As Harry and Jade walked into the restaurant, Jade didn't miss how the doorman greeted Harry very warmly yet politely and how Harry stopped to speak with him and ask questions about his family.
She noticed the same thing happened as they walked past each staff and each time they did, the staff greeted her with so much respect.
Once they got into the elevator leading to the rooftop, Jade turned to Harry, "You come here often? How come you know everyone here personally?"
"Because I own the place," Harry said casually, and Jade's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You own this place?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Yeah."
"How?" she asked, and the side of his lips curved.
"Money," he said simply, and Jade slapped his arm.
"That's not what I mean! You never told me you owned such a restaurant," she pointed out.
"It never came up in our discussions, and that is why I chose to bring you here on our first date. It's part of the getting to know me," he said easily as they got out of the elevator, and Jade smiled.
"Is Tom aware?" she asked, and Harry raised a brow.
"Why not? He bought me the restaurant as my birthday gift some years ago," Harry said, and Jade gasped in disbelief.
"My brother bought you a restaurant?" she asked, still looking at Harry, and he chuckled.
"Yes, he did. Now stop looking at me and focus on where you're going," Harry advised.
"Just so you know, we are not done with this conversation. I can't believe he got you a restaurant, and every year you people send me some silly...." Jade broke off mid-sentence and stopped walking when she suddenly noticed that flower petals decorated the path they were walking on.
"Oh, Wow!" she whispered when she realised they were going to be alone on the rooftop since only a table for two there sat there, and the only source of light there were the candles surrounding the table.
"I didn't want any interruptions," Harry explained as he took her hand and led her to the table.
"Oh, Harry!" Jade breathed, and he smiled at her as he held out a seat.
"You're so easy to please," Harry said as he brushed her forehead with a kiss and waited until she was comfortably seated before sitting.
"I'm not easy to please. I just didn't expect you to do all of this," Jade said, and Harry held her gaze.
"Why not? It's our first date. And I really didn't do anything other than tell them what I wanted for tonight," Harry said, and Jade smiled.
"The fact that you wanted to do this is what I mean," she said, touched.
"So, I take it you like it?" Harry asked, and she bobbed her head.
"I love it," she said with a sweet smile as she watched Harry pour some wine into their glasses.
"That's good," Harry said with a satisfied smile.
"So, did Tom really get you this restaurant as your birthday gift? Why?" Jade asked, and Harry raised a brow.
"I thought we were only going to be talking about Harry and Jade? Why are you bringing up Tom?" Harry asked, and Jade scowled as she picked up her wineglass.
"I'm not bringing up Tom. I'm talking about Harry and his restaurant," Jade said before taking a sip.
"Maybe you should know that this is not the only business I own outside I-Global. And this place, well, most people do not know I own it apart from the staff. Because of its exclusivity, we are also able to gather exclusive information on people here," Harry said, and Jade raised a brow.
"What do you mean?" she asked, not wanting to believe it was what she was thinking.
Harry shrugged, "Not everybody can afford to eat here, and this is most likely not the place an average person would want to bring their romantic interest for a date. Politicians meet here. Business people meet here. They talk. Deals take place here. We gather information and use them when necessary to advance I-Global," Harry explained, and Jade's eyes widened in surprise.
"You mean you blackmail people?" she asked in disbelief.
"We wouldn't have to blackmail anyone if they were doing the right things, right? Besides, it's not exactly blackmail. We tell them what we know about them, and naturally, they are willing to cooperate," Harry said easily.
"Don't they trace it back to the restaurant? Besides, how do you do it? Is the place bugged, or do you have the staff eavesdropping on their conversations?" Jade asked with interest.
"Why should they trace it back to a restaurant I have no connection with?" Harry asked, and Jade shook her head.
"What kind of a person are you, Harry?" she asked curiously.
"The kind that loves to make your heart race?" Harry asked with a grin, and Jade giggled.
"You know that's not what I mean."
"What kind of a person do you think I am?" Harry asked, gazing directly into her eyes as a waiter came to serve some appetisers.
"One minute, I think you're this good and straightforward guy who would never get involved in anything illegal and stuff, and the next minute you do or say something that makes me think otherwise," Jade said, and Harry chuckled as he glanced at the waiter who was serving them.
"What do you think, Nick? Am I good or bad?" Harry asked, and the waiter, who looked like he was in his thirties, smiled.
"I believe it's a matter of perspective. To the good, you are good, and to the bad, you can be just as bad," he said, and Harry smiled as he took some money out of his wallet and tipped the waiter.
"That's a brilliant response," Harry told Nick, who thanked him and quickly excused himself while Jade continued to watch Harry in puzzlement.
"There is really nothing to be confused about, esquire. Do you think young men like Tom and I could have survived this long or made it this far if we stuck to just being the good guys? In business, it is eat or be eaten," Harry said easily.
"So you're saying you are a good and bad guy?" Jade said, and Harry smiled.
"I won't exactly say I'm a good guy, but I will say I am a straightforward guy. Hasn't it occurred to you yet why Tom asked me to protect you? Tom wouldn't send a good guy to come and babysit you when you're in danger, would he? What am I? A bulletproof? He would only send someone that is capable of protecting you," Harry said, meeting her gaze squarely.
"Jesus, Harry!" Jade exclaimed when it suddenly occurred to her what he meant.
Harry smiled, "This date is about getting to know me, right? I'm putting it all out on the table. I think you should know all that I'm capable of. I'm still the Harry, you know, but I can be much more than that if the situation demands it," Harry said simply.
"So, you can shoot?" Jade asked, and Harry nodded.
"Sure. And if I have to, I will."
"Have you killed someone before?" Jade asked with a frown.
