Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game

The phone rang cheerfully, the clock had already turned two circles. She didn’t need to guess who the call was from, she knew it all too well, yet at this moment, picking up his call felt so difficult. The small phone seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, making it impossible for her to lift it. Her dim eyes looked at that unique number on the phone; even his number was domineering.

Picking up his call, she didn’t know what to say, but if she didn’t answer, he’d likely appear in front of her within ten minutes and take her away, never to have her leave again. Thinking about this, Avery Jane shivered like a cicada in the cold, her hand as white as jade trembled slightly, and she picked up the phone.

Beckett Wright watched those hands under the light, so white they were almost transparent, beautiful like a magnolia blossom on a branch, with flowing and vivid lines, quickly sketching in his mind. She always brought him different inspirations, beautiful when happy, even more beautiful when sad.

”Hello...” Avery Jane tried hard to maintain her heart rate, which was quickly changing, along with her tone.

Joshua Hughes was very sensitive, sensitive to everything, which was one of the conditions for a successful businessman. Even if her breath was uneven, he could feel it through the radio waves, so before everything was clear, she couldn’t mess it all up. Perhaps, perhaps he couldn’t marry her due to family pressure, so he deceived her. Avery Jane tried hard to find excuses for him, could it be that she already liked him so much that even knowing he was lying to her, she didn’t want to be angry or leave him?

”Avery, where are you? I’ll come to pick you up.” Joshua Hughes drank the last sip of his glass, ignoring those women handing over phone numbers. He wasn’t at all interested in hunting beauty. He glanced at Julian Carter, as if he was even less interested in those women, drinking his drink coldly, staring at the bartender longer than looking at the women.

”Still in the mall, I want to shop a little longer.” Avery Jane’s eyes were like a moon covered with a thin veil, misty and sad. She kept controlling herself, making her heartbeat and tone no different from usual, even trying to reveal joy, even though her entire heart felt hollowed out.

”It’s too late.” Joshua Hughes didn’t refuse nor agree; his voice was gentle, soft, as if afraid to frighten her.

Julian Carter glanced at the time, not even nine o’clock, and only a few people were in the bar. Is this considered late? After just a few years apart, this man’s sense of time had changed so much? Unbelievable and inexplicable.

”I’ll be back soon, alright?” His voice, like warm water, left her with almost no resistance at all. Avery Jane wanted to sort out her thoughts; she couldn’t see him like this, her heart would be even more in turmoil.

”Don’t stay too long, call me immediately if anything happens, okay?” he whispered carefully into the phone. Today always felt a bit off, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. Now that he confirmed she was okay, logically he should drink a couple of glasses peacefully, but his heart suddenly skipped a couple of beats, feeling a bit panicked.

Is he being too cautious? Joshua Hughes smiled bitterly. If he hadn’t done those unforgivable things back then, he wouldn’t be so anxious today.

One should never dwell on the past; otherwise, this stolen happiness feels too illusory.

”You’ve really changed over the years, your sense of time,” Julian Carter downed a shot of vodka, the kind of strong liquor only real men drank. The high proof level burning down into his stomach, searing before settling. The sensation was exhilarating.

”I’m a family man now.” Joshua Hughes took the drink the bartender poured, shrugged his shoulders. She hadn’t come home yet, he could drink a couple more glasses.

Julian Carter looked like he wanted to puke. Those words were truly not something a man like Joshua Hughes would say.

”Why didn’t you have a wedding for her?” He couldn’t have gotten married without inviting him.

”The wedding hasn’t happened yet.” Joshua Hughes’s eyes dimmed, this was something he worried about too. At the time, everything was too rushed, and he could only get a fake marriage certificate to fool her, but this wasn’t a long-term solution. If one day she remembered something, that marriage certificate would be the first line of defense to be broken, but this matter was tricky.

”The Hughes family members wouldn’t let you marry her easily. Your marriage must contribute to the Hughes family. Socialites worldwide are waiting for your invitation this year, you’re really lucky,” Julian Carter drank glass after glass, the burning sensation in his stomach sending waves of excitement, causing his eyes to redden gradually.

