At dawn, Nichs and I finally drifted off to sleep, but suddenly, something jolted me awake, erasing all traces of drowsiness.


    I traced the contours of his features with my eyes, silently repeating his name in my mind. Curling up, I felt a deep ache in both body and soul.


    The wildness of the night had left me utterly exhausted, and my head throbbed with confusion.


    For a 30-year-old woman, sleeping with a man wasn''t unusual, but this man was Nichs a difficult figure to deal with. When those striking eyes of his opened again, how would we face each other? After some hesitation, I carefully climbed out of bed. Grabbing a piece of clothing off the floor-whether his or mine, I didn''t care-l tiptoed out of his bedroom.


    Little did I know, a pair of dark eyes had been silently watching me. As I left, he was fully awakened.


    Nichs nced at his phone and sent a message to someone. Surprisingly, even at 5:00 a.m., the reply was instant.


    I went to the wardrobe to grab my clothes and headed to the guest bathroom for a shower. Though Nichs had already cleaned me up briefly, it felt... pointless. Thinking back to his reddened eyes as he coaxed me into the bathroom, heat flushed my skin again. I quickly adjusted the water temperature to two degrees lower. Leaning against the bathtub, I called Yasmine. She took ages to answer.


    "Ariana, if this isn''t important, I won''t forgive you-ugh..." Yasmine groaned sleepily, her voice teetering between a threat and a whine. "Um..." My voice faltered, and I reflexively covered my mouth in embarrassment. My voice was so hoarse it sounded like a man''s. "Huh? Ariana, is that you?" Yasmine''s tone sharpened. "Are you really Ariana?"


    Silently cursing Nichs for hisck of restraint, I reluctantly croaked an acknowledgment.


    "Oh?" Yasmine''s curiosity turned mischievous. "Were you out clubbingst night? Were the lights soft? Oh wait-was the liquor hard? No, no-l meant to ask, where were How many hours did it take to drive there and back?"


    I sighed and pressed my hand to my forehead. "Stop joking. I need your help."


    I hadn''t forgotten that udia had sent me the address for today''s auction. A tough battle was waiting and I had to be fully prepared, but my mind was a jumbled mess, thanks to Nichs.


    Fearing I might overlook something, I needed Yasmine to go with me.


    After briefly exining the situation, she grew serious. "You''re saying udia ns to expose your childhood photos at the auction? Why does she have those photos?"


    "It''s a long story. udia just wants money. She''s trying to force me to buy Nelson''snd at a high price. Once we''re inside, I''ll be thoroughly searched.


    "I need you to disguise a recorder as a brooch-it''s unlikely they''ll search you as carefully."


    Her voice stiffened. "That n sounds fine, but isn''t there another way? Why use a method that harms you as much as it harms the enemy?"


    "I don''t have the luxury of turning back. With those photos in udia''s hands, she''ll seize this chance no matter what.


    "Even if I pay for thend, she''ll still expose the photos. Since that''sè inevitable, I''ll push the situation to its peak. Once Nelson sees her for what she truly is, he''ll be too preupied to protect her."


    udia clearly understood this approach was both the fastest and most effective.


    In today''s world, aside from immense power, what drew more attention than the wildfire of public opinion?


    Jones Corporation was pretty famous in the city, but their influence couldn''tpare to a seasoned schemer like Nelson.


    Outside the door, Nichs silently clenched his fist. His heart ached.


    Even after I had given my body to him, I hadn''t asked for his help-not even a single word. Did I truly only submit to him halfheartedly? Did I not trust or love him?