Overwhelmed By The Billionaire's Persistent Pursuits

It was Candice Blake's wedding night.

She finally married Greyson Harman.

It was a milestone moment, a day she'd been expecting for a decade.

Yet, as night fell, her husband still didn't come to her.

As Candice sat in the exquisitely decorated suite that had been thoughtfully arranged by the Harman family, her heart fluttered with nervous anticipation.

Surely he was mingling with the guests below, but it was getting late. When would he appear?

Candice was uncertain.

Greyson didn't love her. He had another woman in his heart. He married her just because his family forced him to do so. Candice held on to the fantasy that matrimony and shared time would eventually kindle love in his heart.

While she was thinking, a rush of heat coursed through her. Something was wrong with her...

"Bang!"

The door burst open and a towering figure stormed in. An ecstatic Candice turned to the man. "You're here..."

Before she could properly see him, he pounced on her, a predator catching its prey, pinning her to the bed. He pressed his head against her neck, his teeth sinking into her flesh with primal ferocity, sending a shiver of fear through Candice.

"Stop... Release me..."

Her pleas fell on deaf ears. His overpowering grip rendered her helpless. His dominance left her cornered.

This man was not Greyson!

"No... Don't touch me, don't... Ah!"

Hot, it was so hot...

The man's impassioned kisses and assertive movements overwhelmed her. Pinned beneath him, she was left to endure until she lost consciousness.

"You've got some nerve, plotting against me. Here's ten million. Take it and vanish."

A unfamiliar, deep voice echoed in her ears just when she came to her senses. Then, a checkbook, thrown like a knife, struck her face.

His words were icy, his tone condescending. "Administer the morning-after pill yourself and leave Ploville. Cross me and you'll regret you were ever born."

She was suddenly wide awake.

Lifting her heavy lids, she glimpsed the man's cold, dismissive silhouette.

She held the checkbook in her hand, the weight of ten checks, each one worth one million dollars, feeling heavy like a burden, as if they were pressing down on her heart, suffocating her.

A hefty ten million for her departure? It was a man of considerable wealth.

But his money held no allure.

His unexpected intrusion had destroyed her world and now he dared to dismiss her with a cash offering.

Who did he think he was?

Candice's voice failed her. She struggled to her feet, ripped the checks into shreds, and hurled them at the retreating man.

Unfortunately, the door was firmly shut, and he failed to notice it.

Only fragments of checks fell like snowflakes.

As she wrapped herself in the quilt, an attempt to rise was met with searing pain, her body void of strength.

The man's identity was a mystery. She'd only caught a glimpse of his back.

Even she herself didn't know what was wrong.

Why had a stranger intruded on her wedding night?

Why did this happen?

The confusion spiraled, her mind racing to understand.

Suddenly, the suite's door was flung open once again.

The sudden illumination from the bedroom lights made her involuntarily recoil, shielding her eyes from the intense glare.

Before Candice could react, a sharp slap landed on her face.

A tirade of insults ensued.

"You bitch! Last night was your wedding night, but you were having sex with another man in the suite? You have disgraced the Harman family!"

Blood trickled from the edge of Candice's lips, a cruel reminder of the slap she'd just endured.

She raised her head to meet her mother-in-law, Rachel Harman, fury guiding her to clasp Candice's hair and pull her out of the bed.

Feeble, her legs gave way, sending her plummeting to the cold floor.

Overwhelmed by an almost manic frenzy, Rachel tore at Candice's clothes, landing kick after kick on her vulnerable body.

Candice, unable to escape the torrent of blows, felt sharp pains coursing through her abdomen. She recoiled, huddled on the floor, attempting to ease the pain.

The room echoed with the sound of heavy footsteps. It was her newlywed husband Greyson.

Candice quickly pulled the bedsheet over herself, concealing her body beneath the torn clothes, with only her clear eyes visible. She gazed at him and said, "Greyson..."

His gaze was impassive as he glanced at her. His eyes were filled with revulsion and restrained anger. Compassion was absent, affection nonexistent, and any concern for her dignity was clearly off the table.

"How dare you utter my son's name?" Rachel's wrath had yet to be appeased, her hand rising to deliver another blow.

But Candice was quicker, as her hand shot up, clamping onto Rachel's wrist.

Her gaze was fierce as it bored into Rachel. "Enough. My silence isn't a sign of weakness, but a choice not to retaliate."

Taken aback, Rachel was silenced by Candice's unexpected defiance.

"You bitch! Release me! You shameless slut! How dare you talk back to me like that? Who were you with? You defiled your marriage vows on your very wedding night!"

Candice gathered her strength, rising from the floor, holding herself tall before Rachel.

Her aura was overpowering as she readied to push Rachel away.

However, her efforts were cut short by Greyson's swift kick behind her knees.

Her legs buckled, forcing her into a demeaning kneel.

Her forehead collided with the corner of a table, and warmth spread through her hair. It was blood.

The pain was sharp, yet it paled in comparison to the ache within her heart.

Greyson had chosen his mother's side, not only standing by as Rachel assailed her but preventing her resistance.

Candice looked up at him, pleading with her eyes.

