Si didn't want to talk to Alex, especially with all these people present, but he knew he must deal with the situation.
He was the owner of the Number Seven hotel. His assistant had been humiliated, and now his men had been easily defeated by Celeste, so he had to do something to regain his reputation. Giving himself time to think, he lit a cigarette.
A piece of ash landed on Si's bright clothes. He flicked it off, took a deep breath, and blew a jet of smoke at the sky. Turning back to Alex, he said, "Cassidy was arrogant and unpleasant to everyone on set."
He shrugged. "Originally, something happened between her and the crew. Then she tried to put pressure on me, saying that if I didn't support her complaint, then she would not continue with the film, and that would have put us back months and cost us a huge amount of money. I was outraged. I'm an authority in the entertainment industry, so I wasn't going to tolerate such arrogance."
He looked over to check Alex was listening before he carried on. "That was just the beginning. If Cassidy was going to be like that throughout the entire film, then nobody would want to work with her. I told her that I would block her career in the entire entertainment industry, but she continued to cause trouble and ignored what I had said to her."
He blew out another puff of smoke. He was still a little afraid of Alex, but with Crispin's support, he felt that everything was going to be fine. No matter how powerful Alex was and how close he was to Timothy, there was no way he could compare with a powerhouse like Crispin.
"Not only can you not help Cassidy," he said, "but you will make her situation much worse if you continue to involve yourself in it."
While he was talking, several guards had appeared near Si, and they were staring fixedly at Alex. Not only did they carry themselves like men who were skilled in martial arts, but they were obviously armed.
Si smiled smugly. "Didn't Cassidy tell you? Maybe she hasn't been entirely honest with you, Alex."
"That's so strange," Alex said. "Everyone I have spoken to tells me you're a real bully in the entertainment industry, and I can't let you get away with that kind of behavior."
Si laughed out loud. "Whatever, Alex. The entertainment industry in Baltimore can't get along without me. My power in the industry is beyond your imagination."
He took a drag on his cigarette and let out a long puff of smoke. "Listen, you think you have the power to not only make trouble at my hotel but also to make trouble among my film crew?" He shook his head. "You've only been in Baltimore for five minutes. All the guests here are big names in my city. Do you know who is currently listening to you make a fool of yourself?"
He began to point out some of the guests.
"This man is Mike Jones, the director of a large pharmaceutical company."
"Let me introduce Lucy Lomax, chairperson of the board of directors of Osmond's."
"And this is Mr. Schultz, the president of Havana Industries."
One by one, Si introduced more than a dozen dignified men and women. Most of them looked at Alex in a very unfriendly manner.
Knowing that many guests had been invited by Debbie, Alex was a little surprised by how many of their guests Si knew. Seeing this, Si laughed. "Young man," he said patronizingly to Alex. "You may know Timothy, but that's just one family. All the people here are rich and influential, and they all know me and my position in Baltimore."
Alex smiled. "It doesn't matter who they are, Si. In this matter, they can't help you."
"Can't help him? Why would you say that?" asked a woman, stepping forward from the line of guests. "I'm Rachel Lindley, chairperson of the Onyx Group. Do you think I can't afford to help Si if he needs it?"
A figure suddenly flashed by and ran straight at Rachel, pushing her violently. Rachel screamed as she lost her balance. She was wearing a beautiful dress, but her heel caught in the hem, and she fell over in an undignified heap, leaving her very angry and embarrassed.
"Bastard," Rachel swore, in shock that somebody would dare to attack her. Hands reached down to help her up, but as she got up, she was pushed to the ground again. Donny had come from the back of the courtyard to support Alex and had lashed out in anger at Rachel.
Donny addressed the open-mouthed guests. "If anyone else thinks they should meddle in Alex's affairs, then just step forward, and I'll deal with you. Do you understand?"
Everyone stayed very still.
"Donny? Is that really Donny?" Many people knew him, and their eyes widened in amazement. They hadn't expected Donny to appear here or for him to stand up for Alex in this way.
"Well, who would have thought it? Is Donny showing up for Alex? This is a shock," someone muttered.
Compared with Celeste, Donny's actions were even more unexpected. Although his martial arts weren't so good, his ability was still clear in the way that he moved. That was the nature of the Demon sect, who were not ordinary people.
Rachel got up again, brushing off her dress and checking her hands where she had tried to break her fall. Although she was of a generation of elite women, and she was respected everywhere, she was now afraid. She felt short of breath and extremely uncomfortable.
Why had Donny sided with Alex? That showed that Alex should not be underestimated. Rachel didn't want to believe it, but she finally had to admit the truth. It was Donny who had pushed her to the ground, which meant that Alex had connections with the Demon sect. Rachel had many contacts among the Demon Sect and had met with Donny several times before, so she realized the implications.
She forced herself to ask, "Alex, what's the relationship between you and Donny? What's going on?"
Before Alex could answer, Donny came forward and shouted at her. "Shut up, Rachel! You're really making me angry. This is Alex Ambrose! I tell you, if you dare to fight against him, then I will make you regret it."
He glared at her. "If you are rude to him, then you insult me, so you should pay more attention to him in the future. Do you understand me?"
Donny lit a cigarette, pointed it at Rachel, and then at the assembled guests. "And all of you who are here to protect Si, I'm telling you as well—don't try to bully Alex, or I'll be forced to deal with you."
Alex was the owner of Birchwood House, and all the people at the function were his customers and business partners, but most of them still didn't really know who he was, and they were all uncertain about the connection between Alex and Donny.
They didn't know that Donny had decided that it was better to have Alex as a friend than as an enemy. If he was an enemy, he would be a very strong opponent, and if he was a friend, he would be a powerful ally. Donny felt angry that someone like Rachel would consider being disrespectful to Alex. His admiration for Alex was heartfelt, so he couldn't stand to see someone going against him, especially on behalf of a man like Si.
Up to this point, Rachel had been a major supporter of Si, which made this an excellent opportunity for Donny. Could he persuade her to switch sides and support Alex? This would be an excellent time for her to make friends with Alex and help Donny show his loyalty.
After Donny had shouted Alex's full name at Rachel, everyone froze for a moment, staring at him. Many of them had heard of Alex by name, but they didn't know the real person. Birchwood House was not very large, but it was proving to be an exceedingly popular investment, so many people had heard of Alex's real estate company. However, most people knew little about the rest of his life.
By now, their impression of Alex and Celeste had almost completely changed. They no longer saw two slightly scruffy interlopers but a rich businessman with extensive contacts and a woman with supreme martial arts skills. They should not be underestimated.
At Alex's side, Celeste looked indifferent, while Donny was like an angry beast. No one dared to look at Donny.
"Alex, please don't be angry," Rachel said. "This was simply a misunderstanding. I'm so sorry." She turned to Donny. "And Donny, you and I have no grudge, do we? As I say, it was all a misunderstanding." She was afraid to offend Alex, and she certainly didn't want any conflict with Donny.