"Brother Leo is coming to his own placeâhow could we, working under you, not come to welcome you?" Amanda said warmly, though a flicker of helplessness crossed her eyes.
She had originally planned to take the day off to stay home with Timmy.
But when her boss said he was visiting the bar, she had no choice but to send Timmy to her mother's house and rush over to the bar to greet him.
Her boss, Leo Pg, was her late husband's sworn brother.
He rarely came to the bar. When he did, it was mostly to check the accounts, inspect the place, and... take advantage of Amanda.
"You always work so hard. You could just be resting in bed, you know," Leo Pg said with a suggestive smile.
He walked closer, spreading his arms wide and boldly wrapping them around Amanda's slender waist.
"What can I do? A fortune-teller once told me I'm destined for a life of hard work," Amanda replied with a light laugh.
She didn't pull away from Leo's hand but placed her arms between them to maintain some distance.
Her eyes flashed with disgust for a moment, but she hid it wellâso well that no one noticed.
"Sister-in-law, I'm serious. I'm divorcing my wife this month. Don't listen to what others say. As long as you agree to be my woman, this bar will be yours," Leo said, his hand creeping lower from her waist.
Seeing his growing boldness, Amanda quickly pushed him away with force, stepping back two paces to escape his wandering hands.
"Brother Leo, if you're in the mood, I can call the girls out to take care of you," Amanda said awkwardly, forcing a smile. "You know I'm pretty boring. I only care about work and can't meet your needs in that way."
"Sister-in-law, listen to me. After all these years, you need to let go. You can't let Timmy grow up without a father, right?"
Leo Pg ignored her protests and stepped forward again, pulling her back into his arms. This time, his tone was serious.
"As long as you're with me, I might not be able to give you a proper title, but I promise Timmy will have everything other kids have."
Amanda was already in a foul mood that day and had little patience left.
The thought of quitting everything and walking away flashed through her mind.
She restrained herself, but when Leo's hand touched her backside again, her face darkened.
Her icy glare was sharp enough to make anyone shiver.
Amanda quickly composed herself, drafting a polite response in her mind. She planned to say a few pleasant words and part ways with him amicably.
After all, Leo had looked out for her over the years. She couldn't afford to burn bridges with him.
The two of them weren't far from James, and they hadn't lowered their voices.
Standing by the car, James listened in stunned silence.
So Amanda's husband was gone. No wonder Timmy kept crying for her dad.
If it hadn't been for this scene, he wouldn't have known Amanda was single-handedly raising her child while working to earn a living.
James had always been deeply impressed by Amanda.
She was decisive, outwardly graceful but sharp and efficient when it came to action.
Her demeanor was polite and measured, never too close or too distant. And when it came to work, she was swift and pragmatic, never dragging her feet.
She was also exceptionally intelligent, managing the bar with precision and competence.
James admired her greatly.
And now this so-called "Brother Leo" had the audacity to harass a widow raising a child?
How could anyone stoop so low?
In that moment, James's sense of justice flared.
He felt it was his duty to step in and do somethingâanythingâto help this beautiful widow.
James quickly strode toward them.
But before he could take more than two steps, Leo's two bodyguards moved to block his path.
They raised their hands to stop him, signaling that he wasn't allowed to approach their boss.
Their eyes were filled with disdain, their attitudes arrogant and aggressive.
Jay Johnson, who was following behind James, stepped forward with a cold, serious expression.
With his towering height, he stared down at the two bodyguards, locking eyes with them.
Jay wasn't afraid of a fight.
In the army, he had placed third in mixed martial arts competitions.
The two bodyguards might look tough, but Jay noticed their unsteady footing and the way they kept sucking in their beer bellies to puff out their chests.
It was clear they hadn't trained properly in years.
At best, they looked intimidating. If it came down to a real fight, Jay figured he could take them both out in under a minute.
But fighting had its consequences.
Whether it was the police or Leo's apparent connections, getting into a brawl would bring trouble.
Jay could protect James from harm, but if it came to throwing punches...
Jay sighed inwardly.
He'd need to charge extra for that.
"Step aside, I need to discuss some business with your boss," James said calmly, flashing a casual smile at the bodyguards.
"No," one of the bodyguards replied curtly.
"Are you authorized to speak for your boss?" James asked, his voice growing colder.
He looked completely composed, as if he genuinely had important business with their boss.
His confidence made the bodyguards hesitate.
The commotion quickly caught Amanda and Leo Pg's attention.
Amanda glanced at James, surprise flickering in her eyes.
"Mr. King, what are you doing here?" she asked.
Leo Pg frowned, clearly annoyed at the interruption.
He leaned in and asked Amanda in a low voice, "Who is he?"
Amanda replied softly, "A guest from yesterday. He ordered two 'Dragon King' packages and even sent me two bottles."
After a moment's thought, she added, "I think his family works in public service."
Leo Pg's frown deepened. "Last name Qin? As in Qin Shihuang?"
Amanda nodded. "Yes."
"There's no major figure with the last name Qin in New York. Could he be from out of town?" Leo muttered to himself.
He had seen James step out of a domestic-brand car earlier and had assumed he was just some passerby.
But now, hearing that James had casually ordered two extravagant Dragon King packages, he was taken aback.
A man who could afford to splurge on Dragon Kings wouldn't be driving a cheap car... unless he was the low-profile son of a wealthy family.
He glanced at Jay Johnson, towering behind James with a strong, imposing presence.
The bodyguard's confident, dismissive attitude toward his own men spoke volumes.
Only someone with absolute confidence in their power and status would exude such a demeanor.
Leo quickly pieced things together. His expression shifted, and he plastered on a flattering smile as he hurried toward James, laughing before he even reached him.
"Hahaha!"
Leo pushed past his own bodyguards, grabbing James's hand and shaking it vigorously.
"Mr. King, what an honor! I'm the owner here, Leo Pg. Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence. Please don't mind those guysâthey didn't recognize you."
"Hello, Mr. Leo. I'm James," James replied with a faint smile, looking down at the shorter, greasy man.
Hearing Leo mention giving the bar to Amanda sparked an idea in James's mind.
If Amanda no longer had a husband, then why couldn't he just give her whatever he wanted?
He didn't have much money or influence yet, and he desperately needed a steady source of income.
So why not hand a smart, capable woman like Amanda her own bar?
Surely a clever woman like her wouldn't need him to spell things out.
She might even take the initiative to send him a portion of the profits each month.
As long as she was the owner on paper, the system couldn't penalize him, right?
Thinking this, James's smile grew warmer.
"Let's head inside and talk," he said, his tone so assured it was as though the bar was already his.
"Of course, of course! Please, this way!" Leo Pg said, bowing and scraping as he gestured for James to enter.