LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 135: Inappropriate Gala
Mantis Tower, Metro City
The crowd was a suffocating sea of polished arrogance.
Men cloaked in designer suits, crisp ties, and shoes that probably cost more than an average apartment in the Metro City. They stood in clusters, laughing like hyenas dressed in silk as their voices oozed off artificial charm and self-importance.
Scott's face melted into an expression of pure disgust as his brows furrowed so hard it was like they were trying to escape his forehead. His jaw clenched, and the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips hinted that he might actually vomit if he inhaled one more whiff of overpriced cologne mixed with cheap champagne breath.
With a sigh heavy enough to carry the weight of civilization's decay, he shoved his hands into the deep pockets of his black trench coat and walked straight through them, like Moses parting the Red Sea—if the Red Sea were made of smug, overpaid businessmen.
"At least I know where the rebuilding money for the East District is going…"
He muttered under his breath.
The words had enough sarcasm to corrode steel.
As he navigated the crowd, he dodged conversations about yacht upgrades and offshore accounts as his sharp eyes finally landed on her.
Bella Trevors.
She stood out like a diamond in a pile of glass shards—her slender hands planted firmly on her massive hips as a cute, little pout etched onto her glossy lips.
Her pretty blue eyes glared daggers at him, though the light shimmer in them softened the effect. Her cheeks were puffed out ever so slightly, tinged pink beneath layers of expertly applied makeup.
She was furious, sure—but adorably so.
Scott stopped right in front of her, towering over her with an expression that screamed—
"This is the best you've got?"
Bella tilted her head back to meet his gaze, trying desperately to maintain her "Queen of Mean" face. But her resolve cracked for just a second—her eyebrows twitched, slowly snitching on her.
『Wow…』
She bit the inside of her cheek.
『I never realized he was this tall. Sure, when he held me in his arms, I could tell he had some height, but—』
Her heart did a tiny flip.
『—not this much…』
She smiled inwardly and ignored the way her chest felt lighter, fluttery almost.
『But that's not so bad… tee-hee ❤️』
Suddenly, Scott waved his hand directly in front of her face as his fingers sliced through her daydream like a rude wake-up call.
"Earth to Bella?" he deadpanned.
Bella snapped out of it, blinking like she'd been caught napping in class. Panic shot through her, but she masked it quickly as her eyes darted up and down Scott's figure, searching—desperately—for something to nitpick.
Then, like a villain landing the final piece of an evil plan, she grinned.
"Ah-HA!"
She stabbed her finger at him dramatically.
"You didn't bring my purse! How dare you?!"
Scott's expression flatlined.
Unimpressed.
He grabbed her wrist with a quick, confident motion and started walking, dragging her behind him like she was an inconvenient suitcase.
"And knowing your love history…"
A sly grin painted his handsome face.
"… you probably got turned on by that."
Bella stumbled slightly, trying to keep up with his pace.
Her face went red, not just from the sudden tug but from the sheer audacity of his words.
"HUH?! I—THAT'S NOT TRUE!"
She yelped with outrage and something dangerously close to embarrassment.
"I—BAD DOG!"
Scott shot her a side-eye so cheeky it could've had its own Instagram account. His smirk grew even more smug, heavy with confidence.
"For the supposed Queen of Mean… you sound way too desperate trying to pull the 'bad dog' routine. If anything, you're probably the one who'd enjoy getting smacked around a little, huh?"
Bella's brain blue-screened.
『Did he just—』
Her face flushed red as her forehead broke into tiny beads of sweat despite the cool breeze wafting from the gala's open terrace.
"W-, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!"
She screeched and her voice cracked slightly.
Scott kept walking, effortlessly navigating through the crowd of rich elites, dragging Bella along like she wasn't a whole heiress of a billion-dollar empire.
He glanced over his shoulder.
"Hmmm, well I saw the way you bit your lip when I smacked Emma's butt."
He shrugged casually, like he was commenting on the weather in Oregon.
"Didn't even plan to do it, but apparently, that made more than one woman feel good."
Bella's eye twitched.
Her forehead glistened with more sweat.
『No. No, he's kidding. He has to be kidding.』
She dug her heels into the floor, yanking her wrist free with all the dramatic flair of a woman scorned in a telenovela.
Scott stopped, turning to face her, still smiling like the smug bastard he was.
"LOOK!"
Bella snapped, pointing at him like an attorney in court.
"I would never be so shameless an-, and sad to get handled like that by any friggin' man, let alone an average one. So can you just SHUT THE FUCK UP?!"
Scott's grin didn't falter.
In fact, it grew.
"Look…"
His voice softened just a bit.
"I've read enough cheesy rom-com novels to know that the so-called 'Mean Queen' is usually just a successful, rich woman that's insecure and desperate for love."
Bella's jaw dropped.
"They just want someone who can deal with their bullshit."
