on the streets?¡± he grumbled to himself. And yet, he was already walking to the passenger seat. He opened the door and carried her out of the car. After heid her down in the bedroom, he immediately made a call. ¡°Kyle, call Dr. Louise and tell him toe to the vi. Just say that someone has a fever.¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Catching a Cold After Dr. Louise arrived, he took Erin¡¯s temperature and prescribed her some medicine. He also gave her a shot to reduce her fever. Originally the shot was to be administered at her posterior as it was the most effective, but Chandler didn¡¯t allow that. In the end, the shot was administered to her hand. This procedure could¡¯ve been done in a few minutes but in the end, it became a 20-minute affair. While waiting for the device to administer the shot, n Louise sat in a corner, watching as Chandler stood. He had a hint of a smile on his face. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes I would never believe it. This is your first time bringing a woman home right?¡± Chandler¡¯s eyes shed and mumbled, ¡°Who said it¡¯s the first time?¡± ¡°Oh, who did you bring home then?¡± n asked, disbelief coloring his face. ¡°Why are you talking so much? I called you here to help her.¡± Chandler¡¯s expression showed that he did not want to continue with this conversation. Seeing his reluctance, n also stopped asking. The two men sat in silence for five minutes before n said, ¡°Did you know that ire is back?¡± Chandler intentionally made his tone indifferent. ¡°Yeah.¡± n nced at him and continued, ¡°I heard that she¡¯s back for good. She broke up with Matthew Burgess.¡± This news shocked Chandler, but all he said was, ¡°Okay, what does that have to do with me?¡± n didn¡¯t reply, after all, his role as the messenger was alreadypleted. Once the needle was removed, n packed up his medical bag and went downstairs. Chandler walked down with him but n to him at the front door and said, ¡°Chandler, next time you can just call me directly, you don¡¯t need to ask Kyle to call. I have always kept my work and personal life separate. Besides, I don¡¯t me you for rejecting my sisterst month. I¡¯m thankful that you did. Even if you two ended up together, I don¡¯t think you would¡¯ve cared for her. It¡¯s better to just rip off the bandaid. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand eventually.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Chandler thanked n both for attending to Erin and for being understanding about his sister. n gave a faint smile. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going off first.¡± Chandler closed the door and then immediately went upstairs. He went to take a shower after checking in on Erin, who was fast asleep. 20 minutester, he came out wearing a bathrobe. He looked at the woman on his bed wearing his silk pajamas that were much toorge for her and frowned. This was because he usually slept naked. He allowed her to sleep in his room this time as it was easier for him to check up on her condition. Chandlery down next to her after removing his bathrobe. Just like he promised, he did not make a move on her. However, in the middle of the night, Erin started tossing and turning in bed, searching for a way to cool herself. A pair of small arms wrapped themselves around Chandler¡¯s back and even her face was pressed to his back. His eyes shot open in an instant. Tonight, since a woman was sleeping here and for the first time in his life, he was unable to sleep. These hands were also wandering to ces they shouldn¡¯t be, and Chandler¡¯s eyes darkened. He turned around to look at the woman who had a fever but was still being so lewd, reached out, and turned on the tablemp. Long, slender fingers reached out to raise her chin. Her face was unusually red so it seems like the fever shot had not taken effect yet. Her body stuck to him like glue, challenging Chandler¡¯s willpower. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. His eyes suddenly brightened and he lowly said to her, ¡°Your fever has not gone down yet, but you will get better after sweating a little. I guess I will sacrifice myself to help you out.¡± Perfect lips then descended onto her neck. Erin groggily woke up from her sleep and blurrily made out a man¡¯s face. She nearly screamed in fear but Chandler said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± She rxed immediately once she saw that it was him. At least it wasn¡¯t a stranger. Now that she was awake, Chandler didn¡¯t want to wait anymore. Erin realized what he wanted to do and pushed at him helplessly. ¡°I thought you said you wouldn¡¯t touch me.¡± She was whining but to him, but it sounded like she was teasing him. His dark eyes watched her aggrieved eyes, and he whispered in her ear, ¡°Your eyes are so beautiful.¡± ¡°Go away, I¡¯m really tired and I don¡¯t feel good.¡± Erin¡¯s whole body was in pain. It was both painful and pleasurable which was a confusingbination. Chandler kissed her. ¡°You have a fever, you just need to sweat it out.¡± He had his way with her, and she was helpless to resist. In the end, she could only pass out from the drowsiness. After about two hours, even Chandler had broken out into a sweat. He carried her sweaty body out from underneath the nkets and carried her to the bathroom to clean up. After the shower, Chandler held her in his arms and slept. She slept until ten the next morning when she was woken up by her phone. She blearily got up and realized that she was in a man¡¯s bedroom. After sweating so much yesterday, Erin¡¯s fever had already subsided. Her hands and feet were numb as she walked over to her bag and pulled out her phone. rm bells rang in her head. It was the designer from her department who assigned her thest-minute work. She picked up the phone, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Erin! Look at the time! Why the fuck aren¡¯t you at work? Where are the retouched pictures from yesterday night? Have youpleted them? Do you know how long I have been waiting for the pictures?¡± She could hear that the designer was very angry and immediately apologized, ¡°Sorry, sorry, I had a fever yesterday night.¡± The designer did not let her off the hook. ¡°Really? What a coincidence! So you just happened to fall sickst night? If you can¡¯t do it then don¡¯t say that you can. You¡¯re being irresponsible! I can¡¯t submit the designs now. What if the client mes us? Who will take responsibility for that?¡± ¡°I will.¡± Erin was defeated. Even if she had suddenly fallen sick, not finishing her work was indeed unprofessional on her end. ¡°Come to the office now! Finish it before the work day ends!¡± the designer angrily cut off the line. Erin immediately put away her phone and scanned the room. She saw her clothes neatly folded on the sofa and she rushed to put them on. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the buttons on her blouse had also been fixed. After putting on her clothes and rushing down the stairs, she saw a middle- aged butler in the astonishingly grand living room. She was stunned. ¡°Hello there.¡± The butler smiled at her, ¡°Good morning Miss Lane, Mr. Chandler has arranged for the driver to send you to work.¡± Erin thought, ¡°Being the secretary to the president is not a bad job if he can even afford to live in such a luxurious house.¡± On second thought, how cuoold the secretary to the president of Frost Corporation have such a high sry? Maybe this house belongs to his sugar mommy. At this thought, she shuddered and told the butler, ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t need it, I¡¯m going to catch a taxi.¡± She walked for about ten minutes before finally leaving the vi and arriving at the main road. She was shocked upon learning the name of the residential area. This was the most luxurious residential area in the city. She was wearing the shoes that Chandler prepared for her and stood on the side of the road, waiting for a taxi. However, most of the taxis that drove past already had passengers, and Erin started to panic as she realized time was running out. At that moment, a stylish Lamborghini stopped in front of her. The car doors opened upward like a pair of wings and Sean, who was dressed in a stylish suit took off his sunsses and smiled. ¡°Looks like we were fated to meet again.¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Teaching the Scumbag A Lesson Erin lowered her head slightly and saw that the driver of the car was none other than the handsome man she had met at the Royal Chamber. After seeing her stunned and hesitant expression, Sean said, ¡°Miss, get in the car; you look like you¡¯re in a hurry, and you won¡¯t be able to get a taxi here.¡± His enthusiasm to help made her stop in her tracks. She was still hesitant to get into the car, so Sean had no choice but to get out of it. He retrieved a cardholder from his suit pocket and gave her a business card. ¡°This is my card. If I try to do something to youter, you can call the police.¡± As he spoke, he guided her to the front of his car to read the license te number. Sean shed her a mocking smile. ¡°It¡¯s easy to remember, right? You can give your best friend a call to tell her that you¡¯re with me and that if you don¡¯t call her backter, she can call the police on me. That would prevent me from doing anything bad to you.¡± Erin didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at this absurdity and eventually got into the car. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. The Lamborghini sped down the road. Sean was great at driving and was able to overtake car after car, but it also seemed to make the other drivers despise him. In the car, Erin looked at him and said sincerely, ¡°Thanks for helping.¡± Sean considered her. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you.¡± This was his first time meeting someone like her. She didn¡¯t even bat an eye at his luxury car, and though he was so handsome, she didn¡¯t throw herself at his feet. What was it that she really liked? Erin was baffled by his absurdment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Sean didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush anymore. The odds of him bumping into her again and still being interested in her were slim, so he decided to juste clean with her. ¡°I like you. Name a price or a brand that you like, and I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Erin thought that she had heard him wrong. The look of confusion and shock on her face made himugh. Sean looked at the high heels that she was wearing and said, ¡°The Valentino heels that you¡¯re wearing right now were just released this month. The market price is around 20 thousand dors. However, the shoes look too big on you, so you definitely didn¡¯t buy these shoes yourself. Therefore, someone else must¡¯ve bought them for you. However, thebined price of the clothes that you are wearing now can¡¯t be more than a thousand dors. That means these shoes aren¡¯t something you can afford.¡± His observant statement made Erin feel like he was mocking her, and she was instantly irritated. ¡°What do you want to say? That I can¡¯t afford these shoes?¡± Sean gave an ill-intentioned smile. ¡°Nope, you misunderstand me. What I mean is, whatever you want, I can buy it for you as long as I¡¯m still very interested in you.¡± Erin angrily yelled at him to stop the car. Her emotional outburst made Sean¡¯s ears ring. He frowned and looked at her. ¡°Why are you getting so emotional?¡± Erin indignantly huffed, ¡°I¡¯m emotional? You look like a human, but you act just like an animal! So what if you have money? Does that give you the right to humiliate people? I want to get out. The longer I stay in this car, the more I want to hit you!¡± Her beautiful eyes were filled with rage. She wasn¡¯t the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever met, so he didn¡¯t understand what it was about her that attracted him. Maybe he wasn¡¯t attracted to things that he could already get. Sean didn¡¯t take her seriously. In fact, he thought that she was trying to get him to offer more money, so he continued, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just say I was wrong just now. If you don¡¯t want material items, I can give you cash. Name your price.¡± He wanted to know how much she would price herself at. Erin was bbergasted. She red at the man¡¯s handsome face. He had the bearing of someone who was wealthy and knew it, but how could he not know what basic human respect was? She didn¡¯t want to waste her energy talking to this rich kid who had such a distorted view of life, so she calmly said, ¡°Please stop the car at the side of the road.¡± He looked unhappy. ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to stop my car here. I¡¯ll drop you off at your office. What¡¯s the address?¡± Erin had only told him the name the street her office was located on when she got into the car. ¡°There¡¯s no need; just find a spot to stop the car. I want to get out.¡± Erin didn¡¯t want to look at him and faced the window instead. Sean was confused. Usually, when he asked women to name their price, they would. The process would be that, if he thought that it was a reasonable price, he would agree and pay them ordingly. Alternatively, if he felt that it was unreasonable, he would let them go. Yet, she hadn¡¯t even named a price, so how could this process continue? Sean examined her again. She had an amazing body with pale skin. She was also curvy, and her height was just right for him. His imagination was going wild, and he felt hot all over. He suddenly said, ¡°Thepany can wait; let¡¯s find a hotel. Name your price, and I¡¯ll do my best to satisfy you.¡± Erin was so angry that she could onlyugh after hearing the horny bastard. She saw a five-star hotel nearby and pointed at it. ¡°That one.¡± Sean looked at what she was pointing at and felt a twinge of disappointment. In the end, she was just like everyone else. Despite that, his body was still filled with excitement, and he said, ¡°Sure! That one it is!¡± The Lamborghini sped toward the hotel. Once they arrived at the hotel doors, Sean swaggered out of the car and prepared to help her out of the car like a gentleman. During that time, Erin had already gripped the pepper spray that she kept in her bag. She waited for Sean to lean towards her and viciously sprayed it into his eyes. Sean yelled out in pain. He waspletely unprepared for such an attack and had both of his hands over his eyes. He shouted, ¡°What the fuck! Are you fucking insane? What the fuck did you spray at me? It fucking stings!¡± He stumbled backward, and Erin took advantage of his disoriented state to quickly get out of the car and viciously kick him in the knees. ¡°You uncultured and disrespectful bastard! I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents today! How dare you disrespect women and be so unreasonable?¡± Erin yelled and haphazardly gave him a few more kicks. At this point, a bellboy was alreadying toward them, so Erin ran away hastily. Sean was filled with rage and was swearing profusely. He¡¯d never been sneakily attacked by a woman like this before. The bellboy behind him helped him stand and immediately recognized him. ¡°Mr. Dunn, are you alright? Do you need us to call the police?¡± ¡°Forget it! Call an ambnce now!¡± If the police found out that he¡¯d been attacked by a woman like this, his pride would never recover. He was in so much pain that he felt like he was going to go blind. Erin, who¡¯d already escaped at this point, was able to catch a taxi and head straight to the office quickly. Her heart was still beating rapidly once she got into the car. She couldn¡¯t believe that she¡¯d actually attacked him. Thinking back, she might¡¯ve gone too far. All he did was treat her like a whore; he never actually made a physical move on her. Yet she treated him like a rapist. But what¡¯s done was done; there was no point in regretting it now! Half an hourter, Erin arrived at the office and had just sat down when Mr. Jones came over with a serious expression. ¡°The director wants to see you in his office.¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 The President Is So Handsome Erin¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing that she was in trouble with the director again. She could already guess that this was about the image retouchings. In the director¡¯s office, Caleb was sitting in front of his monitor replying to emails. He raised his head to look at Erin and asked in a cool voice, ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re here?¡± Erin nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you know then?¡± ¡°I know that if I¡¯m ever sick, I need to take a leave in advance and settle my work before that,¡± she said sincerely. Caleb stopped typing. He leaned back into his chair and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand. Your irresponsibility has hindered the progress of the other designers! This has nothing to do with whether you were sick. You must always finish your work because the clients don¡¯t care about your personal problems. They only want to see results! Unless you¡¯ve died or you¡¯ve quit working at Frost Corporations, any other exnation is just an excuse! Do you understand?¡± Erin was pale; she could never imagine that such a renownedpany could be so ruthless. However, this was the way things were at thepany, so she answered, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Get out and do your work. I don¡¯t care how long it takes you or if it means you have to work overtime. The tasks assigned to you must bepleted on the same day!¡± Caleb looked away and continued with his work. Erin left the office after promising onest time that she understood him. She was still feeling light- headed and should¡¯ve been recovering at home, but she had no choice now. She had just returned to her seat when Mr. Jones announced in the open concept office, ¡°Just a reminder to be punctual for the afternoon meetingter.¡± The designers all started working on another busy day. Erin turned on her Apple monitor. Frost Corporation provided their designers with technological facilities of the highest quality. Rumor had it that Frost Corporation had the employees of theirputer manufacturers personallye over to set up theputers. Even Erin, who was currently only responsible for retouching images and running errands, was using top-of-the-line equipment. The reasoning behind this was to standardize the quality and color of all the designers¡¯ work, reflecting their professionalism. Erin was very fast at retouching images; it was a skill that she¡¯d honed when she was still in school. After eating a simple sandwich, she continued with her work. Finally, she finished all ten of the images that were assigned to her perfectly before 6 pm. She sent the designer a message. ¡°Good evening. The ten images have been retouched. I¡¯m so sorry about yesterday; it won¡¯t happen again.¡± After about half an hour, the designer replied, ¡°Just watch out next time.¡± Erin let out a breath of relief after she saw the message. She knew that the designer had already seen the images that she¡¯d retouched, and since the designer didn¡¯t say anything, it must¡¯ve meant that her work had been approved. She thought that the other designers would assign her more work, but surprisingly, no one gave her any more work. Erin was at her limit. When she¡¯d bought her sandwich earlier in the afternoon, she¡¯d also bought some cold medicine, which made her drowsy. She was only still functioning because of the two whole cups of coffee that had managed to keep her awake. Once the clock hit 6 pm, she started to pack up her things and get off of work. Just then, Dana walked over, wearing a striking blue chiffon dress. Smiling, she said, ¡°Erin, do you have anything to do after work? Let¡¯s go shopping together.¡± Erin shook her head. ¡°No thanks. I think I¡¯m going to go home to rest. I¡¯ve caught a cold.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re sick? Why did you evene to work?¡± ¡°I had no choice; I had unfinished work here.¡± Erin wore a helpless expression. It was only then that Dana noticed herplexion. ¡°Oh my, you really don¡¯t look so good. You should head home now.¡± Erin said her goodbyes and walked into the elevator. Her colleagues from different floors were also in the elevator, and Erin stood expressionless in a corner, listening to the other women¡¯s conversations. ¡°Today, Kyle had important matters to do and asked me to help make the president coffee. My goodness, I¡¯ve worked in thepany for two years, and this was the first time I¡¯ve ever seen the president.¡± ¡°How was it? Was he hot?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Fuck, he¡¯s not just hot! He¡¯s really fucking hot! The president was even better looking than the actors on screen. Not even the younger actors canpare! He¡¯s the most attractive man I¡¯ve ever met in my life!¡± ¡°Are you serious? Is he really that hot?¡± ¡°The president is just too low-key and never epts any interviews. Otherwise, he would go viral on the inte!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so lucky to have been able to meet the president. I¡¯m so jealous; we¡¯ve never even met him before.¡± ¡­ Erin filtered out their voices after a while. Right now, all she wanted was to lie down and sleep. She waspletely uninterested in the idea of any hot presidents. Once the elevator arrived on the first floor, Erin¡¯s phone rang in her bag. She was immediately shaken from her drowsy state. It was just like a traffic light¡ªonce the light turned green, she had to be on the move immediately! She let out a breath and avoided the crowd of workers getting off work. She walked to the entrance of the staircase and checked her phone. The message read, ¡°Come to the president¡¯s office and buy two sets of beef risotto from Mario¡¯s ce.¡± Damn it, she¡¯d already gotten off work, but she still had to run errands! No matter how unwilling she was, just the thought of those images made her dial down her anger and buy the food. She looked up Mario¡¯s ce on the inte, and thankfully, it was only two blocks away. However, she was already feeling really sick and didn¡¯t want to walk anymore so she took a taxi there. An hour passed before she finally made it back to the office. Just likest time, Kyle was waiting for her at the elevator doors, and after swiping his card, she was taken up to the top floor. She held on to the two packs of food and knocked on the president¡¯s door Chandler looked up at the door. He walked over to sit on the couch before saying, ¡°Come in.¡± Erin entered and walked over quickly once she saw him. She ced the two packs of food on the coffee table and turned to leave. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± His voice was cold and disapproving. She turned around and let out a loud sigh. ¡°Please, I¡¯m already sick; can you just have mercy on me for today? I am seriously so tired, and I really don¡¯t have the time to argue with you, nor do I have the energy to give you any special services. Just eat your damn meal, okay?¡± Chandler gave her a long look and saw that she was looking a bit unwell. His gaze softened, and he took out the cutlery from the bag. ¡°You can leave after we finish eating.¡± Erin was stunned. ¡°The other portion was for me?¡± He looked at her like she was an idiot. ¡°Do you think I can finish two portions?¡± Erin was already feeling faint from hunger. When she heard that one of the portions was hers, she stopped thinking and sat on the sofa. After taking out her set of cutlery, she dug into her meal. Chandler looked at her in contempt as she ate voraciously and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You¡¯re eating like you haven¡¯t had a meal in years. Did you not eat during lunch?¡± Erin had a piece of beef in her mouth. Though her cold made the food taste nd, the beef was marinated so well that her mouth was watering. It was extremely juicy and tasted heavenly. She spoke between bites. ¡°Don¡¯t bring it up! Ourpany¡¯s president must be a pervert! The design department is practically uninhabitable, and our director, Caleb Grant, is a cold-blooded asshole! I was so busy in the afternoon that I could only eat a sandwich, and my fingers hurt from retouching all those images.¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Exes Scolding Each Other As the president of Frost Corporation, getting called a pervert was obviously not a great feeling. But it was different when Erin said it, and he didn¡¯t feel anger. Chandler quietly said, ¡°I¡¯m not a pervert to you, right?¡± Erin looked at him. This man was definitely ridiculously good-looking. She thought about the women gushing over how hot the president was, and an unspeakable image crossed her mind, making it hard for her to continue eating. Chandler had no idea what she was thinking about, and as he watched her struggle to swallow her food, he thought of that time in the break room. His eyes glistened, and his tone waspromising when he spoke. ¡°I won¡¯t force you like that time in the break room ever again.¡± Just thinking about that time made Erin¡¯s face flush as red as a tomato. The risotto in her mouth suddenly tasted bad, and she ran to the breakroom. Chandler could hear her retching in the toilet from where he sat on the cuch. His expression soured. He threw his cutlery on the table and decided that he wasn¡¯t going to continue eating either. After rinsing her mouth, Erin walked out of the breakroom only to find Kyle in the office, with Chandler nowhere to be found. She eyed the boxes of food on the table and asked, ¡°Kyle, where is the other assistant, Mr. Frost?¡± She still didn¡¯t know Chandler¡¯s full name. She could only remember hisst name from their first encounter. Since he said that he was the secretary to the president, surely it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to address him as the other assistant. Kyle¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and he answered, ¡°He left.¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯m going home too.¡± Erin picked up her bag and left. Kyle watched her silhouette slowly fade away and thought that the president treated her quite differently. He decided that he was going to be much nicer to her in the future, but only with small gestures. After Erin had left, Kyle dialed an internal number for the cleaners toe to tidy up the office, especially the bathroom in the breakroom. That had to be specially sanitized. After all, Chandler only left because he couldn¡¯t stand the smell when Erin went in to throw up. ¡­ Once she was outside the building, Erin walked to one side to wait for her ride. With her monthly ie of eight thousand dors after tax, she was able to afford the asional private car ride, so she booked a ride to Holly¡¯s high-end apartmentplex. The two had the whole two-thousand-square-foot duplex apartment to themselves and lived prettyfortably. Once she got into the elevator, she looked at her monthly expenses on her phone. She had made an investment in an online shop managed by her cousin, May Chapman. May was in her third year of university and didn¡¯t have many lessons. She¡¯d also just moved in with her boyfriend, so they managed the online shop together, including buying and selling the goods. If they couldn¡¯t ship out the products in time, they would recruit a few of their ssmates and pay them a small amount as part-time fees. Erin saw that the profits from this month had increased by two thousand dorspared tost month and instantly felt much better. The ie from the online shopbined with her sry meant that she would earn 20 to 30 thousand dors, which was considered quite good for a white-cor worker in the city. Even though the cost of living here was higher, she could still set aside arge sum of money for savings. During the year she and Ian were separated, she hadn¡¯t spent much, and her umted savings were up to 200 thousand dors. Divorce was nothing to be afraid of; bankruptcy was much worse. Erin thought of the five million dors that she spent and didn¡¯t feel even a shred of regret. It was still better than letting Ian give it to that home wrecker, Tracy. Just then, the elevator doors opened. As Erin stepped out into the corridor, she heard the sound of people arguing. When she paid close attention, she realized the voices belonged to Holly and her ex- husband, Eugene. Erin hesitated, wondering if she should go in. Judging by how loud their voices were, it was clear that the door wasn¡¯t closed, and the whole building was filled with the sound of their argument. ¡°Holly Green, I¡¯m warning you! You will not tell Grandfather about our divorce or I¡¯ll never let you go!¡± Eugene was already halfway out of the front door. In the house, Holly threw a ss vase at him and screamed, ¡°Fuck off! Don¡¯t ever let me see you again!¡± Eugene dodged the vase, and it shattered into a million pieces on the ground. It was sheer luck that he didn¡¯t get hit. He yelled back at her, ¡°Crazy bitch!¡± Seeing that he was about to leave, Erin quickly turned to duck into a corner, but she was too slow. ¡°Erin? Is that you?¡± Eugene smoothed down his hair with his hands, and the rage in his eyes seemed to simmer down. Feeling awkward, Erin turned around slowly and said nothing. He walked toward her. He was six feet tall and towered over Erin. He apologized to her, saying, ¡°About last time at the hotel, I¡¯m sorry. I drank too fucking much that night.¡± Forget it! It¡¯s already over, just leave.¡± Erin turned to face her best friend¡¯s ex-husband and her suitor at university. She really didn¡¯t want to deal with him. Eugene didn¡¯t even get to reply before Holly was running out of the house barefooted and screaming, ¡°Eugene Hall, are you going to fuck off or not? Don¡¯t make me call the cops on you!¡± Eugene looked at her impatiently, then turned towards Erin. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a meal next time as an apology.¡± Erin ignored him and walked toward Holly Once Eugene had left in the elevator, Erin saw that Holly¡¯s feet were bleeding and gasped, ¡°Holly, you¡¯re hurt!¡± Holly looked at her feet. She must¡¯ve stepped on the shattered ss, and there was a ss shard embedded in her sole. She was so preupied with yelling at Eugene that she hadn¡¯t realized that she was hurt. ¡°Ouch, that fucking hurts! Fuck that bastard Eugene.¡± Holly bent over in pain and bnced her weight on one leg. Erin helped her into the house quickly. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Once they were in the house, Erin made Holly sit on the couch and took out the medical bag from the storage closet. Holly had already propped up her injured foot on the coffee table, and Erin bent down to inspect the wound. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t a deep wound, but she still said, ¡°Holly, why don¡¯t we go to the hospital?¡± Holly gave a dismissive wave. ¡°Forget it; it¡¯s sote. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve been hurt way worse before, and I didn¡¯t even go to the hospital. Get the tweezers and pull out the ss from my foot. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t. Just sit down and let me handle it.¡± Erin stopped hesitating and used the tweezers to remove the ss from her feet. Holly could only suck in a breath in pain. ¡°Hold on, let me get some alcohol to disinfect it.¡± Holly knitted her eyebrows in pain. ¡°Bring it on. I can handle it.¡± Ten minutester, they were done with disinfecting and bandaging. Erin took an anti-inmmatory pill. ¡°I¡¯ll go get you a ss of water. Eat this so you don¡¯t get an infection.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After passing Holly the ss of water, Erin started working on cleaning up the ss shards on the floor and tossed them into the trash can. She even tied up the ss shard in a stic bag to prevent the cleaners from getting hurt. Hollyy down on the couch and watched Erin work. She forced augh through her pain. ¡°Ian really is blind. He had such a good wife, yet he still went for another woman. What a blind idiot.¡± Erin looked at her briefly before finishing cleaning up. Once the floor was clear of ss shards, she sat next to Holly and said sadly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Men only want what they can¡¯t have. Men are shit.¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Putting On A Show Together ¡°Yeah, men are all shit. Most women will meet at least one scumbag in their lifetimes.¡± Holly grabbed a nearby pillow and settled down morefortably on the couch. Erin raised her eyes to look at Holly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Eugene divorced? Why was he here?¡± Holly, who had been staring at the ceiling, turned to look at her. ¡°He told me that it¡¯s his grandfather¡¯s 80th birthday next month, and he needs me to put on an act with him so his grandfather doesn¡¯t find out that we¡¯re divorced. His grandfather is an old-fashioned man and definitely won¡¯t allow our divorce.¡± she said hopelessly. ¡°But your divorce has nothing to do with his grandfather!¡± Erin was surprised. Holly smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s not just his grandfather; we haven¡¯t even told our own parents about it.¡± Erin¡¯s heart sank. Her divorce was also the same¡ªshe hadn¡¯t told anyone besides Holly about it yet, not even her parents. But her situation was worse than Holly¡¯s. At least Holly had managed to get a proper divorce and was a free woman now. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Erin. The issue of the five million dors was giving her a splitting headache. ¡°Where were youst night?¡± At Holly¡¯s sudden questioning, Erin mumbled, ¡°Oh, I met someone from our university yesterday and completely lost track of time, so I slept at her ce.¡± Holly shot up and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Liar! Do you really think I¡¯m that dumb? Didn¡¯t you go to pick up your suitcasest night? Where is it, then? Don¡¯t tell me you got back together with Ian?¡± Erin said helplessly, ¡°I really can¡¯t hide anything from you. I did sleep over at someone else¡¯s house yesterday, but it wasn¡¯t at Ian¡¯s. I don¡¯t want to talk about why I don¡¯t have my suitcase, but I will never go back there again. It¡¯s not a big deal; I¡¯ll just buy new stuff. I already took out my passport and ount books, so it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything important left.¡± Holly could guess what had happened based on the hurt shing in Erin¡¯s eyes. She probably had a fight with Ian, so Holly didn¡¯t ask her any more questions. ¡°Before you came home, you said that you were sick. You don¡¯t look so well; I¡¯m already doing much better, so go rest now.¡± Erin stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll help you up the stairs.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± After Erin took Holly upstairs, she came back downstairs to take a shower. She took another dose of cold medicine before she turned the lights off and settled into bed. She nced at her phone, but there was no message from that man, so she was finally able to get some sleep. After a good night¡¯s sleep, Erin felt much better the next day. It really was great being young; her body could recover from illnesses so quickly. She went upstairs to check on Holly and was about to ask her if she needed any help. Holly said, ¡°No, just go to work. I called a secretary from my dad¡¯s office to take care of me today.¡± Erin nodded in relief and was just about to leave when she remembered, ¡°Oh right, how was your mom? Was she hurt really badly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. She only strained her back and needs to rest for a month, but she can be discharged from the hospitalter in the afternoon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Then I¡¯m really going to go now.¡± Erin was still worried about Holly. Holly put her hands together in a mock prayer. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, just leave! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m disabled.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to head out now. I¡¯ll buy you some good food on the way home tonight.¡± ¡­ It only took Erin five minutes by foot to reach the subway station. Just as she got on the subway, she got a call from Ian. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Erin, let¡¯s have dinner together tonight. My mother is here.¡± Ian spoke into the Bluetooth receiver as he was driving. Erin was unphased. ¡°So? Deal with her yourself. I would rather die than go.¡± ¡°No. She doesn¡¯t know about our impending divorce, and she¡¯ll definitely want to stay for the night. What would she think when she realizes that we don¡¯t live together?¡± His tone wasced with anger. She paused. Her ex-mother-inw wasn¡¯t great to her, but she also didn¡¯t give her a hard time. It was just that now, with the tension between her and Ian, she really didn¡¯t want to put up an act with him. ¡°Just tell her that I¡¯m working overtime.¡± Ian was annoyed. He was using his mother¡¯s visit as an excuse to get her to stay at his house, but she was being so uncooperative! ¡°Which bastard are you fucking out there for you not to want to return home?¡± His tone was dripping with sarcasm. Ian, of all people, had no right to mock her. Erin was furious. ¡°How could you say that with a straight face? Think about it¡ªwho is it that actually doesn¡¯t want toe home? While you and Tracy were fucking around, did you ever think about me?¡± In the end, that was the true root of the problem. Even if Ian had absolutely no shame, he couldn¡¯t deny that he was the one who¡¯d cheated first. He sighed, ¡°Can we just stop talking about that? I told you, you¡¯re notpletely innocent in this matter. Is there any benefit in bringing up the past?¡± ¡°No. There isn¡¯t. If you had finalized the divorce earlier, we wouldn¡¯t even be having this conversation!¡± Ian guessed that she didn¡¯t want to return the five million dors, so he coldly said, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. Return my money, and I guarantee that I¡¯ll sign the divorce papers.¡± Hearing him bring up the five million dors again and again made her angrily cut the line. Ian kept his eyes on the road and smirked. ¡°There¡¯s no way it would be so hard to fuck you just once.¡± Erin kept her phone away and immediately got off the subway, uncaring of the looks the other passengers were giving her. She¡¯d gotten off way too early, and thepany was still a few stops away, so she decided to take a taxi. Luckily, she saw a passenger get off the taxi once she exited the station. She contemted the idea of getting her own car once she was seated in the taxi, since it would be much more convenient. In the past, she¡¯d use the BMW at home tomute to work, but now that car belonged to Ian. Though they weren¡¯t divorced yet, she was a woman of her word, so Ian owned the car and the house. To make matters worse, he even wanted back the five million dors that were rightfully hers. Still, if she were to ask for more, he¡¯d be even more bothersome. After reaching the office, she hadn¡¯t even had ten minutes on herputer before she got a text from Chandler. ¡°Come up.¡± She sighed and numbly wondered if she was cursed. Of all thepanies in the world, why did he have to be in the samepany as her? Erin ignored the message and continued working. She had a lot of work to do today; a designer had just given her 20 images to retouch before the day was over. 20 minutester, she received another message from Chandler. ¡°Do you want to see your pictures up on thepany¡¯s internal website?¡± She clenched her fist but didn¡¯t dare to hit the table just in case Caleb popped out and lectured her about damaging public property. She ced her phone into the pocket of her shorts and walked toward the break room, pretending to get a ss of water, then snuck into the elevator. As expected, Kyle was there to greet her. She admired the man. Was acting as a lookout for his friend really a good idea? Erin was dressed in ck from head to toe and stood outside the president¡¯s office. As her work attire today consisted of a pair of shorts, her long, pale legs were on full disy and looked very sensual. Although she was only five feet two inches, she had a wless body and a pair of long legs. She walked into the office and saw Chandler in a dark-coloured suit, perchedzily on the couch with coffee in one hand and a set of newspapers in his other hand. Erin scanned the office. Chandler had such a carefree job¡ªhe treated the president¡¯s office like his own once the president was out. She asked with an unpleasant tone, ¡°What do you want now?¡± He looked up and asked casually, ¡°How¡¯s your cold?¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 As Different as Day and Night Erin was taken aback; she¡¯d never thought that he would care about her. Her tone softened as she replied, ¡°It¡¯s getting better. I¡¯m almost fully recovered.¡± He nodded, satisfied with her answer. He patted the seat next to him. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°No thanks. If you have something you want to say, just say it.¡± Erin was starting to panic and even took two steps backward. Chandler chuckled. ¡°You seem scared of me.¡± She sneered. ¡°Right, it¡¯s not like you look like a monster; why would I be afraid of you?¡± Though she imed that she wasn¡¯t afraid, she still didn¡¯t get any closer to him. Chandler didn¡¯t force her, either. He ced his coffee mug down and gave a sticky note that was on the table a light knock. ¡°Find all the books that are on this list.¡± He¡¯d asked her toe up to look for books? Chandler continued reading the news, so Erin slowly moved toward him and picked up the sticky note. She was surprised to see that a few of the books on the list were design books that she¡¯d wanted but hadn¡¯t ended up buying. She looked around the office and moved a nearby chair toward therge bookshelf to pick out the books ording to the list. Half an hourter, she¡¯d found all 12 original copies of the books. She ced them on the table and said, ¡°I¡¯ve found them. Can I go now?¡± ¡°You can go now.¡± His voice was cold, and he was still reading his newspaper. ¡°Okay.¡± She was just about to leave when he said, ¡°Take the books home with you.¡± Erin was astounded. So the books were for her! However, her excitement died down almost immediately. ¡°These books are in anothernguage, and I¡¯m not fluent.¡± Chandler raised his wless face to look at her mockingly. ¡°So you have time to look for excuses, but you don¡¯t have the time to use a dictionary?¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Since he was nice enough to lend her the books, she had no reason to refute him. Erin had just picked up all the books when the door to the office burst open suddenly and a pleasant voice rang out, ¡°Chandy.¡± Chandler was in disbelief. ¡°ire, why are you here?¡± A young woman in her early 20s walked in. She was roughly 5¡¯4¡± tall, with clear, unblemished skin, and was the perfect archetype of beauty. ire Kane was wearing a white, tight-fittingce dress and had a sweet smile. Herrge eyes were lively, and she practically skipped toward Chandler. She bent down to face him on the couch and pouted, ¡°Chandy, I¡¯ve been back for a week, and you didn¡¯t evene to see me! But I guessed that you must¡¯ve been busy, so I decided toe see you instead.¡± Just then, Kyle arrived at the office door and analyzed the scene before him. Luckily, nothing disastrous had happened yet. His expression was frightened. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Frost. Miss Kane had her own elevator card. Chandler nodded and waved a hand. Kyle nodded and left, gently shutting the doors behind him. Kyle¡¯sment reminded him that he¡¯d given ire her own elevator card for easy ess to his office before she¡¯d left the country. That¡¯s why she was able to bypass Kyle¡¯s office ande straight to Chandler¡¯s office. Chandler¡¯s expression was soft. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ire, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been quite busy these days and couldn¡¯t make time to see you. I hope you¡¯re not upset.¡± ire batted her eyshes at him, ¡°If you go shopping with me tonight, then you¡¯re forgiven.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He looked like he wanted to pamper her. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go tonight.¡± ¡°Chandy, do you have time to eat with me? I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet because I wanted to see you.¡± Her voice was naive and sweet. Watching the angelic woman, Chandler¡¯s heart, which had been closed off, started to open up. His gaze darkened, and he stood up. Even his eyebrows held a hint of joy. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yay! Chandy, you¡¯re so good to me.¡± ire had both her hands around his arm and was swinging it like a pampered child. Just then, ire noticed the woman standing at the corner of the table tidying up some books. Erin deliberately had her back toward her so ire couldn¡¯t see her face. ¡°Chandy, who is she?¡± she asked curiously. Chandler didn¡¯t even look at Erin and simply said, ¡°Just an employee.¡± His deliberate dismissal of her identity made Erin rx, but to her surprise, it also frustrated her at the same time. She didn¡¯t know why she felt this way. ire¡¯s attention quickly shifted back to Chandler, and she said, ¡°Chandy, do you remember? We used to go to that restaurant near our house, and now it¡¯s another fancy restaurant, although it looks like a diner. Why don¡¯t we go try it?¡± Chandler¡¯s voice was gentle and steady. ¡°Sure, whatever you want.¡± ¡°Chandy, you can¡¯t fault me if I order too many dishes and can¡¯t finish them okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly; why would I fault you?¡± He held her hand and left the office. Erin could still hear their sweet conversation and felt envious. If she hadn¡¯t seen it with her own eyes, she would¡¯ve never believed that this man could have such a gentle side to him. She didn¡¯t know why, but she didn¡¯t feel good at all. She¡¯d been basically invisible to them. Chandler didn¡¯t even say goodbye and just left with ire. She shook her head to shake off these unwarranted feelings of jealousy, then let out a breath and carried the books out of the office. She took the books to the elevator and thought of the crass and threatening way Chandler treated her. Inparison to her, the way he treated ire was truly as different as night and day. Women like ire were born to be pampered. Erin felt a twinge of sadness in her heart. When will herplicated rtionship with Chandler end? Erin was still feeling out of it after returning to her seat, and she suddenly remembered what Kyle had said in the office. Why did he call that male escort ¡°Mr. Frost?¡± She had a vague idea why. Erin looked around to ask someone, but she realized that none of the designers were in their seats. Panic shed through her, and she frantically opened the design department group chat. Indeed, there was a notification for an emergency meeting. She looked at the time¡ªthe meeting started 20 minutes ago! She was so scared that she quickly grabbed a notebook and pen from her table and rushed to the meeting room. She gently pushed the ss doors of the meeting room with her body and tried to sneak in unnoticed. Unfortunately, she was immediately called out by Caleb, who had been conducting the meeting. ¡°Erin Lane,e to the front.¡± At his words, everyone in the silent meeting room followed his gaze to look at Erin. A few of the designers even had sadistic smiles on their faces. Everyone knew that the director hated it when his employees werete. Erin was screwed. Erin¡¯s face flushed under the gaze of so many people, and she straightened her back as she walked toward the director. After she took a seat next to him, he reprimanded her directly. ¡°I will deduct your yearly bonus if you are everte for meetings again.¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Identity Discovered The meetingsted for two hours. Erin went back to her office feeling awful. She had not only received criticism from her supervisor but also needed to work overtime toplete the 20 designs because of the lengthy meeting. Her hatred for Chandler grew deeper. Shortly after she went back to work, it was lunch time. Dana and the others came to invite her to eat together. ¡°You guys go ahead. I won¡¯t have lunch today. I still have work to finish¡­¡° Erin stared listlessly at the computer screen. Dana pulled her up. ¡°Erin, do you think you¡¯re a robot? How can you work without eating? Although we¡¯re office workers and not manualborers, our job has high mental demands! Besides, you just recovered from a cold. Do you want to get sick again by damaging your body like this?¡° ¡°Yeah, Erin. We know you¡¯re not in a good mood, but we¡¯ve decided to treat you to a big meal. Eat to your heart¡¯s content, thene back to work!¡° Even Milly, who was usually stingy, spoke up to invite her. Erin¡¯s heart wavered. E chimed in too. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re running out of time, and we all have a lot of work to do. Erin, don¡¯t disappoint us.¡° Seeing everybody so eager, Erin gave in to their requests. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡° Since they had agreed to treat Erin to a meal, they went to a restaurant nearby instead of the staff¡¯s canteen. The restaurant had a 300-dor minimum spend per head. After ordering a few dishes, they began chatting as they waited. Dana looked at Erin sympathetically. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being nosy, but I always feel like our director is targeting you. If you¡¯rete for a meeting, he threatens to deduct your year-end bonus. He¡¯s not even from the HR or finance departments. Does he really have the power to deduct staff bonuses?¡± Sipping on her water, E hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I have some inside scoop. My husband¡¯s uncle used to coborate with Frost Corporation. Rumor has it that Mr. Grant and our president are rted, so he does have that power.¡± Erin¡¯s heart sank. It was another person she couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Since E mentioned the president, she immediately asked. ¡°Do you know who our president is? What¡¯s his name?¡± Surprised, Milly said, ¡°Erin, you don¡¯t even know the president¡¯s name? His electronic signature was on our employment contract before we transferred here!¡± ¡°Right. Even though the signature wasplicated, you can still make out the name. It was probably Chandler Frost.¡± Dana mumbled the name. ¡°His name is quite unique. It sounds domineering and ruthless! As expected of the top businessman in Azores¡­¡± Chandler Frost¡­ Erin silently repeated the name in her mind while connecting some of the clues she had. She recalled ire calling the man Chandy. Chandy¡­ The thought that he could be the president of Frost Corporation made her so scared that she identally knocked over her water ss. Afraid of getting their dresses wet, the three girls instantly jolted up from their seats. ¡°Waiter¡­¡± As the table was wet, they had to move to another one. When they were seated again, Erin apologized immediately. ¡°Sorry, I was too careless just now¡­¡± Dana waved her hand. ¡°No worries. Besides, we managed to avoid it in time.¡± They chatted for a while, and the dishes arrived soon. Since they were pressed for time, they focused on eating. Half an hourter, they had finished most of the dishes and were ready to pay. The waiter came over and respectfully asked, ¡°Hello, do you need anything else?¡± Dana took the initiative to pay. She took out her wallet. ¡°Bill, please.¡± ¡°The bill has already been paid. It was paid by this youngdy.¡± The waiter pointed to Erin. The other three immediately looked at her, and Danained, ¡°Erin, when did you pay the bill? Didn¡¯t we agree to treat you to lunch?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can treat me next time. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wow, so generous of you!¡± ¡°Thank you, Erin!¡± Seeing Erin smile, the three girls didn¡¯t say anything more. They returned to their respective offices once they reached the office. Erin was in the pantry to get some water, and Dana happened to walk in. She pulled Erin aside to the hallway and whispered, ¡°Erin, let me tell you something. You know I work with Jte, so I might know more information than you. The three head designers in the design department not only handle main designs but also businesses. She previously had some problems negotiating with apany¡¯s president, but she didn¡¯t want to lose that business. Recently, she picked two female designers to go negotiate with her, and you¡¯re one of them. I heard some rumors saying that the president is a lecherous old man, and Jte might make you two entertain him. You have to be careful.¡± Shocked, Erin nodded. ¡°Dana, thank you for letting me know.¡± Dana smiled casually. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s nothing. We¡¯re all in the samepany and need to help each other out sometimes. If you ever hear any gossip, remember to share it!¡± ¡°Okay, I will.¡± They returned to their seats and worked the whole afternoon. Sitting in front of herputer, Erin was still struggling with work even when it was already 6 pm. Her fingers were sore, but she still had ten designs toplete. During the morning meeting, Caleb said that thepany would soon hold a designpetition, and the top three participants would be able to participate directly in a new project. If the project went well, each participant would receive a bonus. Each participating designer could receive roughly 100 thousand dors as a bonus. Thinking of it motivated Erin. She finally understood why designers from all over the country wanted to join Frost Corporation¡¯s design department. It wasn¡¯t just because of the high sry but also because of the generous project bonus they provided. Her thoughts of resigning were also put to rest. Erin wasn¡¯t afraid of fairpetition. She had also sorted out her thoughts and decided to take things as they came. Since she was already working at Frost Corporation, she would try her best to make something of it. It was already 7 pm, and Ian had called three times in a row, but Erin didn¡¯t answer. She knew that he was calling her to go home and have dinner with his mother. Erin had been focused on her work, and there weren¡¯t many designers left in the office. The staff canteen closed at 9 pm, and it was already 10 pm. Erin suddenly realized that her stomach was starting to ache from hunger. After ordering takeout on her phone, Erin continued to work on her designs. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. At this moment, a voice sounded behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the ten designs youpleted earlier, and they¡¯re very professional.¡± Erin turned around to see Caleb standing behind her, looking at herputer screen. She stood up somewhat shyly and asked, ¡°Mr. Grant, you¡¯re still at work?¡± ¡°Yes, I need to work overtime too. Can you order me the same takeout you ordered and bring it to my office? I¡¯ll pay you when it arrives,¡± Caleb said before turning and leaving. Ordering takeout for her director? Erin hesitated for a moment before taking out her phone, but she noticed an unread message. She¡¯d set her phone to vibrate and missed the text earlier. It was a message from ¡°Psychopath.¡± Since Chandler always sent her weird messages, she¡¯d muted text message alerts from him. After clicking on it, she saw the message. ¡°Come up.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 A Surprising Kiss N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Erin was surprised. How did he know she was still in the office? Had he arranged for someone to spy on her? Was it Caleb? She decided to dismiss her thoughts. After all, she didn¡¯t believe an upright person like Caleb would help Chandler spy on someone. She was too tired to resist. Chandler had her photos, and she couldn¡¯t do anything to him. After leaving the office, she took the elevator to the president¡¯s floor. She saw Chandler still working in front of theputer and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to apany someone for shopping tonight? Why are you still in the office?¡± ¡°Oh, it seems like you¡¯ve learned how to eavesdrop on others¡¯ conversations.¡± Without looking up, he continued, ¡°Sit on the couch and keep mepany.¡± Erin gave him a cold look and said expressionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t have time. I have to go back to work and edit some designs.¡± Hearing her annoyed tone, Chandler raised his head and asked, ¡°Do you have any grievances against me?¡± Upon hearing his question, Erin scoffed. ¡°Why would I have any grievances against you, Mr. President?¡± Her frank response surprised Chandler a little, but he remained calm and said, ¡°I guess you know my identity now.¡± His words eliminated thest trace of doubt in her heart. After learning his true identity, she wasn¡¯t afraid anymore. Perhaps it was because of their unique rtionship. ¡°Chandler, is it fun to deceive others like this? If I hadn¡¯t found out, did you n to continue lying to me?¡± No one would be happy to be deceived like that. Chandler stood up and strode toward her. His eyes were dark, and there was a hint of a smile on his lips. Nervous, Erin took a few steps back, only to find herself pressed against the door with nowhere to escape. She trembled and said, ¡°I¡¯m warning you! Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Chandler¡¯s lips curled into a light smile, mocking her futile attempt. He was getting closer and closer to her. As she turned around to open the door, his towering figure immediately pinned her against it. Chandler smirked slightly and said, ¡°Now that you know, I can do whatever I want¡­¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± Her voice sounded slightly panicked. Hisrge hand wrapped around her waist and hot breath spilled over her ear as he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Erin tried to break free from his grip, blushing as she eximed, ¡°Don¡¯t hold me down! I can barely breathe¡­¡± Seeing her resist and struggle, Chandler narrowed his eyes and mocked. ¡°Do you always like to y such tricks?¡± ¡°What?¡± Before she could understand what he meant, he reached out from behind¡­ An hourter, Chandler finally released her. Erin quickly adjusted her clothes, feeling embarrassed. Looking at her panicking as if she were cheating on her husband, he felt somewhat uneasy. Suddenly, he said, ¡°I¡®ve warned you that no man can touch any woman I slept with. Do you understand?¡± With each interaction they had, his possessiveness toward her grew stronger. Erin¡¯s ck pupils flickered, but she didn¡¯t answer directly. ¡°I have a husband who hasn¡¯t divorced me yet¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± She was shocked to learn that he knew. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say he never slept with you?¡± His tone was affirmative, but to Erin, it sounded very sarcastic. She¡¯d been married to Ian for a year but had never slept with him until now. He would rather sleep with Tracy than be intimate with her. It was her greatest shame. Erin doubted herself as a woman and felt insecure at times about not being loved by her husband. Perhaps Chandler¡¯s perfect appearance was boosting her confidence. After learning that he was the president of Frost Corporation, she was somehow happier. Although Ian didn¡¯t appreciate her, it didn¡¯t mean other men wouldn¡¯t! However, she didn¡¯t think too highly of herself. After all, she was akin to a prostitute in Chandler¡¯s eyes. There were no real feelings between them. Even if there was a slight hint of liking, he probably only liked her body. Erin was still in a daze, whereas Chandler had already straightened his clothes. He lifted her chin with his fingers. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± He noticed theplicated gaze in her eyes. Chandler began to have the urge to upy her entire mind. After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°Divorce your husband as soon as possible.¡± His words always sounded likemands. Erin immediately snapped out of her thoughts. Although she was already nning to divorce, Erin wanted to resist his dominering attitude. ¡°Whether I divorce him or not, it¡¯s my freedom!¡± Chandler¡¯s face immediately fell when he heard her response. ¡°What do you mean? Do you still love your husband?¡± Seeing Erin¡¯s hesitation and the faint hint of love shing across her eyes, Chandler asked sarcastically, ¡°Erin, are you crazy? What do you still expect from a man who hasn¡¯t even slept with you after a year of marriage?¡± Erin had no expectations, but she simply couldn¡¯t leave Ian. She didn¡¯t hide her thoughts either. ¡°He wanted back the five million dors I gave you before divorcing me. I don¡¯t have that much money.¡± Chandler¡¯s sharp gaze softened slightly. He walked to his desk, picked up his wallet, and took out the bank card that belonged to Erin. Then he approached her and handed it to her. ¡°Give him the money, and divorce him quickly.¡± Stunned, Erin couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You¡¯re willing to give me the money back?¡± Looking at her dumbfounded expression, Chandler waved the bank card in his hand. ¡°Silly girl, do you want the money or not?¡± He pretended to slowly withdraw the bank card, and Erin anxiously snatched it away. ¡°Yes! Of course I want it!¡± Chandler casually wrapped his arm around her slender waist and spoke in a flirtatious tone. ¡°What do you want? Haven¡¯t you had enough just now? Then let¡¯s continue¡­¡± Shocked, she pushed him away with both hands. She then clenched the bank card in one hand and turned her head while whispering. ¡°Thank you for giving me back the money.¡± Chandler quickly held the office door before she could leave and pressed her against the wall with a thud. His tone was colder as he said, ¡°Divorce him as soon as possible. Do you understand?¡± Erin nodded her head obediently. Even if he hadn¡¯t said it, she would¡¯ve divorced Ian anyway. Looking at her naturally wless V-shaped face and soft lips, Chandler subconsciously kissed her. The sudden moment made their heads spin. They felt as though they were floating in the clouds, and everything around them became ethereal. Only the breath and touch between their lips felt real, making their hearts beat heavily. Chandler wasn¡¯t satisfied yet, but Erin pushed him away out of shyness. The trace of an unfamiliar smile appeared on Chandler¡¯s face as he saw her fleeting in her fair and long legs. ¡°That little demon¡­¡± Her faint jasmine fragrance was still lingering on his nose. His slender fingers couldn¡¯t help but touch his lips. However, his ck eyes gradually became cold. He¡¯d actually kissed her! It was his first time kissing a woman¡­ Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 A Mother¨CIn¨CLaw¡¯s Visit 1 When Erin returned to her office after getting off the elevator, she saw a takeout container on her desk. It reminded her that she hadn¡¯t had dinner yet. She nced around and saw that the other colleagues who¡¯d worked overtime with her had all left. She didn¡¯t know who had paid for the food. Only then did she remember about the order she¡¯d ced for Caleb and quickly went to his office. Seeing that the lights in Caleb¡¯s office were still on, Erin took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was cold and formal. Pushing the door open, she saw Caleb still working in front of hisputer. She said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Grant. May I ask if you paid for the takeout?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Caleb replied without looking up. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll pay you back¡­¡± Erin took out the money she had prepared from her pocket. Caleb raised his head and casually said, ¡°Put the money on the coffee table.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After putting the money on the coffee table, Erin was about to leave when Caleb suddenly asked. ¡°Where did you go just now? I went out to look for you twice, but you weren¡¯t at your desk.¡± Caleb had been looking for her? Feeling guilty, she stared into space for a while. Quickly, she came up with an excuse. ¡°Oh, I went downstairs. My friend was looking for me.¡± Caleb stared at her for a few seconds and said coldly. ¡°Finish the rest of the designs before leaving. I need them in an hour.¡± ¡°Okay, no problem.¡± She hadn¡¯t put thepleted designs in the shared folder. In fact, she only had one left. 40 minutester, Erin finished editing the designs. She put the ten designs together in the designated folder, said goodbye to Caleb, and left the office. As she exited the building, she saw a ck BMW parked outside. It wouldn¡¯t have caught her attention, but she recognized the familiar license te number. It wasn¡¯s car. Realizing that he was probably looking for her since she hadn¡¯t answered his phone call, she hesitated for a moment. Then she walked over to the car. Erin kept an expressionless face. ¡°She¡¯s never worried about me. It¡¯s not my first time working overtime.¡± Walking to Erin¡¯s side, he opened the passenger seat door for her and calmly said, ¡°Get in the car quickly. My mother made soup at home and is waiting for us to go back and have supper.¡± Of course, Erin felt a tinge of resistance in her heart. Still, she didn¡¯t want to go back there to y along withn and deceive his mother. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Remainingposed, she said, n, even though she doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re getting divorced yet, she will eventually find out. Hiding the truth isn¡¯t a solution. I¡¯ll go back to Holly¡¯s ce, and you can tell your mother that I¡¯m still working overtime. Ask her not to wait for me to Beforen could reply, Erin¡¯s phone rang. She took out her phone and saw that it was Mary Cooper, lan¡¯s mother, calling. After hesitating for a moment, she answered. ¡°Hello, Erin. Isn there to pick you up?¡± Mary said with a smile. Erin nced atn and answered, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s here.¡± Mary continued. ¡°That¡¯s good. Come back soon. The soup is almost ready, and you¡¯ll be able to drink it when you get home.¡± ??? Slightly angry, Erin asked, ¡°Why did you promise her without my permission?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already here to pick you up. You can¡¯t have my elfort be for nothing, can you? Besides, I¡¯ve already told my mom. If you don¡¯t go back with me, she¡¯ll definitely ask a lot of questions. She won¡¯t stay for long. You have to help me keep our divorce a secret for now. I¡¯m busy with work these days and won¡¯t have time to deal with her if she asks about it again.¡±n¡¯s tone softened suddenly. For one moment, Erin couldn¡¯t express her anger. Ifn¡¯s mother suddenly found out about the divorce, it might even cause trouble for her mother. Things would get even moreplicated. She thought for half a minute and finally agreed to get in the car. Asn¡¯s BMW left, a Maybach parked in the dark witnessed everything that had just happened. Sitting in the car, Chandler held a cigarette between his fingers. He¡¯d seen Erin entern¡¯s car with his own eyes. 1 A trace of coldness crept into his deep eyes. Soon,n and Erin arrived home. They saw Mary wearing an apron and standing in front of the dining table in the kitchen, busy marinating chicken for the next day¡¯s lunch. Upon seeing her son and daughter¨Cinw return home, Mary smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re back! Quickly go wash your hands. I¡¯ll serve the soup.¡± Feelingplicated, Erin forced a smile. ¡°Mom, it¡¯ste. Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s too early for me to go to sleep. Since I¡¯m here, I want to cook you your favorite dishes! Erin, I heard you started working at a bigpany, but they¡¯re already making you work overtime when you just started. You won¡¯t have time to apanyn¡­¡± Mary began to express her dissatisfaction, and the smile on her face gradually disappeared. Erin was already used to Mary¡¯s attitude. Mary was polite to Erin on the outside but would nitpick at her every chance she got if things didn¡¯t go her way. Considering her current rtionship withn, she couldn¡¯t be bothered with Mary¡¯s attitude. She nced atn, kept quiet, and went straight to the bathroom to wash her hands. After Erin closed the door, Mary¡¯s expression immediately turned sour. She said ton, ¡°Look at her. What¡¯s with that attitude? I stayed awake in the middle of the night, worried about her working overtime, and troubled myself to cook for you. Yet, as soon as she came home, she gave me that attitude¡­¡± n, I don¡¯t want to nag at you, but you¡¯re already the president of a bigpany! You can afford to support her, so why are you letting her work? I saw your empty fridge and know you guys don¡¯t usually eat at home. You¡¯re so busy with yourpany¡¯s affairs. She¡¯s your wife. but she doesn¡¯t even know how to take care of you. I don¡¯t feelfortable seeing thisWhat¡¯s the use of marrying her? She doesn¡¯t even earn much, so why can¡¯t she stay at home?¡± Mary disapproved of her daughter¨Cinw working from the beginning. She wanted her daughter¨Cin¨C law to be a good wife and mother and to wholeheartedly care for her son,n. Erin, who was in the bathroom, heard everything Mary said. It made her feel uneasy. She depended on herself to work. Although she didn¡¯t earn as much asn, she still worked hard for the family. However, Mary didn¡¯t appreciate her efforts at all. On second thought, she no longer had anything to do with this family. Erin took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom, pretending not to have heard Mary¡¯s words. She walked to the dining table to see that Mary had already served the soup and ced it on the table. She said, ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± Mary had a spoon in her hand and was sitting next ton. She blew on the soup in the spoon and spoke in a somewhat cold tone. ¡°Erin, if you really want to thank me, give birth to a baby for our family!¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Pressuring Erin to Get Pregnant ¡°Mom, why would you bring up the topic of having children out of nowhere?¡±n was the first to speak. Losing his appetite, he put down his spoon. ¡°Why can¡¯t we talk about it? You and Erin have been married for a year now. Look at your cousin. He¡¯s three years younger than you and already a father. His wife even gave birth to twin sons. I¡¯m not expecting you to have twins, but at least have a baby.¡± Listening to her mother¨Cinw urge her to get pregnant made Erin regret followingn home. Their act seemed never¨Cending¡­Thinking that she would soon be divorcingn, Erin didn¡¯t want to continue discussing this topic. She put down her spoon and nced at Mary. ¡°I have a headache. I¡¯m going to bed first.¡± Before they could react. Erin stood up. Mary mmed her spoon out of anger. She was so furious that she was at a loss for words. Erin paused for a while but didn¡¯t turn back. She headed straight to the second floor. Watching her daughter¨Cinw¡¯s change of attitude at the mention of having children, Mary choked up and said, n, look at your wife. She¡¯s bing more and more unreasonable. I just want a grandson. How dare she throw a tantrum in front of me? Thest time I came. she said she wanted to give birth to a son and a daughter for our family. It hasn¡¯t been that long, and she¡¯s changed her mind. What¡¯s going on with you two?¡± Seeing that her son didn¡¯t want to talk anymore, Mary sighed and let it go for now. After taking a shower, Erin walked out of the bathroom. She abruptly stopped in her tracks and asked in a displeased tone. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She was in the guest room. n, how dare you rummage through my bag? Don¡¯t you know what privacy is?¡± He sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about privacy! Did you care about privacy when you went to the bank to check my transaction records?¡± 1 ¡°Who asked you to cheat on me during our marriage?¡± Erin was raging. Erin couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at him. She retorted coldly, n, get out and go back to your own room!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph, if my mom sees us sleeping in two different rooms, what will she think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. She can think whatever she wants¡± Pissed off,n pressed her against the wall. He waved the bank card in front of her eyes and spoke gloomily. ¡°Erin, are you really willing to give me five million dors just to divorce me?¡± Since he already had the card, Erin thought she might as well give him the money now. Determination shed across Erin¡¯s eyes as she replied. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll give you back the five million! Whenever you¡¯re free, let¡¯s go to City Hall and get a divorce.¡± Erin was actually willing to give up five million dors just to divorce him. This maden feel a stifling anger in his chest. ¡°So you really want to divorce me that badly?¡± He pressed down on Erin¡¯s shoulders. The force made her frown. ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°What can you do to me if I don¡¯t let go?¡±n stared at her face with a cold expression. Erin was only wearing a bathrobe, and the fact that she was naked underneath made her feel a little anxious. However, she pretended to remain calm and said, n, I¡¯ve given you back the money. If you keep bothering me like this, it¡¯ll only make me hate you more!¡± ¡°Hate me? Have you fallen in love with someone else?¡±n¡¯sce darkened. Just then, Erin¡¯s phone buzzed. She received a message. A hint of nervousness shed across her eyes. Panicking, Erin rushed forward and hugged her bag tightly. She¡¯d already guessed that he wanted to see her phone. The message was from Chandler, and she didn¡¯t wantn to know about her rtionship with him. ¡°Who sent you a text just now?¡±n stood before her, his face tense as he asked through gritted teeth. Erin sneered and said coldly. ¡°Why do I need to tell you?¡± How long have you been dating him?¡± Looking at his dark eyes, Erin spoke calmly. ¡°Just leave: I¡¯m really tired and don¡¯t want to argue with you anymore.¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find out myself!¡±n was about to leave the room. Watching his back, Erin suddenly asked. ¡°What do you really want? You said that if I gave you back the five million dors, we would divorce. Have you changed your mind?¡± For one second,n couldn¡¯t figure out what he really wanted. He thought he would be satisfied after sleeping with Erin, but when she really returned the money, he felt somewhat uneasy. Herck of attachment and reluctance to stay with him made him very disappointed. Had she really fallen out of love with him? Erin opened the door to her room and immediately took the key out of the lock before turning off the lights and going to sleep. Holding her phone, she finally opened the screen to see a message from Chandler. ¡°Divorce him within three days.¡± His message left herpletely puzzled. What was Chandler thinking? What did her decision to divorce have to do with him? Confused. Erin forced herself to go to sleep. After tossing and turning for an hour, she finally fell asleep out of exhaustion. When Erin went downstairs the next morning, she saw that Mary had prepared breakfast, andn was already eating. She walked into the dining room and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to work first.¡± Erin turned around and saw that there was indeed a set of cutlery on the table. Mary¡¯s face was gloomy. The mother and son¡¯s unfriendly attitude eventually made her sit down obediently. Then she started eating breakfast. Without saying a word, Mary ate her breakfast too. She ate very quickly. After putting down her fork, she turned to Erin and said, ¡°Erin, hand in your resignation letter today, and try to get pregnant in three months.¡± Hearing hermanding tone, Erin was dumbfounded. ¡°Mom, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t understand what I said? Let me say Il again! I want you to quit your job today and focus on getting pregnant at home. within three months!¡± Furious, Erin stood up. ¡°Who are you to tell me what to do? How can you ask me to resign just like that? Do you think my job is a joke? Even if you¡¯ren¡¯s mother, you don¡¯t have the right to control my freedom!¡± After speaking. Erin didn¡¯t bother to say another word. She quickly left the dining room and went to the door to put on her shoes. As she opened the door, Mary ran out and yelled, ¡°Erin, don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know you kicked my son out of the roomst night! How can you get pregnant if you sleep in separate rooms?¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Hero to the Rescue In the subway on the way to work. Erin recalled Mary¡¯s words and decided she had to get a divorce as soon as possible. Otherwise, Mary would continue to urge her to have a baby. Mary had been pressuring her about it at least once every month for the past six months. She sent a message ton. ¡°When do you have time? Bring the relevant documents. Let¡¯s go to City Hall and get a divorce.¡± Ten minutes passed, but she didn¡¯t receive a reply fromn. Erin then called Holly. As soon as the call was connected, Holly said, ¡°Erin, you didn¡¯t letn have his wayst night, did you?¡± ¡°No, I slept in the guest room. His mother came and will be staying for a few days. But I won¡¯t go back to the vi today. Let¡¯s meet tonight.¡± Holly sounded relieved. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t contactn again. Or else, you won¡¯t be able to get rid of him. Since you want to divorce, do it decisively¡­¡± ¡°I know! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯vepletely given up onn.¡± Erin¡¯s voice was calm, but she still felt a pang of pain in her heart. ¡°That¡¯s good. By the way, do you have time tonight? If you don¡¯t need to work overtime, apany me to a banquet. My dad has gone abroad for something, and my mom¡¯s waist injury isn¡¯t better yet. They asked me to attend the banquet on their behalf. The other party has business dealings with my dad.¡± Erin thought for a moment and decided to apany Holly. ¡°Okay, if I don¡¯t need to work overtime, I¡¯ll let you know in advance.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for your message.¡± After arriving at her office, Erin sat down at her workstation. Soon, she heard her colleagues talking about the 60th anniversary celebration theirpany was holding next Wednesday. Not only would the board members attend, but even the retired chairman and his wife would be present. The design department was already in chaos. The director hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and everyone was chatting at their desks. ¡°I¡¯m going shopping for a dress right after work today. I have to prepare earlier for such a big event!¡± ¡°Oh my, look at my memory. How can I forget such an important thing? It¡¯s toote to lose weight now¡­¡± ¡°Why do you need to lose weight? You already have a boyfriend. You won¡¯t get any chance with the wealthy bachelors in thepany!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so excited! I heard we can see our president at the 60th anniversary celebration!¡± ¡°I heard from people in other departments that our president is a super handsome guy!¡± ¡°Yes, I heard that too¡­¡± Erin didn¡¯t participate in their discussion and immediately immersed herself in work. Unlike her colleagues, who were very interested in Chandler, she had mixed feelings when she thought about him. She even felt somewhat afraid. Not only was it because he had her pictures, but also because he was her immediate boss now, let alone the president of thepany. Even a director could bring her down. At this moment, Caleb appeared, and the chatter died down immediately. Standing straight, Caleb spoke in a cold tone. ¡°In ten minutes, I will announce the theme of the internal competition in the design department. You have three days to submit your entries, and the top three winners can participate directly in the design project open tender for Truffleberry Media.¡± An eager look shed across the eyes of all the designers present, including Erin¡¯s. Truffleberry Media is one of the top mediapanies not just in the city but in the whole country. No doubt, the designers who participated in the project would receive a generousmission if they managed to secure the deal. Before leaving, Caleb said, ¡°The person who wins first ce will be my design assistant in the future.¡± Instantly, chatter broke out. As soon as Caleb left for his office, the designers immediately whispered to each other. Erin listened to their conversation and learned that Caleb had not hired a design assistant In three years. This was extremely surprising! If she really became his design assistant, she would not only have the opportunity to travel abroad frequently, but her sry would also triple! Moreover, her year¨Cend bonus would be double the monthly sry of the president¡¯s assistant. Not to mention the privilege to participate in major design projects¡­ All the designers aimed to be Caleb¡¯s assistant. Even Erin was tempted. Unfortunately, they only had three days to submit their entries. Everybody in the design department was fighting for it. Ten minutester, the designers received Caleb¡¯s email regarding thepetition theme and requirements. After reading it, Erin continued working. She worked continuously until lunch, during which she only ate a sandwich before reusming work. Finally, shepleted all of her work before leaving the office. Since Erin didn¡¯t have to work overtime, she sent Holly a message lo inform her that she could apany her to the banquet. At nine o¡¯clock in the evening, Holly drove Erin to a private vi. As soon as they entered the banquet hall a tipsy man identally spilled his alcohol on Erin¡¯s dress. Holly scolded the man, but Erin stopped her. ¡°Holly, forget it. After all, this is your father¡¯s business partner¡¯s banquet. We better not offend anyone. What if they are also one of your father¡¯s partners?¡± ¡°But Erin, your dress is dirty¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Go ahead and entertain your father¡¯s friend on his behall and give him the gift. I¡¯ll go to the restroom and clean up.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Erin, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Holly felt bad looking at Erin¡¯s white dress. ¡°Why are you apologizing? You go ahead. See youter.¡± Erin went to the restroom near the banquet hall. She was surprised to find several women in formal dresses applying makeup, leaving no room for her to stand. Left with no choice, she headed to the restroom upstairs instead. She spent nearly 20 minutes cleaning up the red wine stain, but there were still water marks on the dress. She used tissue paper to absorb them several times, but they were still visible. Her innerwear was slightly revealed due to the water. Sighing, Erin walked out of the restroom. Looking messy, she stood by the railing in the corridor. At this moment, a foreigner walked out of the men¡¯s restroom and stared at Erin¡¯s beautiful figure from behind. He walked up to Erin and smiled in a somewhat lecherous way while asking casually. ¡°Miss, how much for one night?¡± Although the foreigner was slurring, she still understood what he meant. She scolded him immediately. ¡°Are you crazy? What do you take me for? Get lost!¡± Her words and reaction angered the foreigner. He raised his hand and was about to hit her while cursing. Terrified, Erin stepped back. Just as the p was about tond on her face, a hand appeared to grab the man¡¯s hand. The person punched the foreigner hard. The foreigner was thrown to the ground with a bleeding nose. He was so stunned that he couldn¡¯t get up for a while. With a gloomy face, Chandler said, ¡°You must have a death wish.¡± Soon, two ck¨Cd bodyguards came and bowed in lear. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Frost¡­¡± ¡°Throw this trash out of the vi.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Frost!¡± The bodyguards dragged the foreigner away immediately. Although Erin was surprised to meet Chandler here, she still thanked him. Chandler looked at the elegantly dressed Erin with a hint of restrained anger in his eyes. When he saw the water stain on her dress, his eyes darkened. He was so angry that he grabbed her arm and walked forward quickly. Erin trotted after him awkwardly while asking. ¡°Hey, where are you taking me?¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 What a Small World ¡°Chandler, let go of me. My hand hurts!¡± No matter how much Erin shouted, Chandler refused to let go of her. He dragged her until they reached a specially designed door at the end of the corridor. Stopping in front of it, he entered the password, and the door opened. Right after the door opened, he pulled Erin into the room and mmed it shut before pressing her against it. His tone was cold as he spoke. ¡°Tell me, why are you here?¡± Erin answered honestly. ¡°I came with my friend. She¡¯s attending the banquet on behalf of her parents.¡± Upon hearing her answer, Chandler frowned. ¡°Then what¡¯s with your dress?¡± He stared at her clothes with a conflicted expression, and his eyes were piercingly cold. Erin said. ¡°Someone identally spilled red wine on me earlier, and I spent a lot of time cleaning it¡± After hearing her exnation, the anger in his ck eyes slowly dissipated, but a me ignited in his heart. Looking down at her delicate and pretty lips, he remembered when he¡¯d kissed her in his office. A hint of restlessness stirred his heart. Erin looked at his perfect and exquisite face, her heart pounding loudly. Soon, her face flushed red. She felt suffocated by his embrace, and her nose was full of his alluring scent. She was starting to feel confused. Before she could struggle to get away, Chandler¡¯s lipsnded on hers. Chandler gradually moved his hands upward, and Erin¡¯s body trembled. Sobering up, she pushed him hard. ¡°Chandler, calm down! We¡¯re in a stranger¡¯s room now¡­ Chandler smirked. ¡°Who said this is a stranger¡¯s room?¡± Erin looked at the environment, which was very luxurious. It was obviously a man¡¯s bedroom. However, for some reason, she had a vague feeling that this wasn¡¯t Chandler¡¯s room. The style here was very different from the lounge in his office. Yet he knew the password for the bedroom, so she asked, ¡°Is this really your room?¡± The disbelief in Erin¡¯s eyes amused Chandler. ¡°Why? Do you also think that this bedroom isn¡¯t suitable for me?¡± Erin nodded. Chandler seemed to be in a good mood. ¡°Oh, tell me, why isn¡¯t it suitable for me?¡± He held her tightly and continued to ask. Erin carefully looked around the room. ¡°To be honest, the design of this room doesn¡¯t suit your taste at all. The person who lives in this room should¡­¡± Curiosity grew in his heart as Erin stopped talking. ¡°Should what?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell the truth, but you can¡¯t hit me or curse at me.¡± Erin was unsure if this was his room, so she spoke with caution. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Chandler chuckled. ¡°Why would I hit you? Am I that violent?¡°. She remembered the tall foreigner knocked down by Chandler in one punch. If it were her, she would¡¯ve died on the spot. Erin¡¯s thoughts were easily reflected on her face. He flicked her nose gently and said, ¡°You¡¯re such a silly girl. Alright, I promise I won¡¯t scold or hit you. What do you want to say?¡± ¡°I think the person living in this room is a yer. He must be a yboy.¡± Chandler paused for a moment before chuckling. ¡°Little one, you¡¯re smart.¡± Erin smiled. ¡°So, I guessed correctly!¡± Just as Chandler was about to say something, his phone rang. He let go of Erin and took out his phone before unlocking it. ¡°Hello, where are you? I¡¯m already home. Logan and n are here too. Do you want to y a game in the billiards room?¡± Chandler nced at Erin and said, ¡°I¡¯m at your ce. See youter.¡± After hanging up the phone, he pulled Erin into the bathroom and said to her. ¡°You can go to the banquet hallter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. The dress is okay now¡­ ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± Chandler took out a hair dryer from the cab and handed it to her. Erin thought he would stay in the bathroom, but he turned around and left. She saw him close the door behind him and sighed. She dared not defy him and felt somewhat annoyed at her own cowardice. She used the hair dryer for a while, but it burned her skin. Unable to hear the heat, she chose to remove her dress. However, she forgot to lock the bathroom door. On the other hand, Sean came straight into his room, wanting to change before heading to the billiards room. As he approached his cupboard, he was surprised to hear the sound of a hair dryering from the bathroom next to him. No one could enter his bedroom except for the maid when he was present. Nobody knew the password to his room, not even his parents! Half¨Cnaked, Sean turned the bathroom door handle, wearing only pants. Without thinking too much, he pushed the door open. Erin was shocked and dropped the hair dryer. She held her dress with both hands and tried to cover her body. Sean¡¯s throat went dry as he saw Erin. He recognized her immediately. After striding into the bathroom, he forcefully yanked the annoying hairdryer out of the socket and tossed it aside before demanding, ¡°How did you get into my room?¡± He had to visit the hospital to wash his eyes because of Erin! The mere thought of her still made him furious. Erin¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment as she awkwardly replied. ¡°Could you please leave first? Let me put my clothes on¡­ Eyes darkening, he found amusement in her disheveled state. ¡°This is my room and my home. Why should I leave? If you don¡¯t answer my questions, I won¡¯t leave. Try to make me leave if you have the guts!¡± Sean had fair skin and a muscr build. With his arms crossed, he was enjoying the show.. Erin was furious at his insolent attitude. Her voice held a hint of pleading as she said, ¡°Could you please leave first? If you have anything to say, wait until Ie out.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes narrowed as he failed to get an exnation from Erin. ¡°Did you regret what you did to me? So you sent someone to investigate my background and sneaked into my home to seduce me, right?¡± Erin was left speechless. She was stunned for a moment. Why would Sean think of something like that? Angered, she summoned all her strength and pushed him out of the bathroom. She then locked the door behind her immediately and began to put on her dress hastily. She knocked her own head hard in reproach for her carelessness. How could she forget to lock the door? Pushed out of the bathroom by Erin, Sean suddenly felt his skin heat up where she had touched him. The sight of Erin¡¯s petite hands pushing him out and her white lingerie sent his breath into disarray. ¡°Her figure is really quite something¡­ Sean¡¯s breath started to be unsteady. He strode toward the closet, took out a light purple shirt, and quickly put it on to suppress his crazy thoughts. When Erin walked out of the bathroom, Sean was tying his tie. He turned around upon hearing her movements, and Erin immediately exined, ¡°Your friend saw that my dress was wet and kindly brought me into the room to find a hairdryer. I just forgot to lock the door. That¡¯s all.¡± Sean frowned slightly. The only people who knew his password and could enter his room were his three best friends, Chandler, Logan, and n. Which one of them was Erin¡¯s friend? They must be quite intimate! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have brought Erin into the room. Sean lifted his gaze and asked, ¡°So, who is this friend you¡¯re talking about?¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 hapter 27 My Woman ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Chandler appeared in the room suddenly. Chandler had thought Sean would run into Erin if he returned to his room to change. As expected, it really did happen! Surprised, Sean stared at Chandler. He didn¡¯t expect Erin to know Chandler. He pretended to remain calm and casually asked with a smile. ¡°Chandler, is she your friend?¡± Elegant and dignified, Chandler strode in and nced at Erin, who was rooled to the ground. Then he approached her and took her hand.¡± She¡¯s not my friend. She¡¯s my woman.¡± His voice was casual yet it hit Erin and Sean hard. Erin looked up at Chandler, not understanding the meaning behind his words. Sean lowered his gaze. A momentter, his stiff hands rxed, and he continued to do his tie leisurely. Then, he answered in a soft voice.¡± Oh.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take her out first ande find youter.¡± Chandler held Erin¡¯s waist and walked out of the bedroom. As soon as they left. Sean, who had been pretending to be calm, turned pale. Feeling slightly dejected, he sat on the sofa and watched Chandlerke Erin away. He didn¡¯t understand why he felt a bit empty inside. It seemed like he¡¯d fallen for Chandler¡¯s woman. In any case, it wasn¡¯t the first time this had happened. He shouldn¡¯t be too concerned. Chandler walked down the stairs with Erin after exiting the room. However, he led her to the parking lot instead of the banquet hall. Walking up to his Maybach, he opened the passenger door and said, ¡°Get in.¡± Erin was a bit surprised. ¡°Where are we going? I came with my friend. I can¡¯t leave alone.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to attend the banquet. Anyway, you don¡¯t know anyone there. Get in the car first.¡± Chandler pushed her into the car as he spoke. After closing the door, he walked to the driver¡¯s seat and drove away from the Dunn family¡¯s mansion. Sean saw everything from the second floor. He snorted coldly. ¡°Does he have to be so nervous?¡± For some reason, Sean felt angry at Chandler¡¯s overly defensive behavior. He didn¡¯t have any ns to take Chandler¡¯s woman away. However, he¡¯d changed his mind now. In the car, Erin reluctantly called Holly and lied. ¡°Holly, I¡¯m really sorry. The red wine stain won¡¯te off, so I¡¯ll head back first. It¡¯s too embarrassing to wear a dirty dress. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Holly understood her situation. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Erin. You should go back. But how are you going back? It¡¯s hard to get a taxi here!¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already called a taxi.¡± Erin could sense that the man next to her was upset. ¡°Okay, then be careful on the road. I¡¯ll be leaving soon. See you at home.¡± Erin put away her phone. Chandler stared straight ahead and asked in a cold voice, ¡°Am I your taxi driver?¡± She nced at him and replied. ¡°You heard what I said. I just lied to make an excuse.¡± ¡°It seems like your friend doesn¡¯t know about me.¡± Chandler¡¯s voice was devoid of emotion. Erin remained silent, which he took as an admission. After a while, Chandler asked, ¡°How did you meet Sean?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Sean?¡± Erin frowned. ¡°Erin, you know I don¡¯t like others lying to me.¡± Chandler warned. She thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you talking about your friend?¡± Chandler didn¡¯t answer, but she understood. She exined, ¡°He¡¯s the guy I met at the Royal Chamber last time¨Cthe one who helped me tie my dress straps into a bow.¡± So it was him¡­.. He immediately remembered the scent of men¡¯s cologne that had lingered on Erin¡¯s body that night. He¡¯d smelled it on Sean a few times. No wonder it smelled so familiar. ¡°Erin, I¡¯m warning you to stay away from Sean.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me. I¡¯ll stay far away from him.¡± Chandler didn¡¯t know what happened between Sean and her. Hearing Erin¡¯s words, Chandler felt his mood lightening up. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Erin had doubts in her heart. ¡°You just told him that I¡¯m your woman. What did you mean by that?¡± Aplex emotion shed through Chandler¡¯s dark eyes and disappeared instantly. He replied, ¡°What else could it mean? It means I¡¯ve slept with you, and he should stop thinking about you.¡± Erin was furious when she heard his answer. ¡°Stop the car. I want to get off here.¡± Hearing him objectify her made her feel ashamed. She was a person, not an item! ¡°Why are you throwing a tantrum? We¡¯re on the highway. How can you get out of the car?