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Reborn for revenge-my husband is mine - Chapter 29


Chapter 29

Sigourney is waiting for you in room 1344

"Thank you for the gift, Richard. But it's far too valuable, and besides, the relationship between us is merely that of ordinary business partners-we're not close enough for me to accept something like this."
Sigourney declined with graceful tact, yet her tone carried unmistakable firmness. The faint smile at the corner of Richard's lips gradually faded.
"But... didn't you like it very much, Sigourney?"
Richard turned his gaze toward Theodore.
"Or is it because of him that you're refusing? Don't tell me Theodore is so petty he won't let you accept a gift from any other man?"
Richard continued mockingly, clearly intending to provoke Theodore.
However, Sigourney merely pressed her lips together in a soft smile and replied,
"It's not that. It's simply because I don't want to accept it."
"I liked the necklace, yes-but only if it were a gift from my husband. If it's from another man, I don't like it anymore."
Sigourney spoke calmly, clearly drawing a line between them.
"Besides, I'm a married woman. Please respect my husband, Richard."
"I've said it many times already-my husband and I share a very strong relationship. Stop trying to come between us with meaningless words."
Her voice was firm, resolute.
At this moment, a few people passing by happened to overhear their conversation and turned to glance at them, causing Richard to appear somewhat embarrassed.
He spotted a waitress carrying a tray of drinks approaching, and he stepped forward to take a glass of orange juice from her tray, offering it to Sigourney with a softened tone.
"Alright then. Let me offer you this glass of orange juice-as a peace offering, and an apology for my impulsiveness."
Though Sigourney didn't want to accept it, he had already said so much, and she didn't wish to embarrass him further, so she took the glass.
A glint flickered in Richard's eyes.
He curved his lips into a faint smile, turned back, and took two glasses of red wine from the same tray. He offered one to Theodore.
"Theodore, I apologize as well for saying such foolish things. I'll keep my distance from your wife from now on."
Theodore gave a small shrug and clinked glasses with Richard. 
Richard followed with a few more words of contrition to ease the tension, and with that, the matter was considered resolved.
After finishing her drink, Sigourney and Theodore prepared to leave. However, just at that moment, a business associate approached Theodore to strike up a conversation. As the man spoke with Theodore, he cast uneasy glances at Sigourney, and she quickly realized he wanted to speak with Theodore in private.
Tactfully, she smiled and excused herself, saying she wanted to get some more desserts, then gracefully walked away from the spot. Fortunately, Richard didn't follow her. Instead, he quietly chatted with a few passing acquaintances.
Sigourney sampled a pink macaron-its subtle strawberry flavor was pleasantly sweet without being overwhelming, and the texture was delightfully airy and soft. She leaned forward to pick up another, but suddenly, her body swayed, her balance faltering. She had to steady herself against the wall to keep from collapsing.
Blinking rapidly, she assumed it was just a drop in her blood sugar and tried to regulate her breathing. But the dizziness only intensified, overwhelming her in waves until she nearly collapsed.
Turning slightly in an attempt to call for help, Sigourney was approached by a female server who stepped in politely to support her.
"Miss, are you alright? Do you need any help?"
The woman spoke in a soft and composed tone.
"You look extremely pale. Let me take you to the hotel's guest room upstairs so you can rest for a bit, okay?"
Sigourney was about to ask her to call Theodore to take her home, but to her horror, her entire body felt so weak she couldn't even form the words. The server ushered her into the elevator, and before Sigourney could resist, darkness swept over her consciousness-she collapsed onto the server's shoulder.
In that moment, a sinister smile crept across the server's face. She glanced at the unconscious Sigourney slumped on her shoulder like a lifeless doll, and sneered coldly.
"You bitch. Because of you, I ended up like this. I want to see-after tonight, will Theodore still love a filthy woman like you?"
Brought to the presidential suite on the top floor of the hotel, the staff member coldly threw Sigourney onto the large bed and locked the door tightly.
It was only then that she removed the human-skin mask, revealing her signature smug sneer.
Savannah narrowed her eyes with contempt as she looked at the expensive off-shoulder dress Sigourney was wearing. Her gaze moved to Sigourney's soft, sleeping face, and she clenched her fists, ruthlessly tearing the dress off her.
In the end, the once-elegant off-shoulder dress had slipped down past her chest, revealing a matching bra that hugged her full, fair, and seductively soft breasts.
"That body? That's all there is to it? Hmph."
Savannah curled her lip, then grabbed Sigourney's neck and pinched it hard, leaving a bright red mark like a love bite on her pale skin. Satisfied, she took the chance while Sigourney was still unconscious to pinch her delicate arms, her collarbones, and finally the center of her chest.
