Addictive Kiss, Fire Of Pleasure

In the HT International Hotel

John Liang walked into the presidential suite, carrying a file in his hand. Seeing the door of his boss's room was wide open, he gingerly walked inside. Upon entering, he noticed Ted Ye's attention was elsewhere. John Liang gently coughed, hoping to attract his attention.

Stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray, Ted Ye looked up. "Well, did you find out the person behind the rumors?" he asked.

John Liang handed the file to Ted Ye and said, "I've found the name of the woman who started the rumors. I think she bore no ill will. Maybe you don't need to sue her."

After casting a cold glance at John Liang, Ted Ye opened the file and his eagle-like eyes scanned through the document. He drank in every detail that was present in the document. A slow smile worked its way to his face. Turning to John Liang, he asked, "Are you sure you have got the right person? Or could you have made a mistake?"

John Liang shook his head and said, "No, there is no room for doubt." Ted Ye's interest seemed to have been piqued. John Liang couldn't help but wonder whether he knew her.

After putting the file aside, Ted Ye looked up and caught the confused look on John Liang's face. He went forth and explained, "I know her from college. From what I remember, she was a simple and innocent girl. Even in my wildest dreams, I wouldn't have imagined she was capable of doing something like this. Well, I won't let her go so easily."

Ted Ye had made up his mind. Ever since he discovered the culprit, his plans had changed. He had originally planned to sue the person, but now he thought otherwise.

John Liang knew Ted Ye had some vicious plan brewing in his mind. 'Is Mr. Ye dealing with her because he's concerned about his reputation? Or is it because he has personal animosity toward her?'

He looked at Ted Ye and asked, "What are you going to do to her? After all, she is just a girl."

Ted Ye flashed him a smile, picked up a cigarette and lit it. After taking a deep drag, he replied, "As you said, she is just a girl. I won't harm her physically. But I will make sure she begs for my mercy."

John Liang frowned, wondering why he was so hell-bent on troubling this girl. 'Why can't he just let it go? It isn't worth his time!' he thought, but didn't have the guts to voice his opinion.

After taking another deep drag, Ted Ye glanced at his watch and said, "It's getting pretty late. You can go back and carry on with your work."

John Liang nodded and left the suite at once. Then, Ted Ye picked up the document again. He continued to stare at the girl's photo. A smile crept on his face. "I am sorry, but you are in trouble."

And then his devilish laughter echoed through the room. He filled his glass with wine and gulped it down. Not once the smile left his face. If anything, it grew wider.

At the Xie family's house, Joy Xie frantically searched for a tissue.

But before she could get her hands on it, a violent sneeze ripped through her body. She wiped her nose and wearily settled herself on the sofa.

Her mother came out of the kitchen and walked up to her. "Joy, didn't you say that you have a boyfriend? I was wondering why you haven't invited him home. I would love to see him."

Embarrassed, Joy Xie looked around, trying to come up with an excuse. She really wanted to make things clear, but she didn't know how to start.

Just then, the phone rang, attracting Joy Xie's attention. She secretly thanked the caller and picked up the phone. "Hello, Joy Xie speaking," she said in a clear voice.

From the other end, a girl burst out laughing. "Joy, I assumed you changed your phone number. But wow, it's still the same! Tomorrow noon is Cindy's engagement party. I hope you will show up with your husband."

Joy's face darkened. After finding her voice, she mumbled, "How do you know that I'm married? It was supposed to be a secret."

Her reply prompted another bout of laughter from the girl. Once she caught her breath, she said, "Have you been living under the rock, honey? The whole world knows about it. I mean, we are talking about Ted Ye. Why would you want to hide it? If I was in your place, I would be showing off in front of everyone."

Joy's face turned ghastly pale. She clenched the phone in her hand and was about to curse. But suddenly, it occurred to her that her mother was present. She had probably heard everything.

In almost a whisper, she said, "Okay, send me the address. I will be there tomorrow."

Joy hung up the phone angrily. But on seeing her mother's expression, her anger instantly changed to fear. Her mother looked at her suspiciously and asked, "What did you say just now? Did you get married? And you didn't even bother to tell me?"

Seeing how furious her mother seemed, Joy sat next to her and caught her hand. In a calm voice, she explained, "Mom, you have misunderstood. The girl who just called me was blabbering nonsense. I am tired of them! They already tortured me at college. But looks like they aren't done. They invite me to Cindy Li's engagement party as they want to make fun of me again. But don't worry, I am strong now. They can't get to me." The abhorrence on her cheeks was growing thicker by the minute.

Her mother looked at her, a sense of guilt flaring up in her. She didn't know her daughter had been suffering in college. 'Why didn't she share her troubles with me?' she couldn't help but wonder.

