Chapter 8: Was the Dark Tyrant Shy Just Now?

Alexander wiped his hands, casually splitting the ruined apple into two halves and feeding one half to Chloe's mouth, continuing to ask Ryan nonchalantly: "Or both hands?"

Only when the apple was removed could one glimpse the shattered porcelain fruit plate beneath it. The other two people present were both seized with varying degrees of terror and shock—he clearly hadn't seemed to exert much force at all.

Chloe merely swept a brief glance over it, possessing a strong "henchman consciousness" and adhering strictly to the principle of looking and saying as little as possible. Scooping up Sweetie—who was eyeing the apple with avid desire—onto her lap, she waved the apple in a circle under the cat's nose without letting her eat it, teasing Sweetie into slapping the back of her hand with loud *thumps*.

Staring at the horribly mangled plate, Ryan broke out into a cold sweat as goosebumps burst across his skin. Finally, he confessed honestly: "I took secret photos of Chloe..."

"Hmm?" Alexander narrowed his eyes as he looked at him.

Ryan turned deathly pale: "The commercial Chloe shot earlier belonged to a company under the Ryan family. Ryan Feng was the ad director. At the time, Ryan Feng lusted after Chloe's beauty, and I took photos of them wrestling around. I didn't mean to harm her... I just wanted her to ask me for help. I was going to clear her name..."

Chloe leaned against Alexander as if she had no bones, looking down at Ryan from above. *As expected, aside from a face, he was utterly worthless.* When Ryan Feng was trying to take advantage of her, he had every opportunity to "step up," yet he insisted on pulling off such a round-about, revolting performance.

She likely wouldn't forget this past period—unable to step out of her front door, recognized at the airport, tormented to the point of having eggs thrown at her until she was covered in stench, yet unable to clarify a single thing under the deliberate control of someone with hidden motives. What a "brilliant" experience.

Still, it wasn't particularly sad. Revolting affairs were nothing new to her; this was just one or two more added to the pile.

Alexander gave a low "Mm," saying lazily, "She asks you for help, and then what?"

"Then... then..." Mentioning getting back together, Ryan met Alexander's sinister gaze, his tongue suddenly tying into knots, utterly unable to speak the rest of his words.

Uncle Zhang suddenly appeared, stepping up to Alexander's side: "Sir, Mr. Ethan Chen has arrived."

Alexander paused, casting a side glance at Chloe before saying, "Let them in."

Ryan let out a massive sigh of relief. He would rather fall into the hands of the police than endure this torture any longer. Alexander, this lunatic, was someone who even dared to murder his own stepmother.

---

Ethan Chen walked in with his colleague. The young intern beside him had never seen such a mind-boggling "home" in his life and had long since been rendered dumbfounded.

Ethan Chen cast a glance at Ryan, speaking with a half-smile: "Can I take the person away now?"

Alexander produced a voice recording pen out of nowhere and tossed it over to him. Turning to Chloe, he asked her nonchalantly: "Chloe, how would you like to handle it?"

Chloe raised her eyebrow, asking Ethan Chen: "For someone like Mr. Ryan, can he be sentenced to prison?"

Ethan Chen was more than happy to explain it to her: "Publicly defaming and insulting others carries a sentence of up to three years in prison for severe cases. The specifics will depend on your lawyer's capabilities."

Ryan's expression instantly turned nervous as he looked at Chloe: "Chloe!"

Chloe nodded, offering a faint smile: "Thank you, I will file an appeal as soon as possible."

Ryan looked at her in sheer disbelief, raising his voice: "Chloe! I didn't mean to do anything to you. Is there really any need to be this heartless?!"

Chloe finally met his eyes head-on. Within those deeply affectionate eyes, the rotten bone behind Ryan's fake skin was laid bare. She put on an innocent, aggrieved act: "If I were a bit weaker psychologically, I might have already slit my wrists and committed suicide."

"Take him away," Ethan Chen ordered the intern officer, then raised his chin toward Alexander. "Lord Alexander, remember to pay the fine."

