+15 BONUExclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Steve cautiously glanced at Lucas and asked, "Mr. Tudor, is there something wrong?"

He shot a warning look at Mike, signaling him not to cause any trouble in front of Lucas. If they offended the investor, Mike would become Arthur Town's public enemy, and not even Steve could protect him. Mike understood the gravity of the situation.

Despite wanting to drag Aveline away, he dared not act recklessly. The imposing presence of the man in the main seat created an oppressive atmosphere, making it hard for Mike to breathe.

Lucas' icy, piercing gaze settled on Mike. "You said she's your girlfriend?"

Mike was momentarily taken aback but quickly nodded. "Yes."

With those words, the chill in the room intensified.

Everyone could feel the creeping coldness.

Aveline's eyes flickered, and she pressed her lips together tightly.

What did he mean by this? Was he planning to intervene in her situation?

She did not want him to be involved in her affairs and was reluctant to be entangled with him.

"Not bad," Lucas said coldly, his eyes shifting away from Aveline's face.

He uttered the word indifferently before standing and leaving the

room.

Everyone in the room looked at each other in confusion.

"What does Mr. Tudor mean by that?"

"No idea."

"Is Mr. Tudor interested in that girl?"

The others were baffled, unable to understand the situation.

Steve pointed at Mike, his frustration barely contained. "Go home and stop embarrassing us!"

Mike and Lucas were the same age, yet Lucas was already a CEO of a listed company, while his own son was a useless playboy.

The comparison infuriated Steve.

Mike instinctively asked, "Dad, what about her...?"

Steve barked, "Get out! If you mess this up, I'll break your legs!"

Mike flinched, shot a glance at Aveline, and reluctantly left.

Aveline let out a sigh of relief.

She looked at Steve and said, "Thank you. I hope your son won't bother me again. If his actions jeopardize Arthur Town's future, it will bring a significant loss to the development of this town." She turned to leave.

"Wait," Steve said, his voice cold and commanding, stopping her in her tracks.

Aveline frowned and turned back. "Is there anything else, Mr. Portal?"

His eyes scrutinized her for a moment before he composed himself. "If you help me find out Mr. Tudor's stance, I'll make sure Mike never bothers you again. Deal?"

Aveline's expression furned icy. "I'm not interested in this deal. It's your duty to discipline your son, not leverage it to make deals with me. Besides, I doubt I could extract any information from Mr. Tudor. "Mr. Portal, for Arthur Town's future deve pment, it's better to focus

on using real efforts rather than resorting to underhanded tactics."

With that, she walked away.

Steve's face flushed with embarrassment, but with so many people around, he restrained himself from reacting further.

This girl had quite a sharp tongue!

*15 BONUS

Aveline left the private room and hurried towards the exit of Celestial Heights, pulling out her phone to call Hilda.

As she passed another private room, a strong grip seized her wrist, yanking her inside.

"Ah!" she screamed, her face paling instantly.

Was it Mike again?

She struggled frantically, but in the next moment, the attacker wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, pinning her against the wall, while he clamped a hand firmly over her mouth. Despair engulfed her heart.