C16 He Was Actually with Another Man

With a snap, Jabe whipped out a cigar, lit it, and took a deep drag before striding toward the figure ahead. Volney, trailing behind, watched the woman with her hands on her hips, scolding the drunk with an agitation that the swirling wind only accentuated.

Katie, too engrossed in her fury to notice the approach, spat out, "Think you can bully me? Shameless man." As her hand flew toward his midsection, it was abruptly caught by a broad, steadfast palm. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't break free.

Her foot shot up in a kick, but it was as if it were stuck to the ground. Panic set in, and as she looked up, she was met with a handsome face.

Under the faint streetlights, she shook her head, a moment of surprise causing her to forget her struggle.

'Is that him?! Why is it him?'

She'd been ready to hit him, only to realize that he was someone she couldn't afford to provoke.

Words jammed in her throat, and the sentences she meant to utter were swallowed back down.

A strong sense of alarm hit her, the urge to run almost irresistible. Jabe's presence threw her into an inexplicable panic.

Around them, a haunting quiet settled. Passersby, for some reason, all scurried into the bar, unwilling to witness the scene unfold.

Jabe was someone no one dared to provoke.

"Mr. Russell, what a coincidence," she said, touching her nose and looking at him with an embarrassed smile. She laughed softly, but with no response, she laughed again—still nothing.

A shiver of apprehension coursed through her. He couldn't possibly be here for her, could he?

"Mr. Russell, just passing by? Seems a bit tense around here. I'll look out for you," she said with a lip bite, reaching out to straighten his shirt and pat the pant leg she had almost kicked.

The dim light highlighted his rugged features, his strong nose, and thin lips set in a cool, inadvertent smirk. His deep eyes surveyed her, taking in her every expression with a curiosity that left her wondering what he expected to see next.

No woman had ever piqued his interest enough to want to unravel her thoughts like this.

Volney had investigated earlier today and confirmed that she was indeed on her own. Perhaps fortune was on her side.

"What are you laughing at?" She took a deep breath, deliberately avoiding his gaze and turning her face away, her eyes locked on the man groaning on the floor.

He had been beaten so badly he couldn't get up. Jabe's presence seemed to have brought him back to his senses.

The man had made the mistake of offending someone he shouldn't have. His day of reckoning appeared to be imminent.

"How dare you go on a date with another man behind my back?" Jabe's forceful pull brought her into his embrace, and he loomed over her, his voice stern.

He had made it clear that she was to meet him tonight. Yet she hadn't, choosing instead to be on this street lined with bars... in the company of another man!

The man on the ground took a deep breath. Why involve him in this mess? Sure, he was drunk and his true colors showed, but a date? He was the one who had been thrashed.

Katie was completely taken aback. How did this translate to her being on a date?

"Don't make baseless accusations. What meeting? And since when does my dating life concern you?" She glared at him, indignant. Was her taste in men really that terrible? Was any random drunk now considered her suitor?

"I said I'd be waiting for you tonight," Jabe remarked, an enigmatic sparkle in his eye, the smirk on his lips deepening as he saw her face turn red with anger.

"Why should I care if you're waiting? I never said I'd go," she snapped back, her heart skipping a beat. She had dismissed the idea from her mind; if he hadn't mentioned it, she would have completely forgotten.

She wasn't about to come running just because he summoned her. That would be undignified.

Besides, she had no connection to him. Getting too close could only be detrimental to her.

"Or are you planning to get serious with him?" Jabe teased, a hint of mischief in his deep gaze as he drew her in and whispered close to her ear.

Katie felt a wave of frustration. "What does who I'm with have to do with you?"

He stared at her with unwavering focus. She was bold, indeed.

"Keep up the act, and it might just become reality," Jabe said coolly, letting her go. Katie lost her balance and nearly toppled to the ground. Regaining her footing, she reached out and firmly grasped his sleeve.

"Mr. Russell, have you reached a decision about the demolition?" Her voice trembled as she clutched at his sleeve, biting her lip and looking up at him with a pitiful gaze.

Despite her foul mood, she hadn't forgotten the pressing issue.

That place was her home, and she couldn't just walk away from it, no matter what.

The man caught sight of the hand gripping his sleeve and, compelled by her woeful look, impulsively kissed her.

"Ugh…" A tingling sensation on her lips left Katie momentarily dazed.

Volney turned away, pressing a hand to his forehead, perplexed by his boss's actions. Surely, they could have a proper discussion at home instead of out here on the street. Couldn't he exercise a bit of self-control?

That's when Volney realized his boss was the strong, silent type: a dedicated worker, a tireless workaholic, aloof with everyone... He simply hadn't met someone who could stir his heart.

"Jabe, what are you doing? Do you think you can just play around with women in public because you're powerful? Let me make it clear—I'm not that kind of person," she snapped, pushing him away furiously. Jabe, caught off guard, staggered back several steps.

Katie's eyes were alight with anger as she looked up at him. He was equally astonished. He was no longer a green boy and had seen his fair share of the world—how could he be so utterly infatuated with such an innocent girl?

"The taste, not bad," he commented, his fingertip grazing his lips, still holding her lingering warmth and subtle fragrance.

In the faint light, her silhouette was striking—her long hair flowing, her plain dress somehow accentuating her extraordinary presence. The light softened her features, shrouding her in an enigmatic aura.

He gave her a deep, penetrating look before turning sharply and striding to his luxury car. Volney quickly got in the driver's seat and they drove away.

"Disgusting man!" she exclaimed, standing still as she watched the luxury car vanish in a trail of dust, her anger unabated.

Leaning casually against the wall, Thos and Sammie each lit a cigarette, slowly blowing rings of smoke and lost in their own thoughts. Driven by curiosity about their friend's sudden, urgent departure, as if something pressing was at hand, they left a stack of cash behind and quickly followed.

Little did they know, they were about to witness a scene of raw passion: Jabe and Katie, locked in an intense kiss that was nothing short of explosive.

"Would you look at that," Sammie remarked with a shake of his head, "All that decorum, just a front, eh? When push comes to shove, they don't hold back." His quick reflexes came in handy as he swiftly pulled out his phone, capturing the fervent moment on video.