Reborn to Destroy

Kiss mark

A night of passion left the room filled with lingering desire. The early morning light seeped through the gap in the curtains, casting a gentle glow in the darkened room.

"Mmm..."

A muffled groan came from the bed as a man slowly awoke, his gaze fixating on the arm draped across his chest, clearly startled.

When Martin Riley finally recognized the person lying next to him, he froze for a long moment. Then, with deliberate care, he gently moved Crystal Foster's arm aside and cautiously got out of bed. He stood at the bedside, looking at her and the unmistakable marks on her exposed skin.

Martin pressed his temples, his head still throbbing from the hangover.

Fragments of last night's events flickered through his mind, and the shredded red dress on the floor was a stark reminder of what had transpired.

Silent and contemplative, Martin watched for a while before turning and heading to the bathroom.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom as the woman on the bed opened her eyes, staring at the crystal chandelier above, wishing she could just disappear.

Crystal had been awake for a while. The moment she regained consciousness, she was in a daze, terrified by the heavy breathing of the man beside her. She didn't dare move.All she could do was press her hand against Martin's chest, and when she sensed him waking up, she immediately slowed her breathing.

Crystal Foster sat up, her whole body aching so much that she felt like swearing. She knocked on her head, silently scolding herself, "Crystal, you really outdid yourself. Martin Riley is just handsome with some abs, and you couldn't control yourself!"

Lost in her thoughts, Crystal didn't notice that the sound of running water in the bathroom had stopped.

When Martin Riley came out, he saw Crystal sitting there, hugging the blanket and staring into space, her lips slightly parted and a bit swollen.

He instinctively averted his gaze, cleared his throat, and Crystal snapped back to reality, quickly wrapping the blanket tightly around herself.

"I..."

"It's still early. You can rest a bit more. I'm heading to work," Martin said awkwardly, grabbing his clothes and retreating back into the bathroom.

Crystal covered her face with her hands, her ears burning red with embarrassment, and she burrowed under the blanket, not daring to make a sound.

Inside the bathroom, Martin changed his clothes, his expression puzzled.

Something was off about her reaction.Since they got married, they hadn't been intimate. Sylvia Byrne had tried to seduce him before, but Martin had strong self-control. He found Sylvia's flashy dressing uncomfortable.

But last night, it was his choice.

That red dress, the one she wore, made her look like a vibrant red rose—full of allure and talent.

But the rose had withered, and along with it, his heart had wilted too. He never expected it to beat so fiercely for another woman now.

Even to the point of...

Martin Riley cut off his thoughts, got dressed, and left the room. In the middle of the large bed, there was a lump under the covers where the woman had curled herself up.

After the soft click of the door, the room fell silent. Crystal Foster lifted the blanket, letting out a long sigh of relief as she relaxed.

She got out of bed, but her legs were so sore that she fell to the floor. Luckily, the carpet was soft enough to prevent any injury.

"Too painful, Martin Riley is such a beast," Crystal grumbled, awkwardly making her way to the bathroom. After soaking in the bathtub for a while, she finally felt alive again.

Downstairs, Otto was having breakfast, frequently glancing upstairs with his chin resting on his hand, sighing repeatedly.

How long had it been? Why hadn't Mom come down for breakfast yet?Was she still not up?

"Geez, Mom is so lazy. It's so late, and she's still not up," Otto complained, which made the housekeeper chuckle as she covered her mouth. "It's good that Madam is resting, Otto. Don't disturb her; let her sleep a bit longer."

Earlier, when Martin Riley came down for breakfast, she noticed a faint red mark on his neck. As a woman married for many years, she immediately recognized what it was.

The nanny felt shy, thinking to herself that young people really were something else.

Sylvia Byrne used to be arrogant and never showed them a kind face, but recently she had changed a lot. She even personally prepared aromatherapy for Mr. Riley and treated the staff with kindness.

Having lived for so many years, she could tell the difference between genuine kindness and pretense.

The current Mrs. Riley was truly sincere, being kind to everyone. But that Hazel Morgan, who used to come to the house, had a completely different attitude toward Mr. Riley and the staff.

Yet, she pretended to be understanding in front of Mr. Riley, and as servants, they couldn't say much.

It was great that Mr. and Mrs. Riley were doing well now, and they couldn't let that woman have any chance to get close to Mr. Riley. If she became the mistress of the house, it would be a disaster."Auntie, why is Mommy still sleeping? Didn't she sleep well with Daddy last night?"

The innocent words of a child were the most embarrassing.

Crystal Foster had just come down the stairs when she heard Otto's question. Her already sore legs nearly gave out, and she almost knelt on the floor.

"Mommy!" Otto looked up at the sound and his eyes lit up. He ran over to Crystal, took her hand, and led her to the dining table.

Otto was walking so fast that Crystal Foster was caught off guard, letting out a small gasp of pain.

The nanny quickly rushed over, supporting Crystal's arm, and looked down at Otto, gently instructing, "Otto, your mom isn't feeling well. You shouldn't do that."

Otto's face showed concern. "Mommy, what's wrong? Are you hurt? We should get a doctor to check on you."

Feeling embarrassed, Crystal quickly covered Otto's mouth. "Mommy's fine. I just tripped when I got up this morning. I just need to rest a bit."

"Then we should definitely call a doctor. Auntie, please call the doctor!"

The nanny held Otto back, helping Crystal out of the situation. "Otto, your mom is okay, but you can't pull her like that. Go have your breakfast, and let her rest a bit more afterward."

Crystal gave the nanny a grateful look and went back to rest after breakfast. Otto wanted to follow, but the nanny gently stopped him.

---

"Good morning, Mr. Riley..."

The receptionist greeted Martin Riley with a bright smile, but as her eyes landed on the marks on his neck, she froze, wondering if she was seeing things.

"Morning, notify the finance department to join the morning meeting," Martin Riley nodded in acknowledgment, not noticing the receptionist's unusual expression, and said before stepping into the elevator.

"Sure thing, Mr. Riley," the receptionist quickly replied, watching the elevator doors close before pulling out her phone and opening the company gossip group chat.

[Hey everyone, huge news! Mr. Riley has a hickey on his neck!]