¡± Erin nced outside and saw that they were indeed on the highway. She was so angry that she turned her face away and remained silent. The atmosphere became very tense. Chandler drove with one hand as unknown thoughts shed across his eyes. It was when the car left the highway that Erin said again, ¡°I want to get off.¡± Ignoring her, Chandler continued to drive forward. She turned to him and asked, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°To my ce.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going! It¡¯s alreadyte, and I want to go home and sleep!¡± Erin was really angry.. Chandler smiled slightly and said. ¡°There are many rooms in my ce. Just pick one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go!¡± Facing her resistance and bad temper, Chandler began to lose his patience. His voice turned colder. ¡°Erin, stop acting up. You should feel honored that I¡¯m taking you back to my ce.¡± His superiorityplex and arrogance amused Erin. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know how to appreciate your kindness. Since you can¡¯t stand me, just leave me here. You can take other women to your ce and do whatever you want!¡± Not only was she ungrateful for his special treatment toward her, but she even put on an attitude. Chandler smirked. After checking the road conditions, he pulled over and stopped the car with the blinker on. Without even looking at her, he said expressionlessly, ¡°Get out of the car.¡± Erin was obviously stunned, but she quickly reacted. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll get out of the car. I¡¯ve been wanting to do that!¡± Hearing the heavy sound of the car door closing, Chandler stepped on the gas and left quickly. Erin was fuming as she watched the Maybach leave. He¡¯d really left her at the roadside just like that. She didn¡¯t want to take the subway because she was wearing high heels. Although this ce was a bit far from Holly¡¯s home, she decided to take a taxi. After waiting for a while, she sessfully hailed a taxi. Erin closed the door and told the driver the address before taking out her phone and earphones to listen to music. She wanted to vent her anger through music. About five minutester, her mother, Cherry Wright, called. Seeing that it was a call from her house¡¯sndline, Erin picked up the call. ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°Erin, something happened at home¡­¡± Cherry was clearly crying. Shocked, Erin sat up straight. Her heart was pounding violently. ¡°Mom, calm down. What happened?¡± ¡°Erin, it¡¯s Grayson¡­ He identally hit someone while driving to help me buy goods this morning. Now the other party is asking for two million dors aspensation. What should we do?¡± She continued to cry. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Running Into Caleb Cherry cried on the phone for half an hour. Erin had no choice but to promise her that she would find a solution. Holding her phone lightly, she got out of the taxi. She felt as if she¡¯d been drained of all her blood. Grayson, who had hit someone and caused the victim¡¯s death, was actually Erin¡¯s stepfather, Grayson Lawrence. Cherry remarried Grayson when Erin was eight years old. Grayson was a decent man and had always treated Erin and her mother well. He paid for Erin¡¯s tuition since she was young. Two years ago. Cherry took 100 thousand dors from Erin and opened a small supermarket in her hometown to pay for her son, Gavin Lawrence¡¯s. tuition. She said she didn¡¯t want to burden Cherry and that they should be responsible for their son¡¯s future tuition. Apart from that 100 thousand dors, Cherry rarely asked Erin for money. She always told Erin to only worry about herself. Now that they needed help. Erin would definitely help Grayson since he was in trouble. It was midnight when Holly came back home with her keys in hand. She was startled to see Erin sitting alone in the living room in the dark. She turned on the lights immediately. ¡°Erin, why are you still awake in the middle of the night?¡± Erin held the bank card that contained the five million dors she had to return ton.n had left it behind in the guest roomst night. She looked at Holly and said, ¡°Holly, are you tired? If you¡¯re not, can we talk for a while?¡± Without hesitation, Holly took off her high heels. She then walked over to the couch and sat down next to Erin, full of concern. ¡°Erin, what¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m not tired, so feel free to talk to me.¡± ¡°My mom called and said that Grayson hit and killed a high school student. He has to take full responsibility because he was driving under the influence!¡± ¡°Oh, my God, that¡¯s your stepfather, right? How could he drink and drive? The crackdown on drunk driving is very strict all over the country now. It¡¯s intentional misconduct!¡± Holly frowned and expressed her sympathy. 1 Erin sighed and said, ¡°I remember telling you once that Grayson was a PE teacher at our school. He was a bit strict in his personal life but very responsible when teaching. There was this one time when a female student made a mistake in ss, and he punished her by making her runps. She held a grudge and used Grayson of harassing her at the administrative office. She even had her friend secretly take photos. In the end, Grayson failed to defend himself and was fired the next day.¡± ¡°Grayson lost his job, but my mom was optimistic. She said that our family¡¯s small supermarket business is doing well, and we often need extra help, so she asked Grayson to help out. But he drank some white wine before going to buy goods in his van¡­Gosh, now the other party is asking for two million dors aspensation, not a penny less. Grayson is likely to be sentenced to six months in prison before being released.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Holly understood Erin¡¯s feelings. She held her hand and said, ¡°Erin, try to stay positive. Since things have already happened, the only thing we can do is figure out a way to solve them. Do you need money? I can lend it to you!¡± Erin was touched. ¡°Thank you, Holly. I have the money, but if I spend the five million dors in my ount, I can¡¯t divorcen¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you give the five million dors to that male escort? How did you get the money back?¡± Surprised, Holly asked. ¡°He returned the money to me. Also, he wasn¡¯t even a male escort! He¡¯s the president of ourpany, my boss¡­¡± Erin sighed and leaned back on the couch. Holly widened her eyes in surprise and eximed, ¡°Oh my! Such a plot twist! It sounds like a novel. Anyway, don¡¯t worry aboutn for now! Send the money back home first. After all, someone died in the ident, and we must deal with it! Ifn insists on getting the five million dors, we can collect evidence of his affair and let the court decide!¡± Upon hearing her advice, Erinughed self¨Cdeprecatingly. ¡°Holly, don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re still married, and I also approached a male escort before this¡­¡± Holly kept silent. She rubbed her chin and thought for a moment, ¡°Okay, how about this? You solve your family issues first and then find time to talk ton as soon as possible. It¡¯s best if you can have an amicable divorce! If things don¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll lend you two million dors! I¡¯m not in a hurry for you to repay me. Just give it back to me when you have the money.¡± Erin felt relieved when she heard what Holly said. In fact, she had wanted to ask Holly if she could lend her some money. Before Holly returned, Erin had already thought through the solution to the matter. ¡°Holly, I feel relieved after talking to you. Don¡¯t worry. If I really need to borrow money from you, I¡¯ll work hard to repay you!¡± ¡°Gosh. I¡¯ve already told you not to rush things. If you need to borrow money, just tell me anytime. It¡¯s alreadyte now. Let¡¯s go to bed. You still have to go to work tomorrow, right?¡± Holly yawned and stood up. Erin stood up as well. She hugged Holly and said goodnight. Then they both went back to their rooms. Right after Erinid down on her bed, she received a text message fromn. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay me the money. If you want a divorce, it¡¯s okay. Come home after work tomorrow.¡± Knowing that she didn¡¯t need to repay the money, Erin felt a sense of relief and excitement wash over her. It took her over an hour to fall asleep. The next morning, she called Ms. Xander, the assistant in the design department, to apply for leave. Ms. Xander was in charge of human. resources affairs. She wasn¡¯t the president¡¯s design assistant. After transferring the money to Cherry at the bank, Erin called her. Cherry sounded delighted. She told Erin to focus on work and that they would handle things at home. As Erin left the bank, she ran into someone. ¡°Hello, Mr. Grant!¡± Caleb spotted her at a nce. Today, Erin was dressed more casually. She wore jeans and a red ruffled chiffon blouse, with light makeup on her face. Yet her face was exquisite enough to make people stop in their tracks. His ck pupils flickered slightly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at work yet?¡± Erin replied, ¡°I have some personal business to take care of. I¡¯ve already asked for leave from Ms. Xander-.-¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Caleb didn¡¯t bother to give her another nce. He walked straight into the bank. Seeing him leave without saying anything, Erin shrugged and left too. Erin waited at the roadside for ten minutes but couldn¡¯t hail a cab. It would take her 20 minutes to walk to the subway station, so she decided to wait for a while more. Caleb was just about to leave in his car after dealing with his affairs when he saw Erin¡¯s beautiful figure standing under the zing sun. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t bear to see her like that. He drove to her side and rolled down the window to ask, ¡°Erin, are you going back to the office?¡± Erin nodded and said, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then get in the car.¡± She hesitated for a moment, but since they were heading in the same direction, she got into the passenger seat. Her makeup would have been ruined if she continued to stay there in the heat. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Grant.¡± Caleb gazed at her side profile, making her blush. She asked nervously. ¡°Mr. Grant, why are you looking at me like that?¡± He leaned toward her, and Erin instinctively leaned back, her heart almost jumping out of her throat. ¡°Mr. Grant¡­¡± Caleb didn¡¯t say anything. He fastened her seatbelt and drove the car away. For the next 20 minutes, Erin sat awkwardly, cursing herself for being a fool. She had thought Caleb was going to kiss her just now. ¡°Erin, do you have a boyfriend?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Secret Video Erin didn¡¯t expect that Caleb, who was cold and biased against her, would ask such a question. She was unsure of the meaning behind his question, but regardless, she was not so self¨Cobsessed as to believe that Caleb was interested in her. As someone who was about to divorce, she was no different from someone who was single. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± she answered. Caleb¡¯s hand around the steering wheel tightened slightly. He said nothing more, but his lips curled into a slight smile. Erin nced at him sideways. Since he wasn¡¯t speaking, she remained quiet too. The two remained silent all the way until they arrived at thepany¡¯s building. After they got out of the car in the underground parking lot of the building, Erin saw Chandler, who¡¯d just gotten out of his car. He stared at her with his dark and sinister eyes. At the moment Caleb got out of the car, Chandler turned and walked toward his private elevator. Erin felt her heart clench with fear. Chandler seemed like he wanted to kill her. Surely she must be overthinking. + Caleb was about to walk forward when he saw Erin rooted to the ground. He turned around and said, ¡°Erin, you have a lot of work to do today. You¡¯ll need to work overtime.¡± Snapping back to her senses, she asked. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Caleb walked away without saying anything else. Erin hurriedly caught up with him, and they took the employee elevator upstairs together. In the elevator, Erin heard a text message alert from her bag before asking Caleb her question. It was from Chandler, and she instantly lost her mood to talk. She kept feeling like he would settle scores with herter. Erin walked stiffly with Caleb to the design department, and many colleagues saw them arriving one after the other. They suspected that Erin and Caleb hade together. After Caleb entered his own office, Dana walked over in a tight ck dress. Her makeup was slightly heavy today. She leaned in next to Erin and spoke loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, ¡°Erin, did youe with Mr. Grant?¡± Feeling somewhat guilty, Erin ced her bag on the table. She pretended to say casually, ¡°I just happened to bump into him.¡± ¡°Hah, happened to bump into him? You happened to bump into him and get a ride in his car? I really wish I had such good luck!¡± Jte. the head designer, walked into the design department leisurely. Jte wore a fashionable Chanel summer outfit with red¨Cframed sses and her signature bright red lipstick. She tied her hair in a high bun that gave her a retro and trendy look. Everyone present heard what she said. Jte cast Erin a nce and walked into her office. Erin froze in ce. Dana told her in the pantry that Jte had a crush on Caleb, and it was a well¨C known secret in the design department. Many of the designers in the room red at Erin. Most of the employees in the design department were female, and the male designers were all married. Meanwhile, Caleb had outstanding looks and an impressive background. He graduated from a prestigious university and came from a wealthy family. He was also single, which made many of the single female designers in the department secretly admire him. Their envy and hostility toward her grew when they heard their innocent director had allowed Erin to hitch a ride. Not to mention, Erin was an outsourced designer. ¡°Erin, is what Ms. Williams said true?¡± Dana wanted to make things clear. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. At this point. Erin didn¡¯t want to continue this topic. She replied, ¡°Dana, I have a lot of work to do. I¡¯ll get back to youter.¡± With a cold face, she left Dana behind, feeling embarrassed and angry. She started her work immediately. As soon as Dana left. Erin took out her phone and checked the text message from Chandler. It said, ¡°Come up and see me.¡± She checked her work schedule for the day first and was surprised to find that Caleb had already sent her the tasks via email. Upon seeing the contents, she took a deep breath. She definitely had to work overtime. Looking around sneakily, she noticed that everyone¡¯s attention was no longer on her. Erin stood up and went to the elevator. She had to sneak out of work like that every time. Sooner orter, she would be caught ying truant. In no time, she arrived at the president¡¯s office and knocked on the door. After getting permission, she entered. She stood by the door for a full 20 minutes, but Chandler didn¡¯t look up at her. He let her stand there, doing nothing. After another five minutes, Erin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If you have no other business, I¡¯ll go back to work first.¡± ¡°Did I tell you to leave?¡± His voice was so cold that he seemed to be angry. She said, ¡°Since you¡¯re so busy, I¡¯ll go then¡­¡± Seeing that Erin was about to turn and leave, Chandler put down the pen in his hand and said in a cold voice. ¡°If you dare to leave, I¡¯ll post your photos online.¡± Erin¡¯s anger surged in her heart. She turned around and said, ¡°Chandler, are you so bored that you have to threaten me with the photos all the time? Are you even a man? What else can you do besides threaten me?¡± Chandler¡¯s dark eyes narrowed slightly. Instantly, his expression turned murderous. He stared at her like prey and said, ¡°Erin, you are so naive! Do you really think that I have no other way to deal with you except by using those photos to threaten you?¡± ¡°Hah, are you admitting it now? Are you admitting that you threatened me?¡± Erin asked through gritted teeth. Chandler looked at her arrogantly and uttered casually, ¡°Yes, I admit it. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Erin stood still for a moment before striding forward to his desk and shouting loudly. ¡°Tell me, what do you want from me? I warn you. don¡¯t push me too far!¡± He took in all her bluster with ease. He leaned back on his seat and leisurely rubbed his chin with his index finger. ¡°Let me think.¡± He pretended to think for a while before leaning forward and interlocking his fingers on the desk with a slight smile. ¡°How about this? Stay by my side for three months, and when the time¡¯s up, I¡¯ll return all the photos to you.¡± Upon hearing his words. Erin clenched her fists. She couldn¡¯t understand why this man wouldn¡¯t let her go. Although he was handsome, he had an evil heart. Not only did he threaten her, but he also yed with her. She wasn¡¯t the kind of woman who could be manipted at will! Three months¡­ The period wasn¡¯t that long, but it wasn¡¯t short either. She was about to escapen¡¯s control. Did she have to fall into Chandler¡¯s hands now? Right as she was about to agree, Erin¡¯s pent¨Cup anger suddenly exploded. A fierce determination filled her eyes. She took out her phone from her jeans pocket and entered the password to unlock it. Then, she opened a video in a folder¡­ She tossed the phone on the table and sneered. ¡°Chandler Frost, you forced me to do this! I recorded this video in your office. If you dare to share my photos online, I will sue you for harassing me using your position! If you don¡¯t mind ruining your reputation in front of all the employees and the media, I have nothing to fear! I can even quil and settle abroad! I can leave this ce!¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Secret Lover Chandler patiently watched the video to the end. Then he picked up the phone and returned it to Erin. ¡°Although the angle is a bit off, you got everything important. If you¡¯re so confident, go ahead and post it online.¡± Erin trembled with anger. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind. She had presented such solid evidence, yet he wasn¡¯t even afraid. ¡°You¡¯re the president of Frost Corporation. Aren¡¯t you afraid that such a scandal will affect the company¡¯s public image?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but remind him of the public impact of workce harassment. ¡°In the video, you didn¡¯t ask for help. Moreover, it was taken secrelly. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that you had ulterior motives. Who will believe your side of the story when it¡¯s exposed? Once the truth comes out, you¡¯ll be the one who won¡¯t be able to survive in this city. Why should I be afraid?¡± Erin¡¯s courage was crushed in an instant. Her face turned pale. Never did she expect that the video she thought would give her an advantage was worth nothing in the eyes of the cold and ruthless Chandler. To make matters worse, she found herself agreeing with his logic. She felt utterly helpless. Was she going to let him lead her by the nose? Proud and content, Chandler stood up and walked towards her in graceful steps. He then slipped his large hand around her waist and buried his face in her fair neck. His hot breath tickled her skin as he said, ¡°That video alone wasn¡¯t satisfying enough. I need to feel the excitement through a live show.¡± Erin was so angry that she raised her hand to strike him, but he caught it instantly and grinned wickedly. ¡°Erin, why not save your energy and focus on servicing me instead?¡± Ignoring her screams and struggles, Chandler lifted her onto his shoulder and strode toward the lounge. He was determined to punish her severely for daring to plot against him and repeatedly defying him. Erin cried out in pain, but his eyes showed no mercy. This ungrateful woman kept testing his patience, and he would make her learn to obey her. 1 Momentster, Erin got dressed in a daze, her skin marked with bite marks. The pain made her eyes turn red, and her hatred for Chandler grew stronger. As Chandler put on his suit jacket, he enjoyed the sight of her blushing, angry face, and her tears of despair. He admitted that Erin¡¯s body was a perfect match for himpared to the other girls he¡¯d slept with. That was why he couldn¡¯t bear to let her go. After putting on her high heels, Erin turned around and asked patiently, ¡°Can I leave now?¡± His eyes shed with a hint of danger as he walked behind her and hugged her. He spoke casually, but his tone sounded dangerous.¡± Stay away from my cousin.¡± 1 His cousin? Seeing her remain silent, Chandler continued, ¡°I¡¯m talking about Caleb Grant, the director of your design department!¡± Erin was surprised to learn that Caleb and Chandler were actually rtives. Feeling her tense body, he uttered warningly. ¡°Be a good girl and be mine for three months. If you dare to y tricks on me again, I have plenty of ways to deal with you.¡± ¡°Can I go now?¡± Her patience nearly ran out at this point. Chandler stuffed an elevator card into her pocket and said ambiguously. ¡°From now on, you cane up and find me directly.¡± Erin struggled out of his grip and took the elevator card out of her pocket. She quickly ran to open the door of the lounge and left the president¡¯s office without looking back. Raging, she lost control in the elevator and pped herself in the face. She was angry at herself. Why did she have to provoke this devil in the first ce? Now, she¡¯d be the secret lover of the devil. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary office romance¨Cshe was Chandler¡¯s ything. Erin scolded herself in her heart. Looking up, she saw her reflection through the elevator and instantly regretted her impulsiveness. She¡¯d forgotten that she was still at work. The faint p mark on her face was too embarrassing. As she stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Caleb, who was just about to enter it.. Erin panicked and turned her face to the side, wanting to leave with her head down. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Caleb said. She froze in ce as Caleb walked up to her and stood in front of her. ¡°Where did you go just now?¡± A hint of panic shed across Erin¡¯s lowered eyes as she replied. ¡°Nowhere¡­¡± ¡°Erin,e with me to the office.¡± Caleb, who had originally intended to take the elevator, turned around and walked toward the director¡¯s office. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She followed behind him with aplicated expression, her head still lowered. Outsiders might think that Caleb was going to scold her. She would be theughing stock in the design department again. Office politics were unavoidable in thepany. People would form cliques and spread rumors. Inside the director¡¯s office. Caleb took an ice pack from a mini fridge and handed it to Erin with a concerned look. ¡°Apply this first. Wait for the swelling to go down before going back to work.¡± ¡°Mr. Grant, I have too much to do today. I need to hurry back¡­¡± ¡°You canplete the work I assigned to you tomorrow.¡± Caleb frowned. His generosity put Erin at ease. She asked. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Holding the ice pack on her face, Erin obediently sat on the couch. She didn¡¯t expect her p would be so powerful that her face was swollen. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me where you went earlier. Also, what happened to your face?¡± Caleb¡¯s face darkened. He never thought someone in thepany would resort to violence. 2 However, his question left Erin at a loss for words. She stuttered, ¡°¡­just now¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t exin the reason for her behavior. Caleb asked directly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Tell me, did someone at thepany hit you?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Erin denied it, but herck of exnation angered him. ¡°Erin, who are you protecting?¡± Erin sighed and said. ¡°Mr. Grant, I¡¯m not protecting anyone. Actually, I pped myself, but I¡¯m not comfortable telling you the specific reason why. Thank you for the ice pack. I¡¯ll go back to work now.¡± Staying longer would only make the atmosphere more awkward. As Erin reached for the doorknob, Caleb walked up to her and said sincerely, ¡°Erin, you said you don¡¯t have a boyfriend. Can you consider me?¡± She looked up in surprise and said, ¡°Mr. Grant, you¡­¡± He continued, ¡°I know I had a bias against you when you first joined thepany, but after I saw the pictures you¡¯ve worked on, my impression of you has changed. I searched for your past designs online, and honestly, they¡¯re very impressive. You have the ability to work at Frost Corporation. I have high hopes for you in the internalpetition of the design department. I hope you work hard and win first ce!¡± 2 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 An Absurd Agreement She remembered that the champion would be the design assistant to the director. Erin looked at Caleb¡¯s cool yet rather gentle dark eyes. The sincerity in them made her heart skip a beat, and she blushed uncontrobly. She tried hard to collect herself and said warmly, ¡°Mr. Grant, thank you. I¡¯ll try my best in thepetition!¡± Erin didn¡¯t know what else to say. She was already forced to be Chandler¡¯s secret lover even before she got divorced. How could she drag Caleb into this? Caleb looked a little disappointed when he heard what Erin said. He smiled to cover up his true emotions. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me an answer now. Go home and think it over.¡± Erin nodded rather awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll leave then, Mr. Grant.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The moment she opened the door, Erin almost crashed into Jte standing near it. Without any expressions on her face, Jte said curtly, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going. How could youe up with a good design if you¡¯re so careless!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Williams.¡± Erin dared not look at Jte, afraid she might notice the p mark on her face. Jte scoffed. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m here to see Mr. Grant. You can go.¡± Erin left with her head lowered. When she returned to her desk, she spent her entire day busy at work. Even when it was the end of the day. she still had no n to leave. Although Caleb had told her that she needed to finish half of the workload, she still wanted to be done with it as soon as possible. She worked until about 7 pm and was about to order takeout whenn¡¯s call came. Erin hesitated for a while before picking up the call. She didn¡¯t expect it to ben¡¯s mother, Mary. ¡°Erin, are you back from your business trip yet?¡± Mary asked. ¡°Where are you?n¡¯s at home right now. Shall I get him to pick you up?¡± Erin was a little taken aback, furrowing her brow. She was in the city, so she didn¡¯t understand what Mary was talking about at that moment. However, she also didn¡¯t pursue it further. She suddenly recalled that she had to head to her old house to talk ton about the divorce that night. ¡°No need. I can head home on my own.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve already made dinner! Come back and eat! Alright, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± Mary chuckled and ended the call. Erin ced her phone in her bag, saved her documents, and shut off herputer. Quite a few designers were still workingte at the time, so she bade them farewell and left. Ten minutes after Erin left, Dana ran into Caleb at the pantry. She was instantly surprised and pleased, not expecting that her taking the initiative to stay back after work would pay off and that she would be able to bump into him! ¡°Mr. Grant, are you not leaving yet?¡± Dana had touched up her makeup in the washroom, so she had a glowing smile on her face. Caleb was waiting for his coffee by the vending machine. He took one look at her and said, ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re Dana Sawyer, Jte¡¯s assistant, right?¡± Dana smiled even wider. ¡°Yes! You have a great memory, Mr. Grant. I¡¯m merely a lowly new hire, but you remembered me!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so modest. You four neers, I¡¯ve seen all your past designs. They¡¯re great.¡± Caleb ced his coffee cup on the table. Dana admired how cool and nonchnt he looked, and her heart beat wildly with excitement. She walked over and said with a smile,¡± Thank you, Mr. Grant. So, who among the four of us has the best design?¡± Caleb swept her a nce and asked. ¡°Do you want to hear the truth?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Caleb took a sip of his coffee, thought for a while, and said, ¡°Erin Lane. Her designs are far better than the three of you.¡± Then, he left the pantry. Dana remained in the spot grimacing, looking at Caleb leaving. She thought that he would say it was her. Never would she have thought that it would be Erin. Saying that Erin¡¯s designs were far better than the three of them hurt Dana terribly! Thinking back about the admiration and even a hint of infatuation she saw in Caleb¡¯s eyes proved one thing to her¨Che has feelings for Erin! Dana returned to her desk in a huff, thinking about how Erin, a married woman, was still favored by Caleb. It Instantly brought out the ugly jealousy hidden deep in her heart. ¡°Erin Lane, you can¡¯t have everything! You just wait and see!¡± Dana thought to herself. Erin took the subway to the Sloans¡®. Mary eagerly came out from the kitchen and immediately approached her, asking. ¡°Erin, are you tired? I made some chicken soup for you!¡± She was a little taken aback by her mother¨Cinw¡¯s enthusiasm. She still remembered how Mary almost scolded her thest time she left. The change in her attitude was too sudden! Mary didn¡¯t even get angry at Erin¡¯s non¨Creply. She said, ¡°Go to the study to look forn. He said to look for him once you¡¯re home. There¡¯s still another dish I¡¯ve yet to make. Dinner will be ready soon, so why don¡¯t you head up first?¡± Erin smiled and nodded before heading upstairs. She knocked on the door ofn¡¯s study and entered with his permission. When she entered,n swept her a nce and said calmly. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Erin walked over to the sofa in front ofn¡¯s desk and sat down,n slid the signed divorce agreement over to her and said, ¡°Erin, I¡¯ve drafted a new divorce agreement. I¡¯ll leave you the other mansion. The BMW you¡¯ve been driving in the past will be yours too. Once you¡¯ve signed it. I¡¯ll hand the papers to the lawyers tomorrow.¡± Erin was so stunned at the sudden change that she was at a loss for words. His previous message to her about how she no longer needed to repay him the five million dors was more than enough for her to mull over it for the entire day, yet at that moment, he was even going to give her a mansion and a car! Couldn suddenly have some form of guilty conscience which was why he wanted to make it up to her? ¡°Why?¡± Erin felt that there was a hidden reason behind such a great deal. At that moment,n was in loungewear and looking less authoritative than he was in the office. Nevertheless, his handsome face still had some hint of dominance. He leaned back and said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. I don¡¯t want to continue fighting with you. Let¡¯s just split ways amicably. Also, I¡¯ve thought about my mom¡¯s suggestion.¡± Erin said in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve told your mom about our divorce?¡± Ian was right. Mary was so affectionate to her when she arrived. If she were to find out about their divorce, she would surely be less friendly toward her. ¡°So, are you nning to keep it from her forever? It won¡¯t work, either. I¡¯m not staying here now. You can¡¯t keep lying to her, saying I¡¯m on a business trip, right?¡± Also, there¡¯s a reason why I changed the divorce agreement! I want to help fulfill her dream. Let¡¯s give her a grandchild! Once you give birth to the child, we¡¯ll let my mom care for it. When the child is slightly bigger.. we will bring them home-¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Erin immediately stood up and cut him off. ¡°Hold up!n, do you even hear the fucking words leaving your damn mouth? How could youe up with such an absurd n? Since you agreed to divorce, how could you still think of having a child to please your mom? Have you gone mad?¡± Chapter 31 An Absurd Agreement She remembered that the champion would be the design assistant to the director. Erin looked at Caleb¡¯s cool yet rather gentle dark eyes. The sincerity in them made her heart skip a beat, and she blushed uncontrobly. She tried hard to collect herself and said warmly, ¡°Mr. Grant, thank you. I¡¯ll try my best in thepetition!¡± Erin didn¡¯t know what else to say. She was already forced to be Chandler¡¯s secret lover even before she got divorced. How could she drag Caleb into this? Caleb looked a little disappointed when he heard what Erin said. He smiled to cover up his true emotions. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me an answer now. Go home and think it over.¡± Erin nodded rather awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll leave then, Mr. Grant.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The moment she opened the door, Erin almost crashed into Jte standing near it. Without any expressions on her face, Jte said curtly, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going. How could youe up with a good design if you¡¯re so careless!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Williams.¡± Erin dared not look at Jte, afraid she might notice the p mark on her face. Jte scoffed. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m here to see Mr. Grant. You can go.¡± Erin left with her head lowered. When she returned to her desk, she spent her entire day busy at work. Even when it was the end of the day. she still had no n to leave. Although Caleb had told her that she needed to finish half of the workload, she still wanted to be done with it as soon as possible. She worked until about 7 pm and was about to order takeout whenn¡¯s call came. Erin hesitated for a while before picking up the call. She didn¡¯t expect it to ben¡¯s mother, Mary. ¡°Erin, are you back from your business trip yet?¡± Mary asked. ¡°Where are you?n¡¯s at home right now. Shall I get him to pick you up?¡± Erin was a little taken aback, furrowing her brow. She was in the city, so she didn¡¯t understand what Mary was talking about at that moment. However, she also didn¡¯t pursue it further. She suddenly recalled that she had to head to her old house to talk ton about the divorce that night. ¡°No need. I can head home on my own.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve already made dinner! Come back and eat! Alright, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± Mary chuckled and ended the call. Erin ced her phone in her bag, saved her documents, and shut off herputer. Quite a few designers were still workingte at the time, so she bade them farewell and left. Ten minutes after Erin left, Dana ran into Caleb at the pantry. She was instantly surprised and pleased, not expecting that her taking the initiative to stay back after work would pay off and that she would be able to bump into him! ¡°Mr. Grant, are you not leaving yet?¡± Dana had touched up her makeup in the washroom, so she had a glowing smile on her face. Caleb was waiting for his coffee by the vending machine. He took one look at her and said, ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re Dana Sawyer, Jte¡¯s assistant, right?¡± Dana smiled even wider. ¡°Yes! You have a great memory, Mr. Grant. I¡¯m merely a lowly new hire, but you remembered me!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so modest. You four neers, I¡¯ve seen all your past designs. They¡¯re great.¡± Caleb ced his coffee cup on the table. Dana admired how cool and nonchnt he looked, and her heart beat wildly with excitement. She walked over and said with a smile,¡± Thank you, Mr. Grant. So, who among the four of us has the best design?¡± Caleb swept her a nce and asked. ¡°Do you want to hear the truth?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Caleb took a sip of his coffee, thought for a while, and said, ¡°Erin Lane. Her designs are far better than the three of you.¡± Then, he left the pantry. Dana remained in the spot grimacing, looking at Caleb leaving. She thought that he would say it was her. Never would she have thought that it would be Erin. Saying that Erin¡¯s designs were far better than the three of them hurt Dana terribly! Thinking back about the admiration and even a hint of infatuation she saw in Caleb¡¯s eyes proved one thing to her¨Che has feelings for Erin! N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Dana returned to her desk in a huff, thinking about how Erin, a married woman, was still favored by Caleb. It Instantly brought out the ugly jealousy hidden deep in her heart. ¡°Erin Lane, you can¡¯t have everything! You just wait and see!¡± Dana thought to herself. Erin took the subway to the Sloans¡®. Mary eagerly came out from the kitchen and immediately approached her, asking. ¡°Erin, are you tired? I made some chicken soup for you!¡± She was a little taken aback by her mother¨Cinw¡¯s enthusiasm. She still remembered how Mary almost scolded her thest time she left. The change in her attitude was too sudden! Mary didn¡¯t even get angry at Erin¡¯s non¨Creply. She said, ¡°Go to the study to look forn. He said to look for him once you¡¯re home. There¡¯s still another dish I¡¯ve yet to make. Dinner will be ready soon, so why don¡¯t you head up first?¡± Erin smiled and nodded before heading upstairs. She knocked on the door ofn¡¯s study and entered with his permission. When she entered,n swept her a nce and said calmly. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Erin walked over to the sofa in front ofn¡¯s desk and sat down,n slid the signed divorce agreement over to her and said, ¡°Erin, I¡¯ve drafted a new divorce agreement. I¡¯ll leave you the other mansion. The BMW you¡¯ve been driving in the past will be yours too. Once you¡¯ve signed it. I¡¯ll hand the papers to the lawyers tomorrow.¡± Erin was so stunned at the sudden change that she was at a loss for words. His previous message to her about how she no longer needed to repay him the five million dors was more than enough for her to mull over it for the entire day, yet at that moment, he was even going to give her a mansion and a car! Couldn suddenly have some form of guilty conscience which was why he wanted to make it up to her? ¡°Why?¡± Erin felt that there was a hidden reason behind such a great deal. At that moment,n was in loungewear and looking less authoritative than he was in the office. Nevertheless, his handsome face still had some hint of dominance. He leaned back and said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. I don¡¯t want to continue fighting with you. Let¡¯s just split ways amicably. Also, I¡¯ve thought about my mom¡¯s suggestion.¡± Erin said in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve told your mom about our divorce?¡± Ian was right. Mary was so affectionate to her when she arrived. If she were to find out about their divorce, she would surely be less friendly toward her. ¡°So, are you nning to keep it from her forever? It won¡¯t work, either. I¡¯m not staying here now. You can¡¯t keep lying to her, saying I¡¯m on a business trip, right?¡± we will bring them home-¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Erin immediately stood up and cut him off. ¡°Hold up!n, do you even hear the fucking words leaving your damn mouth? How could youe up with such an absurd n? Since you agreed to divorce, how could you still think of having a child to please your mom? Have you gone mad?¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Utter Destion ¡°Erin, why the hell are you flying off the handle? I¡¯m trying to discuss this with you. My mom went to the office today and stayed there for three hours. How could I work in such conditions? She was there to bug me about having children,ining of how bored she was staying home or ying poker all day. Recently she¡¯s envious of the old couple next door. She said she also wanted grandchildren, and she would care for them. She even made apromise! She said that it¡¯s fine if you prefer your job, but you must have a child first!¡±n said, as if that was the most logical thing in the entire world. What he said instantly struck Erin dumb with fury. She stood before him, looking at the man who graduated college with her, unable to understand how he became this way. He was bing more and more like a stranger! Ever since he started his techpany, he was so used to being a leader in the office that even at home, he was self¨Ccentered and selfish. It caused her a lot of grief. n, you listen to me!¡± Erin snapped. ¡°I will never agree with you and your mom¡¯s foolishness! Do you think having a child is a joke that you could just do it on your whims and fancies? Besides, you and I are about to get divorced¨Cwe surely can¡¯t have a child! III didn¡¯t hear this from you, I never would have thought that you could say something so absurd!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not absurd! I have given it a great deal of thought! I even gave you a mansion that¡¯s worth 20 million! What more do you want? That is your reward for giving me a child. You should be grateful!¡±n furrowed his brow, annoyed. Erin looked at the seriousness of his expression to realize that he wasn¡¯t joking. She chuckled in fury. ¡°Hahaha!n, oh,n. Have you been watching too much of the news? Trying to follow those wealthy families by paying for childbirths. Why do you want to have a child with me anyway? Why don¡¯t you go find your true love. Tracy Brown? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be more than happy to have children with you! I¡¯m sure your mom will happily ept her as her new daughter¨Cinw!¡± ¡°Stop with the nonsense! Don¡¯t bring her up out of the blue. I¡¯m trying to discuss things with you. Besides, my mom only recognizes you as her daughter¨Cinw. She won¡¯t ept any loose women.¡± lan grabbed his box of cigarettes and drew one out, lighting it. Erin narrowed her eyes coldly and said sardonically, ¡°So, your mom could only ept me back then because you were my first?¡± ¡°Heh!n, since I¡¯m such a terrible person to you, why do you still want to have a child with me? Don¡¯t you find me disgusting?¡± Erin said with a darkened expression. Erin red at the man whom she once loved with all her heart. She suddenly felt utter destion. She could have lived a happy and fulfilling life, even giving birth to a child, yet their rtionship at that point had already gone all up in smoke! n, just forget about It! I¡¯ll never agree. You might want to be a coward, but I won¡¯t! I¡¯ll go and tell your mom about our divorce right now!¡± Erin turned and was about to leave whenn grabbed her hand in panic and growled, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± ¡°Why not? She should give this up as soon as possible so that she can pick another daughter¨Cinw. This matter can¡¯t drag on any longer! * Erin tried to break free fromn¡¯s clutch, but he aggressively put out his cigarette in the ashtray with one hand, then hugged Erin tightly. n, let go of me! I¡¯m going to tell her!¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not going to let you go so you can bber to my mom!¡±n hugged her so tightly that she could not break free. Their bodies pressed against each other. Sensing how close she was to him,n suddenly had an idea. He gulped and hastily kissed her. ¡°Let me go-¡± Erin was pinned on the desk.n was an unstoppable wild beast at that moment. She heard a rip and noticed thatn had ripped away her chiffon top. ¡°Erin, shut up!¡± He restrained her with one hand while covering her mouth with the other. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Erin was so anxious that tears almost fell when Mary entered the room nervously. Mary was so flustered by what she saw that she turned to the side, not daring to look at them. She grumbled, ¡°What on earth are you two doing? It¡¯s almost dinner! Can¡¯t you wait until after dinner to do it in your room?¡± Standing by the door, Mary almost fell when Erin ran past her. ¡°Erin, why are you running off?¡± n, w¨Cwhat the hell were you two doing?¡± Mary blushed. She thought that something must have happened to Erin since she yelled so loud that she could hear them from downstairs, yet when Mary opened the door, she saw her son forcing himself on her daughter¨Cinw. ¡°Mom, you won¡¯t understand. It¡¯s how young people have fun.¡± Mary rolled her eyes atn, shook her head, and left while saying, ¡°I¡¯m indeed too old to understand all this.¡± He thought back about how Erin used to wait for him in the bedroom to return home every day, but he never returned home¨Cor touched her at all¨Cwith the excuse of workingte and going on business trips. However, at that moment, he had be a jerk that wanted to take advantage of her. Looking at the roast meat on the table, he put a small piece in his mouth. He thought, ¡°Erin Lane, as long as we¡¯re not divorced, you¡¯re still my wife, and you have to fulfill your duties as one! Next time, I won¡¯t let you escape!¡± Erin ran out of the mansion hastily wearingn¡¯s coal, one she grabbed in panic when she left. When she realized it was toote, she not longer dared to return to the mansion to change her clothes. Although it was night, there were still people having a walk around the neighborhood. Erin was walking rather awkwardly and blushing. hoping no one would notice how unkempt she looked, when a man came across her. ¡°Look at you! Were you caught having an affair?¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Deliberate Harassment Erin noticed Sean with a husky on a leash 30 feet away from her. She continued walking ahead, pretending she didn¡¯t see him. When she was close to him. Sean suddenly blocked her way. Even the husky joined in. ¡°Move!¡± At that moment, Erin was like a provoked panther on edge. Her eyes were filled with rage. Sean, who was in a casual outfit, said condescendingly, ¡°From what I can see, the coat on you definitely isn¡¯t Chandler¡¯s. So, whose is it?¡± Erin huffed. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Sean raised his eyebrow and snickered, saying. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re obliged to tell me. As Chandler¡¯s best friend, if his woman is having an affair behind his back, I¡¯ll have to let him know about it.¡± At the thought of Chandler¡¯s devilishly handsome face, Erin was a little afraid. She was worried that Sean would twist the facts, so she exined grimly, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. I didn¡¯t betray him.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°I can¡¯t ept such a sketchy exnation. You still haven¡¯t told me the real reason.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest, not intending to let her go that easily. Erin was so furious she shut her eyes. She tried hard to collect her emotions before opening them. She took two steps forward and was about to walk past Sean when his dog barked at her fiercely. She was so frightened she hugged her arms and stood there tensely. Sean smiled smugly and teased, ¡°See, even my dog doesn¡¯t agree with your excuse. He has quite a temper. If you infuriate him, he might bite, then you¡¯ll have to head to the hospital to get your shots! After all, the medical fee won¡¯t be too expensive. I won¡¯t mind paying for it a couple of times.¡± Erin red at him resentfully. ¡°What else do you want me to say? I¡¯ve already said it¡¯s not what you think it is!¡± Sean said seriously, ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow me home? You look too much of a mess to hail a cab this way. I have somedies¡® clothes I can let you wear. You think about how you want to exin this whole thing to me right now. If you exin it well, I won¡¯t tell Chandler about what I saw tonight. If you give me a terrible exnation, you can wait for him toe after you. If you want to leave now, it¡¯s fine too, but don¡¯t me me for telling him what I saw-¡± ¡°You!¡± Erin was infuriated. Everyone was trying to ckmail her! She wanted to kill those three men terribly! At the thought of Chandler¡¯s murderous gaze, she followed Sean cowardly. They walked for close to 15 minutes before reaching Sean¡¯s mansion. Erin was surprised at the ce he was staying. She could not believe that he was really staying around in the neighborhood. ¡°I have never seen you around here before.¡± Erin could not help but say. Sean was opening the door with his keys. He turned around and looked at her. ¡°So, you do live around here too.¡± When they entered, he led her to the kitchen and poured her a ss of juice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just moved in yesterday. There isn¡¯t much to drink except juice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to drink it.¡± Erin¡¯s aloof rejection made him chuckle. ¡°Look at how defensive you are. Don¡¯t tell me you think I roofied your drink. You¡¯re reading too much into this.¡± Erin swept him a cold nce. ¡°I just said I don¡¯t want to drink them! You¡¯re the one reading too much into it!¡± ¡°Okay, fine! I¡¯m not here to argue with you. Tell me, why are you wearing a man¡¯s coat?¡± Sean interrogated her with a stern face while sitting on the barstool. Erin chuckled darkly. ¡°I really can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m being ckmailed by you! You¡¯re neither my boyfriend nor my husband! You¡¯re not even my friend! What right do you have to question me?¡± Sean ced his hands on the bar counter andughed, saying. ¡°Because I¡¯m Chandler¡¯s best friend! I know his temper. If he ever finds out. his women have cheated on him, unless he has already dumped them, they¡¯ll die a miserable death!¡± His eyes glistened with glee at her imminent misfortune, which made Erin secretly swear and wish she could beat him up! Sure enough, birds of a feather flock together. The devil¡¯s friend is also a devil. Erin¡¯s mind uncontrobly wandered to when Chandler was choking her. After all, the incident had happened before. To prevent endless interrogation in the future. Erin sighed and came clean. ¡°I returned home to talk to my husband about the divorce, but it ended badly. That¡¯s all.¡± Sean didn¡¯t expect that answer. From the start, he believed Erin had another man other than Chandler. Never would he think that the man he was thinking of was actually her husband! ¡°You¡¯re married?¡± Sean said in disbelief since Erin looked only about twenty years old or so. Erin scoffed. ¡°Is it that strange that I¡¯m married?¡± ¡°You¡¯re married, yet you still seduced Chandler. You sure are slutty.¡± Sean said without any pity and a hint of condescension in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare judge me so casually when you know nothing about the situation! My husband was the one who cheated on me, which was why I wanted a divorce! As for Chandler, meeting him was just bad luck! It was an ident!¡± Erin rolled her eyes at Sean. Her exnation delighted Sean. Hearing her describe Chandler in such a way, he was inexplicably a little happy about it. He suppressed his smile and pretended to be serious, saying. ¡°Then, I¡¯m sorry. It looks like I have misunderstood you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s a misunderstanding! I¡¯ve already exined myself! I¡¯m leaving!¡± Erin got up. ¡°Hold on!¡± She turned around and red at Sean. ¡°Are you done yet!¡± Sean got up and walked over to her. He chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that murderous re. I didn¡¯t offend you! Besides, when you sprayed those things into my eyes, I had to wash them for an hour. The bruises on my knees are still there, but I¡¯m willing to look past that. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still holding a grudge? I was wrong back then. Can we call it even?¡± Erin said nothing when she heard him bring up the past incident. At the thought of it, truth be told, she felt a little sheepish, so she softened her tone. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Sean walked past her and headed upstairs. He said casually, ¡°Come with me. I have some newdies¡® clothes. You can pick one to wear.. You can¡¯t just head back looking like that, right?¡± Erin was a little stunned. She looked at the wretched mess she was in. Ever since she ran away from the mansion, she had been clutching the coat cor with one hand¨Cto the point where her hand was cramping up¨Cso she would not be exposed. ¡°Oh. Thank you.¡± Sean waved and said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Come up.¡± Erin followed him upstairs to a huge walk¨Cin closet. It was filled with clothes with their tags still on. They were all luxury brands. Any piece there would cost more than 10 thousand dors. She picked up the cheapest summer blouse she could find and headed to the bathroom to get changed. When she came out, Sean was leaning against the corridor railings looking at her. He looked amazed and said, ¡°You look good in anything! Even if you¡¯ve picked the most modest¨Clooking thing, you still look-¡± Erin scowled and said, ¡°Stop with your filthy thoughts! Your entire closet here is just to reward the ladies who stay the night with you. right?¡± At the thought of how Sean tried to buy her previously, Erin was sure that he was a yboy. Not only that, but Chandler had also said so. Sean ogled her and smiled flirtatiously, saying. ¡°You¡¯re smart, but you¡¯re only half right. These clothes are not only my gift to them but also because sometimes I tear their clothes off¡ª¡± Erin was caught speechless. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Merciless There was a hint of lust in the air. Erin coughed awkwardly and said, ¡°My god, you really have no filter. I¡¯m wearing the clothes. I won¡¯t take the tag off; I¡¯ll return them to you! Give me your address, and I¡¯ll courier it to you.¡± Sean realized his seduction was futile, and he regained a little rity. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Stop teasing me. Why would I want the things that I have given away? It¡¯s just a few thousand dors. Are you trying to embarrass me by sending it back?¡± Erin insisted. ¡°I¡¯m different from the other women! I can¡¯t ept the clothes. I will return it to you. Stop with the nonsense, and just give me your address!¡± Sean furrowed his brow at her insistence, but suddenly he was once again delighted after giving it some thought. He took his phone out of his pocket, inserted his passcode, and opened his contacts. He took his phone over to her. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll contact youter on. Let¡¯s exchange contacts.¡± Erin subconsciously reached for her phone when she suddenly remembered. ¡°I left in a hurry, so I left my phone and bag at home¡­¡± Sean saw only the coat in her arms. He believed her. ¡°Tell me your number then, and I¡¯ll add your contact. You can add meter,¡± he said casually. Erin then recited her number to him. When they were downstairs, Sean was about to send her home when Erin said, ¡°No need to trouble you. If you can, could you help me call a cab?¡± He had already gotten her contact, so he no longer insisted on sending her home. He called her a cab, and they sat on the sofa talking while they waited. ¡°Let me guess. You wore your husband¡¯s clothes and ran out. Were you in the state of undress previously?¡± Erin responded with a frosty expression as Sean had guessed her situation correctly. He merely narrowed his eyes and said nothing further. It seemed that her husband was trying to force himself on her. They sat in awkward silence for the next ten minutes before the cab arrived. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. When Erin got in the car, Sean leaned against the door and asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me your name.¡± ¡°Erin Lane.¡± When the cab left. Sean returned inside and headed upstairs. Walking past the bathroom, he suddenly remembered that Erin only took the coat when she left. What about the clothes that she was wearing? He headed into the bathroom and looked into the trash bin. Sure enough, he saw a red chiffon top. He reached out and fished the top out from the bin. He held the top with both hands and saw the torn fabric. He thought back about how much of a mess Erin looked back then. He suddenly had thoughts that he shouldn¡¯t have and threw the top back into the bin. With a darkened gaze, he took his phone out and dialed his lover, saying seductively. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ve missed you.¡± At that exact moment, in Tracy Brown¡¯s rented apartment, lovemaking was in session. After 40 minutes,n, sweating profusely,y next to Tracy, hugging her. Tracy¡¯s face was flushed. n, I thought you said you were busy tonight? Why did you suddenly think ofing to find me?¡± Tracy was initially worried that for the few days thatn¡¯s mother was staying over, Erin would return home and seduce him. It looked like she had been overthinking. Ian¡¯s heart was with whomever he was spending time with. At least, that was what Tracy thought. He had been turned on badly by Erin in the mansion but had no one to release it to, so he came looking for Tracy after dinner. Tracy had chosen an apartment nearn¡¯s mansion so that he could easilye over in a five¨Cminute drive. n, how is the divorce with you and Erin going?¡± Tracy was afraid thatn would be touchy about the subject, but she still asked worriedly after some hesitation. Sure enough, whenn heard her question, his expression darkened. He immediately retracted his hand away from her and snuffed his cigarette in the ashtray. He got up and said, ¡°It¡¯s too hot here. I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Tracy was unhappy about him avoiding her question. She was resentful, yet she didn¡¯t dare to say anything about it as she knewn didn¡¯t like being pushed. The clients and partners in hispany could do that, but she, as his mistress, could not. She thought of hown paid for the 100¨Csquare¨Cfoot apartment she was currently in, saving her about eight thousand dors monthly, so even if she were dissatisfied with him, she would just hold it back. Twenty minutester,n got dressed and was about to leave the bedroom. Tracy, in her rather sheer sleeping gown, hugged him from behind and said in a slightly aggrieved tone, n, my mom wants to set me up on blind dates again! Saying that some young man back home is showing interest in me and that he has three properties. The man even said that if I marry him, he¡¯ll put the properties under my name.¡± His coldness and heartlessness enraged Tracy, who had suppressed her anger for over two months. n, have you forgotten what you said to me before? You said that your feelings for me are real and that you finally know what love is after being with me. Although you¡¯re not my first, and I have had two boyfriends before you, right now, you¡¯re the only man in my life! How long do you want to keep our rtionship in limbo? You have to at least give me some hope!¡± He snickered, lit another cigarette, and strode to the sofa, sitting down. He felt it was time toy all cards on the table. ¡°Tracy, I know you want to get married to me, but I¡¯ve already told you my mom will never allow it. My dad died early, so I will try to satisfy my mom¡¯s wishes and try my best not to disobey her. I won¡¯t marry a woman that she doesn¡¯t like. If you think that spending time with me was a waste of your youth, we can just call it quits. You have been with me for quite some time. I willpensate you for this. Five million dors. You can buy a decent property back home. If you agree, I¡¯ll wire the money to you tomorrow. The job is still yours if you think you can continue staying around. You¡¯ll still be my secretary. Think about it.¡± Then,n got up and left without hesitation. When Tracy heard what he said, chills instantly ran down her spine. She was so frightened that she quickly rushed to hug him, pleading.¡±n, no. Don¡¯t do this to me! I was wrong¡­¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Lucky Rescue Tracy¡¯s pleas did nothing to convincen. He merely pried her arms off him and said calmly. ¡°Tracy, think about what I said, thene and let me know. You¡¯re still young. You do have the right to choose the life you want. I won¡¯t be able to give you a proper status if you stay with me. This fact won¡¯t change.¡± Then,n left without any hesitation. Tracy wanted to chase after him, but she held back. She had almost be the type of woman that lan found least attractive ¨C the one that never knew when to stop! She returned to her room dejectedly, thinking about hown¡¯s charming looks and skills in bed always drove her crazy with delight and how her previous two boyfriends could notpare at all, let alone the man interested in her back home. She wasn¡¯t an idiot. The price of those three properties was barely worth anything in the huge city where she was. Just on that alone, she was not willing to given up. She only said what she said because she thought lan held her in high regard. She didn¡¯t expect it to backfire. At that moment, she regretted it terribly. A reckless impulse almost ruined her rtionship withn. She was from a small rural town, so no matter what, she was loath to return home to work! She headed over to herputer in her study and opened a folder containing different videos. Tracy had a smug gaze as she said mockingly to herself, ¡°Erin Lane, no matter how pretty you are, you don¡¯t know how to serve men! I will make suren stays with me!¡± Then, Tracy yed some porn videos and started studying their actions in all seriousness. At midnight. Chandler drove to a high¨Cend bar. He parked his car and walked inside, heading straight for the private rooms. Two youngdies saw him passing by and ogled at him. Chandler was so charming that anydy¨Cno matter the age¨Cwould be infatuated with him. Thedies initially wanted to ask Chandler for his number, but they looked at ire next to them and no longer dared to do so. They picked up their bags and prepared to leave. After all, they had finished their duties. One of thedies said to Chandler, ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll leave ire in your hands. You have to send her home!¡± Chandler responded with a frosty expression. Thedies were so frightened they didn¡¯t dare to stay a moment longer. They opened the door and quickly left the room. With a bottle of wine in her hands, ire said with a flushed face, ¡°Chandy, you¡¯re here.¡± She smiled pleasantly, showing off her dimples. She was in a body¨Chugging sleeveless red dress that night, looking quite mature. Chandler walked over a little angrily and sat down next to her. He tried to take away the bottle of wine from her. ¡°Why are you drinking so much?¡± he scolded. ire hugged the bottle tightly, including Chandler¡¯s hand. He quickly retracted his hands from her arms, looking a little uneasy. ¡°Chandy, did you know that Matthew has returned? He is currently on tour around the world, and the only stop in this country is this city. Do you think he came for me?¡± ire said intoxicatedly, trying to support herself amidst the dizziness. Chandler looked at the carpet on the floor with a darkened gaze. Back then, before ire left to study abroad, he almost confessed his love to her, but the moment he met her, she excitedly held his hand and told him that Matthew had confessed to her and asked her to be his girlfriend. Matthew Burgess was an influential rockstar in the music industry. He was the same age as ire, and they both came from simr family backgrounds. At that moment, Chandler realized that girls at ire¡¯s age would only like boys their age. He and ire were ten years apart. When ire left the country with Matthew, Chandler boxed up his feelings for her in a deep corner of his heart. Even if she had returned, he deliberately did not look for her in an attempt to bury his futile, unrequited love for her. However, at that moment, the girl that he liked was getting drunk over an ex and evenmenting about it in front of him. ire wiped away her tears and looked up, choking up as she said, ¡°Chandy, did you know why Matthew broke up with me?¡± Chandler didn¡¯t want to know the reason at all. He merely wanted to stay as far away from all these as possible. However, he caved in when he saw her sad tears. ¡°Why?¡± ire looked at him with an empty gaze. ¡°It was his birthday, and I was prepared to give him my virginity. Right at the most important moment, I told him that if I became his woman. I hoped I could marry him.¡± Then, she chuckled destely, saying. ¡°I never would have thought that when he heard what I said, he immediately put on his clothes and left. The next day, I went to look for him, trying to get an answer, but he never answered my calls or replied to my messages. Onlyter did his manager tell me that he had left the country to perform. I bought the quickest avable flight to reach him just to get an answer. After the concert, he finally gave me one.¡± ire continued agitatedly. ¡°He broke up with me on the spot! He said he didn¡¯t want to sleep with me because the pressure was too huge! He said he had never thought of getting married to me!¡± Then, she dejectedly picked up the bottle and took a few more swigs of wine. Chandler instantly snatched the bottle away, saying. ¡°Stop drinking already. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± He got up and pulled her up by her arm. She stood up, swaying. ¡°Chandy, do you think he doesn¡¯t love me?¡± she asked through tears. ¡°If he loves me, why would he dump me?¡± She was getting conflicted over the most obvious answer. Chandler didn¡¯t want to lie to her, so he said directly. ¡°Yes! He doesn¡¯t love you. That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t want to bear the responsibility!¡± ¡°Hah! I knew it! You¡¯re right! I trust you the most! Alright, let¡¯s go home!¡± ire obediently followed Chandler and left. Before leaving the bar, he even paid the bill for her. When he ced ire into the passenger seat, he suddenly noticed a petite figure in the distance. He saw Erin being carried into the hotel next to the bar by two men. He didn¡¯t dare to think what was going to happen. He locked the car door and noticed that ire had already cked out. He was a little worried, so he called Kyle. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Kyle,e to Bar No. 8 on St. us Road. Bring the spare car key. Take my car and drive ire home,¡± Chandler said while walking toward the hotel. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Ten minutester, Chandler had beaten up the men that brought Erin to the hotel, and they were apprehended by the hotel security, waiting to be handled. At that moment, the hotel manager didn¡¯t dare to look at the big boss of the hotel, Chandler¡¯s icy gaze was enough to scare him half to death! He apologized profusely, bowing at Chandler, promising that things like that would never happen again. Soon, Chandler took Erin home in the luxury car provided by the hotel. When they returned to the mansion, he threw Erin into the bathroom in disgust. He helped her shower and blew dry her hair, suppressing the anger in him. Then, he tucked her into bed. He would have interrogated her the entire night if it were not for her cking out from intoxication! The next day, Erin was woken up by the heat of a brightmp shining on her face. She was blinded the moment she opened her eyes, so she instinctively raised her hand to block the light. The thick curtains had blocked out all light from the outside. She squinted her eyes and noticed a man sitting by the sofa. She instantly jumped and asked, trembling, ¡°Who are you?¡± Chandler was so furious he wanted to choke her to death. He said curtly. ¡°Erin Lane, open your fucking eyes and see who I am!¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Showing Concern When Erin heard the familiar man¡¯s voice, her heart skipped a beat before beating wildly. There was a slight quiver in her voice. ¡°How did I end up here?¡± Thest time she was sick, she was in this bedroom too. She then realized the ce might be Chandler¡¯s home, as she previously thought it was just some wealthy woman¡¯s mansion. Chandler, in a dapper suit, walked over to her and dimmed the light shining on her attractive face. He gazed at her with his deep¨Cset eyes, saying. ¡°Erin, what happenedst night? You bettere clean. Don¡¯t make me send men to investigate this!¡± If he didn¡¯t happen to be there the night before, he was sure that Erin would have been raped. Kyle, his secretary, called him in the wee hours of the morning, saying that the two men had confessed the mastermind behind it. Kyle looked into the person and told Chandler that he was the president of one of the corporations. Erin looked at his darkened gaze. She was still feeling a little hungover and nauseous as she had not had breakfast yet. ¡°Can I have some food first?¡± she pleaded. Chandler looked at her pale face and thought for a while before saying, ¡°Wash up and go downstairs for breakfast.¡± Erin¡¯s suspended heart was relieved as she watched him leave the bedroom and close the door. When she uncovered the sheets and saw what was underneath, she screamed. Chandler was going downstairs when he heard her scream. He smiled a little. ¡°Stupid woman.¡± Erin hugged her clothes embarrassingly in the bedroom and ran into the bathroom. She locked the door and looked around. When she discerned the windows and doors were securely locked, she started getting dressed in peace. She was extremely nervous facing Chandler just now. She got dressed while muttering to herself. ¡°That stupid handsome face.¡± It distracted her while she tried casting nces at him, failing to notice that she was not wearing anything! She was an idiot! When Erin went downstairs, Chandler sat opposite her, eating a piece of bacon regally with a fork and knife. As she sat down, he hinted at the butler with a gaze. The butler bowed and left the elegant dining room. ¡°Erin, tell me, what happenedst night?¡± He swept her a nce and continued eating. Erin looked uneasy. ¡°When I returned homest night, I received Ms. Williams¡® message to help out at thest minute. She said the other two designers were in a business meeting with a client and told me to help them out. When I arrived, only then did I realize that by helping. she meant drinking with them. The other designers and I drank quite a lot. Later on, someone passed me a ss of wine. I drank and felt extremely drunk and fell asleep. When I woke up, here I am.¡± Erin was still feeling a little terrified. She remembered what Dana previously told her about Jte being in talks with a client who was a well¨Cknown pervert. Jte might have used them to get out of it. She never thought that it was true! N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chandler looked at her intensely. He didn¡¯t hide the rebuke in his tone. ¡°Erin, are you dumb or what? Don¡¯t you know how to say no and just head home?¡± Erin sighed and exined, ¡°I want to! But Jte is one of our head designers. She is half my supervisor. The other two designers were there drinking with the clients too. I couldn¡¯t bear to leave them, so I joined in-¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Chandler summed up. He could not be bothered to even look at her. He merely continued eating with a darkened expression. Erin initially thought of exining herself, but she realized that Chandler was right. She could have refusedst night! She could have found an excuse not to join the meeting by saying she was not feeling well or pretending she was already asleep. She felt that it was because of her inexperience, which was why she did not know how to deal with such an issue. In her previouspany, her boss, Ben Tate, would never do such a thing. All his services were straightforward and transactional. If he were to meet any client that demanded they drink with them, he would just not take their business. The incidentst night was a first for Erin. To put it bluntly, she just didn¡¯t want to offend Jte. After all, Jte had worked in thepany for over ten years. Also, she thought Jte, as the head designer, would protect her subordinates in such a situation. She never thought that when she realized something was off, it was already toote. She was thinking to herself at that moment whether that ss of wine she drank was drugged. Five minutester, Chandler looked up at her once more after he had finished his breakfast. He picked up the napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth. He noticed that Erin was distracted while eating her breakfast with her head lowered. He sighed a little and said with a softened tone. ¡°Caleb is the one who is managing the design department. Jte¡¯s way of conducting business is tamishing thepany¡¯s image! I¡¯ll get Caleb to handle this. I¡¯m managing a hugepany: I can¡¯t possibly care about all the small details. If I can¡¯t help you, you have to be careful! In the future, if you end up in such a situation, no matter who they are, you have to say no. Got it?¡± Erin suddenly felt warmness in her heart. She was even a little moved. She thought that this was Chandler¡¯s way of showing concern. She smiled a little, not knowing why she was happy. She merely responded somewhat coquettishly. ¡°Got it.¡± Chandler got up and left his seat. He walked over to her and said, ¡°Come out when you¡¯re done eating.¡± ¡°O¨Cokay.¡± Erin mewled and blushed. Chandler was extremely satisfied with her obedience at that moment. Ten minutester, Erin got into his Maybach. Twenty minutes after leaving the mansion, the car stopped at a red light. Chandler turned to look at her and said in his usualmanding tone. ¡°Go and pack up your things tonight after work. I¡¯ll send the driver toe and pick you up. You¡¯ll stay with me for the next three months.¡± Erin looked at him in shock. Even if it was only for three months, they would be living together! ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate.¡± Even though she didn¡¯t refuse him directly, her tone was enough to express her unwillingness. ¡°Erin, don¡¯t think you can bargain with me just because I¡¯m a little more giving. There is no discussion on this matter. You¡¯ll move in tonight! I¡¯m toozy to send you messages. When you stay with me, seeing each other will be more convenient.¡± He turned around and held the steering wheel. Soon, the traffic light turned green, and he continued driving. He had already made himself clear. Erin didn¡¯t know what to say at that moment, but their conversation that morning during breakfast made her admit that her feelings for him had taken a slight turn. Although she was still against the thought of being kept as a mistress, she had a reason to start persuading herself that it was okay since she had no say. When Erin realized her changes in feelings, she was suddenly worried. How could she end up in such a state of debauchery? She took a deep breath and looked at Chandler, saying firmly, ¡°No! I can¡¯t stay with you! I¡¯m not divorced yet!¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Confrontation on All Sides Erin¡¯s answer clearly made Chandler unhappy. ¡°Why are you not divorced yet? Are you ignoring my wishes, Erin?¡± Chandler looked right in front, but Erin could sense him gritting his teeth. The tension in the car was so palpable that Erin could feel her hair stand. She didn¡¯t want to aggravate him, so she said feebly. ¡°My husband-¡± Chandler cast her a murderous gaze. ¡°How dare you still call him your husband!¡± Erin immediately corrected herself. ¡°He insists on having a child before getting a divorce.¡± ¡°What the fuck?¡± What she said stunned Chandler so much that he swore. ¡°I also thought that what he said was nuts! I didn¡¯t say yes! But he is an erratic imbecile¨CI can¡¯t do anything about it! When I returned him the five million dors previously, he almost¡­¡± Chandler narrowed his eyes and asked in a quiet yet dangerous voice, ¡°Did he touch you?¡± ¡°No! He failed to!¡± Erin quickly exined. She had a vague feeling that ifn really were to do something to her, she would have died a terrible death. She was very sure that Chandler was an authoritarian control freak! Sean¡¯s messages previously had told her so too. Chandler didn¡¯t find her exnation satisfactory, but he said nothing more. The mood in the car was frosty as they traveled in silence for the rest of the journey. After parking the car in the office¡¯s underground parking lot, Chandler got out with a darkened expression, not looking at Erin at all. Erin¡¯s back was drenched in a cold sweat as she watched him stride into his private elevator. When Chandler didn¡¯t say anything, she was so frightened she was in a daze, speechless. Getting in the elevator, she found it unbelievable how she could be so afraid of Chandler. Just one look was enough to scare her half to death. Time flew quickly in the design department. Erin was as busy as a bee. Ever since she left Sean¡¯s cest night and returned home, she hadpleted the design draft for thepetition. Not long after she sent the draft to Caleb, she received Jte¡¯s call. She nned to ask the other two designers during lunch how she was taken away by two menst night! Soon, it was lunchtime. E and Milly deliberately came over to invite Erin for lunch. Since Erin couldn¡¯t find the two designers that were with her the night before, she decided to go for lunch with E and Milly first. At the staff¡¯s cafeteria, E found an empty booth and ced her tray there before waving at Erin and Milly toe over. Once they sat, Milly said mysteriously, ¡°Erin, did you hear? Caleb fired Jte and the two designers this morning!¡± Erin was so shocked she almost dropped her cutlery. What shocking news! ¡°Why were they fired?¡± If the reason was drinking with the clients, she had done that too the night before. Milly chuckled rather sarcastically. ¡°It¡¯s an absolutely legitimate reason. They say it was because the business they took on recently was too crass, ruining thepany¡¯s image! Two days ago, I heard from the other designers that Jte would force female designers to drink with clients! I can¡¯t believe a hugepany like this would need a business like that!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. E, chewing on her salmon, shook her head and said, ¡°Only Jte would do such a thing. She wants a higher sales record to gain the director¡¯s attention. It¡¯s not the first time that she has done such a thing! Only that she got unlucky this time, being exposed for her wrongdoings! I heard that Caleb was so furious he told them to leave immediately, but since Jte had worked here for a long time and had contributed much to thepany, he didn¡¯t make them pay for the loss thepany incurred. If not, Janelle might go bankrupt and would still be unable to pay thepany back!¡± Erin ate in silence. This matter would not havee to light if it were not for her. It was good that a person like Jte was fired. preventing other female colleagues from going through what Erin went through. After all, even if they were not at Frost Corporation, they could still find work in otherpanies. It wasn¡¯t as if they were banned from the design industry; only their reputation would suffer a little. E, Milly, and Erin returned to the office after lunch. When it was close to the end of the day. Holly called Erin¡¯s officendline. ¡°Erin,n called me this afternoon. He returned your phone and bag and asked that you return his jacket too. His wallet and cards are in that jacket.¡± ¡°Okay. Holly, can you tell him to wait for me in the office? I¡¯ll return it to him-¡± Holly interrupted her. ¡°He said not to go to the office. He said if you want to return the jacket to him, go home and return it to him. He also said that if you don¡¯t go, he won¡¯t return your ID to you.¡± ¡°Fuck! That imbecile!¡± Erin could not help but swear. The designers around her suddenly looked up at her. She awkwardly lowered her head and said softly. ¡°I¡¯ll hang up first. If there¡¯s anything else, we can talk about it at home.¡± The moment she hung up, Dana¡¯s voice rang out from behind her. Dana said in a seemingly deliberately loud voice, ¡°Erin, who were you talking to? Was it your husband?¡± Erin jumped. She turned around and saw Dana; Caleb was also standing not far away. At that moment, Caleb was looking at her with aplicated gaze. Seeing how Erin didn¡¯t reply to her, Dana continued saying. ¡°Erin, why are you not answering? Are you shy? It¡¯s nothing to be shy about! It¡¯s the end of the day, so it¡¯s okay if you use thepany¡¯s line to call your husband. The Frost Corporation won¡¯t care about those few cents. Erin retracted her gaze from Caleb and looked at Dana. She did not know why, but it felt like Dana was targeting her today. Dana was smiling casually, but what she said felt a little hostile no matter how Erin thought about it. Erin didn¡¯t dare to look at Caleb. She felt as if she was lying to him, even though divorcingn was only a matter of time, but from a legal point of view, she was indeed still married and not single. Dana stood there, not intending to move. Erin could not get her to leave, so she turned around and shut herputer, casually saying.¡± The person on the phone just now was not my husband.¡± Upon hearing that, Caleb left quickly, as if he wanted to get away from her as soon as possible. Dana witnessed Caleb leaving, which made her unspeakably delighted! She said to Erin, ¡°Oh, I see! Alright, it¡¯s time to call it a day. I¡¯ll go shut myputer too.¡± After Dana left, Erin got up, preparing to leave the office. When she left, she sensed the other colleagues casting her disdainful nces. She had previously hitched a ride from Caleb, and many in the design department had heard about it. They thought she liked Caleb, yet they never thought she would still be such a floozy even when she was married. After Dana¡¯s questions, her image in the design department had gotten worse. Five minutester, Erin walked out of the office building. At the thought of Caleb¡¯s gaze at her a moment ago, she felt guilty and a little sheepish too. She thought about the question Caleb had asked her in his office. She took a deep breath and decided to head to the parking lot to try her luck. Perhaps she could bump into Caleb; if she did, she would exin herself. However, she merely turned around when she saw Caleb standing before her. She was so stunned that she stood there nkly. At that moment, Caleb had a frosty look on his face. His tone was icy. ¡°Erin, I want to hear what you have to say.¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Forced to Live Together Erin looked at Caleb, suddenly at a loss for words. ¡°Mr. Grant, I- ¡°We¡¯re off work right now. You can call me by my name. Erin, are you really married?¡± Caleb still had a look of disbelief in his eyes. Erin thought of exining it to Caleb a moment ago, but when he stood right before her, she suddenly didn¡¯t know where to begin. She looked at the staff slowlying out of the office building. It was the end of the day, and she found it inconvenient to talk there, so she suggested. ¡°Why don¡¯t we find a ce to talk? I¡¯ll exin the matter clearly.¡± Caleb nodded in agreement, and they walked to a caf¨¦ across the office building. When they entered the caf¨¦, Erin found a corner and sat down while Caleb chose to sit opposile her. When the waiter arrived, they both ordered a cup of coffee and silently waited for their order. Once their coffee was served, Erin took a sip and said. ¡°I¡¯m indeed married, but I¡¯ve been trying to settle a divorce with him for the past few days. When you asked me if I had a boyfriend, I didn¡¯t mean to deliberately hide it from you. I just didn¡¯t want to exin my current rtionship with my husband.¡± Erin continued. ¡°There are so many people in the office; I don¡¯t want them to gossip about my personal life behind my back. The three colleagues from my previouspany have all met my husband, but they still didn¡¯t know about our divorce.¡± Caleb¡¯s hand that was holding onto the coffee cup rxed tremendously. He gently ced the coffee cup on the table. He furrowed his brow and thought a little while. When he looked up at Erin again, he looked more at ease. He said calmly. ¡°Thank you for telling me this. I understand what you¡¯re going through, but can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Sure, what is it?¡± ¡°Why are you getting a divorce?¡± Caleb looked a little confused. Erin¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°He had cheated on me for almost half a year.¡± Ten minutester. Caleb and Erin left the caf¨¦. Caleb insisted on paying the bill, so Erin said she would pay for the next round. Caleb smiled in agreement. On the way back on the subway, Erin thought about what Caleb had told her in the caf¨¦. He said her design had been selected as one of the top three. He and another famous designer were the judges in thepetition, and the results would be announced at the office by the following Wednesday. Caleb also told her he would wait for her to settle her rtionship matters. He still hoped that he could be her boyfriend. Erin instantly replied that she was not considering getting into any rtionship at that moment. She only wanted to focus on her work. Caleb said nothing further except that he would wait for her. Half an hourter. Erin returned home. Before entering her neighborhood, she stopped by a small supermarket to buy groceries and prepare dinner for Holly that night. In less than 20 minutes, Holly entered with a bag of shrimp. The moment she entered, she could smell something cooking in the oven. She excitedly took off her heels and pranced into the kitchen. When she saw Erin slicing potatoes, she asked excitedly. ¡°Erin, tell me the truth. What¡¯s the good news today? Has your director picked your design?¡± Erin looked at her and asked, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°Why? Cooking up a feast in the oven is troublesome, yel you¡¯re willing to do it. You must have some good news to announce!¡± Holly eximed assuredly. Her best friend sure had an astute observation. Erin didn¡¯t retort but merely said, ¡°Holly, wash the shrimps. We¡¯ll be able to eat soon.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wash the shrimp.¡± Half an hourter, Erin and Holly had stuffed themselves to the brim. Erin looked at Holly and came clean. ¡°I¡¯m moving out.¡± Holly was stunned by the sudden news. She asked anxiously, ¡°You¡¯re moving out? Why? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re moving back ton¡¯s?¡± Erin shook her head but said nothing. Her silence only made Holly even more worried. ¡°Where are you moving to? We were living together so happily, why are you moving out? If you move out, I¡¯ll be alone and bored! Erin, did I do something wrong?¡± Although Erin was a little hesitant, if she did not tell her best friend the truth, Holly would probably worry herself to death, which would cause friction in their friendship too. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. She exined, ¡°Holly, me moving out has nothing to do with you! Don¡¯t think that way! I¡¯ll be honest. Do you still remember that the male escort I found previously was actually my boss?¡± Holly nodded. ¡®I do. Are you moving out because of him? Are you two going to live together?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be living together, but we¡¯re not a couple. He threatened me with some racy photos, forcing me to be his lover for three months. He wants me to move in with him, which must be done tonight. He¡¯s sending a driver over at ten.¡± Erin had a helpless yet grim expression. She received Chandler¡¯s call reminding her about the move when she was buying groceries. When Holly heard what Erin said, she was speechless for a long while. She furrowed her brow and chewed on her food unnaturally. Erin said nothing either, merely eating her potatoes in silence. After about three minutes, Holly suddenly asked, ¡°Do you think your boss likes you? If not, do you think a powerful person like the President of the Frost Corporation would have trouble getting women? Why would he need to threaten a lowly staff with racy photos? By the way, when did he take those photos? Did you consent to it, or were you forced?¡± Erin looked at Holly with food in her mouth. She could not understand what Holly was feeling at that moment from her expressions. Holly was feeling conflicted. A man appeared out of nowhere, trying to take Erin away from her. How was she going to live alone in such a huge apartment? She felt lonely just at the thought of it. Also, if that man liked Erin, did that mean that Erin was soon no longer single? That would mean that she would be abandoned once more. Erin didn¡¯t avoid Holly¡¯s questions. She replied, ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into it. How could he like me? Even if he does, it¡¯s because he likes new things, or perhaps I¡¯m his subordinate, so he finds it easier.¡± Then, she huffed angrily. ¡°As for the racy photos, I didn¡¯t know he took them at first! Back then, I did think of taking it to court to settle the matter, but I¡¯m afraid that it would blow up and my family and friends would find out about it, then my reputation would be ruined! Also, I can¡¯t afford to offend Chandler, what with his wealth and influential power¡­¡± She sighed, then said. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. Since he¡¯ll let me go after three months, I¡¯ll just bear with it. I me myself for getting tangled with such a man. Perhaps fate is punishing me for not cherishing my life. In the future, no matter how sad or angry I am, I won¡¯t go casually looking for men anymore.¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Best Friend Aggravated Erin ced her cutlery down. When Holly saw how regretful Erin looked, she immediatelyforted her. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think about it. anymore! Let the past remain in the past. Since he has something on you, I can¡¯t help you much. The Frost Corporation can grow even. bigger, so I definitely believe that Chandler can be ruthless. We¡¯ll be at a disadvantage if we go up against him.¡± Erin slowly suppressed her bitterness. She shouldn¡¯t air out her grievances to Holly. She shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll treat it as a lesson learned!¡± ¡°Erin, please don¡¯t think I¡¯m being nosy, but you should quickly settle your divorce withn. You¡¯re still married, yet you¡¯re living with another man. It does sound quite inappropriate. Ifn and his family find out about this, all hell will break loose.¡± Holly was voicing what Erin was worried about. In a fit of rage, she told Holly whatn had said to her. Holly almost flipped the table over after hearing Erin¡¯s story. She cursed, ¡°Fuck him! I have never seen such a scumbag! Even Eugene can¡¯t.pare to him! Even if he¡¯s a scumbag, he only likes to fool around. When I brought up divorce, he happily signed the papers! Unlike this. imbecile who doesn¡¯t cherish you yet won¡¯t give you up once you ask for a divorce! He truly is the scum of the earth! I really want to hire men to beat him up! Best if they beat him up until he¡¯s impotent!¡± Holly¡¯s reaction amused Erin, especially what she said at the end. ¡°What are youughing about? I¡¯m being serious! Quickly divorce that scumbag! I can no longer stand for this. I¡¯ll send someone to-¡± Erin quickly jumped in, seeing how Holly was about to interfere. ¡°Holly, thank you, but Chandler is already nning on doing something. I received his call in the supermarket this evening. He told me to just wait for good news about the divorce.¡± Holly apuded. ¡°That¡¯s the best! He is, after all, your lover now. He should help you sort out your problems! I suddenly thought of something. Is he great in bed?¡± Erin blushed and stood up. She got up while saying. ¡°Holly, you¡¯ve changed! I¡¯m going to pack!¡± Holly happily followed suit, saying, ¡°Look at you, blushing. I must be right! You sure are lucky! You¡¯ve barely kickedn away when another dominant man enters your life. Even if it isn¡¯t true love, he can still satisfy your needs.¡± Erin looked at her foul¨Cmouthed best friend. She chuckled and said, ¡°If you¡¯re so afraid of being lonely, go find a man. You¡¯re free, after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! It¡¯s time I find myself a hunk! I¡¯m going to show Eugene that I still got it even after I left him!¡± Erin smiled but said nothing. She started packing up. She knew how her friend was¨CHolly might exaggerate things, but she wasn¡¯t that loose in private. An hourter, at 10 pm, Erin¡¯s phone rang. It was from Chandler¡¯s driver. She took her luggage and bade farewell to Holly before heading N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. down. The driver loaded Erin¡¯s luggage into the trunk before driving away from the neighborhood. On the way to Chandler¡¯s mansion, she felt conflicted and afraid. Thinking about how much pressure it was living with Chandler under the same roof for the next three months. She took her phone out and started surfing the. She suddenly thought of a n¨Csince Chandler seemed to have a crush on her, what if she made him resent her? Would she be able to move out of the mansion sooner? At the thought of that possibility, Erin felt much more rxed. It was extremely difficult to get all men to fall for a perfect woman, but it was much easier getting a man to hate a woman. She took note of the things that made a man hate a woman on her phone so that she could easily execute her n! When the car came to a halt, Erin realized that they were already in thepounds of Chandler¡¯s mansion. She sheepishly kept her phone in her bag. The driver took her luggage upstairs to a huge guest bedroom that Chandler had previously prepared for her. Once she entered the bedroom, she unpacked her clothes and ced them in the wardrobe. The butler informed her that Chandler wasn¡¯t home, and she couldn¡¯t care any less. It was great that he wasn¡¯t home. It¡¯d be better if he weren¡¯t home every night! Erin went ahead and took a shower before heading to bed. Soon, it was the following Wednesday, which was also Frost Corporation¡¯s 60th anniversary! Since it was an internal celebration, they didn¡¯t invite the media or other celebrities. Not even all the staff were invited, only representatives from each department. It disappointed the female designers who thought they were attending the celebration. From the design department, the ones chosen to attend were Caleb and the other two head designers, as well as the top three winners of the designpetition. Erin came in second ce -the winner was a male designer who was married with a child. Although Erin didn¡¯te in first, she fell much more rxed about it. After all, Caleb had confessed his feelings to her previously. If she were to win and be his assistant, she would have to face him at work daily. Since she couldn¡¯t reciprocate his feelings, she would rather avoid meeting him that frequently. At that moment. Erin was in a ck gown, looking understated yet elegant. With a ss of fruit punch in her hand, she deliberately stood in an inconspicuous corner, hoping to be drowned out by the celebration. Ever since she moved into the mansion, she had never seen Chandler. She had also sessfully divorcedn. She andn came to an agreement, and they were responsible for telling their family the news. ¡°Erin.¡± Erin turned to see Caleb in a formal suit, looking dapper and handsome. He was smiling warmly at her. ¡°Hello, Mr. Grant,¡± Erin greeted politely. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before,¡± Caleb said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re not at work, so you can just call me Cal.¡± Erin thought it was too personal to call him that, but calling him Caleb might seem a little too distant, but at the thought of how he just called her by her name, she smiled and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll call you Caleb.¡± The light in Caleb¡¯s eyes dimmed a little, but he soon recovered and smiled, saying. ¡°Fine, up to you. I have something to tell you about the Erin said, ¡°Do tell.