Eve Vaughn had no idea what was going through the man’s mind.

’Why does he always like doing... *this*... in such strange places?’

And it seemed that whenever they did it somewhere other than the bedroom, Mason Lawson was always more excited, more wild than usual.

Moreover, whenever he took her, Mason Lawson seemed to transform into a different person. He was wicked, completely devoid of his usual gentlemanly and refined demeanor.

In its place was a raw wildness. He would even whisper all sorts of filthy things in her ear to arouse her.

Amidst Eve Vaughn’s mix of anxiety and excitement, Mason Lawson finally reached the peak of ecstasy.

The desk was cold and hard, making Eve Vaughn’s back ache. Yet her body seemed unable to let go, clinging to him tightly.

Sensing the young woman’s feigned resistance, Mason Lawson’s lips curled into a smile. He whispered in her ear, "Evie likes this too, doesn’t she?"

Eve Vaughn’s face flushed crimson. She burrowed into his embrace, her voice a soft murmur, "You... Don’t say any more, please."

"So that’s how it is. Our Evie doesn’t like talking, she likes doing, hmm?"

Mason Lawson had been ready to call it quits, but the young woman’s shyness had reignited his passion.

Outside the study, Mrs. Linton hesitated for a long time, but still didn’t dare to knock and disturb them.

The food had gone cold. She’d already reheated it twice, but the study door remained tightly shut.

She could faintly hear cries and growls coming from inside.

With a blush on her weathered face, Mrs. Linton left, resigning herself to reheating the cold food one more time.

...

By the time they were finally finished, Eve Vaughn’s throat was hoarse and sore. She lay limp in Mason Lawson’s arms, not wanting to move an inch.

Mason Lawson kissed her forehead, his ragged breaths laced with a hint of tenderness. "I’m sorry. I lost control again... I was too rough."

Eve Vaughn was furious, but she didn’t even have the strength to hit him. All she could do was protest resentfully, "You say sorry every time, but it’s always the same!"

But her protest, delivered in such a soft voice, didn’t sound angry at all. It sounded more like she was pouting.

The man chuckled. "And whose fault is that? It’s because my Evie is just too delectable."

Eve Vaughn muttered, "You’re always bullying me."

Mason Lawson’s voice was husky and devilishly charming. He kissed her plump, moist lips. "Then next time, you can be the one to bully me, all right? You can be on top, hmm?"

Eve Vaughn could have died of mortification!

She squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to look at him.

Afraid he’d teased her to the point of tears, Mason Lawson started coaxing her. He apologized as he lifted her, letting her wrap herself around him, and carried her back to the bedroom.

After they showered, Eve Vaughn was still listless and drained of all energy.

So Mason Lawson called and asked Mrs. Linton to bring their dinner up.

At the bedroom door, Mrs. Linton held the tray and explained awkwardly, "Mr. Lawson, the food’s been reheated several times, so it might not be as good as when it was first cooked."

"Yes, I know."

Mason Lawson said nothing more, simply taking the tray and closing the door.

Outside, Mrs. Linton shook her head. ’That Mr. Lawson usually seems so serious and aloof,’ she thought.

’I’d never seen him bring a woman home before.’

’Back then, I thought a rich man like Mason Lawson must be completely focused on making money. I figured he wasn’t at all interested in carnal pleasures.’

’But who would have thought? Ever since Eve Vaughn came along, his appetite in that department has been enormous.’

...

「Rivaster University.」

After resting for a few days, Eve Vaughn returned to the university.

She still had a few final exams to take and didn’t want to miss them.

Likely having learned his lesson from her recent kidnapping, Mason Lawson had arranged for bodyguards to protect her from a distance.

Eve Vaughn didn’t object. Having them there gave her some peace of mind.

The entire following week was filled with scattered exams, so Eve Vaughn decided to stay in her dorm on campus.

Regina Shaw was thrilled.

She said, "You’re finally back! I was starting to think Mr. Lawson couldn’t bear to let you stay in the dorm and was going to keep you under his thumb every single day."

Eve Vaughn glanced at the thick textbook in front of her. "Right now, I wish I could live in the library. I don’t have time to go back and forth. The commute just feels like such a waste of time."

Regina Shaw comforted her, "It’s fine. I know it’s not easy staying number one in the department every year, but you’re definitely not going to fail. Don’t be so hard on yourself!"

Just then, Nina Steele returned.

She looked pale and unwell.

"Nina, are you feeling okay?" Eve Vaughn asked with concern.

Nina Steele sighed. "The weather’s been so cold lately. I think I caught a chill."

Seeing her condition, Regina Shaw said, "Then you should take a few days off. Don’t go to work. What new job did you pick up anyway? You look exhausted every time you come back."

Nina Steele forced a smile. "What part-time job isn’t tiring?"

She didn’t elaborate on her job, and neither Regina Shaw nor Eve Vaughn pressed her for details.

