In the cramped space, Eve Vaughn pounded on him, but he pinned her hands down.

Whether it was the blinding glare of the living room’s crystal chandelier or the fact that the pain was just as intense as her first time, she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, soon turning into a torrent.

In the end, it was like a volcanic eruption, searing her until she felt she would melt away.

The first time, Mason Lawson had deliberately held back. He was afraid of scaring her and causing her too much pain, so he hadn’t dared to be too rough.

But this time was different. His woman had been in the arms of his own nephew, sparking a massive scandal.

No matter the reason, he couldn’t tolerate it, nor could he bring himself to speak to her calmly.

He had to vent this rage first. Talk could come later.

Only when the miserably sobbing young woman passed out beneath him did he finally stop.

Though she had cried terribly, he had to admit that he had just experienced ultimate pleasure in her young, alluring body.

After carrying her to the bathroom and washing her clean, the clouded look in Mason Lawson’s eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by clarity.

He had probably been too rough with her. The young woman beside him still hadn’t woken up.

Even in sleep, her delicate brows were furrowed. She looked like she was in pain, and the corners of her eyes were still red from crying.

Mason Lawson sighed softly and lit a cigarette.

His stern features were veiled in layers of smoke, making him look enigmatic.

After finishing the cigarette, he turned off the light, pulled the young woman into his arms, and fell into a deep sleep.

...

In the early morning, a ray of sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, tracing a shimmering golden line into the room.

Eve Vaughn jerked awake from a nightmare. When she saw the arm wrapped around her waist, the violent scene from the previous night flooded her mind.

Humiliation and indignation instantly washed over her, and she struggled out of his embrace to sit up.

Her movement woke the man, who had gone to bed late the night before.

He opened his eyes to see the young woman glaring at him, her face filled with indignation.

Mason Lawson’s expression was no better. He sat up and took a slow, deep breath.

He shot her a sideways glance, his tone still heavy. "Do you still think you’ve done nothing wrong? It takes two to tango. I believe you weren’t the one to approach Julian Lawson. But when he hugged you, you didn’t push him away."

Without another word, and without any attempt to comfort her, he walked into the bathroom to wash up.

Eve Vaughn’s sense of injustice and anger flared up again. She got out of bed and, despite the ache in her waist and legs, followed him into the bathroom.

"Yes, I’m the one who’s wrong! I shouldn’t have been so worried about you. I knew you had Miss Sullivan for company, but I still insisted on going to Evergreen Hospital just to catch a glimpse of you!"

The young woman’s resentful voice was laced with a sob. "I know your parents don’t like me! I know I’ll never fit into your family, but I couldn’t stop being insecure, terrified you’d leave me, terrified you’d change your mind! It’s all my fault! Are you satisfied now?!"

Her voice rose as she reached the end of her tirade.

Faced with Mason Lawson’s calm and composure, she felt she could never manage the same level of cool-headedness.

Eve Vaughn felt that in front of Mason Lawson, she really was like a child, unable to control her emotions.

’If this keeps up, will he still like me?’

’Will he feel that I can’t ever match up to him, that we can never have a spiritual connection?’

As she was making her tearful accusations, Mason Lawson simply continued brushing his teeth, listening without any reaction.

Only after he had finished brushing his teeth and washing his face did he ask coolly, "Are you finished?"

Eve Vaughn froze. It felt like she had thrown a punch into a wad of cotton—there was no impact, no reaction whatsoever.

She grew even angrier and continued her tirade. "I’m not finished! I had no idea I’d be so unlucky. I just wanted to find you, and I ran into Julian Lawson. He grabbed me from behind, and I couldn’t break free! I had to pretend to go along with it just to trick him into letting me go. Besides, that video was taken completely out of context. She didn’t even film the whole thing! I slapped Julian Lawson at the end!"

After saying her piece, Eve Vaughn let out a breath, feeling that she had finally explained things clearly.

Mason Lawson’s expression softened slightly. He thought of her delicate skin and how he had treated her the night before, and a pang of heartache pricked him.

His ink-dark eyes gazed at her. "Does it still hurt?"

Eve Vaughn froze. It took her a moment to realize what ’it’ he was referring to.

She bit her lower lip in shame. He had taken her right there in the living room, a clear act of humiliation.

Her eyes misted over. "Is this your idea of an apology, Mr. Lawson? A slap followed by a sweet treat? Do you think asking if it hurts can just erase what you did to me last night?"

Her sharp-tongued retort completely deflated Mason Lawson’s anger.

He let out an exasperated laugh before quickly suppressing it. "And do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused me? I was summoned to the family estate by the old man late last night. How do you think I felt, seeing the woman I’d defended in front of my entire family in my nephew’s arms? He did that to you in a busy hospital, with people coming and going. You could have shouted for help."

Guilt washed over Eve Vaughn. Her self-righteous anger vanished, replaced by dejection. "If I had shouted for help," she explained, "I was afraid of causing a scene and upsetting your father. I was afraid he’d think I was a troublemaker and... take the whip to you again."

Mason Lawson stroked her hair. "It’s all right. Let me handle this. You should stay away from school for a while. This rumor won’t die down anytime soon. Although the post was taken down overnight, it was shared so many times that most people have already seen it."

Eve Vaughn asked doubtfully, "So, who posted it? Can you find out? They knew who Julian Lawson and I were, and they intentionally edited the beginning and end of the video. It was clearly deliberate."

"We’re looking into it."

Mason Lawson’s gaze darkened.

Eve Vaughn glanced at him. "Could it have been Miss Sullivan?"

Mason Lawson raised an eyebrow. "You suspect her? Tell me why."

"The reason is completely obvious!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Eve Vaughn laid out her case. "The other day, when you were at the hospital with your mother, Miss Sullivan came to our house that evening. She claimed she was just picking up a change of clothes for you, but she said a lot of provocative things to me. It’s obvious she’s still not over you! And she’s been at the hospital constantly. She’s the most likely person to have seen the scene yesterday."

Mason Lawson froze for a second. "She came to the house? Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Yes," Eve Vaughn nodded, her tone faintly accusing. "Your mother was sick, and I figured you were already overwhelmed at the hospital. I didn’t want to bother you with it."

But her words didn’t completely convince Mason Lawson. His deep gaze remained fixed on her.

Stared down by him, Eve Vaughn felt her nerve waver and finally let all her jealousy pour out. "And besides, Miss Sullivan is your precious ’white moonlight,’ isn’t she? She knows her way around this house perfectly! You have a past, I have a past. Even if you used to bring her home all the time, what right do I have to say anything? After all, the only reason you even noticed me is because I look a bit like her, right?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Mason Lawson’s face darkened visibly.

"Eve Vaughn. Say that one more time."

He suddenly seized her by the waist, lifting her clean off the floor and setting her directly on the bathroom counter.

Eve Vaughn cried out in surprise. The man’s handsome face was reflected in her wide, panicked eyes.

Mason Lawson braced his hands on the counter on either side of her, leaning in slowly, as if he intended to do something right there on the sink.