Chapter 695


    It took one look from Matthias to send Niki running. There was always a murderous gleam in his


    eyes whenever he was in one of his moods. If looks could kill, then Matthias could be a mercenary if he


    weren’t already a businessman.


    Now that he was left alone in his office once more, Matthias dived back into work. He knew that Niki


    and Lara only wanted to make sure he was alright, but he simply could not be bothered with their


    kindness right now.


    His heart twisted bitterly at the thought of Heather bing someone else’s woman. He was sure that


    he was on par with, if not better, than the likes of Leon, so why did she choose to be with thetter


    instead?


    He knew that it was not in Heather’s nature to be impulsive, which meant she had put a lot of thought


    into this before finally making a decision. This only added more weight to Matthias’ mind, and the more


    he dwelled on this, the worse he felt. He couldn’te to terms with the fact that she had fallen for


    someone else.


    It had only been days before when he was engaged in flirtatious banter with her, so why did she settle


    on Leon all of a sudden? Matthias had done everything to win her over, but he ended up failing his


    endeavors. He didn’t even manage to be her boyfriend. How could she so easily decide that Leon


    is the one for her? This question alone was enough to make Matthias suspend his entire belief system.


    Presently, he nced down at the documents in his hand and found that he was no longer driven by


    work. The tiny words that strung together on the countless pages only made his head spin, and right


    now, he badly needed an outlet for all the pent-up frustration within him.


    He felt rotten, as though he had just lost grip on the meaning of life. He wasn’t able to just walk up to


    Heather and demand an exnation from her. In fact, there was nothing he could do at this juncture,


    and he had never felt quite as helpless as he did now.


    He didn’t even want to think about what Heather might be doing. Leon was with her in the hospital, and


    with the modicum of privacy presented to them by the hospital room, it was likely that they were all over


    each other.


    Matthias hated to imagine such nonsensical scenarios. He wanted to make his way over to the


    hospital, but he figured it was too humiliating for him to show up like that. He wished he could install


    some micro bodycam on Heather so that he could see what she was doing. He was so desperate to


    see her that he might go insane.


    He was even beginning to regret having left the hospital in a fit of rage. He had never been one to


    manage his emotions, so it came as no surprise that he was pushing himself toward a nervous


    breakdown.


    What am I supposed to do now? He had never had to ask himself something like this before—he had


    never felt so hopeless. Even Myra’s wedding hadn’t added so much insult to his injury, but now, he


    thought he might very well go crazy if Heather really did end up marrying Leon.


    When two people fell in love, the dynamic between them naturally fused into one, heavily centered


    around torture. Heather did not see Matthias as a safe harbor at which she could finally dock. With a


    weary soul, she experimented in various ways to prove this, but in the process of doing so, she had no


    idea how much hurt she was causing him.


    The conflict that tore through Matthias was a mirror image of hers as well. He had kept too much to


    himself, and things would not have been quite so tumultuous if he had been more forting with her.


    s, he was habitually secretive, leaving Heather to guess at the truth instead of telling it to her


    outright.


    No longer able to stand the tension and frustration that settled within his office, he pushed all the


    documents off his desk onto the floor. He needed to find neutral ground, where he could recollect his


    thoughts and regain hisposure. He was no longer in the mood to continue on with his work.


    It wasn’t long before he pulled the door open and stormed out of his office. Having done so, he told


    Lara in amanding tone, “I’m heading out. Go into my office and clean it up for me.”


    With that, he walked out of the building. Staying at Locke Group would only build on his frustration, and


    a breath of fresh air might help to clear his mind.


    It had been quite a while since his arrival in Bradfort City, but it was only at the present moment that he


    realized he had never explored the vibrant local scene. Evan, on the other hand, was an incorrigible


    hedonist who had probably already made a home for himself in all the best clubs the city had to offer.


    Matthias rarely ventured into ces like those, but he had to admit that an asional visit would help


    unwind him.


    When Evan came out to greet Matthias, it was with a look of disbelief. He was skeptical and suspicious


    as he eyed thetter. He wondered what had prompted him to initiate a trip to a clubhouse.


    “Out of curiosity, President Locke, has something really good happened, or are you just in a bad


    mood?” Evan asked inquisitively, but judging from the way Matthias’ lips were pressed into a grim line,


    it was obvious the man was downcast.


    “I told you to bring me somewhere I can unwind,” Matthias began sullenly. “So why are you still asking


    me stupid questions?” It was clear that Evan had noticed his foul mood, and asking him about it was


    akin to mockery.


    “I just don’t think you’d enjoy yourself in a club, President Locke,” Evan exined. They had visited a


    clubhouse on a previous asion, but Matthias was far too uptight to appreciate the novelty of it, and it


    was hard to imagine that this time would be any different.


    “Are you done?” Matthias barked impatiently, then stormed ahead so that he could stop listening to


    Evan’s unnecessary lecture.


    However, Evan caught up to him and pointed out, “You have a girlfriend now. Aren’t you worried that


    Miss Langston might see you at the club and throw you in the doghouse?” The teasing tone of his voice


    only seeded in stoking Matthias’ anger.


    Matthias stopped in his tracks and turned ominously to throw a dangerous look at Evan, who felt a chill


    run down his spine. He blinked innocently at the former, and it was only then that he realized he had


    slipped up.


    “Do not mention Heather’s name in front of me.” Matthias bit out harshly through gritted teeth. He was


    feeling bad enough as it was, and he only wanted to find an emotional outlet through which he could


    release all his pent-up bitter resentment. He most certainly did not want to concern himself with


    anything rted to Heather.


    “Okay, okay,” Evan agreed catingly. He immediately deduced that Matthias had gotten into a lover’s


    spat with Heather, and it looked like it did not end well. He could finally understand why Matthias was


    behaving so erratically.


    Evan’s idea of Matthias was a tolerant and chivalrous gentleman who had intensive guidance, which


    would mean that the fight wasn’t a small matter. Heather must have crossed the line to make Matthias


    so angry, Evan thought grimly.


    He was suddenly seized with the urge to unearth the details of the fight. He wondered if he could get


    Matthias to down a couple of powerful shots of alcohol, seeing as it would be easier to make him spill


    the beans once his inhibitions were lowered. However, Matthias could hold his drinks exceptionally


    well, so there was a chance that this n might go awry. I might be the first one to get drunk before I


    could hear his side of the story.


    Walking into a clubhouse in broad daylight seemed to take the fun out of the situation. As far as


    preferences went, Evan liked it when he could bask in the robust nightclub culture, ‘night’ being the


    operative word. The clubhouse was practically devoid of life at this hour, and he couldn’t help but


    resent Matthias for feeling gloomy in the middle of the day.


    Nheless, he brought Matthias over to one of his favorite haunts. He might be a responsible butler


    who worked 24/7, but he still made time for leisure indulgence.


    Given that his butler’s duties revolved around taking care of Matthias’ needs, he would give himself a


    break whenever thetter was away from home or outte for after-work drinks. There were even times


    when he would wait for Matthias to fall asleep at night before partaking in his usual vices.


    That said, he made sure that he would be at Matthias’ beck and call, and his schedule was tailored to


    amodate thetter’s. He was a butler who knew how to do his job, and he had been taking


    excellent care of Matthias’ personal life.


    Evan had odd sleeping hours, but that didn’t stop him from having a robust lifestyle. He was used to


    staying upte and waking up before the crack of dawn, which meant he relied heavily on two- or three-


    hour naps during the day to make up for hisck of sleep at night.


    When he wasn’t tied up with butler duties, he was a vagabond. He had a rather decorated nightlife, and


    he had fun hanging out with his friends during the day as well.


    He was a man who truly appreciated a good time, which made him the pr opposite of Matthias.


    There were times when he would warn thetter not to let work take up his precious days of youth,


    iming that it would do him some good to rx every once in a while.


    Presently, he walked up to Matthias and said, “There aren’t many clubhouses that operate at this hour,


    President Locke.” It was true; it was rare for clubhouses to open twenty-four hours like a convenient


    store.