¡± He deliberately scanned his surroundings and saw that many wereworking, so no one had noticed them in the corner. He said to her honestly, ¡°You actually won first ce! But considering how the others in the office gossip about you, winning first ce. might not be in your favor.¡± He sighed and continued, ¡°Gossip is a terrible thing! Even as the Director of Design, sometimes my hands are tied too. I can¡¯t just fire everyone who likes to gossip. I hope I can do something in my power to make people talk less about you.¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Drugged Erin never thought that she coulde in first! ¡°My design won? You¡¯re not just being biased?¡± she asked in disbeliel. Caleb was a little displeased by her doubts. He said coolly. ¡°Can¡¯t you just have a little confidence in yourself? Is that what you think of me? Even if I¡¯ve asked you to let me be your boyfriend, I keep my work and private life separate! I only see a person¡¯s capabilities during work!¡± Erin immediately apologized for underestimating him, ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry.¡± Caleb sighed and said, ¡°Forget it! If you ever doubt me like this again, watch out! I¡¯ll make things very difficult for you!¡± Erin was a little taken aback, but she came to her senses when she realized Caleb was joking. She giggled and said, ¡°Mr. Grant, it turns out you know how to crack a joke too!¡± Caleb smiled. ¡°What nonsense. I¡¯m human, after all. Can¡¯t I joke?¡± Standing in a dark corner, Dana was infuriated to no end seeing Erin and Caleb smiling. She was peeved that she only came in third in thepetition! She had spent 20 thousand dors hiring a designer, yet she only came in third! However, as long as Erin was not first, she would just swallow down the indignation for the time being. Dana could see how Caleb looked at Erin. Even if she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she couldn¡¯t change the fact that Caleb liked Erin! What a slut! Erin was already married, yet she still shamelessly seduced single men. ¡°Erin, since you¡¯re such a slut, I¡¯ll kindly help you find a man tonight.¡± Dana downed her ss of wine. She was in a stunning red gown that night, and even though she was in a dark corner, a few of her male coworkers hade to flirt with her within the past ten minutes, but she sent them all away. There were many single people there. Although they were not in high positions, they were still chosen to be the representatives of their departments, so their looks and capabilities were not too bad. The legendary chairman of the board and his wife did not appear that night. Even Chandler wasn¡¯t there. Caleb told Erin privately that it was normal that they wouldn¡¯t appear for such an asion. After all, there was no media or the other higher -ups of other corporations¨Cthey could just send a representative to deliver the speech. When Caleb walked out of the hall to answer a private call, Dana, with a ss of wine in her hand, walked over to Erin and said sincerely,¡± Erin, congrats on your second ce!¡± ¡°Thank you, Dana. You¡¯re great foring in third too!¡± Erin¡¯s casual remark sounded like a jab to Dana, as if she was rubbing it in her face. Dana faked a smile and said, ¡°Yes, I got lucky this time. Suddenly, she covered her eyes, saying ufortably, ¡°Erin, help me look for the small mirror in my purse. I think something went in my eye!¡± Erin was a little worried. She immediately ced her unfinished ss of fruit punch on the table and quickly took Dana¡¯s purse. ¡°Okay, give me a moment,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll help you look for it right now.¡± When Erin ced Dana¡¯s purse on the cocktail table, rummaging through it, Dana secretly threw a white pill hidden between her fingers into Erin¡¯s ss. After two minutes of going through her things, Erin looked a little uneasy. ¡°Dana, there¡¯s no mirror in your purse. I¡¯m sorry. I forgot to bring mypact today¨Cif not, I could let you use mine.¡± Dana secretly snuck a nce at the fruit punch on the table. The bubbles were almost gone. She ced her hand down and smiled at Erin. saying. ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better. I think it fell off.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Do you want to head to thedies¡® room to have a look?¡± Erin asked, concerned. Dana secretly pressed into her eyeballs just now in order to make her act seem realistic, which was why it looked a little red. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Really! Come, Erin, let¡¯s drink to our achievements!¡± Dana raised her ss. Erin awkwardly said, ¡°But I¡¯m drinking regr punch. It won¡¯t be fair to you drinking wine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s not a drinking contest!¡± ¡°Okay then! Here¡¯s to better work in the future!¡± When they had both downed their ss. Dana looked up to see Caleb passing through the crowd and coming toward them. She quickly. tugged on Erin¡¯s hand and said with a pained expression, ¡°My tummy hurts! Erin, take me to thedies¡® room, pleasel¡± ¡°Dana, what¡¯s going on? Where does it hurt?¡± Erin panicked a little.. Dana said urgently, ¡°Erin, please, please take me to thedies¡® room!¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Erin took her bag and helped Dana toward thedies¡® room. When Caleb saw them leaving, he followed them worriedly. He guessed they¡¯d probably head to the restroom, so he stood nearby waiting for them. However, Dana had also predicted that Caleb would chase after them, so she deliberately got Erin to take her to thedies¡® room upstairs, saying that the one downstairs was dirty. Naturally, Erin believed her. Inside thedies¡® room, Dana pretended that her stomach hurt, sitting on the toilet seat. Erin stood outside the door, apanying her.¡± Dana, are you fine?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you need me to send you to the hospital?¡± Dana replied, ¡°No need to go to the hospital. Just stay with me for a while.¡± In fact, Dana was waiting for the drug that Erin took to take effect. Ten minutester, Erin was starting to sweat. Her insides felt like it was burning, and she kept thinking about sex. She could barely stand straight. ¡°Dana, my body feels hot. Have I fallen sick too¡­¡± Dana was instantly delighted. She clutched her throat, pretended to be unwell, and said, ¡°Are you sick too? Could it be the food tonight? Erin, you don¡¯t have to stay if you¡¯re not feeling good! Go!¡± Dana maliciously smirked when she saw the text on her phone. ¡°You really don¡¯t need me to stay with you?¡± Erin said through gritted teeth. She felt as if her body was on fire, and she was starting to turn delirious. Crazy thoughts kept appearing in her mind. ¡°Erin, I¡¯m fine! Just go!¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go¡­¡± Erin stumbled through the door. She barely took a few steps when she crashed into the arms of a strong man. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She looked at the man in a blurry daze and fell listlessly into his arms. She only saw a sharp gaze before passing out. When she came around once more, she realized she was already lying down, and there was a man on top of her. She couldn¡¯t help but moan ufortably. She couldn¡¯t stop her body from urging for more. The man was trying to satisfy her as best he could, and Erin felt like she was in a dream. In her dream, Chandler was looking at her with a cold expression as if he was angry at her. He said fiercely in her ears. ¡°Erin, you stupid woman. You¡¯re going to see how I¡¯ll punish you.¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Gifts The next morning, when Erin woke up, she screamed when she saw the man in her room. However, when she heard how hoarse her voice sounded, she awkwardly covered her mouth and shut up. Chandler was in a bathrobe as if he had just finished showering. He couldn¡¯t hide the disgust on his face as he sneered, ¡°Erin, what are you screaming about? Haven¡¯t you screamed enoughst night? I believe that the household staff didn¡¯t sleep well¡± He threw her a flirtatious nce before heading to the walk¨Cin closet. At that moment, Erin was all alone in the huge bedroom. She got up and noticed she was wearing an extremely see¨Cthrough sleeping gown¨Cit wasn¡¯t hers! She was guessing whether it belonged to one of Chandler¡¯s other women. At that thought, she disgustedly stripped off the sleeping gown and threw it on the floor. If it weren¡¯t for the hickeys on her body, her porcin skin would be almost wless. The previous bite mark had disappeared, thanks to the medication the butler gave her after she moved in. When he handed her the medication, the butler said, ¡°This is from Mr. Frost. He doesn¡¯t like to see scars.¡± Erin was also worried that the awful bite mark would scar back then, but she had only applied the medication for two days, and her skin had healedpletely. However, the hickeys and the other marks on her body troubled her. ¡°What? Are you unhappy with the hickeys I left for you?¡± At that moment, Chandler had already put on his pants and returned to the bedroom while buttoning his shirt. He admired Erin¡¯s body shamelessly. His sudden appearance made Erin jump. She quickly hid under the covers, leaving only half her head peeking out. She said timidly. ¡°H- how did I return homest night?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. She had no memories of the night before. However, now that she was conscious, there was one thing she was sure about¨Cthe wet dream she hadst night was real. Her sore body was the most obvious clue. ¡°Erin, don¡¯t pretend to be prudish. Why do you need to cover yourself? There isn¡¯t an inch on your body that I¡¯ve not seen before. Go get dressed and put on makeup. I¡¯ll give you ten minutes. Every minute you¡¯rete, I¡¯ll dock one thousand off your pay. Don¡¯t doubt my words. I¡¯m not joking with you. The time starts¨Cnow.¡± Chandler turned around and headed for the walk¨Cin closet. ¡°One thousand every minute!¡± Erin muttered while quickly getting up. Then, she grabbed the shirt Chandler threw on the floor and put it on her. The ck gown she wore the night before has turned into rags. To get out of the bedroom, Erin had to walk past the walk¨Cin closet to get out of the bedroom. She headed out, initially not wanting to look at him, but Chandler said, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten the staff to put your clothes in my closet.¡± Her fair legs turned around reluctantly. She took one nce at him before opening the closet doors next to him. Sure enough, she saw a row ofdies¡® clothes. She wouldn¡¯t know there were evendies¡® clothes if she didn¡¯t look closely. Her old clothes were mixed with the new ones, at least a hundred pieces of them in total. The household staff had categorized them by color. Seeing her standing in a daze, Chandler nced at his mechanical watch and warmly reminded her, ¡°Erin, five minutes have passed.¡± At that, Erin quickly picked out her clothes and got dressed, breaking her record of getting dressed in the fastest time possible! She got dressed in under a minute. Then she grabbed her huge makeup bag and ran to the bathroom to put some on. However, Chandler suddenly remembered how wlessly gorgeous she looked, enough to make him furrow his brow. He strode over and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out. ¡°Where are we going? I haven¡¯t put on makeup yet-¡± ¡°No need! You look hideous whether you have makeup on or not!¡± Erin was stunned, speechless. How dare he call her hideous! Even if she was not extremely gorgeous, she had been praised for her good looks since she was young! Looking angry, she let him lead her along out of the bedroom. Chandler had his jacket on his arm and her pair of heels in his hands. Erin followed closely behind him barefooted. When they passed by the living area downstairs, Chandler¡¯s action of pulling Erin along shocked a few middle¨Caged household staff. He stuffed her into the passenger seat and threw her heels inside before closing the door and walking over to the driver¡¯s seat. Within ten seconds, his Maybach had left the mansion. Five minutester, Chandler asked, ¡°What do you want for breakfast? I leel like eating out today.¡± Erin red at him. Just because he wanted to eat out, he had to rush her? She looked at the clock in the car and said, ¡°Mr. Frost, if you¡¯re in a rush for an early meeting, just go. Why did you have to pull me along? It¡¯s not time for me to go to work yet.¡± Seeing how reluctant Erin was being. Chandler scoffed. He said coldly, ¡°Erin Lane. If it weren¡¯t for me looking for you once Inded, your would¡¯ve been raped by Mr. Xavier from Marketing!¡± As it turned out, Chandler hadn¡¯t returned to the mansion all this while because he was abroad. However, what Chandler said made her heart skip a beat. She blushed and asked awkwardly. ¡°What do you mean by that? Mr. Xavier, who?¡± He swept her a nce and looked at the idiotic woman who had no idea what was going on. He calmly exined, ¡°You were roofiedst night. I found you by thedies¡® room. You would¡¯ve been taken away if I was one step toote.¡± Erin recalled her symptoms in thedies¡® room the night before and realized it wasn¡¯t because she had eaten something bad. ¡°How are you so sure that I was roofied?¡± Chandler thought about her the night before and tensed up a little. He snickered. ¡°It¡¯s a pity I was too busy trying to make sure the drugs. wore off. I didn¡¯t capture any of your slutty moves.¡± The slight regret in his eyes made Erin¡¯s face burn with embarrassment. He was surely not talking about her! Could she really have been drugged? Who could it be? Seeing her not saying anything with her head lowered, Chandler cast her a nce and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this. You¡¯re now my woman. No one can bully you.¡± His authoritative tone made her heart skip a beat. At the thought of her wearing clothes still with their tags on this morning, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you buy all those clothes for me in the closet? And those branded makeups. Whose sleeping gown was I wearing this morning?¡± Chandler looked at her as if he was looking at an idiot. He said curtly. ¡°Erin, how dumb can you be? Who else could those things belong to? ¡°Why did you buy them for me?¡± Erin felt a little worried. Even when she was together withn during her college years, she rarely epted gifts from him, yet at that moment, the closet was full of clothes that Chandler had given to her. The price of any piece of clothing was at least ten thousand dors and beyond. It was so expensive that she didn¡¯t dare to put them on. Even Chandler had to think about her question for a few minutes. He had no answer for her at that moment. When he saw the clothes during his trip abroad, he just knew she¡¯d look good in them, so he got Kyle to buy them. Chandler nced at Erin and noticed she was still leaning forward, waiting for his answer. He got inexplicably annoyed and said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! Just ept them! Stop asking so many questions!¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Asking For Help Erin was struck speechless upon seeing Chandler¡¯s furious reaction. The car was suddenly in pin¨Cdrop silence. Chandler has finally calmed down a little. He had lost control of his emotions a moment ago. which was why he was feeling annoyed. He looked tense and said nothing. When they reached the parking lot of the office building, they still didn¡¯t talk to each other, merely taking their respective elevators to their offices. When Erin was at her office, she wanted to look for Dana to ask her some questions. It wasn¡¯t that she suspected Dana of drugging her. After all, she never had any conflicts with Dana, even when they were at their previouspany. She didn¡¯t think Dana would harm her. However, she only chatted and drank with Caleb and Dana the night before. Her thoughts couldn¡¯t help but drift toward Caleb. She was even more unconvinced that Caleb would have drugged her. Thinking about how righteous and kind he looked, even suspecting him was considered an insult to him. When Erin noticed Dana¡¯s desk was empty, she returned to her own. She turned on theputer and started staring at it in a daze. Although she found it hard to believe that someone had drugged her, the strange feelings her body felt the night before and what Chandler told her made her think otherwise! She scanned around the design department, suddenly feeling the need to be extra cautious at work in the future. Right at that moment, she received a voice message. She keyed in her passcode and saw that it was a message from Sean, saying, ¡°Erin, when are you returning the clothes to me?¡± Erin snorted. She thought about how Sean told her she didn¡¯t need to return it to him, yet she had merely forgotten about it for a while, and there he was trying to get her to return it! She quickly replied. ¡°Give me your address. I¡¯ll courier it to you. I¡¯ve washed and ironed the clothes. The tag is still brand new. Also, don¡¯t call me Erin. We¡¯re not close.¡± She had made a huge effort to protect and keep the tag. She initially thought of buying it from Sean, but on second thought, why should she buy something that she didn¡¯t like and was expensive as well? Before she received Sean¡¯s reply, someone called her. When she saw it was her old family¡¯s home number, she picked up the call while leaving her desk. She said, ¡°Mom, give me a moment. I¡¯ll head to the stairwell to talk to you.¡± No one other than her mother would call her from the family home¡¯sndline. When Erin was by the emergency exit stairwell, she said, ¡± Mom, you can talk now.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Erin, it¡¯s me! Gavin!¡± ¡°Gavin? Why are you calling? Are you already on your summer break?¡± Although Erin rarely had any contact with her stepbrother, on the surface, they still pretended to be a family. Gavin was standing in the living room of their old home. He said anxiously. ¡°Erin, listen to me. I think something has happened to Mom and Dad.¡± When Erin heard that, chills ran down her spine, and her mind instantly nked. She immediately asked, ¡°Speak slowly. What happened to Mom and Mr. Lawrence?¡± ¡°Mom took a flight to Aunder two days ago, saying she was going to pick Dad up. I called Mom this morning to ask when they¡¯de back, but I couldn¡¯t get hold of her! Dad has been unreachable since a few days ago! I¡¯m really worried!¡± Gavin sounded almost in tears, as he was obviously worried. Erin calmly asked, ¡°Do you know why they went to Aunder? Also, did you know about your Dad killing someone in a car crash a few days ago? Has that issue been resolved?¡± ¡°What? Dad killed someone? I didn¡¯t know about this! I¡¯ve been home most of the time recently, but I never hear them bring it up.¡± He continued. ¡°I only know Dad is unhappy about being fired from school. But Mr. Cole got rich recently and said he wanted to take Dad to Aunder to rx for a few days. Mom agreed to it too, but two days ago, she told me solemnly that she had to go to Aunder to get Dad. I don¡¯t know anything else.¡± Erin pondered deeply. She couldn¡¯t gel anything out of what Gavin told her. She thought for a while before saying, ¡°Gavin, look after yourself for now. If you¡¯re afraid of being alone, go to your Aunt¡¯s ce to stay for a couple of days. I can give her a call if you want. I¡¯ll look into Mom and your dad¡¯s matter. Il it¡¯s necessary, I¡¯ll call the cops. Wait for my call at home. Also, do you have money on you? If you don¡¯t. I¡¯ll get your Aunt to wire you some.¡± Gavin, still sounding worried, said, ¡°Erin, don¡¯t worry about me. Mom gave me a thousand dors before she left. That is more than enough for me to use. Go and focus on finding Mom and Dad.¡± He paused before adding, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here. My aunt doesn¡¯t know about Morn and Dad¡¯s incident. Mom specifically told me not to tell anyone. I couldn¡¯t reach them, so I called you out of desperation.¡± ¡°Okay, Gavin. I understand. Just wait for me at home and don¡¯t go running about! Remember to lock the doors at night.¡± ¡°Yes, I can take care of myself. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m three!¡± After ending the call, Erin was down for quite a long time. She had a strong feeling that something must have happened to her mom and Mr. Lawrence. Aunder was a city infamous for its gambling. Erin was perplexed. The Mr. Cole that Gavin mentioned was a well¨Cknown gambler. How could her mom possibly agree to let Mr. Lawrence go to Aunder? When she returned to her desk, she texted Holly about the incident and asked if she had any friends in Aunder who could help look into her mom and Mr. Lawrence. If Erin were to report to the police right now and it turned out that her mom and Mr. Lawrence were fine, it would be embarrassing. Holly responded to the message by calling Erin directly. She told Erin she had friends in Aunder who could help, then told Erin to sit tight. and wait for her call, After hanging up, Erin was still distracted. She really hoped that she was just overthinking and that Grayson Lawrence had nothing to do with gambling! When Caleb arrived at the design department, it was almost lunchtime. He got his assistant to get Erin to see him in his office. When Erin arrived at Caleb¡¯s office, she noticed two sets of sandwiches by the coffee table, but she soon retracted her gaze and asked.¡± Mr. Grant, you wanted to see me?¡± Caleb put the documents that were in his hands on his desk and walked over to her. He smiled happily. ¡°Nothing much. I just wanted to ask why you left without saying goodbyest night. I wanted to send you home.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Dana said she had a stomach ache.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. I saw both of you walking toward the bathroom. She¡¯s not here today. Mr. Jones told me that she took a day off.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Erin nodded. Caleb asked, ¡°It¡¯s almost lunch time. Do you have any ns? If you don¡¯t, join me. I got Mr. Jones to get two sets of sandwiches. I can¡¯t finish them all by myself.¡± Erin was about to find an excuse to leave when her phone pinged just in the nick of time. It was a message from Chandler, giving her an excuse to leave. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Grant. Thank you for the offer, but I¡¯ve already made ns with a friend. She sent me a text. I think she¡¯s almost here.¡± A hint of sadness shed through Caleb¡¯s eyes. He smiled rather ambiguously and said, ¡°I bet you and her are close because you have set quite a special ringtone for her messages.¡± Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Repayment of Debt Erin smiled awkwardly, ¡°Yes, I only have that one best friend.¡± Caleb sighed and said, ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll have to do it another day. I¡¯ll eat alone today. I won¡¯t keep you any longer.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Grant.¡± When Erin was taking the elevator up to the highest floor, her phone rang. She had a look and saw that it was from an unknown number. She picked up, thinking that it might be her mother. ¡°Hello, am I speaking to Erin Lane?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. When she heard a rather unfriendly man¡¯s voice on the phone, she said in detest. ¡°Yes, I am. Who are you?¡± ¡°You can call me Tony. Your parents are with me right now. Your father owes me ten million dors from gambling, yet your mother only. brought two million over, naively thinking she could take him away. If everyone who owes me doesn¡¯t repay me, my reputation will be ruined! Tony was clearly unhappy. Although he wasn¡¯t speaking fiercely, his cold tone still frightened Erin. She didn¡¯t need to guess that Tony was no saint! Also, Tony had mistaken Grayson Lawrence to be her father. She did not feel like exining herself at that moment, so she cautiously and calmly asked, furrowing her brow. ¡°Tony, how do you want to settle this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only logical to pay up your debts! I have a legal casino in Aunder, so don¡¯t you think of trying to call the cops? Even if they show up. they won¡¯t interfere.¡± He added, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Things like broken limbs or fingers won¡¯t happen here. If you don¡¯t cough up the other eight million dors, I won¡¯t let your parents go. I¡¯ll make them stay and work as a janitor in the casino until they can clear their debt!¡± Tony sneered, then said, ¡°But I¡¯m sure you know that even if they lived up to 800 years old, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to pay me back! The most likely oue is they die from overworking. They might not live until 60! Their lives are not worth any money to me, but since they¡¯re your parents, don¡¯t say I¡¯m not treating you all nicely. I¡¯ll give you a week to gather the eight million dors! If you can¡¯t get me the money by then, don¡¯t me me if they die from overworking.¡± Erin forced herself to stay collected while listening to Tony finish what he had to say, even if she was already bursting with rage. She calmly said, ¡°I want to talk to them to know they¡¯re still alive and well!¡± At that point, Tony¡¯s voice sounded a little far away. ¡°Hey, you two! Bring the old couple here.¡± Two minutester, Erin heard her mother¡¯s voice on the phone. Cherry choked up, saying, ¡°Erin, I¡¯m so sorry! I lied to you! Grayson got tricked by his friend and owed a casino 10 million dors! How are we going to live through this? Just let me and him die! Please, take good care of Gavin-¡± ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t be silly! How are you and Mr. Lawrence now? Are you all hurt?¡± Erin sounded agitated, but she tried not to get angry at Cherry. Cherry sobbed and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but Grayson seems to be in shock. He¡¯s in a daze and hasn¡¯t said anything in the past two days. He was beaten up by them before! ¡°That¡¯s enough chit¨Cchat! Lock them back up!¡± Tony¡¯s voice rang through the phone once more. At that point, Erin was already so frightened she was sweating profusely. Never in her life would she imagine having to encounter people from the casino! Thinking about how that unscrupulous Grayson had dragged her mother into this, she wanted to p him a few times. However, it was pointless getting angry at that moment. Even if Grayson wasn¡¯t her real father, he had paid for her education and brought her up since she was young. She was indeed indebted to him. More importantly, her mother also has to suffer with him. ¡°Erin, you¡¯ve talked to your mother already. Go get the money!¡± Before Erin could say anything. Tony hung up. She immediately redialed. The moment the call connected, Tony said impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m telling you. Don¡¯t call if you can¡¯t get me the eight million dors! I won¡¯t pick up!¡± When she heard the call disconnected, her legs turned to jelly, and she slumped to the floor by the elevator. She had exited the elevator for quite a while already. Looking at that long corridor heading to the president¡¯s office, she got up and re¨Centered the elevator, choosing to head back down. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was to solve the problem of getting the money. Erin returned to the design department, found Mr. Jones, and took an emergency leave of absence before leaving the office. When she left, she ran to the side of the road to hail a taxi. At that moment, the only person she wanted to see was Holly. Only she was able to lend her the money! Erin didn¡¯t even think ofn, her ex¨Chusband, at all. As for Chandler, she hesitated for a few seconds, thinking whether she should ask him for money, but if she failed at doing so and he humiliated and insulted her in return, she would want to kill herself. Half an hourter, a tall, attractive youngdy stepped into the president¡¯s office. At that moment, Chandler¡¯s back was facing her. He barked coldly. ¡°Erin Lane, are you trying to seek death? Do you know what time it is-¡± He stopped in mid¨Ctrack and turned around to look at his visitor in surprise. He said. ¡°Ang, why are you here?¡± Ang Wood was 5¡® 7¡°, dressed in a professional suit, lookingll and gorgeous. Her red lipstick looked dangerously lethal, which intimidated most people. Her four¨Cinch heels clicked when she walked over to Chandler. She said teasingly, ¡°What a look! Seems like you¡¯re disappointed I¡¯m not Erin!¡± Chandler¡¯s eyes glimmered a little. He smiled and said, ¡°When did youe? Why didn¡¯t you call me beforehand? I could have treated you to a meal.¡± Ang saw the two luxurious lunch sets on the coffee table. She walked over to the sofa and took a seat, saying. ¡°Let¡¯s stop with the act. It looks like you¡¯re waiting for Erin to have a meal together, but she didn¡¯te?¡± Seeing her continuing this topic, Chandler took one look at her before heading over to the sofa to sit. He said casually, ¡°Yes, I was waiting for her. She¡¯s the woman that I¡¯m currently quite interested in.¡± ¡°Oh, you sure are interested in her. You even got me to seducen so that he would divorce Erin, but your suspicions were right!n sure is a man who likes someone way beyond his league.¡± Ang continued, detested, ¡°He¡¯s just a programmer that started from nothing. His family wealth is not even one percent of my family¡¯s, yet he shamelessly tried to pursue me.¡± With delight in his eyes. Chandler said calmly, ¡°Even if his wealth is as great as your family¡¯s Soaring Electronics, you won¡¯t be with him.¡± Ang smirked. ¡°You¡¯re right! It¡¯s not my fault I don¡¯t like men.¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Tracking ¡°Too bad you don¡¯t dare toe out to the public and can only secretly be with your lover.¡± Chandler pulled open an exquisite drawer next to the sofa and took out the cigar box. He opened the box and asked Ang. ¡°Cigar?¡± She thought for a while before saying. ¡°I¡¯ll take one. I haven¡¯t had one in ages. My lover has been making a fuss recently,ining that I¡¯m not out with my parents and that she has to live in the shadows. Fuck me. I almost choked her to death.¡± Chandler prepared the cigar and handed it to her. He said with a hint of lease in his voice, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll understand your world, so I can¡¯t give you any good advice. If you need help, you know where to find me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s not talk about her anymore. Once I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll take her to Eupath for a long holiday. She¡¯ll naturally feel better.¡± Ang continued, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you instead. Why don¡¯t you look for someone simpler? Is a divorced woman really that great?¡± She lit the cigar and gently inhaled. ¡°She suits me.¡± ¡°Oh, in which aspect?¡± Ang¡¯s interest was piqued. Chandler chuckled openly. ¡°Every aspect.¡± Ang said nothing but rolled her eyes at him. Half a minuteter, she suddenly thought of something and said. ¡°Yesterday, yourdy- friend neighbor came to look for me. She said she was preparing a gift for you and asked me what you liked. I told her to be the gift and give herself to you.¡± Chandler suddenly looked at her. ¡°Did you really say that?¡± he asked, displeased. Ang tutted before sighing. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll dare? If I were to say that, you¡¯d probably beat me to a pulp! I told her you don¡¯tck anything material¨Cwise, so I told her to think of something else. She said she wanted to bake you something-¡± Her eyes suddenly widened. ¡°Damn, I identally told you! When you receive her gift, you have to pretend to be surprised! If not, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯lle after me.¡± Chandler chuckled and said nothing. Ang suddenly said thoughtfully. ¡°She has already broken up with Matthew. Why are you not swooping in?¡± Chandler puffed out smoke and said calmly. ¡°Unless shepletely forgets about him, I¡¯m not going to be her backup.¡± With the cigar in her mouth, Ang gently apuded Chandler. Her eyes were filled with praise. ¡°This is the Chandler I know! You have guts! This girl ire, is still mourning her breakup. She must surely still be thinking about Matthew. If he were to return to get back together with her, she would surely say yes!¡± Ang looked serious and said, ¡°Logan and I, along with the others, are of the same opinion. We don¡¯t think it¡¯d be good for you to pursue ire right now. As for Sean, you can ignore his advice.¡± On the contrary, it piqued Chandler¡¯s interest. He raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What did Sean say?¡± ¡°He said we¡¯ll talk about it after he gets you the opportunity to sleep with ire. He said she is just second¨Chand goods, and there¡¯s nothing to pity her about¡­¡± Ang suddenly shut her mouth and looked at Chandler worriedly. After all, Chandler¡¯s friends were uncertain about how important ire was to him. She never thought that Chandler didn¡¯t get angry. He merely looked distracted. Ang might be talking about ire, but all he could think of was Erin¡¯s frightened yet defiant gaze. He even chuckled without knowing. Ang was stunned. She had never seen Chandler like that before. She asked, ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± Chandler looked at her. ¡°Was Iughing? But you¡¯re right about Sean. He really is a yboy. I¡¯ve heard that his grandfather is furious with him. We¡¯re about to see Sean going on arranged blind dates.¡± ¡°Hahaha! If he were really forced to go on blind dates, it must be worse than death for him!¡± They casually chatted for a while, then Ang left his office. The moment she left, Chandler called using the internal line, and Kyle soon entered his office. ¡°Mr. Frost, you wanted to see me?¡± Chandler looked at the lunch set, which had already turned cold on the coffee table. He looked at Kyle and said, ¡°Throw them away. Also, go and see where Erin is and why she never came up!¡± Kyle politely replied, ¡°Mr. Frost. I was about to tell you this, but Ms. Wood kept me from¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can tell me now.¡± *Five minutes ago, Hans called to tell me Miss Lane had left the office. He¡¯s currently following the taxi that she took.¡± A hint of suspicion shed across Chandler¡¯s eyes. He instructed Kyle. ¡°Get Hans to continue tracking her. Get him to report to me directly. if anything happens.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Frost.¡± Erin was currently on her way to the airport. She had previously called Holly to tell her about her parents. Holly had agreed to loan her the money and even offered to apany her to Aunders to get her parents back. They agreed to meet at the airport. Forty minutester, Erin arrived at the airport. She paid the taxi driver and immediately got out of the car, looking for entrance No. 8. Holly was already there waiting for her. ¡°Erin!¡± Holly was by the entrance, and she quickly walked over to Erin. Erin smiled and ran over. She opened her arms wide to hug Holly tightly while thanking Holly at the same time. ¡°Thank you, Holly! Thank you for helping me! I really had no one else I could turn to!¡± Holly gently patted her back,forting her, ¡°Silly, you don¡¯t need to thank me! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m giving you the money for free. You¡¯ll still have to pay me back when you have the money.¡± Erin let her go and chuckled at Holly¡¯s reaction. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s almost time.¡± Holly held Erin¡¯s hand, and they walked over to the domestic flights¡® departure gates. Hans, who was tailing Erin all this while, followed them. He put on a ck denim cap and followed them to the security check. Since he didn¡¯t buy a ticket, he could not follow them in, so he could only call Chandler to report the situation. Chandler picked his phone up after two rings. Hans said monotonously, ¡°Mr. Frost, Miss Lane and her friend have gone past the departureContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. gates.¡± Chandler, who was eating at that moment, sprung up. His eyes were filled with anger and confusion, ¡°What? She¡¯s at the airport? Where is she going?¡± ¡°I asked the information counter. They bought the earliest flight to Aunder.¡± ¡°Follow them! Why are you still asking me about this?¡± Chandler angrily threw his fork onto the floor, his appetitepletely gone. Hans was speechless as he felt wrongly med. ¡°Alright. Mr. Frost. I¡¯ll go and buy the flight tickets now.¡± Chandler hung up and got Kyle toe to his office. He said coldly, ¡°Kyle, go and arrange a helicopter now. Get Captain Lerner tond his helicopter on the helipad above. We¡¯re going to Aunder.¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Extreme Demands At 10 pm, Erin and Holly¡¯s flight arrived at Aunder. When they came out from the airport, they immediately hailed a taxi that left straight for King Midas Club. Hans, who had boarded the same flight, had followed them in another taxi behind, keeping his distance. An hourter, Erin and Holly arrived and got out of the taxi. Erin had already called Tony when she was still in the taxi, telling him she had gotten the money. Tony was stunned, but at the thought of getting his money, he eagerly wanted her toe and send the money over. At that moment, he was waiting for them at the top¨Cfloor office of King Midas Club. Erin and Holly took a deep breath before entering the huge, brilliantly lit building. As the ss elevator kept rising, she looked out at the dazzling skyline¨Cthe mourous and vibrant nightlife appealed to every human¡¯s deepest greed. In the elevator, Holly looked at Erin and said. ¡°Erin, don¡¯t worry. My friend in Aunder said that Tony is a trustworthy guy! He said that his casino is much safer than the others. There has never been any murder in his casino.¡± She thought for a while before saying. ¡°I¡¯m guessing what he said to you on the phone was a little bit of an exaggeration. He only wants you to get the money fast. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already told my friends. If they still don¡¯t let your parents go after we give them the money, they¡¯ll call the police.¡± ¡°Holly, thank you so much! Please help me thank your friends as well.¡± Erin was a little nervous at that moment. As long as the matter had yet to be resolved, she didn¡¯t dare to rx one bit. Holly touched the back of Erin¡¯s hand and nodded. The elevator has reached the top floor. Erin and Holly exhaled deeply before exiting. ck¨Cd bodyguards stood every 20 meters throughout the corridor, looking at them with intimidating gazes. Some even looked hostile, sizing them up. Holly held Erin¡¯s arm and quickly walked to Tony¡¯s office. Within two minutes, they reached his office. The door was open, with two bodyguards guarding it. ¡°Hello, we¡¯re here to see Tony.¡± Erin said. At that moment, Tony was by the wine rack pouring himself some wine. He walked over to the door and smiled at them when he saw two gorgeousdies. He smiled and said, ¡°Which one of you is Erin Lane?¡± Erin looked at Tony, who looked rather menacing, and nodded. ¡°Hi, Tony. I¡¯m Erin. I¡¯ve brought you the money.¡± Tony Dixon had tanned skin and looked to be in his forties. Dressed from head to toe in branded clothes, he essorized with a pendant around his neck and a gold chain on his wrist. He took a sip of wine before turning around and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Erin and Holly looked at each other before entering the office, pretending to be calm and collected. Tony sat in his leather chair and said, ¡°Before you two arrived, Grayson Lawrence went berserk and scratched the arm of one of my men. They are my followers, and as their leader, naturally, I have to bear the responsibility for their safety. Tell me, how should we deal with this? Erin was so taken aback and lost she looked at Holly. On the other hand, Holly was much more collected. She smiled and said to Tony.¡± Tony, cut to the chase. Do you want us to pay or apologize?¡± Tony swept Holly a nce. He chuckled a little and said, ¡°Lady, you have guts. I admire you. Since you insist, I¡¯ll cut to the chase.¡± He continued. ¡°I have a business meeting with a friend tonight. This friend of mine has always been teasing me, saying I can¡¯t find a decent. woman unless I spend money to hire them. I want you two to pretend to be my girlfriendter.¡± Tony saw them furrowing their brows. He chuckled and added. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. All you need to do is pour wine for us. When he leaves, give me the eight million, and you can take your parents home. I can even get my men to send you to the airport if you N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. want.¡± They were very resistant to Tony¡¯s request. How dare he make such an extreme demand? Erin almost stood up and yelled at him. However, at the thought of her parents still being held hostage, she suppressed the anger in her heart and said, ¡°Tony, if Grayson has really hurt your men. I apologize. Can¡¯t we offerpensation? My friend and I are here to pay the debt, not drink. Please don¡¯t make things difficult!¡± Tony¡¯s gaze darkened. His tone turned cold. ¡°I¡¯m only allowing you to do this because the two of you look pretty enough! If you two are pol cooperative, just go home! We can talk about the debt repayment another day.¡± ¡°But we flew all the way here to Aunder¨Ctuin wanted to say something else when Holly gave her a look, asking her to stop talking. Tony¡¯s stonewalled expression battled them. They had already bought the eight million with them, yet he insisted on them drinking with him, and only then would he let Erin¡¯s parents go. They were resentful. Holly sighed and pinched Erin¡¯s wrist before looking up and saying to Tony. ¡°We¡¯ll do it. I hope you keep your word.¡± Tony was instantly delighted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m a man of my word! If I go back on my word, I¡¯m a coward!¡± Erin and Holly looked at each other. They encouraged each other, saying that all they needed to do was to endure this. ¡°But what you¡¯re wearing is too casual I¡¯ll get Mrs. Blossom to get you dressed. I can¡¯t embarrass myself in front of my friend, right? Tony¡¯s over¨Cthe¨Ctop chuckle gave them the creeps. ¡°Okay then, we¡¯ll go get change.¡± Holly held Erin¡¯s hand tightly. She was even more cautious at that moment. Erin had been suppressing her rage all this while. She wanted to ask to see her mother and Grayson, but it was as if Tony could read her mind. He said, ¡°Erin, don¡¯t worry! Once my friend leaves, I¡¯ll take you to see your parents. Go gel change. My friend is arriving in half an hour Two bodyguards escorted Erin and Holly to see Mrs. Blossom, the manager of the club. After they left. Tony¡¯s expression immediately darkened, and he called Mrs. Blossom on the phone. At that moment, Mrs. Blossom, with a cigarette in her mouth, was busy selecting the right candidate to apany the God of Gambling that night. She held her phone and asked. ¡°Tony, what can I do for you? I¡¯m busy!¡± Tony narrowed his eyes dangerously, thinking about his n. He said to Mrs. Blossom, ¡°I got my men to take two girls to you. One of them is called Erin Lane. Dress her up nicely and send her to Louis. I believe our Aunder¡¯s God of Gambling will be delighted.¡± Chapter 40 ADMI Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Aunder¡¯s God of Gambling After Erin and Holly got dressed, Mrs. Blossom took them to the club¡¯s VIP private room. When they entered the room, Mrs. Blossom said to Holly, ¡°I think I picked the wrong thing for you to wear. You look too old in this. I can¡¯t embarrass Tony. Come with me, and we¡¯ll get you changed into another outfit.¡± Holly secretly cursed. She said unhappily. ¡°No need to go through all the trouble. What I¡¯m wearing is fine.¡± *Tony specifically instructed me to pay attention to your outfits, but you think it¡¯s troublesome? How do you think I feel? If you don¡¯t want to change, call him and tell him yourself.¡± Mrs. Blossom said with a cold sneer. She even took her phone out and passed it to Holly. Holly sighed and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Then, she turned to Erin. ¡°Erin, do you want toe with me?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°What sort of attitude is this?¡± Mrs. Blossom asked, displeased. ¡°Are you two conjoined twins? What type of ce do you think the King Midas Club is? We are a legitimate ce! Are you afraid that we¡¯ll hurt you?¡± Holly and Erin¡¯s expressions darkened when they heard what Mrs. Blossom said. Holly muttered, ¡°Erin, be careful. I¡¯ll soon be back to be with you.¡± Erin nodded and watched as Mrs. Blossom and Holly left. Five minutester, Holly had just entered the dressing room when she was knocked out cold by someone behind her with a wooden club. ¡°Mrs. Blossom, what should we do with her now?¡± a bodyguard asked. Mrs. Blossom looked at the unconscious Holly on the floor. She was instantly infuriated. ¡°Are you an idiot? Who told you to knock her out cold? Who the hell hired you? Are we some dodgy sleazy club? What happens if you hurt her, or worse, killed her? Do you think she¡¯s a nobody?¡± The bodyguard turned pale with fright. He immediately apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Blossom! I¡¯m new here. Please forgive me!¡± Then, he quickly bent down to check on Holly. He looked a little relieved, saying, ¡°Mrs. Blossom, she¡¯s fine! There¡¯s only a bump on her head.¡± ¡°Okay, enough. Since she¡¯s passed out, get someone to take her to a guest room and let her sleep. Send someone to guard the room and listen to Tony¡¯s orders. I¡¯m warning you. You cannot touch this woman! She isn¡¯t like any of our escorts. Don¡¯t you dare cause any more trouble!¡± Mrs. Blossom red at the bodyguard, frightening him so much that he was left speechless, nodding fervently. Twenty minutester, Louis Gamel Aunder¡¯s God of Gambling, was leaving the casino with his assistant. Tony pretended that he had just bumped into them. He immediately weed them, smiling widely, and said, ¡°Wee, wee to the King Midas Club. It is our honor to have the God of Gambling here!¡± Louis was a 6¡¯2¡± dashing man. He looked at Tony with his blue eyes and said indifferently, ¡°I had a game with a friend in King Midas Club tonight, but it just ended, and I¡¯m going home.¡± His intentions were clear. He wanted Tony to step aside and not disturb him. Tony pretended he did not understand. He chuckled and said, ¡°The night is still young. Let me buy you a drink!¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, I met a youngdy tonight. I thought she looked really familiar. Then, I suddenly recalled that she looked like yourte wife. I thought of taking you to meet her since your wife has already passed away more than five years ago.¡± Tony didn¡¯t want to hide Erin from Louis. After all, Aunder was Louis¡® territory. He would rather be honest with him than y mind games. Louis started pondering deeply upon hearing what Tony said. He was clearly still grieving over the passing of his wife. He suddenly said to Tony. ¡°Tony, I appreciate your kindness, but no one can rece her. I¡¯m not interested in thisdy. Goodbye.¡± He turned and left without giving Tony any more chance to say anything. Tony was not one to give up so easily. He said, ¡°But she really looked like yourte wile!¡± Louis¡® lootsteps slowed down, which gave Tony the opportunity to run over to him and add, ¡°If you¡¯re not in a rush, why don¡¯t youe with me to go have a look? It won¡¯t hurt to see her. right? You can leave if you¡¯re not interested in her.¡± He looked at Louis eagerly. Louis swept Tony a nce before saying, ¡°Okay. Lead the way.¡± ¡°It is an honor! Come with me.¡± Tony buttered up to Louis by bowing a little. At that moment, Erin had been waiting for Holly in the private room at the club for a long time. She sent Holly a message and has yet to receive a reply. She tried calling Holly too, but she didn¡¯t pick up. Erin started to worry. She decided to head to the dressing room to look for Holly on her own. When she was just about to open the door, Tony pushed the door open, almost knocking her over. Louis saw how Erin was about to fall, and he immediately sprung forth and grabbed her by the waist. When Erin looked up at him in panic. Louis was shocked, not believing his eyes! He couldn¡¯t help but call out his dead wife¡¯s name, ¡°Adeline¡­¡± Erin didn¡¯t understand what he was saying, but she could roughly guess. The man hugging her tightly at that moment had mistaken her for someone else. She started to squirm. ¡°Can you let go of me?¡± ¡°No! Adeline, do you know how much I¡¯ve missed you? How could you leave me so cruelly?¡± Louis was clearly unstable. His blue eyes were filled with endless grief. Standing beside them. Tony was baffled, looking at what was happening. He once had the fortune to visit Louis¡® mansion with a few other casino owners. There, he noticed a photo of a woman roughly in her thirties framed on the wall. She had a head of long hair reaching her waist, looking exquisitely gorgeous. Back then, Louis told them she was histe wife, who had just passed away not long ago. Five years had passed, and Tony thought Erin looked like Louis¡® wife based on his memories of that photo, but he would never have thought that the usually aloof and mature Louis would treat Erin as his dead wife! At that moment. Louis¡® assistant gave Tony a look. Tony immediately came to his senses and closed the door shut, giving Louis and Erin some space. Erin waspletely bewildered, trapped inside Louis¡® embrace. Did she really look like the other woman? ¡°Sir, can you let me go? You¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else! I¡¯m not Adeline,¡± Erin tried to exin, but Louis only hugged her tighter. He was deeply engrossed in his painful memories, unable to pull himself together. Erin¡¯s face was pressed against his body. He had a nice minty scent. Right at that moment, the door to the room was violently kicked down! Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Tony was being held by Hans. Louis and Erin looked toward the door at the same time. A huge, towering figure with a cold murderous aura stood there. Chandler¡¯s darkened gaze pierced Erin intensely. With a blood¨Ccurdling sneer, he growled, ¡°Erin Lane, get your ass over here!¡± Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Helping Out When Chandler yelled out Erin¡¯s name, Louis looked at her once more. She looked extremely young, like she was only in her twenties. His heart hurt terribly. Thisdy was not his Adeline. There was a moment under the dim purple lights where he thought he had traveled back through time and saw his dead wife, but the reality was always ruthless. Before waiting for Chandler to attack, Louis had already let go of Erin. Guilt evident in his eyes, he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I am indeed mistaken.¡± Chandler lowered his fists, strode over to Erin, and grabbed her by the wrist. He red at Louis and smiled sardonically. He said curtly.¡± Louis, seeing how much you love yourte wife. I¡¯ll let it go this time! If you dare to touch my woman again, don¡¯t me me for being unfriendly!¡± Then, Chandler pulled Erin along and headed out of the room. Tony was so frightened he didn¡¯t dare to let out a single breath. With the bodyguards standing by the side of the corridors armed with batons and daggers, they didn¡¯t dare to be reckless. Chandler looked at Tony with disgust and snarled, ¡°Tony Dixon, how bold of you! You even dare to touch my woman! You just wait for King Midas Club to be shut down!¡± When Tony heard King Midas Club, his cash cow, would be shut down, he panicked and knelt on the floor! Holding his hands together, he begged, ¡°Mr. Frost, I was wrong! I was careless! Please forgive me! Please have mercy on King Midas Club! My family¡¯s survival relies on it!¡± Erin was stunned. The once authoritative Tony looked so timid at that moment. She secretly snuck a nce at Chandler when he lowered his head to look at her. He was in a horrible mood. ¡°What are you looking at? You wait for what¡¯s in store for you when we get back!¡± Erin was a little taken aback, and she blushed. Did everyone there already know about her rtionship with Chandler? It seemed like Chandler was truly furious this time¨Cshe might suffer tremendously when she returned. However, at the thought of her mother and Grayson, she mustered up the courage and said, ¡°Mr. Frost, my mother and her husband are being held hostage by Tony. My best friend Holly is gone as well! He must have taken her!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Tony, who had been kneeling on the floor begging, immediately prostrated, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Lane! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°Do you have her mother?¡± Chandler red at Tony. Scumbags like him will only know true fear when they are in jeopardy. Tony immediately stopped his act, turned around, and yelled at the bodyguards, ¡°What are you standing there for? Bring them here!¡± Chandler turned around and said to Hans and Kyle, ¡°You two stay here and send Erin¡¯s parents back home. We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Frost.¡± Erin was worried about her mother and wanted to chime in when Chandler immediately stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t you bargain with me! If not, I won¡¯t help you!¡± She looked at him resentfully and pouted but said nothing else. It was definitely much easier with his help. When Tony heard that Chandler was leaving, he knelt and continued begging. ¡°Mr. Frost, please give me another chance. I didn¡¯t know any better. Please don¡¯t shut down King Midas Club!¡± Seeing their boss begging for mercy, the bodyguards had to do something as well, so they knelt on the floor too. Although they said nothing, it was obvious that they hoped Chandler would show some mercy. Erin was dragged away by Chandler. She turned around with difficulty and asked, ¡°Tony, about Grayson¡¯s debt¡­¡± Tony almost passed out. King Midas Club was about to be shut down. How would he still dare to collect Grayson¡¯s debt? Even Chandler was secretly amused. How could this idiotic woman be so unaware of the situation? Hearing Tony wailing hysterically, Chandler finally stopped in his tracks but didn¡¯t turn around. He said, ¡°Alright, I will let King Midas Club go this time. If you dare to do this to me again, I¡¯ll make sure your mother has a funeral for her son.¡± Chills ran down Tony¡¯s spine when he heard what Chandler said. He immediately swore, ¡°Mr. Frost. I swear I won¡¯t repeat the same mistake again! Thank you, Mr. Frost!¡± He prostrated himself once more behind Chandler: Soon, Kyle and Hans took four bodyguards to go and get the hostages. Once Chandler and Erin left King Midas Club, Louis, who had been standing in the room all this while, calmly walked out. He had witnessed how cowardly Tony was just now. When Louis left with his assistant, he said to Tony, ¡°You¡¯re lucky there was no conflict between me and Chandler Frost this time. If not, I wouldn¡¯t have let you off the hook either!¡± Tony watched as Louis disappeared from his sight. He slumped onto the floor in panic and gasping for air. Two bodyguards quickly rushed over to help him up. ¡°Boss, are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital?¡± Perhaps Tony had nowhere to release his long¨Csuppressed anger, so when he saw his men helping him, he raised his hand and pped one of them! He said agitatedly, ¡°Idiots! I¡¯m fine! Why should I go to the hospital? Don¡¯t you know how unlucky it is to be in there? Today is just not my fucking day! How could I have offended two powerful people in one go!¡± He wanted to take advantage of his situation, but instead, everything had backfired badly on him! ¡°Go and quickly check on the others! Make sure they don¡¯t make any stupid mistakes! Let Mr. Frost¡¯s men take Erin¡¯s parents and friend home!¡± ¡°Yes, boss!¡± At that moment, Erin and Chandler were already on the way home via helicopter. When they reached home, it was almost dawn. Entering his mansion, Chandler led Erin upstairs to the bedroom. Erin was exhausted. The moment she entered the bedroom, she slumped onto the bed. Chandler immediately pulled her back up, looking at her with disgust. ¡°Erin, go and take a shower! Don¡¯t dirty my room!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room then.¡± If she hadn¡¯t received the news about her mother being rescued, she might not have had the urge to fall asleep. At that moment, they were on their way home, so Erin was finally relieved. The other problems could wait until after a good sleep. She turned around and barely took two steps when Chandler picked her up and dragged her to the bathroom. His eyes were also a little bloodshot with exhaustion. Chandler said impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience! Go shower! You can sleep after you take a shower!¡± Erin helplessly dragged her exhausted body to take a shower. When she finished showering, she saw that Chandler had also already taken a shower and was lying in bed. She wanted to sneak to the guest room to sleep when Chandler patted on the pillow with his eyes still shut, saying, ¡°Come here.¡± Erin sighed and headed over. She thought that he was already asleep. Once shey down, Chandler cuddled with her. With his eyes still shut, he said in a tired tone, ¡°Stop moving about. Go to bed.¡± They cuddled and slept until 1 pm. When Erin woke up, she saw Chandler looking at her. Clearly, he had been awake for quite some time. At that moment, he smiled at her spiritedly, but instead, it creeped Erin out, making her retreat instinctively. Chandler grabbed her waist and smirked. ¡®Erin Lane, are you ready for your punishment?¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Ignorant ¡°Punishment? What punishment?¡± In fact, Erin wanted to ask why she was being punished. Chandler looked at her and said rather suggestively, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll find out soon.¡± With one hand, he sped both her hands above her head and pressed his lips against hers. Erin finally realized that when he said punishment, he meant sex. She resisted him instinctively. Whenever Chandler wanted to have sex with her, she couldn¡¯t help but think how low she had stooped, bing his sex loy. Her resistance made Chandler furrow his brow. Their lips parted. He grabbed her by the chin with his other hand and said menacingly.¡± Don¡¯t you see how useless it is resisting me? This game of yours should stop! Unless you like being forced upon?¡± Erin instantly blushed at what he said. She yelled, ¡°How dare you! You know that I¡¯m being forced by you. How could you say that about me?¡± She instantly felt aggrieved, and tears started to well up in her eyes. It was an eyesore to Chandler. The hotness of his gaze cooled down, and he let her go before getting up and leaving. He took a few steps before turning around and saying to her coldly, ¡°Erin, you¡¯re fucking ignorant! Don¡¯t you know who rescued your mom and friendst night? Do you think I like to force myself upon you every time?¡± Erin could feel his disappointment and fury. She thought back about everything that had happened in King Midas Club the night before. She still understood right from wrong. She knew she wouldn¡¯t have left Aunder safely if it weren¡¯t for him. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for you helping my mother¡­¡± That was all she could say before trailing off. Chandler looked at her and sneered before leaving the room. When Erin had finished washing up and was about to head to work, she realized that Chandler had already left for work. The butler told her that she could get the driver to send her to work if she needed it. She kindly rejected the butler¡¯s kind offer and hailed a taxi to the nearest subway station. She had asked for another day of leave before she slept as she initially thought she would have no energy to work, but at that moment, she could only think of Chandler. She was so ovee by guilt that she thought going to work might make her feel better. She called her mother and Holly in the subway and was relieved to hear they were alright. Cherry even asked if the people that rescued her weren¡¯s men. Erin wanted to avoid her from asking further, so she just said yes. Cherry thankedn profusely on the phone and said that Erin had married the right person! Erin found it ironic, but she didn¡¯t offer Cherry any exnation either. As for her divorce fromn, she thought of returning home when she had the time to tell Cherry about it. She could already imagine the amount of ridicule she was going to receive from her rtives. Her father too. She hadn¡¯t been in touch with him for a long time. After the divorce, Cherry got custody of Erin and married Grayson, while her father, Steven Lane, also remarried. They have an eight¨Cyear¨C old son who has just started elementary school. Erin was sure that if she were to tell Steven about her divorce, his wife, Daisy, would be delighted. Daisy had never liked Erin, just like how Erin equally disliked her. That was the reason Erin rarely contacted her father. On the way, Erin reminisced a lot about her childhood. She could not help but find it ironic that when her parents got divorced, she secretly swore that she wouldn¡¯t grow up to be like them, but look at her at that moment. That was reality. Such was life¨Cif she hadn¡¯t gone through it herself, she wouldn¡¯t have understood what the others were saying about life. She got off the subway and walked among the crowd. She thought about how she was in an ambiguous flirty rtionship with her boss. and temporarily staying in a mansion that would never be hers. She wasn¡¯t even considered his mistress, merely an undignified part¨Ctime lover. After going through life and divorce, her hopes lor love had almost vanished. ¡°Erin!¡± She had just exited the turnstile when she turned around to see a man smiling widely at her. He was dressed in a white shirt and ck suit pants, carrying a briefcase and looking gentle and schrly. She called out his name in surprise. ¡°Luke¡® Luke walked over to Erin with surprise in his gaze. He said with a smile, ¡°How have you been? We haven¡¯t seen each other since your wedding! It must have been more than a year, right?¡± Upon hearing him mention the wedding, Erin fell a little awkward. She covered it up with a smile. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long while.¡± ¡°How are you andn? Ever since he got rich, he no longer stayed in touch with his old ssmates!¡± Luke looked a little displeased. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Haha, we¡¯re doing well.¡± Luke Grand wasn¡¯s ssmate. They even stayed in the same dorm during college. Bumping into him made Erin regret not taking a taxi to work. Luke continued saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I would love to catch up with you, but I have to rush for an interview at Frost Corporation. Let¡¯s get together next time.¡± Erin was a little surprised. She initially wanted to say that she was working in Frost Corporation too, but at the thought of her rtionship with Chandler and if Luke happened to bump into them one day, it would be extremely awkward, so she decided not to tell him. After all, Luke might not get the job. Once Erin said goodbye, she pretended to head to a nearby restaurant for a meal as she didn¡¯t want to enter the building together with him. She was famished ever since leaving Chandler¡¯s mansion. If she weren¡¯t ruminating on her life, she would not have been hungry for so long. Erin chose a restaurant and entered. It was almost three in the afternoon, so she decided to treat it as her dinner. She never would have thought she¡¯d bump into Caleb in the restaurant during working hours. Caleb immediately got up and greeted her when he saw her, which gave Erin no choice but to walk over to him. By the time she was in front of him, he had already chivalrously pulled a chair for her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Caleb smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯m happy to bump into you here. I heard you¡¯re on leave today. Why are you around the office area?¡± Erin replied. ¡°I had just finished my errands, so I thought of putting in some hours at work.¡± ¡°Haha! This is the first time I¡¯ve heard that someone would actually like to work on an off day.¡± Caleb looked confused but soon thought about how he and her were in the same department. He hesitated for a while before asking. ¡°A¨Care you here because of me?¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Awkward Encounter ¡°What?¡± Erin thought she misheard him. Her surprise looked like disappointment in Caleb¡¯s eyes. If he had made the right guess, that wouldn¡¯t be her reaction. He lowered his gaze and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just joking.¡± ¡°Joking?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Erin was still a little confused, but Caleb had already changed the topic. ¡°What would you like to eat? I¡¯ve already ordered some food. Have some with me. If you don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough, we can order more.¡± Erin shook her head at Caleb, who passed the menu to her. She said, ¡°It¡¯s my treat! You paid for coffee last time.¡± Caleb found it hard to ept her way of thinking. He said with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t have to count down to the penny with me. Do you think I¡¯d be so broke that I can¡¯t afford to buy you a meal? If that¡¯s the case, it would humiliate me as the director! Erin immediately exined, ¡°Mr. Grant, don¡¯t take this the wrong way! That¡¯s not my intention! I just think that as colleagues, we should pay for ourselves.¡± What she said instantly drew a line between them. Caleb¡¯s hand that was picking his ss of water up stiffened in midair. He looked at Erin for a long while, speechless. Naturally, he looked unpleasant. When he came to his senses, he took a sip of water and ced the ss down. He sighed and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to reject me so fast. I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯ll wait for you to deal with your rtionships.¡± Erin didn¡¯t know what else to say. She felt if she were to continue being overly polite with him, it would hurt him, so she merely smiled at Caleb and remained silent. 1 When the food was served, they ate in silence. Right at that moment,n and Tracy exited the booth to pay for their meal. Walking past the open seating area, they noticed Erin and Caleb sitting by the window. Tracy sneered and said, n, look at how desperate Erin is. She has barely divorced you, yet she has already found a new lover.¡± They were standing not far away from Erin and Caleb. Tracy clearly said those words so that Erin could hear her. At that point,n could no longer pretend he didn¡¯t see them, even if he wanted to. After all, they were in public, and he didn¡¯t want to get into an argument with Erin. He swept Tracy a cold nce and instantly pried her hands off his arm. Erin was also looking atn and Tracy right at that moment. When she saw her ex¨Chusband and his mistress together, she instantly lost her appetite and ced her cutlery down. Caleb looked atn before looking at Tracy, who was dressed in a revealing outfit. He could not hide the disdain in his eyes. From what Tracy said, he had already guessed who they were. He ignored them and merely ced a piece of steak onto Erin¡¯s te. He said dotingly, ¡°Erin, look at how thin you¡¯ve gotten. Come, have more.¡± As a man,n¡¯s instinct immediately told him that this good¨Clooking man liked Erin! His suppressed anger was instantly raging. He walked over to Erin and said mockingly, ¡°Erin, what a coincidence! Who is he? Shouldn¡¯t you introduce him?¡± Before Erin could say anything, Caleb stood up and reached his right hand out, saying, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Erin¡¯s friend. Caleb Grant.¡± ¡°Ian Sloan. Erin¡¯s ex¨Chusband. From what I can remember, I don¡¯t think she has ever mentioned you,¡± lan mocked. Caleb looked straight inton¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°You¡¯ve already said she¡¯s your ex¨Cwife. It¡¯s only normal that you won¡¯t know about her new friends, right?¡± ¡°Ah, Erin, you have an interesting friend, but howe he doesn¡¯t even know you don¡¯t like beef? Turns out your friendship is not quite what it seems.¡± Caleb had a rather awkward smile upon hearing whatn said. Erin was also speechless, being put on the spot. Suddenly,n found it no longer interesting. He said, ¡°Have a nice meal. We¡¯re leaving.¡± Tracy, who was byn¡¯s side all this while, quickly chased after him. She was a little angry at him for not introducing her to Caleb. It was not as if she was still the shameful mistress! After they left, Erin looked at Caleb and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to witness that.¡± Caleb sat down and looked at her. He said with a guilty tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t even know what you like to eat.¡± She replied, ¡°It¡¯s normal since I¡¯ve never told you. You¡¯ve never asked me either.¡± At that moment, Caleb had hope in his eyes. He tried hard to suppress his excitement and asked her seriously. ¡°Erin, have you already gotten divorced from him?¡± Erin looked at Caleb¡¯s eager face with hesitation. Since she had indeed gotten divorced fromn, she no longer needed to hide it, so she nodded. Her confirmation caused Caleb to grab her hand. ¡°Congrattions!¡± he said excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re free! Erin, please don¡¯t reject me. Say yes, please?¡± Erin was stunned by Caleb¡¯s sudden confession. It just so happened that Kyle was passing by when this happened, and he witnessed the entire scene. He was walking back to the office with akeout box in his hand. Kyle furrowed his brow. He thought that since Erin had already be Mr. Frost¡¯s woman, how could she still be involved with Caleb? He could see from Caleb¡¯s expression that the man liked Erin a lot. At that thought, Kyle walked faster. He had to rush back to report it to Chandler. Since arriving at the office, Chandler had been working with a gloomy countenance and had yet to eat anything. Ten minutester, Kyle was at the President¡¯s office. When Chandler noticed that Kyle had ced lunch on his coffee table, yet he was still not leaving, he looked up and asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Kyle looked a little conflicted. Although he felt like he was telling tales to Chandler, it was still much better than Erin cheating on him. ¡°Mr. Frost, I walked past a restaurant when I saw Miss Lane and Mr. Grant having a meal together.¡± Chandler instantly ced his pen down and said frostily, ¡°Get to the point.¡± Kyle was a little nervous. He said gently, ¡°I saw Mr. Grant holding Miss Lane¡¯s hand. Then, he waited for a long while, but no response came from Chandler. Just when he thought he was being unnecessary, Chandler suddenly barked, ¡°Get Erin to fuckinge here!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Frost.¡± Kyle walked out of the office, his heart almost popping out. He started to feel that Chandler truly cared about Erin. Half an hourter, Erin arrived at Chandler¡¯s office. At that moment, Chandler was ring at her. The hostility in his eyes grew heavier. When he saw her innocent expression, he truly wanted to punish her badly! Emotions overtook logic. Erin watched as the terrifying Chandler approached her. She was so frightened she wanted to flee, but the towering figure grabbed her by the waist and picked her up. She said frightfully, ¡°Chandler, what the hell are you doing? Have you gone nuts? Let me go!¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 A Shocking Scene ¡°Are you calling me crazy? Do you want to see crazy? I¡¯ll show you crazy!¡± Chandler picked the squirming Erin up and headed to the sofa. He threw her violently on it, and Erin landed painfully. Before she could get up, Chandler flipped her over and pinned her down with his knees pressing onto her. Before she could even react, she fell a burning p on her butt. She screamed in pain, and her cheeks instantly reddened. She was so stunned that she was speechless at the thought that Chandler had actually spanked her. ¡°Chandler, what the hell is wrong with you? Why are you hitting m- Another p came raining down before she could finish her sentence. She was furious and humiliated. She was no longer a child. Even her parents had never spanked her before! 1 After her parent¡¯s divorce, her mother felt she owed her a perfect family, so she never hit her. She was almost 25, yet a man was spanking her! Chandler said nothing and continued spanking her. He was gradually getting addicted to it. ¡°If you spank me again, I¡¯ll sue you! I¡¯ll sue you for assault!¡± Erin didn¡¯t want to cry, but the humiliation and the pain made her tears fall uncontrobly. Hearing her sobs, Chandler finally stopped. He turned her around and locked her in his arms. He looked venomous at that moment. ¡°Erin, you secretly took a leave of absence to Aunder, refusing to answer my calls or reply to my messages. I haven¡¯t even dealt with you on this,¡± Chandler said softly but icily. He narrowed his eyes and continued. ¡°You threw a tantrum back home and refused to let me touch you, pretending to be such a chaste woman, yet you go behind my back and go on a date with Caleb. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t on a date with Caleb! Don¡¯t you dare make such usations! I merely bumped into him.¡± She was not going to bear the crime of something she didn¡¯t do! N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Oh, coincidence? Do you take me for a fool? Do you think I¡¯m that easy to be lied to? Tell me, do you have a rtionship with him or not?¡± Chandler suddenly choked her agitatedly. His extreme and domineering reaction made Erin cry even harder. He was not treating her like a human being at that moment, more like a pet that could be easily mistreated. Her breathing became shorter. Her face flushed. She forced out her words. ¡°Nothing is going on between us. Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± 1 Her eyes were gradually getting bloodshot. Chandler let her go, and she gasped for air, feeling as if her lungs were about to explode. He suddenly stood up, walked over to his desk, picked his phone up, and sent a message. Erin was on the sofa and was about to get up to leave when Chandler shot her a warning re. ¡°If you dare walk out of this door, I¡¯ll get Tony Dixon to kidnap your mother again!¡± ¡°You!¡± Erin was so furious, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything else since Chandler was being ruthless to her. She sat on the sofa and red at him as he slowly walked toward her. She clenched her fists in agitation. She was so infuriated she was at a loss for words. Even if she wanted to bite him, his warning look effect. She truly didn¡¯t dare to dely him. At that moment, she was already sobbing with utter regret. What luck she must have to meet such a monster. ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡± she snarled. 1 Chandler, in front of her, looked down at her with a vindictive gaze. ¡°Kneel,¡± he ordered. Ungrateful wench! If he didn¡¯t teach her a lesson, she¡¯d never learn to appreciate him! Erin red at him hatefully through her tears. She asked, ¡°Why are you doing this to me? Why me?¡± Why? Chandler had a hint of reluctance in his eyes. Even he wondered why. He only knew that he was not sick of her yet. She was the only person that he wanted to sleep with for the second time and even wanted many more times. Letting her stay in his mansion was also unprecedented! When he heard Kyle telling him how Caleb held her hand, he wanted to chop off Caleb¡¯s hand badly! When such an evil thought came to his mind, he was shocked at himself. Even if Caleb was a stranger and not his cousin, since when had he be so violent? Seeing Erin in front of him, he realized that it was all because of her! His desire to own her was like a poison spreading in his body. When he wanted to get rid of that desire, it was toote. He looked down at the tearful Erin. She seemed so poignant, even if she was crying. Even his cousin fell in love with her exquisite looks. How interesting. He ignored Erin¡¯s tears and looked at her coldly. He said, ¡°Serve me. If I¡¯m unhappy with it, I¡¯ll send your mother back to Aunder so she can repay her debt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my mother¡¯s debt!¡± Erin growled. Chandler sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t care. You know I have the power to do so. Stop trying to resist me. If not, you¡¯ll not only have tearsing out of you.¡± He pushed her to the floor kneeling without any hesitation. ¡°Do it!¡± Erin closed her eyes in despair. She truly hoped that it was all just a nightmare. Five minutester, with a folder in his hand, Caleb knocked on Chandler¡¯s door. Erin, inside, was so frightened she wanted to stand up, but Chandler pressed down on her shoulders, not letting her. Chandler smiled sinisterly and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Erin looked at the door in horror. Her face paled terribly. Chills ran down her spine. The moment Caleb pushed the door open, Chandler looked incredibly calm and confident without any hint of awkwardness. Caleb, on the contrary, was bewildered. Erin, on the floor, was so humiliated she wanted to kill herself! She shoved Chandler with all her might and ran out of the office. She couldn¡¯t stay there for a second longer! Any longer, and she would¡¯ve gone mad! Her pride and dignity were instantly crushed by Chandler! Caleb¡¯s eyes were also filled with despair. Looking at Erin crying and running out, he was extremely conflicted. While despising her, he was also feeling sorry for her. He didn¡¯t understand what her tears meant. At that moment, his mind was in a mess. Chandler, however, had already returned to his seat. He looked at Caleb closely, observing his conflicted emotions. He smiled a little and said. ¡°Caleb, where is the document I requested?¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 50 A Shocking Scene ¡°Are you calling me crazy? Do you want to see crazy? I¡¯ll show you crazy!¡± Chandler picked the squirming Erin up and headed to the sofa. He threw her violently on it, and Erinnded painfully. Before she could get up, Chandler flipped her over and pinned her down with his knees pressing onto her. Before she could even react, she fell a burning p on her butt. She screamed in pain, and her cheeks instantly reddened. She was so stunned that she was speechless at the thought that Chandler had actually spanked her. ¡°Chandler, what the hell is wrong with you? Why are you hitting m- Another p came raining down before she could finish her sentence. She was furious and humiliated. She was no longer a child. Even her parents had never spanked her before! 1 After her parent¡¯s divorce, her mother felt she owed her a perfect family, so she never hit her. She was almost 25, yet a man was spanking her! Chandler said nothing and continued spanking her. He was gradually getting addicted to it. ¡°If you spank me again, I¡¯ll sue you! I¡¯ll sue you for assault!¡± Erin didn¡¯t want to cry, but the humiliation and the pain made her tears fall uncontrobly. Hearing her sobs, Chandler finally stopped. He turned her around and locked her in his arms. He looked venomous at that moment. ¡°Erin, you secretly took a leave of absence to Aunder, refusing to answer my calls or reply to my messages. I haven¡¯t even dealt with you on this,¡± Chandler said softly but icily. He narrowed his eyes and continued. ¡°You threw a tantrum back home and refused to let me touch you, pretending to be such a chaste woman, yet you go behind my back and go on a date with Caleb. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t on a date with Caleb! Don¡¯t you dare make such usations! I merely bumped into him.¡± She was not going to bear the crime of something she didn¡¯t do! ¡°Oh, coincidence? Do you take me for a fool? Do you think I¡¯m that easy to be lied to? Tell me, do you have a rtionship with him or not?¡± Chandler suddenly choked her agitatedly. His extreme and domineering reaction made Erin cry even harder. He was not treating her like a human being at that moment, more like a pet that could be easily mistreated. Her breathing became shorter. Her face flushed. She forced out her words. ¡°Nothing is going on between us. Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± 1 Her eyes were gradually getting bloodshot. Chandler let her go, and she gasped for air, feeling as if her lungs were about to explode. He suddenly stood up, walked over to his desk, picked his phone up, and sent a message. Erin was on the sofa and was about to get up to leave when Chandler shot her a warning re. ¡°If you dare walk out of this door, I¡¯ll get Tony Dixon to kidnap your mother again!¡± ¡°You!¡± Erin was so furious, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything else since Chandler was being ruthless to her. She sat on the sofa and red at him as he slowly walked toward her. She clenched her fists in agitation. She was so infuriated she was at a loss for words. Even if she wanted to bite him, his warning look effect. She truly didn¡¯t dare to dely him. At that moment, she was already sobbing with utter regret. What luck she must have to meet such a monster. ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡± she snarled. 1 Chandler, in front of her, looked down at her with a vindictive gaze. ¡°Kneel,¡± he ordered. Ungrateful wench! If he didn¡¯t teach her a lesson, she¡¯d never learn to appreciate him! Erin red at him hatefully through her tears. She asked, ¡°Why are you doing this to me? Why me?¡± Why? Chandler had a hint of reluctance in his eyes. Even he wondered why. He only knew that he was not sick of her yet. She was the only person that he wanted to sleep with for the second time and even wanted many more times. Letting her stay in his mansion was also unprecedented! When he heard Kyle telling him how Caleb held her hand, he wanted to chop off Caleb¡¯s hand badly! When such an evil thought came to his mind, he was shocked at himself. Even if Caleb was a stranger and not his cousin, since when had he be so violent? Seeing Erin in front of him, he realized that it was all because of her! His desire to own her was like a poison spreading in his body. When he wanted to get rid of that desire, it was toote. He looked down at the tearful Erin. She seemed so poignant, even if she was crying. Even his cousin fell in love with her exquisite looks. How interesting. He ignored Erin¡¯s tears and looked at her coldly. He said, ¡°Serve me. If I¡¯m unhappy with it, I¡¯ll send your mother back to Aunder so she can repay her debt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my mother¡¯s debt!¡± Erin growled. Chandler sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t care. You know I have the power to do so. Stop trying to resist me. If not, you¡¯ll not only have tearsing out of you.¡± He pushed her to the floor kneeling without any hesitation. ¡°Do it!¡± Erin closed her eyes in despair. She truly hoped that it was all just a nightmare. Five minutester, with a folder in his hand, Caleb knocked on Chandler¡¯s door. Erin, inside, was so frightened she wanted to stand up, but Chandler pressed down on her shoulders, not letting her. Chandler smiled sinisterly and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Erin looked at the door in horror. Her face paled terribly. Chills ran down her spine. The moment Caleb pushed the door open, Chandler looked incredibly calm and confident without any hint of awkwardness. Caleb, on the contrary, was bewildered. Erin, on the floor, was so humiliated she wanted to kill herself! She shoved Chandler with all her might and ran out of the office. She couldn¡¯t stay there for a second longer! Any longer, and she would¡¯ve gone mad! Her pride and dignity were instantly crushed by Chandler! Caleb¡¯s eyes were also filled with despair. Looking at Erin crying and running out, he was extremely conflicted. While despising her, he was also feeling sorry for her. He didn¡¯t understand what her tears meant. At that moment, his mind was in a mess. Chandler, however, had already returned to his seat. He looked at Caleb closely, observing his conflicted emotions. He smiled a little and said. ¡°Caleb, where is the document I requested?N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Assistant Trainee Caleb¡¯s angry expression made Erin¡¯s heart race. She looked at the handsome man with her swollen eyes and felt a mix of emotions, mostly sadness. ¡°Do you believe everything that I told you?¡± she asked. With a cold look that betrayed his sympathy and anger, Caleb held Erin¡¯s hand and said somewhat emotionally. ¡°Of course I do! I know what kind of a person my cousin is better than you. He must have acted like so after learning that I tried to date you, and he sent me the text so that I could see what was going on and back out. But now that I know the truth, I¡¯m not going to give you up!¡± With her eyes sparkling with tears, she said, ¡°Caleb, I¡¯m grateful enough that you choose to believe me. Thank you so much for that¡ª* Hearing him calling his name, Caleb was pleased. ¡°Erin, what did you call me?¡± She looked at him and repeated his name. Caleb happily held her between his arms, and his heart raced as he took in Erin¡¯s mild scent. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Carried away, he raised Erin¡¯s chin and lowered his head to kiss her, but she turned her head just in time and shoved him away. Her reluctance disappointed him, but Caleb said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I got carried away just now. Don¡¯t be mad at me, Erin. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to kiss you¡­¡± Erin blushed. She knew Caleb liked her, but she had rejected him at the restaurant. She told him the secret, but it didn¡¯t mean she had epted him. ¡°Caleb, I¡¯m only treating you as a friend. Please don¡¯t misunderstand¡­¡± Seeing her embarrassed look, Caleb sighed. ¡°I know you¡¯re only treating me as a friend now and that you¡¯re in a bad mood. I shouldn¡¯t have done that, and I hope you¡¯ll forgive me.¡± Erin fell silent for a moment. She didn¡¯t dislike Caleb, but at the same time, she hadn¡¯t fallen for him, probably because they didn¡¯t know each other well enough. Besides, given her situation, she didn¡¯t think it was appropriate for her to be in a romantic rtionship. ¡°I forgive you, but I hope you can understand the situation I¡¯m in, and I truly don¡¯t have the mood to-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin, Erin,¡± he cut her off. ¡°I get it. I¡¯ll wait for you, and I¡¯ll help you solve your problem with my cousin!¡± Surprised, Erin looked up to meet his eyes and saw he looked serious. Seeing the doubt and worry in her eyes, Caleb added, ¡°I mean it. I¡¯ll help you solve it!¡± ¡°But how?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯te up with a concrete n yet. I¡¯ll think about it first, okay?¡± Caleb told her the truth. As he had just learned about it and the matter involved Chandler, he needed time toe up with a solution. Erin, on the other hand, never expected Caleb to help her in the first ce. She only told him the truth so that he wouldn¡¯t misunderstand or look down on her. Now that he believed her, Erin decided to go back. ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s your cousin, and I don¡¯t want to drag you into this or cause. conflict between you two. If you try to help, he will be even more suspicious of our rtionship.¡± Her wanting to handle it alone and distance herself from him disappointed Caleb. ¡°You don¡¯t have to push me away. Now that I know you¡¯re being forced by him, I couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing, could I? Let¡¯s solve it together, okay?¡± Caleb gave her an unwavering look and an encouraging pat on her shoulder. Erin smiled weakly and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I should go back now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± She touched her pockets and realized she only had her phone¨Cher purse and keys were in the office. ¡°Then take me back to the office. I left my stuff on the desk.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡± He wanted to wrap his arm around her shoulder, but thinking that Erin only took him as a friend now, he put it down. Half an hourter, the two showed up together at the design department. Many designers nced at them but didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Mr. Jones waited until Caleb entered his office and walked up to Erin. ¡°Erin, from now on, you¡¯ve been transferred to the president¡¯s office as an assistant trainee. Pack your stuff and go upstairs.¡± The way Mr. Jones looked at her was a bit odd, and he seemed a bit scared of her. His words shocked everyone. ¡°Erin has been promoted as the president¡¯s assistant trainee?¡± they thought in disbelief. It was their first time hearing such unimaginable news in the design department! They unanimously concluded one thing¨CErin was not an ordinary employee. It also confirmed the rumors that Erin had joined Frost Corporation through her connection. Under their gaze, Erin left the design department. She reported first to the HR department toplete the paperwork for the transfer, then went straight to the top floor holding a cardboard box. Meanwhile, after going into his office, Caleb busied himself making calls in his attempts toe up with a solution for Erin. When he left his office and walked to the cubicles, he saw Erin¡¯s desk was empty except for the stuff belonging to the office. He didn¡¯t expect Chandler to transfer Erin out of his department so soon. Caleb turned around and returned to his office, then took his wallet and car key before leaving the building. On the way home, he pulled a long face. The thought that Chandler had everything made him insanely jealous! Thinking highly of himself, he never deigned topare himself with anyone, but since he fell for Erin, he started to care about it. Worse, he knew he was no match for Chandler as of now. He thought about giving Erin up as she was Chandler¡¯s woman after all, and he did mind the fact that his cousin had slept with her. Even so, Erin¡¯s rejection ignited a fighting spirit in him that he never felt before. ¡°So what if she¡¯s Chandler¡¯s woman?¡± he thought. Caleb even started to wonder what Chandler would look like if he were able to take Erin away from him. In the president¡¯s office, Erin put her cardboard box on a desk. When she entered, she couldn¡¯t believe what she saw¨CChandler had someone ced a white desk not far away from his. On the desk was a golden namete that read ¡°Assistant Trainee: Erin Lane.¡± Erin reluctantly put down her belongings as Chandler threw her a casual nce and said coldly, ¡°Well, are you happy with your current job?¡± Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 The Glory What he said made Erin let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Chandler, won¡¯t my presence here annoy you?¡± Hearing her mockery, Chandler got up and walked to her back. Bending over with his hands propped on both sides of her, he brought his face close to her neck and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern.* As she heard his maic voice, his breath fell on her neck, and Erin shuddered and dared not to move lest they would touch. ¡°Erin, aren¡¯t you supposed to thank me for allowing you to work so near to me?¡± His lips drew near her neck¡­ Unable to stand his seductive voice, she felt her whole scalp tingling. She tried to get up, but Chandler pressed her back to her seat. He nibbled her reddened earlobe, and Erin bit her lower lip to stop herself from making a sound. Chandler gripped her neck and warned coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t be ungrateful. Not any woman could bask in the glory of bing my assistant trainee, okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care about it!¡± Erin snarled. His grip tightened as he narrowed his eyes and gently said, ¡°I dare you to repeat that.¡± His grip and words rmed her, and she didn¡¯t dare to do so when she thought about her mother, Cherry. Chandler let her go, then spun her chair around so that she would face him. Bending over, he held onto the armrests of her chair and gave her an inscrutable gaze. Erin had to admit that she sometimes didn¡¯t dare to look at the man who seemed so perfect lest she would be enchanted by him. She didn¡¯t understand why God would bestow such beauty on a fiend! Seeing fear and conflicted feelings in her eyes. Chandler smiled as his mood improved. As long as Erin yielded to him, he was able to control his temper. Lifting her chin, Chandler asked, ¡°Erin, did you cast a spell on me?¡± Puzzled, Erin said impassively, ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve met, but I¡¯ve somehow be hooked on you and made too many exceptions for you. Not only I¡¯ve let you stay in my vi, but I¡¯ve also allowed you to work in my office. If you¡¯ve not cast a spell on me, why would I have treated you differently?¡± He seemed to be asking her and himself at the same time. Erin said irritably, ¡°I think you¡¯re not right in the head and should go see a doctor!¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Perhaps I am¡­¡± Erin was so surprised by his reply that she thought she misheard it. Chandler suddenly let go of her and returned to his desk to start working. His erratic behavior made Erin mentally exhausted. As she saw him staring coldly at hisputer screen, she was in a state of confusion. She truly couldn¡¯t see through Chandler. ¡°What kind of a rational man would allow his lover to move into his own office? And yet Chandler doesn¡¯t seem like the type of person who would blur the lines between professional and personal lives,¡± she pondered. Feeling her stare, Chandler nced up at her. ¡°If you keep staring at me like that, I might think I¡¯ve failed to satisfy you.¡± Catching herself, Erin looked away and blushed. She truly couldn¡¯t understand why a powerful man like Chandler, who could have any woman he wanted, refused to let her go. The two worked until 9 pm. An hour ago, Chandler gave Erin an agreement to trante into a foreignnguage, and she struggled to trante it word by word with the help of the inte and a dictionary. He knew she wasn¡¯t good at the foreignnguage and was only trying to give her something to do. He even told Erin half an hour ago that he transferred her to his office for two purposes¨Cfirst, to keep an eye on her so that she wouldn¡¯t flirt with other men; secondly, to have sex with her whenever he wanted. When Chandler told her that, Erin choked in anger. As she was doing the trantion, she tried to think of ways to make Chandler leave her alone without affecting her family. Having obtained a lot of information online, she nned to make him grow tired of her and dump her within a month! 1 Knitting her brow, Erin pondered the reasons he became infatuated with her and wanted to discuss her n with Holly after work. At that moment, Chandler received a call, Five minutester, he said to her, ¡°Erin, go back to the vi by yourselfter. I need to return to my family house.¡± He took his phone and car key from the desk, then headed out. Chandler strode to the door and opened the door halfway before suddenly returning to Erin¡¯s desk in anger. Startled, Erin immediately closed the website on her screen. Her flustered look made him somewhat curious. ¡°Were you daydreaming? Why did you pretend you didn¡¯t hear me just now?¡± ¡°I heard you. I¡¯ll take a taxi back.¡± Chandler wanted to go over and check her browsing history but thought he could do it tomorrow. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Aren¡¯t you going to do something?¡± Erin gave him a puzzled look. ¡°What the hell am I supposed to do?¡± she wondered. Pondering for a few seconds, she got up and bowed slightly. ¡°Have a safe trip. Mr. Frost.¡± Chandler¡¯s voice turned icy as he said, ¡°Erin, I wonder if you¡¯re pretending to be stupid or are truly dumb. Get over here!¡± ¡°He¡¯s just standing before my desk, and yet he¡¯s asking me to go over to him?