Hiding Behind Her Superficiality novel Chapter 451
Elspeth gasped in astonishment when she thought about the repercussions of Frank’s actions. If the walking time bomb, Jethro, had seen the email, he would probably regard her as a heartless and cruel person.
As for Callum… When he heard that his uncle had worked so hard to solve a massive problem for him, he immediately decided to gift the car to Frank.
“Please don’t take such liberties again. At least inform me about the situation beforehand.”
Elspeth sighed in resignation. At this point, those words might just be the final push needed for Jethro to give up on her completely.
In any case, she did not know whether she had made the correct decision.
Frank nodded and seemed somewhat absent-minded. “Okay, okay. But I have a question for you.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “What is it?”
“That is… Do you have a woman called Agnes Braille working at your company? Can you give me her contact details?”
Agnes Braille? How did Agnes get into trouble with this devil in disguise?
Still, she noticed that he did not seem to hold a grudge against Agnes, so she couldn’t resist probing further, “What grudge do you have against Agnes?”
Her response immediately elicited a sharp retort from Frank, “Do I look like such a troublemaker?”
“Why else would you suddenly demand her contact information? She is a good and honest woman.”
“It’s… Oh, just leave me alone. Can’t you just give me her contact information?”
Elspeth had never seen the abnormal flush that crept up Frank’s face before, but she immediately understood the reason behind his strange request.
“I can give you her contact information… On one condition.”
Frank quirked a seemingly disinterested eyebrow at those words, but his voice betrayed his anticipation, “Speak. What is your condition?”
“You are not allowed to give any of my information to Callum!”
He glanced at Callum, who was standing nearby. Then, he looked back at Elspeth with a troubled expression. “Are you blackmailing me?”
“That depends on how you look at it. But, of course, if you truly want Agnes’ contact information, you should know how to make that happen, yes?” Elspeth merely sniffed proudly and tilted her head at him.
She took a seat on the couch and crossed her legs elegantly. Her posture screamed nonchalance, as though she was confident that he would give in to her demands.
“Fine. In that case, I have to apologize to Callum…”
She nodded with a smug smile upon receiving a satisfactory answer. Then, she tapped on her phone lightly with her fingertips and sent him Agnes’ phone number.
Frank narrowed his eyes at the sight of Agnes’ profile picture in the background. Meanwhile, several schemes began forming in his mind.
Since he had gotten what he wanted, he rose to his feet and prepared to leave. “In that case, I won’t disturb your alone time together any longer. I have some urgent business to deal with, so I’ll be taking my leave now.”
She couldn’t bring herself to expose his lies when she saw his impatient and excited expression painted across his face. It was clear he wanted to leave and possibly bother poor Agnes.
“Fine. Go ahead.”
Frank smiled and patted Callum on the shoulder, then he leaned close to Callum’s ear and whispered, “What I said earlier was just a tactic to get what I want. I’ll tell you more when I have the time.”
Elspeth was not deaf, so she naturally heard his words clearly.
“Frank! You liar!”
She gritted her teeth in frustration as she threw the pillows on the couch at Frank.
Frank hastily yanked open the door and ran out without a moment’s delay.
The pillow slammed into the door weakly before sliding to the ground in despair.
“How annoying.”
She angrily patted herself on the chest to soothe her anger.
…
Although Frank left the president’s office immediately, he was in no hurry to leave the company.
He wandered around the company, trying to find the figure that had been plaguing his mind for quite some time.
After he loitered around for several more minutes, he finally saw a familiar side profile standing in the corner. He instantly sauntered over without hesitation and came to a stop in front of that person.
“What did I say? You wouldn’t be able to escape from me.”
Skylar was packing up her things and pondering over her resignation from the company.
News of Jethro’s resignation had spread like wildfire among the company’s higher-ups. Now that the target of her pursuit was leaving the company, she felt that it was meaningless for her to remain working in the company.
According to her speculations, Jethro would most likely switch to a competitor in the industry. If she devoted herself to him and followed in his footsteps, he might finally notice her. Then…
Unfortunately, a man suddenly appeared in front of her before she finished daydreaming. She stared up at the man in front of her and felt her breath hitch in her throat.
