Illusion or Reality

Chapter 6

The thumping electronic music echoed, creating vibrations that could be felt all the way down to the floor and radiating up through her bones. The pungent aroma of a mixture of various types of alcohol hung sharply in the air, impossible to avoid. The brutal flashing of the strobe lights forced Grace to close her eyes for a moment, trying to adjust to the wild atmosphere of this nightclub.

Grace waved her hand in front of her face. “The smell of alcohol is so nauseating,” she complained softly.

She scanned the room. The vast space was packed with a sea of people who had lost all sense of self. How on earth was she supposed to find Dave in the midst of such chaos?

Grace forced her way through the crowd of revelers who were swaying their bodies to the beat of the music. The stifling heat from the crush of hundreds of bodies made it hard for her to breathe. She had to find Dave immediately, grab the necklace, and get out of this cursed place as fast as possible.

After a grueling struggle, she finally reached the relatively less crowded area around the bartender’s counter.

Grace turned around to take in the situation again. Her brow furrowed deeply as she noticed the stares of several men around her. Why were those men staring at her as if they were a pack of starving lions that had found their prey? After all, the clothes she was wearing were already very modest.

Feeling uneasy, Grace reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone. Her fingers moved restlessly across the screen, pretending to be busy so those disgusting men wouldn’t have a chance to approach her.

A tap on her shoulder made her jump in surprise. Grace spun around quickly, but immediately let out a sigh of relief when she recognized the figure in front of her.

“Where’s my necklace?” Grace demanded without beating around the bush.

Dave flashed a dismissive smile. “Oh, come on. You just got here—at least enjoy the atmosphere first. Don’t act all high and mighty, Grace. I know your college life and your part-time job are probably closely tied to the nightlife.”

Grace felt sick looking at the man’s face. She wanted to rip off Dave’s mouth—he was always so full of himself. “Where’s my necklace?! I came here just to meet your ridiculous demands!”

Dave placed both hands on Grace’s shoulders, then forcibly guided her to sit on a barstool in front of the bartender. Grace tried to resist, but was secretly grateful she’d chosen a long-sleeved top with a high collar. Otherwise, this physical contact would surely trigger memories of Dave’s dark past, and she wasn’t ready for any more visual surprises.

Dave leaned in slightly, deliberately inhaling the scent wafting from the nape of Grace’s neck with relish. From then until now, the scent of vanilla and jasmine on her body had never changed. It was always intoxicating.

Dave straightened up again. “At the very least, you have to have a drink here—just for form’s sake.”

The man turned toward the bar, then picked up two glasses of drinks that he seemed to have ordered earlier. He held one of the glasses out to Grace.

“Drink it. If the liquid in this glass is gone, I’ll hand over the necklace right this second.”

Grace accepted the glass hesitantly. Her eyes fixed intently on Dave, radiating wariness. She brought the glass close to her nose, taking a faint whiff of its aroma.

“Don’t worry, that concoction doesn’t contain any alcohol at all,” Dave replied in a reassuring tone.

Grace glared at Dave with a deadly look. “Will you give me my necklace if I finish this drink?” she asked to be sure.

Dave nodded firmly.

Grace stared intently at the reddish liquid. She had no other choice. She raised her glass and downed the entire contents in one gulp.

Dave took a sip of his own drink while watching Grace’s Adam’s apple move with a dark gaze. “It’s true—it’s not alcohol,” he thought slyly, “but I’ve already dissolved a high dose of a stimulant into it.”

Grace set her empty glass down roughly on the table. “I’ve finished it. Now, hand over my necklace!”

Dave set down his glass and reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. He pulled out the beautiful diamond necklace that had belonged to Grace’s mother, twirled it briefly in the air, then held it out to her.

“All right, I’ll keep my promise.” A sly smile spread across Dave’s face.

Grace immediately snatched the precious piece of jewelry and slipped it back around her neck. “I’m done here.”

Grace stood up from her chair. But as soon as she took a single step, her balance suddenly faltered. Her head was spinning terribly, and her body staggered backward.

Quickly, Dave caught Grace’s petite, limp body.

“You have to do at least one fun thing tonight, or your trip here will have been for nothing, honey,” Dave whispered as he stroked a strand of Grace’s hair.

Grace’s vision began to blur. Her body felt strange, as if a wave of heat were spreading beneath her skin. She’d been tricked!

“You f*****g bastard, Dave!” she cursed inwardly.

Grace struggled to straighten her body, pushing Dave’s chest away with the last of her strength. “Let me go! Don’t you dare touch me!” she threatened, her body swaying unsteadily.

Meanwhile, from the VIP area not far away, a pair of sharp eyes caught the scene. A flash of rage ignited in the eyes of a handsome man. He immediately stood up, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The man ignored the protests of a group of beautiful women surrounding his table and walked away without looking back.

