Chapter 1

After Miranda Oakley underwent hymenoplasty for the 99th time, her doctor finally couldn't refrain from asking her, "Ms. Oakley, are you renting it out as a business or something?"

Miranda's expression fell. "No. My boyfriend just prefers it this way."

Miranda was famously known as a hostess in Seafare City. However, she was also in a five-year relationship with a man younger than her, Carson Stallone. She spent all of her wealth on him like he was her sugar baby.

In fact, she even willingly underwent hymen reconstruction surgery 99 times because of his weird fetish. Also, Carson had promised her that he would marry her after she did it for the 100th time.

After the surgery, Miranda limped all the way back to her home. But when she reached her door, she suddenly heard people talking. Carson was joking around with his friends inside.

"Carson, you're really something!" Edwin Dickson exclaimed. "You managed to get the best hostess in the city to cater to your every whim and fancy. You even convinced her to get hymenoplasty 99 times! Teach me your ways!"

Carson took a drag on his cigarette and smirked. "You can't really teach anyone to be as eager as her."

"Since Miranda works at the hostess club every night, word has gotten around that she has HIV. Aren't you afraid of contracting it?" Edwin asked, feeling indignant on Carson's behalf.

However, Carson just cocked an eyebrow and said, "Even if she gave it to someone else, she wouldn't give it to me. I've never touched her that intimately. I only told her to get the surgery done because those old farts love the illusion of sleeping with virgins.

"As for her HIV… Who knows for sure where she got it from? Maybe from one of those old farts. All I know is that I'm clean and I've never once slept with her."

His other friends laughed and clapped in delight, praising Carson for tricking Miranda and having her wrapped around his little finger.

Miranda's pupils constricted. The hymenoplasty surgery report slipped from her hand and hit the floor. She couldn't hear anything anymore.

No wonder Carson always made her drink a glass of warm milk before they did the deed! She would always fall asleep right after drinking it, and she'd always feel like she'd been mowed down by a lawnmower the very next morning after waking up.

She had always thought that this was just one of Carson's weird fetishes. She never thought that the truth would end up being so horrifying instead.

Miranda leaned against the wall for support. Her legs had turned into jelly, and she could barely stand.

When they first got together, she had asked Carson if he cared that everyone called her a prostitute because of the nature of her job.

Back then, he had said, "I only care if you're willing to be my wife for the rest of our lives."

Carson and his friends were still chatting happily inside the house.

"Carson, I heard that you're planning to marry her at the end of this month. Is that true?"

Carson narrowed his almond eyes and grinned. "Yes, there will be a wedding, but I won't be showing up. I'll humiliate her in front of everyone and then break off all ties with her!

"Also, Gigi's just come back. I think it's high time that I end this disgusting relationship now."

Miranda shuddered. She had done so much for him over the past five years, but Carson only thought of it as a "disgusting relationship".

She left quietly and wandered the streets alone.

She had only taken up the job of being a hostess because her mother had been very sick, and she needed a huge sum of money for treatment.

Miranda was totally in her element working as a hostess. She was a natural at it, and she was also famous for being very good with alcohol. Many well-known businessmen would always ask her for her services every time they needed to lighten the mood while discussing serious business contracts.

Five years ago, Miranda came across Carson on the streets, who was completely drunk out of his mind. Carson had immediately confessed to her at once. "I like you, miss. Can you be my girlfriend?"

His eyes had been so bright and clear back then, and for some reason, Miranda found herself agreeing to the proposition.

The relationship lasted a whole five years after that. Even her friends said that she was behaving more and more like a good wife for him.

Over the past five years, Miranda did everything she could and pulled every connection she had to help Carson step into the elite circle in Seafare City.

However, now that he had found his footing in the upper crust, he no longer needed her and just decided to burn all bridges with her.

He treated her five years of love and sincerity as a mere joke.

Miranda cried her eyes out, but she couldn't even make a sound. It took her a long, long while before she finally managed to calm herself down.