Wiping her glistening eyes, Joy stood up from the sofa. She smiled at her mother and said, "Mom, I will be fine."

Before her mother could say anything, Joy had entered her room and shut the door. Joy wished to strangle those women! They had made her life a living hell.

The next morning, the driver was waiting for Ted.

When Ted finally appeared, he said, "Mr. Ye, we've figured where Miss Xie will go today."

Ted, who was busily gazing at his phone, put it back in his pocket. A smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. His eye lit up with excitement. Looking at his driver, he ordered, "Well, in that case, take me there."

The driver understood what Ted meant. Joy had dared to tarnish Ted's reputation, and he wouldn't let her go so easily. 'She is in deep trouble, ' he thought.

Ted walked toward the front door, about to leave the Ye family's house. 'Joy, soon you will be paying for your mistake. I am looking forward to seeing you, ' he thought to himself as he entered the car.

At 11:23 a.m., Joy found herself standing out the hotel where the engagement ceremony would be held. Staring at the huge poster, she debated between staying and leaving. 'Why should I waste my time here? It's better if I leave. I shouldn't give them an opportunity to trouble me, ' she thought, finally making up her mind to leave.

Just then, a voice called her from behind. Joy's face stiffened when she saw who it was. But soon, she forced a smile.

"Why are you standing here alone?" Ann Liang asked, looking around. "Where is your husband? Everyone is expecting him! Has he gone to park his car?" A sarcastic smile appeared on her face.

Joy's face turned pale. She realized this woman didn't deserve a reply. Ignoring Ann, Joy marched into the hotel. 'I have a long day ahead of me, ' she thought and let out a frustrated sigh.

After a while, Ann took out her phone and dialed her friend's number. She couldn't wait to tell everyone what a bloody liar Joy was! She chuckled, getting ready to humiliate her.

A few moments later, Joy was standing in the banquet hall. It was crammed with people. She was overcome by an urge to leave. However, Tina Cheng stood in front of her, blocking her way. "Joy, since you're already here, why do you want to leave? Today is Cindy's engagement party. She won't be happy if you just leave like this."

Joy's fierce eyes bore into Tina Cheng's face. "You and Ann wish to make a fool out of me, don't you?"

Tina Cheng let out a feeble smile. She was embarrassed at being called out like this. Getting a hold of Joy's hand, she said, "Please don't say that. We care about you deeply. If you are actually married to Ted Ye, then we will congratulate you. But if it's a cooked-up story, it is bound to destroy his reputation. You should know what kind of person he is! I have heard he is quite intimidating. Aren't you worried about your mother? She will be in trouble too."

Joy's face darkened, realizing Tina Cheng had a point. The truth was, Tina wished to instill fear in her, and now watching her face, she got some satisfaction out of it. Standing in a daze, Joy thought about her mother and admonished herself for her stupidity. 'How I wish I hadn't said such a thing!' she thought, knowing full well there was no use crying over spilt milk.

Out of the blue, an intimidating figure stood next to Joy, wrapping his strong arm around her waist. Just when she was going to push him away, Ted tightened his grasp on her. Flashing her a charming smile, he asked, "Honey, what's wrong? You don't look too happy to see me."

Tina Cheng, who saw their intimacy, stood dumbfounded. 'Am I seeing things?' she thought and rubbed her eyes. No! Joy and Ted were indeed standing next to each like they were an actual couple!

Joy tried to pull free, but Ted wouldn't let that happen. He drew satisfaction from her discomfort. His warm breath tickled her ear. He whispered, "Play along if you don't want your mother to suffer."

The expression on Joy's face froze. She looked at Ted in confusion. Why was he helping her? Didn't he hate her?

Embarrassed, Tina Cheng looked at Ted and apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I..."

Ted had pulled Joy away from the crowd, taking her to a secluded idea. She was struggling, but he wouldn't budge.

Soon, they reached a corner of the banquet hall. He pinned her against the wall. "Why are you helping me? I thought you would humiliate me in front of them. After all, I have ruined your reputation." Joy owned up her mistakes.

He let go of her and put his hands inside his pockets. His sharp eyes were taking her in. Her lips had a genteel touch of lipstick; apart from that, she had no makeup. He let out a monstrous laugh. "You talk like you have done a small mistake. Something that can be fixed with an apology. You've embarrassed me in front of my business partners. And now, I'm in danger of losing billions of dollars. You have to compensate for my loss."

Joy stared at him in consternation. His words reverberated in her mind. 'Billions of dollars?' she thought. If she had known things would get so bad, she wouldn't have done it. How could she pay billions of dollars?

Her pleading eyes looked at Ted. Torrent of words spilled from her mouth. "Mr. Ye, I come from a poor family. I can't pay such a huge amount. Would you be kind enough to let me pay in installments? I will get a job. It might take years, but I will pay back every penny."