Chapter 72 You Heartless Woman!
A few thin sheets of paper completely rewrote my relationship with Lucas. Our three-year entanglement officially came to an end.
I didn't argue back against his mocking words. Just like he said, I appeared calm, as if I was just there for some unimportant event.
Walking out of the courthouse, my Rolls-Royce and his Maybach were parked on either side of the entrance.
Lucas stopped and glanced at me sideways, his eyes filled with coldness and distance.
"Isabella, I never forget a slight. Are you ready for my revenge?"
I frowned. Lucas didn't wait for my answer and strode forward.
The wind lifted the hem of his black coat, cutting a sharp and decisive arc through the air, like a broken-winged blackbird that refused to look back.
The harsh sunlight made me squint, but I couldn't feel any warmth.
"Ms. Sorelli, are you alright?" Adrian looked at me with concern.
"I'm fine, let's go." I got in the car and, after thinking for a moment, posted "Happy divorce!" on social media.
Two minutes later, Karen called. "Honey, happy divorce! Let's go out tonight!"
I felt I needed to change my mood, so I agreed right away. "Sure!"
"The Tipsy Lantern" was located in the Co-governed District, a newly opened, trendy bar.
Deafening electronic music pounded into my eardrums, and colorful neon lights flickered dizzily through the smoke. Karen, Jonathan, and Marcus raised their glasses and clinked them against mine. "Cheers to being single again! Happy divorce!"
I smiled and drank half my glass.
The alcohol burned down my throat, driving away the heaviness in my chest.
I looked around curiously. This bar had specialty cocktails and hot song-and-dance performances. Though it had just opened, it was supposedly packed every day.
Karen leaned close to my ear and asked with a smile, "Spotted any hot guys?"
I shook my head with a smile. "I'm thinking about this place's operating costs and daily profits."
I hadn't properly sorted through the businesses I'd seized from Jerald. As the first establishment entering the Chaotic Zone, I had to carefully consider what to operate.
Karen held her forehead. "I can't deal with you. First day of your divorce, and all you can think about is money? You're already rich enough!"
"Who complains about having too much money?" I shrugged.
"Whatever, I give up on you." Karen stood up, took off her lamb-collar leather coat, revealing a tight leopard-print mini dress, and enthusiastically pulled me up from the booth. "Come on, let's dance!"
"Karen, put your coat back on!" Jonathan stretched out his hands trying to stop Karen, but got his face covered by the coat she tossed at him, and collapsed weakly on the sofa.
Karen made a "please" gesture to Marcus, who waved his hand. "Don't worry, I'll watch him. You two go have fun. Karen, I'm trusting you to look after Bella."
"Leave it to me!" Karen was fired up, pulling me straight to the dance floor.
Marcus held Jonathan down on the sofa with one hand while Jonathan cried out pitifully, "Karen, that skirt is too short!"
I couldn't help but laugh. The pairing of the somewhat delicate Jonathan with the bold and carefree Karen was just too funny.
The dance floor was packed with people. Karen pulled me into the crowd. The upbeat music made you want to move with the rhythm, and the cheerful atmosphere seemed to sweep away all the stress.
I was getting sweaty, so I unbuttoned my coat, revealing the wine-red slip dress underneath.
The hem was above my knees, and as I moved, my full, sexy thighs appeared and disappeared. More and more eyes fell on me, but I didn't care, swaying lazily to the music.
A tall, bald man walked up beside me, his eyes openly roaming over my waist and hips. "Lady, want to have a drink together?"
I looked at him coldly. "Not interested."
"It's a really fun drink, and I'm a really fun guy." I moved aside, but he followed closely, almost pressing against me, reaching out to hook my waist, his tone suggestive. "I also know a really fun couples hotel with some very interesting 'toys.'"
Karen noticed what was happening and cursed at him, pointing at the bald man's nose and telling him to get lost.
The bald man got angry, looked Karen over carefully, then smiled lecherously. "Lady, worried you'll be left alone if she leaves? Don't worry, we can all play together."
He snapped his fingers, and three more men approached us, trying to corner us on the dance floor.
I gripped the tranquilizer needle in my pocket, sizing up the four men's builds. Just as I was about to call Marcus, someone grabbed the bald man's hand that was reaching for my shoulder.
He twisted the man's wrist hard backward. The bald man howled and cursed wildly.
"Lucas?" I looked in surprise at Lucas standing in front of me. What was he doing here?
Lucas didn't look back at me, punching the bald man hard in the face.
His expression was dark, his strikes ruthless. The bald man's teeth got knocked out, leaving a small pool of blood on the floor.
"I was wrong, let me go."
The bald man knelt begging for mercy, but Lucas treated him like a punching bag, showing no signs of stopping.
"Lucas!" I raised my voice.
Lucas stopped his swinging fist. The bald man stared cross-eyed at the fist less than an inch from his nose, his body going limp as he collapsed on the floor, all his earlier arrogance gone.
Lucas straightened up, his back straight but stiff. I looked at his reddened knuckles, frowning as I took out a handkerchief. Just as I was about to bandage his injured hand, I suddenly remembered we were divorced, our relationship beyond repair.
I hesitated for a few seconds, then handed him the handkerchief. "Your hand is bleeding, wipe it."
Lucas turned to look at me, expressionless, not speaking or moving.
I waited a few seconds, then simply stuffed the handkerchief into his hand and turned to check on Karen.
Karen was good at boxing. She'd knocked down one of the bald man's buddies. The other two tried to run when they saw things going south, but Jonas, who had just arrived, dealt with them.
"Jonas? Did you come with Lucas?" I asked in surprise.
Lucas suddenly moved, grabbing the hand I'd used to give him the handkerchief, holding it tight.
"Let go," I said. Lucas slowly shook his head. That's when I noticed Lucas seemed drunk, reeking of alcohol.
Jonas walked up to me, openly checking out my dress and figure, and whistled. "You look really hot tonight!"
"Thanks." Before I could finish, Lucas suddenly fastened my coat tight, covering my attractive figure, and glared at Jonas.
"As you can see, he's drunk." Jonas spread his hands. "I knew he was feeling bad about the divorce, so I kindly invited him out for drinks. Didn't expect him to keep chugging. I was worried he'd drink himself to death tonight when he suddenly rushed onto the dance floor like crazy."
Jonas clicked his tongue. "So it was because he saw you."
A trace of surprise and some strange emotion I couldn't quite name rose in my chest. I looked at Lucas and shook the hand he was still holding. "Are you still conscious?"
The hostility in Lucas's eyes faded, replaced by a hint of grievance. He growled at me fiercely, "You heartless woman!"