"You! It's you who worked in a bathhouse! Your whole family worked in a bathhouse! Have you no shame, you dog!" Crystal Liu's face flushed with rage as she hurled insults at Ethan.
The truth was, she had indeed worked in a bathhouse, though it was ten years ago and only briefly. After her successful plastic surgeries, she'd managed to snag a wealthy husband, marrying Nathan Lou. But that part of her past was her deepest, most shameful secret—one she was terrified of being exposed.
"Mind your manners, please. We're all civilized people here," Ethan replied calmly. "You're supposed to be someone of status now. Maybe it's time to leave behind those habits you picked up back when you were a… 'working girl.'"
"How dare you! Slander! I swear I'll—" Crystal lunged forward, clutching her designer bag, attempting to swing it at Ethan.
Given her marriage to Nathan Lou, Crystal would normally have kept her composure in public, acting the part of a refined woman of society. But Ethan's words had struck a nerve, and in her panic, she masked her unease with an outburst of rage.
Smack!
The bag swung down, but it didn't hit Ethan. One of Isabella's bodyguards had swiftly stepped in between them.
Isabella had brought only a few bodyguards today, enough to ensure safety without intruding. They had stayed in the restaurant's corners, close enough to react in case of trouble but discreet enough not to overhear her conversation.
From the first moment Crystal raised her voice, the bodyguards had quietly approached, awaiting Isabella's cue. Seeing Ethan step up to handle the situation, Isabella had opted to let him resolve it himself. Crystal was nothing more than a nuisance to her, but Nathan Lou was another matter entirely—a prominent figure in Sea City's business world.
Though Isabella and Tyler were prominent figures in Sea City, they were outsiders in the local power dynamics. Nathan Lou, however, was deeply embedded in the region's fabric. He was the kind of powerful "local" who could rival the influence of the Li family, and his close rapport with Isabella and Tyler was rooted in a blend of mutual respect, shared values, and comparable social standing.
Despite her brief acquaintance with Ethan, Isabella understood that he was no reckless hothead. If he chose to publicly humiliate Crystal by hinting at her sordid past, he surely had his reasons.
"Mrs. Lou, please remain calm," the bodyguard said in an even tone as he blocked Crystal's attempts to strike Ethan. Crystal, undeterred, kept flailing her bag.
Slap!
In a fit of fury, Crystal slapped the bodyguard, screaming, "Get out of my way!"
The towering bodyguard, unfazed, simply responded, "Mrs. Lou, please calm yourself."
This display prompted a glint of annoyance in Isabella's eyes. She stood up, clearly ready to address the situation.
Just then, a deep voice called from the restaurant entrance, "Crystal! What's all this shouting about?"
Nathan Lou, a well-built man in his fifties with a weathered yet imposing face, strode towards them. Known as one of the wealthiest and most influential men in Sea City, Nathan was the chairman of Juli Group, a vice-president of the Sea City Business Association, and a member of the municipal council.
Today, he was here to host a meal, aiming to shore up connections regarding a high-stakes urban renewal project in the East District. While Juli Group was the largest real estate developer in Sea City, they faced stiff competition from national giants for this project, forcing Nathan to pull every string he could.
He had left Crystal to wait inside while he welcomed his guests. But as he entered, he saw her causing a scene, lashing out at another man. Under normal circumstances, he would've quickly come to her defense, but when he spotted Isabella standing nearby, he instantly guessed the cause of the commotion.
Seeing Nathan, Crystal immediately changed her demeanor. She ran to him, feigning a look of utter distress, tears pooling in her eyes.
"Mr. Lou is here," Isabella greeted him with a measured tone, her face composed.
Nathan nodded, giving Isabella an apologetic smile, realizing his wife must have started the confrontation. He knew Isabella had shown remarkable restraint over the years by tolerating Crystal's outbursts solely out of respect for him.
In private, he had begged Isabella not to take his wife's antics personally.
"Dear, this little boy insulted me! He said I was ugly, accused me of getting plastic surgery, and even claimed I used to be… you know, before we met!" Crystal clung to Nathan, looking pitiful and humiliated.
Nathan's expression darkened, his face twitching with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. He was a prominent businessman, accustomed to respect. For someone to openly insult his wife and suggest such scandalous things? It was a grave affront to his honor.
To make matters worse, they were drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant, including his esteemed guests. This incident was already embarrassing enough; mishandling it would only deepen the humiliation.
"It's fine, don't cry. I'll handle this," Nathan said, calming Crystal as he led her aside. He then stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he looked between Isabella and Ethan.
"Is this man with you, Ms. Li?" he asked, keeping his anger barely in check.
This question alone signaled his simmering rage. In private, he would have addressed Isabella by her first name, "Isabella," as she called him "Nathan." But today, in his public address, his formality betrayed his fury.
Isabella remained poised. "My boyfriend," she replied, emphasizing the word. "The 'boy toy' your wife mentioned."
Nathan's gaze sharpened, processing the implications. Isabella was clearly willing to defend this young man—even at the cost of offending him.
Crystal seized the opportunity to provoke further. "A boy toy, indeed! You're thirty years old, dating someone in his twenties—if that's not 'keeping a boy toy,' then what is?"
Nathan threw her a scathing look, but she just sobbed, "They're ganging up on me, insulting me in every way!"
Nathan's anger began to waver, briefly softened by pity for his wife's tears. "I'll handle it," he murmured to her, "Just stay quiet."
At that moment, Ethan stood up. Motioning for the bodyguards to step aside, he took a step forward, extending a hand to Nathan with a disarming smile. "Mr. Lou, allow me to introduce myself—Ethan Wu."
Nathan stared at Ethan's outstretched hand, his gaze cold. He accepted the handshake, tightening his grip in a silent show of dominance, fully intent on intimidating the young man.
Ethan, however, pulled him in close, leaning over to whisper something in Nathan's ear while firmly clapping a hand on his shoulder. What he said seemed to freeze Nathan in place, his defiant stance replaced by shock as his expression shifted from anger to confusion and then something else entirely.
For nearly two minutes, Ethan murmured to Nathan, his voice low but his words impactful. Every now and then, Nathan's face shifted again, once even turning to ask Ethan a question in response.
The rest of the restaurant was left bewildered by the abrupt change in atmosphere. Just moments before, it had seemed the situation was on the verge of a physical altercation. Now, instead of fury, there was… an almost unsettling calm.
What exactly had Ethan said to make Nathan Lou listen so intently?
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。