[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603134E5B19-20":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},20,2,"Chapter 2: Lessons in Love and Pain","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">One, two, three...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After fumbling through six kisses, she finally looked up. \"Is that enough?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante Williams stared into her glazed eyes, his breath catching. He yanked the back of her head and kissed her hard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine Evans couldn't handle a kiss like that. Just as she was starting to feel dizzy and confused, he shoved her away.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His expression was mocking, icy. \"That's a kiss. If you don't even know how to do that, what makes you think you can compete with her?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine knew exactly who \"her\" was.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Isabella Lopez.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Everyone in the city knew Celine Evans was a gold-digger, who'd been obsessively chasing Dante Williams for a solid decade.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante Williams, the golden boy, the city's ultimate playboy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">And Celine Evans? Just some country bumpkin who’d come to the city for school.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They were worlds apart, and Dante had always scoffed at her advances.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That is, until three years ago, when Isabella Lopez, daughter of the Lopez family and Dante’s first love, suddenly jetted off abroad. To spite her, Dante had deliberately married Celine, the girl Isabella despised the most.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ironically, it fulfilled Celine’s dream of marrying into wealth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But now, it seemed this marriage was on thin ice.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It could only maintain the most basic pretense of dignity through her endless tolerance and constant self-sacrifice.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Everyone said Celine had thrown all her dignity and self-respect out the window to climb the social ladder.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But she never cared about the taunts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She didn't even flinch when Dante humiliated her in public, time and time again.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She just stayed there, single-minded and unwavering, good to Dante.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In the end, Dante did go home with her, because the next day they had to visit the family estate together.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante's grandfather commanded immense respect; even Dante wouldn't dare act too recklessly in front of him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Back at Lakeside Villa, Dante saw all her preparations and sneered.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You really never get tired, do you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine said nothing, enduring the sharp pain in her stomach as she went to heat up his meal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But Dante showed zero appreciation. He went to bed without taking a single bite.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The next day, they returned to the family estate.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was summoned into the study by Dante's grandfather.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Kneel!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The old man slammed his cane on the floor, his anger practically radiating.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine asked no questions. She obediently knelt. Dante's grandfather then threw several newspapers at her face. The front-page headlines were all about Dante's scandals.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What is all this? You've been married for three years, and you can't even control your own husband?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine lowered her head, meekly accepting the blame. \"I'm sorry, Grandfather. It's my fault. I'm useless.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The old man had always been strict. Three years ago, he hadn't approved of Dante marrying a girl from such a humble background. But later, seeing Celine's gentle and obedient nature, he'd hoped she might rein in his unruly grandson and had tacitly consented.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Who would have thought Dante not only didn't reform but instead got worse.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In the past, whenever the old man was angry, he'd resort to family discipline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This time was no exception.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante's grandfather took the whip hanging on the wall and lashed it fiercely across Celine's back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Crack, crack, crack...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Five lashes in total.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine's back was a bloody mess, but she bit her lip and didn't make a sound.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Only after the old man had vented his fury did he let her leave.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine forced herself to bear the pain and walked out of the study. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Dante leaning lazily against the corridor railing, looking at her with a half-smile.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Got a beating?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with schadenfreude.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine's lips were bitten pale.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Get in here, you!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The old man's roar from inside the study meant Dante had no more time to mock her. He sauntered in lazily.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine glanced at his retreating back, then went downstairs by herself, enduring the pain to change her clothes and apply medicine.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272931709]