All eyes were drawn to the LaFerrari that had roared onto the campus. Though the school had seen its fair share of celebrities and alumni driving luxury cars, this particular car was a first for everyone.

Even Bailey Avery couldn't take her eyes off it, her gaze fixed in astonishment. This car could easily buy her a Maserati ten times over!

And to think, she had to pester Nick Edwards for ages just to get that Maserati.

The car door opened, and a man stepped out.

Kenneth Butler.

He was dressed simply in a pair of light grey linen pants and a white T-shirt, an outfit that was both casual and natural. But the face he revealed to the crowd was another matter entirely.

It was so devastatingly handsome it seemed almost supernatural. And his eyes, a startling blue, looked as if they could pull the very soul from anyone who dared to meet his gaze.

The moment Emily saw Kenneth, her eyes widened, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

Could the world be any smaller?

They just slept together yesterday, and now they were running into each other today!

Kenneth walked calmly over to Emily, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her possessively into his embrace.

Emily stood there, frozen like a statue.

Bailey was utterly confused. Did Emily get herself a boyfriend?

"Sis, who is this?" Bailey sized up Kenneth from head to toe.

"Uh..."

"Isn't it obvious?" Kenneth raised an eyebrow, a smug expression on his face.

Bailey smiled warmly and extended her hand.

"So, you're my sister's boyfriend? Nice to meet you. I'm Bailey Avery, Emily's sister."

Kenneth glanced at the outstretched hand and instinctively frowned, but didn't take it.

"Oh, so what?" Kenneth asked disdainfully.

Bailey was left in an awkward position by his words.

She quickly turned her gaze to Emily. "Sis, why didn't you tell me that you had a boyfriend? Now I can finally relax. I'm glad you've finally moved on from Nick. You were so heartbroken back then, not eating or drinking. I was really worried about you."

Emily knew all too well that Bailey couldn't stand her being happy. Even if she had a boyfriend, Bailey would try to ruin it.

Kenneth wasn't dumb either; he could sense the underlying meaning in Bailey's words.

"I need to get to the library. I'm not sticking around for this," Emily said, eager to leave.

"Alright then, I won't keep you. But when Nick and I get engaged, you must bring your boyfriend along," Bailey said, waving her hand before driving off in her Maserati.

Emily shot a sideways glance at Kenneth, brushed his hand off, and stormed towards the library with long strides.

"Hey!"

The crowd dispersed.

Emily swiped her card and entered the library, letting out a deep breath.

The library was strictly for students, and even students couldn't get in without their library cards. She really didn't want to see that man!

Emily wove through the stacks, finally tracking down the book she was looking for. There was just one problem: she wasn't quite tall enough, and the book was on the very top shelf.

She jumped a couple of times, but couldn't grab it. Just as she was staring at it, completely at a loss, a long, elegant hand reached past her and plucked the book from its spot.

Emily looked up to see Kenneth's mischievous smile.

"How did you get in here?"

"Easy," Kenneth replied with a smug grin, raising an eyebrow. "I just chatted up the girl at the entrance."

Emily gritted her teeth in frustration.

That girl at the entrance!

For the past four years, on rare occasion, she had forgotten her library card, that l; the librarian had been completely unmovable, stone-faced, no matter how much she begged or pleaded. And yet, she had let a total outsider in without a second thought!

Completely bewitched by that handsome face!

"We agreed to stay out of each other's way, didn't we? What do you want?" Emily whispered, her voice low.

The library was so quiet that any louder conversation would be overheard by other students.]

"You were right last night," Kenneth said." We rushed things. We should have figured everything out first."

"Rushed? What do you mean by "rushed"? Didn't we make everything clear?" Emily glared at Kenneth, her eyes burning with intensity.

Kenneth leaned in close, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "Are you implying I wasn't fast enough for you last night? Should I try to be quicker next time?"

Emily understood Kenneth's implication, and a hot blush crept up her cheeks. She bit down hard on her lip.

"What do you want?"

"I don't want anything. Just explain yourself. Why do you want to have a baby?"

Emily glanced at Kenneth, "THIS REALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. Even if I am Pregnant, I won't cling to you. You can rest assured!"

As she spoke, Emily scanned the surroundings, worried that a classmate or teacher might come by.

Kenneth propped one arm against the bookshelf, his entire body blocking the shelves.

He lowered his gaze, staring at Emily's flushed face.

Emily looked up and met Kenneth's bright, sparkling eyes.

Those sharp, sculpted features, that perfect face, those sexy, thin lips...

Her face turned an even deeper shade of red.

This man was, quite simply, a devil.

Julia pushed against Royce's chest with both hands, but he didn't budge an inch.

