Chapter 44: It was all her fault!

Ava slammed her teacup down in a fury. "That bitch Celeste, how dare she ignore my calls?"

"Dad, she's doing this on purpose. She hates me, and that's why she blocked the orphanage land deal! Our project fell apart because of her! Dad, she's practically trying to kill us!"

Ava grabbed Edward's hand anxiously.

The reason for her panic was that she and Edward were currently at the Elias Martin residence.

After Nathaniel halted the orphanage project, all their efforts had been for nothing. Unable to get any help from the Martin family, Edward decided that Ava should marry Elias!

But the man was over fifty and had a taste for sadism—she definitely didn't want to marry him!

"Yes, but we're out of options right now," Edward tightened his grip on Ava's hand. "Ava, you're the only one who can save our family now! If you can make Elias happy tonight, he'll announce your engagement at the private banquet at South Town Villa tomorrow, and then the funds will come through."

It was clear he was planning to send her straight to Elias's bed!

Ava turned pale with fear. "I can't do this! Dad, I don't want to be his plaything..."

She ran for the door.

But before she could get out, she collided with the portly Elias entering from outside.

"Ava, where do you think you're going?" Qian En ogled Ava's chest and gave her buttock a sleazy pinch.

"Ahh!" Ava recoiled in shock. "Elias, I haven't agreed to marry you. There's too much of an age gap..."

"That's okay, I hear we share the same... interests."

"Rourou, just spend some time with your Uncle Elias, no, your future husband!" Edward chimed in grimly before walking away.

The next moment.

Elias pulled Ava into his arms and tore off her clothes.

"No, Mr. Martin, I'm too young..."

"Young? These don’t look young to me!" Elias chuckled darkly, grabbing her chest as Ava struggled beneath him.

"Don't think I don't know about your wild nights. You've been promiscuous since your teens. I've heard about the parties, the multiple men. Let's see how wild you can really be!"

With that, he pulled out handcuffs, securing Ava to the bedpost. His fingers cruelly pinched at her nipples.

"Ah!"

Ava's face turned ghostly white. "Be gentle..."

She was used to leading the play, not being played with, especially not by a man over fifty.

"Turn around! Lift your ass up!"

"I like this position... Tighten up, or I will kill you bitch!"

He forced himself inside her, and Ava tried to tighten up, but her body, loosened from too many parties and casual flings, couldn't make him comfortable.

This annoyed Elias, who took out a whip and began to strike Ava.

"You bitch! I wouldn't even bother if you didn't have such a good body! But now? Look at you!" Elias unleashed his frustration on her without any semblance of mercy.

"Ah— it hurts... it really hurts..."

"But you seemed to be enjoying it just now!"

"No... I wasn't... Ah!" The physical pain and emotional humiliation were overwhelming.

Ava, tears in her eyes, cursed Celeste over and over in her heart!

It was all her fault!

It was all because she had married Nathaniel first!

Otherwise, it would have been Ava who was Mrs. Ford, high and mighty, while Celeste would have been the one enduring torment from this old pervert—preferably tortured to death—

"Ah—" After being tormented for two full hours, Ava, holding back her tears, leaned into Elias's arms but then told him.

"Actually, I have an older sister at home. She's got a better figure than me and likes this stuff too. You'd definitely like her."

"Really?" Elias's interest was piqued.

"Yeah, at the private party tomorrow, I know how to get her to come entertain you..."

Ava's eyes flashed with undisguised malice, seeing the lust in Elias's eyes and knowing that with a little manipulation on her part, he wouldn't let Celeste off the hook.

She was determined to make Celeste experience the same pain she had endured today!

…

"Why is it Ava's call? So many, has she gone mad?" It was only after a long passionate encounter with Nathaniel that Celeste finally had time to check her phone.

At that moment, she was lying in bed wrapped in a gray velvet blanket, her beautiful figure clearly visible.

Alongside Ava's missed calls, there was also an encrypted message—

"The boss has recently received funding, here is the list of suspects..."

"What are you looking at?" Lost in thought, Nathaniel, having dealt with some business matters, came back over.

He glanced briefly as Celeste lay on her side in bed, the thin blanket unable to cover her ample chest, revealing a large expanse of softness, including some fresh red marks he had just left.

Her voluptuous figure and long straight legs made Nathaniel reminisce about their earlier fervor. It was these legs that had wrapped around his waist, driving him wild...

"Mr. Ford, how come you're...?" Celeste glanced over and saw his arousal. Her face flushed.

It had been less than half an hour since they last made love, and here he was, seemingly insatiable.

Nathaniel chuckled lowly, his eyes growing deeper as he focused intensely on the allure before him.

As she turned, the blanket slipped down to her waist, her soft chest brushing against him.