Karlee looked at Darnell with mixed feelings. “You are a complete bastard.”
Then she teased lightly, “You don’t need to go back to work. Just stay here every day and make money.”
“You think it’s easy to do this? It requires some skill.”
Darnell pocketed the last few bills. “A reckless car with a female companion inside, those are the easiest targets.”
“Because usually, these people want to show off. You give them a chance, and they’ll perform. Others would just think you’re crazy.”
Karlee was speechless at this oddball, unable to comment on his crude yet logical reasoning.
After a long while, she grabbed Darnell and headed to the hall. “Let’s go!”
“Good day, Miss Henning.”
The two doormen at the club entrance couldn’t help but sigh as they watched the proud Karlee lead the oddly dressed and somewhat shabby Darnell inside.
To them, Darnell appeared as the typical kept man. Despite their disdain, they were also incredibly envious.
Karlee walked in, greeting people along the way, while Darnell carefully observed the interior of the club.
Those who didn’t understand his demeanor and red attire thought he was a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.
At the door of a private room on the second floor, a young man in Givenchy casual wear elegantly swirled a glass of red wine.
When he saw Karlee holding Darnell’s hand and walking upstairs, his eyelid twitched uncontrollably, revealing an unmasked wariness.
However, after scrutinizing Darnell for a moment, his vigilance melted away like water, replaced by a warm glow in his eyes.
The young man approached with a bright smile. “Karlee, is this your classmate or your friend?”
“My boyfriend,” Karlee replied without hesitation. “We just established our relationship. His name is Darnell.”
Then she introduced him to Darnell. “Dear, this is Jefferson Dittman, my high school classmate. He’s tall, rich, and handsome. his family owns a media group.”
“I never thought you’d finally fall in love,” Jefferson forced out a smile despite his good manners. “Congratulations.”
Jefferson’s father was the vice president of a media group, and his mother held a high position in the finance department. Their family was quite prominent.
He had seen many big occasions and was always sociable in public. Rarely did he show such awkwardness because Karlee’s news was too shocking.
He was one of Karlee’s many suitors. Although he knew he had little hope of winning her over, there were too many outstanding young men better than him, it was still hard for him to accept that Karlee had found someone else.
He glanced at the room with deep meaning in his eyes and whispered, “Karlee, having a boyfriend is good for you but bad for many others.”
He sighed deeply. “Lisa is already here. Alexander will probably come later too.”
“Thank you,” Karlee smiled politely at Jefferson before pulling Darnell into the private room. Her smile was courteous but left no room for imagination, carrying an invisible deterrent.
As Jefferson passed by Darnell, his smile twisted slightly in discomfort.
Darnell turned back with a grin. “Brother, since you’re Karlee’s good friend, remember to give me a big red envelope.”
Jefferson paused briefly before forcing a bitter smile. “Sure, I’ll give you a grand gift.”
The three entered the room one after another, a presidential suite with a bar, entertainment room, dining room, circular sofa, and even a gym.
As soon as Darnell stepped into the hall, he saw over a dozen young men and women gathered around the sofa playing a murder game.
Both the respectful demeanor of the waitstaff and the attire of these youths indicated they belonged to a privileged class that never worried about mundane concerns from birth.
“Karlee, you’re here?”
The arrival of Karlee and Darnell instantly drew everyone’s attention. laughter and chatter ceased abruptly.
A tall girl in luxurious attire stood up and gave Karlee a big hug before looking at Darnell as if he were an alien.
Her eyes held confusion. “Karlee, who is he?”
The tall girl had an icy expression with a blue-and-white scarf around her neck. Her fitted denim skirt accentuated her already striking figure. Though she didn’t show much emotion towards Darnell, seeing them together sparked some natural curiosity and an air of entitlement typical of the wealthy.
Jefferson chuckled while holding his wine glass. “He’s called Darnell. he’s Karlee’s boyfriend. Lisa, your brother has competition now.”
