At the entrance to the CEO’s office of Chesterfield Enterprises,
Cecilia Somerset paused to steady her breath. Just as she was about to knock, a seductive voice filtered through the heavy oak door. Startled, she instinctively pushed it open, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight that awaited her.
Seated in the plush leather chair, Henry Chesterfield lounged with a woman draped across his lap, her designer dress slipping provocatively off her shoulders. The woman’s face was unmistakable — she was a household name, a familiar face from primetime TV dramas. At that very moment, her slender arms were wound around his neck, her lips poised for a kiss.
“Henry! What the hell is going on?” Cecilia’s voice broke through the sultry atmosphere, trembling with both shock and anger.
Henry turned his head lazily, fixing her with a half-lidded gaze beneath his perfectly arched brows. Even with the shadows of fatigue etched into his chiseled features, there was no mistaking the air of authority that clung to his tall, lean frame. He exuded power effortlessly, without the need for raised voices or threats.
Annoyed at the intrusion, the woman on his lap, Emily Ashford, cast a disdainful glance toward Cecilia. “Henry, darling, just ignore her... let’s continue,” she purred, her tone honeyed and full of artful seduction, trying to reclaim his attention.
But Cecilia was far from done. With her fists clenched tight at her sides, she raised her voice, more desperate this time. “I said, Henry! This is urgent!”
Emily shot an annoyed look at Cecilia. “Who let this little pest in here?” she snapped, only to be cut off by a harsh bark.
“Get out.” Henry’s voice sliced through the room like ice, his eyes narrowing dangerously. The woman blinked, her confident smirk wavering. “Henry...” she began, her tone suddenly pitiful, but the coldness in his eyes silenced her.
“Are you deaf?” he growled, his voice low and lethal. Reluctantly, Emily slipped off his lap, casting Cecilia one last venomous glare before retreating.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Cecilia quickly locked it behind her. She turned around, expecting Henry to have retreated behind his imposing desk. Instead, he was right in front of her, his hand closing around her arm like a vice. He pushed her roughly against the wall, his icy blue eyes boring into hers with a mixture of mockery and disdain.
“So, what exactly are you trying to achieve here?” he asked, his voice low and dripping with sarcasm.
Cecilia’s heart pounded against her ribs. “Henry... what are you doing?” she stammered, her voice a thin whisper. She could hardly believe what was happening. This was her brother-in-law, the man she thought she could rely on.
Henry's lips curled into a cruel smile, his eyes gleaming with a dark amusement. “Emily’s gone. Guess you’ll just have to take her place now.” His words were laden with innuendo, the kind that sent a shiver of dread down her spine.
“What?!” Cecilia’s eyes widened in horror. This couldn’t be real. This man she once trusted, her sister’s husband — how could he...?
Desperate, she tried to appeal to whatever sliver of decency might still reside within him. “Henry, please, listen to me! I came here to ask for your help. My sister... she needs money for a surgery. I’m begging you, please...”
A sinister chuckle escaped his lips, as if he were savoring her distress. His grip tightened, yanking her even closer. “A life for a life,” he said, his voice a mere whisper against her ear, yet it was filled with menacing promise. “Your body... in exchange for your sister’s life. Fair trade, don’t you think?”
The realization of his twisted demand sent Cecilia’s heart into freefall. “No...” she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her disbelief. But before she could process the horror of his words, Henry had already yanked her toward the adjoining rest-room. He was merciless in his movements, pinning her hands above her head with one hand, while his other hand caressed her chin with a mocking gentleness that only made her skin crawl.
“There’s no backing out now,” he breathed, his voice a cruel whisper. “You want to save your sister, don’t you? Well then, be a good girl and cooperate.”
Tears of helplessness welled in Cecilia’s eyes as she finally understood the depths of his depravity. But the cold, ruthless glint in his eyes told her there was no mercy left to appeal to.
Cecilia fought like a cornered animal, her voice raw with desperation as she cried out, “Henry, you’re my brother-in-law! This is madness!”
But her words only seemed to amuse him. He let out a low, mirthless chuckle, his grip tightening as he pinned her down, his eyes darkening with a cruel glint that sent a shiver down her spine. Without warning, his lips descended again, rough and punishing, his kiss less of an embrace and more like the vicious bite of a predator finally sinking its teeth into its prey.
Every fiber of her being screamed to break free, to claw her way out of his grasp, but her limbs felt like lead, frozen under his weight. Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over uncontrollably. The taste of salt mingled with her ragged breaths, her heart thundering in her chest, but it was all futile. His assault was relentless, a merciless wave crashing over her, until—at last—he drew back.
