On that night, Emmanuel arrived at the nightclub named The Paradise. Beneath his clothes were all bandages!
Standing alone by the door, he puffed at a cigarette in
annoyance.
His mood plummeted when he received a call three
minutes ago, and Roselynn's voice was still echoing in
his ear. "Manny, Mom was admitted to the hospital
again. She has nephritis! She was asking for you,
wondering when your wife will come and visit. She
thought your wife should have come to see her
already since you two are married."
Roselynn's words rendered Emmanuel speechless, and
her remarks still echoed in his ears.
Their father passed away at a young age, and their
mother had to raise him and his sister singlehandedly.
She worked too hard when she was young, and her
unhealthy diet caused her to develop kidney stones.
Some ten years ago, she had to have one of her
kidneys removed, and her only kidney was inflamed.
Emmanuel did not know how long his mother's body
could hold up.
Her only wish now was to meet her daughter–in–law.
Even seeing her grandchild being born would be a
luxury!
Emmanuel knew he had repeatedly disappointed his
2/15
mother, but this time, he was determined to bring
Mackenzie home to fulfill his mother's wish!
Meanwhile, Mackenzie was in a daze. She might be
staring at the screen, but she was, in fact, zoning out.
She had never been so worried for someone in her life
that it significantly reduced her efficiency at work.
All of a sudden, her phone rang. It was a call from her
grandfather.
"Hey, Mackenzie! Can the strategic warehouse project
be completed in time? All the directors kept pressuring
me for the progress update!" Terence sounded
anxious.
After all, all shareholders wanted profits. As the
majority shareholder of the company, Terénce
undoubtedly hoped the project would succeed.
"Grandpa, I'm waiting for an update from someone,"
Mackenzie said calmly.
"Updates from someone? Who's the CEO of Terence
Group? Who's the decision maker of the company?
And you're telling me you're waiting for updates from
another person?" Terence expressed his dismay. What
happened to my granddaughter? That's not how she
would usually behave!
"I want you to give me an answer right now!" The
agitated Terence raised his voice.
"Grandpa, that person is Emmanuel!" she responded.
"What? Emmanuel?" Terence froze for a moment and
kept mum.
After a while, he expressed his shock. "Why do you
have to wait for him to make a decision for Terence
Group?"
"Grandpa, stop asking, okay?" Mackenzie replied
indifferently, "Anyway, I've informed the engineering
team from Cloud Construction to be on standby. I'll
issue an ultimatum by tomorrow morning."
After that, she ended the call.
Mackenzie let out a long breath and found herself
unable to sit still.
She could not believe that even during that critical
period, she still found herself expecting Emmanuel to
solve the problem.
As the night fell, Emmanuel flicked his cigarette in front
of the entrance of The Paradise and was ready to enter
the premises.
Suddenly, someone pulled him from the back, and the
person was Sheldon.
"Emmanuel, have you lost your mind? Would you really
stoop to anything for the sake of money? Mr. Webber is
not an easy person to deal with, yet you went to him
and warned him and his men to vacate that piece of
hapter 16 Fits fubordinate
land. He could easily send someone to take your life.
Do you realize that?" Sheldon exclaimed in agitation,
trying to dissuade the man.
7/15
Though he only had a professional relationship with
Emmanuel, from human to human, he did not want the
man to risk his life.
Yet, Emmanuel ignored him and walked straight into
the nightclub.
Unfortunately, the receptionist refused to reveal any
information about their guest to him:
The security guard even chased him out of the club
after he refused to leave.
"Emmanuel, can you stop acting crazy? We can't even
locate the person. Just give up, okay? It's impossible for
us to earn that money!" Sheldon stayed back, further
dampening Emmanuel's spirit.
Emmanuel continued giving him the cold shoulder.
He knew Sheldon was saying that for his own good. But
he doesn't know how I'm feeling and why I'm doing this.
It's pointless for me to explain to him at this point.
All of a sudden, an Audi arrived at the parking lot.
As a stunning lady stepped out of her car in high heels,
all eyes were drawn to her. She was dressed in a
shimmering silver gown that revealed her long and
slender legs, and her skin was so smooth that it
resembled white poppy flowers.
Emmanuel's jaw dropped when he saw the woman.
Apart from the aura she exuded, the woman's beauty
and allure could rival Mackenzie's!
Mackenzie's sex appeal and attractive appearance
might not even hold a candle to her.
"Oh my goodness, isn't that Elena Lyle, the top hostess
of The Paradise?" Sheldon exclaimed, captivated by
her beauty. He was so taken aback that he could
hardly move.
As a man living in Yeringham, he was naturally familiar
with the legends surrounding the top hostess of The
Paradise.
It was said that she never accompanied her clients on
outings, and those who wanted to drink with her had
to pay thirty–eight thousand per hour. She was also
known for her exclusive taste in wine and would only
drink Lafite.
In other words, Elena would only befriend people who
were wealthy and influential. She was, indeed, the very
definition of a successful hostess.
Emmanuel knew nothing about Elena, but the moment
Sheldon told him she was the top hostess in the.
nightclub, he walked toward her directly.
