"Well, I like you too, but I'm a private person. How about we keep this little arrangement just between us?" he proposed.
Emily's eyes widened, a glint of mischief crawling into her irises.
"Are you married? Have a secret family?" She said it like a joke, but he could sense she would happily thrive in the role of a mistress, as long as it gave her access to the things she wanted.
He smiled, not confirming or denying.
"Let's just say I have some complicated commitments. Nothing you need to worry about."
She studied him, drinking in his features—his blunt honesty, the distance he maintained even as she tried to close it.
"You're really not like the others," she mused. "That's good. I was starting to get bored around here."
They sipped coffees quietly, letting the air buzz with the new dynamic.
Through the window, the sun threw hard gold on the sidewalk.
Emily tapped her foot against his, not exactly flirtatious, just a way to make contact.
"Want to get a room? I can get the VIP suite here for free." she bit her lips and laughed in a way that suggested she was only half-kidding.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't attracted to her. She was beautiful—just as much as Effie, maybe even more.
Shaking his head, he smiled with amusement "A little forward, don't you think?"
She shrugged, reaching for his hand. "From the way you keep looking at my cleavage , I could have sworn you want to touch them."
Holding her palm gently, Terrence began to play with it.
"I'd love to do it with you, but I'm busy right now. How about we set up another time?"
She nodded and released his hand, but not before running a fingernail lightly down his index finger, leaving a fine white line that vanished almost immediately.
"Tomorrow, my place or yours?" she asked.
"Tomorrow, your place," he agreed, a strange satisfaction settling in.
After their small talk, he said goodbye to the others and left the gathering right away.
It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep with her—far from it.
Who wouldn't want to be with a beauty worth hundreds of millions?
The real reason was the sense of hostility he felt in the cafe.
Because his body absorbed mana, some of his passive abilities started returning.
One of them was called "Impulse Instinct."
An ability every soldier in the future developed to survive the deadly wasteland
Now, watching the rear camera, he spotted a black SUV trailing him.
'Just my luck. Came here to make connections, but ended up with enemies.'
To be sure, he made a few random turns. The SUV followed every time.
Turning onto a boulevard, the engine of his car hummed low and steady, like a swarm of half-asleep bees.
In the rearview mirror, he saw the SUV slowed down as well—they didn't even try to hide their intentions.
He pulled over near a busy stretch of boulevard.
Groups of people sat on benches and low walls, watching the sun dip behind the skyline.
The crowd gave him cover. Anyone following would have to think twice before making a move.
That's what he thought—until a group of large men in black suits stepped out.
One of them wore sunglasses, even though the sun was nearly gone.
The man in sunglasses stopped a few feet away, letting the crowd trickle ahead while he gave Terrence a slow, appraising look.
He was built like a lineman, arms thick in a too-tight suit jacket, neck emerging from his collar as though it could barely contain the veins pulsing underneath.
The others flanked him in an uneven triangle.
"Why are you following me?"
"You've been talking to a lot of important people, friend," Sunglasses spoke.
"Why do you care?"
"Kid, you're young and rich. Go play with other girls. Emily's not someone you want to mess with. If you know what's good for you, stay away."
Terrence let out a deep sigh. He was tired of being underestimated.
"Fuck off. I talk to whoever talks to me."
The man smiled, flashing two gold teeth. His grin was rough and loud, like a gunshot. "Funny guy."
"Don't waste your life kid. If you know what's good for you, walk away now. You don't know who you're messing with."
"No, I think you're the ones who don't know who you're dealing with."
The man in sunglasses stepped back. He pulled back his coat just enough to reveal a handgun tucked at his side.
"Tsk," Terrence clicked his tongue in annoyance.
If this had been after his breakthrough, he would've made them choke on those bullets.
Sadly, he had to be smart about picking his battles.
Even if he took them down with his skills, it would cause too much noise in a world full of cameras.
Besides, the man in sunglasses wasn't ordinary either.
He flinched at the killing intent—a sign he was no stranger to confrontation. Probably an ex-special forces soldier.
"You made your point. I'll stay away from her." He turned, climbed into his car, and drove off.
His knuckles rapped the wheel, restless as his thoughts raced.
'I need to get stronger—fast. The sooner I break through the first stage, the sooner I can act without worrying about getting shot.'
With that in mind, he went to another jewelry shop and bought more expensive, higher-quality stones.
'Just you wait, fuckers.'
Their gun threats annoyed him more than he wanted to show.
'I should start carrying a gun too.'