Kylie took a nervous step back until her back hit the cold wall.

"Jonathan, what are you doing?"

Her voice trembled, and deep down, she knew this man had enough power to do whatever he wanted in this place.

Jonathan's voice was low and rich, but his eyes were dark. It was as though they could swallow her whole. His fingers slowly slid down her cheek, lightly cupping her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Kylie, I'll say it again. I won't allow my woman to be in a place like this."

The touch was both familiar and alien, sending a shiver through Kylie's body. She stiffened instinctively, her cheeks flushing slightly. But the humiliation of being discarded made her resist him even more.

"I'm not your woman anymore. Have you forgotten? You abandoned me last week."

Jonathan paused, taken aback by her words. For a moment, he was speechless. But soon enough, his desire flared again, and his lips curled into a smirk.

"Not my woman? I'll make you mine right now!"

With that, Jonathan pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist and pushing her down onto the sofa. His other hand slid down her bottom, and without warning, he hoisted her thigh up.

Kylie's body jerked in response, her eyes widening as she stared at Jonathan, memories of their first night together flooding back—the same nightclub, the same private room, three years ago.

Jonathan gripped her chin tighter, bending down to bite her lips. His movements were rough, aggressive, as though he was claiming her once more.

"Let go of me!"

Kylie fought with all her strength, pushing against him.

But Jonathan wasn't relenting. His lips moved to her neck, kissing and biting as his long, lean hand slid beneath her skirt.

In a panic, Kylie grabbed the small cup from the coffee table beside the sofa and swung it at Jonathan's head.

He staggered back, stunned, his forehead swelling immediately with a dark bruise as blood began to seep from the cut.

Kylie was breathless and terrified, and she didn't hesitate. She scrambled to her feet, rushing to the door and bolting out of the room.

Once outside, she collided with Lily, who was walking by.

"What's going on? Why the rush?"

Kylie mumbled quickly, trying to hide her fear.

"The guest had too much to drink. I'm fine. I just need to clean up."

Lily gave her a suspicious look. This room didn't have a client tonight. Her suspicion grew as she noticed Jonathan stepping out of the room, his hand pressed to his head. His forehead was already swelling and bleeding.

"Mr. Sinclair... a-are you alright?"

Lily immediately understood that Kylie had crossed a line with Jonathan.

Jonathan was someone no one could afford to offend. If Kylie had truly angered him, life in this place would become unbearable for her.

In the dressing room, Kylie stared at her reflection in the mirror, her disheveled appearance starkly evident. The love bite on her neck stood out, a mark of what had just happened.

Jonathan had treated her like that, but even as he did, she couldn't help but notice that she had soaked through her underwear.

Jonathan was her first. Over the past three years, every encounter with him had been intense, each time a dizzying mixture of pleasure and submission. Her body had long been accustomed to his touch. Even in that moment of aggression, she had found herself wanting to respond in kind.

But now, all she felt was frustration and anger.

Lily pushed the door open, entering the room with a sympathetic expression.

"You need to apologize to Mr. Sinclair," she urged, her voice low. "Whatever happened earlier, you need to make it right. Those people... they're not people we can afford to anger."

Kylie knew the reality. The men in that room, especially Jonathan, were the elites of Jorundale. Offending any of them would end badly for her, but angering someone as influential as Jonathan?

That was a disaster waiting to happen.

She didn't want to make things harder for Lily, and she couldn't afford to lose this high-paying part-time job. Her brother, Kevin Cooper, was in the hospital, and she still had to pay his medical bills every month. The thought made her grit her teeth in determination.

"I got it." Kylie nodded resolutely.

She returned to V8, where she found Jonathan already sitting in the center of the sofa. Samuel was beside him, speaking to him. He lounged with one arm draped around an up-and-coming starlet and the other swirling a glass of whiskey.

The woman was draped over him like a snake, her hands freely roaming across his chest. Jonathan didn't seem to mind, letting her touch him without protest.

The bandage on Jonathan's forehead stood out, the white patch stark against his skin. His shirt collar revealed a faint trace of lipstick, clearly from when Kylie had struggled earlier.

As soon as Jonathan saw Kylie, his attractive eyes filled with an edge of anger.

