Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game-Chapter 327: Men have a shelf life of only one year, and yours has already expired.
Women are strange creatures. When they like someone, they feel everything the person does is right and good, even if it’s a bit cruel; they find it incredibly cool. But once that affection changes, all of it becomes unbearably loathsome, and that sense of coolness almost inspiring awe turns into blatant rejection.
It’s always about opposing, as if it’s a kind of rebellion, and also a powerless retaliation against the hurt Atlas Hallow inflicted on her.
"You think just because you say no, it’s not allowed?" Charlotte Miller was furious, struggling repeatedly to break free from his hold, with a defiant look as if determined to go against his wishes.
Unexpectedly, the more she struggled to break free, the more entangled they became.
The moonlight outside the window mingled with the indoor crystal chandelier, making her small face look translucent. Her watery eyes gazed at him, flashing with anger. She was bursting with exasperation with nowhere to vent, and Atlas Hallow kept commanding her to do this and that. This damn man, this damn perpetrator, just happened to bump into her line of fire, causing Charlotte to lash out directly at Atlas Hallow.
Atlas Hallow also noticed Charlotte’s unusual behavior, like a little dog puffed up with anger, wanting to bite him as soon as she saw him.
Doing something wrong and still daring to throw a fit with him? It seemed like he had been too lenient with her.
Atlas Hallow pinned Charlotte down on the sofa, bringing them so close that Charlotte could hear Atlas’s voice clearly by her ear, low like velvet. He had just changed from that furious look, almost murderous, and said softly, "Charlotte, are you sulking with me? Tell me, why have you been like this lately?" Charlotte’s abnormal behavior had left Atlas Hallow baffled. Why had she changed suddenly?
He longed for the old Charlotte, who would act coquettishly with him, be stubborn with him when things came up, debate and persist with him when work was needed, and would snuggle into his embrace to sleep like a quiet baby. But now, she was like a thorny creature, inaccessible and closed off.
"Why should there be a reason?" Charlotte smiled faintly, "Don’t you think that when two people have been together for too long, they start to hate each other? Just like now, I’ve lost the freshness. Maybe a man’s interest in me only lasts a year, but you’ve already expired."
All the suppressed bad emotions surfaced when he heard Charlotte’s words. His gaze turned dim, and his voice sounded as if ice had frozen her heart, making it cold and numb: "Do you really want to provoke me?"
"I dared to ask for a divorce because I had already considered the consequences. I am a woman who doesn’t need marriage; I want freedom..." Charlotte pressed her hand against his chest, speaking slowly but firmly.
The word "divorce" had come out of Charlotte’s mouth more than once, but it still drove him crazy.
His deep pupils contracted slightly, and the light flashing in his eyes tightly held her, forcing her to gaze into his eyes.
As they confronted each other like this, his breaths became a bit hasty, with turbulence swirling in his gaze, looking more agitated than usual.
"This is the last day, Charlotte, think it through yourself, this is the last day..."
The phrase "last day" was almost a low roar, his eyes revealing a mix of anger and pain intertwined, like a vast net enveloping Charlotte, refusing to let her escape.
Tomorrow would be the third day, and Charlotte knew it too.
Perhaps this would be the last night she could sleep soundly.
Atlas Hallow still adhered to his three-day promise. He was a man who never indulged in fantasies because fantasies were like flowers in the mirror or moon in the water, things that didn’t exist. But this was the first time he was holding onto a fantasy for tomorrow.
He imagined that Charlotte would be waiting for him at the Hallow Family home by tomorrow evening, would hug his neck and say she was just messing with him, and would tell him everything was over.
This was the third night. He was still smoking in the study while Charlotte was clutching the quilt in her room and only fell asleep slowly as dawn approached.
Charlotte didn’t leave the house that day.
The housekeeper found it rare, so she had someone deliver breakfast to her room, where she sat alone by the window, slowly eating.
In the spring, the entire Hallow Family garden became incredibly beautiful. Although many flowers hadn’t bloomed, all the trees had sprouted tender buds that could stir one’s heart.
Charlotte elegantly ate her breakfast. She didn’t know what Atlas Hallow would do tonight if she insisted on the divorce.
So, would this be the last time she would eat breakfast so calmly?
Looking at everything around her, Charlotte’s heart ached faintly, knowing that even if Atlas Hallow agreed to the divorce, she couldn’t return to the past.
If they hadn’t met, she wouldn’t be in so much pain.
Her heart was lost, no longer hers, but not Atlas Hallow’s either. She couldn’t control her overwhelming emotions nor change the fact that Atlas had deceived and hurt her.
If she left, this man would still be an unforgettably old dream buried deep in her heart.
Charlotte knew that no matter what kind of man she encountered for the rest of her life, she would never be able to erase the shadow of this man.
Perhaps Atlas Hallow was her first and would also be her last.
As if saying goodbye, she took a bath in the afternoon and changed into a set of clothes before Atlas returned.
Since it was a farewell, it was a little more formal.
The evening dress, which she rarely wore, outlined every line of her body clearly and beautifully. After losing the little Atlas, she had become thinner, so wearing the dress made her look more coldly beautiful than before. Many people preferred to pair a black evening gown with bright red lipstick, but she specifically avoided it. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
After applying nude lipstick, it complemented her delicate, jade-like skin against the black dress. Her freshly washed and blow-dried hair bore a slight natural wave. She didn’t wear any jewelry, only fastening a diamond hairpin that twinkled like starlight, further enhancing her moonlike whiteness.
She had the housekeeper take dinner to the terrace as well and opened a bottle of red wine.
After decanting for an hour, he should be back by then.
Knowing Atlas Hallow, he would definitely return on time today. The housekeeper directed the servants to move the dining table to the terrace, and it was just the right size for the two of them.
Candelabras were placed on the dining table, and light pink candles were lit, instantly suffusing the air with an enchanting fragrance.
The dinner was prepared with great care, featuring seared foie gras, matsutake steamed egg, charcoal-grilled lobster, and Saikyō-miso grilled Alaskan black cod from the Pacific, along with a mixed seafood appetizer that looked tantalizing. The kitchen only began cooking the steak, which Atlas Hallow preferred, as they saw his car pull into the villa.
He liked it a bit rare, but Charlotte didn’t care for the bloody taste.
When Atlas Hallow stopped the car in front of the marble steps, he saw Charlotte leaning on the fifth-floor terrace with her back to him, holding a glass of red wine.
Today she looked special, no longer sporting the trendy look of recent days, although he couldn’t clearly see what she was wearing. Just looking at her silhouette, she seemed like an alluring flower swaying in the breeze.
His heart began to beat irregularly, slowing and quickening in turns.
This was the third day—was her behavior a sign of reconciliation?
But then, the thought crossed his mind that it might not be possible.
Charlotte was stubborn to her core; she wouldn’t show signs of reconciliation.
So, as the elevator ascended each floor, the weight in his heart grew heavier...
