Chapter 1
Chapter 1 You Asked for It
"I'm booking you for the night. Name your price."
This was Nightfall Lounge, and Rose Shaffer had been drugged.
She felt her body heating up, so before she disgraced herself in public, she chose a man in front of her.
Nightfall Lounge was a famous lounge in Aquastead that offered male escort services.
The other men were doing their best to please the female patrons beside them, but this man sat alone in a booth in a corner.
Wearing a black satin shirt, he looked handsome and distinguished. He carried himself in a way that stood in stark contrast to his surroundings.
His gaze fell upon her. There was a displeased look in his eyes.
Rose thought he was worried she could not pay him.
"Don't worry. I'm very rich." Rose tried to take out a card from her purse to prove she could afford it.
But her legs suddenly gave way, and she fell onto the man.
Jonathan Finch had a cold look in his eyes. He assumed she was just like the women who tried to offer themselves to him in the past.
He had just arrived in Aquastead, but those people had already arranged a honey trap for him.
Jonathan smiled disdainfully. His expression was cold and scornful.
"I've seen many like you," he declared. "The next time you want to seduce someone, remember to act innocent. Men might be more interested in you that way."
Innocent?
Sorrow welled up in Rose's heart.
All men liked innocent women. That was why her fiancé had cheated on her.
Her fiancé, Nixon Lane, had gotten together with Kelly Shaffer, a seemingly innocent woman.
Rose recalled the scene from earlier. The two had been entangled with each other, naked.
She was furious.
Unable to put up with it, she took Maya Lawson's advice. She came to Nightfall Lounge in an act of revenge.
But unexpectedly, she ended up getting drugged.
At that moment, she felt as if thousands of ants were biting away on the insides of her body. She could not bear it anymore.
But Jonathan heartlessly pushed her away. He got up and walked away indifferently.
Rose did not want to stay in this place. She did not know what would end up happening to her.
Despite the humiliation, she grabbed the hem of his shirt. "I was drugged. Please … help me …"
…
Rose was carried out of Nightfall Lounge.
Ten minutes later, the two were in a room in the Elysian Hotel.
Jonathan looked at Rose as she lay on the bed with a dazed expression.
A dark expression clouded his handsome face.
He did not know what came over him. He could not believe he had agreed to help her.
Frowning, Jonathan took out his phone and made a call.
He said in a commanding tone, "Elysian Hotel, room 602. Get your private doctor to come over immediately—"
Before Jonathan finished speaking, his phone was snatched away from him. The call ended abruptly.
The very next moment, Rose's lips found their target.
Her body was burning up, but she kissed him rather clumsily.
Jonathan did not get involved with women, and he would never prey on anyone. But her passionate yet inexperienced kiss made him feel something budding in his heart and body.
Her hand crept under his shirt.
Jonathan's gaze darkened. He turned and pinned her under his body.
His voice was strained with brimming ferocity as he declared, "You asked for it. Don't regret it later!"
Rose was startled by the faint gleam in his eyes. But right after that, the man's overwhelming kiss overtook her senses.
It felt like a blast of cool water that eased the annoying fire in her heart. It seduced her and tempted her to match his pace subconsciously …
They kept going throughout the night and only stopped at sunrise.
Rose felt sore all over her body. She was extremely tired.
Stunned, she stared at the man's broad, naked back as she tried her best to understand what had happened.
She deduced she had slept with a male escort. She had never done something this crazy before.
Fortunately, he was still asleep. She had to leave as soon as possible.
Looking at the torn dress on the floor, Rose recalled the intense scene from last night. She gulped and blushed as her heart pounded.
Then, she picked up the man's clothes from the floor and dashed into the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, Rose came out of the bathroom wearing Jonathan's clothes.
Taking out her purse, she whispered, "Don't worry. I'll pay for your clothes, too."
She was also going to pay the fee for his services last night.
But after opening her purse, she froze.
Rose fell silent.
She did not have any cash.
Rose panicked and wondered what she should do.
Gritting her teeth, she reluctantly took something out of her purse. She placed the item on the desk opposite the bed.
Chapter 2 Stole His Clothes
An hour later, Jonathan woke up.
He looked under the covers. Other than his underwear, he was not wearing anything.
