The night wind was cold, blowing away the effects of the alcohol and clearing Callie’s mind. She stood at the entrance of the club, watching people come and go, not moving for a long time. Jamir stood behind her, silent and as upright as a tall pine tree.
Callie took a deep breath but smelled the lingering scent of alcohol in the air. Feeling nauseous, she rushed to a nearby trash can and bent over to vomit. She hadn’t eaten much that evening, so she retched for a while without bringing anything up. Suddenly, a large hand patted her back.
Startled, Callie looked up to see Jamir handing her a bottle of mineral water. “Rinse your mouth,” he said. Her face pale, she didn’t have the strength to argue and took the bottle from him.
After finishing, she stumbled to the side of the road. Her thin coat slipped off her shoulders, revealing her beautiful figure underneath. The drunken woman was soft all over. Jamir held her hand to ensure she wouldn’t fall.
“Jamir,” Callie squatted down, her voice ethereal and full of sorrow, her soul still not fully back. “I’m here,” Jamir responded patiently.
“If one day you discovered something that could overturn your life’s trajectory, what would you do?” she asked seriously, looking up at him. The lights reflected in her clear eyes, sparkling.
Jamir squatted down with her. “It depends on whether it’s beneficial or harmful to me,” he replied, showing his typical businessman’s mindset.
Beneficial or harmful? Callie couldn’t figure it out. She only knew that this enormous secret could change everything in Ylosea. “What if it’s both?” she asked earnestly.
When she asked questions seriously, it reminded him of their university days when she would ask him all sorts of tricky academic questions, and he would always answer patiently. Jamir enjoyed her dependence on him.
“Then try to eliminate the disadvantages and turn them into something beneficial,” he said.
Callie forced a smile. Easier said than done. Charlotte had come this far with countless hands pushing her forward. It was impossible to change everything with just one person’s effort. The key was… did Nelson know?
Thinking of this, Callie’s eyes lost focus again. At that moment, Mr. Melton and his group walked out of the club, with Nelson among them. Her gaze fixed on him.
The man didn’t seem to notice them. Instead, he raised his hand to adjust Charlotte’s collar. “I’ll have Anthony take you home. Be safe on the way,” he said.
Charlotte blushed and grabbed Nelson’s sleeve. “Nelson… did I cause you any trouble today?” she asked shyly.
Standing in the neon light’s shadow, Nelson’s expression was unclear. “Not really,” he replied.
“Then, did you understand what I said to Miss Marsh?” Charlotte asked with the hopeful eyes of a girl in love.
Nelson withdrew his hand and nodded slightly, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He waved to Anthony. “Anthony, take Miss Ellison home.”
Anthony understood and gestured to Charlotte. “Miss Ellison, please.”
Charlotte assumed his lack of rebuttal in front of everyone meant he didn’t care about Callie anymore. She got into the car with Anthony’s escort and drove past Callie.
Lowering the car window, Charlotte smiled sweetly. “Do you need a ride, Miss Marsh? You’ve had too much to drink.”
Callie thought her face must look terrible now. She looked away, and Jamir immediately understood. “She has me,” he said.
As a woman herself, Charlotte understood the implication. With someone else by Callie’s side, she felt slightly relieved; at least Callie wouldn’t cling to Nelson anymore.