Chapter 4

I pushed open the rosewood door.

Crystal chandeliers overhead, handmade Persian carpets worth a fortune beneath my feet.

The air was filled with top-grade agarwood incense, luxurious enough to suffocate.

Seeing this scene, Ethan's eyes nearly popped out.

"Fuck... how many hundreds of millions is that painting on the wall worth?"

Summer's eyes filled with greed.

"Any random vase here could buy our entire office building!"

Ethan laughed obscenely:

"Once this bitch serves Mr. Holt well tonight, maybe he'll reward us with a few things to play with!"

I leaned against the door, expressionless.

My gaze swept over the massive oil painting on the wall. The woman in it had gentle eyes. That was my mother.

On the sandalwood table beside it, a family photo was partially visible.

Seeing me stare fixedly at the oil painting, Hugo narrowed his eyes and warned coldly:

"Put away that disgusting look."

"A piece of trash who sells herself—you just happen to look somewhat similar and caught some luck."

Seeing I had no reaction to his mockery, he lost patience and grabbed my wrist.

His eyes swept lewdly over my torn nightgown:

"If Mr. Holt hadn't specifically requested clean women, I'd screw you right here!"

I curved my lips into a mocking smile.

"This is how Theodore Holt manages his men? Looks like you really should be sent to the moat for a good lesson."

Hugo flew into a rage and raised his hand to slap me.

Just then, Ethan let out a shocked gasp.

"Wait... why does the girl in this photo look so much like you when you were little?"

He reached out to grab the photograph.

"Touch Mr. Holt's things and you're asking for death?!"

With a sharp, furious shout.

A woman walked in wearing twelve-centimeter Louboutin heels.

Vivian Jo.

A partner under the Holt Group. She once volunteered to seduce my dad, and I watched him throw her out.

But I never expected her persistence to pay off—my dad actually kept her around.

When her gaze fell on my face, that pride instantly transformed into poisonous jealousy.

"This face..."

She grabbed my chin condescendingly, her eyes revealing extreme madness:

"A lowly plaything putting on airs like this—those who don't know might think you're the mistress here!"

"Kneel down and answer me properly!"

I shook off her hand forcefully, my eyes flooding with unconcealed coldness:

"Get your filthy hands off me! What makes you think you can make me kneel! Before you touch me, you'd better think carefully whether Theodore Holt will chop you up and feed you to the fish."

Vivian laughed in extreme anger, her face contorting.

"Seeking death!"

She swung her hand to slap me hard.

I jerked my head aside. Her slap missed and she stumbled awkwardly.

"Who do you think you are?!"

Vivian shrieked hysterically:

I smiled faintly:

"What if I said I'm the one woman Theodore Holt can never have in this lifetime? Would you believe me?

After all, these years he's humbly begged to see me countless times, and I've always refused.

That counts as another kind of 'never having,' doesn't it?"

As my words fell, the entire room became silent as death.

Vivian froze for a moment, then the malice in her eyes erupted completely.

"Let's see how you'll be unattainable after I ruin you today! Someone hold her down for me!"

Ethan rushed forward and pinned me down hard on the cold marble floor.

"Ms. Jo, please calm down! This bitch is shameless trash who doesn't know her place!"

"She's got cheap bones. Do whatever you want with her—cripple her if you like, I'll take responsibility!"

Summer quickly followed, stomping hard on my hand braced against the floor.

Ten fingers connected to the heart. Cold sweat instantly soaked my spine.

Vivian sneered and picked up a paper knife.

She slowly crouched down, using the cold blade to lift my chin.

"'Never having'? It's just because you happened to be born with a face you shouldn't have."

The blade slid along my skin, bringing the tremor of death.

A drop of crimson blood slowly slid down the silver blade and splattered on the floor.

"How beautiful it would be to carve the word 'whore' on this face!"

Vivian raised the paper knife high, about to stab down viciously.

Extreme danger closed in. I jerked my head up and screamed that name:

"Theodore Holt, get the hell out here! If something happens to me, you're going to hell too!"