Ominous Silence In The Hall

Lisa and her family gasped. They exchanged glances before turning back to Scott.

“How do you know about Luisa?” Lisa asked.

Scott shot a disdainful look at his former fiancée. Instead of answering, he posed another question:” What did Luisa ever do to you that made you sell her to a brothel? Are all of you truly that heartless?”

“Hey, watch your mouth, bastard! You‘re an outsider. You have no right to speak to us like that in our own home!” Jacob snapped, pointing his finger aggressively at Scott.

“Jacob’s right! You‘re just an outsider trying to leech off the Wiguna family’s wealth! You better shut your filthy mouth!” Lucas chimed in.

Scott glanced at both of them.” Filthy mouth? Who here really had the filthy mouth?”

“Scott, how do you know about Luisa? Explain! “ Daniel commanded, his stern demeanor returning.

Scott twitched and glared at Daniel with annoyance.” I asked you two questions, and you didn‘t answer either of them. Fine! If you wont tell me anything about Luisa in front of everyone here, I‘ll find out on my own!”

With that, Scott walked away from them, heading toward the wide-open hall entrance.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going? You can’t just leave like that!” Daniel shouted, but Scott ignored him.

“Answer my husband when he speaks to you, you rude hillbilly! You have no manners! “ Olivia yelled after him, but Scott still paid no attention.

With firm steps and without looking back, Scott exited the hall and disappeared from sight. The people in the hall stared at the entrance in confusion, wondering if this meant the wedding they were attending was truly canceled.

Seeing Scott leave, Lombard had no reason to stay. He ordered his men to put the gifts back in their boxes and carry them out.

This threw Lisa and her family into a panic once again. Daniel approached Lombard to try to persuade him.

“Mr. Lombard, please reconsider your decision. The wedding isn‘t canceled; it‘s just postponed. You can leave the gifts here so you won’t have to go through the trouble of bringing them back later, “Daniel said.

Lombard looked at Daniel with disdain. To him, the Wiguna family was just ordinary, and Daniel was nothing more than a disgusting man trying to curry favor with him.

“Mr. Scott clearly asked me to take the gifts back. I will do as he instructed,” Lombard said.

“But, Mr. Lombard…”

“Enough! Stop talking to me! You’re making my mood worse!” Lombard snapped.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense and ominous. People watched Lombard in fear, not knowing what the richest man in Mildenbrough would do if he got angry.

Unsure of what else to say, Daniel closed his mouth tightly. Not wanting to lose the luxurious gifts, Lisa thought quickly and approached James.

“James, please persuade Mr. Lombard not to take the gifts back. You said you‘d try to talk to him, right? “Lisa said.

Daniel and his family turned to James. James hesitated, feeling the sudden pressure.

He remembered well what he had promised, but now, after seeing firsthand how Lombard showed respect to Scott, he wasn’t sure if he had the courage to speak to Lombard, let alone persuade him not to take the gifts back.

Lombard was clearly on Scotts side. Would he even listen to what James had to say?

“Come on, James, help us. Your father is good friends with Mr. Lombard, right? “Olivia urged.

“Ah, yes. Okay, okay, “he finally said, though his face clearly showed he was still doubtful.

He took a deep breath, trying to muster his courage. He then approached Lombard, who was overseeing his men putting the gifts back in their boxes.

“Mr. Lombard, could I ask you not to take the gifts back? “James asked, standing to Lombard’s left.

Lombard turned to him, looking irritated. James‘ courage suddenly dwindled.

“P-please, Mr. Lombard. I-in return... l-later... my father and I will do something for you,” he stammered.

Lombard narrowed his eyes. Lisa and her family watched them anxiously, waiting for Lombard‘s response.

Slap!

Suddenly, Lombard slapped James hard. James staggered, his lip bleeding.

“You’re Rudyard von Drachenbergs son, aren’t you? How dare you ask me to do something for you? Who do you think you are?!” Lombard shouted.

“You might think the Drachenberg family is one of the richest in this city. But to me, you’re nothing. You better know your place! “ he continued.

Silence fell again. Many guests looked away, unable to watch Lombard’s anger.

James himself couldn’t say anything more; he just kept his head down, his legs trembling.

Lisa and her family stood frozen with pale faces. They had just angered the richest man in Mildenbrough. They were doomed!

...

After Lombard and his men left, the tension in the hall finally eased.

Lucas and Jacob approached James, asking if he was okay.

James still looked distressed over what had just happened to him. He felt defeated and humiliated.

“Please forgive us, James. Because we couldn’t control that piece of trash, he did this to your fingers. What a complete bastard!” Daniel exclaimed.

