Chapter 6: The Queen of Unrivaled Beauty

Words : 2654 Updated : Oct 17th, 2025

The next day. Lewis Casson was used to early mornings. He jogged around the complex for half an hour, then headed home. Emmy Saiger was eating breakfast. As soon as she saw him, she huffed. She'd barely slept the night before, partly from adrenaline: during her livestream, a mystery big spender showered her with gifts worth around $300,000. Even after the platform's cut, she pocketed over $200,000, more than she earned in a year. The other reason was the nonstop barrage from fellow streamers and viewers. Her WhatsApp blew up all night, everyone fixated on one question: who was this "whale," the deep-pocketed patron everyone was gossiping about? Her fingers cramped from replying, but she couldn't slow their excitement. In the end, she had to mute WhatsApp to get some sleep, only to be jolted awake by a call from the streaming company, grilling her about her benefactor. She explained over and over, to no avail. They insisted she keep this whale on the hook, making it clear what would happen if she failed. Lewis pulled out a chair and sat down without asking, grabbed a piece of bread, and took a bite. "Who put you in such a bad mood this early? Tell me. I'll go take care of them." Emmy rolled her eyes. "That high-roller from last night pissed me off. If you've got any guts, go deal with him for me." Lewis's face went oddly strained. Dealing with himself was beyond even him. "Yeah, real smooth. Cat got your tongue? Whoever you are, I'll find you," Emmy muttered, half to herself, half as a vow. His expression grew even more awkward. He was sitting right across from her; she didn't need to look far. After breakfast, Emmy yawned several times and went back to her room for a nap. "The key's on the table. Go make a copy. Stop making me open the door for you every time. A lady like me has things to do." Lewis replied, rested for an hour, then headed out, driving to the airport. At nine fifty, he arrived. He reclined the seat, put on some music, and stretched out. After about ten minutes, he sat up, rolled the window down, and looked toward the exit. Suddenly, the crowd erupted in excited screams. He focused. A tall woman in sunglasses stepped out. She had clear, bright eyes and delicately arched brows-a fine, striking face, otherworldly, almost untouchable-and she radiated authority. She was Elle Cutmore, the business powerhouse renowned in Melville and across all of Chiton, hailed by countless people as the Queen. "One smile could bring a city to its knees, two a whole nation, and three, you're done for." Lewis clicked his tongue, lit a cigarette, pushed the car door open, and walked toward her. "Ms. Cutmore, I'm Lewis Casson, the personal bodyguard the company handpicked for you. Ms. Zimmerman sent me to pick you up." Yeah, real smooth. Elle's first impression of Lewis was very poor, especially the sleazy glint in his eyes when he looked at her. She honestly couldn't fathom how Maddie, sharp as she was, had hired a bodyguard like this. "Let's go." "Got it. I'll take your suitcase." They were heading to the car when a blast of car horns split the air. Several luxury cars rolled up. Doors swung open, and a man with slicked-back hair stepped out, holding a huge bouquet of red roses. "Huh? Ace Lawes? Why is he here?" Elle's expression tightened. A glint flashed in Lewis's eyes. He watched Ace approach with a faint, teasing smile. "Yuyun, I heard you were back today, so I came to pick you up. I booked a table at a French restaurant. Let me take you to dinner." Ace held out the flowers. Elle didn't take them. "Save the flowers. No dinner. I've been away a few days, and there's a pile of work waiting for me at the office." Ace's face tightened, then he tried to laugh it off. "Yuyun, work's important, sure, but you need to rest. Given how close we are, don't blow me off. Come eat with me. I promise you won't regret it." "I'm not going." Seeing Ace refuse to quit, Lewis took two steps forward, amused. "Do you ever quit? My boss already said no, and you're still running your mouth." Elle blinked, surprised Lewis was stepping in for her. Ace's face darkened, ugly with rage. He glared at Lewis and roared, "Who the hell do you think you are? You think you get to talk to me? For Yuyun's sake, get on your knees and apologize, and I might let you go. Otherwise..." He didn't finish, but the bodyguards nearby knew exactly what he meant. What a joke. A mere driver daring to provoke the Lawes heir. Did he have a death wish? Lewis slowly took out a cigarette, lit it, took a long drag, and asked with a lazy, crooked smile, "On my knees?" Ace couldn't stomach Lewis's attitude. He clenched his fists and barked, "That's right. Kneel. Don't push it. My patience has limits." "Fine. Then kneel." Elle had thought Lewis was a man with backbone. Seeing him cave made him look spineless, not fit to be her bodyguard. She