Chapter 502

I didn’t expect Jared to out me like that. I fired off a bunch of angry emojis: “Jared, you’re exposing me! Have a little mercy, will you?”

“Work and romance,” Jared chimed in, correcting himself.

Nathan didn’t reply right away. After a few minutes, he just sent back: “Yep!”

Seeing that Nathan didn’t blow up, Jared joked, “Nathan, aren’t you gonna say a few more words?”

Nathan sent a long reply: “Victoria makes her own choices, and I respect that. As her ex, I’m not here to throw shade or make snide remarks. As long as the guy is genuine with her and she’s happy, I can finally focus on my work in peace.”

“Wow, what a grand blessing,” Jared shot back, sounding about as sarcastic as humanly possible.

I quickly sent a grateful message: “Nathan, thanks for your blessing. Wishing you all the best too.”

Jared sent a bunch of dot-dot-dots.

I replied, a bit annoyed, “Jared, got a problem? Say it to me in private.”

Jared replied instantly: “Nope.”

Nathan sent a sticker showing he was swamped with work.

I didn’t say anything more.

Nathan was totally buried in work these days. More good news came through in the shareholders’ group chat—the government had just placed another order for their equipment.

I was planning to make myself a bowl of beef noodles for lunch—eating alone was no big deal.

Just as I took the beef out of the fridge to slice it up, I heard my phone ringing from the living room.

I walked over to check, and to my surprise, it was Edward calling.

My heart tightened as I reached for the phone.

Edward’s deep, magnetic voice came through. “Wanna grab lunch together?”

“Sorry, I’m already cooking,” I said, turning him down right away.

“Were you trying to talk about your brother in that message earlier?” Edward asked.

I paused for a second, then quickly said, “My brother just started out…”

“Victoria, I prefer discussing work in person,” Edward cut me off, his tone cold.

I glanced at the half-sliced beef in the kitchen, frowning. “Sure, I’ll treat you.”

Edward agreed. “Send me the address, and I’ll come over.”

After hanging up, I put the beef back in the fridge, changed into something more modest, and got ready to head out.

My brother’s future was at stake, and I had to talk to Edward. With the kind of power and status he had, he could shape my brother’s entire future—for better or for worse. But that kind of influence also came with its own dangers.

I wasn’t about to risk my brother’s future, and I definitely didn’t want him to mess things up just because I got involved.

I booked an upscale restaurant nearby and got there early to wait for him.

Half an hour later, Edward pushed the door open and walked in.

I was wearing a black velvet dress with the buttons fastened right up to my throat, making me look way too prim and uptight.

When Edward walked in, he glanced at me twice, then dragged a chair over and sat down without a word.

The private room, which had felt roomy before, suddenly seemed to shrink the moment he walked in.

It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I steadied myself and said, “Mr. Jennings, there are quite a few people here, and you have business to attend to this afternoon. I’ll go ahead and order.”

“Mm,” Edward responded.

He looked like he’d just come from some high-profile event—his custom black suit fit him perfectly, paired with a crisp white shirt and a tie knotted with military precision. The black jacket sleeves showed a sliver of white shirt cuff, accented by a deep blue cufflink, making him look both refined and a little untouchable.

The air in the private room was a bit stuffy, so he unbuttoned his jacket, shrugged it off, and draped it over the chair. Then he reached up and tugged at his tie, loosening it just a bit.

The whole thing was so smooth and natural—there was just something about him, all grown-man charm and confidence.

“Getting you to have lunch with me is no walk in the park,” Edward said, and as he loosened his tie, that icy look on his face finally melted into a rare, genuine smile.