Chapter 174: Quite Fierce in Private

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Quite Fierce in Private

Claire Kendall followed his gaze and noticed a small red dot blinking incessantly.

She asked in a low, wary voice, "Those old bastards... Are there more of them in the room?"

Miles Warren, bare-chested, shook his head unhurriedly.

He walked to the side of the bed and reached for the handcuffs on the nightstand. Deciding against them, he picked up a small leather whip instead.

Miles Warren’s eyes were downcast, a storm of emotions swirling within them. Beyond the playful teasing, there was now a serious, heavy note of reproach.

"Coming to a place like this without telling me a thing."

"Claire Kendall, you’re getting bolder and bolder."

Miles Warren approached her, casually tossing the whip in his hand. His presence was overwhelming.

His long fingers landed on her mask. With a deft movement, he undid it, and it fell to the floor.

He stared at her. "Now, how should I punish you?"

"Dressed like this,"

The tip of the whip in his hand lightly poked her chest, traveled downward, then around to her back, finally coming to rest on her smooth skin, sending a shiver through her entire body.

Claire Kendall whined playfully, "It’s cold."

"Do you have any idea who Caden Monroe is? The annual rate of car accidents and sudden deaths among his top executives is unnervingly high. And the women he’s played with? They end up dead or disabled."

"If Lindsay Joyce hadn’t called me, do you have any idea what would have happened if you’d been found out?"

The cold tip of the whip pressed into the small of her back.

Claire Kendall twisted her hips to dodge, her voice low and muffled, a placating, pleading tone slipping in.

"I know I was wrong, okay? But my intentions were good. I was trying to help you."

"Mr. Warren, you’re a bigger man than this. Please don’t hold it against me."

She hooked a finger around his. "Vera Sloan asking about my identity... did you arrange that beforehand?"

"Mhm." Miles Warren nodded, his expression unreadable. He had already spoken to the floor manager about her identity before he arrived.

He never underestimated Caden Monroe. Anyone who could claw their way through the ranks of the Warren Group survived on more than just dumb luck.

"So what was that about the research and development funds for Department Two?"

Miles Warren’s brow furrowed slightly. "Warren Pharma is missing five hundred million from its R&D fund."

’They’re so brazen about it, they’re probably just looking for a pretext to pin it on me.’ He didn’t say this out loud, not wanting to worry Claire Kendall.

"That much? Those old bastards are unbelievably greedy!"

Claire Kendall was filled with righteous indignation. She pouted, but her body was growing weaker, her strength draining away. Finally, she just leaned obediently against his chest, unmoving.

She blinked, feeling an intense heat wash over her. She reached up, fumbling with the scant fabric of her outfit.

"Miles Warren..." The moment the words left her lips, she was startled by her own soft, breathy tone. "I’m feeling a little hot. Can you check me? I think I might be having an allergic reaction."

She had had a little to drink at the dinner party earlier.

Sensing something was wrong, Miles Warren immediately examined her.

Her skin was fair and smooth, showing no signs of an allergic reaction.

"It’s so hot... Miles Warren, hold me. You’re so cool." Claire Kendall pressed her entire body against him.

Miles Warren’s expression changed instantly. He laid her on the bed and walked over to the aromatherapy diffuser near the door. Keeping his distance, he waved a hand through the air.

A cloyingly sweet fragrance. It was a foreign-made aphrodisiac incense.

Claire Kendall must have inhaled too much of it when she unplugged the device earlier.

’Fortunately, it wasn’t seriously harmful. Caden Monroe was certainly thorough. Afraid a single drugged drink wouldn’t be enough, he had this prepared as a backup.’

Miles Warren strode back to the bed. Claire Kendall was curled into a ball, cheeks flushed and her breaths coming in short, rapid gasps. Her fingers unconsciously clenched the sheets, and the corners of her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

He scooped her out of the pile of petals, planning to take her for a hot shower to help clear her head.

But she was boneless, clinging to him and refusing to let go.

"Miles Warren," she repeated his name over and over, whimpering uncontrollably, "I don’t want a hot shower... I want you to help me—"

「Outside in the hallway.」

The bodyguards at the door leaned against the wall, bored out of their minds, their ears pricked for any sound from within the room.

They could faintly make out soft, breathless moans and ambiguous whispers coming from inside.

The two men exchanged a glance and broke into knowing, lecherous smirks. Then they sent a message to Caden Monroe, reporting on the situation.

"Tsk, they’re really going at it. How long has it been?"

"That Mr. Warren looks so prim and proper, but he’s a real beast behind closed doors."

"That waitress sure is lucky. If she can please a big shot like him tonight, she’ll be set for life."

...

The two men spoke in hushed tones, their words crude and flippant, full of filthy speculation.

「Inside the room.」

Shame and heat washed over her in waves. Claire Kendall buried her face in Miles Warren’s chest, feeling both mortified and pliant.

Her body was burning so hot she could barely stand, and she let him have his way with her.

「The next morning.」

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sound of rapid, violent pounding on the door echoed through the room, followed by a cacophony of shouts from the other side.

"Miles Warren, President of Warren Pharma, open the door!"

"It’s all over the internet that you were with a waitress last night! Are you having an extramarital affair?"

"Please give us a direct comment!"

"The new president of Warren Pharma indulges in late-night debauchery right after taking power! Does this mean he has no interest in running the company?"

...

Claire Kendall was jolted awake by the commotion. She opened her eyes, her mind slowly emerging from a fog.

She struggled to sit up, a sharp pain throbbing somewhere between her legs. A flood of embarrassing images from the previous night rushed into her mind.

’I was drugged.’

’And I even... used that shameless position on Miles Warren...’

Claire Kendall squeezed her eyes shut.

’It’s fine. What’s wrong with being a little shameless? I was just being shameless with my own husband. It’s fine, it’s totally fine.’

She threw back the covers. She was stark naked.

On the floor beside the bed lay her waitress uniform, crumpled and torn to pieces.

It had been torn to shreds, a pile of rags that couldn’t cover an inch of skin.

The shouting outside grew louder, punctuated by the voice of Zane, one of the shareholders. He was pretending to chase away the reporters, but he was actually fanning the flames and stoking their curiosity.

"Who sent you? Get out of here! Mr. Warren and I just had a few drinks yesterday."

"Everyone makes mistakes. Stop filming!"

"It was consensual between Mr. Warren and the waitress. There was absolutely no coercion..."

Inside the room, Claire Kendall was furious. She turned and glared at the infuriatingly calm man.

Miles Warren was leaning languidly against the headboard. "What’s the rush?" he asked lazily. "Want something to eat? There’s bread in the fridge."

"I have nothing to wear! Miles Warren, couldn’t you have been a little more gentle last night?!"

A hint of a smile touched Miles Warren’s eyes. He slowly lifted his gaze to her face.

"And who was it that was begging me to keep going last night?"

"Begging me to be rougher..."

Claire Kendall lunged at him, clamping a hand over his mouth.

Seeing that she was genuinely flustered, Miles Warren stopped teasing her. He grabbed the white shirt he had hung over the camera yesterday and draped it over her, helping her put it on and wrapping her up securely.

The oversized shirt dwarfed her petite frame. The loose, messy collar revealed a hint of her collarbone, creating a look that was both innocent and seductive.

Miles Warren lowered his head and bit down sharply on her collarbone, leaving a suggestive red mark.

’These bastards who don’t know what’s good for them just had to interrupt him.’

Outside, Zane’s voice rang out again.

"Mr. Warren, it’s not that I’m not helping! I really can’t hold them back!"

"They got the manager to bring the key! They’re going to force their way in!"