Oh, my God! How can a man be this handsome?
The man had thin eyebrows, lively eyes, and a high nose bridge. Moreover, his thin lips were slightly on the pale end. His facial features were perfect in every way, and every part of him seemed so attractive that he practically bordered on being someone straight out of a storybook! Yet, he was not inferior to Jethro in any way. In fact, he might even surpass Jethro by a small margin in terms of good looks.
Is this man a newly debuted idol? If that’s the case, then I will have to seriously consider whether I should leave the company after all. How can anybody be unmoved by such a stunning man?
Wait a minute… Was he trying to flirt with me just now?
She could barely control the excitement in her heart. I can’t believe such a Cinderella-like event where the poor girl is chosen by Prince Charming is happening to me!
“Excuse me…”
As soon as her voice sounded, she saw a look of disappointment flashing across the man’s face.
Disappointment? Why is he disappointed just because I spoke to him?
Before Skylar realized what was happening, the faint smile on the man’s face vanished completely.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.”
She instinctively touched her face as if wondering about the authenticity of his words.
How can he mistake me for someone else? Do I look similar to somebody else?
As soon as that crucial information popped into her mind, she instantly understood the situation.
Don’t tell me… Could this man be looking for Agnes? She was so furious that she nearly shattered her molars from the force of gritting her teeth so hard. Why are all these men always looking for Agnes? What’s so great about that woman anyway? It’s not like she’s famous or anything. Besides, I am not inferior to her in terms of appearance. So, what is it about her that attracts so many people?
“Are you looking for Agnes?”
Those words immediately caused a look of anticipation to flash across Frank’s face. “What? Do you know this person? Where is she now?”
The hint of an obscure hatred unconsciously appeared in her eyes, but she quickly recovered and flashed her signature sweet smile at him. “Of course, I know her. She is my colleague. How can I not know her? Besides, we are quite close friends. If you want to know more about her, you can just ask me about her.”
She set up a two-layered trap for him with those remarks alone.
On the one hand, she could improve her relationship and build connections with this handsome man in front of her.
On the other hand, she had implied that she knew Agnes very well. Therefore, if he really had any romantic intentions toward Agnes, she could subtly increase his dislike toward Agnes through her representations of the other party.
If I can’t get him, then neither will that imposter who became popular because of me!
“Did you say you know her very well?”
She nodded docilely. “That’s right. Agnes tells me everything. For example, which man she had dinner with the other night, which man’s present she received the other day, or which man accompanied her for a drink at the bar. I know everything in explicit detail.”
When Skylar caught sight of the gradual change in Frank’s expression, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of triumph and satisfaction.
“Did you say that she always goes out with other men?”
That woman seemed so noble and proud to me. How did it turn out that she secretly likes to go out with other men? I will have to question her properly when she gets back later.
“Ah! H-How could I tell you that?” She lowered her head. A look of nervousness crossed her face as though she had a slip of the tongue earlier. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to talk badly about her behind her back. It’s just that the things she does are too excessive. I can’t stand watching her do such things, especially since I’m her friend. If possible, please talk to her. Please ask her to stop going out with all those men. Those men don’t look like good people. I’m sure they are just lusting after her.”
Frank snorted coldly. “I know about that, so you don’t need to tell me.”
When her kindness was regarded as ill intention, she was so furious that her expression twisted. That woman is the one who made those mistakes. How dare he take his anger out on me instead?
She immediately lost all her goodwill toward the man in front of her.
“There. She’s back. She’s sitting over at that table.” Skylar huffed angrily and pointed at the woman who waltzed in late behind her.
Frank had also lost all desire to speak with this woman. When he turned to look at Agnes, he felt an inexplicable sense of anger burning in his heart when he saw her. He immediately sauntered over, making his presence known. The instant he was right before her, he looked down at her rather imperiously.
“In the end, you couldn’t escape me after all.”
