The right opportunity James firmly declined, "I won't attend."Steve tried to persuade him, "It's just a birthday party. You can make a brief appearance and come back."James remained resolute, "The invitation is for the Williams family, not for me. I have no interest in business matters, and we've agreed on this long ago."Steve glanced at Ryan and then changed his approach, "Take her with you then. It's a great opportunity, with many influential business families in London. It could be a suitable occasion."James understood his brother's hint immediately, but he pretended ignorance and asked, "Opportunity for what?"Steve smirked, "Don't play dumb. You know what I mean. If you don't act now, what chances do you think you'll have with her once he makes a move?"James fell into contemplative silence. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't deny that Rowan's feelings for David were profound and sincere. If she were forced to choose between him and David, she would undoubtedly cho
The fitting incidentRowan, realizing the situation was becoming tense, decided to diffuse it with some humor. She stepped forward, extending a hand to the young woman with a friendly smile."I'm really sorry if there's been a misunderstanding. I didn't know this dress belonged to you. You have great taste; it's a beautiful dress, isn't it?"The young woman hesitated for a moment before shaking Rowan's hand cautiously, her expression softening."Well, yes, it is a beautiful dress. I just thought I'd come back for it, but I guess I was too late."Rowan, always ready to make amends, decided to offer a gesture of goodwill."How about this? You can have the dress. I didn't intend to buy it anyway. Consider it a gift from me."The young woman's eyes widened in surprise, and she glanced at Rowan, seemingly taken aback by her generosity."Are you sure?"Rowan nodded with a friendly smile, "Absolutely. No hard feelings, okay?"The young woman's expression transformed into a grateful smile. "
James was typically known for his gentle demeanor, both at work and in his personal life. He always preferred to handle conflicts with a soft and considerate approach. Rowan had trouble recalling any instance where he engaged in sarcastic exchanges or insults with others, which made the current situation all the more surprising. Standing in a clothing store, James found himself in an unusual predicament. A young woman, who appeared to be no older than 18, was adamantly refusing to give up a dress she desired. She issued a command to the store manager, who quickly rushed over. "Tell them to remove their skirts and hand them over to me!" the young woman demanded. The store manager glanced nervously at James and Rowan, sensing an uncomfortable tension in the air. James, to everyone's astonishment, wore an uncharacteristic expression, with a hint of disdain on his lips. It seemed as though he could dismantle the entire store with a single word. The store manager's headache, which had
Rowan was taken aback. Part of her wanted to retort, saying, "That's not my boyfriend," but upon regaining her composure, she realized that it wasn't worth making a fuss. They would likely never see the store manager again after leaving, so there was no need to take it so seriously.Instead, she chose to explain to James, "He's a very considerate person. Maybe he acted tough because I mentioned how much I liked this dress, and he didn't want to let it go easily."The store manager nodded in understanding and showered Rowan with compliments, insisting that she and James were a perfect match and had a great relationship. Her envy and emotions were evident between the lines, causing Rowan to blush, even though she knew it was a compliment.She hurriedly left the fitting room, wanting to put some distance between herself and the store manager. When she rejoined James, she noticed that his face had once again turned slightly pale. The woman across from him didn't look much happier either.
"What's the matter?" James noticed Rowan's distant expression and followed her gaze, but he couldn't discern anything unusual.Rowan snapped back to reality upon hearing his voice and mumbled with a hint of confusion, "I thought I saw someone just now.""Who?" James was secretly worried that she might mention a name like "David." Recognizing someone in a bustling crowd at a glance might suggest an enduring place in her heart. Fortunately, she didn't.Instead, a name he'd never heard before slipped from her lips, furrowing his brow. He probed further, "Who are you talking about?"Rowan, now more aware, apologized and explained, "I forgot I never told you his name before. It's Victor—the guy who stole my necklace that day, the one who made me go to the police station with him!"James began to recall the incident. Rowan had gone for a prenatal check-up alone, and she hadn't returned home too late, but she was visibly shaken.He squinted and scanned the direction Rowan had been looking ea
James smiled politely as he stood with Uncle Matteo."That's good, that's good," James replied, trying to maintain a pleasant demeanor.Uncle Matteo, with a warm smile on his face, turned his attention to Rowan, who was standing beside James.He inquired, "Who is this?"James introduced, "This is my female companion, Rowan."Then he turned to Rowan and said, "Rowan, this is my Uncle Matteo, a close friend of my dad's. Please say hello."Rowan obediently greeted him, "Hello, Uncle Matteo.""Okay, okay," Uncle Matteo responded with a polite smile. However, he didn't engage in much conversation with Rowan.Turning back to James, Uncle Matteo changed the topic, "Why are you still getting ready to go out? Are you planning to make a brief appearance and leave without even saying hello to me?!"Upon hearing this, Rowan finally realized that Uncle Matteo was the host of the banquet. She and James had contemplated slipping away, but they were intercepted before they could even reach the eleva
Whose birthday partyNaomi's captivating, oversized eyes seemed to brim with simmering frustration year-round as she approached her father with a visible scowl on her face.With a furrowed brow, she confronted him, asking, "Why are you trying to push my friend away?"Before Uncle Matteo could formulate a response, Kate, standing beside him, couldn't contain her impatience and reached out to grasp Naomi's arm.She spoke with genuine concern in her voice. "Naomi, please don't be so angry. You shouldn't talk to your father that way. He's acting in your best interest and for the well-being of our family."Naomi appeared to harbor strong aversion towards Miss Kate. She promptly rolled her eyes and brushed Kate's hand away dismissively."Stop pretending! What's so good for me about this? I can't even have my friends over for my birthday, let alone celebrate it the way I want to. Explain to me, what's good about that?"Miss Kate's face exhibited a touch of sadness, and she responded with a h
"Are you two intentionally trying to provoke me?" He couldn't resist asking the two children.Victor remained silent and gestured to Naomi, stopping her from responding.His gaze initially landed on Miss Kate, who stood just slightly behind Uncle Matteo. He quickly averted his eyes, as if he believed they would become tainted if he looked at her for too long. Then he scanned the surroundings, and his face displayed a mix of surprise and delight when he saw Rowan. His eyes lit up as he asked her, seemingly oblivious to everyone else's presence.All eyes were now fixed on Rowan, making her feel a weight on her shoulders. Before she could speak, James calmly grasped her hand and clarified their presence with a slight curve of his lips. He smiled at Uncle Matteo and said, "We received the invitation and came together."Rowan couldn't shake the feeling that there was something peculiar about James's words, something that could easily be misinterpreted regarding their relationship. But it w