Although in a certain sense Alexander had done them a favor by getting the man to confess to the whole incident, a breach of rules was still a breach of rules. Even between good brothers, a fine was a fine.

A subtle curve twitched at the corner of Chloe's lips. *As expected of the people's police—shielded by justice, completely unafraid of the dark tyrant.*

Alexander looked over at an angle, his calm, composed gaze laced with hidden aggression.

Chloe's face changed faster than the weather. Instantly adopting a crestfallen, delicate expression worthy of a tragic heroine, her tone sounded both coy and proud: "Mr. Alexander, have the police take him away quickly. I don't want to see him."

The handcuffed Ryan suddenly turned back: "Chloe! Didn't you see just now? He's a murderer! Staying with him will bring you a terrible end!"

If he were truly sentenced, with Alexander backing the charge, even the Ryan family wouldn't be able to protect him. How could he show his face once he got out? The illegitimate children of the Ryan family would laugh their heads off at him!

Chloe tilted her head to look over, resting her chin on her hand as her leg bent casually: "If I were you, I would shut my mouth right now."

*Spreading false rumors right in front of the police—what a brainless fool who only had a pretty face.* It seemed that in the future, she couldn't judge a man solely by his face anymore.

---

After Ryan was taken away, Chloe felt a genuine rush of satisfaction. Even if it was just riding on the tyrant's coattails, it still counted as revenge.

Just then, an arm suddenly draped across the front of her neck. Leaning close to her, Alexander asked softly: "Why did you break up with him?"

Chloe let out an "Ah" of surprise and innocence, yet she thoroughly enjoyed the tyrant's sudden burst of jealousy. *Was he really this bothered about the ex-boyfriend of a substitute mistress?*

*How fascinating.*

How did she break up with Ryan... That didn't seem like a mandatory question. In her view, an ex-boyfriend belonged firmly in the past and held no place within the game rules between her and the tyrant.

She kept her mockery of the dark tyrant meticulously hidden, displaying instead a soft, hesitant vulnerability, as if she had an embarrassing secret she was ashamed to tell.

Seeing her distressed expression, Alexander's face predictably turned dark and icy. The arm across her neck tightened slightly, his taunting voice wrapping in warm breath as it burst uninvited into her ear: "What? Can't let him go?"

His breath seeped into her ear canal like insects crawling around—a deeply unbearable sensation. Chloe raised her brow, her eyes brimming with aggrieved tears as she let out a bitter laugh: "Is Mr. Alexander joking? Or do you really think I would hold lingering feelings for a scum like that?"

Alexander lowered his head and stared at her for a moment, a bloodthirsty storm seeming to brew within his pitch-black eyes. Holding her breath, she felt like a cat caught by the scruff of its neck, every hair on her body standing on end without her realizing it.

Alexander clenched his jaw, seemingly exercising extreme restraint as he lowered his voice into a demonic temptation: "Be a good girl, Chloe. Tell me."

Chloe didn't break composure, stubbornly locking into a stalemate with him. In truth, it wasn't anything major—simply that she hadn't wanted to have intimate relations, and he had attempted to force himself on her. It wasn't that she was conservative, but rather that intimacy held no beauty in her memories, only screeching, painful screams etched into her mind.

Before that, Ryan had hidden it very well, possessing a good temper and refined manners. Being a crude person who liked money and good looks, she had rashly thought she could give it a try since he was good to her.

Back then, her skills hadn't been polished enough, and she hadn't developed the ability to see through a monster's true form beneath its skin.

Yet now, facing the overbearing tyrant, a strange, competitive pride surged up from within her. Since it wasn't within the rules of the game, she genuinely didn't want to play along with his pretenses.

It was during those few seconds of silence that Alexander's temper exploded without warning, violently throwing her onto the sofa. Even Sweetie was so terrified that her back arched as she leapt into the air, letting out a frightened *meow*.

Leaning down, he pinched Chloe's chin with his fingers, his voice freezing cold: "Didn't I say that Chloe isn't allowed to have secrets from me?"

