Chapter 26 “Down this bottle, and It’s on me,” drawled Gage Slater, Nola’s second uncle, the infamous sexual
predator of Jindale City, the epitof a sleazebag. Hideous, disliked, yet a notorious player. Elysia didn’t know
him from Adam, and she blinked in confusion at his proposition. “Me? Drink It?” “Yep, you. Not a drop left, you
hear?” “But... isn’t that a bit appropriate? It's your tab, and this bottle isn’t cheap.* “When | say it’s fine, it's fine.
This bottle’s a grand, you drink it, it's on my dime.” As Gage spoke, his lecherous gaze roamed over Elysia,
unashamedly ogling her. Elysia realized she’d run into a real lowlife. She fought the urge to punch him and
forced out an apologetic grin, instead “Sorry, but | had scold medicine before coming here. Can’t mix it with
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtalcohol.” The man’s mood soured at her excuse. “Then take the bottle with you. We don’t want it.” Elysia was
stunned. “The bar has rules. Once a bottle’s opened, it can’t be returned.” “Heh, did | ask you to open it? You
decided to open it on your own. If it can’t be returned, you're footing the bill.” Elysia held back her anger and
said, “You askedto open it; that’s why | dared to. There should be security cameras in this room to check.” At
that, the rm erupted into laughter, “You can tell she doesn’t get out much. Security cameras at a bar? What if
someone wants a little privacy for sfun? Ha!” Elysia’s lips quivered, speechless, her fists clenched tightly as
she silently seethed. She had never been to a place like this before! Someone chimed in, “Honey, Mr. Slater
taking a shine to you is your lucky day. Drink up, and don’t be ungrateful. Do you even know who Mr. Slater is?
He could scare you stiff! But hey, if you keep him happy, you could be set for life.” Elysia realized this greasy old
man was someone of status. They were about to cheat her, and if she fought back, she knew she’d be at a
disadvantage. The average Joe always loses against big money. The bottle cost a hundred grand, which was a
year's salary for many, yet only a mere evening's pleasure for the wealthy. What could she possibly do against
them? had to cover that cost, she might as well be dead. She didn’t have that kind of money. After a few seconds
of silence, Elysia managed another apologetic smile, “My mistake, Mr. Slater. It’s really loud here, so how about
we go somewhere quieter to chat?” Gage’'s interest was piqued at her suggestion, a lecherous chuckle escaping
him as he rose to his feet. “Sure, let's find a nice quiet spot for a... deep conversation.” The room hooted, “Yeah,
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmgo deep, real deep! Ha!” Elysia felt sick to her stomach but kept her composure as she walked out. Tarquin
stepped out of the elevator just in tto see Elysia slip through the service door. He stood there, his expression
inscrutable. Moments later, Gage exited the room, hurriedly following behind her, muttering, “Baby, I'm coming,
hehe.” Behind the safety door of the bar was a place where stories unfolded. Dimly lit and sparsely populated, it
was the go-to spot for the desperately thirsty to quench their desires. | like your style, babe. You hadat hello.
I'll treat you right, don’t worry. Makehappy, and you'll be rewarded. Just look at those lips... get on your
knees and put them to use...” The words were loaded with innuendo. Lowell, uncomfortable, said, “It’s Ms.
Thorne and Gage...” A scream suddenly pierced the air. owell’s face turned pale. “Tarquin, Ms. Thorne might be
in trouble.” arquin frowned, reluctant to get involved, but thinking of Elijah, he quickened his pace owards the
commotion. nd then he witnessed a scene beyond belief...