“No problem.” Kenneth agreed without hesitation, then added, “Do you want me to stream it for you in secret?”
John’s answer to Kenneth was to hang up.
Kenneth clicked his tongue and went ahead with the arrangements.
Inside the bar, Lucas was still in work clothes as he bent over at the sink, washing glasses one by one. His expression couldn’t have been darker.
Sierra watched him and felt a rush of complicated emotions, but not much sympathy was in that mix.
“Lucas, someone wants to see you,” the bar manager called him by name.
A flash of malice crossed Lucas’s eyes, but by the time he looked up, his face was back to normal. “Who is it?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw Sierra and Nicholas standing at the doorway. His hands paused in the
water.
“This is the working area. If you want to talk, use the room next door.” The manager had already set up a listening device there. “It’s empty.”
Sierra nodded. “Alright.”
The three of them went into the next room together.
Lucas yanked off his apron and tossed it aside. He frowned at Nicholas, then finally let his gaze land on Sierra.” Didn’t I tell yo to come find me tomorrow? What are you doing here today?”
“I need to ask you something.” Sierra didn’t bother beating around the bush.
Lucas let out a short laugh. After being stuck here for this long, the anger inside of him had only grown stronger. I don’t feel like answering.”
Sierra stood there and looked at him, while Nicholas leaned against the door frame with his arms folded.
“You get me out of here, and I’ll answer every question you have.” Lucas thought she wanted to ask the same thing as when she was here before. “Otherwise, you can forget it.”
“If you refuse to talk, I have plenty of ways to keep you here for the rest of your life,” Nicholas said lazily.
Lucas straightened up his back as he sat there. “Try it, I dare you!”
Nicholas looked completely unconcerned. “Do you really want to find out?“.
Lucas’s eyes became sharp.
The frustration that had been building inside him finally hit its peak. He was on top of the world once, but now, everyone was pushing him around. All of them truly believed he was fair game now.
Still, he didn’t dare really go up against Nicholas. The Young family was old money with real weight. Even if Nicholas and his father were at odds, they were still father and son. Lucas couldn’t afford to offend him too blatantly.
With nowhere else to put his anger, Lucas dumped it all on Sierra. “You really are an ungrateful brat.”
“You’re the one who abandoned Mom and me first. You forced me to pour drinks for your so–called friends even
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Chapter 169
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when I didn’t want to,” Sierra shot back, the words bursting out of her. “If you hadn’t done any of that, I would’ve done everything I could to help you through this.”
“I’ve spent so much money on you since you were small. What’s wrong with asking you to have a few drinks with my friends?” Lucas sounded completely justified. “Don’t forget, you and your mother have always lived on my money!”
In the past, Sierra might not have known how to retaliate in a way that was effective. After what she had learned from Jubilee, however, her heart was steadier.
“Is that so?” she sneered.
Lucas spat back, “Isn’t it?”
Sierra used his own words against him. “I remember you used to say the company only existed because Mom helped you build it.”
“That was just to protect your mother’s pride,” Lucas retorted without missing a beat. “Her so–called help was saying a few nice things every now and then. Do you really think she had real talent?”
As she looked at Lucas, Sierra’s gaze became unfamiliar.
She didn’t remember anything from before she turned three. Yet, in all the years before the Bell family went under, her father had often told her that her mother was remarkable.
How did everything become so twisted in just a few years?
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Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.

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