Captured by a Stubborn CEO | Read Free Preview

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Chapter 1 — My Name Is Tobias Ford

“Sir, I only need three hundred thousand. Please...”
Skylar Jones trembled on her feet in front of the man, with her head hung low.
Apart from the dim lighting, she was shrouded in darkness.
Right then, a tall and broad-shouldered figure approached her step by step.
The man grasped her chin, and panic rose in her when she was met with his icy and intimidating gaze.
With her heart in her throat, Skylar swallowed thickly before continuing, “I know three hundred thousand isn’t a small amount, b-but I really need this money.”
When the man heard her say that three hundred thousand wasn’t a small amount, the corners of his lips arched into a cold-blooded smile.
Suddenly, Skylar was pulled into his arms, completely caught off guard.
And in just mere seconds, the pleasant scent of white sandalwood invaded her senses, almost drowning her.
Immediately afterward, his cold voice sounded above her head and brought her back to the harsh reality. “How do you expect me to believe you? Well, you know what they say - talk is cheap...”
Though scared out of her wits, Skylar suppressed the fear gripping her heart and replied, “Give it a try. If you find that I’m lying, I’ll return all the money to you.”
As soon as she said that, a palm, cold as the grave, clasped the back of her neck, chilling her to the bones. She instinctively thrashed against him, trying to escape, but the man only tightened his other hand around her waist even more.
Hence, she stopped struggling, not daring to move a muscle.
This was the only way to get the money for her boyfriend, Jeremy’s medical expenses.
The moment she remained still, the man cupped Skylar’s face with his palm as he remarked in a low and hoarse voice, “I’m not interested in getting my hands dirty by personally verifying it!”
Right then, the door to the room opened from the outside.
A blinding flash, followed by the footsteps of what seemed like an army of soldiers, came through the door. At that moment, several men in black suits bombarded that dim room as they strode in a neat formation.
Skylar’s eyes widened in shock, and she turned back to look at the man hidden in the shadows. Under the dingy lights, she could vaguely discern his chiseled features and the smile playing on his lips, which looked impossibly gentle.
Her lips quivered, and she argued in a shaky voice, “We agreed on one. What’s going on now? Excuse me, sir, but you should be honest when doing business! Forget it. The deal is off!”
Feeling slightly irritated, the man waved his hand with a frosty expression on his face. Then Skylar, still struggling, was forcibly taken away by the men in black.
In the operating room, they secured Skylar to the operating table with her dignity in shreds. The freezing temperature here made her feel as though she was thrown into an ice-cold cavern.
She lay on the cold table, groggy and completely drained of strength, with only her mind wide awake.What are t-they going to do to me? I-is this the end? Am I going to die j-just like this?Terror coursed through her veins as thoughts ran wild through her mind. Gradually, her breathing grew weak.
With all the courage she could gather, she whimpered, “Are you going to take my kidney? Or my liver? Just so you know—both aren’t in good condition! The results from my physical examination even stated that I have a fatty liver.”
Nevertheless, the two women in white coats did not answer.
At that moment, Skylar felt like crying as she lamented silently.Just what did I get myself into?I just wanted to make some money, but why is it so hard? Why did some people have it easy, while I...
Her train of thoughts was interrupted when the automated doors of the operating room slid open as someone walked in. One of the women wearing a white coat nodded to Tobias Ford.
“Mr. Ford, she’s all good.”
“Mr. Ford...”
Hearing their voices, Skylar struggled to sit up, but she had only lifted herself halfway when one doctor pushed her back onto the operating table.
She shuddered as coldness seeped through her skin once again. Under the intense glare of the surgical lamp, she could finally see the man’s face clearly. His face was cold and aloof, completely void of emotions, just like an ice sculpture, but his eyes shone with authority.
His piercing gaze made her quake with fear, but to her surprise, his voice was tender when he spoke.
“Are you ready, Ms. Jones?”
Skylar was strung as tight as a bow right then, and her muscles stiffened with trepidation.
