But she had barely opened her mouth when Tristan Sterling's grim warning echoed in her ear. "I don't mind letting him watch a live sex show for free."
Holly Sinclair obediently kept her mouth shut.
She looked so disheveled right now. If anyone saw her like this, what would be left of her dignity?
Besides, Tristan Sterling always kept his word.
She didn't dare risk it.
He was the one who had forbidden her from responding, yet now that she was silent, he was annoyed.
'Is she really that afraid of Justin Schofield hearing her?'
'What is their relationship, anyway?'
A nameless rage ignited in Tristan Sterling, and he began to torment the small woman in his arms without restraint.
Holly Sinclair's legs went weak.
She could barely stay on her feet.
He didn't go all the way, but this was even more agonizing than the real thing.
And as if he were deliberately trying to force a sound out of her, his methods grew even more depraved.
Holly Sinclair bit down hard on her lip as tears of humiliation welled in her eyes.
Fortunately, Justin Schofield didn't linger outside for long before heading elsewhere in his search.
Once Justin Schofield's footsteps faded into the distance, Holly Sinclair shoved Tristan Sterling away with all her might.
Caught off guard, the man stumbled back two steps.
She seized the opportunity, pulled open the door, and ran.
Tristan Sterling watched Holly Sinclair's frantic retreat. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and methodically wiped the moisture from his hand.
'She really is made of water.'
...
For the second half of the evaluation, the organizers gave each studio a damaged qipao. They had one week to complete the restoration.
Whoever did the most perfect restoration would be the final winner.
At the venue entrance.
After receiving their "assignment," Holly Sinclair and Justin Schofield prepared to head back.
"Where'd you disappear to? I was looking all over for you... Hey, what happened to your neck?"
While they waited for the elevator, Justin Schofield asked casually. As he spoke, he tilted his head and noticed the mark on her neck.
"I bumped it."
Holly Sinclair blurted out.
She didn't care how unconvincing she sounded.
She quickly pulled her hair forward to cover the mark, too embarrassed to meet Justin Schofield's gaze, terrified he would figure things out.
Justin Schofield raised an eyebrow.
He clearly didn't believe her, but was enough of a gentleman not to press the issue.
A few yards away, Tristan Sterling and Vivian Linton were also walking toward the elevator.
They had both heard Holly Sinclair and Justin Schofield's conversation.
Tristan Sterling's eyes darkened, his gaze landing on Holly Sinclair's face with heavy pressure.
Holly Sinclair shot him a glare.
But to Vivian Linton, this exchange of glances looked like Holly Sinclair was making eyes at Tristan Sterling...
Then, her gaze fell to Holly Sinclair's neck. The clear teeth marks were exceptionally jarring.
She had seen it clearly from the shadows when Tristan Sterling pulled Holly Sinclair into the private room earlier.
"Tristan, my leg hurts so much..."
Vivian Linton suddenly swayed, falling against the man beside her.
"What's wrong?" Tristan Sterling steadied her.
Vivian Linton was satisfied, seeing she had successfully pulled his attention away from Holly Sinclair.
She bit her lip, looking utterly pitiful. "My wound... it always hurts when the weather changes..."
Without another word, Tristan Sterling swept Vivian Linton up into his arms.
Just then, the elevator arrived.
Carrying Vivian Linton, Tristan Sterling walked straight past Holly Sinclair and Justin Schofield and into the elevator.
Watching her own husband treat another woman with such tenderness, Holly Sinclair told herself not to care. But despite herself, a bitter feeling welled up in her heart.
His gentle care for Vivian Linton was a stark contrast to the brutal, savage way he had treated her in the private room just moments before.
"Holly?" Justin Schofield prompted, reminding her to get in the elevator.
Holly Sinclair snapped back to reality and moved to step into the elevator.
But then—
"Take the next one."
Tristan Sterling's cold voice rang out.
