Chapter 2

In the dim lighting, human nature was, to a certain extent, unleashed.

They flattered, exchanged pleasantries, boasted, and recounted their heroic deeds to the bottle girls beside them.

Not far away, Dominic Thorne stood out like an anomaly.

He accepted every single toast, never refusing a drink, yet barely uttered a word.

After three rounds of drinks, the greasy man suddenly pulled me onto his lap.

His thick, leering lips lunged straight for me.

I frantically pushed him away and stood up.

“Mr. Davies, you’ve had too much to drink…”

*Slap!*

The greasy man, face flushed crimson, slapped me across the face.

“You little slut! I’m being nice, and you’re just throwing it back in my face? This bottle of wine cost a fortune, you don’t seriously think I spent hundreds of thousands just to *drink* the damn thing, do you?”

Mr. Reynolds, hearing the commotion in the room, scurried in.

He immediately pulled me behind him, facing the greasy man and apologizing profusely.

“Mr. Davies, please calm down, calm down. Aria’s young and foolish, not worth your anger. Please, just let it go.”

But the greasy man was relentless. He shoved Mr. Reynolds aside.

“Foolish? No problem, I’ll teach her a lesson and she’ll learn to be smart.”

With that, his greasy hands reached out to tear at my clothes.

*Crash!*

“Enough, Arthur. You’re really something.”

Dominic Thorne had smashed a bottle of wine to pieces.

The noisy room fell into a sudden, eerie silence.

Three-tenths of the greasy man’s drunkenness instantly sobered up.

“Mr… Mr. Thorne, come on, none of these girls are innocent, are they? Besides, I just ordered a half-million-dollar bottle from her, she’ll at least get…”

Dominic’s face was so dark it looked like it was about to drip ink.

He tossed a black card at the greasy man.

“This round’s on me.”

The greasy man frantically picked up the card, trying to hand it back to Dominic.

But Dominic struck it away with a punch.

He walked over, expressionless, and pulled me out.

Mr. Reynolds called my name in concern from behind.

I shook my head at him, telling him not to worry.

Dominic Thorne, a rising titan in Harbor City’s business world.

Ruthless and decisive, a man who played by no one’s rules but his own.

Neither Mr. Reynolds nor I could afford to offend him.