Don't Be a Tease, Mr. Blackwood

Chapter 129: Chapter 129: A Scar on the Lower Back

「In the private room.」

Sophie Shaw watched as Alaric Blackwood downed one glass after another, his expression unchanging. He, on the other hand, had plied Oscar Lynch with so much alcohol that the man’s eyes were glazed over. She reached out and tugged on the corner of Alaric’s sleeve.

"Are you going to the office this afternoon?"

"Yes."

"Then don’t drink too much."

Alaric Blackwood nodded. "Don’t worry, honey."

He always knew his limits.

His phone screen suddenly lit up with a new WeChat message.

He picked up his phone, opened the app, and saw it was from Preston Chase. It was a photo—a picture of an ugly woman.

Alaric Blackwood felt his eyes had been assaulted. He quickly shifted his gaze to Sophie Shaw, cleansing his vision by looking at his gentle, beautiful wife and successfully pushing the ugly photograph to the back of his mind.

Preston Chase: [Mr. Blackwood, I suspect this woman is Claire Sterling.]

Wary of seeing that eye-searing photo again, he didn’t immediately read Preston Chase’s message. Instead, with one arm, he pulled Sophie Shaw closer by her soft waist, raised his glass with the other, and downed another one with Oscar Lynch.

"Mr. Lynch, how much do you plan to invest in my wife’s company?"

Hearing this, Oscar Lynch scratched his head in embarrassment. "I see President Shaw’s company isn’t very large. It’s quite small, actually. Let’s start with five hundred thousand."

"Five hundred thousand?"

Alaric Blackwood scoffed. "Is Mr. Lynch a little tight on cash these days?"

"Of course not."

"You should add another zero to that five hundred thousand. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Lynch?"

Oscar Lynch’s smile froze on his face. "Mr. Blackwood, you can’t be serious..."

"So Mr. Lynch really is in a tight spot financially."

"..."

"If you can’t put up the five million, don’t try to keep up appearances just for show. You’ll be a laughingstock if word gets out."

Oscar Lynch was instantly goaded by Alaric Blackwood’s words. Suppressing his anger, he forced a defiant smile. "When have I ever put on a show I couldn’t back up? It’s only five million. I’m in."

’With Alaric Blackwood backing this, there’s no way I can lose money by investing in Sophie Shaw’s company, no matter what.’

"Caleb Cheney and Jaden are both here to witness this. Five million. Not a cent less. Mr. Lynch, you have to stand by your word. Don’t try to back out later by saying you were too drunk."

Oscar Lynch’s mouth twitched. "Mr. Blackwood, don’t insult me. To me, five million is just a number."

"Magnanimous of you, Mr. Lynch. Come, let’s drink."

Alaric Blackwood smiled and raised his glass, forcing several more drinks on Oscar Lynch—well over half a bottle’s worth—until the man finally passed out cold.

Caleb Cheney, already dizzy from the alcohol, saw Mr. Lynch go down and figured he was next on the chopping block. Before Alaric Blackwood and Jaden could even raise their glasses, his eyes rolled back in his head, and with a THUD, he face-planted onto the table.

By the time the meal was over, Sophie Shaw hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol and had eaten her fill.

Seeing it was getting late, she picked up her bag to leave, but Alaric Blackwood grabbed her hand. "Going to the office?"

"Mhm."

"I’ll take you."

"What about these drunkards?"

"Jaden will handle them."

Jaden: ?

Alaric Blackwood stood up, took an overcoat from the rack, and helped Sophie Shaw put it on.

He carefully straightened her overcoat, tied her scarf for her, and wrapped an arm around her waist as they left the private room.

Preston Chase followed close behind, holding his boss’s coat. Once they reached the ground floor and Alaric Blackwood went to pay the bill, Preston draped the coat over his boss’s shoulders.

Once in the car, Alaric Blackwood instructed the driver to head to Heart of the Ocean first.

After dropping Sophie Shaw off downstairs from her company and watching her enter the building, Alaric Blackwood remembered the photo and message from Preston Chase. He pulled out his phone to look.

"Who is the woman in the photo?"

"Ava Sterling."

