More than one hour later...
Scott was in the living room, sitting on the long sofa while watching TV. He held a car key in his hand.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Scott."
Scott turned and saw Luisa descending the stairs. She looked stunning and elegant in a black knee-length skirt and a gray cardigan over her black top.
Scott was mesmerized. He hadn't expected Luisa to be this beautiful. She was even more beautiful than Lisa.
"It’s okay. What matters is that you’re ready," Scott said.
One thing about Luisa's appearance that bothered Scott was the way she carelessly draped her headscarf. He suspected she wore it to cover her forehead.
Maybe, unconsciously, she still felt the "RV" tattoo was there. That’s what Scott thought.
He understood, though. It would take time for Luisa to adjust to her new self and the life she was beginning to embrace.
"Let’s go," Scott said, standing up and moving away from the sofa.
They then headed to the garage. As the garage door lifted, Luisa was stunned by what she saw.
"These cars... are they yours?" she asked, disbelief written all over her face.
There were five supercars from five famous brands parked there: a black McLaren (worth around 2 million dollars), a black Koenigsegg Jesko (close to 3 million dollars), a red Ferrari (about 1 million dollars), a white Bugatti Chiron (over 4 million dollars), and a dark blue Rimac Nevera (around 2 million dollars).
"No, they’re not. They belong to a friend of mine," Scott replied, shaking his head. "This villa is his too. He’s living abroad now. He lent me everything here."
"Oh, I see..."
Of course, that was a lie. The cars were gifts from Zach. They had arrived this very morning. The key Scott was holding was for the black McLaren.
"Come on, I’ll take you to the Dominion Group office," Scott said, walking over to the black McLaren.
Luisa hesitated for a moment, unsure if she was worthy of riding in such a luxurious car.
Scott opened the car door for her. Finally, Luisa get into the supercar.
...
At the Dominion Group office, outside the main lobby...
Scott paced back and forth, waiting for Luisa to come out. It had been nearly half an hour since she went in. Scott could hardly wait to see the joyful smile on her face.
At that moment, a few people emerged from the lobby. Scott guessed they were job applicants who had just finished their interviews.
One of them, a man with a thick beard, stared intently at Scott, scanning him from head to toe. His name was Wayne.
“What do you think a bum like him is doing at the Dominion Group office? Is he here for a job interview like us?” Wayne asked.
“Come on, Wayne. Even if he’s here to apply, it’s probably for a security guard or parking attendant position. We’re in a different league,” responded a short-haired woman beside him.
“Exactly. Those jobs are more fitting for a bum like him,” chimed in a bespectacled man.
“Hey, hey! You guys are harsh, but I agree with you. Hahaha...” Wayne replied, laughing.
The short-haired woman and the bespectacled man laughed along, looking down on Scott as if he were nothing more than a poor, pitiful soul.
Scott was annoyed but didn’t bother responding. He didn’t have time for that.
However, Scott’s silence only encouraged Wayne and his friends to mock him even more.
“Hey, Scott, I’ve got something for you,” Wayne said, pulling out his wallet and taking out a few thousand-dollar bills. He threw the money toward Scott.
“Use this cash from me to buy yourself some decent clothes. Maybe you’re broke because you couldn’t become a member of the Grandier family,” Wayne added.
His friends chuckled, their eyes filled with contempt for Scott. The bills landed scattered at Scott’s feet.
Scott lifted his chin slightly, narrowing his eyes. He was just about to say something to them when he saw the lobby doors open, and Luisa hurried out with a worried expression.
“Scott, what’s... happening here?” asked Luisa anxiously.
Wayne and his friends turned to the source of the voice, watching as Luisa walked up to Scott and stood beside him.
Scott shook her head, smiled, then said, “Nothing. How was the interview?”
Luisa let out a sigh. The anxiety on her face shifted into sadness as she said, “It ended too soon, Scott. I... I don’t think they’ll hire me.”
The smile on Scott’s face immediately vanished. How did it come to this? She was supposed to get the job without any issues. What exactly happened in that interview room?
“Hey, aren’t you Luisa? Luisa Grandier?” Wayne suddenly blurted out, making Scott and Luisa turn to him.
“Oh my God, you really are Luisa Grandier,” Wayne continued, scanning Luisa from head to toe.
“You know, I heard the Grandier family sold her to a brothel a few months ago,” he said to his friends. “If that’s true, then she’s a prostitute now. What’s a prostitute doing here?”
