Chapter 121 - Sure

"Hey, you!" Dion snapped his tongue to get Mike's attention as he escorted Mike out of the hotel's room. "What are you hiding that my brother found out, huh? Are doing involve in some crime or what?"

Mike turned around and faced Dion, who was standing by the door, arms crossed. "What makes you assume it's some crime or something?"

"Because I know my brother?" answered Dion in a matter of fact. "My brother rarely talks to our friends or even meddle with our own affairs, unless he needs to — just like this scandal. So, what's up?"

Dion cocked his head to the side, waiting for Mike to come clean. He knew Lewis wouldn't just warn Mike if his friend could ruin Dion completely. So, he had a few guesses, but wanted to hear it from Mike himself.

"It's just…" Mike trailed off, rocking his head, hesitant to tell him about it. Well, no one knew about it, as he had kept it a secret. 

"Just, what?" 

"I'm…" the more Dion pry about it, the harder it got for Mike to come clean. "I'm... smoking."

"Cannabis?" Dion raised a brow, as one of his guesses was correct. 

Mike gazed down. "Yes."

"I see." Dion nodded in understanding. Now it made more sense to him. "If anyone else finds out, you're fucked."

"I know. That's why I kept it a secret."

"Well, my brother found out. If he did, it won't be a surprise if others will." Dion shrugged his shoulder. 

Mike remained silent, as he couldn't face Dion now. They'd been friends for a long time, but Mike hadn't mentioned it to him because… he was afraid Dion would change his view towards him. 

"In other countries, that's legal, but not in this country. I'm not saying it's hundred percent bad or will ask you why you turned to it, but you should stop." Dion broke the silence for a very long time. "If you need help, just ask for one. Don't keep it all to yourself, that is what's friends for."

His words caused Mike to raise his head at him. Did he think Dion would just turn his back on him just because he knew about this? 

"I'm not the type of person who will judge my friends immediately, but I don't tolerate something like this and watch them ruin their lives." Dion let out a shallow breath, keeping his eye contact with him. "My brother asked you to stop because of me, but I'm asking you to stop because I'm your friend. If you can't find the reason to do it for yourself, do it for the sake of our friendship."

"Man…"

"Damn, boy. Do you want to stay in prison for life?" Dion clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Go and clear your mind. My brother will send assistance if you want to rehabilitate."

"You don't hate me for that?"

Dion's face distorted as he couldn't believe his ears for what he just heard. "Why would I? I know it's wrong, but I'm your friend. As a friend, I'd rather help you first before giving you up."

A weak smile resurfaced on Mike's lips, as this wasn't the response he expected. Although both of them knew they were always close, there were just some things they couldn't share because of fear. 

Just like how Dion was like previously, he would rather keep it to himself. But because of Devon, he had seen how his friends would stick to him despite all the odds, and now, because of that, he wanted Mike to take a step forward as well.

'I think I'm starting to have a different outlook after spending so much time with my sis.' Dion thought, thinking that he wouldn't even bother confronting Mike with the excuse of 'respecting' his privacy.

"You can do it." Dion raised his fist, offering it to Mike for a fist bump. The latter let out a weak chuckle before bumping knuckles lightly.

*****

"Uhm… I think I will be alright." Bella pursed her lips as she cast Derek a look. 

Derek peeled his eyes away from his phone to the woman across from him. Just like him, Bella was leaning against the wall beside her room's door.

"My manager will come in here soon. So, I don't want to waste more of your time," she explained, feeling a little embarrassed that she was holding such a busy man behind. 

"You've already wasted my time."

"That's why I said, I didn't want to bother you more." 

His eyes scanned her in silence. "Say that when you're not trembling with the thought of being alone."

The fake bravado that Bella was showing gradually shrunk back as she bit her lower lip. Of course, she appreciated he was staying with her just because she was too afraid to go inside alone. However, part of her felt too embarrassed that she was bothering him so much while he worked on his phone.

"Then, I will have to bother you even more." She hung her head low, fidgeting with her fingers. "I'm sorry I'm bothering you while you're working."

Derek said nothing as he gazed at her before shaking his head. He set his eyes back on the phone, reading the background check he had conducted about Bella.

"I'm not working. I already clocked out. I'm just reading your background check." He corrected in the same stoic tone while Bella raised her head.

"Background check?" her brows furrowed. A background check right in front of her?

"Mhm." A low hum answered her, still scrolling with little change in his expression. "Looks interesting. Not many scandals aside from the long rumors of you and third young master dating, good family background, received a lot of awards, charity works, and a good public image — even a bikini photo is well-appreciated by fans."

Bella's face flushed in red as she held her breath. Was he seriously reading her profile right in front of her? And did he have to mention that bikini photo she posted a long time ago just to spite her haters?

"That… that's a long time ago." She pursed her lips and averted her gaze when he set his naturally sharp eyes on her. "I know doing this is normal for you, but it's still rude to read it aloud in front of the person you've done a background check on."

He didn't respond and just read the rest of the information. It was rude; he knew that, but it was his way of telling her he wasn't working and read it aloud to prove it.

"Why would you do this, by the way? Are you, perhaps, thinking I orchestrated the stalker to do it to get some attention?" she queried as that thought was possible, considering he was Lewis' right-hand man. Being cautious around everyone was Derek's job — aside from all the paperwork and stuff.

"No." Again, Derek raised his gaze, looking at her over his glasses. "Just curious."

"Curious? About?"

"This background check lacks information. They forgot to add you're quite slow." Derek shook his head as he tried to be polite by saying that. Yes, he was trying to be polite, resisting in adding more of his sarcasm. 

"Should you really say it like that?" Bella frowned and sighed. It felt like after being friends with Devon, she just meet more people who were just as blunt as Devon.

"Well, who else do you think I'm curious about aside from you? Just whose profile am I reading?" he raised a brow, cocking his head to the side. 

"If you think I didn't plan what happened from the beginning, what made you curious?" she inquired, intrigued as this man seemed the type of person who would marry textbooks. 

"You look beautiful until you open your mouth." His nonchalant compliment slash insult rendered her speechless. "Don't ask such daft questions, I'm starting to doubt what I just read."

"Do you treat people like this? I'm just curious why would you do a background check on me. It's not like you're really interested in me or something."

Bella gazed at him once again as he didn't answer. Derek already had his focus on the phone, making her wonder if he was checking because he was interested in her. He didn't deny it, after all. 

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Miss Chang. I'm simply checking how many times this happened to you, so I can recommend a good security agency to deal with this type of problem," Derek explained without casting her a look and his tone lazy.

"Oh."

"It is for my peace of mind as well. It'll tug my conscience if I hear news about you being found dead somewhere."

Bella frowned and exhaled. "So, it's for your sake," she murmured.

Derek glanced at her as the brief smirk that appeared on his lips vanished immediately. He found it amusing how she was actually different from the background check. She seemed to have a bad temper from what he read, after all.

"Sister Belle!" someone called, making the two of them turn their head in the person's direction. 

"Is that your manager?"

"Uh, yes."

He nodded, standing upright as he slid his phone inside his pocket. "I'll go then." Derek didn't wait as he started walking away.

"Wait!" he stopped upon Bella's call, eyebrow raised. "Can… can I treat you some time to repay your kindness?"

Derek hummed before he cocked his head back, smirking.. "Sure."