Not stopping there, as Sigourney still looked too composed, Savannah maliciously ran her hands through her hair, leaving the once-neatly styled locks in total disarray.
Then, she pulled out a cotton pad she had prepared in advance, poured some makeup remover on it, and wiped randomly across Sigourney's face, smearing the once-perfect makeup.
"Now, you look no different from a bitch who just finished moaning beneath some man. Let's see how your dear husband will defend you after this."
To make things worse, Savannah tossed a few empty liquor bottles onto the floor.
She sneered, then left Sigourney lying there and put the human-skin mask back on.
Not forgetting her next step, she sent Richard a text:
"It's done. Sigourney is waiting for you in room 1344."
"After tonight, don't forget our agreement."
Richard replied almost immediately, saying he'd come right away.
Savannah smirked, swiftly deleted the messages from her phone, and then exited the hotel room.
Of course, she wasn't foolish enough to leave right away. With this human-skin mask, no one would recognize her.
So, pretending she had just escorted a guest to their room, she resumed her role as a hotel staff member-under the name Helly.
About an hour and a half after Savannah descended the stairs,
chaos had erupted throughout the hotel.
The auction had long ended,
and most of the guests had already left.
Normally, the hotel staff would now be preparing to tidy up and call it a night,
but clearly, things wouldn’t go that smoothly.
The one causing the commotion was none other than Theodore.
He slammed his fist on the front desk in a fury, shouting at the manager.
“Are you kidding me? My wife disappeared inside your hotel, and now I want to see the security footage to know where she is—if she’s safe.”
“And now you’re telling me I can’t see it?”
“If anything happens to my wife, can you people take responsibility for it?”
Usually composed and cold, as if untouched by anything,
Theodore was now on the brink of losing control.
He had just finished a conversation with a business partner,
and when he returned, Sigourney was nowhere to be found.
She wasn’t picking up her phone, and when he asked the staff, no one seemed to know where she had gone.
Now they were telling him he couldn’t even view the surveillance footage?
What the hell was going on?
The manager was visibly distressed.
He kept bowing apologetically while cautiously explaining in the most respectful tone he could muster.
“Mr. Wang, I sincerely apologize. Our hotel has always prioritized the privacy and security of our guests, so we can’t allow footage to be accessed without proper authorization.”
“Except in cases of emergency…”
His overly deferential tone only fueled Theodore’s rage.
“Emergency? If this doesn’t count as an emergency, then what the hell does?”
He snapped back, pushing the manager further into a corner.
“Mr. Wang, I understand you’re deeply concerned about your wife, but I’m sorry, this really is the hotel’s policy. I’m just a manager. I can’t arbitrarily go against it…”
The manager scratched his head, clearly caught in a bind.
“This is indeed an emergency, but we must report to higher authorities and receive permission from the Group CEO before we can release footage from the hotel.”
He continued explaining the somewhat convoluted procedures behind their operations,
but Theodore had run out of patience.
His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white as he pressed again,
his voice tightened with fury.
“Fine. Then tell me, who’s the CEO? What goddamn corporation owns this hotel?”
The manager trembled slightly as Theodore’s voice climbed louder and louder,
but he still tried to keep his composure as he answered.
“Mr. Wang, our hotel is under Lancaster Industries. Our CEO is Richard Lancaster.”
A sudden chill ran down Theodore’s spine.
A creeping sense of unease took hold.
As if he had just fallen into a trap—
but had no idea where or when the snare had been set.








Chapter 30

 Did you just say your wife's name is Sigourney?

Theodore furrowed his brows, doing his best to remain composed right now.
"Richard? Wasn't he just here?"
"Isn't a single phone call enough?"
His voice had softened somewhat, but the hotel manager remained visibly anxious, sweat dotting his forehead.
He stammered,
"Sir Wang, our staff is trying to reach him, but our CEO isn't answering the phone."
The manager explained nervously,
"Perhaps he's driving home or resting, and hasn't noticed the call."
Theodore let out a humorless laugh, his irritation barely restrained.
He said nothing more-just pulled out his phone and dialed Richard's number in a fit of suppressed fury.
But, just as the manager had said,
there was no answer.
The phone rang and rang into the void,
then fell silent.
His grip on the device tightened until his knuckles turned pale, and the unease bubbling in his chest only grew stronger. He gave a cold chuckle.
"So now what? You people won't do anything until you get ahold of Richard?"
"You won't help me find out where my wife is?"
Theodore had already contacted Sutton Mark to search for Sigourney outside the hotel, but until now, they hadn't found a single clue.
That only reinforced the likelihood that Sigourney was still here-had never left the premises.
