Luana, still kneeling, wore the red wine splashed by Cline like a macabre mask, the dark liquid trailing down her cheeks, highlighting the fragile beauty of her pale face.
Slowly, she raised her hand to wipe away the wine, her expression composed as she calmly replied, "We've met before."
As expected, Travis thought to himself, bending slightly to scrutinize Luana with suspicion in his eyes.
He pressed her further, "How did you meet?"
Understanding his doubts, Luana took a deep breath and spoke, "I knew I bore a resemblance to Runa, and I thought to use that to my advantage. I took the opportunity of delivering documents to Mr. Moriarty and slipped something into his drink, hoping that after he slept with me, I could rise above my station. But he didn't fall for it and unceremoniously threw me out. Perhaps that's why he called me dirty, cheap."
Luana's words successfully alleviated half of Travis's suspicions.
He had been certain that there was some romantic involvement between Cline and Luana.
In his mind, a man targeting a woman so fiercely was likely due to emotional entanglement.
But it turned out that Luana had attempted to attach herself to Cline and failed, earning his disdain and retribution.
However, Travis was also surprised. He hadn't expected Luana to have such ambitions, to try to climb into Cline's bed.
In his impression, Luana didn't seem that interested in money.
Seemingly reading his thoughts, a hint of dim light flickered in Luana's eyes as she spoke, "I admired him once."
The faint light in her eyes betrayed a trace of past affection, which made Travis believe her words a bit more.
"I see," he said, a smirk appearing on his face as his doubts cleared.
With a sudden pull, Travis lifted Luana and seated her on his lap.
His cold fingers wiped away the remaining wine on Luana's face and neck, using the action as an excuse to grope her skin.
"Baby, I didn't know you had such a fierce side, daring to climb into Cline's bed," he said, regarding Cline as a fool who didn't appreciate Luana's beauty.
Travis thought if it were him, he would have already taken full advantage of Luana's allure.
Luana stiffened under his touch, too scared to move, fearing any resistance would provoke Travis into more outrageous behavior.
She endured her disgust and tried to sound composed, saying, "Mr. Elan, when I truly fall in love with you, I'll be just as fierce."
Ignoring her, Travis clung to her damp, sexy back, kissing her fervently as he mumbled, "I can't wait that long, darling. Be good."
With that, he eagerly lifted Luana's dress and fumbled with his own pants, intent on carrying out his misdeeds.
Luana's eyes widened in terror, her face draining of color.
She struggled desperately, her hands flailing, trying to break free from Travis's grip.
But her resistance only fueled his desire.
He held her tighter, kissing her cheeks and neck more aggressively, his breaths heavy and repulsive.
"Travis!" Luana was held tightly from behind and could only push against his chest with her hands, trying to create some distance.
Her eyes darted around the room, noticing her bag on the sofa across, but she couldn't reach it.
Her palms were sweaty with anxiety, and her heart was pounding violently in her chest.
She knew she must force herself to calm down. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire.
"Mr. Elan, don't you want to secure that project from Mr. Moriarty? I can help you get it if you let me go!"
Travis's fingers paused as he heard that.
He looked up at Luana suspiciously and asked, "You can help me get the project? On what grounds?"
In his view, Luana had already offended Cline by trying to seduce him. How could she possibly secure him the project now?
But Luana's gaze was resolute as she declared, "Although my last attempt to trap Mr. Moriarty didn't succeed, for a moment, he did mistake me for Runa, and I recorded it. If I use that video to blackmail him into giving you a project, he'll definitely comply."