Outside the restaurant.
A Rolls-Royce Phantom was parked at the entrance. In the rear seat, the window was lowered, revealing Adrien Lefèvre's indifferent, cold expression.
At that moment, Lucas walked out slowly.
The instant Adrien saw him, his gaze hardened. His voice turned icy.
"Lucas, if you dare talk to that woman about me again, you can get lost."
Lucas was momentarily stunned by his reaction.
Then he laughed.
"Mr. Lefèvre, did you forget that your clothes are still inside?"
As he spoke, Lucas casually tossed over a white, custom-made Italian suit.
Adrien took the suit and fell silent.
"This won't happen again," he said flatly.
"And from now on, if you're going to be late, report it in advance."
After saying that, the window rolled up.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom slowly drove away.
Lucas stood at the entrance, watching the car disappear into the distance. He shook his head and chuckled.
"With that suspicious look of his, no wonder he doesn't have a single trustworthy person around him."
"It's all betrayal."
Lucas laughed softly, but quickly sobered.
Right now, he was more concerned about himself.
After all, his current status was far too low.
Still—this wasn't entirely bad.
In this identity, Lucas was a young man who had started from nothing. Orphaned, relying solely on himself, he had built a company worth nearly one billion yuan.
His business talent was undeniably strong.
That's right…
In the original novel, this version of him had been written as nothing more than the villain male lead's obedient lapdog—eventually slaughtered along with the rest.
Was this considered an investment failure?
"Forget it," Lucas thought coldly. "You're going to die anyway. I'll reluctantly take over your family's assets after you're gone."
His gaze deepened.
To him, Adrien Lefèvre was already a dead man. All Lucas needed to do now was protect himself.
Slowly win over Adrien's secretary.
And the shareholders under his control.
Once the protagonist killed Adrien—
Wouldn't the entire industry fall into Lucas's hands?
In any case, I'm not the one who kills him.
"Get ready first."
In a good mood, Lucas got into his Porsche Cayenne and drove away from the restaurant.
What he didn't notice—
Upstairs.
On the third floor, in front of a floor-to-ceiling window.
Camille Laurent stood there quietly, watching the Rolls-Royce Adrien had been riding in. Then, her gaze shifted to Lucas.
Suspicion flickered in her eyes.
She withdrew her gaze, took out her phone, and made a call.
"Help me check Lucas's information," she said calmly. "Yes—the man who's been following Adrien all this time."
Weekend.One o'clock in the morning.
Angel Bar, the most popular nightclub in Jiangcheng, was alive with chaotic energy. The carnival atmosphere had reached its peak.
Outside the bar—
A flawless woman stepped out, wearing a black, one-shoulder dress and high heels.
Her jet-black hair naturally curved and rested against her shoulders.
Beneath delicately arched brows, her bright apricot eyes glimmered faintly, long lashes trembling slightly.
The pale skin of her oval face carried a faint blush, likely from alcohol.
Height: 1.64 meters.Perfect body proportions.
Her steps were unsteady, her slender body swaying slightly.
At that moment—
A man accompanied by two bodyguards hurried toward her.
Seeing her current state, the handsome man's face turned ashen. His lips trembled as he shouted in restrained fury.
"Claire Dubois!"
"How could you come to a place like this?!"
"Do you have any idea how chaotic this place is? Aren't you afraid something might happen to you?!"
His words came out rushed and disordered, eyes blazing as he questioned the woman who had just exited the bar.
Possession and anger filled his gaze.
Claire Dubois.
The president of the Bai Group, worth hundreds of billions—and the family's only daughter.
In the eyes of this man, she already belonged to him alone. Even a second glance from others would enrage him.
And yet—she had chosen to come here.
Upon seeing him, Claire's almost flawless expression cooled instantly.
Her red lips curved slightly as she spoke in a light, mocking tone.
"Adrien, you're really impressive. No matter where I go, you always manage to find me."
"And what does it have to do with you where I am?"
"Do I need to report my actions to you?"
She had no affection for Adrien whatsoever.
In fact, she found him utterly repulsive.
The main reason was his extreme possessiveness.
Worse still—he even sent people to monitor her.
It was perversion taken to the extreme.
"I suggest you put your thoughts in the right place," Claire said with a faint, contemptuous smile. "I have no feelings for you. Give up."
Hearing her words, Adrien was both humiliated and furious.
His lips trembled as he struggled to suppress the rage in his chest.
Meanwhile—
On the other side of the street.
Lucas sat inside his Porsche Cayenne, watching the entire scene unfold with interest.
"This looks familiar," he murmured.
"Earlier it was women chasing men and being rejected. Now it's men chasing women and getting rejected. Tsk."
Lucas didn't know what to say.
He could only think that rich people really knew how to entertain themselves.
Ahem…
Although he was wealthy himself, he didn't play like this.
Or perhaps—
Lucas simply preferred being in control.
As a self-made tycoon, he liked ruling the seas.
That was his particular taste.
Of course, several hours had already passed.
He was no longer that self-made sea king.
Right now, he was merely a small-time follower.
In the original story, Lucas's appearance had been nothing more than "decent-looking," meant only to highlight Adrien Lefèvre's handsomeness.
But now—
It was different.
This body was his real body, not a borrowed shell.
Naturally, his appearance had changed.
Coupled with the calm authority he had cultivated over time—and his warm, gentle demeanor when interacting with women—he was unforgettable.
Even his voice stood out.
Warm as jade. Deep, layered, yet never hoarse.
In Lucas's eyes, Adrien's earlier arrogance toward Camille, and his current submissiveness before Claire, were equally laughable.
When Adrien heard Claire's words, he clenched his fists tightly.
His eyes burned with anger and obsession as he forced out a word through gritted teeth.
"Fine."
"Then tomorrow, I'll go to your house and speak to Chairman Bai about the two of us."
Claire's expression changed instantly.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she snapped.