She reached out to grab the zipper of her skirt, but her hand was shaking uncontrollably, and her body trembled as well.

Victor saw it all, noticing the panic in her eyes.

He deliberately used a cold, threatening tone, “Are you scared now? Do you know how ruthless the men who come here are? To them, you’re just a toy that can be played with as long as they pay. No one will show you any mercy.”

“Abuse, contracting viruses, all that’s nothing. If you run into a freak, you might not even know how you die!”

Evelyn’s face turned pale from his words.

“Still not leaving?”

Having achieved his goal, Victor was losing patience.

There was an inexplicable restlessness in his body, making him uncomfortable. He didn’t want to waste time on someone who didn’t matter.

Evelyn, already nervous, lost all the courage she had left after his scolding.

“I’m sorry.” Her eyes reddened as she apologized, her head lowered before she turned to flee.

Finally left alone, Victor grabbed his coat and headed out.

As soon as he stepped outside, a soft, delicate woman clung to him.

The intense scent of her perfume made him frown, and without any hesitation, he pushed her away.

The woman, as if boneless, collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.

Bennett rushed over to see what happened, frowning as he asked Lily, the courtesan, who was now picking herself up from the floor, “What’s going on?”

Lily hesitated, glancing at Ethan Brooks.

Ethan, the manager of Elysium West, smooth and calculating, quickly turned the tables on Lily, “Lily, seriously? To climb the social ladder, you shouldn’t resort to such dirty tricks. How could you drug Mr. Kingsley?”

“Drugging him?!” Bennett reacted even more strongly than Victor, his eyes wide with shock. “Are you trying to get yourselves killed?”

Ethan quickly deflected, “Boss, this has nothing to do with me. It’s all Lily’s idea!”

Lily, frightened, fell to her knees, pleading, “Boss, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me!”

Victor’s face was dark and unreadable.

“Vic, let me send you home,” Bennett said, feeling guilty. He had arranged this evening to help Victor relax, but these two fools had ruined it. How dare they drug Victor under his nose?

“No need. I’ll deal with this myself.” Victor refused Bennett’s offer, grabbed his coat, and left Elysium West.

It was raining outside.

Spring rain was falling softly, the kind that’s cold and damp, making everything feel uncomfortable.

Evelyn was squatting beneath the ornate Roman columns at the entrance, like a stray dog no one wanted.

She tightly clutched her phone, her face expressionless but full of confusion and helplessness.

Her mind raced as she thought about the money she still needed to raise for Guton’s surgery. If she couldn’t get it together, he’d have to go home and wait for death.

He was only six years old, just at the start of his life.

And Zara had been most worried about Guton when she passed.

Her eyes grew heavy with tears, and she had to tilt her head back, fighting to push the emotions back down.

Then, Hannah’s call came through.

Evelyn suppressed her emotions and answered, “Aunt, why are you still up?”

Hannah replied, “I’m packing things.”

Evelyn’s heart tightened. “Didn’t you say you’d wait until Uncle came out?”

“We can’t wait anymore. The longer we wait, the more we spend. The family doesn’t have any money left. Without treatment, the child will suffer.” Hannah’s voice choked with emotion, trying to hold back tears. “Just now, Guton’s grandfather called. He said… he’s already made Guton’s coffin.”

Tears rolled down Evelyn’s cheeks.

The pain in her chest made it hard to breathe, and she couldn’t speak.

“He took the wood he had prepared for his own coffin and made a smaller one for Guton, saying he wanted to do something for him in the end.”

Hannah finally couldn’t hold back and began to cry, but she stifled the sound, fearing to wake Guton, who had just fallen asleep.

“Aunt, just wait a little longer. I’ll think of something.” Evelyn’s voice quivered, unwilling to give up.

“Enough, Eve. When Uncle gets out, have him come home quickly. Don’t cause any more trouble. This family can’t hold on any longer.” Hannah called just to remind her of this.

Evelyn’s heart ached.

If it weren’t for Hannah’s family, she would have died alone in a remote mountain when she was six. She owed them her life, and she would repay them.

So Evelyn steeled herself, wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and turned to head back to Elysium West.

But as soon as she turned, she bumped into a tall, slender figure.

Victor stood before her, his eyes narrowed, his expression cold, darker than it had been inside.

“Where are you going?”

Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt guilty for no reason, stammering, “Ho… home.”

“You live here?” Victor’s voice was lazy, carrying a chill.

Evelyn bit her lip, not daring to speak, her head instinctively lowering.

From his angle, Victor could see the small patch of white skin exposed at her neck.

The porcelain-like skin gleamed faintly in the light, contrasting with the redness on her cheeks. The combination was strangely alluring.

Victor’s eyes darkened, a subtle but unmistakable desire flickering in his gaze.

His throat constricted involuntarily.

“Come with me.” He tossed the command over his shoulder as he began walking down the stairs.

Evelyn froze in place, her doe eyes wide with fear and panic.

Victor, hearing no footsteps behind him, turned to look at her.

His dark eyes were filled with indifference. “You said you needed money? I’ll lend it to you.”

He had clearly overheard her conversation with Hannah.

Evelyn didn’t believe him.

She had seen his cold attitude earlier on the 17th floor, so she didn’t think he would suddenly be so kind.

Who would lend money to a stranger without reason?

Victor didn’t press her, his face calm and composed. “You can also choose to go back, and let the label of ‘whore’ stick to you for the rest of your life. Your future, your career, your entire life will always carry that stain.”

“Taking shortcuts comes with a price. If you can pay it, go ahead.”

His words struck Evelyn deeply, causing her to recoil in fear.

She hesitated.

…

Victor, having drunk, couldn’t drive, so he decided to call a car by the roadside.

He didn’t bother with an umbrella, letting the rain soak his body.

It wasn’t a good time to get a cab, and though it was light rain, his clothes quickly got soaked.

Evelyn, feeling cold despite not being in the rain, hesitated but eventually went back into Elysium West. She borrowed an umbrella from the staff and ran out to catch up with him.

It was her way of thanking him for his advice.

Victor had intended to let the rain clear his mind, and it seemed to work—his body didn’t feel so restless anymore.

But he still couldn’t hail a cab.

The rain was getting heavier, and his head was still soaked.

Victor looked up, only to see a rain umbrella above him.

Evelyn, who was holding it, struggled a bit with the weight due to her shorter stature.

Her doe eyes were wet from the rain, droplets collecting on her lashes, making her appear drenched.

Victor’s deep gaze narrowed. “Have you thought it over?”

Evelyn didn’t answer, but simply shoved the umbrella into his hands before running toward the bus stop to wait for a bus.

The warmth left on the umbrella’s handle seemed to kindle an unnamed fire in Victor’s chest, making it burn brighter.

Evelyn had barely taken a few steps when she heard an odd noise behind her.

Turning around, she saw Victor crouching on the ground.

The umbrella she had just given him was now lying on the floor.

His expression was full of pain as he used one hand to support himself, trying to maintain his balance.

Evelyn immediately realized something was wrong and rushed back. “What’s happening?”

She reached out to help him, but as soon as her hand touched his heated body, she was startled.

“I’ll take you to the hospital,” she said urgently.

“Please take me home,” he said, his brow furrowed deeply, his wet hair dripping with water, but his voice was firm.

Evelyn hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”