When Elias Sterling, the untouchable scion, hit rock bottom, I used a hearing aid to lure him into my bed. He always despised flashy, ostentatious women like me. But I loved taking off his hearing aid in bed, whispering the things he hated most, and forcing him into the most compromising positions. Later, when he made his comeback, the childhood sweetheart he had been engaged to regretted leaving and came crawling back. They announced their engagement. Afraid Elias would finally retaliate once he realized what I’d done, I made a swift decision and flew across the ocean. It was only when I heard he was happily married with a daughter that I finally felt safe enough to return home. But who could have guessed? The moment I stepped out of the airport, a hand clamped over my mouth, and I was dragged into a waiting car. That day, I begged for mercy until my voice went hoarse. But Elias just took off his hearing aid, casually tossed it out the window, gripped my waist, and chuckled hoarsely. "It's no use, Princess. I can't hear you." 01 The room was lit only by a dim, amber nightlight. Under its glow, Elias's sharp, refined features held an extra hint of allure. I hooked my arms around his neck and lazily commanded, "Kiss me." Elias's eyes darkened, and he lowered his head without a second thought. As our lips met, the intimate sound of our kiss seemed magnified in the quiet room. I don't know how much time passed, but it was only when I couldn't catch my breath and kicked his leg that Elias reluctantly let me go. Our eyes met, our breathing suddenly scorching. His gaze was deep, and he leaned in to kiss me again. I dodged him. "Coming home this late? Which little girl was keeping you busy?" I put on a demanding facade. Elias's cool fingers pinched the back of my neck. His voice was still raspy. "There's no little girl. I was negotiating with a partner the whole time." "That's more like it." I kissed the corner of his mouth as a reward. Elias turned his head, capturing my lips in a desperate kiss. His other hand was already reaching for my shoulder strap. I stopped his hand. "You're late. No exceptions." I turned and sat on the sofa, gently kneading his earlobe, whispering softly, "Your punishment is to kneel and serve me tonight." As the last word fell, I took off his hearing aid and tossed it onto the nearby table. Elias didn't like girls who were too bold, and he absolutely hated girls who were too open. Coincidentally, I was both bold and open. So, I really enjoyed taking off his hearing aid in bed and leaning close to his ear to say whatever shameless things came to mind. After all, once the hearing aid was off, he couldn't hear a thing. 02 I had coveted Elias Sterling for years. In college, he was the untouchable golden boy, always inseparable from his childhood sweetheart and fiancée. During the day, I watched them go to class together, and at night, I practically consulted tarot cards and horoscopes, praying for them to argue and break up. When they were still going strong in grad school, I had to settle for a boyfriend who looked a bit like him just to satisfy the craving. I thought I'd never get a chance in this lifetime, but then the Sterling family suddenly faced a crisis. His father's business failed, and under immense pressure, he committed suicide. His mother witnessed the jump and suffered a sudden heart attack, ending up in the ICU. Elias, who was out of state, rushed back upon hearing the news, only to get into a car accident that left him deaf. His childhood sweetheart chose to move abroad with her parents at that time, not leaving a single word behind. The former golden boy fell from grace, so destitute he couldn't even afford a hearing aid. When I heard the news, I immediately dumped my boyfriend, ended my vacation, and flew back. Everyone thought I was going to be Elias's savior. But I wasn't. I was there to take advantage of his misfortune. 03 When I found Elias, he was in a cramped, rundown apartment. I tossed a hearing aid and a few bank cards in front of him, then typed a sentence on my phone for him to read. "Sleep with me, and all this is yours." Elias glanced at me, his eyes dead and devoid of any emotion, like someone who had given up fighting against a miserable life. It wasn't until we rolled into bed that my head was still spinning. The man I had dreamed about for years was now naked, holding me, and kissing me. Who wouldn't be dizzy? Especially since... I bit my lower lip, sneaking a glance, and sighed inwardly. Having settled for that knockoff for so many years, I really was starved. "Is it uncomfortable?" Seeing me distracted, Elias thought his technique was lacking. "No." I smiled, leaned close to his ear, and whispered something so explicit it would make any decent person blush. He frowned deeply and suddenly pulled his head back, distancing himself a bit. Only then did I remember: Elias had always deeply despised girls who were overly forward with their affection, to the point where he couldn't even muster a polite rejection. He probably preferred gentle, dignified girls. I wasn't that, but his childhood sweetheart was. Since he didn't like hearing me talk, then I wouldn't let him hear. I reached up, took off the hearing aid that was already slick with sweat from his ear, and threw it on the floor. I'm not going to suffer for anyone. Running my hands over Elias's abs, I spouted whatever nonsense I wanted without restraint. 