CHAPTER 62 - Bartender
IVORY'S POV
Thoughts of Bryant, thoughts of Luca—everything keeps colliding in my head, and I want it to stop. No matter how hard I try to think of something else, my mind keeps circling back to them. I can’t sleep; I need a breath of fresh air. So, I slip on my sweatshirt, pull the hood over my head, and sneak out of the house to go for a jog.
Hopefully, no one will recognize me. My life is filled with danger, and I can’t remember the last time I felt this free. I really want to go back to my former life, where I wasn’t always on edge, alert to the threat of harm at any moment.
Stopping in front of a pub not far from my apartment, I decide to go in for a drink.
“A sparkling water, please,” I tell the bartender. I can’t afford anything stronger tonight. I’m alone, without my bodyguards, and without Luca. Oh, Luca. He’s always been good to me, and yet I just chased him out of my house. I’m not just upset about what he said; what angers me even more is that he was right. But I’m too stubborn to admit it.
The bartender slides the glass over to me. “Rough day?” he asks, noticing my mood.
I nod, curling my fingers around the glass and lifting it to my lips.
He raises a brow. “Something you feel like sharing?”
I hesitate at first but then remember what people say about bartenders being good listeners. So, I decide to confide in him.
“I chased someone out of my house today—someone who’s been very helpful and good to me.”
“Why?” he asks.
“Because he gave me advice I didn’t want to hear.”
“You said this person has been really helpful, so I’m guessing they care about you. Was the advice really so bad, or did you just not want to hear it?”
“He was right,” I admit regretfully. “But it’s not what I want to hear. I want to fight for something and succeed at it. I believe that’s what my father would want. But he’s asking me to drop it and just give up.”
“Hmmm…” He gives me a thoughtful look. “Sometimes, the things we want aren’t what’s best for us. It’s up to you to decide if this is truly what you need. If, after thinking it through, you believe you need it—no matter how hard it is—your willpower can be your driving force. That could make you excel. At the end of the day, when you look back, you’ll be able to say, ‘I did that, and I’m proud of myself.’ Keep pushing. Nothing is impossible. As they say, where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” I echo softly, the words resonating with me.
He nods. “And don’t be too hard on yourself for what you did to your friend. We all act out of character sometimes, but that doesn’t mean the end of a friendship. Call them and explain things. I believe they’ll understand. What’s friendship without a few misunderstandings?”
After listening to the bartender, it feels like a heavy weight is lifted off my chest. I don’t regret sharing my struggles with him. His words are exactly what I needed, and I’m going to take his advice to heart.
“Thank you so much,” I say, a smile finally tugging at my lips.
“You’re welcome, miss. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other customers to attend to.” He gives me a warm smile before moving away.
As I sip my sparkling water, enjoying the music in the background, my phone rings. It’s Luca calling. I don’t answer, not wanting him to know I’m out alone in a bar.
Baron’s call comes in next, and I sit up in alarm. They must have noticed I’m gone. I ignore his call, too, and start heading toward the exit. I need to get back before they start a full search party. I’d half hoped to enjoy a bit of freedom and return home unnoticed, but it seems freedom is a distant dream for me.
As I walk through the quiet streets on my way back, a black Mustang suddenly screeches to a stop beside me. A wave of suspicion rushes through me, and I quicken my pace, hoping to get as far away from the car as possible. But before I know it, two bulky men step out, and in seconds, they have a bag over my head, grabbing me by both arms.
Fear drains the strength from my body, and all my attempts to free myself are useless as they drag me to the car and shove me inside.
“Who are you? Help!” I scream with everything I have, but there’s no one around to hear me.
“Please, I’ll give you whatever you want. Just let me go,” I beg, the darkness under the bag making everything more terrifying.
I keep screaming and struggling, but these men are much stronger than me, and my limited fighting skills are useless.
After a while, the car finally comes to a stop, and they haul me out. My palms are sweaty despite the chill in the night air, and I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Is this it? Is this how Ivory Hastings meets her end?
“Move.” One of them groans, and without protest, I begin to walk. I don’t even see where I am walking; I could be walking into a ball of fire and I wouldn’t know.
“Stop!” a voice commands, and I halt immediately. There’s no use fighting anymore.
Suddenly, the bag is ripped off my head, and as my eyes adjust to the light, the first person I see is Luca’s father.
What the hell?