She wiped away the tears on her face and unblocked a number she'd blacklisted for two years. Then, she sent the person a text message.

"I'm getting married on the 30th of this month. I want you to come and crash the wedding."

Chapter 2

Ten seconds after Miranda sent the text message, her phone buzzed with an incoming call.

She answered, and a man's voice came through the other end of the line.

He drawled in a cold tone, "You're asking me to crash your own wedding? Aren't you worried that I'd beat the shit out of your almond-eyed darling?"

Miranda responded calmly, "You can just say no. I'll find someone else to do it."

The man got so mad that he just laughed and said in a cold, steely voice, "I dare you."

Miranda pressed her lips into a thin line. "Just tell me if you're coming or not."

There was a long silence. Miranda thought that she wasn't going to get an answer from him. She was about to hang up when the man finally spoke.

"Miranda, I already kept my promise and let you go last time. How dare you associate with me again? This time, you won't have the liberty of calling it quits with me anymore," he said, his voice turning slightly hoarse.

Miranda nodded. Suddenly realizing that he couldn't see her, she said, "I understand."

The man scoffed and asked curiously, "I thought you were head over heels for him. You rejected me, blocked my number, and even made a bet to force me out of Seafare City because of him. So what happened now? You're finally admitting defeat?"

Miranda came clean with him. "Yeah. Couldn't differentiate him from a monster."

Somewhere in the city, the man stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows in his mansion, staring at the night view outside the glass. A hint of a mysterious smile appeared on his face.

"Unblock all of my contacts from your phone and send me your address."

"Okay."

"Remember, Miranda. I will not agree to any business terms that don't favor myself."

"Understood."

After hanging up, Miranda continued walking along the streets.

The man she'd just called was Ivan Astor, the most famous person in Seafare City.

He'd suddenly arrived in the city five years ago, and he always had government officials accompanying him wherever he went. He invested 300 billion dollars and bought over a number of medium and large companies and enterprises in Seafare City.

Ivan single-handedly caused massive waves in the city's business circle, overturning huge corporations and reshuffling the elites in the upper crust.

He was also known for his ruthlessness. He was still a feared legend amongst the other businessmen in Seafare City, but none of them could do a thing against him.

Even his bodyguards' cars were all expensive models with license plates worth millions of dollars each.

Nobody knew why someone like Ivan had suddenly set his eyes on a place as tiny and insignificant as Seafare City. Moreover, nobody knew what happened to him or why he disappeared two years ago after buying over half the company and corporations there.

He was ruthless and unscrupulous. Even Miranda still felt afraid of him after asking him for his help.

…

Miranda wandered through the city for the rest of the day. She only got back sometime in the evening.

When she entered the house, Carson immediately brought over her indoor slippers for her and put them on her feet personally.

People always said that younger men made for better lovers, and that did really seem like the case. Carson would always help her put on her indoor slippers after she came back, and he would also make sure she had hangover pills and water by her bed if she had too much to drink.

Even if she threw up all over the floor and fainted in the mess, he would still clean everything up and not say a word about it.

In fact, Miranda would never have believed that it wasn't Carson sleeping with her and leaving all sorts of marks on her body, but other men, if she hadn't heard it from his own mouth.

After Carson was done putting on the slippers for Miranda, he looked at her and asked cautiously, "Mimi, I saw your hymenoplasty hospital report on the floor at the entrance this afternoon. Did you drop by?"

Miranda answered, "Yeah, but I had to leave for a last-minute schedule."

Carson's eyes twinkled. He asked again, "Did you see my friends when you came earlier? They wanted to meet you."

Miranda shook her head. "I left without going in. I didn't know that we had guests."

Carson sighed in relief. He then smiled genuinely at her and said, "Then I'll let you know next time they come over again."

Miranda looked at him and said pointedly, "I can also meet them at our wedding."

