Chapter 10

A sharp pain shot through the back of her neck. Elizabeth struggled to open her eyes, her consciousness still foggy.

Where was this? Oh right, Matthew's study.

Someone was trying to frame Matthew!

Elizabeth ignored the pain in her neck and felt around frantically in the darkness, using both hands and feet.

She had to find that forged evidence and destroy it.

If the IRS found out tomorrow, Matthew was done for.

With billions in tax fraud, he'd spend the rest of his life behind bars—and the Moore Group would collapse in the rubble.

That bastard Daniel, what a vicious mind he had.

"Where is it... where..." Sweat dripped from Elizabeth's forehead as her fingers fumbled blindly through the cracks. Her nails broke without her even noticing.

Finally, her fingertips touched something rough—kraft paper.

She found it!

Elizabeth grabbed the kraft paper envelope and yanked it out hard.

The envelope came free.

Elizabeth clutched the envelope with both hands, about to tear it to shreds.

As long as she destroyed what was inside, Matthew would be safe.

The study lights suddenly blazed on. Elizabeth looked up, trembling.

At the study door, Matthew stood backlit in a black shirt, his handsome face now terrifyingly dark.

Behind him stood two rows of bodyguards in black, blocking the doorway completely.

Matthew's gaze locked onto the kraft envelope in Elizabeth's hands.

The atmosphere in the study instantly turned ice-cold.

Elizabeth looked at the man's bloodshot eyes and froze completely.

This was bad—he had the wrong idea.

"Matthew, let me explain. I didn't plant this. I was trying to destroy it. Check the security footage if you don't believe me!"

Elizabeth frantically tried to explain, wanting to tell him this was evidence Daniel's people had planted to frame him.

Matthew stared hard at Elizabeth, trying to tell if she was lying or telling the truth.

After a moment, he nodded and pulled out his phone to check the footage.

Elizabeth watched his phone screen hopefully, praying the footage would prove her innocence.

But the footage was pitch black—nothing could be seen.

Elizabeth froze. She tried to explain more, but before she could speak, a dark shadow loomed over her.

Matthew strode up to her in a few large steps and slapped her hard across the face.

The slap sent Elizabeth's head to the side. She lost her balance and fell onto the floor in a heap.

Her mouth instantly filled with the taste of blood, and her ears rang.

Matthew had used his full strength with that slap.

"Elizabeth, you're really something." Matthew bent down and grabbed Elizabeth by the hair, his eyes full of mockery and disappointment.

"I really underestimated you."

"To help that bastard Daniel, you even managed to hack the Moore family's tight security system! Besides you, I can't think of anyone else with that kind of skill."

"Alcohol allergy? Vomiting blood? All just an act for my benefit, right?"

Matthew looked at her swollen cheek, feeling a stabbing pain in his chest that made him want to kill someone.

When he'd seen her rush into the bathroom vomiting blood earlier, he'd panicked, even considered rushing in to take her to the hospital.

He'd been cursing himself then for still showing mercy to this liar.

But what happened? Right after vomiting blood, she snuck into his study to frame him!

If the bodyguards hadn't noticed movement in the study, would he have been fooled by her again?

"No... it wasn't... I really didn't hack the security..." Elizabeth ignored the searing pain in her scalp as tears mixed with blood from her mouth ran down her face.

"I didn't plant that fake evidence either. Daniel had someone slip it in... I was trying to help you destroy..."

"Shut up!" Matthew's roar cut her off.

He snatched the kraft envelope from Elizabeth's hand and without even looking at it, slammed it hard onto the desk.

"Even now, you're still making things up? Still lying to me?"

"Elizabeth, is there a single true word that comes out of your mouth?"

Matthew's eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving violently.

"I almost believed you really wanted to stay with me just now."

"Like an idiot, I had a doctor on standby downstairs, worried you'd actually drink yourself to death!"

"But what about you? You treated my soft heart toward you as a tool to use against me!"

Matthew advanced step by step, his tall frame backing Elizabeth into a corner.

With nowhere left to go, Elizabeth huddled in the corner, watching this man lose control, her chest so tight she could barely breathe.

She knew that no matter what she said now, he wouldn't believe her.

All those past betrayals had used up every bit of his trust...

Matthew crouched down and gripped her chin hard.

"Elizabeth, I gave you a chance."

"Since you want to destroy me so badly, since you love Daniel so much that you want to use my life to please him..."

"Then I'll drag you down to hell with me."

He let go and wiped his hand on his clothes in disgust.

"Someone!" Matthew straightened up, his face returning to its usual coldness.

"Lock down the entire estate. No one gets in or out."

Several bodyguards immediately bowed their heads: "Yes, Mr. Moore!"

Elizabeth slid down the wall to sit on the floor, a sharp pain shooting through her stomach.

"Matthew... it hurts..."

Matthew heard her words and paused for a moment.

"It hurts? You heartless person—you know what pain is?"

He coldly dropped these words and barked orders at John by the door: "Notify the family elders immediately. Tell them to come at once for a family council."

John trembled all over in fear. The family council was the Moore family's most severe punishment for traitors—even if you survived, you'd be skinned alive.

"Mr. Moore, isn't this... too extreme? Ms. Winters isn't in good health..."

"Not well? Her health was just fine when she was setting me up!" Matthew's gaze turned sinister as it swept over the woman on the ground. "Since she's so talented, let the family discipline show her what it means to cross the Moores."

Elizabeth's eyes widened in terror. The Moore family's discipline was brutal enough to hospitalize even their toughest guards for half a month—and she was in no condition to endure it.

But looking at Matthew's face twisted with rage, she swallowed the words on her lips.

What good would explaining do anyway?

In his current fury, he'd only think this was another lie she'd made up to escape punishment, and it would only make him angrier.

The pain made Elizabeth's vision blur. She could feel blood rising in her throat.

She bit her lip hard and swallowed that mouthful of blood back down.

"Drag her out to the courtyard. Have her kneel there and wait for the family elders to arrive."

After Matthew finished speaking, he strode out of the study, his retreating figure resolute.

Two bodyguards stepped forward, grabbed Elizabeth's arms from both sides, and hauled her up from the floor.