Slamming hard against the soft sofa, Chloe felt her brain ringing *buzz buzz*, barely catching what he was saying. Her stubborn streak refused to admit defeat, inwardly mocking the tyrant's sudden rage.

Right at that moment, she made an intriguing discovery. Carefully breaking down and analyzing the tyrant's current emotions, she realized he wasn't merely angry about this matter alone.

Within those bloodshot, pitch-black eyes, something far deeper and more complex seemed to be struggling in bitter unwillingness.

*Unwillingness?* Chloe was slightly surprised that she would think of this word. Why would he feel unwilling? It certainly couldn't be because of her. Most likely, his obsession ran so deep that he was mistaking her for someone else.

She felt not an ounce of sadness over being treated as a substitute—only a strange, twisted rush of excitement. Who would have thought the dark tyrant had such a pathetic, disheveled side to him?

---

After throwing a full tantrum, the dark tyrant vanished. Chloe dazed on the sofa for a while, reliving the tyrant's expression of a trapped beast just now.

Just then, Uncle Zhang came out and spoke to her: "Miss Chloe must not have explored the estate yet? Let me show you around and help clear your mind."

The old man had a gentle gaze that, combined with the wrinkles on his face, formed a deeply kind appearance. Chloe originally had no mood for it, but she inexplicably recalled the weak woman waiting for her back home while knowing nothing, and couldn't bring herself to voice a refusal.

Uncle Zhang guided Chloe through the mansion's backyard. She was stunned by the neatly trimmed clusters of flowers of various colors, designed to look extraordinarily like the wonderland from Alice in Wonderland.

*The big boss's aesthetic was... quite girly, resembling something she might have dreamed up in her teens.*

Uncle Zhang explained at the right moment: "This was commissioned by our master when he returned."

Chloe sharply caught the key phrase: "Returned?"

Uncle Zhang gave a low "Mm," saying, "Sir ran away from home for a period of time back in the day."

A casual phrase like "ran away from home" carried an undeniable hint of some undisclosed, dark family secret. The Alexander family had a younger son who entered the entertainment industry before even graduating. On the way, she let her imagination run wild, envisioning a dramatic, highly charged wealthy family struggle.

Returning to the mansion, Uncle Zhang led her to the third floor. "This is the greenhouse conservatory. Miss Chloe can come here whenever you have time, though—"

He paused briefly before continuing: "The fourth floor above is an art studio, which is off-limits."

Chloe nodded in strict adherence to the rules, deeply immersed in her fantasy of wealthy family power struggles.

---

The dark tyrant remained missing for a whole day. At night, Chen Jie called her, her voice trembling with excitement: "Chloe! You can finally turn things around! Ryan Feng came out to clarify, and the lawyers from Tiansheng reached out to me, telling us to start suing the rumor-mongers! Chloe, what do you think?"

Lying in bed, Chloe nonchalantly picked up her iPad to check the trending searches. First was the police statement regarding the case, followed by Ryan Feng's video clarification, and apologies from various marketing accounts. Such high efficiency could only be the tyrant's doing.

*Quite awkward—getting angry on one hand, while not forgetting to help clear up her troubles on the other.* She felt awkward as well, reluctantly admitting that a tyrant like this was almost a little cute.

The comments were flooded with excited fans alongside hindsight passersby, though plenty of skepticism remained:

—"Waahh! A reversal at last! We'll always be here!"

—"Ahhh, Chloe has had it so hard, what kind of trash people are these! QAQ"

—"We can finally walk outside in broad daylight again! So touched!"

—"Where are all those people who called Chloe a homewrecker earlier? Not apologizing? Mute again?"

—"Who knows if this is even real? The Alexander family has immense power; they can turn white into black easily."

Chloe remained silent while Chen Jie raised her voice through the receiver: "Chloe, Chloe!"

Chloe let out an "Ah," her tone casual: "What advice do you have, Sister Chen?"