Not only so, but that woman even stole his clothes!
Jonathan's expression turned gloomy.
As soon as Zac Gibson entered the room, he saw the sullen Jonathan lying on the messy bed. There was also a torn red dress on the floor. Zac immediately realized what was going on.
"You're … transitioning?"
Everyone knew Jonathan never got involved with women. Still, countless women had tried to sleep with him.
Jonathan was cold and heartless toward women. None of those women had ever succeeded before.
But it seemed like it had been quite an intense night last night.
Zac had been utterly drunk when he received Jonathan's call the night before.
Once he sobered up this morning, he finally remembered Jonathan asking him for a doctor.
A month ago, Jonathan had defeated the other members of the Finch family. Hence, he became the new person in charge of the Finches.
Since then, there had been no lack of assassination attempts on him.
In fact, Jonathan had encountered an assassin soon after he arrived in Aquastead.
He suffered a slash on his waist, which required some stitches. Zac had thought that Jonathan's wound had opened up again.
Glancing at the red mark on the snowy white sheets, Zac clicked his tongue. "You're injured, but that didn't stop you from having an intense workout!"
"Get lost!"
Jonathan glanced at Zac coldly. The murderous intent in his eyes was obvious.
Zac rubbed his nose awkwardly and conceded defeat right away.
"Well, since you can still do intense workouts, you're probably fine. The first-aid kit is right here. As for your wound … you can deal with it yourself."
After Zac left, a set of clean clothes was sent in.
Jonathan's wound had indeed split open.
The blood on the blanket was his, but the blood on the bed sheet …
He vividly remembered the obstacle he faced last night.
For a moment, Jonathan was dazed.
But when he saw a coin on the desk opposite the bed, his expression stiffened.
The woman had said she was booking him for the night and asked him to name his price.
She thought he was one of the male escorts, and she only left a coin.
"Hah. I see how it is!" he scoffed.
Jonathan had never been humiliated like this before. Clutching the coin in his hand, he exuded a terrifying air as he walked out of the room.
He said to Zac, who was waiting at the door, "Track down someone for me. It's a woman …"
Deep down inside, he labeled her as a bold and despicable woman.
…
Over at Scenic Gardens, Rose was entering the Shaffer residence. She sneezed violently.
On her way home, she kept thinking about how she had been drugged last night. She had a niggling suspicion that she needed to verify right away.
Maya was her aunt's daughter. They grew up together, and they had always gotten along very well.
They went to Nightfall Lounge together last night. Maya only had a glass of wine before excusing herself to go to the restroom. After that, she never appeared again.
Rose suspected that it had been Maya's doing, but she refused to believe it.
"Mr. Lane, Uncle Jamie, it was Rose who persuaded me to go to Nightfall Lounge with her. I told her not to go to a place like that.
"But she said that she wanted to try something exciting before getting married to Mr. Lane. I feared that she would be in danger, so I went with her.
"I went to the bathroom, but when I came back, Rose was gone. It was my fault. I should've held her back and stopped her from going … Boohoo …"
As soon as Rose walked through the door, she heard Maya sobbing and blaming herself.
Rose went into the living room. She saw her father, Jamie Shaffer, and her stepmother, Chelsea Sutton. Kelly and Nixon, the adulterous pair, were there as well.
A few photos were placed on the coffee table in front of them.
When Jamie saw Rose coming in, he grabbed the photos and flung them at her. "How dare you come back? Look what you did!"
In the photos, Rose was wearing a red dress. Her entire body was wrapped suggestively around a man.
The man had his back to the camera. He was tall and his face was not shown, but Rose's face could be seen clearly in the photos.
Rose's mind went blank. She felt as if something had exploded inside her head.
Chapter 3 Conduct the Marriage Ceremony
Those were photos from the bar last night.
Rose wondered who had taken them.
She felt like her head was buzzing.
"Dad, calm down. Don't let your anger affect your health. Rose probably wasn't thinking straight.
"It's a good thing Nixon bought those photos. If not, when the photos get leaked to the public, it would affect the Celeste Jewels' share price."
Kelly coaxed in a gentle tone, but she was gloating inside.
