LESLIE'S POV

The man's lips were soft and felt rather good to touch. My intention was just to press my lips to his for a little while and then pull away but now....I found it hard to do exactly that.

My hands tightened around his neck as I unconsciously kissed him deeper. The man in question freezes and I couldn't feel his hands on my body, meaning that his hands were by his side.

Shit, what am I doing?

I moved my lips away from him and took a step back but the man suddenly grabbed my waist and pulled me back into him before claiming my lips again.

My eyes widened as he delved into my lips with the expertise of someone that has done this quite a number of times. My eyes closed and I returned his kisses, lick for lick, bite for bite, suck for suck. His hand goes behind my head as he angled me so he can devour my lips properly.

The sound of murmurs behind me had my eyes snapping in shock. What the hell? I pushed the man and turned back to see our audience looking at us with wide eyes.

I guessed that was really quite the performance.

"Ah, we will leave now," I grin and spare Leslie and Adam a glance before hurrying away. They looked flabbergasted and my heart swelled with pride in my chest.

I grabbed the man's hard and pulled him with me. He was a sturdy man and if he didn't want to leave with me, there is no way I could have pulled him.

When we were a safe distance away from the garden and secured behind a pillar. I dropped his hand and bowed immediately. "I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me. I didn't mean to kiss you."

The man's brown eyes that stared at me with disdain earlier flourished with intrigue now.

"Thank you for saving me back then," I continued. I dug into my pocket and pulled out all the money I had stuffed in there. "Here, take this for your trouble. This is really all I have so for me to give them all to you, I must be really sorry." I put the bills in his hands and closed his fingers around them. "Thank you once again. I will leave now."

I waved at him and hurried back to the kitchen. I hope Mother has not noticed my disappearance yet. I sneak back into the kitchen and take another serving of drinks that the bartender has just served.

I smiled at him and grabbed the drinks before joining the party. I noticed Mother at the end of the room still socializing and my heart beat finally slowed. She didn't notice.

Thank God.

I smirked as I noticed Liliana coming back into the hall with Adam nowhere in sight. I had won this round but I knew she would attack very very soon. I had to be prepared for it.

~∆~

I blinked my eyes open as I turned in bed, the small, tiny window in the attic was my only source of sunlight. I was so stupid to have regarded a human as that. Nothing can beat the actual sun.

My tears teared up and I buried my face in my pillow. Due to my daring actions yesterday, adrenaline coursed through my veins till the party ended and after it ended, I just dropped in bed and slept off. I was too tired to mourn the loss I felt.

But this morning, I had none of that and my sadness finally crawled to the forefront and spilled through my eyes.

What was I to do with Adam? He was everything I knew. He was the person that I have known and loved for five years. Yet, I was supposed to live without him now?

A knock sounded on the door, interrupting my moment of vulnerability.

"Yes?" I reply, my voice shaky with tears.

"It's time to prepare breakfast."

"Alright, I'm coming," I sat up and wiped my eyes. I had forgotten that in this house, I don't even have the luxury to be sad.

I grab my washing materials and leave the attic to go to the bathroom at the end of the hall, one that I share with the rest of the servants. I washed within ten minutes, any longer and I would be late to the kitchen.

I put on my dress that had seen better days and hurried to the kitchen. I immediately put on an apron and join in the frenzy. I managed to get there on time.

Mother won't be able to hit me too much.

Due to the many hands involved, the simple breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausages and eggs got done in no time. According to Mother's orders, I always have to be the only one serving breakfasts.

When I carried the stack of pancakes out, Mother, Father and Liliana were already seated. As I set the plate down, Liliana glanced at me and laughed before looking away.

My eyebrows furrowed as I pondered over her reaction. I expected her to look at me with contempt and anger, not this look of....mockery and pity.

I won last night, didn't I?

I hurried back to the kitchen even though I was full of questions and eventually the breakfast table was full. I stayed around while they served themselves in case they had orders for me.

