'Tyler remembers me without resorting to any aids?' thought Vicky, feeling overwhelmed by various emotions.Vicky put his phone back where it belonged before Tyler finished his shower....The bar's lights flickered wildly, accompanied by booming music that reverberated in the ears.Vicky leaned against the couch in her booth, holding a glass of wine.She absentmindedly sipped on it while watching the performances on the stage.Sitting opposite Vicky, Jennifer and Cece exchanged glances and read the concern in each other's eyes."Vicky, it's getting late. Aren't you going back?" Jennifer whispered gingerly.Vicky's gaze shifted slightly, and she glanced at the time on her phone. "It's only ten..." she murmured. "It's still early. Let's stay a bit longer."As soon as she spoke, Vicky's phone buzzed.Seeing the incoming call number on the screen, Vicky averted her gaze indifferently and ignored it.The phone rang for a long time before the call was automatically disconnected.
"His name is Chris Leonhart." Cece glanced at Vicky before adding, "He used to be Vicky's assistant when the studio first opened."That surprised Jennifer even more. "So you two knew each other?""Sort of. He only worked in the studio for a month before quitting. He prefers to keep to himself, but he's quite capable in his job," replied Cece.Even though it had been years since Cece and Chris worked together, her impression of him still ran very deep."Back then, the studio didn't really have much business… And when we're finally about to close a deal, it eventually fell through due to my and Vicky's lack of experience… When Chris realized what happened, he told us our way of negotiating with the customer was wrong. In the end, we managed to close the deal thanks to his pointers."Cece looked at Chris, feeling a little emotional. "He might not say much, but he was always spot-on whenever he did. What's more…"Jennifer was listening rapt with attention, but when Cece did not conti
The man was tall, handsome, and his every move seemed regal. For most girls there, it was love at first sight as they quickly rushed over to make his acquaintance. Even some of the men could not stop themselves from walking to the fine specimen he was.However, the man ignored all of them. Instead, he scanned the entire bar like a hawk as though looking for someone."Hey, handsome! Can I buy you a drink?" said a woman flirtatiously.At that moment, Tyler found who he was looking for. Ignoring the woman, he strode over to where Cece and Jennifer were sitting.Saying the woman was stunned would be an understatement. She had always been extremely confident in her beauty, so it never crossed her mind that a man would ignore her like that.Not willing to give up, she decided to use her signature move on Tyler."Oh, handsome… Where are you going?" she cooed as she made a move to hug him from behind. She believed Tyler would not be able to resist her if she made the first move; doing so
Cece touched her own face. "Was I that obvious?"Jennifer glanced at the backstage entrance and asked, "Cece, why did you lie to Mister Tyler in the first place? He might be very possessive, but I'm sure he knows how to control himself when Vicky's around.""I didn't have a choice…" After a pause, she softly added, "I couldn't tell you this when Vicky was here, but I think Mister Tyler might be the reason why Chris quit his job.""What makes you think that?""I met Mister Tyler a few times when Vicky and I started working together, so I knew who he was. One night, on my way home, I realized I forgot to take something from the studio, so I went back to get it. There, I saw Mister Tyler's car parked nearby."At first, I thought he was waiting for Vicky, so I thought nothing of it. When I went upstairs, Vicky was nowhere to be seen whereas Chris' computer was still switched on. I was in a rush to get back, so I didn't really look into the matter."But two days later, Chris resigned.
Back then, Chris was on the phone then, so Vicky did not expect him to witness the whole thing.Vicky's gaze fell on the piano. "You know how to play the piano, too?"Instead of answering her question, Chris simply asked, "How have you been all these years, Vicky?""Not bad. You?"Chris ignored her question again. "Is he good to you?"Even though he used to work as her assistant, they did not know each other long enough to have a close relationship. Thus, his question was presumptuous, to say the least.After a few seconds of silence, Vicky nodded."Good." Chris looked at her. "But if he is good to you, why don't you look happy? Why do you spend your nights drinking in bars instead of going home?"Vicky frowned, thinking Chris had no right to ask her those questions. She was about to tell him that when Chris said, "I didn't mean to leave without saying goodbye back then, but your husband left me with no choice."Vicky was first stunned by the revelation, but she quickly unders
"I saw many prized collections of music scores and piano books in your office," said Chris evenly. "Also I could see the stars in your eyes when you're looking at a piano, so it doesn't take much to figure out just how much you like playing the piano. But for some reason, you had no choice but to give it up.""Did you come to this bar 'cause you knew I'd be here?" asked Vicky.Chris gazed at her quietly before answering honestly, "Yes. I went to look for you at your old studio, only to learn you've moved away. I hired a private investigator to look for you, and that's when I learned you come to this bar often. I then came up with this idea to get your attention."Vicky looked away from Chris again. "You played the piano very well…""I actually didn't know how to play the piano before I met you…" said Chris suddenly. "Would you believe me when I say I only learned how to play the piano just so I can play it for you when I see you again?"Vicky's eyelashes fluttered for a split seco
Suddenly, Tyler smiled. "So you like Vicky, huh?"Chris looked at him fearlessly. "That's right. She's the reason why I came back and…"Thump! Chris was knocked to the floor.It was a testament to Tyler's patience that Chris got that far in his sentence since Tyler was known to want to kill any guy who so much as looked at Vicky.Tyler's eyes turned blood red. He took out his gun and looked down condescendingly at Chris."Die," he uttered ruthlessly before pulling the trigger."Tyler!"Bang!The sound of the gunshot and Vicky's scream rang in the air.Tyler never expected Vicky to suddenly appear in front of him. He tried to deflect the bullet, but it was too late.Fortunately, he aimed the gun away, and the bullet brushed past Vicky's ear before hitting the piano behind her, producing an ear-splitting sound.Tyler's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly shook himself out of it. He then went to check on Vicky."Are you hurt?" His face was ghastly pale as he held her with tr
However, Tyler relaxed a little when he saw Vicky lying quietly on the carpet. Suddenly, his pupils shrank when he saw the bruises dotted along Vicky's naked body.Without thinking, he immediately wrapped her up in a blanket."Vicky! Vicky…" He kept shaking her, but she did not wake up at all. Her forehead was burning hot to the touch, so he quickly called for a doctor he trusted."The high fever is due to inflammation… Her condition is quite serious, so it's best to refrain from having intercourse for at least a month. This ointment is to help with the bruises. She needs to apply it once in the morning and once at night," said the doctor.Vicky happened to overhear that when she regained consciousness.She opened her eyes in a daze. When she tried to sit up, she felt so dizzy that she nearly passed out on the spot."Vicky, you're awake." Tyler quickly walked over to her with a taut expression."Yeah…" Looking around, she then asked, "What…happened to me?"Her voice was so weak