That evening, Roy enjoyed a lavish dinner with the girls before heading with Meri to the bar where he'd arranged to meet Marian Megan.
The meeting was set for six o'clock, but Roy and Meri arrived early, around five-thirty.
They settled at the bar counter to wait.
Though Roy wasn't yet of legal drinking age in America, he ordered a whiskey and started sipping with Meri.
"Meri, don't you drink?"
Seeing Meri wince at the sharp taste of her whiskey, Roy couldn't help but chuckle.
"I've barely ever had alcohol before!"
Roy raised an eyebrow at her response.
"Oh? But last time at Time Bar, you downed that Sinful Brew pretty fast!"
"That's because I saw you drinking it, so I did too! I didn't expect whiskey to taste this bad—it's nothing like Sinful Brew!"
Meri's cheeks flushed slightly from the sip of whiskey, but she spoke her mind candidly.
"Of course! Do you even know who brews Sinful Brew? If whiskey's not your thing, I'll drink it for you."
Roy poured the rest of Meri's whiskey into his glass and ordered her a lighter, sweeter liqueur instead.
Sure enough, Meri's expression softened after a sip.
"This is way better! Why do you guys like drinking stuff that tastes like medicine?"
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Whiskey was indeed used as medicine in ancient times, so her comparison wasn't entirely off.
"Maybe guys just want to get drunk—or get someone else drunk."
At that, Meri shot Roy a playful, flirty glance.
"So, were you trying to get me drunk just now?"
A bit tipsy, Meri was feeling bolder, daring to tease Roy outright.
Roy, no stranger to such banter, wasn't fazed by her attempt.
"Hmm, and would you let me get you drunk?"
Meri blinked, her courage boosted by the alcohol.
"Sure!"
Roy inwardly sighed. If he didn't have this meeting, tonight could've been a home run with Meri. But he had to deal with a troublesome woman instead.
After meeting her, Meri probably wouldn't be in the mood anymore.
"Looks like I was right to show up early, Mr. Black."
The flirty atmosphere was interrupted by none other than the troublesome woman herself, Marian Megan.
Marian didn't seem surprised that Roy had brought another woman along. Perhaps she'd done more digging on him and was already used to his ways.
"Take a seat, Ms. Megan."
The moment Marian appeared, Roy's smile vanished, and he switched to a businesslike demeanor.
"This isn't the best place to talk. How about we move to a private room?"
Roy nodded.
"Fine by me. Let's get a private room."
The bar Marian chose was a lively, crowded American-style spot—not exactly discreet.
Thankfully, the private room was much quieter.
Before starting the discussion, Roy placed an electronic jammer borrowed from Saltana on the table, making his intentions clear.
Marian looked at him calmly.
"Mr. Black, it seems you don't trust me."
Roy shrugged.
"I know someone in the business who says you don't always play by the rules. I just want everyone to feel secure. Don't you agree?"
Marian nodded.
"You're right. We need a foundation of trust to work together."
"Alright, Ms. Megan, let's get to it. Time's tight for both of us."
Marian sat up straight, all business.
"Mr. Black, I can help you resolve the recent media storm surrounding you. But first, I need to know if the deaths of those three female students have anything to do with you."
Marian's sharp gaze locked onto Roy.
"Why would I kill three students? Do you really think I'd need to?"
With the jammer in place, Roy wasn't worried about being recorded, so he spoke boldly.
"It's hard to say. I've seen plenty of polished, successful people hide some truly twisted tendencies behind their masks."
Roy's lips twitched. He wanted to argue, but then he thought about how America's elite often did have bizarre scandals—take that island and that "daddy" incident, for example.
"I'm not like them. You should know who I really am."
Roy stared into Marian's eyes, making her briefly look away.
"I know. That's why I'm here. I may not always follow the rules, but I've never reported fake news. You can ask your friend at the LA Times if you don't believe me."
Marian already knew Keller was Roy's friend.
With both sides laying their cards on the table, the atmosphere warmed considerably.
"Ms. Megan, how do you plan to help me with this media crisis?"
"I can arrange an exclusive TV interview for you. It'll give you a chance to explain everything to the public and let them get to know you better."
"And I'm guessing you'd be the host?"
"Obviously!"
It was clear Marian had her own motives, likely hoping to ride the wave of Roy's controversy to boost her own profile. She might even toss in some tough questions during a live broadcast to trip him up.
It was a double-edged sword—one wrong move, and he could end up worse off.
Roy narrowed his eyes.
"In theory, I'm on board. But can you really secure an interview slot soon? I've heard from sources that someone's been pressuring news outlets to block any stories clearing my name."
Marian tilted her head confidently.
"ABC's influence isn't something small papers can match. Shutting down ABC would come at a steep price."
She was right. As one of America's top three TV networks, ABC had serious clout.
Most Americans might skip the newspaper, but they'd tune into ABC's programs, making it a powerful platform for clearing his name.
Add an Olympic champion tag to the mix, and the ratings would be through the roof. The network would be hard-pressed to turn down that kind of money.
Unless, of course, whoever was targeting Roy had immense power or was willing to pay an astronomical price.
