Sweet For You, Ruthless For Others
Chapter 60: Editing The Life

Chapter 60: Editing The Life

"Thanks," she said quietly, looking up to meet his gaze. "I’ll keep that in mind."

Niklaus nodded, satisfied with her response. They resumed eating in companionable silence, the clinking of cutlery against plates filling the space.

As the meal continued, Hermia couldn’t shake the thought of Steffon working late or the fact that Niklaus was being so considerate.

It wasn’t something she was accustomed to, and yet, sitting across from him, she felt a strange sense of security.

Niklaus, on the other hand, was content to watch her eat, noting the subtle shifts in her expression as she mulled over her thoughts.

He didn’t press her for conversation, letting her process in her own time.

Slowly, bite by bite, the tension eased, and the warmth of their connection deepened, unspoken but undeniably present.

Their quiet dinner was abruptly interrupted by a familiar voice cutting through the air like a blade.

"Nik?"

Hermia looked up, startled, just as Niklaus leaned back in his chair, his face an unreadable mask.

"Hello, Liam," Niklaus replied carelessly, his tone lacking any warmth.

Hermia’s gaze followed Niklaus’s to the newcomer—Liam, Jasmine’s brother.

She recognized him immediately.

She hadn’t had the chance to thank either of them properly for dropping her off the other night.

Liam, with a sharp, exasperated look, ran a hand through his messy brown hair and pulled a chair over to their table without so much as a polite inquiry. "The fuck’s that, Nik? I’ve been calling you since morning."

"Been busy," Niklaus replied, his tone clipped and cold.

Liam rolled his eyes dramatically, letting his gaze slide over to Hermia.

His brows furrowed as recognition dawned. "Isn’t this the bestie "...from the function?" Liam finished, tilting his head curiously as his eyes fixed on Hermia.

Hermia offered a shy smile, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hello."

Niklaus’s expression darkened instantly. "Ignore him," he said sharply, his scowl deepening.

Liam leaned back in his chair, his smirk widening. "Jasmine’s been looking for you, you know. She hasn’t stopped talking about you since that night. I don’t know how the two of you managed not to exchange numbers. Chaos, I suppose?"

Hermia brightened at the mention of Jasmine. "Oh, yes, we completely forgot. It’s always so busy when we’re together. I could give you my number now, and—"

"No," Niklaus interrupted firmly, his voice like steel. "You’ll give it to Jasmine directly. You can’t trust everyone with your private number, Mia."

Liam raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Seriously, Nik? You know how Jazzy is. She’s harmless."

Niklaus shot him a dry look. "No, I don’t know how she is. Oh wait, I do. And I know she’d rather get the number herself."

Liam groaned dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. "You’re just being petty. I’m your best friend!"

"Not anymore," Niklaus said, his tone as flat as a rock, though his smirk betrayed a hint of mischief.

"That’s unfortunate for you," Liam quipped, leaning forward challengingly.

Niklaus mirrored his movement, his smirk growing. "Most unfortunate for you."

Hermia couldn’t suppress the soft laugh that escaped her lips.

She watched the two men trade jabs like sparring partners, their playful argument contrasting sharply with their powerful and polished exteriors.

These were two of the richest and most influential men in the country, and yet here they were, bickering like a couple of high school boys.

What’s happening? she thought, unable to wipe the amused smile off her face.

The absurdity of the situation was endearing in its own strange way.

"Ok, can you just give me her social media handle?"

"Yes, yes we could do that, this idiot is being..."

"Is she your girlfriend? Did you finally get a girlfriend ?"

Niklaus scoffed, "I don’t date," he said.

"Thanks," she said quietly, looking up to meet his gaze. "I’ll keep that in mind."

Niklaus nodded, satisfied with her response. They resumed eating in companionable silence, the clinking of cutlery against plates filling the space.

As the meal continued, Hermia couldn’t shake the thought of Steffon working late or the fact that Niklaus was being so considerate.

It wasn’t something she was accustomed to, and yet, sitting across from him, she felt a strange sense of security.

Niklaus, on the other hand, was content to watch her eat, noting the subtle shifts in her expression as she mulled over her thoughts.

He didn’t press her for conversation, letting her process in her own time.

