When Johnny spotted Mandy, he froze for a moment, clearly not expecting to run into her right then. Snapping out of it, he frowned slightly, annoyance creeping in.


    Was she waiting around on purpose?


    Thinking about Owen beside him, Johnny shifted subtly, trying to block Owen from view. Thest thing he needed was Mandy getting clingy with Owen-that would be a real mess.


    Owen noticed Johnny''s move and gave him a curious nce, then followed his gaze to Mandy. Since he''d never met her, Owen just gave her a quick look before losing interest.


    "Isn''t that your foster mom?" James remarked offhandedly, his hands tucked into his coat pockets.


    "Hmm?" Mirabe, surprised for a second, looked up, and when she saw Mandy, she mused about how small the world could be. Last time they''d bumped into each other at a downtown restaurant, and now here again. Unbelievable.


    With a slight smirk and an air ofzy elegance on her delicate face, Mirabe replied, "Small world, huh?"


    Johnny, overhearing her, turned to Mirabe with a puzzled expression. "Small world?"


    He didn''t quite get it.


    When Johnny had someone look into Mirabe''s background, he only got a basic overview. Detailed stuff, like their rtionship status, wasn''t on his radar.


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow and corrected herself, "Oh, my mistake. I meant she''s a stranger."


    Before Johnny could probe further, Mirabe had already turned to James, suggesting, "Let''s go."


    James gave her a nod, "Alright."


    Mirabe then looked back at Johnny and Owen. "Johnny, Mr. Owen, we''ll be on our way."


    With a brief nod and a polite smile, she didn''t wait for a reply and headed towards the club''s exit. Her stride was confident, her figure tall and slender, her coat casually open, exuding a cool vibe. The elegant man beside her added to the striking image they made together.


    "They look pretty good together," Johnny observed, watching them walk away. Owen nced at him but stayed silent.


    Johnny coughed lightly into his hand, his eyes flicking to Mandy. Since Mirabe had called her ''a stranger,'' he saw no reason to stick around.


    Turning to Owen, he said, "Mr. Owen, let''s go."


    Owen nodded and started walking out.


    As they were about to leave, Mandy, unable to wait any longer, hurried after them in her high heels, calling out, "Johnny..."


    Owen''s bodyguard had already pulled the car up to the entrance. Hearing Mandy, Johnny''s expression tightened a bit. After thinking it over, he had Owen get in the car first and closed the door, then turned around slowly, his face cool and distant. Mandy, catching up, nced instinctively at the ck sedan behind Johnny. But with the door shut and the tinted windows, she couldn''t see Owen inside. Taking a deep breath, Mandy focused on Johnny. "Johnny, about what happened in the private room, I hope you won''t take it to heart. Pretend it never happened. Our Gilbert Corporation has been prepping for this bid for over half a year, and I must say..."