Chapter 3 She was bold

Noah's POV

A Few Hours Ago

He was gone again.

How could he leave without any of my men noticing? He was a 70-year-old man, for crying out loud!

"Find him, goddammit!" I cursed, grinding my teeth. Where could he have gone this time?

The two men beside me nodded and left the bar to search for my grandfather once more.

That demented old man had been a thorn in my side for months. Now he'd taken to vanishing, leaving me frantic and worried.

"Boss, Old Master Reynolds can take care of himself. He'll be fine," Joshua, my personal bodyguard, said calmly. I snorted, shaking my head.

A few years ago, I might have believed him. But not now. Not with my grandfather's dementia worsening. He did foolish things and said nonsensical things.

He might be the death of me one day.

And it was all because of that one person that left a permanent scar on his life a few years ago.

"I swear I'll find the bastard who did this to him and make them pay," I vowed menacingly, a fierce glint in my eyes. It wasn't a threat...it was a promise.

I blinked before looking at Joshua. "Let's go," I said, heading towards my car. He opened the back door for me and slid into the driver's seat.

"Where to, Boss?" he asked as the car began to move.

I sighed, shutting my eyes. I needed to unwind. The thought of my grandfather causing trouble again had me on edge.

The last time he disappeared like this, he was found naked in one of the tallest buildings in the state. He also managed to acquire over ten different lawsuits after only being gone for less than two days.

I was incredibly worried about what he might do this time and needed to clear my head before I would go crazy just thinking about it.

"To Diamonds," I ordered, taking deep breaths to calm myself.

I'd tried everything to restore my grandfather's mental health. Renowned doctors had all said the same thing: it was age-related dementia. But I knew better. I was certain it was the result of that unfortunate incident from three years ago. He wouldn't get better until the perpetrator was found.

But that sly bastard was very good at hiding because even after three years, he is still yet to be found.

"Boss, we're here," Joshua said, pulling me from my thoughts.

I opened my eyes lazily and stepped out of the car, which Joshua had already opened for me.

"Tag along with the others and find my old man," I instructed, walking into the bar.

The usual scene greeted me: wealthy men from around the country, many of them married, mingling over drinks and entertainment. The stage featured strippers performing their routines.

I rolled my eyes and made my way to a quiet corner, taking a seat. I wasn't in the mood for socializing, and thankfully, everyone seemed to understand, leaving me alone.

"Seems they all had some sense today," I thought with a smirk, ringing the bell on the table. The bartender appeared, his eyes widening in shock before he masked it with a forced smile.

"W... What would you like to have?" he stammered, handing me a small menu.

A menu? In a bar?

I arched an eyebrow at the menu but didn't bother opening it. I expected the reaction; seeing Noah Reynolds in a place like this was rare. I understood the bartender's surprise.

Although Diamonds was one of the top bars in the country, I wasn't a popular member.

I was always busy with work, so I didn't have time for stuff like this, and it would have remained that way if it wasn't for my old man, who was stressing me out greatly this day.

"Get me a glass of whiskey," I ordered. The bartender nodded absentmindedly, still standing there.

"Are you deaf?," I asked coldly, narrowing my eyes at the stunned bartender who shook his head, still absentminded

" So, get going then!"

"Er... Yes. Coming," he scrambled away, bumping into a few tables along the way.

"Typical," I muttered under my breath. Why couldn't ordinary people just acknowledge handsome and rich people without gawking? And what made it worse was that he was a man, not like my reaction would have been any different if it was a lady.

A few minutes later, the bartender returned, head bowed, with a glass in hand.

"H... Here," he said, handing it to me before retreating quickly.

I took a sip of the whiskey, savoring the burning sensation as it slid down my throat. Just what I needed.

But then I noticed someone...a woman staring at me intently, piquing my curiosity. She was walking towards me with a small smile, not appearing to be one of the strippers. I couldn't see her face clearly since I was trying not to let her know I'd noticed her.

Just then, my pocket vibrated. My phone rang.

It was my grandfather!

What the hell...

Standing up, I rushed to a quieter spot to answer the call.

"Where the hell are you?!" I thundered as soon as the call connected.

Grandpa chuckled, which only fueled my irritation. "Relax, my darling grandson. Grandpa is just right..."

Just right?!

"You better get your ass back to the mansion immediately, or else..." I seethed through gritted teeth, gripping my phone tightly.

My grandfather laughed again. "That's the thing...I don't know where it is." Another round of laughter followed.

"See you later."

"Why you..." I was cut off by the beep of the disconnected call.

"Fuck!" I swore, almost throwing my phone down to the floor in frustration.

That man really knew how to get under my skin.

I took a deep breath and dialed Joshua. "Trace my old man's location using the last call he made just now which is to my phone," I said curtly before ending the call.

'He better not be in serious trouble again,' I thought, heading back into the bar.

There, I saw the woman from before being dragged by Bevel Fisher, the notorious son of the Fisher family. Bevel had a grip on her shoulders and was pulling her away.

Without thinking, I strode over, glaring coldly at Bevel. "Let her go!"

It was then I took a closer look at the woman. She was stunning...small oval face, plush lips slightly parted, and big green eyes filled with a mix of amusement and surprise. She wasn't a stripper, and she seemed intrigued by me, which was normal.

"I said, let her go," I repeated narrowing my eyes at him, noticing that Bevel hadn't complied the first time.

The man immediately came back to his senses and dropped to his knees. "I'm sorry, I had no idea she was your woman". He apologized.

I was taken aback by his statement. " She's not my woman ". I denied, my brows coming together.

How could he even assume that?

"She's not your woman?" Bevel repeated, confused.

Before I could answer, the woman suddenly wrapped her arm around mine.

"No... Of course, I'm his woman."

What the actual fuck?!

I was stunned that a woman, a stranger, not only touched me but embraced my arm. What confused me the most was that I didn't hate it. I had severe OCD and disliked being touched by anyone, especially women, yet I didn't mind this stranger's touch. How crazy was that?

I watched her mouth move, realizing she was speaking, but I was too distracted to focus on her words.

"Boss..." Joshua's voice cut through the confusion.