Lydia Mitchell had only stepped out for the bathroom, but when she came back, there was a man in a crisp military uniform standing right at the KTV room entrance. The moment he spotted her, he greeted politely, “Miss Mitchell.”
The sight of him made Lydia’s head spin instantly.
“Kyle Foster?” she blurted out, eyes wide as if she just saw a ghost. “What a coincidence! What brings you here?”
Kyle’s face remained expressionless, no surprise, no emotion.
“Miss Mitchell, the Colonel is waiting outside for you,” he said flatly.
The smile froze on Lydia’s face.
She suddenly had a bad feeling, her whole body stiffened, hesitating to move.
Kyle kept a polite smile on his face. “You should come with me. Let’s not keep the Colonel waiting.”
Lydia knew she couldn’t dodge this one. She let out a breath and muttered, “Alright, let me at least tell my friends before I go.”
“Of course.”
Kyle nodded, but stayed rooted to the spot like he had no intention of leaving her side.
Lydia gave a helpless laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna make a run for it.”
Kyle didn’t respond, just smiled. He knew her tricks too well to relax.
…
Outside the club, in a quiet corner of the lot, sat a sleek black sedan that screamed low-key luxury.
Lydia walked over, took in a deep breath, and pulled the back door open before sliding in.
Inside, James Donovan rested with his eyes closed, a stack of white papers in hand. His sharp uniform made his already striking features seem even colder and more distant.
Knowing she was in trouble, Lydia didn’t say much. She mumbled a soft “Brother-in-law,” then sat quietly, not daring to make a sound.
After a moment, James opened his eyes slowly.
His gaze landed on her, deep and unreadable, voice low and commanding. “So this is where you’ve been ‘studying’?”
Lydia’s heart sank instantly.
She stammered, “Well, I-I was going to my tutoring session, but the tutor had an emergency, so... class got canceled.”
No change in James’s expression. He narrowed his eyes slightly. “And since it was canceled, why didn’t you go home?”
Lydia lowered her head, biting her lip, silent.
“Answer me.”
His voice was sharp, full of authority.
Lydia clenched her teeth, replying in a voice barely audible, “A classmate was celebrating a birthday, I just… wanted to hang out a bit.”
Honestly, she’d only dared to come out because she thought James was out of town.
Clearly, she had miscalculated.
James’s brows tightened.
No sound came from him, so Lydia thought maybe—just maybe—he was letting her off. She looked up, only to meet a pair of pitch-black eyes, and froze on the spot.
“Brother-in-law…”
She tried to look pitiful, lips curling into a sulky pout.
But James didn’t buy it one bit. He scoffed coldly, “That’s not an excuse. Lydia, how many times have I told you? You’re too young for places like this. Do my words go in one ear and out the other?”
Lydia’s head dropped again.
From where James sat, all he could see was her tiny black head looking helpless.
That view made something in his gaze start to soften again.