Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Lola and Doris exchanged a glance, and they both silently wondered, ‘What’s the deal between this beautiful woman and the so–called heir Mr. Hartman?‘
They held their breath, leaning in for more information.
Zoe turned in front of the mirror and said with a slight worry on her face, “Do you think the neckline’s a little too low? Mr. Hartman doesn’t like women with dresses that are too revealing.”
“No, Zoe,” one of the clerks chimed in. “It’s not revealing at all. It makes you mysterious with just the right amount of tease.”
“Yeah, Zoe, just wait. Mr. Hartman’s gonna fall head over heels for you at the party, and then he’ll be knocking on your door to propose. Don’t forget about us when you’re living the high life,” someone else added.
Zoe blushed, shaking her head lightly. “You guys need to stop with all these wild guesses.”
A clerk replied, “Come on, Zoe, there’s no one in Hampstone who’s more suited for Mr. Hartman than you. You two practically grew up together, and the whole Hartman family adores you. It’s only a matter of time before you two get married.”
“Exactly! Five years ago, you went abroad, and Mr. Hartman followed right after you. It’s not even a secret in Hampstone,” another clerk said.
“We’re just waiting for the official announcement at the Hartman Group’s event. Can’t wait to congratulate you in person,” someone said with a grin.
Doris and Lola’s minds were running at the same speed. ‘So, this is Mr. Hartman’s girlfriend?‘
Lola whispered in Doris’s ear, “You know, Mr. Hartman’s almost thirty. I heard he’s not just back to take over the family business; he’s looking to settling down too. On the surface, it’s a welcome party for the heir. But secretly, it’s pretty much a matchmaking party for him.”
Lola didn’t beat around the bush but told Doris everything she knew. It was how things like this went in high society.
Zoe’s flawless face carried a subtle smile as she listened to the compliments. She just remained calm and composed.
After a few d
more exchanges, Zoe took off the dress and asked the clerk to pack it up. “Please send it to my place.”
She had switched into a chic pink Chanel suit with a short skirt, showing off her enviable figure–long legs and slim waist.
One of the blonde women in the store leaned over and whispered, “Zoe, I heard Mr. Hartman’s over at the men’s shop trying on clothes. Aren’t you going over to say hi?”
With a smile, Zoe said, “Well, I’ll just pop over and offer him a coffee.”
Lola nudged Doris and teased, “Do you wanna go?”
Doris blinked, not entirely sure where Lola was going with this. “Where exactly are we going?”
“Are you really not going to see the guy you once thought about marrying?” Lola teased.
With that, Lola dragged Doris behind Zoe’s group and headed towards the luxury men’s clothing store. Sure enough, the place was swarmed with people. There were black–suited bodyguards stationed at the entrance, making it clear that regular folk weren’t getting in anytime soon.
As expected, the group of women, including Zoe, was stopped right at the door.
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“Do you really not know who Ms. Wilkinson is?” one of the blonde women barked at the guards. “Do you have a death wish?”
“We’ve been told to keep the place closed off. No one’s getting in, not even Ms. Wilkinson,” the bodyguard said flatly, completely professional.
Zoe, standing there in front of everyone, tried to stay composed, though she was seething inside. Her smile remained, but it was more strained now.
She took a deep breath and addressed the guards with a calm voice, “I’m Zoe. I’ve known Mr. Hartman since we were kids. I just came to say hello.”
“Sorry, we only follow Mr. Hartman’s instructions. No one’s allowed in,” the bodyguard replied, unwavering.
Zoe’s fingers tightened around her bag, her knuckles white, and though she forced a smile, it looked a little stiff now.
The blonde woman saw Zoe’s struggle and immediately jumped to her defense. Glaring at the guards, she shouted, “You idiots! Zoe’s being polite with you, and you’re treating her like this? Don’t you know who she is?
“You are just some watchdogs. Who gave you the right to talk to her like this? I’ll tell Mr. Hartman about how you disrespected her. Let’s just wait and see. He’ll get you all fired!”
“What’s all this noise about?” Daniel, hearing the commotion from inside, stepped out and immediately spotted Zoe at the door.
Zoe recognized him too, and she said with a smile, “Hey, Daniel.”
