Chapter 2

The room was dim, the yellow light flickering weakly.

Ruth's fingers pressed weakly against the man's firm back, leaving pale marks, silent evidence of her struggle.

But against overwhelming strength, every resistance felt meaningless.

There was no warmth in Donovan's eyes, only icy detachment.

When that final boundary was crossed, Ruth's body tensed violently before collapsing in a trembling heap.

Tears fell silently, leaving dark stains on the sheets. It was her only way to express herself at that moment.

She had always had an aversion to men. Even the slightest touch normally made her uneasy.

Now, trapped under him, her body fought against him at every turn. Yet deep down, she felt herself breaking, powerless to stop it.

Ruth's mind was foggy, her body moving without thought. The resistance on her face melted away, replaced by confusion and dazed uncertainty.

-

Upstairs, the tension was unbearable.

Wanda had checked her phone for what felt like the hundredth time. Waiting was torture.

With no call from her best friend, doubts began to creep into everyone's minds.

"Ruth's been in there almost two hours! Is that idiot even awake? Or did Ruth screw this up?"

Adam paced, irritation and jealousy gnawing at him. The thought that the beautiful woman might have been taken advantage of by the idiot.

"Damn it, she let that loser have his way!"

Nearby, a reporter carrying a camera shifted uneasily.

"Wanda, maybe you should call Ruth. It's been too long. What if something is wrong?"

Wanda forced herself to stay calm, though her fingertips were icy.

"Relax! What can an idiot even do? Wait a little longer. If Ruth gets into trouble, she'll call for help."

She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.

Another half hour dragged by.

The phone remained silent.

"I can't wait any longer." Wanda suddenly stood, her stomach sinking.

"I'll go check."

Just as they rose, the basement door creaked open. They stared at the wooden door, excitement and shock mingling in their hearts.

A strikingly handsome face appeared first, his expression sharp and cold. Then came the bare chest, covered with red scratches that ran across the solid muscles.

It was Donovan.

His expression was firm, his eyes sharp. There was no sign of the idiot he had once been. A powerful, intimidating presence radiated from him, and the air in the villa seemed to chill instantly.

"Quick, the camera... get him on tape!"

Wanda hurriedly urged the reporter carrying the camera, but suddenly she felt an icy chill and the overwhelming killing intent radiating from Donovan's eyes. She froze, unable to move.

He had changed. Completely.

He was no longer the dull, broken fool they remembered. Standing there now, he looked like a reaper crawling out from hell.

And she was locked in the crosshairs of his cold gaze.

A chill raced up her spine, and cold sweat broke across her back.

"H-he... how..."

The longer she stared, the more terror flooded her chest. She stumbled back a few steps without realizing it.

"Ruth..."

Beside her, Adam and the reporter stared in disbelief. They had never seen the once-proud woman in such a state of disarray.

Had something really gone terribly wrong?

"Ruth... don't tell me you and her really..."

Adam's eyes went bloodshot, rage exploding through him.

Had Ruth been tainted by that idiot?

He looked toward the basement. The tangled sheets were still visible, like a cruel mockery of his own stupidity.

"Ruth... why didn't you follow the plan?"

She didn't answer.

Her gaze drifted instead to Donovan's bare upper body, to the red marks she herself had clawed into his back.

Adam snapped.

Rage exploded through him as he clenched his fist and swung with everything he had, aiming straight for Donovan's temple.

But Donovan was already moving.

He stepped back, fast and precise. Before Adam could react, a punch struck him square in the chest.

Crack!

The sound of bone breaking rang out, sharp and horrifying.

Adam was sent flying like a rag doll, smashing violently into the stair railing before collapsing to the floor.

The scene froze everyone in place. They stared in disbelief at Donovan, who stood there cold and merciless.

"Ahhh—!"

Only Adam's screams broke the silence. He howled in pain, coughing up blood as he rolled on the ground in agony.

"You idiot... you actually dared to hit someone?"

Wanda was the first to recover.

Though something about him felt terrifyingly different, deep down she still believed he was the same useless man who had been crippled in that car accident.

She strode forward with her chin lifted, staring down at him with cold authority.

"You hit my friend. You cheated, and I caught you in the act. What do you have to say for yourself now?"

Her eyes flicked toward the reporter, signaling him to film everything.

Smack!

Donovan raised his hand and slapped her.

The sound was sharp. Her left cheek swelled instantly, a red handprint blooming across her skin as pain rang through her head. For a moment, she was completely stunned.

"You... you hit me?" she cried out. "How dare you!"

She stared at him in disbelief. This was the man who had been an idiot for three years, the man who had lived worse than a dog. And now he was fighting back. He had even dared to strike her!

It was outrageous.

"Have you lost your mind? How dare you hit me—"

She raised her fist, rage burning in her reddened eyes, swinging straight toward his head.

"Vile woman."

Donovan's hand shot out, closing around her throat.

He lifted her effortlessly.

Her toes barely brushed the floor as her face flushed red. She coughed violently, both hands clawing at his grip in desperate panic.

It was useless.

Donovan said coldly, "Wanda, I am officially divorcing you. You and the Smith family have seven days to hand everything over. Every last thing that belongs to my mother, with interest. And everything you and your family have done to me, I will repay a hundredfold. Starting with you."

His fingers tightened slightly.

Wanda's eyes rolled back.

She went limp, unconscious in his grasp.

Donovan bent slightly, hoisting her effortlessly like a heavy sack. He took a few steps toward the villa's front door, then suddenly stopped. His gaze swung to Adam, who was curled on the floor, whimpering.

Adam's face was pale with terror, his eyes wide with fear as he scrambled backward.

"You... idiot... what are you going to do? I'm from the Smith family. Aren't you afraid my family will come after you? Y-you'd better think about the consequences."

Donovan let out a cold, contemptuous laugh, the corner of his mouth curling with disdain.

"The Smith family? A no-name family that isn't even worth mentioning. You really think you can scare me with that?"

"Shut up!"

"You've been sleeping with Wanda for years. Even if we're divorced now, what you did back then is still unforgivable."

He advanced one step at a time, leaving no room for Adam to escape.

He reached Adam and drove a brutal kick into him.

Thud!

"Ahhh—!"

The scream that tore from Adam was far more horrific than before, sharp enough to echo through the entire house.

Adam curled up, hands clamped over his groin. Between his fingers, blood gushed out.

The kick hit him directly and violently, leaving him writhing in pain.

It was a devastating kick, one that could completely destroy his chance at carrying on his family line.

The few onlookers froze, their bodies tensing, a cold sweat running down their spines. Their hands instinctively darted to their own pants.

Donovan held the unconscious Wanda in his arms, his eyes icy and piercing.

"What use is something that can't be controlled?"

With that, he turned and strode past Adam's bleeding body as though it were nothing more than trash, heading straight for the villa's front door.

Next, it would be Wanda's turn.