Ashley Dawson felt like she was about to die of anger because of him. The old master values this man greatly now, and if anything really happens between her and him, and the old master finds out, she would be in serious trouble. But the man didn’t listen to her at all, holding her down forcefully. "Miss Dawson, soon the entire Dawson Family will be mine, including you. I can play with you whenever I want, and toss you aside when I don’t. You have no right to refuse, otherwise, I can take back everything the Dawson Family has given you, including the money the old master just gave you." The man’s words were extremely frivolous; he was the most frivolous man Ashley had ever met. Yet, everything he said was true. The Dawson Family was his, and she couldn’t refute anything. "Miss Dawson, don’t worry. You’re just a toy to me; my interest in a toy doesn’t usually last more than three months. After three months, you’ll be free, including the business marriage the old master mentioned. I can cancel that for you too, as long as you behave yourself now." Ashley’s struggling ceased. She never cared about what happened between her and men. In their eyes, women were tools; in hers, men were the same—just mutual interests. The man saw that she had calmed down; he smirked even more. Just as he was about to make another move, they heard someone calling for the old master outside. It turned out the old master had come back unexpectedly. Ashley quickly pushed the man away and stood up, but he was not embarrassed at all, sitting quietly at the edge of the bed. The old master’s footsteps passed by the door without any pause; it seemed like he had forgotten something. Ashley breathed a sigh of relief, as long as the old master wasn’t looking for her at the moment. But soon, footsteps stopped at her door. The old master’s tone was kind, but for Ashley, it always made her scalp tingle. She had a feeling that the old master knew this man was in her room. She didn’t dare to refuse and opened the door slowly. The old master immediately saw the man sitting on the bed and Ashley’s troubled face. A glint of ferocity flashed in his eyes, and he raised his hand to slap Ashley. The crisp sound of the slap prevented Ashley from defending herself. "Wretch! Why seduce him of all people?" Clutching her now swollen face, Ashley felt as if her throat was blocked, unable to say a word. Clearly, it was the man who approached her, yet the old master didn’t ask a single question and just slapped her. She felt wronged but didn’t dare argue. "Get out, I need to speak with him." The old master’s tone was still bad. Ashamed and subdued, Ashley left the room, eyes full of resentment. In the Dawson Family, she was like a handmaid to be scolded and beaten at will. When the old master was happy, he’d give her candy; when he wasn’t, he’d vent his anger on her. Googlᴇ search 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚫𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚫𝕟𝕖𝕥 She was just the old master’s punching bag. Realizing this, Ashley felt even more unwilling. But where could she go? She knew too many of the old master’s secrets, and any stray thought might be discovered. There was no turning back; she had to stay in this place. She wandered around the garden, finally sitting by the swing. She didn’t know when the man came to her side and hugged her. "Haven’t you had enough of me being beaten?" Her tone was hostile; surely, the old master had scolded him too. How did he come back so soon? "It truly pains me to see, look at that; your face is swollen." The man’s fingers grazed her face, and there was a flicker of sarcasm in Ashley’s eyes. If he really cared, he would’ve spoken up when the old master hit her. But from beginning to end, he just stood quietly, saying nothing. Perhaps after she left, he’d tell the old master she was the one seducing him. She slapped his hand away and stood up, but the man’s face immediately darkened. "Are you showing attitude to me?" Although it was a question, it sent chills down Ashley’s spine. Her eyes stung with tears, suddenly tired of this life. Everyone envied her for being the Dawson’s young lady, but only she knew that in the Dawson Family, she held no status. She didn’t speak; the man presumptuously placed his hand on her waist. "Let’s go to the room; we haven’t finished what we started." He spoke so matter-of-factly, without any regard for the old master’s recent warning. Ashley turned her head, seeing the amusement in his eyes, knowing this was just the man’s twisted pleasure. He simply wanted to see her miserable, unable to hold her head high. She suddenly smiled, "Sure." The man clearly didn’t expect her to agree so quickly, and his face instantly grew dark. Yet he still picked her up and headed upstairs. On the other side, Hugo Quinn was frantically searching for Eleanor Hollis. Scorpion’s people had already set out, hoping for a positive outcome. It took a whole day for Scorpion’s people to report back, saying they found some traces near the edge of a valley. If no accidents occurred, Eleanor Hollis likely fell down. Hugo Quinn didn’t immediately despair; he ordered a search for a way down to see if they could reach her. But at the same time, a crisis hit Grandeur. An unknown company suddenly rose to power, acquiring several companies within days, gradually tying these scattered firms into a cohesive force with a subtle ambition to overtake Grandeur. Grandeur’s executives hurriedly convened a meeting. After devising a plan, they wanted to inform Hugo Quinn immediately, but no one could reach him. Nobody knew what he was up to. With no choice, they called Lan Yancy, hoping he could bring Hugo Quinn back. "Sir, there’s a situation at Grandeur. The Dawson Family seems to be making a move in Serenford, with significant influence. They’ve acquired several companies in such a short period, and have stolen our jewelry designs for next season, releasing them before us. If we release them now, we’ll definitely be suspected of plagiarism." Lan Yancy frowned deeply. Clearly, the old master Dawson had been visiting the hospital just the other day, so how could things have changed so quickly, and directly targeted at Grandeur? The CEO has recently been uninterested in company matters; if mishandled, this could lead to Grandeur’s crisis. Yet, Hugo Quinn just uttered that single word indifferently, seemingly unconcerned about what’s happening at Grandeur. Lan Yancy rubbed his temples wearily. "Sir, Grandeur is now...."