My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 966

Larkin Porter could feel the stares—curiosity, disgust, the sharp edge of judgment. He grit his teeth, shot an angry glare at Emily Blair and Andrew Lane, then turned on his heel and stormed off.

Emily’s dark eyes, clear and sharp, still smoldered with leftover anger.

She cleared her throat and looked at Andrew. “Thank you.”

He dropped his gaze to her, his voice low. “It’s nothing.”

His eyes were impossibly dark, as if hiding a storm ready to break. Emily looked away, unsettled.

Still, he’d stepped in for her. She owed him at least a gesture of thanks.

She made her way to the bar. “Let me buy you a drink.”

Footsteps approached behind her, and Andrew’s deep voice answered, “Alright.”

Emily tipped her chin at the bartender. “You can tell him what you want—or let him recommend something.”

The bar’s mellow music gradually soothed her frayed nerves. She even managed a small sip of her drink, the taste grounding her.

Their earlier spat with Larkin Porter had played out right here, and the bartender had witnessed every moment. But in a place like this, where the clientele carried wealth and power, a bartender knew better than to get involved.

Once the dust had settled, he offered a polite, “Are you alright, ma’am?”

Emily just shook her head. “I’m fine.”

The bartender turned to the man who’d stepped in, giving him a quick rundown of the house favorites and quietly deciding not to charge him—a small gesture of respect.

But Andrew ignored the suggestions. Instead, he pointed at Emily’s glass. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

The bartender glanced from Andrew to Emily, an understanding dawning in his eyes. He nodded and got to work.

While the bartender mixed the drinks, a silence settled between Emily and Andrew, thick and unmoving.

She broke it, driven by gratitude and a desire to be polite. “It’s been a while, Mr. Lane. How have you been?”

He answered, his tone even. “I’m alright. And you?”

Emily managed a small laugh. “I’m doing alright, too.”

Andrew slid onto the barstool beside her. He sounded casual, but his words caught her off guard. “Where’s Tristan Davis tonight? Not with you?”

The conversation had shifted so abruptly that Emily needed a second to catch up. “He’s out of town for work.”

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