"Martina, Kevin's finally back in town. You should know what to do," her father Gabriel advised.
"Dad, I know," Martina Thompson replied.
Martina took the hangover medicine and, under her father Gabriel's gaze, knocked on Kevin's door.
Today was Kevin's welcome home banquet, and it was also the first time she met her husband of three years, whom she had never met before.
She had never liked these kinds of occasions, so she purposely arrived a little late, intending to leave soon after. However, she was caught by her father.
For the Thompson family, the alliance with the Charles family was critical. But relationships can't be cultivated out of thin air, right?
Especially with a husband she'd never met in three years. How possible?
So for Martina, delivering something to Kevin's room was merely a task she had to complete.
She planned to stay inside for a while and then come out to explain to her father.
After waiting for a while and no one came to open the door, Martina instinctively reached out to push it. To her surprise, it swung open.
It seemed like it hadn't been locked.
The room was dimly lit, and she could hear the sound of water coming from the bathroom. It seemed that someone was taking a shower, which explained why he didn't hear her knocking.
No wonder he hadn't heard her knock.
Martina casually placed the glass on the table next to the sofa, holding one in her hand and slowly sipping while wandering around, killing time.
Before she knew it, she had drunk half of the water in the glass, yet the person in the bathroom hadn't come out.
Martina checked the time and thought it was about time to leave.
However, just as she reached the doorway, the bathroom door suddenly opened.
A man stood at the bathroom door, wrapped in a towel. His short hair was a bit messy, but his overly refined features added a touch of wild beauty.
He stared intently at the woman standing in the room, like a beast ready to pounce on its prey hidden in the darkness.
"Who are you?"
The man's voice was deep and magnetic, but his tone was excessively cold.
Martina froze in place, feeling as if she had been caught sneaking into someone else's territory.
She didn't know whether to introduce herself or not. She couldn't just say, "I am your wife," right?
When she saw the glass on the table, she instinctively spoke, "I'm here to deliver hangover medicine."
The man squinted his eyes, looked her up and down, and then shifted his gaze to the table.
Remembering that his mother had indeed mentioned sending someone over, he nodded lightly.
"You can go now."
He walked out while drying his hair, without giving Martina another glance.
However, Martina wasn't ready to leave just yet. As she was about to open the door, she noticed her father talking to someone at the other end of the corridor. If she left now, she would surely be bombarded with questions. So, she decided to wait a bit longer.
"Don't want to leave?"
The man's low voice suddenly sounded behind her, startling Martina. She quickly turned around to look at him.
"N-no, I was just..."
As Martina was brainstorming for reasons, she suddenly noticed the empty glass and her eyes lit up.
"I was just planning to take the cup with me."
Under the man's sharp gaze, Martina managed to maintain a polite smile on her face and nervously walked into the room.
"You're not just here to deliver hangover medicine, are you?"
Martina felt her heart race. Did he recognize her?
"Mr. Charles, you've misunderstood," she said sincerely. "Someone asked me to help."
That was true; her father had instructed her to come here. It wasn't a lie.
"Someone?" The man approached her, his eyes more piercing than before. "Why did you hesitate for so long?"
Martina wasn't sure how to explain.
She couldn't just say that she was trying to avoid her father, right?
"I..."
Just as Martina was about to come up with a plausible excuse, the man suddenly grabbed her by the neck!
"Clang--"
A loud thud echoed as the empty glass fell to the ground.
"Mr. C...Mr. Charles... Let go..."
Martina instinctively tried to push him away, but his touch was searing hot, like a branding iron in a furnace.
She looked up in panic, meeting the man's slightly reddened eyes, filled with a raging storm of anger.
"What did you put in the water?"
The man's voice became extremely hoarse, as if he was holding back something.
Seeing his expression, Martina understood.
There's something wrong with the water!
She instinctively turned her head to look at the empty glass on the floor, but suddenly felt her waist tighten. Then, everything spun around, and she was thrown heavily onto the bed.
"Since you want it, then take it!"
She struggled to sit up, but the man held her down, and his body pressed down on hers...
......
When Martina woke up, the man next to her was already asleep.
Enduring the soreness all over her body, she struggled to get out of bed. Just as she bent down to pick up her scattered clothes, a cold voice suddenly sounded behind her.
"How much do you want?"
His tone was devoid of any emotion.
Last night, he had her non-stop all night long, giving her not a minute's rest. Several times, she thought she was going to pass out.
Martina paused, her hand clutching her clothes.
It was ironic. They had been married for three years, yet her husband didn't even know who she was.
Three years ago, she had inadvertently saved Eric's life.
At that time, her father's company was having difficulties in the first round of financing, and Eric proposed a union. As long as she agreed to marry Kevin, the Charles family would invest three billion in the Thompson family.
During the wedding ceremony, Kevin didn't show up at all. It was only when they left the city hall that she found out he had already gone abroad.
For three years, she had been a famous but non-existent Mrs. Charles, a joke in everyone's eyes.
She never expected that after three years, their first meeting would be in bed.
"I don't want money." She slowly put on her clothes.
Because of the soreness all over her body, every movement felt like she was falling apart.
"But you have quite the appetite."
"What now? Are you trying to get more from me?"
Kevin looked her up and down, his gaze sharp and filled with disdain.
Fair and delicate face, perfect figure, indeed quite attractive.
But she was just another woman who willingly came to him.
The difference was that she was the only woman who succeeded.
He withdrew his gaze slowly. "Put away your little schemes, or you won't get a single thing."
If it hadn't been for this woman adding something to his drink last night, he wouldn't have lost control.
Martina had finished dressing, and she stood there with a calm expression.
If it weren't for Eric's explicit instructions, she wouldn't have come here in the first place, let alone be caught delivering that water by her father...
She knew how Kevin felt about her and the Thompson family.
If she explained that this wasn't her intention, he probably wouldn't believe a word.
Martina laughed at herself. "Actually, I..."
Her words were interrupted by a ringing phone.
Kevin picked up the cell phone on the bedside table, put it on speakerphone, and calmly started getting dressed.
"Mr. Charles, I've followed your instructions and arrived at Miss Thompson's residence, but she's not at home. Should I send the divorce papers to the Thompson Group?"
Kevin paused buttoning his shirt, a slight frown on his forehead.
He had no impression of this so-called wife. All he heard from his grandfather was that she had a good personality, she was not ambitious, and was a brilliant graduate from the top University in the Capital.
But what did that matter?
The Thompson family had long passed the financing crisis, and the debt of gratitude he owed had already been repaid.
His tone was ruthless. "Contact her directly. Have her sign the papers first. If she refuses, then contact the Thompson Group."
When Martina heard the words "divorce papers," she was stunned.
Were they talking about her?
Just as she was about to listen carefully, she heard Kevin ask the person on the other end to contact her directly, guessing that it was his personal lawyer.
After Kevin hung up with the lawyer, another call came in, this time about company matters.
Martina found her own phone and, just as she was about to check it, a call from an unknown number came in.
