Chapter 765

Mia Truman instinctively took a step back, clutching her bag tightly.

It was a crocodile skin Hermès, worth a million.

Liam Cooper stepped forward, reaching out to snatch it.

Mia immediately screamed, "That's mine!"

Liam paused.

Evelyn Ross smiled. "Yours? You were part of today's dine-and-dash. If the bill isn't settled in full, none of you are leaving."

Hearing this, Mia's fingers loosened.

Liam immediately seized the bag and handed it to the manager.

The manager took it, examining it carefully. "This bag shows wear. I'll value it at a hundred thousand. You're still over a million short."

Liam's gaze fell on Mia's head.

There was a diamond hairpin there, one he had made Evelyn buy for Mia's birthday last year.

Mia always carried her truly valuable items with her.

Before Evelyn could speak, Liam had already stepped forward and yanked the hairpin out.

Mia's hair instantly became disheveled.

Liam didn't stop. He went for the bracelet on her wrist, her rings, even the Chanel earrings worth over five thousand.

The manager held a tray, itemizing each piece. "The earrings are worth two thousand at most, and they're worn. The hairpin, seventy thousand. The bracelet, second-hand value fifty thousand..."

Piece by piece, the jewelry was stripped from Mia.

She stood there, utterly humiliated.

The manager finally said, "You're still fifty-eight thousand short."

Liam's face paled. "I really don't have anything else. Can you give me a few days?"

The manager looked at Evelyn.

Evelyn sneered. "Mia's bank card should still have some money, right?"

Liam immediately looked at Mia.

Mia instinctively covered her pocket.

That gesture gave Liam hope.

He frequented this bar and knew its rules.

Just days ago, he'd seen someone who tried to skip out on their bill get their fingers chopped off.

Liam had witnessed it himself.

He didn't want to lose a hand or a foot.

He feared this kind of life, yet was drawn to it.

Liam grabbed Mia's bank card and handed it to the manager.

After swiping it, the manager looked surprised. "This young lady has more money in her account than Mr. Cooper... a full..."

Liam's eyes lit up.

The manager continued, "A full thirty-eight thousand. It's been deducted. You're still twenty thousand short."

Liam was stunned.

It still wasn't enough.

He swallowed hard, looking at Mia's two friends.

They were just low-level employees, only able to enjoy the bar scene by mooching off Mia. Where would they have money?

But these two had often helped Mia bully Evelyn.

Evelyn forced them to cough up a few thousand each.

The four of them scraped together everything, but were still eight thousand short.

Liam was almost on his knees. "Mia, help me. You've supported me all these years. Why can't you help me with this last eight thousand?"

Evelyn looked at him and laughed. "Yes, even a dog I raised would wag its tail. And you? You're worse than a dog. Manager, settle the account with him properly. Not a single cent less."

With that, Evelyn turned and walked towards Evelyn Ross and the others.

Liam tried to chase after her. "Mia, you can't do this to me!"

The manager stopped him, calling over several bouncers who dragged Liam, Mia, and the others towards the back courtyard.

Natalie Castillo gave Evelyn a thumbs-up. "Not bad this time. You didn't get fooled by that scumbag again."

Evelyn sighed. "I don't know why. Part of me still felt reluctant, but my mind suddenly cleared. I saw him for what he really is."

She frowned. "My older brother always said he was no good, but I didn't believe him. Now that I see he's a bad person, it seems so obvious. What was blinding me all this time?"

She had grown up in luxury, never lacking love or money. How could she have been infatuated with someone like him?

Alexander Vance's deep voice suddenly spoke up. "In the West, there's a forbidden art called hypnosis."

Everyone looked at him.

Alexander explained, "It's not exactly forbidden. Some psychiatrists use hypnotic suggestion to help patients open up. Of course, this is just my speculation."

He looked at Natalie. "You know hypnosis, don't you?"

Natalie was a medical expert; she had developed the Seven-Day Powder.

Hearing this, Natalie immediately walked over to Evelyn, took her wrist, and looked into her eyes.

The next moment, Natalie froze.