Was I supposed to just sit back and enjoy the results? I was really afraid of developing a dependence on Eric. Every time I encountered danger, I would think of him. Dependence was the scariest thing to me because, once I became familiar with this sense of dependence, I would find it harder and harder to leave his side. Thinking this, I instinctively took a step back, creating distance between Eric and myself.

“Thank you very much for helping me this time, Eric,” I said. “I understand that you mean well, but I hope that you’ll let me know in advance when encountering a similar situation in the future. That way, I can choose whether or not to accept your help. After all, it wouldn’t be fair to you to keep aiding me one-sidedly.”

Eric picked up on my abnormal mood. He suppressed the emotions surging in his eyes and gradually softened his tone.

“My actions were rather ill-thought-out this time,” he said. “Don’t worry, there won’t be a next time. I presented the evidence in the hopes that the situation would be resolved as soon as possible, but I’ll respect your decision in the future.”

Upon hearing his words, I sighed in relief and smiled sincerely at him.

“I really don’t know how to repay you for all the help you’ve given me this time,” I said in consternation. “How about this? I’ll personally design and give you a one-of-a-kind piece of clothing later on.”

This was probably the only way I could repay him at this point in time.

Eric’s lips curved up in a faint smile as he gazed at me. “You see, I’m a greedy person. I want that design, but I also want something else. I wonder… if you’d be willing to indulge me, Jane?”

I blinked at him in confusion. “What other thing do you want?”

He had helped me out many times, so it only stood to reason that I help fulfill his wish. Besides, given his character, he wasn’t the type to make excessive demands. However, he deliberately kept me guessing.

He turned to provide his assistant a few instructions, then held my hand tightly and said, in an extremely intimate, captivating voice, “Accompany me somewhere.”

Before I could reply, he had already started leading me away from the exchange meeting. Countless gazes fell between the two of us.

“Where’s Mr. Flint taking Ms. Brown? Don’t tell me they’re going to do… you know, those kinds of things? If that’s the case, I really pity Mr. Cornell. He’s being blatantly cuckolded!”

“Even so, I do envy Ms. Brown. If I could be on the receiving end of Mr. Flint’s affections, I’d be smiling even in my dreams!”

An hour later, Eric had personally driven us up a mountain located outside the suburbs. There was a clearing on the mountain that had been decorated with lights, making it a cozy little spot.

I was rooted to the spot, stunned. “What are you planning with all this?”

Eric took my hand and led me over to sit down in a chair. He then pointed to the sky above our heads.

“You’ll know soon,” he said mysteriously.

Seeing as he was purposely keeping things from me, I suppressed my curiosity and patiently settled in to wait.

Eric sent a message on his phone. Not long after that, the sky above our heads suddenly brightened, followed immediately by crackling sounds that reverberated in my eardrums. However, it wasn’t a harsh sound. I jerked my head up to witness a stunning scene. Countless fireworks exploded above me. Multi-colored fireworks came together to light up the sky.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmured, too engrossed in the fireworks display to notice Eric’s approach.