"Watch out, Mr. Miller!" someone shouted."Steve, wait!" Cillian rushed forward, his voice trembling with desperation. "Let me handle this. I'll apologize for Mr. Miller. Just don't hurt him!"A smirk spread across Steve's face as he watched Cillian's panicked plea. "Well, look at this! I thought you were something special, punk, but here you are, hiding behind others to save your skin. Give me a moment..." He broke into exaggerated laughter.Everyone watched his theatrical display with unease.Justin observed Steve's unrestrained laughter through narrowed eyes. Steve's baseless confidence was puzzling. He acted as though Justin had already surrendered and begged for mercy. He seemed lost in his own fantasy of dominance, practically giddy with premature satisfaction.Before Justin could speak, Steve's voice turned harsh. "Admit defeat, punk! Apologize for that attitude, or I'll put a bullet in you right here!""You'll need better skills than that," Just

Paul, the manager, approached in his crisp black suit. "Quite a deal you landed today, Laura! This calls for a celebration dinner tonight."Behind his pleasant smile lurked darker thoughts. He'd pursued Laura relentlessly, only to be rejected with excuses about avoiding relationships and marriage commitments, but then she'd ended up with some nobody. His pride still stung. The truth was, he'd never seriously wanted her. He'd only planned to toy with her feelings before casting her aside. Tonight would be his chance for revenge, watching her squirm when she couldn't afford the bill."Well..." Laura hesitated. She was happy to treat her colleagues, but she hadn't anticipated closing such a large deal today and had brought limited cash.Paul noticed her discomfort with smug satisfaction. Seeing exactly what he'd hoped for, he pressed on with false concern. "What's wrong, Laura? Don't tell me you're being stingy. You'll be getting a massive commission next month. I can ev

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paul's words slurred slightly as he grabbed another bottle of Rémy Martin. "You think I can't handle my liquor?" His face had turned an alarming shade of red as he swayed, taking another deep pull from the bottle.Laura watched in disbelief. Paul was drinking expensive spirits like water. Even water would be dangerous in such quantities.The others shifted uncomfortably, exchanging nervous glances as Paul took another massive gulp.Despite their attempts to reason with him, Paul remained defiant. "Your turn, punk!""Alright, alright, take it easy." Justin picked up the dice cup with deliberate casualness.The room erupted when his roll revealed three twos and three threes - a mere 15 points. Even a blind man could beat that score."15 points? Is this some kind of joke?""Finally, Mr. Wilson's got this in the bag!""You could roll better than that in your sleep, Mr. Wilson!"The excitement was electri

"No more stalling. Tell me or forget about sleeping!" Margaret persisted."Just five more minutes, Mom..." Laura mumbled."Just tell me," Margaret repeated. Despite her protests, Laura found herself pulled upright, squinting at her mother's eager face. The memory of Justin's gentle touch from the previous night surfaced, bringing an involuntary smile to her lips.Margaret pounced on the expression. "Something good happened, didn't it? That smile says it all!""It's not... We're just getting reacquainted after all this time. We need space to figure things out." Laura deflected, uncomfortable with the interrogation. Romance was the last thing on her mind. The situation with Paul remained volatile. After last night's humiliation, ending with him coughing up blood, retaliation seemed inevitable.Justin had already rescued her twice, and guilt gnawed at her for involving him. The thought of him getting into trouble over her problems made her stomach churn. She co

The truth caught in Laura's throat. Paul's demands were far worse than simple workplace harassment, but telling Justin might lead to violence.Besides, Justin couldn't help with the impossible sales target anyway. She had better handle this alone than risk making things worse. "Really, it's nothing." Laura forced a smile.Justin frowned with concern. "Come on, Laura. We've known each other too long for that. Whatever it is, I can help.""I'm fine, Justin. Don't worry about me. I'll just grab a taxi home." Laura insisted."At least let me make sure you get home safe." Justin nodded.Ring, ring!Before Justin arrived home, his phone rang. "Mr. Grayson? Really? That's excellent news. I'll come by first thing tomorrow."The call brought unexpected good news. Connor had actually found a hundred-year-old ginseng through his Eastern connections. Such ancient roots were incredibly rare and precious. With this, they might finally be able to purge the toxins