Chapter 3

In the end, Lila was forced to attend the auction. She sat among the crowd, surrounded by the rising calls of bids. Evan raised his paddle with elegance and ease, each bid drawing gasps of admiration. "50 million dollars! Mr. Carter has bid 50 million dollars!" the auctioneer shouted excitedly. "The sapphire necklace goes to Mr. Carter!" Chloe leaned against Evan's shoulder, smiling like a victor. "Evan, the necklace is so beautiful." "As long as you like it," he said, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ears. "Mr. Carter really spoils his mistress," someone whispered from the back row. "That's nothing," another voice replied. "Last month, Ms. Carrington mentioned she liked that island in Blue Dominion—worth over a hundred million dollars—and Mr. Carter transferred the deed to her the very next day." Lila clenched her paddle, her knuckles turning white. In her past life, Evan had spoiled her the same way. But now, all that tenderness belonged to someone else. "Lila," Chloe said, suddenly leaning over, "which one do you like? I'll have Evan bid on it for you." Lila shook her head coldly. "No need." "Then wait for the next one," Chloe urged. "Maybe it'll be something you like." The auctioneer tapped his gavel. "The next item is rather unique. Please enjoy the presentation." As the screen lit up, the room erupted into chaos. Photos of Chloe completely naked showed up on screen. She was posing in obscene and degrading positions. The high resolution and full-body close-ups revealed every detail. "Damn, her skin's really fair." "That pose is filthy." "Wonder how much she charges for a night." Vulgar whispers filled the air. Chloe's face turned from red to white, then to ashen gray. "Turn it off! Turn it off now!" she screamed, trembling. "That's not me! It's not!" She spun toward Lila, tears streaming down her face. "Lila! Do you hate me that much? You had to humiliate me like this? Are you trying to drive me to suicide?" Covering her face, she ran out sobbing. Evan's expression darkened dangerously. "I'll buy every single one of those photos. Remove them in three seconds. If you're late by even one, I'll shut your auction house down." His sharp gaze swept across the room. "If anyone dares to leak a word of what happened tonight, be prepared to face the consequences." Then he turned to Lila. His voice was like ice. "Just wait." Lila returned to the villa in a daze, cold all over. Her mind was blank. She had no idea how those photos ended up at the auction. Yes, she disliked Chloe. Yes, she was prideful. But she would never stoop this low. She didn't even have those pictures. But Evan would never believe that. To him, it would only sound like excuses. She sat on the couch, waiting in fear the entire night. As dawn approached, the front door slammed open with a violent kick. Evan stormed in, fury radiating from him. His eyes were bloodshot. "Lila!" He grabbed her by the chin, his grip so tight it felt like he might break her jaw. "Do you know that Chloe jumped into the sea?" he growled, his voice raw with anger. "If I hadn't gotten there in time, she'd be a corpse right now!" "It wasn't me," Lila managed to choke out. "I didn't release those photos." "Not you?" He sneered and let go with a harsh shove. "What, are you saying she posted them herself?" Lila had no words. Just as she opened her mouth, Evan cut her off coldly. "This marriage is just an alliance. We're nothing to each other. But you've hurt the person I love again and again. You're going to pay." The words stabbed her like a knife. In their past life, when people had hurt her, Evan had stood in front of her and said, "Anyone who touches Lila will die with their whole family." But now, he said that for someone else. "Lila, go to the hospital and apologize to Chloe now!" Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly stared back. "I did nothing wrong. I don't even know what I'm supposed to apologize for." Evan let out a cold laugh and snapped his fingers. Two bodyguards entered immediately and pinned her down. "Take her to the shock room," he said without looking back. "She can come down when she realizes what she's done." The shock room? Lila stared at Evan in disbelief. He was really going to shock her just to make her apologize to Chloe. Before she could even react, she was dragged into a cold basement and strapped to an electric bed. Her arms and legs were tightly secured, the leather straps biting into her skin. The guard flipped the switch. "Ahh—!" Electricity tore through her body. She arched violently, only to be yanked back down by the restraints. Her teeth cut into her lip. The taste of blood filled her mouth. "Ready to apologize?" the guard asked, pressing the button to increase the voltage. It felt like thousands of needles were stabbing through her veins, from her fingertips straight into her heart. A low, inhuman whimper escaped her throat. Her teeth tore her lower lip into a bloody mess. She shook her head. Her hair clung to her sweaty face. She had done nothing wrong. Why should she apologize? The shock hit again, stronger this time. Her vision blurred. Her muscles convulsed out of control. "Ah—!" A third time. A fourth. A fifth. The tenth. "Stop… please stop." She finally broke. Her voice cracked into sobs, tears mixed with blood streaming down her face. "I was wrong… I'll apologize… I'll go apologize—I'll apologize!"