Last night, she had asked Maya to take Rose to Nightfall Lounge. She also arranged a few strong men for Rose. She wanted to take photos of Rose making a fool out of herself in public.
But by the time Maya went back, a man was already taking Rose away.
Maya could only snap a few photos hastily.
Still, those photos were enough for Nixon to call off his engagement to Rose.
Kelly stared at Rose with the expression of an innocent child.
She suddenly noticed the man's shirt Rose was wearing. "Rose, your shirt … looks so weird! Why does it look like a man's shirt?"
Not only that, she could also see a few obvious hickeys on Rose's pale skin near the collar. With just a single glance, she knew what had happened.
"You're such a debauched girl, Rose!"
Jamie's face was filled with disdain. Raising his hand, he was about to hit Rose when Nixon stood protectively in front of her.
Nixon stared at Rose. "Rose, even though you betrayed me, I won't hold it against you. I love you. As long as you behave yourself in the future, I'm still willing to marry you."
Rose was speechless.
She could not believe her ears.
He said she betrayed him.
Who had been the one in bed with Kelly yesterday?
She could not believe he claimed to love her and wanted to marry her.
He looked at her with scornful eyes, and yet he pretended to be gracious and loving!
Was it because she was the only heir to Celeste Jewels?
The company, Celeste Jewels, belonged to Rose's mother, Celeste Young. Celeste had founded it before she got married.
After Celeste's death, Jamie took over management of the company.
But Celeste had left a will.
Once Rose got married, she would inherit Celeste Jewels and all of Celeste's properties.
Rose recalled how Nixon spared no effort to court her. Had it only been because he wanted Celeste Jewels?
A mocking smile appeared on Rose's face.
She stared at the hypocritical look on Nixon's face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kelly biting her lip with slight indignation.
Rose's eyes flashed viciously as she said, "You're willing to marry me. But what about Kelly, then?"
Nixon's expression instantly turned dark.
Hastily stepping forward, he grabbed Rose's wrist and pulled her out of the villa.
Gritting his teeth, he warned her, "Rose, you'd better appreciate it while I'm playing nice. You've done such terrible things, yet I'm still willing to marry you. You should be grateful.
"If you tell Mr. Shaffer and Ms. Sutton about me and Kelly, Kelly will be disgraced!
"Unlike you, Kelly is a simple and innocent woman. She loves me, and I'm the only man in her life. She said she doesn't care about status as long as she can be with me."
Rose felt so disgusted that she wanted to throw up. "How long?"
Nixon was startled.
"How long have you been going behind my back and cheating on me with her?"
Since the truth was already out, Nixon did not see the need to lie.
"It's been three years. I wanted to get more intimate with you on the night of your birthday, but you rejected me."
"So you turned around and slept with Kelly instead?" Rose sneered.
Nixon felt a little guilty. He instantly lost his patience as well.
A few of his businesses were in trouble. He had to get married to Rose as soon as possible so that he could get his hands on Celeste Jewels.
"It's Grandma's 70th birthday tomorrow, and Uncle Jonathan has come to Aquastead.
"Grandma wants us to get married while Uncle Jonathan is in town. He can conduct the marriage ceremony for us.
"Grandma will invite Uncle Jonathan to attend the birthday banquet tomorrow. Be prepared. I'll introduce you to him."
When Nixon mentioned his Uncle Jonathan, he did so with a look of admiration and respect.
Initially, Rose had been uninterested in Nixon's Uncle Jonathan.
But when she saw how excited Nixon was about meeting him tomorrow, she changed her mind abruptly.
Chapter 4 Get Married
"Alright. I'll meet Uncle Jonathan tomorrow. He's an elder, so I'll prepare a huge gift for him. Don't worry, I'll behave myself."
…
After Nixon left, Rose picked up the photos on the floor.
She glanced at Maya coldly while saying, "These are pretty good shots. It's a pity that you didn't capture his face."
The man last night had extremely good looks. He was as handsome as the hottest male celebrities.
Maya felt a little guilty. She knew Rose would suspect her for what had happened last night.
She was about to argue when Rose looked at Kelly instead.
Kelly had an innocent look on her face. She looked gentle and harmless, but deep down inside, her heart was filled with hatred.
She did not expect Nixon to proceed with the marriage—not after Rose had been caught making out with another man.
