Chapter 18: Getting Slapped in the Face?

Stuart shot Eliana a meaningful glance and posed the question deliberately, "What's your idea?" They caught Chase so quickly? Just the other night, she was all confident she could handle this situation. Was she about to be embarrassed? Eliana took a deep breath. She knew Stuart too well. The more ground she gave, the harder he'd push. "Even if you beat him to a pulp, I ain't agreeing to those terms you just laid out. Either take the cash or do what you gotta do." Stuart narrowed his eyes, a wicked grin curling his lips. "Lena, you know why I've been chasing after you all these years? 'Cause I dig your tough, no-nonsense vibe. It's like a challenge." "Challenge your ass! I am not some character in your love quest." cursed Eliana inwardly. If he really had a thing for her and release Chase, she'll take a second glance at Stuart. But sadly, he never was. But Eliana knew that was wishful thinking. Sure, she blamed Chase in her heart, but this mess was partly on her too. If Stuart's actions left Chase disabled or worse, she'd carry that guilt too. Stuart raised an eyebrow, his gaze dripping with mockery. "Tonight, I want you to dance for me at 7 Nights. You know which song." Eliana's breath hitched. Of course, she knew. During their junior year, Stuart's birthday bash went down at the bar he owned. When the question of birthday wishes came up, he threw out a request—he wanted Eliana to dance the Crazy Lady for him. But Eliana didn't say yes. Everybody knew she was good at dancing, having been asked to perform on the first day of school, but she stuck to ballet. Crazy Lady might've seemed simple, but it had some strip tease vibes she wasn't about to rock with. Stuart ended up feeling pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. She never expected him to bring it up again, but here they were. Eliana found herself in a tight spot but had no choice but to play along. "Fine, I'll dance. But you gotta promise not to lay a finger on him." "Don't worry. He's in ice water now. As soon as you're done shimmying, I'll let him off the hook," Stuart replied, a smug grin creeping onto his face. Eliana calmly pulled out a recorder from her bag. "Your word's your bond." She'd come ready, catching Stuart off guard. All he could do was grit his teeth and mutter, "Yeah, sure." After leaving the hospital, Eliana's phone lit up with a call from Lyn, who was asking her if she really gonna dance for Stuart. Word spread like wildfire. It seemed like 7 Nights was gonna be bursting at the seams tonight. Eliana had to give Lyn a quick rundown of what went down last night. Chase was a boxer. How could he keep throwing punches if he ended up disabled? She was boxed in now. ...... Back at the office, Eliana stared blankly at the papers in front of her. She'd sent someone to snoop around, and the scoop that came back confirmed Stuart had caught someone, but it was unsure on where he was locked. Colin swiped the docs from her and skimmed a few pages before passing them back. "I thought you were sneakily eyeing up male models, you're so laser-focused." Eliana shot him an irritated glare. "Uncle Colin, what happens if someone's left soaking wet in ice water for a whole day?" "They'll puff up like a balloon," Colin answered. "And what if it's a guy?" Eliana pressed. "If it's warm water, it's fine. But if it's ice water, his dick won't get hard anymore," Colin said matter-of-factly. "Are you serious?" "That's the weakest part of a man. I'm no kidding. There was once an idiot on TikTok having some ice water challenge, and, god bless him, never get hard again." Eliana's spine went cold. If she caused Chase to become impotent in the future, would she be held fully responsible? That evening, 7 Nights was crowded early on. Stuart sat in the VIP area on the second floor, with the best view in the house, directly facing the stage. Eliana arrived early. She had delicately applied makeup to her face and wore a long trench coat that covered her figure almost completely. Underneath, she wore a pair of red-soled high heels, giving off a fiery vibe. "Before I go on stage, I want to hear his voice once. In case you've harmed him, it would be pointless for me to dance," siad Eliana. Stuart's eyes fixed on Eliana's captivating face, and he dialed a number without hesitation. "Chase, how are you?" she asked. "I'm... fine," came the weak reply. Eliana's heart trembled. She still felt guilty. "I'm here to save you. Don't worry..." The phone was taken away, and Stuart snorted. "Are you ready to perform?" Eliana's face tensed as she walked out. On either side of the stage were five or six cameras, each costing millions, ensuring high-definition footage. Stuart was going to record Eliana's dance and play them on a big screen every night. After all, Eliana had the best figure he had ever seen among so many women. Her unique curves, wearing a short skirt, swaying her hips and shaking her chest, paired with her stunning face, were enough to make anyone's imagination run wild. Most of the audience below were clearly men, their eyes like hungry wolves. It seemed as if a little white rabbit was being surrounded by a pack of wolves, and they were itching to rush onto the stage and pin her down. Eliana remained calm. She had anticipated this situation. Although she had years of experience performing on stage, the audience she was used to was civilized, unlike the people in front of her with their expressions and gazes. Put some makeup on them and they could easily pass for characters in The Walking Dead. She took off her coat, and the crowd erupted like a tidal wave, shouting, "Take it off! Take it off!" A cold smirk tugged at Eliana's lips as she removed the cloak, revealing underneath... a tracksuit. Those men were dumbfounded, their expressions petrified. They had been expecting a sexy dance dress or something hot like denim shorts, but Eliana was wearing a loose tracksuit! They lost ninety percent of their interest immediately. "Scam! Why are you dressed like this?" "Who wears a tracksuit to dance Crazy Lady? If you can't afford a dress, I'll buy you one!" What else was there to see! The people below were on the verge of exploding. Eliana's lips curled in a mocking smile. She had agreed to come and dance, not to wear any specific clothes! Of course, she would wear whatever she wanted. As the music started, Eliana began to move, but her body movements were not exaggerated. Fortunately, she wasn't a member of a girl group; otherwise, such casual movements would surely be complained about. Even though she was so casual, her face was still pleasing to the eye, making it impossible for people to get angry. After the song ended, the people below still wanted more and shouted for another song. Stuart felt like he was being played and demanded that Eliana take off her shirt and dance again. The crowd below cheered in agreement, but Eliana's face darkened. "I won't dance again. Release him immediately!" "If you don't dance, I won't release him!" Stuart lazily retorted. "I have ways to make you dance even if you don't want to." This was his territory. With a few drinks laced with something extra, she would dance even if she didn't want to. Just then, the lights in the bar were turned on, and the door was pushed open. A row of tall figures walked in, the leading man exuding an aura of danger. The surrounding air instantly froze into ice. That man was no other than Chase!