After Donovan Xavier left, he pulled out his phone and dialed Chloe Preston’s number.
"The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable, please..."
He hung up and dialed again. Still no answer.
Donovan Xavier’s brow furrowed. Is her phone dead, or is she deliberately ignoring my calls?
As he walked toward the exit, he casually glanced up and spotted a woman sitting at the bar. He could only see her youthful, pretty profile. She clutched a glass of wine, her head swaying as she drank. Watching the n and won on the dance floor, she laughed foolishly.
Donovan Xavier calmly looked away, opened his chat, and sent a ssage to Adrian Rhodes.
[Do you know where your sister is?]
Adrian Rhodes replied instantly: [At ho. I told her to practice the piano.]
Donovan glanced at the bar again, hesitated for a second, then replied: [She’s at the bar.]
Adrian Rhodes: [Impossible. I told her to stay ho, so she would definitely be at ho!]
[I have rules for her. She’s not allowed to go to bars. My little girl is the most well-behaved; she listens to everything I say.]
Donovan Xavier: [If you don’t believe , co out and see for yourself.]
He turned off his phone and walked out without another thought. Right now, finding my wife is the most important thing.
A few minutes later, Adrian Rhodes erged from the private room, one hand in his pocket, his aura sharp and imposing. He casually scanned the area, his gaze landing on the young woman at the bar. His brow tightened, and a vein pulsed on his forehead.
She actually dared to co here, and she’s even drinking. I’ve been too lenient with her lately. She’s getting completely out of control!
Leo Sterling said, "She’s drinking so much. Can her body handle it?"
Adrian Rhodes gritted his teeth. "She’s asking for a death wish!"
He leaned against the cold wall, his long legs casually crossed. After tugging at his tie, he raised a hand to beckon a bartender.
The bartender recognized him and approached with his eyes downcast. "Mr. Rhodes, what can I do for you?"
Adrian’s voice was tinged with cold. "Find a few people, so brawny ones..."
At the bar, Cecilia Miller propped her head up with one hand. Intoxication painted her cheeks as she smiled sweetly, her delicate nose upturned and her lips soft and red. She was clearly enjoying herself.
So this is what drinking feels like... It’s not bad at all! She propped her chin on her other hand and shook the empty glass, her head dizzy and her face flushed. "Oh, it’s empty."
"Then... how about another glass?"
A man had suddenly appeared beside her. He had red hair, earrings, and was dressed in a black leather jacket with matching gloves. His smile was bold, unruly, and wickedly charming.
Cecilia’s face was naively sweet and lovely. She blinked her round almond eyes and leaned in to get a better look at him.
The man leaned in closer as well, a smirk playing on his lips. "Am I handso?"
Cecilia said, "You... you have so gunk in the corner of your eye."
The man was speechless.
Cecilia looked away and grabbed her purse, swaying on her feet as she prepared to leave.
The man blocked her way. "Little beauty, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" How long has it been since I’ve seen a goddess like this? So soft and delicate... truly alluring!
Still drunk, Cecilia bit her lip and mumbled, "I... I have to go ho. I snuck out. If my brother finds out, he’ll beat ."
She’s so damn cute.
The man chuckled. "How old are you that your brother still beats you?"
Cecilia’s steps were unsteady. "My brother is very... very fierce. I’m... I’m scared of him." But I really like him, too.
The man reached out to steady her, his voice a low and tempting whisper. "Then how about you co ho with ? I’ll cherish you."
Cecilia pushed him away. "No way."
"You’re ugly."
The man was speechless again.
He insisted on wrapping an arm around her waist, inhaling her light fragrance, his blood heating up. "Be a good girl and co with . I’ll take you to heaven and back."
As he spoke, a group of burly security guards stord in from outside.
"There!"
The guards rushed straight toward Cecilia, kicking the man beside her out of the way. One of them looked at her. "Are you Cecilia Miller?"
"Yes," Cecilia nodded.
"Tie her up!" the guard ordered.
"Huh?"
Expressionless, the guards moved forward with ropes and bound her tightly.
Cecilia struggled fiercely. "Let go of ! Who are you? Why are you tying up soone as kind and cute as ?"
"Let go! I’m Cecilia Miller! Everyone in Kryton has to respectfully call Miss Miller when they see !"
The guards said nothing.
Cecilia struggled desperately. "You at least know Adrian Rhodes, right? I’m his woman! If you dare touch , you’re all dead n!"
"He’ll chop off your hands, cut off your legs, and hack off your family jewels so you can never be a man again!"
"Ha! Scared now, aren’t you? Let go, and I’ll generously spare your lives!"
The guards remained silent.
Cecilia opened her mouth to bite them, but a black hood was suddenly thrown over her head, plunging her into darkness. It’s so dark!
