Chapter 294 Collision At The Restaurant
Chapter 294 Collision At The Restaurant
Julius stepped out of the dim corridor and crossed the dining room in silent command, each stride unhurried yet unquestionable. The people behind him shuffled after him, flustered.
He halted at Quinn’s table, the light gleaming off his cuff links. “Last night you celebrated my birthday. Tonight, you share a meal with someone else?”
Harlan rose so fast his chair scraped the polished floor, placing his body squarely between Quinn and Julius. “She can spend time with whomever she wants,” he said, shoulders tense, “You have no say in it.”
Julius‘ eyes narrowed, ice over dark water. “No say?”
Harlan refused to flinch. “You two broke up.”
Julius ignored him, gaze sliding past to Quinn. “Break up? I never agreed to that.”
The entourage behind Julius blanched, as though suddenly remembering they were hearing words meant for no audience.
Whispers of Julius dating a woman had drifted through Jexburgh’s circles from Yarburn, yet most dismissed them. Julius, after all, was famous for keeping women at a distance.
“That doesn’t matter,” Harlan shot back. “Quinnie ended it. That settles it.”
Silence thickened. Beads of sweat dotted the foreheads of the people behind Julius.
Mr. Whitethorn is up against Jexburgh’s tyrant–and the woman caught between them seems to be Mr. Ingram’s older sister. But isn’t Mr. Ingram an only child?
Julius gave a small, cutting laugh. “So she leaves me for you? Stop dreaming, Harlan.”
Harlan froze. I never told Quinnie how I felt–always one step too late. Now that she’s free of him, I was waiting for the right moment. And Julius has just ripped the cover off my secret.
Harlan’s restraint snapped. He swung a fist.
Julius parried and answered in kind.
In seconds, the restaurant erupted into the crack of knuckles against bone, tables shaking as patrons shrank back. No one dared intervene; both men were legends for very different kinds of danger.
Quinn rushed forward. She shoved Harlan’s arm aside, spun, and planted her back against his chest while catching Julius‘ incoming punch with her own hand. “Enough. This is not the place.”
Julius stared at the protective angle of her shoulders, jealousy flickering in his eyes. “You’re really shielding him? He struck first.”
“He’s my friend,” Quinn answered, grip still firm on Julius‘ wrist. “Whatever lies between you and me, leave my friends out of it.“.
“Friend?” Julius’s mouth curved into a razor–thin smile. In a single fluid motion, he bent, his breath grazing Quinn’s ear as he whispered, “So he’s only a friend? Remember every word I said last night.”
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Chapter 294 Collision At The Restaurant
Straightening, he unclenched the fist he had raised a moment earlier. “You don’t want me fighting, to T keep my hands to myself. If you need distance, we can give each other time. But breaking up? That Quinn, I will never accept.”
He pivoted toward the men shadowing hiin. “Move.”
“Y–Yes, sir!” they sputtered, scrambling after his long strides.
Quinn watched Julius‘ broad shoulders disappear down the corridor. So he won’t agree to break up?
The amicable farewell she had envisioned now seemed impossible. Maybe a cold shoulder was the only way; with time, perhaps the relationship would wither on its own.
“Quinnie, relax,” Harlan said, his voice low yet steely. “If Julius ever dares to strong–arm you, he’ll answer to me.”
“He isn’t the type to force my hand,” she replied, cool but certain. “And I’m not exactly helpless.”
Quinn swept a quick circle with her gaze. “But we might need to find somewhere else for dinner.”
Even after Julius vanished into a private suite, curious staff and diners still craned for a glimpse. Harlan nodded. “Another spot, then.”
They didn’t return to any polished dining room. Instead, they settled at a roadside vendor where oil hissed on iron griddles and the tang of chili rode the night air.
“This place reminds me of our breaks back at the unit,” Harlan said, a half–smile ghosting across his lips. “Whenever we had leave, you and I would eat at roadside vendors.”
Quinn laughed softly. “I never expected a silver–spoon scion to last in the barracks, let alone crave street food.”
After all, life inside the regiment was the stark opposite of the glittering world outside; most newcomers choked on that hardship and quit.
“Nor did I,” Harlan murmured, his gaze lingering on her profile as though searching for an answer he feared to voice.
I never expected one heart to shake me so completely, nor that I’d arrive a beat too late–every single time. One misstep, then another, each delay widening the gulf between us. Is there still room for me now?
“Forget what Julius said,” Quinn offered, voice gentle yet firm.
“Which part?” Harlan shot back. “The bit where he told me to stop dreaming about you?” He breathed out sharply. “Well, Quinnie, what if I refuse to stop?”