Carson didn't respond. He came closer for a hug as usual, but Miranda sidestepped him.

"I just came back. I haven't showered yet," she said.

"So what? It's not like I'd find you dirty or disgusting," Carson replied, slinging his arm over his shoulder and leading her into the dining room.

Someone else was already sitting there, and it was a woman. She looked sweet and pure, and about the same age as Carson.

Carson introduced them to each other. "Mimi, this is my friend, Gianna Wineberg. The company is looking to get listed soon, and I'm only going to be even busier after this.

"You keep skipping your meals, so I thought of asking my friend here, who's a huge foodie, to stay with us. She can keep you company during meals."

Miranda lowered her gaze. Gianna Wineberg? She had to be the "Gigi" Carson had been referring to earlier today.

Carson was a master manipulator. He knew exactly how to make Miranda give in to his wishes, taking advantage of the fact that she was in love with him. However, she didn't think that he would be brazen and shameless enough to bring his mistress home, even with her around.

Miranda said nothing.

Gianna came up to her and pulled out a chair for her, playfully sticking her tongue out.

"You don't have to worry about a thing, Miranda," she said. "Carson and I are just really good friends. If you're worried that I'll become the third wheel in your relationship, I can leave anytime you want."

Chapter 3

Miranda took a good, hard look at Gianna.

A flicker of panic crossed Carson's eyes. When Miranda caught it, she just smiled lightly and said, "I don't mind. Do whatever you both please."

"Miranda, I made dinner for us," Gianna said. "I know that you've been trying to lose weight lately, so I prepared a low-calorie meal just for you."

Carson pulled Miranda into a seat and said, "Look at how thoughtful Gianna is, Mimi. She even made your meal separately.

"Oh, by the way, I'm planning to hire Gianna as my secretary. We'll be going to work and coming back together since it's more convenient that way. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Miranda scoffed internally. Carson didn't even bother coming up with an excuse anymore.

"Whatever," she responded coldly.

Carson was drowning in the excitement of Gianna's return that he didn't realize the subtle changes in Miranda's mood.

Gianna began serving dinner, dishing out a four-course meal for herself and Carson. Finally, she set down a plate of greens in front of Miranda.

"Miranda, this is the low-calorie meal that I put together for you," she said. "It's all leafy greens and very healthy.

"Oh, I didn't prepare any dressing for you because those are all calorie bombs. Sauces are also full of food coloring and additives, and they're not good for health."

After that, she ignored the look on Miranda's face and started carving the meat before putting the slices on Carson's plate.

"I made these dishes especially for you, Carr. Hurry up and try them!"

She then turned to Miranda and said, "You don't have to be polite with us. Hurry up and eat too!"

Miranda found it hilarious how Gianna was acting like the lady of the household and treating her like a guest instead.

The so-called "low-calorie" meal wasn't even a salad—it was just a few stalks of lettuce that still had dirt on the leaves.

Miranda set her utensils down. "Where did you learn how to make low-calorie meals like this, Ms. Wineberg? It seems like it took just a few seconds to prepare."

Gianna's eyes reddened instantly. In a quiet voice, she said, "I'm sorry, Miranda. Don't be mad at me. I just saw that everybody else was making their healthy meals like this too. I even asked Carr about it, and he told me that you liked lettuce. So, I bought them especially for you.

"But it's okay. If you don't like the food, I'll make it again for you. I'll keep remaking it until you're satisfied with your food."

Carson frowned. He looked at Miranda in displeasure. "Mimi, Gianna didn't do it on purpose. And she is not here to be your maid or chef. You shouldn't be showing her an attitude. Apologize to her now, and we'll put this behind us."

Miranda looked at Carson with a frown.

Why had she never noticed that Carson could be this stupid?

She wasn't interested in playing their game. So, she just got up and glared coldly at Gianna. "You can leave if you feel wronged."

Then, she turned and left, going back into her room.

For some reason, Carson felt a sliver of unease as he watched Miranda's figure disappear down the hallway.