“Mr. Carlos!” the women called out in disappointment.

However, the man named Carlos kept walking with a thick, murderous aura, locking his gaze on the scoundrel who had just ruined his view.

A hard punch landed squarely on Dave’s jaw.

The young man’s body was sent flying backward and crashed into a row of bar stools. As a result, Grace, who was in his embrace, nearly tumbled to the floor—had it not been for Carlos’s strong arms, which immediately caught her and pulled her into his embrace. Without wasting a moment, Carlos hoisted the girl’s limp body into a bridal carry.

“Don’t you ever dare touch what’s mine,” Carlos threatened in an extremely cold and intimidating baritone voice.

After issuing that threat, Carlos simply strode away.

Dave, who was still trying to process the lightning-fast incident, rubbed the cut at the corner of his lip. His eyes blazed with rage. He was about to get up to retaliate against the unknown man’s punch, but a friend quickly grabbed his shoulder.

“Don’t be stupid! He’s no match for you,” his friend hissed in panic. “That’s Carlos. The sole heir to the conglomerate that controls this city.”

Dave’s eyes widened in disbelief. Him? Carlos? The ruthless billionaire who’s always been above the law? How could Grace—the poor woman he’d just dumped—have any connection to a powerful man like Carlos?

Dave grabbed a glass from the table and slammed it onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. “What a slut!” he cursed inwardly. “As soon as we officially broke up, she became a billionaire’s mistress. Ugh!”

The door of the luxury sports car slammed shut. Carlos let out a harsh sigh. Luckily, he’d managed to rescue this woman just in time. It was truly an unexpected twist of fate that they were at the same nightclub. If he’d been even one minute late, that scumbag would’ve definitely succeeded in running off with her.

The sound of Carlos’s hurried footsteps as he entered the hallway of his private mansion caused the household staff to stop what they were doing. Everyone instantly bowed their heads in a stiff, respectful posture.

“Hey, Carlos! Who are you bringing in here?” asked a very familiar voice.

Carlos slowly turned around, facing the speaker directly. The man in the maroon shirt who had just greeted him widened his eyes.

“How could you bring Grace here?” he asked in disbelief.

Carlos cleared his throat softly, steadying his emotions. “She was set up by a man at the club I stopped by earlier.”

The man in the maroon shirt’s jaw tightened instantly. His hands clenched tightly, holding back his boiling anger. “Then what are you waiting for? Take her to your room right away and call a doctor!”

The two hurried into the private elevator heading upstairs. Carlos laid Grace’s limp body down very carefully on the king-size bed in his broken-white-themed room.

The man in the maroon shirt gazed intently at Grace’s serene face. “How could she be so reckless as to come to a place like this?”

Carlos didn’t answer. He, too, gazed at Grace’s face. It was true—in person, this woman was far more captivating than the photos he’d collected. She was so pure. Even more surprising, her face was completely free of makeup. He could see it clearly. Grace’s beauty was a natural beauty that needed no embellishment.

“Let’s just say she’s been lucky that I happened to be in the same place today,” Carlos muttered with a shrug.

Carlos took off his expensive suit jacket and tossed it haphazardly aside. He loosened his tie, then unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt to relieve the heat. He felt utterly exhausted today.

Carlos flopped down onto the long sofa, sitting next to his colleague from earlier. He rested his head against the sofa cushion and closed his eyes for a moment. “My schedule was absolutely crazy today. Can you help me go through the stack of acquisition documents in my office?” he asked, gently massaging the bridge of his nose.

“Of course. That’s a piece of cake for me,” the man replied. He was just about to stand up when suddenly something pushed against his chest hard enough to send him tumbling back onto the sofa.

Grace.

The woman crawled up onto the laps of the two men who were leaning back. Her eyes were half-closed, her breathing ragged. Due to the effects of the drugs and her uncontrolled movements, the modest clothing that had been covering Grace was no longer in place. The buttons on her blouse had come undone completely. The top slid down to her waist, exposing her alabaster-white skin and her prized assets, now covered only by a bra.

Both Carlos and the man next to him had to swallow hard when confronted with that sight.

For Carlos—a cool-headed man accustomed to resisting the temptations of dozens of top-tier supermodels—this was the first time he’d ever felt like he’d lost control. Just seeing Grace in this state caused his manhood to react violently, a reaction he couldn’t stop.

With slow, trembling fingers, Grace caressed the chins of the two men beneath her.

“It’s so hot… my whole body feels like it’s on fire,” Grace moaned in a seductive, hoarse voice. “Help me…”

Grace writhed even more erratically, trying to find relief from the scorching heat tormenting her, until finally her body lay completely flat on the chests of the two men. “This is torture. I beg you… help me…”

Carlos and his partner exchanged glances. The light in their eyes slowly darkened, replaced by a savage, hungry glint. After all, they were normal men.