C8 Tiernan Stepped In.

Shaul was on the verge of speaking when Wensel subtly cut him off. A glint sparkled in his narrow eyes as he said, "She's managed to tick off Young Master Shen. See that bottle on the table?" Wensel nonchalantly gestured toward the whiskey on the coffee table. "Young Master Shen has laid down an ultimatum: she either downs that entire bottle or puts on a kissing show for the crowd. Consider it a bonus performance."

"Oh~" Tiernan drew out the sound, sauntering toward Clarissa while casting a lazy glance at Hollis lounging on the sofa. He stroked his chin with a roguish air and added, "Young Master Shen really knows how to spice things up. Eager for a steamy kiss, are we? Well, let me take the lead. I don't mean to brag, but when it comes to kissing, if I'm not the best, I'd like to see who is."

Mid-sentence, Tiernan's arm shot out, and before Clarissa could make sense of it all, she was pulled into his embrace. She stumbled into his arms, and a second later, warmth spread across her lips as her eyes widened in shock.

She... had been kissed?

Her face blazed with heat, turning a deep shade of red from her ears to her toes.

Tiernan was taken aback by the tender softness of the lips beneath his. The sensation was... damn good! He had only intended a light peck, a playful tease, but the feel of her lips was unexpectedly alluring.

He was about to deepen the kiss when a forceful hand snatched Clarissa from his grasp.

Tiernan, deprived of the sweetness he anticipated, glared at the interloper. "Hollis, give her back to me."

Hollis's face was a mask of dark brooding, his gaze sharp as a blade. "She's crossed me. Until I've cooled off, she's not going anywhere with anyone."

Tiernan raised an eyebrow at Hollis. They had been frenemies since childhood, a dynamic that hadn't changed even after Tiernan went abroad. But the woman Hollis cared about... that piqued Tiernan's interest. He caught sight of Clarissa's flushed ears and a realization dawned on him—was this her first time being held by a man, her first kiss even?

"Hey, was that your first kiss?"

Clarissa's face turned a shade redder, if possible, her ears burning as if they might bleed. No words were needed; her crimson face said it all.

Tiernan, unaware, felt his mood soar.

With a smirk, he taunted Hollis, "And what if I insist on taking her with me?"

Around them, cheers and whistles erupted, with Shaul egging them on, "Wensel, grab your phone and record this! Young Master Reynolds defying Hollis for a lady—this scoop could fetch a fortune from the tabloids! It's bound to hit tomorrow's front page!"

Wensel poured himself another whiskey, arching an eyebrow at the thrilled Shaul. "Bet you anything, if you pull that stunt, tomorrow's headline will be 'Mysterious Corpse Found in the Huangpu River.'"

"Erm..."

Hollis, too, had noticed Clarissa's beet-red face and found her bashfulness irritating.

His piercing gaze landed on her lips, his eyes narrowing as he pondered.

Clarissa, feeling exposed under Hollis's brazen scrutiny, averted her gaze, seeking to escape his inscrutable stare.

But Hollis's temper flared inexplicably. His grip tightened on Clarissa's wrist like a vise. With a swift move, he hoisted her over his shoulder like a sandbag and strode out of the room, leaving Tiernan, Wensel, Shaul, and the others in stunned silence.

Tiernan was the first to snap out of it, his anger flaring. "Stop!" he shouted, bolting after them.

Shaul's jaw dropped, still processing the scene before him.

Wensel leapt to his feet, "This is going to be good." He didn't wait for Shaul, striding off in pursuit. Shaul, finally catching on, scrambled to his feet. "Hold up! Why enjoy the drama alone when we can all revel in it?"

Eulalia stood frozen, her face ashen, her feet glued to the floor. All she knew was that she had caused a disaster for Clarissa.

Torn between guilt and fear of retribution, she hesitated, wrestling with her conscience.

Finally, she whispered to herself, "It'll be okay, it has to be. Clarissa's just a cleaner. Young Master Shen is just angry; he wouldn't really harm a cleaner. Right, it'll be okay." Repeating these words, Eulalia tried to quell her guilt with self-deception.

Tiernan sprinted after him, but Hollis was already ahead. In a sudden twist, Hollis's long legs traced a lethal arc through the air, and with a swift kick, he sent Tiernan reeling back before swiftly stepping into the nearby elevator.

Just as Tiernan was about to follow, the elevator doors closed right in front of him, sealed tight.

"Damn it!" Tiernan cursed, frustration boiling over as he slammed his fist against the elevator doors.

Shaul and Wensel showed up at the scene, one after the other.

Shaul, ever the instigator, taunted Tiernan, "No way, the elevator stopped on the 28th floor! Hey, Wensel, look! What's Hollis up to? Taking a cleaner up to the 28th floor?" The building's sixth floor housed an entertainment club, a nightclub for the elite. Only the wealthy and distinguished frequented the Night Emperor, ensuring an air of high-class elegance.

Above the sixth floor lay the hotel.

The reason for such a design was clear to anyone with a bit of sense.

Wensel's eyes, narrow and gleaming, flashed with amusement as he coolly retorted to Shaul, "A cleaner is still a woman. What's with the shock?"

Shaul, unable to keep his thoughts to himself, muttered, "What's with Hollis's taste? It's a bit much, isn't it?" The thought of Hollis taking a cleaning lady to a hotel room made Shaul grimace, recalling the cleaner's figure and face with a shiver.

"Shit!" Tiernan, hearing this, punched the elevator door again, desperately jabbing at the call button.

"Hey, Tiernan, you're not seriously trying to follow him, are you? You've just come back to the country and might not know, but the entire 28th floor belongs to Hollis. Without a key card, you're not getting up there."

Tiernan's face darkened with anger.

...

The elevator sped upwards, and with a "ding," the doors swung open. Hollis strode out, Clarissa in tow, navigating the living room with practiced ease before heading straight into the bedroom.

Thud!

Clarissa's world spun, and in the next instant, she found herself unceremoniously dumped onto the plush Persian carpet. "Mmm~" Before she could gather her wits, a sharp pain shot through her chin, and she was forced to look up. Hollis's strikingly handsome face loomed close.

"Clarissa," his voice, icy and deliberate, caused her to shiver involuntarily. He continued, "Clarissa, today you've truly been an eye-opener for me."