Outside the apartment, the car slowed to a halt. Charlotte Thompson pursed her lips and glanced at the man in the driver’s seat. Her mouth opened slightly.
The man nodded slightly, watching as she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.
The wind stirred Charlotte’s clothing. She raised her hand to smooth her coat, nodded slightly and stood in place for a while, until the car completely disappeared from sight.
Somehow, Charlotte found herself sighing and her eyes welled up with complex emotions. After a long pause, she turned and walked toward her apartment building.
On the other side, Justin Battleson floored the accelerator but didn’t head towards his mansion, instead he headed straight to the bar.
The bar was noisy with a crowd of people, numerous men and women were shaking their bodies on the dance floor. In this moment, all that existed in this world of glaring lights and vivid colours was pure madness.
Justin sat on a sofa, in front it was filled with alcohol. He nodded slightly, his eyes looked contemplative, like a hawk prowling in the dark.
His eyes slightly darkened and his slender fingers gently brushed a wine glass. It felt as if he was trying to trace the exquisite pattern on it.
A shadow suddenly enveloped him from the front. He paused, instinctively looking up.
A familiar face was standing before him.
Justin withdrew his gaze and watched as the man sat across from him. "What brings you here?" he asked.
"Are you pretending not to know, big bro?" Adam Ross let out a self-deprecating chuckle as he took a gulp of his drink, "But I must admit, I’m quite surprised to see you here."
Justin Battleson remained silent.
"Something’s definitely wrong with you," Adam remarked, a hint of mockery in his voice, "Let me guess... are you out of the game too?"
Setting his glass on the table, he teased, "Care to share?"
At these words, Justin finally reacted. He threw back his head and drank deeply, the spicy liquor burning his throat, giving him a rush of exhilaration.
Adam frowned slightly, stepped forward, and snatched the glass from his hand, clearly irritated. "You’re going to drink yourself to death at this rate." This text is hosted at novel✶fire.net
As Adam spoke, a glimmer of confusion appeared in Justin’s eyes, followed by a bitter smile. "After you left, she and I went to the hospital."
Neither of them mentioned Charlotte’s name, yet both understood who was being referred to. Perhaps, it was an intuitive connection fostered over years of friendship and shared experiences.
Adam raised an eyebrow, asking, "And then?"
"I saw her and Henry Hudson taking a walk in the garden." Justin paused and gave a bitter smile. "They were so close to each other. It was a scene I’d always dreamed of sharing with her. It looked so perfect, but I had to admit, that man she was with... wasn’t me."
Already slightly drunk, he murmured, "Adam, tell me, what should I do?"
Every time he thought of the scene he had witnessed, his heart ached as if it was being cruelly squeezed by an invisible force, so much that he could barely breathe.
After hearing this, Adam remained unusually silent for a few seconds.
After a while, he looked at Justin’s dispirited figure, his eyes full of complex emotions.
At this remark, the latter laughed bitterly and shook his head. "I’ve never been more sober than I am now."
Adam let out a deep sigh, curled the corners of his lips into a smile and said, "Seems like we are both in the same boat tonight."
He raised his glass towards Justin and said, "Big bro, let’s escape from reality for now. Tonight, we drink until we drop."
Justin half-closed his eyes to look at him, and suddenly laughed. He picked up his glass to clink with Adam’s, and chuckled.