Kylie stumbled forward, her high heels twisting awkwardly as her ankle gave way. She crashed to the ground, falling to her knees with a loud "thud".

A sharp pain shot through her knees. Instinctively, she reached out to steady herself, her palms pressing against the cold floor. Her hair, which had been carefully styled, now spilled messily around her face, blocking her view.

At that moment, her forehead was less than five inches from Jonathan's custom Italian leather shoes.

The woman in Jonathan's lap let out a high-pitched scream, her hands clutching at him as she flung herself into his chest.

"Mr. Sinclair! That scared me!"

However, Jonathan remained calm and unbothered. He raised one foot, gently pressing the toe of his shoe under Kylie's chin, lifting her face to meet his. His gaze was sharp, his words dripping with disdain.

"Is this how you apologize?"

Jonathan had always been aloof, never one to stoop to such levels with others. It was clear he was still angry.

Samuel could tell, and he couldn't help but scoff. "Was it you? You're the one who dared to hurt Mr. Sinclair?"

With that, Samuel stepped forward, raising his hand and patting Kylie lightly on the cheek.

Kylie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before speaking in a soft voice. "Mr. Sinclair, I'm sorry for offending you earlier. I truly apologize."

Samuel sneered, then grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the table, opening it with a flourish before holding it up to Kylie's lips.

"An apology requires sincerity, doesn't it?"

Kylie hesitated, glancing down at the bottle before her. She slowly took it from him, and still kneeling, she poured whiskey into Jonathan's glass.

Once again, she softly said, "Mr. Sinclair, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Jonathan eyed the glass in his hand, swirling the liquid slowly. After a moment, he raised his hand and poured the entire contents over Kylie's head.

The cold liquid soaked through her hair, trickling down her scalp, flowing down her neck, and dripping into her blouse.

"Drink the whole bottle," Jonathan's cold voice echoed above her.

Kylie hadn't expected him to be so harsh. Fear tightened in her chest, but she knew that refusing him would only make things worse.

She looked up at him, pleading silently with her eyes, hoping for mercy.

But Jonathan showed no signs of yielding. His eyes were as cold as his tone, his focus unwavering as he shook his glass.

The woman sitting on Jonathan's lap was a rising star, and she looked increasingly irritated. Tonight had been her chance to climb the social ladder, and she had already made herself comfortable in Jonathan's lap. But this interruption had completely ruined her moment.

Without a word, she stood up and slapped Kylie across the face, her voice sharp as she commanded, "Asking you to drink was a courtesy. Don't push your luck!"

Jonathan's hand trembled slightly around his glass, and a flicker of something that could almost be mistaken for regret surged in his chest.

Kylie's face was burning from the slap, and she had no choice but to comply. She lifted the bottle with respect, holding it to her lips as she drank deeply, tilting her head back. The smooth curve of her neck was visible as she swallowed, the movement subtle but alluring. The faint marks Jonathan had left on her skin earlier seemed to glow under the light.

The sharp sting of the whiskey hit Kylie hard, leaving her feeling nauseous. She swallowed it down, fighting the urge to gag. Then, in a hoarse voice, she said again, "Mr. Sinclair, please forgive me."

Jonathan remained silent, his expression cold and unreadable.

Kylie had been with him for three years without ever questioning him. She had never dared to oppose him. Jonathan hadn't anticipated that she would actually hurt him today.

He simply wanted to teach her a lesson and make sure she remembered who held the power.

The dim, flickering lights cast an almost seductive glow on Kylie's skin, her chest rising and falling with each breath, the curve of her body impossible to ignore.

She was undeniably beautiful, a perfect vision of temptation.

Samuel couldn't help but swallow, feeling a twinge of sympathy. He turned to Jonathan, his voice softer than before.

"Bro, this girl's probably new. She doesn't know the rules. A little lesson should be enough, right? It's my birthday, after all. Look, the cake still isn't cut. Let's not let this spoil the mood."

He glanced at Jonathan, waiting for a response.

Jonathan remained silent, giving no objection, which seemed like a silent agreement to Samuel's words.

"Why don't you quickly thank Mr. Sinclair? He won't hold today's incident against you," Samuel said to Kylie.

