“Lillian, you’ve got guts. Say that again,” Conrad said coldly.
Without a second thought, Lillian turned and bolted. But there was no escaping Conrad’s men; Andrew and his crew blocked her path with their car. She couldn’t cross the street, so within seconds, a pair of strong hands grabbed her, hauling her toward the car.
“Conrad! What are you doing?! This is kidnapping! Someone, help!” Lillian shrieked, but the next moment she was tossed into the backseat. The tall man slid in beside her and immediately started pulling at her clothes.
Lillian’s fingers and toes were numb from the cold, and crammed into the narrow space, she tried to fight back, swinging at him. For the first time in three years, she really lost it, like a madwoman.
Even Conrad seemed shocked by her sudden burst of anger.
“You still dare to fight me?” he sneered.
“What if I do?! You’re the one who forced me to look for you, then refused to see me, and now that I’m leaving, you’re dragging me back! Are you out of your damn mind?!” Lillian yelled, her voice echoing through the car.
As soon as Ford got in, he was hit with Lillian’s fierce cursing. The divider was quickly raised; he and the driver wished they could go deaf on the spot.
With a loud rip, Conrad tore her jacket off, stripping her down in seconds, not even leaving her underwear.
“You bastard! What the hell are you doing? You just want to humiliate me, right? Fine! Do it! Call people in to watch, if that’s what you’re after! It’s just a body, you think I’m scared of you? I sold you three years, not my entire life! You’re relentless! Even a stray dog has more class than you, you disgusting lowlife!”
She was relentless, hurling insults that turned Conrad’s face darker and darker. He grabbed a blanket from the backseat and threw it over her.
“Like this? Nobody would take you even if I paid them,” he sneered, still furious. He had been worried about her catching a chill with her clothes soaked, and here she was lashing out at him.
Lillian spat back, pushing the blanket off her. “Oh, save it! What did you tell the hospital? You’re all lies and empty promises!”
“You sure you want to keep pushing me?” Conrad asked coldly, sitting back and staring her down.
Lillian instantly went quiet. With the car’s heat on, she started to feel warm again. The setting reminded her of something from back in college-she had once gotten locked inside the gym after a sports event, soaked to the skin and shivering for hours until Conrad finally found her. She had resisted when he’d tried to take her wet clothes off, but he’d calmed her down, wrapped her in a blanket, and kept her close to warm her up, even using his hands to warm her feet…
Thinking of the past, Lillian fell silent. Conrad, for his part, ignored her as the commotion from the backseat finally died down, letting Ford breathe a sigh of relief.
Lillian looked out the window as they pulled up to the familiar Hillside Villa. Her shoulders slumped; once again, she’d ended up here, needing his help.
Money and power really could make anything happen.
The car wound through the trees and past the gates, isolating them from the outside world.
When they reached the driveway, the guards parked and quickly made themselves scarce; anyone who wasted Conrad’s time here would be out of a job.
Conrad threw his door open and slammed it shut, clearly furious.
Lillian knew he was angry, but she wasn’t about to soothe him. She sat there for a while until the cold seeped back in, then she finally wrapped herself in the blanket, hugged her clothes to her chest, and stepped out barefoot.
She walked to the garage door, but when she tried to enter her fingerprint and code, nothing worked.
What the hell? Did he change her access?
What was the point of bringing her here, then-just to freeze her to death in the garage?
Just as she was about to get back in the car to wait for her clothes to dry, the door opened from the inside.
Conrad’s annoyed voice echoed down the hall.
“Too dumb to get in? You don’t know how to call out? What’s that mouth of yours even for?”
Lillian walked in and noticed the villa was unusually quiet; none of the staff were around. The house was already warm, so her feet started to thaw, and she felt comfortable enough to throw her clothes into the washing machine before going to confront Conrad.
By the time she found him, he was in the bathroom, already stripping down and sinking into the tub.
Lillian cautiously opened the door and stepped inside, immediately hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom.
Conrad’s room faced the cliffside coast, with a massive floor-to-ceiling window offering a perfect view of the moon hanging low over the horizon. The waves crashing against the rocks provided a constant background rhythm.
The oversized bed had two glowing eyes lighting up at the foot.
As soon as Lillian entered, Ada, the dog, jumped down, his heavy paws thudding on the floor. Its sleek black fur shone healthily in the moonlight as it rubbed itself against Lillian’s blanket, marking it with its scent. Just like its owner, the dog loved staking its territory.
Lillian had only been gone a few days, but Ada, usually aloof and only affectionate with Conrad, was unexpectedly friendly toward her.
Listening to the sounds coming from the bathroom, she subtly relaxed, relieved not to see any traces of another woman’s belongings. If Evelyn were around, she wouldn’t have stayed, even if it meant begging someone else for help.
Lillian turned the handle and entered the bathroom.
Conrad was sitting in the circular tub, facing the ocean with his back to her.
Even after three years together, seeing him like this, fully exposed in the bright light, was still a lot to take in. His physique was perfectly sculpted, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. His defined muscles rippled across his chest and abs, and the striking wolf tattoo stretched from his thigh, over his chest. The black diamond earring in his right ear caught the light, giving off a faint gleam.
Conrad slowly opened his eyes, his expression utterly emotionless. “Did you come up here just to watch me take a bath?”
Lillian took a deep breath, steeling herself, and let the blanket slip off, leaving herself bare in front of him.
Conrad’s breath hitched. Her figure was toned and proportionate, with long, dancer’s legs. Her natural frame was something beyond what mere workouts could achieve.
Yet, Conrad’s response was a dry, mocking tone. “And what’s this? Sexual harassment?”
She almost laughed in frustration. Like she’d need to harass him.
“Mr. Conrad,” she shot back, “if you want to sound convincing, try not to have a physical reaction next time.”
In the bathtub, his reaction was crystal clear to her. There was no need for her to “harass” him-his body had already betrayed him.
She moved closer, sitting on the edge of the tub, her toes skimming the water’s surface. “Mr. Conrad, didn’t we have a deal? I’d stay out of your way, and you’d let me go. But now that you haven’t handed over the breakup fee, you’re going back on your word? Some CEO of the Brown Family Group you are, can’t even keep a promise.”
Conrad’s lips curled into a smirk. “I make the rules, remember? If you annoy me, I get to take it out on you.”
Infuriated, she let out a laugh, then slipped into the tub, the warm water quickly enveloping her legs. Facing away from him, she gave him a perfect view of her curves, and she could feel his intense gaze on her back. Lillian rubbed oil on her hands, turned around, and let her hair down, letting it fall in loose waves over her shoulders.
Kneading his broad shoulders, she looked at him with wide, glistening eyes and purred, “Conrad, you’re scaring me like this~”