Ch-2.How dare you?
1568 Words
Felix's feet only slowed down once he had put a considerable distance between them, his heart still pounding. How on earth could he have made such a huge blunder?
He gulped, wondering if he should even bother looking for his actual date now. It was already twenty minutes past their scheduled meeting time, she had probably left by now.
Just as he debated leaving, a shrill voice pierced through his thoughts from the table next to him.
“Well, what the hell am I supposed to do, Nara, stay here forever? Where is your friend? No, I don’t care how busy he is–”
Felix turned his head toward the sound, spotting a woman sitting at a table nearby and wearing a white bodycon dress.
His stomach sank further; this must be his blind date. Even if he had already embarrassed himself once and his confidence was shot, he at least owed her a pleasant date, right?
He couldn’t just run away.
Taking a deep breath, he walked over to her and hesitantly spoke up.
“Excuse me? Are you Madison?”
The woman whipped towards him with a glare that could cut glass.
“And, what’s your problem?”
Felix blinked, caught off guard by her aggressive tone.
“Um, hi, I’m Felix. I’m really sorry for the delay—”
“That’s it? That’s all you have to say for yourself? Sorry?!”
She abruptly ended the call and looked at him from head to toe.
“Are these your manners? Making a girl wait for so long?!”
“Actually, there was a mix–”
“Shut up! How dare you interrupt me? First of all, you should have come at least half an hour ago to wait for me, but you're really shameless! None of your excuses will ever make up for this. Forget about the date, I was a fool for believing Nara. A loser like you doesn’t even deserve ten seconds of my time!"
“Excuse me? I am apologizing, at least hear me out—”
“Why?! I don’t owe you s**t! I should have seen the red flags from a mile away. You’re nothing more than a stupid nurse, but look at you— taking your own sweet time to arrive like you’re the bloody President of the country!”
Felix stared at her, stunned by her aggression. He couldn’t believe someone could be so irrational over a simple delay.
“Well, guess what Mr. President! You’ve just lost your chance, so see you never!”
Felix shook his head, still trying to diffuse the disastrous situation.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to stay back, but I can expla—”
Madison snatched her purse from the table and grabbed the glass of mint mojito she had ordered. Without warning, she threw the drink right at his face.
Felix barely had time to react. He closed his eyes as the cold, sticky liquid splashed over him, soaking his face and shirt.
“Now pay for that, and then go to hell!” Madison shouted at him, before she stormed off, her heels clacking sharply against the floor.
Felix shook his head, deciding that it wasn't a good idea to go on a blind date after all. He settled the bill, dabbing at his drenched shirt with a napkin, though it didn’t do much to help.
As he finally stepped out of the café, his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the table where he had first spotted that woman. But the next moment, he scolded himself for letting his mind wander.
Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he started walking towards the metro station; and that's when he heard loud and aggressive shouts coming from an alley nearby.
Without thinking, he turned the corner to investigate. His heart skipped a beat when he saw who it was— the same woman from the café. She was standing with her back against the wall, clutching her purse tightly, while four men surrounded her.
"Come on, sweetheart, don’t make this harder than it has to be…"
"We won’t hurt ya if you cooperate– but I can't guarantee anything if you keep being so stubborn!"
The woman’s eyes darted around, searching for an escape, but her expression remained defiant.
“Just give us what we are asking for, or we might take much more than that…”
Another one taunted, running his gaze along her body suggestively.
“Hey!” Felix shouted, stepping forward before he could realize what he was doing. “Leave her alone!”
One of the thugs, a tall guy with a tattooed neck, stepped forward.
“Go away, fucker! Mind ya own business, or we'll f**k your pretty face up.”
The thug pulled out his knife, but Felix didn't even flinch. His military training had taught him to stay calm under pressure.
“Let her go. Now.”
One of the thugs laughed and cracked his knuckles.
“Oh, so you wanna be a hero, huh?”
The tallest thug, clearly feeling challenged, swung a fist toward Felix. But he moved swiftly, sidestepping the attack. At the same time, he grabbed the thug’s arm and twisted it, sending the man crashing into the alley wall with a thud and a yelp.
The others, stunned by Felix’s skills, hesitated for a moment before rushing at him together. There was strength in unity, after all.
But Felix was ready for them. He took a deep breath as his jiu-jitsu training kicked in. He incapacitated two of them with a roundhouse kick, diffusing their attempts to punch and grab him.
The last thug seemed to consider his options for a moment, before deciding that fighting this guy wasn’t worth the risk.
He took a step back, then another, before turning tail and running at the speed of light. The others, groaning on the ground, scrambled to their feet and quickly followed, muttering curses as they fled into the shadows of the alley.
Felix turned towards Bella; the adrenaline that was still coursing through him pushed aside his shyness from earlier.
“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
Bella brushed herself off.
“I’m okay, thanks for that. I just sent my bodyguards home some time ago, but I guess I shouldn’t have done that.”
Felix frowned.
“Should I walk you to your car?”
Bella shrugged, and they began walking towards the main road. After a few moments of silence, she glanced at him. “Listen, um, Felix?”
He turned his head, and she continued,
“You said you were working as a nurse because of your mother’s health. If you wish, I can introduce you to a position at Johnson Pharmaceuticals. Just consider it a token of gratitude from my side.”
“What? No, of course not, Miss Bradshaw. I didn’t help you to get any favors.”
“No, but still– you helped me, and in return, I can help you move to a better-paying position.”
Felix shook his head, smiling politely.
“Thank you for your offer, but I’m really fond of what I do, there's something really fulfilling about my job. Every day, I get to make a difference in someone’s life, no matter how small.”
After taking a few more steps, Bella pointed ahead.
“That’s my car.”
They stopped in front of a sleek SUV, and Felix nodded with a tight smile.
“Alright then, it was really nice meeting you, Miss Bradshaw, no matter how embarrassing it might’ve been at the beginning.”
“Wait! If you’re not going to take up my offer, then here…”
She reached into her purse and pulled out a check.
“At least take this. I’ve signed it for $250,000. Please, fill in your bank details–”
Felix stared at the cheque in her hand as if it was a live grenade, before shaking his head firmly.
“Please don't be offended, but I can't take this. I just did what anybody else would have done.”
Bella looked at him, momentarily speechless.
“I’m gonna leave now. Take care of yourself, Miss Bradshaw.”
As Felix resumed his walk to the metro station, Bella watched him leave, with a softer gaze than before.
Although he seemed simple, he was different from the rest of the world.
He had declined both her offers without any hesitation, while people literally die for free money and favors.
She took a deep breath, unlocking her car and slipping behind the wheel, her mind already racing.
At least one thing was clear from today's events– someone like Felix didn’t pose a threat to her power within the family, unlike any potential arranged marriage like her grandfather had indicated.
In fact, he could turn out to be a suitable match for her…
She pulled out her phone, quickly dialing her assistant, Morgan.
“I need you to discreetly look into someone for me. His name is Felix Renado, an ex-serviceman. Find out everything you can.”
*
On the other side, Felix finally reached home, exhausted from the blind date that had been no less than a disaster. But as soon as he closed the door, his jaw dropped.
There, sitting on his dinner table, was Madison— the blind date he had missed.
- Writer
