<h4>Chapter 562: Pain (Extra Story)</h4>


    But what she feared the most still happened.


    As the searing pain tore through her, Aurora’s tears spilled uncontrobly. Her body trembled violently, yet the man above her showed no tenderness. This night would be forever etched into her memory—a night she would never forget.


    It was Everett’s first time tasting the essence of a woman. He was like a beast, starved for thousands of years, leaving countless bruises across her delicate skin.


    For someone untouched before, Aurora couldn’t withstand such ruthless aggression. By the time it was over, she waspletely drained, her mind nk, and her consciousness slipping into darkness.


    When she finally awoke, she found herself covered with a nket. The air still carried a strange scent. She pressed her lips together, barely shifting her body—only to be met with unbearable pain.


    Tears surged forth again, unbidden and unstoppable. Through the veil of shimmering droplets, she saw a man sitting at the edge of the bed, silently smoking.


    Everett’s bare torso glowed under the dim light, his bronzed skin adding to his dangerously seductive aura.


    He noticed her, wrapped tightly in the nket, quietly crying. He had intended to mock her, to say something scathing—but as the words reached his lips, he found himself unable to utter them.


    No matter how unworthy she might be in his eyes, he had been the one who came to her, forced himself upon her. To ridicule her now would be beneath even him.


    "This time, I’ll take responsibility," Everett said after a moment of thought.


    His life had been filled with women desperately clinging to him, yet not a single one had ever truly be his.


    He could never exin why—why he always felt contempt, why he always felt disgusted.


    Aurora had been different. He had only intervened that night because she had been cornered, her snow-white face streaked with clear, glistening tears.


    Most celebrities woreyers of makeup when filming a music video, but Aurora, blessed with natural beauty, only had a touch of lipstick applied. No eyeliner, no excessive embellishments—just a light coat of high-quality mascara.


    So even when she cried, her makeup remained wless. Instead, her tear-streaked face, glowing with a natural rosiness, had been breathtaking—like a pearl adorned with dewdrops.


    He hadn’t even understood why, but somethingpelled him to order his men to rescue her.


    Aurora was the first woman he had ever tolerated being close to. Butst night, after drinking with his so-called friends, those bastards had drugged him as a joke...


    The first thought that had crossed Everett’s mind was Aurora.


    In his eyes, she was just another woman trying to climb into his bed, so he hade here, thinking this would prove whether he had any real interest in her.


    He never expected things to escte like this.


    Underneath the nket, Aurora was still trembling, as if trapped in an endless winter. Even though it was August, she felt as though she had been plunged into an icy abyss, her surroundings thick with bone-chilling cold.


    "We’re investing in a new film. You’ll be the female lead."


    Everett’s voice was calm, indifferent.


    He thought this was what Aurora wanted.


    But to his surprise, she suddenly sat up, clutching the sheets tightly around her bruised body.


    "Everett! I don’t need anything from you!" she shouted, her voice raw with emotion. "I’m grateful... grateful that you saved me... but I don’t need you to do this for me! Money means nothing to you, so just consider this as you repaying me for that night—nothing more!"


    "From now on... don’t evere looking for me again. We have nothing to do with each other!"


    Aurora’s eyes brimmed with resentment and sorrow. She had always intended to save herself for her wedding night. Though some might call her old-fashioned, she had always believed in waiting for the right moment, for things to happen naturally.


    She was furious about what had just happened, yet deep down, she knew that if it weren’t for Everett, she would have already been vited by those seven or eight thugs in Country W.


    Fate had given her a way out, but it had still exacted a price. At least now, she owed him nothing. There would be no lingering sense of debt gnawing at her peace.


    But Everett simply let out a low chuckle, his eyes filled with mocking contempt, making Aurora’s chest rise and fall with anger.


    She knew it—he saw her as just another scheming woman.


    Regret churned inside her. She should have never let this man inside.


    "Are you ying hard to get?" His voice dripped with scorn. "Don’t think I’m some na?ve fool, easily deceived. Since you’ve already climbed into my bed, you’d better start acting like someone’s woman. Don’t even think about getting involved with any other man."


    A dark glint flickered in Everett’s eyes, his toneced with warning.


    Aurora’s head snapped up in shock. "Everett, what do you mean by that?"


    Even Everett himself couldn’t exin what he was feeling. All he knew was that suddenly developing an interest in a woman feltpletely unnatural to him. And the fact that it was Aurora—someone he believed was constantly trying to climb into powerful men’s beds—made it even more absurd.


    "What do I mean?" He scoffed. "You’ve already slept with me. How could I possibly mistreat my lover?"


    His voice was cold as he stood up, taking his time putting on his clothes.


    Aurora’s face turned ghostly pale, her lips trembling. "That’s not what I meant! I meant every word I said, Everett. I never wanted to use you. You despise me, don’t you? Then don’t ever—don’t ever look at me again! Spare yourself the disgust!"


    Everett’s sharp, falcon-like eyes darkened, his lips curling into a sneer. "Are you seriously acting like you don’t know how this industry works? There’s no such thing as a one-sided rejection—only I decide when to walk away. And besides... you’ve alreadye this far, so why pretend?"


    "I’m not pretending! It was you... you forced me!" Aurora was trembling with rage, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face. She looked heartbreakingly vulnerable, her delicate features streaked with glistening tears—like a flower battered by the storm.


    But Everett’s expression remained cold. Adjusting his cor, he reached into his pocket and tossed a card onto the bed. "A woman of mine doesn’t need to live in a cramped little ce like this."


    He stood tall, his imposing presence suffocating. It felt as though a massive weight was pressing down on Aurora, making it hard to breathe.


    "I don’t want it!" She grabbed the card and flung it back at him.


    Everett let out a low scoff, turning on his heel to leave.


    Aurora’s voice cracked as she screamed after him, "Everett! You bastard! I hate you!"


    But he never looked back.


    Aurora sat there for what felt like an eternity, crying until she was too exhausted to shed another tear. Only when hunger made her head spin did she force herself to move. Ignoring the pain wracking her body, she dragged herself to the bathroom for a shower, then rummaged through the fridge for something to eat.


    Herpany had actually assigned her a personal assistant, but she had always been fiercely independent. She preferred to live alone—not just for privacy, but also because she feared betrayal.


    Loyalty was a rare thing in this world.


    She grabbed a cold piece of bread and took a bite, but it only made her stomach feel worse. Frustrated, she hurried to the kitchen to cook herself some noodles.


    Aurora wasn’t a top-tier celebrity yet—just a rising star who had won an award. Her portfolio was still too thin. Since herpany had allowed her to choose her own songs, she had only released one singlest year, and she had just finished filming the music video for her new song this year.


    She needed to work harder to solidify her name in the industry.


    One day, she would be able to afford a bigger home—one that didn’t make her feel so rootless.


    After finishing her meal, Aurora suddenly felt a warm sensation in her lower abdomen. Annoyed, she pped her forehead in realization.


    Her period had arrived.


    At least that meant she wouldn’t need to take any emergency contraception.


    Still, the weight of what had happened crushed her spirits. Curling up under her nket, she cried again, only stopping when her gazended on the gold card lying on the floor.


    She let out a cold, bitterugh.