The man was dressed in brown slacks and a cream-colored shirt, his short hair dyed a chestnut brown.
He had a youthful appearance, but his amber eyes were filled with melancholy.
He walked over to Alaric and Hertha and stopped next to them, âMr. Falconer, what a coincidence.
Youâre here for a drink too?â He directed his gaze towards Alaric.
âLeopold, itâs been a while,â Alaric greeted Leopold Sinclair.
As he spoke, his eyes flicked briefly towards Hertha, who was clinging to his arm like a needy kitten.
Noticing the confusion in his gaze, Alaricâs stern expression softened slightly. He chuckled and explained to Leopold in a teasing tone, âSheâs just a little tipsy.â
By this, he meant that he wasnât interested in Hertha. Instead, she was the one clinging to him due to her disturbed state of mind.
Although Alaric had a reputation for being a ladiesâ man, he knew better than to mix business with pleasure.
He had no interest in Hertha and certainly didnât view her as a plaything.
Leopold examined Hertha carefully upon hearing Alaricâs explanation. She was clinging to Alaric; her face buried into his arm, eyes closed, lips slightly pouted. She hunched and was completely attached to Alaric.
She was clearly under the influence of alcohol and looked addled.
Leopold reached out to pat Herthaâs shoulder gently.
Hertha turned her head towards him; her eyes glazed over with drunkenness.
âHertha, youâre here drinking alone? Didnât Thalassa come with you?â Leopold asked.
He and Hertha, along with Thalassa, were college mates. Back in the days when he was dating Thalassa, Hertha often tagged along on their dates. Leopold and Hertha were quite familiar with each other.
Half-closing her eyes, Hertha squinted at Leopold through her haze. Recognizing him, she lifted a finger to point at him accusingly, âLeopold, itâs all your fault! If you hadnât treated Thalassa so poorly and hadnât broken up with her, she wouldnât be in such a terrible state now!â
Hertha was well aware of Thalassaâs predicament. She knew how Thalassa was being dominated by Lysander, being used as a tool for his venting.
The thought of it always filled Hertha with immense grief.
Upon hearing Herthaâs accusation and Thalassaâs plight, Leopoldâs heart ached. His already melancholic eyes filled with sorrow and pain.
âHertha, youâre drunk. Let me take you home,â Leopold offered as he tried to hide his own pain. He reached out to support Hertha.
Just as he touched her, she pulled away, âDonât touch me. Iâm not going home. Iâm going to offer myself to Alaric. I want to go with himâ¦
Alaric and Leopold exchanged glances. Exasperated by Herthaâs drunken rambling, Alaric gently pried Herthaâs hand off his arm, âIâm only helping you because youâre Thalassaâs friend. Donât get the wrong idea.â
With that, he pushed Hertha towards Leopold, as if getting rid of a hot potato, âYou take her home. Iâm out!â
Before his words even settled, Alaric turned on his heel and left, as if afraid of getting entangled with Hertha again.
âHey, Alaric, donât leave!â Hertha called after him and prepared to give chase.
Leopold stopped her, âDonât bother. You canât handle him. You should stay away from him in order to protect yourself.â Leopold advised her wisely.
Alaricâs âremarkable achievementsâ were known in the business circle.
Comments(0)
Join the discussion — sign in to leave a comment
Sign In to CommentNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!