Vincent’s icy stare locked onto the young man, sending a shiver down his spine.

Vincent had come to the bar with a client and had immediately noticed Katelyn. At first, he assumed she was just there to unwind, but to his surprise, a man was clearly trying to win her favor.

A cloud of sadness darkened Vincent’s eyes.

The young man fell silent, quickly getting up to escape, as if a beast were after him.

Katelyn managed a smile, though she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that suddenly washed over her. “Mr. Adams, what brings you here?” she asked with a dry chuckle.

Vincent showed no emotion as he sank into the empty sofa. He glanced at the unopened bottle the young man had brought and casually asked, “What did he tell you? That his family is struggling financially and he needs a lot of money to get by, so he’s working here?”

Katelyn’s eyes widened in surprise. How did Vincent know? Had he been listening to their conversation?

Noting her reaction, Vincent said coldly, “They all use the same story, carefully crafted to win sympathy.”

Aimee, just as surprised, asked, “Do they actually get trained for this?”

Vincent nodded casually, leaning back on the sofa with a refined confidence that couldn’t be ignored.

“What did you think? If you’d agreed to support him, his next step would’ve been to swindle you.”

Katelyn felt a harsh reminder of reality, almost misled by her own kindness. She raised her glass and took a sip, feeling helpless. “This world is full of lies and deceit. What can we trust anymore?”

? ?ν?

She had actually been close to giving that young man some money.

If he hadn’t suddenly asked to be her sugar baby, the transfer would’ve already been made.

Vincent’s face remained emotionless as he gave her a cold stare.

“Places like this are full of people like that. Save your kindness for those who truly need it.”

His final words seemed to carry a deeper message.

Katelyn instinctively glanced up, locking eyes with Vincent, and found herself drawn into the depths of his dark gaze. There was something mesmerizing about those eyes, a magnetic pull that held anyone who dared to look.

Aimee, clutching her bag, was ready to leave. She had no desire to stay and play the third wheel in such a romantic setting. She quickly made up an excuse.

“Hey, I just remembered I have some work to finish. Mr. Adams will keep you company. We’ll catch up another time.”

With that, Aimee hurried off, practically racing out of the room. Katelyn, not fully grasping the awkwardness, mumbled to herself, “Strange, Aimee didn’t get any work alerts.” It then dawned on Katelyn that Aimee had left on purpose to give her and Vincent some alone time. Katelyn felt a slight headache forming. Her connection with Vincent had always been strictly professional. Besides, Vincent was still engaged. Even if she had feelings for him, she would never act on them. The earlier incident had already created an awkward tension between them.

Vincent leaned back on the sofa, watching her with a cold gaze.

Katelyn picked up her glass and forced a smile. “Mr. Adams, would you like to have a drink?” Fresh chapters posted on find?novel.net

Vincent stayed expressionless as he gulped down his drink in one go.

After a brief silence, Katelyn took a quiet sip of her wine. She could tell something was bothering Vincent but decided not to ask. Feeling that the conversation was awkward, she figured it was best to enjoy her drink in silence.

Before long, Katelyn had finished all the drinks on the table. As she bent down to grab a new bottle, Vincent stopped her hand.

“You’re drunk. Let me take you home.”

Katelyn’s eyes looked dreamy, and her cheeks were flushed like ripe apples.

This brought back memories of the last time Katelyn had been drunk.

He had promised himself he wouldn’t let it happen again.

Katelyn gave a goofy smile, shaking her head slowly. “I’m not that drunk. It’s you who’s had too much.”

Vincent’s eyes flickered with helplessness. He stepped closer, taking Katelyn’s hand and guiding her toward the exit.

The evening breeze was mild, a gentle promise to help clear Katelyn’s head.

But just as they stepped out the door, a flowerpot came tumbling down from above.

Bang!

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