¡± she thought in confusion. Erin reluctantly took two steps over and said, ¡°Why-¡± He held her waist and lowered his head to kiss her, then bit her lip as he pulled away. Erin winced and touched her lip. Seeing blood on her fingers, she wanted to scold Chandler but held back the urge. Seeing her not daring to speak up despite her anger, Chandler felt avenged. He knocked on her forehead and said in a nasty tone, ¡°If you¡¯re this stupid next time, I¡¯m going to bite you again until you remember!* Chandler then mmed the door shut behind him as he left the office. Seeing the door close, Erin grumbled, ¡°If you¡¯re sick, go see a doctor.¡± Having just taken a few steps out of his office, Chandler pulled a long face. ¡°This stupid bitch thinks I couldn¡¯t hear her, does she?¡± he wondered angrily. ncing at his watch, he decided not to go back inside but to punish herter that night. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Jealousy and Mockery At that moment, Erin was the only person left in the office. As Chandler never said he needed her to trante the agreement urgently, she wanted to leave as well. ¡°I¡¯m not going to work overtime for someone like him!¡± she thought. She took her purse and wanted to go meet her coworkers. Milly and E had sent her text messages, saying they had something important to tell her. When Erin was about to leave, she received a call from an unknown number. ¡°Erin, you¡¯re so busy, huh? I sent you a few messages, but you never replied. Don¡¯t tell me your ount got hacked?¡± Surprised that the caller was Sean, she asked, ¡°Howe you have my number?¡± ying poker at his friend¡¯s private club, he had a cigarette in his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s easy to get a phone number, okay?¡± ¡°Have you received the jacket that I sent back?¡± ¡°Yes, but it seems to be torn Erin frowned. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Even if it was torn, I had nothing to do with it. You should ask the courierpany to Seanughed. ¡°Rx. I was just pulling your leg, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no time for your stupid joke. If you have nothing else to tell me, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Having to rush over to meet E and Milly. Erin had no mood to talk to Sean. Sean heard her impatience tone and allowed her to end the call. Forty minutester, Erin arrived at a restaurant by taxi. As she took her seat in the private room on the second floor, Milly asked, ¡°Erin, do you know that Caleb fired Dana?¡± ¡°What? Dana was fired? I thought she took leave to go back to her hometown.¡± Erin was astonished. Milly and E exchanged a look, and thetter chuckled. ¡°Looks like you truly didn¡¯t know about it.¡± E told Erin what happened, and Erin realized the design department hadn¡¯t publicly announced Dana¡¯syoff yet. She didn¡¯t expect Dana would hire someone to create the design for thepetition. Milly asked Erin. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve be the president¡¯s assistant trainee, can you tell us what¡¯s your rtionship with Caleb? Dana told us that you¡­¡± Seeing her odd expression, Erin asked, ¡°What did she say about me?¡± Milly nced at E, who then teasingly said, ¡°Dana said you fell for Caleb. But aren¡¯t you married? Are you and Caleb¡­¡± ¡°How could Dana spout such nonsense? I haven¡¯t fallen for Caleb, and I¡¯m already divorced!¡± Upset, Erin made it clear. The shocking news of Erin¡¯s divorce stunned her two colleagues, who then exchanged several nces. Milly asked, ¡°Why did you divorce your husband all of a sudden?¡± Erin didn¡¯t know how to exin to her. ¡°Am I supposed to telln¡¯s affair to others again and again? My own situation is pretty messed up!¡± she thought. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to talk about the divorce anymore. As for Dana spreading lies about me, I¡¯ll just take it as a misunderstanding on her part.¡± Erin stiffened her face and stopped talking. Milly had always been envious of Erin having a rich and handsome husband, so she couldn¡¯t help wondering why Erin divorced him. She let out an insincere smile. ¡°Don¡¯t hide it from us, Erin. We¡¯re not going to tell others, okay? Level with us. Does your divorce have anything to do with Caleb?¡± Milly narrowed her eyes and continued, ¡°Or is something going on between you and Mr. Frost?¡± At the mention of Chandler, E excitedly said, ¡°Oh my god, have you met him? I heard he¡¯s even more attractive than a movie star! Rumors say he has a special parking space that connects directly to his private elevator, and regr employees like us would never get to see him unless he summons us!¡± ¡°Yeah, Erin, you¡¯re the assistant trainee now. Whose office do you share with? Mr. Frost¡¯s assistant?¡± Upset by their questions, Erin thought about the trouble she was in and wanted to just leave. She was smart enough to realize that Milly and E were treating her as fodder for the gossip, and she wanted no part of it. ¡°If Milly and E find out I¡¯ve be Chandler¡¯s secret lover, who knows what lies they would spread about me?¡± she wondered. Erin got up and said cidly. ¡°My divorce has nothing to do with Caleb. Anyway, I¡¯m feeling unwell, so I better get going.¡± ¡°Erin, we¡¯ve ordered. Eat first before you leave¡­¡± E said, standing up as Erin headed out. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°No, thanks. You guys enjoy your meal. Bye.¡± Seeing Erin shut the door behind her, Milly looked upset and snorted. ¡°What kind of attitude was that? She¡¯s only just be an assistant trainee, and she¡¯s already acting so arrogant. Did she expect us to fawn over her?¡± E sat back down and nced at Milly. ¡°Take it easy. People always forget their friends when their lives take a turn for the better. Although she¡¯s just an assistant trainee, even an idiot knows she has more authority than people like us. Anyway, I wonder if Erin has gotten the job through her rtionship with Caleb.¡± E continued, ¡°You still remember I told you that Caleb and the president are rted, right? If Erin is seeing Caleb, then it¡¯s likely that he persuaded Mr. Frost to give her the job.¡± Milly let out a look of disdain. ¡°She managed to advance her career using a man. What¡¯s the fucking point of working hard and doing overtime like we do?¡± E nced at her and teased, ¡°Milly, you can also find someone to back you up, can¡¯t you? Aren¡¯t you quite close with Mr. Jones? If not, why would he tell you what happened to Dana? Are you guys¡­¡± Milly hastily said, ¡°Cut that out! Mr. Jones is seeing someone, and we¡¯re just friends.¡± She saw E¡¯s smile and added, ¡°It¡¯s true! Nothing is going on between Mr. Jones and me.¡± 1 Unconvinced, E chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If Erin could make Caleb her boyfriend, there¡¯s no shame if you make Mr. Jones yours, is there?¡± Sensing her mocking tone, Milly grew upset. She gave E a cold look and suddenly said, ¡°I forgot to tell you something. I saw your husband give roses to a young and pretty girlst time. Is she his cousin?¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 The Encounter in the Nightclub E lost her smile hearing what Milly said. She bolted to her feet and asked, ¡°What the hell do you mean, Milly? Are you trying to set me against my husband? I told you a long time ago that he has no cousins. Are you trying to suggest that he¡¯s having an affair?¡± Milly didn¡¯t expect E to be so agitated and grew angry as well. ¡°E, don¡¯t vent your anger on me! You know what kind of a person your husband is!¡± She took her purse and headed out, then suddenly turned around and said, ¡°Next time, mind your own goddamn business and tell your husband to behave, okay? To tell you the truth, your husband bought the roses for me, but I turned him down because I¡¯m not interested in losers!¡± Milly threw the door open and stormed out, leaving E, who was choked with anger, behind. The woman mmed her hand on the table and shouted, ¡°Does she think she¡¯s fucking gorgeous just because she has had work done? And who would fucking believe nothing is going on between her and Mr. Jones? What a whore! She knew he has a girlfriend and still tried to seduce him¡­..¡± After Milly left the restaurant, she took a taxi to meet Mr. Jones. She and Mr. Jones were indeed only friends, but he hinted several times that he was not staying with his girlfriend and that Milly could visit him whenever she was bored. She naturally knew that Mr. Jones was interested in her. Seeing Dana get fired and Erin bing the president¡¯s assistant trainee, Milly felt tempted. To smoothen her career path in thepany, she decided to seduce Mr. Jones. After all, Mr. Jones was the son of one of the senior board members of Frost Corporation, and Milly felt she must not give up the opportunity to leverage the rtionship! The first to leave the restaurant, Erin didn¡¯t return to the vi but went to look for Holly. However, Holly had gone to her rich friend¡¯s party at a nightclub, and she sent its location to Erin¡¯s phone. Erin then hailed a taxi to go to that ce. She was eager to discuss strategies with her to make Chandler hate her as quickly as possible. She thought that Holly might understand rich people better and know the way they think. Around half an hourter, she reached the nightclub called Minus. Holly told her before that the name carried the meaning that there would be no fun minus friends, beer, or dance. After Erin got off the taxi, she checked her eyes using thepact mirror. Fortunately, her eyes were not as puffy as before, and it would be too dark to see her face anyway in the nightclub. She smoothed her hair, then went in. When she did, a guy smoking in the dark saw her. Not pleased to see his ex¨Cwife going inside the nightclub,n imagined her embraced by strange men while dancing on the dance floor and grew angry. He tossed off his unfinished cigarette and strode inside.. Seeingn going inside, another man stood where he was as a look of mixed feelings shed across his eyes. Soon, an older man in his thirties who just parked the car came up from behind and put his arm around his shoulder, askingughingly. ¡°Caleb, what are you daydreaming about? Do you know that man that went inside just now?¡°. Wearing his casual clothes, Caleb regained hisposure and said, ¡°No. Let¡¯s go in, Vince.¡± Vince smiled as he patted his shoulder. ¡°I have half a bottle of good wine stored in the private room, so you can pour your heart out to me while we get drunk tonight! Don¡¯t worry, my wife wille to pick us up, andter you can sleep in our guest room.¡± Caleb threw him a nce and let out a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got to thank your wife, then.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it. You rarely ask me out for a drink anyway, so let¡¯s just have fun, okay?¡± Erin was not quite used to the noisy nightclub. When she was datingn, he never brought her to one or allowed her to go clubbing, not even after they were married. She looked at the dazzling dance floor, where young men and women danced wildly. Seemingly enjoying the moment or venting their frustrations, they had all kinds of expressions on their faces. She only stood for a while, but several young men walked out from the dance floor to flirt with and whistle at her. The girls under the throbbing lights were all heavily made up, and few would dare to go to nightclubs without makeup like Erin. Standing out from the rest, Erin¡¯s beautiful face attracted the attention of the men around her. ¡°Hey, miss, are you here alone?¡± ¡°How about I buy you a drink, babe?¡± ¡°You look a lot like my ex¨Cgirlfriend, you know?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Hey, gorgeous, would you like to dance?¡± Erin was speechless. In less than five minutes, she had turned down the advance of more than ten men. Not in a hurry to look for Holly, she wanted to stop worrying about her trouble for the time being, and she was cheered up by the energetic music. When a stranger was about to grope Erin from behind,n grabbed her arm and pulled her through the crowd. Erin initially resisted, but when she saw it wasn, she was stunned and followed him involuntarily. At the same time,n¡¯s strength wouldn¡¯t allow her to stop in her path anyway, and he led Erin into a private room. When they got inside, the two female escorts stopped singing and looked toward them. Taking out two thousand dors from his suit pocket,n paid them and waved them off. The twodies then left politely. Disgusted by what she saw, Erin pulled her arm off his before heading out. ¡°Stop right there! Where the hell do you think you¡¯re going? Are you still going back to the dance floor and letting the guyse on to you? Since when have you be such a whore? Are you just going to sleep around without care?¡±n¡¯s mocking gaze was filled with rage. He thought about how those men had leered at her and angrily wanted to smash their faces! Hearing that, Erin turned around and strode back to given a hard p. from dodging. Not turning his face away,n received a solid p from Erin that made her hand sore with a burning sensation, even a bit. numb. Erin was taken aback. ¡°He could have dodged it. Why didn¡¯t he?¡± she thought. better now after pping me?¡± When Erin threw him a cold nce without a word,n continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I said earlier. I was just too upset¡­¡± His apology made Erin look at him again with a hint of bewilderment. Seeing her in disbelief, he chuckled, ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Back in college, you used to make me apologize all the time¡­¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Harassed by Her Ex¨Chusband Erin retorted, ¡°When had I ever made you apologize?¡± During that time, it wasn who kept cheekily apologizing to her. Holding her hand with both of his,n said in an appeasing tone, ¡°Okay, okay, you didn¡¯t make me. Happy?¡± She withdrew her hand in disgust, and a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t bring up the past anymore¡­¡± Staring at her withdrawn hand,n felt upset. He wasn¡¯t ready to lose her. He said solemnly, ¡°Tracy left an hour ago.¡± Hearing that name, Erin angrily bolted to her feet, butn grabbed her arm and said irritably, ¡°Can¡¯t you listen to me first?¡± Erin struggled in vain to pull her arm off, then turned halfway to him and snapped, ¡°We¡¯ve already divorced! There¡¯s nothing to talk about. Take your hand off me!¡± Seeing her stubborn look,n was pleased instead. He took this as a sign that she was jealous. He yanked her back, and Erin lost her bnce and fell onto hisp. He then hugged her tight to prevent her from escaping. ¡°Let me go!¡± Erin was so enraged that she wanted to bite him. Erin struggled in vain, no match for his strength. She tried her best to calm herself and said coldly, ¡°What do you want to exin? Spit it out!¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Erin froze. Her eyes betrayed herplicated feelings, but she chuckled coldly and said, ¡°It¡¯s none of my business whether you guys broke up or got married.¡± Her indifference disappointed him. He flipped and pushed Erin onto the sofa, then said as he gazed at her intently, ¡°I broke up with her for your sake!¡± Seeing him acting as if it was her fault, Erin chuckled mockingly, n, we divorced because of her, and now you¡¯re ming me? *Seeing him stumped, she continued, ¡°I told you I have nothing to do with what¡¯s going on between you and her, and just do whatever you want, okay? Let me go!¡± Asn was about to say something. Erin¡¯s phone rang in her purse, and he saw traces of panic and fear in her eyes. Lowering his gaze, he thought for a moment, then suddenly let go of her, picked up her purse on the floor, and took out her phone. Erin hastily tried to snatch it back, butn was much taller. With his hand held up, she was unable to reach her phone even if she jumped. Frustrated, she sat on the sofa and stopped trying. Standing not far away,n looked at the caller¡¯s name¨CErin had named the person ¡°Psychopath.¡± He nced at her. She was looking away, but he could tell from her unnatural posture that she was uneasy. Ian chuckled coldly, ¡°I wonder who your affair partner is!¡± He pressed the Answer button and said. ¡°Hello, who the fuck is this?¡± Stepping out the main door of the Frost residence, Chandler halted in his path. His gaze turned inscrutable, and his pleasant voice was icy as he replied, ¡°And who the fuck are you?¡± Sitting on the sofa, Erin shouted, ¡°What the hell are you talking about? We¡¯re divorced!¡± Hearing Erin¡¯s voice, Chandler narrowed his eyes. ¡°As far as I know, you two are already divorced, and she¡¯s my woman now.¡± He ended the call. At the vi, Chandler put his phone away and walked off. Panicking, Erin could imagine Chandler¡¯s look at this moment. She immediately got up and went over ton. ¡°Give me back my phone!¡± He did as she asked. Although he was smiling, his gaze was icy as he said emphatically, ¡°Are you truly his ¡®woman¡®? Who the hell is he?¡± Erin said irritably, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m his woman! As for who he is he¡¯s just someone you can¡¯t afford to cross.¡± Seeing her leaving.n grabbed her arm. ¡°Erin, I broke up with Tracy! Do you know why?¡± Erin said coldly. ¡°Take your hand off me!¡± ¡°I regret divorcing you, and I miss you a lot.¡± As soon as he let go. Erin opened the door and left. The moment the door shut, she heard his words. Weighed down by sadness, Erin walked listlessly away. When she stepped out of the nightclub. Chandler¡¯s message came:¡± Return to the vi within an hour.¡± He didn¡¯t even need to threaten her. Thinking about her mother, she knew she had to obey him. Erin got into a taxi waiting nearby the nightclub and left. When she was about to reach Chander¡¯s vi, Holly called her. ¡°You should have arrived long ago. Where the hell are you?¡± ¡°Holly, I¡¯m going back first. Let¡¯s meet up some other time.¡± Holly heard Erin sound troubled and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just have fun, okay?¡± ¡°Well, take care and call me if you need me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Erin put her phone in her purse and kept thinking about whatn had said when she was leaving. ¡°I regret divorcing you, and I miss you a lot¡­¡± Her eyes grew misty, and she shed tears despite herself. Whatn said was like a needle piercing through her heart that she dared not pull out. It slowly tormented and suffocated her. Erin listlessly walked into the vi and froze as she opened the door to her bedroom. Like a phantom, someone was sitting in the dark on the sofa by the bed, his back against the moonlight. She thought Chandler would be in his bedroom and didn¡¯t expect him to be waiting for her there. ¡°Shut the door.¡± Chandler¡¯s casual remark made her shudder, and she timidly shut the door. He beckoned her with his finger. ¡°Come here.¡± Feeling as if her feet were bolted to the floor, Erin didn¡¯t dare to. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± In the end, she walked up to him, but her heart was pumping so hard that she could almost hear it. Chandler bolted to his feet and stood close to her. After a few seconds, he pushed her down and asked angrily. ¡°Whose scent is that?¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 The Standard Rules Stunned, Erin quickly smelled her dress. Other than cigarette smoke, there was the scent ofn¡¯s cologne. She gave Chandler a look and exined. ¡°I went to look for my friend at a nightclub and bumped into my ex¨Chusband.¡± She couldn¡¯t see Chandler¡¯s face as he stood in the shadow, but she felt his anger. Worrying that he didn¡¯t believe her, Erin added, ¡°I¡¯ll never marry him again! Since I¡¯ve promised to be your lover for three months, I won¡¯t look for other men within the period. Can you not suspect me so easily?¡± Sensing indignation in her tone, Chandler narrowed his eyes and said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m not suspecting you, so don¡¯t be so nervous. I know you don¡¯t dare to betray me because you can¡¯t afford to bear the consequences.¡± Chandler strolled to the door and said, twisting the doorknob, ¡°Come to my room after you take your shower.¡± After he left, Erin weakly caught her breath. She thought he was going to choke her again. Shey on the floor for a while, then got up and showered. Half an hourter, she walked into Chandler¡¯s bedroom. The room was dimly lit, and the purplish light made the bedroom look sensual, if not for Chandler. With his arms folded behind his head, the man stared as she obediently came closer.. Seeing Erin in a conservative nightgown, Chandler frowned. ¡°I forbid you to wear any clothes to bed from now on. Do you understand?¡± Erin scolded inwardly, ¡°Stupid psychopath! Do you think everyone is a sher like you?¡± ¡°Say it to my face if you dare,¡± he sneered coldly. Erin guiltily averted her gaze. Seeing her standing where she was, he quirked his eyebrow and said, ¡°How long are you going to stand there?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Hearing the anger in his voice. Erin went over. She quickly got under the covers as the air conditioning was always set to a freezing temperature. She couldn¡¯t stand the cold, unlike Chandler, who was stark naked. Chandler turned to his side and held her to his chest. Feeling that he had nothing on. Erin blushed slightly. Holding her chin, he narrowed his eyes as he gazed at her and said as if making a promise, ¡°Erin, I told you to be my woman for three months, and I would leave you alone when it¡¯s time. Until then, as long as you obey me, I promise I won¡¯t cause your family any trouble.¡± She asked. ¡°Obey you?¡± He sneered, ¡°In other words, you must never defy me.¡± Erin pouted. ¡°So what if you ask me to kill myself? Am I supposed to do it as well?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot.¡± Seeing that he didn¡¯t even bother to exin, she realized she shouldn¡¯t have said that. Chandler then said patiently. ¡°There are standard rules you must obey: first, when you¡¯re with me, you¡¯re not allowed to have ambiguous rtionships with other men. Second, whenever I want to have sex, you must yield unconditionally. Third, you must not be involved in anything that displeases me.¡± ¡°They are indeed the type of rules reserved only for a secret lover. How demeaning!¡± she thought. She didn¡¯t want to ept any of these three rules, but she had no choice. Her silence pleased him. He knew it was not her ce to negotiate with him. ¡°In this world, whoever stands at the top of the food chain is the master, and whoever knows his opponent¡¯s weakness would have the upper hand.¡± he thought. Seeing the woman yielding to him, Chandler felt like a hunter who had caught his prey. A few minutester, he murmured. ¡°Rx. I want you to learn to enjoy this¡­¡± Seeing her look more and more bewitching. Chandler gradually felt uneasy. He thought of her letting out such an expression in another man¡¯s arms and was racked by jealousy. He suddenly choked her neck and asked. ¡°Say it. Who am I?¡± Erin could hardly breathe. Her eyes were zed over and unfocused, while her voice was tinged with disgust and submissiveness. ¡°Chandler¡­¡± When she mentioned her name, Chandler immediately let go of her neck and lowered his head to kiss her. The night was still young, and he had only just begun¡­ Three hourster, Chandler had to stop because Erin couldn¡¯t take it anymore and had fallen asleep. After tucking her in, he raised the temperature of the air¨Cconditioning and went to take a shower. He then went to the study to make a call. An hourter, n came to the vi carrying a medical kit. Chandler told him what he wanted him to do, and n nodded before following him into the bedroom. Seeing Erin¡¯s fair arms exposed, Chandler spun around and pushed him outside. When they were back inside the room. n asked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯ve changed your mind?¡± Chandler frowned. ¡°Do you have any female assistant who can help you give the injection?¡± Confused, n thought about it and said, ¡°Yes, but she¡¯s working at the hospital now, and it would take her more than an hour to rush over here.¡± As Chandler fell silent. n suddenly realized something and said in astonishment, ¡°Chandler, something is very wrong with you!¡± ¡°Me?¡± n shook his head and asked. ¡°Did you ask me to leave the room because you worried I would see her naked? Please. She¡¯s under the covers. What could I see? You¡¯re being too careful. You might as well ask a blind man to do it!¡± n still looked stunned. Chandler awkwardly turned away and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± n didn¡¯t bother to argue with him and sighed. ¡°Then do you want me to give my assistant a call? Actually, it¡¯s just a sedative. Why don¡¯t you do it yourself? You studied at the medical school for two years, so you should be able to give her the injection.¡± Chandler turned around to look at him and said, ¡°Okay, prepare the sedative then.¡± Twenty minutester, Chandler walked n out of the vi. Before getting into the car, n suddenly said, ¡°Chandler, if you truly like Erin, treat her well. One of my cousins used to be Erin¡¯s ssmate back in college, and he said she¡¯s a good girl.¡¤?* Chandler stiffened his face and said, ¡°n, she¡¯s not your younger sister, so stay out of this.¡± Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Not Worth 100 Million Dors Stunned by what Chandler said. n drove off without a word. The next day when Erin woke up, she sat bolt upright when she saw her surroundings. She looked at Chandler, sitting in front of her, and asked. ¡°Why are we on a ne? Where are we going?¡± Writing an email, Chandler looked up at her. ¡°Grecia.¡± ¡°Why are we going to Grecia?¡± Feeling like she was in a dream, she looked at the nket on her and nced around at what seemed to be a private jet. ¡°For vacation.¡± Erin found his simple answer hard to ept. ¡°What about my job? I didn¡¯t even tell my parents that I¡¯d be going overseas. What if they went to look for me?¡± Chandler shut hisptop and said, ¡°I knew you would worry too much, so I gave you a sedative shot.¡± Erin was shocked. ¡°No wonder I wasn¡¯t even aware that I boarded a goddamn ne!¡± she thought. ¡°If we¡¯re going on vacation, you could have told me. There¡¯s no need to give me a sedative shot-¡± Seeing she was about to bber on, Chandler interrupted, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Hearing the question, she suddenly felt she was starving. She had slept more than ten hours, after all. Chandler pressed the service bell, and two curvaceous flight attendants walked into the cabin in high heels. Erin thought they must have undergone a rigorous selection process as they both had perfect figures and great looks. However, Chandler seemed indifferent as he talked to them. Erin could see the jealous looks in their eyes when they were leaving. She chuckled inwardly. ¡°Jealous of me? If they know what kind of a fiend Chandler is, I doubt they would ever be so,¡± she thought. ¡°Erin, what are you daydreaming about?¡± Chandler threw a piece of chocte at Erin¡¯s head. Fortunately, it was a small piece wrapped in paper packaging, and Erin felt no pain. Catching herself, she said, ¡°Hey, why hit me? ¡°She sounded affronted but still ate the chocte. ¡°The two women just now are gorgeous!¡± Seeing him smiling without a reply, she continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything when you look at them? Perhaps they¡¯re virgins, you know?¡± She remembered when she first met him; he had asked if it was her first time. Looking back now, she realized she rather despised men who were obsessed with virgins. What she said caused Chandler to lose his smile. ¡°What the hell are you trying to say?¡± She smirked. ¡°Well, they are beautiful. Why didn¡¯t you make them your lovers?¡± He said impassively, ¡°I¡¯ve met a lot of beautiful women, but they are not as lucky as you.¡± ¡°Lucky?¡± Erin felt the urge tough but couldn¡¯t bring herself to. She gazed out the window at the clear sky, which should rx her, but her mind was troubled. Her look of disdain made Chandler frown with slight anger, but he didn¡¯t lose his temper. To prevent her ex¨Chusband from winning her back, he specially took her on vacation abroad. After all, he had been busy and could take a break himself. However, Erin obviously didn¡¯t appreciate it, and he wasn¡¯t good at sweet¨Ctalking women as he was used to paying them to do what he wanted. Thinking of money. Chandler looked at her thoughtfully and said, ¡°You¡¯re my woman now, and I¡¯ll make sure you get something from me.¡± Erin turned to look at him and chuckled. ¡°Why? Are you thinking ofpensating me?¡± Taking out a pen and checkbook, Chandler wrote down the amount and signed his name on a check before offering it to her.¡± I¡¯m paying you 30 million dors for the three months you spend with me. I think you should be happy with the amount.¡± Erin thought about her ex¨Chusband¡¯s offer to buy a vi worth 20 million dors for her with the condition that she would give birth to a child after their divorce. Yet Chandler was giving her 30 million dors, and all she needed to do was be his lover for three months. The massive difference in their offers made her feel a mix of emotions. 1 However, as a woman of dignity, what she felt the most was humiliation. If she took the money, then she would truly be a prostitute. Chandler watched as she stared at the check in his hand without taking it, her eyes sparkling with tears. He sneered. ¡°Why? Is 30 million too little?¡± Erin thought about her n and angrily said, ¡°Well, I think it is! You should at least give me 100 million dors.¡± *100 million?¡± A look of astonishment shed across his eyes. Suddenly, he burst outughing, and the two flight attendants pushed the trolley into the cabin at that moment. After serving the food, one of the flight attendants asked Chandler as she knelt on one knee on the floor. ¡°Mr. Frost, what drink would you like to have?¡± Seemingly wanting to see through her, Chandler kept staring at Erin, but she dared not to meet his intense eyes and looked out at the sky outside the window. ¡°Take a look at this woman. Do you guys think she¡¯s worth 100 million dors?¡± Chandler asked the flight attendant. Exchanging a nce, the two women naturally didn¡¯t think so. They thought they could easily match Erin¡¯s looks and figure. The flight attendants weren¡¯t stupid. Working for Chandler, they knew they had to guess what he truly meant by the question. To avoid saying the wrong thing, the flight attendant who was asked the question replied with a smile. ¡°Mr. Frost, pardon me, but I¡¯ve no idea how to answer your question.¡± Chandler turned his handsome face to her, causing her heart to race. He was so handsome that any woman would be enchanted by him. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just speak your mind.¡± Overwhelmed by his cold, authoritative look, she timidly said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Chandler was pleased. ¡°Great answer! Tell Kyle toe here.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The woman smilingly went away. Kyle soon came inside the cabin and asked, ¡°Mr. Frost, looking for me?¡± ¡°Kyle, give this flight attendant 100 thousand dors as a reward for daring to speak the truth.¡± Chandler said while staring at Erin. Seeing that her colleague had gotten 100 thousand dors so easily, the other flight attendant immediately added, ¡°Sir, I also think she isn¡¯t worth 100 million dors!¡± ¡°Kyle, make sure you give her 100 thousand dors as well.¡± Kyle said. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Chandler then waved them off, and he was left alone with Erin in the cabin. She had already turned around and was eating her food as if what happened just now had nothing to do with her. Seeing her enjoying the food, Chandler looked at his check and put it away. ¡°Erin, you¡¯ll end up getting nothing if you push it too far.¡± His words were cold, and there was a hint of disgust toward her, but Erin looked pleased when she looked up. ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m worth 100 million!¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Unreasonable Seeing Erin¡¯s innocent face, Chandler looked away and said, ¡°What a greedy woman!¡± During the meal, Erin focused on eating and didn¡¯t let him spoil her appetite. He got a flight attendant to bring some top¨Cquality red wine, and she left after pouring them each a ss. Seeing the flight attendant leave, Erin suddenly asked, ¡°Chandler, what do you usually like the most? And what do you hate the most?¡± He leisurely sliced the top¨Cgrade, medium¨Crare steak, and blood oozed out. Erin felt a little nauseous seeing it as she only ate her meat well done. Chandler put a piece of steak into his mouth and chewed it slowly before swallowing. ¡°Why do you ask? Trying to please me?¡± Erin chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m going to stick around you for three months, so I guess I should know more about you¡­¡± ¡°I hate a lot of things, and there aren¡¯t many things I like.¡± Erin was speechless as he had basically told her nothing. As he wasn¡¯t ready to respond to her, she decided to give up. After taking a sip of wine, Chandler said, ¡°I hate women who don¡¯t take care of their personal hygiene the most.¡± Erin made a mental note of it. When they reached their hotel in Grecia, Erin started to act like an unhygienic woman. Even if he was on vacation, Chandler spent his time in the study of the ocean¨Cview suite, having video conferences with the high¨Clevel executives. Erin, on the other hand, wanted to take a shower, but determined to be unhygienic, she resisted the urge. At that moment she was sweaty all over and wanted to sleep due to jetg. However, seeing the luxurious suite, she felt she was too dirty as she had not had a shower after getting off the ne. A clean freak, Chandler, had already showered twice. Standing before the mirror in the bathroom. Erin struggled with deciding whether to shower. When Chandler was done with a video conference and walked by the bathroom, he saw her still wearing the same clothes she wore on the way there, and his face stiffened. He went inside and said, ¡°Erin, how long have you been standing here? Aren¡¯t you going to take a shower?¡± Erin lied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to shower, and I hate showering the most!¡± Chandler frowned and said coldly, ¡°How can you be so dirty?¡± He suddenly realized that Erin had acted so because of what he said on the ne. A cold look shed across his eyes. ¡°Erin, stop being so childish! You have 20 minutes to clean yourself up. We¡¯ll be going outter.¡± After he left, Erin was still thinking about what he said. ¡°Did he guess what I was trying to do?¡± she wondered. Nevertheless, she chose to take a shower because she would go crazy feeling sticky all over. Instead of disgusting Chandler, she ended up feeling disgusted with herself! Twenty minutester, Erin stood in front of the mirror, fully dressed and groomed. Someone had packed her luggage for her. The two big suitcases had everything she needed, even things that were not supposed to be there¨CChandler¡¯s personal items. Erin was annoyed by the two boxes inside the suitcase, and she weighed her options when Chandler wasn¡¯t around. Her eyes lit up as an idea came to her. Taking the boxes to the open¨Cair swimming pool outside, she nced around and tossed them into the bushes. She brushed her hands, pleased with what she had done. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stunned, Erin wheeled around and saw Chandler standing behind her. She awkwardly rubbed the back of her head and let out a grin. ¡°Nothing. Just admiring the view¡­¡± Chandler looked her up and down, then turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Trying to hide her guilt, she asked earnestly. ¡°Where are we going?¡± He didn¡¯t reply and strode away wearing casual clothes and sunsses. A petite woman, Erin could hardly catch up and said, out of breath, ¡°Hey, slow down! Do you think everyone is born with super long legs like yours? Be considerate to hobbits like me, okay?¡± What she said cheered Chandler up, and he slowed to a stop and turned around to wait for her. When she walked up to him, Chandler studied her clothes and frowned. ¡°Go back and put on a jacket.¡± Erin knitted her brow. ¡°Come on. It¡¯s so hot out here, yet you want me to put on a jacket? If I could, I wanted to wear a bikini, you know?¡± He sneered, ¡°Bikini, huh? Who are you trying to seduce wearing this?¡± ¡°Please! You¡¯re not that old¨Cfashioned, are you? I¡¯m just wearing a sundress.¡± Erin couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Then get changed if you don¡¯t want to wear a jacket!¡± As he was blocking the doorway, Erin could only shake her head in resignation and returned to her bedroom. After about five minutes, Chandler grew impatient and walked into the room. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you knock?¡± Erin blushed and covered herself with the sundress she took off. Chandler eyed her fair and slender legs and felt she had perfect proportions, although she wasn¡¯t tall. He narrowed his eyes as he smiled. ¡°Why cover yourself up? It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve never seen-¡± Erin said irritably. ¡°Leave!¡± He, however, sauntered in and chuckled as Erin backed off instinctively. ¡°Rx, I¡¯m not in the mood now. What clothes have you picked?¡± She nced at a white short¨Csleeve dress, which was both youthful and stylish. Picking it up, Chandler looked at it and was pleased. ¡°Hurry up. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± Then, he strode out of the bedroom. Erin was enraged. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he the one who wanted me to get changed? What an unreasonable egomaniac!¡± she thought. Ten minutester, Chandler and Erin got into the convertible and headed to the sea. Kyle was driving, and Erin¡¯s mood lifted, learning they were going out to sea. Silting beside her. Chandler saw she was letting out a rare smile, and a hint of joy appeared in his eyes. Her smile was so innocent and beautiful that it momentarily made him. forget his trouble and stress. He couldn¡¯t help leaning forward to pinch her cheek. ¡°Dumbass, you should smile more as you look beautiful when you do.¡± Erin dropped her smile. ¡°If you want to praise me, then do it. Why do you have to call me You truly can¡¯t say anything nice. can¡¯t you?¡± Chandler leaned back with his hands behind her head. ¡°Want to hear something nice? Then make me happy.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Forget it then. It¡¯s impossible to please you. I¡¯d rather try to.make a pig happy-¡± She pped her hand over her mouth. ¡°Erin, are you tired of living?¡± Very soon, her pleas for mercy were heard. Kyle looked at the rearview mirror, and his mood lifted as well, seeing Chandler poking Erin¡¯s ticklish spots. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Enjoying This Two hourster, Erin sat on the deck of the yacht, dangling her legs outside while holding an ice cream. She looked at Chandler, who was not far away, and thought. ¡°Damn, he sure has a great body¡­¡± Erin remembered a psychologist once said that people with great bodies were usually very self¨C disciplined and had excellent self¨Ccontrol. ¡°I guess Chandler is someone who has remarkable self¨Crestraint!¡± she thought. ¡°Erin,e help me reel in the fish.¡± With his back to her, Chandler was slowly reeling in the fish with his fishing rod. Hearing that he had caught a fish, she felt a surge of admiration for him and hastily got up to go over. When she saw the lively fish jumping out of the water, she eximed in amazement. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re so good at fishing!¡± Chandler nced at her and said casually. ¡°I¡¯m good at many things.¡± He saw her staring at the sardine and said discontentedly. ¡°Give me your ice cream. Take the fish off the hook and put it into the bucket.¡± Erin looked at her ice cream and reluctantly gave it to him. Chandler moved the fishing rod near her, and she reached out to grab the fish. Holding the rod while eating her ice cream, he watched with interest as Erin fumbled with the fish. She knitted her brow as she struggled with the task, and Chandler could tell that it must be her first time doing this. ¡°Be careful with the hook,¡± he said. His emotionless remark made Erin look at him. Before she could process the deeper meaning of his words, the fish in her hands suddenly struggled and startled her so much that she slipped on the water on the deck and fell into the sea. Unable to catch her, Chandler saw it happen before his eyes. He went over to take a look and saw Erin breaking the surface. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The moment she fell, he wanted to jump into the sea to save her. However, a quick thinker, he thought about her personal information and gave up the idea, remembering she had won first ce in the county swimmingpetition in junior high. school. Erin felt upset as she looked up and saw Chandler standing on the deck. Away in a foreign country, he was the only person she knew, and yet he didn¡¯t try to save her. She couldn¡¯t help but pout. ¡°You¡¯re truly cold¨Chearted, aren¡¯t you? Instead ofing to my rescue, you look like you¡¯re enjoying this!¡± Chandler put the fishing rod on the deck and crouched down to look at her. ¡°Why should I save you?¡± ¡°How could he say that?¡± Erin thought. Erin said angrily. ¡°I¡¯d definitely try to save you if you were the one who fell.¡± He snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to save me. Come up quickly. Since you lost the fish, we could only go back to eat at the hotel.¡± Basking in the sun, Erin, however, felt carefree and wanted to swim a while more despite what he said. Not seeing her, Chandler returned and said. ¡°This is the open sea. If the sharkse, I won¡¯t be able to save you, okay?¡± She was shocked. ¡°Are you sure there are sharks here?¡± His eyes lost their yfulness. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. Do you think this is a hotel swimming pool?¡± Seeing his serious look, Erin dared not doubt his words. She quickly swam to thedder and climbed up to the deck. Kyle had already walked out of the cabin. He handed the bathrobe and towel to Erin. ¡°Thanks.¡± She took the bathrobe and put it on. Chandler said to Kyle. ¡°Tell the captain to turn back.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Frost.¡± After Kyle left, Chandler neared Erin and leaned over to whisper in her ear, ¡°You lost my fish. Tonight you have to dress yourself up as a mermaid topensate me¡­¡± The implied meaning in his words made Erin blush, but she didn¡¯t speak and pretended not to understand. Seeing her ying dumb, Chandler wanted to flick her forehead, but his phone rang. When he took out his phone and saw the caller was ire, he let out a soft look that Erin had never seen before, then he stroked her head and left the deck. Drying her hair with the towel, Erin couldn¡¯t stop staring at Chandler¡¯s phone. She involuntarily followed him. When she reached a bend, Erin hid and dared not go further, but she was still able to hear Chandler¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s that girl ire girl again¡­¡± she thought. A few minutester, Erin wanted to leave, but Chandler was now standing right before her, his face stiffened. ¡°How dare you eavesdrop on my phone call!¡± She lied, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°Liar!¡± Chandler angrily gripped her neck and pushed her toward the railing. Erin could hardly breathe. ¡°I really didn¡¯t hear anything. Let me go!¡± He said through clenched teeth. ¡°Erin, you¡¯re just my secret lover. Don¡¯t overthink it!¡± She replied, ¡°Please! I¡¯d rather you hate me. Why would I overthink it.¡± Seeing the disgust in her eyes, he angrily choked her even harder. She struggled to breathe, tears welling up in her eyes. With her face flushing, Erin shouted, ¡°Choke me to death if you dare!¡± Chandler looked into her eyes. Realizing this beautiful woman had made him lose control over and over again, he angrily shoved her off and strode away. With her legs going limp. Erin held onto the railing and caught her breath as she cursed Chandler inwardly again and again.¡± Stupid psycho!¡± When she was somewhat recovered, Kyle showed up before her. Erin saw the sympathy in his eyes and said indifferently. ¡°Did you see what happened? You find meughable, don¡¯t you?¡± Kyle hesitated as if he wanted to say something. Seeing he didn¡¯t say anything, Erin turned around to leave. ¡°Miss Lane¡­¡± When Erin turned back to him, she still didn¡¯t look too well, but her tone was calm as she said, ¡°Yes, Mr. Morn?¡± He sighed quietly, then went over to her. When he was close, the man nced around and whispered, ¡°Miss Lane, there¡¯s a reason Mr. Frost choked you.¡± Erin frowned as she looked at him. Kyle added, ¡°Mr. Frost¡¯s biological mother suffered a rareplication during childbirth and passed away shortly after giving birth to him¡­¡± His words instantly made Erin feel sympathetic toward Chandler, and her gaze softened. Kyle continued gravely, ¡°The chairman always med Mr. Frost for what happened. During his childhood, whenever Mr. Frost did anything wrong, the man would choke him, and this continued until Mr. Frost was in high school. When the chairman got older, and Mr. Frost was old enough to fight back, he no longer resorted to such punishment. However, Mr. Frost was traumatized. Whenever he encounters anything or anyone beyond his control, he¡¯ll lose his temper. I think you¡¯re one of them. ¡°Kyle looked up at Erin. ¡°Me?¡± Erin said in disbelief. Chapter 61 Childhood Trauma Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Childhood Trauma Chapter 61 Childhood Trauma ¡°Yes! At least from what I know about Mr. Frost. My father is the buller of the Frost family, and he was the one who told me all these.¡± From what Kyle had said. Erin realized that Chandler had choked her because of his trauma. She understood childhood trauma could greatly impact a person¡¯s life. Suddenly, she felt a surge of sympathy for Chandler and even felt bad for him. ¡°Thanks for telling me,¡± she said. Kyle smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Honestly speaking, Mr. Frost has treated you rather differently. You¡¯re the first woman who has ever stayed with him for so long.¡± Erin, however, didn¡¯t enjoy hearing that and chuckled in derision. ¡°Are you going to tell me that I should feel honored and be grateful to him?* Kyle immediately exined. ¡°You got me wrong. All I¡¯m saying is that Mr. Frost has never been in love before. He doesn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Morn, you¡¯re overthinking it! My rtionship with him has nothing to do with love. He doesn¡¯t even know how to respect a person, let alone to fall in love,¡± Erin said and turned to leave. She found Kyle¡¯s attempt to excuse Chandler¡¯s behavior to be ridiculous. ¡°Of course, he would side with his boss. How could I expect him to sincerely help me?¡± she thought. Staring after her as she stormed off, Kyle stood where he was and let out a deep sigh. He knew he should stay out of it, but being unable to interfere with Chandler¡¯s personal life, he still wanted to help him. ¡°You¡¯ve be rather talkative, haven¡¯t you?¡± Startled, Kyle turned around and saw Chandler standing not far away. Realizing that Chandler must have heard what he said, Kyle lowered his head and said apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Frost! I knew I stepped out of line, but I did it so that Miss Lane wouldn¡¯t misunderstand you¡­¡± Gazing at the seemingly endless sea, Chandler waved his hand to stop him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯vee here to apologize to her anyway.¡± Kyle stared nkly at him and couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°Mr. Frost wanted to apologize to Miss Lane?¡± he wondered. Turning his face to him halfway, Chandler let out a bitter smile after seeing the man¡¯s astonished look. ¡°She said, ¡®Choke me to death if you dare,¡® just now. I said the same thing to my father when I was fifteen.¡± He gazed at the horizon, and there was a hint of remorse in his voice. His heartfelt words made Kyle¡¯s eyes turn red, and he said emotionally. ¡°Mr. Frost, I¡¯m truly happy for you¡­¡± Stiffening his face, Chandler walked toward him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed? Dry your tears.¡± Kyle quickly did so and repeatedly nodded as he said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Frost! I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chandler then ignored him and went away alone. Thinking of how Erin looked when she left, Kyle worried the conflict between Chandler and Erin would escte. At the same time, knowing that she was able to make Chandler reflect on his behavior, Kyle felt it was good to have her around. He quickly caught up with Chandler and said, ¡°Mr. Frost, women always want others to appease them. Since you came to apologize to Miss Lane, you should talk to her now¡­¡± Chandler narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why are you so concerned about this?¡± ¡°I just feel that you¡¯ve be much more cheerful since Miss Lane came into your life.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± Chandler thought of her face, and indeed, he felt a tinge of joy. ¡°Mr. Frost, do you remember asking me to investigate Miss Lane¡¯s cleared browsing history? You saw it yourself; she was trying to leave you and isn¡¯t drawn to your sex appeal.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kyle pped himself and said in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, I used the wrong term! I meant to say Miss Lane is not drawn to your looks or wealth but wishes only to leave you. Such a woman is not easy to find! In this materialistic world, she is one of a kind!¡± Chandler chuckled coldly. ¡°One of a kind? She asked me to give me 100 million dors on the ne¡­¡± Kyle wanted to tell his boss he was an idiot but didn¡¯t dare to. Instead, he coolly analyzed the situation for him. ¡°Mr. Frost, think about it. If she is indeed a greedy woman, she should be thinking of ways to please you and make money out of you. Why would she want to leave you? If you think carefully about what she says or does, you¡¯ll know whether she truly likes you or not.¡± Chandler fell into deep thought. At that moment, he and Kyle had reached the bar counter, and the latter dismissed a male attendant. To prevent Chandler from suspecting his rtionship with Erin, Kyle rified, ¡°Mr. Frost, I only spoke up for Miss Lane because I feel she is right for you, and I know it¡¯s not my ce to interfere with anything. All I want to ask is this¨Care you willing to let her go back to her ex¨Chusband?¡± At the mention of Erin¡¯s ex¨Chusband, Chandler¡¯s face turned grim. Seeing his look, Kyle continued. ¡°You wanted me to keep an eye onn, and this morning I received an email from Hans saying thatn had broken up with Tracy. However, he hasn¡¯t pursued Ms. Wood romantically, and I wonder if this has anything to do with Miss Lane.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it. You may go now.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Frost.¡± After Kyle was gone. Chandler walked to the counter and poured himself a ss of vodka. Thinking of lan with an icy gaze. Chandler picked up the ss and downed it in one shot. ¡°Son is still thinking of getting back together with Erin. Over my dead body!¡± he thought.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. That night in the hotel room. Chandler took off his bathrobe after his shower andy beside Erin. Her back to him, Erin pretended to have fallen asleep. He stared at her quavering back and kissed it, then turned her over by holding down her shoulder. ¡°Erin, do you think I would let you be if you pretended to be asleep?¡± Erin opened her eyes. ¡°If you want to have sex, then do it quickly. I¡¯d like to sleep early!¡± What she said affected his mood, but he wasn¡¯t ready to let her off the hook. ¡°Fine, go get it then.¡± She asked knowingly. ¡°Get what?¡± An impatient look shed across Chandler¡¯s eyes. ¡°What do you think? If you don¡¯t want to get it, then no safe sex tonight.¡± Seeing him leaning over to kiss her, Erin hastily stopped him with both hands and stiffened her face. ¡°No way! What if I get pregnant?¡± ¡°Then are you going to get it? It¡¯s your call.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to care, and Erin had no choice but to get out of bed. Seeing her reluctantly walking out of the bedroom. Chandler sneered. ¡°This stupid woman thinks I didn¡¯t see what she did,¡± he thought. Relieved that the bedroom was across the swimming pool and he wouldn¡¯t be able to see her, she slunk over and searched the bushes wearing only her nightgown. Unable to find it after a long while, she heard a pleasant male voiceing from behind. ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 The Final Compromise Erin¡¯s face changed as soon as she saw the box in Chandler¡¯s hands. She asked, ¡°Since you already know, why do you still want me to look for it?¡± She was now certain that he had most definitely seen her at that time. Chandler watched her closely, recalling what Kyle had said to him before. He walked to her side and took her hand, leading her back into the bedroom. When they had both returned to the bedroom, he held her in hisp. Erin didn¡¯t resist. She knew that the more she resisted, the more interested he became in her. Chandler told her calmly. ¡°Erin Lane, don¡¯t keep making those stupid mistakes on purpose. I¡¯ll let you go after three months.¡± She looked at him. At that moment in time, his eyes didn¡¯t seem as cold as it usually was, but there was a certain darkness and mysteriousness within them that she didn¡¯t understand. Erin asked calmly. ¡°Why me?¡± His gaze lowered as he seemingly contemted her words. After a while, he replied. ¡°Maybe your constant resistance to my pursuits aroused my interest.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything more. Chandler murmured, ¡°I will try to be good to you.¡± Erin remained silent. Her calmness and obedience at that moment soothed his heart. Erin was a bit nervous and dared not look at him directly. He sighed. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± After Chandler removed his clothes and adjusted his position in bed, he hugged her from behind and said to her for the first time. ¡°Good night.¡± Erin¡¯s tensed muscles rxed slightly. She replied after a pause, ¡°Good night.¡± It wasn¡¯t until she heard Chandler¡¯s even breathing from behind her that she finally calmed down. Chandler¡¯s unusual behavior that night made it hard for her to fall asleep. Before, she had deliberately tried to dispose of those boxes, but he wasn¡¯t mad at her in the slightest when he knew, which surprised and unsettled her. Remembering everything he had said, she thought about it calmly. Maybe she should try to ept him for who he was. No matter what, he wouldn¡¯t let her go if he didn¡¯t want to. Why not follow his wishes and endure those three months? Erin thought and thought, and eventually, she couldn¡¯t resist the wave of drowsiness that finally drove her to sleep. The next day, when she woke up, she found herself trapped in Chandler¡¯s arms as he slept beside her. The soft dawn light illuminated his perfectly¨Cbnced features. Erin stared at him absent¨Cmindedly. She had to admit that his appearance was truly astounding. So astounding that she hardly dared to approach him.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. A man with an appearance like him was enough to drive any woman to her knees. Even if Erin herself wasn¡¯t exactly obsessed with beauty and looks, who didn¡¯t adore handsome men and pretty women? ¡°Erin, am I handsome?¡± Erin jumped, startled. It turned out that Chandler was already awake, and he didn¡¯t need to open his eyes to know that she was staring at him. She was so ashamed that all she wanted was to escape his embrace. He opened his eyes suddenly, tightening his grip on her. ¡°Am I handsome?¡± he repeated. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She flushed as soon as the words left her lips. She struggled against his hold once again. ¡°Let me go. I want to get up now.¡± Chandler pointed to his cheeks as he spoke. ¡°Kiss me.¡± She fell his arms around her waist, holding her in ce domineeringly. Erin leaned over and pecked his cheek shyly. It was a cursory attempt at best. Chandler angled his body, pressing her underneath him. He smirked at her as he spoke. ¡°One kiss is hardly enough.¡± An hourter, Erin struggled to stand as her legs buckled under her weakly. Chandler watched her walk into the bathroom, a rare expression of pleasure on his face. Thinking about the love marks on her back, his eyes darkened, and he strode into the bathroom swiftly. Five minutester, the sound of conversation between Erin and Chandler could be heard from within. Chandler¡¯s low voice. insisted. ¡°Let me help you wash.¡± ¡°Your intentions are truly ignoble!¡± Erin retorted immediately. ¡°Since you understand, I won¡¯t have to waste my words.¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± Erin protested. ¡°Since you have so much energy, why don¡¯t you go work out instead.¡± ¡°I have you,¡± Chandler shot back simply, a smirk in his voice. Another hourter, Erin and Chandler finally got dressed and left the hotel. Erin didn¡¯t want to even look at the pervert next to her, her hat and sunsses shielding his frame from her sight as she stood at one side. Not that far away. Chandler stood alone as he answered a phone call. Meanwhile, a Bugatti arrived at the hotel¡¯s entrance, and shortly after, a man stepped out of the car. Erin happened to see him just then. Despite her hat and sunsses, the man recognized Erin the moment he saw her. He walked toward her, one arm extended, his eyes filled with tenderness. ¡°Miss Lane, it¡¯s been a while since we saw each other.¡± Erin looked at Louis as he waited for her to shake his hand. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she was just about to return the gesture when Chandler pulled her back. ¡°Louis, the world is so big, yet you had to show up here.¡± Of course, Chandler noticed the other man¡¯s presence as soon as Louis exited his car. He ended his call and rushed over immediately. Louis smiled. He was handsome and biracial, his striking features perpetually carrying the hints of a smile. He said, ¡°Chandler, are you still mad aboutst time? I thought you believed that ignorance shouldn¡¯t be punished. I truly didn¡¯t know of your rtionship with Miss Lane at that time.¡± Chandler snorted disdainfully. Without a word, he ignored Louis and walked away with Erin. Erin nced at Louis before leaving with Chandler. Louis wasn¡¯t her friend, and she didn¡¯t care that much anyway. She had only really attempted to return his handshake out of politeness. Without realizing it, Chandler and Erin arrived at a small alley. Halting in his forward stride, Chandler reprimanded her sternly.¡± Erin, are you dumb? Why would you want to shake hands with that fucking hypocrite? For God¡¯s sake, he mistook someone else for his own wife¨Cwhat a fraud!¡± Chandler¡¯s words were extreme, but there were some elements of truth to them. To Erin, if she were Louis¡® deceased wife, she would not be able to rest in peace knowing that her husband mistook a stranger for herself. Chandler¡¯s anger subsided the longer Erin remained silent. He tugged at her hand again and asked, ¡°Hey, what do you want to eat?¡± Earlier, it was Erin herself who suggested that they dine at a small restaurant nearby. Now that she thought about it, however, they had traveled all the way here. They couldn¡¯t just stay in the hotel and do nothing, could they? ¡°I want seafood!¡± He gave her a pinched look and deadpanned, ¡°Glutton.¡± Erin took the initiative to pull at his hand, leading him along. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be mad anymore. Let¡¯s go.¡± She had already made her decision. Since they were already in Grecia, they might as well have fun. Chandler¡¯s expression when he looked at her was still somewhat arrogant, but he let her pull him along. Two hourster, they finished their meal and arrived at the seaside. Erin took off her shoes and stepped on the beach while Chandler walked behind her in sandals. His heart stopped momentarily, as though someone had catapulted him into the cerulean sea, as he beheld her innocent smile, the tranquility of the moment wrapped around him like a warm nket. Erin turned around and told him, ¡°Chandler Frost, thanks for bringing me to Grecia!¡± He walked in front of her. His head lowered as he met her gaze and tapped her nose gently. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me by my full name.¡± She tilted her head and asked, ¡°What should I call you then?¡± He teased, ¡°Call me Chandy. I¡¯m five years older than you anyway.¡± Erin¡¯s expression cooled instantly. She turned around, keeping her voice deliberately light. ¡°I would never call you that.¡± Chandy was what ire had called him. Erin would rather die than call him as ire did. Chandler watched her silhouette, sensing the shift in her emotions. He was just about to ask her about it when his phone rang. The caller ID was ¡°Ethan Kane,¡± ire¡¯s father. He answered immediately. ¡°Mr. Kane?¡± ¡°Oh, Chandler, where are you? If you¡¯re not busy right now, could you pleasee and see ire? She¡¯s in Liberty General Hospital. Last night, she tried taking her own life because of Matthew Burgess¡­¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 You Are Matthew Burgess After Chandler was done with his phone call, he and Erin rushed back to the hotel as quickly as they could. Kyle had already sent someone to pack their luggage in advance. Once everything was set. Chandler and Erin boarded a private ne home. During the entire flight back, Chandler¡¯s face was tense and cold. He barely spoke a word to Erin. She only learned about ire¡¯s plight through Kyle. Upon their arrival, Chandler rushed to Liberty General Hospital as soon as possible. Naturally, Erin did not go with him and returned to the vi instead. For some reason, her heart felt empty. She even contemted going along with Chandler to visit ire, but he didn¡¯t make such a request, and she couldn¡¯t make herself bring it up. Moreover, her current identity and rtionship with Chandler made it even more awkward for her to tag along. After taking a shower, Erin sat in a daze. She thought about calling her family. Previously, she had activated the function on her phone that enabled her to receive international calls, but her family never called, which meant everything at home was fine. She dialed her home¡¯sndline. The phone rang three times before Cherry answered. ¡°Oh, Erin, I was just thinking of you when you called.¡± ¡°Mom, is everything okay at home?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, Erin. About what happenedst time¡­I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you. It¡¯s all my fault!¡± Cherry said through the phone, her tears streaming. Erin sighed. ¡°It¡¯s over now anyway. Let the past stay in the past as long as you don¡¯t lie to me about anything else in the future. Oh, and if Mr. Lawrence goes gambling and ends up in an enormous debt again, I won¡¯t help him anymore!¡± Cherry hurriedly nodded as she spoke. ¡°I know, I know! You don¡¯t have to worry. Your stepfather has been critically ill for a long time after he returned and has just begun to recover a few days ago. He feels very guilty about what happened and hopes you can forgive him. He really was a fool at that time¡­¡± Erin and Cherry chatted about their lives for a while. Erin told her mother that she would return to her hometown in the next few days and asked her family to take care of themselves. After hanging up, she sat idly again, thinking that it was probably best for her to break the news about her divorce to her mother when she returned home. Seeing that the hour was still early, she was just about to call Holly when her cousin unexpectedly called. Her cousin, May, begged relentlessly on the phone for Erin to buy her a ticket to the rock star Matthew Burgess¡® uing concert. Erin was puzzled. It wasn¡¯t as though May had no money to buy the ticket herself. She usually let her cousin help her manage her online store, and she knew May could earn up to seven or eight thousand dors a month just from that alone. It was a lot for a student who had yet to graduate¨Ca small fortune, even¨Cso why did May stille to her for something as small as purchasing concert tickets? ¡°Can¡¯t you just buy the tickets online, May?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask. May eximed, ¡°Erin, you don¡¯t know how hard it is to actually get the tickets for Matthew Burgess¡® concert! The closest ticket to the stage costs more than ten thousand dors!¡± ¡°More than ten thousand dors?¡± Erin was surprised. She didn¡¯t understand the mindsets of fanatics like May, but she would not go as far as to oppose them either. She said, ¡°May, it¡¯s your own money. I wouldn¡¯t object if you used them to buy the tickets for yourself, but if you can¡¯t buy them, how could I possibly get them for you?¡± ¡°Erin, as long as you promise to try! Please! I¡¯ll go without my sry from the online store for half a year!¡± Erin was rendered speechless. May was so excited that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to back down. She hesitated before asking.¡± So, how exactly can I help you with buying that ticket?¡± ¡°Are you free now? Come with me to Strata Arena!¡± Erin nced at the time. It was 9.30 pm. Seeing as it was not toote, she readily agreed. The two of them then arranged to meet at Strata Arena. Usually, when no sports matches were held, the arena would be rented out to celebrities for their concerts. Erin supposed Matthew¡¯s concert would be held in the arena as well. An hourter, Erin arrived at Strata Arena first. May called her not long after, instructing her to wait for her directly inside the arena. Erin walked to the back entrance of the arena. There were many security guards and private bodyguards guarding the entrance. Her presence alerted the bodyguard in charge, who immediately pulled out his phone. Having verified her identity, he swiftly allowed her to enter. Erin was somewhat surprised, but she walked into the arena anyway. Shortly after, she found herself in a rehearsal hall. At that moment, the lights were dimmed. Only a few faint spotlights illuminated the stage. She was just about to call May again to ask her where she was when suddenly, a particrly ring spotlight shone on her. From a distance, a man walked toward her slowly. Erin couldn¡¯t make out his features in the darkness. In fact, all she could discern was but a rough outline. The man seemed to be young and tall. He was at least 5¡¯9, with an electric guitar strapped to his back. It wasn¡¯t until he arrived directly in front of Erin did she get a good look at his face. The man was truly very young. He couldn¡¯t be more than 22 years old. His exquisite features exuded an ominous air, amber eyes swirling with deep, soulful poignance. The thin ck eyeliner on his eyelids entuated his appearance, amplifying the haunting mysteriousness he radiated. His crimson lips quivered as if something¨Cor someone¨Chad stirred the depths of his emotions. Erin thought he looked rather familiar. Perhaps she had seen him somewhere before, but try as she might, she could not recall the instance in which they had most probably met in the past. ¡°Erin, do you remember me?¡± His voice was melodic and hypnotizing, smoky, and somewhat scratchy. ¡°How do you know my name? Who are you?¡± She furrowed her eyebrows in thought, but the answer evaded her all the same. The man tried to remind her. ¡°Do you still remember-¡± ¡°Oh, I remember now!¡± He was equally as excited. ¡°Really?¡± Erin smiled. ¡°I saw your face in a local music magazinest year! You¡¯re Matthew Burgess! That rock star!¡± The tickets May wanted to get were the ones for his concert. Disappointment filled Matthew¡¯s eyes upon hearing her words. His entireposure had shifted so profoundly that Erin thought even the skull earrings adorning his earlobes radiated the acute disappointment that seemed to have dominated his soul. Seeing his hurt expression, Erin immediately understood that he had not been referring to his identity as a rock star earlier. She added hurriedly, ¡°Let me think. My memory really isn¡¯t that great.¡± Matthew¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile, as if he had already forgiven her. He lowered his gaze, letting it fall on the electric guitar in his arms. The amplifier wasn¡¯t on when his slender fingers strummed the guitar strings lightly. Just like that, he started singing. ¡°Thatughter of hers reminds me of those flowers, silently blooming in every corner of my life. I once thought I would stay by her side forever, and yet, today, we have long parted ways, separated by the vast, imprable crowd¡­¡± Erin felt goosebumps on every inch of her skin. Matthew had sung the old ssic with such casual richness, driving tears to her eyes. She finally remembered who he was! Ten years ago, her father, Steven Lane, had brought her to this city on a trip. It had just been the two of them; coincidentally. that day had been her fifteenth birthday. Steven had given her a thousand dors, promising he would buy her the folk guitar. she had always dreamed of. There was a famous local instrument store nearby filled with imported musical instruments. It was in that store that she met the ten¨Cyear¨Cold Matthew, who happened to be bargaining with the store manager. He had wanted to buy the imported guitar model, ¡°Blue me,¡± but was still one thousand and two hundred dors short in cash despite having gathered every loose change he could get. When she saw the persistence of the delicately handsome little boy in acquiring the guitar of his dreams, Erin impulsively walked toward him and handed him her own one thousand dors. Then, together with Matthew, they begged and negotiated with the manager until he finally relented and gave them a two¨Chundred¨Cdor discount. As soon as Matthew bought the electric guitar of his dreams, he yed and sang ¡°Those Flowers¡± and dedicated the song to Erin as a token of gratitude. Hearing his song, even though shecked an in¨C depth understanding of music, Erin could immediately tell that Matthew was incredibly talented. If it hadn¡¯t been for her father, who had hurriedly pulled her away after receiving a call from his company about an emergency. perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have lost contact with Matthew. Her reminiscence ended in time with Matthew¡¯s song. Erinughed, tears blurring her vision. ¡°I knew you had a talent for music! That one thousand dors all those years ago was so, so worth it!¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Ten Years of Waiting. Matthew¡¯s eyes were slightly teary as well. He sighed. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for your support all those years ago, I never would have been able to be who I am today.¡± Erin wiped her tears away. ¡°You¡¯re too humble! Someone with the kind of talent you have will shine no matter where they are.¡± Together, they walked to the seats. Erin was equally as emotional as she spoke again. ¡°I never thought we would have the chance to meet again. Ten years really passed in the blink of an eye.¡± Speaking of time. Matthew¡¯s gaze lowered. ¡°All those years ago, my father had never really supported my interest and pursuits in music. He¡¯d always controlled my finances strictly. My only source of ie was the money I saved from secretly selling scrap iron. When I heard that someone else was vying for the electric guitar I so desperately wanted, the guitar I now hold in my hands, thanks to you, I immediately rushed to bargain with the store manager. If it hadn¡¯t been for you back then, I¡¯m afraid. the ¡®Blue me¡® that¡¯s been fighting alongside me for ten years now wouldn¡¯t have been mine.¡± She smiled. ¡°What¡¯s yours is yours! No one can ever take it away from you!¡± Erin¡¯s words sent Matthew into a daze. There was a question burning in his heart that he dared not ask her. Despite noticing him observing her with some restraint, Erin didn¡¯t think much about his actions. Instead, she asked, ¡°How did you find me?¡± Since Matthew already knew her name, she figured he would have also known of her basic information. ¡°Three hours ago. I posted a picture of you in an online forum created by a group of my loyal fans, saying that I would give away two front¨Crow VIP tickets for my uing concerts to anyone who could help me find you.¡± Erinughed as she spoke. ¡°So you used the powers of your fans. Got it. What photo, though? Can I see?¡± Matthew immediately retrieved his wallet from the pocket of his pants. From the picturepartment, he then pulled out an old photo. It was colored, but it was already starting to yellow from age. ¡°When I was singing for you all those years ago, a foreigner in the music store caught the moment on camera. Five years ago. after I gained some international fame, the foreigner had someone find me again and send me the photo.¡± Matthew stared at the photo, his eyes filled with gratitude. Erin epted the photo from him, understanding and rity dawning upon her immediately. Her cousin, May, was part of Matthew¡¯s group of loyal fans. Having recognized Erin immediately after seeing the photo, she had deduced a roundabout way of deceiving her to Strata Arena in order for her to meet up with Matthew. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to give the two VIP tickets to my cousin. She was the one who provided you with the information about my whereabouts.¡± Erin couldn¡¯t bear to part with the old photograph, having now laid her eyes on it. ¡°Well, thank god for her! If I hadn¡¯t recognized you immediately, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to believe it.¡± Matthew smiled as he took the photo back from Erin. ¡°The foreigner no longer kept the original films, and I only have this. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give it to you.¡± ¡°Wow, you really saw straight through my intentions. Keep it, then. Perhaps it has more meaning for you than it does for me.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, she said, ¡°Wait, how silly of me! I can always take a picture of it! That way, I could keep a copy of it with me.¡± Matthew ced the photo on a t surface on the seats before crouching down with Erin to take a picture of it. ¡°Great suggestion! I¡¯d like to take a picture of it, too, just in case I lose it one day. God knows I¡¯d murder someone if that happened,¡± Matthew joked. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Erinughed at his words. ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic. It¡¯s just a photo! Besides, I¡¯m right in front of you now. We can take another picture together anytime.¡± Matthew¡¯s arms froze, and he smacked his forehead. ¡°Oh no! Now you¡¯ve seen the dumb side of mine. Why didn¡¯t I think of that before?¡± Erin was stillughing when she spoke. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because you¡¯ve been trying to look for me for so many years but with no avail, so much that you¡¯ve gotten used to finding sce from your lovesickness through the photo!¡± He stared at her unblinkingly, his amber eyes filled with indescribable depth.. This side of Matthew made Erin slightly ufortable. Hurriedly, she added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I was just kidding=¡± Suddenly, Matthew sped her hands as he stood up and told her seriously, ¡°All those years we¡¯ve been apart, it was your words, my memory of you, and Blue me that I depended on and trusted to give me the strength to go on when all I wanted to do was give up. This photo¨Cit truly gave me the strength to persevere, and of course, it served as a solidfort every time I missed you.¡± Erin looked at him, a little surprised. She couldn¡¯t help but feel that Matthew¡¯s words were somewhat at odds with his wild and unruly rock star personality. ¡°Erin, do you have feelings for anyone at the moment?¡± Matthew asked suddenly. The beautiful woman he had longed for for ten years was now standing before him, a living and breathing embodiment of his dreams. He no longer cared about the stupid photo! His question caught Erin off guard. For a moment, she was at a loss for words as to how to respond. She was a newly divorced woman with intensely deep feelings. Especially now that her rtionship with Chandler was still unclear, how could she have room for feelings for anyone? If she told him there was no one she liked, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was giving Matthew false hope. Remembering the incident with Caleb, Erin decided that she didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake again. Gritting her teeth and crossing her heart, she said decidedly. ¡°Yes, I do have someone I already like.¡± Hearing Erin¡¯s answer in person, Matthew¡¯s amber eyes darkened instantly. He was evidently displeased with her answer. He asked, ¡°Who is it? I thought May said you were divorced!¡± Erin was shocked. She hadn¡¯t expected May to leak the one thing she specifically told her cousin to keep secret, and to Matthew, of all people. She struggled to free herself from his grip, but Matthew held on coldly. ¡°Matthew, let go of me first. We can talk about this civilly-¡± Faced with the little boy she had met one fateful day all those years ago, she didn¡¯t wish to embarrass him with a direct rejection. There was no right or wrong answer when it came to matters of the heart. Everyone had the freedom to like whomever they wanted. If she could change things, she really didn¡¯t wish to hurt anyone. ¡°Erin, I¡¯ve waited for you for ten years!¡± Matthew told her through gritted teeth. Before he had truly met her, everything was but his memories and imagination. Now that he had reunited with her again after ten years, the delusional longing buried within his heart instantly burst out of its cage. Two years ago, on his eighteenth birthday, he had made a promise to himself. If he could find her again one day, as long as she was not married, he would try his absolute best to gain her heart! His feelings towards Erin all this while had always been gratitude. But the moment he caught a glimpse of her earlier, he realized what had truly been in his heart all along. He loved her! And yet, he would never¨Che could never bring himself to say something so unimaginable. He knew, of course, that she would never believe him even if he did. Maybe she might even think he was insane. ¡°Matthew, 1- The uneasiness in Erin¡¯s heart twisted into an ugly knife when she heard ¡°ten years.¡± It was a pressure she hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d put on her until now. God, she couldn¡¯t bear to reject him. Not now, not like this! Meanwhile, a furious and chilling voice could be heard from¨Cthe entrance of the arena. ¡°Matthew Burgess!¡± Erin and Matthew turned to the source of the voice immediately. Chandler was striding in their direction with great momentum, the destructive aura he radiated dominating the entire arenal effortlessly. When he reached them, he did not even stop to look before shoving Erin aside and raising his fist toward Matthew¡¯s face. Obviously a skilled fighter, Matthew ducked naturally. ¡°Chandler Frost, what are you doing? Are you fucking insane? Because of ire. Matthew recognized Chandler immediately. He just hadn¡¯t had a direct encounter with the other man before this.. Chandler¡¯s sinister dark eyes were filled with frigidness. He gritted his teeth as he spoke, ¡°ire tried to take her own life because of you. She¡¯s in the hospital now, and yet you¡¯re here, flirting.¡± Unexpectedly, his eyesid on the woman he¡¯d pushed to the ground earlier. When he saw it was Erin, Chandler¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His mind had gone nk for an instant before blood roared in his ears, hot and angry. His face contorted unpleasantly. Chandler tasted the bitter taste of betrayal acutely on his tongue. His voice trembled slightly. ¡°You. Give me a good reason why you¡¯re here.¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 The Reasons Behind Their Breakup Erin had not gotten a chance to exin everything to Chandler before Matthew¡¯s gaze fell upon her. Earlier, he had been too preupied with trying to avoid Chandler and had overlooked her. After all, his concert was swiftly approaching. He absolutely could not have any injuries on his face! That was his responsibility as a celebrity to the public. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Now that he caught sight of the woman he loved on the ground, a twinge of pain shot through his chest. Matthew immediately walked over and got down on one knee. Nervously, he asked, ¡°Erin, are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Erin¡¯s heart was cold. Even if Chandler hadn¡¯t used his full force when he pushed her just now, it was enough to hurt her. It was only when Matthew had helped her up that she realized the scrape on her knee.. ¡°Don¡¯t say you¡¯re fine. Look, your knee is injured! I¡¯ll take you to the hospital straight away.¡± Matthew eximed as he attempted to lift her up. Before he could, however, Chandler had already rushed forward and prised his arms away. Angrily, he said, ¡°Get your dirty hands off her! The person you should be concerned about is ire, not her!¡± Matthew was forced to take a step back as Chandler wrapped an arm around Erin¡¯s waist. Just like that, he lifted her up effortlessly. ¡°I¡¯ll send her to the hospital.¡± He swept a cold gaze over Erin. Erin didn¡¯t resist. Instead, she chose to remain silent in Chandler¡¯s embrace. She didn¡¯t want to tell Matthew that she was Chandler¡¯s lover. At that moment, she only hoped that Chandler wouldn¡¯t say anything about it too. Matthewughed coldly. ¡°Chandler, ire and I are already broken up! She can take her own life or hurt herself, and it wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with me. She can¡¯t use her life to forcefully chain me to her.¡± Hearing his emotionless words, Chandler narrowed his eyes, danger radiating from his dark irises. ¡°Matthew Burgess, if you¡¯re still a man, you should know that you¡¯re obligated to take responsibility for everything that had happened, separated or not.¡± Unexpectedly, his remark made Matthew burst intoughter, albeit one that turned bitter and cold toward the end. Matthew felt the judgment and doubt in Erin¡¯s eyes. He knew then that Erin, too, had misunderstood him. He inhaled deeply before gazing at Erin meaningfully. His voice was cold when he spoke. ¡°I never needed to exin anything to anyone about my private rtionships, but I hope you will not mistake me for a heartless, emotionless person, Erin.¡± Chandler stared at him wordlessly. Now that Matthew had started, he was interested in hearing how the other man was about to defend himself. Matthew continued, ¡°ire is not an inherently evil person, but dating made her spiteful! When we were together briefly, I witnessed how she had transformed from an innocent girl to the scheming, maniptive woman she is now!¡± His words were so unpleasant that Chandler had evidently reached his limit, anger suffusing his features. But before he could open his mouth to speak, Matthew interrupted, ¡°Chandler, don¡¯t you start rushing to her defense. Listen to me first! ire is jealous and suspicious. Once, she thought I had an affair with a female guitarist in my band. When we were overseas, she secretly hired someone to attack the woman. My friend was so severely injured that she could no longer y the guitar due to her resulting disabilities. If her father hadn¡¯t intervened and mediated the situation with his influence, she probably would have been in prison abroad by now!¡± Matthew¡¯s face was still indignant, his amber eyes filled with helplessness. ¡°You know, her father even came to my father as a mediator, hoping I wouldn¡¯t pursue the matter further. Even my friend herself didn¡¯t wish to press the matter further. What else could I do? I could only excuse her actions for a moment¡¯s impulsiveness and forgive her. Later on, she only became more extreme. She would secretly check my phone behind my back and have people shadow me. Not only that, she even suspected that I was tangled in an affair with my female fans! I¡¯m just so tired, so I suggested we break up, but she refused to let me go. If I sumbed to her coercion and threats, wouldn¡¯t I end up trapped under her mercy? I tried calling her father. I thought I could get him to bring ire to a psychiatrist. Her dad agreed, and he even supported us breaking up.¡± Matthew became agitated once again. ¡°Now that I¡¯m here preparing for my concert, she wants to get back together. When I refused, she had the nerve to threaten me with her own life. Does she really think I¡¯m a spineless puppet? Chandler Frost, don¡¯t you just judge me based on what you¡¯ve heard from her!¡± When he exined his side, undoubtedly, Erin was entirely convinced by him. Despite her inability to obtain ire¡¯s side of the situation, her intuition told her that everything Matthew said was the truth. Chandler stood unmoving, his unpredictable eyes swirling with indecipherable mysteriousness. No one could tell what he was thinking at that time. Matthew frowned and hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°Chandler, I have no grievances with you, nor do we have any conflicts of interest with each other. There¡¯s something else I thought you should know. ire told me once that she knew you liked her, but she said you could only ever be a backup for her because you were too old for her.¡± His words elicited a lightugh from Chandler. Without sparing him another word, Chandler left the hall with Erin in his arms. Matthew was just about to step forward to stop them when a manager who had previously been hiding in the darkness stopped him hurriedly. The manager, Ceylon Sinir, was profusely sweating as he spoke. ¡°Oh, Matthew, for God¡¯s sake, this is me begging you. Don¡¯t. you leave this arena right now! I don¡¯t know who leaked this, but the outside of the arena is packed full of reporters waiting for you toment on this. Your encounter with that girl earlier is all over the Inte now!¡± Ceylon clicked on the photo on his phone and showed it to Matthew. In the photo, Matthew was singing while ying the guitar, and Erin was smiling with tears in her eyes. In such a short amount of time, the number of views had already reached three million. Matthew was shocked. ¡°Who leaked it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Someone must have hidden in here and taken the picture secretly! I¡¯ve already sent my assistant to investigate-¡± Matthew thought of the concert and his fans and decided to put Erin¡¯s matters aside for the time being. He would have to wait till he had the time to find her another day. Since Erin¡¯s cousin was one of his fans, he wasn¡¯t worried about not being able to find Erin again. And yet, recalling the interactions between Chandler and Erin and sensing the depth of their rtionship, Matthew¡¯s heart gradually sank. Chandler took Erin through a special passage reserved for the higher¨Cranking staff members of Strata Arena,pletely avoiding the reporters outside. Shortly after, they sessfully boarded the car and left the arena. Kyle was driving in front and couldn¡¯t see what was happening at the back as Chandler had separated the front and back seats with a partition. In the back seatpartment, Chandler held Erin in his arms, his expression frosty. Whenever she shifted, he would squeeze her waist tightly. After a few attempts, Erin gave up trying to resist and let the ice king hold her however he wanted to. Time passed minute by minute. After twenty minutes, Chandler finally spoke, ¡°Erin, how did you know Matthew Burgess? Isn¡¯t this something you should have told me about earlier?¡± Erin had never wanted to hide this from him anyway. She was afraid that he would use her of intentionally ¡°seducing men.¡± So, she told him all about May¡¯s request for her to buy her a concert ticket and her history with Matthew. When she was done speaking, Chandler remained silent, his expression cold. And yet, Erin could clearly feel that the man holding her had rxed slightly, the previously tensed muscles on his thighs loosening just barely. She felt herself rx as well, but once she did, drowsiness.seized her immediately. Had it not been for the waves of stabbing pain from her knee, she would have been asleep by then. ¡°You should sleep if you¡¯re tired. Your injuries aren¡¯t severe. They should be healed within a week.¡± Erin smiled at his words. She could sense that he was no longer mad at her. She leaned closer to his face and asked, ¡°So you believe me?¡± Chandler nced at her. ¡°I trust that you wouldn¡¯t dare to lie to me.¡± For the first time. Erin thought he was rather reasonable. It was nice to be trusted by someone, especially if that someone was Chandler Frost. Instinctively, she kissed his cheek once. Just as she was about to pull back, a hand shot out and supported the back of her neck, pressing her close. Chandler wasn¡¯t about to let this opportunity slide, especially when Erin was the one who initiated it. It wasn¡¯t until she gasped for air that he let her go. He watched a blush spread across her cheeks. She looked so delicate, so beautiful now that his heart skipped a beat. Softly, he said, ¡°Lean against me. You need sleep.¡± He pressed the back of her head against his shoulder. Erin closed her eyes and fell asleep soon after. A faint smile spread across his icy features. However, thinking about ire, some of his previous iciness returned. Matthew¡¯s words reverberated within his mind. Perhaps it was time he did some more research into ire Kane¡¯s background. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Lies and False usations Two dayster, al 3 pm, Kyle entered the president¡¯s office with a stack of documents. Chandler was working on some files when Kyle ced the documents on his desk and said, ¡°Mr. Frost, these are the materials you requested regarding Miss Kane.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take a look at themter.¡± Kyle eyed the documents on the desk. ¡°Mr. Frost, the receptionist just informed me that Miss Kane came to see Miss Lane earlier,¡± he reminded. Chandler looked up at Kyle, iciness spreading in his dark irises. ¡°She was here to meet Erin?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Kyle confirmed. Chandler pondered for a moment and asked. ¡°But why?¡± Kyle replied, ¡°The picture featuring Mr. Burgess and Miss Lane in Str Arena was posted on the Inte and spread around by many. Perhaps Miss Kane was here to talk to Miss Lane about that.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Erin?¡± Chandler asked. # ¡°Miss Lane went to deliver some documents to Mr. Cross earlier. The receptionist said Miss Kane would be waiting for Miss Lane in the lobby,¡± Kyle reported methodically. Chandler stood immediately. He ced ire¡¯s files in the safe and grabbed his car keys from his desk. After that, he strode out of the president¡¯s office. Kyle followed closely behind. At this moment, in the lobby, Erin had just exited the elevator when she caught sight of ire. ire was wearing a white chiffon dress, her unblemished face slightly pale. Her left wrist was wrapped in bandages. Despite the tiredness suffusing her features, she was still stunningly beautiful. Despite being twenty years old, she still looked like a high school student with a great figure. In her professional attire, Erin was momentarily reminded of Matthew¡¯s words about Chandler having feelings for ire in the past. Thest time ire was in Chandler¡¯s office, Erin had not dared to look at her loo closely. This time, ire had specifically asked to meet her. so Erin took the opportunity to observe the other woman thoroughly. She had to admit that she was rather ufortable meeting ire face to face. Perhaps it was because of both of their rtionships with Chandler. ¡°Miss Lane, thanks for agreeing to see me.¡± ire walked up to her. Erin smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re wee. May I ask why you¡¯re looking for me?¡± ire¡¯s smile was rather weak. ¡°Miss Lane, could you please help me to the couch for a bit?¡± Erin immediately walked over and helped her to the public lounge area in the lobby. When they were both settled on the couch, ire asked right away. ¡°What is your rtionship with my boyfriend, Matthew Burgess?¡± Erin¡¯s gaze lowered. As she had expected, ire hade to interrogate her. That viral picture of her and Matthew had been circting online and caused quite a stir. The night before, there was even a paparazzi who trailed her wherever she went. If it hadn¡¯t been for Chandler, who handled matters for her secretly, she was afraid reporters would be waiting for her at thepany entrance the morning. after. ¡°Miss Kane, as far as I know, you and Matthew have already broken up.¡± Even though Erin was only friends with Matthew, she was ufortable and displeased to be questioned by his ex¨Cgirlfriend. ire¡¯s expression shifted, the hostility she felt toward Erin intensifying. Yel, she forced her expression to remain polite. Her lips curved in a faint smile. ¡°Miss Lane, Matthew and I are only broken up on the surface. You know all about his uing concert. Naturally, I¡¯m very supportive of his career in the performing arts, so pretending to be broken up in public really does not mean that much to me.¡± Erin stared directly into ire¡¯s eyes. ire had beautiful eyes. It was a pity they were filled with lies. If they were only pretending to be separated, why would ire try. to take her own life? Erin didn¡¯t wish to expose ire. Instead, she simply told the other woman, ¡°Matthew and I are just friends. You don¡¯t have to worry about me stealing your boyfriend. If there¡¯s nothing else you have to ask me, I have to get back to work.¡± Seeing that Erin was leaving. ire grabbed her arm and said, ¡°Miss Lane, il you really are just friends with Matthew, you wouldn¡¯t object to signing this agreement, would you?¡± ¡°What agreement?¡± Erin asked, shocked. ire immediately released her arm. Smiling sweetly, she opened the sps of her designer¡¯s bag and retrieved a document from within. Then, she ced the document in Erin¡¯s hands. ¡°Miss Lane, if there¡¯s anything at all in this agreement that you¡¯re unsatisfied with, you can raise your concerns directly with me. I will try to modify it based on your needs to the best of my ability.¡± Erin had too many questions, but she picked up the agreement in her hands and started reading regardless. Five minutester, her lips curled into a cold sneer. cing the document back into ire¡¯s hands, she started seriously, ¡°I will not sign this.¡± ire¡¯s eyes shed coldly, but as quickly as the momentary iciness had appeared, she swiftly smiled again and said, ¡°Miss Lane. I told you, if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re unsatisfied with, you can let me know. Please don¡¯t just reject me like this!¡± Erin looked at the woman in front of her, who was five years younger. She couldn¡¯t believe how irrational and childish ire¡¯s actions were. Did she actuallye all the way here to get Erin lo swear that she would never date Matthew? How could she bring herself to sign something this absurd? There was no way Erin would sign an agreement that deprived her of her basic rights just to satisfy ire¡¯s personal wishes. What a joke! And yet, as Erin nced surreptitiously at the bandages around ire¡¯s wrists, she thought she could somewhat understand where ire wasing from. ¡°Erin Lane, don¡¯t you dare look at me like this! I don¡¯t like this!¡± ire¡¯s bandaged hands shook ufortably. Seeing that she was starting to get angry, Erin apologized immediately. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If anything I have said or done upset you, Miss Kane, I sincerely apologize. However, I have said multiple times before that I will never sign your agreement!¡± Erin didn¡¯t want to waste her time. arguing with ire. She stood and prepared to leave. ire stood as well and immediately grabbed her arm again. ¡°You can leave, but not before you sign the agreement!¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± Erinughed coldly. ire raised an eyebrow. Determination filled her dark irises. ¡°If you don¡¯t sign, don¡¯t even think about leaving!¡± Erin couldn¡¯t help but feel a little helpless. This time, she really understood Matthew and why he had wanted to break up with ire. ire really was nothing but a spoiled, rich girl. ¡°Miss Kane, please let me go, or I¡¯ll have to call security.