Tristan Sterling sucked in a sharp breath.
The taste of blood instantly filled their mouths.
'This little thing.'
'Quite the vicious bite.'
"Learned how to bite, have you? Hmm?"
His lips brushed against hers as he exhaled, his voice chillingly low.
"I'll bite you to death!" she snarled.
But the tone she intended to be fierce came out as a soft, sweet murmur from being kissed, completely devoid of any threat.
To Tristan Sterling, it sounded like she was being coquettish.
"Then later, you'd better bite... down... tight!"
A low, pleased chuckle escaped him, and meeting her humiliated, furious gaze, he kissed her again.
Their lips and teeth locked, breaths intertwining.
Passionate and greedy.
She was powerless against his forceful dominance.
By the time the kiss ended, Holly Sinclair was nearly suffocating.
The corners of her eyes were red, her own shimmering with unshed tears. This look of humiliation, anger, and grievance was utterly heart-wrenching.
Seeing the woman he had thoroughly tormented, Tristan Sterling felt his blood run hot, his mind reeling with desire.
She had no idea that her bashful yet indignant expression only made one want to tease her all the more.
"Good girl. I'll be... gentle... this time."
He lowered his head to kiss her reddened ear, coaxing her in a hoarse whisper.
Mentally, Holly Sinclair wanted to resist, but as adrenaline surged through her, her body couldn't help but go weak.
In their two years of marriage, although they hadn't been intimate very often, he knew every single one of her sensitive spots.
And so, it was child's play for him to control her.
Holly Sinclair's mind grew hazy from his teasing, leaving her at his mercy.
Suddenly, the sharp ring of a cell phone jolted her back to her senses.
The charged atmosphere in the room was shattered.
Tristan Sterling was lost in the heat of the moment and ignored it.
But the caller was relentless, dialing again and again.
On the third ring, Tristan Sterling pulled his phone from his pocket.
"Hello...?" he answered, clearly displeased.
"Brother-in-law, you have to come quick! My sister fainted!"
He had barely spoken when Nicole Linton's panicked sobs came through the phone.
Holly Sinclair watched as the desire in Tristan Sterling's eyes vanished instantly.
They say a man can't stop at a moment like this.
The arrow was already on the bowstring, ready to be fired.
But for Vivian Linton, Tristan Sterling could.
"I'll be right there."
He shot to his feet.
Without so much as a second glance at Holly Sinclair, he strode away in a hurry.
The heat in Holly Sinclair's body was instantly replaced by an icy chill.
She slowly sat up. As she quietly straightened the clothes he had torn open, her cold eyes followed his rapidly retreating back.
'I need to change the locks.'
...
「Three days later.」
Holly Sinclair and Justin Schofield arrived at the venue on time.
A large crowd of reporters had already gathered outside.
The antique qipao in need of restoration was a posthumous work by the master designer Melody Mayfield. Hailed as the number one piece in the world of qipao, it was exceptionally valuable.
Whichever studio won the contract to restore it would undoubtedly see its reputation skyrocket upon completion.
They would become the top name in the industry overnight.
Therefore, the public was eagerly waiting to see who would ultimately win the coveted project.
Soon, the other competing studios began to arrive one after another.
The last to arrive were Tristan Sterling and Vivian Linton.
The moment they appeared, reporters who had been waiting for ages swarmed them.
FLASH. FLASH. FLASH. The cameras went wild.
Vivian Linton wore a flowing white gown, looking gentle and serene. A full set of diamond jewelry glittered on her, making her look like a princess surrounded by adoring stars.
She had clearly dressed up for the occasion.
It was as if she already knew she had first place in the bag and would be the center of attention.
Tristan Sterling, meanwhile, was in a black bespoke suit, his figure tall and lean. He was handsome and elegant, as untouchable as a flower on a high, cold mountain.
Standing together, they were a perfect picture of a talented man and a beautiful woman, looking just like a loving couple.
"Miss Linton, how confident are you about tonight's competition?" a reporter asked.
