Feeling unsettled, Dylan did not return home after dropping Lola off at the hospital, but instead went back to the prosecutor’s office.
He thought that if he went home, he would be alone, and his mind would only become more chaotic. He wasn’t sure if he could focus on work in this state, but he felt like he would go crazy if he didn’t do something.
So, he didn’t understand why he was acting this way, which was so unlike him.
To be honest, he wanted to go to a hotel with Lola, but he was afraid that he might lose control of his emotions and say something hurtful to her.
She was wearing a mini dress that revealed her thighs and had a deep neckline, and it wasn’t just unappealing; it was incredibly sexy and quite sensual. She was attractive enough that any man would inevitably be drawn to her.
Every time the men sitting at the other table in the cocktail bar glanced at Lola, and every time his friends casually spoke to her, Dylan, though he didn’t show it on the outside, was anything but calm inside.
He felt inexplicably uncomfortable and was plagued by the impulse to gouge out the eyes of the men who were staring at Lola.
The strangeness of his feelings was unsettling, but at the same time, he thought, ‘I’m not that narrow-minded of a person.’
Sitting at his desk, looking over the investigation records, the words were not registering in his mind. With no other choice, Dylan pulled his gaze away from the documents and picked up his phone.
No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t seem like Lola would willingly go to such a place.
It was obvious that Gia had coaxed or encouraged Lola to go to the cocktail bar.
Lola probably had no choice.
After all, it was her one and only best friend who had asked her to go.
Anyway, Gia, claiming to be a sister, was of no help in her life at all.
At times like this, she was truly infuriating.
If Gia hadn’t taken innocent Lola to the cocktail bar, there wouldn’t have been such a disturbance, and he wouldn’t be feeling so unsettled.
And by now, he would have spent a hot night with Lola.
Dylan twisted his mouth in frustration, blaming Gia, then questioning whether he was being too sensitive, shaking his head as his thoughts became more chaotic.
‘So why am I acting like this?’
Even if he asked the same question into the void, there would be no answer.
Feeling suffocated, Dylan tugged at his tie and called someone.
‘I’ll soon find out if I’m the weird one or if others feel the same way.’
If he was indeed the one being strange, he was prepared to reflect on it.
After several rings, a surprised voice came through the receiver.
– Why are you calling me at this hour, Dylan? What’s going on?
Without the usual pleasantries, Dylan jumped straight to the point.
“Is your brother-in-law busy these days?”
The question seemed out of the blue for the purpose of the call, leading to a brief silence on the other end.
After a while, Hamza’s voice came through.
– Well, sometimes I’m busy, and sometimes I’m free. But I’m not the kind of person who works like a cow and eats like a mouse.
“I called to ask you something.”
– Yes. What is it? Go ahead.
It felt awkward to ask Hamza something like this, but there was no one else to ask.
If he asked his friends, they would surely tease him or pry into his personal life.
Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine, so Dylan cautiously broached the subject.
“What do you think about women going to places like cocktail bars or clubs?”
Hamza seemed to think Dylan’s question was a bit odd, as he quietly asked from the other end.
– Dylan, are you feeling unwell or something?
“No. I’m perfectly fine.”
– But why are you suddenly asking such strange questions in the middle of the night?
Unable to say it outright, Dylan struggled to find the right way to express himself, unsure of how to phrase it appropriately.
He was worried that if he misstepped, he would become the bad older brother who caused trouble in his younger sibling’s marriage.
– Did Gia do something outside?
‘He really is perceptive!’
Seeing Hamza ask that question as if he had sensed something, Dylan clicked his tongue inwardly.
So,
“Why are you asking me? You should know better what Gia is doing outside. Or have you lost interest in her now that you’ve caught the fish?”
Dylan had to add words he didn’t mean to avoid raising suspicion.
– If you say that, it makes me feel wronged. That’s not fair. I thought you were asking because something happened to Gia since you were asking such strange questions.
