《A Fateful Antidote》


 CH 1.1

    VIX Club represented the highest class of nightlife in Timberland City. It was an exclusive club for the rich and the upper class compared to the ordinary ones.


    The semi-opened luxury booth on the third floor of VIX Club was the best choice for the VIPs, who could enjoy the gorgeous dynamic lights of the whole club and the dancing of 3D hot girls in mid-air. The holographic image provided a futuristic feeling. Stimulated by alcohol, lights and music, the reality was mixed with illusion. People were intoxicated with luxury.


    The man who was wearing worry beads of Aquilaria Crassna* (*Top quality of the Aquilaria) had been in the supreme booth all night. His eyes behind the frameless glasses were still clear, only with some laziness and aloofness. He seemed to be indifferent to the things around him.


    Many hot girls dressed in exquisite clothes were sitting on sofas about two meters away from him, who might be internet celebrities or from rich families that could afford the high expenses. Even though those girls coveted the man from time to time, no one dared to come and accost him.


    The booth area was a little silent due to a conflict between two booths about twenty minutes ago. With a cracking sound of breaking wine bottle, someone started to make trouble, and the quarrel became louder.


    It was not their business at first. But a few minutes ago, a girl in the booth next door shouted, ¡°I¡¯m from Spencer¡¯s family. If you go too far, I will let you get out of Timberland City.¡±


    Hearing the words, the man who was playing with his worry beads lifted his eyelids. Simon Owen looked at him in surprise and asked, ¡°The girl¡¯s from your family? You want to have a look?¡±


    Wilfred Spencer didn¡¯t move his crossed legs. He just raised his eyes and look through the hollow glass separating the two booths, from which he could see the girl next door who was playing tough to others.


    Doris Venda was wearing a sexy strapless dress. Her face was common and looked vulgar in heavy makeup. Wilfred put down his glass and shook his head slightly, refusing to interfere in this matter.


    Simon was interested and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t she from your family?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Wilfred replied coldly. He compared the little girl in his memory with the one at present, who didn¡¯t match either in appearance or temperament.


    ¡°Damn it! She dares to be rampant in the name of your family.¡± Said Simon.

 CH 1.2

    Sure enough, just when he finished his words, Carl Williams, the man who had just been splashed a glass of wine, shouted, ¡°You bullshit artist! I know Patric Spencer. Do you want me to call him and ask if you are his sister? Everyone knows Spencer¡¯s family doesn¡¯t have a daughter.¡±


    A trendy man standing aside thought for a moment and said hesitatingly, ¡°I was told that Spencer¡¯s family had an adopted daughter, who was the fiancee of the eldest son. It is said he might marry her during this time coming back abroad.¡±


    Carl¡¯s face changed instantly. ¡°Are you the fiancee of Wilfred Spencer?¡± He asked tentatively, decreasing most of his aggressiveness.


    Wilfred, who was in the booth next door, wrinkled a little bit. Simon froze his smile too. He had never seen anyone dare to deceive to be Wilfred¡¯s family.


    Everyone was waiting for Rora¡¯s reply. Her friends anxiously pulled at her, ¡°Rora, tell them.¡±


    Simon heard a sound like ¡°Lollia¡± and stopped smiling. He turned to ask Wilfred, ¡°Lollia? Or Lorra? Is that your child bride¡¯s name? I couldn¡¯t remember.¡±


    Wilfred fixed his eyes on the girl again. Rora was more embarrassed. She stood there perplexedly and dared not to admit or deny it.


    Simon was confused. Looking at Wilfred¡¯s darker face, he asked again, ¡°Help her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Wilfred withdrew his sight and replied coldly.


    Simon¡¯s face became subtle. He and Wilfred were friends since childhood and  went abroad to study together. But he returned home several years earlier than Wilfred. Simon knew Wilfred better than anyone else. He cared nothing about irrelevant person even if that guy knelt in front of him begging. But to those who had a little connection with him, he wouldn¡¯t rescue him to avoid suffering in front of so many people. So the only possibility was that the girl was talking big.


