Chapter 23: The Trap
Late at night, at the Dead Rabbit Bar.
Amelia and Elise were nestled in a corner booth, two glasses of whiskey deep, laughing uncontrollably over recent office gossip and scandals involving their firm’s partners.
The “client expansion plan” that had been on their minds earlier was long forgotten, replaced by the intimate whispers of friendship and the mellow buzz of alcohol.
The bar door swung open violently, and a scruffy, middle–aged man staggered in. His bloodshot eyes scanned the room before locking onto a young woman drinking alone at the bar. “Look at that creep.”
Amelia frowned as she watched him approach the girl and begin pawing at her. The girl’s discomfort was evident, though she didn’t dare resist.
“Don’t get involved,” Elise said, gripping Amelia’s wrist. “We’re here to relax, remember?”
Reluctantly, Amelia looked away. But moments later, a sharp whistle cut through the air–the man was now standing at their table.
Hey, sweethearts,” he slurred, his breath reeking of alcohol, and his greasy hair plastered to his forehead. “How about a drink with a real man? On me.” “Get lost,” Elise snapped, turning her face away in disgust.
Instead of leaving, the drunk grabbed Elise’s wrist. “Playing hard to get? You come to a place like this to pick up men, don’t you?”
“Amelia, help me!” Elise pleaded, unable to free herself from his grip.
Amelia calmly rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, exposing her toned forearms. “Elise, remind me what you just said? ‘Don’t get involved, wasn’t it?”
“Fine, I take it back Elise laughed nervously.
Before the man could react, Amelia executed a swift over–the–shoulder throw, slamming him to the floor, He collapsed like a fish out of water, sprawled and motionless. The bartender, unfazed, dialed security with practiced ease.
“You know,” Amelia said, adjusting her slightly disheveled hair and winking at Elise, “I think I’ve been leaming moves like that since I was five. Just in case someone tried to kidnap me for ransom.” I
Elise burst out laughing, and the sound of their glasses clinking together rang out clearly in the bar.
But just as they celebrated, Elise’s smile froze. Her pupils contracted as she saw a shadow rise shakily behind Amelia.
“Behind your Elise shouted.
Amelia reacted instinctively, dodging to the left without turning her head.
A heavy oak chair whooshed past her hair, smashing into the booth’s backrest and splintering into pieces.
The drunkard’s face twisted in rage, his bloodshot eyes filled with malice. Whiskey dripped from his mouth as he snarled, “You bitch, I’m going to-”
He never finished. Amelia grabbed the whiskey bottle from the table and swung it in a cold, calculated arc.
“Crash”
The bottle shattered against his head, sending shards of glass and whiskey flying. The man staggered, clutching his bleeding scalp, his vision spinning.
The bar fell silent for a moment as all eyes turned toward the commotion.
James, as the drunkard was called, glared at Amelia. Blood streamed down his face as he cursed inwardly Damn it! Why didn’t they warn me this woman would be so tough? They better pay me extra for this! Amelia held the jagged remains of the bottle, pointing its sharp edge at James as he hesitated, backing away, “I was just trying to say hello! This is insane!”
“You call that saying hello? That was harassment,” Amelia corrected coldly.
Elise, still shaken, stared at James. If not for Amelia, she might have been at this man’s mercy.
At that moment, the bar manager–a middle–aged woman–arrived with several security guards in tow
After hearing the story from a nearby waiter, the manager turned to James with a sharp glare. “How dare you harass my customers in my bar?”
James, now outnumbered, finally dropped his tough act and careless attitude. “I was just… just talking to them! They’re blowing this out of proportion,” he stammered, pointing at his head. “And look! They attacked me
Now:
“Enough nonsense” the manager chapped. “Apologize. Now,”
Reluctantly, James muttered, “I’m sorry. I had too much to drink.”
Neither Amelia nor Elise responded, their expressions icy.
The manager waved her hand. Throw him out! And make sure he doesn’t loiter nearby, or he’ll get a good beating.”
As security dragged James out, the manager turned to Amelia and Elise, bowing slightly. “I’m Eve Wick, the manager of Dead Rabbit. I deeply apologize for the lapse in security that caused you so much distress. Tonight’s drinks are on the house.”
Eve handed over her business card with a smile. “Next time you visit Dead Rabbit, please contact me I’ll make sure you have the best seats.”
Amelia took the card and, after a moment’s thought, pulled one of her own from her bag.
If he causes trouble for your bar, or if you need legal help, feel free to reach out,” she said, handing it to Eve.
Eve glanced at the card, her eyes widening slightly. “Fairfield & Rubinger Senior Partner?” She looked back at Amelia with newfound respect. “I didn’t expect someone so young to have achieved so much.”
Amelia smiled faintly, indifferent to the compliment. Her focus was on the potential fallout from the night’s events. “I’ll need a copy of the surveillance footage from tonight, just in case there are any legal issues
Eve, impressed by Amelia’s foresight, nodded “Tl have it sent to your email right away”
The incident had killed their mood for drinks. Politely declining Eve’s offer to stay, Amelia and Elise left the bar. Bnbeknownst to them, someone in the corner of the bar had recorded the entire altercation with a hidden camera
The next moming
se shook Amelia awake her voice urgent. “Amelia, we’re on TikTok
What? Amelia mumbled groggily. “I didn’t post anything”
influencer–a self–proclaimed bybequage–uploaded a video of last night. He claims a fan sent it to him. The footage is edited to make it look like we attacked that man for no reason” Elise’s voice rose
with anger
He says we’re mob lawyers with violent tendencies and a history of abusing power. According to him, the man was taken away by gang members and might be dead. The comments are insane–people are saying they’ll call the police!
“What
Fully awake now, Amela g bed the phone. Before she could even watch the video, her notification bar filled with messages from the senior partners‘ group chat.
They all demanded an explanation Amela and Elise had become a PR disaster, and the firm’s reputation was on the line.
