Chapter 22: How Do You Want to Punish Me?

Arlo looked at him disdainfully, saying nothing, his eyes cold and murderous.

Alex handed the iron rod to a nearby thug and said, "You do it!"

But just as the thug was about to act, the office door was pulled open.

"Stop!"

Stepping out of the office quickly, Nora glared at Alex. "What are you doing? Let him go!"

Alex was taken aback, looking at Nora, who was beautiful but fiery with emotion, and his anger surged.

"Hit him! Beat this scoundrel to death! I'll take care of anything that happens!"

"How dare you!"

Nora walked quickly to Arlo's side, lying on top of him. "If you dare to touch him, you'll have to kill me too! I've already called the police!"

Alex's jealous eyes turned red, he wished he could tear Arlo apart, shouting angrily, "Attack! Beat this scumbag to death!"

Nora icily remarked, "Kill me? Look up and see how many surveillance cameras are here."

"I'll make you, you scum, know the consequences of betraying me!" Alex's eyes swept over Nora's graceful figure with a sinister smirk on his lips. "You'll come begging to me, and by then, I'll have you at my mercy! Let's go!"

"Arlo, are you okay?" After Alex left, Nora hurriedly rushed to Arlo's side, anxiously feeling around his body. "Where are you injured? Come, I'll take you to the hospital!"

"Ms. Marsh, I'm fine, just a bit exhausted." Arlo struggled to sit up from the ground, looking at the bar smashed by the thugs. "Ms. Marsh, the bar probably can't operate anymore, right?"

Nora helped him up, seeing the numerous bruises on his body, her heart ached. Tears welled up in her eyes. "You're in this state, and you're worried about the bar? We must go to the hospital!"

Arlo nodded with a bitter smile. Nora was so caring; could he refuse her?

As they supported Arlo limping towards the bar's entrance, Nora's phone suddenly rang.

Listening silently to the caller, she hung up, her face looking very grim.

Arlo asked puzzled, "Ms. Marsh, what happened?"

"Someone is dumping the company's stocks like crazy. In just ten minutes, the stock price has been halved. Alex even called my parents, threatening to ruin my family." Nora sighed.

Arlo furrowed his brows, "Ms. Marsh, you should go back. I can go to the hospital by myself."

"Don't be silly, I said I wouldn't go back, and I won't." Nora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, chuckling. "Besides, what's the point of me going back? I don't have the money to stabilize the stock market. Am I supposed to go back just to be scolded?"

Arlo asked, "What will happen if the stock price keeps dropping?"

"Bankruptcy, what else?" Nora sneered. "Didn't my dad already remove me from the position of CEO? Since that's the case, the company has nothing to do with me anymore. If it goes under, so be it! Besides, do you think I don't know what Alex is up to? He approached me with the intention of taking over the company and me together. I've seen through his true colors after pretending to be friendly with him for so long!"

"Do you know why he became the president of the Fleross Chamber of Commerce? Isn't it because his mother is someone in the industry and commerce bureau? How many companies has the Ye family ruined over the years using this trick? Where did that money end up? It all went into the Ye family's pockets!"

"My parents are short-sighted, only knowing that Alex's family has great influence, and they've been wanting me to marry into a wealthy family to further the company. Well, now they can see Alex's true colors!"

"Do you believe that even if I kneel down and beg Alex now, he'll never stop?"

At this point, Arlo also understood that the situation was irreparable.

He frowned, "Should I just kill Alex? Scum like him shouldn't live in this world!"

Nora rolled her eyes at him impatiently and lightly patted his swollen arm. Seeing Arlo wince in pain, she chuckled, "With you looking like this now, how would you even manage to kill him?"

Arlo was about to boast about his capabilities when a group of people in industrial and commercial uniforms suddenly surged in at the entrance of the bar.

"Who's Nora? I received a report saying that your bar is evading taxes. Bring out the books; we need to inspect them!"

Just as they finished speaking, another group of uniformed personnel walked in. "We received a report that your bar's fire equipment is not up to standard. From today, you are suspended from operation until the fire inspection is passed!"

Arlo and Nora exchanged a glance; this was Alex's doing, but this kind of frontal attack was hard to counter.

Nora's lips curled with mockery. "Arlo, see this? This is power! He's forcing me to kneel and beg him!"

After a pause, she sighed bitterly, "Arlo, should I just go satisfy him?"

"No!" Arlo quickly spoke up. "Ms. Marsh, you know what kind of person Alex is, aren't you walking into the lion's den? And are you sure that if you beg him, he'll stop?"

Seeing Arlo's worried expression, Nora chuckled softly. She suddenly leaned in close to Arlo, her captivating eyes staring directly into his. "Arlo, don't you want me to go?"

The proximity of her alluring face made Arlo's heart race uncontrollably. They were so close that he could even feel Nora's breath on his face.

The faint fragrance made him feel parched, but when he lowered his head, he saw the deep abyss of her cleavage, unsure where to focus his gaze.

"I don't want you to go!"

As the words left his lips, Arlo felt a weight lifted off his heart. He wasn't as nervous as he was at the beginning.

"I like you, Ms. Marsh, so I don't want you tainted by that scum, Alex!"

"But if I don't go, our family will go bankrupt, and I'll become poor. Will you take care of me then?" The mischievous glint in Nora's eyes was almost impossible to conceal as she forced a look of sadness.

"I'll take care of you!" With things reaching this point, Arlo made his decision; he genuinely didn't want Nora to fall into the hands of someone like Alex.

Finally, Nora couldn't hold back anymore, bursting into laughter, making her already alluring features even more enticing.

Fortunately, Arlo wasn't new to her charm. After a brief daze, he quickly regained his composure.

"Ms. Marsh, you... you never intended to go, did you? Are you teasing me?"

"What's wrong? Can't I tease you?" Nora looked at him with a playful smile.

Staring at Nora fiercely, Arlo asked, "Then tell me, how should I punish you?"

Nora was taken aback for a moment, then her cheeks flushed crimson. "How... how do you want to punish me?"

Seeing that charming face, Arlo made up his mind and leaned down to kiss...