With that thought, Theodore's expression darkened, brows lifting in cold determination.
"Then I'll knock on every single door in this damn hotel until I find the room where my wife, Sigourney, is being held."
He turned, his voice tight with rage.
The manager, clearly panicked, rushed after him in a futile attempt to stop him.
Just as the situation was reaching its breaking point,
Savannah-otherwise known as Helly-suddenly appeared.
Her voice, laced with feigned confusion, rang out.
"Mr. Wang, did you just say your wife's name is Sigourney?"
Savannah blinked, pretending to have only just learned that Sigourney was Theodore's wife.
As for Theodore, his eyes narrowed as he responded without hesitation.
"That's right. Sigourney is my wife."
"Did you see her somewhere?"
Theodore quickly stepped closer to Savannah, making her beam with delight. However, outwardly, she only rubbed her head, pretending to be unsure as she replied,
"I'm not certain, but I think earlier she mentioned feeling a little unwell and asked me to help her book a presidential suite in this hotel... then I brought her up."
Savannah feigned being intimidated by Theodore's presence, stammering while her whole body trembled.
Hearing that, Theodore felt some weight lift from his chest. His tone softened slightly as he responded,
"Really? Then, do you remember which room she's in?"
Savannah glanced around, as if trying to recall. She pursed her lips slightly as she spoke,
"If I remember correctly, it was Room 1344."
Savannah shot Theodore a quick glance, as if she had something else to say, but hesitated.
"But..."
That single word made Theodore's heart clench again.
"What is it you're trying to say?"
he urged, clearly alarmed.
"Is something wrong with Sigourney? Is she in some kind of danger?"
His voice grew louder, filled with anxiety.
Savannah shrank back, whispering timidly,
"But... if I'm not mistaken, your wife is currently with our CEO."
The words dropped like a bomb, stunning everyone nearby.
Theodore almost lost his voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Are you sure?"
He demanded, chest heaving with tension.
Savannah nodded firmly, though her words remained ambiguous.
"If I remember correctly, that's the case."
"There were two keycards for Room 1344. After taking Miss Sigourney to the room, I gave her one of the cards."
Savannah swallowed hard, gauging Theodore's expression before continuing nervously,
"Then she told me to give the other keycard to someone named Richard later. I thought it was just someone with the same name as our CEO, but after the banquet, our CEO told me to hand over the card for Room 1344 to him."
"So I did."
Seeing Theodore's face turning red with rage, Savannah added with thinly veiled satisfaction,
"At first, I even thought it was our CEO's lover, thought they looked like such a perfect match..."
She smacked her lips, deliberately saying so.
As for Theodore, by now, his fury was close to consuming all reason.
Why did this have to happen?
Though reason urged Theodore to stay calm before jumping to conclusions, his mind was in complete disarray.
"Damn it. Do you know what consequences come with lying?"
"Can you swear everything you just said is true?"
Theodore pressed, his gaze locked onto Savannah with a threatening intensity. She quickly lowered her head and muttered softly,
"If you don't believe me, you can go and verify it yourself, Mr. Wang."
"Our hotel keeps a spare room card, in case guests lose theirs."
Theodore clenched his fists tighter, pressing further.
"Then can you give it to me?"
Savannah bit her lips tightly, feigning great difficulty.
"Please don't make it hard for me, Mr. Wang. The spare card is only used in emergencies or when both original cards are lost."
"Besides, in order to retrieve a guest's room card, we also need approval from our manager..."
Savannah spoke hesitantly, visibly flustered. One glance at the manager was enough for Theodore to realize this route was impossible.
So he turned around and said bluntly,
"Fine. Since you people won't cooperate, I'll settle this with force."
"Whatever damages there are, I'll pay in full. Right now, whether this woman is telling the truth or not, I'm going to break into room 1344 and see for myself."
Theodore declared in a fit of rage. The manager and staff exchanged looks and hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, but were all shoved aside by Theodore without hesitation.
He strode steadily into the elevator and pressed the button for the 13th floor.
Behind him, the corner of Savannah's lips slowly curled into a triumphant smile, utterly satisfied as her plan nearly fell neatly into place.
…
At that very moment,
in room 1344.
Sigourney stirred from unconsciousness, her mind foggy. A sudden, piercing pain shot through her head, making her cry out involuntarily.
“Sigourney, you're awake?”
“How are you feeling?”
Before Sigourney could even react, she saw Richard sitting beside the bed, his expression soft, gazing at her with unmistakable longing.
On instinct, Sigourney grew wary, digging her fingernails deep into her palm to stay composed.
“Why do you seem so guarded around me? After all, I’m your savior, you know.”
Richard clutched his chest dramatically, pretending to be hurt as he explained pitifully. But Sigourney paid him no real attention, instead checking herself over from head to toe.
