I didn't know why Lilith had pulled such a stunt tonight, but I had a vague idea that it was another one of her ways to humiliate me.

She was going to pay me to sleep with her. If I had taken her money and climbed into bed with her, she would likely mock me for it forever. Whatever shred of dignity I had maintained in her presence would crumble into nothing.

Lilith was a dangerous and vicious woman, and her sharp wits were lethal too. She knew exactly how to push my buttons.

After leaving the hotel, I stopped by the hospital. The emotions roiling in me calmed down as I took in Anna's unconscious profile. Whatever resentment I had always disappeared when I saw her.

I just wished she would wake up soon.

I showed up at work as usual the next day. 18 more days until I was done with this hellhole. I had to admit, I was curious about what manner of torture Lilith had come up with for me t

I shot Adam a wary look. "What are you doing, Mr. Ziegler?"

Adam chuckled. "Leon, there's no bad blood between us, right? We don't always have to be at each other's throats. If you help me, the 200 thousand dollars is yours. And I can get Lilith to cut you some slack."

I snorted. Was this guy trying to bribe me? 

"What do you need me to do?" I asked, eager to hear what the shameless swindler had to say.

"I want to marry Lilith," he declared.

I nearly sputtered. After spectacularly failing to score a business deal with Lilith's company, Adam resorted to marriage instead. The sheer audacity of his plan was comedy gold.

However, I didn't want to get involved in any of Lilith's personal affairs. I would be free after 18 days, and that wretched woman would have nothing to do with me anymore.

"How about it, Leon? Will you help me?" Adam asked, confident that I would say yes.

To his dis

I was still forced to work in the corridor, and many scoffed at my return to the company. Everyone knew where I stood in the company's hierarchy—I was nothing more than the Storms' lapdog.

Still, the other employees were courteous to me, if only on the surface.

It was getting late by the time I wrapped up the day's work. I did a quick calculation. The day had passed by peacefully, leaving me with only 19 days to the end of the contract.

As I was getting ready to go home after work, Lilith called me. I reluctantly answered her call. 

She was so drunk I could practically smell the alcohol through the phone. "Get over, you scum. Come pick me up!"

I drove to the bar and found Lilith swaying on the dance floor. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol and stale cigarette smoke. It was a den of vices where men and women shed their inhibitions and blew off steam.

I staked out a seat along the wall and waited for Lilith to get off the dance floor. Surprisingly, she had come alone tonight. 

She rarely went to bars without at least a couple of studs flanking her. In the absence of studs, a few men had surrounded her, feeling her up and taking advantage of her inebriated state.

Their touch and leering gazes seemed to spur on her wild dancing.

I sat watching her, my face bland as I waited for her to stop swaying to the music. When she finally had enough dancing, she traipsed over and slurred, "Take me back to my room."

I said nothing as I brought her upstairs and led her into the suite I had booked for her. I was about to leave when she grabbed my arm. "Leon, stay the night with me."

My brows furrowed. She hated me with a passion, yet she wanted me to spend the night with her in the sheets. She must be out of her mind.

Needless to say, I hated her more than she hated me. I couldn't even look at her without wanting to retch, much less touch her. I pointed out coldly, "You're drunk, Ms. Storm."

Just as I pulled away from her to leave, Lilith straightened up and slapped me across the face. "I told you to fucking stay with me, you bastard! What part of that do you not understand?"

She glowered at me, rage and contempt filling her eyes as she spat, "You make me sick with your two-faced act, Leon. You're a bitch one second, then a proper gentleman with morals the next. What the hell are you pretending for?

"Didn't you stay put in my family because of me? I'm giving you a chance now, so take it, you damn piece of trash!"

I could have thrown up at those words. She had come up with a plethora of ways to humiliate me in the last three years. I could overlook that, but the one thing that got on my nerves was when she said I couldn't live without her.

She thought I was slaving away for her family because of her and the money. I wondered where she got the gall to spew such conceited nonsense.

"Ms. Storm, my contract with your father stipulates that I only run the company's operations and manage your daily life. It does not include bedroom services. I'm sorry."

She snorted. "Got it. So you're after money, huh? Fine, then! I'll pay you ten thousand dollars if you spend the night with me!"

As she said this, she fished out a bank card and hurled it at my face.

"Ms. Storm, you've had too much to drink," I warned, nearly grimacing. It disgusted me that she was trying to challenge my boundaries and insult my dignity.

"Leon, just drop the fucking noble act already! Do you know how many people are dying to sleep with me? I'm paying you to fool around with me! You should be honored!" Lilith snapped.

A cold chuckle escaped me. She was right. There was probably a long line of men who would love to plow a conventional beauty who hailed from incredible wealth. She was a free sample, and everyone loved free stuff.

Unfortunately, I found her repulsive.

"Ms. Storm, get some rest." With that, I pulled away from her grip and headed straight for the door while she shrieked maniacally behind me.

I didn't know why Lilith had pulled such a stunt tonight, but I had a vague idea that it was another one of her ways to humiliate me.

She was going to pay me to sleep with her. If I had taken her money and climbed into bed with her, she would likely mock me for it forever. Whatever shred of dignity I had maintained in her presence would crumble into nothing.

Lilith was a dangerous and vicious woman, and her sharp wits were lethal too. She knew exactly how to push my buttons.

After leaving the hotel, I stopped by the hospital. The emotions roiling in me calmed down as I took in Anna's unconscious profile. Whatever resentment I had always disappeared when I saw her.

I just wished she would wake up soon.

I showed up at work as usual the next day. 18 more days until I was done with this hellhole. I had to admit, I was curious about what manner of torture Lilith had come up with for me today.

When noon rolled around, Lilith showed up at work in high heels and heavy makeup. She even br

Chapter 16