Chapter 171

Chapter 171:

This was it—the opening she had been waiting for.

When the man carelessly left himself exposed, Sophie snapped her right leg upward and drove a brutal kick straight into his groin with everything she had. His scream tore through the air as he doubled over, hands clamped between his legs, his face twisted with unbearable pain.

Not wasting a second, Sophie bolted for the door, ignoring everything else around her. Her vision swam and her body faltered, yet she forced her legs to keep moving and pushed herself to run harder. There was no way she could risk being caught. If they stayed alert, she would never get another chance like this.

From outside, Lila picked up on the ruckus spilling out of the men’s room and turned her head suspiciously toward the noise. In the next instant, someone burst out at lightning speed, streaking past like an arrow loosed from a bow. Lila was slammed to the side, her skull striking the wall with a heavy thud that left her dazed and unsteady.

𝘛𝘳e𝘯𝘥і𝘯 𝘰𝗇

When her vision finally cleared, Sophie was already far ahead, putting distance between them.

“You worthless idiot! Where did she go?!” Lila burst into the men’s room, her rage boiling over.

The man could barely stand, trembling as he covered himself, bent over in agony, words stumbling out in broken gasps. “That damn woman… she slipped away p>

At the same time, Sophie tore through the hallway and reached the elevator, jabbing at the down button in desperation. But the digital display glared back stubbornly, frozen on the first floor without moving an inch. She was trapped on the twentieth floor.

Her chest pounded violently, each beat threatening to explode as she cast a frantic glance over her shoulder—Lila and the man were already giving chase. No way could she wait for that elevator.

Clenching her jaw, Sophie veered sharply toward the stairwell at the opposite end of the hall. At the far side of the corridor stood the emergency exit, close to the private dining room where the group had gathered earlier. Light spilled from that room, which showed that someone might still be inside.

But before relief could take root, the door swung open and Edgar stepped out. There he was, standing squarely in her way, phone in hand, a cruel smile curling his lips the moment he spotted Sophie.

A glance backward confirmed Sophie’s worst fear—Lila and the man were bearing down fast. Hemmed in on both sides, Sophie felt the walls closing around her.

Her throat tightened as she tried to call out for help, but the upscale restaurant prided itself on discretion, leaving her voice to vanish into silence. The staff only ever came when summoned from inside the private rooms, leaving the hallways eerily still. Even if she shouted until her throat tore raw, not a single person would hear.

In her panic, her ears caught muffled voices drifting from the next room, its heavy door firmly closed. Someone was definitely in there.

Acting on instinct, Sophie hurled herself at the door and shoved with every ounce of strength in her body.

“Please, help me!” Her voice cracked with desperation.

The lively chatter within came to an abrupt halt.

As she stumbled inside, Sophie found herself facing a table lined with men in tailored suits, every gaze snapping to her at once. But when her eyes landed on the man occupying the seat of honor, her body went rigid, frozen in place.

One of the middle-aged men, who looked to be a manager, scowled at the intrusion and snapped, “Who are you? A server? We never asked for anyone! Who told you to come barging in? Leave at once p>

He started to push back his chair, ready to throw Sophie out himself, when Lila, Edgar, and the man finally stormed in. The sight of Sophie trapped made Lila’s eyes gleam with satisfaction.

“Sophie! Let’s see where you think you can run now!” Lila’s voice rang with smug delight as she reveled in her triumph.

At the same moment, Edgar’s gaze flicked toward the man at the head of the table. The instant recognition struck, his face drained of color, his legs almost buckling beneath him.

“Mr. Knight?! What are you doing here?!” Edgar said, his voice quivering as fear hollowed out his features.