Kelly refused to back down. She wanted to press on with this incident and fan the flames so that Jamie would drive Rose out of the house.
Just then, Rose smiled. The next words that came out of her mouth hit Kelly right where it hurt.
"They're holding a birthday banquet for Mrs. Lane Senior tomorrow night. Nixon wants me to get ready to discuss our marriage plans. Will you be attending the banquet as well, Kelly?"
Kelly was silent. She was so mad that she began trembling.
Nixon had never allowed Kelly to go to the Lane residence. He would never appear in public with her either.
Kelly and Rose were both daughters of the Shaffer family. She did not understand why Rose got to move around in public, while she could only hide in the shadows.
Her harmless and gentle expression faded away. It slowly turned into one of reluctance and jealousy.
Rose sneered as she watched.
Was this the woman Nixon thought of as innocent? The woman who would give up on status to be with him?
Before Rose found them in bed yesterday, she received a message from Nixon telling her to see him.
Kelly must have sent that message.
What an innocent woman indeed.
Rose eyed Kelly mockingly. Then, she took the photos and left the villa.
She was not going to marry Nixon.
But she would give him a surprise during the birthday banquet tomorrow!
Nixon wanted Celeste Jewels, so she was going to foil his plans.
The best way for her to achieve that was for her to get married, but not to him!
Rose wondered who she should pick to be her bridegroom.
Suddenly, she noticed the man in the photos. She immediately narrowed her eyes.
"Haha. I have just the right person."
…
Rose arrived at Nightfall Lounge.
It was noon, so the lounge was not open for business yet.
Rose stared at the closed entrance. She wondered how she could contact the man from last night as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, a bodyguard was showing Jonathan the surveillance footage on a tablet. They were in a room on the second floor of Nightfall Lounge.
"Mr. Finch, there's a woman sneaking around the entrance. Should we deal with her?"
Zac was the official owner of the lounge, but Jonathan was the biggest shareholder. He had invested the most into the lounge.
Jonathan had encountered an assassin soon after he arrived in Aquastead. Hence, he left Charlie and a group of bodyguards at Aquastead Hotel.
Then, he came to the lounge alone. No one knew of his whereabouts.
At this moment, Jonathan's mind was filled with the woman from last night. She had stolen his clothes and humiliated him with a coin!
Jonathan wanted to ask the bodyguard to drive the woman away.
But then, he caught sight of the woman through the surveillance footage.
It was her!
He narrowed his eyes and his gaze sharpened.
A cold and dangerous smile spread out across his face as he gave his orders, "Bring her in here!"
Moments later, the doors to the lounge opened.
A few muscular men in black suits walked up to Rose. "Please come with us, miss. There's someone who would like to see you."
Taken aback, Rose followed them into the lounge.
When she finally regained her senses, she immediately realized something. She could ask these people for the man's contact information.
She was about to speak when she realized she did not know the man's name.
Could she refer to him as … the star escort?
The man had a handsome face, and he was very professional at what he did. It would make sense if he was the star escort.
"Excuse me, but your star—"
Before Rose could finish speaking, the door slammed shut behind her.
It was only then that Rose found herself in a room.
The room was dimly lit. The only source of light was aimed at a painting on the opposite wall.
A man stood in front of the painting.
He was wearing a black satin shirt, just like the one she was wearing. His figure was tall and stately.
Rose found the silhouette rather familiar somehow.
Suddenly, the man turned around. When Rose saw his face, she grew excited.
"It's you!"
It was the star escort she was looking for!
Jonathan stared darkly at the woman standing by the door. There was a cold look in his eyes.
"Yes, it's me!"
He had been looking for her, but she showed up of her own accord instead.
She was still wearing the shirt she stole from him.
The half-hidden hickeys near the collar reminded him of how he had lost control last night. He also recalled the humiliation he felt when he saw the coin this morning.
She would pay the price for humiliating him.
Jonathan smiled menacingly. He was about to speak when Rose stepped forward and grabbed his wrists excitedly.
She looked at him with an enthusiastic and expectant gaze.
"Let's get married!"
Chapter 5 Negotiation
Jonathan's sneer froze. He could not believe his ears.
