Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

The place was buzzing, packed with booths and a lively crowd, typical for a new spot. Navigating through the sea of people took some time.

Finally, up on the second floor, Leo spotted Vincent Lee in a booth, surrounded by a few other industry bigwigs. Leo recognized a couple of them-they were the same folks he'd once sent his resume to, only to be met with silence. As he watched them, arms slung around each other, Leo started to piece together the real reason behind his job hunt woes.

Quietly observing, Leo stayed put until Paige spotted her dad. She dashed over, tears streaming down her face. "Dad," she cried, taking in the sight of him with women on each arm.

Vincent, clearly tipsy, squinted at his daughter. "Jenny, what brings you here?"

Once Leo found Vincent, he gently tugged Anya's hand, signaling their departure.

"Hey, where are you off to, Chad?" Paige's voice rang out, stopping them in their tracks.

Vincent, now clued into Leo's intentions, chuckled knowingly, appreciating his daughter's timely intervention.

"Leo, come on over, meet everyone. We were just chatting about you," Vincent slurred, hinting that he'd instructed his contacts to reject Leo's job applications as a favor for keeping him in the loop about Leo's job search.

Leo had already suspected their game-big companies wouldn't touch him, small ones couldn't pay him, and medium-sized ones, like theirs, could easily shut him out with a few words over dinner.

Having seen through their ploy, Leo kept his worries hidden behind a calm facade, "Vincent, now that I've found you, I won't keep you. We'll be on our way."

Lee, also a bit buzzed, got up, eager to play the matchmaker.

He nudged Leo and Anya toward the group. "Why rush off? Have a drink with us. Vincent's been saying nice things about you."

As the focus shifted to Anya, and the hand Leo held, a drink appeared in front of him. "Come on, have a drink, meet the crew."

Leo politely declined, "I have to drive later." He tried to steer Anya out, but their path was blocked.

The drink, refused by Leo, was then offered to Anya. "How about the lady takes a sip?"

Leo pushed it back, "Sorry, she's allergic to alcohol."

Anya nodded, "Yeah, it could be fatal."

The awkwardness was thick, even if they doubted her, no one wanted to risk it.

Not long after, Lee swiftly handed Anya a soda. "Here, this should be fine, right?"

Anya recalled her boyfriend's advice, "I don't drink soda."

"What do you drink then?"

Scanning the table, she finally said, "Tea."

Vincent motioned to his guys, "Get the lady a tea."

Anya added, "...Not from here. I'd prefer the tea from my uncle's office."

"Oh? Where's your uncle's office?" The group was intrigued as Vincent approached, his breath a mix of smoke and alcohol. Anya stood firm, "At the police station."

The crowd paused, police?

Leo smirked slightly, "Vincent, knowing you're in good hands, we'll head out. If she's late, her uncle might come looking."

As they turned to leave, Paige rushed over, pushing Anya aside to grab Leo's wrist, "Chad, don't go. Help me get my dad home."

"Oh, Chad." Anya, who was holding hands with Leo, was suddenly jostled. She would've stayed upright if not for the reeking man beside her reaching out to embrace her.

Leo felt a chill run through him. He pushed Paige away, quickly moving to free Anya from Vincent, pulling her close.

Fury flared in Leo as he glared at the man, "Let go!"

Vincent, pretending to be drunk, stumbled towards Anya.

The men around them egged him on, laughing like it was all a big joke.

Tears welled in Anya's eyes, fear gripping her.

Leo's anger reached its peak, and with a swift kick to Vincent's stomach, he released Anya, who fell into Leo's arms, finally

understanding why Chad kept her away from these people.

The crowd quickly shifted, checking on Vincent, ready to confront Leo. But turning around, both Leo and Anya were gone.

Holding Anya close, Leo quickly found an exit.

Once outside, Anya clung to Leo, tears falling as she apologized, "Chad, I'm sorry. I was wrong."

Leo comforted her by the car, "Hold back the tears. You can cry later."

After ensuring Anya was safely in the passenger seat, Leo drove off keeping an eye on the club's exit until he saw people spill out. "There they are!" Vincent's group pointed at Lee's car.

Leo hit the gas, leaving them in the dust.

Unable to hold back, Anya sobbed softly.

Noticing they were being followed, Leo called the police to report the drunk drivers, giving them the license plate numbers.

After hanging up, Leo sped away, soon passing a traffic stop where he saw the pursuers being detained.

Leo drove to a quiet spot, turning to his silently crying girlfriend. "Scared?"

Anya shook her head.

"Then why the tears?"

Anya wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry, Chad."

"No need to apologize. Stop crying. Let me check, did that jerk touch you anywhere?"

Anya dabbed at her tears with her sleeve, "He hugged me, and then you pulled me away. Then he grabbed my arm, tugged at my clothes, tried to touch my hand, but I keptât in a fist"

Leo looked at her delicate hands, gently holding them, "Let me see."

"You hit your boss today."

"I've been planning to quit," Leo said, his gaze soft on Anya. "Don't feel guilty; it was all in the works."

"I shouldn't have ignored you and gone in tonight."

Leo added, "By that logic, I shouldn't have agreed to help her find her dad."

Thinking of Paige, Leo recalled the moment he left, "Was it Paige who pulled your hand away from mine?"

Anya nodded.