C9 The Price of Pride

"I'm done!"

Emily shouted loudly, instantly silencing the whispers around her.

Lucas shot her a cold, piercing glance, and Emily felt the oppressive force of his gaze. However, after everything they had done to her, if she still held back, she would truly be a fool!

Ava stood to the side, already filled with jealousy and hatred for Emily. Her eyes narrowed at Emily, as if she wanted to rush over and hit her. That girl, so naive and uncouth, dared to come close and seduce Lucas, thinking she had a little beauty-she clearly didn't know her own limits!

Thus, Ava charged forward and slapped Emily hard, shouting, "You shameless bitch! How dare you yell here?!"

Emily's cheek immediately bore the five red imprints of the slap, stinging painfully.

Ava looked smug and continued to insult her, "You really are a piece of trash! Go look in the mirror and see yourself; no one must have taught you any manners!"

Emily froze for a moment. Ava could insult her, but mentioning her mother crossed a line. If that was the case, she would fight back!

"Smack!"

The sound of the slap was even louder than before. Ava was caught off guard, and her face turned to the side. Furious, she gritted her teeth and lunged at Emily.

"You slut!"

Emily caught her raised hand, preventing her from striking, then picked up a glass of wine from the table and threw it straight into Ava's face, shouting, "You're the real shameless one!"

The wine soaked through Ava's thin dress, which clung to her body, making her look even worse. Her face was no better; her mascara had smudged, and the thick layer of foundation failed to hide the freckles scattered across her skin.

Her mouth twitched in anger as she tried to pull her hand away, but Emily held on tight. She screamed, "Let go of me!"

Emily scoffed and pushed her away, causing Ava to stumble and almost fall. The wealthy onlookers merely watched the spectacle, showing no sympathy for her; in their eyes, she and Emily were no different.

That's right! Lucas!

Ava rushed to Lucas's side, wrapping her arm around him and rubbing her half-exposed chest against him, speaking in a cutesy voice, "Lucas... you have to make it right for me. That bitch dared to hit me and splashed wine on me!"

She even called him "Lucas" so intimately that anyone who didn't know better might think she was really his girlfriend.

Emily glanced at them with disdain; they really knew how to put on a show.

Lucas spoke coldly, "Get lost."

Ava thought he was chasing Emily away, so she raised her chin and said, "Did you hear that? Get out of here now!"

"Hmph."

Perfect! She wanted to leave, but it seemed she couldn't.

Just as she was about to step away, Lucas continued, "I'm not talking about her; I'm talking about you... Get lost."

Lucas's gaze swept over her face, making her swallow hard. He pushed her away casually, leaving Emily surprised while Ava, embarrassed, could only cover her face and run away.

"And you... come here."

Emily was still standing with her arms crossed, smirking when Lucas turned to look at her. She suddenly felt goosebumps. Everyone thought she was finished; daring to touch Lucas was a serious mistake. Ava being driven away was already a light punishment.

His gaze carried an invisible pressure that made her feel secretly frightened. She swallowed hard and slowly walked over, intending to explain that she wasn't a server here when her arm was suddenly pulled, and her entire body fell into his embrace. The firm, strong object beneath her rubbed against her backside, and her waist was tightly held. His breath and the faint mint scent enveloped her nostrils, making her cheeks flush with heat.

Witnessing Lucas's actions, all eyes turned to them, some surprised, some envious, and some filled with jealousy.

Emily, feeling embarrassed, wanted to escape from his embrace. She quickly pushed against his hands for leverage but grasped something hard and warm... that felt a bit large...?

Lucas took a deep breath, holding her waist tightly to prevent her from escaping, his breath brushing against her ear, causing some of her stray hairs to lift.

"You've already touched it and still want to run?"

His insinuating words made Emily quickly release her grip, realizing she had inadvertently "grasped" that part of him. She stammered an explanation.

"I didn't mean to; it was you who suddenly pulled me."

