Chapter 3 Falling For The Same Trick

Francesca's eyes were deep black, and Colton always felt as if she was looking through him at someone else, but upon closer inspection, he thought it didn't quite seem that way. This realization made Colton inexplicably anxious. With a hint of sarcasm, he asked, “So, you've learned to play hard to get now? Tell me, how much do you want?” Francesca silently slid the document across the table. On her slender arm, a scar of about two centimeters in length stood out. Her expression was frighteningly calm. Colton casually flipped through the document. “Let me guess what kind of game your family is playing this time...” The words “Divorce Agreement” caught his eye, causing a slight contraction of his pupils. With a cold laugh, he tossed the agreement onto the table. He lit a cigarette, peering through the smoky haze at Francesca's blurred face. “Divorce?” he asked, “Are your parents planning to have you split my wealth? Or perhaps take a substantial alimony...” The mockery in the man's eyes was undisguised. He didn't believe that Francesca, who had gone to great lengths to marry him, would abandon everything she had now. The content of the divorce agreement was ludicrously absurd. Besides demanding the termination of the marital relationship, she asked for nothing else. They are a greedy bunch, and now they're talking about divorce without wanting anything? Francesca looked straight into Colton's eyes, her words clear as she said, “I have no hidden agenda. Colton, if you must know what I want, it's for you to sign this, and then join me in quietly finishing this bottle of wine.” There was no more emotion in those eyes. Colton seemed to read the unspoken words, “I don't want to love you anymore,” in their depths. A wave of inexplicable irritation caused Colton's eyes to darken. Indeed, for the past three years, they hadn't had the chance to sit face-to-face and talk in such tranquility. Is it just for a divorce? I want to see what tricks Francesca is planning to play. Grandpa adores and values her so much. There's no way she and the Beckman family behind her will consider divorce. She's just playing hard to get, trying to capture my attention. He scoffed and swiftly penned his signature. “As you wish.” He then popped open the bottle of wine on the table and quickly downed a glass. Watching his swift movements, Francesca felt a wave of bitterness surge within her. A faint smile played on her lips, yet her eyes held no mirth. He drank too quickly, the potent alcohol clouding his mind in an instant. He fumbled in his wallet, pulling out a card and tossing it onto Francesca. “Take this money. After the divorce, you Beckmans should never cross paths with me and—” Before Colton could finish his sentence, his thoughts began to blur. He noticed his mouth was extremely dry and subconsciously poured himself another glass of wine to drink. As he gradually became aware of the familiar warmth spreading through his own body, he fixed his eyes on Francesca, who was seated across from him. Francesca rose from her seat, and a subtle, enchanting fragrance wafted toward Colton. In just these few fleeting seconds, he became aroused. “Francesca! How dare you!” Colton was so enraged that he was gritting his teeth. Dressed in a white dress, Francesca slowly approached him. With each step she took toward him, Colton felt his sanity crumble a bit more. His rational mind was screaming at him, telling him that he should leave the mansion right away. Three years ago, the Beckman family secured a matrimonial alliance with the Zeller family through surreptitious means. Now, three years later, are they planning the same trickery to ensure Francesca becomes pregnant with my child? “Let's just say I did all this. I'll take the blame,” Francesca said, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes. To him, I'm nothing but a manipulative woman. Why should I keep denying it again and again? Francesca wrapped her arms around the man's waist, rising on her tiptoes. She kissed Colton with an intensity and desperation reminiscent of a moth attracted to a flame. In the end, she still committed such a despicable act, but she knew this was her final bout of madness. “Colton, you've never laid a finger on me these past three years... Now I'm proposing a divorce. I'll let you be with Elsa. After tonight, you two can do as you please! Now, consider this as compensation for all the years of my feelings for you, okay?” Tears welled up in Francesca's eyes, and her kisses grew more frantic. Her inexperienced hands clumsily explored the man's body. For the last time, all she desired was to truly be his wife just once. Colton could no longer contain his anger. Alas, the situation at hand was no longer under his control. In no time at all, an instinctual response was triggered within him. As his body temperature rose, his last shred of rationality was completely swept away. Before he completely lost his cool, he was once again infuriated with himself for falling for the same trick by the same woman.