"Hey there, beauty. Who are you looking for?"
A male voice resonated above her. Josephine instinctively looked up to find a man in his thirties or forties, wearing a suit and tie. She wasn't sure whether it was because the man didn't shave properly, but he had a beard.
He didn't look like a good guy.
Josephine struggled, but her attempts to break free were in vain. "I'm here to find Yona. Where is she?"
"Yona?" The man casually draped his arm over her shoulder, leading her toward a couch. "Are you the beauty she mentioned? Let's have a look."
The man tossed Josephine onto the couch. Soon, several pairs of eyes stared at her.
Observing the appearances of these people, she was shocked. She recognized two women from the internet. They were quite popular.
As for the other men, she didn't know them, but their attire indicated their social status.
"She does look quite pretty. It's a shame she's not a live streamer."
"Livestreaming has no future. Girl, are you interested in becoming an artist? Join our company, and I'll turn you into a superstar."
Josephine's body stiffened, and her gaze shifted to the coffee table. Compared to the two well-known online influencers she just met, something else on the table shocked her even more.
Aside from bottles of alcohol, there were a few used syringes on the coffee table. Josephine didn't know what they were used for, but the atmosphere and the demeanor of the people in the room made her imagination run wild.
"Sorry, I need to find someone else. Excuse me."
Someone pressed her shoulder as she attempted to stand up, forcing her to sit back down. "Find someone else? Are you talking about Yona? Wasn't it her who introduced you here? Since you're here, why are you trying to escape?"
Josephine's face turned pale as realization dawned on her.
No wonder Yona had been so well-behaved these past few days. It wasn't because of Lewis, but Yona had planned everything to lure her here.
"Now that you're here, you have to join us. We won't let you leave."
The man fished out a syringe from somewhere and stared at Josephine with a sinister smile.
Josephine's face fell. She struggled even more fervently. "Let me go! I haven't seen anything. I won't tell anyone once I'm out of here. I swear. Please believe me!"
Unfortunately, her words fell on deaf ears.
"Honey, let's give you this shot before we talk."
Josephine locked her gaze onto the needle's tip, fear flickering in her eyes. She shook her head frantically. "No, please don't ..."
Suddenly, she shouted toward the entrance of the private room, "Darren!"
Darren was Josephine's personal bodyguard. Immediately, the door was kicked open. At the same time, the two guards stationed outside the room flew in.
The two guards landed heavily on the ground. Their eyes widened in shock. They were also bodyguards, but they got kicked into the room before even having the chance to exchange a single move.
The people in the private room stood up. They stared at Josephine cautiously. "Who are you?"
"Release Mrs. Alvarez!" Darren stepped over the fallen guards and entered the room.
The man with the scruffy beard tightened his grip around Josephine's neck. He stared at them warily. "Mrs. Alvarez? Who are you people?"
Hearing Darren addressing Josephine as Mrs. Alvarez, the others sighed. They thought Darren and the other bodyguard were undercover cops.
"We're just bodyguards, but you'd better let go of the lady in your hands. Otherwise, you'll bear the consequences."
"Cut your crap. Even if the police are here, you won't leave through that door today!" The scruffy-bearded man signaled to another man nearby.
That man immediately pulled out a walkie-talkie from his pocket and ordered reinforcements.
Darren and Arrik exchanged a glance, their fists clenched. They were contemplating whether to rush in and grab Josephine. But suddenly, several more people streamed into the room.
Henry had never seen Josephine before, but looking at her skilled bodyguards, he knew she wasn't someone ordinary, even if she wasn't Lewis' wife.
"Mrs. Alvarez, no ..." Darren shook his head frantically at Josephine. He struggled to get up, only to be pinned down again.
Josephine tried to rush toward them, but Henry pulled her back.
"Mrs. Alvarez, you're a kind-hearted lady. How could you bear to watch your loyal bodyguards suffer? Am I right?"
Josephine tightly gripped his sleeve. She turned to look at Henry, noticing a cunning gleam in his eyes.
She fought to keep her composure, her voice low and steady. "Mr. Brown, even if I inject this substance, it might not necessarily be safe for you. Releasing me would be the safest option for you."
"You know Lewis. He has no interest in your affairs. But if you drag me into this, he won't let you off so easily."
"If you release us now, I promise I'll turn a blind eye to what happened today. We can all go our separate ways peacefully."
Henry raised an eyebrow in response.
Josephine's words seemed to have an effect on Henry, but this situation was a double-edged sword for him. His future would be in jeopardy if this matter got exposed.
Furthermore, he had never heard of Josephine, let alone knew that Lewis had a wife.
He said, "Mrs. Alvarez, you're making things quite difficult for me."
Clearly, Henry was still deliberating. Should he go all in or take a gamble on Josephine's words?
While he was struggling to make a decision, a calm voice suddenly echoed from the doorway.
"Mr. Brown, if it's difficult for you to make a decision, it's best not to proceed."
Everyone's attention turned toward the entrance when they heard the voice.
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