¡± Erin tried her best to be professional. She had onlye down to see ire partly because of her own curiosity and partly for Matthew¡¯s sake. ire was about to lose her temper when she spotted two men walking out of the elevator. Immediately, she screamed and fell to the ground. To anyone passing by them, it seemed as if Erin had pushed ire deliberately. Moreover, ire had bandages all over her wrists. Her pitiful expression was enough to win over the favors of the two rather well¨Cdressed men nearby. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Erin looked at ire, who was on the ground, surprise filling her. She had not expected ire to be this calctive. Who was she performing for? Instinctively, she turned and swept her gaze around the lobby. It was then that she saw Chandler walking toward them with Kyle. Erin humphed coldly. So ire¡¯s ¡°Chandy¡± was here. No wonder. ¡°ire Kane, your Chandy is here. You canin to him directly now.¡± Erin didn¡¯t sympathize one bit with the woman who was trying to frame her. When Chandler stopped in front of them, the two male staff members who were previously trying to help ire fled upon receiving a stern look from Kyle. Wordlessly, Chandler knell and helped ire up. When he had helped her over to the couch, he asked softly, ¡°ire, what happened? Why were you sitting on the ground?¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ire burst into tears as soon as she looked up at Chandler. Her eyes shining with tears, she replied, ¡°Oh, Chandy, please don¡¯t me Miss Lane. It¡¯s not her fault at all. It wasn¡¯t like she had pushed me deliberately. I was the one who tripped-¡± Erin stood by one side, a faint sneer on her lips. Chandler wouldn¡¯t believe the crap ire was spewing, right? Chandler nced at Erin, his expression tight. ¡°Erin, apologize to ire right now!¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 The Truth Is Revealed Deep down, Erin had guessed that Chandler would surely favor ire over herself. She just didn¡¯t expect him to make her apologize without any other justification! ¡°Why should I apologize? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! She faked her fall. Just because you have a crush on her doesn¡¯t mean I have to apologize for something I didn¡¯t even do!¡± Erin was filled with anger, and she spoke her mind directly without thinking any further. Chandler¡¯s dark eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth. ¡°Erin Lane! Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Erin swept her gaze coldly over them, gritting her teeth as she said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard what I said? You like ire. Are you so much of a coward that you don¡¯t even have the guts to admit it? Do whatever you want. y your game. I don¡¯t fucking care. It¡¯s your fucking business, and I want no part in it!¡± Having said that, she turned and left without sparing them another nce. From a distance, the other employees watched the scene unfold with shock in their eyes. They could not believe Erin had dared to treat Chandler that way in public. Even though most of them had never encountered their president, Chandler, face to face before, it wasn¡¯t exactly hard to deduce who he was from simply looking at Kyle standing obediently beside him and those perfect, godly features as he sat on the couch imperiously. Erin looked at Chandler coldly as she walked into the elevator, unpleasantness filling her heart. Why did he insist on forcibly chaining her to him as his secret lover if he liked ire? Was she nothing but a stupid, ridiculous recement to him? After Erin left, Chandler¡¯s dark eyes remained unfocused for a long time. ire watched the man who had a crush on her lose himself over another woman. For the first time in her life, she felt herself getting jealous. Sheined, ¡°Chandy, how dare she, a mere employee under your orders, openly contradict you like this! Who does she think she is? Shepletely disrespects your authority and never takes your words seriously. You should just fire her already! ¡± Chandler snapped out of his daze and looked at her with a hint of reproach in his eyes. ¡°Why did you sneak out of the hospital, ire? Your injuries have not yet healed, and your parents will be worried sick. Come on, let me send you back to the hospital.¡± ire ced her hand on his arm, a sweet smile on her lips. ¡°Chandy, what Miss Lane said just now¨Cis it true?¡± ¡°What is true?¡± he replied calmly. ¡°She said that you like me. That you¨Cyou have a crush on me. Is that true?¡± ire looked at him seriously, pretending to be oblivious. Chandler looked into her beautiful eyes, Matthew¡¯s words echoing in his mind. After a few seconds, he admitted, ¡°Yes, it is true.¡± ire¡¯s face was a picture of happiness. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me?¡± Her joy made him slightly suspicious. Just a few days ago, ire had tried to take her own life because of Matthew. How could she have forgotten about him already in such a short period of time? Chandler smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. Come, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you back to the hospital.¡± ¡°Chandy, I¡¯m a little dizzy right now. Earlier, when Miss Lane pushed me¡­uh, no, wait, I mean. She didn¡¯t exactly push me- never mind. Forget it. I don¡¯t want to pursue this anymore. Can you carry me, though? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m strong enough to walk all the way¡­¡± ire feigned weakness as she spoke, swaying lightly on the spot. Chandler¡¯s eyes were full of tenderness. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll carry you.¡± Having said that, he scooped her up easily and strode toward his private elevator. Kyle followed closely behind, confusion between his brow. Even he could tell that ire was lying. Mr. Frost had to have seen it, too, right? One hourter, after dropping ire back to her room, Chandler and Kyle left the hospital together. On the way back, Kyle, who was driving, nced at the rearview mirror, though he remained silent and chose not to confront Chandler. About a minuteter, Chandler spoke up coldly. ¡°Stop sighing. Whatever it is, spit it out.¡± Kyle tensed. Had he really been sighing all this while? He started seriously, ¡°Mr. Frost, carlier, when Miss Kane was talking about having you apany her to Mr. Burgess¡® concert, she was obviously trying to use you to make him jealous.¡± Chandler replied nonchntly, ¡°Is that how you interpreted it?¡± Kyle responded with some dissatisfaction. ¡°This is not a matter of my interpretation. It¡¯s Miss Kane¡¯s way of speaking and acting in front of you. Maybe she¡¯s too used to being a rich, spoileddy with everyone else at her beck and call. Regardless, I truly believe she¡¯s trying to take advantage of you, sir, and I will not stand by that!¡± Chandlerughed softly. Kyle was both his friend and subordinate. He would never have spoken up had he not had enough of this ire business. He asked, ¡°Do you believe ire was trying to frame Erin in the lobby just now?¡± Kyle thought about it for a while. ¡°Actually, sir, we could easily know what happened by retracing the surveince footage.¡± ¡°Alright, do what you have to do then.¡± Chandler closed his eyes. If ire really was trying to use him to make Matthew jealous, how could he not have seen it before? Three hourster, in the president¡¯s office, Chandler finally opened the documents containing the requested information about ire. Only when he¡¯d returned to thepany did he hear that Erin had left the office for the day. Initially, he wanted to call her, butter, he decided to peruse the documents Kyle left for him instead. Although he had already anticipated it, reading the documents firsthand proved that everything Matthew said before was the truth. His heart was heavy. He even thought he felt undercurrents of pain running through his chest. Chandler never imagined that the girl he had a crush on would be so different from what he had imagined. Apparently, even he could be mistaken about people. Perhaps it was because he had been envisioning ire as this perfect image all this while, so much so that when she chose Matthew over him, he decided to stop caring about anything about her. If it hadn¡¯t been for the suspicion awoken by Matthew¡¯s words, he wouldn¡¯t have had Kyle look into her background. Chandler¡¯s expression was mncholic when he stood, though there was a certain kind of freedom in his heart as if the knots in his chest had been untangled after far too long. He picked up the file about ire and ced it into a shredder. He had been putting this off for too long. It was time to bury her past, once and for all. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Meanwhile, one hour ago, Kyle had also retrieved the footage from the surveince cameras in the lobby. A month ago, Frost Corporation had installed the internationally acimed, cutting¨Cedge surveince system. Its purpose was precisely to prevent crimes from beingmitted in the corporation and to acquire the necessary evidence in case one does happen. As such, ire and Erin¡¯s conversation had been recorded in its entirety. Chandler¡¯s suspicions were proven to be true. Erin was framed, after all. Recalling how she had looked at him when she left earlier, he understood it now. Erin must have been cursing him out in her heart. Sitting on the couch and observing Chandler, Kyle couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mr. Frost, sir, I understand that you might not want to be disturbed right now, but I have something I need to report to you.¡± Chandler ced thest sheet of paper into the shredder and picked up the cigarette box on his table. Retrieving a cigarette, he said simply, ¡°What?¡± Kyle stood, a phone in his hand. ¡°Mr. Xavier from the Human Resources Department just informed me that Miss Lane had sent in her resignation letter before she went off work today.¡± ¡°She dares to resign? Does she not know about ourpany¡¯s resignation policy?¡± Chandler could hardly believe his ears. He didn¡¯t expect Erin to have the audacity to resign without even letting him know. ¡°Miss Lane knows about it, sir,¡± Kyle replied. ¡°She¡¯d informed Mr. Xavier that she would take full responsibility for any losses pertaining to her resignation. ording to Hans, she¡¯d also taken the bullet train back to her hometown about half an hour ago.¡± Chandlerughed coldly. ¡°How naive! To think that I would let her go so easily-¡± ¡°Sir, do we need to send someone to pick her up from her hometown?¡± Chandler lit his cigarette and took a long swig. His eyes were dark as he gazed at the swiftly approaching nightfall in the city¡¯s skyline. After a moment¡¯s silence, he spoke abruptly, ¡°There is no need. Let her enjoy her newfound freedom for two days.¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 GET IT NOW Chapter 68 Refusing To Let Go It was 11 pm when Erin finally arrived at her hometown, Southwrok County. At home, she exchanged a few simple greetings with her mother, Cherry, before they each went to bed. Since it was also veryte, Erin was exhausted. Her stepbrother, Gavin, had already gone to bed early as he had caught the flu. Her stepfather, Grayson, on the other hand, was working in the supermarket and would not return until approximately 1 am. Erin quickly washed up and went to her room to sleep. At around 3 am, Erin thought she felt a pair of men¡¯s hands sneaking around her body in rather inappropriate ways. The sound of the man¡¯s heavy breathing snaked around her neck. When his hands continued to roam the nes of her body, Erin screamed in horror. The curtains in her room were very thick, shrouding the entire room inplete darkness. She could not see the man¡¯s face at all. Erin continued screaming until suddenly, the man pped his hands in front of her lips and muffled her screams. He growled in a low voice, ¡°Stop screaming! It¡¯s me!¡± Something clicked in her mind. It wasn. Meanwhile, there was a knock on her door. Cherry, still in her pajamas, anxiously asked through the door. ¡°Erin, are you alright? What happened?¡± Ian¡¯s naked upper body pressed onto hers. Loudly, he replied, ¡°Erin¡¯s fine! You can go back to sleep. She just woke up from a nightmare.¡± ¡°Oh, alright. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back to sleep.¡± Her mother left quickly, and silence descended once again. Seeing that her mother was leaving, Erin struggled against Ian¡¯s hold with newfound effort. In a low voice,n warned, ¡°For the love of God, stop screaming. You¡¯ll make your mome back here again if you do.¡± Having said that, he removed his hands from her lips. Seizing the opportunity, she hissed angrily, ¡°Why are you in my house?¡± Ian switched on the bedsidemp with one arm. The light illuminated his handsome and elegant features. He¡¯d even changed his hairstyle to the recently trending one many international male models adopted. His lips curved in a smile as he spoke.¡± This is my mother¨Cinw¡¯s house. Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Erin was so angry that she almost rolled her eyes at him. She snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t you daree in front of me now and act dumb! We are already divorced!¡± ¡°Quiet! Keep your voice down. Don¡¯t let your mom hear.¡± He ced his index fingers between her lips. Just when she was about to speak again, Ian interrupted, ¡°I know what you¡¯re about to ask me. Let me tell you, okay? I drove here overnight. Your mother was the one who let me in. This afternoon, she called me and asked if I wasing back with you. She told me she wanted to treat us to more of our favorite dishes.¡± Ian¡¯s eyes sparkled as he spoke, already infatuated with Erin. Thinking about his feelings for her, he immediately lowered his head to kiss her and act on his thoughts, but Erin¡¯s hand on his lips forcefully kept his attempts at bay. ¡°Ian Sloan, if you have any sense left in that pea¨Csized brain of yours, you better get out and sleep on the couch right now! I¡¯m not kicking you out in the middle of the night because I don¡¯t want my mother to ask questions, but don¡¯t you dare use this as an opportunity toy your hands on me. If you touch me again, I will tell my mother right this second about our divorce!¡± Seeing Erin¡¯s furious expression,n knew he had no room for negotiation. Still, furrowing his brow in thought, he figured he still had a chance with her if Erin hadn¡¯t kicked him out yet. He didn¡¯t want to pressure her too much that night. Decidedly, he walked over to the couch. When he sat on the couch, Ian removed a cigarette box from the pocket of his tux. Before he could light the cigarette he retrieved, Erin immediately said, ¡°If you want to smoke, go smoke on the balcony in the living room. Don¡¯t smoke it here in my room!¡± Ian nced at her before continuing to light his cigarette. Inhaling deeply, he replied nonchntly, ¡°Erin, don¡¯t you use that with me. Just like you said, we¡¯re divorced.¡± Erin couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with his attitude anymore. She turned her back on him. Ian smoked his cigarette on the couch slowly, his mind going through the events of the afternoon. He had just obtained some information from his private detective. Ever since he caught wind of Erin¡¯s secret lover, he¡¯d hired someone to investigate. Sure enough, they found out everything she had been hiding from him! And yet, Ian would never have guessed that Erin¡¯s secret lover was Chandler Frost. Chandler Frost, Azore¡¯s tycoon, the ruler of the local business empire! At that moment, Ian¡¯s dark irises were filled with an endless current of darkness. He couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy towards her. Suddenly, he told Erin, ¡°If you dare speak of our divorce to your mother, I will not hesitate to tell her about your secret lover, Chandler Frost! We¡¯ll see, then, which side she¡¯ll be on once she hears about that-¡± His words angered Erin immensely. Abruptly, she stood and walked before him, her voice a low snarl. ¡°Ian Sloan, are you. fucking insane? Who¡¯s fault was it at first that led us to where we are now?¡± Ian replied in a puff of smoke, ¡°What meaning does it have for you to keep holding onto my past affair? The past is the past. I can¡¯t turn back time, but I¡¯d already broken up with Tracy. It¡¯s you who refuses to give me the chance to prove to you that I¡¯ve changed!¡± Erin waved away the cloud of smoke in front of her. She struggled to calm the rising emotions within her. ¡°That¡¯s pointless now! We¡¯re divorced anyway. You should stop mentioning the past. Let¡¯s just go our separate ways- Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡± He mocked softly, ¡°Go our separate ways? Are you saying that just because you¡¯re about to marry into a wealthy family? Is that why you¡¯re cutting ties with me now? Erin Lane, stop acting like you¡¯re stupid. You know as well as I do that men like Chandler Frost are well out of your league. To him, you are but another toy he can y with-¡± Faced with his taunts and insults, Erin seemed to have long been immune to all of them. Once, she would have been frustrated, helpless, and furious, even, in the face of Ian¡¯s words, but now that she¡¯d seen through who he really was underneath it all, she was oddly at peace when she spoke. ¡°What I do with my life is none of your business. I¡¯m only here to inform my mother of our divorce.¡± Ian hurled his cigarette onto the ground and stomped on its ashes. Standing and advancing toward her, he bit out, ¡°Alright! Go ahead and tell her now if you have the balls to! I¡¯d love to see how your rtives would react to the news of you bing someone else¡¯s mistress. Hell, whatever would happen to your mother¡¯s reputation in this small town? You will only humiliate her!¡± Erin was so angry that she punched him instantly. Tears welled up in her eyes, hurt framing her features as she asked, ¡°Why do you have to treat me like this?n, what right do you have to hurt me? What right do you have to continue hurting me like this without a single shred of remorse? What do you want from me?¡± She stared straight into his eyes as she spoke. Ian asked himself the same question in his head. His eyes had softened when he finally replied honestly, ¡°I know I¡¯d betrayed your trust before. I know that I¡¯ve wronged you, Erin. But I know what I did wrong now, and all I want is for you to return to my side!¡± Erin took a step back and mocked, ¡°Oh, so you don¡¯t mind that I¡¯m Chandler¡¯s secret lover, then?¡± Ian¡¯s heart felt as though someone had stabbed him with a sharp knife. Who was he kidding if he said he didn¡¯t mind? Of course he minded! Yet, Erin had only met Chandler because of what he did to her. Ian advanced once again, but Erin kept on retreating, so much so that she was eventually pressed against her dressing mirror. He looked at her, his eyes full of emotions. His voice was soft when he spoke. ¡°I know that I am partly to me for this too. I know that you¡¯d only gone to someone else out of a moment¡¯s anger. The thought of you and another man¨Cit makes me itch to murder someone! But Erin, I really don¡¯t want to let you go because, oh because I love you!¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Open Provocation Faced with Ian¡¯s apology and confession, Erin¡¯s heart was thrown into chaos. She supported his body, preventing him from getting any closer. The anxiety and hesitation in her eyes boostedn¡¯s confidence. He continued, ¡°Erin, please just give me onest chance to make amends! I swear, I don¡¯t even love Tracy!¡± Recalling his initial betrayal, Erin¡¯s heart ached. She asked tearfully, ¡°If you don¡¯t love her, why did you choose to betray me, our love, and our marriage?¡± Ian grabbed her shoulders with both hands tightly and spoke urgently, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯d only gone to her in the first ce because all I had been thinking about at that time was giving you a taste of your own medicine! You kept resisting and rejecting me, so I thought you didn¡¯t love nor trust me!¡± ¡°You thought I didn¡¯t love you? That I didn¡¯t trust you?¡± Erin¡¯s smile was pale and tired. ¡°If I didn¡¯t love you, would I have married you? If I didn¡¯t trust you, would I have given you everything I had then for you to start your own business?¡± Thinking about the past, Ian¡¯s eyes filled with tears. He sighed. ¡°Of course, I know that now. It¡¯s just¨C please just think of everything as my fault!¡± Erin watched as the man she once loved admitted to his faults. Deep down, part of her had begun to soften a little. Ian looked at her titled face under the dim light. She was so beautiful, so delicate. Instinctively, he tugged her chin toward himself and angled his face to kiss her. Erin was still hesitating when her phone rang. It was Chandler! Shocked, she pushed Ian away. The atmosphere earlier had gotten out of control. She almost forgave lan! She med and cursed herself for being soft¨Chearted. Walking toward the dressing table, she grabbed her handbag and walked directly into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Ian watched her coldly. He knew that Chandler must have called her. In the bathroom, Erin pressed the answer button with some trepidation. ¡°Why is Ian in your bedroom, Erin?¡± She was immediately rmed as soon as she heard his icy voice. How did he know that Ian was in her bedroom? She retorted, ¡°You sent someone to follow me?¡± Chandler was sitting in his car at that moment, a cigarette held between his fingers. The smoky halo in thepartment he inhabited made his gaze seem dreamlike and hazy. He looked in the direction of Erin¡¯s window on the floor at which she was located, all the while speaking through thinned lips, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t sent someone to follow you, you would¡¯ve long betrayed me ¡°Chandler Frost, I already resigned, okay? I will not be your secret lover! I refuse to be! Whoever you choose to love in the future is none of my business. I do not want nor wish to be someone else¡¯s recement!¡± Thinking about ire made her anger re up instantly. ¡°That deceitful young girl!¡± she thought. Chandler knitted his brow when he replied. ¡°Recement? Whose recement are you?¡± Erin inhaled deeply. ¡°Quit pretending. ire loves Matthew, and you love ire. You couldn¡¯t have her, so you found me and proceeded to treat me like her recement. There. I¡¯ve said it. Are you happy now? Admit it. If you¡¯re a fucking man, admit it¡ª || ¡°Erin, listen to me. You are no one¡¯s recement. I want you, and it does not have to do with any other woman, alright? I¡¯m giving you ten minutes toe downstairs. One minuteter, and I¡¯ll upload your photo onto all the major websites on the Inte!¡± Chandler hung up after that. ¡°You bastard¨CChandler Frost, you¨Chey!¡± Erin was so mad that she hurled her phone against the bathtub. Jan¡¯s voice sounded from outside the door. ¡°Erin, are you alright?¡± Erin immediately rushed over to check on her phone. She picked it up and noticed that apart from it being a little wet, it was still functioning properly. She suppressed the rage within her and stalked out of the bathroom. Without wasting any more time, she grabbed her clothes and returned to the bathroom, locking the door again. Ian watched her bring her clothes into the bathroom. He knew then that she was about to go out. When Erin was dressed with her handbag at the ready, he grabbed her arm as she was about to open her bedroom door. ¡°You¡¯re really going to see him, then?¡± He had looked down from the window earlier and saw a ck Maybach parked downstairs. Even though he couldn¡¯t clearly discern the car¡¯s license te, from the wealth radiating from the car alone, Ian immediately knew it was Chandler¡¯s car. He was amazed that Chandler could drive overnight and reach Southwrok County this soon! ¡°Let go of me,n. It¡¯s my business, and I¡¯ll settle it myself!¡± Erin¡¯s tone was evidently displeased. She was not in the mood to deal with Ian right now, and her patience was running thin. Erin answered expressionlessly, ¡°I have no other choice.¡± Chandler¡¯s threats had been tried and tested many times. He had long found her most vulnerable spots to target. ¡°Are you really willing to sink that low? How much did he pay you for you to act like his prostitute, answering hismands and letting his wants eclipse your free will?¡± Ian¡¯s eyes were red with anger. He itched to rush downstairs to beat some sense into Chandler, but the mere thought of Chandler¡¯s identity and status stopped him from doing anything rash. Erin hit his hand with her bag. The chains on her bag forced him to let go in pain. ¡°If you have the ability to prevent Chandler from finding me,n, by all means, go ahead. If not, shut your fucking mouth. He has something on me, and I need to go-¡± She opened her bedroom door and left. Ian didn¡¯t run out after her. When the door was shut again, he felt disappointment, and anger took hold of him. He could only watch as his ex¨Cwife met up with another man in the middle of the night. He no longer had the right to control her actions anymore. Even if he had wanted to control her, he felt powerless in light of everything that had happened. Erin. What he hadn¡¯t expected was that it had all been a trap. Ian now suspected that the one who set the trap was none other than Chandler. He got up and walked to the window, pulling the curtains back slightly to reveal the ck, jarringly conspicuous Maybach. His eyes gradually darkened with bloodthirsty rage. Meanwhile, in the car, Chandler felt the presence of a shadow. Even though the lights were off, a thin ray of coldness streamed through the gap between the curtains. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chandler watched as Erin mounted the passenger seat. Without saying another word, he forcefully pulled her over to him and attacked her lips with a storm of passionate kisses,pletely ignoring Erin¡¯s open protests. It wasn¡¯t until the curtains in the window upstairs had closed that Chandler nced provocatively in its direction and drove away. In the bedroom, Ian watched as Chandler provoked him openly, yet he was powerless to do anything! Angrily, he punched the wall next to the window, his knuckles fraying immediately. Momentarily, his lips curled in a sly smile. ¡°Chandler, you just wait and see-¡± The car sped on the county roads. Chandler had yet to speak to Erin. She watched and contemted his unpredictability, fear seizing her heart. He had kissed her as soon as she¡¯d gotten into the car. Now, however, he was driving over the speed limit with an icy exterior. She felt herself trembling with fear. He had not spoken, and she dared not speak first either. It wasn¡¯t until they drove onto the highway that Erin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Back to the city.¡± ¡°What? Now? I don¡¯t want to go back! I still haven¡¯t told my mom-¡± Erin¡¯s head was on the verge of exploding. Chandler¡¯s selfish behavior was really suffocating her. Chandler nced at her briefly. ¡°What else? Do you wish to go back to sleep with Ian? Erin Lane, do you really have the audacity to betray me?¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 GET IT NOW ºÁ Chapter 70 Chandler¡¯s Predicament Faced with the extremely domineering man, Erin could only soften her tone and exin. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think at all! He came to my house out of the blue¨CI didn¡¯t even know it. It was my mom who let him in. I only returned this time to tell my mom about the divorce.¡± Chandlerughed suddenly. His face was still cold as he spoke, ¡°From now onward, Erin, I will send someone to inform your mother of your divorce. You don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. Your one and only job is to stay by my side obediently.¡± Erin looked at hismanding expression, resistance permeating her tone. She would not submit to him this easily. ¡°No!¡± She knew he had incriminating photos that couldpromise her reputation, but she still dared to defy him. Chandler stared straight ahead in silence. Somewhere in between, he realized that maybe he had been using the wrong methods all this while. Erin only looked obedient on the surface. Deep down, she was as rebellious and obstinate as a wildcat! He remembered thest time Erin had taken the initiative to kiss his cheek in the car. It was when he had believed her, had trusted that she was only friends with Matthew. She had only shown him affection because she was moved by his trust. Chandler nced at her sideways. Now, she had angrily turned her face away from him and was staring out of the car window. A faint curve tugged at the corners of his lips. After that, neither of them spoke. When they finally returned to the city, Chandler was beginning to feel the exhaustion from being up the entire night. As they reached the vi, it was already morning. Erin, who had been sitting in the passenger¡¯s seat, had already fallen asleep. Gently, Chandler lifted her and walked into the vi. This time, he didn¡¯t wake her up. Instead, he carried her upstairs. Chandler gently ced Erin into the bed, removed her clothes, and covered her with a nket. Then, he switched on the thermostat¨Ccontrolled air conditioner. Instead of sleeping, Chandler entered his study and called Kyle and Hans, who were both still in Southwrok County. After giving them instructions, he went to take a shower. Even though he was tired, his mind was filled with thoughts of Erin. This woman, whom he wanted to control but failed to, suffused him with a sense of powerlessness. Although Erin was from a modest family and could not be considered wealthy, she had lived comfortably her entire life in Southwrok County and had no financial problems. Moreover, she had enough money to spend and was not materialistic or greedy. She really was someone with few weaknesses. Chandler couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly helpless. His attempts to buy her adoration with his wealth had failed. Secretly, heughed at how strange Erin truly was. When he was done showering, Chandler returned to his study wearing a refreshing, casual attire. He poured himself a ss of red wine as he watched the sunrise from the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window. Kyle¡¯s words reminded him once again. ¡°Mr. Frost, Miss Lane must be mad about what happened with Miss Kane. That¡¯s why she resigned. In my opinion, she¡¯s beginning to have some feelings for you-¡± Chandler grabbed his phone from his desk and called Kyle. ¡°Mr. Frost, any new instructions?¡± ¡°Kyle, that day, you told me about how you think Erin is beginning to have some feelings for me. If it really is true, then why did she resign? Shouldn¡¯t she be trying her best to hold on and pursue my heart?¡± Chandler asked thoughtfully. Kyle was eating empanadas with Hans at a stall by the roadside at that time. His expression was hesitant when he asked, ¡°Mr. Frost, do you really want to hear the truth?¡± ¡°Nonsense! Of course, I do!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you the truth then. To be honest, even though my girlfriend and I are in a long¨Cdistance rtionship, I¡¯ve been with her for at least ten years now. I suppose, at this point, I have some degree of understanding about the thoughts of women- ¡± Kyle¡¯s words were interrupted rudely by Chandler. ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°Sorry, as I was saying, I¡¯m guessing that Miss Lane could not stand the shame of being a mistress. After all, it¡¯s not ideal for her reputation as a woman. Furthermore, you keep on threatening her with those photos. How is she to open her heart to you when¨Csir, I hope you wouldn¡¯t mind me giving you a suggestion-¡± Kyle was still somewhat hesitant. Chandler replied impatiently, ¡°Stop beating around the bush, Kyle. Speak like a man!¡± Kyle coughed lightly. ¡°Mr. Frost, if you really love Miss Lane, I suggest you pursue her in the way that makes her want to be your girlfriend voluntarily. Since Miss Lane is divorced and single, and so are you ¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Chandler had already hung up. Kyle was shocked. Having just finished his third te of empanadas, Hans raised his head and asked, ¡°What?¡± Kyle furrowed his brows. ¡°I think Mr. Frost is mad- ¡± Hans sneered, ¡°Who asked you to meddle in the president¡¯s love life¨CI still don¡¯t get how you dared to give him suggestions on what he should do about his rtionships.¡± ¡°In my defense, I was just trying to help. As they say, those not involved in a situation often have a clearer perspective on what was happening.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Meanwhile, Chandler had already found his way to the couch. He held a lit cigarette between his fingers, watching it burni without smoking it. When arge chunk of ash fell onto the carpet, he snubbed the cigarette in the ashtray. He picked up his phone again and dialed his friend Logan¡¯s number. Logan, who had been sleeping, forcefully pried open his eyelids and nced at his phone before epting Chandler¡¯s call. ¡± Chandler, do you know what time it is now? You know that I¡¯m a night owl-¡± ¡°Logan, I have a question for you.¡± Chandler wasted no time in pleasantries. Logan became alert all of a sudden and sat up. Shocked, he started, ¡°Am I dreaming? The almighty president of Frost Corporation, Chandler Frost, has a question for me? Alright, I¡¯m listening.¡± A dark current passed through Chandler¡¯s unpredictable eyes. Calmly, he asked, ¡°How does one make a woman stay by their side willingly without giving her any kind of formal title?¡± Logan thought about it for a while before replying. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Have her bear your child. When a child is involved, she will naturally stay by your side willingly.¡± ¡°Bear a child?¡± Chandler asked, his eyebrows knitted. ¡°Chandler, actually, I already guessed who this woman you¡¯re talking about is. Is it Erin Lane? I understand your situation. You like Erin, but you can¡¯t grant her any form of formal status. Seeing as you can¡¯t make her stay with money either, and your grandfather would never allow her to enter the Frost family just like this¡± Chandler interrupted, ¡°Stop bullshitting! You¡¯re so far off from the truth you don¡¯t even-¡± Loganughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for twenty years, and this is the first time you¡¯ve asked me anything about rtionships. If you weren¡¯t already at a loss, would you have called me in the first ce? With the means at your disposal as Azore¡¯s tycoon, it¡¯s impossible that you cannot deal with someone as insignificant as Erin. You don¡¯t wish to resort to extreme measures precisely because you¡¯re afraid they would only drive the wedge between you two further apart. You¡¯re so fucked¨Cat least I¡¯m certain now that you really are in love with her!¡± There was no response from Chandler at the other end of the line. When Logan attempted to speak again, all he heard was a busy tone. Logan shook his head in exasperation. ¡°Huh. Guess he¡¯s mad that I guessed right-¡± After hanging up on Logan, Chandler entered the bedroom. Leaning against the doorframe, he let his gaze fall on the beautiful, sleeping woman on the bed. For the first time, a crazy idea popped into his mind. A baby. Giving birth to a child. But how could Erin ever agree to that? Chandler walked to the cab, opened a drawer, and took out a box from the drawer. Then, he stood and stared at the box for a long time- Two hourster, Erin woke up and realized that she was not wearing anything and that Chandler was tenderly holding her in. his embrace. Abruptly, she felt fear settle in her bones. Flustered and rmed, she eximed in embarrassment, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use protection-¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Unanticipated Apology Erin could not rival his strength. The results of her resistance were always the same. She drifted in and out of a trance in her half¨Cawakened state. At the peak of her climax, Erin¡¯s brain emptied, as though she was floating on the clouds. She was extremely conflicted. Try as she might to shield her heart against Chandler¡¯s charms, her body hadpletely. epted the feeling of his body against hers. Why else would she jerk awake the secondn started touching her? And yet, when it came to Chandler, it was only when he had her that she awakened. Deep down, part of her had to admit that the fit of his body against hers was a perfect match. Seeing that she was weak and powerless, Chandler leaned down and whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Erin.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She was immediately wide awake. For a second, Erin wondered if she had been hallucinating. ¡°What?¡± she asked, surprised. Sweat beaded on Chandler¡¯s forehead. From where shey, his perfectly bnced features were so stunning that Erin found herself lost in wonder. Chandler winked at her seductively and repeated, ¡°I want to apologize to you.¡± Despite the ridiculousness of the situation, she was shocked that he would actually apologize to her. Yet, Erin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± Chandler¡¯s gaze was entirely focused when he looked at her and replied seriously, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have choked you. And that incident with ire¨CI want you to know that I knew all along that it was her who framed you, but I had chosen to prioritize stabilizing her emotions at that time over your feelings. I shouldn¡¯t have asked you to apologize to her. I¡¯m so sorry, Erin.¡± The long¨Cawaited apology drove Erin into silent tears. Chandler wiped away her tears with the back of his thumb. Softly, he asked, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Erin was unprepared for the tenderness he was showing her now. ¡°Why are you apologizing to me-¡± she choked out. ¡°I realized I was in the wrong. Naturally, it¡¯s only right for me to apologize. You told me that I didn¡¯t know how to respect you. Is it toote for me to learn to respect you now?¡± His voice had always been melodious, but coupled with a humbled attitude and deep sincerity, it was enough to make any woman fall in love. Erin, of course, was no exception. Now, she dared not look directly into his eyes. Those dark, deep eyes seemed to possess some kind of mysterious, attractive force, making her fall willingly into its swirling vortexes. Her attempts to dodge his gaze made him lift her chin with his fingers, pressing his lips onto hers gently. For the first time, Erin¡¯s emotions stirred, and she responded to his touch. This major change in her attitude caused a delicate flower to blossom in Chandler¡¯s heart. He thought he vaguely felt something taking root and sprouting within him. When they finished showering, Erin dressed neatly and looked at herself in the dressing mirror. Her reflection today seemed different from what it used to be the day before. Having just put on a shirt, Chandler embraced her from behind and gazed at their joined reflections in the mirror. He murmured in her ear, ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡± The tips of her ears flushed. Recalling what had happened earlier, she thought she had finally begun to slowly and willingly ept him. Still, faint tendrils of doubt resided within her heart. She kept on thinking that she had lost something, her fear about the unknown future sinking its ws into her. The confusion and fragility in her eyes prompted Chandler to press his lips against her cheek. He told her, ¡°Please ept me, Erin. Please let us have a fresh start.¡± His words were not passionate confessions of love, but she could feel the shift in him acutely. Yet, the matter of her being his secret lover made her uneasy. ¡°Who am I to you in your heart?¡± she asked. Chandler avoided the question. Instead, he replied, ¡°Just know that you¡¯re not ire. You¡¯re not like everyone else. You¡¯re not a recement either.¡± His response was somewhat disappointing, but even Erin couldn¡¯t be sure of her heart. She didn¡¯t know if she had fallen for Chandler or not. So, upon hearing his response, she decided she did not want to question him further. Today, Chandler didn¡¯t go to work in thepany, so Erin helped him look for books in the study. There was a wooden staircase in the study spiraling upward. Chandler hadn¡¯t really wanted to read anything in the first ce, but he simply mentioned a few foreign book titles just so she could apany him that day. Erin¡¯s mind had been wandering nonstop as she pondered her rtionship with Chandler. The scars lan left in her heart had not yet fully recovered. Did she really want to start a new rtionship now? She was standing on the stairs in an elegant red dress, a book sped in her hands as she stood deep in thought, so much so that she didn¡¯t realize that Chandler had walked over to her side. He lifted his head and watched her, catching sight of the whitece underneath her dress. His eyes darkened as he stroked her smooth, fair calves with his palms. Erin was so startled by his sudden presence that she almost lost her bnce. Chandler pulled her towards himself using her momentum, and she fell into his arms easily. He smiled as he asked, ¡°Have you found the books yet?¡± She raised her gaze and looked at him. Her heart fluttered like a herd of deer was running wild inside her. Lowering her voice, she murmured, ¡°Three more to go-¡± Noticing her demeanor and behavior, Chandler felt a sense of victory as he took in her every move. He had never thought about using his good looks to win over anyone. Yet, when it came to Erin, it seemed to work. And its results were surprisingly good. He was starting to believe what Kyle had told him the other day. If it hadn¡¯t been for the fact that she had feelings for him, she would never have changed so much in the way she treated him. ¡°You look so good in this dress, Erin. It¡¯s making me want to get another taste of you again.¡± His seductive voice drifted lightly into her ears. Just for a few fleeting seconds, her ears turned so red that they looked like they were dripping with blood. Chandlerughed boisterously. ¡°You¡¯re so cute.¡± Just as he was moving toward her earlobes, Erin suddenly eximed, ¡°Oh no¨Coh fuck!¡± He knitted his brow in confusion. ¡°What?¡± She struggled to get down, and Chandler didn¡¯t force her to stay. Seeing as she was about to leave the room, he grabbed her waist and asked, ¡°Where are you going? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Erin said shyly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the pharmacy to buy some medication for¨Cfor contraception.¡± He lowered his gaze and pondered her words for two seconds. ¡°You want to buy the morning¨Cafter pill?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Chandler had long expected her to think of this. Chuckling, he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve already asked the butler to buy it earlier. When he returns, I¡¯ll have him send it over.¡± Erin¡¯s expression rxed. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t worry about it then!¡± Her worries and panic made him a little ufortable and hurt. His voice was slightly icy when he spoke, ¡°Are you that afraid of getting pregnant? Because it would be my child?¡± Erin looked in his direction, noticing his icy facade. She exined hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid of having unnned, idental pregnancies. I mean, after all¨Cwe¡¯re not-¡± ¡°Not what?¡± Chandler asked coldly. She was momentarily at a loss for words and didn¡¯t know how to answer. She didn¡¯t understand why he would suddenly get mad. She had thought Chandler would be even more afraid than her about matters like idental pregnancies. She said calmly, ¡°Although our rtionship has improved, we are still starting to understand one another. If I get pregnant suddenly at this time, I think even you wouldn¡¯t want that to happen.¡± Chandler swept a cold nce in her direction. ¡°You¡¯re not me. How can you know what I¡¯m thinking?¡± With that, he left the room with a stony face. Erin was confused by his unpredictable emotions. She murmured to herself, ¡°Could it be possible that you might want me to be pregnant with your child?¡± Chapter 72 Chapter 72 GET IT NOW Chapter 72 By Your Side Two hourster, in the study, the butler stood in front of Chandler and gave him a full report of the situation. ¡°Did you see her finish the medicine?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the butler, Mr. Charleston, replied. ¡°When you went to get the medicine from n, what did he say?¡± ¡°Dr. Louise said it was the best imported folic acid pills in their hospital and that it was a nutrient tablet especially effective in preparing women for pregnancy,¡± Mr. Charleston answered. Chandler thought about it for a while. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to keep this matter strictly confidential, understood? No one can know about this, especially not the chairman of the board. Make sure the lips of the servants under your supervision arepletely sealed as well.¡± Mr. Charleston nodded. ¡°Please be rest assured, sir!¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± When night fell, Erin had just finished talking to her mother on the phone in the bedroom when she heard that Ian had returned home. It was said that he had been kicked out by her mother herself. Cherry had learned about Erin andn¡¯s divorce based on the information provided by Kyle, including the incriminating evidence about Ian¡¯s infidelity. Although her mother could not ept the fact that her daughter was getting a divorce at such a young age, she didn¡¯t wish for her daughter to suffer. Through the phone, Cherry told Erin to just let things be. Erin was still young anyway. She still had time to find another husband. To avoid gossip among their rtives, her mother asked her not to tell anyone else about her divorce for the time being. For Erin, she wished that no one else had to ever know about her divorce. After all, society highly stigmatized and frowned upon matters like this. She held her phone with a mncholic expression on her face. At the end of the day, her mother was just looking out for her. Her mother kept telling her on the phone that it was a pity that she was divorced, that a good marriage had ended just like that. It wasn¡¯t until Chandler sat beside her that she snapped out of her trance. ncing at her phone, he asked, ¡°Were you on the phone with your mom just now?¡± Erin sighed. ¡°Yeah.¡± He guided her shoulder in his direction and let her rest her head against him. Softly, he said, ¡°She would have known sooner orter. It was better if she knew that Ian had been the one at fault in the first ce.¡± Erin looked up at him, and in that moment, she believed without a doubt that the evidence Chandler had instructed Kyle to collect was solid. Her mother had no doubts and believed itpletely. ¡°Thank you so much, Chandler! I really wouldn¡¯t have known what to tell her exactly. I was afraid that she would try to reconcile us,¡± she said. Chandler chuckled, ¡°No need to thank me. I was just looking out for myself either way.¡± Erin started, ¡°In the future¨CI think we still need to use protection when we do it. I don¡¯t want to take too much medication. It doesn¡¯t seem ideal for the body.¡± Chandler¡¯s dark eyes flickered after hearing her words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the medication I had my butler bring you is imported from another country. It has no side effects on women¡¯s bodies. It can even regte your menstrual cycle. Don¡¯t you have period cramps too?¡± Erin raised her head instantly, disbelief evident on her features. She could not believe that those words hade from his mouth. Chandler pinched her chin and smiled. ¡°What? Do you not believe me? I thought we were trying to understand one another. I just happened to check your medical records just to see if there was anything strange.¡± Erin narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°Do you know everything about me now, including the fact that I had chickenpox when I was a child?¡± He smiled mysteriously. ¡°What do you think?¡± She sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Knowing you and your paranoid caution, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you¡¯d investigated all eighteen decades of my ancestors and the history of my family-¡± ¡°Erin, that photo of you when you had chickenpox as a child was really ugly. Thank God you¡¯re still so beautiful now.¡± He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, genuine appreciation filling his eyes. Erin punched his biceps lightly. She said jealously, ¡°Did you never have an ugly photo from childhood till now? I don¡¯t see any scars on you.¡± Unexpectedly, her words made his ck eyes cool instantly. His gaze lowered to her hands, those thick, dark eyshes covering his eyes like a silhouette. Erin itched to touch them. Chandler captured her hands in his own. He seemed to be reminiscing about the past when he spoke. ¡°Because I have a father who is an absolute perfectionist. I¡¯m sure you remember what Kyle told you on the cruise in Grecia about how I killed my biological mother. Everything he said was true. I am the greatest imperfection in my father¡¯s life. Even though he tried his best to protect me from physical harm ever since I was a child, he also happened to be the person who scarred me the most.¡± Realizing that he had overshared, Chandler stood and prepared to leave. Erin¡¯s heart ached for him. She had always thought of him as someone who got everything he wanted, but with that kind of father, had Chandler ever felt the warmth of family from childhood to adulthood? Instinctively, she tugged at his arm. She didn¡¯t want him to have to go through it alone. When his lonely gaze swept in her direction, Erin couldn¡¯t help but hug him tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t leave. You don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to, but I¡¯ll be here if you ever want to talk, okay?¡± Her words were a ray of sunshine that warmed his heart. He lifted her chin and pressed his lips on hers. It was as if he was trying to share the burden of the pain he felt in his heart with her. Erin didn¡¯t mind it. Quite the contrary, she surrendered herselfpletely. This arrogant man seemed to have everything, but apparently, he had a side to him that no one else knew about. Two bodies pressed against each other tightly. In that split second, the room seemed to swirl ethereally, the air filled with romance. One afternoon three dayster, Erin was walking out of thepany¡¯s building to buy some afternoon tea when Chandler said he wanted pastries. Actually, Erin knew that he had only said that on purpose as she had been browsing for all kinds of pastries online. In the past three days, her rtionship with Chandler hadpletely transformed. He had suddenly started to treat her like a gentleman, and she could not bear to refuse him every time. As such, in just three short days, she was extremely sore all over¨Cher body waspletely depleted. If it hadn¡¯t been for the butler¡¯s medication she¡¯d taken afterward, she would have been worried sick about getting pregnant. As Erin exited the bakery, she ran into Ian¡¯s mother and her former mother¨Cinw, Mary Cooper. A woman about her age was standing next to her. Since they had already bumped into one another, Erin felt she had to greet the other woman regardless of her current rtionship with Ian. She was just about to greet Mrs. Cooper when the woman pped her. ¡°You ungrateful little slut! You really are selfish and treacherous! My son has been nothing but amodating toward you, yet you have the guts to go behind his back and seduce other men! I can¡¯t even bear to tell him the truth.¡± Mrs. Cooper was very emotional, and her hands trembled as she spoke. Erin waspletely stunned by the sudden p. Her left cheek tingled, burning pain spreading through her face. Mrs. Cooper¡¯s words reverberated in her mind. The woman beside Mrs. Cooper started lecturing, ¡°Youngdy, you look so sophisticated on the outside. How could you not learn proper ethics but behave like those seductive sluts on TV? You had a good husband, yet you failed to appreciate him, instead opting to seduce and flirt with other men everywhere. Didn¡¯t your mother teach you properly?¡± ¡°What can her mother teach her? She is a divorced woman too! Who knows? Maybe she was only abandoned by her husband after fooling around so much and being a slut-¡® Mrs. Cooper had yet to finish before Erin yelled angrily. ¡°Enough! I only greeted you out of respect for our past rtionship. Now, I am officially informing you that Ian and I are divorced! He cheated on me first, so don¡¯t you go around pping people without knowing what exactly happened. Also, I¡¯m warning you, say whatever you want about me. I don¡¯t care. But I will not stand by and watch as you insult my mother. I simply do not allow it!¡± Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Self¨Cawareness Erin¡¯s words surprised Mary. ¡°What? You divorced my son?¡± she shrieked. Her shocked face made Erin realize that Ian didn¡¯t bring the issue up to Mary yet, which annoyed her for a moment. Mary wouldn¡¯t have doubled down on her if he had told her about this earlier. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Just as Erin wanted to get up and leave without providing her a proper exnation, Mary grabbed hold of her arm and continued probing, ¡°Could it be that my son caught you cheating?¡± Her usation made Erin frown. It was obvious that Mary didn¡¯t hear a single word she said. ¡°You¡¯re despicable, Erin! My son works so hard in thepany to earn enough to give you a better life, yet look at the kind of wife you are to him! Who would¡¯ve thought you would decide to leave my son and me after I requested you give me grandchildren¡­I¡¯m still baffled at why my son even chose you in the first ce!¡± Mary raged as her eyes glowed in furious. anger. Erin¡¯s heart grew cold as she listened to Mary¡¯s unreasonable ramblings. It was a good thing that she treated Mary well back then. At least she could now say that she did her part to fulfill the role of being her daughter¨Cinw. But now that she and Ian had divorced, she doubted that Mary would continue to see her in the same light as before. Seeing it hade to this, Erin decided she would shoulder all of the me Mary had dumped on her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you anymore. Since you insist that your son is a saint, you should be d that he divorced me. I sure hope you can find another good daughter¨Cinw who can treat you well and give you the grandchildren you so desire, Mrs. Cooper!¡± she scoffed in response. Immediately after saying that, she forcefully shook Mary¡¯s hands off her and shot her an icy re before turning to leave. Since Mary wore high heels, it caused her to lose her bnce and start stumbling backward for a moment. Her friend immediately rushed to her side to prop her up. ¡°Erin, you uneducated rotten bitch! Eugh, what bad luck my son has to marry a wench like you.¡± Mary cursed angrily, and the middle¨Caged woman beside her followed suit. Erin merely kept advancing forward until she could no longer hear their angry screams. Her anger only grew as she recalled the main person behind this whole mess all this time. It prompted her to immediately fish out her phone to dial Ian¡¯s number. Ian picked up the phone almost instantly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell your mother about our divorce?¡± she snapped. ¡°Did you run into her?¡± he asked in surprise. She sighed before exining everything to him, ¡°She scolded and humiliated me in public today, but I didn¡¯t care too much because she used to be my mother¨Cinw. I won¡¯t hold back the next time she acts that way again! My parents raised me to be an upright person, not a trauma dumpster!¡± With that, she immediately hung up the phone without giving him a chance to question her about anything. Whenn called again, Erin refused to pick up his call. The thought of being a scapegoat when Ian cheated on her was enough. to make her blood boil. But her anger was soon assuaged when she recalled the time she had hooked up with Chandler. She wasn¡¯t born to be submissive all her life, after all! Just then, her phone started ringing again. She lowered her head and saw that Caleb was calling her. She hesitated for a moment before picking up. ¡°Are you still at thepany, Erin? Can you swing by downstairs if you have time? I have something important to tell you.¡± Caleb said over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m outside now, but I¡¯m still near thepany. We can meet outside if that¡¯s fine with you. I¡¯m at¡­¡± she trailed off as she scanned her surroundings. She eventually noticed a Starbucks nearby and continued, ¡°I can wait for you at the Starbucks on 5th Avenue.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± he answered. Twenty minutester, Caleb strolled into the Starbucks she mentioned, and he quickly located Erin sitting in a corner by herself. He then went up to her and sat down opposite her in the booth. ¡°Feel free to order anything you¡¯d like to drink,¡± Erin said with her head slightly turned to the side. She¡¯d also used some hair to cover one side of her face. ¡°What happened to your face? Who hit you?¡± he asked in concern, as his expression immediately turned downcast. Erin lifted an eyebrow while looking at him and started poking fun at herself, ¡°Even YOU can tell that this was the result of a beating?¡± ¡°Anyone could see that those are the faint remnants of someone¡¯s fingerprints. Who¡¯d be so cruel to do this to you? Was it Chandler?¡± he said through gritted teeth. Sensing Caleb¡¯s anger, she immediately exined, ¡°This didn¡¯te from him. It was from my ex¨C mother¨Cinw¡­¡± She then gave him a brief rundown of everything that had happened to her up to that point, as if she had nothing to worry about by spilling them to him. After all, he¡¯d witnessed the heinous thing that had happened to her in the officest time, so she no longer felt the need to hide anything from him. ¡°Ian is such a bastard! How dare he only thinks about himself while ignoring youpletely!¡± Caleb growled with a furious look on his face. Even though he and Ian were both men, he looked down upon scum who fooled around like Ian. Erin tried her best to force out a grin. ¡°Yeah. Then again, I¡¯m pretty sure that his feelings for me had long gone away. It was just me who was too dumb to notice.¡± When Caleb heard that, he ced his hand on the back of hers and startedforting her, ¡°There, there, Erin. What¡¯s in the past is in the past. There¡¯s no need to dwell on it any longer. He doesn¡¯t deserve your tears.¡± The heat from his hand made Erin¡¯s hands feel heavy, so she instantly retracted her hand. Caleb noticed her unease and apologized to her with an awkward look in his eyes. ¡°Sorry for that,¡± he muttered. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ By the way, didn¡¯t you say you had something important to tell me?¡± Erin changed the topic in an attempt to ease the awkward atmosphere. ¡°Remember when I told you I would help you break free from my cousin? Well, I¡¯vee up with a game n, but I would need to trouble you in certain parts,¡± he said with a straight face. A trace of conflict arose in her heart. She was reluctant about the n, especially when her rtionship with Chandler was already teetering on the edge. Although they still didn¡¯t know what to call their rtionship, she was sure she no longer wanted to leave Chandler¡¯s side. At least not so soon, anyways. But she didn¡¯t want to turn down his advice after seeing how expectant he looked, so she quietly asked, ¡°Well, what can I do?¡± There was a hint of excitement in Caleb¡¯s eyes. ¡°I want to tell your story to my aunt¡¯s husband, Chandler¡¯s father, who is also the chairman of Frost Corporation! Although he often lives abroad, he still often returns to the country.¡± There was a hint of doubt in her eyes. What did her rtionship with Chandler have anything to do with the chairman? ¡°Are you telling me that if the chairman found out about my rtionship with Chandler, he¡¯d stop us from being together?¡± she quizzed. ¡°Of course, the chairman would be against it, no questions asked! That¡¯s because the Frosts only want their children to be tied down in a marriage with someone from an affluent family. With that said, your family is¡­sorry, I mean-¡± Caleb stopped for a moment as he struggled to find the right words to exin without hurting her feelings. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to say anything. I totally get what you mean. I¡¯m pretty sure a man of such status as Chandler can definitely find ¡®the one¡® who¡¯d be an even better match for him rather than a nobody like me. There are too many ordinary women out there who are like me in this big city,¡± shemented. The way she talked about herself made Caleb feel like she didn¡¯t give herself enough credit. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about yourself like that, Erin! You¡¯re special to me!¡± he eximed with a trace of hurt in his eyes. Erin was so depressed at the moment that his words didn¡¯t manage to lift her spirits. ¡°What do you mean ¡®special¡®? I¡¯m just an ordinary woman. You think too highly of me¡­¡± she scoffed at herself. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 GET IT NOW Chapter 74 Never Giving Up ¡°I¡¯m not just saying it because I like you or want to make you happy, Erin! You have to know that every person in this world is unique!¡± Caleb eximed, his void eyes serious. ¡°Fine, I concede,¡± Erin sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll take it that I managed to convince you? If I tell the chairman about your rtionship with Chandler, the chairman mighte knocking at your door, you know¡­¡± he trailed off nervously. ¡°Why does he want to look for me?¡± she asked in surprise. ¡°Knowing the chairman, he¡¯ll definitely use his money to persuade you to leave Chandler. Then all you have to do is to ept it and move on. As for Chandler, the chairman will certainly press him more about this.¡± He frowned. ¡°If not for the fact that my insecurities fueled me to earn and save money since a very young age, I think I¡¯d actually be the type to take someone else¡¯s money and run with it once I have been bribed,¡± she sneered, her tone full of disdain. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me¡­¡± He trailed off as he wasn¡¯t entirely clear on what she was trying to convey. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I don¡¯t agree with your proposal. Although I like money too, it¡¯s not enough to ruin my reputation for it. Even if I take the chairman¡¯s money, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean Chandler will let me go. Plus, he¡¯ll probably look at me in disgust as a greedy woman from then on,¡± she said with a serious look on her face. Her refusal made Caleb fall silent for a while. He then lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°If staying by Chandler¡¯s side is as bad as you im it is, you won¡¯t care about what he thinks of you, right? Or are you telling me you want to stay by his side willingly now?¡± She didn¡¯t know how to answer that. The way she averted her gaze made his expression turn a few degrees colder. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to intrude.¡± He chuckled nervously. ¡°Caleb, I-¡± She, too, was at a loss for words. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself to me. If this is what you¡¯ve decided on, then I don¡¯t have a right to say anything. But I¡¯d like to remind you that nothing woulde out of your rtionship with Chandler. I reckon you haven¡¯t seen how powerful the chairman is yet. He¡¯s the type who would never agree to the idea of you being together with my cousin,¡± he said, waving his hands as if to brush the matter aside. She lowered her eyes and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought that far yet, to be honest. Chandler has changed recently, so I thought I wanted to give the both of us a second chance.¡± ¡°Say no more! I still have a few matters I need to take care of, so you¡¯ll have to excuse me,¡± Caleb grumbled with a sour look on his face. He then turned to leave. Erin knew she had embarrassed Caleb with her words, but she couldn¡¯t go against her heart either. When it was time to leave work, Chandler and Erin rode the exclusive elevator to the parking lot together. Chandler nced at Erin, who was busy daydreaming, and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± She didn¡¯t answer him, so he grabbed her chin with one hand and forced her to look at him. That made her return to her senses and ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re lost in thought, I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re thinking about other men?¡± he joked. ¡°Apart from you, who else can I think about right now?¡± she pouted. Her answer put a pleased smirk on his face. ¡°I¡¯m d you know that well, or else you¡¯d best bet I¡¯m not going to spare the other guy.¡± ¡°Chandler¡­¡± she called his name. ¡°Only call my name from now on,¡± he corrected. ¡°But¡± she gasped as she still wasn¡¯t used to being so close to him. He cupped her chin and ordered, ¡°You¡¯d better keep that in mind!¡± ¡°Maybe¡­we shouldn¡¯t be together, Chandler!¡± she blurted out in frustration. Her words instantly made his face turn icy cold. ¡°What do you mean? Why would you suddenly say that?¡± he growled. ¡°I¡± she hesitated. At that moment, the elevator doors opened, but before she could walk out, he pulled her back in. He then quickly pressed at button to shut the elevator doors, and with a swipe of his card, not only did he lock the both of them in, but he also turned off the CCTV inside. Heter pressed her against a corner of the elevator and started barking in an icy tone, ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere until you tell me what¡¯s going on!¡± She couldn¡¯t look away from his piercing gaze, so she lowered her head and mumbled, ¡°Do you want to hear the truth?¡± His eyes were seething with ayer of frost now. ¡°Spit it out.¡± She let out a long sigh before exining, ¡°Since the chairman will prevent us from being together in the future at all costs, we might as well go our separate ways now.¡± It¡¯d probably be less painful too if they decided to go their separate ways now. His furrowed brow reflected his impatience as he said coldly, ¡°Who told you that my father would prevent us from being together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important. If it¡¯s true, you might want to consider my proposal,¡± she muttered. ¡°Absolutely not! You shouldn¡¯t think about it either! You¡¯d better erase all those thoughts right now!¡± he hissed. ¡°Then tell me, will the chairman really stop us from being together?¡± she asked quietly, raising an eyebrow. He hesitated to answer her question for a while. He even thought of lying, but his words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. His silence gave her the assurance she needed to believe in Caleb¡¯s words. So, it was true, after all. ¡°Just let me go already. It¡¯s still not toote,¡± Erin shakily said as she looked at the ground. Initially, she thought she could say that kind of thing in a cool way, but she never imagined that she had fallen deeper for this man than she had originally thought. Especially when she had fallen for such an extroverted, sunshiny figure like Chandler Frost, she would inevitably get hurt. And it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t understand that either. That was why she kept trying to escape from him subconsciously and kept on telling herself that she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him. He got so angry that his chest started throbbing, and the more he looked at the woman who was less determined than him to keep the embers of their rtionship going, the angrier he got. It prompted him to grab hold of both of her arms and press them against the steel walls of the elevator before lowering his head to kiss her lips. His kiss was so sudden and intense that it felt like he wanted to take out all the anger in his heart on her. She resisted at first because she was not in the mood to think about that, but another thought suddenly shed across her mind then. Would she truly be okay with the idea of the both of them not knowing each other at all? The mere thought was enough to make her heart ache, so she decided to drop her guard and kiss his icy lips back. All she wanted was to cherish their present moment, no matter how short¨Clived. She refused to give it up for anything in the world. Her passionate response gradually tamed the roaring ze in his heart, and he let go of her arms. With one hand on her hip and the other cradling the back of her head, they kissed each other until they lost track of time. It wasn¡¯t until the air inside the elevator was thinning that he let go of her reluctantly. If not, how could he ever let go of a woman who made him this obsessed? But when he thought back to her hesitance and then to his autocratic and dictator father, a wave of determination swept over his void eyes. He opened the elevator door and grabbed her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± he said. Still in a daze, she followed behind him as he tugged her wrist obediently. What he said just now kept echoing in her mind, ¡± Let¡¯s go home.¡± Did he just say that that luxurious and magnificent vi was her home? They both remained silent all the way back to the vi as a myriad of thoughts swirled throughout their minds. The second he parked the car, he rushed to the passenger¡¯s side to pull her out. He then dragged her to the bedroom like at ragdoll. Once inside, he lifted her in his arms like a madman with a sole thought in his mind. She also felt like pushing aside all the messy thoughts in her head and only thinking of going with his wishes at that moment. As the excitement in his eyes grew, her full devotion to him made himpletely lose control of himself, and they proceeded to indulge themselves in a night of pure and passionate love¨Cmaking. When all was said and done, shey asleep in his arms while he stared at the ceiling, hoping she would get pregnant soon. Once he had a crazy goal in mind, he would not stop until he achieved it! Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 I Know Your Secret In an underground bar at 3 am, two men acting low¨Ckey were making deals in a corner, both of whom had ordered drinks for themselves but had left them untouched. Ian, who had a ck cap on, lowered the brim and said to the other man, ¡°We were once ssmates, Tyler. You even took two million dors from me in one fell swoop, so what you¡¯re about to tell me better be worth that much.¡± The man sitting opposite him was wearing a ck mask with graffiti art, and he had sunken dark circles under his eyes. The man came closer ton and replied, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my rtive living abroad who desperately needed the money to cure their illness, I wouldn¡¯t dare make such a big gamble in the first ce. 1 guarantee you that this will be worth every penny!¡± There was still some hesitation inn¡¯s eyes, but upon remembering that he had the information of his elementary school friend¡¯s address and the details of his family members, he lowered his guard a little. He then took out a bank card from his pocket and put it on the table. Tyler also put a paper envelope bag he¡¯d brought with him on the table. He picked up the bank card, put it in his shirt pocket, and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the password?¡± ¡°The password is¡­¡± Ian whispered thebination to him. With that, Tyler stood up and was about to leave when he turned back to remindn, ¡°You¡¯d better burn all the information immediately after you¡¯re done reading it. No one should get a hold of this information at all costs. If not, my life and my rtive¡¯s lives will be in danger!¡± Ian nodded cautiously and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s destroyed.¡± An hour and a halfter,n returned to his vi and immediately retreated to his study. When Mary heard some shuffling noises, she knocked on his door. ¡°Come in,¡± he said. ¡°Why are you only back at this hour,n?¡± she asked. ¡°Did you go drinking with someone? It¡¯s dangerous to drink and drive, you know-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t drink, Mom!¡± Ian rudely interrupted her. ¡°It¡¯ste. You should go to bed. I still have a few things to attend to in my study.¡± She nodded and decided not to disturb him anymore, but before she closed the door, she turned around and asked another question, ¡°Please tell me the truth,n. Was the reason behind your divorce with Erin really because you went and had another woman on the side?¡± He immediately stopped flipping through the documents. Upon recalling his goal of getting Erin back, he lifted his gaze to look at Mary. ¡°It¡¯s true, Mom. I was the one who let Erin down¡­¡± he trailed off sheepishly. ¡°But in the pictures from the Inte that your aunt showed me, Erin had clearly been caught canoodling with another young man, and she was even caught crying. How can you exin that?¡± she quizzed. She still refused to believe that Erin did nothing wrong. It causedn to stand up and walk toward her. ¡°I know what you¡¯re talking about, but that incident involved an A¨Clist celebrity who couldn¡¯t afford to be caught in a scandal with Erin, so he publicly rified their rtionship on Twitter. It turned out that he just wanted to thank her for donating one thousand dors to him when she was fifteen,¡± he said sincerely. His exnation caused her to loosen the frown on her face. ¡°How could this be? I even gave her a good lecture when I bumped. into her today. I guess I was the one who misunderstood her, after all,¡± she said remorsefully. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom. I¡¯ve already apologized to her on your behalf, so you don¡¯t have to take it to heart anymore. I divorced her in the heat of the moment, so I definitely want to marry her again! I hope that you can ept her as your daughter¨Cinw again too. I was the one who wronged her,¡± he said solemnly. Mary felt heartbroken when she saw her son so depressed. She had a scowl on her face as she said, ¡°She can be really stubborn at times, so I imagine this will be quite a tall order.¡± ¡°I still want to give it a shot regardless of the oue! You should go to sleep first, Mom. You don¡¯t have to think about it so much,¡± he said as he lightly grabbed his mother¡¯s shoulders to lead her to the door. ¡°I¡¯m quite fond of Erin, actually. Compared to all the vixens out there, she¡¯s so much better. I¡¯ll invite her out for dinner someday to make amends with her face¨Cto¨Cface, Ian. I know I¡¯m much older than her, but since I¡¯m the one who used her, I should definitely go and apologize!¡± shemented while shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯d be amazing, Mom! Erin¡¯s a soft¨Chearted girl, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll forgive you if you apologize to her! I¡¯m also at fault for this whole matter. Sorry that I didn¡¯t tell you about it earlier,¡± he replied with some surprise in his eyes. ¡°Forget it. What¡¯s done is done. You can continue with your work while I head to bed first,¡± Mary said, waving her hand. Half an hourter, afterying out all the information on his desk, he stood up in shock and started pacing back and forth in the room. ¡°Oh, Chandler, I kept thinking you were the prince of the Frost family, but who knew that you were actually the shunned eldest son! Bet you also didn¡¯t know you have a half¨Cbrother!¡± heughed maniacally. Before he got a hold of this top¨Csecret information, he wasn¡¯t sure about his ns to recapture Erin¡¯s heart, but he was brimming with confidence now. If Chandler had seeded inying out all the groundwork for him to divorce Erin, then he could certainly do the same back to him so that he let go of her! Two weekster, Erin dropped her mother, Cherry, off at the train station. Cherry hade to visit under the excuse of letting her try some of the tea from her hometown, but in reality, she wanted to pry into her daughter¡¯s rtionship. She had already caught wind that Ian wasn¡¯t the person who rescued them that time in Aunder. To think that the other side would let her go when she still had a huge amount of debt left from her husband¡¯s gambling and that they¡¯d never been intimidated or threatened since their return to Southwrok County. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Cherry couldn¡¯t think of any other person who had that much sway and power to pull it off. Erin had made up a weak excuse, saying that it was her friend who helped to appease her mother¡¯s curiosity for the time being. Cherry pretended to believe her, too, as she reckoned her daughter was already old enough to know better. She no longer pressed her for answers as long as she didn¡¯t feel like revealing the truth. As Erin gazed at the train speeding away into the distance, she felt somewhat touched. She felt that if it weren¡¯t for Chandler¡¯s help in the beginning, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out so smoothly now. Staring at the bank card in her hand, she realized that Cherry had given her the two million dors that she had initially given her, saying that she should use the money to buy a house instead and that a divorcee like her shouldn¡¯t continue to live with. her friend like that. Obviously, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell her mother the truth, so she lied and told her that she was living with her friend Holly instead. It was 6.30 pm on the weekend, so Erin was ready to take the subway back. Barely five minutes passed when Holly¡¯s ex- husband, Eugene, called her again. It was the sixth time he¡¯d called her this week, so she finally decided to pick up the call. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought getting the esteemed Miss Erin Lane to pick up her phone would be so hard? Am I such a ferocious beast to you, which is why you hate me so?¡± Eugenemented. She didn¡¯t feel like exining herself, so she said bluntly, ¡°The reason I¡¯m not picking up your calls is simple¨CI have nothing to say to you.¡± ¡°We were schoolmates before, at the very least! Not to mention that your best friend is also my ex¨Cwife and the fact that I also liked you back in college. I didn¡¯t think those were enough to make you ignore me?¡± he sighed. She had already walked to the tform and was about to step into the subway when she said, ¡°Are you done? I¡¯ll be hanging up now. I¡¯m about to take the subway home, so you¡¯ll need to cut it short-¡± ¡°Where are you now?¡± he asked. ¡°At the train station,¡± she answered inly. Eugene asked excitedly, ¡°Are you at the Neweast Train Station now?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied with a frown. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go pick you up! I¡¯m in the area, so just wait for me for five minutes!¡± he eximed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I can just go back by myself,¡± she declined. 1 ¡°Just give me a chance to apologize, Erin! That night when I almost made a move on you at the hotel¡­ I swear I really regretted everything afterward! Can¡¯t you give me a chance to redeem myself? This incident has gued me so much that I couldn¡¯t eat or sleep properly for the past few days. Let me treat you to dinner. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the type to hold grudges, right?¡± he rambled on anxiously. She sighed as she listened to him rattle on for ages. ¡°Are you saying that if I agree to go out for a meal with you, you¡¯ll be willing to drop this whole thing?¡± she snapped. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 GET IT NOW Chapter 76 An Ill¨Cfated Breakup ¡°Exactly! As long as you let me buy you dinner this one time, I¡¯ll let go of this matter entirely,¡± Eugene immediately promised. ¡°Fine,e pick me up.¡± Erin hung up after updating him on her whereabouts. It¡¯d be for the best if she could just get rid of someone so clingy as soon as she could. While walking to where they both agreed to meet up, she typed a message to Chandler via WhatsApp. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent my mom home. I¡¯ll be having dinner with a friend, so I¡¯ll be backte.¡± Less than ten secondster, she received Chandler¡¯s text. ¡°With who?¡± After giving it some thought, she recalled one week ago when Chandler had stopped ordering Hans to tail her, so she felt that she should be more honest with him too. ¡°My bestie¡¯s ex¨Chusband.¡± ¡°Eugene?¡± He texted back within seconds. Just as she was about to type her answer, she received a call from Chandler instead. ¡°Why are you having dinner with him, Erin?¡± he quizzed. He sounded bewildered, and she could even hear that he was suppressing anger over the phone. Thinking back to the incident where Eugene had molested her, she felt that it¡¯d be a hassle to exin everything to Chandler there and then. Moreover, she knew that he¡¯d start thinking all sorts of bad things afterward, so she thought up an excuse to appease him, ¡°He wanted to ask me about Holly.¡± ¡°You¡¯d bettere home before ten tonight if you know what¡¯s good for you!¡± he eximed after letting out an exasperated sigh. And as usual, he hung up first. As she helplessly put away her phone, she couldn¡¯t help but think of his threat. Surely, his idea of punishment was to make her beg for his forgiveness. It made her cheeks turn hot as she thought about how lustful Chandler had be these past two weeks and that he kept demanding more from her. She let out a sigh. It was a good thing her period wasing soon. At least she could rest for a few days. Around ten minutester, Eugene¡¯s Lamborghini finally pulled up to the Neweast Train Station. His eye¨Ccatching luxury car immediately caused more than just a few heads to turn when it arrived at the dingy¨Clooking ce. Erin immediately walked over to his car once she noticed the license te. He¡¯d already unlocked the car door for her, so it didn¡¯t take her long to slip into the passenger¡¯s seat. Half a minuteter, the sports car sped away from the train station. Forty minutester, Eugene took Erin to the city¡¯s most famous revolving restaurant. It was a special kind of experience to get a seat in a restaurant one hundred and sixty stories off the ground and dine while enjoying the city¡¯s night view. Since she never really had much of an appetite, to begin with, and not to mention that she was now facing a man she never wished to meet in the first ce, she could only feign politeness in front of him. He ordered the best Ferrence meal the restaurant could offer for the both of them. The only thing he wanted now was to spend more time with her. Erin¡¯s face was stony as she ate, and she hardly even looked at Eugene the entire time. After enduring her icy silence until it was time for dessert, he finally exploded in a rant, ¡°You¡¯ve been stone¨Cfaced to me the entire time, Erin! How am I supposed to feel at ease when I go hometer when you still refuse to forgive me.¡± With that, she lifted her head and gave him a proper look before saying, ¡°You certainly look like you¡¯ve been out in the sun for too long.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. That instantly brought a grin to his face, entuating his handsome features and immediately turning him into the sole eye candy in the restaurant. But just as he was about to speak, his sharp eyes fell on a couple who had just walked into the premises. The woman in question was his ex¨Cwife, Holly, and the man apanying her looked so fine that his mere presence was enough to make every female diner turn their heads to gawk at him. The man¡¯s exquisite and handsome appearance was pleasing to the eye, and judging from his smile, he seemed to be in a good mood. His gaze then locked on the young woman in a yellow chiffon dress. The woman he was looking at was livelier and more free¨Cspirited whenpared to all the other women in the restaurant. It was none other than Erin, the woman whose natural beauty was enough to beat all the heavily powdered women in the room. Sean, wearing a fashionable suit befitting an aristocratic gentleman like himself, walked up to Erin and said, ¡°What a coincidence. Are you on a date too?¡± The moment Holly saw them together, she felt a twinge of displeasure in her lieart, which was why she didn¡¯t go up to Erin to say hi first. Erin, on the other hand, was all smiles. ¡°Are you here to grab dinner too, Holly?¡± she said happily, standing up to greet her. Holly merely red at her with a trace of jealousy in her eyes. Erin was undoubtedly a natural beauty. Even without any makeup on, she still looked too beautiful to ignore. Her malepanion tonight, Sean, was a living, breathing example of that. Not to mention her ex¨Chusband Eugene, who had always seen Sean as his rival in love. With Erin talking to her with such an innocent and simple look on her face, it was the first time she ever resented her friend. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a jokester, Erin? What else can I be here for apart from having dinner? Do you suppose I came all this way to watch a movie?¡± Holly said sarcastically. Her snarky remark instantly caused the smile on Erin¡¯s face to fade away. She wasn¡¯t stupid either, as she could sense that Holly was mad at her. She then turned her gaze to Eugene, who had been staring at her with a strange look on his face the entire time, before looking back at Holly and suddenly realizing something. Erin continued grinning as she exined, ¡°Holly, it just so happened that Eugene ran into me, so we both decided to grab dinner together. He even brought your name up while we were talking just now.¡± Not knowing Eugene would refuse to y along, he immediately retorted, ¡°Oh, shut up, Erin. You know damn well that I didn¡¯t mention her name at all!¡± It caused her to be at a loss for words for a split second. ¡°Look at how embarrassed he is, Holly! To think that he¡¯s still trying to hide it until now,¡± she replied nervously, not wanting to escte the matter into a bigger misunderstanding. ¡°Don¡¯t you use the excuse of being Holly¡¯s best friend to twist our rtionship, Erin! She¡¯s my ex, okay? You¡¯re the one I invited out for dinner tonight, so I¡¯m damn well not sharing this table with anyone!¡± Eugene barked as he purposefully shot Sean a hostile re. Not only did Sean bring his ex¨Cwife over for dinner, but it seemed like he knew Erin too, which made Eugene hate him even more. Sean, who had been hung out to dry this whole time, finally let out augh and said, ¡°Ha! Who knew that dinner would be so entertaining tonight? You don¡¯t even need to go to a cinema for a good show like this. You guys won¡¯t mind if I grab a chair to sit and watch, right?¡± Holly merely snorted the more she listened to Eugene and Erin. ¡°You two can stop acting already. Erin, as Eugene said, he¡¯s no one but is my ex¨Chusband only. You have the right to date anyone you want, especially now that you¡¯re single after your divorce. It¡¯s not like I can do anything if you two feel any spark-¡± Erin was finally at her limit as she interrupted her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Holly? Did you really have to be so hurtful with your words? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know how I feel about Eugene? I only agreed to have dinner with him tonight because I wanted to give him ast chance to apologize, but if this is enough to make you angry, then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± She then pulled back her chair, picked up her bag, and left the building. When Eugene attempted to stop her, she shot him a cold look. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me!¡± she yelled. As Holly stared at Erin leaving the restaurant by herself, she could only stand in ce with an embarrassed look on her face. Not only did Erin¡¯s words make her feel ashamed of herself, but they also helped here to her senses. She realized that she only said all those awful things to her because her mind had gone haywire the moment she spotted Eugene. Holly started to regret everything. To think that she had doubted her best friend so easily! ¡°What are you gawking at? Go after her! Didn¡¯t you say that Chandler was your best friend? Then you should be in charge of sending his girl home!¡± Holly shouted at Sean. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you an interesting one? I never thought you would want me to take the fall after you used your friend like that.¡± He smirked. ¡°Just take it as I¡¯m begging you right now! I don¡¯t even have the guts to look her in the eyes now.¡± Holly whimpered as a wave of emotion swept her. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help you this time since you said that. It¡¯s your treat next time, alright?¡± Sean said with a nod. ¡°Fine, fine, it¡¯s my treat next time! Just go already!¡± she urged. With that, Sean got out of his seat and started running after Erin. Back at the restaurant, Eugene stared at Holly with a disgusted look on his face. ¡°You¡¯re pathetic! It took me so long just to get Erin to agree to have a meal with me, but you just had to show up and cause a scene! Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re only jealous now?¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 You¡¯re The Only Exception ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you so full of yourself! Me, jealous of you? Don¡¯t make meugh!¡± Holly snorted. Eugene was not in the mood to continue bickering with her, so he picked up his phone and car keys and went to the front desk. to pay for dinner before leaving. Seeing as the night ended poorly for everyone, Holly thought of inviting Erin out for dinner another day to make amends. She decided that their friendship must be mended at all costs. Just as Erin exited the elevator and was about to walk out of the building, she was met with Sean shortly after. ¡°Kindly get out of my way, please,¡± she ordered as she red at him coldly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who made you angry just now, so you shouldn¡¯t take your anger out on me,¡± he said innocently. ¡°What do you want?¡± she snapped impatiently. It was the first time she had a scuffle with her best friend over a man she hated, so she felt it was all for nothing. She was also disappointed in the way Holly treated her tonight. ¡°It was your best friend who asked me toe after you, by the way. It seems like she¡¯s seen the error of her ways and was too ashamed to apologize to you in person, which was why she asked me to send you home instead,¡± Sean exined seriously. That instantly made her feel better, but it didn¡¯t take her long until a flicker of doubt shed across her eyes. ¡°Did she really, though?¡± she questioned. ¡°You can call her to ask if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± he said helplessly. ¡°Forget it. Now I don¡¯t know what I should say to her,¡± Erin said, lowering her gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you back. I guess I have to fulfill my duties now since I gave Holly my word. Then again, I would still send you back even if it weren¡¯t under her orders,¡± Sean remarked. He looked like a gentleman with the way he tried to lead her to the parking lot. Seeing her frown and sensing her hesitation, he joked, ¡°Are you perhaps scared that I might molest you on the way?¡± ¡°What the hell, you wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± she growled, ring at him. ¡°Right this way, please,¡± he said and chuckled. Ten minutester, Sean sped down the streets in his ck Ferrari. He was driving so fast too. Erin had been ustomed to riding in Chandler¡¯s Maybach, so she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ufortable in his sports car, especially when her stomach was still churning with a full meal of lobster not long ago. Now that she was sitting in the passenger¡¯s seat, she felt the faint urge to vomit. ¡°Can you not drive so fast, Sean? I don¡¯t feel so good.¡± Erin whimpered as she put one hand to her mouth, her face already somewhat pale. Sean looked at her from the corner of his eyes, his gaze a bit nervous now. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you feel like puking? For the love of God, please don¡¯t puke in my car,¡± he pleaded. Who the heck would like it if anyone puked in their car? Even after slowing the car down, he would still sneak nces over in Erin¡¯s direction to keep an eye on her. Her forehead started breaking out in a cold sweat as she suddenly announced, ¡°You might want to pull over soon. I think I¡¯m almost at my limit.¡± ¡°Fine¡­just bear with me for a while more. I¡¯m pulling over now!¡± Sean frowned in disgust but was still a little worried about her, at the very least. Five minutester, Erin could be seen half¨Ckneeling on the side of the road, puking everything she ate that night onto the ground. Sean merely stood to the side with a conflicted gaze. As a clean freak himself, he couldn¡¯t even stand his own vomit, let alone. the vomit of others. He had never taken care of anyone in his life up until now. Even when his friend Logan got drunk and vomited up a storm, he got the bar staff to attend to him. Now that he was staring at Erin, who had her back hunched over to him, he could only stand in ce and didn¡¯t dare approach her. As he swept his gaze over the passersby around him, he could feel their looks of disapproval on him, as if they were scolding him for not taking good care of Erin. While he wanted to tell them that she wasn¡¯t his girlfriend, he was afraid that he¡¯de off as ungentlemanly to everyone if he did. In the end, Sean decided to dig into the trunk of his car for a fresh bottle of mineral water and get a box of tissues from the back seat before handing them all to Erin. Erin had already painfully made herself get up from the ground at this point. ¡°Thanks,¡± she mumbled weakly, taking all the items from him. After rinsing her mouth with the water, she dabbed her lips dry with the tissue. Later, she used a bunch of tissues to cover up the vomit on the ground. She scanned her surroundings and noticed a convenience store chain not too far away up ahead. Just as she was about to make her move, she suddenly turned around and told Sean, ¡°You can go home first. You don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore. I¡¯m just going to drop by the convenience store to borrow some cleaning supplies to clean up the ground for a while.¡± After hearing her say that, Sean immediately froze on the spot, and a strange feeling surfaced in his heart. He wanted so badly to call her an idiot at that time! She wanted to clean the streets? Really? But seeing how serious she looked, he didn¡¯t outright say that to her face. ¡°You must still feel nauseous after throwing up, so just rest in the car while I drop by the convenience store to get everything. ¡°With that, he turned around and left in stride. While staring at him running off in the distance, she started to get the feeling that he wasn¡¯t that bad of a guy after all. At least he didn¡¯t just outright leave her on the side of the road. Not long after, Sean returned with the cleaning supplies. When he walked up to Erin, he asked in surprise, ¡°What are you standing here for? Didn¡¯t I tell you to rest in the car?¡± ¡°I was scared I¡¯d make a mess in your car,¡± she exined. ¡°Come on, am I that bad? I can just wash it afterward!¡± he eximed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Now just hand those to me so I can start cleaning,¡± Erin said, stretching out her hand. He hesitated for a second before frowning at her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to! Let me be the good guy today! Just get in the car. Let me clean up!¡± Erin shook her head and retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t act like you know how to clean. Let me do it myself!¡± To her, she was just stating the truth. How would a gentleman like Sean even know what cleaning up after someone is like? However, he seemed to have dismissed everything she said. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me, Erin!¡± he replied, upset. ¡°I insist on cleaning today!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± she finally said, not wanting to argue anymore. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure! So stop bbering already!¡± Hearing that, Erin shrugged and returned to her seat at the passenger¡¯s side before shutting the car door. A minuteter, when she looked out the car window, she saw the man frowning as he began cleaning up the ick on the ground. She didn¡¯t know whether to sympathize orugh at him. She also didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to prove to her. It wasn¡¯t like she was going to give him a gift or anything for doing so either. