Alex and Kate donned their clothes and stepped out of the break room. In the early morning, Hugh, waiting by the break room door, rushed up with a smile upon seeing Alex and Kate exit, and respectfully greeted, "Chairman, Mrs. Chairman, good morning."
Kate's face flushed at the title, sputtering, "What are you on about! Mrs. Chairman! I am not!" Her coy, bridal shyness was evident; she hung her head, cheeks rosy, fingers nervously fiddling with the buttons on her garment.
Alex, seeing Kate this way, affection bloomed within him. Wrapping one arm around her slender waist and teasing her delicate nose with the other, he chuckled, "My Kate is shy? If not my wife, whose wife would she be?"
Kate rolled her eyes at Alex and whispered, "You can't be so blunt with that name, it feels strange to me."
Both Alex and Hugh chuckled, and Alex said, "Then we won't use that title anymore. Is there a reason you're waiting here so early in the morning?"
"Chairman, it's not a big deal, just that our headquarters in T city got trashed," Hugh reported, keeping his tone low and head down.
Alex's eyes narrowed, his voice turned cold, "Did you find out who did it?"
"I received the news last night and immediately sent people to investigate," Hugh said cautiously.
"Handle it once you find out who's responsible," Alex ordered.
Alex knew that T city in S province was notorious for gang activities; Reaper gang establishing a foothold there meant facing local gang suppression. If they could withstand the pressure and dominate T city, unifying the northern underworld wouldn't be far off.
"Go on with your tasks, and by the way, tell Mark to expedite training those men—we might need them soon," Alex instructed Hugh.
Leaving Imperial Holdings headquarters, a red BMW approached Alex and Kate. Recognizing the car, Alex couldn't help but take a second look. As the BMW pulled up and the door opened, a stunning figure appeared in front of Alex and Kate.
On spotting the person alighting from the car, Kate cried out "Rose!" and lunged towards her. Kate and Rose, two stunners in a tight embrace, drew the attention of passersby.
An e-bike rider, gaping at the pair, drooled mindlessly and failed to notice his vehicle veering towards a light pole. With a loud crash, his body comically tumbled into a trash can beside the pole, eliciting raucous laughter from the other pedestrians. Alex shook his head and joined in the laughter.
"Maybe you two should move, otherwise, you're certainly going to cause a traffic accident," Alex joked with the embracing pair.
Kate and Rose exchanged a smile and joined Alex, with Rose shyly glancing at him and softly saying, "I was just out for a drive, never expected to bump into you here."
Alex internally chuckled, thinking how convenient her 'random drive' was. Kate, clasping Alex's arm excitedly, suggested, "Alex, let's go window shopping and then eat with Rose."
Before Alex could even respond, Rose eagerly agreed, "Yes, yes, I wanted to shop anyway, I'll join you." Looking at Alex with hopeful eyes, all she desired was to spend time with him, the famed singer stripped of her stardom in his presence.
Alex, teasing Kate, said, "Kate, after last night, are you sure about shopping today?" His concern was genuine, prompting Kate to reevaluate her own discomfort at the thought of their recent intimacy.
Kate's face reddened, and she blamed him playfully, "It's all your fault, now I can't even stroll down the street." Looking at the confused Rose, she apologized, "I'm sorry, Rose, I can't go shopping with you today."
"Even if we don't shop, I'll follow you anywhere," Rose quickly said, her eagerness palpable.
Kate, amused by Rose's unusual eagerness and Alex's calm demeanor, pleaded, "Just two hours of shopping before lunch. I'll be alright for just two hours, right?"
With a resigned nod, Alex agreed to go shopping. Given that his sports car could only seat two, the trio piled into Rose's BMW. Rose was ecstatic, her hands trembling just slightly as they gripped the steering wheel. Kate, seated beside Rose, was equally thrilled; after all, who wouldn't be excited to shop with their idol? They chattered nonstop like long-lost friends.
Alex, seated in the back with a sour expression, remained silent. Worried that something might go wrong, and as is often the case, when one fears something, it usually comes to pass. Sighing, he gazed out the car window.
Shopping and dining out, then shopping some more, nearly wore out the physically robust Alex. At closing time, he was relieved, laden with countless shopping bags as they exited the stores.
After dinner at a restaurant, Rose and Kate decided on a whim to head to the largest bar in H city, Dynasty Bar, for a night out. Alex internally cursed Rose for this decision.
Upon arrival at Dynasty Bar, they found a vacant table and sat down. As soon as Rose and Kate made their entrance, all eyes were drawn to them. Rose's deliberate effort in her appearance coupled with the low lighting of the bar meant no one recognized this superstar sweeping Asia; her peerless allure was impossible to conceal, however.
Countless gazes filled with surprise, envy, and jealousy landed on Alex's table—looks he had grown accustomed to, so he didn't mind them. He waved over a waitress and ordered two bottles of red wine.
As the pulsing music filled the bar, people flocked to the dance floor. Rose glanced at Alex's way before moving to the rhythm. Onlookers whistled appreciatively as she entered the dance area.
In the midst of the crowd, Rose danced fervently, commanding the attention of everyone with the sinuous movements of her waist, the sway of her hips, and the rhythm in her legs. Male and female alike ceased their dance to admire Rose's captivating performance.
When the music stopped, Rose flipped her flowing hair back and exited the dance floor. The bar erupted in whistles and applause. She returned to Alex's side, glanced at him with meaningful eyes, and asked softly, "Did you enjoy my dance?"
Alex chuckled nervously and nodded. Kate clapped her hands excitedly, "Rose, that was amazing, you practically hypnotized everyone around!"
A group of oddly dressed youngsters swaggered towards Alex, Rose, and Kate. Leader, full of momentum, seems invincible, tapped on Alex's table and said with a sneer, "Hi, your chicks are hot. How about lending them to us for a bit of fun?"
Rose, angered, was about to stand up and confront them when Kate caught her arm and gave her a reassuring wink.
Alex smiled subtly and said, "Go ahead; I'm not interested in fighting today."
The youngster boasted, "Do you know who we are? Reaper gang! You hear me? No one in H city dares to say no to us."
When Alex heard the words "Reaper gang," he nearly spat out the red wine in his mouth, quickly dabbing the corners of his mouth with a napkin. Looking up amusingly, he quipped, "Oh, big shots from the Reaper gang, huh? I'm shaking."
The youngster stared at Alex for a long while, failing to see any trace of fear, and thought this guy must be an idiot for not fearing the Reaper gang—it was like courting death.