SWNOVELS Chapter 13 by HusnaS
13. A Familiar Cologne
“But, Brother-”
“Come on, Bro!”
Lilian and Aiden argued, thoroughly displeased about the whole situation.
“Heidi’s only going to lead this company to hell. Why do you have so much faith in her!?”
At Aiden’s offensive question, Zach’s amiable expression remained unchanged. Even the shareholders were shocked that the President had so much faith in this girl.
“Hey, enough acting like kids. Now go home.” Zach clapped. “Everyone, go home. The meeting is over.”
The shareholders left, grumbling to themselves, and Lilian and Aiden stood up and voiced their frustration.
“Heidi, this is outrageous! If you want to stop working with those people, I might as well quit,” Lilian exclaimed.
“Oh, please be my guest.” Heidi shrugged. “I’m not done signing off the discharge letters anyway.”
“You!” Aiden glared. “Bro, are you just gonna watch her bully us?”
It was true that apart from Zach, Heidi was older than all her cousins. It was unbelievable that their brother would take her side.
“Guys, no more tantrums. Just let her be.”
At Zach’s response, Aiden and Lilian left in a rage.
The conference room now empty, Heidi rubbed her forehead wearily.
“Don’t tell me you’re considering quitting,” Zach said.
Heidi looked up, maintaining a blank expression. “When have I ever backed out of a bet, Mr. Olsen?”
“Awesome! I hope you keep your armor on,” Zach laughed.
Heidi left the conference room, and he followed her.
“Isn’t the work hours over?” He said. ” Let me take you home. And maybe we can grab some dinner on our way; I feel famished from all the arguments.”
“Are you sure you don’t have an appointment with one of your ladies?” Heidi mocked. “I don’t wanna be labeled as the nation husband’s snatcher, you know.”
“For you, Princess, I can forsake every kind of appointment. Even if it’s with the Governor’s daughter.” Zach winked at her.
“Tsk.” Heidi shook her head, and they entered the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, employees who had seen the two together couldn’t close their mouths.
“So it’s true that she’s Mr. Olsen’s woman. Look how they chat so casually.”
“Then are they in a relationship? Why haven’t I seen her before? Mr. Olsen normally makes the women he’s dating public.”
“How sure are you girls about your speculations? Didn’t you notice that she has the same surname as Mr. Olsen?”
“Then is she his secret wife?”
“Come on, Girls!”
As the car drove down the city, Heidi kept her eyes closed. Her mind was supposed to be occupied by the shareholders’ words and their disapproval of her, yet she found herself thinking back to the things that happened at the hospital. Zach didn’t bother her with talks and kept humming a tune throughout the ride. Heidi was grateful for that because she needed the peace.
Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt, startling her. Heidi snapped her eyes open, her head flipping to Zach.
“Sorry, Princess. Did I wake you up?” He gave her that mischievous smile that spelled he was up to no good.
“Why did you bring us here? Didn’t you tell me we’re going to eat dinner?”
Heidi shouldn’t be surprised that Zach brought her directly to a bar; after all, he frequented this place.
“Chillax. There’s lots of delicious food here.” Before she could protest, Zach was already out of the car. He came to her side and held the door open. “I also thought you would need something strong to clear your head. Have you heard about the drink that wipes out your worries in one sip?”
“I don’t drink. Let’s go home.” Heidi gave him a stubborn look. However, Zach pulled her out. Well, he’d only seen her drink once, and the experience was exhilarating. Wasn’t it when they graduated high school?
“I know this divorce thing is bugging your mind. You can’t stop thinking about that scumbag, isn’t it?” Zach gave her no room to argue. “Now let me help you release the steam. Consider it an act of kindness from your dearest cousin.”
StarryNight Bar was prominent for its first-class treatment. Only the socialites at the highest level came there, and to secure a booth, you’ll have to at least book it in advance. Zach was a regular and a VIP; just one call from him had all the staff scrambling outside to receive him. The booth was on the top floor, and the more people Heidi passed, the more discomfort she felt. Zach told her to relax, but she couldn’t shake off the eerie looks from the men, who were mostly spoiled brats from rich families.
Finally, they arrived at the booth. Just one sip of the wine had Heidi’s head buzzing. It felt like an electric shock, and she pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Relax, Princess.” Zach laughed, sipping his own wine. “Let it settle down; you’ll soon get used to it.”
Seconds later, three ladies dressed in skimpy clothes sauntered inside the booth. They all but ignored Heidi and sat beside Zach, cooing sweet words and pressing themselves to him.
“Mr. Olsen, long time no see.”
“You didn’t tell us in advance that you were coming. We would have prepared something special for you.”
Heidi tried to ignore the ladies and focused on the wine, but her stomach grumbled.
“Could you do the honor of bringing more bottles of strong wines?” Zach asked.
“Of course, anything for you, Mr. Olsen.”
The ladies stood up and left, and Zach said to her, “Come on, Heidi. Stop acting like a fish. Don’t tell me you still can’t hold your liquor.”
“Damnit! You’re a bad influence, Zach!”
Heidi rarely used curse words, but she was hungry and irritated. She dropped the wine glass and grabbed her purse. Her head was already spinning when she left the booth, and the last thing she expected was bumping into someone. Her forehead collided with something hard, and she almost fell when strong arms caught her. Heidi’s thoughts went haywire as a familiar cologne hit her senses.