Chapter 24 Chapter 24: Bringing Lunch to Work
However, Selena’s rising fame also upset some people, first among them the singer who originally performed the song, followed by her fans. No one liked seeing their idol compared to and used as a stepping stone for someone else. Thus, this group of fans rallied to attack Selena across various social media platforms.
Unbeknownst to her, Selena had somehow become a thief of intellectual property.
The office of the chairman of Winning Edge Enterprises.
Amelia sat on the sofa across from Balthazar. Since their last dinner together, the atmosphere between them had become awkward. He was still frustrated at being treated like a secret lover with someone else's wife, a feeling that made him utterly humiliated.
Amelia had noticed this, so she came today to make amends. She pushed a box in front of Balthazar and said:
“I made this cake myself. Try it and see if you like it?"
Despite his anger, Balthazar thought about how the woman he had poured his heart into had personally made him a cake, and his anger nearly subsided. He picked up a piece of cake, put it in his mouth, and chewed. His eyebrows immediately furrowed.
There was mango inside the cake!
She clearly knew he couldn't eat mango, yet she still put it in the cake?
Seeing that Balthazar had finished eating but remained silent, Amelia asked:
“How does it taste? Is it good?"
Back when they were together, she had never lowered herself to please Balthazar in this way. Every time they fought, he was always the one to apologize first. When had she ever been so gentle and asked about his feelings like this?
Balthazar forced himself to swallow the cake and replied:
“It's okay."
Amelia pouted.
“Just okay? Would it hurt you to give a little praise?"
Amelia guessed that "okay" in Balthazar's mouth meant it was actually very delicious, but she still pretended to pout for praise. Women who knew how to be playful were the ones who got affection, and she had mastered this skill. Unfortunately, she was too confident in his love for her, believing he would always cater to her, which kept her pride intact when facing him. This subtly made him compare her to Selena.
Balthazar lowered his gaze, unconsciously recalling the time he ate the bowl of red date lotus seed soup. The joy in Selena's eyes was something that couldn't be faked. Was she genuinely happy when he enjoyed the food she cooked?
Reng reng...
At that moment, Amelia's phone rang. Seeing that it wasn't William but Keith calling, she breathed a sigh of relief and answered.
“I'm listening."
However, the voice on the other end wasn't Keith's, but William's. He spoke coldly:
“I know you're at the Winning Edge Enterprises tower. Either you come home now, or I'll come pick you up myself."
Amelia was startled. She hadn’t expected William to know she was meeting Balthazar. She thought she had hidden it so well.
The call ended abruptly with a series of beeps... Amelia's eyes welled up as she looked at Balthazar, expecting him to embrace her and comfort her. But instead, she was met with his cold, emotionless face.
“If you have something to do, you should leave first."
Amelia bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before standing up and walking out of the office. The moment she left, her expression changed, becoming cold and sharp. If she couldn’t have him, she would destroy him.
Balthazar remained seated in his office, resting his head on the back of the sofa with a long sigh.
He still loved Amelia deeply, but he knew she had no intention of leaving her husband to be with him. No matter how deep their feelings were, after so many betrayals, they would eventually wear thin. It would be better to focus on expanding his business empire. Once he surpassed the Sterling family, she would feel secure, and then he could bring her back to his side.
But even though he thought this way, Balthazar still felt uneasy. He really needed a way to release the frustration within him.
Just then, his assistant came in to report:
“Sir, Miss Selena is waiting at the front gate of the corporation."
Balthazar immediately jumped up. It was like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man, and he quickly said:
“Bring her up here."
The assistant hesitated for a moment before nodding and leaving. He hoped that once his boss saw her, he wouldn’t be too frightened.
Not long after, there was a knock on the office door. The assistant opened the door and stepped aside, allowing the person next to him to enter.
At this moment, Balthazar was still leaning against the sofa. Hearing the footsteps, he assumed it was Selena and said:
“Come over here and... give me a little kiss."
As he spoke, he opened his eyes and was met with Selena’s current appearance. He immediately jumped up from his seat.
“Who are you? Who let you in here?"
Standing in front of Balthazar was indeed a woman, but she was wearing a face mask, a wide-brimmed hat, and a floral-patterned sun-protection outfit that couldn’t have been more outdated. She looked like a fifty- or sixty-year-old auntie.
“It's me."
Selena pulled down her mask, revealing her face, drenched with sweat.
Balthazar’s eyes widened in disbelief as he asked:
“You... why are you dressed like this?"
Selena took off her wide-brimmed hat and the sun-protection outfit. Her hair was plastered to her neck and face, making her look quite disheveled.
“Didn't you tell me to bring lunch to the company entrance? I thought you didn’t want anyone to know you were seeing someone, so I disguised myself a bit to avoid suspicion. After all, a pretty girl standing around is bound to draw attention."
Balthazar was taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to think so far ahead. While it was true he didn’t want anyone to know about her presence, her thoughtfulness left him feeling a little uneasy.
Selena placed the bags she was holding on the table and took out the food containers.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just cooked whatever. If it doesn’t taste good, let me know so I can improve next time."