Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game

”Morning...” Her voice was soft and smooth but carried a hint of caution, was she feeling guilty because she had done something wrong? Atlas Hallow’s thin lips almost pressed into a straight line, and the sharp contours of his face gradually emerged in the morning light.

”Have you had breakfast?” The man’s rich, deep voice came through the phone, and Charlotte Miller instinctively nodded, ”Yes, I’ve eaten.”

”What did you eat?” The man on the other end of the line asked slowly, giving no clue to the anger simmering inside him.

”Jam toast, juice, and bacon...” she glanced at the plate, realizing she had missed something, ”and eggs.”

As her tension slowly eased, the man asked abruptly, ”Where did you eat it?”

Her mind exploded—is this question an indication that he already knew something? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have called out of the blue to ask these questions.

Although a little startled, her brain wasn’t failing her; now was not the time to hide things from him. Lying was the worst choice.

”On the yacht. An alumnus who also came back from the United States invited me out to sea yesterday.” Charlotte replied honestly, only omitting Ethan Baird’s identity as a business partner. Saying ”alumnus” wasn’t a lie since they did attend the same school.

”A swimsuit party?” The voice began to carry a trace of danger, like the eerie calm before a storm at sea.

”There were swimsuits, but I didn’t wear one. It was too cold.” She continued to answer truthfully as if she were a school kid. She put down her toast and wiped her face with a napkin; she couldn’t stand the sticky feeling.

So if the weather had been nice, she really would have dared to wear a swimsuit and sunbathe on deck? Her courage was truly boundless.

”Are you angry?” Charlotte sensed the man’s breathing on the other end, the distinct musk carrying across the distance, reminding her of Atlas Hallow’s presence. This man’s presence was always unmistakable, making him impossible to ignore.

”I’ll be waiting for you.” The man’s cold voice finished these three words and then hung up, leaving Charlotte stunned.

He’s back? Did he come back early? Wasn’t it supposed to be the evening flight?

Oh God, why did he come back early? Whether it’s the evening or morning arrival, it’s only a matter of a dozen hours, yet it feels dire. He’s genuinely angry; it was just some champagne, some chatting, and then everyone went back to their rooms to sleep. If anything were to happen with Ethan, it should have happened years ago, not now.

But explaining this to Atlas Hallow seems to lack persuasive power. Alone on a yacht with a single man overnight—it’s hard to clear up such a situation.

”Why don’t we elope? Your face turned white with fear, little darling; this isn’t like you.” Ethan Baird put down his coffee, speaking half-jokingly, half-seriously. He received a glare from Charlotte, urging him to hurry and take her back to shore at top speed.

Calculating the time, it would be almost three hours before she could return to the Hallow Family. This incident reminded Charlotte once again that she’s married now and that she’s not in the United States. Everything and everyone here is deeply interconnected, and a single misstep could ruin her or others.

”Don’t glare at me, I’ve been flooring it the whole time. If you want, you try it?” Ethan knew Charlotte was anxious, and he was already driving as fast as he could. How much faster could he go without actually flying?

”Sorry, Ethan, for ruining your good mood.” Only now did Charlotte realize her loss of composure. She had let herself get too tense—it was just a normal get-together with friends; though she’s married now, getting too close to Ethan wasn’t ideal. But they hadn’t done anything wrong, so why should she feel so guilty?

By the time she returned to the Hallow Family, it was already noon, and lunch hadn’t started yet. She darted up to the fifth floor like a kitten being chased, to see him sooner and to find out how he would deal with her, allowing her to feel relieved sooner.

When she pushed open the bedroom door, a faint tobacco scent filled the air, mingled with a slight minty freshness. Did he smoke?

During these few days of living with him, he smoked rarely—she had almost never seen him do it. Her heart skipped a beat, imagining whether this man would, like in the movies, grab her and shake her while yelling at the top of his lungs, asking why she spent the night outside with another man. But in reality, he didn’t.

The bedroom was eerily quiet...

He wasn’t there?

As she stood in the middle of the bedroom, Atlas Hallow walked out from the closet, already changed into new clothes. Was he in a rush to go out?

”Why didn’t you let me know you’d be back early? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone out to sea.” Charlotte smiled awkwardly and approached him, feeling somewhat reassured. If he had things to do and went out, his anger might diminish by the time he returned. Time would lessen the unpleasantness, even if only by a few hours.

”I’ve got something to do. Do you need to change clothes?” Atlas Hallow looked at Charlotte, as if an X-ray were scanning her, trying to see through her completely.

Uh oh, there really was something going on. Alarm bells rang in her mind—was he asking her to come along?

Taking her to the outskirts to dispose of her?

”I’ll give you five minutes.” Clearly, Atlas Hallow didn’t have much patience today; after glancing at his mechanical watch, Charlotte dashed inside like the wind.

What should she change into? If going out with him was for a formal occasion, she pondered, opting for the dress she bought the other day. It seemed more respectful and would give off more femininity. If he really were to act, maybe he’d be gentler.

The light purple chiffon dress revealed her milk-like, fair and smooth, slender legs. She grabbed a shawl and fished out a lipstick from her pathetically small makeup bag, applying it to transform into a different version of herself as her lips blossomed with a bright, alluring color. This should do, she thought, pairing it with her sole pair of high-heels before hurrying out.

Five minutes—she was quite impressed with herself. If it were a military outfit-changing drill, she’d have no problem at all.

Little did she know, dressing in the outfit meant to please him silently ignited a spark in Atlas Hallow’s heart.

This damned woman, going out to sea with Ethan Baird was one thing, but coming back and going out with him while wearing the dress he gave her—did she think he was dead?

Charlotte looked at what she was wearing, with the zipper pulled up. Had she dressed incorrectly? She had no idea she had inadvertently turned her flattery into a misstep, making the person even angrier in her attempt to please him.

”You don’t like it, shall I change?” Charlotte asked tentatively.

Atlas Hallow’s thin lips moved slightly as he coolly replied, ”No need, this will do...”