”This year is a good opportunity. Transfer the company to her name, then she can stand with me.” The crystal-clear wine glass under the bar lights reflected a charming glow, like her lively eyes. Joshua Hughes said softly, which almost made the man with the poker face jump up.

”You’re going to give her the business you worked so hard to build?” This was simply too shocking, had he gone mad? That was his hard work, like his child, how could he just give it away?

”I can’t wait any longer, nor do I want her to wait.” Joshua Hughes’s tone was extraordinarily calm, the dim lights illuminating his profile, profound and unfathomable, making it impossible for others to guess his thoughts.

A real psycho, once he gets rid of that big toy, whoever he wants to marry is up to him, couldn’t he wait a few months?

Talking about this topic again, that unsettling sensation crawled back over his heart...

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”Thank you, Beckett.” Avery Jane slowly stood up; she had to leave now. Only this way would she have a chance to come out again.

She had many things to clarify, including Lucas Yates’s experiment and where he was buried. Even if she’d forgotten, the man in the photo, clean and elegant, still brought her feelings of familiarity and heartache. She needed to go back to where she used to live, but none of this could be known to Joshua Hughes. So before she remembered everything, she wouldn’t easily make any rash decisions.

On a spring night, the wind wasn’t strong, carrying a slight chill. Avery Jane wrapped her thin coat tighter, the bodyguard followed by car behind her. She wanted to take a walk, feel the wind, stay clear-headed. Tonight, she still needed to face him, but what should she do? When she thought about him, she felt scared. She feared that if she remembered everything and found out Joshua Hughes had lied to her about more than just this matter, or that it wasn’t family pressure but that he was just playing her, or perhaps something even scarier? At this thought, Avery Jane wrapped her coat tighter, feeling an inexplicable stomach spasm, discomfort.

The bodyguard, watching the slow-advancing figure ahead, felt that Miss Jane’s complexion wasn’t good today, as if she were a bit unwell but insisted on walking alone. This person was now the apple of Joshua Hughes’s eye, and any mistake was unacceptable, better report it to Joshua Hughes.

”Young master, we’ve already left the mall, but Miss Jane doesn’t want to get in the car. She said she wants to walk a bit. Miss Jane’s complexion was a bit off this evening.” The bodyguard reported simply, and the person on the other end hung up the call...

From afar, her small silhouette could be seen, appearing particularly solitary on a spring night. A simple coat outlined her slender waistline, her long hair gently swaying with the breeze, strands revealing an irresistible liveliness and grace.

A young man playing on a skateboard whistled past her, gazing almost fixatedly, nearly crashing into a lamppost. His woman was just that beautiful, pride welling up from the bottom of his heart. Joshua Hughes stopped his car and walked forward in big strides.

”Avery...” The man from behind carried her familiar scent, a hint of strong liquor, and the light musk fragrance from him, that strong, purely masculine, mature smell slowly enveloping her from behind. His warm hand took her cool, soft hand. The man, tall and robust, came up beside her, Avery Jane’s heart quivered, was it him?

”Why did you want to take a walk? Are you feeling unwell?” Joshua Hughes looked at Avery Jane, under the contrast of her black hair, her small face looked even paler, was she unwell?

”No, just the air in the mall wasn’t great; I thought walking might help.” Avery Jane didn’t dare to look up at him. She didn’t know how to face him; she was attracted to the warmth of his embrace yet feared that such warmth was an addictive poison. If one day she remembered everything, if she had to leave, wouldn’t she be reluctant?

”Don’t go anymore, alright.” His voice was low yet magnetic, seemingly gentler than the spring breeze, gentle as an invisible hand caressing her cold body. Avery Jane’s eye rims gradually moistened, a crystalline tear slipped down her jade-like cheek...

”What’s wrong?” Joshua Hughes saw that tear, small, falling like a shattered diamond, onto his heart.

”Nothing, just in a bad mood, maybe I should listen to you and stop going to work, go stay at your house.” Avery Jane spoke lowly, her voice slightly choked. She must have been to the old Hughes mansion, she had a strong premonition. Now she needed to slowly seek out traces of her past life...