James was about to try and sweet-talk Amanda, but after seeing the apology and worry in her eyes, he slowly calmed down.
Here was a woman who had the means to live a comfortable life, yet she stubbornly chose the hardest path.
Enduring the lewd comments of customers and the harassment of her boss, all while working tirelessly to support her child.
James sighed, feeling a pang of regret for her beauty and the difficult life she led.
"Amanda, how long have you been working here?" James asked gently.
"This is my third year. Why do you ask?"
Amanda looked up, catching the sympathetic look in his eyes. For a moment, she almost broke down, the years of hardship threatening to spill over.
But her hardened heart, forged through years of resilience, quickly pushed the vulnerability aside.
Amanda forced a bright smile and joked, "Mr. King, are you asking because you're trying to reform me?"
"Yes," James replied earnestly, nodding.
"Haha," Amanda chuckled softly, turning away to toss the used napkin into the trash.
"Why do you men always feel the need to meddle in other people's lives?"
Though he couldn't see her face, James could sense the coldness in her voice.
James opened his mouth to speak, but Amanda took a deep breath and turned back, her face once again bright with a smile.
She picked up her glass again and said, "Sorry for the outburst, Mr. King. Consider this drink my apology. Please forgive me."
With those words, she raised her glass to her lips.
James quickly reached out to stop her, pressing down on her arm.
Once again, the wine in her glass spilled, this time landing on Amanda.
Her collar was soaked.
The white blouse, now wet with wine, clung tightly to her smooth skin.
The translucent sheen of the liquid created an alluring shimmer on her clothes.
James was stunned.
Amanda glanced down at herself, realizing that she was a bit exposed, and quickly turned away to adjust her clothes.
James, snapping back to reality, profusely apologized and offered her a napkin.
Remembering how she had helped him earlier, James couldn't help but offer, "Do you want me to help you clean that up?"
Amanda replied softly, "No, thank you."
James felt helpless.
Leo Pg, having recovered from his earlier stupor, saw the two of them engaged in what seemed like a wine-spilling game. He felt a sudden urge to join in by popping open a bottle of champagne and spraying it around.
But the fear of scaring Amanda away and displeasing James held him back. He reluctantly abandoned the idea.
"Mr. King, I apologize. Amanda has a bit of a cold personalityâshe's not like the other girls here. Please don't take offense," Leo offered.
"Yes, I know," James replied.
"In that case, Amanda, go and round up all the pretty girls in the bar. Let Mr. King choose a couple to keep him company," Leo instructed Amanda.
Amanda nodded, about to leave, but James stopped her.
"Wait, I want to discuss some business with you first."
"Please, go ahead," Leo Pg said with a grin.
James wasted no time getting to the point.
"I want to buy this bar and give it to Amanda."
His tone was calm, betraying no emotion, but his words shocked everyone present.
Leo Pg narrowed his eyes, studying James carefully.
Seeing that he wasn't joking, Leo felt a surge of excitement.
What... what did this mean?
He'd invested around $ 20 million in this bar, and he wouldn't sell it for less than $ 50 million.
Regardless of whether this young man could come up with that kind of cash, what was his angle in gifting a bar to a woman?
Leo Pg was taken aback by James's nonchalant attitude.
Spending tens of millions just to woo a girl?
Was he serious?
Amanda stood frozen, struggling to believe what she'd just heard.
But she quickly rationalized it. This man probably wanted to buy a bar to build his own network and power base.
But his background prevented him from having his name attached to it, so he wanted to make her the public face of the business while he pulled the strings from the shadows.
For her, it was just a change of bosses.
Amanda didn't appear overly excited. She smiled faintly and said, "Mr. King, you're certainly bold. This bar isn't cheap. Amanda is grateful, but I'll still have another drink in your honor."
James noticed her reaction wasn't what he'd expected, guessing she might not be taking him seriously. He asked, "Amanda, you don't believe me, do you?"
"I believe you. I just think there's no such thing as a free lunch. You have to give something to get something."
Amanda sat down, crossed her legs, took a sip of her drink, and smiled.
"Mr. King, you're an important person, and frankly, I'm not in a position to bargain with you. But I'm sorry, I was actually planning to resign today. I appreciate your kind offer, but I must decline."
"I see," James said, thinking for a moment. "You don't want to work at a bar anymore?"
"No," Amanda confirmed, not mentioning that her child was the reason.
"Then what kind of business do you want to do? I can give you some startup funds," James offered generously.
"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. King, but I haven't decided yet. I was planning to go home and rest for a while," Amanda said, politely declining.
Seeing the deal slipping away, James remained calm. But someone else was growing anxious.
"Amanda, don't be stubborn. This is a rare opportunity, Mr. King taking such a liking to you..." Leo Pg interjected, shaking his head.
He was actually quite eager to sell the bar.
He had bought it on a whim three years ago, and not many people knew about it.
But recently, he'd been fighting with his wife and she was threatening divorce, and now she had people looking into his assets.
That's why he'd initially offered to give the bar to Amanda in the parking lot.
If Amanda was with him, her money would still be his, wouldn't it?
He'd just transfer all the traceable assets and names to her.
He wouldn't lose a dime and would gain both a woman and wealth.
The bar's success was also entirely thanks to Amanda.
But now that this young heir had his eyes on her, she'd likely be gone soon.
Rather than letting the bar sit idle and gather dust, he might as well sell it.
It would also save him the trouble of having it discovered during an investigation.
Leo Pg tried to persuade Amanda, but after a few words, she fell silent.
Then, he turned to James, enthusiastically promoting the bar.
"Mr. King, this bar has a good reputation in New York. We average between $ 100,000 to 200,000Â in daily revenue, even more during holidays and events. We have connections in all the right places. Whatever you plan to do here, it'll be smooth sailing. Are you really sure you don't want to reconsider?"
James casually asked, "So, how much are you selling this bar for?"
"Just this much,"
Leo Pg held up six fingers, waving them in front of James's face.
James guessed he meant 60 million.
If what Leo said was true, with a daily revenue of $200,000 , such a profitable entertainment venue could recoup its investment in about a year.
James was tempted, but if Amanda didn't want it, there was no point.
He sighed regretfully.
"If Mr. King thinks the price is too high, we can negotiate," Leo Pg said cautiously.
"The price isn't the issue. It's just that Amanda doesn't want it, so there's no point in buying it," James said plainly.