He increased the pressure, grinding his foot down ruthlessly.

The bald man still tried to act tough, howling in sharp pain while stammering defiantly, "My uncle is... is the CEO of Qingyuan Corporation! I'll make sure... you pay a severe price for this!"

Chapter 25: The Threat

Julian turned back and looked at a companion sitting in the corner of the sofa. "What a coincidence. Isn't that one of your subsidiaries? How could they be so arrogant?" His friend nodded meekly. "Don't be angry, Julian. I'll replace the manager first thing tomorrow."

Julian's friends gave the thugs and Sera's blind date a ruthless thrashing, leaving them completely black and blue, too terrified to even attempt a counterattack. Highly satisfied, Julian looked down at the thugs with a cold, towering gaze. "Look closely. If you ever dare to mess with these two girls again, I'll make sure you don't live to see tomorrow's sun."

The bald man curled on the floor, utterly submissive. "Mr. Julian, we wouldn't dare. We were blind idiots." His patience entirely depleted, Julian uttered a disgusted "get lost." Terrified out of their minds, the men scrambled and stumbled out of the private room, leaving behind only the heavy stench of blood.

Every single light in the room was switched on. Julian turned back and offered me a smile, though it couldn't entirely mask the lingering malice on his face. He shed his suit jacket, gently draping it over my torn dress. A strange yet familiar fragrance instantly flooded my nose, and with a trembling voice, I murmured a thank you.

The remaining men stared with wide eyes, and the one who had opened the door earlier muttered under his breath, "Holy shit, since when did Julian get a woman like this? She looks a bit familiar too..." He paused for a moment. "Wait, isn't she the one we saw when we drove back that night?"

The political and business circles were only so large; someone who knew Julian might very well know Christian. Clutching the edge of Julian's jacket, cold sweat kept pouring from my forehead and palms. Julian cast a sharp glance at his companion. The temperature in the room instantly plunged, and the men went dead silent.

Julian turned his head toward Sera, asking, "What's the matter with your friend?" Sera had completely lost consciousness, falling into a deep slumber. I tried calling her name several times, but she wouldn't wake up no matter what. Total panic took over, and I clutched Julian's sleeve. "What should we do?"

Right then, my phone began to vibrate violently with an incoming call. Holding the phone with freezing hands, my gaze locked onto the two words on the screen, sending me into absolute dread—it was Christian.

I took several deep breaths, desperately trying to steady my heart. Just as I was about to answer it, Julian reached over and snatched the phone away. His deep, smooth voice brushed against my ear, carrying a heavy threat: "Tell me, what do you think his reaction will be if he finds out you're with me?"

The phone rang for a long time before finally cutting out. I raised my eyes, staring calmly at the man's wicked features. "Help me save my friend first."

One of Julian's companions walked over, placing a hand against Sera's forehead. "Her temperature is normal, so it shouldn't be anything serious. Of course, if you're worried, you can send her to the hospital."

Julian explained that the man was a doctor.

I didn't dare let word of Sera's incident get out. After all, this matter involved Julian, and if Christian found out, it would inevitably trigger his intense suspicion. As I hesitated, Julian offered, "Why not send her to my place?"

He had a private doctor.

I truly wasn't close with Julian, yet every single time I found myself buried in trouble, he would appear. It felt as though this man possessed a magical pair of hands, always capable of pulling me out of the mire. Perhaps due to this, I instinctively developed a sense of trust toward him.

Julian made a quick phone call, and it wasn't long before a driver arrived to fetch Sera. One of the men from the room also stepped forward, volunteering to accompany Sera back. Given the absolute chaos earlier, I hadn't managed to read any faces clearly besides Julian's.

The exact moment he scooped Sera up, my eyes widened in shock. "It's you?"

Chapter 26: Disheveled Twice

The man lowered his gaze to look at Sera inside his arms, letting out a casual smile. "What about it?"

The world truly was tiny; it was the male model Sera had ordered. This man didn't look like anything good either, and I stared at him with intense wariness. Sera had barely escaped a fiery pit, and I was terrified of pushing her straight into a wolf's den. I firmly refused: "No, you can't take her."

Julian looked thoroughly amused. "Quite cautious now, aren't you? What were you doing just a moment ago?" He asked if I really trusted them that little.

Those words hit the exact nail on the head. I offered a humorless smile. "Unbelievably so."

The male model completely ignored my hostile glare, gracefully handing over a business card. The card depicted a man in a sharp suit, neatly engraving three words: William Wang. I opened my mouth but found no words. As it turned out, modeling was merely a side gig; his primary occupation was running a business, owning a highly reputable company that made him a prominent figure locally.

William was the absolute polar opposite of Julian, wearing a shirt covered in graffiti paired with ripped jeans and exaggerated black earrings, radiating a powerful artistic vibe. He looked even more striking than when Sera had first seen him at The Dusk.

He just didn't look like he belonged to the same crowd as Julian at all.

An entrepreneur whose looks and stature had thoroughly overshadowed his business credentials.

Julian patted William on the shoulder, looking at me with a knowing smile. "Can we hand this mission over to him now?"

Julian didn't linger at the KTV either. On the drive back to my place, he took a detour, mentioning he needed to drop by his office to sign an important document. Julian parked the car downstairs, instructing me to wait for a few minutes. Lowering the window, I watched the man step into the corporate building.

The Julian Group operated on a massive scale, with endless employees streaming in and out. Likely recognizing Julian's vehicle, a few employees directed curious stares toward the car. I quickly rolled the window back up.

This was a habit ingrained in me since following Christian. During the first two years of being taken in by him, he never brought me near his workplace, strictly forbidding me from appearing anywhere near those areas, even if it was just passing by. It was only after several years that he let his guard down, bringing me along to banquets and business dinners.

A full half hour passed before Julian returned, carrying a coffee and a paper shopping bag. Just as he was about to open the door, someone hailed him from a few paces away.

The person's gaze landed straight on me inside the vehicle, filled with scrutiny. Julian made no attempt to conceal me, offering a brief response before unceremoniously slipping into the driver's seat.

He handed the coffee over, his fingers inadvertently brushing against my freezing hand before pulling back with a smile. "Hot coffee."

This man was terrifyingly meticulous.

Then he opened the paper bag, revealing a brand-new dress whose color and style were nearly identical to the one I was currently wearing. Julian arched an eyebrow. "Time was tight, so I had my secretary purchase it nearby. I've met you three times, and you've been disheveled for two of them, which really is a bit unseemly."

Resting the dress on my lap, I stared at Julian as he rested his hands on the steering wheel. "Aren't you worried people might misunderstand? It won't be good for your reputation."

He didn't reply, slowly lighting a cigarette and holding it between his lips with a lazy smile. After a few puffs, he seemed to realize something, asking if I minded.

I used to smoke as well. Back when my family went bankrupt during my teenage years, plunging from the clouds straight into the mud, I had developed a heavy nicotine addiction. But after meeting Christian, who despised the scent on women, I forced myself to quit completely.

I shook my head to say it was fine, but Julian extinguished it anyway. Suddenly, he leaned over, enveloping me in the residual scent of tobacco. "Is Mr. Christian also this attentive?"

Chapter 27: The Car Accident

I turned my face away to dodge him. Just as I was about to speak, a text message arrived. It was from Christian: I'm coming back tonight.

Biting my lip, I carefully drafted a response: I went shopping with a friend today, sorry I missed your calls earlier. The moment I pressed send, Julian snatched the phone from my hand once more, his tone incredibly petty. "It wasn't easy for us to meet, can't you focus on me while we're together?"