Chapter 41

Ever since those bitter words rolled off Dominic’s tongue, Belladonna’s attitude had changed drastically. She no longer defied him or argued with him. Instead, she had become quiet and barely spoke. Every time Dominic spoke to her, he received nothing but a sweet smile. Whatever that smile meant, it deeply upset him.She normally used to argue with him and fight back whenever Dominic asked her to serve him. But after those hurtful words were spat out, there was no fighting back at all. He should have been happy, as he preferred a docile woman who didn't defy him. Yet, for some reason, he found himself scowling.Just as he had guessed, something was off with him. Something he did not want was seemingly happening to him.Dominic was sitting in his office, looking rather glum as Belladonna had brushed him off that morning. After serving him, she had slipped back into the warehouse, hiding herself away.Usually, she would sleep with him in his bed, but not this time. She chose to head bac

Chapter 42

Belladonna fixed her gaze back on Dominic. Her eyes glistening with tears that tracked down her cheeks, pierced him like a dagger. She loathed him with every fiber of her being. Perhaps if she died, he would finally stop.“Are you satisfied now? If not, there’s still my other cheek for you to strike. And if that’s still not enough, you’re welcome to strangle me to death!” Belladonna spat, her words sharp and laced with venom.“That’s enough, Belladonna! Don’t get on my nerves even more. Look at yourself, have you lost your damn mind? How many times do I have to tell you? Stop wasting your time on something useless!” Dominic snapped back, his voice dripping with fury.Belladonna let out a bitter, hollow laugh. “You’ve never owed a damn thing to anyone, so you have no idea how it feels.” Her chest heaved as she fought for breath. “I’m sick of all this. Your cruelty, your twisted games, the endless debts held over my head… I just want to escape it all!”Wiping her tears away hurriedly, a

Chapter 43

Dominic stood by the window, savoring the glass of wine gripped tightly in his hand. His dark gaze was fixed on the main iron gates, perfectly visible from his bedroom. He refused to admit to himself that he was actually waiting for Belladonna to return. He loathed the thought. Yet, an unfamiliar, gnawing anxiety clawed at his chest, making it impossible for him to just close his eyes and sleep.He cursed himself for having followed her earlier. Had he not followed her, he would have remained blissfully ignorant of what kind of work she did. And perhaps this vile, foreign feeling of pity wouldn't be taking root in his cold heart.The sight of the heavy iron gates finally swinging open led Dominic to walk away. He wouldn't touch her tonight. He would grant her a peaceful rest. She surrendered her body to him almost every single night, but for tonight, he would spare her.The moment Belladonna stepped into the house, she froze, startled to find Dominic already waiting for her. She knew

Chapter 44

The sound of Belladonna’s ringing phone woke Dominic up for a second, but he ignored it, simply pulling her back into his arms. The ringing stopped briefly, only to start up all over again shortly after. It was starting to get on Dominic's nerves. He grew curious, suddenly wanting to see why her phone was going off non-stop.Carefully, Dominic slipped his arm out from under Belladonna’s resting head. He moved with practiced caution so he wouldn't wake her. The phone chimed again, and Dominic hurried to grab it before it could make another sound. He didn't want Belladonna waking up if it kept ringing. He had to look at it before she opened her eyes.Without wasting a second, Dominic reached for Belladonna’s bag sitting nearby. The phone lit up with another notification, and as Dominic read the reminder on the screen, his eyebrows pulled together in a deep frown. He didn't understand it, and he couldn't help but ask himself: what the hell does this mean?Dominic assumed her phone would

Chapter 45

During her break, Belladonna counted the money she had collected. The tips she got were quite a lot. She always saved it and never spent it on unnecessary things; even for her meals, she only took leftovers from the restaurant so she wouldn't spend too much money. She wasn't ashamed of it at all. The most important thing for her was to collect as much money as possible and as fast as possible to pay off her debt quickly, even though the money she had saved up hadn't reached a hundred thousand dollars yet.Letting out a heavy sigh, she felt it was utterly impossible to pay off her debt. Estelle looked at Belladonna, then patted her back, making Belladonna turn around and give her a faint smile, though she still seemed completely downhearted."How many times are you going to sigh like that today? Are you and Dominic fighting again?""No, things are pretty much the same as always. Though he’s been acting a bit weird today," Belladonna answered candidly."A bit weird, how so?" Estelle ask

Chapter 46

Belladonna had no idea that her encounter with Carlos would drag on, pulling her straight into deep trouble. Unbeknownst to her, that man had been waiting for her on purpose; she was exactly the prey he was targeting.Seeing Carlos make his way toward her, Belladonna put on a sour face as she and Estelle were about to head home. Giving her a wave, a charming smile was plastered on his lips. He flawlessly played the part of the polite, good guy."Who is he? How come he seems to know you?" Estelle asked Belladonna, curiosity written all over her face."He's a VIP guest. I just met him earlier.""A guest you just met?" Estelle stared at Belladonna, then shot a glance over at Carlos. The guy was ridiculously handsome, in her opinion. A sudden thought hit her— he would make the perfect rival for Dominic. "You should get closer to him, Bella," she whispered."What?" Belladonna glared at her best friend in unbelievable shock. Had Estelle completely lost her mind, telling her to do something