But when she noticed his cold indifference, her words were strangled within her.

As she wiped the blood from her lips, she managed to ask a single question. "Why didn't you come to the suite last night?"

Had he been here, the night might have unfolded differently.

Greyson answered dismissively, "I had matters to attend to. I had to leave."

Candice scoffed, "Attending to matters? Or attending to Madilyn?"

Greyson's warning glare was response enough. He wouldn't tolerate any disrespect towards Madilyn Reilly, the woman he cherished.

Interrupting the confrontation, Rachel defended Greyson. "Maddy has just returned from overseas. What's wrong with him going out to see her? Are you so petty? The blame is solely on you, Candice. You coerced him into this marriage. You're a disgrace!"

Rachel spit on Candice's face.

Caught off guard, Candice swiftly turned her head away, but it was too late to evade the distasteful act.

Even Greyson's handsome features turned stormy. "How dare you question me after your disgraceful actions? Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself?"

Candice blanched at the implications.

Her purity had been her sole redeeming feature in Greyson's eyes, but now she had lost it, and there was nothing about her that could captivate Greyson.

Clutching the bedsheet, Candice enveloped herself in the fabric. Her grip tightened on the sheet until her knuckles blanched.

Seeing this, Greyson sneered, uttering coldly, "It's pointless to cover your body now. It is tainted and disgusts me."

Greyson's words felt like a harsh cut to Candice's heart.

Candice could hear the sound of her heart shattering into a million pieces.

Despite her resilience, the one who could shatter her effortlessly was always Greyson.

The man who could leave her cold and hurting stood at a distance.

Candice had never witnessed such a frigid expression on his face.

A face so captivating but devoid of any warmth towards her.

She was drenched in sorrow.

Her love for this man spanned a decade.

Seven years of secret admiration and three years in an official relationship.

Yet he never once held her hand.

Her tireless efforts over these three years to invoke some sentiment in him ended in bitter defeat.

She understood he never wished for this marriage.

His feelings for her were absent. He married her for the sake of his family. His family had a long history in the medicine industry, once overseeing a pharmaceutical conglomerate and a hospital. But under his father's supervision, all that was left was Harman Pharma, an empty shell of its former glory.

Candice's parents, on the other hand, operated a prosperous biological technology company.

She had been the cherished jewel of her family.

Realizing her infatuation with Greyson, her mother promised to use her valuable medical formula in exchange for the marriage.

Hutton Harman, Greyson's grandfather, was thrilled at this. He pressured Greyson with the family's welfare. Greyson, resistant initially, ultimately surrendered. He gave up his true love and consented to marry Candice.

The launch of the new drug would promise the Harman family's return to prominence.

However, a car accident claimed the lives of Candice's parents.

The only legacy they left behind was the formula.

She was no longer a lady of a prominent family.

Her love for Greyson was perceived as insignificant like the dirt beneath one's feet.

This was her reality now.

She lay prone on the floor, her bright eyes now reduced to a dull glimmer.

She was raped by a strange man the previous night, and today she faced the harsh treatment of Greyson and Rachel.

Blood trickled from her forehead, staining her hand.

Physically and emotionally, she was broken. Her body ached, and she felt an icy chill. Yet, her willpower stopped her from breaking down in front of them.

The silence was stifling.

She broke the silence with a sorrowful smile.

"Greyson, I want a divorce."

She refused to let go of her remaining dignity.

Greyson paused, his eyebrows furrowed.

Rachel's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Worried Candice might rescind her words, she hastily replied, "You said it yourself! You betrayed my son first. You can't go back on your previous promise!"

Without responding, Candice turned away, stating, "We will discuss this in court."

Greyson's eyes held a trace of astonishment as he observed her determined, frail silhouette. The woman who had ceaselessly pursued him was now seeking a divorce.

In the afternoon, at the courthouse.

Once the divorce papers were prepared, Greyson signed them without a second thought.

Seeing that, Candice felt dejected.

He signed without reluctance. He was eager for a divorce.

In other words, he never wished to marry her.

His tone was icy. "The Harman family can't bear such a scandal. The divorce must remain private until the new drug hits the market in a year. Your mother's formula is in the hands of our research department. Hence, you are entitled to 20% of the profit it generates."

Overwhelmed by his dismissive attitude, Candice proposed, "Include an additional clause in the agreement. If I can provide evidence of my innocence, I request the patent right for the new drug to be returned to me."

As Candice observed Greyson's furrowed brows, her heart plummeted. She retorted, "What? You don't dare? Were you the mastermind behind what happened to me last night? Was all this drama orchestrated by your family to acquire my formula?"

Out of trust, when he finally took her hand at the wedding yesterday, she felt a surge of happiness and willingly handed him the formula.

Now she couldn't help but feel a sense of ridiculousness.

Her missing husband on their wedding night, the sudden intrusion of an unknown man, and the perfectly timed accusation of infidelity the following morning, all seemed too coincidental for Candice to ignore.

Greyson, his face a mask of darkness, relented. "Fine. Include another clause. If you bring any disgrace to the Harman family again, the patent will belong to my company, and you will not receive a cent."