He shoved Magnus roughly by the shoulder, pushing himself forward and taking his place, his hands landing where Magnus’s had been moments earlier.
Sophia barely registered the change. She turned around, both hands instinctively covering her back.
“Oh—thank you,” she said, unaware of what had just happened.
“It’s nothing,” Harold replied quickly, eyes fixed on her face. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you? Is your foot okay?” he asked, his eyes scanning her with concern.
Magnus, on the other hand, looked like he was chewing glass.
He stood there, jaw tight, eyes throwing daggers at Harold, who seemed completely oblivious to the murderous glare beside him.
Magnus’s eyes shifted to Harold’s hand—still resting far too comfortably on Sophia’s waist and a sharp surge of irritation shot through him.
That was when the burning anger settled fully in his chest.
Harold finally turned his head and noticed the man standing next to him.
His eyes widened slightly before his face broke into a smile. “Magnus? You’re here too? What a coincidence!”
Sophia’s eyes followed his words and landed on Magnus.
She blinked in surprise, momentarily stunned to see him standing there. A flicker of confusion crossed her face.
‘What is he doing here?’ she wondered.
Magnus’s eyes burned as he looked between Sophia and Harold. His voice, when he spoke, was dangerously low.
“Yeah,” he said through clenched teeth. “What a coincidence.”
Harold, completely missing the tension, brightened. “Since we’ve run into each other, why don’t we grab some drinks together?” He gestured enthusiastically toward the VIP area,where a set of couches was arranged. “We’ve got friends over there. Would you girls like to join us?”
Sophia smiled. “Sure.”
Harold practically bounced on his feet as he led them toward the VIP seating.
As they reached, Sophia’s gaze drifted around the area, taking everything in, before pausing in surprise when she spotted Timothy standing quietly in a corner.
“Come on, take a seat,” Harold urged with an easy smile.
Sophia and Emma moved to the middle couch and sat down together, the low table positioned directly in front of them. Magnus took the single seater across from them.
On the couch to the side, was Gregory, Magnus’s best friend, with two other men taking up the rest of the space.
Without hesitation, Harold dropped onto the same middle couch, squeezing in beside Sophia and leaving far less space than necessary. Magnus’s jaw tightened almost instantly.
Harold gestured toward the girls. “Meet the pretty girls, gentlemen,” he announced proudly. Then he pointed at Sophia, grinning. “She’s the girl I have a crush on.”
Sophia’s shocked eyes fell on Harold and she shifted slightly, suddenly self-conscious.
Harold, however, was completely oblivious. He continued boasting to his friends. “You know what? I ran into her just a few hours ago on the road! She’s a total badass. Some people were following her in a car, and she made them crash straight into a ditch. It was fucking hilarious.”
Sophia’s head snapped toward him, eyes widening. “You saw me?”
“Yes,” Harold replied, grinning at her. “I was about to come talk to you, but you drove off so fast I didn’t even get the chance to get close.”
Then Harold turned back toward the group and continued bragging, his excitement clearly uncontainable.
“She’s seriously incredible. You should’ve seen how she twisted the steering wheel and shot straight into that narrow road,” he said animatedly, using both hands to demonstrate. “Our car almost couldn’t keep up with her. Her car roof was open, hair flying everywhere—it was like watching a movie scene.”
