Chapter 12
James had intended to go to SH Corporation early to collect a debt but was forcibly dragged by Mary to have lunch.
He could sense that she was paying more attention to him than before, a change from her previous indifference.
At noon, the two entered the Aegean Sea Restaurant, which was bustling with patrons during the lunch rush. The air was filled with delicious aromas.
Luxury cars were parked outside, but even amidst the heavily made-up young women, Mary's demeanor stood out, a cut above the rest.
As soon as they entered, many lustful eyes turned towards Mary. Among them were successful businessmen, wealthy heirs, and of course, some vibrant young men.
But Mary didn't even glance at them, choosing a table in the corner and ordering two steaks, a salad, and a bottle of wine.
Dressed in urban chic, Mary's figure was enticingly wrapped in her outfit. Her dazzlingly white thighs, unencumbered by stockings, added to the allure, causing many to feel parched just by looking.
James had to gulp down two glasses of lemon water to quell the flames within him.
After James hung up, Mary instructed him, "Remember, after lunch, go see Mom, and then come home for dinner."
"I will help you soothe my mother's mood."
"Don't even think about going to SH Corporation to collect the debt," she warned, fearing that a provoked James might act rashly.
James hesitated and responded, "Mary, I still want to try..."
He had infuriated Addison the night before, and if he didn't successfully collect the debt today, he feared Addison would insult his ancestors.
Of course, the most important thing was that he wanted to fulfill Mary's wish as soon as possible.
Mary's face turned icy, saying, "Aren't you listening to me?"
James replied calmly, "Without the 400,000 dollars, Mrs. Smith would scold me for a month."
"Just don't go. Why do you talk so much nonsense?" Mary's impatience was apparent. "I'll handle it. Even if I can't, let her scold. It's better than you getting hurt. You have no idea how deep the waters of SH Corporation are."
James didn't respond; he just sipped his lemon water.
"That's it," Mary, as domineering as always, stared coldly at James and demanded, "When did you learn medical skills?"
She could hardly believe her eyes that James had saved Sophia.
The usually inept and good-for-nothing son-in-law had managed to save Sophia, who was beyond the help of doctors. It was all too abnormal!
"I used to do housework at home and would turn on the TV out of boredom. I worked and watched a documentary about traditional Chinese medicine at the same time," James offered an explanation. "Over time, and with occasional reading of my parents' medical books, I picked up a bit about traditional Chinese medicine."
"You learned from watching TV?"
Mary had a sudden realization, remembering the documentary on Channel 8 in Rosewood City. Charles had even been on the show once.
However, the show was quite specialized and somewhat dry, hardly appealing to the younger audience. She didn't expect that James would not only follow it through, but also pick up some basics.
This indeed explained how James managed to convincingly save Sophia, and also why he was helpless when Michelle was hospitalized for a year.
Mary was somewhat shocked. Was just a bit of medical knowledge enough to save Sophia?
It must be luck! It had to be James getting lucky!
Realizing this, Mary was instantly infuriated.
"You're recklessly bold. You dared to save a person just because you watched it on TV?"
"If Sophia hadn't survived, you'd be skinned alive, even if you didn't die."
She looked very angry. She had been on tenterhooks all morning, and even now, she was somewhat scared.
You see, James didn't have a medical license. If something happened to Sophia, he could be sent to jail at any time.
"I only acted because I was confident, as I had seen this case on the show."
James added, "Besides, Sophia was beyond saving at that time. I was just trying to revive a dead horse."
"Let's leave it at that this time."
Mary warned James, "This time, it was just your luck. You absolutely cannot recklessly try to save people again. If there's any mishap, it will implicate the Smith family!"
James inwardly gave a bitter smile. He thought she was concerned about him, but it turned out she was ultimately worried about the Smith family getting dragged down...
"Hello, Miss." a beautiful waitress approached with a tray. "This is a bottle of wine from Mr. Moore for you."
She placed a $1,000 bottle of Bordeaux wine on Mary's table.
"Wine?" Mary and James were taken aback, then followed the waitress's gaze to see a man in Armani smiling and nodding at them.
Young, handsome, and wealthy, he looked like a successful person. He was surrounded by several flashy men and women, all watching Mary and James with amusement.
Without hesitation, Mary declined the gesture and said, "Sorry, I don't know him. Take the wine back."
