"What do you want for dinner?"
After the training, Basil scooped up an exhausted Cierra into the car and drove through the rush hour traffic.
"Paparazzi again?" Cierra glanced at Basil sideways, once again misunderstanding that dinner meant acting for the paparazzi. She held her head and wailed, "Can I clock out already?" She wailed while stomping her foot in the passenger seat, looking as miserable as could be.
"This time it's not a task; it's to reward you. Basil said you're the rarest acting genius he's ever seen. Looks like I've found a gem for the agency." Basil's lips curled slightly, feeling that this woman's acting spirit hadn't left her yet.
He didn't join the acting practice between the grandfather and grandson but instead sat down on a chair to watch. What he saw was remarkable. He realized that Nelson wasn't exaggerating. Cierra was young, but she had a great grasp of emotional control and transitions. Even with occasional minor flaws, her brilliance was undeniable. Few artists in the industry received Nelson's approval, and he was fortunate to have found a gem in the rough.
Cierra blinked, showing her excitement like a child being rewarded, making a YES gesture: "It's not a task; it's a reward! Hm, what should we eat then?"
"Anything is fine, just don't eat me out of house and home."
Perhaps her good mood was contagious. He hadn't even realized that he had been smiling more recently than he had in the past few years combined.
"The famous director's pockets are actually that shallow?"
Cierra's face blossomed into a smile. Upon hearing it was a reward, all the effort and exhaustion from acting with Nelson seemed to be gently soothed by the thought of delicious food.
A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated. Basil's smile slightly faded, his fingers tightened around the steering wheel, fearing he might lose control and knock the forehead of the lady beside him.
Why not consider that it was her large appetite and good taste that were the issue?
"Just say what you want to eat, there's no budget limit tonight." Despite his thoughts, he eventually softened his mood, a rare feeling of joy flashing through his mind.
Facing this woman with the personality of a big child, he felt his temper and patience had surprisingly improved a lot, yet he couldn't quite pinpoint what was off.
"Uncle, take me to a nightclub, okay?" Cierra blinked her starry eyes.
★
Basil felt he must have been bewitched by the woman in front of him. She kept calling him "uncle," which had made him question himself for a long time. How did he end up agreeing to her request to take her to a nightclub?
Before coming to the nightclub, he had made an agreement with her to stop calling him "uncle," feeling that there had to be at least a generation gap to warrant such a title! Although Cierra's expression seemed a bit odd at the time, they eventually reached an agreement: first, she couldn't call him "uncle" anymore, and second, she shouldn't use honorifics like "Sir" when speaking to him and would just call him Basil.
"Mr. Logan, the lighting here is so dim that I can't even see the menu. How do I know what to order?"
After finally arriving at one of the most renowned and upscale nightclubs in the city, Cierra sat down and immediately started studying the menu intently.
"People who come here don't really care about what's on the menu," Basil explained professionally.
"Oh, so what do they care about?" Cierra asked with great interest.
"They care about whether the women here are attractive." Basil couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly at her innocence, but his expression remained calm and indifferent.
"Basil really knows his stuff. No wonder you're a regular at these places." Cierra clapped her hands and smiled, but Basil felt his face turn pale.
Clearly, he was someone who valued his cleanliness and self-respect. He had only come to the nightclub at her request. Why did her words make it sound like he frequently indulged in these places?
"I don't come here often!" Basil's brows furrowed, and he forced the words out through gritted teeth.
Once again, he confirmed that this woman had an exceptional talent for provoking him.
"So what if you come here often? This place is so cool, and there are so many hot girls. Wow!"
As soon as Cierra finished speaking, two long-haired hot girls in midriff-baring tops and shorts so short they barely covered their behinds walked by, frequently turning their heads to throw flirtatious glances at Basil.
"Not bad, Mr. Logan. Looks like you're more popular than the pretty girls."
Cierra seemed even happier than the one receiving the flirtatious glances, constantly nudging Basil with her elbow.
Basil fell silent, his sharp brows and eyes filled with helplessness.
He felt that Cierra was overly naive most of the time and had no defenses against others. In today's society, which is like a black hole that consumes people without leaving a trace, how had she survived her second year in the real world unscathed?
"Since you don't come here often, go see if there's anything fun. You don't have to take care of me; I won't disappear." Cierra pushed Basil's shoulder, looking like she didn't want to ruin his good time.
Those two hot girls had clearly set their sights on Basil. They were swaying their hips to the music in the nearby dance floor, frequently casting seductive glances their way.
"No, I'm not interested. But if you want to look around, go ahead. Just remember not to leave my sight." Basil responded calmly, his attitude as still as a dead lake.
Although this nightclub had a membership system and was more upscale than regular nightclubs, it couldn't entirely prevent ill-intentioned individuals from sneaking in through various means. Since he had brought Cierra, he naturally had the duty to ensure her safety.
"Got it, got it!"
Cierra brushed him off with a laugh. As soon as she finished speaking, she disappeared in a flash, leaving no trace behind. He had just reminded her not to leave his sight, and she immediately ignored it.
Great! Wonderful! Just fantastic!
Basil laughed in exasperation, ordered a martini that matched his current mood, and used his poker face to scare away a few women who approached him with their cleavage almost spilling out of their tops. He felt like he exuded a chilling, hellish aura without even needing air conditioning.
He turned his gaze towards the stage and the bar, and immediately spotted a tall and a short man harassing the woman he had brought. Without thinking, he strode towards them.
