Chapter 4

The tiara was locked in a safe that could only be opened by scanning Yvette's iris.

She took it out and gently ran her fingers over the diamond petals. She stared at the tiara, lost in thought.

When Jordan gave her the tiara, she thought she had finally found someone she could spend the rest of her life with. She threw her arms around him and cried tears of joy.

If she had not gotten a second chance at life, she would never have seen through his tender facade and discovered the cruelty beneath it.

Her heart had long since gone cold. She no longer cared about the tiara.

But she would never give it to Jade.

Yvette lowered her eyes to hide her thoughts and carried the tiara downstairs.

The moment Jade eagerly reached out for it, Yvette raised her hand and slammed it against the floor.

The strands of pearls snapped, scattering pearls across the floor, and the crystal petals shattered.

Jade froze in shock. Yvette looked at her with a calm, mocking smile. "What makes a thief think she deserves my tiara?"

Jordan and Xander's expressions instantly changed.

Jade stared at Yvette in disbelief. A moment later, her eyes turned red, and tears filled them.

"Yvette, if you didn't want to give me the tiara, you could have just said so. But how could you destroy it? How are you going to face Jordan after this?"

Jordan looked at Jade's tearful face. His brows furrowed, and anger filled his eyes.

"Yvette, you've gone too far. Family rules state that anyone who damages a family heirloom must receive fifty lashes. With Xander here, how could I just let you off the hook?"

Yvette remained calm. "I don't care. Go ahead and whip me."

Jordan met her eyes and saw nothing but emptiness in them. A strange sense of irritation suddenly rose inside him. He ordered the bodyguards to carry out the punishment in a cold voice.

The whip whistled through the air before it struck her hard.

Yvette's body tensed. A cry rose in her throat, but she bit her lip hard and stifled it.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The sound of the whip echoed throughout the villa. The beating continued until she had received all fifty lashes.

Yvette collapsed to the floor. Lash marks covered her body, and blood from her wounds had almost turned the carpet beneath her completely red.

Yet she never cried out or begged for mercy, not even once.

Jordan watched as she shook uncontrollably from the pain. The irritation inside him only grew stronger.

He carried her back to her room and called their private doctor to treat her wounds.

"Yvette, don't resent me for this. I couldn't make an exception for you in front of Xander."

Yvette wanted to ask whether he truly had no choice or whether he simply wanted to punish her on Jade's behalf. In the end, she kept the question to herself.

None of it mattered any longer.

Jordan stayed by her side for the next three days.

Then, one morning, he put eye drops in her eyes and told her he had to go to the office. He asked her to go to the hospital for her follow-up appointment without him.

Yvette got into the car with the bodyguards. She never expected to be abducted on the way and taken to a private club.

Her abductors were three sleazy-looking men.

The moment the door closed, the men gave her leering smiles and rushed to tear off her clothes.

Yvette was terrified. She struggled with all her might and tried to shove them away.

"Stop! What are you doing?"

"Let go of me!"

The men snickered.

"Ms. Johnson, don't worry. We're just putting on an act. We won't actually have sex with you. Just play along so we can get paid and be on our way."

"You brought this on yourself. You hurt the woman Mr. Spencer cares about most, then secretly recorded her and leaked the video. You deserve this!"

"You love making videos so much. I bet you're just as wild in private. What's wrong with having a little fun with us?"

Yvette made a desperate dash for the door, but one of the men grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back.

The three of them held her down and tore her clothes to shreds. They forced her into various humiliating poses while snapping photos frantically.

Yvette fought back countless times. She kicked, punched, and clawed at the men, but none of it did any good.

Three hours later, the humiliating torture finally came to an end. The three men swaggered out of the room.

Yvette picked up a piece of cloth from the floor and wrapped it around herself with trembling hands. She could no longer hold back her tears. She broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.

Through her tear-blurred vision, she saw the door burst open.

Jordan strode into the room and scooped her into his arms. A mocking glint flashed in his eyes, but his voice was gentle.

"Yvette, don't worry. I'll get you out of here."