Agnes never imagined that the man she had tried so hard to avoid would relentlessly track her down. A hint of helplessness crept into her heart. “Didn’t I tell you clearly the other day? We’re even now.”
He leaned against her desk and prevented her from working. “What do you mean by we’re even? Nothing will end until I say so.”
“How can you be so unreasonable?”
She usually had quite a lot of work on her plate. In addition, she often took on many extra tasks for herself. So, when she realized that she was not going to finish her work before the day was over, she became increasingly anxious. Eventually, she couldn’t help reaching out to push him away.
“What are you doing?”
He swiftly changed positions and moved to the side of the table.
“Don’t you know that your behavior has severely impacted my work?”
He couldn’t care less about her concerns. “This amount of work is nothing. If I am taking up your time, then I can pay you for your time.”
“Allow me to repeat myself once more. What I want is to do my job, not your filthy money.”
He narrowed his eyes at those words, and a hint of danger entered his voice. “Oh? Are you claiming to be pure and chaste now?”
She had the feeling that she should not waste her time arguing with the man in front of her anymore. Her mind might become as stupid as his if she kept giving him the attention he so desperately craves.
“Excuse me, Mr. I-Don’t-Even-Know-Your-Name. I am telling you this for the last time. You are severely impacting my work. Please leave immediately.”
Her words were as polite as could be, but her statement annoyed him greatly.
“I’ve already talked to your boss earlier. She gave me three hours to ask you out.”
His response stunned her. When she thought about Elspeth, who was an absolute workaholic, she frowned with displeasure.
“Even if it’s a lie, you should at least create a decent one.”
How could Elspeth possibly allow him to disturb me during working hours?
It was only at this moment that Frank realized something—he had not introduced himself to her. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking like a peacock flexing his feathers. “Do you know who I am?”
She couldn’t care less about his identity but wanted him to leave as soon as possible. Hence, she pretended to be patient and asked for his name, “Excuse me, young master. What is your name?”
“Frank Joneson.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “I don’t know you.”
He was taken aback. “Do you really not know who I am?”
The name ‘Frank Joneson’ was well-known throughout Blaydal as the Prince of Blaydal. So, how was it that he became an unknown figure in the small town of Damoria instead?
“It’s not that I don’t know who you are but that I have no interest in your identity whatsoever.”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Are you pretending not to know me so that you can play hard-to-get in a story where the domineering president falls in love with the damsel?”
Hard-to-get… I can’t believe he can even think up something like that.
The headache pounding at her temples grew stronger. Then, she picked up the phone and dialed Elspeth’s number.
“Miss Lynwood, there’s a lunatic at my desk who keeps trying to flirt with me. Can you ask the security guards to send him away?”
On the other side of the phone, Elspeth felt her lips twitching uncontrollably as she tried to swallow the bubble of laughter, trying to escape from her lips.
Lunatic… Don’t tell me… Is she referring to Frank? I can’t believe he really went and harassed her after he obtained her contact number.
Before Elspeth could say anything, Frank quickly raised his voice a notch.
“Don’t listen to her nonsense. I am not flirting with her. We have some unsettled business, and I just wanted to have a proper conversation with her about those matters.”
He was very confident that she would side with him. However, if they were to cast aside the fact that they were related by blood, she wouldn’t dare to do anything to him, especially since he had blackmailed her.
“Agnes, he is my brother. I’m afraid there has always been something wrong with his head. If any trouble arises, I hope you can be more patient with him.”
Agnes could hear the resignation in Elspeth’s voice, so she decided not to make things more difficult for Elspeth.
After the call ended, Frank triumphantly stood in front of Agnes.
“I told you. If you wanted to find somebody to help you, you went to the wrong person.” He shook his head in pity. “Your president is my younger sister. It’s only natural for her to listen to my wishes.”
So, he is the president’s elder brother… She felt her opinion of him dropping even further as she gave him a once over and noticed his frivolous appearance.
“You’re both from the same family. How are you so different from one another?”
The scorn on her face stabbed deeply into his self-esteem.
He couldn’t help throwing a fit. “Just who do you think you are looking down on? How could you possibly know my true strengths?”
