After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 16

“If you’re done recovering, we continue.” Jeffrey ignored Rebecca’s anger. His skilled fingers made quick work of his suit buttons before he shrugged off the jacket and tossed it aside.

Rebecca instinctively pulled back, her eyes wide with alarm. “What are you going to do?”

“What do you think a man and woman do in bed together?” Jeffrey moved closer, his large frame dominating her space.

She thought about running, but Jeffrey had locked every door in the suite, leaving her trapped.

“Aren’t you with Andrea?” Rebecca demanded as he backed her from the bed into a corner. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“You’re mistaken about one thing,” Jeffrey said calmly, noting the flash of anger in Rebecca’s eyes.

“I’m not pursuing you–you’re the one who keeps appearing wherever I am,” he continued, advancing with unwavering determination. “You should have known what might happen when you came to a hotel to sell jewelry.”

“If I had known you were here,” Rebecca said, her voice steady and clear, “nothing could have made me come.”

The reason she dared to meet Stanley at the hotel was precisely because she had been here before with Jeffrey for work. Those occasions had been entirely professional–just straightforward business discussions followed occasionally by a meal downstairs, so she didn’t think much of it.

Besides, the meeting wasn’t in a private room but a conference room, which made the setting feel familiar and safe.

Jeffrey’s expression turned frosty. “Is that right?”

“Yes,” Rebecca retorted.

“Too bad we don’t get any ‘ifs‘,” Jeffrey said, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. “Today, you’re stuck with just me.”

His mouth found hers in a harsh kiss. She raised a hand to hit him, but he caught both her wrists and pinned them above her head. When she tried to kick out, he easily subdued her.

In a matter of seconds, he had her cornered against the wall, completely at his mercy.

Humiliation burned through Rebecca.

“Tears won’t get you anywhere,” he told her flatly, watching the angry tears well up in her eyes. “You should be glad it’s me. Anyone else would have been far less gentle.”

Rebecca fired back, her voice thick with

eyes turned cold as he asked,

herself to swallow the words she had been about to say. This version of Jeffrey was nothing like the man who had once doted on her, and she knew

piece of hair behind her ear, his finger tracing its curve

squeeze, she couldn’t suppress a visible

a low, rough whisper

panhandle than beg you for a damn thing,” Rebecca snapped, knowing

by her newfound nerve. “So

1/3

Chapter 15

there was no escaping him. The difference in their size

“All this talk just means you want to sleep with me,

genuine surprise; he hadn’t expected her

said, her whole demeanor shifting as she stopped resisting. “Don’t waste any more of

Jeffrey

was happening, he pulled out his phone and made a call right in front of her. “You

doing?” Rebecca asked, a

his phone away and looked at her, his eyes now completely cold and detached. “I’m making it

Rebecca’s heart sank instantly.

eyes, and only then did

cold dread washed over Rebecca as she frantically scanned the room for anything she could use to defend

sounded outside the suite. The door opened, and Stanley walked

said, his voice cold as he glanced at her

thinking,

asked, his tone carefully neutral as

and bit its owner,” Jeffrey said, his voice devoid

hesitation,” Stanley said with a

gave Rebecca one final icy glance before turning and walking away without another word. The sound of his dress shoes echoed

we shouldn’t waste this precious moment,” Stanley recited the corny line, though what he really wanted was to punch Jeffrey

Rebecca said, realizing Jeffrey wasn’t coming back. She took a steadying breath before adding, “I’d like to freshen up

tightened almost imperceptibly as he paused for a brief

blinked in surprise before recovering with a