Stay Away From Me

"What?!" Marigold herself was taken aback. I am getting married, and I didn't even know?

Ethan, standing beside her, grew even darker, his gaze piercing Marigold like a sharpened blade.

"No, no, Mr. Earl, please don't misunderstand. Brian and I are just..."

Brian firmly grasped her hand, signaling her not to continue.

"I fell in love with Mary at first sight. She is my true celestial being. I will never let her leave my sight for a moment. Grandfather, if you insist on finding me a fiancée, I hope it is her. It can only be her."

Byron scrutinized Marigold with his keen eagle-like eyes, his gaze filled with complex emotions.

"You are still young, Brian. I did not entirely agree with Ethan arranging this marriage for you. Now, whenever you have made up your mind, we can proceed with the engagement."

This statement neither admitted nor denied anything, adding an ambiguous element to this tense situation. However, it was enough to create some ripples.

Though Brian did not display overt pride, he received his grandfather's assurance, and his joy immediately overflowed.

"Thank you, grandfather. We will soon bear fruit together." He held Marigold's hand tightly, gently kissed it against his lips, and then embraced her, drawing her into his arms.

Ethan also approached and casually patted Brian's shoulder, feigning magnanimity, with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "I must have fallen out of touch with the trends. Young people these days prefer free love, and I can understand that."

Then, as he passed by Brian, he whispered softly, "But remember, stars fall at dusk, and bulls stumble and cannot rise."

Brian's pupils suddenly contracted intensely, and his body swayed like a phoenix tree leaf in the autumn wind, barely maintaining his balance.

Sensing his distress, Marigold gently tugged at the hem of his suit and whispered, "Brian? I'm feeling a bit tired. Take me back to the room, please."

Brian regained his composure slightly, quickly greeted Byron, and led Marigold away.

The ball continued in full swing, with many nobles and guests continuing to dance. However, all of this had no significance to Marigold. She was forcefully pulled back to the presidential suite by Brian.

"Brian, please walk slower, Brian..."

Suddenly, her legs weakened, and she almost stumbled to the ground. In the next moment, she gracefully landed in the embrace of a broad and comforting presence.

"How are you?" Brian's face turned pale as he anxiously inquired, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Marigold shook her head. "I was a bit nervous just now, and the tightness of the dress made it difficult to breathe. But I'm fine, really."

Without giving her a chance to catch her breath, Brian scooped her up horizontally and carried her to the living room. There, he personally untied the fastenings and zippers on her dress. His actions were different from before, rough and uncivilized. As the dress slipped off her skin, Marigold suddenly felt a refreshing breeze and took a long sigh of relief.

However, Brian didn't allow her any respite. He proceeded to lift her, nearly naked, traversing the floor adorned with bejeweled skirts, and forcefully tossed her onto the sofa. The jewels on the dress chimed with a delicate sound.

As Marigold tried to get up, Brian, who had already removed his suit, forcefully pressed her back down.

"Brian?" Marigold sensed his ferocious aura. This golden-haired dog was transforming into a fierce beast, eager to tear her apart and devour her. Brian ripped off Marigold's pasties with his bare hands, causing her extreme discomfort, and she screamed.

"Brian! What are you doing? Stop!"

Unfortunately, Brian didn't cease his actions; instead, he became even more desperate, pressing down on her and repeatedly rubbing against her. His distinct knuckles caressed her breasts as if kneading a rose after the rain. His lower body rapidly swelled, causing Marigold some discomfort.

Her heart raced. Marigold could sense Brian's abnormally fast heartbeat. His azure eyes, like a mirror-like lake, seemed to darken with an otherworldly shade. Something was wrong with him, much like his extraordinary control over himself after that explosion, as if he had become possessed.

"Brian, don't do this. Calm down, Brian. Stop, I'm telling you, stop—"

However, Brian, possessed by some devilish force, remained savage and brutal.

He harshly fondled Marigold's body, demanding and taking from her, while fiercely biting her neck. He resembled a lone wolf starved for a month, launching a fatal attack on an injured female deer in a snowstorm.

From his throat, an inhuman, more beastly than human, whimper escaped. The tenderness and affection from yesterday seemed to have vanished suddenly.

