Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game

So it was true, the man in her dreams wasn’t Joshua Hughes, the man in her dreams was just a figure yet exuded elegance and charm. But Joshua Hughes was completely different, even just his figure exuded the strongest sense of oppression, making it impossible for people to ignore his presence. His overpowering aura, cold and domineering, always filled the entire space he occupied.

”How did I meet him?” Avery Jane’s voice was low, the words seemed stuck in her throat, she used all her strength to speak them out.

She once wanted to escape from it all, but there was always an invisible hand pushing her step by step forward. Now she couldn’t go back, she really couldn’t go back....

”When you were fifteen, you were still in school, your father got sick, very sick, you couldn’t come up with the money for his treatment. At that time your family didn’t even have money to buy painkillers, you didn’t know where you found out that Mr. Yates’ laboratory needed a Medicine Man.....” Angela Scott paused here, glancing at Avery Jane, who was as quiet as an ice-carved statue, not moving, her face pale.

”What is a Medicine Man?” Avery Jane’s eyes seemed to have lost focus, Beckett Wright looked at her worriedly, placed the hot coffee in front of her, Avery mechanically picked it up, took a sip, and looked at Angela Scott.

”At that time, Mr. Yates was researching a drug, needed people for clinical trials, because it was somewhat dangerous, so they would give some money to everyone who tried it.” Angela Scott’s gaze rested on Beckett Wright’s face, she wasn’t worried whether he would notice her watching him, because his attention was entirely on Avery Jane, she might as well be air to him.

”How long did I take it?” Avery Jane felt a weight in her heart, was it because of the medications she couldn’t remember, or wasn’t it because she fell, but because she became a test subject when she was young?

”No, you didn’t actually take the drug. Mr. Yates pretended to agree to your request, but he only gave you vitamins, gave you more money than others, and told you that you could bring your father to the hospital for free treatment, deceiving you that he had a quota to treat certain patients. Your father stayed in the hospital for more than a year, costing over a million in total until when you were seventeen, your father passed away. Also that year, Mr. Yates confessed his feelings to you, with no hesitation you agreed, and you moved to the Yates Family with him. More than a year ago, you two got married, and the day after the wedding, there was a car accident, Mr. Yates died in that car accident.” Angela Scott spoke slowly, although Avery Jane had it tough, there was always someone appearing at the hardest times, like Lucas Yates when she was fifteen, and later, Joshua Hughes appeared six months after Lucas Yates died.

She thought Avery Jane was unfortunate, yet how lucky she was, to be deeply loved by two men. No, three. The heartache and pity in Beckett Wright’s eyes made her feel chilled to the bone......

That’s how she and he met, he was such a good man, this seemingly flawless man was her husband, but why did they have a car accident right after their wedding?

”Did the car accident have anything to do with Joshua Hughes?” Avery Jane suddenly shivered, a cold chill slowly crawled up from her feet, almost paralyzing her heart, she dared not imagine such a thing, yet somehow the words just came out naturally, she was eager to know the answer.

”It shouldn’t be related, your acquaintance with Mr. Hughes happened six months later......” Angela Scott glanced at Avery Jane, had she discovered something? Why would she ask such a strange question?

Hearing this answer, Avery Jane almost collapsed back into the chair, her forehead sweat soaking her temples, her tightly tense heart finally seemed to relax. Thankfully, it wasn’t him, thankfully not......

”How did I meet Joshua Hughes?” Avery Jane took a sip of hot coffee, her voice still trembling slightly. Her past held such a turbulent life, so when Joshua Hughes treated her well, she simply didn’t want to escape, she was just a lonely bird, seeking a place to perch, and Joshua Hughes was the densest, strongest, tallest tree in the endless forest, letting her rest on his wide shoulders, not wanting to wander, or leave.

”You didn’t tell me much about how you two met, but six months after Mr. Yates died, everyone stopped funding his lab, you were short on money, so you came to me wanting to shoot an ad. I remember before you got married, a director invited you to shoot an ad, you wanted to support Mr. Yates’ lab, and that’s when you met Mr. Hughes. Because he’s the behind-the-scenes boss of our M.C Headquarters.” Angela Scott knew she could only say this, no more, she couldn’t implant more memories of Joshua Hughes in Avery Jane’s mind, as it would complicate things further.

