Take My Breath Away

It also surprised Lewis to discover that it was Kasie in the room and not Debbie as expected. "I don't know. When I got the call, I was told Debbie was in the room. But later on, when Debbie kicked the door open, I was shocked." Afterwards, he did his investigations. Only then did he realize Portia was behind the whole trick. Had he known it was Kasie in the hotel room, he wouldn't have gone there. Not that he wasn't interested in her. Rather, he happened to be in the middle of something more important when he got the call.

Certainly, for Kasie, he wouldn't have put aside important work. But the person on the phone had assured him that it was Debbie in the hotel room, waiting for him. Straight away, he had rushed to the hotel, his excitement rising with every step.

That was a mistake he would live to regret. While he was still fumbling for an explanation, Carlos shot up from the couch and angrily charged forward with a clenched fist. It frightened Lewis and he quickly hid himself behind Valerie. The old lady spread her hands, ready to push Carlos back. By now, the tension in the air was palpable.

"Take a moment and cool your jets before you do anything rash, Carlos!" Valerie advised, her voice unusually firm.

"And you think I'll cool my jets that easily?" Carlos retorted. "Forget about it," he threatened.

Knowing the kind of person that he was, Valerie didn't see the point of arguing with him. Education and impressive work ethic aside, sometimes Carlos could be a pain in the ass.

Right now, rage nearly clouded his sense. Frightened, Lewis managed to summon up his courage to speak up. "What's the point of us quarreling over a woman, Carlos? Given that Grandma and your parents are all against the woman, I'd be reluctant to marry her, if I were you. At least, for the sake of peace within the family. Megan is..."

Before he could finish, Carlos swept him off his feet. Clutching for support, he knocked hard into the vase beside which he was standing while they argued.

Feeling disappointed in Carlos, Tabitha moved in swiftly. With all her might she grabbed his clenched right hand, which was ready to strike. "Carlos, from what we know, Debbie wasn't hurt at all, and neither was she raped. Are we going to live in terror just because your woman has been offended? How many more squabbles are you going to pick with people over the same woman?"

Standing by and watching in silence, Emmett opened his mouth, wanting to say, "But Kasie would have been raped if Debbie hadn't gotten there in time." Obviously, he also wanted revenge for Kasie.

But before his words could come out of his mouth, Carlos angrily retorted to Valerie's scolding. "Squabbles? This is not the first time I'm confronting Lewis for improper conduct towards my wife. It's only that I have been patient with him, seeing that we are cousins. But my patience has its limits. True, Debbie didn't get hurt. But what about Kasie? She was drugged! What if Debbie had arrived at the hotel room only a little later? Do you know what we'd be dealing with now?" he sneered.

According to Lewis, most likely, Debbie was the wire-puller's target. It only happened that Kasie was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Or maybe, Kasie might have posed a threat to the plot in some way. That night, Carlos, Wesley, Damon, and Curtis were all out of the city. Emmett too was out of town, on a business trip. If Debbie had been drugged and Kasie happened to be the only person around to help, it was unlikely she would have stopped Lewis.

Or maybe, Kasie might have posed a threat to the plot in some way.

That night, Carlos, Wesley, Damon, and Curtis were all out of the city. Emmett too was out of town, on a business trip. If Debbie had been drugged and Kasie happened to be the only person around to help, it was unlikely she would have stopped Lewis.

Mulling over how the situation might have turned out, the elders were mortified.

Turning to Emmett, Carlos commanded, "Go fetch Portia at once!"

Just as Emmett stepped aside to give orders to his men over the phone, the doorbell rang. "Hello, how can I help you?" asked the housemaid who had run to answer the door.

"We're the police. We came at Mr. Huo's request."

"Let them in, please," said Carlos to the housemaid, when he heard them.

"Alright, Mr. Huo," she replied respectfully.

Six policemen in full uniform walked in. "Hello, Mr. Huo, we're with the city bureau. Chief Li sent us here," they greeted Carlos.

"Please have a seat," said Carlos, nodding to acknowledge their arrival. Then turning to the maid, he directed, "Please get some water for the police officers."

They must have been flattered with that welcoming gesture. "Thank you, Mr. Huo," they said one after another.

Meanwhile, the police's arrival had gotten everyone in the room apprehensive, except Carlos.

James furrowed and demanded, "Carlos, what the hell is happening? Do you have to go so far as to call in law enforcement agencies? Since when do minor disagreements within the family need outside intervention?"

But unbending as ever, Carlos would have neither his old man's persuading nor threats. "Just wait. I called not only the police but also lawyers," he shot back without the slightest show of remorse. "They will tell you how long you will stay in prison for assault," he added.

James' face turned purple with anger when he realized what Carlos was doing. He pointed threateningly, but when he opened his mouth to say something, anger choked out his words.

Looking on, Valerie too had lost her cool. "Carlos, do you really intend to press charges against your father?"

Moved to tears, Tabitha stroked James' back comfortingly. But the look on her face said she needed more comforting herself. With disbelieving eyes, she glared at her son and asked ruefully, "Is that how you want to treat your dad and cousin, all because of one woman? Honestly, I'm so disappointed, Carlos!"

Seeing the gravity of the situation, Wade offered, "Carlos, I know you're angry. But I hope you can reconsider it. For heaven's sake, he is your...father."

"Being my father does not mean that he can hit and insult my wife and get away with it. Does it?" Carlos' voice was deadly cold.

For a moment, no one said a word, until James suddenly collapsed into a heap on the couch. In an instant, the entire house turned chaotic. Now almost wailing, Tabitha shouted at the housemaid to fetch the medicine. A visibly flustered Valerie left Lewis' side temporarily and walked to the sofa to feel the old man's heartbeat.

Only Miranda and Carlos remained composed from the beginning.

But even after giving everyone a scare, the worst was yet to hit James. As soon as he came to, Carlos' lawyers arrived at the door.

For a moment, everyone waited with bated breath, fearing what Carlos was up to. Then Portia was brought in, drained of color as though she had aged all of a sudden.

She had been practicing dancing at school when a group of men barged in and whisked her away. She was still wearing her dance costume, shaking from the cold.

When they hauled her into the living room, she shook even more, terrified at what was going on.

At the sight of Carlos and Lewis, she wished the ground would open up and swallow her. Lewis cut a hunched, desperate figure that told her hell had broken loose here.

His eyes brightened when Portia walked into the living room. If there was the slightest ray of hope for him to get off the hook, then this was his only opportunity. "Dirty heartless bitch!" he blurted. "Tell the whole truth now. Why did you trick me into going to the hotel room?"

Portia pretended not to be scared. To dodge his confrontation, she greeted Carlos' family members one by one, trying to force a smile. Then looking at Lewis, she feigned surprise. "Mr. Lewis Huo, what are you talking about? We already broke up. Why would I ask anyone to call you?"

Lewis shouted desperately, "It was you! I looked into it. You had someone call me, claiming Debbie was waiting for me in a room on the twelfth floor."

"Lewis!" Portia shrilled. "We already broke up. Why are you trying to frame me? Who is behind all this?"

Not interested in their argument, Carlos leaned against the sofa with his eyes closed. "Take Miss Gu outside and give her a 'preferential' interrogation," he said to Emmett. "Take her outside. Don't dirty my place," he added.

That last sentence was in coded language. In an instant, several bodyguards appeared, ready to execute their master's wishes.

When they saw Portia in her dance costume, they swallowed hard and grabbed her roughly, eager to get her out of his sight.