The room next door was an empty lounge.
The moment Faye Vaughn walked inside, she felt a sudden grip on her waist.
Wyatt Hawthorne grabbed her by the waist and slammed her against the wall.
"Faye Vaughn, have I been too easy on you? Has it made you this bold?"
Darkness churned in his eyes, his anger no longer suppressed. He gripped her chin, forcing it up. "You're tracking my movements, hmm?"
Faye Vaughn let out a pained hiss. "I wasn't tracking your movements," she said stubbornly. "I had a reason to be here."
Wyatt Hawthorne sneered. "A reason? Do tell. What reason?"
"I told you, I want to get into the entertainment industry."
Faye Vaughn pressed her hands against his chest. Her lovely face was flushed, still hinting at the wine she'd had, and her doe-like eyes, glistening and moist, looked utterly captivating. "I don't want to depend on you anymore."
Wyatt Hawthorne's eyes narrowed.
'A naive, pretty college student like her would be eaten alive in the entertainment industry before two days were up.'
Just a moment ago, that spendthrift Gu's eyes were practically glued to her.
"If you're short on cash, you can just ask me."
The pad of Wyatt Hawthorne's thumb caressed the soft skin of her jaw, then tightened abruptly. "Stay out of the entertainment industry."
"I want to make it on my own," Faye Vaughn said stubbornly.
Anger flared in Wyatt Hawthorne's eyes. "Finding a new sponsor? Crawling into another man's bed? Is that what you call making it on your own?"
Faye Vaughn froze, tears slowly welling up in her eyes.
She bit her lip and said angrily, "So that's how you see me. You've never respected me!"
Her tearful expression held an unconscious allure, one that stoked a man's desire.
On account of this, Wyatt Hawthorne decided not to take her angry words to heart.
His hand clamped around her waist. With a powerful thrust, he lifted her off her feet, pressing her against the wall before lowering his head to kiss her.
"This is the last time. No more foolishness."
He bit her lip in punishment, his kiss forceful and invasive.
Suspended in the air, supported only by his arms, Faye Vaughn's muffled protests were immediately devoured by his kiss.
The man's aggressive presence enveloped her, yet a sliver of clarity remained in Faye Vaughn's mind.
She had never been able to truly win Wyatt Hawthorne over, and perhaps this was the heart of the issue—
'He actually looks down on me.'
'How could he ever truly respect a woman who was always asking for money, completely dependent on him to survive?'
'You will see me differently…'
The ravaging, stormy kiss ignited Faye Vaughn's competitive spirit.
She seized control, her hand slipping inside his shirt.
His abs were hard and tense. She toyed with them for a moment before her hand moved lower.
"You're just asking to be punished today."
Wyatt Hawthorne's voice was exceptionally hoarse, and a vein bulged on his neck as he fought for control.
...
Two hours later, Faye Vaughn emerged from the lounge.
Her cocktail dress had been torn to shreds, so Wyatt Hawthorne had a new outfit sent over.
It was a set with a long-sleeved shirt and long pants—a conservative style that showed no skin at all.
A silent smile touched Faye Vaughn's lips.
'A man's possessiveness doesn't necessarily equal love.'
'But it was still the most effective weapon.'
'She, this little canary, would escape her master's control, bit by bit.'
"Faye!"
Seeing Faye Vaughn, her manager, Talia Kensington, hurried over. "What happened?" she asked in a hushed, anxious voice. "Did that big shot from the Hawthorne Group set his sights on you?"
Faye Vaughn shook her head and said softly, a note of sadness in her voice, "Talia, forget it. I'm done taking shortcuts. Please, help me ask the company for an audition."
Stunned, Talia Kensington glanced toward the lounge.
'Was that guy from the Hawthorne Group unable to perform, or was he just looking for a free ride?'
'The former seemed impossible; the red marks on Faye Vaughn's neck were too obvious to hide.'
'Her lips were swollen from being kissed. It definitely didn't look like nothing had happened.'
'So he slept with her but doesn't want to provide any resources?'
Talia Kensington gasped, her gaze on Faye Vaughn filled with immense sympathy.
