Chapter 3 Mr. Cassanova

Eryk sat Lucia in the driver's seat and fastened her seatbelt. He secretly took out his cell phone from his pants pocket and took a photo of Lucia closing her eyes with her body leaning against the back of the car seat without her knowledge.

"Daddy ...." Lucia murmured with her eyes closed in pain. The scratch wounds on the girl's chest and arms looked quite deep.

Eryk, who had just sat in the driving seat, naturally heard the girl's mumbling, but he didn't seem to care, so he just shrugged his shoulders and started running the car.

Upon arriving at the clinic, Eryk carried Lucia in through the glass doors, while the few nurses who were there helped the man carry Lucia to the treatment room.

"Hang in there, miss," Eryk said as the nurses led the girl to a room.

Eryk let out a long sigh as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He didn't expect to have to work this hard to conquer the hostess girl. All just for the sake of his pride in the eyes of his friends.

The man sat on the waiting chair located in front of the room Lucia was currently being treated in. He took his cell phone from his pants pocket and opened the screen to start a conversation on a group chat. He sent a picture of Lucia in her helpless state. It wasn't long before her friends became active on the app.

Eryk Orlov: Get your money ready!

Eryk smiled as he wrote a follow-up message in the group chat.

Eryk Orlov: I've managed to make that girl fall into my arms. She even held onto my collar tightly as I carried her.

Emilio Max: Oh, you must have done something brutal to make her submit.

Eryk smirked after reading Max's reply; he didn't expect his best friend to think Eryk had done a rough job of bringing Lucia with him.

Arvie Rudolf: That's so crazy! Did you just do BDSM to that innocent girl, Eryk?

Where he was currently standing, Arvie shook his head in frustration at the wounds and torn clothes clinging to the girl's body. She regretted the bet she made that resulted in the girl getting hurt at Eryk's hands.

Eryk Orlov: Stop, guys! I found her injured; stop saying nonsense!

Arvie and Max simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

Emilio Max: You're a lucky guy, Eryk!

In his current spot, Max was sitting and rubbing his face roughly. He had to give up some money for Eryk, the man who was already the CEO of his father's company. Max was sure that Eryk didn't actually need tens of thousands of dollars. It would be more useful if the money were donated to someone more in need.

Eryk Orlov: Keep your money; I don't need it! In exchange, you have to admit that I'm the greatest ladies' man in Toronto!

Max and Arvie rolled their eyes after reading Eryk's reply. How crazy their best friend was for the title of girl conqueror! Well, at least it was better. They just needed to throw the words "The Cassanova" in between their conversations with Eryk. At least they didn't spend money on the bet won by their best friend, who was the richest of the three.

Emilio Max: My pleasure, Mr. Cassanova!

Max's reply made Eryk laugh with satisfaction. He was so proud of his new title.

Arvie Rudolf: Don't forget to share the fun with us when you get what you want!

Eryk shook his head with a triumphant smile on his beautiful face. Why would his friends ask for something that he would have given them without asking?

Eryk Orlov: Relax guys! You'll get the rest from me. Remember, leftovers! Don't try to get ahead of this, Mr. Cassanova!

After Eryk finished replying to the group message, the door in front of him opened. The bespectacled woman, or more precisely, the doctor who had treated Lucia earlier, came out of the room.

"Your friend needs some rest, sir; the wounds on her body are not that deep. The possible cause of her weakness is a lack of iron." The female doctor tried to explain Lucia's condition, to which Eryk only gave a shrug before the man finally entered Lucia's room.

The female doctor sighed as she stroked her chest. Then he muttered, "Such a lack of manners."

For a moment, the middle-aged woman looked at the door where Eryk's body disappeared, then left the room just now.

"Hay," greeted Eryk, who cleared his throat earlier.

The man offered a sweet smile with the intention of hypnotizing Lucia. It always worked every time he targeted his prey. With one smile, the woman staring at him would walk over and throw herself into his arms.

The man walked over with his hands in his pants pockets. And Lucia looked at him awkwardly.

"H-hallo. Thank you for helping. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't helped me earlier." An awkward smile broke out on Lucia's now-downcast face.

Eryk cupped Lucia's face with both palms and looked at each of the scratches there with an attentive gaze. Instantly, Lucia's chest rippled, her blush turning pink, which made Eryk feel satisfied inwardly.

"It's a pity that those wounds mar your beautiful face." Eryk leaned down and brought his face close to Lucia's, leaving only an inch of space, so that the warmth of the man's breath caressed Lucia's face.

The man stroked Lucia's face carefully. The movement of his fingers stopped when his attention was drawn to Lucia's tiny lips. The man deliberately stroked Lucia's lips, which made the girl's heart flutter.

The girl's head was suddenly bowed, making Eryk's eyes flash with anger because he felt insulted by Lucia's attitude. The hand that had been caressing Lucia's face clenched at the side of the girl's head.

"Sorry, I think we're too close," Lucia said with some embarrassment. Every now and then, the girl stole a glance at the handsome face of the man in front of her, and it was enough to make her heart pump faster.

Eryk took a deep breath to dispel the streaks of anger on his face. He must not show his rough side at this time; it would only frustrate his mission to conquer Lucia's heart. Slowly, the hand that was clenched was tightly stretched.

"Ah, sorry if you feel uncomfortable," said the man as he pulled his hands to his sides.

"Because I admired you so much, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Eryk." The man extended his hand while keeping his expression as calm as possible.

Lucia slowly accepted the man's hand as she raised her downcast face.

"Lucia. Nice to meet you."

"Your name is beautiful, as beautiful as your face."

"Thank you," said the girl awkwardly with both hands twisted on her lap.

......................

"Where is that girl now? I haven't seen her since I got here." Max looked around for Lucia's whereabouts.

"How could she come to this place when her face is battered like that?" Eryk asked, trying to recall the picture of Lucia that he had sent in the group chat. Eryk's remark received a nod from Arvie, who confirmed it.

"The hostesses here are required to look good, Arvie."

Eryk nodded in confirmation of Max's words, but the 25-year-old man stared in a direction that made his two best friends stare at each other and shrug their shoulders until they finally looked in the direction Arvie was looking.

"But she's standing over there, Eryk." Arvie said as she pointed to where Lucia was standing. The bruises and scratches on her face were still clearly visible. Instantly, they wondered, Why did that girl choose to stubbornly keep working?

"Oh my! Even the bruises on her face don't detract from her beauty," muttered Max, who was still staring at the girl.

.............................

A few minutes ago, when Lucia came to work...

Several of the hostess's colleagues looked at the girl with cynical smiles, but the girl chose to keep her head down to ward off their piercing glances.

"Oh, poor Lucia. You look even prettier with those bruises on your face," Gabirel joked, followed by laughter from the other coworkers.

The hostess girls loved Lucia's misfortune without feeling sorry for the girl's plight.

Lucia chose to remain silent and kept her lips sealed. Responding to their remarks did her no favors at all. Her focus returned to Henry, who was lying weak in the hospital, so she planted her feet to stand tall amidst the insults of the other hostesses who were making fun of her.