"I want a teriyaki chicken sandwich with a hot mocha please." Jean ordered as soon as she got to the counter.
"Good choice, didn't know you liked having carbs."
Jean sighs tiredly, of course that irritating man was still behind her waiting for his turn to order too.
"Can't you just keep quiet for once?" She grumbled at him.
Logan chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "Now, where's the fun in that?"
Luckily, her food arrived and at the sight of the food her stomach growled loudly. "Shit!" She cursed to herself and hoped for him to not comment on that.
He didn't. He really didn't.
He either ignored or he could not hear her.
Jean exhaled sharply, gripping the warm coffee cup in her hands as she stepped aside, only for Logan to follow her like a persistent shadow.
"Don't you have anywhere else to be?" she muttered, barely sparing him a glance.
Logan smirked, taking an infuriatingly slow sip of his own coffee. "Not when you look like you're about to combust in frustration. It's the highlight of my morning."
Jean rolled her eyes. "You're still as insufferable as ever."
"And you're still as prickly as a damn cactus," Logan shot back, leaning lazily against the counter. "What's the matter? Your precious little blind date didn't go as planned?"
Jean scoffed. "Better than wasting my time with someone who thinks the world bows at their feet just because they can fill out a suit properly now."
Logan's smirk twitched, but he recovered quickly. "And yet, you were the one walking out alone last night. Doesn't say much about your irresistible charm, does it?"
Jean's grip on her coffee cup tightened, but she masked the sting of his words with a fake smile. "I'd rather walk alone than settle for a soulless corporate robot like you."
Logan chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "Oh, sweetheart, you and I both know you were trained to settle. Isn't that what the perfect little Adams daughter is supposed to do? Smile pretty, nod obediently, and marry whoever Mommy picks for you?"
Jean's stomach twisted.
She hated that he said it. Hated even more that there was truth to it.
"At least I don't have to pay attention to a woman to get her to follow me home," she shot back, giving him a once-over. "Must be nice, flashing that last name around and having them come running."
Logan laughed under his breath, tilting his head slightly. "And yet, you're still standing here talking to me."
Jean could not fire back. She was lost for words because he's right!
Why did he always have to get the last word?
Before she could find another retort, Logan pushed off the counter, flashing her one last smirk. "See you around, princess. Try not to choke on that bitterness."
And just like that, he walked away, leaving Jean gripping her coffee with enough force to make the cup crinkle.
How could he?
Was having her parents destroy her morning wasn't enough that he has to join the list of her misery too?
Jean took the last sip of her coffee, the bitterness fueling her lingering frustration. Logan's words still echoed in her mind, each insult pressing against her pride like a fresh wound. She had no intention of letting him walk away so easily.
As she stepped outside the café, the crisp morning air did little to cool the fire burning inside her. Her eyes darted to Logan, who was standing by his car, leaning back on his car door, his phone pressed to his ear. The smugness on his face was enough to make her fists clench, but then…
Her steps faltered.
Through the distance between them, she caught a snippet of his conversation.
"…a deal with Kim Chong Yu & Company. The guy's a legend in high-end fabrics. If we lock this in, Kingsley Corp's expansion into fashion will be unstoppable."
Jean's lips parted slightly as recognition hit her… Kim Chong Yu & Company was one of the most exclusive names in luxury textiles. A client like that wasn't just business—it was prestige, influence, power. And Logan was about to secure it for himself.
A slow, wicked smirk curled at the corner of her lips.
Oh, no, Kingsley. Not if I have anything to say about it.
Instead of marching directly to give him an earful, she turned on her heel, pulling out her phone. If Logan thought he could insult her and walk away unscathed, he was dead wrong. She had her own connections, her own empire, and now, she had a plan.
She was going to steal his client right out from under him.
And when she did, she would make sure Logan Kingsley knew exactly who the real boss was.
Logan wrapped up his call, slipping his phone into his pocket. The moment he did, an odd sensation prickled at the back of his neck, like he was being watched. His instincts were rarely wrong, and when he turned, he wasn't the least bit surprised to find Jean standing there, arms crossed, a smug little smirk tugging at her lips.
"Do you need something, Adams?" His voice was flat, unimpressed. He knew that look. She was up to something.
Jean tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Oh, nothing. Just admiring your outfit." She tapped her chin as if deep in thought. "You know, it's funny… I could've sworn I saw you wearing the exact same thing last night. At the restaurant." Her smirk widened as she dropped her gaze to his shirt which had a faint lipstick stain, then slowly met his eyes again.
"I hope you are not wearing that to your office, imagine the kind of example you are going to set for your employees wearing that to the office." She chuckled knowing she did a strike at him.
Logan raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. Jean had noticed what he was wearing? Of all things, she paid attention to that?
His initial surprise quickly shifted into amusement. Keeping his expression unreadable, he met her gaze with a lazy smirk. "What happened? Busy night? Or did you not have time for a change of clothes?"
His jaw ticked, but his smirk didn't falter. "Jealous, sweetheart?"
Jean scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Please. I'm just impressed you managed to drag yourself out of bed so early. Didn't think you'd have the stamina left."
Logan chuckled slowly, stepping closer. "Don't worry about my stamina, Jean. Worry about whatever little scheme you're cooking up. I know that look, you're plotting something."
Jean's smile didn't waver. "Me? Plotting? Logan, I'm hurt." She placed a hand over her chest dramatically. "Can't a woman simply admire a man's… lifestyle choices?"
His eyes flickered with something unreadable. She was teasing him, but now, he was more intrigued than anything. She noticed what he wore. She noticed him.
His smirk deepened as he leaned slightly closer. "Try whatever you want, sweetheart. Just don't come crying to me when it backfires."
Jean simply grinned. "We'll see about that." And with that, she turned on her heel and strutted off, leaving Logan watching her with a mix of suspicion and unexpected amusement.