Chapter 215 Do You Really Hate Me That Much?
"It's just a pretend date."
"There won't be any real connection."
"How could I ever let you marry that kind of man?"
"What could you possibly lose?"
"The Shaws have always been good to us, helping us through our hard times. We can't just refuse to do them a favor. That would be ungrateful."
These were the voicemails Maria sent after Ashton had refused.
Listening to them left Fiona absolutely fuming.
She was fiercely protective of her friends and had zero tolerance for abusive jerks.
On the same day, she decided to dig into the guy's background.
What she didn't expect was to be completely taken aback by the findings.
This guy was a real piece of work—his rap sheet was long enough to put him away for good, multiple times over.
But thanks to his family's tight grip on local influence and their deep pockets, his sordid past had been conveniently wiped clean.
Fiona wasted no time in leaking every dirty secret to the internet, unleashing a storm of outrage.
Within days, the abuser was arrested.
His family's local empire crumbled, too, as the police used him as a pivot to uproot the entire clan.
As a result, a business owned by a relative of the Shaw family tanked, and all the money funneled into bribery went down the drain.
Fiona knew from that moment on that Maria might love Ashton, but she never really placed him at the heart of her life.
It seemed Maria saw herself more as someone destined to marry Justin, enjoying the trappings of a luxurious life with Ashton as just another accessory—an accessory she believed she had complete control over.
"Sorry, Mrs. Maria," Fiona interrupted with a detached tone, "no matter what, I'm always on her side. If she wants justice, then it's going to happen."
"Why can't you consider things from my perspective?" Maria pleaded, clearly exasperated after hitting a wall with Ashton.
"And you?" asked Fiona, her voice growing colder. "Have you ever truly considered her perspective?"
There was silence on the line, then, after a few seconds, Maria hung up.
Frustrated, Fiona tossed her phone aside and flopped back down.
Wait...
Back down?
Her memory snapped into focus.
Wasn't she forced into Darwin's embrace, sleeping sideways on the couch?
Now...
She looked around, aghast.
Her bedroom!
She glanced around.
Darwin's gaze met hers, piercing and intense.
In the next instant...
Her instincts kicked in, and she peeked beneath the covers.
Relief—she was fully clothed.
"I said I wouldn't do anything, and I meant it," Darwin spoke slowly, "Miss Rhoads, do you happen to have a friend named Ashton, too?"
Fiona didn't say a word.
"What's this act for?"
She grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Darwin's face.
He caught the pillow and suddenly burst into laughter.
Fiona was beyond annoyed with him.
So her cover was blown—it was bound to happen eventually.
Now, Darwin had crafted a new identity for her: a married woman with a four-year-old daughter.
She was about to get out of bed when Darwin's quick reflexes kicked in; he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back.
"What are you doing, Darwin? I'm married! Can't you have a shred of shame or conscience?"
Lilian had tied the knot.
Rather than wresting her back, he chose a stand-in.
She had hoped that Darwin would retain that strong integrity indefinitely.
"That's long gone," he said casually, sensing her act falter, the stir in his heart becoming unstoppable.
His lips brushed her pale neck with a fleeting touch. His warm breath cascaded on her flushed ear. Fixated, Darwin pressed a kiss against her tender earlobe.
"Darwin, snap out of it!" she protested, turning away, brows furrowed in an attempt to escape.
But how could he let her? Suddenly, he rolled on top of her, his hands planted beside her head, his breathing ragged. Fiona's face was aflame with color.
"Fiona, I've never been as clear-headed as I am right now," Darwin stated, bending down to kiss her.
Naturally, Fiona resisted.
Darwin simply wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her onto his lap. One hand snaked around her waist while the other cradled the back of her neck, deepening their kiss.
Those poor buttons, having dodged last night's encounter, weren't as lucky now. With a single tug from Darwin's hand, buttons tumbled sadly onto the bed.
Fiona tried to push his hand away but her strength failed her, and instead, Darwin's grip tightened, interlocking their fingers.
His kiss trailed down from her chin, making a path southward. Fiona's breaths became erratic, her head tilting back, lips slightly parted like a fish out of water, on the verge of suffocation.
Her body had been under Darwin's control ever since he'd bought her, a few months later.
The subsequent years deepened her entanglement. There was a time when Fiona thought she'd inevitably follow a path of dissolute living, never to return.
But during the more than five years away from Darwin, it wasn't that she had no desires—rather, she found no interest in men whatsoever. Not the slightest response.
Ashton had been deeply concerned that perhaps she'd suffered too much with Darwin, to the point it changed her orientation.
Now, she could finally give Ashton an answer, albeit mixed. The good news: her orientation hadn't changed. The bad? Her primal instincts still surrendered to Darwin.
"Fiona~," Darwin whispered, thumbing her chin and looking into her slightly unfocused eyes—his favorite expression on her face at this moment.
He bent down to kiss her eyes, and her eyelashes fluttered gently.
"Darwin, are you trying to humiliate me?" Fiona panted.
Brushing a kiss on her lips, Darwin murmured, "Fiona, this is me loving you."
Love?
Fiona found the word dripping with irony when it came from Darwin's lips.
"You're determined to go through with this, aren't you?"
She gazed at Darwin, her patience thinning.
"Don't drag your feet, Darwin. Make it quick. I've got work to do."
Darwin's brow furrowed slightly, his eyes searching Fiona's for a trace of sentiment.
"Listen, Darwin, think this through. If you cross this line with me, I'll make you my sworn enemy for life," Fiona's voice was resolute, her stare unwavering. "From then on, I'll work tirelessly with all of your adversaries, relentless in my pursuit against you."
"Do you really despise me that much?" Darwin's deep voice echoed with a serious tone.
"Why wouldn't I?" Fiona replied with a scoff. "Are you pleased because you think I couldn't resist your advances? Is your joy rooted in the degradation of my self-respect?"
Darwin remained silent.
Fiona continued, "And do you understand why I couldn't resist? From day one, you conditioned me to be an outlet for your frustration. Your happiness comes at the expense of trampling over me."
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