Chapter 9 Unexpected Rescue

Aviah's POV

As I was speaking, I suddenly clutched my stomach, startling the masked man.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I waved dismissively. "My period just started. My stomach hurts. Do you have any pain medication?"

The masked man clearly hadn't dealt with this situation before. "No, I don't. I'll go get something for you."

I nodded weakly, thanking him. This was definitely triggered by the stress from dealing with that bastard Jeremy.

The masked man had barely left when I lay down on the couch to rest. Within minutes, Jeremy returned with the club manager in tow.

I watched them enter, forcing myself to sit up despite the pain.

Jeremy glanced around the room and gave a lewd smile. "Looks like your knight has abandoned you. Who's going to save you now?"

I tried to appear calm despite my racing heart. "I forgot to mention, I'm on my period. If you don't mind, you can try having sex with me now."

Jeremy's expression turned darkened noticeably, but he quickly recovered with a sinister grin.

"Aviah, even if you're on your period, I don't mind. For someone insignificant like me, sleeping with a former princess like you would be worth dying for."

An icy chill ran down my spine as Jeremy approached me. I could only back away slowly, fighting through the pain.

His words echoed in my ears like a nightmare.

"Aviah, there are no cameras here, and these are all my people. Six years ago, all of Lakeview saw that video of you acting like a slut. Who would believe anything a tramp like you says about what happens here today?"

He stood over me, looking down with predatory eyes. "Beautiful, truly beautiful. The woman once pursued by every man in Lakeview, reduced to this. How perfect! Otherwise, how would someone like me ever get a chance with you?"

Thinking quickly, I bluffed, "Jeremy, if you touch me, my man won't let you get away with it."

Jeremy laughed derisively. "A whore like you has a man who cares about her?"

"The man who was just in this room is mine. He only left to get me medication. If you touch me, he'll break your dick off when he returns! Try it if you don't believe me!"

I feigned an air of indifference, as if offering myself up, while my heart pounded with anxiety. I feared both that the masked man wouldn't return in time and that he wouldn't care enough to help me.

Fortunately, my words seemed to give Jeremy pause.

The manager beside him suddenly spoke up. "She's bluffing. If she really knew him, she would have told you his name earlier."

Jeremy came to his senses. "You say he's your man—what's his name?"

I hesitated. I truly didn't know his name.

Jeremy began removing his clothes. "Even if he really is your man, so what? Fifteen minutes is enough time for me to finish."

He then called out loudly, "Guys, guard the door! One thousand dollars each afterward!"

By this point, he'd already removed his pants. Everyone except Jeremy and the Phantom Night manager left the room.

I grabbed a bottle of wine from the table and held it up defensively. "Don't you dare!"

"What wouldn't I dare to do? You think you're still the princess you were six years ago? Bitch, let me show you a good time!"

With that, he lunged at me. I closed my eyes and swung the wine bottle wildly.

At the same moment, the door crashed open with a tremendous bang.

Then I heard an angry voice demand, "Who let you in here?"

I opened my eyes to see the masked man's left hand dragging a bleeding man while maintaining his door-kicking stance.

Seeing him like this, like some avenging angel, I was momentarily transfixed.

The masked man surveyed the room as Jeremy moaned on the floor.

"You've killed me," Jeremy whined. "Sir, we didn't come in here on our own. She invited us in, trying to seduce me. I offered her ten thousand dollars for one time, and she was interested. Ask anyone—they'll confirm it."

Jeremy had begun spinning outrageous lies.

Since the masked man and I had just met, he might believe what others told him. I hurried to explain.

"That's not true! It was him! He tried to rape me!"

The masked man raised his hand, stopping my explanation. He walked to Jeremy, lifted his foot, and delivered a vicious kick.

Jeremy already had a gash on his forehead, but now both his forehead and the back of his head were swelling—likely suffering at least a mild concussion.

The manager Jeremy had brought with him stepped forward.

"You can't assault our customers without provocation. I could have you arrested!"

The masked man fixed his gaze on him. "Arrested? Is that so?"

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed a number.

"Sebastian," he said coldly into the phone. "Come back and see how your employees are behaving."

At these words, I watched the previously arrogant manager begin trembling with fear.

I stared curiously at the masked man. By all appearances, he was just a male escort at Phantom Night—how could he have more authority than the manager?

Unless he wasn't actually a male prostitute?

As I pondered this, the man who had left earlier returned.

Looking at him, I suddenly understood. Of course—it all made sense now.

The reason this masked man wielded such power was because he was involved with someone higher up in the organization.

So this man who had just kicked Jeremy must be Sebastian Hawthorne.

Sebastian surveyed the room without asking what had happened. He simply stared at the manager standing beside Jeremy.

The manager could no longer maintain his composure. He fell to his knees, trembling. "Mr. Hawthorne, I didn't know she was acquainted with you. Please, I beg you, spare me this once."

Sebastian smiled coldly. "You know the rules. Choose a finger."

The manager pleaded, "Mr. Hawthorne, please！"

"Say another word and it'll be two fingers."

The manager collapsed in defeat and raised his left pinky.

He was promptly escorted out by Sebastian's men.

Jeremy had witnessed everything and was now too terrified to make a sound.

Sebastian turned to Jeremy. "Sir, tonight's incident began with you. Though you're a customer, causing trouble like this isn't acceptable. You need to give us an explanation."

I watched with satisfaction swelling in my chest.

Jeremy gave me a pleading look. "Aviah, tell them we know each other, that we were just joking, right? You don't need to pay for the wine bottle—I'll give you ten thousand dollars as compensation!"