The security guards dragged her into a back room.
A mont later, she was brought into a private suite. The air was chillingly cold and frighteningly quiet. Although Cecilia couldn’t see, she could feel a powerful, intimidating presence and swallowed hard. Whoa, who is this? This aura could totally rival Adrian Rhodes’.
A man was lounging on the sofa with his long legs crossed. His narrow eyes were full of steely coldness, his nose was high and straight, and his long, pale fingers held a cigarette, smoke swirling around him.
"The person you requested is here," a guard announced.
"Untie her."
The guard complied. "It’s done."
"Get out."
Cecilia found the voice strangely familiar.
The door clicked shut. Cecilia blinked, reached up, and pulled off the hood. Let’s see which little bastard dared to tie up! I’m going to chop off his head and kick it around like a ball!
A second later, she froze, completely dumbfounded.
Her eyes filled with panic. She turned and bolted for the door.
How could it be him? Didn’t he say he had a eting at the company today? She opened the door, ready to flee, when the man’s voice rang out, sharp as shattering ice and commanding without a trace of anger. "You run, I break your legs."
"Co back."
Cecilia turned, lowered her head, and obediently walked back to stand before him.
"Lift your head. Look at ."
Cecilia raised her head, biting her lip as she looked at him and took a shallow breath.
Adrian Rhodes slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, his handso face partially veiled by the haze. "Don’t you know to call ’brother’?" he asked, his thin lips forming the icy words.
"Bro... brother," Cecilia stamred, her gaze darting away, not daring to et his.
Adrian let out a cold laugh. "So Cecilia is all grown up now, huh? Got the nerve to disobey your brother?"
Cecilia said nothing.
Adrian’s eagle-sharp eyes scanned her outfit, and the veins on his temples pulsed with rising fury. She wore only a pink camisole that exposed her slender waist and navel, paired with shorts that showed off her long, fair legs. She was wearing makeup, ridiculously long eyelashes, large hoop earrings, and a manicure with long, sharp, bright red nails. And that bleached-white hair... she looked like so ghost that had crawled out of the netherworld!
"Cecilia Miller, who gave you permission to dress like this? Do you even look human?"
Cecilia muttered under her breath, "I think it looks pretty nice."
"You dare talk back to ?"
Adrian stubbed out his cigarette, reached out, and grabbed her pale wrist, yanking her into his lap.
"Brother..."
Startled, Cecilia found herself sitting on his thigh, trapped in his arms like a delicate canary.
Adrian leaned in abruptly, his uniquely invasive aura closing in until his lips were dangerously close to hers.
Cecilia’s heart hamred against her ribs. She bit her lip and tried to shrink back.
"Why are you hiding?" The man clamped a hand on the back of her head, holding her still.
Staring at his handso face, Cecilia’s own face flushed red as she stamred, "Brother, what are you doing?"
Adrian raised his other hand. His well-defined knuckles grazed her moist, crimson lips. "I’m finding out just how much my disobedient little girl has had to drink."
Cecilia pursed her lips. "I’m not a little girl. I’m twenty-one..."
A humorless smile touched Adrian’s eyes as he toyed with a lock of her hair, his voice icy and domineering. "So what if you’re twenty-one? Even if you were fifty-one, you’d still be my little girl. Why can’t Cecilia behave? Sneaking out to a bar behind my back, drinking... Who gave you the courage, hmm?"
Cecilia trembled. "I’ve never been to a bar or had a drink before. I was just... just curious."
Adrian’s anger flared, and he pinched her cheek. "You’ve never been to a crematorium either. Why aren’t you curious enough to go check one out?"
Tears welled in Cecilia’s eyes. "That hurts! Brother, it hurts!"
He let go, leaving an instant red mark on her cheek. He stroked it twice. "So delicate. Crying out in pain from a little pinch."
Then, he picked up the tie he had pulled off and set aside earlier and used it to bind her hands together.
Cecilia struggled. "Adrian Rhodes, what are you doing!"
Adrian cupped her chin with one hand and leaned close to her ear. A smile curled his lips, but his voice was chilling. "You made angry. Naturally, brother has to punish you to teach you to behave..."
He stood up, effortlessly lifting her into his arms, and strode out the door.
「...」
anwhile, Chloe Preston opened the door to her ho with Connor Sutton following behind her.
"I’m back."
She stepped inside and casually glanced around.
"My darling daughter, you’re back!" Wyatt Quinn imdiately shot up from the sofa, a handful of sunflower seeds still in his hand, and hurried over.
Chloe’s gaze, however, landed on the man beside him, and she froze for a mont.
"Mr. Hale?"
Upon seeing her, Ryan Hale’s heart filled with a mix of joy, awkwardness, and nervousness as he walked over. "Miss... Miss Quinn."
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