“Go to Zarks’,” Tristan instructed his assistant when he entered the car.
When they arrived at the restaurant, they were welcomed by a waiter and were directed to a table for two. However, instead of following the waiter, Tristan went the other way.
Jacob looked ahead of them to see where they were going. After a couple more steps, he saw Eric. ‘How did he even know they were here? He’s such a stalker!’ Jacob thought of his boss.
“Hey! Who are you with?” Eric asked as soon as he saw Tristan. Belle, on the other hand, was surprised to see her boss. She too turned her head when Tristan pointed at Jacob.
“Can we join you?” the young De Clarion asked.
Eric glanced at Belle but she wasn’t looking at him, she was just frowning at her plate. To not keep Tristan from waiting, Eric nodded in response to his question.
Tristan was quick to sit down after Eric agreed. Jacob, on the other hand, was hesitant as he found it awkward.
After placing their orders, Tristan started conversing with Eric. He kept talking to him that Eric didn’t have a chance to talk to Belle. Both the assistant and secretary stayed quiet as the bosses talked.
When everyone was done eating, they stepped out together. “Let’s drop by Eden,” it was Tristan.
Eric glanced at Belle as if asking if she wanted to come. Belle just nodded before smiling faintly at him.
Eric then told Tristan they would be riding his car to the bar. Tristan agreed and left for his car with Jacob.
“You go ahead, I’ll check on Nathalie,” Belle told Eric as soon as they got in.
“I’ll meet you upstairs then,” he told her before Belle turned on her heel.
Inside the restroom, Nathalie couldn’t standstill. “Is this some sort of double date?” she asked, smiling sheepishly.
“It’s not, shut up!” Belle snapped. “Jacob’s there too!”
Nathalie nodded slowly. She then urges Belle to hurry so they can go to the VIP lounge. Belle can’t help but laugh at her friend. She sped up and dragged Nathalie out of the restroom.
They had only taken a few steps when a young man blocked their way. “Hi ladies, care to join us?” it was a guy with blonde hair. The man looks younger than them by a few years.
Nathalie finds the rich kid annoying. She sneered at him, “No, thanks!” then she tried to drag Belle past them.
However, the other two men, looking like bodyguards, were quick to block the stairs as well. Looking at the two of them, Belle and Nathalie knew they wouldn’t be able to go past them.
“You’re such a snob, Miss,” another rich kid chimed in. He was trying to act charming but Nathalie just glared at him.
“Who are they?” Tristan asked his assistant.
Tristan, Eric, and Jacob are all standing on the railings, right outside the VIP lounge. They stepped out the moment they saw the young men blocking Belle and Nathalie.
Jacob pointed at the guy with blonde hair, “That’s Louis Anderson of Anderson Logistics,” he told him, then pointed to the other guy, “And that’s Justin Smith of New Era Trading.”
“Ha! These kids got huge balls to be doing this here,” Eric snickered before shaking his head.
“Come on, join us!” Louis Anderson then reached out for Belle’s wrist, trying to pull her towards their table.
Belle was quick to resist. She was about to say something to the arrogant blonde when someone stepped in.
“Are you guys so bored to be causing trouble here?” Belle looked at the person standing between Nathalie and the blonde guy, it was Eric.
Louis sneered at him, “Mind your own business!” he told him off.
“You guys are bold to be doing something like this to our friends,” he scoffed. He then waved his hand and four burly men surrounded them.
Louis and Justin backed down but they kept their heads high. “Who do you think you are?” he asked of Eric, who was trying to stop their mischief, before glancing at the two other people behind him, Tristan and Jacob.
“Oh sorry,” Eric chuckled. “I forgot my manners. I’m Eric Thompson by the way,” he extended a hand as he smugly introduced himself. However, neither of the two returned the handshake.
“They don’t seem bothered,” Tristan butted in. “Let’s give them something to be bothered about then,” he smiled at the young men in front of him. Everyone felt the temperature drop down a few degrees. Even Belle felt scared for a moment.
“Don’t be so arrogant! It’s not like you can do anything to us!” Louis retorted. He even eyed both men from head to toe before letting out a chuckle.
