The Audacious Demand Chapter 2

Two men in police uniforms pushed their way in. They frowned at the wreckage, but their expressions changed completely when they saw the bruised and beaten Ivy Lilley on the floor.

“VP Lilley? What are you doing here? What happened?” one of the officers, a portly man, asked, his voice dripping with sycophancy as he rushed to help her up.

Seeing the police, Ivy acted as if her savior had arrived. She pointed a trembling finger at Moya and me. “Officer Wang! These two outsiders are crazy! They refused to pay for their meal and then started a fight! Look what they did to me! And my employees! They’re all injured!”

The portly officer glanced at our own injuries and dismissed them, turning to us with a scowl. “What do you two think you’re doing? Brawling in broad daylight and assaulting employees of Sterling Corporation? You’ve got some nerve!”

“She was the one who started it,” Moya said, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “She tried to force us to pay her bill.”

“Nonsense!” Ivy interrupted immediately. “I was just trying to be nice, letting them bask in the glory of the Sterling name for a moment, and they just turned on me! They even had the audacity to pretend to be my husband’s wife and some big shot from the capital.”

The portly officer clearly believed her. He pointed at the shattered glass and overturned tables. “Regardless, you beat her up like this and destroyed the restaurant’s property. It’s clearly your fault! Let me tell you, in this city, everyone shows respect to Sterling Corporation. VP Lilley is Rory Sterling’s woman. By touching her, you’re disrespecting Sterling, and you’re going against the rules of this entire city!”

The other, thinner officer was already brandishing a pair of handcuffs. “Enough talk. You’re coming with us to the station. Oh, and you’ll be covering VP Lilley’s bill, the damages to the restaurant, her medical bills, and her emotional distress compensation. Then, if you get on your knees and apologize, maybe we can settle this privately.”

“On what grounds?” I laughed, furious. “She started this, and you’re convicting us without even investigating?”

“On what grounds? On the grounds that you’re not from around here!” the portly officer waved his hand dismissively. “You’re in our city, you play by our rules. VP Lilley letting you pay her bill was an honor. Don’t be ungrateful!”

Moya sneered. “I’d like to see if the rules of this city are above the laws of this country.”

“Still talking back, huh?” The thin officer moved to cuff me. “Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson!”

I dodged him. Enraged, he pulled out a stun baton and flicked it on. “You want to do this the hard way?” he said, jabbing it towards me. “Looks like you’re itching for a stay in a jail cell!”

A jolt of electricity shot through me. My whole body seized up, and I nearly collapsed. Moya caught me, her eyes blazing. “How dare you abuse your authority?”

“Abuse my authority? I’m performing my official duties,” the portly officer said, pulling out his own stun baton and pointing it at Moya. “In this city, anything involving Sterling Corporation is a big deal. People like you who don’t know their place need to be taught a lesson!”

Moya grunted as the electricity hit her, the smell of burning fabric in the air. “You power-tripping dogs… you’ll regret this one day…”

“Regret it?” The portly officer’s grin widened. He used his baton to lift Moya’s chin. “You can regret it all you want when you’re getting beaten every day in your cell.” He turned to Ivy, his face a mask of fawning servitude. “VP Lilley, is this enough for you? If not, I can turn it up a notch!”

Ivy watched, smugly. “A little more. They need to learn who’s in charge here.”

The portly officer kicked me, then bowed to Ivy again. “VP Lilley, if you don’t mind my asking, when is the baby due? My partner and I will be sure to prepare a generous gift to congratulate you and Mr. Sterling.”

The thin officer nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes! We hope you’ll give us the honor of sharing in your joy. Maybe Mr. Sterling might even consider a little promotion for us…”

At the mention of this, Ivy smiled. “About four or five months. I had it checked. It’s a boy.”

Ivy… was pregnant.

The news hit me like a physical blow. I’d been away on a business trip for six months. I had only just returned, and Rory already had a child on the way. The blood rushed to my head. Rory and I had been married for two years, and he’d always put off having children, claiming he was too busy with the company.

I struggled to get up. Seeing me move, the thin officer jabbed the stun baton at the back of my neck. My vision went black. As I was about to fall, Ivy grabbed a stool and raised it over my head.

Just then, the sound of hurried, expensive footsteps echoed from the restaurant entrance.