Ash sat beside Katty. He was curious to hear what she heard to say.
“I’m sitting now, so can you please explain to me what you meant by that.”
Katty smiled as she took another sip off her glass – “explain what to you?”
Ash would lose his mind if she continued to play games with him. He knew how the Landers were when they began playing games and he wasn’t in the mood to play.
“You said I should be grateful and thankful, whatever it is you said. Now I need you to explain to me why you said that.”
“I’m a Landers. We don’t give any explanation to anyone. All we do is enlighten people, that’s all.”
Ash couldn’t believe this. If he wasn’t sure before that Katty was worse in character than Ivan, he was definitely sure now. From time to time, he’d always look around – left, right and behind. The Landers were very tricky people, he hated to imagine that he might be set up by Katty Landers. I mean, he was not in any way wrong to feel such a way, a Landers proposing to help you resist another Landers will definitely bring the maximum of consciousness and cautiousness in you.
“I’m not going to do what you’re thinking. If I wanted to set you up, I would have done that a long time ago.” It was as if Katty knew what was streaming through his mind. Yet again, another special talent every Landers was known to possess. That’s why they were seen as figures of power.
“Ivan was at your place today, right?”
Ash nodded. He stared down at the drink served to him by the bar man. He wasn’t going to touch it, he was scared maybe, or perhaps, he was just being shrewd.
“Aren’t you going to drink?” Katty asked Ash.
“Maybe after we’re done talking.”
“No one rejects a drink that I offer to them. Drink!”
Katty was definitely the most possessive and mind control seeking person that Ash had ever met. But he didn’t give in to her request. Ash was smart, he knew that if Katty was truly sincere about helping him resist Ivan, then there must be something bigger that it could help her achieve. The number one rule in the city was that –
“I will not do anything to help you if you don’t have something bigger to offer.”
They were business minded, all of them. Katty has adopted this trait too even though she wasn’t a Landers by flesh and blood. They only got involved where they saw potential.
“How did you think Daisy got that information and came to your rescue?” Katty asked Ash.
“Information leaked.”
“And who leaked such information?”
“You?” Ash was unsure.
“Of course, it was me. If I didn’t do that, Ivan would have had you brutally messed up by his boys, accused you of anything and had your medical bills sorted out.”
“Why did you decide to help me?” Ash asked. He still had not gotten the motive behind Katty’s actions. He wanted to understand why he was being aided to withstand pressures from a Landers by another Landers.
“It’s because I don’t want Nelly anywhere close to Ivan. That’s the only reason I’m going to give you and don’t ask me why!” Katty sipped from her glass again.
Ash was never going to ask her the reason why she didn’t want Nelly close to Ivan. As long as she wanted them separated, he didn’t care about what her reason was.
Katty promised to keep looking out for him. She assured him that Mr. Easton Landers had a very soft spot for her and that he himself would help her tame Ivan.
“Ivan can’t go against our Grandfather. He does whatever my grandfather asks him to do. And who’s the one who tells our Grandfather? It’s me!” Katty bragged. She continued –
“As long as you help me keep Nelly’s whereabouts from Ivan, I’ll ensure that he never breaks you.”
“And what if he results in other means?”
“Then I’ll involve our Grandfather. There’s no way he can say no when my grandfather asks him to stop.” Katty let loose a devious smile.
The most annoying Landers he has ever seen, also the one he has ever agreed to. Ash was stunned. When Katty reached her hand out for a handshake -“deal?”
Ash readily shook her hands – “deal!”
Ash grabbed his glass, he was about to drink but then:
“Hey, you!”
Ash turned, it was Ivan speaking to him.
“What are you doing in such a restaurant, seated at the most expensive bar…alone?”
It was when Ivan said alone that Ash turned to find out that Katty was no longer there. How was she so fast to see Ivan on time and make a move? Ash was perplexed as well as impressed. There was no arguing it now, she was definitely the smartest Landers he had ever come across. Katty also left some cash on his legs, she must have dropped it intentionally. It was enough to pay for the drinks.
“Is it now a crime to be seen in a restaurant like this? Or is it written that this restaurant is only for the Landers’?”
Ivan looked around the table, he saw another glass. He knew that Ash was not alone. Most importantly, he knew that the person Ash was with had to be so wealthy because there was no way Ash could afford to pay for such drinks. It was way too expensive.
“I see you have a wealthy girl in your life, huh?”
Ash ignored Ivan, he just continued sipping the wine from his glass. He was scared of what Ivan might try to do again. He wondered what Katty could do this time to get him out of there.
Oh, no! Katty left her scarf just beneath the stool she was sitting on. Ivan was standing at the perfect angle to see it. It belonged to the Landers’ and was even customized to Katty’s name.
“What’s that?” Ivan asked.
Shit! Has he spotted it?