Eric took his phone out and called someone, “Bankrupt Anderson Logistics and New Era Trading within 24 hours,” he instructed.
Eric was about to turn around when he heard someone laugh. It was Justin, “Yeah right, as if you can really do that!”
Tristan chuckled and all attention turned to him, he gestured towards his back, calling for his assistant, “24 hours is too long,” an evil smile slowly crept on his face, “do it in 24 minutes.”
Both Louis and Justin creased their foreheads. Tristan turned his attention to them, “I’m Tristan De Clarion by the way,” he told the young men, with a wicked smile on his face.
As soon as Jacob nodded in acknowledgment of his boss’ order, they all turned toward the stairs. It’s about time they continue their drinking session.
Belle finally let out the breath she’d been holding in. She was nervous that it would end in a fistfight. Good thing, everything was settled with just a few exchanges of words.
The rich kids were rooted in their spots, not knowing how to react after knowing it was the young De Clarion they crossed. Scratching the backs of their heads, they returned to their table, not saying another word.
Ten minutes after Louis and Justin’s encounter with Thompson and De Clarion, Louis received a call from his father, “What did you do, you idiot?!”
At the VIP lounge, Eric called a waiter to serve drinks for both Belle and Nathalie. Minutes after, Eric started conversing with Belle, and the same goes for Nathalie and Jacob.
Tristan, on the other hand, was just sitting at the other end of the couch, drinking on his own. He keeps glancing at the four people as they converse happily, while he can only let out sighs.
As the conversation went on, he started feeling annoyed. Especially after Belle’s laugh grew louder at whatever it was she was talking about with Eric. Tristan decided to leave them. He went straight to the terrace of Eden and lit up a cigarette.
‘What are they talking about that’s making her so happy?’ he couldn’t help but think to himself. He also can’t help but think about why he’s so anxious about talking to Belle and engaging with her.
Inside the lounge, Belle noticed that it’d already been a few minutes since Tristan went out. He excused herself from Eric and although she was still annoyed at him after what she saw earlier in his office, she still decided to go out and look for him.
“Mr. CEO! Why are you here alone?” Belle asked when she saw him standing outside on the terrace with a cigarette in hand.
Tristan turned his head slightly to acknowledge her presence. “It’s too stuffy inside, I needed some air,” he responded.
She took the cigarette from him and puffed a few times before pressing the stub on the ashtray. “Is it really because it’s stuffy in there or you got bored because you have no one to talk to?” she teased.
Tristan let out a sigh before chuckling. He stopped a waiter passing by them and grabbed two glasses, handing one to the woman next to him.
He looked at Belle and smiled as well when she accepted the glass with a sweet smile. Mustering courage, he finally faced her, “It’s because you’re too busy talking to Eric,” he confessed.
Belle laughed as her boss’ face instantly blushed after saying that. “It’s because Eric approached me for a conversation. While you, you’re too stiff!” she told him, clicking her tongue. “You should loosen up a bit, you know? So ordinary people like me can easily strike up a conversation with you,” then she wiggled her brows at him.
Tristan giggled. She really finds Belle cute when she makes faces. “Am I that hard to approach?”
“Sometimes…” Belle answered right away. “Most of the time, your brows are creased and you’re frowning or poker-faced. Of course, people will be wary of you,” she told him straight out. As if it wasn’t the CEO she was talking to.
Tristan nodded slowly, “I’ll try to smile at you once in a while then.”
“You should try to smile at everyone greeting you, not just me!” she advised.
Both of them cracked into a short laugh before they suddenly fell quiet. They turned to face forward, looking at the view while letting out sighs now and then.
“Are you going to stay here or are we going back?” she asked after a few more minutes passed.
“Do you want to go back inside?”
“It depends! If you’re staying, then I’ll stay here with you. You look really lonely standing here alone,” Belle giggled.
Tristan then reached out for her hand. He let their fingers intertwine before pulling her closer to his side and placing an arm around her shoulders. “Then stay here with me,” he told her, almost in a whisper.
Belle felt her heart skip a beat but she let herself get pulled. She liked the feeling of being close to him. ‘Since when did I feel this comfortable around Tristan?’