The room grew silent.

Earlier, everyone was talking about who had the nerve to offend Jonathan, and it turned out to be a hostess. Now, everyone was waiting to see what Jonathan would do to this hostess who had dared to cross him.

Suddenly, someone from behind shoved Kylie roughly.

Kylie stumbled forward, her high heels twisting awkwardly as her ankle gave way. She crashed to the ground, falling to her knees with a loud "thud".

A sharp pain shot through her knees. Instinctively, she reached out to steady herself, her palms pressing against the cold floor. Her hair, which had been carefully styled, now spilled messily around her face, blocking her view.

At that moment, her forehead was less than five inches from Jonathan's custom Italian leather shoes.

The woman in Jonathan's lap let out a high-pitched scream, her hands clutching at him as she flung herself into his chest.

"Mr. Sinclair! That scared me!"

However, Jonathan remained calm and unbothered. He raised one foot, gently pressing the toe of his shoe under Kylie's chin, lifting her face to meet his. His gaze was sharp, his words dripping with disdain.

"Is this how you apologize?"

Jonathan had always been aloof, never one to stoop to such levels with others. It was clear he was still angry.

Samuel could tell, and he couldn't help but scoff. "Was it you? You're the one who dared to hurt Mr. Sinclair?"

With that, Samuel stepped forward, raising his hand and patting Kylie lightly on the cheek.

Kylie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before speaking in a soft voice. "Mr. Sinclair, I'm sorry for offending you earlier. I truly apologize."

Samuel sneered, then grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the table, opening it with a flourish before holding it up to Kylie's lips.

"An apology requires sincerity, doesn't it?"

Kylie hesitated, glancing down at the bottle before her. She slowly took it from him, and still kneeling, she poured whiskey into Jonathan's glass.

Once again, she softly said, "Mr. Sinclair, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Jonathan eyed the glass in his hand, swirling the liquid slowly. After a moment, he raised his hand and poured the entire contents over Kylie's head.

The cold liquid soaked through her hair, trickling down her scalp, flowing down her neck, and dripping into her blouse.

"Drink the whole bottle," Jonathan's cold voice echoed above her.

Kylie hadn't expected him to be so harsh. Fear tightened in her chest, but she knew that refusing him would only make things worse.

She looked up at him, pleading silently with her eyes, hoping for mercy.

But Jonathan showed no signs of yielding. His eyes were as cold as his tone, his focus unwavering as he shook his glass.

The woman sitting on Jonathan's lap was a rising star, and she looked increasingly irritated. Tonight had been her chance to climb the social ladder, and she had already made herself comfortable in Jonathan's lap. But this interruption had completely ruined her moment.

Without a word, she stood up and slapped Kylie across the face, her voice sharp as she commanded, "Asking you to drink was a courtesy. Don't push your luck!"

Jonathan's hand trembled slightly around his glass, and a flicker of something that could almost be mistaken for regret surged in his chest.

Kylie's face was burning from the slap, and she had no choice but to comply. She lifted the bottle with respect, holding it to her lips as she drank deeply, tilting her head back. The smooth curve of her neck was visible as she swallowed, the movement subtle but alluring. The faint marks Jonathan had left on her skin earlier seemed to glow under the light.

The sharp sting of the whiskey hit Kylie hard, leaving her feeling nauseous. She swallowed it down, fighting the urge to gag. Then, in a hoarse voice, she said again, "Mr. Sinclair, please forgive me."

Jonathan remained silent, his expression cold and unreadable.

Kylie had been with him for three years without ever questioning him. She had never dared to oppose him. Jonathan hadn't anticipated that she would actually hurt him today.

He simply wanted to teach her a lesson and make sure she remembered who held the power.

The dim, flickering lights cast an almost seductive glow on Kylie's skin, her chest rising and falling with each breath, the curve of her body impossible to ignore.

She was undeniably beautiful, a perfect vision of temptation.

Samuel couldn't help but swallow, feeling a twinge of sympathy. He turned to Jonathan, his voice softer than before.

"Bro, this girl's probably new. She doesn't know the rules. A little lesson should be enough, right? It's my birthday, after all. Look, the cake still isn't cut. Let's not let this spoil the mood."

