Julian nodded with satisfaction and followed the server toward the viewing area.

Sienna was suddenly ignited with terror, shouting for Julian at the top of her lungs.

"Julian! You can't leave! You can't go!"

Chapter 19

The commotion had already drawn a crowd, and when Sienna screamed, everyone flocked toward them. Even the music from the DJ booth was turned down. But her desperate cries did not stop Julian. Sienna was instantly paralyzed with terror. Having worked at the Scarlet Club, she knew the consequences of skipping out on a bill.

In the past, she had only seen people who failed to pay tabs of tens of thousands. Those people were usually beaten, stripped of their clothes, and thrown into the center of the dance floor. The owner would first demand money from their families; if there was no family or if they couldn't afford it, the debtor would be thrown into a cage with dogs. Surviving was a blessing; dying was just bad luck. Sienna once saw a person torn to pieces by dogs. She had nightmares for a whole month and couldn't even eat.

But those images that made her sick to her stomach were only for people who owed a few thousand. She, on the other hand, owed 2.53 million. Sienna’s eyes bulged, unable to comprehend how things had turned out this way. Within seconds, the realization hit her: it must be Lydia!

A vicious glint appeared in Sienna’s eyes. She wrenched her hands free from the security guards and ran to Julian, sinking to her knees.

"Julian, did Lydia say something to you? It’s all a lie! I have my reasons, don't believe her! I can explain, I..."

Slap!

Before she could finish, a heavy blow landed on her face. It was Julian. From the moment she first mentioned Lydia’s name today, Julian had been suppressing his rage. His Lydia was gone, yet someone was still trying to tarnish her name. That person deserved to die.

"Sienna, are you still going to pretend even now?"

"I warned you long ago to stay away from her. Why wouldn't you listen? You brought this on yourself. From now on, I won't believe a single word you say."

With those words, Julian kicked her in the chest and signaled the guards to drag her away. Whether she was stunned into silence or had finally faced reality, Sienna didn't even struggle. It wasn't until she was thrown onto the stage that she suddenly snapped back to her senses, spitting out a tooth that had been knocked loose.

The guards efficiently raised their feet and brandished electric batons, dealing blow after blow to her body. Sienna curled into a ball on the floor in agony, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Cheers erupted from the crowd below—the same cheers she had heard when she was throwing money around. But her situation now was the polar opposite of what it was just moments ago.

The crackle of electricity surged through her body, and vicious strikes rained down on her. Her memory flickered, and for a moment, she felt as if she were back in the year she first entered the Scarlet Club. Before she could dwell on the past, someone hauled her up and brutally tore her clothes. Despite the heat of the club, Sienna felt a piercing chill.

She fought with all her might, using her teeth and feet to attack those in front of her, but she couldn't secure even a scrap of cloth to cover herself. When she saw a guard pull out a knife, she finally understood the difference between owing two million and two thousand.

Sienna retreated step by step, trying to flee. "No! This is murder! I can sue you... Ah!"

Before she could finish, her ankle was seized. A cold blade efficiently sliced through her Achilles tendon, followed by the tendons in her wrists. The excruciating pain made it nearly impossible to move, while the crowd shouted for more. "Keep going! Keep going!"

By now, Sienna had abandoned all dignity, writhing her body to crawl toward Julian.

"Julian, save me... save me..."

She wept uncontrollably, her cries heart-wrenching. A few people in the crowd were moved and claimed they would help pay her bill, but they fell silent as soon as they heard the amount. Julian, however, didn't even change his expression. He leaned back lazily in his chair, swirling his wine glass.

"Save you? If I save you, can you give me back my Lydia? If you can, I’ll save you."

Sienna didn't catch his meaning, assuming Lydia had simply left home in anger. She nodded frantically.

"I can! If you save me, I’ll definitely apologize to her. I’ll kneel and kowtow to her! I can swear never to break up your family again!"

She spoke rapidly, terrified Julian would change his mind. But Julian only gave a disdainful smile, his unfocused eyes full of sorrow.

"Fine. Then go apologize to her on the road to the afterlife."

Chapter 20

Sienna’s pleas for help stopped abruptly. She spoke in a daze:

"What did you say? Lydia is... dead?!"

the word "dead" hit Julian's heart like a heavy hammer. His gaze instantly turned icy.

"Mr. Fong, is this how lightly you punish those who skip out on bills? She still has the strength to talk."

The owner broke into a cold sweat. "This is just the beginning. The main course is coming right up."

With that, Mr. Fong clapped his hands, and a cage containing a Tibetan Mastiff was brought out. Hearing the dog’s growl, the crowd reached a fever pitch. Sienna stared at the mastiff, her face pale, unable to utter a word. She wanted to run, even if it meant rolling off the stage and nearly dying from the fall—anything to avoid facing that dog. But the tendons in her hands and feet had been severed; moving even slightly felt like being torn apart. She could only curl her body up, screaming crazily, "Get away! Get away!"

No one listened to her protests; they were all howling for the "beast fight." She was lifted and carried toward the cage. The sound of the lock clicking echoed in her ears like a mandate from hell. As the latch was released, the mastiff in the cage stared at her with green eyes, saliva dripping to the floor.

Sienna’s mind went blank with terror. She screamed frantically, struggling despite the agony in her limbs. But as soon as she crawled a step away, she was dragged back and thrown into the cage like a corpse. The impact left her dizzy and groaning in pain. Behind her, a sudden, rapid panting sound caused her to hold her breath. She didn't dare look back, lying motionless on the floor.

The next second, she heard the cage rattling as it was stepped on. Before she could react, the mastiff’s teeth sank into her calf. What followed was a literal feast for the mastiff. Sienna was powerless to fight back, forced to let the dog tear at her flesh. She was drenched in red, fainting from the pain only to be bitten awake again.

When the mastiff finally locked eyes with her, her numb body shuddered one last time. She had no doubt that in the next second, the dog would swallow her head. But the expected strike never came. Following a gunshot, the mastiff collapsed. The people in the club scrambled to escape the sudden law enforcement raid, but none succeeded.

A police officer walked straight to Julian. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Julian. We’ve managed to catch them all in one fell swoop."

Julian nodded distractedly and turned to leave, but was stopped by a weak voice.

"Julian... it was my... fault. Can you give me another... chance? I can take good care... of you for Lydia."

Sienna spoke sincerely, but Julian saw the greed in her eyes clearly.

"Tell it to the police. Theft and intentional injury—it’s enough to keep you in prison until you’re old."

With that, Julian walked out of the club without looking back. Sienna watched his retreating figure as a single tear fell from her eye.

As Julian expected, the Scarlet Club was shut down, and all involved received heavy sentences. As for Sienna, because the amount she stole was in the tens of millions and she had attempted intentional injury, she truly earned the chance to spend the rest of her life in prison. Word was that she was restless even in jail, screaming that the family would avenge her; a psychiatric evaluation confirmed her mental state had fractured.

But Julian had long since put all of that behind him. He turned himself back into a man who cared only for work. The only difference was that he left work punctually every day, carrying a bottle of wine to Lydia’s grave, where he would drink until he fell asleep. Later, the outside world knew that Julian had a wife he loved to his core who had died young. No one dared mention her, as she was a forbidden topic.