For three consecutive days, Mio Walsh stayed by Ivy’s side with patience and care. Ivy had endured countless hardships in her life. Once the precious daughter of a wealthy family, she had fallen into the status of an illegitimate child.
She had also been through unspeakably dark events, so much so that she had once considered ending her life. But thinking of her mother, who was still in prison, she knew she couldn’t collapse. She had to keep going, to rise from the ashes and live anew.
Through relentless effort, Ivy managed to get close to Kyle and secure his help. Genevieve had been rescued. While Genevieve had left them a modest savings, it was nothing compared to the wealth they had enjoyed as part of the Montgomery family. Even so, it was enough to make them quite comfortable compared to ordinary people.
Paul, feeling guilty for the two of them, gave both Zachary and Ivy a house. With Genevieve now rescued, Ivy could have easily led a quiet, simple life with her mother.
But that wasn’t enough for Ivy. She harbored a deep bitterness, wanting to make Aurora pay for all she had suffered. Yet, to her dismay, Kyle, like all the other men, seemed bewitched by Aurora.
Realizing Kyle wouldn’t avenge her, she still couldn’t bring herself to leave him completely, as she had developed some feelings for him. Then Mio Walsh appeared in her life, and Ivy felt as though fate had finally sent her a chance at happiness. This time, she resolved to seize it.
On the third day, Kyle announced he was preparing to return to his home country. Ivy, however, declined to go with him, claiming she wanted to continue traveling in Rome.
Kyle simply gave her a long, deep look and said nothing more. “I’m leaving,” he said.
That look unsettled Ivy, filling her with an uneasy fear. She dreaded the thought of Kyle finding out about Mio Walsh. His silence was a relief.
As soon as Kyle got into the car, someone informed him about Ivy’s recent activities.
“Mr. Raymond, Miss Montgomery has been spending time with a man these past few days. She’s not returning with us because she’s likely fallen for him.”
If Ivy had been someone Kyle truly cared about, this news might have enraged him. But clearly, she wasn’t, and she had never left even the slightest impression on his heart.
“When we return, pack up her belongings and have her leave the villa. We’re done here,” Kyle said coldly. This was his principle: he never interfered with the decisions of women who wanted to leave. However, once a woman found another man, she could no longer stay in his home. That was his bottom line.
“Yes, Mr. Raymond,” the assistant replied.
Watching Kyle’s car slowly drive away, Ivy finally let out a sigh of relief. She took out her phone and made a call. “Mio, come pick me up.”
“Alright, wait for me,” Mio Walsh replied.
After ending the call, a smirk played on Mio’s lips. The prey had taken the bait. He had laid out his net for days, and now it was time to reel her in.
That day, they spent another carefree day together, sightseeing and wandering around. By evening, they stopped at a small bar for drinks. Ivy, weighed down by her frustrations, drank more than usual.
“You’re drunk. Let me take you back,” Mio said tenderly, helping her back to the hotel.
Alcohol often leads to rash decisions. When Mio carried her to the bed, Ivy, for the first time, felt cherished, as though someone truly valued her as a treasure. Wrapping her arms around his neck, her gaze was hazy and longing.
“Mio,” she murmured.
“Ivy, I like you,” he said, his voice filled with passion, his eyes so tender it seemed they might melt her.
“Stay with me tonight, will you?” she asked. The atmosphere was perfect-just the two of them, alone. Ivy didn’t want him to leave.
“Alright,” Mio replied with a charming smile that dazzled her. His lips brushed against the sensitive spot behind her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
What Ivy truly longed for was his kiss on her lips, but she had no idea that this man had been playing a game from the start.
For Mio, this was just an act. If not for the sake of making his performance more convincing, he wouldn’t have even touched a woman he considered so filthy. While he was known to be a philanderer, his lips rarely touched a woman’s.
Mio Walsh had risen to the position of Vice President at R Corporation-a feat that spoke to his exceptional skills. R Corporation was a company where women held the highest power. Men, even those who worked their way up, rarely made it beyond managerial roles.
Even as Vice President, Mio’s authority was limited by the women-led structure of the company. Despite being only a few years older than Aurora, he had climbed the ranks step by step, eventually securing his current position.
The R family’s offspring were naturally gifted-more intelligent and attractive than most. Mio excelled at his job, securing numerous lucrative contracts.
These contracts often had one thing in common: the decision-makers were women. Mio, a seasoned player in the art of seduction, knew exactly how to charm them.
Women who were fierce and ambitious in the boardroom often surrendered willingly in private. For them, Mio was irresistible. They not only handed him their current contracts but often ensured all future business came his way as well.
Under Mio’s management, profits skyrocketed, solidifying his place as Vice President. But he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted more.
This wasn’t the first time he’d seduced someone for his own gain, and Ivy, compared to the sharp-witted female executives he usually dealt with, was far easier prey.
For Ivy, this was an unprecedented experience. She felt adored and cherished, her body responding eagerly to his every move.
From the beginning, Mio had effortlessly torn open the condom wrapper from the hotel nightstand, putting it on without hesitation. For Ivy, this was yet another sign of his gentlemanly nature.
Many men, for their own pleasure, would avoid protection. At most, they’d expect the woman to take a morning-after pill. But not Mio. This small act touched Ivy, making her believe he genuinely cared for her.
What she didn’t know was that this was simply a habit for Mio. He would never give any woman the chance to bear his child.
If a woman refused to take contraception and ended up pregnant, it would become a burden Mio had no intention of dealing with. After all, he never planned to have children with someone he didn’t love.
For Mio, intimacy with women was purely transactional. He didn’t seek pleasure for himself; instead, he focused on the woman’s experience, which only made him appear more tender and attentive. To women, he was the perfect lover, a caring partner who made them feel special.
But it was all an illusion. Mio’s meticulous planning ensured that women fell deeply for him, blindly believing in his love and willing to fulfill any request he made afterward.
This time, Mio had been even more deliberate. He put on the condom from the start, not because he cared more, but because he found Ivy repulsive and didn’t want to touch her directly.
Ivy, however, misinterpreted this as a sign of his affection. His acting was flawless. Although he internally despised her, his body language radiated desire.
Caught in Mio’s web, Ivy never considered the predator lurking behind his charming facade.
Little by little, he opened her heart, making her increasingly reliant on and trusting of him. Once physical intimacy was involved, a woman’s emotional dependence on a man only grew stronger.
This was the fundamental difference between men and women. For men, it was just a game-one that began and ended as they pleased. For women, it was love.