Chapter 225
Maxwell sat slumped in the leather seat of his Porsche Cayenne. His eyes were shut tight, fingers massaging his temples. A cigarette dangled from his other hand, its ember glowing with each occasional drag.
Sophia hesitated outside the car. She wanted to explain herself but couldn't summon the courage. Maxwell's current expression promised nothing but trouble for whoever crossed him now.
Yet staying silent would be just as dangerous.
Maxwell had introduced her to Lillian. That woman treated her worse than dirt, even crushing her fingers beneath her heel. But if she left Lillian's side, who else would give her the time of day?
Not even Sophia valued herself anymore.
Perhaps if she endured long enough, Lillian might finally grant her a real opportunity.
As the Porsche sped away, Sophia flagged down a taxi. "Follow that car," she instructed the driver.
Maxwell returned to his bar.
He chose a secluded window seat, letting the night breeze cool his face while swirling the dark red liquid in his glass. Within minutes, half the bottle was gone.
A waiter approached cautiously. "Sir, that's too strong for an empty stomach." The high-proof liquor could knock out most men.
Maxwell dismissed him with a wave.
Pouring another glass, he'd hoped the alcohol would dull his thoughts. Instead, his mind grew sharper.
Evelyn Sinclair!
That breathtaking woman!
Her graceful silhouette at the bus stop haunted him. The alcohol dragged him back five years - before prison.
His childhood friend had invited him for drinks after asking a favor. The friend boasted about acquiring a virgin through a broker, offering Maxwell first rights.
Such transactions never interested him.
Still, he'd agreed to look.
In the dim nightclub, Maxwell sat regally on the couch as a fragile figure entered his line of sight.
Evelyn stood bathed in soft light, eyes downcast, too shy to meet anyone's gaze.
Among all the women Maxwell had known, Evelyn was the most delicate - like a flower that would bruise at the slightest touch.
Her cheap white dress and worn canvas shoes screamed poverty.
Strangely, Maxwell couldn't bring himself to touch this timid girl with her innocent face.
Despite his experience with women, something about her made him hold back.
Eighteen-year-old Evelyn was like an unripe peach - showing promise but still bitter and hard.
"Do you know how to please a man?" Maxwell had asked.
"N-no... but I can learn..." Her stammered reply took visible effort. She bit her lip afterward, brows knitting in pain.
Maxwell imagined how she'd blossom with time.
Rather than corrupt her, he'd negotiated with the broker that night to purchase her freedom.
Everything was settled - just the payment remained.
Then came the call.
Another buyer had closed the deal, offering full financial and medical support to Evelyn's family.
"Who?" Maxwell's voice shook.
"The buyer's assistant completed the transaction. Said his employer was a man in his fifties wanting a childbearer," the broker admitted.
Maxwell smashed his phone against the wall.
He despised that old man preying on a young girl.
That memory festered for years.
Five years after prison, he saw that familiar face at Blackwood Manor...
No longer wearing that cheap dress, Evelyn had matured into a luscious, ripe peach.
Someone had stolen what was rightfully his.
Dominic Blackwood - that beast - had taken the girl Maxwell once protected!
Now consumed by revenge, Maxwell would stop at nothing to claim Evelyn.
Was it the mature woman who tempted him now? Or did he still yearn for that unripe girl from years past?
Evelyn Sinclair wasn't some fruit to be plucked.
Humans had souls.
Playing with them was easy. Truly possessing one? Nearly impossible.
Sophia watched from a distance as Maxwell drained glass after glass. Only when he swayed drunkenly did she approach.
"Let me help you upstairs," she offered, hoping to curry favor.
"Who... who are you?" Maxwell's bleary eyes saw only Evelyn's face.
Sophia guided him upstairs.
Maxwell staggered but kept most weight off her, gripping the banister instead.
Inside the room, he pinned Sophia onto a blood-red couch near the door.
Never had he been so gentle. His heated kisses trailed her skin, each breath heavy with desire...