Fro told him that Samuel would always come and look
for her, so he was confident that he could get
information about Samuel's whereabouts from her.
Emmanuel's sudden presumptuous move left Sheldon dumbfounded. Is he trying to hit on the top hostess?
What makes him think he could go after a woman who's clearly out of his league?
After standing in front of Elena to stop her from leaving,
Emmanuel greeted her, "Nice to meet you, Ms. Lyle!"
Elena knitted her brows.
If any man had interrupted her like that, she would
have ignored him or even had the bouncers throw him
out.
Nevertheless, as someone who placed great
importance on appearance, Elena was impressed with
Emmanuel's looks, physique, and calm demeanor.
She concealed her impatience. "Yes?"
"I'm working for Mr. Webber and was told to wait here
for you, Ms. Lyle!" he replied.
Sheldon was rendered speechless by Emmanuel's
audacity. If his true identity is exposed, he'll be
doomed!
Elena felt disappointed when she learned that he was
just Samuel's subordinate. Her brows creased even
more deeply. "Tell him to wait patiently in the private
room. I'll go over in an hour!"
"All right, then!" Emmanuel was pleased to hear that.
Nice! I'll be able to locate Mr. Webber if I stay with her!
After Elena left, Sheldon walked up to him. "You've got some nerve, Emmanuel! What gave you the courage to strike up a conversation with the top hostess of this
club?"
Emmanuel's boldness left Sheldon astounded.
Being able to talk to the top hostess of The Paradise
was the dream of every man in Yeringham!
Yet, Emmanuel let out a cold snort.
Elena might exude a cold and distant aura, but she was nowhere near as haughty and aloof as the missus in his house. If I had the nerve to marry McKenzie, I surely would have the courage to talk to this woman.
"Hey, where are you going?" Sheldon asked.
When Emmanuel was about to enter The Paradise, he could not help but exclaim, "Are you really going to follow Ms. Lyle's lead and scheme your way into The Paradise just to track down Mr. Webber?" The thought of Emmanuel's plan sent chills up his spine. He's just trying to get himself killed! Emmanuel hummed in acknowledgment. "Go home if you're scared. I'll take it from here!"
He strode confidently into the nightclub's lobby, not once glancing over his shoulder.
As Sheldon gazed at Emmanuel's back, he was impressed by his suave demeanor, which seemed to come naturally without any pretense!
Adrenaline coursed through Sheldon's veins as he stared after Emmanuel's retreating figure.
Removing troublemakers from the project falls under
my jurisdiction as a legal specialist in Cloud
Construction. How could I simply stand aside when
Emmanuel is ready to risk his life to solve the issue?
Emmanuel's bravery inspired Sheldon to follow suit.
The latter ran after Emmanuel while vowing through
gritted teeth, "D*mn it! I'm going to give it my all even if
I lose my life!"
When Emmanuel turned around and noticed the other
man's approach, he could not help but smile.
Emmanuel had faced life–and–death situations with
plenty of peers while serving on the front lines. Since
his return to Yeringham, Frederick had been the only
person who willingly fought alongside him. He was
pleasantly surprised to find another ally in Sheldon.
He booked a private room to prevent security from
booting them.
Now that Sheldon had decided to stay, he decided to
hire several hostesses for entertainment and asked if
Emmanuel wanted to join him.
"Go ahead. I'm heading out for a walk!"
Emmanuel rarely showed any interest in women and
left the room. He walked along the corridor in search of
Elena.
His efforts paid off. He came across Elena just as she
finished touching up her makeup. She appeared to be
meeting Samuel.
Sheldon had followed Emmanuel out of their private
room. When he noticed that the latter was trailing
Elena all the way to Samuel's room, he quickly pulled
Emmanuel back in panic.
He whispered, "Think carefully! This is your last chance!
Didn't you see the crowd inside?"
Emmanuel appeared unfazed.
Assuming he was clueless about Samuel's might,
Sheldon added, "Mr. Webber is utterly merciless. He has
several people's blood on his hands! And he has a
bunch of lackeys who are crazy–good fighters! Each
one is fiercer than the next! He'll definitely kill you if you
barge in and demand his retreat from the project
grounds!"
Sheldon thought his advice would intimidate
Emmanuel into rethinking his approach.
To his horror, Emmanuel replied expressionlessly, "The
project will surely be delayed if we don't get rid of Mr.
Webber and his men today! No one can stop me from
my goal today!"
What in the world?
Sheldon was completely nonplussed.
This man is only a lowly employee. Did he delude
himself into thinking he's Terence Group's boss or
something? He's more passionate about the fate of
this project than the real boss!
Just then, the two men suddenly heard a loud crash
coming from Samuel's room.
Huh, what happened?
They pressed their ears to the door.
The private room fell into deathly silence.
"Enough with that innocent act! People may treat you
like a goddess, but you're just a toy to Mr. Webber!"
"If you won't strip down and entertain Mr. Webber, we'll
destroy more than just your career!"
The threats filled Sheldon with fear,
Alas, Emmanuel chose that exact moment to kick open
the door and barge into the private room.