She snorted coldly. “I don’t know anything about your true strengths, and I don’t want to know either. Now, please leave immediately.”
Why does she keep trying to chase me away? Does she really think so lowly of me?
He was filled with a strong sense of frustration for the first time in his life.
Countless women had tried to throw themselves at him, but he had never been interested in them. Not to mention, the touch of those women annoyed him greatly. Now that he had gone out of his way and patiently listened to a woman spewing nonsense, she did not appreciate his kindness.
How odd. Not only is this woman acting strange, but I feel like I’m acting out of character.
“What do I have to do so that you would be willing to communicate with me normally?”
Agnes had just typed out a few words on her computer, ready to get back to business. When she heard his question, a sense of exasperation surged up in her heart. “If you want to speak with me, then you can talk to me after work. It’s working hours right now, and I don’t want to waste my time on your nonsense.”
When Agnes heard that this devilish man was finally leaving, she smiled contentedly. “Yeah, yeah. Relax. I will keep my promise.” As if!
Once it was time to get off work, Agnes packed up her things two minutes earlier and left the office with lightning speed the moment the bell rang.
Frank, who came late afterward, was annoyed to the core as he looked at the empty seat. How dare this woman lie to me!
So, he instantly looked around the office. Finally, his gaze landed on a woman who was packing her things and ready to go home.
The woman wore a pair of glasses and was dressed plainly, looking completely honest and kind.
Frank gradually made his way to her as he came to the woman’s side and gave her an extremely bright smile.
Since he was inherently good-looking, the current smile on his face had the power to cause people to swoon.
The woman had never had such a good-looking man smile at her before, and thus, she was instantly getting swept off her feet.
“H-Hello, handsome. W-What can I do for you?” The poor girl even stuttered when she spoke.
When he noticed that he had achieved his goal, he immediately blinked and showed a pitiful and innocent expression, which aroused the woman’s desire to please him.
“I have a question that I want to ask you. I wonder if you are able to help me out.”
I won’t hesitate to fulfill this handsome man’s request even if I have to go through hell and high water. The woman nodded profusely with that thought in mind. “Don’t worry. Just ask away. I will tell you anything you want to know. I will ask someone else if I don’t have the answers.”
Frank smiled and patted her head. “Such a nice young lady you are.”
Oh my gosh! This handsome man complimented me! The woman giggled happily. Yet, before she could finish giggling, the charming and magnetic voice next to her ear sounded once more, “Do you know where Agnes Braille lives?”
Agnes Braille… The woman shook her head slightly. “She’s normally withdrawn and doesn’t do anything besides work. I don’t know her very well either.”
“I see…” he said, looking bummed.
The woman felt incredibly bad when she saw the disappointed look on Frank’s face. Hence, she quickly added, “Although I don’t know where she lives, I do know there is a register of company employees. So, we can definitely locate her home address from that.”
Frank’s eyes lit up with excitement. That really is a good idea!
“Then, do you know where the register is?”
At this moment, the woman began to talk eloquently, “Of course, I do. I am in charge of the company’s HR Department, so I have a clear grasp of everyone’s information.”
With that, she volunteered to retrieve Agnes’ home address from the computer. Then, she showed it to Frank, completely disregarding her duty of confidentiality to the company’s employees.
Frank opened the note application on his phone and silently recorded Agnes’ home address. Then, he patted the woman on the shoulder appreciatively.
“Thank you. Your kindness will be rewarded.”
The woman was so moved that her heart immediately melted when she heard Frank compliment her again.
“It’s okay. It’s okay, as long as you’re happy.”
Frank even blew the woman a kiss, which instantly captured her heart. “Thanks.”
The woman was so done in by his looks that she merely replied with an infatuated look on her face, “You’re welcome.”
Since he had retrieved Agnes’ home address, he gradually lost any intention to continue chatting with the woman.
Therefore, he randomly came up with an excuse to end the conversation and drove straight to Agnes’ home. Just wait, Agnes! I won’t let you off so easily once I catch you!
…
Elspeth was reading the news on her phone in the office. Her frown deepened as she scrolled down. Jethro’s resignation isn’t surprising. It’s just that I can’t believe he would actually join Arthur’s company! It’s impossible for him not to be aware that I have always been at odds with Arthur. So, he’s probably doing this on purpose. He just wants to irritate me. Or… Does he want to be my enemy?
She felt even more uneasy when she arrived on that train of thought. As expected, the way I handled the matter this morning was just too rude. I hurt Jethro to the point that he actually took the most extreme route to dissociate himself from me. His departure may, at most, cause some losses to Azure. However, the consequences will be immeasurable once he joins Arthur’s company. Either way, the clarion call for my battle with Arthur had sounded, and the division of sides can be deemed extremely crucial at this point. If Jethro truly chooses to join Arthur’s company, then I have no other option but to go hard on him.
Just as she had a bee in her head, her phone suddenly rang, interrupting her thoughts.
Elspeth picked up the call. Unfortunately, she became immensely irritated as she listened to the familiar voice on the other end of the phone.
“Why is it you again, Arthur?”
“It’s me. What’s the matter? Are you surprised to hear my voice?”
She suppressed the seething anger in her heart with force. I blocked all his contact ever since Mom passed away. I was sure that I deleted all of them one by one. Yet, Arthur could still find various ways to reach me. Frankly, this is beyond annoying that I could scream!
“I suppose you do know that I have blocked your contact, right?” she uttered lightly despite feeling highly agitated.
“Of course, I know. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have reached you through a different number.”
She desperately squashed her fury as she questioned sharply, “Since you are aware of it, you should also know that I have no intention of staying in touch with you. So, why are you still so insistent on finding me?”
“What’s wrong with me getting in touch with the person I fancy?” Arthur chuckled. There was actually a hint of inexplicable grievance in his voice.
“Telling me that you fancy me right now will only disgust me immensely.”
Arthur wasn’t surprised when he heard her harsh remarks. Nonetheless, he seemed to be used to such behavior from her. “It’s okay. I knew you would say that.”
“What do you want to talk to me about this time? Let’s not waste each other’s time and get straight to the point.”
On the other end of the line, he rose to his feet. His face was half hidden in the shadows, which sharpened his well-defined side profile. His long eyelashes made his eyes look half-lidded, his nose was straight, and his lips were thin. Although he was just standing there, he exuded a strangely mysterious aura.
“I want to see you.”
“Well, it seems that you have nothing to say.”
After that, Elspeth got ready to hang up the phone. For some reason, he always manages to incite me so effortlessly whenever we have a conversation. He doesn’t even have to do anything but exist! So, I may as well refuse any contact with him instead of stewing in anger.
“Hang on. Do you still remember the jewelry advertisement that we shot together?”
Elspeth paused. I almost forgot about that. After all, it has been such a long time since that shoot. Not to mention, it was Harper who was in charge of this matter after that.
“What’s wrong with the advertisement?”
Arthur fingered the tassels on the sofa. Then, a meaningful gleam flashed across his eyes as he said, “The jewelry sold well, and our company profited a lot too. Hence, I plan to hold a celebration banquet and invite you over.”
“I’ll check my schedule.”
“I highly suggest that you make an appearance. I have something far more interesting to tell you,” Arthur said huskily as though he was trying to lure her into a fatal trap with his charming voice alone.
“You don’t even trust me now? Tell me—which business that I have assured you before wasn’t interesting? None, right?”
When Elspeth heard that, she couldn’t help remembering what happened when they were abroad. Immediately afterward, she thought of her late mother. The gaze in her eyes darkened, and her tone became impatient, “Alright. I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”
Sure enough, Arthur wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away so easily. Therefore, he continued before she was about to hang up, “What if this interesting nugget has to do with you? More importantly, your real identity.”
My real identity? Elspeth was stunned for a moment. Hasn’t my real identity been clearly revealed to the public? There can’t be any hidden secrets, can there?
“Arthur, you could at least devise a smarter scheme if you want to trick me into meeting you.”
At this point, Elspeth was sure that Arthur was deceiving her.
