Upstairs in Private Booth V-08, a latecomer finally recognized Elena Bennett.
"Hey, Julian Ford!" The man leaned in close, his tone laced with teasing. "Your little shadow stepsister's down at a table drinking! You don't think she knew you were here and chased you down, do you?"
Julian Ford's hand holding the wine glass faltered slightly, a faint frown creasing his brows.
Chased him down? It hardly seemed like it, not with how she'd completely "disappeared" these past few days.
He paused for a moment, his voice cold and detached: "Just a coincidence."
But the man seemed to spot something even more amusing, and added:
"Though she looks pretty drunk. I saw a strange guy hitting on her when I came up. You gonna go check on her? She's technically your sister, after all—getting wasted in a place like this is asking for trouble."
Julian Ford's knuckles whitened around the stem of his glass.
Elena Bennett… drunk? And being pestered by a stranger?
He'd grown tired of her relentless clinging, but years of living under the same roof had forged a faint bond all the same.
If something happened to her right under his nose, he couldn't in good conscience stand by and do nothing.
His hesitation lasted only a split second. He set down his glass and stood up, his face impassive: "I'll go check."
Watching Julian Ford's retreating figure leave the booth, the man who'd broken the news exchanged a knowing glance with their friends—turns out, this stepsister wasn't entirely insignificant to Julian Ford after all.
Down at the table, Elena Bennett snapped out of her initial shock.
The boy was certainly easy on the eyes, and money was no object for her now—but with five love interests to win over, who had the time to keep a pretty boy?
She was about to refuse when her peripheral vision caught a familiar figure at the top of the stairs—Julian Ford was coming down!
In a split second, the words on the tip of her tongue changed, melting into a drunk, breathy murmur: "Kiss me."
Silas Carter froze, stunned.
Elena Bennett lowered her voice, her tone laced with temptation:
"Let me test your kissing skills first… if you're good, I'll consider keeping you. If not… I'll still give you a hundred grand tip."
She couldn't actually keep him, but why not use this "pawn" to put on a show and rile Julian Ford up? It was the perfect opportunity.
Silas Carter didn't hesitate. He leaned down, pulled her into his arms, and pressed his lips to hers.
His movements were clumsy, yet utterly earnest—it was his first kiss.
So when Julian Ford strode over to the table, the sight that greeted him was the two of them locked in a passionate kiss, seemingly unwilling to part.
"Let her go!"
For no reason at all, an unbridled rage flared in his chest, clouding his judgment completely.
He didn't even have time to question where the anger came from; his body acted before his mind could think—
He shoved Silas Carter hard, sending the boy stumbling into a nearby table with a crash.
In the next instant, Julian Ford's long arm shot out, yanking the flushed, kiss-swollen Elena Bennett into his embrace!
"Elena Bennett!" His deep voice seethed with barely contained fury, his sharp gaze cutting to Silas Carter—now glowering after being pushed aside. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
Elena Bennett's heart rejoiced. Her prey had not only taken the bait, but his reaction was even more intense than she'd hoped.
But on the surface, she feigned drunken confusion, as if she didn't recognize him. She thrashed in his arms, her hands pushing aimlessly at his firm chest, her voice slurred with protest: "Let go… who are you… let me go…"
Silas Carter had steadied himself by now. He clutched his bruised shoulder, his dark eyes fixed on Julian Ford's arm wrapped around Elena Bennett, burning with hostility.
When he saw her struggling, his first instinct was to rush forward and pull her back.
But as soon as he moved, two black-clad bodyguards—who'd appeared behind Julian Ford out of nowhere—blocked his path. All he could do was stare at her through the human wall, his eyes filled with anxiety and resentment.
Julian Ford paid the boy no mind at all. His entire focus was on the troublesome woman in his arms.
Her flushed cheeks, her wet, swollen lips, the memory of the kiss he'd walked in on—all of it stoked the fire in his chest until it blazed out of control.
She didn't recognize him? Only had eyes for some random stranger off the street?
Julian Ford's eyes darkened. He snatched the half-full glass of iced wine from the table beside them and splashed the cold liquid straight into Elena Bennett's face without a second thought!
The sudden shock of the cold made her let out a short gasp, her body trembling as if jolted "sober" by the chill.
She lifted her head in a fluster, her hazy eyes struggling to focus—until they met Julian Ford's furious gaze.
A look of perfect embarrassment and panic, the guilt of being caught red-handed, flashed across her face. She squirmed in his arms, trying to break free, her voice uncertain: "Bro… Brother?"
It was as if she'd only just recognized him, her eyes darting away: "W-why are you here? Let me go…"
"If I hadn't come, would I have let you run wild in here?" Julian Ford's arm was like a steel vice around her; far from loosening his grip, he pulled her even tighter, pinning her firmly to his chest.
The faint scent of wine on her skin mixed with a strange, crisp male fragrance—one that wasn't hers—and it gnawed at his nerves relentlessly.
"I didn't…" Elena Bennett pouted, her lower lip trembling with feigned hurt, her eyes wandering as she tried to explain, her words slurred and muddled by "drunkenness". "I… I just felt upset… had a few drinks… h-he came over on his own…"
Her excuse was weak, nothing more than a guilty attempt to cover her tracks.
"A few drinks? Drunk enough to let any random man kiss you?" His voice was ice-cold, sharp with an accusation and a hint of jealousy he didn't even realize he felt. "Elena Bennett, you've only been out of the house a few days, and you already learned to come to places like this for fun?"
"I'm not here for fun…" Elena Bennett looked as if his words had stabbed her, her eyes glistening with tears she held back as she struggled harder. "Let me go! My life is none of your business! You… you hated it when I clung to you, didn't you? I'm not clinging to you anymore… so why do you get to tell me what to do…"
Her words struck a hidden chord in Julian Ford's heart.
He was right—he'd always wanted her to stay away from him.
And now she had. She'd moved out, stopped seeking him out, and instead tangled herself up with a complete stranger.
So why did seeing it with his own eyes make him lose control like this?
This fierce possessiveness shouldn't have existed in his feelings for her.
The conflicting thoughts only made him more irritable.
"Because I'm your brother!" Julian Ford took a deep breath, forcing down the chaotic emotions swirling in his chest. He pulled off his suit jacket with a cold expression and wrapped it firmly around her trembling shoulders, no room for argument.
He swept her up into his arms in a bridal carry: "I'm taking you home."
"Ah!" Elena Bennett let out a small shriek, her arms wrapping around his neck instinctively.
Julian Ford ignored the curious and surprised stares from the crowd around them, carrying her straight toward the exit.
As they passed Silas Carter, Elena Bennett—still in Julian Ford's arms—suddenly remembered she hadn't paid the pawn his hundred grand "performance fee".
She tugged weakly at Julian Ford's sleeve, her voice a small, timid request: "Brother… stop for a second."
Julian Ford halted, glancing down at her, his brows furrowed deep with impatience: "What now?"
Elena Bennett's heart fluttered under his intense gaze, her voice dropping to an even softer whisper: "That… the tip… I haven't settled it yet… Brother, can you pay it for me? A hundred grand…"