Page 17 of King of Rage

A short while later, he pulled up outside a luxurious restaurant. He stepped out and headed straight for the entrance.

Inside, candlelight flickered across the dimly lit restaurant, reflecting off the dark wooden surfaces and casting the room in a warm, intimate glow.

Lucius paid no attention to his surroundings. He made his way directly to the private meeting room Nial had arranged for his meeting with Catherine, entered without a word, and took his seat.

For the next ten minutes, he studied the documents in front of him, his expression impatient and frustrated.

Catherine sat across from him in silence. Young and beautiful, she had a delicate face framed by sleek black hair, but her cold, watchful eyes gave her an unsettling edge. Her lips held the faintest hint of a smile as she studied him, waiting impatiently for the moment she could speak.

Lucius gave her none.

She was a woman in her late twenties, and she had had a crush on him for as long as she could remember. Her family and Lucius’s family had been business partners for years, so she had known him for a long time.

She had already told her parents that she liked Lucius and wanted to marry him.

Her family had encouraged the idea, but Lucius had never shown the slightest interest.

Over the years, Catherine had tried everything she could think of to win his attention. She had sought opportunities to spend time with him, attempted to draw him into conversations, and made her feelings increasingly obvious. None of it had made the slightest difference. Lucius remained as indifferent to her as ever.

She was beginning to lose patience.

“Lucius, there’s a party a few days from now. It’s my birthday. Will you be coming?” she asked, her voice brightening with hope. “I promise I’ll make sure you won’t be bored.”

Lucius slammed the final document shut, gathered the signed papers, and slid them back into the file. He gave her a brief, indifferent glance.

“I’ll send some executives to deliver a gift from my parents.”

Catherine’s expression immediately fell.

“You’re not coming?” she asked.

Lucius didn’t answer.

He rose from his seat and walked out of the room.

“Lucius!”

Catherine hurried after him, following him out of the restaurant and into the open air.

“Please, can’t you come this time?” she pleaded, struggling to keep up. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while. I’ll even book a VIP room just for you, so you won’t have to mingle with anyone else. You can spend a little time with me and leave whenever you want.”

Lucius continued toward his car, his long strides carrying him farther ahead. Catherine quickened her pace, but she still couldn’t catch up with him.

Just as he was about to step outside, his eyes suddenly fell on two people entering through the entrance.

Stella and Shane.

They walked in side by side, and Stella was smiling up at him.

“That was such a great dinner. I can’t believe I’ve never come to this restaurant in all these years. I should have come here sooner. The food was amazing,” she said cheerfully.

They continued toward the other side of the restaurant, unaware of Lucius at first. Then Stella’s eyes landed on him.

She immediately realized that he had seen her with Shane.

Her gaze shifted briefly to the man beside her before returning to Lucius.

He was already walking toward them.