One day five years ago, during a farewell party thrown for his girlfriend before she left to study in the U.S., Maxwell Thornton sat quietly in a corner, his face flushed from the alcohol. Although the party hadn’t ended, Maxwell felt the need to leave early as he had an early morning flight to catch. Monica had already left for home. Most of the guests had gone, leaving only a few lingering friends. Sensing the somber mood, they thought of inviting some girls over to lighten the atmosphere.
Maxwell got up and staggered toward the door. Just as he stepped outside, a girl bumped into him. She was so drunk that she didn’t even notice him, her steps unsteady as she was being pulled by a man who seemed insistent on dragging her away.
Maxwell lifted his head and saw the petite girl who had just collided with him being pulled up by the man. The man hastily apologized and intended to drag the girl into another room. But the moment Maxwell caught sight of the girl’s face, he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him, shoving the man aside. The man, enraged, swung a fist at Maxwell, but his assistant intervened, stopping the blow. Furious, the man left, abandoning the girl in Maxwell’s arms. He carried her into a nearby room.
That night, in the dimly lit room, the girl straddled his rigid body. Maxwell’s breath quickened, his entire being consumed by the soft warmth that enveloped him for the first time, driving him to madness.
There was no foreplay, no caresses, no tender kisses. Maxwell simply held her steady as she sat upright on top of him. His large frame moved against her as though threatening to tear her apart, pushing so deep as if aiming to pierce her soul, tearing through the fragile barrier of her innocence. Even in her drunken state, the pain she felt was real, and tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes.
Her lips parted, releasing a broken plea, “Please… Please stop… I beg you...”
The previous night, Maxwell had made it very clear to Kaytlyn that she was no longer allowed to step foot into his bedroom. He had warned her that if she disturbed him again, she would be thrown out of the house immediately. Therefore, Kaytlyn hadn’t seen Maxwell and Lily Bennett lying together in bed. If she had, the night would have ended very differently.
Finally, the morning sun rose. Unable to bear it any longer, Kaytlyn threw on a robe and marched straight toward Maxwell's bedroom. A knock echoed through the room, interrupting the silent exchange of glances between the two in bed. Lily nudged Maxwell, but before they could pull away from each other, the door was pushed open. The knock had only been a formality.
As the door swung open, Maxwell quickly pulled the blanket over them. However, his broad, muscular chest remained exposed, the sight of his chiseled physique sending a rush of heat to anyone who saw it. Seeing this, Lily hastily tugged the blanket up to cover his chest, flustering him. Frustrated, Maxwell thought to himself, I can’t even get a kiss, and now she wants to suffocate me with the blanket?
Kaytlyn, despite her young age, was no stranger to such situations. Even if she wanted to ignore the truth, there was no hiding it now. Maxwell raised an eyebrow, thinking, If anyone should be covering themselves, it should be her.
Lily quickly jumped out of bed and dashed into the bathroom. From behind the door, she could hear Maxwell’s stern voice addressing Kaytlyn, “Get out.”
Kaytlyn’s retreating footsteps revealed her frustration and anger. Lily suddenly felt a pang of guilt, realizing that she had somehow managed to evoke such strong feelings of resentment in this girl. After a while, when Lily peeked out from the bathroom, she found the room empty. Maxwell and Kaytlyn had already left.
Lily gathered her clothes, returning to the bathroom to change before heading downstairs to prepare breakfast. Although she didn’t care much about the animosity others felt toward her, she had no desire to be entangled in the complicated relationship between Maxwell and Kaytlyn. After what had happened the night before, she was determined to avoid getting involved with them any further.
Because she was afraid...
As she made her way to the kitchen, she heard Maxwell’s phone ringing repeatedly in the living room. The persistent ringing made it clear that whoever was calling had something urgent to discuss. But Maxwell was still outside talking to Kaytlyn, and it didn’t seem like he would return anytime soon.
The phone continued to ring incessantly. Unable to ignore it any longer, Lily picked up the phone, intending to bring it to Maxwell, but her finger accidentally hit the answer button.
And so...
Simon’s familiar voice came through from the other side of the line, “Chairman, the investigation you requested from Elias has come through. He asked me to inform you that the Bennett family is currently at your family’s villa. Camila, Zelda Bennett's mother, is there along with Zelda and a maid named Emma. They’re there to take responsibility for the attempted kidnapping of Mr. Bennett the night before.”
Lily’s grip on the phone tightened as she listened to Simon’s report. At that moment, Maxwell returned and noticed her holding his phone. Judging by her troubled expression, it wasn’t hard to guess who had called. He walked over, took the phone from her hand, spoke a few words to Simon, and hung up. Then, he gently held her hand.
“Let’s go.”
Lily, still lost in her thoughts, was taken aback. She stared at him in confusion until his deep voice, soft yet commanding, whispered in her ear.
“Let’s go home. It’s time to see how Zelda Bennett apologizes. I won’t let you suffer any longer.”