C19 A Vulgar Scum

Juno was acutely aware that to Zorin, she was merely a plaything. In his eyes, she was expendable, yet paradoxically, he held the keys to her only opportunity to study abroad in Meshaoso.

"What must I do for you to keep your hands off the study abroad list?" Juno asked, her face a mask of icy detachment as she stared at the man who controlled her fate.

Zorin's eyes danced with mockery as he sneered dismissively. "You're the one in need here, not me. So, forget about what your employer expects. Focus on what you can do to appease me—that's the proper course of action."

Juno's eyes narrowed, a storm of anger brewing within her as the searing pain reminded her that the man before her was an inescapable demon.

Zorin's smile remained, his gaze exuding an air of unyielding control. He had never failed to obtain his desires, including the woman before him.

"Miss Fowler, unless I'm mistaken, today is the school celebration at Galvorn University. If we don't attend, we could continue to revel here, night after night..." Zorin hinted with a sly tone.

Juno's mind raced back to her senior's instructions from the previous day; she was to host the school celebration, which was a mere five hours away!

She sprang from the bed, but as she made a dash for the door, a powerful force yanked her back.

Zorin watched with amusement as Juno scrambled to leave, clearly not regarding him as a priority. He grabbed her hair and flung her to the ground.

"Ah!" Juno cried out, the pain so intense it felt as if her scalp might rip apart. She looked up fiercely at the man known as a "cultured brute."

With a frosty demeanor and a face devoid of emotion, she endured the sharp sting and said, "Have you had your fill, Director Slater? If so, please release me. I need to get ready for the school celebration."

Men were fickle creatures; if a woman showed no resistance and was too accommodating, their interest quickly waned. But Juno's proud defiance was deeply compelling, especially to Zorin.

Zorin leaned in closer, his breath warm against her skin. "Woman, remember who you are. I, Zorin, have not discarded you, so you bear my mark. Should you dare to get close to the Slater family again, a mere stroke of my pen will make your life a living hell."

Juno's body shivered violently, her eyes dilating as if her very soul had been struck a heavy blow.

The devil, he truly was a devil. Had she known what today would bring, she would have left this cursed place with her grandmother, avoiding the dire straits she found herself in now.

She turned her head slowly, her body marred with wounds, yet her eyes still held a fierce determination. "Director Slater, I've told you before, I'm not like those playthings you have in your bed. I don't understand why you're so fixated on me. But does my struggle really seem so insignificant to you?"

A bitter laugh escaped Juno, as if she had just uttered something absurd, her voice tinged with scorn. "Hahaha, what am I even saying? Of course, it's insignificant. That's always been your way, hasn't it, Director Slater?"

Zorin's expression flickered with surprise, but it was quickly replaced by an icy veneer. This woman truly didn't appreciate his favor. Her biting words made him want to extract her teeth, one by one.