Chapter 755:

Turning her attention back to Aarya, Elyse grasped the lengths this woman had gone to orchestrate this confrontation.

Seeing Elyse’s hesitation, Rico smirked. “Weren’t you full of swagger just moments ago? What’s wrong? Lost your nerve already?”

Elyse looked at the array of beer bottles, crossing her arms defiantly. “I can settle the debt, but I won’t drink. It’s not like I’m strapped for cash.”

Aarya’s eyes darkened. “You’re just a violinist. How do you plan to repay $800,000? You don’t think you’ll be able to get that kind of cash from Jayden, do you?”

Elyse shot back, “Do you think Jayden is the only person in my circle who could lend me $800,000?”

Aarya chuckled softly. “Perhaps you have other benefactors I don’t know about, but Rico here is fuming. I can’t shield you from his wrath.”

Elyse remained silent. Aarya had lured her into this trap, and now things were playing out as she had schemed. It was clear Aarya wouldn’t help her.

Elyse turned to Rico. “I can repay the debt. I just refuse to drink.”

Rico raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think you can bargain with me? This is my place. If I tell you to crawl and kiss my shoes, you better comply. Otherwise…” He paused, his gaze drifting to Elyse’s hands, a sinister smile spreading across his face. “I hear you play the violin. What if I mess up those pretty hands of yours?”

Elyse’s face turned ghostly pale. She had no choice but to approach the table and crack open a beer bottle to drink.

When Aarya saw Elyse finish the first bottle, her face lit up with a victorious smile. She leaned in quietly and whispered, “Don’t even think about asking Jayden for help. He’s got his hands full and won’t spare a thought for you right now.”

Elyse’s expression remained unchanged. She had never intended to rely on Jayden. Instead, she hoped Edward would send someone to rescue her. But Edward was just an ordinary guy. She couldn’t pin her hopes on him.

Elyse wasn’t much of a drinker. After two bottles, her head started to swim, her face flushed, and her once-clear eyes showed signs of intoxication.

Rico, watching Elyse, swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his eyes filled with longing and lust. It was the first time Aarya had seen him look at someone like that.

Rico’s family owned the club, so he’d been around women all his life. Not yet 30, he was a seasoned player in the game of love. Aarya had lost her virginity to him. They had been friends with benefits for over two years. But he had never gazed at her with such predatory intent. She knew him intimately and sensed his infatuation with Elyse.

This peculiar feeling of jealousy caused Aarya to drop her pretense. She slapped Elyse hard across the face. “You tramp! Must you throw yourself at every man who crosses your path? Can’t you survive without one?”

Elyse’s head was ringing. Mistaking Aarya’s anger for jealousy over Jayden, Elyse snapped, her expression darkening, “You’re the tramp! When have I ever tried to seduce a man?”

“I see you flirting with men everywhere,” Aarya retorted sharply, recalling Elyse clinking glasses with several men at the restaurant. She knew there were women at that gathering, but she didn’t care. She trusted only what her eyes had seen.