That seemed unlikely. Even if it was some tycoon's kid behind it, they'd need their family's approval to pull that off, and conglomerates weren't foolish enough to burn that kind of cash on a sports star.
"Sounds good. I think we're starting to build a foundation for cooperation."
Marian flicked her hair seductively, giving Roy a suggestive look.
"So, you're finally agreeing to work with me?"
Her deliberate move hinted at lingering resentment from past rejections.
"Just a foundation. Don't get any ideas—I'm not interested."
With that, Roy pulled Meri close and kissed her.
Marian's composure cracked, and she glared at him, teeth gritted.
She prided herself on her charm—plenty of guys at the network chased her, though she brushed most of them off.
But compared to Roy? She had to admit she wasn't in his league.
After all, Roy was the guy who could juggle multiple women without his personal life imploding—something even ancient emperors might envy.
If she couldn't outshine Roy, could she at least outdo the woman by his side?
Marian's gaze shifted to Meri.
With her short hair and serene, intellectual vibe, Meri had a slightly angular face that paired perfectly with her unique charm.
She was the kind of woman any guy would feel at ease with.
Marian, by contrast, came off as too aggressive, which could intimidate men.
Realizing this, Marian felt a pang of defeat.
"Mr. Black, do you have to hit me where it hurts?"
"I'm just setting boundaries so you don't get the wrong idea."
But Roy's words only fueled Marian's competitive streak.
"Hmph! I'll make you regret saying that!"
With that, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room.
"Mr. Black, I'll have news within three days. Wait for my call—same number as the text."
Roy considered asking how she'd gotten his private number, but she was already gone, moving too fast for him to bother.
"Meri, want to keep drinking?"
Meri shook her head, her beautiful eyes locked on his.
"Nah, drinking's not that fun."
"Should I take you back to your dorm, then?"
Meri shook her head again.
"Clary's not there. I don't want to go back."
Her meaning was crystal clear, and Roy wasn't dense.
"How about we head to the Beverly Hills villa?"
"Sounds good!"
As Marian stormed out of the bar and prepared to hail a cab, a girl suddenly cut in to claim it.
"Hey, what are you doing? I called this cab first!"
The girl glanced at Marian and apologized.
"Sorry, I didn't see you. We could share it, though. Where do you live?"
Marian sized her up. The girl was pretty, so she let her guard down and gave a general idea of her address.
To her surprise, the girl lived nearby.
"My place is close to there. Wanna split the cab? Save some cash."
Marian didn't care about the fare, but the driver was impatient, and no other cabs were around, so she agreed.
"Fine, I'll cover the ride. You don't have to pay."
They hopped in together.
"Thanks! I'm a UCLA student, and money's tight. I wouldn't take a cab if it wasn't urgent!"
Marian felt a spark of empathy. She'd been there, pinching pennies to survive.
Even now, with some fame in the news world, she hadn't paid off half her student loans.
"You're at UCLA? What's your name?"
"Adela. I'm Adela (ring a bell?). I'm a freshman in UCLA's media department!"
Looking at the vibrant Adela, Marian saw a reflection of her college self.
Back then, she'd been a media student too, full of the same energy, though not at UCLA.
"Freshman, huh? That's great!"
They hit it off, and after dropping Adela off, Marian exchanged numbers with her.
"I'm a media grad too. If you have any academic questions, feel free to ask."
Coming from Marian, that was a big deal—she clearly clicked with Adela.
"Awesome! I'll call you!"
Adela made a phone-call gesture.
"Call me!"
As the cab drove off, Adela's smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating look.
She slipped into a dark alley, closed her eyes, and began chanting a spell.
Soon, a burst of fire appeared in the air, revealing a stunningly beautiful face.
"Mother, I've infiltrated Roy Black's school and made contact with someone close to him."
"Well done, Alad. Be cautious this time—don't reveal your true identity."
"I'll be careful, Mother."
"Careful isn't enough!"
Asmodeus, in the fiery circle, reached out and touched Alad's face, causing the surrounding air to tremble.
The Lust King had briefly breached Earth's spatial barrier, triggering resistance.
But she wasn't trying to enter Earth—just transferring a fraction of her sinful power into Alad's body before withdrawing her hand.
The air calmed instantly.
"With this power, get close to Roy Black. If you can get him to sleep with you, you'll leave a mark on his body and temporarily seal his energy."
Infused with the sin of lust, Adela's appearance and aura were transformed.
If she was supermodel-level before, now she was an international superstar, every gesture dripping with allure.
Thrilled, Adela thanked Asmodeus.
"Mother, I won't fail!"
"I'm counting on you. Someone's coming!"
Footsteps echoed in the distance, and Asmodeus cut the connection.
Adela turned toward the sound but saw nothing, briefly thinking she'd misheard.
In reality, a man with natural camouflage approached. Spotting the stunning Adela, his eyes gleamed with desire.
He pulled out a knife.
"Hey, gorgeous, how about you play along?"
Adela flashed a seductive smile.
"Sure."
A minute later, she wiped blood from her lips and strolled out of the alley.
Adela (Rachel Cook)
(End of Chapter)