I dropped onto the sofa the moment I got home, completely wiped out. Didn't even bother to turn on the lights.

Then suddenly, the doorbell rang, sharp and insistent. I instinctively looked toward the door, heart lifting into my throat. I've always been independent, yeah, but I'm still a woman living alone, and after hearing all those horror stories out there...

I stayed frozen for a second, debating what to do. The doorbell kept buzzing non-stop. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed a broom with one hand and twisted the doorknob with the other. The second it creaked open, a tall shadow slipped inside. Without thinking, I swung the broom hard, eyes shut.

A hand caught my wrist mid-swing. "Are you insane?"

I shuddered. Theodore stepped around me, stormed inside, and yanked the broom out of my hand, tossing it aside. He curved two fingers under my chin, lifting my face.

My eyes, still swollen and puffy from crying, met his as he stared down at me.

He was so close, towering over me, then-without warning-he leaned in and kissed me.

My eyes flew wide open in shock, but before I could even make a sound, he bit down harshly on my lip. There was nothing gentle about the way he kissed. Every move was rough, deliberate, punishing. My tears started falling again, but he didn't let up.

My whole body went weak from his kiss. He pulled me firmly into his chest. As soon as we were pressed that close, it felt like a surge of electricity shot straight through me.

Just when I was starting to lose myself in the moment, he abruptly let go. His eyes were colder than ice as he stepped back and spit out, "What, you enjoy being forced? Pathetic."

That snapped me back fast.

The expression on his face-mocking, smug-hit me like a punch in the gut. I shoved him hard, tilting my head up, trying my best to look defiant. "Yeah, sure, I'm pathetic! So what? You knew that already-why'd you even come back? This place is too cramped for someone like you. Get out!"

My words clearly pissed him off. He spun around and clamped down on my wrist, his face clouded with fury.

He wrapped an arm around my waist, spun me around, and pinned me up against the door. His breath was hot against my neck as he whispered, "Say it... I wanna hear you say it..."

When his hand yanked open my shirt and grabbed my chest, I didn't even hesitate. With all the strength I had, I slapped him across the face. A loud smack echoed, and I felt the sting on my palm.

"Are you out of your mind? This is my place! If you want a woman, go find someone else!"

He froze for a moment, then grabbed my chin hard. "Natalie! Cut the act! Pull this manipulative crap with some other guy. I'm sick of your games-got it?"

I took a shaky breath and glared back at him, brows drawn tight. "You're full of it! What scheme exactly have I pulled on you? Honestly, if you're doing all this because you blame me for pushing you toward marrying Isabella, then fine-but let me tell you, I'm not gonna let that wedding happen. Don't get too comfortable."

His eyes narrowed, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What are you plotting now? Let me say it clearly-I won't let you mess around with my marriage. Don't even think about it."

I shot him a sarcastic smirk, clearly provoking him. "Then let's wait and see. I've got a little show planned-I'm pretty sure you'll find it very entertaining."

"She's your sister!"

"She isn't!"I shouted, my voice sharp and loud enough to make him freeze for a second. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm down, then said more evenly, "Look, you don't need to worry. After this, I'll stay out of your life. I don't even really know you. This whole mess between us was just one giant misunderstanding. So just go."

But instead of backing off, his face got darker, like he'd just snapped. His tone was like a wild animal's growl. "Why should I believe you? Maybe this is all just some twisted game you're playing to get me hooked."

I almost lost it. "Are you serious? I don't care if you believe me or not!"

He sneered, voice full of mockery. "Even if you're not one of Clifford's people, don't think I can't see through you. That innocent act, those tears? I've seen it all before."

His words were laced with contempt. I couldn't help but think back to Graham nearly assaulting me. That feeling boiled over in my chest like I might explode.

What the hell did I do in a past life? No mother's love, no father's care-always being used and hurt. Vivian, Oliver... and now even Theodore had to step on me like I was nothing.

Snatching up the broom off the floor, I swung it at him with everything I had. "I don't even know who the hell Clifford is! Get out! I don't ever want to see you again, you jerk!"

He took a couple of hits before grabbing the broom and shoving me hard. I lost my balance and fell back, landing on the floor with a thud. Pain stabbed through my wrist where it was already hurt, and tears sprang to my eyes from the sheer sting.

Theodore's face was pure ice, his stare sharp and filled with fury, like a demon straight out of hell. "I despise liars. I don't care who else you've manipulated, but if you try to mess with me..."

I tilted my head up to meet his glare, defiant even in pain.

"I'll make you wish you were dead."

*****

The next morning, I woke up on the cold floor. Walking to the bathroom, I stared at myself in the mirror-puffy eyes, messy hair, collar all askew. There were faint, blotchy kiss marks on my chest.

Marks left by Theodore.