When she saw the red marks on her body and the disheveled state of her clothes, her eyes narrowed at Richard, suspicion deepening on her face.
“How are you here? What happened?”
“And why are there strange marks on my body?”
Sigourney clutched the blanket tighter around herself, carefully wrapping it around her body to cover everything.
Seeing her panic, Richard quickly took a step back, raising both hands in defense. He explained cautiously,
“Hey, don’t get the wrong idea. Those marks on your body—they weren’t caused by me.”
He shrugged.
“When I got here, you were already like that. I swear, I’m telling the truth.”
Of course, Sigourney wasn’t so easily convinced. She glared at Richard, eyes full of suspicion, keeping her guard up.
“What do you mean?”
Richard briefly recounted everything to Sigourney.
“I don’t know who drugged you or did this to you, but later, I spotted a masked man trying to lead you out of the hotel,” he said.
“At that point, you were already in that condition. I knew something wasn’t right, so I subdued that man and brought you here to rest and recover.”
Richard clicked his tongue.
“And now, you’re treating me as if I were the one who hurt you.”
“No matter what, I’m the one who rescued you from danger.”
“Otherwise… I can’t even imagine where that man was planning to take you or what he intended to do.”
His voice was sincere, his expression convincing, leaving Sigourney’s thoughts in disarray.
She wasn’t sure whether to believe Richard.
Part of her remained wary, reluctant to trust him, but another part was swayed by his explanation.
Indeed, Richard had no apparent reason to lie to her. And if he truly had been the one to hurt her, there’d be no need for such an elaborate act.
Conflicted and overwhelmed, Sigourney clutched her head, a storm of tangled thoughts flooding her mind.
Just as she remained lost in the haze,
the door to the room was suddenly kicked open—
after several brutal kicks, the door finally gave way,
bursting wide open.








Chapter 31: Sigourney just had one reckless night

The sight before him rendered Theodore speechless.
If at first, when the female hotel staff told him what she saw, he still harbored doubts-
still instinctively wanted to trust Sigourney-
then now, he was utterly stunned.
For a fleeting moment,
he stood frozen in place like a statue.
"What is the meaning of this, Sigourney?"
Theodore stared at Sigourney's smudged makeup and disheveled hair, and rage surged instantly within him.
Sigourney, too, was flustered the moment Theodore suddenly appeared.
She hurriedly got out of bed and stepped toward him,
but the movement only made her disheveled state worse-her loosened clothing and the vivid red marks on her skin became all the more visible.
"Theodore, I can explain..."
Sigourney grabbed Theodore's hand, her lips moving constantly, yet she couldn't figure out where to begin.
She herself had no idea who had drugged her or why Richard was here.
"..."
Seeing Sigourney's helpless expression, Richard feigned kindness and offered to explain on her behalf.
"Theodore, don't blame your wife. She just made a small mistake, that's all."
Richard shrugged.
"Don't let something like this crack your marriage. A man shouldn't be so petty, either."
Sigourney knew the "mistake" Richard was referring to was her being carelessly drugged and taken away,
but she felt the way he phrased it was incredibly misleading.
She quickly clarified.
"Theodore. There's nothing between me and Richard..."
But Richard, seeing Sigourney panic with a pale face, pretended to help again.
"That's right, Theodore. Sigourney just had one reckless night."
"The memories of today, I'll forget them and never bring them up again."
"I'll treat it as if nothing ever happened between us..."
Richard spoke with veiled ambiguity, deliberately pushing Theodore toward misunderstanding.
And Sigourney, upon hearing this, turned to glare at Richard in fury.
"Richard, shut up. What nonsense are you spouting?"
Sigourney shouted in anger, but her reaction inadvertently came off as guilt-ridden.
Naturally, Theodore's expression darkened the moment he heard Richard's words.
"Richard, what the hell happened between you and Sigourney? What do you mean by 'one reckless night'?"
Theodore's brows knitted tightly, his eyes narrowing into a dangerous glare at Richard.
Yet Richard merely smiled leisurely.
"I told you, didn't I? What you see isn't always the truth..."
He looked at Sigourney with affectionate eyes, then gave a helpless shrug, as though burdened by the need to lie.
"If Sigourney says nothing happened, then let's just assume nothing happened between us."
The more Richard spoke, the more he twisted the situation.
Theodore clenched his fists, so furious that he let out a cold, bitter laugh.
"Fine. Very well. The grudge between us isn't over yet, Richard."
Afraid that staying here any longer would cause him to lose control, Theodore grabbed a suit jacket and draped it over Sigourney's shoulders.
