"Quentin Grant, tell what I have to do for you to revoke this decision."
He glanced at her. "Look at you, scared stiff. Is marrying that terrifying?"
Nora Ainsworth spoke slowly, "I’d rather die than marry you."
His face grew exceptionally cold. He pressed his lips together, saying nothing for a long mont.
In the silence, Nora Ainsworth stood there feeling as if she were suffering death by a thousand cuts.
"Very good." The two words escaped his lips. "You’re the first woman unwilling to marry , and you will be the last. Since that’s the case, kneel."
THUD. Nora Ainsworth knelt, her back ramrod straight.
Seeing this, a cold sneer flickered in Quentin Grant’s eyes. "Such sincerity. In that case, I won’t force you to marry . I was only kidding, anyway. I can’t believe you actually took seriously."
Things were back to where they started. Nora Ainsworth felt he had played her for a fool yet again.
But she didn’t dare say another word.
"I... I’m going to head back."
He shot out an arm and shoved her into the hot spring.
Nora Ainsworth choked on a mouthful of water, soaked to the bone.
"Quentin Grant, I’ve never t a man like you!"
He elegantly slipped off his bathrobe. "That’s because I was your first. That’s why you haven’t t another."
"Quentin Grant!" Nora Ainsworth was furious. "You won’t be happy until you’ve driven to my death, will you? Have you not been with a woman in eight lifetis?"
He looked up, his expression unreadable. "Only you truly understand , Nora."
Nora Ainsworth realized it was pointless to grovel. It was utterly useless!
"You’ve gone too far!" Nora Ainsworth struggled to swim to the edge. She tried to climb out, but he stopped her.
He pressed a switch, and a sculpture of a man and woman suddenly rose from the middle of the hot spring.
It was striking. Nora Ainsworth instantly recognized who the sculpture was modeled after.
An indescribable heat flooded her cheeks.
He jumped in, grabbed her head, and forced it under the water.
The two of them were pressed close together in the water.
She swallowed several mouthfuls of water. GLUG. GLUG. A faint smile played on his lips as he watched her, his expression unreadable.
He held her fast, watching as she was forced to swallow mouthful after mouthful of water.
She struggled to surface, but it was no use.
Just when she felt she would die from the lack of air, she finally gave in and kissed him. Their breaths mingled as they stared into each other’s eyes.
Only then did he allow them to slowly surface.
Breaking the surface, Nora Ainsworth gasped for air, her face flushed. "Quen—Quentin Grant, you—you nearly drowned like this before, and you pulled the sa trick again today!"
She was too furious to speak. The sense of injustice Nora felt was palpable, and he could see it plainly.
"Nora Ainsworth, if I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t live to see tomorrow. Your choice is to die or to submit to . That’s your only path. If I don’t tell you to get lost, you co to , even if you have to crawl on your knees. Understand?"
Water dripped from his hair as he continued in a asured tone, "My won only leave when I say I’m done with them. You’d better rember my words. Otherwise, you’ll suffer the consequences."
She sniffled but said nothing.
On the way back to the Ainsworth ho, her mind raced.
Just as she steeled herself to face whatever ca next, Mr. Ainsworth cut straight to the point. "The engagent is off. We’ll leave it at that."
He said nothing more on the subject.
The anxiety that had been hanging over Nora Ainsworth finally crashed down. "Where’s Mom?"
"She’s upstairs. You and your mother should pack your things. I’ll give you so money so you can live sowhere else. Your mother and I finalized our divorce this afternoon. There’s no longer a place for you in this house." Mr. Ainsworth delivered this news not with anger, but with an unnerving calm.
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