Chapter 3 Her Back

Mathilda frowned at Daphne.

“I’m only here so that Nicholas Wolfe will help save my family’s company. I’m not here to be his mistress!” Daphne revealed.

‘Wasn’t I supposed to just spend a night with Nicholas Wolfe? What the hell is going on?’

“You’re a gift from Mr. Siegfried. Mr. Siegfried’s promises to you are his business. We’re now discussing your role as Mr. Wolfe’s mistress. This was Mr. Wolfe’s request,” Mathilda explained.

Daphne immediately frowned. ‘Nicholas Wolfe?’

“Honestly, there were a few women who’ve received such privileges before you, but after spending some time with Mr. Wolfe, they—”

“No thanks!”

Daphne immediately cut Mathilda off. She fixed her eyes on Mathilda as she coldly explained, “That’s not why I came here. Not yesterday, not ever! I’m really sorry, but I have to go!”

Then, Daphne immediately ran out of the room, unbothered by how astonished Mathilda was.

After leaving The Palace Hotel, Daphne silently cursed Nicholas’s insanity as she made her way to the bus stop.

‘$750,000, a Bentley, a villa… Rich men are complete douchebags! Did he really think that I’d lower myself for that?’

Daphne kicked a small pebble out of frustration. She finally managed to get a cab after great difficulty. Daphne gave the cabbie the address to her best friend, Phoebe Eleanor Adams’s house.

Daphne paid the cabbie when she arrived downstairs at Phoebe’s home. Then, she alighted from the cab and walked into an old apartment unit.

Phoebe’s house was a welfare home and didn’t have wide square footage. Its exterior had grown run-down over time.

However, according to Phoebe, her family was loaded with underground money.

Daphne wasn’t interested in life-threatening gossip like this. Her legs were close to giving way by the time she climbed up to their unit. She pressed Phoebe’s doorbell.

The round-faced Phoebe, dressed in pajamas, soon opened the door. She was surprised when she saw Daphne.

“Hey, straight ‘A’ student. Isn’t your brother coming home today? Aren’t you picking him up?”

“I have three more hours until the plane arrives. Let me take a nap, Phoebe. Wake me up in two hours,” Daphne said as she navigated her way into Phoebe’s room with familiarity.

Phoebe simply shrugged and said nothing.

Nicholas kicked open the door to the chairman’s office at the Wolfe Enterprises, pulling his tie as Lucas followed closely behind.

Nicholas sat behind his office desk, and Lucas began to report his afternoon schedule. A female secretary knocked on the door and walked in, then gave Nicholas an urgent document.

Nicholas glanced at the secretary’s thigh and frowned.

“Mr. Wolfe? Shall I step out?”

Nicholas had a knack for contrariness.

For example, he would be plotting your death when he clearly had a smile on his face.

Another example, he would never show any sign of eagerness or anticipation when a woman caught his interest… Sometimes, his expressions gave a cold and unfeeling impression instead.

Lucas was well aware, as he had been working for Nicholas for many years. Naturally, female secretaries, who usually spoke to him, had some inkling of this as well. Thus, this female secretary looked especially gleeful when she heard Lucas’s offer.

However, Nicholas’s cold voice replied, “Bring that woman, the one from this morning!”

He was reminded of her snowy-white back.

‘The one from this morning?’

Lucas was shocked. “Mr. Wolfe, that lady from your room this morning has already left. Furthermore, she’s refused your terms.”

Nicholas frowned. He never intended for this, but now that Lucas mentioned her refusal…

Nicholas smirked. “Find her! You have half an hour! I want to know everything about her!”

…

Daphne opened her eyes to find Phoebe, who had woken her up, staring worriedly at her.

“Phoebe? What time is it?” Daphne sat up.

Phoebe gave Daphne a weird stare and replied, “It’s 2:30 p.m. Daphne, did… something happen to you?”

Daphne, who had been rubbing her eyes, stopped. She instinctively looked down at her clothes.

Her bottom had ridden up her waist, showcasing her numerous and dense bruises and hickeys for all to see.

“Daphne, tell me, what happened?” Phoebe asked, growing anxious.

Daphne pulled her clothes down. “Don’t ask, Phoebe. It was my choice. Nothing happened.”

It had already happened anyway. Telling Phoebe wouldn’t bring much use, except draw her ire.

“Don’t be scared, Daphne. It’s not your fault. We’ll tell the police! I’ll tell my dad to give the order, and they won’t breathe a single word of it! We will find that assh*le!”

Phoebe stared at Daphne, emotional, and sympathetic.

Daphne stared blankly at Phoebe’s anxious little face, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Her laughter grew louder and louder until finally, she teared up.

“Stop that, Phoebe. What do you think happened to me? I told you, it’s not that. I consented. Mm, that’s all. So don’t ask.”

Daphne pulled off the covers and got off the bed. The plane would be landing in half an hour. She had to leave now.

Phoebe stared at Daphne’s back in astonishment. Just as Daphne was about to leave the room, she suddenly rushed toward her and stopped her. She stared at Daphne pointedly and exclaimed, “You’re lying! Daphne, you’re not that kind of person! You didn’t even have a boyfriend during high school. How could you possibly have… Have…”

They were both fresh high school graduates. Phoebe blushed at the very indication of sex, too shy to even mention it.

Daphne’s eyes flickered. She tilted her head and smiled at Phoebe. “But it really happened,” she said. “It’s not like you haven’t seen the bruises on my body. Did I do that to myself? Alright, Phoebe, step aside. I’m late.”

Daphne smiled at Phoebe, unwilling to say anything more. She pushed her aside and walked out the door.

Daphne pretty much jogged her way out of the apartment compound after leaving Phoebe’s place. She hailed a cab and got in. “To the airport!”

Daphne was practically jumping in joy along the way to the airport.

‘It’s been two years. He’s finally home.’

However, a bucket of cold water was soon poured all over Daphne’s excitement.

She could already see a faint outline of the airport terminal, but the cab suddenly stopped—there was a long line of cars in front.

“What’s going on?” Daphne leaned in front, anxiously.

The cab driver had already gone down to check. He came back after a while and said, “Apparently, it’s traffic control. Not sure what’s happened.”