Feeling uncomfortable himself, he intended to spread that discomfort among everyone else.
“Jefferson, shut up,” Lisa snapped at him before turning back to Karlee with sharp eyes. “Karlee, is he really your boyfriend?”
Embarrassed by Lisa’s scolding but knowing better than to provoke Zane’s influential family ties with her own background, Jefferson fell silent despite his good standing.
Karlee smiled faintly. “I was just about to introduce him.” She waved energetically at everyone present. “Everyone, this is Darnell.”
“He’s my boyfriend.”
Lisa’s lips twitched as her gaze sharpened further. “Karlee, be honest, what’s this handsome guy’s background?”
To her mind, Karlee wasn’t just her best friend but also potentially her sister-in-law. only her tall and handsome brother Alexander could match such beauty as Karlee’s.
Though Alexander had pursued Karlee unsuccessfully for over a year now, Lisa considered her practically family already, not allowing any outsiders near.
So hearing that Darnell was Karlee’s boyfriend made Lisa unhappy. hence her sharper tone.
The other young men and women were equally curious, any man capable of winning over someone like Karlee must be either rich or noble, but none recognized Darnell nor found anything impressive about his old-fashioned clothes which only fueled their curiosity further.
Jefferson chimed in again with another laugh: “Yes indeed! We’re all friends here. no need for secrets.”
Caught off guard by their insistence on knowing more about Darnell’s background, and not wanting him embarrassed, Karlee hesitated briefly before responding:
“He doesn’t have any notable background. what I like about him is who he is, not where he comes from.”
A long-faced young man smirked coldly: “Karlee, you’re not just finding some stand-in actor because you’re afraid Alexander will keep bothering you?”
“My boyfriend!”
Karlee’s expression remained unchanged, as if having someone like Darnell as her partner brought immense pride:
“Really your boyfriend?”
The long-faced youth examined Darnell closely before sneering sarcastically: “Karlee, I honestly don’t see what makes this guy worth liking.”
Instantly losing her earlier cheerful demeanor, Karlee turned coldly towards him:
“Shawn, what do you mean by ‘this guy’? And what kind are you then?”
No one, including Lisa, had expected such hostility from usually amiable yet assertive Karlee within their circle. even Jefferson chose silence despite feeling annoyed himself given how protective she seemed towards Darnell already…
Lisa frowned inwardly cursing Shawn’s lack of tact while outwardly maintaining composure as she gently pulled aside smiling warmly:
“Don’t mind him, he never watches his mouth nor does anything charitable. let’s make him pay later as compensation…”
Turning towards still-curious-looking-around-Darnell:
“But honestly, he does seem rather like some temporary actor doesn’t he?”
“Temporary actor?”
Having finished surveying surroundings now focused on delicious food spread nearby, Darnell retorted indignantly:
“I’m genuinely Karlee’s boyfriend!”
“Moreover, you think finding someone as handsome temporarily easy? If anything, it’s worrying revealing my true identity might scare everyone here!”
While receiving an eye-roll from Karlee herself, Lisa smirked playfully challenging:
“Scare us? Go ahead Mr Halford, we’re all ears…”
Producing freshly printed business cards from pocket (courtesy local print shop), Darnell distributed two each among attendees including stuffing extras into puzzled-looking-Karlee’s hands too:
“Spectrum Pharmaceuticals’ top assistant. head of first sales department. Woodsea’s chief security advisor.”
Pointing proudly at cards exclaimed:
“See everyone? That’s my background! Impressive right?”
“From now on, mention my name when buying meds/equipment from Spectrum or dining/parking at Woodsea, you’ll get 12% off!”
Adding cheerfully:
“Take more cards home spread word among relatives/friends boost my business prospects…”
“Rest assured, I’ll treat everyone once I make enough money.”
Business head? Security advisor?
Holding onto cards initially stunned then burst into laughter collectively.