Just as she was about to pull her hands back, Royce suddenly grabbed one of her hands, pressing it against his chest.

"If you want to touch, just say so. Go ahead,

don't stop. I won't charge you!"

EmilyAvery's face turned even redder, like a ripe tomato. She felt like she could hardly breathe!

"Who wants to touch you?!" Julia turned her head to the side.

"Then why are you blushing?" Kenneth

released Emily's hand, instead lifting her chin to turn her flushed little face towards him.

Emily tried to struggle, and although she was quite strong for a girl, she was up against a grown man!

Her strength was no match for Kenneth's!

"That hurts!" Julia felt like her chin was about to be crushed.

Only then did Kenneth let go. "So, are you going to talk or not?"

"There's really nothing to talk about! So what if you know? It has nothing to do with you! I'm begging you, just let me go. Let's just say we... had a one-night stand, and after this, we'll be strangers!"

"Oh... Is that so?"

Emily let out a cold snort, pulling out his phone from his pocket. He navigated to a photo in his gallery and showed it to Emily.

"Here. I've got something for you."

Emily's eyes widened in shock when she saw the photo on the screen!

She was completely naked in the photo!

And Worse, her skin was covered in hickeys.

She lunged for his phone, but he pulled it back effortlessly. "Now will you talk?"

"You scoundrel!" Emily glared fiercely at Emily. "How dare you take

secret photos of me!"

"Yes, I am a scoundrel," he agreed without a hint of shame. "And if you don't tell me what I want to know, believe me, I will make sure every single person in this university gets a copy of these photos."

"..."

"I've got even juicier stuff, by the way. Wanna see?"

Emily stared into the man's light blue depths, filled with an irresistible allure. 

From his eyes, she knew she was in trouble.

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere else," she said, feeling helpless.

....

At the coffee shop.

Silence, Silence. And more silence...

Emily narrowed her eyes, glaring at the man sitting across from her, as if she could bore holes into him with her gaze.

Kenneth, on the other hand, leisurely sipped his coffee.

Just a while ago in the library, he was eager to know why Julia wanted to have a child, but now he remained silent.

It seemed he expected Kenneth to speak eventually, especially since he had leverage over her.

"What did I ever do to you? Why are you treating me like this?" Emilly finally broke the silence.

Kenneth let out a cold chuckle, took another sip of his coffee, and slowly placed the cup back on the table.

"Just curious."

Kenneth couldn't help but roll her eyes. "If I tell you, will you delete the photos?"

"No problem."

Emily sighed deeply. "I'm married."

 Kenneth wasn't surprised at all by what he heard. Of course, he knew she was married-he was her husband!

"Oh, your man can't satisfy you?" he asked with a smirk.

Kenneth lowered her head shyly. "You slept with me last night... You should know, it was my first time, so my husband and I..."

"Then why do you want to have a baby?"

Kenneth pondered for a moment.

"A fortune teller said our family needs a child to ward off bad luck. So, I have to get pregnant within a year."

Kenneth scrutinized Emily's clear, bright eyes. Despite their clarity, he still found her explanation a bit

dubious.

"You believe in that superstitious nonsense?"

"Believe it or not, it's up to you," she replied.

"To ward off bad luck? Is someone in your family dying?"

As soon as Kenneth uttered the word "dying," Emily slammed her hand on the table, her face turning pale with anger. "Shut up!"

Kenneth instinctively looked at Emily. She seemed so delicate and fragile, but in that moment, he saw a

stubborn look in her eyes.

Emily realized she had overreacted to the word "dying" and quickly turned her head away.

"Anyway, it's very important to me. I have to have a baby within a year," she insisted.

"Then why don't you ask your husband?" Kenneth questioned.

"My husband?" Emily turned back to him, looking incredulous. "That balding old man? I don't even know if he can have kids!"

"Balding old man?"

Kenneth instinctively reached up and touched his hair. He wasn't balding! His hair was perfectly healthy and stylish! Why would she say that?

Thinking back, on the day of the marriage registration, he had gone golfing with Lionel. His secretary, Dorris, and the family butler, Maurus, had handled the paperwork.

Maurus, who was in his fifties and indeed balding, must have been mistaken for him.

Emily knocked on the table, snapping Kenneth back to reality. "If I told you that I haven't seen my husband even once in the year we've been married, would you believe me?

Kenneth certainly believed her. If she had seen him, they wouldn't be sitting here talking!

"That's hard to believe," he replied, feigning skepticism.

Emily shook her head. "I knew you wouldn't believe me, but I've honestly never met him. I don't even know his name. At the wedding registration, my only job was to provide my own documents and sign my

name. I was just about to sneak a peek at my new husband's name when that detestable secretary snatched the certificate away."