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. After he was done, he went and returned all the cleaning supplies. Fifteen minutester, the both of them drove away from the scene. In the car, Erin nced at him and asked, ¡°Why did you insist on doing that for me? It was obvious that you were reluctant from the start.¡± As his mind circled to the incident, it took some deliberating in his heart before he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve decided that you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ll make exceptions for, Erin! If it was your best friend, Holly, I would have left her behind and driven away a long time ago!¡± Erin was at a loss for words after hearing that. It was obvious that he wanted to me her for everything, yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was trying to tell her something else. ¡°How did you and Holly even get to know one another?¡± She changed the topic. With how well she knew Holly as a friend, she deduced that a yer like Sean definitely wouldn¡¯t have been her first choice. Even if Sean was good¨Clooking enough to charm arge crowd of young girls, it wasn¡¯t like Holly was some dumb highschooler in love. ¡°What are you, jealous?¡± he snorted. She didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. ¡°It¡¯s so tiring talking to you, Sean!¡± she grumbled. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Do You Know What Time It Is? ¡°How is it tiring talking to me? I¡¯m so easy to talk to.¡± Seanughed. ¡°Shh, shut up! Someone¡¯s calling me,¡± Erin shushed. She took out her cell phone from her handbag and saw that her cousin May had called. As soon as the call connected, she could hear May sobbing over the phone, ¡°Erin¡­James had abandoned me¡­I feel so sad, and my heart hurts so much right now¡­¡® ¡°Have you been drinking, May? Where are you now?¡± Erin asked nervously. May had copsed onto a sofa in a karaoke booth, surrounded by her guy and girl friends. ¡°May! Say something! Where exactly are you now?¡± Erin shouted in panic. May was her only family in the city. She could clearly make out that she had been drinking over the phone, so what would happen if bad people were around her? May hadn¡¯t hung up the call yet, so Erin could still hear some faint music and talkinging from the other end. At this time, a female friend sitting next to May took over the phone and started exining, ¡°Hi, May¡¯s ssmate here. You¡¯re her cousin, right? May¡¯s passed out drunk now. We¡¯re at the Tipsy Maid at Cloud Road on 56th Avenue, so you cane over and pick her up if you have the time.¡± Erin immediately replied, ¡°Great, I¡¯ll make my way there now! Please take care of May for me by then. Thanks!¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll stay with her until you get here. Meet us at booth 6255 when you arrive.¡± May¡¯s ssmate instructed. As soon as Erin hung up the phone, she said, ¡°Can I trouble you to ¡± Sean replied with a straight face, ¡°I heard it all just now. Let me drive you there.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± she answered gratefully. He suddenly felt overjoyed. It was rare for Erin to ask him for any favors, so this made his heart leap with joy for some reason. Sean put his car into high gear after that. Afterward, he asked, ¡°Might this be too fast for you?¡± Erin shook her head and replied, ¡°I feel fine now since I¡¯ve already emptied the contents in my stomach just now.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± he said nervously. Half an hourter, Erin and Sean managed to find the private booth together. May had already gone to the bathroom to puke before they came and was now sitting on the sofa, sipping hot water, with a young girl sitting next to her and taking care of her. Erin immediately approached them as Sean followed behind. The moment they entered the booth, the atmosphere fell dead silent. Everyone in the room started staring at Erin and Sean, respectively. Their eyes filled with admiration. ¡°You¡¯re May¡¯s cousin, right?¡± one of May¡¯s friends asked. Erin nodded as she took a seat next to May. ¡°Feeling better now, May? Can you walk by yourself? Let¡¯s get you home now,¡± she cooed. May lifted her head in confusion at the sound of the voice, and after her somewhat blurry vision finally made out that it was Erin sitting next to her, she started bawling, ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Erin!¡± Erin patted her shoulder to coax her before helping her stand. A few of May¡¯s friends also helped her out. ¡°I¡¯ll leave May in your care then,¡± one said. Erin nodded and showed her appreciation for that. ¡°Thank you for taking care of May for me!¡± she eximed. When Erin and Sean walked out of the karaoke ce, Erin¡¯s cell phone started ringing again. She then instructed Sean, who was standing next to her, ¡°Answer the phone for me. I can¡¯t take the call while I prop my cousin up.¡± Sean was immediately in a good mood when he heard her orders. To think that she actually trusted him that much to allow him to answer her phone for her. He grabbed her handbag and fished out her phone from inside. The caller ID showed the name ¡°Chandler.¡± A trace of curiosity shed across his pupils as he picked up the call. ¡°Do you even know what time it is, Erin? Tell me, what time is it now?¡± the man on the other line barked immediately after the line connected. It made Sean speechless for a short while. ¡°Say something!¡± Chandler barked again. He was sitting in his study the whole time while he waited for Erin to return. It was agonizing for him to wait until ten, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t wait to bombard her with a million questions over the phone. ¡°It¡¯s me, Chandler. It¡¯s me,¡± Sean teased. Chandler, who had been standing in front of the study¡¯s floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, had an icy gaze as he probed, ¡°Howe you have her phone with you right now?¡± ¡°Erin can¡¯t answer the phone right now,¡± Sean replied vaguely, deciding to toy with him for a bit. ¡°You¡¯d better get her to answer the phone right this instant,¡± Chandler huffed. An image of Erin and Sean doing the dirty shed through his mind for a split second, and it was already enough to make his blood and emotions surge beyond his control. Even Erin could hear Chandler¡¯s low roar over the phone. It prompted her to tighten her hold around May¡¯s waist and shoot a re at the prankster Sean. She then swiped her phone out of his hands and replied in an upset tone, ¡°What are you angry about, Chandler? Aren¡¯t I just a littleteing home? Something happened to my cousin, so I had to go pick her up. I¡¯ll be back at thetest by eleven.¡± As Chandler listened to her exnation and even heard a few car horn honks in the distance, he gradually stopped frowning. He could sense that she was upset, so he thought for a while before asking, ¡°Do you need me to pick the both of you up?¡± His shift in attitude also helped Erin calm down. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll have Sean send us back,¡± she said. Chandler frowned slightly at the fact that she said the word ¡°us.¡± It seemed to him like she had decided to bring her cousin. back to the vi. ¡°What happened to your cousin?¡± he probed. Erin exined, ¡°She just got dumped, so she went and got herself wasted. I feel like staying with her for the night, but if you don¡¯t want her staying at the vi, I¡¯ll bring her to a hotel and not return to the vi until¡ª¡± ¡°Bring her back here,¡± Chandler ordered, immediately ending the call. Erinter handed her phone to Sean and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Sean seemed pretty surprised when he learned that Chandler had agreed to her idea of bringing her cousin back to the vi. ¡± Who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d actually make an exception for you? You know, even as one of his three best friends, I still haven¡¯t had the pleasure of spending the night at his ce. He¡¯s really giving you the special treatment, huh.¡± ¡°Less talk, more opening the car door, please!¡± Erin cried. Sean pressed a button on his car key, and the doors to his sports car opened automatically. ¡°Damn it, how could I have forgotten that your car only has two seats inside?¡± Erin grumbled. ¡°No worries. With how thin the both of you are, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem as long as you don¡¯t mind squeezing together!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Sean chuckled. 917 Erin looked up and asked, ¡°But what if someone sees us and gs us down?¡± Sean waved his hand indifferently and replied, ¡°What are the odds of that happening? It won¡¯t happen, I¡¯m sure, so get in the car already.¡± In the end, Erin decided to help May get into the car. So, while May leaned against the car window, she sat on the side closer to Sean. The car¡¯s front portion instantly became a little crowded with that arrangement. Since Erin was sitting close to Sean now, he could smell the fragrance emanating from her hair, making him feel a bit flustered. He cleared his throat and reminded her, ¡°You¡¯d better fasten your seatbelts.¡± Once Erin did what he said, he started driving the car at a steady speed. During the drive, Sean¡¯s voice had turned somewhat hoarse. And since Erin was sitting beside him, she had to lean slightly forward to fit in the seat. His gaze could easily sweep to her chest area, which made him involuntarily gulp a few times. Even after shifting her body left and right, Erin still felt ufortable in her seat. She was starting to regret not taking a taxi, but since she¡¯d gone with this decision, she had no choice but to endure it for a while. Sean couldn¡¯t help but feel his body getting hotter as he recalled the time he saw her blow¨Cdry her clothes in his bathroom. He was so distracted that he didn¡¯t even notice the traffic light turning red. ¡°Red light!¡± Erin shouted. It prompted him to m the emergency brakes, causing Erin and May to jolt forward. May, passed out drunk, was soundly asleep. Erin, though, was scared as she turned her head toward him and yelled, ¡°Do you even know how to drive?¡± After all, her cousin was still in his car, so Erin naturally felt responsible for her safety. Just as Sean was about to apologize, his gaze fell on her bare skinid out for all to see after the first two buttons of her chiffon dress hade undone. Following his line of sight, Erin looked down at herself and let out an embarrassed shriek, ¡°Eek!¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Jealousy Erin¡¯s shriek made Sean immediately turn his head away, and when he saw that the light had changed to green, he stepped on the gas to continue driving. Erin then turned to face May and started fumbling with her shirt buttons to cover her chest up. With her heart rate still erratic, she thought that it was just her luck that one of her shirt buttons had gone missing. Out of frustration, she cussed under her breath. Why¡¯d something this embarrassing have to happen now¡­ Sean could sense her panic, so he subconsciously turned his face to look at her. ¡°You¡¯d better not look over here!¡± she shouted. This prompted him to turn his head again before letting out a soft cough and asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? ¡°I lost a shirt button¡­¡± she grumbled. As soon as he heard her reply, he tried his best to suppress the urge to smirk and said with the straightest face possible, Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do¡­¡± He then started driving with one hand, as he used his right hand to reach to the backseat to retrieve his dark blue summer suit jacket. ¡°You can cover up with my jacket,¡± he suggested. Erin looked a little hesitant at first as she stared at the piece of clothing in his hands, but after considering her own disheveled appearance, she decided to just wear his jacket instead. The next twenty minutes in the car went by in an ufortable silence. Sean tried hard to get rid of all the dirty thoughts in his head, but that one scene would always linger in his mind. In fact, the memory even seemed to appear more vividly now the more he tried to forget¡­ Erin was so embarrassed that her face had stayed red the whole time. She couldn¡¯t help butment how unlucky she was today! After recalling all the times she¡¯d embarrassed herself in front of Sean, she reckoned this was the third time! ¡°I don¡¯t think we gel well with one another, Sean, so let¡¯s never meet up with one another again! If you happen to run into me again in the future, just pretend that you didn¡¯t see me!¡± Erin announced, sulking. Her words brought him back to his senses, and this made him raise his voice. ¡°But why? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my fault that all those unlucky incidents urred to you, so don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re being a bit unfair to me right now?¡± He was actually seriously considering his rtionship with Erin in his heart at that moment. He even thought that fate brought them together in the first ce. Surely, Erin was the one for him¡­ She snorted coldly and retorted, ¡°I always get so unlucky whenever I meet you! One would even think that God had personally sent you just to spite me¡­¡± Sean let out a lowugh as he looked at her from the side with his lovesick eyes. ¡°Perhaps we are even destined to be more than friends, Erin¡­¡± he trailed off. She sneered in response, ¡°Do we even have a rtionship with one another? I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯ve already cklisted you in my heart!¡± An amused smirk remained on his face after she had said that. Not only wasn¡¯t he angry, he was even giddy just thinking about Chandler¡¯s reaction when they returned to his vi and saw his clothes on her body¡­ An hour and a halfter, Sean finally arrived at Chandler¡¯s vi with Erin and May. As soon as his car pulled up to the driveway of the vi, Chandler, who was in his study on the second floor, immediately rushed downstairs. When he stepped out of the house and firstid eyes on Erin, the hideous male suit jacket on her instantly turned his expression ice cold. The butler, Mr. Charleston, was very perceptive and gestured to a maid with his hands to fetch Chandler¡¯s coat for him. The maid soon handed him the coat, and he approached Chandler and said, ¡°Your coat, sir.¡± Chandler took it from him and walked up to Erin. ¡°Take off the jacket now,¡± he ordered in a frosty tone. A smirk slowly spread on Sean¡¯s face as he busied himself with propping May up at the side. ¡°What¡¯s the rush in getting her to change clothes now, Chandler? Just let her wear it back home, I¡¯m not in a rush to take it back, after all,¡± he taunted. Chandler ignored him as his cold gaze was still fixed firmly on Erin. Seeing as he didn¡¯t look like he was about topromise, she reluctantly took his coat and decided to change into it. She had been backed into the space between the side of the car and his impatient self. The way he cornered her also made it so no one else could see her apart from him. With that, the maid and Mr. Charleston instinctively shifted their gazes to the ground while Sean looked elsewhere. After Erin took off Sean¡¯s jacket, a dark look shed in his usually expressionless eyes. He helped Erin put on his coat with an icy expression. After he had wrapped her up, he took her by the waist and began to escort her back to the house. Walking past Sean, he said, ¡°See you. I won¡¯t be seeing you off.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is, huh? It¡¯s so rare to see this side of you, though¡­¡± Sean jested. Seanter sped away from the vi in his Ferrari after handing May over to a maid. Erin had no choice but to keep up with Chandler as he continued walking. While she was slightly relieved that her cousin May was being cared for properly, she still wanted to try her luck. ¡°I feel like making something for my cousin to sober up, Chandler¡­¡± she said. Chandler tightened his grip around her waist even more after hearing her say that. ¡°My maids will take care of her for you. I¡¯ll need you toe back to the room with me, as I still have something to ask you.¡± Erin¡¯s heart gave a thump as she remembered the shirt button that she¡¯d lost just now. This made her dread the inevitable questioning she would have to suffer from Chandlerter. As soon as they entered the bedroom, Chandler locked the door and pinned Erin to the back of the door. ¡°Tell me everything that went down tonight. As long as you hide anything from me, I¡¯ll get Hans to tail your every move again!¡± he threatened in a frosty tone. Erin knew very well the kind of person he was after all the time they had spent together, so she quickly exined, ¡°I ran into him while I was having dinner with Eugene¡­¡± She then told him everything from beginning to end without hiding anything. She didn¡¯t do it out of fear of him, but it was because she felt too tired now and didn¡¯t feel like getting questioned by him. Her candor and obedience instantly quelled his anger by a few notches. He stared at her pale complexion and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t grab anything to eat after you threw up?¡± ¡°Yeah. Now that you mention it, I do feel a bit hungry now¡­¡± she mumbled, feeling a bit weak in the knees. Chandler pinched her cheeks and said, ¡°You go take a bath now while I get Mr. Charleston to order the cooks to make something light for you. You can head downstairs to eat after your bath.¡± His concern and thoughtfulness towards her made her face light up with a smile. ¡°That sounds great, thank you!¡± ¡°Silly¡­¡± Chandler mumbled with a touch of softness in his gaze. While waiting for Erin to shower, Chandler returned to his study to read Erin¡¯s menstruation report. The document indicated that she would get her next period in three days. If it didn¡¯te, it probably indicated that she was pregnant¡­. As Chandler¡¯s gaze turned a few shades darker, he quickly picked up his phone to call Kyle. ¡°Kyle, notify all the public hospitals, private clinics, pharmacies, or anywhere that Erin might go to¡­¡± After handing down a few instructions to the man on the other end, he hung up the phone. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Half an hourter, when Erin went to the dining area, a chef presented a bowl of steaming chicken soup. To a team of top¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cline chefs with ess to the best and most advanced kitchen facilities money could buy, it was a piece of cake for them to prepare supper for her. Chandler, who was sitting opposite Erin, merely watched her eat as he held a ss of red wine in his hands. He had specially requested the chef to add meat foam and fresh shrimp into her chicken soup. When Erin took the third spoonful, a trace of disgust shed across her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the soup not to your liking?¡± he probed the moment she put down her spoon. Not wanting to out herself as a picky eater, Erin had to exin herself to him, ¡°No, the soup tastes delicious, but¡­I kind of feel like puking again. I reckon it¡¯s because I already puked the first time¡­¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 She¡¯s Not Pregnant Chandler¡¯s gaze darkened, and he coaxed Erin, ¡°Maybe you can eat the side dishes instead, or I can get the chefs to prepare something else for you.¡± ¡°No need to trouble them any more, I¡¯ll just eat the sides¡­¡± she replied, as she didn¡¯t feel like being a burden to the chefs thiste at night. After giving it some thought, he said, ¡°I can go with you to the hospital tomorrow to get a checkup on your stomach. Who knows if it might be an infection or something.¡± She also thought of paying a visit to the hospital soon. ¡°I can go by myself tomorrow. You don¡¯t have to come along,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let me go with you,¡± he insisted. Seeing how adamant he was to follow her, she no longer turned him down. The next day at eleven o¡¯clock in the morning, Chandler and Erin exited Liberty General Hospital together. Erin had arranged to undergo a series of tests at the hospital, which would be performed by Dr. Louise. Chandler stayed with her the entire time. The next step was to wait for the results. Afterward, Chandler had arranged for a driver to send her back to the vi to get some rest. And since her cousin was still in the vi, Erin wanted to go back to check on her as well. When Chandler arrived at thepany, he was busy with meetings all afternoon up until seven in the evening. Kyle had already arranged a dinner reservation for him, and just as Chandler had finished his work and was preparing to head for dinner at the restaurant, he received a call from Dr. Louise¡¯s private number. He immediately picked up the call with a vague sense of nervousness and anticipation in his heart. ¡°Erin¡¯s test results are out, Chandler. The report shows that Erin is not pregnant but is suffering from a temporary gastrointestinal inmmation due to mental stress,¡± he exined before continuing, ¡°And even if she were pregnant now, she wouldn¡¯t show symptoms of pregnancy this early.¡± The moment Chandler heard the announcement, he felt extremely disappointed. He didn¡¯t say anything, as he knew that Dr. Louise was a meticulous person by nature. It didn¡¯t help that he was also a doctor, which made him even more careful in his job, so he definitely couldn¡¯t be mistaken about the results. Dr. Louise couldn¡¯t really decipher what Chandler was feeling at the moment, so he continued, ¡°Logan told me about your predicamentst time, and truth to be told, I was really shocked at the news. I didn¡¯t think that you and Erin had already¡­ But I suppose it¡¯s a good thing. I could tell right away that she really liked you from the way she stared at you today. Honestly, I think that Logan¡¯s idea is just too crazy to work. Then again, who would¡¯ve thought that you ended up being the craziest among us¡­¡± ¡°What do you want to say to me exactly? Cut the crap already,¡± Chandler snapped coldly. Dr. Louise frowned and hesitated for a while before finally saying, ¡°Although I¡¯m not rted to Erin in any way, as her doctor, I would like to remind you that if ever she gets pregnant with your child one day, and you refuse to raise it, an abortion would bring great harm to her body. I¡¯m just telling you to think twice before you act.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I want to raise a child? Now the only problem is that she¡¯s the one who can¡¯t conceive here,¡± Chandler said. with some disappointment. ¡°Then let me ask you, why do you even want to have a child with her? Do you really want a child? Or do you just want to use this child to tie Erin down to your side? I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re aware that your father wouldn¡¯t allow Erin to enter the Frost household with her current status, right?¡± Dr. Louise chided. ¡°When did I say that I wanted to marry her?¡± Chandler spat with a cold look in his eyes. Dr. Louise¡¯s heart lurched when he heard that. ¡°Then what the fuck are you doing? You want Erin to have a child out of wedlock? Do you know what she really thinks about this? Although I instructed Mr. Charleston to give you the folic acid. tabletsst time, it doesn¡¯t mean I agree with your methods! With the way you¡¯re deceiving Erin like this now, have your thought about how she¡¯ll react when she finds out the truth?¡± he retorted angrily.. The way Dr. Louise raised his voice made Chandler frown, and he replied in a cold tone, ¡°What are you getting so heated for? It almost makes me think you have some ulterior motive toward her!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who keeps overthinking! I¡¯m just saying this from a doctor¡¯s perspective¡­Today at the hospital, I heard that a female patient had been abandoned by her fianc¨¦ after she decided to induce labor. Her fetus was only seven months old, and inducingbor at this timees with certain risks. Sheter developed a hemorrhage during the operation and died on the operating table shortly after.¡± When Chandler heard Dr. Louise say that, he immediately thought of Erin. ¡°I never regret my decisions! I¡¯ll also see to it that Erin doesn¡¯t miscarry at all costs!¡± he growled in a low voice. Hearing how adamant he was, Dr. Louise sighed. ¡°I hope you can see where I¡¯ming from. That¡¯s all I have to say.¡± Chandler hung up after that and proceeded to stay in his office alone for a long time to think. He admitted that he wasn¡¯t fully on board with having a child yet, just that he knew that he had to have a child now. So, even if he couldn¡¯t make Erin an official member of his household, it would still be nice to have a child with her¡­ At this moment, in Chandler¡¯s vi, May and Erin had just finished their dinner together. May took Erin¡¯s hand as they sat on a sofa in the guest room. May was telling Erin stories about her time with her ex- boyfriend James. ¡°I really can¡¯t figure out for the life of me why James doesn¡¯t love me anymore, sis¡­¡± she trailed off with a tear¨Cstreaked face. Erin couldn¡¯t help but be reminded ofn as she giggled. ¡°Silly girl, who told you you¡¯re able to get answers for matters of the heart? It¡¯s normal for things to end once the love has run cold. What¡¯s so hard to figure out, especially when you told me that you saw him go into a motel with his junior with your very eyes?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t think I can let him go yet, sis¡­ We¡¯ve been together for three years, and even agreed to save money to buy a house and get married! We even made ns to start a life here¡­so how did everything change so fast? I refuse to ept this¡­I really don¡¯t feel like letting him go yet!¡± May replied reluctantly. Erin could feel her heart shattering too as she stared at her heartbroken cousin. ¡°Ugh¡­you can be so silly at times!¡± she said before continuing, ¡°Trust me when I say that time is still the best medicine, May. All the hesitation and sadness you¡¯re feeling right now will disappear once you meet the next good man.¡± May wiped her tears and whimpered in response, ¡°Sis, is this where you¡¯ve been living since you and lan got divorced? Is the owner of this vi your new boyfriend?¡± Erin didn¡¯t know how to answer her for a few seconds. ¡°Technically, he¡¯s my boss, and I¡¯m currently interning as his personal assistant. When he saw that I had nowhere to go after my divorce, he let me live here for the time being,¡± she answered vaguely. ¡°Really?¡± May gasped in disbelief. Erin continued to lie, ¡°Yeah.¡± She didn¡¯t dare tell May the truth. After all, her current rtionship with Chandler wasn¡¯t something she wanted to disclose to the public. Nothing good woulde out of this if May spilled the beans to Cherry and her other rtives. Thus, she decided to be discreet with the details until she and Chandler were officially dating. ¡°Your boss treats you so well, then! He must be very rich, right?¡± May couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity. ¡°Yeah, I guess. Who knows,¡± Erin replied vaguely. 1 ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re his assistant, surely you should know if he¡¯s rich. To me, I reckon he must be loaded to be able to live in such a vi¡­¡± May giggled. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower now, May. I don¡¯t suppose you slept well yesterday night since you were drunk, so you should go to bed early after taking your shower¡­ You don¡¯t have to think about anything now. Let¡¯s just wait until tomorrow to think about how we should deal with your issue with James,¡± Erin said before standing up and preparing to leave the guest room. May nodded and said, ¡°Alright¡­¡± At three in the morning, Erin, who was sleeping, woke up instantly when she heard May scream from the living room downstairs. When she turned her head, she saw that Chandler wasn¡¯t beside her and the sheets were still cold. This made her realize that Chandler hadn¡¯t returned to the vi yet. She suddenly had a bad feeling that he was involved in the incident with May. Erin hurriedly put on her clothes and rushed downstairs to the living room. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The living room was brightly lit, and May sat on the ground, her clothes disheveled. Chandler could be seen standing at the side, and he reeked of alcohol. He then pointed at May and instructed two bodyguards in a cold voice, ¡°Throw this woman out of the house!¡± Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Trusting May ¡°Hold it! What has my cousin done for you to treat her like that?¡± Erin hurried down the stairs. Chandler stared at her impassively. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her, Erin?¡± His breath reeked of alcohol. Erin could smell it from where she stood, more than 15 feet away. May sat on the ground in only Erin¡¯s nightgown. One of the shoulder straps had slipped off her shoulder. Most of her skin was exposed, and she was just short of being indecent. She hastily covered her chest with her hands and raised her head, weeping grievously to Erin, ¡°Erin, he¡­ He attempted to force himself on me while he was drunk. I tried to leave! But he pushed me to the floor and tried to¡­I can¡¯t live with this! I¡¯d rather die!¡± May sobbed dramatically. A murderous glint flickered in Chandler¡¯s eyes. How dare this shameless bitch churn up such stories to nder him? He had half a mind to just strangle her to death right then and there! He drew a deep breath to calm himself down. Erin¡¯s expression was one of shock. She couldn¡¯t believe May¡¯s words, but from what she knew of May, she would never lie to her! She felt as though there was a hand around her heart, constricting it. Tighter and tighter, it squeezed until she could no longer catch her breath. She asked with disappointment, ¡°Chandler Frost, what have you got to say now?¡± mes of fury zed in his dark eyes, and he spat through gritted teeth, ¡°You trust her?¡± May¡¯s eyes wereced with terror as she just came to realize how scary the absolutely perfect man before her was. Just a nce from him was enough to warrant her fear. But it was toote for her to back out now. She had to finish what she started, so she argued, ¡°Erin, trust me! I¡¯m not lying! You know me! I don¡¯t even know who he is, why would I seduce him?¡± That statement immediately caught Chandler¡¯s attention. He looked at May like she was nothing but filth. ¡°Did I say that you seduced me?¡± He was beyond enraged, but still, he caught the meaning behind her words. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. However, by that point, Erin¡¯s emotions had trumped her rationality. She swiftly went over and helped May, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go, May! I¡¯m bringing you away from here.¡± May¡¯s gaze flickered around, avoiding Chandler¡¯s. She dared not meet his eyes. Sobbing, she answered, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± ¡°Erin Lane! Have you lost your fucking mind? Are you really buying your cousin¡¯s pathetic lie? She¡¯s obviously setting me up! Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Chandler was chagrined. It showed how Erin held May in higher regard than him when she tantly took May¡¯s side. His words prompted Erin to turn around. ¡°I never expected such a low move from you, Chandler! Does being drunk excuse your actions? My cousin isn¡¯t like those girls at dodgy clubs whom you can treat however you like! This is not pardonable!¡± She trusted May fully and chose to believe that Chandler had been in the wrong, condemning him on the spot. ¡°Fine!¡± Chandler was so furious that he repeated himself twice before roaring, ¡°Get the hell out of here! Both of you! I never want to see any of you here again!¡± He strode off, smashing an antique vase in the corridor to the ground on his way out. It shattered into smithereens. Erin hurriedly sent May back to her room with orders to get changed quickly. Then, she returned to the closet in the master bedroom and packed her luggage, ready to leave. She wasn¡¯t nning on ever Ten minutester, just as Erin was done packing her things into her luggage and about to leave, she bumped into Chandler, who was in a drunken stupor. He switched off the lights, kicked the door to the closet shut, and approached her. It was pitch ck in the walk¨Cin closet. Erin cried out in rm, ¡°Chandler, what¡­¡± He pressed his lips that reeked of alcohol to hers, nibbling and biting on them in a show of anger. Then, he forced her into a corner of the closet. Erin backed up until there was no way left to go, her back to a pile of clothes. Chandler pushed her onto the pile of clothes. Erin screamed and shouted, but he simply pulled a scarf from beside him and tied her arms up. ¡°You silly woman! Why did you not trust me?¡± he spat. Erin was disgusted by the thought of Chandler¡¯s attempt to force himself on May. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of touching me, Chandler! Let me go!¡± His gaze zeroed in on her like a leopard locking onto its prey. He was beside himself with fury. How could she not trust him and choose to believe her scheming and conniving cousin instead? ¡°Ahh!¡± Erin bit down on her lip, not at all ready for him. Her body thrashed against Chandler¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll make you remember tonight for the rest of your life!¡± Two hourster, Erin pushed herself up on unsteady legs. Once she put on her clothes, Chandler threw her luggage out of the walk¨Cin closet. He switched on the lights and stared at Erin. This was the woman who refused to believe him. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll have nothing to do with you, Erin!¡± Erin propped herself up and hobbled slowly out of the closet. Then, all she heard was the heavy mming of the closet door behind her. When Erin went looking for May, she was already standing outside her bedroom door with two bodyguards blocking her way. ¡°What happened, Erin?¡± May was decently dressed now. The bodyguards seemed to have received instructions from their earpiece and left swiftly. May, who was no longer held back by them, immediately rushed over to hold Erin up. She took Erin¡¯s luggage with her and helped her down the stairs. Approximately 40 minutester, May sent Erin, who had passed out, to the hospital. Holly came soon after. The moment she set foot into the ward, she anxiously asked May, ¡°What happened to Erin? Why is she suddenly hospitalized?¡± ¡°The doctor said¡­¡± May hesitated. ¡°Is she sick?¡± Holly got impatient. ¡°No, she¡¯s not sick. The doctor said it was due to aggressive activities in the bedroom¡­¡± Holly spewed a torrent of profanities. ¡°What the fuck? Which faggot did it?¡± ¡°It was her superior.¡± ¡°Chandler Frost!¡± Holly eximed. She was caught off guard for a brief moment, unable to believe that. She had heard from Erin and Sean that Chandler had been treating Erin quite well recently. He even apologized to Erin for his past actions of threatening her with the photos. So how could something like this happen out of the blue? ¡°Holly, why are you here?¡± Erin woke up to see Holly¡¯s angry expression. ¡°Erin, is it true what May said?¡± Erin nced over at May. ¡°Could you please buy me a bottle of water, May? I¡¯m parched.¡± May looked at Holly and quickly understood that Erin wanted some time to speak with Holly in private. There was nobody else in the room apart from them. ¡°I¡¯ll go get it now,¡± May agreed. It took all but ten minutes for Holly to get the whole picture. Her brows were tightly knit as she asked Erin, ¡°Do you really believe that Chandler would do that, Erin?¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Two¨CFaced Holly¡¯s question caught Erin by surprise. ¡°Holly, from the looks of it, you¡¯re more inclined to trust Chandler?¡± ¡°Something just feels off about the sudden turn of events. Your cousin stays over at the mansion for one night, and this happens. Isn¡¯t it too much of a coincidence? Furthermore, Chandler is a man who has tons of beautiful women at his beck and call. Would he need to stoop so low as to force himself on your cousin?¡± Holly stood by Erin¡¯s bedside, expounding the situation. Erin stopped and pondered on her words for a while as Holly continued, ¡°It¡¯s possible that Chandler was really feeling wronged to fly into such a rage.¡± That elicited a dissatisfied response from Erin. ¡°Hey, why are you taking his side? Who¡¯s the one hospitalized now?¡± Holly defended herself, ¡°Erin, you know that I¡¯m not taking his side. I just don¡¯t want to jump to conclusions. Besides, I wasn¡¯t there personally, so I didn¡¯t see what happened, which is why I¡¯m trying to make sense of the situation.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But May has no reason to lie to me. She¡¯s just broken up¡­¡± Erin still chose to trust May. Holly hesitated briefly beforeing clean. ¡°Your cousin imed to not know who Chandler was. But here¡¯s a piece of information you should know. I bumped into your cousin in a bar a while back and overheard her talking about Chandler with several of her friends then. As for how she got to know about Chandler, I have no idea.¡± That statement did not sit particrly well with Erin, but still, she opted to believe that her cousin would never lie to her. It hadn¡¯t even urred to Erin that in his drunken state, Chandler might have mistaken May, who was wearing Erin¡¯s nightdress, for Erin. It was also likely that his ego stopped him from acknowledging his mistake after he found out that he had mistaken May for Erin. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore, Holly. I mean, it¡¯s not entirely bad that I¡¯ve moved out of the mansion. He¡¯s too tyrannical, anyway. I¡¯ve been feeling very oppressed there.¡± Erin recalled how savagely Chandler had punished her earlier on. It was as if he had lost his sanity. She still felt scared now that she thought back on it, and her wounds still ached from his rough ministrations. Holly caught sight of May returning, so she swallowed the words she was about to say. Her instincts told her that it was highly likely that May was the one who was lying. But since Erin trusted her cousin, Holly felt she should not be so wretched as to drive a wedge between them. After all, she had no evidence to prove her im. Erin and May found a ce to stay a weekter. The ce they rented was a cozy unit with two bedrooms. May had officially broken up with James, so she moved out from where she used to stay. As for Chandler, he hadn¡¯t contacted Erin since she left the mansion, so Erin deleted his contact from her phone. She had submitted her resignation letter three days ago, but Kyle called her to tell her that Chandler had rejected her resignation. However, he also told her not to go to work because Chandler did not wish to see her. Erin did not know what Chandler meant by that. He did not ept her resignation, yet, he did not want to see her. So she decided she might as well skip work. As she had just moved into a new ce and needed to furnish the ce with some new furniture and appliances, she was happy for the brief respite. May was still in her junior year of college and had to go back to school, so Erin was also in charge of handling the online store. May used to ship out the orders for the online store together with her boyfriend, James Heigl. But now that they¡¯ve broken up, James would no longer be involved. It was six in the evening, and Erin had prepared a simple meal for herself and May. While she waited for May toe home to have dinner together, she went to the balcony to collect theundry which they had hung out to dry. They were mostly May¡¯s, so she returned them to May¡¯s room after folding them. She was shocked to find May¡¯s wardrobe full of branded designer bags when she opened it to put away the clothes. Erin estimated the entire wardrobe to be worth up to cost at least millions! Even if May saved up every penny of the money she earned, she would not be able to afford so many of them. She could not help wondering where May got all the money from. An hourter, all the food had gone cold. Erin thought that she would give May a call to check up on her. Her call was quickly picked up, but before she even had the chance to speak, she heard a lewd conversation from the other end of the line. ¡°Seems like your boyfriend doesn¡¯t touch you enough, May¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Stop talking about him. He¡¯s nowhere near as good as you are¡­Oh¡­ Keep going!¡± The conversation sounded so racy that she immediately ended the call. Erin flushed. She was sure that the woman was May. She hadn¡¯t expected her to find another man so soon¡­. Thinking back on the designer bags she saw in May¡¯s wardrobe, she started to suspect that May had been seeing more than. one man for quite some time. She had no intention of meddling in May¡¯s breakup with James. From Erin¡¯s point of view, if James was no longer in love with May, there was no point in sticking her nose into their rtionship. But now, she had a sudden urge to call James up to get to the bottom of why they broke up. Erin struggled with herself for five minutes before finally giving in to her curiosity. It didn¡¯t take long for James to pick up her call. ¡°Hello, Erin. I wasn¡¯t expecting a call from you. Is anything the matter?¡± James sounded sad. ¡°James, could you please tell me why you and May broke up? Did you really cheat on her with a junior from college?¡± ¡°Was that what she told you?¡± James asked indignantly. ¡°Yes, she said that you were the one who ditched her and that she saw you entering a hotel with a junior of yours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s downright nder right there! To tell you the truth, Erin, May was the one who cheated on me with a socialite. I caught them in the act in a hotel! How dare she go around telling people that I was the one who cheated on her? How absolutely shameless!¡± His words rmed Erin. ¡°Are you for real?¡± James answered coldly, ¡°She had been seeing the socialite behind my back for a year! I was such an idiot for not seeing it. The only reason she didn¡¯t break up with me earlier was so that I could deal with the online store for her. I even banked my portion of the money into her bank card! And because I caught her in the act with the socialite, she got desperate and set me up with a junior who had a thing for me. The girl asked me to meet her at the hotel, saying that she had something important to tell me. While I was there, May brought several of her friends along to catch me on the spot. All those friends she brought along became her alibi. May is really a crafty and despicable one, I¡¯m telling you!¡± James carried on to tell her more about what he knew. Erin felt terrible by the time they ended the call. James had told her that the photo taken of her and Matthew at the gymnasium had been posted online by May and that someone from Matthew¡¯s agency had contacted her. They hadn¡¯t taken any action against May because she divulged a great deal of Erin¡¯s private information to them, and Matthew had also decided to let May go. James also said that she could contact Matthew to find out more if she needed any confirmation on what he told her. Matthew hadn¡¯t contacted Erin since Chandler stopped her from attending his concert. Erin remembered how she had told Matthew that she was living with Chandler then. Matthew was in an airport waiting lounge when he received Erin¡¯s call. ¡°Erin! What a surprise to get a call from you!¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Can¡¯t Bear the Thought of It Erin could tell from Matthew¡¯s voice that he was pleasantly surprised; somehow, she felt bad about it. She chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Do you find it strange for me to call you?¡± ¡°Yes! Very strange indeed! You never once contacted me of your own ord even though you¡¯ve got my number, and I make sure that my phone¡¯s never switched off,¡± Matthew teased. Erin found herself at a loss for words. ¡°Erin, is there something you¡¯d like to know?¡± Matthew probed. Erin was amazed. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m on the same wavelength as you!¡± Matthewughed, sitting in the VIP lounge like the rockstar that he was. His manager gestured for him to take note of the time, waving their boarding ticket in his hands. Erin giggled. ¡°Alright then, maybe that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Can you give me a few minutes, Erin? I¡¯ll call you back right away!¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. You go ahead.¡± Matthew swiftly ended the call and told hispanions, ¡°I¡¯m not attending the music festival anymore. You guys have fun and enjoy yourselves. I¡¯ll be staying back for a month!¡± The rest of his team were stunned. They were finally done with all the concerts, and he was passing this chance to wind down overseas? It went without saying that his manager had to stay back with Matthew, so he left the waiting lounge glumly as he trailed along. They hurried through the VIPne, and Matthew immediately returned Erin¡¯s call as soon as his phone received a signal. The fact was, Erin was able to ask what she needed to know, but Matthew insisted on speaking to her in person and that it had to be tonight. Erin nced at the clock on the living room wall and found that it wasn¡¯t toote yet, so she agreed to his request. They decided to meet up at a jazz bar nearby. Erin stepped into the bar an hourter. The ck range rover that was shadowing her pulled up a little way down the street. Hans Feinwell, who was in the car, kept a close eye on Erin. Half an hourter, a blue imported sports car pulled up to the entrance to the bar. A tall young man dressed entirely in ck exited the driver¡¯s seat. He had a ck cap and a ck mask on, and he looked around cautiously before entering the bar. Hans picked up a pair of binocrs and took a mental note of the car te number before he made a call. Five minutester, the person called him back to give him information on the owner of the car. He immediately called Chandler up. Chandler was still working when he received the call, so he looked at the caller ID and said, ¡°Kyle, it¡¯s a call from Hans.¡± Kyle¡¯s brows furrowed ever so slightly as he got up from the sofa to pick up the call. ¡°Put it on speaker.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Frost.¡± ¡°Mr. Frost, Miss Lane is meeting Matthew Burgess in a bar right now,¡± Hans reported. Chandler¡¯s hand that had reached out to flip a page froze. For a split second, a glint of coldness shed in his dark eyes. For the past week, he had been waiting for Erin toe to him and apologize. Who would have thought that not only did she note to him, she even found a new ce to stay with her cousin? He couldn¡¯t even be bothered to contact her when he thought of how silly the wench was. He had been the one who told Erin to get the hell out of the mansion back then, so naturally, his pride would not allow him to go to her. All he did was to get Hans to keep an eye on her every move and report back to him. ¡°What should I do next, Mr. Frost?¡± Hans asked after a long stretch of silence. Chandler mmed the document close and said, ¡°Continue watching them. Go ahead and deliver the information about May to her. Remember to send it anonymously.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Kyle put the phone back on the table before asking, ¡°Mr. Frost, why didn¡¯t you let me give the documents to Miss Lane straight up?¡± Chandler scoffed. ¡°Seeing how daft Erin is, she might think that I made those up to drag May through the mud!¡± That was highly likely! ¡°Mr. Frost, the chairman of the board is back in town. We found out that he has received an anonymous letter. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s found out about Miss Lane¡¯s presence.¡± Chandler¡¯s gaze sharpened at Kyle¡¯s words. ¡°I guess my father won¡¯t be going back so soon this time round, then.¡± ¡°Is there anything we should prepare?¡± Kyle asked gravely. Chandler simply crossed his fingers and looked at Kyle. ¡°We¡¯ll y by ear.¡± Over at the bar, Matthew confirmed what James had said about May to Erin. She was nothing but disappointed when she found out the truth. It turned out that everything James had said was true. ¡°My manager even found out that May wasn¡¯t even my fan to begin with. She had managed to blend in with my fans and found out about your presence. Then, she bargained with the person who hired her and demanded ten grand before she promised to post the photo of you online. I had let her off the hook only because she was your cousin. Furthermore, I somehow managed to benefit from it too.¡± Matthew teased, ¡°That photo even got me quite a few endorsement offers. But I declined them all.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. His amber eyes were especially enticing under the dim lights, like two rare gemstones. Erin lost herself in them. He winked yfully at her. Erin snapped awkwardly out of it. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take them up on the offers?¡± Matthew couldn¡¯t hold back and reached out for Erin¡¯s alluring face, caressing it as he said gently, ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t bear it. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of our moment being mized formercial profit.¡± He kept his steady gaze on hers. ¡°And most importantly, the actresses they cast wasn¡¯t the one I hoped for.¡± Erin¡¯s cheeks went red. Though she looked like she was just a college student or even a high schooler, Matthew was five years younger than she was. She saw him as nothing more than a young, brotherly figure. His slender fingers slid over her face like he was ying on a precious instrument. Erin felt a fluttering sensation within her. She took his hand away from her face. ¡°It tickles,¡± she said awkwardly. Erin didn¡¯t get it, either. She felt repulsed by Caleb¡¯s touch on her arm and would reflexively recoil from him. But with Matthew, she did not dislike physical contact with him and even felt a sort of closeness to him. Matthew drew his hand back and leaned on the table. A satisfied expression graced his face. ¡°I¡¯m d you don¡¯t hate me, Erin. ¡± ¡°Why would I hate you?¡± Erin chuckled. ¡°You mentioned that you¡¯re no longer living with Chandler. Where do you live now? I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Erin stared at him. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I live just nearby. It won¡¯t take more than 15 minutes on foot.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯ste now. I can¡¯t let you go back alone. I¡¯d be worried. Let me send you back, alright?¡± Matthew¡¯s warm tone and sincere gaze made it hard for Erin to refuse. ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much of a hassle¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hassle at all! Excuse me, get me the bill please!¡± Matthew said with a snap of his fingers. A waiter quickly came over with the bill. Both Matthew and Erin had only ordered fruit juices. One of the waiters suddenly recognized Matthew and was about to call out to him but was quickly stopped by Matthew. He didn¡¯t want his whereabouts exposed, so he refused the waiter¡¯s request for a picture, but he gave him an autograph. Then, he left the bar with Erin. Just as they left the bar, it started raining heavily before Erin even managed to get into the car. Matthew immediately opened the car door and helped her in. Shortly after, the sports car pulled away from the bar. About two minutester, Matthew suddenly asked Erin, ¡°Since you¡¯re not working tomorrow, can I take you somewhere else tonight, Erin?¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Crazed Fans Erin was a tad shocked as she had expected him to send her straight home. ¡°Where to?¡± Matthew had removed his mask and shed her an enigmatic smile. ¡°My recording studio.¡± Erin nced at her wristwatch, looking uncertain. ¡°If you do not wish to go, I¡¯ll send you home right away,¡± Matthew offered. The hint of disappointment in his voice had Erin reluctant to decline his invitation. She thought that since she didn¡¯t need to go to work the next day, she might as well go along with his n. Matthew sped up happily when Erin agreed to go with him. ¡°Drive slower, Matthew. We¡¯ve got low visibility due to the rain. Better to be safe than sorry.¡± Erin was worried. He gave her a sidelong nce as the corners of his lips lifted. ¡°Sure, whatever you say.¡± The adoration in Matthew¡¯s eyes made Erin feel awkward, so she turned to look out the window. Her heartbeat elerated uncontrobly. Out of nowhere, Erin suddenly said, ¡°I would like to apologize to you for what my cousin did.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. I¡¯ve almost forgotten about it already. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t be the one apologizing when she¡¯s the one who¡¯s done something wrong.¡± Matthew spoke calmly, but Erin could tell from his tone that he felt an aversion towards May and her actions. A long silence followed throughout the ride as Matthew drove to his recording studio. When his sports car entered a housing estate, a hint of anxiety crept up on Erin. She had assumed that his recording studio would be in a high¨Crise building in somemercial district, or a proper studio at least. It had never urred to her that it would be in a housing estate. And most importantly, this was the neighborhood she used to live in and was exactly where Ian¡¯s mansion was located. How awkward¡­ ¡°You have your recording studio here?¡± She asked. Matthew had just taken a turn into the premise of a mansion. He parked the car and removed the keys from the ignition before turning to Erin, saying, ¡°Yes, this is a mansion I own here. But because I rarely ever stay here, I¡¯ve converted it into my recording studio.¡± Erin¡¯s smile was stiff. ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem too happy about this?¡± Matthew asked earnestly. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± Erin was quick to deny it, waving her hand hurriedly. Matthew stopped to consider her reaction and suddenly recalled something. He looked at her apologetically. ¡°Erin, I¡¯m really sorry! It totally slipped my mind that your ex¨Chusband stays here too.¡± As if to prove that Ian no longer affected her emotions, she smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s go on in.¡± ¡°Okay then. I just thought that I¡¯d show you my recording studio. If you like, you can even sing a few songs too!¡± Matthew gushed excitedly. The thunderstorm had stopped by the time they arrived at the mansion, so they walked in together. The instant Matthew shut the door, a white van pulled up by the roadside, right outside the mansion. A short whileter, two men with cameras and long lenses emerged. Hans stayed put in his car the entire time. However, a man came out of a ck BMW a short distance away. It wasn Sloan. He had juste out from the management office when a blue sports car sped past him. Though it passed him by in a blur, he caught a glimpse of Erin in the passenger seat. He now stood outside the mansion, eyeing the ce with indescribable frustration. All along, he had thought that Chandler Frost was his only and greatestpetitor. But as he received more and more information from the private investigator, he found out about Caleb Grant, Matthew Burgess, and Eugene Hall¡¯s existence. The private investigator had yet to provide concrete evidence, but just the photos of Erin in close proximity to those three men were enough to irk him so much that he lost sleep over it. He watched coldly as the iron gates rolled shut. Then, he immediately whipped out his phone and called Erin. The moment the call got through, Ian wasted no time telling her, ¡°There are paparazzi lying in wait outside Matthew¡¯s mansion right now, Erin. You are bound to get your photos taken when he sends you out! The photos of both of you circting online had stirred up quite a storm back then. Had Matthew not spoken up to rify things, it would have spiraled out of hand! If you¡¯re caught being together again this time, your life might be in danger!¡± Erin had deliberately gone into the washroom to pick up the call so that Matthew would not hear it. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Erin had a bad premonition. Ian might exaggerate things at times, but it didn¡¯t feel like he was fooling around this time. Ian answered impassively. ¡°Matthew¡¯s too popr! He has die¨Chard fans all over the globe these days! Some of his crazed fans even made statements online saying that they¡¯ll end themselves if it was ever found that he¡¯s really having any form of intimate rtionship with you! I know that you don¡¯t really pay attention to the inte, but I¡¯m just telling you what I chanced upon.¡± Erin was stupefied. ¡°Such fans exist?¡± Ian scoffed. ¡°Nothing¡¯s impossible. It might sound crazy to you, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. These crazed fans will do anything! They will pay exorbitant prices to buy information on celebrities¡® schedules and find out their exact whereabouts. Remember, they are in the dark, and you are in the light. You¡¯ll never know if and when they might just attack you. This is a potential risk! If you trust me, leave Matthew¡¯s mansion ande with me right now! Even if the paparazzi get any photos, the only photos they will get are of both of us. They won¡¯t be able to fabricate lies about you and Matthew with them.¡± Ian spoke seriously the entire time, and Erin felt that there was no reason for him to make things up. Putting herself in Matthew¡¯s shoes, she ruminated over things for a while beforeing to a decision. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go inform Matthew about this now. Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m right outside Matthew¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°See you in a bit then.¡± Erin stashed her phone away in her pocket and left the washroom for the living room. Matthew had just poured her a ss of juice and some water. Erin looked at him. What Ian had told her were just spections, but she could not rule out the possibility of it happening. She wasn¡¯t nning. on telling Matthew what she just learned, so all she told him was that something had cropped up and that she needed to go back urgently. Matthew was taken aback. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. My cousin just called me. I need to go back now.¡± Seeing that Erin wasn¡¯t about to go into details, he did not probe. He simply picked his car keys off the table and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you back now.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary!¡± Her instant rejection put Matthew on the spot. His smile froze into an unnatural arc. ¡°Do you really not need me to give you a lift? How will you go back then?¡± ¡°I¡­I just called for a taxi. It¡¯s already waiting outside. You really do not need to send me back.¡± Erin had already picked up her bag and went toward the door. Matthew followed after her in long strides as he said helplessly, ¡°Well, let me see you out the door at least.¡± Erin couldn¡¯t find it in her to say no when she saw the dejection in his eyes. ¡°Alright then.¡± Ian stood outside the mansion as he watched Erin and Matthew step out together. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the paparazzi hiding in a well¨Chidden location. A scheming glint shed in his eyes. ¡°Erin.¡± Ian waved at her. Matthew felt a burst of irritation within him when he saw Ian. Her ex¨Chusband was lying in wait right outside his mansion! He pressed a button, and the gates opened automatically. Ian came forward nonchntly, and Erin walked naturally in his direction. ¡°He¡­¡± Erin did not know how she should exin Ian¡¯s presence. Matthew said disdainfully, ¡°There¡¯s no need to exin. I know who he is. He¡¯s your cheating ex¨C husband!¡± Ian heard every word Matthew said. But he didn¡¯t seem to be affected by it, at least not on the surface. He simply chuckled. ¡± Erin, your friend here is standing up for you. But he¡¯s right. I was in the wrong, to begin with.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Painful Memories Ian was not angered by Matthew¡¯s words. Instead, he simplyughed it off as Matthew stared at him coldly. The thought that Erin was leaving in such haste because of this man brought a hint of sharpness to Matthew¡¯s amber eyes. Erin was also astonished by Ian¡¯s response. She was surprised that he hadn¡¯t flown into a horrible rage. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Erin.¡±n reached out and ced his arm around her waist. His sudden intimacy repulsed her. But she remembered how he told her that paparazzi were lying in wait outside, so she did. not struggle to free herself. A coldness crept into Matthew¡¯s eyes when he saw Erin¡¯spliance withn¡¯s actions. He couldn¡¯t hold back from asking, Erin, aren¡¯t you divorced already?¡± It was just an offhanded question, but somehow, it gave Erin a sense of condescension. It was as if she had be a foolish woman who was going back to her cheating ex¨Chusband. She wanted to exin herself, but the thought of the paparazzi out there, as well as her rtionship with Matthew refrained her from doing so. In the end, she chose to keep quiet. Furthermore, she was not obliged to exin anything to him. ¡°Mr. Burgess, you are just a friend of Erin¡¯s. You are in no position to poke your nose into whatever¡¯s going on between us,¡± Ian said icily as he stared straight into Matthew¡¯s eyes. Matthew ignored his gaze and looked at Erin earnestly. He lost his cool when he saw Erin stay silent. ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve you! ¡°That¡¯s enough, Matthew. Go in. We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Erin did not bother to exin anything to Matthew. Since the very beginning, it had not been her intention to get involved with a celebrity. She was just an ordinary woman. She might have been in close contact with Matthew in the past, but that had been more than a decade ago. Mathew inconspicuously clenched his fists and quickly released them again. In the end, he only managed a weak response. I¡¯ll be in town for the rest of the month. You can meet me whenever you want.¡± Erin smiled and bade him farewell. ¡°Okay. Goodbye.¡± Then, he could only watch as Ian led Erin out of the mansion with his arm still around her waist. The paparazzi lying in wait were greatly disappointed. ¡± Five minutester, Ian drove towards his mansion. Erin was displeased. ¡°If you¡¯re not sending me home, Ian, I¡¯ll get a taxi back myself!¡± He slowed down and pulled up by the roadside. Then, he said in all sincerity, ¡°Listen, Erin. My mother fell sick after you refused to have a meal with her. She actually felt really bad for reprimanding youst time and would very much like to apologize to you for it. But you never gave her a chance to do so. She¡¯s been beating herself up over it so much the past few days, and it pains me to see her like that. Since you¡¯re already here, can you please pay her a visit?¡± Erin¡¯s expression softened. Mary had fallen ill because of her? ¡°Has she really fallen sick because of me?¡± she wondered aloud. Ian sighed. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d lie to you about something like this?¡± Erin kept quiet. She really did not wish to be entangled withn anymore. But when she thought of how old Mary was, she could not bring herself to refuse him. Ian started the car again when he saw that Erin was no longer turning him down. Ten minutester, both Erin and Ian entered the mansion. The moment he entered the living room,n told her, ¡°I¡¯ve changed none of the furnishings in the house since you left. This way, I can pretend that you¡¯re still living here and that nothing has changed.¡± His words sent ripples through Erin¡¯s heart, but still, she kept mum. Jan turned to look at Erin, but her gaze was cast downwards. ¡°Erin, I¡¯ve gotten a locksmith to change the locks back to the old ones. If you need anything, you can come back for them anytime.¡± Erin looked up at him in astonishment. Ian was speaking so nicely and gently that she almost felt like she didn¡¯t know him at all. His sudden change made her reminisce about their newly¨Cwed days¡­ Back then,n had just bought the mansion after he got a loan, and she was in charge of all the furnishings. He had agreed to everything she liked, so the interior of the house was very femininely decorated. Erin directed her gaze at a vase in the corner. She felt a pang of emotion when she saw her favorite white lilies in them. She knew that Mary hated white flowers because she felt that they were bad luck, so it was a surprise to her that Ian would still choose to put white flowers in the vase. ¡°Come with me to the guest room upstairs, Erin.¡± Erin felt a wave of emotione over her. She did not wish to be reminded of the past anymore. That would only make her feel even worse. ¡°Is Mary in the room? Is she asleep? I¡¯lle some other day if she¡¯s asleep¡­¡± Erin already had thoughts of leaving. Her subtle resistance and the redness that crept up around her eyes caused Ian to lower his gaze and say, ¡°Mom should still be awake. I¡¯ll go upstairs and check on her. Wait for me in the living room. I¡¯ll be quick.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ian hurried up the stairs to find Mary dressed up and standing at the guest room door. She had gone out to the hallway to eavesdrop on Ian and Erin¡¯s conversation when she heard them return. Ian pointed to the room and Mary immediately got the message, so she silently sneaked back into the room. Ian followed her in, and they had a quick conversation. By the timen returned to the living room downstairs, Erin was nowhere in sight. His first thought was to find her on the terrace. As expected, he found her standing by a wooden crib on the terrace. A glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes as he slowly approached her. ¡°You ordered this online eight months ago. They took a long time to send it over. By the time customs cleared it, we had already¡­¡± Ian left his sentence hanging as he stood by Erin¡¯s side. She hung her head low and intentionally turned to the side when she felt him approach. He caught sight of her shoulders trembling ever so slightly. She seemed to be crying¡­ Ian swiftly stood in front of her and coaxed her to lift her head with his palms. Erin stubbornly tried to resist, butn pulled her into a tight embrace. He guided her to lean her head on his shoulder and softly said, ¡°Let it all out. It was all my fault¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± The sight of the intricately crafted crib touched the most delicate spot within Erin, and all of a sudden, all her defenses came down, and she broke into tears. Had she not found out that Ian had cheated on her, and hadn decided to have a baby with her then, she might already be with child by now¡­ The thought of such a perfect life before them destroyed in an instant because ofn¡¯s betrayal infuriated Erin so much that she vented all her anger on him by punching his arm. The force of her punches were strong, butn took them all without a word. It wasn¡¯t until her fists hurt that Erin pushed him away abruptly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now. I¡¯lle visit Mary some other day.¡± Her tear¨Cstreaked face and the obvious strain on her voice brought an ache ton¡¯s heart. He grabbed her arm tightly, refusing to let her go. ¡°I was wrong, Erin! Can you please give me a chance to redeem myself? I promise I¡¯ll be good to you. I really love you! I can¡¯t ever forget you¡­¡±n tugged forcefully and pulled her into a hug again. ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± Erin sobbed.. ¡°No, it¡¯s not toote! It really isn¡¯t! Just give me a chance,¡± Ian pleaded.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Driven Mad With Thoughts of Her Ian¡¯s pleading and all the memories the house brought her messed up Erin¡¯s thoughts. She clearly knew that he was in the past, but she¡¯d be lying if she said that she did not feel anything from his change in attitude. ¡°Stop it, just stop it!¡± Erin¡¯s tears fell uncontrobly as she leaned limply in his embrace. But Erin rejected his advances. The name ¡®Tracy Brown¡® shed in her mind like a bright neon light along with the devastating scene she saw. It was right here in this mansion that she fell out with Ian and Tracy! In the end, Ian only managed to brush against her lips lightly before he was forcibly pushed away. The image of Erin escaping as quickly as she could manage leftn with a hollow feeling within him. Not only did he not manage to rekindle her feelings for him, his carnal desire for her was not sated either. He stood there on the spot, listening to Erin leave. He felt down in the dumps and gave the crib a dismal kick. So much for being attentive and putting care into details. ¡­She still wasn¡¯t about to forgive him! He ruffled his hair up in frustration and lit up a cigarette. After going through three cigarettes consecutively, he called a number he had not called in a long while. Half an hourter, a familiar figure showed up in Tracy¡¯s apartment. They spent a long time in bed, Ian venting all his pent- up frustration, anger, and dejection on Tracy. Tracy kept her eyes shut, screaming and moaning through it the entire time. It wasn¡¯t until thetter half of the night that Ian finallyy down in exhaustion beside her. Tracy stared longingly at the man fast asleep in her bed. She trailed her finger lightly across his handsome face,mitting it to memory¡­ Slowly, a crimson tinge crept up around her eyes. She whispered softly, ¡°Do you know how long I¡¯ve waited for you,n? I believed that you¡¯de back for me. And tonight, you really did! It felt like nothing but a dream to me! Life has been meaningless without you. All this while, I thought that it was only your money I was after, but now, I have finallye to see that I¡¯ve fallen in love with you¡­I can¡¯t live without you¡­¡± Tracy¡¯s whispers ended up in sobs, and she buried herself in Ian¡¯s arms. But Ian was sound asleep and heard none of what she said. Erin suffered from insomnia after returning from the mansion. She was in emotional turmoil because of lan. All their past memories came rushing back to her like a wave. She lost a great deal of sleep over those memories, tossing and turning in bed for a significant part of the night until fatigue finally took over and sleep came to her. Sound asleep, Erin was unaware that Chandler had pulled up right below where she lived. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. In order to go unrecognized, he had intentionally chosen to drive one of his limited edition sports cars with windows made of a special material that only allowed one¨Cway visibility so he could see everything going on outside, but others could not see him from the outside. The window on the driver seat was lowered just a tiny fraction of an inch, but the ground outside was littered with cigarette butts. Chandler held a cigarette between his fingers, his gaze lonely and joyless. Ever since Erin left the mansion, he had not had a good night¡¯s sleep, and relied on alcohol and sleeping pills to catch just the slightest wink of sleep. He had never thought that she held such a huge influence over him! In his endeavor to prove that Erin was just another receable woman, he had sent Kyle to find him 10 fine women who were excellent in every aspect. But when those women arrived at the mansion, all he could think about was the image of Erin lying in his arms. Ultimately, those women were sent away before they even had the chance to say anything. Hans¡® report to him tonight was the final straw. He could no longer hold it in and decided that since it didn¡¯t seem like she was going toe to him anytime soon, he would take things into his own hands and go to her instead. He knew that May had yet to return to their rented unit and that Erin was alone in there. The beast he had locked up within him seemed to strain against his self¨Ccontrol. With a final drag on his cigarette, he pushed the car door open and exited the car. Stamping out the final cigarette butt, he threw thest of his reason to the wind and went into the building. In two minutes, Chandler had unlocked the door and walked into the living room. His dark eyes swept across the ce as he walked towards the bedrooms. May¡¯s bedroom was left ajar, and the tidy sheets on her bed was an indication that she was not home yet. The room opposite May¡¯s, however, was shut. He quietly twisted the knob and opened the door. The woman who had upied his thoughts all these daysy there on her bed silently, her nightdress riding up her thighs from the movements she made while she slept. His attention was inappropriately attracted. He felt his throat go dry as he watched the woman breathe steadily in her sleep. He noiselessly trod over to May¡¯s room and took an article of her clothing. Ten minutester, Erin jolted awake in shock. She woke up to a nasty surprise and shrieked out loud. ¡°Who are you? Let me go right now! Help!¡± Her face was covered with a shirt, leaving gaps only around her mouth and nose so that she could catch her breath. Her eyes were covered entirely, and her arms were tied up with a necktie. She trembled all over, shocked out of her wits. She could feel the man on top of her breathing heavily. Erin could not believe that a pervert had broken into her house! Her heart pulsed erratically. Never had she ever experienced something the likes of this! She was petrified! Erin was so terrified that he might rob and kill her! Her head was in a mess, and call as she may, May did note to her rescue. The thought that maybe she had not returned yet left Erin in despair. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you, let me go¡­Please¡­¡± Tears fell from Erin¡¯s eyes, and she was so frightened that she started to have hups. Chandler halted, suddenly aware that his crazed actions might have hurt her. The strong pride within him did not allow him to give in to her cries, but the beast within him was desperate for her body, so much so that he felt that he was about to go crazy thinking about her, which was why he resorted to such underhanded means. He even covered her face with May¡¯s clothes so that she would not be able to smell his scent. In the end, he softened up and removed the shirt from Erin¡¯s face. Erin¡¯s first instinct was to open her eyes when the shirt was removed, but she kept her eyes tightly shut the entire time. She remembered the homicide cases she saw on the news of how the assants ended up murdering their victims because they saw their faces. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you! Don¡¯t kill me¡­¡± It was basic instinct to stay alive, and Erin begged desperately, terror¨C stricken. Moonlight shone in from the window, illuminating the room as it reflected off the floor. Chandler fixed his gaze on the fear- gripped woman who trembled like a leaf. A sudden pang of guilt came over him. ¡°Erin, it¡¯s me,¡± Chandler said softly. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Wronged Erin froze when she heard the pleasing and soothing voice by her ear. Her eyes jerked open, and she stared straight at him. Though she couldn¡¯t see him clearly, she could make out his familiar figure and silhouette. And she could recognize his voice anywhere. A mixture of anger and sadness came over her as she asked with a tremor in her voice, ¡°Chandler?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± he answered. In order to reassure her of his identity, he even switched on the night light on the nightstand. A soft purple glow lit up the room. The gorgeous face that Erin was madly in love with emerged before her eyes. The fear and shame she felt earlier on were instantly reced by pure relief. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Thank goodness it was him.¡± That was the only thought that went on in her head. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Finally, she burst out in tears, sobbing like a child. ¡°Have you lost your mind? Why did you treat me like that? I was scared to death!¡± Chandler did not know how to answer Erin when she was having an outburst. He was about to go mad with the emotions he was suppressing. The apology that had been on the tip of his tongue simply refused to be said. He felt extremely wronged and indignant at the thought of how Erin chose to believe May¡¯s words over his. He was a man of 30 years of age. He had experienced being wronged by his father in his youth, and he also came across many crooks in business, but never had he lost his temper as he did then. He already had a mind to set up a family and have kids with Erin. But it seemed like that was far from the case on her end! She did not even have the most basic trust in him! If ever another woman appeared and pulled the same trick, would he be unjustly med again? The recollection of her mistrust in him caused the pent¨Cup anger and chagrin within him to erupt all at once. ¡°Erin Lane quit crying!¡± Chandler bellowed. In a fit of rage, he bolted off the bed and walked across the room. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes after taking a seat on a couch. Erin was still letting out all the grievances she had within her. Finally, when she felt her voice go hoarse from all the crying, she twisted her arms around and shouted at Chandler, ¡°You¡¯re too much! How much longer are you going to keep me tied up here?¡± His gaze swept upwards to meet hers, and then he smirked. ¡°Apologize, and I¡¯ll let you go.¡± Erin was so furious that her eyes were bloodshot. ¡°You want me to apologize? Are you hearing yourself? You must be sick in the head! What you just did was a criminal offense! You¡¯re vile!¡± An icy glint shed in his dark eyes. The square set of his jaws shut Erin right up. She could sense that he was really angered. But she was just as furious! ¡°Erin, since it seems like you have forgotten what you said to me before, let me give you a quick reminder! You would rather believe your cousin, who has questionable integrity, than me! Am I really so untrustworthy in your eyes?¡± His words reminded her of the incident that took ce in the mansion. She felt really guilty when she thought about May, her two¨Cfaced cousin. Her averted gaze prompted Chandler to continue, ¡°Only a foolish woman like you would be fooled by her!¡± He stood up and loosened her hands, cigarette between his lips. Erin immediately rubbed her sore wrists to soothe them. There were red marks on both her wrists due to being tied up. Chandler turned to walk towards the table and threw her the unopened envelope which had been mailed to her anonymously,¡± This anonymous letter was supposed to be mailed to you, but I¡¯m afraid that with your limited brains, you can¡¯t afford to wait any longer. Have a look yourself!¡± And with that, he started to put on his clothes. He was dressed in no time. Before he left, he turned to nce at Erin and said in a bone¨Cchilling manner, ¡°Remember this: You are mine! I will allow you Chapter 87 Wronged to stay here for the time being, but if you ever dare cheat on me with another man, I will see to it that he loses everything he has to his name! We¡¯ll see if anyone still dares to approach you!¡± Erin let loose a torrent of profanities as soon as the haughty man stepped out the door. It even slipped her mind to ask him how he managed to get in. She only started to calm down and think about his words after she got tired from cursing at him. She stared at the sealed envelope for a while before picking it up and opening it. Half an hourter, Erin stared at the thick stack of documents the envelope contained. She was stuck in her thoughts, unable to bring herself to believe that the information from the documents were authentic. But with solid evidence staring her in the face and every im ounted for, the only conclusion she was able to draw from them was that May was a woman of improper conduct. Erin dared not believe that May had bought her way to a prestigious high school by seducing the school¡¯s principal. But because she had been a juvenile, the incident had been covered up. Erin remembered reading about the news in newspapers back then. The principal had been dismissed on charges of abuse of authority. Who would have known that this was the whole story behind the incident! The documents also included evidence of May hooking up with several married men with the sole intention of ripping them. off. That exined why May was always seen with thetest phone models and how she could change them out so frequently. She had lied that she had pestered her parents to buy them for her. Erin shook her head with disbelief at the report she had in her hands. It was a financial record of the online store since the day. it wasunched. She had never once thought that May would embezzle funds from the store behind her back. May had taken. 120 thousand dors for her personal use and had never reced it since. At the end of the day, the most upsetting information was a video stored in a USB drive, which Erin had watched. It was CCTV footage from the living room in Chandler¡¯s mansion. Though it was dark, Erin managed to catch everything that had happened. It turned out that on the night the incident happened, May had crept downstairs in the dark and bore inappropriate thoughts. for Chandler when she passed by the living room and caught sight of him sleeping on the couch. So, she pulled down the shoulder strap of her nightdress and approached Chandler, who had been fast asleep after having a little too much to drink. Then, she reached out to touch him. Chandler had immediately sat up and pushed her to the floor. With a loud roar from him, several of his bodyguards rushed in, switching on all the lights in the living room. Erin did not bother watching the rest of the video. She had seen enough to tell her that she had indeed wronged Chandler! No wonder he had flown into such a terrible rage! Erin made sure to lock the documents up in a drawer before May came back. Still in her nightdress, she pondered her conflicting thoughts of whether she should apologize to Chandler. ¡°It¡¯s true that I have wronged him¡­ But his actions that followed and how he treated me was way overboard!¡± Erin mumbled to herself as if two people were fighting in her head. By the time dawn drew near, she had still not decided. Her conscience berated her, but she really could not live down what Chandler had done to her in return! She also felt deep disappointment and heartache for May. It was as if she had never truly known her. Finally, exhaustion caught up with her, and she fell back asleep. When Erin was once again rudely awakened, it was May who had poured a basin of cold water over her. May was beyond herself with rage. ¡°Erin Lane! Why did you steal my clothes? Don¡¯t you know that this Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Go Separate Ways Erin opened her eyes to see her cousin staring fiercely down at her, and she was drenched all over. She could not contain the fiery mes of fury rising within her too. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you, May?¡± Seeing the innocent look on Erin¡¯s face, May screamed, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into me? Who allowed you to wear my clothes without my permission?¡± ¡°Your clothes?¡± May held a creased Chanel top and spat at her, ¡°What¡¯s this, Erin? Are you going to tell me that this is yours?¡± Her rude attitude made Erin feel extremely disheartened. She had not even been able to bring herself to question May about everything she just learned. But now, May was shouting and screaming at her over a mere shirt. Erin looked at the shirt aloofly. It was the shirt that Chandler had used to cover her face earlier on. Who would have known that it was such an expensive piece? ¡°Is this really how you¡¯re treating me over a shirt?¡± Erin¡¯s words did not lead May to reflect on her actions Instead, she answered even more rudely, ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t care. about it! This isn¡¯t a shirt that you can afford! You¡¯re no longer the person you used to be You¡¯re just a divorcee with not even a house to your name! And now, you¡¯ve even gotten yourself thrown out of your superior¡¯s mansion! Now that we¡¯re renting at ce, you¡¯ve resorted to stealing my clothes?¡± ¡°Are you done yet, May?¡± Erin wasn¡¯t foolish enough to be bullied by just anyone. Since May was behaving like such a spoiled brat, she no longer wished to stay with her. ¡°How am I supposed to wear this shirt now that it¡¯s in such a state? I don¡¯t care, Erin! You¡¯re paying me for it!¡± May threw a tantrum. Erin had never expected this cousin of hers, whom she had helped out of a difficult position many a time, to talk about paying her! Had she not been through those documents, she might never have known that she had turned out this way! Erin simply asked impassively, ¡°Pay? How do you propose I pay you?¡± 1 ¡°150 thousand dors! Not a penny less!¡± May stood with arms aldmbo in an unmistakably greedy demeanor. Had Erin not seen for herself how May was behaving, she never would have believed that her cousin had changed so much. overnight. Disheartened, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you for it. Now please get out of my room. I need to change!¡± May looked at Erin¡¯s disheveled and drenched state and went out without another word. Erin immediately shut the door behind her. 20 minutester, Erin walked out with her luggage behind her. When she entered May¡¯s room, May was gaming with her earphones plugged in. She immediately removed her earphones when she saw Erin standing with her luggage. ¡°Where are you going, Erin?¡± Erin couldn¡¯t help feeling like she didn¡¯t know May anymore. Sheughed dryly. ¡°This is 50 thousand dors in cash in this envelope, May. It was meant to be for you to purchase more merchandise for the online store, but right now, I¡¯m officially informing you that your help is no longer required. I¡¯ll handle the store myself.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. May was so shocked by the sudden announcement that she leaped off her bed. ¡°What do you mean by this, Erin? Make yourself clear! Are you kicking me out of the online store? Besides, my shirt is worth 150 thousand! You¡¯re trying to worm your way out of it with only 50 thousand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m letting slide the 120 thousand dors you took from the store¡¯s funds. You do not need to rece them anymore. 30 thousand dors from this envelope and the 120 thousand you took from the store will be yourpensation for the shirt. The remaining 20 thousand will cover your rent here for half a year!¡± The disappointment was in on Erin¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve found out about the truth behind you ndering Chandler. From now on, I shall not concern myself with any of your problems anymore. Take care, May.¡± With that, she ced the money on the table and turned to leave. May was dumbfounded. Her expression changed from one minute to the next. She had not expected Erin to find out the truth. about the incident. Ultimately, she did not go after Erin when she heard her leave. Instead, she immediately walked over to the table and opened up the envelope Erin left behind. She was overjoyed to find a thick wad of cash in there. After a moment¡¯s reflection, she felt like she had been shortchanged. Had she known that money came so easily, she would have told Erin that the shirt cost much more! Who knew a counterfeit Chanel shirt was all it took to hoodwink Erin? An hourter, with nowhere to go, Erin ended up at a fast food chain restaurant. It was a noisy ce with people from all walks of life, so she did not attract any attention even when she walked in with luggage. The fast food chain had many stores all around the city, but as luck would have it, Erin bumped into Dana, her ex¨Ccolleague. And it just so happened that Erin had queued up right behind Dana. As she was upied with her thoughts, she didn¡¯t take note of the people around her. It wasn¡¯t until Dana turned around with her tray in hand that she spotted Erin. A hint of jealousy rose in Dana¡¯s eyes. She was still not over being fired by Caleb. She had been waiting for a chance to enact revenge. Now that Erin was standing there right before her, there was no way she would let her go just like that. She broke out into a wide smile. ¡°Erin! Fancy meeting you here!¡± Erin looked up at her awkwardly. But now that Dana had addressed her, she couldn¡¯t very well pretend she didn¡¯t know her, so she smiled politely at her too. ¡°Yes, what a coincidence meeting you here! Are you on a break?¡± Erin asked offhandedly. Dana answered with a smile. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m on a break! It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve met, Erin. Come meet me when you¡¯re done getting your food. Let¡¯s have a nice catch¨Cup session!¡± she invited so enthusiastically that Erin had no choice but to agree. It was only when Dana went to find herself a seat that Erin realized she could have just told her that she was having her food to go. A whileter, Erin got her food. She had a mind to ignore Dana and pass her by inconspicuously, but Dana had her eyes on Erin from where she sat and waved her over. Erin saw no alternative but to go over. Though Erin could not be sure that Dana was involved in getting her drugged, she was now more wary of her than before. Furthermore, Dana had also giarized another person¡¯s design and submitted it to the designpetition as her own. That was a despicable move in Erin¡¯s eyes. The moment Erin sat down, Dana started chattering away. From her constant probing, she learned that Erin was also considered unemployed. That made her feel a lot better. When she discovered that Erin wasn¡¯t romantically involved with Caleb, her eyes shone with delight. ¡°I¡¯ll be going back to my hometown tomorrow, Erin. It might be a long while before Ie back. Since I¡¯m in such luck to bump into you, let¡¯s get Milly and E to join us for some fun tonight! Take it as a send¨Coff for me. How¡¯s that?¡± Dana asked expectantly. Erin found it difficult to decline her invitation when she put it that way, so she agreed. ¡°Great! See you tonight! I¡¯ll be waiting!¡± At 8pm, Erin stood in front of the mirror in her hotel room. She was satisfied with her attire for the night. She knew the three otherdies would be all dolled up, but she wasn¡¯t interested in being the center of attention. Now that she had fallen out with May, she wouldn¡¯t return to the rented apartment. So essentially, she had nowhere to return. to. She couldn¡¯t very well disturb Holly now, especially since she had just met a new person. Her new boyfriend seemed to be at wealthy man too. If Erin bunked at Holly¡¯s, it would bring her a lot of inconvenience if she invited her boyfriend to stay over. Erin decided that she would start looking for a new ce to rent first thing the next day. She would rent a ce first, and then she could start surveying for a ce to buy for herself. She still had five million dors. on her card. As her mother had said, it was high time she started saving up for a ce of her own. Once she bought her own house, she would always have a ce to return to. It would be her safe haven. At 9pm, Erin took a taxi to the private club that Dana mentioned. It wasn¡¯t until she arrived that she discovered it was a club meant fordies. The ce was full of male escorts! 1 Erin sat awkwardly in their private room. Dana had picked out four male escorts to apany them in the room. A dandily¨Cdressed man sat beside Erin, and Dana started teasing her, ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, Erin. You¡¯re now divorced, anyway. I¡¯ll pay for everything tonight. You just have all the fun you want tonight!¡± Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Abducted Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Erin wasn¡¯t quite used to how open Dana was being. Dana would never have visited such a ce in the past. But she thought of how she had once acted on impulse and hired a male escort in the past and decided that she was in no position to judge Dana. Erin awkwardly proposed, ¡°Dana, why don¡¯t we just have time to ourselves? We can just sing and have a few drinks. I don¡¯t think we need the male escorts, do we?¡± Milly and E obviously felt ufortable with the arrangement too. ¡°That¡¯s right, Dana. I think we don¡¯t need them¡­¡± E echoed. E only learned that Milly was going to be there when she entered the private room. Had she known earlier, she would not have turned up. Ever since she had a falling out with Milly, she no longer talked to her anymore, unless it was absolutely necessary. If not for Dana, who told her that she would find a job back in her hometown, she did not even feel like attending the gathering. There were eight of them in the room, all well¨Cdressed and looking good. But the atmosphere in the enclosed room was nothing but awkward. Milly had a surly expression the entire time, a hostile air surrounding her. Feeling the ufortable undertone around them, Erin truly regretted taking Dana up on her invitation. ¡°Enjoy yourself, girls. I need to use the restroom for a bit,¡± Erin excused herself. A waiter entered the room with a fruit tter when she opened the door. But he deliberately blocked his face with the tray, and due to the dim lighting, Erin failed to see his face. Once Erin was gone, Dana told E, ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, we might as well rx and have a good time. They¡¯re not going to eat you up! All they¡¯re here for is to have a chat with us. Come on, don¡¯t be a spoilsport. I¡¯ll be going home tomorrow, who knows when I¡¯ll get to see all of you again¡­¡± At Dana¡¯s words, the male escorts began to interact with E and Milly, drinking and ying a game of dice with them. The four male escorts were all very handsome, and since Dana had said that she would be the one settling the bill for the night, Milly and E began to warm up to them and started having a few drinks too. A cold glint shed in Dana¡¯s eyes as she watched E and Milly chat with the escorts. She took out her phone and sent a text message to a man. First, she sent him a photo of Erin in the outfit she was in that night. Then, she followed with a message. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing her get raped tonight. Maybe even by several men. I don¡¯t really care as long as she doesn¡¯t die. I¡¯ll bank in 20 thousand dors to you after the deed is done. She received a reply in less than a minute. ¡°Done deal.¡± Dana proceeded to delete the message from her phone and ced it back in her bag. With a ss of wine in hand, she sat down beside E and watched as they yed. She was safe now that she had E and Milly as an alibi. Erin would never suspect her of being the mastermind behind it all now! Over in the restroom, Erin gave Holly a call. She briefed her on her situation and requested that Holly give her a call soon so she could make up an excuse to leave. She really couldn¡¯t bear to stay in the room with such a stifling atmosphere and the four male escorts in there. Holly agreed and promised to call her in 20 minutes. When Erin left the restroom, she saw five or six men standing in the hallway, looking suspicious. One of them, with a crew cut and a gold chain around his neck, said to the person beside him when he saw Erin, ¡°Quick! Take my girlfriend away! How dare shee here and meet escorts without my permission!¡± Erin was dumbfounded. The man seemed to be pointing at her. She turned to look behind her, but there was no one else in the hallway apart from the three waiters. There wasn¡¯t any other female around. She panicked. Her first instinct was to retreat back into thedies¡® room. Her heart beat erratically. She hoped she was overthinking things, and that the man had just mistaken her for someone else. But before she could make head or tail of the situation, the group of men had charged into thedies¡® room. Erin started screaming as they forcibly dragged her away. She shouted for help when she saw the waiters in the hallway. ¡°Help me! Quick! Call the police! I don¡¯t know these people!¡± But the man with a crew cut turned and gave Erin a hard smack across the face when he heard her cry for help. Then, he turned and roared at the waiters, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, you better mind your own goddamn business! Your boss is a friend of mine. I do not need anyone to meddle in my business when I¡¯m teaching my girlfriend a lesson! If anyone even dares call the police, you better watch out!