Chapter 9

Samantha was so engrossed in looking that she nearly lost herself. Suddenly, Leonardo lifted his gaze, and their eyes met. Startled and flustered, she was the first to break eye contact. She felt as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have. She quickly lowered her head, feigning composure as she descended the stairs. Keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead, she walked past Leonardo without glancing at him again. "Do you work here?" he asked coldly. His tone was so calm that it revealed no emotion. She was taken aback that Leonardo didn't realize that she was the waitress who had served drinks earlier. Then again, she had been wearing a mask and hadn't spoken much, so it was understandable that he didn't recognize her. She gazed up and replied politely, "Yeah, I happen to work here. What a coincidence." Leonardo casually extinguished his cigarette and tossed it into the trash can next to him. Wanting to clear the air, Samantha took the initiative to bring up the previous incident. "I sincerely apologize for visiting the villa last time without informing you in advance. I hope you don't mind." "It's fine." Leonardo appeared to have moved on from it. With that, Layla's life likely wouldn't be too difficult, which put Samantha at ease. She looked up and smiled. A gentle breeze swept by, lifting the strands of hair on her forehead, giving her an air of grace and warmth. "I have something else to do, so I'll be leaving now. It's already late. You should also head back and rest early." Samantha politely said her goodbye, already planning in her mind to stop by the night market later for a steaming hot slider and a serving of buffalo wings. Just thinking about it made her feel so happy. "Where are you going?" Leonardo's sudden question caught her off guard. Even he didn't know what had come over him. As he watched Samantha leave, the words slipped out instinctively, surprising even himself. Samantha cast him a quick glance before replying, "I'm heading to the night market for supper." Leonardo remained silent. Out of politeness, she added, "Would you like to join me, sir?" "Sure. Let's go." Samantha was taken aback. She had only asked casually, never expecting him to agree. Would someone as influential as him really go out for supper with her? Awkwardly, she hesitated, unsure whether she should actually bring him or not. "But I think you might not be used to it, sir." "I haven't even gone yet. How would you know?" he retorted. "True…" "Also, stop calling me 'sir.' It's weird." "Oh… Okay," she replied softly. At this point, she had no choice but to bring him along. Leonardo glanced at the car parked by the side of the road, where his driver, Gary Whitmer, was still waiting. "Is it far? Should we drive there?" "It's not far. Just a short five-minute walk along the path." "Alright." Leonardo took a long stride and casually followed her. Samantha felt like Leonardo suddenly became easier to talk to. However, he was unpredictable. The last time she saw Leonardo, he seemed normal at first. But then, it was as if a switch flipped inside him, and he suddenly started getting angry. She still had to be cautious in her approach. Under the streetlight, their shadows stretched long against the sidewalk. Although Samantha and Leonardo were walking one after the other, with her in front and him behind, under the streetlight, their shadows seemed to be side by side. The path from the club to the night market was one Samantha often walked, so she was quite familiar with it. In just five minutes, they had crossed from the high-end club to the bustling night market. Even at 3:00 am, it was still lively, with a constant flow of customers coming and going. Their appearance caught the attention of many. The combination of a handsome man and a beautiful woman was hard to ignore, making it difficult not to steal a few glances. Leonardo frowned slightly. The bustling, noisy scene was indeed a challenge for him. Normally, he would never come to places like this. He only went to high-end venues or booked the entire location for himself. Samantha said, "I'm going to get some sliders and then head over to the buffalo wings stall to eat there. What would you like to try?" "I'll have the same as you," he replied. "Alright." Since Samantha had brought him here, she could only stay with him. She ordered two sliders at the stall and saw him hand a black card to the vendor. "By card." The vendor was stunned, wondering if Leonardo had lost his mind. It was just a street stall, and there was no credit card machine. "We don't accept card payments here." Leonardo's expression darkened, and anger seemed to rise within him. Samantha quickly intervened. "I'll pay. Here's the cash," she said, swiftly handing the vendor cash. "Please wait for a moment," the vendor responded, casting a disdainful glance at Leonardo. He was clearly still annoyed and considered him a lunatic. Fortunately, Leonardo's temperament was different from Wesley's. Although he was moody, he was calm and not easily triggered. His anger didn't erupt at that moment. Samantha quickly stepped in front of Leonardo, smiling and urging him, trying to ease the tension. "I'm starving. Could you please hurry up?" The vendor glanced at the sauce station and said, "Alright, it'll be ready in a minute. You can add your own sauce later." "Got it." Soon, the vendor placed the steaming-hot sliders into plastic containers and packed them up. Samantha grabbed the two containers and began adding ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. After a moment, she turned and noticed Leonardo's disgusted expression. "This kind of packaging will release toxic substances when holding hot food…" "Oh, you want the same sauce as mine, right?" "Are you even listening?" he asked. "Ketchup? Mustard?" It was clear that Samantha had completely tuned out everything Leonardo said. Leonardo was so frustrated that he laughed, but there was no real anger behind it. He even answered her seriously. "Just ketchup." "On it." Samantha skillfully added the ketchup to his slider. With the sliders in hand, she walked over to the nearby buffalo wings stall. Several customers were sitting at the two worn-out tables, and by chance, two seats were still available. "We're lucky." Samantha quickly sat down. As soon as she looked up, she saw Leonardo's face filled with disdain. She could only act like a server, asking the vendor for tissues to wipe down the chairs and table. She repeatedly told herself that, after all, she had earned a generous tip and should at least put in some effort. "Is it fine now?" Leonardo finally sat down, though still reluctantly. Buffalo wings were soon served. The skin was perfectly crisp with a tangy, spicy buffalo sauce. The scent of spices and the tang of buffalo sauce made her mouth water. Samantha handed Leonardo a pair of disposable gloves. "Let's eat." Without saying another word to him, she began eating on her own. Leonardo sat there for a while, feeling torn. Yet, after seeing Samantha enjoy her food so much, he glanced down at the food in front of him again. Finally, he put on the gloves. One bite was all it took to awaken his senses. After a drinking session, savoring a slider alongside smoky, juicy buffalo wings filled him with warmth that radiated from his stomach to his heart. It was a delightful experience. Nearby, Xenia was in high spirits, eager to enjoy the night market with her friends. Suddenly, one of them gasped. "Wait, isn't that Samantha? And the guy with her is incredibly handsome. Is he her boyfriend?" "What the fuck?" another exclaimed. "Is that Mr. Garrett? Whoa! Is something wrong with my eyes? Is that really Mr. Garrett? What's he doing in a place like this?"