"Daniel Howard?"
Ofelia already felt terrible, and being shaken by him only made her dizzier.
Daniel locked the door, his cold eyes fixed on Ofelia. "I warned you to stay away from Kevin. What, my words mean nothing to you now?"
Ofelia rubbed her chest, feeling slightly better. She looked up at the man and smiled sarcastically. "Ha, Daniel, why should I listen to you? Are you my provider, or did we get married? You keep saying I have no right, but what about you?"
Ofelia, who had always been submissive, gathered her courage. Her slender finger poked Daniel's chest, her eyes filled with undisguised anger. "Sure, you're rich and powerful, but that doesn't mean you can control my life! You slept with me a few days ago and told me to bear a child for the Howard Family. Now you're engaged to Odelia. Are you planning to have my child call Odelia 'mom'?" As Ofelia spoke, she became more agitated, her eyes turning red with anger. She shoved Daniel hard. "Do you even see me as a human being? That's my child, mine!"
Finally, her stubbornness gave way, and tears streamed down her face. She trembled with rage, her entire body shaking.
Daniel stumbled back a few steps from her push, barely managing to steady himself. When he looked at Ofelia again, she was already crying uncontrollably. He found himself unable to refute her words.
"Daniel, listen to me. Even if I die, I will never have this child!" She pointed at him, her words clear and resolute.
This was the first time he had seen Ofelia so angry since he had known her. She didn't mention money or make any demands.
"Just telling him, 'My child will never call anyone else 'Mom'!'"
"Do you think I'll give you any room to regret the promise you made to me?" Daniel's eyes flashed with arrogance as he glanced at Ofelia. "Don't think that just because you've hooked up with Kevin, you have the courage to defy me!"
His large hand gripped her chin, lifting it slightly. "Remember, neither you nor Kevin are worthy."
They locked eyes for a moment before he continued, "You asked me to investigate your parents' car accident. I've completed the investigation, and the information is in my office. Move into the Howard Family estate, and I'll give you the case details and arrange your father's brain surgery."
Ofelia finally closed her eyes, unable to resist any longer, hiding the despair and sorrow within them. She choked out, "Is this fair to me?"
The man released her, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead as if petting a small animal, a smirk playing on his lips. "In the adult world, there's no such thing as fairness. If you want fairness, come back when you have enough power." He patted her cheek, as if imparting a harsh truth of society.
Ofelia's tear-streaked face broke into a smile, a sad, helpless, and desperate smile. "Yes, in the adult world, there's no such thing as fairness. Everything depends on strength. Without power, you're nothing."
She murmured to herself, head bowed.
"Good that you understand."
Daniel wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "You're carrying the Howard Family's child now. Even if you like Kevin, you'll have to endure it."
The man finally understood why Ofelia had no interest in him. It turned out she preferred someone like Kevin, a charming and carefree playboy.
"Master Howard is truly domineering," Ofelia said, her small face covered with tears. "Not only are you forcing me to bear a child for the Howard Family, but now I can't even choose who I like?"
She wasn't usually this emotional, but today's events had been too overwhelming for her to handle. After crying, she felt a bit better and adjusted her mindset, speaking in a calm tone, "Master Howard, aren't you afraid you'll push me to my death? If that happens, I'll haunt you as a ghost, making sure you never have a moment of peace."
She shook her head, "No, that punishment is too small. It should be..."
Ofelia paused, her red lips moving without making a sound. But Daniel understood her lip-reading.
She said: "I'll make sure you, Daniel, have no descendants!"
"Keep provoking me, and do you believe I won't take you right here?" Daniel's face darkened, feeling that Ofelia was being recklessly defiant.
"Oh, really? In the middle of your engagement party, you'd risk hurting your fiancee's feelings by being with me? Tsk, tsk... Master Howard, you're such a heartless man. I suddenly feel a bit sorry for Odelia."
"Maybe you should worry about yourself first."
For some reason, despite her plain and somewhat unattractive face, which he should have despised, her constant resistance and defiance always managed to stir something in him. It made him want to conquer her, to make her submit. His overpowering desire to dominate was something Daniel couldn't control.
He pulled her onto the sofa, but instead of tearing at her clothes, he held back. Ofelia didn't struggle; she simply asked calmly, "Downstairs are all the prominent figures of Fortune's City. If Master Howard isn't afraid of losing face, go ahead. After all, if I've been bitten by a dog once, I'm not afraid of being bitten again."
With no strength to resist the man, Ofelia could only resort to verbal defiance.
"With Sutton guarding, not even a fly could get to the third floor."
"You..."
Ofelia was left speechless.
Ring, ring, ring—
Suddenly, Ofelia's phone rang in her pocket.
The man sneered, "If you don't want to walk out of here humiliated, start undressing yourself!" Ignoring him, Ofelia reached into her pocket and saw that it was a call from Kevin.
Before she could answer, Daniel snatched the phone from her hand and tossed it aside. "Can't go a moment without missing you, huh? Even with a face like that, you can't hide your shameless heart."
His eyes narrowed. "Ofelia, you are truly despicable!"
Without giving her another chance, his remaining patience evaporated. He tore her clothes apart...
Ofelia didn't struggle, as if she had resigned to her fate.
However, the soft whimpers escaping her lips were drowned out by the incessant ringing of the phone.
Daniel glanced at the screen, finding the name "Kevin Hamilton" flashing annoyingly.
He picked up the phone...
"Daniel, what are you doing?" Ofelia tried to stop him from answering the phone, reaching out to grab it, but she was a second too slow. Daniel snatched the phone and answered it directly.
"Ofelia, where are you? Why didn't you answer my calls?" Kevin's worried voice came through the speaker.
Daniel raised an eyebrow and held the phone with the speaker on in his hand.
"I... I'm sorry, I... I wasn't feeling well..." Ofelia stammered, her voice breaking off. But before she could finish her sentence, Daniel struck unexpectedly.