?Chapter 42:


    Ste stared daggers at Haley, her whole body trembling with rage.


    Now she got it. This was a trap.


    The whole call, Haley’s absurd demand—it was all a setup. Her stomach churned as her eyesnded on the disgusting toys strewn across the bed.


    She clenched her fists and snapped, “Haley, this is illegal! You think having foreign citizenship means you’re untouchable?”


    The men standing around shifted awkwardly. Fear shed in a few of their eyes. Haley was a foreign national.


    They might’ve been scumbags, but even they didn’t want to go down for something like this—especially not for a foreigner who could skip town the second things got messy.


    Haley rolled her eyes and sneered. “You bunch of wimps. Just do what you’re paid for. If anything goes wrong, I’ll handle it. None of this is on you.”


    Then she turned back to Ste, her voice dripping with spite. “And you—God, you really think you’re on Marc’s level? You’re trash, Ste. You’ll never belong in our world. Wanna hear the best part? Marc knows. He’s the one who told me to do this. You should’ve signed that damn contract when you had the chance. Now, he wants you punished. This is what you get for crossing me.”


    She yanked a document from her purse, pped it on the bed, and grabbed Ste’s limp hand. With one hard press, she forced her fingerprint onto the page.


    Ste couldn’t move. Drugged. Tied up.


    Tears burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.


    Haley straightened up, gloating. “There. Done. This contract’s binding. And since you refused before, the patent rights now belong to Walsh Group—free of charge. Nopensation. No way out.”


    She tossed Ste a final smirk and strutted toward the door. “She’s all yours, boys. Enjoy.”


    And just like that, she was gone—leaving only shadows and danger behind. A greasy voice rang out. “Damn, you smell good. So soft too. Bet you’ll look real pretty crying.”


    Don’t miss out gα?ησν??ls?c?m


    Another one chimed in,ughing. “Which toy should we use first, huh? Or maybe just try them all.”


    “Don’t touch me…” Ste’s voice cracked, barely a whisper. But her body was too weak.


    One of the men stepped forward, reaching for her. Bang! The door flew open with a violent crash.


    “What the hell—” They turned, startled.


    Luca stormed in, nked by ck-suited bodyguards. Behind them, cold as ice, stood William.


    For a second, Ste thought she was seeing things.


    William? How could he be here?


    Luca’s eyes scanned the room—and locked on Ste. His expression darkened instantly. He barked, “Get these bastards out of here!”


    The bodyguards moved fast, dragging the men out like trash. Their screams echoed down the hallway.


    Luca nced at Ste again, then quickly looked away. He knew this wasn’t his moment. Without a word, he followed his men out.


    Now, only William remained.


    It was his first time seeing her so vulnerable, like a broken doll.


    He walked over and knelt beside the bed, examining her, noting that her injuries were superficial. Her pants were still in one piece.


    He undid the ropes around her wrists with quiet care. “Are you alright?”


    When she was finally free, Ste didn’t cry. She didn’t speak. She just pulled the bedsheet tight around herself, burying herself beneath it.


    .


    .


    .