When did it start? When did everything-my body, my mind-get wrapped up in him? His presence lingered like a scent that clung to my skin and refused to leave, sinking in deep enough to suffocate.

Just as I stepped out of the bathroom, my phone rang. It was Lucille, and the second I picked up, she practically screamed at me. "Natalie! What kind of friend are you? Something that major happened and you didn't call me? You were kicked out by that deadbeat Hubert and didn't even tell me? If you've got the guts to hide this, then don't ever show your face to me again!"

I winced, rubbing my ear from the verbal assault. "Okay, okay, my bad! Where are you? I'll come find you right now and beg for forgiveness."

She huffed, "Outside Graham's office. With his wife."

I shot up from the couch like it was on fire. "What the hell are you guys planning to do?"

Her laugh was low and chilling. "After what that bastard did to you, even his wife can't stand him. I'm not letting him off easy. Meet us there-one hour."

Twenty minutes later, I rushed to the door, and just as I was about to bolt, I noticed a white plastic bag on the floor. I paused, picked it up and looked inside-Arnica Gel, gauze, bandages, cotton, scissors... every kind of wound care item you could think of. And on top of it all? A bowl of abalone porridge, long gone cold.

I blinked, remembering last night-Theodore might've come back after he left.

No one else had been here. No one.

Could it really be him?

My mind went blank. I stood there frozen, unsure what to do next.

Just then, my phone buzzed again. A message from Lucille: [Where are you? You coming?]

I shook my head, snapping myself out of it. After checking the address she gave me, I left the medical supplies and porridge on top of the trash bin outside the door and rushed down the stairs.

An hour later, I rushed into Sullivan Corp and jumped into the express elevator to the top floor. Just as I stepped out, I could already hear Lucille shouting angrily.

I straightened my back and walked through the office area, ignoring the glances from the staff. A few female employees were whispering behind their hands, and one of them said under her breath, "She's got some guts. The real wife's here and the mistress still dares to show up like she owns the place. Such a shameless seductress."

I paused for a second, then turned and gave her a sharp look. Once our eyes met, she went pale and shut her mouth real quick.

I sneered deliberately and said, "So this is what Sullivan Corp calls elite employees? Maybe you should consider quitting."

That shut them up instantly.

The secretary tried to stop me but failed. I barged straight into the inner office and saw Lucille cursing at a woman dressed in designer from head to toe. Graham sat at his desk with a face like thunder and slammed the table.

"Enough!" he barked.

What really threw me off was seeing Theodore sitting directly across from Graham. He glanced at me coldly, then looked away like I was just some stranger.

As soon as I walked in, everyone turned to look at me. Graham pointed at me and asked, "How did you get in here?"

"I called her!" Lucille stepped in front of me and snapped, "Don't think you can get away with everything just because you've got Theodore backing you. I swear I'll drag your company down if I have to!"

"Stop slandering me!" The woman in luxury brands snapped back. "My husband already said he was meeting Ms. Reynolds for business last night! Manager Oliver was there, even Mr. Sterling can confirm it. Watch your mouth or I won't be polite!"

My face turned dark, and I pulled Lucille aside. "What the hell is going on?"

Lucille gave me an annoyed glare before she sighed and explained. She got an anonymous call last night, saying Graham tried to assault me. She couldn't stand the idea of me being hurt-never could since we were kids. Whether it was real or not, she didn't care. She immediately spent money, pulled some strings, and found out Graham had a jealous wife. So she invited her along to confront him in person.

The wife was all fired up when she got here. But just when they arrived, Theodore happened to be around for a meeting with Graham. And for whatever reason, he sided with Graham, saying there was no inappropriate behavior at all last night.

Lucille, still fuming, turned to Theodore and said, "Mr. Sterling, I know Sterling Group is trying hard to win the Southveil construction bid right now. Besides Reynolds Corp and Sullivan Corp, there's no other real competition. Reynolds' second daughter is about to get engaged to you-so is this about business? Are you covering up for Graham just to secure that deal?"

My brows furrowed. I stared at Theodore in disbelief, but his face was stone cold. He looked straight at Lucille and said in a flat voice, "You might be close friends with Ms. Reynolds, but you know better than anyone how many rumors she's been in over the years. How can you be sure this isn't just another scheme she orchestrated?"

"She's not that kind of person-"

"She's never been innocent. You're underestimating just how manipulative she can be."

My mind went blank. It felt like someone threw me into a freezing lake. I was numb, frozen all over.

I was a fool. Right now, I only regretted not using my phone to record everything last night.

Graham sneered coldly at Theodore's words, his gaze locked on me like a cold blade. "Miss Reynolds, you're at that age where marriage is knocking, aren't you? Word is, Mr. Sterling's mother had her eyes on you before suddenly switching to your sister. Could it be that you're just bitter... or maybe just lonely enough to throw dirt on my name too? Keep throwing baseless accusations, and I'll be seeing you in court. Then let's see how that pristine image of yours holds up."

