Bab 22: Owner of An's Gourmet
"Who do you think you're talking to, huh?" Noah growled, pulling Horace closer, his voice cold and authoritative. "This is my woman."
The room fell silent as people watched, shocked at Noah's boldness. Horace, utterly bewildered, stammered, "W-What are you doing? Let go of me!"
Noah barely glanced at Sarah. "I'll be back in a minute," he said softly, before dragging Horace out of the restaurant with ease, as though he were nothing more than a misbehaving child.
Outside, the man flailed weakly. "W-What are you doing?! You can't just—!"
Without a word, Noah lifted Horace by his neck, pinning him against the wall. Horace's feet dangled off the ground as he struggled for air.
"I don't care who you are," Noah said, his voice as cold as ice. "But if you ever come near my girl again, or even think about stepping back into this restaurant, you're done. I will ruin you."
Horace gasped, his face turning red as he flailed helplessly. "L-Let me down! Please!"
Noah narrowed his eyes, then dropped Horace, who collapsed to the ground in a heap, coughing and gasping for breath.
"Get out of my sight," Noah spat before turning his back and walking toward the restaurant, leaving Horace on the pavement, utterly humiliated.
When Noah returned to the table, he sat down calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"Handled," Noah said simply, his voice returning to its calm tone as he took a sip of his drink.
Sarah smiled back, a soft warmth in her eyes. "Thank you."
Five minutes later, Noah and Sarah's food was ready and a waiter approached their table, carrying the exquisite dishes. Just as the waiter was about to serve the food, a loud voice interrupted.
"Stop!" someone shouted.
Noah, the waiter, and everyone around turned to see a man storming over, his face twisted with authority.
The waiter, looking startled, asked, "What's wrong, sir?"
The man, a deputy manager by the look of him, pointed at Noah with disdain. "Don't serve him! This kid needs to leave our restaurant immediately. Guards!"
Noah turned his head slightly, noticing the greasy man from earlier standing behind the manager with a smug grin. Clearly, the man had connections here and had gone straight to the deputy manager to snitch.
With a small smirk tugging at his lips, Noah leaned back in his chair. "I'd like to see who dares to kick me out of my own restaurant."
The middle-aged deputy manager let out a laugh, dripping with mockery. "Kid, don't talk big. You could never afford a place like this."
The two argued for a few moments, voices rising as the restaurant patrons watched in shocked silence. The tension escalated quickly, and the guards approached, preparing to intervene. Just as they were about to step in, an older man, clearly someone in charge, emerged from the back, his brows furrowed.
"What is all this commotion?" the old man demanded, his voice carrying authority.
The deputy manager hurriedly stepped up, gesturing toward Noah. "This kid is causing trouble, claiming he owns the restaurant after assaulting one of our VIP customers."
The old man hesitated for a moment, then turned to Noah, his expression softening slightly. "What's your name, sir?"
Noah's smirk grew wider as he spoke with calm confidence. "Noah Thompson."
The moment the name left Noah's lips, the old man's face went pale, like he'd been struck by lightning. A realization hit him, and he whipped around, glaring at the deputy manager.
Without warning, the old man slapped the deputy manager across the face. "How dare you try to kick out the owner of this restaurant! Didn't I tell you the place had been recently bought?"
The entire room gasped. The guards, who were moments away from laying hands on Noah, froze, thankful they hadn't acted yet.
"You're fired!" the old man snapped at the deputy manager. "Guards, throw him and that greasy man out immediately! If they ever set foot in here again, beat them and toss them out!"
The deputy manager and greasy man both began begging, their voices trembling with desperation. But the old man wasn't having any of it. The guards, without hesitation, dragged the two men out of the restaurant as the greasy man cried for mercy.
Noah stood up and looked at the old man. "We'll talk later," he said with a calm authority that left no room for doubt.
Then, turning to the rest of the restaurant, Noah addressed the stunned patrons. "I apologize for the disturbance today. To make up for the terrible experience, everyone's meal is on the house tonight."
The room erupted in cheers and applause as the customers chanted their thanks and reassurances. "Don't worry, young man! A clean-up was needed!"
With a smile, Noah sat back down with Sarah, who looked at him with surprise, as the restaurant resumed its lively energy.
"You never fail to surprise me," Sarah said, her wide smile lighting up her face. She couldn't hide her admiration, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Noah.
Noah grinned and responded, "Well, if I didn't keep you on your toes, life would get pretty boring, wouldn't it?"
Sarah chuckled, shaking her head. "Yeah, I guess so," she said, unable to suppress her laughter.
Just then, the waiter returned, placing their food carefully on the table, a look of respect and reverence on his face after witnessing the earlier scene. "Enjoy your meal, sir, ma'am," he said with a polite bow before stepping away.
Noah and Sarah both tried their dishes, and Sarah's eyes lit up in appreciation. "This is amazing!" she exclaimed, savouring the exquisite flavours.
Noah nodded in agreement, taking a bite of his own. With a playful smirk, he said, "Well, I'd hope so... considering it's my restaurant and all."
Sarah burst out laughing, shaking her head. "You've got a point there!" she said, still grinning widely.
Noah chuckled along with her. "Imagine if it wasn't good... I'd have to fire myself."
After a few moments, Noah, with a playful glint in his eye, picked up a forkful of his food and offered it to Sarah. "Here, try this."
Blushing slightly, Sarah leaned in and took a bite. "Mmm, that's really good," she said softly, her smile shy but warm.
Gathering her courage, she picked up a small piece from her plate and, with a bashful look, offered it to Noah. He grinned, leaning forward to take the bite.
"Delicious," Noah said, his eyes softening as they shared the moment. The rest of the meal passed in warm, quiet joy, with both of them enjoying each other's company in the elegant atmosphere.
After finishing their meal, Noah and Sarah made their way back to the car. The evening had been a quiet, yet meaningful experience for both of them. On the drive home, they shared light conversation, but there was a palpable sense of contentment in the air.
When they finally pulled up to Sarah's house, she turned to Noah with a grateful smile. "Thanks again, Noah. I had a really fun time tonight," she said, her eyes warm.
Noah grinned. "Anytime, Sarah. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sleep well," he replied as she stepped out of the car.
"Goodnight," she whispered softly, closing the door behind her.
As Sarah entered the house, she found Layla still awake, sitting on the couch. Layla looked up at her mother and asked with a curious pout, "Mom, why are you so late?"
Caught slightly off guard, Sarah hesitated for a moment, unsure how to explain without giving away too much. "I had dinner with a few friends," she said quickly, feeling a little shy about admitting that her evening had been spent with Noah.
Though a part of her felt conflicted about dating someone younger and a classmate to her daughter, Noah had brought joy and warmth into her life that she hadn't felt in a long time.
He made her feel cared for, and the kindness he showed her was something she couldn't ignore.
Shaking off her thoughts, she smiled and asked, "Did you eat your dinner, Layla?"
Layla nodded with a sleepy smile. "Yeah, thanks Mom"
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