“If you want to jump to conclusions so easily and think that I’m lying to you, then so be it. I guess I’ll just take this secret to my grave.” Arthur shook his head and sighed helplessly as though it was a shame that she was being so difficult.
“Time?”
Elspeth backing down to his demands resulted in Arthur achieving his goal easily.
“I’ll be waiting for you in Room 321 on the third floor of the Chars World Trade Center at 6.00PM tomorrow.”
Arthur is very precise with his words. He said you and not you guys. So, in other words, he only wants me to attend this celebration banquet. He wants me to come alone, without backup. Elspeth pondered her options for a moment. Still, I think I need to be prepared beforehand in case he’s up to no good.
“Oh, by the way, I have to remind you that you’d better not let Callum find out about this matter. I don’t want to see him for the time being.”
Just as Elspeth was about to refute, he went on to say, “Of course, it’s up to you whether you want to tell him. However, it will affect the direction of the storyline.” The direction of the storyline? That’s a rather interesting way to put ‘baiting me’ in other words. This feeling of being manipulated is plain awful. I don’t like it one bit.
Elspeth frowned as she glanced at the laptop screen. Suddenly, something crossed her mind, and she asked, “Jethro’s already working under you, isn’t he?”
“Wasn’t it clearly reported in the news? So, why do you have to ask me about such a thing?” Arthur stretched out his limbs. Nonetheless, despite his nonchalant remark, Elspeth felt as though she was confronting an enemy of the highest caliber. “I have one more condition if you want to see me.”
“Why do you think you are eligible to negotiate with me?” Arthur asked with a hint of curiosity in his tone.
“I’m not really that interested in that so-called real identity that you’ve mentioned. After all, I can look up the information myself. But if you want to see me as you claim, then it shouldn’t be so difficult for you to agree to my condition right now.”
Arthur lowered his voice as he murmured lovingly, “You know I won’t say no to whatever you say.”
Unfortunately, she felt nothing but disgust when she heard the words that escaped his lips. “That’s enough. Stop with this disgusting talk of yours. I only have one condition, and that is to fire Jethro immediately.”
Her request was entirely out of Arthur’s expectations.
“How deep is your animosity for him to the point that you want to deprive him of his employment rights?” Arthur couldn’t think of a possible reason for a moment. Thus, he presumed Elspeth had a problem with Jethro.
“No, I don’t hate him. I just don’t want him to get involved in our dispute.”
Arthur felt somewhat jealous after understanding her reasoning. “What’s the matter? Are you two so close that you’re willing to shield him from harm to such an extent?”
“It’s not a matter of whether we are close or not. I just don’t think he has bad intentions. That’s why I don’t want him to get involved.”
Arthur snorted derisively, “No bad intentions, you say? As I see it, he definitely has bad intentions toward you.”
“So, can you or can you not fulfill this condition?”
“It’s a deal. You’ll be able to see the news about me firing him tomorrow morning.”
Only then did Elspeth hang up the phone with a lighter heart.
When she got off work that night, she saw a familiar-looking car parked in front of the company.
It was Callum’s car.
In an instant, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat troubled. It’s not that I don’t want to get in touch with him. Still, people will start gossiping if they find out Callum is having a close yet illicit relationship with me, his ex-fiancée, especially when he had just canceled his engagement with Jasmine two days ago. Yet, Callum acts as if nothing has happened. He still does things his own way and literally regards Azure as his own place. What’s more, he even boldly barged into my office and dragged me out intimately in plain sight.
Nevertheless, when she laid her eyes on the tall figure beside her, she felt an unknown warmth flowing in her heart.
“Callum, can you not be this grandstanding the next time you come looking for me?” People will start talking eventually!
“Why? Do I still have to ask permission from others when I come looking for my girlfriend?”
How could Callum not know what she was worrying about? Therefore, he bent over and lightly pecked her lips. “You don’t have to worry about anything. Just be my darling girlfriend.”
Although it was just mere words, she still felt completely at ease after receiving his reassurances. Still, she tilted her head and shot him a fierce look. “Girlfriend? Didn’t you say I’m your fiancée?”