Thud!
Scott’s eyes widened. If this continued, the bearded man would cross the line. Scott couldn’t let him go on.
“Hey, watch your mouth!” Scott barked, stepping forward with fiery eyes fixed on Wayne.
“How dare you call her a prostitute. Take it back, or I’ll beat you to a pulp!” he added.
Wayne’s friends gasped, shocked by Scott’s fierce response. They hadn’t expected him to react this strongly after ignoring them earlier.
Wayne himself snorted, irritated. Thinking he was bigger than Scott, he moved his face close to Scott’s, looking at him with disdain.
“You’re threatening me, Scott? Ha! That’s hilarious!” Wayne said with a crooked smile.
He then glanced at Luisa with a sneer, then looked back at Scott and saying, “She’s a prostitute, you know. Just accept it. That’s the fact. After months in a brothel, who knows how many men she’s serviced. If I were you, I wouldn’t go near her—”
Smack!
Scott swiftly slapped Wayne across the face. Wayne’s friends gasped, as did Luisa. Wayne himself was stunned, not expecting Scott to be so bold.
“You! How dare you slap me!”
Smack! Smack!
Two more slaps in quick succession. Wayne stumbled slightly. The left corner of his mouth split open, dripping blood.
"Damn you! You just wait! My uncle works here as the marketing manager. I'll have him talk to HR and make sure this whore's job application gets rejected and her name blacklisted!" Wayne shouted, jabbing his finger at Scott.
At this point, a black limousine pulled up in front of the lobby, catching the attention of the bearded man and his friends.
The driver stepped out and opened the passenger door, and a man with slicked-back hair in an all-black suit and tie, with a Rolex Submariner on his left wrist, stepped out.
“What’s going on here? Why is there a crowd outside my office?” the man asked. He was Steve, the CEO of Dominion Group.
...
Scott turned to see Steve walking toward them, his face annoyed. When Steve recognized the casually dressed man facing away from him as Scott, his expression immediately changed. His eyes widened, and his pupils dilated. Steve had been informed by Lombard that Scott was an extremely powerful man. If he offended Scott or made him uncomfortable, not only would his career as CEO of Dominion Group be over, but his life could be as well. Steve was about to greet Scott with a deep bow when Scott gave him a slight shake of his head. Steve understood. For reasons unknown, Scott didn’t want anyone to know the nature of their relationship. That explained why he was dressed so casually, even though he was at the Dominion Group office. “Mr. Steve!” Wayne called out, pushing Scott aside and stepping forward to approach Steve. Steve was a well-known businessman in Mildenbrough. Many people knew him, including job applicants like the bearded man. Then he added, "It looks like this woman appl
“Get your hands off me!” Scott snapped, shaking off James’s grip on his shirt with a quick flick.“Ouch!”James yelped, shaking his right hand as if it were stinging. It seemed like Scott's shove had been gentle, yet James felt a sharp twinge in his hand.“You son of a bitch!” James spat.Scott took a step forward, ready to teach James a lesson, but suddenly Lisa splashed wine from her glass directly onto Scott's face.“Watch yourself, Scott! If you hurt James again, I swear I’ll never forgive you for as long as I live!” she exclaimed.Scott wiped the wine from his face with a handkerchief, slowly opening his eyes. He glared coldly at his former fiancée.“Do you think I care? Don’t get ahead of yourself, Lisa. Whether you’re in my life or not means nothing to me,” he said.Lisa's eyes widened in shock. Reflexively, she hurled her empty wine glass at Scott's face.Swoosh!Scott caught the glass effortlessly. Lisa was astonished. How could he move his hand that fast?Frustrated that her
"And by the way, the villas in the northern part of Oval Enclave are the cheapest among the hundreds of villas in that area. How funny that you brag about it. It just shows how low your standards are. Don’t you realize that?” Scott added, smirking.Lisa’s face flushed red. “Shut up, Scott! What do you know about the villas in Oval Enclave, huh? You might not even get a foot in the door!"“And stop pretending to be someone great! I know your past. You served in the military, but only as a guard for a general. That was your highest rank before you were dishonorably discharged for drinking and gambling.“I also know about the gifts Mr. Lombard brought yesterday. He did that because the general, your former boss, ordered him to, didn’t he? There’s no real connection between you and the general.“Oh, come on, Scott. I’ve done some research on you, and I found nothing special. You’re pathetic!” Scott furrowed his brow. Everything Lisa said matched the false information spread years ago to