04 It had been four years, and Elias had been trained by me to be very well-behaved. If I made a sound, he knew whether to go lighter or heavier. Even if he occasionally got carried away and lost control, he never crossed my bottom line. The downside of having a perfect bed partner was that I woke up late and didn't get to see Elias deliver my birthday surprise in person. I picked up the small box on the nightstand and opened it gently. Inside was a simple silver ring, plain and unadorned. I carefully slipped the silver ring onto my ring finger. Not too big, not too small. It fit perfectly, like it was custom-made. I held up my hand, admiring it happily in the sunlight. It wasn't until the housekeeper, Maria, called from downstairs that breakfast was getting cold that I reluctantly put my hand down. "Maria, does it look good?" Once downstairs, I happily spun around, holding out my right hand to show off to Maria. "Elias gave it to me." "It's beautiful, very beautiful." Maria knew how much I liked Elias. She teased, "I didn't see you this happy when Mr. Sterling sent over bags, clothes, and sports cars. But this little silver band, you treat it like a treasure." "It's different!" I sat on the sofa, opening my phone while retorting to Maria, "Because it's from Elias..." A photo popping up on my Instagram feed made me go silent. It was Chloe, the childhood sweetheart who had been engaged to Elias, whom I hadn't heard from in years. In the photo, Chloe wore a long dress, her finger adorned with a massive diamond ring, holding a thin card. Written on the card was a touching romantic phrase: "Thinking of you in the quiet moments, everything feels incredible." And behind her, Elias—who had left early saying he had an emergency—was turned away from the camera, looking down to adjust his cufflinks, his profile gentle. The caption read: "Turns out, even icebergs can say sweet nothings." Elias's friends, who usually ignored me, left comments. "No wonder he wouldn't let us pick her up. His heart was already there." "The golden boy bending the knee for you. Chloe, you're the best." "I've been waiting for your wedding invitations forever. Give us a date already." Chloe replied to the last comment: "Soon. When the time comes, I'll have Elias ask you to be a groomsman." I stared at Chloe's pigeon-egg diamond ring for a long time. Then, I looked down at the plain silver band on my own hand. I don't know how much time passed before a loud crash of thunder startled me. I turned to look out the window. The sky had turned dark, and a torrential downpour had begun outside. 05 When Elias returned, I was still in bed. The mattress dipped beside me. He pinched my ring finger and gently shook it. "Maria said you've been sleeping all day. Do you want to eat the pasta I made?" I didn't look at him, just gave a slight nod. "Mia." I was eating with my head down when Elias suddenly spoke up. "Why aren't you wearing the ring I gave you? Do you not like it?" I paused, then replied evenly, "It's fine. It's just a bit too plain." Actually, it was quite nice, but compared to Chloe's, it was embarrassing to wear. The room fell silent, save for the ticking of the clock. After a long while, he finally said softly, "My new company is slowly getting off the ground. I'm negotiating a big deal recently. Once it's successful, I can secure even more investment. "When the time comes, I'll give you a better one, and buy that beachfront villa you like." What did that mean? Chloe lives in the Sterling house, and I live by the beach? He wants to keep me as a mistress on the outside? I closed my eyes. Is this Elias's revenge after his comeback? I treated him like a gigolo, so he gets married and treats me like a mistress, never letting me through the Sterling family's door. If he actually succeeds, who knows what else he has waiting for me. Thinking about the things I had done and said to him in bed, I shivered violently. 06 Early the next morning, as soon as Elias left, I scrambled out of bed, ready to run. But the moment my feet hit the rug, my legs gave out, and I almost did a full bow. Cursing Elias in my head, I threw open the closet and frantically stuffed clothes into my suitcase. "Miss, where are you going so suddenly?" Maria asked, coming upstairs to clean. I didn't even look up. "Running away... I mean, going on vacation. Return date TBD." Before I left, I grabbed Maria and repeatedly warned her never to tell Elias where I went. If he asked, she was to tell him I went abroad to get married and tell him not to harass a married couple. After giving my instructions, I tossed my SIM card, deleted all my social media accounts, and hurried onto a flight across the ocean. ... Five years passed in a flash. Maria told me Elias never got married, but he did have a daughter. I couldn't believe he was so traditional deep down! I almost felt sorry for Chloe. It's the 21st century, and they're still playing the "have a son before you get the title" game. Who knows how much she has to suffer marrying him. It had been so long. Elias was now a new business tycoon in the country, with a wife and daughter. He had probably long forgotten me. So, I didn't tell anyone and quietly slipped back into the country. But who could have guessed? The moment I stepped out of the airport, a hand clamped over my mouth, and I was dragged into a car. The man's embrace was hard and burning hot. His rough fingers traced the silver ring I was wearing, and a low, ambiguous chuckle vibrated in his throat. "Princess, didn't you go abroad to get married? Why are you still wearing the ring I gave you on your ring finger?" 