Chapter 7 Are You Tired of Living?

At Emperor's Club, a private members-only venue, Adeline tossed her car keys to the valet and hurried toward the elevator. Beside her, Debra explained the situation anxiously, "The representative from Stellar, Mark Curtis, used the excuse of discussing a partnership to lure Janet to the club. Once they got there, he started forcing her to drink instead of talking about the contract. "Janet didn't want to offend him, so she had a few drinks. But things eventually started to feel off. She just sent me a message saying that he's been getting handsy with her." The moment the elevator doors opened, Adeline strode out and headed straight for the private room. As they approached the room, loud laughter and rowdy chatter spilled into the hallway. Without hesitation, Adeline kicked the door open. Inside, the room was drenched with the smell of alcohol, and flashing neon lights filled the space. Several middle-aged men lounged on the couches, each with a young woman clinging to them with drinks in hand. On one side of the room, a young man was gripping a woman's arm tightly. Her clothes were disheveled, and tears welled up in her eyes as she looked toward the door. "Adeline…" Janet choked out, her voice trembling. The room fell silent as the revelry was abruptly interrupted. Annoyance was plastered across their faces. "Who the hell are you? Who let you in?" a man asked. When his eyes landed on Adeline and Debra, his tone shifted as a sleazy grin spread across his face. "Well, well, it seems like we have two beautiful ladies right here. Come and have a drink with us!" Adeline's voice was ice-cold as she asked, "Are you Mark Curtis?" The man, who was visibly drunk, smirked in satisfaction when he heard his name. "You've got good eyes to be able to recognize me right away. Yeah, I'm Mark." Adeline marched forward and pulled Janet behind her. "So, are you the one who brought our colleague here?" Mark was unbothered by her glare, and he scanned her up and down. "And who are you supposed to be? Oh, that's right. You're from GM. I've heard about you." His gaze lingered as he leered at her. "GM sure knows how to hire stunners. Every single one of you is a knockout." The other men chimed in with vulgar laughter. One of them said, "She's got the looks and the body. I bet she feels great to the touch too!" Adeline ignored their filthy comments, her sharp gaze fixed on Mark. "Were you the one who forced her to drink?" "Yeah. What about it?" He tugged at his tie, clearly reveling in his power. "If you want to sign a contract, a few drinks are part of the deal." "And you tore her clothes too?" "So what if I did? It's just—" Before he could finish speaking, Adeline grabbed an empty wine bottle from the table and smashed it over his head. The bottle shattered, sending glass shards flying. Blood immediately streamed down Mark's forehead. The room froze. Even Janet and Debra were stunned, not to mention the other men, who stared in disbelief. The women clinging to the men screamed and bolted from the room. Mark wiped his head with his hand and came away with a palmful of blood. Furious, he jumped to his feet. "How dare you hit me? Are you tired of living?" Adeline raised the jagged neck of the broken bottle, the sharp edges gleaming under the dim lights. "If you dare lay another hand on any of my team, I won't just hit you. I'll make sure you lose a few fingers too." Her tone was deadly serious, and the icy determination in her eyes made Mark hesitate for a split second. But then he sneered, his arrogance returning. "Do you even know who's behind me? Do you think you can scare me?" "Behind you," Adeline mocked, pretending to glance over his shoulder. "What's that? Is it a ghost?" Mark's face turned red with rage. "The Lambert family and Lambert Group! If you mess with me, I'll make sure GM is blacklisted in all of Gillstone City!" The other men smirked, their expression smug. "Messing with the Lambert family is a death sentence." "Exactly. Let's see how long she keeps that attitude. She'll be begging for mercy soon." Debra and Janet both turned pale, panic flickering in their eyes. Lambert Group, led by the powerful Lambert family, was one of the most prestigious and influential conglomerates in Aurion. Their vast empire extended across countless industries, and they had a reputation for ruthless efficiency. Rumors even suggested that the family had ties to both legal and underground networks. Offending them was akin to signing your own death warrant. Debra and Janet, both relatively new to the workforce, could barely stand steady at the mention of the Lambert family. Janet tugged on Adeline's sleeve, whispering nervously, "Adeline… maybe we should just leave." "Leave?" Mark smashed a glass on the floor, laughing cruelly. "You think you can hit me and just walk away?" Let's see where you think you're going!" Seeing their hesitation, Mark propped one leg on the coffee table, gesturing lewdly toward his crotch. His laugh set a chill down the room. "If you strip down and crawl under me, maybe I'll let you go." "Yeah, strip and crawl!" "Do it! Take it off!" The men erupted into cheers, egging her on, their laughter echoing in the suffocating room. Adeline let out a cold laugh, her gaze sweeping over their despicable faces. Without hesitation, she raised her stiletto heel and viciously kicked Mark in the groin as she yelled, "Go screw yourself!" Mark let out a bloodcurdling scream. His face turned ghostly pale as he collapsed onto the couch, clutching his crotch. His body curled into a twisted ball, and he swore he heard something snap. One of the middle-aged men, shocked by her brutal strike, stood up and pointed a finger at her, shouting, "Don't think just because you're a woman, we won't hit you!" Before he could finish, Adeline rolled up her sleeves and grabbed another bottle before smashing it over his head. The sound of glass breaking was sharp and crisp. "You—!" The man clutched his head, barely getting another word out before the sound of another bottle shattering rang out right above him. "You can't—" With another sound of glass breaking, glass shards scattered across the floor. The man buried his face into the couch, too terrified to utter another word. Adeline turned to another middle-aged man, holding up yet another bottle. She raised an eyebrow, daring him to speak. The man's glasses nearly flew off his face as he frantically shook his head, terrified. He had never, in all his years, seen a woman this fierce. One after another, Adeline smashed bottles with swift, decisive movements, not even blinking. The private room descended into chaos, filled with groans and cries of pain. Outside the room, a man furrowed his brows with every crash, his lips twitching as he nervously watched the commotion unfold. The sight left him both horrified and speechless. In stark contrast, another man, dressed in a black shirt, leaned casually against the wall. An expensive cigarette rested between his fingers, his collar undone, revealing a hint of his toned chest. His handsome face remained calm as a faint smirk played in his brown eyes. Christopher watched with detached amusement. His woman's ability to handle things was truly extraordinary. But suddenly, his gaze darkened, zeroing in on her wrist with a sharp glint in his eyes. Inside the room, Adeline finally felt a sense of relief, having vented all her anger. "Gentlemen, apologies for being a bit heavy-handed," she said, brushing off the liquor splattered on her clothes. Adopting a feigned look of contrition, she added, "Don't forget to pay your tab." Just as she finished speaking, someone seized her wrist in a tight grip. She turned sharply, her eyes locking onto a pair of cold, deep-set ones. Before she could react, she was dragged out of the room with little effort. As she was hauled away, Adeline still found the presence of mind to instruct Debra and Janet, "Go home, now." The two girls, huddled in a corner, were too frightened to even breathe. Debra's voice trembled. "I've seen that man in a magazine before… He looks like the CEO of Lambert Group." Janet's legs were so weak that she could barely stand as tears welled up in her eyes. "What do we do? Adeline's offended them. Is she in trouble now?"