:”And then?” Avery Jane licked her lips unconsciously, her nervous voice trembling, she wanted to know what exactly went on between her and Joshua Hughes, how did she end up living with him, why did he deceive her into believing they were married?

:”For a while, you seemed to disappear on me, how could I know what happened to you?” Angela Scott replied with a smile, slowly moving from a bit of remorse to indifference towards Avery Jane.

She had betrayed her more than once, but no matter how much career success she gained at Avery Jane’s expense, she ultimately wasn’t happy. She wouldn’t tell her the truth because the longer the time passed, the more she would grow to like and depend on Joshua Hughes, and when she finally remembered everything, the pain would be a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times worse than now.......

The string in her heart was tightly wound, unable to loosen, Avery Jane’s phone had been ringing for an unknown amount of time, yet she seemed not to hear it at all, dazedly stirring the dark brown coffee, the little spoon creating a tiny vortex, her heart slowly sinking along with it.....

:”Avery Jane, your phone?” Beckett Wright looked at the pale as a little snowman Avery Jane, her long eyelashes casting a charming shadow under the light, her once rosy lips below her delicate nose had turned pale, looking even more pitiable.

Avery Jane mechanically pulled out her phone, without even glancing at the number, swiped to answer........

:”Hello?” Her voice had long lost its original clear and sweet tone, now hoarse and full of helplessness.

Joshua Hughes listened to her voice, with just that one ”hello,” he could hear the sadness, anxiety, and unease transmitted through the radio waves.

”Avery, I’ve already reached home, when are you coming back?” Joshua Hughes controlled his rising and falling emotions, speaking in a low, powerful voice.

”Later....I don’t know....goodbye......” She didn’t even know what she was saying, rambling on as she hung up. The voice on the other end was like a magnet for her, day after day, but their life was full of lies. How to face him? Pretending nothing ever happened, continuing to depend on him to live this life? Avery Jane’s head throbbed as she closed her eyes, daring not to think further, afraid of collapsing if she did.....

Joshua Hughes drove the car out from the parking lot, her image appeared in his mind, she seemed to have grown even thinner recently, possessing a fragile to the extreme beauty.

It was exactly this beauty that, when he first met her, made him want to enclose her, forcing her to follow his every whim, giving her humiliation and disgrace until she could no longer bear it and escaped, ultimately leading to the possession that drove her to madness, how much more does he need to repay?

”Where is Miss Jane?” Though he agreed to withdraw all bodyguards and not interfere with her freedom, he still had someone follow her discreetly. After all, the world wasn’t entirely peaceful, right?

”Miss Jane went alone into a café on XX street, she’s been inside and hasn’t come out.” A bodyguard sitting in the shadowy car reported Avery Jane’s whereabouts.

She went into the café alone and stayed that long? Impossible, there must be someone else inside, whom did she meet?

The car drove towards the direction the bodyguard indicated, the man inside had a cold, stern expression, with a hint of red in his eyes, his face tense, large hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, as if about to crush it.

Before her, he had no leverage, always owing her, unclear what amount needed to repay, precisely because he owed her, he would always try to fulfill any demand she made, she wanted some space and time, he agreed, knowing this left him too passive, but what else could he do? He couldn’t stand her looking at him with those eyes pleading a little......

The car stopped by the side of the road, he didn’t enter because entering now would intensify Avery Jane’s reaction, he sat quietly in the car, looking at the café glowing with a warm yellow light. What was she doing inside? Who was with her, and what were they talking about? These questions tormented him repeatedly, like simmering on a fire.......

Inside for sure wasn’t just Avery Jane, by his old nature, he would have already gone in to take Avery Jane away, but now he dared not, fearing Avery Jane realizing he still attempted to restrict her movements, would break off entirely with him, under such circumstances, it really could happen.