Zinnia's eyes grew colder as she looked at Neo. His clothes were tacky, and his face was barely handsome. "Yannis keeps telling me not to bother with a guy like this," she thought. "He's not even half as attractive as my master." Ever since she'd started considering her master someone special, she'd been researching the Moore family online. That explosion had been a major news story. She wondered, "Back when three Moores died in that accident, why did Neo and his parents leave the Moore residence?" Online rumors suggested their involvement, even implying they'd planned the accident. That's why Zinnia distrusted Neo. "After my master's parents were brutally murdered, they're now living in luxury?"
A cold chill ran down Zinnia's spine. Without another glance, she and Maisie continued walking. "Neo, please don't disturb the other guests," the waiter said firmly. Zinnia's cold gaze swept over the noisy crowd. Whispers rippled through the onlookers: "Aren't they here for Neo?"
"That makes sense," Zinnia said. "Maisie wouldn't care about a small party like this."
Seeing them ignore the whispers, Neo's face darkened. He snapped, "Come to me!" He stepped forward, shoved the waiter aside, and reached for Zinnia's hand. Maisie instantly flipped him over her shoulder and slammed him to the ground. Neo cried out in pain, completely surprised by the speed and precision of her move. His followers yelled in panic, "Are you okay, Neo?"
Everyone was shocked. The music stopped, replaced by the loud shouts of Neo's entourage, a cacophony like a troop of monkeys. "I'll hit whoever I want," Maisie said coldly, her icy gaze sweeping over them. "Try touching Zinnia again, and I'll break your hand."
Zinnia, behind Maisie, slipped the needle she'd just removed back into her sleeve. "I was going to teach that bastard a lesson," she thought, "but Maisie was faster."
"How dare you hit me?" Neo snarled, pain radiating through his body. He'd never felt so humiliated. He held his injured shoulder, glaring at Maisie with angry, venomous eyes.
"So what if I hit you? I could break your hand right now," Maisie sneered coldly, fearless despite being outnumbered.
The stares from the crowd burned Neo with shame, fueling his rage. "How dare she embarrass me like this?" he thought. "If I don't teach her a lesson, I'll never show my face in this circle again. I won't let these two bitches go. This humiliation is unbearable. They offended my family; the Moore family used to be at the top."
"Get them!" Neo roared, his fierce eyes sweeping his men. "Whoever teaches these two bitches a lesson gets the Moon Scar Cream!"
Most guests coveted the Moon Scar Cream, a rare and highly sought-after item, hoping to curry favor with Neo. Even so, the crowd hesitated, fearing to offend the Jenkins and Lynn families.
Seeing the situation escalating, a waiter rushed over, saying, "Neo, no fighting here. You'll be kicked out." Other staff quickly gathered, attempting to calm the chaos. Neo roughly shoved the nearest waiter aside. "I'm making a scene. What are you going to do about it?"
Maisie steadied the shaken waiter and sneered, "The Moore family is really falling apart—raising trash like you with no manners. Without the real head of the Moore family, you're nothing."
"Say that again, and I'll fucking kill you two," Neo growled, his face contorted with rage. Nothing angered him more than being reminded of his father's diminished status. He glared at Maisie, his eyes burning.
Maisie met his gaze with a cold stare. "You wouldn't dare kill me," she spat, then grabbed his hand and twisted it sharply. Neo howled in pain, his face reddening. "Let go!" he yelled through gritted teeth.
The loud snap of his bone sent a shockwave through the crowd; many recoiled. "Neo!" Kaelen shouted, rushing forward to pull him back.
Neo yelled in pain, clutching his injured hand. Turning, his face contorted with rage, he roared at his followers, "Get them now! If anything happens to me, none of you will get away with it!"
The crowd was surprised by Neo's unexpected weakness. He barked orders, but he couldn't even hurt Maisie. Maisie sneered, her gaze full of contempt. "Are you sure you want to offend the Jenkins, Lynn, and Perkins families all at once?"
The crowd hesitated, fear paralyzing them. Some slipped away, unable to bear the tension. "Go on, attack!" Neo shouted, his voice laced with anger. "Each of you will get a bottle of Moon Scar Cream. Are you all so scared of a girl? Pathetic!"
He yelled at his men, "With me here, what are you afraid of? Cowering before a girl? How are you going to survive in this circle? They're just two bitches. Teach them a lesson!"
Tempted by the Moon Scar Cream and Neo's words, his men finally attacked. Kaelen shouted, "You dare hit Neo? Think we're pushovers because we've held back? It's time to teach you a lesson!" "Get them!" Neo ordered.
About twenty men surged toward Maisie and Zinnia. "Zinnia, fall back!" Maisie ordered coldly, kicking away an attacker. "Run if you can—go to a private room or outside and call Yannis."
Maisie thought, 'There are too many of them. It's not that I can't fight, but I worry about Zinnia's safety.' As another man lunged, she swiftly chopped his neck.
Screams and cries of pain erupted as people scrambled to escape, chaos erupting. Even while shielding Zinnia, Maisie moved effortlessly through the attackers. Neo, watching Zinnia still protected by Maisie, shouted, "Grab Zinnia so I can have some fun!"
Maisie's eyes flashed with anger at his vulgar comment. She kicked Neo in the face as he cowered behind his men. Neo yelled in pain, clutching his mouth. A dozen men rushed Maisie from all sides.