Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Daniel felt a sudden chill and shuddered slightly. Anyone who crossed Lewis never had a good ending. Especially when it involved Doris–his wife.
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“Daniel, let me ask you something. If your girlfriend gets mad, how do you make it up to her?” Lewis refilled Daniel’s cup.
Daniel was caught off guard. “Mr. Hartman, with how busy work is, you know I don’t even have a girlfriend.”
“Are you complaining to me?” Lewis raised a brow.
“No, sir.” Realizing his mistake, Daniel quickly corrected himself.
“Mr. Hartman, I did have a girlfriend before. When she was angry, I’d take her out for good food, buy her bags or jewelry, send her flowers, give her a red envelope–say something sweet. “That usually did the trick. Then, when the moment’s right, steal a kiss–guaranteed to work.”
Lewis nearly choked on his coffee. He thought, ‘How could I possibly kiss her?‘
“Mr. Hartman, did you make Ms. Reed mad?” Daniel grinned mischievously.
Lewis downed his coffee in one go and placed the cup back on the table. “The coffee here is nice. You take your time–I’m heading home to my wife.”
“Take care, Mr. Hartman,” Daniel called after him, watching as Lewis left with effortless grace.
Daniel sighed, thinking, ‘Having a wife really is something else. With my workload, when would I ever get to date? Maybe I should request some time off to find a girlfriend.
***
On his way back to Greenlake Hill, Lewis passed by a flower shop. He pulled over and walked inside.
The moment he entered, the store staff’s eyes lit up. Their faces practically screamed: [Wow, this guy is ridiculously handsome.]
“Wrap a bouquet for me,” Lewis said, glancing around at the various flowers in the shop.
Doris loved flowers, and her balcony was filled with all kinds she would buy from time to time.
The TV stand in the living room was adorned with a variety of succulents, making for a pleasing sight.
“Sir, who are you buying for?” A shop assistant cautiously approached.
Lewis said, “For my wife.”
The shop assistants all looked as if they had just been dumped.
They wondered which lucky woman had married such a stunningly handsome man. He was even more attractive and charismatic than some male celebrities.
“How about red roses? They symbolize ‘I love you,” the assistant suggested.
Lewis glanced at the bold and passionate red roses and instantly dismissed the idea.
After scanning the selection, he pointed at the golden sunflowers. “These. My wife likes sunflowers. Wrap a large bouquet.”
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Chapter 96
“Sure,” the assistant said, picking out the sunflowers. “Please wait a moment, sir.”
Another assistant brought him a cup of water, but her hands trembled so much that some of it spilled.
“No need, thanks,” Lewis said, checking the time as he waited.
A few minutes later, the assistant returned with the wrapped bouquet. “Sir, your flowers are ready. That’ll be 130 dollars.”
Lewis paid and then left.
When back, Lewis parked the car, took the flowers, and headed upstairs.
Making sure to hide the bouquet behind him, he slipped inside and discreetly placed it in an inconspicuous corner of the living room.
Doris was in the kitchen. He walked over and asked, “Where’s Laura?”
“I sent her home,” Doris replied as she carried a pot of soup to the table. “Wash your hands and eat.”
“Why didn’t you let her stay for dinner?” Lewis rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands.
“She had things to do,” Doris said, serving the food.
Lewis sat down and looked up to see that Doris had already started eating.
He scooped a bowl of soup and placed it in front of her. “Let it cool.”
“Thanks,” Doris said, glancing at him before continuing her meal.
Neither of them spoke, while quietly finishing their dinner.
Doris got up to clear the table, and Lewis helped collect the dishes.
Doris widened her eyes in surprise. She thought, ‘Is he possessed? Since when is he this considerate?‘
“You’ve been taking care of Peyton lately, so I figured I’d help out a little,” Lewis said, easily reading the question in her eyes.
“I’m not even working right now, so it’s not that tiring,” Doris said, watching him fumble awkwardly. She couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ll do the washing. You just rinse and dry.”
“Alright.” Lewis felt a little awkward but kept his composure.
Working together, they quickly finished the dishes since there weren’t many.
Doris took off her apron. “What did you talk about with my parents?”
“Nothing much,” Lewis said, drying his hands and heading to the living room.
Doris followed him. “Tell me the truth.”
Lewis sank into the couch, stretching his arms out and leaning back against the cushions. “Just helping your brother find a job.”
“Don’t tell me you’re letting him into Hartman Group?” Doris tensed up.
“A branch office.” Lewis clarified. “We won’t have any direct contact.”
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09:34 Sat, 8 Mar M
Chapter 96
“That’s a relief.” Doris let out a breath of relief, “You really don’t have to get involved with him?
She was worried Rupert would cause trouble and drag Lewis down with him.
“It’s just a job. I’ll have someone keep an eye on him and make sure he behaves” Lewis reassured her. “Don’t worry. Since 1 made this decision, I’ve already prepared for any outcome. Trust me,”
Doris frowned, “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just don’t trust him. He caused plenty of trouble at Watson Group. If he wants to mess up his own life, fine—but I don’t want him dragging you down.”
She thought, ‘Ryan, as the president of Watson Group, has the means to clean up Rupert’s messes. But Lewis is just a regular employee–if things went south, he could lose his job too!
“He’s not that capable,” Lewis said dismissively. “This is a chance to keep him in check
“If Rupert works hard and keeps his head down, fine. But if he causes trouble, don’t hold back for my sake. If he gets fired, that’s on him,” Doris said bluntly, showing no intention of going easy on her brother.
“Alright.” Lewis nodded.
Then, Doris fell silent. Lewis turned to look at her.
Feeling his gaze, Doris didn’t lift her head. Her fingers twisted together as she murmured, “I–I’ll head back to my room first.”
“Wait.” Lewis stopped her just as she hurriedly stood up. “Now that we’ve talked about them, it’s time to talk about us.”
“Us? What about us?” Doris slowly sat back down.
“What? Lost your memory?” Lewis teased. “Need me to help you recall?”
“N–No need.” Doris raised her hand to stop him. “I think… I think I remember some things now.”
“Go on, then.” Lewis leaned in, looking like he was all ears.
Doris gritted her teeth. She thought, ‘He’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he? Just because I mentioned divorce? Is he really holding a grudge over that? Waiting for me to admit defeat?‘
“The divorce.” Doris squeezed the words out between clenched teeth, her voice barely audible.
Lewis continued, “So, are you ready to tell me who this person you are dating is?”
Doris frowned. She wasn’t dating anyone.
“Even if you don’t say it, I already know who it is.” Lewis crossed one leg over the other.
The way he looked at her sent a chill down her spine.
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