"You-"

I clenched my jaw, nothing would come out. I had no evidence, Oliver had been bought off, and Graham had clearly warned the restaurant in advance. Sullivan Group was a major name in Southveil. Add in the fact that Theodore, who actually saw what happened, was siding with him, and I had no way to defend myself without looking completely pathetic.

After a long silence, I balled my fists, lifted my chin, and shot a smirk at Theodore. "I'll remember what you did today, Mr. Sterling. Trust me, I'll return the favor when the time's right."

His face turned dark, eyes narrowing into dangerous slits as if he could will me to drop dead on the spot.

I tugged Lucille's arm, glared back at him defiantly for a few seconds, then turned on my heel and left without even glancing back. But I could still feel that icy glare burning into my back as we walked out.

As soon as we exited Sullivan Group's building, Lucille's face twisted in anger. "I can't believe I went to all that trouble finding his wife! And this is the guy you almost married? Honestly, he's trash. Maybe we should thank your stepmom. If she hadn't bribed Julian to drug you and set you up, leading to the broken engagement-God knows how bad it could've gotten if you'd ended up stuck with him."

She rant-huffed a bit more, then saw my pale face and quickly fell silent. "What is his deal? Every damn thing out of his mouth was aimed at you. Do you know him from before or something? I've heard things about him... You sure you didn't piss him off somehow?"

My cheeks burned up, chest heaving with anger, and I barely croaked out four words, "He's a disgusting jerk."

Just as we were about to leave, not even a block away, we spotted a black Maybach parked along the curb. I recognized it instantly. No way I'd forget that car. It belonged to Theodore himself.

I stormed toward it, yanked a nail clipper from my bag, flipped out the small hidden blade attached, and jammed it straight into one of his tires.

It felt ridiculously satisfying. Lucille, watching all fired-up, looked like she was ready to hype me into flipping the whole damn car. Neither of us noticed the looming shadow until a voice cut through like ice.

"Pay up."

I froze before slowly turning around. And there he was-Theodore.

His expression was stone-cold, eyes sharp enough to prick skin. "One hundred grand."

Panic surged inside me. He stepped closer with purpose, glanced at the tire, then grabbed the wrist that had held the blade. "One tire. One hundred thousand. You're paying for it."

I bit back the urge to scream at him and shot a quick look at Lucille, trying to signal her to run. But Theodore was faster. His driver had already intercepted her, dragged her to a waiting cab before she could react, shoved her in, gave the guy a wad of cash, and slammed the door shut.

Lucille's pissed-off shouts echoed across the street, catching plenty of attention from passers-by. Not that it helped. The next second the cab disappeared around the corner.

Something felt real wrong. I turned to bolt but barely made it two steps before he caught up. In one swift move, he hooked my legs and lifted me over his shoulder like it was nothing. I screamed and flailed, but he shoved me into his car and climbed in right after, snapping at his driver, "Bring another car."

My face burned as I yelled, "What the hell are you doing? We're on a freaking public street!"

Then both his hands moved, coming at me fast.

Theodore grabbed my chin, his eyes locked on mine like a vice-cold, sharp, and more than a little overbearing. "You seriously don't take any responsibility, do you? Just pretend stuff you did never happened? Who do you think you are? Think everyone's just gonna put up with you?"

I was already pissed off about his betrayal, and now he had the nerve to come at me like this? That set me off. "At least I don't lie to myself and everyone else like some people do."

My sass lit a fire in his eyes, his voice low and almost sinister. "You'll thank me for this one day."

I gave a cold snort, rolled my eyes and reached for the car door, wanting to get the hell out, only for him to slam it shut and lock it before I could even breathe. "You think you can just walk away?"

My chest was rising and falling in rage. I cursed him six ways to Sunday in my head, and still couldn't hold it back. I clenched my teeth and spat, "What, you wanna keep me prisoner now? You think I forgot what a scumbag Graham is? And what right do you have to get all worked up about a stupid tire? You're just pissed for the sake of it. Didn't you say you hated me, that I was beneath you? So what now? You suddenly can't stay away? What are you into-pain? Or did a few nights together mess with your head?"

I gave a mocking smirk. "Honestly, between the two of us, you're the pathetic one."

His jaw clenched so hard I thought the veins in his neck might pop. His eyes were pure fury, like he wanted to end me right there. And yeah, I was scared-who wouldn't be-but I stared right back at him, refusing to flinch.

"Get out!" he barked, flinging the door open with one violent sweep, voice hoarse and brimming with rage.

His glare could've set me on fire.

That look of pure hatred felt like someone stabbed my heart, deep and brutal. It hurt-more than I'd admit.