Gianna just rolled her eyes. She boldly sat on Carson's lap, slowly trailing her hand below his stomach.

"Carr, you're going to abandon that old cougar on your wedding day, aren't you?"

Carson was stunned for a moment. Then, he promised her, "Yes."

They hadn't noticed that Miranda had just come back out for some water and heard everything that they said.

Suddenly, the couple mug Miranda was holding in her hand felt like a massive eyesore. She turned and threw the mug into the trash can.

She heard that HIV patients weren't supposed to drink, so she turned down all of her invitations and locked herself up in her bedroom to sleep.

Later that evening, Carson suddenly appeared in Miranda's room and said, "Mimi, I'm sorry about earlier. I overreacted. I shouldn't have made you apologize to Gianna."

Miranda just listened to him and sighed quietly. At least Carson still knew how to admit his faults.

Carson turned on the lights when he realized that Miranda wasn't responding. Miranda was then forced to open her eyes to look at him, and the first thing she noted was the multiple hickeys that magically appeared along his neck. He didn't even bother hiding them.

She shifted her gaze. "I'm not blaming you for that. But I'm a little tired today. You can sleep in the guest bedroom for the time being."

Despite how dense Carson was, he still noticed that Miranda was behaving oddly that night.

"Are you upset, Mimi? You've been quite cold to me today."

Chapter 4

Miranda didn't answer Carson right away. Instead, she asked, "What about you? Have you been passionate with me?"

Carson froze for a bit. Then, he frowned and said, "Of course. You're the only person I love and cherish."

In the past, Miranda would've loved hearing those words from Carson. But now, they only made her feel disgusted.

"Don't think too much about it," she said. "I'm just not feeling well tonight and want to sleep earlier. Go back to your bed."

Seeing that Miranda was chasing him out again, Carson finally revealed his true motive. "Mimi, I have a business meeting with Mr. Kennedy tonight. You know how hard he is to deal with unless he's a little tipsy. I'm afraid that the deal won't go through if we don't have you there."

Walt Kennedy was a real estate tycoon, and he was well-known for being a heavy drinker and a pervert. Even Miranda had lost to him previously in other business meetings.

Carson didn't seem to care that she had just told him she wasn't feeling well. He still suggested that she come out with him to network and handle a difficult client.

Miranda was exhausted, and she could already feel a pang in her chest.

"I'm very tired. And I don't feel like drinking today," she said.

Carson looked slightly surprised. He didn't think that Miranda would reject him so quickly. However, he controlled his emotions and comforted her instead.

"I'm sorry, Mimi. I failed to think about your health. It's just that Mr. Kennedy holds the rights to the land in Noroville, where your hometown is. He's thinking of collaborating with a livestock company to level the graveyard and develop the area into a cattle farm.

"That's mainly why I'm so anxious to strike a deal with him on that piece of land. At the very least, we'd still be able to preserve your memories of that place."

Miranda froze when she heard that.

She couldn't care less about other things, but she simply couldn't watch as somebody else disturbed her mother's grave. She had to do something about it.

While thinking about it, Miranda shot Carson a look. Suddenly, she thought that maybe he was still concerned about her and looking out for her best interests.

Carson pressed his lips together. "Rest well, Mimi. I'll handle Mr. Kennedy myself and try my best to get his project."

"No, wait. I'll go with you. Give me half an hour," Miranda said, climbing out of bed and quickly going to put on her makeup.

When she came out of the bedroom, she found that Gianna was coming along as well. She was also dolled up in a more elegant makeup look, as if she was about to attend a banquet instead.

"Mimi, since Gianna is my secretary, she needs to learn the ropes. I'm bringing her along so that she can learn from you," Carson explained on her behalf.

"Miranda, you were always the one going out with Carr for these business meetings and contract signings," Gianna said. "But you don't have to worry about it anymore. I'll be taking over soon, so you won't have to do this for him anymore."

