Chapter 500 Go Ask Your Father
After glancing between Elise and Ziggy, Tina finally clenched her teeth and left in indignation.
For his part, Ziggy wasn’t the least bit affected and simply put down his champagne before going to sit on the couch next to Elise.
Disgusted, Elise moved away, only for him to cling to her like a limpet and move in the same direction as her.
After several such rounds, she was finally pressed against the arm of the couch with nowhere else to go, so she began to get up to leave. Immediately, he reached out and grabbed the armrest, blocking her escape route.
Since she would have to touch his dirty arm if she still tried to get up and leave, she had no choice but to settle back into her seat.
At this point, she turned to give him a cold, loathing look.
Deep down, she was thinking that if he dared to touch her, she would incapacitate him so badly that he would never be able to have children.
“Surely you’re not intending to molest me in front of everyone else?” Elise murmured neutrally.
Ziggy’s gaze was flirtatious and lecherous as he answered, “What are you afraid of? It’s only a matter of time before we go further than that.” With that, his free hand began to reach for her.
His eyes were on Elise’s waist—the waist so slender he would be able to envelop it with one arm. No longer could he wait to experience the feeling of hugging her.
From this angle, he could vaguely even see the curves of her upper body. Truly, he couldn’t resist her any longer.
Meanwhile, the smile on Elise’s face was growing, but there wasn’t a shred of warmth in her eyes. The cushion of the couch was quickly going out of shape beneath her fingers, and she was prepared to replace it with a death grip on his hand at any moment.
When she felt him leaning toward her, she let go of the couch, getting ready to strike.
However, before she could grab hold of his collar and send him tumbling over her shoulder, he suddenly screamed as his arms tensed. “Ow! Ow!”
And then, as stiff as a board, he was made to stand up.
Finally, Elise relaxed her fists and looked over her shoulder to see what had taken place.
At some point unknown to her, Kenneth had appeared behind her. With his black shirt and black pants, coupled with an unreadable expression and an even more unapproachable demeanor, he looked like the Grim Reaper.
Currently, he not only had a hold on Ziggy’s hands, but had turned them outward by ninety degrees. With the slightest force, Ziggy would likely be able to experience the marvels of living with outward-facing palms.
Despite the change in Elise’s expression, she didn’t react any other way than to stare at Kenneth, unmoving.
The frequency at which he appeared just in time to save her was completely beyond her expectations.
Very quickly, she remembered his wound and quietly looked at his waist.
An injury there meant that he should not be exerting force, which was why his current actions suggested that he was tugging at his injury and had likely torn it open.
Inexplicably, Elise felt her heart squeeze uncomfortably.
Meanwhile, Ziggy was in so much pain that spots were breaking out before his eyes and the cold sweat on his forehead was causing his spiked fringe to collapse from his melting hair wax. In short, he looked worse for wear. “Who the f*ck are you clueless piece of sh*t? How dare you interfere in my affairs? I’ll have you know that you won’t be leaving Dukethorn alive if you go up against the Carnegie Family!”
“Go and ask your father if I’m worthy of provoking you.” Kenneth was calm and unintimidated, clearly looking down on Ziggy.
It wasn’t as if Kenneth hadn’t thought of the consequences. It was simply that, to Smith Co., the Carnegie Family represented less than the tip of an iceberg in power. As Smith Co.’s leader, he naturally didn’t fear losing their backing.
“Your family managed to achieve the status it has today only through accumulating the few assets it made from stone gambling and working with the local underground Eagle Gang. We’d easily be able to tear down Eagle Gang, let alone crush your family with just a word!” Elise threatened faintly. Indeed, she had had this thought before.
After all, with the exploitative rich, there was no reasoning to be had, only lessons to be learned.
To be fair, she was somewhat exaggerating.
There were countless underground organizations in Dukethorn, with the Eagle Gang being one of the more formal and widespread ones. Since even the local government couldn’t do much about them, exterminating them wouldn’t be as simple a matter as giving a word.
Not expecting her to stand on the same front as him, Kenneth glanced at her out of the corner of his eye in surprise.
In truth, before he made his move, he had considered whether she would be on the same side as Ziggy just to oppose him.
From the look of things now, though, her hate didn’t run as deep.
Nevertheless, she still guessed something he never expected.
Pale-faced and flustered, Ziggy blabbered, “Who told you…”
Without answering, Elise ducked out from underneath his and Kenneth’s arms to stand off to the side.
She could find out low-level information like which businessmen were colluding with which gangs just by walking the street. She didn’t need an informant for that.
Did he actually think she went looking for street food just to sate her appetite?
With that, she glanced at Kenneth once more before an idea suddenly popped into her head and she went to his side. Acting like someone who had the upper hand, she warned Ziggy, “Take a clear look at this face. He’s Kenneth Bailey, someone even your dad wouldn’t dare to provoke. It wouldn’t be a problem for him to exterminate the Eagle Gang, or do you wish for your family to disappear alongside them?
“You’re Kenneth Bailey?” Ziggy had finally guessed the other man’s identity.
Narrowing his eyes, Kenneth replied, “What do you think?”
That confirms it, Ziggy thought. No one else could have that insufferably arrogant attitude.
Not too long ago, Jim had told Ziggy there was someone he couldn’t afford to provoke by the surname of Bailey at this gem auction event. Who knew he would run into Kenneth Bailey just like that?
Still, with everyone at the venue watching on in curiosity, Ziggy couldn’t afford to embarrass himself and could only stubbornly retort, “So what? It’s true that Smith Co. is powerful, but the wager between me and Miss Sinclair is of a private nature. Everyone here knows it wouldn’t be appropriate for Smith Co. to poke their nose into this affair!”
“And if I said that it was appropriate?” Kenneth turned Ziggy’s hands outward even further.
“Ow! Stop! Stop that! Is the owner of Smith Co. just like that, forgetting his promises and bullying the weak just for a woman?” Ziggy persisted, gritting his teeth. As long as he had the moral upper hand, everyone would stand on his side.
“Well, no one said to cheat!” Elise interrupted, raising her voice. “You’re the one who’s being bold enough to sexually harass me, the wager of the bet, before the results of the competition have even come out. Mr. Bailey only interfered because he saw the injustice in that. Now that you’re on the losing side, you’re suddenly in the spirit of honoring the contract? Your parents must be proud.”
The corners of Kenneth’s mouth hooked up proudly before it immediately dropped. As the light in his eyes dimmed, he suddenly exerted force, dislocating Ziggy’s forearms and pushing the man away.
“Young Master Ziggy!” Finally, Ziggy’s bodyguards rushed up, surrounding him and wanting to seek revenge on his behalf, only to be terrified into turning tail by Kenneth’s bloodthirsty gaze. With no other choice, they could only slink away, dragging the yowling Ziggy behind them for treatment.
