Chapter 4

Chloe's POV

In the car, Ethan seemed intent on devouring me whole, leaving me utterly exhausted.

The car stopped steadily outside the mansion gates. Ethan scooped me up in his arms, carried me directly upstairs, and laid me on the large bed in the bedroom.

"Still tired?"

He leaned over, his hands braced on either side of my body, his thumb caressing my slightly swollen lips.

I turned my head away, my voice a little hoarse.

"I want to take a shower."

"Together?"

He raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with a hint of seduction.

My heart tightened. Just as I was about to find an excuse to decline, Ethan's phone, tucked into his suit pocket, rang.

He frowned, a fleeting look of annoyance at being disturbed crossing his face.

"Hold on, I need to take this."

But as he pulled out his phone and glanced at the caller ID, I clearly caught the receding tide of desire in his eyes.

"What is it?"

Ethan turned and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window, lowering his voice as he answered the call, his back to me.

I don't know what the person on the other end said, but he responded,

"I'll be right there."

He hung up and walked back to me.

"Something urgent came up at the company. I'll probably be back very late. Get some rest, don't wait up for me."

He leaned down, pressed a kiss on my forehead, and then, without giving me a chance to speak, turned and left in a hurry.

I pushed myself up on the bed, watching his retreating back coldly.

When he answered the phone just now, that soft murmur was indistinct, but I heard it clearly.

It was "Serena."

Serena.

She was indeed the woman he cherished most; one phone call was enough to make him abandon me instantly, rushing impatiently to her side.

Yet, just moments ago, he was still insatiably demanding on me.

The aches in my body were everywhere, reminding me of what had just happened, and also reminding me what a meticulously designed deception there was between us.

No, I can't just sit here and do nothing.

I have to do something.

Otherwise, in ten days, an endless hell awaits me.

The next day, I did three things.

First, I went to the pharmacy and bought an emergency contraceptive pill.

I absolutely could not get pregnant with Ethan's child.

Second, I retrieved the betting agreement from the safe in the study and went to a reputable law firm for consultation.

The lawyer carefully reviewed the agreement, his expression grave.

"Ms. Davis, the terms of this agreement are extremely unfavorable to your side, almost entirely predatory clauses. The other party clearly hired a top-tier team that cleverly hid all the loopholes."

"Is there still room to salvage it?"

"According to the stipulated deadline, if the project's profit targets are not met, the controlling stake in the Davis Group will automatically transfer to the other party of the agreement. As for the agreement itself, within the legal framework, it's impossible to overturn or annul it."

My last shred of hope was extinguished, and my heart turned chillingly cold.

Ethan had coaxed me into signing this betting agreement with sweet talk.

What did he say back then?

"This project has excellent prospects, but there's a funding shortfall."

"Sign this agreement, and my funds will be immediately available. The Davis Group won't just overcome its current difficulties, it'll reach new heights."

"Don't worry, with me by your side, you'll never lose."

Looking at this agreement now, those hidden traps and harsh clauses embedded deep within the legal jargon were simply shocking.

It seemed the Davis Group couldn't be saved.

I clenched my hands, trying hard to suppress my emotions. Then I proposed the third matter to the lawyer.

"Please help me draft a divorce agreement."

Before Ethan realized the truth, while he was still playing the loving husband, I needed to escape this terrifying marriage as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, when he finally closed his net, what awaited me might not just be bankruptcy and humiliation.

After getting the divorce agreement, I went straight to the Kingston Corporation building.

The receptionist recognized me as Mrs. Kingston and respectfully guided me to the CEO's private elevator, taking me straight to the top floor.

I walked to the office door. I raised my hand to knock, but through the crack in the door, I caught a glimpse of something that instantly froze my blood.

Behind the desk, a woman in a white chiffon dress with flowing dark hair sat on Ethan's lap.

She was intimately wrapped around Ethan's neck, her lips pressed tightly against his.

They were kissing intensely and passionately, as if everything around them had ceased to exist.

Just then, Ethan seemed to sense something. His gaze inadvertently swept toward the door.

The next second, his movements suddenly stiffened.

"Chloe?"

Ethan almost instinctively pulled Serena off his lap, stood up, and hurried toward me, a rare look of panic on his face.

"Don't misunderstand. Serena just accidentally twisted her ankle and stumbled into my arms."