C4 Robbery and Lust

"Manager?" Katie's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the man who had appeared out of nowhere. Wasn't this the project manager who had hastily sent her to entertain a client?

"Manager? Ha! What kind of pathetic excuse for a manager are you? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have lost my job. I swear, if I don't settle the score with you tonight, my name isn't Zhang." Bayard, the manager, rubbed the back of his bald head and slapped his thigh in anger, pointing furiously at Katie.

Katie and Nancy shared a glance, instantly understanding the gravity of the situation. The fallout with Aize had ensnared the manager as well. Katie had resigned voluntarily, which led to the manager's firing, inadvertently making them enemies.

"And who do you think you are? Be careful, or I'll have you thrown in jail so quickly you'll be begging for mercy," Nancy shot back, standing up and pushing Katie behind her, bravely stepping up to the plate.

She had seen her fair share of thugs and wasn't about to be intimidated now.

"Threatening me? How dare you!" Bayard, his judgment clouded by alcohol, was anything but composed. Running into Katie that night had ignited his fury.

"Guys, take these two down," Bayard ordered with a cold sneer. At his command, five or six men stood up from the adjacent table and fell in line behind him.

Katie took in their appearance: dragons tattooed on their left hands, tigers on their right, and thick gold and silver chains around their necks. They had the look of hooligans, complete with a loser's swagger.

Nancy stepped back, staying close to Katie. They were clearly outmatched by the burly men before them and knew a direct confrontation would be a mistake.

"What do we do now?"

"Run."

Over at Russell Group headquarters, a luxurious Rolls-Royce smoothly pulled away. Inside, Jabe lounged, deeply inhaling from his cigar while his eyes remained fixed on the crisp display of his laptop, scrutinizing the latest figures.

"Jabe..." Out of nowhere, a sultry voice interrupted, as a provocative figure positioned herself in front of the opulent car.

The Rolls-Royce screeched to a halt, and Jabe's gaze sharpened as he took in Lulu's silhouette against the headlights.

"Mr. Russell, it's Ms. Whitney," Volney identified Lulu with a glance. She had previously offered herself to Jabe, only to be spurned. Nevertheless, she persisted in her advances. Her encounters with him had grown more frequent due to recent collaborations between the Whitney Group and the Russell Group.

Jabe lifted his gaze, his piercing black eyes taking in the scene before him. There stood Lulu, dressed in a V-neck black miniskirt paired with stiletto heels, her stride as sultry as a cat's as she made her way around the car and slipped into the passenger seat.

Volney sat in the driver's seat, hands clenched around the steering wheel, torn between driving away or remaining stationary.

"Mr. Russell, what a coincidence to see you here. How about you give me a ride?" Lulu purred as she settled into the car, her smile seductive as her fingers traced idle patterns on Jabe's solid chest.

Her eyes, clouded with desire, admired Jabe's handsome profile, her heart aflutter with longing.

"Ms. Whitney, that's not on my route," Jabe replied, his voice tinged with aversion as he gave her a brief, icy glance. His attention returned to his notebook, his fingers flying over the keys, too preoccupied to indulge her.

Despite his unequivocal rejection, Lulu remained seated, her lips puckered in frustration, evidently not planning to exit the car anytime soon.

"Mr. Russell, it's quite late, and it's not safe for me to go home by myself," Lulu said, her voice a blend of coquettish charm and feigned helplessness that even made Volney, sitting at the wheel, drop his guard and shoot Jabe a look of sympathy.

"Is it any safer with me?" Jabe retorted, closing his notebook with a snap and offering a mischievously charming smile. He flirtatiously flicked a strand of her hair, his gesture laden with double entendre.

Lulu turned toward him, her delicate hand capturing his wrist before daring to reach for his neck. She looked up at Jabe, her body leaning into his.

"Mr. Russell, perhaps you could shed some light on this 'danger' for me?" she whispered, her lips brushing his ear, her breath hot on his skin.

A flicker of disgust crossed Jabe's eyes, but he maintained a dismissive smirk, his attitude cool and uninvolved.

"Mr. Russell, don't you find me appealing? Perhaps you and I could..." Lulu, mistaking his quiet for consent, boldly made her suggestion.

The recent collaboration between the Russell Group and the Whitney Group had ignited a spark of hope in Lulu. She was convinced that Jabe's presence was for her, that her persistent efforts had moved Mr. Russell, and he was hinting at something more intimate.

A classic case of beauty without brains.

"Mr. Russell... I..." Lulu's eyes were clouded with desire as she stared at Jabe's handsome face. Her small hand gently unbuttoned his shirt, slowly making its way down to his belt.

"Ms. Whitney!" Jabe quickly caught her wandering hand, his voice deep and clearly irritated.

"Mr. Russell..." Lulu gave him a coquettish look, retracting her hand and nonchalantly allowing her skirt to fall.

Volney, seated in the driver's seat, rubbed his forehead, wondering if he should suggest to Jabe that they leave her on the roadside.

"Help me!" Katie was being chased by a group of men. She had split from Nancy to escape, running for her life with a high heel in one hand and a broken beer bottle in the other, screaming for help. Unfortunately, it was the middle of the night, and the streets were nearly empty, with no one stepping in to assist.

Gasping for air, Katie clung to a utility pole. The sight of several large men with clubs bearing down on her forced her to abandon her temporary refuge and run.

"Help, they're trying to rob and assault me!" Katie's shrill cries cut through the silence of the night. She let go of the pole and dashed forward with renewed urgency.

A luxury car unexpectedly pulled over to the curb. Katie, lips quivering, summoned her inner champion sprinter...

Jabe's piercing cold eyes swept over Lulu. His voice was a low, menacing command, "Leave."

Lulu's expression fell, her attempt at seduction crumbling under his rejection, her pride deeply wounded. Despite her lack of wit, she was an heiress with a bruised ego.

With a sudden movement, the car door swung open, and a figure slipped in gracefully. A high heel flew off, landing firmly on Jabe's thigh.

"Jabe... Ah!" Lulu's attempt at allure turned to shock as she saw Katie scramble into the vehicle. In a panic, she fumbled with her clothing, only to find her skirt trapped beneath Katie.

"Drive! Those people are after us—they're trying to rob and kill us. Hurry up!" Katie, without giving a second thought to whose car she had commandeered, reached over the front seat and urgently tapped Volney on the shoulder.

Volney, startled by the abrupt entry, glanced back at the burly men in hot pursuit. He shared a swift, knowing glance with Jabe before hitting the gas, propelling the car forward. Rather than speeding away, he kept a careful distance between them and their chasers.

"Who are you?" Lulu demanded, her irritation palpable as she pushed Katie aside.

It was only then that Katie took in the other passengers—a sharply dressed man and a woman who was barely clothed. Her eyes widened in astonishment, and she stared openly at the pair.

Katie's eyes traveled up to meet the woman's face, which was now pressed against the man's shoulder. The woman's expression was one of intense vexation, as if Katie had just barged in on a moment of great importance.