Eve Vaughn crashed into a familiar, broad chest, and only then did the reality of the situation hit her.

She looked up at him in a panic. His expression was completely normal—he didn’t look sick at all.

"You lied to me?"

The young woman looked at him, annoyed. "Why did you lie to me? There’s clearly nothing wrong with you."

Mason Lawson’s stern face betrayed no emotion as he retorted, "What do you think?"

Eve Vaughn was afraid that if this continued, she would really end up surrendering.

All the effort she’d put in over the past couple of days would be for nothing.

She kept telling herself that if she stayed with Mason Lawson, she would only drag him down and pull him further and further away from his goals.

So, she set aside the stomach medicine she had bought and turned to leave.

The moment she turned, Mason Lawson grabbed her wrist, spun her around, and pinned her against the door.

She was just about to speak when he suddenly cupped her face, lowered his head, and crushed his lips against hers.

"Mmmph..."

Eve Vaughn whimpered, but that only made the man more aggressive.

Their breaths mingled, and Eve could even feel his heavy, ragged gasps.

His kiss was searing, urgent, and fierce.

In the end, her words of protest dissolved into soft, broken whimpers.

Just as Eve Vaughn felt he was about to steal the last breath from her lungs, he finally released her lips.

But he kept her pinned against the door, her slender body trapped between his arms.

The corners of the young woman’s eyes were tinged with red, and her clear gaze shimmered with moisture. She looked a little pitiful.

She saw a hint of malice in Mason Lawson’s eyes and was a little scared, so she didn’t dare to move.

Mason Lawson gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. His tone was as gentle as he could manage, as if afraid of scaring her. "I’m asking you, did someone threaten you? My mother came to see you, didn’t she?"

Eve Vaughn’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly admitted, "Yes, The Third Madam did come to see me. She gave me two million. She also promised not only to give me the opportunity to study abroad but also to give me two million a year as an allowance."

She was putting on the act of a gold digger.

’Mason Lawson must have plenty of gold diggers around him,’ she thought. ’He’s supposed to despise women like that.’

But to her surprise, Mason Lawson’s stern face drew even closer. He stared at her pensively, as if trying to read something on her youthful face.

But he couldn’t see a thing.

Her gaze was icy, as if she had truly cut off all her feelings.

Mason Lawson sneered. "She gave you two million? Fine. I’ll give you ten million a year to stay by my side. If that’s not enough, I can add more."

Eve Vaughn stared at him, stunned. ’Has this man gone crazy?’ she wondered.

’Can he really tolerate her being with him only for money? He’s supposed to be disappointed in her and then break things off for good.’

Seeing her expression, Mason Lawson frowned. "Why aren’t you talking? If it’s a problem that money can solve, then it’s not a problem at all. Go back to your school right now and tell them you don’t want to go abroad anymore. If you want to pursue further studies overseas in the future, I’ll send you."

Eve Vaughn truly couldn’t figure this man out.

But Mason Lawson’s next words made the color drain from her face.

"Evie, I want you."

The man’s voice was low and husky, his deep eyes glowing with a scorching heat.

Eve Vaughn looked at him in a panic. "Are you insane? Mr. Lawson, we’ve already broken up. And I’ve already taken The Third Madam’s money. You can’t go back on your word. You can’t take the money and not do the job, can you?"

She made her words sound harsh and final, hoping Mason Lawson would just let her go.

But to her surprise, the man’s long fingers stroked her cheek, their touch surprisingly cool.

Mason Lawson said, enunciating each word, "Since you love money so much, how about this: from now on, every time you spend the night with me, I’ll give you two million. My money is much easier to earn than my mother’s, don’t you think?"

All the color drained from Eve Vaughn’s face in an instant.

It was as if Mason Lawson was venting all the rage in his heart, his words as sharp and vicious as daggers.

He smirked wickedly. "Had I known, we could have just done this from the very beginning and saved ourselves the trouble. Or, you could just name your price. Tell me what you think you’re worth. I won’t haggle."

The moment the words left his mouth, the sound of a sharp slap echoed through the quiet lounge.

By the time Eve Vaughn realized what she had done, her palm was already stinging.

Her heart clenched, aching terribly.

Mason Lawson, on the other hand, seemed shocked that she would dare to do such a thing. A sinister look instantly surfaced in his dark eyes.

Eve Vaughn’s body began to tremble uncontrollably, out of both anger and fear.

She couldn’t believe it. She had actually slapped Mason Lawson.

’Would he... kill her?’

’Or... would he slap her back?’

A terrifying silence pulsed between them. Faint red finger marks were already visible on Mason Lawson’s left cheek.

"I... I’m sorry..."

In the end, it was Eve Vaughn who was the first to apologize.

She had been the one to cast herself in the role of a gold digger. Wasn’t the whole point to make Mason Lawson despise her and cut ties with her?

So, what was so wrong with him thinking she was the kind of woman who could be bought?

She must have lost her mind for a moment to have lashed out like that.

Her apology, however, did nothing to improve the man’s expression.

He suddenly scooped her up and strode toward the sofa.

Terrified, Eve Vaughn began to struggle. "Mason Lawson, what do you think you’re doing?"

The man tossed her onto the sofa, his large frame pressing down on top of her.

"Was I not clear enough before? I want you."