It was a rainy night.

Ariel Ocean, wearing a black raincoat, hurriedly entered a hotel, her head down, pulling her rain hat lower to cover her face as several people passed by.

As they walked past her, they whispered, "Have you heard? Ariel, the heiress of the Ocean family, got married today… and to a servant!"

"The Ocean family's daughter is so beautiful and noble. Why would she marry someone so beneath her?"

Ariel listened quietly, her eyelashes drooping, and her eyes calm.

Since her parents passed away a year ago, her uncle Eric Ocean had taken control of everything.

He took all the inheritance that her parents left behind, and now, she wasn't the Ocean family heiress anymore.

Her uncle had forced her to marry Rhysand Lee Golden, a bodyguard of the family, threatening that her parents wouldn't be properly buried in the ancestral tomb unless she obeyed.

She had no choice.

The crowd moved on, and Ariel finally arrived at a room. She knocked twice.

The door opened. A man, Callum Aimes, stood there, anxious.

Ariel stepped inside. "Callum, you called me here and said you had my father's heirloom. Where is it?"

Callum hesitated for a moment before replying, "Ariel, you got married today. I'm your ex-boyfriend. I just wanted to talk to you… so I made up the excuse."

Ariel frowned and turned to leave, but Callum grabbed her arm. "Ariel, elope with me!"

Ariel was taken aback and turned to face him, her eyes wide with shock.

"The Ocean family is forcing you to marry Rhysand, a servant! It's humiliating! Don't marry him, come with me!" Callum's voice was desperate, his fists clenched tightly.

Ariel's expression softened slightly as she responded, "You just proposed to my cousin last week. Now you want to run away with me? Aren't you getting married?"

Callum's face flushed with embarrassment. "Yes, I'm getting married… but I can still take care of you in the neighboring city."

Ariel furrowed her brow. "You want me to be your secret? Your… mistress?"

Callum adjusted his glasses and tried to remain calm. "In ancient times, men had three or four wives and concubines. It's not a big deal. After I get married, it's not too much to have one more woman. I am sincere to you. It's just a matter of status. You don't mind, do you?"

Ariel bit her lip lightly. He really had the nerve to suggest she become his mistress. She dug her nails into her palms but kept her expression emotionless.

"Tell me exactly what you want from me, and I'll consider it," she said sarcastically, though Callum didn't seem to notice.

Callum's eyes lit up. "It's simple. You don't have to work or do anything difficult. Just be there when I need you. Don't call me during regular hours so my wife won't find out. When I want to see you, I'll come to you for the night."

Ariel's stomach churned, but she kept her voice steady. "What if I get pregnant?"

"Of course, you'll have to get rid of it. It's not a big deal. You can do it alone, and I'll pay for it. By the way, I don't like using condoms. You should take pills."

He paused, then added, "If you give birth to a son, that's fine. But if it's a daughter, you'll have to get rid of it."

Ariel couldn't stand it any longer. She turned and tried to leave, but Callum grabbed her arm again, pulling her back.

"Ariel, you'd rather marry a poor man like Rhysand than be with me?" he demanded, his voice shaking with anger.

"Let me go!" Ariel pushed him away, her voice sharp. "Even if Rhysand has nothing, at least he's willing to give me respect and a proper status. He's not shameless like you, cheating while you're engaged!"

Callum was stunned by the force of her words, his handsome face twisting with fury. "Ariel, you're cheap! You've already slept with him, haven't you?!"

"No! And you're disgusting!" Ariel was trembling with rage as she turned to leave again.

But as she took a step, Callum yanked her back, causing her to lose her balance and fall onto the bed.

She looked up in horror as Callum stood over her, loosening his tie, a twisted smirk on his face.

"Ariel, you were once a proud heiress, and I respected you. I didn't even hold your hand. But now things are different. If you want to marry someone else, you have to give yourself to me first. Let me sleep with you."

Ariel felt humiliated and furious. She struggled against him, her voice shaking. "You can't touch me! I have a husband!"

"Your husband? Rhysand is just a dog raised by the Ocean family. He works for me. He wouldn't dare go against me," Callum sneered, grabbing at her collar. "Tell me, has Rhysand ever touched you? I don't like dirty women."

Ariel's eyes turned red with shame as she kicked him with all her might.

She shouldn't have trusted Callum, shouldn't have come to the hotel for her father's heirloom.

She was panicking now, regretting everything. If she didn't return home tonight, how would she face Rhysand tomorrow?

As she reached for the bedside lamp to defend herself, the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed from outside the door. Ariel's heart skipped a beat. Who could it be?

Callum heard the footsteps too and, without turning around, barked, "Didn't I tell you to wait downstairs and stop Rhysand? Get out of here!"

At that moment, a low, cold voice filled the room. "They couldn't stop me. Why don't we let Director Aimes try?"

Callum's entire body stiffened, and he froze in place. Ariel, wide-eyed and trembling, took the opportunity to push him away and scramble to her feet.

Standing in the doorway was a tall man dressed in a sharp black suit, his right hand gloved in black leather, his tie perfectly tied.

He was at least 1.9 meters tall, with chiseled features and an air of undeniable authority.

His dark eyes were cold, filled with a chilling intensity that made it hard to breathe in his presence.

With his arrival, the tension in the room thickened, the pressure almost suffocating.