Just as the elevator doors slid shut, she saw Vivian Linton lean her head on Tristan Sterling's shoulder, a smug smile on her face.
...
「The next day.」
Holly Sinclair bought the materials she needed for her work and took the elevator down to the second-level basement.
As she walked toward her parking spot, a figure suddenly darted out in front of her.
"Holly Sinclair, you bitch!"
With an enraged roar, a woman charged at her, hand raised to slap her.
"Yvonne Thorne, what are you doing?"
Holly Sinclair reacted instantly, slapping Yvonne Thorne's hand away.
Yvonne Thorne stumbled back a couple of steps.
This only made her more furious.
"You bitch! You ruined me, and I won't let you get away with it!"
Yvonne Thorne shrieked, her face twisted in a ferocious snarl as she gritted her teeth.
"Ruined you? What are you talking about?" Holly Sinclair was completely bewildered.
Her only beef with Yvonne Thorne, aside from a mutual dislike back in school, was from the recent class reunion where they had thrown wine on each other.
That was it.
'How could that possibly be considered 'ruining' her?'
"Stop playing dumb, you bitch! All I did was splash some wine on you, and you went and whispered in Tristan Sterling's ear, getting him to completely destroy my family's company!"
"Tristan Sterling went after your family?"
"It's all your fault! You didn't just get my family bankrupted, you're also the reason my dad married me off to some fifty-year-old pervert!"
Yvonne Thorne's eyes were bloodshot, filled with a monstrous hatred.
The old pervert tormented her every night, beating her whenever he was the least bit displeased.
Now, there was barely an unbruised spot on her body.
Holly Sinclair was starting to understand.
'Yvonne Thorne's family was ruined.'
'And it was Tristan Sterling's doing.'
'Yvonne Thorne thought I was the one who put him up to it.'
Holly Sinclair let out a bitter laugh.
'Tristan Sterling despised her. Why would he possibly stick up for her?'
'Yvonne Thorne had to be mistaken.'
Holly Sinclair straightened her spine. "First, I didn't whisper anything in Tristan Sterling's ear. Second, your misfortune has absolutely nothing to do with me."
With that, she turned to leave.
But just then—
"Yvonne Thorne!"
Vivian Linton suddenly ran out from nowhere, spreading her arms to shield Holly Sinclair. She pleaded earnestly with Yvonne Thorne, "Yvonne, calm down! I'm sure Holly didn't mean to tattle on you to Tristan. For my sake, please just forgive her this once. Please don't hurt her, okay?"
The two of them exchanged a look.
As if on cue, Yvonne Thorne immediately pulled a sharp knife from her bag.
"Bitch! You made my life a living hell! Today, you're going to pay!"
Yvonne Thorne pointed the tip of the knife at Holly Sinclair, screaming hysterically.
Seeing the cold, hard glint of the knife, Holly Sinclair started to panic.
She instinctively tried to back away, but Vivian Linton suddenly grabbed her right wrist in a death grip.
"Yvonne, don't do anything rash! Holly really didn't mean to..."
Vivian Linton appeared terrified, yet she still tried to protect Holly Sinclair behind her, shouting in panic.
Seeing that Holly Sinclair was trapped, Yvonne Thorne immediately charged.
Seeing this, Holly Sinclair used all her strength to violently shove Vivian Linton away.
Vivian Linton twisted her ankle and stumbled uncontrollably toward Yvonne Thorne.
"AHH!"
The tip of the knife sliced across her right hand.
She let out a pained scream and collapsed to the ground.
"Vivian!"
A sharp cry cut through the air.
Tristan Sterling's face was grim as he raced toward Vivian Linton.
The moment she heard Tristan Sterling's voice, Holly Sinclair froze.
She instinctively looked toward him.
His face was filled with nothing but heartache and panic for Vivian Linton.
And in that moment, as she stood frozen, the sharp blade in Yvonne Thorne's hand slashed viciously across her right hand...