"No thanks." Melanie instinctively refused.
Tears immediately welled up in Rosalyn's eyes. "Melanie, do you really dislike me that much?"
Ethan's expression darkened from the driver's seat. "Melanie, is this how you speak to your superior?"
Melanie's lips curved into a mocking smile. "Mr. Dawson, it's after work hours now."
"Forget it, Ethan. Since Melanie hates me so much, I'll just leave." Rosalyn cried pitifully, as though she had suffered the greatest injustice.
Ethan's gaze turned icy. "Melanie, if you don't come, I'm not sure what might happen to your mother's grave."
"You..." The blatant threat ignited a blaze of fury in Melanie's chest.
Her mother was already dead, yet Ethan still refused to let her rest in peace.
She clenched her fists tightly and stared at Ethan with burning hatred.
Beside him, Rosalyn's eyes flashed with a trace of triumph.
Melanie thought of her plan and knew she could not let everything fall apart now.
She took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed her emotions.
Reluctantly, she got into the car.
At the dinner table, Rosalyn leaned close to her ear with a wine glass in hand. "Melanie, why don't you drink this for me tonight?"
Melanie was about to refuse when Rosalyn gave a sly smile. "Melanie, if something happens to me because I drank, who knows what might happen to your dead mother..."
Melanie froze. She reached out and downed the entire glass in one gulp.
In the end, Melanie lost count of how much she had drunk.
Suddenly her stomach churned violently. She rushed to the restroom.
Ethan acted as if he saw nothing and continued serving food to Rosalyn with gentle care.
Melanie vomited until the world spun around her.
All at once, she fell into a drunken embrace. "Hey beautiful, let me take good care of you."
The words snapped Melanie half-sober in an instant. "Let go of me, you bastard!"
Melanie slapped the man with all her strength and ran toward the door.
"Damn it! You bitch dare to hit me? You're asking for death!" The man grabbed her hair viciously, threw her to the floor, and began tearing at her clothes.
"Let me go! Help!" Melanie struggled and screamed desperately.
Through the glass door, she suddenly caught sight of Rosalyn's eerie smile.
It was her.
Everything had been orchestrated by Rosalyn.
"Rosalyn, why are you standing outside?" The next second, a familiar voice sounded.
"Ethan, why did you come out?" Panic flashed in Rosalyn's eyes.
"I saw you go to the restroom and you didn't come back for so long. I was worried. I thought I just heard Melanie's voice. Where is she?"
Melanie heard Ethan's voice and tried to call for help, but the man clamped his hand tightly over her mouth.
"Melanie already left."
"Ethan, save me!" Melanie struggled to force out muffled words.
Ethan seemed to sense something and started to step forward to check.
Rosalyn suddenly swayed on her feet and collapsed into Ethan's arms. "Ethan, I feel dizzy."
Ethan immediately picked her up in concern and hurried away.
As the footsteps faded into the distance, a tear of utter despair slid from the corner of Melanie's eye.
"Now no one will interrupt us." The drunkard grinned lewdly. His greasy hand reached toward her.
In her struggle, Melanie's phone somehow dialed a number.
"Hello, Melanie?" It was Mathew Fuller's voice.
"Mathew, save me!" She cried out in desperation.
The voice on the other end turned urgent at once. "Melanie, what happened? Where are you?"
Before Melanie could answer, the phone was brutally stomped to pieces.
The next second, the man grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the floor.
Melanie's strength faded rapidly. She suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Seeing her in such a pitiful state only excited the drunkard more.
He pinned her down and leaned in eagerly.
Melanie closed her eyes in complete despair.
At that moment, the restroom door was kicked open with a thunderous crash.
"Melanie!" Mathew burst in with his men.
When he saw the scene inside, rage filled his eyes.
Before the drunkard could react, Mathew kicked him flying. The man crashed against the wall and spat out a large mouthful of blood.
The drunkard instinctively opened his mouth to curse, but when he saw who it was, terror made him nearly lose control. He dropped to the ground, begging for mercy.
Mathew didn't even spare him a glance. He coldly ordered his men. "Take care of him."
Then he carefully lifted Melanie, who was covered in wounds, into his arms. His eyes were full of heartache and regret. "Melanie, I'm sorry I came too late."
At that moment, Melanie could no longer hold on. In his strong embrace, she finally lost consciousness.
