BAD HEROINES

3. Better Late

It was only his second day as a busser at the mid-level restaurant, but he had already realized how much this job mattered and how hard he'd fight to keep it.

Chances like this were rare.

He took a deep breath.

Being an orphan, expelled from school, and having spent time in juvenile detention, getting any job was a miracle. He'd never worked this hard for a paycheck.

Six months in juvie had shown him what rock bottom looked like. He couldn't return to school, and those who knew his past judged him.

But this job... this was his shot at proving he wasn't the same kid who was convicted for attempted murder.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with long dark hair tied into a ponytail under his hat. He kept his head down, but still, eyes followed him.

While cleaning the table, his gaze drifted out the window, and his eyes caught sight of a sleek, stunning supermoto parked outside.

Its chrome gleamed under the afternoon sun, almost blinding.

His fingers twitched. The bike's handlebars would've fit perfectly in his grip, the engine roaring as he tore through the streets. But reality snapped back. He didn't even have a real home.

"Oh, Lian," he sighed to himself.

With that, he pushed the thoughts aside and rushed off to serve a customer.

"Enjoy your meal," he said, flashing the usual fake smile that felt more like a grimace as he placed the plate on the table.

The woman he was serving lifted her eyes to him.

She was young, maybe in her mid-twenties, dressed in a plain white t-shirt and jeans with her brown hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. He remembered her. She had come yesterday and stared at him strangely

Immediately, he retreated. It was obvious that woman wanted something from him. Even now, she stared.

However, his heart raced a little faster than usual.

As he took a few steps away, something outside caught his eye: two women in sharp black suits standing beside an SUV.

One of the suited women opened the back door, and out stepped a girl with striking pink hair.

Lian's stomach dropped. 'Celine?. Not her. Not here. Why the hell does she always find me? Give me a break!'

His mind raced hide or run? If he wanted to keep this job and not disappoint Mr. Han, the manager, he had to avoid her.

Immediately, he turned, leaving through the back door as he typed a message to Mr. Han.

The front door slammed open, letting in a gust of wind that drew every gaze.

Two women in suits, bodyguards walked inside, followed by the teenage girl with pink hair. Her expression spoke volumes pure arrogance.

She simply ordered, "Bring him to me."

In an instant, the women disappeared, carrying out her command.

A middle-aged man approached her. "Uh, Miss... Lian already left. He's not here anymore."

She turned her eyes toward him. "And you are...?"

Mr. Han smiled politely. "His manager."

"He's hiding, I know it. Should I tear this place apart, or will you just tell me?"

The manager swallowed hard. This wasn't just some spoiled brat her father was the Secretary of Justice. Lian had warned him through a message earlier: crossing her could cost more than just a job.

The two women returned and reported, "He's gone."

She bit her lip in frustration. "That idiot. Let's see how long he can keep avoiding me." She turned her attention back to the manager. "Tell him if he doesn't show up today, my brother won't have trouble finding him."

The customers exchanged bewildered glances as they heard the girl's threat. She barely looked twenty.

With that, she turned and left.

At the same time, Reina also rose from her seat and walked outside. She reached her supermoto and hopped on. The engine revved as she sped away from the restaurant.

Lian, as he walked into the alley, memories of Celine flooded his mind.

He had known her since he worked for her family's business... well, not exactly a business, more like her brother's gang.

Her constant interference, showing up at his workplace, threatening his bullies in her own ways, even meddling with where he lived was suffocating. He wanted nothing to do with her.

He took a deep breath. 'At this rate, her brother will show up next. Damn it!'

At that moment, a message rang on his phone. Mr. Han. 'She left. We will have to talk about this.'

He sighed. Mr. Han would never let him continue working. "I have to find... another job. Ugh!"

A bike screeched to a halt just inches from him. Startled, Lian jumped back.

The rider removed her helmet, revealing a familiar face, and climbed down from the bike. The weird woman from the restaurant owned that monster bike?

However, his forehead wrinkled. She followed him. No way this was a coincidence.

'She doesn't think I'm into her, right?'

With how confident the woman looked, it wasn't likely she had such silly thoughts.

"Don't give me that look, brat," she said with a teasing grin.

Lian stared, unimpressed.

Reina took out a card and handed it to him.

Lian frowned. It was a hotel card. Didn't she call him a child? What was she playing at?

"I might be late, but better late than never, right?" Her playful grin vanished. "Tomorrow morning. Be there."

Lian glanced at the card. "You show up at my work, follow me here, just to tell me this crap." He smiled darkly. "Just say it, what do you want?"

"My name is Reina," she said quietly, not seeming offended. "Tomorrow. I want you to meet someone."

The woman tried to manipulate him. He was sure of it. Lian took a step forward, his jaw tight.

"Don't forget... you have to be there," Reina shouted behind Lian before she mounted her bike and left.

-----

The door slammed shut behind her, the sound echoing in the silent, dark room. After turning on the switch, she moved her eyes across the familiar space; everything was just as she had left it.

A wave of relief swept over her, and she took a deep breath, though it wasn't enough to calm the nerves she had been dealing with for the past few days since her poisoning incident.

Ever since she was poisoned, she had been on edge, especially because the culprit had yet to be captured. Feeling exhausted, she decided to take a shower.

Then, the table phone rang.

In that quiet room, where she lived alone, the ringtone sounded louder than it should have, almost making her jump.

Hesitantly, she reached for it and picked up, listening.

"You didn’t think you could hide from me, did you, Reina Lau?"

She heard a deep voice in the Thai language, laced with amusement, which instantly turned her blood cold.

She would have thought it was a wrong call if not for the fact that they mentioned her name and that she could understand the language.

The voice added in a low, chilling tone, "If only the world knew who you really are."

Reina's heart picked up its pace. Her fingers tightened around the phone.

Who was he? She couldn’t even guess, thanks to the voice modifier being used. She slammed the phone down, her hand trembling. No words could explain her panic.

They knew where she was.

If they had her number, then finding her address wouldn’t be impossible. The only thing she thought of... was to leave immediately.