The meeting ended, and everyone started leaving one after the other. Mr. Alistair had his eyes on Lacey the whole time.
She was a beautiful lady with a great body, and he wondered why she would end up with a poor man like Mark.
“Don’t you think this contract should be discussed more privately between us?” Mr. Alistair asked Lacey, his lips curled cockily.
Lacey was packing her things, ready to leave, while Mark was still attending to him. It seemed intentional on Mr. Alistair's part, wanting to humiliate Mark further.
“What do you mean by that, sir?” Lacey asked, looking perplexed. She really didn't know the extent of the man’s shamelessness anymore.
“You know what I’m saying, Lacey. Don’t act naive,” Mr. Alistair replied with a mischievous smile, while Mark swallowed hard.
He must have thought so little of him to discuss this right in his presence. There was no dignity left in him, and Mr. Alistair seemed keen to provoke Mark more.
“If the company needed an investor that badly, they can do that without her help,” Mark interjected, seeing how boldly Mr. Alistair behaved even in his presence.
“Mark, stop it! Don’t add more salt to the wound,” Lacey cut Mark off. She was already hurt, and his interference would only exacerbate things.
He should just be quiet!
How could Mr. Alistair discuss such a thing in her husband's presence? Lacey thought, concluding that Mr. Alistair never really considered him a man.
“You see, you’ve never become anything more than a waiter because your way of thinking is too lame. Do you think she would climb up to the top if she were as thoughtless as you?” Mr. Alistair laughed and reached out to touch Lacey, who stepped back and headed for the door. Staying there longer wouldn't do her any good.
Mr. Alistair's men stepped forward, stopping her from leaving. “You thought you could come and go as you like, right? It’s me you’re dealing with, Lacey,” he laughed and faced Mark.
“Take a look at yourself. I wonder how useless you would have looked without your uniform. The attire suits you perfectly, but have you thought about how much it takes for her to even say, ‘Yes, he’s my husband’? It’s like swallowing poison and pouring yourself dirt in public,” he taunted Mark, who lowered his lashes.
Mark felt a sharp pain in his heart with those words. He wasn’t wrong, was he? If the man didn’t know him that well, Lacey would have denied him, obviously.
“How about you let her leave and deal with me?” Mark asked Mr. Alistair.
“Why? You’re worthless to me and have no use to me, but she does. How much do you even earn monthly? I’m sure even this wine is worth more than what you earn,” Mr. Alistair picked up the wine bottle Mark had been serving him.
“Look at you and look at her. What gives you the impression that you could be her man?” He laughed and walked towards Lacey, sneakingly.
Mark tried to keep his cool, holding his fist tightly, blinking away his tears. But when Mr. Alistair laid his hand on Lacey, Mark snapped.
He threw Mr. Alistair’s hand off Lacey and punched him in the mouth instantly. He had had enough and couldn’t keep his cool anymore. He felt like ripping his mouth off his face.
The same mouth that knew nothing but to speak ill of people below him. It wasn’t his fault he was poor!
Mr. Alistair looked at Mark unbelievably, “How dare you lay that useless hand on my face? Do you know what you have done!?” Mr. Alistair yelled, and his men stepped closer, ready to pounce on Mark.
Mark looked at them all and sighed, knowing he had already lost his job as a waiter for punching him.
One of Mr. Alistair’s men sneakily took a wine bottle and smashed it on Mark's head. He fell on his knees, bleeding from his head.
He looked at them one by one and used the napkin on the table to wipe the blood from his face. He stood on his feet and started fighting his assailants.
They started beating him, even with his injuries, but he didn’t want to back down.
Mr. Alistair went to take his seat and watched from there. “I want him beaten until he’s on his knees, begging for forgiveness!” He ordered his men to start immediately.
Lacey panicked and rushed to Mr. Alistair, falling on her knees and pleading with him.
“Please don’t let them hurt him,” she begged.
“Hurt him?” He laughed. “That worthless thing dared to punch me?” Mr. Alistair said furiously, annoyed, checking his wounded mouth.
“Please forgive him and tell them to stop,” Lacey continued pleading.
“They should stop beating him until he asks for forgiveness, and you will lose the contract? Which do you prefer?” Mr. Alistair asked her with a smirk.
“I don’t think all this should concern you, Lacey," He said, using the tip of his finger to lift her chin.
“Are you sure you won't sacrifice for the contract?” He smirked.
Lacey really didn't know what to say and was torn between the two.
Mark fought off the men, even with his wounds. He was determined not to give up!
He threw the last man across the room, surprising Mr. Alistair. “How could he?” He swallowed hard.
His fighting skills shocked everyone, including Elsa, who had been quietly supporting Mr. Alistair and was now panicking.
Lacey watched as Mr. Alistair called for more men while Mark continued to fight them off.
Lacey regretted all this; she should have stopped it.
Mr. Alistair looked at Lacey and shook his head, “Just know that I will personally see to it that your company crawls to the ground,” Mr. Alistair said coldly.