The words "my woman" made Eliana's heart feel like it had emerged from the depths of an Antarctic glacier and was now basking in the warmth of an April day.

"That's right, you may be the daughter of my enemy, but you're also my woman. So?"

"But... what about the Randle Family?" This was Eliana's greatest concern and the unerasable knot between their two families.

"Don't worry. When you entered the Cunningham Family, even if you made a contract with them, as long as you're in the Cunningham Family, the Randle Family won't touch them. At least they'll stay alive," Dylan said with a complex mix of emotions.

He hated the Randle Family, but now he couldn't help but protect Eliana. It was a painful and conflicting situation, like tearing flesh from bone.

After settling Eliana, Dylan left the backyard.

Today was one of the rare occasions when he had a disagreement with his mother. He wanted to protect Eliana, but he also didn't want to hurt the woman who had been his whole world.

Dylan entered his mother's room, and to his surprise, she was no longer hysterical. Instead, she was eerily calm, which was unsettling.

"Mom... about what happened today..."

Dylan wanted to say something, but Mrs. Cunningham interrupted him.

"Mom understands. You're still young, full of vitality, and that girl has a pretty face. It's understandable that you might be a bit confused. But remember, she's just a dog of the Cunningham Family..."

Mrs. Cunningham's words were unexpected, giving him an out, and giving Dylan a way to resolve the situation.

"Mom... as long as you're not angry."

"Son, does your wound still hurt?" Mrs. Cunningham tenderly touched the wounds on her son's chest.

"The superficial wounds are fine."

"Son, it's my negligence. You're 27 this year; it's time for you to find a woman to take care of you..." Mrs. Cunningham suppressed her anger, revealing her hidden agenda.

"Mom..."

"Son, you should know what Mom means. The Rose family has been friends with ours for generations. I've always had her live at the Cunningham Family to let you get to know each other."

"Don't mention it. I have no feelings for her... and even if I wanted to get married, it wouldn't be her," Dylan directly rejected Rose.

"If it's not her, then who? Don't tell me it's that Eliana, that little harlot? Don't forget, she's the daughter of your enemy. Do you want to make your deceased father unable to rest in peace?"

Mrs. Cunningham's words pierced Dylan's heart with every word.

Yes, the whole world was possible, except for Eliana. But they had still ended up in this situation.

Mrs. Cunningham was stubborn but not foolish. As Dylan's mother, how could she not see the problem? She knew her son too well. If she took a hard stance, it might backfire. So, she suppressed her anger and chose a different approach to bring Dylan back.

In the following days, she didn't make things difficult for Eliana but instead found another way to push Dylan toward Rose, ensuring that Dylan wouldn't have a chance to see Eliana again.

Rose, following the saying "a woman pursues a man, a layer of gauze separates them," and with Mrs. Cunningham's assistance, repeated her tactics.

Repeating the same plan, she entered Dylan's room in a seductive silk nightgown in the middle of the night.

Midnight dreams were when people were at their most vulnerable. Rose understood that Eliana had already ignited the flames of desire in Dylan's heart. He hadn't seen Eliana for many days, and this was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of his vulnerability.

"Dylan!" Rose didn't call him by his usual name but addressed him directly, entering his room.

"What are you doing? Get out!" Dylan's voice was icy, like a bucket of cold water poured over Rose's heart.

"Dylan, I've liked you for a long time, really," she said, grabbing Dylan's hand.

"I'm not interested in you. Leave now! If it weren't for my mother's sake, I would have kicked you out of the Cunningham Family immediately."

Rose, disregarding the man's aversion, took two steps forward, seemingly intent on jumping on him. However, the next moment, Dylan kicked her off the bed.

He was not one to coddle or pamper, and the last bit of tenderness he had left was reserved for that enemy's daughter.

The kick was not light, and Rose remained on the ground for quite some time. She even coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Dylan, I'm the one who truly loves you. Why are you so cruel to me? What does that woman Eliana have that's so special?" Rose's face was filled with defiance.

"Get out! Get out of here! My affairs are none of your concern." Dylan yanked Rose's hand, attempting to toss her out, but she clung to his thighs.

"Dylan, do you know? The Eliana you've been pining for is nothing but a fraud. She's been deceiving you for a whole three years..."

"What did you say? Say it again..." Dylan was shocked, grabbing Rose's hair and questioning her harshly.

"Cousin, you're so naive! Hasn't anyone told you? The more beautiful a woman is, the better she is at deceiving. Why do you think you can't get away from her? Why do you hate her and yet can't resist thinking about her?" Rose was determined, even if she couldn't have Dylan, she was determined to break him apart from Eliana.

"What are you saying? Explain yourself!"

"It's the drug... If it weren't for the drug, why would she have lured you for three whole years? Don't be fooled by her innocent facade. Behind your back, she's been using that dirty stuff to control you, making sure you can't stay away from her."

"What?"

Dylan was torn, unable to explain his inexplicable attachment to Eliana. She was the enemy's daughter, and he should hate her, but he couldn't resist her. Rose's words had struck a chord within him.

"Cousin, I know you might not believe me, but her room isn't that big. There must be something hidden there, and it shouldn't be too hard to find!"

Rose's words created a knot in Dylan's stomach. He didn't want to doubt Eliana, but he loathed deception more than anything. He needed to know the truth.

In the dead of night, while Eliana was fast asleep, Dylan used the key he had prepared earlier to unlock her door. Eliana wasn't fully awake yet, but he was already standing by her bedside.

"Why are you here?"

Eliana's face displayed surprise mixed with a hint of joy. She hadn't seen him for many days, and in the middle of the night, under these circumstances, seeing his face made her heart race.

However, today's Dylan was acting strangely, with a grim expression. He didn't say anything at first but looked around her room. Then, he lifted her pillow.

Underneath was the cheap ointment she had used last time, which was about to expire. She wondered why it had ended up there, and Dylan had already figured out the answer.

"What's inside this?"

"It's medicinal ointment..."

"It's medicinal ointment, but is it for external injuries or just some subpar stuff?"

Before, Dylan secretly took a bit of the ointment and had it analyzed. It turned out to be musk.

The musky scent concealed within the medicinal ointment triggered an immediate reaction in Dylan’s lower body upon a single whiff. With this in mind, it was not difficult to comprehend the inexplicable connection between him and Eliana.

"What did you say? It's ointment for external injuries. You've seen it before!"

Up until this point, Eliana had no idea what he was talking about, and she had no idea how the discarded bottle had ended up under her pillow. She was utterly confused.

"Do you know what I hate the most in my life?" Dylan stepped forward, squeezing Eliana's chin forcefully.

Unlike his previous tenderness, Eliana felt pain. It seemed that if he applied just a bit more force, her chin would shatter.

"What's wrong with you? What did I do wrong?" Tears welled up in her eyes from the pain.

"Indeed, the more beautiful a woman is, the dirtier she is behind the scenes," Dylan continued harshly, "Eliana, with your beautiful face, you are even dirtier in secret..."

Eliana grew increasingly bewildered by his words. She didn't even know what she needed to explain, as she was being treated brutally by the man, with no hint of tenderness.

"What are you doing?"

"Didn't you like me? I'll fulfill your wish..."

Whether it was due to love, the bottle of ointment heavily laced with musk, or just to punish her for her deceit, he once again consumed her.

However, this time, there was no trace of tenderness; he was ruthless and cruel...