Ascension of a Reborn Woman (Hiatus)

Chapter 31

The man across from her introduced himself as 'Sage', but Isabel was pretty sure that just like her own name, 'Ruby' it wasn't his given name, but then again, this was a bar; a place of fleeting relations, who you were when you came here wasn't important, what mattered was how you felt and Isabel could see that this guy was feeling terrible. Whatever he encountered today, it seemed that it would put her own worries in the shade.

"What's on your mind?"

Picking up her 'Poison Kiss' Isabel turned it to her mouth and drank, tasting the bitterness sliding over her tongue and then finally, the first touch of sweetness that made her eyes brighten. She stuck out her tongue to lick her lips.

Watching the woman across from him who was asking about his wellbeing but yet, seemed to be more interested in the drink in her hand, Archer honestly felt a bit weird.

After a whole year, he had gotten used to people--- men and women--- paying attention to him when they were in his presence, but at that moment he was reminded that not everyone knew about his identity as the CEO of Reign Enterprises and would rush to flatter him. There were people who would see him and think of him as nothing more than another human being and it had been a while since he felt that, that feeling of normalcy.

Propping one elbow on the counter while he swirled his glass of scotch in the other and sized up the little woman across from him, Archer felt as though she had just become a whole lot more appealing in his eyes. What Archer didn't know was that even if Isabel knew who he was she would still treat him the same way.

Metropolis was the business capital of A Country, the amount of highly influential and powerful people who visited here on even just a daily basis were enough to fill two school buses and still have some left over and in the past life, Isabel had brushed shoulders often with these godly figures whenever she came to the Kiss of Death.

Even if she never conversed with them, staying in the same place and experiencing it, soaking in the atmosphere and letting it penetrate her subconscious until even she herself had unknowingly adopted a similar temperament, Isabel had grown somewhat immune to that distinct aura of wealth and power that would scare ordinary people witless and in her eyes, they were all just people, the only difference being the figure in their bank account. So Archer's feeling wasn't exactly wrong.

Even after a while had passed, Isabel didn't hear 'Sage' reply, so she looked over and found the man just staring into space while swirling the glass in his hand, he looked so lost, she felt her heart go out to him.

"Is it something hard to talk about? You don't have to if you don't want to, I don't mean to pry. I'll just sit here and shut my mouth and let you drink in piece if that's what you prefer."

Truthfully, Archer had been staring at her. 'Ruby' was a beautiful woman, one like you wouldn't see just anywhere and her air of easy elegance and nonchalance intrigued him. His eyes had unknowingly locked onto her without moving so when she turned to look at him, he had quickly shifted his eyes to the area just above her head to avoid being caught.

It couldn't be seen, but under his hair the tips of Archer's ears had turned red from embarrassment. He was acting as though he had never seen a beautiful woman before, jeez.

"Not like her." His heart couldn't help but whisper.

"It's not hard to talk about."

When he finally spoke, 'Sage's' voice was low and raspy and it made Isabel shudder as a blush filled her cheeks. "Wow! Not only his face but even his voice is nice." It was a kind of voice that could make you feel drunk as the timbre of it trembled on your ear. If she was actually a maiden in her twenties like she appeared to be and not a seasoned woman, Isabel would have certainly swooned just then.