Chapter 10

Joel's face turned pale as he was exposed. "The Youngblood family's roots run deep. The old men on the board do whatever Dad tells them. You think I don't want to wrap this up quickly?"

"Stop making excuses for your cowardice," Elena shot back.

In this house, love was the cheapest thing of all.

Joel constantly claimed to love her, but that was clearly just his twisted possessiveness. He didn't even dare stand up for her in front of Remus.

Even when his precious sister was beaten into the hospital by Remus, he chose to abandon her for the sake of business.

Love and vows were all lies, born of desires that couldn't be fulfilled.

Elena sat on the bed, unable to calm the storm of emotions inside her.

Remus had begun to have inappropriate thoughts about her. Meanwhile, Joel kept showing his strong possessiveness time and again.

Her time was running out.

The Aster Avenue project was her chance. She had to find a way to use Nicholas to carve out an escape.

Luckily, both Remus and Joel were too busy with the deal to bother her the next three days.

Elena's hand wasn't really that bad off.

The designs were already etched in her mind. Finishing the design draft would take just a few hours.

On the third morning, Joel confirmed that the design draft was complete and immediately took Elena to Hawthorne Estate.

Hawthorne Estate sat high on a mountain.

It took them an hour to reach the foot of the mountain from Youngblood Manor.

Then, they wound their way up the winding mountain road for another half hour before finally reaching the summit.

Elena wasn't used to being in a car for so long, and the bumpy ride made her feel nauseous.

"Are you okay?" Joel asked, handing her a bottle of water.

After she threw up, her face was pale, and sweat dampened the strands of hair on her forehead.

She took a sip of water. When she looked up, the towering Althea Manor loomed ahead, like a castle.

Dozens of black-clad bodyguards stood at the gate, giving the impression that a king resided inside. Only his command allowed entry.

Joel approached to explain their purpose.

One of the guards stopped him. "Mr. Montgomery only has meetings scheduled with Ms. Youngblood. You'll need to wait out here, Mr. Youngblood."

Since Joel couldn't get in, he told Elena to contact him if anything happened. In a lowered voice, he added, "Don't let any other men touch you."

Elena was escorted inside by the guards. The exterior of the mansion was grand, and inside, the luxury was on another level.

As soon as she entered, she saw a beautiful garden pond.

The rock formations were intricately designed, blending elegance, romance, and traditional garden elements to create a unique yet sophisticated atmosphere.

The pond was filled with brightly colored, expensive ornamental carp.

But what truly caught Elena's eye was a white water lily in the center of the pool. Its core was glowing with a faint blue light.

When she got closer, she was astonished.

The blue glow was coming from a luminous pearl resting inside the water lily.

Elena knew that the Montgomery family was the wealthiest family in the world, but this was the first time she had seen a priceless luminous pearl placed in a garden pond.

How much confidence did they have in their security to be so daring?

"Ms. Youngblood, Mr. Montgomery is upstairs."

The bodyguard guided her to the main building and pointed up to the second floor.

When Elena stepped into the living hall, the luxury and grandeur before her left her in awe. She couldn't help but marvel at just how wealthy the owner of this mansion must be.

Everywhere she looked, priceless pieces by renowned artists were present. Even the carpet beneath her feet was made from a rare, exquisite material that screamed luxury.

Elena thought to herself that placing a sculpture there would perfectly balance out the flaw in the entire living hall.

"Ms. Youngblood, you seem interested in my collection," a deep, pleasant voice came from above.

When Elena looked up, her gaze locked with a pair of predatory eyes, like a panther lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.

Elena smiled. "If I were really interested, could I just take one?"

"Pretty bold. Come up here."

Nicholas wore a loose robe. His damp hair was still dripping.

Gone was the cold authority of the past few days. He now looked far more relaxed.

It was clear he had just come out of the shower.

As Elena climbed the stairs, the sound of her heels clicked on the smooth, polished steps.

When she reached the top, Nicholas pinned her hand against the railing. "You're not like this in front of others."

"And how am I in front of them?"

Elena was forced to lean back. It was a dangerously precarious position. One push from Nicholas, and she'd topple right over the railing.

Yet she smiled, as if death meant nothing to her.

"Everyone says you're compliant," Nicholas said.

Elena blinked. "And what do you think?"

Nicholas lifted her chin, leaning close enough to whisper something in her ear.

Elena didn't get angry. She just smiled. "That's right. I'm just pretending."

"You're honest. I'll give you that."

After Nicholas said that, Elena reached into her bag and pulled out the design draft. "Ms. Goody Two-Shoes doesn't lie."

Nicholas glanced at it as he took it. Instantly, he was captivated by the stunning designs.

The night he'd heard her describe her ideas, he had eagerly anticipated the finished draft. But the complete design was even more impressive than he had imagined.

Soon, though, he put the paper down and lit up a cigarette. "It's not bad."

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me just yet."

Nicholas took a drag, then paused. "I don't think you're sincere enough."

"What do you want as proof of sincerity, Mr. Montgomery?"

Before he could answer, she grabbed his collar and pushed him against the railing just like he did. "Will this do?"

The cigarette hung between his lips. Smoke curled around him as he stared at her in disbelief and scoffed. "Interesting."

With that, he took out the cigarette, grabbed the back of Elena's head, and kissed her.

The pungent smoke filled her lungs, making her frown.

But she didn't pull away. Instead, she bit his lip lightly, like a tease.

Nicholas swept her up into his arms and kissed her even more passionately.

When they finally broke apart, Elena pressed a hand to her chest and coughed with a smile.

Her face was flushed, and her eyes burned with an untamed spark. That sweet, compliant look from earlier was gone.

Nicholas had seen this look that night. It was as if she were silently asking why he had stopped.

He tugged at his robe and turned toward the study. "Come in."

Damn it!

He had crushed the design draft in that moment of frenzy.

Elena glanced at the crumpled paper on the floor and scoffed inwardly.

Even after getting this far, he still managed to hold himself back. He was even harder to crack than she had anticipated.