Chapter 30
+25 BONUS
“Mr. and Mrs. Watson have a great relationship. Word is, they’ve been together since their college days, and Mr. Watson is known to be a doting husband who listens to his wife,” Layla replied.
Layla had looked into Mr. Watson when she sought to collaborate with him, talloring her approach to his personality. Seeing the couple together in person today stirred an unexpected wave of envy in her.
She had once been obsessed with the idea of finding a pure and genuine love like theirs. She had loved Sean for so many years, believing they would become a couple others admired.
But in the end, it was all a joke, one that anyone could laugh at her expense.
She must have been born under an unlucky star. All these years, she had experienced neither sweet love nor the warmth of family. To leave the world like this felt like a bitter regret.
Noticing the hint of sorrow in her eyes, William said softly You could try living a little longer. Who knows? You might find the right person.”
די
“Not everything can be fixed by trying harder,” Layla replied with a faint smile before turning to William. “But… meeting you and Carter during this time has been one of the best things in my life.”
William’s gaze softened. “You can have more good things.
you’re willing…”
“Here we go again.” Layla cut him off with a teasing laugh You’re still trying to convince me to go through chemo? Think about it–if I wore a wig tonight, I wouldn’t have dared to grab that model’s hair. What if she grabbed my wig and yanked it off? I’d be left standing there with a bald head. That would end the argument right there. I’d just dig a hole and hide in it,”
She waved her hand dismissively. “No way, it’d ruin my fighting spirit.”
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William frowned as she joked to avoid the topic, a dark cloud settling over his expression.
The next day, Layla woke up naturally, only to find it was already midday. Her stomach growled loudly, protesting its hunger.
She reached for her phone, planning to order delivery. Unlocking the screen, she noticed messages from William:
“Awake?
“Hungry?”
The messages had been sent half an hour ago.
“Awake. Hungry,” she replied, then set her phone aside and opened a delivery app without giving it much thought.
Meanwhile, William received her response. Somehow, through those few simple words, he could picture her lazy, relaxed demeanor. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
At the roundtable, where a group was deep in a discussion about a business deal, everyone noticed his sudden change in mood. They exchanged uneasy glances, quietly swallowing their nerves.
Just moments ago, William had been visibly distracted, even irritable, stubbornly holding firm on the pricing without any room for negotiation.
As they deliberated on their next move, they suddenly noticed a peculiar sight–William was smiling.
Chapter 30
For a moment, everyone was
completely baffled.
#25 BONUS
“I have something to take care of,” William announced, standing abruptly. Itis sharp gaze swept over them. “If you can’t come to a decision, we’ll reschedule.”
With that, he left the room amidst their bewildered gazes.
Who could have guessed that the infamous workaholic would leave an important multimillion–dollar meeting because Layla was hungry?
Least of all Layla herself.
When the doorbell rang, she assumed her delivery had arrived and hummed a cheerful tune as she opened the
door.
Seeing William standing there, she froze. “Mr. Lucas? Weren’t you in a meeting? Done already?”
“Yeah.” William remained composed. “You said you were hungry, so I’m here to take you out for lunch.”
“But… I already ordered takeout…”
“Takeout isn’t healthy.”
Layla was speechless. Healthy? At this point, did it even matter?
“I travel to the south often for work,” William added casually. “There’s a great local restaurant I know. Don’t you want to give it a try?”
