If it felt as freezing as poison, as intoxicatingly wonderful, it was a sensation that left one mesmerized.

Dylan was different this time, his dominance tinged with a touch of tenderness.

Eliana's heart was torn in conflicting struggles, as if she were being tossed into a frying pan. She didn't dare to resist, couldn't resist, or perhaps she simply didn't want to resist.

Maybe she knew deep down that this man was simply acting on a whim, but her heart had been lonely and cold for too long. She had even begun to crave these traces of tenderness from him.

After an unknown amount of time, her surroundings returned to the disarray of the first encounter. This time, Dylan didn't say a word. He simply looked at her with his eyes, as deep and complex as a cold abyss. Perhaps only Eliana could decipher the turmoil, the contradictions, and even the pain in that gaze. Because she knew that everything between them was destined to have no future.

"We shouldn't do this again in the future," Eliana spoke first this time.

She didn't want it to be like before, where he left without a word. That feeling made her feel as though she was just another woman, or maybe he truly regarded her as such. Despite her having humbled herself to the point of being dust, a trace of her former pride still lingered in her heart.

"You are mine, and when to stop is something I'll decide..." Dylan was domineering, very domineering indeed.

From that moment on, their relationship underwent a strange and mysterious transformation. They were still themselves, and yet they weren't. During the day, they were the maid and the young master of the Cunningham Family, but at night, they shed all constraints and met candidly.

Their relationship was one of blushing cheeks and pounding hearts, thrilling yet fraught with danger.

But paper couldn't wrap up fire forever. One day, a stack of anonymous photos was discreetly placed on Mrs. Cunningham's vanity.

"Bitch... this shameless creature..."

Mrs. Cunningham was furious. She gathered all the workers in the Cunningham Family, from drivers to gardeners, from bodyguards to housekeepers, as long as they were male, no one was spared.

Eliana and a few maids were held down, as if they were impure women awaiting a dunking in a pigsty.

"Eliana, tell me... who is that man?" Mrs. Cunningham personally gave Eliana two slaps. She never showed mercy to her enemy's daughter.

"Madam, I don't know. I don't know what's going on with those photos."

Eliana understood perfectly well who the pixelated man in the photos was, and she had a pretty good idea who was framing her. But she couldn't admit it. If Mrs. Cunningham found out who had been sneaking into her room every night, the Randle Family would be in grave danger.

Apart from keeping silent and enduring, Eliana didn't know what else she could do.

"If you won't talk, then... someone, bring me a whip. I'll keep whipping you until you talk..."

Eliana had been prepared for the Cunningham Family's whip, but every time she saw it, her scalp would still tingle.

Mrs. Cunningham didn't want her to dirty the main house, so Eliana was dragged to the backyard and tied to a frame. She was whipped mercilessly in front of dozens of members of the Cunningham Family. Rose was gloating on the side, pretending to look away but making snide remarks.

"Eliana, just confess, who is that man? Otherwise, the feeling of the whip won't be pleasant..." Rose's words made the situation even more unbearable.

"No... I really don't know what's going on. I was framed. Ms. Eastwood probably knows more than I do..." Eliana spat at Rose's face.

"Oh my! Auntie, look at her. This wretched woman. If you don't give her a taste of your authority, she won't understand!" Rose was furious.

She didn't want Dylan to be exposed. She was calculating that once Eliana was ruined, the affair between them would also come to an end.