Spencer Group's headquarters stood in the center of Precsey, a looming twenty-eight-story tower with every level assigned to its own separate initiative. Coralie was mainly responsible for the artificial-intelligence biopharma division.

She finished her doctorate at Hozmard University, a world-renowned academy, in only six years, picking up computer science and AI on her own, and earned the degree at just twenty-four.

Security at Spencer Group was unforgiving, and every employee had to keep their access badge on them without exception.

Rushing in, Coralie realized she had left her badge behind and was forced to walk up to reception. "I'm here to meet Sebastian Spencer," she said.

The receptionist, someone Coralie had never seen before, asked, "Do you have an appointment?"

Her voice stayed courteous, but the contempt in her gaze was impossible to miss.

"No, just tell him I'm here," Coralie responded without raising her voice.

Without warning, the receptionist let out a mocking scoff and said, "The CEO has a packed schedule. He doesn't see random people who wander in without notice."

Her eyes moved over Coralie, finding no familiar designer marks, silently judging her clothes as low-grade.

With biting sarcasm, she added, "Don't imagine you can sneak your way inside. Our CEO has a wife."

"Mrs. Spencer, what brings you here?" Sean Barnett, Sebastian's personal assistant, hurried forward when he saw Coralie and spoke with clear respect.

"Mrs. Spencer?" the receptionist echoed, stepping back in stunned disbelief. She whispered, "The one who usually visits doesn't look like this..."

Coralie had already figured out what was happening. The only woman anyone could confuse for the CEO's spouse was Lilliana.

It appeared Sebastian was failing in both roles, husband and executive, by entangling his private life with work and bringing his lover into the office.

The receptionist had gone visibly pale with fear, but Coralie had no desire to make things difficult for an employee.

She faced Sean and said, "Bring me to Sebastian."

Sean cast the receptionist a sharp warning look and immediately guided Coralie forward.

When Coralie arrived at the CEO's office, no one was there.

Sean hesitated briefly and said, "Mr. Spencer is probably in the lab."

She gave a small nod and made her way toward the lab.

...

Before she got there, she caught sight of Sebastian.

He stood resting against the doorway, a folder in his hand, his stance easy but his attention fixed sharply on the report.

A new doctoral student was praising Lilliana, saying, "Mr. Spencer, the clinical data Dr. Wells submitted earlier was incredibly valuable. I heard she finished her medical doctorate at twenty-four. A mind like hers shouldn't be stuck as an ordinary physician. She's more than qualified to lead our project team."

Coralie's fingers clenched harder around her papers.

The receptionist's remarks about Lilliana coming here so often rang in her ears. Coralie wondered if Lilliana was attempting to seize control of her project.

"I refuse to accept this!" Coralie marched into the lab and slammed her papers onto the desk. "I will not allow Lilliana onto this project team!"

Her protest did not come from jealousy. After reviewing Lilliana's publications, Coralie saw they were showy yet shallow, and she suspected the Spencer family had cleared her path to graduation.

When Sebastian noticed Coralie, he motioned for everyone else to go.

He did not want word of their coming divorce circulating through the office.

Before long, only Sebastian and Coralie were left inside the lab.

"What are you doing? They were only giving compliments. Why are you reacting like this?" Sebastian looked at her with a frown. "Lilliana is committed to her medical path; she would never take control of this project."

Coralie believed none of it.

If Sebastian truly had no plan to replace her with Lilliana, why were his employees flattering Lilliana so openly?

After all, in everyone else's eyes, Lilliana was the CEO's true wife.

Her phone buzzed as her lawyer forwarded the divorce agreement draft.

Coralie gave it a quick look and then passed the phone to Sebastian. "The divorce agreement is prepared. If anything displeases you, you may change it."

"Divorce agreement," Sebastian repeated through clenched teeth as he scanned the document. His gaze paused on the words "leave with nothing."

He lifted his eyes to her, a mocking smile tugging at his mouth while his gaze stayed cold and faraway, like a frozen lake.

In one sharp flick of his wrist, he hurled the phone into a bucket of water close by. "Divorce? I refuse. No law firm in Precsey would dare accept this case!"

"What did you just do?" Coralie's eyes flew wide as she hurried to grab her phone.

She scarcely had time to check it before Sebastian yanked her up by her thin wrist.

He noticed she had made a deliberate effort with her appearance today, more than even during their honeymoon.

Her formal outfit—a black V-neck blouse tucked into a gray pencil skirt—traced her figure, making her stand out like a rose against snow, impossible to ignore.

Who had she dressed up like this for?

Sebastian's throat constricted and his mouth went dry. He wanted nothing more than to claim her entirely, to keep that beauty for himself alone.