Kylie lowered her gaze, her long lashes shadowing her face, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Thank you, Mr. Sinclair. Thank you, Mr. Quinton."

The woman still draped over Jonathan's lap rolled her eyes and impatiently said, "Hurry up and get lost."

Kylie rose, her knees already bruised from the prolonged kneeling. With her head bowed, she quickly exited the room.

Jonathan furrowed his brow and grabbed the restless hand of the woman next to him, coldly tossing it aside.

Once she was out of the room, Kylie finally relaxed. She had drunk too much earlier, and now her head was spinning.

She rushed to the restroom, sticking her finger down her throat and vomiting for a while. The sharp, bitter taste of liquor lingered in her mouth.

She splashed cold water on her face, the sting from the slaps still burning her cheeks.

As she walked out of the restroom, Kylie bumped into a man coming from the other way.

A strong scent of cigars hit her, and she looked up to see Samuel.

Kylie immediately sensed something was wrong. Was Samuel here to cause trouble for her again?

"Sorry, Mr. Quinton," Kylie quickly apologized and tried to move away, but Samuel placed his hand on the door, trapping her.

"Coco?"

Samuel looked at the name tag on her chest and read it aloud with a teasing tone, but his gaze was burning, fixed on Kylie's chest.

Samuel was as tall as Jonathan, probably about 5 feet 11 inches. With that height difference, he could easily look down on Kylie's curvy figure.

Kylie could feel the desire in Samuel's eyes. She quickly covered her chest with her hands, terrified.

Samuel chuckled, pried her hands apart, and stuffed a stack of cash between her breasts.

"What if you came with me?" Samuel said, and Kylie was obviously surprised at his words. "Think about it."

He smirked and released her.

Once Samuel left, Kylie sighed in relief. Did rich men always like women like her?

She pulled out the cash from her chest, pondering.

In the distance, a tall, slender figure passed by.

Kylie didn't know, but Jonathan had witnessed everything that had just happened.

A man with an intense possessive streak, Jonathan's heart was now a mix of conflicting emotions.

When Jonathan returned to the V8 room from the restroom, his face was dark. Samuel tried to pull him into cutting the cake together, but Jonathan shook him off.

Samuel felt awkward, completely unaware that his teasing of Kylie earlier had crossed Jonathan's line.

Jonathan's mind was consumed with thoughts of Kylie's vulnerable, pitiable expression. He regretted it a little, but he couldn't bring himself to accept the way she had acted.

He had always seen her as nothing more than an obedient lover, so why did he suddenly seem to care about her today?

Feeling restless and increasingly irritated, he didn't stay long before getting up and leaving.

The cake hadn't even been cut, but Jonathan was already gone. That left Samuel feeling a bit embarrassed.

This wasn't the first time Jonathan had embarrassed Samuel in public. But what could he do? Jonathan was Samuel's cousin, after all. Samuel gritted his teeth and endured it.

-

A black luxury car was already waiting at the entrance of the club. As soon as Jonathan stepped outside, his assistant, Michael Lester, hurried to open the car door for him.

Jonathan said nothing, his face still grim. After a long pause, he finally spoke to Michael.

"I don't want Kylie showing up here again."

"Understood," Michael replied immediately.

Jonathan massaged his temple with his long fingers and added, "And that starlet, whatever her name was—make sure she never gets another role."

Michael was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on and answered, "Got it."

However, Michael was inwardly confused.

What rising star? Who was that?

Either way, it didn't matter who it was. If they offended Jonathan, they wouldn't last long in the industry.

Once Jonathan got into the car, Michael handed him a clean shirt.

As Jonathan removed the alcohol-stained shirt in the spacious backseat, his eyes landed on the lipstick stain at the collar. He frowned slightly, a surge of jealousy rising within him. He didn't want to show it too obviously, but the strong sense of possessiveness was impossible to ignore.

Looking out the window for a long time, Jonathan finally spoke coldly.

"Drive."

On the other side, Lily received a call. With a troubled expression, she relayed the message to Kylie.

"Kylie, you don't need to come in tomorrow."

"Why? Is it because of Jonathan?"

Kylie was furious. Even though she had hurt Jonathan tonight, it was because he had forced her into it in the first place. Plus, she had already apologized. How could Jonathan be so ruthless?

Rich people really did whatever they wanted.

Without this part-time job, her monthly income would be reduced. What would she do about her brother's medical bills?

Kylie couldn't accept it. She thought if she couldn't work at this place, she could find another. Jonathan couldn't possibly blacklist her from every club in Jorundale, could he?

Lily seemed to guess what Kylie was thinking. With a tone of regret, she tried to convince her.

"I'm afraid you'll have trouble finding another job at a different nightclub. Maybe it's time to switch careers."

Kylie felt helpless. Clearly, she was the one who had been abandoned by Jonathan. So, how did working a part-time job at the nightclub upset him again?

Jonathan said he didn't want his woman working at nightclubs. Did that mean he still cared for her?

But Jonathan's actions tonight had clearly shown his disgust and disregard for her. He even made her drink an entire bottle of whiskey, knowing she couldn't handle it...

At that thought, Kylie felt a lump in her throat.

She had been Jonathan's secret lover for three years, and she had been nothing more than his plaything.

Their dates always took place at his villa.

On the bed, on the couch, in the bathtub—he seemed to never tire, always insatiable.

What Jonathan cared about was just her body. Once he was bored, he discarded her without a second thought.

That day had been Kylie's birthday. Jonathan had messaged her, asking her to come to the villa that night. She thought maybe he was planning a surprise for her, but the chances of that were slim. Still, Kylie couldn't help but feel excited.

But when she arrived at the villa, Jonathan was nowhere to be found.

He had always been punctual in the past. But this time, Kylie waited for a long time. Her makeup had smudged, and still, there was no sign of him.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the door of the villa opened.

However, it wasn't Jonathan who walked in. It was Michael.

"Sorry, Ms. Cooper. Mr. Sinclair asked me to take you home."

Kylie felt a pang of disappointment, but she obediently followed Michael into the car.

When she got home, Kylie stared at her phone, waiting for Jonathan's call. She couldn't shake the feeling that he would explain his absence.

But in the end, what Kylie received from Jonathan was a short, cold message, [You don't have to come over anymore.]

She clearly remembered the emptiness she felt as soon as she read those words.

She mustered up the courage several times to call him, wanting to ask Jonathan why. But every time she dialed his number, she hesitated and hung up.

Later, when she finally called him, all she heard on the other end was, "The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable."

Kylie knew that she was just his kept woman.

Over the years, she had taken plenty of money from him, and their arrangement had always been mutually beneficial. Why should she care about a few comforting words or some baseless explanation from him?

He must have just gotten bored. For rich, spoiled guys like him, it was nothing new.

Kylie tried to console herself. Her relationship with Jonathan had always been about simple, physical attraction, nothing more. If she tried to make it about love, it just didn't feel right.

So, she sent him a simple reply, [Okay.]

Then, she cried for Jonathan all night.

During the day, Kylie worked at the Jorundale Real Estate Development Group. It was a company that handled numerous commercial and residential projects.

As soon as she arrived at the office this morning, her colleague, Lana Lewis, came over to gossip.

"Did you hear? We're getting a new CEO!"

"A new CEO?" Kylie was confused.

"You really don't keep up with what's happening with the higher-ups, huh?" With a sigh, Lana continued to explain. "The shareholders have changed, and the Sinclair Group is now the major shareholder. They're sending a new CEO to manage us."

Lana's face lit up with excitement as she spoke, practically glowing with anticipation.

"Are you seriously swooning over the new CEO?" Kylie asked, opening her computer as she gave Lana a puzzled look.

"Well, he's a total heartthrob! I bet no girl in the company will be able to resist him!"

Lana clasped her hands together as if in prayer, her mind filled with a fantasy, as though she was already imagining the new CEO noticing her.

Seeing Lana so dedicated to her admiration, Kylie couldn't help but feel curious, so she asked, "How handsome can he really be?"

"Seriously, he's stunning! Wait a sec, I'll show you a picture."

Lana quickly pulled out her phone and began searching for photos of the new CEO online.

In less than three seconds, Lana handed the phone to Kylie.

"Look, isn't he handsome? I'm calling him my new celebrity crush!"

Kylie glanced at the phone screen, and the familiar face of the man caught her eye.

His sharp nose, strong jawline, captivating eyes, thick dark hair—everything was so familiar to Kylie.