Chapter 115
Emily, adept at navigating the stormy waters by Jovan's side for years, didn't blow up in the moment. She kept her composure, even though her smile was absent.
"Who's this?" she asked, eyeing Layla.
Layla, having moved past her irritation, returned Emily's gaze, puzzled over Jovan's motives-a twisted thought, elusive to any sane person.
"Oh, her..." Jovan chuckled deeply, waving Emily over. She walked to him obediently and let him wrap his arm around her, "She's the lady caring for the bastard's child now."
Emily's expression darkened slightly.
A flicker of surprise crossed Layla's eyes.
Now?
So, was she Samuel's former flame?
Samuel had claimed Emily was the first he'd been with, so she believed there were no exes. Yet, here was one-taken by Jovan.
The submissive grace Emily exhibited was clearly involuntary; her slight fear of Jovan was apparent, preventing defiance.
Quick-witted as she was, Emily pieced together what was happening.
Samuel had moved on, not to Nora, but to someone who stirred deeper jealousy within her.
Earlier, she felt threatened believing the new woman was just another fling; now, realizing her status, jealousy set in.
Ironically, both women shared a plight - captured by Jovan's charm.
The situation was convoluted, and Emily knew she could only play it by ear.
At a signal from Jovan, Henry and the bodyguards exited, leaving only the three of them in the diner.
"Take it off," Jovan suddenly instructed Emily.
Startled, Emily's face flushed with discomfort, "Jovan..."
"Obey."
"Can we please go to our room?" Emily managed a strained smile.
"Are you defying me?" His fingers tilted her chin up as his captivating eyes bore into her with an ominous depth.
"Jovan..." Emily's eyes pleaded, but couldn't soften Jovan's heart.
"Take it off!" Jovan commanded sternly, causing Emily to shudder with fear.
Jovan was impatient, starting to roughly pull at Emily's clothes.
"Stop, please don't..." Emily's eyes grew more desperate.
"Let her go! Can't you see she doesn't want this?" Layla shouted.
"Heh, you're in no position to talk, and yet you concern yourself with others?" Jovan sneered, gripping Emily's neck. "You don't want to?"
"I..." Emily's eyes were filled with resistance and terror, her long eyelashes wet with tears. Ultimately, she closed her eyes sorrowfully, her voice trembling as she murmured, "I want to..."
But she clearly didn't.
As a woman herself, Layla's heart ached for Emily. Jovan was not only a sadist but also a complete scumbag, a degraded beast.
Jovan let out a deranged laugh, rudely pressing Emily against the table, forcing her to bend over in a humiliating and selfish manner. He began to unbuckle his belt.
"Stop it right now!" Layla moved to pull him away.
"Take one more step, and I'll kill the bastard inside you, I mean it," Jovan threatened with a fierce look in his eyes.
Layla froze with fear. If she were alone, she'd throw herself at him, fight to the death if she had to. But now, she couldn't risk her unborn child.
She hesitated...
She was carrying Samuel's child? This revelation shocked Emily.
They had been together for two years, and he had never touched her, but now...
The pain twisted in Emily's heart, but she had no time to think, as Jovan wasn't giving her a chance...
Such humiliation, to be subjected to this in front of her rival...
This was the greatest insult Emily had ever endured.
Biting her lip, she buried her face in the table, not wanting her rival to witness her tragic state.
Layla couldn't bear to watch either, wanting to look away, but Jovan warned, "Keep your eyes open, watch carefully, or you're next."
A chilling warning.
Layla was forced to stand still, rage coursing through her veins. If any man dared to humiliate her like this, she'd stab his heart out without hesitation.
More repulsive still, Jovan held Emily's hair, yet his eyes were fixed on Layla, as if to humiliate her instead, making Layla feel sick to her stomach.
The agony lasted for half an hour until Jovan closed his eyes, his expression tensing.
And there, in front of him, was Layla's face.
Surely, her taste would be even better.
Layla ran upstairs.
Emily's eyes were red, her legs too weak to stand, the pain unbearable.
Jovan had always been callous, tormenting her relentlessly.
She awkwardly pulled down her skirt.
Seated with an air of ease, Jovan lit a cigarette and leaned back, casually crossing his legs. As the smoke rolled from his lips, he cast a glance upstairs.
"You thinking of treating her the way you've treated me?" Emily asked with a bitter smile, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please, spare her."
Knowing the pain of her own ordeal all too well, she couldn't bear to see another woman suffer similarly.
"Spare her? Heh, as if you've had it rough," Jovan scoffed, tossing the lighter back onto the coffee table. "I've taken care of you all these years, haven't I? Kept you fed, kept you clothed. When have I ever let you down?"
"If it weren't for my dad's medical bills, I never would have..." Emily's voice trailed off.
"Cut the crap," Jovan interjected sharply. "Are you going to tell me that it wasn't really your vanity that got you here?"
Emily bit her lip, hit right where it hurt, momentarily lost for words.
Yes, she had been young back then, enduring a tough life alongside a self-made, struggling Samuel.
And then there was Jovan, bringing her to upscale restaurants, showering her with luxury goods. He didn't blink at the cost of jewels worth millions. It was a temptation few women in need could resist.
He had introduced her to a world of glamor and high society, where she got lost in the glitter, ultimately leaving behind the man she loved.
Deep down, she always knew that gathering funds for her father's treatment was just a self-serving excuse to ease her conscience. It allowed her to deceive herself into believing she wasn't vain.
However, some lies are impossible to sustain.
In her years with Jovan, she had everything a woman could dream of - a lavish home, luxury cars, designer jewels. Yet, she paid the price with the love of her lifetime.
Jovan had built her a gilded cage filled with every extravagance but lacking love and warmth. To him, she was just a means to an end, an expensive dress to be worn occasionally for show.
Day by day, she felt herself emptying, becoming nothing but a shell, a walking corpse.
Her face may have been maintained by high-end skincare, but her heart had aged beyond measure.
"And now, Samuel, whom you hold dear, is with someone younger, someone prettier. How does that make you feel? Still think he had deep feelings for you? Hah," Jovan mocked with a cutting edge.