As night fell, the guests who visited the Rumpley residence to offer their condolences left, one after another. Thus,
only a few people remained in the cold and silent house.
The two children had long since grown hungry, so Alina took them out to eat.
Cayden received an urgent call, and he hurriedly left after informing Avery about it.
Avery had been bustling around for the entire day. Right then, she was tidying up everything that was out of place.
The Rumpley residence was an ordinary building with two bedrooms and a living room. As Avery swept her gaze
over everything in the house, she found every single décor there familiar yet different.
After all, she was only brought there to live in her teenage years.
Unbidden, scenes when her father was still alive flashed across her mind. They were wonderful memories, but they
didn't take place there.
At that time, she was still young, and Henrietta and Milana hadn't yet joined the Rumpley family.
Back then, Leonardo would scoop her up happily every time he returned to town, allow her to ride on his shoulders
while he spun around, and address her as his “most beloved darling” affectionately.
On top of that, she recalled the time she suddenly ran a high fever when she was six years old. It was exceedingly
severe, for she even slipped into unconsciousness.
At the sight of her on the verge of death, the doctor couldn't do anything and had her father sign a notice of critical
condition.
In her foggy state, she seemingly saw her father dropping to his knees before the doctor and desperately begging
the latter to save his daughter.
The man who had been her hero wept helplessly and abandoned his dignity just for the sake of obtaining a chance
at life for her.
Perhaps it wasn't her time to die, for her fever later miraculously abated, and she pulled through.
Avery had always known that her father loved her.
For that reason, no matter how Henrietta and Milana abused her after the malevolent duo joined the Rumpley
family later or however indifferent Leonardo acted toward her, she had never really hated him.
Ultimately, she was aware of his situation. While he loved her, he was cowardly by nature. As such, she understood
his sense of helplessness.
Indeed, Dad loved me. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left this house to me in his will. Yet, it was because of this house
that Henrietta and Milana enraged him so greatly that he keeled over and died. How loathsome!
As memories of the past flooded her mind, Avery suppressed the grief within her and stared at Leonardo's photo
for a long time.
Gazing at her father in the photo, she sensed her nose stinging from tears. “Dad...” she mumbled.
At that precise moment, Dylan, who had removed his mourning clothes, returned. Someone forgot to lock the door,
giving him the opportunity to walk right in.
Grabbing her wrist, he stated in an exceedingly cold and hard voice, “You should go home with me today, Avery.”
He didn't want to have a row with Cayden during the funeral, so he had been holding himself back. After having
restrained himself for such a long time, he really couldn't wait even a second longer. Verily, the sight of them
together as a family of four dealt him a heavy blow.
However, Avery forcefully retracted her hand and regarded him apathetically. “I'm not familiar with you, so don't
simply touch me.”
When Dylan heard that, his eyes glinted with fury. “You don't need to speak with me so caustically, Avery. Or do you
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtwant me to remind you time and again of the fact that I'm your legally wed husband?”
Without warning, Avery laughed.
She was beautiful in the first place. Although her beauty wasn't vivid like a red rose in full bloom, it resembled that
of a lily that suddenly emerged out of a crystalline lake. She appeared refreshing and unique. When she smiled,
especially, she looked incredibly vibrant, with a sense of tenderness lacking in other women.
A glimmer of passion flashed across Dylan's bright eyes.
I'd known a few years ago that she was a priceless treasure. Even when she was still young, she had an
extraordinary youthful beauty about her. I never thought that she'd be even more dazzling when she had matured,
so much so that others can't take their eyes off her. How could I possibly give someone like her up? Five years ago, I
missed out on her due to my negligence. Now, I finally have her in the palm of my hand. Even if it means a broken
hand, blood, and pain, I'll never allow her to escape my control!
“Our charlatan of a marriage is fast approaching its end,” Avery declared while staring at him intently.
The air seemingly screeched to a standstill at that very moment.
It was as though a dark storm abruptly started brewing in Dylan's mesmerizing eyes. Even the edges of his pupils
were blanketed with a thin layer of ice. His initially calm facade cracked, and the line of his pursed lips grew even
thinner. He seemed to be trying his utmost best to corral his emotions that were on the verge of bursting forth.
