Page 75 of Addicted To His Favorite
Then, raising her voice for all to hear, she pointed at Emily. “Lucas, you’re far too good for this woman. She’s nothing but a mistress!”
Gasps tore through the audience; heads turned, eyes widened. Emily froze, her breath catching in her throat as heat rushed to her cheeks, the sting of humiliation searing her skin. Lucas, however, didn’t remove his gaze from Emily. His jaw locked, his grip on Emily tightening possessively even as she twisted, desperate to break free.
At that moment, Jeremy entered the hall.
His gaze locked instantly on Emily, trapped in Lucas’s grasp, and on Amelia’s venom-laced accusation echoing in the air. Something snapped behind his eyes. His jaw clenched, shoulders stiff.
Before anyone could react, Jeremy stormed forward. In one brutal motion, he tore Lucas off Emily, his hand a vice on the man’s shoulder. His other fist swung, cracking against Lucas’s jaw with a sickening thud that made the crowd collectively gasp. Lucas staggered back, blood smearing his lip, his snarl muffled by the shock of the blow.
“You dare lay a hand on her?” Jeremy’s voice thundered, his fury reverberating across the hall. His glare snapped to Amelia. His voice shook with restrained violence. “And you—howdareyou humiliate her in public? After everythingyou’vedone? You dare to call Emily a mistress?You?!”
The crowd erupted into chaos, whispers turning into a roar of scandal. Guests craned their necks, eyes wide, clutching champagne glasses.
Amelia, shaken at first, suddenly snapped. Her breath hitched as she caught sight of Lucas’s split lip, crimson against his skin. Rage twisted her features as she rushed forward, hands balled into fists at her sides.
“How dare you strike Lucas?!” she screamed. She jabbed a trembling finger at Emily, her fury spilling over. “You’re making fools of yourselves overher?! This woman is nothing but a fraud! A pitiful act, a mask of innocence—look at her! She’s bewitched every man in this room, and you idiots are tearing each other apart like dogs at her feet!”
Emily flinched at the accusation, but before she could speak, Harold surged forward. His face was thunderous, shadows carving sharp lines across his features.
“You are here as a guest—nothing more! If you dare insult Ms. Emily again, I’ll make sure you regret every single word.”
A collective gasp rippled through the hall. Amelia’s head snapped toward him, her face paling, then hardening with fury. Her eyes darted between Lucas, Harold, and Jeremy, her disbelief bubbling over into a bitter laugh.
“All of you…” her voice cracked, sharp with outrage, “are bewitched by this girl? Fighting like fools over someone who throws herself into the arms of any man who looks at her? Pathetic.”
The hall fell into a tense, breathless silence. The crowd, wide-eyed, hung on every word—waiting, bracing—for an explanation.
And Amelia struck.
She slithered to Lucas’s side, slipping her arm through his like a viper coiling around prey. Her voice rose, shrill and cutting, so no one could miss a single word.
“But who can blame Lucas for losing control?” Her hand darted out, a finger stabbing toward Emily, her face twisting with cruel delight. “That woman—first she clung to Lucas, begging for his love. Now she flaunts Sebastian’s wealth, dangling his jewels around her neck. And tonight—look at her—already wrapping herself around two more younger men. What else do you call a woman like that?”
Emily’s cheeks burned in embarrassment, her stomach knotting, but before she could move, Amelia’s heels clattered sharply against the marble as she advanced, fury contorting her face.
But Harold was faster.
He stepped forward like a wall, his arm snapping out as he shoved Amelia back. She staggered, her heel catching, and nearly fell to the floor. Gasps erupted. Harold’s glare burned with unrestrained fire as he planted himself between Amelia and Emily, his chest heaving with the force of his anger.
“Say one more word—one more—and I don’t care if you’re a woman or not. I’ll silence you right here.”
The room fractured with shock. Whispers raced like sparks through dry grass. No one had ever heard Harold speak with such raw menace.
Emily’s heart lurched. She rushed to Harold’s side, clutching his arm, tugging with all her strength. “Harold, stop!” Her voice cracked with urgency, soft but sharp enough to cut through his rage. “Don’t waste your strength on her. Don’t lower yourself to her level. She’s not worth it.”
Her touch and words pulled him back a step, though his chest still heaved with anger.
But for Amelia, the sight of Harold defending Emily was the breaking point. Her composure shattered into desperation. She spun toward Lucas, her expression shifting in an instant. Tears welled, her lips trembled, and her voice quivered like that of a frightened child.
“Lucas, please…” She clutched his arm with shaking hands, her body pressing against his. Her words dripped with trembling vulnerability. “They’re all ganging up on me. They’re trying to hurt me again. Won’t you protect me?”
But the moment her hand touched him, Lucas snapped. His jaw locked, and with one violent motion he shoved her away. Amelia’s body jolted, her eyes wide, stunned by his rejection.
The room froze.
Without another word, Lucas turned and stormed out of the hall, his shoulders stiff with fury.
The crowd erupted in whispers.
