Chapter 146

Chapter 146

After dragging Michael out of the room, Mia locked the door behind her.

She turned to face David, shaking her head slightly. "David, you handled things today, but I still think this wasn't the right way to go about it."

David knew what Mia was worried about. He kept eating, brushing it off. "Stop worrying. The Warren family is nothing. If they really push me too far, I can wipe them off the map in Seabrook completely."

Mia gave a tired smile. "I know you're powerful, and I know you're close with Mr. Wright. But don't forget — this is Seabrook. The three great earls of Seabrook, not one of them is someone you want to mess with. The Warren family especially — they've been operating here for years. Their roots run deep. Do you have any idea how many people's interests you'd be stepping on if you tried to take them out completely?"

David slowly looked up. "Are you going to eat with me or not? If yes, sit down. If not, you can leave now."

"I'm saying all this for your own good!" Mia snapped.

"I know," David said casually. "But I don't need you looking out for me."

That actually made Mia angry. "Fine! Keep being stubborn! When it blows up in your face, you'll remember every word I said today."

David expected her to storm off after that. Instead, she walked right over and sat down next to him.

Seeing her pouty expression, David softened and smiled. "Alright, relax. I think everything through before I act. Today was no different — I'd already worked it out in advance. If I wasn't sure I could handle it, why would I go out of my way to make enemies of them?"

Mia waved her hand, already done with the topic. "Can we just drop it?"

David smiled and picked up a piece of meat, placing it in the dish in front of her.

Mia took a deep breath and closed her eyes to collect herself. A few seconds later, she opened them again — and just like that, it was as if nothing had happened. She smiled and shot David a flirty look. "Feed it to me."

David was thrown off. She'd been fuming just seconds ago. How had her mood flipped that fast?

"Weren't you just worried about the Warren family coming after me? What happened to that?"

Mia rolled her eyes. "I invited you to dinner today. It's just the two of us in here. Is it really such a big deal to feed me one bite?"

David curved his lips slightly. He wasn't the type to play around — he was a married man, after all. But turning her down outright felt like it would make him look bad.

"You want me to feed you, right?" he said.

Mia nodded, looking smug. "That's right."

David thought for a second, then picked up a piece of meat — and put it in his own mouth. Then he leaned toward Mia.

Mia blinked, startled for a moment. But she didn't pull back. She tilted her chin up and held his gaze.

The gap between them closed.

David assumed she'd back off. Mia assumed he wouldn't actually go through with it.

And then their lips met.

Disgusted? Not a chance.

Pull away? Even less likely.

Just as the kiss was getting dizzying, the door flew open.

The two of them broke apart like they'd been shocked.

Michael stood in the doorway, hand over his mouth. "Oh my God — don't stop on my account, David! I had no idea you kissed like that!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Mia spat something out.

Michael stared, stunned. "Oh my God, Mia — that's brutal. You actually bit his tongue off?!"

Mia looked at the piece of meat on the table, her face flushing red all the way down to her neck. "I'm done eating!"

Just then, Josiah — who had stormed off earlier — came back through the door, red-faced, carrying a shoebox.

She kept her head down as she walked up to David, eyes glistening. "Mr. Jones... was what you said earlier true?"

David saw the shoebox in her hands and understood immediately. He nodded with a smile. "Of course it was."

Without another word, Josiah crouched down in front of him and reached out with slender fingers to untie his shoelaces.

The next second, Michael — who had just been looking at David with such admiration — went pale. He took a sharp breath in, then froze. Something smelled off. He leaned in closer, almost against his better judgment, and took another deep sniff.

"David. You have athlete's foot."

Josiah's face went white. Holding her breath, she quickly put David's old shoes into the shoebox, then carefully slipped a new pair onto his feet.

Once it was done, fighting back the wave of nausea rising in her stomach, she looked at David and said, carefully and deliberately, "Mr. Jones, I'll wash them and bring them back to you personally."

David nodded. "If the smell is too strong, feel free to spray some perfume on them before you wash them."

Mia nearly passed out.

After Josiah left, she stared at him, baffled. "You can afford a new pair of shoes, can't you?"

David chuckled and kept eating. "What do you know? They say new clothes beat old ones, but new people can't beat old friends — and when it comes to shoes, the broken-in ones are always more comfortable."

Mia burst out laughing. "You always have some ridiculous logic for everything. I think you just wanted an excuse to torture someone with your smelly shoes!"

The private room filled with laughter.

Outside the Seattle Grand Bistro, in the parking lot not far away.

Conrad had just helped Pax over to their car when Lucien came walking toward them.

Pax caught sight of him and gave a small wave of his hand.

Conrad understood at once. Eyes wet, he stepped forward. "Deputy Mayor Larson, you..."

Before he could finish, the veins on Lucien's forehead bulged. "Deputy Mayor?" he said, his voice tight with fury. "What kind of deputy mayor am I now? Mr. Warren, don't forget — I lost that position because I went to bat for the Warren family. Don't you think you owe me something for that?"