But the doorway out of the private room was blocked by the newcomer. If she wanted to get away, there was no choice but to pass right by him.
"If I did that, wouldn't I basically be handing myself over on a silver platter?" she thought.
Sophia locked eyes with Richard, whose gaze was as deep as a bottomless pool. His eyes seemed to hold countless unspoken words, speaking volumes without a single sound.
For days now. Sophia had been desperately trying to shove that night out of her mind, hypnotizing herself into believing nothing had happened at all.
But every time midnight came, those dreams haunted her again and again.
She could feel Richard's scorching breath on her skin, his voice whispering in her ear.
Just thinking about those words made her cheeks burn with shame.
She never expected that someone as self-restrained and detached as Richard would be so intense and full of desire in bed
His warm lips and sweet words could melt away all her defenses.
"Oh my god, someone help!' Sophia screamed inwardly, her heart pounding. 'I seriously can't let my mind get stuck in this gutter! I have to get out of here, now-before I totally lose it!'
Annabelle was already tipsy, feeling all floaty as the young guys kept sweetly calling her one after another.
But the instant she spotted Richard at the doorway, her drunken haze snapped away.
"U-Uncle Richard, w-what are you doing here in Haisburg? You should've told us beforehand-we would've picked you up!" Annabelle stammered, still a bit flustered.
At least that way, they wouldn't have been totally caught off guard.
And especially not right when the night was peaking-with male models everywhere and everyone living it up.
Richard didn't even spare her a glance. If I'd told her I was coming, she probably would've already dragged Sophia out of here, he thought.
He strolled over, his tone casual. "Just in Haisburg for work.
Passed by the private room, heard a familiar voice, and thought I'd drop in.
"Looks like you guys are having a good time," he added, his words practically dripping with sarcasm.
The word "good time" was spat out through clenched teeth, practically sizzling with barely contained anger.
Annabelle hunched her shoulders and shot Richard a sheepish glance before quickly looking away.
"Come on, it's not really what it looks like! We just bumped into Erica by chance, decided to get together, and, well, invited a few of the guys just to spice things up. That's all," Annabelle stuttered, hoping to sound innocent.
"Wow, didn't peg you guys for this type," Richard said coolly as he walked over, his presence dominating the whole room.
The young men inside fell silent, completely cowed by his energy.
They were no strangers to nightlife, eyes sharp enough to spot a heavyweight as soon as he appeared
On his wrist was a watch worth millions, glacier-blue sapphire cufflinks at his sleeves, and the entire getup was custom-tailored luxury.
This was a genuine big shot-for sure, not someone you'd want to cross.
Especially the two young men who'd been clinging to Sophia like her personal entourage-they were feeling the burn way more than anyone else.
With Richard looming right beside them, it was like his stare could slice them to ribbons on the spot.
Sophia was so on edge that every time she tried to say something, the words got stuck in her throat-she just couldn't get a single word out.
Erica, still totally out of the loop, blurted out, "Whoa, who is this insanely gorgeous guy? Never thought i'd see a male model this hot at a club-"
Before she could even finish the word "model," Annabelle swooped in and clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Girl, give it a rest, will you?" Annabelle hissed, her scalp prickling with nerves.
Annabelle was nervous as hell, still clamping a hand over Erica's mouth as she edged her way toward the door.
"Uh, Sophie, Erica, and I gotta run to the bathroom really quick. You and Uncle Richard have a real talk," Annabelle mumbled, obviously just trying to escape.
With that, she grabbed all the guys she'd invited and made her getaway. In seconds, only Sophia and Richard were left alone in the private room.
Sophia wanted to bolt, but her legs just wouldn't cooperate -they felt like jelly.
She could tell Richard's presence wasn't gentle anymore-it was downright intimidating.
Right now, he was oozing pure menace.
If she even dared to run, he'd probably just drag her back, snap her legs, and lock her away somewhere.
Seeing Annabelle bail on her like that, leaving her alone to deal with Richard, Sophia was so ticked off she could've written a whole essay just to rant about it.
"Seriously, some friend! No loyalty at ail!' Sophia griped to herself.
Inside the private room, Richard watched as Sophia lowered her head, just staring blankly at the floor.
All that anger vanished, replaced by helpless affection for her.
He sat down beside her.
The cushion sank under Richard's weight, and before Sophia knew it, her body leaned helplessly toward him-completely out of her control.
Flustered, she clung to the edge of the sofa for dear life, determined not to end up crashing straight into his arms.
"Mr. Sterling, it's been a while. Have you been doing okay?" Sophia finally blurted out, her voice barely above a whisper, nerves on edge.


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