Kenneth silently thought, "Well done, Dorris."

"Oh."

"And then, they dumped me in a villa and left me

alone."

"Oh, and why would they do that?" Kenneth asked, pretending not to know the answer.

Emily stroked her chin thoughtfully. "My guess is he's probably too ugly and afraid for me to see him. Or maybe he's impotent and ashamed of it. Or perhaps I was

married off to him as a good-luck charm while he was on his deathbed."

Each word left a sour taste in Emily's mouth, but he couldn't refute it.

He had a devilishly handsome face! He was powerful and could last all night! How could he possibly be impotent?

"Well, maybe there are other reasons," Kenneth said with a dry laugh.

"You see? My life is a total tragedy! So please, just let me go," Emily immediately grabbed Kenneth's hand, looking at him with pitiful eyes, tears almost spilling out.

For a professionally trained actress like her, this level of skill was practically a requirement.

Seeing her heart-wrenchingly pitiful expression, Royce felt his own heartbeat skip. This girl... she really knew how to pull at a man's heartstrings.

"I've told you everything, so... will you delete the

photos now?" Emily pleaded.

Kenneth cleared his throat. "I can delete them," he said. "But you have to promise me one thing."

Emily's expression changed instantly. "Don't push your luck. I told you everything you wanted to know. You promised to delete them once I did!"

Kenneth waved his phone. "I hold all the cards here. I know you weren't telling me the whole truth, but frankly, I'm not interested anymore."

"You-" Emily gritted her teeth. This man was really difficult to deal with. "Fine, what's your condition? Say it!"

Kenneth smirked. "Let me sleep with you one more time."

"You shameless pig!" Julia wanted nothing more than to slap that infuriatingly handsome face.

"Me, shameless? You're a married woman who went out looking for a man to take to bed. Don't you think that's shameless? I'm not married. What's so wrong with me finding a woman for the night?"

"You-"

Emily was on the verge of losing her mind. She regretted her decisions so deeply that it felt like her insides were twisting.

People always said you

couldn't trust a beautiful woman, but a handsome man was even worse!

"Anyway, you've already cheated on your husband once. What's one more time?" Kenneth said, giving her a sly, sideways glance.

He wanted to see if she would dare to cheat on him again.

"No way! I have principles. Sleeping with you was a last resort; it was to have a baby!"

"Is there a difference? Besides, what if you didn't get pregnant? We might as well try again tonight. Who knows, it might work this time."Kenneth winked.

Emily bit her lip.

Honestly, she couldn't bring herself to do it a second time. Her conscience wouldn't allow it.

"Take your time. I'm in no rush," Kenneth said, leaning back on the couch and sipping his coffee.

Time ticked away, second by second.

Emily's mind was in turmoil.

If Kenneth Butler didn't delete those photos, if they got out, her life would be ruined.

If she were just an ordinary person, it might not matter as much. But she was going to be an actress. Photos like that could destroy her career

and reputation completely.

But if she slept with him again, her conscience would never forgive her.

After all, the reason she needed to have a baby was...

"I..."

Just as Kenneth was about to speak, her phone rang

urgently.

"Let me take this call first." Julia pressed the answer button, "Hello?"

"What did you say?" My husband is coming home?!"

Kenneth let out a soft snort.

Of all times to call and tell her, did it have to be at this exact critical moment?

Emily hung up the phone. "I need to go home right now! We'll deal with our matter later. But until we reach an agreement, I hope you don't leak those photos. Otherwise, I'll sue you. We'll both go down together if it comes to that!"

With that, Emily headed for the door, but then stopped halfway and came back.

She quickly scribbled her phone number on a piece of paper. "Here's my number. We'll be in touch. Now, give me yours."

Emily glanced at the string of numbers and then dialed it on his phone to verify its authenticity.

Emily saw her phone screen light up with the incoming call and nodded. "Alright, I'm leaving now!"

She hurried out the door and didn't come back this time.

Kenneth sighed. "What's the rush? You'll still end up in my bed tonight."

...

Prism City Villa District

Speaking of this villa district, it was quite well-known in Z-Ford City. When it was first being developed, the real estate company's slogan was the promise of a "villa garden within the city," which caught a lot of attention.

The location was incredibly convenient, situated in the outer ring area. It had easy access to the highway for trips out of town and a direct expressway to the city center. The villas were built in an elegant Western style, making them a unique sight in the city.

However, after the villas were built and many were sold, rumors started spreading about the place being haunted.

Several families reported strange occurrences, and some elderly folks claimed the area used to be a graveyard. The haunting stories grew more intense, and gradually, people who had moved in started moving out. Prospective buyers lost interest as well.