    Carl connected the video call of Patric Spencer and showed Rora with his phone camera, ¡°Hello Patric, this girl says she¡¯s from your family. Do you know her?¡±


    Patric slightly squinted his eyes and said with a sneering: ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Before Rora could say something, the video call was cut off.


    Carl raised his hand and slapped Rora. Just before his hand could land on Rora¡¯s face, his arm was pulled forcefully and he was thrown heavily on the tea table. He felt dizzy in his eyes and pain in his waist.


    It happened within seconds. When Carl covered his waist and withdrew his mind, he saw a petite girl standing in front of him. The girl was in a khaki overalls and carried backpack. Her hair was cut to her ears. Her round eyes exposed an inviolable air, which was valiant and elegant.


    Carl couldn¡¯t imagine how the girl lifted him just now.


    Then the screams of other women awoke Rora a little bit from drunken. She hugged the girl¡¯s arm and said in an aggrieved voice, ¡°Call butler Luis and ask him to send someone over.¡±


    Lorry Moore shook her off aloofly. Carl was completely angry and shouted at them: ¡°You are boastful. Call for help from the Spencers? You can¡¯t leave here even if you call God!¡±


    Suddenly, the petite figure flashed behind him fast. Lolly smashed a wine bottle on the coffee table, putting the sharp end on Carl¡¯s face.


    People in the two booths were instantly silent. Carl, who was shouting seconds ago,  was stiff on his body and felt blood flowing backward. He looked at Lorry out of the side of his eyes with horror and asked angrily, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Seeing lots of men rushing over, Lorry didn¡¯t panic at all. The lights of the club flashed across her face from time to time, making her like a ghost in the shadow. Her lips curled up and smiled scornfully. Her glance could frighten all the guests.


    The visual effect was very striking. Her petite figure, the broken bottle in her hand and the fearless and arrogant eyes had constructed a powerful deterrent, which kept off the men who planned to help outer of the sofas.


    Seeing the men dared not to come closer, Lorry lowered her eyes and said to Carl with a flat and emotionless voice, ¡°You have two choices, get out of here, or, get out of here with a broken face!¡±


    ¡°???¡±

 CH 1.3

    Carl squinted his eyes to see the broken bottle on his face. He clenched his teeth and was angry in heart. His right hand touched a wine bottle from behind. Before he could raise it, he heard a clear sound of his bone cracking. The bottle was broken and dropped down in the meantime.


    Lorry¡¯s eyes glittered with some wickedness, ¡°Well, ready to get a broken face?¡± She said in a frivolous tone.


    Carl screamed in horror, ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± His face could never be broken. After all, he needed it to flirt with girls.


    Lorry softened her sight and loosed Carl. He ran out of the booth with his men like escaping from a lion.


    Simon was dumbfounded for a moment. Then he laughed, ¡°Interesting! The girl is really interesting. I wanna know her.¡±


    He picked up a glass and was ready to get up, but was pressed on the shoulder by Wilfred, who added his force until Simon sat on the sofa. Simon turned to look at Wilfred in surprise, while he raised a glass of wine slowly and said, ¡°Keep on drinking.¡±


    Seeing Carl and his men go away, Rora collapsed on the sofa like a deflated balloon. The bravado in the name of the Spencers disappeared. She looked dispirited on her face.


    Lorry walked over and kicked her, ¡°Go now.¡±


    Rora began to cry. She was drunk. Lorry carried her up but she fell again.


    Rora Venda was a distant niece of Andrew Spencer¡¯s second wife Katherine Spencer, who didn¡¯t have a child of her own. Two years ago, Rora was brought to Spencer¡¯s family and began living and studying in Timberland City.


    Rora was not a good student who played around and spent lavishly with other rich girls all day. Rora was two years older than Lorry but was indeed a troublesome girl.