Father's daily newspaper vendor came in and handed over the day's edition to him. He left afterwards. Father immediately stopped eating, put on his glasses and started to read as he always did.

Breakfast continued quietly until Father frowned and sat up. He adjusted his glasses and read whatever shocked him again.

"What is this?" He muttered before looking at me, the first notice from him in months. "Leslie, why does this person look like you?"

"What do you mean?" Mother asked him. Liliana on the other hand, hid her face behind her palm to hide her laughter.

My heart started to palpitate as Father passed the papers to Mother and she read it. Her eyes blazed as she looked up at me.

"You bitch, what the hell have you done?" She stood up and walked over to me. I only had a chance to blink before her hand met my cheek and I collapsed to the floor from the force.

She threw the newspaper beside me and I finally had the chance to find out what I did wrong.

'Mysterious Kiss Shocks High Society: Elusive Billionaire Saint Baxter Caught in Midnight Scandal With Unknown Woman!'

The Headline on the page is bold and hard to miss. Two things had my blood running cold.

One, the picture on the page is one of me and the mystery man.

Two, the name Saint Baxter.

I didn't know the face but I knew the name.

Saint Baxter. CEO of the Baxter empire and head of the Baxter clan. Billionaire. A man that terrorizes the heart of men in the boardroom and the heart of women in the bedroom.

I had kissed that Saint Baxter.

LESLIE'S POV

Was I dreaming?

Have I woken up in a parallel universe where I could have been so daring as to do something like this?

"This...this," I said as I grabbed the newspaper. What could I possibly say? It's not true?

Liliana laughed loudly, attracting my attention. No wonder she had that look in her eyes earlier. When did she find out? Was it immediately I took that stupid move or did she discover through the blogs too?

"Mum and Dad, I was there yesterday when it happened. I tried to stop her but she stupidly clinged to him, claiming he was her boyfriend," Liliana chuckles. "I had to let her be."

I closed my eyes as mortification washed over me. And there I was thinking I had won, the whole time she was mocking me and watching me dig my own grave.

Why did I ever try to rebel? I should have known someone like me could only sit back and watch when I was being bullied and mistreated.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Mother screamed in my face. "If not for the Guilds' close relationship with the Baxters, do you think such a powerful man would come to the Webster's lowly celebration banquet? Yet, you went ahead to do this? Won't you be satisfied until you run this family to the ground?"

As always, I lowered my eyes to the ground and didn't dare look up when she was scolding me. This time, she was right.

How could I have been so stupid and careless?

"Honey, say something." She turns to her husband. "I already told you to chase this fool out of this house and remove her name from the family register but you refused. Have you seen the consequences of your choice now? The Baxters will ruin whatever is left of us. All for this mistress's daughter."

"Can you keep quiet and let me think?" Father yelled. "Do you think I don't know how grave this situation is?" He turned to me. "Raise your head up, Leslie." I did as he asked. "Why did you make this mistake?"

"Why are you still asking her? It's obviously because the blood of a mistress runs in her veins. It's because she's a whore like her mother. She is ready to cling to any wealthy man so she can pave the way for herself," Mother sneers and literally spits on me.

I looked down to avoid the slimy liquid from getting in my eyes. I didn't dare wipe it off.

"Leslie, answer the question I asked you."

"I didn't know. I'm sorry," I said, my throat starting to get clogged.

"There she goes again with the crocodile tears," Liliana rolls her eyes.

"See, Richard, we have to save ourselves before the Baxters come for us. We are innocent." Mother returned to her seat. "Post a press release and let the world know our stance on this. We have no idea about what happened but we are willing to release the lady unto the Baxters to punish as they see fit."

It was what I expected Mother to say but my heart still clenched at her words. The people who were supposed to be my family were throwing me out to the wolf.

"Who is there?" Mother calls out. I heard footsteps behind me but I didn't look back. "Lock Leslie in her room. Don't give her food or water until I say otherwise."

"Yes, Madam."

I didn't bother crying and pleading when they picked me up and started to drag me up the stairs. I have learnt from experience that it was of no use.