I didn't say a word. I turned, stepped out of the car-and bam, he shoved me from behind and slammed the door shut behind me. Windows rolled up, total silence. Didn't even glance back.

I stood in the wind, freezing to my bones.

Right then, Fiona Holmes called. Said there was something urgent and I needed to get back to the office right away.

When I got back and barely sat down at my desk, one of the girls from my department-someone who'd never been on good terms with me-shot me a smug side-eye and muttered loud enough for the whole office to hear, "Homewrecker. Desperate little attention-seeker."

She wasn't loud, but boy, the room got quiet. Everyone turned to stare at me like they were waiting for a circus act.

Across from me, Fiona wheeled her chair over and leaned in close. "Where the hell were you? You have no idea what's gone down. Early this morning, someone came from the Sterling Group. Said they were Mr. Theodore's assistant. They went into Mr. Hatcher's office, had some kind of secret talk.

"Originally, Mr. Hatcher had told HR to prep your termination paperwork. But right after that assistant left, he stopped HR and even told Finance to bump your salary by twenty percent. Is it true? Are you actually messing around with your sister's fiancé?"

I almost passed out. Twenty percent?! What the hell even happened while I was gone?

Oliver came out of his office just then, spotted me, and beckoned with a polite, steady tone. "Natalie, come in for a minute."

My nerves instantly went haywire. I stood up shakily under the thick stares and low whispers swirling around me like vultures.

Inside the office, I sat at the seat opposite his desk. That fake, overly sweet smile plastered on his face made my skin crawl.He stood next to me and patted my shoulder approvingly. "Natalie, you've been with the company for a while now. You've shown solid work ethic. Honestly, you're the only one under me right now I actually trust and see potential in..."

"Mr. Hatcher, whatever it is, just lay it out," I cut him off straight.

Only then did Oliver nod and sit down. "What happened last night, that was on me. But President Graham used the ongoing project we're doing with his firm to pressure me. You know how cutthroat the industry's been-this project has top-level attention. We're halfway through now, but if it gets scrapped out of the blue, I'll be the one taking the fall."

I frowned. "So what exactly are you saying?"

He sighed. "I'm saying, can you talk to Mr. Sterling and ask him not to go against us? Besides the raise, if there's anything you're still unhappy about, just tell me-I'll try to fix it. Once things are smoothed out with you, Mr. Sterling will likely greenlight our collaboration. This is a rare shot. If things go well, we'll all benefit big time."

My mind was spinning. I'd been getting ready to resign, and now I couldn't even get the words out.

But the moment I heard Theodore's name, a chill shot up my spine. That man-he was sneaky, manipulative, and impossible to figure out. Totally terrifying.

I got through the day at work spaced out. Didn't write up a single proposal. And then, while heading home, I bumped into my landlady coming to collect my rent. I pulled out my wallet, ready to pay, but she just laughed and said I was silly-it had already been taken care of.

Confused, I entered my place and spotted Lucille lounging on my sofa, legs crossed like she owned the place. That explained it.

I grabbed my phone from my bag. "I'm sending you 3,000 bucks."

"Hold it right there," Lucille waved me off with a grin, looking secretive. "Keep it for now. Once I help you settle something major, you can pay me back-with interest."

She looked so smug, like a cat that just stole a fish, I instantly knew something was up. "Spill. What's going on?"

Raising an eyebrow, she said slyly, "What do you think? Just watch."

She pulled out her phone and opened up a video. Instantly, loud moaning filled the room. "Ah, yes, Kevin... harder, don't stop..."

The scene showed Isabella completely naked under that call boy Kevin, totally lost in it. They kept switching positions, and her breathy sounds were downright explicit. It was borderline porn. Even I blushed hard watching it.

Lucille tapped my nose, grinning wickedly. "What, reminded you of your first night with your dear Mr. Sterling? Come on, spill it-good or not? Did he deliver?"

Flushed as hell, I kicked her with embarrassment. But deep down, I couldn't stop the rush of excitement bubbling inside.

"And that's not all. My brother helped me dig into Julian's whereabouts-turns out he ran off overseas. But get this-he's flying back soon."

My heart thudded. "That's sketchy. If he fled, what's he coming back for?"

"Apparently his dad's turning fifty-five. I also heard Julian's been living it up abroad-partying, sleeping around, even dating a exchange student. Oh, and I pulled some bank records-Vivian's account recently transferred several large sums to an overseas account. Isn't that suspicious?"

I clenched my jaw tight. Julian had dumped me for a fat paycheck from Vivian. I'd been dying for payback. And now, with this video in my hands?

There's no way Theodore could keep ignoring this and go through with marrying Isabella. Unless he's seriously messed up. And Vivian-you owe me. Time to settle the score.