Indeed, with Luisa bent over like that, Quint had a clear view of her cleavage.Luisa had a slim figure with ample breasts. It must be tempting for someone with a twisted mind like Quint's."Lift your head, beautiful," Quint said, still smiling with a sly grin.Slowly, with a tense face, Luisa straightened up. She glanced at Quint for only a moment before dropping her gaze to her shoes.“You want me to forgive the man behind you?” Quint asked.“Yes, Mr. Quint. Please forgive him just this once,” Luisa replied.“Well, if you want me to forgive him, you’ll have to sleep with me tonight. That’s your only chance,” Quint said.Luisa gasped again, stepping back in shock at Quint’s words. Fortunately, Scott was right behind her and caught her, his eyes locked onto Quint’s. “Get lost, or you'll regret it.” The people in the room were once again stunned. Earlier, they thought Scott was being disrespectful to Quint because he didn’t know who he was dealing with. But just now, when Scott sho
Everyone in the room, including Luisa, was stunned by what Scott had just done. How could he be this reckless? Didn’t he know by now that Quint was the son of the richest businessman in Mildenbrough? “Hey, you! Do you even realize what you’re doing? Drop that knife and let Quint go!” shouted the Beaumont family representative, his voice booming. “Are you insane? Let Quint go now or I’m calling the police!” the Vanderhelm family representative chimed in. Among all the top-tier families attending the auction, only the Ravenwood family’s representative didn’t pressure Scott to release Quint. In fact, a beautiful woman in their entourage seemed amused. Lisa, on the other hand, had been riding a wave of anxious thoughts since just a moment ago, when a gust of wind made her feel at ease for a brief second. Now, that unease was back, gnawing at her. What if Scott really did cut off Quint’s hand like he threatened? That would surely infuriate the Winterbourne family, right? And wouldn’
Scott glanced at the woman. She was with the Ravenwood family.Briton also turned to her, but his glare was full of rage.“This gentleman is innocent, Mr. Briton. Quint started this mess. He demanded the woman with this gentleman sleep with him. That alone is outrageous. No wonder this gentleman got angry,” the blonde woman said.Scott narrowed his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face. He hadn’t expected anyone in the room to defend him and Luisa.Bang!Suddenly, Briton fired a shot into the air. The blonde woman flinched.“Stay out of my business, you little brat! If you stand up for the scum who cut off Quint’s hand, I’ll have my guards deal with you too!” Briton threatened.Francesca Ravenwood, the blonde woman, froze and took a step back. Was this really what Briton Winterbourne was like when enraged—ignoring anyone who dared speak and ready to crush anyone standing in his way? John Ravenwood, her father, rushed forward with a panicked expression. Standing beside Francesca,
Seeing Steve enter the room with a furious expression, Briton wasn’t worried—in fact, he smiled. He assumed Steve was on his side. After all, Winterbourne Group had maintained a strong partnership with Dominion Group for years, and Briton was certain that relationship still held strong. “What’s going on here? How could an auction that’s supposed to be classy and elegant turn into such a mess? Why is there a table flipped over? And what was that sound I heard earlier? A gunshot?” Steve demanded as he walked toward the crowd. The guests quickly made way for Steve. Even though he wasn’t from one of the wealthiest families in Mildenbrough, his position as CEO of Dominion Group commanded respect and fear from everyone in the city. Even the most powerful families in Mildenbrough wouldn’t dare cross him. The only exception was Briton. As the richest man in Mildenbrough, Briton never saw himself as beneath Steve. The only person he considered his equal was Dominion Group’s Chairman. “
Scott turned to her and said, "If the CEO of Dominion Group says so, then he must be here with us." Luisa covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes widening. "I... I’m embarrassed, Scott. That means he saw how people ridiculed and insulted me earlier," she said. Scott gave her a soft smile, his gaze warm and reassuring. "Don’t worry about that," he said. "Whatever those fools said about you, it doesn’t lessen your value in the eyes of the new chairman of Dominion Group. Trust me, okay?" Luisa nodded, still feeling unsure but choosing to believe Scott. After all, everything he had said so far had been spot on, including the prediction that Winterbourne Group would lose the bid for Dominion Group’s prestigious project. With Scott by her side, standing up for her like this, Luisa found herself feeling safe. While Luisa was calming down, Briton was growing increasingly anxious. After hearing Steve confirm that the new chairman of Dominion Group was indeed in the room, his eyes