'If it had been any other rich playboy trying to get a free ride, she would have definitely helped Faye raise hell.'
'But this man from the Hawthorne Group… he was someone you couldn't afford to cross.'
...
As soon as Faye Vaughn got back, she applied for on-campus housing.
She didn't move out of the Hawthorne family home, merely packing some daily necessities to take to her dorm room.
The first night she didn't return to the Hawthorne residence, she sent Wyatt Hawthorne a text message: "I'm staying at my dorm tonight."
Wyatt Hawthorne didn't reply.
He was on a business trip in Valois, so there was a time difference.
Rumor had it that Eldest Miss Windsor, Vivian Windsor, also happened to be in Valois for Fashion Week.
The paparazzi had snapped a photo of the two of them from behind.
Beneath a romantic sycamore tree, the handsome couple looked incredibly sweet together.
Just as Faye Vaughn was about to put her phone away and go to sleep, it vibrated with a notification.
"Are you asleep?"
It was from Second Young Master Hawthorne, Vincent Hawthorne.
Faye Vaughn thought for a moment before replying, "What is it?"
Vincent Hawthorne: "I'm at your school's entrance. Come down."
Faye Vaughn couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
'He's well-informed. He already knows I applied for on-campus housing.'
"It's too late. Curfew is in an hour."
Faye Vaughn politely declined.
Vincent Hawthorne wasn't one for pleasantries. He sent a direct bank transfer.
Two hundred thousand.
It came with a message: "I heard you want to get into the entertainment industry. I can provide the resources."
Faye Vaughn leisurely accepted the transfer.
She spent ten minutes applying makeup, styling herself to better resemble Vincent Hawthorne's unattainable love.
Outside the school gates, a discreet black Bentley was parked.
The person inside saw Faye Vaughn but didn't lower the window. Instead, he made a voice call.
"Get in."
Faye Vaughn chuckled silently.
'Second Young Master Hawthorne was so cautious. Even with the woman he loved out of the country, he didn't want any hint of a scandal.'
'He was terrified of tarnishing his image in Eldest Miss Windsor's eyes.'
"Vince."
The moment Faye Vaughn slid into the passenger seat, her tone shifted. "Honestly," she chided in a light, familiar manner, "calling someone out this late. Are you trying to keep me from getting any sleep?"
Vincent Hawthorne stared at her in the dim light.
Behind his silver-rimmed glasses, his eyes were a mixture of fire and ice, swirling with complex emotions.
"Vince, why are you looking at me like that?"
Faye Vaughn tilted her head, blinking as if she didn't understand.
"Are you really going to marry him?"
Vincent Hawthorne suddenly spoke.
He wasn't asking her, but "Vivian Windsor."
Faye Vaughn understood. She gave a helpless smile. "You know that as the eldest daughter of the Windsor family, a political marriage is my destiny."
Her answer seemed to improve Vincent Hawthorne's mood slightly.
His expression softened. "Since it's a marriage alliance between the Hawthornes and the Windsors, why don't you marry me instead?"
Faye Vaughn lightly pursed her lips, looking at him with a hint of sadness.
She looked as though she was truly being forced by her family, not entering the marriage willingly.
Vincent Hawthorne's heart ached watching her.
His demeanor suddenly shifted, and he snapped, "Miss Vaughn, why are you so useless? You can't even hold my brother's heart!"
Faye Vaughn faltered for a second, then quickly understood what he meant.
'If I could become the wife of the Hawthorne family's eldest son, then Vivian Windsor wouldn't become his sister-in-law.'
Faye Vaughn switched back to her own persona seamlessly. "Then help me, Second Young Master Hawthorne."
Vincent Hawthorne narrowed his eyes slightly. "What's your plan?"
'As expected of a top lawyer.'
'So sharp.'
Faye Vaughn smiled faintly. "Second Young Master Hawthorne, what do you find more appealing? A canary locked in a cage, or a butterfly beating its wings in flight, making one want to catch it?"
Vincent Hawthorne seemed a bit surprised. "I didn't realize you were this clever."
'His older brother might like her for being beautiful and pliant, but he would never fall in love with a clinging vine like her.'