Chapter 14

L didn't seem like someone who would find this amusing. Sienna stood up coldly and said, "Mr. L, let's go. Don't waste time on a barking dog." L's lips curved into a dangerously alluring smile. "If she's barking, we should make her howl." Lily didn't understand what L meant, but his tone sent a shiver down her spine. Then, with a disarmingly sexy smirk, he said, "What are you waiting for? Order something." "Fine! Order whatever you want!" Lily tossed down the black card dramatically. L elegantly signaled the manager, who immediately approached with visible trepidation. "Sir, please place your order," the manager said obediently. "Bring me all your menus," L said. Lily thought, "All the menus? In any case, it's probably just one or two pamphlets." She was not prepared for the manager to return with 20 thick menu books, each containing 20 dishes. L glanced at the manager and ordered, "Serve everything." "What are you doing, you thug?" Lily exclaimed in shock. "Weren't you offering to treat me to a meal?" Her words had already been live-streamed to the college group chat, leaving Lily with no choice. Determined not to back down, she gritted her teeth. "Fine! William's black card for Natalie has a high limit!" When all 400 dishes were finally served, the bill totaled three million. Lily's lips trembled as she stared at the number in disbelief. L smirked. "Go pay, and I'll come with you after." Still hoping to win him over, Lily hesitated before heading to the counter to settle the bill. But to her horror, the black card was declined. The manager announced with a cold smile, "Apologies, but this card has been deactivated. It doesn't meet the qualifications for a Posh Club membership. You'll need to pay in cash. Otherwise, this is a case of dining and dashing, and we'll have to call the police. That constitutes a crime." Lily froze, and her mind went blank. How could the card be deactivated? "There must be a mistake! This card belongs to Mr. William Sanders!" The manager sneered as he thought, "The Sanders family's second son is irrelevant here." Without further ado, the manager called security, who dragged Lily back to the table and dropped her in front of Sienna and L. The manager was unbothered as he said, "You've offended our guest. Apologize on your knees, or we'll hand you over to the police." Lily stared at Sienna in disbelief. Sienna and her thug are the manager's guests? Impossible! Her face flushed with anger and humiliation as she glared at Sienna. Even so, Lily didn't have that much money. She had relied on Natalie's card to trample Sienna and now had no way out. "Well? Are you kneeling or not?" the manager pressed while glancing at L's chillingly composed expression. Left with no other choice, Lily gritted her teeth and knelt down, seething with shame. L, who was lounging casually in his chair, lazily lifted his gaze and said to Sienna, "Give me your phone." Still stunned by how the tables had turned, Sienna handed over her phone, sensing this was part of his plan. L opened Sienna's WhatsApp, snapped a photo of Lily kneeling by their table, and posted it directly into the college group chat that had been incessantly buzzing. Everyone had been eagerly waiting for Lily's promised live stream update about Sienna's "dining and dashing". Instead, they were greeted by the image of Lily kneeling in front of Sienna's table—with half of Sienna's figure captured in the frame. Not to mention, the photo was posted from Sienna's number. A strange silence fell over the group chat. Sienna glanced sharply at L. He must have noticed her phone constantly pinging earlier. L's deep, penetrating gaze remained calm yet arrogant. Only someone as blind as Lily would mistake him for a thug. Sienna raised an eyebrow, then typed out a message to accompany the photo, "Having someone kneel while you eat really adds to the experience." She had remained silent earlier, even when the group chat had been at its most raucous, with the heirs competing to mock her. But now, with this single post, the group chat froze in stunned silence. L lifted his gaze slightly and addressed Lily. "Where's your apology?" Trembling, Lily opened the group chat and saw her humiliating photo being scrutinized by everyone. Her face burned as though it had been slapped repeatedly. But fearing the alternative—being handed over to the police—she reluctantly stammered, "Sienna, I'm sorry." The moment Lily apologized, the group chat went dead silent again. Even through the screen, it felt like everyone was collectively holding their breath. Within seconds, one of the heirs who had been mocking Sienna earlier stepped forward and typed, "Sienna, I'm sorry about earlier." Although none of them knew exactly what had happened, the fact that Sienna could force Lily into such submission suggested she had powerful backing. It was best not to provoke her further. One after another, others in the group chat followed