GoodRead"Boyfriend?" Jeffrey's echo of her words seemed to roll off his tongue with a mix of amusement and disbelief before he let out a contemptuous chuckle. "Do you ever listen to a word | say?" he quipped.
"What are you talking about?" Karen blurted out.
He always talked so much nonsense, so how was she supposed to remember it all? "Another round, huh? Now that you've got yourself a boyfriend, is that still on the table?" Jeffrey's words were deliberate. His eyebrows also arched mockingly as he talked.
"Of course it's not on the table! | thought | made myself crystal clear back at the diner, Jeffrey. If you don't have the guts to put a ring on it, you can forget about another night in my bed!" She despised how Jeffrey always reduced everything to just that one thing.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWithout a word, Jeffrey crushed his cigarette under his shoe, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"I've got assets that can't be transferred, plus a few properties my folks left in my name. How about | give you half of what's left? How's that sound?" He looked up at her, his face intermittently illuminated by the neon glow of the diner's sign, casting shadows across his expression.
Karen couldn't help but laugh.
"Mr. Turner, are we haggling now?" "Even half would ensure you live comfortably in Eldorria City for the rest of your life." She had no doubt about that, but the truth was, she didn't want it.
"Listen to me, Jeffrey. | said all of it," she repeated firmly, "And that's only if you cross any of the lines we set. | saw you hesitate when | asked — that tells me I'm not irreplaceable to you. It's clear as day I'm not after your money. | just wanted to see where you stood. And you failed the test. Can't we just go our separate ways?" "I can't. What about him?" Jeffrey scoffed coldly. "By the looks of his car and the way he carries himself, he's probably got nothing but a beat-up ride and a mortgage to his name. Even if he gave you everything, it wouldn't come close to a tenth of what I have!" Karen felt the sting of insult, her brows knitting together in frustration.
"You think this is some kind of auction that the highest bidder wins? Let me tell you something, Jeffrey. Your money doesn't impress me. Here's some friendly advice: let's act like strangers in Eldorria City. If we bump into each other, don't bother saying hello. | don't know you. And if you keep pestering me, bringing up one more time, two more times, | swear I'l tell Everett everything!" The silence that followed was telling that she had hit his only sore spot.
With that, Karen spun on her heel to leave.
Jeffrey was quick, though, with long legs that closed the distance in no time, his hand latching onto her wrist.
Karen struggled, and Levi, who had been waiting in the car, caught sight of the commotion.
He burst from the vehicle with a protective roar, "What the hell are you doing? Let go of Karen!" A sinking feeling hit Karen — why hadn't she told Levi to leave earlier? She knew Jeffrey wouldn't hurt her, but Levi was another story.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Don't come over here, I'm fine!" She tried to signal to Levi to stay out of it.
But Jeffrey, with a look of fury in his eyes, was already advancing on Levi.
Before he could get another word out, Jeffrey's fist had connected with Levi's face and sent him crashing to the ground. His head hit the car door and let out a thud.
"Jeffrey, have you lost your damn mind?!" Karen rushed over, shoving Jeffrey away to help Levi up.
With his bookish demeanor, Levi stood no chance against Jeffrey.
As she looked up, blood was already streaming from his nose.
But Jeffrey wasn't done. He yanked Karen back and his voice was thick with rage, "No one dares to mess with my girl in Eldorria City!"
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