Then,
he lifted her into his arms with force
amid Sigourney's stunned expression.
Richard watched them leave, loosening the buttons of his shirt and giving his usual faint, enigmatic smile.
"Theodore, calm down, listen to me,"
Sigourney pleaded, afraid that Richard's deliberately ambiguous words had planted a deep misunderstanding in Theodore's heart. She explained the situation in a rush.
"I don't know when I was drugged, and I don't know why I can't remember anything."
"But believe me, when I woke up, I was already in that hotel room, and Richard was next to me..."
Sigourney gently tugged at Theodore's collar, her voice timid.
"I think it was a trap."
Her explanation was so childish and illogical that even if Theodore wanted to believe her, he simply couldn't.
Did she think he was a toddler with no ability to reason?
How could he possibly believe any of this?
Without a word, Theodore placed Sigourney in the passenger seat, then got into the driver's seat himself, cutting her off tiredly.
"Enough. I'll investigate everything thoroughly."
"You're exhausted. Get some rest."
Sigourney shut her eyes in despair. She understood too well what Theodore’s current expression meant.
And all the way home, Theodore remained silent,
not uttering another word to her.
He had even coldly escorted Sigourney back to her room and told her to take a shower and get some rest early.
He would shower in his own room.
"Theodore, I..."
Sigourney reached out to stop Theodore, wanting to say more. But he cut her off with an icy tone.
"Sigourney, go take a shower first. We’ll talk later."
Without waiting for her reaction, Theodore slammed the door shut without another word.
Sigourney stared at the silent door, biting her lip,
then made up her mind to resort to her final, most desperate option.
...
After showering and drying her hair, Sigourney stood in front of the mirror for a long time.
She looked at the sheer lace nightgown, as delicate as cicada wings,
with a ribbon at the strap that would come undone with the slightest tug—
it barely covered her body, and she frowned.
This was clearly not her usual style.
She had carefully dabbed a thick layer of concealer to hide the red marks on her skin.
Her makeup was light,
in a soft and innocent style, rather than her usual sharp look.
She stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror and finally let out a sigh.
Hugging a pillow, she walked to Theodore’s room and knocked on the door.
"Theodore, it’s me, Sigourney."
"I was really scared today… I can’t sleep alone."
Sigourney lowered her voice, making it as soft and vulnerable as possible.
"Can I sleep with you?"
The door opened quickly, revealing Theodore’s cold and handsome face.
He stepped aside to let her in, but his eyes widened slightly when he saw her outfit.
"Sigourney, what are you wearing right now?"
Theodore blinked.
Taking advantage of his momentary daze, she locked the door to his room and approached him,
reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck.
She closed the distance between them, letting the sweet scent of roses slowly engulf them both.
"Theodore, I swear, nothing improper happened between me and Richard, not like what you think."
Sigourney gently traced his Adam’s apple and collarbone—her soft, cool fingertips brushing against his skin,
making Theodore burn with heat.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and before he could react, Sigourney had already tugged lightly at the ribbon on her dress.
The delicate, sheer nightgown slid effortlessly down her smooth skin.
She moved in closer to Theodore, pressing her soft lips against his ear and whispered,
“This really is the last resort I could think of.”
“I can’t explain those suspicious marks or Richard’s appearance.”
Sigourney took Theodore’s hand, guiding it gently over her fair, silky skin as she spoke in a soft voice.
“But you just need to check—then you’ll know whether I’m innocent or not.”
“Besides, we’re husband and wife. A little intimacy at night is perfectly normal, isn’t it?”
Her seductive tone, the sensual curves of her body, and her flawless skin—
Everything about Sigourney in that moment was enough to drive Theodore into a feverish daze.
His throat moved again, and just a glance at her was enough to send heat surging through him,
a wave of desire rising fast.
But he didn’t want their first night together to happen like this.
And he certainly didn’t want Sigourney to sleep with him just to prove her innocence.
So Theodore scooped her up into his arms, holding her soft body tightly,
then slowly walked to the bed.
Just as Sigourney secretly rejoiced, thinking her plan was halfway to success,
Theodore gently pulled the blanket over her,
covering her bare form.
Then his words came, like a bucket of cold water thrown straight at her.
“I’m sorry, Sigourney.”
“In your current state, you should just stay and rest.”
Theodore spoke calmly.
“I still have some matters to take care of at the company. I’ll be in my office.”








Chapter 32: You know, I was still a virgin

Sigourney was stunned, unable to believe it, her eyes blinking in frustration as she looked at Theodore.
She had already taken the initiative to this extent-how could he still say something like that?
She threw off the blanket, reached out, and wrapped her arms tightly around Theodore's neck, pulling him close once again.
