Leo immediately shoved Celine to the floor, leaving her sprawled directly at Jane's feet.
"Do you want to beat her like you used to?" Leo asked.
"Is that all right with you?" Jane asked with a crooked smile.
"Do as you wish. I'll enjoy the show." Leo sat in the living room chair, crossing his legs and leaning back with casual indifference.
"Hello, Celine." Jane crouched down, brushing away the hair that veiled Celine's face.
"Do you know why I hate you so much?" Jane said as she gripped Celine's cheeks with brutal force.
"I know. You're jealous of me, aren't you? Because I'm more beautiful than you," Celine said, staring back at Jane with sharp defiance.
Jane's temper flared instantly. Her hand shifted to Celine's throat. She strangled Celine so hard that the woman struggled to draw breath. With what little strength she had left, Celine swung her hand.
Slap! A hard strike landed on Jane's cheek. Jane's fury peaked. She stood up immediately and began to trample Celine's body without mercy.
"Are you happy, Jane?" Leo asked while watching Jane's actions.
"I love it, Leo. I've been waiting for this moment." Jane continued to stomp on Celine using her high heels.
Celine tried to endure the pain. Spontaneous groans escaped her lips whenever the impact of Jane's heels slammed into her body. She lay helpless on the floor, yet she fought with everything she had to keep from crying, and certainly from begging for mercy.
Jane let out a long breath, then offered a bitter smile at the sight of Celine curled up on the floor. "All right, Celine. I'm satisfied for now."
Jane walked over to Leo, who stood up to greet her. "Come to my study," Leo suggested, taking Jane's hand.
"Yes, darling. I heard from your father that you brought this girl here just to torture her. You know that's my specialty, don't you? I'll make sure she suffers," Jane said, leaning affectionately against Leo's arm.
The two of them walked away, leaving Celine alone.
Celine's composure finally broke. Her tears spilled over after witnessing the intimacy between Leo and Jane right before her eyes.
Once Jane and Leo were out of sight, Bella, who had been hiding and watching the scene, hurried out to reach Celine.
"Ma'am Celine," Bella called out as she helped Celine to her feet.
"Bella..." Celine sobbed into the arms of the maid, who looked at her with profound pity.
"Let me help you to your room, Ma'am," Bella said.
Bella supported Celine as they moved toward the bedroom. With limping steps, Celine winced in pain. Several parts of her body were scraped and bruised from the sharp tips of Jane's stilettos.
Once they reached the room, Bella helped Celine sit on the edge of the bed. "Ma'am, let me go get the first aid kit," Bella said.
"All right," Celine replied briefly.
***
As she passed by Leo's study, Bella heard the sound of moaning. She stopped for a moment in front of the door, which was slightly ajar.
"Ah... Leo... it feels so good... so good..." The voice belonged to Jane.
"Harder, Leo. Faster. Push deeper." Jane rambled with a loud, passionate voice.
"Jane... do you like it? Does it feel good?" Leo's voice sounded breathless.
"Yes... harder, deeper, Leo," Jane answered.
Behind that door, Jane and Leo were engaged in an intimate act. Jane stood facing the door, leaning forward with both hands pressed against the wood. Behind her, Leo moved his hips back and forth with rapid intensity.
Bella shook her head vigorously and hurried away from the door.
Bella arrived back at Celine's room. By then, Celine had removed her clothes, leaving only her bra and underwear. Bella was shocked to see the extent of the injuries Jane had caused.
"Ma'am, you must be in so much pain," Bella said, touching a large wound on Celine's thigh.
Celine gave a faint smile.
"I'm still lucky because I have you, Bella," Celine said.
Bella opened the medicine box on her lap. Slowly, she applied ointment to every open wound on Celine's body. Celine winced at the stinging sensation.
"Please get some rest, Madam," Bella said, standing up to take her leave.
"Thank you, Bella," Celine said.
***
"Leo, I'm going to live here. What do you think?" Jane asked softly. She rested her head on Leo's chest as they lay naked in a warm embrace on the sofa.
"Go ahead," Leo answered shortly. His fingers moved slowly, playing with a strand of Jane's hair in a relaxed motion.
"Good. I'll move all my things here tomorrow," Jane said, tightening her hug. "Oh, by the way, when are you going to divorce Celine?"
Leo's expression shifted instantly at the question. A flash of distaste crossed his eyes, but he quickly masked it before Jane could read him.
"Wait until Celine's mother is discharged from the hospital. That's the term of my agreement with her," Leo replied in a controlled tone.
Jane looked up, her gaze full of schemes. "You won't actually let her go, will you? I want her to stay here as our maid."
Leo gave a thin, inscrutable smirk. "Of course. She will remain in this house as a servant."
***
The night was late, and Celine had fallen asleep in her room. Leo entered quietly, treading carefully to ensure his footsteps didn't wake her.
Leo sat on the edge of the bed and watched his wife's face. His eyes were drawn to Celine's arms, which were covered in scrapes and bruises.
When Leo tried to touch the wound gently, Celine suddenly flinched. She woke up and immediately scrambled to the far corner of the bed. She raised both hands to protect her head, as if bracing for an attack.
"What are you going to do? Are you going to hit me too?" Celine asked, her voice trembling. She looked terrified. The trauma of the beating she had just endured left her in a state of high alert.