Chapter 2 Daring to Move the Earth Beneath the Emperor's Feet

The loud song came to an end as Sunny left the side room. The evening breeze blew a few strands of hair from her forehead.

The courtyard was illuminated by warm orange lights, which reflected off the crimson corridor. Sunny walked slowly down the passage, her phone buzzing with a message.

She stopped and opened WeChat to check.

It was from Colin's assistant.

"Miss Garcia, Mr. Stuart had to leave unexpectedly. Please enjoy yourself, and someone will take you home later."

After replying, Sunny put her phone away.

She stood on the white jade steps and gazed into the distance. The night sky was lonely, the dark canopy resembling thick ink spilled across the heavens.

"Sunny?" A sudden voice interrupted her thoughts.

Turning, she recognized the speaker as David, the young master from The Brown family.

His attire was extravagantly disheveled, and he wore a drunken smile as he stared at her.

The heavy scent of alcohol hit her, and Sunny subtly raised her hand to cover her nose.

David flirted, "Next week, I'm hosting a gathering. Will you come and perform?"

The beautiful woman before him, graceful and stunning, was undeniably alluring. He had been eyeing her for a while.

"The orchestra charges a high appearance fee," Sunny distanced herself from him coldly.

"Money? That's no problem," David said, his face full of mockery. "Whatever Mr. Stuart offers, I'll double it for you."

A hint of cleverness flashed in Sunny's eyes as she calmly replied, "You'll truly double it?"

David thought she had given in and beamed with pride. "Of course! I always keep my word."

"Then, please feel free to cut off your own legs. Whenever you pay me, I'll perform for you."

"You...!"

David, embarrassed and enraged, was about to explode but suddenly began to laugh instead.

"Sunny, the wise recognize the situation. Mr. Stuart will abandon you within a month. Why not join me now?"

Sunny didn't want to waste time arguing with a drunk. She stepped away to leave.

"I warn you, don't get ahead of yourself!" David shouted angrily.

A proud young master like him could never tolerate a woman ignoring him.

Just as Sunny walked past him, David reached out to grab her shoulder. But before he could make contact, Sunny swiftly extended her leg and kicked him straight in the knee.

There was a loud 'thud' as he fell to the ground, screaming in pain.

"Ah!"

David tumbled down the steps, his knees crashing hard into the solid ground, and a sharp pain shot through his bones.

He lay on the ground, sprawled among the wilting, fragrant petals, hearing Sunny's innocent yet startled voice.

"My goodness, what should I do? I thought it was a rat!"

"Are you blind!? You can't tell the difference between a rat and a person!" David roared in fury as he painfully struggled to get up.

The evening wind cut through the air, intensifying the pain in her wrist. As Sunny started to walk away, her wrist was grabbed.

Coincidentally, it was the injured hand.

Sunny frowned and turned, preparing to retaliate, but someone approached from behind and effortlessly twisted David's hand off her wrist.

She turned around to find a tall, slender man standing near the crabapple tree, his high cheekbones and narrow, slightly upturned eyes giving off an aura of coolness. His presence seemed to emit a faint glow, exuding an aggressive charm.

With a single glance, the pressure from his presence was palpable.

She froze for a moment, forgetting about the pain.

Richard leisurely released his grip, and David staggered back a couple of steps, barely managing to steady himself.

"David, have you lost your mind? Daring to stir trouble beneath the emperor's feet."

Richard's profile was hidden in the dappled light and shadow as he spoke. His voice carried a relaxed, mocking tone, but it sent a chill down one's spine.

David's eyelids twitched as he immediately became clear-headed, his astonishment evident.

He quickly retracted his crude behavior, looking terrified as he said, "Brother Richard!"

Hearing the words "Brother Richard," a chill ran through Sunny's heart as she finally remembered who he was.

Richard, Colin's younger brother.

She hardly had any interaction with him.

The last time they met was two years ago on a private yacht in Chicago. At that time, he wore a floral shirt, a cigarette hanging from his lips, his hands in his pockets, casually leaning against the railing, casting a nonchalant glance through the crowd.

He was the epitome of a carefree playboy.

His facial features resembled Colin's, but his style was quite different.

Richard's sharp black eyes lazily glanced at Sunny. She quickly lowered her gaze, assuming a meek demeanor as if the girl who had just knocked an adult man to the ground with a fierce kick wasn't her at all.

Her hand trembled slightly as she pressed it down.

No shaking, no shaking.

"You're doing well..."

She kept her head down, not looking at them, as she heard David apologize and retreat, the sound of his footsteps gradually fading.

The quiet courtyard was left with only the girl and the flowers.

Sunny let out the breath she had been holding.

She looked down at her wrist and sleeves, inspecting her injury.

Her wrist was visibly swollen and red, the joint aching, and even her arm felt weak as though it might fail her.

Sunny felt like she was turning into a modern-day Venus.

She walked out the main gate of the courtyard, but the driver had not yet arrived.

In the second ring road, it was difficult to hail a cab at this hour.

During the brief wait, Sunny decided to visit a 24-hour convenience store on the corner of the street.

The store didn't sell medicine, only food.

She bought ice cream and rice balls. The ice cream was meant to temporarily dull the burning pain, while the rice balls would satisfy her hunger.

Time passed quickly, and as she exited the convenience store, she walked back along the street. The area was relatively quiet, with only luxury cars driving by.

A red Flag L9 with tinted windows passed by and smoothly stopped beside her.

In this precious part of town, the dark-colored car looked like a beast lurking in the shadows.

A young man, not the usual driver, got out of the car. His appearance was calm and clear.

"Miss Garcia," Henry said respectfully, opening the car door for her.

Sunny was halfway inside when she noticed another figure seated in the car, eyes closed in quiet rest.

The man leaned against the seat, his high cheekbones and sharp nose creating a striking profile. His handsome face exuded a lazy, relaxed air.

As she recognized him, her pupils dilated slightly.

The person Colin had sent to pick her up was none other than Richard!

If life had a progress bar, Sunny would definitely drag it back to before she got in the car.

But unfortunately, there was no going back.

The interior of the car was spacious, the leather seats fine and soft. Sunny sat upright, almost against the door.

The car smoothly entered the traffic flow, and time seemed to slow down.

Inside the quiet car, there was a faint scent of alcohol mingling with an unidentifiable fragrance, and the faint trace of tobacco lingered in the air.

Her wrist throbbed with pain, but she couldn't afford to focus on the strange scent.

Her fingers were trembling. She held her left wrist with her right hand.

Richard lazily lifted his eyelids, his dark eyes scanning her hand.

Outside, the city night glowed in a cascade of lights.

The car moved smoothly, but the pain made Sunny unable to focus on the strong presence beside her.

Henry turned the wheel, suddenly pulling the car to a stop at an intersection.

Sunny was puzzled.

"Are we there already?"