The noise of the club and the many people dancing on the dance floor did not deter Thea from entering. She wore a peach-colored blouse, a checkered midi skirt, and flat shoes—completely contrasting with the other visitors who wore sexy dresses and high heels. Thea clutched her bag and hurried to the bar counter, settling at an empty spot. She called the bartender to order her drink—fruit beer.
When the bartender served her order, Thea sipped it slowly. The sweet and sour sensation made her frown slightly, then sigh in satisfaction. At least this light alcohol could help ease her tense nerves.
She had failed—again. For who knows how many times this month, her job application had been rejected. She shoved her documents back into her bag in frustration.
Her mother had told her that Thea didn't need to work while studying in Calvenhart. But Thea insisted on getting a part-time job. It was to help her mother pay for her tuition and add to her allowance.
"Hey lady, are you alone?"
Thea frowned, just as she had half a glass of her drink left, two large men approached her.
Thea didn't respond, pretending to check her phone. Hoping those two sleazy men would just leave. She wasn't in the mood to deal with this kind of nonsense.
"Geez, how cold." One of them laughed mockingly.
They kept teasing and taunting Thea, making the long-haired girl sick to her stomach. Thea downed the rest of her beer, then stood up to leave.
"Hey, don't be in such a hurry."
Thea ignored them, walking quickly toward the exit, but the two men kept following her.
"Don't act so high and mighty. What's wrong with keeping us company?" Thea's steps halted when one of the two men—a skinny guy with acne on his forehead—grabbed her arm.
Thea narrowed her gray eyes, glaring at the man. "Let go!"
"No. No. No. Not until you have a drink with us."
"Let go or I'll scream."
"Go ahead. This club is too noisy—no one will hear you."
Thea struggled as the two men tried to drag her away. But her small body was no match for their strength. Just as she was about to give up and surrender, a mature man who appeared to be in his early 40s stopped the hand of the man who had grabbed Thea. He wore a fine suit, with ash-black hair.
"Hey, mister, what the hell do you think you're doing?" the skinny man said, displeased.
"Sorry, I've been watching you for a while. But it seems... this young lady doesn't want to be with you."
The man's deep voice sounded calm, but firm. He offered a polite smile, glancing back and forth between Thea and the two men. But Thea could swear that his golden brown eyes seemed cold and dangerous.
"A stalker, huh? Don't worry, sir, she's our friend—just drunk and emotionally unstable," the skinny guy's friend tried to make an excuse.
The man in the suit frowned in disbelief. Suddenly, he leaned in and sniffed near Thea's face, making her eyes widen in shock.
"There's a sweet and sour smell on her breath. She only drank fruity beer with low alcohol content. You're clearly lying."
He turned his gaze to Thea. "Do you know them?"
Thea quickly shook her head and pulled her arm away after being freed from the skinny man's grip thanks to the man in the suit.
"Leave now before I call the bar's bouncer."
The two men looked furious and offended, but they seemed to realize that this man might be someone important. Not wanting to cause more trouble, they left, leaving Thea breathing a sigh of relief—with the suited man beside her.
"Thank you for helping me, Mister..."
"Alaric," the man in the suit cut in quickly. "You can call me Alaric."
He pulled out his name card and handed it to Thea.
Alaric Liu Grayson, Thea murmured internally. She could see his occupation listed as a curator—or museum director.
"You should be more careful next time,"
Alaric advised, his golden-brown eyes staring sharply at Thea. "There are many drunk and unstable people in a place like this. It's best for a young woman like you to bring a friend—or at least self-defense."
Thea winced inwardly at his words. Great. After being rejected today, now a middle-aged stranger was giving her life advice.
"Thanks for the advice."
The two fell silent, the thumping music and the noise of the crowd filling the gap between them. Thea shifted uncomfortably. Her gray eyes glanced at Alaric and she noticed he was observing her. She swallowed hard. His golden brown gaze felt warm but also distant and mysterious. He was tall—probably 185 cm—and Thea's height only reached his chest. His shoulders were broad, his posture straight and strong—who knew what else was hidden beneath that suit?
"I should go home now. Once again, thank you for helping me, Mister Alaric."
Thea nodded politely at him and started walking toward the club's exit.
"Are you driving yourself?"
God, why was this man following her again? Thea didn't understand why Alaric seemed so involved all of a sudden.
"I... took a taxi. Don't worry, I already ordered one on my phone."
Alaric frowned in disbelief. It made Thea uneasy. Was he going to offer her a ride or something? She hadn't actually ordered a taxi; it was just an excuse to keep him from interfering further.
Luckily, an empty taxi pulled up in front of the club's exit just as Thea stepped out—with Alaric trailing behind her like an impromptu bodyguard. Without a second thought, Thea got into the taxi. She rolled down the window and tried to offer a polite smile to Alaric. After all, he did help her. She didn't want to seem rude.
"Thank you again, Mister Alaric."
Alaric nodded, eyes fixed on the milk tea brown-haired girl as they parted. His golden brown eyes remained on her—it seemed warm, yet for some reason, Thea felt a strange tingle under his gaze.
"Be safe on your way home."
The taxi window closed, leaving Alaric watching it drive away. Meanwhile, Thea let out a long sigh, slumping against the car seat. She was exhausted—she just wanted to get back to her simple apartment and soak in warm water before sleeping.
She realized she was still holding Alaric's card, not having put it in her bag. Her gray eyes stared at the name printed on it.
"Grayson..." Thea muttered to herself. She remembered there was a girl around her age with the same surname—Grayson—but she couldn't recall who it was.
She shrugged it off indifferently. After all, Grayson wasn't exactly a rare name. Maybe it was just a coincidence.