Chen Jie seemed to exhale in relief, advising as a matter of course: "I think we should just sue Ryan. As for the marketing accounts, a warning will suffice. After all, you still need to survive in this industry; making too many enemies is never a good thing."

Chloe suddenly let out a soft chuckle, her tone lazy: "I'm not only going to sue Ryan and the marketing accounts, but I'm even going to grab a couple of keyboard warriors to make an example out of them."

After all, before the truth came out, nobody held a gun to their heads forcing them to hurl insults, did they?

Chen Jie disapproved, calling her out by her full name: "Chloe! How long do you think Lord Alexander will pamper you? I advise you not to push things to the absolute extreme!"

Chloe raised her eyebrow slightly: "Has Sister Chen never heard of squeezing every last drop of value out of something?"

Right at that moment, the dark tyrant who had been missing all day suddenly appeared: "What value are you squeezing out?"

Chloe: "..."

*Did the dark tyrant have a radar installed on him? The second she talked bad behind his back, he showed up.* It seemed he cared far more about the "sleep together" part of the fundamental "eat together, sleep together" rule.

"Mm." Not feeling the slightest bit awkward, she smoothly shifted the topic while throwing Chen Jie under the bus: "Sister Chen said I shouldn't sue the marketing accounts."

She looked every bit like a scheming, favored concubine whispering in the emperor's ear in a palace drama.

"Who?" Alexander frowned, clearly having no idea who that person was.

Ignoring Chen Jie's screams from the speaker, Chloe blurted out: "My manager."

She even added an "aggrieved" complaint, "So Mr. Alexander really hasn't taken the time to learn about me at all?"

Chen Jie: "..."

"Terminate her contract." Alexander unknotted his tie and tossed it aside. "I'll have Ethan arrange a new one for you."

He had looked into the people around Chloe long ago, but he never bothered keeping irrelevant individuals in mind.

Chloe accepted readily: "Alright."

Squeezing every last drop of value wasn't entirely a joke. Since she was bound to leave sooner or later, she might as well maximize her gains during this period.

Unsure whether Alexander had caught her earlier remark, he didn't pursue it anyway, proceeding to ask: "Chloe wants to act in movies? Director Lee has a script recently."

Chloe was stunned for a second. Tonight's tyrant seemed... unusually gentle. Was he compensating for what happened during the day? Director Lee was a renowned contemporary director whose hands had produced multiple Best Actresses; there was no way a role would naturally fall to her.

Looking up at Alexander, she offered him an ambiguous, delicate smile, her seductive charms coming naturally: "You're so good to me today, Mr. Alexander?"

Her glass-like pupils reflected scattered glimmers under the bright lights. When she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, giving the absurd illusion that her heart and eyes were entirely consumed by the man before her.

Alexander paused briefly. Throwing his black shirt right over her head, the man's scent mingled with her signature perfume swept over her in an overwhelming wave. Leaning down, he found her lips through the fabric and dropped a kiss on them, coaxing her like a whisper: "Be a good girl, Chloe, and I will be good to you."

By the time Chloe pulled off the shirt, the man's figure was already gone, replaced by the pitter-patter of running water from the bathroom. She reached up with a slight delay to touch her lips. They had kissed many times during this period, yet this was the very first time it didn't fill her with disgust.

Chloe raised her eyebrow slightly. So... was the dark tyrant shy just now?

*This seemed even more fascinating than his inexplicable jealousy during the day.*

Chapter 9: They Were Two of a Kind

When Alexander emerged from the bathroom, Chloe was still holding her iPad, lost in a daze.

Taking the iPad from her hands, he tossed it aside and leaned down, bringing with him a wave of fresh body wash fragrance. "What is my Chloe thinking about?"

Chloe natura

Chapter 10: Who Brings Their Mistress to Meet Their Parents?

Chloe temporarily chose to believe that Sebastian was Alexander's alternate personality—or rather, she was willing to believe it. After all, if that were true... the game became even more interesting, didn't it?

Thus, she put on a sancti