07 It had been five years, and Elias had changed so much I barely recognized him. He used to love white dress shirts, looking clean and crisp. When his eyelashes drooped, he looked so innocent and pure, it drove me crazy. Now, there was no stray hair on his forehead. Dressed in a dark, impeccably tailored suit, his brow was sharp and cold, making people weak in the knees with just a glance. He kept tracing my ring finger. It felt like a fire starting from my knuckle, gradually spreading. The temperature in the car kept rising. I shrank into the corner, too afraid to even breathe loudly. Elias chuckled, loosened his tie with one hand, and looked at me with an air of absolute control. "Mia Sterling, is your husband so poor he can't even afford a decent ring?" I couldn't stand his arrogant, victorious look. I shot back: "I am the only daughter of the Sterling family. Even if my husband were a pile of mud, I could prop him up. No need for Mr. Sterling to worry. As for the ring, I was in a rush today and just grabbed the wrong one by accident." Watching Elias's face grow darker, I laughed lightly: "Mr. Sterling, you don't think I still have feelings for you, do you?" The grip on my wrist suddenly loosened. I seized the opportunity to open the car door and make a run for it, but I was yanked back again. "The ring. Give it back." Elias's voice was a bit hoarse, his dark eyes like a deep pool, suppressing a surging storm. "This is mine!" I instinctively protected the ring. He still wouldn't let me go, saying flatly, "What kind of ring does the Sterling heiress not have? This silver ring is too plain, it doesn't suit you. It's better if you give it back to me, lest you grab the wrong one again." Even at his lowest, he wanted to buy the best ring for Chloe. Now that he had won back the one he loved, he wouldn't even let me keep this simple silver band. Looking at Elias's cold, heavy expression, my eyes stung. I gritted my teeth, pulled off the ring, and threw it at his chest. "Take it back! Go find someone who matches it! I, Mia Sterling, don't care!" Without looking at him again, I fiercely shook off his hand and got out of the car without looking back. 08 When I got home, a friend from our circle called, saying they had organized a welcome-back dinner for me at a hotel and asking when I'd arrive. I looked at my still-red eyes in the mirror, ground my teeth, and said: "I don't want to eat at a hotel. I'm going to a bar to find someone to cook for me." Flynn took me to his own bar. The lights in the bar were chaotic. He casually pulled a hot girl from the dance floor into his arms and called out to me: "Tell me if you see anyone you like. It's my place, don't be shy." I swirled my drink, walked a lap, and returned to the booth, uninterested. "No one caught your eye?" Flynn, looking satisfied after a kiss, rubbed the waist of the woman in his arms and joked with me: "Princess, how about you consider me? I have money, plenty of dating experience, and I'll never let you feel wronged." I couldn't be bothered to reply, but the woman in his arms took it seriously. "Flynn, your wedding ring is so hard, it's hurting me." "Spoiled brat." Flynn casually tossed the wedding ring onto the coffee table, gave the woman a firm pat on the lower back, and spoke suggestively, "Is it still hard now? Hmm?" I couldn't listen anymore. I stood up, ready to find another spot. Before I left, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Flynn's wedding ring lying abandoned among fruit peels and trash. I paused and added one more thing: "Put the ring away. Sarah will be angry if she finds out." Flynn lifted his head from the woman's embrace and scoffed. "If she's angry, she can leave. Do I look like I'm afraid of her?" Being in the same circle, it wasn't good to be too explicit. Having said my piece, I didn't offer any more advice. I turned and walked out of the private room, which was already filled with suggestive sighs. 09 I found a slightly quieter spot and sat drinking alone. Guys kept coming up to hit on me, one after another, but every single one of them looked like a train wreck to me. I couldn't even bear to look. "Mia." I don't know how long I had been drinking, but an angry voice suddenly rang out. I groggily raised my head, squinted for a long time, and suddenly frowned: "You look really familiar." "Heh." The man sneered and pulled me into his arms: "Look closer. Even more familiar now?" I blinked my eyes, everything a distorted blur, and blurted out: "It's true! Handsome, you look just like my husband." "Mia, just how many husbands do you have?" he asked, grinding his teeth. I rubbed my burning face against his cool chest, sweet nothings tumbling out effortlessly: "Only one husband. I don't want anyone else, just you." He seemed too lazy to argue with a drunk. He picked me up and walked out. But I wasn't behaving. My hands kept sneaking under his clothes. Squeezing here, touching there. In that short walk, Elias broke out in a sweat. "Mia, if you keep touching me, I can't guarantee there won't be an accident." He threw his jacket over my head and pressed me tightly against his chest, stopping me from moving. With my arms pinned, I looked at his bobbing Adam's apple, blinked, and took a bite.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "417819", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel