Justin Reed's face twisted as if he'd just swallowed a mouthful of filth.
"Cici baby, I was wrong! I was really, really wrong!" he cried desperately. "It was her, she seduced me! I don't even like her! You're the only one I care about, I swear!"
Everyone in the restaurant stared in stunned silence.
Justin shoved Emily Rose aside and dropped to his knees, clutching Cici thighs like a pitiful dog begging for forgiveness.
"Haha! Look at this clown!" someone laughed loudly. "He dresses like some rich gentleman, but he's just a bootlicker for women with money!"
"Oh my god, this guy's got wild tastes! He can even lay hands on a 'tank' of that size, respect!"
"The doctor said I should avoid greasy food, but watching this guy just made me sick!"
The crowd burst into laughter, their mockery echoing through the restaurant.
Emily Rose stood there, stunned, her head a whirl.
She couldn't believe it: the boyfriend she'd always imagined as tall, handsome, and well-off had just shown himself to be nothing more than someone who kowtows to another woman.
"Did she seduce you?" Cici snapped, voice sharp. "Fine. I'll give you one chance, slap her twice right here, and I might forgive you. Otherwise, hand over your car keys. We're done."
Smack!
Smack!
Justin Reed didn't hesitate. He raised his hand and struck Emily across the face, twice, each blow cracking through the room. Her cheek immediately flamed and began to swell.
"Justin… you..." Emily stammered, dazed, as the restaurant fell into a stunned, uneasy silence.
And he hit her so hard that Emily's face swelled instantly, a red mark blooming across her cheek.
"Justin Reed, you..." she gasped, clutching her face in disbelief.
"What do you mean me?" Cici sneered, stepping forward with icy arrogance. "You're just a shameless mistress who seduced someone else's boyfriend! That necklace you're wearing, it's mine! Take it off!"
Faced with Cici domineering attitude, Emily Rose felt a deep wave of humiliation wash over her.
She hadn't even known Justin had a girlfriend.
She was a victim too.
Then why was everyone looking at her like she was the villain?
Why did no one speak up for her?
Under the weight of the crowd's scornful stares, Emily endured the most crushing humiliation of her life.
At that moment, a handsome man suddenly stood up.
His face expressionless, he casually picked up a plate of steaming lobster, walked slowly behind Justin, and slammed it down on him!
"Bang!" With a loud bang, the plate shattered, and the scalding lobster doused Justin's head.
"What are you doing? Why are you hitting me?" Cici emanded.
"I'm hitting this son of a bitch, Justin Reed, you're a piece of shit!"
Aiden was relentless, seemingly determined not to let Justin go.
"Fuck you, you stinking loser! You dare hit me? I'll kill you!"
Justin quickly reacted after being hit.
His face contorted, he wrestled with Aiden.
In terms of fighting, Aiden James was clearly at a disadvantage.
Justin Reed stood a solid 183 centimeters tall and weighed around seventy kilos. Aiden, on the other hand, was only 179 and barely sixty-three. He was outmatched in both height and strength, and the difference showed as the two struggled.
Still, Aiden didn't back down. His jaw was tight, eyes cold, every movement driven by pure instinct and anger.
And then, something flickered in his vision.
Emily Rose: Favorability +20.
Emily Rose: Favorability +20.
Aiden blinked. Her affection score had already been sitting at thirty-five.
Now, in the heat of the chaos, it had suddenly jumped, soaring to ninety-five.
He froze for half a second, half in disbelief. So this was how it worked? A perfectly timed rescue could make a woman's heart practically explode with emotion.
Aiden couldn't help but smirk. Timing really is everything, he thought. Save the girl when it counts and she might just never forget you.
She might even become your dog.
Knowing when to act, that was the true instinct of a man.
Emily Rose's eyes were already brimming with tears.
She had never imagined that, at the lowest moment of her life, when everyone mocked her, when she was branded a mistress, the only person who would stand up for her… was Aiden James.
The same Aiden she used to look down on.
The man she once thought of as nothing more than a desperate fool chasing after her.
And yet, right now, that same man stood tall before her, defiant, fearless, and burning brighter than anyone else in the room.
This man, the one she had once driven away with her cruel words.
When she was truly in danger, he was the only one who stood up for her.
Suddenly, Emily Rose's mind flashed through all those years, the quiet care, the small acts of kindness, the gentle concern Aiden James had always shown her.
And then, there was Justin Reed. Sweet words, fake smiles, and empty promises. A man who had never truly done anything for her, only used her, deceived her, and wrapped it all in lies.
Even his identity as a "rich second-generation" was nothing but a facade.
How ridiculous she had been, blinded by vanity, chasing a false sense of status… only to end up humiliated like this.
In the end, people reveal their true selves in moments of crisis.
And Aiden, Aiden had been the one who truly cared for her all along.
Regret twisted inside her chest.
But Aiden's reason for stepping in wasn't because he still loved her or couldn't move on.
He had wanted to beat the crap out of Justin for a long time, he just hadn't found the right moment.
And today, watching Justin act so shamelessly, so disgustingly… was the perfect time to settle both old and new scores.
Win or lose, he had to do it.
Ding!
> Detected second-tier admirer Emily Rose's favorability surpassing 95 points.
Congratulations to the host on a successful counterattack!
Ding!
> Second-tier admirer spent a total of 50,000 affection points. Reward: 5,000 dollars!
Ding!
> Emily Rose has successfully become the host's admirer. Reward: 20 Enhancement Points!
[Name: Aiden James]
Age: 21
Height: 179 cm
Weight: 63 kg
Strength: 9
Constitution: 9
Spirit: 10
Agility: 9
Perception: 10
(Peak adult level: 10)
Status: Sub-healthy
Skills: None
Enhancement Points: 20
> "Host, please choose your enhancement."
"I'll add 10 points to Strength and 10 to Constitution," Aiden said without hesitation.
Ding! Enhancement successful!
> Current Strength: 19 points. Current Constitution: 19 points!
A sudden warmth surged through his body, a rush of energy that made his muscles come alive.
Justin lunged forward, grabbing Aiden by the neck, ready to swing.
But Aiden's arm moved like lightning. He caught Justin's wrist, twisted hard, and with explosive power, slammed him straight into the ground.
"Bastard!" Aiden snarled. "You think I wouldn't hit you?!"
Bang!
Justin had barely pushed himself up before Aiden's kick connected, sending the taller man flying several meters across the floor.
Gasps filled the air.
No one could believe it.
That scrawny-looking guy, the one everyone used to mock, was suddenly this strong?
In seconds, Justin was beaten into a pathetic heap.
"Thank you, Aiden!" Emily's voice trembled as tears streaked her cheeks.
"You're welcome," Aiden said flatly. "But I didn't do it for you. I've just been wanting to beat him for a while."
Emily's lips parted, her heart tightening. She didn't believe him. Deep down, she was certain, he still cared. He just couldn't admit it.
"Babe, help me! Call an ambulance! I'm dying here!" Justin groaned weakly.
"Get lost!" Cici snapped, kicking his arm aside. "You deserved it, you idiot! Hey, handsome…" She turned to Aiden with a bright smile. "Mind adding me on WeChat?"
Aiden's decisive, fearless strike, the way he stood tall, unshaken, had every girl in the room staring.
This… this was what a real man looked like.