The Firefighter Returns as a Quintillionaire King novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

“I’m Mia, by the way,” the blonde woman said, extending her perfectly manicured hand. “Mia Richardson. And I absolutely insist on buying you lunch. Please, it’s the least I can do.”

Alex hesitated, glancing down at his rumpled clothes and the duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “I’m not really dressed for-”

“Nonsense.” Mia waved away his objection with a brilliant smile. “You look fine. Besides, you’re a hero. Heroes don’t need to worry about dress codes.”

Before Alex could protest further, Mia had linked her arm through his and was guiding him toward her Ferrari.

She handled his crutches with surprising ease, storing them in the trunk while he settled into the leather passenger seat.

The restaurant Mia chose was upscale-the kind of place with cloth napkins, a sommelier, and prices that weren’t listed on the menu.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and soft classical music played in the background.

Alex felt distinctly out of place in his jeans and t-shirt, but Mia didn’t seem to notice or care.

“Order anything you want,” Mia said cheerfully as they were seated at a table near the window. “Seriously, anything. It’s on me.”

Alex was about to respond when his blood ran cold.

Two tables away, in the restaurant’s intimate couples section with its romantic lighting and rose-adorned tables, sat Lisa and Ben.

They were leaning close together, Lisa laughing at something Ben was saying.

His hand rested on the table, and Lisa’s fingers were playing with his, tracing patterns on his palm.

They looked like lovers. Like a couple deeply in love.

Alex’s hands clenched into fists on the table, his knuckles turning white. A week ago, that had been him and Lisa-or at least, he’d thought it had been. Now here she was, in public, acting like a lovesick teenager with another man.

“Alex?” Mia’s voice pulled him back. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“That’s my wife,” Alex said quietly, his voice strained. “And… her lover.”

Mia’s eyes widened. She followed his gaze to the couple in the corner. “The woman in the black dress? That’s your wife?”

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“Yeah.”

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“And that’s the man she-” Mia’s face cycled through shock, disbelief, and then pure indignation. “That’s awful! Alex, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. We can leave right now if you want.”

“No.” Alex took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “No, I’m not running away anymore. I have just as much right to be here as they do.”

Mia studied his face for a moment, then nodded firmly. “You’re absolutely right. And for what it’s worth, if that woman betrayed a man like you a man who literally runs into burning buildings to save people-then she’s an idiot.”

At that moment, as if sensing she was being watched, Lisa looked up. Her eyes met Alex’s across the restaurant, and her expression immediately transformed from soft and flirtatious to hard and cold.

She stood up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. Ben looked confused, but Lisa was already marching toward their table, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.

“Well, well,” Lisa said, her voice dripping with contempt as she reached their table. “Look what we have here. Alex Carter, out with another woman less than twenty-four hours after leaving home. How touching.”

Alex met her gaze steadily. “Hello, Lisa.”

“Don’t ‘hello Lisa’ me.” Her eyes flashed with anger. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? We’re still married, Alex. Still married! And here you are, parading around with some blonde bimbo!”

Mia’s smile was sweet, but her eyes were steel. “Excuse me? Blonde bimbo? I don’t believe we’ve been introduced. I’m Mia Richardson.”

Lisa barely glanced at her. “I don’t care who you are. You’re with my husband, which makes you-”

“Which makes me what, exactly?” Mia interrupted, her voice still polite but with an edge to it now. “A friend having lunch with the man who saved her life? Because that’s all this is.” She paused, then added innocently, “Though I have to ask-if Alex isn’t allowed to have lunch with a woman, why are you sitting over there having a romantic meal with that man?”

Lisa’s mouth opened, then closed. “That’s completely different.”

“Really? How so?”

“Ben is a friend. A colleague. We’re discussing business.”

“Oh, business!” Mia’s laugh was light and mocking. “Of course. Because nothing says ‘ business meeting’ like holding hands and giggling over champagne in the couples section of a romantic restaurant.”

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“We are not holding hands!” Lisa’s voice rose, causing several nearby diners to look over with

interest.

“I saw you,” Mia said calmly. “About thirty seconds ago. Your fingers were literally intertwined with his.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lisa’s face was flushed now, whether from anger or embarrassment, Alex couldn’t tell. “Ben and I have a professional relationship. There’s nothing inappropriate about it.”

“Then Alex and I also have a professional relationship,” Mia said with a bright smile. “I’m thanking my hero for saving my life. Nothing inappropriate about that either, right?”

Lisa looked like she wanted to throw something. Instead, she turned her fury on Alex. “I can’t believe you. I thought you were different, but you’re just like every other man. The second things get difficult, you run off and find some desperate woman to stroke your ego.”

“Desperate?” Mia’s voice was dangerous now. “Lady, I don’t know who you think you are-”

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