I was secretly the "kept woman" of the most powerful young tycoon in the capital, too scared to tell my family. But when he insisted on driving me back to my rural hometown for the Lunar New Year, my brother caught us. Panicking, I blurted out that he was just a rideshare driver. My brother scoffed. "You're full of it. What kind of rideshare app sends a six-million-dollar Rolls-Royce? "He's your boyfriend, isn't he? "Tell him to get out here and fight me!" I went silent. And mumbled three little words. "He's my sugar daddy." 1 Having been with Arthur Sterling for three years, I knew perfectly well that our relationship was purely transactional. I was in it for his money and power. He lusted after my body. We had an unspoken agreement to never cross those lines. Until our last intimate encounter before the New Year. The man hovering above me suddenly spoke, his voice husky: "I'll drive you back to your hometown tomorrow?" The clamor within me hit an immediate pause. I blinked my unfocused eyes, my thoughts slowly returning. My gaze landed on his sharp, composed features, trying to figure out what this sugar daddy of mine was thinking. Hmm. He didn't seem to be joking. I couldn't fathom why he would suddenly make such a bizarre request. But I knew the first rule of being a good canary was obedience. "Okay, sorry to trouble you, Mr. Sterling." I offered my usual polite response. Even though we were currently in an ultra-thin, zero-distance situation. But a man's heart is a deep ocean. I don't know which word in that sentence offended this usually tight-lipped eldest son of the Sterling family, but the hand gripping my waist suddenly tightened its hold. "Hiss—" I couldn't help but cry out in pain, trying to ask him to be gentler. Instead, he leaned down, pressed his lips against my earlobe, and said through gritted teeth: "No trouble. No trouble at all. "Ms. Vance." 2 Arthur seemed angry. He wore a cold, stony expression the entire drive back the next day. Terrified that speaking would only make things worse, I kept my mouth shut. I just turned my head and stared at his reflection in the car window. His side profile was flawless. The cuffs of his sweater were rolled up halfway, revealing a strong, tanned forearm and the silver Montblanc watch on his wrist. It was a gift I had impulsively bought him with the first hundred thousand dollars he gave me during our first month together. To Arthur, it was practically cheap junk. Yet, it was the watch he wore most often. Back then, I was still naive and harbored some secret hopes, so I beat around the bush asking why he liked that watch so much. I wanted his answer to be about me. But the very next second, I heard him gently burst my little bubble. "Why do you ask? Do you think I wear it so often because you gave it to me? Chloe, you—" Arthur didn't finish his sentence. But I had already filled in the blanks based on the cold indifference in his eyes. He probably wanted to say: "Chloe, have you forgotten your place?" My face flushed instantly, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on my back. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sterling. I overstepped." I apologized, inexperienced and subservient. He didn't answer. He just quietly read the documents his assistant had brought over, not even sparing me a glance. That was the first, and last, time I ever overstepped my bounds. 3 "Don't you know how to say a few nice words to coax me?" The man's sudden, aggrieved complaint snapped me back to reality. I stared at him blankly. I had no idea why he needed coaxing. But my mouth moved faster than my brain. A basketful of compliments poured out. "Mr. Sterling, it's so weird! Even with my anti-addiction system fully activated, I still fell for you! "You look incredibly handsome from this angle! Hold on, let me take a picture of you!" These were lines I had specifically learned online to flatter men with high emotional intelligence. Arthur seemed to like them. Every time I praised him like that, he stopped being mad at me. I skillfully pulled out my phone, ready to take his picture. But a message from Leo popped up on the screen. [Mia is back. How much longer do you plan on taking up her spot?] It felt like fine silk threads were tugging at my heart, bringing a wave of unidentified pain. Mia was Arthur's arranged childhood fiancée. They were supposed to get married three years ago, but Mia refused and ran off abroad. Leo said Arthur wanted to go after her, but his male pride wouldn't let