Chapter 278

Chapter 278:

“Onyx? Don’t you understand his reasons for bringing you here?” The middle-aged man’s sinister smile sent shivers down Susan’s spine. Overwhelmed, she replayed the man’s recent actions in her mind—actions Onyx seemed completely oblivious to. Could it really be that he brought her here merely for entertaining another man?

Disillusionment gripped her as she considered Onyx’s true nature, so different from the good man she had believed him to be. After she left the Riggs family behind, the last thing she had expected was to be treated like a pawn in someone else’s game.

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“I am a member of the Riggs family. If my father finds out about this, he won’t let you get away with it,” Susan asserted, clenching her teeth in defiance.

“Your father?” The man’s laugh was scornful. “The only child he cares about is your younger sister. You really think you matter? Everyone knows there’s only one treasured young lady in the Riggs family.”

His words hit Susan like a physical blow, knocking the breath from her lungs. She wanted to scream at him, to deny it, but the bitter truth was undeniable. Yes, there was only one treasured young lady in the Riggs family—and it wasn’t her.

A familiar ache settled in her chest, the realization tearing at her already wounded heart.

The man leaned closer, his breath foul against her cheek. “Stick with me, and maybe I’ll offer you some protection—something that loser Onyx could never do.”

Susan’s stomach turned, bile rising in her throat. The revulsion she felt was so strong that it left her numb. What was the point of it all? Was this the fate of her life—to be bartered, bought, and sold like some object?

She shuddered, the thought of death almost feeling like a release from this nightmare. Despair filled her eyes, yet the man had the audacity to grab her waist. With a surge of repulsion, Susan shoved him back hard.

The sharp sound of a slap echoed as the man struck her face. Susan stood frozen, shock overtaking her senses. Sneering, he barked, “Be smarter. You know why you’re here. Now, pour me a drink!”

The room was full of people, yet no one dared to speak up for Susan. Their silence was damning, a sign of their complicity. They had seen this kind of thing happen so often that they had grown desensitized, numb to the cruelty unfolding before them.

“Who are you asking to pour you a drink?” a cold voice suddenly cut through the tense air. Heads turned toward the door, where a tall, slender figure stepped into the room. His appearance commanded immediate attention. The man was strikingly handsome, with a refined face adorned by golden glasses that lent him a sophisticated air. But his eyes, sharp and frigid, carried a chilling intensity that seemed to drop the temperature in the room by several degrees.

“Mr. Johns?” the middle-aged man uttered in shock at the sight of Dane. He quickly shifted his demeanor, stumbling over his words as he said, “Mr. Johns, what brings you here unexpectedly? If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve prepared properly!”

Ignoring the pleasantries, Dane stepped forward, his presence commanding. “Let me ask you again—who are you asking to pour you a drink?”

The middle-aged man blinked, stunned by the fury in Dane’s eyes. Why was he so angry? He hesitated for a moment but answered instinctively, “Susan…”

“Then pour it for him,” Dane commanded, his gaze shifting to Susan.

Susan’s heart sank. She had never expected Dane to appear here, and when she saw him, she wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. Her face burned with embarrassment. Now, his order for her to pour the drink struck her like a blow.

Had Dane come here just to humiliate her? Without a flicker of emotion on her face, Susan rose slowly to her feet and poured the drink for the middle-aged man. Dane watched her with a steely gaze, then suddenly snorted in displeasure. “Who told you to pour like that?”

Without warning, he snatched the bottle from Susan’s hand and forcefully jammed its top into the middle-aged man’s mouth. Dane’s gaze was unrelenting, his sharp, cold eyes locking onto the man with a chilling intensity. “You like to drink, don’t you? Then drink it all!” he commanded, his voice icy.

The bottle was full of strong liquor, and the middle-aged man’s eyes widened in terror. His face twisted in panic, but under Dane’s icy stare, he had no choice. His throat burned as the alcohol flooded down his throat. The heat from the liquor felt like it was scorching his insides.

The moment Dane released his grip, the man staggered backward, coughing violently before he doubled over, vomiting onto the floor. His body convulsed as he tried to regain his breath. Yet before he could recover, Dane snapped his fingers crisply. “Bring another case,” he ordered.

His assistant, without hesitation, hurried to fetch it, leaving the room in a tense, suffocating silence. No one dared to speak. The onlookers averted their eyes, fearful of becoming targets of Dane’s wrath.

Susan stood off to the side, feeling disconnected from everything around her. The scene played out like a grotesque déjà vu. This wasn’t the first time she had witnessed such cold indifference from businessmen like these. Moments later, the assistant returned with a full case of liquor. The middle-aged man looked at it with dread, his body already trembling. His face turned ashen; if he drank this much, he was certain he would die.

“Mr. Johns!” The man collapsed to his knees in front of Dane, his voice shaking with desperation. “I—I don’t know how I’ve offended you. Please, tell me what I did wrong!”

“Offended me?” Dane’s voice dripped with mockery. “All I’m asking you to do is drink. Why would you think you’ve offended me?” The elegance in his demeanor only made him seem more like a devil in disguise. He looked perfectly composed, yet his presence was terrifying.

“Feed him,” Dane ordered, his tone as smooth as ever.

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