Chapter 901

Dorian watched Sully as the thugs beat him mercilessly. The bodyguards knew exactly what they were doing, carefully avoiding his face. They targeted his core, delivering brutal blows that left him coughing up blood without breaking any major bones.

Dorian curled up in the corner of the van as the thugs ordered the driver to keep moving, ensuring they wouldn't draw unwanted attention by idling on the street. They had been making too much noise beating him in the back, and the last thing they needed was to attract the police.

Sully had Dorian dragged into his exclusive club. As the two bodyguards hauled him through the doors, the various escorts and club workers-many of whom had always been fiercely jealous of Dorian-watched with undisguised schadenfreude.

"See? That's what happens when you cross the boss. Didn't everyone say Felicia had him completely wrapped around her finger? Where is she now that he's in trouble?"

The bystanders eagerly piled on with their cynical commentary. Someone scoffed, "Felicia was just having fun with him. Did he really think he was her husband? I just saw her drive off with two fresh-faced pretty boys. Dorian has clearly lost his touch."

As Dorian was dragged further inside, the whispers grew louder until one guy chimed in, "I heard a rumor he managed to hook up with some wealthy heiress. She's supposedly way younger than Felicia, barely in her twenties. He wanted to drop Felicia for her, so Felicia tossed him to the curb."

A massive crowd had gathered outside Sully's private VIP room, drawn by the drama. One of Sully's men finally stepped out to disperse them.

"What the hell are you all staring at? Get back to work! Keep your mouths shut and stay away from here unless you want Sully to toss you out on the street."

Dorian was violently thrown to the floor, the impact forcing another agonizing cough as blood spilled from his lips.

Sully glared at him with predatory intensity. A bodyguard quickly stepped forward, offering Sully a cigarette and lighting it for him.

Sully blew out a plume of smoke and sneered. "I'm giving you a few days to figure out your next move, kid. My guys heard you've latched onto the Everhart family's golden girl. You've gotten pretty good at scamming your way to the top with that pretty face of yours."

"But let me give you a reality check. A girl like that is just playing around with you. What can she possibly offer? Do you honestly think the Everhart family would ever let you marry her? How do you expect to survive in that world? You're nothing but a boy toy who works the clubs, selling your body to the highest bidder."

"Did you seriously think a family like the Everharts would welcome a son-in-law like you? Keep dreaming, kid. This is the cutthroat, money-driven reality of Greenvale, not some fairy tale. Are you still thinking with your lower half? Let lust cloud your judgment? Or have you just watched way too many soap operas?"

Curled up like a lamb waiting for the slaughter, Dorian lay paralyzed on the floor, entirely devoid of the strength to offer a response.

He knew better than to explain his purely platonic friendship with Leonie. First, it was entirely unnecessary, and second, Sully would never believe a word of it anyway.

"Listen to me, kid. You'd better think long and hard about this. I'm giving you two days. You're not going anywhere until then. Keep a close eye on him, boys. If he runs and I can't hand him over to Felicia, I'll be coming for your heads."

Dorian was left tossed aside like garbage. He lay on the cold floor, his mind slipping into a hazy delirium. Like a fast-forwarded movie, the last few years of his life flashed relentlessly through his mind playing on a painful, inescapable loop.

Hovering between a waking nightmare and a dark void, he didn't know who he was supposed to dream of or who he even wanted to think about. He collapsed entirely, reduced to a hollow, lifeless shell.

Meanwhile, ever since Dorian had been snatched from her car, Leonie had been driving frantically, tears streaming down her face as she raced to find Hawthorne.

Hawthorne was still at home. He had taken some time off, avoiding both the office and social events just to stay by Gwyneth's side.

After receiving Leonie's frantic call, he had immediately contacted the traffic bureau to pull the surveillance footage along her route. Gwyneth had just woken up from a nap her body feeling beautifully lethargic as her pregnancy progressed, Leonie burst into the room, startling Gwyneth with her tear-streaked face.

"Leonie, what brings you here?"

Gwyneth assumed Leonie had just dropped by to hang out. Celia and Chris had stayed with them for a few days, but they had recently flown back to Starfall City to handle some business. Now, the house was finally quiet again, leaving Gwyneth and Hawthorne to their private sanctuary. Though they claimed it was for business, Gwyneth knew her siblings had left to give her and her husband some much-needed space.

Seeing that Gwyneth was alone, Leonie quickly wiped her tears and tried to keep

her voice steady. "Is Hawthorne around? I really need to talk to him."

Gwyneth pointed toward the home office. "He's in there. Go on in."

Just as Leonie started toward the stairs, Gwyneth stopped her. She could tell something was terribly wrong and instantly assumed it was another blowout with Connor.

"Leonie, what's wrong? Did Connor do something to upset you again?"

Right now, Connor was the absolute last thing on Leonie's mind. She and Dorian weren't romantic, but they had formed a profound, unbreakable bond of friendship.