6

"See me in the same spot."

Brienne bit her bottom lip and put her phone back in her bag. When the taxi stopped at the building, she got out and looked around. Brienne ran to the second entrance, which employees rarely used due to its location, making sure no one she knew was close.

Once inside the building, Brienne immediately saw Raven leaning against the wall, watching something on his phone. Her heart skipped a beat when Raven looked in her direction and smiled.

"Hi," Raven said, walking towards her and placing his hand on her waist.

"Hi," Brienne said. "Have you been here for a while?" she added.

"Not really. May I kiss you?" Raven asked, leaning forward. Brienne looked into his eyes, feeling her soul being drawn in as she nodded yes. Raven cupped her face and kissed her on the lips. This setup had been going on for a week. Raven would visit the building to see Brienne. She could have stopped it, but she didn’t, and she didn’t know why. Despite Janice clearly telling her to stay away from him, Brienne had been spending time with Raven for a week.

"R-Raven..." she said, gently pushing him back. Raven kissed her jaw, then moved down to her neck.

"Good morning, gorgeous," Raven said with a smile.

"Hmm, what's your reason for coming today?" Brienne inquired, causing Raven to laugh.

"Of course, business," Raven replied. "I'm going to sign contracts today," he added, letting Brienne go.

"I'm not making this one up, I promise," he said cheekily. Brienne sighed and instinctively fixed Raven's tie, just as she used to do with Jasper when they were still together. Raven watched her intently.

"T-There," she stuttered, stepping back.

"Thank you, baby," Raven said.

"I will go first; I'll be late for work," Brienne replied, glancing at her watch to hide her blushing cheeks.

"See you later?" Raven asked. Brienne looked at him.

"I'll try," she said, walking away and leaving Raven on his own. Brienne headed to the elevator, pushed the button for her department, and sneaked in without anyone noticing, except for Janice, who knew her circumstances.

"I see you," Janice said, handing her the documents. Brienne smiled sheepishly, making Janice sigh.

"Just be safe, okay? If he tries something funny, tell me—I’ll fight him," Janice said bravely, showing her fist. Brienne chuckled and shook her head.

"Thanks, Nice," Brienne replied, knowing she could count on Janice no matter what.

Brienne started working on the financial statements she’d been given when her phone beeped. She paused her typing and picked up her phone.

"Let's go to the café across the street. My treat."

Brienne smiled and typed her reply.

"It wouldn't hurt to go with him, right? He's been nothing but kind these past few days," she whispered. There was something about Raven that she just couldn't seem to avoid. After sending her reply, Brienne went back to work.

When lunchtime arrived, Brienne snuck out of her department and took the elevator to the ground floor. When she reached the spot where they kept meeting, Raven was already waiting for her.

"Hi, ready to go?" He took her bag, held her arm, and made her heart race.

Raven opened the door for Brienne, letting her enter first before following behind her. They sat in a corner of the café.

"What would you like to order? I’ll get it for you so you don’t have to stand up," Raven asked with a smile. Brienne was about to respond when a voice interrupted her.

"Bree? What the f*ck? Who is this motherf*cker?!" Jasper shouted angrily, drawing unwanted attention.

"Jasper, please, not here," Brienne said, clenching her hand into a fist.

"Who is he?" Raven asked, glaring at Jasper.

"What? You broke up with me and immediately found someone to replace me? It's only been a month, Brienne!" Jasper yelled. The murmurs and whispers from the people in the café made Brienne tremble. She hated it—hated that Jasper was blaming her for the breakup when he was the one who cheated on her.

"Jasper, please. Can we talk outside?" Brienne pleaded softly, holding back her tears.

"No, Brienne. I want this man to know you're a f*cking whore. You dirty woman," Jasper spat.

"You cheated on me and insulted me! What do you expect me to do? Forgive you that easily?" Brienne yelled. Jasper was about to argue back, but a punch suddenly landed on his face.

"Don't you f*cking dare talk to my woman like that, you piece of sh*t," Raven said angrily, his eyes glaring at Jasper, chest heaving, and fist clenched. Brienne immediately stood up and tried to stop Raven.

"Raven!" she exclaimed.

"You f*cking b*stard barged into our space and insulted my woman. Do you have a f*cking death wish?!" Raven growled and kicked Jasper in the stomach, causing him to start coughing while holding his stomach.

"Sir!"

"Raven!"

The café security intervened, stopping Raven from further assaulting Jasper.

"Please, Raven, let's just go," Brienne whispered, tears streaming down her face. Raven's eyes softened and pulled Brienne closer to him.

"If I see you approach my woman one more time, I'm warning you—it won't end well," he said, handing a business card to the security.

"Here's my card. Let me know the amount I need to compensate, but make sure to ban this man who started all of this," he added before walking out of the café with Brienne.

They got into the car, and Raven handed Brienne a tissue box.

"I'm sorry our lunch was ruined," Raven said. "I should have taken you somewhere else."

"It wasn't your fault," Brienne replied, wiping her tears.

"That bastard was your ex, right? What's his full name?" Raven asked. Just thinking about the man made his blood boil. He wouldn’t let this slide. No one was allowed to treat Brienne that way.

"Why? Why do you want his name?" Brienne asked. "Please, don't. I don’t know what you’re planning, but don’t do it. I don't want any connection to that man," she added. Raven gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Okay, let's forget about him and get on with our lunch," Raven said, forcing a smile. "What do you want to eat?" he asked.

"I'm suddenly craving noodles. Can we get that?" Brienne said, looking at him with puppy eyes. Raven cupped her face and planted a kiss on her nose.

"Of course, anything for you, princess," he said, then drove away. Brienne placed her hand on her chest as her heart beat erratically. What was she feeling?