Chapter 10

Right after stepping into an upscale cafe situated near Celestia Pharmaceuticals, Clement spotted Elise, who was already there waiting for him.

"Whoa! She's the main female lead, alright. She looks every bit the gorgeous CEO with a reputation for being the ice queen!"

Elise's long, flowy hair draped over the top of the suit she was wearing. It was styled with an Hermes belt that cinched her waist and accentuated its slenderness.

Her classic, oval-shaped face was the perfect canvas for her sculpted features and plush lips. Even her collarbones looked chiseled to perfection.

With her beauty, figure, and aloof personality, Elise would make the average man feel unworthy of her and the most confident ones desperate to make her theirs.

Naturally, Clement fell under the second category. Since he was the villain, he was determined to get the female lead.

"How good to see you, Ms. Hanover."

Clement knew very well how to deal with icy, unapproachable female CEOs like Elise. He couldn't come off as perverted, nor could he act like a fawning simp.

Women like her had more than enough eager suitors hanging around them. The more a guy tried to please her, the more she'd think he was just tempted by her looks and family background and the more disdainful she'd feel toward him.

On the contrary, the more disinterested a man was, treating her like an ordinary person, the more intrigued she would be. She would think he was unlike other people.

Such a tactic usually worked to catch the attention of the average frosty female CEO. However, the Chosen One was always blessed with the ability to lower the IQ of anyone who came into contact with them.

Women would fall in love with him, elders would think highly of him, and his peers would become his most loyal subordinates.

Therefore, it'd be a piece of cake for Ethan to seduce Elise, but it'd take a great deal of effort for Clement to achieve the same effect.

"It's nice to see you, Mr. Lakeworth," Elise said as she held her hand out to him for a handshake.

"It's nice to see you, too." Clement smiled as he returned the handshake, releasing her hand swiftly after the appropriate amount of time. Even though her hand was incredibly smooth to the touch, he didn't cling to it the way the usual leery playboys would.

"A change in the female lead Elise Hanover's impression of you detected. You have gained 1 luck point."

Clement's eyes lit up when he heard the notification from the system. She was indeed the female lead, after all. Even just a tiny gesture had garnered him a luck point!

"Please have a seat, Mr. Lakeworth." Elise gestured toward the chair as she studied him curiously. She'd assumed that he would seize the opportunity to take advantage of her or stare at her like some lecherous pervert.

As it was, Clement was rumored to be a sleazy playboy.

Therefore, she was surprised by the reality she'd been presented with. Clement didn't seem interested in her at all. He neither stared at her nor touched her inappropriately. In fact, he was exuding the air of a confident, capable professional, not that of a spoiled, arrogant playboy.

"We're both busy people, Ms. Hanover. Why don't you just get straight to the point?" Clement said.

Glancing at Ruth, who was sitting on the side, Clement covertly used the Loyalty Check skill.

"Elise Hanover and Ruth Camden are not affiliated with you. Loyalty Check is currently unavailable," the system notified him.

That left Clement feeling a little awkward. He'd been hoping to check on the two women's luck points. What a shame this was!

"Mr. Lakeworth, Ethan is my bodyguard. I know he was disrespectful to you at the bar, and I'd like to apologize on his behalf. I hope you can let this matter go for my sake," Elise said gently as she looked at Clement.

"Since you put it that way, Ms. Hanover, it wouldn't be right for me not to do you this favor," Clement remarked.

He'd predicted what Elise would say to him. Still smiling, he brought out the case materials Jeffrey had put together and said, "I'll be honest with you. I've already gotten my lawyer to put together a formal lawsuit to take Ethan to court. Feel free to take a look at it, Ms. Hanover."

Clement slid the folder over to her.

"About that…"

Elise felt rather awkward. With just a quick skim, she could see that the complaint Clement had prepared was in full accordance with the law. He hadn't gone overboard in any way.

Meanwhile, Ruth was eyeing Clement with mixed emotions. She felt as though he'd become an entirely different person. The Clement who had hit on her back at the bar was nowhere near this shrewd.

Setting the folder down, Elise asked, "What are you trying to say, Mr. Lakeworth?"

"I already said I'm willing to do you a favor, even if I wouldn't do it for anyone else," Clement remarked with a smile. "I can drop the charges against Ethan, but I have one condition."

"Feel free to name it, Mrk. Lakeworth."

"Ethan needs to apologize to my bodyguards and me," Clement declared, still smiling. "Do you think that's too much to ask for, Ms. Hanover?"

"No, not at all," Elise replied in agreement right away.

Ethan had seriously injured Clement's bodyguards, forcing them to be hospitalized. He'd also deeply humiliated Clement, who was the heir of a prominent family.

It wasn't at all excessive for Clement to demand an apology from Ethan in exchange for dropping the charges as a favor to her.

Considering Clement's reputation for being a sleazy playboy, Elise had braced herself for far worse possibilities. She thought he might either insist on sending Ethan to prison or demand that either she or Ruth spend the night with him.

The fact that he was only asking for an apology from Ethan was proof that he was being very generous for her sake. Not only was his demand completely within reason, it was an extremely gracious one as well.

"Rest assured, Mr. Lakeworth. I'll see to it that Ethan apologizes to you and your bodyguards," Elise assured with a smile. "I'll also cover the expenses for your bodyguard's injuries, including their hospital fees and any other fees incurred during their recovery."

"That won't be necessary," Clement declined with an indifferent shrug. "I did have a hand in how the situation began, so you need not take any responsibility for anything."

"A change in the female lead Elise Hanover's impression of you detected. You have gained two luck points."

"Mr. Lakeworth!" Elise stared at Clement in surprise, thinking to herself that rumors couldn't be believed at all.

How could the kind and capable Clement before her be the sleazy, domineering playboy he was rumored to be?

"If you're free now, Mr. Lakeworth, why don't we head down to the police station and sign the private settlement agreement now?"

"Sure."

Clement got to his feet with a smile.

…

In the car, Royce, who was driving, looked at Clement in shock and asked, "Clem, are you seriously going to let that bastard Ethan get away with what he did so easily? What kind of spell did Elise cast on you?"

"She didn't cast a spell on me. I'm doing this willingly," Clement replied with a smirk.

He had his reasons, of course. He knew that with Ethan's incredible luck, he wouldn't be able to get the charges to stick, even if the case was taken to court. Something else would happen, and someone would step in to save Ethan.

Since Ethan was going to be let off the hook either way, instead of bringing in more unpredictable variables, it was better for Clement to maintain control over the situation and use it for his own benefit.

It didn't seem unreasonable at all for him to seek an apology from Ethan. But in reality, it was anything but reasonable.

When had a Chosen One—the all-powerful protagonist of a novel—ever apologized to a villain?