him. So, he ended up keeping me—someone who looked a bit like Mia—as a mistress instead. Yes, I was also a stand-in. Arthur noticed my sudden stillness. "What's wrong?" "Nothing. My family just messaged me asking when I'd arrive." I made up an excuse, raised my phone, and casually snapped a picture of him. I praised him with absolutely zero emotion: "Wow! Even a candid shot looks this handsome! Can I use this as my lock screen?" Arthur coughed lightly and gave a nonchalant, two-word reply. "Up to you." If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. After changing my lock screen, I stared blankly at the increasingly barren landscape passing by the window. I momentarily forgot to tell him to stop at the village entrance. 4 Arthur's car parked smoothly right in front of my house. My brother, wearing a navy-blue puffer jacket, was squatting by the door doing chores. "Thank you, Mr. Sterling. Drive safe on your way back." With that, I turned around, feigning calmness, and greeted my scowling brother, Caleb, deliberately blocking his view of the car. "Hey, big bro, peeling peanuts at home?" Caleb stood up, his gaze landing on the black car that was turning around. He asked in an unfriendly tone: "Who's that?" I pursed my lips, thinking fast. "I couldn't get a bus ticket, so I hailed a rideshare." Caleb let out a cold laugh, mercilessly exposing my lie. "You're full of it, Chloe. What kind of rideshare app sends a six-million-dollar Rolls-Royce? "He's your boyfriend, isn't he? "Tell him to get out here and fight me!" I choked, not knowing how to answer. Being a kept woman wasn't exactly something to brag about, and given Arthur's incredibly superior status, I never dared tell my family about him. I just told them I worked as a salesperson at a company with good benefits. But the car Arthur drove today was simply too eye-catching. I couldn't find a good excuse. I could only pray that Arthur would finish turning around quickly and speed away out of my brother's sight. But it was like he was deliberately trying to mess with me. He was taking his sweet time turning the car around. The road wasn't even that hard to navigate... Seeing my brother marching forward aggressively, determined to force a greeting, I panicked and grabbed his jacket. And mumbled three little words. "He's my sugar daddy." My brother froze completely. He thought I was joking. "Hey, friend! You can't just go around saying things like that! Otherwise, your brother here will beat you like a lion chasing a gazelle!" I blinked, offering a slight smile under his scrutinizing gaze. "Guess I couldn't fool you! He's my boss. He's interested in me and is currently pursuing me." Sugar daddy and boss... Uh. To me, they were pretty much the same thing, right? This answer was clearly much more believable. My brother visibly relaxed. Just as he was about to say something, the man's unhurried, clear voice sounded from behind me. "Chloe." My whole body jolted. Why hadn't Arthur left yet? Did he hear what I said? I turned to look at him timidly. The tall, broad-shouldered man stood a few feet away. His black, fitted turtleneck sweater highlighted his muscular build. His deep brown eyes stared right at me. "I'm out of gas." My brain short-circuited for a second, and I let out a dumbfounded "Ah." My brother instantly realized what was happening. He spread his arms like a mother hen protecting her calf, shielding me behind him. "We're both men here, so cut the act! You just want to stay here, confuse us, and force us to pressure my sister into being with you, right? Well, let me tell you, no way! My sister is a top-tier beauty; she's seen plenty of scheming suitors like you! They could line up from our village all the way to France! Do you even know where France is?!" "Bro, stop talking..." I grabbed a handful of peanuts and shoved them into his mouth, looking at Arthur awkwardly and nervously, terrified he'd reveal our true relationship. Thank goodness. Arthur merely narrowed his eyes slightly, then stared at me with a half-smile. "I know where it is. I've even taken Ms. Vance there." I pursed my lips. Memories flooded my mind. During that trip to France, I barely left the hotel. Every corner of the presidential suite bore the marks of Arthur and me. He was an untiring madman. Seeing my reddening ears, Arthur knew exactly what I was thinking and asked maliciously: "Ms. Vance, did you enjoy that trip to France?" He paused deliberately. "Was it fun?" Even though I was incredibly embarrassed, I