Chapter 5

My entire body trembled with rage as I shot up from my seat. Of course—it had to be Nicholas! He must have secretly taken the key from the butler and waltzed right into my room like he owned the place! The moment this thought struck me, I stormed out to find Mr. Harris, the head butler. "Mr. Harris, I need to ask you—" "Young Mistress, the Madam is looking for you," interrupted Mary, appearing out of nowhere. "Master Ethan is vomiting again. He wants you to tend to him immediately." I swallowed my words, forced to hold back my fury as I headed upstairs to take care of Ethan. Another exhausting day passed before I finally caught a breather in the evening. After feeding my husband, I returned to the dining hall for my own meal. By then, everyone had nearly finished eating and was preparing to leave. Silently, I picked at the leftovers, keeping my head down. "Tsk tsk, what a pitiful little thing, reduced to eating scraps." Nicholas’s voice slithered into my ear like a venomous whisper. I glared at him, my voice sharp. "Nicholas, enough." The servants were still in the room—what was he trying to pull? "No need to get so worked up," he taunted, leaning in with that infuriating smirk. "Honestly, as the Young Mistress, you’re treated worse than the help. Come with me instead. I’ll take you away from this house and make you a real wealthy lady, hm?" His words were deliberately provoking, spoken low enough that only I could hear. My fingers clenched around my fork, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, I drove my elbow hard into the hollow of his shoulder. A pained grunt escaped him, and the brief flicker of satisfaction warmed my chest. "I’m trying to eat. Please leave." He retreated a few steps, but not without flashing me a knowing smirk. With his back turned to the servants, his lips moved soundlessly, yet I could read them clearly: Spicy little thing. Just you wait. My blood ran cold. It was him. That absolute creep! My appetite vanished. After forcing down a few more bites, I hurried back to my room, locking the door behind me. I sealed the windows, bolted the balcony door, and even dragged a heavy table in front of the entrance. Now, if anyone tried to open the door, the scraping noise would wake me instantly. This time, I’d be ready for him. That pervert wouldn’t get away with it again. After completing all these preparations, my heart, which had been tense all day, finally relaxed. I took a long bath and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I thought my defenses were foolproof, but to my utter shock, in the dead of night, that familiar oppressive weight pressed down on me again. He was back! With practiced ease, he first covered my eyes and then pinned my body firmly beneath him. My vision burned red with fury as I cursed under my breath, "Nicholas! Have you no shame?! Don’t you think I’d fight you to the death?!" "Nicholas?" To my surprise, his voice was unfamiliar—laced with confusion. My heart instantly sank. If he wasn’t Nicholas… then who was he?! How the hell did he get in?! "Who are you? What do you—mmph!" Just like the night before, he swiftly gagged me, silencing my screams. I could feel his breath against my face—warm, domineering, leaving no room for refusal. "You thought I was another man? Hmm? So eager to have someone else take you, is that it?" His voice carried a simmering anger, and my mind reeled. He really didn’t sound like Nicholas. The body pressing down on me felt broader, more muscular—Nicholas was just an average playboy, but this man was solid, powerful. Seizing my moment of confusion, he struck again, thrusting inside without mercy. "Mmmph!" It hurt! Let me go, you monster! I thrashed wildly, kicking and twisting, pain erupting through my body and soul. Trembling with rage, I fought helplessly against his unrelenting strength.