𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗

Raging Storms

I recommend you to listen "Streets" by Doja Cat for this chapter ;)

Happy reading!

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Chaeyoung looked down at her vibrating phone to see Seulgi's smiling face look back at her. Smiling automatically, she raised a small hand to the two middle aged men seated before her, the bill for their lunch paid. "Excuse me for just one moment."

The two men smiled back and nodded and Chaeyoung got up from the table at the restaurant, picking up the call. "Yes, Seulgi?"

"Hey, you still at The Plaza?" Seulgi's voice chirped across the line.

"Yup," Chaeyoung replied, popping the 'p' at the end.

"Great," Seulgi replied happily. "I'm coming over. We can hang out after you are done with your meeting. Is that cool?"

Chaeyoung smiled and nodded. "Very cool. I'll be done in a few minutes."

"See you then!"

Cutting the call, Chaeyoung shook her head and headed back to the table where men, her clients, waited for her. Her eyes briefly drifted to Jimin, who sat a few tables away, at her insistence. If he had his way, he would be standing within two feet of her with a neon sign around his neck that said 'I AM HER BODYGUARD'. Yes, in caps. And the only way she would have let him sit in on a meeting was if he sat down, discreetly, a few tables away. Which he had agreed to after a big stare down and a sigh. And a grumble too.

Grumbly Jimin was adorable though. She bit back a grin and focused back on the clients. The clients. Well, they represented a small, rising cyber security company that specialized in cracking codes. But they had been accosted recently with a lot of security issues and hence they wanted her to design their security, so they could protect their clients. As the company was credible (she had researched before the meeting like she did with all her clients) she had requested they meet at a public place for a business lunch to discuss their deal. Though she had her own office at home, she did not want to conduct one-on-one meetings there. Hence, here she sat in a moderately priced restaurant in The Plaza, which was actually a plaza, obviously, located centrally in the city and a popular place for food and shopping, the sky cloudy and the area windy. It seemed like it would rain tonight.

Her meeting was almost finished. She picked up the thumb drive with all the details regarding what she needed from them. (Though she didn't say she could hack, well, _look_ for whatever information she needed herself. That generally didn't sit well with the clients.)

She liked these clients, the Summer brothers. They were kind men who clearly respected her work and were very polite. She liked such clients.

Taking the drive, she got up again, shaking their hands one by one, nodding. "I'll have the work done in three days."

She saw the older Mr. Summers' eyes widen. "Only three days?"

She smiled. "More than enough time. I'll give you a call then?"

Nodding, still slight surprise on their faces, they left. Chaeyoung nodded to Jimin and tilted her head to the door, asking him to follow her.

He got up swiftly and they exited the restaurant.

"We heading home?" he asked quietly, his manner alert.

Chaeyoung bit back a grin, watching him in her periphery. "Not yet. Seulgi is coming here."

His step faltered just once. A chuckle escaped her as he scowled. "Chaeyoung..."

"What?" she raised her hands in defense. "Don't blame me for pulling your leg when you are literally offering it up on a platter."