Chapter 41 Would You Be Willing to Give Me a Chance?

Chapter 41 Would You Be Willing to Give Me a Chance?

Isabella held the warm coffee cup in her hands, gently blowing on the steam rising from the surface. A cold smile appeared at the corners of her lips, and she let out a low, scornful laugh.

Vivian really had some nerve, threatening her like that. In all these years, no one had dared to speak to her that way.

She wanted to use the Smith Group to pressure her? Well, she'd show her what real power looked like.

Isabella calmly took a sip of coffee and simply instructed her assistant to dig up dirt on the Smith Group, completely ignoring Vivian's provocation.

Meanwhile, at the hotel entrance.

Gavin opened the passenger door and waited for Flora to sit down. The friends already waiting in the back seat immediately greeted her with smiles.

Brandon leaned forward slightly, his eyes filled with admiration, and was the first to introduce himself: "Hi there, I'm Gavin's friend. I've heard him mention you so many times, and I'm finally meeting you! Just call me Brandon Robinson!"

Nicholas, sitting beside him, nodded at her with a cool tone and evasive eyes, looking somewhat awkward: "Hello, Nicholas Jackson."

"I'm Eric Allen." Eric, sitting between them, posed dramatically to show what he thought was his best angle. "Call me Eric."

Flora hadn't expected there to be others in the car. After a brief moment of surprise, she politely responded: "Hello everyone, I'm Flora White."

Gavin, the driver, got in the car as well. The door closed and the car slowly started moving.

At the thought of talking to a girl he liked up close, Brandon could barely contain his excitement. He gripped the front seat tightly, leaned forward with eyes shining like stars, and asked eagerly: "Flora, I heard you took on several guys earlier and knocked those thugs down in no time. That's amazing! Do you know some kind of fighting technique?"

When he witnessed her take down a man with an over-the-shoulder throw at the club, he could tell she had training, but he hadn't expected her to be this good at fighting.

That cool, delicate face combined with such fierce and efficient moves—what an incredible contrast!

Looking at Flora's perfect profile, Brandon's heart couldn't help but race, and his cheeks flushed pink.

Flora brushed it off: "I know a little."

The gaze from behind was too intense to ignore. Flora rolled down the window, pretending to get some air and look at the scenery, subtly putting some distance between them.

Noticing Flora's resistance, Nicholas pulled Brandon back from practically pressing himself against her, quietly warning him with his eyes to tone it down. He tilted his chin slightly, gesturing toward Gavin.

He had some nerve, trying to hit on Flora right under Gavin's nose. If Gavin really made an issue of it, his dad would ship him overseas tomorrow.

Not only did Brandon miss Nicholas's hint, he irritably brushed off his hand and muttered: "What are you doing? I'm talking to Flora, don't interrupt me."

He folded his hands on the seat, rested his cheek on the back of his hands, tilted his head slightly, and asked seriously: "Flora, we were so nervous when you confronted Vivian. I kept worrying you might have seen or said something wrong, and I kept asking Gavin why he wasn't helping you. Guess what he said?"

"What did he say?"

He sighed: "He said he trusted you, and that he wanted us to see what you were really capable of." This was followed by a string of compliments.

Seeing him rambling on endlessly, Nicholas had no choice but to interrupt: "Actually, I'm curious too—how did you know that jewelry was fake?"

Though they didn't know much about jewelry, they'd seen plenty of it. Besides, that piece was a top-quality fake that even many experts in the field would have trouble identifying, yet she could spot the problem at a glance. It was truly surprising.

"I just guessed randomly, got lucky." When faced with this frequently asked question, Flora lied smoothly.

Brandon was stunned. "It was just a guess? You're so lucky!"

Gavin knew Flora didn't want to discuss this topic further and helped her out: "I have the real jewelry."

Brandon muttered quietly, with a hint of indignation: "No wonder Gavin could support Flora so confidently—turns out he had the real jewelry all along."

And they'd been so worried about Flora being humiliated!

"I know." Unlike their indignation and sudden realization, Flora calmly agreed: "The seller provided some general information about the buyer. I guessed it was you."

She could tell Vivian had put a lot of effort into this charity gala. The items were probably purchased at market price through legitimate channels. Too bad she bought a fake.

This kind of well-made replica was indeed hard to spot at first glance. The coincidence was that the authentic piece had been sold through her hands.

Hearing this, Gavin clearly hadn't expected such a wonderful coincidence between them, and was even more surprised by her impressive authentication skills.

The friends were also full of admiration for the understanding between Gavin and Flora, taking turns praising them as a perfect match, both directly and indirectly.

Flora didn't respond, but she didn't deny it either.

After arriving at the hospital, the friends tactfully found excuses to leave, giving the two some private time.

After helping Flora treat her wound, Gavin drove her home.

On the way back, it suddenly started drizzling, and he played a romantic song.

When the light turned red at an intersection, Gavin stopped the car. He looked at the lights blurred by raindrops on the window, his fingers gently tapping the steering wheel, lost in thought.

The car slowly stopped at the familiar alley entrance.

"Thanks for today." Flora opened the car door, and a gust of cold wind hit her face, lifting the loose strands of hair by her temples.

Seeing Gavin still lost in thought, she said "I'll head back now" and prepared to get out.

"Wait."

"What's wrong?" Flora stopped, puzzled, and turned to look at him.

Gavin didn't answer. Instead, he unbuckled his seatbelt, got out from the other side, and walked around to stand in front of her.

Their eyes met. He looked down at her intently, his tone serious and earnest: "Flora, I like you."

"I know my reputation wasn't great before, and you probably think I'm a notorious playboy. But I promise you, I've always been clean. My virginity is still intact. Besides you, I've never had feelings for any other woman, and I've never had any inappropriate involvement with anyone."

"You must be wondering—we've been engaged for so long, just going through the motions, so why did I fall for you only after your real identity was revealed and our engagement was called off? I admit it's my fault, but I never meant to play you." His hand hanging at his side nervously gripped his pants. After speaking his true feelings, the shyness rising in his heart made him instinctively want to look away, but he forced himself to keep his eyes fixed on Flora.

"Before, I was too arrogant and proud. I didn't want to get close to you or understand you. I crudely lumped you together with all those women who deliberately tried to approach me, keeping my distance and holding prejudices against you. It wasn't until later, when you dropped the act and became your true self, that I slowly got to really know you, got close to you, and became completely drawn to you."

He took out a ring he'd prepared long ago from his pocket. When he opened the box, his fingers were still trembling slightly. "I'm certain—I like you and want to be with you. Flora, will you give me a chance to be with you?"