The villa complex had slowly fallen into disrepair, resembling a ghost town.

Initially, when Emily heard she had to live there, she was totally against it. But first, she didn't have enough money to rent a place, and second, she needed to make sure her brother knew she was married, which meant she had to live outside.

So, she reluctantly moved in. But after a year of living there without anything strange happening, she gradually forgot about her initial reluctance.

As soon as she walked through the door, Emily saw Zoey, the young maid her husband had arranged for her, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, munching on sunflower seeds with the TV blaring. It seemed like Zoey was more the lady of the house than a maid.

Emily sat down next to her. "You mentioned on the phone..."

"Yes, yes, aren't you thrilled? You've been alone for a year, and now, finally, your dry spell is over," Zoey interrupted, spitting out sunflower seed shells with a look of disdain.

"Why is he suddenly coming back?"

At first, Emily was annoyed by the young housekeeper's insolent attitude. The girl did nothing but eat and laze around, acting less like a hired servant and more like she was the lady of the house.

But Emily knew she was just a simple girl from a village. According to her, she had previously served Mr. Butler directly, where she had lived and eaten well; coming here was, in her eyes, a form of suffering.

Emily couldn't be bothered to argue with her, especially since she didn't come back often. They each lived their own lives, so she let it slide.

"How should I know? This is Mr Butler's house. He can come back whenever he wants! Did you really think this place was yours?" Zoey spat out another sunflower seed shell and glanced at Emily.

"Let me make one thing clear," Zoey said, her tone turning serious. "I'm here to serve you, and I do so with all my heart and soul. So don't you dare take that for granted."

Zoey's voice was high-pitched and thin, making anyone who heard it get goosebumps.

"With all your heart and soul?" she rolled her eyes and let out a cold snort. "Then tell me, have you ever cooked a meal for me?"

Zoey, however, was not the least bit afraid. "How am I supposed to know when you're coming or going? And don't you forget, I have something to hold over your head, too!"

"Something to hold over my head?" Emily asked, genuinely curious.

Zoey let out a cold sneer.

"You only sleep here two nights a week. Where do you go the rest of the time? As a married woman, staying out all night, I wonder what Mr Butler would think about that."

Emily simply smiled. Zoey was a classic case of a petty person puffed up with a little bit of power. She couldn't be bothered with her, so she just turned and started up the stairs.

"Hey, just a reminder," Zoey called after her. "Be careful around Mr. Butler. He has a bad temper, and I don't want it coming back on me when you mess up."

Emily paused for a moment at the words, then continued up the stairs.

Sitting in her bedroom, she felt a wave of apprehension. What could that old man be coming back for? He had ignored her for a year, and now suddenly he wanted to return?

Could it be that he wanted... her body?

The thought made Emily feel disgusted. The image of that balding, sixty-something-year-old man pressing down on her made her skin crawl. But she couldn't refuse him. After all, they were legally married. If he wanted to touch her, it was within his rights.

What should she do?

By the time evening rolled around, there was still no sign of the old man returning. Instead, Emily was greeted with a dinner prepared by Zoey.

It was the first time Zoey had ever cooked dinner for her, and the taste was quite mediocre. Emily barely ate a few bites.

"Did Mr Butler mention what time he'd be back on the phone?"

Zoey, munching on her food, replied, "Mr Butler is always swamped with work. There's no telling when he'll be back. Why this sudden impatience?"

Not wanting to continue the conversation with her, Emily went straight upstairs.

She waited until 10 PM. Having not slept well the previous night, she was already feeling sleepy by 9 PM. She yawned and checked the time.

Don't old people usually go to bed early? It's late already; he probably won't come.

She took a quick shower and went straight to bed.

At 10:30 PM, a Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of Villa 18 in Prism City.

Kenneth Butler stepped out of the car, the sapphire earring in his left ear gleaming under the moonlight.

Just as he was about to step into the house, he paused, removed the earring, and handed it to Dorris.

"Mr Butler, should I wait here for you, or...?" Dorris asked, considering the possibility that Kenneth might stay the night here.

"Wait here for me," Kenneth said curtly before heading inside.

As soon as Kenneth stepped through the door, Zoey darted over like a flash. She had been eagerly waiting for his return, full of energy.

"Sir, you're back! Would you like something to eat? Do you need me to make you something?" she asked, her face beaming with a fawning smile.

Back when she worked in Kenneth's crystal garden, she was just a lowly maid who cleaned the outdoor areas, rarely getting a chance to see Kenneth himself.

Kenneth glanced down at her, his eyebrows knitting together. "No need. Where is Mrs. Butler?"