She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 834

Daphne immediately stumbled back, her face flushing crimson.

That bastard, jabbing his elbow right into my chest!

But looking at Everett's tense posture, she knew he hadn't done it on purpose.

Her gaze darted nervously to his face.

Everett was glaring fiercely at the heavily intoxicated Gavin.

"Snap out of it, Gavin! Do you have any idea where you are, throwing a tantrum like this?"

Being scolded seemed to scramble Gavin's drunken brain even further.

He smacked the side of his own head.

"Where am I? Who cares where I am! And who the hell are you?"

Gavin tried to shove forward, but Everett shoved him back hard.

"It's Everett! Are you so wasted you don't even recognize me?"

Gavin blinked, the name finally piercing through the alcoholic haze, sparking a flicker of recognition.

Without taking his eyes off Gavin, Everett spoke to Daphne, who was still standing behind him.

"Go inside. I'll handle this."

Daphne stared at him, dumbfounded.

"I'm the owner of this club. And you're telling me to go inside so you can handle it?"

Everett finally glanced back at her.

"You're a woman. Were you seriously planning on getting into a fistfight with a drunk?"

"I..."

Daphne opened her mouth but found herself entirely out of words.

In the past, a comment like that would have infuriated her. She would have seen it as deeply insulting, a classic display of male chauvinism.

So what if I'm a woman?

I can throw a punch just fine.

She used to run with a rough crowd; it wasn't like she had never fought for her life before.

But...

As the violent, blood-soaked memories of her past flashed through her mind, Daphne realized something. No one had ever treated her like a woman before. No one had ever tried to protect her.

This was the very first time a man had intentionally stood between her and danger.

Looking at Everett—his face flushed from the alcohol, an edge of genuine anger in his eyes—Daphne suddenly realized he was actually incredibly handsome.

A second later, she violently covered her eyes and shook her head.

Am I out of my mind?

Gavin slurred, vaguely recognizing the faces surrounding him.

But his brain refused to connect them to names.

Suddenly, Preston gripped Gavin's arm in a vice-like hold. Gavin immediately tried to wrench himself free.

"Don't move."

"You..."

"Shut up."

Those four words hit with such freezing authority that Gavin was instantly shocked into a state of semi-sobriety.

Stumbling and completely overpowered, Gavin was half-dragged out of the Eclipse Noir Club by Preston.

Melanie walked coolly alongside them.

To any casual observer, it looked exactly like Melanie and Preston were casually kidnapping the Lockridge heir.

Shortly after they left, Gabriel rounded up the Stellaris PharmaTech team and made his exit.

Seeing their leadership depart, the remaining Royce Group employees slowly began to filter out and head home.

The once loud, chaotic energy of the Eclipse Noir Club faded into an eerie quiet.

The space felt hollow.

And then, Daphne realized that Everett hadn't left.