Chapter 485

Just thinking about how Serena had dismissed him with such disdain earlier that day made Brad seethe with frustration. He thought she was ungrateful. After all, he had been nothing but genuine toward her, yet she still dared to fantasize about staying with Harvey.

Brad was determined not to let that happen. Serena was going to be his, no matter what.

It was not about love or promises; it was about his pride as a man and the thrill of conquest. Losing the fight for the family headship to Harvey had already been humiliating enough, but if he could not win Serena over, Brad figured he might as well crawl into a hole and die.

Behind the bar, the bartender glanced at him while mixing a drink. “Mr. Brad, maybe you should ease up on the drinks–you’ve got business to handle later.”

“Shut the hell up!” Brad snapped, his voice slurred with irritation. “Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do?”

The bartender flinched and backed off, deciding it was not worth arguing.

Just then, a couple–a man and a woman–walked up to the bar.

“Two cocktails, on the rocks,” the woman said with a snap of her fingers, her tone confident and carefree.

The bartender glanced up at her, momentarily stunned. She was absolutely gorgeous, the kind of beauty that could make a man forget all logic.

He thought to himself that he would gladly break his back working if it meant he could afford to take care of someone like her.

Then, he looked at the man beside her–handsome, charming, and wearing a laid-back smile like some kind of Prince Charming.

The bartender sighed inwardly. Those TV dramas had it all wrong; the princess always ends up with the prince, leaving guys like him, with a paycheck that barely covers the rent, out in the cold.

The woman said flirtatiously, “Sweetheart, if we’re drinking, I can’t go home tonight. Why don’t you take me back to your place?”

“Uh… that might not be the best idea,” the man replied hesitantly. “We’re not even officially dating yet.”

“Oh, come on! It’s the 21st century! Who cares about labels? As long as you’re serious about me, I’m willing to do anything!”

Listening to their lovey-dovey banter only deepened Brad’s bitterness. Another couple flaunting their happiness, rubbing it in his face. He wondered if the kids these days were unaware that public displays of affection never end well.

Chapter 185

Brad’s thoughts wandered back to Serena. He wished she would act coy and affectionately with him like that. If she did, he would feel like he had been given a whole new lease on life.

The alcohol, combined with his pent-up frustration, made his head buzz. Nonetheless, Brad did not forget the reason he was at Dillon’s Bar–to retrieve the stolen formulas from Rhodes Corporation’s pharmaceutical department.

Thinking of that reminded him, once again, of Harvey. Brad felt a complicated mix of admiration and jealousy. The little bastard was shrewd, managing to infiltrate Rhodes Corporation like this.

If Harvey succeeded in securing the company’s key pharmaceutical formulas, the Weller family would dominate Jayrodale’s medical industry. For a moment, Brad’s thoughts turned dark.

What if he took those formulas for himself, broke away from the Weller family, and started his own business?

The possibilities were endless–fame, fortune, Serena. He could have it all.

However, the fantasy did not last. Brad shook his head, forcing the dangerous idea out of his mind. If he dared to betray the Weller family, Harvey would hunt him down without hesitation.

Lost in thought, Brad nearly jumped when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He blinked, his alcohol-blurred vision trying to focus.

When he looked up and saw who it was, his body instantly tensed.