"Hey, don't act like a block of ice."
Sigourney traced circles on Theodore's chest, then, without hesitation, pulled him down onto the bed, positioning herself on top.
"After all, we are husband and wife. I told you-fulfilling your duty as my husband isn't too much to ask, is it?"
Sigourney blinked provocatively.
At this point, if Theodore could still resist, then he wasn't a man at all-so Sigourney muttered angrily to herself.
She was pouting when suddenly her head began to spin.
In an instant, Theodore flipped the situation, pushing her down onto the bed.
This time, of course,
Theodore was on top.
He gripped both of Sigourney's wrists, pressing them above her head.
He looked down at her with gentle eyes, his voice gradually becoming hoarser.
"Alright, Sigourney."
"You were the one who seduced me first."
Before Sigourney could even react to what he meant, he had already leaned down,
pressing a deep kiss onto her soft, rosy lips.
The kiss grew more and more uncontrollable, and Theodore's actions gradually turned rougher.
He lifted Sigourney's chin so she couldn't escape the passionate kiss, every movement pushing her breath into disarray.
Her lips, sucked until they were numb, left Sigourney feeling like the world was spinning, her mind going blank.
Only when she lightly tapped Theodore's shoulder as a signal to stop did he reluctantly release her swollen lips.
Theodore stared at her lips, unable to look away, relishing the intoxicating sweetness from just moments ago.
He whispered,
"Sigourney, have I ever told you-you're both innocent and seductive, making it impossible for others to resist?"
"If not, now I did."
Theodore breathed softly by Sigourney's ear, making her giggle and shrink her shoulder in response.
And then, another kiss descended.
Theodore's hands, which had been holding her wrists down, slid slowly across Sigourney's sleek, soft body.
That night, truly,
Theodore fulfilled his duty as a husband to Sigourney-
in fact,
he fulfilled it exceptionally well.
It wasn't until the middle of the night that Theodore finally stopped,
and carefully carried Sigourney into the bathroom,
slowly and gently bathing her.
By then, Sigourney's voice had already gone hoarse.
"Theodore..."
Sigourney struggled to wrap her arms around him, calling out to him with a raspy voice.
"What is it, Sigourney?"
Theodore gently lathered the body wash onto her skin,
his hands tenderly feeling the soft and delicate texture as he calmly replied.
"Don't believe what Richard said..."
Sigourney pouted.
"You know, I was still a virgin. There was even blood on the bed tonight..."
Sigourney spoke each word with difficulty, her throat aching with pain.
Even though she was straining herself, she still tried to finish the sentence.
Theodore softly stroked her hair. Of course he knew-because when they had sex, he had already felt it.
He whispered into her ear.
"I know, Sigourney. I never doubted you."
"I just wanted to find out whether Richard really did something, or if he was falsely accused."
Seeing that Sigourney still held onto that worry, he kissed her lips in reassurance.
"Don't worry. Leave it all to me-I'll take care of everything."
"You're tired tonight, so let me finish bathing you, then you can rest well."
Only then did Sigourney feel at ease, relaxing completely as Theodore bathed her, gently dried her off, dressed her in her sleepwear,
and carried her back to bed.
...
The next day,
as her body was still unwell and in need of rest,
and also because she wanted to investigate everything thoroughly,
Sigourney decided to take a day off
and return to the Novelle Suite Hotel – the venue of the auction the night before.
Of course, not to cause any trouble for the hotel management.
However, when the manager saw Theodore's cold expression, he suddenly felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. He hurried over, greeted them respectfully, and asked what brought Theodore there.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to stir up trouble."
"I just want to find a female staff member named Helly. Yesterday, she provided me with information that helped me find my wife."
"I want to thank her."
Theodore spoke earnestly, making the manager breathe a sigh of relief. He checked briefly and replied,
"She's just one of our part-time staff. She's currently cleaning the presidential suite on the 12th floor."
The manager looked respectfully at Theodore and Sigourney.
"Sir, ma'am, please have a seat. I'll go call her down to speak with you."
He signaled the front desk staff to prepare tea and pastries for Theodore and Sigourney before leaving.
At that moment, Sigourney leaned closer to Theodore, her voice low enough for only the two of them to hear.
"Why are we here looking for Helly? Who is she?"
Her warm breath softened Theodore's mood, and he patiently explained,
"Helly was the woman who told me the room number you and Richard were in yesterday, exactly."
"And she said a lot of suggestive things that led me to lose control, to suspect that you and Richard had an inappropriate relationship."
Theodore's expression darkened.
"At the time, I didn't think much of it, but now I realize her voice sounds oddly familiar, even though her face was strange."
He paused in thought.
"It sounds a lot like your half-sister, Savannah."