He shrugged nonchalantly, like he was talking about tax returns.
"And that's as real as it gets."
He turned, starting to walk away.
But then—
"WAIT!"
Bella shouted as her voice sliced through the chatter of the gala like a whip.
Scott stopped mid-step as his smirk lingered.
He didn't even have to turn around.
Because he knew—he had her right where he wanted.
Only one thing mattered to Bella Trevors right now.
She stood frozen as her fingers clutched the delicate fabric of her gown tightly around her hips.
Her knuckles whitened as if the dress itself was the only thing keeping her sanity in check. Her thighs pressed together instinctively, knees slightly buckled, and her eyes fixed on the floor as if it held the answers she desperately needed.
To anyone passing by, she looked like a woman on the verge of desperately searching for the nearest restroom.
But that wasn't the case.
Nope.
Not even close.
She was in shock.
Utter, brain-melting shock.
The kind of shock that scrambled your thoughts like eggs on a hot pan.
Hands tucked lazily into the pockets of his black trench coat, Scott let out a heavy sigh. His sharp gaze slid down to her, eyebrow arching with the grace of a man who clearly had zero patience left in his sarcasm reserves.
"So… you gonna say something, or just keep standing there like you're trying not to take a dump?"
Bella's grip on her gown tightened even more.
She could practically hear the threads begging for mercy.
Her face, already tinted pink, darkened to a deeper shade of crimson. She sucked in a shaky breath as her pride dangled by the thinnest thread.
Then, with a voice so small it almost didn't belong to her, she muttered.
"Would you… do it?"
Scott blinked.
"What?"
Bella's heart raced.
She desperately wanted to scream, to stomp her feet, to disappear into thin air.
But instead, she squared her shoulders, stared at the floor like it owed her rent money, and blurted out—
"If you… if you wanted to… y'know… spank me… would you do it if I ordered you to?"
Silence.
Pure, unfiltered silence.
Scott's lips curled into a smile—not just any smile.
It was peaceful, relaxed, but there was a flicker in his eyes, like he was fighting back a laugh inappropriate enough to get him kicked out of a church.
He ran a hand over his jaw, adjusting his collar with so much ease it showed he was completely unfazed.
"Well…"
He started slowly.
"… not to be disrespectful or anything… but I only have interest in spanking the two respectable women I've got in my life. No one else."
A short moment.
His eyes narrowed slightly as if replaying his own words.
"Uh—that didn't come out right… but you get my point."
Bella's face scrunched up like she'd just smelled expired milk. She glared at him with the kind of intensity usually reserved for serial killers and bad customer service.
"So, you're really gonna leave me like this?"
She snapped as her voice became low and dangerous.
"Fuck this! You're seriously telling me that one of the most thirsted-after women in America is offering you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spank her—and you're saying no? You won't get an offer like this again, you know!"
Scott didn't even flinch.
Instead, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling like it held life's greatest mysteries.
"Hmm…"
He hummed theatrically.
"Don't remember you asking me directly, though."
Bella's jaw clenched so hard she could've cracked diamonds between her teeth. But for some godforsaken reason—maybe pride, maybe stubbornness, maybe both—she tightened her grip on her gown, leaned forward slightly, and forced out the words:
"P-, Please… would you… spa-, spank me?"
Scott's response was faster than a lightning bolt striking twice.
"Pass."
If silence could be weaponized, this was it.
Bella's face went from embarrassed pink to furious scarlet in record time. Steam might as well have been shooting out of her ears. She grunted like an enraged bull, stomping her foot as she exploded—
"WHY WON'T YOU SPANK ME?!"
Dead.
Silence.
Every conversation in the vicinity screeched to a halt.
Dozens of well-dressed socialites, CEOs, and diplomats snapped their heads around as their expressions ranged from horrified to mildly entertained.
Scott snickered quietly, his hand covering his mouth as he tried—and failed—to suppress his laughter.
His eyes held so much mischievous delight.
Realizing the scene she'd just caused, Bella straightened up abruptly.
『This fucker… he got me…』
She smoothed out her gown, cleared her throat with the grace of someone trying to pretend none of that just happened, and addressed the crowd in the poshest voice imaginable.
"Well?"
She snapped with her nose tilted slightly upward.
"Are you all going to stand there gawking, or are you going to get back to discussing your boring shipments and offshore accounts?"
Awkward coughs.
Murmurs.
And just like that, the crowd slowly resumed their business, pretending they hadn't just witnessed the Heiress of Trevors Global Enterprises have a very public breakdown about not getting spanked.
Bella exhaled deeply as her dignity hung on by a single thread of sheer willpower. She whipped around to face Scott and her eyes narrowed into lethal slits.
"You've had your fun with me tonight, haven't you?"
She hissed.
Scott crossed his arms.
There was a smug grin still plastered on his face.
