In the dimly lit room, the woman’s soft, kitten-like sobbing caused the man to involuntarily quicken his pace. Suggestive sighs echoed through the room, making one’s face flush and heart race. Plop! An intense motion knocked over the bedside table lamp, and it suddenly lit up, filling the space with orange-yellow light. In stark contrast to the enchanting sounds, the man tightly gripped his female companion’s chin and glared at her indifferently. “Francesca Beckman, are you so desperate that you’d resort to using drugs just to make me touch you?” His grip was strong, causing a faint bruise to appear on Francesca’s fair skin. Unable to speak, a tear slid down from the corner of her eye. “I didn’t do it…” With great difficulty, Francesca squeezed out a few words, and more tears flowed from the corner of her eyes. Colton Zeller’s eyes darkened slightly, and without any mercy, he let go of Francesca and coldly walked into the bathroom. The pain throughout Francesca’s body left her unable to move. It took her a while to prop herself up and slowly pull her clothes back on. Her gaze fell on the drawer of the bedside table, and she bit her lip tightly. Three years ago, Beckman Group faced financial difficulties. To forge an alliance with Zeller Group, her parents drugged her and sent her to Colton’s bed, which led to their marriage. Colton believed all of this was Francesca’s cunning scheme, and he never had the slightest bit of affection for her. Instead, he resented her, loathed her, and wished he could stay far away from her. The reason was simple—Colton cherished and adored his beloved first crush, otherwise known as the Nation’s Darling, Elsa Larson. Faced with Colton’s disgust, Francesca accepted it all without resentment or anger. Not only that, she was considerate and thoughtful toward him. There was no one in the wealthy circles of Alenvista who did not ridicule her for it. Still, Francesca didn’t mind it at all. She had never mentioned any of this to Colton and continued to be as tolerant and accepting of him as always. Yet, that kind of tolerance ultimately came to an end that day. The intense exercise caused Francesca’s fingers to tremble slightly, but she ignored it and reached out to take some files from the drawer. Just then, Colton finished taking his bath. With a dark expression, he had someone bring a box of pills, which he threw mercilessly in front of Francesca, saying, “Eat it.” Francesca looked at the label on the box before her: Emergency contraceptive pills. She felt a chill in her heart. Her silence led Colton to mistakenly believe she was unwilling to take the medicine. Impatience flashed in his eyes, and he said sneeringly, “Do you really think you’ll give birth to my child? Francesca, stop daydreaming.” Francesca picked up the box of pills and looked at Colton expressionlessly. The tear stains on her face hadn’t been wiped away yet, and under the dim light, they shimmered with a delicate glow. Colton didn’t like her weak demeanor, and his eyes gradually darkened. He brushed aside the faint unease in his heart and looked down at her condescendingly. “Tell me. How much money do you want this time?” “Let’s get a divorce,” Francesca declared darkly. Her gaze was solemn and lifeless, and Colton felt as if she was looking at someone else through him. Yet upon closer inspection, it didn’t quite seem that way. This realization made Colton feel inexplicably anxious. He clenched his fingers and sarcastically said, “So, now, you’ve learned the art of playing hard to get? Tell me. How much money does Beckman Group want this time?” Francesca silently pushed the document forward, drawing attention to a two-centimeter-long scar on her slender arm. Her expression was terrifyingly calm. Colton casually picked up the document and said, “So Beckman Group finally realized you’re useless and decided to exchange you for money…” The title of the document came into view: Divorce agreement. Colton’s pupils constricted slightly. He sneered and threw the agreement onto the table. He lit a cigarette, and through the hazy smoke, he gazed at Francesca’s blurred face. “Playing hard to get?”