Page 56 of Addicted To His Favorite
The crowd’s whispers shifted again.
“So Emily really is a mistress… trying to seduce another man,” one person muttered.
“She’s shameless,” another added.
Jeremy was the first to snap. He turned on Lucas, eyes blazing. “You’re not even going to defend Emily? What kind of man are you?”
Harold, on the other hand, was fuming. His jaw was tight as his eyes darted to Amelia.
“You’re one to talk,” he said coldly. “If you can’t control your own man, don’t come here blaming Emily. Are you blind? The only thing your eyes seem to find fault with is her. If your boyfriend is harassing her, maybe you should keep a tighter leash onhiminstead of attacking Emily.”
Lucas’s glare stayed fixed on Emily. His lips curled into something between a sneer and a bitter smile. “So that’s it? You came all the way here just to seduce another rich man like him? Just because you couldn’t be with me, now you’re trying to latchonto this bastard?” His voice dripped venom, the last word spat like it burned his mouth.
Before anyone could blink, Harold marched forward, fury snapping through him like lightning, and drove his fist hard into Lucas’s jaw. The crack of impact silenced the whispers for a moment.
Lucas staggered but immediately struck back, fury exploding. He was already burning from the sight of Harold with Emily. He lunged, shoving Harold back before throwing a punch of his own.
The two men collided in a storm of fists, their movements wild and raw. A sharp smack of knuckles on skin. A grunt of pain. Blood splattered—thin red streaks against the clean floor.
Emily’s heart pounded in her ears. “Stop!” she cried, shoving herself between them. She wrapped her arms around Harold from the front, pushing him back with all her strength. “That’s enough! Don’t do this!” Her voice was loud, urgent, trembling.
But in the chaos, Lucas’s fist swung again—landing right across Harold’s face. Emily, still in front of Harold, shielded him instinctively. The force of Lucas’s blow made Harold stumble, losing his balance. He fell hard, the sound of his body hitting the ground echoing in the tense room.
Emily dropped to her knees beside him instantly. Her hand cupped his face, turning it gently to inspect the damage.
“Are you alright?” she asked, her voice frantic.
Harold opened his mouth to say, “I’m fine,” but his words caught. Instead, he let out a small, pained whimper. His expression twisted, eyes narrowing as though the ache had doubled.
“It… it hurts really bad,” he said, his voice cracking, milking the moment for all it was worth.
Standing just behind them, Lucas’s fury deepened into something darker. His eyes flicked from Emily’s hand—still cradling Harold’s face—to Harold’s wounded, almost pitiful expression. Lucas’s jaw tightened so hard the muscle twitched. His fists clenched, knuckles whitening before turning red from the force.
“Emily…” His voice came out rough, strangled with jealousy. He took a deliberate step closer, the heat in his glare almost tangible. “Why are you caring for him?” His tone sharpened into a shout. “Can’t you see he’s just acting—pretending—right in front of you?” The words dripped with fury, his chest rising like he could barely hold himself back.
Amelia instantly reached for Lucas’s arm, fingers tightening around his wrist as she pulled him back.
“Lucas,” she hissed in a low, urgent voice, leaning closer so only he could hear. “Stop trying to get yourself into trouble. Don’t you understand? She doesn’t love you. She’s using you to get attention—don’t give her more.”
Emily, however, didn’t even glance at them. Her entire focus was on Harold. She crouched beside him, her brows furrowed in worry, and slid an arm around his shoulders.
“Here—let me help you up,” she said gently. She braced her weight against him, trying to lift him to his feet. “Come on. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
A faint, almost smug smile threatened to break across Harold’s face. He quickly hid it, schooling his features into pained gratitude as he nodded. Without hesitation, he draped his arm around her shoulders, leaning into her for support as he stood.
Lucas’s chest tightened at the sight. The anger and jealousy in him coiled hotter, sharper. His pulse pounded in his ears. Every muscle in his body tensed as he started toward them with quick, heavy steps.
But Amelia moved fast—stepping in front of him, pressing her palm to his chest, forcing him back with more strength than expected. Her voice was harsh but quiet.
“Don’t you see what she’s doing?” she said through gritted teeth. “Why are you going after her? If you try to get close to her now, you’ll only confirm every rumor about you harassing Emily.”
***
Adam stormed into Sebastian’s office, the door banging against the wall.
Sebastian was seated behind his desk, flipping through a stack of files. He looked up as Adam’s shadow fell across his desk.
Sebastian arched a brow and leaned back in his chair, calm but watchful. “What’s this about?”