Theodore's explanation was thorough, but upon hearing it, Sigourney was stunned.
No further words were needed-Sigourney already understood what Theodore was suspecting.
The mere mention of Savannah's name was enough to send a chill down her spine.
While they were speaking,
a woman named Helly appeared.
And she confirmed everything Theodore had suspected. Her face was still the same one he had seen the day before, but her demeanor had changed.
And more than that, even her voice was different.
“Sir, were you looking for me?”
Helly’s voice was slightly hoarse, each word laced with a tremble as though she were about to cry, and her speech faltered, clearly betraying fear.
Completely different from the voice Theodore had heard the day before, arrogant, sharp as ice, like someone who had been raised in luxury and wealth from birth.
It was Savannah’s voice.
To be sure, Theodore turned to the manager.
“Are you certain she is Helly? There’s no other staff at this hotel with the same name?”
Though the question was somewhat strange, the manager answered sincerely.
“No, sir. She is the only employee named Helly.”
To verify, the manager even asked Helly directly.
“Helly, was it you who gave Mr. Wang his wife’s room number yesterday, and helped Miss Nichols here book the presidential suite?”
At that, Helly’s gaze briefly darted away, avoiding the manager’s eyes. She lowered her face toward the floor to hide her unease.
“Yes. Is something wrong, sir?”
Theodore tilted his head slightly and looked at Sigourney, giving her a subtle nod.
She understood.
They both understood everything and naturally had no intention of making things difficult for Helly.
Nor did they want to expose any weaknesses.
Theodore pretended to have no suspicions, generously signing a check for ten thousand dollars for Helly, saying it was his way of thanking her for helping him find Sigourney.
Helly’s hands trembled as she repeatedly said Theodore was being too polite, though she gladly accepted it.
Once everything was done and the two of them left the hotel and got into the car,
Sigourney asked quietly,
“How do you plan to deal with this?”
Theodore tilted his head, a cold smile on his lips.
“If Richard’s involved, then let him pay for that foolish act.”
“As for Savannah, I don’t know why she isn’t already in prison.”
“But she’ll pay soon enough.”








Chapter 33: The Partnership of the Century

A week later,
at the headquarters of Lancaster Corporation.
Richard furiously slammed the stack of documents his secretary had just brought in, shouting:
"This is the financial report you submitted? Look at these numbers yourself, do you think they're even remotely acceptable?"
His voice roared through the room.
"And another thing, why did we lose the southern district project bid? How the hell did it fall into Wang Corporation's hands?"
"Didn't we have a ninety percent chance of securing that project? Negotiations had already started, hadn't they?"
Richard's relentless questioning left his secretary visibly shaken. The man stammered,
"Boss, you might not have heard yet, but last night... a scandal involving our corporation broke out. It's caused serious damage to our partners' confidence, especially with our stock prices plummeting."
The day before, Richard had returned to the Lancaster estate to visit his parents. Naturally, no one had informed him of this news. He frowned.
"A scandal? What scandal?"
His secretary hesitated before cautiously explaining,
"Our CFO was exposed for having an affair with the new intern. And the worst part-his wife was the one who leaked the information."
"She's already filed for divorce."
That sentence hit Richard like a thunderclap. It was clear: a single scandal involving a senior executive's personal life had been enough to collapse investor trust.
Richard laughed bitterly out of sheer fury.
"So that's why the investors behind the southern district project pulled out and handed everything over to Wang Corporation?"
"Wonderful."
He sighed, feeling a splitting headache coming on just from hearing the explanation.
"Alright. Get out."
"Compile all the details of the incident, and the repercussions for the company. I'll handle it."
Clearly, for Richard, this incident alone was enough to drain his energy.
But what he didn't know yet, 
was that things were far from over.
That afternoon, he had a meeting with one of their key partners to discuss a luxury resort development project on the city outskirts-
a plan that included beachfront villas and an elite golf complex.
However, unexpectedly, the partner suddenly cancelled the appointment, citing an urgent matter. Richard was understanding, assuming they truly had something important to handle, so he stayed at the corporation to deal with the scandal his secretary had mentioned that morning.
Dismissing the CFO and the intern was inevitable, given the enormous impact they had caused the company.
But that wasn't enough-he would also make sure they compensated for the damages they had brought.
"Boss, something's wrong."
The secretary suddenly rushed in before even knocking, his face pale as a sheet. It was the first time Richard had seen him looking so flustered and anxious, which instinctively gave him a bad feeling.
He didn't scold the secretary for the improper behavior, only reminded him,
"Shut the door first. Then speak."