¡± His fierce and cruel face made his threats very convincing. The threenky waiters stood by the side in silence for fear that one wrong move would bring misfortune upon themselves. Being just and courageous these days brought no good to anyone. Only a fool would stand out for someone they didn¡¯t even know! Before long, Erin was dragged out of the club. Everyone who saw them on their way out stared at them in terror. Some looked on with pity, but no one dared to stand out to help her. One of the waiters who had been secretly tailing them spoke softly into his bluetooth earphones, ¡°Mr. Frost, Miss Lane has been dragged into a car by a group of men. Should we rescue her now?¡± At the thought of all the uncertainties that could happen once the car left the area, Chandler quickly made the call. ¡°Rescue her at once!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Before the men could take off in their ck van, more than 10 men rushed out of nowhere and surrounded them. It was obvious that they were well¨Ctrained fighters, all d in ck bodyguard attire and at least six feet tall. They were all buff and had stern expressions on their faces. The man with a crew cut who was seated in the front passenger seat was taken aback. He immediately swung the door open and asked aggressively, ¡°Who are you? Who sent you-¡± The man disguised as a waiter went around behind him, and all he said was, ¡°Go!¡± All the bodyguards started to attack, dragging all six hooligans out of the car and giving them a good beating. The hooligans whipped out the daggers they carried with them whenever they got the chance to do so, but even so, they were no match for the bodyguards. Furthermore, there was twice the number of bodyguardspared to the hooligans, so in just under two minutes, all six of the hooligans, including the one with the crew cut, ally prone on the ground, most likely with several broken ribs. Erin stayed in the car, white as a sheet from the fear. The man disguised as a waiter approached her and said, ¡°Miss Lane, it¡¯s alright now. You can get out of the car.¡± Erin took a good look at the man. She quickly recognized him and eximed, ¡°Hans!¡± Hans told her impassively, ¡°All this while I¡¯ve been shadowing you, Miss Lane. Mr. Frost sent me to protect you. When he learned that you were meeting Dana Sawyer tonight, he arranged for a group of bodyguards to ensure your safety.¡± His words brought a frown to Erin¡¯s face. ¡°So you mean to say that these men were sent by Dana?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Hans affirmed. Rage fired up within Erin. ¡°Do you have proof?¡± she asked. Hans produced a phone from his pocket and said, ¡°Not only do I have proof, but we also have witnesses here too! This is Dana Sawyer¡¯s phone. I¡¯ve used a special software to restore the messages she deleted. If you¡¯re still not convinced, you may check. the phones of these six people here. Or, you could interrogate them.¡± Erin snatched the phone he had in his hands and read the text messages Dana sent. She was so furious that she shook all over. With the phone in her hand, she exited the car and stormed up to one of the men lying on the ground. There was nothing but anger and coldness in the depths of her eyes. ¡°Spill it! Who gave you orders to abduct me?¡± Erin demanded. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Call the Police Worried that the group might seek revenge on him, the guy with a ttop haircut was trembling with fear. What if they dragged him to some secluded forest and buried him alive? ¡°Boss, please spare me¡­I¡¯ll spill the truth! I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± He voluntarily handed over his phone, relieved it wasn¡¯t damaged. His bloodied fingers trembled as he opened the unread message he hadn¡¯t had a chance to delete. ¡°She was the one who contacted me!¡± Erin took the phone from him and nced at the phone number, almost smashing it in her anger. ¡°Dana Sawyer!¡± She immediately handed the man¡¯s phone to Hans. Standing nearby, Hans spoke up, ¡°Mr. Frost had instructed me to leave this matter wholly to you.¡± Erin¡¯s eyes were filled with zing fury at this moment. She now wholeheartedly believed that Dana was also behind the previous drugging incident! This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She instructed Hans, ¡°Call the police.¡± Without saying a word, Hans promptly dialed the number.. During the wait, several staff members from the club would asionally nce toward the parking lot. Meanwhile, inside the private room, Dana had taken the opportunity to excuse herself to the restroom. She overheard the news of Erin getting kidnapped and eagerly awaited good news. However, to her surprise, Erin burst into the private room apanied by Hans and five bodyguards before she could even celebrate. The club owner followed closely behind, trembling as he stood by Erin¡¯s side. He then signaled the four male escorts to leave promptly with his eyes. The four male escorts quickly slinked away. E and Milly looked at Erin with astonishment. E asked, ¡°Erin, what¡¯s going on?¡± Dana¡¯s face had already turned pale. She red at the unscathed Erin, seething with anger. However, she still had to put on a fake, kind expression. Feigning concern, she asked, ¡°Erin, where were you just now? What took you so long? Who are these people?¡± Looking at Dana¡¯s malicious and hypocritical face, Erin sneered, ¡°Dana, is it still necessary for you to keep up the act at this point? I have already reported it to the police! Get ready to go to jail!¡± Shocked, E and Milly both looked at Dana. They stood up and distanced themselves from Dana, although they also kept some distance from Erin. ¡°Erin, what exactly happened?¡± E looked at Dana, whose eyes already showed fear, and started to believe Erin¡¯s words. Ignoring E, Erin questioned Dana, ¡°What did I do for you to hate me so much? Is it just because you like Caleb?¡± Subconsciously, Dana tried to reach for her phone, but Erin¡¯s icy voice interrupted her. ¡°No need to look for it. Your phone is with me.¡± Upon hearing what she said, Erin gave up acting but still attempted to deny. ¡°Erin, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. I kindly invited you all to join me, but how dare you report me for no reason? Watch out. I¡¯ll sue you for defamation without solid evidence!¡± ¡°Hah, do you think I didn¡¯t see the messages you sent to that man?¡± Just as Dana was about to defend herself again, the police arrived. Everyone present who needed to provide statements was taken away. Two hourster, E and Milly left after giving their statements. As they were about to leave, they caught sight of Erin still being questioned, and a sense of fear crept into their hearts. They would never dare to offend Erin again¡­. In the face of testimonies and evidence, Dana could no longer deny the truth. Disheartened, she confessed. Just as she was being escorted out of the interrogation room in handcuffs, she happened to see Erin walking out of the office. With red eyes, Dana sneered, ¡°Erin, didn¡¯t you ask me why I hate you so much? It was all for revenge! When you got Caleb to fire me, I suddenly became unemployed and faced constant rejections from other designpanies. I knew both of you were pulling the strings behind the scenes!¡± ¡°I never thought you had such abilities¡­¡± Erin stared coldly at her and angrily retorted, ¡°Dana, you are really despicable! You escaped punishment when you drugged me before, and now you continue topound your mistakes!¡± Dana roared, ¡°Shut up! You all drove me to this! It¡¯s because of you that I couldn¡¯t make a living here! After I became unemployed, I faced countless setbacks before ending up in a third¨Ctier design company, where the damned boss would make me apany clients for drinks¡­¡± ¡°I even encountered a pervert¡­It¡¯s all your doing! Erin Lane, I hate you! I wish you were dead!¡± The female police officer behind Dana reprimanded her, ¡°Miss Sawyer! Watch yournguage!¡± Despite this, Dana was still taken away by the two female police officers while grumbling and cursing. After exiting the police station, Hans, who was following behind Erin, respectfully asked, ¡°Miss Lane, do you need me to drive you back to the vi?¡± The vi¡­ Hesitating, Erin fell into contemtion. She thought about what might have happened if it hadn¡¯t been for Chandler¡¯s foresight tonight. Those men could have¡­. A shiver ran down her spine. She also remembered that she had wrongly used Chandler earlier and owed him an apology. Erin said, ¡°I wonder if Chandler is asleep right now¡­¡± It was already past three in the morning. Hans replied, ¡°Miss Lane, if Mr. Frost sees you, he will definitely be delighted.¡± After pondering for a moment, Erin said, ¡°Then please take me there.¡± Hence, Erin got onto Han¡¯s ck Range Rover, and eight ck luxury SUVs, all filled with bodyguards, followed behind. Inside the car, Erin learned that these bodyguards were all former special forces who had retired due to special circumstances. Hans revealed, ¡°In fact, they were all involved in national missions before. Due to age limitations, they later transitioned to logistics work. Since he valued their talent, Mr. Frost employed them as bodyguards through special connections.¡± Impressed, Erin eximed, ¡°I see! It¡¯s such a waste of talent to ask them to deal with those scumbags today.¡± Hans remained silent.f 40 minutester, Erin arrived at the luxurious vi, which she was kicked out from. If it weren¡¯t for her troubled conscience, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen toe sote at night. She owed Chandler a sincere and solemn apology. It seemed like Chandler knew she woulde as he was still awake and busy working in his study. Mr. Charleston led Erin to his study. Upon entering the room, she saw Chandler engrossed in handling documents. Mr. Charleston gently closed the door and left. Erin stood not far from the study door, gazing at Chandler, who seemed distant as if he were an unattainable god in the heavens. Since she had entered, Chandler hadn¡¯t even nced at her. His eyes were fixed on his documents. Feeling a bit uneasy, Erin didn¡¯t want to disturb him, so she stood quietly. It wasn¡¯t until 15 minutes had passed that Chandler suddenly looked up at her, his voice tinged with mockery. ¡°Are you nning to stand here all night?¡± Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 A Billion Dors This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As Erin met his gaze, her heartbeat suddenly intensified. She could even hear a thump in her ears. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and said, ¡°Chandler, I¡¯ve wrongly used you previously! I¡¯m sorry!¡± After apologizing, she hung her head in remorse. Chandler snorted coldly without saying a word, but a hint of pleasure shed across his eyes. Emboldened, Erin slowly approached him and stopped five paces away. With unwavering sincerity in her eyes, she said, ¡°Thank you for tonight!¡± She inclined her head to show her sincerity and sped her hands together in a motion of gratefulness. Chandler suddenly said coldly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not dead yet! You don¡¯t have to act like that with me.¡± Hearing his impatient tone, Erin was somewhat amused. He seemed displeased with her acting coy after getting away from the situation! Chandler leaned back against the chair behind him and uttered in a chilling voice, ¡°Instead of those useless words, why don¡¯t you do something practical? That would show your sincerity.¡± Upon hearing his request, Erin naturally felt delighted. Owing someone a favor could be burdensome, so she asked, ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll listen. As long as I can do it, anything is possible¡­¡± A yful glint appeared in Chandler¡¯s eyes, and his exquisitely handsome face caused Erin¡¯s heart to race inexplicably. She even found it somewhat intimidating to meet his gaze. Recalling their encounter from the previous night, she felt a mixture of embarrassment, resentment, and lingering apprehension. Yet, an overwhelming sense of gratitude engulfed her at the same time. In moments like these, she couldn¡¯t help but feel immensely grateful for Chandler¡¯s help. Suddenly, she realized that the favor he had granted was beyond measure, and she was unsure how to repay it. Her mind was filled with conflicting emotions, and she was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice Chandler had approached her. It wasn¡¯t until her lowered gaze caught sight of a pair of men¡¯s indoor slippers that she snapped to reality. As Erin raised her gaze, she found herself caught in the firm grip of his slender fingers on her chin. Chandler leaned down, his voice dripping with cold arrogance as he gazed at her and said, ¡°Since you want to express your gratitude, why not do it with money? Give me a billion dors!¡± Erin¡¯s mind went nk for a moment and her face fell. ¡°I don¡¯t have a billion dors¡­¡± Chandler¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Who was the one on the ne who said she was worth a billion dors?¡± Erin immediately felt intimidated by his words. ¡°Mr. Frost, I am not worth a billion dors!¡± Chandler refused to relent. ¡°I believe you are worth a billion!¡± Erin looked up at him pleadingly. ¡°But I really don¡¯t have that much money. As you know, I only have the five million dors¡­ Her words caused a glimmer to sh across Chandler¡¯s dark eyes, but they disappeared in the blink of an eye. He smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take five million dors for now, and you can slowly repay the rest.¡± With that, he abruptly released her pointed chin and returned to his seat. Seeing his nonchnt expression, Erin felt like she was going crazy. Where was she supposed to find so much money? ¡°Mr. Frost, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to repay it in my lifetime¡­¡± She was on the verge of tears! Chandler nced at her coldly, furrowed his brows, and pondered. ¡°In that case, I don¡¯t want to trouble you either. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Erin looked at him eagerly, hoping he would say she didn¡¯t have to repay anything just because he was in a good mood! It would be better if he didn¡¯t take away that five million dors. After all, she still wanted to buy a house! Chandler responded solemnly, ¡°Then let¡¯s go for a flesh trade. A hundred dors at a time.¡± Upon hearing this, Erin almost fainted on the spot. Only then did she realize that Chandler was joking with her! ¡°Chandler, stop joking around. Can you please be serious and propose something reasonable? I want to express my gratitude to you, but can you suggest something within my capabilities?¡± Erin furrowed her eyebrows with a grim expression. Noticing Erin getting anxious, Chandler started to get serious. He said in his usualmanding tone, ¡°Just stay by my side, and don¡¯t go anywhere! Return to work officially tomorrow, and from tonight onwards, move back to the vi.¡± Erin¡¯s shoulders slumped instantly. She went around in circles only to end up back where she started. However, she admitted that if it weren¡¯t for the incident involving May falsely using Chandler, she wouldn¡¯t have voluntarily left in the first ce. Chandler¡¯s voice raised an octave when he noticed Erin¡¯s drooping head and silence. ¡°You don¡¯t like the idea?¡± Erin muttered in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that¡­¡± ¡°Erin, don¡¯t forget my warning! I told you if you dare to find another man¡­¡± Erin interrupted him, ¡°I know, I know! I won¡¯t look for other men. If I did, you would make him bankrupt. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t harm anyone! After all, if I don¡¯t go to hell, who will¡­¡± ¡°Erin Lane! You¡¯re asking for trouble!¡± Chandler stood up in anger. Terrified, she quickly fled, opening and closing the study door gently before leaving. Chandler saw her making a face at him before she left. The anger that had been building up in him disappeared in an instant¡­ This foolish woman seemed to be getting bolder. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Conflicted, Chandler continued to work. Erin slept well that night. She didn¡¯t dare to sleep in Chandler¡¯s bedroom, so she slept in the guest room she used to sleep in. Unexpectedly, the guest room was just as she had left it, as if in anticipation that she would return one day. The room was spotless. However, the moment she woke up, she was so startled that she almost screamed. As soon as she opened her eyes, a wless, erged face of a man came into her view. His arm was wrapped around her waist, yet she had slept so peacefully without noticing. As expected, her body was used to his presence. Gazing at the man who had saved herst night, Erin cautiously leaned closer to his face, wanting to kiss him. However, before she could make contact, a pair of deep, ink¨Cck eyes opened and stared directly at her. Startled, Erin instinctively leaned back. Chandler pressed hisrge hand against the back of her head and guided her lips toward his. As their lips met, there was a tingling sensation, as if an electric current was flowing through their bodies. In amanding motion, Chandler shifted his position, and the desire that flickered in his eyes made Erin¡¯s heart tremble. Suddenly, a sentence shed through her mind. ¡°You came to my rescue, but I can only offer myself in return¡­¡± A few secondster, Erin blushed while shyly asking, ¡°When did you take off my¡­¡± He murmured seductively, ¡°You¡¯re getting less defensive against me¡­ It¡¯s a good sign.¡± ¡°I was just too tiredst night¡­¡± Erin tried to exin. Chandler gave her a mischievous smile and silenced her with a kiss. Over the next three hours, Erin was exhausted to the point of copsing. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Can we please stop?¡± she pleaded cutely, almost resorting to crying. She had already begged several times, but Chandler beside her seemed deaf to her pleas for mercy. With an arrogant expression, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m hungry too.¡± Erin lost her patience. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired at all? I am human, not a machine¡­¡± Meanwhile, Chandler remained engrossed in his favorite activity¡­ Finally, Erin couldn¡¯t hold back her anger. She enunciated each word clearly, ¡°I need to use the bathroom!¡± Her dder was about to explode! Chandler was left speechless. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Self¨Cworth Five dayster, Chandler made an exception and agreed to let Erin transfer back to the design department. Being a secretary was not suitable for her at all. Since she moved into Chandler¡¯s office, she had practically nothing to do on a daily basis. Chandler delegated all his tasks to Kyle, and he never assigned any tasks to her. After all, their areas of expertise were different. Shecked experience in important matters, and minor tasks made her feel like she wasn¡¯t valued. As an excellent designer, she couldn¡¯t spend her days just ordering meals and making coffee, could she? Finally, after five days of constantmenting andining, the formidable Chandler gave in to Erin. At this moment, Erin was tidying up thest few things on her desk, her face filled with excitement. Chandler stole nces at her. Noticing how quickly her desk became empty, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of uneasiness. Throwing his pen aside, he spoke in a teasing and cold tone, ¡°Are you so thrilled to be away from me?¡± Erin¡¯s hand, which was cing the pen holder down, froze. Worried that this unpredictable man might change his mind at any moment, she quickly approached him. She then stood behind him and offered to massage his shoulders. With a soft voice, she said, ¡°Mr. Frost, we¡¯re actually not that far apart. I¡¯m just downstairs¡­¡± Chandler snorted and said, ¡°Downstairs is not far enough for you?¡± Erin was speechless. She smiled and said, ¡°You see, we live together at night. If we spend 24 hours together, you¡¯ll soon get tired of me!¡± He frowned slightly and asked, ¡°So, are you returning to the design department just to maintain the novelty between us?¡± ¡°Yes! Besides, my expertise is in design. I feel restless sitting here. I¡¯m used to earning money through my own hard work¡­¡± Chandler raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°If you serve me well, you¡¯ll earn more in a lifetime than you would by working. Why bother working?¡± His discriminatory remark caused Erin¡¯s hand, which was massaging his shoulder, to freeze. Her expression turned cold as she walked up to him and said earnestly, ¡°Chandler, if that¡¯s what you truly think, then maybe I should resign and find anotherpany!¡± Chandler¡¯s face fell, but before he could speak, Erin continued, ¡°Please let me finish. Although I agree to stay by your side, both of us are independent individuals, and I hope you won¡¯t objectify me. I need to prove my worth through my own efforts. I don¡¯t need special treatment from you. Just treat me like any other employee.¡± Chandler scoffed at her lofty and proud deration of self¨Cworth. He just couldn¡¯t understand why she would give up what other women would go to great lengths and even resort to hical means to obtain. What most women desired could be easily obtained by pleasing him alone. Yet she insisted on taking a longer route to achieve her own sess. He sneered, ¡°Erin, you¡¯re truly an ungrateful woman.¡± Erin understood Chandler¡¯s words. She responded, ¡°I know how you perceive me. You probably think I¡¯m foolish, don¡¯t you? But I prefer to obtain what I want without relying on anyone. It gives me a sense of genuine aplishment.¡± Suddenly, Chandler stared into her eyes. Erin¡¯s eyes seemed to be sparkling as she spoke. A feeling of admiration welled up in his heart. Based on his past ruthless policies, he always treated male and female employees in thepany equally. He never discriminated against them. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. However, when it came to Erin, he subconsciously treated her as his possession, hoping she would rely on him. Yet, Erin wasn¡¯t that kind of woman in reality. Chandler couldn¡¯t help but think of the women he had encountered before. After they took his money, they never bothered him again. It was not because they didn¡¯t want to, but because they didn¡¯t dare to. They were all obedient and well¨Cbehaved, but Erin was different! A slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Perhaps he was obsessed with Erin because of her uniqueness. ¡°What does that smile mean? Are you mocking me? I don¡¯t think I said anything wrong!¡± Before Erin could finish speaking, Chandler suddenly stood up and embraced her. He sighed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. Although I don¡¯t understand why you insist on these principles that, in my opinion, are unnecessary, I choose to respect you.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t meet her expectationspletely, she was satisfied with him choosing to respect her. ¡°Chandler, thank you.¡± She hugged him tightly, easing the conflicting emotions in his heart. After releasing her, Chandler said, ¡°Remember to keep your distance from Caleb once you return to the design department.¡± His words didn¡¯t sound angry, but they had an ominous undercurrent. Erin smiled and said, ¡°Are you really that worried about me? Or do youck confidence in yourself?¡± Chandler turned his face away, sneering coldly without answering her question. Once he resumed his seat, he said, ¡°Once you¡¯re done organizing your things, you can leave.¡± His expression was somewhatplex, and though she couldn¡¯t quite read it, she tried to appease him and asked, ¡°Shall we have lunch together?¡± ¡°No, you go ahead and eat on your own. After work, you can go back to the vi by yourself.¡± He didn¡¯t provide any further instructions. Erin felt a subtle sense of disappointment in her heart, but she didn¡¯t show it. She returned to her seat, carried the paper box in her hands, and prepared to leave. She reminded herself that it was better to leave here before getting ustomed to a life of luxury. After encountering someone like Ian, she no longer held as much anticipation for the future as she did in the past. Life lessons taught her that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Before leaving, Erin nced at Chandler and whispered softly, ¡°Okay¡­I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Chandler didn¡¯t lift his head to watch her, and with a tone devoid of warmth, he simply let out a hum. Ten minutester, Erin returned to her original seat in the design department. She quickly arranged the items on her desk, and in the meantime, some nosy female colleagues couldn¡¯t help but approach her to ask her various questions. Erin had already anticipated this and rehearsed her responses in her mind beforehand. Although the excuses she gave didn¡¯t change the way her colleagues saw her, it did work. Most of the people in the design department believed her exnation. In general, the story was that their president felt that Erin couldn¡¯t handle the position of an intern assistant, so he decided to transfer her back to the design department. As for why she was able to be the president¡¯s intern assistant in the first ce, Erin came up with a usible pretext. She mentioned that she had once helped the CEO with a small favor, and perhaps he impulsively chose her as an assistant because he thought she was reliable. Unfortunately, she only managed to deceive the more naive female colleagues. The female designers who loved spreading rumors had already crafted a new version of events. Privately, they spread rumors that Erin tried to climb the corporatedder by seducing the president but was rejected and humiliated. That was why she got transferred back to the design department. Three female designers were standing in the pantry, gossiping and giggling. At that moment, their director, Caleb, walked into the pantry to pour himself a cup of coffee. Seeing him enter the room, the three female designers smiled ingratiatingly before leaving. Caleb ced the coffee cup on the coffee machine, but his mind was preupied. He was the first to learn about Erin¡¯s return to the design department because Chandler personally called him. However, he wasn¡¯t pleased with her return. He hadn¡¯tpletely forgotten her yet. Yet Erin epted Chandler¡¯s offer and reappeared before him once again. It caused him a great deal of inner conflict and distress. As he exited the pantry, he immediately noticed a delivery man handing Erin arge bouquet of roses. ¡°Wow! Erin, who would be so generous to send you such a huge bunch of roses? How romantic¡­¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Rivals Instantly, Erin was surrounded by several female designers. It was almost lunchtime, and everyone was starting to rx. ¡°Is it from your husband?¡± ¡°Even though you¡¯re married, your husband still sends you roses? How romantic!¡± The wild assumptions kepting, and Erin made a firm decision. She said, ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. It¡¯s not from my husband. I¡¯m actually divorced now¡­¡± In order to prevent any further misunderstanding, Erin decided to reveal the truth. Mixed expressions shed across her female colleagues¡® faces when they heard the truth. An awkward atmosphere settled in for a moment. Standing not far away, E walked over to help defuse the situation. She smiled and said, ¡°Erin¡¯s husband cheated on her during their marriage. He¡¯s truly despicable! But look at Erin. She¡¯s young and beautiful. She has plenty of options. You see, even her admirers are sending flowers to the office!¡± With just a few words, E managed to convey the situation to the surrounding gossiping colleagues. After offering a fewforting words to Erin, they all returned to their seats. They noticed that their director, Caleb, was standing not far away. Although there were still five minutes left until lunchtime, they decided to resume their work and pretended to be upied. Casting a warm smile toward Erin, E also returned to her seat. Just as Erin set the roses down on her table, she caught sight of Caleb. Her expression became somewhat uneasy as she recalled theirst unpleasant encounter at the caf¨¦. Erin still felt slightly apprehensive about facing Caleb. If it weren¡¯t for Chandler¡¯s strong disapproval of her resignation and her own passion for design, she probably wouldn¡¯t have chosen to return to the design department. Caleb casually nced at her and headed straight back to his office. Thoughts of Caleb¡¯s gaze lingered in Erin¡¯s mind as she settled back into her seat. A bitter feeling crept into her heart. Even though they might never be able to be friends again, maintaining a professional rtionship wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. Once she hade to terms with this realization, she no longer dwelled on the past. She nced at the roses on the floor and realized they were toorge to be ced on her desk and were quite distracting. She had already noticed the note on the flowers when she received them, which read, ¡°From your hubby.¡± Although E had told the other female designers that the flowers weren¡¯t from Erin¡¯s ex¨Chusband, they were actually from him. Hubby was Ian¡¯s nickname. She couldn¡¯t refuse the delivery because the courier had explicitly stated that even if she wanted to discard the flowers, she had to do it herself. Their deliverypany was only responsible for ensuring urate and precise delivery. Erin retrieved her phone and sent a message to Ian. ¡°Please stop sending me flowers in the future. It attracts too much attention at the office.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Soon, Ian replied, ¡°Erin, can you give me another chance?¡± Upon seeing his response, she remembered that tomorrow was the 8th. It was her birthday. However, it was also the day her parents got divorced years ago. Now, she was divorced from Ian too. A sense of disappointment engulfed Erin, and she quickly replied, ¡°You don¡¯t have to put so much effort into persuading me. I won¡¯t change my mind.¡± Sitting in his office,n let out a deep sigh when he saw her message. He felt helpless and listless. Since he slept with Tracy again, he had already introduced her to work in anotherpany. He admitted feeling somewhat guilty. He feared Erin woulde to hispany and discover Tracy¡¯s presence one day. It would be difficult to justify the situation, no matter how many excuses he came up with. Erin¡¯s reluctance to forgiven made him realize it would be a prolonged battle. Fortunately, the chairman of the Frost Corporation, Quentin Frost, had returned to the country. Ian believed it was rted to the anonymous email he had discreetly sent. Deep down, he understood that esteemed families like the Frost family would never ept Erin. She lacked power, influence, and status. In aristocratic families, alliances were formed based on strength, and even marriages were driven by interests. Ian stared at Erin¡¯s text and typed another message. ¡°Erin, Mom¡¯s condition has improved these past few days, and she wants to see you. Do you have any free time toe home for a visit? It would mean a lot to her.¡± He firmly believed that his gentle approach would work on Erin. Whether it was feigning hardship or appealing to their familial bond, he was willing to employ it as long as it yielded results. The thought of Chandler, the man who had everything, ignited a jealous frenzy deep within Ian. If he also lost his ex¨Cwife to Chandler, he would consider his life an utter failure! A gentle knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Ian put his phone away and said, ¡°Pleasee in.¡± The office door was pushed open by a man in his thirties. It was Yandel Dawson, Ian¡¯s newly appointed male secretary. ¡°Mr. Sloan, ady named Miss Brown is looking for you at the front desk.¡± A hint of impatience appeared in Ian¡¯s eyes as he heard the name. He said, ¡°Tell her I¡¯m busy, and it¡¯s inconvenient for me to see her right now.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Sloan,¡± Yandel responded promptly and closed the door before he left. Once he was gone, Ian threw his phone irritably onto the desk. Ever since that night when he took the initiative to seek out Tracy, this woman had been clinging to him like a leech! Yet he felt reluctant topletely cut ties with her. At least until he won back Erin, Tracy could asionally fulfill his physical needs. However, Tracy¡¯s change in behavior was giving him a headache. It seemed like this materialistic woman had actually fallen in love with him. Things were bing a bitplicated. It was already 5 pm when Chandler and Kyle took the private elevator to the underground parking lot. Early in the morning, Gaston Frost, Chandler¡¯s grandfather, called Chandler and asked him to return to the Chandler family home for dinner that evening. Chandler could never reject his grandfather¡¯s requests. After they entered the car, Kyle nced at the rearview mirror and noticed a ck car not far behind them. He said, ¡°Mr. Frost, this car has been tailing us for a while. Shouldn¡¯t we do something about it?¡± With closed eyes, Chandler casually replied, ¡°Since Ian trusts private detectives so much, let him follow us. He won¡¯t be able to pull off any tricks.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Isn still in contact with Tracy?¡± Chandler suddenly asked. Speaking of which, Kyle became excited. ¡°Mr. Frost, how did you predict everything?n went to Tracy¡¯s apartment a few days ago and didn¡¯t leave until 10 am the next morning.¡± Chandler wasn¡¯t surprised at all. He suddenly opened his obsidian eyes and spoke sarcastically, ¡°Men like him who cheat once. will cheat again. If Erin, that foolish woman, can¡¯t let go of her past feelings, she will eventually soften up to him. We can only present evidence to make her give him up completely.¡± When it came to tactics, Kyle truly admired Chandler. Chandler probably didn¡¯t know how to please Erin because he had always been the one to be pleased by others. However, in terms of ying mind games, Chandler never took a neer in the field liken seriously. ¡°Mr. Frost, ording to the information we received, the chairman will likely approach Miss Lane in the next few days, just as he always did. He sent away your past paramours with money, which exins why none of them dared to bother you again.¡± Kyle couldn¡¯t help feeling puzzled at how nosy the chairman was, even interfering in his son¡¯s personal rtionships. Chandler¡¯s dark gaze shifted towards the window as the car exited the underground parking lot and emerged onto the road. The window blocked the ring sunlight outside. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m quite curious to see how Erin will respond to my father¡­¡± Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Let¡¯s Be Friends Toward the end of the workday, Erin¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from May. Although they were no longer running the online shop together or sharing a rented apartment, they were still rtives, so Erin answered the call. As soon as she picked up, May started cursing. ¡°Erin, are you fucking serious? What kind of shitty house did you rent? Thendlord sold the house shortly after we rented it! Now thendlord is pressuring me to move out! How am I supposed to find a new ce in such a short time?¡± May started to direct her anger at Cherry. Erin¡¯s face immediately fell when she heard that. ¡°May Chapman, you¡¯d better watch your mouth! My mom didn¡¯t provoke you.¡± May toned it down slightly at Erin¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m just really stressed out. Didn¡¯t thendlord assure us when we signed the lease that they wouldn¡¯t sell the house in the near future? Why did they change their mind?¡± Erin could sympathize with May¡¯s current situation. After all, she was the one who had signed the lease, so she felt partly responsible. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯ll call thendlord to find out the situation. I¡¯ll call you backter.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting for your update.¡± After hanging up, Erin felt a sense of helplessness. It seemed that the newndlord, Chandler, was eager to drive her cousin out. She had asked him about it when she returned to the vi. That night, Chandler was able to visit her ce because thendlord had secretly sold the house to him. After all, it was hard for anyone to resist selling when someone offered a significantly higher price than the market value. He had initially bought that house for Erin. Now that Erin had returned to the vi, Chandler naturally treated that ordinary residential property as disposable trash. After moments of contemtion, Erin decided to discuss the matter with Chandler when she returned to the vi in the evening. She continued to immerse herself in work. Although Caleb no longer had direct contact with her, they still had to work. together. Work arrangements were mostlymunicated through email. In order to showcase her professionalism, Erin voluntarily stayed behind to work overtime. She didn¡¯t want to rely on any personal connections in the design department. She aimed to earn the respect and recognition of her colleagues through her skills and be worthy of her sry. Time flew, and when Erin finally stretched and prepared to leave the office, she realized it was nearly ten pm. She shut down herputer and got ready to leave. Coincidentally, Caleb also stepped out of his office. Their eyes met, but Erin quickly avoided his gaze and hurriedly left. She patiently waited for the elevator to arrive. She couldn¡¯t help but notice the approaching sound of a man¡¯s footsteps behind her. Trying to appear busy, she stood to the side and pretended to text on her phone. When the elevator finally arrived, she and Caleb entered together. The atmosphere inside was awkward and silent. Finally, Caleb spoke up, ¡°I want to apologize for my attitude when I left the caf¨¦st time. I hope you can forgive me.¡± Erin looked up at him and replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s all in the past. I¡¯ve already forgotten about it.¡± There was a hint of suppressed emotion in Caleb¡¯s cool gaze as he calmly said, ¡°Wee back to the design department. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Even if we can¡¯t be lovers, we can still be friends and colleagues.¡± His goodwill eased Erin¡¯s heart, and she expressed her gratitude, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Why are you thanking me? I haven¡¯t done anything for you¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s expression seemed somewhat deste. She smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for still considering me a friend.¡± Erin¡¯s warm smile was powerful enough to ignite a spark in Caleb¡¯s previously dormant heart, causing it to flutter once again. However, she was dating Chandler¡­ As the elevator doors opened, Caleb snapped to reality and walked out first. He asked, ¡°Are you going home alone?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going home on my own tonight.¡± He suggested, ¡°I didn¡¯t drive today. If you¡¯re okay with it, shall we take a taxi together?¡± Slightly surprised, Erin replied, ¡°But I nned to take the subway. There¡¯s still enough time¡­¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then I¡¯ll apany you on the subway.¡± Although Chandler had warned her to stay away from Caleb, taking the subway together shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right? ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go together.¡± Of course, Hans noticed Erin and Caleb heading toward the subway station after leaving thepany building. Although Chandler promised Erin he wouldn¡¯t have Hans track her anymore, he still worried about her safety. Whether Erin was alone or with Chandler, Hans would still secretly follow and protect her. Not long after, Chandler received a text message from Hans at a private estate. The message contained a photo of Erin and Caleb taking the subway together. Chandler was swirling his cup of red wine with Logan sitting beside him, wearing a mischievous expression. ¡°Chandler, you¡¯ve been either spacing out or pulling a face since we arrived. If your mind is elsewhere, you might as well head back early.¡± Despite his refined appearance, Logan¡¯s nted eyes exuded a sinister aura. Hearing that, Chandler put away his phone and suddenly asked, ¡°What kind of gift do women anticipate the most?¡± Logan took a drag from his cigar and replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t you skilled in cooking? Since Erin sets her standards high and doesn¡¯t care about material possessions, why not personally cook a meal for her? It would surely touch her deeply.¡± Chandler couldn¡¯t help but feel doubtful. ¡°Is that so?¡± Logan grinned and said, ¡°Trust me. Give it a try, and you¡¯ll have a great night tonight¡­¡± Chandler sneered, ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the kind of person who is content with what she has and has nevercked money since she was young. Money isn¡¯t as important to her as it is to most people. Even though her parents divorced when she was young, her biological father is quite wealthy. While he may not be on the same level as us, he¡¯s considered one of the wealthiest individuals in their hometown, Southwrok County¡­¡± ¡°Are you that bored that you investigated her?¡± A tinge of coldness shed across Chandler¡¯s eyes. Logan nced at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious about her. I want to know what kind of upbringing shaped her.¡± ¡°How boring! Aren¡¯t you afraid your jealous girlfriend will go crazy when she finds out you¡¯re investigating her?¡± Chandler¡¯s gaze towards Logan now held a touch of sympathy. Logan chuckled helplessly, and his expression began to turn gloomy. ¡°We broke up.¡± Chandler was surprised to hear that. ¡°She agreed to it?¡± ¡°Whether she agreed or not, we had to break up. She has some psychological issues that need to be solved! If this continues, I, too, will need to see a psychologist sooner orter.¡± Chandler asked, ¡°You and Yvonne were together for five years, right? Don¡¯t you feel it¡¯s a pity to end things like that?¡± ¡°Well, toxic rtionships like this should end, even though it¡¯s a pity.¡± As Erin exited the subway station and was about to hail a taxi back to the vi, a woman, who had been following her, walked past her and swiftly jabbed a needle into her nape. Wearing a hat, the woman hurriedly left the scene. Erin suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck. Instinctively, she reached to touch it and saw a small bead of blood on her fingertips. Dizziness started to take over her vision. Within a few seconds, she copsed to the ground and lost consciousness. Right before she cked out, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure running towards her from a distance. Silently, she uttered the person¡¯s name, ¡°Caleb¡­¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Injected With Virus Caleb, who had returned unexpectedly, suddenly had a change of heart. Subconsciously, he felt a strong urge to safely escort Erin back home. Just as he stepped out of the subway station, he was startled to find Erin lying on the ground. Just as Caleb was about to rush over, another man arrived ahead of him. It was Hans. ¡°Miss Lane! Miss Lane!¡± Hans¡® expression was stern. He had been discreetly following Erin the whole time. To prevent Erin from recognizing him, he had even disguised himself with a fisherman¡¯s hat and a thick beard. Without hesitation, Caleb also crouched down to assess Erin¡¯s condition. Worriedly, he said, ¡°Erin! Wake up, please¡­¡± A crowd began to gather, and Hans immediately said, ¡°We need to get her to the hospital right away! We can¡¯t afford any further dys¡­¡± He wanted to carry Erin himself, but considering Chandler might mind, Hans took the initiative and said, ¡°Mr. Grant, could you kindly help carry Miss Lane? I¡¯m Hans, Mr. Frost¡¯s bodyguard, and it might not be appropriate for me to do so.¡± Caleb nced at him and, without a word, immediately lifted Erin into his arms. Hans quickly stepped forward to hail a taxi. Half an hourter, they arrived at the nearest hospital with Erin. Although it wasn¡¯t a top¨Ctier hospital like the Liberty General Hospital, at least this hospital was an upper first¨Css hospital. Caleb and Hans waited outside the emergency room. Hans had already called and informed Chandler and Kyle about the incident. He asked Kyle to send someone to retrieve the surveince footage from the surrounding area to identify the mysterious woman. Over an hourter, Chandler and Logan rushed to the hospital. Ten minutes ago, Erin was transferred from the emergency room to a VIP ward. Chandler¡¯s face was dark when he pushed open the door and entered the ward. Seeing Erin lying unconscious on the bed, still wearing an oxygen mask, he felt a wave of inexplicable anxiety in his heart. His eyes turned cold as he looked at Hans, who knew he had failed his duty. Hans immediately approached him and lowered his head before saying, ¡°Mr. Frost, it was my mistake! Please punish me!¡± Chandler replied coldly, ¡°You did indeed fail in your duty! I¡¯ll punish you after Erin wakes up. Why is she still unconscious? What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°The doctor said Miss Lane has been infected with a rare virus. This virus can cause prolonged unconsciousness. If there is an antidote, she will wake up soon. Unfortunately, the hospital doesn¡¯t have such an antidote.¡± Concern washed over Han¡¯s face. ¡°What will happen if they can¡¯t find the antidote?¡± Chandler¡¯s eyes were trembling with unease. Hans avoided Chandler¡¯s gaze and said solemnly, ¡°The doctor said if Miss Lane doesn¡¯t receive the antidote, she will remain in a permanenta until one day her brain ceases to function¡­¡± Upon hearing this answer, Chandler flew into a rage and delivered a powerful kick toward Hans. Despite Hans¡® agile body, he couldn¡¯t withstand such a close¨Crange strike and stumbled back several steps before managing to regain his bnce. Logan and Caleb frowned. Chandler¡¯s kick was so powerful. It must have caused Hans to have internal bleeding. ¡°Gather all the experts in the city to develop the antidote as soon as possible! Make sure Kyle finds the woman in the surveince footage!¡± Chandler strode toward Erin. He then pulled out a chair and sat beside her. He never expected such an incident would ur just because he failed to apany her home for one evening! Chandler¡¯s heart was consumed with guilt. ¡°Chandler, I¡¯ll call n immediately and ask him toe over. Perhaps he knows something about this virus¡­¡± Logan¡¯s expression was grave. Chandler¡¯s eyes were fixated on Erin as he held her hand, and a chill ran through his body. The mere thought of Erin being brain¨Cdead sent shivers down his spine! ¡°Call him.¡± Logan immediately stepped out of the ward to call n. Face pale, Caleb stood in the room, consumed by regret. If only he had insisted on sending Erin back to the vi, she wouldn¡¯t have been targeted and fell unconscious. Five minutester, Chandler turned around and said to Caleb, ¡°Caleb, you should go back. There¡¯s not much you can do here.¡± Caleb maintained a stoic expression as he replied, ¡°Chandler, I won¡¯t leave until Erin wakes up.¡± His unwavering determination drew a cold smirk on Chandler¡¯s face. He responded, ¡°Suit yourself. If you want to wait, go outside and wait. Right now, I don¡¯t want to see anyone.¡± Chandler¡¯s mood was at its lowest, and he had no patience left, even for Caleb. Caleb didn¡¯t insist any further and exited the ward with a gloomy face. Meanwhile, Hans had already left earlier to attend to some matters. At three in the morning, n walked into the ward wearing a white coat. He removed his mask and said to Chandler, Chandler, I have identified theposition of the virus. An overseas hospital has also sent an email confirming the existence of an antidote for this virus!¡± Chandler immediately stood up and asked, ¡°Where is the antidote?¡± ¡°They require a series of approvals and procedures there. It will take at least a week to obtain the antidote.¡± n¡¯s expression was extremely grave, clearly displeased with their response. Chandler cursed upon hearing n¡¯s words. Soon, he forced himself to calm down and started thinking of other solutions. No one could guarantee Erin wouldn¡¯t be brain¨Cdead within this week! Now it was a race against time to save her life! Chandler uttered, ¡°n, negotiate with the other party. Regardless of the cost, I want them to provide the antidote as soon as possible! Call Mike and see if he has ess to this antidote! I¡¯ll go find my uncle now.¡± ¡°Alright, once either of us has any news, we¡¯ll inform each other.¡± Chandler immediately noticed Caleb, who had been waiting in the corridor, as he exited the ward with n. He said, ¡°You go in and take care of her. I¡¯m heading to the military base now. Give me a call if anything happens!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Caleb nodded and replied, ¡°Alright! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got it covered.¡± Chandler drove straight to the military camp on the city¡¯s outskirts. Over two hourster, Chandler arrived at his destination, looking disheveled and exhausted. Holding a special pass, he drove his car directly into the military camp. In less than twenty minutes, Chandler¡¯s uncle, Andrew Frost, returned to his own quarters. As soon as he arrived, Chandler exined the purpose of his visit. Andrew seemed troubled when he heard the story but couldn¡¯t ignore the matter that concerned Erin¡¯s life and death. He said, ¡°Chandler, I will report to the higher¨Cups immediately and strive to speed up the approval of the antidote. I will also order a thorough investigation to determine if this virus has leaked from our side.¡± Chandler was shocked to hear Andrew¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t expect such a virus to exist within the country! If he had given up the thought of approaching Andrew at first, Erin might have missed the opportunity to recover earlier. After five agonizing hours of waiting, they finally received news. Andrew hung up and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have arranged for Simon to deliver the antidote personally. He is currently rushing to the airport.¡± His words temporarily eased the heavy burden in Chandler¡¯s heart. Surprised, he asked, ¡°Simon is back? When did he return?¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Received the Antidote A tinge of surprise shed across Andrew¡¯s eyes when he heard Chandler¡¯s question, but he quickly masked it with a smile and said, ¡°He returned to the country over a month ago. Since his return, he has been busy handling cases. This time, a foreignpany sent him back on official business. He had been here three times but always for work¨Crted matters, so he didn¡¯t have time to meet you.¡± Andrew seemed to be hiding something, but Chandler didn¡¯t expose him. He only chuckled. ¡°Well, he¡¯s surely a busywyer, much busier than a president like me.¡± ¡°Haha, you guys are both busy people. By the way, Chandler, what¡¯s the rtionship between that girl and you? How did she be a target of such a vicious plot with this virus?¡± Andrew couldn¡¯t help but be curious about Erin. How did she attract such ruthless enemies if she was an ordinary girl? The fact that they resorted to an experimental virus prohibited by the military indicated that the other party was not simply rich and influential but also wielded significant power. Andrew briefly replied, ¡°I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Uncle, I¡¯ll go back to the hospital now. When Simon arrives, have him call me immediately.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve already talked to him on the phone and told him to contact you once he arrives. Don¡¯t worry. If I receive any news, I¡¯ll inform you immediately. We must apprehend those individuals! What they¡¯ve done is far too audacious!¡± Andrew¡¯s face darkened with a grim expression. When Chandler returned to the hospital again, the sky was already beginning to brighten. Before entering the hospital, he bought breakfast for Caleb from a nearby shop. Upon entering the ward, he saw Caleb sitting beside Erin. It seemed like he hadn¡¯t slept a wink throughout the night. Seeing Chandler, Kyle rose from the couch, holding a stack of documents in his hand. Chandler handed the breakfast to Caleb and said, ¡°Go freshen up a bit and have your Caleb nodded and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. breakfast.¡± Kyle said, ¡°Mr. Frost, we have apprehended the culprit. There seems to be no prior connection or grudge between her and Miss Lane. It wasn¡¯t a random act, and she has no history of mental illness. It appears that she was manipted by someone, but the suspect refuses to reveal the mastermind.¡± Chandler pondered momentarily and asked, ¡°What is their current conclusion? Will there be any changes in the investigation approach?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°They have sent someone to the suspect¡¯s hometown to interrogate her mother. Perhaps her mother will provide a breakthrough¡­¡± ¡°Continue to follow up on that. If the local police force is not capable, transfer the case to the investigation team in Seaside City and have Mr. Larson personally handle the case!¡± Chandler made a firm decision. ¡°Yes.¡± At that moment, Erin¡¯s phone in her shoulder bag rang. Kyle walked over, retrieved the phone from the bag, and handed it to Chandler. To his surprise, the iing call was from Erin¡¯s cousin, May. Chandler was curious to hear what this ungratefuldy had to bother Erin with! Right after the call was connected, May immediately erupted in a fit of curses. ¡°Erin Lane, are you freaking dead? You only answer my call now! I bombarded you with messagesst night, and you didn¡¯t reply to a single one. What about the matter with the house? How did the inquiries go? Regardless of the oue, can¡¯t you at least say something? Do you think I would bother calling you if thendlord didn¡¯t ignore my calls?¡± Chandler¡¯s face darkened as soon as he heard the first sentence she uttered. How dare this ill¨Cmannered woman curse at her cousin, who was currently in a critical condition with her life hanging on a thread? Thinking about May, Chandler couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Erin. Throughout their lives, Erin had helped May countless times. What a naive and kind¨Chearted person Erin was, only to meet such a fate! ¡°Are you pretending to be mute, Erin? Let me tell you, if you don¡¯t resolve the house issue for me, I¡¯ll call you every single day! You think you can leave me alone to deal with the problem after you leave? Now that there¡¯s a problem with the house, you¡¯re hiding like a coward¡­¡± Listening to May¡¯s incessant ranting, Chandler decided to hang up on her and turned off the phone altogether. ¡°Kyle, sell the house where May currently resides as quickly as possible and make sure that spoiled rich guy stops providing her with financial support. Doesn¡¯t his father have a contract to sign with one of Frost Corporation¡¯s subsidiaries? Increase their profits by one percent, and let¡¯s see how May manages to survive.¡± Chandler coldly threw the phone at Kyle. Kyle nodded and said, ¡°Alright, Mr. Frost.¡± May was Erin¡¯s cousin. Due to their rtionship, Chandler couldn¡¯t destroy herpletely. However, teaching her a lesson would be a piece of cake. By three pm, Chandler¡¯s cousin, Simon Frost, arrived at the hospital with the antidote. The director of the neurology department personally administered the antidote through an intravenous infusion for Erin. All of them took the matter seriously. The antidote was carefully mixed into the IV bag. If there were no otherplications, Erin was expected to regain consciousness within two hours. By the time Erin woke up, Simon had already left the hospital. Chandler also sent Caleb back home. He said he would start to smell if he didn¡¯t shower. Caleb didn¡¯t want to leave a bad impression on Erin, and it was inconvenient for him to shower in the hospital¡¯s bathroom without a change of clothes. Hence, he left reluctantly. ¡°Chandler¡­¡± Erin still had an IV drip attached to the back of her hand. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Chandler sitting on the chair beside her bed. His eyes were red, indicating that he hadn¡¯t slept all night. He was focused on the needle in her hand, worried that any sudden movement from her might dislodge it. He gently pressed her arm back into position and coldly warned, ¡°Don¡¯t move! You¡¯re receiving an IV drip.¡± Feeling lightheaded and her vision blurred, Erin surveyed her surroundings. Her mouth tasted bitter. Furrowing her brows, she asked, ¡°What happened to me?¡± Chandler¡¯s expression momentarily froze upon hearing her question. Uncertain whether revealing the truth about the poisoned needle would rm her, he chose not to disclose it. ¡°You fainted. The doctor diagnosed you with anemia. From now on, you need to eat more foods that help with blood cirction.¡± His tone carried a hint of subtle reproach as if implying she hadn¡¯t been taking good care of herself. Erin was taken aback. ¡°But the doctor told me everything was fine during myst gastrointestinal examination¡­¡± Chandler¡¯s eyes flickered as he said, ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve exhausted you too much these past few days. It seems I need to give you a few days off.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel that tired recently. Before I was transferred back to the design department, I spent most of my time browsing the inte¡­¡± Her train of thought left Chandler speechless. ¡°You¡¯re not exhausted enough? Well, then, I¡¯ll drain you tonight!¡± It was only now that Erin grasped his intended meaning. Her cheeks turned slightly red, adding a touch of color to her pale face. She replied, ¡°You¡¯re so mean¡­¡± Chandler leaned down and kissed her forehead before straightening up and saying, ¡°You must be hungry. I¡¯ll call Kyle and ask him to bring you some food. Whatever you want to eat, I¡¯ll satisfy your cravings as long as it exists.¡± Without thinking, Erin yfully remarked, ¡°I want you!¡± After saying it, she wanted to smack herself. That sounded so suggestive. Chandler¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°You little devil, if you weren¡¯t sick, I would seriously consider fulfilling your request right here!¡± Erin remained silent. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Only a Lover When Kyle arrived at the hospital with the meal, it was already past five in the afternoon. Wearing her patient gown, Erin walked over to the couch and sat down. Chandler had already opened all the meal boxes Kyle brought. The coffee table was filled with Erin¡¯s favorite dishes. They were all packed neatly in exquisite mini containers. Tears sprung to Erin¡¯s eyes when she saw that. Choking with emotion, she said, ¡°These are all the dishes I love¡­¡± An unusual tenderness shed across Chandler¡¯s eyes as he gently brushed her long hair. ¡°I wanted to cook for you myself, but now that you¡¯re hospitalized, I had Kyle search for all the dishes you love in the city¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Erin, deeply moved, threw herself into his embrace and sobbed softly. She never expected. him to be so attentive. She never anticipated such meticulous preparations made just for her. The best way to win over a foodie was to treat her to all her favorite dishes. Erin¡¯s heart was captured by this table filled to the brim. Chuckling softly, Chandler took the napkin from Kyle¡¯s hand and wiped away her tears. ¡°Silly girl, you refused the thirty million I offered back then because you thought it was too little, but now you¡¯re moved to tears only by a table full of food. Erin, you are such a foolish and naive foodie.¡± She took the napkin and wiped away her tears while pouting. ¡°You¡¯re the foodie¡­¡± ¡°Stop crying. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± With tears still brimming in her eyes, Erin looked utterly adorable. Unexpectedly, Chandler was captivated for a moment, and his icy heart softened ever so slightly. Erin impatiently grabbed the utensils and stuffed her mouth with food. It didn¡¯t take long before her cheeks bulged out as if she was a squirrel. Chandler helplessly said, ¡°Slow down. You¡¯re going to upset your stomach! Nobody¡¯s going to take your food away.¡± Erin giggled mischievously and continued to devour her food. Throughout the entire time, Kyle stood by, witnessing firsthand as Erin, the power¨Ceater, consumed a portion of food that could satisfy three grown men. Astonished, he furrowed his brows. Did Erin have three stomachs? Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Yet Erin, whose eyes were sparkling with delight, was not yet satisfied. As she reached her fork toward a piece of prawn, arge hand swiftly and urately snatched her utensil away. Ignoring Erin, Chandler had finally reached his limit and eximed, ¡°Kyle, take away all the food!¡± Erin grew anxious and protested, ¡°Don¡¯t take it away. I haven¡¯t finished eating!¡± ¡°Erin, I did everything to save you, and now you¡¯re going to eat yourself to death. That¡¯s unfair to me.¡± Chandler¡¯s expression turned icy. He had expected her to control herself after getting her fill, but clearly, he had underestimated Erin¡¯s appetite! Kyle had already started silently packing the meal boxes, thinking to himself that if Chandler didn¡¯t intervene, he would have to step in and take things into his own hands. Chandler firmly grabbed Erin¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going to take a walk in the park now!¡± Forcefully, Chandler pulled her along, disregarding the fact that she was still in her slippers. As they walked, Erin turned back to nce at the uneaten dishes, her eyes filled with a deep sense of anguish. He forcibly turned her head back and coldly warned, ¡°If you keep acting like this, I¡¯m going to get angry.¡± Reluctantly, Erin lowered her head and followed him. Five minutester, they arrived at a small park within the hospital grounds exclusively reserved for VIP patients. While Erin was still unconscious, Chandler had a helicopter transfer her to the city¡¯s best hospital, the Liberty General Hospital. Chandler held her in his arms as they sat on a white wooden bench surrounded by a bed of roses. Erin was immediately. captivated by the beautiful scenery and gradually forgot the delicious food from earlier. However, not long after, Erin held her stomach in difort. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have a stomach ache?¡± Chandler asked. Erin blushed and nodded as Chandler looked at her helplessly. He reached out to massage her stomach. ¡°You really deserve a good scolding. You¡¯re all grown up, yet you act like a child¡­¡± Erin whispered, ¡°The food was just too good¡­¡± Chandler gently flicked her nose. ¡°You¡¯re just a little pig.¡± Erin noticed the fondness in Chandler¡¯s eyes. She felt a sense of panic in her heart, and her eyes began to well up with tears. ¡°Why are you crying again?¡± His soothing voice made Erin melt in his embrace. His strikingly handsome face under the moonlight set her heart aze. She could feel her heart pounding in her ribcage, and for the first time, she felt an inexplicable sense of fear. Suddenly, Erin wondered if she would ever be able to love another man if she lost him. Love¡­ She said, ¡°Chandler, don¡¯t be too nice to me. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to let go when we have to part ways.¡± His hand continued to massage her stomach, and he fell silent at her words. Of course, he understood the implications of what she said. ¡°Erin, just stay with me. That¡¯s all you need to do.¡± Ultimately, he didn¡¯t say the words Erin hoped to hear, and she could only hide her disappointment again. Wiping her tears away, she asked, ¡°You said earlier that you saved me? What does that mean? Didn¡¯t you say that I have anemia?¡± Chandler was taken aback for a moment. He slipped up in the heat of the moment. Taking a deep breath, he decided to reveal the truth to Erin. He thought it was important for her to be cautious in case she encountered such a situation again in the future. Hence, he concisely told Erin the story. After he finished, Erin remained shocked for quite some time before returning to her senses. ¡°Who could it be? I don¡¯t remember having any enemies. And our family¡­ the biggest enemy I¡¯ve ever encountered was probably Dana.¡± Chandler responded solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you think. You were lucky this time, but the culprit will surely strike again. Our enemy is in the shadows while we are out in the open. I cannot guarantee you won¡¯t be targeted again, so you must be extra careful of the people around you. I will have Hans continue to protect you in secret.¡± Erin epted his suggestion readily. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯ll get you a car so you can drive yourself around more easily.¡± She then looked at him oddly. ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯m your mistress?¡± Chandler tapped her forehead lightly. ¡°You silly woman, I don¡¯t have a wife or girlfriend. Why would you be my mistress?¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. A hint of sadness appeared in Erin¡¯s eyes. ¡°My stomach is fine now¡­¡± She lowered her head and pulled his hand away. Erin struggled to get down, and Chandler didn¡¯t force her to stay in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired. I¡¯ll go back to get some rest.¡± She left without looking back. Chandler didn¡¯t follow her. He wanted tofort her but didn¡¯t know what to say. From the beginning, she was destined to only be his lover. He couldn¡¯t promise her anything else. Yet, she silently epted everything. A hint of worry began to grow in Chandler¡¯s heart. He feared that one day, she might leave him. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Not Worthy of Him Erin was kept under observation in the hospital for two days before getting discharged. Chandler ordered her to rest for the next three days. Otherwise, he threatened to have her transferred back to being his assistant from the design department. Erin naturallyplied and was happy to enjoy her paid leave. She didn¡¯t want to tell anyone about being drugged, nor did she want her family and friends to worry. Moreover, the real culprit behind the incident was still on the loose. Hence, it was better to keep it a secret. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. It was 4.30 pm, and Erin was driving a white BMW towards a restaurant. Quentin, the legendary chairman and father of Chandler, had finallye to see her. As an employee of thepany, she couldn¡¯t refuse to meet Chandler¡¯s father. Even though she was very nervous, she knew she couldn¡¯t just give up without trying. Forty minutester, Erin parked her car and walked into one of the most famous restaurants in the city. The restaurant was frequented by either prominent figures in the business world or wealthy celebrities. The restaurant operated on a membership system. Normal tycoons were not qualified to dine here. As Erin mentioned her name to the staff, she was quickly led to a private room to meet with Quentin. Before they even met, Quentin had already attempted to intimidate Erin by reminding her of her social standing. Although she felt a little ufortable, Erin mustered her courage and pushed open the door to the private room. To her surprise, the room was empty. Not even a waiter was present. Erin checked her watch and realized she had arrived ten minutes early. As she surveyed the room, the style and atmosphere of the ce made her feel somewhat oppressed. It reminded her she was only an ordinary white¨Ccor worker with no power, status, or influence. Her father had borrowed five million dors yesterday for his business. Steven promised to return it within a week. Upon hearing about her father¡¯s financial crisis, Erin was shocked but didn¡¯t hesitate to lend him the money. After all, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to buy a house now. Although she felt uneasy without that money on hand, she trusted her father and believed he would be able to turn his business around. The same issue had happened a few times during the past few years, and Steven had always managed to turn things around. As Erin was engrossed in her thoughts, the door to the private room suddenly opened. She immediately stood up as Quentin walked in with a man of simr age who seemed to be his secretary. ¡°You must be Erin Lane?¡± Despite being in his fifties, Quentin looked remarkably youthful, with a handsome and distinguished appearance that could pass for someone in their forties. Dressed in a high¨Cend Italian tailored suit, he was 6 feet 2 inches tall and looked very charming. Erin felt a bit nervous but managed to keep herposure. ¡°Hello, I am Erin Lane.¡± Quentin walked over and sat at the grand table, exuding a natural aura of authority and power. ¡°Miss Lane, please take a seat.¡± Erin immediately sat down. She couldn¡¯t help marveling at how charismatic Chandler¡¯s father was. Though his aura was not as domineering as Chandler, his stoic face oozed authority. Even a confident and brave person would still unconsciously bow their head in the face of his noble and arrogant aura gained from years of mingling with the upper echelons of the business world. ¡°Miss Lane, are you nervous?¡± Quentin asked with a hint of disdain in his deep eyes. Erin replied, ¡°You are the chairman of Frost Corporation, and I am just a small employee. Of course, I will feel nervous in your presence.¡± Quentin remained silent. Sizing Erin up, he cut to the chase. ¡°Miss Lane, forgive me for being blunt, but you are not worthy of my son.¡± Erin¡¯s face fell when she heard such an upromising statement, and she couldn¡¯t help recalling Caleb¡¯s warning. Erin spoke calmly, ¡°Mr. Frost¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not in thepany now. You don¡¯t have to be polite.¡± Erin looked at his deep eyes, summoning her courage as she continued, ¡°Mr. Frost, I know I don¡¯t deserve Chandler with my humble status, so I¡¯ve never intended to marry him. You can rest assured.¡± Her words didn¡¯t seem to satisfy Quentin at all, and he sneered. ¡°Miss Lane, since you don¡¯t intend to marry him, why must you settle for being my son¡¯s mistress? What are you after? If it¡¯s money you want, I can give it to you. I guarantee you¡¯ll never have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life.¡± Upon hearing his words, Erin couldn¡¯t help butugh. Even Quentin¡¯s tactics were as Caleb had described. It seemed that Caleb was right all along. ¡°Miss Lane, I know you might find my words amusing now. You¡¯re still young. You can confidently say you¡¯re dating my son because you love him. But your ambitions will grow as time passes, and being an underground lover will no longer satisfy you. You will begin to crave more, but the Frost family will never ept a woman like you. Even Chandler will not ept you.¡± Erin remained silent, and a trace of bitterness shed across her eyes. She couldn¡¯t bear to leave Chandler, which gave Quentin the opportunity to humiliate her. However, she followed her heart and said, ¡°Since you are so sure that your son won¡¯t ept me, why are you rushing to drive me away now?¡± Quentin snorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m in a hurry to make you leave because I¡¯m afraid Chandler will fall for you. I can tell you the truth. Chandler¡¯s engagement ceremony is on the ninth of next month. It had been decided six months Chandler ago. is a man who already has a fianc¨¦e. If you still have some self¨Crespect, I hope you will resign and leave Frost Corporation and my son as soon as possible.¡± The bombshell Quentin dropped left Erin¡¯s mindpletely nk. Seeing her pale face, Quentin finally smiled. He continued, ¡°It seems my son didn¡¯t tell you about this. Obviously, you¡¯re just a mistress in his heart. If you¡¯re dating him out of love and not because of money, I think you know what to do now.¡± At this moment, Erin couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. Quentin¡¯s words kept echoing in her ears. Pure love was the reason she held onto their rtionship. However, hearing about Chandler¡¯s engagement, Erin felt her heart dropped. Now she didn¡¯t even have the excuse or courage to convince herself. Perhaps Quentin¡¯s news was too shocking, Erin wanted to leave, but her legs went weak. Rooted to the ground, she couldn¡¯t even stand up. Noticing Erin¡¯s reaction, Quentin looked at his secretary. His secretary got the message and retrieved a bank card from his briefcase. ¡°Miss Lane, here¡¯s 50 million dorspensation from the Frost family for your loss. Take the money and enjoy your life. You¡¯ll eventually realize that love is the most useless thing in the world.¡± With that, Quentin ced the bank card on the table and left the private room with his secretary. Five minutester, Erin snapped to her senses and looked at the card on the table. She immediately stood up, took the bank card, and rushed out of the room. As she turned the corner of the hallway, she collided with a man and fell into his embrace¡­ Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Getting Drunk Alone After realizing she had bumped into someone, Erin quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± As she looked up at the person, she was stunned. The handsome Louis was already grinning delightedly. ¡°Miss Lane, it¡¯s you! What a coincidence to see you again¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry¡­¡® Louis nced at the bank card in Erin¡¯s hands with his blue eyes. He then retrieved a card case from his suit¡¯s pocket and handed her a simple business card. Holding the card with two hands, he said sincerely, ¡°Miss Lane, I know you¡¯re in a hurry. So I won¡¯t keep you long. Here is my business card. I hope you¡¯ll take it. I¡¯m really sorry for mistaking you for my deceased wifest time. If you need any help in the future, please don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± Looking at the business card in his hand, Erin didn¡¯t know whether to ept it, but Louis continued to smile at her, his attitude sincere and full of goodwill. Eventually, she took Louis¡® business card and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have a business card¡­¡± Louis smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. As long as you don¡¯t throw away my business card.¡± Erin had actually thought about doing just that, but being called out directly by Louis made her feel somewhat embarrassed. Of course not¡­¡± She continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really have to go now. I have some matters to attend to.¡± Louis smiled faintly. ¡°Of course, Miss Lane. I hope to see you again next time.¡± Erin waved to him and quickly walked away. Louis stared at Erin¡¯s disappearing figure and couldn¡¯t return to his senses for a long time. A hint of fondness appeared in his eyes as he looked at her. His assistant asked, ¡°Sir, since you¡¯re interested in getting closer to her, why not find a way to create more opportunities?¡± Louis¡¯s mysterious eyes gleamed with a hint of sharpness. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. Someday, she¡¯lle to me on her own.¡± || As Erin arrived outside the restaurant, Quentin had already left in his car. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know what to do, but then she realized she could simply mail the bank card to hispany when she had the time. With that sorted, the only thing on her mind was that Chandler was getting engaged next month. Feeling numb, she walked to the BMW Chandler bought her and looked at the key in her hand. However, she didn¡¯t get into the car. Erin wanted to hail a cab. Before leaving the restaurant, she went to a secluded spot in the parking lot. Hans was in the car and quickly rolled down the window when she knocked on the window. ¡°I know Chandler ordered you to follow me, but I hope you can give me some space today. I need some time alone to calm down.¡± ¡°Miss Lane, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. I¡¯m just following Mr. Frost¡¯s orders.¡± Hans didn¡¯t dare to disobey Chandler. Erin sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t need to follow me anymore from tomorrow. So tonight, I¡¯ll call the shots. I¡¯ll take responsibility for whatever happens. If you continue to follow me, I will report you to the police.¡± Erin didn¡¯t seem like she was joking. Hans¡® face darkened, and he remained silent. Erin didn¡¯t bother to wait for his response and strode away. When she arrived at the roadside, she began to hail a taxi, and within five minutes, she managed to get one. When Erin got into the car, she saw the ck Range Rover following them. She said to the driver, ¡°Sir, can you please drive around a little longer? There¡¯s a creep following me. If you can help me shake him off, I¡¯ll give you an extra two hundred dors tip.¡± The driver was happy to hear such a great offer. ¡°Sure, miss. Please fasten your seat belt! It¡¯s not my first time trying to shake off such people¡­¡± After twenty minutes of navigating through a series of obstructive red lights, the driver sessfully shook off Hans¡® Range Rover. Only then did Erin tell the driver the name of a five¨Cstar hotel in the suburbs. She didn¡¯t want to return to Chandler¡¯s vi tonight, nor did she want to find her best friend, Holly. She wanted to drink some wine and smoke alone to thoroughly think through the problem between her and Chandler. Erin arrived at the hotel two hourster and requested a business suite. Once inside the hotel room, she took a shower. Then, Erin put on a bathrobe and called for room service. She requested them to buy her a bottle of red wine and a pack of cigarettes from a nearby convenience store. Forty minutester, she drank half a bottle of red wine and smoked six cigarettes. Erin turned up the volume of the television a little, fearing that the neighboring rooms would hear her if she ended up crying. Already tipsy, she held the remote control and aimlessly switched channels. Thinking back on every moment she had with Chandler and finally deciding to let go now, she couldn¡¯t believe how much her heart was hurting. Erin took another sip of the cheap but strong red wine and burst intoughter as she held the bank card that Quentin had given her. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fifty million¡­ Even if I became a prostitute, I couldn¡¯t earn this much! Being Chandler¡¯s underground lover is really worth it. ¡°Sheughed bitterly but was cut off when she choked on the smoke. She walked into the bathroom and tossed the cigarette butt into the toilet. As she returned to the bedroom, her phone rang. Erin didn¡¯t need to look at it; she knew it was Chandler calling due to the distinctive ringtone. She knew Chandler was on a business trip at Seaside City and was visiting his cousin.. Her phone kept ringing. So Erin walked over and switched it off. The story between them hade to aplete end tonight. She lifted the bottle of red wine and took two big gulps, tears streaming down her face as she finished the rest of the bottle. Erin tossed the empty bottle onto the carpet andy down. She cried andughed, finally understanding why Chandler had always kept her as his mistress. ¡°You don¡¯t have a wife or girlfriend¡­but you have a damned fianc¨¦e. I¡­I hate mistresses the most!¡± Erin yelled at the ceiling in anger. She never expected to be a mistress herself¡­ As Erin wasughing at herself for being such a fool, the doorbell outside rang urgently. The person outside seemed to be very angry. The piercing sound of the doorbell drowned out the television. Erin struggled to get up and stumbled to the door. As she opened the door, she saw two men¡¯s faces merging into one. Her mouth reeking of alcohol, she said, ¡°Mat¡­ thew?¡± Shocked, Matthew immediately pushed her into the room. Then, he locked the door behind them. ¡°What are you¡­doing here?¡± Erin could barely stand on her own. Matthew quickly reached out to hold her waist. Erin¡¯s bathrobe was loose, and her fair skin was exposed. Matthew¡¯s amber eyes grew dark and deep, and he gulped. He then tightened her bathrobe and led her into the bedroom. After helping Eriny down, he immediately pulled up the silk nket to cover her body and spoke solemnly, ¡°Erin, how did you get so drunk? Were you alone?¡± Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 I Will Help You N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Upon hearing Matthew¡¯s question, Erin burst into tears. She threw herself into his arms and cried in distress. Hearing her sobs and noticing her red eyes, he suspected something had happened to her. Matthew thought someone must have bullied her, and he urgently asked, ¡°What happened, Erin? Tell me who bullied you. I won¡¯t let them off!¡± Erin was alone in a suburban hotel wearing only a bathrobe. She must be naked underneath. He thought someone had assaulted her. If it weren¡¯t for his friend filming in the nearby studio and having agreed to drink with him that night, he wouldn¡¯t havee over to confront her about the noise from her room and subsequently run into her. Despite Matthew¡¯s persistent questioning, Erin refused to tell him anything until she cried herself out. Finally, she lifted her head and said, ¡°I want to break up with Chandler¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Matthew could hear the excitement in his voice, but he quicklyposed himself and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Erin got up unsteadily and headed to the bathroom. Matthew asked, ¡°What do you need? Let me help you get it!¡± She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Oh, I want to pee¡­¡± Matthew felt somewhat awkward and walked towards her. ¡°Let me help you. I¡¯m afraid you might fall.¡± After she entered the bathroom, he took the initiative to close the door and waited outside for her. A short whileter, Erin opened the door and almost stumbled. Concerned, Matthew said, ¡°Let me carry you.¡± He then lifted her up and carried her back to the bedroom, helping her to lie down in bed. Erin looked at Matthew¡¯s blue striped shirt in her drunken state and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I got your shirt dirty.¡± Matthew looked down and realized he had chosen to wear a more formal shirt today to meet his friend. He shrugged it off and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. If it¡¯s you who got it dirty, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Grabbing his hand into her embrace, Erin muttered, ¡°You¡¯re so nice to me. Unlike that bad guy, Chandler Frost! All¡­all he does is lie to me¡­¡± Erin¡¯s warm tears fell heavily on Matthew¡¯s arm, causing an ache in his heart. He angrily asked, ¡°Did Chandler bully you?¡± Erin shook her head but nodded after that, leaving Matthew unsure of how to interpret her response. Just as he was about to call and curse at Chandler, Erin suddenly told him what happened to her and Chandler. She held his hand and wept for over ten minutes, pouring her heart out to him. Matthew finally understood the whole story. ¡°Chandler is a damned bastard! How could he selfishly keep you as his mistress and get engaged to someone else? Nobody in our circle knows about this. It seems like he hasn¡¯t revealed his engagement to anyone else.¡± Matthew¡¯s face was cold, and a solemn expression washed over his handsome face. 1 Erin said in her hoarse voice, ¡°It¡¯s not his fault. I just had too many unrealistic expectations. From the beginning, he told me I was just his mistress. I only stayed with him because he threatened me. Now that he¡¯s getting engaged, I should leave and find some relief.¡± Matthew took a few tissues from the cab and carefully wiped away her tears. His tone softened. ¡°Erin, leaving is the best choice to avoid more pain in the future.¡± Erin smiled helplessly. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t let me go so easily. He once said that if any man dared to get close to me, would make that person lose everything.¡± he Noticing Erin¡¯s voice growing softer, Matthew looked into her eyes and saw that she had fallen asleep while still holding onto his arm. Distressed, he gently withdrew his arm and helped her lie down before covering her with a nket. Looking at her exquisite face, Matthew looked at his arm again. He couldn¡¯t help but remember the feeling of her holding onto his arm tightly. He could feel his temples throbbing and his body growing hot. The woman he cared about most was lying before him, but he couldn¡¯t take advantage of her vulnerability. Matthew felt like his heart was breaking when he saw Erin still frowning in her sleep. How could that cruel and selfish Chandler hurt the girl he wanted to protect so much? Gently, he stroked Erin¡¯s cheek, and his amber eyes darkened. ¡°Erin, I will help you.¡± At three am, Chandler had just gotten off the ne. Before he got on the ne, Erin not only refused to pick up his calls but also turned off her phone! Hans had already sent him a message saying Erin had shaken him off in a taxi. Hans was sitting in the lobby of a hotel in the suburbs. He was Erin¡¯s bodyguard. Of course, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to check on Erin in the hotel room. Chandler¡¯s eyes darkened as he saw the location Hans sent him. Erin had left the vi and gone to a hotel in the suburbs. After exiting the airport, he immediately had Kyle drive him to the hotel where Erin was staying. Chandler sat in the car with a gloomy face, making Kyle uneasy. After five minutes, Chandler asked, ¡°Who did Erin meet today?¡± Kyle answered, ¡°Hans said Miss Lane stayed at the vi all day, but she went to The Grand Oyster Restaurant to meet with the chairman.¡± ¡°He finally made a move.¡± ¡°Mr. Frost, judging by the chairman¡¯s style of doing things, I¡¯m afraid Miss Lane was wronged.¡± Theck of sympathy in Chandler¡¯s eyes was evident. He stared at the night scene outside the car window before saying coldly, ¡°This is something she must go through, whether she wants to be my mistress or something more. If she can¡¯t even pass this test with my father, how will she be able to stand on her own in the future?¡± His words were vaguely suggestive, and Kyle made a bold guess. ¡°So, Mr. Frost, does that mean Miss Lane doesn¡¯t have to be just your mistress?¡± Chandler sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to be my woman. I¡¯m not sure if Erin can handle it¡­¡± Although Chandler didn¡¯t explicitly state it, Kyle understood. He felt a little happy for Erin in his heart. Chandler¡¯s words showed that he was already thinking about their future, not just their rtionship as underground lovers¡­ The hotel was in the opposite direction of the airport, and when Chandler arrived at the hotel, it was already dawn. He used his connections to obtain the key card to Erin¡¯s room. However, the view of Matthew and Erin embracing each other in the room shocked him. He instantly crushed the key card in his hand! Perhaps sensing Chandler¡¯s dominant and overbearing presence, Matthew suddenly opened his eyes and met Chandler¡¯s icy ck gaze. Matthew thought that Chandler would rush over and beat him up. He had even prepared to fight back with his fists hidden under the covers. Yet to his surprise, Chandler¡¯s eyes, which were cold to the bone, suddenly swept toward Erin. He calmly asked Matthew, ¡°Did you sleep with her?¡± Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 The Misunderstanding Persists Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Although Chandler¡¯s tone was nd, it was filled with damaging potential. Even the air seemed to take on a frosty quality. Matthew red at him as he smirked victoriously. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell based on what you saw?¡± Once he said that, the room was filled with a strange silence. Chandler narrowed his eyes, a sharp light glinting in them. As he looked at Erin¡¯s face, peaceful in sleep, his heart twisted in indescribable pain. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he turned around and left without the slightest hesitation. The image of Chandler¡¯s departing figure was burned into Matthew¡¯s mind. He could not help but admire this cruel and heartless man for being able to let go of his feelings so easily. He was shocked that Chandler wouldn¡¯t even give Erin the chance to exin herself. Matthew didn¡¯t know if his answer had provoked Chandler into giving up on Erin for good, but he knew that any man would be furious at seeing what Chandler had seen. The humiliation of watching the woman one loved cuckold oneself was not something most people could handle. He didn¡¯t know why Chandler didn¡¯t beat him up. Was it because he was too disdainful of him to do it, or because Chandler didn¡¯t like Erin all that much at all? Not two hours after Chandler left, Erin woke from thirst. Drinking so much alcoholst night, her body was now in dire need of more water. ¡°So¡­ thirsty¡­¡± Erin struggled to get up, one hand supporting her aching head. Her bathrobe hung loosely on her frame. When she saw the man lying next to her in bed, she shrieked. ¡°Erin, don¡¯t be scared! Nothing happened between us! We didn¡¯t¡­ ¡°Matthew exined hurriedly. Although his chest was bare, he was wearing a pair of blue jeans. The only reason he hadn¡¯t gotten out of bed before Erin woke was to see her reaction. It was a test, essentially. Indeed, Erin had been shocked. Her face burning, Erin asked, ¡°How did you end up here? What in the world happenedst night?¡± Matthew frowned. Thest thing he expected was for Erin to forget everythingpletely. He tried to remind her by saying, ¡± Did you forget? I knocked on your doorst night. When you came to the door, you were already drunk. You told me about you and Chandler.¡± ¡°Let me think¡­¡± Erin had guzzled an entire bottle of red winest night. Although her memory was a little fuzzy, and she couldn¡¯t recall everything that had happened after getting inebriated, she did indeed remember that Matthew hade into her room. Her face gained a tinge of embarrassment. ¡°You didn¡¯t leave afterward?¡± Matthew came clean of his own ord. ¡°You fell asleep after drinking. I was afraid you might fall from the bed when you woke up, or slip when going to the bathroom, so I stayed to take care of you.¡± There was a hint of castigation in Erin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t have slept in the bed.¡± ¡°Erin, I¡¯ll be honest. I actually wanted to help you. This morning, Chandler came over, and he saw us in bed together. I admitted to him that we had rtionsst night.¡± ¡°What! How could you just say that!¡± Erin got such a fright that she sprang out of bed. Matthew got up as well. He walked before Erin and said, ¡°Calm down! Let me finish!¡± Erin¡¯s eyes were filled with rage and censure. Her expression chilly, she said, ¡°Alright. Speak then!¡± Her agitation injected a shot of ice into Matthew¡¯s heart. He felt as though he¡¯d done something wrong despite his good intentions. He took a step back in dejection. ¡°From the looks of it, you¡¯ve forgotten what you saidst night. You said you wanted to leave Chandler! You were even terrified that he wouldn¡¯t let you go. You said Chandler would be engaged on the ninth of the next month. You said you didn¡¯t want to be the other woman¡­. His words were like a shower of cold water, waking Erin up from a dream. She stumbled a few steps backward until her back met the wall. Then, she slid down into a sprawl on the carpet. How could she have forgotten that Chandler had a fianc¨¦e? Gradually, all of the hard truths that she¡¯d been trying so desperately to forgetst night came flooding back. Erin could do nothing to block out those strong memories. When he saw how Erin¡¯s face had nched, Matthew realized what he¡¯d incited her to think about. He said apologetically, ¡°I only did this because I wanted to help you. If Chandler thinks that you slept with another man, he might dislike it and stop. forcing you to stay with him.¡± Erin¡¯s protracted silence made Matthew sigh. ¡°Yesterday you told me about how Chandler doesn¡¯t like women who¡¯ve had. sexual rtions before. That¡¯s why I thought this was the best way to help you escape him. If you¡¯re regretting it now and want to go back to being his secret lover or even his mistress, I won¡¯t chastise you or stop you. If you want me to, I¡¯ll call him right now to exin! I¡¯ll tell him that I liked him.¡± 1 Seeing how she sat silently hugging her knees, Matthew¡¯s eyes shone brightly. He took a deep breath. ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t have an opinion, I¡¯ll call him now.¡± Just as he was about to get his phone from the desk, Erin raised her head. ¡°Don¡¯t call him!¡± Matthew¡¯s hand froze. A thread of joy unfurled in his heart, but his expression remained stony. ¡°Erin, it¡¯s all my fault. I had no right to interfere in your personal affairs. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to help you without your consent. Now, Chandler must think that you betrayed him. Now that I think about it, I was too impulsive. I shouldn¡¯t have let him think that of you! Let me call him and exin.¡± He continued to make it as though he was getting his phone. 1 Erin rushed to pull him back by the arm. Tears misted her eyes as she begged, ¡°Matthew, please. Don¡¯t call him. Let him misunderstand. At least that way, our rtionship can finally end!¡± A spark of hope ignited in Matthew¡¯s heart when he saw Erin¡¯s despairing face, for written in her features was the euphoria of having escaped as well. The end of her rtionship with Chandler was the new beginning he hoped for. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to exin?¡± Matthew asked. Erin nodded decisively. She wasn¡¯t going to drag her feet in this! Even if Chandler¡¯s fianc¨¦e wasn¡¯t a woman he loved, that had nothing to do with her. She refused to stay with him when their status was a tangled mess. She had to escape before her heart. was given over to himpletely when there was still time to do something about it! Matthew ducked his head and looked at Erin¡¯s hands gripping his own tightly. He said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t you worry. Since you¡¯ve decided, I respect your choice.¡± He slowly extracted his hand and held hers instead. He sat them both down before saying with amusement in his eyes, ¡°Erin, as I told youst night, choosing to let him go is the best decision you can make. The Frost family has very strong opinions about social ss and family background. Forgetting the fact that Chandler hasn¡¯t even epted youpletely, it would be tough to marry into the Frost family even if he did want you as his girlfriend or fianc¨¦e.¡± Destion filled the depths of Erin¡¯s eyes. The wound Ian had caused still ached, but now Chandler had added another blow. And this assault was so painful that she couldn¡¯t even cry out. She had brought this suffering onto herself, after all. He had forced her in the beginning, but now, she was there willingly. It was she herself who had happily opened the door and given him the chance to hurt her. ¡°Matthew, it¡¯s because I understood everything you said that I have to leave him.¡± As Caleb had said before, there was no way anything good woulde from her rtionship with Chandler. Matthew then asked a difficult question. ¡°Where do you n to stay after moving out from Chandler¡¯s? Didn¡¯t you talk about buying your own ce once?¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Mobbed by Reporters Matthew¡¯s words prompted her to start calmly nning what to do. Composed, she said, ¡°I was going to buy a ce, but I lent the money I had to my father to use as funds. I¡¯ll rent, for the time being, I guess.¡± Matthew pulled Erin¡¯s hand and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Erin, you can stay at my ce! I have an apartment unit no one¡¯s staying in. You can move in after cleaning up a bit.¡± Now that Erin¡¯s rtionship with Chandler had deterioratedpletely, and Holly was happily in love, Erin really had nowhere else she could stay. She could hardly live in a hotel forever. Besides, staying for even a week cost a lot. Erin slowly pulled her hand away. Awkwardly, she said, ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult to find a suitable ce to stay, but it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to stay at yours, right?