Chapter 9

Sebastian recalled what Lisa had said about Eleanor looking disappointed. He held his breath as he hurried to the cafe. At the same time, he called Line. "Cove Sendery, Gong the proper…"

She was taken aback. Barely 30 minutes had passed since their phone conversation. Why had he changed his mind so quickly?

She asked, "But why?"

Sebastian didn't have time to answer her. He was already standing behind Eleanor and reached out to touch her shoulder. "You…"

She turned to look at him, the grin on her face still evident. "Sebastian?"

He was taken aback. His gaze fell to her phone, where a video of Maurice played. Had her shoulders been shaking from laughter while she’d watched that?

Eleanor was still surprised to see him. "What are you doing here? Did you come to see me?"

Sebastian took a deep breath. Could Maurice really make her that happy?

He said icily into the phone, "Call the deal off."

Eleanor was confused. "Call what deal off?"

Sebastian didn’t want to answer. He felt like a mischievous cat had scratched his heart—it hurt but also tingled.

Eleanor shared the joke with him. "Look at this. My friend recorded a video of Maurice taking Brenda to buy a diamond ring. He only discovered his credit cards had been frozen when it was time to pay—imagine how humiliating that is!"

"In the end, they didn’t manage to get the ring. It’s hilarious that the heir of the Porter family has ended up like this!"

She laughed. It was too bad she hadn’t been there when it had happened. Otherwise, she could’ve mocked Maurice and Brenda to their faces.

She knew why it had happened. Henrietta only wanted her as her granddaughter-in-law, but Maurice had brought Brenda home. That had upset Henrietta, so she’d frozen his cards in anger. She did still have control over the Porter family’s finances, after all.

Sebastian gave the video a perfunctory glance. "Is that it? Is it even funny?"

"Isn’t it? You’re hard to please." Eleanor had thought seeing Maurice make a fool of himself would please Sebastian because of how the Porter family had mistreated him over the years.

Still, she was happy that he’d come to Sandberg Group to see her—this was a first. She put her phone away and said, "You have perfect timing. Let’s go for dinner together."

Sebastian didn’t say anything. Was he still mad?

She linked arms with him. "Come on, darling. I don’t know why you’ve been mad for the past few days, but how about we put this behind us after I treat you to a meal? This is my first time coaxing a man, you know."

Hearing her claim this was her first time coaxing a man, Sebastian’s eyes darkened. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

They stared into each other’s eyes. Eleanor’s were still bright with laughter; she looked like nothing would faze her.

Sebastian said huskily, "You have a terrible memory, Eleanor."

"That’s impossible. My memory is photographic," she retorted. Then, she changed the subject. "Let’s go eat. Everyone needs food, but you’re all I need. Happy now?"

Eleanor brought Sebastian to Newark. She had her methods to coax a man—she sliced Sebastian’s steak and placed it before him. Then, she poured him wine and even handed him a napkin. Her service was perfect.

He asked emotionlessly, "How many people have you done this for?"

"Just you, darling," she answered.

She was lying through her teeth. Sebastian snorted but still picked up his cutlery and started eating, his actions careless and casual. He wasn’t doing anything deliberately but still exuded a natural sense of grace.

Eleanor’s mood lifted just by watching him. She now understood why people could enjoy themselves just by looking at good-looking people. She even felt like she was his sugar mommy.

When they were almost done with their meal, the restaurant’s manager approached them. "Were the dishes to your liking, Mr. Whitman and Ms. Sandberg? Was everything okay?"

Eleanor nodded. "Of course. The food here is as good as always."

She wouldn’t have expected any less from a restaurant that had topped the Black Pearl ranking for three consecutive years.

The manager looked even more polite and respectful than usual. "That’s good to know. Providing you with satisfactory service is the best encouragement we can get."

He glanced surreptitiously at Sebastian out of the corner of his eye, secretly feeling anxious. Why hadn’t anyone informed him that Sebastian would be there that day?

Eleanor asked, "Where’s the bill?"

The manager held it out with both hands, and Sebastian took it. Eleanor placed her black card on the tray with a smile and said, "I’ll cover all your expenses."

The manager’s hands trembled as he took the card. He looked fearfully at Sebastian. He knew who Eleanor was, but Sebastian was their boss. Had she just said that she would cover all of Sebastian’s expenses?

He shrank back, not daring to hear any more of the conversation. He hurriedly swiped the card before leaving.

Sebastian was unfazed. He asked, "How exactly are you going to do that?"

Eleanor thought about how Maurice usually treated his women. "Give you an allowance? A house? A car? I think that’s what people normally do."

He fixed his gaze on her; it was deep and unfathomable, like the ocean. Suddenly, he reached for her.

She didn’t dodge. As his hand got closer, she smelled the faint fragrance on it. It wasn’t from soap or hand cream—it was his natural scent. It was cool and pure, like a misty pine forest at dawn. It carried a subtle touch of damp earth and fresh air.

Sebastian tilted Eleanor’s jaw. It was a teasing gesture, and it made her heart tingle. He was flirting with her.

He said in a deep voice, "I know Victory Tech’s higher-ups. I can introduce you to them and help you settle this deal if you can offer me more."

Chapter 10