Drunken Defiance
Lily clutched the file folder tightly, steeling her resolve.
"Fine."
Biting her lip, she kept her gaze fixed on the floor, her mind a blank slate, refusing to dwell on anything.
Her hands slowly moved to the belt of her robe, his eyes boring into her with a raw, naked intensity that made her fingers tremble. She pressed her lips together in a tight, shameful line, afraid that she might burst into tears.
With shaking fingers, she untied the belt, letting the robe slip from her body and pool at her feet.
The chill of the room washed over her, and as Lily reached for her undergarments, Ethan's eyes darkened with a fierce, primal desire. He lunged at her...
Even after a two-hour shower, Lily still felt as though Ethan's vile essence clung to her skin, impossible to scrub away.
Ignoring the ache in her thighs, she returned to the magazine office, where her uncle nearly leapt for joy at the sight of the photos she had brought back. He immediately sent her to write the article, eager to get it to print.
Settling in at her desk, Lily found that the usual thrill of breaking a story had deserted her.
Thoughts of Ethan plaguing her mind, she opened her web browser and angrily typed his name into the search engine. The results that popped up left her momentarily dazzled.
Ethan Blackwood, twenty-six years old, is a male President of the Asia-Pacific region for Blackwood Enterprise Group.
Known for his mysterious and low-key demeanor, the media had only managed to capture two or three blurry photos of him.
At twenty-one, he had assumed the role of President for Blackwood Enterprise's Asia-Pacific division, and within five years, had rapidly established the company as a force to be reckoned with in the region. Its subsidiaries spanned multiple industries, including major banks, mining and industrial enterprises, and transportation companies.
Ethan's ambition knew no bounds, and in recent years, he had begun to venture into real estate, electronics, and the entertainment industry. "Empire Entertainment" and "Empire Real Estate," both under the umbrella of the Blackwood Enterprise, had flourished under his leadership.
While Ethan focused on developing the company's presence in Asia, behind him stood the entire Blackwood family, the dragon's head of the Blackwood Enterprise conglomerate in Europe, wielding immense power over the market and financial sectors.
This also explains how Ethan ascended to the position of president at the age of 21.
...
Lily sat in stunned silence. Ethan Blackwood was no idle playboy, but the President of the Blackwood Enterprise's Asia-Pacific region?! And a member of the Blackwood family, no less...
The Blackwood family was the stuff of legends in Europe, their name was synonymous with unimaginable wealth and unassailable power for anyone with even a passing knowledge of finance.
The Blackwood Enterprise of Europe—a dynasty that represented countless riches and an inviolable authority.
As the true scope of Ethan's influence began to sink in, Lily felt a chill run down her spine.
What had she gotten herself into?
She had thought of him as nothing more than a spoiled, entitled rich boy, but the reality was far more terrifying.
Ethan Blackwood was a man who held the world in the palm of his hand, a titan of industry and power.
And she, Lily, had dared to cross him, to try to use his misdeeds against him.
How could she have been so foolish, and arrogant?
She had walked willingly into the lion's den, and now she was trapped, at the mercy of a predator who could destroy her with a snap of his fingers.
Lily's heart raced as she recalled the cruel glint in Ethan's eyes, the savage pleasure he had taken in breaking her, and forcing her to submit to his twisted desires.
She had thought herself strong, but in the face of his overwhelming might, she was nothing more than a plaything, a toy to be used and discarded at his whim.
And yet, even as despair threatened to consume her, a tiny spark of defiance flickered to life in her chest.
She might be powerless against Ethan Blackwood, but she refused to let him break her spirit, and strip away the last shreds of her dignity and self-respect.
No matter what degradations he subjected her to, no matter how low he brought her, she would endure.
She would play his game, and dance to his tune, but in her heart, she would never truly belong to him.
Lily was a survivor and would find a way to outlast even the most ruthless of enemies.
As she stared at the screen, at the cold, implacable visage of Ethan, Lily made a silent vow.
One day, she would be free of him.
One day, she would make him pay for every humiliation, every violation.
But until then, she would bide her time, and wait for her moment to strike.
Ultimately, it was not the strongest who emerged victorious, but the one who endured the longest.
And Lily was prepared to endure anything, even the devil himself, to reclaim her life and her freedom.