The Heiress They Couldn't Break (Amelia and Jeremy) novel Chapter 703

Josie winked at her reflection in the mirror, satisfied with the results. "Still got it," she murmured to herself.

With a newfound sense of liberation, she headed out. Her destination was a bar where she could drink and lose herself for a few hours.

Ever since she had fixated on Harrison, she'd spent every waking moment trying to figure out how to win him over. It had been far too long since she'd actually gone out and enjoyed herself.

It was time for a comeback.

She caught a cab to Rosemary, the trendiest lounge bar in the city. The music was upbeat but kept at a sophisticated volume, instantly sparking the restlessness she had been suppressing.

The lounge was owned by a wealthy heir and catered to a specific crowd. This wasn't a place for street thugs or low-level players. It was a haunt for the elite and the city's young professionals.

Josie took a deep breath, adjusted her posture, and marched inside on four-inch stilettos like a proud peacock. The lighting inside was a hazy mix of shifting shadows and neon glows, and the dance floor was already packed with people swaying to the beat.

She went straight to the bar, claimed an empty stool, and snapped her fingers at the bartender. "Give me an Adios Motherfucker," she said, her voice carrying a hint of a husky drawl.

The bartender, a handsome guy with a quick smile, arched an eyebrow. "Sounds like someone has a story to tell tonight."

Josie curled her lips into a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes. "No story. Just looking to get absolutely trashed."

A vibrant, bubbling cocktail appeared before her moments later. She picked up the glass and swirled the liquid, watching the ice cubes clink together. For a second, she saw her own reflection in the glass, a face that looked a little empty despite the defiant expression she was forcing.

She took a long, hard swallow. The alcohol burned its way down her throat, a sharp sting that cleared some of the fog from her mind.

Setting the glass down, she began to scan the room. It turned out the world was still a pretty exciting place once you stepped away from a human glacier like Harrison.

As luck would have it, she ran into a few old friends. They quickly pulled her over to a private booth to play drinking games and catch up. Josie didn't hesitate. After the week she'd had, she was more than ready to let loose.

After a few rounds, a flush crept into her cheeks and the weight on her chest seemed to vanish. She pushed up her sleeves and dove into the games, her laughter cutting through the rattle of dice and the ambient chatter of the bar.

She was baffled. Why was he here? She thought he was finished with her.

But the pattern continued. Whether she won or lost, Harrison quietly intercepted every drink meant for her.

Her friends began to tease them openly, making jokes about their relationship. They were both regulars here, though they usually visited at different times and kept to their own circles, so the crowd knew them well.

Josie felt her head spinning, but the internal voice of her pride was still screaming at her. She remembered her vow to ignore his texts and give him nothing but one-word replies. She reminded herself that he was trying to control her and that she wasn't going to be tied down to one man.

She stole a glance at the man drinking quietly beside her, cursing him under her breath. She had promised herself she wouldn't be tied down to a single person, that there were plenty of options out there.

Yet, as she watched his silhouette and the way he wordlessly shielded her from every drink, the pride she had worked so hard to build began to hiss away like air from a punctured balloon.

By the time the night wound down, everyone was thoroughly buzzed. This wasn't the first time they'd been in this position, so Harrison followed his usual routine and called a designated driver on his phone.

He dropped Josie off at her place first. As he was about to get back into the car to head to his own home, she called out to him.