Nevertheless, she closed her eyes in resignation, immediately dredging up the image of her beloved fiancé lying on the hospital bed, looking pale and sickly.
Only then could she numb herself to her fear.
She wasn’t betraying Jeremy. All she was doing now was to ensure that she could live with the love of her life. Forever.
...
Prior to the act, the man sat on the edge of the operating table and placed his arms on both sides of her waist while uttering in a low voice, “My name is Tobias Ford. Don’t you ever forget that!”
However, Skylar’s mind was in shambles now, and she didn’t even want to be here, let alone know this man’s name.
In fact, she hoped she would never see him again after tonight.
“Um... Does it have to be here? Even the ward is better than this place. Otherwise, you’re gonna have to pay me more...” Skylar had basically forced out these words through clenched teeth.
She grabbed Tobias’ arm, shaking slightly.
“Fine...” Tobias agreed in a deep and gruff voice.
He found this girl intriguing because even at a time like this, she still did not forget her goal.
Then Skylar closed her eyes and blocked out all her senses.
After a long time, the operating room was unusually silent. When the deed was done, Tobias stared intently at the girl who had passed out like the dead on the operating table. Her face was still flushed from what happened earlier, and her breath still rapid and shallow.
Ignoring the woman, his gaze quickly shifted to the white cloth covering the operating table.
That glaring red stain resembled a fully bloomed plum blossom standing stark against a blanket of snow; it was an alluring sight to behold.
Last night, this girl had lost her virginity to him.

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Chapter 2 — She Is One Of Yours

Elysium was the most luxurious nightclub in A City, and it operated on a membership system.
The guests who came here were filthy rich or immensely powerful, each of them having a net worth of tens of millions.
Skylar had always regarded places like this with disdain. Never did she think that one day, she would willingly stoop so low for the sake of money.
Being her naïve self, she really thought that Tobias Ford was a generous man, giving her three million when she had only asked for three hundred thousand, which would help her settle her financial emergency.
Thus, when Jeremy told her that the check was forged, her head spun as the world around her collapsed.
Indeed, the world was a sinister place; she had been scammed!
As for Jeremy’s surgery fee, his family had surprisingly managed to gather sufficient money after that.
Skylar was baffled as to where the Lanes got the money from, since they were the ones who begged her to gather the money in the first place.
Moreover, her future grandmother-in-law even informed her they couldn’t afford Jeremy’s post-surgery rehabilitation expenses and needed her help.
It cost at least one hundred thousand per month. A little nobody like her could barely scrape up one-tenth of that amount.
“Skylar, hurry up. Room 301 requested a bottle of Ace of Spades. Go in and serve the drinks,” urged the manager, Camila Cook, as she nudged Skylar’s back.
Room 301 was the only VIP room in Elysium. The occupants were usually business tycoons and celebrity politicians.
Before entering, Camila had specifically told her to turn a blind eye to whatever was happening inside.
Turn a blind eye? What the heck did she sign me up for? Chills went down her spine the moment she heard Camila’s warning.
At that moment, Skylar was clad in a white maxi dress and a pair of high-heeled boots of the same color. Her face was completely free of makeup, without even a tinge of rouge on her cheeks.
Balancing a tray of drinks with one hand, she pressed down on the gilded door handle and entered the room, her heart almost at her throat.
The atmosphere inside the room and that outside was like night and day; it was much quieter. She also noticed that all of Elysium’s top beauties were in here.
“Throwing yourself at me so soon? Are you that eager, pretty lady?” A frivolous voice sounded from above Skylar’s head. With her head bowed low, she was so afraid to make eye contact with those inside the room that she bumped into someone.
Moreover, the lighting in the private room was too dim, so she couldn’t see clearly where she was heading. She looked up abruptly at the man whom she had run into, noting that he was in his forties and had a plump figure. With a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles resting on his nose bridge, he looked like a typical government official.
Widening her large doe eyes in shock, Skylar hurriedly apologized, “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t see where I was going.”
