Chapter 16- The Aftermath of the Parking Lot Showdown.

Suspicious, the women looked at each other one final time before deciding to keep quiet and making their way to the stalls. With a sigh of relief, Nora quickly took out her phone. Her fingers trembled a little as she composed her justification and typed a message to her supervisor.

Nora: I don't feel well today. I will not be attending work. I apologise for the delayed notice. The response arrived hardly a second after she pushed send.

Boss: Indolent girl.

Nora rolled her eyes at the cliched response and scoffed. At the moment, she had no time to worry about that. As she walked out of the bathroom and towards the subterranean parking lot, where she knew he would be, her pulse was pounding with excitement.

She walked quickly but steadily, the thrill brewing within her like a wild tempest. She wasn't alone, though.

Behind her, a shadow—a reporter—was surreptitiously observing everything she did. His senses were keen, and his camera was prepared. Nora arrived at the dark underground parking lot, unaware of her unwanted presence, and looked about until she saw a sleek, black van parked at the far end. Although she was aware that Dave was close by, she decided to think a playful thought instead of approaching him. Let's find out how much jealousy it takes to get him. She turned and headed towards the van where Francis Walter, the famous artist and her idol, was waiting, a teasing sneer on her lips. She softly rapped on the door.

Francis, who had obviously not anticipated her, appeared when the van's door swung open a short while later. His lips curved into a pleasant smile as his brows raised in astonishment.

"Nora? What a welcome surprise. She felt self-conscious all of a sudden as she flushed under his eyes. "I... This is where I arrived to meet someone. However, I figured I'd say hello to you first since I saw your van. I hope that's alright. Francis laughed. It is, of course. Have you got a time to talk?

For a moment, Nora hesitated. She was certain that Dave would not approve of this at all. However, wasn't that the purpose? She was excited at the prospect of playing with him a while longer. "Sure," she smiled and responded. Francis moved out of the way and let her in.

Her eyes expanded the instant she did. Dave's friends, four men, sat in the van. They glanced at her, then at Francis, then at each other with a knowing look. Some of them grinned, but they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut. They were wise enough not to get involved in what was going to happen.

They decided in silence that Francis was in peril. Dave's lady is this one. However, Francis showed no signs of feeling threatened. He stayed composed, offering her a chair as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Ignoring the tension, Nora sat down and looked at Francis. "Your art has always impressed me. There is so much emotion in your artwork. How do you even generate such concepts?

Her passion thrilled Francis, who grinned. "Art is simply color-captured feeling. The canvas listens to your deepest emotions. Time went by while they conversed, Francis responding with the same fervour that made him famous to Nora's eager questions about various painting styles. There was a lot of curiosity and hilarity throughout the talk. Then— BANG! The vehicle door slammed against the side as it swung open violently. Everyone turned simultaneously. Dave was waiting there at the door. His jaw was so clinched that it appeared to be about to break, and his eyes were burning with rage. His whole physique exuded anger, his hands curled at his sides.

The van's temperature appeared to decline. The air grew oppressively heavy. Nora smiled. You got it. On the other hand, Francis's normally laid-back manner darkened as he tensed somewhat. He thought Dave would be possessive, but this? This was anger—pure and unadulterated. Dave's friends, who had been watching in silence up until now, almost burst out laughing. This was the moment they had been anticipating. Now let's start the drama. There was silence for a minute. Francis then crossed his arms and leaned back into his seat. "All right, all right. Observe who chose to accompany us.

Dave's scowl deepened. He moved forward slowly. Dave's voice was dangerously low as he whispered, "I suggest that you step away from her." His response made Nora twist her head in amusement. "Oh, Dave. You don't have to be so dramatic. Dave looked at her abruptly. "Get out of the van, Nora." She gave a playful pout. "Why? All we were discussing was art. His nose wrinkled. He had no desire to play games. Francis grinned as he felt the tension rising. "Calm down, Dave. She was the one who arrived here. We simply had a pleasant conversation.

Dave clenched his hands. "What you were doing doesn't matter to me. She has no place here. Francis's eyebrow went up. "She's not yours to control." The final straw was that. Dave rushed forward and grabbed Francis by the collar before anyone could blink. Nora was shocked by the rapid movement, yet she felt excited rather than scared. Francis stiffened but did not strike back. He simply looked silently defiantly into Dave's angry eyes. The van didn't say anything. Nobody dared to step in.

Then, after what seemed like an age, Dave stepped back and gave him a harsh shove. Even he wasn't sure if his hands were shaking from anger or anything more serious. His voice was tight as he turned to Nora. "We're leaving." She also didn't argue for once. The reporter who had been lurking in the shadows as Nora exited the vehicle.