Villain Ch 161. How Did You Find Me?
"So... mind telling me why you're here? Are you guys stalking me or something?" Allen quipped, a thin smile playing on his lips. As he strolled down the bustling sidewalk, he couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness bubbling up inside him. Despite his attempt to mask it, sheer joy and relief were written all over his face. Their unexpected help had come at just the right moment, pulling him out of imminent trouble. Though he had been prepared to face the brawl alone, their presence made all the difference.
Every step they took together drew attention from passersby. It wasn't every day that a man walked side by side with six beautiful women, after all. Heads turned, gazes lingered, and whispers filled the air. The envious eyes of onlooking boys couldn't help but be drawn to Allen's entourage.
Alice, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, shot him a teasing smile. "If I told you we were stalking you, would you be scared of us?" Her voice carried a playful tone, accentuated by the raised arch of her eyebrow. Little did he know that they had stumbled upon his past.
He stole a quick glance at Alice. "I should probably be scared out of my wits right now. But strangely enough, I can't help but feel grateful that you guys stepped in and saved me from that pointless quarrel," Allen admitted, his voice tinged with both relief and appreciation.
Zoe couldn't resist chiming in. "I'm just curious. You know, if we hadn't shown up, would you seriously have gone ahead and fought that red-haired guy?" Her words dripped with genuine intrigue.
Allen nodded resolutely, a determined gleam in his eyes. "If he made the first move and attacked me, I would have fought back. I mean... I know there are CCTV cameras around, and I could have played the victim card and sued him for assault. But I'm not interested in letting him beat me up, breaking my bones, without giving them a taste of his own medicine. If I ended up in the hospital because of him, then he would have to face the consequences too," he explained, his intentions laid bare.
It was a rash and desperate plan, he knew, but he felt like he had no other choice. His options had been narrowing down rapidly, leaving him with little room to maneuver.
Larissa couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief. "Sounds like a desperate plan," she remarked, her voice filled with concern.
He nodded in agreement, fully aware of the risks involved. "Yeah, it definitely is. But desperate times call for desperate measures, right?" he replied, his tone tinged with a mixture of determination and resignation.
Despite the weight of his predicament, Allen's curiosity still lingered. He turned to his companions, a quizzical look on his face. "By the way, you still haven't answered my question. How did you guys find me? It can't just be a coincidence," he pressed, wanting to uncover the truth behind their unexpected encounter. Deep down, he understood that Alice's earlier statement about stalking was merely a playful jest.
Jane cleared her throat, ready to provide an explanation. "Well, our original plan was actually to check on Alice's store," she began, her voice filled with sincerity. "But we ended up finding you at that restaurant," she added, her words carrying a sense of authenticity. It was the truth— their initial intention had been to visit the shop, but fate had intervened, leading them to cross paths with Allen in that restaurant.
But how they knew why Allen was in trouble and his presence at that place, was because the establishment belonged to Shea's family. It was Shea's first venture, a small family-owned restaurant that didn't boast the grandeur of her other businesses. Shea stood as the sole owner, overseeing its operations with a mix of dedication and pride. It was her family's oldest business.
Typically, it would have been the restaurant's manager who handled any commotion that arose. However, recognizing Allen amidst the chaos, the manager decided it was best to report the situation directly to Shea. It wasn't a mere coincidence that the manager recognized Allen. The previous night, when Allen had escorted Zoe to Shea's mansion, the manager had caught a glimpse of him. Curiosity piqued, the manager had inquired about Allen's identity from one of the butlers, who casually mentioned that Allen was Zoe's boyfriend. Armed with this knowledge, the manager approached the current situation with caution, knowing that it held significance beyond a random scuffle. It was the main reason why he reported it to Shea as soon as he saw the problem.
Unbeknownst to Allen, Shea was still present at the restaurant, diligently managing the unfolding events. This unexpected turn of events demanded her attention, and Shea was determined to handle it with the utmost care. The commotion had disrupted the usual rhythm of the establishment and Allen. Shea felt responsible for ensuring that everything was brought back to order and gave a bit of a lesson to Elio's group.
Allen's eyes widened in surprise as he processed this new information. "Really?" he questioned, his brows furrowing in disbelief. He couldn't help but feel puzzled, as based on Digital Dominion's address, it should have been situated in a different block.
He pointed in the direction of another path, a gesture that conveyed his confusion. "Isn't the store that way?" he queried, hoping for some clarification.
"Yeah, it was a bit of a detour," Zoe chimed in with a playful grin. "We were initially planning to grab some food around this area, so we thought it wouldn't hurt to check out that restaurant while we were at it," she explained.
Jane nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and excitement. "Exactly. We figured, why not try something new? Besides, we were all getting hungry after our window shopping session. So, we took a chance and stumbled upon this place instead," she added, her voice laced with a sense of adventure.