Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 51

Chapter 51 Bottom of the Bottle

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Next to the beer–bellied man sat a sultry woman swirling a glass of red wine, her eyes locked on Charles with playful malice.

Her gaze was thick with temptation, coiling around him like a snake. Her heavy makeup only made her sharp features more aggressive–eyes that could slice through bone.

For some reason he couldn’t explain, Tess’s soft, clear face suddenly filled Charles‘ mind.

A strange tenderness welled up inside him.

Then, just as quickly, the memory shifted–he was back in that tense standoff with Finn. He could still see the fury in his former boss’s eyes, like he wanted to tear him apart. And yet, beneath the guilt, there was a flicker of smug satisfaction.

Without another thought, Charles/threw his head back and downed the shot in front of him. The liquor scorched all the way down, a sharp, burning pain crawling through his chest. And in that moment–he just wanted to go home.

As soon as he finished the first drink, another glass was poured and slid in front of him.

Charles gave a crooked smile, his eyes sharp and emotionless. “You messing with me now?”

“I’ll mess with whoever the hell I want. What’re you gonna do about it?” the man sneered, lifting his own drink and letting it drip slowly onto Charles’s expensive suit, drop by drop.

Then, like a twisted party trick, ten more shots were lined up in front of him–one after another.

“Tonight, you finish every last one,” the man declared. “Or don’t even think about walking out

of here.”

Every eye in the room zeroed in on Charles. Each look was bold, mocking–pure bullying. They didn’t just want him to drink. They wanted to see the once–proud golden boy break.

Charles met the beer belly guy and the seductive woman’s eyes with a cold, unflinching stare.

For a moment, both of them tensed.

This wasn’t just any attorney–they all knew he’d handled high–stakes cases. Rumor had it he was once the right–hand man of that infamous exec before he went to prison.

They exchanged glances, a flicker of hesitation between them.

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Chapter 51 Bottom of the Bottle

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But then they reminded themselves–he’d burned his bridges with Lock Group. And in a place like Aetheris, that meant not just being blacklisted in the legal world… but in the whole damn city.

Their confidence came rushing back, and they straightened up.

“Mr. Jackman, word is you still owe Lock Group a big chunk of that settlement,” the man said, holding up one finger. “Show some sincerity tonight, and we might be willing to chip in this much. Sound fair?”

“But if not … ” he narrowed his eyes, his voice turning cold. “We’ve got no problem being the last nail in your firm’s coffin.”

The woman joined in smoothly, voice sweet as sugar but sharp underneath. “We’ve always admired your skills, Mr. Jackman–especially Mr. Harold. He really appreciates talent. Would’ve been happy to lend a hand. But you turning your nose up at us like this? That’s just disappointing.”

She lazily swirled the champagne in her glass, eyes glinting with amusement.

Charles’s lashes twitched, and a shadow fell across his face.

Then, under the smug, expectant gazes around him, his long fingers wrapped around a shot glass, and he downed it in one go.

The burn hit hard, tightening his throat. It was so sharp he nearly choked, eyes stinging with the urge to tear up.

He was never good with alcohol. Or maybe, he just never wanted to lose himself in the haze it brought.

Back when he first started out, Tess had been his boss. No one dared push him to drink out of line. Not when she had introduced him with a casual, “This is my little brother.” Back then, they only toasted him out of respect for her.

But after Tess went to prison, the way they looked at him changed.

To hold his ground against Nadine, Charles reinvented himself–rising through the ranks to become Lock Group’s second–most trusted attorney after her, Always second, never first. But still, people bowed their heads when they needed something. No one dared mess with him then.

He downed another shot. Immediately, a manicured hand with blood–red nails slid the next glass toward him.

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Everyone around the table froze. One by one, they set down their own drinks, all eyes fixed on Charles.

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