Chapter 4

Samantha couldn't help but shut her eyes. She wasn't sure if she was worried for her parents or for herself. Only she and the man remained in the spacious room. Illuminated by the red lights, the room gave off an eerie feeling.

The man poured some more wine for himself and swirled it inside his glass. He narrowed his eyes as he savored the taste of the wine.

Samantha took a deep breath. She steadied her voice before asking, "What do you want?"

The man looked at the wine glass in his hand and smiled. He raised an eyebrow and took out his phone. "You'll find out in a moment."

He unlocked the phone and made a call. The call connected almost instantly. "Kendrick, I have a guest I'm sure you'll find interesting with me today."

The man had a bright smile on his face as he continued, "Her name is Samantha Duncan."

Feeling anxious, Samantha's heart leapt to her throat. She was filled with disappointment when the man put down his phone slowly.

He gave Samantha a mocking smile. "He hung up without saying a word. It turns out that you mean nothing to him at all!"

"Please stop that." Samantha had anticipated this outcome. Still, she couldn't help the tears streaming down her face. She gritted her teeth in frustration.

She had given everything up for Kendrick. She had traded her youth for his merciless heart of stone.

In a daze, Samantha missed the sinister look that flashed across the man's face.

He suddenly appeared beside Samantha and whispered into her ear, "In that case, how should I deal with you?"

His warm breath brushed against the delicate skin around her ear. Samantha wanted to shrink back but realized that there was no escape. She met the man's gaze and confronted him bravely.

The man, Francis Simmons, couldn't help but be interested in this woman. She was fascinating. Based on the information he had, Francis had expected her to be a sheltered and weak young lady.

Francis instantly changed his mind about her. Raising an eyebrow, he held her chin and scrutinized Samantha's beautiful face. As his fingers brushed against her skin, Samantha couldn't help but shudder. His touch was as cold as ice.

"Just imagine how fascinating Kendrick's reaction would be if I were to strip you naked and post the pictures online!" Francis mused.

Samantha took a sharp breath, her mind reeling at the thought of being stripped bare. It took a while for her to calm down. Samantha said in a calm voice, "That won't happen."

She looked up and met his gaze. "We signed the divorce papers a while ago. Since then, there has been nothing between me and Kendrick. To him, I'm nowhere nearly as important as the Tibetan Mastiff in his backyard."

What Samantha said was in fact, the truth. The Tibetan Mastiff named Savage in the backyard was the apple of Kendrick's eye. Kendrick spent far more time with his dog than he ever had with his wife.

Samantha used to think that Kendrick was overly fond of dogs. Looking back, it wasn't that he loved dogs but that he hated her too much to be around her.

Samantha felt as though her heart was breaking into a thousand pieces. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to hold back her tears.

"Tibetan Mastiff?" Francis chuckled as he inspected her. When he was certain that she was speaking the truth, Francis released her with a sly grin. He walked back to the sofa and sat down.

"That's a conundrum. I can't threaten Kendrick, and you can't give me the eight million dollars. So what should I do with you?" Francis raised an eyebrow, pretending to be in a dilemma.

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers as if he had a brilliant idea. "That's it. I should sell you to a nightclub. You can stay there until you earn enough."

Samantha gasped in fear. Her face turned ashen as she stared at Francis.

Although she anticipated that she would be in grave danger, she didn't expect Francis to be so ruthless.

Francis shrugged and leaned back into the sofa casually. "Well, that's the only option. I can't let my money be wasted!"

Samantha squeezed the words through gritted teeth as she suggested, "How about we play a game? If I win, you let me go."

Francis arched an eyebrow.

"We'll go to the nightclub. Whoever that gains more attention from the opposite sex within an hour wins," Samantha proposed firmly.

Her clothes were drenched in cold sweat. They clung uncomfortably to her skin. Her legs were trembling with fear, and her heart was in her throat.

Nonetheless, Samantha forced herself to appear composed and looked at Francis steadily.

She was betting on Francis' ego and the level of disdain he had for her.

When he smiled, Samantha knew she had won the bet.