suit, apologizing in orderly fashion. Sienna put her phone down, silently observing as the tall and commanding L rose from his seat. She suddenly found his ruthless demeanor strangely attractive. Her subtle glances at him didn't go unnoticed. L smirked slightly, then motioned for the restaurant's security to handle something. He ordered them to disable Lily's right hand—the one she had used to touch his chin earlier. A shriek of pain echoed from Lily. L remained unbothered, and he said in a calm tone, "You see, I'm just a thug. I have no money to compensate you, so you'd better not call the police." Lily's eyes filled with venom, but she was inexplicably terrified of this "thug". She waited until they had left before wailing, "Sienna, don't think this is over. Natalie will never let you off!" Unfazed by Lily's threats, Sienna followed L into the car. After a moment of hesitation, she smiled faintly and said, "Thanks for standing up for me earlier." "Well, you're my 'wife,' after all," L replied, his deep, magnetic voice making the word wife sound both unfamiliar and oddly seductive. Sienna knew he was teasing, but her ears inexplicably felt warm. Then, his gaze turned cold as he added, "Sitting next to you has apparently turned me into a thug." Sienna could sense the hint of reproach in his tone and remained silent. At least this proved Zoe had been wrong—he wasn't the head of some gang. But who was he really, if he could so effortlessly command the manager of Posh Club? … The next day, at the hospital, Lily's face was pale as she adjusted her injured arm. She complained bitterly. "Natalie, everyone in the group chat is talking about it. I'm a complete laughing stock now! Sienna humiliating me is the same as humiliating you. You have to help me get revenge!" Natalie's expression darkened. "What happened with the black card?" "It stopped working all of a sudden, but it definitely had nothing to do with that thug. He even admitted he's just a lowlife." Natalie felt a bit better at that. As if Sienna could snag herself a wealthier man. She assumed the Posh Club's owner had deactivated the card. But why? Had she unknowingly offended them? Frustrated, Natalie's thoughts were interrupted by a call from William. "Natalie, are you at the hospital right now? My mom wants to see her grandchild. Why don't you take her along for your prenatal checkup?" His tone carried a note of anticipation, but Natalie froze. Forcing a smile, she replied coyly, "What's the rush? The baby's not even three months yet. There's nothing to see right now! Let's wait until it's bigger, okay?" "But…" "Ugh! Will, I… I feel nauseous again!" she interrupted, feigning discomfort. "Alright, take care of yourself. I'll come by as soon as I'm done with work." Natalie hung up hastily, letting out a long sigh of relief. Lily looked at her with concern. "Natalie, the baby…" Back when Natalie had convinced William to abduct Sienna, she had faked a pregnancy to secure her plans. However, as the months passed, it became harder to hide the truth. She had even considered getting pregnant for real during that time, but her body was too fragile—she had already lost two pregnancies before, both with other men. Damn it! But then, an idea suddenly struck her. She turned to Lily with a cold smile. "You want me to help you get revenge? Then, find out where Sienna is." If she pinned the blame on Sienna, William, who cared so much about the baby, would destroy that wretched woman himself. With Sienna out of the way, there'd be no one left to threaten her position. Lily immediately understood and smirked before heading off to handle it. … Back at the hotel room, Sienna slipped quietly out of a guest room. She had been gathering dirt on a minor shareholder of Fortuna, a man notorious for his greed and lecherous tendencies. He would be easy to manipulate, and she needed an inside ally to take down Natalie in the provincial jewelry competition. Sienna had chosen her target well. "I can't believe this man is playing with two women at once at his age," Zoe's voice crackled with disdain through the earpiece. Sienna sat down in the lounge area, reaching up to remove the tiny camera pinned near her chest, but Zoe told her to wait as the signal was weak. Sienna picked up a glass of water and sipped it while she waited. The sharp click of high heels echoed behind her. "Sienna, what a coincidence." Natalie approached gracefully and sat down across from her. "I was just at the hospital for a prenatal checkup. William and I's baby is doing so well. Look!" She pulled out a sonogram report and placed it on the table, clearly hoping to provoke a reaction. Natalie studied Sienna's face for any subtle changes, but Sienna didn't even glance at her. Frustration flickered in Natalie's eyes before she bit her lip and said softly, "Sienna, I'm actually here to apologize to you." Sienna raised a cold, amused gaze and smiled. "What could you possibly apologize for?"