The girl hadn’t expected his question.
Her mouth fell open in surprise, her lips, moistened by the juice, glistening faintly.
Her brow furrowed slightly without her realizing.
Her clear, gentle eyes were free of any impurity, and her gaze was like that of a kitten begging for a comforting pat.
Her head hung low, the corners of her eyes drooping.
She looked genuinely dejected.
Perhaps she was too tired to keep her guard up around him, and a hint of her temper slipped out.
“No, I’m not.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
Preston Keaton’s fingers tapped lightly on the contract on the table.
He coolly flipped a page, saying nonchalantly, “If you’re not, then finish the rest of your steak.”
“…”
Evelyn Grant listlessly picked up her knife and fork, grumbling internally.
‘Even Dylan Grant wasn’t this strict.
He never cared how much I ate.’
She finished every last bite of the steak.
Half the flight time had passed.
She asked a flight attendant for a glass of wine and took a few small sips, which helped chase away some of her weariness.
There was Wi-Fi on the plane.
Evelyn had silenced her phone before boarding, and when she checked it now, she was flooded with a deluge of messages.
Yara Summers: “Damn, I’m floored.
Your boss is so hot!
Just seeing him from afar makes me want to scream.”
“That aura, that face…
you have no idea how many people on the floor were staring, completely captivated.”
“He’s even more handsome in person than on TV!”
Evelyn sighed in resignation and tapped out a message on her screen: “You’re such a fangirl.”
The rest of the messages were from Leo Lawrence.
“Nina and I are just friends.
We haven’t been in contact for a year.
Her latest show isn’t meeting expectations, so she reached out to me, hoping we could collaborate again to generate some buzz and play up the ‘couple’ angle for fans.”
“I didn’t agree.”
“Actually, before I went to Bexley for the reshoots, I was planning to confess my feelings to you when you got back.
But plans never keep up with changes.”
“I don’t want to wait anymore.
I’m afraid something will go wrong, afraid that we’ll become strangers with no future together.”
“So.”
His last message was a voice note.
Evelyn’s hand tightened, and she tapped on it with a trembling finger.
His clear, pleasant voice flowed smoothly through the earpiece.
“I like you, Evelyn Grant.
I like you a lot.
Will you be my girlfriend?”
He added softly, “You don’t have to give me an answer right away.
I’m going to Veridia the day after tomorrow.
Whether you agree or not, I want to hear your answer in person.”
It felt as if someone had gently squeezed her heart, bringing forth a dense, bittersweet flutter.
She pressed her lips together and set the phone gently on the table.
Lowering her gaze, her long lashes concealed the emotions in her eyes, making it impossible for anyone to know what she was thinking.
Preston Keaton’s indifferent gaze swept over her before he looked away.
Half his face was hidden in shadow, his jawline sharp and intimidating.
Dangerous and aloof.
Evelyn didn’t sleep well that night.
She woke up startled for no apparent reason, a sense of unease in her heart, like the calm before a storm.
It took her a long time to fall back into a deep sleep.
At eight o’clock, Preston Keaton was in the dining room, having breakfast.
A dull ache throbbed in his head.
His eyes were downcast, suppressing a languid gloom.
His usual gentle, refined aura was overlaid with something deeper, making him seem sharp and exposed.
The dining room was very quiet, so the light, quick footsteps were faintly audible.
He knew who it was and didn’t even look up, but as the footsteps drew closer, he caught the familiar scent of gardenias.
His brow furrowed slightly.
He looked up to see Sophie Keaton waving at him charmingly, calling out with a wide smile, “Big Brother.”
Her diamond bracelet sparkled in the sunlight.
Preston Keaton said coolly, “Change your perfume.”
“?”
Sophie Keaton said, looking aggrieved, “I’m not wearing any perfume!”
She sniffed her own arm.
“It’s body lotion.
I got the brand from Evelyn.
Doesn’t it smell nice?”
Tsk.
‘Big Brother really has no taste.’