After what felt like an eternity, Jonathan finally spoke.
"What … did you just say? Say that again!"
Blinking, Rose said earnestly, "Let's get married!"
She could pay him for it.
She had already thought things through. To avoid unnecessary trouble, the easiest way was to make it a trade.
There would be no emotional strings attached. She would pay him to marry her, and he would take the money.
Also, due to the special nature of his job, he was the perfect candidate!
Jonathan thought about it for a moment. Then, a look of disdain and disgust appeared in his cold eyes.
He could tell what she was trying to do now.
Scoffing to himself, he assumed that despite not knowing who he was, she knew he was no ordinary man. Therefore, after heading home and thinking about it, she came back to him.
Was she trying to marry a rich man, or was it the money she was after?
Jonathan recalled the red stain on the sheets this morning. The guilt he felt dissipated.
After all, he had taken her last night. He would give her a sum of money to dismiss her.
Jonathan's curt voice was flippant as he said, "I've met many women like you. How much are you asking for?"
Stunned, Rose did not speak.
How much? Was he negotiating the price for marrying her?
Rose never expected him to be so straightforward. But now that she thought about it, she supposed it was to be expected from an experienced man like him.
Taking a step backward, Rose examined the man from head to toe.
She considered the price carefully.
For some reason, Jonathan suddenly felt displeased. She was looking at him as if she was sizing up an item or a product.
And he seemed to be the so-called product in question!
"How much?" Jonathan pressed impatiently.
"Three … million dollars?"
Rose felt uneasy as she stared at him.
He was rather handsome. Was the offer of three million too little?
As expected, Jonathan's well-defined brows creased.
Three million dollars?
He had expected her to take advantage of the situation and demand a fortune. But surprisingly, she only asked for three million dollars.
"Hah …" Jonathan chuckled in disdain.
Rose's heart skipped a beat. She hastily raised the price. "Five … Five million dollars. Five million dollars at most!"
After she graduated, Jamie did not allow her to join Celeste Jewels. She did not use her family's money, either.
Little by little, she saved up five million dollars by accepting design commissions. She usually received commissions from an upperclassman.
It was her entire fortune.
Jonathan looked even more scornful now.
He was convinced that Rose was an ignorant woman.
But it had been her first time, after all. He would not treat her unfairly.
Reminded of the humiliation he felt from that coin, Jonathan decided to give her ten million dollars. He would humiliate her with ten million dollars.
With a sneer on his face, he was about to say something when the woman spoke up first.
"Alright, fine. What about ten million dollars?"
Rose went all out. She looked pleadingly at Jonathan before she said, "Can I give you five million dollars first?
"As for the remaining five million dollars, it might take a month … Or maybe I can pay you in installments?"
Fearing that he would not agree, she continued, "Don't worry, I have the money.
"Give me your bank account number. I'll transfer five million dollars to you right now to prove my sincerity."
Rose took out her phone.
Once again, Jonathan's expression froze. He was shocked.
He wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him.
Did she say that she was going to give him ten million dollars?
"Come on. Give me your account number," Rose urged.
She looked at him in anticipation. It was as if she were a wolf coaxing a rabbit to fall into a trap.
Jonathan studied her intently. She could not tell what he was thinking by the look in his eyes.
A moment later, he gave her his account number.
Within a minute, he received a notification. Five million dollars had been transferred to his account.
Rose let out a long sigh. Even though she was reluctant to part with the huge sum, she had finally found her bridegroom.
The next step would be to register their marriage and become officially married.
Rose did not want to waste even a single second. "Let's go back to our respective homes and get the necessary documents. We'll meet at the county clerk's office an hour from now."
With that, Rose left.
Jonathan looked at the bank transfer notification on his phone. He was in a daze.
He could not believe that she had seriously given him five million dollars.
She had given him money to marry her.
"Hah …" He had never encountered anything like this before.
Jonathan was suddenly intrigued.
As if to see what she was up to, Jonathan made a call. "Uncle Charlie, do you have my identification documents with you? Yes, I have need of them …"
Chapter 6 Star Escort Husband
An hour later, Jonathan stood outside the county clerk's office. He stared darkly at the marriage license he was holding.
