Startled, Violet opened her eyes. Even though the lingering effects of the wine slowed her reactions, she still had enough strength to push Carl away or slap him. She had to warn him that kissing a woman without consent came with responsibility.Her heart raced, and their warm breaths mingled in the air. Her hands, which were clasped before her chest, gradually lowered. She blinked her eyes before closing them as if surrendering to the moment.Their soft lips pressed against each other. Carl was no stranger to such encounters. He continued to savor it after tasting Violet's sweet lips. He was torn between wanting to possess her lips and exploring them slowly. This conflicting sensation both troubled and captivated him.Violet found herself in a half-dazed state, and a vague face suddenly flashed in her mind.It was happening again.The feeling of being devoured by a stranger six years ago returned to her mind.Unable to see clearly, being kissed, touched, and overpowered ...

Reed paled as soon as he caught sight of Carl. He rushed to interrupt Violet. "Mr. Cooper …"An icy look from Carl effectively shut him up.Violet continued her rant. "What's so good about Carl anyway? He's just a pretty boy with zero redeemable qualities. I've only known him for a short while, but I already feel his overwhelming sense of superiority. I pity you, Reed, I really do. You must have suffered greatly from being by his side all this while."Reed hardly dared glance at Carl. All he could do was say a fervent prayer in his heart. Perhaps God would be kind enough to allow Violet to escape unharmed this time."He's such a stingy person too!" Violet went on, unaware of the danger that awaited her. "I'm so hungry—I haven't eaten all day and it's all his fault!"Reed could no longer bear this. He reminded her softly, "Mr. Cooper, actually, Mr. Walker treats us all really well.""Are you implying that I'm lying?" Violet retorted. "Have you seen him with Whitney? From the amo

Before Maverick could lay a hand on Violet, Carl suddenly stepped in. He pushed Maverick away and pulled Violet over toward himself.Violet found herself slamming into Carl's chest from the force of his movements. Instantly, pain sliced through her breasts. It was so bad that she winced."Quit fooling around." Carl's voice was icy.The smile in Maverick's eyes deepened. He clicked his tongue before realizing that Carl was genuinely angry. He could only keep quiet after that.Violet, on the other hand, gasped for breath. The warmth from Carl's palms made her heart tremble. She took a few steps back.Meanwhile, Reed approached them with Marina's cooking. The scent of the freshly cooked food filled the air, and the expressions of the assassins changed at once.Violet accepted the dishes before placing them so their fragrance could reach the assassins. Even so, she took great care to ensure that it was far enough for them not to grab the food out of desperation.She inhaled deeply.

Whitney could only accept the cakes. The moment she did, Carl's expression darkened."A very important visitor is coming over tonight. Get ready." His voice was rough as he spoke. Then, he left for his study.Elle had gone up to the second floor as well. She wasn't there for Carl, however."You must be wondering why I'm back together with Carl," she began airily."I couldn't care less." Violet's tone was lazy.Needless to say, Elle must have baited Carl with crucial information he could not resist."Oh, you're jealous, aren't you?" Elle laughed. "Your reaction when you saw me with Carl just now is proof enough. Unfortunately for you, Carl is not interested in men.""Ms. Murphy." Violet's voice turned icy. "You've been by Mr. Walker's side for quite some time now. Besides money, what else have you gained?"Violet then left for Carl's study while Elle seethed.Her taunts had hit Elle's weakest spots, which made Violet feel triumphant.Whitney tilted her head. The tension betwee

Back at the villa, Violet's mood had improved drastically.She knocked on Carl's study door with a plateful of cakes she had bought from Artisan's Patisserie yesterday."Mr. Walker." Her smile was dazzling. "Are you hungry? I brought you some cakes."Carl did not bother to lift his head."It's really good!" she coaxed. "Whitney was foaming at the mouth when I snatched these from her. Besides, it's not easy to get them, you know. There's always an insanely long queue."To be fair, Whitney hadn't even batted her lashes when Violet took them all away. She had never intended on eating the cakes in the first place.As Carl continued to face her apathetically, Violet had no other choice but to cave in. "About this morning … I was at fault. I'm sorry."This got him to raise his head. "What are you apologizing for?""I shouldn't have taken your words at face value," she replied. Part of her still itched to irritate him on purpose despite everything.Sure enough, Carl's expression turn