Everything in Stanley's field of view became blurry and distorted, his breathing gradually becoming warmer and warmer. That was when he caught a glimpse of a curvy figure slowly walking out from the shadows. "Delores?" he whispered involuntarily.

Heidi knew that her plan had succeeded. She approached him slowly, and her silhouette was absolutely gorgeous, with curves in all the right places.

The next second, she leaned close to his ear; her lips gently brushed his earlobe, sending a subtle murmur into it. Stanley could smell the fragrance on her body. He felt as though her soft touch had sent electricity coursing through his whole body, gradually melting his consciousness away.

Heidi's fingers gently wandered about his chest, tracing its outline. Keenly sensing his body's reaction, she knew that he was aroused. She kissed his lips, the tip of her tongue lightly licking them, triggering a deeper desire.

Dangerously drawn to her enthusiasm and forwardness, he looped his arms around her waist and eagerly responded to her touch. The ever-so-primitive lust had taken over his rationality, and he let himself be completely immersed in Heidi's sweet, honeyed embrace.

Heidi continued to demonstrate her art of temptation. Her lips planted one hot kiss after another on his neck as she gradually took off his clothes. Stanley was panting, indulging in this game of ambiguity and passion.

However, amidst their entanglement, Heidi's heart remained cold and cunning.

The passion and desire between them burned their souls and stoked the fire of revenge in her.

Their moaning and grunting lasted all night.

By the time Heidi opened her eyes, it was the next morning.

As the memory slowly returned to her, pain flashed across her eyes but was soon replaced by a deeper shade of ruthlessness.

She calmly sat up from the bed, and the blanket slipped down, revealing her skin that was a roadmap of hickeys. The bruises were blue and purple, some of which were red and swollen, bespeaking the intensity of the business the night before.

Curving her lips in self-depreciation, she went straight to the bathroom.

When she came out again, the room was filled with smoke.

Stanley was already awake, sitting at the edge of the bed with the blanket covering his lower abdomen, revealing his well-defined and attractive abdominal muscles. He held a slender cigarette between his long, jade-like fingertips, while his sharp gaze directly scanned her body.

"Tell me, how much do you want?"

His tone was flat. He stared at Heidi coldly.

Her figure was exquisite, with snow-white skin bearing traces of passion, teasingly revealed through the partially open bathrobe, causing one's blood to boil. Her face was even more stunning, with a beauty that surpassed all others. Just standing there, she exuded a captivating allure that was irresistible.

There was no wonder he hadn't been able to control himself the night before and had wanted her again and again.

"How much?" As if she had heard a joke, she chuckled softly. She sashayed to the sofa and sat down. Narrowing her eyes into crescents, she said with a smile, "Here I was thinking that Mr. Knox would be different from other men and would take responsibility for this."

Stanley pursed his lips. The already cold and hard lines on his face became sharper.

He picked up the cigarette and took a drag, blowing out the smoke ring. "What do you want?"

"You," said Heidi. "I want you."

He paused for a second.

"I want you to marry me."

Heidi fixed her gaze on his eyes and spoke slowly, enunciating each word.

"You're delusional." Stanley sneered, his cold gaze piercing through the smoke. ""Do you think that by getting into my bed, you can make me responsible for you? Even a prostitute should have the discretion to know her place and not harbor unrealistic expectations for things that don't belong to her."

He had always been cold and indifferent to women, but he was rarely without mercy.

However, it was clear that Heidi had provoked him.

Despite his mocking and insulting words, Heidi remained completely unaffected.

Her heart had long since shattered after that incident. There was nothing she could not bear anymore.

"Why not?"

She cocked her head slightly and looked at him. "I recorded everything that happened last night. The video shows that I did resist, but you pinned me down and forced yourself on me." She continued, "Last I checked, this is called 'sexual assault'."

All of a sudden, his face turned cold.

Hearing that, Heidi continued with a smile, "I know, for others, this piece of evidence may not be considered a threat, but it's different for you, Mr. Knox. You come from a military background, representing the dignity and honor of the nation. The Knox family is also in the midst of negotiating a major business project, and at this time, it can't afford any negative scandals or rumors."

"So, Mr. Knox, you have no choice but to admit it," Heidi said.

Heidi kept smiling, but the temperature in the room suddenly dropped to the extreme.

For a moment, the sense of oppression coming from Stanley made Heidi breathess.

She tried her best to maintain her composure on the surface, smiling and confronting him.

She couldn't lose. This was a critical moment. She couldn't give in.

In the midst of the standoff, Stanley suddenly stood up, emanating an even greater and overwhelming pressure. The air around them grew thin and suffocating.

Heidi tensed up, tightly gripping her fingers, anticipating his outburst.

Sure enough, the next second, with a hideous smile, he pounced on her and grabbed hold of her slender neck with one hand.

His finger left red marks on her tender skin. The feeling of suffocation and fear gradually rose in her heart.

"Delete that goddamn video!" he scolded, his eyes full of cruelty.

Heidi clenched her teeth and tried hard to overcome the feeling of suffocation.

"No, I won't... delete the evidence. This is... my protection. Do you think I'll give up... so easily?" Heidi stammered through the choking, her voice petering out.

Stanley frowned and looked at Heidi skeptically, "What are you talking about? Nonsense!"

There was a trace of determination in Heidi's eyes. "That's none of your business. You only need to know that marrying me is the only choice I gave you!"

The corners of his mouth twisted into a sneer. "Marry you?" He tightened his grip on her neck. "What makes you think that evidence like that can destroy me?"

Heidi remained unfazed and said firmly, "Perhaps you missed an important detail, Stanley. These pieces of evidence not only concern you but also the people around you. Keep clear-headed, or the consequences will be unimaginable."

His face instantly darkened. Violently, he sent Heidi to the ground, causing her to twitch in pain.

He approached her and threatened through his gnashed teeth: "You will pay for what you did today!"

Heidi used her arms to support herself, gritting her teeth as she resisted the pain. She firmly believed that she was right.

All of a sudden, Stanley grabbed the coat on the sofa, threw a business card on Heidi, and went straight to the door.

He stood at the door with a cold expression, mockingly saying, "Wait for me to get in touch. We'll see how long you can keep this up."