Chapter 71 Half-Revealed, Unbearably Pure Desire
In Thalia's villa, Evelyn watched Thalia lying on the couch with an eye mask on.
She glanced at the live stream comments and burst into laughter.
"What's your deal? Crying like you lost your husband right in front of William."
"Did Mr. Brown say anything?"
Evelyn was curious about William's reaction at the time, guessing he must have felt pretty frustrated.
"No," Thalia adjusted the eye mask that was about to fall off. She had cried too hard in the afternoon, and her eyes were still swollen.
But thinking about Wesley's words, Thalia felt it was worth it.
She believed in an eye for an eye and never let herself be wronged.
The men in the Wood family were all scumbags.
"Mr. Brown didn't say anything, but he looked pretty upset."
"Thalia was crying while making Mr. Brown hand her tissues."
Isla, who was in the driver's seat at that time, was too scared to move.
In all of Emerald City, only Thalia had the guts to boss William around like that.
And it was when William was in a bad mood.
Thalia remembered William's expression at the restaurant, and her lips pressed together in a dark scowl.
Her complicated history with William was too long to sum up in a few words. When her engagement with the Wood family was first confirmed, William's company booked an entire hotel for team building.
At the banquet, Thalia saw William upstairs, wearing a bathrobe and holding a wine glass, looking at her with a mocking smile as she clinked glasses with Walter.
Thalia was furious, feeling that this new elite of Emerald City looked down on her.
She wanted to punch William back then.
What goes around comes around!
As arrogant as she was back then, she was just as upset now.
After finishing with her eye mask, Thalia prepared to wash up and go to bed. Evelyn had a busy day ahead and didn't feel like staying over at Thalia's place.
At 11:30 PM, Thalia came out of the shower, ready to get a glass of water before bed.
The doorbell rang. She opened the door to find William leaning against the doorframe, his jacket slung over his arm.
He looked a bit worn out.
"Mr. Brown, what brings you here?"
"Just checking on Ms. Smith, worried you might succumb to depression."
Thalia turned to grab a shawl to wrap around herself. "Walter's not capable of that."
Thalia was wearing a spaghetti-strap nightgown, with crisscrossing strings down her back, leaving most of it bare. It was both revealing and tantalizing.
William, who was used to seeing scantily clad women in the business world, didn't think much of it.
Until Thalia wrapped herself in the shawl, crossing her arms to create a perfect cleavage, making William feel hot all over.
The most subtle seduction is the deadliest.
Thalia turned and found herself locked in William's deep gaze, like a whirlpool pulling her in.
"You—"
William grabbed Thalia's waist and pushed her onto the couch, biting her neck hard, making Thalia curse in pain.
"William."
"What's gotten into you?"
...
Five hours later, Thalia, sore all over, was carried out of the bathtub by William.
He half-held her, drying her off before laying her on the bed.
Thalia's eyes were filled with tears, looking as delicate as a flower battered by a storm.
"This is a crime…"
"Only if it's by force or coercion. We were both willing, Ms. Smith."
"You're talking nonsense," Thalia reached out to hit him.
William caught her hand and kissed her palm. "Still got energy? Want to go again?"
Thalia: …...
...
Walter was brought back to the Wood villa by Wesley, trembling as he knelt on the floor. "Dad, I know I was wrong."
"You know you were wrong? If you knew, you wouldn't have messed with Thalia. Knowing what you did, you should've stayed away from her, not approached her."
"How was I supposed to know Thalia would be so ruthless?" Walter always thought Thalia liked him. Why else would she buy him clothes and underwear?
He didn't expect her to cut ties so decisively.
Now everyone in town knew, and he was humiliated, not letting them off the hook either.
"Ruthless? What face do you have to ask for mercy? You cheated, causing her father to be in a coma. How big a face do you need for mercy? Walter, you're nothing. You're not even as good as Thalia. She's made something of herself. Hayden opened an entertainment company for her, and she's earning money every year, not relying on her father. And you? I'm supporting you, your woman, and in the future, your son."
"Can't you live with some dignity?"
Walter was speechless, feeling utterly humiliated.
He stared at Wesley for a long time, unable to say a word.
"You think you deserve mercy? Go ask around Emerald City, who's willing to associate with you now?"
"If not for your father, what would you be? Tomorrow, take your woman and move out of the Wood villa."
Wesley's words shocked Walter. "Dad?"
Aria was also stunned.
Move out?
How could she continue to enjoy her current carefree life?
Walter, a useless rich kid with no money or power, couldn't do anything without his family.
Move out? How would they live?
If Wesley cut off his credit cards, they wouldn't even have money for prenatal care.
Aria thought she had the upper hand, being his only son.
But...
"Dad, how will I live outside?"
"How did you not think of that when you were fooling around?"
Wesley kicked him aside, glaring at Aria. "I'm telling you, now that you're in the Wood family, you better behave."
"Don't think about bringing your poor relatives into the company. You're just a mistress, not the wife."
Aria's face turned pale, about to call for help, but felt a sharp pain in her stomach.
Warm blood trickled down her leg.
She was terrified, calling out to Walter in a trembling voice.
...
At the hospital.
Walter watched as the doctor closed the curtain of the emergency room, anxiously rubbing his hands together.
"Dad, should we use Aria's miscarriage to respond to Thalia's live stream this afternoon?"
Wesley was already considering this.
He glanced at Walter. "Your brain isn't completely useless."
"Then what do we do?"
"Go ask Aria to go live and apologize to Thalia."
"Apologize?" Walter was shocked.
"Not blame?"
Wesley regretted praising him. With such a brain...
"What? Blame Thalia for driving the other woman in your affair to the hospital?"