Chapter 6

"That woman just doesn't know her place! Does she actually think she can work with you, Mr. Ziegler? Does she even know who she is? You've seen plenty of women in your time. Why would you ever choose to work with her?" Eric said.

He raised his glass, a fawning smile plastered on his face as he looked at Sidney. "Mr. Ziegler, don't you agree?"

Sidney snapped to his senses. His fingers closed around the business card, pressing it into his palm. Instead of responding, he slowly rose and walked toward the door.

Eric immediately hurried after him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Ziegler, it's still early. Where are you going? Aren't you going to stay and hear about our deal?"

Sidney stopped. His sharp gaze was like a blade as it slid to the hand on his shoulder, and the air around him suddenly turned frosty. Impatience flashed in his eyes.

"It's all that annoying woman's fault," Eric rambled. "She relies on a man for everything and is nothing without him! She thinks she's so high and mighty, but she's just some cheap whore that everyone's had a turn—"

Before he could finish, Sidney suddenly whirled around. His eyes were as vicious as a poisonous snake and coldly locked onto him.

Eric paled and jolted in fright. A chill ran down his spine as he stared into Sidney's eyes, and he sobered up a bit. He had no idea what he'd said to set Sidney off and swallowed nervously. "Let's not talk about her. Mr. Ziegler, about the deal we discussed last time—when do you think we can start?"

Sidney would've forgotten about it if he hadn't mentioned it. He pulled out his phone, made a call, and said in a tone that brooked no argument, "Terminate all cooperation with Wood Group."

The words had barely fallen when the color drained from Eric's face. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Sidney.

Sidney continued, "I want a termination notice in my inbox in five minutes."

"M-Mr. Ziegler, what are you talking about? Mr. Ziegler!" Eric thought he must've misheard and rushed to plead for mercy. "I have nothing to do with that woman, I swear! She's the one desperate for a man—I never even touched her!"

Sidney had already turned away and stepped out of the private room. Eric bolted after him, reaching out to grab him. However, Sidney's bodyguards had him pinned in an instant. Unable to move, all he could do was beg.

"Mr. Ziegler, I don't know what I said to offend you, but please give me another chance! I really need this partnership! I'll do anything if you'll just forgive me!" Eric cried.

"Oh? Is that so?" A glint of frost flashed in Sidney's eyes as his gaze dropped to Eric's right hand. He was sure that hand had been on Astrid earlier.

"You can sacrifice that hand, then."

With that, he flicked the cigarette between his fingers upward and strode away. Behind him, an anguished howl tore through the hallway, mingled with the sickening crunch of breaking bone.

Everyone in the private room witnessed what had happened. Their blood seemed to freeze in their veins. Faces went pale, and they slapped their hands over their mouths.

Sidney's nickname, the devil incarnate, was clearly no exaggeration.

None of them knew exactly how Eric had offended him. They only knew that from now on, they had to watch every word they said, or they might end up just like him… or worse.

…

The early autumn wind carried a faint chill, the cool air sobering Astrid up a little as it brushed against her face.

Astrid crouched by the side of the road, pulled out her phone, and opened a ride-hailing app. Her vision was hazy, and her head was spinning.

Just thinking about what had happened earlier made her temples throb. She'd extended an olive branch, but the memory of Sidney's icy expression gave her the feeling that the collaboration was probably dead in the water.

She pinched the aching spot between her brows and pushed herself unsteadily to her feet.

Suddenly, a car pulled up right in front of her. A dark figure rushed over and grabbed her by the arm. "Why are you here instead of preparing for Grandpa's birthday banquet at home, Astrid?"

Reuben's furious voice exploded in Astrid's ear.

She narrowed her eyes. When she finally made out who it was, her expression instantly turned frosty. "Get lost!"

She tried to yank her arm free, but her body swayed, and she almost fell.

Reuben tightened his grip on her wrist and snapped, "Do you have any idea how many times I called you? Now, you're putting on some pampered-princess act and ignoring my calls? You think you can do that now that you've grown a backbone?"

"Let go of me!" Astrid couldn't be bothered to argue. Just looking at his face made her stomach churn.

"As my wife, it's your job to handle this banquet. Don't you have any sense of responsibility?"

Sometimes, when a person was beyond speechless, all they could do was laugh. Astrid looked up and asked with a mocking smile, "And what about you? Have you fulfilled your responsibilities as a husband?"

She pulled out her phone. On the screen was a photo of Reuben and Eleanor in an intimate moment.

His face darkened. The arrogance dropped from him in an instant, and his grip on her arm loosened in his diffidence. "Come home with me first and prepare for Grandpa's birthday banquet. We'll talk about this later."

He tugged on her, trying to drag her away.

Her stomach had already been churning, and when Reuben yanked her with extra force, Astrid's legs went weak. She pitched forward.

She caught herself against his arm and struggled to stand upright. Then, her stomach lurched hard, and she threw up. She had perfect aim—it went right down the front of Reuben's immaculate suit.

A nauseating smell filled the air.

Reuben went rigid. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he stiffly turned to glare at Astrid. He forced through gritted teeth, "Astrid Jenner!"

With her stomach finally emptied, Astrid felt a wave of relief wash over her. She looked at Reuben's rage-twisted face and smirked. "Sorry. I just get sick to my stomach when I see you. I actually feel a lot better after throwing up, so thanks for that."

She yanked her arm out of his grasp and pinched her nose in disgust. "Anyway, you should go home and get cleaned up. It's disgusting. Honestly, though, the smell kind of suits you."

"You—"

Just then, a black Rolls-Royce eased to a stop by the curb. Astrid assumed the car she'd ordered had finally arrived. She waved at it.

She walked over and tried to pull the door open, but it wouldn't budge, no matter how she yanked. Irritated, she raised her voice. "Come on, unlock the door already! I wanna get in!"

Her voice was loud and echoed on the quiet street. A moment later, the lock clicked, and she easily opened the door. She slid into the backseat.

Reuben stormed over, livid. "Astrid, you'd better get out of that car right now, or—"

Before he could finish his threat, she let out a cold, derisive laugh. "Drive!"

With a flick of her hand, the car glided away from the curb and headed down the road.

"Where would you like to go, Ms. Jenner?" A familiar male voice sounded right next to her.

Astrid blinked in confusion, then turned toward the driver. She didn't recognize him, so she turned to look at the other passenger.

A hard, strikingly handsome face came into view.

The AC was blasting, and the cool air carried that familiar cedar scent. As her gaze met those eyes that seemed to carry a sort of cynical amusement, all traces of alcohol burned right out of her system. Her eyes widened in shock.

Astrid immediately lunged for the door handle, but it was already locked. She slowly turned back to look at the man, her movements stiff. She forced the corners of her lips up into a smile that looked more miserable than anything else.

How on earth had she ended up in Sidney's car?