His entrance turned heads. Everyone inside Samuel's
private room froze, staring at the intruder in shock.
Sheldon's eyes bugged out. He struggled to stay
upright on his shaky legs.
"Hey, brat. Who the h*ll are you?"
Over ten buff men in the room got to their feet and
shot Emmanuel murderous glares.
They looked as though they would attack him at any
minute.
These men had served Samuel for many years, and
this was the first time they encountered someone bold
enough to barge into their private room. Alone.
They wondered if he was sick of living.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel allowed his gaze to travel
across the room. There were over ten hostesses in the
room, all scantily clad except Elena.
They had cowered silently in the corner of the room
during Elena's conflict with Samuel.
Bolstered by her reputation in the club, Elena clearly
refused to strip down and was splashed with red wine
for her audacity.
The ruby–red liquid stained her silver–colored miniskirt,
dripping down her legs.
Like the others in the room, she immediately turned to
look at Emmanuel upon his unannounced entrance.
She realized then that he was the man who had
claimed to be Samuel's subordinate earlier.
I guess he doesn't work for Mr. Webber after all.
Even as Emmanuel was clearly outnumbered in that
private room, he looked at Samuel calmly and
declared, "I'm here to see Mr. Webber. My name is
Emmanuel Lowe, and I'm Terence Group's
representative! I'm here to inform you to pull your men
out of the project grounds, which you are unlawfully
trespassing!"
His words struck everyone silent with shock.
Do workers these days have some sort of death wish?
How can he be stupid enough to barge into a
nightclub and confront the head of underground
circles to finish a job?
Everyone, including the hostesses, stared at Emmanuel
as though he was a fool.
Sheldon kept his gaze on the ground, fearing the worst.
Only Elena continued to appraise Emmanuel carefully,
seeing him in a different light. A man like that can't be
some simple character! He has both wits and courage.
Consider me charmed!
Samuel simply ordered, "Get rid of him!"
He wanted to return to his salacious entertainment
and could hardly be bothered to figure out
Emmanuel's identity. The sooner his men got rid of his
unannounced visitor, the better.
Two of his subordinates swung empty glass bottles at
Emmanuel's head while roaring, "Go to h*ll, you fool!"
Sheldon covered his eyes, too frightened to witness
Emmanuel's doom.
Clang!
The sound of glass breaking echoed through the air.
But when Sheldon peeped through the gap between
his fingers, his jaw dropped to the floor in shock, as did
everyone else in the room.
Emmanuel had reduced the glass bottles into shards
with his bare fists and sent his two attackers flying
across the room.
Blood trickled down his fists, but his eyes burned with
fiery determination. There was no hint of fear in him.
So cool!
Elena secretly sighed in admiration.
The others in the room shared her sentiments.
A second later, a couple of Samuel's men grabbed some broken wine bottles and stabbed them in Emmanuel's direction.
"Ah!" The hostesses in the private room blanched in fear. A chorus of shrieks reverberated through the room.
Once again, Emmanuel nimbly dodged their attacks. With a furious roar, he grabbed his two attackers and rammed their heads together.
Crack!
Blood instantly streamed down the dazed men's faces.
The audience grew increasingly bewildered as they
witnessed Emmanuel's vicious counterattack.
They had sorely underestimated him. He was no fool;
in fact, he was probably the most merciless character
in the room.
At the same time, Mackenzie finally dialed Emmanuel's
phone from the safety of Yociam Residence.
She wanted to know what was happening at The
Paradise.
Alas, despite her incessant calls, no one answered the
phone.
She muttered to herself, "They can't have beaten him
to death, right?"
Mackenzie set her phone aside, a conflicted expression
on her face. It was impossible to decipher her feelings.
Once he's dead, I regain my freedom! So why am I
feeling so uneasy over the prospect of his death?
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Mackenzie jumped, startled by the sudden noise.
Something akin to relief flitted across her cool
expression. Is he back?
She opened the door only to see her grandfather
standing outside.
Terence huffed, "Mackenzie! Where's Emmanuel? How
could you send him to handle this matter?"
He had rushed over in a panic, anxious to confirm what
he had heard over their phone call earlier.
As the chairman of Terence Group, he had heard his
fair share of horror stories about Samuel Webber. Even
the Quillen family dared not confront Samuel directly.
Mackenzie replied, "He went to The Paradise. He said
he'll fix the issue for me."
"What?"
Her explanation infuriated Terence, who demanded,
riapter 1 Turning heads
15/16
"Send someone to bring him home! He's your husband,
for goodness sake! I'll never forgive you if he ends up
dead! Don't forget this. The Quillen family is known for
its loyalty. Never has a Quillen woman remarried!"
Mackenzie scrunched her brows slightly as disbelief
gradually colored her features.
Terence had always doted on her and never spoke to
her as harshly as he did that day. Now, he even
claimed he would never forgive her if a man he had
only met several times died.
Does he seriously expect me to remain a widow for the
rest of my life if Emmanuel dies?
Despite her fury, her grandfather had put down his
foot, leaving her no choice. She put on a coat and left
frosty expression into something warmer.
He had better not die!