Cecilia didn’t know if she had made a mistake, but she could sense Tyler’s face turning solemn.

“She’s allergic to seafood,” he said in a low voice.

Cecilia stood stunned for a moment before realization dawned on her.

“Look at me! How could I forget something so important? You’re allergic to this!”

With that, she hurriedly spooned the food back.

Samantha walked over with a glass in hand, her face bearing a wide and innocent smile.

“My, my! Mr. Hunt and Rachel share such a close working relationship. Rachel’s best friend, Cecilia, forgot that she has a seafood allergy, but Mr. Hunt remembers it so clearly.”

Everyone else at the table hadn’t paid Tyler much attention, but the moment Samantha made the comment, their gazes immediately landed on Rachel and Tyler.

“Goodness! Are Mr. Hunt and Ms. Lloyd really that close?”

“Isn’t that a direct slap on Mr. Lewis’ face? Thankfully, he isn’t at this table. Imagine how awkward that would have been!”

“What’s there to be awkward about? It’s not like you don’t know that Ms. Lloyd was the one who drew up the proposal for Project Oasis.”

“For all you know, the two of them have been fooling around for a long time. It’s just that no one talked about it.”

“Poor thing, Mr. Lewis.”

Everyone started spinning tall tales; Rachel was on tenterhooks, feeling like a cat on hot bricks.

She stood up and said, “I’m done. Enjoy your meal.”

The moment she stood up, Samantha grabbed her wrist. She wore her usual pitiful and innocent look on her face, and spoke in a clear, crisp voice.

“Rachel, what’s the matter? There’s still so much food left. Why aren’t you finishing it? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have talked about you and Mr. Hunt. I’m so sorry! Do sit down and let me apologize to you.”

Samantha tilted her glass toward Rachel and arched a brow at her.

“Let me raise a toast to you, Rachel. Please don’t stoop to my level and forgive me. I didn’t mean to talk about you and Mr. Hunt like that. It was just a joke!”

Samantha’s words only served to fuel everyone’s suspicions about Rachel and Tyler.

Rachel turned, her wrist still in Samantha’s hand. The aloofness in her eyes hardened into an icy coldness, like the surface of a lake freezing over during winter.

“Ms. Judd, if you really want to raise a toast to me, shouldn’t you do so with wine? Why are you using just a random beverage? Are you looking down on me?”

Samantha had the nerve to look embarrassed by Rachel’s blatant words. She tightened her grip on the stem of the glass. “Rachel, I’ve been feeling under the weather recently, and my doctor advised against drinking alcohol. Please understand.”

In a joking voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough that everyone at the table could hear, Rachel said, “I heard that you’re pregnant, Ms. Judd. That’s why you can’t drink alcohol."

Samantha’s doe-like eyes immediately dimmed.

Chapter 161

+25 BONUS

Putting on a confused look, she said, “Rachel, what are you talking about? I don’t quite understand. I don’t even have a boyfriend. How could I possibly be pregnant?”

“Is that so? I happen to have the contact information of your attending doctor. Coincidentally, she was the one who told me that you were pregnant, and that your boyfriend accompanied you to the doctor’s visit.

“She even told me that your boyfriend was called…”