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Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Doris’s gaze met Lewis’s, and for a fleeting moment, surprise flickered in both their eyes
“It’s you?” Doris exclaimed, her tone tinged with both astonishment and delight as she liked at Lewis and the man standing behind him–Daniel.
Daniel, caught off guard by the encounter with the CEO’s wife at Hartman Group, froze in place, barely daring to breathe
“Didn’t you ask where I worked? Lewis’s expression remained stoic, his voice calm as ever “Well, this is where I work”
“You work at the Hartman Group?” Doric’s eyes lit up, a spark of curiosity and admiration dancing in her gaze
Lewis noticed that glimmer in her eyes, but his tone stayed low and steady. “Why? Is there a problem with that?”
Doris glanced at the sleek Maybach nearby and then back at Lewis’s simple white shirt and black suit–a combination! seemed to wear religiously.
Her thoughts spun quickly, drawing a conclusion. He dresses exactly like a driver. He didn’t want to tell me where he worked because he’s just a driver? Is he afraid I’d look down on him for that? This man sure has his pride, she mused.
Unaware of the subtle shift in Lewis’s expression, Doris grinned lightly, her tone bright and casual. “No job is too humble or too grand. Look at me–I make pastries for a living. The upside? I get to sample all the delicious treats.
“Being a driver has its perks too, right? You get to drive all kinds of fancy cars. Not everyone gets that opportunity
Lewis’s brows raised slightly in surprise. ‘Is she trying to comfort me? So, she’s misunderstood–I see. She thinks I’m just a driver for Hartman Group, he pondered.
“Do you like this car?” Lewis asked, glancing at the Maybach beside him.
“Who wouldn’t like it?” Doris shot back playfully. “Don’t tell me you don’t.”
“Not particularly,” Lewis replied indifferently. He had so many luxury cars that he barely gave them a second thought.
But what she said without much thought struck a different chord with Lewis. Her words and demeanor began to take on a new meaning in his eyes.
To him, her casual admiration for the car was confirmation of what he had begun to suspect–that she was a shallow woman, infatuated with wealth and status. It only deepened his resolve to peel back what he believed was a carefully crafted facade.
“Who do you drive for? The CEO of Hartman Group? Doris asked with curiosity, simply hoping to learn more about Lewis’s work.
“Why, are you interested in him?” Lewis’s gaze sharpened slightly, his mind jumping to conclusions. How greedy can she be?’ he thought.
“Just
curious,” Doris replied, pausing thoughtfully. “The heir of the Hartman family just returned and already has people working late into the night. Is he that scary? What does he look like anyway? Are there pictures of him?”
She wasn’t genuinely interested–this was just her way of satisfying her friend Lola’s curiosity.
Lewis’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile as he made up a lie without blinking an eye. “Short, ugly, mean, and covered in pockmarks. Terrifying, really.” His words came out effortlessly, his tone completely deadpan.
Doris froze, her face a mixture of disbelief and shock.
Behind Lewis, Daniel struggled to contain his laughter, his shoulders shaking slightly. ‘Mr. Hartman, seriously? Did you have
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Chapter 11
to go that far just to keep your cover he thought.
Lewis deftly shifted the conversation. “What are you doing here??
87%
Tin delivering pastries Doris held up a few paper bags with a cheerful grin. “A bunch of departments at Hartman Group placed orders since they’re working overtime, and the hotel was short–staffed, so here I am.”
“Do you need help?” Lewis asked, his tone casual, though it was more out of politeness than actual intention.
“Actually, I do Thanks for offering. With your help, I won’t have to run back and forth a hundred times Without hesitation, Doris shoved the bags into his hands, griming as if she had just solved a major problem.
Lewis glanced at the paper bags now weighing down his hands, momentarily stunned. What am I to her? Free labor? While he felt a flicker of irritation, he reminded himself to keep up his disguise.
Doris went back to grab more bags from the car. There were so many orders that she still couldn’t manage all of them. Daniel, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward to offer assistance. “Let me help you with that”
“Oh, no. You’re his boss. I wouldn’t want to trouble you,” Doris said, feeling a bit flustered.
“I’m just an assistant.” Daniel replied hastily, glancing nervously at Lewis, not daring to consider himself a leader over the
CEO.
“Mr. Gill, this is my wife, Lewis said smoothly, gesturing toward Doris with a neutral expression. “Doris, this is Mr. Daniel Gill, the CEO’s assistant.”
Doris sized Daniel up with a friendly smile. “Mr. Gill, you’re already the CEO’s assistant at such a young age? That’s impressive,
“I’d appreciate it if you could keep an eye on my husband at work. Next time, I’ll make some pastries and have him bring them to you as a thank–you.”
Lewis blinked, taken aback. He hadn’t expected Doris to try buttering up his supposed colleague on his behalf.