Callum tapped her nose with a pleased smile at her admittance of their actual relationship. “Yes, yes. My fiancée, may I invite you to dinner?”
Elspeth quirked her brow cheekily as she spoke with a hint of faux-hesitation on her face, “A dinner invitation? I have to take my time and think about it, don’t you think?”
Callum didn’t mind her teasing as he looked at her with mirthful eyes. “I will be the chef for this evening.”
“You know how to cook?!” On the contrary, it was Elspeth who was in a state of disbelief.
“If that kid could come to your house to make you a meal, then so can I.”
Oh, he’s still upset about that incident at that time. Callum really is pertinacious about that. Elspeth smiled and lightly pinched the squishy flesh around his waist.
“Okay. I agree to have dinner with you.”
Just like that, the two displayed their affection unscrupulously in the company.
The employees around them were all dumbfounded when they witnessed such a scene. After all, everyone knew Elspeth and Callum previously had a heated argument with each other. Hence, they were puzzled when they saw the two of them getting closer instead. That’s strange. Wasn’t Mr. Winthrop still romantically involved with Miss McGrath some time ago? Why is he hooking up with Miss Lynwood again so fast?
All the employees pondered these questions over and over in their minds. In the end, all of them concluded it as downright outrageous. Is it possible that Miss Lynwood is blinded by love?
Eventually, Elspeth couldn’t ignore the strange stares that were eyeing them as she responded with a smile, “What are you looking at? Do you not want to receive your paycheck for this month?”
Everyone immediately lowered their heads like frightened ostriches and went about their business.
“What’s with the mean attitude?” Callum whispered with a chuckle.
She pinched him hard. “I learned it from you.”
Just like that, the two held hands and waltzed out of the company.
Since Callum would be cooking this evening, they naturally needed to drop by the nearby supermarket to get some ingredients before they headed to Elspeth’s place.
She couldn’t help but smile and nudge Callum with her elbow when she saw him staring at a cabbage as though he had never seen one before. “Hey. You said you’re going to make me dinner, right? But why have I never known that you could cook?”
Sure enough, Callum would never breathe a word to her that he only learned a few special dishes after browsing through countless cooking tutorials and destroying several pans.
“You don’t need to worry about that.” He stared at her face and frowned slightly before he turned his head and picked a few more carrots from the shelf.
When she caught sight of the violently orange carrots that he threw into the shopping cart, she instinctively reached toward the car, took them out, and placed them back on the shelf. “I don’t like carrots.”
Only then did he realize that he hadn’t asked about her preferences and whether she had particular dietary restrictions.
So, he immediately asked, in order to rectify his neglect, “What’s the food that you dislike, then?”
With that, Elspeth started naming them out loud. “Let’s see… I dislike carrots, bean sprouts, celery, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, fish…”
The longer Callum listened, the more troubled he felt. Pulled pork burritos, garlic butter steak with brussels sprouts, baked Tilapia… These are all the dishes that I have learned. Yet, it turns out that she won’t enjoy the dishes I’m making.
He immediately furrowed his brows in dejection.
Naturally, she noticed his sudden change in demeanor and hastily realized that she had probably backed him into a difficult spot. Therefore, she quickly corrected her statement, “Actually, it’s not like I completely dislike them. I can have them once in a while.”
Only then did Callum’s facial expression brighten a little. “Then, I will continue with the plan and make you these dishes.”
Wait a minute. I seem to really dislike carrots! When that thought came to mind, she wished so badly that she could bite her tongue off. Why? Oh, why did I correct myself? We could just dine out if things don’t work out. Now I’m about to eat something I dislike! But it’s too late to turn back now. He might explode if I change my mind and tell him that I hate carrots.
Ultimately, Elspeth could only force herself to nod and say, “It’s okay. I enjoy eating whatever dish you make.” Enjoy my foot!
After that, the two wandered around the shelf for a while. Callum picked out a few ingredients he knew before wrapping them up, preparing to go home.
Alas, a pair of uninvited guests walked up to them when they were checking out their items.