"Boss, this afternoon weren't you supposed to meet with the CEO of Real Estate Corporation to discuss the resort project? The development proposal we completed but haven't yet disclosed to Real Estate?"
The secretary gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"He didn't show up, but this afternoon, all the major news outlets have published articles about that cooperation."
"But the partner they chose this time isn't our corporation-it's our competitor, Clinton Group."
The news left Richard stunned. The secretary hurriedly handed him the iPad so he could read the articles.
Unquestionably, the blinding headline on the page was enough to leave Richard speechless.
"The Partnership of the Century: Real Estate Corporation and Clinton Group Launch First Elite Resort Complex in the Suburbs"
He slowly read through the article, and as he finished, his fists clenched tightly.
With a cold gaze, he looked at his assistant.
"The development proposal they're referring to in the article, it's identical to the one our corporation prepared for the negotiation."
It wasn't a question. It was a statement.
The secretary nodded firmly and added,
"That's right, boss. When I glanced at the proposal, it looked very familiar, but I didn't dare jump to conclusions."
"That's why I brought it for you to see."
Richard clenched his fists and sighed.
"Then it can only mean there's been an internal leak. Help me investigate this,"
he said to the secretary. The secretary nodded, accepted the order, and left the room.
Left alone in his office, Richard sat in silence.
Clearly, the troubles within his corporation couldn't have all come crashing down at the same time by mere coincidence.
Someone must be pulling the strings behind the scenes.
...
"What, are you stupid?"
"How could you let Theodore fight back like that? Useless idiot!"
Savannah roared furiously over the phone, smashing everything on her desk. The crash of shattering objects echoed sharply through the line.
Richard lost his temper as well.
"How the hell would I know? I should be asking you that!"
"That so-called perfect plan of yours-at what point did it fall apart and allow Theodore to figure out that I had a hand in this mess?"
Richard shot back, but Savannah only sneered.
"Don't you dare try to shift the blame. My plan had no flaws-if there was one, it was your pathetic acting that gave you away."
She mocked him.
"Moron. Not only did you fail to help me destroy Theodore's corporation, you let him destroy you instead."
"And now you have the nerve to complain. Loser. Get lost."
Without giving Richard a chance to respond, Savannah coldly declared she would find another way to handle things, then abruptly hung up.
A cold glint flashed in Savannah's eyes.
Now that things had reached this point,
she clearly had no intention of backing down easily.
In the evening,
at the Twilight estate,
Theodore stepped slowly into the room and immediately saw Sigourney intently focused on her laptop, diligently reviewing documents.
He approached her gently, brushing her hair aside with a soft touch.
"What are you working on? Is it something urgent?"
Since that night, the two of them had been sleeping in Theodore's bedroom, and their relationship had grown more intimate. Sigourney noticed that Theodore no longer kept his distance as he had before. He now calmly pulled up a chair to sit beside her.
"Not too urgent. Venus just sent me a draft plan for the upcoming charity project in City Z, so I'm taking the chance to look it over."
Theodore narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"That's the Nichols family's key charity initiative for the year, right? The one with the foundation and the Nichols scholarship housing?"
Sigourney nodded.
"That's right. Venus has a few proposals for further development. I'm reviewing them to see which ones might be viable."
Knowing that Theodore was a CEO with strategic foresight, Sigourney tilted her head, blinking at him.
"Would you like to take a look?"
Theodore was slightly surprised that Sigourney would trust him with confidential documents from her own corporation. But thinking of how close they had become, he nodded.
"If you don't mind, I'd be happy to go over them with you and discuss the more feasible proposals."
Sigourney, of course, was more than glad. She moved the laptop closer to Theodore so he could clearly see the content on the screen.
Naturally, Venus was a highly capable secretary, so the proposals she had submitted were also quite valuable for consideration.
“I think the suggestion to build schools in City Z is excellent. After all, the educational environment there is subpar. There are very few schools, and even fewer qualified teachers.”
“We could build additional schools in the area and bring in excellent educators to teach the students. That way, they’d have access to a broader range of knowledge, and their academic performance would improve.”
“With a wider vision, their future would also look a lot brighter.”
The more Sigourney spoke, the more pleased she became with the idea. Theodore listened quietly until she suddenly added:
“But finding a corporation willing to collaborate on the construction will be difficult. The terrain in City Z makes building quite a challenge, not to mention the complications in transporting construction materials up there.”
Sigourney let out a sigh.
“Not to mention, the land planning itself, just securing space to build a school is already a huge issue…”
She held her head in her hands and sighed again. The proposal seemed solid on paper, but implementing it would be a long and uphill battle.
Just as she was about to search for a more feasible alternative,
Theodore suddenly spoke up.
“Then what do you think about partnering with the Wang Corporation?”

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