The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 538

Ever since the barrier between him and Winifred had been broken the last time, Clive had gotten over his internal hurdles. By the time he visited Winifred's house for the second time, it was entirely natural that they ended up sleeping together.

Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows, cascading onto the messy bedsheets.

Winifred leaned against the headboard, her exquisite makeup removed. In this moment, she finally revealed her truest self. Loose skin gathered in fine lines around her neck and collarbones. The crow's feet at the corners of her eyes couldn't be fully hidden, no matter how expensive her eye cream was. Her sagging breasts were faintly visible beneath the silk nightgown, and a slight roll of belly fat swelled as she lay there.

She lit a slender women's cigarette, taking a deep drag, and the smoke obscured her somewhat tired features. After a long exhale, she rose and headed to the bathroom, leaving the half-smoked butt behind.

Clive leaned against the other side, a cigarette held between his own fingers. The smoke swirled slowly in the air. Amid the hazy smoke, his gaze seemed slightly unfocused.

The sound of running water in the bathroom shut off. Winifred stepped out wrapped in a bathrobe, the ends of her hair still dripping wet. She walked to the edge of the bed, leaned over, and pinched Clive's chin. A satisfied curve graced her red lips. "You were quite good last night. You truly are the treasure I set my sights on."

Clive's lips twitched as he offered a lazy smile. He reached out to caress her waist, his fingertips lightly rubbing against the soft flesh there. "It's my honor to satisfy you."

Amused by his actions, Winifred blew out a ring of smoke. "Little rascal, you certainly have a sweet mouth."

She suddenly rolled over and pinned him down, her fingers with their bright red nails gripping his jaw. "But then again, I do like a sweet-talker."

Winifred chuckled, trailing her fingertips down to his collarbone, looking at him with tender eyes. "Clive, honestly... I've always thought that with your qualities, you shouldn't be limited to keeping just me company."

She paused, her tone growing even gentler. "But you don't have to worry. Her marriage is just a business arrangement between two wealthy families. They both play around on their own time. Plus, she's far more generous with her money than I am. If you're willing to spend a few nights with her, you might get paid several times more than what I can give you."

Clive lowered his eyes, suddenly looking somewhat dejected. "Are you... trying to pawn me off onto someone else?"

It hadn't even been that long. For Winifred to get bored of him so quickly seemed a bit premature.

Her little darling was hurt. Winifred immediately shook her head, sounding slightly reproachful. "How could you think that? I just feel that someone as excellent as you should meet more people and make more money."

She gently grasped his hand, her eyes sincere. "I'm only doing this for your own good. Honestly, it breaks my heart to do this. But so that you can pay off your contract breach fee sooner and finally be free from your company's restrictions, I have to make this painful sacrifice."