After all, they were adults. There was a tacit understanding that you didn’t pry into things people didn’t want to share.

Prying for every last detail wasn’t a good habit.

Eve Vaughn found some cold medicine in her first-aid kit and placed it on Nina Steele’s desk, telling her to take care of herself. Then she sat back down to review her notes, trying to cram in a few more key concepts.

Nina Steele secretly cast an envious glance her way.

’Eve Vaughn is so lucky,’ she thought. ’She seems to come from a good family. She doesn’t have to worry about making a living and can just focus on her studies.’

’But me... when I first started here, my grades were in the top ten of our year. Now, just to survive, to pay tuition, I have to work nonstop.’

’I’ve skipped so many classes. While other people are studying, I’m out earning money.’

Nina Steele sighed softly, feeling as if her dreams were drifting further and further away.

...

The next morning was an exam for one of their major courses.

As they were leaving the exam hall afterward, Nina Steele, who was walking right in front of her, suddenly stumbled and nearly fell.

Eve Vaughn’s reflexes were quick. She immediately steadied her and asked with concern, "Nina, are you okay?"

"I’m fine."

Once Nina Steele was steady on her feet, she said, "I’m just a little dizzy. I’ll be fine after a short rest."

Eve Vaughn said, "Why don’t we go see a doctor? I can go with you."

"It’s fine, really."

Nina Steele glanced at the time. "Evie, I have to go. I have to be at work by one."

Eve Vaughn was about to tell her to take the day off and rest, but Nina Steele was already striding quickly toward the campus gate.

She sighed. When she got back to the dorm, she told Regina Shaw what had happened.

"You’re worried about her?"

Regina Shaw handed her phone over. "You should be worrying about yourself! Look at this!"

Eve Vaughn took the phone, confused. It was a trending topic about Joanna Sullivan.

With the New Year approaching, major companies had begun printing their annual reports and desk calendars.

This year, after appearing as a judge on several dance competition shows with massive ratings, Joanna Sullivan had made a huge comeback.

This particular trending topic was about Joanna Sullivan and the Lawson Group.

As the hottest dancer of the year, Joanna Sullivan had been invited by the Lawson Group to be the featured model for their corporate desk calendar.

The Lawson Group’s name carried first-class weight in the industry. In past years, A-list celebrities would scramble to land an endorsement with any of the Lawson Group’s brands.

The role of the featured model for the Lawson Group’s annual corporate calendar was an even bigger prize.

But unexpectedly, the only celebrity the Lawson Group invited this year was Joanna Sullivan.

Eve Vaughn could have perhaps deceived herself by blaming it on a purely corporate decision.

But the content of the trending posts left a bad taste in her mouth, like she’d swallowed a fly.

During the filming of her reality show, Joanna Sullivan had boldly dished about her love life. While she hadn’t mentioned Mason Lawson by name...

...the clues she gave—Rivaster, an outstanding man, single—were enough to get everyone’s imagination running wild.

Now, with this news, even though Joanna Sullivan was popular again, her celebrity status alone wasn’t enough to land the Lawson Group’s annual calendar shoot. She had to have a powerful backer.

As a result, the media immediately pegged Mason Lawson as the "first love" Joanna Sullivan had mentioned.

Instantly, social media was flooded with trending topics. Rumors that Mason Lawson and Joanna Sullivan, once passionate lovers, had overcome all obstacles to finally reunite were running rampant.

Eve Vaughn read through the posts, word by word, a heavy stone settling in her chest.

Regina Shaw, furious on her behalf, cursed through gritted teeth, "That vixen! She tried to use me to get to you and drive a wedge between us. I knew she was bad news. And Mason Lawson, what the hell is he playing at? Is he trying to have his cake and eat it too? He wants to have both the one he can’t forget and the one he has!" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Eve Vaughn clutched the phone, each shallow breath a painful sting.

’Why is Joanna Sullivan such a persistent shadow looming over my relationship with Mason?’

’Every time I start to believe Mason loves me, every time I finally see a glimmer of hope, Joanna Sullivan shatters it.’

Now, even though Mason hadn’t admitted to anything or publicly confirmed a relationship with Joanna, the public already saw them as a couple.

’And me? What does that make me?’

Eve Vaughn knew what Mason Lawson was capable of. If he didn’t want these rumors to spread, he could have easily had his PR team take them down.

He could have even issued a direct clarification.

But he’d done nothing.

Eve Vaughn checked the timestamp on the posts. They’d been up for over ten hours.

She’d just been so focused on studying for her exams the last couple of days that she hadn’t been on her phone.

Regina Shaw couldn’t stomach it. She told Eve Vaughn, "Call Mason Lawson right now. Ask him what he’s going to do about this! If he still wants to be with you, he needs to shut down these rumors immediately! And if he’s just going to let everyone think he’s with Joanna Sullivan, then you need to make a clean break. He can’t keep stringing you along. Who does he think he is?"