Juliana Watson lay on the bed in a pure white wedding dress, staring blankly at the ceiling with empty eyes.
She spent her wedding night all by herself.
Her father had held her mother's whereabouts over her head, forcing her to marry the Harvey family's illegitimate son.
Anger surged through her. She clenched the fabric of her wedding dress so tightly that her knuckles began to ache.
"Be a little gentler, okay?" a woman said with a playful laugh from outside the door.
A man's deep voice answered, "Just hold on a little. You'll feel good in a moment. Trust me."
Juliana immediately sat upright and fixed her eyes on the bedroom door.
The master bedroom was right next to hers, and her new husband was inside with another woman.
She climbed out of bed, picked up a glass of water, and headed straight for the master bedroom.
This marriage had been forced on her, but she refused to quietly accept such an obvious insult.
When she reached the room, she pushed the door open without knocking and walked inside.
A man was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had sharp features, a defined jaw, and slightly messy hair. His white shirt was left open, revealing a lean, muscular chest. He sat there with a careless look in his eyes and a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, giving off the air of someone who lived without restraint.
The beautiful woman beside him wrapped herself around his arm and looked Juliana up and down with open mockery.
Sebastian Harvey slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers. A cold smile spread across his lips. "Do you need something? Or are you here to join us?"
Before he could say another word, Juliana threw the entire glass of water into his face. "You bastard!"
Water ran down his face and soaked the front of his open shirt. Sebastian's face darkened, and his jaw tightened. He turned to the woman beside him and said in a cold voice, "Leave."
She said with a pout, "But I still..."
"I said, get out."
Startled by his tone, the woman hurried out of the room.
At that moment, Juliana finally understood why her father, Jared Watson, had refused to marry her half sister into the Harvey family. Sebastian was nothing more than a womanizer.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. Jared had abandoned her mother years ago, then sent Juliana overseas to survive on her own. She had been left alone to face everything by herself.
But she wasn't someone others could bully. During those lonely years, she had learned many things and quietly developed abilities that she had never revealed to anyone.
The Watson Group had been losing money for years. Jared couldn't save the company himself, so he dragged her back only to sacrifice her and protect the comfortable life he wanted to keep.
Juliana only agreed to marry Sebastian because Jared had information about her missing mother. Otherwise, she would've destroyed the Watson Group long ago.
She turned to leave, but Sebastian grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.
"Let me go. What the hell are you doing?" She struggled to break free, but she couldn't escape his grip.
"I didn't expect my new bride to have such a fiery temper. You ruined my fun, and now you think you can just walk away?" His warm breath brushed against her ear.
The mattress sank slightly as he moved nearer, and his hand slowly wandered over her.
The strong smell of alcohol made Juliana's stomach tighten. "Don't touch me!"
Sebastian looked straight into her eyes. There wasn't any anger in his expression. Instead, he seemed interested. "Why are you fighting me? Isn't this what you came here for?"
Juliana raised her chin and looked back without flinching. "You've got the wrong idea. I just don't like being disturbed while I'm resting."
Her answer seemed to make him even more interested. He lifted her chin, and a smug smile returned to his face. "Didn't your father tell you? He sold you to me. If I decide I want you in my bed, then that's exactly where you'll be."
Without waiting for an answer, he started pressing her down. His eyes drifted toward her neck, making his intentions perfectly clear.
A chill spread through Juliana's body. He really was exactly the kind of man everyone described.
He wasn't only a notorious womanizer. He was completely shameless.
"Wait!" Juliana quickly turned her face away. Her voice remained calm. "Sebastian, before this goes any further... I want to make a deal with you."