radicalducati Chapter 606: We Need To Be Careful With Him
Chapter 606: We Need To Be Careful With Him
“Exactly. Reese usually uploads several photos with her posts, but today’s updates are nothing like her usual style. Some people think her phone might have been taken.”
Blake’s face darkened as he scrolled through the posts.
“These people are twisting the truth and spreading lies,” he said sharply. “The internet isn’t a place where anything goes. They’d better be ready for a lawyer’s letter.”
Bianca and Dave exchanged a glance, caught off guard. They hadn’t expected Zane’s casual posts from Reese’s phone to trigger such a storm of fan speculation. The reaction was far beyond what they had imagined.
“Blake, pushing this further will only damage your company’s image,” Bianca said in a casual tone. “We need to clear up the misunderstanding now. Let’s talk to the fans directly and hold a press conference. I’ll be there with Reese. Only by telling the truth can we limit the damage.”
A knock sounded at the door.
“It seems they’ve brought him,” Dave said evenly as he walked to the door.
Blake still couldn’t understand the kind of obsession some fans had. Just like he couldn’t understand the dark-skinned man now standing in front of him, grinning at Reese and ignoring everyone else in the room. The blatant disregard made Blake’s irritation spike.
His patience snapped. “What did you do last night? Answer me!”
Zane arched an eyebrow, his voice thick with contempt. “What I did is none of your business. Stop running your mouth. Are you stupid? Can’t you see I don’t give a damn about you?”
Bianca could tell Zane was deliberately trying to get under Blake’s skin, a clear revenge for the way Blake had framed Dave.
Blake’s teeth ground together as he stepped up to Zane, staring him down. “You took Reese from my place. How is that not my business?”
His anger was sharp, but buried under it was a flicker of relief. If this man had taken Reese, then she hadn’t betrayed him. She was still worth keeping around.
“I said it’s none of your business. Are you stupid or just not listening?” Zane leaned back, crossing his legs like he owned the room. “Do you have any idea how crazy things are online today? And you’re here wasting time questioning me. If that hotel really belongs to the Lawson Group, you should be thanking me.”
He shot Blake an annoyed glance. “If I hadn’t taken Reese away when she was drunk last night, her name would be ruined by now.”
Then he looked over at Dave. “Tell him I’m right.”
Dave gave a small nod. “Yes, you should be thanked for protecting Reese’s reputation.”
“Like I need you to tell me that,” Zane scoffed. “I’m a loyal fan of Reese. I wasn’t about to let you take advantage of her.” He turned to Reese, his expression softening with pride. “Reese, I stayed with you all night and didn’t do a thing. Then you left without saying a word, and I was worried sick.”
Bianca touched Blake’s arm. “We need to be careful with him. Without him, this could’ve blown up into a huge scandal.”
Blake’s jaw tensed. This obsessed fan had ruined his plans and insulted him to his face, yet he had no choice but to control his anger.
His lips curved into a tight smile. “So, tell me, how exactly should I thank you?”
“Talk nicely, or just shut up.” Zane glared at Blake, his irritation clear in his eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that? What? Planning to kill me so I won’t talk? I’m Reese’s fan club leader. If anything happens to me, you won’t get away with it.”
Blake hadn’t expected this fan to be so unreasonable, making it nearly impossible to talk sense into him.
Bianca stepped in, pulling Blake aside. “We brought him here to fix the problem, Blake. Don’t lose your temper with him.”
“I know, Bianca. But he’s just too full of himself. Sure, he saved Reese’s reputation, but he dragged Lawson Hotel’s name through the mud in the process.”
Blake let out a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Alright. What do you think I should do?”
Blake looked frustrated. Business wasn’t his thing, and while taking someone’s life wouldn’t be a challenge for him, he couldn’t touch this fan. Doing so would only make Dave and Bianca suspicious.
Bianca shook her head. “How about you stop looking so intimidating and just talk to him? Find out what he wants. We’re here to settle this peacefully, not make it worse.”
“Alright, I’ll try.” Blake stepped back and gave a brief apology. “Can we talk now?”
Zane still ignored him.
Bianca glanced at Reese, who had been silent the whole time, and gave her a light pat.
Only then did Reese speak. “This is Blake Lawson, CEO of the Lawson Group. Thank you for what you did yesterday. Blake is my… friend, so I’d like to ask you for a favor. Can you say I left on my own last night, met you, and you took me somewhere safe?”
“That’s fine, Reese. I don’t mind. If you want, I can even say we never met last night,” Zane said with a grin.
Then he turned to Blake. “But since you tied me up here and I’m not happy about it, I don’t like you. You should give me some kind of compensation for my mental distress.”
Blake’s anger flared. He hadn’t expected Zane to be this shameless.
“I’ll handle it,” Dave said, stepping forward.
He pulled a check from his pocket, signed it, and asked, “Will one million dollars be enough?”
Zane looked up with a smile. “You can give as much as you want, my friend, but he still has to pay me, too. Otherwise, I can’t promise I’ll keep silent. By the way, Lawson Hotel’s rooms are way too easy to break into. Your security is just for show.”
Blake’s expression darkened. He pulled out a check and was about to sign it when Zane cut in. “Five million dollars. Not a penny less.”
“What?” Blake’s voice dropped, his eyes turning cold. “Don’t push your luck.”
Bianca quickly stepped in. “Sir, we truly appreciate what you did for Reese last night. You saved her from a scandal, and for that, we’re grateful. I also want to sincerely apologize on behalf of all of us. We brought you here for a reason, not to kidnap you.”
She moved closer and untied the ropes around Zane’s hands.
Blake and Dave both stepped forward to stop her, worried Zane might try to hurt Bianca. Dave moved casually, but Blake’s concern was real.
“Stay where you are,” Bianca told them firmly. She turned back to Zane. “As Reese’s agent, I want to thank you again. You really did us a huge favor.”