Chapter 8 Chapter 8: The Old Flame Returns (R18)
Just as dawn was breaking, Selena had already asked the hotel receptionist to prepare a modest set of clothes for her and packed her belongings to leave. She walked away without a backward glance at the despicable face of the man who had tormented her all night.
If her plan didn’t go wrong, within the next month, that man would come looking for her. By then, the battle between her and her ex-husband’s family would officially begin.
The first thing Selena did after leaving the hotel was to buy an emergency contraceptive and take it. She didn't want her child to become a pawn in her scheme. It had to be born out of love and purity, not as someone's illegitimate offspring.
After taking the pill, Selena was about to head home for some sleep when suddenly, she heard someone calling out from behind:
“You there! It’s you, isn’t it?”
Selena turned around to see Sophia, the woman she had met when she first returned to the human world. Beside her stood an older woman, likely in her forties, whose face was well-maintained and exuded elegance.
The woman looked at Selena with a mix of curiosity and admiration. This girl was truly beautiful, her face devoid of makeup yet still radiant—something quite rare.
Sophia asked again:
“Do you remember me?”
Selena nodded and smiled as she replied:
“You’re the kind person who helped me, how could I forget?”
Sophia cheerfully turned to her mother and said:
“Mom, she’s the strange girl I told you about the other day. We were just chatting, and she suddenly disappeared, leaving me thinking I’d seen a ghost! Now that I’m seeing her in broad daylight, I guess that’s not the case.”
Mrs. Winchester, Sophia’s mother, gently tapped her on the forehead and scolded:
“What are you talking about? Look at her, how could you call her a ghost?”
Then she turned to Selena and said:
“Don’t mind her, child. Oh, by the way, what’s your name so I can address you properly?”
Selena politely answered:
“My name is Selena.”
“Oh my, such a beautiful name, and you’re just as lovely.”
Mrs. Winchester smiled so broadly that her eyes nearly closed. She was a woman who loved beauty; the more beautiful someone was, the more she liked them. If the person’s personality wasn’t bad, she wouldn’t mind having a daughter-in-law as beautiful as this girl.
Selena stayed and chatted with Sophia and her mother for a while before politely taking her leave. As Mrs. Winchester watched her walk away, she commented to Sophia:
“If only your brother weren’t so besotted with that Amelia girl, I wouldn’t mind having a daughter-in-law as pretty as Selena.”
Sophia pouted and said:
“There you go again, judging by appearances. I think her background is unclear; for all we know, she could be some old man’s sugar baby.”
“Then why were you so eager to befriend her?” Mrs. Winchester asked.
“Because she’s beautiful.”
Mrs. Winchester squinted at her daughter, lips pursed in mild disapproval. Like mother, like daughter—there was no denying it.
…
At the hotel’s presidential suite.
Balthazar slept until late morning before waking up. Seeing that Selena had left without taking a single penny, he merely smirked and got dressed to check out. He had seen countless women use tricks to seduce wealthy men. The tactic of “throwing a sprat to catch a mackerel” was far too basic to fool him.
But regardless, that woman had made him feel very comfortable. All the annoyance and frustration he’d felt before had vanished completely. He couldn’t help but wonder where the madam had found such an excellent plaything.
After satisfying his desires, Balthazar threw himself back into work. A week passed, and just when he was planning to visit the bar to find Selena again, his ex-lover Amelia showed up.
Seeing Amelia, now dressed like the elegant lady of a prestigious family, sitting before him, Balthazar’s mood plummeted.
“What are you doing here today?”
Hearing Balthazar’s cold tone, Amelia’s eyes welled up with tears.
“I know you hate me, but I really had no choice.”
Bang!
Balthazar slammed the table, standing up abruptly as he shouted:
“What choice did you have? We were together for more than three years in the U.S., and then you suddenly broke up with me. I thought I had done something wrong, so I kept trying to win you back. And what did I get? You returned to France to marry William, becoming the madam of the Sterling family. That’s your ‘hardship’?”
Balthazar couldn’t control his emotions. He swept everything off the table and continued to rage:
“The Sterling family is the largest clan in North America. I even heard that William was your first love. ‘An old flame never dies,’ right? What hardship? I’m the idiot here for falling in love with you!”
Standing in the face of Balthazar’s accusations, Amelia shook her head repeatedly, tears streaming down her face as she denied it:
“No, the one I love has always been you. I truly had no choice. Please, let me explain.”
“Fine! Explain then. I’m listening!” Balthazar roared.
Amelia lowered her head, her mind racing. After a moment, she choked out:
“The truth is, my family was in trouble. Our business could only survive by relying on the Sterling family. As a daughter, I couldn’t just stand by and watch my family fall apart. But I’m not happy. How could I be happy living with someone I don’t love?”
She looked up at him, her tear-filled eyes meeting his. Seeing the woman he loved suffering like this, Balthazar’s heart softened.
Amelia stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face to his chest.
“The one I will always love is you. If you don’t believe me, I’m willing to give myself to you today.”
Balthazar was stunned and pulled her away. During their time together, she had never allowed him to cross the line, saying she was saving herself for her wedding night. And now she wanted to give herself to him?
“Are you serious?”
Amelia shyly nodded.
Balthazar’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. No man could resist the woman he loved, so he took her hand and led her to the private suite next to the chairman’s office.
Unlike the roughness he had shown with Selena, Balthazar was gentle with Amelia, treating her like the precious jewel she was to him.
As each layer of clothing came off, Balthazar carefully laid Amelia down on the bed, his lips trailing over every inch of her skin.
“Mmm…”
Amelia’s soft moans made Balthazar’s ears tingle. But then…
One minute, two minutes, ten minutes passed, and Balthazar’s manhood still hadn’t fully hardened.
This half-hard, half-soft state was incredibly uncomfortable for him.
What was going on? The woman he loved most was lying beneath him, so why wasn’t he able to climax?
“Balthazar, I’m ready. Put your manhood into me.”
Gritting his teeth, Balthazar pushed his semi-erect member into Amelia’s vagna and gently began thrusting.
“Hnn… Balthazar, I feel so good…”
Amelia seemed to be in a state of euphoria from Balthazar’s movements. Her face was flushed with arousal, but he felt the exact opposite—the more he did, the worse he felt.
In the end, he decided to pull out.
Amelia opened her eyes in confusion, still lost in the lingering pleasure. Her gaze remained hazy and moist, but it no longer stirred any emotion in him.
“That’s enough for today. I have work to do. I’ll have someone take you home.”
With that, Balthazar put on his clothes and walked out, leaving Amelia sitting on the bed, bewildered. Finally, she huffed in frustration and left Winning Edge Enterprises’s premises.
Just then, her phone rang, and she immediately picked it up.
A voice on the other end asked:
“How did it go?”
Amelia replied angrily:
“He’s useless! He bailed halfway through, couldn’t even get the job done.”