'She still looks stunning as always, but what does that say? It says she didn't give a damn about meeting me, so she couldn't be bothered to put on her makeup or even to keep up appearances,' Luke said in his mind.Once upon a time, he would have found such authenticity refreshing. In fact, he still did. But after what had happened yesterday, his mood was decidedly gloomy. He could not fathom why he was feeling this way. Even after they reached their private dining room, and Wyneth was asking him what he wanted to eat, Luke was still sulking."Luke?"He snapped back to reality."Anything you don't like? Any food allergies or dietary restrictions? Can you handle cilantro? Spicy food?"Luke was in no mood to entertain her, mumbling, "Whatever."Wyneth, who had been studying the menu earnestly, glanced up at his curt response. Seeing his morose expression, she sighed internally.'Luke's mood swings back and forth like a pendulum. Lucky for me, after this peace-offering dinner, ther
Hearing Wyneth's firm assurance that she would not be dating, Luke first let out a breath of relief, then immediately furrowed his brows.'Not gonna date? Not with anyone at all?'"Wait..." Luke's gaze fell on her face. For some reason, he thought he detected a trace of emotion around her eyes. He squinted."Why wouldn't you be dating? What, did you get your heart broken or something?"Wyneth did not know how to respond. Her eyes blinked rapidly, a nervous tic, and a subtle tremor passed through her lips. She could not help but interject. "We... We're here to eat, remember, Luke?""Mmhmm." Luke nodded. "We're here to eat, so?""So, can we just eat?"Luke stared at her, poker-faced. "Ah, no. We can't."Wyneth was struck dumb."After all," Luke continued, "without you clarifying, who knows if I might get dragged into some scandal or something like that in the future? We do share a manager, after all."'So now it's my fault we have the same manager? But even if we do, so what?'
"What do you take me for? The type of man to make a lady pay for dinner?" Luke said, aghast.Hearing this, Wyneth realized her behavior was inappropriate. She was just worried that Luke would be sour over it and cause her trouble later on. The agreement was she would be treating him to dinner, so if she did not pay, she would not feel at ease. However, she could not say all that outright, so she chose her words carefully."Of course not. You're generous and not the type to hold a grudge, especially not over a dinner bill. I just... I said I'd treat you, and if I don't pay, it won't sit well with me."She thought to herself, 'He should be okay with that, right?'True to her expectation, Luke's expression softened considerably. "If it really bothers you so much, just return the favor next time."He thought, 'Does she think I'm stupid? With her thoughtless and insensitive ways, if I don't pick up the tab this time, what other excuse would I have to get her to treat me next time?'So
'Hayden? Wasn't he supposed to stay back for some meeting? Why's he here?'Wyneth had planned on waiting here for Benedict, and then taking care of him during the journey. If Hayden was not present, she and Benedict could avoid attracting attention. Even if someone did notice them, they would probably just think she knew an elder of the Hamilton family and that was why they were together. But now with Hayden here, she did not know how to behave around Benedict. Moreover, just interacting was one thing; she did not even dare to approach him.But in the end, for the sake of the elderly man, Wyneth put everything aside for the moment and stood up with a smile."Grandpa." She greeted.Hayden's arrival drew some attention from the people in the VIP lounge. They all turned to look at him and then started whispering among themselves. Everyone saw Benedict warmly engaging in conversation with a young woman in the VIP room, his kind face full of smiles. Meanwhile, Hayden paused not far from
"But why would he hide his marriage?"Someone chimed in. "He's not a movie star, so his career wouldn't be affected by it. What's with the big secret?""Ever considered that his wife might be a celebrity?" Another speculated."Gigi!" Someone blurted out her name with a burst of excitement. "When Gigi was shooting a movie, didn't he visit her on set? Everyone knows he doesn't do set visits for just anyone.""If that's the case, then it all makes sense."Listening to their conversation, a nearby airport staff member, who had just finished delivering a few cups of coffee, could not resist. She ducked into a corner and pulled out her phone to look at a photo. She was the one who had sneaked a picture of Hayden and Wyneth on the previous flight. Even though she had been warned to delete the photo, she had managed to save a copy that had automatically uploaded to her cloud storage. But she dared not share it again and was could only sneak peeks at it in secret.'If my memory serves rig
'The Hamiltons owe me an apology? What's that all about?' Wyneth wondered, turning to Benedict. "Grandpa, why would you suddenly say...""Don't sweat it." Benedict brushed it off casually. "I'm just rambling. Just an old man's worry seeing his Hamilton gal, my cherished granddaughter-in-law, having to pound the pavement in the acting world, you know."Relieved, Wyneth pressed on. "But Grandpa, when you go out and play chess for hours on end, do you ever feel tired?"Benedict paused at the question, then shook his head. "Tired? From playing chess? Never.""Exactly. Acting is the same for me. It's something I love, so it never feels like work."That sentiment struck a chord with Benedict, who nodded in agreement.As their conversation went on, Hayden, from the moment they had gotten onto the plane until now, had never once joined them. Out of the corner of her eye, Wyneth occasionally noticed him taking phone calls, his brows furrowing slightly. In her memory, Hayden always seemed
"Sneak shots."'Sneak shots?' The flight attendant turned, following Hayden's gaze.The man who was just accused of sneakily taking photos practically shot up, bristling with outrage. "That's a load of bull!"Wyneth, in her slumber, seemed to be on the verge of being disturbed, her brows furrowing in annoyance.'So noisy,' she thought. But she was in a deep sleep and did not open her eyes.Hayden, observing her reactions while smirking coldly, said, "Whether it's a load of bull or not, a quick peek at the phone will clear things up." Everyone knew who Hayden was. A man of his stature would not accuse someone without a firsthand account; he had his reputation to uphold.So, the flight attendant believed him without hesitation, and immediately said to the man, "Sir, may we have a look at your phone?"The man was visibly upset. "Why? Just because he said I was taking photos, I was? Any evidence? If there's no evidence, why should I let you see my phone?"His voice was loud, and hi
The man, apparently not expecting Hayden to willingly hand over his phone, stood there stunned for a moment. Finally, he blurted out, "Hand it over, just like that, huh? You think this is a joke? Now I get it; you're all in this together, aren't you? Scheming to snoop on my phone, right? What, are you trying to steal my business secrets or something?"The flight attendant was left speechless. Ever since Hayden had pointed out this gentleman, she believed him, but she could not be entirely sure. Without any solid evidence, everything was mere suspicion and speculation. The man's persistent refusal to hand over his phone was becoming increasingly suspicious, especially now that Hayden had willingly offered his. But she could do nothing, as they were all passengers. She could not just wrestle the phone from him."I'm giving you ten more seconds to admit, apologize, and delete the photos." Hayden's voice was as cold as ice, his gaze sharp as a sword.His imposing demeanor made the man s