Lana remembered Kevan telling Lucas at the banquet the previous night that he needed to fly to Bartham early that morning. "Oh, okay … if that's the case. Three of us having a meal together sounds great too!" Lana sent her a cute emoji.On the first day, Larissa and Lana agreed to meet outside the Regal Dynasty Hotel at eight in the morning. Worried that Lana would be early, Larissa arrived at 7.50 am and texted Lana upon her arrival, but she didn't receive a reply. She waited in her car until 8.10 am, but Lana was nowhere to be seen, so she called her."Hello?" Lana said in a voice that was thick with sleep. She obviously hadn't gotten out of bed. Larissa felt a little angry, but she reminded her mildly, "It's already 8.10 am.""Huh? What!" Lana shrieked and explained hastily, "Sorry, sorry! I set an alarm for 7 am, but I turned it off when it rang. I told myself I'd sleep for just ten more minutes, and I didn't realize how much time had passed … " "Just hurry up and get ready. I
"Here's your breakfast," Larissa said as she turned around and reached for the takeaway bag from the backseat. She pressed her palm against it to check the temperature and added, "The car heater has been on the whole time, so it should still be warm.""Thanks, sis!" Lana's smile stretched until her eyes nearly disappeared, but she did not immediately open the bag after taking it. Instead, she assessed the car's interior. "Larissa, why do you drive such a cheap car?" Lana asked casually, but Larissa still saw the scorn and disdain in her eyes. At last, Lana rested her gaze on Larissa and said, "I heard from Mom that she gave you a credit card with one million dollars when you left home. Didn't you use it?"Larissa recalled the credit card incident. It was back when she had just graduated from university and started working at the Regal Dynasty Hotel. One day, Yvette phoned her, showering her with warm regards and concern for her, causing Larissa to feel uneasy. Yvette had then uttered
There was no way she could forget her own birthday, so the only valid explanation was that Yvette had never set the PIN number to her birthday at all! However, she couldn't be sure if Yvette had remembered her birthday wrongly or just lied to her. When she got home, she cut the credit card in half with a pair of scissors.Larissa took her sunglasses from the glove compartment and put them on to hide her icy gaze. "No," she answered plainly. "Why don't you use it?" asked Lana in confusion. Then, she seemed to have thought of something, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Larissa, do you still hate Mom and Dad?" Her voice quivered, growing softer with each word. Larissa pursed her lips, using her silence as a confirmation. Lana blinked, and her tears streaked down her face. "Actually, Mom and Dad were doing it for your good … Back then, the man they wanted you to marry was the director of Soaring Corporation … Although he's much older, you could have lived the life of a queen if you h
"I've never been to a bar … " Lana complained meekly. "You know how strict Mom and Dad are with me. As long as they think that something's bad, then they won't let me do it. I'm already 24, but they still treat me like a kid, worrying about this and that. I thought they would be less controlling once I had a boyfriend, but they didn't change at all. I only had someone new bossing me around, and that's Lucas! I've wanted to go to bars and see more of the world since I came of age, but I've never even set foot in one until now." Lana leaned against Larissa and rubbed her cheek against Larissa's arm like a kitten. "Lyssa, I'm begging you. Just take me once … please?"Though Larissa had never approved of Yvette and Xavier's parenting methods, she found herself agreeing with them for once. "Bars are messy and dangerous. It's no place for a girl to visit." Especially more so for girls like Lana, who looked cute and innocent. They would easily become prey to men with bad intentions. Perhaps,
That was why Larissa was very worried about Lana, fearing that she would face the same predicament. She knew better than to venture into such places alone, as not only would she be unable to protect Lana effectively, but she might also become entangled in trouble herself. However, she couldn't tell Lucas, so she had no choice but to ask for Dylan's help.Dylan stopped his car outside the building and rolled down the window. "Sit in the back," he instructed. Larissa, puzzled by the request, nodded and opened the rear door nonetheless. To her surprise, someone was already inside. The dim lighting cast a soft glow, lending a warm aura to Kevan's face. The collar of his brown jacket was pulled up to his chin, obscuring a quarter of his face, and his eyes looked brighter than usual in the dark. Larissa paused, and her heart inexplicably skipped a beat. However, the moment she remembered that Lana was still in danger, she cast all her other thoughts aside and quickly climbed into the car.
Quinn Bar had a total of three floors. The first floor was the lobby, the second floor was a bar, and the VIP rooms were on the third floor. Several staff members stood as sentinels, stationed near the staircase between the first and second floors. The guests could only enter the bars after having their identification cards checked. Upon reaching the second floor, Larissa instinctively covered her ears, taken aback by the deafening electronic dance music that engulfed the space.The bar was dimly lit. The multicolored lights overhead cast a purple-reddish hue on the patrons mingling below, masking everyone's faces with the same color.A group of stylish youngsters was dancing on the dance floor, swaying their bodies to the music freely. The booths nearby were filled with groups of people drinking. Lana mentioned that she was trapped in the women's restroom on the second floor.Larissa stopped a passing waiter to ask for directions. Although she shouted at the top of her voice
"Alright." Intimidated by Kevan's domineering aura, Lana's intense emotions calmed down somewhat. "Don't hang up so that we can hear what's happening on your end," Kevan continued. They heard a loud noise coming from the other end of the call as soon as he finished speaking. Immediately after, Lana screamed in terror, "They're inside the restroom!"In a panic, Larissa forgot Kevan's earlier instructions. She grabbed his sleeve and hurriedly pulled him towards the restroom, exclaiming, "Let's go and save her now!"The very next second, Kevan pulled her back.Returning the phone to Larissa, he clamped his hands on her shoulders and bent down to meet her gaze. "Listen to me. Go outside and stay in the car. I won't let anything happen to Lana." Kevan spoke with such certainty that Larissa couldn't help but trust him. His steady gaze gradually calmed her pounding heart as she stared into his eyes."Okay." She nodded.Kevan and Dylan returned to the restroom.The door to the re
"Let go of me! Don't you dare touch me!" Lana cried out in despair, her hoarse voice cracking.Her makeup was long ruined by the tears that streaked across her face.Her pink hoodie was torn in the struggle, exposing her bare shoulders.The bald man heard the commotion and turned around.Seeing his underlings lying in a heap on the ground, he was both surprised and furious. "Who the fuck are you?" He released Lana and grabbed a mop that was leaning against the wall, swinging it forcefully toward Kevan. "Damn it, how dare you ruin my mood!" Kevan stopped his attack without hesitation by grabbing the mop handle with his bare hands. The bald man was caught off guard. Seizing the opportunity, he gave the mop a strong tug, causing the bald man to lose his footing and fall forward. Just as the bald man was about to crash into him, Kevan sidestepped out of the way and kicked him behind the knees. With a thud, the bald man collapsed onto the ground.While the fight was going on, L