    Shortly after she came to Spencer¡¯s family, she secretly drove a Lamborghini out for fun. The car belonged to Samuel Spencer, the second son of the family, and was smashed in a tunnel. Rora was lucky to escape from injury. The accident became big news in the media but was suppressed by the Spencers.


    Before long, Rora made trouble in another KTV, which was settled again by the Spencers. She was warned that she had no chance to ask for help from the family.


    Tonight Rora dared not to call the elder of Spencer¡¯s family. She also knew that Samuel and Patrich, who was the second and the third son of the family, would not give a damn about her. She had no way out but to call Lorry again and again for help.


    Rora didn¡¯t care about Lorry since she lived in Spencer¡¯s house. After all, Lorry was not a member of the family and didn¡¯t live with them. Rora didn¡¯t know why the Spencers would raise her.


    However, since Lorry ranked No. 1 among science students in the college entrance examination and entered the elite Timberland University several months ago, Rora became a little nice to her.


    Before Lorry went to the university, everyone in Spencer¡¯s family sent her luxury gifts. Rora sent her a landscape painting taken from her friend, which was a work of Judie Morgan, a famous painter. Patric sneered at Rora to be mean. But she didn¡¯t mind at all, as she had no affinity with Lorry.


    Finally, it was the painting that saved her. Otherwise, Lorry would not come to help.


    Rora cried sadly, ¡°I called my aunt but she refused to help me. She said she would send me back to her hometown. I¡¯m her niece. How can she be so mean? She let alone me to be bullied¡­¡±


    AAlthough Rora was extremely aggrieved, Lorry showed no sympathy at all. If she continued making trouble, her aunt might be implicated her. After all, Spencer¡¯s family was venerable in this city, which could not allow such a thing to happen again and again. But Lorry didn¡¯t say a word.


    Rora sat up and complained incessantly, despite the messy makeup on her face.


    Simon got a phone call and went downstairs to greet his friends. Wilfred played with the Aquilaria crassna beads in his hand and looked thoughtful.


    Lorry felt a headache at Rora¡¯s complaint. She sat beside her and asked, ¡°You know what¡¯s the biggest difference between us?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You always consider yourself as a member of Spencer¡¯s family but I don¡¯t,¡± Lorry said coldly.


    That was why Rora would feel aggrieved at their attitude but Lorry wouldn¡¯t.


    Rora was drunk and felt confused at Lorry¡¯s words. She sneered at Lorry, ¡°I heard that when Grandpa was alive, he made a marriage engagement with you and one of his grandsons. It is said that the eldest grandson of the family has been back for a few days but hasn¡¯t come to see you. If you are rejected, no one from the rich families dares to marry you.¡±


    Lorry squinted at Rora silently for a few seconds and laughed, which made Rora shiver.


    Lorry pursed her lips languidly, ¡°I can cook. I can fight. And I can earn money. Why shall I need a man?¡±


    The reputation that women cared about most seemed to be nothing to her. Rora couldn¡¯t vent her spite on Lorry and was even more depressed.


    The man playing Aquilaria crassna beads next door casually twisted the beads around his palms. There was some subtle meaning that arose from his dark eyes.

 CH 2.1

    Rora had hoped to get psychological balance by teasing Lorry but failed.


    Before she could release her anger, several men in VIX uniforms went to their booth and talked to them politely about compensation. After all, the tea table, drinks and sofa were smashed in a mess and the booth looked terrible.


    ¡°How much is it?¡± Asked Rora arrogantly.


    ¡°The total amount is £¤3.6million, including furniture and wine.¡± A manager of VIX replied with a professional smile.


    ¡°Three hundred¡­? I¡¯m not a new guest here. It can¡¯t be so high!¡± Rora bounced up from the sofa.


    ¡°The total amount of wine is £¤320,000. But the sofas and tea tables are Designer customized by ARMANICASA. We can provide the purchasing bill for your reference.¡± The manager maintained his professional smile.