Alaric Blackwood had been drinking and was slightly buzzed. His mind was sluggish for only a second before he remembered: Ava Sterling was the waitress from that nightclub who had once drugged his drink.

"Are you saying she and Claire Sterling are the same person?"

"It’s highly likely."

"Are you sure?"

"I’ve already consulted with a professional plastic surgeon. Claire Sterling has had plastic surgery—many procedures done on her face."

"So you’re saying it’s just a suspicion right now, not confirmed?"

Preston Chase: "Yes."

"Then report back to me after you’ve confirmed it."

"Yes, Mr. Blackwood." fгeewebnovёl.com

...

Sophie Shaw took the elevator up to her office.

The moment Hannah Sutton saw her, she rushed over. "President Shaw, was everything alright last night?"

"I’m fine. My husband came to pick me up."

Hannah Sutton breathed a sigh of relief. "I’m glad you’re okay."

"Thank you for contacting my husband."

"Of course."

As a woman herself, Hannah Sutton had felt uneasy about leaving Sophie Shaw alone at a table full of men. After thinking it over, she decided that contacting Alaric Blackwood was the best course of action.

"How’s your daughter?" Sophie Shaw asked.

"Just a small injury. Her grandfather was taking her for a walk in the residential community last night when she was bumped by an electric scooter. It wasn’t serious, just a scrape."

"That’s good."

Sophie Shaw walked into her office. Just as she was taking off her overcoat, Hannah Sutton brought her a latte.

It wasn’t in a to-go cup, but in the mug she normally used for water.

She was very surprised.

The coffee machine in the break room was a second-hand model that could only make Americanos, not mochas, lattes, or cappuccinos.

"President Shaw, someone delivered a new espresso machine this morning," Hannah Sutton said.

Sophie Shaw asked in surprise, "Who sent it?"

"Miss Halloway sent it. Here’s the card."

Hannah Sutton presented her with an exquisite card. Sophie Shaw took it and opened it. Inside, elegant handwriting read, "Hardworking people need coffee freedom."

A gift for my sister-in-law. No need to stand on ceremony.

It was signed, Nina Halloway.

Sophie Shaw was both surprised and delighted. After thanking Hannah Sutton for the coffee and card, she immediately pulled her phone from her purse and dialed Nina Halloway’s number.

At that moment, Nina Halloway had just finished lunch and was lounging on the sofa, content to laze about.

Seeing the call was from Sophie Shaw, she answered immediately.

"Did you get the gift?"

"I did, thank you."

"We’re family. No need for thank yous."

Hearing her say they were family, Sophie Shaw felt her eyes uncontrollably begin to sting.

It had been so long since she had felt cared for and valued by family. She felt the urge to cry.

"The photo shoot is tomorrow, right?" Nina Halloway asked.

"That’s right."

"Okay, I’ll be there on time. I’ll let you get back to work now. I have to get back to my vegging."

Sophie Shaw laughed. "Okay, see you at the studio tomorrow."

"Bye-bye."

Nina Halloway hung up, set her phone on the coffee table, and rolled over onto her stomach. Her lower back felt a bit sore, so she called out, "Ethan."

Ethan Austin walked out of the kitchen, his hands still wet from helping Anne wash the dishes.

"You called for me?"

"Give me a massage. My back hurts."

"..." ’Is this part of a bodyguard’s duties now?’

"Hurry up."

Nina Halloway urged him on.

Ethan Austin reluctantly walked over and sat on the edge of the sofa. He pulled out a tissue to dry the water from his hands. Staring at the woman’s slender waist, he interlocked his fingers and cracked his knuckles with a loud POP.

The startling sound made Nina Halloway jump. She turned her head to look at him. "Don’t use too much force. You’ll snap my back in two."

"Oh."

He was very gentle, having no experience with massage. He just kneaded and squeezed her slender waist haphazardly.

Nina Halloway had eaten a rich lunch and was slipping into a food coma. Before long, her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Seeing that she had fallen asleep, Ethan Austin’s massage became even more perfunctory and careless.

He accidentally flipped up a corner of her shirt. Just as he was about to pull it back down, he was stunned to discover a scar on Nina Halloway’s lower back.