<h4>Chapter 202: Hatred in the Heart</h4>


    Eric let out a disdainful chuckle, his wicked smile tinged with coldness. "Someone like her will always find ways to seek revenge. This was just a small lesson. If there’s a next time, I won’t go easy on her."


    E nodded in agreement. She didn’t want to be too harsh, but Rachel’s constant scheming to seduce Eric was beyond shameless.


    "Alright, now it’s our time to enjoy," Eric said, the coldness in his eyes reced by a mischievous glint. His mesmerizing eyes seemed to hold a mysterious power that E couldn’t resist.


    "No... you should go out, just in case someone sees us..." E protested weakly.


    "How could anyone see us in our room?"


    "Eric... ah... don’t do this..." E tried to resist his advances, but she knew it was futile. Before long, she surrenderedpletely...


    Meanwhile, Rachel returned to her room, drenched in cold sweat. She copsed onto her bed, clutching a pillow as she trembled, the memory of that foreign man’s predatory gaze sending shivers down her spine. Despite her fear, she couldn’t deny the strange, unfamiliar sensations that had stirred within her.


    She shamefully closed her eyes, recalling how her body had reacted when the man kissed her. But he wasn’t Eric—he wasn’t the man she loved!


    If only... if only Eric would kiss her like that, everything would be perfect!


    But Eric was no ordinary man. Such trivial attempts at seduction wouldn’t sway him in the slightest.


    "Damn you, E! If it weren’t for you... if it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t ignore me like this!" Rachel’s heart ached as if it had been bitten by a venomous snake. She was filled with resentment and a desperate desire to change her fate.


    But women like Rachel were all toomon. How many of them actually seeded in changing their destiny?


    Meanwhile, in a distant estate abroad, Hannah slowly opened her eyes. She looked around the room, which was decorated in a cozy, rustic style. The warm and inviting decor made the room feel like a safe haven.


    Soft music wafted up from downstairs, creating a serene atmosphere.


    "Miss, are you awake?" a maid asked gently.


    Hannah turned her gaze toward the maid, a woman in her fifties with the appearance and ent of someone from Country S.


    Sitting up slowly, Hannah nodded. The maid quickly approached her. "Miss, are you feeling unwell?"


    "No... I’m fine," Hannah replied softly. But her eyes were like a stormy sea, filled with anger and dark emotions.


    Ten days earlier, in the psychiatric hospital, a stranger—a middle-aged man—had approached her, offering her a chance to start over and promising to cure her illness.


    He exined that her appearance was strikingly simr to that of his deceased daughter, who had died a month earlier after failing to find a suitable bone marrow donor for her leukemia.


    The man, also from Country S, had a son and a daughter. When Hannah saw the portrait of histe daughter hanging on the wall, she was stunned by the resemnce. The woman in the picture had a serene smile and an air of grace, and her features were nearly identical to Hannah’s.


    Hannah had been shocked. She initially suspected the man had fabricated this story to lure her away. But at that point, Hannah had lost all hope of reiming her life. Staying in the psychiatric hospital would only drive her further into madness. She knew E wouldn’t go out of her way to find the world’s best doctors for her.


    So, she decided to follow the refined-looking man out of Country S, clinging to the hope that this might be her chance to turn her life around.


    As Hannah had hoped, her new life in Country W turned out to be exactly what she needed. The servants and doctors were the best avable. Since her condition wasn’t severe, she didn’t need to stay in a hospital; a doctor would visit her every two days instead.


    Hannah settled into the beautiful estate, and under the careful attention of the maids and doctors, her health gradually improved, and her condition stabilized.


    Kyle Miller, the middle-aged man who had brought her here, treated her as his own daughter. No matter what Hannah wanted, he would provide it for her.


    The hatred in Hannah’s heart had grown into a towering tree, but she knew she had only been in Country W for a few months. If she returned home to seek revenge, she wasn’t sure if she would have Kyle’s support.


    So she decided to leverage Kyle’s resources and build herself up in Country W. When she became strong enough, even without Kyle’s backing, she would be able to take on E on her own.


    Time flew by, and before anyone knew it, a year had passed. E had been epted into Egerton University in S City.


    Brianna’s case had been concluded six months earlier. Due to the brutal and savage nature of her crimes, Brianna was sentenced to life in prison. Although she wasn’t given the death penalty, E was satisfied with the oue.


    Brianna would spend the rest of her life in misery, and E had made sure that her time in prison would be a living hell.


    However, E couldn’t shake the lingering worry about Hannah. After being rescued, Hannah had disappeared without a trace. E had a nagging feeling that whoever had taken Hannah had considerable influence in Country W.


    She wondered how many years it would be before Hannah reemerged, perhaps as a formidable adversary.


    On this particr morning, E slowly opened her eyes, still foggy with sleep. Her eyes felt dry and ufortable as if something foreign was irritating them.


    She rubbed her eyes and let out a long yawn.


    After a bit more rubbing, her eyes felt much better, and she finally focused on the man sleeping beside her. A smile curved her lips.


    Ericy beside her, his eyes closed gently, with long, thick eyshes casting a shadow over his face, forming a graceful arc.


    His strong nose, those thin yet full and vibrant lips, his perfect chin, and the sharp contours of his face... From any angle, he was wless—perfect beyond measure.


    E was mesmerized. Even though she was so familiar with this man, every time she looked at him closely, it was as if Eric was capable of stealing her soul all over again.


    A man like him was a feast for the eyes, no matter the time or ce.


    E silently counted her blessings—she had truly found the perfect man. At least in her eyes, he had no ws or shorings.


    Just then, Eric suddenly opened his eyes, catching E staring at him.


    E quickly lowered her gaze, not wanting Eric to see her acting like a lovestruck teenager.


    Since her rebirth, she had vowed not to behave like she used to, getting all starry-eyed whenever she saw a handsome man.


    "What’s the matter? Is your husband the most handsome man in the world, hmm?" Eric teased, pulling her into his arms and nting a soft kiss on her forehead. "Good morning, my dear wife!"


    E pouted, "I didn’t sleep that well. I didn’t get enough rest, and my back is sore..."


    Thebination of "not enough rest" and "back is sore" was enough to make anyone’s mind go in a particr direction.


    Eric had been away on a business trip for the past few days, returning onlyst night. He had been particrly passionate and relentless with E, which exined her difort this morning.


    "Then let me take the day off for you," Eric suggested.