    Rora was frightened. She was told that everything on the third floor of VIX was deluxe, from fixtures to crystal glasses, matching up the lavish spending of the super VIPs. But Rora had just been restricted on consumption quota by her aunt. She couldn¡¯t afford this compensation.


    Rora didn¡¯t want to lose face in front of her friends and whispered to Lorry, ¡°Do you have money? I¡¯ll pay you back later.¡±


    Lorry stood aside with her arms folded, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that rich?¡±


    ¡°Or can you ask Patric or Samuel to help?¡±


    Lorry stood still. She would not ask for help from the Spencers for the sake of Rora.


    A young man from the next booth came to whisper to the manager, who nodded and said politely, ¡°Mr. Thompson said, if you can drink three bottles of vodka in ten minutes, he¡¯ll pay the bill for you. Otherwise¡­¡±


    The manager fixed his eyes on Rora, ¡°You should go with Mr. Thompson.¡±


    Lorry frowned. Rora held her arm tightly and pleaded, ¡°I can¡¯t go with him. All this trouble was caused by his harassment. I¡¯ll be ruined if I go with him. Although I love playing around, I¡¯m still a virgin. I don¡¯t want to be slept by that bastard. Lorry, please help me. I owe you a favor.¡±


    Lorry thought for a while and stared at Rora, ¡°I can help you, provided you introduce me to your friend who possesses Judie Morgan¡¯s painting.¡±


    ¡°OK, that¡¯s easy.¡± Rora felt enervated in Lorry¡¯s gazing. She would accept any requirement Lorry raised.


    Soon three bottles of vodka were placed on the table. Carl and a group of dudes came from the booth, staring at Lorry provocatively.


    VIX Club was the property of Simon Owen who was from a distinguished family in the city. Carl dared not to fight in the club but try to find ways to have their revenge.


    When Lorry fell her sight on Carl, he felt a little frightened. Thinking of the girls had no money to leave, Carl said boldly, ¡°Open the wine for the girls.¡±


    Three bottles of pure vodka were placed in front of Lorry. She picked up one and was ready to drink, but the strong smell of alcohol choked her and she had to hold her breath. Rora hid behind her cheering, ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡±


    Lorry took a deep breath and shut her eyes, pouring the wine directly into her throat. Although the wine didn¡¯t go through her taste buds, the hot taste burned her throat instantly, making her almost vomit. Her delicate eyebrows were tightly wrinkled, indicating it was hard to swallow.

 CH 2.2

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were focusing on Lorry. No one noticed that a man who had sat in the Supreme booth all night suddenly got up. A tall figure slowly walked into the crowd and looked at the petite girl surrounded by the crowd.


    Wilfred didn¡¯t see her clearly just now. When coming close, he fixed his eyes on her delicate face. Lorry stood in a pale-colored halo. She raised her neck and poured the alcohol rapidly into her throat. Her face was delicate with some native intelligence, but now it was twisted by the taste of wine like drinking poison. Her eyes were a bit moist due to the strong alcohol taste. Seeing her stubbornness, Wilfred was absent-minded for a second.


    He released the thread of the Aquilaria crassna beads and swung it towards Lorry. The beads flew out like a snake in the spooky light and twined the bottle firmly. Wilfred held the thread in his hand and retracted it with force. The bottle was taken away from Lorry by the Aquilaria crassna beads and landed on Carl¡¯s head quickly.


    All this happened so fast that no one could react. The bottle hit Carl¡¯s forehead and splashed all over him, then crashed to the ground. Until then everyone turned their attention to the man who was casually taking back his bracelet.


    He wore an off-white linen cardigan. His features were strongly defined, which was delicate like being meticulously carved. His eyes under the frameless glasses were dark like a deep pond, which was elegant and serene contrasted by the fickleness of the club.


    Lorry didn¡¯t turn around for him but looked for the missing bottle. Carl covered his forehead and shouted, ¡°Who the fuck are you? You wanna die?¡±


    Wilfred withdrew his Aquilaria crassna beads in his hand and glanced carelessly at Carl. There was indescribable sharpness in his calm eyes, making one shudder like being crept by a poisonous snake running over the skin.


