The jarring sight made Cassian Jennings clench his fists. He rushed from the crowd, vaulted onto the stage, and tore the two apart. Before the other man could even react, Cassian had already slammed a fist into his face.

"Get out!"

The sharp command was enough to send a shiver through everyone present. The man, especially, trembled in fear the moment he saw his attacker was Cassian Jennings. He turned and hastily jumped off the stage.

When Amelia Avery saw Cassian Jennings, she was dazed for a fleeting moment, a pang of heartache striking her. But she quickly suppressed all her emotions.

She gave Cassian Jennings a sultry look, a mocking smile playing on her lips as she spoke coolly, "Cassian Jennings, what’s the meaning of this?"

"At your age, you should know better! What are you doing in a place like this?" Cassian Jennings fought back his anger, shrugging off his jacket and wrapping it tightly around her.

"Dancing, of course. Besides, didn’t you see perfectly well what I was doing?"

"I’m taking you home." When it came to Amelia Avery, Cassian Jennings felt nothing but a throbbing headache.

Hearing this, Amelia’s expression immediately soured. She shrugged the jacket off her shoulders and said with a derisive laugh, "I drove myself here. I don’t need you to take me home. Besides, why should I go back? Who are you to me? Why are you meddling in my affairs?"

"Amelia Avery, I don’t have time for your nonsense!" Cassian Jennings bit out, his voice harsh.

"Heh... Master Jennings, I don’t have time to waste on you, either. I came here with friends today, not to see you." With that, Amelia Avery brushed past Cassian Jennings and jumped off the stage.

Just then, a waiter from offstage immediately brought a burgundy coat over to Amelia Avery. She slipped it on and headed toward a nearby private room.

Cassian Jennings was left alone on the stage, frozen in place. His hands at his sides were clenched into tight fists. He watched her enter the private room, where a man immediately handed her a drink. She seemed delighted, tilting her head back and downing it in one go.

He felt like he was about to explode. ’Amelia... She actually said she wasn’t here to see me? So was all that just my wishful thinking?’

’Heartless... Utterly heartless... I’ve long known everyone in the Avery Family is cold-hearted...’

He let out a cold, self-mocking laugh. Bending down, he picked up the jacket from the floor and stalked off the stage, heading for the bar.

「Inside the private room.」

Amelia Avery had already been plied with a dozen drinks. Her eyes grew hazy as she raised a hand to the man’s shoulder, leaning in to whisper in his ear, "Sean, you did great tonight. I’m going to give you a reward!"

"Amelia, you’re drunk..." A blush appeared on Sean’s face as he reached out to pull Amelia away from him.

"Nonsense! I’m not drunk, I’m perfectly sober! I’m telling you all, none of you are allowed to leave tonight. You have to party with me all night long!"

Cassian Jennings appeared to be drinking at the bar, but in reality, he was watching to see what on earth she would do next...

When he saw her, so unsteady she could barely stand, repeatedly stumbling against the man beside her, he nearly crushed the glass in his hand...

’He might not have any official claim on her, but as someone who’d watched her grow up, he felt he had more right than anyone to set her straight.’

’Getting into trouble at her age, coming to a bar to dance with men and get drunk... what kind of behavior was that! What if something happened to her?’

At that thought, Cassian Jennings could no longer stand by and let her continue. He slammed his glass down on the bar and strode toward Amelia Avery.

The moment he entered the private room, he ignored everyone’s shocked reactions, hoisted Amelia Avery directly over his shoulder, and walked out.