Absolute Possession

8:00 PM. At the charity gala co-hosted by *Elle Beauty* and a luxury brand, the lights in the grand hall were blindingly bright. Men and women holding champagne glasses bustled back and forth. Beneath the superficial glamour, various extravagant gowns competed for attention, while men in sleek suits exchanged empty, hypocritical smiles.

As strange, pointed glances fell upon her, Chloe felt utterly isolated from the world. Though she had done nothing wrong, she had been turned into an outcast.

Whispers flooded in from all directions—

"How does a homewrecker still have the nerve to show her face in public?"

"Seductive trash going after a married man... it’s nauseating."

"It's people like her who taint the whole entertainment industry."

The mockery and gossip rushed over her like a suffocating tide, making it hard to breathe. Gossip was the most lethal weapon, and no one could truly remain unaffected.

Yet, she maintained a calm demeanor, coldly observing their distorted faces, which looked as though they had crawled right out of ancient mythologies.

Every single one of these self-righteous hypocrites stood on the high moral ground, pretentiously passing judgment. But if anyone stripped away their respectable façade, they’d find something far uglier underneath.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist.

Chloe tilted her head slightly and met the undisguised malice in a middle-aged man's eyes. Disgust welled up inside her, making her sick to her stomach, yet her lips instinctively curled into her habitual, practiced smile. "Mr. Chen, let go."

Mr. Chen’s rough fingers rubbed disgusting patterns over her wrist.

Scanning her face with greasy, predatory eyes, his voice oozed with contempt. "Miss Chloe, playing hard to get isn't fun anymore. You can seduce a married man, so why not me?"

He let out a subtly threatening chuckle. "Or are you turned off because I'm too old?"

Across the ballroom, set to the melodious, winding notes of a cello performance, no one paid any mind to the scene. Everyone seemed thoroughly accustomed to such sights.