“Hey, Elspeth. You’re here? What a coincidence. And Callum…”
Callum never thought that he would meet Blake here.
“Blake, what are you doing here?”
Blake’s facial expression abruptly turned ghastly when he heard his name being brazenly called out in such a manner.
“Callum, stop yelling. I have fans! We’re in public! I might need to start another episode of the great escape if they recognize me.”
Great escape? The corner of Callum’s mouth twitched slightly when he heard that. Nonetheless, he directed his attention at the slim and graceful Lisa beside Blake and asked with a teasing smirk, “What’s wrong? Are you currently dating someone?”
Just as Blake was about to admit it, the woman next to him immediately denied Callum’s statement.
“No. He’s my servant.”
Elspeth couldn’t restrain herself and burst into raucous laughter when she heard such an address. “You two make quite an interesting couple.”
Callum quirked his brow at that remark and commented, “What’s the matter? You seem to be looking forward to it.”
“No, I don’t. I can’t possibly address you, the president of Winthrop Group, as a servant.”
Callum’s facial expression turned sullen. “Well, you’d better give up this idea.”
“Wait. When did you two get together?” Blake widened his eyes in shock when he saw the two show up together at the same place. Now that he had taken a better look at them, he even noticed that they were shopping for groceries together, looking just like an ordinary couple who was ready to head home and cook.
“Callum, didn’t your engagement fall through recently? Why are you getting together with Elspeth again so soon?”
Why on earth does Blake have to make me sound like a sc*mbag? Callum’s facial expression darkened almost instantly, and he drawled in a somewhat neutral tone, “Do you find your life to be too comfortable recently?”
Blake knew that this was a sign of Callum’s impending anger. Therefore, he didn’t dare to say anything more and shot a look at Lisa, who was next to him, with an aggrieved expression.
Unfortunately, Lisa didn’t go easy on him. Instead, she reached out and rapped Blake on his head. “How many times have I told you not to meddle in someone else’s affairs?!”
Even Elspeth found it a little inconceivable when she saw such an expression on Lisa’s usual poker face.
Her mind couldn’t help but wander to when she first met Lisa. Back then, this young lady always had a poker face on, no matter where she went. She looked utterly disinterested in worldly affairs and exuded a strangers-stay-away aura that was so strong that even I found her a rather difficult person to approach. At that time, I felt that she was probably rather introverted or just merely uninterested. I’d never imagined seeing her in a relationship, let alone be with someone like Blake. I can’t believe she would be so relaxed around him. Lisa actually fell in love during my absence… It’s a pity that I missed out on catching that particular budding romance when it was still a young sapling.
Callum wrapped his arms around her waist and said grumpily, “You are prohibited from thinking about someone else.”
He was aware that based on Elspeth’s gossipy nature, she was currently busy figuring out how the relationship between Blake and Lisa came about.
Still, he didn’t want her to think about it. If he could have his way, he would rather she think about him all day long and no one else.
“I never figured that you’d be so prone to jealousy.”
Callum didn’t feel the least bit ashamed as he retorted candidly, “Well, now you know.”
“Now, now. I don’t want to see you two publicly displaying your affection like this. Lisa is very shy. She isn’t even willing to interact so intimately with me in public.”
His words unsurprisingly garnered yet another slap from Lisa immediately.
“Hey. Don’t slap my face. I still have to rely on my good looks to make a living.”
Lisa didn’t care one whit as she tossed him a dismissive gaze and rebuked in a tone as cold as ice, “What if I slap your face? I’m telling you—I won’t just be slapping your face if you continue talking nonsense.”
Blake pouted at her for being so mean. Although he made a show of looking sad and aggrieved, inwardly, he was practically bouncing with glee.
“You’re just like a masochist.”
Elspeth rolled her eyes at him before she turned her head and tilted her chin at Lisa. “Keep an eye on Blake. You should know how he gets by now. It’s okay. Sometimes violence is the answer, at least to keep him in line, it is.”
Meanwhile, Callum, who was next to her, also let out a meaningful hum.
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