The man broke into a lecherous smile. “Do you think a simple apology will do? Just tell me what you want. Don’t use this kind of petty coy tricks on me. I’ve seen more than enough in my lifetime.”
Without another word said, the bespectacled man caught Skylar’s wrist and flung her onto the sofa like a ragged doll.
After being manhandled roughly, she frantically propped herself into a sitting position. This place was full of the affluent and influential. She knew she couldn’t afford to offend any of them, so she could only keep a tight lid on her anger.
Amidst the heavy odor of tobacco and alcohol, a white sandalwood cologne fragrance tickled her nose, bringing back memories of the past.
Huh? Why does that smell... so familiar?
This scent was carved into Skylar’s mind deeply, so deep that it seared into her soul. Regaining her senses, she got up clumsily and straightened her dress.
“Ms. Jones, we meet again.” This deep voice resembled a devil’s whisper reached her ears that instant.
The man—the devil himself, Tobias Ford, leaned against the sofa and took out a cigarette from his pocket. A flicker of light then followed.
Skylar lifted her gaze to the flame’s glow and saw a man with an impossibly handsome face beside her. She would recognize him anywhere, even if he were burnt to ashes.
“Tobias Ford,” she said his name through gritted teeth.
A puff of smoke rose from between his lips, temporarily obscuring his features.
Tobias looked at Skylar with a gentle smile, which surprisingly made him seem very charming and approachable. “You still remember my name. It seems like you’re satisfied with me.”
The man, who was rude to Skylar, was Benjamin Hayes. When he saw Tobias talking to Skylar in a hushed tone, his expression changed subtly, and it brought his aggressiveness down a few notches. “Oh, so she’s one of yours, Mr. Ford. Sorry about that.”
“Nah... We’re not close. You can take her if you want, Mr. Hayes.” A cold glint flashed in Tobias’ eyes.
Hearing that, Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief and leered at Skylar. “In that case, I’ll make sure you have an unforgettable experience today.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m just a promoter. I don’t do anything else besides selling drinks.” Skylar’s hands balled into fists by her sides, betraying her fear.
Meanwhile, Benjamin’s anger spiked upon being rejected in public. It was an utter humiliation for him.
Boiling in rage, he pinched Skylar’s chin, viciously jerking her head upward as he examined her from top to bottom. “Just who do you think you are?”
Immediately, Skylar started to tremble, yet she couldn’t tell if it was out of fear or anger, or maybe both.
The only thing she could feel was the sharp pain in her jaw, which made breathing difficult for her. And she didn’t like that, not one bit at all.
Acting upon instinct, she picked up a bottle on the inky-black coffee table, thinking to teach this man a lesson. I won’t betray Jeremy again.
But before she could bring the bottle down, someone grabbed her arm and stopped her. Tobias flung her arm away and narrowed his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse as he warned, “Don’t ruin everyone’s fun here. Get out.”
Skylar sighed in relief, opening her eyes to glare at Tobias with hatred. “Gladly, Mr. Ford. Thank you for your leniency.”
Noticing the dirty look she was sending him, Tobias’ mouth quirked up slightly, but there was a hint of frigidness to it.
Then he took the bottle from Skylar’s hand. There was more than half a bottle of vodka left in it. He looked at Skylar with a sinister smile on his face as an idea formed in his mind.
“Don’t rush to thank me. I wasn’t done talking just yet... Finish up this bottle of liquor.”
Skylar was taken aback for a moment, but soon her initial surprise vanished. To her, this man was nothing but a devil, an indignity she had to carry for the rest of her life, and there was nothing he wasn’t capable of doing.
In order to escape sooner, Skylar raised the bottle to her mouth and gulped down its contents. The alcohol gushed into her mouth and flowed down her throat, causing a hot burning sensation in her stomach.
Seeing the agonized look on Skylar’s face, Tobias draped an arm around her shoulders and leaned over to whisper against her ear, “You’re quite a good drinker, Ms. Jones, and it seems like you’re really short of money. Tell you what. I’ll give you three hundred thousand for every bottle you drink.”
