Chapter 45

Anthony Miller was driving his black Chevrolet Suburban, taking Aiden Thompson home. In the front passenger seat, Aiden Thompson checked his phone but noticed that Grace Li hadn't sent him any messages. After scrolling through their group chat, he saw that she and her friends had dinner and then went to see a movie. A typical movie runs for about two hours, so it was probably wrapping up now.

"Hey, Aiden, are you planning to stay in Nova Capital long-term?" Anthony Miller asked casually, keeping his hands on the wheel.

"For now, yeah," Aiden Thompson replied, glancing out the window. "If a good opportunity comes up, I might try starting something on my own."

"You thinking of going the startup route?" Anthony raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"I admire that," Anthony said. "Honestly, with your abilities, starting a business is perfect for you. You've been successful at everything since high school. It's like Lady Luck is always following you. I swear, God must have a special spot for you."

"Don't rely too much on luck. Picking the right direction is what matters," Aiden said.

"Oh, come on. You're downplaying it again," Anthony teased with a laugh.

Aiden smiled but didn't respond.

As they approached an intersection, they ran into a traffic jam. The other lane was blocked too, and Anthony Miller couldn't move. He rolled down his window and leaned out to see what was going on. "Damn, looks like there was an accident up ahead."

Aiden wasn't too concerned. Car accidents weren't rare in New York. He sent Grace Li a text: Still not home?

No reply.

Since one lane was blocked by the accident, and cars were weaving through the other lane, the traffic backed up for a long time. Anthony Miller grew impatient and cursed under his breath. "What the hell, why don't they just move the damn cars? This is making everything worse!"

Five minutes later, they finally managed to switch lanes, only to be met with a red light. Aiden rolled down his window, and that's when a harsh voice shouted from nearby, "You call the cops, I'll smash your car to pieces!"

"I got hit by you. It's normal to call the cops for this," a woman's voice responded boldly.

Aiden's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly jumped out of the car. Anthony Miller looked confused and called out, "Aiden, where are you going?"

Aiden made his way to the scene of the accident, where a red-faced, slightly overweight middle-aged man was angrily pushing a woman. "You call the cops again and I swear I'll—"

The woman staggered back a few steps, almost losing her balance. Seeing this, Aiden rushed forward, wrapping an arm around her protectively. As she looked up in shock, she saw him and froze. What's he doing here?

Aiden's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing like a blade as he stared down the man. In a flash, he executed a swift spinning kick that knocked the man to the ground. The kick sent the man into a fit of nausea, and he started vomiting on the spot. Seeing that help had arrived and realizing how tough Aiden was, the man tried to scramble to his feet and escape. Aiden wasn't having any of that, though. He quickly closed the distance, grabbed the man by his collar, and delivered a punch to his face.

Grace Li, worried about Aiden making things worse, urgently pulled on his arm. "Aiden! Stop! He's drunk! Let the cops handle it!"

Sure enough, the man reeked of alcohol, and Aiden's punch had left him dazed and disoriented.

Aiden turned to her and asked, "Did you call 911?"

"Yeah, I already called them," Grace Li confirmed. She had made the call earlier, and it was precisely why the drunk driver had gotten so enraged and threatened her.

Just then, Anthony Miller had parked the car and rushed over. "Aiden, what's going on?"

Aiden nodded toward the groaning man and said, "Keep an eye on him. This guy hit my girlfriend's car while drunk and tried to run."

Anthony raised an eyebrow and glanced at Grace Li, who was standing behind Aiden. He nodded quickly. "Got it."

Aiden turned to Grace Li, his voice softer now. "Did he hit you?"

Grace Li shook her head. "No, he just pushed me."

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, just the car got rear-ended, and the trunk's a bit dented."

Aiden let out a sigh of relief. He reached out to gently touch her head. "As long as you're okay."

Before long, the police arrived at the scene. They immediately performed a breathalyzer test on the drunk driver, and the result confirmed he was well above the legal limit. He was promptly arrested and taken away.

After the accident was cleared, Grace Li drove her slightly damaged BMW 3 Series home, planning to take it to the auto shop the next day for repairs. Aiden followed her home.

As soon as they walked through the door, Grace Li had barely set her bag down before Aiden gently hugged her from behind. Grace Li turned her head slightly. "What's wrong?"

