章 2: Chapter 2
Ian held the ice to his eye as his girlfriend berated him on how he should have just sucked it up and left.
"How could you expect me to just take insults from a man like that?" Ian asked. "He didn't even look at my resume, he gave me one look and sent me out!"
"My dad placed his name on the line for you on this!" Jas shouted back. "You should at least be thankful!"
"Yes, yes, because you and your dad pay for everything and do everything for me!" Ian answered her. "This apartment we live in, your parent's graduation gift. Our daily expenses, mostly from the card your dad pays for. I work two jobs already and I can't provide for us. Why not just break up with me and find a proper guy!"
"That is not the issue here Ian Lim!" Jas shouted back. "The issue here is your attitude!"
"My attitude! My attitude!" Ian said, rolling his eyes. "I didn't do anything that deserved getting beaten up like this."
"You should have been more respectful to John." Jas said as she tried to bring the discussion to a calmer level.
"He was disrespectful as well." Ian argued back. "You know what, I'm out of here." Ian said, raising his hand and grabbing his jacket.
"Don't you dare walk out on me Ian!" Jas shouted as Ian slammed the door behind him.
Ian could hear Jas calling out for him as he walked down the stairs, he stuck on his earphones blocking out all other noises, including Jas calling for him to return.
It was raining hard outside, but Ian didn't care, he needed to be somewhere else, somewhere not there.
Ian eventually ended up at the entrance of the famous Constellations Hotel. It was a chain of hotels that had mysteriously popped up in the past year. No one knew who owned it, all they knew was it was extremely hip and it was expanding rapidly.
Ian walked in, not caring that he was soaked or that he probably couldn't afford the drinks in the high end establishment. He simply walked in and sat at the bar.
He watched as rich men picked up young women who were there for that exact purpose. Ian had been around enough rich heirs to know that these women here were there for their entertainment.
He noticed one girl, sitting alone at the bar. She was frowning as the bartender gave her another glass of alcohol.
She stood out among the crowd, she didn't seem like one of the high class escorts or social climbers that littered the bar, looking for a rich man to snag.
Instead she seemed lonely, like him.
She wore an elegant business suit, with her long brown hair tied up in a ponytail. She sat straight and regally as if she was some princess of a foreign land. She was pretty but not Ian's type.
He saw a man approach, he tapped the girl on the shoulder, the woman shook her head and sent him away. It was clear, she wasn't here for that.
The bartender refilled her drink again, which sipped leisurely.
The man returned, this time Ian could see how demanding he was, pulling on her arm. Ian had two younger sisters and he could not stand a man treating a woman that way.
He quickly stood up and approached the arguing pair.
"Is there a problem here?" Ian asked in his deep baritone voice.
"Get away kid, this is none of your business." The man said as he gripped the woman's arm tightly, clearly hurting her.
"I told you to fucking let go of me. I'm not some low class escort." The woman said as she struggled to get free from his grip.
"Oh come on baby, that's what they all say at the start." The man said in a disgusting tone.
"Let go of her." Ian said as he grabbed the man's arm, gripping it tightly.
"No!" The man insisted.
Ian's blood boiled at the man's insistence, Ian couldn't hold back, he threw a punch at the man, throwing him to the ground.
Ian was soon surrounded by several bodyguards that dragged him to the back of the hotel.
Ian groaned at his luck, he had just dealt with being beaten up by the goons at Island's Inc. now he was going to get beaten up by the security team at the Constellations Hotel.
He was surprised that instead of taking him to some alley, he was brought to posh room with a carpeted floor and elegant fixtures.
In the room stood a man with an imposing aura. Ian couldn't help but avert his eyes from the man, he was clearly someone important, someone too important.
"Uncle." The girl from earlier said as she entered the room.
"Does your father know you are here?" The man asked.
"Of course not." She said, shaking her head. "Please don't tell him uncle."
"Fine, but avoid bars from now on kid." He said, shaking his head.
"Thank you, uncle!" The woman said excitedly as she turned to leave.
She suddenly stopped and walked up to Ian. She wasn't that tall and the top of her head was only at Ian's lips.
She looked up at him with an intimidating gaze, she was clearly someone that you didn't want to mess with. Something about her felt familiar to Ian but he couldn't point out what it was.
"You are a good man." She suddenly said in a kind tone. "You saved me from that man."
"I only did what any gentleman should do." Ian said with a shrug.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Ian Lim, miss." Ian said, his tone now full of respect for her.
"Ian Lim?" The man asked.
"Yes sir." Ian answered. The man didn't say anything after that, which puzzled Ian.
"Most men wouldn't have stood up for me. You are a dying breed." The woman said, shaking her head. "My name is Katerina Sebastian. I hope we meet again someday."
"Sebastian? As in the senator?" Ian asked as he tilted his head to the side.
"Yes, he is my dad." Katerina said with a mischievous grin. "You should stop playing hero Ian, it will get you in trouble."
Ian was at a loss for words, the Sebastians were the elite of the elites, the oldest and most powerful political family in the country. Very few stood at a position higher than them. What was a daughter of such a family doing at a bar?
Katerina gave him a sad smile as she walked out and left. Ian was left in the room with the intimidating man and his goons.
"Why are you doing this?" The imposing man in front of him asked. Ian could feel the power and authority radiating from him, he was clearly someone important. "You didn't have to save her, and you are clearly drinking for a reason, so why help?"
"Does it matter?" Ian hissed, he wasn't in the mood to bow down to some rich man. He had enough on his plate today to care.
He was surprised when the man suddenly laughed. Ian was expecting this man to have him thrown out, not to be amused by what he had just said.
"I like you." The intimidating figure finally spoke. Ian couldn't help but look up at him in curiosity, most powerful men didn't like being talked back to. "Marco, get his details. I see a future for this one."
For some reason Ian knew at that moment that his life would change, that he would no longer need to settle for rich kid's scraps. Something about this man's words seemed like a promise to help.
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