The alcohol had already hazed Skylar’s brain, and she threw all sense of reason out the window, along with her manager’s warning to avoid offending anyone here.
With eyes that were glowing red, she stood on her toes and grabbed the front of Tobias’ freakishly unwrinkled shirt with both hands, right in front of everyone.
Then, she roared furiously, “Tobias Ford, you lied to me about the three hundred thousand last time. Do you know how bad you f**ked me up? And now you wanna mess with me again? You crazy son of a b*tch!”

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Chapter 3 — Taking Her Away Today

Everyone in the private room was dumbfounded upon witnessing the scene. This crazy woman must be courting death.
At that instant, Tobias grabbed Skylar’s arm and took her out of the room.
However, Skylar was so drunk that she kept muttering barely coherent words. “You l-liar. T-That money was to save a life!”
Tobias, on the other hand, felt that this woman was vile to the core, using liquid courage to scam him.
But he wasn’t surprised either. After all, that night in the operating room, she had asked for an increase at the very last minute. I gave her three million instead of the three hundred thousand she requested, but she’s still not satisfied!
She didn’t even waste a minute and came over here! She’s been real busy, I see.
Along the corridor, when Camila saw Tobias dragging a delirious Skylar out of the room, her face blanched with horror.
For Tobias, ending someone’s life was as easy as killing an ant. After all, life was worthless in his eyes.
Thus, she hurried over in panic, knowing what Tobias was capable of. “Mr. Ford, I’m not sure what happened, but Skylar here is our new recruit. She’s still young and ignorant, so please forgive her.”
Tobias glanced coldly at the manager, his lips parting as he spoke, “This has nothing to do with you, so get out of the way. I’ll be taking her away right now.”
Nonetheless, Camila replied tentatively, “She’s only a promoter. Mr. Ford, we have many girls here. Please allow me to introduce you to a few of them.”
The moment Tobias spoke, the air seemed to thicken with a sense of oppression. “There’s no such thing as ‘only a promoter’ here. Since she’s an employee here, she should’ve been prepared for this day.”
In the meantime, Skylar was sitting unabashedly on the ground as her stomach churned. A few strands of her disheveled hair were stuck to her lips as she hugged Tobias’ legs, refusing to let go. “Liar. Isn’t it enough that you f**ked me up so bad? Huh?”
Hearing that, Camila exclaimed in shock, “Are you crazy, Skylar? Do you know what you’re saying?”
Tobias’ Adam’s apple bobbed as if he was trying to control himself from doing something.
Clenching his fists, he said to Camila through gritted teeth, “Bring her purse over. I’m taking her away tonight!”
The man was well-aware of the rules in Elysium. It was clearly stated that taking a girl’s purse meant taking the girl herself.
Stupefied, Camila watched Skylar being roughly hauled up by Tobias. He then lifted Skylar’s chin and smiled mockingly at her. “I’ll give you the time to tell me in detail just how exactly I f**ked you up.”
Already gone off into the deep end, Skylar glared menacingly at Tobias. “I’m not going anywhere with you. If you wanna come at me, just come at me here, Mister!”
Tobias’ gaze darkened a fraction. “How much money do you want this time? Name your price and stop pretending to be innocent.”
Skylar met Tobias’ intimidating gaze head-on, slurring when she said, “If I actually liked you, that’ll be free of charge! But now? Hah! In your dreams.”
Camila was paralyzed to the spot and didn’t dare to interfere anymore. If she got on Tobias’ bad side, it would be the end for Elysium.
Meanwhile, Tobias’ eyes turned even colder, and there was also a hint of impatience in them. “Do I look like a man with good self-control?”
Skylar sobered up quite a lot upon hearing this.
As he pushed open the door of the private room, Skylar winced from the stabbing pain in her wrist caused by his bone-crushing grip.
Then he gestured at the men and women in the room. “Out. All of you.”
At his succinct order, everyone scrambled from their seats and scurried off, not daring to stay a second longer.