Aiden still felt a little shaken. He couldn't help but imagine what might have happened if he hadn't happened to pass by. In a city like New York, many people don't want to get involved in trouble. When something unfair happens, most just watch silently. Like today—most drivers just rolled down their windows to watch but didn't help.

"You should've called me the moment this happened," Aiden murmured, his chin resting on her shoulder.

Grace Li was puzzled. "When there's a car accident, isn't calling 911 the first thing?"

"Calling 911 is right, but you should've let me know. Grace, don't forget I'm your boyfriend."

"I haven't forgotten."

"So, if anything happens in the future, call me first, okay?"

"Okay, I got it."

Aiden pulled back slightly, holding her shoulders and gently turning her to face him. He looked serious. "If you feel anything, even a little off, let me know right away."

Grace Li smiled and nodded. "Got it."

"I'll go with you to the auto shop tomorrow morning."

"Sure."

Aiden reached up to gently tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and softly asked, "Were you scared today?"

"To be honest, yeah. A little. If you hadn't shown up, that drunk driver might've done something worse." Grace Li sighed in relief. "But it's okay now that you're here."

"Um..." Aiden hesitated, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

Grace Li raised an eyebrow, curious. "What is it?"

"Should I stay with you tonight?"

Grace Li froze for a moment, and Aiden quickly pointed toward the living room couch. "I can sleep on the couch. It's not too bad."

Grace Li laughed, shaking her head. "The couch in my place isn't even long enough for you to stretch out."

"So?"

She smiled. "So, the guest room's empty. Why sleep on the couch?"

Aiden grinned. "Alright, I'll take you up on that."

"Okay."

The guest room had been set up for when her parents or younger brother visited. They had stayed a couple of times, so everything was ready and tidy.

After Grace Li finished showering, she found that Aiden had already made the bed himself. He was still in his fitted suit, which clearly wasn't comfortable for sleeping. Grace Li thought about helping him find something more suitable to wear, but it was late, and the nearby stores were closed. Besides, her clothes wouldn't fit him anyway. Then she remembered she had some oversized loungewear, and maybe Aiden could wear those.

"Hey, I have some loose loungewear. You might be able to fit into them. Want me to grab them for you?"

Aiden hesitated, a little uncomfortable with the idea of wearing his girlfriend's clothes. "Nah, I'm good."

"Then you're gonna sleep in your shirt and suit pants?" she teased.

Aiden raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I can also sleep without them."

Grace Li blushed. "..."

Aiden noticed her reaction and laughed softly. "Surprised?"

"Uh, not really."

Aiden checked his watch. It was already 12:30 AM. "It's late. You should get some sleep."

Grace Li suddenly remembered something. "I'll grab you a new set of towels and toiletries."

Luckily, she had picked up an extra set when she went grocery shopping. She handed him the items and then headed to her room to rest.

Aiden was pretty familiar with Grace Li's place. After all, he had helped her move in and unpack, so he felt right at home.

The next day, the sky over New York was overcast. Grace Li and Aiden Thompson grabbed breakfast at a small diner near her apartment complex before heading to the dealership. On the way, they happened to pass by Aiden's place, giving him a chance to swing by and change clothes.

Aiden pulled the car over and asked, "I'm going up to change. Wanna come check it out?"

Grace hesitated. "Is that okay?"

"Of course. You should see where I live."

She had always been curious about Aiden's place. He had mentioned that he lived in Brooklyn, and she had assumed it was a small, basic apartment—probably compact, maybe a bit old.

But when she stepped inside, she was surprised. His apartment was a stylish loft-style duplex with an open floor plan, modern furnishings, and a huge floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the busy streets below. It was far from the cramped space she had imagined. Even in Brooklyn, a place like this didn't come cheap.

As Aiden went upstairs to change, Grace wandered around the living room, taking in the sleek yet minimalistic decor. Everything was neat and intentional—just like him.

A few minutes later, he came back wearing a fresh outfit. A faint, woody cologne followed as he walked past her, subtle but clean.

"Alright, ready to go?" he asked.

Grace smiled. "Your place is really nice. I thought it would be… smaller."

Aiden chuckled. "Well, I like to be comfortable. The commute is still worth it for now, but my lease is up in February. I'm thinking about moving closer to the office."

They stepped out together, got back into the car, and continued toward the dealership.