The Light to His Darkness

Chapter 9

"I don't think I'm a heartless man like people perceive me to be, don't I, Miss. Adams?" I questioned, but not in a serious way.

"Yes, Mr. Durante. You aren't," she said while chuckling.

"I'm heading out now. You are dismissed, early Miss. Adams. See you tomorrow."

"Likewise, sir," she said, and I headed to my car.

Heading inside my car, I made sure to turn my head in every direction to make sure the coast is clear. Being the most powerful man on the American continent has its pros and cons. One of the cons is that enemies constantly breathe down my neck, which doesn't scare me. I did that safety precaution to make sure that I will be having a pleasant dinner with my best friend tonight. I then started to head home.

Showers are one of the times that I can let go of my stress temporarily, other than vigorously working out, of course. The feeling of hot water on my skin all over my body absolutely calms my nerves. And also a good smelling shampoo. I prefer myself slathering my body with it because I believe that a specific smell can affect your mind in different ways. My favorite has always been lavender.

Coming out of my shower with a towel wrapped around my waist, I went to my closet to get my outfit. I would usually prefer a tank top and sweatpants after the whole day wearing an uncomfortable suit. I went for a mock neck and black jeans instead. I got ready in a flash and headed down to the kitchen to grab a bottle of apple juice from the fridge.

Grabbing my essentials and car key, I slipped on a pair of boots and went to my car. It took me around 15 minutes to reach Jakes' penthouse apartment. Just when I arrived at his apartment, I saw him waiting for me outside of the building. I sent him a text and motioned him to come in as he saw my car.

"Hello there, man. Lookin' good to impress someone?" he stated, patting my shoulder.

"Shut up," I murmured.

"By the way, today's your treat."

"Well, isn't that what I do all the time?" I asked jokingly, knowing that is not true.

"Whatever you say. I'm just giving you opportunities to spend your millions."

"I could always invest in properties, you know?" I told him.

"Sandro, could you please start driving? I'm starving right now."

"Okay, fine. Sorry," I said and started to head to our destination.

Upon arriving in front of the Lockwood Hotel, the paparazzi instantly surrounded my car. Again, one of the many cons of being who I am.

"Come on! Why the fuck are they following us everywhere?" Jake said, sounding irritated.

I quickly called my bodyguards to handle the situation. Thank God I ordered them to follow me. We came out of the car as soon as the coast was clear.

As we entered the hotel, a security guard came to us and said, "Good evening, Mr.Durante. I'm sorry about the earlier situation. We've tried so hard to prevent this. I will assure you that it will not happen during your next visit, sir."

"Never mind," I said and smiled at him.

He thanked me and went to continue his duty. Both of us then went to the restaurant. We were instantly greeted by the waiters, who showed us our table.

I saw Amelia Lockwood coming out of the restaurants' kitchen just when we were going through the menu. As soon as she saw me, a terrified expression came on her face, and she quickly ran away.

I brushed it off and returned to look at my menu.

"Oh, look, who's there!" Jake exclaimed.

I turned around to see my angel talking to her friends. Her face seemed to hold a confused expression. Then I saw Amelia Lockwood running towards them and telling them something. Their faces looked terrified as soon as she told them. I wonder why.

Despite the facial expression, my angel looked cute in those clothes. As much as I didn't like her wearing ripped jeans because I don't want any men to be looking at what's mine like I do, I can't do anything about it. She can wear whatever she wants. Who am I to order her around?

As time went by, a waiter took our orders. I looked up to see Jake looking at me with a smug expression.

"Aww, is someone thinking about their angel," he asked.

"You know what would happen if we were at home now, right?" I told him.

"Do whatever to me but my face. I need it to get the ladies."

"I'll take note of that," I said.

We talked about things that we've never talked about in a long time, such as our childhood memories, football, and so on. It's actually nice to have dinners like this with your best friend, or with any loved ones in general. This can be an opportunity to catch up with them after being immersed in work for a long time. I took that in mind knowing that I would have to do it with her if she's going to fall for me in any magical way.

We soon got our food and started eating. In conclusion, the whole dinner was eventful. Jake was cracking jokes here and there throughout the dinner. Despite our hour-long conversation, my angel was in the back of my mind. I was happy that she got the job at Lockwood Industries. I half expected her to contact my company, but sadly she didn't. As much as I am sad about it, I understand that she and I belong on opposite sides of the spectrum. The silver lining of this is that my opportunities for meeting her in real life without causing her danger are diverse, considering that I have a deal with the company.

"Soon, angel. We're going to meet soon," I thought.

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I'm sorry for updating a little late, babes. I didn't have time to finalize my drafts and publish them due to Diwali.

Anyway, Happy Belated Diwali for my Indian readers! I hope you guys had a blast despite the current situation.