Chapter 2

I knew that Seraphina wouldn't be so kind-hearted.

"I'm sorry."

I took the blush she handed me to touch up my makeup. Seraphina frowned as she looked away, not saying anything.

When we reached the private room, Seraphina pushed me towards a group of older men.

"Keep these executives company and drink to your heart's content. Don't embarrass me."

The unpleasant smell of smoke invaded my nostrils. I suppressed the urge to cough, picked up a glass, and toasted one after another.

"I've heard that Mr. Winters is Ms. Stone's right-hand man. You really can hold your liquor! Here, let me toast you!"

I forced a smile. By the sixteenth glass, my stomach was burning unbearably.

Instinctively, I glanced at Seraphina beside me. She was watching coldly, her expression dark and unreadable. I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

Just as I was feeling nauseated from all the drinking,

An older woman started to get handsy with me.

"Mr. Winters, how about spending the night with me?"

Her greasy paw rested on my leg, her words dripping with flirtation.

"The measly pay you get working for Ms. Stone for a month... wouldn't it be better to sleep with me a few times? I'll buy you a mansion..."She was becoming increasingly exaggerated in her movements.

I lowered my head, clutching my aching stomach, enduring the pain while helplessly allowing her to take advantage of me.

I thought to myself, I'm about to die anyway.

What's a little more dirt?

But unexpectedly, the next second Seraphina grabbed her drink and threw it in her face, immediately following up with a punch.

"I suggest you behave yourself!"

I was completely stunned. Tonight's business dinner was crucial for Seraphina, how could she be so impulsive?

The client's nose was bleeding. When she looked up again, her face was full of sneering laughter.

"Seraphina, you're quite something!"

"Isn't that what you said? Tonight we're drinking, and if I win, Mr. Winters is fair game for me to touch?"

Seraphina glared at her coldly, "I've changed my mind. Get out!"

The situation escalated until security appeared.

As the client left in a mess, she pointed at Seraphina's nose and cursed through gritted teeth:

"You'll pay for this, Seraphina. Just you wait!"

And just like that, the deal fell through.

I was filled with regret, "She just wanted to touch me a bit, if it could help your company through this crisis, it would have been worth it..."

Seraphina suddenly turned her head, fixing me with an icy stare."Dashiell, you've really got some nerve to say something like that so brazenly!"

I had no idea how I'd offended her.

Seraphina's emotions flared up.

She pinned me against the wall, her eyes blazing red as she sneered.

"Is that how men like you are? Always receptive to any woman who comes along?"

"If you enjoy it so much, why weren't you the one who died in that alley back then?!"

"Arthur should never have saved you!"

Seraphina transformed into a roaring beast.

I was stunned with fear, staring at her blankly before quickly lowering my head with a bitter smile.

"Yeah, why wasn't I the one who died?"

Seraphina abruptly let go of me and grabbed her coat before leaving.

In an instant, I was left alone in the vast private room.

The alcohol had numbed the pain earlier, but now that I was sobering up, my stomach felt like it was on fire.

I instinctively reached for my phone to call for help, but before I could pull it out, everything went black and I passed out.

When I came to, I found myself lying in a hospital bed.

Melody looked at me with exasperation, "Dashiell, do you have a death wish or something?"