¡± Matthew eyed the wless hand that had escaped his grasp. He knew that Erin¡¯s rtionship status was a little unique right now, so he couldn¡¯t rush things. He suppressed the disappointment in his heart. Smiling, he said, ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it? I¡¯m your friend. Now that you¡¯re having trouble, I should definitely help you! If you¡¯re not going to ept my help, then I have to return the thousand dors from ten years ago to you. Of course, I¡¯ll be paying you back ten thousand times the amount. So, you have to either ept my help or let me return ten million dors to you. Take your pick!¡± Erin smiled at Matthew¡¯s attempt at being domineering. ¡°You¡¯re so dramatic. What loan has such a high¨Cinterest rate?¡± Deadpan, Matthew replied, ¡°Let me help you then. Consider it as me returning the favor from before, okay?¡± His sincere pleading finally made Erin give in. She nodded. ¡°Alright. Thank you for helping me! I¡¯ll find a suitable ce to move into as soon as-¡± Before she could finish speaking, Matthew put his finger on her lips to stop her. He said, ¡°Enough. You can stay at mine for as long as you want! Don¡¯t worry about that with me. I hope you consider me your family.¡± Of course, being family could still mean that he had a chance to be her boyfriend, too. Erin pulled his finger away, red¨Cfaced. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Erin, I noticed something. Your face turns red really easily! Is it because you have feelings for me?¡± Matthew said with augh. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± At 3 pm, Matthew brought Erin to Chandler¡¯s vi. He¡¯d deliberately driven the kind of van used to ferry celebrities around. He was here to help Erin move but also to rify the rtionship he shared with Erin. When Erin walked into the vi, she saw about a dozen ck suitcases in the corner of the living room as well as the luggage that belonged to her. Mr. Charleston went to stand before her and said, ¡°Miss Lane, Mr. Frost said that you should take all of your belongings away if you came back for your luggage.¡± Erin felt a wave of unease wash through her. Pulling herself together, she asked, ¡°But Mr. Charleston, none of these things other than the luggage are mine.¡± ¡°Mr. Frost said that he bought all these branded clothes, shoes, and bags exclusively for you. If you don¡¯t want them, they¡¯ll be thrown away.¡± Erin frowned, her expression dark. ¡°But I¡¯ve never used most of this stuff. Even the price tags haven¡¯t been removed.¡± Mr. Charleston nodded shallowly. ¡°Miss Lane, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. I¡¯m only following Mr. Frost¡¯s orders. Erin nodded. Although she didn¡¯t want to take items that did not belong to her, it was still better than letting them be discarded. Impatiently, she called Matthew, asking him if the car could fit all of the things. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Matthew said they could try. Half an hourter, all of the suitcases were moved. The car waspletely filled to the brim. Seeing that Erin was ready to leave, Mr. Charleston suddenly said, ¡°Miss Lane, Mr. Frost is just in the study. Is there anything you would like to say to him?¡± This stunned Erin. She thought Chandler wasn¡¯t home. Yet, the second she recalled the engagement party Quentin talked about and how Chandler now knew about her supposed rtionship with Matthew, Erin shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have anything to say to him. This is it. Thank you for everything during this time, Mr. Charleston.¡± After saying goodbye to Mr. Charleston, Erin left. Mr. Charleston watched as she got into the car and left the property. On the second floor, the man who¡¯d been watching all this while through the curtains finally turned and left as well. Chandler hade straight back to the vi after leaving the hotel this morning. Once he arrived, expression dark, he ordered the maids to throw away everything in the closet belonging to Erin. Before five minutes passed, he suddenly changed his mind and told them to pack them all up in suitcases. He was sure that Erin woulde back to the vi because herptop and camera were still there. Besides, her important documents were there as well. He¡¯d been waiting all this time for her to exin and apologize. After all, all he¡¯d gotten before was Matthew¡¯s word and Matthew¡¯s word only. As long as Erin came to exin things to him, Chandler would certainly give her a chance. Yet, she¡¯d left with Matthew just like that¡­. Chandler swept all the documents from his desk in a rage. Then, he took a cigarette out and started smoking. Right then, Kyle knocked lightly on the door to the study. ¡°Come in!¡± Kyle nced at the documents strewn on the floor and bent down to pick them up. Chandler looked at him and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve received news from the chairman. It seems that Miss Lane has epted the fifty million.¡± Kyle¡¯s expression was unpleasant. He had been in disbelief when he heard this piece of news as well. A trace of hurt shed in Chandler¡¯s eyes. Heughed lightly and said, ¡°She took the money¡­. Kyle remained standing to the side, silent. ¡°Send the word that there¡¯ll be a meeting at the office at 6 pm!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Kyle already felt bad for the various department heads who would be attending the meeting this evening. The best- case scenario would be that everything would go off without a hitch. After all, Chandler would be going into that conference room already in a rage. Once Erin and Matthew got to the neighborhood the apartment was in, the entrance to the building was already surrounded by reporters. Once they saw the vaning to a stop nearby, they rushed up in a mob. In no time at all, cameras were shing, and the reporters were shoving microphones forward, asking their questions in a frenzy. ¡°Good day, Mr. Burgess, is this your rumored girlfriend?¡± ¡°Matthew, Matthew! Are you living with your girlfriend before getting married?¡± ¡°Is your girlfriend really a divorc¨¦e?¡± ¡°Will you marry her?¡± Those are more questions that flooded them. During this time, Matthew never got out of the car. He locked the door and cursed internally. Who knew who was the one who let the news out? He never told anyone but his manager about this! Stuck in the car as well, Erin was currently at a loss for what to do, shocked as she was. She kept her bag in front of her face in order to prevent being photographed. The thing was, the car was surrounded by reporters¡­ Not too far off, Matthew¡¯s manager and several staff were running over with the neighborhood¡¯s security force to get the pair out of their pickle. In no time at all, the crowd started to scatter. But in just five minutes, the security personnel had pretty much gotten the reporters under control. Erin immediately said, ¡°Matthew, what if these reporters keep showing up every few days? Even if security can chase them away, the reporters can always sneak back in disguises. This is a residential area and can¡¯t be monitored so strictly. There¡¯s no way I can keep living here!¡± Frowning, Matthew said, ¡°Erin, don¡¯t worry just yet. Let¡¯s wait until they get these pesky rats away before we talk.¡± Erin watched as the reporters and security staff outside got into a confrontation. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s just drive off. I don¡¯t want to live here anymore. Let¡¯s make a n after we leave!¡± Seeing the difited expression on Erin¡¯s face, Matthew couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Left without a choice, he drove off. Ten minutes after departing, Matthew suddenly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay at my vi then?¡± Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Behind the Scenes Erin was torn at Matthew¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Are you kidding? Even the apartment you don¡¯t stay at is being mobbed. There must be even more paparazzi over at your vi!¡± For a moment, Matthew didn¡¯t know what to say. He felt a strong sense of self¨Ccastigation. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s my fault for not handling the issue better.¡± Erin turned to look at him. Seeing how glum Matthew looked, she finally realized how mean she sounded. ¡°Matthew, I should be the one to apologize! If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t be hounded by reporters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s because of who I am that so much trouble was brought here. Sometimes I wonder if it¡¯s better being a civilian. The slight admiration in Matthew¡¯s voice made Erin¡¯s heart ache. Although being a star meant that Matthew shone brightly in the eyes of others, each word and move he made was put under the spotlight. The more famous he was, the less privacy he was afforded. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. All that you have right now is the result of your hard work! You should cherish it!¡± Matthew looked at her warmly. ¡°Thanks for saying that. So, where do we go now?¡± After pondering for a moment, Erin said, ¡°Drop me off at a chain hotel. I¡¯ll stay there for a few days first. Besides, most ces now are handled through property agencies, so there are a lot of listings online. I think I¡¯ll probably be renting.¡± Before Matthew could say anything, Erin¡¯s phone rang, and he indicated for her to answer it first. Looking at the phone screen, she saw that it was Holly calling and answered immediately. ¡°Where are you right now, Erin? I was messing around online earlier and saw that you¡¯ve gone viral! Matthew¡¯s really hot stuff right now. All you did was stand near him and gossip¡¯s flying already!¡± Holly was currently sitting at a cafe, her expression overtaken by excitement. On the contrary, this news put Erin in a tough spot. She hadn¡¯t forgotten the warningn had given her before. Who would have thought her break¨Cup with Chandler would end up with her ending up in the headlines with Matthew? ¡°Erin, why aren¡¯t you responding? The news online says that you¡¯re going to be living with him too!¡± Erin wanted to desperately get Holly to stop poking her nose into this, so she said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t believe all the rubbish you. read online, Holly. Nothing is going on between Matthew and me; we¡¯re just friends.¡± Hearing that, a trace of sadness manifested in Matthew¡¯s eyes as he drove. Although Erin was right in saying that, bearing witness to Erin denying any rtionship with him pained him. ¡°I know it¡¯s rubbish, that¡¯s why I called to ask you about it¡­ ¡± ¡°Holly, I¡¯m not free to talk right now. Can I call you back?¡± After all, Matthew was right next to her. This wasn¡¯t the best time for a leisurely chat. ¡°Alright, you do you. Just give me a call if you need anything! Later you should have a good talk with Chandler. Don¡¯t let him. believe the rumors people are spreading online! You never know what those people mighte up with.¡± In the end, Erin didn¡¯t manage to tell Holly about having split up with Chandler. After hanging up the call, she remained silent for a long while. Her phone, switched to vibration mode, juddered with an iing call from Ian. Matthew nced at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you answering that?¡± ¡°I can miss his calls.¡± Forty minutester, Matthew dropped Erin off at a chain hotel. He wanted to help with moving her luggage, but Erin asked him to help keep the dozen ck suitcases at his home for now. Since she was staying at a hotel temporarily, her own luggage was enough. Erin insisted that Matthew didn¡¯t need to get out of the car. After all, it would be a hassle if they stumbled into some more reporters. Just like that, Erin bade Matthew goodbye, dragging her luggage off as she went. Once she left, Matthew drove away from the hotel. In the car, he made a phone call. The second the call went through, Matthew said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll be sending you some photographs tonight. By tomorrow, you must send me a photo that makes it look like I spent the night at a hotel. Craft a headline that¡¯s something like ¡®Matthew Burgess¡® Hotel Stay With Rumored Girlfriend.¡® If my manager contacts you, delete it immediately. Once I make a statement, you need to expose more photos ¡­¡± ¡°Matthew, I believe in your rumor¨Ccrafting skills! Just like your music, your skill in faking news is exemry! The thing is, I¡¯m a bit confused. Why are you taking the initiative to create a scandal when you¡¯ve had nothing before? Is that woman really your secret girlfriend?¡± Matthew barked augh. ¡°Don¡¯t stick your nose into what¡¯s not your business. Just do as I say.¡± The other person chuckled. ¡°Alright, alright; I won¡¯t! I never thought you¡¯d dig such a huge hole for your manager. Whenever there¡¯s any gossip about you, he has to rush to handle the PR risks-¡± Matthew hung up before the other could finish speaking. Matthew¡¯s amber eyes hid a deep consideration. He¡¯d been in the entertainment industry for a long time. When he¡¯d just started out, he¡¯d naturally been framed in some scandal or the other before. However, he now had a team of his own in charge of helping him influence his own narrative. Even his manager didn¡¯t know about this. When it came to the entertainment industry, one had to keep some aces up one¡¯s sleeve. After all, if for some reason Matthew got into a tiff with his manager, the guy might have it out for him and ruin his career. Matthew looked straightforward. He had greater confidence now. At least Chandler wasn¡¯t a threat now. As such, he now had the chance to really get closer to Erin. At the Frost residence that night at ten, Quentin sat on the couch with a cigar in hand. He was listening to his secretary, Archie Reynolds, make a report. ¡°Erin¡¯s father, Steven Lane, has recently gotten into some financial trouble. Based on the numbers, the circumstances will change within a month.¡± Archie stood before Quentin with a document in hand. ¡°The fifty million. Erin didn¡¯t transfer it from the bank, did she?¡± Archie indeed. ¡°That¡¯s right; she didn¡¯t.¡± Quentin took a drag from his cigar and said, ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t need it, we¡¯ll make Steven require it in an ¡®emergency¡®.¡± ¡°Noted, sir. I¡¯ll handle it immediately.¡± Quentin added, ¡°Has Erin really moved out of the vi?¡± Archie replied, ¡°That¡¯s correct, based on what the maids at the vi say.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph. A divorc¨¦e like her should have gotten out a long time ago. Chandler really behaved out of the ordinary this time!¡± Quentin was annoyed the second he thought of Erin¡¯s family background and what she¡¯d gone through. ¡°Sir, Erin seems to be involved with other men¡­ ¡± Archie passed the document on Erin over to Quentin. Quentin¡¯s brows knitted together, his voice turning icy. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°This report is based on thetest information from an hour ago.¡± Quentin epted the document and looked through it. Before twenty minutes had passed, he angrily got up and flung the file onto the carpet. ¡°Chandler¡¯s really messed up this time! How could he be interested in such an improper woman!¡± He stubbed out the cigar in a crystal ashtray. Darkly, he told Archie, ¡°Make sure to get na Wood of Soaring Electronics Corporation to meet with Chandler immediately!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Quentin waved a hand. ¡°Leave now.¡± But, seeing that his secretary wasn¡¯t leaving, Quentin asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Sir, George called from abroad saying that the madam will be taking a flight home tomorrow.¡± Quentin was visibly displeased for a second. ¡°What¡¯s sheing back for?¡± Archie replied expressionlessly, ¡°It must be for Channing¡­¡± Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 An Opportunity Erin had a good sleep at the hotel and woke up really early the next morning. No matter the difficulties and heartache she went through in her love life, she was still a white¨Ccor worker trying to make a living. Thus, she had to greet each new day with optimism. Since she was having trouble in love, she could only put more of her focus into work.. Now, she had two things to settle quickly¨Cfinding a house and finding a job. After washing up at the hotel, she ate some bread bought from a nearby convenience store and started looking through online rental listings. She turned on herptop and searched for a property agency right away. It was much better to spend some money for someone to verify true listings rather than do it herself. Thepany she found seemed quite reputable, and so, she called their staff to tell them about her requirements. Afterward, she prepared to write her resignation letter. Half an hourter, she was done writing her resignation letter. She then called the hotel¡¯s front desk to ask if they had a printing service. Since they did, Erin cleared up some of her things before going off. About half an hourter, Erin brought the resignation letter she had printed at the hotel to a courier company. She took out the card that Quentin had given her, the one with fifty million in its ount, as well as the keys to Chandler¡¯s BMW, and put them into an envelope. Along with it was the resignation letter. Five minutester, Erin walked out of the courierpany wearing sunsses and with her hair in a ponytail. She looked up and said, ¡°Erin Lane, you can do this! Just do your best!¡± Forty minutester, Erin once again returned to the hotel. By then, she¡¯d bought a whole bunch of food, and she was nning to focus on going online to search for a job. Another ten minutester, Caleb called. ¡°Erin, why didn¡¯t youe to work today? Are you still feeling unwell?¡± Right then, Caleb was sitting in the director¡¯s office. Before him was a search results page showing the headlines of various news sites. The articles all featured a picture that looked like Matthew and Erin were meeting in secret at a hotel. In the face of Caleb¡¯s questioning, Erin answered honestly without holding back, ¡°I broke up with Chandler, so I sent my resignation letter this morning. Caleb, I¡¯m sorry. I should have told you about my resignation beforehand, but I really don¡¯t think I¡¯m capable of going to work today considering how my emotional state is right now and how things are with him.¡± After all, even the chairman of Frost Corporation, Quentin Frost, wanted her to quit. How could she possibly stick around? Caleb could easily guess the reasoning behind her actions. He sighed. ¡°Did the chairman talk to you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Without Erin rifying things, Caleb could still guess what had happened there. He felt a pang in his heart. ¡°That must have been tough for you. It¡¯s good that you resigned. You won¡¯t be as bothered since you won¡¯t be seeing him anymore. What ns do you have for the future? You¡¯re not thinking of leaving here, are you?¡± Erin chuckled. ¡°Why would I ever leave? It¡¯s just a breakup. I didn¡¯t die or anything after my divorce, either. I¡¯ll just make a brand new start.¡± The worry he felt for her gradually faded. ¡°I¡¯d miss you if you left!¡± His words prompted silence from Erin. After a few seconds, she decided not to answer. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you have a newpany in mind? I have some friends who have their own designpanies. Although they¡¯re not asrge in scale or powerful in influence as Frost Corporation, and their reputation is not as great, I can give them a call if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, Caleb. I think I should settle my own work issues. In the future, I hope that I won¡¯t interact too much with those working at Frost Corporation.¡± Erin knew that saying such a thing would hurt him, but she really couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. Indeed, Caleb wasn¡¯t too happy with what Erin said. When he spoke, there was a trace of dejection in his tone. ¡°Erin, I understand how you¡¯re feeling right now, but I¡¯m not a Frost! Don¡¯t consider me one of them, alright? Chandler can do what he wants, but I¡¯m me. I¡¯m your friend, remember?¡± ¡°Caleb, I know all that, and of course, I consider you my friend. You were right from the start. I made a silly mistake then, but I can see things clearly now. Thank you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. Since you consider me a friend, you have to tell me if you get into any trouble in the future! Let me help you, okay?¡± Every word Caleb spoke dripped with sincerity and care. No matter how independent and strong of a woman Erin was, she wouldn¡¯t refuse someone else¡¯s kindness. She said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Thank you!¡± Calebughed helplessly. ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re thanking me again¡­ By the way, there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you. The matter online about you and Matthew Burgess¡­¡± Erin immediately responded, ¡°That¡¯s all fake! It¡¯s the kind of rubbish entertainment news people make up. Those people really have no professional ethics at all!¡± Even though Caleb also believed that those were only rumors, he still felt relieved upon hearing Erin deny them personally. ¡± That¡¯s good! About Matthew, there¡¯s something I want to say that I probably shouldn¡¯t. He used to date ire Kane. That woman is a very jealous and suspicious person. Everyone knows it around here. You should be a little more careful when you¡¯re out.¡± ¡°Thank you, I will.¡± Erin had once witnessed the kind of thing ire was capable of in the lobby of the Frost Building. If she bumped into ire again, she would definitely be extra careful. Besides, the case where she¡¯d been pricked with a poisoned needle was still being investigated with no updates. She still had to be wary of the culprit. Erin said goodbye to Caleb before hanging up the phone. However, not a minute after she put down her phone, Sean called. Initially, Erin didn¡¯t want to take the call, but Sean kept calling. She couldn¡¯t turn her phone off, either. What if a friend or family member called her for something? Besides, Erin was still waiting for the property agency to call her. In the end, she impatiently epted the call. The second the call went through, Sean¡¯s mockingughter rang out. ¡°Good job, Erin! Did Matthew and Chandler not get into a physical altercation because of your two¨Ctiming?¡± Erin rolled her eyes. ¡°Did you call just tough at me? Seems like you¡¯ve seen the gossip. Do you really have so much free time? Sean was currently sitting in his office. When a secretary came into to ce a cup of coffee on his desk, he waved her off, indicating for her to leave quickly. Once the secretary closed the door with a smile, Sean put his feet up on the desk and continued, ¡°If it weren¡¯t rted to you, why would I ever have the time to look at such news? Based on my experience, I posit that you¡¯ve broken up with Chandler. Is that right?¡± Annoyed, Erin said, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve broken up! What about it? Are you happy?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m happy,¡± Sean thought to himself. He could hardly say that kind of thing out loud, however. He snickered. ¡± Breaking up means you won¡¯t be able to stay at Frost Corporation any more. Do you want toe over and work at Truffleberry Media?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll work in yourpany and let you bully me every day. Do you think I¡¯m such a masochist?¡± Whenever she spoke to Sean, Erin behaved fearlessly, as if she were born to take this kind of verbal beating. Sean put his feet down and leaned forward in his leather office chair to put both hands on his desk. Solemnly, he said, ¡± Alright, I won¡¯t joke with you anymore. I¡¯m being serious. If you¡¯d like to pick up more skills, you¡¯d better come and work at mypany. Let me tell you a secret. Do you know the famous actor, Roman ir? He signed with Truffleberry Media yesterday. Now, he¡¯s one of the celebrities we represent.¡± When Erin heard Roman¡¯s name, she immediately got excited. Although she wasn¡¯t a huge fan of any celebrity, Roman was the one local actor she admired. Roman ir had gotten famous at a young age. When he was eighteen, he¡¯d already won a prestigious award and became the youngest person to do so. Until now, no one had beaten that record. He was famous for being dedicated to his craft. He had never been involved in any scandals and kept a low profile as he did his job. He had a sterling reputation in the entertainment. industry. Shocked, Erin said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Roman ir overseas perfecting his skills in the dramatic arts?¡± Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Faith and Betrayal Delighted, Sean said, ¡°He came back justst month! Right now, he needs an assistant on an internship basis. His former one is giving birth next month. He was the one who asked me to help him find a reliable assistant who can handle any hardship. I thought of you immediately. Aren¡¯t I a great friend?¡± If Sean were asking her to be his assistant, then Erin would reject him immediately. However, now she was to be Roman ir¡¯s assistant. Honestly, she was quite tempted. Although Erin stayed silent, Sean could tell from her tone that she was indeed interested. He said seriously, ¡°Erin, I¡¯m only telling you about this because I¡¯m confident in your skills! If you didn¡¯t have the skills to shine and rise up to the challenge, I would never risk my reputation and rmend you to him. I¡¯ve already given you the opportunity. It¡¯s not my problem if you. give up on it.¡± ¡°I ept!¡± Erin said solemnly. This was the kind of opportunity that didn¡¯te every day. It was an honor to be able to be Roman ir¡¯s assistant! Sean was overjoyed. However, he put on an act and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± Erin repeated, equally serious as before, ¡°I ept.¡± ¡°Great. Since you¡¯re taking the job, I¡¯ll give him a call and tell him about it. No taking it back! A man¡¯s only as good as his word. I¡¯m a person who keeps my private and professional matters separate, so I can rmend you, but he might not pick you. It¡¯s all up to Roman in the end.¡± Grateful, Erin said, ¡°Thank you, Sean! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± ¡°Wait for me to send news, then.¡± Erin was anxious as she said, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t hang up! Could you give me some relevant information? I¡¯ve never been a celebrity¡¯s assistant before, so I have no experience at all. I would like to practice a bit before meeting Roman.¡± Sean really admired her go¨Cgetter attitude. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re so self¨Caware. I really do think you have a chance. Give me your email address, and I¡¯ll send you the requirements for being a celebrity¡¯s assistant in general and Roman¡¯s requests in particr. Have a look at those first, alright?¡± ¡°Thank you! If I really get hired, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal!¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± After putting his phone down, Sean looked at the detailed information on Erin that he had on his desk. He leaned into his seat, a smile ying at the corners of his mouth. At the same time, everyone at the Frost Building was experiencing a morning of fast¨Cpaced work. Chandler was putting all of his focus into his new eight¨Cbillion¨Cdor coborative project. Right then, Kyle brought Logan into the office. Once Kyle left, Chandler put all of his work aside for the time being. He looked at Logan and said directly, ¡°You never show up for no reason. Considering you¡¯vee here personally, you must need something. Am I right?¡± Logan had been wearing a heavy expression ever since stepping into the office. Now, he forced a laugh. ¡°Your deduction is impable; you got it in one go! Since you¡¯ve guessed it, I¡¯ll keep this short. Can you stop the investigation you got Mr. Larson to conduct?¡± Chandler¡¯s gaze darkened. He asked, ¡°Why?¡± Logan hesitated, looking visibly torn. However, he knew that Chandler would definitely not let things go if he didn¡¯t tell the truth. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. You know that Mr. Larson is my uncle. When he went to my ce for dinnerst night, I asked him for the surveince footage. I know that woman. ¡°She yed bridge with Yvonne once. From what I heard, that woman¡¯s husband went bankrupt, and it was Yvonne who helped her get through the situation. I¡¯ve already verified it with her through the phone¨Cshe admitted that she was the one who sent that woman to poison Erin!¡± Chandler¡¯s eyes were frosted over with ayer of ice. Coldly, he said, ¡°Yvonne¡¯s gone mad! Is it because she thought that were cheating on her with Erin that she did such a horrible thing?¡± you Logan himself knew how ridiculous this situation was. Miffed, he stood up and ran his hand through his hair. ¡°I told you long ago that she¡¯s not mentally stable! She was used! She regrets it already and knows that she messed up! Now, she¡¯s so terrified that she doesn¡¯t evene to see you. She¡¯s scared that you won¡¯t let her off.¡± Feelingpletely helpless, Logan added, ¡°When ites down to it, it¡¯s all my fault. I knew Yvonne¡¯s condition all along, but I still went and investigated Erin. That¡¯s what caused the misunderstanding. I nearly hurt Erin!¡± Chandler regarded him with an icy gaze. ¡°Are you here to beg me for mercy on Yvonne¡¯s ount?¡± ¡°Chandler, I know it¡¯s selfish of me to ask, but even though I¡¯ve broken up with Yvonne, she was with me for five years. If I don¡¯t help her, no one will! I can¡¯t bear to see her be sent to prison at her age. Please think about our twenty¨Cyear friendship, and help me just this once. I¡¯ve never asked you for anything before! Please give Yvonne the chance to start anew.¡± Logan¡¯s voice carried true sincerity and imploration. Thus, Chandler¡¯s heart softened when he witnessed how Logan begged when he never had before. He asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Yvonne now?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Her father sent her abroad for psychiatric treatment two days ago,¡± Logan replied. ¡°Hmph. You¡¯ve already sent her away. What¡¯s the point of begging me now?¡± Chandler said sinisterly. ¡°As long as you want to, you have the means to drag her back no matter where in the world she tries to hide. Isn¡¯t that right, Chandler?¡± Chandler remained silent as he stood before the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows, his back facing Logan. Ten minutester, he turned to Logan and said, ¡°Just this one chance! If Yvonne makes another dumb move, no one can save her anymore!¡± Logan let out a breath. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I guarantee her good behavior. Thank you, Chandler.¡± ¡°Leave then.¡± Chandler couldn¡¯t be bothered to spare Logan another nce. He walked straight back to his desk to continue working. Before he left, Logan said, ¡°You¡¯re an exceptional man for being able to investigate Erin¡¯s case even though the rumors of her and Matthew are so rampant right now.¡± Chandler still didn¡¯t look at him. He scoffed. ¡°Just because Erin was unfaithful doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll be as wicked. Even if she weren¡¯t my woman, she¡¯s still an employee of Frost Corporation. As its president, I have a responsibility to fulfill when ites to the safety of each and every one of my subordinates.¡± Though Chandler said this, Logan didn¡¯t believe such crowd¨Cpleasing corporate drivel. If the matter involved another employee, would Chandler really have been so concerned? ¡°Chandler, listen to my advice! Whether or not Erin really betrayed you, letting go of her may not be a bad thing, especially now when you¡¯re notpletely crazy for her. When ites down to it, you two come from different worlds.¡± Even after Logan left, these words of his echoed in Chandler¡¯s mind. At five that evening, Kyle brought in a delivery from a courier service located in the same city. ¡°Who sent it?¡± Chandler gave the item on his desk a cursory nce. Typically, Kyle would open and immediately handle such deliveries personally. Since this one had been brought to him. without being opened, Chandler knew that it had to be a personal document. Chandler¡¯s eyes sparked with interest, but he pretended not to care. ¡°Open it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Once Kyle opened the envelope, the look in his eyes showed curiosity and admiration. He immediately said, ¡°Mr. Frost, Miss Lane sent the chairman¡¯s fifty million back! The keys to your BMW are here too! And¡­¡± Chandler suddenly whipped his head up. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°And Miss Lane¡¯s resignation letter.¡± Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Interview Two dayster at 10 am, in the city¡¯s financial district, there was a huge fight in the president¡¯s office of Starlight Media, apany in the same standing as Truffleberry Media. Matthew was wearing a hat in an avant¨Cgarde distressed style and a T¨Cshirt with the image of an alien on it. He also had on jeans with rips in them and a pair of white sneakers with green edges. He was about to walk out of the office when a stern voice cried out, ¡°Stand right there! I haven¡¯t finished talking!¡± The president of Starlight Media, Warren Burgess, was enraged. He red at Matthew¡¯s back as he continued, ¡°Sit your ass back down!¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t all that you said before enough? My love life has nothing to do with my work. I¡¯m currently in a rush!¡± Matthew¡¯s voice was icy, tone full of disdain. Annoyed, Warren said, ¡°Matthew, although you¡¯re only an adopted son of our family, I¡¯ve been your older brother for twenty years! I can¡¯t bear to watch you single¨Chandedly ruin your music career! What in the hell is your rtionship with that Erin Lane woman?¡± Matthew turned to face him again. His tone was full of ridicule, he asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you already seen the photo online?¡± ¡°So, she¡¯s really your girlfriend?¡± Warren was visibly shocked. ¡°She will be soon,¡± Matthew said enigmatically. Warren mmed his fists heavily onto the table. ¡°Ridiculous! If she¡¯s not your girlfriend, how could you be so careless as to allow the paparazzi to take such a photo!¡± Then, seeing Matthew so unmoved, Warren frowned. Abruptly, he asked, ¡°Did you get someone to take it?¡± Matthew¡¯s silence might as well be an admission of guilt to Warren. He walked before Matthew, his eyes filled with rage. ¡°Tell me honestly¨Cwhat are you nning? You¡¯re not a newbie in the entertainment industry anymore. You can¡¯t know thating up with such a scandal on a whim might affect your career!¡± Matthew red at Warren. ¡°Warren, all I¡¯ve done here is put in the effort to pursue the person I¡¯m interested in. I don¡¯t care if it affects my career! I¡¯ve already waited for her for ten years, and I refuse to keep on waiting! All I want to achieve from this scandal is to let three people see it. One of them is ire Kane. I want her to give up on me as soon as possible! This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you bringing her to see me, she wouldn¡¯t have lost it and tried to threaten me with suicide. I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m being too blunt; I¡¯ll say it anyway. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re interested in ire or if you see her as a little sister¨Cnone of that has anything to do with me! Stop helping that woman trouble me! Otherwise, I won¡¯t give her any leeway just because you¡¯re my brother!¡± That said, Matthew left without a second look. Meanwhile, Warren kept silent, his expression stormy. At the same time as this altercation, Erin brought her resume to meet with the famous, award¨Cwinning actor, Roman ir. She was somewhat troubled before going for this appointment. Unexpectedly, Roman¡¯s vi was located in the same area as Chandler¡¯s. In fact, they were neighbors. However, after she spoke with Roman on the phone and he sent her the address, there was no choice but to believe that this was reality. Luckily, the route leading to Roman¡¯s vi waspletely different from the one to Chandler¡¯s. Thus, Erin walked over to Roman¡¯s ce while holding up a lemon¨Cyellow sun umbre. At the door, her heart was beating so fast and erratically that it felt like it was trying to escape from her chest. The actor she admired the most would soon be right before her eyes. It made Erin feel faint. She was finally going to meet her idol and experience what it meant to do so! After doing her best to even out her breathing, Erin rang the doorbell. Soon after, a young woman came to answer the door. The woman was so gorgeous it made Erin¡¯s breath catch. Her wless makeup made her seem refined and elegant, contrasting with her voluptuous figure enveloped in a form¨Cfitting, crimson Chanel dress. She also wore a pair of stilettoed sandals, which made her stand a full head taller than Erin in her ts. Mere seconds after seeing her, Erin was overwhelmed by the woman¡¯s bearing. She was so perfect that Erin couldn¡¯t help but feel reminded of someone else¨CChandler Frost.. She could not hold back the idea that this woman would be the perfect match for Chandler. However, this thought also brought with it some feelings of inferiority and disappointment. Looking at Erin, the woman asked gently and politely, ¡°Hello, may I ask who you¡¯re looking for?¡± For a second, Erin was too stunned for words. She wondered if she¡¯de to the wrong ce and quickly took a few steps back to check the unit number. Once she was sure there was no mistake, she said, ¡°Hello, my name is Erin Lane. I¡¯m here to see Mr. Roman ir. I¡¯m here to be interviewed as his assistant on an internship basis.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°Oh, I remember now. Roman mentioned it just an hour ago. Pleasee in.¡± Slightly nervous, Erin walked into the vi. Just as she got to the living room, she saw two attention¨C stealing men walking down the elegant spiral staircase. Who would have thought that Erin would stumble upon Chandler in Roman¡¯s home when she¡¯d been trying her best not to all this time? ¡°You must be Erin Lane, then?¡± Roman walked leisurely down the stairs in casual clothes. When Chandler saw Erin, he acted as if she were a stranger. His eyes were so cold and uncaring that Erin¡¯s heart squeezed at the right. Only when Roman came closer to her did Erin finallye back to herself. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Erin Lane.¡± Roman stretched out a hand for Erin to shake. He said smilingly, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. These are both my good friends. Would you mind if they¡¯re here while I conduct the interview?¡± Erin minded terribly, but she couldn¡¯t say so at all. Awkwardly, she answered, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Have a seat anywhere. Would you like something to drink?¡± She waved her hands vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s alright, I¡¯m not thirsty!¡± Roman said, ¡°Then let me have a look at your resume first.¡± ¡°Sure, Mr. ir!¡± Erin immediately handed the document over. Looking at Roman¡¯s tanned bronze skin and handsome face, Erin became somewhat dazed. She never imagined that he would be even more attractive in person than on screen! His skin was healthy and glowing, his solid physique making him seem roguish. Erin couldn¡¯t help but think about all the characters Roman had brought to life and how unique every single one of them was. There were bold and brash ones, reserved ones, morally gray ones¡­. Erin¡¯s unconsciously admiring gaze pained Chandler, assaulting his heart. Five minutester, Roman raised his head to look at Erin. ¡°Miss Lane, I¡¯ve finished reading your resume. Since Mr. Dunn rmended you, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re reliable. The probation will be half a year, which is longer than most other jobs. Do you mind this, Miss Lane?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t have experience in this kind of job, so I¡¯m very thankful that you¡¯re willing to give me a chance, Mr. ir! ¡°Erin said with honesty and sincerity. ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a rush to thank me yet. If you can¡¯t work, I might fire you at any time.¡± Roman¡¯s words were calm yet harsh. Erin nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± Roman¡¯s gaze suddenly adopted a sternness. He asked, ¡°Miss Lane, I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Please go ahead and ask it, Mr. ir.¡± Roman then turned to look at Chandler where he sat on a couch nearby. He asked, ¡°Miss Lane, once you¡¯re my assistant, you¡¯ll be seeing my two friends a lot. Are you really sure that this won¡¯t be a problem for you?¡± Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 An Honest Confession For a second, Erin didn¡¯t understand what Roman was implying. Looking pained, she asked, ¡°What do you mean, Mr. ir?¡± Although she was intentionally putting all of her attention on Roman, she was so nervous that his hands were sweating profusely. Even if Chandler sat quietly, to her, his presence was still the most prominent one. Though she was trying so desperately to ignore him, her treacherous heart still thundered because Chandler was right there. ¡°Miss Lane, do you really not understand what I¡¯m saying? Wasn¡¯t Mr. Frost here your previous boss? You were his woman too¡­ Erin immediately cut Roman off. ¡°Mr. ir, please don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ve already resigned.¡± And she wasn¡¯t Chandler¡¯s woman anymore, either. Chandler¡¯s cold gaze bore into Erin. Finally, he could no longer stay in this ce and suddenly got up. ¡°Roman, we¡¯re leaving now.¡± He held his arm out in a gentlemanly manner, offering it to the beautiful woman to the side, who quickly came over to put her hand in the crook of it. The two were a startlingly well¨Cmatched couple. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Roman said, ¡°I won¡¯t be seeing you out, then.¡± Once they left, Roman looked back at Erin. He suddenly started pping, a trace of admiration in his eyes. Erin stared at him in confusion. ¡°Miss Lane, I can tell you with surety that you¡¯ve passed your probation.¡± Roman then walked to sit on the couch. Erin asked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. ir, I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Roman chuckled lowly. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over and take a seat? I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know.¡± Erin went and sat down an appropriate distance away. ¡± Roman continued, ¡°I admire you for being able to keep your private and professional lives separate even in the face of your former employer and lover. I need an assistant who¡¯s professional, even if you don¡¯t have experience. You can take some time to slowly get familiar with the work.¡± Now, Roman was crystal clear. Slightly miffed, Erin said, ¡°It seems that you already know about my history with Chandler, Mr. ir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Confused, Erin asked, ¡°If you know, why are you still hiring me, Mr. ir?¡± Romanughed lightly. ¡°Miss Lane, I said I need an assistant who can keep her private and professional lives separate. Naturally, I¡¯m the same kind of person. I don¡¯t care about your previous rtionship with Chandler, whatever it may be. All I care about is that you¡¯ll do your job well.¡± Erin recalled the woman who had just left. Softly, she asked, ¡°Mr. ir, may I ask who that woman with Chandler was? What¡¯s her rtionship with Chandler? You said that I¡¯ll be seeing them often from now on, so¡­ Roman gave a mysterious smile. ¡°I thought you already knew who she is, Miss Lane.¡± His words sent Erin¡¯s heart dropping to her stomach. Was that woman Chandler¡¯s fianc¨¦e? Although waves of pain were rending her heart, Erin forced herself to smile. ¡°Mr. ir, I¡¯d also like to ask when I can start work.¡± Even if Erin was doing her best to seem cheerful, Roman noticed the pain in her eyes. If she loved Chandler so much, why had she chosen to leave? Roman had never been interested in the private matters of others, but he felt nosy for the first time. His gaze dulled as he asked, ¡°Before I tell you about work hours, there¡¯s onest thing I¡¯d like to ask I hope you¡¯ll answer me truthfully, Miss Lane.¡± To get this job, to prove her professionalism, and to assure Roman that he hadn¡¯t misjudged her, Erin responded calmly, ¡± Please go ahead, Mr. ir.¡± ¡°I want to know what your true rtionship with the rock star, Matthew Burgess, is. The photos exposed on the Inte don¡¯t seem to be simpleposite ones¡­ There was no disgust or judgment in Roman¡¯s eyes, only a deep and unfathomable depth. Recalling those photos online, Erin feltpletely helpless. The angle of the shots was very careful. Though there was no exposed skin, she was enveloped in Matthew¡¯s embrace as they slept. There was ample room for the imagination. Initially, Erin wanted Chandler to keep believing in the lie of what she¡¯d done, but she never thought that there would be photos of her sleeping with Matthew sshed online. When she found out about it, Erin had called Matthew, and Matthew had said he¡¯d get someone to handle the matter. The issue had too huge of an impact on her life. Her mother had calledst night and talked to her for a whole hour, saying that her whole family back home knew of it. To prevent them from thinking that Erin had cheated, Cherry could only tell them about her divorce. She had even shown proof ofn¡¯s infidelity to prove it to their rtives. In the end, all that got them was said rtives¡® snidementary.. They said that the youngsters these days were all too careless, viewing marriage as nothing but a game. They also said that Erin had changed after moving to the big city. ¡°Miss Lane?¡± Roman¡¯s voice broke Erin out of her reverie. Somehow, his one question had incited lots of thoughts within her. Erin sighed. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I¡¯m only friends with Matthew and that we¡¯ve never had any untoward rtions, Mr. ir?¡± Her mildly self¨Cdeprecating tone made Roman feel somewhat pained. He said solemnly, ¡°I would.¡± Erin¡¯s eyes stung. ¡°Why would you?¡± Roman chuckled lowly. Confidently, he said, ¡°Because of my intuition and life experiences.¡± Although this was her first time meeting Roman, his character made him even more reliable in her eyes. Before she left, Roman told Erin of her expected work hours. She would be officially starting the job in two days, whereupon she would have to go with him to the set¨Cin for filming. After Erin left, Roman picked up his phone from where it sat hidden on the couch. The screen showed a call currently in progress, with the other person on the line being Chandler. ¡°How¡¯s that? Did you hear everything? Is this the answer you wanted?¡± There was a trace of amusement in Roman¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m driving, so I¡¯m hanging up,¡± Chandler said truthfully. Roman huffed. ¡°So unreasonable.¡± In the car, na Wood spoke up with a smile from the passenger seat. ¡°See, even Roman believes it. I think Erin wasn¡¯t lying either! Are you happy now? She didn¡¯t betray you! My bet is that Matthew got someone to take those photos. Look at the angle of those shots. They look like the whole thing was staged.¡± Her words inspired no joy in Chandler at all. He said coldly, ¡°That idiotic woman! How could she get scared off just because my father mentioned an engagement party out of nowhere? How¡¯s she supposed to do anything if she has no courage at all?¡± na felt that this was unfair. ¡°Chandler, you¡¯re expecting too much. Not only did you keep her as your secret lover, but you also neglected to tell her anything. If it were me, I¡¯d have left you immediately as well! Besides, your darling father must not have said anything nicely either. After all, Erin grew up in a typical middle¨Css family. She isn¡¯t like us, getting used to being schemed against from a young age.¡± Her words managed to relieve the tension in Chandler¡¯s heart, but he was still mad at Erin. ¡°That fool. If she doesn¡¯te crawling back to me, I don¡¯t expect I¡¯ll ever forgive her!¡± na looked at Chandler and smiled. ¡°Hey, your woman will surely have lots of people chasing after her. An independent woman like her is super attractive to men. Don¡¯t let being handsome get to your head. She might very well note back at all and get stolen away by some ill¨Cintentioned man!¡± Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 An Uninvited Guest To answer na¡¯sment, Chandler gave her a sideways nce and said, ¡°Your partner is a horrible influence on you. How could such a beauty like you say such an unrefined thing!¡± na broke outughing merrily. ¡°Nothing can be done about it; one picks up another¡¯s quirks when they spend too much time together. It¡¯s his fault for being in the Special Forces and talking so crudely.¡± Chandlerughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t heing home soon?¡± ¡°Yep, on the eighth of next month. He¡¯ll be right in time to be there at our engagement party.¡± na¡¯s gaze was full of anticipation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Once our engagement¡¯s settled, I¡¯ll find an opportunity to have him transferred to be your personal bodyguard. That way, you can be together all the time.¡± na became slightly morose. ¡°Even if we¡¯re together, we¡¯ll have to sneak around¡­ Sometimes, my sister and I really wish that we were born into a normal family. Who cares about being rich? No one knows that we have no freedom to make any choices, not even who we marry.. Chandler¡¯s expression darkened as well. He had felt the same way as her before. ¡°Lighten up. At least we get to marry a friend we trust implicitly. This way, we can still love who we want to love. We learned to put on a show from a young age, so what¡¯s so hard about keeping up the show for a few more years?¡± His eyes were cold as he said this. na asked, ¡°Chandler, don¡¯t you want toe clean to your father? With the way he¡¯s controlling your marriage, how can you stand it?¡± Calmly, Chandler said, ¡°It¡¯s not yet time toe clean. Besides, I¡¯m not worried since I¡¯m getting engaged to you.¡± ¡°Us being friends is something only my sister and Roman knows. No one else would even imagine it. Even your woman might not help but mistake what we are for each other. You have to get Erin quickly before she bes someone else¡¯s. If that happens, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± na looked genuinely worried for him. Chandler¡¯s eyes shed. He said lowly, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± That was actually why he¡¯d allowed Roman to be Erin¡¯s new boss. He didn¡¯t trust a man like Sean Dunn. Also, if he didn¡¯t distance himself from Erin, Quentin would only put all of his focus into splitting them up. If he openly defended Erin, he would get distracted, and that would affect the n he¡¯d put into motion six months ago. That evening at six, Erin met up with a property agent to view a rental unit. Half an hourter, she¡¯d gotten the signed contract and sent it to the agent. She sat alone on the couch and looked around at the two¨Cbedroom apartment. Her face was overwritten with happiness. To her, being able to rent this unit was unbelievably lucky. Apparently, the owner was in a rush to leave the country. Thus, he wanted to get rid of it fast, regardless of whether it would be rented or sold. Thus, she only spent five thousand dors a month to rent a ce in a condominium in the city that cost twenty thousand a month. This was the kind of crazy deal that no one would believe was even possible. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the property agency was thergest one in town, Erin might not have trusted that she could get such a steal. Suspicious, she had even searched online to check if the unit was haunted before actually signing the rental contract. The thing was, what Erin could never imagine was that the owner so urgently wanting to ¡°leave the country¡± was none other than Chandler. There was no way he would ept a questionable apartment when he was going to stay here from time to time in the future! The next morning, a single man moved into the unit opposite Erin¡¯s. The man took the initiative and went over to say hi to Erin. His name was Jack, and he was ripped. Although he wasn¡¯t tall, he looked to be quite strong. Jack told Erin that he was a personal fitness trainer and that she coulde to him if she needed any kind of help. After Erin closed the door, Jack went back to his apartment and made a call. ¡°Mr. Frost, I¡¯ve already gone over to Miss Lane¡¯s ce to introduce myself.¡± Chandler was currently in his office signing contracts. He put his phone on the table and turned on the speaker. ¡°From now on, keep an eye on the kind of people who visit her, including those she brings home. Report to me each time.¡± Jack Hastings replied deferentially, ¡°Yes, sir. Don¡¯t you worry about this!¡± While Jack was making that phone call, Erin¡¯s new ce received its first visitor¨CSean Dunn. Seeing Sean with packages of different breakfast foods and a smile, Erin really couldn¡¯t leave him outside. She finally stood aside to let Sean into the apartment. Once the door was closed, Sean went in search of the kitchen, acting as if he were in his own home. Yawning, Erin watched him, troubled. ¡°You¡¯re here so quickly. I¡¯ve barely moved in! Did Roman ir tell you my address?¡± Sean said teasingly, ¡°What a nice ce! It¡¯s the kind that anyone could just move right into. Erin, did you hit the jackpot or be someone¡¯s sugar baby? Being Roman¡¯s assistant can¡¯t earn you more than twenty thousand a month. How could you possibly afford this ce?¡± ¡°Watch what you say. What makes you think I became a sugar baby? I¡¯m only tremendously lucky! Maybe I was unlucky earlier and now the universe is making it up to me.¡± Erin looked around at the apartment and felt such affection for it that it went right down to her bones. The apartment was pristine, and its decorations were elegant. She could tell that the owner had to be a man and the kind who was young and tasteful. Her words made Sean chuckle. He busied himself getting the tes out,ying the breakfast he bought out onto them. Before long, the table was filled with food. Sean looked at the fruit of hisbor and felt oddly satisfied. He turned around and looked at Erin, who was still in her cartoon¨Cprint pajamas, displeased. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve already gotten breakfast ready. Shouldn¡¯t you go wash up and eat?¡± Erin pouted. ¡°I just woke up. Why did youe so early? And I never invited you over, either.¡± Hurt shed in Sean¡¯s eyes. ¡°Goodness me! What a wretch soul I am. I was so nice as to rmend you to be Roman¡¯s assistant and you even got the job. I even went out early to get you your favorite breakfast to celebrate, and you¡¯re stillining about me?¡± Erin shivered upon hearing that. She had no choice but to surrender. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go wash up now! Please don¡¯t ever talk like that again. I got goosebumps from that.¡± Amusement shone in Sean¡¯s eyes. He winked at Erin. ¡°Hurry up. I haven¡¯t eaten either, so I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Seeing Sean taking a seat at the dining table, Erin quickly rushed to the bathroom and closed the door. What a nightmare! She really had no clue how she was going to deal with this uninvited guest. And he was ying coy too! Erin said to herself in the mirror, patting her face, ¡°Wake up! That guy outside will not be easy to deal with¡­¡± She admitted that she owed Sean a favor for helping her with her job. Such a favor was not so easy to repay. She could only take things one step at a time. After Erin finished washing up and changing, Sean had already eaten nearly everything. When she got to the dining table, she was in shock. ¡°Damn, are you preparing to hibernate for the winter? How did you put away so much?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Airport Pickup The breakfast that he imed to have brought for her had all ended up in his stomach. Erin looked at Sean, feeling speechless. He, on the other hand, didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°You took so long! The breakfast was getting cold, so¡­ Well, since you¡¯re already dressed. I¡¯ll take you out to eat!¡± Erin replied apathetically. ¡°Never mind, you go ahead. I¡¯ll go back to sleep. I¡¯m still off tomorrow, and I¡¯ll be going to Fleuverton City the day after tomorrow. I want to get a good rest these two days.¡± Sean¡¯s mood soured instantly. ¡°Erin, didn¡¯t you say that you would treat me to a meal once younded the job? I don¡¯t care. You must treat me to a meal before you leave. You should honor your promise!¡± As Erin was starting to feel drowsy, she grew impatient. ¡°Mr. Dunn, are you really that adamant about iming that one meal from me?¡± Sean raised an eyebrow as he replied curtly. ¡°Yes!¡± Since he put it that way, what else could she say? In fact, she¡¯d initially nned to pick a better time to treat him to a proper meal, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so impatient. Erin could onlypromise in the face of his insistence. ¡°Alright then, you pick the time. I have a flight at 8 am the day after tomorrow.¡± He smiled mysteriously in response. ¡°Okay, wait for my call. I¡¯ll get going now. You can continue with your beauty sleep.¡± After seeing him off, Erin changed her clothes and walked back into the bedroom. Just as she was about to sleep, the second visitor arrived. Upon opening the door, Erin found Holly standing at her doorstep. Erin yawned and remarked woefully. ¡°Holly, why are you up so early?¡± Holly was wearing an emerald green designer dress, and she looked stunning. Holding a handbag that was limited¨Cedition, she took off her sunsses and grinned. ¡°Girl, I¡¯m going to the airport to pick up my boyfriend!¡± Erin turned and walked toward the sofa, slumping onto it. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should be at the airport. Why have youe to my ce?¡± Holly closed the door and said solemnly. ¡°Because you have toe with me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Erin sat up with a jolt. She wanted very much to reject it. ¡°I think I won¡¯t go Seeing that she was unwilling to tag along, Holly quickly walked over and sat on the sofa. Hugging Erin¡¯s waist, she pleaded, ¡°My dear Erin, you must apany me! If you don¡¯te with me, I¡¯ll hang myself!¡± 1 Seeing her best friend acting so unusually, Erin ced her hand on Holly¡¯s forehead. ¡°Are you not feeling well? What¡¯s the matter with you? Why am I getting more confused the more I listen?¡± Holly¡¯s hopeful and radiant face fell instantly at that question. She asked, ¡°Do you mind if I smoke?¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Erin replied. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Holly immediately opened her handbag and took out a cigarette. After lighting it, she took two drags and said, ¡°To tell you the truth, he¡¯s not really my boyfriend. He¡¯s awyer I met when I was signing the divorce agreement. Normally, he doesn¡¯t handle divorce cases, but a friend of mine helped me contact him. He lives abroad and asionallyes back to the country for business. He¡¯s been staying in Seaside City recently. Hear me out, Erin. After Eugene, he¡¯s the second man I genuinely like! But the problem is, he¡¯s really hard to pursue. I¡¯m just one step away from forcing myself on him Erin listened with surprise. If Holly was saying these things, it meant that she was really interested in that man. ¡°And why do I have to apany you to the airport?¡± Holly blinked at her a few times suggestively. ¡°Yesterday, I found out that he has a cousin. Can you guess who his cousin is?¡± His cousin? Erin furrowed her brows and sifted through the men she knew in her mind. She blurted, ¡°It¡¯s not Chandler, is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so smart!¡± Holly eximed excitedly. ¡°With Chandler as a mutual connection, it¡¯ll be easier for me to take things to the next level with him.¡± ¡°Although I feel a bit reluctant to say this, I don¡¯t want to deceive you. Actually, Chandler and I have already broken up.¡± Erin¡¯s eyes showed a hint of apology and sadness. She¡¯d been pushing their breakup to the back of her mind, but as soon as it was mentioned, she felt a pang of pain in her heart. Holly stood up in shock. ¡°No way¡­ Did you really break up with him just because of those scandalous photos? Didn¡¯t you exin it to him properly?¡± Erin shook her head helplessly. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s because histher came to see me She briefly exined what had happened in about ten minutes. After that. Holly sat down while sighing deeply. ¡°I guess the odds are all stacked against me. Oh, woe is me Erin couldn¡¯t bear seeing her best friend in such a deste state, so she asked, ¡°Is the man you¡¯re talking about named Simon Frost?¡± Holly¡¯s lifeless eyes immediately lit up with a spark. ¡°Yes! Do you know him?¡± ¡°Well I haven¡¯t met him in person, but he was involved in the incident where I was injected with poison. Simon delivered the antidote to the city, thanks to his father¡¯s help. I heard all this from Chandler,¡± Erin replied. Holly beamed widely upon hearing that. ¡°Erin, this time we finally have an excuse to go and pick him up! You can say you want to treat him to a meal as a gesture of gratitude. We¡¯ll book a good restaurant. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll foot the bill!¡± Seeing that her best friend was so fond of Simon, Erin decided to help. She smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll apany you to pick him up. Besides, I do want to express my gratitude to him. Previously, I had Chandler thank him on my behalf. But I now have the opportunity to thank him in person, which is even better.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go! Hurry up and dress up nicely! As my best friend, you should shine bright like a diamond!¡± Holly took Erin¡¯s hand and dragged her toward the bedroom. ¡°I can just wear something casual¡­¡± ¡°No way! I spent two hours getting ready early in the morning. How can you dress casually when you¡¯re apanying me?¡± Erin felt helpless. She didn¡¯t expect Holly to be so assertive once she encountered a man she liked. ¡ª Two hourster, Erin and Holly took a taxi to the airport. Now, they were standing at the exit, waiting for the legendary Simon. On the way there. Holly told Erin that she¡¯d been trying to find various opportunities to get closer to him, but she¡¯d exhausted all the excuses she coulde up with. Save for a few casual meetups, he hadn¡¯t even had a proper meal with Holly. In Holly¡¯s words, Simon was someone who couldn¡¯t be swayed. Being awyer was undoubtedly a good career choice on his part. In less than twenty minutes, a young man who was outstanding in appearance walked out at the arrival gate, carrying what seemed like a modest yet expensive men¡¯s travel bag. Holly couldn¡¯t help but wave enthusiastically. ¡°Mr. Frost!¡± Simon¡¯s exquisitely handsome face showed a hint of displeasure, but he hid it well, and no one noticed. He walked up to Holly and said coldly, ¡°Miss Green, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Mr. Frost, I brought my good friend to pick you up today. She said you helped her before, and as a gesture of gratitude, she would like to invite you to lunch. I wonder if you would honor us with your presence?¡± Holly had a gentle smile on her face, and her adoration for Simon was apparent in her eyes. Erin stood stiffly, and when Simon looked at her, she smiled faintly. ¡°We apologize for the abruptness of our arrival to pick you up. We hope you don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s just that I wanted to thank you in person.¡± After saying that, Erin even bowed slightly to show her sincerity. Holly was satisfied with how Erin backed her up. She felt d to have brought her best friend along to assist her. With Erin¡¯s humble and courteous manner, a gentleman like Simon wouldn¡¯t refuse such a genuine gesture too carelessly. When Simon caught a glimpse of Erin, he felt a sense of familiarity. After thinking for a moment, he asked, ¡°Are you a friend of my cousin?¡± Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Feel Sorry for Me While Erin was hesitating about how to answer, a familiar voice sounded from behind them. The voice was deep and extremely pleasant to the ears. ¡°Simon.¡± Simon looked toward the person and his consistently frigid face showed a hint of a smile. ¡°Chandler!¡± Erin froze upon hearing the man¡¯s voice, while Holly turned around and saw Chandler. She whispered discreetly, ¡°Erin, it¡¯s Chandler ¡­ Erin kept her head down and refused to turn around. On the other hand, Chandler followed Simon¡¯s line of sight and spotted the two of them who were standing not far away. ¡°Chandler, your friend came to pick me up. She said she wanted to thank me by treating me to a meal.¡± Simon¡¯s gazended squarely on Erin. ¡°Oh, who is it?¡± Chandler asked coldly. Holly smiled awkwardly toward Chandler and pointed at Erin. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± No matter how much Erin tried to pretend this wasn¡¯t happening, she had to face reality at the end of the day. She finally turned around and said, ¡°Hey, long time no see.¡± Seeing her greet him so nonchntly, Chandler¡¯s expression hardened as he turned to Simon and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chandler¡¯s apparent dislike toward Erin made Simon cast a subtle nce at her. Helpless, Erin looked at his aloof figure and pouted. She felt very ufortable, and a fiery me of resentment surged in her heart. After their breakup, he¡¯d gone back to being that distant and unreachable handsome guy, and Erin had reverted to her former sell. They were supposed to have nothing to do with each other anymore, yet they always seemed to encounter each other through their shared circle of friends. Feeling annoyed. Erin wondered if she should change her entire circle of friends. Five minutester, Holly and Erin walked out of the airport, preparing to take a taxi back. Unexpectedly, they saw Simon standing by the roadside not far away, waving at them. Holly excitedly pulled Erin¡¯s hand and walked forward. When they reached Simon, he took the initiative to speak, ¡°Miss Lane, is the lunch invitation still valid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s valid! Of course, it¡¯s still valid!¡± Holly immediately spoke up. On the contrary, Erin nced hesitantly at the man who was in the driver¡¯s seat of the car. ¡°That¡¯s a ¡®yes,¡± then. Alright, please hop on.¡± Simon unexpectedly acted like a gentleman and opened the car door for them. With a forced smile, Erin was pushed into the car by Holly. Once they were all seated, Chandler nced at the rearview mirror and drove away. In the car, Simon, who was seated in the passenger seat, asked, ¡°Why did you personallye to pick me up this time? You could have just sent a driver.¡± ¡°My old man asked me to pick you up.¡± Simon chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s very nice of him.¡± Chandler casually asked, ¡°How¡¯s Uncle Andrew doing? I heard he was hospitalized a couple of days ago.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. He was just exhausted. There are many things that could have been handled by someone else, but he insists on doing them personally.¡± The two men chatted about family matters while the two women in the backseat awkwardly remained silent, not daring to interrupt them. When the car became momentarily quiet, Simon suddenly looked toward the backseat and said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. We got carried away talking among ourselves and forgot about you two.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. No worries,¡± Holly quickly responded with a casual wave and a bright smile. Erin looked at her best friend who hadpletely fallen for Simon and couldn¡¯t help but feel both happy and worried for her. She wondered if it was really a good idea to be so infatuated with a man. Over an hourter, they arrived at the Grand Oyster Restaurant. Erin sat in the car, dumbfounded, wondering if Chandler chose this restaurant deliberately. It immediately reminded her of the scene when she met Quentin the other day. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Seeing that she was hesitant to get off the car, Simon asked, ¡°Miss Lane, do you not like this restaurant?¡± Erin looked up and saw Holly¡¯s eyes that were filled with anticipation and a hint of anxiety. She silently suppressed the sadness in her heart and smiled pleasantly. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine with anything. If you like this restaurant, we¡¯ll eat here.¡± ¡°Well, every time Ie over, Chandler and I always eat here. Don¡¯t worry. Miss Lane. I won¡¯t make you pay.¡± Simon opened the car door for Erin. After she got off the car, she thanked him. Thest time she met Quentin here, she didn¡¯t really get to eat. Quentin merely asked her toe over to meet with him and nothing else. Upon returning to the same ce, she actually wanted to try the food there. Thinking of the estimated average price per person for a meal here that was circted online. Erin¡¯s smile became even brighter. Compared to almost dying from a poisoned needle, splurging and treating others to avish meal was nothing. Fortunately, she¡¯d brought all her bank cards and credit cards with her today. When the four of them entered the private room, Erin went to the restroom right away instead of sitting down. Seeing Erin¡¯s unusual, behavior, Holly followed suit. In the private room, there were only two exceptionally handsome men left looking at the menu. The nearby waitstaff couldn¡¯t help but stare. They¡¯d seen many wealthy heirs and celebrities from the entertainment industry, but the four individuals today were exceptionally pleasing to look at. It made them feel fortunate to be able to work as a waitstaff at the Grand Oyster Restaurant. The impressive and luxurious style of the restaurant was refreshing to look at. They spared no expense in making their restroom equallyvish. Holly stood next to Erin and asked, ¡°Erin, you don¡¯t look well. Are you feeling under the weather? If you¡¯re worried about the expenses here. don¡¯t be. I told you I¡¯d pay.¡± ¡°No. I owe this to Simon¡¯s father. Since I don¡¯t have a chance to meet him, thanking Simon, in the same way, would make up for it. I have enough money to pay for the meal.¡± *Then, why do you look so unwell?¡± Erin¡¯s tone became cool as she replied, ¡°Chandler¡¯s father asked me to meet him here the other day¨Cin the same private room.¡± This instantly infuriated Holly. ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Is Chandler doing this on purpose? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m tolerating this!¡± After she said that, she grabbed Erin¡¯s hand and started walking. ¡°Forget it, even if I like Simon, I can¡¯t let my happinesse at the expense of your difort. Let¡¯s forget about this meal and head back right now!¡± Erin stopped her. ¡°No, it¡¯s toote to leave now. If I show that this affects me, Chandler will be even more pleased. He deliberately brought us here to make me feel uneasy. So, I won¡¯t let him have his way. This is all the more reason that we should enjoy the meal to the fullest!¡± ¡°But Erin¡­¡± ¡°No more ¡®buts¡°! Let¡¯s go!¡± After the two of them were mentally prepared, they walked out of the restroom. Two dishes had already been served by then. Erin and Holly went ahead and got seated. Shortly after they sat down, Simon asked, ¡°Chandler, where were you on August 11th? Your phone was switched off the whole day.¡± Chandler¡¯s gaze froze, and he didn¡¯t answer. Simon seemed to realize something. ¡°Did you go to visit your mother?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing this answer, Simon felt touched. ¡°You¡¯ve maintained this habit for twenty¨Cfive years. It hasn¡¯t been easy for you.¡± Chandler calmly replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Since my birth coincides with my mother¡¯s death. I¡¯ve never thought my birthday was a day worth celebrating.¡± His words tugged at Erin¡¯s heartstrings. She finally found out why Chandler had been reluctant to reveal this reason to her. Thinking about how he never had the love of his biological mother from a young age and only had a strict and authoritarian father, Erin could feel her eyes getting moist. Although her parents got divorced when she was very young, both her biological parents were good to her. So, she wasn¡¯tcking in parental love. On top of that, both her parents were also alive and well. Disregarding social status and wealth, Erin even felt that she was much luckier than Chandler. Chandler looked at Erin, who was hanging her head and wiping away tears. Then, he teasingly asked, ¡°Miss Lane, do you feel sorry for me?¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Too Naive Erin froze, unsure of how to respond. If she said she didn¡¯t feel sorry for him, it would seem like she lackedpassion. But if she said she felt sympathetic toward his unfortunate circumstances, she fell that he might scoll at her sympathy, as it was something that men like him needed the least. She suddenly stood up but turned her head away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think something has gotten into my eye. Please excuse me. I¡¯ll head to the restroom now.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After Erin entered the restroom in the private room once again, Chandler also stood up and went in after her. Simon and Holly, who were left at the table, exchanged nces at this bizarre situation. In the corridor of the restroom, Erin was pinned against the wall by Chandler. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her face blushed involuntarily. She hadn¡¯t gotten this close to him for quite some time. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t figure out what Chandler was ying at. ¡°Mr. Frost, please move aside.¡± She tried to speak calmly, but she was extremely nervous and dared not move an inch. Chandler leaned down and closed their distance even more. If she raised her head even slightly, her forehead would touch his chin. ¡°Were you feeling sorry for me just now?¡± he asked softly, with his head lowered. Erin didn¡¯t dare to look at him. ¡°No¡­¡± He snorted coldly. ¡°Then why were you crying?¡± ¡°I suddenly thought of something sad.¡± She casually made up a reason on the spot. Chandler held her delicate chin in one hand, forcing her to tilt her head up. His gaze was deep and frosty. ¡°Were you thinking of the time when my father asked you to leave me?¡± She remained silent. The tears in her eyes gradually dissipated as her anger slowly rose. There was no way she would recall that day¡¯s events! Her expression made Chandler burst intoughter instantly. ¡°Since you¡¯re so unwilling, you should just stay by my side. You chickened out so easily because of that old man¡¯s words. Bravo to you, Erin. Very nicely done.¡± ¡°You take this matter too lightly! What do you want? You want me to stay by your side as your secret lover? Aren¡¯t you afraid your fianc¨¦e will find out?¡± Erin retorted, the tone of her voiceced with hints of sarcasm and grievance. He had a fianc¨¦e, and she waspletely oblivious to this fact. Erin felt furious that he¡¯d failed to inform her about it beforehand. With just a few casual words, her emotions were stirred, and she was all flustered. A sense of disappointment arose within Chandler as he thought that a woman like Erin was simply too naive. If she were really allowed to enter his world, she would easily fall prey to others. Chandler instantly released her, his expression faltering and bing forlorn. He left with aplex look in his eyes. Meanwhile, Erin, who remained in ce, had a regretful expression. Thest trace of wishful thinking she had disappearedpletely. If what Quentin and Roman had said couldn¡¯t convince her, Chandler¡¯s silence just now was indicative enough. He really had a fianc¨¦e, so naturally, he would have that engagement banquet. Erin looked at herself in the mirror. The waterproof mascara wasn¡¯t waterproof at all. Her makeup was smudged, and she looked like a mess. Those faint white tear stains running along her cheeks wereughable. At the same time, she felt a bit sorry for herself too. She could escape reality for a moment, but she couldn¡¯t hide from it forever. Right now, she wished she could go home, lock herself in her room, and cry to her heart¡¯s content. She should discard this man who hurt her and made her suffer like a used tissue without hesitation. Even so, she could never bring herself to do it. When Erin came out of the restroom, she walked toward Holly and handed her a credit card with an upper limit of a hundred thousand dors. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Holly. I received an urgent call just now, so I have to leave now. Take your time with the meal. I¡¯ll cover the bill.¡± Holly looked surprised. ¡°Are you and Chandler up to something? He left five minutes ago, and he already paid the bill.¡± Erin paused for a little. ¡°No, his departure has nothing to do with me.¡± With that, the two of them left without finishing their meal. Holly, who was left behind, was actually quite happy. She got what she wished for and got to spend time with Simon alone. Although Simon wanted to leave as well, he thought it would be too ungentlemanly of him to leave Holly behind. On the way back, Erin didn¡¯t hurry to take a taxi or the subway. She walked alone on the street, trying to sort out her thoughts. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice three female students following her from behind. When she was about to cross the road, the traffic light for the pedestrians turned red, so she stopped. Suddenly, she felt a strong push from behind! Just as she thought she would get run over by the oing vehicle, a man grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back swiftly. As a result, she crashed into the man¡¯s embrace. The man scolded the three female students, ¡°Are you crazy? You weremitting a crime! Don¡¯t think you can¡¯t be held responsible just because you¡¯re underage! You can end up in a juvenile detention center for this!¡± Before they had a chance to appreciate how handsome this man was, the three female students were so shocked by his severe and harsh. scolding that they started bursting into tears. They didn¡¯t expect someone would witness their attempt to harm Erin. ¡°Mister, we didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it was an ident! We¡¯re sorry about that, miss!¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry¡­¡± The three female students seemed genuinely afraid. They kept on apologizing and crying. If Erin really got run over, it would be an irreparable tragedy, and they would surely regret it for the rest of their lives. Erin¡¯s head was still a little fuzzy, but the familiar scenting from the man made her feel at ease. She listened to the three female students crying incessantly while the man took out his phone to call the police. She stopped him and said calmly, ¡°Forget it and let them go. I think they didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Looking at the three female students who appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, Erin suddenly thought of a possibility. They were likely fans of Matthew. Otherwise, why would they have such animosity for no reason? The man insisted on reporting the incident to the police, but the three female students kneeled down and begged for forgiveness. People passing by who didn¡¯t know the truth started pointing fingers at the man and Erin. They wondered why this handsome man and a beautiful woman were bullying the female students. In the end, the man still reported the incident to the police. After assessing the situation, the police took the three students away in his police car. Evidence could be easily found through the footage from the surveince cameras nearby. The man pulled Erin¡¯s hand and walked ahead quickly, beraling her all along the way. Finally, Erin shouted, ¡°Hey! Are you done scolding me? Just because you saved me earlier doesn¡¯t mean you can freely insull me. Chandler! With that, Chandler let go of her hand. He¡¯d been wearing a hat all day, and he was dressed in casual clothes. His outfit made him look young, and he could pass off as a college student. ¡°Erin, don¡¯t you understand how terrible those female students were? What if something happened to you today? Shouldn¡¯t they bear criminal responsibility? If we don¡¯t criticize and educate them severely, what will happen if they harm others in the future?¡± Chandler questioned her with a grave look, sounding stern and chilling. His question left Erin speechless. She¡¯d always been too soft¨Chearted. Now that she calmed down, she realized that herpassion and tolerance were no more than foolish indulgence. Seeing her strained expression and how she remained silent, he could tell that Erin was reflecting on her earlier mistake. Chandler¡¯s tone softened, and he pulled her hand forward again. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s hot here.¡± It wasn¡¯t until two minutester that Erin realized that her hand was in his. Somehow, they ended up together again. She tried to free her hand from Chandler¡¯s grip, but he held onto her tightly. Chandler kept walking until he saw a movie theater. Then, he put on the sunsses hanging from his pants pocket and casually said, ¡°I¡¯m tired of walking. Let¡¯s go in and watch a movie.¡± Erin didn¡¯t know what to say to that. Reluctantly, Erin protested from behind him. ¡°Why are we watching a movie together? We¡¯re not on a date! We¡¯re no longer in a rtionship, okay?¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Bottom Line Half an hourter. Erin and Chandler sat in the theater. They had the entire ce to themselves. Only the two of them sat in the middle of the theater watching a horror film. Erin had no idea what they were watching the whole time. Her mind was conflicted, constantly reminding herself that she couldn¡¯t be entangled with Chandler. The man had a fianc¨¦e, for Christ¡¯s sake! But his hand, which was already sweating, held onto hers tightly, refusing to let go. She turned to look at him and calmly asked, ¡°Chandler, what exactly do you want? Can¡¯t we just break up properly?¡± ¡°No. You can¡¯t break up with me so arbitrarily.¡± He kept his gaze straight, looking at the female ghost on the big screen without a trace of fear. It was as if he was watching a lighthearted cartoon. His dominance and arrogance left no room for any reasoning. A smirk appeared on Erin¡¯s lips as she said. ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t want to break up, then cancel the engagement banquet. Can you do that?¡± For her to finally make a request to him, Chandler was somewhat impressed. He gave her a sideways nce and smiled mischievously.¡± Erin, have you fallen in love with me?¡± Those deep, icy eyes became even more mysterious and eerily chilling in the dim environment of the cinema. Even though Chandler was right next to her, Erin still didn¡¯t know what he was thinking deep down. The inability to understand him made her weary. She couldn¡¯t even gauge if Chandler would be happy or troubled if she confessed her feelings for him. After all, he had a fianc¨¦e who was a good match for him. Suddenly, two glistening teardrops fell, and Erin lowered her face to the side, no longer willing to look at Chandler. He turned around and tried to pull her onto hisp, but Erin refused. So, he stood up, forcefully grabbed her by the arms, lifted her up by the waist, and sat back. down holding her in his embrace. ¡°I was just asking if you liked me or not. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to die for me. Why are you crying?¡± he asked, mildly frustrated. He didn¡¯t know when it started, but her tears made him feel powerless. The more she silently cried, the more agitated he would feel. He wished he could tell her that he didn¡¯t love his fianc¨¦e at all and that the engagement was just for show. Those words were right at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn¡¯t say them out loud. ¡°Have you gone mute, Erin?¡± Erin raised her head and indignantly blurted, ¡°Yes! I like you! But liking you is really difficult! Since you already have a fianc¨¦e, why can¡¯t you just be with her and stoping after me? I don¡¯t want to be a mistress! You know how much I hate being the other woman!¡± As she spoke, her emotions started to get out of control, and she began to sob. Chandler let out a soft sigh and pressed her teary face against his shoulder. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He said earnestly, ¡°Erin, listen carefully. I like you too.¡± Before she could wipe away her tears, his lips were pressed to hers. At first, it was gentle and comforting, but it gradually became passionate and full of longing. Chandler¡¯s desire for her was suppressed yet profound, and her hands that were pushing against him gradually grew weak. Right then, her rationality returned, and she remembered that they were in a movie theater. ¡°No Erin said weakly, her cheeks flushed. Seeing that she resisted, Chandler didn¡¯t continue to force himself on her. He stared at her lips, which had be reddened and slightly swollen from his kiss. The urge for conquest surged through his blood at the sight of that. With his slender hands, he gentlemanly straightened her slightly disheveled clothes. Chandler finally revealed an important message.¡± There will be an engagement banquet, but I won¡¯ty a linger on that woman. Are you satisfied now?¡± Erin looked into his eyes and decided that he didn¡¯t seem to be joking. Sadly, this wasn¡¯t the answer that she was hoping for.. There was a bitter smile on her lips as she asked, ¡°So, if I choose to be with you, I will still be the mistress, won¡¯t I?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s how you choose to interpret it, then yes, you would be the other woman.¡± Chandler replied with a glint in his eyes. ¡°Hmph ¡°Erin struggled to get away, but Chandler refused to let go. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Seeing her sudden emotional outburst. Chandler didn¡¯t hold her down lorcefully anymore. Erin stood before him and said with finality. ¡°Chandler, I don¡¯t need your money. I can earn my own. I don¡¯t need your constantpanionship either; I¡¯ll spend more time on work so that I won¡¯t think of you so much. But I can¡¯t stand bing the kind of woman I hate the most! That¡¯s my bottom line! No matter how much I like you, I can¡¯t allow myself to stoop to that!¡± ¡°Erin Chandler frowned: her stubbornness was causing him distress. He couldn¡¯t usepromising photos to ckmail her into being with him as he did at the beginning. She wasn¡¯t just a simple lover to him anymore. Facing the woman he genuinely liked, Chandler felt helpless for the first time. He watched as Erin walked away fiercely and decisively. He wanted more than anything to rush over and tell her to stay by his side. But what she wanted was a legitimate status, and he couldn¡¯t give her that currently. Furthermore, Erin was way too fragile now. Perhaps staying by Roman¡¯s side was a better choice for her at the moment. One should know that theplexity of the entertainment industry was iparable to that of a normal workce. Roman, who happened to be his close friend, had made a name for himself with no resources or backing. He got to where he was in the entertainment industry purely by his own effort and abilities. He could definitely teach Erin a thing or two. As he watched Erin¡¯s figure disappear from his sight, there was a hint of anticipation in his dark eyes. ¡°Erin, if you want to stand by my side legitimately, prove your worth to me.¡± In the evening. Erin cooked herself something simple and held a set of documents in her hand. Roman had forwarded all of that information to her. It concerned their amodation and transport arrangements at Fleuverton City. It even included the geographical location of hospitals. She would be in charge of theseter on. Erin swiftly installed several useful apps on her phone to facilitate future searches and inquiries. She took her assistant trainee job very seriously, she didn¡¯t take up the job on a whim. When she¡¯d just graduated, she¡¯d once thought about bing a personal assistant to a celebrity. However,n didn¡¯t agree to it at that time, saying that this kind of work would take up a lot of time and affect their rtionship. Because she lovedn back then, she chose the design industry. In the end, they got divorced because ofn¡¯s infidelity. Now, she was single and didn¡¯t have to worry about all that. She could choose her own career path. Erin took a pen and diligently noted down the most important pieces of information in her notebook. She continued studying the information until midnight. When she finished showering and was about to blow her hair dry, her phone rang. Erin immediately put down the hairdryer and went to her bedroom. When she saw that it wasn calling, she was tempted to not answer, but he kept calling. Thinking thatn might have something urgent, she decided to answer. ¡°Erin, where are you? I have something urgent to discuss with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about your father, Steven.¡± Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Intoxicated Rage Erin¡¯s voice immediately raised by an octave. ¡°What? What happened to my dad?¡± Since this was Steven that they were talking about, and if he¡¯d approachedn, Erin was quite sure it had something to do with money. It waste now, so it was definitely not appropriate for an unmarried man and woman to be alone together. But since her biological father was in trouble, she couldn¡¯t afford to worry about that at the moment. Erin quickly gaven her new address, and he said he would rush over to her right away. Looking down at the nightgown she was wearing. Erin felt that it was inappropriate. She quickly changed into casual clothes. In less than half an hour,n arrived. After he entered her house, Erin went to make him a cup of coffee. As soon asn stepped into the living room, she smelled the alcohol on him. ¡°Thanks, Erin.¡± Erin furrowed her brows slightly and asked, ¡°Did you drive here yourself?¡± His eyes flickered with guilt, and he answered softly. ¡°Yes.¡± In the past,n¡¯s habit of drunk driving was a sensitive issue for both of them. They would argue over it every time without fail. Erin chuckled lightly in response. ¡°If you don¡¯t cherish your own life, other people¡¯s concerns won¡¯t make any difference to you.¡± In the next second,n stood up from where he sat and started moving over to the sofa. Erin gave him a wary nce. He then sat back down and said sincerely, ¡°I know you care about me. I swear I won¡¯t drink and drive again next time!¡± borrow money from you?¡± ¡°He has already borrowed five million dors from me.¡± Erin remained unfazed. Upon hearing her words,n picked up the coffee, blew on it, and took a sip. He then said, ¡°Your dad¡¯s company has encountered a lot of problems. In short, he urgently needs eighty million dors in working capital, otherwise, the court will dere him bankrupt within a month!¡± Erin stood up in surprise and walked over to the dining table, sitting next ton. She looked shocked as she asked. ¡°Did my dad ask you for eighty million dors?¡± two hours ago.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell him that we¡¯re divorced?¡± Erin couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. Although she hadn¡¯t told Steven about her divorce in person, the news would have traveledst in her hometown among her rtives because it was a rtively small ce. Steven should know even if he hadn¡¯t heard about it from her. Erin¡¯s expression became strained, and she sighed heavily. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before-¡± ¡°Erin, you can reject me, but you can¡¯t stop me from loving you!¡± His gaze was too direct and tant, making Erin feel uneasy. She could no longer nor did she want to reciprocaten¡¯s feelings. The past was in the past; all that was left now were memories. Moreover, someone else had already upied her heart¨CChandler. Seeing her not responding to his emotions,n couldn¡¯t help but reach out and ce his hand on the back of her hand. He said earnestly.¡± Erin, I don¡¯t care about all that scandalous news on the inte. In any case. I still love you.¡± *Please stop saying these things. You should leave. I know about my dad¡¯s situation, and I will figure it out on my own¡­¡± Steven¡¯s situation made her feel highly unsettled. She could fully imagine the repercussions if Steven was really dered bankrupt by the court. He would be unable to lift his head in front of all their rtives and friends. It would be a devastating blow to him! Not only that, Steven¡¯s wife would very likely divorce him as well. Although her father had remarried, at least he and Cherry had divorced rather amicably, and neither of them had engaged in the disgraceful act of infidelity. Erin couldn¡¯t bear to see Steven, at his age, suffering from bankruptcy and divorce. Seeing her lost in contemtion and filled with anxiety,n chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out? Where will you get the money from? Are you going to ask Chandler for a loan?¡± Erin¡¯s expression became a little strained as she heard that. ¡°We¡¯ve already broken up.¡± Althoughn knew that she¡¯d moved out of Chandler¡¯s vi, hearing her admit that she¡¯d broken up with him cleared any doubts he had. ¡°Is it because of those photos with Matthew?¡± Erin didn¡¯t want to tell him the truth and casually said. ¡°You can assume that.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing going on between us! It was a misunderstanding. I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore!¡± Erin stood up in annoyance and returned to the sofa. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t get worked up. I¡¯ll stop asking.¡± The two remained silent for five minutes beforen took the initiative to speak again. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll lend your father the money he needs. After all, I was once his son¨Cinw. It¡¯s reasonable for me toN?velDrama.Org owns ? this. lend him a hand.¡± His generosity wasn¡¯t what Erin wanted, as she didn¡¯t want to be involved with her former husband in any way, especially when it came to money. n, thank you for being willing to help my dad even though we¡¯re divorced, but I can¡¯t ept this arrangement.¡± Erin rejected his suggestion outright. ¦° Eighty million dors was a hefty sum. Even ifn had that amount of money, it was still a significant amount of money to him, and Erin understood that. Thinking back to the time when they divorced,n was unwilling to give her anything. Erin couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°You must be drunk to say such nonsense.n, you have to understand that it¡¯s eighty million, and not eight thousand dors!¡± know it¡¯s eighty million dors, but it¡¯s worth it for you!¡± Looking at how lovingn was behaving toward her right now, a wave of sadness overwhelmed Erin. She used to wait for him toe home every night while he was out with other women. Now, the tables had turned. He was willing to spend a huge amount of money to buy her heart back. Erin suddenly asked. ¡°If I agree to remarry you, will you help me then?¡± Erin smiled. She was just testing the waters with that question, and as expected, there were additional conditions. After a few seconds,n realized his blunder and quickly changed his statement. ¡°Even If you don¡¯t remarry me, I¡¯ll still help you.¡± Erin looked at him with a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes; her heart had long gone cold.n gazed at her delicate beauty and momentarily lost himself. Her hair emitted a pleasant fragrance, and the intoxicatedn found it irresistible. He suddenly pinned Erin down on the sofa forcefully and said with a sense of urgency. ¡°Erin, I¡¯ve missed you so much these past few days ¡°You¡¯re drunk,n! Let go of me! If you keep this up, I¡¯ll really get angry!¡± Erin struggled desperately and started shouting. ¡°Help! Jack! Jack, are you home? Come and save me- Her shouts became muffled asn pressed a hand over her mouth.