CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: DELIBERATE SEDUCTION

The assistants nearby couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

Yvonne Hawthorne, oblivious to danger, poured oil on the flames, "Maybe this wild man was someone Tanya hooked up with years ago! Dad, you better not let... ah!"

Theodore Hawthorne could no longer tolerate it, and slapped her hard.

"You scoundrel, still daring to lie!"

A man’s strength far exceeds a woman’s. Infuriated, the slap from Theodore sent Yvonne Hawthorne sprawling on the floor, her head hitting the ground with a ’thud,’ and she passed out.

The assistants buried their heads even lower, wishing they could disappear on the spot.

"Yvonne!" Mother Hawthorne rushed to hold her daughter, seeing a large bump on Yvonne’s forehead, the blood oozing from her nose.

"Are you crazy?! That’s your biological daughter!" Mother Hawthorne shouted in powerless fury at Father Hawthorne while calling out, "Vincent, call an ambulance for your sister!"

"Call an ambulance for what! She won’t die!" Theodore Hawthorne bellowed, pointing at Mother Hawthorne, "Do you know how much I lost today because of your wonderful daughter? A billion! And that’s just the beginning!"

"..."

Hearing this, Mother Hawthorne’s cries were stuck in her throat. Seeing her furious husband, she drew back a little, not daring to make any more noise.

No one noticed that in the corner, the webcam on the assistant’s computer facing the living room blinked red for a moment...

The skies were overcast, and the rain descended with the night.

In the top luxury suite of a certain high-end business club.

The five-hundred-square-meter space even included a heated indoor pool. The lighting was adjusted to the hormone-stimulating dark red.

Around the pool were young men and women indulging recklessly under the guise of playing games.

The gathering was arranged by Zion Monroe, but tonight, he dared not be too wild; at least, no one was undressed to the adult-rated level yet.

Because, there was a notable figure present.

Declan Pierce sat on the corner sofa; the dark red sofa was originally a catalyst for desire, but sitting in his white shirt and black trousers, his innate chilling aura seemed to saturate the sofa, making it complacent to accommodate him.

Declan amused himself with his phone, opening a video sent by his subordinate, expertly edited to highlight Yvonne Hawthorne getting slapped to the ground by Theodore, knocking her unconscious, quite a spectacle.

He narrowed his long, deep eyes and beckoned Zion Monroe, who was soaking in the water, with a finger.

Zion Monroe immediately let go of the two beauties in his arms, came ashore, accepted the robe from the server, and walked over to Declan Pierce.

"Brother Pierce, fancy anyone? I’ll have them accompany you!"

Declan gave him a kick, "I’ll send you a video, spread it. I want the whole of Aris to know."

"Don’t worry about my work!" Zion Monroe replied while opening the video Declan sent. The more he watched, the more familiar the woman getting hit seemed, "Isn’t this The Hawthorne Family’s...?"

Declan lazily leaned back, closed his eyes, and said without emotion, "Take your people and get out."

Implication being, he wanted to rest.

Declan had severe insomnia, so if he felt sleepy, he could rest anywhere.

Zion Monroe signaled, and the music stopped.

The people soaked in the pool looked at each other.

Zion Monroe: "Brother Pierce needs to rest, hurry up and leave, change the place!"

Though Zion Monroe was overly obedient in front of Declan Pierce, his reputation as the top playboy in the circle was not for nothing. The name of The Monroe Family in Plain River was ground-shaking wherever it was thrown.

Once he spoke, naturally, no one dared delay and immediately got up and left.

Except for a sexy woman in a red short skirt, who hadn’t been in the water, hiding in the corner, stayed. Her attention lay on Declan Pierce, who was resting with eyes closed on the sofa.

She had initially come for Zion Monroe tonight, playing coy all night, intending to raise her worth, but now... she changed her target.

She didn’t know Declan Pierce, but seeing how obedient Zion Monroe was, she figured this man certainly held significant sway.

When the place quieted down, the woman, in fine rhinestone-strapped heels, swayed her waist over to Declan Pierce resting with his eyes closed, and directly sat down.

Just entered Janne Hayes saw this scene, almost scared to death.

Crazy, daring to approach Declan Pierce while he’s sleeping!

The woman sweetly leaned closer, "Mr. Pierce, isn’t it boring to sleep...?"

From a distance, she noticed the man’s broad shoulders and narrow waist, long legs, with a superb physique, but upon closer, his face was so handsome it made her breath tremble, and her heartbeat somewhat out of control.

Declan, having just closed his eyes, was awakened by the disturbance, smelled an overwhelming perfume scent, and grew more irritated.

He emotionlessly lifted his eyes, tiredness entwining his abyss-like eyes, such deep eye contact appeared to have a soul-captivating allure.

Under his gaze, the woman went weak in the knees, softly leaning into Declan.

"How about... I keep you company?"

Such a handsome man, even if she didn’t gain anything, a night with him was worth it!

"Keep me company?" Declan cracked a smile, his jet-black eyes amusedly gliding from the woman’s alluring face to her slender neck.

Just being observed like this made the woman feel heat creeping over her whole body.

However, the next second, she heard Declan coldly utter one sentence.

"But I don’t sleep with the living."

Before the woman could react, she was grabbed by the neck and thrust onto the sofa, while Declan, with his other hand, leisurely pulled out the fruit knife from the fruit platter, the sharp blade dangling before her eyes, reflecting a chilling light, then forcefully stabbing down!

"Ah!!" The woman screamed in terror.

The knife tip halted less than half a centimeter from her eye.

The woman burst into tears out of physiological fear, pleading, "I was wrong, I’m sorry, I was wrong... Please forgive me..."

Declan eerily laughed, "With such limited courage, you think you can sleep with me?"

The man’s obsidian-like eyes showed no warmth, under the dark red light, exuding a frenzied ruthlessness.

The blade’s edge scraped coldly past the woman’s face, piercing the sofa beneath her, crimson as if it were her own blood.

Declan spared not another glance at the terrified woman and left directly.

Even long after he left, the woman remained curled up on the sofa, shivering, teeth chattering, before she finally muttered a quivering curse, "Lunatic!"

...

Janne Hayes tailed closely behind Declan, almost feeling the murderous aura emanating from him, daring not make a sound.

This lord’s temper was already quite mediocre, being disturbed during sleep, it completely exploded.

"Car keys." Declan instructed.

Janne Hayes promptly handed over the car keys.

Declan directly got in the car, took the driver’s seat, and drove away with one step on the gas, leaving Janne in a disarray in the wind.

Declan drove around the city in circles, the night deepening circle by circle, until the car stopped, he saw from afar Tanya Sinclair’s new marital villa.

He once saw her arm-in-arm with Vincent Hawthorne at the furniture store, eyes full of joy, laughing so brightly... utterly foolish.

Declan slightly tilted his head back, closing his eyes.

The night was windless.

He picked up his phone, opened a saved recording, it was short, only four seconds.

Declan played it, listening at his ear.

It was from years ago, Tanya Sinclair’s voice, clear yet tinged with nervousness.

’Well... goodnight, Declan.’

He closed his eyes, listening quietly, over and over.

This was a goodnight he conned.

At the time, he didn’t know this phrase would accompany him for seven years.

’Well... goodnight, Declan.’