The torment ended, leaving her lying there as if she’d been struck by a car, every nerve in her body screaming in pain. For a moment, she couldn’t even cry properly; the sobs that wracked her were more like the quiet whimpers of a wounded animal, pitiful and broken.
Henry’s scowl deepened, and in a fit of irritation, he kicked her away with a swift, callous movement of his leg. “Get out,” he barked, his voice cold and cutting.
For a heartbeat, she was paralyzed by shock, unable to process what had just happened. Then, trembling like a leaf caught in a storm, she scrambled to her feet, her hands fumbling as she tried to pull her clothes back on with whatever shreds of dignity she had left. Henry leaned back, lighting a cigarette, the glowing ember casting flickers of light against his hardened features. As the smoke curled around him, his gaze swept over the red welts and bruises on her skin, his lips curling into a disdainful sneer.
“Your parents,” he began, his voice dripping with venom, “destroyed my family. Your father’s greed and your mother’s treachery ruined everything I held dear. So don’t look so shocked now that I’ve finally settled the score. It’s only fair, isn’t it?”
Cecilia’s hands trembled so violently that her sleeve slipped off her shoulder, exposing her battered skin. Her father, Charles Somerset, had been ruthless in his ambition. Years ago, he had orchestrated a scheme to use her mother, Olivia, to seduce Henry’s father, Alexander Chesterfield. The plot had succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations—Olivia had not only married Alexander but had also driven his first wife, Henry’s mother, to her death.
And when Alexander became a mere puppet, drugged into a vegetative state, Charles had siphoned away every cent from Chesterfield Enterprises, leaving Henry to inherit nothing but ashes. The final act of cruelty came when Olivia had heartlessly pulled the plug on Alexander’s life support, leaving Henry an orphan with nothing but hatred in his heart.
Back then, Cecilia’s sister, Adeline, had been the family’s golden child, adored by everyone. But they had never realized that the charming boyfriend she brought home—Henry—had harbored nothing but a thirst for vengeance beneath his charming façade. Last year, he had risen to power almost overnight, his company devouring the remnants of the Somerset empire. And now, his revenge had reached its cruelest climax.
“So, all of this... was for revenge?” Cecilia whispered, her voice breaking as she tried to understand the depth of his malice.
She finished dressing in silence, her mind reeling. She had just reached the door when Henry’s voice, cold and taunting, stopped her in her tracks.
“Cecilia,” he called after her, his tone dripping with mockery. “Have you already forgotten about your sister, that frail, sickly thing you’re so desperate to save?”
That single word—sister—hit her like a punch to the gut. Spinning on her heel, she glared at him with wild, tear-filled eyes. “You can’t be serious! She’s your girlfriend, Henry! You claimed to love her—how can you be this heartless? Doesn’t she mean anything to you?”
Henry’s laugh was a harsh, guttural sound that sent a chill down her spine. “Love? Oh, you sweet, naïve fool. Adeline Somerset was nothing more than a pawn. Everything tied to her and your cursed family, I will obliterate. If it weren’t for your sister, if it weren’t for her lies, Lily would still be alive.”
For a brief moment, his voice faltered, an old pain flashing in his eyes before it was smothered by the familiar darkness. He took a slow, deliberate step toward Cecilia, his fingers capturing her chin with a grip that was both possessive and cruel.
“But you,” he whispered, his breath hot against her ear, “you still have a chance. If you truly want to save your precious sister, you’ll do exactly as I say.” The cruel smirk on his lips only deepened as he watched the horror and defiance flare in her eyes.
Cecilia’s mind was spinning, the weight of her predicament crushing her spirit. Anger and helplessness warred within her, but as she looked into his cold, unyielding gaze, she knew that any resistance would be futile. Her lips trembled, the words caught in her throat as she finally choked out, “I don’t want to! I won’t do this!”
Henry’s eyes narrowed, his grip tightening almost painfully. “You have no choice,” he growled, his voice as cold as the blade of a knife. “Your sister’s life or your pride. Make your decision, and make it quick.”
Cecilia’s resolve wavered as Henry’s words cut through her like shards of ice. The weight of his ultimatum pressed down on her, threatening to crush whatever fight she had left. What choice did she have? In her heart, she knew that if she walked out now, she would be leaving her sister to die. But could she really endure the darkness that Henry promised to plunge her into? As her thoughts spiraled into chaos, Henry’s gaze never wavered, pinning her to the spot.
Her decision would change everything, but which path would she choose?
