Chapter 328
"Across the table, Joseph's eyes instinctively narrowed as he gripped the wine glass, almost shattering it from the force.
Damn it. He had only intended to scare her and teach her a lesson. Why did he feel the rage to sever the hand of any man that so much as touched her?
Now, however, was not the time for his anger. He had been too indulgent with her for too long. Tonight, he would teach her a lesson she'd always remember. Only by pushing her to the brink and then pulling her back could he make her learn and, indeed, submit to him.
""If you like it, that's good,"" Joseph said with icy indifference. ""Now, give Mr. Gabriel a toast.""
She saw no flicker of anger or darkness in his eyes; she was utterly hopeless.
There was no escaping tonight.
""To Mr. Gabriel, I propose a toast...""
""Boring! Let's drink a toast together; that's the spirit,"" said Mr. Gabriel with a hearty laugh.
Reluctantly, Cassie joined Mr. Gabriel for the toast. She could usually hold her liquor, but preoccupied with troubles, she soon felt dizzy.
She expected the dinner to drag on, but, to her surprise, by eight o'clock, Joseph stood and donned his suit jacket, his relaxed lips curling slightly. ""I hope Mr. Gabriel has an enjoyable evening.""
With those words, he left without looking back.
Cassie watched his silhouette disappear into the elevator. He never turned around.
At that moment, she felt her heart turn to ash and her entire being plunged into a bottomless abyss.
If there had been a sliver of love left for him, it was now utterly vanished.
""Let's go; we've got the whole night ahead, sweetheart,"" Mr. Gabriel said with a leer, pulling her close as if she were a soulless marionette.
She could barely remember how they got upstairs until the moment they entered; seeing Mr. Gabriel's eager, plump face, she forced herself to try, but her throat revolted, ""Mr. Gabriel, not like this; I need to take a shower.""
""You smell great. There’s no need for a shower,"" Mr. Gabriel chuckled.
""But I want to be fresh to give Mr. Gabriel the most splendid evening,"" Cassie replied through a pained smile, trying to keep her spirits up.
""Ha, such a sweet talker. Alright, I'll wait for you,"" he said, giving her cheek a playful pinch.
As Cassie entered the bathroom, her composure crumbled. She slid down the door to the floor, sitting with her back against it, tears streaming down her face freely.
Overwhelming despair and panic enveloped her.
Wasn't this supposed to be like a brief dog bite?
But why was it so hard?
She couldn't do it. She was on the verge of a breakdown, unable to bear it anymore.
Exhaustion overcame her. She longed for Madison, for Grandma.
She didn't want to go out there, but there was no way back; the path ahead felt like a dead end.
The shower poured over her, washing her repeatedly, and to her surprise, Mr. Gabriel didn't rush her.
Fifty minutes later, she emerged slowly.
To her shock, Mr. Gabriel had mistaken the pillows on the bed for her, and his large frame led her to turn away and vomit the night's drinks.
""That's disgusting, isn't it?"" A man's deep, cold voice suddenly came from the balcony.
She whirled around and noticed Joseph standing there. His tall figure was partly shadowed in the dim light, and his dark eyes seemed bottomless.
He moved closer, step by step. Her freshly dried hair was in disarray over her shoulders, her face so pale it was colorless, and her eyes, once reflecting countless struggles and pains, now radiated only despair.
Yet, in such a state, she looked breathtaking.
""Joseph, what on earth do you want?"" Cassie had nearly been driven mad by him all evening; he made her deeply regret rejecting him and inflicted a fear she'd never known.
""Cassie, I want you to understand that it's your honor when I set my eyes on you. Next time, don't be so arrogant as to refuse."" Joseph's warning was frigid.
Cassie screamed out of despair, ""Joseph, you're a devil!""
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