Holly Sinclair had had quite a bit to drink, and the cold wind that hit her after getting out of Brandon Sterling’s car made things worse.

The alcohol was going to her head, making her feel even more dizzy and disoriented.

She fumbled in her bag for her keys and unlocked the door with a trembling hand.

Once inside, she rubbed her aching temple and kicked off her high heels.

At the same time, she reached behind her to close the door.

But her hand landed on a hard, muscular chest.

She whipped her head around.

Her gaze met a pair of black eyes that were as cold as ice. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Tristan Sterling!

"G-get out!"

Holly Sinclair snapped at the man without a second thought.

The alcohol had muddled her mind, making her tongue feel a little twisted.

What was meant to be an angry shout came out sounding more like a flirtatious pout.

At the same time, she reached out to push him.

But she was simply delivering herself into his grasp. He deftly caught her small hand in his large one.

The next second, her world was turned upside down.

He swept her up into his arms.

With a hook of his foot, Tristan Sterling kicked the door shut.

"Aah!"

The sudden feeling of weightlessness made Holly Sinclair cry out in alarm.

She had just begun to struggle when he pinned her down on the sofa.

A kiss.

His mouth crashed down on hers, fierce and unyielding.

"Mmph..." Her eyes flew wide open.

She flailed her hands, trying to slap his face.

But he was ready for it, catching her wrists in mid-air and pinning them above her head.

She was completely immobilized.

"Tristan Sterling, you bas—"

Her curse, however, only gave him the opening he was looking for.

His tongue slipped past her teeth.

The man kissed her so fiercely it was as if he were trying to steal her breath.

He smothered all her angry curses with his mouth.

Tristan Sterling was furious.

Seeing her get out of Brandon Sterling’s car, seeing them walking side by side, talking and laughing, seeing the gentle and adoring look Brandon gave her...

A nameless fire had ignited in his heart, threatening to burn his sanity to ash.

But his rage soon turned to lust.

His kiss gradually lost its fierceness, becoming gentle and skilled.

"Mmm..." The kiss left Holly Sinclair’s mind even more muddled.

A tingling numbness spread through her body, and she couldn’t summon an ounce of strength to resist.

Her hormones were surging.

Under his control, she became uncontrollably pliant...

Tristan Sterling was satisfied.

He broke the kiss.

He gently gripped her chin, his gaze meeting her hazy, drunken eyes. His cold breath ghosted over her lips as he spoke. "Who gave you permission to let him take you home? Who said you could be so close to him? Hmm?!"

His voice was thick with anger and possessiveness.

Perhaps it was the coldness of his tone that sent a shiver down her spine.

Her muddled mind cleared for a moment.

Holly Sinclair forced her eyes wide, and once his words sank in, she cursed, "Tristan Sterling, you... are you insane? Brandon... he’s... he’s your brother!"

"So you know he’s your brother-in-law, and you still don’t keep your distance?" Tristan Sterling’s handsome face was grim as he forced the words through his teeth.

She let out a humorless laugh.

She tilted her chin defiantly. Even though she was slurring her words, her tone was scathing. "Ha? K-keep what distance? Tristan Sterling, just because you have a filthy mind, don’t... don’t assume everyone else does, okay?"

’Her relationship with Brandon was purely platonic, like that of a brother and sister.’

’How could he see their perfectly normal interactions as something so sordid?’

"I’m the one with a filthy mind?"

Tristan Sterling’s dark eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them.

"Aren’t you?" she retorted, her expression full of contempt.

An image flashed through his mind: her coldness toward him versus her docility with Brandon Sterling...

The contrast was stark.

"Then I’ll show you just how filthy I can be today!"

As his angry declaration ended, his lips descended again in a punishing kiss.

At the same time, he scooped her up into his arms and strode directly toward the bedroom.

"Tristan Sterling... what do you think you’re doing? Let go of me!"

Holly Sinclair cried out, pushing against him forcefully.

But the alcohol had sapped her strength; she was too weak to move him at all.

They both sank into the soft mattress.

"Tristan Sterling... d-don’t touch me... Mmph..."

A sudden chill on her skin made her cry out in anger.

"As Mrs. Sterling, this is your duty!"

His scalding breath washed over her ear, his voice low, hoarse, and dangerously seductive.

Holly Sinclair panicked.

Although they hadn’t been intimate many times during their two-year marriage, she understood his needs in this department all too well.

He was clearly serious this time.

She grew frantic, craning her neck to shout at him, "I don’t want to! Go away! If you... if you force me, it’s... it’s a crime!"

But her soft, breathless voice lacked any real force. To his ears, it sounded more like an invitation.

Who could possibly resist that?

"This is you not wanting to?" he scoffed, his gaze fixed on her crimson cheeks.

His words were dripping with mockery.

Holly Sinclair was mortified.

Her cheeks were scorching, and her eyes reddened with rage. She shot back with a sneer of her own, "Heh... T-Tristan Sterling, I’m a normal woman. Th-this is just... just a physical reaction to a normal need. It has nothing to do with you, okay—"

"What did you say?"

Tristan Sterling was enraged. A dangerous light flashed in his eyes.

It was liquid courage talking.

A woman in the heat of anger can’t think straight; she just lashes out. "In other words, even if it weren’t you here right now, I... I could still... Mmmph..."

Before she could finish, he silenced her with a kiss.

Her words had successfully enraged him.

Tristan Sterling’s eyes darkened ominously.

’It seemed she wouldn’t learn to behave unless he taught her a proper lesson.’

Even in her groggy state, Holly Sinclair could clearly feel the change in him.

He was poised, ready to strike.

She wanted to fight back, but she had no strength.

Suddenly, her face flushed, and she looked ill.

Realization dawned. Tristan snapped out of his lust-fueled haze, yanking her up to rush her to the bathroom as he yelled, "Holly Sinclair, don’t you dare—"

"BLECH..."

But before he could finish his sentence, Holly Sinclair threw up all over him.

"..." Tristan Sterling stared in disbelief at the filth covering him.

His face was blacker than thunder.

The raging fire of his lust was instantly frozen solid.

As a germaphobe, he couldn’t stand it for a single second.

He shoved her back onto the bed, turned on his heel, and stormed out in a rage.

...

「The next day.」

「Julian’s Studio.」

"Justin, you should just transfer the studio to someone else. I couldn’t raise the money..."

Holly Sinclair said to Justin Schofield, her voice full of dejection.

After speaking, she prepared to pack up her things and leave.

"Holly," Justin Schofield suddenly called out to her. "Do you want to be my partner?"

"A partner?" Holly turned around.

Justin Schofield walked over to her desk. "I’ll put up the capital, you put in the work. I won’t transfer the studio. From now on, you’ll be in charge of managing it completely."

Holly Sinclair was stunned.

"You don’t want to?" Justin Schofield frowned.

"I do!"

Holly Sinclair nodded vigorously, hope reigniting in her heart. "Justin, don’t worry about your immigration. I’ll work hard and manage the studio well."

"I have complete faith in your abilities."

Justin Schofield smiled and took out a contract. "Here’s the agreement. Take a look, and if there are no issues, we can sign it."

Holly Sinclair carefully read through the terms of the contract.

There were no issues.

The only thing that puzzled her was that his signature was just a single English letter.

Partner’s Signature: S