    Simon rushed back and saw Wilfred standing in the crowd. He was shocked and confused.. Didn¡¯t he say leaving them alone? Why did he poke his nose into the matters of the girls?


    Simon walked to the door of the booth and happened to hear Carl¡¯s words. He darkened his face and strode in.


    His emerging made the whole booth silent. Everyone including the staff was avoiding his eyes.


    Although everyone in the city knew that the eldest grandson of Spencer¡¯s family was Wilfred, few people saw him as he lived abroad for a long time. That was why he wasn¡¯t recognized by Carl and his men.


    But Simon was different. Everybody in the circle knew him.


    And the influence of Simon¡¯s family was beyond the reach of these ordinary rich sons.


    After Simon returned from abroad years ago, he gradually established the entertainment and catering industry around the city. VIX Club was set up for his amusement. Simon¡¯s capital, connection, and influence made VIX the premier nightclub in the city soon. As a nightclub, there were always conflicts after drinking too much. Simon never intervened in the farces between the guests. He would not appear in person as his staff would deal with it.

 CH 2.3

    Tonight the playboys were startled when seeing Simon emerging.


    He patted Wilfred on the shoulder and stared at Carl, ¡°Are you tired of living? Shall I call you father to see how shameful you are? Do you know who you¡¯ve offended?¡±


    Carl had a bad premonition when seeing Simon. Now he broke out cold sweat on hearing Simon¡¯s words, ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Rodrick?¡± Carl asked timidly.


    Wilfred had recovered his usual indifferent expression. Simon sneered, ¡°Get out of here.¡±


    Carl and his friends rushed out in a hurry. The manager whispered to Simon to explain what happened after Wilfred¡¯s coming over. Simon¡¯s expression became complicated.


    He and Wilfred were friends for many years. Wilfred always said ¡°all worries and troubles were caused by women¡± and lived happily without girls. Simon had never seen him standing out for a girl. But today¡­ Was the sun rising from the west?


    Simon stared at Lorry carefully from head to toe. She was really special and charming, with fair skin and almond eyes. Her cold temperament and delicate facial features formed a strong contrast. Simon¡¯s lips curved meaningfully. ¡°A little bit young.¡± He thought.


    Simon was smart. He turned to Rora and Lorry, ¡°You can go now.¡±


    Rora asked confusedly, ¡°What about the compensation?¡±


    Simon glanced at Wilfred and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll put it on him.¡±


    Lorry just drank a bottle of water. She was stunned and turned back. Her eyes met with Wilfred¡¯s, which was vaguely familiar and with some penetrating power. He was about three meters away from her. But Lorry was a little dizzy then and did not why he looked familiar.


    The man in a white cardigan didn¡¯t comment on the bill. He lowered his eyes to adjust his cuffs, whose movement was full of elegance. He cared nothing about the compensation of more than £¤3,000,000, like it was a tiny dust that he won¡¯t even raise his eyelids.


    Before Rora told her to run away, Lorry walked straight to Wilfred and said, ¡°Please give her your contact information so that she could return your money later.¡±


    The other three were stunned. Simon stared at Lorry thoughtfully. While Rora was anxious to seal her mouth with tape.


    Wilfred raised his eyes slightly to look at the girl in front of him. She might have drunk too fast just now. Water ran down her swan neck and soaked her clothes below her collar. Lorry¡¯s head was about the height of Wilfred¡¯s chest, who could easily see her soaked skin by slightly lowering his eyes. He moved his eyes away and replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Do you have too much money?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± That was true.


    ¡°I still want to thank you for your help tonight. But the money must be paid back to you later. After she¡­ go home and ask for her family.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Home? The Spencers? Taking money from my left pocket and returning it to my right?


    Wilfred¡¯s face became unfathomable. He pushed his glasses up and stressed again, ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±