After that, Tobias ordered his bodyguard, Samuel, to guard the door and stop anyone from coming in.
Within half a minute, Tobias and Skylar were the only two people left in the room.
Freeing her hand from his tight grip, Skylar staggered backward. “What are you doing? Were you serious?”
Regret filled her immediately, gushing in like waves. Why did I have to say all those things to provoke him when I knew he’s capable of doing anything? Skylar, you dunce, good job agitating the devil! It’s not like you haven’t experienced it before! Memories from that night in the operating room emerged in her mind, sending a shiver down her spine as ice spread through her veins.
Tobias’ gaze fell on Skylar’s face. Glimpsing the fear in her eyes and the slight tremble of her lips, he could tell that she was afraid.
Every inch of him screamed danger. When Skylar saw his hand move, panic seized her and suffocated her.
There was no room for escape, but she had solemnly vowed never to do it again. Even if her life depended on it.
On that night, she had already been utterly debased.
Tobias pushed her down onto the coffee table just then. The moment Skylar’s back came in contact with the cold marble slab, using the same trick, she reached out for a bottle to smash it on Tobias’ head.
Of course, she was no match for him. He clutched her wrist, and just like that, the bottle fell into his hand.
Skylar’s eyes widened upon seeing Tobias holding the bottle, and she screamed in fright.
Everything happened in a flash. She thought Tobias was going to smash it on her head, but after a long time, the impact never came. Instead, the bottle was gently placed beside her, and the weight pressing on her body was abruptly gone.
“Putting up a fight at every turn, I see. You’re bold, I’ll give you that. But just how many lives do you have to spare?”
Skylar recovered from her shock and met his eyes.
“If you’re short of money, why don’t you come under my wing? After all, I was still your first, Ms. Jones.”
Tobias looked like a completely different person compared to the brutal and aggressive man just now, as his features had softened to exude a gentle aura. Nevertheless, the words that came out of his mouth ruined his gentle image.
He’s still cruel and cold-hearted as always!
Skylar was ashen-faced. “Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Ford, but even if I die poor, I wouldn’t want to have the slightest involvement with you.”
At that point, she did not dare to ask for money anymore. All she wished was to get as far away as possible, lest the devil claim her life.
Tobias’ lips slowly arched into a smile that was slightly mocking. “Fine. I won’t force you.”
Following that, the man left the room, and Skylar waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps before exiting. The moment she emerged, Camila, who was still in shock, cried out, “Skylar, you almost ruined Elysium. Don’t you know who Tobias Ford is?”
Like a deflated balloon, Skylar said listlessly, “Who he is has nothing to do with me. By the way, can I get the commission for the sales today, Camila? I need to pay the medical fees at the hospital tomorrow.”
Camila looked at Skylar and couldn’t help but think she was the world’s biggest idiot. “I really don’t understand you. You haven’t even married into the family, but here you are, struggling to pay for your boyfriend’s bills. Once he’s all cured, he’ll dump you for sure. What are you gonna do when that happens?”
After the scare caused by Tobias, Skylar was already pale with fatigue. She forced a smile and said, “That’s impossible. We’ve been together since junior high. A relationship that long won’t fall apart so easily. He said that he’ll marry me once he’s discharged from the hospital-”
Her phone rang at that moment. It was her best friend, Penelope Quinn. She raised her phone, telling Camila that she had to answer a call.
As soon as the call connected, Penelope’s voice was so loud Skylar thought she had accidentally put her on speaker. “Skylar, I saw Jeremy buying a bag for a girl just now. And it was a Hermes bag! Since when is he so rich?”
Surprised, Skylar replied, “It can’t be. You must be seeing things. He’s still hospitalized, so how could you have seen him buying a bag?”
“For God’s sake, Skylar, I have 20/20 vision. I’m telling you—it was him! Besides, do you think I can’t recognize Jeremy? He was even wearing his hospital gown underneath his coat. Who else could it be?” Penelope answered with complete certainty.

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