“Yeah, he’s a total scumbag! How dare he lay a finger on a member of the Drachenberg family? His brain must be completely fried! We’re so sorry, James. Please don’t be mad at us.” Olivia added.

They felt the need to say this to ensure James would still want to maintain a good relationship with the Grandier family, even though Scott had hurt him. 

It was crucial for them because they needed the financial support and connections that James and his father could provide.

One of the key opportunities was access to the prestigious Dominion Group tender auction happening tomorrow. The Grandier family wasn’t invited, but if James, representing the Drachenberg family, brought them along, they could at least be present.

They believed that the prestigious project tender would be won by the Winterbourne family, the wealthiest in Mildenbrough. James, who was rumored to have a close relationship with the Winterbourne’s only child, was expected to receive a share of the projects from them.

Daniel and his small family could also benefit if James were generous enough to include them. If that happened, their standing with the extended family would rise dramatically.

It was quite possible they would be entrusted with more responsibilities in managing Grandier Corp., the Grandier family’s company, something they had been expecting for years.

Apart from that, the event would be attended by representatives from the other three powerful conglomerate families in Mildenbrough: the Beaumonts, the Vanderhelms, and the Ravenwoods.

Those families were leagues above the Drachenbergs. At the auction, if they were lucky enough, they might be able to seize a moment to network and build good relationships with them too.

“It’s okay, Uncle, Aunt. I’m not mad at you. You didn’t do anything wrong, ”James replied, grimacing as he clutched his injured left hand.

“Lucas, Jacob, take James to the hospital right now. Those fingers need to be treated immediately before it’s too late!” Daniel ordered.

“Make sure you stay with James at the hospital. He might need your help with something. Got it? “ Olivia added.

“Got it, Mom, Dad, “ Lucas replied, while Jacob just nodded.

They carefully lifted James, carrying him out.

“We’ll see you again at the auction tender tomorrow, James,” Daniel called out loudly.

“Don’t worry, we’ll bring Lisa along with us. She will accompany you as your partner, “ he continued.

James turned around, stared at Lisa, finding the woman forcing a smile at him.

Their wild game earlier was unfinished, and now he was no longer in the mood to restart the game. 

James would drag Lisa back to the bed when they met again. There, he would fuck her to his heart's content.

...

Meanwhile, about an hour later, in an exclusive brothel in the northern part of Mildenbrough called The Velvet Rose...

People filled the sofas on the first floor where customers drank and waited for their turn to enter a room.

Beautiful, voluptuous women clung seductively to the wealthy, lecherous men.

Everything seemed normal and usual. Yet, about half an hour ago, a special auction had been held there, attended by notable figures from various sectors. During the auction, the brothel appeared far more exclusive than usual.

The auction featured a new arrival at The Velvet Rose, a beautiful woman.

Not only was she as lovely as a princess, but she also had a curvaceous, enticing figure and one more extraordinary feature: she was still a virgin.

Five notable figures participated in the auction, bidding very high prices. The brothel decided that this newcomer would serve them all in turn, with the highest bidder going first.

No doubt, the unfortunate girl being auctioned was Luisa. Now she was in a room on the second floor, curled up in one corner, her porcelain body covered only by lingerie.

A bald, pot-bellied man sat in a wooden chair, staring at her with wild eyes. Four other lecherous men were in the room, waiting for their turn.

"I told you not to resist. I've spent tens of millions of dollars just to sleep with you. You have to let me enjoy every inch of your body until I'm satisfied," the pot-bellied man said.

Luisa didn't respond. She just curled up and sobbed, her face drenched in tears.

"Ugh! You're being troublesome! Don't blame me if I drag you to the bed, you slut! You're really pissing me off!" the pot-bellied man said, standing up and stepping forward.

Luisa looked at the man, her eyes widening. She wanted to stand up and run, but the fear she felt was too overwhelming; she couldn't move her legs.

"Get up! The pot-bellied man grabbed Luisa's long hair and yanked her to her feet.

"Ahh! It hurts!!" Luisa screamed, closing her eyes.

"Shut up and hurry up! You're a whore and I've paid for you!" the pot-bellied man shouted, dragging Luisa roughly to the bed.

"No! Please don't! Don't do this to me!" Luisa cried, tears streaming down her face again.

Of course, the pot-bellied man didn't care, while the other four men smiled and nodded, enjoying the scene.

At the same time, in front of The Velvet Roses gate, a taxi stopped.

The left passenger door of the taxi opened, and a man with a strong aura stepped out.

Yes, it was Scott Goodman. Now he gazed at The Velvet Rose with eyes full of anger.

...