"A hundred percent, of course! Vervain Studio is determined to win!" Vivian Linton said, linking her arm intimately with Tristan Sterling's and flashing a charming smile for the cameras.
As she spoke, she leaned even closer to Tristan Sterling.
The gesture was increasingly intimate.
This was undoubtedly a public declaration that Mr. Sterling was her backer.
Holly Sinclair had no desire to listen to what the reporters asked next.
Her eyes inadvertently flickered toward Tristan Sterling.
She found him staring right back at her... and at Justin Schofield.
His gaze was as cold as winter ice.
Just moments before, she had been bumped by the swarming reporters and had nearly fallen, but Justin Schofield had been quick to steady her.
At a glance, it looked as though she was being held in a light embrace by Justin Schofield.
She understood the meaning in Tristan Sterling's gaze.
He was warning her with his eyes to stay away from Justin Schofield.
'Ha!'
'So, he was allowed to flaunt his affection for Vivian Linton in public, but she couldn't even stand next to Justin Schofield?'
Holly Sinclair remained motionless, a silent sneer playing on her lips.
'Not worth bothering with him.'
Unsurprisingly, Tristan Sterling's expression grew even darker.
Holly Sinclair simply looked away.
'What a jinx.'
"Will all studios please submit their restoration pieces."
At the staff member's announcement, all the competing studios submitted their restored pieces to the organizers in turn.
The final results would be announced in half an hour.
The wait was agonizing.
Especially for Holly Sinclair.
She needed the prize money, but she needed this opportunity even more!
If she won, she wouldn't have to worry about her brother's medical bills for a while.
Justin Schofield had told her that if she could really land this incredible windfall, he would give her the entire fee; the studio wouldn't take a cent.
After all, with the studio's reputation skyrocketing, they'd be able to make a fortune in no time.
Holly Sinclair checked the time every few minutes.
"Nervous?" Justin Schofield asked, having noticed her fidgeting.
"A little," Holly Sinclair replied with a distracted nod.
"Don't worry. Our chances are pretty good."
"How do you know?"
Justin Schofield opened his phone and pulled up a message—
"Of all the submissions, the one from your Julian's Studio is the most perfectly restored."
"A friend of mine on the review panel just sent me this."
Holly Sinclair's eyes lit up, and joy surged through her. "So, your friend means...?"
"It's a safe bet!" Justin Schofield said, just as pleased.
The surprise was so sudden that Holly Sinclair could barely contain her excitement.
"There are still ten minutes until the announcement. I'm going to step out to calm my nerves," she said, taking a deep breath.
"Okay," Justin Schofield nodded.
Holly Sinclair headed for the lounge area.
Knowing they were likely to win not only brought her joy but also greatly relieved the pressure she was under.
Ever since she'd decided to divorce Tristan Sterling, her aunt had been calling her every other day to pressure her, and it was truly wearing on her nerves.
With this money, she could save her brother's life and shut her aunt up.
That was why this two million was so crucial to her.
Furthermore, if Julian's Studio became famous because of this, her own status as the designer would naturally rise as well.
Once her career took off, she would have more leverage to divorce Tristan Sterling.
That's right.
Her ultimate goal in desperately wanting this opportunity was to be able to divorce Tristan Sterling more quickly!
As she walked, Holly Sinclair's attention was caught by two voices.
In the smoking area to her left, two men were chatting quietly, cigarettes held between their fingers.
"Tsk... what a shame. That designer from Julian's Studio, Holly Sinclair, her craftsmanship is second to none. The restoration proposal and drafts she submitted were brilliant. Frankly, she's leagues ahead of the other studios. I can't believe she ended up getting cut."
"Real talent is no match for big money."
"I just feel bad for Julian's Studio. They were clearly number one, but Vervain Studio snatched it from them."
"Well, what can you do? Miss Linton belongs to Mr. Sterling... Shh! The boss said this was Mr. Sterling's wish."
Around the corner, Holly Sinclair stood with her back pressed against the wall, a chill creeping up from the depths of her heart.
She couldn't stop herself from trembling.