I curled up into a ball when they pushed me inside and the click of the door sounded behind me. I turned to the door, noticing the amount of nail scratches on it from the number of times I have been locked up.

I lean my head against it, my eyes tearing up. I was torn between sadness and fear. Sadness from the way I was being treated and fear from what Saint Baxter will do to me.

He should have pushed me. At least embarrassment would be a better fate than whatever punishment would be meted out to me.

I was stupid enough to give him all my money too. As if money was even the least of his worries.

"Mum," I sobbed. "Where are you? You're alive, aren't you? Then why are you hiding from me?"

Mum would never have let me be treated like this. Mum would have fought for me.

~∆~

I blinked my eyes open as I heard the door clicking open. That was weird. Anytime Mother locked me, I was usually left for days, so long sometimes that I started to get worried that maybe they had forgotten me here. If my room didn't have enough ventilation from the small window, I would have died from suffocation.

How long has it been this time?

I moved back from the door just as a maid entered. "The whole family is waiting for you in the sitting room."

My heart dropped to my stomach again. That couldn't be good.

"What time is it please?" I grabbed my aching head.

"It's almost dinnertime," she replied. I slept throughout the day, it seemed.

I nodded and followed the maid down to the sitting room. Unlike the tense atmosphere during breakfast, everybody was relaxed as they lounged around on the sofa.

"It's good that you sent out that press release on time," Mother was saying. "Else, we might have been implicated in this lawsuit too."

What lawsuit?

"Oh, you are here?" Liliana grins, announcing my presence. "That, right there, is a present for you." I looked at the coffee table she was pointing at. There was an envelope on it.

"Yes. Go ahead and take it." Mother urged. Father, as usual, stayed silent and read the newspapers.

I walked slowly towards the table, my legs shaky. I grabbed the envelope and opened it. A stack of papers was in it. I pulled them out and read the front page.

'IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF BELLEVIEW

STATE OF AURELIA

SAINT ALEXANDER BAXTER,

Plaintiff,

Vs.

LESLIE MARIE WEBSTER,

Defendant.

Case No.: 25-CV-9817

Assigned Judge: Hon. Rebecca M. Carlisle

CIVIL COMPLAINT FOR:

1. Public Harassment

2. Unlawful Physical Contact

3. Emotional Distress & Reputational Damage

4. Public Misconduct.

My eyes widened and I instantly turned the page as if to prove myself wrong but the words on the next page stared back at me as if mocking me.

'The plaintiff, a well-known public figure worldwide, claims that on the evening of September 14th, at a private Guild Group banquet, the defendant aggressively approached, made unwanted physical contact, and then caused public disturbance, resulting in serious damage to the plaintiff's reputation and financial loss. Plaintiff claims that because of the Defendant's deliberate, careless, and emotionally unstable actions, unapproved photos and media conjecture about Plaintiff's private life were circulated.'

I turned the page again and kept reading until I got to Plaintiff Demands.

1.$25,000,000 in compensatory damages for damages resulting from the incident to the plaintiff's psychological distress, business reputation, and emotional well-being.

2. Punitive Damages of $50,000,000 to "reflect the gravity of Defendant's actions against a high-profile figure" and "discourage future misconduct."

3. $5,000,000 for the cost of a security upgrade for increasing the size of his private security detail as a result of heightened public awareness.

4. The costs of emotional distress therapy, which include mind-body treatment sessions, therapeutic retreats, and private psychiatric consultations, total $7,250,000.

5. A Full-Page Public Apology Is Required.

6. A Legally Binding No-Contact Order for 5 Years Barring Defendant from approaching within 100 meters of Plaintiff or any Baxter property worldwide.

7. A civil penalty of $13,000,000 for reckless endangerment.

TOTAL MONETARY RELIEF REQUESTED:

$100,250,000 (One Hundred Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars)

+ Non-monetary penalties, public disclosures, and long-term restrictions.

My legs gave out from under me and I collapsed to the ground.