"You're a lawyer. You shouldn't be asking me that," Harry said simply.
"Does that mean you have?" Jade persisted.
"No. I haven't killed anyone before. I don't plan to. But I've inflicted injuries before. I do what I do to protect myself," Harry said, and Jade sighed.
"What about Tom?" She asked, and Harry raised a brow.
"This is about us. I can't discuss Tom's business with you," Harry said simply, and Jade sighed.
"Any more surprising things you think I need to know about you?" Jade asked, and Harry shook his head.
"I don't think so. You should eat," Harry said, jerking his head to the appetisers in front of them.
Having gotten the tough part of the conversation out of the way, they eased into light and playful conversations, getting to know more about themselves and their preferences. However, it was mainly Harry answering Jade's questions since Harry knew more about Jade than she knew of him.
As they talked, dinner was served, but that didn't stop Jade from telling him all about her experience in college and her friends.
Harry didn't miss how she mistakenly mentioned her late boyfriend and quickly tried to switch the subject.
"You once told me he was your first love, right? (Chapter 315)" Harry asked, and Jade paused only for a second.
"Yeah. You could call him that."
"So, you didn't have any boyfriend in high school? Who took you to prom?" Harry asked, and Jade shrugged.
"I was among the hottest girls in high school, remember?" Jade asked, giving him a haughty look that made him chuckle.
"Yeah, you were a member of the Saucy Six, I remember," Harry said, recalling she mentioned being part of a dance group (chapter 294).
"You have a good memory," Jade said with a pleased smile.
"I especially don't forget things that have to do with you," Harry said, and her heart fluttered.
eaglesnov?1,сoМ "Don't say stuff like that," Jade said weakly.
"Why not?"
"It makes me want to kiss you," Jade confessed, and Harry grinned.
"So? No high school boyfriend or prom date?" Harry asked, bringing her back to the subject.
"I didn't have a boyfriend, but I allowed someone to escort me to prom. There wasn't a short supply of guys wanting to take me to prom. I guess I just wasn't interested enough in any of them to date them," Jade said, and Harry nodded.
"What about you? Did you take any girl to prom?" Jade asked, and Harry shook his head.
"No. I didn't ask any to accompany me either, even though most of them wanted me to take them," Harry said, and Jade raised a brow.
"And how did you know that?"
"Because I got letters from a couple of them. Many of the girls in school had a crush on me. I guess they sort of liked me because I was one of the best in the basketball team, the most intelligent in my class, good-looking and a loner. I think girls are drawn to stuff like that," Harry said with a shrug.
"Now I wish I went to your school too," Jade said with a scowl.
"Why?" Harry asked in amusement.
"You could have fallen for me, and I would have fallen for you too. We would probably have been Prom King and Queen," Jade said, and Harry chuckled.
"Don't you think you're forgetting we wouldn't have been in the same class?" Harry asked, and Jade rolled her eyes.
"Whatever," she muttered, and he smiled as the waiters came to clear the table.
"So, how did you meet him? How did you fall in love with him? Was it love at first sight?" Harry asked, and Jade frowned.
"Should we be talking about him on our first date?" she asked, not wanting to talk about Todd.
Harry shrugged, "I just want to know about that aspect of your life. This might be the last time we have to discuss him," he said as he continued to watch her.
Jade sighed, "It wasn't love at first sight. He was three years ahead of me in college. I got lost while trying to find the cafeteria, I stopped to ask him for directions, and he said he was headed that way. We had lunch together. After that, we ran into each other more often. We naturally became friends, and then he asked me to be his girlfriend. I really liked him so I agreed. But it was mostly because everyone else seemed to have a boyfriend but me. And college wasn't really like high school, where I had so many guys flocking around me. I fell in love with him in the course of our relationship," Jade said with a shrug.
"I see," Harry said as their deserts were served.
"What do you see?" Jade asked with a slight frown.
"You," Harry said with a grin and turned to give the waiter a nod before he left.
"Enjoy your dessert," he said as he jerked his head towards the covered dessert plate, which Jade was yet to open.
He watched Jade with curious eyes as she opened the dish, and his lips twitched when she gasped softly.
"Harry!" Jade exclaimed softly when she saw the words written in chocolate next to the dessert.
It was a simple I with a heart symbol and a U, and under it was the request, "Please Be Mine".
Harry pushed away from the table and rose, extending a hand to Jade, who was looking at him now with an awe-filled expression.
Jade took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet, "I love you, esquire. Always have and always will. I'm not really cut out for all these drama or romantic gestures, but I know you are (chapter 251). And for you, there is nothing I wouldn't do to see you happy. Will you be my girlfriend? I know you find me boring and annoying and…."
"Shut up, Jonas," Jade laughed happily as she kissed him.
Once her lips touched his, fireworks exploded in the sky above them, and Jade looked up in surprise.
"You didn't do that, did you?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she watched the display.
"Depends on whether you like it or not," Harry said with a satisfied smile as he watched her watch the sky.
"You're too good for me, Harry," Jade said with tears in her eyes as she turned to look at him again.
"Does that mean you agree to be my girlfriend?" Harry asked with a grin.
"I've been your girlfriend for a while now. You just didn't know it," Jade said with a grin, and Harry chuckled as he lowered his head to kiss her.
"I don't think I'm too good for you, esquire. I think we are just perfect together," he assured her before claiming her lips.
Jade couldn't help all the emotions that swam through her as she returned Harry's kiss.
She couldn't believe she had wasted four years of her life shutting out everything else because of Todd when someone like Harry was out there waiting for her.
Being with Harry this way was magical and she knew without a doubt in mind that he was her soul mate. The one person she was made to love.
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