Daniel, meanwhile, was frantically trying to think of the proper response to maintain Lewis’s cover. “Oh, no need for that. Mr. Hart… no, Lewis and I are colleagues. We’re supposed to look out for each other. It’s no trouble at all
Lewis coughed lightly, cutting off the exchange. He turned to Doris. “Are you done talking yet? Aren’t you supposed to deliver the pastries?”
Together, the three of them entered the sleek, modern lobby of Hartman Group, the pristine marble floors gleaming under the warm lighting.
“Ms. Reed, just leave the pastries at the reception desk. I’ve already informed all the departments to come down and pick up their orders Daniel said with a polite smile, clearly having everything under control “Lewis,
you can call it a day too.”
Doris breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Mr. Gill,‘ she said, sincerely appreciative of Daniel’s meticulous arrangements. It saved her the hassle of going upstairs herself.
Lewis, however, nudged her impatiently. “Let’s go.”
Doris, seemingly unfazed, turned to him with a pointed look. “Aren’t you going to thank Mr. Gill”
Daniel stiffened visibly at her words, his nerves ratcheting up. “It’s really nothing. N–no need for that,” he stammered, his forced smile barely masking his growing panic. After all, the thought of his boss thanking him was as terrifying as it was
unthinkable.
Doris, unrelenting, fixed her clear, innocent gaze on Lewis, whose face remained as impassive as ever.
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The intensity in her eyes was like sunlight filtering through crystal, a kind of quiet honesty that seemed to pierce through all his walls. Lewis let out a resigned sigh, his tone sharp and clipped. “Mr. Gill, thank you”
“Oh, it’s… it’s no trouble,” Daniel stammered, beads of sweat forming on his back. He felt like he’d narrowly escaped being caught in a storm, though the tension in his chest remained.
Lewis and Doris walked side by side out of Hartman Group, the crisp evening breeze brushing against their faces, carrying with it a gentle coolness that made the night feel surprisingly pleasant.
Under the honeyed glow of the streetlights, Doris’s delicate features seemed to shimmer. Her expressive eyes, glinting with the light, looked as if they could hold entire constellations within them.
“Mr. Gill is such a nice guy,” Doris said, her tone full of genuine admiration.
Lewis’s expression hardened. “You’re into him?”
“Excuse me?” Doris stopped in her tracks, blinking in disbelief, wondering if she had misheard him.
Lewis’s deep–set eyes glinted with an enigmatic sharpness. “Doris, you’d better stay in line.”
Her brows furrowed in confusion as he mused, ‘Stay in line? What on earth is he talking about?”
Though she wasn’t sure what he meant, she still felt the need to defend herself. “You’ve got it all wrong. I’ve got principles and I’m not that easy.”
Lewis let out a faint scoff, one that barely left his lips, but it carried a world of doubt. He thought, Principles? Sure. This is the same woman who, right after our marriage, was meeting another man behind my back, cozying up with him as if 1 didn’t exist.
“And now she can’t stop praising my assistant or digging for information about the Hartman family heir. What exactly is she playing at?‘
“Let’s hope you stick to what you’re saying. His sharp, chiseled profile stood out starkly under the interplay of light and shadow, making his features seem even more striking.
How can he be so damn good–looking and so mean at the same time? Doris thought, biting back the urge to roll her eyes.
“Come on. I’ll take you home, Lewis offered, his tone clipped but still gentlemanly, clearly thinking it was unsafe for her to head back alone so late after work.
Doris shook her head with a polite smile. I’m covering for a colleague tonight. My shift ends in an hour. You should head home first. I don’t want to keep you up.”
Lewis glanced at his sleek watch, the faint ticking filling the short silence. “I have something to handle anyway. I’ll wait for you outside the hotel in an hour.”
Doris pressed her lips together, caught off guard by his persistence. She couldn’t exactly refuse his gesture without sounding ungrateful. “Alright,” she said softly.
Under the dim streetlights, their shadows stretched long on the ground, blending together momentarily as they parted ways.
An hour later. Doris emerged from the hotel. It didn’t take long for her to spot Lewis’s black Passat parked neatly by the roadside.
She jogged over, opened the door, and slid into the passenger seat. After fastening her seatbelt, she glanced at him with a
smile..
Lewis didn’t say a word as he started the car, his movements efficient. The whole ride was smooth and steady. The quiet hum of the engine filled the space, and as they drove, his focused expression somehow made his already handsome profile
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even more captivating.
Doris couldn’t help but steal a glance at his chilly expression, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“What’s so funny?” His low voice broke the silence, laced with mild irritation. Do I look like a joke to her?’ he mused.
“Oh, nothing” Doris said, her voice carrying a teasing lilt even she didn’t notice. She didn’t even know why she was smiling. “Mr. Hartman, you look good when you’re driving
“I do!” Lewis raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “Only when I’m driving, huh?”
Her smile deepened, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You look even better when you’re
His jaw twitched, and for a moment, he was utterly speechless.
not
talking
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