Chapter 369 - 353: Letting You Off Too Easy

The moment the flippant words were spoken, the knuckles of the hand gripping the cup turned white, and a vein throbbed on his temple.

Erin Irving was openly provoking him. Even back when he was in prison, Elliot knew that Erin Irving’s support for Georgia Thorne came with ulterior motives.

’If this was all about me from the start, then he should have left Georgia Thorne alone after I went to prison.’

Then there was that time Georgia Thorne was kidnapped by Luther. Erin Irving had personally rushed over, only to let her go.

’That’s when he knew: Erin Irving was interested in Georgia Thorne.’

’In the end, he and Erin Irving were the same kind of men. They wouldn’t spare a second glance for someone they weren’t interested in, but for the one they fell for, they wouldn’t even dare to touch them.’

"What, getting nervous now?" Erin Irving’s gaze flicked to Elliot Sheridan’s hands, his grin widening.

"Relax, I won’t touch Georgia Thorne!" Erin Irving laughed heartily. "You should know that if I were going to make a move on her, I would have done so long ago!"

If he had, he wouldn’t have dropped everything and rushed over in a panic when Luther kidnapped Georgia Thorne.

’He had to be insane to fall for a woman who wouldn’t even give him the time of day.’

Elliot Sheridan’s nerves were stretched taut. His narrowed eyes betrayed his profound displeasure.

’Before, he’d felt nothing more than indifference toward Erin Irving. After a few conflicts, that had escalated to disgust. But now, knowing the man dared to covet his treasure, that disgust had risen to a new level: pure hatred.’

’No one could covet what was his.’ Elliot Sheridan’s lips remained a thin line. "Then I suppose I have you to thank!"

The words were forced out, one by one, through clenched teeth.

Erin Irving was in an excellent mood. After fighting with him for so long, it was a rare treat to see him so frustrated.

He smiled and changed the subject. "But you know what they say: you win some, you lose some. If you protect one, you have to give up the other!"

Erin Irving picked up the teacup before him as if on cue. The moment he finished speaking, Elliot Sheridan’s phone began to ring.

Elliot Sheridan pulled out his phone and glanced at the caller ID. He suddenly looked up at Erin Irving, who chuckled. "Why aren’t you answering?"

’It was a call from Aidan Sheridan. What could he possibly want at this hour?’

With Erin Irving watching, Elliot Sheridan answered the phone. Upon hearing the boy’s hoarse voice on the other end, Elliot’s brow furrowed, and he shot up from his chair.

His furious, icy gaze landed on Erin Irving, the veins on the back of the hand gripping his phone standing out in sharp relief.

Erin Irving’s expression turned placid. He took a sip of freshly brewed tea and set the cup down slowly. "Didn’t I just say? You have to give some to get some. You’ve been in the business world for so many years; surely you understand you can’t have your cake and eat it too!"

The aroma of tea wafted from his lips as he spoke. Erin Irving rose to his feet, standing face-to-face with Elliot Sheridan. "I can’t bring myself to lay a hand on Georgia Thorne, but that doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on everyone else."

’A smug smile played on his lips. He’d said it long ago: even if he was going to hell, he wouldn’t let Elliot Sheridan have an easy time of it.’

The line went dead. Elliot Sheridan stared at the smile on the man’s face, and a second later, his clenched fist flew toward it.

Erin Irving reacted quickly. He dodged, but Elliot Sheridan’s fist still grazed his cheek.

He prodded the spot where he’d been hit with his tongue. "Losing your temper already?"

As he spoke, Erin Irving threw a punch at Elliot Sheridan, and the two large men instantly became a tangled mess of limbs.

Both were trained fighters, their reflexes equally matched. Neither managed to gain an advantage.

Everything breakable in the room had been smashed to pieces. Sam Yates, who was standing guard at the door, heard the commotion from inside, rushed in, and pulled the two men apart.

Sam Yates was a trained professional with immense strength, and he held onto Elliot Sheridan.

They had clearly fought viciously; both of their faces were bruised and cut to varying degrees, a truly ugly sight.

Sam Yates shielded Elliot Sheridan. "President Sheridan!"

He said his name, hoping to calm Elliot Sheridan down.

Elliot Sheridan clenched his fists. "If anything happens to Aidan Sheridan, I’m holding you responsible!"

Erin Irving let out a mocking laugh. "It’s been a while since we’ve done this. I didn’t expect you to have gotten so rusty!"

Elliot Sheridan shook off Sam Yates’s hold and stormed out.

Erin Irving gasped for breath and collapsed amidst the wreckage. His secretary, arriving moments later, saw the state of the private room and rushed to his side. "President Irving, you..."

He was in a sorry state.

Erin Irving had always been meticulous about his image, never allowing himself the slightest imperfection. His secretary was therefore utterly astonished to see him bruised and battered, sitting heedlessly amidst the destruction.