The beautiful waitress frowned and said, "Miss, Mr. Moore rarely shows such enthusiasm. I hope you'll accept."
"Mr. Moore is handsome and rich. Many women can't wait to get close to him."
"His willingness to offer you wine should be an honor for you."
"I don't understand why you're refusing."
She seemed to think Mary was being ungrateful.
Clearly, the Armani-clad youth was a regular here and had a thing with the beautiful waitress.
James didn't speak; he just focused on his $50 steak; he couldn't waste it.
"Are you deaf?" Mary's voice turned cold. "Take the wine back; you're disturbing our meal."
She glanced at James, who remained silent and felt a wave of disappointment.
She had thought he had changed, but he was still as timid as ever.
Her boiling heart cooled a bit.
Seeing Mary's dismissive attitude, the waitress became irritated. "Miss, I'm trying to be nice. Mr. Moore is such a catch; you should appreciate his attention. You'll regret missing this chance."
She was utterly disdainful of Mary's posture, thinking she was putting on airs. With Mr. Moore's outstanding conditions, how could Mary possibly not want to climb the social ladder?
"He's a hundred times better than the man by your side. If you let him slip away, you'll surely regret it."
She looked down on James, well aware of his presence but considering him incomparable to Jonathan.
Mary sharply retorted, "Get lost!"
The waitress looked down at Mary, saying, "Miss, that's enough. Stop pretending..."
Mary's eyebrows shot up, shouting, "Get your manager here."
At that moment, Jonathan, who had been watching the situation, walked over with a wine glass in hand, his demeanor confident and his face showing determination.
His friends followed, eager to see the spectacle.
"Mr. Moore is as awesome as ever. Is he going to steal someone's woman publicly?"
"Hey, no woman Mr. Moore has set his eyes on has ever escaped. They all willingly throw themselves at him."
"That little internet celebrity acted tough, telling Mr. Moore to get lost. But after he offered her 200,000 dollars, she went to bed with him without a fuss."
"There's a good show to watch today..."
The restaurant buzzed with chatter.
The waitress smiled triumphantly.
With Jonathan stepping in, how could Mary not submit?
Mary glanced at James again, seeing no reaction, and felt even more self-mocking and disappointed.
Although they hadn't consummated their marriage, they were legally husband and wife. A wife being harassed like this should provoke a husband's anger.
She thought, 'He is too cowardly, too incapable, too irresponsible.'
She regretted thinking highly of James earlier that morning.
"Beautiful lady, hello, I'm Jonathan," Jonathan greeted Mary with a refined smile, "It's fate that we meet today. May I have the honor of sharing a drink and making your acquaintance?"
He was confident and composed, but he blatantly ignored James's presence.
Mary didn't even look at him, instead turning to James, "James, are you full? If so, let's go."
The waitress snapped, saying," Mr. Moore has taken the initiative to come here. Please be enthusiastic. If you upset him, you'll be in trouble."
"Be gentle with a lady." Jonathan waved her off, then, swaying the red wine, smiled at James, who was still eating his steak.
Jonathan said, "Sir, I've taken a liking to your woman. Finish up and get lost."
"Such a beautiful woman, you can't protect her."
As he spoke, he tossed a Ferrari key and an Apollo Villa access card onto the table.
His friends laughed out loud.
The waitress looked down on James with contempt.
The diners all turned to watch, eager to see James's reaction.
After finishing his last bite of steak, James calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin.
Seeing that James didn't react, Jonathan narrowed his eyes and slapped James's cheek, saying, "Don't you understand what I'm saying?"
"You're so lucky to have such a beauty; I'm envious. This will have serious consequences."
He laughed arrogantly, chillingly.
"Do you know the consequences of slapping my face?" James asked calmly.
"Consequences? I'd like to see what they are..." Jonathan sneered sarcastically, continuing to slap James's face without restraint.
But this time, his hand met air.
James flipped over, grabbed Jonathan by the neck, and smashed his head against a plate.
Porcelain shards flew, juice splattered, mingled with the glaring red of blood.
James didn't stop but grabbed a wine bottle and struck again.
Jonathan's head blossomed at the back.
He clung to the table, struggling and gasping.
Several women screamed, and the men's faces changed color.
Mary instinctively covered her mouth in shock, the turn of events completely unexpected.
At the same time, she felt a ripple in her heart, the first sense of security.
The next second, James kicked Jonathan out with words. "Get lost!"
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