    Being a connoisseur when it came to nightclubs, Evan knew that the best joints only operated for short


    hours, but Matthias didn’t seem like he was looking for excitement. With that in mind, he began to think


    about what Matthias did at night, and he came to the conclusion that the man rarely ever had time for


    himself. After-work dinners were probably the only time when Matthias could socialize in an informal


    setting.


    Not long after, Evan brought Matthias to an establishment known as Caliph Nightclub. There was


    something off about the name of the ce, but it was only after Matthias had stepped foot into the club


    that he fully registered the gravity of the situation. The scene before him was entirely different from


    what he had expected of a clubhouse, and at the sight of it, he turned to re at Evan mutinously.


    Then, he spun on his heels to leave, but Evan caught up to him and pulled him to a stop. “Drinking is


    an excellent way to unwind, President Locke, and you could always y a game of poker or


    something. There are other pub games you could try out as well.” Caliph Nightclub was a local favorite


    for poker fans, and Evan had only brought Matthias here because he enjoyed a good game of poker


    himself.


    “I just want to have some mindless fun,” Matthias snapped. What he meant was that he would like to


    down a row of shots mindlessly as he did not want to spend the rest of his day trying out pub games


    and poker, both of which required the use of tactical thinking.


    Evan took on a more persuasive tone as he countered, “What makes you think poker isn’t mindless


    fun? It’s more about luck, President Locke. Why don’t you sit down for a game with me?”


    If Evan had not been so earnest, Matthias might have thought he was trying to dupe him. However,


    seeing as they were already here, he figured there was no harm in a friendly game of poker, though it


    was not the sort of fun he had had in mind.


    “A two-person poker game?” Matthias wondered aloud.


    Upon hearing this, Evan chuckled. “You’ll understand in a bit.” There was a lewd edge to his chuckling


    that made Matthias uneasy all of a sudden.


    Before he could ask further questions, he heard Evan say to the cashier with natural ease, “I’d like to


    book the Caliph Room with two masters of poker forpany.”


    Matthias frowned at this. He had no idea what Evan was doing, but he shrugged it off, and it wasn’t


    long before the mystery was solved.


    One of the attendants led them into the Caliph Room, and Matthias felt as though they had stepped


    through the portal to a world that was distinct from the stuffy scene downstairs. When Matthias first


    entered the club, he thought he had walked into a retirement home, given there were old men huddling


    together over a game of cards and chess.


    But as soon as the door to the Caliph Room swung open, he was greeted by the overwhelming


    atmosphere that wasmonly associated with a vivacious nightclub. As Matthias strolled into this


    hidden cavern, he began to approve of Evan’s choice.


    Evan, on the other hand, had taken a liking to the over-the-top decorations and the old-school track


    lights that basked the room in jarring neon colors. There was something particrlyid-back and


    deviant about the almost disco-inspired surrounding for which he had developed an acquired taste.


    “The whole scene downstairs is just a cover, President Locke. This ce is more than it seems,” Evan


    exined as he wiggled his brows meaningfully. Sure enough, a couple of sultry female voices spoke


    up from the other side of the door, saying, “Master, we have arrived.”


    Matthias narrowed his eyes at this out-of-the-blue interjection, while Evan merely chuckled like the cat


    that ate the canary as he rose to open the door. Following this, two scantily-d youngdies entered


    the room, and Matthias thought their dedication to their line of work was admirable, seeing as they


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    Then, he noticed the tails that the women were sporting, and he immediately turned to shoot Evan an


    incredulous look. So this is his twisted fetish? Who could have thought he has such a specific taste?


    “You haven’te by to see us, Master,” one of the beauties purred seductively.


    These two women were gorgeous in their own ways, and despite their tacky outfits, they still boasted


    pretty faces. Their make-up was done tastefully enough to tter their delicate features, and if they


    weren’t working at a club right now, Matthias would have easily mistaken them for attractive office girls.


    One of the women was taller, and she looked to be about five foot six in height; the other one was


    petite, and she didn’t look like she was taller than five foot two. It was clear to see that they were both


    charming in different ways—where one had an impassive and sultry edge, and the other was endearing


    and unassuming.


    Suddenly, Matthias’ eyes trailed downward, and he cursed, Damn it, why are they barefooted?