Upon hearing my comment, he burst into hearty laughter. “Are you kidding me? Why wouldn’t I be happy when I’ve reached the pinnacle of my life and achieved everything I used to dream of? The so-called superstitions about the rich being envious of the poor because of their love and friendships are false! Instead, the relationships amongst the rich should be envied. We can entice any women that we want! Isn’t that amazing?”
I merely shrugged and chose not to refute his statement. “So what were you sighing about?” I asked as the city line began to shrink from view.
“Of course I was only trying to find a conversational topic to talk about. I’ve heard that we are very similar. Thus, I couldn’t help but think of the shared topics of interest that we may have,” he smirked and turned to me.
“What are you talking about?” We don’t have any similarities at all!
“Ever since I was young, I’ve grown up alongside my mother. She struggled with her work, and I was constantly berated by others. People like to criticize the weak by thinking highly of themselves. Ever since that moment, I promised that I would repay their cruelty by a thousandfold and give them a taste of their own medicine if I ever managed to climb to a higher status. Right now, I’ve managed to achieve my dream!” Holden said as he leaned languidly against the railing.
“You shouldn’t group us together,” I replied with a frown, “My childhood was not as terrible as you’ve imagined. Thus, you don’t have to find a common ground between the two of us. After all, I have no wish to share any traits with you nor to comfort your so-called embarrassing or tragic childhood.”
“It’s alright. I do not want your sympathy. I merely wanted to find someone reasonable to express my emotions. Ah… I’m feeling much better now,” he said dismissively.
Ugh… how contradictory of him to say so! I shrugged and prepared to excuse myself. All of a sudden, a stunning woman made her way towards Holden. She had a wine glass in her hand as she gave him a sultry smile. Ah… Of course, a reception wouldn’t be complete without a beautiful escort.
Holden seemed pleased to receive the woman’s attention. Instead of rejecting her advances, he wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her closer. “Darling, I won’t be rejecting anyone who approached me.” He whispered in her ear and chuckled, his warm breath caressing her earlobes.
“It’s alright. We’ll get what we want anyway!” She smiled enchantingly in response.
I watched them leave with a slight frown across my face. In the world of adults, money and relationships seemed to be heavily intertwined. At the same time, it felt like the two topics were worlds apart too.
When I re-entered the banquet hall, Ashton had just finished his discussion. “It’s quite windy outside. Why did you head out?” he asked with a grin as he made his way towards me.
“I just wanted to enjoy the scenery!” I gave him a warm smile.
“Let’s go. I’ve prepared an interesting show.” Ashton flicked my nose mischievously.
“Is it going to be a surprise?” I raised my brows.
“Why don’t you see for yourself?” He gave no further explanation as he tugged me towards the VIP cabin located on the top floor.
He then led me into one of the cabins. As soon as I entered, I could hear the high-pitched gasps of a woman accompanied by the heavy pants of another man.
The corners of my mouth twitched as I looked at Ashton. “My, my, Mr. Taylor, you have very refined interests!” he said aloud.
The voices belonged to Holden and the woman he’d hugged earlier.
Nonetheless, Holden’s deep voice continued to echo through the room without a care about our presence. “Mr. Fuller, just a moment, please,” he said good-naturedly.
Just as Ashton was prepared to pull me away. Our path was blocked by pair of men dressed in black suits. Harshly, they hauled a man with an unkempt appearance into the room.
The man had bruises scattered across his swollen face as he was shoved to the floor. It looked as if he had just suffered a horrible beating. Upon closer look, I couldn’t help but scowl in recognition. It’s Shane!
There was still a cacophony of lewd noises echoing behind the screen as Shane looked around his surroundings with a wide gaze. Catching sight of Ashton, he scrambled forward and clung to Ashton desperately regardless of the noises. “Ashton, please! I admit that I made a mistake! Please don’t kill me! I’ll do anything as long as you spare my life!” Shane blabbered in panic.
“F*ck, I can’t even do anything here! Why is it so noisy?” Holden’s voice drifted through the screen before he emerged. He was dressed in his boxers and had just put on a shirt which he buttoned up as he spoke. A cynical look painted his face when he caught sight of Shane. Without hesitation, his foot connected harshly against Shane’s body, shoving him away. “I’m starting to get annoyed with the irritating noise.”
Although Shane was in clear pain, he bit his tongue and remained silent out of fear. Quickly, he got into a kneeling position to confess his mistakes. There was a terrified look across his features.
The sight of Holden, who was barely dressed, made me scoff aloud. All of a sudden, my vision turned pitch black. Ashton had covered my eyes with his palm. “Don’t look!” he said in a deep voice.
“Put on some clothes before coming out!” he ordered Holden in an authoritative tone.
“Why are you so concerned with my lack of clothing?” Holden replied with a click of his tongue, “What are you afraid of? It’s not as if she hasn’t seen my body before.”
“Just go get changed!” Ashton insisted firmly.
“Or do you want me to get someone to assist you?” Ashton said curtly when Holden continued to refuse.