Preston Keaton stood up, his gaze sweeping past her.
“It smells good on her.
It doesn’t smell good on you.”
The convoy of cars was already waiting outside.
Wyatt Walsh stood by, holding a car door open.
Preston Keaton got in, pinched the bridge of his nose, and closed his eyes to rest.
Wyatt Walsh got into the driver’s seat and slowly pulled away.
“Leo Lawrence has a flight at nine o’clock today, landing in Veridia around noon.
I found out he’s booked out a whole restaurant.
Flower deliveries started arriving this morning; they’re setting up.”
‘He’s certainly putting in the effort.’
‘His date with Evelyn is tomorrow, but he’s already preparing today.’
Preston Keaton’s only response was a lukewarm grunt.
Wyatt Walsh kept his eyes on the road ahead.
In the distance, the sky was once again blanketed in dark clouds.
It looked like another storm was brewing.
Evelyn didn’t wake up until nine.
After washing up, she came downstairs to find Sophie Keaton sitting in the living room, watching TV and waiting for her.
Beaming, she gave her a lazy greeting.
“You’re awake.”
She could tell at a glance that Evelyn hadn’t slept well.
“Your dark circles are a little heavy.”
Evelyn rubbed her face.
Knowing that Preston Keaton would have already left for Apex by now, she relaxed and sat down next to Sophie Keaton.
“Are we putting on makeup today?”
Sophie Keaton nodded.
“I have afternoon tea plans with Stella Ford.”
She had already grown to rely on Evelyn.
“Do you want to come with me?”
Evelyn smiled.
“I’d better not.”
There was bad blood between her and Stella.
If she went, Stella’s entire afternoon would be ruined.
As soon as she heard Evelyn wasn’t going, Sophie Keaton instantly lost the desire to go herself.
‘Talking to Stella is so draining.
She’s not the type to say what she means; she always beats around the bush.
And she loves to gossip about other people in front of me, which makes me really uncomfortable.’
After a moment’s thought, she picked up her phone and sent a message to Stella Ford.
Sophie Keaton said, “Then I’ll go back to Clearwater Bay this afternoon to have dinner with Mommy.”
Seeing that Evelyn hadn’t rested well either, she told her to catch up on some sleep at The Mid-Levels.
The weather remained gloomy all afternoon until a storm finally broke.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared as huge raindrops pelted the leaves of the plants, making them sway in the wind.
Sophie Keaton couldn’t be bothered to come back in the rain, so she decided to stay the night at Clearwater Bay.
June Jacobs’s flight was also affected by the weather; it was forced to land in Stellaria.
Flights weren’t expected to resume until the next morning.
The Keaton Family had made excellent arrangements.
As soon as they learned of the forced landing, they immediately booked a hotel and arranged for someone to take June Jacobs there safely.
She was so moved that she’d asked, “Can’t we just freeload off the Keaton Family for the rest of our lives?”
Evelyn couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter.
Just after she got off the phone with June, a maid knocked on her door to invite her down for dinner.
The Keaton Family’s etiquette was ingrained in their very bones.
When she entered the living room, Preston Keaton was sitting in his usual spot, patiently waiting for her.
It had been the same way when she was here last month.
Even though he was a man of immense power and influence, holding the economic lifeline of all Veridia in his hands, he waited without any sign of impatience.
Evelyn keenly noticed him pinch the bridge of his nose, as if he were in discomfort.
She hesitated for a few seconds before walking over quietly to take her seat.
Meeting his deep eyes, she spoke in a soft, gentle voice, “Mr.
Keaton.”
The faint scent of gardenias wafted over, seeming to ease his headache.
The tension in Preston Keaton’s brow relaxed slightly, and he gave a slow, deliberate nod.
‘So the girl isn’t a complete ingrate,’ he thought, as she pressed her lips together, her gaze filled with concern.
“Are you not feeling well?”
Preston Keaton said nonchalantly, “Miss Grant, are you concerned about me?”