Lilah inquired, her smile carrying an eerie frisson that sent shivers cascading down Chris’ spine.

It was confounding; she was but a woman, yet her aura exuded an overwhelming force.

"Is this your doing?" Chris inquired with a frosty tone, a derisive snort punctuating his words. "Do you believe you can ensnare me in this trap? I don't have the money. Even if you trap me here, it won't make a difference as I cannot give you anything!"

This was a real scoundrel's attitude.

Within the inner sanctum of the club's administrative quarters, the gentleman who had been seated at his desk now rose to his feet.

Walter scrutinized the surveillance footage and remarked, “Dear me, my friend, have you genuinely assigned the covert guards nurtured by the Harris family from their very youth to serve as Lilah's protectors?"

If this revelation were to circulate, it would doubtlessly leave multitudes in sheer astonishment.

The covert guards of the Harris lineage had undergone rigorous training from their earliest days, their skills transcending those of conventional mercenaries. Each one embodied a valuation reaching into the millions.

Elena and Daniel Miller reigned supreme among the elite of the covert guards, their prowess unmatched.

A sidelong glance from Gerard fell upon Walter, who suddenly found himself disconcerted. "I mean, for your future wife. Your devotion to her knows no bounds."

"I have but one wife. If I am not devoted to her, to whom else should my affections flow?" Gerard responded with nonchalance, yet his eyes bore a gentle fondness.

Walter couldn't help but think that this was not the unyielding and ruthless friend he'd known.

"But wouldn't a single bodyguard suffice for her?" Walter inquired.

"She's too fragile."

Gerard's brows furrowed, his concern palpable. He yearned to keep her by his side every day, warding off any potential misfortunes. Even arranging two bodyguards for Lilah felt insufficient.

Walter stood speechless, utterly unprepared for this unexpected surge of tenderness.

On the monitor, Lilah, who had been seated upon the couch, abruptly rose and requested Elena to fetch a basin of water. With unyielding strength, she seized Chris' head and submerged it into the water.

Her forcefulness left Chris utterly powerless, struggling for breath, unable to lift his head.

Walter watched in silence, an icy shiver coursing down his spine.

Oh, dear heavens!

Was this what Gerard considered "fragile"?

Having nearly brought Chris to the brink of asphyxiation, Lilah eventually granted him a moment's respite before forcefully submerging his head once more into the basin of water.

Chris was utterly despondent. The agony was unbearable! This sensation of suffocation proved excruciating!

Upon the third immersion, Chris could endure it no Longer concede!