Chapter 7

Seeing that Derek was mostly convinced, Alice let out a sigh of relief.

But then, his tone shifted, and his eyes sharpened. "Hold on a sec, if you could really threaten James, why wait until now?"

Alice was ready for this. She adjusted her evening gown and replied, "I did threaten him before. But back then, Ms. White wasn't in the picture, so he didn't care."

"Now it's different. If he doesn't agree, I'll send it straight to Ms. White."

Her calm demeanor surprised Derek.

He had initially agreed not to have sex with Alice just to buy some time to flirt with her. Now, it seemed Alice was far more interesting than he had imagined.

No wonder Alice had been so cold to him before; she had bigger goals in mind.

"Sweetheart, can you really help me with this?" Derek reached out and grabbed Alice's chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Of course," Alice gritted her teeth and agreed.

Whether she could actually do it or not, her main goal was to keep Derek at bay for now.

"Good. Don't forget about your good friend Molly. If you don't want anything to happen to her, you'd better do as I say."

The position of the Brown family heir was far more tempting to Derek than any woman.

He wasn't in a hurry. With Molly as leverage, he wasn't afraid of not getting Alice. The potential benefits were worth the wait.

Alice reassured him, "Don't worry."

Only then did Derek reluctantly leave, leaving Alice alone in the private room.

After a brief moment of clarity, the strong liquor hit her again, making her chest feel like it was on fire, and her heart pounded violently.

She took some pills from her bag and swallowed several, which helped ease the situation a bit.

Her phone rang; it was Molly calling.

"Alice, something came up here. I'll be there soon."

"Okay."

She forced her shaky body out of the private room.

The biting cold wind cut through her clothes, turning her skin red, but at least the burning sensation was gone.

A black Maybach slowly pulled up in front of Alice. The window rolled down, revealing James's cold eyes.

"Get in," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

Alice chose to ignore him and walked around the car.

"I'll say it again, get in."

Liam, looking troubled, added, "Ms. Tudor, please get in the car."

After five years, Alice understood James well.

If she upset him, he would find ways to retaliate. An angry James was much harder to deal with than Derek.

She finally gave up resisting and got into the car.

The car's interior was warm, giving her a brief respite from the cold.

James sat in the back, legs crossed, his suit immaculate, exuding an untouchable aura.

In contrast, her makeup was half-ruined, making her look like a disheveled vagrant.

Alice felt the stark difference in their statuses, and a strong sense of unease made her want to escape quickly.

"Mr. Russell, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't waste time."

She had never rebelled against James before, and this cold tone was a first.

James reached out and yanked her over, causing her to crash into his legs.

The awkward position made her uncomfortable, and she quickly tried to pull away, but the car's confined space left her with little room.

"What? Can't wait to run to your new sugar daddy?" James sneered, his eyes full of mockery.

Alice knew James had misunderstood, but given his recent attitude, what was the point of explaining?

Derek bringing her here today had already cemented a negative impression in James's mind.

Her silence only made the atmosphere in the car more oppressive.

James's eyes reddened, and he grabbed her slender neck. "Tell me, how many times have you slept with Derek?"

Alice was confused. He was the one who didn't want her first, so why was he questioning her now?

Seeing her not answering, James's grip tightened. Alice struggled to breathe and desperately tried to pry his fingers off. "Let go of me! Let go!"

"Tell me, have you slept with him or not?"

"No! Are you satisfied now?"

As soon as she spoke, James's hand loosened, and Alice gasped for air. James had really used force just now.

James then noticed the hickey on Alice's neck, and his veins bulged.

Ignoring her struggles, he forced her head towards the car's rearview mirror.

"Then what's that on your neck?"

The touch of James's hand sent a jolt through her, reminding her of their past moments together.

She gritted her teeth, feeling utterly useless.

"I told you, I haven't slept with him. Believe it or not." Alice tried to break free, knowing Molly would be looking for her soon.

James seemed deaf to her words. He tore open her dress, his expression dark. "I'll see for myself."

As Alice cried out in shock, his hands roamed her body, searching for proof.

Alice was mortified and furious, grabbing James's arm and shouting, "James! Are you insane? Stop it!"

She didn't understand what James wanted now. He was the one who had abandoned her so decisively.

"James, you were the one who didn't want me! If we're ending this, let's do it right. Don't touch me!"

Her words seemed to snap the last bit of James's rationality. He stared into her eyes, his gaze burning.

"You sold yourself to me for five years, and now that you're with Derek, I can't touch you?"

Alice felt like she had fallen into an icy abyss.

Five years ago, she had been forced to sell herself to James, which caused her to work in a bar to change his impression of her.

But after five years, just one word, "sold," was enough to show how James saw her—as a woman who would sell her body for money.

She swallowed her bitterness and smiled naturally.

"Yes, isn't that what you taught me? Since I've sold myself to Mr. Brown, I can't let you touch me anymore. It's the rule, right?"

James's face darkened, and he stared into her eyes, his voice cold.

"What do you mean?"

"Of course, I mean I've slept with him. There's no need to check."

A string in James's mind snapped, and his gloomy gaze seemed to want to kill her.