The guilt in Eve tripled at the hurt in Myra’s voice. The latter did not have a scheming nature but she had been framed anyway. Eve grew angry at the thought of this and she said, “I never thought Miss Torres from the Hay Group could do something as distasteful as this! As for Miss Foster, I’ve called Sean and told him that he ought to take strict disciplinary actions against her. It wouldn’t be fair to you otherwise.”
She paused and gave Myra a comforting pat on the hand. “Besides, Richard told me that Sean’s been looking for evidence to clear your name. He doesn’t say it, but he truly cares for you.”
When Richard—Sean’s secretary—told her about this, Eve felt a huge sense of relief. She thought perhaps this might be an open gambit for both Myra and Sean to mend the broken pieces of their relationship.
Myra’s hand stiffened at this piece of news.
She still remembered what Mr. Xavier had told her in his office yesterday. Tilly had also mentioned something about Sean trying to clear her name. Could it be that he had believed in her all along though he refused to admit it?
Meanwhile, Eve was aware of Myra’s feelings for her son. For the past two years, the latter had stood by him despite all the resentment and hurt that he put her through. All the pain she had sustained, she kept to herself—Eve’s heart went out to her, but she couldn’t help but worry for her as well.
Seeing Myra like this, Eve was sure that Sean still held a special place in Myra’s heart. Relieved, she patted Myra’s hand and said placatingly, “You know how Sean is. Talk to him after he gets home from work. I know you’re attending Old Master Hart’s birthday banquet with him and according to the staff at the atelier, he’s had an evening dress made for you in Paris. It’s a limited edition and it’s being flown over as we speak! Myra, Sean really is changing for the better, and although he’s made mistakes in the past, I hope you won’t hold them against him. Try your best to look at the bigger picture and spend your days happily with him…”
That night, Myra tossed and turned in bed, but she could not find slumber.
She had grown desperate and hopeless over the span of the last two years. She even asked Sean for a divorce, but she knew she would not be able to live that down.
She had spent her best years loving him and she had given up so much for him; how could she leave without putting up a fight? Would that not mean that her love was as flimsy and fragile as a house of cards?
But should I put my trust in him again? Each time that she did, she ended up hurting herself more than the last and with every drop of blood she spilled, her courage went with it. Eventually, she was drained, and if she were to trust him again this time—
Her thoughts were cut off when the bedroom door slammed open with a bang.
She bolted upright in shock and saw that the man she had been thinking of was presently stumbling into the bedroom.
He appeared to be drunk as he staggered into the bedroom. He slammed the door shut behind him and began walking unsteadily toward her.
Seeing this, she hurriedly switched on the lamp on the bedside table, worried that he might trip over his own feet in the dark.
Under the dim lighting, his handsome face looked as cold as a frozen lake. His almond-shaped eyes were a wintry slate as they stared at her.
He came up to her before she could react and out of the blue, his hand shot out and clasped her chin firmly.
She didn’t know what had happened, only that her chin was suddenly in his iron grip. The stabbing pain that radiated from her old injury made her eyes tear up. Without another thought, she pushed him away, shouting, “Let go of me, Sean!”
However, he did not yield even as she pushed at his arm. If anything, his grip only tightened on her jaw. Against her face, his breath smelled strongly of alcohol and his chiseled features twisted into a menacing grimace.
“You have some nerve, Myra Stark! Some nerve!” he spat.
She let out a gasp of pain. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What the hell am I doing?” He let out a cold bark of laughter, his poisonous gaze slithering over her body. Her skin glowed smooth in the dimness, her neck and collarbones exposed beneath the nightdress. His hand slid down past her jaw without thinking and when his fingers clasped around her neck, he seethed, “What the hell am I doing? I’m going to kill you, Myra!”
“Do you believe me now that you’ve seen the video, Sean? Myra just can’t stand being lonely. She went into Director Hart’s room just so she could have the upper hand in the Sunny Bay Project, and we all know exactly what two grown ups could get up to in a bedroom. I’m only telling you this so you wouldn’t get caught up in her lies. You can’t let her walk all over your dignity like this—she’ll ruin the reputation of the whole Chase Family!”
And to think, he had believed her enough to ask people to look into the plagiarism incident, just so he could help clear her name, only for her to betray him like this!
“Do you have to be so cheap, Myra?” he snapped presently. Sean felt a bit of his anger relenting when he saw the fear that flashed across her face, but it was not enough to placate his rage. “Are you so desperate to climb into bed with other men? Have I deprived you so much that you would rather sleep with someone else than be lonely?”
The rims of his eyes were growing red—he looked terrifying.
Trembling, Myra stared at the man before her in a mixture of shock and disbelief. “Do you even know what you’re talking about, Sean?”
“What do you think I’m talking about?” he hissed. His heart was beating like a sledgehammer. He knew that she was despicable enough to kill his child without batting an eyelash, and now that he had found out about her vulgar lifestyle, he ought to divorce her! But that would be playing into her devious plans and he refused to let her get away without a scratch!
He suddenly flung her away heavily.
Myra let out a cry as she fell onto the bed. Fear rose in her when she looked up and saw the menacing look on his face. However, before she could scream, he pinned her down on the bed. His lips slammed against hers and he didn’t let go.
“Let go of me, Sean!” Myra cried out in between muffled groans of protest as she tried to struggle against him, but she couldn’t move. There was no gap in between them. With one hand, he grabbed both of hers before she could claw him and with the other, he held her head so she could not move beneath him.
“Isn’t this what you wanted all along? So let me give it to you!” he growled.
The fear in her deepened when she saw the ominous look in his arctic eyes.
She didn’t know what she had done to deserve any of this from him!
“Let me go right now, Sean! Don’t you dare touch me! Get off of me!” she cried out desperately, her voice turning hoarse; her hair was ruffled and her cheeks tearstained. She knew there was no point struggling against him and she was seized by a sense of helplessness.
He had already torn open her nightdress and it hung loosely on her frame. Hovering above her, Sean could see the soft curves of her bosom peeking out over the fabric as they rose and fell with every breath she took.
Upon seeing the dark fire that lit up in his eyes, Myra quivered. She closed her eyes and let fresh tears stream past her cheeks.
“Why are you doing this to me, Sean? The Hart Group has already proven that I did not plagiarize anything, and I’m the one who secured the project for our company. Aren’t these enough for you? What more do you want from me?”
The tears did not stop and her eyes started to swell.
The scene he saw from the video flashed in his mind. Seeing her disheveled look, he realized that this was exactly how she had looked when she left the other man’s bedroom!
The vein near his temple throbbed as he pulled out his phone to look for the video. When he did, he threw the phone at her.
Myra could not dodge it in time. The phone crashed against her forehead with a thud and for a moment, she thought she was seeing stars. Instinctively, she reached up to touch her forehead and her fingers came away red.
Meanwhile, the video on the phone was already playing.
She watched herself running out of Tony’s room, her clothes disheveled and her face flushed.
