[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603134E5B19-19":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},19,1,"Chapter 1: The Unspoken Bargain","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Blue Bay Villa.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seven in the evening. Celine Evans got a text from Dante's assistant.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Ma'am, Mr. Williams has left the office.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Okay,\" she replied. She did the mental math on his commute and started her usual routine.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Every night, when Dante got home, Celine would have his dinner warm, his hot water ready, and his slippers by the door.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It had been like this for all three years of their marriage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Everyone in the city knew Celine was head-over-heels for Dante. She treated him like royalty, catering to his every whim with surgical precision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Soon, it was the time Dante should have been home.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But the doorway remained empty. He hadn't returned.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A little while later, another message from the assistant: \"Ma'am, Mr. Williams has gone to a bar. He's likely not coming back tonight.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She wasn't surprised. After keeping the food warm, she headed out to the bar.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Club Nine.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This was the go-to spot for the city's elite. Celine, in a plain beige Victorian dress that looked totally out of place amidst the glitz, weaved through room after room, searching.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Finally, she spotted Dante in the middle of the chaos.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The private room was a loud, wild scene. Dante, with a gorgeous woman draped over each arm, was in his element.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He was in high spirits, about to take a swig from a whiskey bottle when it was suddenly snatched away. The room went quiet as all eyes landed on the woman who had stopped him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine's expression was serene. \"Your stomach's a bit sensitive. You shouldn't drink on an empty stomach. Come home and eat first.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante didn't bat an eye seeing her. With a flick of his wrist, he shook off her hand.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A woman beside him scowled, eyeing Celine up and down before purring, \"Dante, who is this?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. \"Her? That's my wife.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The hostility in the women's eyes ratcheted up a notch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">How did this plain Jane end up Mrs. Williams?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ignoring the icy stares, Celine pressed on. \"Please, come home.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You want me home?\" Dante lounged back on the sofa, his gaze flicking over the untouched line of liquor bottles on the table. \"I haven't even finished my drinks. You drink them for me, and I'll consider it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">All eyes in the room were glued to Celine, waiting for her to fold under the impossible dare. A whole lineup of hard liquor would send anyone straight to the ER for a stomach pump.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">To everyone's utter shock, the second Dante finished speaking, Celine decisively popped open a bottle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Despite her delicate frame, her movements were sharp. Without a word, she tilted her head back and chugged the entire bottle like it was water.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She dropped the empty bottle and moved to the second, then the third...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Gasps of pure disbelief echoed through the room.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Holy crap...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Unbelievable.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Thud.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Setting down the final bottle, her face was ashen, but her eyes locked onto Dante with fierce determination.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Fighting to stand upright, she managed, \"I finished them. We can go home now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante flashed a mocking, playboy grin. \"Mrs. Williams, I do believe I said I'd consider it. I didn't make any promises. I'm not done partying tonight. I'm still looking for a little more... entertainment.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The alcohol seared a fiery path down her throat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Catching sight of the women beside him, whose faces held a faint resemblance to someone she knew, Celine finally understood the \"entertainment\" he was after.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dizzy and tipsy, she stumbled forward, leaned down, and grabbed Dante's tie.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Then, she kissed him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She wasn't exactly a smooth operator, her lips barely grazing his, like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272931704]