The Inescapable Celibate Heir Chapter 120: Ethan Gets Injured

Declan let out a heavy sigh. "I don't have a choice. Sophia's dad is the Secretary of the Treasury, and their family pretty much runs all the businesses around here. If we piss her off, this resort is done for."

Reindeer breeding, selling, and exporting were all controlled by Sophia's family. 

She was her father's favorite, and even though Declan couldn't stand her behavior, he knew better than to say anything.

Just then, Sophia and her bodyguards were dragging a few reindeer past them. She planned to test ride them and pick out two. 

Victoria glanced over at the commotion and saw a blonde woman in a red fur-trimmed hat surrounded by a crowd. 

Her eyebrows were striking, and her gray-blue eyes sparkled when she smiled, but her face turned dark as she whipped a reindeer beside her, muttering curses. 

A bloody mark appeared on the reindeer's light brown back, and it cried out in pain, struggling against the bodyguards who held it tightly.

Declan looked at the crying reindeer, a flash of pity in his eyes, but he turned away, unable to watch.

Sophia laughed arrogantly, whipping the reindeer several more times. She knew exactly where to hit to make the reindeer submit quickly. 

The reindeer knelt on the ground, crying out in pain, its large, clear eyes full of pleading.

Victoria couldn't take it anymore and walked over, shouting, "Stop it!"

Sophia paused mid-whip, turning to Victoria. "Who are you? Mind your own business, or you'll get whipped too." 

She cursed in Lytherian, dismissing Victoria as just another tourist. This was Lytheria, and no one dared to cross her here. 

She raised her whip again, ready to strike the reindeer into submission.

Victoria stepped forward, grabbing the whip, her tone stern. "I said stop! Aren't you Lytherians supposed to treat reindeer as friends? Don't you feel ashamed for abusing animals like this?"

Sophia yanked the whip from Victoria's hand, the rough texture heating up Victoria's palm, forcing her to let go. 

The whip cracked in the air, and Sophia, furious, said, "Who do you think you are? You have no right to lecture me! Meddling foreigner!" 

She swung the whip towards Victoria's face. She didn't care about Victoria's identity; in Lytheria, even if she injured Victoria, the police wouldn't help her.

The two were too close for Victoria to dodge, and she could only turn her face away as the whip came down on her shoulder. 

But the expected pain didn't come. Victoria opened her eyes to see Ethan half-embracing her, his arm blocking the whip. 

His sleeve was torn, and a bloody mark was visible on his exposed hand.

Victoria gasped, "Ethan! Your hand!" She grabbed his arm, wanting to touch the wound but afraid of hurting him more. 

Her face was full of concern, her eyes welling up with tears.

Samuel and the others rushed over, worried about Ethan's injury. 

Sophia was momentarily taken aback by their striking appearance and demeanor but quickly regained her haughty expression. 

"He got in the way himself. I didn't mean to hit him. You must be tourists. Where are you from?"

Nick glared at her, "How dare you hit Ethan! We won't let you get away with this!" 

He moved to confront her, and Sophia's bodyguards stepped in, ready to fight. 

Declan quickly positioned himself between the two groups, trying to calm things down. "Sophia, they're my guests. Please, for the sake of our long-standing cooperation, let's avoid conflict."

Sophia raised her chin, demanding, "Make them apologize to me. These foreigners are so rude."

Samuel smirked, "Sophia, you're Thaddeus Britton's daughter?"

"You've heard of my father? Then you should beg for my forgiveness." Sophia was surprised Samuel knew her identity, assuming Declan had told him.

Samuel not only knew, but he also had connections with Thaddeus. 

As the elder of the group, he felt responsible for protecting the others. He sneered, "You should be the one apologizing to us, or you'll regret it."

Sophia laughed, "You know my father's name, but do you know his power? Since you're good-looking, if you beg for forgiveness and spend the night with me, I might consider letting you off."

Sophia's words made Nick and the others' expressions turn from anger to a mix of anger and amusement, trying to hold back laughter. 

They never expected Sophia to demand Samuel to sell his body. It seemed that Samuel had remained single all these years by choice. 

Declan looked grim, worried about Sophia harming his guests, so he advised, "Sophia's father is the Secretary of the Treasury. You have no standing in Lytheria, so it's best not to provoke her."

Eric and Roy exchanged glances. So what if he's the Secretary of the Treasury? 

This small country didn't even have the population of a single state in Aerion. They were young and fearless.

Sophia noticed their disdain and puffed out her chest. "I'm not just relying on my father. I'm as good as any man!" 

"You're here to pick reindeer for the racing competition, right? Do you know who holds the current record?" She nodded at Declan, signaling him to tell them.

Declan reluctantly said, "It's Sophia, with two minutes and fifty-three seconds."

"No one can beat me at reindeer riding. This proves my methods are the most effective. These reindeer need to be whipped hard. You outsiders don't know anything, so stop criticizing." 

Sophia's arrogance stemmed from her confidence in her abilities. But Declan knew she always got the first pick of the best reindeer, so her top scores were expected.

Victoria stepped forward, "If I break your record, will you admit you're wrong and apologize?"