Chapter 579

The room was a storm of chaos-voices overlapping, shrill screams bouncing off the walls.
Ryan Cox lay sprawled on the floor in nothing but his boxers, clutching his stomach, face twisted in pain and flushed red with rage. Every muscle in his body was taut
with agony.
Donna Thomas had somehow crawled to the far side of the bed, hugging the comforter to her chest. She bit her lip stubbornly, tears streaming down her face, refusing to make a sound.
Staff from the conference had rushed in, frozen in place by the scene before them— some wide-eyed in shock, others already looking utterly defeated.
Andrew Lane’s voice cut through the pandemonium, low and commanding. “Emily Blair, calm down.”
Emily’s head throbbed, pain blooming at her temples. Her wrist hurt, her fingers ached.
She glanced down at her hand-Andrew’s grip was iron-tight around her wrist, his brows drawn together.
The shattered wine bottle hadn’t broken over Ryan’s head. Andrew had wrenched it from her grasp, prying her fingers loose, twisting her wrist as he did. The bottle crashed to the ground at the exact moment Andrew’s foot landed hard in Ryan Cox’s stomach.
The bottle never touched Ryan’s skull.
Irritation simmered in Emily’s chest.
She lifted her gaze to Andrew. His expression was stone cold. “You want to spend the night in jail?”
Emily frowned. “Let go.”
Andrew’s eyes were dark and unreadable. He stared at her for a long moment before finally releasing her wrist.
Ryan Cox’s face was the color of bruised flesh. With effort, he pushed himself up from the floor, his voice hoarse and indignant. “Emily Blair, you’re out of line!”
Emily shot him a look as cold as ice, then turned to the coat rack and tossed a bathrobe to Donna.
“Go. I’ll handle this.”
Donna’s hands trembled as she wrapped herself in the bathrobe, covering her torn clothes and bare skin. “Ms. Blair, I… I’d rather stay. After all, this is my mess.”
Emily turned, her eyes clear and level as she regarded Ryan. She spoke to Donna without taking her gaze off him. “There’s a crowd outside, Donna. Are you sure you want them to see you like this?”
Donna hesitated, biting her lip. She was a mess, and she knew it. After a moment, she whispered, “Ms. Blair, I’ll go change and come back.”
Emily nodded.
Ryan’s voice cut through the quiet, louder now. “I didn’t say she could leave!”
Emily didn’t bother with politeness. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
She nodded toward the door, addressing Donna. “Go. Ignore him.”
Donna nodded quickly, clutching the bathrobe tightly as she hurried out.
Ryan’s scowl deepened. “Emily Blair, you’ve only been back a few years and you already think you run the place?”
Emily’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “I just regret not smashing that bottle over your head.”
She took a step toward him, but Andrew grabbed her wrist again, pulling her back. She turned to glare at him. “Let go.”
He didn’t. Instead, he raised his chin slightly. “And what exactly are you planning to do?”
Ryan watched them, eyes narrowing. He remembered all too clearly the force of Andrew’s kick. He had no respect for Emily, but Andrew Lane was a different story- even if Andrew had just humiliated him in front of everyone, he didn’t dare push back.
Still, he’d remember this—and he’d make sure Emily paid for it.
“Mr. Lane, what’s your relationship with Emily Blair? Why are you defending her?”
Andrew didn’t bother to answer. He simply turned to Ryan and said, “It ends here. That kick was your warning.”