As ra pinned the brooch, she felt the space between them shrink. Despite her efforts to keep things polite and distant, Dn subtly pulled away as she leaned


    in.


    Quickly fastening the brooch, she sat back up. "Mr. Dn, let''s eat. You must be hungry too."


    Dn watched her as she cleaned the utensils, his fingers brushing the brooch that still held the warmth from her touch.


    "Yeah," he replied, his mood visibly rxing, which made ra feel relieved.


    Just as ra was about to speak, a voice from outside caught her attention-it was Jeffree. She''d chosen this restaurant specifically to catch some drama.


    Next door, Richard was in the middle of an important meeting when Jeffree unexpectedly burst in.


    The Warren Enterprises team was present, but Jeffree boldly threw open the private room door.


    "Richard, my boyfriend is your half-brother, the Warren family''s illegitimate son. Why won''t you let him have his share of thepany? He has a legal right to inherit. Everyone''s here, and you owe us an exnation."


    Although Jeffree was not very popr in the Dawson family, she had met Richard several times and naively believed he might give her some respect for Jackson''s sake.


    But Richard just flicked his lighter, a slight smirk on his face.


    Jeffree felt a wave of uncertainty, the silence in the room making her feel ridiculous.


    "Richard, you know my brother. I''m trying not to be too blunt, to keep things smooth between you two."


    ra, overhearing this, wondered what was going on in Jeffree''s mind to make her this clueless.


    She had left a small gap in their door to eavesdrop, so focused on listening that she almost missed Dn''s eyes on her.


    Resting her chin on her hand, she frowned and then rxed. If she were Richard, she''d have Jeffree tossed out and then deal with the illegitimate brother.


    But she heard Richard ask casually, "Who put you up to this?"


    Someone like Jeffree wouldn''t havee here without encouragement.


    Jeffree''s face flushed with embarrassment as she realized Richard wasn''t even taking her seriously.


    "Richard, it doesn''t matter who sent me. I''m here to stand up for my boyfriend. He deserves his share!"


    Richard''s eyes darkened as he turned to his men. "Get her phone."


    Two bodyguards moved towards Jeffree.


    Scared, she stepped back, but they seized her phone without hesitation.


    "I''m calling the police!" she yelled, only to be silenced as someone covered her mouth.


    Richard skimmed recent messages, spotting the unfamiliar number and raising an eyebrow before tossing the phone to his guard. "Look into it."


    Turning to the others, he said, "Sorry, I''ve got personal matters to sort out."


    No business partner dared to exploit the situation, aware of the Warren family''s clout.


    "No problem, Richard. We can reschedule," they said, quickly leaving the room. Soon, only Richard''s bodyguards and the hapless Jeffree remained.


    Richard sat back, lighting a cigarette with a menacing aura that dared anyone to challenge him.


    Jeffree felt her legs go weak; she''d never seen this side of Richard. He didn''t need to threaten her-it was terrifying enough.


    ra noticed the tension and felt a twinge of anxiety. She had underestimated Richard''s sharpness. If it were Jackson, he''d handle the intruder first and then the illegitimate sibling.


    But Richard, with his cunning, was more interested in the puppet master pulling the strings.


    The number she''d used was one Cole had secured years ago, but it was traceable, being registered domestically.


    She realized her mistake and turned her attention back, meeting Dn''s eyes. She expected him to look away, but he held her gaze. "Are you nervous?" he asked.