Chapter 271 No Way
Michael thought Richard was the most unreliable friend he had ever met.
Kelsey was driving out and hadn't planned to pay attention to Michael, but as her car passed by him, Michael suddenly darted in front of it.
Luckily, Kelsey hit the brakes in time; otherwise, Michael would have been knocked.
Kelsey gripped the steering wheel, still shaken, as the passenger door swung open and Michael slid into the seat.
"To the entertainment center, please," Michael said, his eyes glued to his phone.
Kelsey stared at him in disbelief. "Do you think I'm your driver?"
Michael glanced up from his phone and looked at her. "What else?"
Kelsey bit her lip, annoyed. "Get out!"
Michael looked at Kelsey, but instead of getting out, he buckled his seatbelt. Then he adjusted the seat and continued playing on his phone.
"Michael, get out!" Kelsey reached to unbuckle his seatbelt, but Michael grabbed her hand.
Michael rubbed his forehead with a hint of frustration. "It's hard to catch a cab around here. Could you give me a ride and drop me off somewhere where I can find one?"
He hesitated, then added, "I'll pay you for the trouble."
Given the situation, Kelsey couldn't really refuse. Michael was Richard's associate, after all. After a moment's pause, she relented. "Alright."
"Thanks," Michael said with a hint of a smile, releasing Kelsey's hand and settling back into the seat.
As they drove for a while, they approached a cab stand. Kelsey planned to drop Michael off there, but when she glanced over, she was surprised to see him reclined in the seat with his eyes closed, breathing steadily. He looked like he was asleep!
Kelsey was taken aback, thinking, 'Why is Michael sleeping in my car?'
Irritated, she pulled over and reached out to shake him. "Hey, Michael."
The moment her hand touched his jacket, her wrist was suddenly squeezed painfully.
Kelsey looked up to find Michael's eyes blazing with a chilling intensity. Her heart skipped a beat, and she momentarily lost her train of thought.
Michael's eyes, though still carrying traces of sleepiness, were now filled with a dangerous edge. It was clear he had been jolted awake from a deep sleep, and the hostility emanating from him was palpable.
Kelsey saw her own reflection in his eyes, clear and unsettling. The pain in her wrist made her wince as if it might be crushed.
Michael quickly realized what had happened, releasing her wrist and softening his gaze. "Sorry about that."
Kelsey rubbed her wrist, "We're at a spot where you can catch a cab now. Get out."
Michael peered out the window and said with a grin, "Oh, I forgot to mention—I don't have my wallet."
"You've got a phone, don't you?"
"It's dead," Michael said with a look of innocent bewilderment.
Kelsey didn't buy it; she had seen him using his phone earlier. She suspected he was toying with her, trying to avoid getting out of the car.
Before she could protest, Michael lifted his phone to show her the black screen.
Kelsey grabbed the phone and tried to turn it on, but it was clear it was indeed out of battery.
At this point, leaving Michael behind would be pointless.
Kelsey handed the phone back to him. "Where's this entertainment center you mentioned? I'll take you there."
It seemed the only option was to drive him after all.
Michael gave her a rough direction, and Kelsey responded, "Perfect. That's actually on my way."
As it turned out, Michael's destination was in the same direction as Jack's apartment. Kelsey had planned to pick up a small cake to celebrate their time together today, and it just so happened that she was headed in that direction.
Kelsey didn't say anything further. She started the car and drove to pick up the cake.
Arriving near the bakery, she parked the car, unbuckled her seatbelt, and stepped out. "I'll be right back with the cake."
She walked into the charming, whimsical bakery. After providing her reservation number, a staff member went to retrieve her cake.
While she waited, the door to the bakery swung open, and Michael strolled in.
"Sir, would you like to sample our new product? It's a free tasting," a friendly young woman in a sweet, frilly dress offered enthusiastically.
"Sure," Michael replied, "though I don't usually have a sweet tooth. I've got bad teeth."
"Don't worry," the young woman said with a bubbly smile. "Our cakes use only the finest ingredients, and you can choose the sugar content. You might like this low-sugar, low-fat cream. It's delicious without being too heavy." She spoke with a singsong tone, her smile almost melting as she looked at Michael.
Michael's gaze lingered on her for a moment, then he grinned. "You're working hard to convince me, so I'll give it a try."
The staff member handed him a small sample of the dessert.
Instead of using his hand, Michael leaned in and took the bite directly from her hand.
From Kelsey's perspective, it looked like Michael had nearly licked the girl's fingers.
She turned away in disgust, unable to watch the awkward scene any longer.
"Ms. Jose, here's your cake," the staff member said, presenting it to Kelsey for confirmation.
The cake was small but exquisitely crafted. It had "Happy Anniversary" written on it, with the exact date noted in the corner.
It was a little touch of romance for her, something Kelsey, who valued ceremony, appreciated. She and Jack had recently confirmed their relationship, so these small celebrations were a must.
Kelsey wore a sweet smile. "Looks perfect. Please wrap it up for me."
"Certainly, Ms. Jose. Please bear with us for a moment."
"No rush. I'm not in a hurry."
As Kelsey turned around with the cake, she saw Michael still chatting with the sample girl.
Michael maintained a calm, indifferent demeanor, but the young woman was clearly smitten, her eyes practically sparkling with hearts.
As Kelsey approached, she overheard the girl shyly asking, "I'm working right now, so I can't chat much. Can we exchange WhatsApp contacts?"
The girl had already pulled out her phone, her face flushed with anticipation.
Michael wore a sardonic smile as he coolly replied, "No way."
The girl looked stunned, clearly caught off guard by the rejection.
After all, they had been chatting so warmly. If Michael wasn't interested, why had he engaged with her for so long?
Kelsey watched the scene with growing irritation, feeling a strong urge to punch Michael.
At that moment, Michael's eyes flicked toward her, and Kelsey saw a flash of mischief and amusement. Her internal alarm bells rang loudly.
Sure enough, the next thing she heard was Michael saying, "You'll have to ask my girlfriend about that."
"Girlfriend?" The girl's face went beet red.
Realizing something, she followed Michael's gaze and saw Kelsey standing there, holding the cake.