However, Miranda was more concerned about convincing Walt not to destroy the graveyard in her hometown. She couldn't be bothered about Gianna's words at the moment.

When they arrived at the VIP room at the agreed-upon venue, Walt was already there. Gianna was just about to sit down next to him, and Carson immediately pulled her away.

He chided her angrily and said, "That's not your place! Can't you read the room? That's a seat reserved only for Miranda!"

Then, Carson revealed Miranda standing behind him and gave her a little push.

Miranda walked over and sat down next to Walt.

Walt looked at Miranda with a wide, perverted grin. "I knew I could trust you, Mr. Stallone. I heard that Ms. Oakley had been hiding at home for days, but you actually managed to get her out tonight."

Carson smiled proudly at the praise. "You're too kind, Mr. Kennedy. Miranda was the one who offered to tag along and accompany you after hearing that you'd be here tonight."

Walt immediately leaned his greasy head over and gave Miranda a suggestive once-over. "Would you care to have a few drinks with me, Ms. Oakley?"

Before Miranda could even answer him, Carson immediately said, "Yes, of course she can!"

He then opened up a few bottles of vodka for Miranda and smiled at Walt. "Don't worry, Mr. Kennedy. She'll drink with you to your heart's content tonight!"

Then, he turned to Miranda and said softly, "Mimi, it's now up to you whether or not we get to cinch the deal with him on the plot of land in your hometown. Don't let us down this time."

Miranda froze. A bitter smile appeared on her face.

In the past, whenever his clients made things difficult for her on purpose, Carson would always apologize to her with his eyes slightly red.

"I'm sorry, Mimi. It's my fault for not being capable enough that you have to go through all these for me. I promise that I won't ever let you do this again if I can help it once I've made a name for myself!"

Now, Carson was more than capable of handling things on his own. However, he still took it for granted that Miranda was to continue networking for him and drinking on his behalf, even more than ever.

Chapter 5

A self-deprecating look appeared in Miranda's eyes. She shoved the shot glasses aside and grabbed a bottle of vodka straight from the table.

"Mr. Kennedy, I think drinking vodka with shot glasses feels a little too slow. How about we drink straight from the bottle instead?" she asked Walt.

Miranda wasn't known as the top hostess and socialite in the city just because of her looks. It was also because she knew how to use her brain and emotional intelligence to her advantage.

Self-proclaimed successful businessmen were usually conceited and full of themselves, and people like them often had a desire to conquer women. They usually didn't care about women who threw themselves at their feet and did exactly as they were told.

On the contrary, these businessmen preferred wilder, spicier women with a rebellious streak in them. Only women like those could pique their interests and perhaps even be the object of awe and envy in their eyes.

"You're being very aggressive today, Ms. Oakley," Walt said. "If you can finish all these bottles of vodka on the table, I'll consider today's business a done deal."

Miranda didn't waste a single second. She grabbed the first bottle of vodka and started pouring the liquid down her throat, one bottle after another.

The liquid burned down her throat and sloshed in her stomach, making her feel lightheaded very quickly.

Carson hurriedly came up to steady her. "You're swaying, Mimi. Can you still drink?"

All the alcohol was starting to rush into her head. Miranda then asked a question that would simply hurt her more. "If I can't drink anymore, would you let Gianna take over?"

Carson looked at her with his calm, clear eyes. "You're joking, right? Who does she think she is, that she'd be worthy of taking over drinking and networking with Mr. Kennedy on your behalf?"

Miranda couldn't explain her emotions, but a self-deprecating smile just appeared on her lips after hearing that.

Carson saw the smile and felt uneasy.

Sometime after midnight, Miranda finally finished every bottle of vodka on the table.

Walt clapped his hands in awe and said, "Wow, you're really good at this, Ms. Oakley. I've lost to you. I admit defeat."

Miranda finally broke into a smile when she heard that. "So, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Stallone will be your partner for the project in Noroville, right?"