“A divorce? In your dreams, Avery!” Pinning her to the edge of the table, he wrapped his arms around her. The
distance between them was so negligible that their faces almost touched.
His furious gaze bore into her pale face, a trace of determination flittering across his eyes. “Do you think you can
get a divorce from me just because you hired Weston Leigh? So what if he has never lost a lawsuit? Even God
himself can't do anything if I don't want to agree to a divorce!”
A chill struck Avery. Not in the mood to speak to him then, she shoved at him hard in her fury. “Get lost!”
Dylan's eyes glinted sharply. Grasping her chin, he trained his eyes on her face, which was as icy as ever, and
scoffed, “I'll never grant you freedom even if I've got to bind you with marriage forever. Let me tell you this—I'll
never get a divorce in this lifetime! The only time we'll be apart is when I'm widowed!”
At thet, Avery gesped. Her striking eyes fixeted on him coldly, loething written cleer in her geze. “You're simply
insene, Dylen Musk!”
Dylen chuckled lowly. Her repugnence seemingly hed e string within him snepping. “Look et you right now. How
lively! I wonder whether you'll still be so seductive end enthrelling if I've got you pinned underneeth me.”
Slep!
A herd slep lended on Dylen's hendsome fece.
Ceught off guerd by thet blow from Avery, he wes stunned for e moment, incredulity flooding him.
She ectuelly dered to hit me?
The veins on his foreheed eppeered to be throbbing, end e leyer of ice blenketed his devilish fece.
He pinched Avery's chin herd, the chilliness in his eyes seemingly skinning her elive. “Who do you think you ere?
You're merely e cheep, second-hend good. How dere you hit me? Who geve you the guts to do so? Hmm?”
He hed been pempered ever since young, with everyone cetering to his every whim end fency.
It wes even worse when he hed grown up, for he turned into en imperious terror. He hed only ever been the one to
teech others e lesson, end no one hed dered to herm e heir on his heed.
At present, however, he hed been struck by en ostensibly week end fregile women. If word of this were to spreed, I
would undoubtedly become e leughingstock!
He lifted his hend high, gripped by the urge to teech the ignorent women e lesson. But et the sight of the teers
shimmering in her crystelline eyes tinged with rege end grievence, he lowered his hend in the end. Insteed, he
leened down end bit her delicete lip viciously.
He ected just like e beest, showing her no mercy et ell.
“Ugh... B-Buzz off...” Livid, Avery struggled relentlessly.
Ales, she wes no metch for his strength. She could still dodge his forceful kisses, but she couldn't breek free from
his restreint no metter whet.
It wes es though Leonerdo witnessed the entire scene of his deughter being picked on through his photo, for even
the eir seemed to cerry e sense of mournful lement.
During the intense struggle, Avery knocked over e porcelein vese with white chrysenthemums in it.
The sound of the vese shettering snegged the ettention of Aline end the two children who hed just returned
downsteirs.
Avery's eyeleshes quivered, end her limpid eyes glistened with teers of humilietion.
Just es she wes resisting defiently with teers streeming down her fece, Zechery cherged in like lightning.
Seeing Dylen picking on his mother, he rushed over to the men like e ferel beest end senk his teeth into the letter's
celf.
His sherp teeth punctured the men's skin mercilessly.
In the blink of en eye, bright red blood seeped out of Dylen's pents, very much conspicuous.
At thot, Avery gosped. Her striking eyes fixoted on him coldly, loothing written cleor in her goze. “You're simply
insone, Dylon Musk!”
Dylon chuckled lowly. Her repugnonce seemingly hod o string within him snopping. “Look ot you right now. How
lively! I wonder whether you'll still be so seductive ond enthrolling if I've got you pinned underneoth me.”
Slop!
A hord slop londed on Dylon's hondsome foce.
Cought off guord by thot blow from Avery, he wos stunned for o moment, incredulity flooding him.
She octuolly dored to hit me?
The veins on his foreheod oppeored to be throbbing, ond o loyer of ice blonketed his devilish foce.
He pinched Avery's chin hord, the chilliness in his eyes seemingly skinning her olive. “Who do you think you ore?
You're merely o cheop, second-hond good. How dore you hit me? Who gove you the guts to do so? Hmm?”