Meanwhile, Rose excitedly planted a kiss on her copy of the marriage license. She was already looking forward to the Lanes' banquet tomorrow. That was when Nixon's plans would fall apart.
Suddenly, she looked at her "star escort husband" who was beside her.
He had such a wonderful figure and face that Nixon could not compare to him at all.
If he appeared at the Lanes' birthday banquet tomorrow, Nixon would be disgraced!
The more Rose thought about it, the more excited she became.
"Um … Do you have time tomorrow? Can you attend a banquet with me—"
Jonathan was still coming to terms with the fact that he was married. Without even thinking about it, he declined. "I'm busy!"
Rose fell silent. She felt a little disappointed.
But she soon got over it.
Nixon's uncle, Jonathan, would be attending the Lanes' birthday banquet tomorrow. It would probably be an extravagant event, so her husband might get intimidated by its grandeur.
Before they parted ways, Rose said to her new husband, "Since we're already married, you shouldn't go to Nightfall Lounge tonight. It'll be best if you never go there again."
"Where else can I go if I can't go to Nightfall Lounge?"
Jonathan frowned. He had not figured out who had sent the assassin yet, so Nightfall Lounge was the safest place for him right now.
But Rose misunderstood him.
Her gaze on him instantly changed.
She wondered if he was asking her for a house.
Popular escorts like him usually asked their patrons for houses and cars.
Rose despised such behavior. But when she remembered that she had bought this husband at a high price, she instantly forced herself to smile.
After taking out her phone, she tapped on it a few times.
Soon, Jonathan's phone buzzed with another bank transfer notification. This time, it was for 6,600 dollars.
Jonathan stared at Rose in confusion.
"Find a hotel to stay in for the time being. I'll make further arrangements later."
Rose smiled generously, but her heart was aching over the loss of her money.
After paying the five million dollars, she only had 6,650 dollars left in her account. She gave him 6,600 dollars and kept the remaining 50 dollars to pay for her ride home.
On the inside, Rose laughed miserably. It was not the absolute worst situation. At least she did not have to walk home.
Rose felt like she could not stay here any longer. Not even for a moment. She feared she would not be able to keep up her smile.
Before she left, she could barely maintain her smile as she suggested earnestly, "Um … you don't have to pick an expensive hotel. You can choose slightly cheaper hotels. They aren't all that bad …"
Jonathan could see that her smile had vanished completely by the time she turned away from him.
She even staggered a little as she jogged away. She seemed to be clutching her heart.
He wondered if her heart was aching.
"Hah …" He was beginning to suspect that she had misunderstood something.
Staring at the bank transfer notification on his phone, Jonathan suddenly felt curious. He wanted to find out if slightly cheaper hotels had pleasant environments as well.
Just then, he received a call from Zac.
As soon as he answered the call, Zac started teasing him.
"Mrs. Lane Senior told everyone that you will be attending her birthday banquet. The upper-class elites in Aquastead heard about this, and they're all clamoring to attend the event.
"Hmph! They're not going there for the Lanes at all. They're just trying to talk to you, the newly appointed person in charge of the Finch family!
"The Lanes just want to use you to make themselves look good. Tch. How cunning … But if you don't go tomorrow, there will be quite a scene at the Lane residence."
Charlie had told Jonathan about the Lanes' invitation.
The late Mr. Lane Senior used to be friends with the Finches, but the two families had drifted apart a long time ago.
Jonathan did not plan on attending at first, but he abruptly changed his mind. "I'll be attending the banquet."
If he did not want to keep staying in Nightfall Lounge, he had to catch the mastermind as soon as possible.
The Lanes' banquet was the perfect opportunity.
Staring at the marriage license in his hand, Jonathan had a dark look in his eyes. Before Zac could say anything else, Jonathan spoke up.
"Buy a house for me under someone else's name. Also, I need your help to look into someone …"
He recalled the woman's pretty face. She had a warm and radiant smile when they received their marriage license.
He looked at the marriage license and found her name.
"Rose Shaffer!"
Chapter 7 She Was the Sugar Mommy
When Rose returned to the villa in Scenic Gardens, she was refused entry.
"How dare she come back again? Chelsea, go and drive her away!"
Jamie's angry shout could be heard through the door.