"Jeez…"
He said with a casual shrug.
"I guess that's a decent replacement for missing out on some real fun with my lovelies in bed tonight."
Bella rolled her eyes so hard they practically did a somersault.
"Whatever…"
She matched past him with some exaggerated grace.
Scott watched her go, his grin never fading.
Then, casually, he called after her.
"Hm? Where're you going?"
Bella stopped, glancing over her shoulder with an expression caught between annoyance and exhaustion.
"To see The Peak…"
It was a sharp reply.
"Come with me. I can't stand the thought of you lurking around here like some weird stalker. Plus, I need a buffer from that fragrance-drinking loser."
Scott tilted his head, pretending to consider it.
"… Can't argue with any of that."
He muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he followed after her, his grin still firmly in place.
･･･
The crystal chandelier above glimmered like a frozen constellation as it cast soft reflections on the polished marble floor.
A crowd of distinguished European businessmen gathered around him—The Peak.
Dressed in his signature, blindingly golden super suit, he stood tall with that manufactured charisma of his.
His square jaw was carved with precision, his pearly whites flashed with the brightness of a toothpaste commercial, and his hand rested dramatically over his chest as if reciting vows at a wedding he wasn't invited to.
"And since that day…"
The Peak's had such a theatrical conviction.
"I've always vowed to put the interests of others before myself. Even if there are barely any heroes left in this modern era who'd dare do such a thing."
He paused, letting his words marinate in the air like a fine wine he probably couldn't pronounce. His hand pressed harder against his chest, face bent into an expression so pained it looked like he was either reminiscing about lost love or suffering from mild constipation.
"To me…"
His tone dropped into a soft, heroic whisper.
"Civilians are more than just people who need to be saved. They're the very source of my strength… the reason I wake up every day… the fuel that keeps me fighting for all that is good—"
Silence.
No applause.
Not even a polite cough.
The Peak kept his hand firmly over his chest as one eye slyly cracking open just to peek. Maybe they were waiting for some invisible countdown to burst into applause? Some dramatic pause he'd accidentally nailed too perfectly?
But no.
Every single man in that well-dressed crowd—holding crystal glasses filled with champagne worth more than a small country's GDP—wasn't looking at him.
They were looking past him.
Right at Bella Trevors and Scott McQueen, who had just casually strolled into the gathering like they owned the place… which, technically, Bella kind of did.
The Peak's jaw twitched.
『Oh, come on…』
But he recovered quickly, forcing a smile so wide it probably strained a facial muscle. He spread his arms slightly as if he'd been expecting her all along.
"Ohoo! Bella Trevors!"
He announced loudly as his voice dipped into that fake, over-friendly register people use when bumping into an ex at a party.
"Fancy seeing you here… in this specific place… ahaha!"
Bella raised an eyebrow.
She didn't care enough to fake enthusiasm.
Then The Peak's eyes slid to the man beside her, and his smile faltered like a radio losing signal.
"Uh-huh…"
He muttered through stiffened lips.
"And it seems you've brought a guest…"
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Scott stood there, hands shoved lazily into the pockets of his black trench coat. His face was the human equivalent of a flatline—utterly unimpressed, deadpan, and staring at The Peak with all the interest of someone watching paint dry.
That blank stare alone made The Peak feel inadequate.
『Fuck you… Scott McQueen…』
He gritted his teeth, forcing his lips back into that smile—a little too tight now, like it was stapled on.
"Erm… Skat McKing, right?"
Bella visibly winced.
Some of the businessmen exchanged awkward glances.
But Scott?
Didn't even blink.
With the same deadpan expression, he responded.
"Scott McQueen."
His voice was flat, like he was correcting someone on the color of the sky.
Then, with a slight tilt of his head, he added.
"Didn't know you liked the word skat so much. But hey, at least that explains the Dog Girl sex tapes. Good for you, man… as long as you're happy."
A single, sarcastic clap followed.
"Yay."
Silence.
Then—
Laughter.
Not polite chuckles.
Not awkward titters.
No—real, unfiltered laughter.
Bella nearly doubled over, holding her stomach as she gasped for air. One of the businessmen spilled a bit of champagne on his tailored suit, wheezing uncontrollably. Even the stone-faced security guard in the corner cracked a grin.
The Peak's face twitched like he was buffering. His fist clenched so tightly at his side that his knuckles went white.
But Scott?
Still calm. Still unfazed.
Like he wasn't even trying.
『This… this fucker.』
The Peak's eye twitched.
But he quickly slapped on that fake smile again as his jaw ached from the strain.
"Well…"
He cleared his throat dramatically.
"It's always a blessing to have… unique guests at events like these."
Bella wiped a tear from her eye, still chuckling.
Scott simply shrugged.
"Yeah…" he replied dryly. "Unique's one word for it."
And with that, The Peak's ego deflated just a little more.