“Ms. Wilkinson, what brings you here?” Daniel asked, genuinely surprised to see her here.
“Well, I heard Mr. Hartman was here, so I thought I’d stop by and say hello. I hope I’m not disturbing anything.” Zoe’s large, doe–like eyes were wide, giving off an innocent charm.
“Unfortunately, Ms. Wilkinson, Mr. Hartman left before you arrived after an important call,” Daniel replied, his tone apologetic. “But I’ll be sure to let him know you stopped by.”
“Oh, what a pity.” Zoe’s face fell, disappointment clouding her eyes.
She lingered for a moment, casting a few more longing glances inside before walking off.
The crowd began to disperse, and that was when Daniel noticed Doris and Lola standing just outside the group. Daniel knew Doris, but she hadn’t met him yet. Without missing a beat, Daniel walked inside and approached the fitting room.
Inside, Lewis was calmly adjusting the cuffs of his shirt when he asked, “Is Zoe gone?”
“Yep, but Mrs. Hartman’s outside,” Daniel reported, straight to the point.
“Doris?” Lewis turned around to face Daniel.
Lewis had come here to pick out a suit for the upcoming party. To avoid running into Doris, who was out shopping, he’d rented out the whole store and stationed bodyguards outside to keep anyone else away.
“Get rid of the guards outside,” Lewis ordered, glancing over at Daniel.
“What about Mrs. Hartman?” Daniel asked.
Lewis replied, “Tell the staff to let her in. I’ll handle the rest.”
Lewis then got changed and handed the new outfit to the staff to pack up. After that, he carried the shopping bag out with him.
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As he walked out, he overheard Lola telling Doris, “Looks like being childhood sweethearts doesn’t cut it if we want to see Mr. Hartman, we might as well start praying.”
“Yeah, maybe seeing him will just disappoint you, Doris replied.
“Why?” Lola asked.
“Perhaps he’s ugly,” Doris teased.
“Who are you calling ugly?” Lewis’s voice came from behind them, his brow furrowing slightly in annoyance. He couldn’t believe his wife had just called him ugly.
Doris and Lola turned to see Lewis walking toward them with some shopping bags in his hands.‘
“Wait… how did you come out from there?” Doris asked, her eyes wide with shock.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Lewis raised his eyebrows, challenging her.
“Didn’t they say Mr. Hartman was trying on clothes inside?” Doris glanced down at the designer shopping bag in his hand. her heart starting to race.
Slowly, Doris lifted her gaze back to Lewis’s face, her mind spinning. She had never even considered associating Lewis with the heir of the Hartman family. She didn’t want to be the type to chase after wealth or power, but now things seemed a little complicated.
Lewis could clearly see the confusion in Doris’s eyes. He glanced down at the bags in his hand and said in a calm tone, “Mr. Hartman was here trying on clothes. Afterwards, he asked me to help drop them off at his villa.”
Doris’s racing heart began to settle, and she replied with a nod, “I see… That makes sense now.”
“Mhm.” Lewis nodded.
Doris turned her attention to Lola and was about to introduce her. However, she surprisingly noticed that Lola had been staring at Lewis with wide eyes.
Doris reached over and subtly tugged at Lola’s sleeve, whispering, “Lola…”
“Huh? What?” Lola snapped out of her trance and turned to Doris. “Wait, who is this gentleman?”
“This is Lewis… my… husband,” Doris said, her voice soft but clear under Lola’s surprised gaze.
Lola’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She couldn’t believe that the ridiculously handsome man standing before her was Doris’s husband.
Doris then added, “Lewis, this is Lola, my colleague and my best friend.”
“Lola, nice to meet you,” Lewis said in his usual cool, smooth tone.
“Yeah, same here,” Lola stammered, still trying to process the shock. Then she tilted her head with curiosity bubbling up. “Are you related to the heir of the Hartman family? Like, are you cousins or something?”
“Nope. We just happen to have the same last name,” Lewis replied with a completely straight face, his lying game getting better by the day.
Lola didn’t seem convinced, her eyes still full of questions. “So, you work at Hartman Group. Could you tell us what Mr. Hartman looks like? You know, we’re dying to know.”
Lola’s obsession with the so–called Hartman heir’s appearance was no secret.
