The embrace inside the car came after many years apart. It wasn''t filled with romantic tension, but with warmth and a sense of enduring affection. In
the world of adults, there aren''t always clear reasons for the pain we bear—just a collection of scars from past battles.
Beckett''s phone started ringing with a tone reserved for the Schnabel family, apanied by a quirky tune. Darcy gave Beckett a nudge. “Your
phone...”
Without letting go of the embrace, Beckett managed to fish the phone out of his zer pocket draped over Darcy. He pressed the answer button, and
Jasper''s voice came through.
“Beckett! Have you lost your mind? Why did you send that wildcat Millie after me?”
“I told her to find you or Stirling: looks like she chose you.”
Jasper was squatting in an alley, ring at Millie, wno was leaning against the entrance with a smirk.
“Beckett, do you even realize that woman is a lunatic? I''ve had beef with her since our college days!”
Millie and Jasper were bothw school alumni, her focus on internationalw and his on criminal litigation. Jasper was on the verge of a meltdown.
With ackadaisical tone, Beckett replied, “Since you know each other, it should make coboration even smoother.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.
“Beckett, you''re really out to get me, huh? You''re the eternal bachelor; why not team up with her yourself? Marriages of convenience aren''t unheard
of in our circles.”
“Nah, I''ve got a girlfriend.”
Jasper''s confusion was almost palpable. “What? You have a girlfriend? Since when? Howe I didn''t know?"
Beckett, still on the call, didn’t shy away from Darcy''s presence and raised an eyebrow at her, a mischievous smile ying on his lips. “See, if you
don’t take me back, I might just end up in one of those business marriages.”
Darcy, her face still wet with tears, looked utterly baffled by Beckett''s sudden deration. Jasper was even more infuriated.
“Beckett, you dump this she-devil on me and go off ying lovey-dovey? You beast! I’m telling mom!"
Calmly, Beckett responded, "Go ahead, a grown man in his twenties still running to mommy.”
Jasper angrily hung up and immediately dialed Sienna toin. Hearing about Millie''s pursuit of Jasper, Sienna peeled off her face mask
remarking, “Millie went after you and not Beckett?”
“Beckett''s busy with his girlfriend, mom, do you believe how outrageous he is... Hello? Mom? Mom!" Sienna had already hung up. not interested in
the boy''s dramas. Jasper, left with the dial tone, felt like exploding.
He stood up, exasperated, “Look Millie,ing after me is pointless. I, Jasper, don’t care for the benefits a marriage alliance brings, and besides...”
He shrugged. “I’m notinto you.
Millie scoffed, her previously demure demeanor gone as she lit a slender cigarette, revealing a colorful tattoo winding down her arm. “I said, if you can
beat me, you''re free to go. If not, you''ll agree to my terms.”
“You violent maniac! Don''t think I won''t fight back just because you''re a woman!” Millie was far from the delicate flower everyone imagined. Instead,
she was as fierce and unpredictable as a storm!
As the smoke curled from her lips, her eyes gleamed provocatively. “Mr. Schnabel, with looks like yours, I bet you''d cry pretty too.”
Jasper felt deeply insulted. Unfortunately for him, Millie was a champion in international judopetitions, making her a formidable opponent for
most. Spotting a familiar figure passing by the alley’s entrance, Jasper yelled for help.
“Noe, save me!!
Hearing her name, Noe doubled back to the alley''s entrance, only to find Jasper standing among a cluster of trash cans.
“Jasper? What are you doing here?”
“Noe! This woman''s after me!”
Noe''s gaze shifted to Millie, leaning against the wall. The woman''s appearance was deceivingly frail, but the tattoo on her arm was unmistakable.
She hastily extinguished her cigarette, approaching Noe with a sheepish grin.
“Master! I’ve missed you so much!
Noe pushed her away. disgusted. “Didn''t I tell you to quit smoking? If you don’t take my advice seriously, don''t bothering to me for treatment.”
Millie, knowing she was at fault,
clung to Noetfa’s arm, unwilling to let
go. If it hadt been for Noe
a
teachingher judo, giving her a S
footholeéin the Gagher family,-she
i)
mighthave already been torn- apart
by-hér ruthless rtives. ToWMillie,
Noe was her life''s greatest
benefactor.
Noe nced at Jasper, “You''re not telling me you didn’t know she’s my brother?”
Millie chuckled d sheepishly,
“Honestly, I didn''t. knew Master
was a Schnabel, but the Schnabel .
family is huge! And I only found out
he was-dasper recently.” The
Gal agher family’s intrigues were
enauigh for her to handle without
keeping track of every Schnabel
offspring. fe)
Seeing Millie clinging to Noe,
Jasper, ina fit of protective brotherly
instinct, rushed to peel Millie away.~
"Stay away from my sister! She <
woulda’ work with you even if you
begged! She’s not into women; and
she''s getting engaged s00n;80 back
off, you freak!”
Realizing Jasper was Noe’s brother, Millie toned down her aggression, yet the alleyway standoff remained charged with tension.
Millie, with her doe eyes brimming with innocence, said, “Master, I swear, it wasn''t my idea to seek out the Schnabel family''s young master for a date.
Mom threatened to starve me if I didn''t. I''ve really had a tough time."
Noe gently patted Millie''s head. "Well, how about youe back to the Schnabel estate for dinner with me? As for the date... that''ll depend on
whether my brother''s up for it. No pressure.”
“Uh-huh! Jasper''s just too intimidating. I''m really scared of him.”
Jasper: "..."
Who''s the intimidating one here? Who exactly cornered him into this cramped alleyway, refusing to let him leave?
Millie''s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, a hint of mischief in her expression. “Jasper and I used to be ssmates. We were pretty close,
right. Jasper?"
Rubbing his sore arm and meeting his sister’s concerned gaze, Jasper gritted his teeth and managed to say, "Yes. very close!”
Millie, getting the response she wanted, affectionately rubbed against Noe. “Master, I''m about to finish what I set out to do. But right now, I need to
lean on the Schnabel family''s strength a little.”
Noe responded calmly, "I''m a Schnabel too. Whatever you need, I''ll help you."
Millie''s eyes lit up! Master is the best! But then she hesitated, "...But you can''t marry me, right?”