Chapter 67: Comments Go Crazy

Abigail found a quiet spot in the garden to focus on her design sketches. As the sun set, she slipped back to her room. She harbored many suspicions, but remained unsure if Sean had helped her replace them.

Her next step was to turn those designs into finished drafts before making the clothes.

The bi-weekly tea gathering had resumed, but today's theme unexpectedly differed from the previous one. A group gathered in the hotel's rooftop sunroom for a meal featuring tea art and desserts.

Abigail and Luna arrived early. After sitting down, Abigail whispered to Luna, "Sean doesn't like desserts, so he probably won't come today."

As she spoke, Sean and Kevin walked in.

Kevin entered with a smile, greeting everyone: "Let's keep it casual today. No need to be too formal."

Sean, however, strolled to Abigail's side and sat down. As he settled, he stretched his long legs, slightly parting them. She felt his legs brush against hers—especially noticeable in her short dress. Through his suit fabric, she sensed his body temperature.

She noticed his well-defined leg muscles, her cheeks reddening. She considered adjusting her position, but worried about misinterpreting his intentions.

Noticing few people were nearby, Sean leaned closer and asked, "Is it so hard to find you?"

Puzzled, she asked, "What do you mean?"

He got to the point: "Are you burning bridges? I helped you out of a tight spot, and you can't even say thank you?"

Abigail was now confident Sean had helped replace her sketches. However, his omission of the incident from their last encounter reassured her. "Of course, I'm grateful, but it's inconvenient to say so in front of the production team." She bent to brew him tea.

He reclined on the couch, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her slender neck. Abigail had casually pinned her long hair with a wooden hairpin, allowing it to hang loosely, a round wooden bead swaying as she moved. This was her first time wearing a dress, and Sean's gaze shifted to her relatively slender waistline. His unrestrained appraisal sent the livestream audience into a frenzy.

'Wow! What kind of look is that? It's like he wants to devour her! Someone needs to start writing fanfiction about this. I want to read it now! It must be thrilling!'

'He claims he has no feelings for her, but the moment he walked in, he zeroed in on her without pretense!'

'And those discreet glances! Oh, my goodness! I can't stop laughing. Am I watching a fashion design competition or a romance show? I don't care. I want to see more! Please, don't stop this, or I'll get angry!'

Kevin turned, noticing Sean's intense stare. It was as if Sean wanted to devour Abigail. Kevin burst into laughter.

Abigail prepared tea and handed it to Sean with both hands. "Thank you," she said.

Though Sean preferred carbonated water, he couldn't resist seeing her hold the green-glazed teacup and look at him expectantly. After a sip, he frowned at the bitterness.

Setting down the teacup, he looked at the bewildered Abigail. "It's quite bitter, and I don't like it."

She quickly apologized. "I'll make you another one."

"Abigail, I don't like tea. If you genuinely want to thank me, put in more effort," Sean said, furrowing his brow. He added, "Remember, you have something I can use against you."

She thought of the draft design and stood to tell Luna, "I'll be right back." She smiled.

Abigail had no intention of returning soon. She went downstairs to the hotel refrigerator for several bottles of carbonated water for Sean. The camera followed, and the audience went wild.

'So… Sean only drinks carbonated water in real life! But he drank the energy drink the assistant had yesterday. Is he promoting it for her? What kind of secret affection is this?'

'Is this a secret admirer plot? Does Sean, with his status, need to secretly admire an assistant?'

'Anyway, I'm satisfied. I can't believe they're so sweet!'

Abigail returned with the water, unscrewed a bottle, and handed it to Sean. Only then did he take a sip.

Seeing the camera was far away and not everyone had arrived, she leaned closer and whispered, "Can you destroy the draft design?" She knew Joan occasionally visited him and worried Joan might find it, ruining all her hard work.

Sean reclined further, sipping his water and looking at Abigail with an indifferent expression.

Feeling uneasy, she quickly distanced herself before returning to her tea preparation.

Meanwhile, Joan arrived late, having spent extra time on her makeup. Fuming at missing a crucial step, she sat on the lone couch nearest Sean, tightly clutching her bag, her frustration evident in the finger marks she left on it. Her anger was boiling over. She vowed to avoid such an elaborate makeup routine next time.