Walt was confused. "What land in Noroville? You must be drunk out of your mind, Ms. Oakley! Mr. Stallone was discussing with me about the reconstruction of the municipal government flats."

So it hadn't been about the land where her mother had been buried?

Carson had lied to her!

Miranda suddenly lost all energy in her arms. The last empty bottle slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor.

She looked around and noticed that Carson and Gianna weren't in the VIP room anymore.

She apologized to Walt, who tried pressing for more details from her, muttering that she'd been confused because of all the alcohol. Then, she got up and excused herself to the toilet to throw up.

Walt nodded in understanding and let her leave.

Miranda stumbled out of the room, feeling like she was stepping on clouds as she ran for the restroom. She really wanted to throw up.

However, she never thought that the first thing she'd hear after entering the female restroom was the sound of a man's delighted moans and pants from a locked cubicle.

"Carr, you promised… You promised me that I'd replace Miranda and network with all these bigshots… But why did you separate me from Mr. Kennedy?"

There was the sound of something metallic clinking against each other. Carson's voice was hoarse as he chuckled lightly and said, "Idiot. Mr. Kennedy is a well-known pervert. I brought you along to watch and learn, not jump into the fire yourself."

Gianna's panting and moaning got louder and louder. "I know that you spoil me to bits, Carr, but do you think that Miranda's going to get revenge on me after she finds out that I told you to lie to her about tonight?"

Carson went silent for a few seconds. Then, he said, "She'll never find out it was you. Even if she did, she wouldn't dare to do anything against me. She's helplessly in love with me. I have her all wrapped around my little finger.

"Besides, she's already 30 years old. Hostesses reach their peak in their early 20s. Who else can she rely on if she leaves me? She can't possibly go looking for those rich old farts she'd been sleeping with every night, can she?"

Gianna's loud giggles echoed in the toilet. "Carr, what do you say we go and register our marriage the day you leave her at the altar?"

Miranda couldn't bear listening to the rest of the conversation anymore. It was simply too disgusting for her.

She stumbled out of the building in a sorry state.

It was raining outside. Miranda just walked out into the rain like she never even noticed it.

She'd already known what kind of man Carson was. He'd already lied to her once last night, and she even mistakenly thought that he probably was still concerned about her.

However, as it turned out, everything had been a lie after all. It was a trap he'd laid out for her, and he'd stopped at nothing trying to squeeze out the last bit of value from her.

Miranda was in turmoil. And after drinking so much and getting soaked to the skin in the rain, she finally gave out and passed out on the ground.

There were plenty of people walking on the street, but none of them stopped to check on her.

A Maybach that had been driving slowly by the side of the road gradually rolled to a stop. The backseat door opened, and a young man in casual clothing stepped out, holding an umbrella over his head.

It was Ivan Astor.

He handed the umbrella to his driver, Jeff Paisley, who'd gotten down and jogged over to him. Then, he crouched down and carefully picked Miranda up from the ground.

Jeff hurriedly held the umbrella over Ivan and Miranda, shielding them both from the rain as they returned to the car.

Miranda was carried into the backseat of the car. Ivan gently wiped away the rain and mud on her face with his sleeve, not at all caring that it was now soaked and soiled. He also took off his coat and put it over her body.

He stared quietly at Miranda's pale face, a storm brewing in his dark eyes.

After staring at her for five minutes, he finally said in a quiet voice, "Send her to the hospital. Don't mention my name."

"Yes, Mr. Astor!"

Jeff hurriedly started up the engine and drove off without daring to look back again.

He was Ivan's personal driver, appointed by Ivan's grandfather, Benedict Astor. He had worked under Ivan for two years now, and he'd witnessed the many times Ivan indulging in pleasure or making swift business decisions during work.

Ivan was someone who always got everything he wanted. Yet, Jeff had never witnessed him drive an entire day to a seaside city and stare at a dirty, muddy woman with reddened eyes.