Her small mouth spoke quickly, displaying a bit of defiance.

Lucas leaned even closer to her.

"I don't care; you have to take responsibility. My body isn't something you can just touch at will. If these beautiful fingers were to get chopped off, it would be a waste."

He smirked, his beautiful smile contrasting sharply with his threatening words.

Emily felt a chill run down her spine, and everyone around them was too afraid to make a sound, enough for her to realize that this man was not someone to be trifled with. Had she accidentally stepped into a tiger's den today?

Her gaze met his deep, dark pupils, and the words she wanted to say momentarily escaped her.

She avoided Lucas's eyes, lowering her head slightly. From this angle, he could see her smooth cheekbones, the straight bridge of her nose, and her long, curved eyelashes fluttering gently like small fan blades. His gaze lingered on her pink lips, and her body seemed to carry a sweet fragrance-one he felt he had smelled somewhere before but couldn't quite remember.

The image of her fiercely scolding Ava and splashing water on her, along with her casual smoking stance in the corridor, now resided in his heart like a docile little cat. Lucas found it amusing; how many faces did this girl truly have?

"What? How do you intend to resolve this?"

Lucas spoke again, his voice low.

"I... I'm sorry..."

She couldn't let a moment of impulse lead her into conflict with him; this man was not someone she could easily provoke like Ava.

"I can't hear you clearly."

"I said I'm sorry; is that enough?" Emily repeated.

"You think saying sorry while having that attitude is acceptable?"

Lucas tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his breath thick with danger.

Emily bit her lip.

"I was wrong. Please forgive me."

Lucas chuckled, clearly not willing to let her off easily.

"You should also express your gratitude."

Emily didn't understand his meaning.

"It's my 'area' that you were allowed to touch for free, isn't it?"

His lips brushed against her cheek in a suggestive manner.

She took a deep breath to compose herself. For Noah, for her son, it was best to comply with his wishes and cut ties afterward.

"Thank you."

Seeing Emily's face, which was holding back anger, Lucas felt quite satisfied; the more she bristled, the more it intrigued him.

"Go on."

Lucas released her waist, and Emily, feeling as if she had been pardoned, hurriedly ran away. He watched her charming figure, as if he could still feel the lingering sensation of touching her soft, sweet body.

At that moment, Liam spoke up.

"Lucas, you're not actually interested in her, are you?"

Lucas, known for his cold demeanor and dislike for women, acting like this was indeed strange.

He returned to his domineering, cold self, ignoring Liam and picking up a glass of wine to drink. Just then, Lam Yên, who had teased Emily earlier, noticed the red stain on Lucas's pants and curiously asked,

"Lucas, what's that stain on your pants? Is it red wine?"

Lucas bent down and saw a bright red patch; his expression darkened instantly. Lam Yên smiled knowingly.

"It can't be? Or did the beauty from earlier leave that behind?"

"Stop talking nonsense."

He stood up and walked away, his tall figure imposing. Lam Yên felt that Lucas had already defended Emily without hesitation.

At this moment, Amelia noticed that she had been gone too long and grew anxious, spotting Lucas and stopping in her tracks.

While he was searching for her, Emily was in the restroom, looking at that monthly visitor, crying without tears. Why did it have to come now of all times?!

No wonder she felt something was off earlier... Emily stuffed some toilet paper into her panties, then texted Amelia that she was tired and would head home early, before sneaking out of the restroom. She needed to leave as soon as possible; if that devil of a man discovered her, she couldn't imagine what punishment awaited her.

Emily quickly slipped outside, wondering why this bar felt like a maze. After wandering around, she finally reached the elevator and sighed with relief as she stepped inside. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a hand blocked them. She looked up to see Lucas's icy face, and fear made her shrink into a corner.

Heaven really doesn't favor people... Behind him were several men dressed in black, exuding an intimidating aura. Emily swallowed hard, not daring to speak, and even hesitated to breathe loudly.