"You''re a man of great wealth, Mr. James, so I''m sure you won''t mind the extra three million, right? The room and this meal togethere to six million. How about I give you a 10% discount?" The words hit James like a physical blow; he almost spat out his wine. Three million for this one meal? He could have those ingredients flown in daily for a month for that price. Was Hawthorne taking him for aplete fool, trying to rip him off? But he couldn''t lose his temper in front of Mr. Pierce, who was clearly enjoying himself.


    Hawthorne twisted the knife. "And the alcohol is billed separately. You''ve been enjoying a fine French vintage, Mr. James. A connoisseur like you can surely appreciate its quality, right?" They had been drinking the half-a-million-dor-a-bottle wine like water. The table had gone through three cases, with six bottles in each. James almost had an aneurysm.


    He had just signed a multi-billion dor deal, only to spend tens of millions at Hawthorne''s restaurant. What was the difference between this and just handing Hawthorne hismission? And for what? The use of a dining room, some supposedly imported ingredients, and three cases of his damn wine. The man was no better than amon robber.


    James was caught between tion and fury, a true storm of emotions, while Hawthorne''s expression remained cid. Just then, Patti was brought into the room. When James saw her, he didn''t seem particrly pleased, a fact Patti noted with confusion. “Congrattions, Mr. James,” she said, raising a ss of milk instead of wine, as she was pregnant.


    James shot her a dark look. "What''s this? Toasting me with milk instead of wine? Mr. Everhart, your girlfriend isn''t performing her duties very well. Is she looking down on me?” James vented all his pent-up anger on Patti. She was stunned. The bastard knew she was pregnant with his child, yet he was trying to force her to drink. "I..." Patti looked to Hawthorne for help, but he remained silent, calmly watching James.


    James stared back at Hawthorne. "Don''t tell me you can''t even bear to part with this?” Finally, Hawthorne put his arm around Patti''s waist. "You''re right, I can''t. I''m sorry, but my girlfriend is pregnant and can''t drink. It looks like we''ll have to take you up on that offer another time, Mr. James."


    Hawthorne''s protective gesture was a huge relief for Patti. Whether she would keep the baby was still undecided, but if she drank now and the child was born with problems, she would never forgive herself. She couldn''t take that risk. If Hawthorne hadn''t defended her, Jane''s would have suspected that his affection was fake, and the whole charade would have been exposed. His action not only reassured Patti but also lowered James''s guard slightly.


    Satisfied by Hawthorne''s disy of protectiveness, James wasn''t foolish enough to keep pressuring her. "Then will you drink this ss for her, Mr. Everhart?" The challenge was thrown right back at Hawthorne. To avoid further suspicion that could give the game away, Hawthorne didn''t hesitate. He filled his ss, toasted both Mr. Pierce and James, and downed it in one go.


    "Excuse me, my girlfriend isn''t


    feeling well, so I''m going to take her


    home. Please, you two continue. If you need more wine, I''ll have more sent over." Right in front of James, Hawthorne swept Patti up into his arms and strode out of the room. The dramatic exit was a huge boost to Patti''s public standing, and even Mr. Pierce was surprised. "Doesn''t Mr. Everhart have that beautiful wife from the Langford family of Starfall City? What''s..."


    James just chuckled and drained his ss. "Our Mr. Everhart is a


    Aw


    charmer. A wife at home, a mistress on the side, and his wife at home. doesn''t even make a fuss." It was nothing like his own home, where there was always trouble brewing. James had already made up his mind: the day he no longer needed his father-inw, he would divorce his wife without a second thought What man would want a shrew like that? If it weren''t for her father''s money and power, no one would have married her.


    Mr. Pierce couldn''t resist a jab. "Your charms don''t seem to extend that far, my friend. I was hoping we could hit the clubs after dinner and let loose." A few drinks had given James some liquid courage. "What are you talking about? My wife can''t control what I do at a nightclub. Mr. Pierce, whatever you want to do tonight, I''m with you all the way. We won''t stop until you''ve had your fill."