Slowly, bite by bite, the tension eased, and the warmth of their connection deepened, unspoken but undeniably present.

Their quiet dinner was abruptly interrupted by a familiar voice cutting through the air like a blade.

"Nik?"

Hermia looked up, startled, just as Niklaus leaned back in his chair, his face an unreadable mask.

"Hello, Liam," Niklaus replied carelessly, his tone lacking any warmth.

Hermia’s gaze followed Niklaus’s to the newcomer—Liam, Jasmine’s brother.

She recognized him immediately.

She hadn’t had the chance to thank either of them properly for dropping her off the other night.

Liam, with a sharp, exasperated look, ran a hand through his messy brown hair and pulled a chair over to their table without so much as a polite inquiry. "The fuck’s that, Nik? I’ve been calling you since morning."

"Been busy," Niklaus replied, his tone clipped and cold.

Liam rolled his eyes dramatically, letting his gaze slide over to Hermia.

His brows furrowed as recognition dawned. "Isn’t this the bestie "...from the function?" Liam finished, tilting his head curiously as his eyes fixed on Hermia.

Hermia offered a shy smile, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hello."

Niklaus’s expression darkened instantly. "Ignore him," he said sharply, his scowl deepening.

Liam leaned back in his chair, his smirk widening. "Jasmine’s been looking for you, you know. She hasn’t stopped talking about you since that night. I don’t know how the two of you managed not to exchange numbers. Chaos, I suppose?"

Hermia brightened at the mention of Jasmine. "Oh, yes, we completely forgot. It’s always so busy when we’re together. I could give you my number now, and—"

"No," Niklaus interrupted firmly, his voice like steel. "You’ll give it to Jasmine directly. You can’t trust everyone with your private number, Mia."

Liam raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Seriously, Nik? You know how Jazzy is. She’s harmless."

Niklaus shot him a dry look. "No, I don’t know how she is. Oh wait, I do. And I know she’d rather get the number herself."

Liam groaned dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. "You’re just being petty. I’m your best friend!"

"Not anymore," Niklaus said, his tone as flat as a rock, though his smirk betrayed a hint of mischief.

"That’s unfortunate for you," Liam quipped, leaning forward challengingly.

Niklaus mirrored his movement, his smirk growing. "Most unfortunate for you."

Hermia couldn’t suppress the soft laugh that escaped her lips.

She watched the two men trade jabs like sparring partners, their playful argument contrasting sharply with their powerful and polished exteriors.

These were two of the richest and most influential men in the country, and yet here they were, bickering like a couple of high school boys.

What’s happening? she thought, unable to wipe the amused smile off her face.

The absurdity of the situation was endearing in its own strange way.

"Ok, can you just give me her social media handle?"

"Yes, yes we could do that, this idiot is being..."

"Is she your girlfriend? Did you finally get a girlfriend ?"

Niklaus scoffed, "I don’t date," he said.

"Thanks," she said quietly, looking up to meet his gaze. "I’ll keep that in mind."

Niklaus nodded, satisfied with her response. They resumed eating in companionable silence, the clinking of cutlery against plates filling the space.

As the meal continued, Hermia couldn’t shake the thought of Steffon working late or the fact that Niklaus was being so considerate.

It wasn’t something she was accustomed to, and yet, sitting across from him, she felt a strange sense of security.

Niklaus, on the other hand, was content to watch her eat, noting the subtle shifts in her expression as she mulled over her thoughts.

He didn’t press her for conversation, letting her process in her own time.

Slowly, bite by bite, the tension eased, and the warmth of their connection deepened, unspoken but undeniably present.

Their quiet dinner was abruptly interrupted by a familiar voice cutting through the air like a blade.

"Nik?"

Hermia looked up, startled, just as Niklaus leaned back in his chair, his face an unreadable mask.

"Hello, Liam," Niklaus replied carelessly, his tone lacking any warmth.

Hermia’s gaze followed Niklaus’s to the newcomer—Liam, Jasmine’s brother.

She recognized him immediately.

She hadn’t had the chance to thank either of them properly for dropping her off the other night.

Liam, with a sharp, exasperated look, ran a hand through his messy brown hair and pulled a chair over to their table without so much as a polite inquiry. "The fuck’s that, Nik? I’ve been calling you since morning."

"Been busy," on