Gardenia's mind went blank. In fact, she felt as if she was standing at the edge of a cliff, and Ansel was about to push her off.

Ian also heard Ansel's voice through the phone. After a moment's hesitation, he eventually decided to speak.

"I don't know what you take Nia for, Mr. Leager. I don't know if you think of her as a plaything to be insulted and abused or a tool to use for satisfying your sexual needs, but I'm sincerely begging you to let her go! In my eyes, Nia is my fiancee and future wife! She's my lifelong partner!"

Ian was speaking to Ansel as if he wanted to reason with him and move him emotionally. He wasn't aware that, on the other end of the phone, Ansel was staring unblinkingly at Gardenia.

The spotlight above shone on his head, further defining his facial features. His tall frame completely blocked out the light, casting a black shadow that enveloped Gardenia entire

Countless possibilities of what Ansel might do in his anger had flashed through Gardenia's mind. The only thing she hadn't expected was for him to actually show leniency.

After she was brought back to Ansel's residence, he didn't say anything more to her. He just ordered the household staff to keep a better eye on her before turning to leave.

Gardenia, who had just barely avoided disaster, naturally did not dare act rashly again. She simply took advantage of the time to sort out the suitcases that had just been delivered to the villa.

The villa was large and was equipped with a large walk-in closet. By the time she sorted out all her clothes and hung them up in the closet, there was still a good half of the closet left empty.

She was a little tired, so she just sat on the carpet and opened the suitcases one after another. She continued in that fashion until she came upon a small box 

After leaving the consultation room, Gardenia planned to sprint straight for the hospital pharmacy.

Smoking wasn't allowed in the hospital, so she assumed that Ansel had gone outside. However, she saw him sitting at the end of the nearest bench outside as soon as she opened the door. He seemed to be on the phone.

She subconsciously tightened her grip around the written prescription in her hand. She couldn't let him find out. She silently calculated whether she would be able to go around him from another direction, get the medicine, and come back.

A second later, Ansel's voice reached her ears. "Come here."

Although Gardenia felt incredibly reluctant, she could only force herself to walk toward him.

Ansel was too tall. He had long arms and legs, so he seemed a bit uncomfortable sitting on the standard hospital bench as he couldn't stretch out.

"Sit," he commanded. He glanced at the spot next to him before putting his phone on speaker mode.

Mason's voice rang out through the air, "I apologize on my grandson's behalf, Mr. Leager. He was too reckless! I really didn't expect Gardenia to be your woman. If I had, I'd have locked Ian at home and dared not let him stick his nose where it didn't belong!"

Gardenia could understand Mason's decision to protect himself and his family. It wasn't a good idea to provoke Ansel, after all.

Still, she couldn't help but feel sad and melancholic. Both she and Ian were insignificant and powerless in the face of absolute power. They were no more than puppets to be manipulated.

Ansel didn't allow her to keep listening to Mason's ramblings. He hung up the call and stood up.

"Has the doctor prescribed you the medicine?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Go and get it."

He strode off, leaving Gardenia to follow after him with the prescription in hand. Her mind raced, trying to think of excuses to divert his attention.

Fortunately, Lady Luck was on her side, and Ansel's phone rang again. It was about a company matter this time.

"I'll get the medicine myself. Afterward, I'll meet you at the hospital entrance, Mr. Leager," she suggested.

Ansel glanced at her with what seemed like a warning look in his eyes before saying, "Be quick about it."

The next part—"Don't try any tricks"—was left unsaid.

Seeing him walk outside to answer the call, Gardenia instantly felt a weight lift off her chest. She immediately walked quickly toward the pharmacy while enduring the pain in her body.

There weren't many people lining up, so she was able to collect her medicine after ten or so minutes of waiting. She then looked around and set her sights on a secluded stairwell.

Unfortunately, her phone rang right at that moment.

It was Ian calling her.

She hurriedly rejected the call, but every time she hung up, Ian would call her once more. It was as if he would continue to call her stubbornly and persistently until she answered.

Left with no other choice, she ducked into the stairwell before answering his call.

"Nia!" he cried out immediately.

She demanded, "Do you have any idea what you're doing, Ian? Don't cause Ansel to see you as a thorn in his side!"

She didn't want her personal situation to bring trouble to the Chandler family, especially Ian.

"I know what I'm doing, and I also know that you were forced into this! You weren't willing to go with him! I thought about it calmly after I returned home. We live in a society ruled by law now, so as long as you're doing this against your will, you can report it to the police!

"He won't dare do anything to us, at least not within the country! O-Or we could run away and hide in a foreign city!"

Gardenia said nothing.

Ian's voice was soft and filled with endless hope. "Didn't you once say that you wished to completely sever ties with your past and start anew, Nia?"

Start anew.

She felt such a fatal attraction toward those two words.

Her gaze landed on the pillbox in her hand. The word "contraceptive" printed on the box stood out starkly.

Before she could say anything, she felt a chill run down her spine.

She whipped around and saw Ansel standing behind her, looking down at her condescendingly with his hands in his pockets. He seemed to be smiling.

"Mr. Chandler is awaiting your reply, you know. Have I interrupted you two?" he asked before snatching away the pillbox in her hand and smiling. "Do you need me to buy you a bottle of water to go with this, Fleur?"

Gardenia's mind went blank. In fact, she felt as if she was standing at the edge of a cliff, and Ansel was about to push her off.

Ian also heard Ansel's voice through the phone. After a moment's hesitation, he eventually decided to speak.

"I don't know what you take Nia for, Mr. Leager. I don't know if you think of her as a plaything to be insulted and abused or a tool to use for satisfying your sexual needs, but I'm sincerely begging you to let her go! In my eyes, Nia is my fiancee and future wife! She's my lifelong partner!"

Ian was speaking to Ansel as if he wanted to reason with him and move him emotionally. He wasn't aware that, on the other end of the phone, Ansel was staring unblinkingly at Gardenia.

The spotlight above shone on his head, further defining his facial features. His tall frame completely blocked out the light, casting a black shadow that enveloped Gardenia entirely.

"What's the point of forcing a woman who doesn't love you to stay by your side, Mr. Leager?"

T

Chapter 11 I Was Indeed Tempted