Again

"B...B?" Mandy's voice was shocked-filled as Ryat's angry eyes met with hers, and the remaining icing began melting from her fingers to the tiled ground.

The silence in the hall is deafening—the guests held in their gasps, awaiting what's gonna happen next.

Even Harvey's allergic reaction seemed to pause at that moment as he stared at Ryat.

He wasn't expecting him here at all.

"Shit" Lia muttered, quickly lowering the phone she was filming with.

And Tiffany? She still can't believe her wide eyes as they stared at Ryan's ruined suit which has blue icing splashes.

"Stop fuckin filming, and if any of the videos you've made appears online, then don't call me cruel when I have your brand destroyed" Ryat faced the guests as each word left his eloquent lips effortlessly.

Everyone began lowering their phones for the fear of getting ruined.

Ryat only speaks when important, and when he does, he doesn't bluff.

"Ryat..." Harvey stepped closer, but a glare from Ryat made him stop.

"BB, I swear I instructed her mother to bake without vanilla flavoring, I swear. You know I'm not a bully" Mandy held his arm, but be broke free, his anger ballooning.

"BB, you—

"I don't wanna talk to you, Mandy" he cut her off, and the next thing he took was Tiffany's hand.

He held her by the wrist and pulled her, taking her out of the hall.

Tiffany didn't hold back or hesitate, she followed, unable to take her eyes off the icing on his suit.

"BB!!" Mandy screamed from the front, but Ryat never looked back.

Tiffany could feel the anger rolling off of him.

Getting outside, Ryat stopped at the park beside his white car, but he still didn't let go of Tiffany's wrist.

He just turned around and faced her, and she felt her breaths hitching as their eyes met again for the first time since Halloween night.

Ryat slowly let go of her wrist, and he let out a slow breath as he stared at her face.

He wasn't planning to come to this party.

Not like he doesn't attend Harvey's yearly birthdays despite how insufferable Harvey is, but this year's got cancelled out of his list the moment he tried to impose the Chinese brand on him.

He was in his penthouse, eating dinner after a long busy day at work when Landon texted him he had finally found his unforgettable doll as the daughter of a small-scale baker.

Landon specified that she's in charge of Harvey's birthday cake, and he didn't eat another forkful from his pasta before dressing up in the first suit he could lay his hands on, then he rushed down here.

He found her, but he witnessed his own sister bullying her and trying to ruin her for the guests.

And while he might not know her well, he's sure his instincts never lies.

Tiffany is definitely innocent.

"Thank you" Tiffany finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

He didn't realize how much he missed her small voice till now, and it's refreshing to hear it again.

"You ok?" He asked, coolly inserting an hand into his pocket.

"Yeah, and...oh!" She quickly opened her purse and pulled out an hanky, then she went behind him and began wiping the already-melting icing.

"You don't have to—

"Stay still, Mr. Briggs" she interrupted, and he immediately stayed, his brows knotting.

Mr. Briggs?

He doesn't like the sound of that, what happened to Ryat?

She finished cleaning and walked back to his front.

"The handkerchief didn't do much, but at least...it did something" she smiled.

"Thank you, so...you school at Stanford?" He asked, his one hand still in pocket.

"Yeah, a law student, by scholarship" she replied, and he nodded.

"And I'm guessing you're mad brilliant" he smiled slightly.

"I'm trying my best" she replied, and then she gasped.

"The full payment,, I haven't gotten it but everything is ruined! How do I...gosh" she stumped her foot.

"You wanna talk about it over dinner?" Ryat asked fast, and she looked him in the eye, giving her lower lip a bite she didn't plan to do.

"I'm just 22, Mr. Briggs. That night was...a night of desperacy, and—"

"I'm not an oldie with grey hair and saggy face, Tiffy. And can you drop the Mr thingy?" He interrupted.

"I'll try to" she smiled again, and he opened the car door.

"So... dinner with the 28 years old dude?" He said with a sharper accent.

"I'll give it a chance" she replied, and his white dentition flashed as he smiled wide, revealing his chin dimple.

Tiffany stared at it for a minute too long, seeming carried away before she eventually entered the car.

Ryat shut the door, then he rounded the car.

He was about to enter the driver's seat when Landon's text buzzed on his phone, and he checked.

Don: You got her already? Keep me updated, gone man.

"Bastard" Ryat muttered with a chuckle, entering the car and zooming out.

Some minutes later, the birthday guests began exiting the hall, and every mouth is moving.

Everyone has something to say about the just ruined party, and a lot are disappointed about the videos they had to delete.

Julie walked out with Harvey, and they were escorted by guards, into a waiting limousine.

At the same time, Lia and Mandy came out of the hall, both fuming.

From the backseat of the limousine, Harvey's eyes met with Lia's through the open window, and they shared secret stares before the limo was driven out of the park.

"I can't believe my plans went down the drain, urggg!!" Mandy ranted, diving an hand into her hair.

"But how did your brother know her? He can't just act like that if they haven't met before" Lia said.

"My brother wouldn't have met that poor street rat anywhere, he's not that accessible. He's just too kind and he saved her like the principled man that he is. I just can't believe he really came, and now he sees me as a bully. Fûck, I hate when BB is mad at me...urggg!!" Mandy ranted again, walking off in anger.

"Mandy!!" Lia went after her.

--

[Darry Dinners]

"So...you watch movies?" Tiffany asked after lowering the cup of wine from her pink lips.

"Yeah, why are you surprised?" Ryat replied, dropping his fork.

He's sitting across her on the table, and he looks very much intrigued.

He had choose this place for the dinner since it's the most expensive one he could find around.

He's not really a fan of eating out except during celebratory dinners with his company staffs, so he has no top picks when it comes to dinner houses.

He prefers homemade meals.

"Many grown men find movies boring, they claim they've grown past it or...you know you know" she puckered her lips.

"It's Mandy who sometimes forces me to watch with her though, I don't just sit and watch on my own" he said, and she nodded.

"And I'm sorry about what she did, I never knew you attended Stanford" he continued.

"He was my ex's ex" Tiffany replied, stabbing her steak.

"I don't get" Ryat leaned in.

"She dated Zachary before me, but he broke up with her, and he dated me next. He already broke up with me on Halloween" she explained, and his eyes shadowed.

"So...that night..."

"Can we not...talk about it?" She said sensitively.

"Of course, I'm sorry though. Young men can be jerky" he replied, and she frowned.

"So you're finally admitting you're not a young man?"

"I'm 28, Tiffy. Geez!" He rested his elbow on the table edge with a chuckle, and she laughed out, revealing her two deep dimples.

"Gawd, you're so fuçking... breathtaking" He said without missing a beat as he stared.

"Thanks, Mr. Briggs. And Mandy specifically told my mum to add vanilla flavoring, so we're not at fault. Sorry about your dad though" she hastily replied, checking the time.

She spranged up. "I have to go now, mum must be getting worried" she said, getting her purse and phone.

Surprised at the sudden burst, Ryat stood too.

"Your full payment—"

"I'll explain things to mum. I'll be fine, Mr. Briggs, and thanks for the dinner" she flashed another smile and stepped out of the table confine.

She took two steps backwards, then she turned around and began walking out of her heels.

Ryat wasn't gonna let this chance slip away, not after Landon's researches and efforts to get her information.

Not after his sleepless nights while thinking about that night.

Not after how much he missed their intimacy.

He was already with her within a second, and Tiffany's curly hair made a swirl as he pulled her back with her arm, her heels turning around to face him.

"Mr.... Briggs?" Her lips opened with her eyes, and his next words were insanely unexpected as lust danced in his bright eyes.

"I want to fûck you again, Tiffy."