"Jamie, don't get angry because of her. You should take care of your health …"
"Dad, just let Rose in. She probably wasn't thinking straight when she betrayed Mr. Lane. The men at Nightfall Lounge are all … engaged in that sort of work.
"I'm sure Rose would've paid him so that he wouldn't tell anyone else about something like this …"
Over in the living room, it seemed like Chelsea and Kelly were coming to Rose's defense. But in reality, they were adding fuel to the fire.
In an instant, Jamie's tirade intensified.
"She's a wretched girl! I refuse to acknowledge a shameless woman like her as my daughter! From now on, she is not allowed to enter this house. I don't want her tainting this place.
"Kelly, you're kind and innocent. Don't be like her."
Rose felt like her heart was breaking. She was so upset that it hurt.
She knew Jamie never liked her. Ever since she was a child, Jamie treated her coldly no matter what she did.
It was his first time reacting so strongly to something she did.
Jamie did not like her, but he pampered Kelly a lot. Kelly was his stepdaughter. She joined the family when he remarried.
When Rose thought about Kelly's true identity, she sneered mockingly.
Suddenly, she saw something through the large floor-to-ceiling windows.
Avoiding Jamie's line of sight, Kelly was smiling gleefully at Rose. She seemed to be announcing her victory.
Rose's eyes flashed coldly. But the very next moment, she smiled brightly and waved at Kelly.
Kelly's smile froze. She did not expect Rose to smile at all. She had expected to see Rose crying instead.
Just then, Rose clenched her waving hand into a fist. Then, she lifted her middle finger …
Kelly was dumbstruck.
Her expression instantly soured.
Rose turned around and left. Kelly stared at her retreating figure with hatred-filled eyes.
Furious, she immediately sent a message to Maya. Then, she appealed to Jamie. "Dad, Mrs. Lane Senior's birthday banquet is tomorrow. Let me go with you. I want to gain more exposure to society!"
Kelly swore to humiliate Rose during the Lanes' birthday banquet tomorrow.
…
It was midnight. Rose was wandering the streets.
Her phone was flooded with messages from the high school alumni group she was in.
An hour ago, Maya was so "worried" about Rose that she sent a missing person notice to the alumni group. She was sobbing as she pleaded for Rose to return to her family.
Sensing that there could be gossip, the others asked Maya what happened. Hence, Maya "accidentally" mentioned how Rose had slept with a man last night. She also said that Jamie had driven Rose out of their home.
The group exploded with messages. But at that moment, Rose was more concerned about where she could go tonight.
She had transferred her remaining money to her "star escort husband" this afternoon. Now, she was broke and had nowhere to go.
All of a sudden, she thought of something. Her eyes lit up.
Her husband!
Though their relationship was transactional, she was still his patron. She figured he probably would not mind letting his patron stay over for the night.
Rose took her phone out and made the call. She felt both nervous and excited.
Soon, the call connected.
"Hello?"
When the man's charming voice rang in Rose's ear, she abruptly recalled the heavy panting she had heard last night. Her cheeks turned bright red.
"Hello? Speak up!"
The man's voice rang out again.
Rose snapped back to her senses. Shooing away the indecent scenes in her mind, she said, "Um … Well … I was chased out of my house, so I don't have anywhere to go now. Can I—"
There was a click. Before Rose finished speaking, the call ended.
She stared at her phone. It took her a while to register what happened.
She was stunned.
Did he reject her?
That thought left her feeling incredulous.
"Hah! Fine. Very well …" Rose got angrier by the second.
What was with his attitude? She was his sugar mommy! She wanted a refund!
Meanwhile, Jonathan was in a "slightly cheaper" hotel with a "nice environment".
He looked at the document he was holding. It contained information about Rose and Celeste Jewels. He did not expect his newly wedded wife to be the sole heir of Celeste Jewels.
But he was not surprised that Jamie had kicked Rose out of the house.
Had he not asked Zac to investigate Rose, no one would have known about what Jamie had been doing in secret. Even now, Rose had to still be clueless about it.
Jonathan smiled coldly. He was looking forward to how his wife would respond when she found out about the real situation with Celeste Jewels.
There was a sinister look in Jonathan's eyes as he sent the hotel address to Rose.