When Love Is a Lie (Whitney and Damian)

The sudden approach made Whitney uncomfortable, so she shifted away slightly. Yvette raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Oh, they're eager, aren't they?"

One of the men, dressed in a black shirt with an earring in one ear, was the first to say, "Drinking alone is no fun. Why don't we join you, girls?"

The man beside Whitney leaned in closer, grinning. "What games do you like to play? I'm up for anything. If I lose, you can decide my punishment." Hearing the guys call them "girls" gave Whitney the chills. Looking closer, she realized they were likely older than her.

"I don't play games," Whitney replied quickly, turning to Yvette. "Since Helena isn't coming, maybe we should head out too. We've got work tomorrow." Yvette already had a few drinks while they were waiting for Helena.

She said enthusiastically, "We're already here! And come on, it's just a few games. Don't worry I'll drink for you if you lose."

Since Yvette was reluctant to leave, Whitney couldn't just leave her alone. The guy with the earring snapped his fingers, and moments later, the bartender brought over two more drinks. "Well, if you're both up for it, why don't we take it up a notch?" He exchanged a glance with the man next to Whitney, and suddenly, each was holding a small packet.

Whitney's expression darkened. "What are you two trying to pull?"

"This is just something that'll make you feel good, sweetheart," the man beside her murmured, leaning in close.

Whitney immediately stood, grabbing Yvette's arm.

Both men got up just as fast, blocking their way. "You said you wanted to play. What's the hurry?" one of them taunted.

"We don't want to play. Move," Whitney replied, eyeing them warily.

Yvette realized something was off. She had met men like this before. It was one thing if they were merely flirting, but she dared not mess with people who did drugs.

"Look, fellas, it's not that we don't want to hang out. We just remembered we have something to take care of. Drinks are on us tonight."

The guy with the earring's expression grew cold as he sneered. He did not budge an inch. "Oh, you can go. Just drink these first." He pushed two spiked drinks toward them. Both exits were now blocked, with each man guarding a side of the table.

Whitney pulled out her phone. "If you don't move, I'll call the police."

"Call the cops?" The other man snatched her phone, his expression darkening. "Try it. See what happens."

Suddenly, the guy with the earring let out a pained yell. His arm had been twisted back at a painful angle, his face contorting with agony. At the same moment, the man beside Whitney was kicked hard, which forced him to his knees.

Under the dim lighting, a spotlight briefly illuminated the scene, allowing Whitney to see the newcomers. The tall figure was holding down the guy with an earring, making him kneel beside her Noel's assistant, Dariel, held down the other man.

"Causing trouble here? Do you even know where you are?" Dariel said coldly, motioning to the bodyguard behind him. The bodyguard yanked the kneeling man to his feet. The man quickly surrendered, handing Whitney her phone back.

The other bodyguard sneered at the man with the earring. "Looking for a thrill? Great. Let's go have some real fun."noveldrama

Dariel hoisted the guy with the earring and dragged him toward the exit.

"Be careful. Don't forget to call an ambulance and the police," Dariel reminded his team.

With the two men escorted out, Dariel approached Whitney while speaking respectfully, "Mr. Howard is upstairs. He asked me to bring you both up."

Given the scare they'd just had and Noel's intervention, Whitney figured going up to thank him was the least they could do.

She pushed open the door to the private room on the second floor and spotted Noel seated on a leather couch by the window. He was dressed casually in a gray sweater and leaning against the couch elegantly.

Noel only glanced at them briefly as they entered. Behind his silver-framed glasses, his dark eyes looked so sharp that it was hard to look directly at him.

No wonder Dariel and the others had shown up when they did; the room offered a clear view of everything happening downstairs.

"Thank you, Noel. I mean it," Whitney said first, breaking the silence.

Yvette chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Howard. If it hadn't been for you, I don't know how we would've gotten out of that mess tonight."

Noel stood with one hand in his pocket and walked over to them.

"Drug addicts, dangerous creeps, and powerful men. Do you think you can get away easily from people like them?" His voice was calm but carried an unmistakable edge.

Yvette swallowed hard and quickly explained, "We didn't approach them. They came to us, and we only discovered what they were like later."

Noel gave her a look that silenced her immediately. She didn't dare joke with him as she normally would.

"Thomas is on his way to take you home," he added, looking at Yvette before turning away.