Chapter 4

Ten days later, I walked out of the detention center.

My clothes hung loosely on my frame.

And beneath the fabric, my body was covered in bruises.

I had been beaten inside.

Every pack has an alpha, and jail was no exception.

From day one, the cell leader took a dislike to me. She had her lackeys beat me every single day for ten days, finding a new excuse every time.

Because I was too pretty, because I didn't speak, because I did speak, because I refused to lick their shoes...

They dragged me into a living hell and tortured me for ten days.

When I finally got back to the mansion, I stood under the hot water for hours.

Desperately trying to scrub away every ounce of filth and degradation.

Suddenly, the bathroom door was pushed open.

Marcus leaned against the frame, clicking his tongue in mock pity.

"My poor little bird looks so pathetic."

But his eyes held absolutely zero sympathy.

I turned around, swallowing my shame.

He asked again:

"Chloe, do you finally know what you did wrong?"

I ignored his question and asked my own:

"The psychos in there—you put them up to it, didn't you?"

Marcus raised his hands in mock innocence.

"How could I? I could never bear to hurt you."

"But my wife wasn't satisfied. She insisted on hiring someone, and I couldn't say no to her."

I let out a bitter laugh.

His permission was no different from him doing it himself.

I shut off the water and began to dry myself.

Marcus stepped onto the wet floor, opening a tube of ointment and gently applying it to my bruises.

"Chloe, don't ever sell the things I give you again. Understood?"

His voice was heavy, intimate.

I took a step forward, instantly shattering the suffocating mood.

"Fine. Then give me cash."

"What do you need money for? Have I ever let you go hungry or cold?"

"I want to go to college."

At those words, Marcus suddenly pressed down hard on a bruise, making me gasp in pain.

His voice turned freezing cold:

"What's the point of studying? You'll still end up crawling back to my bed anyway."

"Does school teach you how to please me?"

I wanted to tell him that I wanted a degree so I could escape to somewhere far, far away.

So far that Marcus would completely forget about me.

So that I could forget my past and live the brilliant life I had planned ten years ago.

But I couldn't say it. I didn't dare.

We parted on horrible terms that night.

As if sensing my desperation, Marcus not only locked me inside the mansion but also stationed guards outside the doors.

But I didn't care at all.

My only goal was to get a near-perfect score on the SATs.

Now that I was trapped inside, I had all the time in the world to study.

After a few days of online classes,

the camera turned on, and a completely different face appeared on my screen.

Looking at the handsome face of the man on the screen, a memory flashed in my mind.

He was my high school desk partner, Julian Vance.

"My younger sister was busy, so I'm subbing for her class today."

He was just as shocked to see me, but he quickly explained and proceeded with the lesson.

After class, we caught up.

He asked why I vanished right after graduation, but I avoided the topic.

Julian didn't press me. Instead, he shared what he had been up to.

His family's company was headquartered in Massachusetts, and he had taken over the business after graduating college.

Harvard University was right there in Massachusetts.

Hearing this, a wild idea suddenly sparked in my mind.

After a long silence, I asked:

"Julian, would you be interested in making an investment?"

He paused for a second on the screen, then looked at me with his bright, warm eyes and smiled.

"Tell me about it."