Chapter 303 The Transaction Site
Quentin's overprotectiveness of Lauren really ticked Ethan off. He stormed over, shoved Quentin aside, and took his spot in front of Lauren.
Brent, seeing the whole scene, sneered, "Well, well, Mr. Robinson's ex-wife has another knight in shining armor. Quite the catch, isn't she, Mr. Robinson?"
Quentin shot back, icy as ever, "Leave them out of this. Let them go, and we can settle our own scores."
Lauren fidgeted with her fingers. She knew she and Ethan had thrown a wrench in Quentin's plans. She gently tugged on Ethan's sleeve, but he brushed her off.
Ethan stepped up and shouted, "Mr. Reynolds, Ulysses is my future father-in-law. You can deal with me. What do you want to let him go?"
Brent's smile vanished, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Who do you think you are? What makes you think you can talk to me like that?"
Lauren glanced at Ethan, knowing he was still fuming. She was beyond frustrated. If this kept up, Ulysses would stay in trouble, and none of them—herself, Ethan, or Quentin—would get out of this mess. Her head pounded with anxiety.
Ethan's meddling was wrecking a carefully laid plan. But she couldn't just abandon him. Forcing a polite smile, she turned to Brent and said, "Mr. Reynolds, I've heard of your reputation and know you're a reasonable man. I'm really sorry my dad caused you so much trouble. I'll make up for all the losses. Please, let him go."
Lauren's words seemed to soften Brent, though his smile was still fake. "You're quite the character. It's a shame Mr. Robinson didn't see your worth. But I admire your guts. You look fragile, but you're as stubborn as me. Right, Mr. Robinson?"
Quentin's face stayed cold, not giving Brent the satisfaction of a response. He hated Brent's attitude towards Lauren.
Quentin used to know Brent inside out, but since Brent joined the mafia, he was a different beast. All Quentin knew was that Brent was dangerous, and Lauren needed to stay far away from him.
Quentin also knew that acting indifferent was the only way to make Brent lose interest in Lauren. If Brent sensed any weakness, Lauren's future would be in serious jeopardy.
Seeing Quentin's cold demeanor, Brent just shrugged. "Mr. Robinson, don't act like I'm some big bad wolf. I know all about your ex-wife and kid. If I wanted to play dirty, do you think they'd still be breathing?" He said with a smirk.
Quentin laughed bitterly. "Brent, do you really think you're that important? Clearly, you're not here to talk business, so let's not waste any more time," he said, giving Lauren a look to leave.
Lauren got the message, but Ethan's stubbornness was going to be a problem.
Ethan had thrown himself into this mess just to one-up Quentin, and Lauren knew she had a hand in it. If she was leaving, she had to drag Ethan out with her.
"Mr. Reynolds, I'm really sorry for the trouble. We'll come back another day to make things right," Lauren tried to find a way out, but she was too naive.
Brent raised a finger, and a guy in black at the door stepped forward.
"Mr. Robinson, Ms. Walker, do you think you can just waltz in and out? This isn't a hotel," Brent mocked.
Quentin turned back to face Brent. "Are you sure you want to go down this road?"
Brent laughed. "Mr. Robinson, you're hilarious. My guys can't touch you. But if you want to leave, go ahead. I can discuss Ulysses's matter with your ex-wife just the same," he said, pretending to be all gentlemanly.
Quentin clenched his fists. The biggest screw-up today was Lauren and Ethan showing up. He could've handled Brent alone, but now Brent had found his weak spot, making it way harder to turn things around.
Quentin shot Brent a sarcastic look. "What do you need to talk to her about? If you want to talk, talk to me. Didn't you let Ulysses go just to lure me here?"
The more Lauren listened, the more confused and anxious she got. She didn't care about the history between Quentin and Brent; she just wanted everyone to get out safely. But if Quentin had to risk himself to fix Ulysses's mess, she'd rather deal with Brent herself.
"Mr. Robinson, thanks for setting up this meeting with Mr. Reynolds. Since he wants to talk to me, you should go back first," Lauren blurted out, not realizing she was instinctively trying to protect Quentin.
Quentin got what Lauren was trying to do, but he didn't want to show Brent that. He wanted her to leave first.
Brent was loving Quentin's changing expressions. "Seems like the rumors about you two aren't that far off. Looks like there's still something between you. Well, since you can't bear to part, let's all sit down and chat."
Ethan rushed over, grabbed Lauren's hand, and snapped at Brent, "I think you're mistaken, Mr. Reynolds. I'm Lauren's boyfriend."
Brent raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
Ethan gritted his teeth in frustration but was powerless.
Lauren angrily shook off his hand. Even now, he was still trying to compete with Quentin. If it weren't for his impulsiveness, things wouldn't be this bad.
Under Brent's direction, everyone sat down. Brent spoke cheerfully, "Mr. Robinson, it's not impossible for me to let Ulysses go. I don't want much." He paused, looking meaningfully at everyone.
Lauren watched Brent nervously. What did he want? What could a mafia boss possibly lack?
Quentin's fingers tapped the table rhythmically, waiting for Brent to continue.
Right now, it was a game of patience. Whoever spoke first would lose.
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