decided to fire him as soon as they got back. "Idiot. If you're going to kneel, hurry up, or I'll break your legs." Lewis let out a cold snort, flicked the cigarette away, and lashed out with a kick. Ace screamed as pain shot through his legs, and he dropped to his knees. Elle gasped, her mouth falling open at Lewis. So that was what he meant by kneel. It was wildly not what she'd expected. The bodyguards snapped to, shouting as they charged Lewis. "A pile of trash is still trash." Lewis gave a soft scoff and darted forward. He hammered the two coming in from left and right with twin punches. Then he sprang and snapped off several quick kicks. The ones behind him went airborne, crashed down hard, and howled in pain. Elle was shocked all over again. She loathed Ace, but she'd done her homework on his bodyguards. They were all fierce, seasoned fighters. Yet in Lewis's hands, they hadn't lasted a single round. They folded like paper. His strength was terrifying. Elle realized she'd never wanted to know a man as much as she did now. Ace was stunned, too, but arrogance had long since blinded him to Elle's standing. He staggered up and bellowed, "You bastard, you're dead. You won't live to see the sun tomorrow." Elle saw Lewis about to move and cried, "Don't!" Still, she was late. She watched Ace go flying from a single kick, slam into the ground, spit blood, and pass out. The remaining bodyguards exchanged uneasy looks. No one dared meet Lewis's eyes. Lewis didn't act as if he'd done anything special. He bent at the waist and made a polite, inviting gesture. "Ms. Cutmore, the trash is taken care of. Please get in." Elle held his gaze for a moment, steadied her racing heartbeat, and got into the car. Lewis swept the stunned crowd with a glance, chuckled twice, slipped into the driver's seat, waited for Elle to settle, then pressed the accelerator and left them in the dust. After a stretch of silence, Elle asked quietly, "Do you know how big a mess you just made?" Lewis shrugged. "No idea, and I don't care to know." Elle disliked his attitude, but her interest in him was only growing. No matter what, it had all started because of her. Since he was her bodyguard, there were things she needed to explain. "The man you just beat was Ace Lawes, eldest son of the Lawes family, the foremost of the three great clans in Melville. The Lawes family owns many companies, with operations across Chiton. More importantly, the Fiery Gang, which runs Melville's underworld, is controlled by the Lawes family. And Ace holds grudges. If he says you won't see tomorrow's sun, he'll try to make it happen." "If he wants revenge, bring it on. I'll be here." A vein throbbed at her temple. After all she'd said, he hadn't taken any of it to heart. She didn't want him dying over this. "Lewis, I can pay you and buy you a ticket out of Melville right now. It's still not too late." "Please don't. I finally became your bodyguard. This job wasn't easy to land. How could I give it up over a minor hiccup? Relax. A fortune-teller said I have a big life ahead and I'm destined to marry many wives. I'm not dying anytime soon..." Elle's expression flickered between dark and light. She felt an urge to wallop him. She'd said what she could, and he still wouldn't listen. She dropped it, closed her eyes, and rested. An hour later, they reached Elle Group. Lewis and Elle took the elevator to the top floor. "All right, stop following me. Find somewhere to sit. I'll call you if I need you." Elle headed into her office. "Cold as ice. I like that." Lewis looked away, wandered around, and, spotting a cute young woman, went over to hit on her. Through the window, Elle watched his behavior, anger prickling. She ground her heel into the floor. "Creep. A man like that cannot stay in the company." She went to her desk and called Maddie Zimmerman. "Drop what you're doing and come to my office. Now." "Yes, Ms. Cutmore." Five minutes later, Maddie arrived. "Ms. Cutmore, you wanted to see me?" "You recruited Lewis. Tell me everything, down to the last detail. Don't leave anything out." Seeing Elle's stormy face, Maddie figured Lewis had offended her. She had to hand it to him; in just a few hours on an airport pickup, he'd managed to get under Elle's skin. She proceeded to recount the hiring from start to finish. "Is that true?" Elle found it hard to believe someone as capable as Lewis would come to Elle Group just to be her bodyguard. He had to be after something. But what? "Of course it's true." Elle nodded and fell silent. Maddie stood carefully to the side, barely daring to breathe, afraid to break Elle's train of thought. Several minutes later, Elle raised her head and said each word slowly, "Ms. Zimmerman, I have a very important task for you." "What task?" Maddie felt a flutter of nerves. She knew it had to do with that creep, Lewis.

Chapter 6: The Queen of Unrivaled Beauty

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