nodded frantically, desperate to flip the page on this subject and send this giant Buddha on his way. "Yes, very fun! Mr. Sterling, you're out of gas, right? Let me drive the convertible and take you to a hotel in town!" Now it was my brother's turn to be confused. "Our family is so poor, when did we get a convertible?" I calmly raised my hand and pointed to the three-wheeled utility cart in the courtyard. "Isn't that it right there?" Arthur actually laughed out of anger. This young master, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, probably never expected to face such an ordeal nearing thirty. Even my brother couldn't stand it anymore. "Taking that three-wheeler six miles to town in sub-zero weather? Tsk, Sis, do you have a vendetta against him?" "What else can we do? We only have a two-wheeled electric scooter and that three-wheeled 'convertible'." My brother looked at Arthur, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally said: "Since you look somewhat decent, we'll reluctantly let you stay the night. But you're getting out of here first thing tomorrow morning! You hear me?" Seeing my plan succeed, I quickly blinked at Arthur. He glanced at me, a smile rippling in his eyes, and nodded obediently. "Understood, Brother." "Who the fuck is your brother?! Um... could I maybe take a couple of pictures with your car later?" 5 That night, my parents specifically prepared the upstairs room for Arthur. Right between my room and my brother's. Before going to bed, my brother glared fiercely and pointed a finger at Arthur's chest. "You better sleep quietly tonight! I'll be doing random room checks!" Arthur nodded obediently, looking like the perfect honor student. But in the middle of the night, he knocked on my door. The dim yellow light from the streetlamp filtered through the curtains. Arthur pinned me behind the door, loosely resting his hand around my neck, using the web of his thumb against my chin to force me to look up at him. "A suitor?" Great. He's here to settle the score. Feeling his somewhat oppressive gaze, I nervously started biting the dead skin on my lips. "Listen to me explai—mm." Before I could finish my excuse, his finger pressed against my lower lip. "Don't bite. "It'll start bleeding again." Arthur frowned, the genuine concern and gentleness in his eyes leaving me stunned. Honestly, I got everything I wanted from Arthur in less than a year. I should have left a long time ago. But maybe he had grown accustomed to my company. The initially cold and arrogant Arthur gradually retracted his thorns, occasionally showing flashes of tenderness like today. They were like tiny vines, quietly wrapping around my heart. By the time I realized it, they had already integrated into my flesh and blood, impossible to separate. But now, Leo's message forcefully ripped them apart. It hurt so much I almost cried. This secret, unspeakable relationship between Arthur and me was finally coming to an end. "Thanks," I whispered. Arthur raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Thanks for what?" "Thanks for not exposing me in front of my family." I smiled self-deprecatingly. "If my brother knew I was a kept woman, he'd skin me alive." Arthur looked down at me quietly, his thoughts unreadable, his eyes a swirl of emotions I couldn't decipher. Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed me. He kissed me domineeringly, fiercely, as if trying to mold me into his own body. His chilling hands slipped under the hem of my pajamas, so cold that I instinctively leaned into his chest. "So cold..." Arthur pulled his hands back, gripping my waist over the pajamas instead. Seeing the situation getting out of hand, I pressed against his chest, struggling to push him back a little. "What if my brother comes in?" "His snoring is shaking the house; I doubt he'll wake up anytime soon." As if to prove his point, the moment Arthur finished speaking, I heard my brother's pig-like snoring. If you didn't know better, you'd think someone was revving a motorcycle. Speechless. I held onto the edge of the bed, reminding Arthur: "My house doesn't have good soundproofing..." He gave a knowing smile. "I know." The next second, he pinched my cheek, kissed my lips lightly like a dragonfly touching water, and smiled wickedly. "I won't make a sound." "You might not, but I will!" Arthur affectionately nudged his nose against mine: "So, you'll just have to hold it in." This man! He's completely evil!
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