Betrayed by My Trash Husband, Surrender Myself to the Devil-Chapter 19: Snake Den (II)

Claudia POV

"S-slow down, Ray! I’m not going anywhere!"

"It’s a coincidence that we met at this restaurant, Claudia. If it weren’t for that, you would’ve tried to live somewhere else and intentionally forgotten about our deal," Ray said as he pressed a button on the key fob to his emerald green Bentley, unlocking the car immediately.

He shoved me into the passenger seat despite my protest and buckled the seatbelt before I could struggle.

"At least let me drive my own car! I have my things in there, and I can’t just leave it here!" I insisted before he shut the car door.

"Give me your key," Ray said as he opened his palm.

I stared at his palm, then at his face, unsure of what he was about to do.

But his stern gaze intimidated me, so I reluctantly fished the key out of my pocket and handed it to him.

Ray closed the door, making sure I couldn’t get out, then looked toward a young and athletic man with a soldier cut, sitting on a bench not far from the restaurant.

The man understood the signal and rushed toward Ray. He handed the man my car key before returning to my side.

I was stunned—and even more so when the burly man unlocked my car and got inside.

Ray entered the driver’s seat of his Bentley and started the engine.

"W-wait! My car! Who is he? Where is he taking it?" I asked in panic.

It was an old car, probably nine years old since I first bought it.

But it was the first car I bought with my hard-earned money, and I refused to replace it. Nostalgia was one reason, but the other was because I had been conditioned to be frugal.

So unless that car completely broke down, I would continue driving it.

"To my apartment," Ray replied. "That man is my driver and bodyguard. I told him to drive your car instead."

Ray slowly turned his head toward me and added, "That car is pretty worn out, Claudia. You should’ve asked Miles to buy you a new one."

"I bought that car with my own hard-earned money. As long as the wheels are still spinning, I won’t replace it!" I insisted. "Besides, I’m glad I didn’t sell it like I sold my old house. At least Miles can’t claim the car as his."

"I see."

Ray hummed as he drove through downtown Los Angeles.

I shut my mouth immediately after realizing I had just overshared my household situation.

I thought Ray would comment on it, but he remained silent as we headed to his apartment.

I didn’t know what kind of apartment he had. I remembered him saying he detested apartments and high-rises because they felt like offices rather than homes.

So I was surprised when he said he lived in one now.

There must be a reason, right?

The car turned into an apartment building in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

As we entered the underground parking, I noticed he had a private parking space that took up an entire row.

"We’re here," Ray said as he pressed a button and the car door automatically opened.

I followed him as we walked toward an elevator with black sliding doors.

He tapped his card and handed it to me once we entered the elevator. "This is yours from now on."

I stared at the key card with his name on it and frowned. "Mine? What do you mean?"

"Since you’ll be living with me from now on, you’ll need a key. You can use this card to access this elevator and go straight to our penthouse."

Once again, I was flabbergasted.

Of course, I had never planned to live with him. Why would I, when all I wanted was to escape him?

"You don’t have a choice, Claudia," Ray said as he slipped the card into my pocket. "You’re going to live here. And so will your daughter once she’s discharged from the hospital."

I opened my mouth to protest his one-sided decision, but the elevator’s ding broke the tension.

He walked out first, then turned to look at me, waiting for me to step out.

When he realized I wasn’t moving, Ray clicked his tongue and grabbed my wrist again.

He yanked me out of the elevator, nearly making me lose my balance, and dragged me toward the entrance of his penthouse.

"Use the key card. It’s in your pocket," Ray instructed.

I couldn’t help pouting slightly as I was dragged around like this.

I wanted to take back my earlier thoughts. It seemed this man had changed greatly—at least compared to his former self.

When we dated, he still showed some chivalry, even if it was an act.

He treated me carefully at times, almost as if he truly loved me.

Unlike now, where he had dropped all his masks and acted however he pleased.

In the end, I followed his instructions and used the key card to unlock the door.

When the door opened, I was once again stunned by the beautiful penthouse in front of me. It had a Japanese-inspired design, with muted colors and grounded furniture, something that came straight out of my fantasy about penthouses.

My feet followed Ray as he dragged me inside, but my eyes wandered around the interior in awe. I wasn’t some country bumpkin after living more than a decade in Los Angeles, but this penthouse looked exactly like something from my dreams when I was a freshman in university.

I had worked part-time as a housekeeper back then and once cleaned a rich woman’s penthouse. I had to admit it was beautiful, and that young, silly version of me had dreamed of living in a place like this, where I could see the entire heart of Los Angeles from my window.

In fact, as embarrassing as it sounded, I had even told Ray about my dream of living in a penthouse and decorating it in a Japanese style.