Chapter 3 The Cheap Necklace Left Behind
The sky, cleansed by the heavy rain that had fallen throughout the night, was now astonishingly clear and bright. Sunlight gently spilled across the earth, slipping through the window and illuminating the entire room.
Elena squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, her brows slightly furrowing before she slowly opened them. The sudden brightness made the corners of her eyes well up with a few tears from the natural reaction.
She instinctively wanted to stretch like she usually did. But the very next second, a wave of soreness and numbness surged through her body like a flood, leaving Elena feeling as if she had just been run over by a truck.
Memories rushed back after the hangover-induced headache and the night of wild passion—the burning heat of her body, the tears, the embarrassing pleas and soft cries, and that damn feeling of ecstasy...
Elena’s eyes flew open, and she was almost completely awake in an instant.
The first thing that entered her sight was a face so perfect it looked as if it had been carved by a sculptor. With deep-set eyes, a sharp nose, and a strong, well-defined bone structure, the man looked like a sleeping eagle. Even in his peaceful state, he still radiated an intimidating presence.
This was the very man who had taken her the previous night, making her suffer in pain, only to bring her pleasure until tears fell from her eyes. No matter how much she cried and begged, he had pushed her to the peak again and again, as if he never knew exhaustion.
Those thoughts alone were enough to set Elena’s mind ablaze with embarrassment. She stared blankly for a moment. This man... was truly beautiful. Thinking about it that way, perhaps she hadn’t exactly lost out...
She hurriedly got out of bed. The moment her feet touched the floor, the overwhelming soreness nearly made her collapse. Supporting her waist, she quickly grabbed her clothes from the wardrobe and rushed into the bathroom.
Looking at her skin covered in striking red marks and shameful traces, especially the clear handprint left on her waist, Elena felt as if her mind had exploded. Her entire face turned so red it seemed like steam was about to rise from it.
This was insane!
She had no idea whether she was cursing herself or the man outside. All she knew was that she hurriedly pulled on the oversized clothes that hung loosely on her body, then staggered away from this place in a rush. Right now, she couldn’t afford to deal with any more trouble.
...
Nearly two hours later, the man lying on the bed finally began to slowly wake up.
His eyes were only hazy for a brief second before they quickly became clear and alert. His dark eyes, as black as obsidian, flashed with the sharpness of an eagle.
He sat up, realizing that his mind had never felt this light and relaxed before. This could be considered the best sleep he had experienced in many years. And also... the most wonderful “taste” he had ever experienced...
His gaze fell upon the striking crimson stain on the pure white bedsheet, and his expression instantly darkened.
Then, his eyes suddenly shifted to the side. Amidst the messy sheets, something caught the light and glimmered faintly—a necklace.
It was a simple piece of jewelry, nothing more than a cheap crystal stone set into a lily-shaped pendant. The only thing worth mentioning was that its design was rather beautiful.
If Elena were here, she would certainly recognize that this was her inseparable necklace. Unfortunately, at this moment, she still had no idea that she had lost it.
Christian, the president of the Forbes Group, was a man standing at the very peak of power, an existence that almost everyone was eager to flatter—including the small Campbell family. What kind of jewelry had he never seen before?
Yet at this moment, he merely stared at the necklace in his hand, the emotions hidden deep within his eyes impossible to read.
Finally, he suddenly raised his hand. The tip of his nose sank into the necklace, and he slowly took a deep breath.
Thirty minutes later, when the trembling assistant hurriedly opened the door to the room again, the only thing he saw was their president lazily sitting on a chair, wearing nothing but a long bathrobe.
The skin on his exposed chest revealed clear marks left by intense scratches.
The assistant couldn’t help but tremble, wondering who had actually spent the night with their president. Whoever that person was, they were probably in danger of losing their life!
Yet Christian didn’t spare him even a glance. His eyes remained fixed on the necklace in his hand as he spoke in a cold voice:
“Check the security cameras of this place. Turn this entire city upside down if necessary, but find the owner of this necklace.”
The assistant immediately obeyed the order, sending people out to investigate while quickly bringing Christian a set of clothes.
By the time Christian finished adjusting his tie, he had once again returned to his usual cold and abstinent image as the untouchable president. At the same time, the investigation results had arrived.
“She is Elena, the adopted daughter of the Campbell family. Yesterday, she ran out after being humiliated in public. However, I believe there are many unusual things involved in this matter. Her appearance is almost identical to the late grandmother of the Campbell family. I have already sent people to investigate this matter, President. There should be results by the end of today.”
The assistant’s voice sounded from the side.
Christian stared at the screen, where Elena was crying helplessly. His eyes gradually darkened.
In a deep voice, he said:
“Prepare a marriage contract for me.”
“A... marriage contract?”
The assistant couldn’t help but blurt it out, his eyes widening as he looked at Elena entering Christian’s room on the screen.
What... what was going on?
Was the president not planning to punish Elena?
Or was this some kind of new form of punishment?
