Chapter 4Blocked and Loaded

The termination letter slammed onto the desk. My boss, Mr. Wang, pushed up his glasses. "They said our aesthetic is outdated. Doesn't fit their 'high-end' positioning."

The Pei Corporation logo hurt my eyes. I pushed the file back, smiling carelessly. "Got it. Good thing I'm working on that streetwear project anyway."

The computer clock read 17:45. Mojito Bar: Buy one get one free Long Island Iced Teas after 8 PM.

Three drinks down. Leo's trench coat settled over my shoulders, smelling of the night air. He glanced at the bar. "Drinking this fast? You want a hole in your stomach?"

I downed the rest of my glass. "You know how Liam handled guys who bullied me in school? He cornered them in the equipment room and beat them with a badminton racket for thirty minutes."

I swirled the ice in my empty glass. Leo snatched the glass away. He wiped a drop of alcohol from my lip with a wet wipe, rough as always. "So his mom beats your company, and you hide here abusing yourself?"

Leo pointed to a booth nearby. "See that guy in the silver suit? Every time I pick you up, he's there. Guess who pays him to watch you?"

I pulled Leo's coat off and threw it on the chair. "Let him watch."

My phone lit up on the bar. The lock screen was Liam's new profile picture. Our three-legged orange cat. I laughed silently. I dragged his number into the block list. The red 'Blocked' notification popped up.

"Who are you actually punishing?" Leo asked.

Just as the fourth drink arrived, a commotion started at the next table. A guy with bleached hair walked up to me. "Miss, can I buy you a drink?"

Before I could speak, Leo put his arm around me. "She's taken."

The guy didn't leave. He set his drink down on the bar. "Just making friends. No harm, right?"

A familiar voice cut through the noise from the shadows. "Yes, harm."

Liam appeared out of nowhere. His black shirt was unbuttoned at the top, sweat on his forehead. He shoved the guy aside and stood in front of me. He radiated danger. "She's my girlfriend."

The guy looked Liam up and down and sneered. "Girlfriend? Looks like she has more than one protector tonight."