Marigold began to resist frantically. She had to put an end to all this before her underwear was torn and he fully penetrated her.

First, she pretended to cooperate with Brian's movements, lifting her body up, and then guided her right hand, which he had firmly controlled, towards his lower body. And then, in a contorted position, she swiftly seized the colossal presence beneath Brian's hips.

Squeeze!

Marigold exerted a fierce grip, squeezing down hard. Yet, apart from spurting out a large blob of white liquid, drenching her body and legs, it proved to be futile. This action only further enraged Brian.

A muffled roar emanated from his throat as he began to forcefully choke Marigold's neck, achieving it with just one hand. His eyes emitted a fierce crimson glow.

He truly wanted to kill her.

The world before her eyes gradually closed like a falling curtain, and Marigold felt a suffocating sensation. Her lungs were about to explode.

"Brian... I implore you..." She desperately squeezed these words through her teeth. If she didn't act quickly, she might meet her end here.

A scalding tear silently fell on the back of Brian's hand.

Brian, as if burned, suddenly slowed down his movements. Seizing this opportunity, Marigold vigorously kicked her feet.

Brian's grip loosened. Marigold took the chance to grab his wrist and, using her agility, flipped him over. Dealing with his heavy body was no less difficult than the survival training she underwent carrying a 45kg load in the primal jungle. In the next moment, she swiftly struck Brian's chin with her head.

"Bang!"

Brian let out a tremendous groan. It seemed he knew pain.

Marigold didn't stop there. Brian's hold on her weakened suddenly. Seizing the opportunity, she released her hands, freed her body, and expertly executed an upper cross chokehold on Brian, pinning him firmly to the sofa.

Gradually, Brian's breathing became rapid.

"Ma... Mary? I can't breathe..."

Once Marigold confirmed he was returning to normal, she slowly released her hold.

"Phew!" Brian, now released, took in deep breaths as if a beached whale suddenly resurfaced.

"What... have I done? Mary... you..." Brian caressed his throat, looking at the disheveled figures before him with confusion, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Mary, I didn't mean to. Please listen to my explanation, I'm sorry, I truly didn't mean it. I had a moment where I needed to maintain my composure, perhaps I had too much to drink, I'm sorry, Mary, I truly am sorry..."

"I'm sorry, but can you leave? I want to be alone for a while."

Brian quickly got up from the ground, returning to his pitiful puppy-like appearance.

"I'm sorry, Mary. Can I explain? Mary, I..."

"Crash!" Marigold grabbed the champagne bottle from the nearby coffee table and smashed it fiercely against the edge of the glass table. The bottle exploded in the air, showering her with broken glass and alcohol.

"Please, stay away from me."

Brian could only put on his clothes and leave the room, glancing back with a worried look before departing.

Marigold sat amidst the mess for a long time until she noticed her $500 million gown soaked in champagne.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!" She jumped up in frustration and quickly rang the bell for the staff to clean up. As she took a shower and emerged, she slumped on the carpet, lost in thought.

Brian almost raped her. But something was seriously wrong with him. Pondering, she realized that Brian's mental state had always been unstable, especially after they boarded the ship. Particularly after their encounter with her father, he became exceptionally abnormal.

Could there be some conflict between him and his father that caused such a drastic change upon seeing him? Yet Ethan appeared to be a benevolent person. Could it be true, as the tabloids suggested, that there were dark secrets within their top-tier family?

...

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly realized the staff hadn't arrived yet. She could only spread the gown on the bed and open the door to go find the staff.

Suddenly, a black figure darted out from beside the door and pounced on her.

After Marigold comprehended the situation, she realized that the person before her was none other than Brian. It turned out that he had never left but had been silently lurking outside the door.

Brian enveloped Marigold in his arms, holding her tightly, deeply inhaling the scent of her tresses. However, Marigold was deeply angered by his unfaithful behavior.

"Brian!" Marigold attempted to push away from Brian's robust pectorals, loudly exclaiming, "How dare you! Didn't I tell you to keep your distance? Were my words not heard?"

"Mary... I beg of you, please don't push me away. My heart belongs solely to you," Brian's hoarse voice, tinged with a sob, softened Marigold's heart by at least half. "Don't leave my side, don't depart from my sight, will you?"