When Rachel had heard that Alex was the young man she had scolded, she had regretted speaking out. She had bought a villa at Birchwood House, so she couldn't afford to get on the wrong side of him.
Donny stepped toward her again. Realizing she needed time to think about what to do, she kept her mouth closed and withdrew from the courtyard. As she left, she looked at Alex and decided that she must develop a good relationship with him in the future. Otherwise, her villa at Birchwood House would prove to be a poor investment.
The exchange between Donny and Rachel had alarmed several of the guests, who now crowded forward to speak to Alex.
"Alex, please understand. Si and I had only a little business contact—nothing, really—and our relationship was never close. After I go home, I will immediately cut off all economic dealings with him.
"I came to the party at Si's invitation, but from now on, Si and his hotel have nothing to do with me. I won't support any of his future business operations. I swear."
"Alex, I'm so glad to see you here today. I strongly support you in trying to get justice for Cassidy, not only because Cassidy is your friend but also because I think she's a real star. I'm totally with you on this!"
One after another, many of Baltimore's most influential citizens came forward to show their support of Alex and draw a clear line under their dealings with Si. They came to say hello and to shake hands, and it was all very respectful and courteous, as was only right given that Alex was the owner of Birchwood House.
Si watched in disbelief as, instead of coming to his aid, people began to take Alex's side.
His eyes darkened with anger. He would never have expected people to be so two-faced and right in front of him, too, as if he no longer existed. He watched as more than a dozen people he had thought were very close to him all extended their flattery to Alex. He couldn't help feeling disgusted and betrayed.
After shaking hands and exchanging greetings with his new supporters, Alex slowly stepped forward to Si. "So, do you still think I am out of my depth here? Am I too isolated and lacking support?"
He smiled, but there was no doubting how seriously he was making his point.
Si put his hand in his pocket and caught hold of Crispin's note. "Alex," he said, "even if you are the owner of Birchwood House, and even if you are young and promising, don't forget that there are many more people out there who are extremely powerful. Do you really want to be rude to me?"
Thinking of Crispin's support, Si's breathing had steadied, and his morale had improved. He reminded himself that he was a big player in the entertainment industry and an important person in his own right, not someone who could be pushed around by the likes of Alex and Donny.
Alex looked at him with contempt. "You really are nothing more than a bully. Your actions left Cassidy black and blue. She can't act until her injuries heal, and it will take longer for her to get over what has happened emotionally."
Without warning, he grabbed a pistol from a nearby guard and aimed it at Si. "I want to make you pay for what you have done to her."
Si's face turned pale, and he said, "You're crazy, Alex. There's no way you can do this to me. I'm not going to be bullied by you. I can assure you that if you do something to me, then I will give you a satisfactory reply, one you will never forget because I am not alone; there are powerful people behind me."
Alex smiled. "So, where is this someone who is behind you, supporting you? I can't see anybody, Si."
Si scowled. "I have the support of Crispin Thomas, and he's connected to Riley. If you want to take this further, then let's see if you can compete with those people."
As he said this, the remaining guests turned pale. Si's connections were indeed powerful, so how would Alex handle this unexpected information? Everyone was pretty certain that Si wasn't bluffing. Nobody would dare to pretend to be connected to these two people if it wasn't true.
Donny laughed, thinking the world really was small sometimes. How had Riley gotten involved in this mix-up?
"Crispin? And Riley?" Alex asked. "I know Riley, of course, but who is Crispin? I don't recognize the name."
Si straightened with pride. "You haven't even heard of Crispin Thomas? You really are useless. He is one of the key players in Baltimore. And yes, Riley is also my backer."
He didn't tell Alex how he and Riley knew each other or how they were connected. He simply threw Riley's name out there and had faith that those names would be enough to deter Alex.
Unexpectedly, Alex took out his phone and handed it to Si. "Well, if these two people are going to support you, then you had better call them now. I'll give you this one chance. You can call them and see if they will come and rescue you."
Si wasn't sure what game Alex was playing now, but he gritted his teeth, took the phone, and dialed a number.
The phone was immediately connected, and a cool voice could be faintly heard. "Yes? What's the matter?"
Si's arrogant manner altered, becoming almost humble. He said respectfully, "Riley, this is Si. I'm calling from the Number Seven hotel. I'm having some small difficulties here, and I seem to have offended Alex and the Demon Sect."
He revealed his current situation, explaining that he was now facing two very fierce opponents. Without Riley, he could not deal with one of them, let alone both together, not even in his own hotel.