Emma Johnson was exhausted, but she couldn't be sure Cheng Jingjing was alone. Mia Lewis had gone to a southern town to recruit a famous chef and wouldn't be back for at least a few days. So Emma had no choice but to stay with Olivia.
She drove Olivia, who looked terrible, to a KTV. Neither of them knew that William Thompson owned this place. One of William's men spotted Emma and quickly reported to his boss.
William had been in a foul mood lately after losing hundreds of millions because of Liam Williams's interference. When he heard his wife had walked right into his territory, a cruel glint flashed in his eyes. A twisted smile curled his lips. He whispered a few instructions to his men, then left the room with a sinister grin.
Emma and Olivia entered their private room. Once the drinks arrived, Olivia launched into a karaoke marathon. Emma sat quietly, letting her friend vent. But when the alcohol hit, Olivia suddenly grabbed the microphone and screamed, "Ethan Davis, you absolute bastard!"
Emma, who had been munching on chips, froze and stared at Olivia. She wondered what the Dawson family's young master had done to make her so furious.
"Olivia, what's going on between you two?"
Olivia chugged an entire bottle of wine. Emma could see she was getting drunk. Worried she'd had too much, Emma reached out to stop her and asked again.
"Nothing much. What could that playboy possibly do to me?"
Olivia's words clearly meant more than they said, but she wouldn't elaborate, and Emma couldn't pry it out of her. Just then, the door to their room burst open.
Emma spun around. Several men swaggered in, their faces twisted with lecherous grins, their eyes greedy.
"Two beauties, all alone on a long night? Must be lonely singing by yourselves. Why don't we keep you company?"
Their intentions were obvious. Emma's instincts screamed danger. She stood up, dragging the half-drunk Olivia toward the door. One man reached out with dirty hands to grab her.
"Don't leave, sweetheart."
"Get lost, you scumbags! Do you have any idea who Emma is? You've got some nerve!"
Despite being drunk, Olivia shoved Emma behind her and glared at the men. But to them, she was just a cat baring its claws.
"Oh, we've got plenty of nerve. With beauties like you in front of us, even dying would be worth it. Ha ha!"
One of them laughed shamelessly, and the others joined in. Emma realized they were in serious trouble. She quickly pulled out her phone. Turning her back to the men, she hid it behind her. She thought about Elijah Clark, who should be back by now. She'd call him and ask him to alert the police.
Liam Williams also flashed through her mind. She considered reaching out to him. But then she remembered how distant they'd been lately—like strangers. The thought of hearing him say something cold and hurtful made her stomach twist. So she decided to call Elijah instead.
Olivia grabbed a wine bottle, smashed it against the glass coffee table, and brandished the jagged edge at the men. They hesitated for a moment. Emma finally found Elijah's number in her contacts and was about to press call.
But Olivia's high heels slipped. She stumbled, crashing into Emma. The phone flew out of Emma's hand and disappeared somewhere.
Emma's heart sank.
As Olivia fell, the men surged forward. Emma shoved the coffee table at them, but it barely slowed them down. She couldn't understand why the security here wasn't responding to all the noise. But there was no time to think. She grabbed another bottle and held it up, trying to protect herself and Olivia.
Two men kept closing in on her. Emma fought back with everything she had—kicking, swinging. But they tore off her coat. Meanwhile, Olivia was pinned to the sofa, and they started tearing at her clothes.
"Olivia!"
Panic surged through Emma. She gritted her teeth and jammed the bottle into one man's face. He screamed, clutching his bloody cheek.
"You little bitch! I'll make you pay tonight!"
Before he could finish, Emma kicked him hard in the groin. Ignoring the pain in her right arm, she swung wildly, scratching another man's chest with the broken bottle. A bloody gash appeared on his skin.
While they howled in pain, Emma rushed to Olivia. She grabbed the coat from the floor and wrapped it around Olivia's shoulders, covering her skimpy suspender top. Brandishing the blood-stained bottle, her eyes red with fury, she screamed, "Stay back, or I'll blind you!"
But the men could see she was cornered. They just grinned and crept closer, ready to pin her down too.
Suddenly, the door flew open with a deafening crash. Everyone turned in shock. A handsome man stood in the doorway, his chiseled face dark with rage. His eyes were cold and terrifying, like a demon from hell.
Looking at the shattered door, the men couldn't help but wonder how strong he had to be to kick through such thick wood.
"Liam."
Emma scrambled up from where she was shielding Olivia. Her eyes went wide. She couldn't believe he was here.
Liam's gaze followed her voice. When his eyes landed on Emma—her shirt nearly unbuttoned, her hair a tangled mess—his dark pupils turned ice-cold.
"You've got some nerve."
His voice was low, but it sent a chill through the room. Before anyone could react, screams filled the air. Arms and shoulders snapped with sickening cracks. The men crumpled to the floor, unable to get up.
Emma stared at the man who had suddenly become a storm of fury. She sat on the sofa, frozen. It wasn't the first time she'd seen Liam fight, but it was the first time she'd seen him use such brutal moves—dislocating shoulders, bending fingers backward until they broke.