Chapter 4

"Where are you taking me? To a dump that’s more livable than that house?"

I rested my forehead against the car window, which felt as cold as ice. Outside, the Australian morning fog crept slowly, shrouding the trees and streets in a gloomy gray. Rex didn’t answer; his strong fingers remained steady on the steering wheel. I glanced at him with stinging, puffy eyes, feeling so small inside this luxurious vehicle. I was just a woman who had just been kicked out of her own home, carrying a small suitcase filled with the shards of my shattered self-respect.

Rex finally glanced at me, his sharp eyes still fixed on the road. “A better place than that isn’t hard to find, Emma.”

“You don’t understand,” I whispered, my hand clenching the bag’s strap until my knuckles turned white. “My life ended last night. I have nothing left to be proud of. All that’s left are ruins.”

“Every new building is built on cleared ruins, isn’t it?” he replied calmly. “I can give you a life far more worthy. More than that jerk ever gave you.”

I laughed hollowly, a laugh that sounded like shattering glass in my own ears. I reached into my pocket, pulling out a crumpled, worn piece of paper. A hospital bill that haunts every step I take. “A decent life? You want to know the reality, Rex? I’m drowning in debt. My father’s unfinished legacy. And worst of all, my mother is currently in a coma. She needs massive hospital bills every single day.”

I held the paper out toward him, but Rex didn’t take it. He only glanced at it briefly, as if the pile of numbers there were nothing but meaningless dust.

"My mother is the only reason I’m holding on, Rex. But now, without a place to live and without Alex’s support, I’m just a black hole. Anyone who gets close will be swallowed up too," I continued, my voice beginning to tremble again.

"You’re underestimating what someone who truly wants to help you is capable of," he replied flatly.

The car kept driving until the asphalt gave way to a gently sloping sandy road. I furrowed my brow when I saw the expanse of blue ocean ahead. The beach. Rex had taken me to a secluded private beach, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. The cool sea breeze hit my face as he turned off the engine.

“Why the beach?” I asked coldly. “I’m not in the mood for a vacation.”

“Get out first, Emma. The salty air is good for drying up the last of your tears.”

I snorted, but got out of the car anyway. On the white sand, several neatly uniformed waiters were already busy setting something up. A small wooden table with two chairs was placed facing the sea. Seafood dishes, still steaming with a savory aroma, were laid out there. I stared at it all in disbelief.

“Did you prepare all this?” I asked as we sat across from each other.

“Eat. You haven’t touched anything since last night,” he ordered gently yet firmly.

I tried to cut a piece of the fish in front of me, but the image of Alex and Laura being affectionate with each other flashed back into my mind. That wave of nausea came over me again. I slammed my fork down on the table. “How can I eat while they’re probably celebrating my defeat in my own home?”

“Vengeance takes strength, Emma. Not just tears,” Rex replied, cutting his meat with calm precision.

“I won’t accept being betrayed like this, Rex,” I glared at him, a fire beginning to burn in my eyes. “Laura, the friend I trusted, and Alex… the man I adored. I want them to feel the cold I felt last night. I want them to be shattered just like me.”

Rex stopped moving. He looked at me with his deep, eagle-like eyes, as if reading every inch of the devastation within my soul. He didn’t speak, only cut a small piece of meat and held it in front of my mouth.

“Eat,” he said briefly.

I shook my head, trying to look away. “I told you I’m not hungry.”

“Look into my eyes, Emma.”

His low voice forced me to obey his command. I looked into those eagle eyes and instantly felt paralyzed. There was an overwhelming power there, something that made me feel both protected and cornered. Slowly, I opened my mouth and accepted the bite from him.

Rex’s finger brushed the corner of my lips briefly, wiping away a bit of sauce. The touch was fleeting, yet it felt like an electric shock coursing through my entire body. I froze, holding my breath as he leaned back into his chair.

“Do you want revenge?” he asked, his voice now sounding more serious.

“Very much so,” I replied firmly.

“The best revenge isn’t by berating them in public or crying at their feet. The best revenge is by standing so much higher that they can no longer touch the hem of your dress.”

Rex set down his cutlery, then interlaced his fingers on the table. The sound of the waves behind us seemed to vanish, replaced by the tension that suddenly filled the air between us.

"Marry me, Emma Woodhouse."

I choked, coughing slightly in surprise. I looked at him, searching for any sign that he was joking, but his face was as calm as the sea before a storm. "What? Are you crazy? We just met last night!"

"I never waste time on things I don’t want," he cut in without pause. "Marry me, and I’ll pay off all your father’s debts right this minute. I’ll move your mother to the best healthcare facility in the world, with top-notch doctors who’ll look after her twenty-four hours a day."

I fell silent, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my own ears. The offer was too good to be true, but Rex Anthony didn’t look like a man who liked to daydream.

“And most importantly,” he continued, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.

“I’ll be your weapon. I’ll help you crush Alexander and Laura until they’re begging at your feet for mercy. I’ll pull all the funding from Alex’s company and make sure they have no place left in this city.”

I held my breath, staring at the hawk-eyed man before me. He was offering the key to heaven for my mother, and hell for my enemies. “What do you want from me in return?”

Rex smiled faintly, a smile he’d never shown before. “I just want a woman with that kind of fire in her eyes. What do you say, Emma? Are you ready to be the queen of my kingdom, or would you rather go back to being the dust they trample on?”

Sometimes, when we feel we’ve hit rock bottom, fate doesn’t send a gentle savior with sweet words, but a massive storm ready to sweep away all our enemies. Selling one’s soul may sound terrifying to those living peaceful lives, but to a heart already torn apart by betrayal, a deal with even the most powerful man will feel like the most beautiful gift. Never underestimate the power of a woman who has nothing left to lose, because when she finds the right ally, she will not only rise again, she will set the world that once hurt her ablaze.