Chapter 42: Tarnished Dignity

"Feed me," Ethan Blackwood commanded, his tone leaving no room for refusal. Lily, despite her disgust, found herself complying, her gaze flickering between him and the television.

"Lily, name your desire. Jewelry? A house? A car?" Ethan's voice was a velvet whisper, his lips dangerously close to her ear. "That old car of yours is a wreck. I'll get you a new one."

She was the pauper now, reliant on his charity. He was the alms-giver, clearly relishing the role reversal.

The TV screen replayed Alex Carter's image as he exited a hotel, his generosity captured in every red envelope handed out. His patient smile never wavered, a stark contrast to the tension gripping Lily.

"What's wrong again?" she muttered, her thoughts a whirl as Ethan's teeth nipped at her ear. His sudden movement pinned her beneath him, his gaze intense.

"Lily, what are you thinking?!" he demanded, his breath hot against her skin.