Chapter 226: Chapter 224: Roses Blossoming on the Body

Her body was lifted into the air. Mia Grant came to her senses and began to struggle.

"What I mean is, this has nothing to do with me."

"The old gentleman gave me a stack of files, and I just picked randomly... I don’t even remember their names."

"I’m really doing this for your own good!"

"Bro... Brother!"

"It’s because the old gentleman said you’d only be safe if I came. I don’t want to be your weakness, and I don’t want you to be a puppet whose... whose life is being controlled."

"Hiss."

"The blind dates were part of it, too. It was all the old gentleman’s arrangement."

"Ah!"

The force of the blow landing on her rear wasn’t light.

But more than the pain, she felt shame.

Knowing she couldn’t escape, Mia Grant lay draped over the man’s legs, reached for a pillow, and buried her face in it, trying to play dead to avoid the situation.

Her cheeks, buried in the pillow, burned red, and her voice was muffled along with them.

But the flush on her ears, neck, and rear was impossible to hide.

"Who did you see today?"

"No one..."

The words had barely left her mouth when pain followed.

Mia Grant lowered her head and clenched her teeth. She paused before answering, "I saw Carla Sinclair tonight. Before that, I met Quinn White and Iris Cameron. Only those three."

’Good.’

He didn’t strike again.

’Dodged a bullet.’

Mia Grant gasped for air, thinking it was over.

She clumsily pushed against his knees, preparing to get up.

But he pressed down on her waist, forcing her back down.

"I remember them."

She didn’t know what he was up to. "...So?"

"But I don’t understand. What were your selection criteria?"

"There were no criteria. It was really a blind draw..."

Before she could finish, there was another SLAP.

Mia Grant’s eyelids twitched violently. She said nothing, and he hit her again.

"Okay, it wasn’t."

’You have to know when to back down.’

"I did consider a few things—family background, looks, personality."

"With Iris Cameron, I thought, she’s young. You probably like them young."

"..."

Silence.

Mia Grant knew his silence meant she was supposed to keep talking. She took a deep breath.

Biting the pillow, she said indistinctly, "Quinn White... I thought you two would have things to talk about. You’re alumni, after all. And she used to pursue you, so she knows you well."

"Mm." This time, the man responded. His tone was unreadable, and since her back was to him, she couldn’t see the expression on his face.

"Continue."

Hearing that, Mia Grant pressed her lips together.

She suddenly fell silent. Silas Grant pressed the object in his hand against her skin—a dangerous signal.

Mia Grant choked up. After a moment’s thought, she said, "As for Carla Sinclair... it was because I saw her photo and thought she... looked a little bit like me."

Behind her, the man’s laughter was abrupt, his chest vibrating.

Mia Grant could feel that he wasn’t happy.

’He was furious.’

"You’ve worked so hard, our dear Mia. Even now, you haven’t forgotten to help me find a stand-in."

"..." His tone was dripping with sarcasm. Mia Grant pouted. "Just say whether you like them or not. I’m sure one of them is your type."

"You have to get married eventually anyway, so you might as well pick someone you find pleasing to the eye. It’ll make the future easier for everyone."

"Mm, you’re all grown up. So thoughtful."

He sounded like he was praising her. "How should I reward you? What do you think, babe?"

"How about you help me pull my pants up? Like this... I feel very insecure."

As she spoke, Mia Grant reached a hand behind her, trying to cover herself.

Her hand hadn’t even made contact when another heavy blow landed.

It caught her completely off guard. She let out a short cry, turning to glare at him with tear-filled eyes. "I told you the truth! Why are you still hitting me?!"

’Unreasonable old bastard!’

"What did you just call me?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Mia Grant’s eyes widened. She clapped both hands over her mouth, a look of terror on her face.

’Did I say that out loud???’

’No way, right?’

Realizing he was just bluffing, Mia Grant turned her head away in a huff. "What are you so angry about, anyway? I’ve done so much for you behind the scenes, and you haven’t even said thank you."

"You’re repaying my kindness with cruelty."

"There are many ways to show gratitude." Meeting her eyes, Silas Grant suddenly chuckled.

Mia Grant didn’t notice the change in his expression and kept talking. "You’re the one who wants to get married. I’m helping you! Why is it all my fault in the end?"

"I’m terrified of dying... but I still came. Yates Donovan was going to take me away, but I still came back."

"Isn’t it all for your own good?"

"The old gentleman is now..."

She rattled on but got no response. Mia Grant turned her head and saw him loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. "What are you doing?"

"Keep going. I’m listening."

"..."

Mia Grant swallowed nervously. How could she dare to say another word?

Just as she’d expected, the tie came off, the light before her eyes dimmed, and she was enveloped in darkness.

Her other senses were magnified.

Every nerve ending tensed up.

This was destined to be a sleepless night.

—

「The next morning.」

When Mia Grant woke up, Silas Grant was already gone.

She couldn’t remember when he had left.

In the haze between wakefulness and sleep, just as she was about to drift off, he had still been lying beside her.

She ran a hand through her hair, tossed aside the pillow she was hugging, and sat up.

She turned over, and her butt touched the bed.

"Hiss..."

The corner of her mouth twitched as a sharp pain shot through her. Fragmented images flooded her mind.

Realizing what had happened, Mia Grant immediately jumped out of bed and ran, PITTER-PATTER, into the walk-in closet.

In front of the enormous full-length mirror.

She turned her back to it and lifted the hem of her nightgown.

Red marks were clearly visible on her pale skin.

"..."

After a brief silence, a frantic scream erupted in the room.

Last night, she hadn’t gotten a clear look at what he was holding.

Now, seeing the pattern blooming on her skin, she seemed to recall.

She remembered that last time, in the secret room behind his office at the company.

There was a row of beautiful leather paddles on the wall.

One of them was shaped like a rose, which she had really liked.

At first, she hadn’t known what it was for.

Not until the man had hugged her from behind, taken her hand to point at them one by one, and whispered in her ear, explaining their uses.

The color of her cheeks back then must have been the same as it was now, so red it looked like they were about to bleed.

’Yep, a verbal description is no match for the shock of a hands-on demonstration.’

’It really bloomed.’

’A very pretty rose, at that.’

’Bright red.’

Mia Grant frantically pulled her nightgown down. Overcome with shame, she stood there for a long moment, composing herself, before finally changing and going out.

Last night, the seemingly magnanimous man just wouldn’t let go of the blind date issue.

He kept mentioning the "stand-in" and sarcastically praising her for being so "broad-minded."

Sigh.

Getting on the elevator, Mia Grant leaned against the side and closed her eyes.

She vaguely remembered that as she was about to fall asleep, the two of them were still arguing.

"You’re the one who’s getting married! I heard you say it with your own mouth."

"Even if you get angry, I’m still going to say it."

"This is wrong."

"I don’t like this."

He sighed, seeming to finally understand the reason for her repeated rejections.

The man placed a kiss on her forehead, as light as his voice. "I am getting married. But I never said it was to one of them."

"..."

’Not to one of them...’

’Wait.’

The sentence exploded in her mind like a time bomb. Mia Grant’s eyes flew open.