Chase Childs sat ramrod straight. He glanced at River Sterling and explained with a hint of resignation, "President Quinn, President Sterling happened to be right next to me when I was on the phone with you."
The single sentence explained how River Sterling knew the contents of their conversation and that it wasn't Chase who had been blabbing.
Seth Quinn finally retracted his gaze, which was cold enough to freeze a man solid. He ignored them, picked up his glass, and downed it in one go.
"So, Seth, what made you take the initiative to investigate a woman? What on earth happened between you and her?" Linden Jennings took a sip of his drink, unable to resist asking the question that had been nagging at him.
"Yeah, Seth, don't tell me you two..." River Sterling quickly chimed in, but before he could finish, Seth Quinn stood up.
"Going to the restroom." Seth Quinn tossed out a few curt words and left the private room.
It wasn't that he actually had to use the restroom. Besides, the private room had its own attached bathroom; even if he did need to go, he wouldn't have had to step out.
He was just annoyed and irritated by their questions. 'Why did I take it upon myself to investigate that woman? Hell if I know! I can't even figure it out myself!'
'If she were a normal woman, that would be one thing. But no, she just had to be the kind of woman who'd stop at nothing to climb into someone's bed! She probably sleeps her way all over town!'
The more Seth Quinn thought about it, the more an inexplicable rage simmered inside him, with nowhere to vent it.
After leaving the private room, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, planning to head to the smoking area for a smoke. He had only taken two steps, however, when a familiar figure ahead caught his eye.
The woman was still in the same outfit from this afternoon. 'What, she couldn't even find time to change her clothes, makeup, or hairstyle before rushing here to hit on other men?'
Seth Quinn scoffed, slipped the pack of cigarettes back into his pocket, and strode toward the person ahead.
...
The girl who had asked Clara Grant to deliver the phone was quite generous, giving her two hundred yuan as payment.
She said it wasn't easy to make a trip like that so late at night.
Clara Grant left the private room and headed back, feeling pleased. With her head lowered, she tucked the money into her wallet. She had just put it away and hadn't yet looked up when someone blocked her path.
Startled, she looked up to see a stout, boorish stranger who reeked of alcohol.
Clara Grant figured he was just a drunk who wasn't watching where he was going, so she took a step to the side, trying to walk around him.
But he grabbed her by the arm.
Before she could react, the man's large, fleshy face was already in front of hers. With a foolish grin, he reeked alcohol as he spoke. "Mmm, this little thing's not bad. Pretty! I love innocent-looking schoolgirls like you. Come on, come with me."
Clara Grant wrinkled her nose in disgust and waved a hand in front of her face, trying to fan away the stench of alcohol, but it did little good.
Suppressing her revulsion, she gave a cold laugh. She leaned in close to the boorish man's ear, her lips parting slightly. "Heh. Sorry, but you can't afford me."
Meanwhile, her free hand was secretly digging into the fleshy arm that held her. But whether it was the alcohol or the man's thick layer of fat, the pressure had no effect. Not only did he not let go in pain, but he threw his other arm around her waist.
"Sweetheart, oh, sweetheart, you're trying to drive me wild! I can afford you, I swear I can! Just name your price. I'll give you anything..."
As he spoke, he moved in to kiss her.
Clara Grant froze in terror as he wrapped his arm around her waist. The sight of his foul mouth closing in on hers made her sick to her stomach.
She tried to struggle and slap him, but just as she raised her hand, a powerful arm seized her wrist. Before she could even get a clear look at who it was, she was wrenched free from the stout man's grasp and pulled into a different embrace.