“Spend the day with me.”
I tilted my head at his words. “Was that a question or a demand?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “Depends on how quickly you say yes.”
I stared at him for a moment before I couldn’t help but smile. “And what will our advisor say? We need to meet with our group soon...”
Slowly, he stood before walking over to me as my breath hitched in my throat. My face went red as he leaned in and spoke, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear.
“I don’t care, frankly, what she has to say. And besides, Princess… when have I ever been one to follow the rules?”
Omniscient
“Archer? What are you doing here?” Kimiko asked as Archer stormed into the club. She knew he wouldn’t be one to come to the party even if his friend did manage to organize it.
He looked over to her furiously. “Where the hell is Delilah, Kimiko?”
“She’s over—” Kimiko turned around, and her heart dropped. “Avery, where is Delilah!” she yelled.
He glanced over to her. “In the bathroom...” he responded, and Archer walked past them and spoke over his shoulder.
“Apparently, she’s hiding from you with a bottle of tequila in her hand.”
Walking farther into the club, he entered the women’s bathroom, and he could hear Delilah singing in Spanish before switching to English to sing about… cheetahs?
“God, Delilah,” he muttered before he picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Luca sat in the corner of the club, watching the events of the night unfold, from Delilah becoming intoxicated to Archer miraculously appearing and coming to her rescue.
It’s a cycle... he thought to himself. Delilah, the damsel in distress. Archer, her once tormentor, now turned savior. Luca watched him carry her out of the club, and he sighed, deciding he should leave as well.
Once Luca exited the building, he called his chauffeur and headed to the airport. He’d had enough. This entire trip wouldn’t benefit him at all—if anything, it would be completely about Delilah and Archer.
Sitting in the car, he contemplated for a short while and picked up his phone to make a call. It rang for a moment before it was answered.
“Crawford. Can I help you with something?”
“Stephan... I think we can help each other in a sense,” Luca said.
Stephan replied,“What the hell are you even going on about?”
“You and I both know that you’re the one who should be inheriting LCWD Co...” Stephan hesitated for a second as Luca continued, “Archer is clearly in over his head and isn’t as focused as you are when it comes to running your father’s business.”
Stephan pondered for a moment. “I’m listening.”
“Obviously you’re the most eligible candidate for the position, but I believe your father may be just using Archer for another goal. This isn’t about his capabilities but more about what he can do for the company.... which is why he has such an unfair advantage.”
“What unfair advantage?”
“Russel’s daughter.”
“And what does she have to do with any of this?”
“She and Calvin talk... Isn’t it strange how your father speaks to her regularly? To top it all off, anyone with eyes can see Archer is falling for her.”
“It was only a small crush. He can’t possibly still be interested in Killian’s daughter.”
“Talk to your father, and when you have your answers, call me,” Luca suggested before he abruptly ended the call. He needed to come up with a plan, and soon.