Her soft fingertips dragged helplessly across the man’s broad back, leaving streak after streak of red marks. Serena Whitfield bit her lip, but under his coaxing, she still parted her lips and let out those mortifying sounds she wished she could swallow back.

Then Marcus Harrington’s low chuckle brushed past her ear.

“I like hearing you like this.”

His kiss landed by her ear, then trailed down in a slow line along her neck, one after another, making Serena shiver so hard she could only let out a broken whimper.

She had never been able to resist his gentleness.

Even when she knew full well that once he got out of bed, he would turn into a completely different man.

When it was over, her whole body went limp. She didn’t have an ounce of strength left.

“Marcus...” she called softly.

Only at times like this was she allowed to say his name. Any other time, it had to be the distant, icy “Mr. Harrington.”

“What is it?” Marcus leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her hair.

“I...” Her lips moved, but she still hesitated.

She was pregnant.

She was carrying his child.

But before she could force the words out, he spoke first.

“Vincent Langley is back.”

Serena’s body went rigid on the spot.

Marcus’s voice was still soft, still smooth, but she could hear the chill hidden underneath it.

“I’m planning to place you by his side. Little by little, earn his trust, then report everything about him back to me.”

His long, clean-cut fingers lifted and gently brushed over the top of her head.

“You can do it. You’re the best secretary in my company. You won’t let me down, right?”

By the end, every trace of warmth in his tone had vanished.

There was even a naked threat in it.

The tenderness from just moments ago felt like a fake dream. In an instant, Serena felt like she had been thrown straight into an ice pit, her heart freezing so hard it ached.

“What if I don’t want to go?”

She struggled to sit up, pulling the blanket tightly around herself.

Once she put some distance between them, she finally saw his face clearly.

Perfect features. Cold expression. Not a hint of emotion anywhere.

“Serena Whitfield, know your place.”

His thin lips parted, and the words that came out were cold enough to chill her to the bone.

Serena Whitfield lowered her eyes, a heavy pressure clogging her chest.

She was carrying his child.

But to him, she was still nothing more than a secretary. A tool.

And she had no room to fight back.

Her younger sister’s kidney disease was still serious. She needed to stay in the hospital long-term, and even if they found a matching donor later, the transplant surgery would cost a fortune so huge Serena didn’t even dare think about it.

Only by staying beside Marcus Harrington and doing exactly what he said could she keep her sister alive.

“I understand, Mr. Harrington.” Her voice was calm, though a trace of buried resentment still slipped through. Serena lifted her head again. “That’s all you want me to do, right?”

Marcus had already put on his shirt and was adjusting his tie. His movements were clean and efficient. The gold cufflinks at his wrists flashed under the light, making him look polished, distant, untouchable.

“It’d be best if you can make Vincent Langley like you and get him to listen to you on his own,” he said lightly. “Whatever method you use is fine. If necessary, sleeping with him is fine too.”

He said it so casually, almost like it was nothing.

But the words slammed into Serena like a mountain.

So in his eyes, she could do this kind of thing with anyone?

“You look a lot like Vincent Langley’s white moonlight. And you’re more than attractive enough...”

After straightening his tie, he walked over. The back of his finger brushed gently across Serena’s cheek, like he was admiring a valuable item instead of touching a person.

She lowered her eyes and forced herself not to dodge.

“So if you want to win Vincent Langley over, it’ll be easy. Once he joins Harrington Group, I’ll transfer you to his side.”

“I understand, Mr. Harrington.”

Serena answered in the same cool tone Marcus often used.

The skill of hiding every emotion without letting it show—she had learned that from him too. By now, she was almost perfect at it. Sure enough, he didn’t notice the pain she had locked deep inside.

He only asked, “What were you trying to tell me just now?”

“Nothing.” Serena looked up and gave him a small smile. “Mr. Harrington, can you not transfer me away just yet? I want to get close to Vincent Langley first. If he’s the one who asks to have me by his side, that would be the best outcome. Don’t you think?”