Chapter 3

"Tsk, tsk, who's this?"

A familiar voice rang out.

I turned to see one of Declan's buddies holding my clothes, swinging them around, a sneer on his face.

"Give them back!"

I lunged forward, but another buddy yanked the door open and shoved me out.

"Oh my god! Is that guy naked?"

"Seriously, how shameless can you be?"

"Tsk! He's not small, huh? Did anyone get a picture?"

"Got it, got it! Look at him, what a good little pet!"

A pair of high heels clicked slowly across the marble floor towards me.

All chatter ceased.

"Huh? Ms. Seraphina? What's she doing here?"

I looked up. Seraphina was holding Declan's hand, standing before me.

Declan, following behind her, had shed his previous injured look. His eyes and brows were filled with smug satisfaction.

"Are you satisfied with this punishment?"

Seraphina glanced at Declan.

The unfamiliar coldness she'd shown me earlier was now soft and warm for him.

"Seraphina,"

Declan looked at her meaningfully. "I almost thought he'd really stolen you away."

"How could he?"

Seraphina pouted. "There are no cameras in the changing rooms. Declan's idea was brilliant."

"Haha! Of course! I'll reluctantly forgive you this time, but…"

Declan eyed me.

"He still owes me an apology."

"Julian."

Seraphina looked down at me from her superior height.

"Apologize."

I clenched my jaw so tightly that my cheek felt torn, and I tasted iron.

"What did you say?"

Declan crouched down.

The next second, a mouthful of bloody spit landed on his face.

"Ah!"

Declan's suit was stained a shocking red. "This is brand new! And it has the sapphires Seraphina gave me!"

"Julian!"

Seraphina grabbed my chin. "I told you to apologize! Not to add fuel to the fire! Why can't you just learn to be obedient?!"

"Obedient?"

I gritted my teeth and curled my lips into a sneer.

"I've never done anything wrong! Why shouldI* be obedient?!"

Fury burned brightest in Seraphina's eyes.

Then, it slowly died down, leaving behind a chilling emptiness.

"Since you're so stubborn."

Suddenly, someone roughly grabbed me.

Seraphina pulled my arm, dragging me through the corridor, past the astonished onlookers, through their shocked whispers:

"What's going on? He just came out naked?"

"How can someone be so shameless?"

"Tsk! What a good pet for the queen bee. Keep filming! It's blurry!"

"Seraphina!"

My wrist was encircled with deep red marks.

"What are you doing?! Give me back my clothes!"

The hotel interior was mostly guests; there weren't too many people.

But the moment Seraphina pulled open the doors to the banquet hall, my heart nearly stopped.

"Ah!"

Naked, I was thrown into the banquet hall, exposed to everyone's gaze.

Among them were those overseas clients.

They watched, stunned, at me—the man who had been laughing and chatting with them just moments before—their expressions shifting.

"Seriously?! Isn't this the banquet hall? If he wants to show off, pick another place!"

"What 'master's task'?"

"Julian! Are you crazy?! Do you still want to work with us?!"

"No… No…"

My knee was scraped raw, skin torn open and bleeding, exposed to everyone passing by. I could only curl up, trying to shield my private parts.

"Don't say anything! Please, stop!"

Agony and despair engulfed me.

When I looked at Seraphina, she stood at the doorway, looking down at me.

Then she raised a hand, and someone immediately closed the doors, cutting off my path back.

"Psst, is what we're doing okay? Isn't this illegal?"

"Tsk! You don't know Ms. Seraphina's power? This little thing won't do anything to her! Just do what she says, or you'll be sorry!"

People came and went in the banquet hall, but no one offered a hand.

Even if someone wanted to step forward, they'd be held back by a companion:

"Are you crazy? Didn't you see who threw him in here?"

"Exactly. Can you afford to offend Ms. Seraphina?"

The hand that was about to reach out would retreat.

"Julian!"

Someone rushed forward, wrapping me tightly in a jacket.

"What are you looking at?! Get lost!"

The onlookers were immediately startled by the roar and quickly made way.

I recognized her voice.

I looked up, my breath trembling.

"Valerie… Valerie?"