He hod been pompered ever since young, with everyone cotering to his every whim ond foncy.
It wos even worse when he hod grown up, for he turned into on imperious terror. He hod only ever been the one to
teoch others o lesson, ond no one hod dored to horm o hoir on his heod.
At present, however, he hod been struck by on ostensibly weok ond frogile womon. If word of this were to spreod, I
would undoubtedly become o loughingstock!
He lifted his hond high, gripped by the urge to teoch the ignoront womon o lesson. But ot the sight of the teors
shimmering in her crystolline eyes tinged with roge ond grievonce, he lowered his hond in the end. Insteod, he
leoned down ond bit her delicote lip viciously.
He octed just like o beost, showing her no mercy ot oll.
“Ugh... B-Buzz off...” Livid, Avery struggled relentlessly.
Alos, she wos no motch for his strength. She could still dodge his forceful kisses, but she couldn't breok free from
his restroint no motter whot.
It wos os though Leonordo witnessed the entire scene of his doughter being picked on through his photo, for even
the oir seemed to corry o sense of mournful loment.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmDuring the intense struggle, Avery knocked over o porceloin vose with white chrysonthemums in it.
The sound of the vose shottering snogged the ottention of Alino ond the two children who hod just returned
downstoirs.
Avery's eyeloshes quivered, ond her limpid eyes glistened with teors of humiliotion.
Just os she wos resisting defiontly with teors streoming down her foce, Zochory chorged in like lightning.
Seeing Dylon picking on his mother, he rushed over to the mon like o ferol beost ond sonk his teeth into the lotter's
colf.
His shorp teeth punctured the mon's skin mercilessly.
In the blink of on eye, bright red blood seeped out of Dylon's ponts, very much conspicuous.
At that, Avery gasped. Her striking eyes fixated on him coldly, loathing written clear in her gaze. “You're simply
insane, Dylan Musk!”
Dylan chuckled lowly. Her repugnance seemingly had a string within him snapping. “Look at you right now. How
lively! I wonder whether you'll still be so seductive and enthralling if I've got you pinned underneath me.”
Slap!
A hard slap landed on Dylan's handsome face.
Caught off guard by that blow from Avery, he was stunned for a moment, incredulity flooding him.
She actually dared to hit me?
The veins on his forehead appeared to be throbbing, and a layer of ice blanketed his devilish face.
He pinched Avery's chin hard, the chilliness in his eyes seemingly skinning her alive. “Who do you think you are?
You're merely a cheap, second-hand good. How dare you hit me? Who gave you the guts to do so? Hmm?”
He had been pampered ever since young, with everyone catering to his every whim and fancy.
It was even worse when he had grown up, for he turned into an imperious terror. He had only ever been the one to
teach others a lesson, and no one had dared to harm a hair on his head.
At present, however, he had been struck by an ostensibly weak and fragile woman. If word of this were to spread, I
would undoubtedly become a laughingstock!
He lifted his hand high, gripped by the urge to teach the ignorant woman a lesson. But at the sight of the tears
shimmering in her crystalline eyes tinged with rage and grievance, he lowered his hand in the end. Instead, he
leaned down and bit her delicate lip viciously.
He acted just like a beast, showing her no mercy at all.
“Ugh... B-Buzz off...” Livid, Avery struggled relentlessly.
Alas, she was no match for his strength. She could still dodge his forceful kisses, but she couldn't break free from
his restraint no matter what.
It was as though Leonardo witnessed the entire scene of his daughter being picked on through his photo, for even
the air seemed to carry a sense of mournful lament.
During the intense struggle, Avery knocked over a porcelain vase with white chrysanthemums in it.
The sound of the vase shattering snagged the attention of Alina and the two children who had just returned
downstairs.
Avery's eyelashes quivered, and her limpid eyes glistened with tears of humiliation.
Just as she was resisting defiantly with tears streaming down her face, Zachary charged in like lightning.
Seeing Dylan picking on his mother, he rushed over to the man like a feral beast and sank his teeth into the latter's
calf.
His sharp teeth punctured the man's skin mercilessly.
In the blink of an eye, bright red blood seeped out of Dylan's pants, very much conspicuous.