He glanced at Jonathan, waiting for a response.

Jonathan remained silent, giving no objection, which seemed like a silent agreement to Samuel's words.

"Why don't you quickly thank Mr. Sinclair? He won't hold today's incident against you," Samuel said to Kylie.

Kylie lowered her gaze, her long lashes shadowing her face, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Thank you, Mr. Sinclair. Thank you, Mr. Quinton."

The woman still draped over Jonathan's lap rolled her eyes and impatiently said, "Hurry up and get lost."

Kylie rose, her knees already bruised from the prolonged kneeling. With her head bowed, she quickly exited the room.

Jonathan furrowed his brow and grabbed the restless hand of the woman next to him, coldly tossing it aside.

Once she was out of the room, Kylie finally relaxed. She had drunk too much earlier, and now her head was spinning.

She rushed to the restroom, sticking her finger down her throat and vomiting for a while. The sharp, bitter taste of liquor lingered in her mouth.

She splashed cold water on her face, the sting from the slaps still burning her cheeks.

As she walked out of the restroom, Kylie bumped into a man coming from the other way.

A strong scent of cigars hit her, and she looked up to see Samuel.

Kylie immediately sensed something was wrong. Was Samuel here to cause trouble for her again?

"Sorry, Mr. Quinton," Kylie quickly apologized and tried to move away, but Samuel placed his hand on the door, trapping her.

"Coco?"

Samuel looked at the name tag on her chest and read it aloud with a teasing tone, but his gaze was burning, fixed on Kylie's chest.

Samuel was as tall as Jonathan, probably about 5 feet 11 inches. With that height difference, he could easily look down on Kylie's curvy figure.

Kylie could feel the desire in Samuel's eyes. She quickly covered her chest with her hands, terrified.

Samuel chuckled, pried her hands apart, and stuffed a stack of cash between her breasts.

"What if you came with me?" Samuel said, and Kylie was obviously surprised at his words. "Think about it."

He smirked and released her.

Once Samuel left, Kylie sighed in relief. Did rich men always like women like her?

She pulled out the cash from her chest, pondering.

In the distance, a tall, slender figure passed by.

Kylie didn't know, but Jonathan had witnessed everything that had just happened.

A man with an intense possessive streak, Jonathan's heart was now a mix of conflicting emotions.

When Jonathan returned to the V8 room from the restroom, his face was dark. Samuel tried to pull him into cutting the cake together, but Jonathan shook him off.

Samuel felt awkward, completely unaware that his teasing of Kylie earlier had crossed Jonathan's line.

Jonathan's mind was consumed with thoughts of Kylie's vulnerable, pitiable expression. He regretted it a little, but he couldn't bring himself to accept the way she had acted.

He had always seen her as nothing more than an obedient lover, so why did he suddenly seem to care about her today?

Feeling restless and increasingly irritated, he didn't stay long before getting up and leaving.

The cake hadn't even been cut, but Jonathan was already gone. That left Samuel feeling a bit embarrassed.

This wasn't the first time Jonathan had embarrassed Samuel in public. But what could he do? Jonathan was Samuel's cousin, after all. Samuel gritted his teeth and endured it.

-

A black luxury car was already waiting at the entrance of the club. As soon as Jonathan stepped outside, his assistant, Michael Lester, hurried to open the car door for him.

Jonathan said nothing, his face still grim. After a long pause, he finally spoke to Michael.

"I don't want Kylie showing up here again."

"Understood," Michael replied immediately.

Jonathan massaged his temple with his long fingers and added, "And that starlet, whatever her name was—make sure she never gets another role."

Michael was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on and answered, "Got it."

However, Michael was inwardly confused.

What rising star? Who was that?

Either way, it didn't matter who it was. If they offended Jonathan, they wouldn't last long in the industry.

Once Jonathan got into the car, Michael handed him a clean shirt.

As Jonathan removed the alcohol-stained shirt in the spacious backseat, his eyes landed on the lipstick stain at the collar. He frowned slightly, a surge of jealousy rising within him. He didn't want to show it too obviously, but the strong sense of possessiveness was impossible to ignore.

Looking out the window for a long time, Jonathan finally spoke coldly.

"Drive."