He dragged her toward a nearby table, knocking the glass of water to the floor and forcing her against its edge.

Coralie fought against him. "Sebastian, don't touch me!"

Sebastian seized her other hand and forced both arms behind her back with one grip.

She understood exactly what he meant to do, and shame flooded through her. Even knowing their coworkers could not possibly hear, being overpowered by her husband in a place like this made her feel utterly degraded.

He had not treated her like his wife, not even like a basic human being.

Sebastian looked down at Coralie, his face stripped of feeling. "Coralie, you're delusional if you think you're leaving with nothing lost. Who will repay me for what I've lost?"

Coralie clenched her teeth. "What compensation do you expect?"

His mouth curved into a smile as he leaned nearer. "Physical intimacy is a fundamental part of marriage, isn't it? We've been married for eighteen months, and subtracting roughly ten days each month for your cycle leaves only about twenty days for sex. You owe me more than two hundred times of intimacy. We'll begin now and settle it before you walk away."

Coralie was seized by the bitter certainty that Sebastian was nothing short of an insufferable bastard.

"You bastard! Who the hell do you think I am? To you, does matrimony amount to nothing more than sharing a bed? Is a wife nothing but a readily available body to satisfy your desires?" Coralie fought him with frantic resistance, her form twisting and thrashing as venomous words spilled relentlessly from her mouth.

Sebastian paid no heed to her fury, shoving her back against the table while dipping his head to seize her mouth with his own. This time, the kiss carried none of its former restraint—it was savage, claiming, ruinous.

Coralie attempted to clamp down on him with her teeth, but he foresaw the attempt and clamped her jaw between his fingers.

Her mouth fell open just enough, and he took advantage of the opening, his tongue forcing its way in, tangling with hers in a fierce and unrelenting conquest.

Sebastian's kiss bore the weight of complete control, as though he intended to swallow her existence whole.

Coralie resolved herself firmly, refusing to allow even the faintest stir of response under such degrading circumstances.

She tried to steady herself on her feet, but her stilettos betrayed her, her ankle bending at a cruel angle.

"Ah." A fierce jolt of agony surged upward, and Coralie could not suppress the broken sound that escaped her throat. She longed to break free, yet her limbs refused to obey her will.

"What happened?" Sebastian asked with a frown, his grip still locked firmly around her wrists.

Coralie shot him a look filled with resentment before dropping her eyes.

Sebastian traced the direction of her gaze. Her foot rested at an unnatural tilt against the floor—undeniably injured.

He let go of her wrists and swept her into his arms, carrying her toward the exit.

Coralie struck his shoulder with her fist. "Let me go!"

"If you'd rather I don't lose control in the elevator, then remain still," Sebastian said flatly.

She damned him endlessly in her thoughts, yet her body stayed rigid and unresisting as he carried her inside the elevator.

The elevator dropped toward the underground parking level.

Sebastian pulled open the car door and placed Coralie into the passenger seat, securing the belt across her.

He shut the door, circled to the driver's side, fastened his own belt, and pressed hard on the accelerator.

The vehicle's speed climbed rapidly to 80 mph.

Coralie grabbed the strap across her chest with trembling fingers. "Sebastian, have you completely lost your senses? If you're determined to get yourself killed, don't take me along with you!"

Sebastian kept his focus ahead, his voice devoid of emotion. "I have no intention of dying, but if you insist on dying beside me, I'm willing to indulge you."

"You're insane! Even if death comes for me, I refuse to meet it with you. Crossing paths with you in this lifetime was already a terrible mistake. If another lifetime exists, I want nothing to do with you!" she shouted.

Sebastian slammed on the brakes as the traffic signal shifted to red.

He turned his head toward her, his eyes empty and glacial. "You won't be free of me in this lifetime."

"Sebastian Spencer, you bastard!"

The car jerked forward again, and Coralie's wounded foot struck against something, forcing a sharp breath from her lips.

She abandoned the argument, drawing her leg onto the seat and gingerly brushing her fingers over the swollen flesh.

Sebastian's eyes lingered briefly on her injury before he turned his attention away without a word.

At that moment, a notification lit up the phone beside him. It was from Lilliana.

"Seb, I skipped breakfast today, and there are too many patients. I'm still working, and I might not even get to eat lunch."

The message ended with a pitiful little bunny emoji.

The sight of that carefully crafted helplessness made Coralie's stomach churn with disgust.

Men truly were drawn to women who played fragile and calculating games.

Sebastian's slender fingers tapped the voice input, and when he spoke, his tone softened. "What would you like to eat? I'll bring it to you right away."