Chapter 405 Fire the Designer
Their eyes met, and Meryl jumped, startled.
Dalton seized her hand, a blend of frustration and fondness in his gaze. “Meryl, why can’t you just listen to me?”
Meryl frowned but didn’t flinch. She pulled her hand away and turned to leave, not about to let him see her sweat.
But Dalton wasn’t letting her go that easily. He yanked her back, pulling her against him. “So, you thought you could sneak into my room while I was asleep and steal my phone without saying a word?”
Meryl sat up, but he only held her tighter. Lately, sharing a roof seemed to be blurring all the lines between them. He was getting way too comfortable with this kind of closeness, and she knew she had to get out soon. The longer they spent together, the more she worried about how long he’d be able to keep his hands to himself.
Determined, she shoved away from him. “Seriously? The facts are right in front of you! What’s there to explain?”
“Do you know I care about you?” His tone was teasing, but there was a hint of sincerity behind it. “It’s just a phone! If you want it back, just say the word.”
With that, he opened the nightstand and tossed her a phone. As Meryl recognized it immediately, her eyes lit up with a mix of hope and disbelief. But as she unlocked it, her excitement quickly faded. The SIM card was gone, and the villa didn’t have Wi-Fi.
“Dalton, are you kidding me?”
Anger flashed across her face, and she felt like throwing the phone back at him. This was useless. Having the phone back without any way to use it felt like a cruel joke.
Dalton just chuckled, finding her irritation much more entertaining than the fake smiles she’d been giving him lately. “Just chill and get some rest. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the concert hall. Or do you want me to carry you back to your room?”
At that, Meryl took a step back, her cheeks heating up with annoyance. Without another word, she turned and stormed off, not looking back.
The concert was set for seven o’clock, but Dalton was already delivering the evening gown at four. Meryl glanced at the dress. Its fitted mermaid style would make moving around a challenge. After all, attending the concert was just a cover. Her main goal was to get out of there.
Determined to avoid raising any suspicions, she rummaged through her closet and pulled out a more casual dress. As she stepped out of her room, Dalton’s brows furrowed at the sight of her in something other than the gown he’d prepared. “Don’t you like the dress I picked out for you?”
“It’s fine,” she replied, keeping her tone cool and indifferent.
A flicker of irritation crossed Dalton’s face as he picked up his phone and called Elias. “Fire the designer.”
Meryl couldn’t help but feel speechless.
“Are you thinking of eating before the concert, or would you rather go out afterward?” he asked, shifting the conversation.
“Any new restaurants opened recently?”
“There’s a decent one that just opened.”
“Let’s go after the concert, then. I could use a good meal.”
Dalton nodded, satisfied with the plan, but Meryl was secretly pleased. Dining out with Dalton would open the door to the outside world, giving her more chances to plan her escape.