Chapter 4:Unexpected Encounter
1516 Words
The city lights of Manila twinkled through the tall windows of Royal, one of the metro’s most exclusive bars tucked between skyscrapers and sleepless traffic. Laughter echoed softly, glasses clinked, and jazz played in the background.
Ashtine sat in the farthest booth, trying to disappear into the dim lights. Her fingers tapped anxiously on her glass of soda as she stared at her phone.
One new message.
Unknown Number: We both know you can’t hide forever, sweetheart.
She froze. Her stepfather. That voice from the past clawing its way back into her world. Her pulse quickened, the chatter in the bar fading beneath the roar in her ears.
“You okay?” came a voice smooth, playful, yet tinged with genuine concern.
Zeke Alaric.
One of the city’s most eligible bachelors, known for his string of flings and flashy lifestyle. But right now, the usual smirk on his face has softened.
She gave a shaky smile. “Yeah... just a lot on my mind.”
Zeke didn’t buy it, but he slid into the booth across from her anyway. “Mind if I keep you company for a bit?”
She didn’t object.
“I didn’t think you were the bar type,” he added, glancing at her untouched drink.
“I’m not. Just needed some air... and quiet.”
“In Royal?” he teased.
She smiled faintly. “Okay, maybe not the best place for that.”
He laughed. “You’re funny. I like that.”
Across the room, Rich Dawson leaned against the bar counter, nursing a whiskey, his cold eyes fixed on them. The suit, the posture, the power and he looked like he was carved from stone.
Watching. Judging. Fuming.
He didn’t like what he saw, and he didn’t even know why. Without thinking, he made his way to their booth, the heels of his leather shoes echoing across the polished floor.
“Ashtine,” he said, his voice clipped.
She looked up. The tension in the air could’ve split concrete.
“Sir,” she said coolly.
“Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Didn’t think I owed you my schedule.”
Zeke’s brows rose slightly. “Is this your boss?”
“Unfortunately,” Ashtine muttered.
Rich ignored Zeke and zeroed in on her.
“You know, you really should inform someone when you're planning to be... out this late.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You mean I need to inform my boss if I want to go out after work hours?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“But that’s what you meant.”
The glare they exchanged could set fire to steel.
“I’ll go get us another round,” Zeke said, standing. “You two need... a moment.”
When he left, Rich stepped closer.
“You shouldn’t be around guys like him.”
“Guys like him?” She stood up, chin raised. “You mean guys who actually know how to talk to women without acting like gods?”
Rich’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t reply. Their eyes locked again. Heat. History. Hatred. Something more. Then, his voice dropped.
“Don’t let your guard down. Manila isn’t safe for someone like you.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“You shouldn’t have to.”
She blinked just once before brushing past him. Rich stood frozen, unsure whether he’d just lost ground or something far more dangerous. Ashtine grabbed her coat from the booth, the weight of Rich’s gaze still clinging to her back.
“I think I’ll head home,” she said, tone casual but guarded. “Long day.”
Rich stepped forward. “I’ll take you.”
She blinked, then chuckled dryly. “What is this? Concern? Possession?”
“I just don’t think it’s safe for you to go home alone, plus you are my Secretary. If anything happens to you, it will be my problem.''
“I’ve been going home alone for years, Mr. Dawson. I’ll be fine.” Her eyes lingered on him, soft for a flicker of a second. “But thanks.”
And with that, she turned her back on him again. Rich stood there, unmoving. Defeated? No. Confused? Maybe.
He returned to his friends in the VIP section , where laughter, expensive drinks, and flirtation flowed freely—but the boys could tell immediately.
“Bro,” said Luca, raising a brow. “Are you good?”
Zion smirked. “That girl’s got claws.”
“Shut up,” Rich muttered, grabbing a drink. But his jaw clenched with the same tension that had followed him since she walked away.
Meanwhile, outside the bar, Ashtine took a breath of fresh air, wrapping her arms around herself. The night was cold but calmer.
A tall figure leaned against the brick wall near the valet area, and it was Zeke. He glanced at her, smile still there but eyes a little more serious now.
“I figured you'd storm out.”
“I didn’t storm.”
He shrugged. “Okay. Gracefully exited.”
She gave him a tired smile. “Why are you still out here?”
“To remind you of something,” he said, pushing off the wall. “Rich… isn’t the kind of man who forgets easily.”
“And I’m not the kind of woman who waits to be remembered,” she replied without hesitation.
Zeke let out a low whistle. “Noted, Miss Maze.”
He opened the car door for her like a gentleman. “Text someone when you get home.”
“I will.”
As the door shut and the vehicle rolled away, Zeke watched it disappear into the Manila traffic. Inside the bar, Rich sipped his drink but glanced at the entrance every ten seconds. She was gone. But not out of mind. Never out of mind.
Zeke watched Ashtine’s car vanish into the Manila night, a thoughtful look crossing his face. She was interesting like fire and thorns wrapped in quiet elegance. Definitely not the usual type that surrounds them in this world of money, ego, and power.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed back into the bar. Inside, the Legion of Six were still in their booth, the table littered with top-shelf bottles and half-hearted laughter. The music pulsed around them, but Rich's eyes were still distant, his glass barely touched.
Zeke slid back into the booth, grabbing a shot and tossing it back like water.
“Where’d you go?” asked Vale, side-eyeing him with his usual curiosity.
“Fresh air,” Zeke said vaguely, his eyes casually flicking toward Rich. “And… a reminder.”
Kyro raised an eyebrow. “A reminder?”
Zeke smirked. “That not all storms come with thunder. Some wear heels and walk away.”
The boys chuckled, but Rich didn’t. He finally looked at Zeke, eyes narrowed.
“You followed her?”
“I checked on her. Chill, Dawson,” Zeke replied coolly.
“She was upset. You might be used to women falling all over you, but that one? She bites.”
“Did she say anything?” Rich asked, voice calm, but the tension under it was sharp as glass.
Zeke gave a slow, nonchalant shrug. “Only that she doesn’t wait to be remembered.”
The corner of Rich’s jaw ticked.
Zeke leaned back, draping his arm across the seat. “You don’t usually let people get under your skin, Rich. What’s so different about her?”
Rich didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. The silence said it all.
Inside the cab, Ashtine leaned her head against the cold glass window, the neon lights of Manila flashing like broken memories.
She hadn’t expected to see them at the bar, especially him.
The moment she laid eyes on Rich Dawson across the room, her heart did that stupid lurch again. A man she knew only for his cold stares and razor-sharp insults shouldn’t have that kind of effect on her.
But he did.
Zeke, though… Zeke was different. Easygoing. Warm smile. His teasing didn’t sting it soothed. The way he checked up on her felt genuine, and for a moment, she wondered what kind of man he really was under all that playboy charm.
“He’s kind of my type,” she muttered under her breath, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “If I had one.”
But her smile faded just as fast. Because no matter how charismatic Zeke was, no matter how effortless his presence felt. Rich still haunted her thoughts. He was infuriating. Arrogant. Cold as ice. And yet, there was something about him that pulled at her. The way he looked at her tonight, like he wanted to own her, like her presence stirred something deep inside him.
Why him?
She closed her eyes with a sigh, exhausted by her own mind. Maybe it was because Rich didn’t just make her heart race… he made her feel alive. In the worst and best ways.
And that was dangerous.
Too dangerous.
- Writer
